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From: Young Bostelmann on 31 May 2010 13:26
Microsoft keeps extending some support on XP. I was wondering how the
tech gurus around ACF keep their XPs secure and optimized now that
support is so flickering from Windows? Could you please discuss what
is good management on XP,please?
FYI: OS: Windows XP Serv.Pack 2 (purchased 2004), hardware: Dell
Dimension 3000;
browsers: FF,Iron, AV: Avira
Thanks!
From: Ron on 31 May 2010 18:55
On 5/31/2010 10:26 AM, Young Bostelmann wrote:
> Microsoft keeps extending some support on XP. I was wondering how the
> tech gurus around ACF keep their XPs secure and optimized now that
> support is so flickering from Windows? Could you please discuss what
> is good management on XP,please?
> FYI: OS: Windows XP Serv.Pack 2 (purchased 2004), hardware: Dell
> Dimension 3000;
> browsers: FF,Iron, AV: Avira
> Thanks!
Service Pack 2 support ends on July 13, 2010. Service pack 3 support is
scheduled to end with mainstream support of XP in 2014. Why not upgrade
to SP3 to continue with security updates?

-best

Ron Moore
From: Johnw on 31 May 2010 20:03
It happens that Young Bostelmann formulated :
> Microsoft keeps extending some support on XP. I was wondering how the
> tech gurus around ACF keep their XPs secure and optimized now that
> support is so flickering from Windows? Could you please discuss what
> is good management on XP,please?
> FYI: OS: Windows XP Serv.Pack 2 (purchased 2004), hardware: Dell
> Dimension 3000;
> browsers: FF,Iron, AV: Avira
> Thanks!

Like Ron mentioned, 1st step for you is to install SP3. When moving up
the SP chain, your comp must be bug/glitch free. If you have any
unusual things hapenning, fix those first, before you upgrade to SP3.


From: Victek on 31 May 2010 21:33
> It happens that Young Bostelmann formulated :
>> Microsoft keeps extending some support on XP. I was wondering how the
>> tech gurus around ACF keep their XPs secure and optimized now that
>> support is so flickering from Windows? Could you please discuss what
>> is good management on XP,please?
>> FYI: OS: Windows XP Serv.Pack 2 (purchased 2004), hardware: Dell
>> Dimension 3000;
>> browsers: FF,Iron, AV: Avira
>> Thanks!
>
> Like Ron mentioned, 1st step for you is to install SP3. When moving up the
> SP chain, your comp must be bug/glitch free. If you have any unusual
> things hapenning, fix those first, before you upgrade to SP3.
>
Yes, to get ready I would run disk cleanup and ccleaner, delete all the
restore points, and do a scan with MBAM or SuperAntiSpyware. Last I would
uninstall the antivirus right before installing SP3. If you really want
cover the bases create a disk image too. Normally installing SP3 goes just
fine, but it's good to be prepared.

From: Dave Doe on 31 May 2010 22:51
In article <2677069c-0c68-4a03-845c-0497073fec48@
6g2000prg.googlegroups.com>, 3d1c4b1a(a)gmail.com says...
>
> Microsoft keeps extending some support on XP. I was wondering how the
> tech gurus around ACF keep their XPs secure and optimized now that
> support is so flickering from Windows? Could you please discuss what
> is good management on XP,please?
> FYI: OS: Windows XP Serv.Pack 2 (purchased 2004), hardware: Dell
> Dimension 3000;
> browsers: FF,Iron, AV: Avira
> Thanks!

Sort of steps I'd do...

* get and keep a copy of Win XP Service Pack 3. (Don't forget to install
it! :)
* connect to the internet and complete all other updates (about 80)
* with IE8 installed, run it up, accept the defaults, and then close it
and reopen it.
* And in IE set your preferred search engine (Google? - Bing will be the
default.
* Open Internet Options and set check the Security tab to ensure all is
at the default level. On the privacy tab check popup blocking is
enabled. On the General tab in the Browsing History section click the
Settings button (OK any warning) and set the recommended disk space to
8Mb's. On the Connections tab click the Lan settings button and turn off
automatically detect settings (if on). OK your way out.
* (If you find IE8 is used a lot and you often have many open tabs in IE
you may find it runs too damn slow... Try Google Chrome or Firefox, and
if you find it's that much better, make it your default browser).
* In Control Panel, System, Hardware tab, click the Device Manager
button and check for any unsupported h/w - get drivers for those as
necessary (your Dell support CD should cover that).
* On the Advanced tab, Performance section, click the Settings button,
and in the Advanced tab, click the Change button in the Virtual memory
section. Set the initial size to the size of the maximum size (so they
are both the same). For 1Gb RAM or more, this value should be 1.5 x
RAM. If you use a few apps and have less RAM (512Mb or less), I'd force
this value to 1024Mb). (The main thing is to have both initial and max
sizes to the same - so they will not defragment).
* On the System Restore tab, use the Settings button and slide the disk
space usage waaay back from the silly default size to either the 2nd or
3rd mark from the left (about 2Gb as a minimum). It'll still hold
plenty of restore points.
* Check automatic updates tab and ensure it's enabled.
* AV... browse to:
http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/
and install that.
*alternatively* I would recommend Avast Home (but you'll need to
customise it's install - I turn off all protection bar the realtime
protection. At *least* turn off the email protection (it causes
problems for many email clients and is unecessary, as you are protected
by realtime scanning).
* Download Puran Defrag...
http://www.puransoftware.com/Puran-Defrag-Download.html (get the free
version), and install.
* runup Puran Defrag and in the Additional Options tab check all the top
options bar the Exclude files option, and then back on the Main tab,
select all your fixed hard drives and run it (Defrag).
* when complete, select all drives again and do a Boot Time Defrag -
this will fix any defragged MFT, registry and pagefiles (they pagefile
should stay that way thereafter if you've set it's size as described
above). (The Boot Time Defrag option I recommend is the Restart-Defrag-
Restart + Check Disk option).

I think that's a fairly optimal system for said PC.
Only other thing I would do is re-run Puran Defrag and set options for
a...
* defrag once a week usign the full "Additional Operations" as described
above (all options bar Exclude selected).
* defrag daily (every 24hrs) using none of the Additional Operations
except optimize directories. (There are other ways to defrag daily
using Puran Defrag - set as you wish).


--
Duncan.
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