Sometimes you can fix your computer problems with a helpful software application that is designed to search for problems on your computer.

Here is a set of tools that we like and trust, and therefore recommend. Most of them have "try-before-you-buy" versions, but they are generally inexpensive so they are an affordable way to get better performance out of your computer.

Buy with confidence with RegNow

Learn at your own pace with these highly recommended reference books.

We will be using these books in the upcoming term at Capilano College.

• Teach Yourself VISUALLY Microsoft Office 2007

• Teach Yourself VISUALLY Microsoft Office 2003

• Teach Yourself VISUALLY Windows Vista

• Teach Yourself VISUALLY Computers

• Teach Yourself VISUALLY Windows XP

• Teach Yourself VISUALLY Mac OS X

Antivirus, Spyware, Adware, Malware, Grayware, Firewalls, Spam (argh!), Identity Theft, Phishing... what software do I need? Do I need one program for EACH of these threats? If I did that I would have a very expensive paper-weight (Vista not included).

The Bottom Line: you NEED to protect your computer... but too much protection can be just as harmful to your system as actually getting infected (we're looking at you Norton and McAfee).

Our Recommendation: Grisoft's AVG Antivirus with a basic Windows Firewall is sufficient for most users. For those of you with greater requirements we recommend the AVG Internet Secruity Suite.

No computer should be without proper antivirus protection.

AVG Professional Single Edition

AVG Professional Single Edition provides comprehensive antivirus protection for personal computers.

Included:
- Anti-Virus protects from viruses, worms and trojans
License duration:
- 2 years license including virus database and program updates
Benefits:
- New program versions and updates, for free, throughout the license duration
- Quality proven by all major antivirus certifications (VB100%, ICSA, West Coast Labs Checkmark)
- 24/7 technical support provided at no extra cost.
- Discounted renewal price at the end of the license period (50% off of the current end user list price)
Features:
- Improved virus detection based on better heuristics and NTFS data streams scanning
- Smaller installation and update files
- Improved user interface

AVG A/V can also be purchased in sets: 2 lic., 3 lic., 5 lic., 10 lic., etc.

AVGAV can also be purchased in a network edition: 2 lic., 3 lic., 5 lic., 10 lic., etc.

AVG Internet Security

Included:
- Anti-Virus protects from viruses, worms and trojans
- Anti-Spyware protects from spyware, adware and other malicious programs
- Anti-Spam filters spam and protects against phishing attacks
- Firewall protects from hackers
License duration:
- 1 year license including virus database and program updates
Benefits:
- New program versions and updates, for free, throughout the license duration
- Quality proven by all major antivirus certifications (VB100%, ICSA, West Coast Labs Checkmark)
- 24/7 technical support provided at no extra cost
- Discounted renewal price at the end of the license period (50% off of the current end user list price)
Features:
- Improved virus detection based on better heuristics and NTFS data streams scanning
- Unique automatic threat-removal anti-spyware engine
- Automatic firewall profile switching for improved security and usability

AVG IS can also be purchased in a network edition: 2 lic., 3 lic., 5 lic., 10 lic., etc.

USD 69.95 1 lic. for 2 yrs

USD 94.95 2 lic. for 2 yrs

Buy Now!

USD 86.95 / 2 yr / 3 computers
(amazing offer for home users!)

We are often asked how to best protect children while they are surfing the web. Our first answer is to keep a close eye on your childs' activities and to make computer (and internet) use a family activity. Our second answer is KidsWatch:

KidsWatch w/ Web Filtering

Hands down, KidsWatch is is the best software for controlling the amount of time your kids are allowed on-line. Control all aspects of their online permissions. For $50 CAD you cannot go wrong.

KidsWatch Time Control is a Parental Control Software package that allows you to limit and control the time your children spend on the computer, access the Internet or play games. Time Control helps you to block inappropriate Internet content, prevents overuse and allows you to balance your child’s day. The combinations are endless! Mix and match the time, duration and program options for each child and create the schedules that suit your family’s needs. KidsWatch Time Control helps you take command over the time and activity your children spend on the computer and Internet. Help your kids stay away from trouble and take the next step to parental supervision - computer supervision!

Install it and enjoy completely automatic protection with the very latest antivirus and firewall technologies.

