Windows 7 Windows 7 maintenance

[borderlands]

Hello,

I am not sure if this is the right place for this but anyway here it goes.

In general I know (or think) you should do things like run registry cleaner, defragment, duplicate finder, spybot, etc... in order to keep you computer running well. I noticed programs like Norton and Bitdefender have there own "PC tune up" sections. Is running these tune ups the same as manually running them in Windows 7?

Overall I would just like to know the best way to up keeping your computer. Short of occasional virus scans, I am sort of clueless.

Also if your computer companies website has outdated drivers for computer, what is the best way to search for drivers you may need for everything in your computer. I know Nvidias website and there drivers but that is about it.

And can anyone recommend a good virus protection software, free or paid?

any help or links about this stuff would be greatly appreciated thanks for your help.

I have Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit.

language
maintenesdse

 

[nmsuk]

As a defragmenter I use diskeeper, for my AV I use AVG Internet security. Don't use reg cleaners.

Defrag Automatically to Maximize Computer Performance and Reliability
AVG Antivirus and Security Software - Home and Small Office Security

 

[Digerati]

In general I know (or think) you should do things like run registry cleaner, defragment, duplicate finder, spybot, etc... in order to keep you computer running well.

Not really. Registries don't need "cleaning" and cleaners have been known to cause more harm than good (although admittedly, that reputation came about years ago when they were not very refined). If you are not frequently installing and uninstalling major applications (such as office productivity suites and major security programs), your registry should stay "tidy", but even so, having a cluttered registry does not affect performance. But if you really want to use a registry cleaner, I recommend the one that comes with CCleaner because (1) It is very conservative - not aggressive and (2) it prompts to backup the registry before cleaning. During installation, use the custom install option and uncheck the option to install the Yahoo toolbar.

Windows 7 has a built in defragger that works just fine. You don't need a fancy 3rd party defragger. You can spend money on a fancy defragger but you simply waste your money, since fragmentation begins immediately anyway. Duplicates don't hurt anything either - they just take up disk space.

Since migrating to Windows 7, I have moved my systems to Microsoft Security Essentials and Windows Firewall (and IE8) and have no regrets. All have worked flawlessly, have very small resource footprints, and are free. I note that MSE has been certified by all the major labs, and IE8 continues to outscore the other browsers in security.

The main thing is to have a real time anti-malware scanner and firewall, keep your systems updated and patched, and avoid risky behavior, such as illegal filesharing of copyrighted materials (songs, videos and published documents) from P2P sites, illegal porn and gambling sites. Choose an anti-malware program that performs consistently well in tests by the following respected labs:

• Link Removed
• virus Bulletin - AV-Test.org
• AV Comparatives