| All of that kind of thing could be broadly regarded as crapware.
| It's not necessarily all bad software, but it's all stuff you don't
| need and definitely shouldn't pay for.
|
|
| What do you use? Just for my info. I won't criticize, just learn.
|
What do I use for....cleaning? I don't. I don't
use any cleaners, AV, or "malware hunters". As I was
explaining above, I view Registry cleaners and general
system cleaners as more or less scam software. There
are things that can improve speed, which I listed in an
earlier post, but "cleaning" the Registry isn't one of them.

In terms of security, I'm careful of what I do online
and rarely enable script. I also don't install anything
from Adobe (Reader or Flash) and don't have Java
installed. So I guess you could say I use caution.

On XP I use the last free version of Onlne Armor
as a firewall. On Win7 I think I'm using Private Firewall.
I'm very concerned with both privacy and security.
I don't allow anything to go out that I'm not instigating,
which includes updaters. I don't allow any software to
self-update. That seems like a reckless and unstable
approach to me, and it's allowed software companies
to have their products in a constant state of semi-beta.

I don't think that no one should use AV. I think I already
explained my view on that kind of thing. For people who
are not going to deal with security issues, AV is probably
the next best thing, even though it drags on the system.

In terms of cleaning, I empty all TEMP folders
occasionally; I reinstall a clean disk image once
every year or two. (I keep an image with all the basic
software installed and configuration done.) I don't
install much that I don't really need and avoid bloatware
of any kind. I also avoid any additive programs, like
browser toolbars added by free software, useless crap
that's set to run by printer installers, ISPs, etc. I have
two programs set to run at startup: the firewall and a
mouse program. Most people have a dozen or more startup
programs running. I also keep the running services down to
a bare minimum.