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Filed under: Utilities, Features, Windows, Freeware, How-Tos, Windows x64

How to replace the crappy pre-installed software on your new Windows 7 PC with great free apps

Windowsby Lee Mathews Oct 23rd 2009

So you picked up a new Windows 7 laptop (or desktop) or you're planning on buying one in the very near future?

If you took a look at display models in stores like Best Buy or Frye's, you no doubt noticed that new systems come with a lot of programs pre-installed. Lots of software is a good thing, right? Not always.

Trouble is, what you get is often a) not really useful software or b) a time-limited trial. Office 2007 and the antivirus protection the salesperson told you about? They're 60 day trials. After that, they're going to ask you to pay up...But you don't have to.

No, you can tell those apps to keep their hands off your credit card! With all the great, free software Download Squad has covered over the years, there's really no need to burden your new system with that kind of software timebomb.
With just two simple apps you can quickly strip away all the bloatware (that's what us techy types call the excess crud preinstalled on your new system) and get yourself a nice selection of totally free software that will never expire!

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Tags: bloatware, cleanup, crapware, decrapifier, features, install, installer, new laptop, new pc, new-pc, NewLaptop, NewPc, ninite, windows-7, windows7

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Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Freeware

USB Drive Fresher automatically tidies your flash drives

Windowsby Lee Mathews Aug 19th 2009

On my service bench, we've got a handful of USB flash drives that get cluttered up on a daily basis. By the end of the day, they're often loaded up with drivers, backups, thumbs.db files - you name it.

Yesterday, I found USBDriveFresher. It's a free utility designed to clean up flash drives with minimal fuss. You can create your own cleanup routines. Cleanup can even be done automatically, which is useful if you constantly need a clean drive like I do.

You're not limited to cleaning up flash drives, though. Fresher's custom cleanup option lets you run your tidy-up routines on any folder on your computer.

USBDriveFresher is a free download and runs on everything from Windows 98 forward. It only uses about 6mb when running - well worth it if you need to keep a number of drives clean and ready-to-use.

Tags: cleanup, clutter, erase, format, usb-flash-drive

Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Freeware, Open Source, Windows x64

6 great free cleanup utilities for Windows

Windowsby Lee Mathews Jun 9th 2009


Update: Looking for more apps to help tune up, clean, and repair your computer? Check out this list of six programs that help you solve your problems for free!

Nobody likes useless junk taking up valuable hard drive space. Fortunately, there's a whole slew of good, free programs out there to help us keep things ship-shape. And yes, most of them are called [letter] + Cleaner. Here are five worth checking out.

If you use one of these apps, share your thoughts in the comments! As always, if I missed your favorite please share it with us!

Bleachbit (open source, installer) pictured - While it only handles file cleanup and is a comparatively large download (it's Linux and Windows compatible and runs about 8Mb with GTK), Bleachbit supports a much larger list of programs than most of the other cleaning apps. Apart from all major browsers, it also tidies up after Google Earth, Flash, Java, Second Life Viewer, Skype, Vuze, and more. Found 63.7Mb of crap files on my recently-cleaned drive.

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Tags: ccleaner, cleaning, cleanup, glary, temp-files, tune-up

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Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Freeware, Windows x64

Portable Little Registry Cleaner tidies up Windows registry clutter

Windowsby Lee Mathews Feb 25th 2009


Like the dark corners of your C: drive, your Windows registry can accumulate quite a bit of clutter. Little Registry Cleaner is on the job, ready to locate registry refuse and dispose of it.

The application weighs in at just over 1mb and is fully portable - just extract the exe file's contents to a folder using an application like 7zip. Start it up, click the scan button, and LRC will locate registry entries that can be removed without harming your system.

Since CCleaner is my current cleanup app of choice, I ran it side-by-side. While CCleaner's scan was faster, LRC located 32 more items. After fixing problems, LRC automatically re-scanned and found 6 remaining issues (all missing icons) it couldn't fix. CCleaner didn't have any luck removing them either.

