Best software for comp maintenence

I need some kick ass anti virus/anti spyware/anti adware/ software. Whats the best to get a deep down clean of all this shit!

 

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format.com

 

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skaught...the best thing to do is to format you harddrive and reinstall windows.

 

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My computer works fine, but my GFs mom wants me to service her comp. Its is FUCKED!!!

 

listened to me brother, go and format it and reinstall windows. its easy.

 

Oh I've done that many times on many computers. But her kids have so much stuff saved and installed on the comp, they dont want to loose it all.

 

well than save it on another harddrive

 

What is the operating system? If XP (most likely), begin with Windows Defender - http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx .

Next, Spybot S&D, http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html

AVG has a free anti virus program, http://free.grisoft.com/ . Having her spend a few dollars and upgrade to the pay version would be even better.

 

AVG is terrible, use avira. I recently found stuff with avira that avg missed for years (literally).

 

Got one I can use???

 

fuck reinstalling! People advise that so often when it's not necessary. Just disconnect from net, clean all caches and temp folders (ccleaner and atf cleaner should do it), run avira scan, then spyware/adware scan etc, then clean up reg and finally run defrag like diskeeper). If in doubt run hijackthis and save log and submit to an analysis site (human analysis not auto, auto HJ analysis is not so good) and people will check it to make sure there are no rootkits etc running.

 

The latest version of Spybot is very good. I've had to format and reinstall to get rid of Vundo infestations (after spending hours trying every anti virus and spyware scanner I could find, it still had pop unders as soon as you opened a web browser). The last computer I dealt with that had Vundo was completely cleaned by running Spybot.

 

Amen to that!

You can almost always save yourself a reinstall if you just put a little effort into it.

 

Know a good place to download Avira, and ATF?

 

http://www.free-av.com/en/download/1/avira_antivir_personal__free_antivirus.html

http://www.atribune.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25&Itemid=25

atf doesn't pick as much up as cc but I use it in combo in windows as it sometimes picks up bits that cc doesn't. It's very simple and effective for cleaning caches. www.majorgeeks.com usually has newest files for many things so worth checking there save hunting round everywhere.

 

Sweet! Thanks a lot Creep! (feels weird to thank someone and then call them creep

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I've been using ccleaner and Window Washer on my comp. But I can't put window washer on my GFs moms computer. I did put CCleaner on it. It found 1025 errors!!!!!!!! I also put Ad-Aware on it, and it found over 800 malicious spyware/adware shit!!!!!
But yeah, its still running terribly slow...
I'll try those two though, and see if they help.

Thanks again to everyone

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also try installing firefox with "looks familiar" theme and make it look like explorer, use ie icons pack and use firesomething to change branding. Then put adblock and updater in with silent never notify again updates and ietab and any other appropriate extensions. I find on peoples comps who don't know too much changing the browser and hidding some security/privacy processes helps, should cut down on spyware and the like at least.

To speed up slim down boot service and kill unneeded services and run rootkit revealer or HJ log and submit for analysis (spots many rootkits and like).

 

You are my new computer guru!

 

That's unsettling! Hehehe only joking, I don't know loads but hope I can help and glad to be of assistance.

 

This is probably the first thing that anyone *Administrating* an Operating system should learn. Every processes can be seen as a potential for being exploited, the more processes you run the more open to attacks you can become.

This is why the mainstream Linux lobbyists love their OS's so much because on installation the majority are barebones to work on and build up from. (although a few of the more GUI orientated installs are bundled with software)

Some processes in XP/Vista you can safely disable from ever running again, others you might want to place into Manual mode and stop them from running automatically. Others unfortunately you have to run for various functions of the OS.

Lessening the ones running doesn't just secure your system from potential attacks but also speeds up your system by freeing up CPU cycles and both Memory and Hard drive space is freed up too.

Lastly some installations like OS updates like to hang if lots of processes are running in say XP. (Notoriously taking a Vanilla XP install and trying to install via the update website SP1.) Running less processes can help stop the hangs. (Although the actual fix is to download the SP1 installation thats meant for multiple computers, Turn of autoupdates and install SP1 in SAFEMODE.)