Blocking ask.com toolbar from installing

[Jack Stoner]

I downloaded the latest foxit pdf reader as their tech support told me it would fix a printing problem I was having with foxit. However, when installing it has options to install the ask.com toolbar. I don't want it (don't have any added toolbars) and unchecked the boxes so it wouldn't install. However it still installed itself in a folder in the X86 Programs File folder and I kept getting notices from "WinPatrol" that it wanted to install the toolbar. I kept checking NO (to not allow it to install/run) but within about a minute WinPatrol came up with the same notice and again I checked NO. This cycle continued. I tried uninstalling it with Revo Uninstaller and it wouldn't uninstall. I finally had to use System Restore to get rid of it (and of course the new version of foxit).

I had the same problem with the ask.com toolbar when I tried to install a different program a while back and had to use System Restore to get rid of it, and the program I wanted to install.

I realize this the "price" for free software, but there has to be a way to uninstall the ask.com software other than System Restore. I did delete the Programs File folder and reboot but ask.com apparently "infiltrates" other areas, probably including the registry, and was still there and System Restore was the only way to get rid of it.
I've had other programs that have options to also install the google toolbar or the bing toolbar but those "behaved" properly and didn't install anything when I unchecked the option to install.

Any suggestions on uninstalling the unwanted ask.com crap? or blocking it from doing what it wants and installing.

[Cal Sharp]

Hey Jack. On a Mac you can go to Tools/Add-Ons in FF and uninstall toolbars. I've got a bunch of them. Haven't checked this on a Windows machine.

[Wiz Feinberg]

Jack, read this info and let me know if it helps get rid of the Ask/Foxit Toolbar: http://itechlog.com/windows/2009/03/09/ ... irefox-ie/. Be sure you also read the comments from readers.

[Wiz Feinberg]

I have just published some more information about the forced installation of the Ask Toolbar with the Foxit PDF program. You can find it on my Blog, in this article: http://www.wizcrafts.net/blogs/2010/04/ ... e_sup.html - where I refer to the Foxit Reader as becoming a PUP. Removal instructions are included in my article.

[John Cipriano]

Well it sounds like you already fixed it, right? But I guess you could say there isn't a "right" way to get rid of all of the traces, since good software should keep track of its changes and undo them when asked. If you can find Foxit's installation log you'll be in a better place to look for things it left behind.

Barring that, you typically just look for files, folders, and registry keys with the name of the software. And you look in the usual startup locations if it's something that launches on startup:
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutoria ... ial44.html

That's basically what Revo does, right? But with IE add-ons I think the files are named with a unique ID rather than what they contain. So you need specialized tools for getting rid of those. Spybot has something for that, I'm sure there are other ones too.

Anyway, and this is really the point of my post... if Foxit is letting you down and you don't want Adobe Reader, which IMO is becoming more and more of a liability these days, check out Sumatra PDF. It's tiny and fast and there's no BS. As with Foxit, there are going to be some advanced things that only the real Adobe Reader can handle, but 99% of documents you encounter don't use JavaScript or revision tracking or fillable forms, etc. Anyway, try it.
http://blog.kowalczyk.info/software/sum ... index.html

[Joe Harwell]

In the address bar type: about:config

Filter on the term "ask".
It may say "User defined".
I don't know if it says "Default".

If it's ask.com can double click it
or right click, reset to default value.

This really sucks. Hasn't happened to me yet,
but glad to know this info on the unauthorized install.

[Jack Stoner]

I "permanently" fixed Foxit. I dumped it in favor of the free "nuance" PDF reader. It is from the same company that makes Dragon naturally speaking software.

Nuance