Troubleshooting Pcs - What do you use when you Troubleshoot PCs (optimize, virus, spyware, c

Hi there. I've been reading up on the astahost forum board for quite some time. I am interested in the free hosting as well as the benefits of collaborating with other people whom have an opinion on some of the same interests I have. In addition to hosting at web site and photo web site, I also do some minor troubleshooting and experimenting with software from time to time.

I have not yet posted that much on what types of software or the methods I use for typical troubleshooting and or photography/graphic work. Eventually when I have more free time, a better connection, and more web space I will include, feature, write reviews, and how-to tutorials. Until then I would like to get some feed back on how and what you've been using when you encounter problems, have a projects, or want to accomplish a certain task. I'll check this list from time to time and update my list from time to time.

Here are the categories I would like to touch on.

1) Anti-virus, Spyware, Trojan, pop-up blocking, hardening of web browsers.

2) Online software (web browsers, instant messengers, newsreaders, widgets/gadgets, file sharing p2p)

3) Optimizations (Internet Link, HD partitions, Defragmenting methods, typical housecleaning [cleaner like software],

4) GUI Improvements (text optimizers, font suites, themes/skins, icons, screen savers, boot screens, and other graphic user interface improvements)

5) Productivity software (office like, diagramming, communication/collaboration, reference)

6) Multimedia (graphics, photography, media players[encoding/decoding])

7) Other software/programs (you would like to learn, don't have much knowledge of, seems interesting)

 

 

 

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I've been a veteran computer user for over 17 years now, and I've tried more than my fair share of software applications and tools. While I'm not usually very adventurous when it comes to testing every application I get my hands on, I like to usually try three or four before I settle on the one or two that meet my needs.

So here are some of the applications I habitually use, some of which I can't even imagine setting up my system without. Keep in mind that I'm running Windows XP Professional Edition on a Pentium IV processor with very little memory, so all the programs I recommend are either very lightweight or important enough for me to suck up their heavy use of system resources.

So here we go...

- Antivirus: I use AVG Free Edition and it works beautifully for me, so long as I install it on an already-clean system. In other words, it's great at preventing infections to boot, but not always so hot when it comes to cleaning them. I used Avast before, and I think it's at par with AVG, but lately it's been consuming too much of my RAM.

- Spyware: I'm generally browsing-aware and I can easily spot and avoid malicious Website. But since spyware cannot be completely avoidable these, one must occasionally use some kind of anti-spyware mechanism. Again, AVG catches the most common types, and even some of the less famous ones. When push comes to shove, I use Ad-Aware.

- Web browser: I suppose it comes as no surprise that Firefox is my trusty browser of choice. Internet Explorer consistently gives me headaches with its incredible susceptibility to spyware and even amateurish hacking attempts through IFRAMEs and such. I'm keeping a keen eye on Google Chrome as well, since it seems quite promising to me, as soon as Google starts working on more complete integration of its other services into it.

- Instant messengers: I only use Google Talk because it's very lightweight and right-to-the-point, and Live Messenger since it's what most of my friends use online (plus it now supports adding Yahoo! Messenger contacts).

- P2P: I'm lately using torrents exclusively as my sharing medium, and I use utorrent as my Bittorrent client. It's lightweight, efficient, and has basically everything I want from a torrent client.

- Optimizations: Back in the days of Windows 98, Norton Utilities 2002 was a brilliant, all-in-one system optimizer that did wonders to my system. Now, it fell from grace. And after a long search, I find that Tune-Up Utilities is the only replacement that fills the shoes of the giant that once was.

- Office Software: I tried OpenOffice and Microsoft Office 2003, but I couldn't quite swallow them, and now I'm sticking to either Microsoft Office XP or Google Docs.

- Media Players: I use VLC as my trusty multipurpose media player, and I keep Windows Media Player 10 handy for the occasional MP3 or WMV.

- Graphics: Since I have above-average graphic-editing needs, I use Adobe Photoshop 7. Old? Yes, but it has everything I need, and it uses MUCH less system resources than its successors.

That's my starter-kit contribution, and I might come back for more when I remember or come across something better.

 

 

 

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I currently use AVG free and start up monitor that covers everything I need.



I use Firefox for everything but keep IE handy for checking the appearance of pages I create.



Most "optimizers" I have found over the years are completely useless. I am of the opinion that registry cleaners and the like are basically a scam. Of course I am also of the opinion that the entire registry is a heaping pile of poo but, that is another topic altogether. I have found that knowledge is the best way to keep the OS running well. You can run an installation monitor on your PC and keep track of everything an install touches or changes even things not set to be unchanged by uninstall programs. If you really want to have fun you can always create your own install packages for Apps you want.

Something else I have found I have zero use for. For someone who went to art school I am a very much of a function first mindset. I do not even bother using a desktop wallpaper.



I do freelance programming proffesionally and am oft times called to do applications for MS Access so I keep Office handy.



Photoshop CS3 for graphics because there is no comparison. For media I use Media player classic and a really old version of Winamp for music. I use these because they do exactly what I want and nothing else.

On trouble shooting I have found the old versions of SysInternals software (pre Microsoft buy out) to be completely indispensable. They would catch everything going on in windows including, for example, the things that Windows keeps hidden from the task manager.

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OK, here's an update about AVG...

A couple of days ago, a friend of mine used an infected Flash drive and got struck by a weird virus/malware. He already had AVG installed and armed with its latest database updates, and with its Resident Shield feature enabled. The virus still managed to slip through the cracks and infected the entire system.

