Subscriber Peter Lieurance wrote to say:
Dear Terry,I’m new to your newsletter and it’s sensational.
I’m about to wipe my hard drive clean and reinstall XP and all my software. I want to avoid backing up and reinstalling any bad stuff. What guidance on all of this would you have.
I am using Sunbelt Keri Personal Firewall, AVG Professional, Webroot Spysweeper, and Registry Mechanic. I also have Backup My PC 6.0.
Should I switch to your recommended security software or am I in pretty good shape until the licenses run out.
One thing I wish firewalls had is a way (link?) to lookup who the remote site of an incoming IP is,
Thanks, Peter. I’m glad you like it. Tell Your Friends!
Before you back up, do a full scan with AVG professional. Then, do an overnight scan with Trend Micro’s Housecall. Then a full scan with Spysweeper.
Since you’re planning to reinstall WinXP and software, that should help. But, I suggest doing it in this order on the install:
- Disconnect from the Internet and your home network
- Install Windows XP
- install Kerio
- install AVG Professional
- connect to Internet and do MICROSOFT Update (WinXP will default to Windows Updates, so be sure to manually pick Windows Updates from the Start/All Programs — and then, once it opens, pick Microsoft Update on the right-hand side of the web page
- AVG will probably update at the same time
- reboot (probably mandatory)
- install Spysweeper and let it update
- proceed to install MS Office or anything else you want.
- if you install MS Office, reboot, then do Microsoft Updates again to get all of those for Office
- the install any other software
Regarding your current security software, I’d stay with what you’ve got until they expire (of course, Kerio is my recommendation!). I’m not familiar with Backup My PC and haven’t used Registry Mechanic so I can’t really comment on them.
To find out about IP addresses, you can use a free tool called Sam Spade for Windows. You can download it from http://www.samspade.org
If you’re using Cable or DSL, then I STRONGLY RECOMMEND that you get a cable/dsl router, even if you only are going to connect one computer. This gives you a layer of protection for Windows itself — outsiders can not initiate contact with your computer; they can only respond to your computer.
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