Try FREE Avast 4 Home Edition from

http://www.avast.com/index.html

Should you ever need it, there's Technical support and also a Discussion Forum

I'd also recommend CCleaner for cleaning out the crap and SuperAntiSpyware Free Edition to get rid of Spyware and Malware.

Actually, I find that after a sweep with CCleaner, there's not a lot left to be found by SAS Free Edition. Also, SAS Free Edition is tons better, I feel, than Ad-Aware and Spybot Search & Destroy.

For some reason, CCleaner (Crap Cleaner) is my most used program. ;-)

When I'm shopping on the Internet, first I use the Shopping search facility at Google.co.uk It absolutely wipes the floor, when compared with anything else.

Next I investigate if there are any cashback facilities available to me from the cashback introduction sites, like Quidco for example, and see if my target Internet shopping web site offers any cashback for the Quidco introduction.

Here's an example of some shrewd Internet shopping utilising the facilities of CCleaner:

Having visited VirginMedia to investigate Virgin Broadband as an ISP, I then go to the Quidco cashback web site and find out that Quidco account holders get a 100 cashback from Virgin Media for shopping with Virgin Media via the Quidco route. 100 eh? WOW!

HOWEVER, you wouldn't get the 100 if there is a Virgin Media cookie already on your machine when you go to the Virgin Media web site to sign on. So....

I would use CCleaner to housekeep any unwanted cookies out of my machine, such as any and all Virgin cookies. Next I would go to Quidco and sign on. Then I would click on the Quidco link to Virgin Media and thus ensure the introduction shows as being originated at Quidco and thus ensuring I do actually get the 100 cashback paid out. You can be sure it would not be paid out otherwise because it could be proved by Virgin Media that Quidco introduced the shopper when Virgin and Quidco run their mutual shopper introduction link software checks.

Obviously, I'm selectively deleting cookies. CCleaner makes this extremely easy for me to do.

TP

Cloning the disk is not difficult.

You connect the new disk (easiest way is with a USB adapter if you have one) and Paragon will do the rest. There is no risk because your original disk is not altered.

Opt,

That makes it sound easier.

In fact I have two drives in the machine. A smaller drive C which contains the operating system and the programs. A larger drive D that contains some of my photos.

I can live with that drive D as long as I have some external hard disk space and that was why I was looking at the Maxtor.

I suppose one solution is to let Paragon clone me a copy of drive C and to put that somewhere safe for the day when (not if I know) my drive C dies. And then I assume it is simply a matter of swopping the ribbon cable in from the old C to the new one.

I have yet to look but I assume you can get temporary external housings so that the C that I've just bought can plug in to the USB.

And I expand my on line storeage with a big Maxtor.

TP

When i start my laptop, i always get my wifes hotmail window pop up, which i then have to close, how do i stop it popping up automatically?
Thanks.
d.

Dailos

Easiest way is for you and your wife to use different usernames to log into the computer.

Thanks again, boys.
Hopefully get sorted over the weekend.

Dailos - I'm exceedingly thick about technical stuff, but I'm pretty sure you need to look at your start-up content and just delete that - sounds to me like a messenger thingie.

chocolat /Dailos

chocolat you are correct. To find how it is started go Start Button - Run - type msconfig - Enter then select the Startup tab.

You can then see where the staartup options are generated and dissable them if you want to. If you really want to permanently kill a startup option then delete it's source.

You would still do well to try different usernames.

Choc
I bet i'm thicker!

Optimist
Thanks do i just untick it and press "apply"?
Or do i have to delete it (how?)

My wife shouldnt need her own password, she has her own laptop, trouble is, she has gone all green on me and wants to save the planet, so says its a waste of resources running two!!
I tried to explain i'm long a whole bunch of oil, coal and metal stocks, to no avail!

Dailos

If you untick it and press apply that should stop it but you may get some confirmation box pop up on startup asking if you really want to dissable it.

The entry in MSConfig shows where it is started from. If it is from a startup folder all you have to do is delete the shortcut in that folder. If it is a registry entry then you have to use regedit to delete the registry entry (be careful with that).

Kayak - 20 Jun 2008 13:52 - 6906 of 6916
No I don't use a firewall. You really don't need one if you have a router since you do not broadcast your IP address to the outside world.

----------

Spot on Kayak ! Has anyone on here ever known anyone who's security has been compromised by an external hacker coming in via a router (and also with XPs firewall switched on)?
Instead so many problems seem to occour to those using zonealarm etc... they are just not worth the effort, not to mention the cost IMHO..

A software firewall does also stop suspect outgoing connections (some routers also have the ability to do so) and that of course is where many problems with firewalls originate. However that would only protect you in the case you already had a virus on your machine and the virus was connecting out. There is an argument that the virus could be reporting all your passwords to home base but that is really overkill in my opinion. After all the sort of people who insist on running a firewall will also be running anti-virus software and that will already have been triggered.

In my programs I have listed-
Java 6 update 2
3
5
6
Java SE runtime 6.1.
Can I delete 2,3 and 5?
releasing 336MB of disk.
Tls.
mac.

Yes, through the add/remove programs in control panel.

You can also delete 6 and 6.1

O&K,
Ok,thanks.
mac

So if I use a broadband router Zonealarm is a waste of time Kayak ?

It wouldn't be a total waste of time but certainly a lot of complexity for little benefit.

Want to upgrade your RAM?

Try out the Crucial System Scanner to see what works for you.

"Want to upgrade your RAM?"

My tip is if you do then don't buy any off of ebay!