Computers, PCs, Laptops, etc.
Old-fashioned Windows PCs (desktop & tower systems) aren't quite so common nowadays, with many people preferring to use a laptop, tablet, or just their phone. But, if you do use one, you'll know that they can be quite difficult and complicated devices to keep up to date and running smoothly, with lots of programs, tools and settings. Quite a few settings are used for personalising and changing your working environment, setting up hardware and controlling background services. But, by tweaking some of these, you can help improve your online safety and security. There are also Optional Windows software and services, which can be selected or adjusted to help make your system safer. Windows Laptops are basically much the same, but maybe a little less complicated, as they lack the massive hardware variability and add-on options of standard PCs.
So, what can and should you set, select, or change? Well, it all depends on what level of security you want, the ease of use and features that you'd like - and who you ask! It might seem odd to ask what level of security you want; 'The best' is the obvious answer, but security comes with a cost - there is always a trade-off. More security generally means less features, sometimes a poorer user experience and, quite often, lower performance. And yes, there is often a financial cost too! We could give you a long list of things to improve the security on your PC, but doing everything you can would simply not be sensible, so we will concentrate on changes that are both practical and easy, while at the same time having a limited impact on features, ease of use and performance.