Re: quiet night

"Rabbit" <Rabbit_is@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:3suru6FqatoqU1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> "pmj" <post@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:oUpaf.143419$G8.74617@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> "Rabbit" <Rabbit_is@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>>>
>>> I read that a couple of days ago, didn't understand much of it
>>> except for the fact that an ordinary CD could install something
>>> on my pooter without my knowledge.
>>
>> Yep - in fact there *is* a PopUp Box, with an EULA shown, when
>> the so-called "Player" is Installed, but most people just happily
>> Click [OK] on those sort of things, without actually *Reading*
>> any of the EULA, don't they?
>
> Is that when you put the disc in i.e the Sony disc ( or similar)
> in question?

Yes,, but that only happens if you let it AutoRun - which obviously
most people do, since the Default Action for a CDDrive is to have the
AutoRun Feature Enabled.

You can turn AutoRun off though.
& even if it isn't turned off, you can Toggle the AutoRun Action,
by Holding down the [SHIFT] Key, while you Insert the CD & keep Holding
it until the CD has stopped Spinning, while the AutoRun Info is Read.

>>>... Did I get the basics right
>>
>> I dunno!!!
>>
>> I can't read your mind, can I?
>> So I dunno what you read into what you saw in that article!
>> :-)
>
> Wot I said above that an ordinary music CD could install something
>possibly very nasty without my knowledge

It *isn't* actually "an ordinary music CD"!!!

& that's the prob!!!
Obviously, though, most people wouldn't know anything about the
various different kinds of CDs that are made & how PCs use them...

These kind of (DRM - Copy protected) CDs are CDs that *contain* Music,
but they aren't "ordinary music CDs".

They Contain Executable Files on them as well, which are Loaded up
& Run, by the AutoRun Process.

& those files are what Install all the other stuff, along with the
special "Media Player" Software taht they Install, to Play the Music.

> It's not exactly new though.

That's right!!!

There have been lots of different schemes around, that various
different firms have tried using, in an effort to Enforce their DRM
(Digital Rights Management) stuff...

>... It must be about two years ago at least son put a CD in my pooter
> and it tried to automatically install some viewer for the video it
> also contained. That crashed the machine before it could install
> which made me wary since then.

Yep, but there are now more & more things like that around & the more
the firms try to conceal what's really happening, the harder it is for
any ordinary person to know how to avoid it.

& the *main* prob is that a lot of those schemes use various "low level"
Operating System stuff, to try & conceal themselves, which can very
often
cause crashes & Instability.

& (as that Article points out) trying to remove the stuff can actually
make the CDRom Drive/Operating System malfunction.

>>>... What would we be looking for ? Numpty version please :-)
>>
>> Well, the very first thing is to *not* allow any AutoRun of any CD!
>> That's prolly one of the main probs - people seem to expect (& have
>> been encouraged by the Manufacturers?) to be able to just "Bung in
>> a CD & it Plays"?
>
> OK remind us how to stop a CD auto running.

See above.

>... ATM I press shift but isn't there some setting somewhere ?

Yep.
Holding down the [SHIFT] key *Toggles* the AutoRun Action.
& it does it on a Per use basis.

But yes, the AutoRun can be turned off.

There are various ways of doing that.

Have a look in the Properties Dialog Box of the CD Drive.
Look on the "AutoPlay" tab.

You can Choose an Action & (in typical windoze fasion!) one of the
Actions you can Choose is "Take no Action"!
:-)

& yo ucan specify the Action for various different File Types -
all of which have different Actions available.

>> Well, that might be OK with a Plain & Simple *AudioCD* - but when
>> a PC is involved a CD can contain actual *Programs* as well as
>> (or instead of) just Audio, so that's why you need to be wary of
>> (& aware of) what's actually on the CD.
>
> After the fiasco of the tale above I did some research and discovered
> that a music CD is labelled CDDA and under the industry standard
> should only contain audio.

*Should* being the operative word there!!!

The Compact Disk (CD) Standard was defined by Philips *yonks* ago.
& has been adopted by most firms in the industry.
But many firms do actually make CDs that deviate from the Standard.

>... There are different labels for music CDs which contain anything
>else but they logos look so similar most people wouldn't
> notice.

Exactly!!!

How many people even know anything about that sort of thing?

They just assume that if it's round & it fits in, then they can just
bung it in, without a thought!!!

I know many people don't even know that a CD is different from a DVD!

> See http://www.gnscd.com/cdlogo.htm Now who has even noticed the
> different logos ?

Well, I have.

>... Recently I read that Phillips who own the Compact Disc trademark
>have warned companies about using CDDA on discs which contain data
> (or anything else ) that they could be in breach of copywrite. I've
> even read that having *obviously unseen* data on a music CD could be
> in breach of the Computer Misuse Act.

Yep.
But all of those things are just things that big firms (such as Sony)
are obviously prepared to take a chance on.

They rely on the fact that most people won't bother about it, or object
to it.

>> You don't need any different Media Player to Play an ordinary
>> AudioCD.
>>
>> But most people will happily let stuff get Installed, without
>> thinking
>> about it twice.
>
> Well if it says audio CD on the tin that's what should be in the box.

Yes, but most people don't really have any real idea about any of that
sort of thing, do they?

> We need more people to be aware of the discrepancies in labelling
> though I have read that if you buy an audio CD labelled as an audio
> CD and find it contains data of any kind then it can be reported to
> Trading Standards.

Yep, obviously, (& you can also return it for a Refund) but how many
people would bother?

That's what all the big firms rely on - they know that most people
aren't bothered about stuff like that.
& it's only when their PC starts playing up that they are ever
concerned about it.
& even then a lot of people will just say things like "oh well, never
mind".
:-(

--
pmj


.

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