Appraisers' Free Forum

I use AVG, I dropped Norton. I also use Super Antispaware (FREE) and spybot (FREE) for adware removal. I run them once a week. I think I get rid of most of the junk that slows things done. I'm curious about registry cleaners, there are paid ones, but the only free ones are on a trial basis, are they worth it? What's everyone else use to keep their machines running?

I use a regime similar to yours. AVG free and Malwarebytes.

Norton keeps worming it's way back onto my machine... it should probably be classified a pest-virus itself. When I need to get it removed and do other basic stuff to speed up, what I use is a guy named Paul. For $50 to $75 he'll clean-up the registry, remove Norton and other pest programs, and fix just about anything else I ask him to. Once or twice a year at that rate is better than buying a registry cleaner, IMHO. Sorry, he can't fix any of the basic flaws in Windows or other MicroSlow programs.

You're probably doing the right thing by simply hiring someone to do that periodically, there are so many of those virus and registry cleaning programs out there it's amazing, most of them cost close to his price. I dumped Norton because it was like dragging an anchor around, I was able to get rid of it by the remioval program but I've heard of cases like yours, it seems there is always part of it hanging aorund.

Hey SJ - I use BitDefender (from I'm told it's the best rated out there and runs about $45/yr), SpyBot and some of the other stuff you talk about. As far as a Registry Cleaner I used the one that the admin on the dark side suggested years ago - can't remember the name or find it right now on the puter but I'll keep looking.

Edit: I found it - I believe you can get it for free from www.regcleaner.com

Senior Jefe wrote:...but I've heard of cases like yours, it seems there is always part of it hanging aorund.

Actually, Paul gets rid of it entirely. However, Juno, which I sometimes use for dial up, invites it back in. Guess I'll have to dump them.

Thanks Mr. Otis,
I went to the regcleeaner site, but it's one of those trial offers, it only removes 20 bugs and tries to get you to sign up for a paid service, I think they all do that now, hey if the Whiney one over there recommended it, he's probably getting a cut. :)

Mr. Owens I did download Malwarebytes and added it to my arsenal along with Super AntiSpyware and Spybot, I've never quite understood how sometimes one will clean up everything and sometimes you need to run a separate one. One big mystery is sometimes Spybot gives a message "200 programs in use, can't remove them" 200? that's alot of hidden junk

Senior Jefe wrote:I've never quite understood how sometimes one will clean up everything and sometimes you need to run a separate one. One big mystery is sometimes Spybot gives a message "200 programs in use, can't remove them" 200? that's alot of hidden junk

My understanding of this is incomplete, but, from talking to Paul, I have deduced that there is no clear cut definition of what is a harmful program. That is why AdAware might zap something that Spybot would leave alone. Under one kind of thought process, Active X in Windows could be considered to be a virus. (That is one of the reasons I avoid using MS Word.) Spybot is probably looking at a lot of the internal processes of various Windows programs, marking them is potentially dangerous, and then, correctly concluding that they cannot be removed because they are necessary for the program to operate. There are all kinds of things going on in the background. One of the things that Paul does is to eliminate unnecessary processes. If any of you are close enough to Joplin, here's a shameless plug... his company is Joplin Tech Services.

Steve Owen wrote:

Senior Jefe wrote:I've never quite understood how sometimes one will clean up everything and sometimes you need to run a separate one. One big mystery is sometimes Spybot gives a message "200 programs in use, can't remove them" 200? that's alot of hidden junk

My understanding of this is incomplete, but, from talking to Paul, I have deduced that there is no clear cut definition of what is a harmful program. That is why AdAware might zap something that Spybot would leave alone. Under one kind of thought process, Active X in Windows could be considered to be a virus. (That is one of the reasons I avoid using MS Word.) Spybot is probably looking at a lot of the internal processes of various Windows programs, marking them is potentially dangerous, and then, correctly concluding that they cannot be removed because they are necessary for the program to operate. There are all kinds of things going on in the background. One of the things that Paul does is to eliminate unnecessary processes. If any of you are close enough to Joplin, here's a shameless plug... his company is Joplin Tech Services.

Hey Steve - be happy I made it for your birthday party (btw tell your wife to email me). He's way too far away for me.

The other thing I've experimnted with lately is a ram booster, I honestly can't tell if it makes any differece it all. It does give me an idea, I may go in the appraiser ram booster business as a sideline this winter and sell it to angry appraisers and make a lot of promises I can't deliver on. Hell, those idiots over there >>>>>>> just keep buying those $299 appraiser advantehous packages to new clients, they may was well give it to me. :)