[notica]

Sometime ago, someone posted using google bot through changing registry as a backdoor to get into some paying sites. I changed the registry but now I don't know how to change it back because I didn't write down those information. Could someone please post those information to change the registry back. Thanks!

[Stocko]

Secret Backdoor to many websites

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I found a nice little article about a little known trick that many people "in the know" use to see beyond the front door of websites. I though you folks might find it interesting so the C&P is below.
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Info:
Ever experienced this? You ask Google to look something up; the engine returns with a number of finds, but if you try to open the ones with the most promising content, you are confronted with a registration page instead, and the stuff you were looking for will not be revealed to you unless you agree to a credit card transaction first....
The lesson you should have learned here is: Obviously Google can go where you can't.
Can we solve this problem? Yes, we can. We merely have to convince the site we want to enter, that WE ARE GOOGLE.
In fact, many sites that force users to register or even pay in order to search and use their content, leave a backdoor open for the Googlebot, because a prominent presence in Google searches is known to generate sales leads, site hits and exposure.
Examples of such sites are Windows Magazine, .Net Magazine, Nature, and many, many newspapers around the globe.
How then, can you disguise yourself as a Googlebot? Quite simple: by changing your browser's User Agent. Copy the following code segment and paste it into a fresh notepad file. Save it as Useragent.reg and merge it into your registry.
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Micro$oft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Internet Settings\5.0\User Agent]
@="Googlebot/2.1"
"Compatible"="+http://www.googlebot.com/bot.html"
Voila! You're done!
You may always change it back again.... I know only one site that uses you User Agent to establish your eligability to use its services, and that's the Windows Update site...
To restore the IE6 User Agent, save the following code to NormalAgent.reg and merge with your registry:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Micro$oft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Internet Settings\5.0\User Agent]
@="Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1)"
Ps:
Opera allows for on-the-fly switching of User Agents through its "Browser Identification" function, while for Mozilla/FireFox browsers a switching utility is available as an installable extension.
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Ohms

[rg6a]

So, using that........don't have to mess with the Registry and if so what is it called?
I have several newspaper sites that I'd like access to!

[notica]

Thanks, Stocko. Do you find the change useful? I didn't see any benefit after changing the registry. Maybe I did something wrong.

[notica]

I just noticed that in registry there is "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Micro$oft\Windows\Cur r entVersion\Internet Settings\5.0\User Agent" and "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Cur r entVersion\Internet Settings\5.0\User Agent". I might have changed the setting in "microsoft" instead of "micro$oft" as it supposes to be. Is there anyway I can check where I made the change and If I made the change at wrong place, how can I change it back? Thanks.

[Stocko]

notica, I didn't make the change to my registry, just noted the post for reference if needed. Before making any changes to the registry, Run - "regedit" - under the dropdown box "File" select export to save a current snapshot of the registry. I just call it reg backup 12-7-06 & toss it into documents - this is your backup if things go wrong. If you made a backup before the above changes, simply right click the backup & select "merge", then run Registry Mechanic to clean up the unwanted stuff.

If no backup was made, do so now. Then navigate back to "User Agent" - go to the "file" dropdown box and click "Import" - select the notepad file you made (instructions in above post) to restore the registry & merge it. Then run Registry Mechanic to clean up the unwanted stuff.

If you don't have Registry Mechanic you can download a copy for trial.

Lastly, you need to open notepad and type "I will not fiddle with my registry until I've made a backup" 100 times. lol.
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rg6a, Re: Firefox extension.

I don't have any info on the Firefox Browser as to registry tweaks, give firefox, browser extensions a google & I'm sure you'll find what your looking for.

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If anyone has a faster or more accurate method to correct, feel free to chime in.

[notica]

I check [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Micro$oft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Internet Settings\5.0\User Agent]
and I found I made the change at right place. Now I wanted to change it back.
I copied and pasted the following [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Micro$oft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Internet Settings\5.0\User Agent]
@="Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1)" into notepad and save as normal.reg. When I tried to merge or import, it said it is not a valid registry file and cannot be imported. What is wrong? Thanks for your help.

[Stocko]

hxxp://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

xx = tt

Have a look @ # 88.

[notica]

Thank you, stocko. I tried to restore my system to the date before I made the change, but the system wouldn't start. I google "micro$oft" and found it is mainly used by people who hate microsoft. Normal registry has no such key.By importing " [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Micro$oft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Internet Settings\5.0\User Agent]
@="Googlebot/2.1"
"Compatible"="+http://www.googlebot.com/bot.html" " I actually introduced a new key to the registry. So I simply deleted the whole thing. Now my windows defender has no problem to get updated.
Can anyone comment on the potential risk I put my computer at after I added this new google bot key to my registry? And, if I made the change at correct "microsot" place, will I be able to access those newspaper sites? Where is Ohms? Please let me know whether you are able to access those pay sites.