Chat Stick FAQ

*Do not remove the stick from your computer while the program is running.

How does it work?
Paraben's Chat Stick knows where each supported chat client stores its logs. It quickly scans a computer for saved chat logs and saves them in a special report on the stick so you can view them at your convenience.

How fast does it work?
That depends on a number of factors such as computer speed, the size of the drive being scanned, and the size of the chat logs. Typically, a search will only take a few minutes.

Do I need the password of the computer I'm scanning for pornography?
Yes. You will need to be logged into the system you are investigating. If you plan on using the "Remember This Computer" option, you will need to be logged in as Admin.

What does "Remember This Computer" do?
The first time you insert the Chat Stick into a new computer, you will need to manually navigate to the drive (most times, Windows will simply ask if you want to open the root folder of the thumb drive) and double-click on the Chat Stick software to run it. If you click the "Remember This Computer" button, you will no longer have to manually launch the Chat Stick software each time you want to get chat logs from this computer. The Chat Stick thumb drive will be recognized by the system and allowed to automatically run the software and automatically start searching for chat logs (it may take a minute on some systems for the program to start).

Does the Chat Stick record chat conversations as they occur?
No. The Chat Stick was designed as an investigation tool. This means it only analyzes data that has already been saved in the form of chat logs by the supported chat client.

Is the Chat Stick considered spyware?
No. Spyware is software that is either installed on a system unknowingly to the user or software that gathers and sends information over the Internet without the user's knowledge. The Chat Stick is an investigation tool that simply scans a computer for chat logs and saves them in an easy to read format for you to read through at any time.

I run a search with the Chat Stick but it doesn't find any chat logs. Why?
This is either because there are no supported chat clients on the computer or logging is not turned. Chat clients generally have the ability for the user to turn chat logs on or off.

How can I turn chat logs on?
Each chat client is different. Generally, there is a Preferences or Options menu in the main chat client program. Look for an Archive or Login option and set it to save all conversations.

Does the Chat Stick get Facebook, MySpace, and other web based chat logs?
Websites that allow visitors to chat with each other do not save archives to your computer. Even those that look like chat clients like Yahoo! Messenger online do not save chat logs. The Chat Stick cannot display conversations for web based chats. However, under the advanced options in the program, you can choose to gather all web activity from your browser's cache. Sometimes, these files can contain remnants of conversations for web based chats. If selected, Internet activity will be included in your Chat Stick report for you to manually search through. Keep in mind, Internet cache can contain hundreds, even thousands of files for you to manually sift through.

There are multiple folders in when I open reports. Which one is my search results?
Each report is saved under a folder named with the time the search started (i.e. 2009-10-29 22-54-51 for a search that was started October 29, 2009 at 10:54:51 PM). You can keep as many reports on your stick as room will allow. Keep in mind that there is a limited amount of space on the Chat Stick, however, chat logs are generally small so you should be able to save hundreds of found logs on your stick before you need to delete them.

I accidentally deleted all the files on the Porn Detection Stick. What do I do now?
The PornDetectionStick.exe file is necessary for the Porn Detection Stick to work properly. The Run folder is a hidden folder that contains essential files as well. Do not delete these files. Do not format the Porn Detection Stick. If you accidently delete the PornDetectionStick.exe file, contact support at http://support.paraben.com and we'll send you a replacement file that will work for your stick. If you accidentally format your drive or you delete the hidden folder called Run, you will need to send in the Porn Detection Stick to Paraben with return postage and we'll reassign the files and send it back to you.