Increase Your Performance

I figured I'd start a thread noting some of the programs I use to keep my old laptop in tip-top shape and running efficiently and also note my browser setup as well. I haven't used an antivirus program in years and haven't run into any virus, spyware or malware whatsoever. Though, if you do any online shopping or browse any type of sketchy websites (porn, coupons, etc) you probably want to look into a good anti-virus program.


Browser Setup

Firefox (for x86-x64 based computers)
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/

Cyberfox (an x64-based variant of Firefox with many more options to tweak)
Cyberfox also has builds dedicated to computers running AMD/ATI and Intel processors/motherboards.
Along with Portable versions of their browser!
https://8pecxstudios.com/

Firefox/Cyberfox addons:

Adblock Edge - Blocks potentially hazardous popups and redirects. Also does away with YouTube and other flash-based advertisements. No more waiting 30 seconds to watch that video someone linked you to in HipChat! It's already set up when you install it, but you can also apply separate user-defined privacy settings which, I think is really cool. You can also diable it on specific websites, specific pages only and disable it entirely if you encounter a website that won't let you access certain features with an ad blocker in use.

AdBlock Plus Popup Addon - Probably not neccessary with AdBlock Edge, but I like to have it just for good measure.

Ghostery - Blocks all trackers and cookies that could lead to potential privacy intrusion. Once installed, it will popup with an initial setup window. I disable the popup notification bubble and click 'Block All' on the Trackers and Cookies pages. You can also disable blocking on specific websites and pause/resume blocking if you encounter script errors while running flash applications in your browser.

ZenMate Security and Privacy VPN - A rather new addon in development stages. Allows you to mask your IP address and encrypt data sent (and received?) for further security and privacy purposes. Not needed, but interesting to toy around with. An alternative to this is something called 'anonymoX' which potentially does the same thing, but doesn't require an e-mail address to use, but includes advertisement popups.

DownThemAll - Also not needed, but acts as a fantastic download manager. You can go into the settings and allow downloading of Flash objects via Grab+. Which is one of the utilities included with DownThemAll. Also allows batch downloading from webpages, meaning you can download many links at one time from a specific webpage.


Cleanup Utilities

IObit Advanced System Care
http://www.iobit.com/en/index.php

I swear by IObit's applications. IObit ASC is an all-in-one system cleaner that enhances your computer's performance and keeps it running efficiently. It keeps a small ticker on the top-right of your screen where you can click to clean your system's RAM and provides various other useful functions. Once downloaded, you can click the + button on the ticker and click 'Clean' any time you want to utilize it's features. I check everything except for Disk Scan, Vulnerability Fix, and Disk Optimization in the cleaning window because those tend to take an extended amount of time to run. There are also TONS of utilities under the Toolbox tab within the application and options to take a screenshot and power down on the desktop ticker. Without this, I feel like my computer would be SUPER slow.

Also, you can usually find Pro version for free every couple of months at the Giveaway Radar website. I don't reccommend the Ultimate version because it includes an antivirus software within the application. It's nice to have, but the Ultimate version tends to imbed itself in the system.

Another note, after installing, if you go to the 'Action Center' tab, it has options to download and install other IObit programs that I find very useful and updates for Flash, Java, etc. The only things it doesn't install are IObit Uninstaller (which I believe is optional during installation) and Game Booster. Which I will provide links to below.

CCleaner (by Piriform Software)
CCleaner Installer
CCleaner Portable

I usually run CCleaner after running a scan with IObit ASC. It gets rid of most anything that could compromise your privacy and all sorts of junk files that might bog down your system's performance. Also cleans obsolete and useless registry entries. Pretty easy to use 'right out of the box' but also has advanced features and advanced cleaning options available.

Cleanup v4.5.2
http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/cleanup_69be.html

Cleanup gets rid of the stuff that IObit ASC and CCleaner misses. I've used it for quite some time now and haven't run into any problems. You can even make it portable by extracting 'Cleanup.exe' from the installer or just moving the file after installation into a different folder. The first time you run it, I would recommend going into options/setting and disabling sounds (it's just a loud annoying toilet flushing sound) and click No on the two initial-use popups. Unless you want to do a 'mock cleanup' to see what files it will be getting rid of. Though I would recommend donating to Stephen Gould (the creator of this application) if you like what it does.


Anti-Spyware/Malware Applications

IObit Malware Fighter
http://www.iobit.com/en/malware-fighter.php

Basically an anti-spyware/malware application. I like it, though there are certainly better options out there. It's simple and stays up to date with the most recent spyware definitions. Also, like ASC, you may find a giveaway of the Pro version from time to time on Giveaway Radar.

Spybot - Search & Destroy
https://www.safer-networking.org/

Spybot is the champ when it comes to removal of infectious spyware and malware. I would advise though downloading the old version of Spybot, which can be found at the bottom of the download page. It's less memory intensive and (imo) has an easier interface to work with. I would also recommend disabling 'TeaTimer' and 'Realtime System Protection' during installation, as these options use up valuable system resources and can weigh your system down. Especially if you have an older or low-end computer.

