NationStates Jolt Archive

Intro

A short Introduction:

Many people have various issues with their computer - it's running too slowly, games aren't working, pop-ups appearing out of nowhere, internet connection going to the dogs, general problems (eg annoying pop-ups appearing while playing, lots of text in-game is turning in to links to other websites, pages aren't loading, cookies aren't saving despite enabling them in IE or privacy programs like Norton/ZoneAlarm). But where many people go wrong is having too much trust in themselves and their PC - people think "Oh nothing bad will ever happen to me" and also largely think "A PC can take care of itself". It will happen, and your PC can't.
The following steps are things that may seriously help your PC out, and anyone who has never done these things before should do it - be aware that a lot of this is largely directed at Windows XP Professional & Windows 2000 Professional, but anyone with a Windows machine can use most of the advice in here (just some menu options etc. may be slightly different).

Do note that some of these steps involve you closing down all running programs, including your web browser, so either ensure you have a good memory, or print this out if possible (or try to do some fiddly browser loading/closing with this page bookmarked between each task). By "All running programs", this includes things such as: MSN, Internet Explorer, Mozilla, Opera, IRC, Winamp, Media Player, Outlook Express, AIM, Yahoo Pager, Skype, Kazaa etc. If you don't close these things down, then it will prevent the "spring clean" being fully effective, and you may as well just not bother.


Step 1 (cleaning old temporary files, cookies, history):

The first step in doing a "Spring Clean" is to remove all temporary files. To start with, go in to "My Computer", right click on your "C:" drive, choose "Properties", and from there, click on "Disk Cleanup". Now for some people this can take a long time, even up to half an hour - so be patient.
Eventually you'll have a list of tick-boxes, tick everything in here, click "OK", and again wait for it to finish. After this, come back to/load up an instance of Internet Explorer, click on "Tools" -> "Internet Options" and then the "Clear History" button at the bottom. Now click "Delete Files", tick on "Delete All Offline Content" and click "OK". Next click "Delete Cookies" and "OK" again (be aware this will mean you need to log in to any sites that previously had you "Remembered" - but is worth doing as many computers gain "corrupt cookies" which can cause all kinds of problems when browsing).

Note Windows XP users: Did the "Disk Cleanup" freeze up completely on "Compress Old Files"? Taken longer than half an hour and still not doing anything? You may need to reboot your PC, then afterwards, follow these instructions, before trying again:
(You may want to back your registry up before doing this)
Start -> Run -> "regedit" (without the quotes) and hit the Return key.
In registry Editor, locate through the "registry tree" to this location:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE -> SOFTWARE -> Microsoft -> Windows -> CurrentVersion -> Explorer -> VolumeCaches
Right click on the "Compress old files" registry key, and delete it. Try the Disk Cleanup again now.


Step 2 (removing all your old games & programs):

Now you need to uninstall everything that you don't want any more, or don't need any more.
Be ruthless here - do you really play that game so often? Do you really need that application which simply saves you pressing 2 keys?

Go to your Start menu -> Run -> "control panel" (without quotes), and choose "Add Remove Programs".
Uninstall everything you no longer use, want or need - if there's anything that you aren't sure what it is, try searching for it's name on Google and find out. Next go through your entire "Programs" list in the Start Menu and check for any uninstalls here (because not everything shows up in Add/Remove Programs) and delete any "Empty Directories" from your start menu (some uninstalls leave directories in your start menu, or if you have uninstalled games incorrectly in the past - eg simply deleted them without uninstalling - there may be traces of the game/program here - delete everything that is no longer installed but still shows in the menu).


Step 3 (get rid of all that spyware and adware!):

This step requires you to download a few pieces of (free) software that will aid in automatically removing a lot of "spyware", "adware" and other general nasties from your computer (not the same as viruses). It is advised you download and install all these programs first, then put your computer in to safe mode before actually running them. Instructions for booting in to safe mode can be found in the link at the bottom of this step.
First, head on over to;
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html
Download & install "Spybot Search & Destroy v1.3" (if you have any older versions, uninstall the older versions first). Close down all running programs. Now run Spybot Search & Destroy, "update" it (from the main window of SS&D, choose "Search For Updates" - get the updates one at a time, not all at once, to avoid problems)... now click the "File" menu, and choose "Search for Problems" and wait for it to scan your PC (be patient).
Once it has finished, click on "Fix Selected Problems" at the top and hit "Yes". Close the program once finished.

