10. I have just purchased a new computer with Windows XP OS. Are there any XP books to help me understand XP in laymen's terms?

Answer: Yes, I highly recommend Dan Gookin's (Naked Windows XP). Dan's books have all the workarounds that will increase your productivity and decrease your frustration!! Visit Dan Gookin's website at: http://www.wambooli.com/

 9. How do I turn off the Desktop Cleanup Wizard?

Answer: Right click on your desktop, choose Properties and click the Desktop tab. Click the Customize Desktop tab, remove the check mark "Run Desktop Cleanup Wizard Every 60 Days."

8. What hardware is compatible with Windows XP?

Answer: Before you install a device or buy it, look for the "Windows XP" logo on the device packaging. If you do not have the packaging, you can consult the Microsoft's Hardware Compatibility List at the following website and enter the name of the product and/or the hardware category to search. There website is:
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/hcl/default.mspx

Note: (XP will try its best to do all driver installation work for you when you connect a new device. If XP already has a driver for the device, it installs it automatically).

7. Currently I have Windows 98 or ME, should I upgrade to Windows XP?

Answer: If your OS is working just fine you are better off  NOT upgrading your OS. The best way to get Windows XP is to wait until you buy a new computer. A lot of older hardware does not work under Windows XP, as well as older software, RAM, and so on...  Visit: http://pcpitstop.com/xpready/xptests.asp that will check your system for XP incompatibilities if you must upgrade

6. Will Windows XP perform better if I install more Memory? Bill Gates said, "640k (1/2 of a megabyte) ought to be enough for anybody." That was in 1981.

Answer: Oh yes, XP loves RAM (Random Access Memory). You should have at least 512 megabytes these days. On my system I have 1024 of RAM. Please visit this website for more information on how to install more Memory on your Computer:
http://www.crucial.com/support/install.asp

5. How do I disable MSN Messenger?

Answer: Shooting The Messenger!

"Download and run our small (22 kbyte) "ShootTheMessenger.exe" utility. It will display the current status of your system's Messenger Service. The button near the bottom of its window will allow you to set the service to whichever state — running or disabled — that you desire."

http://www.grc.com/stm/shootthemessenger.htm

4. How do you improve XP Performance?

Answer: I use ATF Cleaner , is a freeware system optimization tool. That removes unused and temporary files from your system - allowing Windows to run faster, more efficiently and giving you more hard disk space. The best part is that it's Free at: http://www.atribune.org/content/view/19/2/
 

And visit: http://users.telenet.be/bluepatchy/miekiemoes/slowcomputer.html

3. Can I use XP firewall with another firewall at the same time?

Answer: No. I do not recommend running two software firewalls at the same time.They may conflict with each other,and running both will not improve your Windows XP security. A firewall is a piece of software or hardware that creates a protective barrier between your computer and potentially harmful content on the Internet.

Windows XP has a Internet Connection Firewall. For more information visit:

http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/windowsxp/firewall.asp

2. What is Spyware and how do I stop it?

Answer: Spyware is the most intrusive use of cookies being used by the Morons who customize the advertising a website displays. Companies, such as the Double-Click Network, use banner ads to record your visits to its client sites. Since, technically, all the ads come from a single source, no matter which website you are visiting, (Double-Click) can use these spyware/tracking cookies to track you across sites that display its banner ads. The best programs to stop this pest is SpywareBlaster. This program detects known spyware ActiveX controllers and prevents WebPages from putting them on your system. Gator will never again ask you to download something. Xupiter and Bonzi Buddy will never again come knocking. All you have to do to keep SpywareBlaster aware of the latest threats is to regularly update the software's database. I also use AVG Anti-Spyware to nuke the bad guys.

Visit SpywareBlaster website at:
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

Visit: AVG Anti-Spyware Free website at:
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/20/lng/us/tpl/v5

1. Windows XP is very slow on start-up or boot-up?

Answer: Don't you hate it when you look at your system tray? XP calls it "The Notification Area". It looks like a box of crayons. These are back ground applications that will slow the start up by 10 or more seconds. Normally these are useful pieces of the application; such as notification that your anti-virus is working. You would want to keep this in the notification area. But to prevent unnecessary back-ground applications from running, however, try right clicking an icon in the notifications area. A pop-up menu appears for a command for setting preferences. You can use this to prevent the program from loading when Windows starts. All of those programs normally have an option to disable the tray icon or the "start-up with windows" checkbox. If all else fails, click start, run, type msconfig and select the start-up tab. We could talk about this for hours (what to check, not to check), but the following website has it all for you at:
http://www.answersthatwork.com/.

Kenny M

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