It is pretty clear Chris that Adobe is obfiscating here.

I just did a clean install and installed the newest adobe flash plugin for mozilla. It downloaded and installed both the plug in and MCAFFEE. NO OPT OUT.

It was one click to install, no checkbox, fine print.

This comes off of the ADOBE Website.

Simply google this topic and you get hundreds of forum posts about it.

So quit playing games with the public.

Do you speak for the company? If so I would like to include your response for the FTC filing.

I just installed the latest update to 11.3.300.265. I was able to uncheck the Norton box. The bad news is that by updating, I lost the audio function on Flash videos. Grrrr!

You repeatedly ask for referring URLs. Sometimes, by the time we realize what happened, we don't remember or are unable to find the referring URL. Sometimes the link comes from an update notice on our computer and there is no referring URL. I've had it happen both ways.

Hi Chris,

I see where you are coming from.

From now on I will then be vigilant in monitoring exactly how it comes and will take screen shots if I am quick enough.

From my memory I got a popup screen which reminded “update available” which I accepted, it then went to the screen (mentioned in the forum message that I wrote) and I don’t have UAC enabled so it all got installed.

It sounds from your description that you believe I did not read the full screen, with me just accepting adobe as a trusted entity. I however do not think this was the case, although I did accept the popup as it was trusted by me. However time will tell..

I am very open to helping in this situation.

You should understand my personal situation I have been using computers since the early 1970’s, I have had bad results with McAfee, I will never use them again. The only reason I registered on the Adobe site was to make that one complaint, that complaint was not really against Adobe except to complain that McAfee had got into my computer without my knowledge on the back of an Adobe update. I suggest you let people Optin with an Optin box, instead of forcing them to search everything for an Optout box.

I see that 5 hours ago there was another update so I am waiting

Thanks

David

EXTREMELY ANNOYED here too!!!

This was triggered from a flash player update.

I'm on Chrome. Flash player 11 was already installed and this looks like a browser plugin update (or install, I can't be sure right now)...

Never was I offered an opt out screen nor was I redirected to any page. All I saw was a flash update notification and a button to start this silent update. All of a sudden the McAfee trash was already in.

Won't be accepting any flash updates anytime soon. Or ever.

Thanks for all your help Chris, I hope the following helps.

This is the link I was directed to straight from the updater.

https://get3.adobe.com/flashplayer/download/?installer=Flash_Player_11 _for_Other_Browsers&os=Windows%207&browser_type=Gecko&browser_dist=Fir efox&a=McAfee_Security_Scan_Plus_FireFox_Browser&dualoffer=false&type= au&browser_vers=14

This is the file it downloaded.

install_flashplayer11x32_mssa_au_aih.exe

When I launch the file, it automatically starts downloading McAfee with the update.  I cancelled the process.  Hopefully this can be resolved soon.  Also, your advice to do a clean install was a good idea.

Thanks again Chris, and good luck with this.

Looking at the install/remove programs list i can see:

Adobe Flash Player 11 Active X (13 days ago)

Adobe Flash Player 11 Plugin (today)

l don't ever remember going through a web page. All I remember was a Windows Desktop Notification (without any option to opt out).

But, look at the chrome history in my next reply to @SquirrelJuice because there's something in it.

@Chris Campbell

Chris be calm and read this slowly, you are in for a surprise, in the first of the two links you gave in your reply to duartix at 27-Aug-2012 16:38, you say the link is to the plugin page with the opt out of the third party software. Your statement is not correct. The link does not give any chance to opt out and I have all the screen shots to prove it.

EDIT: Removed link to pdf that showed screenshots to the download page and included a link to the installer. There was nothing wrong with this content, but I wanted to make sure that we didn't have anyone accidentally install something they didn't want. - Chris

Now that I have proved it I have re-read the forum and note the file names and web pages that others are giving and it all ties to the same thing.

You must actually click on the link yourself and then understand exactly what it does.

Or have I misunderstood your posting

I deleted my post yesterday, because my screen captures had not been included when I saved the message, and I had not saved the pictures. However, since then I have been getting email updates every time someone posts. Therefore, I feel the necessity to say something about this issue.

