Older Version of Windows XP: Can I Still Use SP1 or SP2?

I bought Windows XP Home Edition somewhere around 2002. On the orange
box/open leaflet it says "Version 2002". It doesn't say SP1 anywhere,
nor does it make any reference to service packs. I read somewhere that
Win XP versions sold late in 2002 automatically came with SP1 but I
don't remember exactly when I purchased it.

The reason I'm asking is because my brother has Win XP and he is
telling me that there are some things that he cannot do with his
version of Windows because he doesn't have SP1 or SP2. I simply told my
brother to download SP1 and SP2 but he said it doesn't work like that.
Is he wrong?

StevenQ

Your brother is wrong.
It does "work like that"
He can download SP-2 and burn to CD or order a CD, Step 1 on this link:
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/spackins.htm

There is no need for SP-1 since SP-2 includes everything up to the release
date of SP-2.
Look at your CD, if SP-1 is included, it will say so on the CD but not the
box.
You should also install SP-2.

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar
http://www.dts-l.org


wrote in message
ups.com...
I bought Windows XP Home Edition somewhere around 2002. On the orange
box/open leaflet it says "Version 2002". It doesn't say SP1 anywhere,
nor does it make any reference to service packs. I read somewhere that
Win XP versions sold late in 2002 automatically came with SP1 but I
don't remember exactly when I purchased it.

The reason I'm asking is because my brother has Win XP and he is
telling me that there are some things that he cannot do with his
version of Windows because he doesn't have SP1 or SP2. I simply told my
brother to download SP1 and SP2 but he said it doesn't work like that.
Is he wrong?

StevenQ

But what about Large LBA support?



Will a user loading Windows XP, without SP1 or SP2 preinstalled, be able to
format and load the operating system on a partition of size grater than
137GB?



Or, will a person using Windows XP without SP1 or SP2 preinstalled be able
to reformat the system disk and then do a complete reload without having to
worry that other drives of size grater than 137GB are also resident on the
system? One would not wish to have *chkdsk* take off and run on the big
drives without large drive support enabled! That could be dangerous. Couldn'
t it?



So I have to ask: Is it really true that Windows XP can do *all* of the
things that Windows XP with SP1 or SP2 can do? Or have I noted one serious
exception?



- Stan Shankman



"Jupiter Jones [MVP]" wrote in message
...
Your brother is wrong.
It does "work like that"
He can download SP-2 and burn to CD or order a CD, Step 1 on this link:
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/spackins.htm

There is no need for SP-1 since SP-2 includes everything up to the release
date of SP-2.
Look at your CD, if SP-1 is included, it will say so on the CD but not the
box.
You should also install SP-2.

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar
http://www.dts-l.org


wrote in message
ups.com...
I bought Windows XP Home Edition somewhere around 2002. On the orange
box/open leaflet it says "Version 2002". It doesn't say SP1 anywhere,
nor does it make any reference to service packs. I read somewhere that
Win XP versions sold late in 2002 automatically came with SP1 but I
don't remember exactly when I purchased it.

The reason I'm asking is because my brother has Win XP and he is
telling me that there are some things that he cannot do with his
version of Windows because he doesn't have SP1 or SP2. I simply told my
brother to download SP1 and SP2 but he said it doesn't work like that.
Is he wrong?

StevenQ

SP2 includes a lot of new updates and new features to windows XP that
are not available or compatible with the version without service packs.
In the situation you describe the end user would have to either create
a slipstreamed cd with SP2 or contact thier vendor or Microsoft to
obtain one. They could also remove the Disk with the large partition,
update to SP2 then reinstall it. Also, are you sure that the orginal
chkdsk will cause problems with a disk that is over 137GB?

Regards

Stan, you are the man. That is exactly what I'm talking about. I
recently purchased a 250gb hard drive from Hitachi. It reads as 137gb
right now. I plan to install Win XP. When I do, hopefully I can dl SP2
and then reformat it so it will read as 250gb. If not, I'll just have
to cry and be happy with 137gb.

StevenQ

If I may ask, what problems are you taling about? Are you saying that
Chkdsk can cause problems with my 250gb hard drive?

