Are some of the older Updates redundant?

Is there a list somewhere or a scanning program that will tell me if some of
the older updates are no longer needed because a new one has replaced it..
Some of these downloads are big and they're adding up to some major
diskspace.. For example the service pack for office 2003... will this
replace all of the word updates, excel updates, etc..??

tacramer wrote:
> Is there a list somewhere or a scanning program that will tell me
> if some of the older updates are no longer needed because a new one
> has replaced it.. Some of these downloads are big and they're
> adding up to some major diskspace.. For example the service
> pack for office 2003... will this replace all of the word updates,
> excel updates, etc..??

Service Packs are generally cumulative.
Throughout the other updates - there may be some that have been replaced by
newer updates.
However - in general - if you are scanning using
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ <-- it does all that for you.

However - even if getting a 300MB service pack - if you consider that a
problem because of disk space (not download time, mind you, disk space) like
you said - you need to reconsider your computers specs and/or what you have
kept stored on it instead of archiving.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

Wow, There must be something in the food that support people eat. It's
amazing-
So consistent. Of course the best response to a concern is to indicate that
there is no concern; Hey, "if you consider that a problem - you need to
reconsider your computer...."

I have 104 Microsoft update folders since August of 2005. I also have 7
update folders just for JavaSE 5.0/6.0 at 148 mg each (1 gig). I had MS
Net 1.0 2.0, and 3.0 at the same time... word 97, and 2003, and IE
5,6,7....

I would like my diskspace back please - I usually never defrag a drive...
never had to before... why now?? Same functionality, same # of programs,
same equipment, why can't the SPs and Updates clean up their own garbage
after their kids move in after them.??? Update does NOT pick up after
itself..



>
> Service Packs are generally cumulative.
> Throughout the other updates - there may be some that have been replaced by
> newer updates.
> However - in general - if you are scanning using
> http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ <-- it does all that for you.
>
> However - even if getting a 300MB service pack - if you consider that a
> problem because of disk space (not download time, mind you, disk space) like
> you said - you need to reconsider your computers specs and/or what you have
> kept stored on it instead of archiving.
>
> --
> Shenan Stanley
> MS-MVP
> --
> How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
> http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
>
>
>

wrote:
> Is there a list somewhere or a scanning program that will tell me
> if some of the older updates are no longer needed because a new one
> has replaced it.. Some of these downloads are big and they're
> adding up to some major diskspace.. For example the service
> pack for office 2003... will this replace all of the word updates,
> excel updates, etc..??

Shenan Stanley wrote:
> Service Packs are generally cumulative.
> Throughout the other updates - there may be some that have been
> replaced by newer updates.
> However - in general - if you are scanning using
> http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ <-- it does all that for you.
>
> However - even if getting a 300MB service pack - if you consider
> that a problem because of disk space (not download time, mind you,
> disk space) like you said - you need to reconsider your computers
> specs and/or what you have kept stored on it instead of archiving.

wrote:
> Wow, There must be something in the food that support people eat.
> It's amazing-
> So consistent. Of course the best response to a concern is to
> indicate that there is no concern; Hey, "if you consider that a
> problem - you need to reconsider your computer...."
>
> I have 104 Microsoft update folders since August of 2005. I also
> have 7 update folders just for JavaSE 5.0/6.0 at 148 mg each (1
> gig). I had MS Net 1.0 2.0, and 3.0 at the same time... word
> 97, and 2003, and IE 5,6,7....
>
> I would like my diskspace back please - I usually never defrag a
> drive... never had to before... why now?? Same functionality,
> same # of programs, same equipment, why can't the SPs and Updates
> clean up their own garbage after their kids move in after them.???
> Update does NOT pick up after itself..

I see you have misunderstood my answer and/or I misunderstood your original
question. Mostly I think it is you do not understand what it is you may be
looking at.

If - in your add/remove programs - the update is listed and you consistently
run automatic updates or visit http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ <-- then
there is nothing there that you can remove without any doubt (unless you
installed the hardware drivers from windowsupdate, then you could/should
remove those and get the drivers direct from the hardware manufacturer.)
Otherwise - the critical updates and such - if they did not cause a problem
when you installed them and you did not have to remove them because of some
conflict with software you run - there is no advantage (and could be a huge
disadvantage) in removing them. As one critical update replaced another -
the other one is removed. Many times one update will replace a couple -
then (even with automatic updates) the older updates (now redundant) will be
removed and the new ones take their place. Yes - there is SP2 and over 80
critical updates and over 100 total updates (the 80 is included in the 100.)
No - there are none left in there that are redundant - that is AFTER taking
the redundant ones out. That's what happens when the last service pack was
released over 3 years ago - but the OS was supported with updates all that
time.

