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Author Topic: What do you recomend  (Read 12232 times)

catengineman

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What do you recomend
« on: May 05, 2008, 04:01:26 pm »

So here it is untill recently I used Norton System Works and the Norton Virus/etc etc. which was all well and good untill the end of the subscriptions.
I have noticed that my system had been getting slower and slower so being a brainy (not so much) chap I took my system into a shop for them to look over and give it the tweak required, they asked if I was going to renew Norton ? under their recomendation I had Norton REMOVED! (well I can put it back if I purchase this years version) I am now on AVG and have a trial of "TUNE-UP 2008" which seems to be roughly the same idea as System Works (but with a few extras?)
This is where I would like you computer boffins out there to help.
Has any one tried the Tune-up 2008 if so what do you think (is it worth the purchase)
Is there any other computer service programs out there (free if poss ::) )
Whats the general thought on Norton these days

Only asking as the trial 30 days is up tomorrow and do I go with this or back to Norton (but will I get the slowness back?)
R,
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malcolmfrary

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Re: What do you recomend
« Reply #1 on: May 05, 2008, 04:18:13 pm »

I use AVG Free for anti virus - Grisofts site and the installer tend to try tp direct you to the paid for version, unsurpisingly.  Zone Alarm Free for firewall, again, the installer does is best to direct you to a paid for version.  Anti-malware I use Ad-aware from lavasoft, same caveats as before, and Spybot.
For cleaning up, Advanced Windows Care covers the ground well.
Registry cleaning, Eusing FREE registry cleaner is safe but comprehensive.
Startup Inspector For Windows for occasional modifying the startup list.
There are plenty of other products out there, equally as good.  I do my download "shopping" at  www.majorgeeks.com  which is a nice site as it tells you which downloads are freebies.
Packages like Norton offer everything in one package at a price, much like all the others' paid for versions, but if you can stand having the separate parts separate, you can get all of the bits free.
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cos918

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Re: What do you recomend
« Reply #2 on: May 05, 2008, 04:24:06 pm »

hi there. First i am not a computer boffin put my friend knows a lot about computers and help me , this is what he said.
 For norton to work well you need the setting on high which slows the internet down as norton want to check every thing and keeps on flagging every thing up. For this one reason i got rid of it. I now use AVG free version which hasn't got all the bell and whistels that version you pay has. I have been ruining the free version for 2 years never had a problem and it caught a fair few virus.
 My friend pointed out that when the internet has been actacted in the past by those virus IE Matilda etc that spread over the world in days those powerfull virus got past most any virus software at first.
He run on his machine free add ware free anti spy ware free avg anti virus and windows fire wall and has never had a problem. He all pointed out if you go to some parts of the internet IE non legit down load sites / other Dodge areas this is were you want MAX protection has there is a lot of crap that can harm your computer.

john
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catengineman

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Re: What do you recomend
« Reply #3 on: May 05, 2008, 05:47:00 pm »

Thanks,

I am as I said not too puter literate so I tend to go for the ALL in package (mainly cos I is lazy) and the other reason is if its an ALL in there is les chance of me DELETING it bu mistake :embarrassed:

Still dont know whether to go for this 2008 version of Tune-up at £29.00 it seems to be around the average cost for this type of thing.

R,
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alan colson

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Re: What do you recomend
« Reply #4 on: May 05, 2008, 06:04:33 pm »

Avast Home Edition AV (Free)
Iolo System Mechanic (£30 ish)
These have been recommended by my son in law who works as an IT manager.
Alan
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Bradley

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Re: What do you recomend
« Reply #5 on: May 05, 2008, 06:05:27 pm »

I have just gone from the free AVG to their paid for version to give me better cover.  It has cost me just over £31 for two years cover, which I thought wasn't bad.   ;)
Derek.   :police:
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Welsh_Druid

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Re: What do you recomend
« Reply #6 on: May 05, 2008, 06:06:28 pm »

If you start using Norton again your computer will almost certainly slow down again. However this is not the only reason why a computer eventually slows down.

If you never clean out your temporary internet files and cookies they will soon start to affect your speed.   How much space do you allow for storing web pages ? Does your setting allow for all the stored pages to be updated every time you open your browser? You need to check your internet option settings.

