How To Maintenance Your Computer

These are things that I use to help keep my computer up and running.  It works for me and it will work for you.

The main programs I use:

Ad-aware - this takes care of spyware from your computer.  Spyware is software programs that installs itself to your computer without you knowing it.  Nothing we can do about it except use a firewall to help with some of it.  I explain firewalls later.

Easy Cleaner - This helps you delete those internet files, and helps keep your registry clean. 

Zone alarm - This is a firewall.  Go to their homepage and download the free version by clicking on the word Zone Alarm over to the left.  This takes you to their homepage.  Look down the right hand side of the page under Direct Links, click on ZoneAlarm (free).  Look down the 1st column under Zone Alarm and click download, then click on download free Zone Alarm and then click open.  This will start installing Zone Alarm.  Read and follow instructions.

Once you install Zone Alarm a small window pops up down by the time every time a program tries to access the internet.  Read the message below.   This tells you that if you click on the small white box in the pop up then it will remember your answer about letting a program access the internet.  Most of the time you will be checking the white box and clicking yes.

  It keeps people from hacking inside your computer.  Especially with dsl/cable internet. 

Now if you downloaded Zone Alarm you do not need to download Sygate, but if you don't like Zone Alarm try Sygate it is just as good and best of all FREE.

Sygate - Another free firewall.  Also click on the word Sygate to the left and this takes you to their website and download it.   Once on their website look over to the right of the page you will see a small computer icon with the date: 1-15-04 next to it. Well below that click on Personal Firewall Day.  Again over to the right of the page in the 2nd square box that says "Need A Free Solution?" Click on get it now.  Click on the small green box that says download now.  This takes you to another page and click download now, then open and follow instructions.  When you click open and it downloads and starts installing then that is the 1. below.

Like Zone Alarm this window will pop up, just click the white box and click yes to most of these pop ups.

Another very good program.  I have used both Zone Alarm and Sygate and they both do the same thing.