Author Topic: Avast: "We found evidence of Grime on your PC"  (Read 135906 times)

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Offline wooferdog

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Avast: "We found evidence of Grime on your PC"
« on: January 19, 2014, 08:55:57 AM »
Hi, I recently opened Avast and discovered a message saying that "We found evidence of Grime on your PC"... and gives the option to "Optimize PC", but is that a good idea? I've never had Avast tune-up my PC before, and from my experience with Norton, I couldn't tell if it made things better or worse.

I'd like to know what steps it would take before allowing it to toy around, as there may be better alternatives that do this.

AdrianH

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Re: Avast: "We found evidence of Grime on your PC"
« Reply #1 on: January 19, 2014, 09:24:37 AM »

The idea is to get you to use Grime Fighter. 

1) You can check what programs start on your system yourself.  (msconfoig and Task Manager )

2) Windows gives the tools to safely deal with freeing up space 

3) Never run a registry editor unless you are 100% confident you can repair any damage, and have backup images of your system available.

Offline AlanHK

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Re: Avast: "We found evidence of Grime on your PC"
« Reply #2 on: January 20, 2014, 03:00:42 AM »
So what is "Grime fighter"?

There is only a button "Optimize my PC" and I have no idea what might happen if I click it.
If it gave me a list of suggestions which I could choose to follow or not, that would be okay.

It says : "9 bloatware programs slowed the launch of this PC".


OK -- can I choose what if anything Avast will do about these once I press the button?
Will it tell me what they are and ask if I want to stop each one individually?
It may well have the best intentions, but if it just proceeds to change things because it thinks it knows better, then  I'd pass.


thekochs

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Re: Avast: "We found evidence of Grime on your PC"
« Reply #3 on: January 20, 2014, 03:59:55 AM »
I'd read this and do search on Forum: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=144932.0
Also, interesting post #388: http://195.74.76.34/index.php?topic=142936.msg1045646#msg1045646

What version (eg. Free ?) are you running ?
I'm just wondering which level of Avast 9 this "tool" comes installed on.

I attached a pic from other post.....wondering if this is in just the "Change" option within Program & Features in Windows or also in the Custom Install to uncheck Grime Fighter ?  Personally, I'm still waiting for Avast 9 new program releases to upgrade (clean install) from my Avast 8 but think as the attached pic shows I am only installing the "shields".....no tools.
« Last Edit: January 20, 2014, 04:18:50 AM by thekochs »

Offline AlanHK

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Re: Avast: "We found evidence of Grime on your PC"
« Reply #4 on: January 20, 2014, 04:50:07 AM »
I'd read this and do search on Forum: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=144932.0
Also, interesting post #388: http://195.74.76.34/index.php?topic=142936.msg1045646#msg1045646

What version (eg. Free ?) are you running ?
I'm just wondering which level of Avast 9 this "tool" comes installed on.
Free 2014.9.0.2011
These "Optimize my PC" popups started a few weeks ago.
I certainly never was explicitly asked if I wanted "Grime fighter".

But I turned off the "notify me after update" a while ago because it caused an unending stream of popups asking me to upgrade.
Maybe that made Avast default to "Yes, I agree to install everything".

Anyway, from the discussions you linked I think I can do without it.

It isn't integrated into Avast's settings. 
But I went to Control panel/Add remove programs and the Avast install and it's an option there you can uncheck.

Sad that Avast is going the same way as Norton: what used to be simple and clean and effective is getting more and more features and turning into a lumbering dinosaur.

Why don't they understand that people who use antivirus aren't all happy to blindly trust an application to screw with their settings?
My wife got caught with an "optimize your PC" trojan a while ago and it completely messed up her PC.
When something like that turns up on my PC my reaction is RED ALERT not "Cool, go ahead."
« Last Edit: January 20, 2014, 05:07:20 AM by AlanHK »

Offline wooferdog

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Re: Avast: "We found evidence of Grime on your PC"
« Reply #5 on: January 20, 2014, 07:21:26 AM »
I'd read this and do search on Forum: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=144932.0
Also, interesting post #388: http://195.74.76.34/index.php?topic=142936.msg1045646#msg1045646

What version (eg. Free ?) are you running ?
I'm just wondering which level of Avast 9 this "tool" comes installed on.

