FoxIt Reader Alert

Topic

New Reply

I downloaded FoxIt Reader this evening based on recommendations I found in the Lounge.

The installation process indicated that FoxIt Reader and Favorites Toolbar would be installed.

I could find no opt-in or opt-out facility for the toolbar.

Canceled install.

Trashed FoxIt.

Reply | Quote

Replies

I agree that I do not like having toolbars added to applications, but Foxit reader can be installed without adding the toolbar, see these threads for details:
Ask toolbar – Foxit Corporation Forums
Foxit Reader – ASK Toolbar – Wilders Security Forums

Ignore this post, see my reply below.

Reply | Quote

If toolbars are the sign of crapware then Java should be considered crapware and I don’t really consider Java plugins or Java itself crapware. When you install Java you are always asked if you want this or that toolbar but you are always given a chance to uncheck the toolbar as you are with Foxit.

Reply | Quote

If toolbars are the sign of crapware then Java should be considered crapware and I don’t really consider Java plugins or Java itself crapware. When you install Java you are always asked if you want this or that toolbar but you are always given a chance to uncheck the toolbar as you are with Foxit.

Please re-read my post. Unlike as with Java, I was not given the option to decline the installation of the toolbar. Is this toolbar beneficial and benign? I don’t know and I never will because I don’t install crapware. If I had been given the option to decline, I would not call it crapware.

In case you’re wondering, I went to the http://www.foxitsoftware.com site to get the reader and got redirected to CNET’s Download.com for the actual download, so I don’t think this can be the work of some malicious scumbag.

Reply | Quote

You may have misunderstood the purpose of the favorites toolbar. Foxit Reader comes with 13 built-in toolbars plus the favorites toolbar. The 13 built-in toolbars contain icons for different tasks within Foxit Reader such as navigation, zoom, editing and formatting. If there are a handful of icons that you use a lot but they appear on different toolbars, you can add those icons to the favorites toolbar for quick and easy access. It is just a built-in toolbar that you can customize to suit your needs.

Reply | Quote

You may have misunderstood the purpose of the favorites toolbar.

Perhaps I did, in which case I believe Foxit Software should revisit the wording in their installer. If these toolbars are an integral part of the Foxit reader and appear only in the reader application, why mention them at all and single out one in particular? If I were installing Firefox and saw that it was also going to install the Navigation and Bookmarks toolbars, it would certainly give me pause for reflection.

Can I therefore assume from the comments in this thread that I was wrong in believing Foxit reader installs third party software?

Reply | Quote

Can I therefore assume from the comments in this thread that I was wrong in believing Foxit reader installs third party software.

If Firefox is installed, it will by default install an add-on into Firefox, but that is just to enable Firefox to use the Foxit Reader. It does not install third party toolbars.

Reply | Quote

If Firefox is installed, it will by default install an add-on into Firefox, but that is just to enable Firefox to use the Foxit Reader. It does not install third party toolbars.

Thank you. I withdraw any and all of my disparaging remarks regarding Foxit Reader prompted by my misunderstanding of what they were trying to do. In my defense, they did not do a very good job of explaining what they were trying to do. On to my next faux pas…

Reply | Quote

If you use the .zip version of Foxit, which is a bit hidden on their download page, that comes with none of the nasties, just the .exe program which you can drop anywhere you like on your PC. You will find the current version at http://mirrors.foxitsoftware.com/pub/foxit/reader/desktop/win/3.x/3.1/enu/FoxitReader31_enu.zip
No signs of any nasty toolbars at all…

Foxit gets a lot of criticism, much of it unfounded, but it really is an excellent PDF reader.

Reply | Quote

you can drop anywhere you like on your PC.

Thanks for the link, Dave, but it is not clear from looking at the site what this download is. Is it a .zip of the installation package or of a portable version of the reader (as your statement above would suggest)? Then again there is the .msi version. Which to chose??… decisions, decisions!

Reply | Quote

The zip file contains one file, foxitreader.zip, which is the basic foxit executable. It is NOT an installer. You just extract to whereever and run it, it IS foxit.

