SUPERAntiSpyware Free Edition

SuperAntispyware has a free and a paid version, so it passes my first test of being a free application that works well. The paid version also has a realtime scanner and scheduler that compares to Spybot's TeaTimer, or Windows Defender.

One of the best reasons for using SuperAntispyware is the fact that it actually can help remove some of the nastiest malware that has been released including the variety of Zlob trojan infections, Vundo infections, and more. Before I started using this program, I had to resort to specialized removal tools and a lot of manual techniques to rid some computers of these pests. Now, I run SuperAntispyware and then check what's left to remove. In many cases, the program has done most of the work for me.

Its also easy to use. You'll notice the main menu of the program below. You can scan your hard drive, check for updates to the program, find out what's in quarantine, and check the dates of your last scan and update. With the paid version you can also schedule your scanning and have realtime protection against spyware infections.

SuperAntispyware has impressed me so much that its now one of the first tools I use to remove problems on a computer. It's one of the only tools that can remove some infections by itself, and the creators of the program seem to update it on a regular basis.

Go download and try it out for yourself

Why Your Computer IS Running So Slow

After some time, computers tend to slow down which is when their owners will start to wonder why is my computer running so slow - fix with registry cleaner. Most computer owners will be at a loss to explain the reason for this slowing down.

You could suspect the culprit to be one or more spyware programs but as you will soon find out this is not the crux of the problem because even after the spyware has been eliminated the computer will continue working slowly. The trouble it seems lies deep within the computer.

It is therefore a good idea that you research the possible reasons for a slow computer and after a while the truth will dawn on you that it is your computer registry that is the crux of the problem. This may not be very helpful to you because chances are that you won't understand much about registries and how they can cause computers to slow down. A registry contains certain instructions and some settings that aid the computer hardware and its software to function in the desired manner.

If you wish to remove computer registry errors then you have to learn how this can be done; however, if you learn more about the solution you should only do the cleaning if you have a strong grasp about making registry settings changes. Using a dedicated registry cleaner is always a better option and one that you should use as much as possible.

The right kind of registry cleaner will fix registry errors and that in turn means that your computer will once again start working as it should. Your computer might even start behaving like it did when you first brought it home.

But, despite using registry cleaners to fix registry errors there is still more work to be done because you have to also be careful about maintaining the registry. To do so would require that you periodically scan the registry so as to make the machine continue performing smoothly at all times.

Why We need to use a Registry Cleaner

It is a known fact that over 94% of PCs that are over 30 days old are infected with spyware and adware. Such software is rarely accompanied by an uninstall utility and even when it is it almost always leaves broken Windows Registry errors behind it.

The registry is essentially the catalog or reference source for your computer. Only those with a thorough knowledge of computers should attempt to change the registry. Before tampering with the registry. If you make a mistake while altering the registry and it is not backed up, you may lose information vital to the proper functioning of your computer.

Even if you bought an antispyware tool your Windows Registry might be broken - developers of those tools are focused on removing spyware and adware only, not every trace of software itself.

After you run a spyware program that deletes active spyware files, you are still left with references to those files in your computer registry. These traces will clog your registry over time, leaving your computer vulnerable to failure.

Problems with the Windows Registry are a common cause of Windows crashes and error messages.

Symptoms of Windows Registry Problems

Your PC is likely infected with Windows registry errors if it has ever experienced any of the problems:

PC runs much slower than when you first bought it
PC keeps crashing at critical times
PC does not startup correctly
PC does not shutdown correctly
PC needs frequent rebooting
Unable to remove a software using add/remove dialog
Getting the "Blue Screen"

The registry records the relationship between hardware, memory space, and addressing. It contains information and settings for all the hardware, software, users, and preferences of the computer. The registry is stored on your computer in several files and depending upon your version of Windows, there will be different files and different locations for these files. The registry keep growing when you use Windows and become corrupted as software and hardware is added and removed from your computer.

To keep your computer in top performance, it is recommended to periodically clean your Windows registry with a reliable and efficient Registry Cleaner. Registry Cleaner is an utility program that scans the Windows Registry and looks for outdated and invalid entries.

In short, the registry cleaner cleans the following:

Temporary files, URL history, cookies, Auto complete form history, index.dat. of Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Opera

Temporary files and Log files, recycle bin, recent documents of Windows

Unused and old entries, including File Extensions, Shared DLLs, Fonts ActiveX Controls, Icons, Invalid Shortcuts, ClassIDs, ProgIDs, Uninstallers, Help Files, Application Paths, and more...

