How much do you know about software?
62System software for your everyday needs.
TAfter thirty odd years running businesses on computer for many different tasks, I have learnt that when something goes wrong with a computer it is usually the software.
Very few hardware failures occur after the first week. Hardware problems usually show up straight away when the computer is new, yet the poor old box or laptop cops the blame later for a lot of software related problems that look like hardware failure.
Are IT lazy or over worked?
Some I.T. people are bloody useless with software repairs and just destroy all the data, re-format the drive and destroy your hard work. "Have you backed up your data?" they ask. It's not just the lost data, you now have to re-install every piece of software that was there before the slurp!
All the tweaks you have made to the registry and shell are all gone too! After suffering the "experts" slurping my sons home work about 18 times, I stopped letting his private school IT department anywhere near his laptop, and sure enough it had one faulty file that kept causing shut downs!.
Lazy Computers.
Often a computer will slow to a crawl.There are many causes, here are the main ones.
- A bloated registry.
- Too many TSR programs running in the background.
- Too many temp files.
- Not enough room left on the disc to run at full speed.
- A windows driver file out of date.
- Your virus scanner hogging memory.
If you keep your anti-virus software up to date a slow computer is more likely to be slowed by a crook file and in need of a registry mop up than that the problem is caused by a virus.
There are so many other things that go wrong apart from catching viruses.By the way, many so called virus and spy-ware tools on the net carry viruses themselves, as do porn and gambling sites.There are thousand of problems that can stop a computer from working altogether. A system file or Windows dynamic link library file may corrupt of it's own accord or a device driver file may sink the ship by no longer loading fully.
Software is available to fix all of these problems, and even to easily replace the MBR or Master Boot Record.
Often the results of a crash are devastating, as they lock the user out of Windows, his hard drive or other components.
The solution is easy enough to prevent when you know how, but near impossible when the problem is such that the computer won't even boot!
Do yourself a favor and stop computer crashes before they begin, after all the solution is free.
This definitive software is all free.
. I do not have any financial interest in any of this software, I have been using it myself for many years now, and hardly a day goes by when I don't try to offer to solve a problem by starting my sentences with " go to or Google snap-files.com. It saves me so much time.
This is, without a doubt the definitive, truly free software site on the Internet and has been for twenty years, but the net is a big place, and most people don't realize that many freeware programs, especially technical freeware programs are written by computer software developers that start all their product this way, and then offer a paid version that is more powerful at the same time.Often they use the high quality of a free product to attract loyal users to other products they sell, sometimes generous geniuses just give away wonderful software too! The net does produce the unexpected prize sometimes!
A nice free system maintenance tool is available here. It has 5 stars from snap-files and you can read the review on the page and read ratings from users as well.
If you enjoy using power tools and enjoy the tech ad-on's for your platform, there are some great bits here to automate some pretty click hungry jobs.
If you would like to split your screen in half, run 2 screens in a manner that suits you or change the use of your desktop go here. all of this software is free! I choose the ones with 4-5 stars, although none of the software on the site is worse than the best found elsewhere.
Internet Marketing tools.
Apart from what you get free from google, there are many other tools for internet marketing, Site promotion software, good keyword tools and site management tools can be pretty expensive!
Here's quite a few really useful free ones.
More serious stuff.
If you want to lift the hood on your computer software to do some driver checking or to see which files are dependant on what process have a look at dependancy walker.
Need a linux hardware scanner? It is easy to navigate the huge list of categories of technical software here, so I'll leave you techi's to fall in love with your new toys.
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Comments
Thanks JamaGenee, your friends geek son knows his software. I also use advanced system care pro and smart defrag, I got both from snapfiles. I had intended to get the paid version but so far the freeby is coping.
Hi Earnest,
Thanks for the advice. I will just go check the snapfiles.
Valuable info and some great links too!
Thanks a lot. :)
Thanks a lot SiddSing, It has a lot of tech stuff with good GUI"s (graphical user interface for the non-tech) and I use heaps of freeware for file and system management.
Thanks quicksand, I am still building this software hub as new information arrives or when I have the time!
earnestshub, thanks for the links I went and looked at "dependancy walker" it looks like it would be handy program.
