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Software Reviews
by Belatucadrus
The reviews and opinions below are posted by SnapFiles visitors. They do not necessarily reflect our opinion, and are solely based on the experience of individual users.
- Freeware
XP/2003/Vista
I know it's beta but this is real bare bones. 
Panda Cloud Antivirus version 0.9 beta
- Interface: 2
- Features: 1
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
I can't offer comment on its efficiency as beyond a copy of the eicar test virus I have nothing to check it with. Being a "cloud" program you need to be online during the scan to really benefit from the latest data, though it does store a local cache copy of Collective Intelligence for offline operation. So what's wrong with it ? it's incredibly basic a green indicator to show if everything's OK, a manual scan command button and that's pretty much it, no scheduler and no indication as to age of the Cache Copy. There is also no indication that it monitors email and the FAQ page isn't illuminating. So at the moment I'd class it as an interesting concept, but unless you like playing with Beta security probably best to stick with one of the established players for the moment.
Review date: Jun 11, 2009
- Freeware
- Win (All)
Good in general, but i have issues with it.
PC Health Optimizer Free Edition version 2.5
- Interface: 4
- Features: 4
- Ease of use: 4
- Value: 4
- Overall:
It's a nice general purpose suite of cleanup/fixup tools, some of which are very good. But I have a real issue with the Privacy and Security modules: the clean Internet browser settings are a bit basic, there's no option to keep any cookies you may need, it just wipes the lot. I also have grave doubts as to the effectiveness of the Spyware cleaner, if you go through the manual update procedure, you're advised that the update is complete and there's a window that notes when you last "updated" But the number of signatures loaded in the database has remained resolutely fixed at 77,614 for a long time. Despite going through the motions, there is no evidence that the update has actually achieved anything, indeed rather the contrary. Now whether this is due to a buggy update system, or severe lack of support from Retinax I don't know, but it means the Spyware module appears to be pretty near useless.
Review date: Sep 30, 2008
- Freeware
- 2000/XP/2003/Vista
Proved its worth very quickly
Revo Uninstaller version 1.34
- Interface: 4
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
I had a couple of bits on the PC that were persistent in the extreme, defying all attempts by Windows uninstall and a couple of other programs to eradicate them. Revo not only deleted them, it cleaned up registry entries afterwards. For this alone I'd give it five, but the system tune utilities and space eraser work fine as well, a very nice bit of kit to have.
Review date: Oct 01, 2007
- Freeware
- XP/Vista/7
Neat but flawed
PC Tools Firewall Plus version 2.0
- Interface: 3
- Features: 2
- Ease of use: 3
- Value: 4
- Overall:
Quite a compact firewall and fairly easy to use despite the lack of documentation, where it came unstuck for me was a strange refusal to remember my avast! antivirus. Despite selecting remember this action, every time avast! checked for an update the firewall would kick in and ask if it should permit or not, this was the only application it had any trouble with, but it just got tiresome so I deleted it.
Review date: Apr 22, 2007
- Freeware
- 2000/XP/2003/Vista
It's good, but
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition version 7.5.446
- Interface: 5
- Features: 4
- Ease of use: 4
- Value: 5
- Overall:
I've been using various generations of AVG free off and on for some years now and while it's a very good anti virus I have issues with the update system. For cost reasons the updates for the free versions are hosted on cheaper servers than the paid for variant, which is fair enough. But some of the update files are pretty big and the less than ideal connection can be problematic. The scheduled scan is also a bit short on choices, nothing or every day and I don't know many people that run a full scan on a daily basis, so it's a bit of a non choice. My main machines use avast! which I rate highly, but my old W98 machine has been forced to an alternative by the need for license compliance and an easy second on my freebie AV list is AVG.
Review date: Apr 12, 2007
- Freeware
- Win (All)
Wish I'd known about this earlier
Wink version 2.0 build 1000
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
All those tedious hours spent reminding people how to use bits on our purchase/Accounts package. A couple of minutes knocking up a Wink tutorial and I could have left them to sort it out themselves, much less stress. Absurdly easy to use, if you have a regular staff turnover in a PC intensive environment just check out this gem you'll start wondering how you ever did without it.
Review date: Apr 07, 2007
- Freeware
- Vista/2008 Server
Improved,, but...
Internet Explorer version 7.0
- Interface: 2
- Features: 3
- Ease of use: 3
- Value: 4
- Overall:
While clearly an improvement on IE6, it's a bit of a mixed bag, the controls are all over the place, split into two tiers with one block pointlessly subdivided by the tabs and the default position for the menu bar is silly. In common with others I've also found it seems to lose track of whether or not it's connected to the net, asking what account I want to use at the most peculiar moments, despite already being connected. It also seems to have huge problems rendering some websites, for example Adobe. At some point my Flash plug-in has gone AWOL and trying to get it back is proving insanely difficult. The anti Phishing filter also seems to slow things down a lot. Considering that it's supposed to be the all conquering new browser that was going to crush Opera and Firefox under foot, it can't be classified as a success.
Review date: Mar 16, 2007
- Freeware
- 98/2000/XP/2003/Vista/7
Useful anti virus/malware tool
Dr.Web CureIt version 4.33.2
- Interface: 3
- Features: 3
- Ease of use: 3
- Value: 5
- Overall:
On the face of it this is a useful tool to have if you need something portable to scan other systems with. It does have a nag screen and the update link isn't to anything incremental, it just downloads the latest version. Seems faster and more comprehensive than ClamWin portable, I've not been able to check its efficiency as a scanner or cleaner but the ICSA rating indicates it should be capable enough. Nice backup tool, hope they improve the update system though.
