Avira antivir adds ask toolbar and Scareware pop-up

Avira AntiVir has long been a favorite provider of free antivirus
protection. The product has also received acclaims for the quality of
protection. Unfortunately, Avira has made several changes, resulting in
removing the product from the "recommended list".

Avira AntiVir had replaced the Avira Personal Free edition notifier. It
is no longer suggesting upgrading to Avira premium or the security
suite. Instead, the notifier is advertising Uniblue "Registry Booster".

Licensed users of Avira Premium are receiving e-mails advertising the
same Uniblue "Registry Booster" product.

The addition of a toolbar with the pre-checked option to include the
Ask Toolbar (AntiVir WebGuard) and change the default search provider to
Ask.

Although some people have referred to Uniblue's "Registry Booster"
product as a rogue, based on descriptions of how it works, the product
is better described as scareware. Scareware products are those that
provide scan results that imply there are serious issues with the
computer. However, the only way to fix the issues is purchase the product.

To add to the computer owner's confusion is that Uniblue proudly
displays the Microsoft Partner logo. This gives the impression that the
company has any close relationship with Microsoft. It is important to
understand that there is no vetting to become a registered Microsoft
partner. All it means to be a Microsoft Partner is that the company
employs the requisite number of certified professionals and has
completed the registration process, nothing more.

In my opinion, as well as that of many members of the security
community, it is deplorable when a security vendor adds a pre-checked
option to include an unnecessary add-on and change the user's
preferences. A responsible security vendor should provide a clean
installer, focusing on improving the product, fixing any bugs and
continuing to improve the product.

If you are using Avira AntiVir antivirus software, I encourage you to
read the articles listed in the references section below and decide for
yourself if this is a product you wish to continue using.

Read more:
http://securitygarden.blogspot.com/2011/06/avira-antivir-adds-ask-toolbar-and.html#ixzz1PHRJCi1l

 

I'm not one to willy-nilly accept all the installation defaults, so I
think I'll keep using it. I made a .reg file to disable the 'nag'
screen, so I'm good.

 

As you wish! ;-)

Do you have any knowledge of, or views about, Uniblue?
http://www.uniblue.com/company/story/

 

Shitware.

 

That's pretty much the same as Dustin once said!

Thanks.

 

Downloaded the installation file direct from Avira, at no point in the
installation does the option for an ask toolbar popup and one is not
installed at the end. After installation during initial update there is the
usual update pop up for avira paid for, nothing else.

 

Yea,my Avira still pops up the upgrade to the paid version ad during every
update and is the same as always. He must have downloaded an "altered"
version from a rogue website.

 

*He*???!!!

Look at the 'References' section, here:-

http://securitygarden.blogspot.com/2011/06/avira-antivir-adds-ask-toolbar-and.html#ixzz1PHRJCi1l

 

The nag screen can be disabled with a local path exclusion policy.

Copy everything in between the lines (except the lines), paste into a
text editor (notepad if that's all you have). And save the file as
nonag.reg to the desktop. Now double click the .reg file and it will
ask if you want to add these to the registry, hit yes.

This works for Win 7 Pro x32:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Group
Policy
Objects\{62F44680-8A76-48DE-8EDC-91D72274E1B6}Machine\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Safer\CodeIdentifiers\0\Paths\{8bd48249-a31b-48a0-9e46-94b007f53f34}]
"LastModified"=hex(b):90,f8,50,10,ee,34,cc,01
"Description"="Disable Avira Nag Screen, -GM 6/2011"
"SaferFlags"=dword:00000000
"ItemData"="C:\\Program Files\\Avira\\AntiVir Desktop\\avnotify.exe"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This works Win 7 x64:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Group
Policy
Objects\{0E5E5113-C91A-432A-B576-AC61F22762B5}Machine\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Safer\CodeIdentifiers\0\Paths\{4be91efe-5c3b-4ac4-9c30-3d596ae62b95}]
"LastModified"=hex(b):f1,6e,2b,1e,12,89,cb,01
"Description"="Disable nag screen -GM"
"SaferFlags"=dword:00000000
"ItemData"="C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Avira\\AntiVir
Desktop\\avnotify.exe"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Now getting infrequent popups about some download company offering
wallpapers, contained within the Avira prompt.

 

OK, my mistake, I just got the prompt to install ask search bar this
morning. I see it can be uninstalled after the install to get rifd of the
install prompt anyway but that also removes the added web protection. I
certainly don't want an ask toolbar so will either do it that way or use
Avast instead.

 

Thanks, but I know it can be disabled, it doesn't bother me though so
haven't bothered to disable it.

 

Haven't seen that yet but it was just today that Avira attempted to get me
to install the ask toolbar. I don't want ask toolbar and it can be removed
after it installs but that also removes the new free web proitection, which
I don 't really need either. I use anonymous IXquikck for search so most
definitely don't want ask whom keeps your IP address on record for 18
months.

I just downloaded Avast so if I get any malarky from Avira then off it
goes.

 

Mine has been asking to install it the last couple of days too. Just
keep postponing it.

I think I may just buy the damn full version. Maybe get it for free on
a "trial-pay" offer.

 

Mine only asked three times. After I stated that it would only
happen one more time, it hasn't happened since. I *did* have
the un-opened umbrella for a day, but that's okay now too.

 

I think mine has asked 3 times, but I don't remember seeing something
along the lines of it not asking again. I may have just pressed
'cancel' or whatever out of habit.

Have not noticed a closed umbrella, but I'll keep an eye on it now, TY.

 

If you let it install then uninstall from add/remove programs you won't get
prompted to install it again. It has a seperate install entry in
add/remove.

 

TY.. It has not popped up today.

I'll do that if it happens again.

 

Some people have claimed that after three times of clicking "Install Later" on the Systray popup that wants you to install the Ask Toolbar and Webguard, that it goes away. I kept getting the popup with every reboot, and more than three times. I hate nag screens and popups. I found a way to get rid of it for good.

This method works on all versions of Windows. You make a manual tweak to your HOSTS file. You need to use Notepad with elevated/administrative privileges. You click Start, type in Notepad in the searchbar, then Right-click Notepad up above and select Run as Administrator. Using Notepad go to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc (Vista) and open the HOSTS. (Note: Make a backup copy of the HOSTS before doing anything, putting it in another location.) Using Notepad put this entry at the top of the stack, 127.0.0.1 toolbar.ask.com I then hit File > Save and closed Notepad. I rebooted and NO popup from AntiVir. It seems that the HOSTS is not only for your web browsers, but for your entire computer.

These little extras have zero effect on the original antivirus product. It's still good. We've had other products offer these kinds of extras in the past. What's one more? Maybe Avira will realize it's stupidity and get rid of this junk? We can hope. In the meantime there's work-arounds.

I know how to stop the nag screen which urges you to upgrade to the paid version (for those who would like to know). It's easy to do, and I don't think it's a problem legally if you change permissions for a program on your own computer. On Vista the path looks like this:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Avira\AntiVir Desktop\avnotify.exe

Right-click avnotify.exe and select Properties. Hit the Security tab. In Group or User Names make sure SYSTEM is highlighted, then click the Edit button below (to change permissions). In the Deny column put checkmarks beside Read and Execute, and Read. Click Apply and OK. You're done. No more nag screen with updates.

By the way, you shouldn't have to install something, then uninstall it to get rid of an annoyance. Uninstalls are almost never perfect.

**This information is provided "As-Is" without warranty, and confers no rights.

 

I only allowed it to install to one of my 5 PCs and on the others I
cancelled it every time it asked and after 3 times it doesn't ask again, as
someone else said already. Maybe it was you.