Hi agvulpes, Dependancy walker is probably the best tool for seeing your module activity.
I used to be an IT software/hardware geek, but I'll forgive the insults :-) I know you weren't talking about me.
You've covered the defragging / scanning situation. I'll throw my few cents in re backups.
Backups have ALWAYS been a problem for computer users. And IT departments. I'll spare you the horror stories.
What I use now is Acronis True Image. It's not free. But it's the best bloody backup software I've ever used - and I've tried plenty!
Acronis takes a image copy of your hard disk so that you can completely restore the files and operating system if you have a hard disk crash.
It also allows you to restore individual files from the image copy - which is a VERY neat trick if you accidentally deleted something.
I'd recommend backing up to an external hard disk. This used to be a pain, but the new pocket sized USB hard disks make this a breeze. You just plug them into a USB port, and away you go. No AC power supply needed.
I use a snazzy little red number from Western Digital. It looks like a Moleskine diary.
I said I wouldn't go on about horror stories, but here's a very recent one.
A friend has three computers. She said that she didn't need an external backup, because she backed each computer up on the other.
Last week all three of her computers were stolen when someone broke into her office. She's lost EVERYTHING - except a few files she had on a thumb drive.
So, by all means do the defragging and scanning and registry cleaning.
But make regular backups too. Preferable using 2 different drives that you rotate, and have one of them off site at all times.
Hmm. I should do a hub about this. So don't even THINK about pinching this story :-)
Cheers, Eric G.
Thanks Eric, Sorry mate, I have met quite a few dud IT people, yet I spent today working with one. One of my IT friends is a help desk jockey these days and anyone who is lucky enough to get him on the other end of the phone line are doing well.
I still use external drives through my USB port to backup. I will take a look at Acronis, thanks for the realy useful comment.
Thanks earnesthub - will go check out snapfiles.
Like Eric, I back up everything on an external hard drive - maybe I should start using two after his horror story?
Appreciative of the reference to Google snapfiles.
Well I have made sure to maintain my notebook perfectly and take care about all issue that may make it nothing more then a box. So far processing speed, prevention from infection and software maintenance is concerned I do it myself until it is big problem and I don't get any head or tail out of it. I found the links you gave useful especially the one for Dependency Walker. Good Hub!
Thanks packerpack, it sounds like your an old hand at this.I think it is great if you can look after your own system. dependancy walker is very good isn't it?
Good sound advice but wary of some of the free registry repair software. They introduce problems to your computer and then you have to buy the fix from the supplier of the free software. This is a nasty little scam but I guess it makes the owners quite a bit of money!
Thanks again Earnest, another top hub. I hadn't heard of snapfiles and there is clearly some really sueful stuff there. Thanks for flagging it up.
As of IT support staff, well, there's good and bad! I've had the pleasure to deal with both during 20 plus years recruiting IT staff! What I will say is that if you find a good one...hold on to them...they are worth their weight in gold!
Cheers
Derek
Thank you APD, in reading over the hub I forgot to mention that Not all IT people are lazy or do bad work. Your right to point that out. I bet you could tell some stories as an IT recruiter. Snapfiles is a gem. The Internet is full of good software sites, but few have gone to the trouble Snapfiles has to supply only the best.
Thanks very much for this earnestshub. I'm always on the lookout for better ways to keep my dinosaur moving at the fastest pace possible. I can't afford a new computer or even the software that's got a price tag. Freeware is my only source.
Since I've been known to make use of torrents and am fond of downloading lots of electronic music software, drum machines, sequencers and the like, I'm always at risk of malware and trojans and whatnot.
I've been using an ap by Comodo for security but it really slows down my startup since it scans and updates its database automatically every time I turn on my computer.
I've bookmarked all the links you've provided and I'll probably end up being up until 3AM downloading and checking out some of these utilities.
Thank you CWB. See I told you I loved you! Seriously, it is a top site, and been clean as a whistle for 20 years. A site doesn't have to be bad to make money eh?
I wish I was allowed out at 3am, at my age people come looking for me after about midnight! Let me know if you find a gem.
I can do that. Thanks again.
Great info here. Believe it or not I fix so many other people's PC's. I am right into it. So this extra info is really cool. Thumbs up EH.!!
