Real Networks wants my credit card #?

All I want is the free basic player, but the site insists on asking for my credit card # for a free 14 day trial. Isn't there a way I can just get the free player, without giving them my card #?

 

I went to Download.com, did a search for Real Player, found a link to download RealOne, which is the latest version, and clicked on through to the download site here. Never saw any request for a credit card number.

However, be aware that RealOne is packed with Real Network's own spyware, has a "phone home" feature that is a bear to disable, likes to load at startup with the way to disable that feature buried pretty deep within its preferences and will usually establish itself as the default player.

There are older versions of Real Player available from OldVersion that you might want to consider using instead.

 

Be carefull with Real Player.

I myself DUMPED Real Player COMPLETELY as I found it was phoning home regardless of how it was set. Even my Firewall was not stopping it.

And every time it did it stole associations away from Media Player.

Yes it sure does and is.

There is a startup item that unless you really examined it you would not even think about it being Real PLayer.

If I remember correctly it was something like Bel?????.exe.

I would disable it with Startup Cop just to find it re-enabled on a restart.

BillyBob

 

BillyBob...it's TKbell...not-so-fondly referred to as "tacobell" and it is obsessed with being in the startup routine.

 

...it's TKbell...not-so-fondly referred to as "tacobell"

Thank you. That name does start a file called MYbell...

A question though.

If you did not do some " REAL " investigating would you think of it being related to Real Network or Real Player ?

Until I checked the properties of it I didn't.

BillyBob

 

Nope, didn't have a clue about what "tacobell" was until I read about it in some post on a forum...maybe even this one. Not being a coder, I have to rely on the kindness of others to figure out what some of the junk is that programs like RealOne install.

Did you notice that Gator started changing the names of its stuff once people figured out what Gator is, and does? Now it's "Gain" or "EM" or probably a few other things in the startup list...but nothing to readily identify it as Gator malware.

 

I thought Gator was the name of a Florida Mens Basketball team.

Otherwise I have no clue about it.

BillyBob