Klatuu

Software Reviews by Klatuu

The reviews and opinions below are posted by SnapFiles visitors. They do not necessarily reflect our opinion, and they are solely based upon the experience of individual users.

Open Shell

Take control of the start menu

I've used Classic Shell, and now Open Shell for years. Microsoft keeps making the Start Menu bigger and bigger, loaded with more junk. I use this to give me the simple "Classic" Win 95 style menu. Right click the Start Button and you can open the two areas where all the program links are stored in Windows Explorer, and arrange them how YOU like. I create folders like Anti-Virus, Editing, Multimedia, Online, and so on, and move all the programs from Widows and those I install in to them. Makes it very fast and simple to find anything, and keep your PC organized. Also lets you turn on or off the Factory links you use or do not use. (Help, etc.) It can add back some things to Windows Explorer as well, but the main feature is the Start Menu. And in Windows 10, one of the Right Click Choices is to view the original menu as well. Also use Right Click to get to all the Open Shell Settings. Couldn't be easier! I consider this a Must Have in keeping your PC organized, fast, and friendly! Price: Free

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epCheck

No longer supported - for now at least

4 years ago I gave this episode reminder software a terrific review. It was far better than any other program or phone App I have seen. Unfortunately the source for this program was a site that changed its API to allow downloading the data for the shows, and the developer no longer seems to have time to re-write epCheck. (Even though the promise was made to try and do it!) I am sure a paying job and real life get in the way. The features of this software? Larger fonts so it's easy to see on a TV across the room. (I use it with a PC that way!) A Weekly Reminder - shows you what is coming up, what is on today, and what has already been shown. Series List page with every episode of every season listed, in case you want to go find the shows. Ffar easier than opening a television 'guide' everyday to look up the shows you are interested in. Found Network, Cable, and Premium channel shows! I still hope it will come back some day - so good I'd even pay for it! But for now this software is defunct. A true shame. Price: Free

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O&O ShutUp10

A security must have

Windows 10 has been reviewed as a terribly insecure operating system, and one of the main reasons is all the ways it communicates back to Microsoft. These lead to ways hackers can get in to your system. By turning off dozens of non-necessary features you can harden your PC's security, stop Microsoft from spying, and even possibly speed up actions on your PC. Just be careful turning off features other than the 'green list' recommended items. I turned off several others for things I deemed safe, but you have to decide this yourself. Changes can be undone if need be. Price: Free

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Spyware Terminator

Main site is gone

Looks like a great deal - free active Malware monitoring. But I don't think they are in business anymore. Yes, there is a Spyware Terminator Site, and yes there's still downloads available. But the publishers site where the database updates come from - PCRx.com is gone. Anti-Malware won't help much if there are no database updates. Price: Free

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RocketDock

The best

I've tried several launchers for PC's where I don't want a cluttered desktop. This is by far the best one. You can change how it looks, it's size, and how it acts. Fast and good looking. Great for a computer connected to a TV because you can easily size things to be visible from across the room! Easy to create new launch icons. Hides at the top of your screen and drops down when you move your mouse all the way up. Far better than others I've tried. The only downside is it's no longer developed. There used to be some extra icons you could add to it, but now it only has the few it comes with, or uses the icon associated with the program you add. But it's still available for download and looks and works great. If you want a launcher - give this a try! Price: Free

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CCleaner

Not what it used to be

The new 'tiles' interface on CCleaner is horrible. The older graphics were easier to read, and the results readouts have are not as user friendly as the original version. Now that Avast has bought the company, they force installs of the latest version of CCleaner, which was never necessary in the past. They also install a 'task' in Task Manager that forces this install without permission, AND greatly slwo your boot time as it does it! Avast claims that there weer security issues in the older 5x versions of CCleaner, and that's why you need to update. But there are no issues if you turn off all monitoring, something that is not needed anyway to clean up things. If you can get a hold of the older version 4.19 of CCleaner, do what I do. When Avast needs to update it's software (not virus definitions), uninstall CCleaner 4.19, let Avast update and reboot, Go to Task Manager in Admin Tools and DELETE the Avast Task, then reinstall the original CCleaner. Either that, or deal with the forced installs of CCleaner, or even Avast AntiVirus if you only want CCleaner. Avast need to learn they do not have the right to take over your PC. Price: Free

