Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Free Software Download For Windows - Do's and Don'ts

If you are looking for a website to download free software for Windows, you must be overwhelmed with the choices available out there on Internet. Those who are new to this field may find the task of choosing the right website and the right program a little scary at first because they will not have any idea what to expect, especially if both the website and the program they are downloading are new to them. Add to this the risk imposed by online threats like viruses, spyware, adware, and Trojans. Your computer may get infected with such malicious programs if you download an unknown software program from an unscrupulous website. Therefore, it is very important to follow certain dos and don'ts while downloading free programs from Internet. Following is a brief rundown about it.
Read The Instructions Thoroughly
Websites that offer freeware programs also provide detailed instructions for installation, daily updated new icons, screenshots and descriptions. The first thing that you have to do is to read those instructions and descriptions thoroughly. If you do not do this, you may experience some unpleasant surprises. For example, some freeware programs may require you to have licensed software already installed on your computer. So, if you do not have that licensed program in your PC, the shareware will not work at all. You will only end up wasting your time and precious space on the hard disk. You can avoid getting into such situations by reading the instructions thoroughly in advance.
Compatibility
Compatibility is another important factor to consider while downloading software. Read the system requirements before downloading any program. Is the program compatible with the version of the operating system installed on your PC? In most cases, you will be offered an option to choose the right version of download, such as whether you want to use the software on Linux or Windows platform. If your PC does not meet the required standards, the program may not work at all, which will again be a waste of time and a reason for frustration.
Backup Your System
In the latest versions of the operating system, there is a system restore feature. So, you may not need to create a manual backup every time you download a new program. If the software does not work properly or something goes wrong, you can undo the installation by using that feature. However, do not forget to create a restore point before you click on the install button.
Choose A Trusted Source
Problems mainly occur when the programs are downloaded from unrealizable sources. Therefore, the most crucial thing is to choose a trusted website that only offers hand picked quality software.
One of such websites is file horse. However, sometimes the problem might occur if there is something already wrong on your system. It is advisable to scan the program thoroughly using a latest anti-virus program before opening it for the first time. File horse scans all the programs that are available on their website for downloading, however you must take added precautions. File Horse does not even require any special downloading software. All programs can be downloaded from File Horse directly in a safe environment without risking the health of your PC.
File Horse is a highly trusted source on the Internet for those who are looking for a safe online place to download free software programs for Windows. Visit http://www.filehorse.com and have fun testing out some exciting software applications without risking your computer's safety.