• Limit Internet Surfing, chatting and game playing to a time and duration appropriate for each child.
• Schedule the number of hours each child can use the computer, per day or by week.
• Block access to inappropriate Internet content or lock down the Internet completely.
• View the web sites your children visit, and have the reports e-mailed to you.
• Automatically log your child out of their computer when it’s time for lights out.
• Protect yourself against unwanted installations by removing their ability to install ANYTHING!

Buy Now!

USD $39.95

Once you are confident that your computer is sufficiently protected you need to make sure your data is safe and secure. This means backups.

Our recommendations:

• EVERYONE should have a UPS Battery Backup system attached to their computer.
• Companies should be using a RAID array for redundant storage
• Home and Small Businesses should be using an automated utility to backup their data on a regular basis

Handy Backup v4.0

Handy Backup 4.0 is an easy-to-use program designed for an automatic backup of your data to any type of storage media including CD-RW devices and remote FTP servers. Handy Backup is intended for personal and corporate users in a networking environment or on a single machine.

This software makes backing up your data EASY. It literally takes a minute to setup and configure. The peace of mind that comes from a $70 investment simply cannot be understated.

Handy Backup, by Novosoft, Inc., is a nicely engineered piece of software. Its designed to backup all of your important data and it does that job very well. The program has a number of useful and also interesting features, like the use of plug-ins. I found Handy Backup to be very easy-to-use and feel that even novice users would do well with it. It can backup to drives on your network, your FTP site, as well as to CDs (and DVD's). And, it can span CDs so your backups aren't limited. So, if you've been looking for a program for backing up your data, give Handy Backup a try! I think you'll like it -- I did!

--Michael E. Callahan, ESC, President

Acronis True Image

The complete disk imaging, system disk backup, and bare-metal restore for workstations and home PCs Acronis True Image allows you to create an exact disk image for complete system backup and disk cloning providing the most comprehensive data protection.

The disk backup file contains the exact copy of a hard disk, including all the computer data, operating system, and programs.

After a system crash you can restore the entire system or simply replace lost files and folders from your disk backup.

Based on the exclusive Acronis Drive Snapshot disk imaging technology, Acronis True Image allows you to create an online system disk backup without reboot to keep the system productive. The product provides the fastest bare-metal restore dramatically reducing a downtime and your IT costs.

MUCH better than Norton's Ghost!

iPodSync

This terrific utility can turn your iPod into a PDA.

This is a VERY cost effective utility that can be used to instantly backup your Outlook information to a device that you already carry with you everywhere you go (your iPod).

With iPodSync, you can view your Outlook Contacts, Calendars, Tasks and Notes on your iPod.

iPodSync is a tool for Windows users to keep your Microsoft Outlook calendar. contact, tasks, notes  and email synchronized between your PC and your iPod.  iPodSync also syncs news, weather forecasts and movie listings from the web.  You can even use iPodSync to keep an up-to-date backup of your documents on your iPod.  iPodSync will turn your iPod into PDA.

You specify what information you want to sync and iPodSync does the rest. 

With iPodSync you can:

• Transfer Outlook Contacts to your iPod

• Transfer Outlook Appointments to your iPod

• Transfer Outlook Tasks to your iPod

• Transfer Outlook Notes to your iPod

• Transfer Outlook eMail to your iPod

• Transfer weather forecasts to your iPod

• Transfer web news feeds to your iPod

• Transfer pictures and voice recording from your iPod to your PC.

[additional]

Spyware is internet jargon for Advertising supported software (Adware). Spyware, adware, browser hijackers, and dialers are some of the fastest-growing threats on the Internet today. By simply browsing to a web page, you could find your computer to be the brand-new host of one of these unwanted fiends!

If your computer is infected with spyware you might notice: your computer will run very slowly, you might be inundated with pop-ups, your computer might suddenly take you to an undesired website, or programs may start crashing.

PAL Spyware Removal

If you've downloaded some music, files or documents and suddenly started getting annoying ads popping up on your screen, you could definitely be infected with SpyWare and/or AdWare!

PAL Spyware Remover's Instant Download stops the chaos spyware causes, protecting you and your PC from their danger with easy to use tools.

Evidence Eliminator

Deleting "Internet Cache and History" will NOT protect you from people tracking your internet activity.

Web Pages, Pictures, Movies, Videos, Sounds, E-mail, Chat Logs and Everything Else you see or do could easily be recovered to haunt you forever!

