To Serve and Protect!

My favorite item in life is my computer. No, I am not one to sit for hours in front of my computer tweaking it and rebuilding and configuring it to run at optimal performance; nor am I an expert on all-things security related. However, I do sit in front of my computer for hours doing work, surfing the net, networking with friends, playing games, watching movies, and all of the other fun stuff that keeps me glued to my motherboard. For all of the time I spend on my computer, I rarely take time to maintain my computer. I perform the general maintenance tasks once or twice a year and I invested in what I consider a strong security system (Norton) for my computer. For all of that great effort on my part (I say sarcastically) I simply expect my computer to serve and protect me without fail! I admit, I am the last one to take care of my computer and the first to complain when it is running slow! It's not because I don't know how, it’s simply because I don't take the time.

Well, I recently completed a lab on PC Maintenance and Security for one of my college courses by completing tutorials on this subject through Atomic Learning. The main thing I noticed was that I did know more about PC maintenance and security than I would have guessed which just makes the fact that I don't maintain my computer any better than I do more of an embarrassment. However, I did find several tools that caught my eye and will provide for better upkeep and safety on my system while requiring little more effort than I am giving now...AWESOME!

I focused on three areas; Clean Up & Speed Up Your PC, Blocking and Killing Spyware and Adware, and Helpful Website Resources. I felt that each of these areas could provide me with knowledge that I didn’t already know and would show me some helpful hints and resources to bolster my computers performance and increase my online security. The first gems I found were in the area of Clean Up & Speed Up. One of the maintenance tasks I actually do perform is the MSConfig function; however, I am not always sure what I can remove safely. Well, I found this website called Startup Programs and Executable Listing. This is a site where, if you are not sure about a program in your startup you can find out what it does and if it is safe to turn it off. You simply search the filename and it gives you all you need to know about it and then tells you whether or not it is safe to turn off. That is a handy piece of information to have! The second gem I found was another website called Windows Cleanup! This is a free utility that you can download that will help you clean and maintain your hard drive. I highly recommend it; I was surprised at what it did for my system.

Under the Blocking and Killing Spyware and Adware, I found an incredible tool called Spybot Search and Destroy. This is an amazing program. Again this is a free download and protects your system from spyware and adware. Anyone who spends anytime on the internet needs to go out and download this program. When dealing with your personal information and internet security, you can never be too careful!

Finally, the last program I found that I downloaded was PCPitStop.com. This program is exactly what it sounds like; it is a NASCAR pit stop for your computer. You pull in, let this program look under the hood of your computer, and then optimize its performance. I was amazed at what this program found and changed in my systems configuration. I won’t say that it brought my computer back to out-of-the box speed, but it is very close!

I recommend that you do better than myself and take time to ensure that your computer is maintained and secure. I hope these websites and tools are as helpful to you as they have been to me already!