CDILLA --- Spyware or Not???

[Thomas]

This year I bought Intuit's Turbo Tax that must be activated online prior to use. Upon activation, the subdirectory, C:\C_DILLA, is created, then containing another folder, C:\C_DILLA\Safecast Product Licenses\. I was told by a neighbor that this is spyware that Intuit puts on the computer and it feeds by keystroke info on all of my activity to Intuit. It's not just a registeration event.
I deleted the entire subdirectory (folder) but when I went to use Turbo Tax again, I had to re-register it online and the folders reappeared upon registration.

Can anyone give me the straight scoop on the C_DILLA folder, its content and purpose?

[blebs]

http://www1.turbotaxsupport.com/default.asp?platform=1&formName=&pd=&fs=&ver=&sku=&id=&oi=&DocID=815

In short, Intuit protects your information but many people are suspicious of this. If it were me, I'd leave it alone but if your uncomfortable with it you can get rid of it after you've done your taxes. See the link above.

Intuit respects and protects customer information. We integrate privacy into everything we do. That is why privacy and security were key considerations when implementing the product activation technology in federal TurboTax for Windows desktop products for Tax Year 2002.

The Macrovision SafeCast product activation technology used by Intuit installs files on your computer when you install TurboTax. These files serve as your product license; in addition, they also manage and protect that license. These files interact only with TurboTax and with each other. Macrovision SafeCast does not gather any personally identifiable information. It does not examine, modify, or gather information about your computer, your computer's contents, or your activities or behavior, nor does it transmit any such information to Intuit, Macrovision, or any other party.

[TonyT]

The 2002 turbo tax has a new option to save returns as PDF. Do this, then uninstall the software.

cdilla is not spyware.

[mnosteele52]

Actually TonyT it is spyware. Cdilla sets itself up as a service on your pc and continuosly monitors what you do, even if you are not currently using Turbo Tax, I consider any type of "monitoring" software spyware.

:) :D

[TonyT]

Cdilla sets itself up as a service on your pc and continuosly monitors what you do

That is only RUMOR being propogated by those who do not understand how it works. It soes not monitor everything you do on your computer. And it does not connect to any web servers either.

I'd like to know how someone actually proved that cdilla monitors what you do. The only way to find out is with a real time process viewer and a sniffer that sniffs out windows api calls and program memory pages.

IF cdilla monitored what was going on an a system, there would then have to be some file (log) or at least some part of RAM or systenm cache that would continously grow as a result. Monitoring functions require system resources. If such a process continually looped to overwrite itself in memory, the system would crash!

I say again, cdilla is spyware is ONLY A RUMOR NOT BASED ON FACT.

There is high probability that t6his rumor was initially started by an employee of TaxCut or other Intuit competitor!

[TonyT]

more info here:

http://www2.turbotaxsupport.com/servicesupport/faq.asp?docid=212&CategoryId=&chat=

Secondly, you can activate Turbo Tax 2 ways:
1. Online via a connection to Intuit via the TT program
2. Get the activation code via the phone (tool free number) and enter it and NO data gets sent to Intuit web servers.

To use online fileing, online product activation or to get updates via the TT program, Internet Explorer 5.5 or above is required. I have IE 5.01 SP2 on my 98 system where TT is installed.

How did I manage that? TT automatically will install 5.5 if you do not have it.

Well, I posted a write up here at SG last year and this year again explaining how to do it. What you must do is copy all the files from the CD to the drive and delete the IE folder. Then run the setup program. You will get an error during the install that can safely be ignored. The program will work 100% after getting your product activation code using the telephone (tool free number). Just can't file online, get updates or use the link to Intuit's activation site.


btw, you can still manually download and install updates from teh TT web site.

[Thomas]

Tony T,
Since I read your reply, I felt a lot better about Intuit and T-Tax. I have been a customer for many years and use several Intuit products, but I am still concerned over C-Dilla. My last problem surfaced when after many months of non use, I tried to archive files on my CDRW. I couldn't get it to work. One of the first questions from tech was about viruses and spyware. I related that I keep NAV running full time, but I also related the C-Dilla subdirectory. They advised to delete this and to again try the CDRW. I deleted C-Dilla AND MY CDRW THEN WORKED. I continued to work until I again did the on-line registration to re-activate turbo tax, since it won't work without registration and registration installs c-Dilla. I'll look forward to your comments.

[zooner]

hi tom!

my name's tom too!

tom.

[onetopdog]

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,3973,821479,00.asp

Read here. They all say it is spyware.

