I need a flac to mp3 converter, there are many available from a simple google search, but i am hesitant to trust software from unknown sources.
Any suggestions on mitigating risk,. I’m on Windows 8.1 and have windows defender installed.
For a lot of that kind of software I use Android; plug and play, and somehow I trust it more than PC. I’ve also found a flac to mp3 converter on the Playstore.
Agree with sb56637 about the open source software.
For years I've used winLAME on my desktop machine with great satisfaction. Simple, no-frills powerful piece of software. Really lightweight and straightforward, try it!
I really appreciate the specific software suggestions ( ), but i am also curious about downloading software and virus prevention if anyone has any insight.
For years I have used Format Factory, HandBrake and others.
But Format Factory is able to convert Video, Audio, Pictures and Documents. You can change formats, bitrates, dimensions etc, I really don’t know of anything it can’t do. Very impressive.
For example, you could change your .FLAC to either mp3, wma, ape, aac, ac3, mmf, amr, m4a, m4r, ogg, wav, wavpack, mp2. Also choosing bit rate etc.
Easy to do batch conversions to.
Want to convert 1000 pictures from you iPhone to say 640x480 jpg’s. No problem, set up the parameters and choose the directory. Format Factory will use all cores in your cpu to get the job done quickly.
Please be respectful, i don’t go about acting like this to newbies on this forum who ask questions that have been answered many times in other threads.
Only download from sources you trust, and keep up-to-date virus detection software in case you slip up. You are your computer’s first line of defense.
download.com is a site that lets people upload their programs to, then they scan for viruses before releasing them to the public to use. Just be careful, that though their software is safe, it can be a little “bloaty”. They make revenue by tacking on browser toolbars and other junk to your download. You just have to uncheck a few boxes to avoid the bloat.
Bort, if you think those who are “nice” to you love you implicitly, you may be in for a nasty surprise. Rogues will systematically be nice to you until you're owned. Be aware fellow. That's one of the ways those malware infected programs lure you into installing malicious code, by the way.
Now, if you overlooked my advices because you thought I was trolly, you may want to rethink what level of wisdom is behind such reasoning. I am always emanating love, even if my written words may seem gross in the distance.
1- DL only mature programs- let someone else be the tester and guinea-pig.
2 - Before you change anything on a Win system set a restore point and do a back-up.
3- Always read TOU’s and PP’s, then always DL under “custom” install, not “default”, so you can click off bloatware and unwanted add-ons.
Me? I’m a total dummy with this stuff BUT I learned what very little I know from one of my state’s top IT gurus, and in my 14+ years online I’ve never had the first problem with malware following his advice, some of which is unconventional but works most excellently anyway. The above advice was sourced there. He’s another Phil so he can’t be too bad
Indeed, you are correct
Back in the Win 95 years i was on top of this stuff, but i was much younger and in a different stage of life back then, i didn’t keep up and my knowledge is quite outdated today. Some things have not changed and some have changed quite a bit.
Back then i would just reinstall windows every few months, keep ahead of the windows rot, which is far less today but nowhere near gone, i’ve reinstalled windows 8.1 once two years ago and i could do with doing it again if i had the time to reinstall and restore all the settings/software.
I used the Dchomak recommended software, its very good, but does have a few quirks and bugs i found but it did what i needed from it.
Turn off Java.
Turn off Javascript unless and except when you need it
Make sure your antivirus and antimalware tools are up to date
(clamav, malwarebytes — and if you search for them don’t install except from their original website, don’t install copies)
Check sites you visit, there are tools that will scan a website and warn you off it (some browsers do that as well)
It’s an arms race, the people writing the dangerous crap use the same tools you do and try to figure how to get around them.
The people making the protection tools get new samples all the time to analyze.
Scan your hard drives (you do keep backup drives, right?) with your updated antivirus tools.
You may have malware/virus files on old backups that weren’t detected in the past but get detected now.
You do have complete bootable backup drives, right?
Storage is dirt cheap.
No hard drive lasts forever, the magnetization slowly fades.
I uninstalled Java a year or two ago, i had started a thread on it and that was the consensus
I have the microsoft essentials virus protection, it does not have a scan file feature that i know of.
I do have everything backed up (mirrored) on a removable drive thats unplugged when not in use
Its not bootable
), but i am also curious about downloading software and virus prevention if anyone has any insight.
