Nero Software

[jderrico]

I bought a new computer yesterday, and it came with some Nero software preinstalled on it. Apparently, the default mode for this software was to backup every photographic file I had. It changed the name of every photographic file I have on my computer and on both of my external hard drives. Some files were encrypted by Nero, but most had their name changed by adding "BackItUp" to the file name. I couldn't believe it. Every RAW file I have now has a BackItUp name. I uninstalled Nero, but I just wanted to warn others to uninstall this piece of garbage if they find it on a new computer. It's exactly like a bad worm or virus, infecting every photographic file you might have. I called Nero Customer Service (paying $1.29 per minute for the privilege) and asked them how I could undo what Nero did. The only thing "Chris" kept telling me is that I must have done this to myself, in spite of my telling him that I didn't even know this software was on my computer until it was too late. His ultimate solution was for me to change the extension of every affected file. I'm not sure I can change the extension to all my RAW files without screwing them up, but even if I could, I'm not going to spend the next several years changing the extensions on tens of thousands of RAW and other files. As a matter of fact, I'm not going to spend five minutes working on this absolutely devastating problem. What a deal!

Please don't write to me telling me about the wonders of Nero. I'm not in the mood. If you're in love with Nero software, please keep it to yourself. For all others, perhaps I've saved someone from a similar headache.

Apparently, Nero is also a CD-writing tool. I uninstalled that too.

I can't tell you about the kind of future I wish for Nero. It's not cool.

 

[pixseal]

jderrico wrote:

I bought a new computer yesterday, and it came with some Nero software preinstalled on it. Apparently, the default mode for this software was to backup every photographic file I had. It changed the name of every photographic file I have on my computer and on both of my external hard drives. Some files were encrypted by Nero, but most had their name changed by adding "BackItUp" to the file name. I couldn't believe it. Every RAW file I have now has a BackItUp name. I uninstalled Nero, but I just wanted to warn others to uninstall this piece of garbage if they find it on a new computer. It's exactly like a bad worm or virus, infecting every photographic file you might have. I called Nero Customer Service (paying $1.29 per minute for the privilege) and asked them how I could undo what Nero did. The only thing "Chris" kept telling me is that I must have done this to myself, in spite of my telling him that I didn't even know this software was on my computer until it was too late. His ultimate solution was for me to change the extension of every affected file. I'm not sure I can change the extension to all my RAW files without screwing them up, but even if I could, I'm not going to spend the next several years changing the extensions on tens of thousands of RAW and other files. As a matter of fact, I'm not going to spend five minutes working on this absolutely devastating problem. What a deal!

I just hate crappy software, especially software that installs itself.

You can change the file extensions in Windows really easy. There is abundant free software to do this, of you can batch it yourself. Open a command window and CD (change directory) to the folder that holds the files. Type in REN *.backitup *.cr2 (or whatever your raw file extension is.

 

[GodSpeaks]

Over the years, Nero has become a bloated piece of cr@p.

I still use the Nero CD/DVD Burner, as it is still quite good, but the rest of the Nero bloatware never gets installed on my computer.

As for renaming everything back... Try this Bulk Rename software. It's 100% free, not even any ads, and it is very good. I've been using it for years.

PS: One thing I ALWAYS do with a new computer, after insuring everything is working properly, I ...

1: do a drivers backup, then...

2: format the hard disk to remove all the bloatware, and ...

3: partition the HD to my liking, and finally...

4: reinstall windows from my real CD (in my case, a highly customized version).

 

[D Cox]

GodSpeaks wrote:

Over the years, Nero has become a bloated piece of cr@p.

I still use the Nero CD/DVD Burner, as it is still quite good, but the rest of the Nero bloatware never gets installed on my computer.

The Nero burning software is not good at all.

I use CDburnerXP, which is clean, reliable and efficient. I presume it also works on later versions of Windows.

 

[Detail Man]

D Cox wrote:

GodSpeaks wrote:

Over the years, Nero has become a bloated piece of cr@p.

I still use the Nero CD/DVD Burner, as it is still quite good, but the rest of the Nero bloatware never gets installed on my computer.

The Nero burning software is not good at all.

