Recommended Security, Repair, and ““Clean-Up” Software?

[Doc.AElstein]

Recommendations on a good all-in-one Security, Repair, and “Clean-Up” Software

. Hi I guess this is a good place to ask for “independent” advice on things of this nature...( I hope it is allowed, I just flicked through your FAQ and could not see anything against it?? )

. I say at the outset my computer knowledge is very limited, but for personal reasons have needed to try and do quite a lot with them and learn quickly in recent years.
. My time is limited that I can work on the computer, and I try to make the most of it. Also I am not always at the same place….

. So I have a number…computers, all after a few years “getting on a bit” in computer years. ( My “newest” Acer Aspires : 3 with Vistas, A fairly new Notebook (LG120 ) with Windows 7 Starter, and several older Notebooks ( LG 120s and LG 110s )…
. I prefer using smaller Notebooks, but have them permanently connected to large old televisions to use as a screen using the extended Monitor Option. (So effectively I permanently have 2 screens active at once. ( I find this particularly useful for VBA in excel – having the Big Television for my Spreadsheet, and the smaller for the VBA Development environment ). So I am not too “portable”, and hence the reason for having a few computers…


. It is getting to the stage where I am frequently having security issues and the computers are all getting slower and slower.
. I frequently google and often, as here, get good free advice on curing particular problems associated with various Issues.
. Often the solutions seem to work well the first few times, but often it is only a temporary solution before the problems come back. And these solutions become less and less effective as time goes by.
. So it is getting to the stage on whether to
. 1) “Give up” on my “hamstering” of old computers and finally buy one or two new ones with new software etc..
. 2) Pay for some software that will “protect” my computers and “clean up” or whatever the term is to get rid of whatever is slowing my computers down.

. I would like to consider option .2 first. Most Software companies bombard me with offers of free test, free trial periods etc.. and then of course they find endless problems and promise me the world if I sign up with them!

. So the bottom line, my question here is, could anyone recommend a reputable software and software Package, ideally an “all in one” that would be…

. a) One I could use / install on all my computers
. b) It would have both protection software and the various “clean – up” tools


. All my work is for Home and Private use, so I do not have a big Budget, I expect the best option would be ( rather than paying a “one off” ) to sign up and pay monthly so that the software I have would be frequently updated and kept up to the latest stand in tackling and protecting from viruses and the such.
. Recently my main Computer became so slow it was totally unusable. It was repaired at a dealer. It cost 100 pounds for a new Hard Drive and about the same for “cleaning” out crap (virus and the like software. ) ( They said they did a “Mirroring” of my old Hard disk – all my files and software was still there!! – which surprised me , but as I said I know very little about computers ) They advised that I had a problem they did not understand which prevented Adobe Flash or something similar to install or update. They said my computer would again get slower and slower. It has. But it is currently still usable. They did install Avast, the free version. As with other software it frequently advises of problems and offers, ( at a price of course ) to sort it out. I may be paranoid. But in the past I have had the feeling that software that I download to on trial periods actually causes, at least some, of the problems they then “find” and offer to solve. Unfortunately I lack the experience to distinguish the serious from the criminal software. That is why I am asking here for advice.

Thanks
Alan Elston
Bavaria

[HansV]

If you still have the installation disks and the serial numbers of the Windows versions of your various computers, and of the commercial software such as Microsoft Office that you use, the best way to speed up the computers would be to create a backup of all your data on an external disk (hard disk, flash drive, DVD), then to format the hard disk and to reinstall Windows and the software that you really need from scratch. Finally, restore your data from the backup.

If that is not feasible, you can use a utility such as CCleaner (get the free version from CCleaner - Builds) and run it once in a while. Before you do so, review the various settings to make sure that it won't remove settings that you'd like to keep. For example, you can specify which cookies should be preserved; this is handy if you login automatically to some websites).

If you are reasonably careful while surfing the internet, Windows Security Essentials is a good anti-virus program - it's not the best out there, but it has little impact on performance, and it is 100% free. Avast is also a good security program, but the free version nags you to upgrade.

[BobH]

Howdy, Doc!

I've been using the PC since 1981 (when it came out). I'm still learning about them every day.

From your post, I see you are using Windows 7, right? If so, I recommend that you use Microsoft Security Essentials. I do. It costs you nothing.

