Bloatware removal tools to recommend to friends?

[Romero]

There is absolutely nothing slow about an i3 for the average user.

True, except:

Anyway, the laptop isn't exactly a speed demon esp. because it has an AMD A6-1450 processor and I have to keep her expectations in line.

It may still be enough for her needs though, which don't seem to be all that excessive.

[goretsky Supervisor]

Hello,

 

Thanks for the insight! 

 

You still have to spend some time installing updates (to the master slipstreamed image, if nothing else) plus replacements for some of the preinstalled software you wanted (maybe office productivity suite, web browser and security).  Is that still less than 45 minutes?  Yes, it probably takes 10-12 minutes to install Windows 8.1 from a decent USB 3.0 flash drive, but there's still the matter of updates to download...

 

Regards,

 

Aryeh Goretsky

 

 

I can install Windows faster than that from a good USB stick, even on an HDD (not SSD) based system. That should answer your question. And while I can waste time rooting through the registry, Program Files, AppData, Windows and all the other places crapware 'uninstallers' leave residue behind in, why should I bother? Clean install from unmodified ISO = 100% guarantee of no extraneous crap whatsoever. Couldn't be simpler.

[Romero]

True, and I haven't really timed the updates. Might be possible to get them all downloaded and installed in under an hour as well, especially the more recent the OS and ISO version one uses and of course depending on the bandwidth available. However I don't really include that in my calculation because when I do this for someone (clean install with a few choice programs including AV, Office suite, browser, PDF viewer etc.), I leave it to them to install whatever else they want and to let WU run in the background as usual. Even if the total time taken with updates included is slightly longer I would still prefer to start afresh than work my way backwards from a crapware-laden state to a relatively clean one via manual uninstallation and laborious cleanup (especially considering that many things like preinstalled AV trials are a pain to remove completely given their deep system hooks). But sure, if manual cleanup is what floats your boat then by all means that's what you should continue doing as long as you're sure there's no SuperFish-like crap that might get left behind. Me, I just think it's best to nuke it all and reinstall.

[Rockmilk]

Here is an automated software removal tool.

http://decrap.org/

 

Here is one that allows you to uninstall multiple items at once.

http://www.foolishit.com/vb6-projects/duninstaller/

 

I use those tools often, here is a list of a few  FREE malware tools that are top notch in my book.

 

Zemana Antimalware http://www.zemana.us/product/zemana-antimalware/default.aspx
Hitman Pro http://www.surfright.nl/en/hitmanpro

eScanAV http://www.escanav.com/english/content/products/MWAV/escan_mwav.asp

9-Lab Removal tool. http://9-lab.com/

 

The first two are trials but they are fully functional!!  They will remove malware from your machine, they last 15 and 30 days. Also Eset Online Scanner.

http://kb.eset.com/esetkb/index?page=content&id=SOLN2921&locale=en_US

 

As well as these browser clean up tools.

 

Adware Cleaner http://www.lavasoft.com/products/ad_aware_free.php
Junkware Removal To... http://thisisudax.org/
Adware Removal Tool. http://www.techsupportall.com/adware-removal-tool/

 

Here are a couple tools to remove useless temp files etc...

 

Ccleaner https://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download
Uncleaner http://joshcellsoftwares.com/products/uncleaner/
Wipe Privacy Root https://privacyroot.com/software/www/en/wipe.php
System Ninja https://singularlabs.com/software/system-ninja/

 

 

I hope this information finds you well, surely it will help someone someday if not.

[daorbed9]

LOL gotta love the people who buy the $200 POS and complain that its slow.

 

Actually you gotta love the people that buy $1400 Lenovo Thinkpad T series that are still slow because of the crap on them.  As long as you get out of the Celeron or E series any current laptop is pretty quick if you pop a $70 ssd in it and reinstall windows.

[daorbed9]

She writes her reports and do research online as well as use it for entertainment.

 

The most demanding thing she uses it for is to watch Netflix on her TV via a HDMI port.

 

As for as upgrade is concern, this computer already has 4 GB of DDR3 RAM and I doubt that it needs more than that. I am not so sure about putting SSD in a budget laptop.

 

I want to note that she hasn't actually given me the computer yet, so I still need to wait for that.

 

SSD in ANYTHING that has sata3 is the absolute complete totally and for sure the best way to improve performance.

