Friday, February 22, 2008

Careful Downloading Saves Headaches

Just got the umpteenth email about someone downloading something they didn't want from the Internet.

I can't stress enough how careful you need to be when downloading and installing software.

99% of the problems are user error. Most DO NOT read information on what they are about to download.

"It sounded like what I wanted" or "The name is similar" are some of the excuses. Most of the time, it's because we want to DO IT NOW! Quick, fast, right now... not good attributes to have when downloading software.

My advice: Take your time, make sure you are on the correct website, read the instructions carefully... when in doubt, DON'T!

Also, I've heard from people who downloaded a program they wanted, but also got additional programs installed they didn't want.

That happens because people will FLY THROUGH the installation procedure. Rather, you should carefully read each screen and be careful of boxes with check marks for Adding a Toolbar, etc.

Take your time, avoid problems later.

2 comments:

Michelle HD said...

I usually get software from download.com, because the ability to read user reviews associated with each program available on there. You can get a pretty good feel for how users feel about the software.

Just a suggestion.

ComputerwiseTV said...

It's not where you get the software, it's how quickly people will install it without reading every installation screen that comes up...