PowerDesk 6 standard is also available direct from V-Com
http://www.v-com.com/product/PowerDesk_Free_Trial.html

Well a free, unlimited trial with some Pro upgrade nagging

Bubby, I fear the "voice of experience" message in your cogent post will be lost on many who read what you just wrote. The vast majority of computer users are totally clueless when it comes to choosing and using this sort of software. They fail to do due diligence. (by that I mean read the serious and reliable chatter on sites dedicated to fixing computer problems and rating software) Instead, they flock to sites that make brash (and unsubstantiated) claims of quick and easy fixes the same way people who should know better flock to magic weight loss drug and quack exercise equipment infomercials. Before anyone dowloads anything that promises to block or remove viruses, speed up computers, clean or repair Registries, etc., they should stop, take a breath and count to 10, then do some very serious Googling research using search terms that include: "complaint" OR "crash" OR "problem" OR "review" plus the software name. They should learn the difference between self-promotional backpatting advertisements, a paid review, compensated blog review or mirror ad/review excerpt by an affiliate reseller, and reliable, uncompensated/unbiased benchmark testing by a qualified/respected org. Just a fer instance -
http://www.spywaredata.com/spyware/malware/rchelper.exe.php
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm (unrelated to K8's link, but a very helpful site - scroll down to smartpctools and the footnote)
http://forums.techguy.org/reviews/577385-data-recovery-perspectives-popular-commercial.html

Sadly, most learn the hard way, and that is why tech help sites are springing up faster than hammertoes at a buy a pair get a pair free high heel sandals sale.

It doesn't interest me. So many of those programs - sounds a bit like... "Smart PC for users who aren't".

Honestly they all do the same thing (in theory) - some do it really really badly and instead of a "Smart PC" you get "Brain Dead PC". I'm not saying this is one of them - but if reasonable well travelled (software-wise) people like me - raise their eyebrows with a puzzled/questioning look on their face - after reading the description can say "oh yes.. it's just another program like XYZ" then it is probably a not program your life will be blessed if you download and install it.

However - Alarm bells start to ring when I read features like:

Detect and repair all PC problems - All problems? Don't be ridiculous (Can't give examples so we fix "everything").

removing old and no-longer used files - It helps you delete files.

drastically reduce start-up times - It takes programs out of the startup groups

Protects against Identity Theft - It comes with fake glasses, nose & mustache.

Yes, I googled it and got <a href="http://www.smartpctools.com/smartpc/index1.html" which points to the fact that the latest version is 4.3 and the one BlueSquad is offering seems to be version 3.0. There is also a SmartPC professional which is now in version 5.3.
Its going to take some work to find reviews for it.

Still I am sure that it is a very useful tool. SmartPC Solutions has a good reputation.

any ideas about the smart pc program. Never heard of it. Anybody know?

Thanks k8UndeadFox! I am downloading them right now.

I did notice that the file size for Power Desk Standard posted in the page (32 Megs) is different than the size of the downloaded file (15 Megs).

-Mario

Great find, and thank you very much, once again!! :-)

The BlueSquad Software Seekers are giving away 3 pieces of software worth a total value of £40!

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PowerDesk 6 Standard

Speed up your file management tasks

* Easily drag and drop files with the dual file pane.
* Use filters to pick out the files you need.
* Manage your files more efficiently: destroy, modify, and add extra information.
* Zip your files in one click.

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Holiday & Events Designer - Create greeting cards in minutes

All you need to create home-made greeting cards, gift tags and invitations:

* Perfect for events all year round
* Contains 1000s of images and clip art
* 100s of templates

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Smart PC - Make your PC faster, error-free and more efficient!

Smart PC is a comprehensive software package that will provide all the tools you need to fix, clean and optimize your PC's performance.

* Fix your PC - Detect and repair all PC problems
* Clean your PC by removing old and no-longer used files
* Optimize your PC and drastically reduce start-up times
* Protects against Identity Theft

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http://register.bluesquad.com/mailings/2005/Launch0805UK/affiliation/bsq_launch.asp

*Warning* They are asking to collect your email address as they would like to send you email updates on product, promotions and services offered by Avanquest. My advice is to use a disposable email address incase you start getting spam.

K8