Now go on over to;
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/support/download/#free
download and install "Ad-Aware SE Personal v1.05" (2.48Mb) from the link near the bottom. Once installed, close down all running programs, start up Ad-Aware SE Personal and "update" it's definitions files by clicking the "Check for updates now" link or the "World" icon in the top-right corner.
Wait for this to finish and then click "Start". Select the "Perform full system scan" setting and hit the "Next" option.
It is generally advisable to fix every entry found in Ad-Aware SE but if you are in anyway concerned about any of the entries, don't hesitate to post a log of the scan in a new thread here. (click the "Show Logfile" button, "CTRL+A")

You can also run the automated CWShredder to get rid of yet more spyware:
http://www.computercops.biz/downloads-file-349.html

Running all of the above programs in safe mode will net you the best results - but you will have to download them in normal mode first. Instructions on booting in to safe mode for various Windows versions can be found on the Symantec site here:
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/...OpenDocument&src=sec_doc_nam


Step 4 (HiJackThis):
Step 4 is where things might start to get "complicated", but help is at hand. You need to rid yourself of the worst of the spyware/adware on your computer, and also while you're at it dispose of all "pointless tasks"
(for example programs like "QuickTime", "WinZip", "WinAmp Agent" are great on your PC - but you do not need them always running with an icon in your bottom right task bar - they'll run fine without these).
Now really, for Step 4, the "safest" and most reliable way for you to do this, is to seek outside help, so here's what I recommend... Head to:
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html
Scroll down the page to find "HijackThis" select any mirror and "unzip" it somewhere sensible (Such as "C:\HiJackThis\") so that HJT can create backups.
Close all running programs and locate & run HiJackThis, click on "Scan Now", and then click on the "Save Log" button (formally "Scan Now"), save it somewhere (such as on the desktop), open the log, and then paste the entire log in to this forum.
and wait patiently - somebody who has experience in all processes/tasks/spyware etc./me/ somebody very good at researching such things online, will reply to your post (in time, it's not always a quick job) and instruct you further. It's not recommended you go any further until this step has been taken, but after you do take this step (after somebody replies to your post), it's recommended you perform every step beyond this in "one fell swoop" to aid in preventing "nasties coming back" (which they often do when you reboot if they haven't been removed fully & correctly).


Step 5 (Windows XP users - get rid of possible popups!):

Many people new to Windows XP and not protected/hidden behind a router will experience "pop-up adverts" that aren't in a browser window, but are actually in a "normal looking" alert box (but advertising things like "buy your diplomas" etc. Even if you don't, but you use Windows XP, you should still check that "Windows Messenger Service" is disabled - note that this is not the same as "MSN Messenger".

To check/disable, click on your Start Menu, Click on Run, and type in "services.msc" (without quotes). You should now have a large list of "services" within your PC. Scroll down to "Messenger", and double-click on it. Near the bottom, if the "Services Status" says "Started", then click "Stop" (row of 4 buttons along the bottom - "start stop pause resume"). Now under "Startup Type", select "Disabled". Click "Apply", then "OK", then close the services window.


Step 6 (get a decent virus scanner!):

Now, there's many different virus scanners out there. But... unless you currently run either "AVG" or "Norton AntiVirus 2004 Professional", then I say this to you: Uninstall your current virus scanner. Go on, remove it, kill it, say bye bye. "Bye bye old virus scanner!". That's it. And in with the new... totally free, and nicely powerful, with frequently updated "Auto Virus Library Update" abilities. Head on over to:
http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php
Click "Get AVG FREE", scroll right down, hit "Next", hit "Yes, I agree" and fill in your name & email address (nothing else is required). You will then be emailed a link to download the software, and after doing so, you will receive a follow-up email with your free "serial key". Everything about this is free - it's not a trial, or a demo, it's pure and simple free anti-virus software. Once downloaded, install it, go through the options so they suit you (make sure anything involving "Auto Update" is on), choose to "Update" it on the spot, and then let it run a complete "Scan" of your entire system. Make sure no other programs are running while this happens. Once finished, let it try to fix, and if not quarantine/remove all the infected files.


Step 7 (update your Windows!):

Possibly the simplest step of all, with the only complication being this before you start: Disable any proxy server you are using in Internet Explorer. Broadband users open Internet Explorer, head to "Tools" -> "Internet Options" -> "Connections" -> "Lan Settings" and un-tick "Use a proxy server". Hit "OK", then hit "OK" again, and close down your web-browser.
Re-open it again and head over to;
http://www.windowsupdate.com/
Click "Scan for Updates" - if a security warning pops up, hit "Yes" (one of rare, rare few sites that you should ever hit yes to a security warning while web browsing - anything else is probably evil spyware, adware or viruses). Get all Critical Updates found, and reboot your computer. Head back to http://www.windowsupdate.com and repeat the process (get all critical updates and reboot). Continue to do this until there are no longer any critical updates to obtain.


Step 8 (driver updates...):

Updating drivers is a huge topic, and one best suited to Google - however, some quick advice I can give is:
Drivers you should update relatively often, or when doing a "spring clean" are: Motherboard drivers (NVidia NForce, Via Hyperion drivers), Soundcard Drivers (usually Soundblaster), Graphics cards (usually NVidia or ATI). If you don't know what make/manufacturer/model any of your hardware is, then a great free utility for finding out just about everything you need to know about your computer is "Everest" by "Lavalys", available here:
http://www.lavalys.com/...ad.php?pid=1&lang=hu


Step 9 (secure yourself further with a software firewall...):

In the modern day, absolutely nobody should be without at least anti-virus protection and a software firewall. The importance of a software firewall is valid both for those "directly connected" to the internet, and also to those that are behind a router or other advanced network setups, as a software firewall can both protect against incoming "bad stuff" but also control your computers outgoing "bad stuff" (something a router won't do). First disable "Windows Firewall" if you have it enabled (often enabled by default on Windows XP Pro), and uninstall any other software firewalls you may have (many out there aren't capable of doing a secure enough job, or can be unstable and cumbersome, such as ZoneAlarm has become of late). Then you need to get yourself a free copy of Sygate Personal Firewall from here;
http://smb.sygate.com/products/spf_standard.htm
Install and reboot if directed. Now when any software tries to access the internet for the first time from your PC, Sygate will pop up a message asking you if you wish to "Give It Permission" - you can tick a box "Remember my Answer" (or similar), and either choose "Yes" or "No".