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TweakPower

Has potential, but not there yet

The software has no Help File - reports it as 'Coming Soon'. Considering that, I was cautious as to what I picked when making changes to increase the start up and shut down speeds. After applying the changes, it didn't seem to make any difference. And now three annoying small alert boxes appear that you have to click OK for each time you boot up. I assume this is to indicate things are being adjusted. The program did report an issue in the Device Manager - a driver not working from an uninstalled Anti-Virus. But, you cannot fix it from the software. You have to go to SystemDevice Manager and uninstall it from there. Nice interface, but overall the program needs to be tweaked for things to work better, and the main reason I tried this was to get start up a bit faster, and help load things better. It failed to do that for me. Price: Free

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HiBit Startup Manager

Cannot remove delay

The interface is rather sparse, and once you delay something there is no command to remove the delay! If you don't know the exact location in the registry, you can highlight the listing and read where it was located at the bottom of the screen. However, there are no Parameters. So, if it was 'local machine', was it Start? or Start Once? etc etc. I had boot problems with the delay and had to right click each item and choose MOVE TO (there is no RESTORE or REMOVE DELAY!) and then guess as to where to move it and under which parameters. Not a safe way to do things and could really mess up your registry. Not Recommended! Price: Free

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Classic Theme Restorer

Was great, but can't be used anymore

I don't get the point of this update. This was indeed a wonderful Extension for Firefox - I used it all the time. But it cannot run in the latest version of the Browser that came out this month. Like so many other extensions, this one is no longer valid as of Firefox ver. 57. So why the update? No idea. Price: Free

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3uTools

Finally - you don't need itunes!

This is the first software I've found that can talk to my daughters iPhone or iPod without having to install the dreaded iTunes! All the other software that claim they can do this have always needed iTunes installed. It's not perfect. On her phone she can copy things off it to the computer, but she can't MOVE them off for space. You have to delete them on the phone itself. So it's ImportExport only - no Delete. But that's better than no management at all! Plenty of other features as well. Highly recommended for your Apple phones, pods, or pads! Price: Free

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Kaspersky Free

This just replaced avast on some of my pc's

I am a bit demanding when it comes to an AV program, and some either lack a lot of features and controls, or have a lot of false alarms, or too many popup ads etc. Avast is very good, but on two of my slower AMD PC's I noticed that boot times were very long, and in fact one shield in Avast would fail to load at times and I'd have to manually launch it. So I saw that Kapersky had a Freeware and gave it a shot. Kapersky has a very capable AV that you pay for, so why not? Well, Windows now loads 2x to 3x faster on those slower PC's, and even some software like Firefox launches faster! And Kapersky has a lot of configuration in the Setup area (Gear Icon, lower left) and can be temporarily shut down via the Taskbar Icon and so on. Just setup an account with them using an Email and a password (done within the program install) and you're done! You can then use that same emailpassword for any additional installations of Free Kapersky. Fast and very capable. Out of all of them out there, I would only recommend this or Avast for Free Anti-Virus software's these days, and Kapersky may soon become my favorite! Price: Free

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360 Total Security Essential

A good program ruined

Loved this and gave it a glowing review when it was 360 Internet Security. But this latest version, which automatically replaced 360 Internet Security Essential is horrible. Tags way too many programs that are perfectly safe as viruses, and also tags any URL's you may save to your desktop as viruses! In some cases to get these things whitelisted takes multiple steps and screen locations to actually have it whitelist! Total Security Essential is absolutely horrible. What a shame since 360 Internet Security was fast and reliable! Unless the only thing you use your PC for is to web browse and email, don't even think of using this! Price: Free

