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Posted on 03/13/2005 11:03:59 AM PST by BJungNan
There are two new Windows 98 security updates available. You can find them at this address (direct Link to Microsoft website).
They are quick updates and do not require you to start your computer. If you are using Windows 98, best to get them.
Also, if you are using the old version of Ad Aware by Lavasoft, you should get the second edition. It picks up a whole lot of spyware the first edition does not catch and even updates on first edition will not do it.
Why is My Computer So Darn Slow?
When you first bought your computer, it zinged. It was faster than the computer you replaced. it was upgraded. But lately something happened. It slowed to a crawl, taking forever to boot up and net surfing - especially for you dial-up users - became excruciatingly, impossibly slow. It is possible to recapture that lost speed.
What happened? There are a few culprits. We personally hate long winded explanations, so we will keep this short. Or, you can forget the explanations and just skip to the fixes. For those of you still with us, here are the three most common reasons your computer has slowed down. Two deal with slow internet browsing and one is what is causing your computer to take so long to boot up is causing your computer to run slow. Okay, here we go.
1. Temporary internet files. These are slowing down your internet browsing. You need to clean them out. Consider this a regular maintenance item. It is easy and you do it right from your web browser. This is for users of internet explorer (sorry Netscape and AOL users).
From Internet Explorer 1. Click on TOOLS
2. Click on INTERNET OPTIONS
3. Click on DELETE FILES (this is only deleting temporary internet files, not files on your computer that you want or need. A little hour glass will appear while the files are being deleted. The longer the hour glass appears, the dirtier your web browser is.).
4. Click OK
5. Click on DELETE FILES again. This time, check the box that reads, "Delete all offline content"
6. Click OK
While you are at it, you might as well DELETE COOKIES. Click on DELETE COOKIES, then click OK.
Now Click OK and the pop up window will close. You have cleared out your temporary internet files.
2. Clearing Out Your Start Menu Programs (for faster computer start up and overall faster operation). Many programs load at start up. Each program that loads at start up takes time to load and consumes system resources. The more programs that start at the same time your computer does, the longer it takes your computer to fire up. How these got there is of no concern right now. And you will not be removing the programs from you computer. They will still be there. They just will not in your start up menu. Let's start.
1. From the very bottom of your screen, find the START Button and click it.
2. Click on Run (a window pops up with a box to write something. It is right below the sentence that reads, Type the program you want to ...)
3. Type MSCONFIG in the box. Then CLICK OK. (A window will open).
4. CLICK on the tab marked START UP (a window will open with check boxes. These check boxes show you all the programs that are starting at the same time your computer starts up. We want to eliminate some of them, but not all of them and we want to be a bit careful here).
Do Not Uncheck These Programs:
- System Tray,
- Any program that has the name of your mouse manufacturer in it (mine says Logitec).
- Any program that sound like the anti-virus software you are running.
- Any program that sounds likes the personal firewall you are running (like Zone Alarm, etc).
5. Now the tricky part. What programs to uncheck? The easy place to start is with programs you recognize and know that you never use any more. Maybe you tried a program, didn't like it but never uninstalled it. Maybe you no longer use ICQ, or AOL. Maybe you have a Kodak graphics of other graphics program you use very little. The best course is to start slow and see the result. Find a couple you are sure about and uncheck them.
6. After you have unchecked the programs you don't want to start up when you start up your computer, CLICK OK. (You will be asked if you want to restart your computer. SAY YES.
Your computer will shut down and boot (start) back up. If it boots faster, then you have made progress. Not only will it not take so long to start your computer in the morning, it should run faster all day long.
3. Remove Spyware that is slowing your internet browsing. This one is easy. Get Ad Aware by Lava Soft. Not much we need to tell you on this one. We will let them guide you through installation and operation. It is a quick download and you will be amazed at what you find once Ad Aware scans your system.
Why would anyone want to run Windows 98? It has a tendency to trash the Windows registry forcing a comlete reinstall.
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Works fine by me. It actually has some good security tweaks you can do to it. and...I did not have to update hundreds of dollars of Win98 only compatible software.
Why did I need XP again?
I am feeling like a cranky old man, but I miss the good old days of the internet.
Netscape and IE competing on new product releases, each filled with better new features, streaming audio, then video coming on line.
The internet has become boring. Microsoft killed the competitors, and has become majorly lazy.
It's OK if you want to salvage an old PC to use to surf the web and play some old games. I set my dad up with his first computer, using an old Pentium PC with 64MB of RAM. Win2K or XP would kill the thing, but Win98 runs well.
2.0? 1.1? I think 1.05SE is the latest, but we may be saying the same thing...?
Windows NT4 is better than Windows 98, and it will run on that hardware.
I don't know what y'all are doing wrong. My fiance reinstalled XP on my PC (upgraded my motherboard, processor, video card) and didn't talk to Microsoft at all.
Tech Ping!
I only run XP on machines that have it preinstalled. Windows 2000 is my preferred operating system due to its stability and better speed than XP. It is better than NT4, because it has plug and play and automatic updates. Windows 98 is still just suped up DOS shell that is prone to seriously trashing its configuration.
But after a zillion updates, Win 98 stability got noticeably better.
Good list...
dvwjr
Interesting. I have a slow notebook (32mb ram) that runs Win 98. I'll give your link a look.
While you need a HD based antivirus running in the background, it doesn't hurt to run an online scan occassionaly- the most comprehensive I know ( viruses, trojans, spyware, security holes ) is:
Trend Micro
http://housecall-beta.trendmicro.com/en/start_corp.asp
Defragging the HD will speed things up... and if you feel adventurous, cleaning and compressing the registry will help, too:
RegSeeker 1.35:
http://www.hoverdesk.net/freeware.htm
RegCompact
http://www.setiathomescreensaverspeed.co.uk/downloads/freeware/registry/regcompact/regcompact.htm
Thanks for the great post. Us old people appreciate these kinds of tips in layman's terms.
I run Spy Sweeper (Webroot) and find it to be very "user-friendly" and very effective. I keep Spy Sweeper running all the time, but I also have AdAware 2.0 (Lavasoft) that I run once in awhile as a backup. I don't recall it ever catching anything missed by Spy Sweeper, but you never know. I like to have two different companies checking for the garbage (actually, three different companies, counting McAfee which I run once a week as well).
Window Washer (Webroot) is also nice for keeping my computer clean.
Even the new LavaSoft does not catch all the garbage hijacking my computer. AAAAAARRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHH
Because it's one of the best client operating systems ever. In my case, because I have a lot of unique peripherals that don't have drivers for any other version of Windows. I don't use 98 as my primary O/S, but it does suit a purpose on a spare system that nothing else can provide.
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