Warning: EpicScale "Riskware" Silently Installed With Latest uTorrent

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If you are a uTorrent user, you might want to read this forum thread that claims the latest build of the software is installing EpicScale without permission. I can't access the uTorrent forums right now but I managed to grab this screenshot before they went down.
 
Figured it was only a matter of time until they ruin this easy to use and low footprint torrent client as soon as they started to add more "features" and other crappy bundles with it. RIP uTorrent, off to find an alternative that will eventually end the same way.
 
Good thing you still can find the good old 'low footprint' version without bundled crapware. Just disable auto-updates and decline all offers and you're good to go.
 
A shame. μTorrent used to be one of the better torrent clients out there.
 
utorrent has been crap for years now
 
Sign of things to come with BitTorrent Sync. BitTorrent ruined uTorrent and will ruin everything else they touch.
 
Still rockin 1.85, werks fine. Tried Titaxi, little OP for my taste.
 
I just installed an updated version a few days ago and declined the adware like normal. I don't see anything strange with my CPU and didn't see anything related to epicscale on my computer. Is this a bogus news story?
 
ashmelev75 said:
Good thing you still can find the good old 'low footprint' version without bundled crapware. Just disable auto-updates and decline all offers and you're good to go.
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^ winner.

I almost never use it anymore except to download batch fansubs of televised broadcasts where the English dub makes me cringe. The old version works perfectly for this.
 
This is why I don't care terribly much about updating things like that. I have a freeware ftp client that I regularly use to transfer files between my desktop and laptop computer, it's recently been telling me "new version out" yeah so what... for what I use it for this still works fine.

That said if there really was a miner involved was it put there by some 3rd party who hosts the software elsewhere? Or if it's actually the owners of uTorrent (someone owns it now?) who's getting the bitcoins? said owners?
 
Well this sucks. I'm not very good at the whole torrenting world...and this is what I use...I guess I need to make sure mine doesn't update.
 
I stopped updating utorrent way back when they sold out. Still using version 2.2 if i am not mistaken and have zero issues with it
 
Things like this is why I stopped torrenting years ago, I don't have to worry about this kind of thing when I get my content from the place that shall not be named.
 
uTorrent has been a mass of adware and spyware for the last few versions. Might as well add some full-on malware too. If I were a sysadmin I'd have uTorrent on my list of blocked software at this point. There are plenty of other BitTorrent clients around. I'm using Deluge, but I'd recommend Vuze Leap for people who aren't very tech-savvy.
 
I'll stick with my old version 3.2.2 build 28500. Small, works and no bullshit.
 
The link now goes to a page that only says "This Account Has Been Suspended". Somebody touched a nerve.
 
That's sad. uTorrent is great for ease of use. Personally I use rTorrent + ruTorrent.
 
Blue Marker said:
Anyone know which version was the peak of uTorrent before it's downward spiral into crap?
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I use 2.0.4. I think that was near the last release before they got all stupidly cute with features that weren't necessary and not long after that version began the "Pro" version crap.
 
Liger88 said:
I use 2.0.4. I think that was near the last release before they got all stupidly cute with features that weren't necessary and not long after that version began the "Pro" version crap.
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Reality is the decline has been going on for some time. Now its just much more apparent to everyone...
 
I'm not sure about the silent part. The admins are attempting to get more information from the complaining users, but claim not to be able to duplicate the installation without approval*. This kind of thing happens all the time. It's fairly common that a small portion of users forget to uncheck opt-in boxes, then claim that software was added without approval. Personally I think it's sleazy to do these kinds of worthless "offers", but if someone accidentally lets this program installation slip through it can be uninstalled easily from add/remove programs.

* if utorrent is being rebundled by some 3rd party, getting to the source and shaming them is more worthwhile than just mindlessly complaining about something out of their control
 
Quix said:
uTorrent has been a mass of adware and spyware for the last few versions. Might as well add some full-on malware too. If I were a sysadmin I'd have uTorrent on my list of blocked software at this point. There are plenty of other BitTorrent clients around. I'm using Deluge, but I'd recommend Vuze Leap for people who aren't very tech-savvy.
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Actually, I JUST switched to Deluge from uTorrent (got sick of the constant nags to upgrade, which tripped my spyware scanners when I downloaded it). The ads were getting obnoxious too.

Reading this now, I'm glad I switched when I did.
 
If you need magnet links then 2.2.1 is the last version without adware. Anything after 2.2.1 is horse shit.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ΜTorrent#Early_development

Out of general discontent with bloatware, Serge Paquet suggested to Ludvig Strigeus that he should make a smaller and more efficient BitTorrent client. Strigeus began to conceptualize the plans for the program's development, which, at the time, did not include making the client feature-rich. After initially working on it for about a month during the last quarter of 2004 (the first build is dated October 17, 2004), mostly during his free time before and after work, Strigeus ceased coding µTorrent for a year. He resumed work on September 15, 2005, and three days later, the first public release (version 1.1 beta) was made available as freeware, and began generating feedback.
 
Anyone using torrents is just asking for trouble. Pointless to even post news about it.
 
B00nie said:
Anyone using torrents is just asking for trouble. Pointless to even post news about it.
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Why? It's just a protocol. Not every bittorrent file-transfer is someone downloading something illegally. I especially love making a torrent when I need to send several hundred gigabytes to someone out of state. There is never any issues with them being able to "Resume" if something gets interrupted, and I can seed the file from several different places at the same time to speed up the overall transfer.

Personally I use Vuze, have since the Azureus days. It works great even when seeding several thousand torrents simultaneously. They even have a lightweight version "Vuze leap" that is pretty nice also.
 
Chas said:
Actually, I JUST switched to Deluge from uTorrent (got sick of the constant nags to upgrade, which tripped my spyware scanners when I downloaded it). The ads were getting obnoxious too.

Reading this now, I'm glad I switched when I did.
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I switched to Deluge years ago when they first started bundling adware with the uTorrent installations. It works great... couldn't be happier.
 
That's incredibly blatant.

I switched to qBittorrent a while ago when uTorrent started bundling stuff and advertisements.
 
striker444 said:
Figured it was only a matter of time until they ruin this easy to use and low footprint torrent client as soon as they started to add more "features" and other crappy bundles with it. RIP uTorrent, off to find an alternative that will eventually end the same way.
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Yeah, it's gone downhill. Instead of helping people on their forums, some of their moderators outright call people idiots and insult people. Their answer to everything is RTFM. Or "as designed" … when the person is posting a legitimate bug/issue.

There was a bug with the RSS feeds in various versions that I had, so my Google took me to a post with many people saying the same. One of their devs (or moderators) said "I can't replicate this on my machine, problem must be you" or something to that effect. Wtf.
 
If you're not using 2.2.1, you're doing it wrong.
 
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