Google Chrome for Windows Gets Basic Antivirus Features

Google is rolling out a trio of important changes to Chrome for Windows users. From a report: At the heart of these changes is Chrome Cleanup. This feature detects unwanted software that might be bundled with downloads, and provides help with removing it. Google's Philippe Rivard explains that Chrome now has built-in hijack detection which should be able to detect when user settings are changes without consent. This is a setting that has already rolled out to users, and Google says that millions of users have already been protected against unwanted setting changes such as having their search engine altered. But it's the Chrome Cleanup tool that Google is particularly keen to highlight. A redesigned interface makes it easier to use and to see what unwanted software has been detected and singled out for removal.

Re:

[A10Mechanic]

I don't know about you, but I really don't want my Browser poking around in my operating system.

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

But haven't you heard that if one company does something intrusive and/or bad, then it's OK for all other companies to do it too?

Microsoft already has full access to everything on your Windows 10 PC. So what if Google wants to poke around? They are only using your unpaid hard work and data output to make their product better and to grow their business at your expense. What's so wrong with that?

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

Microsoft patched Windows for the KRACK Wi-Fi thing a week ago. The major Linux distros, which are considered more vulnerable, have not.

Old talking points are old.

Re:

[Lunix Nutcase]

A poor, less-functional version will be cloned in Firefox.

I am afraid Chrome has now got the disease...

[bogaboga]

We are now witnessing feature creep as more features are being crammed into Chrome.

Google should style up and "fix" their current software, most of which suffers from usability issues and/or crappy implementation.

As a start: How about implementing basic sorting of video from photos [or having some kind of sensible filter] in their Google Photos offering?

Re:

[Chas]

Yeah. Like THAT was gonna happen.

Nah. Their perma-beta software doesn't get "fixed". It just has shit tacked on, "temporarily" forever.

Re:

[RhettLivingston]

Not that it is relevant to Chrome, but Google Photos has some of the best "filtering" capability around. Simply search for "videos". Voila.

Re:

[Bite The Pillow]

"Note this new sandboxed engine is not a general-purpose antivirus "

WHICH STUPID MUTHERFUCKER ADDED BULLSHIT HERE?

Re:

[AmiMoJo]

Just type "videos" in the search box.

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[Anonymous Coward]

Won't help if I redirect you to a location not bearing a DNS name at all (i.e. a simple IP address), nor will it help if malware is hosted on a trusted domain. Works for many, many other use cases though, so don't write off /etc/hosts as part of a holistic approach to network security.

Clever girl...

[the_skywise]

What a clever way to scan every piece of software you download to your PC and data collect what you're downloading.

I'm sure they wouldn't use it to search for pirated software or movies...

Re:

[AmiMoJo]

They have been able to do that from day one with the built in URL checking safety system.

I'm calling it. Chrome is a great OS, it just lacks a decent web browser.

Android

[Hognoxious]

detects unwanted software that might be bundled with downloads, and provides help with removing it.

How about something like this for Android? Then I could remove all the shit that Google put there that I have zero intention of using, ever.

All the better...

[thegreatbob]

to snoop you with, my dear...

Embrace, extend and extinguish ...

[140Mandak262Jamuna]

Oh, wait, oh wait...

That is for evil. Not for this don't be evil. I am so confused.

Does it detect Windows itself ?

[UnknownSoldier]

Since Windows 10 is the new spyware does it detect and delete it ? :-)

--
Old-school RPG fun for Apple 2, PC, and Mac!
Nox Archaist [6502workshop.com]

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

chrome has always been the browser for dummies. I don't mean that in a negative sense either, it is the perfect browser for people that don't know what they are doing or what they need, hides the settings and makes them hard to alter and locks the user down while providing a decent set of functions. It is currently the browser I recommend for users that don't have any IT knowledge, those that do know to use something else and can make their own choices.

Great addition

[sanf780]

Now Chrome can detect that the installer for Adobe Acrobat Reader includes an installation of Chrome. Isn't this one ironic?

Intentionally Harmful Downloads

[hattable]

What if I'm trying to download harmful stuff on purpose? If they put the 'fix' behind some backasswards tab in the developer tool panel just they made us all play Find The Certificate, it's full time Opera for me. Which I actually would not mind. The 'chromaddons' addon allows pretty much the entire chrome store extensions to work in Opera (even some weird ones).