It costs nothing to download a freeware and hence it is downloaded by a number of people. Freeware is like any other software that can be downloaded from internet, but free. Every freeware is some kind of a utility providing some specific functionality to the user. It is not a rocket science to install the freeware. Simple read me files and user friendly installation wizards make it very easy to install them.
There are some risks involved with freeware as well. You may manage to save money using freeware, but could also end up infecting your PC with Spyware. Such a thing normally happens when you download and install a freeware developed by an unknown and unreliable source. You are at a huge risk when having Spyware installed into your PC. Your passwords and account numbers may be exposed to people you have never met. In other words, Spyware transmits your confidential information into web. You therefore need to be careful with downloading a freeware. Following guidelines can certainly help:
The first thing you must do is to check the credibility of the manufacturer. Try and survey about the other products developed by the company. A look at its track record will also be handy. Obviously, a reputed and known company would not develop Spyware.
It is also very imperative for you to research about the freeware you wish to download. You must search for the reviews about the freeware. Check what the people have to say about the freeware. These are practical experiences and a great feedback for you. However, do not come to conclusions too soon by reading through just one or two good reviews. Try and read through as many reviews as possible and only then come to a final conclusion.
Visiting reputed website that offers software download is another good idea. Check to see if the website has listed the freeware you are interested in. A good and reputed website would not list a freeware that is malicious. If you manage to find the freeware on one or more such websites, you get a green signal. However, if you do not find it anywhere, the freeware could be suspicious and you may need to survey more.
Another important thing to do is to read the terms and conditions page very carefully. This page can give you a fair idea about the manufacturer and its credibility. Although one can not take these pages for granted, they can still give you a reasonable idea about the company.
In case you have decided to download the freeware onto your computer, make sure that you have a reliable anti Spyware installed on your system. The anti Spyware program can come to your rescue, just in case you have downloaded Spyware. You also need to make sure that you have a latest copy of anti Spyware installed. You could also install updates for your Spyware. An older version may not be able to identify a new Spyware.
On the whole, there is no harm installing a freeware if you can be careful doing it. Be smart enough to download only authentic freeware and you will always be on the safer side.
Susan Reynolds is the webmaster for a leading Spyware And Adware Removal Software brand. For more information visit: http://www.spywareremovaldoc.com