Removes temporary files and recent file lists (MRUs) from many apps including Media Player, eMule, Kazaa, WinRAR, WinAce, WinZip, Google Toolbar, Netscape, MS Office, Nero, Adobe Acrobat, and many more...

There are dozens of programs on the market that cleans registry, boosts PCs performance, get rid of unwanted material and prevent crashes. Some of the prominent ones are: Error Doctor, Reg Cure, PAL Registry Cleaner, JV16 PowerTools, EasyCleaner, Adv. System Optimizer, Fix-It Utilities, Ace Utilities, Registry Mechanic, Registry Repair, RegistryFix.

A good windows registry clean and repair product should have the following options:

Automatic Scan:
This is the simplest way to clean up the registry. Automatic Scan is recommended for 'non-technical' users.

Custom Scan:
You can customize the search and scan Windows registry for particular types of errors (shared DLLs, missing fonts, invalid start-up entries, etc.).

Manual Cleanup:
After the scan is complete, the program should show a full list of errors with details, broken down by types and let you fix individual invalid entries or all invalid entries of a certain type.

Backup and Undo:
Before removing an entry from your registry, should an automatic creation of a backup file be done, that can be used to undo the changes. This to avoid changes without backup.

Scheduler:
To schedule the program to scan the registry whenever you start your PC.

Using software like this is not a one time fix. You must run it on a regular basis to keep your registry clean and without errors. This will help the stability and speed of windows.

Thus every PC requires registry cleaner which optimizes windows registry allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space. Valuable registry repair software can help you get your computer back into shape, tuned up and running problem free in no time.

AVG Internet Security 9.0

AVG Internet Security 9.0 introduces a few new features, with improvements focused on performance, including claims of faster scan and boot times. One new feature is the Identity Theft Recovery Unit. Only for users in the United States, ITRU is a business partnership with Identity Guard which provides "consumer identity theft solutions," accessible only from the AVG toolbar in Firefox and Internet Explorer.

The interface is nearly unchanged from the last version, and generally it's easy to use. A scheduling utility automates both scans and updates, while the upgrade ad at the screen's bottom can be easily hidden using the Hide Notification button. When starting a scan, a slider makes it easy to jump between Slow, Automatic, and Fast scans: the faster the scan, the less comprehensive it is, so users should take advantage of the scan optimization that is recommended during installation to speed up that first scan. Should a virus create serious problems, AVG creates a rescue disk to scan your computer in MS-DOS mode.

The LinkScanner feature protects you from third-party code exploits before they load in your browser and for ranking search results. The program doesn't obviously tax your system when scanning or when running in the background, although it's been determined that it will slow down your system's boot time, and slightly delay shutting down. AVG also detected some image files as threats, when two other scans decided they weren't--we decided these were false positives. AVG might not be the fastest or the most effective free security option, but it still gets the job done and you're better off with it.

Easy ways to Protect Your PC from Viruses

Use a high quality anti-virus program, there are many different anti-virus computers programs on the market some of them are better than others. Look to reputable computer magazines or websites for ratings to help you find the one that matches your needs.

Always use your anti-virus program and make sure it's turned on and scanning, incoming and outgoing email messages, and any software programs you run. Keep your antivirus programs up to date, most programs come with a yearly subscription, make sure you take advantage of the updates. More advanced programs allow you to schedule updates or full system scans for "off hours" like 2AM when you aren't likely to be using your computer. From time to time operating systems fall victim to security holes or issue updates. Make sure you check periodically to make sure you are running stable up to date versions of your software.

Most windows computer users keep their documents in the "My documents" folder, this makes it easy to back up all of your important documents. Make weekly or monthly copies to CD or USB drives. If you use floppy disks or USB drives on public computers like your school computer lab, or even digital photo printing store make sure you scan them for viruses. Public computers are notorious for not being up to date and properly protected.

Be wary of email attachments, treat any email attachment as potentially dangerous. Never open attachments from people you don't know, also be careful of attachments from people you know but weren't expecting. Many computer viruses replicate themselves by reading the contacts from an infected computer. Use text email if possible, while HTML email is prettier and allows you more control over formatting it also can carry computer viruses. If you use text based email the only way to get a virus is by opening an attachment.

Use downloaded freeware and shareware files or software with caution. Try to download them from popular reputable sources that scan the programs before they are uploaded. To make sure you are safe, scan the program before you install it on your computer.

