Mike,

One of the downsides of my incessant (by necessity) hammering away at the subject of Windows Updates, AntiVirus, and AntiSpyware updates/protection is that it (mis)leads people into thinking that these three areas are the ONLY cause of computer problems, and/or that paying attention to these three things will eliminate ALL problems.

Alas, none of this is true.

The truth is, a computer can be hijacked and spyware infected and messed up even when full attention is paid to these three areas. Spyware programs simply don't get everything off, and when a computer reaches a certain critical mass, nothing whatsoever can be done except a clean reinstall. That's bad news #1.

Bad News #2 is that the kind of problem you are describing is often the result of small rogue programs or "applets," anything from laser printer configuration "applets" to Apple Quicktime startup programs hanging up and interfering with the proper operation of Windows/IE. There is nothing the average user can do to sort out these rogue programs/applets because it takes an expert to go through the start up/running programs ONE BY ONE and kill or nuke the programs that may be intefering. It is tedious trial and error, and again, it takes a pro.

Since I use up all my energy (and then some) giving the "WIndows Updates, Spyware, and Antivirus" lecture over and over again (to little effect, most of the time), I have no time (and my clients have no patience) for the lectures that would (in an ideal world) follow: The idea that, after you get your system done over by the guru and you are in that two week honeymoon period where it actually runs well before it gets messed up again, you should IMAGE the entire windows install with all programs and data etc. Then, when it gets sick, and when your own best efforts (including system restore) fail to make it run properly, you can "REIMAGE" the drive and get perfection back. But I wouldn't dare mention what such a hardware and software solution would cost (even though I know to the penny, having acquired just such a system last week, to replace my previous one, which replaced the one before that, and etc.).

But as I said, this takes time, energy, attention, and effort. I think I'd get along better in life if, when asked by people "what should I do?" I would simply answer, "I Don't Know." This is the best answer I can give to those bravehearts who would attempt to rectify their own computer problems. If they could walk that way, they wouldn't need the talcum powder.

Steven Salemi

The Computer Guru

Santa Fe, NM 87501 USA

E-MAIL: ssalemi@earthlink.net

TEL: (505) 992-8462

WEB: www.computer-guru.com

Mike,

I've also been thinking lately why I have so little trouble with Windows and Internet Explorer, and why so many of my clients have so much. I have uncovered a few possibilities, beyond the usual oft-discussed necessity of keeping Windows, Antivirus, and Antispyware software up to date.

First, I use professional grade top-quality more-or-less-state-of-the-art hardware costing about 3-6K or more per tower. Most of my clients are running semi-obsolete consumer-grade towers that cost from .5K to 1.5K max. This means not only premium quality components EVERYWHERE but massive quantities of RAM and HARD DRIVE. A really fast system can cope better when under stress. A lesser system may break under stress (putting aside the issue of why it's under stress in the first place).

All my systems are DOUBLE-FIREWALLED, meaning that they are running not only the basic built-in XP Firewall - but also -- a HARDWARE FIREWALL IN THE ROUTER. So if you are using a router, Mike, I would check and see if the ROUTER has a Firewall, and if that firewall is switched on. If it doesn't have a firewall, toss it out and get one with a firewall. If it has a firewall but it's switched off in the router setup, SWITCH IT ON.

I have not found a need for internet security programs, given all the above, but one supposes they could help, especially for the unlucky and trouble-prone, provided one can live with the fact that they often break and clog things up etc. McAfee stuff works well, and Trend PC-CILLIN makes a nice internet security suite that seems a lot more robust and trouble-free than Norton Internet Security. Something like this, installed and running nicely on a healthy system, might keep one out of trouble. I usually install it on non-XP systems because they usually don't have firewalls otherwise, but it will run with XP no problemo.

Active versus Passive Spyware protection. Ad-Aware is passive. Spybot is active. I'm using Pest Patrol (remember that one?) LATEST VERSION and Ad-Aware and Spybot. Keeps things quite clean. Easier by far to keep clean than to get dirty and then clean up afterwards. Can one have too much Spyware protection? I doubt it. Firewalls and Internet Security Programs fit into this category.

By way of example/illustration, I recently redid my system and after a few weeks there is ONE PROBLEM and ONE PROBLEM ONLY with this very complex system (***FIVE*** PRINTERS are attached, for example): a "setconfig" utility program associated with my HP LASERJET 1300 crashes and gives an error message on startup. This is an annoyance rather than a functional problem, and it's the only problem. No Spyware problems, no IE problems, no Windows or IE crashes or freezing, nada. Ever!

So what else can I say but, reasoning by experience, "It Can Be Done."

Steven Salemi's Radio Weblog