Foxit. . .
Is this problem avoidable by choosing the custom installation?
In order to answer this, I downloaded Foxit. It was a 37 Megabyte package!
During the installation, I read the User Agreement. They confess to "recommending" extra software and they claim that if I choose to not take advantage of their generosity, nothing extra will be installed without my knowledge or permission.
During the installation, I was invited to get my PC Running at Peak Performance courtesy of SpeedUpMyPC 2014. The box for my acceptance was NOT pre-checked, a good sign.
Next, I was asked if I'd like Trust Manager enabled, which seems like a good idea. This time, the box was pre-checked.
On the Ready to Install screen, an overview of my selections was presented. Since I was happy with what I saw, I clicked the Install button.
On the first execution of Foxit, I was asked to register with them. They promised additional support options if I did. The information requested seemed like the usual stuff -- Name, Company, E-Mail.
The program also opened with a document outlining the advantages of their paid products. Some may consider this an advertisement.
I did a superficial exploration, looking for a way of getting rid of the "Marketing Material" that appeared every time I opened the program. Here's what I found. . .
Click File
Select Preferences
Scroll down to General
In the window that opens, Un-Check the box for "Open Start Page"
Note: After Un-Checking the box for "Show Advertising," the advertisement still appeared.
Checking Control Panel, Programs and Features, I discovered TWO entries for Foxit: Foxit Reader and Foxit Cloud. There was no indication that a Cloud application was included.
Foxit Reader occupies 99 Megabytes, Foxit Cloud consumes 7 Megabytes.
While running, (but not displaying a document) only one Process is listed by Task Manager: Foxit Reader. It was consuming only 15 Meg of RAM.
I did not find any "surprises" among the services or programs scheduled to start with Windows, but I must confess that I didn't look very hard.
Foxit needs to join Weight Watchers. The version I normally use, 4.2, was a 7.7 Meg download. By the time I tried version 5.01, the download was a whopping 12 Meg. Now this version 6.2 is an astounding 38 Meg!
These are my observations and opinions. I have no connection with Foxit beyond having their package on my computer for a few years. Note: I was happy with 4.2, disappointed by 5.01, and didn't find any "deal breakers" with 6.2 during my brief trial.
Cheers, PW.
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