However - what you asked for and what you meant to ask for was two different
things. It's the space of the currently installed drivers and likely all
the $NtUninstallKB######$ under the Windows Folder that you are talking
about that is currently taking up space - and maybe some misunderstanding of
what those folders are. They are *not* the updates themselves - everytime
you install an update - it does not make its own little space on your
computer where the OS now accesses it from there. Those folders are the
UNINSTALL folders for the updates. If everything is running stable, you
*can* remove the uninstall information and free up the space. That could
equal a few hundred megabyte - might make it to a gigabyte or so - but I
cannot imagine much more than that.

Want to know how to clear up space, figure out what is taking up space that
you can clear up relatively harmlessly? That's all you had to ask for...
(It's *not* what you asked - but it seems to be what you meant to ask.)

If you are comfortable with the stability of your system, you can delete the
uninstall files for the patches that Windows XP has installed...
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/spack.htm

Used Disk Cleanup?
Is hibernate turned on and do you use that feature?
Uninstalled unnecessary applications lately?

You can run Disk Cleanup - built into Windows XP - to erase all but your
latest restore point and cleanup even more "loose files"..

How to use Disk Cleanup
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310312

You can turn off hibernation if it is on and you don't use it..

When you hibernate your computer, Windows saves the contents of the system's
memory to the hiberfil.sys file. As a result, the size of the hiberfil.sys
file will always equal the amount of physical memory in your system. If you
don't use the hibernate feature and want to recapture the space that Windows
uses for the hiberfil.sys file, perform the following steps:

- Start the Control Panel Power Options applet (go to Start, Settings,
Control Panel, and click Power Options).
- Select the Hibernate tab, clear the "Enable hibernation" check box, then
click OK; although you might think otherwise, selecting Never under the
"System hibernates" option on the Power Schemes tab doesn't delete the
hiberfil.sys file.
- Windows will remove the "System hibernates" option from the Power Schemes
tab and delete the hiberfil.sys file.

You can control how much space your System Restore can use...

1. Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
2. Click the System Restore tab.
3. Highlight one of your drives (or C: if you only have one) and click on
the "Settings" button.
4. Change the percentage of disk space you wish to allow.. I suggest 5% or
higher.
5. Click OK.. Then Click OK again.

You can control how much space your Temporary Internet Files can utilize...

Empty your Temporary Internet Files and shrink the size it stores to a
size between 128MB and 256MB..

- Open ONE copy of Internet Explorer.
- Select TOOLS -> Internet Options.
- Under the General tab in the "Temporary Internet Files" section, do the
following:
- Click on "Delete Cookies" (click OK)
- Click on "Settings" and change the "Amount of disk space to use:" to
something between 64MB and 256MB. (It may be MUCH larger right
now.)
- Click OK.
- Click on "Delete Files" and select to "Delete all offline contents"
(the checkbox) and click OK. (If you had a LOT, this could take 2-10
minutes or more.)
- Once it is done, click OK, close Internet Explorer, re-open Internet
Explorer.

You can use an application that scans your system for log files and
temporary files and use that to get rid of those:

Ccleaner (Free!)
http://www.ccleaner.com/

Other ways to free up space..

SequoiaView
http://www.win.tue.nl/sequoiaview/

DX Hog Hunt
http://www.dvxp.com/en/Downloads.aspx

JDiskReport
http://www.jgoodies.com/freeware/jdiskreport/index.html

Those can help you visually discover where all the space is being used.

