Category Archives: Software

Why Should You Buy Antivirus Software?

Before we discuss antivirus software it is important to understand what a virus is. A virus basically comprises a small program, a macro or a script designed to interfere with the normal functioning of a computer in various ways. At the grass root level these mischievous entities gain entry into our computers through external storage devices such as floppies, compact discs etc. However, with the advent of the internet, viruses now have a much easier way to infiltrate our PCs. All that the warped mind of a virus programmer has to do now is write the necessary code and introduce it into the internet system via an e-mail or other web enabled procedure. The online network means the virus can infiltrate literally billions of PCs in a short period of time. Days, or perhaps weeks later, the virus gets identified and a battery of coders or software professionals get down to building the vaccine to quell the code. Another change to the virus landscape is that they are now largely used to profit financially by stealing valuable information whereas before maximum disruption was the aim.

Pleasure of proving someone wrong

Software companies often come out with inflated claims about the security of their latest creations which exaggerations of virus proof protection all to common. They claim that it is impregnable and that users will enjoy an uninterrupted experience when using the software. This is what generally kicks off the war. World over, there are people, mostly teenagers and those in their twenties who fancy breaking into the secure environment created by the big players in the software industry. They may not do this for any monetary gains, but to derive pleasure from being able to unsettle the claims made by the big names.

Best antivirus downloads. Are free ones ok?
In order to combat viruses it has now become necessary for PCs users to protect themselves and not rely on their operating system and software to do it all. In response to this need there is naturally a large number of anti virus downloads available on the internet; some are good, some are bad and some will do you more harm than the original virus. You will also need to decide if you need to buy antivirus software or just get a free version.

Like with most things, those that charge a fee are usually better although this is not always the case. However, it is worth noting that a major impediment with several free downloads is that many of them do not have an uninstall facility. This means that once you have chosen to install the free anti virus program and you will find it difficult to migrate to another version later. You will either have to leave both on your hard drive or reformat your hard disk.

Another important factor is the lack of continuing support from the free providers, particularly regular updates. Viruses keep sprouting every second and if the provider does not update the software for the new viruses almost on daily basis, your computer security may be compromised. You should consider these two points carefully before deciding you want to save a bit of money and opt for the free versions.

Carl Robinson is a software reviewer from the UK. He writes a series of antivirus software articles for Best Antivirus Downloads

Should You Buy Antivirus Software Or Get A Free Version?

Computers have become so important in so many parts of our personal and professional life that it is very important to safeguard the data stored in them against viruses which are designed to destroy or steal it.

However, many people take this very lightly and never think twice about the damage that can be caused by such viruses. Others may consider antivirus software but then opt for a free version rather than paying for it. What they do not realize is that even these free antivirus downloads might be spam or can inject virus into the system.

The free versions that are not malicious in their intent may however be very ineffective in detecting and destroying viruses. Much antivirus freeware is outdated and not powerful enough to fight the virus or remove it fully from the system.

Keeping this in mind many software companies are trying to cash in on the demand for a good antivirus software. So they introduce antivirus software which is powerful enough to fight any form of virus and it also provided one year free upgrade after which time the user can update the virus for a small additional fee. This software is normally moderately priced ($25 – $65) and can provide a complete solution for your systems security and safeguard the data from virus threats.

When you become a paid customer of an antivirus program you are entitled to certain special benefits which you are devoid of when you download free antivirus software. You will need to pay for customer support, possible after a short period of free support, but the most serious disadvantage is that the software is not automatically updated regularly. This prevents it being effective against new viruses which come on coming day after day.

Whereas when you buy antivirus software the software company is responsible for all your queries related to the software and its functioning. As the competition among the antivirus software companies increases more are offering increasing functionality (i.e. antiadware, privacy features etc) and better value. Free 24/7 live support is also becoming offered by some of the big players. Moreover the software that you buy will entitle you for a free upgrades for at least one year and after that you need to pay only a small fee to upgrade and continue using the software.

Therefore many benefits are experienced when a user opts for a paid antivirus software. Now, this may come as no surprise but it is all too common for people to pay more in the long term by taking the cheap short term option.

