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I'm about move to a new computer with XP Pro/SP2 and have been spending a huge amount of time doing research, as I'm really not eager to spend a week getting up and running with no backup machine. I'm trying to develop a check list of what to switch on or off in XP and SP2 to get me functional with no nasty surprises.
This will be a single user system... networking only to accomodate router for broadband connection.
Previous operating system was Windows 98, so Norton System Works, Anti-Virus, Internet Security, etc etc, are all new 2005 editions. MS Office will be Professional Edition 2003. Ditto, I have a new Quicken. I don't see any of my old software that's on the dreaded 200 list, but some may be below the radar.
I've built a check list for critical apps and accessories... stuff like PocoMail, Total Commander, NoteTab Pro, TraxTime, etc... where the ini files and hidden data files are, etc. I've gotten new drivers for my printer, monitor, and scanner.
I've noted down all my settings for FTP and email connections.
On the new XP system, I'll be connecting to the web via modem at the first. I have a LinkSys router standing by for broadband, and will phase broadband in once everything else is working. (I've never set up anything beyond TCP/IP networking on Windows and am pretty shaky on that. Am not sure what setting up the LAN for the router will involve).
I'm assuming, but not sure, that if I switch off the SP2 firewall, that Norton's Personal Internet Firewall 2005 will not conflict with the router (or with my old WS_FTP, which I'm told will work fine on XP).
Anyway, I'm trying to figure out what features of SP2, in particular, to shut off as I get going. I'm not eager to have automatic upgrades happen ever... definitely not before I've got my broadband running.
Since I'll be using dial-up at the start, do I want, eg, to shut the XP firewall off right away? What in SP2 might conflict with program installation? Any other surprises or settings in XP/SP2 I should know about before turning on my machine?
it sounds as if you may be overthinking this a bit. I have migrated a lot of my customers from 98 machines to XP machines over the past couple of years both before and after SP2. It is no where near as traumatic as many would have you believe. (I paid for my trip to Vegas by migrating an office of 12 PC's from various versions of Windows all to XP Pro SP2 to accomidate a new accounting package)
Here are some pointers:
Forget dial-up if at all possible, Norton will need to do a 5MB update when it is installed, you will also want to connect to Windows update and get the latest there. (be sure to run Norton's Live Update at least twice to get them all)
If you do not lock auto updates, they are easy enough to turn off, but be sure to run once when first running the machine.
If you have a lot of software to install and you are doing so in a hurry, turn off system restore before you start loading, this will save time. (be sure to turn it back on)
As to the choice of who's firewall to run, if you feel that you must run one, turn off Norton's. Personally, I run neither. I have a router which provides some protection and then I run Spybot, Adaware and Spywareblaster. Despite a lot of surfing on a large variety of sites, my PC remains spyware free and in the end, blocking spyware is what the software firewalls are all about.
To speed your XP box up, set it for best optimization:
Right click "my computer", click advanced and check "best performance". Also, if you know how, change the location of your temp files.
If you have any specific questions feel free to sticky me.
Thanks for your helpful pointers and for preparing me for the updates I'll need immediately.
Yes, I do tend to prethink things a lot. Your comments do suggest, though, that there are some things in XP and SP2 that would surprise me, so maybe it's good I'm thinking about them and getting good answers like yours.
If you have a lot of software to install and you are doing so in a hurry, turn off system restore before you start loading, this will save time. (be sure to turn it back on)
I would have thought that one of the most important times to have a system restore feature enabled would be during software install. Does XP System Restore do the same thing as Norton's GoBack? Should I only use one or the other, or is there an advantage to both? It came with the version of SystemWorks I got, so I have it.
On my current machine, some Norton programs (like CrashGuard) slow the system down so badly I've switched them off. I've imagined that GoBack would also slow the machine, but that I also may not need all the extra speed anyway.
As to the choice of who's firewall to run, if you feel that you must run one, turn off Norton's. Personally, I run neither.
Are you saying that Norton's firewall can create problems with my other software trying to access the web, or that it might conflict with Spybot and Adaware, or that it's simply not necessary if I do run Spybot and Adaware? I'm running Spybot and Adaware now, and I plan to be getting new versions.
Does a software firewall provide any extra protection (over my cheap router) inbound?
If you have any specific questions feel free to sticky me.
Thanks... I may well take you up on this, but I always feel the general stuff can be useful to others too when it's in public. If more pointers come to mind, please post them.
I would have thought that one of the most important times to have a system restore feature enabled would be during software install.
Does XP System Restore do the same thing as Norton's GoBack? Should I only use one or the other, or is there an advantage to both?
Are you saying that Norton's firewall can create problems with my other software trying to access the web, or that it might conflict with Spybot and Adaware, or that it's simply not necessary if I do run Spybot and Adaware? I'm running Spybot and Adaware now, and I plan to be getting new versions.Does a software firewall provide any extra protection (over my cheap router) inbound?
Hope this helps, let me know if you need help with the advance settings on Spybot or any other questions.
