Help ! Unauthorized install, Alcohol 120% Toolbar, problem

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PDP11
Posts: 3
Joined: October 7th, 2007, 3:27 pm

Help ! Unauthorized install, Alcohol 120% Toolbar, problem

Post by PDP11 »

Hi everyone,

I had this program ,trial version, of alcohol 120% ( a CD/DVD backup program) http://www.alcohol-soft.com , installed to try it out.

Next thing I know an Alcohol search Toolbar was installed in Firefox (2.0.07) !

There another icon with a search magnifying glass and a PD next to it , I Am guessing it's by SPTD for Windows from http://www.duplexsecure.com/en/downloads, but not 100% sure ( I believe it comes with the alcohol 120% program)

I'll really appreciate it if someone helps me with these questions:

1. Isn't there a safe guard/feture in Firefox where I have to 1st authorize any Toolbar/add on/extension etc before any install takes place ?

2. Is uninstalling the Toolbar using the "Uninstall" button is enough ? how to make sure?

3. Does anyone have any idea about these programs ? any risks ? considering that Alcohol 120% doesn't have an unist.exe standard file with it ! this is unusual in that their website says to use it to manually remove the program ! ?

Thanks in advance
Old enrgy21
Posts: 0
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 5:00 pm

Post by Old enrgy21 »

Try uninstalling the toolbar with the uninstall button. Restart Fx. If it's not there, it's really gone.
About the safeguard, you might have missed something when you were installing the program. I don't know of any safeguard feature except Tools>Options>Security> and the box checked: Warn me when sites try to install addons.
About the uninst.exe program file, you checked where they say it is and it wasn't there?
http://support.alcohol-soft.com/en/know ... installing
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the-edmeister
Posts: 32249
Joined: February 25th, 2003, 12:51 am
Location: Chicago, IL, USA

Post by the-edmeister »

1. Isn't there a safe guard/feture in Firefox where I have to 1st authorize any Toolbar/add on/extension etc before any install takes place ?
Protection from installations through the internet, but once a program is on your hard drive Firefox has no control over it.

2. Is uninstalling the Toolbar using the "Uninstall" button is enough ? how to make sure?
Create a new Profile to make sure.
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Creating_a_ne ... on_Windows

.
A mind is a terrible thing to waste. Mine has wandered off and I'm out looking for it.
PDP11
Posts: 3
Joined: October 7th, 2007, 3:27 pm

Post by PDP11 »

Thanks guys :),

Just wanted to thank you for your timely replay before I reboot my PC

energy21: yes that box was indeed checked

I did check the in the folder where the uninst.exe supposed to be, but no it isn't there, however by running the Alcohol 120% install program again it gives me the option to uninstall ( most programs usually do that)

I am just wondering how or why that company just install it's Toolbar like that, intrusive!

the-edmeister: I was thinking there was a method/extension where there's like a bit of code (a user signature) attached to any extension only when Firefox is open , so if there's an extension somehow was downloaded in the drive, then Firefox will warn me that this extension doesn't have that "personal signature" ? so I know I did not install it live/in real time

I think it's a good extension that will add security if it's possible to add to/program in Firefox, I guess I need to hit the manuals lol or hopefully someone take the challange :)
Guest
Guest

Post by Guest »

what they do is, they name the tool bar different than the what you see on the tool bar name, any way, if you go add or remove programs, the name you have to look for is, "downloads free" all you have do is unistall that... thats all.
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