Your daily dose of practical, easy to follow tech tips!
If you’re like me you love installing free software and trying it out.
And why not? After all, it’s free!
That means if you don’t like a program you’ve downloaded you can simply uninstall it and you won’t be out as much a cent!
But there’s a problem with installing many free programs and apps: They tend to install a bunch of junkware along with them if you aren’t careful.
Regular readers of this blog know that I’m a huge fan of free software.
In fact, I download, test and write about free programs and apps all the time.
That being said, installing free software can sometimes causes problems. [Read more…]
It’s a well-known fact that the online world is riddled with malware these days.
That means if your PC is connected to the Internet it’s constantly at risk of being exposed to viruses, trojans, spyware, ransomware and other forms of malicious software.
Luckily, you can reduce the risks posed my malware by learning how to avoid phishing emails and social engineering ploys. But sadly, that just isn’t enough to keep your computer free of malware. [Read more…]
Have you noticed that your computer has been running slower, displaying pop-up ads or exhibiting other strange behavior of late?
If so, the reason could be “junkware” such as toolbars, adware, browser hijackers and/or other malware items have infected your PC with their digital crud.
While most high-quality anti-malware programs will detect and remove some of the most common junkware programs, they typically won’t catch them all.
But an awesome free tool called AdwCleaner (from the folks at Malwarebytes) will find and remove virtually all of the junkware that’s currently out there with just a couple of clicks! [Read more…]
Regular readers of RicksDailyTips know that I’m a huge fan of free software. If I run across a freeware program that looks interesting and useful, I’ll often download and install it, try it out, then tell you readers about it if it appears to be worthwhile.
One thing that I learned early on is to be wary about downloading and installing extra add-ons that are often bundled with free software downloads. Most free download sites earn money by helping distribute third-party programs that most people don’t want or need.
If you aren’t careful you’ll quickly find your web browser and your computer collapsing under the weight of a dozen different add-on programs that you never even realized you had downloaded! And these unwanted programs are responsible for countless trips to the PC repair shop year after year!
There are a couple of things you need to watch out for when downloading and installing free software. First, we’ll cover the download part… [Read more…]