Know the Terms: Freeware, Trialware, & More
Have you ever downloaded a program that you thought was free and then, after using it for a while, saw a warning or some other message appear, prompting for payment to continue?
Assuming you weren't tricked into the download (see the next section for help avoiding that problem), you either downloaded the wrong version, especially if a number of different download options were available, or were mistaken about the cost of the program.
Almost all software developers use these three categories to classify their software:
Freeware: This means that the program is completely free to use as described.
Trialware: This means that the program is free to use for a certain period or time, or for a certain number of uses, and then will need to be paid for. This is also sometimes called shareware or just trial software.
Commercial: This means that the program is not free at all and must be paid for before you can use it. Even most commercial programs these days provide limited time trial versions before asking for payment, so I see this designation less often.
Be weary of a program that just says it's "free" as there are plenty of ways to spin that. I talk a lot more about this next.
Free Downloads ≠ Free Software Just because something is a Free Download does not mean that the software is free.
Unfortunately, some software makers intentionally confuse visitors with this trick on their download pages. They use "free download" in all the page titles, all over the software description pages, and then you usually end up clicking a big FREE DOWNLOAD button to start the download.
Of course the download process is free! The software, however, requires payment for use, sometimes right away but often after a short period of use.
Some software makers do this in the hopes of driving revenue from people who thought they were downloading and using free software and then see little choice but to pay up. It's unethical and a rampant problem among lower quality software programs.
So, before you download something that's labeled as "free" or as a "free download," check to see that the program description clearly states that it's freeware or completely free to use.
Don't be Tricked by "Download" Advertisements Some of the most "successful" advertisements are those that trick a page's reader in to believing that the ad isn't really an ad, but something useful on that site.
These sorts of advertisements run frequently on software download pages, appearing as giant DOWNLOAD buttons. As much as these large buttons might appear to be what you need to click to download the software you're after, trust me, they're not.
Worse yet, these DOWNLOAD advertisements don't go to benign websites - they usually go to a malware-ridden page where you really do get to download something, just not the something you thought you were getting.
Real download buttons tend to be smaller and located closer to the downloadable file's name, version number, and last updated date. Not all software download pages have download buttons, either - many are just links.
Another "what to click" problem is a bit harder to solve, but worth the try:
Avoid "Installers" and "Download Managers"
Full-time software download sites, like Download.com and Softpedia, typically host software makers' programs for free.
One way these download sites make their money is by serving advertisements on their sites. Another, increasingly more common, way they make money is by wrapping the downloads they serve inside of a program called an installer, or less often inside a download manager.
These programs, often referred to as PUPs (potentially unwanted programs), have nothing to do with the program you're trying to download and install. The download site earns money from the makers of those programs by including them with the one you were after.
I do my best to avoid linking to sites that use installers and download managers but sometimes it's impossible, simply because the software I'm recommending isn't available elsewhere.
Assuming you can't find a non-installer download link for the software you want, you can always install the package anyway, being extremely careful what you agree to during the installation process:
Choose "Custom Installation" & Decline Additional Software Last, but certainly not least, please slow down and read the screens you're presented with as you install the software you just downloaded.
I'm not talking about the terms and conditions or the privacy policy. Don't get me wrong, you should read those too, but that's another discussion.
What's important here are the screens that are part of the installation wizard: the screens with the check boxes, "next" buttons, and all the stuff you agree or disagree to allow to be installed or tracked.
Unless you enjoy random browser toolbars, your home page being changed automatically, subscriptions to free software that you'll never use, and stuff like that, then I highly recommend that you carefully read every screen in the install wizard and decline anything that you're not interested in.
The biggest tip I have here is to choose the Custom Installation method, if you're given the option. This makes the install process a bit longer with the few extra screens it adds, but it's almost always where the "don't install this" options are hidden.
One way to avoid all of these installation-based problems is to choose portable software instead of installable software, when available. Many software makers create versions of their programs that run without needing to be installed at all.
Reproduced from a Tim Fisher article on About.com
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