 

But I still wouldn't even consider using and E or Celeron.  They just are too neutered.

[T3X4S]

Actually you gotta love the people that buy $1400 Lenovo Thinkpad T series that are still slow because of the crap on them.  As long as you get out of the Celeron or E series any current laptop is pretty quick if you pop a $70 ssd in it and reinstall windows.

Well, gotta laugh at anyone that leaves all the bloatware on their system.  But when you get your ThinkPad through enterprise channels, there is no bloatware, and most all of them nowadays have SSD.

You're right tho, a nice little SSD can make a system feel snappy. 

Then again, most people think that when a webpage is slow to pull up, it means their computer is slow....

My computer is running really slow, can you take a look at it ?

What is slow ? a program? starting up ? what exactly ?

.... well when I go to [insert some lame websiite]

OK thats your internet connection, not your computer

{blank stare}

[daorbed9]

Well, gotta laugh at anyone that leaves all the bloatware on their system.  But when you get your ThinkPad through enterprise channels, there is no bloatware, and most all of them nowadays have SSD.

You're right tho, a nice little SSD can make a system feel snappy. 

Then again, most people think that when a webpage is slow to pull up, it means their computer is slow....

My computer is running really slow, can you take a look at it ?

What is slow ? a program? starting up ? what exactly ?

.... well when I go to [insert some lame websiite]

OK thats your internet connection, not your computer

{blank stare}

 

 

I have a customer that has 8 employees on 3/.3 and they asked if the workers could have the wireless password.  We are getting fiber sometime in the future but its been a pain.  I get stuff like, my email takes forever to send, it sits in the outbox for 10 minutes.

[eddman]

You know what's funnier (and I've actually seen this happen), some will then happily pay for those scam RAM/system speed booster utilities. Yeah, don't spend on the hardware but on stupid sh*t and then complain about how everything's still so slow. How intelligent. And of course more often than not these people will end up loading their already POS system with every toolbar and other crap imaginable. I swear, next time some relative or acquaintaince asks me to clean their system I'm gonna start charging real $$$ for my time.

EXACTLY !

Another thing that was always frustrating for me is - they would call me to fix their computer, then completely ignore my recommendations/advice  & listen to "the guy down the street who's son is a computer genius"   (of course kid down the street is nothing more than a web developer or some IT job that requires zero knowledge of computers).

I can go up one notch.

 

X asks you to install windows 7 on his/her laptop. You warn that not all drivers are available for 7. X says he/she absolutely needs everything to work. You say it might cause some issues with sleep, etc. but X insists. You install 7 and use vista drivers for unsupported devices. X encounters issues a few days later, calls you and says how you broke his/her computer and that you don't know jack about these "stuff".

 

A similar case later:

 

Y asks the same thing but this time you refuse to install vista drivers and tell Y to either live with it or simply stay with vista. Y accepts the limitations and chooses 7. Windows 7 recognizes pretty much everything except for bluetooth.

 

A few days later, Y calls and says how "the neighbor's kid" "fixed" the bluetooth and how could I not know such simple things.

 

TL;DR

 

For some, fortunately rare people, all it takes is for you to fail to "fix" or know ONE thing, and that's it, you're no good; and they are not even paying for the damn service.

[daorbed9]

I can go up one notch.

 

X asks you to install windows 7 on his/her laptop. You warn that not all drivers are available for 7. X says he/she absolutely needs everything to work. You say it might cause some issues with sleep, etc. but X insists. You install 7 and use vista drivers for unsupported devices. X encounters issues a few days later, calls you and says how you broke his/her computer and that you don't know jack about these "stuff".

 

A similar case later:

 

Y asks the same thing but this time you refuse to install vista drivers and tell Y to either live with it or simply stay with vista. Y accepts the limitations and chooses 7. Windows 7 recognizes pretty much everything except for bluetooth.

 

A few days later, Y calls and says how "the neighbor's kid" "fixed" the bluetooth and how could I not know such simple things.

 

TL;DR

 

For some, fortunately rare people, all it takes is for you to fail to "fix" or know ONE thing, and that's it, you're no good; and they are not even paying for the damn service.

 

See the thing is my customer pay me more because they trust me than anything else.   They don't want to think about whether I'm making the right decision.  They want to know I have their best interest in mind at all times and can see the big picture. My good looks and charming personality are just a bonus.  It helps to have a little skill too.