Rockbridge Reviews

Our Spotlight On Quality Software…

Rockbridge Reviews publishes technology and software product reviews focusing our spotlight on the needs of the home and small business. Many of the products we review can be obtained right here via direct link or at our sister site Rockbridge Downloads.

Rockbridge Reviews and Downloads are owned and maintained by Rockbridge Services, LLC.

Here is a topic many of our readers have asked about:  How do I fix the common problem of software conflicts due to leftover registry keys and orphan files when uninstalling software or attempting to reinstall software. For some software uninstalling and reinstalling software improperly opens a nasty can of worms.  iTunes is a good example… the more complex the program is the more likely you are to have this problem if you don’t uninstall it correctly. We put together a guide that we have found works for most software installed on a PC.  Like everything else in this world there are no 100% guarantees. Some users have latent viruses and malware that are creating registry conflicts that won’t be helped by the following. More on that later…

How To Properly Uninstall and Reinstall Software

If you are having trouble uninstalling and reinstalling software you probably experianceing registry conflicts if you are using a PC… or some registry keys were not cleaned up and removed when you uninstalled the software or tried to write over it. The PC thinks its still there or there is a conflict with old registry keys so it can’t install. This happens with some software.  ( if you are using a MAC disregard )  The following help is for PC users only:

First — if you have not done so already, try using the Add / Remove programs utility in your Windows Control Panel. You can find step by step screenshots and instructions on how to do this at this reference site: http://uninstallmysoftware.com

If that doesn’t work, or if the software does not show up at all in your control panel,  then follow these steps:

• Step 1 – Select and download any good software uninstaller application that has a free demo or trial version and try that first. Most of the time the free version is enough to fix the problem – (there are some good ones listed at the link above or you can find some over at Rockbridge Downloads).
• Step 2 – Install and run the free software uninstaller you selected and follow its instructions carefully – you should see a screen with a listing of all the programs installed on your PC; often more programs than those normally listed in your Add / Remove control panel. Most uninstallers will find software that does not show up in your Add/Remove control panel.
• Step 3 – Find the software you want to uninstall, then select and click “uninstall”. All good uninstaller software will do the rest automatically.  This next part is very important:
• Step 4 – Sometimes you also have to clean up your computer’s PC registry and remove leftover software keys and orphan files from the uninstalled software after running the uninstaller. Some of the more advanced “pro” version uninstaller programs have this feature already built into it and will do the registry cleanup and a backup automatically but some don’t. If yours doesn’t, then just use RegCure it usually works just as good — you can find a free link to it on the reference site above. If your uninstaller software does have a registry cleaner built into it – be sure to use it !

Have you have ever thought about having more than a Facebook on line presence but were just not sure how to set up a website of your own cheaply?  If so then you are in luck…  Check into the new Web Site Creator software program which is free when you register your own unique domain name with Rockbridge Hosting!  You can find step by step instructions there, and a demo on how to do both.  Stop by and find out just how easy it is !!

Seatbelts are required..!

Everyone wants their pc or laptop to run blindingly fast! Just like this gal on the left. Speed is good! It seems like we can’t get enough of it. Computer and memory chip manufacturers as well as software developers spend millions in R&D every day pushing the technology limits on computer hardware, software and network speed limitations.  We all want more of it… we can’t get enough of it!

Yet ironically its the end user who is the largest contributor in reducing the speed of their PCs and laptops almost immediately after they purchase it. How? By not being aware of, or ignoring the simple fact, that like everything else in this universe, if you don’t maintain your PC like your own personal health, or a beautiful lawn or garden, it will tend toward chaos. Its just a law of nature it seems.  Computer service people know this fact very well.  The informed technicians know that there are routine maintenance tasks that need to be performed on a computer that if not done regularly, will slow down its performance over time and usage. Many people ignore this. Result? Several months later you are wondering why the speed of your PC has slowed.

