Author Topic: Avast Starts a link to Google Chrome  (Read 26415 times)

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Fred S

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Avast Starts a link to Google Chrome
« on: November 24, 2013, 11:01:49 PM »
Avast Starts a link to Google Chrome - on Login to Win 7

I am very angry with Avast for this latest invasion of privacy to my system. I have been using Avast Free for quite a while and see more and more intrusions recently.

Now, Avast loads CHROME (I use FireFox) with a URL that is self serving. Here's the URL:
http://www.avast.com/lp-chrome-awake?param=C*

This happens when I login to my Win 7 account and I cannot find a setting to stop this behavior.

That web page wants you to "try" Chrome - I have and I don't want it, more, I don't want Avast forcing it over and over again.

Can someone advise how to stop this thing?

If there is no way to fix it, then I will remove Avast after many years of use and change to AVG or ???

Thanks, Fred

CitizenOfTheWorld

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Re: Avast Starts a link to Google Chrome
« Reply #1 on: November 24, 2013, 11:21:10 PM »
Avast Starts a link to Google Chrome - on Login to Win 7

I am very angry with Avast for this latest invasion of privacy to my system. I have been using Avast Free for quite a while and see more and more intrusions recently.

Now, Avast loads CHROME (I use FireFox) with a URL that is self serving. Here's the URL:
http://www.avast.com/lp-chrome-awake?param=C*

This happens when I login to my Win 7 account and I cannot find a setting to stop this behavior.

That web page wants you to "try" Chrome - I have and I don't want it, more, I don't want Avast forcing it over and over again.

Can someone advise how to stop this thing?

If there is no way to fix it, then I will remove Avast after many years of use and change to AVG or ???

Thanks, Fred

I use a software firewall for such issues, specifically an older version of Comodo.  It allows me to deny access to the net for any specific program, at any specific range of address's.  For instance, let's say that avast starts your browser, sending it to the chrome signup page, simply do a "nslookup" on the web address to find the IP, then a "whois" on that IP to find the entire range of IP's.  Now create a rule in your rule based firewall that says for this program, either avast or your browser, which ever is affected, to not allow an out going connection to either that single IP or the entire range.  Now you never have to worry about that again.  Of course always remember that if you use the entire range owned by a company, you shall never be capable of getting to other sites that may be hosted by, that company, say google, for instance.  You can find "NSLOOKUP" and "WOIS" interfaces on the web, but I use an old version of Net Scan Tools Pro, that I bought way back in 2000, that's still just as viable today!

Offline DavidR

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Re: Avast Starts a link to Google Chrome
« Reply #2 on: November 24, 2013, 11:30:11 PM »
Fred S
I use firefox exclusively and haven't seen this on either system, win7 or XP Pro.

Is this when you open firefox or something else ?
If when you open firefox, check your home page/s and see if it is listed and remove it.
Windows 10 Home 64bit/ Acer Aspire F15/ Intel Core i5 7200U 2.5GHz, 8GB DDR4 memory, 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD/ avast! free 24.2.6105 (build 24.2.8918.824) UI 1.0.799/ Firefox, uBlock Origin, uMatrix/ MailWasher Pro/ Avast! Mobile Security

olddog

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Re: Avast Starts a link to Google Chrome
« Reply #3 on: November 24, 2013, 11:35:42 PM »
Now, Avast loads CHROME (I use FireFox) with a URL that is self serving. Here's the URL:
http://www.avast.com/lp-chrome-awake?param=C*

This happens when I login to my Win 7 account and I cannot find a setting to stop this behavior.

Fred,
First, that isn't happening here - Windows 7 Pro, 64 bit. Firefox 25.0.1 Avast 2014.9.0.2008 Free.
If I understand what you have said correctly, as soon as you log into Win 7, Chrome opens at that URL.
Did you perchance miss the "opt out" box when you installed/upgraded Avast that stops it installing Chrome?

It might be an opportunity to find out what the tick box at Avast->Settings->Trouble Shooting->Do not use Chrome as Avast Default Browser does, otherwise I would uninstall Avast using Avastclear.exe in safe mode, if Chrome is installed uninstall that, cleanup, reboot and then reinstall Avast. 
 

Offline Para-Noid

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Re: Avast Starts a link to Google Chrome
« Reply #4 on: November 25, 2013, 12:14:33 AM »
Why uninstall avast? Just do GUI>Settings>Troubleshooting>tick "do not use Chrome as avast default browser".
From your deaktop...Control Panel>Default Programs>select your choice>click "okay".
You can uninstall Chrome...Control Panel>Uninstall a Program>click "Chrome">click "uninstall".

There is no need to do a clean install of avast.
That is like going around your elbow to get to your thumb.  :)
Dell Inspiron, Win10x64--HP Envy Win10x64--Both systems Avast Free v17.9.2322, Comodo Firewall v8.2 w/D+, MalwareBytes v3.0, OpenDNS, Super Anti-Spyware, Spyware Blaster, MCShield, Unchecky, Vivaldi Browser and, various browser security tools.

