Ask toolbar question

Hello,

I recently needed to upgrade Foxit but I was hesitant because to the “no opt out on the Ask Toolbar.”
I finally decided the risk of outdated software was more than the risk of the toolbar so I installed Foxit.
My procedure was as follows:

Download the most recent update
Disconnect for the internet
Uninstall the old version, defrag and reboot system
Install the new version
Uncheck the two options that are available (can not remember exactly what they were)
Finish install
Uninstall ask toolbar through windows uninstaller
Went into Explorer to confirm no ask toolbar (no toolbar)
Started Firefox and uninstalled the toolbar through the add-on feature
Restarted Firefox to assure no toolbar (no toolbar)
In Firefox I also went to Help-Troubleshooting Information to confirm (no toolbar)
Did a search through the registry for ask.com (no results)
Did a windows search for ask.com (no results)

Anything else I should do to insure the toolbar is not on my system please?

Thanks in advance.

 

I doubt very much ask toolbar is on the system after what you did

 

Actually there is an option to 'decline' toolbar but it is cleverly inserted... after clicking denial of 'ask toolbar' there is an option to 'decline' 'accept' or you can 'cancel'. Most will click 'accept' because they will feel they're only accepting installation of software but you are actually accepting the toolbar even though you have just said 'no'. The first time I loaded Foxit I didn't notice and 'accepted' toolbar without wanting it.

If you click 'decline', Foxit will load just fine and 'ask toolbar' will not be there.

Hope this helps.

 

Ask toolbar also modifies the Keyword.URL entry in about:config in Firefox.

 

Thanks to all that replied.

Bugsy48,
I will try the “decline” option the next time I install Foxit. I assumed this would cancel the install, but that is probably what they wanted.


BoerenkoolMetWorst,
If I may ask another question from you please.
When I checked this (keyword.URL) I found the following:

xxx.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=navclient&gfns=1&q=

Is this what would normally point me to ask.com (instead of Google as above) or would this modification only be if I chose to have ask.com as my homepage during the install?

I hope this is not a dumb question. I am still trying to learn what goes on inside this box.


Thanks again everyone.

 

It appears that "http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=navclient&gfns=1&q=" is the default value for "keyword.URL".

 

Google is the default value. If you would have installed Ask toolbar with all options checked then it would be modified to Ask. I'm not sure which checkmark includes Keyword.URL but I think to include it with the option Ask as default search engine seems more logical than the homepage option.

EDIT: you can see if a about:config entry is modified when it is in bold, to reset it simply press the right mouse button and select reset/reinitialize or whatever it is translated in local language.

 

why do you hate that toolbar so much? ))))
after what you did, there should be no leftovers on your system...

 

Some Anti-Malwares detect ASK Toolbar as Malware! From Microsoft MVP Donna http://www.calendarofupdates.com/up...calendar&cal_id=1&do=showevent&event_id=44516

TH

 

I downloaded an Ask toolbar remover which still couldn't remove all the files. This really is annoying, I had been using HiJackThis too, but every reboot something was still there. I ended up manually deleting through the registry. Check your scheduled tasks, I had an Ask updater schedule and updater file in there.

 

I try to think outside the box when dealing with these toolbars built into installers. I'm not sure if this works with foxit, but I tend to drop the installer into uniextract. If it manages to unpack your installer then sometimes you can delete the unnecessary files without damaging the program. The same result can be achieved by running the installer through a sandbox and copypasta only the files you want. It is slightly more hassle than clicking 'I agree', 'accept' etc. in an installer, but why take the risk of installing crapware on your system in the first place? Where there's a will there's a way.

 

ask toolbar is an annoyance rather than a serious problem. if it sneaks in, i just uninstall it with revo or with ask toolbar remover. it may also change your homepage, but i have various security apps that usually catch that. if you search your registry for 'ask toolbar' you may also find several HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID references to it (I just delete the CLSID keys that refer to it).

some programs are tricky and may modify the permissions of registry keys they use to prevent users from deleting them (usually well-intending security apps), in which case you first have to 'take ownership' of the key and subkeys, grant yourself full rights to it, and then delete it. however, i don't recall ask toolbar ever going that far.

i don't like that ask toolbar calls out when i install some otherwise decent program that bundles with it, but i let it because i assume it's trying to call home to let them know that my computer is installing foxit (or another software i support), which may in turn help foxit obtain more funding from them.

 

I tried Bugsy48 suggestion (above) to decline and it worked great. Not that I doubted that it would work but I just wanted to report that as far a Foxit is concerned this appears to be all that a person needs to do for now to keep the toolbar off of there system.

Thanks again Bugsy48

 

OP, if you want to be sure running Hijackthis would probably do the trick.