SYSTEM RESTORE - NEW to Windows XP

On my H: external drive, I keep all my personal files, and reusable
installation files, the latter having .exe files extensions, etc.

The only thing on C: drive are the operating system and Programs, and of
course, the My Documents folder which is safe.

I have set C: and H: for System Restore Monitoring.

(1) System Restore says it can restore all drives set for monitoring. How
can one do this with the System Restore Wizard (to find the other drive)

(2) I'm having second thoughts about allowing System Restore monitoring on
the H: drive because it will probably mess up my reusable installation files
and drivers. Is it a good idea to turn off monitoring on the H: drive?

DSG wrote:
On my H: external drive, I keep all my personal files, and reusable
installation files, the latter having .exe files extensions, etc.

The only thing on C: drive are the operating system and Programs, and of
course, the My Documents folder which is safe.

I have set C: and H: for System Restore Monitoring.

(1) System Restore says it can restore all drives set for monitoring. How
can one do this with the System Restore Wizard (to find the other drive)

(2) I'm having second thoughts about allowing System Restore monitoring on
the H: drive because it will probably mess up my reusable installation
files and drivers. Is it a good idea to turn off monitoring on the H:
drive?

What system files do you have on the H:\ drive?
System Restore does what its name says - restores system files.
It doesn't backup anything you download, save, etc. It will have no effect
according to what you gave here.

Here's a nice list for you to go through - learn to maintain and backup your
system..
(Tip 6 has more on System Restore and backups.)

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/


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

I know this text can seem intimidating - it is quite long and a lot
to take in for a novice - but I 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 review 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 a place 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.

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

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

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

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


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:
'Moved to new home in 2004'
I could come up with this password from that:
'Mv2n3whmN04'

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.'


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

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/download/

Sygate Personal Firewall (Free and up)
http://smb.sygate.com/buy/download_buy.htm

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.


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 automatically scheduled.


Tip (6):
The system restore feature is a new one - first appearing in Windows
ME and then sticking around for Windows XP. It is 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.

I have seen the automatic system restore go wrong too many times not
to suggest the following.. 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!)

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


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

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 especially simple for the critical Windows 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

EVEREST Home Edition
http://www.lavalys.com/products/down...?pid=1&lang=en

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
and finally, you can order the FREE CD from Microsoft.

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

Order the Free Windows XP SP2 CD
http://snipurl.com/8umo

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 two products to suggest to
you, look at them and see if either 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/

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.

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

Thanks for helping me sort this out. The reusable installation files would
be downloaded and saved program files I would use to reinstall after a
debilitating crash of the operating system on C:. I guess what sparked the
question was the last three words in the following paragraph.

System Restore is a component of Windows XP Professional that you can use to
restore your computer to a previous state, if a problem occurs, without
losing your personal data files (such as Microsoft Word documents, browsing
history, drawings, favorites, or e-mail). System Restore monitors changes to
the system and some application files

Is there any sense in having H: monitored by System Restore? (only data
files, photos, zip and PDFs and the downloaded and saved reusable
installation files.


"Shenan Stanley" wrote in message
...
DSG wrote:
On my H: external drive, I keep all my personal files, and reusable
installation files, the latter having .exe files extensions, etc.

The only thing on C: drive are the operating system and Programs, and of
course, the My Documents folder which is safe.

I have set C: and H: for System Restore Monitoring.

(1) System Restore says it can restore all drives set for monitoring.
How can one do this with the System Restore Wizard (to find the other
drive)

(2) I'm having second thoughts about allowing System Restore monitoring
on the H: drive because it will probably mess up my reusable installation
files and drivers. Is it a good idea to turn off monitoring on the H:
drive?

What system files do you have on the H:\ drive?
System Restore does what its name says - restores system files.
It doesn't backup anything you download, save, etc. It will have no
effect according to what you gave here.

Here's a nice list for you to go through - learn to maintain and backup
your system..
(Tip 6 has more on System Restore and backups.)

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/


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

I know this text can seem intimidating - it is quite long and a lot
to take in for a novice - but I 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 review 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 a place 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.

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

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

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

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


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:
'Moved to new home in 2004'
I could come up with this password from that:
'Mv2n3whmN04'

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.'


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

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/download/

Sygate Personal Firewall (Free and up)
http://smb.sygate.com/buy/download_buy.htm

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.


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 automatically scheduled.


Tip (6):
The system restore feature is a new one - first appearing in Windows
ME and then sticking around for Windows XP. It is 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.