When do you choose Yes or No? Firstly read the message Sygate pops-up and try to identify the application - sometimes searching Google can reveal answers on what an application is - and make your decision on that... plus if you've just opened up a program that you know should be going online, eg you've just opened up MSN Messenger for the first time, then most likely you click yes. If you've just downloaded a piece of software that you're fairly sure should have no need to go online, run it for the first time and Sygate instantly pops up, then consider clicking no. If things don't work as they are supposed to, you can always later change these "permissions" by double-clicking the Sygate icon in your task-bar and clicking on "Applications", and modifying each programs "permissions" from here. Also note: "Notifications" such as apparent "incoming attacks" or similar - 99% of all of these will be totally "Safe" - ie not really a big mean hacker coming to attack you, and will only get you needlessly paranoid that everybody is out to get you. Therefore you should always disable any "alerts" in Sygate and just let it do it's job silently in the background, never disturbing you or making you paranoid as you browse the web. You can disable alerts by loading up the Sygate main screen, going to Tools->Options, and in the "General" tab, tick "Hide Notification Messages".


Step 10 (and finally...):

Finally, you want to de-fragment your hard-drive, after doing so much to it. Close down all running programs. Head to My Computer, right click on your "C:" drive and choose "Properties". Click on the "Tools" tab and then "Defragment Now". Click "Defragment" and let it run overnight...

Disclaimer:

Please make this a sticky, as it could disappear into nothingness.

Intro

A short Introduction:

Many people have various issues with their computer - it's running too slowly, games aren't working, pop-ups appearing out of nowhere, internet connection going to the dogs, general problems (eg annoying pop-ups appearing while playing, lots of text in-game is turning in to links to other websites, pages aren't loading, cookies aren't saving despite enabling them in IE or privacy programs like Norton/ZoneAlarm). But where many people go wrong is having too much trust in themselves and their PC - people think "Oh nothing bad will ever happen to me" and also largely think "A PC can take care of itself". It will happen, and your PC can't.
The following steps are things that may seriously help your PC out, and anyone who has never done these things before should do it - be aware that a lot of this is largely directed at Windows XP Professional & Windows 2000 Professional, but anyone with a Windows machine can use most of the advice in here (just some menu options etc. may be slightly different).

Do note that some of these steps involve you closing down all running programs, including your web browser, so either ensure you have a good memory, or print this out if possible (or try to do some fiddly browser loading/closing with this page bookmarked between each task). By "All running programs", this includes things such as: MSN, Internet Explorer, Mozilla, Opera, IRC, Winamp, Media Player, Outlook Express, AIM, Yahoo Pager, Skype, Kazaa etc. If you don't close these things down, then it will prevent the "spring clean" being fully effective, and you may as well just not bother.


Step 1 (cleaning old temporary files, cookies, history):

The first step in doing a "Spring Clean" is to remove all temporary files. To start with, go in to "My Computer", right click on your "C:" drive, choose "Properties", and from there, click on "Disk Cleanup". Now for some people this can take a long time, even up to half an hour - so be patient.
Eventually you'll have a list of tick-boxes, tick everything in here, click "OK", and again wait for it to finish. After this, come back to/load up an instance of Internet Explorer, click on "Tools" -> "Internet Options" and then the "Clear History" button at the bottom. Now click "Delete Files", tick on "Delete All Offline Content" and click "OK". Next click "Delete Cookies" and "OK" again (be aware this will mean you need to log in to any sites that previously had you "Remembered" - but is worth doing as many computers gain "corrupt cookies" which can cause all kinds of problems when browsing).

Note Windows XP users: Did the "Disk Cleanup" freeze up completely on "Compress Old Files"? Taken longer than half an hour and still not doing anything? You may need to reboot your PC, then afterwards, follow these instructions, before trying again:
(You may want to back your registry up before doing this)
Start -> Run -> "regedit" (without the quotes) and hit the Return key.
In registry Editor, locate through the "registry tree" to this location:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE -> SOFTWARE -> Microsoft -> Windows -> CurrentVersion -> Explorer -> VolumeCaches
Right click on the "Compress old files" registry key, and delete it. Try the Disk Cleanup again now.


Step 2 (removing all your old games & programs):

Now you need to uninstall everything that you don't want any more, or don't need any more.
Be ruthless here - do you really play that game so often? Do you really need that application which simply saves you pressing 2 keys?

