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PC Utility favorites

So far, I like the way this Webroot is working, efficient and clean.
 
I use PC Tools Antivirus, Ad-Aware, Super AntiSpyware and Spyware Terminator.
 
What do you recommend for determining if there's a keystroke tracking program in your computer?
 
PC Utility favorites

I know there are some techy types here, and I used to be one, but it's been quite a long time. What are your favorite apps & utilities? Free & paid. But obviously everyone likes the 'F' word better.

I currently use Avast antivirus. I used it years ago, and forgot about it until it was mentioned here.

I'm going to start looking for good:

anti - spyware/malware/grayware
office suites
browsers - firefox is great but extremely slow to open
photo editors

What else do you PC users use that perhaps the rest of us are unaware of? I'm gonna start saving for a mac-mini, but I will have to deal with PC's for some time until I can afford to get MAC throughout the house.
 
I use Avast too, and also spybot - seach and destroy to prevent malware.

Office - OpenOffice is free
browsers- Google Chrome is fast
photo editor - Picassa (from google)
music - Audacity
Home Theater - XBMC
 
I use PC Tools Antivirus, CCleaner by Piriform, Lavasoft Anti-Spyware, Super Anti Spyware, Auslogics Disk Defrag and Spyware Blaster. I also use HotSpot Shield when I am on a public Wi-Fi.

I use Open Office instead of Microsoft Office and Firefox and IE8 for browsing. I use Chrome for some things.

Probably a few other things I am forgetting right now.
 
That's two votes for Chrome. I tried it when it first came out, and I just didn't like it much. No real reason, just didn't care for it. Perhaps it's time for me to try it again?
 
mdbuschsr said:
That's two votes for Chrome. I tried it when it first came out, and I just didn't like it much. No real reason, just didn't care for it. Perhaps it's time for me to try it again?
Click to expand...

It's also more secure than Firefox and IE. It's newer and hasn't been targeted as much yet. Also the way it's built and operates makes it more secure.
Google Chrome Security
 
mdbuschsr said:
That's two votes for Chrome. I tried it when it first came out, and I just didn't like it much. No real reason, just didn't care for it. Perhaps it's time for me to try it again?
Click to expand...

Well, 1-1/2 really. I don't use it for much, just once in a while. I check my Gmail on it and some other stuff.
 
Rancho_Golfer said:
It's also more secure than Firefox and IE. It's newer and hasn't been targeted as much yet. Also the way it's built and operates makes it more secure.
Google Chrome Security
Click to expand...

But will it try to take over everything on my POS PC? Microsoft has itself so ingrained into every piece of sw on a PC these days it's hard to get away from them. I just wonder if Google isn't trying the same thing.
 
I prefer Firefox for the amount of add-ons I can use with it.

I also like Glary Utils for a quick cleanup of temp files and reg entries, and Malwarebytes to get rid of Malware/Adware.
 
Mostly used PC Utilities:

MS Office 2007
O&O Defrag (constantly monitoring for HD defragging)
MS Security Essentials
Tuneup Utilities (constantly monitoring for all other issues minus defragging HD)
AnyDVD

Firefox
 
the_paulo said:
I prefer Firefox for the amount of add-ons I can use with it.

I also like Glary Utils for a quick cleanup of temp files and reg entries, and Malwarebytes to get rid of Malware/Adware.
Click to expand...

Forgot about Malwarebytes. It's an awesome program!
 
Opera
Avira
Comodo firewall
Threatfire
Sophos
Open office
Ccleaner
Superantispyware

Here is a great site that reviews and rates freeware

http://www.techsupportalert.com/
 
Thunderbird mail client
Firefox
Google Calendar
Gimp photo editor
Comodo AV/Firewall
Norton Security suite
Threatfire AV

Here's PC Mag's annual 'Best Free Software List' for 2010. I refer to this list annually when it comes out as well as throughout the year
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2361896,00.asp
 
I've never liked Norton. It's always the first thing I delete off of any new system I get. It's stubborn about leaving your system too!
 
Smallville said:
I've never liked Norton. It's always the first thing I delete off of any new system I get. It's stubborn about leaving your system too!
Click to expand...

There was a time when Norton was OK, but it just plain bloatware now. I like Thunderbird, but Firefox takes a month and a half to open. As much as I worry about google (gmail, calendar Chrome, etc) trying to take over the world, their stuff opens quick and seem stable.
 
mdbuschsr said:
I know there are some techy types here, and I used to be one, but it's been quite a long time. What are your favorite apps & utilities? Free & paid. But obviously everyone likes the 'F' word better.

I currently use Avast antivirus. I used it years ago, and forgot about it until it was mentioned here.

I'm going to start looking for good:

anti - spyware/malware/grayware
office suites
browsers - firefox is great but extremely slow to open
photo editors

What else do you PC users use that perhaps the rest of us are unaware of? I'm gonna start saving for a mac-mini, but I will have to deal with PC's for some time until I can afford to get MAC throughout the house.
Click to expand...

Since this is what I do for a living, I thought I would put in my 2 cents with what I use on a daily basis.

Anti-malware - Malwarebytes and Superantispyware - Both free
File and registry cleanup - Ccleaner - free
Defrag - Auslogics Disk Defrag
Anti-virus - McAfee or MS Security Essentials
Internet browser - IE8
Office Suite - Microsoft Office 2007
Photo editor - Photoshop
 
I have only been using Google Chrome for the last 24 hours or so but I am, so far, really liking it. Opens like lightning and with the extensions available, I get similar usability to Firefox.

I have started my MAC savings account, and I hope I can get a refurbed Mac-Mini before too long. But I will have to deal with windoze, and other MS software for some time to come. The rest of of my house will be on PC based SW until I can afford to replace all existing machines. I know Mac will eventually have the same issues that PC has but hopefully I can get a good few years of worry free use before that happens.
 
I've always been a fan of firefox, but the current version really is a lot slower than the new Chrome. I didn't like chrome from the start either, but a few weeks ago I got tired of firefox and IE taking to long to pull up websites (aka this one lol) so I switched to Chrome and haven't looked back. Its funny how IE 8 seems to be based on Firefox while the new IE 9 looks just like Chrome lol. The flavor of the month I guess.

I've used AVG free for a while, and Lavasoft Ad-aware, decent stuff.
 
Chrome kept crashing on me after I switched to it from Firefox a few months ago but now I'm back to FF. A litle slower, yes, but more reliable imo
 
I'm trying the Beta IE9 right now.
 
I just loaded up Windows Live Mail. I'll try it out for a while to see how I like it (or, don't like it!)
 
I have been using Chrome almost exclusively for the last few days, and I have to admit, I'm really liking it a LOT. It is very quick to open. Like a second or two compared to 30-45 seconds (AT LEAST) for FF. The pop-up blocker extension seems to work better than anything I used with FF. I was a fan of Opera for a while but there were just too many issues for me with compatibility on different sites I frequented with it. The only way I would go back to IE is if they shipped me a SeeMore putter first.

Avast is really showing positive results so far. I'm not getting any false positives, and it doesn't shut me out of sites like Trend did.
Malewarebytes I'm still unsure on. I would expect that I'd have at least something 'gray' by now given my surfing habits, but it hasn't found anything yet. Perhaps Avast is knocking it down?
 
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