MyCleanPC and other radio advertised speed up your pc programs are basically a scam and you can do what they do and more for free. I'll tell ya exactly what you need to do and I will actually be doing this on my computer as I type the instructions so I can make sure I get everything right for you.
First, make sure you have up-to-date anti-virus software and a firewall. Every computer needs to have both if you ever go online. Keep your software updated and scan regularly.
Now, the MyCleanPC software checks for registry errors and spyware. You can check this on your own and for free! (And without giving your credit card info to a shady company.)
First - Download CCleaner.
download.cnet.com/ccleaner/CCleaner checks for registry errors and is the best free program I've found that does so. It's very popular and I've been using it myself for maybe a year now.
When you have downloaded it install the program. When you install the program it may ask you to add a toolbar or something like that. Just make sure you click "no" to this option and you're good to go! I should note that MyCleanPC will install a toolbar on your computer and they don't give you a choice. And that's a program you have to pay 40 bucks for!
Now to use CCleaner - When you open up the program you should see four horizontal icons on the left which are - cleaner, registry, tools and options. Click on the "registry" option. There should be a bunch of checked boxed; if some aren't checked go ahead and check them.
Then click, "scan for issues". If it's your first time checking your registry you will probably see a lot of errors, which is normal. Click on the, "fix selected issues button". It will ask you if you want to back up your registry, I always pick no.
Then another box will pop up, click on "fix all selected issues". Taa-da! That's it! Run this program once and a while, especially when you install or remove programs to keep your registry squeaky clean.
And now for the Spy Ware checker - Spybot Search and Destroy. Download here
www.safer-networking.org/en/mirrors/index.htmlSpybot has been around for as long as I've been online and it has maintained a reputation for being an effective and safeway to keep your computer free from annoying spyware. After you download the program go ahead and install it.
I recommend you use the default settings while installing so you don't have to un-click on anything this time. Now update the program. It will give you a list of servers to update from, click on one from the U.S. and you'll be good.
When you have updated click the, "exit" on the bottom of the window. Now the next thing you want to do is click the "immunize" button on the left side of the window. This protects your computer for a lot of known spyware that's already out there. It will do a quick scan. When it's over click the green plus and it will give your computer what it basically a spyware "flu shot". (Note this may take a little while. It's a good time to get a snack.)
When this is done, click on the "Search and Destroy" button on the top left. Now click on "check for problems." It will ask if you want to clear your temporary folder, I recommend hitting yes. Now it will scan your pc for evil spyware. This may take a long time depending on your computer, so now is a great time to get another snack or two. Or three.
In fact you might want to do this before you go to bed and leave your computer on while it scans.
If the scan completes and it finds nothing then good for you! Scan your PC once a week. If it does find something make sure the problem (which will be in red text) has a green check mark next to it. You can click on the little plus sign next to the check box if you want to see a short description on the problem. Usually these will be harmless cookies you can go ahead a nuke. Nuke any spyware you find too of course.
Now click the "fix selected problems" button up top. Click yes to the pop up and you should be done. If the program finds spy-ware sometimes it will need to restart the computer to fully uninstall it. Just do what the program tells you to.
There, now you have two tools at your disposal you can use at any time and for free. Please post if you have any questions or you need help with installing these and I'd be happy to help.
Here's a few other random tips -
Defrag your computer once a month, and right after you install a program.
Keep 20 percent of your hard-drive free; don't fill it all the way up. Your computer uses some of the HD space in much the same way your computer uses your RAM for.
Don't pour beer into your computer, even if it asks nicely.
The average life cycle for an "out of the box" computer is maybe five years or a bit longer. Sometimes your computer might just be running slow because some of your hardware might be old and needs to be replaced. Consider that if you have exhausted every other option to speed up a sluggish computer.
Never click on pop up ads, and never install anything from a pop-up ad. Use a pop up blocker.
If you get an email with a link in it and it looks suspicious don't click on it. If you get a strange email from a friend with a link in it don't click on it either - their email was probably hacked. This happened to my wife just last week and she sent me and the rest of the people on her contacts list a link that would have downloaded male-ware to our computers
If you get an official looking email from some company you may have an account with (such as PayPal, your bank or Facebook) and they ask you to verify your account or to log in to change your password DO NOT click on the link in the email. This is a phishing scam and they are trying to trick you to get your information.
Any company you have an account with will already have your account info - they wont ask you for it! When in doubt, go to the companies main website and see from there if you need to do anything, DO NOT click on the link in your email. It might look like a perfect reproduction of the website in the link but it's a trap. These scams have gotten very sophisticated recently.
Chain letters - will often have a link to click on to "see more" or some other crap. Don't pass along chain letters please. Not only are they lame but they often carry links to maleware. When you try to open a link it will say something like, "one more step" and ask you to click on something. When you do it installs all kinds of crap on your computer.
Always be mindful while surfing the internet. There are scams everywhere. If you have good anti-virus software and you're careful you will probably never get a virus.
