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6 free Windows programs to fix and prevent PC problems on your own
Here are six (seventeen, really, but some are grouped) simple applications that will help - and they're all free for personal use!
1. PC Decrapifier - A lot of people that drop their systems off for repair say "take out any programs that don't need to be there." Well, that's exactly the kind of crud Decrapifier is designed to get rid of. It compares the programs on your system to a list of known bloatware (Wikipedia definition) and simplifies the removal process.
2. Malware Bytes - Those annoying popups you're getting? The weird pages you see when you try to search for something in your browser? Malware Bytes does a great job at removing the pests that cause those problems. It's usually the first program I run on horribly bogged-down computers. After a scan, clean, and reboot, they're usually much more cooperative.
3. Glary Utilities - The one-click maintenance mode in Glary is a wonderfully simple way for even non-technical users to keep their systems tuned. It tackles all kinds of tasks, from removing temporary file garbage and broken shortcuts to tuning up your registry.
One note: download the slim version to avoid the Ask Toolbar. You can opt out of it during the regular install, but slim removes it altogether.
4. Macrium Reflect or XXClone - No one wants to lose data when they drop off a system for repair. An easy way to make sure that doesn't happen? Fire up one of these programs and copy your entire drive to another hard drive (say, an external USB one).
5. A good antivirus program - Don't keep ignoring that alert from Norton that your subscription has expired. Surfing without up-to-date protection is a bad idea, especially when you can protect yourself for free. The link will take you to a previous rundown I put together of 10 programs that provide antivirus protection for your Windows system. None of them cost a dime.
Of the ten on the list, I recommend AVG, Avast, Comodo, and Rising Antivirus. If you're ok with beta (testing) software, Microsoft Security Essentials is worth a look, too.
6. Web of Trust - Savvy users might know what to watch out for online, but not everyone does. WOT (available as a plugin for Firefox and Internet Explorer) gives casual users a leg up by providing safety ratings for the websites you're browsing and links on search engines. Bad sites are flagged with a red circle, and you'll receive a full page, in-your-face warning should you accidentally wander somewhere you shouldn't.
Got another great, free application you recommend to friends and family? Share it in the comments, and let's empower some users!
Comments
26
Subscribe to commentsGymJun 25th 2009 8:14AM
@Lee
Absolutely agree on installing blindly. 1 oz prevention v 1lb cure. Teach users to read what it says before hitting OK. Unfortunately so many applications give "OK" pop-ups so often that users have become conditioned to hitting OK.
Admittedly tests are not the real world, but NOD32 as not missed an "in the wild" sample on the Virus Bulletin test since 1998. And it's generally seen as the best test in the industry. (BTW you need to register to see all the content on their site.) IMV, good AV is one of the few categories of software worth paying for, and I only want to pay for one. Running two side by side is asking for trouble anyway. I'm in the UK, and MS Security Essentials is not yet available here, but from what I've seen so far on this site it looks very promising.
Re. the things that MSSE caught that NOD32 didn't: I've seen some AV flag "malware" that I would not call malware, just because the program has a potential for malicious use. The SysInternals (now MS) PsTools suite is a case in point.
davidJun 25th 2009 8:42AM
Yes, but what if there was one such program that offered most of the services mentioned above in one package...
Gardiner WestboundJun 25th 2009 9:27AM
All in one programs are not my first choice. I prefer programs that do one thing, and do it well.
GymJun 25th 2009 10:13AM
Is there really any product that does all these things anyway? Lee's right. Don't get the crud on there in the first place, and it doesn't take too many things to do that.
I tend to favour the one-job-one-tool approach as the tools tend to be better in each case. That has long been the philosophy in the Unix world, which is much more mature than Windows. But an all-in-one tool has the merit of being be easier, simpler and cheaper - if you can live with it not being up to scratch in all areas.
In my prevention suggestions, I should also have mentioned Windows SteadyState as a solution for some instances. Set up a clean machine, install what's needed, then set up SteadyState, and thereafter a reboot will get you back to your clean config. User preferences and data can be preserved, and you can allow patching and some other updates to work, while wiping all the junk off automagically on reboot. Perfect for public computers, but useful in other cases too.
RyanJun 27th 2009 9:52AM
I'm still waiting for a Windows-7 compatible version of Comodo IS. Hopefully it won't take too long for a release candidate or something.
AL BelangerAug 12th 2009 5:46PM
Three fantastic free programs are: 1) Win Patrol {Controls programs from starting without your ok.} 2) Belarc {Tells you everything about your system as far as security updates and software that is on your computer and where they are on in your files.} 3) Revo Uninstaller {This program will find tidbits of info and crap left over from uninstalls and delete them}