because after I repair the computer, I want to see if he /she is online.

the so-called spy is a resident program with an assigned ID so I know his
/her computer is OK ( up and running) and nothing else.

no attack or hack whatsoever.
any suggestion


TIA

"fixpc" wrote in :

because after I repair the computer, I want to see if he /she is
online.

the so-called spy is a resident program with an assigned ID so I know
his /her computer is OK ( up and running) and nothing else.

no attack or hack whatsoever.
any suggestion


TIA




Some times it's a good thing to avoid the /illusion of evil/. You might
not be doing anything bad, but it would sure look like it.

If you really want to know if their system's online or not, convince them
to do instant messaging. Have them send you a message when they've got
it up and running. You can also do some remote support type things (I
find users tend to like things written down anyway) with that.

Puckdroper
--
www.uncreativelabs.net

Old computers are getting to be a lost art. Here at Uncreative Labs, we
still enjoy using the old computers. Sometimes we want to see how far a
particular system can go, other times we use a stock system to remind
ourselves of what we once had.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm

Puckdropper wrote:
"fixpc" wrote in :

because after I repair the computer, I want to see if he /she is
online.

the so-called spy is a resident program with an assigned ID so I know
his /her computer is OK ( up and running) and nothing else.

no attack or hack whatsoever.
any suggestion


TIA




Some times it's a good thing to avoid the /illusion of evil/. You
might not be doing anything bad, but it would sure look like it.

If you really want to know if their system's online or not, convince
them to do instant messaging. Have them send you a message when
they've got it up and running. You can also do some remote support
type things (I find users tend to like things written down anyway)
with that.

Puckdroper


Instant messaging programs are the root of much of the spyware and virus
problems we have today.

Mark Z.

It's very simple. Call he/she on the phone and ask if the
computer is on-line.

You don't even have to uninstall it when you're done, and it
will work with ANY firewall.

fixpc wrote:
because after I repair the computer, I want to see if he /she is online.

the so-called spy is a resident program with an assigned ID so I know his
/her computer is OK ( up and running) and nothing else.

no attack or hack whatsoever.
any suggestion


TIA

"fixpc" wrote in message ...
because after I repair the computer, I want to see if he /she is online.

the so-called spy is a resident program with an assigned ID so I know his
/her computer is OK ( up and running) and nothing else.

no attack or hack whatsoever.
any suggestion


TIA


Dunno where you are, but there are laws on the books in the USA (and
elsewhere) regarding unauthorized access via network.

One case which received national attention comes to mind. A technician
repaired a client's (in this case corporate) network, then proceeded to
remotely run a server check. He got in hot water for using his client's
network in a manner not specifically detailed to and agreed to by the
client, even though he was contracted to perform repairs on that specific
piece of their equipment, and that server test was a necessary part of the
repair!

Moral of the story: If you are intent on doing this, spell out to your
customers EXACTLY what you intend to do, including the software you will
use, the time at which you will have their system send you info, the exact
info their system will send you, the length of time your software will be
used (and installed) on their machine, the effects, if any, your software
will have on their security programs, etc. etc.
Maybe they will agree and maybe they won't appreciate it AT ALL. I think
you'll find the latter to be the case. Do it covertly and you open yourself
up to prosecution if these laws apply to your area, or potential litigation
even where no such criminal laws exist.

Unless you absolutely must interrogate their system in realtime, just have
them send you a courtesy email. Or make it mandatory if you think they
won't hate that (and they will) -- state on the receipt that if they elect
not to do this, you won't accept the return if there's a problem. It's
their choice.

An email will tell you a lot about their system, such as:
They are connecting with their ISP, which speaks to their modem function, IP
stack health, DNS resolution, etc. etc.
Their email client is working, which is a good indicator the OS is largely
if not fully functional, particularly in the case of an integrated client
like OE.

I would definitely choose a less invasive course of action than what you
propose. Users are scared enough about spyware. They would certainly
ensure you get a bad reputation were you to give them additional cause for
concern.

you show me a different angle, you are smart

I think I should drop the idea in order to save my business.

"fixpc" wrote in :

because after I repair the computer, I want to see if he /she is
online.

the so-called spy is a resident program with an assigned ID so I know
his /her computer is OK ( up and running) and nothing else.

no attack or hack whatsoever.
any suggestion


TIA



Sometimes, if you repair the computer and they can't get online, chances
are they just might be calling you back.

fixpc wrote:
because after I repair the computer, I want to see if he /she is online.

the so-called spy is a resident program with an assigned ID so I know his
/her computer is OK ( up and running) and nothing else.

TIA

Odds on its a woman you are harassing. Highly illegal.

You also know **** all about computers or you would know how
easy it is to tell if someone is on line.

Say three Hail Marys and leave her alone.

If they bring the computer back, there are modem logs, explorer error logs
and the history folder, or just search for all files created during a
particular time period.
jj123 wrote in message ...
you show me a different angle, you are smart

I think I should drop the idea in order to save my business.