avast! 7.0 released!

Your opinion is what it is. I have a different opinion, which is trial-ware is not paid-ware. Trial-ware is actually fully functional ad-ware for the paid product. As such I don't expect trial-ware to be free of either ads or bundled applications. I don't like application bundling, but I accept that it's the marketing model many companies are currently using. While I also would prefer that security software vendors in particular not bundle I don't consider Chrome to be an unacceptable app to include with an AV. If they had included the Ask toolbar that would be unacceptable to me.

 

Frankly, I only see one of us arguing.
Do you have a dog?
Take him for a walk.
It'll be good to get away for awhile.

 

But then again we haven't been able to reproduce the issue in any way so far which is a problem by itself. I'll make some blind tests with initial release version of avast! 7 and various combinations of Chrome. Maybe i'll come up with something.

 

very nice job avast

i use avast internet security 7 + emsisoft
from 8 march until now , with out any problems

good job avast company

thanx

 

if i run a company that sells an av I want to leave people with the feeling of a being one with integrity, I don't think I say that if I toss on a tool bar or a browser you may or may not want. I would leave that to the user to decide...

 

Try Here.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/protect

http://support.microsoft.com/ph/15931#tab0

https://support.microsoftsecurityessentials.com/Default.aspx?&st=1&wfxredirect=1

 

Some just like to bash a good product thats all

 

Originally Posted by RejZoR
"Just ask yourself, who will you ask when MSE goes wrong? With avast! you can at least contact someone. When i had problems with Microsoft products i gave up because i couldn't find anyone to contact about the problem..."


I previously had gone to Microsoft Support twice about MSE and had replies within 24 hours each time.I am now running Microsoft Security Essentials Version 4 (Beta) and am having absolutely no problems with it. It's so easy for some to badmouth Microsoft just because they are Microsoft...but I've had great response and service from them, from Windows ME through Windows 7. And, MSE is free.

I know I am a little prejudiced about avast because of my recent experience with PAID Version 7 - I had never had BSOD's before and I had a total of 3 with the fiasco of avast 7. I personally find contacting Microsoft just as satisfactory as the response I got from avast. So, go figure....

 

In the past, when I was a computer newbie, I used to install programs downloaded from the Internet on my computer, without even bothering on checking up the installation procedure in depth.
I used just to right-click on the installer and select “open” and click on “next”, “next”, and “next” and, “reboot” [if a computer re-start was required to complete the program installation”].

By acting like that, I got a lot of headaches. I got unwanted toolbars installed; unwanted browsers installed, home-pages changed, additional programs installed, etc. All this, made me more aware when checking up the installation options for all programs I would decide to install on my PCs and laptops. My wife, still has the approach of installing programs without bothering on checking up if there are any opt-outs so she can avoid putting an unwanted toolbar and/or browser on her laptop.

Nowadays, I even go ahead and read the entire EULA for every program I put on my PCs.
I even like more the programs that offer the user with a “custom” option that include a “modular install”. That way, I can install the program modules that I really want and that may suit my needs. For example, for Avast! [which I’m running on a VM for testing purposes only since I do not run real-time AV anymore], I would choose to install the “File System Shield”, the “Web Shield”, the “Network Shield”, the “Behavior Shield”, the “Script Shield”. The other shields, I would not install them since everything eventually would be caught by the “File System Shield" upon access or execution, so I do not see the need for the “P2P shield” or “IM Shield” since I do not run chat programs nor P2P clients. The “Mail Shield” would be necessary only if I use MS Outlook or Lotus Notes but, I use web-based e-mail services such as Yahoo.

I have noticed that more and more freeware programs are including toolbars or browsers, and I understand the software developer’s point of view in order to survive. Writing programs takes time and costs money and, if the developer is offered some sort of perks by toolbar/browser makers to bundle the developer's programs with their toolbars, I see no foul play on this practice. Even payware programs such as PCTools Registry Mechanic [which I use], come bundled with browsers. It’s up to the user to pay more attention to the installation options before clicking “next”.

Even new computers purchased at Best Buy come with a "ton" [so to speak] of bundled software and promotions.

