There is however one thing that makes me hunt for the software on download sites, and not on the developer website. Some developers like to display surveys or registration forms to users who want to download their applications. While it is their right to do that, I personally dislike this. If I like the software a lot, I’d come back anyway and register an account to keep tabs on the development and closer contact to the developers. Forcing users to fill out forms leads in my opinion to a higher drop rate which in turn means less users that download and install the software.

Whenever I come to a site where I’m forced to fill out a form I’m immediately appalled, and tend to search for the program on portals like Softpedia or Betanews. It is not always possible to find those programs on those sites, but if I do, I download them from there instead.

One example: I recently tried to download the excellent free to use virus scanner Dr. Web CureIt from the developer site. Before I could do so, I was asked to enter my name and email. Thinking this was all, I complied, only to be greeted by a survey on the next page. Even worse, I failed to enter the captcha on that page correctly and was taken back to the start form as a consequence.

Fed up with it, I decided to search on Bing for the download and found it on Softpedia. I downloaded the program there without having to fill out a form or give away my email address. I tend to use temporary email addresses for this anyway whenever possible.

What I would have liked to see on the Dr. Web page is an option to directly download the software, and an optional registration, not the other way round.

Where do you download your software? What’s your experience? Let me know in the comments.

Windows users can select programs from a huge available selection. They can install all-in-one solutions, often called security suites that combine antivirus, firewall and other security programs.

Most security suites are commercial applications. Users who do not want to pay money for security software, can install free alternatives. This usually means that the user needs to install multiple programs to protect the PC from all kinds of threats.

security software downloader

SSDownloader, which stands for Security Software Downloader, can aid the user in downloading security applications to the local computer system. The program displays a list of applications on startup which can be checked.

The checked applications can then be downloaded to the system, from where they can be directly installed or distributed further.

The program separates applications in the five categories free anti-virus software, firewalls, security suites and anti-virus (trials, malware scanners and other tools.

Most applications are free to install and use. Those that are not, are offered and indicated as trial versions.

The available selection lists many of the most popular security applications, from AVG and Avast antivirus, Comodo and ZoneAlarm Firewalls,trial versions of Bitdefender, Norton or Kaspersky, to malware scanners from Malwarebytes and SuperAntiSpyware.

The choice is excellent and completed by the other tools section which lists applications such as Win Patrol, CCleaner, Autoruns, Unlocker or Process Explorer.

ssdownloader

A question mark is available next to each software entry, which provides information about the program’s license, the recommended user experience level and a detailed explanation of its functionality.

The download options offer two options which are both set to auto detection by default. The first determines if 32-bit or 64-bit editions of the program will be downloaded, the second if versions for XP or Windows 7 / Vista will be downloaded. Finally, the download directory can be changed in the options.

SSDownloader is a portable software program for Windows, that has its uses. It is on the other hand possible to download the programs separately instead, which may be preferred by some users, especially those who already know which programs they want to install and use on the computer.

The Open Source tool is available for download at the Sourceforge project website. The application itself is compatible with 32-bit and 64-bit editions of the windows operating system.