How To Keep A Computer Running Smoothly and Properly

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Hey everyone,

I was just thinking about this so I thought I’d post this guide on how to keep your computer running good for those who aren’t very tech savvy. This guide is intended for those who don’t know much about computers and virus removal software’s Also note this guide only covers Windows Operating Systems as I don’t know about other Operating Systems like Apple , Macs and Linux.

PLEASE NOTE: IN NO WAY AM I A PROFESSIONAL COMPUTER REPAIRER OR EXPERT. ADVICE IS BASED OFF MY OWN EXPERIENCE WITH THE PROGRAMS I USE.

There are three programs I use to keep my 5 year old Laptop (As of this writing) Working and functioning properly which are all free and have options to purchase these software’s:

Avast Antivirus - Scans and removes viruses off a computer including ransomware to enhance a computer’s performance.

Malwarebytes - Scans and removes viruses, worms, trojans, rootkits, dialers , PUP’s (Potentially Unwanted Programs) & spyware.

CCleaner - Removes unused files , Temp files and cleans computer registry.

As I said the programs listed above have free versions and options to purchase full versions. Personally I use all the free versions as they work just fine on my Laptop.

If a Malwarebytes scans and detects infected files / programs I’d recommend reviewing the files then deleting them. (Usually if Malwarebytes detects something it should be removed but I’d review the softeware / files detected first as with all virus / malware removal software there are still possibility’s it can detect false positives.)

With CCleaner if you do decide to scan and delete registry files I’d recommend creating a backup of it in case it accidentally deletes important Windows files though very rare it’s still a possibility (CCleaner will give you this option before deleting the registry files permanently.)

As far as Avast goes in my opinion it’s very reliable I’ve been using the free version of it for at least 8 years possibly longer (including my old desktop computer) I have not encountered any problems with it.

NOTE: If you download any of these programs and are using the free versions make sure your respective programs are up to date (On each program there will be a update or section that says something like “Check for Updates” or something very similar to that.

Everyday about 100,000 new Viruses , Trojans , PUP’s etc are released to the online world so it’s important to use the most updated software to detect new viruses and etc. If you buy any of these software’s listed above they will update automatically. Again I just use the free versions.

Other ways to keep your computer updated and running safe are:

-Making sure you have the latest Windows updates (If you using a Windows Operating System)

-Running occasional Disk Fragments (Windows Operating Systems)

-Only download files , software , programs from reliable, trusted websites. If you aren’t sure if a website is reliable you can do a Google search. Type in the website name and reviews and It will give you the information you need.

  • If you ever get a popup on your desktop, browser or in an email saying something like “Your computer is Infected call this number to remove the infection” with a number listed below ABSOLUTELY DO NOT CALL THE NUMBER. IT’S A SCAM. The programs listed above , Avast and Malwarebytes should be able to detect and remove it if your using the most up to date software,

Note: If you are running Windows 10 it does have it’s own virus removal program called Windows Defender. You can use it if you want and it’s reliable I just prefer using Avast since I’ve been using it for so long.

I hope this guide helps those who may not know much about computers and don’t know how to remove viruses and etc. Again in no way am I professional computer expert or repairer and my advice is solely based off my personal experiences with each software mentioned.

If you know about Computers please feel free to give your own advice on how to keep your computer running smoothly and up to date for those who don’t know much about computers / virus removals.

Sorry about the length of the post. I wanted to give as much information as possible. Hope this post helps computer users!

-Marc

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Nice thread Marc and thank you for taking the time to post that.

Awesome :+1:t2:

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As an IT Professional I need to respond.

First, and most importantly, DO NOT USE ‘CCleaner’ because it’s been hacked:

Internet security: Malwarebytes is an excellent program and LOW cost for the Pro version. http://www.malwarebytes.org
Avast is fine but you get what you pay for. The low cost of Malwarebytes is more than worth the price. I regularly use the free version to clean infected systems.

