An Overview of Utility Software for the PC Owner

Introduction: Recommendations for the successful evaluation, purchase, and operation of utility and security software

In a perfect world, utility and security software wouldn't be necessary. Computers would run forever with no maintenance, like microwave ovens, and operating systems would be inherently secure (or better yet, malicious software and the people behind it wouldn't exist, thus creating the need for security). World peace is also an admirable concept, however unlikely it may be, and of course just because its realization may be highly improbable, it does not mean we can't continue to dream or shouldn't collectively urge each other to strive for such ideals.

So, until we can produce zero-maintenance, perfectly secure computers (or the human nature of opportunity is forever altered), we must embrace the various tools that allow us to work in as close an environment as possible to these elusive archetypes of computer utopia: utility and security software.

Of course, embracing such software arrives with its own set of challenges. These products are some of the most prolific in the industry, with thousands of brand choices and a virtual maelstrom of functional assurances, techno-buzzwords, fear-based marketing campaigns, and, even worse, an unending cavalcade of conflicting reports regarding product and/or manufacturer quality, effectiveness, and service.

Then, if you manage to wade through the available pre-purchase information and a brand or manufacturer is chosen, the final obstacle is prudent and proper use of the product itself. Metaphorically, just because you ultimately succeed in choosing the sharpest and most durable kitchen knives doesn't mean that you can't injure yourself if you don't use them correctly. No amount of warnings or cautionary statements can prevent the potential for damage stemming from misuse or unreasonable expectations, and the very reason the knives in this case are most effective is because they have the greatest potential to cut.

Despite the innate challenges related to utility and security software, the redeeming truth is this: Given a high-quality product from a reputable manufacturer, successful and effective use is merely a matter of following a relatively short list of dos and don'ts. The good thing is that this list is also relatively universal and has not changed in many years, so, contrary to most things we learn (either intentionally or tangentially) about technology that become obsolete or irrelevant shortly thereafter, these are venerable arrows of knowledge you can keep in your mental quiver for many years, applying them to numerous relevant situations as they arise.

With this in mind, the goal of the following information is to provide a basic skeleton of facts, suggestions, and constructive observations that will allow you to fruitfully benefit from products designed to enforce enduring peace within your PC, allowing us all to continue to focus on the more lofty visions of similar harmony outside of the digital realm.

Co-existence of similar utilities: Is two better than one?

No. It is almost always a very bad idea to run two or more similar utility or security software products from different manufacturers.

Two similar utilities, or two security software titles from different companies with "real-time" protection such as firewall, antivirus, anti-spyware, or anti-malware should never be installed and/or operated together with one another.

What normally happens?

Blue screen errors, data and file corruption, freezes, inaccessible systems, and worse.

Why?

The drivers and base monitoring or filtering technologies within most "always on" products operate in the same space in the operating system and its kernel architecture. That space normally only has room for one specific type of always-on filter or monitor. Adding more than one can cause the two similar mechanisms to conflict with each other, vying for breathing room and space within their surrounding architecture. Under the best conditions, this jockeying-for-position causes ongoing deadlocks that severely slow the PC's processing capacity. Under some of the worst conditions, the two foreign security mechanisms actually see each other as threats (malicious software often operates in these same spaces and exhibits similar behavior) and attempt to disinfect or exterminate one another as if they were combating a stubborn virus or spyware infection. The result is somewhat of a behind-the-scenes "battle of the titans" where each powerful security product tries to disable its competitor while at the same time repelling attempts by that competitor to disable it! This can bring a PC to its knees, causing complete system inaccessibility and requiring a total drive wipe and operating system reinstallation. The worst part is that you won't know this situation is taking place - if your PC ends up like this it is because neither of the conflicting products were able to detect and prevent the simultaneous installation (most actually will) so no relevant or informational messages will appear explaining why your PC has suddenly appeared to lose its mind, and it will be up to you to attempt to roll-back to a previous state of sanity.

Two or more system maintenance products can also conflict with each other in various ways

If maintenance or repair actions are intentionally or inadvertently scheduled to take place automatically, two programs can begin operating on the same part of your PC at the same time without "knowledge" of one another. This can cause an unending list of unpredictable problems, errors, and worse, corruption and/or loss of data.