Malwarebytes
http://www.malwarebytes.org/downloads/

I don't use this, but you could find it useful to your needs. From what I gather, it does just about the same thing that Spybot does, but it focuses more on Malware. They also have many different spyware/malware/virus fighting utilities on their downloads page for specific types of infection. From what I remember using this years ago, Malwarebytes can be a little 'memory-hungry' and does have a tendency to imbed itself in the system. Unless you have a potentially serious type of infection, I would recommend using Spybot first. BOTH can take a ridiculous amount of time to perform system scans, but they do a damn fine job of neutralizing infection.

Kaspersky TDSSKiller
http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/kaspersky_tdsskiller.html

Also a useful application to get rid of serious infection. Kills rootkits dead! I believe it's portable, but I'm not certain. I know it doesn't imbed into the system in any way though and does a great job of getting rid of specific types of infection.


Other Useful Software

IObit Driver Booster
http://www.iobit.com/en/driver-booster.php

Another application I swear by. I've tried many different types of driver updater software and this one tops my list. Though a few drivers are unavailable in the free version (only 2 on my computer that aren't vital system drivers). I've used it for quite some time now and on various computers without any problems like the horrible ones I found with other driver update software. After updating your drivers, you'll probably notice a vast increase in performance and less heat produced resulting in less fan noise. (At least I did on a few computers I used it on)

IObit Smart Defrag
http://www.iobit.com/en/iobitsmartdefrag.php

Great utility for defragmenting files on your hard drive and results in better performance because your system/hard drive has an easier time finding files and increases hard drive space a bit. Also has an option for Boot-Time Defrag which defragments files that aren't accessible while the system is in use and can dramatically decrease startup time. There are better defrag apps out there, but this one does a pretty fine job and it has many useful features available in a user-friendly interface.

IObit Uninstaller
http://www.iobit.com/en/advanceduninstaller.php

Uninstall your programs completely! It's just a basic uninstaller application, but the neat thing is that after you complete the uninstallation, it gives you an option to do a deep scan of leftover files, folders and registry entries. Be aware though, I would advise not using the deep scan on programs that consist of multiple applications. Uninstall additional applications normally, then use the deep scan on the main application. On occassion, it won't get rid of all the leftover files, but does a good job of ridding a majority of them from your system.

I recommend this only to advanced users, since uninstalling pre-installed bundle software like Roxio, Power2Go or other software that contain multiple programs using IObit Uninstaller could lead to semi-critical errors. Otherwise, it's pretty efficient.

IObit Game Booster (Razer Cortex)
New Game Booster (/Razer Cortex?)
Old Game Booster v3.4

If you have an older system or low-end computer and enjoy a bit of gaming from time to time, this application helps to get the most out of your system. I HIGHLY recommend the Old Game Booster (v3.4) rather than the new one. The new version (which I believe is co-owned by IObit with Razer Cortex, though I could be wrong) is quite graphical and hogs up quite a bit of resources on it's own. The old Game Booster uses less resources and you can customize what programs and services you want to disable upon running a game. I've had success with disabling all options available in the Config section, though after running the game I was unable to use volume controls. Other than that, it works like a charm to get a bit of extra gaming power.


I think that about covers it!

If you want, you could also check out TCP Optimizer to get a little extra bandwidth out of your internet connection (for advanced users).

Also, if you're running Windows 7, you may want to give Ultimate Windows Tweaker a go (for ADVANCED USERS only!).

One last thing, if you want to squeeze out every little shred of performance from your Windows 7 computer or would like to find out about hidden features, here's a nifty link. Optimize Windows 7


Don't forget to check Giveaway Radar for the latest giveaways and freebies.

Free Software! | Free Games!

 

If you want to increase performance and speed with Firefox/Cyberfox, here are some tips:

To clear browsing history and cache, press 'Ctrl + Shift + Delete' at any time.
(Note: Depending on the options you choose, this will delete any saved passwords and search form history)

Type 'about:config' into your address bar and hit enter.

In the search bar, type 'pipelining' and double-click the first and last entries so that they say 'True' on the right.
(You'll be looking for 'network.http.pipelining' and 'network.http.proxy.pipelining')

Double-click on 'network.http.pipelining.maxrequests' and change it from '32' to '8'

Type in 'ipv6' in the search bar and double-click the entry so it says 'True' on the right.
(You'll be looking for 'network.dns.disableIPv6')


Please let me know if this helps you or if you need help with your computer.

Also, feel free to add any software that you find helpful.

 

i suggest ublock origin as a replacement for adblock edge.

for privacy i recommend self destructing cookies and better privacy. All of these are available as add-ons for mozilla browsers.