These are the tools that keep your computer running tip top:
Spybot Search and Destroy
This program is not essential to keeping your personal confuser free of spyware, but instead to keep it running fast. The advanced options allow you to get into registry and lock down the Browser.
Spyware Remover
Do you keep getting popups saying you have 300 problems and for just 29.99 you can buy thier program and remove them? Well that is Spyware! This is the program that I use to get rid of it!
Download to the C: Drive and run from Safe Mode.
AVG Free Edition
AVG is probably the best virus protection available. It catches everything out there but does not clean virus that may already be present. I often must download a program called Ewido to do a thorough clean up, but AVG resently acquired the company. If you start clean use AVG. It will keep you clean.
Belarc Advisor
Belarc Advisor is a small program that completely inventories your hardware and software. I run this on all computers before I do any work. Incase of disaster I know how where I started from.