Must Have Programs!

[Welch]

I tried that quite a while back.


Its not a freebie, and the demo included some adwares. It also chalked up the computer with some stuff on the Start-Up.

Its possible that the Pay version is great but my run down of the trail version was that it was lame crapware for people who havent got a clue where to go to get their drives.

[PRIME1]

Saw this on slashdot: OpenCD 2.0 a CD iso full of open source programs.

http://theopencd.sunsite.dk/

Productivity
* OpenOffice 1.1.3
* AbiWord 2.2.1
* PDFCreator 0.8

Design
* GIMP 2.0.5
* Blender 2.35a
* Dia 0.94
* TuxPaint 0.9.14

Internet/Networking
* FireFox 1.0
* Thunderbird 1.0
* Mozilla suite 1.7.3
* Gaim 1.1.0
* Filezilla 2.2.9
* TightVNC 1.3dev6
* WinHTTrack 3.32-2

Multimedia
* Audacity 1.2.3
* Celestia 1.3.2
* CDex 1.51

Utilities
* 7-zip 3.13
* Notepad2 1.0.12
* SciTE 1.62

Games
* Sokoban 1.187
* Battle for Wesnoth 0.8.8
* Lbreakout 2.4.1

[Welch]

Okie Dokie. Anyone here that can give me the name and possibly a location of a anti-virus that falls under these catagories.

--Free/Cheap/Obtainable

--VERY Thurough

--Simple Interface

--NOT Bloatware, so dont you even dare mention any Norton/Mcfee

--Regularly updated Virus Deffentions

My AVG 7.0 isnt working out for me and im seeking around to choose a new "Favorite" or possibly a few favorites to work as a team . Thanks for any info as usual, I really appericate it. BTW Merry Christman, and a Happy New Year (For when it comes of course)

[just brew it!]

Just out of curiosity, what is it that you are unhappy about with AVG 7.0? I've been reasonably happy with it. When they came out with the 7.0 version, I finally ditched Norton for good.

[Alex]

I have had great success with AVG 7.0 Free, but hey, another one might fit your needs better. Another great free AV is Avast. It also sports multithreaded scanning (if you have dual CPUs or HT this will give you a little boost in performance).

Check it out here.

[PerfectCr]

I have had great success with AVG 7.0 Free, but hey, another one might fit your needs better. Another great free AV is Avast. It also sports multithreaded scanning (if you have dual CPUs or HT this will give you a little boost in performance).

Check it out here.

Avast is great! Been using it for almost a year.

Where do you get Diskeeper? Is there a free version?

[just brew it!]

Where do you get Diskeeper? Is there a free version?

FWIW the defragger that comes with Windows is actually a stripped-down version of Diskeeper...

[Welch]

Its an old obtainable Disk Keeper 8.0 PRO. It works great, and on the contrare to popular belief it is faster than the windows defrager. Its got more features and all than windows Defrag of course. I like it better for a few reasons. But thats just me.

As for the AVG 7.0. I had a obtainable version yet again and when the patches came through it patched over it working anymore. So now Im without AV.

Avast sucked to me, it was another lame crapware. AVG 7.0 worked awsome, just need to get it to work again i guess, but id like to see what other alternatives I have.

[derFunkenstein]

obtainable?

FWIW, AVG Free is now based on AVG7, too...all you lose are the advanced tests.

[just brew it!]

The AVG 7.0 Free Edition has been problem-free for me. It even works with Mozilla to scan e-mail as it is downloaded from the POP server. (The previous version only worked with Outlook.)

[LicketySplit]

Ive got AVG 7.0 on a couple boxes..and its great...not the hog Norton is..usually updates a couple or three times a week unlike Norton that does it just once.

[Welch]

Is there a TOTALLY free version of AVG??? Like NON-TRAIL. I had a cracked 7.0 Network edition

If there is a free legal version id love to get a link to it. Thanks

[Alex]

Is there a TOTALLY free version of AVG??? Like NON-TRAIL. I had a cracked 7.0 Network edition

If there is a free legal version id love to get a link to it. Thanks

http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/2/

Shame on you...

[Welch]

LOL, how long has that be around

I just cracked the first one I got. People at a LAN kept giving me the damn trails so I was under the impression that it was trail or buy.

[Usacomp2k3]

no it's free alright

[just brew it!]

AVG Free Edition is a wonderful thing.

This particular version is pretty new (just a month or so), but I believe they've had a free AV download available for a couple of years at least.

[Alex]

I believe they've had a free AV download available for a couple of years at least.

They have.

