Ask toolbar installed without consent ?

[acr]

I recently noticed the promo for the free Lite version of pdf-xchange. After letting others know about this promo I started hearing complaints about the Ask Toolbar being installed without user consent. This install did not happen to me but maybe that's because I have Windows 7 Ultimate with Applocker enabled. Others who have installed and ended up with the Ask Toolbar all advised that they opted in to having the free viewer downloaded along with the Lite version. And on reboot their Internet Explorer and Firefox had the Ask Toolbar installed. None have advised me that there was any indication that the toolbar would be installed. Would someone clarify whether the Ask Toolbar is installed with the free Lite promo or the option for the free viewer in that promo?

Thanks

[John - Tracker Supp]

Hi,

The free Lite version has no ASK toolbar installation at all - but if the Viewer is installed, the ASK Toolbar is inlcuded in the installer - BUT - users always have the option to deselect and deactivate the ASK Toolbar from the install - if users have it installed - then they did NOT uncheck this option.

Nothing is installed without the users consent ...

Hope that helps

[acr]

FWIW- there are several different posters on a number of sites claiming they had no notice of the Ask.com toolbar install with the Lite promo/ free viewer. Could this issue get looked into?

[Chris - PDF-XChange]

Hi acr,

Of course we will double check the installers to insure this is the case.

Chris Attrell
Sales Manager
Tracker Software Products

[acr]

Hi acr,

Of course we will double check the installers to insure this is the case.

Chris Attrell
Sales Manager
Tracker Software Products

OK thanks. Please post when you have further info.

[Paul - PDF-XChange]

Hi acr,

after testing the installer I can report that if a user installs PDF-XChange 4 Lite and does check the box to install the Viewer that the Viewer installation is performed silently and users are not in fact warned about the Ask Toolbar and do not therefore have the chance to opt out.

We are looking into this and will advise as to the solution we implement.

[John - Tracker Supp]

Hi,

we can see why this behaviour occurs and will change the new Lite installer so that the offer of the Viewer is incorporated directly in this installer and then you will have the options visible to check on or off all the Viewer switches including the ASK toolbar installation and install or not as required.

But this will take a couple of days to place in the 'Queue' and process.

Hope that helps

[acr]

What's the status? I see the download is still the same, no updated installer.

[Paul - PDF-XChange]

Hi acr,

the next schedules build release is next week - Nov 15th. I did hear rumour of a modification without changing the build number. I do not know however if this was done. The people to ask are done for the day so you can expect an answer tomorrow. Failing that you could wait for the 15th or try the current build again.

hth

[acr]

Hi acr,

the next schedules build release is next week - Nov 15th. I did hear rumour of a modification without changing the build number. I do not know however if this was done. The people to ask are done for the day so you can expect an answer tomorrow. Failing that you could wait for the 15th or try the current build again.

hth

Thanks for the update. Maybe you are not the one to ask, but anyway, don't you think once it was confirmed that the Ask toolbar was being installed without consent that the download should have been pulled? There are a ton of complaints about this issue. And it's been known for a while now and apparently the product is still being installed on user systems with this stealth Ask toolbar installation. A little bit of consideration for the end user would have went a long ways.

[John - Tracker Supp]

Believe it or not - updating the version/installer and creating a new release - requires a complete halt in development and all the various modules being worked on by all the dev team - almost 20 people must cease work - then 3 specific people are involved in pulling all the components together and creating a revised build - we are at a critical point in preparing a release which offers completed and comprehensive XFA forms support and cannot do this at this time - without causing major disruption and perhaps up to half a days lost development by some 20 people.

Further this affects a relativley small number of people using the Completely free version of the Lite driver for non commercial use only and I regret we do have to consider the overall cost here in terms of time and resources.

So for a few days or perhaps a week longer, if all goes to plan - this situiation will persist, People can just opt to not install the viewer and then this issue will not arise - they can then download the Viewer seperatley.

Thanks for your patience.