First, do I need to keep HijackThis, adwcleaner, and securitycheck or can I delete these? - yes these can be deleted
Second, does WinPatrol have any conflicts with other programs (in my case OnlineArmor, SUPERantispyware, or Spywareblaster). - they do a different job and should work together
Finally, I've seen a few suggestions on these forums as well as the ones you've linked regarding topics such as HOSTS files and sandboxes. What are your recommendations for these programs? - A host file is a good idea but found most users confused as to how to use it
Gringo