Honestly I wouldn't bother with paid for software. The free ones work just as well.
CCleaner is a no-brainer.
Revo Uninstaller does some cleaning.
RegCure is worthy.
Can't think of any other programs from the top of my head right now.
Hi there.
Actually I wouldn't bother with ANYTHING - especially "uninstallers" apart from the built in Windows defender. Ensure your system is up to date (Windows 8.1 update 1). Before installing software just take a backup and restore it if the software doesn't work - it's cleaner and MUCH safer - in any case you should always take regular backups --plenty of FREE software around to do that.
Now to those who install Malwarebytes or similar software to that.
1) POST EVENT Virus detection is simply a waste of time --if you scan your machine and find it's been infected - you don't know WHEN it got infected and WHAT the malware has been doing in the mean time. If you need to scan for malware etc the built in Windows defender works just fine and is updated nearly EVERY DAY.
2) REAL TIME protection is important -- Windows defender again does that perfectly (or as better or worse than anything else out there.
3) AV comparison reports are a TOTAL WASTE OF TIME -- these are usually a) at least a month out of date - so new different malware / viruses might have araisen SINCE the report was compiled and the results could be very different, and b) people use their computers in very different ways --I ran XP for DONKEYS years with no protection whatsoever -- but give somebody else a computer and it would be riddled with malware within 10 mins.
4) Most of the scams these days are "Identity" type hacks -- never give too much info on social media sites. Above all when downloading software from some sites - CHECK VERY CAREFULLY -- the real software you want to download is often hidden amongst zillions of "Green Arrows", trial stuff, video converters and the like and when installing don't just click next next next etc -- choose custom install. A lot of free software comes with baggage these days -- extra toolbars, home page changes, change default browser or applications etc.
(If you MUST use torrents - music, ebooks and video are usually OK - any malware for example in an mp3 file would either be ignored as "noise" by the media player or wouldn't work ===>- invalid file". Don't though load any .exe, .zip,.rar files from these sources). Some torrent places are OK such as some Linux Distros who use torrents (legally) to reduce load on their servers --these are fine and help to ensure that the Software remains FREE. In these cases an exe file is OK but these sites will probably use .iso's for the Linux distribution).
Watch out for fake website masquerading as "Real ones" - like Banks, Tax office, Social security etc etc. Above all never open email attachments unless you know exactly who sent it and don't click on dubious links in the emails.
Now Here's a challenge to all you people swearing by "The latest and Greatest" AV software". - Find me an MP3 or FLAC audio file or an MP4/MKV video file with an infection in it. Now see if it plays in the media player and whether the infection gets on to your machine. Test it in a VM if you want to be safe. You'll have a VERY hard time in finding one of these I'm sure - and most people tend to use "File sharing sites" for these type of files anyway.
My whole take on the entire AV / security industry as far as INDIVIDUALS are concerned (not corporates) is that it's just using most people lack of understanding about how computers / software work and how they should be used has been to construct an ENTIRE INDUSTRY making OODLES and OODLES of money by supplying fairly ineffective products --if these things actually did the job they were supposed to we'd never hear another word about Viruses. My whole take on this is that the best defence IS YOU THE USER USING YOUR MACHINE SAFERLY AND INTELLIGENTLY.
Cheers
jimbo
