Hey again, just me with some more annoying questions

Like I've said in some of my other posts, I'm reformatting and completely starting from scratch. I'm backing up all my important documents and photos, and reformatting the whole system. I have three questions which are somewhat troubling me. I've done some research into what the good freeware programs seem to be and I've tested many of them on my computer at home. After doing this research, I made a list of programs which I'm going to install after the format

In order to complete my list of programs to reinstall on my computer (the list I was talking about) I'm seeking your advice on the following programs:

Question #1: Firefox or Opera?

I read somewhere that Opera has gone completely free, and I checked out their site (I'm not on my own computer so I didn't DL it) and it seems to be true. I can't believe its finally gone adware free! I remember the browser in the past, and I think I remember it being somewhat faster than firefox! I'm just wondering, is that still the case? Should I install Opera or Firefox? Personally, Firefox has been my browser of choice, pretty much since it has come out, but prior, I was using Opera, which seemed to be an amazing and fully customizable web-browser. Which is better, FF or Opera?

Question #2: Which AS Real time scanner is the best?

I see people are using various real time scanners (AS) such as Arovax shield (which I'm dying to try on my comp when I get back) and the built in one with MSAS (beta). The arovax shield seems promising, and I'm willing to manually update programs. For the novice user, MSAS seemed to be a good choice particularly because many novice users won't manually update. Arovax shield, on the other hand, looks a little more advanced. What is the best AS real time scanner?

Question #3: Maxthon or Avant?

Personally, I don't really use IE that much, but I figure since I pretty much have to have it, why not jazz it up a little? Maxthon looks a little more customizable, both habbed tabbed browsing, and not surprisingly, both look pretty decent (but I keep getting that grossed out feeling knowing they are just add-ons to the notorious IE). Which do your recommend to jazz up IE, Maxthon or Avant?

Ok, I lied I just thought of one more question while typing this. Is there a good freeware defragmenter out there? I heard the windows defragmenter is good from some people (one of them was an IT) and heard that it was insufficient from others (an IT in this range too). What defragmenter do you recommend?

Sorry for all the questions, and the question I snook in at the end there. I greatly appreciate your help and consideration,

Your puzzled friend,

Ryan

I'll keep it short and sweet.

1. Firefox with Firetune, all the way. Nothing else comes close.
   
2. MSAS Real-Time has outperformed the rest.
   
3. Neither, only use IE for Windows Updates.
   
4. I've never come across a really cool freeware defrag utility, but I love PerfectDisk 7. Check the freeware thread, might find something nice!
   

Thats great! Answered all my questions, I figured it would be hard to find a freeware defragmenter, which was sort of why I threw it in at the end. The MSAS real time scanner is what I have been using since it came out (even tried it when it was GIANT), and I have never had a problem with it. Maybe its just the way the name Arovax rolls off of your tongue...Arovax....I don't know something just kept telling me to try it out. But I'll stick with MSAS if it is better. FF is something that I have never had a problem with, it was just curiosity, I just remember Opera when it was adbased. Thanks alot though guys, you cleared up some things that were troubling me.

BTW, I usually stay away from IE, just thought I'd make it look cool since you practically have to have it (**** monopoly).

Thanks again,

Ryan

NTREGOPT is not a defrag utility. RegCompact.NET does the same as NTREGOPT and ERUNT.

NTREGOPT simply cleans and optimizes the registry, nothing to do with defragmenting the hard drive.

I've never had trouble with NTREGOPT either, but somebody said they had... Anyway, Tarun seems to prefer RegCompact.NET, but I've yet to hear anything to convince me it's worth the trouble to switch.

The other thing to get, in addition to a regular defragmenter, is PageDefrag: http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/PageDefrag.html

Well, RegCompact.NET shows you a lot about what's going it. It tells you the percent change when you compact the HIVES, it makes backups before you do so and also makes sure you have to reboot in order to optimize the registry. The best part is the automatic backups though. Easier to run this outstanding application, than to run NTREGOPT and ERUNT.

Cool, I'll have to try RegCompact.Net once I'm done backing up my stuff, and reformattiong.

Thanks again,

Ryan

Well, RegCompact.NET shows you a lot about what's going it.  It tells you the percent change when you compact the HIVES, it makes backups before you do so and also makes sure you have to reboot in order to optimize the registry.  The best part is the automatic backups though.  Easier to run this outstanding application, than to run NTREGOPT and ERUNT.

If you Enable AUTOBACK in ERUNT, it makes daily backups without user intervention, and erases them after 30 days. That's pretty easy.

If I was starting fresh, though, I would go with RegCompact.NET. Why get two programs when one can do the job?