Windows Live Wave 3 - what is Choice Guard and why does it exist?

This seems to be a hot topic because of the lack of description provided by the Live installation program.

To quote Len, one of the Windows Live MS employees:
Choice Guard is a piece of code that is responsible for setting the users homepage and search default if they chose those options during setup. Typically, this is a simple task of writing a value into a registry key.

However, several of our competitors install a "service" that is always running on your machine that prevents the registry key from being changed, even if that is what the user decided to do. So Choice Guard looks for the presence of those apps that might be preventing the user's choice from being carried out and works around their block to set the search default.

It only does this one time. If the user attempts to change it again, either manually or programmatically, they are free to do so. It turns out that in order to set the search default and homepage on the Firefox browser you need to install yourself as an add-on, which is why Choice Guard is appearing in the list.

Posted by Aaron Tiensivu in Microsoft, Vista, Windows Live!, Windows OS, XP at 15:34 | Comments (13) | Trackbacks (0)

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Thanks for the information

#1 happyandyk (Homepage) on 2008-09-21 12:10 (Reply)

In my opinion it's cheap and under-handed BECAUSE I specifically remember saying NO when "Windows Live" install asked me if I wanted to install this option.
So why did it install regardless?
Because of this I have decided to un-install any "Windows Live" product. If your going to install something even after I said I didn't want it, then your being shady.
The sad thing is the only way I could remove it was through a third party program remover. it did not show up in the Vista Add/Remove programs area.

#2 Wohlven on 2008-10-06 06:59 (Reply)

lol at getting all bent out of shape over a little home page app, do you fuss over every little line of code in your computer? better double check the system32 folder, there might be some stuff in there you didn't approve of

#2.1 Matt on 2008-12-06 23:43 (Reply)

I think you are very wrong in your reply to Wohlven. I think if a user specifically decline the installation of anything, the publisher should respect this, and not go ahead and install it anyway. Like Wohlven said, that is being shady. Having said that, what else is new with MS

#2.1.1 IDNoble on 2009-01-11 03:26 (Reply)

its never good when a program installs stuff without permission so matt its a very big deal when a program installs anything without permission you wouldnt want a lil app that watches your folders without you knowing would you

#2.1.2 breeze x on 2009-02-07 09:22 (Reply)

I'm sure that anything in the system32 directory is not a constant annoyance every time happyandyk reboots. Like happy, I am not impressed with Microsoft's decision to open a folder on the desktop, and make it's permanent removal a mystery. If it was simply an entry in the startup folder, I'd say - no harm, no foul. The fact that they intentionally made it difficult to remove shows the arrogance of their programmers wanting to take the control away from the end user and keep control of things to themselves.

Not cool no matter how you try to belittle the complaint....

#2.1.3 Neil Underwood (Homepage) on 2009-03-13 08:09 (Reply)

Well, a lot of people will object, especially sys-admins. Me included, if I set an option during installation, I really want it to be THAT way... what is the purpose of an option if it is not carried out....

Same goes for the MS hack of adding an unwanted .NET FireFox plugin, which cannot be removed.... unless you know how to remove a certain (undocumented) registry key...

Heck, when I first install a system, I' HOURS busy to change everything how I want it to run.... and that is not even about installing programs.... removing & disabling unnecessary services, pre loaded stuff, changing the way windows works etc.... it gets tedious, but the result is a machine which works perfectly and very fast... most people complain about how slow vista is... but mine runs just as fast as Win XP. A friend of mine has almost the same setup as me (CPU, Chipset, RAM are same, I got a slightly slower VGA card) ... but he doesn't do al that stuff I do... and his games go @ about 40 FPS, I get it @ about 60, at same graphic settings in game.

So, there's the POINT in WHY....

#2.1.4 Datastorm (Homepage) on 2009-04-18 01:12 (Reply)

This is supposed to remove it

Start-> Run->

msiexec /x {8FFC5648-FAF8-43A3-BC8F-42BA1E275C4E}

#2.2 Kriegar on 2009-08-23 17:58 (Reply)

Aaron, thanks for putting together such a clear and informative response!

#3 Peter on 2008-12-19 13:33 (Reply)

I installed a webcam with the help of my son-in-law and I remember saying "NO" to their search engine, yet every time I switch on the computer, a window appears with the file "Search Enhancement Pack" in it. I got fed up with it, so I deleted it and restarted the computer to see if had gone for good. Sadly the window was still appearing without the file in it. I returned the file from the recycle bin back to the window and started asking around as to how to get rid of it. Son-in-law busy but will look into it later. Meanwhile any ideas?

#4 JC on 2009-01-05 12:45 (Reply)

Well, since I installed the new msnmsgr yesterday, I have other problems.
I have to reset my settings of my Wheel Mouse Optical each time I restart my PC.
And I usually must shut down and start again my PC,
because the first time , after the window appears
(C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Search Enhancement Pack\Choice Guard)
MY PC FREEZES!

This window (C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Search Enhancement Pack\Choice Guard)
opens each time I start my PC,
and after it appears, 1 out of two, my PC freezes!

I just HATE updating because there is ALWAYS problems involved!
We are, in my opinion, being USED as cobays!
PAINFULL.
Someone can help me get rid of that CHOICE GUARD CRAP??

#5 Jean1938 on 2009-03-08 11:35 (Reply)

Choice Guard? Guarding against choice...

The app just decided to install itself into my Firefox and change my homepage and default search engine - which I did not want, I wanted my original Mozilla start page and Google search engine....

#6 Jamie White on 2009-04-08 06:38 (Reply)

What I don't understand is how this seems to have installed itself (I never agreed to that being installed), for a user who hasn't installed Windows Live (I installed it, but it shows up each time a different computer user logs in)....

What is the point of saying "no" to installations if they are just going to be included anyway??

#7 Paddy on 2009-04-08 13:12 (Reply)

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