What are some basic applications I should have on my computer?

[plrbear1028]

anyone have any suggestions? I have CCleaner on my computer, but I see some people out there have any ideas on a good defragger? any essentials?

 

[PapaWood]

Windows Defragmentation software is fine, though I do recommend Open Hardware Monitor to watch voltage and temps

 

[ss202sl]

anti virus

 

[Entomber]

everyone should have malwarebytes (http/malwarebytes.org) on their computer

 

[PapaWood]

And or Spybot Search & Destroy.

 

[Onus]

You'll want an alternate browser and the anti-advertising/anti-tracking add-ins it offers. I use Firefox with AdBlock+ and Noscript and/or Ghostery. Note that Chrome collects a lot of data, and is discontinuing Java support soon.
You may want an email program. Thunderbird plus the Lightning add-in give you most of the features of MS Outlook (e.g. Tasks and Scheduling). Firefox and Thunderbird are available at www.mozilla.org.
Libre Office (www.libreoffice.org) is a free, full-featured office suite that will work with MS Office file formats.
Picasa is a decent photo organizer.
At least until you've got your system "settled in," you may want a monitoring program like CoreTemp to monitor temperatures; your motherboard may also provide a utility for this purpose.

 

[Tom Tancredi]

anyone have any suggestions? I have CCleaner on my computer, but I see some people out there have any ideas on a good defragger? any essentials?

Well I use www.FileHippo.com to get all my programs from, as it keeps up to date lists on the free stuff out there without bundled spam/adware crap and so on you find at ZDNet. Normally I recommend you get Opera now, as Chrome just dropped support for 'legacy' code which means many of the Web based games out there and video feeds won't work on Chrome anymore (for example Time Warner uses Microsoft Silverlight, no longer functions on Chrome) as your webbrowser. If you don't use Outlook.com or GMail.com as your email I found EMClient to be a great alternative to Outlook Email Client software. You always need to install Java from Java.com and then from Adobe Flash, Shockwave, Air and Reader (click on menu at the top of Adobe.com) for any applications that connect in someway to Internet Content.
Installing Steam from www.steampowered.com gets me connected to games I can play for free or buy. Then from there it is what I am going to use the computer for for any other software (free or paid for) choices. If you have Windows 8 download www.classicshell.net to get back your 'orb' and start menu to make it easier to navigate.

Now maintenance wise I religiously use this checklist to follow monthly on all the computers I support:

Did you install all Windows Updates? Including OPTIONAL except BING? Check them and repeat till ALL are installed.

Download and run Slim Drivers, install all the latest updates but you don't need to reboot until you do the last update

Go to www.filehippo.com, download Malwarebytes, go to CUSTOM Scan and set it to do a full system scan (by DEFAULT IT DOESN"T DO THAT, and AntiVirus doesn't pick up alot of malware) - this resolved almost ALL other similiar posts to date as most had Malware the AV didn't pick up.

Remove whatever AV your using and download AVIRA, AVG, Comodo or Panda go to CUSTOM Scan and set it to do a full system scan (by DEFAULT IT DOESN"T DO THAT) - this repeatedly has resolved alot of people issue relying on MS Essentials.

Repeat the AV/Malware scans till the system comes up clean.

Download AUTORUNS and turn off anything NOT critical on startup, so you don't need to run JAVAScheduler to check for Java updates everytime you start your computer for example. BE CAREFUL AND KNOW WHAT YOUR TURNING OFF BEFORE YOU DO IT.

Download and run SPECCY, check first tab to show your idle temps

If I am gaming or using 3D applications (Second Life, CAD, etc.) then I want to check 'what is going on' I
Download and run MSI Afterburner, in the settings turn ON OSD, then go through and SET the stuff to 'watch' by enabling them in OSD (On Screen Display)
Now run some of the games that run poor, what temps are you getting when underload as compared to what you posted?
With MSI Afterburner Do you see anything funny that the CPU or other parts are maxing out (we are testing here not trying to WIN at the games, so if your screen is filled with readouts then just deal as we are just observing).
Do you see this problem when in SOLO MODE? Only when Multiplayer?

 

[Onus]

^Good points there. In your [appropriate] zeal to install Anti-Virus software, choose ONE package only! The debate of which one is best is for another thread, but you only want ONE. Your ISP may provide a paid package "free" (as part of your subscription), e.g. Comcast provides Norton, BUT installing it is a pain because you need to install their "Constant Guard" bugware first in order to get it, but once Norton is installed you can remove the Constant Guard.

 

[Tom Tancredi]

^Good points there. In your [appropriate] zeal to install Anti-Virus software, choose ONE package only! ....

I did say OR in there ya know LOL!

 

[USAFRet]

For utilities like this, I use ninite.com. Fast, very easy, and autodeselects any potentially bundled crapware that some FOSS applications want to install.

Select all at once, and you get a small exe download module. Run it, and it goes and gets all the current version of whatever and install them.

EDIT: spelling

 

[Tom Tancredi]

@USAFRet - Ohhh I soooo forgot about that tool. I forgot to mention if you all do not have Office suite, I been using Kingsoft WPS Office Suite 2014 which has worked quite well. Sadly after version 9.1.0.47568 they switched to a Shareware model that you need to buy it like any other Office Suite. As for compatibility with M$ Office it is the best one I ever found.

 

[Onus]

I wanted to make the "There can be only ONE" point about AV software because I just cleaned off FOUR anti-virus programs installed on the same laptop, which so slowed it down (an AMD E-300) as to render it unusable. Now it just has AVG and MalwareBytes, and runs quite nicely (I also bumped the RAM from 2GB to 6GB, which had to help too since it has 64bit Win8 on it. Why Toshiba would come up with a hardware configuration too weak for the software beats me; starting with 4GB of RAM wouldn't have killed anyone).

 

[USAFRet]

I wanted to make the "There can be only ONE" point about AV software because I just cleaned off FOUR anti-virus programs installed on the same laptop, which so slowed it down (an AMD E-300) as to render it unusable. Now it just has AVG and MalwareBytes, and runs quite nicely (I also bumped the RAM from 2GB to 6GB, which had to help too since it has 64bit Win8 on it. Why Toshiba would come up with a hardware configuration too weak for the software beats me; starting with 4GB of RAM wouldn't have killed anyone).

I just had this with a friends Toshiba. Totally unusable out of the box. So many competing system scanners, AV, Reg scanners....The drive was thrashing at 100% for at least an hour after poweron.
One of the supposed 'Registry cleaners' reports "56 errors !" (big red letters) "Pay us $49.99, and we'll remove them for you!"
This, on a laptop that was 1 day old.

 

[Tom Tancredi]

I wanted to make the "There can be only ONE" point .

hands you this...

http/img.pandawhale.com/post-38707-Highlander-there-can-be-only-o-V7Om.gif

 

[Onus]

I can't see that at work, but I'll check from home later!

 

[plrbear1028]

Windows Defragmentation software is fine, though I do recommend Open Hardware Monitor to watch voltage and temps

what if I have Speecy?

 

[USAFRet]

Windows Defragmentation software is fine, though I do recommend Open Hardware Monitor to watch voltage and temps

what if I have Speecy?

That will work too. No problem in trying other applications.