Just Got this pop up after an Update. Seems Strange To Me. I would have thought Avira would be trying to get rid of that. Yes and just clicking in that box anywhere downloads it. Hit the OK box and it does not. What the hell is this world coming to?

Attachment #1, (jpg file)

Uniblue software isn't actually malicious, it's just unnecessary (possibly dangerous, as are all registry cleaners) crap and for a while now it's been "marketed" in a sleazy manner.

Anyone claiming to be able to "scan and fix Windows errors" if you pay them, is a crook.

I uninstall registry cleaners and optimizers on sight.

I don't know what that "trusted partner" and "Microsoft Gold Certified Partner" (which is what bothers me the most) is about... sheer whoring obviously. Uniblue must be making money, to be able to pay people off like this.

Avira will catch Hell for this, and they'll stop doing it.

Grogan

I've seen that "Microsoft Gold Certified Partner" label on several things before that seemed a bit shaky to me. I just did a quick browse to try and find out what it means. I may be wrong since all I did was skim a couple pages. But it looks like it's not a Microsoft endorsement of a company. It just means that the company has employees who have taken and passed some Microsoft course and they are allowed to contact Microsoft about technical issues that the average Joe can't.

MSU

It's obviously not meaningful but it dishonestly implies endorsement.

Microsoft are a bunch of creeps too... it's just like the titles they give people who have passed a multiple choice test (The World according to Microsoft. It's more psychology than facts, passing those tests. I couldn't have done it on knowledge alone). I'm not an "engineer" and I'm embarrassed to even invoke that credential. I stopped using it long ago and I just call myself a "certified technician" or "Microsoft Certified" depending on relevance.

I don't know for sure if Uniblue caused them, but I've seen inexplicable problems on computers where the registry cleaning/optimizing software was installed. I think so, because it's par for the course.

Grogan

I've encountered trouble removing Uniblue crapware. I've warned in my newsletter to the Sun City Computer Club to stay from all Uniblue products. Same for anything advertised on the tube for speeding up a PC. I consider all of it is as scam or scareware.

MSU

There's an uninstaller in the program directory, if it doesn't show up in the uninstall list.

Revo seems to nuke it OK too.

Grogan

There's more. Check out what is going on at the Avira Support forum. We're mentioned.

http://forum.avira.com/wbb/index.php?page=Thread&threadID=131604&pageNo=1

Hmm, rebranded Ask toolbar now too? I don't think I'm going to tolerate this. Avira is going to be removed from all customer computers because it's going to harm my reputation. It's probably going to take me a long time to sort this mess. (It took a year to get rid of the bulk of the Avast installs, but most of them inevitably came back to bite me in the ass. Eventually I heard from people even later than that. It's a more effective program now, but I still do not trust Avast).

I've actually seen the Ask toolbar get hacked (it's meant to be extended) and be the source of recurring infections. I didn't believe it at first, but it came up in a google search when I searched for some specific keywords while looking for information about an infection. But sure enough... removal of Ask toolbar was the solution. Since then, every Ask toolbar I see (whether rebranded by HP or anyone or not) gets removed.

Nice way to reinforce the new FUD ads on TV from Symantec that promote Norton 360. Where the whole world is mad at some geek for recommending a "free one" because they "still got hacked". People believe that shit too, and their antivirus will ALWAYS fail to stop all that stuff, no matter which one they have, so the advertising works.

I think the era of free antivirus programs is over, not because they aren't good, but because there is no trust. I don't want to take another hit on my reputation by recommending that people use these products, so I think I'm going to buy up a bunch of Norton Antivirus OEM licenses. I'll get them cheap (they'll just have 60 day or maybe 1 year subscriptions that they'll have to renew) and just give it to them at no extra charge, included in the cost of the labour.

A standalone Norton Antivirus isn't too bad nowadays and it's the "industry leader". I've tried to stick to my ideals, but like everyone else I'll just shift the responsibility. Why should I go out on a limb and recommend fringe products (better or not) only to have some family member or self proclaimed expert tell them it's because they don't have Norton.

I have a lot of people using the paid for Avira too and they will be replaced as well. Why do companies always have to ruin a good product?

Part of what makes Avira strong is that they act very quickly to add detections for unknown malware that people submit. I've submitted numerous samples, and by the next day they've been added, every time. With a smaller user base (which is what's going to happen if they lose people's trust) there will be less of that too.

Grogan

"Hmm, rebranded Ask toolbar now too?"

What the hell is it with that "ASK" shit. I have been seeing that in a number of Free kind of programs.

As Far as the Avira goes would that not be an option one does not need to install by not selecting it during installation?
Where have you seen that Grogan?

From the forum thread that Allyn linked us to, they are talking about the Avira toolbar, that provides a web guard. (It's the Ask toolbar rebranded and extended with their functionality)

I don't want my people getting the Ask toolbar installed any more than Uniblue shitware.

Grogan