Jan said:
I placed an item, titled "New XP Pro User Questions", on the
newsgroup yesterday evening around 8 PM my time. I checked back at
later yesterday evening and I had one response to my earlier message.
Tonight, however, I wanted to check back for any additional responses to
my message---my message is not listed. What caused this message to
disappear?
Help!
P.S. I am very appreciative of the one response that I did receive from
dev <
[email protected]>. I have subsequently downloaded and installed
Windows Defender on my new system. I also downloaded AdAware and Image
for Windows as you suggested---they will be installed as soon as I
figure out how to partition my hard drive. Thanks dev for your help.
You posted it in the "Help & Support" newsgroup, rather than in this one
Jon
Here is the thread......
/Jan/ said:
I continue learning the world of XP Pro after many years of
98SE. I have a few nagging questions about the software, that I am
currently using on my system---mainly with the built-in XP firewall and
my lack of any anti spyware software on this new system. Thus, here are
my questions for those who have been around XP Pro for some time:
---Can I rely on the built-in XP Pro firewall software to protect my
computer? Do most people use the built in XP software, or do they
disable it in favor of some other program? If disabled in favor of
another program, what is a good program to use; and how do I disable the
XP Pro firewall? I have never made any adjustments to the firewall,
since XP Pro was installed. Should I change any settings? Is there a
way to test the built-in firewall?
---I continue to be somewhat concerned about spyware, span and/or
whatever getting on and operating in the background on this computer
without my knowledge. I have heard about something called Windows
Defender being a good way of protecting my computer. I note, however,
that this software is now in Beta. Is Windows Defender good and stable
enough for an amateur to use on a home system? Are there other
recommended programs I should consider for installation on my new
computer?
I simply want to keep all of the unwanted things off my
computer---thus, I am open to any and all suggestions on how to
accomplish this task.
By the way, I do have an anti-virus program on this computer.
XP's firewall is INCOMING only, so if something nasty should happen to be
installed - and is trying to phone home - the built-in firewall won't detect
it. That said, that is what I use - along with the broadband router, which
affords even more protection. I don't have a problem.
Windows Defender tool is just fine. Install it.
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx
Also install AdAware (free version), which you can run from time to time.
Do not click on links that report "you have spyware on your computer" or use
other tempting phrases. Simply close out of them with the X in the upper
righthand corner - not on the CLOSE or OK buttons within the window itself.
Do not download unknown .exe, .bat, vbs attachments from mail recipients,
unless you know that they can be trusted. If unsure, use a detection tool,
but be aware that each of these tools uses resources and _may_ affect system
stability and usability. Personally, I do not use them.
Your final protection, and perhaps the most important utility that you will
ever install, is an imaging tool. This images the partition in its entirety
- all files, all folders, all settings. Use it regularly to back up the
system to another hard disk partition or removable media. If problems
arise, simply restore the image, and you're right back where you began. It
can also be useful for testing new settings or programs. Create an image,
then test. If something goes awry, or you do not want the new settings or
programs, restore the image. No trace of the test will remain.
There are several such tools. One is Image for Windows -
http://terabyteunlimited.com
This utility is capable of restoring your Windows operating system even if
it will not boot. It also creates bootable CDs or DVDs, should the hard
disk fail.