Carl Robinson is a software reviewer from the UK. He writes a series of antivirus software articles for Best Antivirus Downloads

Which Is The Best Antivirus Software?

Before purchasing of downloading antivirus software there are some features that should look out for. We believe the key factors determining the quality of antivirus software is:

1. Its effectiveness at removing viruses (check independent tests for unbiased results)
2. Its ease of use (normally down to its user interface)
3. Its value for money
4. Its customer and technical support (should be free and 24/7 ideally)
5. Its regularity of updates
6. Its drain on system resources
7. Its compatibility

When all the major criteria were investigated we found that Kaspersky antivirus 7.0 to be the best all round antivirus software on the market day. However, it may not meet your requirements so it is important to do your own investigation using the criteria above. Our findings of some of the top sellers are below. Hopefully this will give you some guidance of what is out there at the moment and what may suit you.

Kaspersky Anti-Virus 7.0
The virus detection technology that drives this software has performed very well in independent tests and gained a strong reputation within the industry. The technical support is excellent and the user interface intuitive.

The other main advantages with it are the parental control features which are not present in other software (great for you parents out there) and the password protected privacy control. We found that it had minimal effect on PC performance (apart from the first scan which did slow things down). Finally, and very importantly it carried out automated hourly updates and real time internet scanning.

The downsides were its price $59.99 and the time it took to do the initial scan.

BitDefender Antivirus 2008
Another very effective piece of antivirus software is BitDefender. its scanning engines are ICSA Labs certifies and it also adds the added bonus of antispyware and antiadware. Gamers should be pleased with the new gamer version which stops annoying pop ups during game play.

A key advantage of this software over others is the rootkit detection and removal feature. Again this is something that sets it over and above the competition. Free 24/7 support and a reasonable price ($24.95) make it a real contender to Kaspersky antvirus 7.0. The downsides to this version are the lack of advanced configuration options which will frustrate the more advanced user. The scans were also on the lengthy side.

Norton Antivirus 2008
Despite having a strong brand and many years of experience developing antivirus software we think Norton Antivirus 2008 to be one of the worst on the market. It does the basics ok but there are too many problems with it to be competitive. For example, there seems to be an assumption only IE users exist. Help terms are geared towards IE users and Browser Defender does not work with any other browsers.

It is a massive 300MB, that is nearly 6 times the size of Kaspersky anti-virus 7.0. The limited performance does not justify this size. It slowed down our machine measurably. The interface was awful and configuring settings was a real pain. Finally, the anti-spyware was not very effective.

These are just three of the big players. Please do your research as the best known are not always the best.

Carl Robinson is a software reviewer from the UK. He writes a series of antivirus software articles for Best Antivirus Downloads

What Is Adware And Should You Care?

Adware is as annoying as spyware for computer users. What is adware? Adware stands for advertising supported software, it is a software that can automatically play, displays, or downloads ads to your computer after a software has been installed that contains the adware, or even when you are using that specific downloaded application. Certain adware as a matter of fact can be classified as spyware, because it is privacy invasive software.

How does Adware work? Well the advertising functions are built into or perhaps bundled with another software, this software will mark or make notes as to what internet sites you have gone too, and it will go off of this information to pop up advertisements on your computer that match the sites you have visited.

Why do people create Adware? Well sometimes the developer of the software will put in the adware because it is a way to allow him or her to recover the cost of developing the software. At times this may also allow the developer to offer their software for free or a reduced price.

In fact at times the income the developer earns off of these ads may motivate them to create more software with the adware bundled in, or upgrade the current software. Of course when these advertisements pop up on your computer you’re not thinking of the money the developer made, you just thinking how annoying these interruptions are to your work or fun.

Adware can also be known as shareware, although there are shareware that does not have adware bundled with it. The shareware that is advertising supported is adware, while a shareware program that is not supported by ads is just normal shareware. At times a way for the developers to make more money they will offer a registered copy of the shareware and it will promise no advertisements.

