Akash asked a question in the comment area on yesterday’s post whether is it possible to view the full path of remote URL when computer is secretly downloading files. One example is when a user tries to download Adobe Flash Player, by default they will be asked to download the Adobe Download Manager first and then the download manager will then automatically download the Flash Player without showing the URL to the user. This is in fact possible and pretty easy. If you haven’t noticed, a few of my articles already mentioned such software called URLSnooper and I thought that it would be best I have an article dedicated for this.
Like the title of the application’s name, it is able to sniff or snoop on the URL. Basically it is a packet sniffer except it is much simpler to use and it shows only URL. Another similar software is called URL Helper, a shareware developed by the same company as the popular download manager HiDownload Pro except that URLSnooper is free and uses WinPcap engine driver for sniffing. Let’s take a look at how to use URLSnooper to identify those hidden URLs.
1. First download URLSnooper from the link located at the end of this article and install. WinPcap driver installer is included and you will be asked to install if you have never installed it.
2. Run URLSnooper and on the first run it will automatically determine your network adapter to sniff.
3. Click File and select Advanced Mode.
4. Next, at the Protocol Filter drop down menu, click on it and select Show All.
5. Click the Sniff Network button to start monitoring URLs on your computer and keep it running.
6. Open your favorite web browser and go to Adobe.com to install the Flash Player plugin.
7. Uncheck Free Google Toolbar (if you are using Internet Explorer) or Free McAfee Security Scan Plus (if you are using Firefox, Safari or Opera) and click the Agree and install now.
8. Internet Explorer users will be prompted to install Adobe DLM ActiveX control while Firefox users will be prompted to install Adobe DLM add-on. Once Adobe DLM has been successfully installed, the Adobe Download Manager will start downloading Adobe Flash Player 10 with a progress meter.
9. Go back to URLSnooper and click the Stop Search button.
10. Click the Protocol at the URLSnooper column so that it sorts according to protocol type.
11. Look for http exe file and you should see a few of them. It is pretty obvious that the Adobe Flash Player installer setup file is http://fpdownload.adobe.com/get/flashplayer/current/install_flash_player_ax.exe while the other two is the McAfee Security Scan and Google Toolbar.
There are many other scenarios which allows you to discover the full path of the hidden remote URL using URLSnooper. Do note that not all software send/receive data using URL method. There are some that sends packets based on other protocols which are not able to decodable by URLSnooper. No matter what, URLSnooper is a very useful tool and it is one of the must-install software whenever I reformat my hard drive to reinstall Windows.
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thank you ..Its crazy I have been downloading adobe stuff and getting extra..
This will be of great help.
it will be great if there is an alternative that uses winsock service layer or native windows api instead of winpcap.
Winpcap is somehow much slower that native windows api.
Yes I did Robert. Do a search at the sidebar on URLSnooper and you would have seen that I mentioned it in a couple of article. However I wanted to do an article specially for URLSnooper with an example on how to use it.
Didn’t u had share with us this tool, in another post in this site raymond?
^^@00.
You can try JDownloader.
hi raymond can u just suggest me an alternative for bulk image downloader and procedure how to get working with it………I have tried all like neo downloader downthem al etc but none works like bid pls help and sorry for posting in wrong area
really! nice1
nice 1
I have been using Url Snooper quite a long time and I can highly recommend it to everyone… and if you like it (as well other nice utilities found from same website), please think about donating… Donation Coder project is worth of small donation, if you find their utilities usefull. :)
Thank you for mentioning the program Raymond — I’m glad you find it useful. If you have any suggestions or feature requests please let me know (or post on the url snooper section of the donationcoder forum!).
-mouser
In Xp:
@sameh
C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download
Here check this and each folder contain one update..
Thanks very much ! ;)
Great tricks.
Thank you Raymond.
good information to have,thx. Raymond.
@jeff kudos for the mention of Screamer radio player.(good radio list) as I prefer the radio player XMPlay
nice info.
i need help from you , when i try to download microsoft windows update the update instal but i need the real setup files to keep it ..
i try to see temp folder or Temporary Internet Files
but i didnt see the files
is there way to have the files ?
a real great writeup mate, thanks!
Thanks , very usefull tools
Thank you! It’s really useful :)
alternative that I’ve used often:
urlhelper.com/
nice input..:-)
as both tools are win pcap based …they dont work in dial up ..
Hi,
I m a regular follower of ur blog, i need a small help
from you, could u jus tell me some softwares, through that we can find out which IP/USER over LAN is downloading wITH FULL DETAILS.
plZ HELP ME.
tHNKXX IN ADVANCE.
oops – i should have mentioned that what was using URL Snooper and these other programs for was to find the hidden URLs of radio stations, to play them in my own player (Screamer) instead of having all of their stupid resource hogging flash players open….
damn thing uses WinPcap and WinPcap wont recognize my cellular adapter and nobody is updating the list of compatible adapters anymore either…i used to use URL Snooper a lot on my old laptop a few years ago but now i have to try all of these stupid Firefox addons like Firebug(?) i think its called and programs like WM Recorder 14 and other of these Applian stuff…
Thank You So much Raymond.
Nice Trick to find Url
Thats Exactly what I needed. Now i can have manual setups and install without even connecting.
Thanks a ton Raymond.
Outstanding, in this way, we can also sniff streaming channels link and then play them in VLC. Nice article. Thanks Raymond, you are the best… Raymond Rocks.