An Unidentified Program Wants

[torre]

To Change Your Search Provider

Anyone familiar with this notification ? (Win 8.1/IE11)


I ran AdW Cleaner which recommended to uninstall the StumbleUpon/Favorites Folder, which I did.

Immediately after, I searched for an item and my search provider had been changed to Bing from Google. I changed it back and moments later I got the above notification but Google had not been changed.

After "Googling" the issue, others experienced the same after downloading freeware (which AdW is). But I downloaded AdW from the official site and have not had this problem in the past. Also, during download there was no option to accept or decline a search provider change.

My concern is that initially, before the warning, my search provider was changed from Google to Bing without authorization. I only received the warning after the fact.

Thoughts ?

 

[xxnatedoggxx]

I would run another adware program as well to get a second opinion.

 

[elbmek]

If you download anything, and do not use either custom install, or do not meticulously UNTICK the boxes, they actually inform you that they will change your search provider to XXXXX and reset your homepage to what they want you to have; sometimes its MSN homepage.

I have this query on my screen at times, its because my AV (AVG pro) and/or Malwarebytes Pro (I dont recall which right now) are set by me to refuse permission to alter search providers and home pages. It works and as a result, I get the message above, if I have missed a box or my daughter has not checked.

The first thing I do on a new browser is set search to google, and delete bing etc. Purely on the grounds that bing is what they want me to use, so I dont.

 

[torre]

Thanks for the reply.

I am aware of the custom/auto install system and always use the custom system. But AdwCleaner does not have this option, at least from the download at the home site. https://toolslib.net/downloads/viewdownload/1-adwcleaner/

As stated above, my concern was that my search provider actually was changed to Bing prior to the notification. I then deleted Bing as you stated you did.