Table of Contents

Introduction.. 1

Who can use this guide. 1

Operating Systems. 1

Users without a Plan. 1

Users who are Frustrated with Paid Programs. 2

Experts and Semi-experts. 2

Users Who Want a Do-it-Yourself Alternative. 2

Who I am... 3

Who I am not 4

What I will try to avoid. 4

Why I wrote this guide. 5

Chapter 1: Routine Maintenance & Security Tips. 7

Routine Maintenance List 8

Deleting what you don’t need. 8

Disk Cleanup. 9

Recent Web Files and Cookies. 17

Removing Recent Files from Internet Explorer 17

Removing Recent Files from Mozilla Firefox. 20

Startup Programs. 22

MSCONFIG.. 22

Downloading Windows Updates. 25

Windows XP.. 25

Windows 7. 27

Windows Vista. 29

Windows Firewall 29

Defragmenting Your Hard Drive. 32

Windows Disk Defragmenter 33

System Restore. 34

Chapter 2: It’s all in the Free Tools. 39

No experts need apply here. 39

Why the need for more than one tool?. 40

My List 40

Program One. 41

Antivirus Programs. 42

Quick Facts about Paid Antivirus Programs. 42

What Your Antivirus Program Really Does. 44

Free Antivirus Programs Do Not Differ From Paid Ones. 45

Program Three. 46

Program Four 47

Program Five. 48

An Extra. 49

Chapter 3: Downloading the Software. 49

Creating a Download Folder 49

Note to Firefox Users. 50

Note to Internet Explorer Users. 53

Program One. 54

Program Two. 56

Program Three. 58

Program Four 60

Program Five. 62

The Extra. 64

Chapter 4: Installing the Free Tools. 67

Program One. 67

Program Two. 71

Program Three. 80

Program Four 81

Program Five. 83

The Extra. 83

Chapter 5: Using our Free Tools. 86

Program One. 86

XXXX.. 87

XXXX.. 89

XXXX.. 91

Program Two. 93

Initiating. 94

What to do after 95

Removing. 96

View results. 97

XXXXX.. 99

Program Three. 99

Update. 100

XXXXX.. 102

XXXXX.. 102

XXXXX.. 105

Reboot 106

Creating a Log Report 106

Log Report findings. 108

XXXXX.. 108

Saving the Log File. 109

Program Four 110

XXXXX.. 110

Updating. 111

Running a Scan. 112

Results of the Scan. 113

XXXXX.. 114

Reboot 116

Saving the Log File. 117

Program Five. 118

Running a scan. 120

Saving the Log File. 121

Interpreting the Scan Results. 123

XXXXX.. 124

XXXXX.. 124

XXXXX.. 125

Extras. 126

XXXXX.. 126

Additional Services. 127

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XXXXX.. 131

XXXXX.. 132

XXXXX.. 132

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xxxxx. 142

Extra Program... 143

Chapter 6: Alternative Free Programs. 146

Free Programs That Clean Your PC & Browsers. 146

XXXXX.. 146

XXXXX.. 147

Programs Similar to Program One. 148

Programs Similar to Program Two. 148

XXXXX.. 148

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Programs Similar to Program Three. 149

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Programs Similar to Program Four 150

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Programs Similar to Program Five. 151

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Programs Similar to Extra Program... 152

xxxxx. 152

Software to Compare Log Files. 152

xxxxx. 152