How to disable desktop ads in PDF Architect 3

I do have PDFCreator, but can find no other instances of PDF Architect on my system. Should I remove PDF Creator? I haven’t used it in a long, long time.

Hi,

I uninstalled Architect 4 about a month ago because of the popup ads in German. I understand that this is a free product, and that you need to make money, but I refuse to have software installed on my system that provides popup ads when it isn’t running. There are other free options available. Also, to answer your question before, I have no German language settings on my computer.

I just logged into my system today and saw a new ad in English. Apps & Features in Windows 10 shows that I do not have the application installed. Task Manager shows that this is from your company’s Manager Service and Messenger still running on my system after removing the application they are related to. These are not in Apps & Features, so this means that I have unregistered software from you providing ads and hiding from legitimate attempts to uninstall it. This makes your software incompetent at the best and adware/grayware at the worst.

I manually removed the leftover PDF Architect 4 Files that were leftover from the uninstaller in C:\Program Files (x86). I also found that there were files in C:\ProgramData\pdfforge\PDF Architect 4 Manager\ updated as recently as today, so this software is still attempting to maintain itself.

Interestingly, it looks like PDF Architecht 4 does not remove itself when you uninstall. There are also 4 leftover services running a month after the software was removed:

PDF Architect 4
PDF Architect 4 CrashHandler
PDF Architect 4 Creator
PDF Architect 4 Manager.

I stopped and disabled all of these services, and they told me where they were located. I removed the following folders that contained application data for PDF Architect 4:

C:\Program Files\PDF Architect 4
C:\ProgramData\pdfforge
C:\ProgramData\PDF Architecht 4
C:\Program Files (x86)\PDF Architecht 4 (repeated here for clarification)

I’ve left the registry entries alone as they shouldn’t bother anyone without being called, but all of this should have been deregistered and removed when the software was uninstalled. I would have even appreciated a message saying that the software cannot be fully removed until I reboot.

If you don’t hear from me again, you can call this resolved. I will post back if I find anything else.

2 Likes

I’ve finally discovered where these popups are coming from! They had been bothering me for a while and, despite the fact that they were promoting PDF Architect, I didn’t connect them with the software because I, too, had uninstalled PDF Architect recently.

I have to echo the comments made by others in this thread that this practice is not even borderline suspicious, it is full-blown malicious. There is no other way to put it. Any software that intrudes the user with OS-level popups on their desktop regardless of whether they are using the software, continues to run on a machine after the user specifically uninstalls it, continues to update itself in the background, and does not give the user any easy way to uninstall it is malware. Plain and simple.

PDFforge is now peddling malicious malware. Say that out loud to yourselves a few times.

To repeat another post, you guys are ruining your business. Whatever gains you think you are getting from the 1 in 1,512,554 people who might click through and buy your software (only to remove it later when the popups keep coming) are completely wiped out by the fact that you are pissing everybody else off and leaving a bad taste in their mouths. Forever. Never to install pdfforge software again.

I too created an account just to tell you this. Don’t think it’s because I’m loyal.

  • Brad.
2 Likes

Hi Brad,

I echo your feelings about having this whole sorry saga with the pop-ups. It doesn’t help also when you’re constantly being asked whether you have other versions installed when you know you haven’t.
I’ve used Adobe Acrobat for years and I’m really tempted to go back despite the price tag.

You said you found out where the pop-ups where coming from. Would you be willing to share your discovery? :slight_smile:

I have disabled the PDFArchitect service manager but obviously have to wait a while to see whether it has made any difference.

Thanks,
Pedro

I created an account so that I could comment here:

I uninstalled this (admittedly) free software at least two months ago. I ran CC Cleaner to try and get rid of as much as I could. I disabled the four services that were left behind by the faulty uninstall process you built. I even searched the registry for PDF Forge, PDF Architect, etc. and deleted what I could easily recognize.

And yet I continue to get the pop-up ad in the bottom corner of the screen.

At this point I am reporting your software to the FTC as malware. A software, even freeware, that does not uninstall itself properly and continues to throw pop-up advertisements at you even after you’ve done your best to thoroughly remove it is malicious, whether it is intentional or not.

1 Like

I only have v3 installed: see screenshot from services.msc:

I disabled per instructions in this thread, but wanted you to actually have a screenshot of the actual ad, plus the program options showing no way to disable:

Please inform me by email when this "feature" has been effectively removed to improve UX

Hello!

