McAfee scam

Report · Nov 21, 2012

It's bad enough we have to endure your endless updates but when you try and trick users into installing McAfee AV its a sign that you've lost the plot.

I've been in IT for 25 years and seen many companies come and go. Goodbye Abode, you deserve to die.

Report · Nov 27, 2012

I understand your position, here's a post that explains (for what it's worth) why we have this option and your options.

http://forums.adobe.com/message/4860432#4860432

Report · Dec 09, 2013

OH No No I had trouble with Mcfee and it caused viruses on my Computer . I had scam messages popping up and could not get rid of them . If there are scams here ,then our Computers are at risk . Please this website needs some maintance done because if there are hackers on here then our computers are at risk and I even have hard time getting into this website much as updating the Flash Players in which they don't respond to anything at all . PLEASE GET RID OF Mc FEE SCAM ...

Report · Jun 12, 2015

This link does NOT address the fact that the McAfee block is already checked and it's very easy (with so many many Flash updates) to forget that Adobe has the McAfee installation option already checked. So we get go again. OK, you need McAfee to give us free Flash. Please. Adobe can afford to give away a lot of free stuff with the number of products they have on the market and the prices they charge for them. If you see so many customers so unhappy with you jamming McAfee down our throats, I'd think you'd get off your high horse and listen to your many many customers who buy your products. McAfee isn't a simple 'go into the control panel and uninstall', as I'm sure you know. You have to go to McAfee's site and download their program for removing the unwanted McAfee. Don't just refer this to your technical team. Refer it to your customer service people. It's THEIR job to keep customers happy. And obviously you have a lot of unhappy customers about the Flash/McAfee mess

Report · Jul 14, 2015

I am asking Adobe to be honest and give us a choice. These are OUR machines. WE paid for them, not you. WE should have the right to decide what to install on our machines. Your current practices are inexcusable and unethical. Why do even feel the need to resort to such underhanded practices? Is Adobe truly that desperate for money? Hopefully you are on your way out then. Congratulations on ruining your previously impeccable reputation.

Report · Jul 14, 2015

I couldn't agree with you more. I used to praise Adobe and everything they stood for more than any other company, but this action has caused me to despite them more than any other company. I look forward to the day they fire the guy that came up this ridiculous scheme that's single-handedly turned the public against them. I'm sure if you polled the general public you would find more people that hate Adobe than any candidate running for office including those currently there.

Honestly I'd say they could do an ad campaign around the firing of that guy and they'd gain a lot of popularity. Otherwise, they're killing any followers they still have.

I'm president of the I HATE ADOBE club. Let's make a Facebook page. Maybe that'll get through to them.

Report · Feb 23, 2013

I agree with this post title. I did not think these respectable companies would stoop so low

Report · Mar 04, 2013

There was no option. I got an alert on my computer saying there was an update to Flash. I clicked to install, as usual, and a progress bar came on the screen instantly, showing Flash and McAfee downloading. I could not stop McAfee. There was no checkbox to stop it like there used to be. So I uninstalled from Control Panel afterward. I have read several threads on this and see that you, Chris, insist that there is an option and a checkbox. There USED to be. And maybe there still is for some people. But not for me. And some others have said exactly the same. So, the fact is, there are two types of installs, one which offers you a chance to opt out and other which offers nothing,.

Chrome 25.0.1364.152 m

windows 7 64 bit

Flash 11.6.602.171

Report · Mar 04, 2013

Adobe, you should respect your customers more. Shame on you

Report · Mar 05, 2013

@Kellian1 - All I can go from is my experience. I've tested this workflow thousands of times but each time I'm presented with the browser opening to a webpage with the opt out checkbox.

This installer can't be downloaded from Flash Player without your browser opening. I've talked with the developers involved with the update code in Flash Player and they have assured me that this isn't possible. The only way you can get the online installer (which is the one that can install third party software) is if you download it from our webpage or a third party downloads it for you. Obviously, we can't control if you have some other software on your system that is downloading something it shouldn't be. If I find out there is one though I will work to get them to stop.

I've always asked for volunteers to show me this behavior and have yet to have a taker. If this is happening in our code I definitely want to know and will work harder than anyone to get it fixed. I hang out on these boards daily and as a result take a large brunt of the complaints about this feature. I have a vested interest in getting these types of bugs fixed. Unfortunately, without a reproducible case there's not much I can do.

Report · Mar 05, 2013

@ Chirs

"The only way you can get the online installer (which is the one that can install third party software) is if you download it from our webpage or a third party downloads it for you"

Are you denying Macfee has an agreement with Adobe to advertize and/or install its product using Adobe updates?

Report · Mar 06, 2013

@XXXMacfeeXXX - As noted in the FAQ, we do offer users the option to install software from other vendors.

Here's what I was trying to get at. We have multiple installers for Flash Player. They can be grouped into two basic categories. Online and offline. The online installer can install Flash Player and optional components (eg. McAfee or Google products). These installers contain the string "aih" towards the end of the file name and have a relatively small file size (usually < 1mb.) Their job is to connect to the internet and download the flash player components and the additional software offer (if required).

The offline installers do not connect to the internet, have a file size typically greater than 15mb and can only install Flash Player components, nothing else.

When prompted to update Flash Player, the user is presented with the following "Update" dialog (the contents might vary slightly depending on factors like the previous version of Flash Player installed *)

Clicking the "Download" button can not cause the online installer to be downloaded directly. It can only launch your default browser with a specified URL. The page displayed should be similar to the screenshot below (again, this can change depending on different factors, but the basic components remain.)

