Let's talk about HOW TO RID A NEW PC OF CRAPWARE

-

HOW TO RID A NEW PC OF CRAPWARE

A brand-new Windows computer should be pristine out of the box. They'll gum it up for you with "free" software you don't want. It goes by names like crapware, bloatware, or shovelware because computer makers shovel bloated digital crap by the barrelful onto new PCs. Retail PCs it's a whole other world of crap. 

With many of the uninstall routines, the dialog boxes had giant buttons that would say "Uninstall and Get PC XXXXXX" or something similar. If we just wildly clicked where the button was, the uninstall might work-but something else got installed in its place. We had to carefully look for the fine print on the dialog boxes that read "Delete Only" or similar. Tricks and traps abounded.



The problem is, even though these utilities may point out some bloatware, they may not automate removal. You may still have to go through the regular uninstall process, which-as we noted above-may be filled with tricks and traps to keep your new PC full of crap. So you may still be on your own to an extent, but there are ways around it.

CRAP-WARE = POTENTIALLY UNWANTED SOFTWARE
In other words, we can say crap as junk and ware from software. Actual malware in the guise of "potentially unwanted programs," or PUPs.

The programs don't call themselves that; it's a term used by anti-malware companies, like MalwareBytes. It describes programs you probably didn't install on purpose, don't want, and probably find unusable-but they have to say "potentially" because, sure, it's possible you wanted to install a toolbar for your browser called "Search Protect" from a company named Conduit, or a search engine for your browser called Binkiland.

In reality, it's about as likely as wanting to be set on fire. Both of those "programs," among others. They existed only to take over his browsing experience; each appears on a list of browser hijackers on Wikipedia.

Others you may see and should eradicate immediately: Taplika, SwiftBrowse, BetterSurrf, CrossRider, WeDownload, OpenCandy, OptimizerPro, and DoSearches. The list can and will go on and on, as the hijackers make new threats. It's telling that searching for "Search Protect" or "Binkiland" brings up absolutely no link for people to get those programs-only to remove the damnable hijackers' files.

Recommended tools to clean the hijacking PUPs:
  1. MalwareBytes: The free version comes with a trial of the Premium version, so it's worth running on every fresh installation of Windows. Plus, the scans take a lot less time on a new Windows install. After 14 days, you lose things like real-time protection and anti-ransomware features, but it's worth running up front. Remember after that two weeks, get some real-time anti-malware protection.
  2. Steven Gould's Cleanup!: Donationware that does the trick for Windows XP on up.
  3. CCleaner: This Windows clean-up tool will do something unique: it'll uninstall apps built into Windows. I'm not talking shovelware crap, but actual apps that Microsoft created to work with Windows-so consider it OS-sanctioned crapware. Click on Tools, then uninstall, and you'll get a list of possibilities to delete. (This suggestion might be controversial: now owned by Avast, CCleaner got hit with data-collecting malware in 2017.)

ANOTHER OPTION TO CLEAN THE MESS
Start with a full reset of the OS using the Windows 10 Refresh Tool. It's the first thing anyone buying a new PC at retail should do after they take it out of the box. It sets the PC back to a pristine state-without crapware (except for the Microsoft-supplied stuff you may not want, like the Edge browser). If you actually want a piece of that shovelware, you're going to have to get it separately, but that's not difficult.


Expanded explanation from Microsoft Windows 10 Refresh Tool
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10startfresh

Microsoft, naturally, has a clean version of Windows on its Surface devices-again, clean as defined by what Microsoft thinks is best. Microsoft Stores also sell "Signature Edition PCs" from makers like HP, Razer, Sony, Toshiba, Dell, MSI, Asus, Acer, and Lenovo. Custom-build manufacturers that promise you a crapware-free installation of Windows include Maingear, Falcon Northwest, and Velocity Micro. Another option: go with a local reseller.



If you want to save money, install Linux on your old PC and you may have a tons of tons of free apps and games.

