Why does Adobe Acrobat 7 Standard secretly phone home?

How do I stop Adobe Acrobat from phoning home upon startup?

When I open any PDF document, my Windows firewall says
- ACROBAT.EXE, Process ID: 1111
- (Adobe Acrobat 7.0, Adobe Systems Incorporated, Ver. 7.0.0.1333)
- Attempting network activity.
- Do you want to trust acrobat.exe?
To which I always say no.

I've checked all the settings and can't figure out how to stop Adobe
Acrobat 7.0 Standard from phoning home, particularly:
- edit > preferences > updates
- do not automatically check for critical updates

How do I stop Adobe Acrobat 7 from constantly phoning home?

Re: Why does Adobe Acrobat 7 Standard secretly phone home?

In alt.privacy.spyware, Tia B. McMahon wrote:

> How do I stop Adobe Acrobat from phoning home upon startup?

http://foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_intro.php

--
-bts
-Motorcycles defy gravity; cars just suck

Re: Why does Adobe Acrobat 7 Standard secretly phone home?

Beauregard T. Shagnasty wrote:
> In alt.privacy.spyware, Tia B. McMahon wrote:
>
>
>>How do I stop Adobe Acrobat from phoning home upon startup?
>
>
> http://foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_intro.php
>

How does Foxit keep Adobe Acrobat from phoning home?

Re: Why does Adobe Acrobat 7 Standard secretly phone home?

In alt.privacy.spyware, PDFrank wrote:

> Beauregard T. Shagnasty wrote:
>> In alt.privacy.spyware, Tia B. McMahon wrote:
>>>How do I stop Adobe Acrobat from phoning home upon startup?
>>
>> http://foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_intro.php
>
> How does Foxit keep Adobe Acrobat from phoning home?

Just in case that is actually a serious question:

1. You uninstall the bloated, home-phoning Adobe Acrobat Reader.
2. You install the slim, non-home-phoning FoxIt Reader.

--
-bts
-Motorcycles defy gravity; cars just suck

Re: Why does Adobe Acrobat 7 Standard secretly phone home?

PDFrank after much thought,came up with this jewel
in news:35WdnVdCkL8PBLvanZ2dnUVZ_tLinZ2d@rcn.net:

> Beauregard T. Shagnasty wrote:
>> In alt.privacy.spyware, Tia B. McMahon wrote:
>>
>>
>>>How do I stop Adobe Acrobat from phoning home upon startup?
>>
>>
>> http://foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_intro.php
>>
>
> How does Foxit keep Adobe Acrobat from phoning home?
>
Using add+remove programs,replace acrobat with foxit.
There is no stopping Adobe-resistance is futile.
Some pages require Acrobat(like TaxAct).
You could use a old version of Acrobat for those(I use V4).
max
--
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Tools http://max.shplink.com/tools.html
Change nomail.afraid.org to gmail.com to reply by email.

Re: Why does Adobe Acrobat 7 Standard secretly phone home?

Tia B. McMahon wrote:
> How do I stop Adobe Acrobat from phoning home upon startup?
>
> When I open any PDF document, my Windows firewall says
> - ACROBAT.EXE, Process ID: 1111
> - (Adobe Acrobat 7.0, Adobe Systems Incorporated, Ver. 7.0.0.1333)
> - Attempting network activity.
> - Do you want to trust acrobat.exe?
> To which I always say no.
>
> I've checked all the settings and can't figure out how to stop Adobe
> Acrobat 7.0 Standard from phoning home, particularly:
> - edit > preferences > updates
> - do not automatically check for critical updates
>
> How do I stop Adobe Acrobat 7 from constantly phoning home?

I use Foxit but all Acrobat is doing is checking for a new version.

Re: Why does Adobe Acrobat 7 Standard secretly phone home?

"Beauregard T. Shagnasty" wrote:

>In alt.privacy.spyware, Tia B. McMahon wrote:
>
>> How do I stop Adobe Acrobat from phoning home upon startup?
>
>http://foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_intro.php

I think it's worth pointing out that the original poster is talking
about Adobe Acrobat, not the free Adobe Reader (to which Foxit Reader
can be compared).
----------------------------------------
Aandi Inston
Please support usenet! Post replies and follow-ups, don't e-mail them.

Re: Why does Adobe Acrobat 7 Standard secretly phone home?

