1. Opening question: is it true that the tracking cookie Atdmt emanates from or is sponsored by Microsoft (MS in short)?
2. Observation: MS provides a number of tools to stop cookies we do not want (thanks for that). However, the tracking cookie Atdmt cannot be blocked, it keeps coming back notwithstanding the various tools (including deleting Atdmt entries in the registry).
3. Comment: if tracking cookie Atdmt is indeed MS, then we have here a most unethical behaviour from MS.
4. Has anyone found a way to block tracking cookie Atdmt (without causing to many additional annoyances for ourselves)?
Reply 1 : Tracking cookie ATDMT: unethical Microsoft?
Why do you think it's Microsoft?
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081214080238AAEj8to says ADTMT is an advertising company. I see no link with Microsoft.
The above article suggest deleting cookies automatically. Then your browsing behavior can't be tracked. Hardly an annoyance, if it's done automatically. I think ccleaner will work also.
Kees
Reply 2 : Tracking cookie ATDMT: unethical Microsoft?
The idea of a link with MS appeared in the Microsoft Discussion Groups on Internet Explorer General.
CCleaner is not effective, this cookie comes back.
Have tried many other suggestions from the hundreds available on the Web about atdmt, to no avail, cookie re-installs itself. Your Yahoo suggestion does not help either.
Thanks Kees for replying.
Reply 3 : Tracking cookie ATDMT: unethical Microsoft?
with it's cookie Manager can block this. You can give each site permission to install ONLY "session" (temporary, removed by CCleaner)cookies or NO cookies or as set by standard cookie rules you set within the program of the browser. Sea Monkey also offers this.
Basically, you may need to "tighten-up" you cookie permissions to avoid 3rd party cookies. This particular cookie can be had from almost any site IF your cookie permissions are wide open.
Reply 4 : Tracking cookie ATDMT: unethical Microsoft?
In Internet Explorer go to tools drop down to Internet options go to privacy click advanced tic the box in first party cookies that says prompt third party cookies click block >.click O.k. = Done.
Now atdmt needs your permission to climb aboard...
Now if I could only remember where this tip came from.
Reply 5 : Tracking cookie ATDMT: unethical Microsoft?
Thanks for this tip, but ADTMT does not behave as an 'ordinary' cookie. It appears 'embedded' within Outlook Connector and Hotmail and reinstalls itself everytime Outlook or Hotmail are switched on. Deleting ADTMT from the registry has no effect, nor has any other known tip or trick, such as for instance installing MVPS Hosts file.
Reply 6 : Tracking cookie ATDMT: unethical Microsoft?
You have something here this thing reproduces itself after every deletion. So when will the secret be revealed, maybe Microsoft will send a special patch and be done with it.
Reply 7 : Tracking cookie ATDMT: unethical Microsoft?
Blocking this in the privacy tab does not work - there is no way to block it - it is put on your system with Windows Live Client. If you go to your Temporary Internet Files under - C:Usersyour idAppDataLocalMicrosoftWindowsTemporary Internet Files and watch this when you have IE opened and then open Windows Live - the cookies will appear - it is not just one but all of the listed ones
yourid@atdmt.com - yourid@bing.com - yourid@c.live.com - yourid@c.msn.com - yourid@live.com - yourid@msn.com - yourid@windowsmarketplace.com - yourid@zune.com - listed below is what was in atdmt.com cookie - Microsoft refuses to break this down for me.
NAP
V=1.9&E=90f&C=jzWizI61Ji3YkGiCo84Vuezs4RTglZaalSSFEDmenYNwckE8AfskZQ&W=1
atdmt.com/
0
3040032512
30084853
2601119312
30064678
*
ANON
A=0806076B05B4E8B936C03ED2FFFFFFFF&E=969&W=1
atdmt.com/
0
1182938880
30104970
2598369312
30064678
*
Reply 8 : Tracking cookie ATDMT: unethical Microsoft?
Why do people think Microsoft is involved? Because it is true!
Don't take my word for it; see for yourself.
1) Visit the link below to the microsoft site for the IE9 beta.
http://windows.microsoft.com/ie9
2) Hover your mouse cursor over the download button.
3) View the target URL in the status bar at the bottom of your browser.
4) Note that it is a redirect to ATDMT.com where the malware is installed.
5) If you have included ATDMT.com in your restricted sites list in IE, you will not be redirected there and the malware will not install.
Since the behavior of this unsolicited and unapproved add-on includes tracking behavior, it is classified as malware. I don't know about you, but most people find that sort of behavior intolerably unethical.
Reply 9 : Tracking cookie ATDMT: unethical Microsoft?
http://www.google.com/search?q=ATDMT.com
If you want to re-define what things are, go right ahead but for now why not start a new discusion about ATDMT?
