Last week I wrote about several short items that would not provide a full article but were still interesting and important items. I asked that you let me know if you liked that article on quick answers. You did and said you would like to hear about more apps. So here are some more Q&As that I got from you. (Do not forget to email me your questions as often as you like.)
What happens if I accidentally delete a file I need? How can I get it back? One of my favorite programs, CCleaner by Piriform which I have written about in the past, also has a great, free file recovery app. It is called Recuva (ccleaner.com/recuva). One word of advice. No matter what, run this app as soon as you realize you need the deleted file back. If you work on your computer for a while after it is deleted it could be overwritten and destroyed. Then the only possible way to get it back is to pay a large price to a commercial recovery firm. So be quick to get it back.
A very common question I get is, “What app should I use to play music or videos with?” Here I am divided and you can try them and decide. First, I do not like Windows Media Player that comes with Windows. It is clunky and not consistent. I prefer VLC (videolan.org) as it is clean and steady. My other choice would be iTunes, yes from Apple, but it is a very good program, although it has lots of extras you may not need. Try them both and decide which you like best.
Next, “How do I get all the junk programs off of my new computer?” Yes, all new computers you do not build, but buy come with Junkware, sometimes called Crapware. Nothing particularly wrong with it, but it takes up space with apps you may not ever use. For instance, your “free antivirus” app. It is free for a limited time and then they convince you that it is needed. (See last week’s article for my antivirus recommendation.) Run PC Decrapifier (www.pcdecrapifier.com). The neat thing about it is that you download the free version, run it and it does not install anything on your computer. After you run it just delete the downloaded file…no uninstalling needed. When run it will give you a list of apps that other people say are apps you do not need. Then you can uninstall it from there. Make sure you do not remove anything you actually use.
I have received many questions regarding taking a “screenshot” on your computer. Someone will see something online and want to keep a graphic of the screen. Maybe a webpage, picture, a recipe and/or whatever else they see online. The application I prefer is called Jing. Jing is the junior, free, version of its really big brother called SnagIt by TechSmith. Both have advantages but Jing’s biggest is that it is free. You can get it at techsmith.com/jing-tool.html.
I know I have not covered how to use these programs but if you go to the individual sites you can get help at most of them. If not there, try YouTube.com or Google.com and I guarantee you will find more information than you need.
Have fun testing any of them out if they sound like you could make use of them.