Imagine a program busy reassembling the billions of pieces of data that make up your hard drive's contents during a defragmentation process. Now imagine another program attempting to do the same thing at the same time. Neither program has knowledge of one another and assumes they have 100% control of the "puzzle-pieces" and their rearrangement. They create a map of the hard drive in the beginning and then start moving data around. Program 1 moves File A to a more logical part of the hard drive to defragment it, and then Program 2 attempts to do the same thing to a part of the drive where File A used to be. The File A as referenced in Program 2's hard drive map is no longer in its original location, so when it moves what it thinks to be File A, it can actually move a completely different piece of data. Mix into this concept the fact that most hard drive defragmentation algorithms are very different from one another, and you have a large mess on your hands with significant potential for disaster.

Imagine similar situations for various other standard utility maintenance actions such as junk file cleanup, registry repair, etc.

Even if you think you can isolate and independently operate two similar utility programs installed simultaneously, chances are there are things taking place in the background that make this impossible. Many utility products today are highly sophisticated and perform background analysis and/or maintenance. Two programs attempting to do this at the same time is almost always a recipe for problems.

Virtually all reported problems with reputable utility or security software are the result of two or more of the same type of products installed causing interoperability issues. If neither of the products were able to catch and prevent the multiple-instances scenario from the outset, chances are there is no specific way of knowing this is happening. Things just start going wrong…

How do I know if I already have utility or security software installed?

During installation, many quality products will attempt to detect and prevent the possibility of their installation when a similar and potentially conflicting product is already in use.

Unfortunately, because of the wide variety of software available throughout the world, these detection mechanisms are not always going to catch the existence of a pre-existing incompatibility. Thus, the ultimate responsibility lies with the PC owner to know what is installed and take steps to avoid conflict when installing new software.

How do I see what's installed on my computer?

Windows XP: Start->Control Panel->Add or Remove Programs

Windows Vista: Start->Control Panel->Programs

What do I do if I already have utility or security software installed and want to replace it with a different product?

You must first completely uninstall the existing product. Normally, this is done from within the following areas in Windows:

Windows XP: Start->Control Panel->Add or Remove Programs

Windows Vista: Start->Control Panel->Programs

Don't try to combine two restarts into one

Note that if after uninstallation you are prompted to restart your PC, this must be done before the existing product is fully removed. Avoid the temptation to combine two required restarts into one by uninstalling a program, then installing another without restarting in between. This usually causes problems that nullify the time you were trying to save by skipping the first required restart.

Proper utility and security product uninstallation

With software in general, and especially utility and security products, correct product removal is of paramount importance to the ongoing stability and performance of your PC. Here are some key tips when faced with the occasional challenge of uninstallation:

Use the product's own uninstaller

This can normally be found in one of two places:

Windows XP: Start->Control Panel->Add or Remove Programs

Windows Vista: Start->Control Panel->Programs

Locate the item in the installed programs list that corresponds to the software you want to remove and execute the removal directly from within this window.

Follow the instructions carefully and ensure that you restart your computer when the removal process is complete. It is a good idea to do this even if you are not prompted. If you aren't in a position to restart the system immediately, do not wait too long to restart after an uninstallation is performed - normally there are several actions scheduled to finish the process that can only take place during a restart. If you wait too long something else on your PC may interfere with the instructions waiting to be carried out by the system to finish the uninstallation upon its next restart. What happens then? Sudden, mysterious, and extremely difficult to diagnose errors and other problems.

At all costs, avoid removing utility and security software manually

The days when deleting a product's corresponding folder (or files inside) within the Program Files directory was a viable alternative to proper uninstallation are long gone. With today's software, you are very likely to cause more harm than good by engaging in this folly. To put it bluntly, an attempted manual removal can leave orphaned references to drivers, services, and other software components. These erroneous references can lead to blue screens, system freezes, file and data loss, and even total inaccessibility.

If the product's built-in uninstaller cannot be found or fails in some way, seek help directly from the manufacturer. Check the company's technical support FAQs and/or knowledgebase for answers first, as many times this will avoid a time-consuming research process initiated by direct contact with a technician that is charged with diagnosing uninstallation issue.

Finally, do not assume a product is totally removed until its own uninstaller has successfully completed. If even partial remnants of a previously installed utility or security product are left on your PC, it could spell disaster (see "Co-existence of similar utilities: Is two better than one?").

