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Avast Browser Cleanup Tool, manages addons and toolbars


Andavari

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Avast Browser Cleanup Tool

 

about: Allows you to disable or uninstall add-ons and toolbars in your web browser.

Supported Web Browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer.

URL: http://www.snapfiles...t/avastbct.html

 

 

It's included in Avast Antivirus 8, however for people that don't use Avast Antivirus there's also a version that doesn't require having Avast Antivirus installed.

 

I haven't tried it since I don't actually have a use for it as of yet, but figured since it's from the same people that make Avast Antivirus it has to be trustworthy and may help someone that has some malware masquerading as an add-on or toolbar.

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Nice find Andavari. I just ran it from within Avast 8 on windows xp ie8.

 

It found something called "Active Desktop Mover, Windows Shell Common Dll".

Don't know what that is, but it has never been a problem afaik, so I left it alone.

If it is a bad actor, somebody tell me.

 

It also removed the Ask toolbar and reset the default search option back to Live Search

But I had to manually delete the Ask Search provider from inside ie8.

Ya gotta love java. I just installed it to GET the unwanted toolbar. :lol:

 

Edit 07 March:

Just ran it on win 7. It found and offered to remove the Bing Bar.

 

So, a very limited test but it worked as advertised.

The CCleaner SLIM version is always released a bit after any new version; when it is it will be HERE :-)

Pssssst: ... It isn't really a cloud. Its a bunch of big, giant servers.

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To My Good Friends Andavari and Login,

 

I just popped in to hopefully peruse around the forum and answer PM's and saw this post. Just when I was about to grasp Avast v7 they sent me v8 with a whole different facelift. The homepage was changed so much and when I tried to run a Quick Scan I clicked on the homepage and pressed the wrong tab and discovered it was set up by default. When I tried to run a Full Scan it would only do a Quick Scan. It drove me nuts for a few days so I contacted Support for help when the Help section in the program failed to explain in enough detail how to run the various scans. They got right back to me and explained how to get to the list of scan options and I was straightened out. Amounted to just some different fancy footwork due to the new version. Another case of when I finally learned the answers they changed the questions as the old adage says. My approach is not to go pressing this and that before finding out what happens. I see you have the same setup as I Login which is ironic. Didn't mean to be so long-winded but thought I would make some contribution I guess. Take care my friends and thanks for all you do on this forum.

 

Warlock

If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain. If I can ease one life the aching or cool one pain, or help one fainting robin unto his nest again, I shall not live in vain. (Emily Dickinson-1830-1886)

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"when I finally learned the answers they changed the questions" :lol:

The CCleaner SLIM version is always released a bit after any new version; when it is it will be HERE :-)

Pssssst: ... It isn't really a cloud. Its a bunch of big, giant servers.

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Paraprosdokian is eggzactly what I was thinking. Yep. Sure was. :lol:

 

I think some of the members here are wondering about the free version 8 of Avast.

I just installed it on my old win xp computer and decided to run the full version for 20 day trial.

 

Just thought I would mention it here in case someone else has to decide "to try or not to try".

 

The full version has lots of features, a firewall, a sandbox feature, a safezone, an antispam feature, and an internet monitor. It runs fast and is light on resources. It would be a very good all in one security suite, maybe a bit complicated to set up. It is not free.

 

All that was said in to be fair, because the Avast folks are very generous to offer their free AV.

It's a good'un.

 

But for me, the installation of the full trial version was a bad idea.

Now there are 2 or more apps dong the same thing on this computer, some free, some paid.

So I have to uninstall Avast 8 full trial and reinstall it with just the basic free functions.

Not a problem, but it is never as easy as just running the uninstaller. Avast sets deep hooks, as a good AV should. I doubt the uninstaller will get it all.

 

Edit: There were 192 reg entries left over, probably two thirds of them just recent links, and a couple of files and folders. All gone now.

The CCleaner SLIM version is always released a bit after any new version; when it is it will be HERE :-)

Pssssst: ... It isn't really a cloud. Its a bunch of big, giant servers.

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For me the best toolbar cleaner is Xplode's ADWCleaner although it can be a little rough.

 

AVAST is just reinventing the wheel, although I find very nice to have several options.

Tried this, pretty good, but it somehow reset my NoScript whitelist and it closed all programs before cleaning (also my firewall, which ain't nice).

