How to download files safely

I have discovered a Web site that allows free downloads of programs such as WinZip. How do I find out if sites like this are legitimate and if the software is safe?

T.W.

A: The only way to be sure you're getting safe software is to pay for it.

"Generally speaking, there's no such thing as a free lunch," said Jeff Crume, a security expert for IBM. "Sites that offer free versions of software normally available only for a fee may deliver a lot more than you bargained for."

Although the software might just be a pirated version of the real thing, it also can come with viruses or spyware included.

That's why the next best thing to buying it is to make sure you have up-to-date security software that screens all downloads for trouble. Most allow you to manually start a scan of the files you have just downloaded, in addition to providing ongoing protection. Crume also suggests having your system run a complete scan of the entire hard disk on a daily or weekly basis, just to be sure.

He points out that you should run spyware programs such as Ad-Aware or Spybot, too, since virus scanners often miss those threats.

That's not to say there isn't plenty of legitimate, useful free software out there, frequently called "freeware." Your best bet is to download it from a well-known Web site.

Crume recommends SourceForge.net, which provides 100,000 free software projects that make their source code available for those inclined to comb through it. It's the techiest and most intimidating of the sites I'll mention.

You also might consider Tucows.com, which bills itself as "the original software download site." The site hosts more than 40,000 software programs for Windows, Mac, Linux and PDAs, and it claims that they all have been tested for viruses and spyware.

Finally, my husband swears by Download.com, a division of the tech review site CNET. Download also screens its software for viruses and spyware, but it warns that it can't guarantee that its products are 100 percent free of adware.

You'll come up with a plethora of options if you search for "zip" on any of the three.

It's easiest to find other users' reviews of the software on the Download site. Tucows and Sourceforge both have forums, but it might take a few extra steps to find what you're looking for. On the other hand, the forums are handy ways to call on other geeks' expertise if you have trouble or questions about a particular download.

Finally, on Tucows and Download, you can also find "shareware," or software that's free to try for a certain period of time or number of uses.

Q: Whenever someone sends me a QuickTime video or link and I try to play it, all I get is the Quicktime symbol in the middle of the screen with a question mark in the middle of it. How do I fix it?

C.C., Raleigh

A: Several things could be interfering with QuickTime's operation, says Todd Haugland, a senior consultant for WorkSmart, an information technology support and consulting firm in Durham. The problem might be that QuickTime doesn't know the file formats that you are trying to play or that there's a problem with the installation or configuration.

But rather than trying to fix QuickTime, he suggests bypassing it and using another media player that supports .mov files. He suggests the freeware Media Player Classic. The player is easiest to find at Download.com, and it's also available at SourceForge.net (look for it under the publisher's name, Guliverkli, and then click on the tab for downloads).

Unfortunately, Media Player Classic is just for PCs. If you have a Mac, the freeware sites have a number of options, including the highly-rated VLC Media Player at Download.

Bottom line, you're not forced to use QuickTime if it isn't working for you.