[Welch]

WOW. "And how do you plead?" "I plead ignorant your honor"

Thanks guys, I cant believe I over saw that lol. Just everyone threw these cracked version at me. I assumed that they didnt make a freebie version.

I installed it and its the same old killer AVG I had before . Thanks!!!

so yeah I'd include AVG Free Edition in on the MUST HAVES

[5150]

Just a quick note, System Mechanic Pro 5 trashed my Symantec Corporate Edition at work after a registry scan. Did an undo on it, did the same thing. Just something to watch out for.

[Welch]

I have used that program. It is chalked with adware, doesnt really help you much, and then requires you to sign up for their service to get the drivers. I wouldnt even consider that a worth contender.

Still, if you have a worth little utility that is a must have, and free would be nice too . Then please give us info on it and a link.

[just brew it!]

Surprised nobody has mentioned <a href="http://www.simplisoftware.com/Public/index.php?request=HdTach">HDTach</a> yet.

[Usacomp2k3]

did anybody mention the powertoys?

[bridgey]

I couldn't live without my Macromedia and Symantec products on my windows machine. Why do people tend not to like Norton? Expensiveness? I've never bothered trying another anti-virus product since NAV auto updates and doesn't bother me at all, unless it finds something that is.

Other essentials: BlackICE, Photoshop, notepad.exe, WinAmp, SmartFTP, Firefox, Nero, Video lan client, cmd.exe... oh i'm just reading off the most used programs list on start menu

[just brew it!]

The problem I've had with NAV was that if you have any really large compressed archives (ZIP, GZIP, etc.) on your drive, it tends to crash the system by chewing up all of your virtual memory when it tries to scan them. IIRC this was with NAV 2001... maybe they have corrected this issue in newer versions.

Lately I've been running AVG... been quite happy with it so far.

[Welch]

Im sorry that i didnt mention HDtach. I used to use that and within the past month (right after i posted this thread) got it again. I lost it when my system had to be reinstalled awhile back.

Another Alternative to HD Tach is HD Tune. They both worked quite nicely!

Give either a try. RegCleaner is a good one if you know what you are doing (Not recommened for registery noobs) can cause a few programs not to run without at least a reinstall of that program. Depending on the prog.

[cheesyking]

Am I the only one who finds that most of these "tune up" programmes either make very little difference or actually make your system worse. The best way to keep a system working well is to make as few changes as possible to its configuration once you have it going the way you want.

Nearly all the really must haves are built into windows, sure most of them are limited in terms of functions, but they do the job.

The only time I switch from one of the MS standard programmes is when they try to get too clever for themselves (er IE, Outlook Express, Office no thanks)

So my list:

OpenOffice
Firefox
Thunderbird
Acrobat
any lightweight antivirus (so not an internet security pack)
CDex
Sun's JVM
Quicktime Alternative
A firewall (if you not running XP's one or behinde a decent router)

Eveything else is optional or required for specific jobs (Photoshop, Programming IDEs, Notepad++, PuTTY, PSFTP,Filezilla etc)

[Welch]

The best way I found to keep your system running TIP TOP from day one to the last day... Is to get all the configs exactly how they should be from the install. Then install all of your utilites from the start as well. And have it all exactly how you want and to run the utilites often. Dont just wait till you have problems to run them, run them on a regular basis!

Then if you wish... use maximum pc's guide to making a perfect copy of your windows system onto CD-R's so instead of using the shotty windows restore utility.. you can just load them onto a formatted HDD and your good to go without using another of your windows XP CD-Registries.

I am with you on that one tho.. I cant stand the AVs that have the internet security packages. There is a fine line between security and functionality, and thats the line! If you have to give it permission to open every single page then you might as well not even use the computer in my opinion. With my netgear RP-614 routers decent firewall and ports opened to ftp, DC, FTP, and a few gaming server ports I have yet to catch any viruses. Infact the only time I get viruses is when I go to a LAN party.. From 0 to 188 in a matter of minutes after connection to the network ahaha.

[KingFish]

Two instant messenger programs worthy of mention are trillian and gaim. Gaim is completely free and allows you to use multiple accounts like yahoo instant messenger, aol instant messenger, and msn messenger. You enter your account information for each and you are able to keep up with all your friends across multiple IM platforms without having to run three separate programs at once. It also features tabbed conversations.
http://gaim.sourceforge.net/downloads.php

[APWNH]

I think alot of you missed the point of this thread.

I don't think you ever made that clear.

Owned!

[Welch]

APWNH.... Are you 13? Well I guess I'll have to give you some credit for not saying "PwNd"

Great job at finding a post made quite a few months ago Get a life, and a new set of insults too because your heavy competition for those poor AOLers