The torrent that won't die

hello all

here's my problem; hopefully someone can help.

i downloaded a torrent of the l word (season 5) at some point this year, and ever since then, a new
torrent automatically shows up on my desktop every sunday, as soon as a new l word episode is
available. when i open the file, it starts trying to download from eztv.it, so i'm concluding this site is
the source.

the problem is that i don't want a new torrent to automatically show up on my desktop every sunday. in
fact, this is the only time i've ever heard of this kind of behavior on a mac, especially with all the tight
security and firewalls.

i've checked with mac support groups, and they've urged me to erase all cookies in case one was
related to this site, so i did. they also had me search for various system files that might have been
dropped in by this site. i did, and made sure my computer was clean of any suspicious material. i even
tried erasing all traces of torrent software, making sure to even delete their profiles.

despite all this, this l word torrent will not die. nobody can give me an answer or explanation, so i'm
coming straight to the source to ask...

first, how is the torrent showing up automatically each sunday? i don't see it in any of the download log
files? it can't just magically appear.

second, how do i make it stop?

when answering, please keep in mind that mac desktops handle downloads very differently than
windows. on windows, it would be fairly easy to set-up a torrent to download each week. but with
macs, i've never encountered a program that could automatically download a file, without consent.

<b>please only respond if you are familiar with macs</b>

thanks!

i've spent 2 months trying to get a legitimate response in other forums, and i come straight to the site
where the problem originates, and i get sarcasm.

it would be nice if people could devote half the time they waste on being rude and actually used that
energy to help someone out.

but on the topic of rss/torrent software, let's go back to my message and point out the key element ---

i've removed all torrent related software. so these downloads are not coming through the software. and if
someone who's ever actually used a mac would respond, they'd know that no piece of software can open
on a mac without it showing up in the dock. i've been on the computer when the file shows up, and there
is no trace of torrent software opening up in the dock, or the recent files menu.

unlike with windows (your definition of a proper computer), you cannot blindly open malicious software or
viruses in the background without it showing up. osx is built to make everything visible.

so let's try this again... does anyone who knows how to use a mac have advice on how this file is
appearing?

my gratitude in advance.

i can not remember the name of the app, but i seem to recall it had both tv and
torrent in the name (not that google agrees with me), but my mac dealer showed
it to me, and was all impressed at how easy it was to use. basically it was an
rss reader application that automatically scanned the eztv rss feeds, and then
would download it and send it to your torrent application. why it would not show
up on the dock i do not know, i never used the programme because it was too
simplistic.

any mac support group that said to clear cookies are "morrans" and probably why
mac users are treated like idiots.

so, since it is rss based, if could be any rss programme (safari, firefox,
thunderbird, and a whole host of others) or the tv one that for the life of me i
can not remember the name of.

so, it is nothing from this site that is doing it. rss is a pull, not a push system
it is software that you (or someone) installed on your profile.
as secure as mac firewalls and security are...you can still download and install
software without entering your password.
it is not a torrent issue, but an rss issue. clearly you have rss software on
your mac...unless you are still running internet explorer and ripped safari out
of the os it is in any good browser.

even as a fellow mac user, you did kind of come off like a prick.

edit to add: the application i could not remember is called tvshows, bet you
have that installed and forgot about it. it does exactly what it is set to do,
in the back ground checks for a new show, and then downloads the torrent file to
where you tell it, assuming our torrent application is set to watch that
location for new files. that is why it does not show in the dock.

so technically, eztv is 4 people removed from who you should look at (1, you, 2,
tvshows, 3, tvrss, and only finally eztv)

edit to add 2, after re-reading your posts again, i am so pissed i am tempted to
just delete my answer. there is all kind of shit running on os x that is under
the hood and does not show on the dock. you seem to have *just* enough knowledge
about os x to be dangerous. i think you took the training wheels off too soon.

it looks like you installed a 3rd party application that uses our rss feed. so
unless someone on our forum has had experience with said application, it may be
hard for any staff member to help you out with your issue.

it is always a smart idea to validate the authenticity of any application you
install.

the other one missing i think may be tvtad ? had it a few years ago but never
used it

in case your problem has not yet been resolved, try the following:

1. check your user account-based login items. go to system preferences, click accounts, select your
account and then hit the login items tab. use the (-) button to remove anything you don't understand.

