Cleaning Windows® XP For Dummies®

by Allen Wyatt

Cleaning Windows® XP For Dummies®

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Copyright © 2004 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2004107894

ISBN: 0-7645-7549-X

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

1B/TQ/QY/QU/IN

About the Author

Allen Wyatt, an internationally recognized expert in small computer systems, is president of Discovery Computing, Inc., a computer and publishing services company located in Mesa, Arizona. He has worked in the computer and publishing industries for almost two decades, writing more than 50 books and numerous magazine articles. Allen’s popular lectures and seminars have reached audiences throughout the United States, as well as throughout Mexico and Costa Rica.

Besides writing books and technical materials, Allen helps further the computer book industry by providing consulting, production, and project management services. He publishes two free weekly newsletters, WordTips and ExcelTips (www.VitalNews.com).

Allen can be reached by e-mail at awyatt@dcomp.com.

Author’s Acknowledgments

I would like to thank the good folks at Wiley for their invaluable assistance in bringing this book to fruition. The people I worked with — Greg Croy, Nicole Sholly, and Tonya Cupp — were all very professional and helpful in creating what you now hold in your hands. I also extend a special thanks to Jim Kelly for his technical expertise, liberally provided as a technical reviewer.

Publisher’s Acknowledgments

We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our online registration form located at www.dummies.com/register/.

Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development

Project Editor: Nicole Sholly

Acquisitions Editor: Greg Croy

Copy Editor: Tonya Cupp

Technical Editor: Jim Kelly

Editorial Manager: Kevin Kirschner

Media Development Manager: Laura VanWinkle

Media Development Supervisor: Richard Graves

Editorial Assistant: Amanda Foxworth

Cartoons: Rich Tennant, www.the5thwave.com

Composition

Senior Project Coordinator: Nancee Reeves

Layout and Graphics: Andrea Dahl, Denny Hager, Joyce Haughey, Stephanie D. Jumper, Michael Kruzil, Lynsey Osborn, Heather Ryan

Proofreaders: Laura Albert, Brian H. Walls, TECHBOOKS Production Services

Indexer: TECHBOOKS Production Services

Publishing and Editorial for Technology Dummies

Richard Swadley, Vice President and Executive Group Publisher

Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher

Mary Bednarek, Executive Acquisitions Director

Mary C. Corder, Editorial Director

Publishing for Consumer Dummies

Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher

Joyce Pepple, Acquisitions Director

Composition Services

Gerry Fahey, Vice President of Production Services

Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services

Contents

Title

Introduction

How to Read This Book

Assumptions About You

A Word about Operating Systems and Service Pack 2

How This Book Is Organized

Customs and Practices

Icons Used in This Book

Where to Go from Here

Part I : The Basics of Cleaning Your System

Chapter 1: First Things First: Why You Should Clean

Telltale Signs of an Unclean Computer

Cleaning Up: The Pros and Cons

Keeping Your House Tidy

Chapter 2: Determining What to Clean and When

How to Eat an Elephant

Precautions for Safety’s Sake

Finding the Right Tools

Creating a Cleaning Schedule

Time for an Overhaul?

Is New Hardware the Answer?

Part II : Programs and Data

Chapter 3: Identifying What You Have

Creating a Program Inventory

Finding Out What Programs Are Installed

Discovering What Programs Run When

Figuring Out What Is Running Right Now

Making a Game Plan

Chapter 4: Making Your Programs Run Faster

Common Sense for Programs

Speeding Up Access to Large Data Files

Are We Compatible?

Playing Games

Pushing the Envelope: Multimedia Editing Programs

Chapter 5: Getting Rid of Old Programs

Identifying Candidates for Removal

Four Ways to Remove Unwanted Programs

Eliminating Remnants of Failed Programs

Chapter 6: Data, Data Everywhere

Finding Temporary Files

Tracking Down Orphan Data

Doing a Disk Cleanup

Finding and Eliminating Duplicate Data

What to Do with Multimedia Files

Empty the Recycle Bin Often

Chapter 7: Organizing and Archiving Data

Organizing Your Data

Clearing Out Your Root Directory

What About the Default Folders?

Archiving and Backing Up Data

Part III : E-Mail and the Internet

Chapter 8: Tackling E-Mail Overload

Using Different Accounts to Manage and Reduce E-Mail

Psychology 101: Don’t Answer That Phone . . . er, E-Mail

Why You Get Spam

Tactics for Limiting Spam

Implementing Spam Filters

Combating Spam with a Challenge/Response System

Chapter 9: Organizing Your E-Mail

Using Folders Effectively

Smart Move: Using Mail Rules

Deleting E-Mail Regularly

Watching Out for Attachments

Archiving Valuable E-Mail

Chapter 10: Banishing Internet Villains

Uh-Oh! Do I Have a Virus?

