Win Log AssistComments on:

By: Fubar

Fubar — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 13:11:02 +0000

Wow, might as well just delete the comments for this (except for a couple of alternatives). Just a bunch of people who haven’t tried this, barely looked at it, or don’t understand that they’re using crappy anti-virus software. This isn’t a keylogger, it’s not spyware, it doesn’t capture screens, it’s not designed to spy on people (and to do so would require using other software to hide it). It captures the titles of windows which have the focus and their applications, tracks activity and disregards non-activity. So yes, if you’re using a browser you can tell which sites were visited, for how long, what files were downloaded, etc. You can tell which documents were viewed or edited, and for how long, etc. It’s not tracking open windows/applications, only the active ones.

The UI within the program isn’t very good. The lists are neither alphabetical nor chronological. I couldn’t test the Excel report because it’s not generated directly, it calls Excel. I have a legal copy of Office 2007, but haven’t installed that bloatware.

By: CMMReyes

CMMReyes — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 04:47:48 +0000

It works…BUT…there’s no help!

By: Sharon

Sharon — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 03:43:37 +0000

Thank you GAOTD! I am finally able to convert my movies using the Apollo DivX to DVD Converter. About 1/3 of the time i get an error message saying it is unable to complete the conversion plus it takes an average or 4-5 hours to complete. Are there other programs that you could offer that will do a more efficient job. I would seriously appreciate it. Thanks again.

By: CubanPete

CubanPete — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 00:55:40 +0000

Some smart cookies are really shouting out loud today. LOL. I worked with the first Mc Afee Antivirus products back in ‘92 when the first Windows systems came into use. “HEUR/Malware” does NOT in any way mean you’re on the safe side. It doesn’t mean you’re defintely infected either. But it does mean that suspicious code has been found. You should have been clear about this. I strongly feel that suggesting people just ignore the warning by your statements is not ok. You can ONLY ignore such a warning if a false positive has been officialy confirmed by either the manufacturer of the antivirus product or the program. {3 days ago WinMount confirmed to me the false positive for their product in an email to me.]
Anyway, I clicked the first link on Google for antivirus heuristics just to show and got this: “Heuristics are designed to detect previously unknown viruses..” So why should people ignore this?
For more go to antivirus.about.com/library/glossary/bldef-heur.htm and read the whole article. So I hope this finally makes this point clear for today.

By: Geek Grrl

Geek Grrl — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 21:55:04 +0000

#25, before you go deleting a program, I would run a second virus checker. So many of these–McAffee included–can come up with false positives. I had that problem with AVG. It would say there was a virus one day and then a couple of days (and updates) later the file didn’t have a virus! I finally switched to Avast! which seems to work better.

By: Geek Grrl

Geek Grrl — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 21:33:46 +0000

I agree with those who report this to be spying software, IOW spying on someone else. I was hoping this was a timekeeping program. I’ve used Project Timer–free, old and VERY basic. Then I’ve used VeriTime Time Tracker (a free version no longer offered by the company but you may be able to find the free version elsewhere.)

The problem with this software is it isn’t measuring time spend on a project–it just seeing how long you’ve got an application open. Giving you a record like the example:

MSWord – 40 minutes
Internet – 1.5 hours
Thebat! – 20 minutes

That might tell a boss you probably wasted 1.5 hours reading the internet and only about 40-60 mins of actual work. But if you’re actually managing a project, it’s not going to tell you that you spent 40 minutes drafting project A after researching for 1 hour, .5 hours of research on project B and answering email regarding project C.

By: Adam Clark

Adam Clark — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 21:22:11 +0000

When I run the program it asks for a registration. I place the code in, then restart according to the instructions, but it doesn’t work. It keeps asking me to register the program. Not much of a giveaway if it simply amounts to a trial. I can get trials anywhere. Love the site so far, but this giveaway is having problems.

By: Mike Rowe

Mike Rowe — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 21:12:23 +0000

Wasn’t an almost exact duplicate program offered just yesterday?

By: Josh

Josh — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 19:50:42 +0000

I have installed and tried today’s Giveaway.

WinLog Assist has a few interesting aspects, although I have not yet decided, if I like it really better – even the name itself of the program, which I don’t really like, is influencing me – than the free TimeTracker (which I have installed since yesterday, as my default application):

1) GUI:

- Shows you the actual date of all tracked applications, allows also to check easily all previous days, through a calendar;
- Overall clear presentation.

2) When you restart the program, all data of previously tracked applications is still there (this does not happen with TimeTracker);

3) The datasheet (the recorded information is not saved by default in this format, you have to do it yourself) gives very detailed information, with a chart included.

4) The program, through the .ini languages files (only english & russian appear) could be easily translated into another language (in my own personal case, I would need it in Spanish, as it is my mother tongue). The developpers should offer a free version of their program, to those that have the capability to translate it into other languages.

CONS:

- The “project” section is still very rudimentary (no timer option at all), needs more development. This program could end offering, both application and project tracking;

- The user data, for privacy issues, in this kind of program, should be protected/encrypted with a password.

- The company, Almeza, should provide a very clear warranty to all its customers (in the same manner as the freeware TimeTracker at sourceforge, which makes it very clear), that it has been designed not to do any keylogging.

For this last reason, until I have full 100% assurance that it does not do any keylogging, I have decided to run it always as an “untrusted application”, in my personal settings of the excellent DefenseWall HIPS.

By: Richard van Buren

Richard van Buren — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 19:09:37 +0000

@qb7894 (#18): Thanks!

@Figboot, it seems to me a better name would be “BigFeet”, and obviously someone stood on them!

If people (with various AV-engines) tell their experiences, it is to warn others that “something might be wrong”, perhaps you aren’t around here long enough, but there was a program last year that actually had spyware bundled with it. So you better look (and inform yourself) before you leap and post messages like in #41.