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PC Auditing
Last June we looked at Belarc Advisor, Sandra Lite and Everest. Since then other programs have come to light, and you might like to look at these. They are not for computer novices though, so if you don't have the urge to see inside your PC and be overpowered by the baffling details, don't bother.
SIW (System Information for Windows) is described by its author as 'a utility that displays detailed specs for motherboard, BIOS, CPU, devices, memory, video, disk drives, ports, printers, operating system, installed programs, processes, services, serial numbers (CD keys), users, open files, system uptime, network, network shares, as well as real-time monitors for CPU, memory, page file usage and network traffic. It displays currently active network connections, passwords hidden behind asterisks, installed codecs, and more. A standalone tool that does not require installation.'
Its two outstanding advantages to my way of thinking are that it does not require installation but can be run from a USB drive, and it reveals hidden passwords for those who forget their email client details.
CPUZ is primarily interested in CPU, Mainboard, Memory and System, and is reviewed at http://www.benchmarkhq.ru/english.html?/cpuz_e.htmlPCwizard, from the same stable, resembles Everest but is particularly strong on memory and USB ports and USB devices connected. It actually shows what speed the port is capable of and what speed the USB device is capable of.
Recommended Freeware
At the September monthly meeting I introduced what I consider to be a very worthwhile collection of diverse programs that make life easier and safer for the PC user.
The list of files is available on my homepage at http://www.pcug.org.au/~tbibo/
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