[dba-Tech] "Search App by Ask" Add-On - how to remove it from IE 11?

Salakhetdinov Shamil mcp2004 at mail.ru
Mon Oct 20 14:54:31 CDT 2014


 Hi John and Gustav --

I have got really confused by what software/my actions, when and why I have got 'Search App by Ask' installed - if I haven't missed something 'Search App by Ask' could have been brought to my system by Java (TM) update - here is an excerpt from my system app log:

...
15-oct-2014 7:44:02
Beginning a Windows Installer transaction: C:\Users\{myUserName}\AppData\LocalLow\Sun\Java\AU\au.msi. Client Process Id: 7348.
15-oct-2014 7:44:02
Product: Java Auto Updater -- Installation operation completed successfully.
15-oct-2014 7:44:02
Windows Installer installed the product. Product Name: Java Auto Updater. Product Version: 2.1.71.14. Product Language: 1033. Manufacturer: Oracle, Inc.. Installation success or error status: 0.
15-oct-2014 7:44:02
Ending a Windows Installer transaction: C:\Users\{myUserName}\AppData\LocalLow\Sun\Java\AU\au.msi. Client Process Id: 7348.
...
15-oct-2014 7:46:13
Beginning a Windows Installer transaction: C:\ProgramData\APN\APN-Stub\ORJ-SPE\AskToolbarInstaller-12.18.0_ORJ-SPE.msi. Client Process Id: 3860.
15-oct-2014 7:46:14
Product: Search App by Ask -- Installation completed successfully.
15-oct-2014 7:46:14
Windows Installer installed the product. Product Name: Search App by Ask. Product Version: 12.18.0.82. Product Language: 1033. Manufacturer: APN, LLC. Installation success or error status: 0.
15-oct-2014 7:46:14
Ending a Windows Installer transaction: C:\ProgramData\APN\APN-Stub\ORJ-SPE\AskToolbarInstaller-12.18.0_ORJ-SPE.msi. Client Process Id: 3860. As you can see 'Search App by Ask' setup is activated a couple of minutes after au.msi (Java Auto-Updater) was installed.

---

I have just Googled and it looks like "crapware/annoyware" did come from Java/Oracle:

I have the following registry key:

Key Name: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\JavaSoft
Class Name: <NO CLASS>
Last Write Time: 10/15/2014 - 7:44 AM
Value 1
Name: sponsorsoffered
Type: REG_SZ
Data: SP18;

Here is how to fix the issue effectively:
"Registry keys to prevent Java installs from adding sponsors (Ask/Google/Yahoo Toolbar, McAfee virus, etc) via: Super User"
http://wiert.me/2014/06/02/registry-keys-to-prevent-java-installs-from-adding-sponsors-askgoogleyahoo-toolbar-mcafee-virus-etc-via-super-user/

Thank you.

-- Shamil

P.S. I was in a hurry that morning 15-oct-2014, I can't remember if Java Auto-Updater setup has had a check-box option to setup "sponsors' crapware" or not...

Mon, 20 Oct 2014 10:31:32 -0500 from "John R Bartow" <jbartow at winhaven.net>:
>Shamil,
>I see it a lot. It comes prepackaged with many apps from a wide array of vendors. Two that I use that have included it In the past are Piriform's Ccleaner and Auslogic's Disk Defragmenter - both had it as an option during install. If the silent install option is used Ask Toolbar would get installed by default. I had used a script with silent install for both. Ccleaner now has updating built in and offer a 'slim' download which doesn't include any optional software. I turned the silent off for Auslogic's DD in order to avoid having to uninstall Ask Toolbar.
>John B
<<< skipped >>>
>


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