DW

DW.exe

(DownloadWare.net)

If you came to this page searching for DW, then this entry, rather than the Microsoft’s DW, is likely to be the one you are after. This is DownloadWare.net’s DownloadWare. As of 30-Dec-2002 – Straight from their website : "DownloadWare is a download accelerator that features intelligent multipart downloading technology. DownloadWare can create, add, and modify multiple connections for each download based on your current speed and available bandwidth." So far so good. Then, straight from another page on their website : "When you log on to your computer, we launch a featured download of the day. You see this cool new download ages before your roommates get wind of it. You're staying on the cutting edge, so you're happy. We get paid by the company whose download you accepted. (Thank you very much). You're on your own to use the download you accepted or uninstall it according to the terms you read when you accepted it. You understand that we're just an advertising network and that any and all questions need to be addressed to the company whose download you accepted." At this point we’d like to applaud DownloadWare.net. Bucking the trend of advertiser networks, they use plain talking, they leave you under no illusion that they are an advertising network, and they tell you straight out what they’re in it for and where your responsibilities are. You might still want to get rid of their stuff, but at least they are not hiding behind vague, confusing and misleading statements such as "...which will enrich your Internet experience" !

Recommendation :

Firstly, you can read DownloadWare.net’s Privacy statement here where you will learn about the sort of information they gather from your Internet browsing. Secondly, most users never actually actively download and install DW.EXE. It is usually installed as part of some other free software which you installed, e.g. KazaA (30-Dec-2002). Thirdly, and most importantly, DW.EXE is often the cause of start-up "DW" error messages, "Invalid Page Fault" errors, and excessive CPU usage (70% and upward) causing the PC to slow down to a crawl. On that basis alone we would recommend de-installing it – that’s enough serious problems to assume that there may be other as yet undiscovered problems with it. To de-install download SpyBot Search & Destroy from our downloads page, update it online, and then run it. And lastly, if you have a DSL/ADSL or Cable Modem Internet connection, you do not need a download accelerator program.

DW.exe

(Microsoft)

Microsoft’s Application Error Reporting, loosely named after DrWatson, the other Microsoft error reporting tool. DW.EXE gets installed with Windows XP and with Microsoft Office XP. DW.exe starts whenever an application (Windows XP) or an Office XP application crashes - it is at that point that you might see Microsoft’s DW in the Task List. DW.exe presents the user with a dialog box that prompts for several options which include restarting the application and sending an error report. It then shuts the application down, captures various application and operating system settings and data files relevant to the crash, makes a memory dump, and then submits it all to Microsoft (or to a location on your network). On completion DW.exe restarts the application.

Recommendation :

In theory this program only shows up if you’ve had a Microsoft Office XP crash or a Microsoft app crash (Windows XP). In our experience, however, the very presence of error reporting is what often makes Office XP and Internet Explorer 6 crash. Our empirical tests prove that time and time again. Our recommendation, therefore, is to turn off error reporting; in Windows XP this is done via "Control Panel \ System \ Advanced Tab \ Error Reporting". In other versions of Windows it involves editing the Registry - so get in touch with us.