How to spot and avoid installing potentially unwanted programs

[Borg 386]

This is a good little rundown of all the traps & pitfalls you have to watch out when installing a new program.

How to spot and avoid installing potentially unwanted programs | PCWorld

Here are some tricks and traps to look out for during software installations.

 

[aritra2116]

Great one Borg, this will help inexperienced users to stay away from those creeps .

 

[maxseven]

Nice article, I am going to send the link to a few neophytes I know. It seems simple & straightforward enough (I hope)!

Thanks OP.

 

[Computer0304]

Bookmarked.

 

[ChristinaL30]

Thank you!!

Wow, I did not realize how sneaky these guys can be! I would have been totally fooled by most of those tricks, especially the EULA. I've bookmarked this and will be retraining my whole family on avoiding these nasty little PUPs. (BTW, I'm not a newbie, but I'm strictly an end-user, so the jargon-free presentation is particularly helpful.)

 

[andrew129260]

Wow, I did not realize how sneaky these guys can be! I would have been totally fooled by most of those tricks, especially the EULA. I've bookmarked this and will be retraining my whole family on avoiding these nasty little PUPs. (BTW, I'm not a newbie, but I'm strictly an end-user, so the jargon-free presentation is particularly helpful.)

Glad it helped you. For every user that becomes aware of this, the cleaner the peoples pcs will be out there.

You might also be interested in unchecky to help your friends, family, and yourself.

Unchecky - Keeps your checkboxes clear

 

[msongs]

warning - if you click this link you will get something unwanted

after clicking the link in the OP a recorded message will start to play without advance warning or permission. The OP conveniently fails to tell us this will occur by clicking the link he/she has posted.

 

[andrew129260]

after clicking the link in the OP a recorded message will start to play without advance warning or permission. The OP conveniently fails to tell us this will occur by clicking the link he/she has posted.

Nothing happens for me, unless you're talking about the how to video. This is another reason to block flash and have it only run when you want.

 

[Layback Bear]

I have Firefox to always ask before starting Flash and I still get the video.
I don't like that and don't know what to do about it.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I'm running IE10 and I didn't get any unwanted audio when I clicked the link. If it's an ad, I know why it didn't play but forums rules won't let me say why.

Otherwise, that was absolutely the best article I have ever seen on how to avoid PUPs when installing a program! The only thing that I can think of that wasn't mentioned was that some programs require you to opt out of the PUPs before downloading the installation file.

 

[Layback Bear]

I don't mind adds. Adds are good.
I just don't like them screaming at me so I have to go chasing them down and turning them off.
I don't care what they are selling when they start screaming out of no where.
What ever it is their selling; at that point I know I don't want it.
No screaming allowed on my computers.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I don't mind adds. Adds are good.
I just don't like them screaming at me so I have to go chasing them down and turning them off.
I don't care what they are selling when they start screaming out of no where.
What ever it is their selling; at that point I know I don't want it.
No screaming allowed on my computers.

You and me three! I also detest the ads that are animated, pop up, or are positioned where it's almost impossible to avoid mousing over them, triggering a pop up or audio. Why the idiots think such tactics will endear their products or services to me is beyond me.

I know ads are what support websites and I will look at ones that are of interest to me but too many advertisers have gone too far.