Avast changing search engine without permission

system · 2017-08-22T15:24:33.000Z

Discovered today that my default search engine had been changed to Yahoo – Avast.

Was not asked about this. Would not have agreed to it if I had been. My auto renewal was to come up in October. I have canceled that and will look for another anti virus. Changing a search engine without permission is close enough to virus-like behavior for me.

Eddy · 2017-08-22T15:32:09.000Z

It very likely happened with your permission as avast doesn’t just change the search engine.
I’ve never seen it do so since 2009(!)

Did you ran a scan before it happened ?
If so, what exact scan ?

DavidR · 2017-08-22T16:24:46.000Z

I would say you are likely to have run a Smart Scan and you also have the Browser Cleanup and or the Cleanup components enabled ?

If on completion of the scan to click Resolve, etc. then you would be giving permission to resolve issues it found.

Eddy · 2017-08-22T16:37:54.000Z

My thought too David.

Pako7 · 2017-08-23T13:39:48.000Z

i dont get what you are saying guy because for weeks now when i try to goggle my browser would just shift it self to yahoo …and i wasnt aware that it had anything to do with avast …so i my self do not understand your solution to that

DavidR · 2017-08-23T15:56:26.000Z

No one has offered a suggestion, only possibilities on why this might be happening.

As the Original Poster (OP) hasn’t said that they ran a smart scan or that they have the avast browser cleanup or avast cleanup.

As for your issue, I don’t believe it is the same as the OPs, we also need the OP to get back to this topic with more information on the questions asked.

Pako7 · 2017-08-24T11:12:17.000Z

well on my side i have the avast clean up and i use it more often

DavidR · 2017-08-24T16:43:04.000Z

Do you have the paid version of the Avast cleanup or the free version ?

If the free version if it finds anything it reports it but it can’t or doesn’t cleanup but offers you the option to purchase. That said I don’t believe either would change or report the search option.

The more likely candidate is the browser cleanup function to detect and or remove a browser search option. But you don’t clearly state what cleanup option you have.

I don’t install either the avast cleanup or the browser cleanup as I don’t feel they are necessary. I look after my browser security/cleanup. There are many such tools, one I have been using for some considerable time, CCleaner by Piriform who are now a part of avast software family

Pako7 · 2017-08-29T07:24:51.000Z

am using a paid version of avast clean up

DavidR · 2017-08-29T07:56:34.000Z

With the paid version of Avast Cleanup, I would have thought that you would be able to access its settings to either set your default search engine (something should also be in your browser relating to that).

Possibly more crucial, is this happening after a scan or only when you search ?
I don’t use avast cleanup, so I can’t speak from personal experience, but I would have thought it could be set to only run when you run a scan.

My other concern is why this action is on the browser search engine and that is the component that I would expect to be looking after your browser, not the avast cleanup component (paid or free). Are there any settings in the paid avast cleanup that would allow you to disable the search engine check ?

bob3160 · 2017-08-29T18:04:18.000Z

This is probably what’s making the changes you didn’t want or expect.
http://screencast-o-matic.com/screenshots/u/Lh/1504030030813-27921.png

If you don’t select Keep existing, you’ll wind up with Yahoo as your search provider.

Pako7 · 2017-08-29T23:57:10.000Z

ok…thank you

bob3160 · 2017-08-30T10:00:53.000Z

You’re welcome.

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