ASK TOOLBAR and similar

I was pleased to get an alert from Avast about the need to get rid of the ASK Toolbar . I proceeded with the Avast instructions and ran the removal procedure, At the finish it said that this was done. Previously these toolbars were not identified by my antivirus programme.

To be sure, I then ran my free JRT (Junkware Removal Tool) by thisisu. which is the only dedicated programme I have been able to find to un-install these types of malware.

I was surprised to see that this scan had removed the ASK Toolbar and other stuff. I ran a second scan to be sure all was gone.

Maybe Avast needs to check that their system is working properly as it did not do the job in this instance. >:(

Are you saying that Avast installs Ask Toolbar? No way.
Are you saying that Avast could not remove Ask Toolbar? Which is your antivirus then?

Toolbars are not malware… at best Adware / PUP (Possible Unwanted Program)

Ask Toolbar sure is legit, but i agree that it may be annoying… it may install with java updates if you just click next, next, next

Quite a number of software vendors stick a user with the Ask toolbar, and other junk.

If avast did remove the unwanted toolbar then avast did do what it’s supposed to do.
If avast did remove it then there was no need to use JRT. Something you may want to
check into is “Unchecky”. Unchecky will untick those unwanted items. When myself and,
I know Bob, installed the Skype update Unchecky did its job.
See https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=19387.msg1133112#msg1133112

You can download Unchecky from here.
It’s worth the download…it works.

Yes and sometimes this junk is not very easily removed from your operational system. Some browser hijackers can change the browser settings so that it won’t longer update, so the crap stays on longer. Some change settings in the registry to survive a normal uninstall are also seen.
Then an additional hurdle is that these programs and tools pose as a legit apllication and have strong internal juidicial support even to take those to court that qualify their “product” as a possibly unwanted program or malware. There are all sorts of this so-called grey-ware that you are happy to be without.

We see more and more of this additionals now as downloaders and developers are lured into bundling them with easy money, and so users keep coming here to get relieved from an unintentional Conduit install or another Ask toolbar or other goodies that will change their search settings to earn on unintentional or even fraudulous clicks.

It would be a good thing if Content Industry went after these clowns in stead of harassing users about DRM and watermarks, because it are just these parties that give their business a bad smell. But alas that does not seem the way it works in these circles. :frowning:

Good Google now came up with their software removal tool (beta), I think it is a good initiative. And last but not least -Avast browser clean-up -, a good advice to include it in a customs install, my friends. It just is telling me to remove McAfee’s SiteAdvisor. 8)

polonus

Another annoyware is the McAfee security scanner that seems to be installed by Adobe flash player update, and Unchecky does not stop it

Hi Pondus,

That is nagware to lure you into buying their product.
The search results are largely barred out, so it is completely useless - crap!
Worse even as the so-called 60 seconds scanner, which is also nagware.
It seems that marketeers are running the av industry show now to a great extent
(some ethical software excluded).
The end-user is wading up knee-high through crap and unwanted additionals.

pol

Did you reboot your system after allowing avast to remove what it had found ?
If you did not, that might explain why another tool still spotted traces of the Ask Toolbar.

Hi bob3160,

Good observation and very important advice to all users that come here,
this advice from bob3160!
This advice is also applicable to normal uninstall routines.
Always reboot after an uninstall, actually after all major changes to the OS, uninstalls, (critical) downloads, etc.
Incomplete uninstall routines can lead to software conflicts
and even under rare circumstances could make a normal boot routine impossible.

Damian

Thanks BOB for the suggestion to reboot after running the Avast scan. Could be why it still showed up.

Thanks for all the other replies. I recently reinstalled Adobe Reader and picked up the MacAfee bug. Got rid of it using Revo Uninstaller (Advanced Mode) which gets rid of all the threads during an uninstall. Along with Cleanup , Revo is a programme I wouldn’t be without.

A little program called Unchecky would have helped in preventing the installation of the garbage that comes along with updating Adobe Reader and,
unwanted add-ons in many other programs.
[font=Arial]Nitro PDF Reader[/font] - Safer than Adobe. It’s free and also allows you to create PDF files.