I attached a pic from other post.....wondering if this is in just the "Change" option within Program & Features in Windows or also in the Custom Install to uncheck Grime Fighter ?  Personally, I'm still waiting for Avast 9 new program releases to upgrade (clean install) from my Avast 8 but think as the attached pic shows I am only installing the "shields".....no tools.
I'm running the latest version, version 2014.9.0.2011 (Avast Free). I've never seen that menu in your screenshot.
« Last Edit: January 20, 2014, 07:30:53 AM by Double »

AdrianH

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Re: Avast: "We found evidence of Grime on your PC"
« Reply #6 on: January 20, 2014, 07:25:38 AM »
Grime Fighter is an additional product that you can purchase.

It is NOT available unless you buy it.

Do a search, there are so many threads hre already and it is detailed in the avast blog.

Offline wooferdog

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Re: Avast: "We found evidence of Grime on your PC"
« Reply #7 on: January 20, 2014, 07:27:47 AM »
Oh okay, so even if I hit "Optimize My PC", it would take me to a prompt asking me to purchase Avast first? Makes sense.

Offline AlanHK

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Re: Avast: "We found evidence of Grime on your PC"
« Reply #8 on: January 20, 2014, 08:21:04 AM »
Grime Fighter is an additional product that you can purchase.

It is NOT available unless you buy it.

Do a search, there are so many threads hre already and it is detailed in the avast blog.

Really? Why then was it popping up nagging me to let it run?
Why did I just have to uninstall it when I never heard of it, let alone purchased it?

And why the hell should I have to search a forum and a blog to find out what has been installed on my own PC without my knowledge or consent? (Well, I know why, because they want to sell it to me, but I don't like it.)

If there are "so many threads" here, doesn't that indicate that many others are just as mystified and/or annoyed by this "feature" just turning up on their PC?

AdrianH

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Re: Avast: "We found evidence of Grime on your PC"
« Reply #9 on: January 20, 2014, 08:40:32 AM »
Grime Fighter is an additional product that you can purchase.

It is NOT available unless you buy it.

Do a search, there are so many threads hre already and it is detailed in the avast blog.

Really? Why then was it popping up nagging me to let it run?
Why did I just have to uninstall it when I never heard of it, let alone purchased it?

And why the hell should I have to search a forum and a blog to find out what has been installed on my own PC without my knowledge or consent? (Well, I know why, because they want to sell it to me, but I don't like it.)

If there are "so many threads" here, doesn't that indicate that many others are just as mystified and/or annoyed by this "feature" just turning up on their PC?

You can't have uninstalled GrimeFighter , it is only available as an additional purchase , it is NOT packaged in any of the downloads.

The hooks/links to the add on are shown in the avast GUI , but the product is NOT installed.

Nothing was added to your system with , or without your consent.

The popup you see is an advert.

You should search the forum prior to posting, it saves you time and effort where other people have already asked the question and had the same answer.

The avast team post all new version features at the head of the forum, and in the avast blogs.

That information is there so that you can keep up with all new features and add ons.

Read the information and you would know about GrimeFighter, and its deployment .


Offline AlanHK

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Re: Avast: "We found evidence of Grime on your PC"
« Reply #10 on: January 20, 2014, 08:43:56 AM »
Grime Fighter is an additional product that you can purchase.

It is NOT available unless you buy it.

Do a search, there are so many threads hre already and it is detailed in the avast blog.

Really? Why then was it popping up nagging me to let it run?
Why did I just have to uninstall it when I never heard of it, let alone purchased it?

