Avast Secure Browser Installed Without Permission!

[REDACTED]

A few days ago Avast Secure Browser started loading at startup with my PC. I thought it was built in to Avast Free Antivirus. So today after the 3rd startup with it showing I decided to go in to the settings of the Antivirus to disable it. But it turns out it's a separate program that had been installed without my knowledge or permission! Not only that but it automatically set itself to run at startup AND SET ITSELF AS THE DEFAULT BROWSER!

These are actions of MALWARE! Why are you forcing your browser on people like this and doing in a way that behaves as suspiciously as malware software you protect us from?

I do not want or need your browser, I have Firefox with 2 addons that I have trusted to protect me in my browsing for years and I will continue to use that thank you very much. I would never have opted to have your browser installed had I been given the choice.

For this I will no longer be recommending Avast to people asking for my help as a PC technician. Doing something like this behind the user's back is as bad as malware because we are supposed to trust you!

[REDACTED]

Same happened to me! They installed this shit without even ASKING me! It just came up after I booted the computer. How DARE they install something without my consent!
I have just uninstalled this brower thing, and Avast will follow - it will be uninstalled before they decide to install something else without my permission. No more Avast for any of these computers here.

[Asyn]

If you are unhappy with this version or you no longer wish to have a browser by Avast installed on your machine you can follow steps here https://support.avast.com/article/30/ to uninstall it from your computer.

-> https://download.avastbrowser.com/avast_secure_browser_uninstall.exe

[REDACTED]

If you are unhappy with this version or you no longer wish to have a browser by Avast installed on your machine you can follow steps here https://support.avast.com/article/30/ to uninstall it from your computer.

-> https://download.avastbrowser.com/avast_secure_browser_uninstall.exe

"...unhappy with this version" What I'm unhappy about, like all the others who posted here and in other threads, is that you installed something as important as a BROWSER, not only without my permission, but made it my DEFAULT browser with no way of changing that! No Install screens, no warning, no way to choose preferences or KEEP my original default browser! And nothing on the Settings page to change back to my original one! If I didn't even have your older browser installed, WHY would you even dump a new one on me?

WTF, people, is this your usual way of doing business? Does the word "hijack" mean anything to you? Obviously not. Now I've got to Uninstall your browser just to get my old default one back and hope and pray to high heaven that the uninstall doesn't take all the shortcuts and folders you've taken over (see "hijack" above), again WITHOUT any permission or choice whatsoever from me. If those disappear you're going to have one extremely p1ssed old broad telling all and sundry on every message board I post at just what to expect from Avast. "Free antivirus" doesn't give you the right to hijack an important part of my system!

[Asyn]

You can submit your feedback in "About Avast".

[REDACTED]

Same here. Was shocked that Avast would go ahead do this. It also sets BING as your default search provider!!! If that isn't a canary in the mine, I don't know what is.

Seems very strange to me that an anti-virus company would do something typical of a virus / malware / hijack attempt? Have really liked Avast all these years however this is a red line for me. No software should be able to install additional bloatware without your permission or consent. It destroys all trust and integrity that you may have grown. Avast, please pay attention to this, we will not be alone on the internet in finding this behaviour absolutely unacceptable and expecting better.

[REDACTED]

This is the criminal offense.

Just happened to me a few minutes ago. I did try avast long back, uninstalled it. But they have left something behind which installed their browser today.

Not a nice thing to know there is something sleeping in my computer that can install anything anytime.

Can anyone find out what it could be?

[REDACTED]

Luckily I was updating my aunties computer - when avast HIJACKED their browser - this would have really confused them , changed their default search and all sorts of inconveniences.

Luckily as I say I was there to stop this happening by going into settings and changing default browser back to what it should be.

This is BROWSER HIJACKING, the very sort of action I installed AVAST to stop happening, come on people .. Am now reassing what I should install on technophobes computers... darn it, it had worked so well too!

[REDACTED]

its also hijacked the default pdf viewer grrr

[ondrejz]

This is the criminal offense.

Just happened to me a few minutes ago. I did try avast long back, uninstalled it. But they have left something behind which installed their browser today.

