Windows 7: ASK! toolbar: opt out it installs anyway!

Have you had any recent experience with these guys?

It appears Ass-k! Toolbar is becoming an unethical spyware operation (if it ever wasn't) which installs anyway even if you opt out, then has no uninstaller, only "Modify" or "Repair" which doesn't let you modify to not run their crap.

Revo Uninstaller in Advanced mode finds 217 reg keys anyway and another dozen files but you've still been slimed.

Auslogics and Foxit Reader are sullying their hard-earned reputations with these guys. Know any others? Set a Restore Point.

Check out this thread. Pay close attention to post number 4.

Foxit PDF Reader 4.0 Released

Yes, finally someone who's been through this too! I also used Advanced Revo Pro for the uninstall after I was forced to let A$$ k install their toolbar for tools, but you're right I had still been hosed by A$$ k because I came across their .exe permissions listed in my Security Software even though I had purposely blocked them. A$$ k is some very pernicious and evil spyware.

~Maxx~
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Thanks for the link! I was so happy to find Foxit Reader a few years ago because it ran so light on my Vista computer plus it got me another step away from the Adobe Behemoth. Man was I in for a surprise when I installed it on my new Win 7 rig! Having an add-on prechecked is one thing, but mandatory installation is just plain wrong.

~Maxx~
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Did you read post number 4 on the thread I linked to - Foxit PDF Reader 4.0 Released?

The ask toolbar installation is not mandatory.

I didn't pick mine up using Foxit and cannot say with certainty that it was Auslogics except that I installed new versions of both Disk and Reg defraggers, opting out of Ask! toolbar in Reg installer. Suddenly I gotta toolbar. I haven't allow a 3rd party toolbar onto my system for 10 years so it kinda set me off.

Airbot- Yes I did read your post and I visited the Foxit site that you linked to where v4.1.1 is now available and it is very good to hear that people no longer will have to go through what I went through installing v4.0.0.619 of Foxit reader. This is truly a great program and its good to hear that they wised up to how much people resented having to install the Ask Toolbar with no checked boxes to opt out like they now have.

Thank you so much for bringing my attention to the recent changes in Foxit Reader that will allow me to continue to recommend this light but versatile PDF program!

~Maxx~
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Strange. I just downloaded and installed latest Auslogics reg defrag to test, and it gave me the checkboxes for Ask, unchecked them and it didn't install Ask.

Already have the disk defrag, didn't install it for me either.

I don't use Foxit myself so must have picked it up elsewhere. I haven't had a 3rd party toolbar on my system for 10 years and thought I had learned all their tricks.

It may have tricked me to get on my system but not having an Uninstaller is a new low, as without Revo we'd be stuck with it.

I know that some worthwhile programs like Auslogics pay for their free versions this way, but they surely don't want to associate with ethics like this. I would guess not with Auslogics, since they had the same tricky License Agreement as you posted in link (which fools you into taking the toolbar) in the last version of Reg defragger and they have dropped it now and instead use only the two checkboxes to opt out.

I think that's where I picked up my Ask! without Ask!ing.

Seeing as Foxit has been brought up here, the easiest way to get it without the toolbar is when on the download page click on "More download" and download the zip version. This is the portable version and doesn't require installation; just download, unzip, place the exe anywhere you want and run it once and it will set itself as the default pdf reader.