And why the hell should I have to search a forum and a blog to find out what has been installed on my own PC without my knowledge or consent? (Well, I know why, because they want to sell it to me, but I don't like it.)

If there are "so many threads" here, doesn't that indicate that many others are just as mystified and/or annoyed by this "feature" just turning up on their PC?

You can't have uninstalled GrimeFighter , it is only available as an additional purchase , it is NOT packaged in any of the downloads.

Read the information and you would know about GrimeFighter, and its deployment .

Don't call me a liar.

I did not (actively) install it.
I did however just uninstall it.


Go away and brownnose Avast somewhere else.

AdrianH

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Re: Avast: "We found evidence of Grime on your PC"
« Reply #11 on: January 20, 2014, 09:24:29 AM »
Grime Fighter is an additional product that you can purchase.

It is NOT available unless you buy it.

Do a search, there are so many threads hre already and it is detailed in the avast blog.

Really? Why then was it popping up nagging me to let it run?
Why did I just have to uninstall it when I never heard of it, let alone purchased it?

And why the hell should I have to search a forum and a blog to find out what has been installed on my own PC without my knowledge or consent? (Well, I know why, because they want to sell it to me, but I don't like it.)

If there are "so many threads" here, doesn't that indicate that many others are just as mystified and/or annoyed by this "feature" just turning up on their PC?

You can't have uninstalled GrimeFighter , it is only available as an additional purchase , it is NOT packaged in any of the downloads.

Read the information and you would know about GrimeFighter, and its deployment .

Don't call me a liar.

I did not (actively) install it.
I did however just uninstall it.


Go away and brownnose Avast somewhere else.

Nobody called you a liar ........... you are however totally mistaken.

GrimeFighter is an additional purchase , the only way to get this product is to purchase it and then install.

If you go to the avast installer, Grimefighter is listed, if you run " uninstall" the action runs but actually does nothing.

You can prove this by now trying to install GrimeFighter, the action will appear to run and install the product, but, upon systen restart you will find NOTHING.

The product is listed in the GUI but is not installed.

Offline AlanHK

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Re: Avast: "We found evidence of Grime on your PC"
« Reply #12 on: January 20, 2014, 09:37:42 AM »
you are however totally mistaken.

So,  I'm "mistaken" because I believed what the Avast installer said was the case?
It showed Grime Fighter as installed when it wasn't and faked the uninstall process?
That the popup  was not the program it said it was but just spam trying to make me buy it?

Okay. How did the popup know that 
"9 bloatware programs slowed the launch of this PC".
if it wasn't installed?
Was it just making numbers up?
« Last Edit: January 20, 2014, 10:09:40 AM by AlanHK »

Offline midnight

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Re: Avast: "We found evidence of Grime on your PC"
« Reply #13 on: January 20, 2014, 10:41:31 AM »
you are however totally mistaken.

So,  I'm "mistaken" because I believed what the Avast installer said was the case?
It showed Grime Fighter as installed when it wasn't and faked the uninstall process?
That the popup  was not the program it said it was but just spam trying to make me buy it?

Okay. How did the popup know that 
"9 bloatware programs slowed the launch of this PC".
if it wasn't installed?
Was it just making numbers up?
 

It was also installed on my computer without my knowledge.  I done a repair, unticked Grime Fighter and after restarting my computer it was gone.


http://forum.avast.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=143303.0;attach=125275;image
« Last Edit: January 20, 2014, 10:43:32 AM by -midnight »
.

Davy

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Re: Avast: "We found evidence of Grime on your PC"
« Reply #14 on: January 20, 2014, 12:25:15 PM »
FYI:
Avast acquired Jumpshot not long ago... alias Grime.   http://news.softpedia.com/news/Avast-Acquires-Jumpshot-385789.shtml

And IT DID install on a friends machine 'unwantedly'  just like Chrome did -  he removed Avast from all his work machines!

Dave