Solved Potential windows user with newbie questions

MacToWindows

New Member
Messages
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Hi everyone,
I'm primarily a mac user now but have used windows as my personal computer in the past. The last Windows version I used predominantly on a home PC is Windows 95, so it's been a while! However, my work environment is mostly Windows XP based, so I'm still somewhat familiar.
I'm in the market for an inexpensive Windows based PC that I can use for some simple tasks, like making powerpoint presentations and accessing VPN. Basically, because I have not used a Windows based computer as a home based computer in quite a while, I'm very unfamiliar with basic security and maintenance tasks. I've read mixed reviews about Windows Defender on its own and some suggest adding Malware Bytes. In the past I've bough Norton, but I hear nowadays people find it to be bloated, a waste of resources, and expensive.
As far as maintenance tasks go I remember using Disc defragmenter and scandisc, but I hear these are obsolete now too? Hopefully someone can share some insight and help me out. If it's too overwhelming I suppose a Chrome book is a possibility, but doubt I'll have as many options.

Thank you.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8.1
inexpensive,,, ,whatever one you choose will do all the things you wish to do ,,as for defender and Malwarebytes,it all I use on my
pc's for years now . a chrome book dose not run windows !
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win8.1.1 enterprise
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Hinze57
    CPU
    AMD FX 6100 6core 3.30gHz
    Motherboard
    gigibyte ga-78lmy-s2p
    Memory
    4gig ddr3
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radon hd5000 Series
    Sound Card
    onboard realtek hd
    Monitor(s) Displays
    19" viewsonic/ 22"Samsung
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    128gig ssd Kingston
    80gig WD 10000 rpm spinner
    Case
    micro
    Keyboard
    microsoft curve 200
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless M215
    Internet Speed
    high speed 20
    Browser
    ie 11
    Antivirus
    windows defender
    Other Info
    updated enterprise apr 2/14
Hi,

There are many options to getting an inexpensive Windows Based PC.

I'm a system builder and computer technician and have 9 years experience.

Are you just interested in buying an OEM computer like HP, Dell, etc? They have solutions with lower end components that would be good for your needs, however, I'm not one to like preinstalled PC's as they have a bunch of junk software that I never use anyway.

For a custom build pc for general purposes, you will be looking in the price range from between 350 to 500 dollars.

If you are in need of assistance, I'll be more than happy to assist with help on finding the right PC build that suits your needs.

All custom PC builds are recommended to run either Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 8.1

I generally use Windows Defender on my PC. I have not gotten any viruses on my computer using it, however, a friend of mine uses McAfee Live Safe, and its not bloated or slows his computer down.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS
    CPU
    Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.40 ghz
    Motherboard
    ASUS P5K PRO
    Memory
    2 GB DDR2
    Graphics Card(s)
    PNY NVIDIA Geforce GT 630
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
As far as maintenance tasks go I remember using Disc defragmenter and scandisc
Maintenance in Windows versions 8-10 are now fully automated, you just need to set a time when you're likely to be away form the keyboard; also I've noticed when I miss the time frame(PC is off or I'm using it) if I step away it'll start doing it again/complete it. Maintenance is also set so Devs (Developers) can add them to the task schedule to be included in Maintenance. Windows is really becoming "Set & Forget".
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Update Pro in Hyper-V/Windows 10 Pro 64 bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Cliff's Black & Blue Wonder
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-9900K
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus X Hero
    Memory
    32 GB Quad Kit, G.Skill Trident Z RGB Series schwarz, DDR4-3866, 18-19-19-39-2T
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS GeForce RTX 3090 ROG Strix O24G, 24576 MB GDDR6X
    Sound Card
    (1) HD Webcam C270 (2) NVIDIA High Definition Audio (3) Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    BenQ BL2711U(4K) and a hp 27vx(1080p)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 x 32 bits (4294967296 colors) @ 60 Hz
    Hard Drives
    C: Samsung 960 EVO NVMe M.2 SSD
    E: & O: Libraries & OneDrive-> Samsung 850 EVO 1TB
    D: Hyper-V VM's -> Samsung PM951 Client M.2 512Gb SSD
    G: System Images -> HDD Seagate Barracuda 2TB
    PSU
    Corsair HX1000i High Performance ATX Power Supply 80+ Platinum
    Case
    hanteks Enthoo Pro TG
    Cooling
    Thermaltake Floe Riing RGB TT Premium-Edition 360mm and 3 Corsair blue LED fans
    Keyboard
    Trust GTX THURA
    Mouse
    Trust GTX 148
    Internet Speed
    25+/5+ (+usually faster)
    Browser
    Edge; Chrome; IE11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender of course & Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit as a
    Other Info
    Router: FRITZ!Box 7590 AX V2
    Sound system: SHARP HT-SBW460 Dolby Atmos Soundbar
    Webcam: Logitech BRIO ULTRA HD PRO WEBCAM 4K webcam with HDR
I have a Gateway sx series I got at Walmart for about $500.
1.4 GHz.
4 GBs Ram.{Added 4 more myself. 8 now.Never use more than 3.5 GBs.}

I use a VPN.
Works good.

