How do I download Picasa without getting an additional toolbar?

In this excerpt from
Answercast #82, I look at various ways to avoid toolbars when you are
downloading software from the internet.

]]>
<![CDATA[

Download is getting an additional toolbar

Well, possibly. To be honest, I’m not 100% sure – but here’s what I suggest.

One, make sure you are getting Picasa from the official site and only the official site. Do NOT get it from download sites. I don’t care how reputable they are, sometimes one of the ways they pay for their operation is by adding things like toolbars (or worse) to whatever it is they provide as a download.

Go to picasa.google.com and download it from there. That’s the official location for Picasa and the official location for the download.

Advanced download

Now, when you install that download, always (and this is actually true for anything you download and install anywhere from the internet), always choose the Advanced options or the Custom setup or whatever.

Do not choose Default. Do not choose Recommended Settings – because the default or recommended settings often include a toolbar.

Advanced options on reputable software (which Picasa absolutely is) should include the option to deselect or choose not to install any additional toolbars that might be offered as part of the installation.

Make sure to check every option, every advanced option, to be sure that you are in fact telling it “No, I don’t want any toolbars.”

Required toolbars

Finally, if after doing that you don’t find any options for the toolbars, and you’re absolutely positive you’re getting it from the official download site, then it is possible that the software is provided with the condition that you install this toolbar. I find that very unlikely, specifically from Google. Even though they would like you to use their toolbar, they very rarely force you to.

So, definitely check the options and the location from which you are downloading Picasa and I think you’ll find it should be fairly easy to sidestep the toolbars with a simple choice.

(Transcript lightly edited for readability.)