How can I install a Flash update without installing McAfee?

Adobe - [Removed profanity evasion] Yeah Im angry.

How DARE you install other crap on my computer without my permission?

My firefox displayed webpage wanted flash player (and if it wasnt free no one would use it!!!!!!!!!!)

And i had no choice to install McAfee. This is my video editing machine - the last thing i need is ANOTHER antivirus installed causing no end of problems. So [Removed profanity evasion].

Next time i go to buy some Adobe product i'll give you some un named program for your servers,

which you'll have no choice but to install, or NO SALE.

Lets see how you like it from behind!

Effin Cheek!

Message was edited by: sinious

Its sad that this issue has gone on so long, but at this point there are easy alternatives. And no, I don't mean "HURR DURR, DEATH TO ADOBE, LETS BOYCOTT THEIR PRODUCTS". HTML5 is getting there, slowly, (I far prefer to use youtube with the HTML5 player than the flash one at this point, for instance), but it is not quite ubiquitous enough yet (example: TED videos). Fortunately, if you are using Chrome, you don't need a flash player plugin - as a matter of fact, if you've installed one you're probably not even using it, knowingly or not.

For a while now Chrome has bundled PepperFlash by default with its installation and updates. While it suffered some initial bugbears, it seems mostly matured at this point. Even if you have installed the flash player plugin for Chrome, by default PepperFlash is used, unless you have done some manual config to disable it.

On a side note, could this prompt the same argument about bundled software? In my view - no. Even though it is even less obvious that this software is bundled with Chrome and there is not an opt-out feature (even a sneakily hidden one) prior to the download and installation, I feel this is a different kettle of fish, for two reasons:

• PepperFlash is a plugin for chrome - it only runs when Chrome is running, and doesn't chew up ridiculous amounts of system resources from the time you start using your computer - unlike Mcafe or other AV solutions. It is also uninstalled when you uninstall Chrome, it's not one more program added to your 'Programs and Features' list, simply a transparent plugin for Chrome that enables flash content.
• As has been mentioned, flash on the internet is (some might say unfortunately) everywhere. In many websites you will simply not get the full functionality (or any) without a method of interpreting flash content. In this way, the bundled software is ACTUALLY RELEVANT to the software it is bundled with. For instance, I would be far less incenced by this if what was bundled was not a full system AV, but perhaps some security constraints specifically for flash videos, to prevent some of the many exploits associated with them. An argument could be made that a web browser these days without flash functionality is as newtered as a car without seats - sure you can drive it, but it's going to be uncomfortable and your friends may laugh at you. The same argument can certainly not be made for a Flash player without McAfee.

I have uninstalled the flash player plugin from my home machine (sadly I still need it at work) and have not skipped a beat. When Chrome is updated, PepperFlash is updated with it - without going through Adobe's webpage, without any other opt-in software, without them even getting the option to hawk it at me.

TL;DR

If you already use Chrome for browsing, you do not need a seperate Flash player plugin. Go uninstall it now, browse around some flash content and check that it still works for you. You will no longer have the annoying update manager bugging you every month and a half, and even if you run all your updates one morning at 3AM, after a night out on the town, without reading anything (except the EULA, you do read the EULA right? ), with your eyes closed and your mouse fixed on the "Next" button, you will still not find mcafee (or anything else for that matter) added to your 'Programs and Features' list.

If you don't use Chrome for browsing, unless that's for a specific reason (whether that's "It's a work computer and I am forced to use IE" or "I don't trust any company with that much power" or whatever else), you can install it now, uninstall flash player, and refer to the above paragraph. I won't talk about it's other features here for fear of starting a religious war, but suffice to say it is at least as capable a browser as the other big 4.

Adding my feedback.

I too installed from the update notification upon bootup. I looked for a check box as I always do with installations and I even checked the address bar. I saw something about an adobe & mcafee offer set to false. Mcafee installed anyways. This was on Firefox 22.0 on Win7.

Incorrect link perhaps

I'm in the process of telling my friends so that they are prepared.

Seems in 2013 Mcaffe was a forced install, no option to opt out.

I went to add/remove programs, but  when I clicked on Mcaffee, it suddenly disappeared.  Going to have to roll back and start bugging any idiot webmaster that is requiring flashplayer to just stop and move on to the next decade.

Nothing short of irritating and evil.

I'd like to add my displeasure to this issue. I recently built a new computer. While I was installing the 500 applications that go along with that, I missed the Opt-out checkbox and installed McAfee. It took a few days to realize that my computer was going slow because McAfee had been installed and was doing a background scan that had been running for days. lol. I've been using Adobe since the late 90's and cannot wait to switch to an alternative technology for documents and Web content.

I hope that  McAfee is reimbursing Adobe for it's lost customers. I'm not gone yet, but it's on my todo list to piecemeal replace their products with something less dodgy.

For me, upon bootup, I got the flash update request, and when I assented, both mcafee and flash installed, without asking me about mcafee. I did NOT get that nice "install crap" screen shown above in this thread. Yes, I've seen it in the past; not this time.

1. Adobe, you dirty your reputation by installing crapware alongside flash, even in the case where it's possible to opt out.

2. Why do I have to say "no" to the crapware each and every time you want to install a flash update?? If I once say "no" to your crapware, please remember that setting and make it the default for the next time. If this simple task is beyond you, WHY should I trust your software when I edit my pictures and videos.

3. Why can't you reproduce this? Many people are experiencing it. If your (Adobe's) sw skills are so weak that you can't even get the crapware install to work correctly, WHY should I trust your software when I edit my pictures and videos?

I recently bought an adobe product for which there is a very viable competitor. I really thought hard, but went with the adobe product because I've been pretty happy with other adobe products in the past. If this mcafee auto install had happened just prior to my decision, it might have gone the other way. In other words, you don't just gain the pennies per mcafee install, you sometimes lose dollars on sales because of this "screw the customer and install the crapware" policy, and without question you lose respect continuously.

Hi,

every one.

If a user has selected  to the Allow Adobe to install updates recommended . update mechanism, then they will only be prompted for updates on major releases.  All zero day security updates will be installed silently, without any interaction from the user.  Also note that the user can simply decline the major update, in which case we will update Flash Player silently after 30 days.  No third party software will be involved.

Thanks,

www.myniagaratours.com

Just wanted to say I totally agree with the OP.

I'm sure Adobe gets lots of money for initially checking that McAffee checkbox, but you lost me as a customer because of it and I will investigate in alternatives for Flash

I spent like 1 hour removing all the McAffee crap after what I thought was a quick flash update and I didn't spot the checkbox unfortunately.

Thing is, I didn't know I should be that alerted when using software from a big company like Adobe.

Utterly unthankful way to deal with your customers.

I'm really thinking about making some blog on a big website making public more aware that we should boycot companies that allow installers like this.

Maybe even contact some politicians in the EU to point this out so they can forbid it.

At the moment I'm really disgusted by you Adobe. Bad bad bad buisiness.

Adobe, I'm a Flex developer (DoD, Fandango, Mashable, BigFish) and put out by this tactic.  Advertising and synergy is totally understandable, but the "opt out" paradaigm is very frustrating.  Preserving and restoring your brand should take precidence over using cheap buisness tactics to stay afloat.  At the very least, change it to "opt in".  I'm having to develop with a previous version of Flash Player because of this.