I use lots of awesome free programs and apps, and whenever I recommend them on my blog I try my best to warn you when the download page has deceptive ads on it.
If you’ve ever visited one of the major free download sites, you surely know the type of ads I’m taking about. They usually include a big honking “DOWNLOAD” button that tricks folks into downloading an entirely different program than the one they came looking for.
Unfortunately, those fake download buttons are both annoying and dangerous because some of the programs they link to are actually malware!
As you can see, it pays to be very careful when attempting to download free software these days.
Luckily, there’s a simple solution for avoiding ads that display fake download buttons: Simply install an ad blocker and they won’t show up on the page!
I always visit free download sites using my Chrome browser with the fantastic AdBlock extension enabled. While there are are plenty of ad blocking extensions to choose from, I’ve found AdBlock to be the best of the lot.
After you install AdBlock you’ll be able to visit most any major download site without being bombarded with a bunch of fake Download buttons.
Installing AdBlock is easy. Simply visit this page in with your Chrome browser and click the Add To Chrome button.
Bonus tip: While AdBlock is awesome, it isn’t the only great ad blocking solution out there. Our friends over at PingZic have compiled this extensive list of 31 of the best ad blockers you can can use on your computers and mobile devices. Check it out!
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