I recently started to use a BOUGHT PDF Architect 4 license on my company computer and had to realize that the software constantly annoys me with pop-up ads for Architect 5.

This is absolutely unwanted behavior of properly licensed software. There is no easy and intuitive way to deactivate this annoying messages permanently. - This is ADWARE and no serious commercial software.

Solutions - in ranked order and from my perception:

  1. Uninstall software and switch to serious software provider.
  2. Manually deactivate: help->options->general->notification system

Why do I recommend 1? - Because pdfforge is aware of this issue since quite some time (see this thread) without changing the behavior of their adware.

So customers: Let us use the right of the feet and walk away!

pdfforge: Please appreciate this candid feedback and learn.

Kind regards
Wolfram

I not remember to have installed your software on your PC but can be I was not paying attention to some other software installation and it was installed as bundle, I removed your sofdtware but I continue to receive the ADV, Now I have not your software, how I need to do for remove the ADV? Don’t tell me to install it again and don’t tell me there is not any other way because this will make me call my layer. Really this is a bad system to advise your user to a new version.

Removed and will be never instaled again. Adds on desktop? Are they mad?

Hi,

while this normally shouldn’t be required, disabling the “Architect Manager” service in Windows services should always work, even if the software isn’t installed anymore. Our developers are looking into why the service sometimes isn’t uninstalled properly, this is not intended at all. I have forwarded the feedback to the PDF Architect marketing team and hope the situation will improve in the future, it should soon be possible to disable the notifications directly on the popup itself.

Best regards,

Robin

Absolutely f*cking outrageous that you bombarding me with ads when I PAID for this stupid product.
I am uninstalling every one of the products people have mentioned related to your company as soon as I have PRECIOUS TIME to do so and I will certainly be leaving negative reviews wherever I can. Who the hell made the stupid decision to ruin your entire brand with malware advertisements on somebody’s PC?
Disgusting. I want a refund.

1 Like

Same issue here… :frowning: and I have tried several times to deselct whatever click on it, and at the end I have even erased the whole software… it still pops up this huge add on my desktop…

It really feels like malware… Not even considering buying it nor even recommend it…

It is intrusive, frustrating and infuriating indeed :frowning:

1 Like

Hi,

sorry for the trouble. Uninstalling PDF Architect or disabling the setting in the PDF Architect options should in any case remove the popups completely; while the popups themselves are debatable, I fully agree it should be easy to disable them and uninstalling shouldn’t leave any remainders, especially of this kind. The ads are displayed by the “PDF Architect Manager Service”, disabling this service in windows services should remove the ads in any case, if all other options fail.

Best regards,

Robin

I’ve uninstalled PDF architect and I don’t have any of your programms but I still get this ad, how to remove it?

sorry for the trouble,

How do I remove your bloody spam notifications from the bottom right hand corner of my computer. I can’t even find PDF architect on my computer. Very, very poor product, not recommending to anyone.

I dont even have pdf architect installed and im getting this pop up. Very intrusive, I have a business to run. I will be definitely moving to a linux OS due to all the advertisement on these consumer operating systems.

I agree. I find it odd that a German company that is supposed to be respectful of privacy would stoop to doing such invasive advertising. The pop-up on PDF Architect 5 is silly. Basically I was sort of neutral on the product and their ad work has now made me negative. It gets the job done but if they are going to be slimy and un-ethical on advertising - where else are they cutting corners? When a company gets runs by the marketing and sales department - the end must be near since the engineers that are doing the coding has lost any say in the deployment of their work.
So it goes in the world.
Plus the constant emails about this and that.
Now I feel like a chump for paying full price since their sale announcement puts the product out on the street for a third of retail. Talk about insulting their existing clients and undercutting their value proposition…yikes!!!
You know how it goes - I figured it was just the US guys that were crazy…
Regards,
Gone

I have a paid version of PDF Architect 5 and now getting these ads also on my desktop. Its intrusive, its disrespectful to paying customers, it’s immoral and customers are now unlikely to come back! I am so angry about this that I will uninstall it if it’s not corrected immediately and ensure that anyone I talk to knows about how this company has no respect for its customers.

There is nothing debatable about this. You just don't get it!