Windows Repair and Tech Support Software

Piriform’s CCleaner (short for Crap Cleaner, literally.) cleans up your hard drive as well as your registry and keeps your PC clean.

Description: After achieving over 200 million downloads, you would have to think a software is pretty darn good, right? I have used it on many computers and I’ve never had it crash, freeze, or act unreliably. With the features that it has and how well it functions, I have to say that CCleaner is worthy of the highest honor I can give it on this site. To see how many that is though, you’ll have to read (or skip) to the bottom of the post.

Compatibility: Windows 98, ME, NT4, 2000, XP and XP 64, 2003, Vista 32 and 64

Necessary Info: CCleaner cleans the junk out of your different programs including:

• Internet Explorer - Temporary files, URL history, cookies, Autocomplete form history, index.dat.
• Firefox - Temporary files, URL history, cookies, download history.
• Opera - Temporary files, URL history, cookies.
• Windows - Recycle Bin, Recent Documents, Temporary files and Log files.
• Registry cleaner - Advanced features to remove unused and old entries, including File Extensions, ActiveX Controls, ClassIDs, ProgIDs, Uninstallers, Shared DLLs, Fonts, Help Files, Application Paths, Icons, Invalid Shortcuts and more… also comes with a comprehensive backup feature.
• Third-party applications - Removes temp files and recent file lists (MRUs) from many apps including Media Player, eMule, Kazaa, Google Toolbar, Netscape, MS Office, Nero, Adobe Acrobat, WinRAR, WinAce, WinZip and many more…

PROs: It cleans all the junk listed above and does it for free.

CONs: I haven’t yet figured out which check-box prevents the software from removing my commonly used Start Menu Items. I should probably be more diligent in my search but up till now, I haven’t been. This is pretty minor!

Rating:

CCleaner: Download free software HERE.

Thanks,
The Free Downloadable Software Fan

written by Tim \\ tags: Computer Repair, Registry, Speed Up, Windows 2000, Windows Vista, Windows XP

CrossLoop is a popular free free program for doing remote computer repair.

Description: CrossLoop is a great way to perform screen sharing for computer training and remote desktop services for computer repair over the internet.

Compatibility: Windows XP, Vista and Apple OS X

Necessary Info: CrossLoop is a free software that MAY allow you to get free remote computer repair service. Some of the members do it for fun but others charge for their services. If your friend or neighbor is a computer guru, he will probably do it for free. Just tell him to get the free software. I have been using it for a number of months and I have to say that it really is great free software.

PROs:

• The CrossLoop software is extremely intuitive. The person receiving help gives the person providing help a 12 digit access code and they both click connect. Then after a few confirmations by the person receiving help and they are sharing their screen.
• The features are here and there are still more coming. You can easily transfer files from 1 PC to the other, chat with the other person, and it keeps track of how long your session was.
• The CrossLoop team is constantly working to make CrossLoop better and better. The updates are often on the server side and therefore you don’t have to upgrade your software every time there is a change. But when an upgrade is necessary, they will let you know.
• If you don’t have your own computer Guru, their Marketplace can point you to one that as the skills to solve your specific issue.

CONs:

• On occasion I have had the service become extremely slow and even crash. It is kind of like a cell phone, you are at the mercy of the service provider (the ISP, not CrossLoop) for your connection quality.

Rating:

Conclusion: I have used CrossLoop many times and I highly recommend it to everyone.

CrossLoop: Download free software HERE.

Thanks,
The Free Downloadable Software Fan

written by Tim \\ tags: Computer Repair, Free Software, OS X, Remote Desktop, Speed Up, Tech Support Software, Windows Repair Software, Windows XP

Daily Cup Of Tech’s DCoT Menu System is a computer repair kit on a flash drive.

Free Computer Repair Software

Description: The DCoT Menu System is a free menu system that enables you to use multiple free software applications. It was created to all you to carry them on your flash drive. It contains applications such as AutoRuns, TweakUI, CCleaner, Process Explorer and many more.

Compatibility: Many of these programs will work with Windows 2000, all will work with Windows XP and some will work with Windows Vista.

Necessary Info: This is a necessity for any computer tech and highly recommended for anyone who considers themselves a computer enthusiast. To use it, just follow these simple instructions.

1. Download it.
2. Unzip the files to a folder on your flash drive.
3. Click on the coffee-bean icon.
4. Choose which app to start with and click on it.

Included Programs: Active@ ISO Burner, AutoCompress, Brute Benchmark, CCleaner, CDmage, DriveImage XML, Double Killer, DTaskManager, encopy, Eraser, ERUNT, explore2fs, File Assassin, Filemon, Hash, HDDScan, ICE ECC, LC ISO Creator, LSASecretsView, NTREGOPT, Patcher, PMMon, ProcessExplorer, ProduKey, Regmon, Restoration, Roadkil’s CommTest, Roadkil’s Disk Image, Rootkit Revealer, SequoiaView, System Information for Windows, TweakUI, Universal Extract, Virtual CD Control Panel, What Changed?, Why Reboot?, WirelessKeyView.

PROs: With this portable software on your flash drive, you can speed up computers, free up extra hard drive space, burn CDs and DVDs, find rootkits, undelete files… The list goes on and on. I think you can see why I always keep this on my flash drive.

CONs: The software is out-dated. The last revision was done in 2006 but most of the programs are still as valid as they were 2 years ago…. Unless you have Vista. Then some of them  (Tweak UI) won’t work.

Rating:

Conclusion: Daily Cup Of Tech’s DCoT Menu System is a must-have software package because it combines a host of great portable computer repair utilities. If only it was updated more often (more than once), it would be perfect!

DCoT Menu System: Download free software HERE.

Thanks,
The Free Downloadable Software Fan

written by Tim \\ tags: 4 Thumbs-Up, Computer Repair, Portable, Speed Up, Tech Support Software, Windows Repair Software