The Underside of Using Movie-viewing Apps on Your Computer.

Everyone loves getting something free; especially if it works. This is especially so if the item is a free application that lets a user view the latest movies for free on their home computer. App stores are now awash with a variety of these programs, from classic Hollywood and tv movies to the latest in-cinema fare. Movie fans are voraciously downloading these programs despite the ongoing opposition of movie distributors and the Justice Department. Make no mistake: the war is on!

Times and methods are swiftly changing in this battle between movie distributors and movie-app developers. Each side keeps dreaming up new and more effective ways to counteract each other. Caught in the middle of this war are the unsuspecting app-users who are simply trying to watch movies. The Justice Department believes that these people are criminals, and as such, deserve to be prosecuted. App developers, on the other hand, argue that these programs benefit movie distributors and moviegoers equally. They advertise the work of movie-makers and enable movie-goers to wisely buy their big-screen experiences.

Regardless of the merits of either claimant, these applications have now become hot-beds of danger for users. Many of them are now being used to compromise the computers of unsuspecting users. Users find themselves directed to pages offering to upgrade their viewing programs for free or to update their apps. Some of these offers are so insistent that they don't take no for answer and will hold a computer hostage unless the user shuts down the computer or agrees to download the offer. Others find that ads have taken over their computers with no way to shut them off, or that the movie they tried to watch is drowned out by annoying sounds from unknown sources.

Based on experience, my advice to users of these apps: NEVER DOWNLOAD OR ACCEPT ANY OF THESE OFFERS !!! These are virus and malware-laden files which will immediately affect your computer. If your computer becomes unresponsive when you encounter one of these pages, RESTART OR TURN OFF YOUR COMPUTER. These programs can only hurt you if you download or install them. Always remember that every program is a series of instructions that must be loaded into your computer's RAM before it can become active. After restarting your computer, check your download folder for any new, suspicious files and delete them. Scan your computer with your antivirus and malware software to ensure that all is well.