10 things you should do to every Windows PC | TechRepublic

It may be anachronistic to think about a new desktop when the world seems to be going mobile, but there are still those of us who depend on our monster box at the work station or home office. Mark Kaelin at Tech republic runs through a list of things that you might want to check and adjust when you first turn on your new PC or Mac. The article is a little dated (2005) and is based on Windows XP, but as a Windows 7 user I can attest that most of the information is timeless. The first point Kaelin makes is to get your ‘puter internet ready with anti-malware apps and firewall settings. This makes me wonder what anti-malware comes on most smartphones….

10 things you should do to every Windows PC | TechRepublic.

Five free tools to keep your Windows PC running malware-free | TechRepublic

Five free tools to keep your Windows PC running malware-free | TechRepublic.

I like Tech Republic; their contributors have good information delivered in a timely fashion. This article is a little dated (it’s a year old) but the anti-malware products are still relevant.

I personally use Microsoft Security Essentials and have been predominantly malware-free since it first came out. However, nothing is completely foolproof. That’s why I keep MalwareBytes installed (though disabled) for deep scans when something seems “odd” with the system. I also have ComboFix sitting in an archive that I can access in “safe mode” should the need arise (I haven’t had to use it yet, knock wood). I have used both Avast and AVG (free versions) and consider them acceptable, though I believe MS SE does a better job for me. Your results may differ.