StevenQ

stevenqrdh wrote:
I bought Windows XP Home Edition somewhere around 2002. On the
orange box/open leaflet it says "Version 2002". It doesn't say SP1
anywhere, nor does it make any reference to service packs. I read
somewhere that Win XP versions sold late in 2002 automatically came
with SP1 but I don't remember exactly when I purchased it.

*shrug* After each service pack, the market slowly floods with the latest
version boxed editions of Windows XP - Service Packs included. Whether or
not you originally bought one with/without any service pack makes no
difference. A valid Windows XP license entitles you to all patches
(including service packs) since its initial release.

The reason I'm asking is because my brother has Win XP and he is
telling me that there are some things that he cannot do with his
version of Windows because he doesn't have SP1 or SP2. I simply
told my brother to download SP1 and SP2 but he said it doesn't work
like that. Is he wrong?

Your brother is wrong.

Direct Download of Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP
http://snipurl.com/8bqy

Order Windows XP Service Pack 2 on CD
http://snipurl.com/d41v

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

stevenqrdh wrote:
Stan, you are the man. That is exactly what I'm talking about. I
recently purchased a 250gb hard drive from Hitachi. It reads as
137gb right now. I plan to install Win XP. When I do, hopefully I
can dl SP2 and then reformat it so it will read as 250gb. If not,
I'll just have to cry and be happy with 137gb.

If your Windows XP CD does not include the SP2 (or at least the SP1 update)
on it - then you should create a new Windows XP Installation CD with Service
pack 2 integrated on it. This will allow you to - out of the box - have all
the features and hardware support built into the latest rendition (service
pack level) of the operating system - including LBA.

In your case this would be especially important if you plan on using the
250GB drive (supposedly supported by your hardware, eh?) as your main boot
drive (and I would - it is likely faster than whatever else you have in a
machine such as the one you describe.)

Rather than give you just a little information - I will tell you how to get
the updates, how to integrate them into your own CD, etc.. That way you are
better informed about your options when it comes to the Windows Updates.

Direct Download of Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP
http://snipurl.com/8bqy

What to Know Before You Download and Install Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/s...hattoknow.mspx

You can download all updates and burn them to CD..

You can download each update manually - based off the KB Article number,
etc. That way you can back it up/burn a CD of them in case you need them or
use them to keep a slipstream/integrated (updated) Windows XP CD.

How to use the Windows Update Catalog
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/323166
(In order to use the Windows Update Catalog, you must use IE to get the
patches..)

Windows Update Catalog
http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.co...en/default.asp
(In order to use the Windows Update Catalog, you must use IE to get the
patches..)

Creating an Integrated Installation
http://snipurl.com/el43

Integrate software updates into your Windows installation source files
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/828930

Really customize your CD..
http://unattended.msfn.org/

Produce an up-to-date XP Distibution CD
http://xpcreate.com/

AutoPatcher
http://www.autopatcher.com/

AutoStreamer
http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=223562

You can see the critical (security and other) patches released for a given
month using the following:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sec.../ms##-***.mspx

At the end of this line you see "ms##-***.mspx" .. If you simply replace ##
with the two-digit year and the *** with the three character month
abbreviation, you will see the list of "critical" and "important" patches
for that month (since it only happens once a month usually, if you check by
the second Tuesday (wait until afternoon) of each month - you should be
fine) - note that future months will not work.

As an example...

December 2004's patches..
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sec.../ms04-dec.mspx

March 2005's patches..
None released.. so that one will fail...

May 2005's patches..
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sec.../ms05-may.mspx

July 2005's patches..
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sec.../ms05-jul.mspx


Once you get on the page with each month's list of patches.. You can go to
the related KB articles and grab the appropriate files from there.

Is that it? Nah - you also should know how to properly maintain your system
from the installation point until its end of life - which will be greatly
increased if you follow these tips.

Microsoft has these suggestions for Protecting your computer from the
various things that could happen to you/it:

Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

Outfitting a new computer for the Net
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/secu...wcomputer.mspx

Getting started with a new PC
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/moredone/yournewpc.mspx

Although those tips are fantastic, there are many things you should
know above and beyond that. Below I have detailed out many tips
that can not only help you clean-up a problem PC but keep it clean,
secure and running at its best.