I know that Average John Doe computer user [such as my grandma or wife] doesn't pay much attention when installing a program and ends up with a new toolbar or a new browser but, for us, who frequent this site [Wilders], that's a no-brainier.

I think that if some user are[is] upset or mad at Avast! Because it apparently “trashed” their systems, they should stop using it until further notice and get in touch with the Avast! develpers for technical support. What I see incorrect is that people disgruntled with Avast! for any other reasons try to take advantage of every bad situation created by Avast! on a few users to push some personal agenda.




Carlos

 

Victek123,

I took a look at the screenshot of the install and it looks like to me that the screenshot is truncated (or cropped) to only show the top half of the install with the info about express or compatibility, etc... the bottom left half of that install screen is where you would see the OPT checkmark boxes. Whether or not those boxes exist(ed) on the Avast install talked about by this author is something I can't know, one way or the other.

 

I can see how it might look that way, but actually it is accurate. Look at the screenshots here:

http://technojourney.com/softwares/...y7-license-file-activation-code-full-version/

The first screen I posted is the one you see when installing AIS trialware. I confirmed by installing it in a VM. The screen which announces Chrome and shows the Opt-Out boxes comes later in the install after selecting the license type (that screen is not shown on the website).

On the other hand Avast 7 Free does show Chrome with Opt-Out boxes on the first screen (my second screenshot) where the type of install is selected. Here's another interesting fact; when I installed Avast 7 Free with Chrome already on the system the option to install Chrome was not displayed by the Avast installer. I confirmed by uninstalling both Avast and Chrome, and running the Avast installer again - with Chrome not already installed the option to install Chrome was displayed.

As you can see this is complicated, but here's my bottom line; in all the experimenting in my VM plus installing Avast 7 Free on the machines of a number of customers I have not seen Chrome installed without first being displayed with the option to Opt-Out. As far as I'm concerned it's up to the folks who believe this happened to them to do some homework and demonstrate that it's actually happening and not the result of clicking through the install too quickly.

 

It happened & I do pay attention & no company has the right to install anything on your system without you consent or knowledge. If they do than please make the price far less than I pay & I do pay that's the gripe here at least for me, maybe you should expect more from vendors obviously from your comments your content to load just anything on your computer, next time you boot up slow or you're running heavy perhaps check to see what company stuck something on your machine...

 

It would be nice to have a screenshot of that second screen. <g>

 

Really? Why? There is nothing further to prove at this point.

 

Every large company eventually reaches a point of diminishing returns. It happened to Microsoft, it happened to Apple. It just happens. And when a company hits that wall, they have limited options in terms of how they can continue to grow and remain profitable. It appears as if Avast's decision to bundle Chrome (and who knows what else is going on with their increased information gathering efforts), is the way they've chosen to deal with the situation. I think that "BUYER BEWARE" clearly applies to Avast from this point forward.

 

Agree

 

i have installed more than i would say 200+ copies now for people who are either new customers or upgrading from v6 who asked me to come out and do it to make sure it was done right and i have yet to have one instance of it being installed with the boxes unchecked or not one time when it did not ask and still installed chrome anyway. these vary between the free version and the internet security version mostly it seems i rarely see the pro version being installed it 99% of the time one or the other

 

I tried Avast 6.0 for a week and I liked it, I also tried comodo and Avira free and Bitdefender free. Then I went back to Avira Premium while I considered the AV's I just tried, I decided I like Avast Best. I am using Avast 7.0.1426 now. I downloaded directly from Avast on the first screen I chose "Custom install". I saw no offer to install Chrome (and I Looked For and expected it). All has gone smoothly so far

 

I'm curious if you already had Chrome on your computer when you ran the Avast installer...?

 

Yes I did Victek.

 

Then this might align with what some people had said...that they found Chrome at the system level installed OVER their already installed version of Chrome at the user level, causing the previous Chrome settings to be lost. In that case, it could be a bug in the installer.

 

No settings are off I was worried that I would have to re-sett too

 

That's good to hear.

 

Thanks for the reply. That confirms what I've been seeing, which is Avast does not offer Chrome if it detects it's already installed.

 

Then what about the reports that Chrome was installed on systems that had a previous version of Chrome already installed?