 

Edit. I took a backup of Firefox profile settings file "prefs.js" before cleaning, restored it and NoScript is working "normally" now.

Weird that AdwCleaner reported: Found : user_pref("browser.search.order.1", "Ask.com"); which I couldn't find in the backup prefs.js (it's Google instead of Ask.com). Also weird that cleaning this resets NoScript.. :o

Edited by nodles
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For me the best toolbar cleaner is Xplode's ADWCleaner although it can be a little rough.

I tried it too. That is a nice little app.

The CCleaner SLIM version is always released a bit after any new version; when it is it will be HERE :-)

Pssssst: ... It isn't really a cloud. Its a bunch of big, giant servers.

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I haven't noticed anything weird with NoScript after using Xplode's util. On the other hand ADWCleaner is updated frequently. Maybe that NoScript issue is already fixed.

 

And now that we are talking about NoScript and such. I think Avast aproach is a good idea because I have installed NoScript in some friends computers and they alwasy end up removing it, because they find its usage not very straightforward.

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It seems good too. Thanks for the heads up Hazelnut.

 

Well I have tested the JRT tool Hazelnut posted and it is VERY SLOW running when compared to Xplode's one (It seems slightly more thorough though). On a negative note it deleted my Save Images Firefox extension (that it isn't junkware). And there is also a JRT leftover folder on the root drive of my Windows Installation after it finishes execution.

 

There is also another leftover folder -> \Windows\ERUNT\JRT

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It seems good too. Thanks for the heads up Hazelnut.

 

Well I have tested the JRT tool Hazelnut posted and it is VERY SLOW running when compared to Xplode's one (It seems slightly more thorough though). On a negative note it deleted my Save Images Firefox extension (that it isn't junkware). And there is also a JRT leftover folder on the root drive of my Windows Installation after it finishes execution.

 

There is also another leftover folder -> \Windows\ERUNT\JRT

 

Have passed this info onto someone who hopefully will pass it onto author of tool.

 

Support contact

https://support.ccleaner.com/s/contact-form?language=en_US&form=general

or

support@ccleaner.com

 

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It seems good too. Thanks for the heads up Hazelnut.

 

Well I have tested the JRT tool Hazelnut posted and it is VERY SLOW running when compared to Xplode's one (It seems slightly more thorough though). On a negative note it deleted my Save Images Firefox extension (that it isn't junkware). And there is also a JRT leftover folder on the root drive of my Windows Installation after it finishes execution.

 

There is also another leftover folder -> \Windows\ERUNT\JRT

 

Hello,

 

I am the author of JRT and will try to address your concerns to the best of my ability.

 

Regarding the C:\JRT folder left behind after execution of the tool. This is one of the downsides of a batch based program. Since I am "calling" multiple batch files, the contents of the program need to be dumped somewhere. I could probably learn how to implement a "/uninstall" switch to remove the traces of the tool after the user is done using it to remove all traces of the tool.

 

The ERUNT folder is there for backup purposes. Incase the tool deleted parts of the registry that shouldn't have been removed you could run the ERDNT.EXE file within that folder to restore your previous registry settings. More information regarding ERUNT here.

 

__

 

Regarding "Save Images" Firefox extension being deleted: This I'm guessing is a bad result of the heuristic scanning I have set up meant to target "Bcool" adware extensions. I will try to implement some type of whitelist so this problem does not occur very often.

 

Thanks for your feedback! :)

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I could probably learn how to implement a "/uninstall" switch to remove the traces of the tool after the user is done using it to remove all traces of the tool.

 

Some SFX tools for example WinZip Self Extractor (not free) can unpack files, and then when they're done doing whatever remove them. Although it operates soley from the user profiles temp folder if doing it as some sort of install - maybe not what you want but it's an option.

 

Sorry I'm unaware of any freeware or open source SFX tools that do this, but perhaps Inno Setup is worth a try if you have the patience of learning it since it has built in uninstall ability.

Edited by Andavari
Fixed mistake
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Thanks thisisu for your comments. I am pretty sure JRT will become an essential tool.

 

As for the leftover temp folder, it isn't really a big issue.

 

As for the eruNT folder I also use eruNT so I guessed that folder was for backup purposes.

 

About the whitelist thing, it seems a good idea.

 

PS - I think a moderator should created a separate JRT Tool thread and merge the mess we are doing here. I feel we are derrailing this thread.

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