Avast 7 has been released a few days ago and it has not only received praises but also criticism by part of the security software’s user base. Users have been complaining about a variety of things, including slow system starts on Windows 7 among other things (Caused by the installation of Microsoft Security Essentials on the machine. The only fix is to uninstall Avast or MSE). Two Ghacks readers have mentioned another issue after upgrading to Avast 7. The software did install the Google Chrome browser on their system, and made it the default system browser.
When you run the Avast 7 installer, you are greeted with a start screen where you can select the express, compatible or custom install options. Express basically installs the antivirus software with the default settings, compatible installs it as a second line of defense in addition to other security software running on the system, while custom install offers the means to select the program modules that you want to install.
The very same page lists another program that will be installed if Avast users do not pay attention to the menu. The lower quarter of the screen advertises Google Chrome, and displays two selection boxes. These boxes are checked by default, so that Avast 7 will install Google Chrome on the system and make it the default browser on the system.
The option to not install Google Chrome does not come up afterwards anymore, even if you select the custom installation option. That’s a big usability issue comparable to toolbar and adware offers that you find in other program installers from time to time. The Chrome installation may not happen right away, as it was reported to commence after the first system boot.
If you have installed Google’s browser by accident, you can uninstall it again via the uninstall a program control panel applet. You also need to open another browser to make that one the default system browser again.
Bundling Avast with Chrome may alienate part of Avast’s user base. I do not know if the browser is also provided to users who upgrade from previous versions of the security software. It would be nice if users who upgraded their version could tell us if Chrome was installed as part of that upgrade as well.
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I already had Chrome installed. After having updated to the newest Avast everything worked fine, but after one day this exact screen popped up. Naturally I just clicked continue, without paying attention to anything else, like those obscure checkboxes. Chrome was installed again and I lost all my settings and bookmarks.
Luckily I was able to restore them by going to Windows Explorer and right clicking on the default folder (in the user appdata folder) and restoring a previous version of the folder.
I had Avast 6 (free) on Windows XP SP3, got a notice that a new version of Avast was available and so I went ahead with the upgrade. I didn’t see any mention of Chrome anywhere (and never had Chrome installed). The upgrade required a reboot, but all seemed OK. That was yesterday. This morning, after starting the computer (with another reboot), Chrome was installed, made itself the default browser and even used the IE icon on the desktop to run Chrome, instead. Sneaky. This doesn’t give me a good feeling. Avast is supposed to give people a sense of confidence in using the Internet. Instead, it took control of Windows and helps Google steal information from people, without their consent. I’d guess that this was an installer bug on the part of Avast – unless they are also claiming to “do no evil” while doing so, anyways. To be fair, it’s free and you get what you pay for. Still, it makes one wonder what is going on inside our own computers.
Of course I’d rather an install of any software involve just the one software. Boo hoo, freeware isn’t like that.
Except if a user cannot read the onscreen language, I don’t see what the problem is with this, as in generating a headline here. The checkboxes are obvious (*not* obscure), the text with them is 100% clear and right there in your face. Nobody’s tricking anyone. Why would someone who can read need a second chance a few steps later to opt out?
All you have to do is pay attention.
And if you didn’t, just uninstall Chrome. Big deal.
The screen shown above is not the one I saw. My screen showed a lot of text, with the same checkboxes, but only one visually distinctive button in the bottom right.
When software shows nagging screens I want to get rid of them as quickly as possible and Avast is software I usually trust, so I just clicked. It is deceptive.
Well that is your problem. It’s like signing an agreement without reading it.
Sorry, no matter how many opine that “It is deceptive,” not reading what you are clicking is where the communication gap happens.
And no, I have nothing invested in Avast or Chrome (or Google) – just a user.
@WebHybrid
The installer is deceptive by design.
ibeco is not at fault for trusting Avast
and making him less likely to read fine print.
That is the essence of deception by Avast here.
It is just that kind of user goodwill they are exploiting.
