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uTorrent has been caught secretly bundling and installing a Bitcoin miner with its latest client update. The latest update has been found to secretly install EpicScale without user permission, which uses a certain amount of CPU power to mine Bitcoin in the background.
Since the program comes automatically as part of the update, many users weren't aware that it was installed and that their PCs were being used to mine Bitcoin. Some users noticed a slight increase in processor load after the update, which prompted some further digging and led back to the EpicScale program.
In a forum thread (via Trusted Reviews), a uTorrent rep confirmed that it was bundling the Bitcoin miner with its latest client update, saying “EpicScale is a great partner for us to continue to generate revenue for the company”.
This isn't the first time a Bitcoin minder has been installed to ‘borrow' power from other machines in order to turn a profit. The fact that uTorrent bundled this with an update and avoided being upfront about it to begin with makes the whole thing pretty shady.
Update: It seems that uTorrent has updated its update installer. The EpicScale miner will no longer silently install and will actually give users the option to decline. This came shortly after the company faced massive backlash from users complaining about the situation.
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KitGuru Says: This is a particularly bad move from uTorrent. Personally, I wouldn't trust the company again for some time following this. What do you guys think? Will this turn you away from uTorrent?
WOW. I am gonna swap to a program that is proven to be clean, not updated my utorrent for months. This is just shocking, they literally give 0 Fs
never going to use it again, thanks KG
Ive been running a older version. But because of this I am now changing.
First it was the ad’s and now this, yea pass I’m good thanks I’d rather have software
I can actually you know, trust.
Thanks for the warning. Uninstalling!
LOL.. okay guys.. this doesnt mean it installs it WITH UT. you can use UT without it. When you install UT. if you click next, next, next etc, then you get a bunch of 3rd party firmware which, in this case, is this program. If you use your brains and READ WHAT YOU ARE INSTALLING, you can install UT without ANY third party programs. Use your brains people and read what you’re doing.
That’s not the case here. When I installed latest Utorrent I did carefully read what it was installing and opted out from all the trash, it never asked me whether to install epicscale or not. I’m absolutely sure about it as I was very careful as it wasn’t my first time installing this program. Certainly not going to touch this junk again.
Not sure if you truly understand how it works, but it’s not talking about when you install it (Which it also doesn’t mention. It’s not a “third-party” app, it does come with uTorrent. However the problem lies in the fact that users who already have uTorrent installed and update to the newest patch have it installed SILENTLY without the user knowing it is being installed. So no, you should use YOUR brains and check your facts.
I’ve just checked. EpicScale is not one of the offers during the install. It’s just a CD and a search bar.
The article is completely correct. Even with a fresh install of UTorrent it doesn’t ask you about epic scale. Thankfully its easy enough to remove, but at the same time, a lot of users never even wander over to that side of their PC.
Deluge is pretty good. I switched from this a while ago, it always seemed kind of slow to me…and it was. Deluge seems to work a lot better. Glad I made the switch.
Actually this has nothing to do with the optional extra offers during the installation procedure. As the 2nd line of this article states:
“The latest update has been found to secretly install EpicScale without user permission”
This means that they DID NOT INCLUDE an option to accept or decline the installation of this added software. Regardless of how many things you decline during installation, EpicScale would ALWAYS be installed anyway.
This is what they mean by “secretly installing without user permission”.
Hope this clears things up.
LOL use YOUR brain LOL
And this is the time to part with uTorrent. This is the biggest bullshit they could do. I hope they lose a big number of their community.
thanks Kitguru for the info
This is the time to go with deluge for windows or libtorrent for linux. cheers 🙂
might just do that my self
btw.. they removed the forum page ? because it says account suspended. hahaha
uninstalling… what’s a better alternative?
qBittorrent is a good (IMO) alternative.
Maybe you should actually try installing UT again, then tell us where the opt out actually is?
deluge is pretty decent
Instant uninstall for me, will never trust this company ever again. I’m wondering, is uninstalling the program enough to get rid of this Bitcoin miner?
* Uninstalled.
Uninstall survey happily completed.
I’m uninstalling as I type this…..
I haven’t used uTorrent for a few years due to the foistware anyway, and how bloated it’s got. Despite popular opinion it’s not very good. Check out Tixati. Clean and fast. http://www.tixati.com/ and no I don’t work for them 😛
There are several points to be made.
1. What you say is true; you need to pay attention when installing. However, there is a possibility that EpicScale was installed without prompting the user. Or, it could have been made intentionally misleading or confusing, in an attempt to get users to accidentally install it.
