Google Spyware
When setting up performance tests, I often change my browser to use the JMeter proxy. This works well, but sometime shows up other programs sneakily running on my computer. For example is shows Google traffic and del.icio.us pings.
Today, I noticed a number of annoying pings from Google.
POST /service/update2?w=3:nwO0JIHgksk9mB9od6CikNKO8CrWf6P7E-_kUf-I6tucUaTHxi3nns4dMb11JF1N5NbyEStYRpYbNZ-0jt72d6pFUeHdWcDYq9hbVuRN8gwhdpeGLfWnyR6m8ltHlcpduojULZvw87NpboTFQ7uZCd-xHpt8BIf_veBA29qT9hs
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><o:gupdate xmlns:o="http://www.google.com/update2/request" protocol="2.0" version="1.2.141.5" ismachine="0" machineid="{939A9C17-0667-4511-B5D9-75DB7840478C}" userid="{5A15CFAC-619C-4B40-A454-C537B8280AC9}" requestid="{CB9CE64C-E2C6-4FC0-B2BC-A62F9876B73A}"><o:os platform="win" version="5.1" sp="Service Pack 2"/><o:app appid="{430FD4D0-B729-4F61-AA34-91526481799D}" version="1.2.141.5" lang="" brand="GGLS" client=""><o:updatecheck/></o:app><o:app appid="{8A69D345-D564-463C-AFF1-A69D9E530F96}" version="1.0.154.48" lang="en" brand="GGLS" client=""><o:updatecheck/><o:ping active="1"/></o:app></o:gupdate>
Once upon a time I was running the Google Desktop search, and Google toolbar, but these days I'm not running any Google tools that I'm aware of.
McAfee Site Advisor reports the program might be Google's Lively. http://www.siteadvisor.com/sites/google.com/downloads/17659284/
Unfortunately, I don't see that program installed. Looks like Google decided to install 'GoogleUpdate' when I installed Google Chrome. I wouldn't mind if Chrome checked for an update when I launched it, but having it constantly check for updates when it's not running it quite bothersome.
GoogleUpdate installed itself in C:\Documents and Settings\$USER$\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Update\GoogleUpdate.exe
This blog indicated the tool came with an option to disable itself. Unfortunately, I couldn't get this to work.
So I decided I'll just delete the program, and also delete it from my registry. Turns out that the Google Toolbar doesn't uninstall it's update check. I'll be deleting that as well.
