# Installers hall of SHAME



## kburra (Jun 13, 2020)

How often does your PC pop up with something strange and you wonder how it got there or what caused it,maybe you have installed some new FREE sofware, most often one or any of these might the culprit? And of the course there are new ones which could be added to this list each day!

Below is the current list of dodgy installers:

    * Adobe Flash Player - Google Toolbar
    * Adobe Reader - eBay Desktop
    * Adobe Shockwave Player - Norton PC Checkup
    * AnVir Task Manager - Registry Cleaner Pro
    * AOL Instant Messenger - AOL Toolbar
    * Apple’s Software Updater - Safari Browser, QuickTime, iTunes
    * Applian FLV Player - Yahoo Toolbar
    * Auslogics Registry Defrag - Ask Toolbar
    * AVG 8 - AVG Security Toolbar (Yahoo Search bar)
    * BitComet - Google Toolbar
    * BitDefender Anti-Phishing Free Edition - Ask.com search engine. No opt-in. No opt-out.
    * BitTorrent 6.1.2 - Ask Toolbar
    * CCleaner (standard installer) - Yahoo Toolbar <<<Offers Slim version, without toolbar 
    * ClamWin - Ask.com
    * Comodo Firewall Pro - Ask Toolbar (This toolbar is detected as spyware/adware by several vendors)
    * Comodo Internet Security, Antivirus & Firewall - Ask Toolbar
    * CPUZ - Ask Toolbar
    * Cyberlink PowerDVD 8 - Google Toolbar and BETA of Moovielive
    * Daemon Tools - Search tool and sponsor ad module
    * Defraggler - Yahoo Toolbar
    * DivX - Yahoo Toolbar
    * DVDVideoSoft Free Studio - ASK toolbar
    * FormatFactory 2.10 (and higher) - Ebay shortcuts
    * FormatFactory 2.15 (and higher) - Ask toolbar
    * FoxIt Reader 3.0 - - installs FoxIt toolbar, makes Ask.com your default search, create desktop, quick launch, and start menu shortcut to eBay
    * Free Download Manager - Software Informer bundle
    * GameVance - Ask Toolbar/The Weather Channel Desktop
    * Glary Utilities - Ask Toolbar
    * GOM Player - Ask Toolbar
    * GoogleTalk - no addon but will change default search setting of IE
    * GoogleEarth - Pre checked Google Chrome; sets Google Updater as a startup
    * Hotspot Shield - Hotspot Shield Community Toolbar from Conduit
    * ICQ 6 - ICQ Toolbar
    * Iobit Advanced One Care - Yahoo Toolbar (selecting no will still do changes on the system)
    * IOBit Security 360 - IObit/Conduit toolbar
    * IOBit Smart Defrag - Yahoo Toolbar/Search Settings
    * IrfanView (Google Toolbar for IE and Google Desktop Search)
    * IsoBuster - Ask.com Toolbar
    * iTunes (QuickTime, AppleSoftwareUpdate, AppleMobileDeviceSupport64, Bonjour64, MobileMe64) <---- *undisputed leader*
    * Java Runtime Environment (JRE) - installs Java Quick Starter, Microsoft Live Search Toolbar, OpenOffice installer pre-checked
    * Logitech Setpoint (Logitech Yahoo! Toolbar)
    * Maxathon 2 - Facebook Sidebar Plugin
    * McAfee Site Advisor update - Yahoo! default browser search
    * Miro 2.5 - Ask toolbar
    * MP3 WMA Converter - Yahoo Search and Delio Comparsion Shopping Toolbar
    * Nero 9 Lite Free - Ask Toolbar
    * Nero Burning Rom - Ask Toolbar (This toolbar is detected as spyware/adware by several vendors)
    * PC Tools Firewall Plus - Google Toolbar and Threatfire
    * PrimoPdf - Paltalk
    * RealPlayer - Google Chrome
    * Recuva - optional Yahoo toolbar (checked by default) <<<offers Slim version without toolbar 
    * Shockwave Player - Norton Security Scan or Google Toolbar
    * SIW (System Information for Windows) - Crawler Toolbar
    * Skype - Google Toolbar
    * Spyware Doctor - Google Toolbar
    * Spyware Terminator - Web security guard, Crawler
    * Sun Java RE (online installer) - Google Toolbar
    * Sun Java - OpenOffice.org
    * Thoosje Sidebar - Amazon or eBay Toolbar
    * Threatfire 4.7.0.9 - Google Toolbar
    * Trillian - Ask Toolbar and Weather Channel Desktop
    * Unlocker 1.8.7 - eBay shortcuts
    * Veoh media player - Yahoo toolbar, search engine change & search protection
    * VSO Image Resizer - Ask Toolbar
    * WeatherBug - Ask Toolbar
    * Webroot SpySweeper - Ask Toolbar (This toolbar is detected as spyware/adware by several vendors)
    * Winamp - Winamp Toolbar
    * Windows Live Installer - Windows Live Toolbar and Sign-in Assistant
    * Windows Update - Windows Genuine Advantage Notification - (pre-checked, not required, should not be high-priority)
    * Windows SteadyState - Windows Live Toolbar
    * Winzip - RegistryBooster
    * Wise Disk Cleaner - Ask Toolbar
    * Wise Registry Cleaner - Ask Toolbar
    * xp-Antispy - eBay shortcuts/toolbar
    * xplorer2Lite - Conduit toolbar
    * YaHoo! Instant Messenger - YaHoo! toolbar, with ‘YaHoo! Search Protection’ and homepage change to YaHoo!
    * ZoneAlarm - SpyBlocker (Ask Toolbar) (This toolbar is detected as spyware/adware by several vendors)


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## Mike (Jun 14, 2020)

That is a great list kburra, it should be pinned somewhere!

I notice that CNET is not there, they try and instal around
3 - 5 unwanted extras, unless they have changed lately.

Mike.


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## kburra (Jun 14, 2020)

Mike said:


> That is a great list kburra, it should be pinned somewhere!
> 
> I notice that CNET is not there, they try and instal around
> 3 - 5 unwanted extras, unless they have changed lately.
> ...


You could be correct Mike,list is about 6 months old. Incidentally CNET is a download site for free software so any of the above could be in their
Catalogue?

Software from CNET , and you click Download Now, and you’ll get the CNET Installer executable which when run will offer various junk such as toolbars, browser helpers (which change your default homepage or search engine) and other utilities that are rarely of any use. After you get through those windows by accepting or declining whether to install the extras, the installer will download the original setup installer from the CNET servers. The problem is the process is not reversible as there’s no back button, so if you accidentally click accept for one or more adware items, you cannot go backwards and need to close the window from the taskbar or task manager.


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## Mike (Jun 15, 2020)

If you get into that situation kburra, with a CNET download,
you can get rid of the offending programme in "Regedit" if
you know how, but be careful.

Mike.


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## kburra (Jun 15, 2020)

Mike said:


> If you get into that situation kburra, with a CNET download,
> you can get rid of the offending programme in "Regedit" if
> you know how, but be careful.
> 
> Mike.


Yep Mike I have used Regedit from time to time but would not recommend it here (unless to a Techie)...*Below a word of caution.*

Before making any changes to the registry, ensure that the following precautions are taken: Back up all important data on the computer before making any changes to the registry. Back up the portion of the registry that you will be changing. Confirm that the computer can restart properly before the change is made.

*It’s not easy,* and carries an incremental amount of risk as you continue to make any changes to your Windows registry. In my view, registry tweaking is something that should be done sparingly, if at all.

Also in most cases such as you mention the free software program Malwarebytes is very good and will in most situations fix the problem.


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