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blind34_1 · 03-05-2005, 11:03 AM

I was actually wrong about about my memory comments earlier, or at least inaccurate. Some people call DDR RAM (the good stuff we should be using) DDR SDRAM. Whats confusing is that regular SDRAM is almost obsolete. So you might have to call them up and ask what they mean. Anyway...

Yeah, 98 always had its VxD problems. Thankfully XP doesnt deal with those anymore. I would assume SP2 would come standard on any new PC sold by a company, but even if it isn't, it's a 200 mb download (which wont take that long if you have broadband).

If she's not going to take care of the computer (not scan it for spyware, update it, keep anti virus software, etc.) then you NEED to set it up for her. First, Microsoft's AntiSpyware program is very good so far. Its still in beta, but it shows great promise. It sits in the background and updates itself, all while watching for spyware. You can set it for a full scan and whatever time you choose. very slick, and great for people that don't want to keep up manually.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

Make sure you turn Automatic Updates on for windows, as this keeps her up to date with the latest security patches in XP. You can turn this on in COntrol Panel, and click on Automatic Updates. You can define a time to auto install them, but it may still require her to click 'yes' or 'ok'.

On the same token, make sure her Windows Firewall is on and working. This can also be found in control panel. (If you have service pack 2, all these things are conveniently located in the Security Center applet (in control panel).

Lastly, make sure she has Anti-Virus software. Dell may bundle this with the machine. I've noticed they like to give out Systemworks. Most of that crap is useless except for Norton AntiVirus 2005. Thats all you really need, and all you should install. Set that to autoupdate and autoscan. To do this, (after you have installed it), right click on the norton icon in the bottom right corner, and click Norton Antivirus Options. There you'll find all sorts of preferences. Make sure autoprotect is set to on, and also Liveupdate is set to on. Make it autoupdate in the background (youll see - its self expanatory).

Contrary to what a lot of people believe, you only need ONE antivirus program, ONE firewall, and ONE spyware scanner (in background). I've seen people going with the logic that "if I have two or three program running, I'll be that much more protected." WRONG. Its extra crap running, and they may even conflict with each other. Make it easy on yourself and only run one of each.

**Make sure you get a DVD burner combo drive. This will burn all DVDs, CDs, and read DVDs and CDs. Dell is real vague about what you can get, so read that carefully. You'll want at least DVD reading capability, because in the near future, I think we'll see a phasing out of CDs (at least for software).

03-05-2005, 11:03 AM	#4
blind34_1 Registered User Join Date: May 2002 Location: IL Age: 40 Posts: 1,813	I was actually wrong about about my memory comments earlier, or at least inaccurate. Some people call DDR RAM (the good stuff we should be using) DDR SDRAM. Whats confusing is that regular SDRAM is almost obsolete. So you might have to call them up and ask what they mean. Anyway... Yeah, 98 always had its VxD problems. Thankfully XP doesnt deal with those anymore. I would assume SP2 would come standard on any new PC sold by a company, but even if it isn't, it's a 200 mb download (which wont take that long if you have broadband). If she's not going to take care of the computer (not scan it for spyware, update it, keep anti virus software, etc.) then you NEED to set it up for her. First, Microsoft's AntiSpyware program is very good so far. Its still in beta, but it shows great promise. It sits in the background and updates itself, all while watching for spyware. You can set it for a full scan and whatever time you choose. very slick, and great for people that don't want to keep up manually. http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en Make sure you turn Automatic Updates on for windows, as this keeps her up to date with the latest security patches in XP. You can turn this on in COntrol Panel, and click on Automatic Updates. You can define a time to auto install them, but it may still require her to click 'yes' or 'ok'. On the same token, make sure her Windows Firewall is on and working. This can also be found in control panel. (If you have service pack 2, all these things are conveniently located in the Security Center applet (in control panel). Lastly, make sure she has Anti-Virus software. Dell may bundle this with the machine. I've noticed they like to give out Systemworks. Most of that crap is useless except for Norton AntiVirus 2005. Thats all you really need, and all you should install. Set that to autoupdate and autoscan. To do this, (after you have installed it), right click on the norton icon in the bottom right corner, and click Norton Antivirus Options. There you'll find all sorts of preferences. Make sure autoprotect is set to on, and also Liveupdate is set to on. Make it autoupdate in the background (youll see - its self expanatory). Contrary to what a lot of people believe, you only need ONE antivirus program, ONE firewall, and ONE spyware scanner (in background). I've seen people going with the logic that "if I have two or three program running, I'll be that much more protected." WRONG. Its extra crap running, and they may even conflict with each other. Make it easy on yourself and only run one of each. **Make sure you get a DVD burner combo drive. This will burn all DVDs, CDs, and read DVDs and CDs. Dell is real vague about what you can get, so read that carefully. You'll want at least DVD reading capability, because in the near future, I think we'll see a phasing out of CDs (at least for software).