Advanced Security oldschool's cheapo laptop configuration

Last updated
Feb 4, 2026
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 | Platform & Engine Beta channel updates
Cloud Protection Level - Block
ASR rules
Exploit Protection Settings
Firewall Hardening Tool
Controlled Folder Access - Added Start Menu, Start Menu > Programs, and Quick Launch folders.
RunBySmartscreen

Windows Security - A Github page by a former MT member with links to relevant MS documentation.
Periodic malware scanners
NPE, Sophos Scan & Clean, Eset Online Scanner
Malware sample testing
I do not participate in malware testing
Environment for malware testing
N/A
Browser(s) and extensions
Ungoogled Chromium | Privacy Badger | UBOL* | McAfee Web Advsior | Brave Search | Chrome Web Store
* I use Privacy Badger on all websites and UBOL "On click" via browser's menu access control.
Ungoogled Chromium flags

Firefox | µBO | Brave Search

Edge | µBO | GPC Enabler | Brave Search
Edge flags
Secure DNS
Quad9 DNS
Desktop VPN
None
Password manager
Little black book + brain.exe + GRC's Password Haystacks: How Well Hidden is Your Needle?
Maintenance tools
Windows built-in
File and Photo backup
Copy/Paste
Subscriptions
    • None
System recovery
Aomei Backupper Pro Lifetime - Primary
Wiindows Backup & Restore- Secondary image backup
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 16GB RAM 500GB SSD 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
24.2.24 Refreshed Windows and re-enabled Smart App Control
26.2.2 Replaced Chrome with Ungoogled Chromium
26.2.2
9.25 Updated to 25H2 via Enablement package.
5.7.24 Performed a repair installation via Windows Update. Nice & easy!
6.10.24 Updated to 24H2 OS build 26100.1882
10.10.24 Rolled back to 23H2 due to bugs & performance
16.10.24 Added Chrome browser with Privacy Badger
5.1.25 Reset PC and enabled Smart App Control
2.4.26 Ungoogled Chromium as default browser
What I'm looking for?

Looking for minimum feedback.

show-Zi said:
@oldschool click the security software like a bookmark.🏄‍♂️:)(y)
Click to expand...
My configuration is saved in Wordpad so I can make quick changes to the thread! :LOL: :LOL::LOL:

Wordpad is the little app most users have forgotten about. Rarely exploited. ;) Perfectly safe. It is my main program for document creation and management.
 
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Dave Russo said:
do you have any experience trying wisevector instead of Voodoshileld?
Click to expand...
Yes. Very lightweight and effective according to those who test but I haven't used it since v2.7xxx
Dave Russo said:
hitman Pro is my 3rd alternate
Click to expand...
I wouldn't bother with it myself. I generally use Defender alone with built-in Windows exploit protection. You may find exploit setup in first post above.
 
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MrFellow said:
This is the first time I hear about this search engine. How is it compared to other "private" engines?
Click to expand...
I think it's most like the old, i.e. original, Google before/without the tracking. It doesn't track, log or place cookies, it uses its own algorithm and I believe it relies the Google API. I like its results and uncluttered pages. The next closest results-wise is StartPage, in my opinion. Oh, and it's blazin' fast! I think DDG is way over-rated.
 
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oldschool said:
I think it's most like the old, i.e. original, Google before/without the tracking. It doesn't track, log or place cookies, it uses its own algorithm and I believe it relies the Google API. I like its results and uncluttered pages. The next closest results-wise is StartPage, in my opinion. Oh, and it's blazin' fast! I think DDG is way over-rated.
Click to expand...
Never was a fan of DDG's search results. Startpage was closest to google search results I think.
Will try this one.

Thanks for the info. :emoji_beer:
 
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oldschool said:
Settled on Adguard MV3 Experimental in Edge for now. It has more features than µBO Minus*.

* Editorial note: Gorhill must have a bug up his *** to dumb down his MV3 work and push this out. Why bother?
Click to expand...
Mr. Hill is known to be grumpy and stubborn. So I think he's trying to prove a point here with his uBO Minus. Google's main intention behind MV3 is to make extensions more restrictive, to make them less likely to do malicious stuff. If you follow that principle, then you get this barebone adblocking capability as what we have with uBO Minus.
If you do what Adguard did which requires "read and change all your data on all websites" permission, which is one of the thing that Google said they're trying to avoid with MV3. That's the irony he's trying to imply on Google.
 
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