Tia B. McMahon wrote:
> How do I stop Adobe Acrobat from phoning home upon startup?
>
> When I open any PDF document, my Windows firewall says
> - ACROBAT.EXE, Process ID: 1111
> - (Adobe Acrobat 7.0, Adobe Systems Incorporated, Ver. 7.0.0.1333)
> - Attempting network activity.
> - Do you want to trust acrobat.exe?
> To which I always say no.
>
> I've checked all the settings and can't figure out how to stop Adobe
> Acrobat 7.0 Standard from phoning home, particularly:
> - edit > preferences > updates
> - do not automatically check for critical updates
>
> How do I stop Adobe Acrobat 7 from constantly phoning home?

There should be a setting in preferences. I'll look for it today when I
get to work.

If not, though, you can download this:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/Utilities/Auto Runs.mspx

or this:

http://www.mlin.net/StartupCPL.shtml

--
Rhonda Lea Kirk

Some are tempted to think of life in cyberspace as insignificant,
as escape or meaningless diversion. It is not. Our experiences there
are serious play. We belittle them at our risk. Sherry Turkle

Re: Why does Adobe Acrobat 7 Standard secretly phone home?

Post removed (X-No-Archive: yes)

Re: Why does Adobe Acrobat 7 Standard secretly phone home?

Chilly8 wrote:


> Probably one of those "tattle tale" features, as I like to call
> them, that report back to the company on all software
> that is install, an anti-piracy feature, to make sure that
> all installed copies of the product are legit.

This feature was remove in Acrobat 6. Even further, you'd rather see the
Adobe License Manager Service doing so, not Acrobat itself (and neither
impersonated).

Re: Why does Adobe Acrobat 7 Standard secretly phone home?

Tia B. McMahon wrote:
> How do I stop Adobe Acrobat from phoning home upon startup?
>
> When I open any PDF document, my Windows firewall says
> - ACROBAT.EXE, Process ID: 1111
> - (Adobe Acrobat 7.0, Adobe Systems Incorporated, Ver. 7.0.0.1333)
> - Attempting network activity.
> - Do you want to trust acrobat.exe?
> To which I always say no.
>
> I've checked all the settings and can't figure out how to stop Adobe
> Acrobat 7.0 Standard from phoning home, particularly:
> - edit > preferences > updates
> - do not automatically check for critical updates
>
> How do I stop Adobe Acrobat 7 from constantly phoning home?

Install a software firewall and rig it to block Adobe Reader from
calling out. That's what I do. There are several freeware firewalls out
there. Perhaps you might want to look at here:

http://www.snapfiles.com/Freeware/security/fwfirewall.html

--
John Corliss

Re: Why does Adobe Acrobat 7 Standard secretly phone home?

John Corliss wrote:


>> How do I stop Adobe Acrobat 7 from constantly phoning home?
>
> Install a software firewall and rig it to block Adobe Reader from
> calling out.


LOL. Not just that you're trying to treat the symptoms instead of solving
the problem (configuring the application correctly), we're talking about
Adobe Acrobat, not Adobe Reader. Adobe Acrobat's License Managing Service
uses Raw Sockets to easily bypass any NDIS layer packet filter, which from
its perspective is an annoyance anyway since only stupid users would try
stopping a privileged service from accessing network resources since it's
futile by design.

> That's what I do. There are several freeware firewalls out
> there. Perhaps you might want to look at here:
>
> http://www.snapfiles.com/Freeware/security/fwfirewall.html

Aside from the fact that none of the mentioned software products could ever
implement a firewall, where exactly on this website is stated that these
software products are known broken and highly vulnerable implementations
which actually introduce new security vulnerabilities?

Re: Why does Adobe Acrobat 7 Standard secretly phone home?

On Mon, 05 Nov 2007 20:39:51 +0100, Sebastian G. wrote:
>> Install a software firewall and rig it to block Adobe Reader
> LOL. Not just that you're trying to treat the symptoms instead of solving
> the problem (configuring the application correctly), we're talking about
> Adobe Acrobat, not Adobe Reader.

I have the same problem.

Acrobat (the writer, not the reader) is used often to print an entire web
hierarchy to a PDF so you can't just block ourgoing connections
indiscriminately. If you do, then you'll never be able to capture an entire
web hierarchy (as many levels deep as you like) to a multi-page PDF with
clickable links that take you to all the web pages.

So, the problem is how to RECONFIGURE ACROBAT so that it stops connecting
to the mother ship without stopping connections that you actually want it
to make to a desired web page.

Is there any option in Adobe Acrobat (the writer, not the reader) that will
tell it to stop connecting to the mother ship at Adobe upon every use?

Re: Why does Adobe Acrobat 7 Standard secretly phone home?

