Please help me uninstall this Yahoo toolbar

[alexeck]

Well, all the goodwill that CC Cleaner has built with me just went * poof *. I didn't read carefully the install checklist (which usually has things like "put CCCleaner as a shortcut", etc.) and now realize that it installed the Yahoo toolbar.

 

Putting aside the fact that this was misleading, I just want to remove it. But... incredibly, there is no entry in Programs and Features! Nor is there anything in the toolbar itself, nor CCCleaner's start menu entry. I've uninstalled CCCleaner but to no avail.

 

I'm an experienced user, and run a software company myself, so I do know my way around a computer. I'm completely baffled as to how to remove this pile of junk that's cluttering up my browser.

[aqua]

did you try revo uninstaller..

and next time get ccleaner-slim version ..located in "other buils"

[hazelnut]

http://help.yahoo.com/l/uk/yahoo/toolbar/t...general-07.html

[alexeck]

Hazelnut, thanks for that link, but it's not useful. It tells you to use Add/Remove Programs (or Programs and Features in Vista). My problem is... there is NO entry in Programs and Features. Be happy to post a screen shot to prove it ;-)

[marmite]

... I didn't read carefully the install checklist ...

 

Putting aside the fact that this was misleading ...

 

I'm an experienced user ...

Sorry you're having problems alexeck. Though whilst I'm no fan of toolbars 'offered' like this, I'm struggling to see how, to an experienced user, a check-box option that starts 'Add CCleaner Yahoo! toolbar ...' is misleading.

 

I know you've looked, but they do reckon you should be able to do it from the toolbar itself ... toolbar version 6, toolbar version 7. I don't know what toolbar version ccleaner uses.

 

But that's just from a quick Google ... there seem to be many other suggestions.

 

ETA: Just noticed that hazelnut's link is for version 8, which I presume is the one bundled with ccleaner if it's the latest one. What browser are you trying to remove it from; IE7/8, Firefox?

[alexeck]

Sorry you're having problems alexeck. Though whilst I'm no fan of toolbars 'offered' like this, I'm struggling to see how, to an experienced user, a check-box option that starts 'Add CCleaner Yahoo! toolbar ...' is misleading.

 

I know you've looked, but they do reckon you should be able to do it from the toolbar itself ... toolbar version 6, toolbar version 7. I don't know what toolbar version ccleaner uses.

 

But that's just from a quick Google ... there seem to be many other suggestions.

 

ETA: Just noticed that hazelnut's link is for version 8, which I presume is the one bundled with ccleaner if it's the latest one. What browser are you trying to remove it from; IE7/8, Firefox?

 

 

It's pre-selected, and the problem was that I've updated CCCleaner so many times in the past, and it's never been on there. So this time, I clicked "Next" when the options screen came up at install and then realized something was different. I went back and de-selected it but the damage was already done -- the Yahoo toolbar was installed.

 

It's misleading to a lot of people, frankly, borne out by the statistics. If you look at the install stats on toolbars, almost 80% of users will install a pre-selected toolbar; whereas when they are explicitly asked, the opt-in rate is less than 20%. It's good money, too. The Piriform folks are getting about $1/install.

 

You're correct, a bit of light Googling and I solved the problem quickly. My irritation was that it did not appear in Programs and Features and I was concerned about doing a bad uninstall and having junk left over. At any rate, to the average user, they wouldn't have known what to do. It wasn't an obvious solution.

 

Fwiw, Calendar of Updates has put CCleaner on the Hall of Shame for this practice. http://www.calendarofupdates.com/updates/i...;event_id=44514

 

Of course, they're in good company. The money made from toolbars is unreal, actually. I refuse to do toolbars for my products, because I think it's unethical. But that's just me and I'm a bit old-fashioned and quirky that way. In my case, I'm missing out on literally millions of dollars, but I just don't care. I won't do it.

 

In closing, I don't really care that much Ccleaner wants to do this, my only issue is that it's buried in a long list of optional choices. It's clearly designed to get people to install the toolbar, and there should be clearer notification that a potentially unwanted program is being installed on your computer. In addition, there should be a clear way to remove it once it's on.

[marmite]

Interesting last post; thanks.

 

Okay, semantics ... maybe not misleading but perhaps devious! I guess the 'install the toolbar so that you can run ccleaner fom your browser' is the flannel bit ... the excuse to have it as an option, if you like.

 

And yes, having this ticked by default doesn't help matters ... as you say it' a money-spinner. I suppose the flip-side to this is that ccleaner is a free product, as is a lot of software where there's a toolbar 'thrown in'. I applaud your ethical stance on this, but if it makes the difference between Piriform carrying on or folding, I'd rather see this situation and practice careful installing than have to fork out for the products in the first place (and that's not an aversion to paid-for software ... these just aren't products that I'd buy). But many, many people benefit from the fact that these products are freeware.

 

I do agree it's not quite so fair on the unwary or less technically able though. I suppose my biggest concern about how this is implemented is that uninstalling ccleaner doesn't uninstall the toolbar ... especially if there isn't a separate toolbar uninstaller.

 

But at the end of the day there's no wool being pulled over our eyes. The toolbar is clearly listed (I wouldn't say buried) at the end of just half-a-dozen options on the install page (and of course it's in the license agreement). I guess it just reinforces to everyone that we do need to read this stuff with a little care ... even for products we're familiar with.

 

Anyway, happy you got it uninstalled, and out of interest I'd be interested in a reference to the removal procedure ... it might help others.