Is JV16 1.4 PowerTools for Me??

[gawguy]

Okay Lads,

 

I thank you warmly for solving the mystery in my "Help Me Get Rid of These Things" post.

 

Now that I'm in a cleaning mood, could you tell me what it is a person like me should do with JV16 1.4 PowerTools? It was recommended by some of the advanced fellows and I believe they mentioned tidying up the registry. The program is repleat with warnings like "Don't do this, that, the other unless you are a certified techno nerd!!"

 

I also see mentioned at the bottom of our tech pages "Registry Cleaner." Should I be using that? I don't like the looks of "Easy, Free Trial" which I take to mean that a clock will be ticking and after a certain time I will be required to fork over money or the program will lay on my hard drive like a dead chicken. I don't want to install things that I will later remove, but then when I remove them their remnants linger - like the stains and stink of a festering fowl.

 

Given that I'm feeling compu-anal, what should I do to get my system really, really clean?

 

Hearty Thanks,

GG

[soongmak]

Now that I'm in a cleaning mood, could you tell me what it is a person like me should do with JV16 1.4 PowerTools?

 

Based on your other post of the day, I don't think you should clean your register at all. If it ain't broken, don't fix it. You (or I for that matter) don't know what does what in the register, and it is easy to fuck things up. I'd say, if it ain't broken, don't fix it. Trust me, I learned this the hard way!

 

If you want a clean system, I'd suggest the following:

 

Clean your temp files every to week.

 

Start using MYIE2. This is a very good browser that uses the internet explorer engine, and you can clean ALL your internet traces with a simple mouseclick.

 

Make sure your computer is up-to-date. Install windows updates regularly, keep your virusscanner up to date, and the same goes for your spyware removal tools. Run these buggers once a week.

 

Don't surf dodgy websites with internet explorer. Use a browser like Opera or Mozilla, preferably not running with Java or Direct-X components. This should keep most spyware at bay.

 

Install Eraser. It will overwrite the empty space on your hard disk. As you may or may not know, after you throw your files in the recycle bin, they are not removed from your computer. Windows can't see 'em, but any nosy bugger with the right software can. Overwrite the empty space on your harddisk, and even those guys can't find your smut!

 

Cheers,

 

soongmak

[solar]

Try Total Uninstall available free (google for it). It logs all the changes to the registry during the installation of a program and allows the changes to be deleted. Might be a bit safer than using JV16, but needs to be running during any installation that you may wish to delete later.

[gawguy]

Hello SM-

 

I appreciate the advice and do most of it already, but what I find frustrating in your reply is the recommendation to change browsers **again**

 

Wasn't it a year or so ago I changed to Mozilla to be out of the way of hackers and spys? Then a month or so ago I went to Firefox, which I love. Now I should switch again!?

 

I'm not saying I shouldn't and maybe I will, but please explain a couple of things:

 

1) Does an IE engine make it superior to Firefox?

 

2) Isn't it true with Firefox that you can clear all traces with one click too. Tools/Options/Privacy/ opens dialog with a list of six categories you can clear separately, but down at the bottom is a final box that clears all of the above. Does MYIE2 (now renamed Maxthon) do more?

 

I see that it has tabbed browsing and lots of good features so maybe I should change. I assume that it is not a hacker magnet? If I change, then Firefox will be laying on the hard drive like a dead chicken.

 

Basically I have the other programs you mentioned. I did load DirectX the other night when a site I was accessing directed me to it. You seemed to be suggesting that it's vulnerable to hacking?

 

GG

[soongmak]

1) Does an IE engine make it superior to Firefox?

 

No, it doesn't.

 

2) Isn't it true with Firefox that you can clear all traces with one click too. Tools/Options/Privacy/ opens dialog with a list of six categories you can clear separately, but down at the bottom is a final box that clears all of the above. Does MYIE2 (now renamed Maxthon) do more?

 

No, it does the same. I assumed you were using IE, like most people, and Maxthon is a vast improvement. If you're using Firefox, I see no reason why you should change again.

 

I even suspect Maxthon to be more vulnerable to hacks than firefox, because it is based on IE. I don't surf dodgy websites however, and I think that when it comes to user friendliness, it is the best browser all around.

 

When it comes to DirectX, there have been a few cases where malicious websites could cause a buffer overrun on your computer, leaving your PC vulnerable to attackers.

[soongmak]

>>>I see that it has tabbed browsing and lots of good features so maybe I should change. I assume that it is not a hacker magnet? If I change, then Firefox will be laying on the hard drive like a dead chicken.<<<

 

The thing I like most about Maxthon is the ability to open a group of pages at the same time. I have a lot of websites I visit regularly, and opening a group of websites is a treat.

 

I start the day in the morning by catching up the news, and I open my favourite newspapers by just one click. After that, I usually check football news, and a new batch of pages is opened again with one click.

 

Every story I want to read, I drag over it with the mouse and it opens on a new page.

 

Wanna know what is on tv? Just open a group of webpages featuring the programming of your favourite channels.

 

Read the board? I first search for all threads worth reading at the start, open them, read them and close the page when I am done. After all the pages are closed, I am done. It's so much more convenient that clicking back and forward all the time.

 

If I want to do a google search on something, I usually highlight the terms I want to search on, drag with my mouse and voila, it opens in google! No need to type.

 

A Great plugin is the MW dictionary plugin. Highlight a word, click on the dictionary button and it tells you what it means.

 

I think the efficiency of my websurfing has increased with at least 100 %, I kid you not.

 

Cheers,

 

soongmak

[gawguy]

SM -

 

Thanks a million for all the information. I have gotten 90% of my info from the board tech forum and I am delighted with the condition of my computer based on all I've learned. I will add Maxthon and probably really like it.

 

I wonder?? If I don't use IE ever, is there any reason to keep it on my drive? Does it have elements that W2000 uses sometimes that it would miss? Can I just delete it and be done with it?

 

Thanks again,

GG

[soongmak]

You can't get rid of IE. You need it for updating windows and Maxthon is a shell that fits over IE. It uses the IE engine. Delete IE and Maxthon won't work.

 

Maxthon shows what IE is capable of - and puts the boys at Microsoft to shame.

 

Cheers,

 

sioongmak

[gawguy]

Okay--

 

Now I see what you mean about the IE engine.

 

I downloaded the install program for maxon with the extras. It was 3mb over dialup, but I was going out for a few hours, so I have it:

AI Roboform, FlashSave, ViewSource, EnableRightClick, Up a Directory, Weather. Is that overkill? Should I just load the browser? HD space is not a problem.

 

GG

[Straycat]

If I want to do a google search on something, I usually highlight the terms I want to search on, drag with my mouse and voila, it opens in google! No need to type.

 

Heh! That works in Firefox as well which I didn't know until I tried it now!