Go to your Start menu -> Run -> "control panel" (without quotes), and choose "Add Remove Programs".
Uninstall everything you no longer use, want or need - if there's anything that you aren't sure what it is, try searching for it's name on Google and find out. Next go through your entire "Programs" list in the Start Menu and check for any uninstalls here (because not everything shows up in Add/Remove Programs) and delete any "Empty Directories" from your start menu (some uninstalls leave directories in your start menu, or if you have uninstalled games incorrectly in the past - eg simply deleted them without uninstalling - there may be traces of the game/program here - delete everything that is no longer installed but still shows in the menu).


Step 3 (get rid of all that spyware and adware!):

This step requires you to download a few pieces of (free) software that will aid in automatically removing a lot of "spyware", "adware" and other general nasties from your computer (not the same as viruses). It is advised you download and install all these programs first, then put your computer in to safe mode before actually running them. Instructions for booting in to safe mode can be found in the link at the bottom of this step.
First, head on over to;
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html
Download & install "Spybot Search & Destroy v1.3" (if you have any older versions, uninstall the older versions first). Close down all running programs. Now run Spybot Search & Destroy, "update" it (from the main window of SS&D, choose "Search For Updates" - get the updates one at a time, not all at once, to avoid problems)... now click the "File" menu, and choose "Search for Problems" and wait for it to scan your PC (be patient).
Once it has finished, click on "Fix Selected Problems" at the top and hit "Yes". Close the program once finished.

Now go on over to;
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/support/download/#free
download and install "Ad-Aware SE Personal v1.05" (2.48Mb) from the link near the bottom. Once installed, close down all running programs, start up Ad-Aware SE Personal and "update" it's definitions files by clicking the "Check for updates now" link or the "World" icon in the top-right corner.
Wait for this to finish and then click "Start". Select the "Perform full system scan" setting and hit the "Next" option.
It is generally advisable to fix every entry found in Ad-Aware SE but if you are in anyway concerned about any of the entries, don't hesitate to post a log of the scan in a new thread here. (click the "Show Logfile" button, "CTRL+A")

You can also run the automated CWShredder to get rid of yet more spyware:
http://www.computercops.biz/downloads-file-349.html

Running all of the above programs in safe mode will net you the best results - but you will have to download them in normal mode first. Instructions on booting in to safe mode for various Windows versions can be found on the Symantec site here:
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/...OpenDocument&src=sec_doc_nam


Step 4 (HiJackThis):
Step 4 is where things might start to get "complicated", but help is at hand. You need to rid yourself of the worst of the spyware/adware on your computer, and also while you're at it dispose of all "pointless tasks"
(for example programs like "QuickTime", "WinZip", "WinAmp Agent" are great on your PC - but you do not need them always running with an icon in your bottom right task bar - they'll run fine without these).
Now really, for Step 4, the "safest" and most reliable way for you to do this, is to seek outside help, so here's what I recommend... Head to:
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html
Scroll down the page to find "HijackThis" select any mirror and "unzip" it somewhere sensible (Such as "C:\HiJackThis\") so that HJT can create backups.
Close all running programs and locate & run HiJackThis, click on "Scan Now", and then click on the "Save Log" button (formally "Scan Now"), save it somewhere (such as on the desktop), open the log, and then paste the entire log in to this forum.
and wait patiently - somebody who has experience in all processes/tasks/spyware etc./me/ somebody very good at researching such things online, will reply to your post (in time, it's not always a quick job) and instruct you further. It's not recommended you go any further until this step has been taken, but after you do take this step (after somebody replies to your post), it's recommended you perform every step beyond this in "one fell swoop" to aid in preventing "nasties coming back" (which they often do when you reboot if they haven't been removed fully & correctly).


Step 5 (Windows XP users - get rid of possible popups!):

Many people new to Windows XP and not protected/hidden behind a router will experience "pop-up adverts" that aren't in a browser window, but are actually in a "normal looking" alert box (but advertising things like "buy your diplomas" etc. Even if you don't, but you use Windows XP, you should still check that "Windows Messenger Service" is disabled - note that this is not the same as "MSN Messenger".

To check/disable, click on your Start Menu, Click on Run, and type in "services.msc" (without quotes). You should now have a large list of "services" within your PC. Scroll down to "Messenger", and double-click on it. Near the bottom, if the "Services Status" says "Started", then click "Stop" (row of 4 buttons along the bottom - "start stop pause resume"). Now under "Startup Type", select "Disabled". Click "Apply", then "OK", then close the services window.


Step 6 (get a decent virus scanner!):

Now, there's many different virus scanners out there. But... unless you currently run either "AVG" or "Norton AntiVirus 2004 Professional", then I say this to you: Uninstall your current virus scanner. Go on, remove it, kill it, say bye bye. "Bye bye old virus scanner!". That's it. And in with the new... totally free, and nicely powerful, with frequently updated "Auto Virus Library Update" abilities. Head on over to:
http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php
Click "Get AVG FREE", scroll right down, hit "Next", hit "Yes, I agree" and fill in your name & email address (nothing else is required). You will then be emailed a link to download the software, and after doing so, you will receive a follow-up email with your free "serial key". Everything about this is free - it's not a trial, or a demo, it's pure and simple free anti-virus software. Once downloaded, install it, go through the options so they suit you (make sure anything involving "Auto Update" is on), choose to "Update" it on the spot, and then let it run a complete "Scan" of your entire system. Make sure no other programs are running while this happens. Once finished, let it try to fix, and if not quarantine/remove all the infected files.


