They are doing it for years now especially after 2009 or something, before that download.com is not so much awful as nowadays.
What Happens When You Install the Top Download.com Apps
141–150 of 395 posts
Re: What Happens When You Install the Top Download.com Apps
#142Earlier quoted context omitted.
There might be some room for something somewhere in between download.com and Apple's app store.
The Android app store?
More like android f-droid store.
Its mostly a windows problem. I haven't seen malware from .debian.org or more recently .freebsd.org.
Re: What Happens When You Install the Top Download.com Apps
#143Mobile computer tech, here. War story follows.
I handle high single-figures of these adware and/or potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) infestations every week.
Mostly it's Windows 7 and 90% adware/PUPs-centric, occasionally ransomware. In the huge majority of cases, the following will get a computer back up and sorted in a sensible amount of (billable) time:
First, bring known-good copies of AdwCleaner, Junkware Removal Tool, RKill and ComboFix on a thumb drive. Same-day downloads are preferred as some detect out-of-date versions and don't play nice. Shut down computer. Restart in safe mode with command prompt. Run explorer.exe from command prompt. USB typically works as usual, even in safe mode. Run each of the applications above as administrator in the order they are listed. Some will require a reboot to complete their work. The reboot should be in normal mode, subsequent restart(s) to run other cleaner(s) should be in safe mode with command prompt. Diminishing returns will take place after the third of fourth cleaner, and allow 15 minutes for a typical infection.
The longest it's taken me to completely clean a computer of was 7 hours, comprising around 18GB of tat. If it's a severe infection, I will recommend a rebuild from known-good factory media after a Windows Easy Transfer export, assuming there's not too much in the way of user content.
As an up-sell, I also offer a better-than-factory reset where there's a clean Windows 7 installed and no vendor-specific junk on there. Computer vendors aren't as bad as free-to-use software vendors, but there's a reason why a adequate Lenovo laptop can be bought in the UK for 230GBP (including sales tax at 20%). Install, updates, and Windows Easy Transfer will typically be around 2 to 3 hours. It's a hard sell with a cheap laptop, especially since some clients are already preparing to buy a new laptop rather than fix the old one.
Re: What Happens When You Install the Top Download.com Apps
#144Earlier quoted context omitted.
It stinks for the user. It's way better for developers who aren't into having their software pirated though. Which in the end is better for the users.
Piracy is rampant on jailbroken iOS devices.
Indeed. I only learned recently just how rampant – not even half of the copies of a "App Store best of the year" game were bought. (https://twitter.com/ustwogames/status/552136427904184320) I wouldn't even have imagined so many people would even jailbreak their phones anymore.
Re: What Happens When You Install the Top Download.com Apps
#145Mobile computer tech, here. War story follows. I handle high single-figures of these adware and/or potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) infestations every week. Mostly it's Windows 7 and 90% adware/PUPs-centric, occasionally ransomware. In the huge majority of cases, the following will get a computer back up and sorted in a sensible amount of (billable) time: First, bring known-good copies of AdwCleaner, Junkware Rem…
Addendum: I save a ninite.com installer to their desktops, renaming it to `Run this every Wednesday`. If they see any `You need to update Flash Player` dialogues, I advise them to close them and only run the desktop icon - this in and of itself saves most people from reinfection.
Edit: typo and formatting.
Re: What Happens When You Install the Top Download.com Apps
#146The article, while informative, feels like a subtle Avast advertisement. It's mentioned 16 times in the damn article, and the author even vindicates it for not preventing problems and also compares it to AVG saying its better.
it's almost like he's covertly bundling it into his article
Re: What Happens When You Install the Top Download.com Apps
#147And this is why Apple created Gatekeeper and made the Mac OS X App Store so ridiculously onerous for developers[1]. The software world is, for all intents and purposes, a thin sheen of gold flecks and diamonds atop a veritable cesspool of shit. You can just imagine the conversation at 1 Infinite Loop: Marketer: The Panic guys are considering pulling out of the App Store. Maybe we should reconsider our App Store strat…
Ironic, considering that Apple did exactly the same, when you installed QuickTime on Windows. They tried to trick you into installing iTunes and Safari and set them as default apps. Also, it stinks that Apple has nailed iOS that shut that even as a knowledgeable user you are not able to bypass it. They did not yet dare to do the same on Mac OS, but who knows when that comes.
iTunes for Windows is a monster that drains the life out of the PC.
Microsoft Office for Mac OSX was coded with the same evil spirit.
This behavior is unethical but pervasive, and should be outlawed somehow, it hurts everyone. Specially when it comes from the two biggest players in the market.
Re: What Happens When You Install the Top Download.com Apps
#148Earlier quoted context omitted.
Piracy is rampant on jailbroken iOS devices.
Indeed. I only learned recently just how rampant – not even half of the copies of a "App Store best of the year" game were bought. ( https://twitter.com/ustwogames/status/552136427904184320 ) I wouldn't even have imagined so many people would even jailbreak their phones anymore.
I boggle at people going to that much effort to pirate such cheap games. Is there a region restriction issue?
Re: What Happens When You Install the Top Download.com Apps
#149I regularly get called by people complaining that their computer no longer works. Pretty much every time it turns out that their machine is loaded with crapware. It amazes me how people just put up with random browser windows popping up and having to search via some random search engine that has been imposed on them. At the minute I just have to put up with spending a few hours removing the worst offenders and then r…
You can install Windows to partition inside VHD file without using virtualization.
You can use "Refresh your PC" option in Windows 8+.
Re: What Happens When You Install the Top Download.com Apps
#150Mobile computer tech, here. War story follows. I handle high single-figures of these adware and/or potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) infestations every week. Mostly it's Windows 7 and 90% adware/PUPs-centric, occasionally ransomware. In the huge majority of cases, the following will get a computer back up and sorted in a sensible amount of (billable) time: First, bring known-good copies of AdwCleaner, Junkware Rem…
Addendum: I save a ninite.com installer to their desktops, renaming it to `Run this every Wednesday`. If they see any `You need to update Flash Player` dialogues, I advise them to close them and only run the desktop icon - this in and of itself saves most people from reinfection. Edit: typo and formatting.
This is a brilliant idea.