Trying to installing Groupy as part of a Start10 'update' is not on!

from Stardock Forums

I have a number of licences for all the PCs and laptops we have at home.  When an upgrade notification arrived recently on my wife's PC I told her to just go ahead with the update only to later find that the latest update defaulted to also installing Groupy on her PC.

This kind of sneaking software onto peoples PCs is simply not acceptable during initial install, let alone during what is described as an update to another product!

2,774 views 7 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top

The option to install another product is provided when updating one but it is a simple process to forego if not wanted...;)

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. But, from what I remember, there is an option to disable installation of Groupy, when you install Start10 v1.94 update.

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

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Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

That is curious as update installs should not be doing that.

Did you use the in built update installer or did you manually go to the website to download?

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

I was using the ODM to update.

Thank you,

Basj
Stardock Community Assistant.

Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top

After my wife's issue I reproduced how she ended up with groupy in a fresh Windows 10 VM, and it was indeed the built in updater. 

While is may be easy enough to un-check an option it's not acceptable to make that the default option in order to push other software onto peoples PCs during regular maintenance updates.  I've since had to remove groupy from my elderly parents desktop and laptop as they also installed it due to this upgrade.

I have 131 applications installed on my main development PC and probably nearer 200 across all my PCs and servers and I've not seen this on any other software on update installs.

Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting simon57, reply 5

After my wife's issue I reproduced how she ended up with groupy in a fresh Windows 10 VM, and it was indeed the built in updater. 

While is may be easy enough to un-check an option it's not acceptable to make that the default option in order to push other software onto peoples PCs during regular maintenance updates.  I've since had to remove groupy from my elderly parents desktop and laptop as they also installed it due to this upgrade.

I have 131 applications installed on my main development PC and probably nearer 200 across all my PCs and servers and I've not seen this on any other software on update installs.
End of simon57's quote

This should not have happened as it is supposed to offer only on new installs not upgrades.

I shall investigate further.

Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top

Quick update on this.  I put Start10 1.8 on a VM and then let it install the update it prompted about and it installed ok without installing or offering Groupy.

In your VM did you have Stardock ObjectDesktop Manager installed as well?