There is definitely some issue with the opt-out screen (beside the fact that it really should be opt-in if you want users to trust you).
I did my Avast update this morning and got the Chrome opt-out screen. Spent a few seconds looking at it and figuring out what it was asking me. Then, as soon as a clicked the check box next to “Install Chrome” (Don’t know the exact working). The dialog disappeared. I didn’t get time to see what the second check box was for, and I didn’t select the “finish” button. A message box came up that said something to the effect “this may take a while.”
I opened the task manager and sure enough there was a process named, as I recall, chrome_avt running under the system account. I couldn’t kill it. I ended up power cycling my computer to stop it.
I used to recommend Avast. I won’t be doing that anymore. I just don’t trust it after this happened and I see all the issues others had.
Yep, they’ve turned into a crapware company now, no turning back. Pissing off chrome users by damaging their profiles, and now known for installing 3rd party software without permission. Great job Avast, really, it takes quite a lack of forethought to screw up this much at once.
I didn’t see any check box it installed google chrome but not only that it set for default browser so no updates from Microsoft if this happens until you set internet explorer back to default.
If you try to get the updates from Microsoft using chrome it tells you to install IE8 this you already have lmfao so for newbies this would be confusing.
I’m off to uninstall chrome.
The install welcome screen launched and before I had time to read the screen the install started never a chance to opt-out or configure the install. Must be a bug with the automatic program update feature. But I did not manually download the file and install. Maybe its not quite ready to be a finely release yet. Program does seem to be running correctly after manually re-configuration all settings.
Although I feel for those having issues with the “Chrome” thing. And I agree it should be an “opt-in” and not an “opt-out”.
It is known throughout the web that some companies do “pay per opt-in” agreements. On the other hand how difficult can it be to
uninstall any software. avast also adds an “option” via the GUI. GUI>Settings>Troubleshooting>untick the Chrome option.
And Control Panel>Program and Features/Uninstall>double click “avast”>scroll to change>re-boot.
One question…does Chrome really take up much HDD space? Not really. I use Chrome to confirm or not confirm an issue another
user has with Chrome. In reality Chrome causes no harm just setting there on yours or my machine.
I don’t think its the chrome as much as the just going ahead and installing it. I had chrome installed and it was re-installed. All personal setting reverted. I go to google for chrome. I go to avast for viruses protection. If you look at this way, why is avast adding a larger download. If its a matter of avast!free advertising supported by google.
If I could get avast!free real time malware protection and nothing more I may be inclined to pay a yearly subscription. I have a firewall I have chrome. I don’t need cloud streaming it kills my ISP allowed monthly bandwidth. But I can shut them off and get the great avast protection. Well as long as the opt out is there. It would be nice if it was there before the larger download. I mean not bounded with chrome. I just got done downloading the latest version of chrome. why again??
I just updated Avast on a win7x64 system. After the initial download/reboot, there was a window while the update continued (Comodo showed that there was a download in progress). A second window appeared touting the new features, which I started to read, but it disappeared before I had time to more than start it. When it was done, Chrome had been installed on my system.
I find this to be totally unprofessional and unacceptable. It is bad enough when a company includes a third party install with opt-in preselected. But to proceed with the installation without a ‘next’ or ‘ok’ by the user is over the line.
I no longer trust Avast. Which is too bad, as I have used it for a number of years and, as a computer professional, have happily recommended it to others and installed it on client machines. No longer. As I never run an install or update without first cloning my machine, I do have the option of restoring my pre-update system. The restore is running as I write this note. When it is finished, I shall start researching a replacement program. Good thing there was a PCMag review of free av programs in the past week. Once I have selected a new AV, Avast will be off both my desktop and my laptop.
It can be quite a challenge to nearly impossible in some cases. Did you ever try uninstall an early version (3 or 4) of IE? But really this is missing the point entirely. If you want to pretend to be in the security game, you have to be trust worthy. What if they had installed some spyware or a keyboard logger or a root kit? Would we be saying "well just uninstall it afterwards? No. And quite frankly I don’t see the difference any software installed without my permission breached my trust.
And of course windows software almost never uninstalls every trace cleanly. If you don’t want it is better to not have installed it in the first place.
Again with missing the point. Who should be making the final decision of what gets installed in the limited space on my HDD? Me. Not Avast. How much space do I want Chrome taking up on my HDD? 0 bytes.
Who should be in control of what downloads are taking up my limited bandwidth? Me. Not Avast.
Anyway, I am done with it. I voted with my dollars. A competitors product has been purchased, and I spent my day freeing all of my computers of the Avast malware.
