NEW POST! Check out TOOLS EVERYONE SHOULD OWN!
Thankfully, there are quite a few free software packages available that are fantastic!
My recommendations fall into one of two types - those you MUST have and those you might want to try.
I've also added a third section for financial websites and a fourth section of non-computer recommendations.
SECTION ONE - THE PROGRAMS YOU MUST HAVE
To properly protect your computer, you need to layer your defenses. One product will not provide enough protection.
For illustration purposes, let’s look at your computer as an exclusive restaurant.
Our first layer of protection comes from a…
Firewall
If you don’t already have one, this is the first thing you should install!
A firewall is like a bouncer on the street guarding the door to your restaurant. He checks the credentials of everyone trying to get in and if they’re approved, he lets them in. If they’re not approved, he sends them away.
He's all muscle and doesn’t need much training, so once you have him on duty (installed), you usually don’t need to educate (update) him very often.
As you can imagine, he is constantly tested by crooks that disguise themselves as others hoping to get in. Others also try to come in through back doors or windows. Our bouncer can only do so much by himself, and he isn't fool-proof.
That’s why we need the help of another employee…
Anti-virus
This is the second item you should install and this is like having another bouncer, but this time he's on the inside of your restaurant.
I used to recommend two programs, AVG and Avast. Too many negative issues have happened lately for me to continue recommending Avast. Now, my only suggestion is AVG.
I used to recommend two programs, AVG and Avast. Too many negative issues have happened lately for me to continue recommending Avast. Now, my only suggestion is AVG.
This guy is very good at spotting major trouble makers. Most of them he will stop in the lobby before they can take a seat. But every now and then, you’ll need to tell him to look the place over (scan) for anyone that didn’t come in the front door.
Since new ways of causing trouble are discovered every day, you’ll need to keep this guy educated (updated) as much as possible by turning on his auto-update feature.
But keep in mind this guy is only looking for obvious trouble makers.
We still need help from even more employees...
Spyware/Malware
Think of spyware/malware as customers inside your restaurant that are there for one of these reasons...
- To steal items (copy files)
- To pick pockets (capture financial information)
- To damage furniture (delete files)
- To harass you (pop-up nag screens)
Since there are so many crooks doing bad things, you'll need multiple undercover agents to discover and remove them from your restaurant. You’ll also want to keep these guys constantly educated (updated) so they’ll be aware of the latest tricks.
And just like our other bouncer (anti-virus), you’ll need to routinely send one or more of these undercover agents into the restaurant (scan) to find anyone that’s hiding in the closets, cooler, or kitchen and remove them.
But unfortunately, your restaurant has other worries, too. Lightning can hit your place. The kitchen could catch on fire. A water pipe could burst, flooding the place.
How will we get back to serving customers quickly if any of the nasties inside have their way or damaging accidents happen? This is why we need a...
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Backup
As the owner of this exclusive restaurant, you need insurance to provide you with protection. This insurance comes in the form of regular and complete backups of your data. Just think of losing all your financial information in the back office, all the precious family photos you've lined the restaurant's walls with, or your customer address book. Having backups is a smart idea that can save you a lot of work and heartache!
Internet Browser
When you leave the restaurant via the Internet, a good personal assistant will keep you safe, knowing what dark alleys to keep you out of, and not allowing strangers to harass you while you are online.
There are many Internet browsers available, a dozen that are well known, a few that are pretty good, but only two stand above the others. If your personal assistant (Internet browser) is Internet Explorer, FIRE THEM IMMEDIATELY (delete it from your computer)! Beyond the fact that Microsoft is not supporting it any longer, most viruses and spyware are written to take advantage of the many, many vulnerabilities Internet Explorer has.
Google's Chrome browser gets my recommendation, but Mozilla's Firefox is good, too.
To recap:
- Install a firewall.
- Install an anti-virus.
- Update regularly (set it to automatic if possible).
- Scan hard drive regularly (at least every 3 months).
- Install multiple spyware/malware programs.
- Update regularly (set it to automatic if possible).
