Mind the PUP: Top download portals to avoid

Mind the PUP: Top download portals to avoid | Emsisoft Blog

Above link ultimately promotes an Emisoft anti-malware app and Emisoft Emergency Kit, but might be revealing regardless:

"We looked into the ten most popular download portals, downloaded their top ten most popular applications to see how many toolbars, adware, homepage hijackers and other PUPs come with them to see how clean and safe they really are....................."

"Out of the ten tested download portals, only SourceForge managed to keep their top software PUP-free. The download portals that should be avoided at all costs are: Download.com, Tucows, and Softonic.................."

I'd never even heard of 3 or 4 of those sites and was kinda surprised Majorgeeks was not among those tested.

Also wondering if maybe they don't consider OpenCandy a PUP, considering how ubiquitous it is. Some folks get in a serious lather about it and others don't.

Good link, thanks

Re: MajorGeeks.

Some of their dowmloads do indeed contain PUP's but at last they warn you on the download page.



Personally if I ever get cuaght out by a PUP I block the installer from ever running again.

I wonder how bleeping computer stacks up. Thats what I use most of the time if its not the direct site.

PUP's are sadly a way of todays computing even from some original author website.

The only true way that I know of to stop most of them is the owner/operator of the computer to be aware of them and take steps not to download the unwanted.

Getting ride of installed PUP's is pretty simple but sometimes it's tricky not to download them.

Again it's down to the owner/operator learning proper methods.
They have to want to learn and take steps to do so. That seems to be a lost art with todays poke and go computer owners.
Of course they can learn here on this forum.

Their is a program that claims that it has a one step to stop all PUP's. It works at times and at times it doesn't.
Their is still a need for a updated and activated brain behind the keyboard.

Yes I was referring to Unchecky.

Their have been post on this forum that their is problems at times with Unchecky.

I'm not knocking the program. I'm just trying to indicate that their is not a fix all for PUP's without the person behind the keyboard knowledgeable input.

Their is not a magic program. One must still learn and think.

Callender said:

...Personally if I ever get cuaght out by a PUP I block the installer from ever running again.

I just get rid of the installer if it has a PUP I can't block from installing.

Some program installers have PUPs that can trigger an alert or action from anti-malware programs. One of my favorite programs, FreeFileSync, has Open Candy embedded in the installer. MBAM Pro will detect that and delete the installer (I my downloaded program installers in a folder for possible future use). To avoid losing FFS' installer to overzealous deletion by MBAM, I have to change the filename by appending .disable to the end of the filename. That both disabler the installer and puts it under MBAMs radar. To use it, all I have to do is delete .disable from the filename and it is as good as new.

Layback Bear said:

...Their is a program that claims that it has a one step to stop all PUP's. It works at times and at times it doesn't.
Their is still a need for a updated and activated brain behind the keyboard.

ignatzatsonic said:

Layback Bear said:

Their is a program that claims that it has a one step to stop all PUP's. It works at times and at times it doesn't.

I'm guessing you mean Unchecky?

I installed it a month or so ago and haven't really drawn any conclusions yet.

Layback Bear said:

Yes I was referring to Unchecky.

Their have been post on ththis forum that their is problems at times with Unchecky.

I'm not knocking the program. I'm just trying to indicate that their is not a fix all for PUP's without the person behind the keyboard knowledgeable input.

Their is not a magic program. One must still learn and think.

Exactly. Unchecky is an excellent program to help avoid PUPs but it only works when there is a checkbox to be unchecked to opt out of a PUP. Not all installers give you that option. Some are sneaky and require you to check the box to opt out. Some, such as Adobe Flash, require you to opt out of the PUPs before you download them. Others have a PUP free installer hidden somewhere so you will be more likely to download the easy to find PUP infested one.

This is an excellent article on how to avoid PUPs.

I've personally have found Unchecky to be a worthwhile program to have in my arsenal of anti-malware programs and I highly recommend it. Even though it runs at start up and keeps running, it's so tiny, you will never know it's there until it does its thing. However, it is still the operator's responsibility to watch out for PUPs.