I know this text can seem intimidating - it is quite long and a lot
to take in for a novice - however I can assure you that one trip
through this list and you will understand your computer and the
options available to you for protecting your data much better -
and that the next time you go through these steps, the time it
takes will be greatly reduced.

Let's take the cleanup of your computer step-by-step.
Yes, it will take up some of your time - but consider what you use
your computer for and how much you would dislike it if all of your
stuff on your computer went away because you did not "feel like"
performing some simple maintenance tasks - think of it like taking
out your garbage, collecting and sorting your postal mail, paying
your bills on time, etc.

I'll mainly work around Windows XP, as that is what the bulk of this
document is about; however, here is some places for you poor souls
still stuck in Windows 98/ME where you can get information on
maintaining your system:

Windows 98 and 'Maintaining Your Computer':
http://www.microsoft.com/windows98/u...s/maintaining/

Windows ME Computer Health:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsME/u...alth/articles/

Pay close attention to the sections:
(in order)
- Clean up your hard disk
- Check for errors by running ScanDisk
- Defragment your hard disk
- Roll back the clock with System Restore


Also - now is a good time to point you to one of the easiest ways to find
information on problems you may be having and solutions others have found:

Search using Google!
http://www.google.com/
(How-to: http://www.google.com/intl/en/help/basics.html )


Now, let's go through some maintenance first that should only have to be
done once (mostly):

Tip (1):
Locate all of the software you have installed on your computer.
(the installation media - CDs, downloaded files, etc)
Collect these CDs and files together in a central and safe
place along with their CD keys and such. Make backups of these
installation media sets using your favorite copying method (CD/DVD Burner
and application, Disk copier, etc.) You'll be glad to know that if you
have a CD/DVD burner, you may be able to use a free application to make a
duplicate copy of your CDs. One such application is ISORecorder:

ISORecorder page (with general instructions on use):
http://isorecorder.alexfeinman.com/beta.htm

Yes - it is BETA software - but very useful and well tested.
(Don't know what "BETA" means? In simplest terms, it is the stage of a
softwares' life where it is tested for bugs, crashes, errors,
inconsistencies, and any other problems.)

More full function applications (free) for CD/DVD burning would be:

CDBurnerXP Pro
http://www.cdburnerxp.se/

DeepBurner Free
http://www.deepburner.com/

ImgBurn (burn ISO images)
http://www.imgburn.com/

Another Option would be to search the web with Pricewatch.com or
Dealsites.net and find deals on Products like Ahead Nero and/or Roxio.


Tip (2):
Empty your Temporary Internet Files and shrink the size it stores to a
size between 128MB and 512MB..

- Open ONE copy of Internet Explorer.
- Select TOOLS - Internet Options.
- Under the General tab in the "Temporary Internet Files" section, do the
following:
- Click on "Delete Cookies" (click OK)
- Click on "Settings" and change the "Amount of disk space to use:" to
something between 128MB and 512MB. (Betting it is MUCH larger right
now.)
- Click OK.
- Click on "Delete Files" and select to "Delete all offline contents"
(the checkbox) and click OK. (If you had a LOT, this could take 2-10
minutes or more.)
- Once it is done, click OK, close Internet Explorer, re-open Internet
Explorer.


Tip (3):
If things are running a bit sluggish and/or you have an older system
(1.5GHz or less and 256MB RAM or less) then you may want to look into
tweaking the performance by turning off some of the 'resource hogging'
Windows XP "prettifications". The fastest method is:

Control Panel -- System -- Advanced tab -- Performance section,
Settings button. Then choose "adjust for best performance" and you
now have a Windows 2000/98 look which turned off most of the annoying
"prettifications" in one swift action. You can play with the last
three checkboxes to get more of an XP look without many of the
other annoyances. You could also grab and install/use one
(or more) of the Microsoft Powertoys - TweakUI in particular:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/d...powertoys.mspx

Another viable (decently inexpensive) option is to increase the amount
of memory (RAM) your computer has. You can get an idea of what you
need by visiting:

Crucial Memory AdvisorT Tool
http://www.crucial.com/

Then either buy direct from there or write down the specs you get and
visit: http://www.pricewatch.com/ and locate the best price on what you
need. 512MB up to 1GB total memory should be more than enough for
the normal home user.


