We all know the internet can be a dangerous place where all forms of viruses and worms are floating around. I have been in the computer field for 15 years and have had a single virus infection. With a little proactive attention, your computer can be safe and run better for longer.
Below are three free applications that will protect your computer and keep it running smoothly.
Antivirus-
- There are hundreds of applications out there that offer virus protection. Personally, I have worked with McAffee and Symantec for years.While both McAffee and Symatec are adequeate, I have found that they are not ideal for home use. Avast! Antivirus software offers layers of protection (shields) for email, instant messaging, P2P, Network and Web protection. Avast! also has built in anti-spyware and can automatically update itself.
- http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html
Anti-Spyware-
- Even though Avast! Has integrated antispyware functionality, I recommend doubling your protection with Microsoft Defender.
- http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/defender/default.mspx
System Cleanup-
- I will not feed the pro or negative Microsoft arguments here but I will say that a common issue with Windows based computers is orphaned data. Usually this data is cached to help with system performance but will slowly collect over time. CCleaner is a great application that makes it easy to clean you system of unneeded temporary data. It also has a registry cleaner and startup cleaner.
- http://www.ccleaner.com/
- Note: CCleaner can remove cookies that you may want to keep. You can configure these in the applications settings.