Getting Avast from Cnet or the offical website?

[RevolutionSphere]

Hi, I'm wondering what the different is.

I've notice that off the official website, the size is 83.4mb and on cnet it is 86.4mb

So is avast safe to download from cnet?

I heard pretty bad things about it.

[Alikhan]

Cnet could have possible adware or different downloaders linked with the installer... so it's best from here imo.

http://files.avast.com/iavs9x/avast_free_antivirus_setup.exe
http://files.avast.com/iavs9x/avast_pro_antivirus_setup.exe
http://files.avast.com/iavs9x/avast_internet_security_setup.exe
http://files.avast.com/iavs9x/avast_premier_antivirus_setup.exe

[RevolutionSphere]

Thank you, I shall download the it off the official website 

[Paul_D]

Personally, I never download ANYTHING from CNet. If I can't get it from the author's site, MajorGeeks or FileHippo, I don't want it.

[RevolutionSphere]

I once got MBAM free on there, I did full system scan and found one piece of adware from there.

So now I try to advoid at all costs, luckly now MBAM can downloaded from the offical webiste and not cnet.

[igor]

If you verify the digital signature of the downloaded file and it says "Avast software", then it shouldn't matter where you downloaded it from.

[DavidR]

If you verify the digital signature of the downloaded file and it says "Avast software", then it shouldn't matter where you downloaded it from.

The major issue is that many people no longer trust cnet since they started bundling other products with the one you wanted to download.

This however only happens is you elect to use cnet's downloader. But people are not really aware what happens if you elect to do that untill they get the unrequested.

I have no idea if when trying to download avast from cnet if it offers to use the cnet downloader; so cnet users can get a surprise of unwanted/unrequested software.

[Paul_D]

If you verify the digital signature of the downloaded file and it says "Avast software", then it shouldn't matter where you downloaded it from.

And how many people will stop to do that?

[Paul_D]

If you verify the digital signature of the downloaded file and it says "Avast software", then it shouldn't matter where you downloaded it from.

The major issue is that many people no longer trust cnet since they started bundling other products with the one you wanted to download.

This however only happens is you elect to use cnet's downloader. But people are not really aware what happens if you elect to do that untill they get the unrequested.

I have no idea if when trying to download avast from cnet if it offers to use the cnet downloader; so cnet users can get a surprise of unwanted/unrequested software.

And it's not just CNet. Most of the main download sites now use wrappers.

As I posted before (and this is a mixture of personal experience and discussions in other security forums) the safest options are author's site (if a direct download is available there), FileHippo and MajorGeeks.

[igor]

If you verify the digital signature of the downloaded file and it says "Avast software", then it shouldn't matter where you downloaded it from.

And how many people will stop to do that?

I would say that those who take time to ask about it here on the forum... might

[Para-Noid]

If you verify the digital signature of the downloaded file and it says "Avast software", then it shouldn't matter where you downloaded it from.

And how many people will stop to do that?

I would say that those who take time to ask about it here on the forum... might

Not everyone who downloads software come to the avast forums.

[midnight]

The first time I downloaded Avast I used webattack,  When my Windows 8.1 computer stopped working I called Dell Support a Tech took control of my computer and he downloaded it from Cnet  I didn't get any un-wanted software or adware.