Earlier today, I noticed someone spamming here about free ringtone downloads. I didn't click on his website, because I won't encourage those type of people here at FT. Thankfully his/her account was toasted before it was here long. But my question is about the free downloads that you see advertised all over the place. How can you tell if a site is reputable? I download ringtones, but I only do it from my telephone company and I'm charged for each tone. Does anybody here take advantage of those free downloads? And can they cause any problems with telephones or computers when downloaded?

If this has already been discussed, please forgive me.

I'm skeptical about sites like that. I would probably just go to the issuer's site (AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, etc) and get them from there.

Although the following opinions/words aren't aimed at any sites specifically, I hope they may help with general safety. My phone still has the default ringtone I bought it with .

It should be possible to do some research by typing a few choice keywords in a search engine. A policy I apply to downloads is to type the name of the software and accompany it with words such as 'spyware - virus - trojan - sucks'. 'Sucks' not a word I use myself but many do when describing software they dislike. Other similar derogatory words can be typed. If there is anything bad about a download, those words will usually find opinions or articles that tell you about it. If nothing much comes up, then perhaps the download is OK. That practice could also be used for researching specific sites. Even if you trust a site, it's always best to scan downloads for viruses before installing anything (i.e. right-click on a downloaded file and choose 'scan for viruses').

You could also consider installing McAfee SiteAdvisor. This is a free browser add-on for checking the safety of sites you are on. If you use Google, Yahoo or MSN for searches, it will also give search results a safety rating that can be seen before clicking on site links.

One trouble these days is 'drive-by' malware. This means that malware can install on a computer without any interaction. It gets onto the computer by merely visiting a site with malicious code embedded into a web page. Another method used is that a site may try to trick you into installing some malware by saying it's something legitimate needed to view the page content. This should be assessed (researched) for safety before letting it install. I read that even reputable download sites can become unwittingly infiltrated by malware.

One safety net against malicious content is a small utility that I think I've metioned here before. 'Sandboxie' keeps the browser in an isolated environment (called a 'sandbox'). This stops any malware from infecting the computer system files. If any malware is picked up while browsing, it can be easily and completely got rid of by emptying the sandbox. Sandboxie is a free program but it periodically displays a nag screen after 30 days of use.

Thanks, TW. Like Dave said, I'll just stick to downloading from my phone company. But I'm going to check out Sandboxie and McAfee since I don't have either one.

I just avoid them altogether...though maybe I'll try using some of tellywellies's tips.

If you're talking about the ones you see advertised on TV, they're generally not free. If you can, try and read the fine print - it usually says it's a subscription service, so they're really not free.

I would just stick to the ones from your phone company.