Keep Your Windows Machines Running Efficiently in 2014

I have repaired countless desktop and laptop computers and the majority of the repairs could have been avoided by taking simple preventative measures to keep these systems safe and running efficiently. Of course, I don't expect the average user to be as vigilant as I am when it comes to security but I think everyone should have a standard set of tools on their Windows machines. I will reveal mine here.

Malware including viruses, spyware, rootkits and trojan horses are usually the biggest problems that will infect the host machines and usually without the user ever knowing that this is causing the slowdowns, crashes etc.

No matter how well a system is designed, it is always vulnerable to attacks and your data could be compromised without notice so it's very important to stay on top of things in this ever evolving digital planet.

As the world starts utilizing Operating Systems other than Windows, these malware threats are becoming less and less common but that doesn't mean we should stop worrying about security. Just because someone hasn't broken into your house in a while doesn't mean you should stop locking the door!

Use a Current Version

First and foremost, if you are a Windows user like most of the planet then I highly suggest using either Windows 7 or Windows 8. If you are using anything lower than that then it's time to upgrade. You may be satisfied with your old XP machine but it has become an unsafe system and support will end on April 18th 2014.

If you are not fond of Windows 8 then please at least upgrade to 7. Windows 7 is probably the best overall Windows OS of all time so you can't go wrong there!

Don't Pay for An Antivirus Program

Well, you can if you want, but I never have and I have NEVER gotten a virus in all my years of being an avid internet user and computer geek. I have always used either AVG or Windows Security Essentials which is now called Windows Defender. The most important thing is to keep your Antivirus up to date and do regular scans. You can download AVG here OR Windows Security Essentials here . Do not try to install both, just pick one! I am currently using each program just on different machines.

Spyware Removal

Spyware will accumulate and although not very harmful like a virus, spyware is super annoying and it can really slow down your system and  I mean REALLY slow down your system. For this, I recommend downloading Spybot - Search & Destroy . It's an older program and it's not as pretty as some of the new programs out there but it really gets the job done all for free.

It's important to note that when running this tool, you should be "Running as Administrator" as it doesn't run automatically in that mode Also, you will noticed the "Immunize" and "Search for updates" buttons which you should run on a weekly basis.

Advanced System Care 7

I put this tool directly in the bold heading for a reason. It's awesome and has kept my machines running efficiently for years. This is a one stop maintenance shop. While that may not sound very good as usually "do it all" programs don't "do it all" very well, this is program is an exception.

It's super easy to run too. There is essentially only one button that you need to press upon loading it up and that is the Scan button. Of course you can totally customize it so that it only performs the functions you want it to -- most users have no trouble getting started with this one as the simplicity and ease-of-use is top notch.

It's also extremely powerful under the hood. It performs tasks like malware removal, registry defrags, vulnerability fixes, registry fixes, cleans junk files, disk defrag and system optimization and it does all of this very well. I run this program daily and let it do it's thing in the background.

I may go into more detail about this tool in the future but for now, get it on your machines!!

Backup

In the event of a meltdown you shouldn't worry too much because you've recently backed up all your files right? I'm going to keep this one simple and recommend just using the backup utility in Windows. Back it up to an external hard drive at the very least. You can find cheap external drives pretty much anywhere. Do not skip this step!! You'll be sorry if you did.

 Good Surfing Habits

I'm not here to tell you what you should and should not do on the internet but a rule of thumb I like to keep is "If you wouldn't do it in real life, don't do it on the internet." Now that is a pretty vague statement but I think most will get the gist. 

Also, if you download pornography or illegally obtain copies of software then you WILL catch a bunch of crap that will do a number to your system. Even the stealthiest computer hackers will catch a bug or two now and then but you won't catch them admitting it!

One more important thing to mention here is email. If you don't know the sender, don't open it. It's as simple as that. You should already have a good spam filter in place. People will deploy clever tactics to try and get you to open attachments in emails or they will try to obtain your information by using dubious tricks. Know what's coming to your inbox. If it looks fishy, it probably is!

Update All the Things!

It's vital to keep everything running on your system up to date. This may seem like a chore and is easier to do on other platforms but updating ALL of your software is crucial in keeping a squeaky clean systems. Computer Geeks usually love keeping their systems fresh and clean but the majority of the population don't like to worry about this step too much. Don't get behind on updates!

So that's it! These are the most basic precautions that I use to keep my systems running clean and malware free. There are plenty of other ways to go about doing this and I will deploy a few other tools from time but for the most part, these tips have left me with a lifelong, hassle free computing environment.