April 3, 2009
I was installing some Microsoft software and stumbled upon this "interesting" application.
Today I was installing Microsoft Live software (actually only a couple of the long list of tools that get installed, excluding their email and messaging programs), when I was presented with this screen shot:
Needless to say my attention was triggered by the "prevent programs from interfering with this choice", so I did click on the what's this link, which send me to a page that reads:
Microsoft Choice Guard is a small piece of software that's downloaded during the Windows Live installation process to carry out any changes that you choose to make to your browser settings. If you choose to change your default search engine, Choice Guard looks for any programs on your computer that might interfere with this process and works around them to let you change your default search engine. Choice Guard does this to help ensure that choosing your default search engine is as easy as possible.
The entire page can be found at: http://help.live.com/help.aspx?market=en-us&project=wlinstallerv3&querytype=keyword&query=draug_eciohc
The idea of a program that fights other programs to change your default search settings tells how importent serach is becoming in todays computer world, and that each one of the players is ready to fight for it. Microsoft claims this has to be done as other software programs (and browser add-ins) generally don't let users change their search settings, as this might as well be true. They also claim, to be honest, that Choice Guard will act once (in both Internet Explorer and Firefox) and then uninstall itself. But somehow it makes me uneasy.
Do you know more about Choice Guard and the program its fights with? I'd be interested to learn...
PS. One positive point for Microsoft: when clicking on the link in the install program it opened the web page in Google Chrome, whcih is my default web browser, and not in Internet Explorer (as it generally heppened in the past).
posted by
marcocantu @ 2:52PM | 30 Comments
[0 Pending]
30 Comments
Microsoft Choice Guard
That sounds like a positive step for Microsoft. I
wonder if Choice Guard identifies when another process
tries to block making changes to the default search
option in the browser.
Google has proven that there is big money in search.
You have to credit Microsoft for being out in the open
with all of this. I could see other applicatiopns
doing the same thing without any notification at all.
I do get the impression that there is a lot thought
going into how the Live products are being delivered.
You have to run a single installer to get product,
which is basically free advertising for all of the
other products. I would love to see the statistics on
how many people change their default search when they
downloaded one of the Live products.
Comment by Chris Miller
[http://anotherlab.rajapet.net]
on April 3, 15:50
Microsoft Choice Guard
Frankly, I am getting tired of intallers that tries
to touch other unrelated settings (now even when
installing video drivers one needs to
deselect "stupid" installations) - and I am tired
of "updaters" that gets installed as services or in
any other "run at startup" location and keep running
even if you don't need them.
When I found that to install Google Earth (I'd like
to see Mars...) I had to install its updater I
changed my mind and didn't install it.
That's a battle where the user will lose - always.
Comment by Luigi D. Sandon on April 3, 16:42
Microsoft Choice Guard
[cough]iTunes[/cough]
iTunes will reset file type preferences (for all
users!) to itself, without asking, every time it
updates. And it updates a lot, since it had twice the
number of discovered security holes as all other
media players *combined* in the last SANS survey.
Comment by Craig Stuntz
[http://blogs.teamb.com/craigstuntz]
on April 4, 19:09
Microsoft Choice Guard
My guess about the applications it fights in order to
change settings would be any of the numerous security
applications (anti-virus, anti-spyware, etc) that have
an option to lock it at the user's original choice.
Remember, it is considered a common malware behavior
to change these kinds of settings without the user's
knowledge & permission, which is why many anti-malware
applications have options to protect those settings
against changes.
I have a feeling that if that box is checked by
default, and enough people complain about their search
being changed by mistake, because they missed that and
didn't uncheck the box, that it will only be a matter
of time before the presence of Choice Guard on a
user's system will set off a malware alert and be
treated as a trojan by the anti-virus companies, and
deleted before it gets a chance to do it's job.
This isn't like the Winamp Agent that has to be
manually and deliberately activated by the user,
within the Winamp software, that runs as a background
process and prevents other media players from
hijacking the defaults that the user has set from
within Winamp (anti-iTunes/Quicktime).
