Do any Windows freeware apps habitually access the private contents of the clipboard upon mere invocation of the app?

Arlen,

In short: Its not the freeware apps problem (regardless of intention),
but that of the user.

Name just one.

I already did. And as it does not make any sense to repeat already given
answers, I suggest you re-read my previous message.

the question is which apps have already been proven to be currently
reading the clipboard without user action nor desire, simply upon the
mere invocation of the app.

Kiddo, repeating the same question again doesn't help to clarify what you
are after. Also, I already explained why that that "without user action
*nor desire*" part (emphasis mine) is problematic. Which you now have
ignored.

Besides, if all you are out for is to show iOS lovers that Windows freeware
programs have the same behaviour than all you need is just one or two (or at
most a handfull) of those aps, which doesn't come near to your "which apps
have", which seems to indicate you need a long, if not full list. Thats
just wastefull.

And there is another problem: some programs may habitualy be reading the
clipboard without any action or desire of the user, but that does not
automaticaly mean that there is any malicious intent - but instead possibly
just an uniformed (by choice perhaps) user.

Did I already say "Which should have started with thinking about the
question itself" ? You really should you know. The better the question,
the more chance you get a usable answer.

Without an app name, the question isn't being answered,

Than I suggest you take a peek at the public data AV comanies and virus
hunters offer. You know, google for it (yourself).

where I'll note in the iOS thread
......

I've ignored everything from that point on, as it doesn't seem to have the
slightest to do with Windows.

Usenet allows purposefully helpful adults to share solutions with others.

Usenet also allows leeches to prey on the helpfull, and giving nothing in
return.

A. How do we prevent this from happening (for _those_ apps that are
known)?

I've already given you the answer to that. Put them in a VM or otherwise
intercept their access to the clipboard. The isolation can be made to
work in both directions.

But, trying to isolate the baddies would be like trying to use a list of
names to keep muggers at bay: No matter how many muggers you blacklist there
will always be more, new ones. You stand a much better chance by
isolating the "good" programs which clipboard contents (read: even simple
copy/paste actions) should not be accessible by the world & dog.

Ofcourse, the /best/ solution would be to stop installing random crap you
(can) find on tha intarwebz. If that can't be done (addictions come in
many forms :-) ) another, easy one, could be to at add a malware scanner
next to the virussscanner.

B. How can we most easily _test_ if a given Windows app is doing this
now?

/Easiest/ ? Just ask someone else to do it for you. :-)

Regards,
Rudy Wieser

pyotr,

So the question comes, is there a means to "clear" the
clipboard? Other than copying a blank space to paste later?

Lol, you want to wrap something /that/ simple in a program ?

But yes, possible. IIRC you could use some HTA for it (effectivily
instructing the browser to clear the clipboard for you). I can imagine
that AutoIt (a rather powerfull scripting language) can also do it.

And I seem to remember some freeware program which you can pipe data into,
which than gets put into the clipboard. An action which could be put in a
shortcut (for easiest access).

Regards,
Rudy Wieser

On Wed, 18 Mar 2020 17:37:26 +0100 (GMT+01:00), Libor Striz wrote:

This is one of your games
I am not going to participate on.

Hi Poutnik,

This thread is asking for a named list of badly behaved Windows programs.
o As Mayana inferred, *these would be Windows freeware programs to avoid*.

Just because we _can_ rummage through people's garbage to obtain their bank
statements, doesn't mean that reputable people actually _do_ so without any
need to have done so (and without users' knowledge or express consent).

This cite clearly states the opinion that the scores of listed (admittedly
only iOS) apps that have been _caught_ rummaging through your garbage for
personal information is obviously the wrong thing for those iOS apps to do.

o Famous iOS apps are snooping on the Pasteboard (March 14th, 2020)
https://learnworthy.net/famous-ios-apps-are-snooping-on-the-pasteboard

I concur, and I claim that those apps would likely be apps to be avoided.
o All this thread asks for is a similar list of Windows programs.

Put in colloquial terms, the goal here is to list any known Windows
programs that have absolutely no business rummaging through your garbage,
without your knowledge or consent, and yet, who are known to be doing so,
merely upon invocation of the Windows program.

In summary:
*What Windows programs are known to access the clipboard merely upon*
*invocation (which have no need to do so) that we know of*?
--
Usenet helps all of us improve our technical skills by sharing with others.

On Wed, 18 Mar 2020 17:58:05 +0100, R.Wieser wrote:

Name just one.

I already did. And as it does not make any sense to repeat already given
answers, I suggest you re-read my previous message.