There are thousands of different software programs available on the market that attempt to organize, package and address many of the fundamental pc health and maintenance issues in an effort to maximize pc speed. We have taken to time to list some of the very best.

Here are the top 5 software utilities for maximizing the speed of any computer on the market today:

• PC Health Advisor
• Speedy PC + Speedy PC Pro
• PC Speed Maximizer
• Spyware Doctor 2011
• TidyUp for Mac Users ( We did not forget our Apple fans! )

Often there are also speed issues that can be resolved just by using a good simple registry cleaner like RegCure or CCleaner.  You can read all about these top Registry Cleaners in the following Registry Cleaner Review

We will expand on these products in the next few articles…  Just be aware you can’t go wrong with any of them but some do a better job in certain areas than others.  Compare their features.

If you would like to get the most out of your iPod / iPad and  iPhone we hope you fine the information and links below useful…

iPod / iPad and iPhone Accessory Software Review

If you are having problems with iTunes software, syncing or uploading an downloading file you might also want to check the information at HowToUninstalliTunes.Com for a solution.

Media Widget

Transfer Your Music Seamlessly
MediaWidget is an easy to use iPhone & iPod transfer utility designed to help you get your iPod contents off of any iPhone & iPod and back into iTunes, or from your iTunes onto your iPod. This software is the quickest and easiest way to transfer all of your music, videos, photos, podcasts, and more from your iPod to your PC! I Now it also includes iPad support !

MediaWidget is an easy to use iPod utility designed to help you get more out of your iPod. Recover lost or missing music, backup and restore all of your iPod content, play music on your PC directly from your iPod, and that’s not all.

More Information / Developer’s Homepage

Stellar Phoenix iPod Data Recovery

This software recovers damaged or deleted data from your corrupted or crashed iPod.

Key Features:

• Recovers music files, video files, pod casts, audio books, graphic files and documents.
• Quick recovery of deleted files – in perfect condition.
• Restores the playlist in the same order as before recovery.
• Compatible with all generations of iPod classic, iPod Mini, iPod Shuffle, iPod Nano and iPod Touch.
• Universal Binary Application

Read the rest of this entry »

WordPress Release 3.3 Now Available

The WordPress software consortium has just released their new version 3.3 system upgrade. If you are a client of Rockbridge Designs, or if you have a website running WordPress as your Content Management System, you may have already seen the notice of a new release at the top of your dashboard area. WordPress 3.3 has a number of new features that is sure to improve your life, and web publishing experience. Okay, maybe just the last one

What’s New in Version 3.3 ?

Easier Uploading

File Type Detection

Version 3.3 has streamlined things! Instead of needing to click on a specific upload icon based on your file type, now there’s just one. Once your file is uploaded, the appropriate fields will be displayed for entering information based on the file type.

Drag-and-Drop Media Uploader

Adding photos or other files to posts and pages just got easier. Drag files from your desktop and drop them into the uploader. Add one file at a time, or many at once.

Read the rest of this entry »

Fix The Windows Registry In 3 Steps:

Method:  Manual  |  Monetary Cost:  None  |  Skill Level: Experienced

2. Backup your registry

READ MORE… MANUAL INSTRUCTIONS BY WINDOWS OPERATING SYSTEM

	How To Fix 0XE8000022 Error Message

Problem: 0XE8000022 (Error Message) Possible Causes: When windows gives you an 0XE8000022 error message it means: that there is a 94% chance that your windows registry is damaged. Recommended Solution: (1) Download and install a quality  Registry Scan Tool. (2) Click the “Scan Your Registry” Button. and wait for the scan to finish. (3) Click the “Repair” button to fix the errors. Tip: After fixing all errors  you have found – you need to restart your computer for this registry changes to take effect.

Read the rest of this entry »

Have you ever lost or accidentally deleted your photo, video or audio files?

Even if this hasn’t yet happened to you the chances are that it will at some point. Disk Doctors Photo Recovery is the perfect solution for a quick and hassle free recovery of lost data.

