adobe flashplayer update installs mcafee crapware

[Bob_Timms]

Updated flash player and these adobe installed macafee crapware without even asking!!!! How can they do that? Why would they do that? Why do they want to piss off someone especially a customer! They have made me a totally RELUCTANT customer now.

[gregopad39]

One other thing ladies and gentlemen - regarding the issue of Adobe customers calling my personal cell phone for help - I meticulously outlined the problem - of dates of communications and cell phone calls.   

I sent two hard copy letters to the world headquarters of Adobe and to  their VP of Sales and Marketing - outlining my disappointment and frustration.

NO ONE answered either of my letters - no postal mail, no email, no phone call no post card.

They clearly vote with their actions.

[Guest]

I have also observed the already checked box in previous Flash Updates for McAfee. I have unchecked this "obnoxious" check box many times. As others have observed before me, there was no chance to "uncheck" this box today. This is the first time that I remember this happening. I also cancelled the installation and re-ran it (perhaps thinking that I missed unchecking the box this time around). Absolutely NOT.

I then immediately uninstalled McAfee. Generally, multiple "security" products do not co-exist well together. Adobe should NOT autocheck this box.

I am an exeprienced softwae developer (since 1969).

Adobe - please get rid of this obnoxious installation practice. I am sure that many people would be OK with an OPT-IN but NEVER with an automatic Adobe mandated OPT-IN.

[Keith_L_Terrill]

YES, YES, YES.... I would be happy with an opt in. But, to have it auto install or even assume we would want it is just plain WRONG.

Adobe: "Do the right thing, because it is the right thing to do" - W Clement Stone

I do not want McAfee products on my systems. Period. I have a better produce, one of McAfee's competitors on my system and am happy with that.

Please, listen to us.

If there is another work around, even if it is a little less able than your Flash.... we are going to go to that instead. Trust me on this!

[_maria_]

Hi Quigley,

You state "The link was provided by Blizzard, which took me to an install link for Adobe Flash Player (which also showed step 2 of 3 in the upper right corner). " Can you please provide me the Blizzard URL that took you to the install link for Adobe Flash Player and the exact link that Blizzard sent you to?

Thank you in advance.

--

Maria

[Quigley1]

m_vargas,

The link was embedded within a new app Blizzard is using to launch their games.  It displays in the main window when you attempt to run any video within their app by clicking on the picture.  The link to their app is:

http://us.battle.net/en/app/

I cannot provide the link address as once the link is clicked and update is done, it link does not display again.

Quigley

[_maria_]

Thank you, Quigley,

I'm not familiar with that site or app, but I'll install and try to find where the link is posted.

--

Maria

[Thetiger26]

It's not from the website but from the Automatic update:    I choose notify me when update is available.  And when it propose me an Update it install automatically the McAfee Security

[Guest]

Agreed as Tiger26 explains it.

I also tried to chage the emaIl address on my Adobe login. All I get is the hour hands circling FOREVER. Great website design? Maybe they use DreamWeaver?

[Keith_L_Terrill]

Once again Adobe update installed McAfee security software. I had to take time to remove it from my system. And, NO THERE WAS NO WARNING, AND THERE WAS NO CHECK BOX TO CHECK OR UNCHECK REGARDS THE INSTALLATION OF THE McAfee SOFTWARE.

This happened to me once before and the Support told me that I must have missed the check box. Since then I have been extra careful to look for it. I am 99.99% sure it was not there. And, like other who have reported here I can not go back and examine the offending screen.

If it wasn't for the fact that we need Flash for some of our other programs we would remove Adobe 100% from our system(s).

Is there anything we can do about it? I doubt it.

[Guest]

Yesterday I must have changed my default browser to Internet Explorer from Chrome by mistake (my error) and un-noticed as I had chrome open all day yesterday whilst testing a website display with IE.

Today on starting the PC I immediately get an Adobe update popup offering on page 2 'Google Toolbar for IE' (now was that a coincidence or not).

If Chrome had been my default what would have been offered, anyway that at least today McAfee was not offered or pushed.

I followed the procedure that I wrote in post 93 and I took screen shots at each stage.

Before and after the procedure I have no McAfee unwanted product and did not accept google toolbar for IE and I am now back to Chrome default. ( I wonder if and when a popup will appear for Chrome)

If anyone is interested here is the pdf I made of the screenshots 373kb http://www.bustagut.co.uk/files/140619_adobe_update_popup.pdf

[byebyeadobe]

I signed up to this site to say :

Due to Adobe installing 3rd party programs (McAfee Security Scan) when updating Adobe flash player I will now (with no option to not install McAfee);

1. Look for alternatives to Adobe flash player.

2. I will auto-ignore any Adobe products or related products.

3. I will now make sure I have nothing to do with Adobe.

4. Inform everyone I know about their practices of installing programs without your consent. 

[Keith_L_Terrill]

It is a shame that such a great product and a great company would allow itself to fall this way. But, I have to agree.... find something else, replace it, and let everyone know.... including those at Adobe.