However - in reference to your sarcasm - yes - if you are concerned over
less than 5GB of space total at any given time being freed up on your hard
disk drive - then something is wrong and you would be better off spending
$100 and putting in a drive that is likely 3-8 times as large as what you
have not and not concerning yourself over such a small amount of space OR
you seriously need to consider what you really need on the system and what
should be archived. Basic housekeeping 101... - in an actual home, if your
storage area gets full - you either have to decide what you really should
have in the storage area and what could go or you have to find a new place
to store stuff that will accomodate everything you need. You don't walk
into the warehouse of cars, look at the filing cabinte in the corner where
you keep all the records for the cars and decide that if you move it out of
the warehouse - you will have more room. ;-)

As for 'never having to defragment before' <- I have to say - many people
will go the entire life of their computer without defragmenting - others may
be better off defragmenting at the end of each week. That is a matter of
usage. Windows XP is probably not the only thing on that computer of yours.
If you have an antivirus software - it is probably set to automatically
update and its data files change anywhere from daily to weekly (for most
default settings of an AV software.) Everytime you open a file in
word/etc - it makes a temp working file while you are working. That's two
files for one. Surf the internet much? The number of temp files in a
normal surfing sessions - even if you don't include cookies - is amazing. I
have seen people whose Temporary Internet Files space is set to 1+GB and
FULL of thousands upon thousands of fiules and deleting those files took 10+
minutes. Those files are deleted as space is needed or everytime you close
Internet Explorer (depending on your settings) and thus - can cause
fragmentation. The updates - well - they download, they install - and they
don't usually cause much in the way of fragmentation. I have installed many
a machine fresh - pre-sp2 - installed all the updates that I could and I did
defragment aftrerwards - but not because it said I needed to, because I
thought it was wise to start with as good of a machine as possible. It
actually told me it was not necessary after the analyzation. Your list of
programs alone show that you have installed/uninstalled some large stuff
over the years - saying you didn't need to defragment has a ring of
falsehood to it as soon as you said, "...word 97, and 2003, and IE
5,6,7...." <- so much uninstalation of large programs and installation of
large programs - yes - that will cause fragmentation.

JAVA is not a Microsoft program. And if you Google - you will see that many
people here recommend keeping the latest version of Java installed (1.6
Update 3 now is it?) but they also recommend first uninstalling all previous
versions frmo the Add or Remove Programs control panel first - not using the
Java Automatic Updates. Yes - Java's updates (amongst other issues) are
troublesome and usually do not remove the traces of the prior versions - so
far. I have seen machines with Jave, Update 1 and Update 2 listed in the
add or remove programs control panel - very irritating. I usually uninstall
all of them and install just the latest version.

As for .NET Frameowrk 1.1, 2.0 and 3.0. - they are *not* cumulative and it
is unlikely *you* need .NET Frameowrk 3.0 - you might, but most applications
have not switched to using it yet. 1.1 and 2.0 - maybe. Some programs do
have the code that needs it inside them. Possibly not on 2.0 even though.
However - these are not *huge* applications. What i am saying is that some
applications/etc were written to run off .NET Frameowrk 1.1. If you only
had 2.0 and not 1.1, those applications would not work. Same for
applications written to use 2.0. 1.1 cannot be used to run those, maybe 3.0
can - but maybe not - a lot of changes happened between the versins - even
eliminating some of the prior... command verbs for lack of a better way of
putting it for you.

Perhaps it is time you run through the normal maintenace procedures for a
Windows computer. Many of these maintenance procedures would have their
identical counterparts in any other OS or any other application or any other
part of life. Basic cleanup and work that helps prolong the life of the
system at hand... Some are focused around security - as that is one of the
larger concerns with computers and all the personal/critical data that they
can contain these days. Some are around disk space, proper maintenance to
maintain the best perfromance, what features you may/may not need, etc. I
would suggest that you read through it - at least once. Skim over it, see
what you do/do not do. Sometimes you find you may be able to do some things
that would eliminate some of the other things you thought you had to do
already. You may find a freeware program to substitute for a larger/more
intrusive program - freeing up space and other resources to make your
computer faster and just as safe. (Use Norton AV or McAfee AV? There are
definitely better options.)

Microsoft has these suggestions for Protecting your computer from the
various things that could happen to you/it:

Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/

Outfitting a new computer for the Net
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/secu...wcomputer.mspx

Getting started with a new PC
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/moredone/yournewpc.mspx

Although those tips are fantastic, there are many things you should
know above and beyond that. Below I have detailed out many tips
that can not only help you clean-up a problem PC but keep it clean,
secure and running at its best.

