New to windows, need help.

[DavyCrocket2003]

Hey all! I am not really a windows guy. I don't have anything against it, I just like mac better. I even don't like apple that much, just the OS. Anyway, I got a pretty nice windows computer (I think) for 35 dollars. It has XP installed but it only has service pack 1. To run stuff like iTunes and Chrome I need to update it. I am planning on installing the SP3. Is that wise? Now how do I do this? If at all possible I do not want to use internet explorer. Does anyone know how to do this? It just really bugs me to have to use IE. Any other advice for a new windows user would be appreciated as well. Thanks!

 

[Tiapan]

Yep put on service pack 3, you may need service pack 2 as well, if that doesnt work. Mozilla Firefox is what I use instead of IE, however the current version of IE is actually better than Firefox. I would use removewga.exe to get rid of proprietary windows nonsense, and get updates.

XP is still the most stable OS on the planet. I have had problems with Vista and I dont believe in beta testing for microsoft, so it will be a year or two before I look at Windows 7.

Cheers

 

[DavyCrocket2003]

Thanks Tiapan. How do I go about getting SP3? It sends me to a site that says "To use this site, you must be running Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 or later."

 

[Tiapan]

Since microsoft use ie to check validity you will have to use it to get the update from microsoft. Removewga.exe (find it by google) gets rid of validation so it updates itself normally without validation. Just switch auto update and be prepared for some major slowdown time while it downloads and installs the myriad of updates since original release sp1.

Probably easier to go to a sunday swap meet and buy a Windows XP SP2 or 3 copy for $10.

Cheers

 

[enchanted_one1975]

If I am not mistaken I think the newer versions of Windows will update themselves while you are online. Otherwise the Microsoft website should be able to peek, see what you have, and give you what you need. When it is all done do a search for Firefox. It is much better than Internet Explorer.

 

[YmirGF]

Thanks Tiapan. How do I go about getting SP3? It sends me to a site that says "To use this site, you must be running Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 or later."

Good ol' Windows Update. You first have to download and install a newer version of Internot Exploader if you wish to use Windows Update.

You could try this linky-poo...

XP SP3

 

[DavyCrocket2003]

If I am not mistaken I think the newer versions of Windows will update themselves while you are online. Otherwise the Microsoft website should be able to peek, see what you have, and give you what you need. When it is all done do a search for Firefox. It is much better than Internet Explorer.

Good ol' Windows Update. You first have to download and install a newer version of Internot Exploader if you wish to use Windows Update.

You could try this linky-poo...

XP SP3

Thanks guys... I'm using Firefox and didn't want to have to use IE. Oh well. Better than buying the CD... . I guess we all have to compromise our values sometimes (speaking of using IE).

 

[DavyCrocket2003]

What about security and keeping my computer safe/clean? Any good virus software etc. I should get?

 

[YmirGF]

The last time I looked, BitDefender was considered the best overall. My experience with it is that it is indeed superb and well worth its modest price.

In my view, Norton is a bit of a pig, plus I will never forgive them for spotting the odd virus on a CD I have, which obviously cannot be "fixed" as it is on a CD... and yet bugged me every other day to try to "fix" the problem.

McAfee is also very good. That said, I don't generally recommend the free solutions, but some folks here swear by them. I am from the school of you get what you pay for.

 

[DavyCrocket2003]

Thanks again for your help YmirGF and everyone else. I'm like a foreigner immigrating to a strange country.

 

[silvermoon383]

Be careful when upgrading to SP3. I'm trying to do that now and I keep getting a dowload error where it can't get a key file. This in turn causes the entire sp3 update to fail. I tried the MS service website and their fix didn't work (surprise surprise...)

while this hasn't killed xp, it does make it incredibly annoying since every time I boot it up I get a "critical update" message.

 

[YmirGF]

Be careful when upgrading to SP3. I'm trying to do that now and I keep getting a dowload error where it can't get a key file. This in turn causes the entire sp3 update to fail. I tried the MS service website and their fix didn't work (surprise surprise...)

while this hasn't killed xp, it does make it incredibly annoying since every time I boot it up I get a "critical update" message.

The best way around this is to download the full install, not the minimal install, that way the installer doesn't need to pull crap from the net as it is already on your hard disk.

