Ask Toolbar Archives - Rick's Daily Tips

Great news (sort of): The ‘Ask Toolbar’ will no longer change your Home Page or Default Search Engine

Posted on June 13, 2015

no-ask-toolbar If you have been using computers for any length of time, you have probably had some run-ins with the irritating Ask Toolbar.

Without your explicit permission, it probably installed itself along with some other program you downloaded and then took it upon itself to change your Home Page and Default Search Engine, leaving you wondering what in the world had just happened.

Well, I have some good news to report about the Ask Toolbar: The way it stealthily makes unwanted changes to your computer have finally prompted Microsoft to classify the Ask Toolbar as malware and add it to the list of programs that will automatically be removed by Microsoft’s security tools. [Read more…]

Mac users beware: Installing a Java update now installs the Ask Toolbar along with it.

Posted on March 7, 2015

no-ask-toolbar For years now the irritating Ask Toolbar has been installed along with Java updates on Windows PCs by default, but Mac users have always been able to update Java without this unwanted adware download tagging along.

Well, that has now come to and end. If you aren’t careful, the next time you update Java on your Mac you’ll end up with the Ask Toolbar as well.

The Ask Toolbar is considered by most people to simply be adware, but in my opinion it is full-blown malware, for the following reasons: [Read more…]

How to avoid installing the Ask Toolbar when installing or updating Java

Posted on May 6, 2014

no-ask-toolbar In my opinion, the Ask Toolbar is one of the most annoying pieces of junkware ever hoisted upon the public. It is almost always installed unintentionally as a stealth add-on when you install other programs, and once installed, getting rid of it often requires the patience of Job.

Although it comes bundled with the installation routines of countless programs that are downloaded from the web, the biggest culprit of all is the Java installer.

In this post I explained why I believe Java should be permanently removed from every computer, and the fact that it sneaks the Ask Toolbar onto your computer along with every update is just another reason to do so.

That being said, many people still visit websites that require Java in order to work correctly, and for those folks removing it from their systems just isn’t practical. That’s why I decided to write this short tutorial explaining how to install or update Java without installing the Ask Toolbar along with it. [Read more…]