Products · Broad category
Software installers
Raised as a usability problem by 18 people on Hacker News over 17 years (2010–2026), in 17 threads.
This is a broad category rather than one product, so its issues aren't ranked on the home page.
No issue was raised by at least 3 people in 3 threads this year.
No issue was raised by at least 3 people in 3 threads in the last 5 years.
Every issue, all time, most people first
Installers slip in unwanted extra software people click through unreadUnreviewed
20102026- Installers slip in unwanted extra software that users click through without reading2023-06-16
- Users unknowingly install extra programs via pre-selected, vaguely worded checkboxes2023-04-18
- Installers use different UIs and users can't find where programs ended up2021-09-17
Default-checked boxes install unwanted bundled extrasUnreviewed
20102026- Annoying settings hidden in advanced section, pre-toggled to add unwanted extras2022-07-25
- Default and checkbox states are swapped so users unintentionally opt in to extras2022-07-05
- Bundled extras hidden behind checkboxes caused unwanted installs and forced a reinstall2019-05-08
Unreviewed issues were grouped by machine: Claude Haiku labelled each comment as a usability complaint, named what it's about and summed up the problem in a line, and a small model grouped similar problems. Nobody has checked them by hand. Expect mistakes.
The newest 18 complaints
- Installers leave a mess that is hard to keep track of and clean up2026-09-27
- Installer log scrolls by too fast to review or revisit later2026-04-06
- Installers slip in unwanted extra software that users click through without reading2023-06-16
- Users unknowingly install extra programs via pre-selected, vaguely worded checkboxes2023-04-18
- Annoying settings hidden in advanced section, pre-toggled to add unwanted extras2022-07-25
- Default and checkbox states are swapped so users unintentionally opt in to extras2022-07-05
- Installers use different UIs and users can't find where programs ended up2021-09-17
- Installs fail with incomprehensible error messages that users cannot act on2020-04-29
- Bundled extras hidden behind checkboxes caused unwanted installs and forced a reinstall2019-05-08
- Chrome install option is pre-checked or hidden in text, easy to miss2019-01-23
- Installers hide unwanted offers among next-next-next dialogs, so users click through them by mistake2018-01-03
- Labelled 'Advanced Users' option scares people off, so they accept bundled bloatware by default2016-12-06
- Non-techies misclick through many install steps and pick the wrong download2016-02-12
- Users can't understand or don't read consent dialogs disclosing bundled adware2016-02-12
- Default-checked boxes install bundled extras people don't understand or want2015-04-09
- Apps scatter files into hidden folders and registry, so saved games are hard to find2013-02-06
- Installers sneak in unwanted bundled programs, toolbars and sponsored software2013-01-22
- Installers hide advanced settings, so users can't override bundled or implicit defaults easily2010-11-29