How to speed up an old computer and install antispyware

First Step - Removing Unnecessary Programs From Your Start Up.


The first thing we need to do is to remove any unnecessary programs from your start up. This will reduce the time between pressing the on switch and actually doing something with the machine. It also frees up more RAM which will allow your computer to run quicker and smoother. Each and every program that you have running at the same time reduces the free cycles your processor has to do the stuff that you want it to do, so reducing the load will speed up your applications.A good way to see what programs are being run on start up is by pressing the Windows Key and the R Key. That will open a run box where you can type in, without the quotes, "MSConfig". This brings up a little box with plenty of tabs - don't worry, you don't need a computer degree to find what we need. You will need to click on the "Services" tab and put a check in the box for "Hide all Microsoft services". Now uncheck every box in the window above - these are the services started by other programs that are not specifically called for by your Windows operating system. If you are feeling a bit braver, and know what you are doing, click over to the "Startup" tab and unselect the programs that you specifically do not want starting up every time your computer powers on.


Click okay. Now the computer is going to ask you if you want to restart now or later to apply the changes. Either one works fine, but you don't have to restart right now. If you really want to dive into what your computer is doing at start up, head on over to http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx and download Autoruns. That program delves into the details of every startup program you have on your computer and will help you make an informed decision on what you should or shouldn't have running.Step Two - Update Windows!


The second step we need to take is mostly automated. Click on the Start button, select All Programs, and then click Windows Update. The system will scan your computer and see what updates it's missing. A lot of backdoor hacks and holes in an outdated operating system allows for unscrupulous people to get into your computer and steal private information, track where you browse, or even install software into your machine. Go ahead and get all of the necessary updates but also browse your optional updates and see if devices like your video card needs to be updated too.


Once that has completed, you may have to restart the system. When you come back you may notice that a few icons in the lower right corner no longer show up and that you've gotten back to your desktop quicker. At this point we need to make sure that we have basic protection on the computer and that entails heading over to http://support.microsoft.com/mats/windows_firewall_diagnostic/ and clicking the green "Run it" button. For 99% of you readers, this should work perfectly. The program will look for, and update/enable your innate Windows Firewall program. A Firewall, unlike what you see in most Hollywood movies, is a program that blocks specific ports and programs from accessing your machine. It's like the deflector shield on Star Trek - it'll protect you from a constant barrage of little things but it's not full blown protection. That comes later.The Third Step - Start From a Clean Slate


Okay so far we have updated Windows and removed some programs from starting up and slowing down your machine. Depending on your machine, this may or may not have had a significant speed increase in your system. That's where this comes in. Before we go into downloading antivirus or antispyware programs, we'll need to scan the system to ensure that you don't have any viruses that will restrict or keep the programs from installing correctly. Oh yes, these little beasts can not only keep your system from running smooth, they prevent you from installing the tools to remove them too. Head on over to http://housecall.trendmicro.com/ - this website is a savior to those computers that can't seem to ever get antiviruses or antispyware programs installed. Once the program has run, follow the on-screen instructions to remove the offending programs from your system. Now we have to install some permanent protection for your machine!Fourth Step - Protecting Your System


Now we get some security guards to keep out the bad rubbish. This program, Malware Bytes, will root out any further dangerous programs and kick them off the computer. Navigate over to http://housecall.trendmicro.com/ and download the free version of the software. At most you will need to provide an e-mail address so that they can allow to to download the software. They don't spam your inbox, so this part is safe. Once the software is installed, run it and use the most thorough scan available. This can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 5 hours, depending on how much stuff you have on your machine. This is probably the only time you will need to use this option, because a weekly quick scan is really all you will need after this point. This will not be your always on protection, this is the antispyware portion of your protection. Once the scan has completed, make sure you remove the dangerous files from your computer.Step Five - Moving From AntiSpyware to AntiVirus


Now we will install your always on protection. Head on over to http://www.avast.com/en-us/free-antivirus-download and download the free version of the program. The only requirement to keep the program on your computer for a year is that you provide your e-mail address. Again, just like Malware Bytes, they do not spam your inbox. Once this program has installed it will perform a quick scan of your system. Once that has completed, run a full and thorough scan of your system. Just like Malware Bytes, this can range from 10 minutes to 5 hours depending on how much you have on your hard drive. You may need to restart the computer and have the program also run a boot scan, to ensure that viruses aren't subverting your operating system and hiding in places your antivirus normally can't access.


Once this process has completed, your antivirus is ready to to and will protect you from future threats. Now we move to immunizing your system against spyware and viruses.Step Six - Building Up a Wall


There's a good chance that most of you are running Internet Explorer. Most spyware and virus programmers know this and tailor their programs to wreck maximum havoc on these web browsers. So what we can do as consumers is to plug up the holes in our browsers, even if we aren't using Internet Explorer. For this we need to head to http://www.safer-networking.org/dl/ and click on the little link labeled "Download Spybot 2 Free Edition". Once this program has installed, make sure you update it and then click the "Immunize" tab and then the green + that says Immunize. This will put up a wall against most spyware and a good deal of viruses that people get just from browsing the web.Step Seven - Using the Right Tool For the Job


If you have been using Internet Explorer since you first got your computer, you're not alone. You may not know that there are safer and quicker alternatives:Step Eight - Browse Safely


As you can see, more and more people are getting tech savvy and have migrated to other browsers. But those browsers just end up as new targets for malicious programmers, so it's always a good idea to stay protected and one step ahead of potential threats.


First of all - don't click on any download links from any suspicious sites. If you are curious if a certain program is malicious, go to www.google.com and type the name of the program into the search bar. The results below will usually indicate if that program is good to use or not.


Second - Don't click links on suspicious sites. Open another tab and head to that page directly. Now if you are on Hubpages and want to follow a link, then by all means do so - only avoid shady sites or a site you don't have much experience with.


And lastly, use your tools often! If you have a program you downloaded and want to know if it's safe, many times you can just right click the file and scan with Avast. After a quick scan, Avast will let you know if it's safe. Be sure to run Malware Bytes once a week and Avast scans once a month or more often depending on how heavily you browse the Internet.