In the setup wizard you’ll see two options: ‘Express Install (Recommended)’, which is pre-selected, and ‘Custom Install (Advanced)’, which isn’t.

Would you be happy if a restaurant force-fed you a second meal you didn’t want? How to avoid it: It’s not dangerous, but you never asked for it. But it doesn’t say ‘No other Auslogics tools you never asked for’ – and lo, in the installer you’ll find a pre-ticked box for installing Auslogics BoostSpeed. What’s the junk?Īuslogics’ Download Now button says: ‘No adware, no spyware, no toolbars’. But ironically (some may say hypocritically), Auslogics isn’t shy about bundling junk in its own installer. It weeds out toolbars and browser hijackers that snuck on to your PC while you were installing other software, as well as troublesome extensions and plug-ins. So, are you ready to untick some boxes with us? Good – then read on… SOFTWARE THAT COMES WITH HIDDEN JUNK Auslogics Browser CareĪuslogics’ free tool ( ) can save your browser’s bacon. Take that into account, and remember that much of the advice we offer here applies across the board when installing free software. We’ve divided our programs into sections, but many are guilty of behavior that fits into other sections too. We’re using these programs as examples because we think they’re worth using, and we want to make sure you use them safely. Over the next few pages we’ll expose the clouds lurking within the silver linings of excellent free programs. Even the most reputable programs come with pre-ticked boxes that can cause mayhem on your PC. Big names and booby trapsīut PUPs and other hidden traps – memory-hogging plug-ins, files that spy on you, infuriating upgrade prompts – are not exclusive to shady software.

You probably also know that certain download mirror sites, such as Cnet’s pack their installers with dodgy extras that are easy to miss if you’re in a hurry or unfamiliar with the process. PUP stands for ‘potentially unwanted program’, a laughably polite term for unwanted junk that can cause great harm to your PC.īut you know how to avoid them, right? You choose safe, big-name software from trusted companies like VLC, Adobe and AVG, instead of junk-riddled nonsense like Free YouTube Downloader and “too good to be true” freebies like CamStudio, which claims to be a realistic alternative to the superb screen-recording program Camtasia Studio. You’ll already know your pups from your PUPs (one is a cute young canine, the other is a trouble making program that sneaks into your PC along with reputable software, and can be a right old dog to remove).

Malwarebytes auslogics