Beware CCleaner installation!

bbinnard · 17 Jan 2018

I just installed the latest version and I may have missed something, but I discovered right after that the horrible Avast anti-virus program got installed too.

I have installed many versions of CCleaner and I am aware that you have to check the box that says to not install any additional software, but I didn't see that box this time.

The only way I could uninstall Avast was to go reboot in Safe Mode and delete the entire Avast directory. The *******s who wrote it have figured out how to make it impossible to delete, rename, or disable any Avast file, directory, task, process, or registry entry while running in Normal Mode.

TairikuOkami · 17 Jan 2018

Indeed, CCleaner is getting more aggressive with each version. You should use a firewall for outbound control and that would take care of it (block it), even something as simple as Free Firewall, it can work alongside of Windows Firewall.

merkxr · 17 Jan 2018

I just installed V5.39 of CCleaner and the only thing I had to do was uncheck the box to install Google toolbar. To double check this, I also installed it on another PC and only had to to the same thing. No mention of Avast. I even checked installed programs and no Avast there either.

Did you download the installer from Piriforms site? Or did you get it from a third party site? I do know third party sites tend to bundle in other offers/software, that the developers do not. Thus I always recommend obtaining any software directly from the developers site and not a third party site.

TairikuOkami · 17 Jan 2018

Piriform said, that the offer depends on various circumstances. It is not being offered to everyone all the time.
I myself have seen it once, but I could not reproduce it, because once you refuse, it should not be offered again.

lvgandhi · 17 Jan 2018

For me, it asked for installing avast while installing 5.39. I opted for not installing avast. Nothing more installed.

TairikuOkami · 17 Jan 2018

This code looks interesting. I guess it is related to, when or if Avast will be offered.

Code:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Google\No Chrome Offer Until]

bbinnard · 17 Jan 2018

I still have the ccsetup539.exe installer so I started it again (twice) and each time there was a checkbox for installing Avast. I don't recall seeing that when I did the initial installation of 539, so maybe I really did miss it. I didn't run the installer of course - just cancelled it after the first splashscreen showed up.

Googling "uninstall avast" shows several articles that say you have to download the special Avast uninstaller program to uninstall it. I probably should have done that right after I discovered a normal uninstall would not work.

I just did a registry search for"avast" and found 61 entries that refer to it. CCleaner's Registry Cleaner found 11 of them, so I let it delete those. To get the remaining 50 items I thought I'd try the Avast uninstaller program. It starts with a dialog saying it should run in Safe mode, but gives the option to run as is (without rebooting in Safe Mode), so I said run as is. It then put up the following screen:

Beware CCleaner installation!-capture.jpg

I deleted the installation directory last night, but was not aware of the Program Data one. It turns out that one can't be deleted in Normal Mode either, so I'm going to click the "Run in Safe Mode" option and see what happens. I'll edit this post after it's done whatever it's going to do.

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The uninstaller ran OK - it rebooted in Safe Mode, ran OK, and rebooted again in Normal Mode. The Program Data directory stuff was deleted OK, but there are still 37 leftover entries in the registry that I will have to delete by hand.

To quote Ralph Cramden: What a revolting development this is.

RichardC · 17 Jan 2018

I've used a program called Revo Uninstaller for a long time. I love it. When you delete a program, you have the option to do a deep scan in registry to find all items related to the particular program. It asks you to select the files you wish to delete. I usually check all and delete them. I know it's dangerous to fool around with the registry, but I've never had a problem. So Far.

bbinnard · 17 Jan 2018

I am aware of software like that and use a similar one called Iobit Uninstaller Pro. It showed uninstalling all of the Avast files, and then deleting a whole bunch of registry entries.

But after it finished everything was still there. It's pretty clear to me that the Avast developers have gone to great lengths to make it difficult for people to uninstall it.

nbcaldon · 18 Jan 2018

Just installed the latest version from File Hippo (directed there from Piriform site). File size is 10944kB. Going through the 'Customize' route, no offers to install any additional software and no extra software installed.