August 22, 2012
GOTD wrapper is updated
While being trusted by Microsoft and other security tools, the signature is currently not accepted by AVG. Hopefully they will fix this glitch soon. In case you trust us, please disable the protection for a while (according to our tests it should be enough, no uninstall is needed).
For Norton disabling Firewall only should work in most cases. We’ve also contacted Symantec and are waiting for being “white listed”.
PS: starting now an extra .GCD file is included in every download archive. It is essential for correct installation and activation. If you experience any difficulties, please make sure to extract all files in a separate folder before start.
It is not a secret that we use a special program (also known as GOTD wrapper) to protect installation package from usage after the giveaway day is over. Unfortunately the version we were using during previous years was not a perfect solution, which made it liable to be cracked by advanced IT experts.
While it generally made no difference to GOTD users, many vendors had to make registration procedure a tricky thing in attempts to protect their interests. So can we blame them for overwhelming number of on-line activations?
This said improving wrapper was a matter of time (as well as of the reputation of our project). And it is ready to meet the world now. The protection is a kind of double. On the one hand we applied a newer algorithm, on the other hand we included special protection program Themida. Due to those updates the installation can take more time, depending on the configuration of your PC.
Our team gave it a rigid test on many computers with different Windows operation systems, however we think that some users can still face difficulties one time or another. We will appreciate it if you could submit any issue you encounter and include the following details in your message:
- description of the problem;
- content of the error message you get (if there is any) and the moment it appears;
- OS you use (including x32 or x64);
- security applications you have on your machine (anti-virus/ firewall/ monitoring systems).
Please leave feedback as comments to this post. In case you are not happy about sharing this information here, please feel free to use GOTD contact form. To help your letter reach us quicker add the following subject: “Problem with GOTD installation”.
Sorry for any inconvenience and thank you for your feedback in advance.
—
Sincerely,
GOTD team
The new wrapper wont run inside sandboxie. Therefore software cannot be tested in a sandbox prior to normal installation! :(
I like how the GOTD team picks and chooses who they will reply to in regards to checking into problems we are having with the new wrapper. It’s been about 2 weeks now and still not able to use any giveaway’s. Oh well I have been coming here for a few years now and have appreciated the freebies that I have gotten so I guess I will just have to wait it out, maybe the GOTD team will figure it out eventually.
I can install software from GAOTD again! Well, it’s worked once – I’ll see how it goes with tomorrow’s giveaway. It looks like Outpost Security (which I picked up here last year) was the problem (even though it wasn’t actually running at the time). Uninstalling it seems to have fixed the problem. Yay!
Dear GAOTD,
If I will get any problems (especially form my AV, AntiMalware etc) installing GAOTD programs, I won’t use GAOTD anymore. And considering the statements above I think I am going to have problems and I REFUSE to turn off monitoring programs I use for ages to keep my computer safe and secure.
Regards Wulfy
The new protection is good, better than the old. I will say though I had a go at circumventing it (just for posterities’ sake) It’s not an easy process, but what I did was not for “beginners”. In fact, most IT-Guru-types probably can’t replicate what I did either.
I promise not to use my skills to upload illegal copies into the ether…
Anyway, My comment is more of an observation:
ALMOST EVERYONE who has dealt with issues here, has mentioned NORTON. I use ESET Smart Security. (Yes, I am affiliated to them). I wanted to point out that issues seem to be limited to NORTON, so maybe it is worth having a PERMALINK on the Giveaway site that tells people about these issues (ie. if you have Norton, please READ THIS) etc etc.
It accounts for around 40 of all (paid) AV on the market, and most people that use it I would class as newb. I imagine that the type of user that runs Norton products doesn’t know enough about computers to trust turning off their AV, and this will go doubly so for people new to GAOTD.
Another little thing might be to make it easier for people to find a link about “Why/how we give software away for free” – this will help people to understand that what you are doing is legit, and has real value for software developers. – Giving them confidence that you are not trying to scam them down the line (I’ll have to pay for it one day) or infect them with a virus (Norton SONAR + THEMEDA = Fail)
Focus on how the feedback is valuable, and how it cuts down on market research, and it gets their products in front of XXX’s of users (who them buy upgraded versions of software if it’s any good), etc etc.
