Ok , as promised I will outline the programs I currently use on my computer . For many years , I built and tested industrial computers for a company that configures custom systems for major corporations and organizations . These systems were installed and used in extremely high-stress settings including the NASA Space Station , Boeing 777 and Stealth Fighter , helicopters built by Hughes Aircraft , and many jet fighters built by Lockheed and McDonnell Douglas including the F-16 and Harrier . Part of my job responsibility was to test and implement security software into these computers . They were far different programs than those used in home computers , but along the way I got to test and use nearly every program available today . These were very exhaustive and long-term tests , not a simple one or two week trial run-through . Here is what I found to be most effective , after years of testing and comparing :
Sygate Pro® Firewall - This is a comprehensive and very well thought out security program , that in my opinion is the best firewall available today . In all the years I have used the different versions and builds it has never let me down . It is comparatively light on system resources , has an excellent GUI (Graphical User Interface) and is extremely tough to get past for hackers and others that want to enter your computer . It also includes a Backtrace feature and a WhoIs back-scanner so that you can determine exactly who tried to scan your computers ports and when the attack occurred . Overall a great firewall is your best defense . If you have Microsoft XP installed on your computer turn off the built-in firewall . Not only is it basically crap , but if used with another firewall at the same time , it will battle with the other program , effectively rendering both useless .
Command® Antivirus - Command is a custom shell/GUI built around the F-Prot Professional scanning engine . F Prot / F Secure is the same engine preferred by companies that depend on virus programs to secure millions of dollars worth of data every day . Microsoft , The FBI , Boeing , are just a few companies that rely on this anti-virus to guard critical data in their countless servers and storage systems . It is fast , light on resources , very straight-forward , and draws upon the best virus definition database in the industry .
The Cleaner Professional® Trojan Scanner - The Cleaner is perennially a top pick of reviewers on the net , and for good reason . It combines a solid trojan definition database , a sharp and well-designed GUI , and proven effectiveness . It also includes TC Monitor and TC Active which monitor in real-time , everything that attempts to enter or exit your computer , as well as any files that are installed on your hard drive that suspiciously change or *morph* into another form . It compares the characteristics and file content against all of the definitions in it's database and stops the program from loading and/or executing and alerts you .
Tauscan® Trojan Scanner - Much like the Cleaner above , Tauscan provides another layer of defense with it's real-time trojan detection program called Tau Monitor which does much the same as TC Monitor . Tauscan boasts one of the most complete trojan definition databases in the industry . I have found that using 2 trojan scanners is a good idea because one might detect a problem that the other doesn't have included in its definitions .
Stopzilla® Pop-Up Stopper - The absolute king of pop-up stoppers . I think at last count I have tested over 40 different so-called pop-up stoppers , killers , slayers and on and on . Trust me , Stopzilla is far superior to them all . It has an amazing algorithmic processor that stops 99.9% of all pop-ups but lets through everything else . Some products stop websites from acting properly and prevent Java windows and other needed applications from executing , at the same time letting bad windows open at will . Stopzilla will amaze you , I couldn't go online without it .
PerfectDisk® Defragmenter - This is the Rolls Royce of defrag programs . If you are one of those who still uses the built-in defrag in Windows , try this program and be astonished . Not only is it more effective , but it also uses an amazing patented process called *Smart Placement* which analyzes how a file was used in the past , and moves it to a place on the disc where it can execute quickly and reliably . *Smart Placement* mode takes longer to finish , but the results are worth it . Frequent defragmentation will not only keep your computer running faster and smoother , but it will also greatly increase the lifespan of your hard drives . Here is an analogy of what a defrag basically does . Let's say you are doing laundry and it is *whites* day . You have a laundry basket , but your socks are strewn all over your room and you have to walk back and forth to pick up the socks and place them into the basket . If they were all in one neat pile you could scoop them all up and save not only time , but also your legs and arms from getting tired . This is exactly what a defragmenter does with your files . After weeks of use and access they get placed all over the surface of the disc and are not grouped tightly the way they were initially installed , hence the term *fragmented* . Defragmentation puts them all together again , side by side , so that your hard drive can easily and quickly access them .
Win Patrol® An awesome little free program that monitors your start-up entries and alerts you whenever something tries to pin itself to your start menu to execute every time you turn on your computer . You will be surprised how many times a day this happens . Have you ever noticed how your computer takes forever to start-up after awhile and the amount of little icons on your taskbar (by your clock) keeps growing larger and larger ? Get Win Patrol and end that forever . The only items you should have in your start-up menu are those that you actually need . Not Yahoo Messenger , not MSN Messenger , not Weather Bug , etc . All of these can be started as you need them , and saves your computer the strain and time of loading them at start-up . Weather Bug , although cute and fairly useful , is spyware by the way , and should be uninstalled .
OK there you have it , 6 programs that will guard and condition your computer for max performance . With proper use and updating , the above applications will not only make your computer faster and immune to annoying freeze-ups , but you will rarely , if ever , have a major problem again . Hope this helps some of you .
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