2. There is a strong argument to be made that we should stop putting up with this altogether. These days, even anti-virus software installs software it used to lump under a category known as “potentially unwanted program” (PUP).
Rather than simply being careful during installs, I believe people should STOP the install, and go find similar software that doesn’t even TRY installing crapware.
Of course, we wouldn’t even be at this point if people didn’t expect everything to be free.
Time to change my torrent client.
deluge is the best one.
Does any1 know how to remove it correctly? i also had the same issue and saw it was hogging my cpu. any recommendations to remove this malware i dont even know what this is?
That’s why i’m sticking with 2.2.1.
See? That’s why I don’t update very often. Anyway, looks like I’ll switch to Deluge or something else.
qBittorrent is a better alternative. I don’t know why no one knows about it. It is almost the same as utorrent, minus the ads and other BS.
Does anyone knows how to remove this epicsales shit? I’ve uninstalled micro torrent. but still, my cpu is generating a lot of processes although I don’t have any running apps. I tried to search EPICSALES.EXE on my local disk C drive but the search result was none.
How I love when someone says “Use your brains”
try epicsCale?
At times like this am happy to be following you on Facebook. I installed it on my new pc show epic scale and thought it was some charity work program Intel provides or something. Anyways , uninstalled it and uturrent and went for Vuze , i just hope that it’s a good one.
http://www.howtogeek.com/211363/how-to-remove-utorrents-epicscale-crapware-from-your-computer/
There you go http://www.howtogeek.com/211363/how-to-remove-utorrents-epicscale-crapware-from-your-computer/
I wish I could click next, next, next to uneducated comments like yours.
1.7.7 here
Considering the adware, the ads and now this, do you think they actually care? Clearly the survey was offered to make it look like they care.
Thanks kitguru.
Uninstalling.
There you go buddy
Oh, really?
mhhhm….
Thanks everyone for saying its not an option.. well gang.. here you go xxxxx
I installed it with episcale of course without my permission of course.And the big problem was that i couldnt remove it from my pc.I had to get in with windows8.1 built in admin account to remove.Very bad move.Never again utorrent.
I’ve been using BitComet since 2006 and I have to say…it never let me down…
Sigh. Why do all apps turn bad eventually?
Fair enough, that certainly looks like an optional choice for installation to me! In which case then, this article is wrong for stating it’s a silent install that doesn’t ask for permission – your screenshot proves that it does. 🙂
BitComet isn’t recomended. Many torrent providers and other clients block connections from BitComet user because of it’s infamous legacy in the past. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BitComet#Controversy_and_criticism
Just gonna put this out there, MANY people were complaining that Epic Scale was not part of the optional offers even after doing a fresh install. And after seeing the huge amount of complaints, it wouldn’t be difficult to quickly ADD it into their installer and pretend like it was always there….
Installation optional choices may come clean. But what about auto-updates? I use Bit-Comet so please someone find out.
I am now switching to other torrent downloader after 8years of using.
Kitguru should be more precise when announcing it. Specially when your telling was all lie. They put an option. Either ACCEPT OR DECLINE. You should be ashamed. Who ever is the author of this news. Dont just click. Thank you. I hope you change this article. I’m a user for 8years.
Sneaky.
Ah one less software to use…
Tixati for the win!!!
So what does this thing do aside from well, increasing our cpu’s processes?
What is µTorrent???
— happy Azureus user
===
Seriously, why are people so obsessed with µTorrent? I first looked around and saw Azureus. And I never looked elsewhere. That was quite a few years ago. And even after Azureus changed to Vuze and the creators started to bundle all sorts of obnoxious crapware in an even more obnoxious installer, after installation and removal of “azpromo” plugin, everything is fine.
Surely, it does take up more resources than µTorrent, but who cares? It has a great many options and plugins. And it does not annoy the user with flashing banners and whatnot.
Just use Deluge, it’s got all the features uTorrent does without the cooperate bullshit.
I might try Deluge. Thanks anyway
I’m sure they do care why people are uninstalling, because it does affect their bottom line. No, I don’t think they will suddenly change their ways, but if enough people tell them they won’t put up with that shit, maybe they will stop being so scummy.
The internet strongly disagrees with you.
i opted out of “automatically install updates” years ago, you think im still safe? Does EpicScale show up on the installed programs list?
greed
How long have you been calling yourself “The Internet”?
Since the Internet.