I was having a case of writer’s block, and Mr. Hall suggested that I write about this subject.

When you buy a new PC, there is often a large amount of software trials included for you to sample and use. This is not such a bad thing if done properly. We consumers get a price break (you don’t think Dell loads that junk for free, do you?) and we can try out software that we might not know about or use on our own.

Remember, I said if it is done properly this is not a bad thing. Unfortunately most PC manufacturers load this junk software (junkware) on the operating system without providing any way to dump it. That problem is not the proper way to conduct this type of advertising.

In my opinion, when you buy a PC, it is yours. You should have the right to use it as you see fit with whatever software and customizations you choose. Not whatever junk the PC manufacturers are paid to put on the PC. Microsoft, Dell, and others do not seem to feel this way however. So, now on to how to remove the garbage.

The most simple way to remove this junk is to use Windows’ Add/Remove Software ability within your Control Panel. You should be able to use this functionality to see a list of all programs installed on your computer. Using this window, simply select the offending program and choose ‘remove’.

In a perfect world, that would handle everything and the junk would now be gone. We do not live in a perfect world, and that is not the end of some software. AOL is particularly bad about hiding in a folder and then re-installing itself or popping-up on your screen. Some other software is as bad or getting to the point of AOL, however.

To help you through making your PC truly yours, I recommend a program with a name which I hope does not offend you: PC Decrapifier (http://tinyurl.com/3yywu7). It is a great tool to remove junk from your PC. I have used this software many times with great results, however you use at your own risk as always. PC D* is free for personal use, but please consider a donation if it works for you. People make software and give it out freely to help everyone, but they need to eat too.

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