I'm just going to copy-paste several posts that I recently made in the Yahoo_Messenger Yahoo Group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/yahoo_messenger showing how the latest version of Yahoo Messenger 11.0.0.2009 has an extra instance of the process yahoomessenger.exe that shows up from time to time. This new, extra instance of yahoomessenger.exe, after digging into it, with Process Explorer version 14, shows a command line ending with "CookieProxy" so I'm not sure if this is some new tracking thing that Yahoo is doing or what it is but when I Googled for more info on this, I found NOTHING else about "CookieProxy" or any mention of this related to Yahoo Messenger so I'm posting on my blog to get it out there while I continue to dig into this new version of YM. Please comment with any information you readers may find about this issue. See the screenshots below.
Following, are the copy-pastes of my posts to the group...
-----Original Message-----
From: "Lenny The Computer Guy" Vasbinder [mailto:lennythecomputerguy@gmail.com]
Sent: Saturday, July 02, 2011 9:57 AM
To: 'Yahoo_Messenger@yahoogroups.com'
Subject: YM 11 latest version out of Beta - two yahoomessenger.exe processes running
Has anyone else installed the latest release of YM 11? I installed it (full and clean install) on my XP computer and now when I start up YM, two instances of yahoomessenger.exe show as running in Task Manager, Processes Tab.
Does anyone else see this? ALL previous (recent) versions of YM only ran one instance of this process so I'm not sure if it's the new version or if possibly is related to the registry hack I did a couple weeks ago that allow me to run more than one instance of YM on my computers (see previous post to the group about this). I'm still able to open multiple instances of YM on my computer and each new instance starts and even after signing into one of the other YM, only one more instance of the yahoomessenger.exe process starts so it seems that the extra process only starts with the first YM sign-in.
This type of double instances of a programs main process is not uncommon as Internet Explorer 7/8/9 all start two instances of iexplorer.exe when the first window is open with only one tab and then as additional tabs are added, another iexplorer.exe shows up.
Let me know if any of you are seeing this double instance of yahoomessenger.exe with the new YM 11 version. I've Googled this but since YM 11 latest version is so new, I don't know if anyone else has seen or worried enough about this to post about it.
Lenny Vasbinder
-----Original Message-----
From: Yahoo_Messenger@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Yahoo_Messenger@yahoogroups.com]
On Behalf Of
Sent: Saturday, July 02, 2011 10:29 AM
To: Yahoo_Messenger@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Y!M] YM 11 latest version out of Beta - two yahoomessenger.exe processes running
I have just installed YM-11 and only see one listing of it in my Task Manager process tab. It shows as 1428k Mem. Usage.
Jim
-----Original Message-----
From: "Lenny The Computer Guy" Vasbinder [mailto:lennythecomputerguy@gmail.com]
Sent: Saturday, July 02, 2011 11:07 AM
To: 'Yahoo_Messenger@yahoogroups.com'
Subject: RE: [Y!M] YM 11 latest version out of Beta - two yahoomessenger.exe processes running
I think it might have been due to the recent registry hack that I did to enable me to have multiple instances of YM running with different Yahoo ID's, all at the same time on the same computer. After closing down the other instances of YM and then shutting down the first one, that originally was showing two processes, now after restarting YM, only one process is showing.
I'll have to keep an eye on this for the next few days and after reboots to see if it occurs again.
Thanks for replying though. At least I know it should only have one instance of the process running now.
Lenny Vasbinder
-----Original Message-----
From: "Lenny The Computer Guy" Vasbinder [mailto:lennythecomputerguy@gmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, July 03, 2011 1:16 PM
To: 'Yahoo_Messenger@yahoogroups.com'
Subject: RE: [Y!M] YM 11 latest version out of Beta - two yahoomessenger.exe processes running
Amending my previous reply (below), Jim, please keep checking Task Manager's Processes Tab, sorted alphabetically to see if a 2nd yahoomessenger.exe shows up from time to time. I've been watching mine and on occasion, there will be two instances of the process and without any action from me, the 2nd instance will disappear. I'm wondering if it's YM 11 doing something different now... maybe with the archiving of chats (do you have archiving turn on?), or maybe with updating the little flash ads that show up at the bottom of the main YM friends list window. I'm trying to find a pattern but haven't put the pieces together yet... and nothing showed up on Google search about this issue yet either. I guess I could pose the question to Yahoo's tech support if I don't find an answer myself soon.
