Thread: Cleaning, Maintenancing and Defending your PC!

Tips for defending and securing your PC

1. Right after you finished formating and installing the OS, install Firewall.
Its job is to protect your pc from internet attacks and monitor the information that goes in and out of your pc through the web.
Known firewall programs: Comodo, ZoneAlarm, Kerio, Outpost.
Right after you install it, cancel the built in windows firewall.

2. Always check if there are any OS updates, and if there are, install immediatly.
Updates for the OS repairs problems that other people got, blocking breaches that through them parasites can get in, improving the OS stability and in some times even improves speed.
Its very recommended to activate the "Auto Updates" so the OS will download and install automaticly as soon as possible.
Another option is to update Windows through the next site:
Microsoft Windows Update

4. Don't advertise your E-Mail everywhere to reduce the chance of getting spam mail. you can user a temporary E-Mail (with a site I also made a guide about, check in forum):
Mailinator - Let Them Eat Spam!.

5. Don't open any link you get via IM such as Messenger, AOL and so.
A lot of worms manage to spread the web and harm a lot of computers because naive and lack of knowledge of people who click on a link that seems to be sent by a friend.

There is a situation that your friends computer has a worm and now she sends itself to all he's list via internet link!
Make contact to the people you allegedly got the link from and check if its really him who sent you that link, and where it leads.

6. If you are not the only users on the computer and you afraid the other users will harm it, make limited profile for them, which will limit their ability to make changes to the system.

7. Don't go into web sites that are known for viruses and other harmfull things! web sites like gambling, sex, serials, carcks, hacks.
And if you must go in those sites, make your staying as short as possible, and be double aware of what you click and use.
Don't approve or download any file or massage that will pop out.
In no way never install any program, additio, tool bar, player, codec or anything else the site requests.

8. If you use a wireless router, secure the connection to prevent people from surfing on your account and accessing your private information.

9. Like you taking care of updating your OS its also important to update the programs that are installed on your pc.
In new editions they fix bugs that were revealed in former editions, block security breaches and even add options and new features so its very important to keep it up to date.

10. As long as you are connected to the internet your more voulnerable to a variety of attacks.
If you dont need the internet or planning on leaving the computer for a long time, just disconnect.

11. A lot of worms today are transferred buy flash drives (DiskOnKeys, Media Players, MP3 etc..).
Worms like that usually inects the file autorun.ini so the second you plug in the drive to your computer, the autorun will pop up and the worm will infect your computer automaticly without you even need to open the drive.
For windows XP, you can prevent it by downloading the next file:
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/regs.../autorunno.reg
Activating it, Pressing "Yes" > "OK".

You get pop-ups that warns that your computer is infected and to clean it you need to pay for a software you didn't even downloaded?
There are new icons unidentified added to the alarm area near the clock and the background changed its color?

If you encountered any of the problems above, your computer must be infected with a worm pretends to be spyware cleaning tool and defending your pc.
There is no reason to belive what the program tells you, or give it you account details to buy it.

These next tools will help remove those programs from your computer:

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware

Download link:
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware - Reviews and free Malwarebytes Anti-Malware downloads at Download.com

install the program and open. move to Update and click on Check For Updates. Wait untill the update finishes. In the messege that will appear click OK.

Now close the program and reset the pc.
Enter safe mode and re-open the program.

Choose Preform full scan and than press Scan and in the end Start Scan and wait untill the scan is done.

At the end of the scan a massage will appear - click OK. Now click Show Results to move to the scan results.
Press on Remove Selected and wait untill its finished.

At the end a text file will open, close it and reset your pc.

Tips for maintnancing the computer

Remember! maintnancing today helps solving the problems of the tommorow.

1. The best way to clean junk out of the computer is prevent it from coming in! don't press Next in installations of programs and games like robots! read what you install.
When you click next like that, you actually approving the installationg of junk you wont use (tool bars, free smilies, additions, making a home page and search engine, sponsers of the program you installed etc...) and make your pc slower.
By removing the V from the check box you will save youserlf a lot of head aches later.

