Here is our ideal personal computer. We want it powerful, snappy, with a sufficiently large screen. Portable, preferably. Light. And that costs as little as possible. Above all, full of programs. The indispensable ones but also those to evaluate, to choose well and perhaps to pay little or possibly nothing. In full legality, of course. Difficult operation? No. The right PC isn't that hard to find. Just browse through the more or less well-known brands, check (even in Internet forums) if the assistance is reliable and find the alchemy we prefer between weight, performance and cost. But here is the possible trouble begin in the next two phases. First phase: we open the package, start the PC, we have to configure it and equip it with the right software for our needs. Second phase: we have to keep it in shape. Which means, on the one hand, not weighing it down too much with the fruit or tool of our work (the software, in fact, but also the data congestion that derives from automatic updates, for example), and on the other hand, guaranteeing it some providential ordinary and extraordinary maintenance operations .
Is the first phase (configuration and software provision) necessarily expensive? It's not for sure. Indeed, in most cases those who do not need specific software for highly specialized functions can even replace at no cost (or almost) all the normal basic software in common use: from the Office suite (writing, presentations, spreadsheet, e-mail client) to the antivirus, from the processing and management of photographs to the programs for managing and processing documents in the now prevailing PDF format. Provided we have normal needs, typical of the average user, we can easily and legally retrieve a multitude of free programs from the Web, freely downloadable in their "free" or public domain versions, capable of combining perfectly, if chosen in the right way, three requirements: they don't cost a cent (at least in their basic version), they work well, they keep our PC lean and snappy thanks to their simple structure and not greedy for hardware resources.
Is the second phase necessarily challenging? No. Even those who are not experts or enthusiasts of the subject can with simple operations keep in good shape his precious computer machine.
CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE
Let's start with the first phase: the basic configuration to pave the way for the provision of possibly free software. The following advice applies to all families of desktop and portable PCs, newer and older (giving new life to a PC fished out of a drawer can be more successful than you think).
Software "cleaning". of a new PC? Well yes. It really helps. Why when we buy our pc of the last generation, equipped with Windows 10 (but it also happened for previous generations) we find it devoid of many programs that are indispensable to us. There is a simple software for writing texts, another for viewing photos, an email client. Something we can use, but many of these programs are so rudimentary as to be practically useless. On the other hand (so to speak) we find a lot of additional software which it is better to do without, which varies from computer to computer, from brand to brand, which the manufacturer of our PC has placed more on the wave of commercial agreements with software that to really help us out. So for example for suites (Office but also other) that expire after a short time hammering us with invitations to buy the final version. Same for commercial antivirus. Added to this are useless if not downright harmful software frills: the "tool bar" of the Internet browser, the "demo" programs for the most varied functions of little interest to us, almost always accompanied by advertising references. Already in this way, from the start, the weighting is guaranteed.
With Windows 10, the latest and much improved version of the Microsoft operating system, we have (paradoxically) a few more problems. More or less hidden there are many settings on which fortunately but with some difficulty we can act to stem many functions that have a double annoying effect: they share information on our profile and on what we are doing with Microsoft servers and not only ("anonymous" profiling ” which are used to perfect the software, it is guaranteed. But among many disputes and objections), they also weigh down and slow down the PC anyway.
First step: "cleaning operation". First of all, make sure that there is a procedure for restoring the operating system and configurations to their original state (consult the printed or downloadable online instructions for your PC), which in the latest generation PCs is usually done by clicking on a special icon in the menu which starts the contents of a hidden partition on the hard disk (or solid state disk, SSD): it can be useful if something goes wrong.
We can start with two operations. Configure Windows precisely limiting the profiles, uninstall all the pieces of software related to the installation of the operating system that we do not need. For the first we can avoid the difficult navigation between the Windows menus and rely on two really useful software which we will install before doing anything else. The first is a deep PC cleaning program which in its subsequent versions has always proved to work very well without creating problems. It is called Crap Cleaner, commonly called CCleaner. We will need it for basic configuration-cleaning but also for periodic maintenance.
CCleaner you can find it both in the paid version and in the free one which is perfectly fine. If you have a minimum of experience and are willing to waste a few more moments, we advise you to use the "portable" version of this as an alternative to the installable version (as we will do for many other free programs). which must be decompressed (we recommend the right program for this operation below) and placed in a folder to be created on our hard disk by activating a link on the desktop or even in an external memory (pen-drive, card, USB hard disk) that we always carry with us to use it on different PCs.