And the author of this article did not generate
a headline based upon false pretenses as you imply.
He provided a heads-up to users who have trusted Avast.
I agree. Update went through without mention of chrome. On reboot, got a big “avast 7 installed” popup, with big “finish” button in the bottom right. Only as I clicked it (not helped by child bouncing on me) did I notice the chrome tick boxes in the bottom left corner.
A screen /after/ the final reboot, with a “finish” button, is almost universally used for a “thanks, all done now” type dialogue. Not more installation options!
In any case, I had Chrome already installed, only as a secondary bowser. Now I get “An administrator installed chrome, your user-level data will be replaced by system-level data.” and what little customisation I had done is all gone…
Very sneaky, but not only is it totally pointless when Chrome is already installed, wiping out a users’ settings is pretty bad..
In *MY* Avast upgrade installation yesterday, there was NO mention of Chrome. None. I’ve been installing software on everything from supercomputers to on-board chips for 35 years (yep) and have written super-reliable installing scripts and I can read English, thank you very much.
It seems that the Avast installation differs among different users and, likely, has been changed in production by Avast, probably fixing some bugs as they come to light. I bet they are doing that right now, too. In fact, I *HOPE* that they are fixing bugs as quickly as they can! This would explain why not everyone will be experiencing the same thing.
The whole attitude that ‘if the software doesn’t work right, it must be the user’s fault’ is just so Micro$oft. Some of you guys never knew computers that actually worked right because programmers cared about releasing reliable software. Software doesn’t HAVE to be buggy. Quit blaming the users.
The installer is deliberately deceptive
and less sophisticated users will be taken
which is the whole point to such deception.
Software producers who treat people
like idiots should be avoided and
there are plenty of alternatives.
ok,tried custom and it DID download BUT when i tried to install,got a error message saying unable to install,missing file THEN did the express and everything went ok HOWEVER chrome was installed which i uninstalled with Ccleaner but STILL needed to delete from Windows Programs folder
Google Chrome, the new Ask Toolbar! A really nasty, privacy invading piece of software, if ever there was one.
If you’re using anything other than Microsoft Security Essentials for an anti-virus, you’re paying too much (even if what you use is “free”).
If you are using the worse ever anti-virus, MSE , you are a looser.
Free anti-virus in the cloud is the winner. So is Security Essentials if your bound to use free stuff.
I installed it to give it a try, but my it hard locked my system at the end of the install and again when i eventually was able to reboot. Oh well, looked interesting.
Installers are getting sneakier about these kind of third party installations lately.
I’ve been using Avast for years. I’ve never had any trouble with Avast – that is to say, never had an infection the bring my system to it’s knees nor did Avast itself bring the system to it’s knees w/ a huge resource footprint or the like.
For years and years reputable software companies have bundled other software (whether it’s Chrome browser or some toolbar), in with their free installations. It has become second nature to many of us to intentionally do a “Custom Installation” just to ensure we don’t have 26 “toolbars” on our internet browser.
I looked at the above screenshot and see NOTHING deceptive about it. If you did accidentally install it, go uninstall it through Programs and Features in Control Panel.
Personally, I pay for a copy of AIS. I upgraded to 7 yesterday. I upgraded through the program itself and it didn’t ask me about Chrome, nor did it install Chrome on my computer. For those of you who don’t believe in paying for anti-virus software, I can relate to an extent, but I have gone to the filthiest corners of the internet with my main machine running Avast Internet Security and while it had every alarm screaming at me as I was under siege every type of malware known to man and machine-kind, I knew I was safe, I wouldn’t trust MSE to defend me with the same precision and zealotry that Avast does. Avasts Firewall alone dwarf’s anything Microsoft has ever put out.
There was a time where I might have been “offended” that a company was trying to bundle extra software, but in this day and age, if you’re giving your software away for free, you gotta make a dollar to pay your programmers, and if that means Avast puts an option for Chrome to be installed so they can make an extra buck by spreading Google’s browser to the masses, I don’t fault them for that because at the end of the day Avast is one of the superior anti-virus/malware programs on the free and pay markets.
