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Browser Sentinel
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Intuitive Interface
Despite the address to advanced diagnostics, the interface is intuitive and easy to use - you can click the help button for each category to go to an online help section that should resolve most questions and generally proves enlightening. You can also right click any item and copy to clipboard or search immediately on the web (Google Search, make sure IE is set as default browser) - handy as a quick means of researching advanced items.
Remove Malware
Advanced diagnostics for BHO's, Toolbars, Explorer Bars, Buttons, Context Menu Items, Tools Menu Items, ActiveX, Pages, Startup Programs, Running Programs, Services, Drivers, Loaded Modules, Startup Modules, Shell Extensions, Hosts File, LSP's, Protocols. Malware may reside in these areas, the big advantage in Browser Sentinel is you can look and see for yourself what's there and then make an informed decision to remove unnecessary items. The software itself details common Misconfigurations and broken LSP's, these are fixed with a couple of clicks.
Unobtrusive Intrusion Protection
This is a product that when I first looked at it, I had no intention of buying any additional security software, but was so impressed with it....and felt for the first time that I had a complete handle on key security areas on my PC, and all in one spot....well, I had to have it. Also provides unobtrusive Intrusion Protection (IPS) - warns with clear and full detail to aid informed decision.....goes hand in hand with your firewall and Anti-virus, and as I noted it's unobtrusive...meaning it doesn't hammer you with superfluous warnings. See the Users Guide for lots of helpful info.
Clean Toolbar Removals
I find more ways all the time that this program comes in handy. Let's say you install an application and you want to try out the toolbar that comes with it and you allow the toolbar to be installed. You try it and don't like it. Open Browser Sentinel, go to the Toolbars section, choose the toolbar to remove. Browser Sentinel will allow you to delete the Registry entry, delete the file, and unregister the DLL Module.....a nice clean toolbar removal.
You can sort out unnecessary context menu items, or your Hosts file ( a common reason that some websites suddenly won't display), broken LSP's (also called Winsock errors and a common reason one can't access the Internet), remove ActiveX and BHO's (often a system will have a ton of ActiveX and BHO's long forgotten by the user).
Broken LSP Repair
Several times I've uninstalled an anti-virus program and been left with broken LSP's, Browser Sentinel immediately provides an alert and fixes with a couple of clicks....
Ever have a process that hangs up and won't shut down from the Task Manager? You can almost always shut it down from Browser Sentinel - basically Browser Sentinel provides a central location form which you can conveniently control running processes, startup processes, as well as more advanced items.
About:blank
Handy to reset default pages, search strings and prefixes - items such as about:blank. Select 'Pages' from the left-hand menu, select an item to reset and click the reset button; this will return that item to the Windows default.
Monitor Changes
Once you become familiar with the items listed in each section for you're computer, you'll quickly notice when a new item shows up.....this can be some form of malware, a left over item from an uninstall, a toolbar or BHO item etc. installed but forgotten. In any event you can use Browser Sentinel to disable or delete as appropriate.
Context Menu Item removal
Ever right click on a file and see that little menu that pops up? That's called a Context Menu.....it can happen that after you uninstall some software, a context menu item from that software remains in the Context Menu...no longer functioning but just sitting there.....you can use Browser Sentinel to delete these. Go to 'Context Menu Items, select the item you want to remove, and click on delete. You can also temporarily disable (and later enable) a Context Menu Item using this same module.
Trial download is full-featured
The free trial download, by the way, is full-featured so you can give it a whirl and see what kind of shape your system is in, and make lots of improvements too. Really a great piece of software.
Browser Sentinel - download to Try or Buy