Thanks CWB.
Blondepoet, I am not surprised by anything you can do!
Glad to help.
Hi, I spent the whole morning trying to get some software to do what I thought it should- and here's the perfect person I could have asked advice from- I'll keep an eye on your articles- this one is SO useful to me. Thanks
Thanks suppee, feel free to ask. Hubpages has many computer experts. If you ask for help here you will likely get half a dozen good answers.
Bios and the MBR are ancient artifacts that just won't die or be replaced.
The Microsoft OS has always been a joke, since the time that Gates built it on top of CPM. The Unix OS at least protects its Kernel better than MS. Fast and mindless programming causes the many holes that hackers slither into and much of that would be prevented with more code protection. A simple test before execute of a divide by zero could prevent an uncontrolled abort. Testing whether a programs memory would be exceeded by an operation could prevent a memory over-run. Another problem with MS OS is that it hangs the system if there is a problem with an input/output device that doesn't respond.
There are many more problems that could be prevented by better programming techniques. At one time, the bad programming technique was a compromise between small memory and low computing speeds but certainly isn't the case now.
Thank you for the well informed comment issues veritas.
I had a cpm system before DOS on an Amstrad computer with no hard drive.
It seems we went from software limited in size governed by hardware, to fat bloated sloppy code. The size of some software is amazing. I guess the programmers figure that as size in not a problem anymore with Giga storage and memory, short cuts with coding is ok. Patches on patches.
earnest
You are right, what the coders were able to do in hundreds of bytes, they now can take millions of bytes. When the IBM PC first came out they thought that no one would ever need more than 10 Megabytes of hard drive. You are right about patches on patches because patches don't cure design flaws. You basically patch the bad stuff so that it comes out some place else. When they find that place, it requires another patch and so on.
Your Amstrad computer must have had a tape drive or did it just use floppy disks? I had a Radio Shack TRS 80 computer that had a write only tape recorder on it. Not sure where the information that i wrote to the tape actually went but I am certain it never came off the tape.
Thanks for the memories.
My amstrad had a large (only in physical size) floppy. I lashed out and bought an external hard drive for it later on. I remember the TRS 80 as well.
I am glad that computers can do more than they could then!
Thanks for sharing. Yes, you get a lot of bytes and speed for your buck today.
Great advice, Earnest. I find that the notebook I let my kids use gets all clogged up with downloaded games. One of them was downloading different versions of "Diner Dash" at 95mB a pop! I uninstalled all of them and took away administrative privileges.
Tom I bet with an eyebrow like that the kids did not argue?
Good idea! My twenty year old thinks bandwidth grows on trees, so I took him outside and showed him the trees.
Trees, I thought that's where money grows.
I've been looking in the wrong places, what do you suggest?
Money only grows on the elusive money tree, I have been unable to find a bandwidth tree locally!
I've been using Linux since 2000, althought I still boot into Windows for the odd video game or what not have you.
You're absolutely right, as I've worked in the computer repair field for awhile (although now I only do it as a side job, I'm iffy about doing it for a larger chain again) and most generally it's the software.
Although, I've also seen a lot of hardware issues. Bad RAM, Hitatchi DeathStar HDs, etc. You'd be surprised how many computers have fried just because people never opened them up to dust them out once in a blue moon. I tell all my friends, family, customers....NEVER put your computer directly on a floor, attracts too much dust.
Sincerely,
G|M
So true GlM, I have run into a few that blew the ram, and others covered in so much dust in the cooling fins over the CPU, that it would die every half hour or so. Thanks for adding to the info pool!
JamaGenee says:
9 months ago
I agree - IT people are pretty clueless when it comes to software. Would rather wipe everything out and start over with a clean slate. Which is why it's important to back up *regularly*. But I'm always amazed at how many people don't know to defrag or clean the registry. Emptying the cache file after an intense online session helps speed things up too.
I use Advanced System Care Pro for registry cleaning faithfully, and Smart Defrag for defragging, both recommended by a friend's geek son. Basic versions are free from IObit.com, but I have the paid versions which do quite a bit more.
Never heard of snapfiles. Will have to check it out. Thanks.