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journal: win
A quick guide to cleaning out a Windows install
Chances are that you, being a tech geek, have been or will be called upon to clean out someone’s gunked-up Windows PC. This tutorial will help you do so with relative ease. You will need these tools:
- A blank CD
- Installers for these utilities:
- Microsoft Antispyware
- Ad-Aware SE or Spybot S&D (I recommend Ad-Aware because it picks up tracking cookies)
- Avast! Antivirus or or AVG Antivirus
- Zonealarm or other firewall (optional unless the patient runs a pre-XP version of Windows)
- CCleaner
- A CD burner
- Some basic knowledge on how to work within Windows (usually XP, maybe Vista once it comes out)
You may want to have an XP machine of your own to test and familiarize yourself with each of the applications.
It also helps to have (in case of extreme measures):
- A couple CD-RWs or a USB thumb drive
- The original XP CD that came with the patient’s computer
- Experience with formatting and reinstalling XP
The first thing you want to do is reboot into safe mode. Hold F8 before the XP bootscreen appears, or click Start>Run, type in msconfig and hit enter, select the BOOT.INI tab, and check /SAFEMODE.
Install all of the applications under their account, and run Avast!, MS Antispyware, Ad-Aware/ Spybot/ Whatever else, and CCleaner, optimally in that order. Also run Disk defragmenter and Disk Cleanup, then restart into normal mode, and if the problem is still there, be prepared to either look up that specific problem on the internet, or reinstall.
Make sure you have all of their application CDs around, back up all documents, pictures, favorites, etc. and reinstall. Install the apps mentioned above, then reinstall all of their applications, rebooting after each one. If the problem resurfaces, it’s most likely the last app.
Let them know that the app is causing the problems, and help them look for alternatives. If general gunk was the problem, let them know of the dangers of clicking on ads, and opening e-mail attachments from people they don’t know. If they are interested in better security, show them Firefox or Opera if they use IE.
I hope that you have found this tutorial useful, and that it helps when you are summoned to do your duty (if you’d call it that).
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17 | 2336 |
| Liam | comments | views |
thinkback
That’s been fixed.
Liam, I thought you didn’t *get* spyware. Is this for someone else’s computer? 
| Dec. 02, 2005 | |
| Arden | 12:14 am |
Some of that seems a bit redundant to me.
I usually download the latest free demo of Zone Alarm Security Suite and stick it into my Flash Drive to take with me to fix Windows PCs. So far it’s been the only tool I need.
Zone Alarm Security Suite has so far caught all problems and have not even had to reinstall the OS at all. I’ve been close to doing it a few times - but Zone Alarm eventually saves the day.
Yes, it’s more money - but there’s a free demo to clean out whatever problems. And the customer usually purchases it as they like a single interface for everything and only one app to update.
Usually? What happens to the ones that dont - you ask? They switch to Ubuntu or OS X. heh 
| Dec. 02, 2005 | |
| SogniX | 9:24 am |
A quick guide to cleaning out a Mac:
1. Boot it up
2. Log in
3. Check your email
4. Go online for a bit
5. ...
(<- Tongue in cheek)
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| Dec. 02, 2005 | |
| Arden | 6:46 pm |
Install all of the applications under their account, and run Avast!, MS Antispyware, Ad-Aware/ Spybot/ Whatever else, and CCleaner, optimally in that order. Also run Disk defragmenter and Disk Cleanup, then restart into normal mode, and if the problem is still there, be prepared to either look up that specific problem on the internet, or reinstall.
There’s never a need to run both Disk Cleanup and CCLeaner. CCleaner cleans out all the stuff that Disk Cleanup does and much more. The only thing it doesn’t do is compress old files AFAIK.
And why do you reccomend running both Microsoft antispyware and Adaware?
| Dec. 03, 2005 | ||
| 6:05 am |
IF they got “gunk” by clicking on suspicous ads then you should install Maxthon or AvantBrowser in place of IE because of the adremover.
| Dec. 03, 2005 | ||
| 6:07 am |
IF they got “gunk� by clicking on suspicous ads then you should install Maxthon or AvantBrowser in place of IE because of the adremover.
What would be this junk that we are talking about?