Little Registry Cleaner also includes a startup manager and contains a good set of options for less experienced users. By default, it automatically creates system restore points, checks for updates, and has a built-in registry restore funciton. I would like to see an option to disable the scanning results pop-up window - the important information is already presented in the main window.

It's a free download and runs on both 32 and 64-bit Windows, and is a nice registry cleanup option for more inexperienced users.

Tags: ccleaner, cleanup, portable, registry, tune-up, windows-registry

Filed under: Internet, Security, Utilities, Windows, Freeware

Anti-Malware Toolkit updated, supports loads of new apps

Windowsby Lee Mathews Dec 12th 2008


Lunarsoft, producers of Anti-Malware Toolkit, have been hard at work since I mentioned it on Downloadsquad back in August.

The handy updater now supports 37 different downloads in five categories, including:
  • Spyware: Spyware Blaster, CCleaner, RogueRemover, SUPERAntiSpyware, Malwarebytes, Spybot, Hijack This
  • Definitions: Avast, Avira, Spybot, Malwarebytes, SUPERAntiSpyware
  • Utilities: Dial-a-fix, JavaRA, Autoruns, Process Explorer, Rootkit Revealer, Unlocker, LSPFix, MS Malcious Software Removal, Windows Installer Cleanup
  • Uninstallers: Avast, Avira, AVG (x86 and x64), BitDefender, Kaspersky, McAfee, One Care
  • Recommendations: Firefox, Opera, Thunderbird, Avast, AntiVir, Comdo (x86 and x64), Auslogics Defrag, PageDefrag, UPHClean
Support has also been added automatically create category folders instead of saving everything into your specified download directory.

It's a great application for keeping your flash drive up-to-date with a ton of good, free malware removal tools. Anti-Malware Toolkit is a free application for Windows only. It can be downloaded from the author's site or from Freeware Files.

Tags: cleanup, downloader, malware, removal, spyware, updater

Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Freeware

Cleano cleans your temp files every time you login

Windowsby Brad Linder Dec 8th 2008

CleanoCleano is a free Windows utility that helps you keep your hard drive clean by deleting your temp files, run history, Internet explorer files, and other data. What sets Cleano apart from other utilities like CCleaner is its simple layout and a nifty little feature that lets you automatically cleanup files when you login to Windows.

Cleano also happens to be a single tiny executable file, which makes this utility a perfect candidate for installation on a USB flash drive which you can use to do some basic cleaning operatings on your work and home computers, as well as the next time you visit your friends or family members who are always complaining that they're running out of space on their hard disk.

[via Life Rocks 2.0]

Tags: cleano, cleanup

Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Freeware

Keep your hard drive clean with Auto-Delete

Windowsby Brad Linder Nov 21st 2008

Auto DeleteEarlier today we showed you how to keep your hard drive organized with tools to remove duplicate files and clean up your file and folder management system. But what if you want to just delete all the gunk you download and never use? That's what Auto Delete is for.

This free Windows utility lets you automatically delete old files in a given folder. You can fine tune the settings to delete files that have been hanging out for a day, a year, or somewhere in between. Files can be moved to the recycle bin or permanently deleted. And you can choose whether to include subfolders or not.

It might be a good idea to set Auto Delete to monitor your web browser's default download directory. Odds are if you haven't moved a file out of that directory after a few weeks, you're not really going to use it and it's just taking up space on your hard drive.

[via Shell Extension City]

Tags: auto-delete, cleanup

Filed under: Security, Utilities, Windows, Freeware

Anti-Malware Toolkit Keeps Your Aresenal Up-To-Date

Windowsby Lee Mathews Aug 14th 2008


For those of you charged with the unenviable task of malware removal and defense, keeping your toolbox current can be a lot of work. Lunarsoft's Anti-Malware Toolkit simplifies the process by providing an easy way to handle downloading.

The Toolkit is really just a downloader which fetches the current versions of programs like Super Antispyware, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, HijackThis, Spybot, Autoruns, CCleaner, and LSP Fix. It also grabs programs that you'll want to install to prevent further issues: Avast, Firefox, Comodo Firewall.

