Where to Download to Avoid Trash Added to My Computer?

[i_am_jim]

Nowadays I always download software from the author's website to avoid getting trash added to my computer but I see Irfanview doesn't have their own download site so I have to download it from one of these god awful software download websites.

I used to have some confidence in the CNET's download.com website, but a few months ago I installed a program from there and without giving me a chance to opt out it installed a **** load of adware. Once I figured it out I had to replace my OS with an image file that was a couple of weeks old to get rid of. After roaming around the web I found confirmation that CNET has started doing that.

So, forced to download Irfanview from one of the criminal places does anyone know of one that doesn't add trash to your computer? If not, I guess I'll have to do without Irfanview which I've loved and used for years.

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

I can understand your anxiety about CNET — I got stung recently by their FreeOCR download.

I did not find any problem with their IrfanView download, but you never know with a site that distributes malware like that bundled with FreeOCR. One can no longer trust the site — especially as they have done nothing to respond to the complaints as far as I can tell.

I used TuCows regularly many years ago, and both downloads from there and BrotherSoft seem to be fine. I didn't even see the Google installer this time.

[Jacal]

Softpedia is still OK. Plugins are declared clean and the main installer (iview436_setup.exe) comes with a warning ('offers to download or install software or components (...) that the program does not require to fully function', although it doesn't seem to contain anything of this kind at the moment).

[i_am_jim]

I used TuCows regularly many years ago, and both downloads from there and BrotherSoft seem to be fine.

I'm not sure what you're saying. I used CNET for years and they were fine too. Have you downloaded from TuCows recently?

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

I'm not sure what you're saying. I used CNET for years and they were fine too. Have you downloaded from TuCows recently?

I downloaded the IrfanView installer from both Tucows and Brother Soft — both were free from trash.

[i_am_jim]

Thanks for the help

[Mij]

I now use Ninite to update all the applications I use that it supports and that includes Irfanview. It is a great service, free for personal use, that saves a huge amount of time and effort. Read about it here in one of Bob Rankin's newsletters (also highly recommended). It does just what it claims to do, checks for updates and if there is one installs it for you in the default locations while filtering out any trash, all automatically and with the minimum possible fuss.

It does not include the extended plug-in pack unfortunately, so it only updates those plugins that come with the main program like Effects.dll and Paint.dll
Since the plugins do not need an installer I just download the Zip file direct from the Irfanview site (click on Plugins on the left side of the page) and then unzip straight into the Plugins folder.

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

I now use Ninite to update all the applications I use that it supports and that includes Irfanview. It is a great service, free for personal use, that saves a huge amount of time and effort.

Thanks for that — I just used it to install half a dozen applications — it works very well and is the best new software I have discovered since I came across FastStone Capture.