Comparing analysis/action results between two or more similar utilities

It might sound fun to attempt to compare the analyses and results of similar utilities to one another by installing them together and operating them on the same operating system. Is one program missing things that the other detects? Is one program apparently better at certain things than another based on what I see in their respective analysis results? Attempting to answer these questions by coexistent comparison can be tempting, but in reality is many times irrelevant and meaningless (not to mention quite dangerous - see "Co-existence of similar utilities: Is two better than one?"). Here's why:

There is no standard reporting schema between software manufacturers. Various programs will take vastly different approaches to their reporting duties.

Collective problem descriptions vs. itemized problem lists

· Some programs may treat a collective or related set of items as one single entity (for example, "Your hard drive is 14% fragmented")

· Others may break a collective or related set of items into a single and separate ultra-granular report (for example, "The following 14,295 files on your hard drive are 1% fragmented or more: (1) File1.ext, (2) File2.ext, (3) File3.ext, etc…)

Collective problem solutions vs. itemized solution lists

· Some programs may be designed to treat the solution to a detected problem as a whole (for example, "Your registry has problems and requires repair"). This, for example, is shown as one problem with one solution.

· Others may separate the actions into several layers of advised action (for example, "Your registry has 25 problems and requires the following repairs: (1) Store undo information, remove problem 1, update logs, (2) Store undo information, remove problem 2, update logs, (3) Store undo information, remove problem 3, update logs, etc…). This, by contrast, is shown as 25 problems with a solution comprised of 75 different actions.

Additionally, many high-quality utilities are wise enough to suppress a suggested action because they know that carrying it out would be risky or cause problems, whereas other utilities from less experienced vendors may effectively "throw caution to the wind" and take an ultra-verbose approach in an attempt to appear more technologically thorough. This is where the tried and tested adage about getting what you pay for comes into play: Generally, utilities that have been around longer and have larger customer bases are maintained by companies who have learned the hard way (i.e. trial-and-error) how to determine the relative safety of the various actions they may suggest or carry out. Newer, "freeware", or otherwise lesser known programs aren't necessarily inherently more dangerous, yet as a common rule they simply haven't been through the trial-by-fire that their older and more prominent peers have. Under most circumstances, utility software companies producing products with larger customer bases - thus "more to lose" if they make a mistake - are more likely to put the required time and energy into overall quality, safety, and stability. Non-experts should stick to products from reputable companies and impart a greater level of trust in their suggested actions due to the manufacturers' opportunity to have assimilated more technical "do vs. don't" wisdom over time. Highly technical experts or those willing to be potential guinea pigs can play at-will with newer and less polished products in an attempt to possibly discover something better or more effective about them. Just don't install them at the same time (this rule applies to any level of experience)!

The conclusion is that while it may seem appropriate to perform side-by-side comparisons between related utility products, unless you have a very detailed and collectively standardized set of analysis, reporting, and action matrices that apply multilaterally to the products being compared (hint: this doesn't exist), it is safe to say that you simply don't have the tools required to generate results accurate enough to be meaningful.

So, what's the best way to compare utility or security products?

Look for trusted media reviews from sources known to be objective. How do you know a source is objective? One relatively easy acid test is to ensure that there is no affiliation or ownership by or of a party who also has potential interest in the success or failure of the product being reviewed. For example, if a company who owned the newspaper where a review of a new Ford automobile took place also owned stock in General Motors, the newspaper simply isn't in a position to be objective when reviewing Fords, due to their interest in the success of the competition. Scenarios like this may seem far-fetched, however as company mergers and acquisitions (both silent and public) occur, the technology industry has become littered with them.

Look for product history. Has the product been in wide distribution (i.e. beyond just "download only") for at least a few years? Does the manufacturer have readily available contact or support information and a reputation for creating quality products? If the answer to any of these questions is no, the risk of sub-par product quality becomes increasingly significant.

Most importantly, do you know anyone using the product who is happy with it? There's nothing better than a personal reference when you are trying to judge and compare quality.

With the advent of the internet, access to information has rapidly moved from famine to feast to what many consider total overload today. Information on virtually any topic is not difficult to locate nowadays, however, legitimate information from bona fide sources is almost more difficult to find today than it was fifteen years ago. To follow are some tips on avoiding information that has a high probability of steering you in the wrong direction when used as a source for making purchasing decisions.

