| Acknowledgments | xi |
| Introduction | xiii |
Part I | Basic Maintenance | |
Chapter 1 | Temporary Files, Internet Cache, Scandisk | 3 |
| Deleting the Temp Files | 4 |
| Enabling Automatic Cleanup in Windows XP | 6 |
| Checking Your Disk with Scandisk | 7 |
| Running Scandisk with Windows 98/ME | 7 |
| Running Scandisk with Windows XP | 8 |
| Reading the Scandisk Report | 9 |
| Defragmenting Your Disk | 11 |
| Summary | 13 |
Chapter 2 | Improving PC Performance and Reliability | 15 |
| Locating and Eliminating Software Spies | 16 |
| What Is Spyware? | 16 |
| What's the Problem with a Little Advertising? | 17 |
| How Can You Locate and Remove Spyware? | 19 |
| Antivirus: Does This Look Infected to You? | 24 |
| What Can a Virus Do? | 24 |
| How Does Antivirus Software Work? | 25 |
| What Kinds of Viruses Are There? | 26 |
| Darwinism: Why Do Viruses Exist and Who Creates Them? | 27 |
| Self-Defense: How Can I Protect Myself? | 27 |
| This Old Windows | 29 |
| What Kinds of Updates Are There? | 30 |
| How Do I Stay Current? | 31 |
| How Can I Find Out about New Critical Updates? | 33 |
| Summary | 36 |
Chapter 3 | Optimizing Your Internet Connection | 37 |
| For Dial-Up Modem Users Only | 38 |
| What Does 56k Actually Mean? | 38 |
| How Can I Determine Which Modem I Have? | 40 |
| How Can I Get a Faster Connection? | 44 |
| How Fast Is My Modem Connecting? | 47 |
| For Broadband Cable Modem, DSL Modem, and Satellite Users Only | 49 |
| How Can I Check My Internet Connection Configuration? | 49 |
| How Can I Determine My Internet Speed? | 51 |
| Summary | 51 |
Part II | Internet 101 | |
Chapter 4 | Internet Cookies, Temporary Internet Files, and Pop-ups | 55 |
| Internet Cookies | 56 |
| How Do Internet Cookies Work? | 56 |
| So What's All the Fuss About? | 57 |
| Taming the Cookie Monster | 57 |
| Temporary Internet Files | 60 |
| Are Temporary Internet Files Good or Bad? | 61 |
| Taking Control of Your Temporary Internet Files | 63 |
| Internet Pop-ups | 64 |
| Popping the Pop-ups! | 64 |
| For Windows XP Users: Getting Rid of Messenger Pop-Ups | 69 |
| Summary | 72 |
Chapter 5 | All About Email: Spam and Hoaxes | 73 |
| Email Hoaxes | 74 |
| How Can I Tell a Hoax from a Legitimate Message? | 75 |
| What Else Should I Know About Email Hoaxes? | 77 |
| Spam | 77 |
| Why Do I Receive So Many Spam Messages? | 77 |
| Why Is It Called Spam? | 78 |
| Is There Anything I Can Do About Spam? | 79 |
| Summary | 86 |
Chapter 6 | Firewalls | 87 |
| What Is a Firewall? | 89 |
| Aren't Firewalls Complicated and Expensive? | 89 |
| What About Hardware Firewalls? | 90 |
| I Was Told Windows XP Includes a Firewall! | 92 |
| How Can I Tell If My Computer Is Vulnerable? | 94 |
| Universal Plug and Play | 96 |
| Disabling UPnP in Windows Me | 96 |
| Disabling UPnP in Windows XP | 98 |
| More on File and Printer Sharing | 100 |
| Removing File and Printer Sharing from Windows 98/Me | 100 |
| Removing Unnecessary Basic Services from Windows XP | 100 |
| Summary | 102 |
Chapter 7 | Basic Windows Performance Tips | 103 |
| DMA Mode | 104 |
| Enabling DMA Mode in Windows 98/Me | 105 |
| Enabling DMA Mode in Windows XP | 108 |
| Active Desktop | 110 |
| Disabling Active Desktop in Windows 98/Me | 110 |