The fact that you are missing Chris is that we are not clicking the download button on the adobe.com/flashplayer/update/plugin/ page. On my desktop I recieved the automatic update notice, and when I clicked the download button on that notification, I went driectly to the second link above, and windows opened it's dialog asking me whether or not to allow the program to run.

Now it is possible that the first web page also opened and was in the background, but I never saw it.

However, later I was on one of my co-workers computers and trying to help her get Flash Player. Having been through this earlier I was careful to watch what was happening and the same thing happened in that she went directly to the second link above. I stopped the download because I wanted to get screenshots, and then page reverted to the first link, as if it had been open in the background.

Clearly there is something wrong with the initial links or the launcher which is making it occur automatically, without being prompted. I would suggest that you start testing on more computers and different setups to try to find the reason some people are experiencing this issue, rather than assuming we all just missed the check box and clicked away uncaringly.

If I could get my PC to return to the state it was in Monday before I arrived at work, and then have the update notification return, I would show you that I did not have the opportunity to deny the McAfee download.

Thank you.

@Chris thanks for editing my post (number 37) and removing the link to the pdf, I have also deleted the pdf file on my server. Like FTK_flashdev I could not upload screenshots into my mail, thus the only alternative was the file on my server. As you realise I was only utilising your link which you have edited out of your email.

@bradleykronson - my pdf was the proof that the first link from Chris DID install mcafee and was NOT a recommendation to repeat the proof.

@FTK_flashdev states QUOTE "The fact that you are missing Chris is that we are not clicking the download button on the adobe.com/flashplayer/update/plugin/ page. On my desktop I recieved the automatic update notice, and when I clicked the download button on that notification, I went driectly to the second link above, and windows opened it's dialog asking me whether or not to allow the program to run."UNQUOTE

     This is the very same way that I (SquirelJuice) believe it happened to me...

As I have installed mcafee twice on this machine, I will be sending my email address to Chris to take advantage of his offer in message 42.

After stupidly allowing flash to update I found McAfee installed on my machine. Ugh.

I've now removed McAfee (I think) and I have removed every little bit of Flash I could find.

I'll think twice before I give Adobe any more money.

Hi Chris,

I just want to join in with the complaining.  I have had to spend a LOT of time dealing with the havoc caused by the McAfee piggyback.  FYI: I have W7 and the Flash update initiates without launching any web browser windows (I have checked my history).  It shows up as a popup from the lower right corner.  There was a couple of times where the popup included the McAfee checkbox, which I promptly unchecked, but this latest, fateful time, it did not.  I agree with the previous poster, who stated that the default should be an opt-out, with the option of opting-in.  I have never liked the McAfee suite, due to its negative interactions with legitimate software that I use, and I have chosen other malware protection for this reason.

McAfee indiscriminately disabled all the services on my computer that connect to the internet, so I could not get any program that require online license verification to work (many of the more expensive programs, such as AutoCAD and Adobe applications use this to prevent piracy).  Of course, they do not tell you that this is the reason, when they refuse to launch.  So I was sent down the rabbit hole of troubleshooting.  Autodesk's suggested solution was to uninstall and reinstall!!!  Fortunately, I finally found the fix on the Adobe website: enable all the disabled services using Windows' services.mcs.  Anyway, where do I send the bill for lost time? 

Furthermore, it disabled my online file backup!  How is that supposed to be a security improvement?!?! 

You should reconsider associating your brand with McAfee.

First of all this happend to me too!

Second I must say that this is the most stupid thing I´ve ever heard:

Chris Campbell wrote:

 

If you've opted into our "Allow Adobe to install updates (recommended)" update mechanism, you will only receive this notification with major releases.  You are not obligated to click the download button in the Flash Player update dialog.  Dismissing the dialog will allow you to continue to use Flash Player as you have been.  You will automatically and silently receive the Flash Player update after 30 days of it's release, or sooner if a "zero day" security update is made available.  This silent update will not include any additional software nor prompt you to install third party software.

It's like recommending people to use automatic updates and then telling them "No no no, don´t do that you should have known our automatic update suck!" Well, at least your right, it do suck!