Search engines bundled with viewer? Print not download.

[Blixx]

1. Just downloaded PDF-XChange. I was very careful NOT to have ASK installed.
If I access the Search dropdown on your toolbar, I find that I now have 7 Search engines/providers installed besides Google (the only one I want).
This includes Yandex.RU and seznam (CZ), neither of which I've ever heard of.
Disgusted with this finding. Did they come bundled with your viewer?

I find now that with Firefox accessing the dropdown I have 8 additional toolbars installed including ASK but not the 2 foreign ones I list above.
And with Opera 6 additional (besides Google) but not the 2 foreign ones.
They all have Ask and a few common ones, but also each browser has unique Search engines also (not common to the other browsers).

Very upset by this.

How can I get rid of these Search engines, other than Google?
They are not listed in "Programs", and not listed as BHO's either.


2.

I made PDF X-Change my default PDF viewer (rather than Acrobat).

I received an email with a coupon I want to print. I've printed them many times in the past using Acrobat - no problems.
Now, when I click on "print coupon" in the email, Chrome brings up a Download window for me to approve, with no opt out of downloading.

Firefox prints, but downloads also.

I do not want to download the coupon, only print it.

Never had this problem before - how can I avoid it?


3. I made PDF X-Change my default pdf viewer.
How do I change this setting?

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

The Ask toolbar is optional — the search engines can be customised. It is a very useful feature.

Try a search of the forum for "Ask Toolbar" for previous discussions on this.

Basically, if you want stuff for free, then you have to put up with some advertising. I declined to install the Ask toolbar and I don't have any extra toolbars in Firefox (though Opera is my default browser).

[Blixx]

Bhikkhu Pesala - Thanks for the link.

Now I know that those Search engines are bundled with the PDF-XChange.

"I declined to install the Ask toolbar and I don't have any extra toolbars in Firefox..."

I don't have extra toolbars in Firefox either.
But if I access the dropdown from the "Search" function on Firefox's toolbar, I found that I have 8 Search engines "installed".
"Installed" is the wording used on the "Manage Search Providers" window.

Which makes me wonder:
1) If I in the future Uninstall the PDF-Xchange, will I be completely rid of the other Search Engines which came bundled with this Reader?

2) I see that there is a "Remove" option (or a "Delete" option) in the "Manage Search Providers" window in the PDF-Xchange Viewer, and same with my 4 different browsers.

If I remove/delete these Search engines by clicking "Remove" in the "Manage Search Providers" window- are they permanently removed from my computer?


" I declined to install the Ask toolbar and I don't have any extra toolbars in Firefox..."

If you access the dropdown on the left side of the "Search" window in Firefox, do you also see a total of 9 Search Engines there?

I'm wondering now if each browser also bundles these Search Engines along with the browser?
And as I ask above, if I use "Remove"/"Delete" in "Manage Search Providers" , will it get rid of them completely?

I can't find any of these Search Engines in my "Programs" nor in Browser Add-ons.


Anotherwords - "Installed" is the wording used on the "Manage Search Providers" window.
Are all of these bundled Search Engines truly "installed", or simply linked to?

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

As you may have guessed, I am not familiar with Firefox. The only search engines I see are Google, Yahoo,co.uk, Amazon.co.uk, Answers.com, Chambers (UK), Creative Commons, eBay.co.uk, and Wikipedia (en).

You will have to wait for an answer from Tracker Support on what installing PDF-XChange does.

[Spiff]

Hi Blixx,

As Bhikkhu Pesala, I too am not familiar with Firefox.
But here's something you can do to get rid of the search engines as installed with PDF-XChange Viewer:
Two options, with the same results, I suppose:

1:
In Microsoft Windows,
right-click the PDF-Viewer icon on Windows Desktop (or PDF-Viewer in Menu Start\ Programs),
choose "Run as Administrator"(!),
in PDF-XChange Viewer choose Edit\ Preferences\ Search Providers
and now you can remove the search providers you want to remove.
Apply, OK.