Just a few samples of some of the better known programs that have adware bundled with the downloads are as follows:

Adobe Reader
Kazaa
AOL Instant Messenger
Yahoo Messenger
Bonzi buddy
Messenger Plus! Live
Smiley Central
Burn4Free
Comet Cursor
RealPlayer
Gator
Hotbar
Incredimail
WeatherBug
Windows Live Messenger
Zwinky

This is only a partial list of programs, but you can tell some of the more popular downloads have adware bundled with them. So basically be careful at what you download or get an adware remover. I found it amazing that some of these had adware attached to them, while others had messed with my old computer so I had a feeling that something was wrong with the download.

How many people have Yahoo messenger though? Millions if not billions of people, and I bet none of them was aware of the adware being bundled with it. Same with AOL Messenger, again billions have this program downloaded onto their computer, where they aware of the adware?

The biggest surprise I felt was Adobe Reader, I really wouldn’t have guessed that being bundled with adware. It just goes to show you, you truly never know what all you are downloading.

As far as removing adware, there are several programs that will detect and remove adware. In fact some of these choices have the option of removing both adware and spyware. Two horrible things that you can remove at once that is great!

Discover more about computers and registry cleaner from his website. He shares some of his things he learned in 10 years experience. Visit: http://www.registryheal.com/

Start Protecting Yourself Online

The Internet is a fantastic tool and is open to absolutely everyone. Unfortunately, some people are not aware of the dangers that exist. You should be made aware of these and learn how to best protect yourself. There are a number of ways to do this:

1) Make sure your Windows Firewall is switched on
2) Make sure you have a good antivirus package installed on your computer and that you regularly update it
3) Never open links from emails if you are unclear about its origin
4) Only download files from trusted websites
5) Only use a credit or debit card online with trusted providers i.e. ClickBank, PayPal etc

These basic points may seem like common sense, but you’d be surprised at how many people make these mistakes. What follows could be a virus infection on their computer, credit card fraud, and a whole host of other problems.

The Internet is a useful tool but has too many problems and dangers. So what else can be done to minimise any risks? Well next time you plan to surf the net, why not use a proxy website? There are loads of proxy sites available on the net, mostly free, so you shouldn’t have a problem finding one.

Proxies act as a middle man between your computer and the Internet. It routes data to you and handles all requests you make on your behalf. This way, when you visit websites, your details like your IP address and other information isn’t disclosed to the website you’re visiting. Instead, they capture the proxy’s details. This is useful if you want to retain a degree on anonymity while you are surfing and also gives you an added layer of protection from virus threats and hackers.

My proxy website is sometimes called Ninja Proxy or Secret Proxy. It has been around for a while now and is getting increasingly popular. All you have to do is visit the address or if you type in Ninja Proxy in Google it should come up. When you are at the site scroll down and locate the URL bar. You will see the http in the box indicating the place of the web address. Once you have entered in all you have to do is hit the GO button and you’re away!

Congratulations, you are now surfing behind an anonymous proxy website and your personal details are safe.

This is just one example of a proxy website that exists online. There are literally thousands of them out there. Another step you might want to take to protect yourself while online is to use an encrypted tunnel. These are particularly useful, especially if you are dealing with sensitive matters like large volume credit card transactions or Internet banking. The way it works is by creating a virtual tunnel between your computer and the server that provides the proxy and encryption services.

All of the data between you and the server and jumbled up. This is the purpose of encryption. This way, if somebody were to intercept and data, all they would get if jumbled up data and not the actual data itself. This would ensure maximum protection and should definitely be thought of seriously if you use a wireless Internet connection. There are numerous software packages available on the Internet that a hacker could purchase.

He could then download it and use it to hack your Internet connection from his computer. He could then steal you bandwidth, download illegal material, and even spy on your surfing habits. This is not meant to scare you but just to make you are of all potential dangers that exist while you are surfing online.

Unfortunately, encryption servers are not free and you will have to pay for it. It is definitely worth the money though and the level of protection you get from it is well worth it.

I hope you find this article useful and that you can use the tips and suggestions outlined to increase your safety and privacy while you surf online. Happy surfing!