I have seen the automatic system restore go wrong too many times not
to suggest the following.. 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!)

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


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

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 especially simple for the critical Windows 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

EVEREST Home Edition
http://www.lavalys.com/products/down...?pid=1&lang=en

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
and finally, you can order the FREE CD from Microsoft.

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

Order the Free Windows XP SP2 CD
http://snipurl.com/8umo

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 two products to suggest to
you, look at them and see if either 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/

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.

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

DSG wrote:
Is there any sense in having H: monitored by System Restore? (only
data files, photos, zip and PDFs and the downloaded and saved reusable
installation files.

No benefit for you at all.
But I would burn the installation files to CD/DVD for extra backup.

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

"DSG" wrote:

On my H: external drive, I keep all my personal files, and reusable
installation files, the latter having .exe files extensions, etc.

The only thing on C: drive are the operating system and Programs, and of
course, the My Documents folder which is safe.

I have set C: and H: for System Restore Monitoring.

(1) System Restore says it can restore all drives set for monitoring. How
can one do this with the System Restore Wizard (to find the other drive)

(2) I'm having second thoughts about allowing System Restore monitoring on
the H: drive because it will probably mess up my reusable installation files
and drivers. Is it a good idea to turn off monitoring on the H: drive?


See MVP Bert Kinney's System Restore web pages at
http://home.earthlink.net/~mvp_bert/index.html


Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm

In addition, here's a list of file types System Restore monitors.
http://bertk.mvps.org/html/filesfolders.html

--
Regards,
Bert Kinney MS-MVP Shell/User
http://dts-l.org/


DSG wrote:
Thanks for helping me sort this out. The reusable
installation files would be downloaded and saved program
files I would use to reinstall after a debilitating crash
of the operating system on C:. I guess what sparked the
question was the last three words in the following
paragraph.
System Restore is a component of Windows XP Professional
that you can use to restore your computer to a previous
state, if a problem occurs, without losing your personal
data files (such as Microsoft Word documents, browsing
history, drawings, favorites, or e-mail). System Restore
monitors changes to the system and some application files
Is there any sense in having H: monitored by System
Restore? (only data files, photos, zip and PDFs and the
downloaded and saved reusable installation files.


"Shenan Stanley" wrote in message
...
DSG wrote:
On my H: external drive, I keep all my personal files,
and reusable installation files, the latter having .exe
files extensions, etc. The only thing on C: drive are the
operating system and
Programs, and of course, the My Documents folder which
is safe. I have set C: and H: for System Restore Monitoring.

(1) System Restore says it can restore all drives set
for monitoring. How can one do this with the System
Restore Wizard (to find the other drive)

(2) I'm having second thoughts about allowing System
Restore monitoring on the H: drive because it will
probably mess up my reusable installation files and
drivers. Is it a good idea to turn off monitoring on
the H: drive?

What system files do you have on the H:\ drive?
System Restore does what its name says - restores system
files. It doesn't backup anything you download, save, etc. It
will have no effect according to what you gave here.

Here's a nice list for you to go through - learn to
maintain and backup your system..
(Tip 6 has more on System Restore and backups.)

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/


Although those tips are fantastic, there are many things
you should know above and beyond what is there. Below I have
detailed out many steps that can not only help you clean-up a
problem PC but keep it clean ,secure and running at its top
performance
mark. I know this text can seem intimidating - it is quite
long and a lot to take in for a novice - but I 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 review 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 a place
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. More full function applications (free) for CD/DVD
burning would be: DeepBurner Free
http://www.deepburner.com/

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

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


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: 'Moved to new home in 2004' I could come up with this
password from that:
'Mv2n3whmN04'

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.'


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

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/download/

Sygate Personal Firewall (Free and up)
http://smb.sygate.com/buy/download_buy.htm

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. 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 automatically scheduled. Tip (6):
The system restore feature is a new one - first
appearing in Windows ME and then sticking around for Windows XP.
It is 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. I have seen the automatic system restore go wrong too
many times not to suggest the following.. 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!) 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


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

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 especially simple for the
critical Windows 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

EVEREST Home Edition
http://www.lavalys.com/products/down...?pid=1&lang=en

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 and finally, you can
order the FREE CD from Microsoft.

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

Order the Free Windows XP SP2 CD
http://snipurl.com/8umo

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 two products to suggest
to you, look at them and see if either 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/

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.

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