I know this text can seem intimidating - it is quite long and a lot
to take in for a novice - however I can assure you that one trip
through this list and you will understand your computer and the
options available to you for protecting your data much better -
and that the next time you go through these steps, the time it
takes will be greatly reduced.

Let's take the cleanup of your computer step-by-step.
Yes, it will take up some of your time - but consider what you use
your computer for and how much you would dislike it if all of your
stuff on your computer went away because you did not "feel like"
performing some simple maintenance tasks - think of it like taking
out your garbage, collecting and sorting your postal mail, paying
your bills on time, etc.

I'll mainly work around Windows XP, as that is what the bulk of this
document is about; however, here is some places for you poor souls
still stuck in Windows 98/ME where you can get information on
maintaining your system:

Windows 98 and 'Maintaining Your Computer':
http://www.microsoft.com/windows98/u...s/maintaining/

Windows ME Computer Health:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsME/u...alth/articles/

Pay close attention to the sections:
(in order)
- Clean up your hard disk
- Check for errors by running ScanDisk
- Defragment your hard disk
- Roll back the clock with System Restore


Also - now is a good time to point you to one of the easiest ways to find
information on problems you may be having and solutions others have found:

Search using Google!
http://www.google.com/
(How-to: http://www.google.com/intl/en/help/basics.html )


Now, let's go through some maintenance first that should only have to be
done once (mostly):

Tip (1):
Locate all of the software you have installed on your computer.
(the installation media - CDs, downloaded files, etc)
Collect these CDs and files together in a central and safe
place along with their CD keys and such. Make backups of these
installation media sets using your favorite copying method (CD/DVD Burner
and application, Disk copier, etc.) You'll be glad to know that if you
have a CD/DVD burner, you may be able to use a free application to make a
duplicate copy of your CDs. One such application is ISORecorder:

ISORecorder page (with general instructions on use):
http://isorecorder.alexfeinman.com/isorecorder.htm

More full function applications (free) for CD/DVD burning would be:

CDBurnerXP Pro
http://www.cdburnerxp.se/

DeepBurner Free
http://www.deepburner.com/

ImgBurn (burn ISO images)
http://www.imgburn.com/

Final Burner
http://www.protectedsoft.com/products.php

Another Option would be to search the web with Pricewatch.com or
Dealsites.net and find deals on Products like Ahead Nero and/or Roxio.

Ahead Nero
http://www.nero.com/

Roxio Easy Media Creator
http://www.roxio.com/

Tip (2):
Empty your Temporary Internet Files and shrink the size it stores to a
size between 128MB and 256MB..

- Open ONE copy of Internet Explorer.
- Select TOOLS -> Internet Options.
- Under the General tab in the "Temporary Internet Files" section, do the
following:
- Click on "Delete Cookies" (click OK)
- Click on "Settings" and change the "Amount of disk space to use:" to
something between 128MB and 256MB. (It may be MUCH larger right
now.)
- Click OK.
- Click on "Delete Files" and select to "Delete all offline contents"
(the checkbox) and click OK. (If you had a LOT, this could take 2-10
minutes or more.)
- Once it is done, click OK, close Internet Explorer, re-open Internet
Explorer.

Tip (3):
If things are running a bit sluggish and/or you have an older system
(1.5GHz or less and 256MB RAM or less) then you may want to look into
tweaking the performance by turning off some of the 'resource hogging'
Windows XP "prettifications". The fastest method is:

Control Panel --> System --> Advanced tab --> Performance section,
Settings button. Then choose "adjust for best performance" and you
now have a Windows 2000/98 look which turned off most of the annoying
"prettifications" in one swift action. You can play with the last
three checkboxes to get more of an XP look without many of the
other annoyances. You could also grab and install/use one
(or more) of the Microsoft Powertoys - TweakUI in particular:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/d...powertoys.mspx

Another viable (decently inexpensive) option is to increase the amount
of memory (RAM) your computer has. You can get an idea of what you
need by visiting:

Crucial Memory AdvisorT Tool
http://www.crucial.com/

Then either buy direct from there or write down the specs you get and
visit: http://www.pricewatch.com/ and locate the best price on what you
need. 512MB up to 1GB total memory should be more than enough for
the normal home user.

