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A download manager is a type of software that manages the downloading of files from the Internet, which may be built into a web browser, or as a standalone program.

Functions

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A download manager manages files being downloaded from the internet.[1] Download managers break down files into multiple chunks for faster download speeds and allocate resources for downloading multiple items simultaneously.[2] Failed downloads can also be restarted from a download manager.[3] Download managers may be separate programs or may be built into web browsers or other programs, such as Firefox's and Telegram's built-in download managers.[4][5]

Criticism

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Download managers are occasionally used to spread malware or advertisements onto a user's computer. For example, the download page for Free Download Manager was hacked and used to spread malware on Linux devices from 2020 to 2022.[6][7] Other download managers have been noted to contain advertisements, be identified as malware by antivirus software, or attempt to install unwanted software during installation.[8][9]

References

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  1. ^ Meier, Reto; Lake, Ian (2018-08-23). Professional Android. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-118-94954-2.
  2. ^ "Definition of download manager". PCMAG. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
  3. ^ Agarwal, Shubham (2019-06-13). "Do You Need a Download Manager on Android? The 3 Best Apps Worth Trying". MUO. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
  4. ^ Yeow, Cheah Chu (2005). Firefox Secrets. SitePoint Pty Ltd. ISBN 978-0-9752402-4-3.
  5. ^ Neowin ·, Paul Hill (2024-04-14). "How to use Telegram's well-hidden download manager". Neowin. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
  6. ^ Das, Ankush (2023-09-13). "Linux Malware! Read This If You Use Free Download Manager". It's FOSS News. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
  7. ^ Craig Hale (2023-09-13). "This free download manager site actually just redirected Linux users to malware for years". TechRadar. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
  8. ^ Fisher, Tim (2023-11-09). "8 Best Free Download Managers". Lifewire. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
  9. ^ Sharma, Ax (2022-09-24). "Fake Chrome extension 'Internet Download Manager' has 200,000 installs". BleepingComputer. Retrieved 2024-04-14.