[HOWTO] Install Alcohol 120% FE without Smart File Advisor

[skywalker06]

This guide will show you how to install the free edition of Alcohol 120% without installing Smart File Advisor, As you can't uncheck it while installing Alcohol 120% i actually found this out by accident, tested it out more than once so i know it works.

1) Download the Alcohol 120% FE installer
2) Before running the installer, disconnect from the internet
3) When asked to reboot, reboot your machine
4) Before running the installer again, make sure your still disconnected from the internet
5) Run the installer and select the options you want, install Alcohol 120%
6) Enjoy using Alcohol 120% FE without the Smart File Advisor crapware

Smart File Advisor won't install if you not connected to the internet during the install

[Arie]

Unfortunately I read your post too late, so when installing Alcohol 120% FE, Smart File Advisor was automatically installed too.

For those who want to get rid of Smart File Advisor once it is installed, please read on. The following steps refer to Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7. Windows 8 is slightly different. I might post some screenshots for Windows 8 at a later time. No need to say that you follow these steps at your own risk.

You cannot remove the check mark in front of Smart File Advisor during the installation.




Once installed, Smart File Advisor will annoy you with pop-ups.




When you right-click on any file, Smart File Advisor will be there, mocking you.




When you try to uninstall Smart File Advisor, you are informed that Alcohol 120% FE will be uninstalled as well.




If you answer "Yes" anyway, you are asked if you want to uninstall Alcohol 120% FE. If you answer "No", Smart File Advisor will not be uninstalled and it will take a crap on your keyboard.




To have the last laugh, start by deleting the Start menu folder of Smart File Advisor. Simply right-click the folder in your Start menu and click "Delete".




Next, click on "Run..." in your Start menu. If you do not see it, press the Windows key and the letter R together instead and the "Run" dialog will open. Type "msconfig" and press the Enter key.




Go to the "Startup" page and remove the check marks in front of both Smart File Advisor items. Now Smart File Advisor will not automatically start anymore. There is no need to restart your computer.




Next we will remove Smart File Advisor from the right-click menu. Open the "Run" dialog again, type "regedit" and press the Enter key. Be careful when editing the registry.




Browse to "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell" and remove both Smart File Advisor keys by right-clicking on the relevant key and clicking on "Delete".




The same keys may also exist under "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\*\shell". If so, remove both Smart File Advisor keys there as well by right-clicking on the relevant key and clicking on "Delete".




Restart your computer and Smart File Advisor will not be bothering you any longer.

[nerd70]

The thing is, while it will not bother you anymore, it is still installed.

[Arie]

The thing is, while it will not bother you anymore, it is still installed.

Yes, but as stated before, uninstalling Smart File Advisor will uninstall Alcohol 120% FE as well. By making the changes which I listed, Smart File Advisor will no longer automatically start and you will not see it anymore in your Start menu and right-click menus. The only "annoyance" is that it still occupies around 3,8 MB on your hard drive, but you do adhere to the terms of use of Alcohol 120% FE if you do it like this.

[mrpijey]

And as I said in a different thread, you can also delete the folder and save those precious 3.8MB . Now you can finally have enough space to install that Doom demo you always wanted...

[Wheatley]

Note that from Windows 8.0 onwards startup programs are controlled in Task Manager.

[nerd70]

Note that from Windows 8.0 onwards startup programs are controlled in Task Manager.

That is a refreshment.....
At least the Windows 7 task manager doesn't look terrible.

[DiskingRound]

Thanks for the guide, Arie!

A few things I should note:
-Alcohol 120% retail and trial versions come with an option to disable/uninstall Shoddy Freaking Adware.
-In Windows 8.0 and above, the start up programs are controlled in Task Manager, as Wheatley stated.
As mentioned before, if you are using A120% Free or Trial, then you can simply Uninstall. But if you're using A120% FE, then this guide is for you.
-I'm doing this in Windows 8.1 build 9600, here's winver for proof:

-Once SFA is installed, opening an unknown file format will display this dialog box, mocking you:

-Once SFA is installed, it will display annoying popups although I didn't get them.
-Once SFA is installed, right clicking on any file will cause a menu to appear with SFA inside and will take a crap on your keyboard.


Here's how to follow Arie's instructions in Windows 8 and later.
-1: Open Task Manager using Ctrl+Shift+Esc.
-2: Go to the Start Up tab and then find the two SFA items.

-3: Right click on each of them and click Disable.
-4: Open regedit and browse to HCR\*\shell. Find the two SFA keys, !sfa and sfa_checksum, and delete them.

-5: While SFA is gone from your right click menu, it's still not gone completely. It'll still mock you when you open an unknown file format. Go to the Program Files folder (or x86 folder if you're using a 64 bit processor) and delete the Smart File Advisor folder.

[Beluga]

Do I also have to care about this when using the portable version that is linked in mrpijey's signature?

[Overdoze]

No , that version doesn't have it. You're good.

[TuneableSumo876]

Do I also have to care about this when using the portable version that is linked in mrpijey's signature?

No, you don't need to worry. The entire purpose of portable software is that they don't install things to the system they run on.

[Beluga]

Thank you. That is good to know.

While I know that the purpose of portable software is not to require installation, you never can be sure that it does not install any crapware that comes with it.