X41T Healthy Maintenance for NON-SPECIALISTS

[Vasco Almeida]

We, the humble and unassuming non-specialists of the desktop world are regularly over-assailed via the internet with topics such as:
(i) the unquestionable merits of each of the 455 free and non-free antivirus packages;
(ii) the abolute indispensability of the myriad registry cleaners, each designed to save everyone, except Microsoft, the embarrassment of having to live with one;
(iii) the need to master the subtleties of Task Manager and figure out, in an intelligent fashion, why it is reporting on some processes using resources that we are not using at all.

Our common reaction? This:

It seems that an antivirus package is a universal given. But what other maintenance products do you experts out there consider an absolute minimum? And do you go for individual products for each indispensable task, or do you recommend a comprehensive product which might serve as an insurance certificate for the system as a whole? (Anything that needs more than 2 hours dedication per week need not apply!).

Thank you in advance for your input.