Lenny Vasbinder
-----Original Message-----
From: "Lenny The Computer Guy" Vasbinder [mailto:lennythecomputerguy@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, July 04, 2011 12:01 AM
To: 'Yahoo_Messenger@yahoogroups.com'
Subject: RE: [Y!M] YM 11 latest version out of Beta - two yahoomessenger.exe processes running
yahoomessenger.exe process that is running as part of the new YM 11.x.2009 version and the Command Line for the second process reads - Program Files\Yahoo!\Messenger\YahooMessenger.exe" /CookieProxy - so it's some kind of cookie, which as most know can be innocuous items that are downloaded with every website but can also be used at tracking cookies. I'm not sure what this CookieProxy does yet but will do more digging.
I have found that I can end this extra process and it does not adversely affect the main YM program but then it comes back randomly. I kind of had a feeling that this extra process was related to the ad's that show up in the various YM related windows and this CookieProxy seems to confirm this since Cookies are really used by advertisers and many websites to see what the customers are doing when on a website or which ads they click on, etc. They use this raw data in their sales presentations to advertisers... if they can show that their site visitors (customers) stay on their site a long time so advertisers will be more inclined to buy ad space on the website.
As I become more assured that this is related to advertising stuff in YM, I may contact Yahoo to find out their response and whether this is a tracking cookie or the more common and innocuous cookie that doesn't give the website or in this case, program, very much info.
Depending on which way this goes, I may also be creating a new blog post with screen shots of this *new* CookieProxy that seems to be part of the new YM 11 version.
Members of this group are hearing about it first here!
Lenny Vasbinder
(R-click on an image and open in new tab/window to see larger image)
From: Computer_Help_and_Discussion@yahoogroups.com
On Behalf Of Jim
Sent: Wednesday, July 06, 2011 10:40 AM
To: Computer_Help_and_Discussion@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [CHAD] Yahoo Messenger 11.0.0.2009 out of beta BUT weird new issue...
In my YM 11 version, I run the program and open Task Manager and also see 2 YM listings. Unfortunately my listings are not alphabetical. However, the first YM states Mem. Usage at 616 and right under it is YM Mem. Usage of 1428. Don't know what that means. Also, scrolling way down is a listing of:
YahooAUService and it is always listed as such with a small number of bytes.
Whatever all this means does not seem to affect the running of the program.
Jim
-----Original Message-----
From: "Lenny The Computer Guy" Vasbinder
Sent: Wednesday, July 06, 2011 5:34 PM
To: 'Computer_Help_and_Discussion@yahoogroups.com'
Subject: RE: [CHAD] Yahoo Messenger 11.0.0.2009 out of beta BUT weird new issue...
The YahooAUService (AU=AutoUpdate) is probably related to something else Yahoo that you use... or POSSIBLY, if you did not check the box in YM, it may be constantly running the AutoUpdater. If you go into YM's Preferences, on the Alerts & Sounds section, at the bottom is the box to check for "Alert me before downloading a YM update". Check that and see if that gets rid of the AU service. If it doesn't then you have to look at what yahoo services you use that might need that running. I have never seen that running on my computers but then I always check the box on YM to NOT do auto updates.
I'm still digging on this new instance of yahoomessenger.exe with the CookieProxy command line, but it seems it's running on everyone that has the latest version. At first, I thought it might only be me since I did a registry hack so that I could open more than one instance of Yahoo Messenger at a time but I guess I'm glad to see it's running on other people who do not have this registry hack.
Lenny Vasbinder
Does this problem affect outlook
ReplyDeleteI use Outlook 2003 on the computer that I updated to this new version of YM and it has NOT affected Outlook yet.
ReplyDeleteI'm still trying a way to block the extra yahoomessenger.exe with the CookieProxy command line. It doesn't seem to be *needed* as YM 11.0.0.2009 works fine when I manually end that process but I haven't figured out which file/action is triggering the extra process and I haven't heard back from Yahoo about this either... go figure. I'll keep posting updates as I learn anything new. I'm going to post this issue in some more forums to see if anyone else has ideas but so far, with a Google search of this issue, only my blog is showing up.
ReplyDeleteThanks, I'm not the only one found this new process... at first, I thought it would be a yahoomessenger.exe crashed so it has extra process, so I end task it and everything still running normal. But later I notice it appears each time open Yahoo Messenger. And google lead me here.
ReplyDeleteYes, the second/extra process starts each time you start up YM but then even after ending it, using Task Manager, it will come back randomly, run for a while and then end itself (if you don't end it again), then restart itself again. I haven't been able to figure out a reason for the process although I did notice that the 2nd process uses a LOT more CPU percentage during the actual sign-in procedure (when viewing the Processes Tab in Task Manager). The main process will use very little CPU but the extra will use a LOT. Once the sign-in is complete, the main process uses more resources and the extra process just sits there and does nothing.
