How Not To Crap Up Your Computer: Part 1
01/02/11 23:35
Bury Shovelware
A lot of free, non-open source software is funded by advertisers. That includes ads on the product’s Web site, and an increasingly common behavior of bundling unrelated junk software with the product, especially browser toolbars. Browser toolbars can range from useful, but unnecessary, like the Ask Toolbar if you are a Google user, to commission-based affiliate marketing programs, like the Crawler or MyWebSearch toolbars. Plugins are basically programs that run inside your browser. Each one slows the browser down a bit, and can impair the browser’s reliability or your privacy.
Shovelware, in general, is unrelated software bundled for installation with a desired piece of software. The key is to carefully read the installer’s choices. Programs that install shovelware typically hide the choice, sometimes in plain sight, sometimes buried in an advanced options dialog. They all rely on most users’ tendencies to automatically click “Next” and overlook the choice. Several examples are below. Pay attention to the wording.
Fig. 1: uTorrent Installer
This is pretty benign. It’s opt-out, but there’s no weasel wording and the choice isn’t hidden within a customized install dialog. Just uncheck the box and you won’t have the toolbar installed or your homepage changed. Of course, if you want the toolbar, then proceed with the defaults.
Digsby is a real trickster, which pains me because I otherwise like the program.
Fig. 2: Digsby Installer
The install starts off with an opt-out choice for a browser plugin. Not too bad, but the plugin is solely for Digsby’s benefit. The plugin is designed to use Digsby’s affiliate code when you buy from certain online stores. It’s a kind of finder’s fee. The plugin provides no functionality for the end user. But it soon gets much worse.
Fig. 3: Third-party Shovelware
This has nothing to do with Digsby. It’s a completely unrelated piece of software. The installer is designed to snare the average user that automatically clicks on Accept or OK in install dialogs. The presence of “Decline” and “Accept” choices is meant to appear like a typical EULA dialog. Most people will click Accept because they think it is the EULA. This tactic occurs twice in the Digsby installer, in a row. The second time tries to install “error scan” software. We’re not done yet, though.
Fig. 4: Digsby Installer Wrap-Up
Before the install is finished, Digsby attempts to install another browser plugin, change your homepage, and install a program for “grid computing”. That program sells computational time on your computer to third parties. In all, the Digsby installer attempts to drop five pieces of unrelated software on your computer. When it is all done, a default install adds three pieces of application software, four IE browser plugins, a startup item, changes your homepage, and changes your default search engine.
Shovelware isn’t just for browser plugins, either. Adobe offers to include Norton or McAfee “security scan” tools with some of their Flash Player or Adobe Reader downloads. These tools do practically nothing. They are not antimalware products. They just check your computer to see if you already have an antimalware program installed, and will try to sell you a subscription to the corresponding product if you don’t have one. A full reading of the download web page will show the choice, and you will be able to deselect it.
HP printer software is also a problem. The default install settings for consumer HP printers installs the printer’s application and management software, HP Photo Creations, HP Customer Participation, HP Update, an IE plug-in called Smart Web Printing, software for coupons.com, and software that offers to sell you more printing supplies (Shop for HP Supplies). Oh, and the actual printer driver. It’s a total of four IE plugins and seven pieces of application software. This could be the king of shovelware. The only things you need to actually use the all of the device’s features are the print drivers, the management software, and maybe Solution Center for the easy access to all device functions.
Shovelware is particularly bad for inexperienced users with old or entry-level computers. Limited memory and processor capacity is common, and it can really hurt the performance of low-end systems. The best way to get rid of it is uninstalling from the Programs control panel. Heavy-handed use of “optimizer” utilities, some of which are shovelware themselves, can actually crap up your computer more, a topic I’ll cover in the next installation of this series.
A lot of free, non-open source software is funded by advertisers. That includes ads on the product’s Web site, and an increasingly common behavior of bundling unrelated junk software with the product, especially browser toolbars. Browser toolbars can range from useful, but unnecessary, like the Ask Toolbar if you are a Google user, to commission-based affiliate marketing programs, like the Crawler or MyWebSearch toolbars. Plugins are basically programs that run inside your browser. Each one slows the browser down a bit, and can impair the browser’s reliability or your privacy.
Shovelware, in general, is unrelated software bundled for installation with a desired piece of software. The key is to carefully read the installer’s choices. Programs that install shovelware typically hide the choice, sometimes in plain sight, sometimes buried in an advanced options dialog. They all rely on most users’ tendencies to automatically click “Next” and overlook the choice. Several examples are below. Pay attention to the wording.
Fig. 1: uTorrent Installer
This is pretty benign. It’s opt-out, but there’s no weasel wording and the choice isn’t hidden within a customized install dialog. Just uncheck the box and you won’t have the toolbar installed or your homepage changed. Of course, if you want the toolbar, then proceed with the defaults.
Digsby is a real trickster, which pains me because I otherwise like the program.
Fig. 2: Digsby Installer
The install starts off with an opt-out choice for a browser plugin. Not too bad, but the plugin is solely for Digsby’s benefit. The plugin is designed to use Digsby’s affiliate code when you buy from certain online stores. It’s a kind of finder’s fee. The plugin provides no functionality for the end user. But it soon gets much worse.
Fig. 3: Third-party Shovelware
This has nothing to do with Digsby. It’s a completely unrelated piece of software. The installer is designed to snare the average user that automatically clicks on Accept or OK in install dialogs. The presence of “Decline” and “Accept” choices is meant to appear like a typical EULA dialog. Most people will click Accept because they think it is the EULA. This tactic occurs twice in the Digsby installer, in a row. The second time tries to install “error scan” software. We’re not done yet, though.
Fig. 4: Digsby Installer Wrap-Up
Before the install is finished, Digsby attempts to install another browser plugin, change your homepage, and install a program for “grid computing”. That program sells computational time on your computer to third parties. In all, the Digsby installer attempts to drop five pieces of unrelated software on your computer. When it is all done, a default install adds three pieces of application software, four IE browser plugins, a startup item, changes your homepage, and changes your default search engine.
Shovelware isn’t just for browser plugins, either. Adobe offers to include Norton or McAfee “security scan” tools with some of their Flash Player or Adobe Reader downloads. These tools do practically nothing. They are not antimalware products. They just check your computer to see if you already have an antimalware program installed, and will try to sell you a subscription to the corresponding product if you don’t have one. A full reading of the download web page will show the choice, and you will be able to deselect it.
HP printer software is also a problem. The default install settings for consumer HP printers installs the printer’s application and management software, HP Photo Creations, HP Customer Participation, HP Update, an IE plug-in called Smart Web Printing, software for coupons.com, and software that offers to sell you more printing supplies (Shop for HP Supplies). Oh, and the actual printer driver. It’s a total of four IE plugins and seven pieces of application software. This could be the king of shovelware. The only things you need to actually use the all of the device’s features are the print drivers, the management software, and maybe Solution Center for the easy access to all device functions.
Shovelware is particularly bad for inexperienced users with old or entry-level computers. Limited memory and processor capacity is common, and it can really hurt the performance of low-end systems. The best way to get rid of it is uninstalling from the Programs control panel. Heavy-handed use of “optimizer” utilities, some of which are shovelware themselves, can actually crap up your computer more, a topic I’ll cover in the next installation of this series.