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since there has been an increasing amount of computer questions lately, and my previous post in the archives was deleted i decided that i would once again help those in need and post programs that i've used and have also received good reviews from sites like www.cnet.com and www.pcworld.com.
let's start with windows fixes that can help maintain and fix your computer.
slow startup? reduce the amount of programs running at startup on your computer. go to the start menu and select run. then type "msconfig". once there, go to startup and uncheck all the programs you don't need.
secondly, computer slowdown can be caused by an overload of data on your computer. go to the start menu> control panel> add/remove programs. delete the programs that you do not need or use.
third, go back to the control panel> performance & maintenance> free up space you hard disk. run it and proceed to check anything that applies.
after doing that, go back into performance & maintenance then select "rearrange items on hard disk..." (run it overnight since defragging your computer can take awhile.
some of the programs listed below can be found all in the same place in the is Google Pack. check there first before going to all of the sites listed below or you can simply read the review on them and see which ones you want.
Firefox- GREAT web browser with lots of customization. it's much safer than internet explorer and comes with tabbed browsing. you don't know what you're missing with I.E. until you've used Firefox.
ANTI-SPYWARE PROGRAMS
although none of these will eliminate all spyware by itself, using all of them in conjunction will eliminate virtually any traces of it on your computer. be sure to update these programs often so that they are up to date with the latest spyware threats.
spyware are programs that run in the background of your computer that allow people to see what you are doing. they can also significantly slow down your computer.
Ad-Aware- perhaps the best of the bunch. run this one first.
Spybot- Search & Destroy
Microsoft AntiSpyware- updates itself automatically while also giving you the option of deleting your tracks for any online enabled program on your computer. BEWARE: it requires an authenticated version of windows to install.
ANTIVIRUS
viruses are most commonly transfered through .exe files, usually sent in emails or instant messages. DO NOT OPEN ANY ATTACHMENTS WITHOUT RUNNING A VIRUS SCAN OF IT FIRST.
AVG Antivius (Free Edition)- very good free antivirus, but as with most free things, there are drawbacks. it is not nearly as comprehensive as the paid versions, but it works quite well at detecting most viruses and eliminating them.
Microsoft One Care- GREAT program that also updates itself automatically everyday and runs at night while you sleep. it runs in the background while monitoring what programs are trying to access the internet and whether or not they are authorized to do so. it will also run a diagnostic test of your system and will tune it up every 4 weeks. in addition, it has the capability to back up your files onto cd as long as your computer is capable of doing so. as with the Microsoft Antivirus, you are required to have a valid version of windows installed on your computer.
Panda Active Scan- online virus scanner. it won't delete viruses found, but it will help you to find out if there is anything attacking your computer so you can take the proper steps to eliminate them.
COMMUNICATION
obviously, most people use AIM in the states and MSN in the rest of the world, but here's two useful programs to supplement those.
Trillian- very good IM programs that integrates AIM, MSN Messenger, ICQ and Yahoo Messenger. very clean interface with good customization. you can put the person's name on the list instead of their IM name as well as put active groups into tabs. in addition, you can have more than one name signed on at a time for each type of service. BEWARE: if you sign on with more than one name, the contacts will become merged together and can be a pain to separate again.
Google Talk- able to open this program with your gmail account or download to your computer and use if you aren't using your browser. very simplistic program that takes up minimal space for those working with slow computers. it also (like most IM programs now) comes with the ability to talk from one computer to another.
Skype- common program used now to talk to people all over the world. very good sound quality with the ability to conference call and video conference.
SAFETY AND SECURITY
a firewall is one of the best things you can do to secure your system. a hardware firewall is the best you can have such as a router, but since not everyone can have one or has access, a software firewall is the next best thing. windows has a built in firewall, but it does not let the user know what is happening on their system.
Zone Alarm- active firewall that keeps the user well informs about what is coming in and out of their computer.
il System wiper- eliminates your internet history as well as history of various programs on your computer.
Eraser- writes over data up to 32x with random data to ensure that most forensics programs cannot view data you've eliminated.
PRODUCTIVITY
Open Office- free alternative to MS Office. offers many of the features that office does. my favorite of which is the ability to convert a caps locked section back to normal text since i know we've all run into that situation once or twice.
Word Web- dictionary right on your computer. useful to people who aren't sure about a word or simply don't have internet access at a given time. very useful in minor crunches.
