Why CNET downloads are bad for your computer

I use to be a frequent visitor to CNET for downloads of trial software and in some cases updates to software which I purchased previously. After my last encounter with CNET I have to recommend to all my clients to stay away from any download from CNET for risk of downloading any number of malware and garbageware onto their computers.

There are allot of good free applications that many of us in the IT field like to use. CNET has been in the past one of the great locations to easily find the utility application you need when you don't have it readily available. We make it a habit to discourage most end users from using any Windows or Mac based tool that can be downloaded from the Internet unless they have extensive experience and intimate knowledge of the system the are using it on. A backup is always a best practice before installing any software.

So until CNET changes its ways, I am recommending that CNET be boycotted and that software would no longer be downloaded from CNET's sites until they cease including all of the malware in their downloads through the use of their downloader. If you want to see some of the types of software you may find on your computer as a result of using CNET, check out our garbageware web page. Note that not all of the applications listed on this page are a direct result of CNET, but they are also a result of Oracle, Adobe, Google and other software companies that promote their free software at the cost of corrupting the systems of novice computer users.

I hope that this information is helpful. Please let us know how this has helped you or if you have additional questions. As always Firestone Technical Resources, Inc. is here to help with your computer support issues - "Providing personal service for your impersonal technology."