Where Adware Lurks On The Net In Free Programs

Adware is a sneaky little devil of a program that can hide all over the Internet. All those fun free downloads and your favorite websites are the perfect places for adware to hide, making it extremely difficult to escape. This article will help you learn the most prevalent hiding places and give you advice on preventing an adware from making itself at home on your computer.

Freeware: Most people say that the most likely place adware turns up is in freeware programs. This is due to the fact that freeware is, well free, and so its cost is sometimes paid for through adware and pop up types of software. By definition, freeware is software that users can download and use at no cost. Usually, all the designer of the program wants is recognition for their efforts. Freeware isn’t the same things as open-source software, despite the fact that they are a lot alike. The primary way that freeware and open-source software are different is that the computer coding in open-source software can be changed, while you can’t do this with freeware programs.

Due to the giveaway nature of freeware, the authors will not charge for it, but will pay the expenses of the freeware on their own. However, they may ask for donations or bundle adware with the gratis freeware. You can see how the freeware developers will go for bundling with adware to finance their software, as donations can be rare.

Shareware – The next most common place where adware can be found is in shareware. Shareware is very similar to freeware, including the bundling of adware. Both shareware and freeware are very much the same (both being free to use and download), but in the case of shareware, the author will actively ask for donations for using their software. Although this cannot really be enforced and works on the honor system, any donations received will keep the shareware project alive and up to date.

The obvious weaknesses of this honor system of payment is why adware also shows up in shareware, as quite often people will download the shareware and use it for free without any payment towards it. To help support the shareware financially, advertisers are happy to pay to have their adware bundled with the shareware in question. While this is not the case as frequently with shareware as it is with freeware, many free shareware programs today will come with adware, as without adware, the shareware wouldn’t be able to survive.

3. Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Applications: Peer-to-Peer, or P2P, applications are the least likely place to find adware when compared to freeware and shareware. That does not mean it never happens, just look at the P2P software Kazaa. Adding the adware to the Kazaa program caused quite a stir in the past. Unfortunately, with out the use of adware, Kazaa would have run out of funding. This would have caused the discontinuation of the site.

The knowledge of the main areas where adware is to be found can help you to be more cautious when you download any of these free programs. The mere fact that the software may come bundled with adware should not necessarily prevent you from downloading them at all. The truth of the matter is that there are many good programs that can be downloaded for free which rival their commercial counterparts. And if the adware is intrusive, you can use an adware removal took or another security solution to control its presence.

Susan Reynolds is a content editor for a leading Spyware And Adware Removal Software brand. For more information visit: http://www.spywareremovaldoc.com