Perhaps, Adobe has grown bigger than it should.

Thank you

[m92]

Same here.. I signed up just to write this post:

I am seriously disappointed. The auto update leads directly to the page where the download automaticly starts: Adobe - Adobe Flash Player installieren (its exactly the link I got.. so it's in german)

Then as soon as you start the install of the Flashplayer you see in the Adobe Flash Player Installer two things. Flash Player itself and McAfee Security Scan Plus.

We use your Flashplayer so you can sell your stuff to developers. Have you gone completly nuts to force thrid party software with an auto update. or are you gonna say: "Hey.. you could simply install every Update (like once a week) complelty manual."

Sorry Adobe but thats just plain stupid. To see that this was already a problem in 2012 is just a disgrace for such a company.

[Davewilldo]

Yup,

I just got shafted the same way.

Straight crapware bombing, no prior choice or opt out.

Did a system recover as fortunately I had a recent update point but problem now is I cannot update flash player.

Adobe sort of shoot themselves in the foot I think.

[davemorse]

I just had the same thing happen to me. At NO point was I given the option to opt out. It simply had the link to update which was the ONLY thing I could click so I did and it installed McAfee rubbish on my machine as well. Frankly I'M LIVID ABOUT THIS. Adobe should know better FFS. I too got prompted to update flash player after I rebooted. Disgusting!

[Davewilldo]

Let me say I know how you feel!

I have blocked Adobe updaters so I will not get caught again.

Downside is all of my Adobe stuff will soon be out of date.

Adobe applications are more important to be updated than flashplayer as most video I see is mp4, but I still maintain that Adobe shoots itself in the foot because I will not be the only one not accepting updates in the future.

I would have thought Adobe would be more worried about making their own product unwanted than scalping a few pennies by bombing their customers with other peoples unwanted products.

Must be some financial problems at Adobe.

[Guest]

Well I can see clearly that I'm not the only one who is a bit frustrated about adobe flash player and the problem with unrelated software during installation.

Despite there are several other replies on topic - I feel I have to put my foot down here as well.

During the years I have allays looked at all products from Adobe as very clean and in the same time effective.

Why load it with unwanted software?

I'm a proud user of an Alienware Laptop (Even though I'm not a gamer), simply because it offers full customization without any unwanted sofwares from the very start.

My car is also without any other banners or commercials for other cars - And I surely hope it will stay like this, when the time comes to replace my car.

The point is that it's pretty useless to fill it with unrelated software like that, instead I would encourage to other options.

How about this approach:

1. Free download

2. Donors download

I'm pretty sure that there are many our there, who would gladly donate 5 bucks in order to stop filling the software with unrelated 'things'

This would give us clean software - without all these issues and endless comments on topic!

[Guest]

Well I can see clearly that I'm not the only one who is a bit frustrated about adobe flash player and the problem with unrelated software during installation.

Despite there are several other replies on topic - I feel I have to put my foot down here as well.

During the years I have allays looked at all products from Adobe as very clean and in the same time effective.

Why load it with unwanted software?

I'm a proud user of an Alienware Laptop (Even though I'm not a gamer), simply because it offers full customization without any unwanted sofwares from the very start.

My car is also without any other banners or commercials for other cars - And I surely hope it will stay like this, when the time comes to replace my car.

The point is that it's pretty useless to fill it with unrelated software like that, instead I would encourage to other options.

How about this approach:

1. Free download

2. Donors download

I'm pretty sure that there are many our there, who would gladly donate 5 bucks in order to stop filling the software with unrelated 'things'

This would give us clean software - without all these issues and endless comments on topic!

[usit_companies]

Loading antivirus software on computers is inherently dangerous and destroys performance. This should be addressed with Adobe Leadership.

[XyrcesFenol]

+1 on that.

This is not acceptable and should be adressed with Adobe Leadership!

A automatically proposed update (today sept 3) should not add a second antivirus or other 3'rd party sw without any possibility to opt out.

I aborted the installation, and thankfully I see no damage, at least for now...

Right now it is a walk away software.

[Guest]

Adobe is not some startup desperate for cash or recognition.  They are an established, respected software firm.  Their practice of trying to sneak unwanted software onto user's machines is disgraceful.

[jeromiec83223024]

As others staffing the forums have requested, I'm locking this thread.  After two years, it's become very convoluted and is of little value from a technical perspective.  This is not an attempt to dismiss the feedback from customers about Adobe's cost-recovery program for free product offerings, and if you have a concern about the current shipping product version, feel free to start a thread specific to that experience.

At this point in time, it has been my experience that where users aren't seeing the opportunity to opt out of a particular bundled offering, it's because that portion of the UI is getting blocked by a third-party browser add-on like Ghostery or AdBlock Pro.  For completeness, I've included an image of the expected UI below.

If this is not the experience you encountered, we would be more than happy to investigate; however, the more information we get, the better.  While we have received scattered reports of issues, details like screenshots, browser and operating systems and the steps to reproduce are necessary to fully investigate and resolve issues in the event that they may exist.

Thanks!