Executable files

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Executable files

Postby Brenda » Thu Feb 15, 2007 11:30 pm

I understand that exe.files are a security risk and members will not watch shows in this format.

Are the exe. extensions in PTE & TheDom website the same exe format and if so can someone explain the advantages of using this format?

TheDom website has lots of great stuff & I am thinking of getting PTE but do not really understand much about the exe extension...hope to be enlighted from my ignorance.

Brenda

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Postby gpsmikey » Fri Feb 16, 2007 6:43 am

Well, without getting too deep into it, .exe files ARE a risk since
they can do all sorts of things. They have the advantage they
do NOT require you to install "Presenter" or download the file
from Photodex. Using the Photodex sharing, you only have to
download an exe (the presenter which installs itself). Anything
you watch then is handled by Presenter so all you are seeing
is the equiv. of a video stream in that there are no instructions
that can tell your system to do bad things. You still have to
trust Photodex to not put nasty stuff in Presenter (or Proshow
for that matter). Some people will not allow ANY exe to be
downloaded or installed, some will click on anything that looks
even remotely interesting (we call them "infected" :roll: ).

Personally, I will download an exe if I have a reasonable level
of confidence it is a "good" thing (but I still scan it with my
antivirus before running). There are actually several issues with
the .exe files - they may be infected (which your AV should pick
up), they may install some sort of malware (which the A/V may
not find) or they may just be poorly behaved/written applications
that are like a "bull in the china shop" (I wonder when Photodex
is releasing the next build ?? 8) )

hope that helps some without being too confusing.
mikey
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mikey (PSP6, Photoshop CS6, Vegas Pro 14, Acid 7, BluffTitler, Nikon D300s, D810)
Lots of PIC and Arduino microprocessor stuff too !!

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Postby Brenda » Fri Feb 16, 2007 6:50 am

Mikey,

Thanks for the explanation and I do understand what you are saying. However, what is the advantage (as on TheDom website) in creating all his stuff as exe. files?

Brenda

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Postby gpsmikey » Fri Feb 16, 2007 7:25 am

He is creating (I believe) using PTE which does not create an
output that is compatible with "Presenter" (which is a
photodex thing). His should run on any PC without requiring
you to download "Presenter" or any other thing from
somewhere else. As such is it basically "stand alone"
in that it is not tied to a third party such as Photodex to
be able to play. He could also create an avi file or
something, but that would be bigger to download and
you then have the issue of "which codec" (Murphy has
this thing about always at least one thing will be in the
way).

My own personal view is unless I have reason to believe
his site has been hacked, I don't have a problem running
an exe that is from his site as long as it matches what
is expected. It might be nice if he put MD5 sums in
a post where he announces an exe -- that would allow
you to verify the file was exactly what he said it was
although you still have to trust him. It also opens the
next question of "what is an MD5 sum??" (a fairly common
way on the internet of validating a download for any file).

mikey
You can't have too many gadgets or too much disk space !!
mikey (PSP6, Photoshop CS6, Vegas Pro 14, Acid 7, BluffTitler, Nikon D300s, D810)
Lots of PIC and Arduino microprocessor stuff too !!

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Postby Brenda » Fri Feb 16, 2007 9:19 am

Mikey,

Thanks for your further explanation - Do you use PTE? If so, can you let me have the website URL?

Thanks Brenda

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Postby Lin Evans » Fri Feb 16, 2007 10:56 am

Hi Brenda,

Just a couple things about executable files versus the presenter approach, etc. First, neither Presenter nor any web based sotware can even come remotely close to matching the quality of an executable slildeshow. This is the primary reason why PicturesToExe was developed in the first place. Executable files can put the full resolution capability of the software used to create them on your system. Professional photographers often want their clients to see what they are buying so they do not, in general, use low resolution DVD or web based Flash, Presenter, AVI or other low resolution movie formats. There is certainly a place for web based slideshows, DVD, AVI, MPEG, etc., but there is also a place for top quality executable files. PicturesToExe can also create stand-alone AVI or DVD slideshows.

The Dom and I use PicturesToExe for a number of reasons but the primary one is for the quality of the high resolution slideshow it produces. It has a different orientation than Producer or Gold (I use Gold as well). There has never been a virus corrupted PicturesToExe slideshow in the many years which thousands have used this program so you can pretty well rest assured that you won't be risking anything by playing one. I've downloaded and played thousands of PicturesToExe executable slideshows for over five years without a single issue of any kind.

The link to the PTE site is:

http://www.wnsoft.com

Best regards,

Lin

Brenda wrote:Mikey,

Thanks for your further explanation - Do you use PTE? If so, can you let me have the website URL?

