How To Save and Print A List of Installed Programs On Your Computer

I recently experienced a situation where a person’s computer, that was several years old, required a complete factory restore. When asked, “What programs did they have installed on the computer?”, the person was at a loss. Following this occurrence, I started to wonder if there was an easy way to view, save or print the programs that we have installed on our computers? This would be especially handy as a reference in the event of a computer crash. I know myself, there are many software packages I have installed; and, trying to remember what programs I installed (in the event of a computer failure) would be a real challenge, even for an ole’ geek like me.

I am sure there may be other options or methods to accomplish this task, but what I came across was a small software utility, that is portable, called MyUninstaller (by NirSoft). I know you are wondering, what does an uninstaller utility have to do with what we want to accomplish?

First, let me explain that MyUninstaller is in fact an alternative uninstaller utility to the standard Add/Remove applet of Windows operating system; HOWEVER, built into MyUninstaller is a menu options that gives you the ability to either save the list of all installed applications on your computer into a text file or HTML file (that can be viewed in your web browser).

To save the list to a text file, click on the File Menu and select Save Selected Items. To save and view the list as a HTML file, click on View and select HTML Report – All Items.

After using the options in MyUninstaller to generate a list of the programs on my computer, it has now become part of my overall backup strategy.

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A PC Tech’s Quick Reference Web Site

Just when I think I have found most of the golden nuggets on the internet, I come across another. While performing an update to the Bookmarks4Techs listing, a visitor to the site contacted me and suggested that I add the tech site GEGeek – PC Tech Quick Reference to the listing.

What I expected to find was a tech blog, but what I came across is a Geek’s paradise for anyone who is into computers; and especially,  computer repair & troubleshooting. While you are there, pay special attention to the GEGeek Tech Toolkit.  This toolkit should be called a Tech Tool Shop…  It is a 1.0 gig download and contains everything, as a tech, you would ever need.

An excerpt about the author of GEGeek:

This site is the culmination of years of CAREFULLY selecting a handful of links to assist me on my current job, personal consulting work and of course my own PCs. Not every site has all useful links ⁄ articles, but there were always one or two gems to be found on every site I visited. Keeping them readily available and manageable became quite a chore, so i created this site just to help me organize them and provide a quick reference . The “How To” is assumed knowledge, I just provide the quick reference.

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Wallpaper of the Week (#85)

This dreamer kitty took the time to stop and smell the daisies…  If you are a cat lover, this is a great wallpaper to add to your collection.

To Get This Wallpaper – [ CLICK HERE ]

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When Uninstalling Security Software Use AppRemover To Effectively Do The Job

When replacing one security application with another it is of the utmost importance that the application that you are uninstalling is completely removed from your computer. Failure to completely remove the old security application can compromise the security of your computer and can cause degradation in the performance of the computer. Security software, such as anti-virus, anti-spyware, and anti-malware are more complex in their operation than typical everyday software apps.  Using the built-in Windows uninstall process won’t cut it and many times the built-in uninstaller that is included in the security software itself won’t cut it.

To get the job done effectively, download AppRemover. I can attest to the effectiveness of this program in that I have used it on numerous occasions under different conditions to remove security software from other people’s PC. As a matter of fact, I have found on many occasions where people, thinking they were doing the right thing, had more than one security app installed.

AppRemover is a third party portable app that has been specifically developed to remove security software from your computer.

AppRemover™ is a free utility developed by OPSWAT that enables thorough, easy uninstallation of security applications from your computer. Once downloaded, simply double-click the AppRemover icon. AppRemover will detect and allow you to easily choose which anti-malware application to uninstall from your computer.

Use AppRemover:

• When replacing one security application with another
• When competing security applications tie up your computer
• When the application’s built-in uninstall process fails
• When you have forgotten the application password

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Terminate Known Malware Processes with RKill

Typically, when a malware infection occurs, it will become quite obvious to the end-user; especially, when the infection has propagated to the point that your security software has shutdown (will not run or update), internet access is crippled, Windows System Restore no longer functions and bogus security software has installed itself on your PC (just begging for your credit card number).

In the background, unbeknownst to the end-user many malware processes are in force making this all happen that work in concert with a registry that has been compromised. These processes are very difficult to diagnose and shut down, without the aid of special software to shutdown those processes and restore the registry to a manageable (or stable) state.  Once the processes are shutdown and the registry is stable, then the end user has a window of opportunity to use security software to remove the malware infection completely.

An application that I keep in my flash drive toolbox, for these unwanted occasions and to target those malware processes, is the utility called RKill.

RKill is a program that was developed at BleepingComputer.com that attempts to terminate known malware processes so that your normal security software can then run and clean your computer of infections. When RKill runs it will kill malware processes and then import a Registry file that removes incorrect file associations and fixes policies that stop us from using certain tools. When finished it will display a log file that shows the processes that were terminated while the program was running.

RKill will attempt to terminate the malware processes and make the registry stable enough so that you can clean your computer using security software, such as Malwarebytes Anti-Malware . After you run RKill do not restart your computer until the infection has been cleaned. Restarting the PC, after running RKill, will only result in the malware processes restarting.

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NEW Version of Microsoft Security Essentials

I am often asked; “What security software do I use for my main layer of protection? My answer is, “Microsoft Security Essentials”…

Microsoft Security Essentials provides real-time protection for your home or small business PC that guards against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software.

I currently have Microsoft Security Essentials installed on all of my PCs and it has yet to let me down; HOWEVER, as with any security software (no matter which one you install), you have to install “common sense” alongside it.

What prompted me to write about Microsoft Security Essentials is that Version 4.0, which has been in beta since late 2011, has been officially released.  According to one of my information sources (CNet), the released version “is part of the standard product update release cycle. This service update contains product enhancements to improve performance and user experience. We have improved on Microsoft Security Essentials’ Automatic Remediation, which will automatically quarantine highly harmful threats without prompting the user to take action as well as minor bug fixes in set up, malware remediation and other areas.”

If you are looking for a security software option, that is FREE; that is easy to understand and use; that uses minimal system resources; and is engineered by a company that we are all familiar with, then Microsoft Security Essentials is a good choice.

Microsoft Security Essentials is a free* download from Microsoft that is simple to install, easy to use, and always kept up-to-date so you can be assured your PC is protected by the latest technology.

Microsoft Security Essentials runs quietly and efficiently in the background so you’re free to use your Windows-based PC the way you want—without interruptions or long computer wait times.

Before installing Microsoft Security Essentials, we recommend that you uninstall other antivirus software already running on your PC. Running more than one antivirus program at the same time can potentially cause conflicts that affect PC performance.

** IMPORTANT **  –  When changing security software on your PC from one brand to another, it is very important that you completely uninstall the security software you intend to remove. The uninstaller built into windows will not cut it. I highly recommend you either visit the software maker’s site to get information to uninstall the product or use a third party uninstaller such as AppRemover.

The free AppRemover utility enables the thorough uninstallation of security applications like antivirus and antispyware from your computer. Remove computer stress. Simply, cleanly and effectively.

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Bookmarks4Tech’s Amazon Kindle Bookstore Browser

Looking for that Kindle book?  Be sure to check out my most recent creation at Bookmarks4Techs that gives you the ability to browse the Amazon Kindle Book library.  Pretty cool stuff…

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Free Vector Clocks

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