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Avast Hidden Install [solved October 2019]


kiddac

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I think it's disgusting that your free version of ccleaner now installs avast antivrus without my knowledge.

No check box, no warning.

I also read on the avast forum that it is meant to show a pop up box.
I even installed it twice to see if I get this pop up. Which I didn't.

I wont be future updating ccleaner anymore due to the installing software without my knowledge.

Now I have got to waste 20 minutes of my own time fully deleting this surplus antivirus crap off my computer.

The irony of a cleaner program, installing junk on my computer.

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The opt-out is found on the first page of the installer.

 

ADVICE FOR USING CCleaner'S REGISTRY INTEGRITY SECTION

DON'T JUST CLEAN EVERYTHING THAT'S CHECKED OFF.

Do your Registry Cleaning in small bits (at the very least Check-mark by Check-mark)

ALWAYS BACKUP THE ENTRY, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU'LL BREAK IF YOU DON'T.

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10 hours ago, kiddac said:

Why do you keep posting this as an answer .. no it is not.

It is! But if you had installed Avast already; the Avast offer won't show up again.

Your screenshot doesn't show the first page; it's the "Customize" page! This is the first page:

cc_avast.jpg.23b98ceb3af778bd061adcfa1e7b4c1d.jpg

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I have never installed Avast knowingly, I have never seen that message ever.
And when ccleaner installed it, I completely uninstalled it with revo uninstaller, then I ran the avast remover tool. Then ccleaner, and then 2 registry cleaners.

Still no avast message on install.

So I would like to know where exactly this is referencing to show this message whether it be a cookie, registry or folder.
Because I assure you it doesn't show on my computer. And yes I have worked in IT all my lfe, so you can be as technical as you like in your answer.

Maybe it shows on a brand new computer that has never had a copy of ccleaner installed ever.
But considering people were complaining about this on the avast forum a few months ago, it obviously hasn't been tested properly.

 

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Looks like Avast will be pushed by the program once installed too now. Release notes for 5.42:

" Where appropriate, CCleaner Free may recommend improvements to your system’s antivirus protection "

I joked with the last version that the decline of CCleaner had started, it's spiralling ever quicker by the looks of it. But hey, we had many good years, and I'm sure the Pirifom guys made some money out of the sale, so can't really complain I suppose :mellow:

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7 minutes ago, JDPower said:

" Where appropriate, CCleaner Free may recommend improvements to your system’s antivirus protection "

I joked with the last version that the decline of CCleaner had started, it's spiralling ever quicker by the looks of it.

That's why I'm going to hold off updating immediately anymore. I'll just wait and see if there's any fallout with any new versions. And I definitely don't require any recommendations for "antivirus improvements".

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13 hours ago, kiddac said:

...So I would like to know where exactly this is referencing to show this message whether it be a cookie, registry or folder...

I checked the registry and found the following key "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\AvastAdSDK\". If I delete the value "LastOffer" the Avast offer shows up again.

cc_avast.jpg

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  • 5 months later...
On 4/22/2018 at 15:35, Nergal said:

The opt-out is found on the first page of the installer.

I didn't receive any opt out. Nothing was on the install screen or anywhere else mentioning Avast. After I updated CCleaner to the newest build I had an Avast Icon on my desktop. I understand it does show up for some people but not for everyone obviously. That's a serious issue that needs to be addressed not just because of the obvious reason but also installing it can cause some major issues if a person already has active protection on their PC.

I made an account just now on these forums because it is indeed that serious of an issue. Piriform needs to fix this issue ASAP or remove Avast from CCleaner.

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I don't get the prompt to install Avast because I have an internet security suite that has the options to:
   - "Automatically clear check boxes to install additional software & warn of attempts to install additional progs"
   - "Don't show installation steps that may contain adverts & offers for additional apps"

Is it possible you have something similar that didn't fully work with the newest version of the CCleaner installer?

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I've been using CCleaner for years, and now it installs Avast WITHOUT ANY NOTICE. Suddenly an orange icon appeared and now I need to reboot my PC to finish Avast uninstallation. Absolutely unacceptable. Signed up into the forums to inform that now you have one less customer.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Why do you need to resort to this type of sneaky unethical promotion in the first place? Why not make it opt-in instead. Are you that desperate for revenue?

I had no idea you were cramming Avast down my throat. There was NO WARNING. I already tried this product and it caused a conflict. I just wasted 3 hours getting rid of a crappy product  that I didn't know was there and that you forced on me. I can't believe a disk cleanup product would install malware on my machine. You have completely violated the trust that was placed with you. Even worse, you engage in public arguments with your customers to try to justify your misdeed.

I'll be getting a refund from you. Only I'll be a douche bag just like you were. Instead of politely asking you for a refund I'll contest the charge with my credit card company and force a chargeback fee on you. 

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  • 2 months later...
2 hours ago, Irving said:

where is it? ...

The installer does not offer Avast (or Chrome) for every installation, only occasionally. If the first page is empty, nothing additional will be installed.

This is the first page of the installer:
5c5a8e35840e3_Capturadepantalla(9).png.7

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

I joined this forum to explore this new problem with ccleaner adding avast to its latest updates.

I have been using "CCleaner - Portable" found here  (https://www.ccleaner.com/ccleaner/builds)  if you want to download it on ccleaner.com.

I find that it uses less ram and space on my disk, plus does not clutter up my dll registry. When it is time to update I come over to the link above and get the latest portable version and install it.

I found out about this new problem with ccleaner on another forum  that stays on top of the latest software updates and suggests to its members to install or to avoid the new updates. 

....If you google search " problem with ccleaner installing avast  "  without quotes, you will see how many sites and users are deeply troubled and suggesting others not install the latest updates.

