Post by Keith Heitmann on Apr 19, 2002 1:45:48 GMT -5
I want to have a thread where we can post info about trusted and reliable programs and utilities that make our computing lives much easier.
Please only recommend something you have tried or actually use on a regular basis.
To start the ball rolling I want to recommend a nice little utlity program I mentioined in the Defrag Looping thread called PC Magazine's Startup Cop 1.01 I have been using it for nearly six months now and it functions like a champ.
Description
When Windows starts up, it automatically launches a number of programs for you. Some of these come from the Startup folder. Windows also looks in six other locations for files that should be launched at startup. Startup Cop helps you handle problems with programs that are automatically launched at startup by listing them and letting you disable, enable, or delete them. You can save the list of programs that are currently enabled or disabled as a profile that can be restored at a later time. Startup Cop was written by Neil J. Rubenking, and first appeared in PC Magazine April 20, 1999 (v18n08 ).
The next program removes spyware, adware etc. from your temporary internet files, cookies, and registry files cutting down on advertiser tracking of your internet usage. It is called Ad-Aware From Lavasoftware USA. I've been using this program for nearly a year and it routinely finds and deletes ad files and even executables that advertisers dump on your hard drive to keep track of me. I highly recommend this piece of freeware. Don't use the internet without it!
Periodically you have to download a new reflist.sig file and copy it to your Ad Aware folder to keep it up to date on the latest changes and new adware being used.
Description
Our editors say:
Adware is known by many names--spyware, trackware, or even Big Brotherware. While producers of adware claim its purpose is merely to collect information about Internet habits in order to deliver ads tailored to a surfer's interests, privacy advocates are concerned about the potential misuse of this data. Where does it come from? Most likely it was installed alongside that free software widget that you downloaded just last week, without you even noticing.
Ad-aware identifies and removes these surreptitiously installed applications. Using updateable "reflists," which are sort of like antivirus DAT files, Ad-aware scours your system--including Registry and temporary Internet files--and looks for traces of recognized adware modules. When it's finished searching, it displays a list of what it found and lets you select the items you'd like to remove from your system. And when coupled with its companion program, RefUpdate, you're always assured of using the most comprehensive list of adware to search for. The main drawback is that some ad-supported programs, such as GoZilla Free, will no longer function if you remove their ad modules. If privacy is your main concern, Ad-aware will help keep you anonymous on the Web.
The latest release detects even more adware modules and includes several minor fixes and improvements.
Please only recommend something you have tried or actually use on a regular basis.
To start the ball rolling I want to recommend a nice little utlity program I mentioined in the Defrag Looping thread called PC Magazine's Startup Cop 1.01 I have been using it for nearly six months now and it functions like a champ.
Description
When Windows starts up, it automatically launches a number of programs for you. Some of these come from the Startup folder. Windows also looks in six other locations for files that should be launched at startup. Startup Cop helps you handle problems with programs that are automatically launched at startup by listing them and letting you disable, enable, or delete them. You can save the list of programs that are currently enabled or disabled as a profile that can be restored at a later time. Startup Cop was written by Neil J. Rubenking, and first appeared in PC Magazine April 20, 1999 (v18n08 ).
The next program removes spyware, adware etc. from your temporary internet files, cookies, and registry files cutting down on advertiser tracking of your internet usage. It is called Ad-Aware From Lavasoftware USA. I've been using this program for nearly a year and it routinely finds and deletes ad files and even executables that advertisers dump on your hard drive to keep track of me. I highly recommend this piece of freeware. Don't use the internet without it!
Periodically you have to download a new reflist.sig file and copy it to your Ad Aware folder to keep it up to date on the latest changes and new adware being used.
Description
Our editors say:
Adware is known by many names--spyware, trackware, or even Big Brotherware. While producers of adware claim its purpose is merely to collect information about Internet habits in order to deliver ads tailored to a surfer's interests, privacy advocates are concerned about the potential misuse of this data. Where does it come from? Most likely it was installed alongside that free software widget that you downloaded just last week, without you even noticing.
Ad-aware identifies and removes these surreptitiously installed applications. Using updateable "reflists," which are sort of like antivirus DAT files, Ad-aware scours your system--including Registry and temporary Internet files--and looks for traces of recognized adware modules. When it's finished searching, it displays a list of what it found and lets you select the items you'd like to remove from your system. And when coupled with its companion program, RefUpdate, you're always assured of using the most comprehensive list of adware to search for. The main drawback is that some ad-supported programs, such as GoZilla Free, will no longer function if you remove their ad modules. If privacy is your main concern, Ad-aware will help keep you anonymous on the Web.
The latest release detects even more adware modules and includes several minor fixes and improvements.
