I know this comes up now and then, but technology changes daily, so here goes again...

I'm looking for a program (open source would be great, but not necessary) that can help me get rid of unwanted junk on my computer. Yesterday I tried to download some components from the SketchUp web site, and suddenly five other things had piggybacked onto what I was trying to download, and, to add insult to injury, the stuff I wanted never showed up.

Also, my virus protection program expired, so now I get a "Threats detected" screen every time I boot up. Yes I can look for it and delete it, but I have better things to do with my time.

Thanks much.

I use the free program CCleaner. It is very good.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CCleaner

You can download it at: http://www.piriform.com/

Bob, that's great information. I just went to download and see that the free version doesn't offer "support", but the "professional" version is available for $24.95. Do you think it's worth the few dollars to purchase, assuming it's a one-time purchase, and not an annual fee? Are you using it in Windows or another OS? I'm using Windows 7 on a desktop and a laptop and Windows 8 on another laptop, and I'm curious if you're aware of any issues with CCleaner on either system. Sorry for being longwinded but I'm typically overly cautious when it comes to downloading software to my computers. Thanks.

I run these regularly, and purchased the professional version of the first for real time protection (i.e. preventing an infection before it installs, rather than cleaning it after the fact):

http://www.malwarebytes.org

http://www.superantispyware.com/

I run CCleaner as well, but in my experience it is nice for maintaining a clean system (e.g. getting rid of unused temporary files) but doesn't do much (if anything) when it comes to protecting against viruses etc.

I use Norton 360 on all my computers for virus protection, which has an annual fee of about $50 for all three computers. But for my normal cleanups I use the Windows Defrag, disk scanner, etc, which are ok, but I never tried anything like CCleaner. I guess that's why I'm interesed.

As for Norton 360, I've been using it for several years and it's kept me virus free.

I recommended it because the OP specifically asked for a program to "remove unwanted junk on my computer."

CCleaner does a great job of cleaning the registry, completely removing unwanted programs, etc., and generally keeping things running smoothly. But without a good anti-virus program, there is not much that is going to help.

Bob- I just use the free version. The program is reliable and I've had no issues with it. I am running Windows 7 on my laptop.

Good thoughts,

Bob

Thanks Bob, I'm gonna download and try it. Thanks again for the tip.

If anyone here decides to install and try either of the two utilities I posted links to, that is

http://www.malwarebytes.org

http://www.superantispyware.com/

I would be interested in hearing about how many infections / threats each detects the very first time you run them.

Thanks for the links, guys.

I downloaded CCleaner, and it did get rid of some stuff, including one program that would not go away with the Windows uninstall utility. Then I jused Malwarebytes, which found some other stuff.

Right now I still have something that inserts ads in some sites, like this one and one of my email services. I guess I'll just have to continue wasting my time looking for the **** thing.

I would really like to know what it is that entitles some people to think it's okay to load stuff into someone else's computer. How long would we put up with this if the car companies did this to our cars, or kitchen appliance companies did it to our appliances?

What makes you think they aren't? Becareful what you say to your refridgerator.

Bazinga!

George, if you haven't already done so...

Go to Settings/Uninstall Programs and look for anything suspicious there.

Then go into your browser's settings and check for changes made there (for example, changing your start-up/home page, one of the most obvious things, and easiest to fix).

Recently, a download loaded an extension app into my Chrome extensions, so had to delete it.

These were the kind of things that I had to follow-up with after EXCELLENT programs like CCleaner, Malwarebytes and SuperAntiSpyware did their admirable jobs.

Oh... yeah, you're right. I better be nice to my fridge.

Well, I think I got my computer back to normal... er, the way it was a couple of days ago.

Turns out one of the programs that sneaked in was this "thing" called Friends Checker, which is what was creating links and highlighting them in blue. I posted a note about this in the Tech Help area, but nobody responded. Anyway, apparently the "thing" was also responsible for all the pop-up ads. I tried everything I knew how to do, including Windows/Settings, CCleaner, and Malwarebytes, but the "thing" didn't show up anywhere. Finally, after a search, I found a few people who were also trying to get rid of it, and, after trying several of their methods, found one that worked.

So far, no highlights in blue and no more popup ads. Now I can get back to work.

YAHOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please share with us what worked. It could be of help to many in the future.

The Café was where I learned of

- Avast

- CCleaner

- SuperAntiSpyware

- Malwarebytes

I came across a newish add-on for Firefox (and perhaps some other browsers) called 'Self-Destructing Cookies'. Check it out.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox......cookies/

Microsoft has a new, free version of security software for Windows versions prior to 8.1 called "Microsoft Security Essentials". Windows 8.1 has a Microsoft security program included: "Windows Defender". You need to activate them to use them.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windo......download

Subscribers to the cable companies for their internet service (Comcast, Time Warner) can get free security software. You must download them yourself, They are usually top brand names like McAfee or Norton.

I use the professional version of Malwarebytes and I am very satisfied with that.

I second Bob. CCleaner is your friend.
Malwarebytes is also very friendly.
Have no firsthand experience with Microsoft Security Essentials, but those that do speak very highly of it.

Since using Norton 360 supplied by Comcast I have not had any issues for about 2 years. Hope this does not jinx me.

In the past usuallywhen I had issues I would reset my computer to a date when I knew It was safe. I believe it we all have it if we are using windows, and it is called date restore or something like that. I just forget.

On a side note, what are you Mac users using to clean up the clutter on older computers?