It is not merely that Chrome is installed without permission, as aggravating as that is (and IT IS). Some senior people on this page have said, “After all, how hard is it to simply uninstall it if you don’t want it?” Well, I had previously installed Chrome on one of my eight computers, tried it and decided I didn’t want it. Uninstalled it, only to find that after it was uninstallled, it left bits and pieces all over my machine. It did nt do a “clean” uninstall, which is why I did not want it to install this time. VERY UNHAPPY.
I am immensely annoyed. I already had chrome installed, so no issue with that (although I do not remember seeing an opt in screen…no matter).
The thing is that this has removed all of my extensions, and extensions saved settings.
This is really really bad - specifically, I had a tab manager installed with about 10 different saved sessions, each with in the region of 20 tabs. Now that this has been removed, I have no way of recovering those 200 different tabs, all vital to me in one way or another.
I can deal with stealthy installs (as it appears to be a bug that I did not see the opt out screen…I definitely didn’t see it). What I cannot deal with is avast installs being untested enough to remove my data. I anticipate spending the rest of the day in a data recovery program and once I finished I think I’m going to have to both look elsewhere for my AV and stop recommending avast.
To avast: I doubt you want your program removing user data. Perhaps you might want to look into that before other users get as angry as I am.
what a stunning reply. bundling software like this makes your own product viral and removes trust in it. i have 31 days to go till renewal and i will not be renewing.
It seems my previous message (quoted) was incorrect - the data still seems to be there, once I reinstalled my extensions.
So actually all the installation of avast does is throw a installation of chrome into program files (nonstandard…) without asking (a bug?) or checking that chrome is already installed. By doing this it removes all extensions and adds avast’s.
I will still be removing avast, but will remain neutral to others using it.
Of course, I still have to deal with this mess of a chrome double installation…
About a month ago, I was always using the SafeZone to FB and then it started acting funny. I trust Chrome about as much as ANY other browser that has criminal elemant looking at ALL of its code.
I wish Avast would let me use my browser of choice in their ‘safe desktop’; but its apparaent they have become a bit biased to Chrome and its supposed safety.
It is precisely for this reason that for some time now, I never, ever go to the Avast download collaboration with CNET. I go to FileHippo instead and download from there. Occasionally they are a day late with the latest and greatest version, but that aside, they are much better IMO.
That’s give me (i’am not alone!) a very bad feeling.
Yes to that : it should be an “opt-in” and not an “opt-out”.
I had previously installed Chrome on two of the five computers (family) and clear it. Uninstall plus files left and regitry entries.
I dont need google bar, google map, google chrome, or any other crap.
I need only an reliable antivirus
Hey Avast! … give us a very “total cleaner” (chrome uninstaller).
3 morning each Finish installation (1 time each per morning) x 5
I am a big fan of Avast! but today it shocked me by brute installing Chrome on my computer. I had upgraded to version 7 a few days ago and unchecked all the install Chrome boxes. I have been running the new version for a few days and at about 2 A.M. today, it told me that it had updated the antivirus definition files AND installed the “recomended” Chrome browser without even asking me. I had tried Chrome before, didn´t like it and still don´t.
Very disappointed Avast!, I don´t mind the publicity for your own products when the AV updates and to uncheck a couple of boxes when installing for the first time, but brute forcing Chrome into my computer is something I consider a big step towards getting me to leave Avast! completely.
Yes, I am an experienced user and have been using computers since the Commodore days and also work Tech Support, I can work my way through reading things, so this is not a “you forgot to uncheck things there” situation.
I don’t think it’s much a trouble to be opt-out. Indeed, the agreement will ask it to be out-out.
But I think the option must be shown to all users all the time, upgrade or installation from scratch.
The point isn’t “how hard can it be to remove Chrome anytime later”. And it would seem that someone with over 6,000 posts should be more than capable of understanding the point being discussed, instead of trying to misdirect/redirect it with some lame straw man argument.
If you’d read the other posts before posting your response, you’d have seen that apparently, at least for some people, Chrome IS more problematic when it comes to uninstalling it than other programs. But AGAIN…that is NOT the point of this thread – it’s simply a lame attempt – and fail – at misdirection.
NO ONE said Chrome was sypware. Yet ANOTHER straw man argument/misdirection attempt.
Straw man arguments, and blatant misdirection, are typical of disinformation tactics. (If you’re unfamiliar with disinformation tactics, which I highly doubt, since you’ve packed 3 of them into a 4 sentence post, Google it.)
This is truly a masterpiece of disinformation. Each and every one of your “arguments” is nothing but total BS. If you are in any way representative of this company, their credibility just went into the toilet.
