allheart55 Cindy E

You've mentioned this unchecky software before, Gary. I haven't had a chance yet to check it out. I'm going to take a look now.

I've used decrapifier for years. When I set up a new computer for family, I always do a clean install. Even though decrapifier works great, there is nothing like a wipe and load. For customer computers, it's one of the first tools I use. It works well and it's a lightweight piece of software that does the hunt and search for you.

Thanks to the recent Lenovo debacle, more of the consumer industry has become aware of the unwanted applications that come preinstalled on almost every available PC. This is not a new thing, by any means. Who remembers when it started exactly? In the early days, the software would come in the box on CDs and you could install them if you wanted. I think that's where most of the AOL CDs ended up. But, somewhere along the line, manufacturers started preinstalling those applications. At first, it was in the form of desktop shortcuts. The installation bits were included on the PC hard drive, and when you clicked on the desktop shortcut the application would allow you to opt-in to install or opt-out to have it removed. Then, the situation took a sharp spiral downward and manufacturers would just go ahead and build the PCs with images that already included the application installed. Even the recovery CDs (and later just recovery partitions on the hard drive) had the applications embedded, so that if you ever needed to restore a clean PC due to problems, those applications would reappear. So, in reality, customers never got a truly clean Windows experience. There are very few that have ever experienced a completely clean Windows environment – and that's sad. Crapware is one of the primary reasons why Windows gets a bum rap. Eliminate the crap and Windows runs great. It runs like Microsoft intended. I've read, even recently, articles outlining how to walk through long processes to take a PC that contains crapware, wipe it clean, and then install a pristine copy of Windows. That's admirable. But, that doesn't work for the majority of people that use Windows. I would never (ever) hand those instructions to my Mom. I can do it, but I can't honestly say I know anyone in my family that could do it successfully. Whenever I've acquired a new PC over the years, I spent the first few hours removing the crap I didn't want. But, most people don't do that. They unbox, make connections, power on, and if Facebook loads, the task is done. They see those strange applications, but just believe they are part of the system they bought and should be left alone. Plus, manufacturers make it ridiculously difficult to remove them and most consumers aren't comfortable enough digging through Windows to figure out what's good to keep and what's not. Like I said, this is not a new situation. This type of manufacturer villainy has been happening for years. Lenovo, which actually makes great hardware, has become the poster child for "what not to do," though almost every manufacturer is guilty. So what does a normal PC user do to obtain a superbly performing PC that is free of crap? There are three options that I'm familiar with and have used at some point in time during my PC life. They can be used to eliminate known crapware from PCs, and help create that perfect computing environment. Before you dig into a long, laborious process of wiping a PC and starting over (scary!), or suggest the process to family members, try one of the following. PC Decrapifier Free for personal use, PC Decrapifier identifies all the programs installed on the PC, including sifting through and displaying applications that run when the computer boots, and then allows you to choose which ones to remove. Additionally, it makes recommendations which ones to remove, based on what it knows is crap and what is slowing down the computer. For those situations where an IT admin needs to use PC Decrapifier for an office full of PCs, there's also a Pro user subscription for $25. The subscription is for one license for each IT person that wants to use it, not for each PC. So, one Pro license can be used to manage all the PCs in the entire organization. Except for a "favorites" feature, there's literally no difference between the free and Pro versions. Both versions function the same, but if you're going to use PC Decrapifier in a business setting, supporting the developer through a subscription is just the right thing to do. Web site: http://www.pcdecrapifier.com/ Malwarebytes Malwarebytes has to be one of the more popular decrapping solutions. I've used this application probably more the rest and have had great success with it. When a PC was running slow or weird things were happening, Malwarebytes was the first application I turned to and it always located and eliminated the problems. Malwarebytes is easy to use and does a great job searching the nooks and crannies to shine a spotlight on pieces of crapware that elude even the best applications. Granted, there are some malware that are extremely difficult to remove because they reinstall themselves on every PC boot. Malwarebytes eliminates these, too, by running during the boot process to catch the sneaky miscreants. There's a free version and a Premium version. The Premium version costs $24.95 for 1 year/3 PCs. And, unlike PC Decrapifier there's differences between the Premium and free versions. The Premium version offers these enhancements over the free version: Detects and protects against malware in real-time (free version has to be run manually) Blocks hacking and phishing attempts (the free version does not run as a service) Schedules automatic scanning (there's no scheduled scans with the free version) Offers three flexible scanning modes (only a single, one-time scanning mode for the free version) Web site: http://www.malwarebytes.org/ Lavasoft Ad-aware Ad-aware is probably the oldest solution in the decrapping market, and was one of the first one's I ever used. Until Malwarebytes became available, I used this. Like PC Decrapifier and Malwarebytes, Lavasoft offers a free version and paid versions of Ad-aware. But, unlike the others, Ad-aware also includes real-time antivirus as part of the overall package. So, if you're not happy with your current antivirus application, you can combine antimalware (and crapware) and antivirus. Ad-aware comes in four different versions: Free Antivirus+, Personal Security, Pro Security, and Total Security. Each version has different features. Of course, the free version has the most basic feature set which should be good enough for removing crapware, but if you need it for multiple PCs, and need additional features like file shredding and banking safety, you'll want to review the other versions. There's a good version comparison here: http://www.lavasoft.com/products/ad_aware.php Of course, as you add more features, there's pricing creep that ranges from $24 to $48. Since Lavasoft has been around for so long, you have to expect that it has the most experience in crapware removal. Web site: http://www.lavasoft.com/ The great thing about a free offering for each of the three products I mentioned is that you can try out each one to see if it does the job for you. The other great thing with a free solution is that you can send the download link to a family member and have them decrapify their own PC. You can probably tell from my descriptions that my favorite is Malwarebytes. I've just had such great experiences with it, but as always l leave it to you to decide. Source - http://winsupersite.com/windows/software-solutions-de-crapify-crappiest-pcs