Information sources to avoid when comparison shopping for utility software products

1. Unfortunately, "customer" reviews.

As much as a website may claim to control their public customer review or testimonial system to ensure that only legitimate information is submitted and used, this simply isn't the case. There have been countless embarrassing public exposures over the years where even the most prominent online resellers were shown to have been duped into displaying fake product reviews from supposedly legitimate customers.

Small, upstart software companies without much to lose are the usual suspects. Normally, these companies are headed by one or more highly technical individuals (in most cases the software programmer) who can easily outmaneuver an online reseller's customer review submission system. Plus, smaller and younger companies normally don't have the capital to invest in standard marketing campaigns and many times rely solely on guerilla or viral promotional approaches that cost them little or nothing. The temptation to create and post fake reviews and product ratings that praise one's own product while bashing the competition can occasionally persuade even normally honest people to engage in dishonest practices, especially when there is money involved.

This is not to say that all customer reviews are forged - they aren't. The point is that it is virtually impossible to differentiate counterfeit from genuine, and therefore this source of pre-purchase information simply can't be trusted as a whole.

2. Media reviewers with a history of consistent negativity or blind praise

It's a fact: Some media reviewers just love everything that comes their way, some can't stand anything, and some have picked their favorites long ago and stick to them with unwavering loyalty. None of these approaches truly benefits the potential customer trying to decide which product out of many is right for them. Thus, it is the consumer's responsibility to not only search for trusted media reviews of comparative products, but also ensure that the reviewers have a history of objectivity and fairness.

How do I find quality reviews (and reviewers)?

Be aware of and avoid product reviews that appear be rushed or ill-researched. Misspellings, incorrect facts, obvious assumptions, or even apparent one-track-mind content (i.e. reviews without apparent journalistic substance) are all hallmarks of a writer decided on the results of a review based on various predispositions before a product evaluation was ever performed. There is a time and a place for personal opinions in a review (after all, we are relying on the writer to ultimately render this), but it is also the responsibility of the reviewer to represent his constituents' interests and base the results on truly objective facts, or at least subjective experiences that are very likely to be shared and replicated by the vast majority.

Relying on like-minded pundits

Make a point of relying on reviews generated by writers with whom you have a history of agreement. Perhaps you have tended to concur with most or all of a relatively eccentric software reviewer. If you read a review before that compelled you to purchase the product, did you find your own experience to be similarly positive? If so, seek out this writer's opinion and follow their work. If not, you may choose to avoid this source of information in the future as perhaps your standards of quality, value, or ease-of-use differ.

Do your best to locate at least three reviews from prominent sources for the product(s) you are researching. The more the better, but with at least three you should get a sense of the average and avoid basing a decision on what could be the extraneous results of one or two eccentric or brand-biased reviewers.

How to avoid unrealistic expectations

Waiting until it is too late

Just like insurance or an alarm system, utility and security software is far more effective the earlier it has been implemented.

It is common to purchase a new computer, or upgrade to a new operating system and avoid installing utility or security software because the PC "runs so well" at that point. The problem is that in virtually all cases, problems begin to arise because utility or security software is not present to prevent them, and only then do many PC users seek out solutions. You may think that if you are careful or technical enough, viruses, spyware, and other malicious software won't find a way into your computer. This is a game of Russian roulette: The longer you play the more likely you are to ultimately lose, and when you do, the game (i.e. your expensive computer and the irreplaceable data on it) is over. Don't assume that you are smart enough to outwit every malicious program or infiltration technique in the world - no one is. Even the best and most highly trained security experts install and run appropriate maintenance and defense software religiously, and they do so immediately upon purchasing or setting up a new system. People who do this know they stand a much greater chance of owning a trouble-free computer system years longer than those who don't, thus saving thousands of dollars on unnecessary upgrades and avoiding hours of frustrating time spent troubleshooting problems that crop up when precautionary measures haven't been employed.

By the same token, don't assume that you can just wait until your system has been compromised and then purchase software to salvage or rescue it. The presence of malicious software with an effective defense system or the effects of neglecting to properly maintain a PC can cause irrevocable damage. True, many good utility and security products can revive a computer on the edge of permanent retirement, but there are no guarantees, and gambling with the data on your PC is usually a losing bet. Why wait until you are faced with attempting to stave off an impending disaster before preventative action is taken? Purchase, install, and learn to use high quality maintenance and security products early to get far longer and more reliable life from your PC.