2. in the apple menu select the about this mac menu item and then click the more info.. button. in
system profiler make sure you have full profile selected (apple + 3) and then scroll down to
software/startup items. see if there's anything in there that looks like it could be causing the problems
you described. if so, download the software again and use the uninstaller which should be supplied. if
you have admin rights you could also navigate to the location indicated and delete it manually.

3. go to applications/utilities and start activity monitor. make sure to choose all processes from the
drop-down menu. look for anything related to your problem.

it is patently untrue that all mac applications are visible in the dock. mac os x is a unix-based os and
has plenty of "faceless daemons" running in the background with no convenient user interface available.

also, it may be true that there are viruses, worms and other exploits that specifically target mac os x,
although exactly none of them are "in the wild" as of yet and, when comparing the sheer number of
such active exploits for windows, the score is something in the order of 280,000 to zero.

as a mac user you may also want to check out "little snitch" which prevents unwanted network access
to specific programs. you can simply deny such rss connections from the b*stard program causing
your problem.

kind of like "guns don't kill people, people kill people"?

i use both macs and pcs with a variety of operating systems, including windows. i would never imply
that competent users of any system should prefer to use macs, but i would also never recommend
anything but a mac to a non-competent user, simply for ease of use and the unified and consistent
user interface. i also have nothing against non-networked pcs used for gaming purposes. it's that
networked windows pcs in the hands of non-competent users (i.e. the norm monoculture situation) are
being actively exploited by the various maladies that cause identity theft, data insecurity, ddos attacks,
spam botnets, etc. macs are not inherently more secure, but they are in fact vastly more secure than the
typical alternative at the present time, especially for novice users.

and puppies. don't forget the puppies.

i thought it was the massive blood loss or internal organ trauma that lead to
the heart and then brain activity ceasing that killed people *grin*

it's unfortunate that people will go so far out of their way to bash a total stranger.

this is a forum, where people are supposed to be able to ask questions. i see no reason for things to
get so out of hand. i was not rude at all. i merely pointed out that it was a waste of time to fill up the
forum will meaningless puns if you don't even have a mac.

on the topic of rss - i do know what it is, and i do know how it works. there are no rss subscriptions
to torrent feeds on my computer.

to the one person who was actually considerate enough to provide some advice, darkl - thank you.

i took your advice and went through each step one by one. the results were the same - inconclusive.
nothing suspicious or out of the ordinary running.

i realize there is always a chance of getting a virus, but it would be unlikely. especially a virus that
downloads episodes of a tv show. that's not a very effective virus, unless showtime is really hurting
for the extra publicity.

i give up. the people on this forum are impossible to deal with. i can't have a decent or mature
conversation, so i guess i'm just going to have to deal with the l word showing up on my computer
every sunday night indefinitely.

it's a shame people were not willing to be a bit more civil. but i've found in life that mean-spirited
people are really just people who are sad or miserable with their own lives. so when i look at it that
way, maybe it's not so bad. i'm quite happy in my life, and don't have to go to public forums to bash
strangers in order to feel better about myself.

my advice is to study some books on the topic of low self esteem. there's help out there for you, just
take the first step.

take care, and again, thanks darkl.

i use and own both. imho osx is better than windows. i like the mac hardware
because there is a lot more native apps for it than pc's. i own a 3.2ghz 8 core
45nm xeon mac and i run osx , linux and xp all native on the box so you can see
why there are more apps. ( btw - the standard 8 core 2.8 ghz xeon mac really is
a good deal. i doubt you could even build your own box for under 2k)

anyway, i used to be a pc fan boy until i used a mac for real. now i am 50/50
usage on osx and xp. (i boot into linux ubuntu now and then to mess around) i
boot into osx for certain stuff and boot into xp for certain stuff and it works
great.

