From the blog of the security company Emsisoft, which produces one of the most established and reliable antivirus in the world, an absolutely disturbing article came out where it is shown how all the sites to download programs for Windows PC and beyond, lead to the download of unwanted software, adware and junk that only cause problems and slow down your computer's performance. In many cases these are completely useless downloader programs, in other cases instead the links to download what you were looking for are small and hidden by large download buttons which are however advertisements .
One thinks of downloading one thing and instead finds something else on the computer that is not needed, that starts automatically and that remains in the background you do not know what to do.
I don't mean that all the sites to download (and we talk about anything: programs, torrents or multimedia files) are full of viruses, but they all have deceptive advertisements that lead even the most expert users to download unwanted software or PUP ( potentially unwanted program ).
In the search for Emsisoft, the various download portals of free programs have been classified, all very popular, very popular sites, which always come out in searches with Google.
The most downloaded programs for each of the download sites were also listed for each :
- Download.com : Avast Free Antivirus, AVG Free Antivirus, CCleaner, YAC, KMPlayer, YTD Video Downloader, Advanced System Care Free, DownloadApp, IObit Uninstaller
- Filehippo - Adobe Reader, CCleaner, Mozilla Firefox, Picasa, Java, Recuva, Skype, uTorrent, VLC Media Player, WINRAR
- SnapFiles - Avast Free Antivirus, CCleaner, Comodo Internet Security Premium, Auslogics Disk Defrag, Eusing Free Registry Cleaner, Freemake Video Converter, GIMP, PDFX Viewer, Recuva, Revo Uninstaller
- Softonic - Avast Free Antivirus, BSplayer, Mozilla Firefox, Hotspot Shield, Adobe Flash Player, IObit Malware Fighter, Skype, uTorrent, VLC Media Player, YTD Video Downloader
- Softpedia - Google Chrome, Malwarebytes Antimalware, Nero Nero, Orca, Super Simple Video Converter, Picasa, Image Burn, Skype, Unlocker, Yahoo Messenger
- Tucows - Files Express, Karaoke Player Software, Network Inventory Advisor, Internet Download Manager, Internet Explorer 8, Irfan View, Internet Explorer 9, Outlook Express, PDF Converter, PDF Reader
- SourceForge - 7Zip, Audacity, Camstudio, DVD Styler, Filezilla, KeePass, Media Player Classic, Process Hacker, Password Safe, VLC Media Player
- Filehorse - Avast Free Antivirus, Advanced System Care Free, Adobe Reader, AVG Free Antivirus, Java, Moborobo, Skype, iTunes, VLC Media Player, Winamp Media Player
- Software Informer - Free Download Manager, Avira Free Antivirus, Avast Free Antivirus, Free 3GP Video Converter, Free Mp3 Wma Converter, AVG Free Antivirus, Sound Recorder Free, Free Video to JPG Converter, Free DWG Viewer, 123 Free Solitaire
- Soft32 - Counterstrike, DC ++, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Google Earth, Virtual DJ, Internet Explorer 9, Yahoo Messenger, VLC Media Player, MSN Messenger
Emsisoft then tested the various download sites to see how many unwanted programs are being pushed and included in the various downloaded installation files .
In the end it turns out that almost every download portal contains at least one or more PUPs.
Only SourceForge keeps most programs clean from PUP (although for some it hides the direct download link very well) while instead the worst sites and those to be avoided at all costs are Download.com and Softonic .
On many of these sites there is a large green button with " Download Now " written, which however is never the real one and leads to the download of unwanted programs that have nothing to do with the one you are looking for.
The direct download link is present on every site, but it is almost always masked or hidden, to be searched with the eye and mouse, small and never evident.
Curious the case of Software Informer, which presents a warning on the main download link regarding possible adware included in the installer.
Soft32 on the other hand is a little sneaky, with a great download link via their " ad-supported download manager " and the McAfee symbol to say that everything is safe and verified.
Softpedia, as well as FileHippo, despite some normal advertising, remains one of the least dangerous and among the most reliable, with a big download button that is actually the real one.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The report herein refers to a study that should be completely revised today.
The following article remains interesting to understand the dynamics, but the test results, in 2017, are no longer valid and, for example, Tucows is today an excellent site while in 2015 it was bad.
Refer to this article to find the Best sites to download free PC programs and software
The most common unwanted programs are:
- Dropbox
- AVG SafeGuard Toolbar
- Spigot
- Search Protect
- Pro PC Cleaner
- Ask Toolbar
- Wajam
In general, to install a freeware program without an additional sponsor it is important to avoid downloading the downloaders of these sites that are of no use and always choose the custom installation procedure, to choose what to include and reject unwanted programs that accompany the desired one. .
Unfortunately, the strategy of the suppliers of freeware and free programs is very subtle, advertising programs to clean up PCs from programs that are installed with their own deception.
Most of the installers are so confusing and difficult to interpret that even a computer expert can fall into the trap and accept the PUP which, in some cases, can even be a real virus.
In the end, no site to download files or programs for free is really safe and they all hide their crapware, adware, sponsors and advertisements that infest browsers by placing ads almost everywhere.
