Free Software Is Costing Me Too Much - Comments Page 2

You didn't mention ASC cookie ignore list. It has a long list of cookies it will not remove them unless you add to delete. If your paying for Pro you shouldn't have to do this. I wonder how much money IOBIT is making by keeping these cookies in something you pay for.

Hi Bob,
I see no need to stop using Advanced SystemCare or any other software that soaks up CPU cycles when you're not using it or does annoying things when not using it. It's so easy to launch it with a shortcut to your own BAT file and then kill it all with another shortcut to your own cleanup BAT file. In fact, I even change the icons on the shortcuts to the BAT files to use the specific icon the offending software uses and run the launch BAT file minimized. The only other special action needed would be selecting "Run as administrator" for the shortcuts when needed. So, as an example, this is the BAT file I use to launch Advanced SystemCare:

:
: This bat file:
: 1. Starts the Advanced SystemCare service.
: 2. Changes directory to the Advanced SystemCare directory.
: 3. Runs Advanced SystemCare.
:
net start "AdvancedSystemCareService11"
CD "C:\Program Files (x86)\IObit\Advanced SystemCare"
Start ASC.exe /manual

This is the BAT file I use to launch Advanced SystemCare Cleanup:

:
: This bat file:
: 1. Stops ASC.exe
: 2. Stops ASCTray.exe
: 3. Stops Advanced SystemCare service
: 4. Sets the Advanced SystemCare service to Manual
:
taskkill /F /IM asc.exe
taskkill /F /IM asctray.exe
net stop "AdvancedSystemCareService11"
sc config "AdvancedSystemCareService11" start= demand
pause

I put the "pause" at the end of the cleanup BAT file so I can see that everything stopped correctly. This is how I run ALL programs that I don't want sucking up CPU cycles while I'm not using them nor want them annoying me when I'm not using them.

late to the party for sure! I sent you similar comments more than half a year ago. figured you were just milking referral dollars although I would like to believe you have much more integrity than that. IObit been a bad actor for a while.

"YEAH" Bob. Great article. Your article will hopefully help clear the minefield of this behavior. Keep up the great work.

I spent far too much time and effort in removing Avast with their constant demands for me to pay for an upgrade. I purchased a lifetime license for Revo Uninstaller Pro that is good for 3 computers. It was finally able to remove every trace of Avast. I am beginning to think free software is anything but. Thank you Bob for constantly telling it like it is. I am slowly approaching the 146% smarter space.

Thank You, Thank You!

Honesty gets my vote every time. I am FAR more likely to send a voluntary payment to an HONEST shareware vendor; I will NEVER give to a scamware approach.

I fully agree that, as you wrote, "... vaporware, foistware, scareware, and scamware will have no place on my computer!"

Well done, Bob!

I saw thro' these guys YEARS ago & kicked them into touch.

You did the right thing in exposing them, thank you.

Dorian

I made the mistake of installing IOBit uninstaller once just to see how it compared to Revo uninstaller. What a mistake. Ironically IOBit uninstaller was a major PITA to uninstall. I had to manually remove remnants all over my system. I would never trust anything from IOBit again.

Two points:

1)Not only is there nagware, there is changeware.
All of a sudden I noticed my default browser got changed from Firefox to Avast, and the icon on stored files was similarly changed. I wish I could tell everyone how I managed to do that but the effective attempt was mixed with many ineffectual ones and I no longer remember which was the one that worked. One observation: I opened up a firefox options screen and it said firefox was not my default browser and it gave a button to push that said "make default." Pressed it repeatedly and nothing happened. Another screen said Avast was not my default browser (sure fooled me!) and here's a button to press to make it the default. I pressed it just to see what would happen. It DID make Avast my default and it removed all buttons to reverse that action.
2) When sending money to any company that you anticipate might give you trouble later on if and when you cancel their services, and you don't want them to draw from your CC or DC account against your instructions:
Buy one or more gift cards from your bank. Purchasable for any amount up to $500, cost just $4. Pay them using a gift card whose credit is almost exhausted. If they try, they'll get a nasty surprise. It'll probably cost them a fee for the attempt. Burnt fingers teach a lesson.

We may have a failure to communicate or we may have a difference in semantics of the "FREEware" concept.
Mr. Rankin's definition casts a terrible shadow on a whole segment of the true "FREEware" movement. FireFox, FileZilla, Thunderbird, KeePass, VLC, AIMP3 are but a few examples which are totally FREE; with saying nothing of the Linux eco-system.
I am further inclined to categorize anything that google provides as NOT being FREE either.
Afterall, "Friends only recommend Friends [true] FREEware!"

There ain't no "Free Lunch."