best of both worlds is by far the best way to go 🙂

http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=758

also remember the number of windows users compared to mac os x is something in
the order of 280,000 to zero. 😉

the mac is designed for people who could care less about computer internal workings, but still want to
do things computers were designed to do. kind of like being able to drive a car without knowing what's
under the hood. here, ease of use is paramount and has been since 1984. there's good reason why
apple's application interface guidelines are called "human user interface guidelines". so, to paraphrase
your statement, the mac is a system designed specifically for people who don't care how it works, but
still get things done and have fun doing it.

i'm personally acquainted with many layout people who work at germany's top three publishing houses.
they come out with fantastic magazine layouts, but many are not quite sure what a hard disk does.

clueless people using windows may be able to deal with the interface, but will likely not know how to
install, maintain and use vital anti-virus software. this makes networking harder for the rest of us.

vulnerabilities mean nothing when there are no exploits to take advantage of them. yep, none. quit
talking smack. there are no os x viruses, trojans, or worms on the internet. not one. 'but lol applez
market share iz teh smal, y wud ne1 evn try?' is usually the obvious response that i will now curtail:
because the person who writes the first effective piece of mac malware is gonna get way more props
than someone who writes winmalware #300,001. and that's why they do it after all.



uh, worse than microsoft? do the words 'antitrust' and 'monopoly' ring any bells? how about 'netscape'?
'halloween documents'? or even simply 'windows'?

'wtf is [it] about?' maybe it's just that for mac users, even doing tedious tasks is literally a joy, because
the computing experience is that much better.

no, i'm not a blind fanboy, prior to getting my macbook pro about four months ago i'd been running
nothing but 2k and xp for around four years and would definitely consider myself a power-user in
windows (even more than os x at present), but it's hard not to develop a strong negative passion for
all the random bugs and crashes and inconceivable design choices, including many that still linger
more than a decade after windows 95.

and no, the mac isn't perfect. nothing is. it just comes closest.

it seems what you hate in mac users is no less than equalled by yourself, from the other side of the
fence. get some perspective and a clue.



excluding windows classic, xp's default look, vista's default look, all the various 4-bit colour uunix
workstation guis, a myriad of random linux skins and custom windows ones, and pretty much every
other gui anyone's ever seen or used, right? the fanboyism runs strong in this one. honestly, what's
not to like? the subtle and smooth animation effects? the well-used but definitely not abused (*cough*
vista) transparency? the overused brushed metal? guess what, that's a valid complaint, or at least was.
but it's not completely gone in 10.5.

granted gui looks comes down to individual taste, but i've pretty much never heard anyone diss aqua
(that's what it's called), and your opinion seems strongly coloured by your rampant fanboyism, or
antifanboyism if you want to get technical, but it amounts to the same thing. and it might be of
interest to know that there are multiple (some quite large) sites devoted to making one's windows
install look like a mac, yet none the other way around. i suggest you ponder on just why that is.

my, my, what a fun way to start the day this has been.

edit: lame, it bunched both quotes at the top. i'm sure you can work out where they're supposed to fit
in. hmm, actually, in your case not sure, but hopeful.

oh, you mean like a laptop? that type of computer that's been outselling desktops for years now? prior to
my mbp, i was using a 2003 pc i put together myself that i upgraded once, and the only thing i couldn't
have plugged in externally was the video card. most people (even the ones with the technical skills) don't
even care about upgradability. by the time you want to upgrade (unless you buy a new video card every
month), it mostly seems to be better value to buy a whole new machine. but that's just my experience and
that of people i know.

but if upgrading is important to you, a mac isn't the way to go, unless you get a mac pro (which are
actually cheaper than comparable high-end systems from dell and the like). if you want to game, you
don't buy a mac, or you do and you install windows on it. or you buy a console.