Sizing Up Spyware

Blocking Pop-Ups

Non-Pop-Up Pop-Ups

Resisting the Lure of Trinkets

Chapter 11: Managing Internet Information

Are Cookies a Reason for Worry?

Negotiating Newsgroups

Organizing Web Favorites

Taming Web Cache Files

Part IV : The Operating System

Chapter 12: Cleaning Up the User Interface

Master of the Desktop

Ordering the Menu System

Effectively Using the Taskbar

Cleaning Up the Control Panel

Chapter 13: Streamlining Windows

Installing Just What You Need

Setting Performance Options

Using the Microsoft System Configuration Utility

Working with the Latest Drivers

Going on a .DLL Diet

Shut Down Unused Services

Putting System Restore to Work

Chapter 14: Speeding Up the File System

Which File System to Use?

Changing File Systems

Defragmenting Your Drive

Checking for Errors

To Compress or Not?

Chapter 15: Managing Windows Updates

Getting Updates the Way You Want

Which Updates Do You Really Need?

Getting Rid of Update Files

Chapter 16: Getting a New System

When Is Getting a New System Justified?

What Should You Get?

Preparing for the New System

Reinstalling Programs

Transferring Data

Part V : Advanced Cleaning for the Truly Brave

Chapter 17: Memory and Storage

How Windows Uses Memory

Determining Whether You Need More Memory

Will Another Hard Drive Help?

Choosing Between Internal or External Hard Drives

Alternative Storage Solutions

Chapter 18: Becoming Security Conscious

Battening Down the Hatches

Staying Secure on the Internet

Adding Firewalls

Checking Your Security with Service Pack 2

Chapter 19: Cleaning House in a Networked Environment

Getting Rid of Old User Accounts

Moving Frequently Accessed Data

Removing Shared Printers

Removing Shared Folders

Cutting Your System off the Network

Chapter 20: Jumping Into the Registry

Groking the Registry Behemoth

Editing the Registry

Using Registry Cleaning Software

Restoring the Registry

Chapter 21: Wiping the Slate Clean

Doing a Windows XP Reinstall

Using an OEM System Restore Disc

Wiping Out Your System

Part VI : The Part of Tens

Chapter 22: Ten Troubleshooting Ideas

Check Your Startup Files

Install Windows Updates

Run a Spyware Removal Program

Remove Unused Programs

See What Processes Are Running

Run the Disk Cleanup Utility

Defragment Your Disk Drives

Check File Sizes

Check the Size of Your Registry

Start Your System in Safe Mode

Chapter 23: Ten Software Cleaning Tools

Chapter 24: Ten Online Resources

Chapter 25: Ten Cool Things in XP Service Pack 2

Windows Firewall

Memory Protection

Network Administration

Windows Media Player

Automatic Updates

Outlook Express

Add or Remove Programs Filter

Security Center

Pop-Up Blocker

Internet Explorer Improvements

Introduction

A computer is nothing but a tool. It’s bigger than a hammer (well, most hammers), heavier than a screwdriver, and generally less noisy than a circular saw — but is nonetheless a tool. You can do more stuff with a computer than you can with a hammer and a screwdriver, but hammers and screwdrivers are simpler to use and easier to clean up. (Circular saws are another story; things can get messy really fast.)

Your computer does get messy; have no doubt about it. Programs load and unload, files pop into existence and then slither off to unknown parts of your hard drive, and spyware tries to adhere itself to your operating system. Every day your system changes, as information is added and new demands are placed on old programs.

All these things add to the unique clutter that comes to define and weigh down your system. You can redefine your system and free your system, all by identifying and removing the clutter. Cleaning Windows XP For Dummies shows you how.

How to Read This Book

I’m a firm believer that you should read this book out loud, while standing on the coffee table in your neighbor’s living room. It surely will make an impression on the neighbors’ kids and free up time you previously spent going to dinner parties.

Whether you decide to read this book out loud or not, you should read the first two chapters before reading any others. Dire consequences won’t result if you decide not to, but those chapters lay a pretty good foundation for everything else you find in the book.

After that, read whatever strikes your fancy. You know your system better than I do. If your big problem is getting updates to Windows XP properly, skip to Chapter 15. If instead you want to focus on archiving your data, turn to Chapter 7.

You get the idea — this book can be as flexible as you are.

