One,
I absolutely agree with you regarding the "free lunch" syndrome.
ANY FREEWARE program that I download first gets put into a Download folder/directory. It is then scanned again for virii, spyware and all types of malware.
I too often wonder WHY the program is being given away for free. If it also installs other programs, nags, etc., and doesn't give me an option to decline their installation then I simply delete the entire program and move on to something else.
It is always better to err on the side of caution than to be in a hurry and regret it later.
My dad always said, "There's no such thing as a free lunch because somewhere, someone is paying for it." (or is going to.)[

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