Software Reviews

by bellgamin

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.

Free Trial ($39.95)
2000/XP/2003/Vista

A few missing parts

Malware Defender version 1.1.3

Interface: 3
Features: 2
Ease of use: 3
Value: 2
Overall:

Malware Defender (MD) contains the usual capabilities for "classical" HIPS EXCEPT that it lacks an install mode, and does not monitor network connections. In light of those significant omissions, I consider MD to be somewhat over-priced. At MD's present price, there are better choices.

Review date: Oct 10, 2008

Free Trial ($38.94)
Win (All)

Simply the best

Image for Windows version 1.70a

Interface: 5
Features: 5
Ease of use: 5
Value: 5
Overall:

IFW (Image for Windows) is user friendly, and stable as a rock. I use it on my computer. My granddaughter (she's 9) uses it on her computer. It just WORKS. Before buying any other disk image software, I suggest you visit first its support forum. Then visit the support forum for Image for Windows/DOS. Judge for yourself -- which forums show happy users and which forums are loaded with unhappy users? Then buy the software with the happy users and -- you'll be happy, too.

Review date: Jul 15, 2007

Freeware
2000/XP

A truly unique firewall

SensiveGuard version 1.06

Interface: 4
Features: 5
Ease of use: 5
Value: 5
Overall:

SensiveGuard (SG) is a very competent firewall, especially for outbound, application-level protection. But SG is MUCH more than a mere firewall because it has some quite powerful HIPS-type capabilities. For example, SG can distinguish between user initiated application actions, as contrasted with those actions initiated by another application. Thus you can tell SG "allow this application to take this specific action ONLY if I'm the one who initiates it." That capability is very powerful. SG gives you the same powerful control over access to the files on your computer. For example, you can set SG to disallow creation, modification, or deletion of specific file-types except on your say-so. Setting up SG is easy. Default settings are adequate for most needs, and are easily adjusted. Also there are advanced settings which enable fine-tuning SG's capabilities to an extent that equals or surpasses any firewall I have ever used. I highly recommend this FW

Review date: Mar 13, 2007

Free Trial ($24.95)
98/ME/2000/XP

99.9% bullet-proof protection

System Safety Monitor version 2.2.0.604

Interface: 5
Features: 5
Ease of use: 4
Value: 5
Overall:

System Safety Monitor (SSM) belongs to a class of security programs known as "HIPS" (Host-based Intrusion Security Prevention). SSM is arguably THE very best HIPS for use on personal computer or home office. SSM needs no signature updates, and is effective against zero-day attacks, viruses, rootkits and other trojans, worms, etc. SSM will also protect any or all of your processes against being shutdown or counterfeited by malware. The only caveat in using SSM is that you, the user, must answer pop-ups whenever SSM encounters any process that is unknown to it, or is attempting an action which SSM considers is potentially hostile, and/or you have set a rule that requires SSM to ask your permission before running that particular process. In other words, SSM is a superb TOOL for protecting your computer, but it most assuredly is not your nanny. SIDE NOTE- If you happen to PREFER a "nanny-type" HIPS, try PREVX1 and set it to "abc" mode.

Review date: Feb 11, 2007

Freeware
2000/XP/2003/Vista

Fast. stable, informative, powerful

DTaskManager version 1.49

Interface: 5
Features: 5
Ease of use: 5
Value: 5
Overall:

DTaskManager is a BMW whereas the Windows TaskManager is a Yugo. Per the title I have used, DTMgr has more features and is far more powerful than the Win TskMgr. I highly recommend it.

Review date: Jan 20, 2007

Free Trial ($29.00)
98/ME/2000/XP/Vista

Safe + stable + efficient = superb

Ace Utilities version 3.0

Interface: 5
Features: 5
Ease of use: 5
Value: 5
Overall:

I have used Ace Utilities for several years to maintain my registry and keep my computer free of trash. It has kept my computer clean and fast. It has never caused a malfunction. It backs up every registry change it makes, but I have never needed to do a restore. There have been several updates to this program since I bought it several years ago. There has been no additional charge since I bought it. What a bargain!

Review date: Oct 03, 2006

Freeware
98/ME/2000/XP/2003/Vista

Excellent security insurance

Tiny Watcher version 1.12

Interface: 5
Features: 4
Ease of use: 5
Value: 5
Overall:

Watcher is a category of security program known as a "file integrity checker*. It uses a complex algorithm to calculate a checksum for each file it protects. If even one bit (1/8th of a byte) of a protected program is changed, Watcher will detect it and report it to you. This type of protection is excellent for spotting malware that is so new that signatures do not yet exist to detect it. When Watcher reports a change, it gives you options to examine the file, accept the change, or deny it, or exempt that file from future checking. It doesn't take an expert to be able to decide if a given file change is suspicious or not. The protected files are of the type that generally should never be changed without some action on your part to CAUSE the change (such as a download or update). Thus, a modified file (whereof you have no recollection of having caused such a change) should be regarded as highly suspicious.