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,3973,815693,00.asp

"Users also report that the SAFECAST/C-Dilla copy protection software monitors activities on the system full-time, consuming more than a megabyte of memory and other resources even when TurboTax is not running. (The copy protection software remains even if one later uninstalls TurboTax.) "

If the above is true it is spyware.
What makes me mad is they install it with TT and don't tell you and dissable some hardware on my box. ALL WITHOUT TELLING ME OR ASKING ME!!

[Thomas]

Onetopdog,
I feel the same way. Intuit's T-Tax and other products like Quicken and QuickBooks are great software, but I am reluctant to continue to use them as long as they install anything on my computer without asking or informing me first. I have reported them to the PA Attorney General who has opend a case and is currently investigating Intuit's covert installation of software. Don't misunderstand me -- I fully support any manufacturer to do anything reasonable to protect illegal copying or distribution of its software, and even to require requistration. But I will fight against the covert installing such as they have done. If you have read my prior posts here, you will see that I believe that the C-Dilla installation also affects the CDRW. I can't write to my CD as long as the C-Dilla folder exists. I delete that folder, re-boot, and my CD writer then works. When I then re-register T-Tax, C-Dilla is re-installed, and my CD writer agains doesn't work. I wish that some technically oriented prople (other than Intuit) would post their experience and analysis with C-Dilla.

[TonyT]

Intuit could NOT legally publish this info if it were not true, else they would be open to lawsuits:

http://www1.turbotaxsupport.com/default.asp?platform=1&formName=&pd=&fs=&ver=&sku=&id=&oi=&DocID=815



Q1. What does Macrovision SafeCast do?

Macrovision SafeCast enables software publishers to control the licensing and use of their software. Intuit uses Macrovision SafeCast to ensure that only properly "activated" copies of TurboTax can be used in certain ways. During installation, TurboTax creates securely encrypted license files on your computer that contain user permission information. TurboTax then unlocks (decrypts) and examines those license files as needed.
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Q2. What does Macrovision SafeCast not do?

Macrovision SafeCast does not:
Gather any personally identifiable information about you.
Examine, modify, or gather information about your computer, your computer's contents, or your activities or behavior, nor does it transmit any such information to Intuit, Macrovision, or any other party.
Scan or examine the contents of your computer's hard disk or other devices to gather information about your files or behavior.
Observe, track or record your behavior, such as which Web sites you visit, which CD-ROMs you use, which files you store on your computer's disk drives, etc.
Disable or limit the functions of any hardware or peripheral device (disk drive, CD reader, CD burner, etc.) on your computer. See Question 3 below.
Prevent or restrict Internet downloads or access to any Web sites.
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Q3. Will Macrovision SafeCast disable my CD-R or CD-RW drive?

SafeCast does not disable or limit the functions of any hardware or peripheral devices (such as disk drives, CD readers, CD burners, etc.). Intuit has found no instances to support any claim that SafeCast technology causes such problems, nor have we been able to reproduce such problems in our test lab. Nevertheless, we take our customers' concerns seriously and will continue to conduct extensive and rigorous testing until we are satisfied beyond all doubt that such issues do not exist.
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Q4. Why does Macrovision SafeCast install extra files on my computer when I install TurboTax?

Some of the files serve as your license to use TurboTax, while others manage that license (for example, allowing it to be activated and checking it for validity) or protect that license (for example, by insuring that only TurboTax can access the encrypted information). These files interact only with TurboTax and with each other. They do not examine, modify, or gather information about your computer, your computer's contents, or your activities or behavior, nor do they transmit any such information to Intuit, Macrovision, or any other party.
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Q5. What is C-Dilla?

C-Dilla is a company that was acquired by Macrovision in 1999. Some of the Macrovision SafeCast technology used in TurboTax is derived from earlier C-Dilla products.
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Q6. What is "spyware"?

"Spyware" is jargon for hidden programs that transmit user information to others (usually advertisers) without the user's knowledge.
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Q7. Did C-Dilla produce "spyware"?

No. All of the above statements concerning Macrovision technology apply equally to C-Dilla and its products.

[axtrader]

Thomas, I'm by no means a software guru, but here's what I did to "disable" C_DILLA. I opened Task Manager, highlighted "cdac11ba.exe" and clicked "End Process". Then I opened "C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\CDAC11BA.exe" using notepad and deleted the first few lines of code. Deleting the entire C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\CDAC11BA.exe file will not work as a new file will be created automatically when you restart windows. However, by changing the first few lines of code the program errors out (won't function) and a duplicate/alternate will NOT automatically be created.

After altering the C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\CDAC11BA.exe file and saving the changes, reboot your computer then check in Task Manager to make sure cdac11ba.exe did not load on startup.

Hope this info is helpful.