Chat Watch?

I'm trying to use a small colour chooser program on my PC that I haven't used in a while. I downloaded the newest version, installed it, but it hangs up before completely opening.

According to Microsoft a program called "Chat Watch Pro" by Zemerick Software, Inc. is behind the problem I'm having. I can't find "Chat Watch Pro" loaded on my computer and I'm wondering if this is the sw LL uses when you request logging of im and chat.

If it's not, then am I paranoid to think that my communications are being monitored and broadcast to every marketing firm in the world?

Thx, Nickola

No - but your partner might be paranoid . . .

Pep ( http://www.filterguide.com/chatwatchpro.htm )

http://www.zemericks.com/

Run as a system service
Password protected

It records all messages sent and all messages received and can optionally run completely hidden from the user. The password protected interface provides an easy to understand overview of all chats that have taken place and you can review each in its entirety. Additional features include an option to disable access to these chat applications (Parental Control), monitoring for objectionable content and logging to a network location. You can also print chats, email them, search them for specific text and more.

odear

omg...I don't *have* a partner! I'm not sure which is worse: a suspicious partner or an unknown stalker.

I'm looking for ways to get this off my system. If anyone has suggestions, please let me know.

Thanks

You will need to give significantly more information about your system before anything can be done. Is it part of a network, was it someone else's machine before, does someone else maintain and bugfix it for you, is it wireless enabled . . .

Pep (I could go on - in the meantime you might want to download "Hijack This!" to find out what is being loaded on your system)

Some ideas what to look for, perhaps.

http://www.spywareremove.com/removeChatWatch.html

http://www.2-spyware.com/remove-chat-watch.html

Do you, or are using AOL instant messenger . Or perhaps have message logging enabled with Second Life? This is a popular used feature for chat logging in popular instant messengers

No, no, no and no. It's a standalone Dell desktop, used only by me since it was purchased brand-new four years ago. No one has ever done any work on it and the only new software loaded in the last couple of months are SL viewers and the Avast anti-virus program. I have a broadband/wireless modem attached, but this computer doesn't have wireless capability. My laptop is the wireless one - and I haven't used it to communicate with this computer ever.

I've gone through the task manager process list and can't find an unidentifiable process either. From what I read of the Chat Watch program it is listed as a process. I'm reviewing all the folders on my system for any that have been recently installed and not finding anything I can't identify - but there are a lot of them and they run layers deep.

Before killing it off completely you might want to check the email address your chats are being sent to . . .

Pep (Apparently it must be manually installed - someone with access to your computer has put this on)

That's what I was asking. I do have SL chat and im logging enabled and I use Yahoo Messenger. My op was to ask if Chat Watch is what LL uses to log messages.

I've had SL logging enabled for nearly two years though and don't know why it would suddenly start clashing with programs I've used in the meantime.

Can I ask who in Microsoft has diagnosed the existence of Chat Watch Pro? And what the name of the colour chooser program was that conflicted?

Pep (And how they diagnosed it?)

This is what has me confused. No one but me and my cat, has physical access to my computer. But remote access? How would I know? And how would I find out where the messages are going if I can't even find the program?

It was the error logging tool when the program crashed. There's a link you can follow to a microsoft site that tells you what caused your program to crash.

HiJack This! generates a log of all the stuff that is loaded (good bad and Microsoft) when your system starts and if Chat Watch Pro is on your system (I am beginning to think that maybe the problem has been misdiagnosed) then it should be possible to identify it from the log, even if it is disguised as something else.

Pep (Even though the whole point of the software is not to be found!)

Ah great foehn, thank you. I'm running a search right now to see if I can find it on my computer.

I hope it is a misdiagnosis because the alternative it too icky to consider. Of course, that still leaves me with the original problem of not getting my little colour picker working. lol

Ok, I'm not finding any evidence that this program is actually on my computer - so much for Microsoft's diagnostic tools.

Just to be on the safe side, I'm running a deep scan for malware but I doubt I'll find anything more that the usual stuff.

Thank you everyone for your help. I'll think about my colour picker program tomorrow.

I haven't used those things, but it does mention what to look for and thought it helpful.

I think Pep is on to something here.

I would not rely on 'a standard guess' from Microsoft telling you what caused your crash. The program might not exist on your computer. If no-one but you have access to your comp ( cats doesn't count ) the program is most certainly not there...

If you want to be certain use 'HiJack This!' and you will find out. If its there you can get rid of it after checking the email receiving the logs.

But it sounds like something else coursed the crash and Microsoft just got it all wrong...

Edit: taking my time as usual...

I don't know that it is a fp,
and mentioned the sites to search for the registry values and cw.exe as a ref.

Personally, if I actually found those, and no one had physical access,
I would be formatting and resetting pws.

Don't be too careful to dismiss the error message.

Apparently, Chat Watch Pro has a "stealth mode."

From a site which sells Chat Watch Pro:

"If Chat Watch is set to Stealth mode, Chat Watch's icon will not be shown in the system tray at the bottom right of the screen. Also, Chat Watch will not be shown in the list of running programs. The user of the computer will never know Chat Watch is running. While in Stealth mode, press the hot key to show Chat Watch. The hot key is customizable and can be set to fit your needs."

How would it get there? Hard to say. It may have come pre-loaded.

It might be wise to treat Chat Watch differently from other malware. Anti-spyware programs may find it. Here's one article on removing it:

http://www.spywareremove.com/removeChatWatch.html

Thanks Amity. While Chat Watch might not show in the list of running applications, a system file does show in the Task Manager processes even while in Stealth mode - and those processes can all be identified easily enough, plus the links that foehn provided tell you what files to search for on your system. I didn't find anything at all to indicate Chat Watch was loaded on my computer.

You would have to be a pretty sad person to use a program like this to spy on a partner or your children - and I do try to keep people like that out of my life.

When you think about it, I was trying to run a program that helps me choose web optimized colours - how would a chat logger interfere with a program like that?

I'm more inclined to believe that Microsoft's AI diagnosis is to blame.