I would recommend you use a free programme called CCleaner ( stands for crap cleaner  ;))  and run it regularly - I do so EVERY day..... www.ccleaner.com

This is a very good programme which can be set to remove all cookies, temporary internet files, Index.dat files ( these are files which reference ALL the web pages which you have ever viewed. - They accumulate in huge numbers, cannot be removed by normal means and M/S will not say why they are there at all  >:(), temporary files which have been left over after programmes have finished with them, memory dumps,chck disc file fragments and more.

It will also check the registry for integritiy in many areas.

Using this programme for the first time will surprise you with the amount of unneeded files it finds and cleans. It will certainly help speed up your computer.

Incidently, malcolmfrary mentioned Advanced Windows Care. In a review of this programme one reviewer said that CCleaner found 129 MB of temp files and cookies that had been missed by AWC !   I am not saying that it isn't any good though !

I have used AVG free for years (just updated to their new free AVG 8.100) and have never had a virus. AdAware and Spybot together with ZoneAlarm have kept me free from other problems ( fingers crossed now).

Don B.
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alan colson

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Re: What do you recomend
« Reply #7 on: May 05, 2008, 06:09:52 pm »

I should point out that my son in law had the free AVG set up on my computer and recently changed it to Avast.
Alan
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J.beazley

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Re: What do you recomend
« Reply #8 on: May 05, 2008, 06:14:57 pm »

mmm interesting subject,

Personally i use Norton 360 aswell as CCleaner and Spybot all of which are upto date and running.
NEVER had any problems to date and ive had the comp for over a year. One thing i will say though is once you get to know Vista its not too bad O0

Jay
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gturfrey

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Re: What do you recomend
« Reply #9 on: May 05, 2008, 06:29:40 pm »

Howdy,

Gavin here (thats al's son in law)

Avast is the best, especially if you use Vista.

Iolo has been going for 10 years +

Also make sure you have Windows Defender installed, thats a critical one and will save you lots of hassle

Also people say i aint had a virus before, if your AV is rubbish you'll never have a virus because it wont pick it up. But your PC still slows down and does odd things.

Always Defrag, also if you download Hijack This and post the log file here i will tell you whats slowing your PC down.
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catengineman

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Re: What do you recomend
« Reply #10 on: May 05, 2008, 06:39:27 pm »

Thanks for the offer of telling me why it is slow (well was) I am back to speed again now thanks to the very nice man at the shop.

I just filled up with the proverbial Cr** according to him and yos I had quarantined virus's so I knew I was protected

Its just with Norton the cost of System Works, Firewall and Virus  it just got Too damn dear! for me.

R,
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gturfrey

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Re: What do you recomend
« Reply #11 on: May 05, 2008, 06:46:40 pm »

Use system cleanup on XP and Vista to remove old files. As default Windows only removes certain items but you can change what it cleans up.

Goto run and Type  cleanmgr /sageset:11

Tick all the boxes and select ok

Now create a shortcut on your desktop, in the program path type cleanmgr /sagerun:11

This will remove 3 times as much crap as the default settings and do the same job as CC Cleaner but for free.

Default settings on average remove 500MB of rubbish, settings above will remove 1.5GB on average.

Enjoy
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catengineman

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Re: What do you recomend
« Reply #12 on: May 05, 2008, 07:11:42 pm »

My wife uses our desktop and when she has finished surfing she uses the delete all button inc internal browser add-ons (I think thats what it is) does this do the same as the cleanmgr /sagerun:11 ?
Or would it be a good idea to get her to run that after her sessions.

R,
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Bradley

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Re: What do you recomend
« Reply #13 on: May 05, 2008, 09:12:57 pm »

Hi gturfrey,
I have just done as you suggested with cleanmgr/sageset:11 and computer says it cannot find it.  :( Any suggestions, please.
Derek.   :police:
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catengineman

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Re: What do you recomend
« Reply #14 on: May 05, 2008, 09:20:54 pm »

Make sure you have put the space between the r and / (I did not at first)


R,
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gturfrey

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Re: What do you recomend
« Reply #15 on: May 05, 2008, 09:31:07 pm »

Yes make sure you put a space before and after the /

catengineman it will remove alot more temp files from browsing than the standard IE tools.

If you have ticked all the boxes when running the sageset:11 command.
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Bradley

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Re: What do you recomend
« Reply #16 on: May 05, 2008, 10:38:45 pm »

Many thanks for advice about spaces - it works now.   :)
Derek.   :police:
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catengineman

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Re: What do you recomend
« Reply #17 on: May 06, 2008, 08:38:29 am »

Thanks, have an Icon on my desktop screen O0

Just got to get the spanner to use this new idea, only I get "what do you know about computers!"

