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  • Free alternatives to pirated software

old post wroteI'm sick and tired of my customers having trouble with the cracks in pirated software.
I need some user-friendly (Idiot proof) freeware software.
I need something to replace:
-WinRar.
-A VERY lightweight AV with malware protection (and no I won't install MSE with MalwareBytes).
-Something very similar and very lightweight to Nero.
-A legit offline Google Chrome installer that can be updated automatically (Not like the ones in sites like FileHippo).
-Something to replace Adobe Photoshop (I use Paint.Net) But any further suggestions would be much appreciated.
-I also need the offline installer of WL 14.x..., that doesn't want updating (I know the Compatibility mode trick , but it's causing problems and making the messenger mysteriously close).
-Something to play DVD files and that is really lightweight (I use VLC).
-Also (If it's OK with the admins), I need a decent crack for Office 2010 that AV-s don't detect it as a virus.

Any other suggestions would be very much appreciated.
Thank you very much for your help.
Pirating software is wrong, insecure and illegal. I want to use this topic to find free alternatives to all the pirated software you use in your PC. I have found all my software's free alternatives and now I don't have any pirated software installed in any of my computers.

Post what software you use, and I'll find the free alternative.
-Something to replace Adobe Photoshop (I use Paint.Net) But any further suggestions would be much appreciated.
The Gimp. It's 100% free and open source, you're legally allowed to install it and distribute it for free.
Also (if it's OK with the admins), I need a decent crack for Office 2010 that AV-s don't detect it as a virus
No, it's not okay with me. No links to cracked software here.
PS: I can't see what goes on in your inbox, so there's nothing I can do about PM ;)
Winrar -> 7-zip
AV -> Avira (Very effective)
Nero -> ImgBurn or CDBurnerXP
Photoshop -> Gimpshop. That's the Gimp made to look and operate like photoshop.

As for multimedia VLC is great, and you can also install K-Lite Codec pack if you prefer to use Windows media player. This codec pack also comes with the old lightweight version of media player.
Couldn't you use the openoffice software for some of what you need, specifically draw or impress for your photoshop substitute?
AvoK95 wroteI'm sick and tired of my customers having trouble with the cracks in pirated software.
I need some user-friendly (Idiot proof) freeware software.
I need something to replace:
-WinRar.
What's wrong with WinRar? Anyway I know about 7zip...
AvoK95 wrote-A VERY lightweight AV with malware protection (and no I won't install MSE with MalwareBytes).
Avira anti virus is free, solid, reliable. It will popup an ad for iteself (avira) from time to time. I don't know how light it is, but it takes like 20 megs of memory and is not very fast to open, but I would surely not call it a bloat or heavy or anything like that. I recommend it.
AvoK95 wroteAny other suggestions would be very much appreciated.
Thank you very much for your help.
Yes, as an admin, I used to set up images of the OS. You install a system with everything you need on it (all the software) then you run the Microsoft tool "Sysprep". It shuts down your computer. Then you can clone the partition to another disk. You can use a Linux boot disk for that. Then install that disk on the target computer, boot it up, and windows will run as if it's the first time you start it...

This allows you to clone the OS without having to re-install all the software and do all the settings every time. But it's a bit klunky to make it work, expect to experiment a little at the beginning, and you need to maintain the master image - that is you'll need a computer to clone from. Using dd I was able to cut down the partition time to something rather quick... you should be able to copy it all in under 15 minutes.
If you install do various hardware, then install all the frigging drivers you could ever need on the master computer, even if it doesn't have the related hardware. Yet, with the advances in hardware, you might still run into some problems with hard drives... but usually it works. It's just not as simple, reliable and straight forward then manual install. Yet, think of it... if it works you can have your new computer with all the software pre-installed with only a bunch of clicks.
Avok95, are you a computer technician? If so, contact us please. We have a suite that fits all your needs, and no hassle of illegal headaches. PM us.
rahmu wrote
-Something to replace Adobe Photoshop (I use Paint.Net) But any further suggestions would be much appreciated.
The Gimp. It's 100% free and open source, you're legally allowed to install it and distribute it for free.
Will try that thanks. If it's more idiot proof than I'll use it instead of Paint.Net.
peekaie wroteWinrar -> 7-zip
AV -> Avira (Very effective)
Does Avira come with malware protection ?
peekaie wroteNero -> ImgBurn or CDBurnerXP
ImgBurn has lack of features and CDBurnerXP is just too complicated for own "smart" Lebanese people, and it's also causing problems with some systems.
rahmu wroteBy the way, I think this website would help you a lot.
Thanks!! Very helpful stuff there.
xazbrat wroteCouldn't you use the openoffice software for some of what you need, specifically draw or impress for your photoshop substitute?
I tried that before. I had MASSIVE problems with customers , because they don't know the name, or how to use it.
also it's not compatible with other peoples needs.
rolf wroteas an admin, I used to set up images of the OS. You install a system with everything you need on it (all the software) then you run the Microsoft tool "Sysprep". It shuts down your computer. Then you can clone the partition to another disk. You can use a Linux boot disk for that. Then install that disk on the target computer, boot it up, and windows will run as if it's the first time you start it...

This allows you to clone the OS without having to re-install all the software and do all the settings every time. But it's a bit klunky to make it work, expect to experiment a little at the beginning, and you need to maintain the master image - that is you'll need a computer to clone from. Using dd I was able to cut down the partition time to something rather quick... you should be able to copy it all in under 15 minutes.
If you install do various hardware, then install all the frigging drivers you could ever need on the master computer, even if it doesn't have the related hardware. Yet, with the advances in hardware, you might still run into some problems with hard drives... but usually it works. It's just not as simple, reliable and straight forward then manual install. Yet, think of it... if it works you can have your new computer with all the software pre-installed with only a bunch of clicks.
I'v been trying to do that for months! Thanks a lot , but can you please provide me with a link that teaches you this ? Because I really need this and I need to understand it a lot better.