ReplyDeleteThis is good news for Yahoo messenger users out there....
ReplyDeleteMaybe it is because of the new archive saving stuff that Yahoo has for Yahoo Messenger..Just saying..It annoys me as well, especially since I usually need to end both processes with Task Manager whenever I just want to sign out..This new version sucks, they need to fix whatever they did to it..
ReplyDeleteBKF, I thought about that too but I haven't noticed the extra process with the CookieProxy command line starting/stopping in relation to when I'm chatting or not. Even if I'm not chatting to anyone, the extra process will start up and then stop randomly. I've reported this to Yahoo hoping to get an answer but to no avail. I still have the earlier 11 version on one of my computers and the extra process never starts up on that version and the online archiving still works on that version so that's another reason I don't think it's related to the online archiving. I keep Googling to see if anyone else has figured this issue out yet but there's still not much chatter on the net about this. Maybe most people don't even watch their Task Manager or Process Explorer to see what's going on in their computers.
ReplyDeleteI noticed it right after downloading this new version of yahoo messenger and most the time I could end one instance of it without an issue but just now when I tried to do that it closed out messenger. I tried again 2 more times and again one instance of yahoomessenger.exe being closed completely shut down messenger. Also when I sign out and try to exit messenger I usually have to close the second instance of yahoomessenger.exe or it will just stay opened no matter how many times I try to exit out of it.
ReplyDeleteI've seen this issue as well, as far as making the extra yahoo process stop though, I haven't found a way to do that. It seems to built right into yahoo and you can kill the smaller memory sized version of it with no ill effects. I'm taking a guess here, but it seems to be a part of Flash Player 11, or rather a compatibility thing for flash. It didn't do this with the older version of flash. If you kill the smaller exe process of yahoo the flash ad at the bottom turns into an empty white box. That is primarily where I'm basing my assumption that it relates to a flash ad.
ReplyDeleteHowever, it may be something else entirely. It is very annoying to have to kill the extra process, it concerns me that it could possibly be used as a back door hack for losers to try and steal my (your) yahoo account. You know for sending worthless spam mails and such, in my name, not there's. Also known as a Zombie system, though I haven't seen any indication that this is the case.
I'd like to know what this additional process does myself, but like the author of this post said, there is no information about it on google. This leads me to think yahoo is performing some shady trick to misuse their user database, to make a profit. I wouldn't be surprised if spam mail in my inbox increases due to this.
Forgot to add...The process does go away on its own after a few minutes, so maybe its nothing more than some sort of auto check for updates, or it sends user activity statistics to the yahoo servers. You know, amount of time logged in, messages sent/received, that sort of thing. Though yahoo should have, still should, explaine this extra process in detail.
ReplyDeleteEXCELLENT CATCH!!!
ReplyDeleteI usually keep my YM window positioned at the bottom corner of my monitor, next to my sidebar, and move the window down so that Flash Ad section is off-screen under my system tray so I never noticed the Flash Ad section turning white when ending the extra process. I just tested it and about 10 seconds after ending the extra YMessenger.exe process, the Flash Ad section turned white so I do belive you have found out what the extra process is for.
Now, to figure out how to stop it permanently. I may be able to do it with my Comodo Firewall (free) IF I can isolate the process based on the Process ID (PID in Task Manager) since the extra process shares the same name as the main YMessenger.exe process.
Well, hopefully this mystery is now solved.
Thanks!!!
Yes, that does seem to be what the extra process is for, the flash ad's. However, by killing the flash ad (second yahoo.exe process), yahoo will become unresponsive after a few moments(not every time though). Then you have to end the whole process and restart yahoo. I think it depends on which exe you end. It also caused PM windows to have a black box over the conversation area. At least on mine, I think this is due to incompatibility issues in the newest flash 11.
ReplyDeleteI think this is Yahoo! Inc. way of ensuring the advertisers get what they paid for. By blocking the process the functionality of messenger is affected to the point that it can not be used. So by blocking it with a firewall you end up with a non functional program. I could be wrong, that tends to happen sometimes :)
I've got yahoo up and running right now with both exe's going and its working fine. Now I'm going to kill the smaller of the extra process and see what happens.
Interesting to note that the flash ad still changed and did not turn white this time, and it didn't lock up either. Strange indeed, it seems fully functional with out that extra process, so my initial hypothesis seems to be flawed. Truly at a loss as to what it does.