Avast WEBforum
Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: TheOwner on May 30, 2023, 05:10:03 PM
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Hi,
just installed Avast 23.5 and noticed, when i open Chrome, it automatically opens chrome web store with safeprice add-on, this create new registry keys:
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\⾠㙵ʂ\BrowserExtensions\SP\chrome]
"installtabopened"=hex(b):d4,0f,76,64,00,00,00,00
This happen again after every chrome launch, safe price site open agains and create new registry key, everything is the same except "⾠㙵ʂ" which is switched to another chinese symbol. This causes bloat in registry. Please fix it or remove this offer completely.
Avast Free 23.5.6066
Windows 10 22h2 64bit
Update: This issue is fixed in version 23.5.8195.786
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Hello, thank you for reporting. Good catch. We will fix it in next version.
Petr
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Hello, thank you for reporting. Good catch. We will fix it in next version.
Petr
Thank you for answer. Although I would expect this will be fixed by some emergency update. If is not possible fix it this way, safe price add-on offer should be disabled completely until fix will be released.
I have to delete those keys manually very often, its so annoying.
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Hello, thank you for reporting. Good catch. We will fix it in next version.
Petr
Fix it as soon as possible, obviously before the next release, this is very annoying.
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Hello, thank you for reporting. Good catch. We will fix it in next version.
Petr
Resolve as soon as possible with an emergency release. This bug is very annoying.
Thank you
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This leaves a bad image for me about Avast. I installed a security program not a bloatware app. It's enough that we have so much bloatware in it that we have to do a custom install (software updater, Avast Browser, Google Chrome bundle, etc.) Now constant nags to install a shopping extension that breaks Google Maps functionality and some other sites if you read the Extension Reviews on Google!
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Tragedy! Same thing happens with firefox.
Avast is starting to look like a PUA.
Someone please fix this because it can't go on like this for long...
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Hello, thank you for reporting. Good catch. We will fix it in next version.
Petr
It's not only Chrome of Firefox. It's the default browser. Avast Free 23.5.6066 (build 23.5.8195.785) keeps opening as a tab this /addon/avast-safeprice/ web page.
And nothing helps to stop this behavior.
uBlock Origin or uMatrix will block and stop the tab from loading, but that's not the idea. It shouldn't be forced to begin with.
Please stop pushing products via the default browser.
There are too many different operating systems and browsers, and you can’t expect a good outcome promoting products this way.
Btw, at each occurrence a new set of Chinese characters registries is created in Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER and Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT. And there are MANY sets. It's unlikely that a fix can clean the registry.
I'm going to restore the computer at a time before the new Avast build came out and wait for a fix.
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Also in AVG !!
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This also happens every time I start Firefox. It is super-annoying!
I don't want nor need the SafePrice extension.
Please fix ASAP. I tried every possible trick in the book, but nothing works.
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Is this a Chrome browser extension or something else? If it's the former, can't it be simply removed from your browser like you can any extension, or does it keep adding itself when you remove it?
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If you remove it, it will keep nagging you to install it. I uninstalled Avast completely now. Had enough with their bloatware.
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Btw, at each occurrence a new set of Chinese characters registries is created in Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER and Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.
I'm going to restore the computer at a time before the new Avast build came out and wait for a fix.
I dint find anything in Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, only in Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER. Can you please post screenshot what you find in Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT?
This should be deeply investigated and Avast team should tell us, where in registry we have to clean.
BTW you dont need restore your computer, just delete those chinese symbols in Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER.
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Btw, at each occurrence a new set of Chinese characters registries is created in Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER and Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.
I'm going to restore the computer at a time before the new Avast build came out and wait for a fix.
I dint find anything in Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, only in Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER. Can you please post screenshot what you find in Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT?
This should be deeply investigated and Avast team should tell us, where in registry we have to clean.
BTW you dont need restore your computer, just delete those chinese symbols in Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER.
After further investigation I found out that the Chinese characters registries in Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT were created by TeamViewer portable and Google Earth portable.
