Windows - Keep your PC happy and fast for FREE!

[Eagleizer]

Win7: (Probably good for Win 8 and 10, but not tested...)

This post may look intimidating, but it`s really not much to do.
Just follow my tips and you can forget this post until you have a
new Windows installation to take care of.

First rule:
Don`t download a ton of free software without reading
some reviews about them first. (And act accordingly)

Software that claims to take care of everything on your
PC are usually the worst kind. IOBit is an example of soft
that can screw up your PC at every possible level.

When installing free (and even some paid) soft, do not
click OK, OK, OK without reading! Make sure you`re not
installing anything else, like toolbars which is offered during
installation, which is quite common.

Never run anything that claims to "Clean your PC", or click
on anything that says "Check your PC now"!


Windows Update:
Do not install every single Windows update. If you don`t like to
read too much, at least skip the Optional updates and check if you
really need them. It`s a good idea to wait a bit with both Optional
and Recommended updates to see if people have problems with any
of them before you install. Always install Security updates, but you
can wait a few days to see if any problems have been reported.
Just Google the KB-number.


"Must have" free soft for a happy PC:

CCleaner - Run weekly + after power-loss or un-installed soft. (When you run the registry cleaner,
run it over and over until it does not find any problems.)
Malwarebytes - Run monthly or if your PC acts unusual.
SUPERAntiSpyware - Run monthly
MyDefrag - Run 1 time and set a monthly schedule - Keeps your HDD`s fast and "snappy".
HD Tune - Use this to check your disks for errors regularly to prevent unpleasant surprises, like total failure! All disks fails eventually!
RealTemp - Use this to make sure your CPU is not running too hot - if it does, clean fans and filters and add additional cooling if necessary.

= No problem.


I also recommend using Avast free antivirus. DO NOT USE MORE THAN ONE ANITVIRUS SOFT!.

To speed up AVAST, do the following:
(This is a very important step, as the process that is checking your downloads etc.,
is "hidden" in Task Manager, so you might not understand why your PC is running
slow for no obvious reason).

1. Go to Start > Computer > Uninstall or Change a program (In the top bar)
2. Select Avast and click on Change and Continue.

3. In the Avast window that appears click on "Change" > Continue > and under "Tools", uncheck the following:

- Browser protection
- SecureLine
- Avast NG (if present)
- GrimeFighter (if present)
- Secure DNS (if present)

4. Click "Continue", and after changes finish, restart your computer.
This will only remove a few new features, all important Avast features will remain
unaffected and the protection level of your machine will remain the same.

Now open Avast and go to > SETTINGS > Active Protection > Web shield (Customize) > Main settings > Uncheck/Deselect the following options:

- Enable HTTPS scanning
- Use intelligent stream scanning
- Script scanning

Click OK.

Finally, restart your computer again and enjoy increased speed.
(Browsing will be faster, and downloads will not be scanned. Scanning
of ongoing downloads can cause huge use of CPU. Just right-click on
the downloaded file when it`s finished, and click Avast to scan it manually.)
[/b]

Note:
Avast may in rare cases stop RE`s from installing. (Euclid at the moment)
If so, right click on the Avast tray icon, go to Avast Shield Control and
choose "Disable for 1 hour" (At least make sure you have time to download
and install before it turns itself on again). Turn it on again after install is finished.


Recommended free "everyday" soft:

Everything - Utrafast flexible Browser to keep track of your files. Can open in multiple windows. (I recommend Ctrl+E as shortcut key)
Free Download Manager - Speeds up your downloading multiple times in most cases.
Foxit Reader - PDF "print to file" and reading PDF`s (Skip the Cloud service)
Media Player Classic + Mega Codepack (I prefer this over VLC as it have easy way to stretch height and width the NumPad.)
Irfan View - Reads almost every picture format, and can also fix wrong or missing filename extensions. Opens very fast too. Lots of plugins.
RAMDisk - Slow down degradation of your OS SSD and speed up internet browsing and other cache/temp reading/writing.
500MB RAM to spare is enough for browsing. (You can make up to 4GB in free version)

Chrome with these apps:

FVD Speed Dial + Eversync - Visual Bookmarks for all your useful links, and synced across all your PC`s.
Adblock Plus - Block annoying ads and speed up browsing. (Turn off with a click for sites you support. )
Magic Actions for YouTube - Black background, no ads + a lot more.

Also want to mention this:
F.lux - If you suffer from insomnia or other melatonin related diseases. - Removes blue light from screen
gradually, to increase production of melatonin in your brain. Takes some time to get used to, but works great.
(Yes, both )


Cheers

[Eagleizer]

Keep for updates

[Jmax]

Nice one.. and make sure power settings are selected on Full.

