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Be careful what you install.


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To my mind the main problem is usually the user clicking away as quickly as possible and never actually reading the popup screens, just to save a few seconds. I have always used Advanced installer when available, keeps you way more informed than the standard install that even if PUP free usually includes useless stuff like Mongolian language help files that just stuff the hard drive with gash.



Never disengage brain, it remains the no 1 security tool.


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And then there are the fake pop-ups (or emails) that "alert" users that a new version of Flash Player, Adobe Reader, ..., is available - click here. Needless to say that the obedient users will end up with another basketful of malware.



For software updates, only download installers from the manufacturer's website. Or use the software itself (e.g. Help | Check for Updates) to download updates.


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Two useful bits of software to have when thinking about downloading anything from the net are:



1. https://adblockplus.org/ - stops a lot of annoying ads ergo reduces the chances of downloading something you would rather not have



and



2. https://www.mywot.com/ - described as a safe browsing tool and uses a "traffic lights" system of scoring websites.



Both are free and safe. I've used them for many years and had very few mishaps related to Internet undesirables. They are not, in themselves, anti-virus or anti-malware - you still must take care.



Neither of these will prevent unwanted downloads completely but do help.



You should, of course, always have an up-to-date backup or system image of your machine as you wish it to be.



As with most things, care is essential when using the Internet.


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