Step 7 (update your Windows!):

Possibly the simplest step of all, with the only complication being this before you start: Disable any proxy server you are using in Internet Explorer. Broadband users open Internet Explorer, head to "Tools" -> "Internet Options" -> "Connections" -> "Lan Settings" and un-tick "Use a proxy server". Hit "OK", then hit "OK" again, and close down your web-browser.
Re-open it again and head over to;
http://www.windowsupdate.com/
Click "Scan for Updates" - if a security warning pops up, hit "Yes" (one of rare, rare few sites that you should ever hit yes to a security warning while web browsing - anything else is probably evil spyware, adware or viruses). Get all Critical Updates found, and reboot your computer. Head back to http://www.windowsupdate.com and repeat the process (get all critical updates and reboot). Continue to do this until there are no longer any critical updates to obtain.


Step 8 (driver updates...):

Updating drivers is a huge topic, and one best suited to Google - however, some quick advice I can give is:
Drivers you should update relatively often, or when doing a "spring clean" are: Motherboard drivers (NVidia NForce, Via Hyperion drivers), Soundcard Drivers (usually Soundblaster), Graphics cards (usually NVidia or ATI). If you don't know what make/manufacturer/model any of your hardware is, then a great free utility for finding out just about everything you need to know about your computer is "Everest" by "Lavalys", available here:
http://www.lavalys.com/...ad.php?pid=1&lang=hu


Step 9 (secure yourself further with a software firewall...):

In the modern day, absolutely nobody should be without at least anti-virus protection and a software firewall. The importance of a software firewall is valid both for those "directly connected" to the internet, and also to those that are behind a router or other advanced network setups, as a software firewall can both protect against incoming "bad stuff" but also control your computers outgoing "bad stuff" (something a router won't do). First disable "Windows Firewall" if you have it enabled (often enabled by default on Windows XP Pro), and uninstall any other software firewalls you may have (many out there aren't capable of doing a secure enough job, or can be unstable and cumbersome, such as ZoneAlarm has become of late). Then you need to get yourself a free copy of Sygate Personal Firewall from here;
http://smb.sygate.com/products/spf_standard.htm
Install and reboot if directed. Now when any software tries to access the internet for the first time from your PC, Sygate will pop up a message asking you if you wish to "Give It Permission" - you can tick a box "Remember my Answer" (or similar), and either choose "Yes" or "No".

When do you choose Yes or No? Firstly read the message Sygate pops-up and try to identify the application - sometimes searching Google can reveal answers on what an application is - and make your decision on that... plus if you've just opened up a program that you know should be going online, eg you've just opened up MSN Messenger for the first time, then most likely you click yes. If you've just downloaded a piece of software that you're fairly sure should have no need to go online, run it for the first time and Sygate instantly pops up, then consider clicking no. If things don't work as they are supposed to, you can always later change these "permissions" by double-clicking the Sygate icon in your task-bar and clicking on "Applications", and modifying each programs "permissions" from here. Also note: "Notifications" such as apparent "incoming attacks" or similar - 99% of all of these will be totally "Safe" - ie not really a big mean hacker coming to attack you, and will only get you needlessly paranoid that everybody is out to get you. Therefore you should always disable any "alerts" in Sygate and just let it do it's job silently in the background, never disturbing you or making you paranoid as you browse the web. You can disable alerts by loading up the Sygate main screen, going to Tools->Options, and in the "General" tab, tick "Hide Notification Messages".


Step 10 (and finally...):

Finally, you want to de-fragment your hard-drive, after doing so much to it. Close down all running programs. Head to My Computer, right click on your "C:" drive and choose "Properties". Click on the "Tools" tab and then "Defragment Now". Click "Defragment" and let it run overnight...

Disclaimer:

Please make this a sticky, as it could disappear into nothingness.


Good info … I would add a section on process startup disabling using msconfig but otherwise all solid info

Also a recommendation (unless I missed it) on just good ol formatting of the machine … always good practice every year or two

Looks good but the latest version of Ad-aware is v1.06 now

on just good ol formatting of the machine … always good practice every year or two

Stupid question time: how do you do that?

In addition to your advice I recommend people update their windows host file:

http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm

This works wonders ;)

Stupid question time: how do you do that?

If you have to ask -you don't. A format will require you to reinstall *everything*, including all documents you had unless you have spread them around your partitions. This is quite a lot of work, but your system will run much faster. However, if you do not make backups, or do not know how to reinstall an operating system and partition harddrives, do not do it.

