Tips for setting up Windows 7

[HOOfan 1]

I bought my mom a Windows 7 PC for Christmas, and I am still using XP myself. I've never been a software guru, but I know enough to prevent malware on my own computer. My mom however, is a magnet for malware, her friends e-mail it to her, some of her legit websites seem to have ads infected with it. etc. etc.

I'd like to set it up from the get go to be secure and to prevent the usually progressive slow down.

So far I have:
-uninstalled all the bloatware
-used msconfig to cul down the startup processes
-created an Admin account with a password, and told her to use the standard account.
-downloaded Firefox and installed the adblock and noscript add-ons.

It came with a year of McAfee for free, and I plan to uninstall that and install Microsoft Security Essentials when it expires.

Any other tips?

 

[jhansman]

Get Malwarebytes (free and paid versions; paid keeps it active and monitors all traffic). With it and MSSE you'll have a good belt and suspender's approach that will keep the baddies out.

 

[Matt1970]

As long as you are around to do the updates for her.

 

[Steltek]

What you've done so far is a good start.

However, I'd want to consider moving her to the Chrome browser - it is safer due to its sandboxing capabilities, or install something like Sandboxie.

I'd also make sure to set up Windows to install all security updates automatically without requiring confirmation. Were it me, I'd also buy a copy of the paid version of Malwarebytes (worth the few dollars it costs for the realtime protection module and scan scheduling capability). Schedule Malwarebytes and MSE to run full scans nightly, 7 days per week, at like 1am and 2am. Get her in the habit of leaving the computer on all night at least one night per week so that the security scans will have an opportunity to complete. It probably isn't necessary that they run every night, but you want them to finish at least once per week.

If you won't be going over there that often, you may also want to consider installing a copy of TeamViewer on her machine accessible to all user accounts so that you can remotely access her computer from yours. Set a complex fixed password, and it will give you the secure capability to fix things remotely, or to help her in the event she needs to install software a standard user account has problems with.

EDIT: I'd think twice about messing with the startup processes - disabling some of them can cause all kinds of unanticipated problems.... It is best to just uninstall the software using the process if she doesn't need it.

 

[Charlie98]

EDIT: I'd think twice about messing with the startup processes - disabling some of them can cause all kinds of unanticipated problems.... It is best to just uninstall the software using the process if she doesn't need it.

Just coming off XP into a new W7 system myself... I understand you are not supposed to disable things with msconfig like you can in XP.

I use a 3-way combination of MSE, SuperAntiSpyware and Spybot... and I have Norton running on the W7 system, too, without conflicts mind you. But the other posters are correct, you need to set it up to update and scan at least every couple days.

 

[capeconsultant]

First I ever heard of Norton AND MSE at the same time.

 

[DirkGently1]

First I ever heard of Norton AND MSE at the same time.

Norton IS Malware!

MSSE+MalwareBytes.
Auto install Windows updates.
Scheduled scans.
Chrome Browser.
Limited User Account
UAC set to maximum?

 

[Charlie98]

First I ever heard of Norton AND MSE at the same time.

I was surprised it ran without conflict, but it does...

McAfee IS Malware!

...there, I corrected it for you. You are welcome.

 

[HOOfan 1]

Yeah I already have Windows updates set to automatic.
I have malwarebytes on all of her other computers and plan to install it on this one.

I thought long and hard about putting on Chrome...and obviously I still can. Unfortunately she works for several merchandising companies for which she has to enter work online. Their websites are picky enough with Firefox.

So Chrome is safer than Firefox with Adblock and NoScript?

 

[FoxFifth]

Another thought -- make sure she has a strong password with her email provider. Seems like everyone I know used easy passwords and has had their email hacked lately.