This page, and the subsequent download page (see screenshot below), are the only avenues to the online installer from Flash Player.

Paying attention to the "Update" dialog is critical and could be key to figuring out what's going on. It is impossible, from everything I've been told and seen first hand, for the "download" button to do anything other than launch a webpage. Statements like

"I got an alert on my computer saying there was an update to Flash. I clicked to install, as usual, and a progress bar came on the screen instantly, showing Flash and McAfee downloading"

lead me to believe that either the browser launch and additional button clicks were accidentally left out *or* some other component is displaying an alert notifying the user that an update is available. Getting a screenshot of this update alert/dialog could help us narrow down what is causing the online installer to be downloaded directly.

*It is possible for our update dialog to display an "install" button instead of the "download" button, but in these cases they immediately download and install a version of the *offline* installer and can not install any product other than Flash Player itself.

Report · Dec 02, 2013

Isn't against EU law to tick options?

Report · Dec 05, 2013

Hey Chris, you kept asking for a screenshot or something showing that the opt out box isn't there. Well, it's several months late, but I just had this problem today. Here you go:

I am taken to this page right after the update dialog prompt. As you can see, there is no opt out option for McAfee, but it ended up installing it anyway. I cancelled the update and tried again, thinking I must have missed the opt out option, but I found that there was none. So I downloaded it anyway, then had to uninstall McAfee immediatly after.

Report · Dec 05, 2013

@Eric_Eh - Thanks Eric. In this case McAfee isn't being offered but instead it's Lightroom. Since Lightroom is hundreds of megabytes (700?) the checkbox is unchecked by default.

Report · Dec 05, 2013

@Chris Campbell - McAfee may not have been offered, but it still installed it on my computer when I tried to update!

Report · Dec 05, 2013

Oh, well that doesn't seem right. I've forwarded this along to the team responsible for the page and I'm sure they'll have additional questions.

Report · Dec 05, 2013

Eric, could you tell me the name of the exe that was downloaded?

Report · Dec 05, 2013

It was: install_flashplayer11x32au_mssa_aaa_aih.exe

Report · Dec 08, 2013

I am glad you have posted this info Eric. I have just completed the update myself and I am LIVID(!!!) that adobe has done this. NEVER in my entire life have I ever had an installer from a reputable company slip optionware passed me during ANY point of the install. Every time I see a check box (checked or not) I always read to make sure my computing experience is not being assimilated into some sort of corporate standard. Even though it's annoying I don't begrudge companies for using the optionware installer tactic but I really didn't see this coming... NON-OPTIONAL, optionware... or FORCEWAREZ from Adobe...

I have been Adobe's biggest fan almost since day one and I can't believe you have corrupted my innocence like this... I LITERALLY feel dirty and need to go cry in the shower now (not joking)!

I am going to be shouting this from every forum rooftop until the issue is resolved!

@Chris Campbell - Everything Eric posted was identical to what happened to me. In Firefox I got the unchecked Lightroom option with 16.9Mb Version 11.9.900.152 Flash Player install (McAfee forcewarez inc).

I ran the same update link through IE and got a different optional install of pre-checked Google Chrome and Toolbar, once unchecked offering the same size 16.9Mb Version 11.9.900.152 Flash Player install (assuming McAfee forcewarez inc also).

Report · Dec 04, 2013

@Kellian1 - All I can go from is my experience. I've tested this workflow thousands of times but each time I'm presented with the browser opening to a webpage with the opt out checkbox.

Maybe you're right, and everyone is getting this checkbox, but just doesn't notice it. But that's just as bad.

It's intentionally bad UI, also known as a "Dark Pattern." Adobe gets more money if more users accidentally install it.

Report · Jun 27, 2014

A statement like that makes me call you out for BLATANTLY lying.

There is no option, the installation began immediately without any consent and macafee was installed on my computer, again... automatically.

Then you actually have the Gall to say that WE ARE MAKING IT UP?

You want us to go through the lengthy process of removing a single update from your program (if thats even possible) just so we can go through the process again to record it so you guys can be lazy?

You have become a TERRIBLE company. That is all..

Report · Aug 30, 2014

The McAfee check box should be OPT IN not opt out.

Adobe has chosen to have that McAfee check box checked when the flash download page is open. Which is why Adobe IS responsible.

Report · Jan 12, 2016

How I hate this McAfee opt out!!!

Report · Jan 05, 2015

I can tell you for a fact that is not true. First of all, I am an IT Tech working as a field engineer for Peak Data Systems so I think I can handle installing an update. I was presented with a Adobe popup telling me my flash player needed to be updated. Clicking OK only gave me the option of saving an offline installer to my desktop which I did. This is the link to the file that was downloaded. http://aihdownload.adobe.com/bin/live/install_flashplayer16x32axau_mssa_aaa_aih.exe The filename was install_flashplayer16x32axau_mssa_aaa_aih.exe. I closed my browser and launched the update, there was NO opt out, no browers window opened...what launched was an installer that began installing flash and mcafee was next to install on the list. I immediately closed the window and the window reopened with McAfee marked cancelled but Flash completing the install. Checking my programs I now currently have version 16.0.0.235. There was never an opt out for the McAfee and if I did not close the window it would have installed on it's own.

Your process is flawed and borderline fraudulent.

This is the only screen I was presented when clicking on the .exe

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McAfee scam