"Look before you leap!" Use online scanners before you click on any link.

zlwidow

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Re: Avast Starts a link to Google Chrome
« Reply #5 on: November 27, 2013, 02:41:22 AM »
I am also having this issue and both ideas don't work.
Going to Avast and changing the settings to not use Chrome as the default browser, did that twice today and has not changed how my laptop starts up the browser session. I click on Firefox and it takes forever to load but within seconds Chrome pops up and suggests I give it a try. I don't want to, I hate Chrome.
I have gone into the control panel and have Firefox as my default browser, and Chrome only has Chrome HTML Document as its default.
So does anyone have any idea's beyond those 2 suggestions please suggest away.
Cathy

Offline Gandalf1369

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Re: Avast Starts a link to Google Chrome
« Reply #6 on: November 27, 2013, 02:48:57 AM »
I am also having this issue and both ideas don't work.
Going to Avast and changing the settings to not use Chrome as the default browser, did that twice today and has not changed how my laptop starts up the browser session. I click on Firefox and it takes forever to load but within seconds Chrome pops up and suggests I give it a try. I don't want to, I hate Chrome.
I have gone into the control panel and have Firefox as my default browser, and Chrome only has Chrome HTML Document as its default.
So does anyone have any idea's beyond those 2 suggestions please suggest away.
Cathy

If you "hate" Chrome why don't you just uninstall it??
Windows 10 (64bit); 8GB RAM; Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Pro; avast Free (latest version)

flieg

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Re: Avast Starts a link to Google Chrome
« Reply #7 on: November 27, 2013, 11:50:41 PM »
I have this same problem.  The instant Avast starts up (which is on boot), it opens the Chrome window, in Chrome.

I don't want to use Chrome on a regular  basis but I have occasional use for it so I don't want to uninstall it. 

What I DO want is for Avast to NOT open up ANYTHING.  I want it to do its job, period.

Yes, I made a mistake and missed the tiny little checkbox that said "Install Chrome". I should not even have had to LOOK for it in the first place.

I don't care what browser it *uses*. I just don't want the startup thingy.

--grrrrs.

flieg

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Re: Avast Starts a link to Google Chrome
« Reply #8 on: November 29, 2013, 12:08:09 AM »
I think I *may* have found the cause of and then solved the problem.

I'm running Win7 so this may or may not apply to other OS's, but I suspect it will work at least for all Windoz users.

The cause is a file named Offers.ini located in Program Files/AVAST Software/Avast/Setup/ .  Yeah, it's not easy to find.  If you look inside (it's a text file and Notepad opens it nicely) you can see a whole list of potential offers with variables that indicate whether or not you were silly enough to say "yes." Unfortunately I could not edit or rename it, even when I logged in as Administrator.  Not sure how Avast! managed that little trick.

However, despair not!  I found a workaround.  I found the Avast! icon in my "Show hidden icons" box, right clicked on it and selected Update> and selected Program.  Avast! then updated the program and asked to reboot the computer.  I allowed it to do so and on rebooting, Avast brought up a box which said "Almost Finished" and that box had a checked box beside a question, "Do you want to install Google Chrome?"  I carefully UN-checked the box, then clicked on Finish

I then rebooted the computer and voila no more pop-up Chrome!!!! 

I investigated the mysterious Offers.ini file and discovered that the variables attached to [Google Chrome] had been changed. 

So: At least for me that file was the problem, and it could be fixed by updating the program and being careful with checkboxes.

I hope this works for others.

Offline drake127

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Re: Avast Starts a link to Google Chrome
« Reply #9 on: November 29, 2013, 12:35:58 AM »
Unfortunately I could not edit or rename it, even when I logged in as Administrator.  Not sure how Avast! managed that little trick.
You have to disable avast! self-defense to modify any files in avast! directories. Don't forget to re-enable it later and be aware that you can easily break things (including VPS updates etc.).

Crunchy Cookie

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Re: Avast Starts a link to Google Chrome
« Reply #10 on: December 24, 2013, 09:08:36 PM »
Solved - Easy fix, This happens on boot..... Checked start-up items... and there it was. Best way to get rid of this is to open msconfig.exe, Start-up Tab, You will find two Avast Startup Items. Uncheck the one with the command "C:\Program Files\AVAST Software\Avast\setup\emupdate\...... and apply.. Done. Tricky Avast.... Good way to lose a loyal fan base.

Offline Cast

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Re: Avast Starts a link to Google Chrome
« Reply #11 on: December 24, 2013, 10:01:46 PM »
Thats liable to hurt you more than fix as Avast uses that service to push silent updates to fix issues without releasing a major program update.

grahamjohnson10

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Re: Avast Starts a link to Google Chrome
« Reply #12 on: December 28, 2013, 03:41:06 AM »
Why uninstall avast? Just do GUI>Settings>Troubleshooting>tick "do not use Chrome as avast default browser".
From your deaktop...Control Panel>Default Programs>select your choice>click "okay".
You can uninstall Chrome...Control Panel>Uninstall a Program>click "Chrome">click "uninstall".

There is no need to do a clean install of avast.
That is like going around your elbow to get to your thumb.  :)

Hi Para-Noid your suggestion was good but at the end of day I found un-installing and then reinstalling (being careful of the default tick boxes the simplest solution to this problem).

bandit1167

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Re: Avast Starts a link to Google Chrome
« Reply #13 on: March 29, 2014, 08:13:10 PM »
When I open firefox, MSN.com comes up in the first tab (thats my homepage) but then a second tab would  open with avast changes to their Browser Security and Web Reputation Plugin. At the bottom of the page was a link to the settings page where I could accept or decline. I set my preferences....several different ways ansd time, save it, close firefox, reopen and the same tab would reopen. Uninstalled avast and reinstalled (unchecked the boxes that wanted google chrome installed) still same problem. Final solution was to open firefox addons and disable avast online security.

Paul_D

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Re: Avast Starts a link to Google Chrome
« Reply #14 on: March 29, 2014, 08:20:36 PM »
For heaven's sake. If you don't want to use Chrome, uninstall it!

Surely that's not too hard to figure out.

But having said that, I suspect that bandit1167 is right and this is just one of many cans of worms that the Avast Online Security Firefox extension has introduced. I disabled that some time ago, and hell will freeze over before I enable it again.