System Maintenance and Firewall Questions

[Frog]

I have two learning questions for this group as follows:

1. Can anybody help me build an effective series of steps that will
clean up my XP computer as I did on my 98SE system?

Explanation:
I am a new user of Windows-XP (a hand-me-down computer with Windows-XP
Prof. (w/disk) installed). While using Windows-98SE, I would perform a
system "clean-up" approximately once a month. This clean-up would
involve such steps as:

-Running Ad-Aware and Spybot,
-Removing items from the Recycle Bin,
-Running commands from the DOS level to delete cookies, history, and
temporary files,
-Also while in DOS, doing a scanreg /fix (three times) and scanreg /opt
/fix (three times),
-From Run in Windows, going to %temp% and removing all of the entries
displayed,
-Running virus scan, an then
-Running scandisk and defrag.

I believe these were the steps I took while cleaning up my 98SE system.
If not, it is a representation of those steps.

I now want to perform an effective clean-up of my XP system.


2. I have been told that Windows-XP has a built in firewall. Is this
firewall effective, and how do I access its settings? If this firewall
is not effective, can anybody identify a firewall that is effective with
Windows-XP?


Any guidance or referrals to web sites regarding the two above subjects
would be appreciated.

Thanks for any help sent my way.
Frog

 

[Guest]

I have two learning questions for this group as follows:

1. Can anybody help me build an effective series of steps that will
clean up my XP computer as I did on my 98SE system?

Explanation:
I am a new user of Windows-XP (a hand-me-down computer with Windows-XP
Prof. (w/disk) installed). While using Windows-98SE, I would perform a
system "clean-up" approximately once a month. This clean-up would
involve such steps as:

-Running Ad-Aware and Spybot,
-Removing items from the Recycle Bin,
-Running commands from the DOS level to delete cookies, history, and
temporary files,
-Also while in DOS, doing a scanreg /fix (three times) and scanreg /opt
/fix (three times),
-From Run in Windows, going to %temp% and removing all of the entries
displayed,
-Running virus scan, an then
-Running scandisk and defrag.

I believe these were the steps I took while cleaning up my 98SE system.
If not, it is a representation of those steps.

I now want to perform an effective clean-up of my XP system.


2. I have been told that Windows-XP has a built in firewall. Is this
firewall effective, and how do I access its settings? If this firewall
is not effective, can anybody identify a firewall that is effective with
Windows-XP?


Any guidance or referrals to web sites regarding the two above subjects
would be appreciated.

Thanks for any help sent my way.
Frog

Hi Frog,
First keep the PC away from the Pond <g>.
Here is a link will explain in details how to maintain your PC and your PC
security,, Office, games and lots of things:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/moredone/yournewpc.mspx
HTH.
Regards,
nass

 

[Guest]

1. XP for the most part doesent have issues like 98 had. I would recommend
the following monthly:

Run Spybot
Run Antivirus
Run defrag (if your doing heavy activity, otherwise every few months is fine).

As a side note I would recommend purchasing Windows Live Onecare. It
completes all of the tasks for regular maintenance, plus a few that normally
never get done, and it's optimized specifically for XP. It also manages
something like Spybot (though I still recommend running spybot monthly), and
it manages your firewall. Which brings me to 2.

2. You may hear people complaining about windows firewall, and in the past
they had good reason. The updated firewall functional to the degree any
firewall is, if you block something by mistake that is crucial, you may loose
internet access or something until you allow that service to run, but that is
basic firewall. I have been very supprised with the XP firewall modifications
in the last year, and I now run it on my own PC even though I have a hardware
firewall as well. Again live one care manages most of this for you notifying
you if things seem strange or not.

 

[Ron Martell]

I have two learning questions for this group as follows:

1. Can anybody help me build an effective series of steps that will
clean up my XP computer as I did on my 98SE system?

Explanation:
I am a new user of Windows-XP (a hand-me-down computer with Windows-XP
Prof. (w/disk) installed). While using Windows-98SE, I would perform a
system "clean-up" approximately once a month. This clean-up would
involve such steps as:

-Running Ad-Aware and Spybot,

Pretty good products for Windows XP as well. If you find that these
are discovering a fair amount of spyware you might also want to
consider downloading and installing Windows Defender (free) from
http://download.microsoft.com

You did not mention antivirus software, which you also need. In my
opinion, Norton and McAfee are to be avoided but there are many other
good ones including some that are free.

-Removing items from the Recycle Bin,

Always a good practice.

-Running commands from the DOS level to delete cookies, history, and
temporary files,

For cookies and t.i.f. use Control Panel - Internet Options. Deleting
temporary files can be done from the command prompt in XP but
navigating to the correct folder is a bit more complex because of the
longer path name: C:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Local
Settings\Temp. You might also want to consider using the Disk
Cleanup utility in Accessories - System Tools for this.

-Also while in DOS, doing a scanreg /fix (three times) and scanreg /opt
/fix (three times),

No comparable utility to scanreg in Windows XP and experience has
shown that there is little need for the /opt and/or /fix options of
this command although scanreg /restore is sorely missed.