Erica Eshoo wrote:

> Is there any option in Adobe Acrobat (the writer, not the reader) that will
> tell it to stop connecting to the mother ship at Adobe upon every use?


No. And this is documented.

Re: Why does Adobe Acrobat 7 Standard secretly phone home?

Erica Eshoo wrote in
news:hK%Xi.2583$RR6.593@newssvr22.news.prodigy.net:


> So, the problem is how to RECONFIGURE ACROBAT so that it stops
> connecting to the mother ship without stopping connections that you
> actually want it to make to a desired web page.
>
> Is there any option in Adobe Acrobat (the writer, not the reader) that
> will tell it to stop connecting to the mother ship at Adobe upon every
> use?

No, but as mentioned, use a firewall with specific rule definitions... ie:
don't allow Acrobat to connect to the 'mothership' IP address, but all
other IPs are fine.

Re: Why does Adobe Acrobat 7 Standard secretly phone home?

Good Man wrote:

> Erica Eshoo wrote in
> news:hK%Xi.2583$RR6.593@newssvr22.news.prodigy.net:
>
>
>> So, the problem is how to RECONFIGURE ACROBAT so that it stops
>> connecting to the mother ship without stopping connections that you
>> actually want it to make to a desired web page.
>>
>> Is there any option in Adobe Acrobat (the writer, not the reader) that
>> will tell it to stop connecting to the mother ship at Adobe upon every
>> use?
>
> No, but as mentioned, use a firewall with specific rule definitions... ie:
> don't allow Acrobat to connect to the 'mothership' IP address, but all
> other IPs are fine.


Filtering by application? Sounds like you're suggesting to use the typical
"personal firewall" scam.

An any rate, it doesn't work since the Adobe License Manager Service uses
the Raw Sockets API to simply circumvent it (which I think is legitimate).

Re: Why does Adobe Acrobat 7 Standard secretly phone home?

"Sebastian G." wrote in
news:5pcj87Fqkh3qU2@mid.dfncis.de:

> Good Man wrote:
>
>
> Filtering by application? Sounds like you're suggesting to use the
> typical "personal firewall" scam.

Scam? That piques my interest... how so?


> An any rate, it doesn't work since the Adobe License Manager Service
> uses the Raw Sockets API to simply circumvent it (which I think is
> legitimate).

How about modifying the HOSTS file then?

Re: Why does Adobe Acrobat 7 Standard secretly phone home?

Good Man wrote:


>> Filtering by application? Sounds like you're suggesting to use the
>> typical "personal firewall" scam.
>
> Scam? That piques my interest... how so?


They're promising a lot of things they can't hold even remotely, and due to
horribly broken implementations actually make the system more vulnerable?

>> An any rate, it doesn't work since the Adobe License Manager Service
>> uses the Raw Sockets API to simply circumvent it (which I think is
>> legitimate).
>
> How about modifying the HOSTS file then?


setsockopts(&socket, SOCKOPT_NO_HOSTS);

Why are you even suggesting to try playing the cat-and-mouse game? There's
no chance that you could win.

Re: Why does Adobe Acrobat 7 Standard secretly phone home?

On Wed, 07 Nov 2007 19:21:47 +0100, Sebastian G. wrote:
On Wed, 07 Nov 2007 19:21:47 +0100, Sebastian G. wrote:
>> How about modifying the HOSTS file then?
> setsockopts(&socket, SOCKOPT_NO_HOSTS);

I don't fully understand.

1. I (now) understand there is no option to stop Adobe Acrobat 7 (the
writer) from connecting to Adobe upon startup.

2. You can't software firewall block the "application" from connecting to
the Internet because Acrobat web page capture won't work then.

3. But you could add an entry specific for Adobe.com in the hosts file that
would redirect any request specifically to Adobe to 127.0.0.1

4. But, what is with this socket stuff (SOCKOPT_NO_HOSTS)?
I don't fully understand.

Re: Why does Adobe Acrobat 7 Standard secretly phone home?

In article ,
evesunflor@sbcglobal.net says...
> On Wed, 07 Nov 2007 19:21:47 +0100, Sebastian G. wrote:
> On Wed, 07 Nov 2007 19:21:47 +0100, Sebastian G. wrote:
> >> How about modifying the HOSTS file then?
> > setsockopts(&socket, SOCKOPT_NO_HOSTS);
>
> I don't fully understand.
>
> 1. I (now) understand there is no option to stop Adobe Acrobat 7 (the
> writer) from connecting to Adobe upon startup.
>
> 2. You can't software firewall block the "application" from connecting to
> the Internet because Acrobat web page capture won't work then.
>
> 3. But you could add an entry specific for Adobe.com in the hosts file that
> would redirect any request specifically to Adobe to 127.0.0.1
>
> 4. But, what is with this socket stuff (SOCKOPT_NO_HOSTS)?
> I don't fully understand.

