WHERE TO GET FREE SOFTWARE (AND WHERE NOT TO)
Use download mirror sites as a last resort
‘Freeware’ listings sites such as Tucows and Cnet’s Download.com (see screenshot below) may aspire to be like the reviews pages of a newspaper, but they have more in common with the dodgy small ads at the back. These mirror sites aren’t just out to inform and entertain – they’re also out to make money. And they do this by bundling adware in many of their installers.
Use these sites to discover new programs, by all means, but don’t download from them unless it’s the only place a program is available. Don’t even think about clicking anything on a download mirror site without using an advert-blocker such as Adblock Plus ( https://adblockplus.org), which dramatically cuts the risk of clicking a fake Download button.
Download from developers - with care
The behaviour of download mirrors hasn’t gone unnoticed by the people who actually make the programs. Some even warn their users. “Do NOT download Attribute Changer from CNET/ Download.com” pleads the maker of free file-management tool Attribute Changer ( www.snipca.com/24038).
But while we recommend downloading from the developer’s site whenever possible, stay on your guard. Developers play tricks too. Some use installers to push their more shoddy products. Microsoft bundles Bing with Skype, for example, and Iobit bundles Advanced Systemcare with Iobit Uninstaller. Others bundle third-party products for money. Adobe – not a company short of cash – bundles Mcafee and Intel junk with Acrobat Reader. Always be cautious when running an installer, and use Unchecky to spot and stop PUPS.
Find open-source programs
Open-source software host Sourceforge ( https://sourceforge.net) is a great place to find new and interesting free tools, and even download their code. Many opensource programs (such as Cryptsync and Ultimate Settings Panel, see screenshot below) are only available via Sourceforge – often because the developers don’t have their own websites.
But Sourceforge isn’t junk-free. In 2015, it was exposed for bundling adware with
Gimp. Gimp’s developer Jernej Simončič was furious (read the angry emails here: www.snipca.com/24042). Sourceforge ditched the offending installer and promised it would never use pre-ticked PUPS in future (so unticked junk is still OK, then?)
If you want to get open-source software with a no-junk guarantee, use Fosshub ( www.fosshub.com). It can’t match the number of programs and community spirit of Sourceforge, but it makes browsing and downloading software very easy. You’ll never find adware in a Fosshub installer, or even an advert on the website.
Install multiple free programs at once
Free web tool Ninite ( https://ninite. com) lets you install and update multiple programs in one go, by packing them in a single junk-free installer. The 60-odd programs available include some we’ve mentioned in this feature, plus big names like itunes, Dropbox and Teamviewer – as well as a few junk offenders such as Skype, Glary Utilities and AVG. To get them without junk, tick as many as you want, click Get My Ninite and then save and run the EXE file. It’s very quick and guaranteed adware-free.
We’ve created a special Ninite installer that contains a selection of programs covered in this feature. To download it, go to www.snipca.com/24043.