 

[silvermoon383]

Well, thankfully it actually worked this time. I think it was a bad order for Windows to run it's automatic updates. There were 3 "minor" updates that needed to go in as well as SP3 and I let those install first, then reboot. SP3 has gone through w/o an issue after all that.

Now to sit through the 5 hours of Final Fantasy 11 updates....

 

[Neo-Logic]

Advice to new windows users:

1) Yes, the mouse is supposed to have two buttons! That's how God wanted it. The right button does magical things, like give you alternatives and options.

2) Use protection when exchanging hot data with another computer. Get AVAST, it's a free anti-virus software. It'll rock your pants off.

3) When the system freezes, and yes it will freeze, alt+control+delete is your friend. Pressing it in that sequence will bring up your salvation -- task manager that can end your non-responsive programs. Don't end the wrong thing! That'll make your day bad.

Those 3 pieces of information should prevent 99% of the problem. Doing those 3 things wrong will inversely cause 99% of the problems you will face.

Blue pill or red pill?

 

[DavyCrocket2003]

Advice to new windows users:

1) Yes, the mouse is supposed to have two buttons! That's how God wanted it. The right button does magical things, like give you alternatives and options.

2) Use protection when exchanging hot data with another computer. Get AVAST, it's a free anti-virus software. It'll rock your pants off.

3) When the system freezes, and yes it will freeze, alt+control+delete is your friend. Pressing it in that sequence will bring up your salvation -- task manager that can end your non-responsive programs. Don't end the wrong thing! That'll make your day bad.

Those 3 pieces of information should prevent 99% of the problem. Doing those 3 things wrong will inversely cause 99% of the problems you will face.

Blue pill or red pill?

lol. Thanks, but I'm not THAT uber new to Windows. Besides, I've been using two or three mouse buttons for years, on a mac. And yes, it's pretty nice. Personally, I prefer the multi touch mouse on mac. It's awesome!

 

[DavyCrocket2003]

By the way, I got a pretty serious spyware software called AVS or something. Anti Virus Suite or something. It was a fake spyware that blocks all .exe's and imitates windows alerts with messages like "Warning, tskmngr.exe is corrupted and cannot be opened. Update your virus protection software now?" It was horrible! I had to restart in safe mode just to get the task manager open! Then, I had to go into the registry and delete the bad stuff. The associated .exe files were random and changing somewhere in the user application data folder. Anyway, that was a mess. lol. Baptism by fire I guess. (By the way, I am running three different anti virus programs: MCafee, AVG, and Norton AV)

 

[Kerr]

Hey all! I am not really a windows guy. I don't have anything against it, I just like mac better. I even don't like apple that much, just the OS. Anyway, I got a pretty nice windows computer (I think) for 35 dollars. It has XP installed but it only has service pack 1. To run stuff like iTunes and Chrome I need to update it. I am planning on installing the SP3. Is that wise? Now how do I do this? If at all possible I do not want to use internet explorer. Does anyone know how to do this? It just really bugs me to have to use IE. Any other advice for a new windows user would be appreciated as well. Thanks!

It is always wise to update.

As for IE, it is very hard to remove. I may know a way, but I doubt it is very legal. In any case you can just install Firefox and use it instread.

 

[Kerr]

McAfee is also very good. That said, I don't generally recommend the free solutions, but some folks here swear by them. I am from the school of you get what you pay for.

Some of us do not have an economy, so free solutions and common sense will have to do .

 

[Kerr]

By the way, I got a pretty serious spyware software called AVS or something. Anti Virus Suite or something. It was a fake spyware that blocks all .exe's and imitates windows alerts with messages like "Warning, tskmngr.exe is corrupted and cannot be opened. Update your virus protection software now?" It was horrible! I had to restart in safe mode just to get the task manager open! Then, I had to go into the registry and delete the bad stuff. The associated .exe files were random and changing somewhere in the user application data folder. Anyway, that was a mess. lol. Baptism by fire I guess.

From what I read that one is tricky to get rid of. Could be worth checking into it closer to make sure it is really gone.

(By the way, I am running three different anti virus programs: MCafee, AVG, and Norton AV)

Why three?

 

[Kerr]

1) Yes, the mouse is supposed to have two buttons! That's how God wanted it. The right button does magical things, like give you alternatives and options.

And here I have 3 buttons! Must get fewer ones...