Not a nice thing to know there is something sleeping in my computer that can install anything anytime.

Can anyone find out what it could be?

Hi,

"I did try avast long back, uninstalled it. But they have left something behind which installed their browser today. "

Currently, this is not technically possible. The browser installation does not work like this. We update the old SafeZone browser (which is not secure anymore) with the new Secure Browser silently only for users who already had SafeZone. Unfortunately, the thing is that some users even did not know they had SafeZone before and noticed the browser thanks to the onboarding screen of the new version.

[REDACTED]

It's possible and I know this. 

[REDACTED]

Hi, I registered on this forum specifically to chime in with how much I agree with the original poster. I am frankly outraged to have the avast browser not only installed without my permission but also (much worse) set to open automatically when the computer starts up. To describe this as unbelievable is pretty much understating my thoughts on the matter. It did this on both my own laptop and my wifes, and I saw her confusion as she naturally assumed it was google chrome but could see that something weird had happened to it.
You guys really need to seriously rethink your priorities here - you don't ever - EVER invade peoples privacy and take over their machines like that.
You can be damn sure I will be uninstalling all avast software ASAP.

[REDACTED]

what avast has done is WRONG.  so bloody wrong that I  need to find another product to recommend to my user base.  This is a browser hijack pure and simple.   SAFEZONE was not installed when I did custom installs of Avast but I got foisted up my drive anyways.  the uninstall app does nothing.  Double click, spinny circle then nothing.  Infection is still there.  Revo worked.  This vendor seems to think that I am a dust bin that they can vomit into as they please.  No.  This behaviour is not acceptable.

[Will465]

Thank you for those who have voiced their issue with us, we always try to provide the best products and services for our users. It sounds like some have not had a good experience, I would be grateful if some of you could help assist us with this.

To clarify, you will only receive the browser in the following scenarios:

• If you had SafeZone Browser installed on your machine you will have been automatically updated. Unlike the old SafeZone Browser you can uninstall Avast Secure Bowser independently of the Antivirus.
• You accepted an offer to install the browser from the Avast Antivirus. This could have been on the first page of the installer of the Antivirus or from a post-update screen.

Aside from installing the browser from our product page or other website these are the only circumstances you should receive the browser. If an install occurred outside of these channels then there is a serious issue that we will need to investigate.

If you think think this applies to you would you be able to provide us with some more detailed diagnostics. This will help us investigate this issue further.

Please use the following steps:
Open the browser and click on the menu icon (3 dots)
Click on "Help and About Avast Secure Browser" and then "About Avast Secure Browser"
Click on "Diagnostic Information" (this will open a pop-up window)
Click the "COPY TO CLIPBOARD" button to capture the information

Please let me know if you have any problems accessing this information.

Thank you.

[schmidthouse]

Thank you for those who have voiced their issue with us, we always try to provide the best products and services for our users. It sounds like some have not had a good experience, I would be grateful if some of you could help assist us with this.

To clarify, you will only receive the browser in the following scenarios:

• If you had SafeZone Browser installed on your machine you will have been automatically updated. Unlike the old SafeZone Browser you can uninstall Avast Secure Bowser independently of the Antivirus.
• You accepted an offer to install the browser from the Avast Antivirus. This could have been on the first page of the installer of the Antivirus or from a post-update screen.

Aside from installing the browser from our product page or other website these are the only circumstances you should receive the browser. If an install occurred outside of these channels then there is a serious issue that we will need to investigate.

If you think think this applies to you would you be able to provide us with some more detailed diagnostics. This will help us investigate this issue further.

Please use the following steps:
Open the browser and click on the menu icon (3 dots)
Click on "Help and About Avast Secure Browser" and then "About Avast Secure Browser"
Click on "Diagnostic Information" (this will open a pop-up window)
Click the "COPY TO CLIPBOARD" button to capture the information

Please let me know if you have any problems accessing this information.

Thank you.

Thanks for the support.
I would hope all users experiencing issues will supply the 'diagnostic information' in order to track down the source of the issue.