Stupid question time: how do you do that?
Depends on the os … and machine (hp and a few others make windows on a separate hard drive partition)

But it most cases put in your winxp disk (or recovery disk) and follow the directions

Good info … I would add a section on process startup disabling using msconfig but otherwise all solid info

Also a recommendation (unless I missed it) on just good ol formatting of the machine … always good practice every year or two
Given that many people think formatting is Big & Scary, that would be an excellent addition.

Stupid question time: how do you do that?

FORMAT C:
Y

Like said before, if you don't know what you are doing don't do it. Formatting is more than putting in a WinXP recovery disk, it is much more complicated. If you format your hard drive, you lose EVERYTHING (emails, programs, documents, downloads, everything!) and therefore need to make a huge HDD backup of important 'stuff'

Only do a format if you explicitly know what you are doing, read up on formatting on PC sites (www.pcstats.com) which will give you beginner guides on how to format your machine.

Formatting is long and tedious process, you not only have to re-install the OS, but the drivers for every componant, then anti-virus software (oh which you will incidently lose your subscription info for!) and then programs that are essential. Formatting is good if you have a virus which you cannot shift or if your computer is REALLY screwed, it is a last resort. Try everything above first.

Most problems can be solved within windows if you keep on top of 'cleaning' your PC, you should not be having to format your PC to often, which although not detrimental is pretty boring and unconvienient!

DO NOT FORMAT, IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND!

Graham Harvey

Given that many people think formatting is Big & Scary, that would be an excellent addition.
Yeah there does seem to be an aversion to it … keep things burned to cd’s (or in my case a Samba SAN) and format away
*edit or even better make an image and just reapply every once and awhile (with same backup of data procedure) rmat away :)

DO NOT FORMAT, IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND!


The best way to learn is by trying.

The best way to learn is by trying.
True that :) make sure your data is backed up and have at it

one other thing, cleaning is not limited to the software and OS aspects, don't forget to clean the inside of your PC (physically).

The fans of a PC are fantastic for keeping the computer cool, but are also good at drawing in dust and other crap which needs to be cleaned out to keep your PC cool, dust is not a good heat conductor and inhibits heat transfer (on a CPU or GPU heatsink that ain't good!).

Get a can of compressed CO2 (found in fog horns) and blow the dust away, you can use vacuum cleaners, but be careful not to have the nozzle to close to the mobo for not only static reasons but also to stop sucking of all those diodes and capaicitors! CO2 is the best though.

Oh one more thing, get rid of the dust outside, whats the point in doing in inside and then turning on your PC and getting it all sucked in again!

Graham Harvey

The best way to learn is by trying.

Completely agree, but if you don't know what you are doing (by reading up on PC websites) then you may cause expensive damage, trust me :( lol!

I learnt by doing and not knowing what i was doing so i know where you are coming from, but from experience (or expense!) i know it is better to research first, you will save money in the long run.

Graham Harvey

Completely agree, but if you don't know what you are doing (by reading up on PC websites) then you may cause expensive damage, trust me :( lol!

I learnt by doing and not knowing what i was doing so i know where you are coming from, but from experience (or expense!) i know it is better to research first, you will save money in the long run.

Graham Harvey
Very rare to do permanent damage to your machine (the only thing I have seen close was a sector stretch by a bad image)

Very rare to do permanent damage to your machine (the only thing I have seen close was a sector stretch by a bad image)

If you wipe out a hidden partition used by the BIOS by mistake it can put something of a downer on your day.

If you wipe out a hidden partition used by the BIOS by mistake it can put something of a downer on your day.
Yeah but again most of the time not an issue (deleting a partition used by windows is also bad … HP and some of the others through the OS on a HDD Partition rather then on CD … it really kind of pisses me off lol)

Well...not by formatting, but by other things i did not know what i was doing, i managed to short out brand new mobos (gaming ones so V expensive), corrupt windows, lose files, not grounding myslef and basically destroying componants.

Thats how i learnt to read up on things! That mobo i destroyed was about £200, static shorts are not covered under warrenty, OUCH!

So although you may not cause any direct damage thorugh formatting, it is a good habit to get into.

Graham Harvey

I basically learnt my way around the technical end of computers by picking up 386s from the trash and seeing if I could get them going. There is a lot less tension involved in trying out new procedures with outdated pieces of junk that nobody in the western world gives a damn about, rather than fiddling about and fucking up your main machine.

Well...not by formatting, but by other things i did not know what i was doing, i managed to short out brand new mobos (gaming ones so V expensive), corrupt windows, lose files, not grounding myslef and basically destroying componants.

Thats how i learnt to read up on things! That mobo i destroyed was about £200, static shorts are not covered under warrenty, OUCH!

So although you may not cause any direct damage thorugh formatting, it is a good habit to get into.

