New user - just bought Xpadder. Norton 360 quarantined the file immediately. Anyone else? Advice?

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stephensean
Posts: 7
Joined: 15 Jun 2013, 21:43

New user - just bought Xpadder. Norton 360 quarantined the file immediately. Anyone else? Advice?

Post by stephensean »

Norton immediately quarantined the xpadder.exe - it failed something called ws.reputation.1

They imply that this happened because of a large (or some) number of user reports that the file is infected. But - I am wondering if it is simply that it is an unknown file.
Naturally the two are very different - if several users have encountered viruses or malware, that's clearly a bad thing. If they don't know about it - well, that is curious since Jonathan's download process mentions that 2 million users have downloaded xpadder.

I'm not a noob - in fact I'm a developer. Ideally the file would be signed, he'd use a sec cert or something. As it is, well - until I got a couple games that don't explicitly support a controller, I'd never heard of Xpadder myself. I mean no offense, this is not intended to be inflammatory. I simply get a bit nervous when Norton quarantines a file.

Cheers and thanks for any reasonable thoughts on this ;-)


** EDIT - 2013-06-15 - I ran a malwarebytes scan against the .exe and (surprise) no issues were found. I think Jonathan may want to get it whitelisted by Norton (am I really the only one who's ever bought it that uses Norton? Please - no philosophical discussion of a/v programs. Norton is no longer the hog it once was, IMFAO. It works for me, although implying that a file has a "bad user rep" because they've never heard of it is definitely Bull***t, I admit - and it pisses me off. CHEERS (btw, I do use malwarebytes alongside norton 360 - which is free for me and one reason I use it...)

stephensean
Posts: 7
Joined: 15 Jun 2013, 21:43

Re: New user - just bought Xpadder. Norton 360 quarantined the file immediately. Anyone else? Adv

Post by stephensean »

Seems appropriate to post separately.

More information. Please understand I just want to get a resolution. Now I just provide more information, as I feel confident that the version I now have is ok.

The Xpadder.exe that is downloaded from the link provided at original purchase (not sure I should post this link - it is on the xpadder.com domain, a direct link to the file) is ALWAYS flagged by Norton 360 2013 as a BAD file.

The Xpadder.exe that is available from the forum (version 2012.12.31) - which seems to be one byte different in size, perhaps just some boundary issue or another) IS ALWAYS flagged by Norton 360 as a GOOD file.

It is relevant that the BAD rating is based upon what they call REPUTATION, as opposed to finding a virus' signature or the like. SO - same file name, same size within a byte. When using a simple windows (8) binary diff, it _DOES_ say that the files differ. Why would the purchased file be different from the most recent (I assume) from the latest version on the forum? (link is http://xpadder.com/forum4/viewtopic.php ... 289#p19289). The files differ at least a little, and one is referred to as most certainly bad, according to NIS... Don't think it is the links, as the scan performed in the filesystem returns the same results, and the source URL is not a property of the file.

Just more info.

RobbinxDehood
Posts: 16
Joined: 08 Jul 2010, 14:10

Re: New user - just bought Xpadder. Norton 360 quarantined the file immediately. Anyone else? Adv

Post by RobbinxDehood »

I would actually suggest getting rid of Norton and installing Avast or Microsoft Security Essentials. Kapersky is the one I would suggest if you really want to pay for antivirus but the free ones are really usually the better ones anyway. Avast is spyware and antivirus now, Microsoft Security Essentials is supposed to be but I run Super Anti Spyware with it because it seems to miss almost everything. Norton is not only a bad program but will slow down your computer. If you are dead set on keeping it then you need to add xpadder to the exclusions list, that's all. I would also recommend calling or emailing Norton and letting them know that it is a legitimate program, you are paying for their garbagy service it should at least do something right.

stephensean
Posts: 7
Joined: 15 Jun 2013, 21:43

Re: New user - just bought Xpadder. Norton 360 quarantined the file immediately. Anyone else? Adv

Post by stephensean »

