Maintaining your PC's Security with Free Anti-Virus, Firewall, and Anti-Spyware Software

I'm writing these instructions for my friends, and thought others might find them useful.

Weekly: Make sure AVG Anti-Virus is up to date:
AVG should automatically update itself, but it is good to check that it is update to date manually once a week.

1.  Double-Click on the "AVG Anti-Virus Free" in the System tray at the bottom right of your screen:
   
   
   
2. Wait for AVG to come up so it looks like this:

3. Click "Update now" and you may see a Window like this if an update is found:

4. Click "Update"
5. The update will be downloaded and installed and the main window of AVG will be shown again.
Note: If you want to, you can hide the "Attention! Enhance your Protection!" message that is trying to persuade you to get the paid version of AVG by clicking the "Hide Notification" button:

6. You can now close the AVG Anti-Virus Free Window.

Weekly: Update SpywareBlaster:
1. Double-Click on the SpywareBlaster icon on the Desktop:

2. Click "Download Latest Protection Updates"

3. Click "Check for Updates"

4. It it says "No new updates" just click OK.
5. Click on "Protection Status" and then "Enable All Protection"
6. You can now close Spyware Blaster.

If you think something may be wrong use Spybot S and D and HijackThis.

Optional: Update and Run Spybot Search and Destroy
Click: Spybot Search and Destroy on the Destop.
Click Update and choose a server and click update.
Click Search and Destroy.
Click Check for problems.
Optional: Run HijackThis and Analyze the File
See: http://blog.elijahlofgren.com/2008/12/processexplorer-and-hijackthis-find-out.html