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| Tips Our new tips section. Windows XP users: How to keep things clean: How to remove spy ware, ad ware and other annoyances before installing Windows XP Service Pack 2 (XPSP2) ... We are sure that there is a lot of information out there but here is a concise To Do list that we run all the times for our clients: Finally Microsoft released a Service Pack 2 for Windows XP (XPSP2): I suggest you install this update, but you should get rid of spy ware, ad ware & other annoyances prior, otherwise they stay and corrupt the added security of XPSP2, leaving you vulnerable and maybe incapable of removing them all together. By doing all the steps below, you will clean and prepare you Windows XP computer to accept the newly released upgrade Service Pack 2 from Microsoft. First stop unwanted services from XP startup: Find the icon 'run' in the 2nd column of the 'Start' menu, and type in 'msconfig' then enter. Up pops a window with multiple tabs. Select the 'Services' tab, and select 'Hide all Microsoft services' so you only see 3rd party services. In here it is possible to turn off services, but you need to know who is who. If in doubt type in the name of the service on Google or another search engine. and usually you will find answers to what it is. After you need to select the 'Start Up' tab and do the same. This list might be extensive but don't despair; most are legitimate programs. You can move the column divider at the top to the right to expand the view of the command column and see the exact file which is loaded, and a search for that online will return you enough information to learn what you have going on. After deselecting the once you want, hit 'apply' then 'close' and you are prompted to reboot - do that. Then update of install anti virus software: There is no need to pay for antivirus software. I use AntiVir from Germany. you can download it here: Download (click on the red AntiVir logo in the middle. This will install a good free antivirus software, and after it will start scanning using it's Luke File Walker. You can stop it for now since the next step will access all files and automatically AntiVir scans the files on access. You can right click the little red umbrella in the right corner of the taskbar to select 'Configuration' and then set AntiVir to scan All Files, select to protect from All Programs etc. Finally close the program. Scan your files for ads, spy ware, browser hijacking and other annoyances: Most of the infiltrations on XP can be removed by using AdAware Personal from Sweden. It's free but has to be launched manually. Get it here. Install it and then reboot your computer... this seems to make it work faster for some odd reason. After reboot, start the program (desktop icon) and click 'Check for updates', get the latest update always! Once back in the main window select 'Start', click 'Use custom scanning options', click 'Customize' just next to it and select all by making them all green. Then hit 'Start' again to start the scanning. Even though you might only have a few files on your PC, there is actually often 100-200,000 files in XP, so scanning can take some time. Note; if a virus is found in any file during this scan, your antivirus software will popup to intercept and prompt you for action. Choose Delete, Wipe or Clean if possible, or select Quarantine or Deny Access. Once the scanner is done, it will sound like a fart (really!) and if anything was found you will see a red flashing bug. Click 'Next' to see a page with everything found. You might only have a few cookies, or you might have 400+ infiltrations, but either way you need to right-click somewhere in the list and 'Select All', they will all be tagged for removal and you finally click 'Remove' . Then reboot you computer again. Clean up your registry You can download a registry cleaner at www.download.com. I simply use the MS RegClean from Microsoft found here. Run this from a folder and click 'fix errors'. That will take out any un-referenced entries to the registry, you can say it takes the clutter out that does no longer is needed. Then reboot again; this step normally speeds up your windows
Clean up the hard drive
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