Susan asks us about PC Decrapifier
I am planning to buy a new computer in the near future and was a little concerned about all the bundled software that may come with it. How to get rid of, etc. I happened upon this site and it seems like it may be able to do the trick, what is your opinion? The PC Decrapifier is Free for personal use. Here’s the link: http://www.pcdecrapifier.com/download
Our answer
Hi Susan. PCDecrapifier is a former “freeware pick of the week” and it’s an excellent program for removing the clutter and annoyances from a new PC – or any PC for that matter. It works well and it’s the only program that we know of that will remove the ever-increasing amount of junk computer makers install on new computers.
While PCDecrapifier does a great job of removing the pre-installed garbage that comes pre-installed on virtually every new PC, regardless of manufacturer, the best way to get rid of it is to insist it not be installed on your new computer to begin with. For this reason, we recommend you shop online, if possible, and buy direct from the manufacturer. Let’s use Dell.com as an example. Choose the computer you want at Dell.com and configure it the way you want it, then go all the way through the order process until you get to payment page – don’t’ complete the order. Then, pick up the phone and call Dell read off the information from your computer screen and state the exact model and configuration of the computer you want. When they’re ready to take your credit card information, stop them and say: “I want nothing pre-installed on my computer but Windows.” You can bet that the sales rep will tell you that’s not possible – at which point you ask to speak to a supervisor. The rep might give you a little resistance, but stand your ground, and you’ll get a supervisor who’ll parrot the company line that you can’t have a computer with just Windows installed. Tell them you know you can because you know people who’ve gotten computers from them with just Windows installed (TC & EB for example). If he says it’s not possible tell him or her to “Please cancel my order and have a nice day.” They’ll either acquiesce to your demands or they’ll argue with you. If they argue with you just say “no thanks, goodbye”. If you really want that particular computer, call Dell back and try again. They can sell you a computer with just Windows installed on it and the necessary drivers for any peripherals you’ve ordered with it – we know they can because we’ve done it. If you can’t get any satisfaction from the sales rep or the supervisor the second time – you can either call back again, accept the computer with the garbageware preinstalled, or shop another brand.
If you’re shopping Best Buy they’ll charge you $40 (the last time we checked) to remove the junkware from your computer; save your money – PCDecrapifier removes the same junk as Best Buy’s “Geek Squad” does and it’s free. If you are shopping at Target, Walmart, etc. you’re going to get the computer as is – complete with junkware. In this case PCDecrapifier can help you get most of the junk off your new computer which makes it faster and less annoying to use.
Don’t forget – after you’ve decrapified your computer, the first two things you need to do is install good antivirus protection and antispyware protection, because your new decrapified PC may not have any protection at all (depending on what you told the program to remove).
I recently bought a new laptop from BestBuy, they wanted 100.00 to remove all the junkware from my computer, needless to say I saved my money. Thanks for all the great tips throughout the years.