PC Decrapifier for clearing out your new computer

So, you got a new computer… but what’s all this stuff on it?  You didn’t ask anybody to load anything but the operating system, so how come you ended up with Norton this, and Microsoft Money that, and trial versions of a bunch of stuff?

This method of “introducing” users to software is intended to (a) give the computer maker the appearance of giving you more software (even if it only lasts for 90 days or whatever before it shuts you off for nonpayment), and it (b) gives the software people a chance to sell you on a product, provided you don’t already have another preference.

It can be a way to get you to try something you’ll end up liking… and then again….

For example, some people recently bought computers they thought had Microsoft Office Suite, but it turned out to be a trial version that shut down after the period was up — so much for the bargain they thought they were getting.

Another example: some people wouldn’t use Norton (Symantec) products on a bet, given the continued experience they’ve had with conflicts with other software, but Norton seems to be pre-loaded as a trial security suite on many PCs.

Some people refer to these products as “Crap-plications” (crap + applications).

If you’d rather get rid of it, there’s the PC Decrapifier, a handy — if not tactfully named — bit of freeware/shareware.  It’s free for personal use (businesses should pay for it), although the author would appreciate a small donation in appreciation (hey, it takes a LOT of work to keep this updated for you!).  The Decrapifier is specially designed to get as much as possible of the odd bits and pieces of unwanted software that would normally remain after you uninstalled it normally.

“The PC Decrapifier is a program designed to remove or uninstall a specific list unwanted software in an unattended fashion. It can be used to clean off most of the annoying software that is typically shipped with newer PCs.”  “It will not begin removing anything without prompting you first!”

This is recommended by a number of sources as one way to get rid of the unwanted software.  Use at your own risk, and be certain that you really want to get rid of something before you remove it. However, if you later want a trial version of something you deleted, you can often get the latest version (which the one on the computer might not have been) by going to the software’s web site.

By the way — don’t uninstall Microsoft Internet Explorer too quickly.  Lots of other programs, including other browsers, may need something in it to operate properly.  Even if you don’t use IE, it’s often a good idea to keep it on your PC.

If you’d rather do it yourself, try freeware called Safarp, which fits into your Control Panel and is faster than the standard Windows uninstaller, or MyUninstaller (which gives more detail but is a little slower).