Wayne Cutforth is 23 years old and lives in England. He owns and runs his own proxy website or secret proxy, as some call it. His secret proxy can be found here Secret Proxy

Win32 Errors, And How To Repair These Annoying Problems

Why do Win32 errors occur? Win32 is the Windows application programming interface, also called an API, for developing applications which require 32 bit support. This API is built in on the Windows NT and Windows 95 operating systems. Some applications which need Win32 can be run under the older 16 bit Windows operating systems, but the Win32 runtime system must be installed first. Win32 provides eight different categories of functions, and these allow the application a flexibility which allows it to work with many operating systems for Windows, but also can increase the potential for Win32 errors to happen.

Win32 allows the function of base services, and provides the access needed by the fundamental resources which are available to the Windows system. Advanced services, including the registry, are also possible because of the Win32 API. The Graphics Driver Interface function allows graphical content to be output to output devices such as printers, monitors, and others. Win32 API also controls and allows the user interface to function properly. The Windows Shell is also controlled by the Win32 API.

Win32 Errors, And What You Can Do About These

Win32 errors that occur may be very annoying, and some users may not know how to fix these, but it is not difficult. There are some things that you can do to prevent errors from happening, Win32 errors as well as errors relating to other programs and processes. The first step is to strip down your system, removing any games, programs, and applications that are not needed or used. This step will eliminate many errors that occur, and it will also speed up your computer and increase the performance.

Protect your system against malicious software programs with an anti spyware and anti virus program. These software programs are available in abundance online, and some are available at no cost. Make sure these programs stay updated with the latest security threat definitions, so that your system recognizes any threats. It is advisable to scan your computer frequently, at least three to five times a week, and preferably on a daily basis. This step will increase the security of your PC while eliminating any Win32 errors, and keep you from getting an electronic infection.

The registry of your system can be a big cause of Win32 error messages, and keeping your registry clean and uncluttered will stop these error messages once and for all. The registry of your system may contain unneeded entries and keys, as well as fragments of programs which have been removed. These can cause problems with the Win32 API and other applications, and result in the dreaded error messages. The most effective way to clean your registry is to use a registry cleaner. These software programs are very easy and fast to use.

A registry cleaner takes just minutes normally, and the registry is cleaned safely, with no risk of system instability or crashes. This method is much more preferable than manual editing, which can take days or weeks to accomplish, and involves a high degree of risk. It is never recommended by professionals to manually edit the registry, because if an entry for the operating system is edited it may lead to a total and permanent loss of your system. A Registry Cleaner can put an end to Win32 errors immediately.

Brian Williams is a self-confessed PC fiddler dedicated to ‘spreading the word’ when it comes to fixing PC errors and helping people make the most use of their PCs. For FREE ACCESS to more PC tips n’ tricks, just visit Optimize-Your-PC.com.

Repair Windows Registry Problems in Three Simple Steps

There are few issues in life that cause more stress than technical problems (like computers). If you are forced to fix Windows registry problems, this article can assist you.

Registry repair is often the best solution when having slow, crashing or freezing computer problems, have challenges with the PC rebooting often, or if experiencing problems installing or uninstalling software programs. Often we first purchase and scan our system with anti virus software just to continue the performance problems in our computers.

Registry cleaning and repair is necessary on Windows based computers because the registry has must have files and user preferences. The Windows registry will become bloated and will slow your computer performance if not cleaned on a regular basis.

The following items usually pinpoint the need to repair Windows registry problems: Computer runs slowly, reboots are needed often, computer opens programs slow, the computer is slow to start up, it is difficult adding or removing programs, slow computer response times are evident, shut downs are not normal, or the Blue Screen of Death displays (blue screen with white letters).

Follow the steps below to repair Windows registry problems:

Step One: Develop a List of Symptoms

It is always good to have awareness of exactly what your computer is doing to know what the true repair needs are. This step is all about defining what is wrong with your computer now so that you will have a measure of how many problems are fixed after the final step of this article.

You can start with the list above, but also think of anything else you have noticed over time. Think of certain programs or processes that trigger issues. Are there only certain times that the problems occur? Do not spend a ton of time on this step, but make sure that your list is pretty solid.

Step Two: Utilize the Free Scanning Function of a Solid Registry Repair Software

Most of the best products that repair Windows Registry Problems have a free scanning option so that you can see if errors are detected. Choosing a product of this type is not difficult. There are a couple of key features that an effective product should have.

