Scan & Fix 50 registry issues FREEALOT Toolbar
Excellent
Full user review
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"How annoying is Alot? A lot!"
Pros
The one good thing I can say about it is that the Alot Toolbar is not technically a virus or malware. It preys upon unsophisticated computer users, fooling them into installing something they don't need.
Cons
This toolbar keeps getting installed by accident on the computers in the lab I administer. It adds a bunch of useless buttons to the toolbar, reducing the space for actual browsing. To add insult to injury, it changes the homepage without asking.
Summary
While not technically malware, the Alot Toolbar is mostly a scam. It makes itself easy to install accidentally by non-tech savvy people (such as the seniors who use the lab I run) but almost impossible for the same people to remove. It's main purpose is not to be useful to the end user, but to show advertisements. Personally, I think Google, Yahoo!, and Bing should together refuse to pay advertisers who get clicks through dubious ethics like this. Cutting off the revenue source for Alot will make the job of volunteer administrators like myself much easier.