Graham Harvey
Well yah not trying to advise against it but its not the most critical thing

(and have had the good luck to have never fried a MOBO myself … over 100 installed so far (142 actualy))

I basically learnt my way around the technical end of computers by picking up 386s from the trash and seeing if I could get them going. There is a lot less tension involved in trying out new procedures with outdated pieces of junk that nobody in the western world gives a damn about, rather than fiddling about and fucking up your main machine.
Very true … also keep the old ones around for playing with OS’s … a lot easier if you don’t fuck up your main machine by installing something or config issues

Hell, I format twice a year. The music software plus all the MIDI, IEEE and USB devices I have for routing outboard FX Filters and Synths, even a guitar, through my computer tends to stack problems up on top of each other. Regular and brutal cleanup through formatting fixes things nicely, but is a pain in a$$.


Maybe someone can help me with my most recent and annoying problem: My CDRW and one of my harddrives (an older one I just use for mp3 storage) will unplug themselves. I'll be going along fine, then *poof* I'll get "Unsafe removal of Device" messages appear. The inside of my 'puter is clean, all connections are firm, no bent pins in the connectors...any idea whats up?

Maybe someone can help me with my most recent and annoying problem: My CDRW and one of my harddrives (an older one I just use for mp3 storage) will unplug themselves. I'll be going along fine, then *poof* I'll get "Unsafe removal of Device" messages appear. The inside of my 'puter is clean, all connections are firm, no bent pins in the connectors...any idea whats up?

At a very random guess: is your PSU actually large enough to supply all the devices drawing current from it?

Hell, I format twice a year. The music software plus all the MIDI, IEEE and USB devices I have for routing outboard FX Filters and Synths, even a guitar, through my computer tends to stack problems up on top of each other. Regular and brutal cleanup through formatting fixes things nicely, but is a pain in a$$.


Maybe someone can help me with my most recent and annoying problem: My CDRW and one of my harddrives (an older one I just use for mp3 storage) will unplug themselves. I'll be going along fine, then *poof* I'll get "Unsafe removal of Device" messages appear. The inside of my 'puter is clean, all connections are firm, no bent pins in the connectors...any idea whats up?
Sounds like the IDE channel may be flaking … try a cable swap first of all and see if that fixes things (if not try a channel swap)

Also for ease of reinstall I would recommend getting software to make an image of your “set up” machine … a lot quicker for regular installs

At a very random guess: is your PSU actually large enough to supply all the devices drawing current from it?
Ohhh good one! (though with an underpowered PSU when you over draw you have a tendency to reboot rather then drop individual devices) but maybe PSU individual power channel issues (such as a bad wire out of the PSU if the CDROM and HDD utilize the same line)

Well...the most obvious ones is that due to the oldness of the equipment it is not compatiable with the newness of your machine?

Are there conflicts between the hardware?

Up to date drivers? Firmware updates?

Your PSU is not powerful enough to power all the hardware while PC at full load?

Overheating?

Sorry for randomness, just putting down things that come into my head that could be the problem!

Graham Harvey

Or, save time, get an apple mac and live almost virus and spyware-free...

Although windows computers are much more fun to play with

The only suggestion I would add, is while updating drivers, keep a copy of the old drivers handy. With windows XP this isn't essential, but with older versions it is. Sometimes a driver update can make the equipment stop working all together. I've had this problem with my graphics card not playing half my games, and my wireless card not getting any signal anymore.

haha! Yes Macs are good at that, relatively no virus and spyware, BUT nothing runs on them (game wise and office etc which everybody loves!)

Graham

Thanks. I am following several of these steps. I appreciate the advice.

Or, save time, get an apple mac and live almost virus and spyware-free...

Although windows computers are much more fun to play with
And if everyone did that then Mac’s would be the big target and they would be getting pounded by spyware / viruii

haha! Yes Macs are good at that, relatively no virus and spyware, BUT nothing runs on them (game wise and office etc which everybody loves!)

Graham
You can get a Mac port of office no problem

The only suggestion I would add, is while updating drivers, keep a copy of the old drivers handy. With windows XP this isn't essential, but with older versions it is. Sometimes a driver update can make the equipment stop working all together. I've had this problem with my graphics card not playing half my games, and my wireless card not getting any signal anymore.

You can probs get older drivers if you go on the manufacturers website and search in the archives. Worth a shot, of course while you are there you could look for patches and fixes that will fix your problem!

Graham Harvey

Very rare to do permanent damage to your machine (the only thing I have seen close was a sector stretch by a bad image)

Damage to a machine is not what I worry about. Losing the pictures of the first steps of your child, the novel you just spent 7 months working on, your legally purchased games collection etc. are a much bigger deal.

You can get a Mac port of office no problem

really...interesting! Machintosh here i come! Windows is shite, full of bugs and Microsoft money grabbing schemes, the source code is 20 years old!

Or i could wait for Windows Longhorn...

Graham Harvey

Damage to a machine is not what I worry about. Losing the pictures of the first steps of your child, the novel you just spent 7 months working on, your legally purchased games collection etc. are a much bigger deal.
Hence why I specified a full backup earlier :)

Damage to a machine is not what I worry about. Losing the pictures of the first steps of your child, the novel you just spent 7 months working on, your legally purchased games collection etc. are a much bigger deal.

Agreed, its not normally the physical damage that is the most expensive, its the data you lost. PC's can be repaired, the memories and documents you had cannot be!

