While the ImgBurn disc burning software might be a tad complex to suit everyone’s needs, it has gained a well earned respect among burning enthusiasts. It’s been quite some time since I’ve used ImgBurn, or even installed it on my system for that matter. Over the years I’ve backed up my DVD’s using a combination of DVDShrink automatically synced with Nero. Nero is long gone of course and toward the latter stages I had been using ImgBurn to complete the process of burning to disc.
More recently, I’ve been utilizing DVD ripper software to rip DVDs to AVI format and then saving the backup files to an external drive. Yesterday, my mate (yes, I do have a mate) came to me and asked if I could backup two DVDs for him. I still have DVDShrink installed but no more Nero or ImgBurn so I needed to download and install the latter afresh… and boy, was I in for a surprise!
ImgBurn still comes in a neat little package, a mere 3.3MB download, but is now bundled with all sorts of extraneous PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs). Not long into the installation process I was presented with the following screen:
**NOTE: Search Protect should definitely be avoided, it changes the home page and search engine locking them into Conduit and is generally regarded as a browser hijacker.
In order to avoid Search Protect you’ll need to select “Custom Installation” and remove the checkmarks from both options. Your installation screen should then resemble the following screenshot, including the changed message at the bottom:
(Why the “Custom Installation” option should be appended with “advanced” is beyond me. The only explanation I can come up with is that the inference might encourage less experienced users to just go ahead with the default installation, including Search Protect)
Okay, so now I’m satisfied that no crapware <um… additional software> is going to be installed I click “Next” only to be presented with more of the same:
I removed the checkmark so as not to accept the terms of TuneUp Utilities EULA and thus decline installation, clicked “Next”, and waited anxiously for the following screen. Thank goodness, from here on the installation proceeded without any further offers or complications.
I realize all this is relatively easily avoided but in the end, bearing in mind that I am an experienced user, it even left me wondering if maybe something hadn’t still manged to sneak through.
I can also understand a developer’s desire to monetize his or her efforts, although, in this case, ImgBurn’s developer(s) appear to have made a poor choice in partners. I just believe it would be much more preferable to use a system of opt-in rather than opt-out, so the installation excluded all this additional paraphernalia by default and users would then need to intervene only if they actually wanted the PUPs. Of course, that could mean eliminating the possibility of inadvertent installations, so definitely not in developers’ or their partners’ best interests.
ImgBurn still did a great job backing up the DVDs but the mix of something like Search Protect with open source software seems entirely incongruous to me and only offers further proof that we should always be cautious and vigilant, and take nothing for granted, even when dealing with the most respected of software.
This is what they do for profit.
You wouldn’t believe how many friends have Conduit on their computer, let alone getting rid of all the traces.
Sometimes even educating people doesn’t seem to work. Foxit Reader didn’t have any options to some of it’s unwanted installations, and some install even if you select opt out, not sure if if they do now since I switched to Sumatra PDF.
“Nero is long gone of course…”?? The nero page is still up and selling 2014 software. What did you mean by this?
There was a time when a special (free) OEM version of Nero called ‘Nero Express’ was installed on just about every new machine fitted with a ROM drive. In those days, Nero was the dominant burning software and almost as ubiquitous as Adobe. Of course, with so many free and light alternatives available these days, that is no longer the case.
I meant that, with the passing of time, Nero is long gone from my machine, as I suspect is the case for many … apologies for the ambiguity.
Cheers… Jim
Hey there, Jim,
Just install Imgburn via ninite.com (awesome site!) & all of that is taken care of for you! Automated install with all the “ticks” removed.
Cheers…Tracy 🙂
Good thought Tracy! Although, ninite.com is limited to supported applications. Here’s an alternative, one which covers everything, although it does require installation: http://www.davescomputertips.com/avoid-unwanted-crapware-with-unchecky/
Cheers… Jim