No No NO! You cannot justify Avast’s drive-by installation of Chrome by saying “at least they keep me safe when I go to filthy websites.” You’re just rationalizing things to make it seem fair. They bypassed our consent pure and simple. The screen to opt-out did NOT appear to me, it must have popped up then did a countdown after I did my reboot and went to make a pot of coffee. And by pot I mean 2 shots of espresso so maybe 5 minutes?! And by the time I came back they had already installed the older version of Chrome, ruining my Beta version AND on top of which tried to get me to install some sleazy TOOL BAR! And a countdown to consent or ELSE you’re automatically opted IN? That’s the definition of a Drive-by. Sleazy!
+1
Agree completely with Lisa (above),
and others.
After this, Avast is a goner !
(like AVG 3-4 years ago…they did something similar to its users).
Avast has lost my trust, completely.
I already UNinstalled it.
Over 3 years now and I will not have any anti-virus software running in the background anymore. To me its worse than having a virus.
I run a few things manually every week or two and never a problem except for the odd tracking cookie.
Most of these types of software start out good then become something that does more harm than good. Just my opinion.
My update to Avast!7 reminds me each reboot that I am “almost finished with the installation” – and has a box checked which asks me to “participate in Avast community”. I uncheck this box every time – and the sequence repeats each reboot.
I am always skeptical of being “hard-wired” to a server somewhere and permanently sharing information – does anyone know how to get rid of this “reminder” without “joining the Avast community”? Thanks.
Like other upgraders I did not see the screen shown above on 2/24/12. For early installers that screen with the Chrome options was supposed to appear after the reboot. Prior to the reboot Avast downloaded and then a message appeared that it needed to reboot to complete the install. After the reboot that screen with the checked Chrome options never appeared and we instead received a message that Avast was installing. I am meticulous about doing custom installs and unchecking options for unwanted software, so I resent the implication that all users were asleep at the switch.
Another issue was that Avast did a system-wide install of Chrome rather than the user install I had in place. It also advised me after the fact that Chrome had been installed by an Administrator. Who gave Avast the right to do a system-wide third-party software install as an Administrator of my system without my permission?
I contacted Avast and received a response from the Quality Control Manager that it was a bug in that iteration that caused the problem. I had to uninstall both Chrome (had already lost all my settings, extensions etc.) and Avast to get my laptop working properly again. I did a clean install of Chrome and when I did a later clean install of Avast it recognized that Chrome was already installed and did not offer to install it again. This makes me think that Avast rushed in a quick fix.
This had nothing to do with not paying attention for users who did not get the screen (though that may be the case for some users who did get the screen). It was an Avast bug. See the tweet and the Avast forum post;
https://twitter.com/#!/lukashasik/status/173784651276623873
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=qus049ao4ba8dr9uu4nqum76e6&topic=93980.0
I left out the part that my first clue that something was wrong with my laptop was when I tried to open Chrome and it crashed repeatedly (many threads for this after Avast install). Like other users I also experienced other issues. For example I opened Control Panel to check the recent installations and the screen froze. So I restarted my computer again and when I tried to open Chrome, I received the message that an Administrator had done a system-wide install of Chrome. I initially thought it was a Chrome issue but after a quick Twitter check realized that Avast 7 was the culprit.
Avast if my favorite AV, i am using the same for the last 4 years. including chrome i don’t think a serious matter bcz people now very familiar with chrome.
Same problem, I already had Chromium installed.. It also doesn’t play nice with other installed programs (scanners and security programs).
Avast wants to earn a bit of money in bundling Chrome with their free software. Bit sneaky if true that when updating to the latest version one doesn’t see that Chrome is included. Avast joining the ranks of free software that provide toolbars, CNet own installers, etc. etc. DUH!