Bob
Reply 10 : Tracking cookie ATDMT: unethical Microsoft?
by using any of the following:
1. Hosts file e.g. MVPS Host File or hpHosts http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm or http://hosts-file.net/?s=Download
2. Spybot - S&D's Immunization feature http://www.safer-networking.org/en/spybotsd/index.html
The above is to prevent the known ads like ATDMT cookies. You should use what Kees have suggested, CCleaner to clean-up your cookies regularly.
Reply 11 : Tracking cookie ATDMT: unethical Microsoft?
Thank you Donna.
Being unfamilar (read total dummy) with "host" files, mvps and hphosts appear daunting exercises - which one do you recommend for a novice (who wants to avoid ending up with a pc in a miserable state)?
Should I both download Spybot and SpywareBlaster?
Erik
Reply 12 : Tracking cookie ATDMT: unethical Microsoft?
any of the said hosts file. MVPS hosts file is not updated frequently but it does block atdmt (see the list http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.txt and you'll find many atdmt entries to be blocked by MVPS hosts) and many others. hpHOSTS is updated daily (via partial update) but it has more blocked bad/unwanted domains or tracking cookies/ads.
I suggest that you try using first the MVPS Hosts file. It is not a task to use a HOSTS file if you are going to use a hosts file manager. Example: Hostsman or hostsxpert - both have a function to update your preferred hosts file.
As a start, just download MVPS Hosts http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.zip (direct download). Unzip it in a temporary location then copy and paste the hosts file (it does not have file extension, just Hosts only) in C:WINDOWSSYSTEM32DRIVERSETC folder. Overwrite/Replace the existing (default) hosts file in Windows. You're done. If you want to update it, visit MVPS hosts file page again and see if there's update. You will only replace the old hosts file again.
No, you don't need to use both Spybot -S&D and SpywareBlaster. Get the latter first. Use only Spybot if you want its scanner+prevention but for prevention only, use the hosts file and SpywareBlaster for now.
Reply 13 : Tracking cookie ATDMT: unethical Microsoft?
these cookies under discussion will also misrepresent themselves as
Session Only cookies to Mozilla's Cookie Mgr. They're Not!
I had them marked as accepted ONLY as Session Cookies because you cannot enter Hotmail with them fully blocked.
After leaving Hotmail yesterday & running CCleaner as usual. Shut down over night. After boot-up today, todays scan w/ SAS found 7 of them still on the machine and quarantined them. This without going to Hotmail yet today! Noted: MBAM scan immediately before SAS scan, did NOT find these 7 items.
Sandy.
Reply 14 : Tracking cookie ATDMT: unethical Microsoft?
SpywareBlaste by http://www.javacoolsoftware.com can block that kind of tracking cookies.
Reply 15 : Tracking cookie ATDMT: unethical Microsoft?
Oh Really? I use the blaster and the only thing it does is update new definitions.
Reply 16 : Tracking cookie ATDMT: unethical Microsoft?
You can open SpywareBlaster and you should see some tracking cookies that it can block in IE and Firefox browsers.
Reply 17 : Tracking cookie ATDMT: unethical Microsoft?
Me thinks your right.
Reply 18 : Tracking cookie ATDMT: unethical Microsoft?
I have same prob with this cookie and if SpywareBlaster can stop it, how does one add to the list on Spywareblaster? From what I see the list provided can either have cookies blocked or not, cannot see how additions can be made
Any help much appreciated
Tm
Reply 19 : Tracking cookie ATDMT: unethical Microsoft?
This cookie is created when IE is running and Windows Live Mail Client is opened. This is the answer I got from Microsoft - I don't believe them and think this cookie is capturing marketing information that they feel is very important and don't want it blocked. I have reported it to the FTC. If more people would do the same, something will be done - they require massive complaints.
======================================================================
Microsoft comment:
I can assure you that the cookies are cosmetic. The function that the Windows Live allocations use for cookie placement is InternetSetCookie. If you look up this public function on MSDN you can see how works.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa385107(VS.85).aspx
I also want to point out the caution statement on the page.:
Caution InternetSetCookie will unconditionally create a cookie even if Block all cookies is set in Internet Explorer. This behavior can be viewed as a breach of privacy even though such cookies are not subsequently sent back to servers while the Block all cookies setting is active. Applications should use InternetSetCookieEx to correctly honor the user's privacy settings.
With that said the change will be to use the InternetSetCookieEx function, and as you see it will honor the users privacy settings. A fix is scheduled to be released in the next update cycle for the Windows Live applications.
==============================
By the way - this was over a month ago and I have seen nothing released from Microsoft - again proof they are hiding something and want these cookies out there at any risk - please - everyone report this to the FTC, your senators and congressianal representatives - Microsoft must me reined in.
Reply 20 : Tracking cookie ATDMT: unethical Microsoft?
This cookie displays ads on youtubes ad square of items you were just looking at and then compares prices of similar items on that website in a video playing display. If you go atdmt.com it does say it is part microsoft for advertisers.
