If you're in the habit of downloading software installers from CNET's Download.com, you may want to reconsider: The popular download site now wraps most of the software installers it hosts with opt-out bloatware.

Some people avoid any and all update notices—and you can't always blame them, given how many occur on the average computer. Reader Andrew Chandler suggests fixing their ignoring ways with the no-fuss Ninite installer and Task Scheduler automation.

Windows: If you're setting up a new system or helping a friend to see how much great free and open source software exists, ZeuAPP is a portable installation tool for nearly a hundred applications.

Ubuntu 9.10 only: Ubuntu Tweak, the all-in-one system modifier and software manager we've previously mentioned, has a new release out that improves the app installation process with a consolidated view, online app browsing and synchronisation, and adds a few other goodies.

Windows: Windows 7 install discs are edition-specific — if you've got a valid licence key, you still need the right disc for installation. The ei.cfg Removal Utility, however, lets you create a new, universal installation ISO for Windows 7.

Windows/Linux: One of the most irritating things about reinstalling your operating system is installing all the non-OS applications you love. Allmyapps lets you select all your favourite apps and roll them into a bulk installer to make rebuilding easy.

If you hate installing all your Firefox extensions, plugins and custom tweaks when you do a fresh system installation, Silence of the Foxes will build you a custom and silent Firefox installation.

Windows only: Hunting down application after application to fill a new computer with your favourite software can be a pain. Free application Smart Installer Pack makes it easy.

Windows only: Update Notifier isn't a new kind of software, but it is a rather straightforward and simple one that seems to Just Work—especially in its support for portable applications.

Next time you wipe your PC's hard drive clean and reinstall Windows with that old installation disc, you don't want to connect your fresh, unpatched and vulnerable system to the internet only to download 176 new updates from Microsoft. If your XP installation CD is older than 2004, once your system is online, you'll have to wait for hefty service packs to download, chained to your mouse while pushing the Next button, watching progress bars, and rebooting multiple times. Wouldn't it be better to start your installation, head out to run errands or grab coffee, and come back to an up-to-date system before your system gets online? It's possible, using some free software and a blank disc. After the jump, I'll show you how to create an automated, customised XP installation CD or DVD, that includes Microsoft's official-but-not-released Service Pack 3 for Windows XP.

Windows only: You'll often see a no-install, runs-from-its-own-executable program or utility get a special nod on this blog—and for good reason, as a jam-packed "Add/Remove" screen is not a pretty thing. But for those with a lot of one-use apps to wrangle and find, free utility ZipInstaller makes a lot of sense. It does what it sounds like—"installs" the files from their unpacked .zip archives to a dedicated spot, and makes their utilities accessible from the Start Menu (or Launchy or another favourite app-launcher). As the FreewareGenius blog points out, this has the added bonus of helping you remember you have the little guy available in the first place, rather than letting it collect dust in some corner of your Program Files folder. ZipInstaller is a free download for Windows systems only. ZipInstaller

One of the very few things that can remind a new Ubuntu Linux user of the long-ago days of ancient Windows is when the system asks for the installation CD or DVD to install a program or utility. That's because Ubuntu keeps the CD as an installation option by default, looking for it whenever a net connection isn't present. To keep CD begging at bay, the FOSSwire blog recommends the following:In Ubuntu (the normal Gnome version), go to System > Administration > Software Sources. On Kubuntu, head to the Adept Manager application, then go to Adept > Manage Repositories.Go to the Third Party Software tab Note: In Ubuntu 7.10, this option is in the "Ubuntu Software" tab insteadUncheck any entries starting with "cdrom," then reload software lists if promptedExperienced Linux users likely handle most of their software source editing in the command line, but this tweak should help prevent a few headaches for beginners.
Prevent Ubuntu asking for the CD to install packages