| Disabling Active Desktop in Windows XP | 111 |
| Unnecessary Animations | 112 |
| Disabling Unnecessary Animations in Windows 98/Me | 113 |
| Using Tweak UI with Windows 98/Me | 114 |
| Disabling Unnecessary Animations in Windows XP | 116 |
| Fonts | 117 |
| How Many Fonts Are Too Many? | 117 |
| Taking Control of Your Fonts | 118 |
| Windows Swap File | 118 |
| How Does Swapping Work? | 118 |
| Configuring Your Windows Swap File in Windows 98/Me | 120 |
| Summary | 123 |
Part III | Optimize Windows Performance | |
Chapter 8 | More Windows Performance Tips | 127 |
| Unnecessary Software and System Resources | 128 |
| Removing Unnecessary Software | 128 |
| Checking System Resources (for Windows 98/Me Users) | 129 |
| Disabling Unnecessary Programs from Startup | 131 |
| Windows XP Performance | 134 |
| Disabling Unnecessary Services from Windows XP | 134 |
| Turning Off Error Reporting and Automatic Restart in Windows XP | 137 |
| Using NTFS in Windows XP | 139 |
| Summary | 142 |
Chapter 9 | Safe Computing | 143 |
| Leave the PC On or Turn It Off? | 144 |
| Using Windows Power Settings for Desktop Computers | 145 |
| Using Windows Power Settings for Laptop Computers | 147 |
| Do I Need a Screensaver? | 148 |
| What's a UPS? | 149 |
| Back Up Your Important Data! | 152 |
| Using a USB Thumb Drive | 154 |
| Backing Up Your Data | 155 |
| Summary | 156 |
Chapter 10 | Computer Upgrades | 157 |
| Upgrading Your Operating System | 158 |
| Adding Memory (RAM) | 159 |
| Do I Need More RAM? | 159 |
| What Kind of RAM Is Compatible with My System? | 161 |
| Plugging in RAM | 161 |
| Upgrading Your Monitor | 162 |
| What's the Viewable Area? | 162 |
| LCD or Glass? | 163 |
| Upgrading Your CPU | 164 |
| Upgrading Your Hard Disk | 164 |
| Upgrade Your Internet Connection | 165 |
| Replacing Your Computer | 166 |
| Limitations of Proprietary Computers | 166 |
| Which Computer Should I Get? | 166 |
| Summary | 167 |
Part IV | Advanced Topics | |
Chapter 11 | Preventive Maintenance | 171 |
| Maintain Computer Parts | 172 |
| Blow Out Dust and Debris | 172 |
| Ensure All Fans Are Operating Properly | 173 |
| Verify That the Capacitors on the Motherboard Are Not Leaking | 174 |
| Download the Latest Drivers | 175 |
| Checking Your Current Drivers | 176 |
| Checking for New Drivers | 177 |
| Removing Temp Files Manually | 179 |
| Deleting Temp Files in Windows XP Systems | 179 |
| Deleting Temp Files in Windows Me Systems | 182 |
| Deleting Temp Files in Windows 98 Systems | 183 |
| Summary | 185 |
Chapter 12 | What to Do When Things Go Wrong | 187 |
| System Restore | 188 |
| What Does System Restore Do? | 188 |
| Using System Restore (for Windows Me/XP Users) | 189 |
| Safe Mode | 191 |
| Starting Windows 98/Me Systems in Safe Mode | 191 |
| Starting Windows XP Systems in Safe Mode | 193 |
| Software to Avoid | 195 |
| Summary | 196 |
Part V | Appendixes | |
Appendix A | Free Technical Support | 199 |
| Technical Support Web Sites | 200 |
| PC User Groups | 200 |
| Newsgroups | 201 |
Appendix B | Networking | 203 |
Appendix C | System Resources | 207 |
Appendix D | Windows 98/Me Help! | 211 |
Appendix E | Windows XP Help! | 217 |
Appendix F | Useful and Safe Freeware | 221 |
| Index | 225 |