Assumptions About You

Being the amazingly gifted and highly skilled author that I am, I can report that I’ve achieved every author’s ideal and made no assumptions about you in writing this book.

Well, I guess that’s not entirely true. I do assume that you read English. And that you’re using Windows XP. And that you know how to turn your computer on. And that you know how to navigate through your system using My Computer or Windows Explorer. And that you think your system might be cluttered. And that you want it to be less cluttered.

Nope; I make no assumptions at all other than those. Oh, and that you know how to use a Web browser. And an e-mail program. And that you aren’t afraid to try new things once in a while. And that you want your system to run like it did when it was new. And that you’re tired of menus longer than the want ads and file folders that go on forever.

That should be it. Except that I assume you’re tired of being deluged with e-mail. And that you want to protect yourself from spyware and viruses. And that you aren’t sure if cookies are a bad thing. And that you think you can do something to make your system cleaner.

Dang. I guess I do make some assumptions about you. But, being the somewhat gifted and nominally skilled author that I am, I know that these assumptions only identify you as a person who wants to use your computer better and recognizes that cleaning that computer can help toward that end.

Working together, we can make that happen. (That’s why assumptions can be a good thing.)

A Word about Operating Systems and Service Pack 2

This book (as you can probably tell from the title) is about Windows XP. The examples in the book assume you have Windows XP and are comfortable — or at least conversant — with using it. If you and the operating system still don’t get along at all times, don’t worry — the examples in this book will help you show it who’s really the boss.

If you don’t have Windows XP, some of the concepts discussed in this book will still be of value to you. In fact, many of the ideas related to cleaning things up and making your system run better are easily applicable to any version of Windows. You’ll need to do your own “translations” of examples so they will work on your system, and you may need to do some digging to find out how to make the detailed steps work properly, but it shouldn’t be a huge job.

While discussing operating systems, a word or two is in order about Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2 for short). The computing world is all atwitter about SP2. Many view it as much more than a run-of-the-mill service update to Windows. In fact, Microsoft is pushing heavily for every computer that has XP to upgrade to SP2. (Chapter 25 can help you determine whether you want to upgrade.)

SP2 introduces a set of “security technologies” (Microsoft’s wording) that should improve the ability of Windows XP to withstand attacks from viruses and worms. That’s a good thing — if you think about it for a couple of nanoseconds. By installing SP2, you can help fortify XP so that it turns away the bad guys.

Will SP2 help to unclutter your system? No, not really. It strengthens the security of your system, which can stop it from getting cluttered in the first place, but if your system is already cluttered, SP2 won’t magically make it uncluttered. You still need to go through the “deep cleaning” process required of all cluttered computer owners. SP2 helps keep bad things (worms, viruses, and so on) off your system, but if there are bad things on your system already, you still need to take steps to get them off. This book can help you do that.

How This Book Is Organized

My editor tells me that organizing a book into parts is a good thing. It helps keep the chapters from running into each other. (Apparently having unrelated chapters freely associating with each other is unhealthy.) To keep with longstanding tradition and to keep my editor from yelling at me, I’ve organized Cleaning Windows XP For Dummies into the following parts.

Part I: The Basics of Cleaning Your System

Get off on the right foot by discovering why you even need to clean your system (as if you didn’t know). You find out what you should clean, when you should clean it, what tools to use, and whether you should consider getting a new system.

Part II: Programs and Data

Programs and data are the two great components of any computer system — including yours. Part II focuses on identifying what programs you have, how to make them run faster, and how to get rid of programs you no longer need.

You also find out how to identify all the data on your hard drive, as well as targeting and deleting the data you no longer need. I’ve dedicated a full chapter to concepts about organizing and archiving your important data.

Part III: E-Mail and the Internet

E-mail and the Internet are, for better or worse, a part of most people’s daily lives. This part zeroes in on how you can manage the glut of e-mail you get daily. You discover how to deal with spam and organize the e-mail you keep.

You also find out the telltale signs of virus and spyware infections, as well as how to get rid of these troublesome pests. Finally, you discover how to deal with information (not related to e-mail) that you may receive when using the Internet.

Part IV: The Operating System

Windows XP is nothing if not flexible and configurable. Part IV discusses how to clean up the user interface so using Windows is easier than ever before. You discover how to streamline Windows so it runs faster, as well as how to speed up the file system.

Microsoft wants you to have the most up-to-date system possible, and Windows XP makes it easy to stay updated with automatic downloads. You’ll understand how to use the update system and find out when it makes sense to get a new system rather than clean up the old one.

