Avast installed itself after clean system install.

I performed a clean windows install a day ago, and just finished uninstalling Avast after it's shortcut just appeared on my desktop. I had downloaded and tried avast previous to the new windows install, and had also downloaded and used CCCleaner. I did not install Avast through CCCleaner at that time, I downloaded it form their website. However, as I said, after a fresh windows installation Avast has installed itself. The only thing I didn't do when I installed Windows was format the drive, so it saved a bunch of data from the previous system. I don't know if formatting would have prevented Avast from doing this, but not fomatting the drive before the new system install is maybe what allowed it to come back. I would like to know how to prevent this from happening again, as I would rather not have to reformat and reinstall windows. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

just confirming... after a fresh install of Windows and no install of CCleaner, there was Avast on your system?

That is correct. I installed Malwarebytes after the install and that's it.

Edit: Also, just to confirm, I installed WIndows yesterday and Avast installed itself sometime today.

although I have read about it, I've not yet seen it happen in all my many fresh, upgrade and repair installs of WIn10, where software is 'kept' in the windows.old folder and still active (so to speak).

so, personally, I don't see that as being an explanation on how Avast is still on your PC.

more likely, however improbable, is that it sneaked in (like it does when installing CC) via some other software installer, especially a free program with embedded deals.

because a fresh install wipes the Windows folder and Registry so there would be not record of any previous software being installed, even though the Programs File folder will still show the Avast folder, it would not be an installed piece of software.

but if you can be certain that all you did was install Win10 and nothing else, and Avast still installed, then it must have somehow lingered from the previous OS installation and perhaps your 'fresh' install wasn't 'fresh' enough. :)

but, hey, who knows with any certainty...

Agreed. I just updated CCleaner to v5.43 and it friggin installed Avast without asking at all. Nothing whatsoever. WTF. I've been using this software for many, many years and this is wholly unacceptable by any software standards. Didn't anyone else notice this?

1 hour ago, Pyrophore said:
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		Didn't anyone else notice this?
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Some other users also had it install that didn't want it. It's perhaps a bug in the installer that they'll need to fix to avoid accidental installs.