Choice Guard can be activated very easily by mistake.
That, itself, can lead to it being labeled as malware.
Comment by app
[http://cranialsoup.blogspot.com]
on April 4, 23:31
Microsoft Choice Guard
How do I uninstall Choice Guard? It's not listed
under my current program list. My anti-viral service
rep is telling me to uninstall it, before I un-
reinstall my antivirus program.
Comment by Overly guarded on April 15, 18:11
Microsoft Choice Guard - spelling error
Hello,
You wrote "... tells how importent serach is becoming
in todays computer world..."
The word "search" is written "serach"
Is there any Microsoft SpellGuard? :)
Comment by Yassine Zaroui
[http://zaroui.net]
on April 21, 11:35
Microsoft Choice Guard
Ha Ha... I made very sure to deselect the check box
and guess what! Choice Guard was still installed on
my system and continues to exist in my program files
list, and does not give me the option to uninstall
it. I used a third party uninstaller to remove the
program, deleted the program file and yet it remains
in the add/remove program file list. And I wonder to
myself, all this to have Windows Live products on my
system. As if they don't receive enough profits from
their own advertising, that now they are trying to
force users into searching with their service. I do
NOT think so. I will continue my GOOGLE searches on
how to get rid of this Anti-Choice Guard...
Comment by Tzara on April 24, 01:42
Microsoft Choice Guard
Well, it did not take me long to locate the files in
the Registry and remove them. So I have successfully
removed Anti-Choice Guard from my Add/Remove Programs
List. Thank goodness.
Comment by Tzara on April 24, 01:49
Microsoft Choice Guard
I run WIndows XP home, and recently installed
winodws live messenger. Now everytime I start my
computer a folder with Service Enhancement Package
opens. Choice Guard is in this folder. How do I stop
this folder form opening everytime I start my
computer?
Comment by N. J. on May 4, 05:03
Microsoft Choice Guard
Found this using Everest Ultimate edition.. Had no
idea what it was.. Tried to uninstall it, but it
refuses to go :(
Comment by NAte on June 3, 00:48
Microsoft Choice Guard
Instructions to uninstall Choice Guard
For Windows XP:
1) Start
2) Run
3) Copy the following line into the 'Open' field:
msiexec /x {8FFC5648-FAF8-43A3-BC8F-42BA1E275C4E}
4) OK
Choice Guard will now be uninstalled.
Comment by Joost on July 28, 09:52
Microsoft Choice Guard
Thanks Joost. I appreciate the help. It kept
irritating me when I logged onto the main screen and
the folder kept popping up. Thanks again
Comment by IB on August 4, 03:13
Microsoft Choice Guard
thanks joost for the uninstall line.
Comment by pete on August 23, 01:53
Microsoft Choice Guard
had problems with the choice guard pop up
myself.spent ages trying to get rid of it with no
success.eventually i listed all the files from the
pop up and found the one labelled microsoft..it was
empty cos i had removed choice guard so i just
deleted it and did a re-start,wow the bloody thing
had gone lol.hope this is helpful.
regards,kev
Comment by kev
[http://kev24552000@yahoo.co.uk]
on September 12, 01:52
Microsoft Choice Guard
Revo Uninstaller got rid of it, with no problem.
Comment by tejas on September 13, 05:49
Microsoft Choice Guard
thanx for the uninstall tool! i have been quite
annoyed with this program popping up during start up.
wonder what else is installed, of which i have no
clue yet runs all kinda things in the background...
might even be programs that microsoft uses to keep my
backdoor open for their tiny add-ons, malware, add-
ware and so on...
Comment by olaf
[http://www.dns-tvind.dk]
on September 26, 11:04
Microsoft Choice Guard
You are so right, Revo did it and I love Revo. My
browser seems to now run so much smoother, with an
older computer it needs all the help it can get.
Comment by zipperfoot on October 15, 21:39
Microsoft Choice Guard
In Windows 7, type this command into the "Search
programs and files" box on the Start menu and press
enter.