Review date: Jan 17, 2006

Freeware
Win (All)

A great security program

ArovaxShield version 1.2

Interface: 5
Features: 4
Ease of use: 5
Value: 5
Overall:

Arovax is a shield against unwanted changes to browser settings and key startup/registry files. It is *somewhat* similar to programs such as WinPatrol and WinSonar, but with fewer features and a much lighter footprint. Its alerts are faster than those for WinPatrol or Winsonar. Aro's developer is personally monitoring and participating in Aro's own forum, as well as major security forums such as CastleCops and Wilders. Aro is stringently maintained. It's very stable on my granddaughter's WinME machine -- which is saying a lot. I highly recommend Arovax. However, if you are paranoid, or if you are prone to surfing in the internet's *shark infested waters*, then you probably need a full-on Host-based Intrusion Protection System (HIPS) such as Online Armor. As for moi, I use Aro 99% of the time, and use Online Armor whenever I feel like doing something stupid (from a security standpoint, that is.)

Review date: Nov 08, 2005

Free Trial ($14.99)
Win (All)

Pretty good program

ProcAlert Pro version 1.3.5

Interface: 5
Features: 3
Ease of use: 5
Value: 3
Overall:

Process Alert (PA) will notify you whenever a new process is started. PA gives you the choice to let the process run or terminate it. PA will let a process run if you sit there & do nothing, so you have to stay alert. If you immediately terminate a suspicious process, you can (hopefully) prevent a trojan or some other malware from catching hold & doing damage. To move up a notch in terms of security protection, PA needs to make MD5 or SHA-1 checksums of trusted processes. I asked PA's programmer about this, & he is considering it. If you're on Win 9x or WinME, Process Alert offers *pretty good* protection. If you're on WinXP, there are better choices.

Review date: Jun 12, 2005

Freeware
98/ME/2000/XP

The other security protector

FingerPrint version 2.1.3

Interface: 5
Features: 5
Ease of use: 5
Value: 5
Overall:

Fingerprint (FPt) is an on-demand system integrity monitor, and a good one. Integrity monitors work on the principle that malware HAS to modify or add a file in order to execute. FPt first makes a "baseline fingerprint" (an MD5 checksum) of each file that you want protected. It keeps this fingerprint in a special file. Then, when you check to see if any of the protected files have been modified, FPt makes a second fingerprint & compares it with the baseline fingerprint. If there is any change whatsoever to a protected file -- even as little as a single bit -- FPt will tell you. If the changed file arouses your suspicions then (in the words of Sherlock Holmes): "The game's a'foot!" In other words, YOU have to chase down the cause of the change. FPt doesn't do the research for you. FPt can help you to spot malware that slips by your other security protection. Ergo, it is a *failsafe* that no paranoid user should be without.

Review date: Jun 12, 2005

Freeware
98/ME/2000/XP

Everything you need in a small package

Hosts Toggle version 2.1

Interface: 4
Features: 5
Ease of use: 5
Value: 5
Overall:

Hosts Toggle makes it easy and efficient to use your computer's HOSTS file, so as to go quickly to *good* sites and totally avoid *bad* sites (ads, pop-ups, black hats, etc). It is VERY light on resources. Makes it incredibly easy to edit, back-up, and enable/disable HOSTS.

Review date: May 05, 2005

Freeware
2000/XP/Vista

The best of the freebies

Avira AntiVir Personal version 6.29.00.03

Interface: 5
Features: 4
Ease of use: 5
Value: 5
Overall:

AV-PE is head & shoulders above Avast or AVG (the other 2 free AV's). AVPE has very powerful heuristics... Updates signatures daily. Scan engine is maintained much more frequently than other freebies -- many NON-freebies as well. On the downside, AVPE is working on incremental signature updates but, as of now, updates are cumulative run to ~2.5MB each.

Review date: Mar 17, 2005

Freeware
98/2000/XP/2003/Vista/7

Also-ran in av tests

avast! Home Edition version 4.6.623

Interface: 4
Features: 3
Ease of use: 4
Value: 5
Overall:

Has skins, animated icons, etc. It appeals to those who like eye-candy. Lacks heuristics... Similar middle-of-the-road results on other tests. If you use Avast, be sure and run an anti-trojan as well -- Avast offers poor protection against trojans.

Review date: Mar 17, 2005

Freeware
Win (All)

Simply the best notepad sub

Metapad version 3.5

Interface: 5
Features: 5
Ease of use: 5
Value: 5
Overall:

Tiny footprint. Super fast. Powerful. Rock stable -- CAN'T be crashed. I use it dozens of times daily. Highly recommended!

Review date: Jan 30, 2005

Freeware
2000/XP/2003/Vista

Power enough for a huge amount of mail

Spamihilator version 0.9.8.3

Interface: 5
Features: 5
Ease of use: 3
Value: 5
Overall:

I have 15 sites that provide counseling & answer technical questions in my area of expertise. Those sites draw LOTS of mail -- about 500/day -- of which ~65% is spam. To contol this I have used several anti-spam programs over the years, but now have settled on Spamihilator -- *Spami* for short. Over the past 14 months Spami has killed over 99.7% of the spam that comes my way. I am very satisfied. Spami is extremely configurable, so there is a bit of a learning curve. More power -- more complexity. But in a few days, it becomes second nature. If you get lots of mail, I highly recommend Spami. (It has a great support forum, by the way).

Review date: Jan 29, 2005