Once I have security software installed do I still have to care about threats?

Yes! The effective use of security software requires a sense of mutual responsibility between the product and its owner. Does installing an alarm in your home mean you can leave your doors and windows wide open when you leave with a big sign in your yard saying "come try to steal my belongings!"? Does installing an antivirus or anti-spyware product mean you can download and install every suspicious program you come across with wild abandon? No. The goal should be that the security software never needs to do its job because the computer user is careful enough to avoid exposing themselves to situations or behavior that poses undo risks. This ideal is, of course, normally unreachable (see above: "Waiting until it is too late"), but that does not mean you shouldn't aim for it. Under circumstances where you miss something and the system would have been compromised, your security software should step in as a safety net to prevent what would have been a damaging result.

Correctable software problems vs. uncorrectable hardware problems

Good utility software designed to repair problems can in many cases work what seem to be technological miracles, resuscitating systems that had become otherwise unusable and breathing new life into geriatric PCs on their way to the cyber junkyard. Unfortunately, there are certain problems that no software product will ever repair or alleviate.

Hardware problems cannot be corrected by software products. There are a myriad of things that can go wrong over time with the hardware that makes up your computer system. Power supplies can fail, hard drives can become physically damaged, memory chips can become physically corrupt, CPUs can be damaged by overexposure to heat, motherboards can suffer from loose or intermittent electronic connections, accessory cards can become unseated, etc.

Under the best of circumstances, a sophisticated utility product may be able to discover or suspect a physical hardware problem and report this information to you; however, in virtually all cases software utilities must assume that the majority of your computer system's hardware is operating as advertised, and hence is not in an appropriate position to do anything about these types of problems.

How do I know if I have hardware problems?

If your PC is exhibiting problems, errors, freezes, sudden restarts, or blue screens, and you have performed a full analysis and repair using an industry-leading utility product whose functional scope includes all of the accepted standards of general repair (i.e. not just registry repair, not just hard drive defragmentation, but all known functions of an overall system repair), yet it continues to manifest the same symptoms, the chances are high that your PC is suffering from some form of hardware problem.

What do I do if I believe I have a hardware problem?

Contact the manufacturer of your PC. Explain that you have performed a general system repair with an industry-standard software product and it did not help. Request further diagnosis and explain that you believe the problem(s) are related to hardware vs. software. Unfortunately, the resolution to your problems may require shipment of your PC to the manufacturer. Before you do this, it is a very good idea to make backups of all important files and documents. There are countless horror stories where PC owners sent their systems in for diagnoses only to have them returned fixed, but without of the data that was previously on them!

Suggested caution when using software utilities

Extraneous and non-standard configuration issues

Utilities rely on the ability to predict as many configuration constants as possible. Impressively, high quality products from reputable manufacturers can usually predict and handle 99% or more of the virtually infinite variations of computer system setup and design. The miniscule remaining percentage are normally dealt with by either asking for clarification via user messaging dialogs (e.g. "What kind of printer do you have connected?"), or by adopting conservative policies of action when an unknown and therefore risky situation has been determined (i.e. what would normally be OK to perform automatically may only be done with explicit user consent because the product is unsure of or unfamiliar with the system configuration).

If you know you have an atypical system setup, special software installed, or otherwise suspect that your setup does not fit what may be considered the standard, it is critical to remember that as a general rule, the more unusual your configuration is, the more care you should exercise when using any utility or security product.

The fallibility of software as a whole: Even the best and most veteran software products have bugs

It has been stated and accepted by numerous prominent experts in the field of technology that beyond a certain level of complexity (a level that is vastly exceeded by any of today's commercial products) no software is bug-free. The operating system it runs on is not bug-free and the CPU that processes its instructions is not bug-free. All of these mechanisms are created by human beings who, as we all know, have infinitely fallible logic and are prone to oversight and error. The upside is that with products that have undergone adequate quality assurance measures, virtually all of the existing bugs either never manifest themselves or are never noticed by us because they only exist under severely corner-case scenarios and in unique situations. Utility and security software, however, tends to operate on very sensitive and critical parts of your PC. If your computer configuration is relatively standard and you ensure only the use of mature, high quality products from reputable manufacturers, your chances of experiencing detrimental software bugs are significantly lower than if you exercise less prudence in your product selection. Despite a reduced chance of experiencing bugs, a backup of current data is always suggested.

