CCleaner may be installing Avast anti-virus without your permission

[Mike]

CCleaner may be installing Avast anti-virus without your permission.

Avast is acting more like the malware it's supposed to defend against.

By David Matthews on December 19, 2018 

Facepalm: Many users of popular system cleaning app, CCleaner, have complained that installing the software also installs the Avast anti-virus program without their permission. We have confirmed those claims.
Ever since Avast acquired Piriform, the maker of CCleaner, there has been a steady stream of disappointment from a user base that once totaled around 130 million people. Reports have been coming in that CCleaner will install the Avast anti-virus software without permission. This is troubling indeed.

Starting with version 5.37 of CCleaner, released this past August, Avast was bundled as an optional add-on. Normally, this is supposed to be opt-out with a checkbox at the bottom verifying that the user wants to include Avast in the CCleaner installation. However, many users are saying that it's anything but opt-out.

Frustrated users have complained on Avast's forums about the hidden installation:

"This happened to me today when updating CCleaner Free to v5.40. Did not notice any bundled offers, and I am always on the lookout for them. Always use advanced install options too."

"It happened to me too. ccleaner 5.43 installed avast without consent. There was no option to opt out of avast installation."

Read all about it Here

[clyde]

I always liked Ccleaner but not Avast :dodgy:

[mrtrout]

Looks Like Avast Has Destroyed ccleaner  Now With Adding Avast free antivirus to ccleaner now bundleware junkware it is now uninstalling both not gonna use them now  :( :@ :huh:

[Igoreha]

Maybe Avast will fix the problem?

Norton also at one time blocked AdGuard.

[tarekma7]

I never used CCleaner after it becomes Avast software. I have the last version released before Avast destroyed it

[clyde]

Do you have a favorite product Tarek?

[divinenews]

My question to you my fellow forum members is, have any of you found the avast problem included in the portable version?


*A big thank you to our ever-vigilant Super Moderator Mike for finding and posting this news on the forum. ...You saved me from the problems of how to uninstall avast if it is in the portable version also.

[divinenews]

Fellow forum members and visitors,

I just got an answer to my questions about this issue from a moderator(Andavari) on the piriform.com/ccleaner forum. You can read his response on their forum HERE.  

Quote:

"CCleaner v5.32.6129 is the last version without any influence from the owner Avast. But old versions will have two bugs in them that can damage Windows 10, in particular, the cleaners for Windows.old and Fonts Cache should be disabled/unticked in old versions and/or exclusions put in place so those files can never be deleted.

I only use the portable ZIP version and it has never tried to install anything else not even before I started blocking CCleaner EXE files Internet access via Windows Firewall. The portable version has never installed Avast and never any Google stuff, etc., the reason being the installer versions are what's needed to install the additional unwanted software." 

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Info from me:
CCleaner v5.32.6129 can be downloaded from filehippo.com here.

The latest version of CCleaner portable can be found and downloaded here.

I hope this helps some of you. ...It sure helped me since I only use the portable version like the moderator on the piriform.com forum.

[sty]

Look what happened about CCleaner since avast got Piriform

[saman]

Good software by small vendors are bought and turned into craps by these industry giants.