If you don't mind, why do you use Adobe software and then object when
they want their software to phone home for any reason? This is an honest
question, I really never understand the complaint about using a vendors
software that phones home.

--

Leythos
- Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum.
- Calling an illegal alien an "undocumented worker" is like calling a
drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist"
spam999free@rrohio.com (remove 999 for proper email address)

Re: Why does Adobe Acrobat 7 Standard secretly phone home?

On Thu, 8 Nov 2007 07:50:47 -0500, Leythos wrote:
> If you don't mind, why do you use Adobe software and then object when
> they want their software to phone home for any reason?

As a matter of habit and good computer hygiene, I block all "phone-home"
requests. I bought the software - not a monitoring service.

Re: Why does Adobe Acrobat 7 Standard secretly phone home?

In article ,
evesunflor@sbcglobal.net says...
> On Thu, 8 Nov 2007 07:50:47 -0500, Leythos wrote:
> > If you don't mind, why do you use Adobe software and then object when
> > they want their software to phone home for any reason?
>
> As a matter of habit and good computer hygiene, I block all "phone-home"
> requests. I bought the software - not a monitoring service.

I was just curious nothing intended by the question - thanks.

--

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Fight exposing kids to porn, complain about sites like PCBUTTS 1.COM
that create filth and put it on the web for any kid to see: Just take a
look at some of the FILTH he's created and put on his website:
http://forums.speedguide.net/archive/index.php/t-223485.html all exposed
to children (the link I've include does not directly display his filth).
You can find the same information by googling for 'PCBUTTS1' and
'exposed to kids'.

Re: Why does Adobe Acrobat 7 Standard secretly phone home?

Erica Eshoo wrote:


> 3. But you could add an entry specific for Adobe.com in the hosts file that
> would redirect any request specifically to Adobe to 127.0.0.1
>
> 4. But, what is with this socket stuff (SOCKOPT_NO_HOSTS)?


SOCKOPT_NO_HOSTS is a well-documented standard way for letting every
unprivileged application resolve hostnames while bypassing the HOSTS file.
It effectively makes your 127.0.0.1 entry void. And since it uses a
hardwired list of IP addresses anyway, and could merely bypass the stub
resolver using kernel sockets, or simply change the entry back while
masquerading it, and simply does its own resolving, it's futile anyway.

Re: Why does Adobe Acrobat 7 Standard secretly phone home?

Erica Eshoo wrote:

> On Thu, 8 Nov 2007 07:50:47 -0500, Leythos wrote:
>> If you don't mind, why do you use Adobe software and then object when
>> they want their software to phone home for any reason?
>
> As a matter of habit and good computer hygiene, I block all "phone-home"
> requests. I bought the software - not a monitoring service.


Since you had the chance to read the documentation (which mentions the
monitoring) before installing the software, you could have just returned it.
If you informed yourself earlier, you wouldn't even have bought this software.

Re: Why does Adobe Acrobat 7 Standard secretly phone home?

Erica Eshoo wrote:
> On Wed, 07 Nov 2007 19:21:47 +0100, Sebastian G. wrote:
> On Wed, 07 Nov 2007 19:21:47 +0100, Sebastian G. wrote:
>>> How about modifying the HOSTS file then?
>> setsockopts(&socket, SOCKOPT_NO_HOSTS);
>
> I don't fully understand.
>
> 1. I (now) understand there is no option to stop Adobe Acrobat 7 (the
> writer) from connecting to Adobe upon startup.
>
> 2. You can't software firewall block the "application" from connecting to
> the Internet because Acrobat web page capture won't work then.
>
> 3. But you could add an entry specific for Adobe.com in the hosts file that
> would redirect any request specifically to Adobe to 127.0.0.1
>
> 4. But, what is with this socket stuff (SOCKOPT_NO_HOSTS)?
> I don't fully understand.

it's a system call with arguments the memory address of a pointer and
optional options (SOCKOPT_NO_HOSTS).

Re: Why does Adobe Acrobat 7 Standard secretly phone home?

Tia B. McMahon wrote:
> Re: Why does Adobe Acrobat 7 Standard secretly phone home?

Because it misses its obese, over-bloated mummy?

Re: Why does Adobe Acrobat 7 Standard secretly phone home?

