This is intended as a list of suggestions only. Proceed with caution at your own risk.
security for Windows computers
Follow these guidelines to reduce your chance of infection and loss of data. If you're using a business PC, please check with your computer administrator before installing any software or making changes.
Listed mostly in order of importance:
1. old windows versions $90+
You need to use Windows Vista or XP with Service Pack 2. Older versions of Windows are very insecure and are no longer updated or supported by Microsoft. Your privacy and personal information could be at a high risk of compromise! Before installing any upgrades or new software, always make sure to backup your important data such as documents, pictures and music (see below).
2. get a mac $599
The best way to relieve the hassle of keeping Windows in good order is to abandon it. Even the lowest-end Apple on the market, the Mac Mini, comes very nicely equipped with beefy specs and a suite of included software that's worth the price tag alone--no joke. This is your ticket to computer bliss. And with a variety of ways to move from your old PC to your new Mac, there's no reason to fear the switch. I doubt you'll miss scanning for spyware, keeping your virus definitions up to date and defragmenting your hard drive! Say goodbye to the security nightmare and say hello to the computer that "just works." More than mere function, it's a work of art too. I think you'll love every intuitive detail of life on a Mac. Sound too good to be true? Check into it for yourself and give one a try. If you know me, come over and play with mine!
Update: now you can run Windows on your Mac too, so it's there if you ever need it.
3. windows updates free
Turn on Automatic Updates: START -> Control Panel -> Automatic Updates. Set to "Automatic." If this is not an available option, check for the latest security patches manually at http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com. This site only works with Internet Explorer (the blue e icon). Microsoft releases critical updates on a monthly basis, so you should put a reminder in your calendar.
4. antivirus free
This is a must. Many new PCs come preloaded with some trial version of Norton, Symantec or McAffee. I'm sure any of these will detect a virus fine and well--for a price (typically an annual renewal fee to continue protection). Don't get me wrong, there's nothing bad about making a profit from a good product. The important thing is to have virus protection of some kind, and you're welcome to continue using your favorite solution. But what if there was a company so successful at this that they were able to offer a personal edition for free home use? There is: AntiVir, and you should get it here! I've used AntiVir for years and love it. It's effective. It updates on its own. You can trust it.
Another reason to use AntiVir is that it's very easy on your computer. Most of the others are bloated suites of utilities which offer little or no benefit past the antivirus scanner itself. Only one antivirus program may run on a computer. Uninstall existing antivirus and all like-branded personal security software before installing AntiVir.
5. firefox free
Get Firefox. Firefox is a web browser, like Internet Explorer (IE), but faster, better and safer. It will automatically import all of your favorites and settings from IE. Firefox sports Tabbed Browsing so you need only one window open for multiple websites. All of your open webpages are organized into tabs within one window! Note that Firefox doesn't replace IE, so the blue e will be there if you need it (Windows Updates, for instance). If you want to make Firefox even cooler, add handy features with plug-ins called extensions that block ad banners, fetch the weather forecast and more. You can change the looks with themes too!
6. malware scanners free
Get Ad-Aware SE and install it. This will scan for adware, which are cookies and programs that track your surfing habits, report personal data to internet companies, and place ads in pop-up windows or within web pages. Ad-Aware SE will prompt you to update it--do so each time you use it. After the scan is complete, select all items and click Next to delete them. Run Ad-Aware SE, update, scan and delete monthly.
Get Spybot and install it. Follow the same basic procedure as Ad-Aware, but they both tend to find stuff that the other doesn't (Ad-Aware scans for adware while Spybot searches for spyware). Update, immunize, scan and "fix problems" every month.
7. backup priceless
Here's the one item that will go neglected in most cases, and yet provide the greatest regret. Whether you've spent big money buying music online, produced timeless home movies, stored hundreds of family photos or keep documents and records (finances? tax history? that resume that took hours to perfect?), you have something that you need to save a copy of. Just in case.