[jappe]

Nice one.
I'll add one tip in case there are users who don't know it:
If you got performance problems in Reason: never have more than one project open at the same time. It consumes PC resources even if it's idle.

[mojo]

Thanks i'll try it before throwing my laptop by the windows.

[Theo.M]

Avast is very bloated and not so good these days at detection. Panda won the latest roundup of best free anti virus and is apparently ridiculously fast also. Webroot won fastest of all the commercial products.
I also think when on the net an outbound firewall is a good idea too and nothing is easier than the free zone alarm which is like the windows little snitch for mac. You will always know that way when software is trying to phone home also.

Absolutely never ever defrag an SSD.. that advice is only good for mechanical hard drives.

Also, no need if you ARE using avast, to uninstall the browser protection... that is not going to slow down reason and is only activated when a browser is open, so why wouldn't you want it? You can turn off real time monitoring when you are offline at any time.

[devilfish]

BACKUP YOUR REGISTRY before using CCleaner!!!!!!!!!!

Or just don't use it

[raymondh]

excellent advice from all above!

+1 on Theo's special warning to ensure you don't defrag an SSD. Unless you want to replace it...

[decibel]

Also want to mention this:
F.lux - If you suffer from insomnia or other melatonin related diseases. - Removes blue light from screen
gradually, to increase production of melatonin in your brain. Takes some time to get used to, but works great.

wow this is interesting, my sleeping patterns suck at the best of times, im using a computer 24/7 and lately ive been getting bad headaches although im suspecting it might be due to a bedside mini fluro lamp i have been putting on recently which probably has a lot of blue spectrum in it ?

i wonder if there is a similar product for mac users ?

[decibel]

Absolutely never ever defrag an SSD.. that advice is only good for mechanical hard drives.

i was thinking of getting a "2.5 1TB toshiba SSHD for my macbookpro, is this warning more directed at pc users or will i have issues with them on a mac also ?

[Theo.M]

Absolutely never ever defrag an SSD.. that advice is only good for mechanical hard drives.

i was thinking of getting a "2.5 1TB toshiba SSHD for my macbookpro, is this warning more directed at pc users or will i have issues with them on a mac also ?

absolutely both. Never defrag an SSD.

Regardless of the OS.

SSD do not need defragging and it will in fact eventually do damage and slow their performance. Simply run trim whenever needed (is it automatic on windows?) once in a blue moon to clean up all the stuff you have deleted and restore the performance. On mac when you do a directory repair it runs trim and cleans the disk up so i do that once a month and it works great. On windows I have to do more investigation, but I do know defrag is a NONO.

[decibel]

kool, thanks for that info

[Eagleizer]

Avast is very bloated and not so good these days at detection. Panda won the latest roundup of best free anti virus and is apparently ridiculously fast also. Webroot won fastest of all the commercial products.
I also think when on the net an outbound firewall is a good idea too and nothing is easier than the free zone alarm which is like the windows little snitch for mac. You will always know that way when software is trying to phone home also.


Absolutely never ever defrag an SSD.. that advice is only good for mechanical hard drives.

Also, no need if you ARE using avast, to uninstall the browser protection... that is not going to slow down reason and is only activated when a browser is open, so why wouldn't you want it? You can turn off real time monitoring when you are offline at any time.

No need to run a second Firewall, if that is what you meant. I actually
recommend to NOT run any firewall beside the built in in Windows.
Sooo many things can make trouble for you if you don`t know what you
are doing. My tips are for people who don`t know how to keep their PC
in good condition. If you run a business and need all the protection you
can get, my OP is not for you... Even USA government cannot protect their
DATA. Maybe talk to you? (Not intend to be rude, just making a point )

I know about Panda, but I don`t know how to optimize it. My tips is about
how to make your PC happy and fast, and I can stand by my advice. Not
saying that it`s impossible to find some better soft, I just have a lot of
experience with the mentioned soft, and know that it works and is easy for
everyone to use.

I understand what "bloated" mean, but don`t know what you mean about
Avast being "bloated". It might "feel" that way if you just install and forget".
That is why I posted instructions on how to make it feel like it`s not there,
without loosing any vital protection. Avast is the most used free antivirus,
and it is very good If you have Norton, un-install and change to Avast,
and you will see the difference. Myths about Avast, are just that, myths.
Myths about Norton are not myths

I, like you , have a LOT of RE`s, and I have sent 4 files to Avast in the past.
Softube was one. Normally it`s fixed within 24 hour. (I have not sent for
Euclid yet, because it will run with Reason if you just manage to install it.)

I might add that I have been communicating with Avast for many years,
and my advice on what you can turn off, is an advice supported by Avast
themselves I have only re-written the procedure to make it easier to
follow. Strangely enough, RE`s are the only soft that Avast ever warned me
about. I never get any false-positives with Avast, besides dll-files in RE`s.

