Two things. Spyware and PC upkeep

One, does anyone know of a good free app used to get rid of Spyware?

Two, any apps that you find useful in keeping your PC running smoothly?

One, three programs:
Lavasoft Ad-Aware - http://www.lavasoftusa.com/
Spybot Search & Destroy - http://www.spybot.info/ and http://www.safer-networking.org/
Microsoft AntiSpyware - http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/ (formerly Giant AntiSpyware - http://www.giantcompany.com/p_antiSpyware.htm)

Do not install Spybot's TeaTimer if you will be using MS-AS as well; they will fall over each other anytime a change is made.  Other than that, it's fine to have all three installed at once.

Two, a good home Linux distro.  (Seriously, I don't know.  I used to recommend Norton Utilities, but in recent years Symantec has just totally ruined Peter Norton's name with their worse-than-spyware products.)

>>1

Listen to >>2 wrt your first question.

RE: Your second question, your standard AV or two and a good brain in your head are the most important tools for keeping your computer running smoothly.  Just steer clear of all those deep, dark alleys on the internet and you'll probably be a-ok.

>>1
2:
Firewall like ZoneAlarm or another free firewall www.zonealarm.com
AVG free or simalar free antivirus free.grisoft.com
Firefox :)
Hijackthis perhaps as well

Two: Reinstall Windows regularly.

>>5
Fail. If you have to reinstall Windows regularly you're doing something wrong. Two years and counting on the laptop I'm using, and use for many hours every day, and it still performs as well as the day it was installed.

Two things that keep my PC running smoothly are lunix and GNU.

>>1
Anonymous 2 replied to the first part correctly.

Second: {2, 5, 7} ⊂ DQN

Here are some tips:
1. Never use MSIE, use Firefox or Opera.
2. Have a hardware firewall, or a software firewall that won't cause problems with everything.
3. Run regularly AVG AntiVirus (free), but don't keep it resident, just run it on ABSOLUTELY everything new you download or are given by somebody else.
4. Run regularly Spybot and Ad-aware (both free).
5. Clean your registry with RegCleaner and CCleaner  (CrapCleaner) (both free), although this requires some knowledge. In case of doubt, don't delete.
6. Defragment your hard disk monthly with PerfectDisk.
7. Don't run shit. Yes, stupid jokes are shit. Yes, Budweiser screensavers are shit. Yes, cool free stuff offered in the Internet is usually shit. Yes, shit you get sent by email along with 30 other recipients is, well, shit. Ask a trusted geek before running anything you have a doubt on.
8. This is stupid, but some people need this be told: read every fucking message box before hitting OK. Contrary to lusers' beliefs, their carefully written text is actually useful information and instructions.

Install Lunix, problem solved.

>>8
Oh, duh, I should've known.  Otherwise I wouldn't have smarted off for #2.

>>1 -- Listen to >>8 for answers to your second question.

>>7,9
I think the three of us killed the joke :)

>>8

That's >>2,5,7, Mr. Set Theory.