I stream NetFlix movies nicely with Silverlight.

I used to have an EMachine I was fond of.
They are cheap too.

Others will post their suggestions too. :)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1.1 Pro with Media Center
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Gateway
    CPU
    AMD K140 Cores 2 Threads 2 Name AMD K140 Package Socket FT1 BGA Technology 40nm
    Motherboard
    Manufacturer Gateway Model SX2110G (P0)
    Memory
    Type DDR3 Size 8192 MBytes DRAM Frequency 532.3 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI AMD Radeon HD 7310 Graphics
    Sound Card
    AMD High Definition Audio Device Realtek High Definition Audio USB Audio Device
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Name 1950W on AMD Radeon HD 7310 Graphics Current Resolution 1366x768 pixels Work Resolution 1366x76
    Screen Resolution
    Current Resolution 1366x768 pixels Work Resolution 1366x768 pixels
    Hard Drives
    AMD K140
    Cores 2
    Threads 2
    Name AMD K140
    Package Socket FT1 BGA
    Technology 40nm
    Specification AMD E1-1200 APU with Radeon HD Graphics
    Family F
    Extended Family 14
    Model 2
    Extended Model 2
    Stepping 0
    Revision ON-C0
    Instruction
    Browser
    Opera 24.0
    Antivirus
    Avast Internet Security
Thank you everyone for your insight. I've been doing some research and even though some people are not impressed, I'm hearing generally positive things about the HP Stream 11 or 13. Inexpensive and probably sufficient for my limited needs. This isn't supposed to be a full desktop replacement, but rather an "extra" computer I can keep around to use.
It sounds like I'd be safe running Windows Defender and maybe a weekly scan of Malwarebytes Free? I've read some things online about people using this setup, but then are hesitant about online banking and other logins where security is essential. Any truth to being concerned with this setup?
I'm also glad to hear about the "set it and forget it" maintenance attitude. My online reading, again very limited compared to the expertise one sees on a dedicated forum like this, talks about many program needed to run on frequent basis. CC cleaner immediately comes to mind.
I really appreciate everyones help. This is a great forum
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8.1
Ccleaner is jus a good "One Stop Cleaner" one can actually do every thing without it, but you then have to go to different places to cleanup, like call up JAVA to clean it, run disk cleanup, go to Flashplayer to clean it. to clean program temp files go to hidden files find the right one(dangerous without knowledge, and marking sites to save/delete cookies is a real pain. So Ccleaner is a good tool when not over used(cleaning too often can actually slow down a PC because files will have to be recreated, and complete internet pages will have to be recreated using more bandwidth.)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Update Pro in Hyper-V/Windows 10 Pro 64 bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Cliff's Black & Blue Wonder
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-9900K
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus X Hero
    Memory
    32 GB Quad Kit, G.Skill Trident Z RGB Series schwarz, DDR4-3866, 18-19-19-39-2T
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS GeForce RTX 3090 ROG Strix O24G, 24576 MB GDDR6X
    Sound Card
    (1) HD Webcam C270 (2) NVIDIA High Definition Audio (3) Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    BenQ BL2711U(4K) and a hp 27vx(1080p)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 x 32 bits (4294967296 colors) @ 60 Hz
    Hard Drives
    C: Samsung 960 EVO NVMe M.2 SSD
    E: & O: Libraries & OneDrive-> Samsung 850 EVO 1TB
    D: Hyper-V VM's -> Samsung PM951 Client M.2 512Gb SSD
    G: System Images -> HDD Seagate Barracuda 2TB
    PSU
    Corsair HX1000i High Performance ATX Power Supply 80+ Platinum
    Case
    hanteks Enthoo Pro TG
    Cooling
    Thermaltake Floe Riing RGB TT Premium-Edition 360mm and 3 Corsair blue LED fans
    Keyboard
    Trust GTX THURA
    Mouse
    Trust GTX 148
    Internet Speed
    25+/5+ (+usually faster)
    Browser
    Edge; Chrome; IE11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender of course & Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit as a
    Other Info
    Router: FRITZ!Box 7590 AX V2
    Sound system: SHARP HT-SBW460 Dolby Atmos Soundbar
    Webcam: Logitech BRIO ULTRA HD PRO WEBCAM 4K webcam with HDR
no matter what Virus protection you use its always a concern when it comes to online banking , I use windows defender and, paid Subscription of malware bytes pro ,,that's it, and I do online banking ,
BUT ,I don't click on attachments in Emails ,I am careful where I surf .,.when I do download apps I use there homepage for the download
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win8.1.1 enterprise
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Hinze57
    CPU
    AMD FX 6100 6core 3.30gHz
    Motherboard
    gigibyte ga-78lmy-s2p
    Memory
    4gig ddr3
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radon hd5000 Series
    Sound Card
    onboard realtek hd
    Monitor(s) Displays
    19" viewsonic/ 22"Samsung
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    128gig ssd Kingston
    80gig WD 10000 rpm spinner
    Case
    micro
    Keyboard
    microsoft curve 200
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless M215
    Internet Speed
    high speed 20
    Browser
    ie 11
    Antivirus
    windows defender
    Other Info
    updated enterprise apr 2/14
no matter what Virus protection you use its always a concern when it comes to online banking , I use windows defender and, paid Subscription of malware bytes pro ,,that's it, and I do online banking ,
BUT ,I don't click on attachments in Emails ,I am careful where I surf .,.when I do download apps I use there homepage for the download
Same Here :thumbsup:
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 8.1 Update 1 Pro 64bit
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Pavillion H8-1202
    CPU
    I7-2600 @ 3.4 GHz
    Motherboard
    PEGATRON
    Memory
    8 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NIVDIA GeForce GT 520
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC656GR CODEC
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung SyncMaster S22B350
    Screen Resolution
    1920X1080 32 bit color
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 850 EVO SSD 500GB
    Keyboard
    Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2013
    Mouse
    Logitech M510
Chrome book is a possibility, but doubt I'll have as many options
a chrome book is an internet based device ,you would not be able to do the things you want to do .

