Utility Software Legitimacy

Covers: Anti-Virus, Malware Removal, Disk Scan, Registry Fix, and related utilities offered by 3rd parties for the Microsoft Windows family of operating systems. Also covers some notorious browser toolbars that install as windows software.

Purpose: Some of the utilities are legitimate and useful, some are of little use if not completely useless, some actually do harm, some create false problems and claim to repair, and some are outright malware that will harm or hijack your PC. Known utilities are listed here with a brief rating.

These are not online services like those discussed in Online Security, AntiVirus, and System Performance Boost Scams. Listed below is software that installs to the PC.

A-Fast

• A-Fast (China)

Ransomware that claims to be antivirus software. It infests your system and then you have to pay a fee to have the virus removed. Do not be a victim of the A-Fast Antivirus Scam. See also Internet Security 2012 Virus.

Rating: Extremely Harmful. Rogue Antivirus.

CCleaner

• ccleaner by piriform

As of (CCleaner v4.13) which is a utility for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 and 8.1 32 and 64bit. CCleaner is a registry "cleaning" tool. CCleaner will remove registry keys and registry values that point to programs and files that no longer exist in Windows.

Rating: Legitimate and relatively harmless. It is recommended you make a full backup of the Windows registry prior to using.

Tricky licensing. CCleaner is free, however, the developer web site uses a system which can give the perception they need to pay.

Final Media Player

• Bitberry Software Final Media Player

3rd party video player that plays mkv and other video file types. This is considered PUP grayware. PUP (potentially unwanted program) software and toolbars are installed along with Final Media Player

Rating: Potentially Harmful containing PUP software.

Inbox Toolbar

• Xacti Inbox Toolbar

Malware detected in the program, Automatically starts with Windows, Integrates into the web browser. Inbox Toolbar has been found to be bundled with 3rd party software.

Rating: Harmful malware. Does not uninstall correctly.

Weatherbug

• Earth Networks

TSR software that provides live weather data. Formerly AWS Convergence Technologies or Automated Weather Source Weatherbug. Weatherbug is definitely Adware. In 2005 Windows Defender flagged the application as a low-risk threat.

Rating: Relatively Harmless, however, contains elements of Spyware.