Tutorial: How to install the free Brave privacy-based tor-enabled web browser where YOU want it to install (and how to save a full offline installer in the process)

[arlen holder]

This tutorial overcomes the following issues for the free Chromium based
Tor-enabled Brave so-called "privacy" browser...

1. I couldn't find the full offline installer online; so I created one to archive.
2. The Brave installer is badly written such that it doesn't even ask where to go; so I fixed that.
3. The Brave settings defaults are NOT set to privacy based settings; so I set them that way.

As I did these tasks, I documented these steps below so that others would
benefit from my actions. Please note I only tested this a couple of times
on a couple of Windows computers; but I have faith in the methods as other
badly written Chromium-based browsers (e.g., Epic) work similarly.

Important note:
If you don't employ a well organized system, then you can stop at step 3.
****************************************************************************
How to properly install Brave on a well-organized Windows computer
****************************************************************************
As always, please improve so that all benefit from every action.
Please note that your hierarchies will likely be different from mine.
The steps are the same; simply set your hierarchy in the place of mine.
============================================================================
0. Clean your registry so that you can isolate registry changes.
(I used the older version of CCleaner to clean the registry.)
============================================================================
1. Download & execute the dumb Brave stub installer located at:
<https://brave.com/download/>

For example:
<https://brave-browser-downloads.s3.brave.com/latest/BraveBrowserSetup.exe>

Save into your normal archive for installers, for example:
C:\software\browser\brave\BraveBrowserSetup.exe

Let the badly written installer finish polluting your file system.
Don't start Brave as that puts crap in the registry you don't want yet.

The installer is so dumb it won't even ask _where_ it should go:

The dumb installer will needlessly pollute two hierarchies:
C:\Program Files (x86)\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\Application\73.0.61.52
%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\
============================================================================
3. After installation, copy (don't move!) the 245-MB installer to a safe place
That is OUTSIDE the Brave installation hiearchy.
(Obviously the version number will change over time.)

C:\Program Files (x86)\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\Application\73.0.61.52\Installer\chrome.7z
(If you move it, then Brave won't properly uninstall later!)

Note this 66MB update updates brave but you don't want to use it:
C:\Program Files (x86)\BraveSoftware\Update\Download\{AFE6A462-C574-4B8A-AF43-4CC60DF4563B}\73.0.61.52\brave_installer-x64.exe
============================================================================
4. Rename & archive the zipped full offline installer copy, e.g., save as
copy chrome.7z
C:\software\browser\brave\full_offline_brave_installer_chrome.7z
============================================================================
5. Once you've saved the chrome.7z, uninstall Brave & its data.
(I typically use CCleaner to uninstall apps & their browsing data.)
(The Brave uninstaller will ask if you wish to delete browsing data.)
(I let it delete everything.)

Check both polluted locations to ensure Brave properly uninstalled.
C:\Program Files (x86)\BraveSoftware
%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\
============================================================================
6. Reboot right after uninstalling & run Ccleaner again to clean up things.
Run this CCleaner/Reboot step twice, to doubly ensure a clean registry.
============================================================================
7. Now copy & RENAME the previously saved 7z file to your app destination:
COPY FROM:
C:\software\browser\brave\ full_offline_brave_installer_chrome.7z
COPY & RENAME TO:
C:\app\browser\brave.7z

Note you do NOT make a "brave" directory (as the 7z file will make it).
Note that whatever you name the 7z file will be the new directory name.
============================================================================
8. Extract using 7Zip which will create the new "brave" directory:
C:\app\browser\brave\

Note 7-Zip will _create_ the "brave" directory in this location.
============================================================================
9. Create a shortcut for the newly extracted 2MB brave.exe program stub.
FROM: C:\app\browser\brave\Chrome-bin\brave.exe
To: Desktop: brave.lnk
Target: C:\app\browser\brave\Chrome-bin\brave.exe
Start in: C:\app\browser\brave\Chrome-bin

