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Question from Gordon: I have a very simple question for you, Rick: Is it legal to sell free software?
I’m asking because I just bought a DVD off of eBay that’s packed with tons of software programs for troubleshooting and maintaining a PC, but I have just found out that ALL of it is freeware that’s distributed under the GNU GPL License. [Read more…]
Regular readers of this blog know I’m a huge fan of free software because I routinely recommend the use of freeware whenever possible to accomplish whatever the task at hand may be.
But as you probably also know there can be hidden dangers lurking behind the scenes every time you install a piece of free software.
The dangers range all the way from the installation of unwanted add-on software to installing viruses and other forms of malware right along with the programs themselves.
<Begin Rant>
Regular readers of this blog know that I love recommending free software that’s truly useful every chance I get.
These days some of the best software around can be downloaded at no cost whatsoever.
That being said, a disturbing new type of “ad” has started popping up while using some free programs and apps. I call these annoying ads “offers that you literally can’t refuse”, and they work something like this: [Read more…]
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Question from Phyllis: Hi Rick. I’ve been following your blog for a while now and I love the info you provide. Thank you!
In one of your posts you recommend running periodic malware scans with the free version of Malwarebytes.
I clicked the link you provided and downloaded it, but after the program was installed it said I have 14 days left in my free trial?
I know for a fact that I clicked the link to download the free version. Why did it install the trial version?
I even uninstalled it and downloaded it again to make sure, but it just installed the trial version again.
What ‘s going on? Do they no longer offer a free version of Malwarebytes?
Rick’s answer: [Read more…]
Regular readers of this blog know that I’m a huge fan of free software.
In fact, I download, test and write about free programs and apps all the time.
That being said, installing free software can sometimes causes problems.
For instance, poorly written code can cause “memory leaks”, system instability and a host of other problems.
That’s why it’s important to check out any user reviews that are available before installing a new piece of free software. [Read more…]