IMPORTANT: Waterfox is an UNOFFICIAL (not supported, affiliated, sponsored, etc.by Mozilla Corp.) 64-Bit redistribution of Firefox for Windows.
I am really getting tired of applications trying to sneakily install security software/toolbars. Java and Flash have been doing this with their recent updates. Avast! has their ‘web rep’ plugin that it likes to install on ALL your browsers. The latest offender (and a major one at that) is Waterfox 15. After downloading Waterfox 15 and uninstalling Waterfox 14 (more on this in a bit) I went through the install process. After the initial install screen and selecting where I wanted shortcuts placed I was taken to a screen asking how I wanted to do the installation:
In order to NOT install the AVG crap, you need to select Custom Installation and make sure none of the options are checked. Now, when I uninstalled Waterfox 14, I did so the Windows Control Panel method. However, in order to get a screenshot of the install screen I tried running the installer again and was given the choice to add/remove features (which was about a half dozen AVG related items), repair or uninstall. I selected the uninstall option and got really unhappy when Avast! alerted me that it had blocked the program from attempting to install Trojan Horse Malware. This caused the Waterfox installer (or uninstall to freeze), so I fired up System Explore and discovered an AVG installer was running in the background. After terminating the AVG installer, the Waterfox installer alerted me that the install was interrupted and could not continue. I went into the Windows Control Panel and just manually removed Waterfox.
Since I wanted to still use this profile, I just re-assigned it to Firefox 16 Beta via the ProfileManager application I use. Upon launching Firefox 16 Beta, I noticed my default search engine was now AVG Secure Search. Looking at the plugin in the add-ons manager there was an AVG Security Toolbar, that was installed but disabled. Went back into the Windows Control Panel and sure enough I saw AVG Security Toolbar was installed. I was able to remove it and now my default search engine is back to Google.
Because of the above incident I am no longer going to use or endorse Waterfox. It does not bother me that they are partnering with AVG as long as we have a choice if we want to install the toolbar. What angers me is that when using the Waterfox uninstall tool (unlike Firefox, you must install older version of Waterfox in order to update) it takes it upon itself to install the AVG Security Toolbar without the user’s consent. So, if you already have Waterfox on your machine and want to remove it, use the Windows Control Panel. The Waterfox 15 page includes in the list of features “Optional AVG Security Search“. It ain’t optional if you try to remove Waterfox. It also talks about an updater that doesn’t sound it is working correctly.
Good Grief! I’ll avoid Waterfox like the plague that it is!
I was unable to run Waterfox 15 after installing it — even after retrying a couple of times. Kept getting some dopey error message that I didn’t want to spend time trying to fix. So I uninstalled it and installed Firefox 15 instead. Launched Firefox, and got the damn AVG search home page and toolbar. Used Revo Uninstaller to get rid of it once and for all.
I’m personally blacklisting Waterfox from my systems for as long as they continue to use installation practices that are no different from malware.
I agree. I love and support the project, but it is unacceptable to install the AVG crap behind the user’s back, especially after the user made it clear (not an easy process with the way they had the installer page setup).
I was unable to run Waterfox 15 after installing it — even after retrying a couple of times. Kept getting some dopey error message that I didn’t want to spend time trying to fix. So I uninstalled it and installed Firefox 15 instead. Launched Firefox, and got the damn AVG search home page and toolbar. Used Revo Uninstaller to get rid of it once and for all.
IMO, Waterfox 15’s installation behavior is no different than malware. I’m personally blacklisting Waterfox from my systems until that changes.
The AVG crap is incredibly Disgusting, Despicable and Vile. Mix-in the huge irony of it, and it makes me want to puke. I will not touch or recommend any product that ever comes out of them again.
Some Marketing Genius at AVG figured-out that if they crap on enough people, they will sell more toilet-paper in the short-term. However, unless the AVG-Folks live in an alternate universe, crapping on people will send their brand down the toilet. It’s called the “Law of Abuse”.
AVG has spent ~20 years building their brand, products and revenue streams, with a laser focus on Anti-Virus/Anti-Malware solutions. This same company is now destroying that, rapidly gaining market recognition for their duplicity–surreptitiously & abusively infesting browsers around the world with their outrageous crap.
Nevertheless, the AVG Genius has already presented his PowerPoint Slides at a Quarterly Review meeting: “Now, here are the most recent progress report numbers for our click-through rate and up-sell cross-branding market penetration results using our new B2C strategy. You can clearly see from this next slide that, since we started our “Crap On People” campaign, our standard composite ratios have exploded off the chart . Here you can see from this normalized trend analysis that our fulfillment rate for our entry-level and premium toilet toilet-paper has exploded right off the chart..”
AVG was a company that protects people from abuse. Sadly, it’s now one of the abusers. When an increasing number of people see the AVG Logo, “good reputation”, “comforting protection”, “reliability”, and “trust”. That is so yesterday. Now, more and more people see the logo and their stomachs churn. People think of deviousness, duplicity, abuse, malware, pain & distrust. Now, when people see the AVG logo and toolbar hacked into their browsers, it fills them with dread and anger.
I was a fan of AVG since its very beginning back in the Pre-Net stone-ages. I can’t count how many people over the years I’ve guided to use AVG. and on how many PC’s belonging to friends. relatives and fortune 500 companies that I’ve installed or had installed AVG software. Now, they’ve taught me to despise them, and warn people away.
When AVG did their IPO, I bought AVG stock and recommended it to friends and relatives. The company was making good decisions back then. Needless to say, I’ve sold my stock and recommended others to do the same.
AVG trashed a very long-standing relationship with me. So, I have but this parting comment for them: you are nuts, go to hell & FU.
(p.s. AVG can now add the following to their dubious distinctions: in the 30 years I’ve been online (from DarpaNet to now), I never used a keyboard to curse and flip the finger at anyone. Now that AVG is infecting and crapping on me and other for money, they have earned that angry distinction.)