Keeping your XP clean of garbage

[cka]

no boring write-up lets get to the meat of the subject

1. don't use windows as a god damn administrator

This is probably the most bone-headed fucking thing you can do. Seriously. Set yourself up with a limited account and use RUN AS for installing crap/doing admin-related stuff. By running in a full administrator account you're just painting a giant bullseye on your computer saying "ZOMBIFY ME!!!". Use the admin account ONLY WHEN REQUIRED. Headaches = saved, trust me. Unix does this, Mac does this, you fucking do it too.

2. PROPERLY CONFIGURE YOUR SECURITY SETTINGS IF USING IE

Yeah, it's a lot of work to go through those 15 or 20 "enable / disable / prompt" radio buttons, but fucking do it if you use internet explorer. Read what each one does, set it accordingly to your requirements. I honestly doubt you need Unsigned ActiveX enabled, so disable it. Same goes for launching apps in an IFrame.

3. KEEP THE CHRIST UP TO DATE WITH PATCHES

Your warezed XP won't run on windows update? TFB, I guess its time to schill out 30 bucks for a license from a university buddy. The more you lack patches, the more shit can crawl into your system causing nightmares.

4. Use proper Antivirus/Spyware scanner combinations.

Its your choice what AV software to use (I run Symantec myself), and I think the best anti-spyware app out there is Microsoft's AntiSpyware (even though it silently ignores gator-related web tracking stuffs now...) Regardless, install it and set up all the proper real-time monitoring and you should have very few issues.

5. Use your brains when using the internet

pretty self explanatory subject here, don't click 'yes' to everything and you're good to go

feel free to post comments/additions

UPDATE BECAUSE I REMEMBERED ABOUT SOMETHING

6. When you install windows format the goddamn drive as NTFS (or, if you purchase a computer with XP and it's formatted FAT32 for whatever bone-headed reason, convert it.)

NTFS kicks the shit out of FAT, hands-down. Per user security access on files, allowing > 4GB files, MFT file recovery if shit goes awry, support for 130+ GB drives, the list goes on and on and on and on.

[Rumpy]

I think that about covers it. I've had to fix my friends computer 3 times in the past 2 months. I have no idea how they use the computer but just by installing and running the shit I use (3-4 programs) I found over 2,000 spyware bastards and 9 viruses.

[epmode]

1. don't use windows as a god damn administrator

After all this time, I realized that I hadn't followed this. It's good advice, so I created a new limited account (xp pro.)

I'm having a problem though.. I can't seem to delete (or alter) any files on my hard drive with this new account. example: I try to delete cerase\test.txt -> Access is denied. Now, if I go ahead and create a new file in that same directory, I can delete it with no trouble.

This is obviously making it very difficult to deal with already existing games and applications.

What can I do?

[Dyne]

if you have a limited account cant you only add/delete from the admin account?

[maruchan]

heres a new one, use ubuntu or any other linux distrubtion.. and you neer have to worry about crap like this...

[epmode]

if you have a limited account cant you only add/delete from the admin account?

I honestly don't know, never tried before.

Here's the thing, I can no longer play any games that I installed as admin, since I can no longer write to any of the existing config/save files. I have similar problems with most applications. Do I have to uninstall/reinstall the programs under the limited account for everything to work properly?

[cka]

After all this time, I realized that I hadn't followed this. It's good advice, so I created a new limited account (xp pro.)

I'm having a problem though.. I can't seem to delete (or alter) any files on my hard drive with this new account. example: I try to delete cerase\test.txt -> Access is denied. Now, if I go ahead and create a new file in that same directory, I can delete it with no trouble.

This is obviously making it very difficult to deal with already existing games and applications.

What can I do?

Grant yourself permission to access those files from the default administrator account. (select whatever folders/files, right click properties, security, add permissions for yourself)

heres a new one, use ubuntu or any other linux distrubtion.. and you neer have to worry about crap like this...

if I wanted a linux circlejerk I would have made a linux thread, stay the fuck out of this one because it's for XP stuff.

[Razor Ramon]

1. don't use windows as a god damn administrator

This is probably the most bone-headed fucking thing you can do. Seriously. Set yourself up with a limited account and use RUN AS for installing crap/doing admin-related stuff. By running in a full administrator account you're just painting a giant bullseye on your computer saying "ZOMBIFY ME!!!". Use the admin account ONLY WHEN REQUIRED. Headaches = saved, trust me. Unix does this, Mac does this, you fucking do it too.

Everything else on the list is pretty much done but this. I have no idea how to do this and the best way to set it up. And what specifically is wrong with running on Admin? I've been doing it for about a year on this computer so far and I've rarely had any problems.

[bandit]

Everything else on the list is pretty much done but this. I have no idea how to do this and the best way to set it up. And what specifically is wrong with running on Admin? I've been doing it for about a year on this computer so far and I've rarely had any problems.

Same here. Would everything on the admin be able to be used on the limited? I know on the limited, I wont be able to download or remove some folders/files. It would be a hassle having to switch users back and forth just to remove and add files.

[Dyne]

its already been explained that to use stuff on the non-admin account, you have to enable it while logged into the admin account.