We see a lot of comments about pop-ups that won't stop and computers that crash all the time. An awful lot of this can be blamed on spyware, adware, and an old IE default feature setting called, "install on demand."
Let's start by looking at My Computer. Your views will vary, but RIGHT CLICK My Computer and select Properties. Click the Performance Tab along the top. Look at Resources. If it's like 60% or so you've got problems! NOTE: Windows 2000 and Windows XP users do NOT have resources, but you still need to look at CPU usage! Press Ctrl-Alt-Del to view Task Manager and the Performance tab.
For comparison later, make a note of the resources available now, before you start tweaking things, so you can see tangible proof of what you accomplish as you go through this process.
One of the reasons I've never attempted to write a step-by-step of instructions for dealing with this problem is because professionals have done that before.
Here's one example from PCWORLD (November 2001) complete with screen shots: http://pcworld.shopping.yahoo.com/yahoo/article/0,aid,73163,00.asp
That's not a bad article, but it cuts corners and skips a few things I think are essential. What you will see as you read further on this page is my step-by-step approach for optimizing Windows. Proceed at your own risk!
FIXING THINGS - REBOOT AFTER EACH STEP or when prompted to do so:
FIRST STEP - IE setting: Go to Internet Options (under Control Panel or IE - TOOLS) and click the Advanced Tab. UNCheck all boxes mentioning "Enable Install on Demand..." in any way. (Depending on IE version these may already be UNchecked. THAT IS GOOD!)
UNLESS YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO - (Windows Update) - NEVER EVER use the option to "Install from this location" instead save it to disk, scan it, and then install it. (Note: The latest versions of IE no longer prompt this.)
SECOND STEP - System Tray: Look at your System Tray - that's the area on the lower right of your screen.
Is it full of running programs, with more than 4 or 5 icons there? This junk is slowing down your system and making it unstable! Decide to get rid of as many as you can!
How? Start by RIGHT clicking on each icon and seeing what they are and what they do. Get rid of Instant Messengers, Quicktime, Realplayer, Weatherbugs, Webshots, download accelerators, etc. [REFERENCE LINKS AT THE END OF THESE INSTRUCTIONS.]
Now... Reduce these running processes to the essentials. Antivirus (most of you need always-on, real-time antivirus checking). After that, it's whatever you want or need. Just remember - under Windows 9x - resources are FINITE and throwing more software at a problem is NOT a solution! Example: If you have a CD burner and anything before WinXP, you may want resident packet writing software running so you can drag-and-drop backup files to CDRW media.
Now... Back to RIGHT clicking on their icons and choosing options. Each program will call it something different... "preferences" or "startup" or "options" or "settings" and so on... Find and tell each program that allows it to NOT load when Windows starts! Reboot!
THIRD STEP - Windows Startup Folder: Find the Windows Startup FOLDER.
RIGHT CLICK the Start button and select OPEN.
Double Click Programs Folder.
BACKUP - In top menu, Click FILE - NEW - FOLDER and name it Disabled Startup Programs.
Now... Click to open the STARTUP Folder itself.
Inside the Startup folder are very likely more of the pesky programs running in your System Tray. To permanently remove an item, click on it to select and press your DELETE KEY. Alternatively, to save it in case you change your mind, click and drag it the icon to the Disabled Startup Programs Folder you made earlier.
Once the shortcuts are removed from the Startup Folder, the programs won't load when Windows Starts anymore. But the programs themselves - Webshots, Time Synch, Instant Messengers, etc. - are still in your program listings for you to launch and use when YOU want or need them!
REBOOT!
Remember those figures we noted when starting this process - the percent resources free under the Performance tab? Go and check them now. I'll bet you're already up in the 80% range and CPU usage (if your flavor of Windows shows it) has recovered a lot of ground.
FOURTH STEP - Windows Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel:
NOTE: If you use Windows 95/98, or ME, before proceeding with this step, insure the programs you wish to remove aren't actively running in the background! Prior steps should have dealt with this, but just to be sure you should do the following: Press and hold the Ctrl + Alt + Del keys - all at the same time. The Windows Task Manager list box should display. It shows all running programs. At this point, the simplest thing to say is, "click each one - except Explorer and Systray - and select END TASK." Do this slowly, allowing each program to time to terminate before proceeding to the next. You want to END TASK on all running programs EXCEPT EXPLORER and SYSTRAY. (Don't worry, the ones you want and need will return the next time you restart Windows.)
Now you're ready to move on and do the Add/Remove Program stuff.
The Add/Remove Programs option is an obvious, but often overlooked or forgotten solution to this problem. Try using the Add-Remove applet in Windows (Start - Settings - Control Panel) to get rid of this pesky software. Make sure you are NOT connected to the internet and make sure you don't get rid of something you sometimes need. RealPlayer, Quicktime and Acrobat Reader come to mind - these pesky little Systray Applets often have no obvious "off" switch and removing them will leave you missing their functionality. We'll deal with that problem in our last step.
