How to Purge Your Windows XP Computer

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: The first step is always to remove all of the spyware

   This is because they cause the most harm, and they may also hinder the other steps of this guide.
   
   If you don't have a spyware virus scanner or cleaner, there are many free ones that can be almost as effective as retail ones, such as Ad-Aware (http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware) and AVG Antivirus (http://free.grisoft.com) and CNET respectively.
   
   But it is always advisable to read product reviews and buy products because they come with valuable service support.
2. 2

   Step 2: viruses and registry errors that may be on your computer.

   Having your hard drive full, or nearly full, will severely slow down the speed of your computer.
   
   You need to Uninstall all of your programs using Add or Remove Programs in Control Panel.
   
   For everything else (documents, images, and music) that you want to delete, make sure you empty the Recycle Bin afterwards, or hold down Shift Delete to permanently delete files.
   
   Alternatively, you could burn the files to a disk to save a backup. , Open the Start menu, and go to Run.
   
   Type in 'msconfig' and press Enter.
   
   Go to the Startup tab, uncheck any programs which you think is spyware/adware, and press OK.
   
   Run a search on any startup programs which you are unsure of.
   
   Warning:
   Do not uncheck items that belong to antivirus/antispyware scanners.
   
   This can cause an adverse effect. , Go to Start/All Programs/Accessories/System/Disk Cleanup.
   
   Run this utility for all of your drives to free up any remaining disk space and clear out useless files. , Get it in Start/All Programs/Accessories/System/Disk Defragmenter.
   
   This moves all of your files which have been split into pieces closer together so they can be accessed much faster.
   
   This process may take hours, so it's best to leave it on overnight or when you don't need to use your computer. , Run virus,spyware and cleaner checks at least every week, and try to run Disk Defragmenter and Disk Cleanup every month.
   
   Also you can download WinPatrol (http://www.winpatrol.com/) or a similar security program, which runs in the background and alerts you if any malicious changes are made to your computer. , Go to Start/Control Panel/Windows Firewall and activate it.
   
   Allow exceptions for programs you recognize and trust, and refuse any unknown connections.
   
   Some alternative firewalls are also available such as the free edition of ZoneAlarm (http://www.zonealarm.com/)
3. 3

   Step 3: Delete all of your unnecessary files.

4. 4

   Step 4: Monitor your startup programs.

5. 5

   Step 5: Monthly Run Disk Cleanup.

6. 6

   Step 6: Finally

7. 7

   Step 7: run Disk Defragmenter.

8. 8

   Step 8: Your computer is now (to an extent) clean

9. 9

   Step 9: but you can help yourself by keeping it clean.

10. 10

    Step 10: You can also activate your firewall.

Detailed Guide

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