Tip (4):
Understanding what a good password might be is vital to your
personal and system security. You may think you do not need to password
your home computer, as you may have it in a locked area (your home) where
no one else has access to it. Remember, however, you aren't always
"in that locked area" when using your computer online - meaning you likely
have usernames and passwords associated with web sites and the likes that
you would prefer other people do not discover/use. This is why you should
understand and utilize good passwords.

Good passwords are those that meet these general rules
(mileage may vary):

Passwords should contain at least six characters, and the character
string should contain at least three of these four character types:
- uppercase letters
- lowercase letters
- numerals
- nonalphanumeric characters (e.g., *, %, &, !,

Passwords should not contain your name/username.
Passwords should be unique to you and easy to remember.

One method many people are using today is to make up a phrase that
describes a point in their life and then turning that phrase into their
password by using only certain letters out of each word in that phrase.
It's much better than using your birthday month/year or your anniversary
in a pure sense. For example, let's say my phrase is:
'Great new job in January 2006'
I could come up with this password from that:
'Gr8n3wj0bJAN2006'

The password tip is in the one time section, but I highly
recommend you periodically change your passwords. The suggested time
varies, but I will throw out a 'once in every 3 to 6 months for
every account you have.'

Also - many people complain that they just cannot remember the passwords
for all the sites they have - so they choose one password and use it for
everything. Not a good idea. A much better method would be to use a
Password Management tool - so you only have to remember one password,
but it opens an application that stores your username/passwords for
everything else - plus other valuable information. One that I can
recommend:

KeePass Password Safe
http://keepass.sourceforge.net/

It can even generate passwords for you.


Tip (5):
This tip is also 'questionable' in the one time section; however -
if properly setup - this one can be pretty well ignored for most people
after the initial 'fiddle-with' time.

Why you should use a computer firewall..
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/secu...wbenefits.mspx

You should, in some way, use a firewall. Hardware (like a nice
Cable Modem/DSL router) or software is up to you. Many use both of
these. The simplest one to use is the hardware one, as most people
don't do anything that they will need to configure their NAT device
for and those who do certainly will not mind fiddling with the equipment
to make things work for them. Next in the line of simplicity would
have to be the built-in Windows Firewall of Windows XP. In SP2 it
is turned on by default. It is not difficult to turn on in any
case, however:

Enable/Disable the Internet Connection Firewall (Pre-SP2):
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/283673

More information on the Internet Connection Firewall (Pre-SP2):
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/320855

Post-SP2 Windows Firewall Information/guidance:
http://snipurl.com/atal

The trouble with the Windows Firewall is that it only keeps things
out. For most people who maintain their system in other ways, this is
MORE than sufficient. However, you may feel otherwise. If you want to
know when one of your applications is trying to obtain access to the
outside world so you can stop it, then you will have to install a
third-party application and configure/maintain it. I have compiled a
list with links of some of the better known/free firewalls you can choose
from:

BlackICE PC Protection (~$39.95 and up)
http://blackice.iss.net/

Jetico Personal Firewall (Free)
http://www.jetico.com/index.htm#/jpfirewall.htm

Sunbelt Kerio Personal Firewall (KPF) (Free and up)
http://www.kerio.com/kpf_download.html

Outpost Firewall from Agnitum (Free and up)
http://www.agnitum.com/products/outpostfree/

Symantec's Norton Personal Firewall (~$25 and up)
http://www.symantec.com/sabu/nis/npf/

ZoneAlarm (Free and up)
http://snipurl.com/6ohg

You should find the right firewall for your situation in that
list and set it up.

Every firewall WILL require some maintenance. Essentially checking for
patches or upgrades (this goes for hardware and software solutions) is
the extent of this maintenance - you may also have to configure your
firewall to allow some traffic depending on your needs.

