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Nowadays there is a hideous 'marketing' technique that seems to be used often when installing (mostly free) software: Either in the installer, or sometimes on the webpage you download the installer from, is a checkbox, checked by default, telling that you want to install additional software. Some well known examples for this additional software include:

  • Google Toolbar
  • Google Chrome
  • McAfee Antivirus
  • Yahoo Toolbar
  • Ask.com toolbar
  • Babylon toolbar
  • Many other toolbars and other adware programs that add 'browser functionality', change your browsers home page and possibly override your default search engine, as well as doing only god knows to the rest of your computer.
  • Etc.

If you need an example, try (re)downloading Java or the latest Flash Player or read this article about SourceForge and you'll see what I mean (or possibly you don't see it and get unwanted software on your PC).

Basically, I do not want this optional software. I also know of many other people who do not want it, but who are not well versed in informatics to notice the checked checkbox each time. They also seem to often be deliberately be 'hidden' amongst other checkboxes so most people won't notice them.

I find this a very evil business practice and would like it to be banned from the internet. Of course, since a worldwide ban is nearly impossible, I was wondering if there is another possibility:

Does there exist a tool that will automatically uncheck these checkboxes inside installers (and possibly on websites) so even non-technical people are protected from them?

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  • I don't think such a tool exists yet. Dec 31, 2013 at 9:22

1 Answer 1

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There is Unchecky.

A description from the website:

Tired of unchecking unrelated offers while installing software?

Have you ever felt, while installing software, that the installer tries to push additional unwanted programs at all cost? Ever missed a checkbox, and spent hours afterwards removing adware? Ever opened your browser after an installation, only to find out that you have a new homepage, a new search engine, or even a new browser? Unchecky aims to keep potentially unwanted programs out of your computer.

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