Software Watch - Adware Watch List

Adware FAQ | Adware Watch List | Adware Guards

Introduction

Are you about to install a software, and do you want to know how it behaves during/after installation? Here we list all softwares, those which are included in the class of Adwares. Similar softwares are categorized in the list, for ease of reference and comparison. If you wish to look-up a particular software in this list, that contains bundled components, use inbuilt search function (Ctrl+F) in your web browser.

The list is limited to free/restricted free softwares only. No commercial products will be featured here. A general idea of adware is highlighted in Adware FAQ section. Users who have contributed to the list (through their comments at the bottom of the article or in the forum thread) are accredited in Adware Guards , along with the software they have brought into Editor's notice. Participate in fighting against adware and get yourself recognized.

Users are also encouraged to post screenshots here, to validate the inclusion of softwares in the Adware Watch list. This makes life easier for us.

Note: The article will no longer be a user-editable wiki and the rights will be restricted to Gizmo's Editors only. Although, due credits will be given in the Adware Guards section for each individual.

Terms used in the article

Please read: What products are classified as adware

The adware products are listed, corresponding to the category that it belongs to, in alphabetical order. The bundled components that it includes are hence separated by commas. For example:

If the installer offers to install a product, then it's named as: Recommends [product]
If the installer offers to install toolbar or other services, then its name is simply inserted - eg: Ask Toolbar
If the program offers change in homepage or default search engine its mentioned as: Offers homepage change/search engine. If a toolbar is performing this change it won't be explicity mentioned as it's understood. In that case only point [2] is mentioned.
If the installer contains OpenCandy it's always shown in the beginning as: OpenCandy
If the product shows ads for upgrading the software, or offers any other softwares within its interface, then its included in the list as: Displays [product] upgrade, Displays [software] ads .
If the product constantly shows product upgrade/other product offers during startup or during program function as a pop-up, then this title is used: Nagware
After installation, if the installer opens the web browser, to show other product recommendations or offers ads, then its included as: Browser ads [after installation/on starup/on close]
After installation, if desktop shortcuts or start menu shortcuts unrelated to the programs functionality are created, it's represented as: [product] Shortcuts.

Note:

Apart from these components getting installed, they also create certain other changes. These changes won't be listed explicitly in the watch list to avoid constant duplication, except for the components.

Toolbars - Offers change in homepage, search provider and new tab address (eg: Ask Toolbar, AVG Security Toolbar). Please note that most toolbar recommendations are offered only when your default browser is IE or Firefox. So if you are testing the presence of toolbars in setup of programs, make sure your default browser is one of these.
Googe Chrome recommendation - Offers Google toolbar and change in default browser and search engine.
OpenCandy - OC is not installed on the system, but it scans the softwares installed on your PC to provide product recommendations, that you may choose to download and install on the system.

Adware Watch List - Index

Security:	Ad-Blocker \| Antivirus \| Antispyware \| Antiphishing \| Anonymous Surfing \| Browser Sandbox \| Covert Surveillance \| Data Loss Prevention \| Encryption \| Firewall \| HIPS \| Monitoring \| Password Tools \| Rootkit Scanner \| Secure DNS \| Secure Shell \| Site Adviser \| Spam Blocker \| Trojan Scanner \| Update Monitor
Cleanup/System:	Disk Checkup \| Disk De-fragmenter \| Disk Space Analyzer \| Driver Backup \| Duplicate Detector \| File Cleaner \| PC Tuneup \| Process Viewer \| Registry Cleaner \| Secure Eraser \| Startup Manager \| System Information \| Tweaker \| Uninstaller
File/Desktop:	Automation Tools \| Backup \| Benchmarking \| Data Recovery \| Desktop Search \| Drive Imaging \| File Archiver \| File Comparison \| File Copy \| File Manager \| File Renamer \| Folder Hiding \| Folder Sync \| GUI \| Icon Tools \| Onscreen Keyboard \| Partition Manager \| Program Launcher \| Themes \| Type Setting \| Virtual Desktop
Internet:	Advertising \| Bittorrent Client \| Communications \| Dialup/Connectivity \| Download Manager \| Email Client \| File Sharing \| File Transfer \| FTP Client \| HTML Editor \| IM Client \| Java/ActiveX \| LAN Utilities \| Middleware \| Network Finder \| News Reading \| Plugins \| Portal Server \| Remote Access \| Remote Access \| Routing Software \| Search Tools \| Shopping \| Social N/wking \| Telephony \| Telnet/SSH Emulator \| Web Browser \| Web/Video Camst \| Web Grabber
Multimedia:	3D Models \| Animation \| Audio Editor \| CAD \| CD Ripper \| CD-DVD Burner \| CD-DVD Emulation \| Clip Art \| Codecs /Splitters \| Desktop Publishing \| DVD Ripper \| Font Tools \| Format Conversion \| Graphics \| HDR Software \| Image Editor \| Image Viewer \| Media Centre \| Media Player \| Media Recorder \| Music Creation \| Music Player \| Paint \| Photo Organizer \| Photo Slideshows \| Radio \| Screen Capture \| Tag Editor \| TV Viewer \| Video Editor
Office:	Database \| Family Tree Software \| Finance Software \| Math/Scientific Tools \| Office Suite \| PDF Reader \| PDF Tools \| PDF Writer \| PIM \| Presentation \| Project Manager \| Reminders \| Schedulers/Contact \| Software Suite \| Spreadsheet \| Text Editor \| Word Processor \| World Clock