Review date: Feb 21, 2007
- Freeware
- 98/ME/2000/XP/2003/Vista
Beware the updated version
RegSeeker version 1.52
- Interface: 4
- Features: 4
- Ease of use: 2
- Value: 2
- Overall:
I used to be a real RegSeeker fan, years of use with no problems, then I put on the latest version. It's way too aggressive and caused problems that required a System Restore to correct. Eusing doesn't have the range of ancillary features and it does have that annoying nag screen, but as a registry cleaner it's less problematic than the version of RegSeeker currently available. RegSeeker needs refining if only to get it back to where it was, at the moment the new improved version isn't.
Review date: Feb 08, 2007
- Freeware
- Win (All)
Who needs office ?
OpenOffice version 2.04
- Interface: 4
- Features: 4
- Ease of use: 4
- Value: 5
- Overall:
OpenOffice 2 is a remarkable package and completely open source with no license limitations, have as many copies as you like for nothing ! For most people it'll do all they want from an office suite and more. I install on all my PCs and I'd love to give it five but for a few small niggles. 1) No grammar check and lord knows I need one, if Microsoft can fit one in the feeble Works package, surely Sun and the open source community can do it ? 2) the database is a huge improvement, but it's not up to Access standard yet, some of the form design tools for example are a pain in the posterior. Office is a good suite, but it's overblown, overspecced and overpriced, try OpenOffice instead it's well worth the effort.
Review date: Jan 24, 2007
- Freeware
- XP/Vista/7
Tries to be all things and isn't .
Advanced SystemCare Free version 2.30
- Interface: 4
- Features: 4
- Ease of use: 4
- Value: 4
- Overall:
This is a useful little program with some very good features, perhaps too many as some appear to be cosmetic and rather ineffectual. Take the "Spyware scan" so rapid that to describe it as cursory would be chronically overstating things, either do it properly or don't bother. The Security defence on the other hand is pretty good, though it can cause hiccups if you've got SpywareBlaster installed. Being similar in function they not surprisingly have different lists and Windowscare can frequently disable SpywareBlaster killbits. The other features seem to work well, though the privacy sweep can occasionally muck up Firefox page formatting, clearing cache remedies this. I'd describe it as a very useful general maintenance tool, but with delusions of grandeur that could lead newbies to think they're more protected than they really are. Fortunately the development seems pretty rapid and it can only get better.
Review date: Jan 16, 2007
- Freeware
- 2000/XP/2003/Vista
Turned out to be much better than expected.
Spyware Terminator version 1.7.0.918
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 4
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Having read about Crawlers past links with Ibis, I approached this program with caution and low expectations. I kept a couple of other scanners on to check it out just to be sure. I needn't have worried, Spyware Terminator is a super bit of kit, highly configurable with a good range of scan settings, excellent real time coverage, automatic updates and scheduling. There is also no nagware trying to get you to fork out for the paid version. As I haven't been infested with spyware I can't vouch for it's cleaning abilities, but the realtime shield is very good at spotting system changes and giving you the option to permit or block. I really like it and have used it to replace Windows defender on all my PCs, definitely a keeper.
Review date: Jan 16, 2007
- Freeware
- 98/2000/XP/2003/Vista/7
I just love this
avast! Home Edition version 4.7.892
- Interface: 4
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 4
- Value: 5
- Overall:
I've tried most free anti virus so I've plenty to compare it to. I changed to avast! 4 as soon as it was released, AVG 6 was getting a bit long in the tooth and I was having update problems. I'd seen avast 32 and been unimpressed, but the new version was a revelation. The default settings are pretty well foolproof, but despite the loss of the Pro interface, if you take your time to learn your way around it, there's a lot of fine tuning you can do to get it to run the way you want. The incremental update system is top notch, quick and unobtrusive. The ScreenSaver scan is a good substitute for scheduling. There is e-mail support from alwil if you run into any problems. A good user forum, which incidentally can show you how to get avast! to run scheduled scans using Windows task scheduler. You can password protect it to stop the kids mucking it up. It's ICSA rated with good 100% at VirusBulletin so it works. I've yet to find a downside.
Review date: Jan 15, 2007
- Freeware
- 2000/XP/2003/Vista
Not really good enough yet
PC Tools AntiVirus Free Edition version 3.1
- Interface: 4
- Features: 4
- Ease of use: 1
- Value: 1
- Overall:
I like testing freebies and have experience of avast!, AVG, Antivir, Komodo and even ClamWin. So I was interested to see another option on the list and put it on my test machine. It didn't stay there long, while fully featured with a nice interface, it has enormous RAM requirements, taking between four and five times as much as similar avast! installations. It also gave me a less than satisfactory Internet experience, frequently bringing FireFox and IE to a complete halt. As it stands it's got all the bits you need but is badly flawed and until they sort out its' RAM hog tendencies and the browser problem, isn't going to cut it when compared with the other usual free offerings and I really pity anybody who coughed up for the Paid version.
Review date: Jan 15, 2007
Create educational quizzes in Flash format that can be distributed online or as standalone .EXE file.
A powerful monitoring solution to record PC activity, including keystrokes, email and more.
Create interactive Flash movies and tutorials to show how applications and systems work.
