Articles about Software

You’re busy using your PC and it’s suddenly 2004 again. Your system is running slowly and your drivers are to blame.

Should you keep your drivers updated? Usually, the rule is "if it’s not broken, don’t try and fix it." It’s simply not true that out-of-date drivers will slow or your hinder your computer. Usually, Windows itself will make sure you have the most relevant drivers for your system and, if you have Windows 10, you’ll usually have the latest drivers. And even if you’re using Vista, and there are newer drivers, it doesn’t necessarily mean your system will be enhanced by installing them.

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O&O Software GmbH has unveiled O&O Defrag Professional 21.0, a major new build of its renowned Windows drive defragmentation and optimization tool.

Version 21’s headline new feature is that it includes a free version of O&O DiskStat 3, which can be used in conjunction with O&O Defrag’s DiskCleaner component to help clean up hard drives. O&O Defrag 21 also comes with the promise of faster file access and further optimizations to its DiskCleaner module.

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iTunes has to be the marmite of applications. Essential for getting content onto your iPhone, but frustratingly bloated and slow. Worse, iTunes is designed for the lazy user, making it super-easy to purchase your content directly from within the application.

You can, of course, transfer your media files to iTunes, by simply dragging and dropping the content and iTunes will handle the artwork and upload your files. But only if they are of the supported format. If you’ve ripped your CDs in the FLAC format, you can’t get this onto iTunes unless you’ve converted the files elsewhere. If you have a 4K video, there’s no easy way of getting this onto your iPad via iTunes.

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When news broke yesterday that CCleaner had been hacked and a dangerously modified version had been available to download for a number of weeks, there were understandable concerns from the program's large userbase. And the concern is well-placed -- some 2.27 million machines are thought to have installed the infected software.

Avast now has something of a PR nightmare on its hands as it tries to rebuild the trust of its users. To this end, company CEO Vince Steckler and CTO Ondřej Vlček have written an article clarifying what happened with CCleaner, and give some details about how they plan to protect their customers -- as well as "correct[ing] some misleading information that is currently circulating."

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WinX MediaTrans is a fast and easy to use iTunes alternative for Windows that lets you manage content on your iPhone/iPad/iPod. No iTunes or Apple ID needed, and no file erasing risk.

The software, from Digiarty WinXDVD, usually retails for $59.95, but BetaNews readers can get it entirely free for a limited time.

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Users of cleanup, privacy and optimization tool CCleaner are being warned to update their software after it emerged the tool was compromised by hackers. Security researchers at Cisco Talos say that there are a "vast number of machines at risk."

CCleaner is produced by Piriform, now a subsidiary of security firm Avast, making the compromise not only serious, but also embarrassing. With 2 billion downloads -- a number that's rising at a rate of 5 million per week -- the software was targeted by hackers who added a backdoor that could be used to download malware, ransomware and keyloggers. The problem is being compared to the NotPetya ransomware threat.

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Bern software developer iterate GmbH has released Mountain Duck 2.0 for Windows and Mac. Mountain Duck is designed to make it easy for users to mount server and cloud storage through File Explorer and Finder.

Version 2.0 adds several new features, most notably support for transparent client-side encryption of data using Cryptomator. It also adds support for Microsoft OneDrive accounts.

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HPE has finalized the sale of its software division, bringing to an end one of the company's most traumatic periods.

The technology giant has confirmed the spin off of its software business in a deal with British firm Micro Focus which is valued at around $8.8 billion.

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Everybody needs a backup -- with ransomware added to the list of threats to your data, now is the perfect time to take full advantage of our latest Downloadcrew giveaway: a full copy of O&O DiskImage 10.5 Professional, worth $49.95, across this coming weekend.

What makes O&O DiskImage special is that it allows you to back up both individual files and folders as well as take a full drive image, so you can protect key data alongside your fail-safe drive image covering your entire Windows installation -- all from one application.

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Novawave Inc has released Novabench 4.0, a major new update for its Windows and Mac benchmarking tool. Version 4.0 unveils new and updated benchmarks, plus an interface redesign.

The tool opens with updated CPU tests to support the latest processor features, and debuts new graphics tests -- a cross-platform OpenCL GPU compute test, plus Direct3D 11 (Windows) and Metal (OS X) tests. There’s also a new disk read speed test.

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They say everyone has a book in them. Using this theory, everyone should have a song, too. But, it’s not as easy to create a track from scratch. You can lay down a beat, but you really need a keyboard to control input and also some basic composition understanding, such as how to create a chord.

An easier way is to, well, borrow from other people. Effectively that’s how a DJ will learn his trade. They take songs created by other bands and add their own components or simply mix together for one continuous track. Obviously, it goes without saying that you need permission if you use their songs commercially, but having the right tool helps too.

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We have quite a few external drives, mostly with content we never use. Backed up old data. It wasn’t that long ago we’d backup data to an external drive long before using the cloud.

You could make use of these drives for other purposes (for example, why not shift your music collection on to one), but you go and wipe the contents and then realize, later, you deleted all your old accounts or important photos. The solution is a file recovery application such as Acronis Revive 2017 -- yes, a brand new consumer tool from Acronis.

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Whilst dealing with malicious software is an ongoing issue, people overlook problematic software, downright stubborn applications and unwanted bundleware that can be difficult to fully remove from your system.

We can’t tell you how many people install security software, uninstall using Add/Remove Programs only to find new security won’t install as the previous suite wasn’t fully removed.

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Parallels IP Holdings GmbH has released Parallels Desktop 13, a major new release of its popular Mac virtualization tool.

Parallels Desktop, which allows macOS users to run virtual versions of Windows, macOS and Linux, is fully compatible with the forthcoming releases of Windows 10 Fall Update and macOS High Sierra (10.13). It also adds several new features and promises significant performance improvement in key areas.

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Backing up your files is essential, especially with the rise of ransomware. No business user can afford to be without their important data, even if some are securely stored in the cloud. By backing up your files, if you suffer from any kind of attack or system error, you can simply use your backup tool to restore a previous state.

However, what happens if you use an external drive to backup your data and ransomware tools lock out your entire computer and connected devices? This is where the brand new True Image 2018 will help as it now includes anti-ransomware protection.

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