Driver Robot

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May 5, 2009 12:31 PM

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Mitigation Elf

Member
Joined: 11/19/2008

I am not sure where to post this or ask this, so I figured I would post it here.....

When I first logged onto the community, I went to the downloads page and saw a message to download a tool that will update HP drivers. Of course, since it looked like something from this community that it must be recommended by HP and best of all, it stated it was free.

I followed the link and was told that "We highly recommend this download!" So I did... I downloaded and installed Driver Robot.

To my chagrin, I found that indeed, I had to pay to use this "highly recommended" tool. The site told me that a 3 computer key would cost $39. My card was charged almost $50. When I tried to have that corrected, I have received no response from the company that produces this software.

Additionally, after installing the drivers Driver Robot downloaded, I now have programs that are popping up that no one on the internet seems to have a real idea what they are for (I have done searches for BDARemote.exe and no one really knows what it is for and it seems to be for an XP system, not a Vista system - indicating that Driver Robot is not really looking at my system or HP-specific drivers as indicated.)

Also, it keeps telling me to download and install the same drivers over and over again. The FAQs on the Driver Robot website gives a flip-answer to this issue of "just ignore them...." doesn't seem like a serious software developer if that is their solution.

The worst thing is, since I have run the driver robot, I am suddenly having problems with external devices such as lag-time with my mouse and extremely slow printing with my Photosmart.

Can anyone tell me more about this product? Is it something the Community really does recommend? Or have I been caught by an internet scam?

It looks like it is just an advertisment that consistantly comes up in the touchsmartcommunity and things like that ought not be able to advertise here unless it is truly recommended by the community.

Discussion: Add a Comment | Comments 1-20 of 46 | Latest Comment | 1 2 3 Next »

Matt Whitlock

Administrator

May 5, 2009 1:17 PM

At first I had no idea what you were talking about, but after I clicked around trying to figure it out, I caught "Recommended Driver Update" advertisement.

Like many other websites, we serve Google advertisements for excess ad inventory. Google ads are context sensitive, meaning what loads depends on the content of the webpage. Since we're a community focused on an HP product, well, you do the math. If you notice, at the bottom of the ad it says "Ads by Gooooooogle." In other words, we don't choose the advertisements that appear there if they're served by Google, they choose us.

We do, I believe, have the ability to remove specific ads from appearing there once we have a reason to remove them. This software sounds nefarious to me, and based on your description of it, I'll put in a request to get it blocked.

So, yes, it looks like you have been taken by crapware claiming to do something it doesn't and I do thank you for brining this to my attention. I recommend you rid your system of said software (you may need to run a system restore or several anti-spyware apps), then contact the maker of the software and request a refund. If they don't oblige within 24 hours, call your credit card company and have the charge reversed.

Going forward, I can only give you the same advice I give everyone:

1. Examine things carefully. We don't put ads up to try and scam people (you just missed the ad disclaimer at the bottom in this case), but many other sites do.

2. Be careful of claims like "recommended." Any nefarious person with a paint program could drop in a CNET logo and say "recommended." In this case, it didn't even say who recommened it. So, when you think about it, the advertisement highly recommened it. When you clicked the link, you were taken to a different site, and they highly recommended it from there. It didn't strike you as odd that the page talks about "HP Printer Drivers"?

3. Research before you install. A quick search of downloadyourdriver.com brought up several claims by others that it's a rip.

Mind Over Matt'er - Technology musings, opinion, and more straight from TechLore's head geek.

Mitigation Elf

Member

member since: 11/19/2008
rank: 119 of 12561
1 forum threads started
3 comments

May 5, 2009 1:21 PM

ThanQ Matt.

I typically do due dilligance on anything of this nature but for some reason did not this time.

Really was just wanting to bring this to everyone's attention in hopes noone else falls into this situation.

Warent

Member

member since: 05/12/2009
rank: 10754 of 12561
3 comments

May 12, 2009 9:25 PM

I bought driver-robot today and started getting a gut feeling about it, so I looked more info on the internet and found this thread. I've uninstalled it and just asked for a refund, and they (supposedly) have refunded. They have said that i am to recieve my refund in 5 business days. does that sound like a decent amount of time to you, or is there something behind that?

View unverified member's comment - posted by Lambert

Matt Whitlock

Administrator

May 18, 2009 9:11 AM

Warent said: I bought driver-robot today and started getting a gut feeling about it, so I looked more info on the internet and found this thread. I've uninstalled it and just asked for a refund, and they (supposedly) have refunded. They have said that i am to recieve my refund in 5 business days. does that sound like a decent amount of time to you, or is there something behind that?

Always give them the ability to do what they say, so if they said 5 days (which is reasonable), then give them 5 days. If you don't have it by then take matters into your own hands and call your credit card company.

Mind Over Matt'er - Technology musings, opinion, and more straight from TechLore's head geek.

Mitigation Elf

Member

member since: 11/19/2008
rank: 119 of 12561
1 forum threads started
3 comments

May 18, 2009 4:45 PM

I did get my refund.

Warent

Member

member since: 05/12/2009
rank: 10754 of 12561
3 comments

June 7, 2009 11:25 PM updated: June 7, 2009 11:27 PM

got my refund. (didn't mean to post this twice... at least you get the point! lol)

View unverified member's comment - posted by Nguyen Quang Duy

Matt Whitlock

Administrator

June 19, 2009 9:29 AM

Nguyen Quang Duy said: Help me install Driver Robot is not code Serial .you can not own serial code?

