Best way to install a program? Custom Installation!!

By far, the most common way to get malware on your computer is by unintentionally installing it while installing another program.  Solution?  Simple, never select the recommended installation.   In almost all cases, the program you are installing will also install something else.  Most likely something you do not want or need and in the worse cases, a program that is essentially malware.  Some of the programs you will see is the Ask Toolbar or McAfee Security Scan.  There are many others, but those are the common ones.  One  way to avoid all the pain is to select a Custom Installation.  Sometimes it will be labeled advanced or something of the like.  Select this and you should see a list of everything that is to be installed.  They will all have a checkmark next to it.  You will typically see the program you actually want listed first and then others afterwards.  Simply uncheck all the programs that you do not want or recognize and proceed.  This is probably the simplest way to avoid installing unwanted programs.