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Q: No problems as of right now. My question is about software. In the past, I have been using Ascentive software: 1. Active Speed (not optimized), 2. PC Scan & Sweep (13521 junk files detected), 3. PC Scan Pro (318 errors detected), 4. Spyware Striker Pro (not scanned). My Question is multifold: with the cost of each of these ($29.00 a year). It has become too expensive for our budget. Am I wasting money on any or all of these, is there anything downloadable at no cost that would do the same job? I do have Kaspersky Pure 3.0 installed also, but the removal the errors and junk files concern me. I save all important files externally.

– Ted C.
Crestview, Florida

A: I have said on many occasions during the years in which this column has published that I do not do unpaid product endorsements. What that means to me is that if someone wants me to represent their product, they are going to (at a minimum) provide me a product sample so I can determine whether it is worthwhile, and then provide remuneration of some sort for my endorsement, for putting my good name on the line, as it were. The opposite is also true, but to a lesser extent. In the interest of not taking sides, I usually shy away from labeling anyone’s products as bad, or a rip-off, and because of that stance, I often reject questions like this one, which ask for an opinion on a very specific product. I’ve made an exception in this case because it is my opinion that yes, Ted, you are indeed wasting money on Ascentive’s products.

A simple Google search on Ascentive Software reveals within the first few results the rocky history of this company. There are links to Ripoff Report, which, at this writing, had 86 reports on Ascentive. Then there is the article at MediaPost documenting Ascentive’s $9.6M settlement of a class-action false advertising lawsuit in U.S. District Court. You get the idea.

Kaspersky Labs, on the other hand, is a well-respected company, whose products consistently appear among the “Best Of” lists when people pit anti-malware software packages against one another. They have good online support, and since you already own it, that makes it perfect for you. I understand your concern over the removal errors and whatnot. Saving your important files is a great idea. Also make sure you create a restore point before you proceed with any fixes.

Q: Thanks for your articles, I try not miss any and often save them in a notebook for future reference. Question: I read that WIN 8.1 comes in both 32-bit and 64-bit varieties. What is the advantage or dis-advantage of 64-bit OS over 32-bit? Will 64-bit run 32-bit programs?

– Glenn H.
Shalimar, Florida

A: Thanks for being a loyal reader, Glenn. I’m flattered that you save my articles, but putting them in a notebook is most decidedly NON-Geeky. What’s super-Geeky is accessing the permanent, searchable column archive at ItsGeekToMe.co (not .com). That’s what it’s there for! You can also write your next question to me using the online form there, rather than by direct e-mail.

The one and only difference between the two versions of Windows that you mentioned is that one is optimized for use on 32-bit processors, and the other is optimized for use on 64-bit processors. Therefore, it is the processor in your PC that determines which version you use.

The advantage of 64-bit has to do with the way your computer handles information. 64-bits refers to the width of the data word your processor can handle. As you probably guessed, a 64-bit data word is twice as wide as a 32-bit word. That means the operating system is able to more efficiently handle much larger values, which, at the system level, means it can address larger quantities of RAM. You’ll typically see 32-bit machines top-out at 4 gigabytes of RAM, where 64-bit machines go much higher.

Most (not all) programs that were written for 32-bit platforms will run just fine on 64-bit platforms. However, they don’t run as efficiently as their 64-bit counterparts, because they’re not optimized to take advantage of the upgraded processor architecture. The types of software that generally don’t run on 64-bit machines are device drivers, which are platform-specific, since their very nature is to bridge the gap between the PC and a peripheral device; and notoriously, many anti-virus programs. Going the other way, programs that are designed for a 64-bit machine that will not work on a 32-bit machine. Since they are designed for the enhanced architecture, they require it in order to function.

Final Word: Everyone please wish a very Happy Birthday to Spouse Peripheral! She’s having one of those “Big Zero” birthdays this week, but I wouldn’t dare mention which one. I’ll make sure she receives any well-wishes you care to send along.