Safest Share Program?

[rpgjin6005]

Which is the safest sharing program to use? By this I mean programs such as Kazza, LimeWire, IMesh, Bearshare etc. I've heard it is Shareaza.

Also, is there anything that can be done to prevent these types of programs messing-up your PC? How about if you use multiple firewalls & anti-virus protectors, as-well as scans for various bad stuff after everytime a sharing program is used.

[Little Wing]

A lot of people have different experiences with these programs you mentioned. If you want to prevent them from messing up your pc, its a chance call, some works great for some people and others mess up others computers... Something, like trial and error... I hear limewire is the best/ good. But if your intentions are for illegal downloads, then really none are safer then the next.. i could be wrong though

[renegade600]

none of them are safe. You never know what you actually downloaded until you open it. Anytime you open something from one of those programs, you are taking a chance that it will not wipe your computer. There is no way to protect against that.

[kate1992]

I tried both limewire and bearshare,both of them messed up my pc.My advice is dont bother!

[Nick Grana]

Never had one bit of problems with Limewire. I love it.
Of course a lot depends on just what one is searching for and downloading..:cool:

[jediforce]

limewire has been the best for me also.

P2P technology is 'safe' if you try to install clients that come without bundled spyware. the main thing is to exercise common sense while using them. enticing file names under 200kb are usually viruses.

[Murray S.]

Howdy:

Far as I am concerned, the ONLY reason people use P2P programs is to pirate software/programs/songs they are too cheap to buy..

IMHO, anyone using those that get nailed by nasties should be left to their own resources as far as cleaning their systems.. and, I keep hoping that means a total format losing everything they have and being forced to start over !!

You wanted something free and you got it... Now live with your actions !!

Murray

[jediforce]

hear hear :)

limewire + zonealarm/outpost/other good firewall + ONE antivirus (multiple ones can conflict or give strange errors) NOD 32/kaspersky/mcafee + Ewido/Ad-aware/spybot + online scans sometimes if the computer behaves strangely + A healthy dose of common sense :D

[dammit]

Limewire is a good program with no spyware.. developed for people to share their files with each other. Can't see anything wrong with that. If a friend came around and asked to borrow my lawnmower.. or anything in fact.. and I said "no sorry mate... you will have to go and buy your own... this one is mine and no-one else can use it" what sort of world would it be?

We are heading in that direction sadly. Not everyone can afford to take the moral high ground....rightly or wrongly.

On a safety note.. Limewire files DO contain virus's.. not music files or video files as far as I know.

NEVER download exe files... just zipped ones that can be scanned for virus's before opening.

[smurfy]

If a friend came around and asked to borrow my lawnmower.. or anything in fact.. and I said "no sorry mate... you will have to go and buy your own... this one is mine and no-one else can use it" what sort of world would it be?
The difference is though, unless you have some sort of lawnmower cloning facility, you haven't given him a copy of your lawnmower. While he's using it, you no longer have one. The lawnmower manufacturer/seller hasn't missed a sale.
If someone wants to use my software and I lend them my whole computer, sweet, no problem. If someone wants to use my software and I give them a copy of it so they can install it on their own computer without paying for it, then there is a problem.

[Tortanick]

There is a legitimate use for lime wire and co, namely you wrote a song/story/film and want to spread it around.

However considering that HTTP/FTP is a million times better for that purpose you'll genrally find Limewire to be used almost exclusively for piracy.

[oracle128]

HTTP/FTP are better for sharing (legal) files? Could you please elaborate? I was under the impression a P2P distribution method was much more beneficial for both user and distributer than compared with HTTP/FTP? But yes, unfortunately the reality is, piracy is 99.99% of file sharing.

As for the safest P2P software; I use Shareaza and don't have problems with it - but that just means the app itself doesn't install malware like Bearshare or Limewire(?), doesn't mean it's "safe", since the major security concern is in what you download, not what you use to do so.

[uripyores]

I've used Limewire for years and never had a sniff of a virus or spyware.
Just a matter of being careful - and it's not ALL piracy.

[Morfeasss]

I've used Limewire for years and never had a sniff of a virus or spyware.
Just a matter of being careful - and it's not ALL piracy.
I thing i'm having a Déjà vu (http://www.cybertechhelp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=118821) :D
I use eMule from time to time and it is also said not to have any malware the program itself. It's what you download and from whom. What i mean is, if i want to transfer/receive, a large amount of data to/from someone i cooperate with, P2P programs are the best choice. Meaning that i know him and the purpose is not to infect one another.
About illegal transfers, that's another thing. If someone transfers/receives illegal software/programs/songs, as Murray said, you can't really know who you are downloading from and i agree with his post. But i don't agree that the only reason for P2P is to pirate. If that was the case then it would be prohibited.
It's not the knife that cut's, it's the hand that uses it.

[smurfy]

What i mean is, if i want to transfer/receive, a large amount of data to/from someone i cooperate with, P2P programs are the best choice. Meaning that i know him and the purpose is not to infect one another.
Good point - if you think of Peer to Peer network sharing as being between human peers rather than the true digital definition it can be perfectly safe and legal. However, in saying that, that sort of file sharing can be achieved without the use of specific P2P clients which I still alsa believe are primarily used to share material that should not be shared. Most IM clients allow file transfers and a couple do so using P2P protocols.

[Morfeasss]

Good point - if you think of Peer to Peer network sharing as being between human peers rather than the true digital definition it can be perfectly safe and legal. However, in saying that, that sort of file sharing can be achieved without the use of specific P2P clients which I still alsa believe are primarily used to share material that should not be shared. Most IM clients allow file transfers and a couple do so using P2P protocols.
I also said that it is more like how you use it.
I use IM transfer for pics and small files only. Bigger ones need something better because many times in IM programs the server fails or the program itself crashes and you have to start all over again when it happens in the middle of the transfer, while at P2P even if you want to shut down the pc yourself, the transfer continues later from where it stopped.