In general, I consider myself a very organized person; everything has a spot, and that's where I want it. But then when it comes to organizing stuff my my computer into all of these folders and sub folders, I often find myself searching for one document or one certain folder that's housing all of my applications.
So why am I here? I need help getting organized on my PC. Over the years, my computer has been filled up with a bunch of junk and a bunch of applications that I don't even know about; heck, I probably have multiple viruses that I'm not aware of.
Questions:
- What programs do you suggest I use to clean my computer
- What antivirus software should I use
- What's the best way to organize my computer (What icons to put on the taskbar, start menu, and desktop)
- When should I make folders for things?
- How should I keep my PC clean in general.
I know that these might be just random questions to most of you, but it would really help me out a lot. For some people, they use their computer like normal and have no issues with this; it seems like I'm the only one with these issues. Please help, thanks.
I hate cluttered desktops. I use a toolbar above my taskbar and a program called "LaunchBar" for other stuff like my remote connections. Keeps it nice and orderly. LaunchBar stays hidden until I move my mouse to the upper-left and click so it's out from under foot.
In general, I consider myself a very organized person; everything has a spot, and that's where I want it. But then when it comes to organizing stuff my my computer into all of these folders and sub folders, I often find myself searching for one document or one certain folder that's housing all of my applications.
So why am I here? I need help getting organized on my PC. Over the years, my computer has been filled up with a bunch of junk and a bunch of applications that I don't even know about; heck, I probably have multiple viruses that I'm not aware of.
Questions:
- What programs do you suggest I use to clean my computer
- What antivirus software should I use
- What's the best way to organize my computer (What icons to put on the taskbar, start menu, and desktop)
- When should I make folders for things?
- How should I keep my PC clean in general.
I know that these might be just random questions to most of you, but it would really help me out a lot. For some people, they use their computer like normal and have no issues with this; it seems like I'm the only one with these issues. Please help, thanks.
- None, it's always better to go through and do it yourself.
- Security Essentials (Windows Defender) + Malware Bytes, mixed with Common Sense 2015.
- Personal Preference. Me, I don't have any icons on the desktop, and put my most used icons on the taskbar. Less used are on the start menu.
- Well, depends on what sort of variety you have when it comes to file types. Me, I keep movies in a "Movies" folder inside the Videos library, application install files inside an "Apps" folder in Downloads (have been chucking every single non-game executable in there since 2011 lol), Pictures in the Pictures library, games in a "Games" folder on the root of my first Data HDD. Backups and other larger, less accessed files (OS/Game install ISOs etc) go on my second Data HDD. Practically everything else goes on the Data 3 HDD. It's a mess there, doesn't get cleaned up much.
In the end, it all depends on how specific you want to be. If you just keep things in designated folders and don't have stuff just randomly strewn everywhere, you should be fine.
I hate cluttered desktops. I use a toolbar above my taskbar and a program called "LaunchBar" for other stuff like my remote connections. Keeps it nice and orderly. LaunchBar stays hidden until I move my mouse to the upper-left and click so it's out from under foot.
How do you get the program icons so small like that and have the programs open like internet tabs?
How do you get the program icons so small like that and have the programs open like internet tabs?
Not sure if that Vista comment was directed toward this question, but in my case it's actually 7. You just right click the taskbar, Properties, then check "Use small icons" for the little icons and "Never combine" for the "internet tab" style taskbar look.
Since you're not even sure about what's on your computer, nor even how many viruses and other forms of malware you have... (By the way, I sincerely hope you've never used your computer to do any online transactions and suggest once you reformat your main drive and reinstall your OS that you change all of your passwords to all of your various accounts for games, forums, e-mail addresses, etc. to new, different, and complex passwords. If you can't remember them all, record them on a notepad which you keep in a secure place.)
A long time ago in a (maybe 15 years ago, or so)...
I used to use multiple partitions on my main drive for various things and tried to keep programs installed in specific locations. The long and the short of it is that (for me at least) it isn't worth the hassle.
I recommend just using one partition on your main drive and if it's a lower capacity SSD or similar, then use a secondary HDD for media, such as MP3s, movies, pictures, etc, and keep everything organized in folders for those various types of media (and maybe, for example, subfolders for specific artists and albums, or similar).
I don't use desktop icons/shortcuts from my desktop, but rather I have folders there for program shortcuts I create for games and tools, and another for links. I don't show these though and instead use Taskbar pop-up menus to launch these applications from, or to load the links from. I like this much better than using bookmarks (AKA favorites). I also have a Taskbar pop-up menu for the computer in general to access different drives and folders. I use the Start menu (Windows 7 - I don't use the Start screen in Windows 8.1 at all) for general application type program shortcuts that I put there. I don't use favorites or anything like that in this regard either, only using shortcuts for things that I want.
So yeah, that's basically how I keep things organized.
