Protecting a vista laptop for free

[hairyhippy]

I have an excelent mechanic. He's a mechanical genius.

He has been given a fujitsu laptop running vista. He doesn't know how to look after it.

He has done me many favours, so I said I'd tidy the laptop up a bit.

In the old days I would have gone for avg, spybot and adaware in conjunction with windows updates and a disc clean up / defragment.

Am I horribly out of date? Are there any other / better recommendations you can suggest?

TIA <Assistant IT tech 3rd class HH>

[rusky]

Microsoft security essentials & superantispyware.

[Feanor]

Microsoft Security Essentials as a free and not-too-intrusive AV for installing on machines for other people which you will need to maintain.

Ensure that Java and Flash are fully updated as they are often weak-points which let in crap.

Do enjoy your hours of fun on WindowsUpdate as you download gigabyts of updates-to-the-updates...
And the reboot-fest that goes with it.

And un-install any toolbars / unwanted helper objects from the browsers.
In fact, a good un-install-fest all round.

[hairyhippy]

So I should use Microsoft security essentials instead of avg?

[rusky]

yup!