Unstable Windows 2000 system

[FatBoy]

Hi,
I'm running Windows 2000 on our home desktop.
Like everyone else (I suspect), we are getting continually
bombarded with pop-ups etc ("Only The Best" seems to be
the one we get hit with most). We are also experiencing
very slow response times for applications starting etc
which never used to happen. We have 1GB of ram and used
to experience very good response times. I think maybe the
registry is cluttered.
I'm thinking of upgrading to Windows XP. Does this sound
drastic or is there a less invasive solution for our
symptoms?
If we were to upgrade to XP, does anyone know the costs
involved?
Regards
FatBoy

 

[DL]

Simply upgradeing to solve a problem, unless you know specifically that it
will cure it, is not a good idea. You need to cure the problem first!
Ensure you have a decent current AV app, you can run an online scan at
www.symantec.com or McAfee sites, and others.
Install a Firewall, ZoneAlarm has a free version.
Download, update, and run both AdAware and SpyBot - google for - they are
both free
Ensure you have run Winupdate.
Check what apps are running on startup

 

[TheMage]

Probably $200 for the upgrade from someplace like Staples. However,
it will not cure a cluttered Registry, nor will it fix viruses, or
remove adware on your system. Sounds like you might want to turn off
some services, notably Messenger, and make sure your virus scans turn
up clean. Also try gettting rid of any adware by running Ad-Aware
(there's a free version) or Spybot Search and Destroy (free).

To turn off a service, to to Start; Help; and then type in "services"
under the Index tab... then look for "Services snap-in." Read until
it makes some sense then try it. Keep careful notes if you're a newbie
to messing around with Services. Notes will make it possible to undo
what you've done. There's no "default" button to back to normal.

Good luck and let us know how you make out!

The Mage

 

[Niles Masters]

I recently had a similar problem with the speed of my P4
computer. I am running Windows98SE, though. I discussed
it with my IT guy at the office and he believed my
computer had been coopted by Spyware. Spyware steals your
computer's speed and memory and performance to send out
additional junk E-mails and pop-ups to other peoples
computers. I believe your problem may be Spyware. I
purchased Spy Sweeper from Webroot (about $30) and it
cleaned my system and blocks future invasions. Be sure to
get the downloaded version 3.0? because it cleans much
faster than the storebought version 2.0.

my system runs fast again and alerts me to additional
invasions. The culprit on mine was "Gator-Gain network"

I hope this helps.