Over the past few years, I've advised you to update your operating system, renew your anti-virus, run a malware scan and defrag your hard drive. Not exactly a walk in the park, but necessary nonetheless.

Well it's time again for some system upkeep. Call it spring cleaning or consider it computer maintenance, but to ease the pain, I have some free apps for you. Some you may have seen before; some are new versions and some are new.

I am an appaholic. I'm always looking for programs to make my computing experience easier, faster and more enjoyable. But for every good program I find on the Internet, I find 10 bad ones. Usually, I end up uninstalling more than I keep.

Let's start with how Windows starts: with the boot process. I discovered a utility that is still in beta and released to the public for free. Soluto is an app that not only monitors the boot process, but advises what is necessary for the system and what is not. It allows you to remove it from the boot or delay when it runs. It is easy to use and can cut your boot time in half, depending on how much junk is in your startup folder. I cut about 30 seconds off of my boot time with Soluto. It's a keeper.

Advanced System Care 4.0 from the folks at Iobit has been around for a while, but the release of the enhanced new version boasts a new interface. It's now split into two separate programs; one for the quick fix and the other for a deep scan. For a free utility, it has lots of bells and whistles. Some new ones include right-click options for the recycle bin and a comprehensive uninstaller. It is worth the update.

Iobit also has a good free malware app called Security 360. It too, has many tools and in conjunction with a good anti-virus utility, will help keep your computer running smoothly.

There are a few good free anti-virus apps, two of which are Avast and AVG. I choose the latter only because it also offers a good utility to fix any major issues that may arise. Once discovered, it will allow you to fix the system once for free or they will sell you the program for unlimited use.

AVG does have a scheduler; the Iobit free apps do not.
Chrome by Google is still my favorite browser. I have never been an Internet Explorer fan and although I used to like Firefox, the new version is a bit cluttered and confusing. Chrome is fast and has just enough tools to make it a great browser.

Just like having two cars in your garage, I advise keeping two browsers on your system. Eventually, one will fail to get you somewhere. That's when it's time to back the other one out and take it for a spin on the Internet.

Ashampoo has some good free tools; all you need to do is register with them. Sure, it will yield some spam, but the quality of the apps makes it worth it. I like its CD and DVD burner. It offers many choices including data, music and video burning, as well as a disk copy option. See the website for a list of what they have to offer.

For comprehensive defragmentation, I like two apps. Iobit has Smart Defrag and Aulogics has Disk Defrag.
Malwarebytes has been a long-time favorite of mine. It's a great, free utility for finding rogue programs on your system.

Another old timer is Ccleaner. It will cleanse your computer of junk files, assist with cookies and keep your registry in order.

A new app I came across recently is FCleaner. It looks for junk files, has an uninstaller, a startup manager and gives access to Windows system tools. It works quickly and is easy to use.

Also new to me is Word Web, a thesaurus and dictionary for Windows. It can look up words from any program. It also includes pronunciations and usage examples.

For those who may not realize the difference between update and upgrade: Updates are free. Upgrades are usually an enhanced version of the program for a price.

Remember to turn off your AV program when installing any software and to turn off System Restore when scanning for viruses.

Keep your eyes open, know your sources and be safe online. Remember, all downloads are free. That doesn't make them free programs.

Keep in mind that most free apps lack two things: Support and a scheduler. But hey, they're free. Most good programs are intuitive; you can figure out how to use them. As far as a scheduler, well you'll need to remember to click the scan button when there is an issue.

If you want support and have scans run automatically, you'll need to shell out some bucks for the privilege.
Still, you can save a bundle as well your system by using the right apps.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly on the Business page and on gainesvilletimes.com.