Microsoft Antispyware and TightVNC

Posted in Computers & Technology, Microsoft, Spam by Elliott Back on November 8th, 2005.

I am experiencing a little vendor lock in from our friends at Redmond. See, when I run their Microsoft Anti-spyware along with any other non-Microsoft Windows remote desktop program, like ultraVNC or tightVNC, Antispyware goes nuts and starts to massively try to analyse for threats. It doesn’t understand that when I tell it “take no action” for tightVNC to leave it alone–instead it consumes enough resources to make the machine quite sluggish over the remote tunnel. If anyone’s listening out there, please fix this!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 8th, 2005 at 11:02 am and is tagged with microsoft antispyware, microsoft anti spyware, desktop program, ultravnc, tightvnc, microsoft windows, nuts, microsoft. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback.

Viewing 7 Comments

Toby Simmons 3 years ago 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

Hmm. That's odd. I run both on my machine with no issues, whatsover. Are you running just the VNC client, or are you running a VNC server on your local machine?

reply edit reblog flag

http://www.simmonsconsulting.com

Elliott Back 3 years ago 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

It's running the VNC server on your machine that's the problem!

reply edit reblog flag

http://elliottback.com

Paul Mead 2 years ago 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

I agree - there is a problem building here - I am also seeing remote machine CPU hogging by Antispyware, when remote controlling a PC running VNC

reply edit reblog flag

Bill Trail 2 years ago 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

Yes - I also agree. I'm running UltraVNC server. Not only does MS Defender go crazy so do AdAware and Spybot and SpySweeper.

My problems go one level deeper. The combination of Norton AV / Defender / AdAware / Spybot / SpySweeper - which all run in auto mode in the wee hours each Sunday (Monday a.m. actually)... they all, quite literally, REMOVE my UltraVNC server... and kill the program and its folder contents.

I have to remember to re-install the program every time right before I leave my office. I have a static IP and the appropriate 5500, 5800, and 5900 ports forwared in my LinkSys router.

I'm so darn good at reinstalling WinVNC that it only takes a minute - but sometimes I forget and then I have no remote access. So I've reloaded an old copy of Symantec pcAnywhere (which doesn't alert the scanners) and I now use THAT to gain temp access - and remotely re-install my precious WinVNC.

Anybody else seen anything this crazy? Please email me directly at billtrail @ gmail.com. Thanks.

Bill Trail - Penny Computer Systems, Inc.
Macon, Georgia
June 15, 2006

reply edit reblog flag

http://www.pennyfinance.com

Bill Nesbitt 2 years ago 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

While I have not noticed the CPU usage others have reported, nor in 5 years of using various versions have I ever seen SpyBot or Symantec have problems, but Windows Defender doesn't even offer "Allow" as an option for RealVNC and eventually forces a complete uninstall of the server application, despite repeatedly hitting the "Ignore" button in the strange dialog window it pops up when VNC is detected. (I suspect Ultra & Tight will have the same effect.)

I realize this is an obvious sign that Microsoft is jealous that they didn't invent the idea, and that thier own Remote Desktop solution is so unsecure, that any user with a brain will uninstall it on site. But if anybody has a workaround (other than removing Defender), please reply.

Thanks,

Bill Nesbitt
IT Administrator
InnoNET, LLC

reply edit reblog flag

Hoss 2 years ago 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

follow these instructions and it should take care of the problems with *VNC and M$ Defender :)

http://www.cwu.edu/~itstraining/TechTips/windef...

reply edit reblog flag

Ron 1 year ago 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

The settings seem to be profile specific. Whil you can go in and set it to Always Ignore VNC under one profile, as soon as the next person logs in it will flag VNC again on the next scan. I have this issue in my environment on shared PC's.

reply edit reblog flag