As for your computer and your security... it needs an overhaul and a fresh start. Sorry to break it to you, but you really should be more proactive about these things in the first place. At least this way you can get a fresh start in your organization as well.
Backup all your media, game saves, downloads, and similar on another drive. If you don't have one, get one. (If you value your data, you should be backing up your computer anyway.) After doing the reinstall, using Microsoft Security Essentials/Windows Defender and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware should be good enough. You may also want CCleaner, but go into the settings and disable its loaded background running features. You really only want it to help clean up some of the extra junk computers accumulate over time on your own terms. For any of the programs, make sure to unselect any additional programs, toolbars, etc. that they may try to install. Also, for Malwarebytes, you'll want to unselect using the trial version, assuming you just want to use the free version that you can launch, update, and run whenever you want without it being loaded and running in the background (though they're not particularly competent programs, that's what Microsoft Security Essentials/Windows Defender are for).
Before you load or copy back over any of your backed up data, make sure you run malware scans on it to help make sure (at least to some degree) that it's clean. If something isn't, delete it, being careful not to accidentally load/open it nor run it.
Lastly, be more thoughtful about what you install or put on your computer. A lot (most) of the free stuff out there is loaded up with adware and malware, even many things that come highly recommended (like some of the tools to do partitioning, backups, media conversion, etc.). Basically, unless you specifically know that they're safe, don't trust any of it. But especially don't trust anything that says you have some kind of a problem with your computer and that you should download and install something to fix it.
Hope this helps, and good luck.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
OS: Windows 7 Professional SP1 64bit, Debian GNU/Linux 64bit | CPU: Intel i7-3930K @ 4.2GHz | Motherboard: ASUS P9X79 WS | RAM: Corsair Dominator 64GB Quad Channel DDR3 @ 1600MHz (8×8GB DIMMS) | Graphics: EVGA GeForce GTX Titan Black Superclocked @ 1124MHz (×2, SLI) | Power: Corsair AX1200 (1200W, 100.4A @ 12V) | Case: Corsair Obsidian 750D | Cooling: Corsair H110, NOCTUA NF-A14 industrialPPC-3000 PWM (×5) | Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 1TB SATA III SSD (system drive), Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA III HDD (media, backups), Western Digital My Passport 2TB USB 3.0 External HDD (backups) | Optical: Sony Optiarc Internal 12x Blu-ray Burner BD-5300S-03 | Display: Sony Bravia 46" 1920×1080
Not sure if that Vista comment was directed toward this question, but in my case it's actually 7. You just right click the taskbar, Properties, then check "Use small icons" for the little icons and "Never combine" for the "internet tab" style taskbar look.
In general, I consider myself a very organized person; everything has a spot, and that's where I want it. But then when it comes to organizing stuff my my computer into all of these folders and sub folders, I often find myself searching for one document or one certain folder that's housing all of my applications.
So why am I here? I need help getting organized on my PC. Over the years, my computer has been filled up with a bunch of junk and a bunch of applications that I don't even know about; heck, I probably have multiple viruses that I'm not aware of.
Questions:
- What programs do you suggest I use to clean my computer
- What antivirus software should I use
- What's the best way to organize my computer (What icons to put on the taskbar, start menu, and desktop)
- When should I make folders for things?
- How should I keep my PC clean in general.
I know that these might be just random questions to most of you, but it would really help me out a lot. For some people, they use their computer like normal and have no issues with this; it seems like I'm the only one with these issues. Please help, thanks.
Keep the taskbar (Windows 7) and the desktop is tricky but a nice one makes everyone feel more free and happier.
My desktop, on the top left I have video games, on the bottom left I have coding/VM software and on the top right I have utilitary programs.
Also to remove possible viruses I reccomend Avast or Malwarebytes.
- C.C.
I hate cluttered desktops. I use a toolbar above my taskbar and a program called "LaunchBar" for other stuff like my remote connections. Keeps it nice and orderly. LaunchBar stays hidden until I move my mouse to the upper-left and click so it's out from under foot.
- None, it's always better to go through and do it yourself.
- Security Essentials (Windows Defender) + Malware Bytes, mixed with Common Sense 2015.
- Personal Preference. Me, I don't have any icons on the desktop, and put my most used icons on the taskbar. Less used are on the start menu.
- Well, depends on what sort of variety you have when it comes to file types. Me, I keep movies in a "Movies" folder inside the Videos library, application install files inside an "Apps" folder in Downloads (have been chucking every single non-game executable in there since 2011 lol), Pictures in the Pictures library, games in a "Games" folder on the root of my first Data HDD. Backups and other larger, less accessed files (OS/Game install ISOs etc) go on my second Data HDD. Practically everything else goes on the Data 3 HDD. It's a mess there, doesn't get cleaned up much.
In the end, it all depends on how specific you want to be. If you just keep things in designated folders and don't have stuff just randomly strewn everywhere, you should be fine.
