Some time back, I needed a dual analog input device for a game on my computer. I really like the sixaxis and I've used it for PC gaming a lot earlier. But the way I did didn't give me access to the full functionality of the controller, so I set out to find a program or driver that would, and I found MotionInJoy. I wish I hadn't.
I very rarely turn off my computer, so it took some time for me to piece together that every time I did, when I logged in after the reboot, Firefox would pop up with some site talking about learning Chinese online. When I realised it was actually some sort of ad, I suddenly got very skeptical about the integrity of my system. I haven't had a popup ad like that since windows 95, and I need to be sure my computer isn't compromised, so I immediately started all scans I could think of. Some programs found something, but that might as well have been tracer cookies from Amazon as much as anything else, so I rebooted, to find the same page still popping up.
I googled it, and opened a can of worms. MotionInJoy is a horrible piece of software. The first thing it does, is start popping up ads for you when it feels like it. And for some reason, the standard version simply doesn't work offline. This isn't a program you pay for in any way, but the whole program looks shitty, riddled with ads and a horrible UI - I guess that should've been my warning sign, but I'm honestly OK with a developer using ads for income. But don't you fuck with my system. And this guy does. On the pages I've seen, I've found numerous people calling him out as a "shitty indie developer", "the developer is, pure and simple--a complete asswipe" and worse, and I've come to concur. I've looked into this program, and even after uninstalled, you're riddled with a driver mess that have caused people's wireless mice and keyboards to cease functioning, even in safe mode, because it fucks with the bluetooth stack, in what now seems to be an attempt to force you to buy the "endorsed bluetooth dongle" on their website. I looked at the traffic from the program, and I've found it's talking to servers in China for reasons unknown to me
I'm still trying to get rid off all the entangled mess of drivers, and lately I've been getting BSODs. I've looked up my problem, being KERNEL_DATA_INPAGE_ERROR - 0x0000007A (0x00000020)
I looked it up, and I found this:
"STOP 0x00000020: KERNEL_APC_PENDING_DURING_EXIT
If you ever see this error, be very suspicious of all drivers installed on the machine especially unusual or non-standard drivers."
Firefox still opens when I reboot my machine, but there's luckily no ads anymore. Just to add, I'm always very suspicious of installation processes, especially since Java and Adobe now also wants you to install all sorts of crap you have to turn down in *every single update* - I even went through the installation process once more for MotionInJoy, and there's no EULA, and no word that the program will force ads upon you. I'm just all in all very skeptical, and I'll probably be formatting my computer.
tl;dr: MotionInJoy, software that enables you to use the full functionality of you PS3 sixaxis, is the worst software I've touched in years
1) It is ugly, riddled with ads
2) It'll pop open your browser with ads several times a day, unless you're lucky, like me, and only get it every reboot
3) The drivers will likely interfere with everything bluetooth, even after you uninstall it (I can add to this - I've had an extremely hard time getting my WiiMote to work on my computer, and now I know why)
4) The program needs to be online to work, and when it is, it is in contact with servers in China.
5) Even when you remove it, the drivers aren't uninstalled, by default
6) Even when you uninstall the drivers as specified on the homepage of the software, it is still a mess left behind
7) I'm reformatting my computer because of this. I'm telling you this so you don't have to do the same.
Try googling "Motioninjoy virus" if you're curious.
I very rarely turn off my computer, so it took some time for me to piece together that every time I did, when I logged in after the reboot, Firefox would pop up with some site talking about learning Chinese online. When I realised it was actually some sort of ad, I suddenly got very skeptical about the integrity of my system. I haven't had a popup ad like that since windows 95, and I need to be sure my computer isn't compromised, so I immediately started all scans I could think of. Some programs found something, but that might as well have been tracer cookies from Amazon as much as anything else, so I rebooted, to find the same page still popping up.
I googled it, and opened a can of worms. MotionInJoy is a horrible piece of software. The first thing it does, is start popping up ads for you when it feels like it. And for some reason, the standard version simply doesn't work offline. This isn't a program you pay for in any way, but the whole program looks shitty, riddled with ads and a horrible UI - I guess that should've been my warning sign, but I'm honestly OK with a developer using ads for income. But don't you fuck with my system. And this guy does. On the pages I've seen, I've found numerous people calling him out as a "shitty indie developer", "the developer is, pure and simple--a complete asswipe" and worse, and I've come to concur. I've looked into this program, and even after uninstalled, you're riddled with a driver mess that have caused people's wireless mice and keyboards to cease functioning, even in safe mode, because it fucks with the bluetooth stack, in what now seems to be an attempt to force you to buy the "endorsed bluetooth dongle" on their website. I looked at the traffic from the program, and I've found it's talking to servers in China for reasons unknown to me
I'm still trying to get rid off all the entangled mess of drivers, and lately I've been getting BSODs. I've looked up my problem, being KERNEL_DATA_INPAGE_ERROR - 0x0000007A (0x00000020)
I looked it up, and I found this:
"STOP 0x00000020: KERNEL_APC_PENDING_DURING_EXIT
If you ever see this error, be very suspicious of all drivers installed on the machine especially unusual or non-standard drivers."
Firefox still opens when I reboot my machine, but there's luckily no ads anymore. Just to add, I'm always very suspicious of installation processes, especially since Java and Adobe now also wants you to install all sorts of crap you have to turn down in *every single update* - I even went through the installation process once more for MotionInJoy, and there's no EULA, and no word that the program will force ads upon you. I'm just all in all very skeptical, and I'll probably be formatting my computer.
tl;dr: MotionInJoy, software that enables you to use the full functionality of you PS3 sixaxis, is the worst software I've touched in years
1) It is ugly, riddled with ads
2) It'll pop open your browser with ads several times a day, unless you're lucky, like me, and only get it every reboot
3) The drivers will likely interfere with everything bluetooth, even after you uninstall it (I can add to this - I've had an extremely hard time getting my WiiMote to work on my computer, and now I know why)
4) The program needs to be online to work, and when it is, it is in contact with servers in China.
5) Even when you remove it, the drivers aren't uninstalled, by default
6) Even when you uninstall the drivers as specified on the homepage of the software, it is still a mess left behind
7) I'm reformatting my computer because of this. I'm telling you this so you don't have to do the same.
Try googling "Motioninjoy virus" if you're curious.