I`m not sure if Panda will take everything. What do you think? Or actually,
what can you prove? I know that the combination of the soft listed in my
OP, will keep you safe to the degree that no other stand alone soft can do...
Or maybe you can prove me wrong..

Avast might not be the nr.1 antivirus, but it certainly is the best free one,
and is also beating most of the paid ones... I have had countless viruses
caught by Avast. (I`m in the risk zone )


MyDefrag:
Every defrag soft I`ve tried will not allow you to even "try" to defrag an SSD.
And I did write HDD And just to make sure: Never ever try to
defragment a SSD, (Until the future say something else )


About "phoning home" and stuff like that: I don`t see it necessary for a
regular user to take any precautions beyond what I already explained.
Follow my instructions and you will be fine. If you want to try something
else, follow First rule!

Quote:
"Also, no need if you ARE using avast, to uninstall the browser protection... that is not going to slow down reason and is only activated when a browser is open, so why wouldn't you want it? You can turn off real time monitoring when you are offline at any time. "

I believe you use your computer in a different way, or you just did not try it...
The "Browser Protection is "bloatware" as you call it... No need to use if
you follow ALL my instructions. Browser protection WILL slow down your
browsing!!!! ... and it`s not needed if you follow my instructions...

Please understand that my OP was about how to keep your PC happy, not to
discuss if there are better solutions out there. I have a lot of experience in
building and repairing PC`s, and my recommendations are based on my
experience, not opinions I read in internet! I do run a lot of soft, and
have a lot of more tips on how to take care of your PC, but this is not the
right place

I`d still recommend Avast, but I also did not list Avast in my "Must have"
free soft for a happy PC"-list I did put it in my "I also recommend"-list.

BTW:
Thanks for you comparison between Mac and Window BTW! Really great work!
Link:
http://www.reasontalk.com/viewtopic.php ... 81#p213481


Cheers

[Theo.M]

Avast is very bloated and not so good these days at detection. Panda won the latest roundup of best free anti virus and is apparently ridiculously fast also. Webroot won fastest of all the commercial products.
I also think when on the net an outbound firewall is a good idea too and nothing is easier than the free zone alarm which is like the windows little snitch for mac. You will always know that way when software is trying to phone home also.


Absolutely never ever defrag an SSD.. that advice is only good for mechanical hard drives.

Also, no need if you ARE using avast, to uninstall the browser protection... that is not going to slow down reason and is only activated when a browser is open, so why wouldn't you want it? You can turn off real time monitoring when you are offline at any time.

No need to run a second Firewall, if that is what you meant. I actually
recommend to NOT run any firewall beside the built in in Windows.
Sooo many things can make trouble for you if you don`t know what you
are doing. My tips are for people who don`t know how to keep their PC
in good condition. If you run a business and need all the protection you
can get, my OP is not for you... Even USA government cannot protect their
DATA. Maybe talk to you? (Not intend to be rude, just making a point )

I know about Panda, but I don`t know how to optimize it. My tips is about
how to make your PC happy and fast, and I can stand by my advice. Not
saying that it`s impossible to find some better soft, I just have a lot of
experience with the mentioned soft, and know that it works and is easy for
everyone to use.

I understand what "bloated" mean, but don`t know what you mean about
Avast being "bloated". It might "feel" that way if you just install and forget".
That is why I posted instructions on how to make it feel like it`s not there,
without loosing any vital protection. Avast is the most used free antivirus,
and it is very good If you have Norton, un-install and change to Avast,
and you will see the difference. Myths about Avast, are just that, myths.
Myths about Norton are not myths

I, like you , have a LOT of RE`s, and I have sent 4 files to Avast in the past.
Softube was one. Normally it`s fixed within 24 hour. (I have not sent for
Euclid yet, because it will run with Reason if you just manage to install it.)

I might add that I have been communicating with Avast for many years,
and my advice on what you can turn off, is an advice supported by Avast
themselves I have only re-written the procedure to make it easier to
follow. Strangely enough, RE`s are the only soft that Avast ever warned me
about. I never get any false-positives with Avast, besides dll-files in RE`s.

I`m not sure if Panda will take everything. What do you think? Or actually,
what can you prove? I know that the combination of the soft listed in my
OP, will keep you safe to the degree that no other stand alone soft can do...
Or maybe you can prove me wrong..

Avast might not be the nr.1 antivirus, but it certainly is the best free one,
and is also beating most of the paid ones... I have had countless viruses
caught by Avast. (I`m in the risk zone )


MyDefrag:
Every defrag soft I`ve tried will not allow you to even "try" to defrag an SSD.
And I did write HDD And just to make sure: Never ever try to
defragment a SSD, (Until the future say something else )


About "phoning home" and stuff like that: I don`t see it necessary for a
regular user to take any precautions beyond what I already explained.
Follow my instructions and you will be fine. If you want to try something
else, follow First rule!