Some of the key features that registry software should contain include: simplicity of the product itself, automatic backup of files before the repair is conducted, custom file selection, a one year license (not one time use), optimization features in addition to just repair functions, and solid local or remote help files.

After locating software that matches the above checklist, do the deepest free scan offered to see what errors are found on your PC. You will have a choice of whether you want to move forward with repair (by purchasing the full version). If errors are found, you can move on to the next step. If no errors are found, it may still be a good idea to purchase the software so you can use it for ongoing scans throughout the year. I am a huge advocate of maintaining my computer each year with registry repair software, general virus scan software, and a solid antivirus software that address spyware, malware, and adware (including Trojans).

Step Three: Repair Windows Registry Problems

The same software that you used for the free scan can immediately do the repair once you invest in the repair function. Most of the good products also offer a multi-computer license at a discounted rate in case you have several computers in your home.

The repair portion of this process only takes seconds. Still, after purchasing the software, you will want to scan and repair as often as you can (at least once a week).

The time to repair Windows registry problems is maybe about 10 minutes total. Finish the process by restarting your computer.

Daryl Moore writes straight forward reviews of top registry repair products at www.registry-repair-source.com. Complete details on the top product reviewed, Registry Easy, can be found at www.registry-easy-info.com

How To Fix Video Drivers

Video driver errors can be a frequent problem for some computer users, and at times it may seem hopeless. Video drivers that do not work correctly, or even work at all, can be caused by a number of different issues, but there are some things you can do to fix your video drivers that are quick and effective. Some video driver errors may occur simply because your video drivers are an older version, instead of the newest version of the driver.

Steps To Stop Video Driver Errors

The first thing you should do if you are getting video driver errors, or your video driver is not working at all, is to update any drivers which have updates available. Many times this will stop the problem, without you ever doing anything else to your system. It is a good idea to follow all the suggestions, however, because fixing video driver errors is not the only thing these processes accomplish, they also help increase your PC speed and performance. When you update the video drivers on your system, you will get drivers that are faster and more efficient, without any annoying video driver errors.

Once you have updated the video drivers on your computer, it is a good idea to back up the drivers, so that you have a copy of the valid video drivers. This step will be invaluable if your computer crashes, or your drivers become corrupted. Having a backup of all the drivers on your system will allow you to install any of them again if you need to, saving you time and aggravation.

After you have updated and backed up your drivers, run a virus and spyware scan, to make sure that no malicious software programs are not on your system. A virus, worm, or Trojan can do damage to any area of your computer, including the video drivers. If you do not have these software programs available, then you should find good anti virus and anti spyware software and install it immediately. Without these programs your computer system is not safe and secure, and you may get video driver error messages of all kinds if your computer is infected.

One of the most effective ways to fix your video drivers and stop any error messages is by cleaning out the Windows Registry. The registry of your PC holds all the keys and entries for all programs, and if you are editing the registry manually great care should be taken. If the wrong key or file is deleted you can crash your system or even permanently damage the operating system. Because of the huge risks involved, it is not recommended that users who are not expert in programming computers ever manually edit the registry.

There is another way, and this is using a registry cleaner. This is a software program that was designed to safely and effectively clean the registry, with very little work or time required. These software programs offer a very low risk alternative to a high risk chore, editing your registry. Cleaning the registry will eliminate any video driver error problems, and will also speed up your computer while improving your performance.

Brian Williams is a self-confessed PC fiddler dedicated to ‘spreading the word’ when it comes to fixing PC errors and helping people make the most use of their PCs. For FREE ACCESS to more PC tips n’ tricks, just visit Optimize-Your-PC.com.

Uninstall Errors, And How To Prevent These

Uninstall errors can appear any time you try to uninstall programs and applications. These errors may cause anxiety in users who do not have a very high level of computer knowledge, because they may not understand what the causes and fixes for these problems are. Most errors are not as complicated as they may seem, and these errors are preventable and fixable. The problems usually occur because the program was added and then removed, but not all of the program fragments have been successfully removed and are still in the registry, which causes uninstall errors.

