Alright, I'm wanting to do a total clean up of my PC this weekend. What do you suggest?

[LostInAnomie]

I'm wanting to get rid of all spy-ware, mal-ware, viruses, trojans, worms, etc. Pretty much anything bad for my PC and anything that is slowing down it's performance.

Where should I start? What programs should I use?

[ghostsofgiants]

1. I'd actually recommend backing up your personal shit and formatting.

[qnr]

3. I'm curious. I've never really used Windows. Is there a simple way of saving/printing out

the applications that you currently have installed? Seems like after you format you might be likely to forget some that you liked, but only used occasionally.

[ghostsofgiants]

4. Not that I know of. I always just wrote out a list.

[qnr]

5. OK, I'm just wondering, for example, if you have access to the file that generates

the Start menu. That would be one way I could keep track of my major applications in Linux (short of printing out everything in the bin/ directories)... just printing out the menu file. Don't know if Windows generates menus in the same manner though.

[truedelphi]

9. One thing you might try is to go to your search option

and type in *.exe (The * is a wild card for any and all characters - so you will get ALL files taht end in .exe )

That should give you most of the programs that are being used on your machine (If your machine is PC based and WIndows using, anyway)

Look over the list and copy out those that you use.

[qnr]

10. Can you "pipe" the output of the search into a file, to save the manual copying? Just

in case anyone is following this, I don't have windows, so it is just idle curiosity.

[truedelphi]

12. Are you using Unix? I don't know much about Linux so

Whatever operating system you use - if it allows you to pipe - go for it.

Once the Windows XP came out, I could no longer pipe and copy to a file to print out like I could under Windows 95 (Actually uusing whatever DOS that came with the system then)

So I bought a screen capture program and that is what I use in place of piping.

[qnr]

13. The question was general, I know how to do it on my systems, I don't

use windows though, and was asking out of idle curiosity, and to have the information if anyone happened to ask in the future with no Windows users around.

[Callalily]

2. Maybe Primates got

something there. I switched to new virus protection, etc. software and I've been having problems ever since. Grrrrr . . .

[Kali]

6. first, back up all your important files

then go to the computer forum and ask them - they are great. Let them know what your machine is, what operating system you use, browser, anti-virus you already have etc. etc, any other details you think pertinent - they will tell you to get rid of norton and use firefox for sure, then get spybot and avg and probably a few others - I will let them tell you (also you can read the sticky and do a search - some excellent and easy to understand info in there. good peeps answering questions. best on the internets, in my opinion! (can you tell I have taken advantage?)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=242

[GenDem]

7. I'm doing just that right now!

:scared:
Computer guru is downstairs copying my documents. Everything is getting cleaned completely off and system is being restored like new.

He put all my pictures on picasa.

He says I have a real mess. Kept crashing on me and I need this stupid thing for so many things that I do.

I am managing 6 local campaigns right now and without my computer working I'm dead in the water.

[jmowreader]

8. Format C:

[deucemagnet]

11. Here are my suggestions:

IObit Advanced Windows Care (Personal) and IObit Smart Defrag.

www.iobit.com

Spybot Search and Destroy.

http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,22262-order,1-page,1-c,alldownloads/description.html

AVG Free Edition

http://free.grisoft.com/

[Omphaloskepsis]

14. I have had good luck with Windows boxes..

What I would do...

1. Back-up your shit.
2. Format and re-install Windows. Try to find a real copy of Windows. Not one of the shitty infested copies that come with Dells and other computers bought at a Best Buy. They come pre-loaded with crap you don't need or want.
3. Start -> Windows Update *Keep running this until all patches are applied. It could take a long time and a lot of re-starts.
4. Install Firefox and use it instead of Internet Explorer.
5. Install the free version of AVG
6. Install the free version of Ad-Aware
7. Install Spybot S&D
8. DON'T CLICK ON THINGS THAT PEOPLE E-MAIL TO YOU unless you know for a fact that they are legit. E-mail them back and ask if they sent it to you first. If your grandma sends you a link to the Paris Hilton sex tape her computer has been compromised and is now a spam machine.

On every Friday run Windows Update, AVG, Ad-Aware, and Spybot. Make sure to update the definition files on the last three programs I listed before running a scan.

And buy a hardware router If you have broadband. They are 20 bucks and add a layer of protection.