McAfee Security Scan Plus

I'm really amazed that Adobe would stoop to this.

This is something you expect from tin can software developed by people working out of the garage, not a multi-billion dollar company like Adobe. This decision just helps to kill the already dying Flash plug-in in trade for alternatives like jQuery. In my opinion, Flash should be counted as mal-ware until McAfee is completely and utterly removed as an option.

I already put my tuppence into this discussion, but thought I'd tell everybody that there IS a way out.

If you use the Google Chrome browser, you can view Flash videos (like YouTube), WITHOUT having the Flash player installed.

You can read .pdf files with several free products that don't bother you for updates every time you start your computer, and don't install malware/scareware/spamware/scamware in the background. I use FoxIt reader, myself.

You can download the FREE Libre Office suite, and open unlocked .pdf files for editing, or export your documents in .pdf format. Plus be fully compatible with Microsoft Office documents, if you want to break out of that world a little bit, too.

In short, you can go into your computer's Control Panel, choose "Add/Remove Software" or "Programs and Features," and uninstall everything that says "Adobe" on it. Except for the small inconvenience of having to choose the Chrome browser whenever you want to view Flash video, you need never notice that Adobe is gone off your system.

Bye, bye, Adobe.

I've read nearly every message in this two year old thread, and despite what the very occasional employee post says, it's obvious that Adobe does NOT care about the small percentage of users who actually complain about this (I really can't call it any different) TROJAN that Adobe is pushing onto it's customers.  It's obvious from the length of time this has been going on, the very occational response from Adobe, and the tone that they occasionally use, that they are aware that it is making people furious, that only a fraction of those furious people actually complain about it, but that an executive decision has been made that the income received from McAfee overwhelms the negatives stemming from lost customers, or the the frustration, anger and outrage of those that decide to stay with Adobe.

These sort of morally corrupt practices are why every time I check my mother's computer there's some useless new software / toolbars installed on it that I need to remove. "I don't know how they get there," she always says, and those companies are scammers and criminals in my opinion. No better than the sellers of potions and snake-oil in our past.

And Adobe and McAfee boned me last night too. Installing McAfee Security Scan Plus without even giving me a chance to opt-out. (And even THAT is a shady practice. Opt-In is the only LEGITIMATE policy. Opt-Out policies depend on tricking, fooling, or distracting users in the hopes that they won't notice a check mark next to "Install Software that we can't get people to agree to install in any other fashion". Otherwise, why not just tell the user about the optional software and depend on the fact that it's compelling or useful enough for users who might benefit from it will check "Please Download X" of their own volition. Doing any different is just like the intentionally confusing worded opt-out options like "I agree that I don't not want X software to not be installed  in conjunction with Software Y so that I can enjoy a user experience that is enhanced and protected".)

And the thing is that I'd been ignoring the Adobe's nagware Reader begging to update for over a year, because I was sick and tired of installing ANOTHER update for the damn thing nearly every time I rebooted the computer. But, I decided to let it update last night. And boy am I ever sorry. I'm not even really sure why I did it. I didn't need it, I only use Reader a few times a month and rarely have any trouble viewing documents. (Usually manuals or resumes and the occasional eBook) I don't care if it doesn't display a newer document perfectly, as long as I get the information I need. In fact, there is really no legitimate reason to update Reader very much past it's original standards. What's REALLY changed in document markup over, say, the last five years?

And what does McAfee Security Scan Plus have to do with Adobe Reader anyway? Bundled software should ONLY be offered when it is somehow related to the software the user is installing/updating. Are you telling us that Reader is such a security risk, that systems with it installed are so much more vulnerable to viruses, trojans and other forms of digital attack, that an extra line of defense is required to compensate?

I now consider Adobe products to be Malware since you have a policy of "Assume-In", just like the rest of malware-dom.

I've been using, programming, building, supporting, break-fixing, etc. computers for the past 37 years, and have been a loyal user of Reader and Creator since it first came out, but you've finally convinced me to stop using Adobe products altogether.

X? Gone.

Dreamweaver? Gone.

Photoshop? Gone.

Design Premium? Gone.

