Normal maintenance
Run regular maintenance on your PC...just as you would keep your house clean, your PC runs better when it's organized as well.
1) Use Disk Clean up and get rid of unneeded files. Compress old ones.
2) Go thru your Add/Remove program and get rid of anything you haven't used lately, esp if you have the disk for it and can reinstall it or download it at a later date should you decide you want it again. Just letting it sit on your hard drive taking up space is ridiculous if you aren't using it.
3) Run the Disk Defrag on a periodic basis. If you have Norton Systemworks, set it up so that you can see how degragged your computer is and let it tell you when to defrag.
4) Remember to do a drive check every so often. You do this going to MY COMPUTER then SELECT YOUR DRIVE(C) right click it and go down to PROPERTIES on the pop up box select the second tab along TOOLS and click the top box CHECK ERRORS NOW.
And then ALWAYS. ALWAYS download and install any Critical Updates that Windows lets you know about. SP2 is the exception to that rule for now. If you don't have your configuration set so that it will tell you and you aren't in the habit of checking periodically (like every other day) then set it so that Windows WILL let you know there is a Critical Update. This step is an absolute necessity.
Then go and download these FREE programs:
1)
Ad-Aware SE Personal 1.06 (removes all adverts and ad self launch programs,feed up with pop ups get it)
2)
SpyBot-Search & Destroy (same as ad-aware but always better two have two in this case because they'll double check everything)
3)
Avast! Home Edition or
AVG Free Edition (ok for basic scan but know not to detect major viruses)
4)
Zone Alarm (has a free and a paid version)
5)
Sygate (Has a free and a paid version or see the other firewall option - Company has been bought by symantec. Paid version no longer avalable. Free version is unsupported.)
This one has been recommended by a number of people:
Google Toolbar (Can only be used with IE tho)
And this one, I have personal experience with and is excellent. It can be used with ANY browser:
POW
Then you should download:
1) An Antivirus program:
Avast! Home Edition
AVG Free Edition
NOD32 The best A/V on the market.
Norton 2006 (a good professional antivirus,always as up to date virus definitions)
Panda Titanium (another good one but slightly slows down computer applications etc)
AVG 7 pro (again its ok but i found that it takes slightly longer for virus definitions to come out)
For a full list and to compare how they do, go here:
Virus Bulletin:Independent Anti-virus and Anti-spam Advice
Site requires registration.
2) For firewall options, check out this part of MajorGeeks:
Firewalls
3) For making copies of your hard drive (good if you need to transfer your hard drive contents or if your hard drive keeps crashing.:
Norton Ghost
Drive image (a software program that makes a up to date recovery point separate from system restore, good if you know your computer keeps crashing)
4) For fixing Registry and disk problems:
PC Bug Doctor (corrects many problem but not deep registry ones)
PC Microsoft RegClean
Ashampoo WinOptimizer Platinum Suite 2.2 (Drive Cleaner, Registry Cleaner, Internet Cleaner, DLL Cleaner, Internet Tuner, StartUp Tuner, File Wiper, and File Associator. Free up valuable space on your hard drive. Speed up general system performance.)
Norton Systemworks 2006
For a good listing of all this, go to:
http://www.wilders.org/ or
List of Lists
I hope this list helps.
