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Avast ye landlubbers!!


nukecad

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So it finally happened.

Today I've been trying to track down a software clash, part of which involved installing different versions of CCleaner.
I was using different CC installer versions that I have saved on my laptop.

Having finished my testing I noticed an orange blob on my desktop, I've been Avast-d for the first time ever.
The icon has the name "avast_free_antivirus_setup_online"

Looking in Apps & features (and in the old style Control Panel) Avast is not showing as an installed application.
It's not showing in the task manager, but looking in CCleaner there was a file in 'start-up' called something like "......avast-repair" with a /wait parameter - this entry was quickly deleted.

I'm guessing that Avast needs you to click that desktop Icon, or do a restart to run that file, to fully install it.

Looks like I may have dodged a bullet there, especially as I was doing various restarts during my testing.

Deleted it from C:\program files, and C\program data.
Did a search of 'This PC' for anything 'Avast' and deleted those.
Will check the registry next.
And may then run the Avast Uninstall Utility. (Or may not, I didn't want anything Avast in the first place).

Edit.

Looks like I've got it all because it never installed,  time to wait and see. There's always that uninstall utility if needed.

*** Out of Beer Error ->->-> Recovering Memory ***

Worried about 'Tracking Files'? Worried about why some files come back after cleaning? See this link:
https://community.ccleaner.com/topic/52668-tracking-files/?tab=comments#comment-300043

 

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mmmmh, since a few month i have a "overseer" too with avg :D what will avast/avg overseeing over what? 

Versions of CCleaner Cloud; Introduction Ccleaner Cloud;

Ccleaner-->System-Requirements; Ccleaner FAQ´s; Ccleaner builds; Scheduling Ccleaner Free

 

Es ist möglich, keine Fehler zu machen und dennoch zu verlieren. Das ist kein Zeichen von Schwäche. Das ist das Leben -> "Picard"

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6 hours ago, hazelnut said:

You may have to watch out for this one too nukecad.. Avast Overseer

Nope I don't have that, probably because I caught things before Avast actually installed. (And didn't use the Uninstall Utility, which I believe can also leave it behind).

The only thing on my laptop that even mentions Avast in the name is a screenshoot I of the CC installer, and that I named myself.

mmmmh, since a few month i have a "overseer" too with avg :D what will avast/avg overseeing over what? 

More, "official", information about what Avast Overseer is can be found here, especially note the posts from 'drake127' who says he was one of the key authors:
https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=210028.0

In his first post he says:

Quote

Hi, I was betting how long it would take for someone to notice.

It is our new application that is going to help us detect common (technical) issues with our products. In a sense, it behaves similarly to our Avast Emergency Update but is able to correct these issues independently and even catch them sooner. That's at least theory, currently we are evaluating its performance on small fraction of our users.

So he admits they released/installed it without telling anyone, inspires confidence doesn't it?

I think the piratical theme of my title for this thread is appropriate for Avast's behaviour.

*** Out of Beer Error ->->-> Recovering Memory ***

Worried about 'Tracking Files'? Worried about why some files come back after cleaning? See this link:
https://community.ccleaner.com/topic/52668-tracking-files/?tab=comments#comment-300043

 

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Thanks for the information. Not a good move by avast, imho.  Sad. 

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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im with login123 - thanks for this infos, nukecad :-)

 

normally i blocked avast/avg overseer in the past ...

Versions of CCleaner Cloud; Introduction Ccleaner Cloud;

Ccleaner-->System-Requirements; Ccleaner FAQ´s; Ccleaner builds; Scheduling Ccleaner Free

 

Es ist möglich, keine Fehler zu machen und dennoch zu verlieren. Das ist kein Zeichen von Schwäche. Das ist das Leben -> "Picard"

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Thanks, trium, for the encouragement. :) 

I should explain a bit, I guess.  I like the idea that the antivirus has a sort of emergency backup that is tough.  Don't like when the firewall starts warning about my AV software without any explanation or prior notice.   Posted that on the avast forum.  No reply yet.  Don't really expect one.  And it may be that the real reason for this change was something entirely different.   

https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=210028.30

 

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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  • 3 months later...
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Earlier today I noticed in task manager that 'Avast remediation exe' was running on my laptop.

WTF has that been sneaked onto my machine from?

That's a rhetorical question.
I had earlier reinstalled CCleaner v5.43 to do a bit of testing, obviously Avast/Piriform sneaked it in there.
The dates on the numerous Avast files confirm it was downloaded today.