Avast Free 23.5 creates Chinese Registries in HKEY_CURRENT_USER. Running now Avast Free 23.4 with zero issues, no more Chinese characters registries.
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After further investigation I found out that the Chinese characters registries in Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT were created by TeamViewer portable and Google Earth portable.
Avast Free 23.5 creates Chinese Registries in HKEY_CURRENT_USER. Running now Avast Free 23.4 with zero issues, no more Chinese characters registries.
I doubt this bug will spread somewhere else in registry, we just need often clean Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER
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News?!
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Can you give us an answer? Will you fix this annoying bug as soon as possible?!
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Can you give us an answer? Will you fix this annoying bug as soon as possible?!
You already have the answer in this topic.
Hello, thank you for reporting. Good catch. We will fix it in next version.
Petr
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Can you give us an answer? Will you fix this annoying bug as soon as possible?!
You already have the answer in this topic.
Hello, thank you for reporting. Good catch. We will fix it in next version.
Petr
That's not a direct answer to the new question, it's a previous statement which was then followed up on with a new question that has a counter proposal for the timeline to have something fixed.
Petr said "we'll fix it by x" when the problem was brought up. Several people have asked "can you fix it earlier than x?", to which he hasn't responded. If the answer is "no, we can't" or even "no, we won't" then he should at least answer so that people who haven't updated can just simply wait until the next version and stop checking, and the people who have already updated can roll back to a previous version and potentially fix their registry with a system restore or manual intervention, and it means everyone can stop checking this thread as we know it'll be roughly another month or so before this problem is fixed.
They should also post and pin a new thread, or update the current one that states this issue exists in bolded text, and I would also suggest they go as far to state on their main website that version 23.5 contains this issue and is being fixed, and offer a direct link to 23.4.
Doesn't seem like a lot to ask for. Seems like the bare minimum, actually. But maybe others feel different.
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I would have expected a bug fix release before the next release.
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I would have expected a bug fix release before the next release.
I would have to say that any bug fix would depend on its categorisation, I would say this is low on the scale of seriousness. Yes others have also asked about speeding this up, but there has been no further input by Petr or any Avast Team member. So posting five times on the same thing hasn't drawn a response
I will bow out now as it really is pointless giving an answer.
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I have to think it's not an accident or oversight. It makes Avast money, so they have every incentive to stall and ignore complaints.
Call me a cynic. It fits the pattern of intrusive and misleading upsells. Of the dark patterns used after every program update. With the tucked away opt-out data harvesting.
I really don't like this side of Avast.
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Fixed in next version = next month ??? :'(
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Well, DavidR estimates the priority of fixing this bug to be low.
He is allowed to have this opinion ;) and probably the decision makers of the company even agree with him.
I was satisfied with the features of Avast's antivirus software for a long time.
Over time, the ads for other proprietary features and programs became more and more annoying.
However, this last case (pop-up of browser window for self-promotion in connection with registration "pollution") is really too much.
Especially the arrogant and cynical way of dealing with customer complaints.
When something formerly good is no longer good, then the time comes when you have to let go.
Goodbye Avast, it WAS nice with you, but now you see me go.
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I have to disagree when it comes to the “seriousness” of the bug and therefore the lack of a fix.
Anything that creates UNWANTED registry entries and, even worse, entries that are in Chinese is serious enough to address and fix ASAP.
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I have to disagree when it comes to the “seriousness” of the bug and therefore the lack of a fix.
Anything that creates UNWANTED registry entries and, even worse, entries that are in Chinese is serious enough to address and fix ASAP.
I'm only an Avast User, but that was my guess (based on actions before on bug fix releases), someone at Avast doesn't consider the bug serious enough to warrant it being put into an emergency update schedule.
I'm at least surprised that this hasn't even made it into the beta release stream for correction/testing before a regular/emergency program update. I don't take part in the beta testing any more (but monitor the beta topics).
I have tried to attract some Avast attention in another sub-forum.
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I'm only an Avast User, but that was my guess (based on actions before on bug fix releases), someone at Avast doesn't consider the bug serious enough to warrant it being put into an emergency update schedule.
