Stupid Computer

Fixing things that you didn't know were broke.

First off your ISP more than likely has a full suite you can download for free.

It will more than likely be a resource hog and take over your system making it run slow. But hey, it is free and just-click-here easy.


This is what I would do.

Fixing things that you didn't know were broke.

These will take a little while to do. Depends on how much stuff you have on your computer.

In House: Before I start here are a few things you can do.

  1. Delete all of your temporary Internet files, cookies, etc.
  2. Delete everything in your temp folders.
  3. Delete all files in your prefetch folder (once a year at least)
  4. Defrag (once a year or so - NOT every week, month or whatever you've been doing.)

How?

If you are non-technical do this:

  1. Click on your My Computer Icon and highligh/pick your hard drive (usually it is called C:\)
  2. Right click on it (the C: drive) and bring up the menu - Pick "Properties" on it.
  3. You should see a button on the first tab there called "Disk Clean up". Run it and delete everything available.
  4. The "Tools" tab will have other option - check disk, defrag. Run these if you need to.

If you are technical and kind of know what you're doing, do this:

  1. Change your folder view options so you can see the hidden folders and windows system files. Note: remember to change this setting back to hide the sys files after.
  2. Under windows folder delete everything in the Temp folder and prefetch folder. You could backup and then delete the uninstall info for the updates you've made (all of the $NtUninstall(some update no.here)$ type files too.
  3. Under documents and settings in the Local Settings folder for each of the users and the administrator you'll find the temp directory and temporary internet folder - delete the contents.
  4. Got crap programs that need to be uninstalled? Check.
  5. Reboot



Then go here first;
http://onecare.live.com/
I'd do a full scan - but skip the "defragmentation" fix - do everything else.

DO YOU HAVE A FIREWALL RUNNING?
And only one? If you have two turned on or more they are probably not working right. Only run one antivirus or firewall.

DO YOU HAVE YOUR VIRUS PACKAGE UPDATED?
Update if not.

IS YOUR COMPUTER OS UPDATED?
Run "Windows Update" Click on the "custom" instead of the "Recommended" Look for hardware and other updates.

 

If you need to below is the free software I use.


Then for each of these install, update, and run the initial scan.

Here is a free anti- VIRUS package
I run it. I use the free version and have for over a year now.
http://free.grisoft.com/


Here is a free FIREWALL
I use it.
http://www.zonealarm.com/
Never run two firewalls at the same time - Use either this one or the Windows xp version

To test your firewall/security settings go here and scan your "Ports" using SHIELDS-UP
http://www.grc.com/

AVG also has a free version of their anti-SPYWARE might as well grab it too.
I use it every now and then.
http://free.grisoft.com/

Ususally I use this one for anti-SPYWARE and anti-MALWARE
http://www.safer-networking.org/
with Spybot You can immunize your system too. Bit of a conflict going on between this and AVG8 right now (nothing serious - it is in the imunization side of spybot; shows up as a warning in the avg scan.)

Now that everything is installed, scan again and reboot.

Everything fine and working? If so, make a restore point under "System Restore".
(All programs-Accessories-System Tools. You'll see it there.)


-Steve