Be wary of links in IM, yahoo, MSN or instant messaging software. Don't accept invitations from people you don't know and never click a link from someone you don't trust, they can easily redirect you to another website that will try to install a virus on your computer system.

Fix-It Utilities

All computers slow down with use, as you add and delete files, install/uninstall software and perform normal activities. Just like a car, your computer needs regular maintenance and repair. Fix-It Utilties Professional will restore your computer back to peak performance with over 40 tune-up and repair tools.

Defend your PC with integrated anti-virus and anti-spyware tools. Fix-It Utilities Professional finds and prevents problems before they happen and provides easy, scheduled maintenance to keep your PC running like new!

Download YOUR copy Now

RegistryFix

RegistryFix The most common PC troubles are found at locations spread throughout your PC. We have pinpointed these locations, and our free scanner allows you to scan for invalid registry entries that might be causing your PC issues. The software will inform you of where the errors exist, and what potential errors they might cause. RegistryFix will scan for errors related to ActiveX controls, DLL issues, Windows explorer errors, Windows installer issues, Internet Explorer errors, Iexpore and System32 errors, Runtime errors, Outlook and Outlook Express Errors, EXE errors, Svchost errors and a wide variety of other system issues.

60 Day Money Back Guarantee.
They offer the free scan utility.
In-Depth Scanning -
System Optimizing Methodology

ErrorFix

ErrorFix offers users a chance to restore to their PCs to optimal performance. The software constitutes the industry's leading error scanning and repair technology blended with an easy-to-use interface that makes the process of cleaning your Registry both elegant and efficient. Certified to run on every Windows Platform, ErrorFix can detect the corrupt paths, redundant entries, and outdated file shortcuts that make a computer run slowly or display error messages.

The program offers a good selection of features to keep your system optimized - apart from the default registry scanning and error fixing, of course. It can do a complete backup of your system, allowing you to save all of your current settings to use them later, restoring your system to a previous state. If you don't want to backup your entire system, you can just create a copy of your registry, to restore it later.

Error Fix can perform some very good maintenance procedures, like removing malicious toolbars and plugins from your browsers, including Internet Explorer, and if your browser is too seriously affected by those plugins, the program can restore it to a factory default state, as if you had just reinstalled Windows. The program can also protect you from harmful Active-X controls, and also scan your system for such controls and block them, or remove them completely.

Download Now to Maximize your PC's Potential!

Registry Easy

Registry Easy won our test base off results alone. Registry Easy ™ is an award-winning Windows Registry Cleaner and System Optimize Suite. This program does what it says and way more. This product was produced by a Canadian company at registryeasy.com - an extremely effective program and one that we highly recommend to remove your registry errors and problems resulting in a much quicker PC... This software was the most effective one we have tested mostly due to the fact that It is a well equipped solution for all your registry problems. It includes a full featured registry scanner that scans everything under the sun to make sure that your computer is safe, secure and fast..

Ease of Use: Registry Easy is extremely easy to use. The main menu includes five options that covers everything from registry scanning and cleaning to added system utilities. All of the options are simply named and easy for the novice to navigate..

Feature Set: Registry Easy is full of great features that will help keep your system clean and running fast. The registry scanner is full featured and catches things that many other registry scanners will miss. It has a feature called the "Evidence Cleaner" that will help you clean your browsing history, browser cache, and temporary system files.Registry Easy's backup utility goes a bit farther than many other registry scanners. It includes options to back up your registry, but also takes this one step further and allows you to create a Windows Restore Point. This is very useful and can be a lifesaver in the event that your computer suffers a catastrophic failure.

Ease of Installation: Registry Easy was easy to install and gave us no complications.

Help/Support: The help options in the program are useful and answer a great many of the questions that might be asked about the program. The technical support team at Registry Easy offers email support from their website and within the program. There is also a blog that they publish that includes information on the Windows registry.

Safety: Registry Easy is a very thorough program when it comes to scanning the Windows Registry. The software addresses the issues Windows commonly has with safety. With the wide array of things Registry Easy scans for, there is a higher chance of deleting something that might be needed. What compounds this further is the lack of a severity rating on each reference it finds. Safety is a big deal when you are dealing with the Windows registry, and Registry Easy lacks in the safety arena.

60 Day Money Back Guarantee. !
They offer the free scan utility.
Duplicate File Cleaner-System Optimizer&Memory Tweak.
Immediate Download – No shipping .