Someone in admin on this forum should send the word/news up to the top of your company that you have a problem growing exponentially with your user base that is really ticked off. :angry:

One answer to this problem if .piriform.com does not correct this problem is anyone can go to one of the several software download sites  and get an older version of ccleaner before piriform.com added their own crap (avast) to this great free software.  My problem is I need someone who knows what was the last version of ccleaner that did not include avast. Maybe some user that knows from experience can post it on this thread. 

     

 ---->My question is,  does the portable version now have the avast install hidden in it as well? ...Can a moderator or someone who has installed the portable version tell me if avast is automatically installed when I first use it to clean my computer?

 

*Thank you forum members and moderators for listening to my concerns. Sorry if I sound like I am ranting, but I have loved ccleaner since I first found it many years ago and hate to see a such a great software used by millions corrupted by corporate greed. There are a lot of poor users who can not afford to buy the pro version, like elder people on fixed incomes like myself.

Edited by divinenews
misspelling
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13 hours ago, divinenews said:

what was the last version of ccleaner that did not include avast.

CCleaner v5.32.6129 is the last version without any influence from the owner Avast. But old versions will have two bugs in them that can damage Windows 10 in particular the cleaners for Windows.old and Fonts Cache should be disabled/unticked in old versions and/or exclusions put in place so those files can never be deleted.

I only use the portable ZIP version and it has never tried to install anything else not even before I started blocking CCleaner .EXE files Internet access via Windows Firewall. The portable version has never installed Avast and never any Google stuff, etc., reason being the installer versions are what's needed to install the additional unwanted software.

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  • 2 months later...

Thanks everyone for posting. 

I updated CCleaner this morning and it installed Avast without providing an option to check/uncheck Avast.   CCleaner itself wouldn't update - the installer crashed.  I only found the Avast installation when I looked into why CCleaner wouldn't update.  After uninstalling Avast, I tried again and checked every alternative in the CCleaner installation screens - absolutely no mention of Avast.   Total BS.

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7 minutes ago, JSC said:

 I tried again and checked every alternative in the CCleaner installation screens - absolutely no mention of Avast.

Because as explained above in APPichaels' first post if you had installed it once then it had set a flag in the registry to tell CCleaner not to show you the offer again.

To avoid any issues with unwanted Avast (or google toolbar) installs most regular users here use the 'Slim' installer from the builds page, that does not contain any offer.
https://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/builds

*** Out of Beer Error ->->-> Recovering Memory ***

Worried about 'Tracking Files'? Worried about why some files come back after cleaning? See this link:
https://community.ccleaner.com/topic/52668-tracking-files/?tab=comments#comment-300043

 

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Since 2010 there has been a third-party offer of some sort in the CCleaner installer to help pay the bills ... and since 2010 people have been asking why offers have "suddenly" started to appear. :)

These days most users don't see a third-party offer in the CCleaner installer - not because it's mysteriously hidden, but because there are some smarter rules set up in the installer not to bother offering something if the user has already seen that offer in the past x months, if they've already got it installed, or (in the case of AV) if they seem to already have an alternative running.  (And of course there's no offer with the automatic updates.)

Since it doesn't do anyone any good if a user accidentally installs something they don't actually want, CCleaner deliberately made its offers more prominent than in most other installers and, as per the screenshots above, the Avast banner was changed to a rather vivid purple and orange to make it even more eye-catching and hard to miss. But some people do still miss it. And then they get angry about it.

On the "to-do" list for the development team (who greatly prefer to have happy users than angry users) is overhauling the installer flow with a new interface to help get rid of this accidental installation problem.  In the meantime, as per nukecad's response, CCleaner also has a "slim installer" version with no offers.

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I created an account here just to confirm (as if it was needed) that the silent install of Avast is still happening. 

I tried to update from v5.4x to v5.57 today.   The install screen was clean (no Avast splash).   I actively checked because I've been caught by it before on other PCs. Just like I check for McAffee installs with Adobe reader - once you've been caught a couple of times you remember.

The upgrade failed to complete because it couldn't delete the old ccleaner executable.  My existing Antivirus (trend micro) had popped up during the install so I thought maybe it was interfering  with the process .  I closed down Trend Micro, used TaskManager to kill the hung CCleaner process then re-ran the CCleaner install. 

Again there was NO splash offering Avast but a few minutes later Chrome popped up to tell me Avast was trying to install and extension. - and sure enough Avast had done a silent install.

For the fun of it I deleted the registry key that ccleaner uses to check if the offer has been displayed. (Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\AvastAdSDK) Then uninstalled and-reinstalled ccleaner. This time the Avast splash screen was displayed.

Third time round:  I uninstalled CCleaner, deleted the registry key again, restarted my Trend Micro antivirus and ran the installer again. No Avast offer and no avast install either. This is how it's meant to work.

For what it worth - I understand the need to offer other software, and I appreciate the fact that they have made the banner loud and visible -but it does real damage to the credibility of the companies involved when this keeps happening and when their representatives appear to assume the hundreds of people reporting these sneak installs are stupid, blind or both.

On 5/25/2019 at 02:06, Dave CCleaner said:

the Avast banner was changed to a rather vivid purple and orange to make it even more eye-catching and hard to miss. But some people do still miss it. And then they get angry about it.

No i didn't miss it. It wasn't there. Really.   I have loved using ccleaner and have installed it on dozens of PCs and I can tell you that these hidden installs do happen and no one who's seen it more than once or twice believes that it's not deliberate.  This has been going on for at least 6 months and has been independently verified.

It looks like the commenters on this bleeping computer article  were right.  The day Avast's takeover of Piriform was announced people predicted they would be silently bundling and installing software and they were right.

Edited by flippertie
typo
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