Using your computer often means venturing online to find various programs and support. Gone are the days of loading software to your computer using a disc. Today computing is highly connected through web-based programs. In fact, when you buy a new computer today there are very few programs installed on the machine for you. You’ll find almost no discs in the box with the new machine – everything you need is located online.

Cloud computing, or storing files and programs out in cyberspace instead of your hard drive, and online resources have changed the way we think about programs and using a computer. If you need a new program or one program isn’t working right and you need to fix it, you’re not heading to the store for a new box of software. Instead you’re downloading the program from the company’s website. Of course to make your computer work well, you absolutely must have any number of critical programs that websites and other programs depend on.

Software

Picking the right software for your computer is often a game of catch-up. You only find out that you’re missing critical software after you try to visit a website that is no longer working or you find yourself facing errors and problems. Other times you realize that you need a particular sort of software to continue with a work situation or simply to enjoy the games and videos you watch online on a daily basis.

Software Types and Updates: The Rundown

The fact of the matter is software is computing. Word Processing, SpreadSheets, Gaming Platforms, PDF Readers, Music and Video Players: they’re all programs that can come from different sources, and they all can become outdated. The rundown for what types of programs you use can be characterized this way:

Licensed Apps – things you buy once, (download), and install. These have license keys and include major work programs like Microsoft Word or large video games. Most licensed apps can be updated: this is the process where the version you have can get new features and bug-fixes from the Internet. The only time when you have to pay for it again is when you get a new version (a process called an upgrade), not an update. Updates are free. A good example of buying a new version is paying for MS Office 2007 to replace MS Office 2003.

Subscription Apps – things you buy for a certain length of time. These have license keys that enable you to use a product for an interval of time, usually ranging from six months to several years. The licenses entitles you to all feature upgrades (of that version) in the time-frame. A good example of this is anti-virus software that you can activate on a yearly basis.

Shareware – it’s an older term, but it’s still used, often in reference to so-called “limited-feature” software. These are licensed apps for which you can trial for free. The free version may have all the features as the paid one, but deactivate after a certain time limit. Or the free version could have no time-limit, but only include some of the features of the paid one.

Freeware – just free software. This term freeware used to be associated with lower-quality programs, but not anymore. Now, many of the tools you use everyday can be found with a free version out there. Big names have even established reputations for providing free products; these include Google (Docs, Chrome, Blogger), Adobe (Reader), and Apple (Itunes). What’s more, the open-source movement has supplied the web with hundreds of programs that are by principal not only free, but open to user modifications. These include the popular web browser Firefox and the VLC media player.

Every type of software listed above can have an integral role in the way your computer behaves, including the amount of memory it takes up and the amount of resources it takes to run. That’s why, when it comes to software, you have to do two things:

1. Decide if you want it (If you don’t, why keep it? It just takes up space and resources.)

2. Keep it updated (If you don’t bugs and outdated functions can eat up resources.)

UPDATING SOFTWARE

First thing's first. Is it updated? Lots of applications have automatic updaters, programs that pop up to remind you when you need to update something. Famously (annoying) updaters are the iTunes updater and Java updater. If you’ve turned these automatic updates off, good for you! But don’t forget to voluntarily get updates every now and then, just to make sure the programs run efficiently.

How do you do this? Different programs have different menu items that let you “Check for Updates” so you may have to search. Nine times out of then though, the option is in the HELP menu.

And remember, the biggest program on your computer is the one that runs all the others, the operating system. If you’ve turned off Windows Update, or you think you may need to check, it’s a good idea to do it. Bug fixes in Windows are always to your benefit.

UNINSTALLING | REINSTALLING

So maybe it’s time to just clean house and get rid of some things. Sounds great. Or maybe an update has gone wrong, giving you an update error or a program crash. Those are frustrating and usually caused by a failure of the program to get a resource it needs (see the previous article in this series.) Often the easiest way to get around these problems is to just uninstall the old and reinstall the new.

By the way, yeah, it is important to uninstall an app before just downloading and installing the new version. Conflicts between old and new versions can sabotage many update processes.

REMOVING OLD PROGRAMS

If you have a licensed application on disk, go ahead and insert the disk and bring up the setup program. Often it will have a “Repair” feature that will automatically uinstall/reinstall an application for you. If it doesn’t then you’ll want to go ahead and uninstall the old manually.

To remove a program from your computer, click on Start and then Control Panel.

In Control Panel, click on Programs and Features or simply Uninstall a Program. In Windows XP, the control panel link is called the Add/Remove Programs dialog. In Windows Vista and 7, you can also simply type “Uninstall” in the Windows search bar and choose “Uninstall a Program.”

However you get there, the uninstall dialog contains a list of installed software. To remove a particular program so that you can install it again for a fresh start - or to simply remove a program that seems to be interfering with the performance of your machine - click on the name of the program and then click on Uninstall. It’s that easy.

You’ll be asked for confirmation that you’re ready to uninstall the program before it is removed.

REINSTALLING PROGRAMS

If you’re re-installing something, it’s a good idea to reboot between uninstalling an old version and putting in a new one. This isn’t vital, but often a reboot will communicate a full uninstall to lower-levels of the system that may share resources with it.

To download a program again, simply return to the website where you go it the first time and repeat your download steps to install it again. If it’s on disk, run the setup as normal.

Using disks is rapidly becoming an antiquated process, and CD-ROM setups don’t always work perfectly. However, the advantages of licensed produces is that part of what you pay for is tech-support. You may be loath to call them, but in the end, if a program you paid for won’t install correctly, it’s their job to get it working.

GETTING A NEW VERSION

Whether your uninstalling, re-installing or shopping for new, it’s a good idea to know where to look. Below is a list of common software resources on the Web, including reliable download hubs that only deal in safe, verified programs that have been user-rated.

Adobe Products

Located for download on the Adobe website, products like Adobe Acrobat reader make it possible to read .pdf files online. Other Adobe products include Adobe Flash and programs like Photoshop and Dreamweaver.

Microsoft Products

While most computers have Microsoft preinstalled as the operating system, there are times when you need additional support or programs that Microsoft provides through its website. Microsoft Office includes popular word processing and spreadsheet software and other programs like Silverlight and the .NET platform necessary for some programs and game is available through Microsoft as well. Even if you don’t need any additional programs, the Microsoft website is also the best place to visit for direct Microsoft Updates to your machine.

Java Products

Necessary for games, chats and a variety of manipulative environments online, Java is a simple download with all of the necessary components included in a single installation through the Java website.

Internet Browsers

Your computer is likely preinstalled with Windows Internet Explorer, but you can enjoy an updated version of IE by checking in with the Internet Explorer download page. If you’d rather try a new browser, you can also download and install browsers like Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome.

Additional Programs

There are countless programs and games available to be downloaded to your computer to enhance your machine. It’s important, however, to download the software from a safe source. Among software website with an accredited reputation, you can find safe downloads on

· Download.com

· Softonic.com and

· Tucows.com