What do “shady” sites give your Windows PC? What is the junk given to me via ads?
Thanks
Windows 98? So why are you guys recommending all these hassles for XP SP2? Why are you not using IE for “shady” sites?
It’s just weird—here we have you writing an article about how all this stuff doesn’t affect you, yet you go to great lengths to make sure this “mythical” stuff doesn’t invade your PC. To me, you are definitely affected by it. That’s like saying you aren’t affected by the threat of nuclear or chemical warfare as you stand in your concrete bunker wearing a Haz-Mat suit.
It’s disingenuous.
The same people who claim they aren’t affected by this stuff in PC vs Mac threads are in other threads detailing how you make sure your Windows PC doesn’t get screwed. The user has to behave in the correct way, otherwise they might get screwed.
Lets get this straight: I wrote this from my own knowledge, not experience. Like I said already, I did this more to get a tutorial on the site. It seems to me like you have a big problem with Windows content being on this site.
This is for what happens when you have had no protection for a long while and have accumulated all of this stuff. If you had installed an antispyware utility from the beginning, you wouldn’t have to be doing this.
It may be just me, but you seen to hold massive chips on your shoulders for very long periods of time. So I can’t write a blog about my personal experience with Windows, then write a (slightly) helpful tutorial for those who may need to deal with the opposite of what I experience, without being called what amounts to a liar.
Oh, BTW, if I’m standing in aconcrete bunker with a haz-mat suit saying nukes don’t affect me, you are on Mars, saying that nukes will never affect you.
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| Dec. 07, 2005 | |
| Liam | 4:10 pm |
Liam, I don’t think it’s because it’s Windows… I would like to see helpful documentation like the one you tried to do.
But I think what is rubbing people the wrong way is that - you haven’t done any of this from experience, just what you’ve heard… Then saying you can’t get infected (while you actually DO use steps to prevent it - which normal PC users wouldn’t know about)… That rubbing causes a spark.
I could write a Mac help doc about fixing problems, and include “Repair Permissions” simply from what I’ve heard and not my own experience and I’d quickly have a few people climbing down my throat (eyes Rosyna and Nick).
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| Dec. 07, 2005 | |
| SogniX | 4:29 pm |
Liam, buddy. Don’t stress it. You are A-OK here.
Step back, take a logical look at your blog and this thread - and see that you have done a good service and have done nothing to deserve an attack. So the best thing to do is realize that it’s not worth your time to even make a response.
First, your information is factually correct.
Second, it doesn’t matter if you actually used those steps or not, if you did your homework, then got the info right, that’s all that matters.
Finally, only people with an axe to grind, chip on the shoulder or bias to spread will come at you - and what do you gain from even discussing the material with them? Nothing. You simply waste your time and drag yourself down to a level you don’t want to be on.
So pat yourself on the back for an article well done, no matter how simple or redundant to others out there it may be - and forget about the naysayers.
SogniX is correct.
Liam, my comments aren’t directed at only you or are meant to be a personal attack any more than the Windows fans’ countless posts on blogs from Mac users.
I’m sure that if I were to write a blog about how the Mac experience is superior to Windows and then followed that up with an article on how to fix Mac problems, I would have Windows fans replying with comments like mine towards you.
My questions and comments were quite logical and made their point. My point simply was I see the same Windows fans claim they aren’t affected by these Windows-specific hassles while at the same time giving advice on how to behave so you don’t get infected. There is an obvious contradiction there.
Finally, only people with an axe to grind, chip on the shoulder or bias to spread will come at you
Ah, so you don’t have an axe to grind when you disagree with Nick that Front Row is Apple’s answer to Windows Media Center or go on and on about Apple’s marketing?
What axe could I possibly have to grind with Liam?
and what do you gain from even discussing the material with them? Nothing. You simply waste your time and drag yourself down to a level you don’t want to be on.
Yeah Liam, you might get into a debate and get so mad you delete the other person’s posts. Take Funktron’s advice (from personal experience) and stay out of discussions if you can’t stay calm and objective.
See what I’m sayin, Liam?
1.
The link on the home page (the headline link, not the link below the article) seems to just reload the homepage. Have to click on the lower link to get here…
Just FYI.