Permanantly turning off "Install Google Toolbar" and changing the default of future updates

[Tom_See]

I have been using Adobe products for years and, in general, find that Adobe generates some really useful tools for computer users and productivity.  With that, ever time I get notice of an update to "Adobe Flash Player" I am forced to answer the same questions during the update / installation process.  During installation the installer application ask if I want to install the "Google Toolbar", and the default is Yes, so I have to uncheck the box prior to installation or I will receive software on my system I do not want or desire.  In addition, toward the end of the update, the installation app provides three options about future updates:

1) Download and install automatically

2) Ask me before installing

3) Never install ......

And every install I have to uncheck the "Google Toolbar" installation and tell Adobe to "Ask me ..." before downloading and installing future updates.

Is there a way to permanently turn off the Google Toolbar option and default my answer to the update download and install question to always be "Ask me" first?  Adobe is passing cookies to the machine during this process, so please do not suggest that it is not possible.  Adobe simply needs to change the installation package to look for those cookies and apply the users preferences to the installation process instead of continually trying to push unwanted applications and choices on to the user.

[Carm01]

Before posting, please read and provide the following information:

• Operating system version
• Web browser and version
• Flash Player version
• Explain your problem in step-by-step detail if possible
• If you get error messages, please quote them exactly, or provide a screenshot

I also do not see Google toolbar for the flash installation page ??

[Tom_See]

Sorry, maybe it was misunderstood.   When Flash / Adobe notifies me of a new version or security updated related to their Flash Player, the dialog box / web page that appears when you agree to install the update has to install Google Toolbar as the default along with getting the Flash update.  And, at the end of the update process, the default is to "Allow Adobe to install updates (recommended), and each time I have to turn that off to simply notify me.  Why cannot Adobe remember my selection from the previous update?  Other software packages seem to be able to handle that situation.   If not, then turn off installing extra items unless we ask.  You can present options, but do not make "yes" or Opt-In as the default.

Others have complained about the same situation:

Adobe Flash installer continues to shove unwelcome stuff down our throats.

Re: Bundling Google Chrome and Toolbar???

So I am fairly confident that I am not alone that this is bothersome to some folks about there besides myself.  Just asking for Adobe to change this in the future, but it seems like folks have been complaining for years, and nothing happens.

[Carm01]

The silent updates as I remember them do not take you to any kind of page if I remember a post a while back, and do not install the 3rd party bloatware.

Also, it is not google tool bar now, it is McAfee Security Scan AND McAfee True Key ( two now )

The articles that you pointed to were 3 yeas old, so they have changed a little bit. I agree with you check boxes should be unchecked by default asking if you want to opt in. Its all about money though not ethics. After all if they were worthy products they would not need to be tactically added by default.

I am not understanding you get that Google ToolBar Update in with Flash with the background updater, i have not seen that in literally years. You might need to do an uninstall and clean install to alleviate that, however you failed to provide information in my previous post that are important before that can happen.

Best Regards

Please be sure to mark my post here helpful or answered if I assisted you

Thanks

[Tom_See]

Carm01,

I am not here to debate what I am seeing or not seeing.  I simply know that each time (like this morning) when I am notified of an update to Flash Player and I accept to install the update, I am presented with a screen / dialog that has "Install Google Toolbar for IE" checked.  Maybe you are right that I need to completely uninstall and reboot and start fresh with a completely new installation, and I may try that to see if it helps.  Personally, I consider Google Toolbar as third party bloatware.  I understand that you may not, and that is cool.  Personally, I do not like anyone trying to install anything on my system without my approval.

The fact the article is over three years old is irrelevant since the situation still exist today (see below) and has not been corrected, at least on my system.    Oh, and if you go to the Adobe download page, which I just did again, it sure looks to me like the app / software is trying to install not only Google Toolbar for IE, but Chrome as well, and to make it the default browser (please note the version of Flash Player) 22.0.0.210, which is the latest to my knowledge.  I do not see "McAfee" anything.

As I said, once I have time to do the uninstall attempt and see if that corrects the situation, I will come back on here and let you know if it helped.  I appreciate the suggestion.

[Carm01]

IE pulls that up, Firefox pulls something different up, that is why I asked what operating system, and what browser in that post, these are the reasons we ask such things ignoring them simply makes things more frustrating for all of us!

[Tom_See]

Windows 7, 64 bit, IE Latest version 11.0.33, Flash (now) 22.0.0.210, but has been happening since I can recall with all updates to Flash.

The reason I did not provide such information earlier is (in my humble opinion) that it should be irrelevant to the problem being discussed.  Although the installers are different for OS & browser, no app should default to installing something a user did not ask for or is not "required" for the app to work correctly.

[_maria_ · Accepted solution]

The offers displayed depend on the OS and browser being used.  So both of you are essentially correct, for the browsers that you use.

If you opt into background updates, update option = Allow Adobe to install updates (recommended), Flash Player will be updated within 24 hrs of a new version being released.  If you use multiple browsers that use different Flash Player types (e.g. IE & Firefox) all player types are updated within 24 hrs of the new versions being available.

If you opt into notification updates, update option = Notify me when updates are available, the update notification will generally display within 7 days of an update being available and this is after the system has been rebooted or you log off/on.   Opting to update will launch the browser to a download page to download and install Flash Player.  If you use multiple browsers that use different Flash Player types (e.g. IE & Firefox) only the player type that set the update notification is updated.  The other player type is not updated.

Essentially, opting into background updates will update all player types on the system within 24 hours and avoids accidentally downloading the third-party offers.

Note: there are slight differences for OS X update behaivour but since you have Windows I outlined the behaviour on Windows.

[Tom_See]

Reasonable response.  Does not really solve the issue as I see it, but it does explain what is going on and why.  Opting in to auto download and install is not an option, which sounded like the only way to avoid this situation every time and update becomes available. 

Thanks.  I will just have to continue to put up with this behavior from Flash.  It is my understanding that Flash is going away because of some serious security problem with the application, so the problem will fix itself if and when it is no longer necessary in browsers to make some content work / display properly.

Anyway, thanks for the info, and have a good day!

[_maria_]

I realize it doesn't solve the issue you want, but those are business decisions beyond my grade and I don't see those changes.

Also, Flash isn't going away anytime soon.  As much as some people may want, it'll be around for quite some time.