I’ve decided to compile a list of different best practices when it comes to using and maintaining a clean and malware-free Windows-based computer, along with a list of software I recommend and personally use.
The goal of this post is to act as a reference guide for beginner/novice computer users to be self-sufficient and potentially avoid expenses related to malware-cleaning, hardware failure, and/or a computer experience that could be improved.
General Maintenance
Below are procedures/software I often use when cleaning/fixing a computer:
- Do monthly scans with Malwarebytes Antimalware Free to remove pesky popups and browser hijackers (for troublesome malware, you may need to boot into safe mode and run a scan) (for severe malware infections, I use Combofix, but be careful, it’s a powerful tool so use wisely)
- For malware removal tools and tips, BleepingComputer.com is awesome
- Do regular computer clean-ups (removing unneeded files/history) with CCleaner Free (cleaner and registry). Here’s a good walkthrough on how to use it.
- Try to use Firefox as your default Internet browser (Chrome is good, but its extensions are more often than not to include spyware/tracking largely due to a lax/non-existent extension updating review process (source: I’m a Chrome extension developer))
- Recommended non-intrusive Firefox extensions: Adblock Edge, HTTPS Everywhere, ColorfulTabs
- For significant speed increases (if using a non-SSD drive), defragment your computer every now and then with Defraggler
- There are many antivirus options out there, but my antivirus of choice is Avast Antivirus Free (requires annual renewals, which are free)
- Run Windows Update and update your computer’s drivers/software to their latest versions to patch vulnerabilities and fix bugs
- Physical maintenance (at least once every year): clean out keyboard debris with pressured air, vacuum dust from vents, and wipe down your keyboard/screen (walkthrough)
Software Recommendations
Below is a list of software I use almost on a daily basis to complete specific tasks. You’ll note that most are free. The ones that are not free are marked with an * asterisk.
If multiple tools are listed, they are listed in terms of preference from most preferred to least.
- Screenshot tool: Snagit* or Greenshot
- File archiver: WinRAR* or 7-Zip
- Audio player: foobar2000
- Song management: iTunes
- Torrent client: qBittorrent
- Video player: CCCP or VLC
- CD/DVD burner: ImgBurn
- Video conversion: Handbrake
- Remote desktop: Teamviewer
- Launcher: RocketDock and Launchy
- FTP client: FileZilla
- Twitter client: Janetter
- Text editor: Notepad++
- Cloning DVDs: CloneDVD* and AnyDVD*
- MP3 volume normalizer: MP3Gain
- MP3 tag management: MP3tag
- Cloud storage: Dropbox
- Bulk file renaming: Flash Renamer*
- Password manager: LastPass (for Firefox and Chrome)
- Clipboard sanitizer: PureText (this will remove formatting and paste plain-text; essential for students when copying and pasting things from web pages into Word)
- PDF Creation: Adobe Acrobat Professional* or CutePDF Writer
- PDF Reader: Adobe Acrobat Professional* or Sumatra PDF
- Graphics editing: Adobe Photoshop* or Paint.NET or GIMP