To get rid of useless programs with CCleaner we go to the tools function. The list of installed programs will be displayed, which will also include those hidden and not directly viewable from the appropriate native Windows function. We can therefore uninstall (click on the appropriate button) what we do not need. This is the case, for example, of GrooveMusic or Xbox interface applications. Or even possible "gifts" (video games or other) such as Money, Adobe Photoshop Express, Asphalt 8, Airborne, FarmVille, March of Empires, Candy Crush, PicsArt. And if we don't need it, we can also uninstall, for example One Drive, the program that allows us to deposit our files in the Microsoft cloud.
Once this is done, we can go back to the initial menu to activate the two functions that we will need for the new PC for the first cleaning operation and then periodically to guarantee correct maintenance, ensuring speed and efficiency. This is the "cleaning" menu that will help us to identify and delete all superfluous files left periodically by the programs in use but also to safeguard our privacy by deleting with great simplicity, if we want, Internet browsing data. Immediately after activating the "cleaning" we can go to the "registry" menu, which allows us to eliminate from the Windows registry (one of the main basic routines for its functioning) everything that is superfluous or useless and therefore hinders the functioning of the PC. We will repeat these two operations periodically over time, say once a week or after uninstalling a program that we no longer need or after updating it to the latest version.
On the other hand, to act on the Windows configurations that have to do with profiling and in any case with all those semi-hidden automatic procedures that make our data communicate externally, furthermore slowing down the PC, a great help comes from free (and “portable”) software Wpd. Among other things, WPD will help us get rid of a new and truly deadly annoyance: the latest versions of Windows 10 have the bad habit of self-installing, without even warning us and asking for our permission, new applications that are almost always useless and in any case cumbersome .
When WPD is launched, a security warning appears relating to the lack of a digital certificate, but you can proceed without any problems: click on More information and then on the Run anyway button. The functions that can be safely and easily deactivated are all those listed. They include not only those relating to programs and functions that we may not use but also those (really many) relating to tracking and privacy.
After installing and configuring WPD we can do another rather simple operation to complete the work, but to be performed with a little caution. Click on the Windows 10 icon at the bottom left. The search function will automatically activate. We write BACKGROUND and click on the mask that appears just above the first choice that is offered to us, or "choose the apps that can run in the background". A list appears with the relative activation-deactivation buttons. Here we can check the applications that are activated automatically when Windows starts to remain silent in the background, ready to intervene quickly when we want to use them but at the cost of a heavier occupation of system memory and a slowdown, even if modest , of the normal activity of our PC. Many can be disabled if we never use them or only use them in exceptional cases. This is the case of the native Windows 10 "Edge" Internet browser, which we may have replaced with one of the most popular competitors (Chrome or Firefox, for example). To understand what exactly the applications included in the list are for, we can click on the relative icons with the question mark. And if we deactivate too many of them, finding ourselves with some PC function that no longer works properly (e-mail, for example) we can still reopen the background applications mask and easily restore what we have excluded from the list.
FREE SOFTWARE WITH TRICKS (LAWFUL, OF COURSE)
Then we come to the free software that we can freely download and install to equip the PC with everything we need. First a suggestion on sites that offer in a reliable and certified excellent way free software. We recommend two: File Hippo, a large world repository of the best software for free and free use, and the equally valid, and "targeted" software in Italian, HTML.it.
THE NEXT
What to install? Let's start with the applications that can replace Microsoft Office, the Microsoft suite that is used for writing, presentations, calculations, sophisticated e-mail management and much more. There are free alternatives. But since we're at it, we should first calibrate our needs well by checking whether it is worthwhile to use a combination of less complete but lighter programs than the large multifunctional suites that do everything.
If we only need to read the presentations or representations of the calculations, we don't need the complete versions of the applications included in the suites and corresponding to PowerPoint and Excell. All you need is simple viewers. In this case, just type the term "Power Point viewer" or "Excel viewer" in the search field of our Internet browser and download the corresponding light and free applications from the Microsoft site. For the writing program we can in this case rely on a free dedicated software such as for example FocusWriter.