2. Cleaning un-neccessery files
During work on the computer, a lot of un-neccessery file pile up and catch place on your hard drive and slows the computers activity.
In windows there is a cleaning tool for those files that is called "Disk Cleanup", and can be found in Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools
This is a very basic tool and there are loads of programs on the internet that provide a more diverse cleaning options.
Recommended programs in this field are:TuneUp Registry Cleaner, TuneUp Utilities, CCleaner, Comodo System Cleaner.
Piriform - Download CCleaner, Defraggler, Recuva, Speccy - Millions of users worldwide!
Free Windows Registry Cleaner and Registry Repair Software | Comodo System-Cleaner, Speed Up Your PC
TuneUp Utilities

3. Registry Clean
During the use of the computer a lot of un-neccessery values are piling up in the registery (values of prgrams that were uninstalled, games you deleted etc..) that slows the computers activity and may cause errors.
In windows there is no built in tool to make this action.
Recommended programs in this field are: TuneUp Registry Cleaner (part of TuneUp Utilities package), CCleaner.
Piriform - Download CCleaner, Defraggler, Recuva, Speccy - Millions of users worldwide!
TuneUp Utilities



4. Disk Defragmentation
During the use of the pc a lot of files split in different places in the hard drive. their defragmentation will get better performance.
Even in this case there is a built in tool in windows that is also pretty basic.
It can be accessed from Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools.
Recommended programs in this field are: O&O defrag, Defraggler, PerfectDisk and more..
PerfectDisk | Best Disk Defrag Software
Defraggler - File and Disk Defragmentation - Free Download
O&O Software - O&O Defrag Pro Disk Defrag Software
Its recommended that during the update and defragment no program should be open.

5. Error Check
This tool perorms scan for errors in the hard drive, and if somthing is found, tries to repair and restore information.
My Computer > Right click on the partitition you want to check > Properties > Tools > check now > check V in both check boxes > start.
If the partitition in which you want to run a scan installed the OS, you will get a massage that says the scan will be performed the next time you restart your pc - click Yes and restart.

6. To prevent damage from components in the computer (especially the hard drive), don't shut down the pc by pulling the power or shutting down with the shut down button!
The best way is Start > Shut down.
Its also recommended to buy UPS to prevent sudden shutdown during electric breakdown or storms. the UPS will keep the computer power for a few minutes after the electricity broke. in that time you can shutdown all the open programs and shutdown manually the pc.

Last tip is Keep your drivers up to date

Drivers for video cards:
ATI - Graphics Drivers & Software
Nvidia - Drivers - Download NVIDIA Drivers

Mother boards drivers (and components such as sound card, net card, chipsets etc...):
Asus-ASUSTeK Computer Inc.-Support-
Intel-http://downloadcenter.intel.com/default.aspx
Gigabyte-GIGABYTE - Support & Downloads - Downloads - Motherboard
MSI-MSI Global ? Welcome to the Download Center
Abit-Universal abit > Motherboard, Digital Speakers, iDome, AirPace, Multimedia


enjoy! stay safe! and Ill update for more usefull things if I find them, may be about spyware and so!

No problem ^_^ thx for comment..!
put those tips to use..

I have some folder's that wont deleted where i have'd some mp'3.The mp3's have'd gone but the folder have'd remain.I use Eraser,to erase all the data wont delete.But on this folders wont have any effect.Down it's a pictures with what says when im trying 2 delete.
http://lookpic.com/c1/i2/1017/3qqzhzLs.jpeg

Nice tips..
BTW some of the links at the bottom of your post dont work
Cheers

For firewall I am using Windows 7 firewall. It seems like a perfectly good firewall to me. Is there any reason I should be using one of the firewalls you listed over the Windows 7 one? Are there any issues with the Windows 7 firewall we should no about?

I recomended zonealarm firewall

I agree with everything except for the anti-malware and firewall software. Its been 2 years now and I haven't formatted my pc nor used any sort of antivirus or firewall software except for the firewall windows have. As long as you watch every single thing you download theres no need for an antivirus nor a firewall, viruses that can be caught from sites you might accidentally visit are blocked by modern browsers such as firefox and chrome.
As far as actual maintenance goes I have been using Diskeeper 2010 Pro which handles defragmentation automatically and WinASO Registry Optimizer once a month.

Nice tips! thank you dude :)

Thanks for this, I'll keep it in handy... seems like a get new spyware on my computer every other week. :(