The offer was not shown in the installer.
I know what I'm doing with the installers, I would not have 'overlooked' the offer, I specifically waited to see if it was going to turn up - it didn't.

I have been 'Avasted' once before but that time it merely put an installer icon on the desktop as well as a startup installer task.
This time everything was hidden and it was only by coincidence that I noticed it running in the task manager.
Looks like it did manage to install itself this time, with no indication that it was doing so.

A closer look and I had 2 instances of 'Avast Anti-Virus Installer' running and an 'Avast Service' also running, none of these could be terminated in the normal way.
There's also an 'Avast Emergency Update' with multiple triggers in my schedued tasks, as well as the above mentioned 'Overseer', also from Avast, also with multiple triggers.


Thanks Piriform guys, it's going to take me hours now to get this unwanted Avast junk off my laptop (again).

*** Out of Beer Error ->->-> Recovering Memory ***

Worried about 'Tracking Files'? Worried about why some files come back after cleaning? See this link:
https://community.ccleaner.com/topic/52668-tracking-files/?tab=comments#comment-300043

 

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Seem to have got rid of most of it apart from some licences in WinSxS which I'll leave to Windows to tidy up, and of course some registry entries which I have to investigate further.

Hard to be sure if it's left something else behind with a strange name though.

OK, it was an older version that I had installed but they were supposed to have sorted out these 'ghost' installations round about 5.40/5.41.

*** Out of Beer Error ->->-> Recovering Memory ***

Worried about 'Tracking Files'? Worried about why some files come back after cleaning? See this link:
https://community.ccleaner.com/topic/52668-tracking-files/?tab=comments#comment-300043

 

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Looks like whatever it did during the install/uninstall has broken my Firefox.

My Firefox won't close properly now, the window closes but the processes don't.
You either have to force it closed from task manager, or you get a crash warning/report after a while or when you relaunch FF.

EDIT. May not be, the issue doesn't happen if I run FF safemode so I'll have to test my addons to see if one of those is causing it.

*** Out of Beer Error ->->-> Recovering Memory ***

Worried about 'Tracking Files'? Worried about why some files come back after cleaning? See this link:
https://community.ccleaner.com/topic/52668-tracking-files/?tab=comments#comment-300043

 

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in case you haven't already, try Revo to remove all traces.
has served me well over the years.
I lashed out and got the Pro (used to be the v2 Pro build but had to cough up for the v3 major build upgrade).
currently on 50% discount sale.

Backup now & backup often.
It's your digital life - protect it with a backup.
Three things are certain; Birth, Death and loss of data. You control the last.

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I just edited the post above, the FF behavious may be a different issue entirely with one of my addons.

*** Out of Beer Error ->->-> Recovering Memory ***

Worried about 'Tracking Files'? Worried about why some files come back after cleaning? See this link:
https://community.ccleaner.com/topic/52668-tracking-files/?tab=comments#comment-300043

 

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Mmm, seem that it wasn't an addon but the hardware acceleration setting in FF.
I got the idea to test that because FF safemode doesn't run the acceleration.

Manually turning that off and then on again has cured the issue (for now at least).

*** Out of Beer Error ->->-> Recovering Memory ***

Worried about 'Tracking Files'? Worried about why some files come back after cleaning? See this link:
https://community.ccleaner.com/topic/52668-tracking-files/?tab=comments#comment-300043

 

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18 hours ago, nukecad said:

Earlier today I noticed in task manager that 'Avast remediation exe' was running on my laptop.

WTF has that been sneaked onto my machine from?

Why not block Avast URLs in the HOSTS file!

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Would be fairly simple, but I like to see what it is that other 'non-techie' users are reporting, even if I get caught out myself now and again.
Plus not blocking things helps to show if there is a genuine issue and it's not just an inattentive, first time, user.

In this case it showed that you can still get an 'invisible' unwanted install of Avast with no offer shown to unselect.
Behaviour that we were assured had been fixed since v5.40.

TBH I'm working up to going further than blocking only Avast; just have to finish up the writing/testing of a batch/script I'm working on.
(Which is why I was doing the testing and installed v5.43 again in the first place. LOL).

*** Out of Beer Error ->->-> Recovering Memory ***

Worried about 'Tracking Files'? Worried about why some files come back after cleaning? See this link:
https://community.ccleaner.com/topic/52668-tracking-files/?tab=comments#comment-300043

 

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