A list of security applications you should use to protect your computer

(Note: I'm going to be working on this for a while, but I'm starting it now so I won't leave something out.)
1. Use Microsoft Security Essentials for run time virus and malware protection.
2. Use HiJackThis to provide information to me about potential security or performance problems.
3. Use Malwarebytes whenever you suspect an infection.
4. Use HTTPS Everywhere to protect yourself in public places by encrypting your communication (when possible)
5. Use the Microsoft Firewall at home, when you are behind your router's firewall. If you have MS Windows 7, this is a good firewall for public places for those who aren't computer geeks. (The MS Firewall for Vista and before only protects against attacks from the outside in; it does not prevent transmission of information from the inside out, which happens when malware attempts to communicate with it's command center in cyberspace.)
6. If you are in a potential high risk place, such as a third world country or a campus, you should run a firewall. Comodo is free (just install the firewall, not the virus protection) and is the best. It's interface for controlling what it blocks and doesn't block has been overhauled from the last release, making it "usable" by the novice. But it is still not for the faint of heart. As a matter of fact, no firewall is easy to use other than Microsoft's. In general, the easier it is to use, the less effective OR more intrusive (pop ups all the time) it is.

More later.

Performance Tips

In addition to managing what programs start when you start your computer, here are other tricks to improving performance:
1. Change your power setting. Contemporary computers and operating systems can operate at different power settings. If your system has that feature under Power Options, then you can adjust for low, balanced, or high power.
2. Change your graphics settings. Windows Vista and 7 have fancy "eye candy" features that are the "default configuration." These fancy features cost a lot of processor time. Use your graphics settings to remove all the fancy features. The result will look like the old windows XP, but your system will run a lot faster.
3. Increase your virtual memory. By default, your virtual memory is set to 1.5 times your installed memory. This is probably not enough for today's applications. Use a factor of 2.0, as a minimum. (Usually you have lots of space on your hard drive to accommodate this change; however, be aware that this does permanently reserve hard drive space.)
4. If your computer has multiple cores, then you should set your operating system to use those cores. Windows Vista/7 is set to use only 1 core. You should set the Boot to recognize all the cores you have.
5. Remove unnecessary fonts. That is, don't delete them, but use a tool to sequester them.
6. Change your security program. The older McAfee and Norton products, and probably all other older security applications can completely overwhelm your computer's resources. If you insist on using one of these products, don't just renew the license; get their most recent product. 7. Don't load more security than you need. I've found many systems with multiple security programs running simultaneously. This is a no no.
8. Firewalls can be drag on internet browsing. This is a worth a number of blog entries. In short, you can turn on Microsoft Firewall at home to protect against "behind the router firewall" incursions from laptops that have become infected by being taken to a public environment.

OK, you're saying- "So you've made the list, but there's no help on how to do these things. I need more instructions!" I'll leave those instructions to following posts.