Reply | Quote

I recently re-installed Foxit, after some computer repairs had sort of messes up its operation.
I saw that toolbar sitting there and I could not see any links on it and figured it was no help.
I right clicked on it to see if there was a delete command and it just disappeared.

Reply | Quote

I have to add my two cents based on limited usage of Foxit. When I attempted to print documents from Foxit nothing ever happened. I have a canon wireless printer. It just never printed. I spent some time trying to solve this problem, finally gave up and uninstalled Foxit. The interface was not as intuitive as I would have liked. I did not have time to continue figuring things out. Sorry but I went back to Adobe Reader. I however do not let the reader run in the backgroud. I turned that off in the registry.

Reply | Quote

I’ve enjoyed Foxit Reader for about 4 years now and am still using version 2.3.2008 which still gives you an option to use the default OR custom install. I enjoy its ease of use and the ability to read any .pdf file I have needed to view including articles from magazines complete with photographic capabilities. Since I do have this install file, I have d/l the latest version and may just take a look at it to see what the differences are. I will post back.

Hey Jude

Reply | Quote

I have to add my two cents based on limited usage of Foxit. When I attempted to print documents from Foxit nothing ever happened. I have a canon wireless printer. It just never printed. I spent some time trying to solve this problem, finally gave up and uninstalled Foxit. The interface was not as intuitive as I would have liked. I did not have time to continue figuring things out. Sorry but I went back to Adobe Reader. I however do not let the reader run in the backgroud. I turned that off in the registry.

I’ve changed my opinion of FoxIt Reader (noted above) and have been using it (stand-alone and Firefox plugin) for the last couple of weeks. It appears to work as advertised. I didn’t recall having printed a .pdf using FoxIt and after seeing your post decided to test that out. I had no trouble printing at all.

Hey Jude, based on what you say, I think I’ll reinstall FoxIt to include the additional functionality you mentioned.

Reply | Quote

I’ve changed my opinion of FoxIt Reader (noted above) and have been using it (stand-alone and Firefox plugin) for the last couple of weeks. It appears to work as advertised. I didn’t recall having printed a .pdf using FoxIt and after seeing your post decided to test that out. I had no trouble printing at all.

Hey Jude, based on what you say, I think I’ll reinstall FoxIt to include the additional functionality you mentioned.

If you click View/Toolbars/Typewriter Tools you get the additonal tools needed to add little notes etc. Hope you like it

Hey Jude

Reply | Quote

If you click View/Toolbars/Typewriter Tools you get the additonal tools needed to add little notes etc. Hope you like it

Hey Jude

You’re right! That’s a great feature. I like, I like.

Reply | Quote

You’re right! That’s a great feature. I like, I like.

This is too cool~!~!~! Glad you like, like.

Hey Jude

Reply | Quote

I just used Revouninstaller to remove Foxit Reader 2.3.2008 and installed the latest version. After you get past the first page, you do end up with the option to do a Default OR custom install and you get the option to also NOT install the toolbars if you don’t want. I chose to install as it gives the typewriter tools capability without charge which is a huge change from my former version. For now, I think I like the format and I’ll stick with it. I have my FF set to use it as default PDF viewer.

I just went in to a passwords PDF file that I had created using Roboform and with the typewriter toolbar was able to add type, change stuff and add notes etc. I could do none of this with the older version so I am SOLD~!~!

Hey Jude

Reply | Quote

What is the ver number of the one you are discussing?

Does it have markup tools in it…like lines, arrows, ovals, boxes, text fields, etc?

LATER: AH! Now I remember; based on the above I installed 3.1.4.1125 using the direct download link-direct executable.

Now I have ended up with the executable in my downloads folder. It is also marked as the default Vista pdf program. How can I move the exe to a different location and still have everything work?

Reply | Quote

FYI, they are currently (today is 3/6/2010) offering the ”Pro” version free for 1 year.

Reply | Quote

FYI, they are currently (today is 3/6/2010) offering the ”Pro” version free for 1 year.

I consider TrialPay “free-ish” but not really free. Still, it might appeal to some.

Reply | Quote