Advanced Security oldschool's surfing laptop configuration

Last updated
Mar 27, 2024
How it's used?
For home and private use
Operating system
Windows 11
Other operating system
Windows Pro
On-device encryption
N/A
Log-in security
    • Biometrics (Windows Hello PIN, TouchID, Face, Iris, Fingerprint)
Security updates
Allow security updates
Update channels
Allow stable updates only
User Access Control
Always notify
Smart App Control
On
Network firewall
Enabled
About WiFi router
Provided by ISP
Real-time security
Windows Security
Firewall security
Microsoft Defender Firewall
About custom security
MS Defender - Block all unknown executables | ASR rules | Platform & Engine Beta channel updates
Smart App Control
Exploit Protection settings
Firewall Hardening
RunBySmartscreen
Windows Spy Blocker
Periodic malware scanners
KVRT
Malware sample testing
I do not participate in malware testing
Environment for malware testing
N/A
Browser(s) and extensions
Firefox I µBO | Brave Search I
Brave | Brave Search | My settings
Edge | Privacy Badger | JShelter | Bing
Secure DNS
Quad9 DNS
Desktop VPN
None
Password manager
Maintenance tools
Windows built-in
Mem Reduct
File and Photo backup
Copy/Paste
Active subscriptions
    • None
System recovery
Wiindows built-in | Aomei Backupper Pro Lifetime
Risk factors
    • Browsing to popular websites
    • Opening email attachments
    • Buying from online stores, entering banks card details
    • Downloading software and files from reputable sites
    • Streaming audio/video content from trusted sites or paid subscriptions
Computer specs
Lenovo L340 Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-8145U CPU @ 2.10GHz 2.30 GHz 8.00 GB RAM 1TB HDD
Notable changes
22-12-5 Reverted to MS Defender.
23-1-21 Refreshed Windows with SAC in evaluation mode.
23-2-2 Clean Windows installation
23-2-18 SAC user-enabled on
27-2-23 Added Chrome for the lack of 'feature' bloat.
28-2-23 Changed default browser to Chrome
What I'm looking for?

Looking for minimum feedback.

SeriousHoax

Level 47
Well-known
Mar 16, 2019
3,630
Not sure how to go about that. Any direction would be appreciated.
It's simple. You create a user.js file in your Firefox profile folder (eg: C:\Users\*UserName*\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\****.default-release) and fill it with changes that you wanna make to your Firefox. Every/almost every setting of Firefox can be configured via about:config. There are even many hidden flags that are not even present in about:config that can be used via the user.js configuration.
By default, Firefox has a file named pref.js file in the profile directory, where it keeps all its configurations. This file should never be tampered with. But for users, Firefox gives us the option to have our own config file which is this the user.js file. It's not present in the folder by default. You have to create it by your own. Any changes present in the user.js file is automatically put into pref.js file by Firefox.
So instead of having to change your about:config flags manually, you put your changes into the user.js file and it will work the same. Later let's say if you want to remove multiple about:config flags then you just remove it from your user.js file. If you want to restore to stock settings excluding browser data, you simply delete the user.js file from Firefox profile instead of changing all flags manually from about:config. So, it's a simple way to personalize your Firefox.
You can paste this user.js file into some other PC's Firefox profile folder and you will have your settings in that Firefox in a second. So it's an easy way to personalize and backup your Firefox preferences/settings/configurations. Directly making changes to about:config makes that change permanent and saves it into pref.js but changes made via user.js will work as long as the file is present in the profile directory.
I lost my enriched user.js file like 2 years ago and didn't make one again until last night. I made some not too harden changes here initially. Might add more later if necessary. You can have a look at this to have an idea. I even put this in alphabetical order, similar to the pref.js file. Any preference you're not familiar with, just do a google search or any other search engine to know what it does.
 
Last edited:

oldschool

Level 81
Thread author
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
Mar 29, 2018
7,044
Just for kicks, I'm on the bus to Finland, trialing F-Secure based on all the comments, tests by @upnorth,@Shadowra and others. Extremely easy install, low memory usage, fast web surfing and good for my 8GB RAM 8th Gen Intel i3 laptop. ;) I especially like how easy they make installation of the web extension. Really good for noobs and non-technical, average users. So for now, F-Secure gets the @oldschool simplicity seal of approval. (y):D
 
Last edited:

Pat MacKnife

Level 15
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
Jul 14, 2015
725
Just for kicks, I'm on the bus to Finland, trialing F-Secure based on all the comments, tests by @upnorth,@Shadowra and others. Extremely easy install, low memory usage, fast web surfing and good for my 8GB RAM 8th Gen Intel i3 laptop. ;) I especially like how easy they make installation of the web extension. Really good for noobs and non-technical, average users. So for now, F-Secure gets the @oldschool simplicity seal of approval. (y):D
Also check for processes called withsecure, one has about 400 MB ,but it feels light on the system.
 

Pat MacKnife

Level 15
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
Jul 14, 2015
725
I think its all about RAM the more you got the more RAM it uses, i have the same thing with Bitdefender, it goes from 350 MB to 800 MB on my system (with 16 GB Ram), on my wife's laptop BD only use 150 MB to 370 MB (with 12 GB RAM)
F-secure safe uses about 400 MB (withsecure proces) on my system) :)
 

Dave Russo

Level 21
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
May 26, 2014
1,042

oldschool

Level 81
Thread author
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
Mar 29, 2018
7,044
It used to block IDM updates.
I was able to download the installer Zip, but extracting it resulted in an empty folder. No alert from FS, and didn't see it blocked in any of the modules.
Hi Oldschool, Took a quick look at Mindfulness at the computer, ,interesting concept are you just checking this out?
Nope. I've been using the previous Alpha versions for quite some time. The creator just released a Beta version.
Do you give it a recommendation
Yes. I like it. It's simple, uses Windows notification to alert the user, who can then invoke a breathing dialogue by clicking on the alert., and the breathing diaologue graphics are tastefully done. It grets the @oldschool seal of approval. :LOL:

Python users may install with the Python package, otherwise one may use the Windows Zip package and place the folder anywhere you like. I put it in C: Programs(86).

MS Defender and/or Smartscreen will block the download and other AVs may block it one way or another since it so new.
where did you find or hear about
At GitHub - humanetech-community/awesome-humane-tech: Promoting Solutions that Improve Wellbeing, Freedom and Society via the earlier gHacks Firefox user.js, which later morphed into 4.1 Extensions · arkenfox/user.js Wiki
 

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