** Don't stack the software firewalls! Running more than one software
firewall will not make you safer - it would possibly negate some
protection you gleamed from one or the other firewall you run. It is
fine (and in many ways better) to have the software firewall as well
as a NAT router.


Now that you have some of the more basic things down..
Let's go through some of the steps you should take periodically to
maintain a healthy and stable windows computer. If you have not
done some of these things in the past, they may seem tedious - however,
they will become routine and some can even be scheduled.


Tip (6):
The system restore feature is a useful - first appearing in Windows
ME and then sticking around for Windows XP. It is only a useful
feature if you keep it maintained and use it to your advantage.
Remember that the system restore pretty much tells you in the name
what it protects which is 'system' files. Your documents, your
pictures, your stuff is NOT system files - so you should also look
into some backup solution.

Whenever you think about it (after doing a once-over on your machine
once a month or so would be optimal) - clear out your System Restore
and create a manual restoration point.

'Why?'

Too many times have I seen the system restore files go corrupt or get
a virus in them, meaning you could not or did not want to restore from
them. By clearing it out periodically you help prevent any corruption
from happening and you make sure you have at least one good "snapshot".
(*This, of course, will erase any previous restore point you have.*)

- Turn off System Restore.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310405
- Reboot the Computer.
- Review the first bullet to turn on System Restore
- Make a Manual Restoration Point.
http://snipurl.com/68nx

That covers your system files, but doesn't do anything for the files
that you are REALLY worried about - yours! For that you need to look
into backups. You can either manually copy your important files, folders,
documents, spreadsheets, emails, contacts, pictures, drawings and so on
to an external location (CD/DVD - any disk of some sort, etc) or you can
use the backup tool that comes with Windows XP:

How To Use Backup to Back Up Files and Folders on Your Computer
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308422

Yes - you still need some sort of external media to store the results
on, but you could schedule the backup to occur when you are not around,
then burn the resultant data onto CD or DVD or something when you are
(while you do other things!)

Another option that came to my attention as of late:

Cobian Backup
http://www.educ.umu.se/~cobian/cobianbackup.htm

A lot of people have wondered about how to completely backup their system
so that they would not have to go through the trouble of a reinstall..
I'm going to voice my opinion here and say that it would be worthless to
do for MOST people. Unless you plan on periodically updating the image
backup of your system (remaking it) - then by the time you use it
(something goes wrong) - it will be so outdated as to be more trouble than
performing a full install of the operating system and all applications.

Having said my part against it, you can clone/backup your hard drive
completely using many methods - by far the simplest are using disk cloning
applications:

Symantec/Norton Ghost
http://www.symantec.com/sabu/ghost/

Acronis True Image
http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage

BootItT NG
http://terabyteunlimited.com/bootitng.html


Tip (7):
You should sometimes look through the list of applications that are
installed on your computer. The list may surprise you. There are more
than likely things in there you know you never use - so why have them
there? There may even be things you know you did *not* install and
certainly do not use (maybe don't WANT to use.)

This web site should help you get started at looking through this list:

How to Uninstall Programs
http://snipurl.com/8v6b

How to change or remove a program in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307895

A word of warning - Do NOT uninstall anything you think you MIGHT need
in the future unless you have completed Tip (1) and have the installation
media and proper keys for use backed up somewhere safe!


Tip (8):
Patches and Updates!

This one cannot be stressed enough. It is SO simple, yet so neglected
by many people. It is really simple for the critical Microsoft patches!
Microsoft put in an AUTOMATED feature for you to utilize so that you do
NOT have to worry yourself about the patching of the Operating System:

How to configure and use Automatic Updates in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306525

However, not everyone wants to be a slave to automation, and that is
fine. Admittedly, I prefer this method on some of my more critical
systems.

Windows Update
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/

Go there and scan your machine for updates. Always get the critical ones
as you see them. Write down the KB###### or Q###### you see when
selecting the updates and if you have trouble over the next few days,
go into your control panel (Add/Remove Programs), insure that the
'Show Updates' checkbox is checked and match up the latest numbers you
downloaded recently (since you started noticing an issue) and uninstall
them. If there was more than one (usually is), uninstall them one by one
with a few hours of use in between, to see if the problem returns.
Yes - the process is not perfect (updating) and can cause trouble like I
mentioned - but as you can see, the solution isn't that bad - and is
MUCH better than the alternatives.

