Avast just announced that the company has acquired the software company Piriform, best known for the software program CCleaner for Windows. For info go here https://www.ghacks.net/2017/07/19/avast-acquires-piriform-makers-of-ccleaner/
AVG 2016 was usable and decent if set up correctly (not up to Norton standards, but good for a free one). "AVG" 2017 seems to have less function than a fake antivirus with stolen definitions from AVG.
Just most due to the fact they are usually used by inexperienced people who are unaware of the third party bloatware risks
I thought not all.
The problem you do now state is true of every tool -- even a sharp knife -- if you don't know the risks, bloatware or not.
My advice here often is "if you don't know more about what you are doing and what you are doing it to than the tool does, don't use it" which applies especially to questions about what are effectively registry clean up tools.
The two cleanup type devices I use, CCleaner and Revo Uninstaller, you will have seen me say often enough here are ones I respect because they not only tell you exactly what they propose to do after scanning the situation but make you approve of every item by checking a box, make you click on a button to have it do it and, in the case of CCleaner on the registry, suggest you should also make a backup before you do it.
Similarly Revo sets out graphically every file and entry in the registry and makes you check the box or it leaves it alone.
Of course this is not a real protection for the uninformed since they don't have a basis for deciding and may be tempted to check everything.
Didn't mean ALL lol. Just most due to the fact they are usually used by inexperienced people who are unaware of the third party bloatware risks.
Cheers
both were trash to begin with as all freeware has been.
If you mean Avast and AVG I won't dispute it although nor will I confirm it.
But if you mean all freeware is trash then that is nonsense, to be brief. Piriform's programs and others like the free version of Macrium Reflect are very valuable and reliable tools to mention a couple that I and many tech support people use.
Indeed, both were trash to begin with as all freeware has been.
They (Avast) recently bought AVG, removed all the download links for the 2016 version (which was decent for a free antivirus -- if configured corrected [no toolbar, no optimizer junk]), and replaced it with:
The 2017 version of "AVG" which doesn't keep any logs, doesn't quarantine, doesn't always remove threats, doesn't always alert the user to detections, and frequently skips dealing with threats. -- Avast murdered the formerly decent AVG product.
Well... that's two products off of my consideration list (the victim, AVG which is dead, and the perpetrator, Avast).
Oh Dear -- there goes another one ....