Many moons ago, at Bob's suggestion, I tried iObit's "free" package of utility apps. I was impressed enough to pay for some of them to stop unwanted ads from iObit. Much later I started reading some disturbing reports about iObit - including some that alleged iObit had 'rustled' intellectual property off a spread run by a well known malware detector. Here in Texas, rustlers are still dealt pretty harshly, but the only option available to me was to try to uninstall all iObit software, but discovered their stuff was everywhere on my PC - and iObit's Uninstaller wouldn't touch it. Over time (months!) I would come across a PUP here or a registry entry there that had been loaded by iObit. Earlier this week I found an old iObit file that was still actively doing something with another program on my computer and could only be deleted in Safe Mode. I also searched C: and found there were other files titled iObit or ASC still lurking in various nooks and crannies. Once I had deleted that nest of suspects my registry cleaner found that "cygwin" software was now suddenly "obsolete." I deleted the cygwin files with no effect on my computer that I can detect. I think I am at last iObit free, but am keeping my eyes peeled for any other iObit stragglers or associated programs I might have overlooked.

@Phil:
The Corel nag screen pop-up on Win10 can be disabled within the Corel application, "Help" pull-down menu; under "Message Preferences". Uncheck the 2 boxes and also select "Do not show me tray messages for this application" line. For added points; block the Corel program with a firewall and remove any Corel related hooks from the Windows Startup [Win+R >> shell:startup] list.
https://corl.co/2wp5gnM

I use should I remove it. Had it for years. Does the same job.

@Stuart Berg:
How do you get your batch file (.bat) to run? I can't save it to the C:\ directory.

'5 year-old brat permission to run through my home scribbling advertisements for his Cub Scout popcorn, lemonade stand, and other entrepreneurial ventures.'

Does that happen a lot? :)

Malwarebytes has nearly become unusable with their almost daily program revision nags along with their nag, nag, nag to buy the premium version which provides only a few minor features like automation that I would find useful.
You are right on the $$$ on this topic Bob. Thx!

I stopped using iOBit a few years ago. I use the free Malwarebytes and have not noticed anything unusual from them. I did buy PCFile way back when. :-) Along with many other excellent shareware programs. I miss those days.

@Frank D
It doesn't matter where you put the BAT file. I created a BAT folder at C:\Users\Stu\Documents\Bat for all my BAT files. So yours might be at C:\Users\yourusername\Documents\Bat. The important thing is that you run the BAT file from a shortcut. So after saving your BAT file in your BAT folder, open Windows Explorer and right-click on your BAT file, drag it to wherever you want to run it (desktop?), release the right-click button, and choose "Create shortcuts here". Always run your BAT files from a shortcut so you can change the icon, choose "Run as administrator" when necessary, and run it minimized when desired.

Malwarebytes was mentioned as a culprit in being annoying. This is the BAT file I use for eliminating the annoying aspects of Malwarebytes. This one does it all, running and cleanup. No separate cleanup BAT file is required.

:
: This bat file:
: 1. Starts the Malwarebytes service.
: 2. Changes directory to the Malwarebytes directory.
: 3. Runs Malwarebytes.
: 4. Stops the Malwarebytes service.
: 5. Deletes the Malwarebytes TrayApp autostart registry entry that Malwarebytes has inserted.
: 6. Sets the Malwarebytes service to Manual
:
@ECHO OFF
net start MBAMService
CD "C:\Program Files\Malwarebytes\Anti-Malware"
Start /wait mbam.exe
net stop MBAMService
reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run" /v "Malwarebytes TrayApp" /f
sc config "MBAMService" start= demand

This was why I stopped using Avast. I was a paying customer and they wanted me to buy more. I didn't need anymore, I have other programs that were the same and worked just fine, for my needs. So, I did not renew my subscription. I got Bitdefender to cover up to 5 devices for 3 years at a much better price, than one year for 1 device from Avast!!!

As for Malwarebytes, I was most fortunate that when I purchased my Malwarebytes Pro for a Lifetime, I was able to upgrade to the Premium and it is still considered a Lifetime Subscription. Now, my problem is...Bitdefender disables my Malwarebytes Premium so that it will not work. I know why because Bitdefender covers malware like Malwarebytes does. I still have my activation code for Malwarebytes Pro, so if I ever have to go back to using it. }:O)

I am quite impressed with Bitdefender Total Security 2018. I have gone over the settings and they work for me. I simply set the program on Auto-pilot and Bitdefender is good to go. It takes very little resources, yet I am protected.

Now, I have gotten a couple of emails from Bitdefender letting me know that the Total Security 2019 is available for a price. But since I already have a 3-year subscription, I don't think I need to worry. All of my updates are done automatically.