Computer Tips

FREE USEFUL PROGRAMS

click the images on the left to download the programs

avast! antivirus
One of the most important things you can have on your computer is anti-virus software. There are many free ones out there I have used just about all of them at some time. The one I seem to like the best is avast! home edition. avast! antivirus Home Edition is FREE to use but it is necessary to register before the end of the initial 60 day trial period. To register, click here. Following registration you will receive by E-mail a license key valid for a period of 1 year. After you have downloaded and installed the program, the license key must be inserted into it within 60 days. The registration process is very easy, and it will take you only a couple of minutes. avast! 4 Home Edition is a complete antivirus solution, fully able to find computer viruses, to create and check the integrity of programs installed, to test executed programs and opened documents, to test and check email and other functions. Scanning is also available in the shell extension and screen server. Finally the program updates on its own and does not slow your computer down while its running.
Scan at least once a week!

CCLEANER

Keeping your computers disks clean is a very important in order to keep your pc running smoothly. I recommend running a scan at least every other day. There are some great free tools out there for keeping the junk out of your computer. The one I use most often is called CCLEANER. CCleaner is a freeware system optimization, privacy and cleaning tool. It removes unused files from your system - allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space. It also cleans traces of your online activities such as your Internet history. Additionally it contains a fully featured registry cleaner. But the best part is that it's fast (normally taking less than a second to run) and contains NO Spyware or Adware!
Scan at least once every two days!

COMODO INTERNET SECURITY
Keep Hackers OUT! Rated the best free firewall on the market today. This download also comes with comodo antivirus but I have not tried it yet. Also the firewall helps keep malicious software from installing its self and does not slow your computer down.

SPYBOT & SPYWARE TERMINATOR
Spyware is computer software that is installed surreptitiously on a personal computer to intercept or take partial control over the user's interaction with the computer, without the user's informed consent. There are many great programs out there that you can use to remove spyware from your computer. The two that I use are spybot search and destroy and spyware terminator. A great rule of thumb is not to just rely on one spyware application. Running these two programs will keep your computer running pretty smooth.
Scan at least once a week!

REGSEEKER

Keeping a registry clean can be a somewhat difficult task which is why even experienced computer users opt to keep their registry clean through the use of software specifically designed for this purpose. But why? Does it really matter? Is a clean registry really that important? And if so, what can one do to keep his or her Windows registry clean of bugs, errors and harmful problems? Before you can make your registry clean of errors or problems, it's important to first understand what a Windows registry is and what it does. Essentially, the Windows registry is a database that stores your system information and settings for the hardware, software, and general preferences used on your Windows machine. Ideally, keeping a registry clean isn't an issue because Windows' built-in registry tools tend to work in the background so that your system's integrity is protected. However, because the registry is so huge and complicated, and because it gets more convoluted every time changes are made, it can develop problems that cause strange behaviors or even bring down your entire system. If you keep your registry clean of problems, conflicts and errors, then your system's performance will be greatly enhanced. However, if your registry becomes bogged down because of uninstalled software programs, orphaned startup tasks, corrupted drivers, or more, then you'll begin to notice a significant slowdown in speed. In addition, if you fail to keep your registry clean then you will almost certainly see a flurry of sudden crashes as your PC becomes more and more unstable. Regseeker is the program I use for cleaning my registry. Its powerful and easy to use. It also has several other great tools.
Scan at least once a week!

DEFRAGGLER
Defraggler differs from other defrag tools on the market by enabling you to quickly and simply defrag the files you want to, without having to process the whole drive. Simply run it, select the file and defragment in seconds. No more struggling with the Windows defragmentation tool!
Scan at least once a month!

*watch for more to be added later*