Actually, before scanning for viruses and adware, I'd be going doing a
simple maintenance of deleting all Temp files and the Recycle bin, doing
a scan disk, and a defrag. This is something that if you're not doing
it, should be done weekly. More often if you're a heavy user, and less
often if you don't use the computer very often.
To delete the temp files, including cookies, in an Internet Explorer
window, Open Tools and click on Internet Options. Right there on the 1st
tab (General) is two buttons, one marked "Delete Cookies", and the other
marked "Delete Files" (It means the temporary internet files). Click
both buttons. When you do the "Delete Files" button, you will get
another pop up window, CHECK the "Delete all offline content" box. Then
close Internet Explorer.
Now go to the Recycle Bin, right click, and click on "Empty recycle bin"
(this step is unnecessary if you are going onto the next step).
Those two things alone should speed up both the computer and your online
experience, but continue on to the next step. Click on the "My Computer"
icon on the desktop in older versions and on the Start button in XP.
Once you've opened My Computer, right click on the "C" (local)drive, and
then on "Properties". Before proceeding close down all programs, EXCEPT
for EXPLORER (close those that you know to be running, and then do a
ctl-alt-delete, to bring up the close program window. Then one by one
close the programs running, until just Explorer is running.) 1st click
on the Disk Cleanup button (the 1st time that you use this feature you
will have to check or uncheck boxes. Personally I check all of the boxes
EXCEPT for Compress Old Files (and in XP Catelogue Files for ...). Note,
this can either go really quick or really slow.
Then click on the "Tools" tab. For these steps the buttons are worded
differently in different versions. If in older versions (not XP) do a
scan disk. This won't take TOO long. Then (in all versions) do a
Defragment. This will take a while, go have lunch or whatever, as it
should take between 30 and 90 minutes, depending on the size of your
harddrive, the speed of your machine, and how long its been since it was
done last. For XP users, to do a scan disk, you have to click on
scandisk and it will tell you that you can't do it right now, do you
want to run it on your next boot? Say yes, but be aware that it will run
before you get a desk top, and will take between 10 and 20 minutes,
depending on the makeup of your machine, and the possible problems that
you may have.
Now, as Malke suggests, I'd run an adware program and a virus checker
program, at least weekly. Personally I'm using Adaware for those
malicious programs eating up memory usage at the least, and possibly
sending informaiton on which programs you are using or websites that you
are visiting, but any similar program will work. I'm using McAfee for my
virus checker, but again, any similar program will work. Regardless of
which program that you're using, remember to get the latest data file
from the developer, so that as you're checking your harddrive, that you
find everything possible, not just the old ones.
Hope this helps.
Neil