Things do come up. Crap happens. I kind of missed paltalk too. I was there for a little while twice, using paltalk express but I couldn't hear anyone and no one could hear me. I'm having a problem with the paltalk software that I need to get straightened out this weekend. In any case, we appreciate any and all people that show up for paltalk. We are certainly not trying to shove it down anyone's throat. Are we Rich? If you can't make it, then you can't make it. No harm, no foul.

Yes, it's the best one I have seen so far.

Hello shortordercook and a big welcome to Free PC Help Forum.

I meant that the hardware is pretty cheesy for the price that they want. The features themselves actually look awesome.

I think this goes beyond Weather Bug or Yontoo. There were bad certificates involved here, Rich. That's SSL hijacking!

This is terrible, Gary.

Gateway is awful to be sure. Dell usually overnights me replacement parts.

You forget, Rich. I subcontract for Dell. I am my own tech support and if I need any hardware they ship it right to me. N/C As for Toshiba, my husband loved his last two Toshiba laptops and he never had a problem with either one of them.

This one is upside down and backwards.

This thread is in Announcements, it's not a technical thread. No worries, Gary.

Yes, two places and don't forget to click Save.

Click on your name at the top right of the window. In the drop down menu, select Preferences.

I kind of like this one.

Dell and Toshiba are my top two choices.

You're right, we do have one. :up:

I like the pencil icon. It saves three steps when you want to start a new thread. :coolsun: We need a thumbs up smiley.

I'm having difficulty believing this one. Too little, too late.

The efforts by Lenovo just one week after admitting fault in the Superfish debacle now focuses on what they plan to do in the future. According to a company spokesperson that begins with offering a free six month subscription to the McAfee LiveSafe service (or extending it for current users) and they plan to provide the details about that within the next week. McAfee LiveSafe is described as an identity protection service and just happens to be one of the pre-installed pieces of software on Lenovo consumer PC's (http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/mcafee/) with a 30 day trial. Interesting. Also in today's statement from Lenovo they say their goal is to become the leader in providing cleaner, safer PC's. We are starting immediately, and by the time we launch our Windows 10 products, our standard image will only include the operating system and related software, software required to make hardware work well (for example, when we include unique hardware in our devices, like a 3D camera), security software and Lenovo applications. This should eliminate what our industry calls “adware” and “bloatware.” For some countries, certain applications customarily expected by users will also be included. Lenovo will post information about ALL software we preload on our PCs that clearly explains what each application does. And we will continuously solicit feedback from our user community and industry experts to ensure we have the right applications and best user experience. I continue to watch with the same view many of you have expressed - the proof is in the actions not the talk. http://winsupersite.com/windows/lenovo-promises-lead-way-cleaner-and-safer-computers