Note that I can get the shortcut to accept the "--incognito" switch:
THESE WORK:
Target: C:\app\browser\brave\Chrome-bin\brave.exe
Target: C:\app\browser\brave\Chrome-bin\brave.exe --incognito
THIS FAILS FOR SOME REASON:
Target: C:\app\browser\brave\Chrome-bin\brave.exe --incognito --tor
============================================================================
10. Execute brave for the first time using the location you chose!
(Just doubleclick on the link you created on the desktop.)
(Or doubleclick on the actual executable.)
C:\app\browser\brave\Chrome-bin\brave.exe

Notice the 1st EXECUTION populates the registry with the new location.
============================================================================
11. Delete the previously copied 7z file as part of the cleanup process.
del C:\app\browser\brave.7zip

Doublecheck that this idiotic directory no longer exists:
C:\Program Files (x86)\BraveSoftware

What will still exist is the idiotically worthless AppData directory:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\
============================================================================
12. Modify the Brave settings for increased privacy.
Put the shortcut in your cascade menu
(For me, I just rightclick > sendto > cascade menu)
Put the shortcut in your alphabetical menu
(For me, I just rightclick > sendto > alphabet menu)

Settings to change:
o Change Search engine to DuckDuckGo or Startpage (up to you)
o Change "Fingerprinting protection" to "Block all fingerprinting"
o Turn on "Script blocking"
o Turn off "Web Torrent"
o Turn off "Hangouts"
o Turn off "Offer to save passwords"
o Turn off "Auto Sign-in"
o Turn off "Save and fill payment methods"
o Turn off "Save and fill addresses"
o Change the "On startup" to "Open a specific page or set of pages"
o Set the start page to "chrome://settings/clearBrowserData"
o Set the time period to "All time" & check _every_ option to clear!
o Turn off all "prediction services"
o Turn off "Safe Browsing"
o Turn off "Allow sites to check if you have payment methods saved"
o Go to the long section of "Content settings" for the next dozen items
o Turn on "Keep local data only until you quit your browser"
o Block "Location" requests
o Block "Camera" requests
o Block "Microphone" requests
o Block "Notifications" requests
o Block "Automatic downloads"
o Block "Unsandboxed plugin access" requests
o Block "Handlers"
o Block "MIDI devices"
o Block "USB devices"
o Turn on "Download PDF files instead of automatically opening them in Brave"
o Turn off "Allow sites to play protected content"
o Turn off "Allow identifiers for protected content"
o Block "Clipboard" access to web sites
o Block sites installing "Payment handlers"
o Interestingly the browser is set to ask where to download files!
o (It's the 1st time I've seen that sensible setting be the default!)
o Turn off "Continue running background apps when Brave is closed"

Interestingly, you have to repeat some changes when using Tor!
o Change "Fingerprinting protection" to "Block all fingerprinting"
o Turn on "Script blocking"
o Turn off "Web Torrent"
o Turn off "Hangouts"
o Turn off "Offer to save passwords"
o Turn off "Auto Sign-in"
o Turn off "Save and fill payment methods"
o Turn off "Save and fill addresses"
============================================================================
How to properly install Brave on a well-organized Windows computer
As always, please improve so that all benefit from every action.
============================================================================

[Mike Easter]

arlen holder wrote:
> This tutorial overcomes the following issues for the free Chromium based
> Tor-enabled Brave so-called "privacy" browser...

There have been discussions regarding the 'desirability' of a chromium
tor browser.

To try to make a long story short; (according to indirect 'rumor' I've
heard) the tor project developers aren't currently interested in a
chromium tor project and their basis for choosing the ESR Ffx browser
for their endeavors is partly because it is 'better' for the
accommodation of the privacy configuration they bestow on the TBB.

As I mentioned in the linux group, one could achieve a 'similar'
split-behavior seen with the Brave tor tab function by using the TBB for
tor and the 'regular' browser of choice for the non-tor work.

I don't think this beta Brave is designed for 'default' tor usage. I
think it is non-tor default followed by tor tab. I haven't followed
your links to confirm the/your notion of commanding Brave to start in
tor or if that is just a 'beta' rumor.

The easy way to have a good tor browser plus non-tor function, like
Brave, is to run the TBB and some other non-tor browser in another window.


--
Mike Easter
acf only