A nice man, a very nice man told me  {-)

R,
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GaryM

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Re: What do you recomend
« Reply #18 on: May 06, 2008, 10:20:38 pm »

Hi
My two-penneth.  (win 98, XP or Vista)
I don't think the anti-virus software is primarily for a faster / slower PC it's for detecting virus's, so any claims to speed up your PC would be secondary. 
There are quite a few reasons for a slower speed.

1.  Junk mail, like cookies, temp files and other files that you pick up from the internet.  There are three ways (I know of) to clear them,
a) Go out and buy a software package.  (COSTs!)
b) Run the 'disc clean up' utility - check all boxes and run.
c) Go to 'Control Panel' Click 'Internet Options' click browsing history.  This will allow you to delete 'temp internet files, cookies, history (sites you have visited) and form data (saved data you have typed in)

2.  Disc defragmentation - the data stored on your hard disc is recorded on it randomly and parts, of one program saved to it, may be stored in several locations 'disc de frag' sorts all the files and copies them to a specific location, so it takes the "reader arm" less time to travel and "see" the program you are using.

(I use Vista; 98 and XP have the equivalent programs, I regularly run disc clean and defrag  (set to Wednesday 3:00am - I never turn my PC off))

3.  How many programs does your computer boot up at start, eg. the ones visible in the right hand side lower tool bar - (Office Suite, Norton, Mcafee etc.) - these are the ones you see momentarily, at boot up, the more of these running at one time will slow down your PC, as they are still running in the 'background' when you do your own stuff.  As time goes on we add more and more stuff to the PC, without upgrading the "capacity" the PC will take.

4.  Hard disc space - "generally" the less free space on your hard drive the slower your PC will run.

5.  RAM - random access memory - this allows the hard disc to transfer a certain amount of data to be seen / used on the screen - eg. a video clip - low RAM slow choppy image - high RAM - fast streamlined images.

6.  Processor speed - calculates how many "pieces of data"  can be handled at one time.  Bigger the better.

I hope some of this makes sense - I got a 'c' in English but can't put a sentence together to save my loaf'

To summarise
1. & 2.  Regularly run whichever 'disc clean, internet options, defrag, installed software'

3.  Close any programs, that you do not need EXCEPT  *NEVER CLOSE ANY ANTI VIRUS SOFTWARE AT ANY TIME *

4.  Remove any 'old games' etc. to free disc space.  Bigger hard disc - costly.

5.  More memory (RAM)  -  costly

6.  Faster processor - costly and probably not worth it - better to buy a new higher spec PC base.

There are an infinite number of solutions to your question, try the ones that cost nil first, with each version of windows that come out things tend to get 'better' but they all have inbuilt software to make things better, but PC's are out of date within 6 months - with advances the software gets bigger and more complicated - so an older PC can't cope with updated software - so it slows down or stops.

regards
Gary :)
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GaryM

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Re: What do you recomend
« Reply #19 on: May 06, 2008, 10:24:28 pm »

Hi
In my opinion - if you asked for a faster PC fix and there on about an anti virus package, I would say they are onto a commission from the software co.
That's just my opinion.

regards
Gary
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gturfrey

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Re: What do you recomend
« Reply #20 on: May 06, 2008, 11:19:48 pm »

Not quite Gary,

AV indeed can slow a PC down. Some AV software uses too many CPU cycles, even older AV software on newer CPU's cause issues has new processors are designed for Multi Threading (multiple calculations in more than one pipeline) when they dont utiliise this they take a whole pipeline and cause the CPU to work off the remaining causing the balance to go off mark.

Might i also add that in general CPU doesnt dictate how many app's you can run, but how fast they run. You can run 5000 programs at once on a comnputer from 1986 on basis you have enough ram, it just wont run fast. But who runs 5000 app's.

Ram is the main deciding factor, the processor is just a calculator. The ram is the answer sheet, more answer sheets means more data. A calculator will do what its told and keep calculating, whether it has space for the answers or not.
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portside II

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Re: What do you recomend
« Reply #21 on: May 07, 2008, 12:25:26 am »

Just got this from the money saving expert,worth a look.
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/free-anti-virus-software
daz
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