Google Chome sneakily installed during an update

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

During a routine update to our machines running Avast, the machines were rebooted to a running installer of Google Chrome.

I had to register here to show my disgust with this. I don’t expect to PAY for a software license, only to have you installing programs without my permission during an update. NOR do I find it in any way acceptable for you to change the default browser to Chrome without my permission, or install the Google toolbar into internet explorer.

This is the soft of behaviour we expect from programs that I use Avast to protect myself from. It’s akin to having a cop steal from you.

There were no notifications that it was going to be installed, nor were there any opt-out opportunities. The first I knew of it was when my system was rebooted into a chrome installer.

Until you stop this crap, I will NOT be renewing my license. It’s disgusting, and you should know better.

2

This is one of the reasons why I stick to the 7.0.1474 version of my Avast!
P.S. Are you sure there were NO options to enable/disable Chrome installer?

3

Nope, there were no options or notifications at all.

Or if they were, they were VERY well hidden. I’ll try it in a VM tonight and go over it with a fine tooth comb.

4

You got it wrong.
It installed WITH your permission.
You could have selected not to install it but you didn’t.

If you don’t want Chrome, just remove it.
No harm done.

5

http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/screenshots/u/Lh/1405258446980-59018.png

You need to uncheck the option to prevent installation.
If you didn’t see it, you could still have remnants of Chrome in the registry from a
prior installation. In that case, this option isn’t shown.

6

And now you are trying to install DropBox and change my search engine to Yahoo or Bing?!? This is not the expected behavior for software that we purchase. I will not be renewing my 100 licenses.

7

No, Dropbox is offered as a external backup medium.
You don’t have to use it, sign up with it, install it.
It is the users choice to make use of it or not.

You can read about why a search engine can be change in another thread on this webboard.
It is explained by a avast member.

sigh
People drive their car into a tree and then say “It wasn’t my fault”
Why don’t they honestly say that the can’t drive (eg: read the instructions) before even trying to drive?

8

I guess we don’t hear from the 99 people out of 100 who think before they do things.

-Noel