Tmary's Windows configuration

[tmary]

I'm retired and tend to tinker a lot with my machine, so I frequently install and uninstall software.

 

[Exterminator]

First I would enable UAC to at least default and enable Os Updates to at least "Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them". Important OS updates are important to the security of your operating system.Without these your PC is at risk.
I edited your config to reflect Kerish Doctor & Glary Utilities under "Frequently used System Utilities" as these are not on demand scanners.
I would remove Superantispyware and Spybot for some better on demand scanners such as ESET online Scanner,Emsisoft Emergency Kit and or HitmanPro.
I would pick one or the other system utilities,Kerish Doctor or Glary Utilities as there is no advantage,and possibly problems,to using both of these.
In fact I find CCleaner to be more than enough.
Thanks for sharing your config

 

[Vasudev]

Valid points suggested by @Exterminator. You can use a tool called WHDownloader to manually download w7 updates and you do get detailed info about update by hovering over them. If you want tweaking tools use tweaking.com's tools which is safe. Consider adding CCleaner to cleanup junk files and keep your PC in tip top shape.

 

[aragornnnn]

Thanks for sharing your config!

I recommend:
-Enabling User Acess Control to atleast default
-Replace all on-demand scanners with Emsisoft Emergency Kit. Also use MalwareBytes Anti-Malware as on-demand only
-Replace all cleaners with CCleaner
-HTTPS Everywhere for chrome

 

[shmu26]

if you like to tinker and install new software, so check the file out on VirusTotal before you run the installer, and that should help a real lot to keep your system clean.
Or you can run an anti-exe program that has cloud lookup, like voodooshield or SecureAPlus.

and do what the other forum members have already suggested...

 

[FrFc1908]

Thanks for sharing your config!

I recommend:
-Enabling User Acess Control to atleast default
-Replace all on-demand scanners with Emsisoft Emergency Kit. Also use MalwareBytes Anti-Malware as on-demand only
-Replace all cleaners with CCleaner
-HTTPS Everywhere for chrome

he can keep kerish doctor also , becuase this program is awesome and it is a nice addition to ccleaner. the rest of the optimization programs you have can be removed. remove admuncher also because it is obsulete. remove spybot search and destroy and superantispyware and replace with emsisoft emergency kit.

 

[tmary]

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions. I should clarify that I do have my system set to 'Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them'--was that a choice on the menu (if it was, I overlooked it)? I've had to troubleshoot many systems that had the default set to download and install OS patches that crippled the machine, and I dislike MS forcing Win10 on me, so I prefer to review updates before having them pushed to my machine.

CCleaner can get a bit aggressive, I've had it corrupt applications if I'm not watchful. I run it occasionally, but it isn't installed and run regularly. When it comes to cleanup tools, in my experience, a second product will always find something that the first product missed. A lot of people here evidently like CCleaner. I clean out the browser caches often, sometimes several times a week, and run PrivaZer and/or Temp File Cleaner to try and limit my being profiled. @Aragornnn, I like Kerish Doctor too; it has been kinder to my computer than CCleaner. I definately need to check out the Emisoft Emergency Kit . I'm not familiar with that tool, though I have a lot of respect for their software products. Malware isn't nice, but its not nice for security software to corrupt my computer either.

I've installed SecureAPlus twice and had it hose (gotta love those technical terms) my machine twice. Thanks @schmu26, but, uh, a polite, no thanks.

I'm not familiar with ESET, HitmanPro, HTTPS Everywhere, or Voodooshield; I definately will check them out.

From a review on your site, I guess its time to uninstall ad muncher and give ublock a try. Too many ads.

Chrome is probably my favorite browser, but I find plenty of sites that just don't want to work, and are more cooperative under something else. Funny thing about the UCBrowser, it seems that malware tools (especially Zemana antilogger) like to flag it as malware; yet it is a common product on mobile devices, and seems to be more universally compatible with websites than Chrome. If UCBrowser is truely malware, then the developer is distributing malware. UCBrowser is rapidly closing on my favorite, but what's the deal with the malware scanner findings? I've tried a boatload of other browsers, but didn't keep them. IE is my least favorite, but it's handy for requesting OS updates.

I can see there's a majority vote here for default UAC settings. I can't say I've never ever shot myself in the foot, but with the default settings I'd be carelessly giving myself permission to do what I'm going to do all day long. After being asked 'are you sure' so often that the response is an automatic 'yes, let me do it' UAC looses usefulness. Ditto for ZoneAlarm's firewall, the warnings loose significance after too many notices.

Thanks to you all, I discovered that I have two firewalls running...Avira and Windows. I ran Bitdefender for a while, nice product, but it expired and then I lost all my firewall settings and had a dickens of a time getting the Windows firewall to work again <sigh>. I've tried many different AV products, they all seem to work okay, but some aren't very considerate when they expire. "Give us more money, or you'll have to figure out all the stuff we did to your machine that you don't know about." Isn't that called blackmail?
It's not nice when employees leave and do that to their employer's software or systems, and its not nice when software does it to my machine.

