PC Decrapifier

[Adrian II]

Stupid question here.... what exactly is 'bloatware'?

Let me explain this by example.

Like the Lemur here, I run a bunch of 'family and neighbourhood' computers. We mail and surf, we play games, we download from sites, USB sticks and CD-roms, we do everything that's out there.

I have managed to keep them virus-free for six years by three simple devices:

1. Avira AntiVir Personal (freeware)
2. Eusing Registry Cleaner (freeware)
3. The Human Brain (shareware) that says, i.a., "when in doubt, do not open attachment"

In short, everything else is bloatware: it bloats your computer, eats into its memory, slows down performance and causes game CTD's and other malfunctions.

Now, a lot of this bloatware is either hidden or interwoven with essential software. Producers do this in order to prevent your from wiping it. What we are looking for is a freeware program that disentangles this mess, marks everything useless or harmful with a and destroys it at your command. That includes unnecessary services (that run during other programs), code bloat (unnecessary code produced by inefficient software) and redundant or false registry entries (which slow down your performance).

P.S. FYI I am a complete moron when it comes to computers, I hardly handle MS-DOS and it took me a year to understand what 'updating your drivers' meant. So if I can manage to keep computers clean and fast this way, every other imbecile can.