For Windows users

[Preacherman]

This is a particularly useful site, listing the top 300 freeware/shareware programs and add-ins for Windows.

http://www.winaddons.com/top-300-freeware-software/

Enjoy!

[cosine]

Hey, that's pretty nice. I always like free! 

[charby]

I wonder how many have some sort of spyware attached?

[cosine]

I wonder how many have some sort of spyware attached?

What I always do before installing some sort of freeware is first see if I can find the original website or maker of the software online. That alone can be very helpful in determining how safe it is, because you can usually find little things to tip you off than it may not be a good idea to install whatever you're considering. The other reason I do that is because I like to get freeware directly the originator, because I have read reports of websites who have taken virus/spyware free software only to bundled their own virus/spyware with it when they offer it for download. Thirdly, I usually google up reports or reviews of whatever piece of software I'm considering installing, if something's not right you can usually find about it that way. Finally, when I download the file I scan it with whatever antivirus/antispyware software I'm running, ensuring beforehand that I have the latest definition updates.

I don't install much freeware, but for the half-dozen or so freeware programs I use that chain of checks and doublechecks hasn't let me down yet. Never had any virus or spyware.

 

[TarpleyG]

Oh, goody!  Maybe I can pass this link on to all the Lusers here at work so they can install even more crap to break their computers then call me and ask why I let it happen and why I am not there yesterday to fix it.  Stupid Freeware.

Greg

[mtnbkr]

If your users are that stupid, why do they have admin access on their PC?

First thing I did when accepting a LAN Admin job in the 90s was to revoke admin access from every user who didn't NEED it to do their job.

Chris

[TarpleyG]

If your users are that stupid, why do they have admin access on their PC?

Not my job to define who has access to what.  I just fix it when it breaks.

[mtnbkr]

Gotcha.  I "owned" everything from the physical cable plant to the logical network to Windows systems (server, desktop, laptop).

I nailed everything down till users squeaked.  I had to.  I was the "IT Dept" for that project for a good 6 months. 

Chris

[TarpleyG]

Gotcha.  I "owned" everything from the physical cable plant to the logical network to Windows systems (server, desktop, laptop).

I nailed everything down till users squeaked.  I had to.  I was the "IT Dept" for that project for a good 6 months. 

Chris

Well, I used to do that at my last job until we got a new CIO that caved in to every whim of our user base then all went to hell in a handbasket.  That's a battle I don't ever want to fight again.

Greg

[charby]

Gotcha.  I "owned" everything from the physical cable plant to the logical network to Windows systems (server, desktop, laptop).

I nailed everything down till users squeaked.  I had to.  I was the "IT Dept" for that project for a good 6 months. 

Chris

Well, I used to do that at my last job until we got a new CIO that caved in to every whim of our user base then all went to hell in a handbasket.  That's a battle I don't ever want to fight again.

Greg

I totally feel your pain..   I hate webshots and weatherbug with a passion

-C

[Sindawe]

Weatherbug?  BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

When I started this job in 2, one of the coders was having no end of issue with his workstation.  BSODs, random lockups sans BSOD, corrupted screens.  You name it, he had it.  I tracked the issue down to Weatherbug.  Pulled that crud off the machine, end of the problems.

Deep Freeze.  I'll have to look into that one.

[charby]

I use deep freeze for my public labs, program rocks but it pisses people off who have a habit of saving to the desktop and not their network locker.

-C