Just one little user’s thoughts.
Thanks for this concept, it’s great!
I must admit, I am trying to figure out where GAOTD get’s it’s revenue from, unless it’s from the software devs…
Just another note, too.
All these people talking about SandboxIE
funny how they are all using 3.42 or ‘the slightly older version’, and that just so happens to be the latest cracked version publicly available on the Scene… What a co-incidence (I thought it was curious so I want and had a little look-see)
I’m also a Norton user and had the same problem as 99.
@105, “All these people talking about SandboxIE”
I had version 1.70 and based on your comment upgraded to 1.72. And was pleasantly surprised i could install todays giveaway in its own sandbox.
Thank you, hotmatrixx!!!
@105, “All these people talking about SandboxIE”
I had version 3.70 and based on your comment upgraded today to 3.72. And was pleasantly surprised: I could install todays giveaway in its own sandbox.
Thank you, hotmatrixx!!!
I have a question with regard to Themida. Do you scan if the software you acquire is packed with Themida or another similar packer before putting it up for download?
And if not, do you thus accept software packed with Themida or another similar packer by the softwaresupplier before distributing?
@105, “All these people talking about SandboxIE”
I have a licence for version 3.72 op SandboxIE. On a W7 64 SandboxIE can be used to install a giveaway in a sandbox. But this fails on an XP.
Perhaps Themida still needs some tuning, to make it fully XP-compatible.
@107: I have to refine my results. The latest version 3.72 of SandboxIE can be used for giveways with the new wrapper, but only on my W7 64 computers. On my Vista Home Basic 32 and XP Home Premium 32 computers SandboxIE still fails to handle the new wrapper.
Hi, guys — I know you’re trying to protect your products and I can’t fault you for that. However, I use Outpost Security Suite, and even authorizing temporary permission for the various installation events and adding an exception to the malware detection doesn’t let me install anything. I still end up with an invalid archive at the end of the flurry of dialogs from the wrapper, installer and Outpost.
As an experiment, I briefly disabled Outpost and was able to successfully install Sunday’s game (thanks!) but I don’t believe it’s safe to have to disable everything while I’m online, removing any protection provided by the local application rules/restrictions I’ve set up and leaving me subject to online probes and attacks.
I’ve been grateful for the great service you guys provide in the past, but I hope we can resolve this issue somehow. I too am unwilling to leave my system exposed for several minutes at a time no matter how nice a giveaway sounds.
Whenever I open the wrapper I get my Internet Security warning of suspious activity, sonar alert and then one of the files from the wrapper is Quarantine. For a .exe to act so suspiously, I would say it’s melware or some sort of virus. Shame, as I like the idea of the site, but I don’t see the point of the wrapper. I’m no longer going to use the site as I can’t trust the downloads/wrapper.
#90 Cad Delworth,
your point #3 is somewhat irrelevant isn’t it? As the original poster of comment #74 (asking if Themida hangs around afterwards) I KNOW it CAN be used to only protect the installer, but what I wanted to know from GAOTD was if that was how it WAS being used? I do not need you telling me it may be used in that way, I know it can be and unfortunately it makes your post come over as patronising and unpleasant. I wanted to know from the people who were assembling the installer package themselves if that WAS the way they were doing it and not to be told that it could be used in that way.
Keeny
Dear C van Gasterland,
thank you for your question.
As usually we check every original installation file with Virustotal.com before protecting it with GOTD wrapper. In case of alerts we contact the Developer. Besides, Themida won’t prevent your security tools from controlling the changes on your HD during installation.
—
Sincerely,
GOTD team
Nice change. I guess now we can see how huge the wrapper is and how much the filesize of the installer is. I guess the GCD file is kind of an encrypted installer or something like that.