Hi Rudy,

The simplest test of Usenet bull****ters is three words:
o "Name Just One".

Anyone can club little old ladies just because they can get away with it,
but no reputable person clubs little old ladies just because they can.
o If they did, they'd be people to avoid.

Same here.

Since you claim to have provided a specific list of known Windows programs
that do that, akin to the specific list that the cited article clearly
provided, why can nobody find that list but you?
o Name just one.
--
The simplest test of Usenet bull****ters is three words: "Name Just One".

Though PSP5 has a nice featu
If there's a lot on the Clipboard it warns that I'm
leaving a lot of data in memory and asks to confirm
if I want to leave it for use in another program.

Current version still does this!

--
Garry

Free usenet access at http://www.eternal-september.org
Classic VB Users Regroup!
comp.lang.basic.visual.misc
microsoft.public.vb.general.discussion

Arlen,

Bull****ters always fail this, the simplest 3-word test of their facts.

Bull****ters always claim that they don't get the answers they are owed -
while blatantly ignoring all the ones they do not like.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser

On Wed, 18 Mar 2020 18:31:37 +0100, R.Wieser wrote:

Bull****ters always claim that they don't get the answers they are owed -
while blatantly ignoring all the ones they do not like.

The permanent Usenet record will show...

FACT:
Bull****ters like Rudy Wieser _always_ instantly fail the three-word test:
o Name just one

That is, their entire belief system is based on exactly zero (0) facts.

Hence, to spare the _adults_ on this newsgroup further indignity, this is
my last response in this thread to this utter worthless piece of **** Rudy
Wieser, who clearly has absolutely zero intention of ever (in his entire
life) purposefully adding on-topic technical value to this newsgroup.
--
Those who have never even once added any value, already proved they can't.

Arlen,

The simplest test of Usenet bull****ters is three words:
o "Name Just One".

The most silly of (Usenet) Bull****ters always claim that they don't get
their answers - while blatantly ignoring all the ones they do not like.

Since you claim to have provided a specific list of known \
Windows programs that do that

I have not claimed anything of the kind. But pray tell, how on earth do
you connect "name just one" with your above "a list of" ? I'm afraid that
your wiring either has a loose contact or a short somewhere ....

akin to the specific list that the cited article clearly provided,

Ah, thataway. Than I will have you know that to us earthings time flows
in a single direction. Claiming that a later provided list should have
anything to do with an earlier given reply does therefore not quite work on
this planet (and is frowned upon - just so you know).

Though to be honest, the young ones under us always try, once or twice, to
get away something in a similar fashion - not that their elders let them get
away with it though.

And as always, you are rather transparent on your demands that I should, as
proof of me being right, provide you with exactly what you need. Even
though you tried, and failed, a few times before, here you are, trying it
again. I guess you must be "slow" in that regard. :-)

I gave you plenty of info to work with to solve the clipboard access problem
you described. Get off of your lazy ass I would say.

Than a again, I took that question at face value, and someone informed me of
the possibility that solving it was not what you where after - something
your current response (apart from the obvious goading) does seem to support.

Hence, to spare the _adults_ on this newsgroup further indignity, this
is my last response in this thread to this utter worthless piece of ****
Rudy Wieser, who clearly has absolutely zero intention of ever (in his
entire life) purposefully adding on-topic technical value to this
newsgroup.

:-) Thank you kind sir. You might not know it, but your personal attack
rants score your thanwhile target points with people who actually have
something to say and share.

Though can't you think of something new to say ? Its get boring. You've
already used the same to me a few times before, and I've seen you use it
towards others too. Does that mean that I'm not, you know, special to you
? :-)

Than again, having that template in whatever you use to read newsgroups and
only having to select the name of the recipient does make the while "lets
try to trash that person" a lot easier. :-)

But, lets see if you can keep your given word. I doubt it though ...

Regards,
Rudy Wieser

"pyotr filipivich" wrote

| So the question comes, is there a means to "clear" the clipboard?
| Other than copying a blank space to paste later?

You mean like for when you have to lend your
computer to James Bond? There's an API, with
functions in most programming languages. Oddly,
it was never added to Windows Script Host.
Probably the simplest method without writing
software would be this:

HTMLHEAD
SCRIPT LANGUAGE="VBScript"
window.clipboardData.clearData
/SCRIPT
/HEADBODY/BODY/HTML

Paste that into Notepad and save as an HTML file.
Then just double click it and close the resulting
window.

