here;
http://forums.cnet.com/7723-12543_102-539625.html
and here;
http://forums.cnet.com/7723-12543_102-537471.html
No more new threads needed on this subject so I am locking this one.
Mark
Hello all of you CNET downloaders!! It is time for you to be aware of what you are downloading now that CNET uses the new "wrapper" to download software.
1.) When you "download" your program from download.com, you are NOT actually downloading the installer for the software you wanted. Instead, you are greeted with this 500KB wrapper program that you have to open to start the real download. THERE IS A CATCH, when you open the "cnet installer," you will find that you are opted into toolbars and homepage changes automatically, so now you have to uncheck the boxes to disable the spyware from being installed, then click "next" and THEN the download begins.
2.) Cnet claims that your installers are "easier to find" when using the new installer, but it you are somebody like me who has your download location set to your desktop, you will find that the downloaded installer for the real software is actually in your "downloads" folder, which is sometimes hard to find if you're an XP user. Also, the cnet wrapper makes opening the real installer for software a pain because you have to click 7 more times just to open the installer, which would have been done before with only 2 clicks, or one strike of the "enter" key.
3.) Before, you could download, and run the program's installer with only 3 clicks total, now it takes 13 clicks to even get to the real installer. If I were you, I would start going to the software manufacturer's webpage to download your software. If you cannot get to the author;s webpage, then use a site like softpedia. It is virus free now, and offers safe, direct downloads of the software that you want.
4.) If you want to download software and install it while offline, you are out of luck if you use download.com. Now you have to download the cnet wrapper, which still needs an internet connection to be able to download the real installer for the software that you want.
5.) Even WITHOUT TechTracker, you are still being traced by spyware that tracks what programs you have installed with the new CNET download.com wrapper, so you will get your email flooded with "an update is available for PRG_NAME VER# every time you have an update available for your programs.

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