What protection/optimization programs do you recommend?

[Dorian Saignren]

I'm going around to many sites where I trust the information, particularly when it comes to protecting my computer, and asking for a list of recommended protection programs.  This includes registry cleaners, cache cleaners, anti-maleware, anti-spyware, defraggers, anti-virus, firewalls, and various scanners and other optimization programs.  Normally I would simply go to one specific site I've used before to save my computer from the brink of death, but since this time I'm doing this to help protect someone else's computer, I'm asking everyone and will weigh the answers I get against each-other.

For the record, the programs I've been recommended before are listed below, most of which (unless noted) I use right now either constantly or regularly depending on if they're on-demand protection or not.  I will also list the current programs the other person uses after my personal list.  All programs are completely free or at least the free version, and please keep in mind neither I nor the other person I'm helping can afford to purchase protection programs.  Also, the other person wishes to clean and protect several computers in their household, varying from XP to Vista.  I personally run XP.

Recommended to me from various sources

Currently on my computer
avast! Antivirus
Malewaerbytes' Anti-Maleware
SpywareBlaster
CCleaner
Puran Defrag
Housecall
HiJackThis!
Windows Firewall
Gamebooster

Not on my computer, but used in the past or recommended
Webroot Desktop Firewall
Outpost Free
SUPERAntiSpyware
ComboFix
OTL

On the other person's computer
Ad Aware
AVG
NOTE: I have mentioned to the person in question that having two anti-virus programs can cause problems, however he insists that that's not doing anything.  Still, the more people mention it the more I have to show him proof lol.
Malewarebytes' Anti-Maleware
Spybot S&D
Uniblue Speed Up My PC

Recently recommended by a friend
Peer Protector

It would be best if the programs recommended are user friendly and don't need much guidance to learn.  The person in question has a 2 year degree in networking, however he rarely bothers to keep things maintained unless they are showing obvious problems, hence him asking me to help him out like this.

I will also update whenever I receive more recommendations and cite the source (whenever applicable, certain sources I wouldn't want to advertise due to various site rules).

Any opinions on the above programs or other programs are welcome.  I hold no bias towards or against anything, so please share any experience you have.  If anyone has any questions as to what any of the above programs are for, feel free to ask.  I am not sure whether the programs listed are well known or not, I only know what I have used and what has been recommended to me.

Below I will list a few of the answers I've gotten from Yahoo Answers so far.  I do not recommend clicking any links posted, as I have not investigated them yet myself.  Also, I'm not editing the answers I quote at all, so forgive any horrendous grammar or spelling.  Each quote is a separate answer.

ad aware and avg are both anti virus systems.
one or the other should be removed,
i suggest AVG is removed as it is completely useless

malwarebytes is a must have,
but it must be paid for to enable it's real-time protection.

Everything by uniblue is a total scam.

Spybot S&D is a very old and slow program,
it is of no use in the computers of today.

Check this out.
Advanced SystemCare Free : http://www.iobit.com/advancedsystemcareper.html

instead of windows firewall - Use commodo firewall [Best free firewall ]
avast! Antivirus - use avira - bettter than avast
Puran Defrag = instead use Auslogics Disk Defrag
HiJackThis! = warning double rechk bfore u do any changes
Puran Defrag = instead use Auslogics Disk Defrag
Malewaerbytes' Anti-Maleware = with free version , u should manuelly scan weekly
windows firewall = Turn off it
Windows inbuild Windows Defender(on win7/vista) = Tool menu > Turn off it (or from services.msc)

[Pondus]

NOTE: I have mentioned to the person in question that having two anti-virus programs can cause problems, however he insists that that's not doing anything.  Still, the more people mention it the more I have to show him proof lol.

Never install two antivirus (see reply from quietman7)
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/index.php?s=7c8217673a726b92cfc91ecfd4294a29&showtopic=260844&view=findpost&p=1441638


Uninstalling third-party antivirus software (Removing your Current AV)
https://support.avast.com/index.php?languageid=1&group=eng&_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=574

[CraigB]

I recommend
Avast free or paid
Malwarebytes free or paid for malware/spyware is top choice, superantispyware is good to
Winpatrol free or paid to monitor your running programs and the host file, also has hijack logs
SpywareBlaster is alright
Ccleaner is great for cleaning
Puran defrag or defraggler for defraging, both have boot time defrag
Windows firewall not much good on xp and no outbound protection by default in any of the operating systems and quite difficult to setup outbound protection on so privatefirewall, outpost firewall or online armor would be my pick's, comodo's to fiddly.
Gamebooster is an iobit product so definatly get rid of that.
Ad Adware is rubbish, spybot is no good either, uniblue not needed and also rubbish, its nothing that ccleaner and defraggler dont already do.
Avg is not even worth mentioning
Dont go anywhere near advanced system care, more iobit rubbish.
Windows defender is fine to leave on if your only running avast as your realtime protection but is pretty weak in xp.

And your friend should definatly not have two av's on his system running or not as the low level drivers are still active and can conflict.

That's all from me  

[SafeSurf]

I agree with everything craigb's post, but would also add that you may also want to consider adding PrevX with SafeOnline or just PrevX.  They make several versions (free and paid).  I do not think you need Win Defender wasting your memory on an XP machine.  And yes, two AV's on the same machine will definitely cause problems because we troubleshoot these type of problems all the time.

[JuninhoSlo]

Hi

I recommend/use:

-Avast Internet Security (AIS)   (P)
-Sunbelt Counterspy (P)
-SpywareBlaster (P)
-ClearCloudDNS (P)
-Spyware Terminator without AV (P)
-NoScript for Flock/Firefox (P)
-BetterPrivacy  (P)

-CCleaner (O)
-UltimateDefrag (O)
-Eusing Free Registry Cleaner (O)
-Eusing Free Registry Defrag (O)

and of course Avast forum  

[YoKenny]

HijackThis is no good for Vista nor Windows 7 only OTL
Do not use anything from IOBit nor Uniblue

WinPatrol is good to have with avast!

[Dorian Saignren]

Thankyou for your help, I plan to work with the person this weekend with all your advice and come up wit a good setup of programs for his systems.  I will reply again with the result when we finish.

[essexboy]

From my side I would say AIS and MBAM are sufficient on a windows 7 system

For cleaning I use TFC
Never touch the registry and I know what I am doing
Puran Defrag for the boot defrag option
Not sure about FF as I do not use it
Filehippo update checker
DriverMax for my driver updates

[Omid Farhang]

DriverMax for my driver updates

Thanks! 

[essexboy]

You can get two free downloads per day - or pay $10 for 30 days unlimited.  If like me you had about twenty outdated drivers and are impatient

[Omid Farhang]

You can get two free downloads per day - or pay $10 for 30 days unlimited.  If like me you had about twenty outdated drivers and are impatient

I doubt if I've that much out-dated driver, or even if I have, again I doubt if my internet speed will let me download that much driver in one day!!! 

[RoloX2]

I really like MyDefrag; it does a good job banding files for speed, leaves a gap for each zone to alleviate future fragments, uses scripting so you can make your own custom defrag if you wanted to really fine tune it, and has zero overhead.

I tried Puran but I never saw a benefit from its boot-time defrag since those areas (MFT, etc.) still had fragments; I was hoping for a poor-man's Diskkeeper.

X-Setup Pro for fine-tuning.