One of the world's leading sites to download programs from is Cnet's Download.com . In general, it is always better to look for the download from the official website of the developer but, often, this site may be unreachable or, worse, it may disappear.
Download.com is surely one of the best sites to download free PC programs and software, second only to Softpedia which, for me, remains number one.
In the last year, even Download.com, like Softonic, prevents direct downloads and claims to install a program called Cnet Installer, a useless tool to manage downloads.
For all those who use Download.com to download programs, I recommend using Firefox or Chrome with a script that allows you to download directly, without having to install the Cnet downloader.
READ ALSO: Block adware downloads and always download from real links (also applies to Cnet).
This downloader is in fact clearly an adware or a sponsor program that installs other things and that, generally speaking, ruins the configuration of the computer with sponsor programs such as Babylon or others that change the search engine and install toolbars on the browser.
Every time or very often, when you go to download a program or software from download.cnet.com, you have to go through this installer or downloader.
This behavior has been highly contested by users and developers so much that many have withdrawn their application from Download.com by moving it to Softpedia or Majorgeek which, currently, are the most reliable sites of this type.
To avoid this and continue to download programs directly from the Cnet site without having to go through their program, you must use Google Chrome or Firefox with the Greasemonkey extension and install the CNET Download.com Direct Download Link script.
After installing the extension, every time you go to download a program from the Cnet site, by clicking their green download button, you download immediately with a direct link.
The proof that the extension is working correctly is the text "No Badware" displayed under the green button of the Download of a program.
