I got this little nasty surprise under the enticing premise of adding some web protection to Avira's free product. Next time I'll read the changelog in full. Here's the rub:
http://www.ghacks.net/2011/06/29/beware-avira-partners-with-ask-and-uniblue/What isn't mentioned in the article, is that the umbrella in the system tray -- usually opened to denote Avira's active scanner is functioning -- becomes closed until you install the toolbar to activate the webguard. This leaves one under the scary impression Avira is not functioning, when in actuality one simply hasn't installed the included crapware. You can't permanently decline to use webguard & toolbar to correct this issue. Although Avira says the toolbar is "optional" before you install the update, you cannot stop it from hounding you to install the "Avira Safe Search
" toolbar; it nags you with a
popup at each reboot, and the umbrella stays closed. The only way to fix it is to change the installation or reinstall it.
Now, aside from the fact that a reputable A/V co. has engaged in cheap, underhanded trickery to coerce its users into installing a bloated toolbar, they chose to include
THE ASK toolbar for #$(*'s sake. ASK -- the adware ridden pile that often is bundled with more malicious spyware.
If this is going to be an issue with each recurring update, I won't be installing this/recommending this to anyone else. I, as many others I've recommended it to, paid for a/v before finding Avira. I'll surely become re-acquainted with Kapersky depending on how intrusive they decide to make this.
