Beware of Flash updates

[CES020]

Yesterday, from the other side of the office, I hear "Hey, do I want McAfee to update?".

::::gulp::::::

We don't have McAfee on anything.

I go over and look at it, it looks like the real deal. I control/alt/delete and kill it. Pop on the internet and find that the update for Flash now includes McAfee, a scaled down version of it, with the "install" box already checked. So if you just fly through it and don't pay attention to updates, you're going to install McAfee on your system.

Dirty rotten ba%$%ds.........

Be careful with those updates from Adobe!

 

[SightLine]

Pretty much ALL software that you do not pay anything for (an some that you do pay) include "extras" by default. It's a flat out habit for me to ALWAYS choose custom or look at options when installing anything to make sure I'm not installing more than I bargained for. The "updates" for Flash though I do not think have ever had extra crap with them, just new installs. I think the Mcafee add on only started with the lastest update that came out last week. I also have all computers up here locked down via Group Policy to prevent any employee from installing anything, period. Use of unauthorized external drives (thumb, hard, memory card, etc) is also prohibited. I am the network nazi!!!

Make it a habit. Make it policy. NEVER just click away, next, next, next, next, etc without paying attention when installing ANYTHING. Good of you to post and warn about this. I remember seeing it myself late last week and did uncheck it but totally forgot about it.

 

[Craig Sjoquist]

Yes there is alot of programs that have that and many others.

It is ALWAYS best to READ EVERYTHING when downloading ALSO best to SCAN to be sure.

Yes you can remove most problems fairly easy but why accept it in the 1st place ..READ CAREFULLY.

Saw a new one on FB this weekend even looked like a FB warning..looked was the key word.

 

[visual800]

damn adobe you could at least offer a better antivirus! These updates are killing me with all their "junk" they auto load on your machines, Im with Sightline I always do custom IF I am downloading anything. I dont update flash, reader anything adobe, if its running fine why mess with it.

updating the last adobe reader is what cause my production manager to be so oversized i couldnt press send, imagine that

 

[weaselboogie]

theyve been trying to include the mcafee pack with flash for many versions now. At least the last 2 years.

 

[choucove]

I found a website that you can download the direct executable installer for Adobe Flash and many other programs, often times without all the extra junkware thrown in. Just go to www.filehippo.com and type in the name of whatever program you are looking to download. This isn't a torrent or illegal downloads site at all, they just have gone through and regularly download the latest release of the most common free applications out there such as Flash, Java, Reader, and much much more so you can get everything you need from a single website.

 

[anotherdog]

its not as if Flash will be around for much longer, Even Adobe are stepping back from it so I guess they are getting some money out of the old donkey before it dies.

Steve Jobs is laughing somewhere.

 

[CES020]

I guess I just miss that all the time because I'm used to unchecking everything. It is, however, the first time anyone here has done it, so it made me think it was something fairly new. Maybe not.

I'd rather you install malware on my computer than McAfee.

 

[Mike F]

I found a website that you can download the direct executable installer for Adobe Flash and many other programs, often times without all the extra junkware thrown in. Just go to www.filehippo.com and type in the name of whatever program you are looking to download. This isn't a torrent or illegal downloads site at all, they just have gone through and regularly download the latest release of the most common free applications out there such as Flash, Java, Reader, and much much more so you can get everything you need from a single website.

Ninite is good for this too. It's also a godsend when you have a new computer or do a fresh Windows or Linux install. Just check off all the programs you want and it grabs them all and installs them for you, and it unchecks any and all options for toolbars and all the other extras most installers try to throw in. All free or open source software as well.

 

[Techman]

that is why I always say, turn off all updates. Only get one if you need it.

 

[ironchef]

I am the network nazii! Lmao thumb!