Part V: Advanced Cleaning for the Truly Brave

This part focuses on things you can do to implement deep-cleaning strategies. You determine whether you need more memory in your system or a larger hard drive. You discover ways to make your system more secure, and thereby minimize the chance of having others clutter your system. I also discuss the special needs of cleaning up in a networked environment.

An entire chapter covers the ins and outs of working with the Registry, your computer’s central nervous system. You find out how to edit the Registry and use special software to keep it in tip-top shape.

The final chapter in this part explains different ways to fix a corrupted Windows XP installation. You even find out how to start all over by wiping out your computer system and installing Windows anew.

Part VI: The Part of Tens

Ahhh! The Part of Tens. Here’s where you find small, bite-sized tidbits that can help get your system cleaned up and keep it that way. You find troubleshooting ideas, software tools for cleaning, and a multitude of online resources to help you tidy up.

Customs and Practices

I followed a few conventions that you might be interested in. Why? Because then you know why I chose to do something, and we can understand each other better.

First, if I talk about clicking the mouse, I mean clicking the left button. If I want you to click the right button, I specifically talk about right-clicking. (Quite a bit of right-clicking goes on in Windows.)

If a procedure takes more than a couple of discrete steps to complete, I try to detail those steps as much as I can. It’s frustrating as heck to read “do this” in a book, and when you do it, the steps don’t work for you. The steps should work if you’re using Windows XP; I’ve tried them out, as have my editor and my technical editor. (Three heads are better than one.)

Finally, if you must make a series of choices with the mouse, I separate the choices with an arrow. For example, if you see “Choose Start⇒All Programs⇒ Accessories⇒Notepad,” that means you should click the Start menu, then the All Programs option, then Accessories, and finally Notepad.

Icons Used in This Book

As part of agreeing to write this book, I insisted that Wiley break with tradition and include cute little icons that call your attention to things that I think need your attention. They tried to balk at my demand, but I held firm, with my only desire to put your needs, my reader, first. Finally, they got tired of my expert negotiating and gave in to my demand. (I hope the other For Dummies series authors appreciate all my hard work in this area.)

With that in mind, you see the following icons sprinkled liberally throughout this book. Pay attention to this; you’ll have a test later!

If something is really short and really cool, I used this icon. Tips are bite-sized nuggets of information that can — hopefully — make your life easier and more fulfilling. (They should at least make you feel better about cleaning your Windows system.)

This icon alerts you to the gotchas of cleaning your Windows system. Ignore these tidbits at your own risk. (Ohh . . . that sounds ominous!) Warnings are given for a reason: primarily to help you avoid problems that can cause you grief and a whole lot of extra work.

This icon doesn’t mean you can forget everything else in the book. Nope; I included it so that you can make special note of something you need later. Or it could be a piece of information designed to jog your memory about something you should have picked up earlier in the book. Remember — the remember icon can help you remember what you need to remember.

A few of these icons are thrown into the mix so that the geeks among us feel comfortable. If geekiness scares the bejeebers out of you, ignore anything with this icon. If you really want a moment of technical clarity, you might find anything with this icon very illuminating.

Where to Go from Here

I think the best place to go is to the next page, but it doesn’t matter what I think. You can use or abuse this book in any way you see fit. If something on page 153 strikes your fancy, then go for it! You can always return to page 152 (or any other page) at a later time, when the need arises.

You see, that’s the really cool thing about cleaning your system and For Dummies books — they don’t have to be done or read in any particular order. And the sky is the limit in Cleaning Windows XP For Dummies. You can start reading anywhere you like, on any topic you like. When you tire of that topic, move to one that strikes your fancy.

As for me, I still think the best place to start is on the next page. . . .

Part I

The Basics of Cleaning Your System

In this part . . .

Discover why you need to clean your system, what you should clean, when you should clean it, what tools to use, and whether you should consider getting a new system.

Chapter 1

First Things First: Why You Should Clean

In This Chapter

Determining whether your system needs cleaning

Balancing the pros and cons of cleaning

Focusing your cleaning efforts

M y system isn’t messed up, is it? (What? Me worry?)

Yes, you should worry. Or, you should at least be aware that you may need to worry. Computer systems easily and quickly become untidy and messed up. If you don’t clean yours, you run the risk of big problems down the road.

Do I really need to point out the benefits of a clean computer system? (I do — a little later in this chapter.) Does someone need to come into your house and point out why you need to pick up your clothes, dust the furniture, wash the dishes, and tend to the dog? Probably not; you know that a clean house is healthful, inviting, and safe.

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!