If, on the other hand, we need a complete suite, equivalent to Microsoft Office Le free alternative they are not missing. Indeed they can even offer advantages in terms of lightness and therefore speed. Two main choices. Most famous is the free suite open Office, which is now called Apache Open Office.
With the progress of the versions, OpenOffice has remained free but has become quite heavy and memory-hungry. It has been competing for some time with its cousin suite (and born from an offshoot of the OpenOffice development team) called Libre Office.
PDF MANAGEMENT
Windows, even in its latest version 10, allows for very minimal management of PDFs. Pretty much just a rudimentary view through the Edge internet browser. The widely used Acrobat Reader program, which we also find pre-installed in many PC configurations, doesn't do much more. To view but also integrate, complete, compile and correct the PDF forms and texts, we recommend downloading the free version of the program PDF-Xchange Viewer.
All basic operations are allowed. If you need more sophisticated functions, such as the ability to merge multiple PDF pages into a single file or extract pages from a multi-page document, you can eventually purchase the paid version.
The mail client including Windows 10 is not bad. Among other things, it allows the automatic configuration of the most popular services, starting with Gmail. But those who want something more sophisticated can download the very powerful client even if it is free Mozilla Thunderbird, which allows many customizations to expand its functions through extensions, as is the case for the most popular Web browsers including the blood brother (comes from the same organization that disseminates open source software) Mozilla Firefox. Thunderbird can be integrated for example with a complete calendar, e-mails and configurations from other e-mail programs can be imported.
VIDEOS AND MUSIC
We now come to films (and more generally to the various video formats) and music. Relying on software including Windows, even in its latest version Windows 10, imposes many limitations. Fortunately, there is a light and powerful program, as well as absolutely free, that really does it all. Is called Vlc (Videolan). It also excellently digests and returns movies in various compressed formats for the Web (Divx and Xvid, for example) without the need to install external add-ons ("codecs"). It is continuously updated. It really digests, manages and returns at its best.
PHOTOS AND IMAGES
The photographs and pictures? Again, no applications included in Windows. To collect them, view them, edit and correct them, here is the genius IrfanView (if you really appreciate it, its creator invites you, without any obligation, to support the development of subsequent versions by paying him an absolutely modest sum (10 euros) compared to the value you get in exchange). The Italian language option can be added to the package.
If you have particularly sophisticated needs, especially in graphic processing, and you want something that looks like a professional application, still light and free, but more powerful and demanding, that's it Gimp, which approaches the performance of the renowned but colossal (also in cost) Photoshop. Also available instructions in Italian.
ANTIVIRUS
The antivirus? It must be said that here Microsoft has made great strides with its native application in Windows. With the latest version of Windows 10 its "Defender" gets along quite well we can also leave everything as well as relying on its automatic operation even in updates. But who should prefer a specialized application, a little more sophisticated and still free, continues to have excellent alternatives. We point out the always excellent Avira, which continues to earn top spots in comparative texts.
We recommend downloading the English version of Avira from www.filehippo.com: Takes precedence in updates. But if you prefer the Italian version, which is updated with a delay of a few hours in the viral signatures and a few days in the executable, do click here. Avira free does not have real-time protection of incoming emails, but a malicious attachment will still be intercepted the moment you try to open it. Sometimes Avira free will struggle a bit to queue for updates, because the parent company reserves a fast lane for paid versions. On the other hand it remains one of the free antivirus always at the top of the periodic tests of the best specialized press.
FILES MANAGEMENT
Most of the programs of the files that we take from the Web or that are sent to us by e-mail are in compressed format, generally (but not only) with the zip protocol. In Windows 10 there is a native application that allows us to both compress and decompress files (both programs and texts) and folders, obtaining a single file with the smallest possible footprint. The application is activated in the contextual menu that can be activated by clicking with the right mouse button on any file or folder. But the program isn't particularly capable or sophisticated. We advise you to download and install the free application 7zip, in Italian too.
SEARCH FOR FILES IN THE PC
Finally, to complete our free endowment, we recommend installing a program to overcome one of the structural limitations still shown by Windows: the search for files by name on our PC. The procedura native to Windows is really complicated and rudimentary in operation. We can solve brilliantly by downloading and installing the free version of the program Agent Ransack. It's only in English but even those who don't master the language can count on a truly intuitive menu.
