Windows Media Player "calls home" when I play an .mp3 file....

I've been noticing something odd lately. Whenever I play a music file
using Windows Media Player 9, I see about a dozen connections opening up
in my TCPView(which is program that acts as kind of real-time netstat).

I've heard that Windows Media Player "calls home" if there's some kind
of digital rights encoding in a given file, but I've never actually
witnessed it before.

Is there anything I can do within Windows Media Player to keep this from
happening? I've considered using Winamp Player, but one thing I don't
like about that software is that whenever I installed it in the past, I
would end up with a "Winamp Agent" showing up on boot in msconfig. If
that's not happening anymore, I may just switch completely to Winamp -
unless they're allowing digital rights tracking as well.

I would appreciate any suggestions....thanks in advance!

 

Tools - Options - Privacy

 

Marvin Milquetoast said:

1. Deny access via your firewall.
2. Remove WMP.
3. Install IrfanView

 

Yes, dump WMP, by all means. That thing sniffs a connection, and
it's as yappy as a gossipy neighbour.
Winamp is just fine, but I'd recommend an older version. I use a
pared-down 2.91, and it works great. Look around here:
http://www.winampheaven.net/newlook/oldversions2.htm
for one that suits you.
Like any program of that type, though, you just have to watch it
like a hawk during installation, and then get in and climb around in the
Options.
You can make sure that Winamp Agent is not enabled, and that it
doesn't go grabbing file types that you don't want it to use.
I'd also have a firewall configuration that required any media
program to ask permission to go out.

 

If you're using XP and value your privacy use XP AntiSpy, it will stop WMP
phoning home and much more..
http://www.xp-antispy.org/

 

Firewall.


-Barry
========
Web page: http://members.optusnet.com.au/~barry.og
Atheist, radio scanner, LIPD information.