The Symantec whitelist request has to come from the developer, but .. eh, no matter. I have gotten Xpadder to lock/hang/stop-drawing/tight-loop about 7 times in less than 2 hours, so I imagine that some others have as well (I wasn't trying to QA the pgm -- I did get it working, but had to hack through a lot of hazards, and it still won't accept an image for the controller - whether pasted or freshly saved BMP at 512x256/16 via MSPaint or PSPro.. it's cool, but.. it's clearly very temperamental. Yes, run-as-admin, both xp-comp. and not.. it's still quite rough 'round the edges, help icons everywhere that just tell you to go to the website, but no doc - it's really the forum (a great forum, clearly - the success of the program is due in no small part to this great forum, and that seems very clear). I am not trying to start anything - and I definitely mean no offense. Just being honest. If I meant offense, I could be a lot harsher. Oh shoot, I fear this'll get me banned - but, shouldn't a paying customer be able to talk about the shortcomings of the product on the forum? I hope so... Like I said, mostly got it working - but the procedures described for importing, etc.. didn't get me even halfway - it might be Win 8 - but it's not user-error (a user should _never_ be able to crash or lock-up a program.. period). Anyway - umm, thanks for the response?

On Norton - I said I didn't want to go there, but... You must be talking about Norton several years ago. Nearly all legitimate (i.e. scientific) analysis/comparisons that I've studied has put NIS at or near the top, nearly all put it above the ones you mention. It's not a bad program, IMO, not anymore. It's behaved rather well for at least a couple years, and I've looked pretty closely at it's impact upon my systems for a couple years now (and tested it's ability to back-off when I want it to). I run malwarebytes with it, but it's performed well by me (and I am not paying for it.. ISP provided). I know you disagree - but I can find plenty of sources, in the form of noteworthy reviewing organizations that look at each release (annually) that agree with me, and - as I said, I've my own experience. So - I won't insult, and will keep the garbage-service, etc.. I won't cite my qualifications, but let's say I've done a little bit of s/w dev. in my time, and participated in and observed from afar many tech. religious wars; a/v will forever be a hotbed for fanatics and users alike. Nothing's perfect, and I'm certainly no NIS fanboy; seems that usually both sides end up testing the malleability of the facts.

EDIT: I have to add - this is a KILLER program. It is hugely versatile with extreme level of feature and function. The details around so many variables - configurations - it's totally agnostic, and offers EVERY single possible way a person would need to use their controllers, with cool mouseover tooltips that work and make-sense. It's almost but not entirely self-documenting, but that is an extremely difficult thing to do, especially with such a versatile program that probably works with all controllers that use sticks, dpads, buttons and triggers in support of both DirectInput and XInput... it really ROCKS. In defense of the stability issues I raised, they are my experience - but they are based upon a very SMALL window of usage, on a still rather new platform itself with many variables. Truth is, most of the hangs were probably related to lack of admin privs, not realizing that after I'd tapped the top-right "X" to, y'know, exit.. that it was really still running with an icon in the systray that I missed... Anyway -- the point is, after getting it to work (I've got the triggers, dpad, buttons on a blank background..) and playing around with it a bunch -- it is a HELL'A KILLER program, in words my nephew might use ;-) To develop and support, and document something like this, with so much functionality/features could easily occupy a team of at least a few engineers, which makes it all the more impressive - really.

Jonathan
Xpadder creator
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Re: New user - just bought Xpadder. Norton 360 quarantined the file immediately. Anyone else? Adv

Post by Jonathan »

Judging by my email inbox this Norton issue has only appeared in the last few days despite the version being reported being a few months old.
The copy of the server is identical to the original release (just checked every byte) so nothing bad has happened to that file. Norton has suddenly decided not to like it! Made a few updates and things should be okay now.

