I feel better, somebody else has toolbar hell

Sometimes you cannot get a customer to understand that the problem is not the computer.  Take a guess on what the problem is?  The most recent case involves the problem of the Comcast email page that does not load properly.   In short, toolbars that the person installed were buggy and caused problems with the site loading properly.  A couple of uninstallations, and problem solved,..or so I thought.  Remember, your local tech guy can only fix your computer.  Putting icons and individual webpages back exactly to the way you want it is your job.  Now that I vented, check out this repost from PCWorld on somebody else who experienced toolbar nightmare.  I am not alone!

How to keep unwanted toolbars out of your browser

By Rick Broida, PCWorld    Sep 5, 2012 11:35 AM

Very often I'm called upon to troubleshoot PCs belonging to friends and relatives. While poking around for problems, I almost always encounter the same oddity: a Web browser packed with toolbars. Sometimes I'll find two or three of them, sometimes even more.

Maybe it's a Yahoo toolbar -- for someone who's not a Yahoo user. Maybe it's a security toolbar from the likes of McAfee -- even though the user runs Norton anti-virus. Very often it's some weird shopping or promotional toolbar I've never heard of.

Invariably I ask the question: "Where did these come from?" The response is always the same: "I don't know."

Psst. I know. Most likely, those toolbars came from you.

Well, okay, you didn't write the code, but there's a very good chance you allowed them to be add to your browser. That's because software developers often sneak toolbars into their installers, and users often click right past the option to opt out.

For example, I recently had to update my Java installation, a hassle that happens so often, when the time comes that I can't take the nagging any longer, I usually just click through the installation as quickly as possible.

Ah, but my keen eye noticed that Java wanted to install the Ask Toolbar along the way (and make it my default search tool!). It was simple enough to clear the checkbox and bypass installing Ask, but for someone who isn't paying close attention or doesn't know any better, bam: new toolbar. Bad Java. Bad! I noticed something very similar recently when test-driving a Slimware utility.

The problem with all these toolbars is they slow down your browser, add clutter to your screen, and even increase the risk of virus and spyware infections. (That said, some toolbars are the result of spyware, so it's not always the user's fault.)

The moral of the story: When you install a new program, especially if it's freeware or shareware, don't just blindly click through each page of its installer. Take your time, and make sure you're not inadvertently agreeing to install a toolbar.