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General discussion

is the windows freeware eco system broken??

Feb 23, 2015 1:29AM PST

I would like to just throw this out here. Please don't go off the deep end. Has anyone noticed this here or any other freeware download sites? Read before you respond please, don't just piggyback off what someone else says.

I do a lot of repair work for others and most use Windows. I have noticed that a great majority of freeware has BS software bundled with it. Some allow you to deselect the "suggested" crapware, others install it anyway even after you have deselected it. The only safe place I can find is ninite.com to download and install freeware. What say you?

http://www.howtogeek.com/210265/download.com-and-others-bundle-superfish-style-https-breaking-adware/

Discussion is locked

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Some say it evolved to fit the market.
Feb 23, 2015 1:34AM PST
Cool

That is, since folk have to make a living this happened.

I see you found Ninite/ Here's why:
http://www.howtogeek.com/201354/ninite-is-the-only-safe-place-to-get-windows-freeware/

Some of this do deep damage. You gotta love Conduit for this effect:
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/522327/uninstalling-conduit-searchprotect-deletes-ntldr-making-windows-xp-unbootable/

I can't recall the other title that installs a rootkit then when you remove that, another boot failure for Windows of the 64 bit persuasion.

-> To sum it up. It's a money thing.
Bob
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my question
Feb 23, 2015 1:53AM PST

@ Bob-Money is indeed the root of all evil. Devil

My question is have you run into this/noticed this and is the windows freeware system broken?

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Debateable as to broken.
Feb 23, 2015 2:16AM PST

It's a free market bending to meet the needs of many parties. My first run in with adware was in the mid 1990's and the second was spyware in an app that came with some webcam. Because I was on a team working on router code it was easy to spot the increase in traffic (mind you this was new stuff in 1995) and spy what it was.

Here we are 2 decades later and the last few years have seen a steady move to what is legal to do. That is, almost all these systems to install ad/other ware want to push the envelope. Even opting out isn't enough since they push that since you downloaded from their site you agreed to the terms of use for their download site.

Some companies went so far to set fire to their brand (Lenovo Superfish.)

2013 was bad, 2014 was awful and 2015 started with a fire (Superfish.) Fining the companies doesn't seem to work as they pass along the costs to the consumer. Maybe the big change will have to be that you ban the company from your country.

Sony would be a great start as their rootkit found little apology. So be gone. Good riddance. Stop coddling the companies. New companies will spring up from the ashes.
Bob

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What about the newb??
Feb 23, 2015 3:23AM PST

You, I and others like us will be OK, but what about the newbs or not so tech savvy users of Windows? They probably make up the majority of windows users.

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The newb will learn or get so burned up
Feb 23, 2015 3:38AM PST

That they'll leave Windows for other pastures. For years this has been about why half the folk out there head to Apple. The iPad is really tough to get this crap.
Bob

PS. Microsoft took offense to Superfish as you can read in the news. It's a very bad thing that hurts their product so they blew it away.

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Yep, We See This All The Time, More Recently...
Feb 23, 2015 2:37AM PST

In my opinion, caution has ALWAYS been a practice one should use.. No doubt about it, bundled software has increased in the last year or two, but the fact that freeware could always be an avenue of infection should leave us all cautious about such downloads.

Hope this helps.

Grif