Quote:
"Also, no need if you ARE using avast, to uninstall the browser protection... that is not going to slow down reason and is only activated when a browser is open, so why wouldn't you want it? You can turn off real time monitoring when you are offline at any time. "

I believe you use your computer in a different way, or you just did not try it...
The "Browser Protection is "bloatware" as you call it... No need to use if
you follow ALL my instructions. Browser protection WILL slow down your
browsing!!!! ... and it`s not needed if you follow my instructions...

Please understand that my OP was about how to keep your PC happy, not to
discuss if there are better solutions out there. I have a lot of experience in
building and repairing PC`s, and my recommendations are based on my
experience, not opinions I read in internet! I do run a lot of soft, and
have a lot of more tips on how to take care of your PC, but this is not the
right place

I`d still recommend Avast, but I also did not list Avast in my "Must have"
free soft for a happy PC"-list I did put it in my "I also recommend"-list.

BTW:
Thanks for you comparison between Mac and Window BTW! Really great work!
Link:
http://www.reasontalk.com/viewtopic.php ... 81#p213481


Cheers

we can agree to disagree. I value performance tips but also value internet security. Avast scored average in all the independent virus labs tests, that's my proof.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2388652,00.asp

Secondly, I am talking about outbound connections with the firewall. It takes real knowledge to set up the windows firewall to specifically block and allow outgoing programs of one's choice. I would never live without little snitch on mac or zone alarm on windows. Zone alarm is known to be completely leak proof in every test that is thrown at it. Windows firewall is fine for most people wanting inbound protection.

I prefer to have it off, and load zone alarm only when i am actually on the net. That's another HUGE benefit of zone alarm which only one other anti virus offers. "startup" with windows. You can untick this and have full control over zone alarm yourself, the only other one i know of is kaspersky that has this (which i thoroughly recommend also). Turning off backround monitoring is not the same thing. I mean that there is no anti virus, no residant tasks, NOTHING, with zone alarm closed - and why would ANY firewall or anti virus need to be ON when one is NOT on the net?

So i stand by my advice - if one WANTS an outbound firewall, i recommend free zone alarm.

i also recommend panda for free anti virus, or webroot for commercial - as far as SPEED goes and least interference with audio.

As far as keeping your pc happy, and what your post was about, that's all good.. But you said it was not about discussing better solutions.. I reject that, as this is a discussion forum, and if I don't agree with your advice I will say so, and it is up to the individual here to decide whose advice they prefer. In other words, I think avast is bad advice, as it has to always start up with the computer and i'd rather have something that can be, by my own choice, completely non existent when running my daw, rather than just turning "real time virus monitoring" off, so i am passing on that advice. THAT's the ultimate speed, and not being connected to the net when you are doing your serious low latency work. Disabling wireless always gives better latency also. Having no anti virus/firewall, ie. completely gone from task manager, when not on the net, is a great compromise when off line. Only zone alarm and kaspersky can do that.

i didn't see where you said not to defrag an SSD.. some defrag programs WILL do it btw.. sorry if i missed you saying not to do that. I re read the post and still can't see it.

As far as experience, my permanent job, 6 days a week, was building machines and fixing errors/repairs for quite a few years alongside when I was doing audio.. So i have tons of experience, and my entire life before 2008 was all windows, 95% of it except for a mac with pro tools in the commercial studio.

I am sorry but adobe does not slow down the machine these days and i recommend the basic adober reader over foxit. This comes from personal experience over the years with foxit having issues with some of my daw manuals. All adobe does is have a little launch process at startup so the reader launches instantly, (and it works too, it's lightning fast), but you can disable that in msconfig and have the process start up only when you use the reader. I don't understand recommending foxit over the industry standard. It's not faster, not anymore.

Where is tip for low latency to enable "backround services" priority for asio? That's a well known one.

high performance power profile? Bios tips? Which processes can be set to manual or disabled completely?

I just don't agree with most of your post.. i recommend firefox over chrome.. because chrome is phoning home even when the BROWSER IS COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN, it keeps a process going.. it is supremely invasive. Firefox with adblock/no script is the absolute safest least invasive way to browse. IMO.

I won't go further as i think you are taking this personally and it's not meant to be like that.. I for one am only doing one thing on your entire list, by choice and my own experience. Your mileage may vary.

[GRIFTY]

i run microsoft security essentials. because i'm not a complete moron, i've never had virus problems with a pc. good tips, this article should be a sticky in the kitchen or somewhere else. keeping your pc running like new is NOT difficult. that's a myth propagated by apple-cult leaders