[UPDATE] No sooner did I post this and go back to browsing when I discovered that it not only switched my search engine, but my HOME PAGE as well! This is OUTRAGEOUS!!!
I have a computer business, and I have been recommending Avast! over AVG for years, but after today, I am perhaps going to reconsider that, as Avast! free version is getting a bit too "pushy" in how it operates.
Today on one of my PCs, a little Avast! box popped up, saying "you have an unsafe add-on on your browser. Click to clean up". I thought, "Ok, this is new, let's try it."
It ran a bit, then shut down the browser, nothing unusual there, but then it reloaded WITHOUT my former tabs open and went straight to Yahoo page! I didn't like that at all, but I also didn't realize until a few searches within the half hour that Avast! had actually SWITCHED my search engine to Yahoo! Talk about being REALLY PISSED OFF.
So, yeah, big bad marks for you Avast! I will be reconsidering what anti-virus software I recommend from now on, after over a DECADE of recommending Avast!. That is getting too obtrusive, and also by NOT reloading my former tabs is unforgivable.
Also on ANOTHER NOTE, Avast! really needs to change the "captcha" program they use. I don't know how the average person can read the set up they use. I finally had to enlarge my page to over 150% to read it after failing six times/reloading new ones.
