Avast v8 update comes with unwanted Google Drive install.

[deucemagnet]

I was pissed! I uninstalled all google applications and migrated my gmail over to outlook.com. Then I figured out avast was the culprit and I uninstalled that and replaced it with MES. I've been using duckduckgo.com as my search engine ever since. Overreaction? Maybe, but it feels good to do something! Screw google and avast! "Don't be evil" my ass!

http://techdows.com/2013/02/avast-8-installing-google-drive.html

[Phillip McCleod]

1. i'm about 4 months ahead of you on that curve..

..only because i'm a computer repair tech for a living and couldn't keep installing avast.. previously the best choice and on paper *still* the 'best' free antivirus..

'why' you rhetorically ask? simple.. they went down the norton/mcafee/avira/AVG road to profits, also known as the P.T. Barnum road.

.. here it is in a nutshell, and i wish i could push this onto every desktop on earth ..

effective antivirus/antimalware should be *completely free* and *non-intrusive*. microsoft, admirably (I do *NOT* say that lightly) agrees, and the single best thing about windows 8 is the built-in antivirus solution..

.. microsoft security essentials. it might be #4 in the 'best free AV' lists, but that's still top-five, and unlike the other three contenders, MSE will never ever ask you to pay for an upgrade. it's the smartest thing microsoft has ever done.

..

my question was, how can i boost that solution into some sort of industrial strength antiviral solution? the answer?

well, the open-source community of linux show-offs explain it better than me. please go to this link and trust the integrity of the authors. i install this on every windows machine that comes through my hands..

http://www.clamav.net/lang/en/about/win32/

[deucemagnet]

3. Thanks for the link!

I'm checking it out now, will probably download and install later.

[ChromeFoundry]

2. Choose "Custom Install" on ALL apps...

especially the free ones. Always, always, always.. use "Custom Install", where you have the option to uncheck the bullshit that is simply another source of revenue for them.

[CurtEastPoint]

4. Yes...ALWAYS custom and ALWAYS read all screens and look for checkboxes.

Fuckers. (Not you...them)

[deucemagnet]

5. Yes, even for updates.

On edit: They were especially sneaky on this one. Check the link in the OP for details.

[Old and In the Way]

6. I use Skydrive, Dropbox, and Google Drive.

Have to say Google Drive is the best integrated cloud solution. Of course, you can't password protect or encrypt files...so I only cloud load stuff like music, pics, etc. I kind of like GMail/Drive solutions for non-critical info storage.

[AgingAmerican]

7. Uninstall it then go to ninite.com

scroll down to AVG and check it off and download the installer. It installs it without the toolbars or 'extras' that come with it.

I've used AVG for years and it's free for home use. Never had any problems with it.