New Flash Update installs McAfee without permission

[ranchhand]

My Adobe Flash player updater just popped up with the new update notice so I allowed it to install. Guess What? It installed McAfee Security Scanner without my permission. No notice, I suddenly saw the shortcut on my desktop. So...Adobe has joined the sleazeballs that install junk without permission. And MCAFEE?? The biggest piece of horse hockey in the industry? I notice in Uninstall Programs that there is something called Adobe Flash Player Active X; anybody know what that is?

[mike20021969]

I notice in Uninstall Programs that there is something called Adobe Flash Player Active X; anybody know what that is?

A wild guess (!)... Is it not Adobe Flash Player?

[Kerry56]

There is a small box in the Flash installer that you have to uncheck to make sure you don't install the McAfee software.

[sanlyn]

I notice in Uninstall Programs that there is something called Adobe Flash Player Active X; anybody know what that is?

Actually, you installed it yourself, and you told Adobe to do it. It's the....well, it's the Adobe Flash Player, version X.

Many programs install extras. They give you the option to skip the extras. The Java Runtime update inquires if you want to install the Ask Toolbar. Yeah, I know....what's the Java Runtime?

[mike20021969]

There is a small box in the Flash installer that you have to uncheck to make sure you don't install the McAfee software.

I've never see that on the installer itself. There's just a blah blah blah read and agree to terms box to tick then INSTALL:



It does appear though on Adobe's download page:



Anyway, far easier to download the latest installer direct:

http://download.macromedia.com/pub/flashplayer/current/support/install_flash_player.exe

For Internet Explorer:

http://download.macromedia.com/pub/flashplayer/current/support/install_flash_player_ax.exe

[El Heggunte]

First they wanted us all to use the wannabe browser (Chrome), and now they're also pushing McAfee's nullware?

And what, 15.71MB for a half-assed and slooooow plugin ???

And to make things worse,
now Adobe doesn't even let other sites archive the old versions of their #$@%**!! Flash Player.

[Wolfen]

http://www.oldapps.com/ is good for finding old versions of everything important.

[mike20021969]

The Flash Player archive on there goes well back to 1996.

Not that I ever need to go back to a previous version, but I find it easier to archive that last few flash players myself.

[MOVIEGEEK]

It's not wise to use old versions of Flash and Acrobat, they update it to fix exploits. As for Chrome, I like it because it runs in a sandbox and it updates itself automatically.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/web/there-is-an-adobe-reader-zero-day-on-the-loose/

[El Heggunte]

http://www.oldapps.com/ is good for finding old versions of everything important.

I wrote what I wrote because...

Flash Player is no longer available at OldApps. You may still use OldApps to find system compatibility and then download older versions from Adobe's website.

It's not wise to use old versions of Flash and Acrobat, they update it to fix exploits.

And they make it more bloated as well.

[hello_hello]

Actually, you installed it yourself, and you told Adobe to do it. It's the....well, it's the Adobe Flash Player, version X.

Many programs install extras. They give you the option to skip the extras. The Java Runtime update inquires if you want to install the Ask Toolbar. Yeah, I know....what's the Java Runtime?

It's the ActiveX version, ie the Internet Explorer version. Yeah, I know....what's ActiveX?

The version for real browsers is listed in Add/Remove programs as the Flash Player Plugin.

Personally, the only reason I install the Adobe Flash Player is because the Firefox Flashblock plugin stops Flash from being used intrusively. All I see on any web page containing Flash objects is the Flashblock symbol unless I click on it. There may be a version of Flashblock for other browsers.

[El Heggunte]

what's ActiveX?

Don't you mean "ActiveASS" ?

FWIW, and directly from the 90s:

ActiveMovie (aka DirectShow)
ActiveX (aka application/x-oleobject)
Active Streaming Format (aka ASF)
ActiveDesktop (aka Epic Fail)
Active Directory
Active Setup
Active Server Pages (aka ASP)

and last but not least,

Active Boredom

[ranchhand]

Yeah, the picture posted above by Mike was what I got from the "update" popup; I even carefully scanned the EULA but no mention of any other install was there. I have since disabled auto-update for flash.
Adobe can go suck eggs.

[mike20021969]

the "update" popup;

I got an auto-update pop-up too (after switching on computer informing of a new version) - but there was no McAfee insight for me.

Maybe they like you

[DarrellS]

Turn off auto update and always update manually.

I was getting a message in Foxfire that I needed to update the acrobat reader plugin to view a page with with a PDF file. Firefox had started blocking any PDF file if you had an older version of Acrobat Reader. I searched everywhere trying to find if the newer version had the same options that the old version that I use which is 7.0 has but could find nothing. The reason that I use the old version is because it offers features that they took out of newer versions in hopes that you would pay for Acrobat Reader Pro to get those features.

After not being able to find any info and not being able to just find a plugin update that would not force me to use a newer reader, I found instructions on how to view the PDF files without having to update anything. All I had to do was go into Firefox Plugins and turn off the Acrobat Reader plugin. That forced Firefox to use the copy of Adobe Reader that I had installed on my PC instead of having to upgrage any plugin or Reader itself.

