The article is dated 6/13. I'm running Avira (free) on 2 machines and haven't seen any ad for Uniblue yet. As long as I'm not forced into anything, I'll continue to use Avira.

Thanks for the link to my article.

Mele20, who has been around the security forums for many years, posted a link to the Uniblue ad. It has been confirmed by others. So, azinoh, you'll likely see it at one time or another. Just know to ignore it.

As to the Ask Toolbar, I understand it is included with Avira AntiVir 10 Service Pack 2 is currently in beta.

Well I guess I will be promoting Microsoft Security Essentials just a little more than I already do. Ah, what money can do, the devil itself.

Avira users need to pay attention to the Ask toolbar too. I removed the Foxit PDF reader after installing - and refusing the option to have the Ask bar only to find it got installed anyway.

The bad publicity this is generating across the internet might make it difficult for Avira to finance the new building as they had hoped.

I have been getting the uniblue ad for about 2 weeks now but haven't seen the toolbar one but at times I really don't look and just x out of it. I only notice when not on my computer and it is on the screen.

Thanks for the input ! :-)

Like a few others here I haven't really noticed the ad yet, though I may, in fact, be getting it. Like dd50 I just click any ad's 'x' after booting up in the morning and letting various auto-updates take care of themselves.

I must say I have been liking Avira since I started using it quite a few months ago. As long as nothing they do with UniBlue adversely affects its performance -- or forces installation of unwanted software -- I'm probably going to stick with it. For now, I guess, it's 'wait and see.'

Corrine our list of suggested good free antivirus programs is indeed getting thin these days.
Very disappointing to hear of Avira going this route.
It is off of my suggested list now also of course.
Very good article Corrine!
I had seen Mele20's post on BBR and was quite surprised to hear this.

not2bright thanks for posting about it here.

Thanks, R-C.

I've seen elsewhere where people using the free version of Avira were offered a free upgrade to Avira Webguard (previously only available to licensed subscribers). It is Webguard that includes the Ask Toolbar. It was reported that if declined, the upgrade is offered at each restart. :(

Personally, I'm more concerned about the uninitiated falling for the scareware tactics of Uniblue. After all, their trusted A/V appears to be recommending the Uniblue "Registry Booster" product and it proudly advertise itself as a "Microsoft Partner".

I never did see anything about Uniblue, but today for the first time Avira started to nag me about installing a toolbar. Avira is now gone and MSE is installed. What a shame it is because I did get 3 years of great protection from the program. Oh well...all good things...etc.