A byte of tech: A thumb drive of Fix It
Posted on Fri 02/26/10 in Technical Interleude
As a tech dad, I feel I need to give a little something back to my readers. So, I offer you a glimpse of the utilities I keep with me on a thumb drive at all times. These are the essentials for removing malware (spyware & viruses), tuning-up a PC and optimizing the removal of nuisance software and the installation of commonly used software. Note that having this list won’t guarantee everyone a free pass to kick your computer guy to the curb; believe it or not, it takes more than a thumb drive to skin a cat, err… a computer… such as interpretation and being able to recognize trouble. BTW, each of the utilities I list have free versions and paid versions, so make sure you follow the licensing agreement. AND DON’T BLAME ME IF YOU KILL YOUR COMPUTER!!! ;) Here goes…
Click the product below to take you to the web page. Let me know if any links are bad. Thanks.
- SuperAntiSpyware Portable – Malware Removal Tool that seems to evade trojans due to the download filename changing regularly
- Malwarebytes – Another excellent malware removal
- Combofix – one of my last resort utilities or for specific malware such as SurfSideKick, QooLogic, and Look2Me
- BitDefender Downadup (aka Conflicker or Kido) removal tool – I really hate this virus. It is smart, widespread, constantly has new variants, and hops through networks and on USB drives. We refer to this breed of viruses as “AIDS” because when you stick your USB drive in an infected host, you’ve got it :/
- ATF-Cleaner – Clean up temp files quickly. I now prefer this over CCleaner, even though that fixes registry issues.
- Norton Removal Tool – for uninstalling those pesky Norton products that refuse to go away. I find Norton 360 to be the source of an incredible amount of problems, and simply disabling it rarely works. Be careful with this one. It’s all or nothing.
- Windows Installer Cleanup Utility – Useful for taking care of a lot of .NET issues
- PC Decrapifier (remove a lot of the trial software that comes on new computers)
- InstallPad – Install tons of common software all at once; HUGE time saver.
- User Profile Hive Cleanup Service – For the error in the event log about unloading user profiles – very common, but more annoying than anything
I do offer services to remove malware and perform PC tuneups remotely using LogMein IT Rescue. Most 1st time cleanups run about $50-100, and the results are usually well-received. Visit computersupportflorida.com for info.