If I knew that Adobe Reader 11 would do everthing that Adobe Reader 7 would do then I might upgrade to 11 but I also keep getting pop ups from Avast warning of an exploit in versions 10 and 11 that allow virus in PDF files. The new version is over twice as large as version 7 also.

[hello_hello]

Personally I prefer to use Foxit than the Adobe reader. I haven't had the latter installed in years. I don't know whether Adobe has dragged their reader out of the dark ages and added tabs to it yet, but the Foxit reader has them, so you can open multiple PDFs in tabs the same way a browser opens web pages.

I'm pretty sure both Foxit and Adobe have options whether or not to view PDFs inside the browser or whether they open in a new window using the reader instead. Well Foxit definitely does. If Adobe has the same option I don't know whether that'd also stop it nagging you about updating itself.

[lemoto]

I just updated Flash. I did see a checkbox re: McAfee, and I cleared it. And McAdee was installed anyway. A handy gadget prevented Run On Startup. My Uninstaller and Windows cannot find McAfee. Frustration reigns.

[jman98]

I just updated Flash. I did see a checkbox re: McAfee, and I cleared it. And McAdee was installed anyway. A handy gadget prevented Run On Startup. My Uninstaller and Windows cannot find McAfee. Frustration reigns.

Be very careful because some installers of 3rd party programs are using tricky language and if you don't carefully read it, you may think you are unselecting it, but you're really not. Some installers require you to use negative logic like selecting "Don't install" or "Stop" or something like that to actually proceed with installation without the extra program(s) and many people don't pay attention and instead click on something like "Continue" which makes the extra stuff install anyway. I don't remember the program as it's been a while, but one time I saw an installer where you it asked you something like "Do you want to not install this program?" and you had to answer "Yes" or it got installed. Many people would quickly answer "No" to such a question, assuming they were asked if they wanted to install it, but they would actually be saying "Don't not install it" which means "Install it".

I've never personally seen McAfee install where it didn't show up under the Windows Control Panel. Try rebooting and that may make it visible if it really did install.

[lemoto]

Fair comment.
But I did carefully read it, especially after it took a number of attempts to get in unchecked.

[TreeTops]

Happening here to today. No option to opt out of McAfee. I cancelled installation. What's going on? This from a popup that said to update Flash.

[El Heggunte]

IMHO there is NO actual NEED to "always update" to the "greatest and latest" version of Flash Player.

MOST swf & flv & mp4 files really don't require a version greater than 10.xxxx.

And if a web site "enforces" the use of a recent build, just say good-bye to it, that's what I do.

[HemLok]

Let's also remember that many of the Adobe Flash Player updates patch vulnerabilities so simply not updating is not exactly a safe practice.

With respect to things being bundled with Adobe Flash Player, I believe that on the Adobe site when you go to download/install the software you are prompted as to whether you want something else installed. I always have selected no. I've never had an issue.

These days I generally use Alternative Flash Player Auto-Updater. Grabs and installs the x86 and x64 Flash Player in a simple process without jumping through hoops.

[lemoto]

I selected no, and McAfee was installed just the same.

[HemLok]

I just downloaded and installed the Flash Player for IE and other browsers from the Adobe site. I unchecked the Mcafee box before downloading and saved them to my HDD. I then closed my browser and then installed Flash Player. No Mcafee.

Something weird is definitely going on for those of you running into the problem. FWIW, I downloaded the the installers from the Adobe site with Opera v22.

[racer-x]

Someone post a link to a video that can't be played without Adobe Flash Player please.......

[johns0]

Here's one link where it asks for adobe flash player,i've run into a few others.
http://www.gamespot.com/videos/e3-2014-star-citizen-stage-demo/2300-6419567/

[sambat]

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-27816908

[lemoto]

I downloaded the the installers from the Adobe site with Opera v22.

v22? I think the choice of browser is irrelevant, but FWIW I have 12.17 and Opera assures me that this is the latest version.

[racer-x]

That video plays fine in Chrome, no Adobe Plugin installed.

[HemLok]

v22?

Opera v22 is based on Chromium/Chrome with Opera's own tweaks. Everything from Opera v13 on is this way. Opera v12.17 was the end of Opera Software doing everything on their own. With the switch the versioning has sped up a lot.

I think the choice of browser is irrelevant

Personally, I don't see why the browser used to download should have an impact but I simply thought it might be an idea to mention it. I simply unchecked the Mcafee box on the download page and downloaded the two different versions of Flash Player: (1) IE & (2) Other browsers. Mcafee wasn't present.

but FWIW I have 12.17 and Opera assures me that this is the latest version.

I don't believe the updater in Opera v12 will show an update for anything later even though there most definitely are newer releases.

Nonetheless, why the problem with Mcafee installing regardless of the choice made for some people? I have absoluely zero idea. I cannot reproduce it.