Windows is not the only product you likely have on your PC. The
manufacturers of the other products usually have updates. New versions
of almost everything come out all the time - some are free, some are pay
and some you can only download if you are registered - but it is best
to check. Just go to their web pages and look under their support and
download sections. For example, for Microsoft Office you should visit:

Microsoft Office Updates
http://office.microsoft.com/
(and select 'Check for Updates' and/or 'Downloads' for more)

You also have hardware on your machine that requires drivers to interface
with the operating system. You have a video card that allows you to see on
your screen, a sound card that allows you to hear your PCs sound output and
so on. Visit those manufacturer web sites for the latest downloadable
drivers for your hardware/operating system. Always get the manufacturers'
hardware driver over any Microsoft offers. On the Windows Update site I
mentioned earlier, I suggest NOT getting their hardware drivers - no matter
how tempting.

How do you know what hardware you have in your computer? Break out the
invoice or if it is up and working now - take inventory:

Belarc Advisor
http://belarc.com/free_download.html

Once you know what you have, what next? Go get the latest driver for your
hardware/OS from the manufacturer's web page. For example, let's say you
have an NVidia chipset video card or ATI video card, perhaps a Creative
Labs sound card or C-Media chipset sound card...

NVidia Video Card Drivers
http://www.nvidia.com/content/drivers/drivers.asp

ATI Video Card Drivers
http://www.atitech.com/support/driver.html

Creative Labs Sound Device
http://us.creative.com/support/downloads/

C-Media Sound Device
http://www.cmedia.com.tw/e_download_01.htm

Then install these drivers. Updated drivers are usually more stable and
may provide extra benefits/features that you really wished you had before.

As for Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP, Microsoft has made this
particular patch available in a number of ways. First, there is the
Windows Update web page above. Then there is a direct download site.

Direct Download of Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP
http://snipurl.com/8bqy

Order Windows XP Service Pack 2 on CD
http://snipurl.com/d41v

If all else fails - grab the full download above and try to use that.
In this case - consider yourself a 'IT professional or developer'.


Tip (9):
What about the dreaded word in the computer world, VIRUS?

Well, there are many products to choose from that will help you prevent
infections from these horrid little applications. Many are FREE to the
home user and which you choose is a matter of taste, really. Many people
have emotional attachments or performance issues with one or another
AntiVirus software. Try some out, read reviews and decide for yourself
which you like mo

( Good Comparison Page for AV softwa http://www.av-comparatives.org/ )

AntiVir (Free and up)
http://www.free-av.com/

avast! (Free and up)
http://www.avast.com/

AVG Anti-Virus System (Free and up)
http://free.grisoft.com/

eset NOD32 (~$39.00 and up)
http://www.eset.com/products/products.htm

eTrust EZ Antivirus (~$29.95 and up)
http://ca.com/store/home/us/hp2/

Kaspersky Anti-Virus (~$49.95 and up)
http://www.kaspersky.com/products.html

McAfee VirusScan (~$11 and up)
http://www.mcafee.com/

Panda Antivirus Titanium (~$39.95 and up)
http://www.pandasoftware.com/
(Free Online Scanner: http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/)

RAV AntiVirus Online Virus Scan (Free!)
http://www.ravantivirus.com/scan/

Symantec (Norton) AntiVirus (~$11 and up)
http://www.symantec.com/nav/nav_9xnt/

Trend Micro (~$49.95 and up)
http://www.trendmicro.com/en/home/us/personal.htm
(Free Online Scanner:
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/hous...start_corp.asp)


Most of them have automatic update capabilities. You will have to
look into the features of the one you choose. Whatever one you finally
settle with - be SURE to keep it updated (I recommend at least daily) and
perform a full scan periodically (yes, most protect you actively, but a
full scan once a month at 4AM probably won't bother you.)


Tip (10):
The most rampant infestation at the current time concerns SPYWARE/ADWARE.
You need to eliminate it from your machine.