MsiExec.exe /X{F0E12BBA-AD66-4022-A453-A1C8A0C4D570}
Worked for me.
Comment by Tiffer on October 25, 10:07
Microsoft Choice Guard
Use revo uninstaller. Does the trick.............
Comment by Don on January 4, 22:24
Microsoft Choice Guard
Microsoft Suck for doing crap like this...
Comment by Jim
[]
on January 23, 00:05
Microsoft Choice Guard
use revo uninstaller. you can see programs that you
normally wouldnt see and uninstall them.
Comment by cracker
[]
on February 28, 08:22
Microsoft Choice Guard
Funny how I had this install and yet a program still
change my default search engine and homepage to bing.com
seems like it only protects changes unless its 2 a
microsoft product :-/
Comment by Nice try ms on March 15, 20:53
Microsoft Choice Guard
I don't appear to have this installed so the link to
uninstall didn't work. So I tried to just delete the
folder but it wouldn't let me. Seems to think it's
write protected or in use. Any ideas? I'm tired of
this window opening up every time I turn on the PC!
thanks
Comment by Jane on June 22, 19:17
Microsoft Choice Guard
Revo does the job.Great app.
Comment by on July 3, 15:28
Microsoft Choice Guard
IObit Uninstaller can find and remove Choice Guard.
Comment by Neil from Ohio
[]
on July 4, 05:05
Microsoft Choice Guard
Revo Uninstaller will remove Choice Guard. It's a free
program and it also takes care of all the lingering
fingerprints a program leaves after being "uninstalled".
In fact, the only reason I was aware Microsoft Choice
Guard was even on my computer was because I saw it on
Revo's program list.
Comment by Aubree on July 9, 03:45
Microsoft Choice Guard
eu uso tanto o meu pc, só hj tive a curiosidade de
saber do que se tratava este arquivo, desinstalei sem
problemas, usando o Revo.
Comment by maria on September 22, 16:28
Microsoft Choice Guard - Prepotencia de Microchofff
Yo también indiqué que no se instalara durante el
proceso de intalación de Win Live Writer, pero ahí
estaba.
Probé a quitarlo mediante Windows Clean Installer.
Quizá se quitó, pero este programa no me devuelve
ningún aviso al respecto.
Miro en Archivos de Programa\Microsoft\Search
Enhancement\Choice Guard y aún está ahí...
He probado lo de msiexec /x
{8FFC5648-FAF8-43A3-BC8F-42BA1E275C4E}: "Esta acción
sólo es válida para los productos que están instalados
actualmente". Y aún está ahí.
El programa aparecía antes listado en Windows Clean
Installer, y después de darle a borrar ya no aparecía.
Por lo tanto, Windows Clean Installer me ha engañado o
ha hecho el trabajo a medias. Impresentable...
En Revo Uninstaller no aparece listado el programa.
Pero aún está ahí, en mi PC.
Qué vergüenza de Microchoft. Vaya jeta. Esta
aplicación y la imposibilidad de quitarla del todo
parecen verdaderamente sospechosos, a saber qué debe
hacer esto en mi ordenador.
Toca quitarla manualmente, y luego también manualmente
quitar cualquier referencia suya del Registro.
Estúpido paternalismo de Microsoft. Nos toman a todos
por tontos del culo...
Comment by Jan on November 12, 20:01
Microsoft Choice Guard
Wonderful, wonderful,, this did the trick on
XP/sp3,, MsiExec.exe /X{F0E12BBA-AD66-4022-A453-
A1C8A0C4D570}
..well, ,, I havent restart my computer,, but i heard
the HD rumble slightly (normal for a WD) and that was
after the prompt in run cmd was executed. all smiles
now, and more to come after i reboot
Comment by Rob on April 22, 03:56
Microsoft Choice Guard
Say, you guys are reading the name "Microsoft Choice
Guard" incorrectly -- it's not "Choice Guard"
provided by Microsoft, it's something designed to
guard Microsoft choices!
Comment by kosh2 on April 30, 22:36
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