The Ultimate Adware List

Security and Privacy Freeware

Ad-Blocker

Antivirus

Avast - Recommends Google Chrome, Offers product upgrade
AVG - AVG Security toolbar
Avira - Displays product upgrade [Nagware], Ask toolbar
Panda Cloud - Panda Security toolbar

Antispyware

SuperAntiSpyware - Ask toolbar
AntiRun - GuardMail.ru toolbar

Antiphishing

Anonymous Surfing

Browser Sandbox

Sandboxie - Displays product upgrade [Nagware]

Covert Surveillance

Data Loss Prevention

Encryption

Firewall

AVS Firewall: Installs AVS Software Browser. Recommends AVS Registry Cleaner
Comodo Firewall: Recommends Comodo Dragon, GeekBuddy

HIPS

Monitoring

Password Tools

Roboform - Offers homepage/search engine change (disabled by default)
Secure Password Manager - Wajam browser add-on

Rootkit Scanner

Secure DNS

Secure Shell

Putty Enhanced - Babylon toolbar, Browser ads after installation

Site Adviser

Spam Blocker

Trojan Scanner

Update Monitor

SuMo(RK) - RelevantKnowledge, Babylon toolbar, Complitly toolbar (No RK doesn't contain RelevantKnowledge)

Cleanup, Tune, and System Utilities

Disk Checkup

Disk De-fragmenter

Auslogics Disk Defrag - Ask toolbar, Displays Auslogics BoostSpeed & Antivirus ads
Defraggler - Recommends Google Chrome
My Defragmenter - MyPhoneSupport desktop icon, Displays MyPhoneSupport & DriveShop ads.

Disk Space Analyzer

Driver Backup

SlimDrivers - AVG security toolbar
DriverMax - AVG security toolbar

Duplicate Detector

Duplicate Cleaner - Bing toolbar
Easy Duplicate Finder 2.4 - Nagware [product upgrade], Ask toolbar

File Cleaner

CCleaner - Recommends Google Chrome

PC Tuneup

Glary Utilities - Ask toolbar

Process Viewer

Registry Cleaner

Wise Registry Cleaner - Recommends Wise Disk Cleaner, Displays WiseCare 365 ads

Secure Eraser

Startup Manager

System Information

SIW - OpenCandy

Tweaker

Uninstaller

Advanced Uninstaller Pro - AVG Security toolbar

File and Desktop Utilities

Automation Tools

Backup

Benchmarking

Data Recovery

Pandora Recovery - Ask toolbar

Desktop Search

Drive Imaging

File Archiver

ExtractNow - Babylon toolbar
IZArc - OpenCandy
jZip - Searchqu toolbar
PeaZip - AVG security toolbar

File Comparison

File Copy

File Manager

xplorer2lite - xplorer2lite toolbar

File Renamer

Folder Hiding

Folder Sync

GUI

Icon Tools

Onscreen Keyboard

Partition Manager

Program Launcher

Themes

Type Setting

Virtual Desktop

Dexpot - OpenCandy

Internet, Email, and Networking Freeware

Advertising

Bittorrent Client

BitComet - Nagware [pop-up's], Google toolbar, MPCStar, Browser ads
BitTorrent - OpenCandy, Offers featured content ads, BitTorrent toolbar
uTorrent - uTorrent toolbar, Offers & Displays featured content ads

Communications

Dialup/Connectivity

Download Manager

Orbit Downloader - OpenCandy, Grab Pro toolbar, Offers to change homepage

Email Client

IncrediMail 2 - MyStart toolbar, Browser ads after installation, Fixie & incrediGames & e-mail animations desktop/startmenu shortcuts

