[floppybootstomp]

Have just put a machine together for a friend, installed Win XP and decided to use Avast AV.

I chose custom setup and during the install chose not to have a desktop icon or an entry in Quick Launch.

Avast installed Google Chrome and gave me a desktop shortcut. At no stage during the 'custom' setup was I given the option not to have Chrome installed. In fact no mention was made of Chrome at all.

Both apps have just made an enemy of me, if there's one thing that really gets me riled up it's crap installing crap you didn't ask for It's almost tantamount to Malware imo And when I read of all the other rubbish about Chrome I'm not going to touch it with a ten foot pole, they is bang out of order.

So, be aware of that if you're thinking of using Avast.

In actual fact Chrome is still installing as I type this, has been locked for twenty minutes now. Looks like I'm going to have to Ctrl-Alt-Del and close it down, I just hope I can uninstall all aspects of Chrome after it's probably crept all over the OS like some poxy poison Ivy.

And on that cheerful note I'm going to bed - pah!

[Taffycat]

A similar experience is what put me off Google Chrome some time ago. It came with Google Earth (although I didn't realise it at the time. It's always my practice to check any boxes to decline bundled adware.)

It felt like my PC had been "hijacked" by Chrome; it had even made itself my default browser!

By default, Google downloads a small setup file that installs Google Earth, Google Chrome and Google Updater. Even if you disable the option "Include Google Chrome, a fast new browser for Windows and Mac", you'll still download a Web installer.

googlesystem.blogspot

It's a bit off, if Chrome is still sneaking in with other applications/programmes.

[muckshifter]

I'm an avid Chrome & Google user, however, I don't like what I'm seeing becoming a "normal" trend ... the 'adverts' accompanying Gmail, in particular, are getting way OTT

[bootneck02]

Just uninstalled Chrome and installed Waterfox, am fed up with big corporations hijacking my PC without my permission and monitoring who I visit so they can send me adverts

[V_R]

Originally Posted by muckshifter

I'm an avid Chrome & Google user, however, I don't like what I'm seeing becoming a "normal" trend ... the 'adverts' accompanying Gmail, in particular, are getting way OTT

What adverts? I dont see any ad's in Gmail.

Mail settings > Web clips, untick.


Also, thats part of the reason i dont like Chrome, it installs Google updater, something else running that really doesn't need to be.

Firefox/Waterfox can update without having another service running.....


...and why cant you change the install directory for Google Earth, without editing the registry or unpacking the installer?, i don't want it installed on my SSD....

https://groups.google.com/a/googlepr...-i/6gMele6TB1g

[muckshifter]

I don't 'see' google updater running ... I guess we win some we loose some.

[V_R]

Maybe they have changed it since i last tried it, i would like to hope so.... Sure it was sat in the services menu...

Hmm, i dont see any of that, Do you have web clips turned off in settings? Am running Firefox and Adblock here, and Waterfox and Adblock at home.

[muckshifter]

yes, I have 'web clips' turned off ... I have also opted out of whatever they did last time, makes no odds, I still get adds.

About personalized ads on Google Search and Gmail
When we personalize ads based on your searches and clicks on Google and Gmail, we can actually show you fewer ads that better match your interests.

How ads are personalized on Google search

When you search for something on Google, for example "hotels in New York," the page that you get contains search results and ads that match your search terms.

We might personalize ads that appear on search results by using additional information beyond what you just entered in the search box. For example, if you search for "hotels" and then make a second search for "travel," and then a third for "New York," the results page for the last search might contain ads for hotels in New York, based on the combination of the three searches. Or if you search for "New York" on Google from your laptop while signed in to your Google account, later if you search for "Pizza" on Google from your mobile device while signed in to that same account, you might see ads for "Pizza in New York."

Other ways we can personalize ads include using your Web History to show ads that are relevant to you, or, in some countries, based on visits to advertisers' websites.

How ads are personalized on Gmail

In Gmail, most of the ads we show appear next to an open email message and are related to the contents of the current email conversation or thread. These ads appear on Gmail regardless of your preferences or settings. In your inbox, you might also see ads that match the contents of one of the emails in your inbox.

When we personalize ads, we display ads based on the contents of all your emails. For example, if you've recently received lots of messages about photography or cameras, we might show you a deal from a local camera store. In your inbox, we might also show you ads related to information from different emails in your inbox. We show you these ads on Gmail depending on your preferences in the Ads Preferences Manager. Read more about this in the section below.

Find out more about ads in Gmail.

Transparency and choice with the Ads Preferences Manager

The Ads Preferences Manager shows you what information is used to personalize your ads, and lets you block some advertisers or opt out entirely of personalized ads on Google search and Gmail.

Read more about personalized ads and the Ads Preferences Manager.

Blocking advertisers

If you're signed in to your Google Account when you visit the Ads Preferences Manager, you can "block" an advertiser. This means that while you're signed in, you'll no longer see ads that link to that advertiser's website, whether you're on Google search or Gmail. You can unblock the advertiser at any time.

If you're not signed in to your Google Account, you can still see some information associated with the computer's web browser. In this case, ads are customized to a particular computer, rather than to a personal account.

When you visit the Ads Preferences Manager while signed in to your Google Account, you have more control over what ads you see and we show you details about why you see those ads. We offer you these choices only when you're signed in because we want to make sure that only you can access your personal information on the Ads Preferences Manager. In addition, once you're signed in, we can show you personalized search results and ads across different computers.

Opting out

If you don't want to see personalized ads on Google search, you can opt out. If you do this while you're signed in to your Google Account, you'll be opting out of personalized ads on both Search and Gmail, as well as ads on Google search that are customized for your browser.

When you're signed out of your Google Account, you can also opt out of Google search ads that are customized for your browser; however, you'll still see ads that are personalized to your Google Account.

Privacy

Please visit our Advertising and Privacy section of our Privacy Center to read more about our commitment to your privacy.

I'm getting a wee bit peeved with Google.

[Abarbarian]

It has been a while since I installed Avast but I recall it gave an option to not install some extra stuff.
Seems to work perfectly here on 7.

[floppybootstomp]

No ads in Gmail here either. Last week or so ago Abarbarian recommended a browser named 'Iron' which is basically Chrome with all the rubbish removed but I'm afraid I've been scared off completely. Who the hell is running Google stuff then? Steve Ballmer?

Right, installation of Chrome during Avast install was stuck as I left the first post. Task manager wouldn't stop it so I hard reset. When machine rebooted Avast was installed, Chrome was not. There is one small Google folder in program files, I haven't checked the registry yet but things are looking good.

I don't think I have Avast running on any of my machines anymore, think I'm using MSE on all 3 of 'em now but I certainly won't be using Avast anymore, if I need a freebie other than MSE I'll go back to Antivir, pop-ups and all (for purchase of 'pro' version of Antivir, I can handle that), at least they don't throw unrelated crap at you.

And I know It's probably not very cool and some may think me a dork but I still use IE8. Why? Cos it works, does what I want it to do and I like it. Simple. Sorted

Oh, and don't ask why Rachel (my friend) can't use MSE on her 'puter, just don't ask, 'k?