Hi there,
Having recently bought a new hard drive, I thought I'd start afresh and install a clean version of Windows XP. The version I have is the original and not SP2 as I have installed on my current HDD.
However, I've installed it and basucally my computer is riddled with spyware, trojuns etc - Microsoft Anti Spyware has removed most problems and the Zone Alarm Firewall is holding it's own. The problem is that there are still quite a few programs that have slipped through the net - pop-ups appearing, and things asking me to install .exe files and stuff.
What can I do?? I'm trying to download SP2 for XP, but it doesn't let you if you're not using IE - only thing is if I use IE it gets overloarded with spyware and stuff!!
HELP! PLEASE!
Thanks...
HELP - Computer riddled with spyware
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Orry Verducci
- Posts: 98
- Joined: Sun 19 Dec, 2004 18.42
- Location: Cambridgeshire
Getting it on CD is your best bet. I believe you can get it off the Microsoft website somewhere.
Thanks guys - I've looked into this option and it says it'll take 4-6 weeks for it to arrive!
I already have SP2 on my other hard-drive, does anyone know the potential impact of literally copying the old 20GB hard-drive to the new 80GB one (including Windows)?
I already have SP2 on my other hard-drive, does anyone know the potential impact of literally copying the old 20GB hard-drive to the new 80GB one (including Windows)?
It'd be exactly the same if it worked. Most likely you would have a system that doesn't boot until windows is reinstalled.Aston wrote:Thanks guys - I've looked into this option and it says it'll take 4-6 weeks for it to arrive!
I already have SP2 on my other hard-drive, does anyone know the potential impact of literally copying the old 20GB hard-drive to the new 80GB one (including Windows)?
Knight knight
Installing from an original Windows XP CD and then connecting to the internet with no updates is going to give you problems no matter what you do. Windows XP is getting on a bit now (no version of Windows has ever gone on this long before without replacement), the original RTM CD was finalised in September 2001.
The internet is a far more hostile environment now than it was then, and introducing a 'raw' September 2001 Windows XP to a March 2005 internet environment leaves your PC open to any number of security vunerabilities.
Your best bet is to download the full (aka 'network') version of SP2 from the Microsoft website (you don't need IE to do that - although you might as well use it since it's allready there) and then reinstall Windows again, installing SP2 before doing anything else (certainly before getting an internet connection up). From then on you'll only have a small number of critical updates from Windows update to pick up which should protect you from the security vunerabilities which your unpatched system is susceptible to (not least of which because SP2 itself includes a serviceable firewall, unlike the all but useless one which came originally with XP).
From reading alerts on Windows Update, you're going to have to do this soon anyway; Microsoft is ending RTM support on Windows Update and you will soon need at least SP1 installed before Windows Update will work (in which case there's no point applying SP1 so you can use Windows Update to get SP2 when you could just apply SP2 in the first place). If you read up on the internet there are ways to 'slipstream' SP2 with your original Windows XP, creating a new installation CD which puts SP2 on in the first place (although personally I've never bothered with this and just use a two phase approach of installing RTM Windows XP and applying SP2 afterwords).
The internet is a far more hostile environment now than it was then, and introducing a 'raw' September 2001 Windows XP to a March 2005 internet environment leaves your PC open to any number of security vunerabilities.
Your best bet is to download the full (aka 'network') version of SP2 from the Microsoft website (you don't need IE to do that - although you might as well use it since it's allready there) and then reinstall Windows again, installing SP2 before doing anything else (certainly before getting an internet connection up). From then on you'll only have a small number of critical updates from Windows update to pick up which should protect you from the security vunerabilities which your unpatched system is susceptible to (not least of which because SP2 itself includes a serviceable firewall, unlike the all but useless one which came originally with XP).
From reading alerts on Windows Update, you're going to have to do this soon anyway; Microsoft is ending RTM support on Windows Update and you will soon need at least SP1 installed before Windows Update will work (in which case there's no point applying SP1 so you can use Windows Update to get SP2 when you could just apply SP2 in the first place). If you read up on the internet there are ways to 'slipstream' SP2 with your original Windows XP, creating a new installation CD which puts SP2 on in the first place (although personally I've never bothered with this and just use a two phase approach of installing RTM Windows XP and applying SP2 afterwords).
Cheers for all your help guys, in the end I discovered the link that SteveL seems to have suggested - I was put of downloading that before because it said for "IT Pros" only and I wondered if it wouldn't work if you weren't on a network.
However, it all seems to have worked now after my THIRD fresh format/install of my new hard drive since I got it last week!
I'm happy to report that everything seems to be working fine and I've had no spyware so far...
However, it all seems to have worked now after my THIRD fresh format/install of my new hard drive since I got it last week!
I'm happy to report that everything seems to be working fine and I've had no spyware so far...
Well it does work, they probably say that to stop people from flooring Microsoft's servers!Aston wrote:Cheers for all your help guys, in the end I discovered the link that SteveL seems to have suggested - I was put of downloading that before because it said for "IT Pros" only and I wondered if it wouldn't work if you weren't on a network.
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Orry Verducci
- Posts: 98
- Joined: Sun 19 Dec, 2004 18.42
- Location: Cambridgeshire
On your new install I would put some anti-virus software and a better firewall than the built in one. I have a combo of McAfee VirusScan, McAfee Personal Firewall Plus and Microsoft AntiSpyware and I seem to have few problems. It'll cost you a bit of money but it's the only way your going to secure your pc.