the HP notebook looks good ,but myself I prefer a full size laptop .I do have a older acer one notebook ,but its gets very little use
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win8.1.1 enterprise
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Hinze57
    CPU
    AMD FX 6100 6core 3.30gHz
    Motherboard
    gigibyte ga-78lmy-s2p
    Memory
    4gig ddr3
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radon hd5000 Series
    Sound Card
    onboard realtek hd
    Monitor(s) Displays
    19" viewsonic/ 22"Samsung
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    128gig ssd Kingston
    80gig WD 10000 rpm spinner
    Case
    micro
    Keyboard
    microsoft curve 200
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless M215
    Internet Speed
    high speed 20
    Browser
    ie 11
    Antivirus
    windows defender
    Other Info
    updated enterprise apr 2/14
Thank you everyone for the excellent device. I think I'm going to bite the bullet and get the stream. I'll continue to do research in proper Windows maintenance and security. I'm sure I'll be posting again soon.

Thank you!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8.1
If you want, you can add unchecky, from unchecky.com, it automatically unchecks the boxes of stuff you normally do not want during many freebie download & install EXEs. For example, [some company] used to include goodies such as search.conduit with their free software. Unchecky simply unchecked that box, and the custom/advanced install did not include search.conduit.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 Pro 64bit [MS blue-disk set]
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    2 Acers & 1 Antec[?]
    CPU
    i7 in 2 Acers, i5 in desktop
    Motherboard
    Desktop w/Gigabyte
    Memory
    Two w/16GB, 1 w/8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Laptops GameWorthy; Desktop maybe GameWorthy
    Monitor(s) Displays
    flatscreens; 2 are BluRay worthy
    Screen Resolution
    1368x768; 1600x900
    Hard Drives
    1TB internals; 2 ext usb WD 1TB HDs
    PSU
    what's PSU?
    Cooling
    Regular plus external fans
    Keyboard
    desktio w/PS2
    Mouse
    desktop w/PS2
    Internet Speed
    DSL middle level [160?]
    Browser
    from Netscape 0.9 to FF 36
    Antivirus
    well-balanced, well-configured mult-layered defense is best
    Other Info
    From MS-DOS 3.3, MS-DOS 6.22, from Windows 3.1 to WFW 3.11 to Windows 95-98SE, now to Windows 7 Pro.
    Security for now: Windows 7 Firewall, Emsisoft AM, MSE [scan-only], SpywareBlaster, Ruiware/BillP combine
I use a MacBook Pro, Linux Mint and 4 versions of Windows on both Desktops and Notebooks/Laptops. Laptops and Notebooks used to be different birds but the terms are used interchangeably. Laptops were much cooler when used on a lap. Netbooks are generally smaller and don't include an Optical drive but USB External types are available. Tablets are a different story, some/probably most are the Android OS, I have one plus a Windows 8.1 Dell Venue 8". A lot of the smart phones use Android. The only real issue I have between Mac and Windows is Mac does do well in providing NTFS support so I use an Ethernet NAS/Network Attached Storage drive and all computers can access it whether Wired or Wi-Fi. Same for an Inkjet and a Laserjet printer.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    WinXP, WinVista, Win7, Win8.1, Win10, Linux Mint 20
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    2 Customs and 12 OEM/Brands
    CPU
    AMD and Intel
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