For malware scans, I use MalwareBytes. It is a free download. They also offer a paid premium version.

For general maintenance, I use a number of different tools but most often turn to Glary Software utilities. It, too, is a free download and they offer a paid premium version. I also use CCleaner from Pirisoft to clean up browsing history and other things left in memory. It is free and they offer an enhanced paid premium version.

You didn't mention backups. If you are interested in that, post back and others more informed than I will surely respond.

Hope this helps.

[Doc.AElstein]

Hi Hans,
. Thanks again for the quick reply.
. I have all my Excel ( Office ) Disc (2 OFFICE HOME 2010, 1 OFFICE 2007 with the codes on the box ( 9 licenses altogether, 3 for each , some of which I have not used yet ).
. I have the Vistas computers from new, also the LG 120 with Windows 7( Starter ) . The License is still readable on a sticker underneath. But the software was pre-installed and I was never given any Discs. I asked at the dealers some months back as I had been advised here before about formatting the hard disk and to reinstall Windows after my CryptoWall 3.1 problem.. They said “these days they are never supplied” ?? - At the same dealer when my ACER7535G would not start, they had to format the hard disk and to reinstall Windows, and had to buy a disk especially to do that.
. They said it was very expensive and would have cost an extra 100 pounds if I wanted to have that disc, so I declined. I did buy Disks from ebay which were apparently of Windows Vista Professional ( for both 32 and 64 bit ), but as they only cost 20 pounds I am nervous about their legitimacy, and somewhat nervous about trying them , unless as a very last resort.
. I will try the CCLeaner – Builds
. I downloaded the Microsoft Windows Security a month or so back onto most of my computers. I thought I had it installed, but it has never nagged me, unlike, as you noted the Avast frequently does. I will check to see if it is indeed installed.

. Thanks again for the Reply
Alan Elston.

[Doc.AElstein]

Hi Bob,
. Thanks for the reply and all the info. I appreciate the sharing of your obvious experience.
. I only have Windows 7 on one notebook, and it is not the full version, just the Starter. But I thought I had Microsoft Security Essentials installed on all my Computers. I will check that.
. I also installed Malware Bytes from this link after advice on that from Hans here after my Crypto wal 3.1 problem .. http://eileenslounge.com/viewtopic.php?t=19352" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; . After a Month it asked for a payment to continue. I declined at that time. Maybe I will reconsider it now, following your advice. ( BTW. your link goes somewhere a bit different than the link from Hans https://www.malwarebytes.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; .. yours : http://www.malwarebytes.org/mwb-download/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ) .. but it appears to be the same. ?

. Hans also advised the CCleaner above. (Again your link is a bit different, but I think they are the same.)
. I will definitely try it.

. I will try the GarySoft also.

. Since my Cryptoeal 3.-1 Proble I frequently back up now on a big external hard disk and many USB sticks which I also do not leave in the computer for a long period ( as Cryptowal killed them also last time!! ) .
. So I think I am OK with Back-Ups for now.

.- Many thanks again for taking the time to reply.
. Much appreciated
Alan Elston.

[HansV]

Don't run both Avast and Microsoft Security Essentials - you should use only one of those. Two anti-virus programs running at the same time will conflict with each other and cause your computer to slow down.

[Doc.AElstein]

Hi Hans
. Thanks again. I could not find the security essentials just now on my main computer ( Acer Aspire 4810TZG ) ( I may have wiped it out with a “system restart from an earlier start point” thing I did last week. )
. So I probably just have the Avast.
. I tried the CCleaner and it seemed to “clear” out quite a few files
. I used the Glary thing that Bob suggested. I tried deactivating a few things with it, but I did not quite understand what I was doing there. I believe I may have deactivated some things which happen at, abnd therefore delay, the time my computer starts. This main computer certainly does take always a very long time to start fully (about 15 min ). The Glary also suggest I updated a few things. I tried updating the Adobe Reader it offered, as I thought this was an important one. I tried that few times, but it stops and complains that it was “interupted”. Maybe that ties up with what they said at the Computer dealer…
. I will try maybe Cleaner etc. maybe tomorrow on my other computers.
. For now I think my Main computer is running fairly normally. I will see if I notice any change now in the next day or so.
. Thanks again for your help.
Alan Elston