@Exterminator, would you please direct me to the guidance to edit the questionaire that I completed when posting in this forum (I can edit the message), and am I expected to make changes based on the suggestions and earn your approval when assigned a big red <WARNING PC at RISK>, or do I wear it as a badge of courage indefinately?

Seriously, I appreciate the comments. Learning something here.

 

[jamescv7]

Seems everything is sum it up, follow the suggestion as mentioned.

Actually for the scanners go to multi engine ones like Zemana and Hitman Pro so that the scope of detection is wider.

ESET Online and Emsisoft scanners indeed good for proper disinfection and quality of detection too.

Avira is good but you may go like Avast Free that contains more prevention component e.g Hardening Mode.

 

[tmary]

First I would enable UAC to at least default and enable Os Updates to at least "Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them". I would remove Superantispyware and Spybot for some better on demand scanners such as ESET online Scanner,Emsisoft Emergency Kit and or HitmanPro. I would pick one or the other system utilities,Kerish Doctor or Glary Utilities as there is no advantage,and possibly problems,to using both of these.
In fact I find CCleaner to be more than enough.
Thanks for sharing your config

I have my OS updates set to "Check for Updates but let me choose whether to download and install them". I have uninstalled Glary Utilities, Admuncher and Spybot but am still using Kerish Doctor and Superantispyware. I was using Glary to identify outdated software in addition to scanning, but Kerish doctor also does that. Thanks to your recommendation, I installed Emisoft's Emergency Kit, and I'll run it though it hasn't found anything (yet). I found HitmanPro less attractive--I couldn't uninstall it using traditional methods (ad/remove software or Your Uninstaller). Why do you recommend a product that can't be uninstalled properly? I installed HTTP Everywhere for both Chrome and Firefox, it appears to be stable and silent. I've reinstalled CCleaner, and it appears to be stable. I took advantage of a nice price on Bitdefender's Internet Security 2017, uninstalled Avira Free, so Bitdefender is now my antivirus and my firewall. It gives me a weekly summary of any security issues that are found now, a nice feature that I hadn't seen before. I would be grateful if you would update my profile when you have a moment.

 

[Crypto]

I would personally suggest swapping out Spybot S&D and SuperAntiSpyware with something more viable such as Emsisoft Emergency Kit. As for browser extensions, I would recommend adding HTTPS Everywhere.

I personally use Windows Firewall but in your case, since you frequently install and remove software a lot I would suggest going with another option such as Comodo Firewall, or GlassWire. Also since you do indeed install software frequently I would lastly like to suggest you install Unchecky, it unchecks the boxes for added software/changes during the installation of a current program.

Also: Enable UAC, at least to the default setting.

 

[AtlBo]

I can see there's a majority vote here for default UAC settings. I can't say I've never ever shot myself in the foot, but with the default settings I'd be carelessly giving myself permission to do what I'm going to do all day long. After being asked 'are you sure' so often that the response is an automatic 'yes, let me do it' UAC looses usefulness. Ditto for ZoneAlarm's firewall, the warnings loose significance after too many notices.

I used to feel the same way. Then I began to understand the concept of limited rights. If you use a limited rights standard user account as your main account, then the UAC prompts have an extra meaning. In this context, UAC is quite powerful, something I have come to understand with excellent help from MTs members here. It's a completely different perspective, which as an example gave me an entirely new focus for protecting the admininstrator account from corruption. My choices in the user account can impact the entire system if I am not alert, security conscious, and prepared to make the "safe" call.

You have some interesting choices so far and more software than is required program-wise. I guess I would advise to take your time and think through the advice you see in the thread. These members are very familiar with the softwares and their strengths and weaknesses. Oh yeah, just based on experience, I would say try not to take each program with a grain of salt. It's easy to expect them to find things or cause the PC to run better, etc. Then too, some might just do this but at a cost security-wise. Each one of the programs that are really worthy programs can be used effectively, so it's a good idea to give them each a fair chance so to speak

Good luck. You will for sure find the setup that works best for you. On UAC, highly recommended, not because MS says so or the admins here (noone is judged by this here) but because it actually is a layer of defense. Using it in an admin account, it may appear otherwise, but in a user account, you will see it in many more contexts and realize moreso what programs want to do.

 

[Exterminator]

I found HitmanPro less attractive--I couldn't uninstall it using traditional methods (ad/remove software or Your Uninstaller). Why do you recommend a product that can't be uninstalled properly?

I have never had a problem removing HitmanPro from any PC using windows or a 3rd party uninstaller.
Some have had problems uninstalling it however it can be easily uninstalled manually if need be.
I recommended it because it is a good program that is used by many people.

@Exterminator, would you please direct me to the guidance to edit the questionaire that I completed when posting in this forum (I can edit the message), and am I expected to make changes based on the suggestions and earn your approval when assigned a big red <WARNING PC at RISK>, or do I wear it as a badge of courage indefinately?

You can find out how to update your config here MT Rules - How to Update your Security Config without creating a new thread!
Which is in the sticky threads right above all the other configs including yours.

Your PC is marked at risk because you do not have UAC enabled.
If you understand how UAC works and the layer of security it provides then you would understand that it is more than just a nag tool that is an inconvenience.
We make recommendations and suggestions to your posted config to help secure your system.