Graham

really...interesting! Machintosh here i come! Windows is shite, full of bugs and Microsoft money grabbing schemes, the source code is 20 years old!

Or i could wait for Windows Longhorn...

Graham Harvey
I would go strait to the source and run *nix itself and just run openoffice

I would go strait to the source and run *nix itself and just run openoffice

trust me i would, if my sister was not obsessed with office! Women, what do they know! lol!

I would be running Linux, much more stable, better for gaming and FREE!

Graham Harvey

I would go strait to the source and run *nix itself and just run openoffice

You took the words right out of my mouth.

One of these days I'm going to get round to migrating from my now somewhat creaky 7 year old install of Windows 98 and stop just using Linux as a toy - in the past it has been a case of having an unsuported modem that has stopped me.

trust me i would, if my sister was not obsessed with office! Women, what do they know! lol!

I would be running Linux, much more stable, better for gaming and FREE!

Graham Harvey
Well the gaming is debatable but openoffice works just like normal office but free :) even compatible … if I have a word .doc file I can open it in openoffice and I can save as a .doc file and word will see it :) (same with excel access and the other office apps)

You took the words right out of my mouth.

One of these days I'm going to get round to migrating from my now somewhat creaky 7 year old install of Windows 98 and stop just using Linux as a toy - in the past it has been a case of having an unsuported modem that has stopped me.
Weird what *nix? BSD has been insanely good for drivers for me … slackware has been fairly good as well

Weird what *nix? BSD has been insanely good for drivers for me … slackware has been fairly good as well

He probably has a "soft"modem (aka as winmodem). These things are cheaper than real modems - but require specific drivers to operate since they do not have the modemdialing protocols in hardware. If such a driver is not made available for linux (or opensource), and the modem is not popular enough to reverse engineer the protocol, it is not possible to use it.

PSU? PriPower Supply Unit? errr...I make music and graphics...my computer knowledge while better than average, has gaping holes.

It could well be the age..I'm running some newish hardware (a 33 channel USB-MIDI controller) and an ancient analog synth for a keyboard MDI controller on an older machine (AMD 1.7 Ghz) But both the CDR and hard drive are of the same vinatge. I could understand it if it was my Soundcard (high end) doing this, but the particular devices giving me grief are what makes me scratch my head in befuddlement. My computer commited suicide during a road trip/tour... the main power unit fired when the puter didn't shut down properly....had to get a new one to resurrect it.

Both devices reappaear after reboot, no probs. I have all the up to date drivers, from the manufacturers sites. At this point its just an inconvenience, but I'm afraid of the problem spreading to other devices (whether or not thats logical) The USB-MIDI controller is poorly insulated: a crapulent little fan cheapo fan I have will causethe unit to uninstall whenever I turn the fan on...but the device will still be there when I need it, just seconds after I get the Unsafe Unplug message. I know I should buy a new computer, but theres always other gear I end up spending my money on (synths are expen$ive).

Well, I appreciate the advice so far. Just got a royalty cheque, time go out get groceries. Be back in a bit.

trust me i would, if my sister was not obsessed with office! Women, what do they know! lol!

I would be running Linux, much more stable, better for gaming and FREE!

Graham Harvey
More like women:They only like to do what they know.

Weird what *nix? BSD has been insanely good for drivers for me … slackware has been fairly good as well

A BT Voyager 100 and Mandrake or Knoppix - there are drivers available for it, but a great deal of people don't seem to be able to get it working (myself included). Having said that, there does seem to be a bit more documentation available on the procedure now compared to when I last looked a few months ago, so I might give it another try when I clear up some harddisc space.

EDIT: here is someone else's summary of the situation:

Late in 2003, BT began providing customers with the newer Voyager 100 USB ADSL modem, and this is where the problems begin. While the Voyager 100 is also based around the same Globespan chipset, it doesn’t appear to work in every case, no matter which Linux distro you’re using. The ECI ADSL website has the modem listed under the ‘probably supported’ section, although there are no more details available. If you have one of these devices, or a Globespan-derived device from another manufacturer, then ECI ADSL will doubtless add support at a later stage. Provided your modem is supported, ECI ADSL isn’t difficult to set up, especially if you follow the tutorials on the website and use the graphical configuration utility available with the drivers.

I would be running Linux, much more stable, better for gaming and FREE!

Linux is definately not better for gaming - simply because there are much less games available.
However - why not try a live distro (assuming your computer can handle it) ?
Those run entirely from cdrom without the need to install. A popular one is Knoppix: http://www.knopper.net/knoppix-mirrors/index-en.html

A BT Voyager 100 and Mandrake or Knoppix - there are drivers available for it, but a great deal of people don't seem to be able to get it working (myself included). Having said that, there does seem to be a bit more documentation available on the procedure now compared to when I last looked a few months ago, so I might give it another try when I clear up some harddisc space.

EDIT: here is someone else's summary of the situation:
Interesting its rare to find networking issues with *nix … have had sound card issues in the past but never network

*bump* because I am so impressed with this cunning new way for me to fill some empty hours now that exams are over...