Well, herein is a marvelous thing: It seems we have come full-circle on this thread, solving the original "mystery" and continuing onward — at some point I think this thread was marked "solved"? So we keep it alive with chatter until we reach a point where we return back to software we've "given up" on.
Here's another great category: SOFTWARE ABANDONED & REJECTED. Excellent!
Well, being the lazy old codger that I am, I use iOBit. (True confessions here.) I have manifest love/hate relationships with software and Windows certainly isn't my 'one and only'. I am indeed by nature a polygamist. I have had some rather unfavorable encounters with iOBit recently and have demanded a refund although I do not think I'll be getting one. So I'll be chalking this one up to experience. After all, it's only money.
The reason I use iOBit is because in the past it saved me a lot of time. Driver Booster was handy for locating hard to find drivers — especially for older systems and hardware. ASC provided a fairly good VS on older units and as I am in that sort of business I found it particularly handy. Their anti-Malware program leaves a bit to be desired (no pun intended) and sadly, I have learned that IOBit doesn't work well with Windows 11. I have since cancelled my subscriptions because of this and other reasons.
I suspect from time-to-time I may even download some of their freeware to obtain certain drivers and simply uninstall it afterward. Malwarebytes is too rich for my blood. I'm on a budget here. The thing about these apps is that I detest the pop ups. I can concur with the resort to such advertising in the case of so-called "freeware", but when one has already shilled out for the software there is no good reason they should have to put up with the ads running on their PC. I have explained this to iOBit numerous times. They have done precious little to change their ways and neither are they the only ones who do this sort of thing. IOLO does it too. So far, REVO seems to be behaving themselves but if they start pulling the same stunts as the rest have I will be cancelling that subscription as well.
The only thing a corporation understands is the price of lunch so I am left with little choice but to go on a starvation diet. I feel that when I register a product they have my email so they can advertise to me via email if they wish. That's already more than enough when I'm already paying for the product. Anyway, that's my take on it.