Flash Builder? Gone.

Media Player? Gone.

Digital Additions? Gone.

Pagemaker? Gone.

Illustrator? Gone.

There are other products, and I will use them.  And I know you won't care, that you're policies won't change because the formula you used to reach your decision hasn't changed. That you consider my loss as nothing more than the cost of doing business, and that you hold those that complain about this in the highest contempt. And that I'm just one rather small fish in a huge sea. But I still get the satisfaction telling you, "You Suck!", and "It's OVER!", and slamming the door in your face on the way out.

b`bye.

I just did a Flash update through Firefox, and no, there was no option for the crapware they added to my computer. Adobe, shame on you for this. And shame on you for not responding to this thread.

I really hate this bundled rubbish. Adobe are a company that I had, until now trusted. It feels like they have just hijacked my PC. At LR4 I'll be checking out the alternatives very carerfully.

d

I just LOVE reading these posts. Thanks all, you gave me my laugh for the day.

It takes half a second to uncheck the box and NOT download anything else along with the Flash Player.

For the Record, I can't stand McAfee, and never could. I use AVG.

I use Google Chrome... for website testing, and nothing more.

But I download only what I want, because I read things before I click "OK" or "Accept".

On top of the fact that this app was installed without my consent, it then told me that I had no other Anti-Virus installed, despiter the fact that AVG Business Edition is quite clearly running.

If Security Scan Plus is unable to recognise another anti-virus app, what hope is there that it can actually spot some malware?

Uninstalled, along with McAfee SiteAdvisor. No more McAfee for me!

Bundling other software in the installer is a sign of a DYING company. Now I have to do more work and uninstall this stuff. Yeah, you got me. "Angry" is not strong enough. -Foffu.

I'm another IT guy, and I did NOT get the normal Flash install screen with the McAfee junk checkbox. I've learned long ago to watch for it, especially with Adobe products.

I run a utility on my system that watches the Startup paths in the operating system, and notifies me when something wants to install itself to start automatically. That gives me option to say "no," and keep my system running fast a smooth. Well, Adobe has even worked its way around that kind of protection. Their products now scan for available updates in the background when they are running, then use the system's Shut Down process to put their updater in the "RunOnce" key of the Registry! Then when you reboot, even though you KNOW you didn't authorize any Adobe product to auto-start, up comes their updater. But I digress....

This time I was browsing with Firefox, and a Flash page said my player was out of date. Click the link to update it. The download started immediately, with no option to opt out of anything.

Surprise! McAfee Security Scan Plus pops up so it can do its fake scan and try to get me to buy something. McAfee used to be the flagship anti-virus out there. It was fast, unobtrusive, and just did the job. But McAfee lost sight of it's original purpose, and now, in their attempts to become a one-package security solution, McAfee has become a bloated, sluggish system hog like Norton. And like Adobe. They all deserve to just die.

McAfee has resorted to Adware to make sales, and uses scare tactics to get you to buy. They have obviously partnered with Adobe with a deal to make money for both of them. (Norton, also, has now resorted to scareware sales tactics, BTW.) Why are they doing this? Because Microsoft came out with Security Essentials, which is free. And it provides better protection with far less system load because it integrates with the operating system.

I dropped Adobe Acrobat a long time ago. If there were a good alternative Flash player, I would dump Adobe player in a second. In half a second. This kind of bloatware sales partnership garbage is unacceptable. There are other multimedia formats out there. Maybe the world will wake up one day and stop using Flash altogether.

Oh! And their forum software sucks, too. My screen name isn't supposed  to be "BubbaJoeBlow." It's supposed to be "D'Hag," which was registered  with my account. But the forum wouldn't let me use it. Great job, Adobe!

Message was edited by: Me

ADOBE: screw you for sneaking this into a software UPDATE

really what the hell is this?

It's bad enough flash player has to update bi weekly but now I have to check for

stupid bundled software on updates?  this is garbage and I won't stand for it.

mcaffee disabled my OWN virus protection software without asking me

and then when I uninstalled this garbage I couldn't turn on my OWN virus

protection which left my computer vulnerable.

adobe you are disgusting