Also, guys please if you have a decent Office 2010 crack please PM me.
rolf wroteThis allows you to clone the OS without having to re-install all the software and do all the settings every time. But it's a bit klunky to make it work, expect to experiment a little at the beginning, and you need to maintain the master image - that is you'll need a computer to clone from. Using dd I was able to cut down the partition time to something rather quick... you should be able to copy it all in under 15 minutes.
If you install do various hardware, then install all the frigging drivers you could ever need on the master computer, even if it doesn't have the related hardware. Yet, with the advances in hardware, you might still run into some problems with hard drives... but usually it works. It's just not as simple, reliable and straight forward then manual install. Yet, think of it... if it works you can have your new computer with all the software pre-installed with only a bunch of clicks.
Never mind , I already found a link.
Anybody know where I can get offline update packages for Windows 7 ?
AvoK95 wroteI'v been trying to do that for months! Thanks a lot , but can you please provide me with a link that teaches you this ? Because I really need this and I need to understand it a lot better.
I did not go too much into details because last time I did this was about 4 years ago, and with Windows XP. Basically the procedure I followed was like that:
1 - Install everything on your master system
2 - Run sysprep and it shuts down
3 - Plug the new hard drive into the computer, preferably through SATA
4 - Insert a Linux boot disk (Ubuntu) and boot the computer on that
5 - Copy the Windows partition to the new disk, here it gets a little complicated. I used dd to copy the partition, with a bit of tinkering the parameters (like block size) I could get a good performance. They there are a couple of other command line utilities that can be used to resize the NTFS partition. But the simpler way is probably to use the GUI partition manager in Linux, GParted. Things might have changed now since the partitioning format on disks is being changed to GPT (GUID Partition Table).
6 - Install disk on target computer, and start it up for testing. A long time ago when disk could still be either IDE or SATA, the system would sometimes not start and I would go into BIOS and change "SATA mode" to "Legacy" to fix that.

Sysprep is a tool that can be freely downloaded from microsoft. What it does is it puts the system back in a state similar to what it is during the first run on the computer, after a fresh install. When booted up again, the system will probe hardware, register all hardware, etc. then ask for user information, then even show the little windows welcome movie. It also changes an ID that is stored inside the computer and used on Microsoft domain. Without sysprep, two cloned computers cannot be on the same Microsoft domain.

If you do not use sysprep, and clone the system in it's normal state instead, then the system will be expecting to find it's regular hardware and find different hardware instead. It can work sometimes, but I'm sure it can fail too.

With Vista and Windows 7, things might have gotten a little more complicated, because Microsoft inserted additional copy protection. I'm not sure though, I might very well be wrong.

How is it going so far? Let me know.
rolf wroteI did not go too much into details because last time I did this was about 4 years ago, and with Windows XP. Basically the procedure I followed was like that:
1 - Install everything on your master system
2 - Run sysprep and it shuts down
3 - Plug the new hard drive into the computer, preferably through SATA
4 - Insert a Linux boot disk (Ubuntu) and boot the computer on that
5 - Copy the Windows partition to the new disk, here it gets a little complicated. I used dd to copy the partition, with a bit of tinkering the parameters (like block size) I could get a good performance. They there are a couple of other command line utilities that can be used to resize the NTFS partition. But the simpler way is probably to use the GUI partition manager in Linux, GParted. Things might have changed now since the partitioning format on disks is being changed to GPT (GUID Partition Table).
6 - Install disk on target computer, and start it up for testing. A long time ago when disk could still be either IDE or SATA, the system would sometimes not start and I would go into BIOS and change "SATA mode" to "Legacy" to fix that.
I got that part covered via Acronis.
rolf wroteSysprep is a tool that can be freely downloaded from microsoft. What it does is it puts the system back in a state similar to what it is during the first run on the computer, after a fresh install. When booted up again, the system will probe hardware, register all hardware, etc. then ask for user information, then even show the little windows welcome movie. It also changes an ID that is stored inside the computer and used on Microsoft domain. Without sysprep, two cloned computers cannot be on the same Microsoft domain.

If you do not use sysprep, and clone the system in it's normal state instead, then the system will be expecting to find it's regular hardware and find different hardware instead. It can work sometimes, but I'm sure it can fail too.
I'll try it on Winodws XP , but I really need it for Windows 7 because it's the only OS I mainly install now (even on 1GB systems)
i was wondering how to creat a stand alone one installer package for all the software i want to be installed after format ( live messenger , google chrome , yahoo messenger, skype , avira ... ), so after each format i just run it and let it install the programs and do everything unattended , im sick of installing each software one by one in the shop.
Or try AutoIT, I use it and it's awesome!
AvoK95 wrote-WinRar.
Try using IZArc . http://www.izarc.org/
AvoK95 wrote-Something to play DVD files and that is really lightweight (I use VLC).
I am currently using UMPlayer, a very nice player that can play almost anything and can play and record youtube videos, and it is very lightweight
peekaie wroteTry this
bro i already tried ninite it needs to download then install, one question will you get the installer plus the downloaded data to use on another pc , or each time it needs to connect to download and install , i need it like a stand alone installer.
I'v used that. It downloads every time.
It's handy though, for example if you have no time to install software to someone you can just give them the file and tell them to open it and it will do the rest.
a month later
Can someone recommend me a freeware that can mount and edit ISO files in a virtual drive ?
Something like Daemon Tool.