Why do you think that ? Nero Burning ROM 6.6.1.15 (2006) works like a champ for me on XP.

I use CDburnerXP, which is clean, reliable and efficient. I presume it also works on later versions of Windows.

Yes: http://cdburnerxp.se/en/home

Is there something particularly magical about it ?

 

[Bill Donnell]

I Bought the latest version of Nero. Everything works well except the Nero Backup. I set it up properly for differential backup for weekly. Instead of weekly, it ran two and three times a day backing up my whole system and creating additional files for every backup. It rapidly filled up my one tb external drive. I disabled the backup and installed a free backup from the net. It works perfectly. My OS is Windows 8.

 

[BuddyJPA]

As an audio engineer, I can tell you there is no audio software that does what Nero can do any better. Like most software companies these days however they want to get so deep into your panties you can;t live without them. the only way to install Nero is to very consciously and carefully turn off every damn extra thing it will try to cram down your throat except those few things you want which it excellence at, These jerks should be ashamed at them selves for inethical practices.

 

[BuddyJPA]

D Cox wrote:

GodSpeaks wrote:

Over the years, Nero has become a bloated piece of cr@p.

I still use the Nero CD/DVD Burner, as it is still quite good, but the rest of the Nero bloatware never gets installed on my computer.

The Nero burning software is not good at all.

Bull. It is the best there is.

 

[MaxTux]

GodSpeaks wrote:
One thing I ALWAYS do with a new computer...

I would highly recommend to all users of new MS Windows laptop computers a simple disk partitioning modification before any actual use. If done, this will make it considerably less likely that some malfunction of the operating system or a mis-configured or ill-behaved application program or a virus will do a wholesale damage to the only part of the computer that is really precious: user's own data files.

First, shrink the main partition (what MS Windows calls "c:" drive) to what is sufficient for the operating system use. (probably around 40GB for Win7?). Partition the space thus made free on the drive as another ntfs partition.

Once the operating system has been configured (among other, by formatting the newly created, second ntfs partition as d: drive) and all the unwanted bloatware (such as the application the OP found objectionable) has been removed, the system partition ("c:" drive) should be de-fragmented, and its compressed "image" created on the d: drive. A well thought-out top hierarchy of user files should also be created on the d: drive. Only when this is done, should the first user's file (image, video, document...) be copied to the d: drive of the new computer. All important user files should always be kept only in the pre-determined branch of the file-system hierarchy on the d: drive.

In addition to minimizing the exposure of precious data files to the system in case of its collapse, to the malware and to the mis-behaving or unwanted applications, this achieves two other important objectives: it makes it far easier to design and perform proper backup protocol (always required, because no matter what, the hard drive itself can fail!), and any repair of the gravely sick operating system is as simple as a restore of c: drive partition from its image on the d: drive, without the need to worry about the integrity of user files.

On desktop systems, the d: drive should simply be located on a second, large internal hard drive.

(The details of the tools and procedures required to perform what I suggested above probably belong to the PC-Talk forum).

MaxTux

 

[SeeRoy]

Groan.

Installing anything in default mode (often distinguished as "typical" as opposed to "custom") will, almost inevitably, result in the software either trying to take over every function in your computer that it can, as in the OP's example, or else install useless crapware like the "Ask toolbar" (a frequent offender: has anyone ever installed this junk intentionally?)

Roy

 

[Detail Man]

MaxTux wrote:

GodSpeaks wrote:

One thing I ALWAYS do with a new computer...

I would highly recommend to all users of new MS Windows laptop computers a simple disk partitioning modification before any actual use. If done, this will make it considerably less likely that some malfunction of the operating system or a mis-configured or ill-behaved application program or a virus will do a wholesale damage to the only part of the computer that is really precious: user's own data files.

First, shrink the main partition (what MS Windows calls "c:" drive) to what is sufficient for the operating system use. (probably around 40GB for Win7?). Partition the space thus made free on the drive as another ntfs partition.

Once the operating system has been configured (among other, by formatting the newly created, second ntfs partition as d: drive) and all the unwanted bloatware (such as the application the OP found objectionable) has been removed, the system partition ("c:" drive) should be de-fragmented, and its compressed "image" created on the d: drive. A well thought-out top hierarchy of user files should also be created on the d: drive. Only when this is done, should the first user's file (image, video, document...) be copied to the d: drive of the new computer. All important user files should always be kept only in the pre-determined branch of the file-system hierarchy on the d: drive.

