Software every computer needs...

• Updates and patches!
  • Use your operating system's Automatic Updates feature. Really. This is important. If you're not sure if you have this option turned on, check under Start Menu -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Automatic Updates.
  • If you're using Windows XP and have already updated to at least Service Pack 1, there will be a warning in your taskbar (next to the clock) if Automatic Updates aren't turned on, so if you don't see this, you're good.
• Antivirus - AVG is free and can be found at www.grisoft.com.
• Personal firewall - ZoneAlarm can be found for free at www.zonelabs.com.
• Anti-spyware - Yes, you need more than one of these. Don't think that one is better than another just because Scanner X didn't warn you about something that Scanner Y told you was "critical". Anti-spyware isn't as mature as antivirus, yet, so different packages will alert under different conditions.
  • AdAware can be found for free at www.lavasoftusa.com.
  • Spybot Search-and-Destroy can be found at www.safer-networking.org.

Things you need to do every so often...
The frequencies here should be considered minimums. Feel free to perform any of these more often if you find yourself spending a lot of time in front of your PC. This stuff is important. Put it on your calendar if you have to.

• Run ScanDisk once per month. (automatically attempt to repair defective sectors)
• Run Defrag once per week.
• Run a FULL anti-spyware scan once per week, more often if you can automate it.
• Run a FULL virus scan once per week, and an incremental scan as often as you can automate it.

Things every computer user should consider buying...
These pay for themselves the first time you actually need them, in order of importance:

1. If you have broadband, or even just more than one computer, get a NAT switch/router (Linksys and NetGear are the big brands, but any router with Network Address Translation [NAT] at a minimum).
2. A good system-backup utility (Symantec Ghost, et. al.).
3. Executive Software's Diskeeper (www.diskeeper.com). This utility can automate disk defragmentation. One less thing you have to remember to keep your PC healthy and happy.

Get rid of auto-starting programs you don't use or use only occasionally...
MSN Messenger, ICQ, Yahoo IM, and other instant messaging programs use up a load of system resources, especially at boot time. If you don't use them, uninstall them completely. If you use Outlook Express for email, uninstalling MSN Messenger isn't a possibility, but every major instant messenger has a configuration option to keep it from running automatically at system startup. Look for that option in the program's help file and use it!

This also applies to a similar extent to any other program you don't use which is configured to auto-start with the operating system. See all those little icons next to your system clock? Don't find yourself using RealPlayer, WinZip QuickPick, or some other program which is there? Search the documentation (or Google) for that program and find out how to keep it from auto-starting! Every extra program which starts at boot-time sucks up resources which could be starting your system faster.