Spybot - Search & Destroy

Spybot - Search & Destroy

What is Spybot - Search & Destroy

"Spybot - Search & Destroy detects and removes spyware, a relatively new kind of threat not yet covered by common anti-virus applications. Spyware silently tracks your surfing behaviour to create a marketing profile for you that is transmitted without your knowledge to the compilers and sold to advertising companies. If you see new toolbars in your Internet Explorer that you haven't intentionally installed, if your browser crashes inexplicably, or if your home page has been "hijacked" (or changed without your knowledge), your computer is most probably infected with spyware. Even if you don't see the symptoms, your computer may be infected, because more and more spyware is emerging. Spybot-S&D is free, so there's no harm giving it a try to see if something has invaded your computer.

To see a list of threats Spybot-S&D can remove, in the navigation bar at the left click on Support --> Threats. For an introduction to Spybot-S&D, please read the tutorial. If you fear incompatibility with other software you are now using, although we can assure you that there is no danger you can review our compatibility overview which lists some software whose compatibility has been analyzed.

Spybot-S&D can also clean usage tracks, an interesting function if you share your computer with other users and don't want them to see what you have been working on. And for professional users, Spybot-S&D allows you to fix some registry inconsistencies and extended reports. A list of all the application's features is also available." (http://www.safer-networking.org/en/spybotsd/index.html)

Directions

Go to http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html to download spybot. And like all the software I will show you, it is all free.

Then you are going to install it.

Then, after your installation, it should look something like this:

Check For Problems

The main feature of spybot is its scan. It works just like a anti-virus program. But I use this in addition to my anti-virus scan because they seem to check different types of viruses.

Recovery

Recovery is a nifty thing that spybot can do. If you accidentally removed something, spybot can recover it. I have never used this feature. I try to be extra careful with my files and things on my computer, so I have never had a need to recover anything. So therefore I cannot give you any further input.

Immunize

Immunization allows you to take preventive measures against spyware by using methods inside your browser(s).

My Opinion

This is a great application to add to your daily scans of your computer, to keep your computer running great.

Revo Uninstaller

Revo Uninstaller

What is Revo Uninstaller?

"Revo Uninstaller helps you to uninstall software and remove unwanted programs installed on your computer even if you have problems uninstalling and cannot uninstall them from "Windows Add or Remove Programs" control panel applet.

Revo Uninstaller is a much faster and more powerful alternative to "Windows Add or Remove Programs" applet!

With its advanced and fast algorithm, Revo Uninstaller analyzes an application's data before uninstall and scans after you uninstall an application. After the program's regular uninstaller runs, you can remove additional unnecessary files, folders and registry keys that are usually left over on your computer. Even if you have a broken installation, Revo Uninstaller scans for an application's data on your hard disk drives and in the Windows registry and shows all found files, folders and registry keys so you can delete them.

With its unique "Hunter mode", Revo Uninstaller offers you some simple, easy to use, but effective and powerful methods for uninstalling software. You can use it to manage your installed and/or running software programs. " (http://www.revouninstaller.com/)

Directions

Go to http://www.revouninstaller.com/ to download revo. Again, this is all freeware, so there is no fear of getting in trouble with the law.

Then you install it.

After you install it, your opening screen should look like this:

Uninstaller

The main feature of this is the uninstaller. It will not only uninstall the program, which you can do with just your windows add/remove programs, it will also search your entire computer for files of the program left over after the uninstallation. Then it will search your registry for things that the program used and get rid of those as well.

Tools

Revo also has some cool tools that come with it. It has an autorun manager, just like ccleaner, which manages your startup programs. It also has all of the general windows tools build into it. These can be accessed without Revo but are build into it to make things simpler. I generally just use if for the unistaller, but it has these other tools for your convenience.

My Opinion

This is by far the best uninstalling program out there. And one of the huge benefits is that it will delete every aspect of the program you are trying to uninstall. It is one of the "five best windows maintenance tools." (http://lifehacker.com/) If you would like more information on this and other great windows optimizers go http://www.helium.com/items/1488117-how-to-accelerate-the-speed-of-your-pc or http://www.helium.com/items/1488197-common-computer-maintenance-mistakes or http://www.helium.com/items/1487090-revo-uninstaller or http://www.helium.com/items/1486682-optimize-my-computer.

CCleaner

CCleaner

What is CCleaner?

"CCleaner is a freeware system optimization, privacy and cleaning tool. It removes unused files from your system - allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space. It also cleans traces of your online activities such as your Internet history. Additionally it contains a fully featured registry cleaner. But the best part is that it's fast (normally taking less than a second to run) and contains NO Spyware or Adware! :)" (http://www.ccleaner.com/)

Directions

Go to http://www.ccleaner.com/ to download CCleaner. It is freeware, so there is no fear that you are stealing anything. It is completely legal.



Then you install it.
After you install it, your opening screen should look like this:

Cleaner

One of the main features of this is the cleaner. It removes your browsing history, empties your recycle bin, gets rid of temporary files, and other junk files. This should be run everyday. I run it everyday and I can get rid of around 100 megabytes of junk files. This will free up your hard drive space and also make your internet run faster because of less cookies and browsing history.

Registry

Another great feature of CCleaner is the registry cleaner. This checks for unused file extension and such. This will get rid of problems in your registry and make your computer run smoother.

Start up Manager

The start up manager is a common feature on many windows optimizers. CCleaner also implements this common but useful feature. It shows you all of the programs that you have running on your start up bar.

You can now get rid of, or delete, unnecessary start up programs. Some of your start up items could also be viruses. Be careful what you delete though. Some programs might not work if you delete the start up program.

My Opinion

CCleaner is one of the best windows optimizers. It will speed up your computer in seconds. As it says, it gets rid of unnecessary files, such as your internet browsing history. It is one of the "five best windows maintenance tools." (http://lifehacker.com/) If you would like more information on this and other great windows optimizers go http://www.helium.com/items/1488117-how-to-accelerate-the-speed-of-your-pc or http://www.helium.com/items/1488197-common-computer-maintenance-mistakes or http://www.helium.com/items/1487090-revo-uninstaller or http://www.helium.com/items/1486682-optimize-my-computer.