PC Utility Software
All the following utilities come with full installation instructions. However if you need help to install them or any other form of support for your computer/IT equipment, then please contact me. Microsoft Windows 7 is said to be more secure than earlier releases of Windows. This doesn't mean that you can relax and let Microsoft get on with the job of protecting your computer. You still need proper anti-virus protection at the very least.
Anti-Virus
For a free, basic anti-virus product, you can't do better than AVG http://free.grisoft.com. The remainder of the AVG product range isn't free, but is still great value. You can order through me or direct online.
Malware detection
There are several worthwhile products available that can check your PC for unwanted software (Trojans, malware, spyware etc. etc.) and remove or nullify anything that's found. Spybot Search & Destroy is a good place to start - you can read all the details and download it here (http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html). Please leave a small donation if it does the job for you.
Some unwanted software can be much harder to remove and if your PC has been infected with this type of malware then Spy Hunter is worth considering. It's not a free product, although you can run the scan free of charge. More information to be found at http://www.enigmasoftware.com/.
Firewall
With 'always on' broadband connections, every PC needs a secure Firewall. If you're using Windows 7, Windows Vista or Windows XP one is included but earlier versions of Windows (2000, ME, NT, 98 or 95) lack this feature. There are two versions of Zone Alarm that are worth considering: the basic version (called Zone Alarm) is free and will do a good job for most people; Zone Alarm Pro has a longer list of features and is available on subscription. One important feature of both versions is that you can block transmissions from your PC as well as those trying to access it from outside. This prevents malware such as key-loggers from transmitting data to the outside world. Get more information and download either version from http://www.zonealarm.com.
Spam Blockers
You're very fortunate if you're not being plagued with unwanted (spam) email these days. There are a couple of ways of dealing with this problem that I've found useful. First up is Mailwasher and this gives the user a simple but effective way of previewing any incoming email before it reaches the Inbox. Any email not wanted for any reason (not just spam) can be deleted and then the remainder of the messages retrieved in the usual way. You can create your own blacklist and friends lists to help sort the email. As with ZoneAlarm, there are two versions, the free Mailwasher or the subscription-based Mailwasher Pro. You need the Pro version if you operate more than one email account and to get the extra features. See more details about both versions at http://www.mailwasher.net/.
If you're really being plagued with spam emails, you might need the power of the Cloudmark solution. This software integrates with your email program (Outlook or Outlook Express) and checks each incoming email against a central database of known spam types. Any suspect email is put into a special Spam folder for you to check. If the software misses any spam, you can drag it into the spam folder and, in doing so, you help to update the central database. Conversely, any email mistakenly put into the spam folder by Cloudmark can be dragged out and put in your Inbox. These activities can gain you points (plus or minus) and boost your Cloudmark status (or diminish it!). Read much more information and download trial copies of the software at http://www.cloudmark.com/.