In addition to minimizing the exposure of precious data files to the system in case of its collapse, to the malware and to the mis-behaving or unwanted applications, this achieves two other important objectives: it makes it far easier to design and perform proper backup protocol (always required, because no matter what, the hard drive itself can fail!), and any repair of the gravely sick operating system is as simple as a restore of c: drive partition from its image on the d: drive, without the need to worry about the integrity of user files.

On desktop systems, the d: drive should simply be located on a second, large internal hard drive.

(The details of the tools and procedures required to perform what I suggested above probably belong to the PC-Talk forum).

Basic and essential practices. I create a ton of logical drives on a 2nd hard-disk (not the hard-disk that the primary active partion containing the OS booted into). Each logical drive is for some particular type of archived data. Never, ever let a FUBARed OS obliterate (any) important data.

Use TrueImage to back up every stage of (WinXP, followed by software) installation - including a couple backups of the most recent versions of my OS primary partition. The ultimate "uninstaller".

30 Gigs of the primary hard-disk holds WinXP Pro easily, and I use the rest to (occasionally) back-up all the data on the 2nd (data) hard-drive so that in case (either) one of the two hard-disks fails, all of the rest is recoverable from either of the two hard-drives. That takes all night (using maximum compression ratio) however, and quite probably tends to wear out those very same hard-disks itself (the hard-disks are nearing 5 years old), so I have not done that for a while.

The 2nd (data) hard-drive spends more time spun-down (after 15 minutes of no use), so (it is my hope) that the 1st hard-drive (with primary OS partition) may if I am lucky "head south" first.

Anybody who does not keep data on logical drives (only) is crazy, or a bit daft, or perhaps both.

In the ultimate stupidity, OEM (so-called) "OS Rescue Discs" commonly wipe the entire hard-drive clean. Go figure. The answer to that is to (always) use a separate hard (or other) drive for storing data.

DM ...

 

[Detail Man]

Bill Donnell wrote:

I Bought the latest version of Nero. Everything works well except the Nero Backup. I set it up properly for differential backup for weekly. Instead of weekly, it ran two and three times a day backing up my whole system and creating additional files for every backup. It rapidly filled up my one tb external drive. I disabled the backup and installed a free backup from the net. It works perfectly. My OS is Windows 8.

Yup, bloat-ware is a scourge. Best to perform "custom" installations, and go to the "settings" menu first-off. Nothing worse than some unwanted widget that charges wildly forth untethered ...

Looks like there may be a way(s) to exert that kind of (no "backup", please) control with it (?):

http://www.nero.com/enu/promotions/nero12-platinum/slp-nero12-platinum.php

One must be ever on-guard, and never assume that "the machine" should be doing the thinking.

 

[Gwynnnnnnnn]

I create AV slideshows occasionally. I use Pro Show or PicstoExe. Both are good.

BUT when I came to burning the CD of my carefully timed shows the music/narrative timing seemed to become displaced from the images. It gave me a real headache trying to sort out where the problem might be.

I tried on several computers, with and without virus scanners. The problem persisted,. Worse it seemed somewhat random depending upon any changes I might make to the slideshow so I could not just put an offset in.

You guessed it. When I removed Nero and used the windows CD burner my troubles disappeared - on any computer. Timings are now accurately retained.

I may be wrong. it may have nothing to do with Nero but it just pointed... and now everything seems to work just fine.

 

[Detail Man]

Gwynnnnnnnn wrote:

I create AV slideshows occasionally. I use Pro Show or PicstoExe. Both are good.

BUT when I came to burning the CD of my carefully timed shows the music/narrative timing seemed to become displaced from the images. It gave me a real headache trying to sort out where the problem might be.

I tried on several computers, with and without virus scanners. The problem persisted,. Worse it seemed somewhat random depending upon any changes I might make to the slideshow so I could not just put an offset in.

You guessed it. When I removed Nero and used the windows CD burner my troubles disappeared - on any computer. Timings are now accurately retained.