My friend then tried Trend Micro's Online Scan, which flagged out some warnings, but ultimately couldn't do much in terms of cleaning. So he tried Kaspersky - also the online scan version - which caught a lot more infected files, but didn't give an option for cleaning (leaving that for their paid service/software). So he got a full version of Kaspersky, ran a complete scan, and he told me that now his system is as good as new.

So I guess that, at least in this particular incident, Kaspersky proved to be more effective than AVG. Just thought I'd let you guys know


P.S.: I'm sorry I forgot the name of the infection -- I'd have loved to include it as well for your information. But it was virus, warm, keylogger and trojan horse all together, as far as my friend's description of it went.

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Yeah, a lot of whom says that Kaspersky and also Nod32 anti virus applications are one of the best, but those aren't free, even though most of them aren't free.. Anti-viruses are quite a big business, you can create viruses and later create an anti-virus, some say a lot of that kind of stuff have been done by big companies, even though I guess we can think of a lot of stuff, freelancers also create viruses.. Anyway, I got a little of topic, so here is my list:

"1) Anti-virus, Spyware, Trojan, pop-up blocking, hardening of web browsers."

For an anti-virus I tried a lot, NOD32 and Kaspersky seemed to be the best one, but now I don't really have those installed, because I don't really get any viruses. don't browse with IE, I don't use any .exe files or cracks unless really somebody like a friend gives me them and says that it's a good one, even though I have Clam Win Free Anti Virus, it has a Database of viruses, but it isn't really great.. I also used AVG free anti virus, but the thing it does is that my system gets slower, so why waste the resources with an anti-virus if you can avoid any viruses by yourself or I just run any **** stuff on a virtual Windows installation, even though I don't have installed that yet..

For spyware I'm using Spy bot search and destroy, it seems to be quite effective and free together with Adaware 2008 Free Edition, but I think not all things work on it, I've never used the Adwatch anyway, it just makes the system a bit slower, so I get less performance, but I know that in my system Teat timer from Spybot search and destroy is always in the processes taking care of my registry, which is quite a good thing, I don't like applications to change the registry values or add them without my knowing.. Also I'm using spywareguard, it's not updated anymore I guess, I don't know why I'm using it, but I have it in my startup.

For popup blocking, well seems that Opera and Firefox does the stuff I usually need, I don't browse with IE unless I go to Windows update or when Microsoft needs it for something or just to test my websites or something..


"2) Online software (web browsers, instant messengers, newsreaders, widgets/gadgets, file sharing p2p)"

For online software, I'm using as I said most of the popular web browsers, Opera, Firefox, Konqueror I also have installed Safari and Google chrome on Windows XP and because it's Windows I have IE7 and I also have multipleIE software with which I can have IE6 and IE7 at once! also it includes IE5 and other versions, but I don't really care about those..

For instant messaging I'm using Pidgin now, it was called GAIM some time ago, with it I can connect ant chat on all the IM protocols I know, furthermore for IRC I'm using XChat and I also frequently am using Skype, because most of my friends have Skype these days.. As for newsreaders, I don't really read news, I just do it the old way with a web browser.. For P2P I'm using as most of people use uTorrent for torrents and to connect to come DC++ Hub I'm using the well known ApexDC++ which works really great and has lots of everything.


"3) Optimizations (Internet Link, HD partitions, Defragmenting methods, typical housecleaning [cleaner like software]"

Can't add anything here, I just use Windows default stuff to partitioning and defragment, but for clean up things I'm using CleanUP! and CCleaner, those are really great and removes temporary and unneeded files very well, that mys system still stays stable and I usually reformat only once a year or two times a 3 year period, even though there were situations when IU needed to reformat twice a weak


"4) GUI Improvements (text optimizers, font suites, themes/skins, icons, screen savers, boot screens, and other graphic user interface improvements)"

I used to use a lot from Stardock and still use the Bootskin to change my booting picture, because the default one really sucks also I change my mouse pointer with CursorFX which for me has no problems, just you need to find the mouse pointer you like, a lot of choice.. On XP I'm using the Windows Vista transformation pack which does everything automatically, it changes all I need, icons, themes, screen savers and everything else looks similar to Vista and doesn't really take much performance, unless maybe some much more RAM.


"5) Productivity software (office like, diagramming, communication/collaboration, reference)"

Well, I have Microsoft Office 2003 and it's enough for me, I've never need the newer Office, even though it looks better and if you get used to it a lot of whom says the work gets done faster, but most of stuff here in my country in universities, schools are made with 2003 version.. I can't really add anything more, except for that I have an installation of Open Office which is also good piece of Software.


"6) Multimedia (graphics, photography, media players[encoding/decoding])"

I am using Gimp and Paint.NET, but usually I choose Gimp.. I don't really use Photoshop as it's to much for me and really is expensive. I'm using VLC and Quick time alternative as my media players to watch videos and for music I'm just using Winamp, I can't really stand Windows media player, it sucks for me! In addition, I'm using K-lite codec pack to add all the codec I need!

For graphics I got from university Autocad 2007 student version and 3DSMax, which I only use for studying, don't really need anything for those to much..


"7) Other software/programs"

Well, I'm also frequently am using Notepad2, Notepad++ and for my Development I'm using PHP Designer, which now is really a good piece of Software.. Filezilla as my FTP client and Wampserver as my Apache, PHP, MySQL server on localhost to develop web stuff.. Moreover, I'm sometimes annoyed that Adobe PDF Acrobat is quite slow on PDF files, so I'm using Sumatra PDF which really makes those simple PDF files work much faster when reading or scrolling them Thats about all I can write.

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