Dear GOTD team, thank you for working with Agnitum regarding the August 22 update. That seems to have resolved everything! I am grateful for your diligence. :D
GOTD, thanks for all your work. You said you care for us. Well, if you really care for us, can you please revamp your comment script?
You know that users write on the comment to correspond with one another, to help one another since the software vendor and GOTD team hardly is on the comment board. Do you know how difficult it is to talk to one another using @ and # and such strange ways?
Like #91 I have not been able to activate recently. My activation process stops with an error message “Failed to connect. Please try again later.”
This means that it is impossible to make use of the latest offers.
Your wrapper does not run under Windows 98 or Me, even though some of the products are advertised to work under those OS’. Examples are all the uRex products, which I run on older machines that I built myself and don’t want or need to install later versions. I do run an XP layer which helps some XP level programs to run, like laterversions of Firefox.
Anyway, going to the site and downloading those programs does install them but they do not accept the key given in your readme file (which of course is used in your wrapper.
If you’re going to offer (even free) products that themselves run under older operating systems, you should either support them or disclaim them specifically.
How about an instructional video, or just an understandable explanation on how to install apps with a .gcd file? I haven’t been able to install anything since that .gcd file showed up. I have no idea how to use it. Furthermore, from what I’ve read posted here, lots of others are having trouble with the new “wrappper”.
Hello,
thank you for all the giveaways but in future versions of the wrapper please consider this:
1] having separate file required for installation is quite annoying, before that it was possible to install just by doubleclicking on the setup.exe file in the ZIP folder but now you have to extract it somewhere, install it, don’t forget to delete the install folder afterwards (and don’t delete anything else :-) ).
2] In the last step is preselected all the text which makes no big sense, maybe just two text fields, one for username, one for password, each with “Copy to clipboard” button would be more useful.
Thanks,
GOTD
Lots of software installs via .msi and fails on WHS, W2K3 and W2K8 even though they are perfectly capable of working. A quick fix via ORCA allows the .msi to be edited and installed on these versions of Windows. HOWEVER; with the new GOTD wrapper, the end user can no longer “fix” the .msi – a real disappointment to power users running one of those OS’s.
“protection error” + crash under xp sp3
Hi
since new wrapper is active, I’m not able to run setup programs from GOTD. After start of setup.exe from directory where exe file and gcd file are in, message of connecting to GOTD appears and after some seconds I get message “failed to launch program”.
WIN7 64 Intel(R) Core(TM) i5 CPU M 460 @ 2.53GHz RAM 6.00 GB
Eset Personal Firewall Miniport
I think I solved the “FAILED TO LAUNCH” problem. It appears that the wrapper connects to the internet, so if you disconnect and then try and install, it will not work.
I was having issues w/ McAfee and the embedded installer complaining it was corrupted.
I tried running the setup.exe from a command prompt and adding a “-h” to see if there was some other options, and it actually ran!
I have only tried this w/ ProLasso6 so far, but might be worth a shot…
Not sure if it was running from command prompt or the “-h”….
B
I took #127 B’s advice and ran the Setup.exe for Zoner Photo Studio 14 PRO from a command prompt with a “-h”, and it installed successfully, without interference from Norton. In Vista the command prompt is located in the Accessories folder. Use the cd command to change directories until you’re in the folder you extracted the files to, then type “Setup.exe -h” then hit the Enter or Return key.
If you are using Symantec EndPoint 12.1.1 RU1, you should upgrade to MP1. RU1 won’t let your fire up the setup.exe which packaged via new software wrapper 2.0.
I cannot install when a gcd-file is involved.
Win7 Home Premium 64x SP1
Intel Core i3 M330 @ 2.13GHz (x2)
RAM 4,00 GB
Antivirus: Microsoft Security Essentials
Firewall: Microsoft
Win7 Home Premium x64
When running setup get a ‘The setup files are corrupted. Please obtain a new copy of the program’ message on many of your downloads. I have turned off real-time protection of MSE to no affect.
However, when I enter safe mode with networking and run setup, all works well.
Any ideas?
After 129 comments vissible for me (us) at this moment, I summerized ‘grossso modo’ what everyone can read here, just to be able to have a quick scan.