There are many backup methods from which to choose. The ideal solution depends on what you backup. The most commonly available backup tool is the CD burner. Just make a data CD of all those pictures and documents on your desktop and 'My Documents' folder every so often. There...you can sleep easy tonight.
Another popular option is the USB drive, a.k.a. "thumb drive" or "pen drive." These are keychain-sized gadgets that you just plug in to a USB slot. You'll see a new drive in 'My Computer." Copy stuff there. Now you have your data with you all the time for use on any computer! You'll find a great selection at your neighborhood Best Buy or online at TigerDirect.com.
If you have bunches of MP3 songs or tons of camcorder footage to preserve, you'll want to get an external hard drive. Music and video consume lots of storage space, often much more than will fit on a CD. An external hard drive will be like having a whole other computer's worth of storage space! It will connect via USB or Firewire and should remain unplugged until you do a backup so that when a lightning strike fries your PC, it won't also toast your backup data. You'll find great prices on external hard drives at TigerDirect.com.
If you're one of the elite royalty in our society who use an iPod (I'll let you touch mine if you ask nicely), it is an external hard drive. This is a great backup tool!
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system performance
Your computer may be one of those classic beige boxes that you like to call "laid back." Or your machine may be a mean gaming monster. No matter how high- or low-tech, there are three basic factors that will affect how fast it feels: memory, hard disk performance and running processes and programs. Here are three suggestions for boosting speed.
1. add memory $50-ish and up
If you're running on 256MB of RAM, you need more. To check your specs, right-click My Computer and click Properties. You might as well pick up a 512MB or 1GB stick (or two). Be sure to match the speed rating of your existing RAM and check with your computer's manufacturer or find help if you're not sure. If low memory is a bottleneck in your system, you're sure to notice a significant speed boost with the extra RAM!
2. defragment free
First delete old and unused documents and files. Empty the Recycle Bin. Then click START -> Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> Disk Defragmenter. Select your "C:" drive and click Analyze. It will report whether a defrag is needed. If so, click Defragment. It may take a while to complete, especilly the first time, so you might want to let it work overnight. A fragmented drive will choke your computer's performance dramatically. You should analyze monthly and defragment if needed.
3. streamline free
Are there a lot of icons in your System Tray (near the clock)? How about programs in your Startup folder (START -> Programs -> Startup)? Very few programs and services really need to run when Windows boots, and those that do will sit there and do nothing most of the time. Try right-clicking on some of the icons in your system tray to reveal a menu or properties where you can prevent them from starting automatically with Windows. Photo software, Quicktime, MS Office and Adobe Reader are notorious ones.
Also, you may want to just remove some programs that don't get used or that came with your computer but don't serve a purpose for you. In the Control Panel, click Add or Remove Programs. Uninstall anything you know you can do without. Restart if prompted to do so.
Another great tool is msconfig (START -> Run, then enter "msconfig"). Click the Startup tab. It helps to make the Command column a little wider and see the locations of these programs and services. If you see some things that you could do without starting when Windows boots, just uncheck them. You'll need to restart when finished. When you do, a window will pop up to notify you that changes have been made. Check the box and click OK to prevent it from popping up in the future. Again, photo software, Quicktime, Office and Adobe are regular offenders. Be careful with this tool and don't disable any antivirus software or important system processes. Msconfig is not available on some older versions of Windows.
4. reload windows free but time-consuming :(
Okay, this makes four suggestions... Sometimes, Windows can become so messed up that it's simply beyond practical repair. All the scanning, streamlining, cleaning, tweaking, finessing, coaxing, cussing and pleading in the world are not going to make your computer perform like it did when you first unboxed it. In fact, a Microsoft security official recently admitted that "In some cases, there really is no way to recover without nuking [a system] from orbit." You'll want to get some help or have someone you trust perform this operation. It may be a scary notion, but there's nothing to worry about if you've backed up your important data, like documents, pictures and music. I think you'll be pleasantly shocked over just how snappy and clean your "new" computer will be!
