This type of file can harm your computer. Are you sure you want to download...

[ideasguy]

What will they think of next! Another "feature" (or alligator) to wrestle with.

This type of file can harm your computer. Are you sure you want to download...

A number of users have reported that they are seeing this message (or similar) when they click the download link in my emails (to download Bank Genie, Ideas Genie etc)
The worrying thing is, some evaluation customers are frightened off by the message, and dont try the download. 

Have any of our member seen this?
I haven't, on my computer and browser.

Ive done a little research and found this:
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Chrome/thread?tid=47b19ee537e3088e&hl=en
Looks like its not just my downloads which are being singled out.

If you have seen this, I'd very much appreciate a screenshot.
Please state which Hardware (32bit or 64 bit) you are using, what Windows Version and which browser you use (IE, Firefox, Chrome etc).

[roiphil]

i get something similar when i upgrade parts of igpro, but that could just be my norton checking if i get again will catch it for you

[ideasguy]

Thanks Phil.

[Trevor Ellis]

I've come across it several times George but can't honestly remember all of the incidents bar one of the intended/executed downloads. Non of them were to do with IG however. Recently I bought a new printer and it mentioned a 'quick printing' tab that it put automatically onto the toolbar in Internet Explorer. I could never stand all the 'activity' on the IE homepage and so have not used it for years. However, being curious I downloaded it to see what the printing thing was about and also to see if the homepage on IE8 is as busy as the older versions. Surprisingly perhaps on a Microsoft download the same message as you described appeared. Undettered, I downloaded and installed. Then returned to the tranquility of Chrome & Firefox.

[ideasguy]

Hi Trevor, and its good to hear from you again!

I'm suspect the activity you described is to do with tracking etc by certain websites.
If you watch the status bar at the bottom of your browser, you'll see the pages and resources which are accessed flash by.
Web sites which use Google Analytics are reporting the pages you visit back to base etc. Ive steered away from that "feature" on my websites.

Ive identified the problem with "This type of file can harm your computer. Are you sure... etc etc".
Its a new security level applied by Symantec/Norton. It has caused me a lot of grief, and a number of lost customers.
Ive worked with Symantec and now have Bank Genie products added to their white list.
Its an ongoing nightmare!

[ideasguy]

This is a real killer for me at present. It occurs on computers who use Norton Anti-Virus products.
I don't know if it also happens with other AV manufacturers - feedback would be appreciated from our members.

If you'd like to know why this is happening, take a BIG DEEP BREATH and read over this document.
http://www.symantec.com/theme.jsp?themeid=star&tabID=5

Still with me? If you got lost in the blurb, here's a summary of the key points which will help you understand the plight of software developers (e.g. moi) who distributes software over the internet.

DI/DA intercepts every new executable file at the time of download from the Internet. Then it queries the Symantec reputation cloud for a rating. Based on ratings received from the cloud, DI/DA takes one of three different actions:

DI= Download Insight (DI) feature in Norton products
DA= Download Advisor (DA) feature of our Symantec Endpoint Protection product.

Its the 3rd action which is killing me at present

If a file is still developing its reputation and its safety is unknown, the user is warned that the file is unproven. The user can then decide, based on their tolerance for risk, whether or not they want to use the file.

The reason? I update the product downloads regularly, so my files are always relatively new, and are continually starting at butts to develop a good reputation.

The most embarrassing thing is that it happens to new customers, and Ive already lost potential customers because of it.
Fortunately, most customers are pleasant and understanding. Needless to say there are a few who are not, and Ive been on the receiving end of some rather angry comments.

I'm now having to apply to Symantec to get every one of the downloadable files which I create and publish whitelisted.
e.g. if a customer buys Bank Genie as a download, that file has to be whitelisted so the user isn't faced with that nasty and worrying "dire consequences" message.
If I provide an update to a program in Bank Genie or Ideas Genie, I have to apply to Symantec to have it whitelisted.
That is VERY time consuming. Worse still, it will take time for Symantec to add the new or updated file to their whitelist.

Perhaps you now know why Ive been rather quiet on the forum recently 

[NightHawk]

Frustrating indeed George 

I have read through that document and understood most of it.

I use, and have done for a few years now, Norton 360.

I have downloaded hundreds of trial versions of various types of software from many different companies over the time I've been using Norton 360.  I can count on one hand the number of times I've had the warning appear you have mentioned, but on those occasions if I trusted the source of the file being downloaded I have continued without any problems.

I don't know why your particular products are flagging this warning though George.  Would having your software digitally signed stop the warning messages being generated?  I'm only guessing really.  I don't know enough about the software development procedure to offer much more constructive help.

Does your techie colleague have any views on this?

I hope you can sort it out quickly, without having to rely on Symantec to keep their Whitelist updated.

People who know you George trust your reputation and the software you develop, but it's the loss of new customers (people who don't know you) that must the the hardest to bear without an easy solution to hand.

Laurie.

[ideasguy]

Spoke to one of my colleagues this morning and mentioned this on passing. He hasn't experienced any problems in my Ex-Employers business, but then they don't have to download exe files there.

RE:

I don't know why your particular products are flagging this warning though George

Its because I continually update my products, so they are always "new" and have to start again to gain a "reputation" -unless I apply for each update to be whitelisted. That and the fact that the number of users AND who  have Symantec AV products running are not in the same proportions as some larger companies
Another thing to mention - when Symantec add an item to the whitelist its up there in the cloud and doesn't take effect on the user computer until the user does a live update to their AV products

[Palustris]

I use Windows Security Essentials and AVG. Cannot remember seeing this Message about anything from IG. But I have not Downloaded anything for a long time.

[ideasguy]

Thanks for that Eric.