Memory Meter

15 September 2003

I decided to install and test this software after hearing about the in-your-face License Agreement and Privacy Policy for this (free) software (see end of article). Before installing I ran Ad-Aware, BHODemon and HijackThis to ensure my computer system was clear of foistware or spyware.

INSTALLATION

Downloaded from www.memorymeter.com. The installation instructions state that you should run the download (memorymeterinstall.exe) from its 'current location'. I saved the programme to my desktop and installed it from there.

Virus scan using the latest Vet Antivirus update was clean.

Before install the following data was requested - year of birth, zip code and gender.

The active executables running after the install are memorymeter.exe and tvmd.exe (I allowed tvmd.exe to connect to the internet - IP 61.9.240.14). No information or explanation was provided about tvmd.exe; it appeared in Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs as "TV Media Display".

SPYWARE TESTS

BHOCop - nothing detected

AdAware - MemoryMeter and TVDM detected

OTHER EFFECTS

Internet Explorer - home page, search engine, favorites, 'internet options' untouched.

TVDM and MemoryMeter both added to run keys for automatic starting on bootup.

UNINSTALL

Did NOT go well - the uninstall of MemoryMeter, via add/remove programmes was very slow, and Control Panel's add/remove screen remained frozen on my desktop until I *manually* stopped TVMD from running in the background.

MemoryMeter was removed from add/remove programs, and from automatic startup, but memorymeter.exe was NOT deleted.

Tvdm.exe (which had originally been installed WITH MemoryMeter) was NOT removed and continued to run in the background.

Registry entries related to MemoryManager were not removed; the MemoryManager install directory was not removed.

TVMD must be removed separately via Control Panel (note - the programme requested internet access after original install of MemoryMeter, during MemoryMeter uninstallation and during its own uninstall). Tvmd.exe was removed from add/remove programs, and from automatic startup. tvmd.exe was NOT deleted.

I ran AdAware again after remving tvmd using add/remove programs.

It detected memorymeter.exe and tvmd.exe. It also detected a CLSID registry entry that remained as well as the MemoryMeter folder.

In short, the uninstall is unstable and incomplete. All it does is stop the two programmes from running and remove their entries from add/remove programs. Some registry entries are removed, but not all, and no files or folders are deleted.

The licence agreement for MemoryMeter includes, and I quote:

"By using the Software, you may be exposed to contaminated files, computer viruses, eavesdropping, harassment, electronic trespassing, hacking and other harmful acts or consequences that might lead to unauthorized invasion of privacy, loss of data and other damages. Furthermore, by installing the Software on your computer, you understand that: (i) certain system non-personally identifiable information, including statistical data, stored on your computer will be made available and transmittable to Total Velocity servers or the servers of affiliated companies of Total Velocity; (ii) other information available now or in the future including links, services, messages advertisements, cookies and the like may be installed on your computer and; (iii) Total Velocity may automatically transmit to and install on your computer, Software improvements, corrections, adaptations, conversions to more recent Software versions or any other changes to the Software, with or without giving notice. Under no circumstances and under no legal theory, tort, contract, or otherwise, shall Total Velocity, its licensors, or any of its affiliated entities be liable to you or any other person for any direct, special, incidental, or consequential damages of any kind including, without limitation, damages for loss of goodwill, work stoppage, computer failure or malfunction, loss of data, loss of functionality, or any and all other commercial or non-commercial damages or losses, even if Total Velocity shall have been informed of the possibility of such damages, or for any claim by any other party....

MEMORY METER COLLECTS AND RECORDS TWO TYPES OF DATA: PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE DATA AND NON-PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE DATA. WE DO NOT MATCH UP PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION WITH SURFING PATTERNS. NON-PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE DATA IS THE ONLY DATA USED TO SERVE RELEVANT ADVERTISING. THE FOLLOWING NON-PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR USERS MAY BE USED IN ORDER TO DELIVER CONTEXTUALLY RELEVANT ADVERTISEMENTS: WEB PAGES VIEWED, THE AMOUNT OF TIME SPENT ONLINE OR ON A SPECIFIC WEB PAGE, DATA ENTERED IN SEARCH ENGINES, ANY INTERACTIONS THE USER HAS WITH INTERNET ADVERTISING, STANDARD WEB LOG INFORMATION, IP ADRESS, SYSTEM SETTINGS, AGE, GENDER, FIRST NAME, ZIP CODE, COUNTRY. PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION MAY BE COLLECTED UPON SOFTWARE REGISTRATION OR BY OTHER METHODS. THIS INFORMATION WILL NOT BE LINKED WITH SURFING PATTERNS. SOME OF THE PERSONAL DATA WE COLLECT MAY INCLUDE, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO, FIRST NAME, LAST NAME, EMAIL ADDRESS, STREET ADDRESS, AGE, ZIP CODE, AND COUNTRY. DOWNLOADING AND/OR INSTALLING MEMORY METER REQUIRES ACCEPTANCE OF THIS PRIVACY POLICY AND THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS. Memory Meter aims to provide users with real-time available memory levels on their computer for free while delivering relevant advertising to those users. The ad formats used by Memory Meter will vary, but will primarily consist of pop-unders and pop-ups. Memory Meter may use information about its users in order to make sure they are receiving advertisements that are relevant to them. All advertisements are delivered independently from websites our users are visiting and are not endorsed or affiliated with anyone else other than Memory Meter. The Internet is constantly evolving, and because of this we reserve the right to update both the functionality of our software as well as our privacy policy.."