On Thu, 08 Nov 2007 21:12:24 +0100, Sebastian G. wrote:

> Path: newsdbm02.news.prodigy.net!newsdst02.news.prodigy.net!prodig y.com!newscon02.news.prodigy.net!prodigy.net!fu-berlin.de!un i-berlin.de!news.dfncis.de!not-for-mail
> From: "Sebastian G."
> Newsgroups: comp.text.pdf,comp.security.firewalls,alt.privacy.spyware
> Subject: Re: Why does Adobe Acrobat 7 Standard secretly phone home?
> Date: Thu, 08 Nov 2007 21:12:24 +0100
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> X-Received-Date: Thu, 08 Nov 2007 15:12:46 EST (newsdbm02.news.prodigy.net)
>
> Erica Eshoo wrote:
>
>> On Thu, 8 Nov 2007 07:50:47 -0500, Leythos wrote:
>>> If you don't mind, why do you use Adobe software and then object when
>>> they want their software to phone home for any reason?
>>
>> As a matter of habit and good computer hygiene, I block all "phone-home"
>> requests. I bought the software - not a monitoring service.
>
>
> Since you had the chance to read the documentation (which mentions the
> monitoring) before installing the software, you could have just returned it.
> If you informed yourself earlier, you wouldn't even have bought this software.

My dear Sebastian,
You are either joking, or unrealistic, or you really are a fastidious
personality who painstakingly reads everyt word of the documentation BEFORE
buying the software. I'm not.

As such, I consider myself "normal" that I don't read the documentation
until I get into trouble and then only to solve the problem. Certainly
never before I purchase the software. Even so, I don't recall ever seeing
in the "documentation" that the software must phone home and that there is
nothing we can do about it.

Even if the "documentation" did say that, Adobe would never answer the
question posed here which would block their monitoring of my useage of
their software for their marketing purposes. So, this question would
*still* need to be asked.

Or am I unrealistic?

Since you obviously do read the documentation, unlike almost every single
person I've ever met, before you buy the software - can you point me to the
location that discusses this "feature" in the documentation?

Re: Why does Adobe Acrobat 7 Standard secretly phone home?

On Thu, 08 Nov 2007 21:12:24 +0100, Sebastian G. wrote:
> Since you had the chance to read the documentation (which mentions the
> monitoring) before installing the software, you could have just returned it.
> If you informed yourself earlier, you wouldn't even have bought this software.

My dear Sebastian,

You are either joking, or unrealistic, or you really are a fastidious
personality who painstakingly reads every word of the documentation BEFORE
buying the software. I'm not.

As such, I consider myself close to "normal" that I don't read the
documentation until/unless I get into trouble and then only to solve the
problem. Certainly never before I purchase the software. Even so, I don't
recall ever seeing in the "documentation" that the software must phone home
and that there is nothing we can do about it.

Even if the "documentation" did say that, Adobe would never answer the
question posed here which would block their monitoring of my useage of
their software for their marketing purposes. So, this question would
*still* need to be asked. Why does Adobe phone home every day anyway?

What business benefit do they get out of this monitoring activity?
Is that in the documentation?

Can you point me to then location that discusses this "feature" in the
documentation and why Adobe monitors our activity?

Re: Why does Adobe Acrobat 7 Standard secretly phone home?

Erica Eshoo wrote:


> You are either joking, or unrealistic, or you really are a fastidious
> personality who painstakingly reads everyt word of the documentation BEFORE
> buying the software. I'm not.


Well, you're free to not do so. But then accept that the consequences are
*your* problem, not the problem of the software vendor.

> Even so, I don't recall ever seeing in the "documentation" that the

> software must phone home and that there is nothing we can do about it.

The communication behaviour of the Adobe License Manager service is
documented in there.

> Even if the "documentation" did say that, Adobe would never answer the
> question posed here which would block their monitoring of my useage of
> their software for their marketing purposes. So, this question would
> *still* need to be asked.


The real reason is much less conspirative: If you'd actually block it, the
software would simply cease to function.

> Since you obviously do read the documentation, unlike almost every single
> person I've ever met, before you buy the software - can you point me to the
> location that discusses this "feature" in the documentation?


Page 47, License Manager Configuration

Re: Why does Adobe Acrobat 7 Standard secretly phone home?

> If you don't mind, why do you use Adobe software and then object when
> they want their software to phone home for any reason? This is an
> honest question, I really never understand the complaint about using
> a vendors software that phones home.

There can be a world of difference between the mission of the
programmers and that of the marketing department at large software
companies. Most software does not explicitly divulge that it phones
home.