Reports say avast! acting like a PUP?

Over at the avast! forums, there are users complaining that they are suddenly receiving "Try Google Chrome" pop-up adds from avast!. It seems that some of the users were actually using Chrome when they received the unwanted pop-up. There was a quick blanket statement from Vlk, but I'm not sure that it made any of us feel warm and fuzzy.

I guess I better uncheck "Scan for PUP" in avast!, or it might quarantine itself as a PUP - Adware.


http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=85696.0

http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=85682.0

 

Re: Reports say avast! acting like a PUP

rofl man..thanks for the laugh

 

Re: Reports say avast! acting like a PUP

Indeed...

 

This is certainly interesting. http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=85682.msg693560#msg693560

 

Vlk's reply...

OP's answer.

That's how it goes if you don't read anything through the install process.
Or as in this case, that more than one person uses the PC.

Everything is as it should be, and why even talk about turning PUP's off?

 

I guess you didn't read both links. Another user was actually using Chrome when the adware pop-up displayed:

"I have the free version of Avast installed, and usually it's great. But today, out of nowhere, Avast gives me a pop-up advertising Google Chrome. Now, this would be pretty annoying all by itself (most people get antivirus software to avoid programs that randomly pop-up ads, among other things). But the fact is, I already have Chrome installed, and I was running Chrome when the ad popped up! Moreover, the text of the ad seems to recognize this, saying, "Along with avast! Free Antivirus you installed the Google Chrome browser. Used by our own Virus Lab, Google Chrome is our choice for most secure web browser." Since I've already installed Chrome, and Avast seems to know I've already installed Chrome, why the hell am I getting advertising for Chrome?!"

 

Sounds like some issue with the mechanism that checks if you got Chrome installed or not

 

Yea, I'm not sure. I already use Chrome exclusively, but this has me bothered so much, that I have downloaded the avast! uninstall utility, Panda Cloud and MSE. The second I receive the pop-up, I will have begun the avast! uninstall procedure before the last pixel disappears from the pop-up after I close it. I'm not sure which other AV I'll use, but I've got two to choose from.

 

That's strange. I have been using google chrome and avast free for over 9 months and have not seen this popup. I have the latest versions for both running on a xppro 32 and win7 home 32 machines. I thought they worked great together.

I installed Avast free recently on a friends machine and did see some sort of checkbox to install google chrome but did not since he uses Firefox.

Ice

 

This is like the second on third time users have been complaining about some sort of advertising pop-up, and yet all this time, through multiple version changes, I've never seen a single one in daily use. Either some people aren't getting the install file from the official website, or there is a lot of hallucinogenic drug use going on

 

I cant believe you are making such a big deal over this.

 

Seriously.

@DBone: Are you experiencing this problem? If not, why does it bother you that bad? And good grief, calm down, it's a pop-up ad at the very worst. It's not like it's tracking you or installing some terrible thing behind your back. Some take these things way too seriously Again, I have never seen any of the pop-ups Avast has been accused of putting up..ever. I assure you I'm not special, so something else must be going on here.

 

That was my first thought as well

 

Oh yes you are my friend

 

The vlk quote explains what's happening, but I think the real question here is, do users really need to be nagged about using something they installed? I think not...

 

Now how do I take that?

 

If a security solution that is supposed to stop the very thing that it does doesn't bother you, then that is your porogitive, just as it bothering me is mine.

No, I have not yet experienced a pop-up. It bothers me for the reasons as I have already stated in this thread. I am calm. I am not special either. I am not afraid to speak my mind when I see, (granted I haven't received the adware pop-up yet) or hear about something that isn't right. If some of you think I'm making a big deal about nothing, that's OK as you're untitled to your opinions, as am I................And my security software acting like the very thing I installed it to prevent does in fact bother me, go figure.

 

Take it in a good way, I would

 

Lol, alright then

 

Now thats funny right there,ROFLMAO.No there is only 1 computer there man not ten colorfull ones.On topic, I guess I can understand his point, every body has difference of tolerance levels.What one thinks is no big deal may ~ Snipped as per TOS ~ another off.Cant fault them for there feelings.

 

It's a free version, what else do you want? Daily popups or a one time popup like this one?

 

I think its not nagging but rather punishing them for not paying maybe..rofl

 

Firefox instead of Google Chrome

 

I guess they should change their name to advast!

 

OK, Avast is not displaying the classical notifications for detections.
So, how you could say avast is quaranting itself?
PUP is not a pop-up, it stands for "potentially unwanted program" and I didnt see any reports of notifications in that forum, only popups.