Glad I jumped ship a short while back prior to this debacle and selected MSSE after many years of Avast! free.
My Avast upgrade showed my the screen pictured in this article, but closed it and started the Chrome install as I was moving my mouse to un-check the check box. Now I don’t use Avast.
LisaJS, I’m sorry but what that image above clearly SHOWS is the opt out check box and people have stated they unchecked it and on they went with the Avast installation. No Chrome magically found itsway on to their machines. So obviously consent was taken into consideration. Why your installation (and some others) were allegedly different is a quandary to me.
I’m no professional programmer, but I’ve taken plenty of classes that would lead me to believe that Avast’s programmers aren’t going to write in the Chrome installation to react in 27 different ways towards users.
As I said above, I did not receive a Chrome installation offer. However, I pay for my copy of Avast. Avast has treated me just fine for over 5 years. Their PRODUCT is still a STELLAR anti-virus program. If I were to quit using every single piece of freeware that wants to install a tool bar or browser, etc I would have next to no software left on my computer.
With that said, for all the people who use the FREE version of Avast, Avast still has to pay their bills. Their programmers are NOT going to keep working for them if they don’t receive a paycheck. How do you pay the bills if people are utilizing your free service? You get in bed with a bigger company and provide a silly check box to consent to a download of a browser/toolbar/weatherbug etc in your program installation.
For those of you who magically wound up with Chrome on your computers because you were up getting coffee and know without a doubt you didn’t “breeze by” the consent page (which even the best of us have done before – no one is perfect), then I’m sorry that you are so upset that Avast is trying to pay their programmers to continue making such a great product. Please go take advantage of an inferior product instead of simply uninstalling the version of Chrome you unintentionally gave consent to.
Upgraded Avast Pro at home and Internet Security on work, and no Google Chrome was installed.
For the slow start, well, it is not recommended to install along 2 antivirus with real-time protection!
After years of updates every week with Avast and never a problem they essentially spam my system take it over and set up Google Chrome. Of course slow it down int he process. Some anti-spyware anti-virus program! I have no reason to ever trust them again. Completely deceptive and NOT the characteristic of a company that is suppose to make you feel safer. They are as bad as the other hacks out there now if not worse. At least when I get asked about some yahoo tool bar It is noticeable and not from a update from my anti virus program that changes by browser all together !!!
What the hell !
I updated by in-laws machine a week or so ago, so was watching very carefully this time. No mention of Chrome until after the reboot when it popped up with the same “Press Finish” screen I’d seen, with the Chrome options in the corner.
I unticked these and my mouse was still in that corner when the window closed all by itself – I did not press the “finish” button myself. Thankfully I’d cleared the options, and it didn’t try to (re-)install chrome.
Was this a timer? Would it have carried on itself with the default options, had I sat there and done nothing, say, if I’d left the machine alone after telling it to reboot? Maybe this is an explanation for some people not seeing anything?
They almost got me! Isn’t Google run by the CIA now? With the 4th amendment gone it looks like an attempt to get people using Google Chrome so they can see what your doing.
Rob said: “I updated by in-laws machine a week or so ago, so was watching very carefully this time. No mention of Chrome until after the reboot when it popped up with the same “Press Finish” screen I’d seen, with the Chrome options in the corner.
I unticked these and my mouse was still in that corner when the window closed all by itself – I did not press the “finish” button myself. Thankfully I’d cleared the options, and it didn’t try to (re-)install chrome.
Was this a timer? Would it have carried on itself with the default options, had I sat there and done nothing, say, if I’d left the machine alone after telling it to reboot? Maybe this is an explanation for some people not seeing anything?”
—
Gotta be a timer, had the exact same thing happen to me but I did not get to uncheck the boxes before the finish installation pop-up closed itself automatically, and now I have chrome installed and it is my default browser. This is just… Wow. I am a longtime avast user, this is shocking behaviour… I actually don’t mind being marketed to but a no consent installation…