Successfully interacting with customer service and support

Differences between utility and security software support and other product support

Utility support often requires additional research and more customer/technician iterations than other software products because problems are usually caused by unpredictable or non-standard PC configurations or interoperability issues (see "Co-existence of similar utilities: Is two better than one?"). If something has gone wrong with a utility or security product, it is almost always because something unexpected has taken place and must be researched before an effective resolution can be dispensed. This is not necessarily because the product is of low quality, or that the support technician is interested in an unending volley of Q&A (despite how difficult this may be to believe for some of us), but rather because the answer to a technical question about utility or security software can rarely be summarized in a simple instructional or knee-jerk response.

Since utilities are usually wrapping extremely complex technology into ultra-simplified presentations, when something goes wrong it is because it has fallen outside of the predicable scope of operation and thus must be researched. It can be frustrating for customers not to receive instant answers to a question, but technicians who support utility software must usually rely on one or more mutual exchanges of information before they can correctly render an answer.

What to include when submitting a technical question to utility software support personnel

As with any customer service interaction, avoid vague or non-specific declarations such as "It doesn't work", "I received an error", or "It caused a problem". Most likely, you are already frustrated to have arrived at a point where you need to take time to directly interact with technical support, so avoid making an already irritating situation worse by omitting key information about your question and spurning additional steps before resolution can be achieved (think "no one is a mind-reader").

Include a step-by-step narration of your experience, and don't assume any detail isn't relevant - a detail you omit may turn what could have been an instant answer into a multi-step "wild goose chase" with unnecessary energy expenditure by both customer and technician.

Give background details. What were you trying to do? When did you do it? What did you observe? What is your PC configuration? Do you have any thoughts about the cause or potential solution to your question? Is there anything special or interesting about the situation that you can share?

Have patience: Most questions will require some additional research

Understand that with quality utility software, normally 99.9% of customers never have questions (if designed right, it "just works" for this vast majority), or have questions with answers easily found within the company knowledgebase or FAQ list - yet for that 0.1% who do require assistance, the questions and solutions thereto can be extremely complicated with sophisticated investigative requirements and multi-dimensional possibilities for a solution. This means that under almost all circumstances, utility and security software questions simply take longer to resolve than do questions about other types of software products.

Avoiding off-topic inquiries

Finally, be considerate of your fellow consumer: Avoid asking the manufacturer of the utility or security software unrelated questions about general computer use or troubleshooting. For example, an antivirus manufacturer is not in a position to answer questions about hooking up your printer, or a utility vendor can't tell you why your screen is flickering. It can be tempting for a curious but inexperienced computer user to attempt to glean as much divergent information from an exchange with an expert software support representative, but questions about computer behavior unrelated to the software product in question simply mean the representative must spend time either explaining why these questions do not relate to the company's product, or researching and generating answers to such questions when he or she could be helping a fellow product owner with issues specifically related to their company's software.

Do your best to respect a technician if they tell you the problem or your question is unrelated to the product their company sells. Technicians rarely avoid taking responsibility for issues and questions directly related to the products they are charged with supporting. These are highly technical and equally skilled people who have chosen a career in customer assistance and under appropriate circumstances have no problems taking charge of a problem or question when it is related to their job. As a matter of fact, one of the most commonly reported management problems in the utility industry is attempting to get support technicians to actually curtail the vast majority of their time spent willingly answering questions related to other manufacturers' products, the operating system itself, and general computer hardware setup and troubleshooting.

Conclusion: Armed with this information, the relationship between you, your PC, and utility software can be a happy and healthy one

While the information outlined above doesn't cover everything there is to know about the ever-interesting world of utility software, it is intended to serve as a robust overview of many of the most critical and common factors that contribute to a successful experience. The primary goal is to stir your mental energy in such a way that you'll carefully consider the necessity of such products and their beneficial role in your life as a two-way-street: As much as it is the duty of a manufacturer to provide a high-quality, stable, feature-rich, and relevant applications, it is also the responsibility of the customer to take a bit of time to learn how to use them and what to expect of them. With this in mind, we should be able to move several steps closer to everyone's ideal of digital nirvana.

Original article Copyright 2007 Noah T. Rowles and iolo technologies, LLC. Used with permission by iolo technologies, LLC. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.