I'm at least surprised that this hasn't even made it into the beta release stream for correction/testing before a regular/emergency program update. I don't take part in the beta testing any more (but monitor the beta topics).
I have tried to attract some Avast attention in another sub-forum.
I just hope SOMEONE, ANYONE is working on a fix and rolls it out to us ASAP.
Thanks for the reply and clarification. 8)
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I have to think it's not an accident or oversight. It makes Avast money, so they have every incentive to stall and ignore complaints.
Call me a cynic. It fits the pattern of intrusive and misleading upsells. Of the dark patterns used after every program update. With the tucked away opt-out data harvesting.
I really don't like this side of Avast.
That is nothing new, why you think they offer Free Antivirus? Nothing is Free, you just not pay by money, you are monitored and forced to see tons of pop-up adware. They know everything what you do in your PC and what you do online, even if you use encrypted https, because Avast decrypt it for "scanning". Those data can be sold for money and it was sold in the past. For example Avast "Jumpshot" company, which sold user data, now is closed.
I think browser add-ons are just another data harvesting tools, because they can be installed without Avast Antivirus.
Those chinese symbols in registry is just a bug, be realistic.
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There is an easy fix to this problem until the next version drops: download/add Avast Safeprice plugin extension to your browser. Once installed, go to manage extensions and hit the DISABLE button for the Safeprice extension. On your next computer boot up, the extension will not popup when you open you browser to your homepage.
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There is an easy fix to this problem until the next version drops: download/add Avast Safeprice plugin extension to your browser. Once installed, go to manage extensions and hit the DISABLE button for the Safeprice extension. On your next computer boot up, the extension will not popup when you open you browser to your homepage.
No thanks. I dont want install additional bloatware to my PC, is bloated enough by Windows 10 itself.
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already uninstalled here, i was just trying for a few days, going back to previous AV.
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Hello, fix of the issue with the repeated SafePrice plugin offer was just released. Once you have version 23.5.8195.786 the issue should be gone. PC restart is needed. We apologize for the inconvenience caused by this bug.
Jan
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Hello, fix of the issue with the repeated SafePrice plugin offer was just released. Once you have version 23.5.8195.786 the issue should be gone. PC restart is needed. We apologize for the inconvenience caused by this bug.
Jan
@jan.sbovoda I tried to update the version but it stays at 23.5.8195.785 maybe it still needs time to be available on the servers?
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Hello, fix of the issue with the repeated SafePrice plugin offer was just released. Once you have version 23.5.8195.786 the issue should be gone. PC restart is needed. We apologize for the inconvenience caused by this bug.
Jan
@jan.sbovoda I tried to update the version but it stays at 23.5.8195.785 maybe it still needs time to be available on the servers?
Hi Nunzio77, this is different update channel, it was released as uupdate. Check for uupdates should be done every 4 hours or you can try to speed it up by restarting your PC (there is a check also after each PC restart).
Jan
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Hello, fix of the issue with the repeated SafePrice plugin offer was just released. Once you have version 23.5.8195.786 the issue should be gone. PC restart is needed. We apologize for the inconvenience caused by this bug.
Jan
@jan.sbovoda I tried to update the version but it stays at 23.5.8195.785 maybe it still needs time to be available on the servers?
Hi Nunzio77, this is different update channel, it was released as uupdate. Check for uupdates should be done every 4 hours or you can try to speed it up by restarting your PC (there is a check also after each PC restart).
Jan
Ok thanks a lot I didn't know that. I learned a new thing.
Thank you so much and go Avast.
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i can confirm 786 loaded even though my update was still showing as 783
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Hello, fix of the issue with the repeated SafePrice plugin offer was just released. Once you have version 23.5.8195.786 the issue should be gone. PC restart is needed. We apologize for the inconvenience caused by this bug.
Jan
Sorry, allready got this version, but the problem still exists. PC was restarted multiple times.
