STORM2K

Today I'm cleaning up our (other) computer and it's running a virus scan right now. It's scanned about 90,000 files already and should be done soon. This thread really has no point, but I'm just sort of waiting around.

Even after I delete cookies and temp files, there will be about 85,000 files or so left. There's 5 GB used on a 10 GB hard drive.

I was just wondering, does that sound like a lot of files? I did get that computer second hand, and who knows where it had been before hand. We do have it loaded with lots of games and other software. I never really had a problem with disk space, so I was never real agressive about uninstalling stuff. I figured that something could go wrong during an uninstall and mess something else up.

OK, no viruses, time to do Adaware, then spybot, then hijack this, then delete all temp files and cookies, then clean out the email folders, scan disk, defrag, then check for windows updates.

Just another thought, when you clean up, do you do things in a certain order? It seems to me that it's better to let the cookies and stuff there while doing the spyware scans, because if some temp files are removed, the scans might miss something?

I was having a problem with MS Word locking up when I start it. I was getting blue screens and messages saying that the computer was dangerously low on resources. It was fine (77% or more resources free) just before launching Word. Maybe a cleanup will help. If that doesn't, I'll see if I need to clean dust out of the processor and fan. If that doesn't help, I just may do a system restore and see if that helps.

I could always uninstall Word and then go for the Microsoft home use program from my work.

OK, time for another cup of coffee....

Enjoy that cup of coffee, Ed. At least your virus
scan is working...mine gets to...oh, about 63 files, and,
says I'm missing files....ok - I went to the website and
did what they said...same thing...looks like I am going to
have to uninstall and reinstall, in the end. Ah, and, I haven't
been online enough to get anything done, because, the garden
SCREAMS for attention! LOL, my friends have been wondering
why I haven't answered e-mails...*singing "Green Acres
is the place to be...." Anyway, have a great weekend!

Thanks Annette, I should get a coffee IV.

I got all done, took a bike ride, did some laundry, and got the Word thing fixed. I googled the error message and it took me to the microsnot site. Error in the "normal template" was making word get confused. Renamed it and then word started right up. It's amazing how much I get done when the kids are at the pool and my wife is at her daughters house!

Enjoy your gardening. Priorities, you know!

LOL, yup - Saturdays are MADE for priorities! Enjoy!

I did a full system scan this morning... 120,000 files. I almost had a heart attack. I was expecting 20,000 files in 10-15 minutes. Boy I was wrong.

I had never scanned that many before(most were temp files), the infected files didn't go up after the last 100,000)

Since I go through the "prescribed ritual" every time I log off (except the virus scan, Beta 1 AntiSpyware and defrag, once a day just before bed), I've been able to keep 82% or more of my 40GB hard drive space "free", and a small host of bugs and viruses out.

Sadly, neither Debi or Coppertop is as determined as I, so the nightly service includes their Desktops, too.

There are some nice, free, online scans that you can try as well. I found them helpful. They detected some Spyware, and Adware on my computer.

Housecall Online Virus Scan

Panda Active Scan

Bit Defender Online Scanner

Rav AntiVirus Scan

It also helps to have SpywareBlaster and SpywareGuard installed. That way you can prevent important registry files from being changed, and you can also get thousand's of bad websites blocked; allowing even more protection, and safer searching.

No computer connected to the internet is safe. If its microsoft its asking to be destroyed. Here I am on Win XP. I could be running a more secure network with red hat linux. My data just isn't that important. I follow very standard guidelines to internet use.

Don't download peer to peer software.
Don't run internet explorer under any circumstances.
Don't use outlook, do the security fixes.
Don't download executable files, don't download questionable files.

There you go. Follow those guidelines and use microsoft software as sparingly as possible (think of it as a big glob of trans fat on a spoon), you'll be safe.

PS: calamity, the first three of those links only work for Internet Explorer which in my opinion is a worse computer threat than anything else out there. Within a week of having internet explorer I have to spend over an hour cleaning up my computer, and I am a safe and knowledgable internet user. I'm not sure how they screwed up that browser so badly, though I am sure it has everything to do (in general) with wanting to make windows not work without at least a core of internet explorer. You might remember the monopoly hooblah over the browser wars. IE is a parasite.

Ah, yes. That’s true. Hmm, it’s also interesting, when you think about it.