It Drives Me Mad
Don’t you just love it to find a lot of junk installed on you PC after you have installed one of these free programs?
They mostly have a dialog box to ask you if you want to install the third party software but sometimes there is not warning at all. Other times they hide to option to decline the offer so well that it is easily missed.
I have switched from Internet Explorer 8 to FireFox a few months ago. Yesterday I decided it was time to remove I E 8. While removing it, I was provided with a list of programs, installed since I E 8 was installed, warning me that these may no longer function. And true, a few of them did not work. I was left to re-install them. A few were of these free versions.
After reinstalling the not-functioning programs, the new unwanted applications started showing up; mostly downloaders, diagnostics and back-up utilities; popping up at the most impossible times.
I spent all morning getting rid of the thrash and the traces they leave behind. Uninstallers seldom remove everything and never clean up the registry behind them. Bad entries in the registry not only slows your PC but also may cause it to hang.
I run a very neat and carefully tended PC (internally) and don’t have a load of junk sitting on my hard drive.
I really think software vendors should be forced to display their intentions more clearly; not everybody has the know how to clean up afterwards.
We're getting closer, it is Wednesday.
Comments (62)
What a great idea.! This is something I should look at. I have always liked to keep a fish or two. I just got rid of my fish before I moved. The moment I get my own place again I will go hunting for a old monitor.
I'm in a dilemma. I don't like Win Vista, 7 or 8. I still use XP and at some stage I will have to bend the knee. When I bought my current laptop Windows 7 was the first to go. I like XP. The problem with Microsoft is that as soon as they have a platform working well, the bring out a new OS.
I have google chrome and have it set as my de-fault browser ...explorer is dead slow and no point using it ...but if I uninstall it ...windows update will downloaded and reinstall it ...
Microsoft changes their system every couple of years so that you have to purchase new software and usually a computer to run it on.
Can't win for losing.
Just as well that Microsoft does not own the alphabet. They would have upgraded that to a long time ago. The have a knack to replace good working things with a replacement full of bugs.
My biggest problem is that I have a lot of self-written software on my Laptop and most of it wont work under the newer platforms. I'm seriously thinking of getting off the Microsoft bus. Linux is stable and does not change all the time; and all my own stuff will run under it. What is more is that Linux is open source and can be modified. A lot of my stuff can then be imbedded within the operating system.
As I said to Virgo, Linux seems to be the answer to me. It works easy and runs much smoother than Windows. More importantly, it is free to use on non-business applications.
It is about the worst thing you can do to your PC is to run two different virus scanners on it. They use different techniques to achieve the same job and they will undo the work of the other, thinking it is the work of a virus. It will keep your PC much busier while they spend their time undoing each other.
The only way to learn is to fiddle. You cannot claim to be an expert before you have not crashed you OS a few times. Just always make sure your data is backed up. Reloading a PC is not difficult and you will soon learn enough that way. All you need to know for starters is how to setup your PC to boot from a CD or DVD.
yes I was easy with XP though...
Have a Beautiful day kitten
I have a good friend who is the tech guru for a large company. He recommended AVAST anti-virus as one of the best on the market. It is free to download on your computer. They have a free program and a premium program. I have used it for years. I have tried Norton and McAfee and they are not as good. I hope this helps.
I have found the newer platforms gave me less freedom and wanted to do the things for me; not always with the right results. I like to fine-tune and fiddle with the inner workings of my machine and they wont allow me that.
Being in the 'trade' I was always able to secure modern used PCs and therefor my daughters allays had their own computers. I did not prevent them from scratching and did not help them much either. I only pointed them in the right direction from time to time. They can both repair their PCs today and are considered to be experts by their friends.
Yes. Avast certainly rate amongst the best. I have used the free version for many years before I upgraded to the premium version last year. I will recommend it to everybody.
When it comes to computers ,Im Homer Simpson and thats why I installed linux ...
When I was a student, I got C in computer. I was a computer geek. I know people change. But not me. I don't change even a bit. I am still a computer geek..
Well, enjoy your Wednesday and have fun with your software..
How long have you been using Linux and how do you get on with with it?
its a free OS so no AV needed ...You can even upload Lunux simultaneously on your PC while windows is running on C ,linux on D, or you can try it out on a flash stick
Works perfectly for my needs ( Im not a gamer)
Yes, I suppose we can (and must) shift it off to experts at work but no expert or geek is going to touch a computer in my possession.
You are a computer expert yourself. No need help from another expert.. I suppose.
I have Linux on a flash drive and have played with it a bit. When and if I opt for Linux, Windows will have to go. I don't want two platforms on my laptop.
That is why NOTHING on my laptop updates automatically. I do it manually once a month. The only exception is the Avast virus definition database which is downloaded whenever it becomes available. Not eve Avast updates automatically.
But back to Firefox, I'm very happy with it. The only problem is whenever it is updated all my settings are back to the default settings and I have to go through all of them again.
Also! You can go into your> Add & Delete program.
And delete the programs, that you don't want in there.
PS; The programs that, you see popping up.
Anyway! go onto the folders files. Then delete them too. Then if they is on your front screen. Delete them to!
I downloaded Skype from the internet and I cannot remember exactly how many extra things I deleted from my computer. Yeah....a bit ridiculous....but free and a pain in the rear. :)
I cannot say that Firefox is really faster than IE in my experience but it has so many extras not found with IE. When IE is slow, it usually is not optimized properly for the conditions on your machine. I run my computers like warships and fine tune them all the time. The registry is the heart of Windows and any problem there will slow certain applications. There are a few great optimizers available on the Internet and some of them are free; working well enough to undo their own installation damage.
The registry should be defragmented just like the hard drive from time to time.
You you know how much those American attorneys charge per hour? It will be cheaper to learn how to cope with these problems.
Not everybody is clued up as you are. If they delete the wrong files, or even worse a folder full of files they may cause more problems than the unwanted applications.
Now you must imagine all the residual stuff, created by the installation of those, that were not removed by the uninstall procedure.