Quote:
Originally posted by LennonCook:
Read the article I posted, and look at Spinrite's tools information and tools. Disable all the services that are listed as 'should be disabled' on the first article. Run a good firewall (Zonealarm, Kerio, etc), run a good antivirus (I recommend avast!). Don't be fooled into thinking that a firewal l is a replacement for your antivirus: they are complimentary. Don't use IE, don't use Outlook, don't use {Note|Word}pad, don't use the windows firewall. Get Service Pack 1 definately, consider Service Pack 2, armed with all the articles you can find about it. Run under a limited account where possible, logging in as admin only when you need to. Use one or two anti-spyware apps, update and run once/day to start with, slow down if (and only if) they regularly come up clean. Don't bother with anti-spyware resident things (things that stick in memory) unless you need to. Pay attention to what your tools tell you. Investigate anything suspicious you find on your machine. Consider using Open Office rather than MS Office. Don't blindly delete any problems, try to understand where they came from and future-proof yourself against the same happening again. Go through Add/Remove Windows Components and remove anything you don't or rarely use. Consider alternative file managers, consider alternative shells. Check for updates to your software regularly. Never let anything download or install software without your explicitly telling it to. This includes Windows itself. If any of your tools stops doing the job it's meant to, consider replacing it, or investigate what could be causing it. And never assume that you are completely safe.
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Thanks! I already use many of the safegaurds and practices you have offered on our win 98 machines although Spinrite's tools are new to me. Before my new PC goes on the net I will certainly be checking those out and digging into windows to turnoff all the unneeded stuff.
I'm definitely going to check out Openoffice. Gotta love free stuff that is as good and versatile as the pay stuff!
We already use Avast, which is also free, quite excellent, and hasn't pulled any of NAV's stupid tricks that caused hours of work installing and reinstalling just for simple protection. Plus Norton actually tried to charge my wife to re-download software we had already paid for in order to jump through the re-install hoops! That's when I finally persuaded her to give it up for Avast.