FIFTH STEP - Spyware, Adware, BHOs and other junk: Finally... let's do something about this junk that is certainly infesting your system. (Unless you've already dealt with it at some earlier step.)
Want some quick tips and links to dealing with spyware? Click here for a compilation of comprehensive information about fighting spyware and adware - http://geocities.datacellar.net/mark_e_p/stuff/antispyware.htm.
Two great Spyware/Adware information sites:
Dealing with Unwanted Spyware and Parasites. A thorough, but understandable guide to this problem; part of the Windows XP Troubleshooting Guide site.
"If Your PC is Infested w/ Spyware..." beware of false spyware cleaners! Click here NOW: Eric Howe's Spy Warrior Resources - http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm and read all about how fake spyware/adware cleaners prey upon people.
Read the Spywarrior Blog at http://www.netrn.net/spywareblog/ for the latest information, tips, and insights in the battle against spyware and other unethical web marketing.
Two Spyware/Adware scan and removal programs are:
Spybot - Search and Destroy: Info at http://www.safer-networking.org/. This program does a LOT more than Ad-Aware and is a very powerful program. It scans for much more than spywares. Please take extreme care if you choose to use it. Be sure to UPDATE it AFTER installing and BEFORE checking your PC for spywares.
You can view very nice step-by-step instructions (with pictures!) on how to use Spybot - Search and Destroy courtesy of the UW-Madison's chemistry department at: http://www.chem.wisc.edu/~network/spybot/.
Ad-Aware from Lavasoft: Info at http://www.lavasoftusa.com. Install the free version, update the reference file, and scan your PC to see what's really running on your PC! Again, use its removal tools very carefully!
I suggest using both these programs with GREAT CARE and realize that removing spyware/adware from your system may 'break' the programs that installed the junk in the first place. These are NOT memory resident, real-time tools - the free versions just scan and clean - and that is all you really need them to do!
After downloading and installing Ad-Aware and Spybot - S & D, be sure to read how they work and what they do. Try to get a little understanding of the problem and how its solved before diving in and using these tools. Make sure you shut down background programs and disable anti-virus programs before actually scanning your PC with them. You will probably need to REBOOT after using EACH of these programs!
For the first time user, it's best to take things in this order: Install - Read - Run - Online Update - Read - Scan - Read - Fix or Remove malwares.
LAST STEP - MSCONFIG: THIS A LAST - and usually necessary - RESORT! Anyone using it before this point only THINKS they are helping you! (Sorry, Windows 95 users, MSCONFIG isn't part of your OS! Search Google for alternatives.)
Click the START button, Click RUN, Type MSCONFIG in the Open box and hit Enter key or click the OK button. You're looking at MSCONFIG's tabbed view -- click Startup tab along the top. Look at the check boxes along the left side and the programs they are associated with to the right. Careful here!!! Things are a bit cryptic and you do need much of this stuff!!!
A good, quick reference to understand which programs are needed and which are not is found using the Four Links - Necessary, Optional, Useless, and Dangerous! at:
http://www.greatis.com/regrun3appdatabase.htm
You can find further information on dealing with startup programs at these sites:
http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_pages/startup_full.php
http://www2.whidbey.com/djdenham/index.htm
http://www.hp.com/cposupport/personal_computing/support_doc/bph06450.html
You can almost always go back and re-check the box if you find something crucial missing after using MSCONFIG. We make this the last step so that all the removal tools we used earlier did their work to properly remove the Startup entries for us, BEFORE altering any settings with MSCONFIG. Doing it this way is a MUCH cleaner solution for your PC.
You will be prompted to REBOOT after using MSCONFIG. Make one final note of your resources free and then compare after the reboot. If you're like most people with a PC who have never done this, or had it done for them, you've probably gone from free resources at 60% or less to over 85% after doing all this.
Don't forget to - MANUALLY - clean out your C:\Windows\TEMP folder from time-to-time after a fresh re-start or new boot of your PC! Weekly is a good habit. (I am NOT referring to the Temporary Internet Files!)
If this page has confused you, be sure to check out http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.php where you will find another explanation and a more professional presentation about dealing with Windows Start Up Problems; including great screen shots and links to helpful software tools. [Just be sure you avoid the temptation to pile on programse to fix a problem caused by piling on programs in the first place.)
An article about those all-important Windows resources I mentioned:
http://pcworld.shopping.yahoo.com/yahoo/article/0,aid,18393,pg,2,00.asp
I hope readers will find this interesting and useful. As things stand now, I think the above represents the number one technical support issue we deal with these days. I could be wrong, but I don't think so.