K95 RGB / Logitech G502 PS / Alienware AW3418DW / ViewSonic XG2703-GS / Sennheiser HD 598
How do you get the program icons so small like that and have the programs open like internet tabs?
- C.C.
Windows vista,Hasta la vista Baby! (Get it)
i5 4690k - Asus Z97-A - 8GBx2 of G.Skill DDR3 1600 - 2xCrucial BX100 500 Raid 0 - MSI GTX 970 Twin Frozr
NZXT Phantom 630 Black Windowed - EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W - Windows 8.1 and Ubuntu 15.04
Macbook Pro 13 with 512gb ssd - iPad Air 2
Ah! Looks very alike. I suppose Windows 7 was mainly little tweaks here and there.
- C.C.
Not sure if that Vista comment was directed toward this question, but in my case it's actually 7. You just right click the taskbar, Properties, then check "Use small icons" for the little icons and "Never combine" for the "internet tab" style taskbar look.
Since you're not even sure about what's on your computer, nor even how many viruses and other forms of malware you have... (By the way, I sincerely hope you've never used your computer to do any online transactions and suggest once you reformat your main drive and reinstall your OS that you change all of your passwords to all of your various accounts for games, forums, e-mail addresses, etc. to new, different, and complex passwords. If you can't remember them all, record them on a notepad which you keep in a secure place.)
A long time ago in a (maybe 15 years ago, or so)...
I used to use multiple partitions on my main drive for various things and tried to keep programs installed in specific locations. The long and the short of it is that (for me at least) it isn't worth the hassle.
I recommend just using one partition on your main drive and if it's a lower capacity SSD or similar, then use a secondary HDD for media, such as MP3s, movies, pictures, etc, and keep everything organized in folders for those various types of media (and maybe, for example, subfolders for specific artists and albums, or similar).
I don't use desktop icons/shortcuts from my desktop, but rather I have folders there for program shortcuts I create for games and tools, and another for links. I don't show these though and instead use Taskbar pop-up menus to launch these applications from, or to load the links from. I like this much better than using bookmarks (AKA favorites). I also have a Taskbar pop-up menu for the computer in general to access different drives and folders. I use the Start menu (Windows 7 - I don't use the Start screen in Windows 8.1 at all) for general application type program shortcuts that I put there. I don't use favorites or anything like that in this regard either, only using shortcuts for things that I want.
So yeah, that's basically how I keep things organized.
As for your computer and your security... it needs an overhaul and a fresh start. Sorry to break it to you, but you really should be more proactive about these things in the first place. At least this way you can get a fresh start in your organization as well.
Backup all your media, game saves, downloads, and similar on another drive. If you don't have one, get one. (If you value your data, you should be backing up your computer anyway.) After doing the reinstall, using Microsoft Security Essentials/Windows Defender and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware should be good enough. You may also want CCleaner, but go into the settings and disable its loaded background running features. You really only want it to help clean up some of the extra junk computers accumulate over time on your own terms. For any of the programs, make sure to unselect any additional programs, toolbars, etc. that they may try to install. Also, for Malwarebytes, you'll want to unselect using the trial version, assuming you just want to use the free version that you can launch, update, and run whenever you want without it being loaded and running in the background (though they're not particularly competent programs, that's what Microsoft Security Essentials/Windows Defender are for).
Before you load or copy back over any of your backed up data, make sure you run malware scans on it to help make sure (at least to some degree) that it's clean. If something isn't, delete it, being careful not to accidentally load/open it nor run it.
Lastly, be more thoughtful about what you install or put on your computer. A lot (most) of the free stuff out there is loaded up with adware and malware, even many things that come highly recommended (like some of the tools to do partitioning, backups, media conversion, etc.). Basically, unless you specifically know that they're safe, don't trust any of it. But especially don't trust anything that says you have some kind of a problem with your computer and that you should download and install something to fix it.
Hope this helps, and good luck.
OS: Windows 7 Professional SP1 64bit, Debian GNU/Linux 64bit | CPU: Intel i7-3930K @ 4.2GHz | Motherboard: ASUS P9X79 WS | RAM: Corsair Dominator 64GB Quad Channel DDR3 @ 1600MHz (8×8GB DIMMS) | Graphics: EVGA GeForce GTX Titan Black Superclocked @ 1124MHz (×2, SLI) | Power: Corsair AX1200 (1200W, 100.4A @ 12V) | Case: Corsair Obsidian 750D | Cooling: Corsair H110, NOCTUA NF-A14 industrialPPC-3000 PWM (×5) | Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 1TB SATA III SSD (system drive), Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA III HDD (media, backups), Western Digital My Passport 2TB USB 3.0 External HDD (backups) | Optical: Sony Optiarc Internal 12x Blu-ray Burner BD-5300S-03 | Display: Sony Bravia 46" 1920×1080
This computer's BOINC Stats: http://boincstats.com/en/stats/-1/host/detail/165430523
Ah. Will try that when I get off my Chromebook.
- C.C.