If you have purchased a new computer recently you have no doubt noticed how the hard drive is packed with trial versions of commercial software: Microsoft Office, Norton Antivirus, McAfee Antivirus, AOL…the list goes on and on. There are probably dozens of gaudy icons cluttering up your Desktop, and yep, all of that garbage is making your brand new super-duper state-of-the-art PC run like a turtle through molasses.
You might be asking yourself why the computer manufacturers cram all that trialware on there anyway, and the answer is money. The prices for computer hardware have dropped to the point where there is very little profit margin left, and to compensate for that loss in profits they take “bribes” from the software companies in exchange for preloading trialware versions of their programs directly onto new PC’s.
If you’re asking yourself why the software guys are willing to literally pay to get you to try their programs, once again the answer is money. They know that a hefty percentage of all new computer buyers will try their program, like it, and spend their hard-earned cash to buy the full version.
I understand the economics of this crazy situation, but all of that garbage clogging up and slowing down every new computer I buy drives me bonkers, and I’m guessing it does you as well. I have spent many hours manually uninstalling all of that trialware (usually having to reboot after each application was nuked), but not anymore..
I just found out about a neat little program that goes by the rather crude name of The PC Decrapifier. This little gem scans your new computer’s hard drive looking for a long list of trialware programs, then it gives you a list of the ones it found. You can then mark the ones you don’t want and the program automatically uninstalls them for you while you go on about your business doing something else. Pretty neat, huh?
If you’re looking for a fast and easy way to clean all of that trialware garbage off of your new computer, you can download The PC Decrapifier right here. It’s completely free for personal use!
OK Rick, we are going to have to have a tech. discussion before I try this.