A special offer from RegNow and Disk Doctor Labs, Inc. Windows Specifications Price: $49.00 Platform: · XP, Server 2003, Vista, Server 2008, 7 Mac Specifications Price: Platform: · OS X 10.4.11 and above Other Specifications Processor: · Intel or AMD class processor (1.2 GHz or higher) RAM: · Min. 1 GB (2 GB recommended) Drive: · Min. of 60 MB Other: · Minimum of 1024 x 786 screen resolution · A graphics adapter card with at least 64 MB of memory click to view larger image click to view larger image Disk Doctors Photo Recovery Recover lost or deleted photo, video and audio files! Recover your lost photos and your music and videos too! With an intuitive interface and powerful features, it’s a comprehensive software solution to recover all of your digital media quickly and easily. Just what can Photo Recovery do? Photo Recovery can recover data from all memory/flash cards, removable storage devices and even formatted drives. It’s easy-to-use and quickly locates and restores deleted or lost photos, music and video files. Supported formats: Photo — BMP, PNG, TIF, TIFF, JPEG, JPG, GIF, PSD RAW Photo — CR2, CRW, NEF, ARW, SR2, ORF, MRW, 3FR, X3F, PEF, DNG, RAF, RAW, KDC, K25, DCR Video — AVI, MP4, MOV, MPEG, MPG, M4V, 3G2, 3GP, RM Music — MP3, MP4, WAV, MIDI, M4B, M4A, AIFF, AIF, AIFC, RA, AMR Features: Securely recover photo, audio and video files Recover deleted/lost/missing photos, videos and audio files Recover photos from formatted drives with file names Support for all popular media file types Support for all popular professional DSLR generated raw photo file types Efficient and fast recovery of files Preview files before recovery And more! Feel secure in knowing that if your media is lost or accidentally deleted you’ll be able to recover it quickly and easily. Purchase Disk Doctors Photo Recovery for Windows now only $49.00 “Yes I did it! My cr2 files are recovered. Thanks a lot for your support. I received excellent service.” - Frede IMPORTANT: this offer is only valid for a limited period of time!



Looking For a Perfect Software Uninstaller Utility ?

Removing problem software applications from your PC can be a very frustrating experience. We have found several websites however which are dedicated to assisting users on how to best uninstall software that cannot be easily uninstalled by using a combination of free and premium software uninstaller utilities.

Here are three of these sites that you might want to check out if you are having trouble with software; especially if you can’t uninstall Adobe Reader, McAfee, AOL Toolbar, AVG Anti-Virus, Norton 2006/2007, Avast, AVG, ESET NOD32, Internet Explorer 8, McAfee, Microsoft Office, Nero 7, Sims 3, Norton Security and many others.

The more complex software becomes, the more difficult it seems to become to remove it without going completely nuts in the process. These websites can help keep you from spending hours of research on Google trying to find out why you can’t remove an application from your ADD / REMOVE area of your Control Panel simply to reinstall or repair it. Perfect Uninstaller and Revo Uninstaller are two of the most popular utilities used in this process and all three of these websites assist users in removing problematic software.

The sites focus on PCs running Windows software not MAC or Apple. We will be looking for other sites that can assist our readers with Apple computers in the future:

• Revo Uninstaller – Our favorite. They have a free version and a “Pro” version
• Perfect Uninstaller – Popular software removal utility right behind Revo in our opinion
• How To Uninstall iTunes – Website that contains step by step instruction on how to remove itunes

These specialty sites all recommend various uninstaller software programs or eGuides downloads to assist you — they all have some Free Demo or Trial Version of the best software that will work well for both simple and complex removals. As an example, one site focuses on uninstalling iTunes which can be very problematic to uninstall properly.

You can also find a number of other great software tools, uninstallers and removal utilities over at Rockbridge Downloads in their Freeware and other sections. You can find out more about the software features mentioned here on their website as well.

Uninstall My Software – Has a growing number of how to articles to remove problem software