BurnAware the Best Free Burning DVD Software Program

There are no shortages of good commercial burning software (e.g. Nero). But, really, how often does the average computer user need all that extra and intricate editing tools. In my experience, most users just want a simple way to burn files on to a CD or DVD. These can be either data files or video files or what have you. For simple jobs, I highly recommend BurnAware Free Edition. It does'nt have all those bells and whistles found in commercial burning software but, what it does, it does well. What I found particularly useful is its ability to burning video files (e.g. VOB, IFO, BPU...etc.). It has a clean interface making it very easy to use. Best of all it's free.

Sphinx Software’s Vista Firewall Control

Microsoft touts Windows Vista as its latest and most secure operating system. Starting with Windows XP SP2, Microsoft has included a firewall which, by default, is enabled. While Windows XP’s firewall only monitors inbound Internet traffic, Windows Vista’s firewall monitors both incoming and outgoing Internet traffic. Windows Vista’s firewall is enabled by default. Windows Vista’s firewall isn’t the most user friendly application. In fact, it is downright impossible to customize. It does not allow users to set rules for traffic. Thankfully, there is a handy utility that can help, namely, Vista Firewall Control (VFC).

There is both a free and paid version of VFC. With the free VFC program, users can choose what type(s) of connections applications can make. For example, users can allow applications to make both types of connections, only one type of connections or block both. In addition, users can choose to apply it only once or apply it all the time. VFC doesn’t have all the bells and whistles found in other paid firewall programs; however, if you want to keep Windows Vista’s firewall then VFC can give you more control over the it. For those who want the bells and whistles, there are several free firewalls which support Windows Vista, such as: Comodo Firewall Pro, PC Tools Firewall Plus and ZoneAlarm.

Removing Rogue Antispyware

Malwarebytes.org

Unfortunately, not all advertised antispyware applications are legitimate security software. In fact, for some time now, there are scores of what are commonly called "Rouge Antispyware" programs. These programs advertise to remove spyware when, in truth, they add spyware to computers. Oftentimes, these programs install themselves without the user's knowledge or consent. Once installed, they display ominous messages warning the user that their computer has been infected with spyware and scare them to purchase their product to remove them. Sadly, the only spyware installed is the rogue antispyware program. Oftentimes, these programs are incredibly hard to remove, even genuine antispyware programs have a hard time remove all their files. Thankfully, there is a free utility, RougeRemover, which can remove a long list of rogue antispyware programs. If you find yourself in a position where your computer is possibly infected with rogue antispyware, try RougeRemove which is absolutely free and is the real deal. Here is the list of rogue antispyware programs which it can remove.

Remove Stubborn Files

New software programs offer more features and speed. However, this growth is not without its share of problems. In fact, as software becomes more and more sophisticated, it becomes bloated and more cluttered. As a result software programs become harder to uninstall. Yes, it is true that most programs come with their own uninstaller. But, they still leave remnants of the program on the computer, such as orphan registry keys and .dll library files. It has become such a problem that several major software makers have developed their own special removal tools, including: McAfee, Nero and Symantec.

• McAfee Consumer Product Removal Tool

• Nero Clean Tools

• Symantec Removal Tool

For example, a colleague of mine recently decided to switch from McAfee Antivirus to Symantec Norton Antivirus. He used McAfee regular uninstall program and not their Consumer Product Removal Tool (MCPRT). After uninstalling McAfee, he tried to install Norton Antivirus. But, Norton Antivirus refused to install because it detected the presence of another antivirus program. You guessed it. There was enough trace McAfee registry keys and files left behind to prevent Norton Antivirus from installing, which was to be expected since 2 antivirus programs installed on the same computer just doesn’t work. Running MCPRT would remove the trace elements but it would create another problem. MCPRT not only removes McAfee Antivirus but all McAfee products, including McAfee SpamKiller, McAfee SiteAdvisor and etc.

There are other problems such as the dreaded “can’t locate install.log.” In situations such as these you need is a dedicated uninstaller program. Many of uninstaller programs are bundled with utility suites, such as: TuneUp Utilities 2007 and Iolo’s System Mechanic 7. Others are standalone programs such as Your Uninstaller and Total Uninstall. All the programs I mentioned come with a free trial period so you can try them before deciding to purchase it.