Best, by far, FREE PC tuneup software is Glary Utilities - http://glarysoft.com I put this on almost every system I touch. Beats CCleaner by a mile and hasn’t been hacked. Also has a Pro version that will automate software updates, scanning cleaning, etc. Be careful though, this is a tool that could dig a big hole quickly if misused.

Other tips: 1) Restart your system at least once a week. 2) Clean out your Internet temp and system temp files regularly (Glary does this for you). 3) BACK YOUR DATA UP!! DO IT. Do it as a habit.

Hardware has a 100% failure rate. If it’s important to you, make sure you’re backing it up.

I’ve been troubleshooting PC Hardware, Software, Networks, Internet for businesses for 20+ years. I was providing offsite data backup to businesses in 1996. Think about that.

Motivation - Love helping folks and solving puzzles.

If you have a problem or question - let me know.

Regards,
Ron

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Hi Ron,

Great tips! I’m sure your tips will help a lot of people. Regarding CCleaner I did hear about the hack but I also heard they quickly released a patch fixing the issue.

Also you can use a portable version of CCleaner so your not actually downloading the software to your computer.

-Marc

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Great thread :+1:t2:

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Thanks Craig!

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Some good advice there, thanks. Personally, I use Kasperski Internet Security, mainly because my online banking provides a 1 year license for free and 4 weeks before the license runs out they send a license renewal so I’m protected 365 from Virus/Malware files. I also make regular backups of my entire C drive ( windows 10 pro ) which I keep on an external drive that’s not usually attached to my system, to make the backup, I use Acronis but there is enough free software out there to do the same job ( Always download from the Developers website ) never from anywhere else because you never know what’s been injected into it if you download from a link other than the Developer. :wink:

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I use Google Drive to backup important data and files. In 2015 when I upgraded my Laptop from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 the installation kept freezing up. I ended up having to completely wipe out my hard drive, reinstall the Windows 8.1 Operating System then I was finally able to install Windows 10. Luckily I had the majority of important files to me backed up on Google Drive.

-Marc

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Ron
When you say BE CAREFUL though, this tool could dig a hole, what do you mean by that exactly? Thought of downloading it but I think I will wait for your response first lol,Karen :slight_smile:

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Did a hole right thru your firewall or dig a hole right thru your drive.

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Thanks Craig, I think I will go with the Malwarebytes just to be on the safe side.,Karen :smile:

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I just use Windows Defender that comes with Windows 10 Creators Edition because I also have a 256 bit encryption on my computer and I just simply set it also to auto clean everything except what I want to keep and auto defrag my drives.

Your welcome :+1:t2:

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Hi Everyone, Marc, Ron very good advice. I have been using CCleaner for about a year and it’s been helpful.
My sister just showed me Malwarebytes which is doing a splendid job. Ron put in his thread free Glary Utilities for the registry I downloaded it glory be works great found 83 more registry problems fixed just fine. Thank you Marc and Ron.

Mark B.

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Be careful using a registry cleaner if you don’t know the ins and outs of it. I did the first time and ended up deleting registry keys that rendered my computer almost completely useless

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Hi Karen,
There are tools within Glary that give you the capability to turn things off. If you’re not sure about what you’re turning off/deleting then don’t go doing that. That’s what I meant. It’s a tool that is powerful and thus should be used carefully.
Hope that helps,
Ron

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Exactly, that’s what I was trying to say. Big holes !!!

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In CCleaner there is an option to back up the registry before cleaning it so you can revert back to that registry if there is a problem.

-Marc

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Thanks Ron, It makes me a bit nervous to try it so I think I will go with the Malwarebytes. My mother did raise a fool but it wasn’t me lol , Karen :slight_smile:

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Craig, be careful with the Auto Defrag if you have a SSD drive on your system, SSD’s don’t ever need de-fragging and doing so will shorten their (Limited) lives :wink: … If you do have one on your system just exclude it from the Auto Defrag :wink:

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Yes !! I have dual drives and my computer won’t by default let me touch the 512 SSD to defrag just my 1 terabyte SATA and my removable drive.

Thank you my friend !

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