There is no one software that cleans and immunizes you against
everything. Antivirus software - you only needed one. Firewall, you
only needed one. AntiSpyware - you will need several. I have a list and
I recommend you use at least the first five.

First - make sure you have NOT installed "Rogue AntiSpyware". There are
people out there who created AntiSpyware products that actually install
spyware of their own! You need to avoid these:

Rogue/Suspect Anti-Spyware Products & Web Sites
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm

Also, you can always visit this site..
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
For more updated information.

Install the first five of these: (Install, Run, Update, Scan with..)
(If you already have one or more - uninstall them and download the
LATEST version from the page given!)

Lavasoft AdAware (Free and up)
http://www.lavasoft.de/support/download/
(How-to: http://snipurl.com/atdn )

Spybot Search and Destroy (Free!)
http://www.safer-networking.net/en/download/index.html
(How-to: http://snipurl.com/atdk )

Bazooka Adware and Spyware Scanner (Free!)
http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanner/
(How-to: http://snipurl.com/ate3 )

SpywareBlaster (Free!)
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/sbdownload.html
(How-to: http://snipurl.com/ate6 )

IE-SPYAD2 (Free!)
https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/ehowes/www/resource.htm
(How-to: http://snipurl.com/ate7 )

CWShredder Stand-Alone (Free!)
http://www.intermute.com/spysubtract..._download.html

Hijack This! (Free!)
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html
(Log Analyzer: http://hjt.iamnotageek.com/ )

ToolbarCop (Free!)
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/toolbarcop.htm

Microsoft AntiSpyware BETA (in testing stages - Free!)
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/secu...ware/software/
(How-to: http://snipurl.com/fqur )

Browser Security Tests (Free Tester)
http://www.jasons-toolbox.com/BrowserSecurity/

Popup Tester (Free Tester)
http://www.popuptest.com/

The Cleaner (~$49.95 and up)
http://www.moosoft.com/

Sometimes you need to install the application and reboot into SAFE MODE in
order to thoroughly clean your computer. Many applications also have
(or are) immunization applications. Spybot Search and Destroy and
SpywareBlaster are two that currently do the best job at passively
protecting your system from malware. None of these programs (in these
editions) run in the background unless you TELL them to. The space they
take up and how easy they are to use greatly makes up for any inconvenience
you may be feeling.

Please notice that Windows XP SP2 does help stop popups as well.

Another option is to use an alternative Web browser. I suggest
'Mozilla Firefox', as it has some great features and is very easy to use:

Mozilla Firefox
http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/


So your machine is pretty clean and up to date now. If you use the sections
above as a guide, it should stay that way as well! There are still a few
more things you can do to keep your machine running in top shape.


Tip (11):
You should periodically check your hard drive(s) for errors and defragment
them. Only defragment after you have cleaned up your machine of
outside parasites and never defragment as a solution to a quirkiness in
your system. It may help speed up your system, but it should be clean
before you do this. Do these things IN ORDER...

How to use Disk Cleanup
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310312

How to scan your disks for errors
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315265

How to Defragment your hard drives
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314848

I would personally perform the above steps at least once every three months.
For most people this should be sufficient, but if the difference you notice
afterwards is greater than you think it should be, lessen the time in
between its schedule.. If the difference you notice is negligible, you can
increase the time.


Tip (12):
SPAM! JUNK MAIL!
This one can get annoying, just like the rest. You get 50 emails in one
sitting and 2 of them you wanted. NICE! (Not.) What can you do? Well,
although there are services out there to help you, some email
servers/services that actually do lower your spam with features built into
their servers - I still like the methods that let you be the end-decision
maker on what is spam and what is not. I have a few products to suggest
to you, look at them and see if any of them suite your needs. Again, if
they don't, Google is free and available for your perusal.

SpamBayes (Free!)
http://spambayes.sourceforge.net/

Spamihilator (Free!)
http://www.spamihilator.com/

MailWasher
http://www.mailwasher.net/

As I said, those are not your only options, but are reliable ones I have
seen function for hundreds+ people.


Tip (13):
ADVANCED TIP! Only do this once you are comfortable under the hood of your
computer!