File Sharing

File Transfer

FTP Client

Pando (file sharing p2p) - OpenCandy, Nagware [upgrade], Displays upgrade ads, Pando toolbar

HTML Editor

IM Client

AIM - AOL messaging toolbar
ICQ - ICQ toolbar, ICQ search shortcut, ICQGuard
Pandion - Offers add-on, homepage/search engine change
QIP Infium - Offers homepage/search engine change, Offers FF add-on
Trillian Astra - Ask toolbar, Recommends Xobni plugin, Displays upgrade ad

Java/ActiveX

Sun Java - Ask toolbar
DirectX Redistributable - Bing toolbar

LAN Utilities

Middleware

Network Finder

News Reading

Feed Demon Lite - Displays ads in deck

Plugins

Portal Server

Remote Access

Routing Software

Search Tools

Shopping

Social N/wking

Telephony

Telnet/SSH Emulator

Web Browser

Slimbrowser - Ask, Deals hunter, MySearch toolbars

Web/Video Cams

Web Grabber

Image, Audio, and Video Freeware

3D Models

Animation

Audio Editor

CAD

CD Ripper

FreeRIP - Nagware [upgrade], Yahoo toolbar, Offers DropinSavings extension

CD-DVD Burner

BurnAware Free - Ask toolbar
CDBurnerXP - OpenCandy [default installer]
ImgBurn - Uniblue desktop shortcuts

CD-DVD Emulation

Clip Art

Codecs /Splitters

K-Lite Codec Pack - StartNow toolbar
Media Player Codec Pack - Dealio toolbar, AnyDVD HD product recommendation
Win7codecs - Ask/Bing toolbar, WeatherBug

Desktop Publishing

DVD Ripper

Font Tools

Format Conversion

AnyVideo Converter - OpenCandy [RealPlayer], Browser ads after installation
Freemake Audio Converter - Facemoods toolbar
Freemake Video Converter - Facemoods toolbar
MediaCoder - OpenCandy
XRecode II - Nagware [product upgrade]

Graphics

HDR Software

Image Editor

FotoMix - Facemoods toolbar
FotoMorph - Facemoods toolbar
Photoscape - Google Chrome recommendation

Image Viewer

IrfanView - Recommends Google Chrome, Offers Uniblue Registry Booster in FAQ section after installation

Media Centre

Media Player

DivX Plus Free - Recommends DIVX Plus converter
GOM Player - Recommends GOM Video converter
JetAudio Basic - Ask toolbar, Free mp3 and trial pay service
Kantaris - OpenCandy [basic installer]
KMPlayer - OpenCandy, Ask toolbar, Pandora TV Service
Real Player Free - Browser download & record plugin
SPlayer - OpenCandy [basic installer]
Zoom Player Free - OpenCandy

Media Recorder

Music Creation

Music Player

MediaMonkey - Displays ads

Paint

Photo Organizer

Picassa - Offers search engine change, Displays Google ads [services]

Photo Slideshows

Radio

Screen Capture

PicPick - Babylon Toolbar / SweetIM
Screenshot Captor - Registration [Nagware]

Tag Editor

Minilyrics - Displays product upgrade [Nagware]

TV Viewer

Video Editor

Office and Productivity Freeware

Database

Family Tree Software

Finance Software

Math/Scientific Tools

Office Suite

PDF Reader

CoolPDF Reader - Displays MagicPDF ads

PDF Tools

PDF Writer

PIM

Presentation

Project Manager

Reminders

Schedulers/Contact

Software Suite

Spreadsheet

Text Editor

Word Processor

World Clock

What's New!

Date	Items added
2 Aug 2012	added Putty Enhanced, IncrediMail, FeedDemon, XRecode II
1 Aug 2012	added Pandora Recovery, Wise Registry Cleaner, Glary Utilities, Roboform, Secure Password Manager
9 Jul 2012	added xplorer2lite
9 Jun 2012	added FreeRIP, AIM, ICQ, Dexpot, QIP Infium, Trillian Astra
8 Jun 2012	added MediaMonkey, BitComet, Peazip, IZArc, CoolPDF

Suggestions and Comments!

Since this is a community driven service, your comments and suggestions are most welcome so that we can keep this list growing, and help each other to stay safe from adwares. You may post your comments below and better still, if you have got screenshots to prove and help us, post in this thread and you will be accredited in the Adware Guards section.

This article is maintained by volunteer editor George.J. Registered users can contact me here.