If you're wedded to using an older version of Windows, the only sure-fire way to get the same result is re-install Windows completely, with a totally fresh, clean configuration. That's not possible with most retail PCs that had Window 7, 8, or 8.1. Whether the operating system installer is an image on a partition of the hard drive or a DVD disc, it's going to most likely install Windows with all the crapware, fresh as an outhouse, as well. If you can't keep a retail copy of Windows 7 or 8 around for reinstalls, it makes the update to Windows 10 seem even more advantageous. You can even do the refresh and not lose your data files on well-used PCs.

There's the option to download ISO files of Windows 7 and 8 and even 10 at the Microsoft Software Recovery site. You'll need to verify a 25-character product key from a retail version of Windows to download and fully activate the operating system. Keys from computer makers-called OEMs, or original equipment manufacturers-won't work.

WHY?
You might be wondering, why exactly are big-name PC makers and software developers allowing all this crapware with extra "internet wrappers" PUPs to happen? Money, of course. As PC sales dwindle-they were on a five-year slump through 2017, but had a slight uptick over the holidays-so do software purchases, and everyone is scrambling to make up for any losses.

For proof, look to this article by How-To Geek. They examined programs from every single major download site, including CNET's Downloads.com, Tucows, FileHippo, Softpedia, Snapfiles, and more. Every single one had crapware bundled right into the software. That's not even taking into account that some of those sites have multiple download "buttons" (actually ads) on every page, to obfuscate and confuse users into downloading the wrong thing.

Always download software from the original developer's site (if you can find it). Unfortunately, even Google search results tend to default to download sites like those listed above.

DID YOU FIND THIS ARTICLE HELPFUL? LET ME KNOW YOUR COMMENTS


 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

LET’S TALK ABOUT - NETWORK FORENSICS

-
Image
LET’S TALK ABOUT - NETWORK FORENSICS BASIC CONCEPT Network forensics is a sub-branch of digital forensics relating to the monitoring and analysis of computer network traffic for the purposes of information gathering, legal evidence, or intrusion detection. Unlike other areas of digital forensics, network investigations deal with volatile and dynamic information. Network traffic is transmitted and then lost, so network forensics is often a pro-active investigation. Network forensics generally has two uses. The first, relating to security, involves monitoring a network for anomalous traffic and identifying intrusions. An attacker might be able to erase all log files on a compromised host; network-based evidence might therefore be the only evidence available for forensic analysis. The second form relates to law enforcement. In this case analysis of captured network traffic can include tasks such as reassembling transferred files, searching for keywor
Read more

Difference Between RAID & LVM

-
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RAID AND LVM RAID 1.     RAID is used for redundancy. 2.     A RAID device is a physical grouping of disk devices in order to create a logical presentation of one device to an Operating System for redundancy or performance or a combination of the two. 3.     RAID is a way to create a redundant or striped block device with redundancy using other physical block devices. 4.     RAID is either a software or a hardware technique to create data storage redundancy across multiple block devices based on required RAID levels. 5.     RAID is NOT any kind of Data backup solution. Its a solution to prevent one of the SPOFs (Single Point of Failure) i.e. DISK failure. By configuring RAID you are just providing an emergency substitute for the Primary disk. It NEVER means that you have configured DATA backup. LVM 1.     LVM is a way in which you partition the hard disk logically and it contains its own advantages. 2.     LVM is a logical layer that that can
Read more

COMMON TYPES OF NETWORK & COMPUTER ATTACKS

-
Image
COMMON TYPES OF NETWORK & COMPUTER ATTACKS Without security measures and controls in place, your data might be subjected to an attack. Some attacks are passive, meaning information is monitored; others are active, meaning the information is altered with intent to corrupt or destroy the data or the network itself. Your networks and data are vulnerable to any of the following types of attacks if you do not have a security plan in place. EAVESDROPPING In general, the majority of network communications occur in an unsecured or "cleartext" format, which allows an attacker who has gained access to data paths in your network to "listen in" or interpret (read) the traffic. When an attacker is eavesdropping on your communications, it is referred to as sniffing or snooping. The ability of an eavesdropper to monitor the network is generally the biggest security problem that administrators face in an enterprise. Without strong encryption services th
Read more