Point it to your USB flash drive or network share, hit the download button and grab yourself a cup of coffee.

While you could do this with just about any decent download manager, why bother? Anti-Malware toolkit already targets most of the tools you're going to need and it's as simple to maintain them as clicking a single button.

Tags: antvirus, cleanup, crapware, malware, removal, spyware, trojan, virus

Filed under: Internet, Security, Utilities, Features, Windows, Freeware

Lesser Known Weapons To Trick Out Your Malware Arsenal

Windowsby Lee Mathews Jul 18th 2008

Everybody knows the big names in the battle against malware - Adaware, Spybot, HijackThis. Today we're going indie, focusing on lesser known ways to avoid and remove all that bothersome software that your "friend" crapped up your rig with!

First things first. Try not to get infected in the first place.

It's common sense that if you can keep malware from getting its nasty little claws on your OS you won't have to bother with fancy removal tools anyway. But how to do it? Sure, real-time scanning will catch a lot of garbage, but why not give your PC a little extra help? Here are two really simple methods.

Outfox malicious sites using a hosts file. By making use of the lmhosts file win Windows, you can trick your computer into never seeing sites where a lot of malware originates. Our favorite is MVPS.org's; it's one of the most complete, frequently updated files you'll find on the net. All the nefarious domains are redirected to 127.0.0.1 - good ol' localhost - so any links to their evil apps just won't work because chances are pretty good that your PC isn't serving up WinSuperSpyRemover 2008. Gold.

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Tags: cleanup, malicious, malware, removal, rogue app, RogueApp, spyware, trojan

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Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Freeware

Keep your Windows folders organized with Belvedere

Windowsby Brad Linder Jan 8th 2008

Belvedere
Ever wish you had a butler who would regularly come visit your PC and pick up after you? The clever folks over at Lifehacker have released a virtual Mr. Belvedere called, well... Belvedere. The program is basically a clone of Hazel for Mac, and lets you create rules for dealing with the files that start to clutter up your Desktop and PC folders over time.

Belvedere comes as a single executable file. No installation necessary, but you'll need to manually add a shortcut to your Windows Startup folder if you want to run the application every time Windows boots. Once its running, you'll notice an icon in your system tray. Right click and select Manage to set up rules. You can tell Belvedere to regularly scan specified folders and look for files by name, extension, size or date. Next, set a rule by telling Belvedere to delete, move, rename, copy, or open these files. That's it.

If you regularly download music, movies, images, and other media files to a central download folder, you can use Belvedere to sort these files into separate folders according to their attributes. Or if you want to delete any file in a particular folder that you haven't used in a few months, you can tell Belvedere to scan for files that haven't been modified in a while and delete them.

Tags: Belvedere, cleanup, Lifehacker

Filed under: Utilities, Linux

Tidy up your Linux installation with FSlint

Linuxby Todd Ritter Dec 26th 2007

We all eventually accumulate "lint" on our computers whether it's in the form of empty directories, duplicate files, or temporary files. FSlint (Linux only) serves as a virtual lint trap that lets you remove specific types of lint to keep our Linux installation humming along. To use FSlint, simply add the directories you wish to search (/home, /usr, etc.), select the type of lint for which you're searching, and click "Find." FSlint will return its results showing file size and paths for your particular search.

From within the search results window you can select files and delete them, or you can save them to a different location (good for backing up files before you "accidentally" remove your xorg.conf file). FSlint also will find bad symlinks, name clashes, bad names (e.g. invalid characters in file names), and installed packages. Distribution-specific installation instructions are available on the FSlint website, but for the Ubuntu readers, simply type sudo apt-get install fslint from your Terminal prompt.

If you're looking for a good Windows program that serves a similar purpose, you might want to check out CCleaner. Anyone got a good lint trap for Mac? Let us know in the comments.

