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Dear Digital Dave,

You have probably seen this one before. I have an SD card from a digital video recorder that is corrupt. I can find millions of recovery tools, but which ones are safe (legitimate tools vs. Trojans, viruses)? Of course I need it ASAP.

Marcus
Alabama

Dear Marcus,

The best way to avoid unsafe software is to get it from a reputable place. Do not merely search the Web, because the scams have a way of getting at the top of the list, making it very difficult to distinguish the good from the bad. When I'm looking for software—especially free software—I go to Download.com, which is part of the CNET Web site.

As much as possible, CNET tests the software to make sure it is clean. They also do editor reviews for some of the programs, plus there are reader reviews for virtually everything on the site. The number of downloads will tell you how much a program is used—the more, the better. If you see good reviews and a high number of downloads, then the software is most likely safe.

It's relatively easy to find the type of software you want. In your case you may search for data recovery software and select the free filter.

A few that may do the job for you are Recuva 1.32.444, TestDisk & PhotoRec 6.10, and Undelete Plus 2.98. I read reviews that have recommended them.

Digital Dave

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Dear Digital Dave,

I'd like to get a laptop to travel with, but I hate the touchpad they all come with. It doesn't feel natural to me (I prefer a trackball), and having to reach past it to the keyboard is a strain. Earlier laptops of mine, before about 2002, didn't have a touchpad, and the keyboard was more comfortable, too. Is anyone still manufacturing laptops without touchpads?

Kim
San Diego

Dear Kim,

I agree with many of your sentiments. It is difficult to find a laptop without a touchpad. I did locate the Fujitsu LifeBook U820 Mini-Notebook, which has a touchscreen rather than a touchpad, but it only has a 5.6-inch screen—no room for a touchpad. Other readers may be able to recommend additional touchpad-less laptop computers.

The problem is that an all-in-one package such as a laptop needs to be optimized for the general market. It seems that most people expect a touchpad to be included. Plus, there is so much extra space on the keyboard area that the manufacturers feel they should put something there—maybe it should be a cup holder.

When I look at laptops, I note whether the computer has a hardware switch (on/off) for the touchpad. I keep the pad disabled most of the time and use an external mouse. This prevents the accidents that can occur when my thumb inadvertently hits the pad when it's turned on. If I need to use the pad (sitting in an airport), I can quickly activate it. You can turn off the pad with software settings, but that's more of a hassle. I've seen that most HP laptops have a touchpad switch.

You may need to get an external trackball that's small enough to carry with you. There are a number of them available—some that you hold in your hand. They are not very expensive.

Digital Dave

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Dear Digital Dave,

I am an IT person for a company in Michigan. I have been doing this type of work for some time now; however, when my boss recently asked me, "Is there a virus, spyware, Trojan, malware removal tool for professionals?" I did not know.

I use free stuff, such as Disk Warrior for Macs, but as for PC software, I don't know. Is there a company that makes that type of tool for us geeks?

Bob McPherson
Howell, MI

Dear Bob,

Virtually all of the companies that produce free antivirus software also produce software for professionals and companies. This is how they make money. The free version, while being suitable for most individuals, is an introduction to the company and its products. Without the higher-end market for the antivirus software companies, there would be little free software.

There are three free antivirus programs that have received excellent reviews. They are Avast! Home Edition, AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition, and Avira AntiVir Personal Edition. I would think that the professional versions of any of these would do the job for you.

Microsoft has just released Microsoft Security Essentials. This is a free antivirus/adware/malware tool for which I have seen nothing but praise. I installed it and it has a small footprint; does fast, accurate and unobtrusive scans; and doesn't try to upsell you on anything. So far, and based on other recommendations, I think it's probably the current best choice. It's not bundled with Windows (probably for anti-competition reasons), but it's easy to find (click the link above).

Digital Dave
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Comments and Letters about Digital Dave
“Digital Dave answers your tech questions.”
by Digital Dave

Microsoft Security Essentials

Your recent recommendation of Microsoft Security Essentials was to comment on its rave reviews. You might want to read the PC mag review of the product, they had serious reservations about it's effectiveness.

—Ed, Modesto CA

I run SuperAntispyware, Avast!, and MalwareBytes

Checking out the link provided by Ed in Modesto about Microsoft Security Essentials, that article suggests the program is relatively weak and needs to be run in addition to at least one other anti-virus program. However, after downloading MSE and starting to install it, that program very strongly suggests uninstalling all other anti-malware programs first to avoid instability and other substantial problems. At this point, I run SuperAntispyware, Avast!, and MalwareBytes and it seems most unwise to substitute MSE for all of them.

Great articles most of the time, DD.

—Steve Johnson, Camp Verde, AZ

More on Microsoft Security Essentials

Most of the feedback I have on Microsoft Security Essentials was word of mouth via individuals in e-mails or on message boards. I just did a quick search for other reviews and found numerous complimentary, if not glowing, reviews such as Ars Technica, Bright Hub and PC Advisor. These are just a few examples—there were many more. While I don't dispute the cited review, I think it's necessary to get opinions from multiple sources. Most people are applauding the performance and unobtrusiveness of MSE. Detection rates seem fine to me. Nothing catches everything. I guess "rave reviews" might be overstating it, but the people I talked to were excited.

MSE is for people who want to keep their anti-virus solution simple and free. These days, it seems like you usually have to do something to get infected. People either install something they shouldn't or they go to the wrong Web site. If you install pretty much any AV program and engage in safe computing practices, you'll be okay. MSE has a small system footprint, a good false positive record, and it doesn't try to sell you anything. If I'm choosing just one AV program, right now this is the one I choose.

You can obviously run multiple overlapping programs and get better results. I don't think this is saying much and I don't think this is a good solution for the average computer user. Most AV programs recommend turning off all other AV programs. There are many applications that recommend turning off AV. This is because, by design, AV software sticks its nose into what other programs are doing which can cause instability. That's all the warning means.

I sure don't want to be telling people to use three different programs and then expect them to keep them updated and running properly. The average user isn't paranoid enough to go to the trouble. There is still a huge number of users that have no anti-virus software installed at all. Plus, people continue giving out their passwords and credit card numbers everywhere, while installing everything any Web site asks them to. Most of the computer virus problem is user error.

Finally there is now an easy answer when a non-computer savvy person with Windows asks what to do about AV. Even AVG was getting annoying because of its paid version. Invariably, people would find only the paid version and come back to me saying "Hey, I thought this was supposed to be free!" MSE has a lot of promise as an easy answer.

—Digital Dave

MSE & AVG

I'm presently using AVG free, and you can tell those people that it can be always free. Their upgrade ads do make it sound like you have to upgrade, but there is still a line somewhere on the last page where you can update your free version. Read all the print.

Thanks for your info on the MS app. I'll try it to avoid the minor nuisances of AVG.

—Bob Di Giorgio, San Diego