Downloading? Watch Out For These Danger Signs - Comments Page 1

I guess all those free download sites got tired of working for nothing.

Where is one to get the kind of download you were looking for? Free, clean and fast. you've now eliminated CNET, ZDNet and Tucows. Are there any good download sites beside the source? Some of them don't offer downloads.

EDITOR'S NOTE: I mentioned Ninite.com in the CNET article. Check it out.

Here is a program I saw recommended just for this kind of problem. It does a decent job of unchecking all the crapware.
It is called UNCHECKY and can be downloaded at unchecky.com.

It is getting to be impossible to not get tricked by these hidden programs. I have found that the best way to deal with them is to run a uninstaller program immediately after the install and remove the most recent installations, minus the one you wanted. It is aggravating, but beats letting them stay installed.

Maybe you used ccleaner because we've all heard of it? But in case others are not aware of it, you can download it directly from their site.

Be that as it may, you are correct that the javas and adobe downloads are annoying for trying to have us install software we already probably have (google toolbar or chrome) on our system.
I appreciate you taking one for the team. I usually try to download software from the maker's site. If they send me to a different site, I will give them one or at most 2 more clicks before I abandon them.
Remember, everyone, that first 'c' in ccleaner used to stand for 'crap' because, well, some systems are full of it.

By the way, Bob, any chance of you not having the green underlines causing those pop-ops? Thx.

The situation you report is now involving many sites that should be above suspicion. I recently paid to update my Nero 2012 programs to 2014. The updates came from Asknet a German company that has been used many times by other programs.
After downloading the huge update programs I began to install and immediately saw that AVG files were being installed. There was no prior warning about this and nowhere to say I did not want it. I stopped the installation and had to remove manually some 40 files of AVG.
I have discussed this with Asknet and Nero but only got denials and claims that it was my fault.
I have checked several times since but ended up with the same mess.
I shall now stick with Nero 2012 for the time being. But will switch to a different program soon.

I've never had any own downloading problems with FileHippo.com. Although it has been 6 months since I have used their site.

I too have had all the above and more. It is very reminiscent of trying to walk through a minefield.
It is too tricky. I would not mind paying a small fee to get away from this despicable behaviour.
In your recent article that mentioned 'PrivaZer' as a good 'cleaner' I downloaded the free version to try it and had no ickky foistware. After using it I paid them $20 because of the honesty they displayed.
In addition, I had PrivaZer 'hang' and informed them by 'Contact us'. The next morning an email was sent to me saying they had fixed the problem. Why are there not more like this.

I have had the same problem as you with CDNet. I won't go there anymore. I go to FileHippo.com to get Ccleaner and others. There aren't any subtle prompts there, just the download. I have downloaded from the many times and I am fully satisfied with the site.

So, Mr. Bob Rankin,
I may have missed the section of your great article as to what alternative(s) an unaware user has in an effort to avoid such FOISTware; short of giving up and watching an amusing YouTube video for laughs.
There is always SourceForge.net that has not been violated thus far. And, of course, a user may opt to go directly to the FREEware owner site but that alternative also becomes problematic and possibly a Catch-22. Some owners justify their free offerings by stating that it cost money to create such FREEware. And you know that "electrons and bits" are no longer free and maybe taxed soon!
In the case of CCleaner that has become laden with such FOISTware, I prefer to use alternatives such as PrivaZer, which really is not a direct replacement for CCleaner but is quite robust (especially with the new ShellBags add-on).
An alternative suggestion is requested, if you have time!

EDITOR'S NOTE: Some have mentioned FileHippo as a good alternative. There's also Ninite that I mentioned in the CNET article.

I help out friends with computer issues they get from all the extra 'garbage' from those downloads and I can personally attest to the fact that the 'conduit' add-on is a nasty one. You have to jump through more hoops than I can to count including manually going into the registry to remove commands (it will not auto remove under any program I can find). AND restore doesn't seem to help. I've never seen anything like it.

I'm going to check out this 'unchecky' for those I work with. I've tried to get them to watch carefully on their downloads but their avid gamers and would rather call me to clean up their mess.......

Just FYI

Thanks for putting the word out there.

I usually try to go directly to the vendors website....(via Google....)

Responding to the Auslogics Disk Defrag notice of an available update, I soon encounter a link to Conduit and some other extras. I complained to Auslogics and Filehippo but so far have heard nothing in response.

I like http://www.filehippo.com/ for free downloads of many popular software programs. I never ran into 'foistware' there.

To remove Conduit and much more, I use AdwCleaner. You can download it at http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/adwcleaner.html.

Txs for the great article Bob, par with your usual excellence.
Equally, I'm disgusted with Tucows - to choose to prostitute oneself so shamelessly is unspeakable.
They've permanently lost my vote.
Warm rgds,
Dorian

Having read your article and experiencing Foistware I have decided what I am going to do when I retire, develop an app that automatically launches a DOS attack on the guilty site when Foistware is detected during a download.

It was quite an uninteresting download from one of these parasitical sites that became my first real problem with computing.

About 18 months ago I downloaded a program which, when I went to 'All Programs' and 'Add or Remove Programs' under Control Panel to check whether it had been downloaded to my pc, I saw that another program had piggy-backed its way into my system.

It was so suspect that I immediately tried to delete the insurgent only to witness a complete crash of my system and complete chaos on the screen.

From that moment my pc was completely inoperable
and power had to be removed to clear the screen. From then on I was unable to bootup in any mode
(yes, including 'Safe').

Since then after reinstalling XP two further major
breakdowns and a ruined Registry and now the BIOS refuses to co-operate.

Nobody was able to help and no sense was gained from many hours of Google searches.

This evil entity was obviously programed to destroy one's system if they tried to delete it.

The cost in time and cash has been enormous - the
companies you have referred to are simply fraudsters.

I have to agree with David. How else are these guys going to get paid for the service they provide?

It seems to me that a lot if not most people have an aversion to pay for software though I do find that CNET et al are becoming increasingly annoying by their tricky tactics in roping in subscribers.

As others have mention it also seems to me that it is preferable to download directly from the software code writers site.

Yes: the locations others and yourself have cited are becoming problems. I have found that an immediate running of REVO uninstaller will identify the program(s) that I want to remove. The "trick" is to pay attention as the "free download" begins to see what else may be happening to your computer. I have learned that MajorGeeks seems to be worthy of adding to your list of places like filehippo.