Keeping your PC safe, secure, fast and optimised.

[DrLecter]

Keeping your PC safe, secure, fast and optimised.
Windows 7 guide. Mainly.


Part 1 - Safe.


You'll need an antivirus and firewall of some sort. I highly suggest using ESET Smart Security, it's what I use and is very light on the system resources. Judging by results it blocks 97 - 99% of viruses, and coupled with Windows Defender it can typically keep your PC virus free.
It costs around $30 a year, and I suggest going for Smart Security, as it includes a frewall.


Alternatives I would suggest would be AVG and Avira. Both have free versions.


Part 1b. Secure


Run a full scan every month using your antivirus and WIndows Defender. Clean or delete any viruses it finds.


Use your in-built router firewall, they're much better than any software firewall, but require tuning. Block any uncommon ports - basically anyones you don't use. Find information on any common programs you use, keep note of the ports they use, and filter them for your computer to allow use of those ports. Any ones you don't use - block them. This requires extensive setting up and tuning, but once you have it done you basically don't need to touch it again.


Keepass password safe. Use this program to remember passwords and make passwords automatically. A good suggestion is to remember 1 - 3 passwords. And then let Keepass remember the rest. Upload the database file to something like Dropbox, and obviously make sure your dropbox password is long, and different from the Keepass one.
Turn on two-factor authentication for Dropbox and you're basically set.


Long passwords are great, and Keepass remembers them. Just make sure you know your database password!


Keepass has mobile apps too, so using Dropbox or a similar service means all your devices can use it.


Part 2 - Fast.


Defragmentation, I use Defraggler by Priform: https://www.piriform.com/defraggler/download


Set aside one day a month to run a defrag. If you haven't done a defrag for many months, it can take most of the day, but doing it once devery month is a good habit.


There's no such thing as a "quick defrag" and anything suggesting so would probably be very basic, and not really worth it.


The NTFS filesystem is notoriously bad for fragmentation, so set aside 1 day a month and you wont regret it.
If you use an SSD - DO NOT DEFRAG IT, this will seriously degrade the SSD and it's life-span. Defrag MECHANICAL drives only.


CCleaner - removed old registry files, temporary internet files and generally anything that temporary, also clears the recycle bin. Use this once a month, or whenever you feel you're running out of space. Get it from https://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download


Restart regularly. Common misconception is that computers are made to run 24/7. Unless you have an Opteron/Xeon CPU, and WD RE- or Seagate Enterprise drives, then they are not designed to run 24/7. Restart your computer! Shut it down when you go to bed. Put it on sleep/hibernate when not in use.


Part 2b. Optimised


Now for the manual bits.


Typically, if you have a beastly computer, you probably wont need to do these. But it helps for allocating more resources to any games you use.


Turn of visual effects.
Open the control panel, in the search box type "Performance Information and Tools" and in the list of results click "Performance Information and Tools." Click adjust visual effects. Click the visual effects tab, and click adjust for best performance. This will probably disable Aero and other eye-candy stuff.


Asjust start up programs.
In the start menu type msconfig. Click on msconfig.exe and go into the startup tab.
Disable things like Java Platform SE Auto Updater, iTunes, Any Nvidia Geforce Experience related things. Anything you don't recognise. In the Services tab, it's best to leave that alone. However you can disable anything with Apple Inc. Possibly Adobe things as well if you have Photoshop/Reader etc.


Rough guide, but it works and should help you.
Any questions, feel free to post. Or if you have your own suggestion(s), post as well.

______________________________________________________________________________


Part 3 - Windows 8/10

I lost the guide to turning off Windows 7 spying things,
But a good start is here https://www.hackread.com/microsoft-u...dows7-8-users/
The above works for Windows 8 and 8.1 as well.

Windows 10 spying. See here: https://fix10.isleaked.com/

Generally, if you want to allow Microsoft to know you're playing WoW, watching Redtube or downloading the latest Game of Thrones episode - then by all means ignore this section. But I don't want them to know this. So I uninstalled a bunch of spyware from Windows.

[Hazzbazzy]

Doing this:

coupled with Windows Defender it can typically keep your PC virus free.

is typically not recommended; using more than one anti-virus program can often cause issues. (see Should I use more than one antivirus program? | Cyber Trust Blog)

[DrLecter]

Doing this:

is typically not recommended; using more than one anti-virus program can often cause issues. (see Should I use more than one antivirus program? | Cyber Trust Blog)

Are ESET Smart Security and ESET NOD32 Antivirus compatible with Windows Defender? - ESET Knowledgebase

Windows Defender isn't an antivirus. It's anti-spyware.

I did my research before posthing this.

[Hazzbazzy]

Are ESET Smart Security and ESET NOD32 Antivirus compatible with Windows Defender? - ESET Knowledgebase

Windows Defender isn't an antivirus. It's anti-spyware.

I did my research before posthing this.

With updated reports?; if Microsoft are still identifying it as an AV then any less than tech-savy person should. Regardless of if people should use it or whether it's an "acceptable" AV, it's still marked by the creator as as AV (as of Win8*); that being said this guide is for Windows 7, and I'm not 100% sure if Windows Updates applied the changes in any previous OS.


Windows 8 | Security Features

[DrLecter]

Well this is a guide for windows 7 mainly.
ESET works well with Windows Defender, I suggested ESET. I'm pretty sure a lot of mainstream anti-virus / internet security programs work well with Windows Defender as it is built-in and by default turned on.

I'm not a computer newb. I researched these subjects before I posted them.

Main antivirus paid: Kaspersky, Bit Defender, ESET.
Free: AVG, Clam AV, Avira.
I'll eat my own hat if any of those do not ​work with Windows Defender.

[DrLecter]

OP updated for Windows 7/8/10 spying.

[egilbreath]

Do you have any similar steps and procedures to protect your cell phone? I wonder how to protect my Android from antiviruses, malware, and topspyingapps. If you can share your thoughts and knowledge, I'll be glad.

[DrLecter]

Do you have any similar steps and procedures to protect your cell phone? I wonder how to protect my Android from antiviruses, malware, and topspyingapps. If you can share your thoughts and knowledge, I'll be glad.

Late reply, I know.
But generally, I do not. I'd suggest probably using ESET/AVG/Avira or something like that for viruses.