Google Earth- view a satellite map of anywhere in the world. useful for visual directions, or simply finding where the nearest gas station
let's start with windows fixes that can help maintain and fix your computer.
slow startup? reduce the amount of programs running at startup on your computer. go to the start menu and select run. then type "msconfig". once there, go to startup and uncheck all the programs you don't need.
secondly, computer slowdown can be caused by an overload of data on your computer. go to the start menu> control panel> add/remove programs. delete the programs that you do not need or use.
third, go back to the control panel> performance & maintenance> free up space you hard disk. run it and proceed to check anything that applies.
after doing that, go back into performance & maintenance then select "rearrange items on hard disk..." (run it overnight since defragging your computer can take awhile.
some of the programs listed below can be found all in the same place in the is Google Pack. check there first before going to all of the sites listed below or you can simply read the review on them and see which ones you want.
Firefox- GREAT web browser with lots of customization. it's much safer than internet explorer and comes with tabbed browsing. you don't know what you're missing with I.E. until you've used Firefox.
ANTI-SPYWARE PROGRAMS
although none of these will eliminate all spyware by itself, using all of them in conjunction will eliminate virtually any traces of it on your computer. be sure to update these programs often so that they are up to date with the latest spyware threats.
spyware are programs that run in the background of your computer that allow people to see what you are doing. they can also significantly slow down your computer.
Ad-Aware- perhaps the best of the bunch. run this one first.
Spybot- Search & Destroy
Microsoft AntiSpyware- updates itself automatically while also giving you the option of deleting your tracks for any online enabled program on your computer. BEWARE: it requires an authenticated version of windows to install.
ANTIVIRUS
viruses are most commonly transfered through .exe files, usually sent in emails or instant messages. DO NOT OPEN ANY ATTACHMENTS WITHOUT RUNNING A VIRUS SCAN OF IT FIRST.
AVG Antivius (Free Edition)- very good free antivirus, but as with most free things, there are drawbacks. it is not nearly as comprehensive as the paid versions, but it works quite well at detecting most viruses and eliminating them.
Microsoft One Care- GREAT program that also updates itself automatically everyday and runs at night while you sleep. it runs in the background while monitoring what programs are trying to access the internet and whether or not they are authorized to do so. it will also run a diagnostic test of your system and will tune it up every 4 weeks. in addition, it has the capability to back up your files onto cd as long as your computer is capable of doing so. as with the Microsoft Antivirus, you are required to have a valid version of windows installed on your computer.
Panda Active Scan- online virus scanner. it won't delete viruses found, but it will help you to find out if there is anything attacking your computer so you can take the proper steps to eliminate them.
COMMUNICATION
obviously, most people use AIM in the states and MSN in the rest of the world, but here's two useful programs to supplement those.
Trillian- very good IM programs that integrates AIM, MSN Messenger, ICQ and Yahoo Messenger. very clean interface with good customization. you can put the person's name on the list instead of their IM name as well as put active groups into tabs. in addition, you can have more than one name signed on at a time for each type of service. BEWARE: if you sign on with more than one name, the contacts will become merged together and can be a pain to separate again.
Google Talk- able to open this program with your gmail account or download to your computer and use if you aren't using your browser. very simplistic program that takes up minimal space for those working with slow computers. it also (like most IM programs now) comes with the ability to talk from one computer to another.
Skype- common program used now to talk to people all over the world. very good sound quality with the ability to conference call and video conference.
SAFETY AND SECURITY
a firewall is one of the best things you can do to secure your system. a hardware firewall is the best you can have such as a router, but since not everyone can have one or has access, a software firewall is the next best thing. windows has a built in firewall, but it does not let the user know what is happening on their system.
Zone Alarm- active firewall that keeps the user well informs about what is coming in and out of their computer.
il System wiper- eliminates your internet history as well as history of various programs on your computer.
Eraser- writes over data up to 32x with random data to ensure that most forensics programs cannot view data you've eliminated.
PRODUCTIVITY
Open Office- free alternative to MS Office. offers many of the features that office does. my favorite of which is the ability to convert a caps locked section back to normal text since i know we've all run into that situation once or twice.
Word Web- dictionary right on your computer. useful to people who aren't sure about a word or simply don't have internet access at a given time. very useful in minor crunches.
Google Earth- view a satellite map of anywhere in the world. useful for visual directions, or simply finding where the nearest gas station
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