DriveImageXML

Sorry for the late posting, for those of you who follow my site. My wife and I have been going through a lot recently. I have switched jobs again, we just a had baby boy March 23, and my little girl is getting rotten as ever. Everything went well though. Now onto the update. I recently discovered a program that can back up your windows installation. It is really great. It is called DriveImageXML. It is really great to use after doing a complete reinstall, with all of your drivers and games. Then you back it up with DriveImage. The next reinstall after you back up your windows installation will be with DriveImageXML. Within fifteen minutes, you are back to all your games and drivers installed. It is nice to be able to reinstall Windows without reinstalling countless number of programs, drivers, games, etc. It usually takes me a couple of days, due to work and the kids, to do a reinstall without DriveImage. It does only work while windows is active, (unless you build a windows live cd with BartPE). Later I will give instructions on how to do this, but for now I will give a link to someone who already has them listed. You can access the steps by going to http://tipsfor.us/ghost-windows-xp-for-free/. The windows live (BartPE) disc will allow to restore the image even if you can't boot into windows. So if you get a bsod (Blue Screen of Death), just use the BartPE disc and restore from it. You will either need an extra partition, hard drive, or maybe compress it enough to fit on a disk for the DriveImage. But if you put it on a disk, you need 2 cd drives (1 CD drive and one DVD drive). I just put my backup on another partition. As always, if you have any questions or advice, feel free to suggest or ask. Have a great day everyone.

Free Security Pack for Windows

I have finally uploaded my free security pack to MegaUpload.com. This contains free security software I use personally. The software in the pack can be found on this site. This is just to make it easier for everyone that wants a clean, secure PC. You can now download this pack from http://www.megaupload.com/?d=0Q3N1OGW. Just unrar, install all the software, and enjoy the free security pack. If you have any questions or issues, just let me know. Also, please let me know if this pack was helpful. Thank you and Happy Holidays.

Unlocker

This is a really neat program. Have you ever tried to delete a file or folder and get this message?

Cannot delete file: Access is denied
There has been a sharing violation.
The source or destination file may be in use.
The file is in use by another program or user.
Make sure the disk is not full or write-protected and that the file is not currently in use.

Well this free program will unlock the file and allow you to delete, stop or modify it. I used it for the file atapi.sys, which is needed to install Service Pack 3. It can also be useful for removing harmful files from your PC. You can download and read more on this program from http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/

Windows Firewall

I have listed a firewall previously, but did not mention the Windows Firewall. The Windows Firewall can usually perform just as well. A firewall keeps intruders from accessing your systems files, private information, etc. To enable/disable Windows Firewall, click on Start>Control Panel>Windows Firewall. If you do not have a firewall installed, then I would recommend having this one on.

Free Programs

Do you have a free program that you want me to test and review? Leave me a comment with the link to download it and I will test it. Good software will be listed with my list. If it is bad, then I will start a (Bad PC Software) list. Also, leave your e-mail with the download link and I will notify you of my experience.

Wise Registry Cleaner

This is a really great program for keeping your registry clean. A trashed registry can cause even the best PC's to run slow. Remember to backup your registry before using. They have a free and pro version. The free version works great. You can download this program from http://www.wisecleaner.com/download.html

Free KGB Key Logger

For those of you who don't know what a key logger is, here is a simple explanation. It is a program created to be hidden in the background, and while someone is on your PC, logs the keystrokes made during their session. I am not listing this software for illegal purposes. It's purpose is to keep your PC under your control, keep unwanted software from being downloaded, keep unwanted sites from being browsed, and to find out if your kids are accessing inappropriate sites. If you would like to give this program a try you can download it from http://download.cnet.com/Free-KGB-Key-Logger/3000-2162_4-10357898.html.

AxCrypt

This is a free program for encrypting windows files. However, this is a good and bad tool. Great for keeping files private and secure. Bad if you forget your password. So if you need to lock your files down, then you can download this program from http://axcrypt.sourceforge.net/

ZoneAlarm Firewall

This program is intended to keep users from hacking into your computer and to keep viruses, etc. from sending personal information from your computer. This program is free and is excellent if you feel you have security issues with your network. You can download this program from http://download.cnet.com/ZoneAlarm/3000-10435_4-10039884.html

Spybot Search and Destroy

Even though I haven't used this program in a while, I figured it deserves a spot on my page. This program helped me out when I first started getting spyware and other malicious software on my PC. This program fixed my issues with no problem. It is still updated and widely used, so I would say it is still a great program. You can download this program from http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html

Ad-aware

This program is a great program and I used it quite a bit. Easy to use, free, and excellent at removing adware. Updates quite often as well. This is a great program that I would recommend. You can download it from http://www.lavasoft.com/single/trialpay.php

SuperAntispyware

This program is really great for removing all types of spyware. You can buy the pro or download the free version. I have used the free version for a while and have to say it is great. You can download this program from http://superantispyware.com/download.html

Malwarebytes

This is a great anti-malware program. There is a free and full version. I have not used the full version, but the free version is great. This program fixed my malware problem. The scan is a little slow, but thorough. If you would like to try this program you can download it from http://www.malwarebytes.org/index.php

Advanced System Care (IOBIT)

This is another program I use personally. This one has security defense, registry cleaner, spyware removal, and other tools for keeping your pc running safe and top notch. They have a pro and free version. The free version is great for home use. You can check it out at http://iobit.com/advancedwindowscareper.html.

Avira Antivirus

This is a great Antivirus program. It has a premium version, but for home use the free version works great. I used Norton when I had the free trial, but Avira seems to care more about the safety of your pc. I am very grateful to have found this Anti-virus. If you are looking to change to a free antivirus, or just want to try a different one, then I would definitely recommend Avira. You can download the free version from http://www.free-av.de/en/trialpay_download/1/avira_antivir_personal__free_antivirus.html