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SynciOS Manager

This one is worth it

I've tried a few other programs to get around using iTunes, and most were pretty lame. While this does require you to install iTunes to operate, once you do you'll never use iTunes again to connect to your device. This is so much simpler - using categories for what is on the device so you don't have to move, install, copy everything. One recommendation - create a folder on your hard drive to manage the files, since this program cannot. Then once you have a folder (and iTunes installed) launch SyncIOS and manage away - backup your iPod or phone to your drive, move media on and off, etc. Far better and easier than iTunes, and no more nagging to update every time you load it like iTunes does. Price: Free

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uTorrent

Older version was superior

I originally had a 5 star review for this program. If you still have a far older version of it - keep it! The original was a stand alone single file that was fast and simple. Now it installs, has ads, is slower, and even the interface has become too cluttered. Price: Free

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Sothink Photo Album Maker

Good, but now has a loading glitch

I think this is a great program, but it now takes a long tome to load, and can even give you the "Close the Program" or "Wait to see if it loads" warnings. If you click the WAIT choice in Windows, it will eventually load. The problem? There's an embedded URL that displays on the final 'Generate Album' tab that links to a web page on SoThink that no longer exists. You can't edit this in the Registry - it's in a DLL file. This is why I now only give this great little program a FAIR in Interface. I'd still recommend it, but beware that it will time out loading in Windows, and you have to tell Windows to give it more time because of the broken link. Hopefully SoThink hasn't abandoned this freebie and they will do an update. Price: Free

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Avast Free Antivirus

I can no longer recommend Avast

For years Avast was the only free Anti-Virus I would use or recommend. But as of version 8, they lost me. First, I hate the Windows 8 style interface. But more importantly, Avast removed come settings and abilities in version 8 as well. And now with version 9 they have made the registration go through a return email, rather than doing it right within the program, which was far more convenient. And the final reason I am moving away from Avast is that it seems to take longer and longer for Windows to boot up with it installed. Avast won me away from Norton Anti-Virus back in the day, simply because it was so fast starting up Windows. This is no longer the case. So the lack of controls that allow you to change settings on ads and pop ups and the more confusing interface might be tolerable, but the slow speed is not. At this point I think AVG, while not quite as good at protection (but very close) is the way to go. Price: Free

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CopyTrans Manager

Needs iTunes

The company web site now claims to offer a driver you can install so there's no need to install iTunes, but after several tries I could not get it to install. So the bottom line here is you need iTunes after all, which is pretty horrible, and I didn't find this software to be much better. Not their fault, I think Apple needs to provide a better interface that acts like a simple file manager where you can create folders, drag and drop, etc. The best thing I found so far is to install iTunes, and then use Windows File Manager. Still not the best, but it's a start. Price: Free

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Default Programs Editor

Fixes the conflict that Microsoft created

Vista and Windows 7 removed the "File Types" tabsettings from Explorer, and replaced it with "Default Programs" in Control Panel. However, the ability to assign program defaults to certain file types remains, and can be accessed by software that asks which files to open. However, the way they redesigned the registry causes a conflict between their "default Programs" and "file type" listings, preventing you to be able to change this in some situations. This program easily fixes the flaws in the registry and allows you to assign files and programs how ever you choose. It works perfectly. Price: Free

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SMPlayer

Move over VLC, there's a new kid in town

I was a big supporter of VLC since it had so many more features than Windows Media Player. However there have been several bugs in it recently that made me (and many others) look for something else. SMPlayer not only fit the bill, it surpassed VLC in every way. It can sync audio - a vital feature of VLC. It loads and plays faster. It can instantly play in full screen, which many media players including VLC have problems with in Win 7. I do recommend choosing to custom install and checking off the additional codecs - can never have enough of those. And I personally turned off several logs and playlists to save drive space - but you may want the custom ini files that can save playback settings per video - another powerful feature if needed! It works better than any other video player I've tried, I prefer the interface and find it's controls and menus very easy to use, it is faster, and so far it plays everything with ease. What more could you want? Price: Free

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SE-TrayMenu

Very capable, and easy on the system!

