UltraDefrag Portable is using Google Analytics

Computer Help and Discussions Windows Security
1

UltraDefrag Portable is using Google Analytics (google-analytics.com) which is a tracker to do something, perhaps report program usage or download something, I don't know which since it couldn't work on my system since I block that Google tracker via the HOSTS file.

I don't know about the original main installable compile of it though, haven't used that one but since the portable version is based on it I'd imagine the same behaviour.

This can be confirmed by looking in the defrag log file:

...\UltraDefragPortable\Data\UltraDefragPortable.log

A snippet from the log (sorry couldn't get a codebox to work on the forums):

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UltraDefrag log file
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you'd like to report a bug,
attach this file to your bug report please:
http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?group_id=199532&atid=969870
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012-06-30 15:16:28.093 winx_enable_dbg_log: log_path = \??\C:\UltraDefragPortable\Data\UltraDefragPortable.log
2012-06-30 15:16:28.093 SendWebAnalyticsRequest: URL = http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmwv=4.6.5&utmn=1095584145&utmhn=ultradefrag.sourceforge.net&utmhid=2128218934&utmr=-&utmp=/appstat/gui-x86.html&utmac=UA-15890458-1&utmcc=__utma%3D1579829025.1223894726.1341087388.1341087388.1341087388.50%3B%2B__utmz%3D1579829025.1341087388.27.2.utmcsr%3Dgoogle.com%7Cutmccn%3D(referral)%7Cutmcmd%3Dreferral%7Cutmcct%3D%2F1341087388
2012-06-30 15:16:28.125 Menu row height ........ 20
2012-06-30 15:16:28.125 Menu button size ....... 19 x 19
2012-06-30 15:16:28.125 Menu check-mark size ... 15 x 15
2012-06-30 15:16:28.156 WgxLoadIcon: LoadIconMetric procedure not found in comctl32.dll library: 0x7f error: The specified procedure could not be found.
2012-06-30 15:16:28.156 WgxLoadIcon: LoadIconMetric procedure not found in comctl32.dll library: 0x7f error: The specified procedure could not be found.
2012-06-30 15:16:28.156 WgxLoadIcon: LoadIconMetric procedure not found in comctl32.dll library: 0x7f error: The specified procedure could not be found.
2012-06-30 15:16:28.156 WgxLoadIcon: LoadIconMetric procedure not found in comctl32.dll library: 0x7f error: The specified procedure could not be found.
2012-06-30 15:16:28.250 Disk A: is removable media.
2012-06-30 15:16:28.250 winx_query_symbolic_link: cannot open \??\B:: 0xc0000034 status: The system cannot find the file specified.
2012-06-30 15:16:28.562 Disk F: is cdrom drive.
2012-06-30 15:16:28.562 Disk G: is cdrom drive.
2012-06-30 15:16:28.562 Disk H: is removable media.
2012-06-30 15:16:28.562 winx_query_symbolic_link: cannot open \??\I:: 0xc0000034 status: The system cannot find the file specified.
2012-06-30 15:16:28.562 winx_query_symbolic_link: cannot open \??\J:: 0xc0000034 status: The system cannot find the file specified.
2012-06-30 15:16:28.562 winx_query_symbolic_link: cannot open \??\K:: 0xc0000034 status: The system cannot find the file specified.
2012-06-30 15:16:28.562 winx_query_symbolic_link: cannot open \??\L:: 0xc0000034 status: The system cannot find the file specified.
2012-06-30 15:16:28.562 winx_query_symbolic_link: cannot open \??\M:: 0xc0000034 status: The system cannot find the file specified.
2012-06-30 15:16:28.562 winx_query_symbolic_link: cannot open \??\N:: 0xc0000034 status: The system cannot find the file specified.
2012-06-30 15:16:28.562 winx_query_symbolic_link: cannot open \??\O:: 0xc0000034 status: The system cannot find the file specified.
2012-06-30 15:16:28.562 winx_query_symbolic_link: cannot open \??\P:: 0xc0000034 status: The system cannot find the file specified.
2012-06-30 15:16:28.562 winx_query_symbolic_link: cannot open \??\Q:: 0xc0000034 status: The system cannot find the file specified.
2012-06-30 15:16:28.562 winx_query_symbolic_link: cannot open \??\R:: 0xc0000034 status: The system cannot find the file specified.
2012-06-30 15:16:28.562 winx_query_symbolic_link: cannot open \??\S:: 0xc0000034 status: The system cannot find the file specified.
2012-06-30 15:16:28.562 winx_query_symbolic_link: cannot open \??\T:: 0xc0000034 status: The system cannot find the file specified.
2012-06-30 15:16:28.562 winx_query_symbolic_link: cannot open \??\U:: 0xc0000034 status: The system cannot find the file specified.
2012-06-30 15:16:28.562 winx_query_symbolic_link: cannot open \??\V:: 0xc0000034 status: The system cannot find the file specified.
2012-06-30 15:16:28.562 winx_query_symbolic_link: cannot open \??\W:: 0xc0000034 status: The system cannot find the file specified.
2012-06-30 15:16:28.562 winx_query_symbolic_link: cannot open \??\X:: 0xc0000034 status: The system cannot find the file specified.
2012-06-30 15:16:28.562 winx_query_symbolic_link: cannot open \??\Y:: 0xc0000034 status: The system cannot find the file specified.
2012-06-30 15:16:28.562 winx_query_symbolic_link: cannot open \??\Z:: 0xc0000034 status: The system cannot find the file specified.
2012-06-30 15:16:28.703 SendWebAnalyticsRequest: URLDownloadToCacheFile failed
2012-06-30 15:16:42.437 ------------------------------ * -------------------------------
2012-06-30 15:16:42.437						UltraDefrag 5.0.6					  
2012-06-30 15:16:42.437						  Windows NT 5.1						
2012-06-30 15:16:42.437					  [30.06.2012 at 15:16]					
2012-06-30 15:16:42.437 ------------------------------ * -------------------------------

It would be one thing to be up front about it, however I see no mentioning that they'll track a user or whatever it is they're doing.

In the meantime it's very easy to block via the Windows HOSTS file using the MVPS HOSTS File, or by inputting this into your Windows HOSTS file yourself:

127.0.0.1  google-analytics.com
127.0.0.1  www.google-analytics.com

2

Putting those entries in the Hosts file certainly speeds up this forum.

3

Putting them in the HOSTS file will speed up most websites, since Google Analytics is widely and commonly used.

4

That is very interesting, Capn Spectacular! I think of Capn Crunch when I think of your name, hahaha!

I might have to try that & see what happens. It loads fairly quickly on my end, but hey, if it makes it even faster, that's worth it!

The other thing I want to test is, Ghostery. I used to have it installed, then I uninstalled it & just used adblock. But it may block Google Analytics, so I will try it later...

* I did not read this on the official program site, but I found one website that says yes, Google Analytics is used for program statistics. But you can turn it off during install. Install option is not avail for portable. This leads me to believe the option is stored in .ini, or .reg somewhere.

I will try to test more when I get back off storm call here. I am fixing to have to leave out today. Should be interesting!

5

Google Analytics is also stored in every Handbook ("User Manual") file of UltraDefrag Portable, I've manually edited out that script, but you won't find Google Analytics stored in any .INI files to enable/disable so it would have to be inside the program itself.

The only reason I even used UltraDefrag Portable was because it's very good at removing MFT fragmentation, whereas most other defrag tools free or commercial either make the MFT worse with more fragments or don't get it down to just 1 fragment, i.e.; completely defragmented.