After this entire discussion about how it's pretty much scamware, why would you want to install it?

Mind Over Matt'er - Technology musings, opinion, and more straight from TechLore's head geek.

tony112

Member

member since: 07/21/2009
rank: 10014 of 12561
1 comments

July 21, 2009 10:50 AM updated: August 10, 2009 9:58 AM

Attention of Matt Whitlock (Addmin) Sir thank you for your addvice on DRIVER ROBOT. I was about to down load it. I have a HP laptop, I did a search for it on
Google.co.uk and found your community page. Thanks again for your kind info.
It is great that we have people like you helping us to not get caught buy these
sort of people how claim the product is the best .
Thanks again.
All the best
tony112 (Tony Wicks Mr)

nectons

Member

member since: 08/03/2009
rank: 9848 of 12561
1 comments

August 3, 2009 1:49 PM

Hi there. Thanks for all this usefull information. Take a look at thistoo http://www.inteldriverscenter.com .! Is it possible to using Intel brand name without any permition? I think they are scams.

Becarefull to all friends. Thanks again for the info

View unverified member's comment - posted by DangerMouse

jennifer

Member

member since: 08/25/2009
rank: 9577 of 12561
1 comments

August 25, 2009 1:43 PM

i am not a moron, i am not computer illiterate, and i accidentally downloaded this piece of garbage (from a

Jiggens

Member

member since: 08/27/2009
rank: 9514 of 12561
1 comments

August 27, 2009 3:05 AM updated: August 27, 2009 3:15 AM

Thankyou very much for this article mate. I don't have a HP (just bought an eeePC a few days ago), looking around for some drivers and I found Driver Robot as well, but in my case claiming it was built specific for Asus drivers, and all that highly recommended cr*p as well. So I downloaded it.. being one of those people who basically lives on my computer, I instantly had a bit of a gut feeling about it, but I pressed on because I've never tried a driver utility like this before and thought it was worth a shot. Scanned my computer, then it asked me for some money. Sorry guys, I'm not that easy :) Wen't onto google and started doing a bit of research...

The second link that came up was
"Driver Robot = Huge Scam?
DriverRobot.info"
Naturally clicked that first... Now if any of you care to go to DriverRobot.info, you'll find that it's just another DriverRobot website, advertising all it's great features.. and if instinct serves me, from the sound of it, the advertising will be directly aimed at the PC(/CPU) brand you are running.
Quite suspicious now, I went back and checked a few more.. lo and behold all the "DriverRobot = Scam" links that looked like they were going to confirm my thoughts all turned out to be fakes put up by DR people to advertise some more.
If that doesn't spell it out nothing does. Why would you go to the effort of making it so hard to find information about your product from OTHER sources than your own company, unless obviously your product isn't quite all you say it is.

Thankfully then I found this.. Trusty forums hehe, one place where I always know real information can be found :). All the confirmation I needed. No dollars for them this time.

[quote]2. Be careful of claims like "recommended." Any nefarious person with a paint program could drop in a CNET logo and say "recommended." In this case, it didn't even say who recommened it. So, when you think about it, the advertisement highly recommened it. When you clicked the link, you were taken to a different site, and they highly recommended it from there.[/quote]
This is too true. I think this is what gave me my original gut feeling that made me not want to download the program in the first place. I don't like anything that anyone recommends as a rule :P

On the by side, I'm only 19 and don't know much about law, but I'm sure they're not allowed to do this. Someone should do something about it... Just a thought.

----
For those who couldn't be bothered reading that entire post, here is the gist of it;

Yes, DriverRobot is a scam.

alfa

Member

member since: 09/10/2009
rank: 9348 of 12561
8 comments

September 10, 2009 1:43 AM

thanks for this info, i am an affiliate and i try to look for the best programs i can, i put driver robot on my site for sale and because of this post, i will remove it from my web page.
I'm jacked, no wonder no one bought it. I will do my research more in the future and before i put anything on my website, i will purchase, test and then place.
Thanks again for this valuable information, alfa

edc

September 16, 2009 2:58 PM

*** Deleted By Moderator ***

hayeysork

Member

member since: 09/19/2009
rank: 9215 of 12561
1 comments

September 19, 2009 10:59 AM

Thank you so mcuh for the information. I was just about to use DriverRobot myself. It was recommended on a games website. Thanks for saving me and my computer from a lot of grief.

View unverified member's comment - posted by no drivers

View unverified member's comment - posted by Ginobilli

alfa

Member

member since: 09/10/2009
rank: 9348 of 12561
8 comments

October 14, 2009 7:32 AM

Since reading about driver robot I decided to remove it from my website, so now I try all the software I sell before I even put it on my website. At the moment I am reviewing this other brand of software which claims to be able to fix computer problems and as from the start of the review( 3weeks) I have not had any problems and the program is what it claims to be so far. The computer is systematically scanned, like say; every time you have surfed a lot; it cleans the clutter automatically.
anyhow, I will do further reviewing of this software and when I am 100% satisfied that no problems are going to arise, then I will post it here. thank you
jean

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