I was in need of a launcher that I could see at a bit of a distance for a living room media PC. I was using Nexus, which is absolutely beautiful and very customizable, but it's running on an older PC and I would have problems with hang ups or Nexus crashing, probably due to it's special effects. SE-TrayMenu is simpler, yet can be modified to look pretty nice as well. It is incredibly stable, doesn't crash or hang, and if you want a nice roll-over effect you can modify the Font Sizes for both the display and AccessRollover. Make the rollover font 2 points larger and Bold, and you achieve a similar special effect that Nexus and others offer! Nexus probably works fine on a newer, faster PC, but if you want something a bit more basic and reliable, TrayMenu fits the bill nicely! The one thing I miss and would like to see added is the ability to change the Icon for a program. For example, you can link to folders and launch them, but they are all going to have the same Windows Folder Icon. (Of course, loading different Icons may add to the overhead on the CPU and RAM, so it may be a good thing - or not.) That's the only downside I see to this program, and it's minor since the Text displayed can be edited to tell you what folder is what, etc. Price: Free

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UltraDefrag

The only one to trust

After testing several defrag programs on 64-bit systems, this is the only one that seems to work. Others can destroy restore points. It's very fast, and very safe - and while the interface isn't anything to write home about, it is fine once you figure it all out. This is the only defrag program I'd recommend - period. Price: Free

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Classic Shell

Excellent

If your computer use is about getting things done rather than glitz, Windows 7 can disappoint. But by turning off the Aero and other effects and installing Classic Shell, Windows will be faster and more responsive, and you will once again have a Menu that allows you to organize things they way you want. Program works great - highly recommended for serious computing. Price: Free

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BatteryBar

A must have!

Most people who install this program and use it once or twice will not see how it really works. The Windows Battery display only gives an estimate of TimeCharge left, and is not that accurate. Windows always starts out assuming tons of full charge life, and re-reads the battery charge and nosedives as the battery is used, but it's only guessing on actual time remaining. It has no idea what the original factory spec on your battery is, or it's current condition, etc. After using Battery Bar for over a year now, I can see how much time I have remaining running on the Battery, or time to charge - accurate almost to the minute! But this only happens over time as Battery Bar monitors real time, real world use. You can't install it and immediately expect miracles. The other nice feature of Battery Bar is that it gives a very accurate full charge time estimate, and lifespan of the battery remaining. On an older notebook such as mine, I no longer get 3 hours of use, but rather 1:48 according to Battery Bar - and it's CORRECT! I also see that I have about 49 of usable life remaining in the battery before I need to purchase a new one. If you use a notebook, use Battery Bar! Price: Free

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Auslogics Disk Defrag

Kills restore points

Like many Free Defrag tools today, if you use this on a 64bit OS like Windows 7, it will destroy all your restore points. So far the only Free Defrag I've seen that does not do this is Puran. Price: Free

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IObit Smart Defrag

Not so smart

I found this program to be a very fast defragging tool, but I`ve also discovered that there is a serious flaw. (At least in Win 7 64-bit) Using it to Defrag Only is fine, but when you choose the Smart Defrag option, it also defrags the Registry. This is normally not a problem, but twice now several of my programs failed to work after this procedure, and I even lost all my Restore points once as well. My system is Virus/Spyware free, so it`s not me. I`ve now switched to another Defrag software and the problem seems to be resolved. I therefore cannot recommend this software. Price: Free

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Ad-Aware Free Antivirus

Same old story

As with AdAware versions of the past, the automatic updates are fine when the latest version is first released. But once the program is a few months old, updates take forever. There are other Freeware Spyware blockers with system monitoring that do not have this problem. It's a pretty good program, but updates take forever and to me, that makes this undesirable. Price: Free

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