Because of the new wrapper you cannot scan inside the software before and during installation to protect the giveaway from piracy.
GOTD states even: “
Don't mind scanning by yourself, you can trust GOTD, we always did a great job about this“.Some people have problems installing GOTD software because their securtysoftware interferes with the new wrapper.
GOTD answers this with: “
Don't mind your security software, disable it during installation, because we are to be trusted".When you’re deploying some general security software that ties down this specific kind of wrapper preventing you from installing a GOTD, it is a weird procedure to be obliged to disable that security software by default. But as long as you trust GOTD it’s your choice to do so.
The old wrapper had to be improved because it was not protective enough anymore during the time passed.
GOTD states: “
We had to use Themida, we will work on the remaining problems, thank you for feedback and sorry for any inconvenience”Personal note:
Apart from introducing unwanted problems (there still remain even if you don’t read about it on this moderated site) while installing, I see no need to use Themida.
Couldn't the wrapper be upgraded without Themida resulting in better protection and less problems?I really cannot understand this.
Norton’s at it again. While running from a command prompt, I was able to install Aidfile Recovery Professional yesterday, after a warning from Norton. Today it won’t even give me the option of installing World’s Greatest Places Mahjong.
As a followup to my previous post: I was able to install FolderIco 1.0 without any interference from Norton (while running from a command prompt).
I was not able to install BusinessCards MX 4.73 (blocked by Norton).
I am having the “Setup Files Are Corrupted” problem discussed at the GOTD Forum:
http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/14254
It appears to be unresolved and uncommented on by GOTD
I have tried everything recommended in the string but continue to have the problem on my relatively new Lenovo laptop (Win 7 HE 64-bit, AVG Free 2013, Windows firewall, Threatfire). I also have a desktop runing Windows 7 HE 32-bit, with the same software (32-bit versions) and have no problem with installing GOTD programs downloaded.
What gives?
Bitdefender discovers since December 26th a virus in the pih.dll extracted by your wrapper into our temp folder.
Please contact them if it’s armless.
Btw: if the offer is very big as today, please expend the duration of the offer.
Greets from France
I too use Norton and was unable to install WiseCleaner 1/1/13 due to the installation process being interrupted by SONAR. Also, is the installation of Software Informer necessary before any GOTD software can now be installed? In August I was able to install WinUtilities with none of these problems or questionable software add-ons.
Hi,
I wanted also complain about the fact that Norton is not allowing me to load your software because of a problem with setup.exe.
The other day I loaded software you advertized without a problem. today I couldn’t when I tried to install Tilt Shift Generator.
thanks,
I haven’t been able to d/l since the new wrapper was implemented. I see things I’d like to try, but I always get “Installer Integrity Check has failed….” I’ve tried things listed in threads as possible fixes, but no luck.
I don’t have problems d/ling and executing files at any other site.
Is there an answer to this? Please let me know so that I can either keep or remove myself from your offereings. I’ve even stopped referring friends b/c I cannot tell them what to do to fix this issue.
Windows 7 64 bit, McAfee, multiple extracting programs
I think the only times I’ve been able to install since the new wrapper is when activate is bundled separately. I’ve turned off/suspended all my security – no difference. Two separate notebook pc’s same problem. Usual error–a misleading one about corrupted files, download again.
“The setup files are corrupted”
I use Win 7 home, firefox, chrome, IE, Kaspersky
It never used to happen, but suddenly, after unpacking the files I run setup.exe and always get the “setup files are corrupted” message.
I’ve tried this with many different GAOTD downloads, different browsers, different unzippers, and with Kaspersky switched off. None of these things work.
No one seems to have resolved this problem and it has been raised since 2 years ago.
I would say it started sometime this year maybe Jan 2014, before that everything worked perfectly. since then not a single download has worked.
Has this “The setup files are corrupted” issue ever been resolved? I have discovered that I am not able to install any GOTD programs due to this problem.
Thanks,
Bill
Windows 7, Kaspersky, Chrome
And it’s still unresolved. :-(