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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
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    Southern Vancouver Island
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    Default WeatherBug warning - do not install

    WeatherBug is a program that keeps your computer up to date on storm warnings, etc.
    It is also loaded with spyware - now they tell me. The program allows it to access the internet and do generally malicious things to your system.

    I tried it for a couple of weeks on my XP PC, but didn't like the popup interruptions (and having to translate Fahrenheit to Celsius. It did warn my that tornadoes were coming to the southern US).

    When I used the Uninstall utility that comes with it, most of my MS programs got corrupted. Windows Explorer wouldn't run, so everything I tried ended in a crash. Turns out that a batch of WeatherBug files were hidden away causing grief. I found the bad files but couldn't delete anything without a crash. Finally dragged them into a folder, then dragged that into the recycle bin. Then it took several reboots to access the recycle bin to empty it.
    I have spent 2 days cleaning up this mess and was able to run System Restore to get my programs back. Don't go there.

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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    St Paul, MN
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    Default Re: WeatherBug warning - do not install

    I've run Weatherbug for at least 7 years on 6 different computers without a problem.

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  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Maryland
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    2,809

    Default Re: WeatherBug warning - do not install

    John,
    Your problem may not be actually with WeatherBug, but with the secondary source that you went through to access and download the WeatherBug program.

    Which is why I look to go the the actual source rather than access via another site.


  4. #4
    Edward Loughran's Avatar
    Edward Loughran Guest

    Default Re: WeatherBug warning - do not install

    I had weather bug on a smart phone. No problem until I put an upgrade on the program from the app store. I'm not sure that there were bugs and spyware - but I couldn't update any other apps until it was removed.


  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
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    Southern Vancouver Island
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    Default Re: WeatherBug warning - do not install

    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Rowe View Post
    I've run Weatherbug for at least 7 years on 6 different computers without a problem.
    I had no apparent problem until I tried to remove it. The program connects to the internet without any action by the computer's owner. It opens portals for spyware and malware. I don't just make this stuff up.
    OK, maybe the anti-spyware providers are making this up?

    All I know is that I lost control of my programs, including Norton, Firefox, IE, and more. The weatherbug files were hidden away, after I had supposedly removed it with the utility they provided.

    The source is AWS, which is supposedly the company which puts out the program. Look for an AWS folder in your programs file.

    I use Norton, and that could be why the grief occurred. I had to download a Norton Removal tool, then reinstall Norton to clear up the conflicts. But that does not explain why WeatherBug was still embedded in the registry and running after uninstalling.

    Last edited by John Kogel; 05-08-2011 at 09:30 PM.
    John Kogel, RHI, BC HI Lic #47455
    www.allsafehome.ca

  6. #6

    Default Re: WeatherBug warning - do not install

    EVERY program you install puts "hooks" in the the system and spreads files everywhere. The included uninstallers rarely uninstall it all. They leave behind things like certain settings "just in case you want to reinstall it.

    I test software for an online publication and need to install and uninstall programs frequently. I've reviewed over 300 applications over the last few years. To do this, I use a third part uninstaller called Revo Uninstaller Pro.
    It runs the program's uninstaller and then scans the system for leftovers and allows you to remove them as well. I highly recommend the use of third party uninstallers. It's the only way to get it back to normal with no left overs.

    True Professionals, Inc. Property Consultant
    877-466-8504

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Southern Vancouver Island
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    4,607

    Default Re: WeatherBug warning - do not install

    Thanks, Dana. I will store that info in my mem banks for next time. Revo unistllr pro.

    I had to format my HD last night, XP was crashing. After 3 seemingly successful recoverys, the dreaded black screen.
    I used to sell my old PC's to my kids when I upgraded. This one, my son sold to me, in revenge. It is an '05 Celeron and it has always been an unstable POC.
    What should I get for a new desktop?

    John Kogel, RHI, BC HI Lic #47455
    www.allsafehome.ca

  8. #8

    Default Re: WeatherBug warning - do not install

    Quote Originally Posted by John Kogel View Post
    Thanks, Dana. I will store that info in my mem banks for next time. Revo unistllr pro.

    I had to format my HD last night, XP was crashing. After 3 seemingly successful recoverys, the dreaded black screen.
    I used to sell my old PC's to my kids when I upgraded. This one, my son sold to me, in revenge. It is an '05 Celeron and it has always been an unstable POC.
    What should I get for a new desktop?
    There are tons of choices to be had for very little money these days. It really depends on what you are planning on doing with it. The "correct" way to buy is: Decide what job you want it to do - find the software that will do that - buy a computer that will run it."

    For general use, you can spend as little as $300-$400 and get something that is 10 times what that old Celeron was. It was a pretty low end processor.
    Check TigerDirect.com or Newegg.com for deals.

    If you need more horse power, step up a couple of hundred and get a better system with a dual core processor and 3-4 GB RAM.

    Everything will come with Windows 7 on it now and it is a very stable Operating System. Networking can be problematical I've found in a mixed environment though. Win 7 does not play nice with older XP machines.

    I would go dual core processor and a minimum of 4 GB RAM. Go for a 1 TB HDD, they are cheap now.

    True Professionals, Inc. Property Consultant
    877-466-8504

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