How would you feel if a snoop made this information public to your spouse, mother and father, neighbors, children, boss, church or the media? It could easily ruin your life! Solve all your problems and enjoy all the benefits of an "As New PC" right now!

Evidence Eliminator can Speed-Up your PC/Internet Browser, reclaim Hard Disk space and Professionally Clean your PC in one easy mouse click!

Buy Now!

USD 134.95

Spybot Search and Destroy

Spybot - Search & Destroy can detect and remove spyware of different kinds from your computer.

Spyware is a relatively new kind of threat that common antivirus applications do not yet cover (becoming less true). If you see new toolbars in your Internet Explorer that you didn't intentionally install, if your browser crashes, or if you browser start page has changed without your knowing, you most probably have spyware.

But even if you don't see anything, you may be infected, because more and more spyware is emerging that is silently tracking your surfing behaviour to create a marketing profile of you that will be sold to advertisement companies. Spybot-S&D is free, so there's no harm in trying to see if something has wormed it's way into your computer...

The following tools are meant to help you optimize your computer for increased system performance.

These can dramatically improve the speed of your computer by optimizing file structure, fixing disk errors, fixing operating system errors, and removing unnecessary startup programs.

JV16 PowerTools

An amazing set of tools to help you fix, repair, optimize and tune up your computer easier than ever!

Does your computer seem to get slower day by day? Are you experiencing any computer problems such as crashes?

This is a fantastic program that helps you remove faulty registry keys, damaged programs, and fix a host of other system problems.

Buy Now!

USD 29.95

Remote Administrator

With Radmin you can work on a remote computer exactly as if you were right there at its keyboard.

PC remote control software - Remote Administrator (Radmin)

This fast, reliable, easy-to-use pc remote control software saves you hours of running up and down stairs between computers. Radmin allows you to take control of another PC on a LAN, WAN or dial-up connection so you see the remote computer's screen on your monitor and all your mouse movements and keystrokes are directly transferred to the remote machine. Radmin provides fast secure access to remote PC’s on Windows platforms.

Supported systems: Windows 9x/Me/NT4.0/2000/XP/2003

The following tools are instrumental in backing up your DVD collection.

In just a few clicks you can have a near-perfect copy of your DVD.

Ashampoo Burning Studio

Ashampoo Burning Studio - the fastest way to burn and copy data DVDs, CDs, video CDs and audio CDs.

In the great tradition of Ashampoo software, this burning application makes it really easy to create and copy your own data DVDs and CDs, video CDs, audio CDs and multisession DVDs or CDs.

Many current burning programs are universal "everything including the kitchen sink" applications that are overloaded with countless confusing functions. Ashampoo Burning Studio 5 makes your life easier by concentrating on what you really want to do!

No more screens full of complicated settings! No more hair-tearing trying to guess your way through the labyrinth of your burner program! Just drag your files into the program and burn your data CD/DVD, video CD/DVD or audio CD/DVD!

With Ashampoo Burning Studio you can save your music, movies and data files to DVD or CD with just a couple of mouse clicks!

Ashampoo Burning Studio supports all current DVD and CD writers.

The program supports following disc types: CD-R, RD-RW, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, DVD-RAM and DVD+R Double Layer.

Slysofts AnyDVD

AnyDVD is a very simple to use program which runs quietly in the background. AnyDVD descrambles DVD-Movies automatically in the background (this removes the built in copyright protection so that you can then make backups of your personal DVD collection).

The DVD appears unprotected and region code free for all applications and the Windows operating system as well. With AnyDVD's help copy tools like CloneDVD, Pinnacle Instant Copy, InterVideo DVD-Copy, etc. are able to copy CSS protected Movies. With the help of AnyDVD you can watch movies with non matching region codes with every DVD Player Software you like! AnyDVD decrypts not just DVDs: AnyDVD allows you also to play, copy and rip protected Audio CDs!

Combine this tool with DVDFab Platinum to make copies of your DVD collection.

DVDFab Platinum

DVDFab Platinum is simply the easiest way to copy a DVD movie.

Just insert the movie and a blank DVD then press Start. Your entire movie - including menus, trailers and special features - is copied to a single DVD with just one click, and everything happens automatically.

This program works best when combined with the descrambling abilities of AnyDVD. AnyDVD quietly runs in the background and automatically removes copyright protection.

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