Monday, June 26, 2006

RIP: GAIN Software

Richard M. Smith posted this little find on the FunSec security list.

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http://www.claria.com/gainexit/

Important Information About GAIN Software

Claria will stop displaying GAIN pop-up and other ads on July 1, 2006 and will stop supporting all GAIN Supported Software on October 1, 2006. After October 1, 2006, GAIN software may not function properly.

Our software will continue to collect data about your web usage from your computer for research and other purposes as described in our Privacy Statement until September 30, 2006, unless you uninstall the software before this date.

It is recommended that you uninstall all of GAIN Supported Software presently on your computer. To view a list of GAIN Supported Software installed on the computer you are currently using click here.

You can also view a list of products that are part of the GAIN Network and installed on the computer by following these steps:
  • Step 1: Click on the Windows Start button, select "Programs", "GAIN Publishing", and then "About GAIN Publishing".
  • Step 2: When the About GAIN window opens, click on the "What is GAIN" tab, and then on the link for displaying a list of GAIN supported products.

To uninstall a GAIN supported application, follow these steps:

  • From the Windows Start button, select "Settings", and then "Control Panel".
  • When the Control Panel window opens, double-click on the "Add/Remove Programs" icon.
  • When the Add/Remove Programs window opens, locate the GAIN supported application you wish to uninstall in the list of installed programs, click on that entry one time, and then click on the "Add/Remove" or "Change/Remove" button (depending on which version of Windows you are using).
  • Follow the on screen instructions.

If you do not use the Windows Add/Remove Programs utility and instead attempt to remove GAIN-Supported Software by manually deleting files or folders, it is likely that your efforts will result in an incomplete removal of GAIN and/or GAIN-Supported software. In this case, please contact GAIN Publishing technical support at support@gainpublishing.com and they will be able to assist you in removing any remaining GAIN-related components.

What Does This Mean For You?

If you currently have any GAIN-Supported software installed on your computer, Claria recommends uninstalling them now. Since Claria will no longer support these applications in the near future, there is the possibility that they will cease to function properly. You can continue to use these products if you choose, and will no longer receive GAIN branded pop up and pop under ads after June 30, 2006. This doesn't mean that you won't receive other pop up and pop under ads from other web properties — you just won't receive any from the GAIN Network.

Additional Links
Determine what GAIN supported programs you have on your computer
List of GAIN-Supported SoftwareUninstall InformationSoftware Privacy Statement & License AgreementSupport Center

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Bye GAIN. It was nice not having you on my computer and fun fighting you off the corporate network. Thank god, they changed their name to Claria and built the BehaviorLink advertising network.

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