-From Run in Windows, going to %temp% and removing all of the entries
displayed,
-Running virus scan, an then
-Running scandisk and defrag.

No Scandisk in XP. Use CHKDSK.

I believe these were the steps I took while cleaning up my 98SE system.
If not, it is a representation of those steps.

I now want to perform an effective clean-up of my XP system.


2. I have been told that Windows-XP has a built in firewall. Is this
firewall effective, and how do I access its settings? If this firewall
is not effective, can anybody identify a firewall that is effective with
Windows-XP?

The Windows XP builtin firewall is fully effective for the purpose
that it is designed for - protecting your computer from intruders over
the Internet. It does not do anything at all with regard to items on
your computer (spyware or trojans that may have gotten through, for
example) "phoning home". Most third party firewall programs do
included protection against unwanted outgoing traffic so if you desire
that level of protection then you need to consider a third party
firewall.


Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
Syberfix Remote Computer Repair

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."

 

[Frog]

nass and Tim, please see my comments at the bottom of this message.

Thanks Ron for your comments and suggestions--please see my response
interspersed in your message. I seem to remember your name appearing in
the 98 discussion group--am I correct? I very much liked reading the
items on that group--it was where I learned how to be something more
than a user of a computer. Glen V. took me under his arm along the way
and it was with his help that I survived 98SE. I now, however, have so
much to learn before I will feel at ease using this XP machine. It
almost make me want to remain a 98SE user at my age (70).


I now have Ad-Aware and Spybot loaded on my XP computer.

Pretty good products for Windows XP as well. If you find that these
are discovering a fair amount of spyware you might also want to
consider downloading and installing Windows Defender (free) from
http://download.microsoft.com

Windows Defender is now loaded on my system. It seems to do its thing
(updating and a daily scan) without any problems.

You did not mention antivirus software, which you also need. In my
opinion, Norton and McAfee are to be avoided but there are many other
good ones including some that are free.

I have eTrust EZAntivirus on my XP computer, and it seems to be updating
without any problems. I also believe that Verizon (my real ISP) has a
virus check capability on items before they are placed in my inbox. I
say this because I have been notified on two occasions that a particular
message was deleted by some virus scan (a name sounding like it was
associated with Norton software family). I routinely use MailWasher to
make a pre-review of messages showing up in my inbox. All of this seems
to be working just fine at this time.

Always a good practice.


For cookies and t.i.f. use Control Panel - Internet Options. Deleting
temporary files can be done from the command prompt in XP but
navigating to the correct folder is a bit more complex because of the
longer path name: C:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Local
Settings\Temp. You might also want to consider using the Disk
Cleanup utility in Accessories - System Tools for this.



No comparable utility to scanreg in Windows XP and experience has
shown that there is little need for the /opt and/or /fix options of
this command although scanreg /restore is sorely missed.



No Scandisk in XP. Use CHKDSK.

I haven't wondered on to CHKDSK yet, but will keep looking.

The Windows XP builtin firewall is fully effective for the purpose
that it is designed for - protecting your computer from intruders over
the Internet. It does not do anything at all with regard to items on
your computer (spyware or trojans that may have gotten through, for
example) "phoning home". Most third party firewall programs do
included protection against unwanted outgoing traffic so if you desire
that level of protection then you need to consider a third party
firewall.

Do you have a suggestion for a good firewall capability? I used Kerio
Personal Firewall on my old 98SE system. It worked just fine--I
think--I was never able to understand all of the settings for this
software package.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada

nass:
I have visited the web page you suggested (i.e.,
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/moredone/yournewpc.mspx)
and have printed a number of items that interest me. By the way, I will
take your advice and keep my computer away from the pond.

Tim:
I will investigate purchasing Windows Live Onecare as you suggested.


Thanks for your help.

Frog

 

[Ron Martell]

nass and Tim, please see my comments at the bottom of this message.

Thanks Ron for your comments and suggestions--please see my response
interspersed in your message. I seem to remember your name appearing in
the 98 discussion group--am I correct?

Yes I have been on the Windows 98 groups since it was first released,
and still browse through at least some of them.

I very much liked reading the
items on that group--it was where I learned how to be something more
than a user of a computer. Glen V. took me under his arm along the way
and it was with his help that I survived 98SE. I now, however, have so
much to learn before I will feel at ease using this XP machine. It
almost make me want to remain a 98SE user at my age (70).

Nothing to fear but fear itself. I am almost your age (64) and am
pushing on to Vista and some other things that I can't disclose at the
moment.

Do you have a suggestion for a good firewall capability? I used Kerio
Personal Firewall on my old 98SE system. It worked just fine--I
think--I was never able to understand all of the settings for this
software package.

Nope. Don't use one myself. I am quite satisfied with my protection
software (AVG and Windows Defender) plus the NAT protection in my
router. And if something should ever get onto my machine then I have
the activity lights for my router and modem right in front of me and I
would see that something was going on.

Many people do use the free Zone Alarm firewall, but I personally have
found it to be problematic on a number of customers' systems.


Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
Syberfix Remote Computer Repair

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."