Safe Shareware

[Guest]

I paid for the program WinMX and everyone I know keeps telling me that all my
PC issues probably relate to this program since it is a shared files program.
I dont agree since alot of my PC issues started months after I installed this
program. I do leave the downloaded music on my PC so I can access it when I
want to but is it safe? If not is there a better free program where I can get
any song I think of without being too vulnerable?

 

[Mike Williams [MVP]]

I paid for the program WinMX and everyone I know keeps telling me that all my
PC issues probably relate to this program since it is a shared files program.
I dont agree since alot of my PC issues started months after I installed this
program. I do leave the downloaded music on my PC so I can access it when I
want to but is it safe? If not is there a better free program where I can get
any song I think of without being too vulnerable?

You are probably vulnerable to investigation by various intellectual
property authorities with *any* free music-sharing program.

 

[Ionizer]

I paid for the program WinMX and everyone I know keeps telling me that all my
PC issues probably relate to this program since it is a shared files program.
I dont agree since alot of my PC issues started months after I installed this
program. I do leave the downloaded music on my PC so I can access it when I
want to but is it safe? If not is there a better free program where I can get
any song I think of without being too vulnerable?

First off, why on earth would you PAY for WinMX? It is freeware:
http://www.winmx.com/ I would be suspicious of this version you have paid
for- did they perhaps bundle in some spyware with it, for instance? Who
ever you paid for that program has already ripped you off so I don't think
I'd be trusting them too far. You may want to scan your system with
AdAware as a precaution: http://www.lavasoftusa.com/support/download/ If
you like using WinMX you may want to consider replacing your version with
the official version, which is spyware and adware-free.

When using any of these filesharing programs, make sure that you are ONLY
sharing your downloaded music folder and nothing else. Some, like Kazaa
Lite, which I use occasionally, automatically share all subfolders within
the folder you are sharing- I don't know if this is true of WinMX since I
don't use it. A lot of people are unknowingly sharing personal documents
online- make sure you aren't one of them.

There are lots of *free* filesharing programs to choose from. See the
"Slyck guides" on the left side of this page: http://www.slyck.com/ Aviod
the ones containing adware and spyware- Slyck identifies them as such.