FARSTRIDER
Xpadder Xpert
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Re: New user - just bought Xpadder. Norton 360 quarantined the file immediately. Anyone else? Adv

Post by FARSTRIDER »

thats norton for ya. even their firewall is kind of insecure for most noobs who dont think to delete old exception entries which not to mention they make home networks unuseable even when you follow their instructions

TheMasterBlaster
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Re: New user - just bought Xpadder. Norton 360 quarantined the file immediately. Anyone else? Adv

Post by TheMasterBlaster »

I have Norton 360 and Xpadder working fine together.
Go into your Norton 360 settings and tell it to ignore Xpadder.exe. I didn't need to do that but you may need to for some reason.

tonygriffin826
Posts: 5
Joined: 20 Jul 2012, 23:38

Re: New user - just bought Xpadder. Norton 360 quarantined the file immediately. Anyone else? Adv

Post by tonygriffin826 »

Just to add my experience.

Some weeks ago (probably around the time others were reporting this) Norton removed Xpadder from my PC. I had had no problems at all with Xpadder and Norton for a year or two, and my (purchased) version of Xpadder was probably somewhat old. Perhaps foolishly (that is without checking to see if I could get it back through Norton) I purchased Xpadder again and have had no problems since.

I guessed my only question is why did I have to pay for Xpadder again? I thought updates were free after the in initial purchase. Maybe because there was no existing version of Xpadder?

Errol
Xpadder Xpert
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Re: New user - just bought Xpadder. Norton 360 quarantined the file immediately. Anyone else? Adv

Post by Errol »

tonygriffin826 wrote:...I purchased Xpadder again and have had no problems since.

I guessed my only question is why did I have to pay for Xpadder again? I thought updates were free after the in initial purchase. Maybe because there was no existing version of Xpadder?
You don't ever have to pay for Xpadder a second time. You buy it once and all future updates are free forever. What you should have done was log in to your account and go directly to the download section and download any version of Xpadder.

TheMasterBlaster
Posts: 22
Joined: 25 Oct 2009, 09:12
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Re: New user - just bought Xpadder. Norton 360 quarantined the file immediately. Anyone else? Adv

Post by TheMasterBlaster »

Norton is identifying Xpadder.exe as a virus and is quarantining it.
I contacted Symantec and they told me it is the responsibility of the software provider to contact them to get the program white listed.
Jonathan, will you do that?

nrmcneill
Posts: 8
Joined: 15 Jan 2012, 17:25

Re: New user - just bought Xpadder. Norton 360 quarantined the file immediately. Anyone else? Adv

Post by nrmcneill »

TheMasterBlaster wrote:Norton is identifying Xpadder.exe as a virus and is quarantining it.
I contacted Symantec and they told me it is the responsibility of the software provider to contact them to get the program white listed.
Jonathan, will you do that?
What Norton is trying to do, is make an Independent Developer, "BUY" and "PAY" a LIcense from them. Kinda like the same way that Credit Card Companies make a ton of Money too. First, we as a user of the Credit Card, have to, "PAY' an % for using their "CARD". Next, the Business you bought something from with your Credit Card has to, "PAY" another % to the Credit Card Company for Using their Service....THIS IS NUTS!!!! These Credit Card Guys, Just Like Norton, are RIPPING US OFF!
I'm very glad the Jonathan has chosen to go it alone, and not give a % of his earning he makes to some company that should be,"PAYING JONATHAN!" for getting him more Business!!

MasterBlaster, I have been using this Xpadder Program for many years now, and would gladly pay a License every 2 years or so for using it too! It is a cheap/simple/easy program that emulate xinput keystrokes for gaming controllers that are locked to a Consol System entirely! The Reason why the Consol Makers, "Lock Down the xinput" for their consoles only. is to make you pay "ONLY THE MAKERS OF THE CONSOLE" to play a game readily available across many other form factors of gaming machines!
I truly hope you now Understand what/why Jonathan is doing this, and probably will not,(I fully endorse him in this too) pay anyone to enable his program.

MasterBlaster please just add the XPadder Program as a Trusted Program to your Anti-Virus Program, and Quit Worrying will you?
Those people are just trying to take control of our 'Freedoms" at the end of the day!
Peace Bro!
JustNeil2 :roll:

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