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Hello, fix of the issue with the repeated SafePrice plugin offer was just released. Once you have version 23.5.8195.786 the issue should be gone. PC restart is needed. We apologize for the inconvenience caused by this bug.
Jan
Sorry, allready got this version, but the problem still exists. PC was restarted multiple times.
Try emptying your browser's cache, deleting temporary files, cookies, etc... Then restart your PC. It's no longer causing me any problems.
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Hello, fix of the issue with the repeated SafePrice plugin offer was just released. Once you have version 23.5.8195.786 the issue should be gone. PC restart is needed. We apologize for the inconvenience caused by this bug.
Jan
Sorry, allready got this version, but the problem still exists. PC was restarted multiple times.
Try emptying your browser's cache, deleting temporary files, cookies, etc... Then restart your PC. It's no longer causing me any problems.
Hi Ghaindar, in case the issue still persists, could you please enable debug logs, induce the problem and then send us the support package. https://support.avast.com/en-us/article/Submit-support-file/#pc Please share then the support package ID. Thank you very much.
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Hello, fix of the issue with the repeated SafePrice plugin offer was just released. Once you have version 23.5.8195.786 the issue should be gone. PC restart is needed. We apologize for the inconvenience caused by this bug.
Jan
This issue is fixed, thank you.
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Try emptying your browser's cache, deleting temporary files, cookies, etc... Then restart your PC. It's no longer causing me any problems.
That was the solution, thanks!
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I was able to revert to 23.4, then I came back to this thread and read that Avast have released an update to fix this mess.
Shredded temp files, etc, updated, and at first shot got the update and... no more Chinese registry entries, nor the annoying redirecting to the SafePrice plugin page every time I started my browser... YAY! 8)
(https://i.ibb.co/djn3N4v/Screen-Shot-06-05-23-at-02-15-PM.png)
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The Avast update fixed the issue with SafePrice addon. I deleted all of the Chinese characters in my registry, after creating a backup registry file, and I have not had any problems with my system. Avast acted quickly to resolve this issue.
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Hello, fix of the issue with the repeated SafePrice plugin offer was just released. Once you have version 23.5.8195.786 the issue should be gone. PC restart is needed. We apologize for the inconvenience caused by this bug.
Jan
@jan.sbovoda I tried to update the version but it stays at 23.5.8195.785 maybe it still needs time to be available on the servers?
Hi Nunzio77, this is different update channel, it was released as uupdate. Check for uupdates should be done every 4 hours or you can try to speed it up by restarting your PC (there is a check also after each PC restart).
Jan
Could you explain what you mean by "different update channel"? If I simply use the Update function in the UI under Settings -> General -> Update, will I be good to go?
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Hello, fix of the issue with the repeated SafePrice plugin offer was just released. Once you have version 23.5.8195.786 the issue should be gone. PC restart is needed. We apologize for the inconvenience caused by this bug.
Jan
@jan.sbovoda I tried to update the version but it stays at 23.5.8195.785 maybe it still needs time to be available on the servers?
Hi Nunzio77, this is different update channel, it was released as uupdate. Check for uupdates should be done every 4 hours or you can try to speed it up by restarting your PC (there is a check also after each PC restart).
Jan
Could you explain what you mean by "different update channel"? If I simply use the Update function in the UI under Settings -> General -> Update, will I be good to go?
To guarantee the update RESTART your computer.
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Right, but that comes after the update itself. I just don't know what "different update channel" means, which is why I asked about that specifically.
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Right, but that comes after the update itself. I just don't know what "different update channel" means, which is why I asked about that specifically.
No, a restart forces that update if it's available.
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Hello, fix of the issue with the repeated SafePrice plugin offer was just released. Once you have version 23.5.8195.786 the issue should be gone. PC restart is needed. We apologize for the inconvenience caused by this bug.
Jan
When I right click on the Avast icon it tells me this is what I am running 23.5.6066 (build 23.5.8195.786) - still everytime I open chrome browser or firefox browser (both using chrome search engine as default) the Avast Safeprice tab opens along with my other start up tabs
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Hello, fix of the issue with the repeated SafePrice plugin offer was just released. Once you have version 23.5.8195.786 the issue should be gone. PC restart is needed. We apologize for the inconvenience caused by this bug.