These fragments may clutter up the registry, and cause errors to occur. This problem is common with the Windows operating system, and it can cause many uninstall errors and performance problems. You may notice that your system runs very slowly, freezes up a lot, does not want to function correctly, needs to be rebooted a lot, error messages occur frequently, and even the blue screen of death can appear when you have uninstall errors and issues. There are some things that will help prevent most errors.

Prevent Uninstall Errors With Very Little Work Or time

Make sure you do not have any electronic infections on your PC, such as worms, viruses, and trojans, because these programs can cause chaos on your system, resulting in many symptoms including error messages. Anti virus software programs can protect your computer against these threats by detecting and removing the infections before any damage can be done. Make sure any available updates are installed as soon as possible, because these contain important information on new threats and definitions.

Be careful of what you download. A lot of the files available on the Internet are either infected with malicious software or may contain spyware or some form of corruption. This makes downloading a very risky business, and these files may result in uninstall errors when you try to remove them. Spyware is especially sneaky about not allowing removal, so that the program continues running even after you try to uninstall it. This will result in uninstall errors, and you should also have an anti spyware program to remove any spyware on your system.

The registry of your system may contribute to uninstall errors if it is crowded or contains unneeded entries and keys. Cleaning your registry will stop errors, and will also help improve the performance and speed of your computer as well. All of the fragments from removed programs will be cleaned from the registry, leaving only needed entries and keeping your PC running smoothly. The best way to clean the registry is a registry cleaner, a software program developed for the specific purpose of safely and quickly cleaning the registry.

Using a registry cleaner is much easier and safer than manually editing the registry because of the time and risks involved. With the software you can have a clean registry in minutes usually, instead of days or weeks of hard painstaking work. The risks are also gone, because the software recognizes critical components of the operating system so they are not removed. This will eliminate uninstall errors.

Brian Williams is a self-confessed PC fiddler dedicated to ‘spreading the word’ when it comes to fixing PC errors and helping people make the most use of their PCs. For FREE ACCESS to more PC tips n’ tricks, just visit Optimize-Your-PC.com.

The Right Business Solutions Software For Your Business

Manufacturers know that a streamlined operations process management system is integral to productivity. This is why software programs, like Solumina which are designed to manage the lifecycle of a product, from the product specifications, to the manufacture of parts, product assembly, and the service and usage of the product are so widely used.

Industries that are regulated by the FAA DOD, DOE, and FDA require the strict implementation of operating procedures. These include, but are not limited to the Medical Device, Aerospace, and Defense industries.
Companies need a way to access the data and extract information easily to make collaborative, informed decisions fast and in real time. Management software helps consolidate these management systems into a single integrated database system interfacing with a variety of business systems.

Companies in a variety of industries face a wide array of challenges, not the least of which is complying with the continually evolving and increasingly more stringent state, federal, and international environmental standards and regulations. The traditional approach of relegating the responsibility for compliance to a specific organization, group, or person for a specific regulation has proved to be insufficient and ineffective.

Individual users can discover for opportunities to increase individual job performance, improve overall job schedule coordination, and target operational issues by reviewing reports generated by their lifecycle management software. These software generated reports also offer information that can help support and streamline the processes for auditing and compliance, provide insight into business utilization and activity data, and account for system usage to manage charge back.

Users of such systems quickly became aware that for much of the time that a computer was allocated to a single user, the processor was idle; when the user was entering information or debugging programs for example. Computer scientists observed that overall performance of the machine could be improved by letting a different process use the processor whenever one process was waiting for input/output.

With these types of software, users can mandate critical document requirements at each step of the process, initiate workflows that that accept product requests, route to billing, send to shipping, and complete, and establish automatic e-mail notifications.

As more and more industrial manufacturing processes become automated, the need for a streamlined, standardized manufacturing and implementation process will only increase. This is why so many companies are developing products to help facilitate the streamlined usage of such processes.

When you are searching for the right software for your company, be sure to do your research thoroughly and consider all of your options.

iBASEt is a leading provider of high-tech software solutions and services. You can find additional information about its management engineering software, Solumina, at http://www.solumina.com.