[Via Hackosis]

Tags: clean up, CleanUp, duplicate files, DuplicateFiles, linux, ubuntu

Filed under: Business, Fun, Productivity, Google

International Cleanup Weekend on Google Earth

by Chris Gilmer Oct 4th 2007

International Cleanup Weekend on Google EarthGet a team together with gloves, garbage bags and shovels and choose a location, International Cleanup Weekend is coming.

Ok, that has nothing to do with what we usually discuss on Download Squad, but Google jumping into the picture sure does. Google is urging people to get involved in this special day to help make a difference in the neighborhood you live in by heading out and cleaning up parks, beaches and other spots. The team at Google Maps has put together a special cleanup map mashup project so people can see where others will be cleaning International Cleanup Weekend on October 13th and 14th. The steps to get started are simple, Get a group together, choose a spot, and submit the map to Google who will share it with others. When the weekend is done, post photos and videos on the map.

If you need some help organizing your cleanup weekend, Google has put together some tips. It's great that companies like Google step up to the plate and help great causes like this. We hope more take the lead and lend their exposure and technology.

Tags: cleanup, cleanup-weekend, google, maps

Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Freeware

Keep your PC clean with nCleaner

Windowsby Brad Linder Sep 10th 2007

nCleaner
If you run Windows, your operating system, web browsers, and other applications have a tendency to tie up system resources with all sorts of "temporary" files that never seem to get deleted. nCleaner helps you remove thousands of unnecessary files in one fell swoop.

Like other system cleaners, nCleaner lets you clear disk cache, user history files, and also invalid Windows registry settings. But unlike our favorite system cleaner, CCleaner, we're not sure we'd recommend nCleaner for computer novices. Some of the options selected by default could erase user data that you might actually find useful.

For example, if you use the password manager in your web browser, there' s a good chance you'll accidentally delete all of your web site logins the first time you run nCleaner if you don't pay close attention to all of the options. And there are a lot of options, so it's easy to miss a few.

All told, we were able to save a few gigs of space on our test rig with nCleaner, and when we ran CCleaner afterward, it only found a handful of files missed by nCleaner.

[via TechnoBuzz]

Tags: ccleaner, clean, cleanup, nccleaner, registry, system cleaner, SystemCleaner

Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Freeware

Keep your PC clean with Remove Empty Directories

Windowsby Brad Linder Aug 31st 2007

Remove Empty Directories
If you're like most PC users, you add and remove programs regularly, rearrange your music folders periodically, and generally leave your file system looking messier than your bedroom floor. You probably have dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of folders on your PC containing absolutely no files.

Remove Empty Directories is a free application that does exactly what you'd expect it to. It removes empty directories. Yeah, we know it probably violates some sort of cardinal rule of software to give software an obvious name, but we'll let this one pass.

If you have temporary directories or other folders that might be empty at the moment, but which shouldn't be deleted, you can "protect" those files from deletion. And while you can scan your entire hard drive, we'd recommend against it. Certain empty folders in your Windows and Program Files directories may be needed in order for applications to run properly.

[via Inspect My Gadget]

Tags: cleanup, remove empty directories, RemoveEmptyDirectories

Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Freeware

Keep your hard drive clean with Easy Duplicate Finder

Windowsby Brad Linder Aug 21st 2007

Easy Duplicate Finder
So you've used WinDirStat to identify folders taking up the most space on your hard drive. But how do you know which files are safe to delete?

Easy Duplicate Finder is a free application that will scan your entire hard drive or specified folders to find identical files. If you've got thousands of MP3s or photos, Easy Duplicate Finder can save you hours of work tracking down files you've downloaded twice.

The program looks at more than just the file name. It also analyzes file size and other properties so that if you've got two identical files with separate names, Easy Duplicate Finder will find them and let you delete duplicate files while retaining the originals.

We found this application from a Lifehacker post, where someone was kind enough to leave a comment suggesting Mac users check out TidyUp, a similar application for OS X.

Tags: cleanup, easy duplicate finder, EasyDuplicateFinder, tidyup

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