Jan
When I right click on the Avast icon it tells me this is what I am running 23.5.6066 (build 23.5.8195.786) - still everytime I open chrome browser or firefox browser (both using chrome search engine as default) the Avast Safeprice tab opens along with my other start up tabs
Try clearing your browser's cache, deleting temporary files, cookies, etc... Then restart your PC. It doesn't bother me anymore.
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Hello, fix of the issue with the repeated SafePrice plugin offer was just released. Once you have version 23.5.8195.786 the issue should be gone. PC restart is needed. We apologize for the inconvenience caused by this bug.
Jan
When I right click on the Avast icon it tells me this is what I am running 23.5.6066 (build 23.5.8195.786) - still everytime I open chrome browser or firefox browser (both using chrome search engine as default) the Avast Safeprice tab opens along with my other start up tabs
Do you have SafePrice installed? Check your extensions. If you don't want it, remove the extension.
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Right, but that comes after the update itself. I just don't know what "different update channel" means, which is why I asked about that specifically.
No, a restart forces that update if it's available.
Ok I'm probably just misunderstanding you, so are you saying that the restart forces the update to simply be available? Meaning, if I click "check for updates" before I restart, nothing will happen, and I need to restart simply to get access to the update?
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Right, but that comes after the update itself. I just don't know what "different update channel" means, which is why I asked about that specifically.
No, a restart forces that update if it's available.
Ok I'm probably just misunderstanding you, so are you saying that the restart forces the update to simply be available? Meaning, if I click "check for updates" before I restart, nothing will happen, and I need to restart simply to get access to the update?
As previously mentioned the fix to this problem is delivered after a uupdate check (not the regular program update function), this is done on a 4 hourly basis, by restarting the system it effectively initiates this check and starting/resetting the clock/delay again.
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Ok I don't quite know what uupdate is (I thought that was a typo at first), so if that could be explained a bit more that'd be great.
Regardless, I'm still on Avast 23.4 because I didn't update to 23.5 because of this issue. So if I want to get to the 23.5 version that fixed that issue (the build that ends in .786), what's the course of action I need to take? Should I just restart my computer, then do a manual update and that'll get me the version I want? Do I need to manually update, restart, then manually update again? Should I simply wait another few weeks for 23.6, (as you told me before that i'll get the latest version automatically if I do that, regardless of the previous version I had)?
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Restarting the computer doesn't force update checks for me, all it does/did was making the browser opens up the plugin page for Avast addon again. I've tried for several days, including turning my computer on/off manually or use the restart function so I can confirm this.
Reinstalling the program using the installer works though so anyone still encountering this problem. Redownload the installer from Avast website and install it again (your account won't be logged out and such, you just need to restart the computer).
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Ok, so it looks like I was successful! I was on 23.4 still, and I restarted my computer last night, then this morning I updated through the UI, now when it was done updating I noticed the new version was ending in .783 and I was like "uh oh. Let's hope the post-update restart fixed that", and so I restarted and now I have version/build 23.5.8195.786. I open up Chrome and no annoying extensions or pop-ups.
Now, just to make sure there was no funny business with the registry, where do I go to make sure that was the case? I have zero experience with anything registry related.
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Ok, so it looks like I was successful! I was on 23.4 still, and I restarted my computer last night, then this morning I updated through the UI, now when it was done updating I noticed the new version was ending in .783 and I was like "uh oh. Let's hope the post-update restart fixed that", and so I restarted and now I have version/build 23.5.8195.786. I open up Chrome and no annoying extensions or pop-ups.
Now, just to make sure there was no funny business with the registry, where do I go to make sure that was the case? I have zero experience with anything registry related.
If you know nothing about the registry, the safest thing to do is to leave it alone.
One wrong move in the registry and your system may not boot. Your computer, your choice.
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I wouldn't go in there without specific instructions from someone who is more of an expert.