Of course, on Win10 it may complain that you don't
have permission to clear the clipboard.... or use IE...
or open an HTML file.... or double click with the mouse
prior to buying stuff at the Windows Store....
but it should work fine on XP.

Mayayana,

Oddly, it was never added to Windows Script Host.

Most likely they thought about it at some point, but decided that the
problem our esteemed OP posted about would than just be too easy to create,
even by a mediocre scriptkiddie (like the "cd tray virus" of yesteryear) -
or even just a nuissance "clear the clipboard every tenth of a second"
script.

At least, I wish to think that MS considered that. It /could/ ofcourse
just be a kind "/we/ don't need it" kind of lazyness though.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA256

R.Wieser wrote:
[...]
I have not claimed anything of the kind. But pray tell, how on
earth do you connect "name just one" with your above "a list of" ?
I'm afraid that your wiring either has a loose contact or a short
somewhere ....

Why not both?


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--
|_|O|_|
|_|_|O| Github: https://github.com/dpurgert
|O|O|O| PGP: 05CA 9A50 3F2E 1335 4DC5 4AEE 8E11 DDF3 1279 A281

On Thu, 19 Mar 2020 00:39:24 -0000 (UTC), Dan Purgert wrote:

Why not both?

Hi Dan Purgert,

I have faith in your ability to eventually construct an adult sentence.
o Eventually.

Some day you'll craft a sentence on Usenet that appears to be from an adult
o But apparently not today.

To spare the _adults_ on this ng further indignity, this is my last post in
this thread to worthless pieces of **** like Dan Purgert consistently
easily proves to be.
--
People like Dan & Rudy literally hate they lack capacity to add value.

"R.Wieser" on Wed, 18 Mar 2020 18:08:30 +0100
typed in microsoft.public.windowsxp.general the following:
pyotr,

So the question comes, is there a means to "clear" the
clipboard? Other than copying a blank space to paste later?

Lol, you want to wrap something /that/ simple in a program ?

B-) That's why I asked.

Some of it is the whole "last one out empty the trash" element.
That when program X is closed, the clipboard gets emptied. Some
programs already do ask when you have a lot of stuff on the clipboard.
But how much is "a lot"?

But yes, possible. IIRC you could use some HTA for it (effectivily
instructing the browser to clear the clipboard for you). I can imagine
that AutoIt (a rather powerfull scripting language) can also do it.

And I seem to remember some freeware program which you can pipe data into,
which than gets put into the clipboard. An action which could be put in a
shortcut (for easiest access).

I think I'll just try to remember to copy a blank space to the
clipboard.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser

--
pyotr filipivich
Next month's Panel: Graft - Boon or blessing?

"R.Wieser" on Wed, 18 Mar 2020 20:12:59 +0100
typed in microsoft.public.windowsxp.general the following:
Mayayana,

Oddly, it was never added to Windows Script Host.

Most likely they thought about it at some point, but decided that the
problem our esteemed OP posted about would than just be too easy to create,
even by a mediocre scriptkiddie (like the "cd tray virus" of yesteryear) -
or even just a nuissance "clear the clipboard every tenth of a second"
script.

At least, I wish to think that MS considered that. It /could/ ofcourse
just be a kind "/we/ don't need it" kind of lazyness though.

I am of the opinion that a lot of interface issues with Windows
are because the people who work _on_ the interface think it is a neat
idea, but don't know anyone who actual works _with_ the interface.
--
pyotr filipivich
Next month's Panel: Graft - Boon or blessing?

"pyotr filipivich" wrote

| I am of the opinion that a lot of interface issues with Windows
| are because the people who work _on_ the interface think it is a neat
| idea, but don't know anyone who actual works _with_ the interface.

I think in this case it's a lack of foresight. Windows
Script Host came out in the late 90s, intended as DOS
updated for the GUI era. At the same time, Microsoft
were integrating COM objects into scripting in IE, to
create "ActiveX". What resulted was a very powerful,
adaptable programming system. The single method of
CreateObject (vbs) or New ActiveXObject (js) opened
up Windows scripting to any available dispatch interface.
(Late-bound COM objects.) Bu that was almost an
accident in terms of being useful in Windows. They
were only trying to screw Netscape.

Meanwhile, what they had meant to do with WSH was
just to give sys admins an easier way to track the file
system, write log files, and so on. So they provided a
method to read and write text files. But no functionality
to handle binary files. Likewise with the Clipboard. It
wasn't a question of security or of functionality. IT people
maintaining computers in the corporate world just didn't
need the Clipboard. They needed to write logs, change
Registry values, check installed software.... that kind of
thing.