TechSupportAlert

The only site you need to find the best free software for your computer. This is a volunteer-based review site that tests and gives recommendations for the best free software there is for a broad swath of tasks. There are excellent sections on web-only services, security software, utilities, etc. I have been using this site for years and have either come across my own favorite free software in their reviews or found new freeware gems I would have not known about otherwise. Highly recommended for all your software needs.

This is a great site to look for freeware for primarily Windows, but also Mac, Linux and portable devices. They only suggest software and do not have downloads at the site (there are links).

What I like is that each of the categories is maintained by a volunteer who has a special interest in that type of software. They give real world application reviews as they are using the software themselves.

If you are looking for software, this is a great place to check our first. Odds are you will find a freeware that will meet your needs. I have always found one and no longer have any paid for products on my computer.

My free defragger (then disktune, now disktuna) has been on his site with a very high rating for years. Then was taken off as I didn't maintain it. I can understand that. I simply replied to the article because I had a new version.

Next moment my post + account were gone without notice. I simply assumed an error, so I create a new account and post again. I then sent an email and tried to register again. Again under the assumption that there had been a technical issue.

Turns out that Mr. Gizmo deleted my account no matter what I say or do. He will also not answer my emails.

See: https://web.archive.org/web/*******2319/http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-disk-de-fragmenter.htm

If you are looking for one of the best freeware software listing website out there, look no further. Techsupportalert.com is an excellent recourse to find all inclusive lists on the best free software out there. They don't simply list software and then show a hack "copy-paste" description from the software maker. They provide their own review and breakdown of the good and the bad that they experienced with that piece of software. This is a rare quality in a freeware listing website. Many sites of this nature simply grab the author's description and then pound the visitor, like a bully in the playground to the nerdy kid, with ads and pop-up offers left and right. Not the case here. The reviews seem genuine, thought out and provide recommendation and direction not found too often.

The only criticism that I would give to this site that if you don't know to click on the "Popular" button link from their menu, finding this list of great software isn't so obvious.

As an IT consultant with over 20 years of experience in software development, I have found their reviews to be informative, helpful, and right on the money for the most part. A great find!

Strange how these sites survive in which the recommended software for so many of the categories is from history. They use Joe Public to run each section which, inevitably, leads to inadequate processing, pompous and "wordy" reviews (hey everyone, I've finally found a place for people to listen to me).

There are some sections in which the reviews are at least a year out of date and the latest and greatest options are not even acknowledged. I would consider it more of a novelty/retro site than one whose advice I would take (at least without treble checking it elsewhere first).

Sites like this kind of exist off the back of their history. If you want good freeware advice there are far better places. Also avoid Download.com as they are hosting known malware, which all the reputable sites have removed after receiving evidence. Snapfiles, Sourceforge and FileHippo are excellent. If you have multiple programs to install go to Ninite.com and do them all in one go (plus they automatically remove all the crapware that companies try to sneak in during installation.

And what's with that Gizmo thing? Like I said, they are from the past and really have remained there. It's like a software museum almost.

Always provides a top rated app to get. Provides multiple options too. Provides one click to get to the website.

Microsoft Launches Free On-Demand Virus/Mal-ware Scanner

So far On-Demand scanner has dredged-up a fair amount of malware on my PCs. It's a large download, mentioned in the following run-down, but wasn't enough to deter me... and I'm rather conservative where adding software to my runs-like-a-clock Win XP PC. So thumbs-up for me. It self-expires. And so far performed admirably for an MS freebie. (When UNINSTALLING ANYTHING, grab a FREEWARE copy of REVO-UNINSTALLER. It dogs deep to ferret out bits&pieces files that are almost always left behind when uninstalled.)

Here's The Deal:
Microsoft has launched a new, free virus/malware scanner, that's designed to be used if you think your computer might be infected.

The program is called the Microsoft Safety Scanner. To use it, download the file from http://www.microsoft.com/security/scanner/en-us/default.aspx and then run it on your PC. The app is portable, so doesn't need an installer. When run it, it will analyze your computer and detect, and remove, many of the most prevalent viruses.

Microsoft makes clear this is NOT intended to take the place of a proper on-access anti-virus product. It's simply designed to be used in emergencies... if you think your computer may have a problem that has managed to sneak past your existing defenses. Also, note that the program automatically expires after 10 days, so if you want to run it regularly you'll need to keep downloading the latest version.

Safety Scanner is a cool perk from Microsoft's range of free security tools, of which its Security Essentials suite is probably the best known. But a 67 MB download, for a program that expires after 10 days, why so huge? Go ask MS:: smile:: McAfee offers a similar product, also free, called Stinger. It doesn't expire after 10 days, can be downloaded from http://www.mcafee.com/us/downloads/free-tools/how-to-use-stinger.aspx, and is just a 7.7 MB download.

So check these tools out. Hope everyone is doing well.
Ron