Thanks Brenda

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Postby Lin Evans » Fri Feb 16, 2007 10:59 am

duplicate message deleted,

Lin

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Postby gpsmikey » Fri Feb 16, 2007 11:33 am

Brenda wrote:Mikey,

Thanks for your further explanation - Do you use PTE? If so, can you let me have the website URL?

Thanks Brenda


I do have a reasonably current copy of it (I bought it 3 or 4 years ago but
do upgrade it reasonably often). I have not used it much recently simply
because there is a limit to how many things I can get done in a day (work
keeps getting in the way). Lin has some better information in his/her (?)
post on the program. I do like my idea of providing a MD5 sum but, that
is just a personal preference. They do (or at least when I was active) have
a good support forum and Igor (who wrote PTE), was always very helpful
and happy to help any way he could. Only once did I see an issue with
my antivirus detecting something in his shows and it turned out to be
Symantec (who I was using at the time) at fault for a false positive.
There was NO virus in reality. When I get done with my current hot
project and get up to speed on Photoshop CS2, I think I will upgrade
my PTE to the new version 5 that is almost out.

mikey
You can't have too many gadgets or too much disk space !!
mikey (PSP6, Photoshop CS6, Vegas Pro 14, Acid 7, BluffTitler, Nikon D300s, D810)
Lots of PIC and Arduino microprocessor stuff too !!

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Postby Brenda » Fri Feb 16, 2007 12:02 pm

Lin & Mickey

Thank you both very much for your explanations and the information you gave me, it's much appreciated.

Brenda

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Postby DickK » Fri Feb 16, 2007 6:16 pm

Lin Evans wrote:...There has never been a virus corrupted PicturesToExe slideshow in the many years which thousands have used this program so you can pretty well rest assured that you won't be risking anything by playing one. I've downloaded and played thousands of PicturesToExe executable slideshows for over five years without a single issue of any kind...

Warning: As they say for stocks--"past performance is no guarantee of future results".

ANY executable is a risk including one that claims to be a PTE show. The first issue is claims--you're not going to know that it wasn't one until it is too late. The second is that it is very easy for a developer/hacker to modify a PTE executable to still be a slide show but also contain a malware payload.

I'm not saying that downloading from any specific site is a good or a bad thing, but you are trusting the site. Don't trust it just because the site claims the file is a PTE file. If someone ever decides that a PTE show is a cool way to propagate malware, it can be done. Your virus program may catch an infected PTE show but there's a lot of even more dangerous software out there other than viruses and some of those aren't reliably caught by any virus program.

Yes, executables have real advantages--for more than one purpose.
"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." Aristotle ((PSG, PSE & Fuji HS20 user)) Presentation Impact Blog

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Postby Lin Evans » Fri Feb 16, 2007 7:30 pm

This is absolutely true. Of course that also goes for installing the Photodex Presenter which is an Active X device also known for being very vulnerable to virus infestation which is why many have the same fears about it that you have about executable code. Do you understand the "slipperly slope" argument?

The point is that using your computer to download and install any software contains a certain degree of "risk" and no company, no site no matter how carefully protected by hardware and software firewall software is risk free. The only way to be risk free is to avoid ever installing another piece of software on your computer and that includes running any Active X, Java or other vulnerable software. Do you see where this is going? LOL

Lin


DickK wrote:
Lin Evans wrote:...There has never been a virus corrupted PicturesToExe slideshow in the many years which thousands have used this program so you can pretty well rest assured that you won't be risking anything by playing one. I've downloaded and played thousands of PicturesToExe executable slideshows for over five years without a single issue of any kind...

Warning: As they say for stocks--"past performance is no guarantee of future results".

ANY executable is a risk including one that claims to be a PTE show. The first issue is claims--you're not going to know that it wasn't one until it is too late. The second is that it is very easy for a developer/hacker to modify a PTE executable to still be a slide show but also contain a malware payload.

I'm not saying that downloading from any specific site is a good or a bad thing, but you are trusting the site. Don't trust it just because the site claims the file is a PTE file. If someone ever decides that a PTE show is a cool way to propagate malware, it can be done. Your virus program may catch an infected PTE show but there's a lot of even more dangerous software out there other than viruses and some of those aren't reliably caught by any virus program.

Yes, executables have real advantages--for more than one purpose.

memuser

Postby memuser » Sun Feb 18, 2007 9:20 pm

I have to agree with Lin and Mickey. I do not participate or use P2E as much as I used to since finding Proshow, but I do frequent their forums and have never read about anyone complaining of a virus attached to a PTE slideshow. However as others have said do be cautious and take the correct steps to help make sure what your downloading and running is safe.

Jason - Now using Proshow via Bootcamp with a 24" iMac.

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