Avast! Antivirus – Avast!, available from www.avast.com, is published by ALWIL Software in Czechoslovakia, and may be in line to become the premier free antivirus program. The current leader in the free antivirus market, AVG, published by Grisoft, (www.grisoft.com) is rumored to be considering phasing out its free product, and concentrating on the commercial market. Avast! Version 4 is available for free for non-commercial home us, and will run on almost any Windows or Linux platform. Commercial use requires that the license be purchased. Avast! is a full-featured antivirus program that will scan the hard drive and all files on it, check programs and files as they are opened, scan email, and protect from computer worms as well as viruses. As with most other antivirus programs, Avast! offers frequent, typically daily, automated updating of the antivirus files. For those worried that free software may not be up to the challenge and quality of its expensive commercial competitors, several computer publications have tested Avast! and rated it very highly. A publication, the Virus Bulletin, in its June 2003 edition, gave Avast! its highest “100% Rating” when testing it on Windows XP systems. The popular Ziff-Davis ZDNET awarded Avast! a five-star rating, its highest. Similar recognition was awarded by PC WORLD, ICSA, and other respected publications. While no software is perfect, Avast!, if kept updated, can provide quality antivirus service, and give the user peace-of-mind.
Another free for personal use multi-function utility is JV16 Powertools, from Finland, available for free download from www.jv16.org. While lacking the flashy interface of its commercial competitors, JV16 Powertools is a capable utility which can clean and repair a Windows registry, cleanly uninstall software, find and repair broken shortcuts, control startup functions, manage files, encrypt data using any of several encryption utilities, clean out temporary files, create keyboard shortcuts, and perform many other useful functions. Some published reviews have referred to Powertools as the “Swiss army knife of utilities”. Since the author posts periodic updates, Powertools also contains an “update” switch that will search for and install updates and fixes. JV16 Powertools will run on any Windows platform from 95 to XP can be a valuable utility on any compatible computer.
When people ask for computer help, and common reply is to ask what kind of system they have. Many users are unaware of what type of computer they have, the processor, memory, video card, software versions, etc., all of which may be necessary to resolve any types of problems. A Hungarian company, Aida32, has created a system information tool that quickly provides a wealth of information about an individual computer, a network, or the computers attached to a network. Available for free download from http://www.aida32.hu, AIDA32 has several versions available for any Windows platform, as well as a 16-bit version for older MSDOS computers. The amount of information disclosed by AIDA32 is massive, and can be extremely helpful in diagnosing problems, locating updated drivers, and measuring the performance of a computer and its peripherals. Some of the items identified on a computer are 85 pages of hardware and software information, detailed information on the components and peripherals installed, information about the CPU chip, technical details on the motherboard and drives, list of programs installed, diagnostic utilities, performance benchmarks, and other helpful information. As a matter of habit, I run AIDA32 on many of the computers that I am asked to diagnose, such that I will have a comprehensive picture of the computer and what is on it and in it.
A lot of people are not getting maximum performance while surfing the web. Popular newsletter author Fred Langa has created a free on-line utility, Browsertune, available at www.browsertune.com, which can measure surfing performance, and recommend free tune-up settings to improve performance. These improvements can be browser settings, computer settings, software updates, video improvements, and other enhancements to increase satisfaction while on the web. Corollary to Browsertune is Fred Langa’s frequent newsletter, the Langa List. Published every few days, the Langa List is considered one of the premier sources of computer news and tips, honest software and hardware reviews, and commentary. This spam-free list is available for free subscription from his site at www.langa.com, and I look forward to receiving my copy. Many of the ideas I get for my computer shows on KLVI and for columns here are from the Langa List. Unlike some newsletters, this one is actually fun to read, and I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in computers.
There are many more excellent and free items available for computer users. Watch this column for more information on these prime utilities and resources. There are many free programs and resources out there, and I will continue to keep you informed.
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