I may be wrong. it may have nothing to do with Nero but it just pointed... and now everything seems to work just fine.

No fan of bloat-ware installations. However, note that WinXP Pro actually itself uses a (Ahead) Nero CD Burning ROM program as a CD-burning option. Simplicity of form/function has its virtues ...

 

[D Cox]

Detail Man wrote:

D Cox wrote:

GodSpeaks wrote:

Over the years, Nero has become a bloated piece of cr@p.

I still use the Nero CD/DVD Burner, as it is still quite good, but the rest of the Nero bloatware never gets installed on my computer.

The Nero burning software is not good at all.

Why do you think that ? Nero Burning ROM 6.6.1.15 (2006) works like a champ for me on XP.

I use CDburnerXP, which is clean, reliable and efficient. I presume it also works on later versions of Windows.

Yes: http://cdburnerxp.se/en/home

Is there something particularly magical about it ?

It's a straightforward program that works efficiently. No fancy graphics or unwanted extras.

The only limitation is that you can't burn an audio disc with different intervals between the various tracks. You can set the interval to zero or to so many seconds but it applies to all the tracks on the disc.

 

[Gwynnnnnnnn]

yes, I am not sure what was causing the problem I was experiencing and I may be blaming Nero incorrectly. I am just glad I found a way through.

 

[Detail Man]

D Cox wrote:

Detail Man wrote:

D Cox wrote:

GodSpeaks wrote:

Over the years, Nero has become a bloated piece of cr@p.

I still use the Nero CD/DVD Burner, as it is still quite good, but the rest of the Nero bloatware never gets installed on my computer.

The Nero burning software is not good at all.

Why do you think that ? Nero Burning ROM 6.6.1.15 (2006) works like a champ for me on XP.

So you have no specific technical beefs about Nero, I take it ? Just user-interface "druthers" ?

I use CDburnerXP, which is clean, reliable and efficient. I presume it also works on later versions of Windows.

Yes: http://cdburnerxp.se/en/home

Is there something particularly magical about it ?

It's a straightforward program that works efficiently. No fancy graphics or unwanted extras.

Well good. I downloaded it a while back - but never got around to trying it. Nero 6.6.0.15 does a fine job on my CDs/DVDs. Thus, I have not felt any need to "roam" on to other applications.

The only limitation is that you can't burn an audio disc with different intervals between the various tracks. You can set the interval to zero or to so many seconds but it applies to all the tracks on the disc.

That's too bad. Something that Nero 6.6.0.15 accomplishes with ease. Independently specifiable.

 

[Glen Barrington]

I've always used the backup utility built into my workflow tool for photos and supporting metadata and sidecar files. When I was using Lightroom, I used the Lr backup utility, now that I'm using ACDSee Pro, I use ITS built in BU utility.

I always assumed that if I wanted to restore a photo backup, it would likely be to restore into my Workflow environment. And I figured no one would do it any better than the tool I was already using. Plus, this makes it very easy to import a backup to a totally different system that uses the same workflow tool, a not unheard of situation in many restore scenarios.

However, if there is some advantage to the 3rd party software that I'm not seeing, I'd be happy to entertain some new thinking on this issue.

 

[Daneil12]

If you want best version of Nero then filevice.com use coupon code FILEVICE121 for free 90 Days premium account.

 

[GodSpeaks]

Gwynnnnnnnn wrote:

I create AV slideshows occasionally. I use Pro Show or PicstoExe. Both are good.

BUT when I came to burning the CD of my carefully timed shows the music/narrative timing seemed to become displaced from the images. It gave me a real headache trying to sort out where the problem might be.

I tried on several computers, with and without virus scanners. The problem persisted,. Worse it seemed somewhat random depending upon any changes I might make to the slideshow so I could not just put an offset in.

You guessed it. When I removed Nero and used the windows CD burner my troubles disappeared - on any computer. Timings are now accurately retained.

I may be wrong. it may have nothing to do with Nero but it just pointed... and now everything seems to work just fine.

I use ProShow Producer and I have never had a problem with timings. But then, I never burn to CD with ProShow. I always make an ISO image and burn later (with Nero).