There are lots of services on your PC that are probably turned on by default
you don't use. Why have them on? Check out these web pages to see what all
of the services you might find on your computer are and set them according
to your personal needs. Be CAREFUL what you set to manual, and take heed
and write down as you change things! Also, don't expect a large performance
increase or anything - especially on today's 2+ GHz machines, however - I
look at each service you set to manual as one less service you have to worry
about someone exploiting.

Black Viper Service Configuration Tips
http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm

Configuring Services
http://snakefoot.fateback.com/tweak/winnt/services.html

Task List Programs
http://www.answersthatwork.com/Taskl...s/tasklist.htm

Processes in Windows NT/2000/XP
http://www.reger24.de/prozesse/

There are also applications that AREN'T services that startup when you start
up the computer/logon. One of the better description on how to handle these
I have found he

Startups
http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.php


If you follow the advice laid out above (and do some of your own research as
well, so you understand what you are doing) - your computer will stay fairly
stable and secure and you will have a more trouble-free system.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

I am in the same but slightly different situation. I have XP Home installed
as part of my Toshiba notebook. I purcahsed an external enclosure to house a
250 Gig Seagate. XP Home (plus updated SP2 via download) recognized it as a
232 Gig harddrive so I assume no size issue here. After formating, everything
works. Then on the 2nd day, the external crashed. Got some corrupt error msg,
drive cannot be access. Downloaded seagate test tools and drive integrity
seems to be ok. Reformatted and used for 2 months then all of a sudden,
crashed again. Received the same corrupt msg. Then I found out that my XP
Home does not have the Reg48bitLBA patch (verified by viewing registry and
not finding it in the ATAPI \Parameters area). So downloaded the patch from
Seagate and updated it.

http://www.seagate.com/support/disc/utils.html

Rebootcheck registry again and the ATAPI\Parameters entry " EnableBigLBA"
is now there as per:
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;305098

Does anyone know if this will fix the random harddrive crashes?

I am using firewire and USD 2 to connet the external enclosure to my
notebook. Any tips and info would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

"Shenan Stanley" wrote:

stevenqrdh wrote:
I bought Windows XP Home Edition somewhere around 2002. On the
orange box/open leaflet it says "Version 2002". It doesn't say SP1
anywhere, nor does it make any reference to service packs. I read
somewhere that Win XP versions sold late in 2002 automatically came
with SP1 but I don't remember exactly when I purchased it.

*shrug* After each service pack, the market slowly floods with the latest
version boxed editions of Windows XP - Service Packs included. Whether or
not you originally bought one with/without any service pack makes no
difference. A valid Windows XP license entitles you to all patches
(including service packs) since its initial release.

The reason I'm asking is because my brother has Win XP and he is
telling me that there are some things that he cannot do with his
version of Windows because he doesn't have SP1 or SP2. I simply
told my brother to download SP1 and SP2 but he said it doesn't work
like that. Is he wrong?

Your brother is wrong.

Direct Download of Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP
http://snipurl.com/8bqy

Order Windows XP Service Pack 2 on CD
http://snipurl.com/d41v

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

Currently I am using Win XP Pro with SP2 (downloaded) and I am able to
use my 250 GB Hitatchi hard drive with no problems. Thanks much to
Shenan Stanley's post.

For the Hitachi hard drive there is a program that came with it called
Ontrack Disk Manager. The program makes it easy to setup the new hard
drive. It even asked me if I wanted to install LBA's for the new drive
which would enable XP to recognize the full 250 GB (I was already
reserved to being stuck with 137 GB!).

I don't remember where I saw it, nor do I remember the details.
However, if formatted incorrectly, damage or unexpected crashes can
occur. I think this may have been the case as my new hard drive was
making "clicking" noises and I was this close to sending it back to
Hitachi.

Funny thing, after I installed Ontrack Disk Manager and THEN,
reformatted it and LBA'ed it, the annoying clicking sounds went away.
Now I can use it to store all my ripped movies in peace. It was only
when I used Win 98 as the OS with the main hard drive did the clicking
sounds occur. Maybe I have to use it with Win XP? Not sure, but I'm not
one to fix it if it ain't broke!

Steven