This page is designed to give some basic information on steps users can take to help keep their systems running smoothly. The majority of problems with PC systems that are on the Internet today comes from adware/spyware and viruses. Because of this most of the steps here involve cleaning spyware/adware and viruses off a machine and keeping them off.
If you feel your machine may be infected or it is running slow and you are not sure if it could be infected then we recommend the following series of steps.
1. Download and install UnHackMe. It is available at http://www.greatis.com/unhackme/. Scan the system with UnHackMe. UnHackMe scans for rootkits. Rootkits are potentially bad software that hide from most virus and adware/spyware scanners. If UnHackMe finds a rootkit on your system then you should format the hard drive and reinstall Windows to ensure that it is clean. However, formatting the hard drive will cause you to lose your data so you should make sure that anything you want to keep has been backed up. If UnHackMe states that the system is clean then you can uninstall the software. You do not need to keep this software installed.
2. Download and run CWShredder. It is available at http://www.intermute.com/spysubtract/cwshredder_download.html. CWShredder checks for and removes one of the worst pieces of spyware/adware known as CoolWebSearch.
3. Run XCleaner from spywareinfo.com. It is available at http://www.spywareinfo.com/xscan.php. This adware/spyware cleaner is one of the best removal tools and will remove some of the worst spyware/adware. If this tool prompts you to remove something from your machine then you probably should remove it.
4. Download, install, and run CleanUp!. It is available at http://www.stevengould.org/software/cleanup/. This program does a much better job of clearing out the temporary files and temporary internet files than Windows. This can potentially give you much more space on your hard drive than you previously had.
5. If you do not already have an up to date antivirus software then download and install a good antivirus software. Our recommendation for antivirus software is Grisoft's AVG which is free for home users. It is available at http://free.grisoft.com/.
6. Download and run McAfee's Stinger. It is available at http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/. Stinger checks for and removes only particularly bad viruses and does not provide real time virus scanning so you do still need another antivirus software.
7. Download, install, and run SpywareBlaster from Javacool Software. It is available at http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html. This program adds a level of protection to Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox to keep you from getting infected again.
8. Download, install, and run Spybot Search & Destroy. It is available at http://www.safer-networking.org/. Download the latest updates in the program and enable the immunization features. If this program prompts you to remove something from your machine then you probably should remove it.
9. Download, install, and run Windows Defender. This was formerly known as Microsoft Antispyware. It is available at http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx. If this program prompts you to remove something from your machine then you probably should remove it. You should also enable the automatic scanning feature of this program which means it will scan every night at 2:00 a.m. It is recommended to change the default options to always remove for anything this program detects.
10. Download and install all critical updates from Microsoft's Windows Update and ensure that Automatic Updates is turned on so that your PC will automatically acquire the critical updates in the future. Windows Update is located at http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/. Automatic Updates can be turned on through the Security Center applet in the Control Panel.
11. Make sure that you have a firewall turned on. The Windows XP Service Pack 2 Firewall is adequate protection. The Windows Firewall can be turned on from the Security Center applet in the Control Panel.
12. Make sure that you have a pop up blocker installed. The Windows XP Service Pack 2 pop up blocker is adequate or users can install the Google Toolbar which features a pop up blocker as well. The Windows XP Service Pack 2 pop up blocker can be activated by clicking Tools > Pop-up Blocker > Turn On Pop-up Blocker in Internet Explorer. The Google Toolbar is available at http://toolbar.google.com/.
Users should also be aware of what software is installed on their system and if they do not use the software then it should be removed. Software can be removed via the Add/Remove Programs applet in the Control Panel.
Another step users can take is to limit the number of items and services that run in the background on Windows. This can be done through the Microsoft System Configuration Utility which can be launched by clicking Start > Run and typing msconfig and clicking OK. If you are not sure what programs and services on the Services and Startup tabs that you need then you should check with a computer professional before removing any of the checkmarks on those tabs. You should not change any of the other tabs in this program.