How to Spot Potentially Unwanted Programs when Installing a Free Program
Potentially unwanted programs can be a real headache since they slow down performance, hamper productivity and add annoying toolbars and pop ups too.
People who have had to deal with this often avoid downloading free programs but this isn’t really necessary.
All you have to do is carefully avoid the traps that are present in the program’s installation wizard.
For this purpose, let’s consider the program, All Free ISO Ripper, which contains every dirty trick that potentially unwanted programs use for installation on your system.
While creators of this program have even turned off the “Add a Desktop Icon” in the second page of the installation wizard, this is the best you are going to get.
On the next page, if you pick the Standard Installation, and which is recommended, you will install the AVG Toolbar as a result. So, the first thing to keep in mind when installing PUPs, never pick the Standard, Default or Recommended Installation but pick the Custom Installation options instead.
In the case of the All Free ISO Ripper, the options to install the AVG Toolbar is already checked when you select “Custom Installation”. Of course, it’s wise to uncheck those options before you move to the next page.
Speaking of which, the next page leads you to pick between an ‘Express Installation’ and ‘Custom Installation’ of PureLeads – yet another program that you don’t want to install.
Once you pick the Custom Installation and uncheck the option that gets you to install PureLeads.
Apart from this, the program also invites you to install “Cause of the Day Reminder” as well as “PC Utilities Pro: Optimizer Pro”, which you should avoid.
Finally, the terms of condition that they ask you to read is also tagged with another PUP program, and which you should avoid as well.