- Scan hard drive regularly (every month or when you notice the computer running slower or displaying odd behavior).
- Back up your data regularly.
- Use a safe Internet browser.
SECTION TWO - THE PROGRAMS YOU SHOULD TRY
Below are some free software packages, or websites, I've used through the years and rate very highly. They are not listed in any particular order. Hopefully, you'll find some of them useful as well. They are listed in no particular order...
The best free e-mail account you can find that has superior spam filtering. Be sure to also use Google's Calendar feature, which works great if you are sharing a calendar with other family members.
A hard drive utility to help you maintain your hard drive...
- Find the files or folders that are using the most space on your hard drive.
- Discover those files or folders VERY fast.
- Actually see how much space each file or folder takes up compared to all the others.
Greenshot - click here to download
A screenshot software tool with the following key features...
- Quickly create screenshots of a selected region, window or full screen; you can even capture complete (scrolling) web pages from Internet Explorer.
- Easily annotate, highlight or obfuscate parts of the screenshot.
- Export the screenshot in various ways: save to file, send to printer, copy to clipboard, attach to e-mail, send to Office programs or upload to photo sites like Flickr and others.
A very small, fast, and compact graphic viewer for Windows.
Paint.net - click here to download
If you want to do some Photoshop work on pictures or logos but don't want to buy the expensive Photoshop software, try this wonderful and easy to use software.
PDFCreator - click here to download
Instead of printing your document, convert it to a PDF. Can also merge multiple print jobs from different software into one PDF.
Foxit Reader - click here to download
A more powerful alternative to Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Draw.io - click here to visit website
If you need business flowcharts or organizational charts, give this a try.
Any-Video-Converter - click here to download
Is there a cool YouTube video you'd like to have on your computer? Do you need to convert a video from one format to another so it will play correctly? If so, this should work for you!
This is great if you need to provide technical assistance for parents, kids, or friends. You download the software and create a log in. Whoever needs help goes to the TeamViewer website and runs the TeamViewer QuickSupport option which allows you temporary access to their computer.
If you do much surfing on the web, pop-up ads can drive you crazy. uBlock Origin is a great way to take those ads. And, if there's a website that you never want blocked, it's very easy to do.
If you have a font in a document or photo that you want to match as close as possible, try this site.
Smash - click here to visit website
Need to send someone a file that's too big for e-mail to handle? This will do the job.
Maybe you want to sign up for a website which requires that you provide an e-mail address to send a validation e-mail to. And maybe you don't want to give up your real e-mail address and end up on a bunch of spam lists. This is nice and disposable. And it's free.
SECTION THREE - FINANCIAL WEBSITES YOU SHOULD TRY
Do Your Own Will - click here to visit website
If you are 21 or older, you NEED to have the following legal documents:
- Last Will and Testament - What happens to your children and your "stuff" when you die.
- Living Will - What happens to you if your are in the process of dying.
- Durable Power of Attorney - What happens to you and your "stuff" if you're mentally or physically incapable.
Free Annual Credit Reports - click here to visit website
A few years ago, the Federal government required the three main credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax) to provide free copies of your credit report upon request. You can only request them once a year. I request ours every two years.
You need to use annualcreditreport.com (above) to get all the dirt on your credit sore, but sign up for Credit Karma's free monitoring service and you'll also learn what your credit score is. Has been updated to now include parts of Mint.com which was closed down in 2023.
Kick TurboTax and the others to the curb, this online service does everything they do but just a little bit better.
SECTION FOUR - OTHER THINGS YOU SHOULD TRY
YouTube TV - click here to visit website
Cut the cord! Stop paying insane amounts of money for Dish Network, DirecTV, U-Verse, etc. and stream your television using Google's service. There is no hardware to buy, plus you get unlimited recording to the cloud and local channels.
AppleTV 4K - click here to visit website
Even if your television set is "smart" (built-in streaming services), the apps are not supported as much as they are in seperate streaming devices. AppleTV 4K (not to be confused with AppleTV+, which is their streaming service) is top-of-the-line. While it costs more than most streaming devices, you will not be sorry you went with this one.