OT: Google Earth 5.0 users beware

[R. McCarty]

For anyone who has or will update Google Earth to the new 5.0 version.

Google is working overtime to "Force" their GoogleUpdater onto your PC.
Google Earth 5 will now add two new Scheduled Tasks into your machine.
They also are now hiding the process by loading via a SVCHost instance.
This startup call runs from the Services Registry keys.

For users who don't want these damn automatic updaters loading getting
rid of the latest Google Updater ( Version 1.2.133.37 ) isn't an easy thing
to accomplish. Unfortunately Google no longer places a entry in the Add
Remove programs applet. As it stands now one possible solution is to find
GoogleUpdateHelper.Msi and Right Click and Uninstall. You have to do
a manual removal of the scheduled tasks and the service startup call.

Google by the way does not provide a Stand-Alone installer package for
Google Earth. You have to download a loader app to get the program and
it brings in the GoogleUpdater.

They ( Google ) are quickly replacing Symantec as one of my least favorite
software providers.

 

[Malke]

For anyone who has or will update Google Earth to the new 5.0 version.

Google is working overtime to "Force" their GoogleUpdater onto your PC.
Google Earth 5 will now add two new Scheduled Tasks into your machine.
They also are now hiding the process by loading via a SVCHost instance.
This startup call runs from the Services Registry keys.

For users who don't want these damn automatic updaters loading getting
rid of the latest Google Updater ( Version 1.2.133.37 ) isn't an easy
thing to accomplish. Unfortunately Google no longer places a entry in the
Add Remove programs applet. As it stands now one possible solution is to
find GoogleUpdateHelper.Msi and Right Click and Uninstall. You have to do
a manual removal of the scheduled tasks and the service startup call.

Google by the way does not provide a Stand-Alone installer package for
Google Earth. You have to download a loader app to get the program and
it brings in the GoogleUpdater.

They ( Google ) are quickly replacing Symantec as one of my least favorite
software providers.

Thanks for that information. I downloaded Google Earth 5 and installed it on
my Win7 box just to see it yesterday. Because I know about Google's
unpleasant habit of shoving an updater in Services, I looked and found the
two services. Are you saying that simply stopping and disabling both
services doesn't do the job?

Malke

 

[Motort]

For anyone who has or will update Google Earth to the new 5.0 version.

Google is working overtime to "Force" their GoogleUpdater onto your PC.
Google Earth 5 will now add two new Scheduled Tasks into your machine.
They also are now hiding the process by loading via a SVCHost instance.
This startup call runs from the Services Registry keys.

For users who don't want these damn automatic updaters loading getting
rid of the latest Google Updater ( Version 1.2.133.37 ) isn't an easy thing
to accomplish. Unfortunately Google no longer places a entry in the Add
Remove programs applet. As it stands now one possible solution is to find
GoogleUpdateHelper.Msi and Right Click and Uninstall. You have to do
a manual removal of the scheduled tasks and the service startup call.

Google by the way does not provide a Stand-Alone installer package for
Google Earth. You have to download a loader app to get the program and
it brings in the GoogleUpdater.

They ( Google ) are quickly replacing Symantec as one of my least favorite
software providers.

Thanks for the tip. I've been trying for months to get rid of
GoogleUpdater. I don't know what version it is, I just know it keeps
coming back! Thanks again.

 

[R. McCarty]

Not for me. I removed the Services and rebooted and found it ( Google
Updater ) still loaded in memory.

What I've found is that there are several aspects to Google Updater. The
Registry key for the Service start as an /SVCHost call. Two entries in the
Scheduled Tasks and a run call from the user's profile. On my test machine
I also did the Uninstall on the GoogleUpdateHelper.msi to actually remove
the program.

After all these manual steps I loaded Google Earth and did a "Check for
Updates" to make sure that itself didn't reinstall or activate the updater.
I'm
still trying to cobble together a removal process and make sure taking all
this junk out doesn't break something else.

And a big Thanks to Google for adding another list of steps to keeping a
PC running without more junk loading it down !

 

[Malke]

Not for me. I removed the Services and rebooted and found it ( Google
Updater ) still loaded in memory.

What I've found is that there are several aspects to Google Updater. The
Registry key for the Service start as an /SVCHost call. Two entries in the
Scheduled Tasks and a run call from the user's profile. On my test machine
I also did the Uninstall on the GoogleUpdateHelper.msi to actually remove
the program.

After all these manual steps I loaded Google Earth and did a "Check for
Updates" to make sure that itself didn't reinstall or activate the
updater. I'm
still trying to cobble together a removal process and make sure taking all
this junk out doesn't break something else.

And a big Thanks to Google for adding another list of steps to keeping a
PC running without more junk loading it down !

Thanks for the additional information. I'll fire up the Win7 box later today
and take a look. This just adds to the work I normally do when setting up
and/or working on a client's system. I always go in and stop the extra
startup cr*p from Adobe Reader, Java (adds a registry entry, Control Panel
entry, and in XP [not Vista] adds a "quick start" service), iTunes and/or
Quicktime, etc. I usually install Picasa for clients and disable automatic
updating from within the program. I've noticed that on the kid's XP box
where he installed some Google Talk chat thing, the updater was constantly
renewing itself but was able to kill it.

If you do work out a removal process, I'd love it if you'd shoot me an email
with the details or post back to this thread. I'll put a watch on it.

Cheers,

Malke

 

[shawn]

Thanks for the info. Good to know even though I don't use the program. I've
tried it in the past, but will certaintly not install this new version.

 

[Leythos]

Google is working overtime to "Force" their GoogleUpdater onto your PC

What could google possibly offer that makes their intrusion into your PC
worth having?

We don't allow any vendors tool-bar products, no earth, no IM, no
desktop tools, etc... Oh, and no weatherbug or others.....

Since you have no idea what they are going to do with your computer,
since they can add/do anything they want once you've installed their
products, why do you even consider installing them?

 

[Malke]

What could google possibly offer that makes their intrusion into your PC
worth having?

We don't allow any vendors tool-bar products, no earth, no IM, no
desktop tools, etc... Oh, and no weatherbug or others.....

Since you have no idea what they are going to do with your computer,
since they can add/do anything they want once you've installed their
products, why do you even consider installing them?

I don't, since I don't use Windows. And I uninstall all toolbars and
discourage Google Desktop, etc. for clients. But some clients want Google
Desktop, Google Earth, etc. and they are paying me so I do what they want
and optimize their computers as best I can.

Malke

 

[Toni]

Google Updater used to be called GoogleToolbarNotifier.

I found an interesting article on it;s early behavior here:
http://quarterbacks.org/GoogleToolbarNotifier/GoogleToolbarNotifier.asp

 

[Toni]

...
:> Thanks for the additional information. I'll fire up the Win7 box later today

and take a look. This just adds to the work I normally do when setting up
and/or working on a client's system. I always go in and stop the extra
startup cr*p from Adobe Reader, Java (adds a registry entry, Control Panel
entry, and in XP [not Vista] adds a "quick start" service)

I install Microsoft Java.

Yes, it's old, and controversial, but it runs much faster and is far less intrusive than
Sun Java. Never had a problem with it anywhere.