That ‘free’ software could wind up costing you plenty
Everyone likes to get something for free, and the internet is one of the greatest collections of free offerings in history. Unfortunately, many free programs you find on the internet may actually inflict a heavy price in terms of your privacy, your computer’s performance, and even your wallet.
I have often spent a lot of time trying to restore someone’s computer that had its browser settings hijacked or was crippled by malware or spyware that was installed along with a free program. Even giving your email address to gain access to a “free” offering can result in a deluge of unsolicited and often socially offensive spam email.
Luckily, there are ways to avoid most of the pitfalls associated with online giveaways and the first item is to know where to get free software. The most dangerous method is to do a Google search for the type of program you need and then follow the first few links listed in the search results, which may take you to websites and free programs you should avoid.
At the very least, if you take the Google route, peruse the list of links and when a program looks promising enter its name into Google or another search engine to find reviews. Sometimes other people's bad experiences are insightful and can save you a lot of anguish later.
The best route for finding free or inexpensive software is to use the website of a company that specializes in distributing software. Download.com (http://download.cnet.com/) has tons of software arranged in categories with reviews by editors and users that will also indicate if a free program is a trial version of a retail program. The unfortunate thing is that Download.com’s website is a mass of ads and sponsored links so browse, read reviews, and download carefully.
An alternative is Gizmo’s Freeware (www.techsupportalert.com) which is a non-commercial community website staffed by about 90 volunteers. Gizmo’s has reviews and suggestions for programs for Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems and Apple and Android tablets and phones. The site has no software but provides links to trusted websites where you can download the programs.
Techradar has reviews of all manner of software and one handy list is what its editors consider the best and most essential software for Windows computers (http://tinyurl.com/k3elb46). I found the list quite interesting and discovered some programs I was unfamiliar with.
However, be wary during the installation process of a free program. I downloaded the wellreviewed free internet security suite from Comodo and was shocked at what would be done to my computer if I nonchalantly allowed the standard installation. I had to carefully read and uncheck boxes which would allow the installation of a shopping adviser which would record all of my online shopping activity, Comodo’s Dragon internet browser, and Geek Buddy, which is a help utility that charges a fee for help. On top of that my homepage and search engine would have been changed to Yahoo along with making the Comodo DNS server the default for my internet connection, which is a potential privacy nightmare.
To avoid these types of headaches make Ninite (https://ninite.com/) one of your essential stops for getting and installing free software. At the site you’ll find the most recent versions of free programs listed by category. Check off the programs you want, download and install the custom installer, and each app will automatically be installed without any toolbars or spyware and you’ll save all the time you would have spent searching for the website for each program.
The good news for users of tablets and phones is that to get apps you’ll have to go to the Apple Store for iPads and iPhones and Google Play for Android devices. You can’t get apps anywhere else and the respective stores have carefully screened all apps for malware and spyware. You’ll also be told up front if there are in-app purchases that you have to buy to make an app fully functional.
With care and attention free software can be free of hidden costs.
Ray Saitz, a Peterborough resident and teacher, writes a regular column on the Internet. He can be reached at rayser3@cogeco.ca