Or, 2:
In Microsoft Windows,
log in as Administrator,
open Windows Explorer
(or as Standard User, right-click Windows Explorer and choose "Run as Administrator"),
go to C:\Program Files\Tracker Software\PDF Viewer\SearchProviders
and delete all search provider files you want to delete.


However, any future PDF-XChange Viewer update will bring back all search providers.
So after updating the program you'll need to repeat the steps under 1 or 2.


As I'm not familiar with Firefox, I'm not sure if the above will clean up the search engines mentioned in Firefox. I hope so.
Please let us know.

Good luck.

[Spiff]

Hi Blixx,

To reply to your question #3 in your first post (Sat Jun 26, 2010 5:14 am),

3. I made PDF X-Change my default pdf viewer.
How do I change this setting?

in PDF-XChange Viewer choose Edit\ Preferences\ File Associations
and click Restore File Associations.
Apply, OK.

[Spiff]

Hi Blixx,

Did you manage to clean up those search providers, the way I suggested?
And were you able to change the default pdf-viewer?
I hope so.

Best regards

[Paul - PDF-XChange]

Hi all on this thread.

I think I should clear up what seems to be a misconception about PDF-XChange "Installing Search Engines". The long and the short of it is that PDF-XChange does not install Search Engines in any application other than itself. What I think is happening here is the Ask Toolbar was not completely disabled/unchecked during the install and it is that which modified your browsers' search engine settings.

As a test you can try the following:

• On a system without PDF-XChange Viewer Installed set up your Firefox Search engines as desired
  
  
• Install PDF-XChange Viewer being sure to uncheck the "Make Ask my browser default search provider before unchecking the "I accept the terms of the Ask EULA...." otherwise it will remain checked - see image below.
  
  
• Install PDF-XChange Viewer
• Check the list of Firefox Search Engine Providers: It hasn't changed.
  
  

So what this has brought up for me is that this is not so user friendly and that unchecking the first box should stop the Ask Installer from making any changes.

We will certainly be looking into this.

[Spiff]

Hi Paul,

So, do you mean that when "I accept the terms of the Ask EULA" is unchecked and therefore "Make Ask my browser default search provider" is greyed out, the "Make Ask my browser default search provider" line is somehow still active in some way, even when greyed out?
That's not very user friendly, indeed.

I never noticed, because I always uncheck "Make Ask my browser default search provider" first, before unchecking "I accept the terms of the Ask EULA". This because of the fact that I want all those boxes clean, not just greyed out. But I rather thought that was just a 'cosmetic' difference, I never thought the "Make Ask my browser default search provider" line would somehow still be active in some way, when greyed out.

A good thing you noticed!

I really hope Tracker Software can change this ugly Ask Toolbar installer behavior.
Thanks very much.


Best regards

[Paul - PDF-XChange]

Hi Spiff,

yes you are right, and I agree it's not so friendly. We are looking into it right now and if that can be changed it will be changed.

regards

[Spiff]

So, do you mean that when "I accept the terms of the Ask EULA" is unchecked and therefore "Make Ask my browser default search provider" is greyed out, the "Make Ask my browser default search provider" line is somehow still active in some way, even when greyed out?

We are looking into it right now and if that can be changed it will be changed.

I noticed the situation was the same with the recent version 2.0.54 release, 09-07-2010.
I suppose you're still looking into this problem and try to change it in the next version?
Thanks very much.

Best regards

[Paul - PDF-XChange]

Hi Spiff,

you are right that the changes were not done in time for build 54. We have gone over the logic now and for build 55 if you decline the Ask license agreement it will not make any changes - there will no longer be the home page reset left unchecked and grayed out.

Please note that it was not ever our intention to mislead anyone, this was an error in preparing the installer and it has now been corrected.

look for the change in build 55.

regards

[Spiff]

Thanks, Paul,
Very good.

And don't worry, I never thought it was Tracker Software's intention to mislead anyone.
But I would suspect Ask.com of such trickery. It's the Ask-part of the installer that has the unpleasant behavior. I rather supposed Tracker Software was tricked by that Ask stuff.

I'm happy Tracker Software has been able to analyze the problem and solve it for issue 55.
Thanks very much.

[John - Tracker Supp]

Thanks Spiff - appreciate your understanding.