Tip (4):
Understanding what a good password might be is vital to your
personal and system security. You may think you do not need to password
your home computer, as you may have it in a locked area (your home) where
no one else has access to it. Remember, however, you aren't always
"in that locked area" when using your computer online - meaning you likely
have usernames and passwords associated with web sites and the likes that
you would prefer other people do not discover/use. This is why you should
understand and utilize good passwords.

Good passwords are those that meet these general rules
(mileage may vary):

Passwords should contain at least six characters, and the character
string should contain at least three of these four character types:
- uppercase letters
- lowercase letters
- numerals
- nonalphanumeric characters (e.g., *, %, &, !,

Passwords should not contain your name/username.
Passwords should be unique to you and easy to remember.

One method many people are using today is to make up a phrase that
describes a point in their life and then turning that phrase into their
password by using only certain letters out of each word in that phrase.
It's much better than using your birthday month/year or your anniversary
in a pure sense. For example, let's say my phrase is:
'Great new job in November 2006'
I could come up with this password from that:
'Gr8n3wj0bNOV2006'

The password tip is in the one time section, but I highly
recommend you periodically change your passwords. The suggested time
varies, but I will throw out a 'once in every 3 to 6 months for
every account you have.'

Also - many people complain that they just cannot remember the passwords
for all the sites they have - so they choose one password and use it for
everything. Not a good idea. A much better method would be to use a
Password Management tool - so you only have to remember one password,
but it opens an application that stores your username/passwords for
everything else - plus other valuable information. One that I can
recommend:

KeePass Password Safe
http://keepass.sourceforge.net/

It can even generate passwords for you.


Tip (5):
This tip is also 'questionable' in the one time section; however -
if properly setup - this one can be pretty well ignored for most people
after the initial 'fiddle-with' time.

Why you should use a computer firewall..
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/secu...wbenefits.mspx

You should, in some way, use a firewall. Hardware (like a nice
Cable Modem/DSL router) or software is up to you. Many use both of
these. The simplest one to use is the hardware one, as most people
don't do anything that they will need to configure their NAT device
for and those who do certainly will not mind fiddling with the equipment
to make things work for them. Next in the line of simplicity would
have to be the built-in Windows Firewall of Windows XP. In SP2 it
is turned on by default. It is not difficult to turn on in any
case, however:

More information on the Internet Connection Firewall (Pre-SP2):
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/320855

Post-SP2 Windows Firewall Information/guidance:
http://snipurl.com/atal

The trouble with the Windows Firewall is that it only keeps things
out. For most people who maintain their system in other ways, this is
MORE than sufficient. You may feel otherwise. If you want to
know when one of your applications is trying to obtain access to the
outside world so you can stop it, then you will have to install a
third-party application and configure/maintain it. I have compiled a
list with links of some of the better known/free firewalls you can choose
from:

BlackICE PC Protection (~$39.95 and up)
http://blackice.iss.net/

Comodo Free Fireall (Free)
http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/

Jetico Personal Firewall (Free)
http://www.jetico.com/index.htm#/jpfirewall.htm

Outpost Firewall from Agnitum (Free and up)
http://www.agnitum.com/products/outpostfree/

Sunbelt Kerio Personal Firewall (KPF) (Free and up)
http://www.kerio.com/kpf_download.html

Symantec's Norton Personal Firewall (~$49.95 and up)
http://www.symantec.com/sabu/nis/npf/

ZoneAlarm (Free and up)
http://www.zonelabs.com/

You should find the right firewall for your situation in that
list and set it up if you feel the Windows XP firewall is
insufficient.

Every firewall WILL require some maintenance. Essentially checking for
patches or upgrades (this goes for hardware and software solutions) is
the extent of this maintenance - you may also have to configure your
firewall to allow some traffic depending on your needs.

** Don't stack the software firewalls! Running more than one software
firewall will not make you safer - it would possibly negate some
protection you gleamed from one or the other firewall you run. It is
fine (and in many ways better) to have the software firewall as well
as a NAT router.


Now that you have some of the more basic things down..
Let's go through some of the steps you should take periodically to
maintain a healthy and stable windows computer. If you have not
done some of these things in the past, they may seem tedious - however,
they will become routine and some can even be scheduled.


Tip (6):
The system restore feature is only a useful feature if you keep it
maintained and use it to your advantage. Remember that the system
restore pretty much tells you in the name what it protects which is
'system' files. Your documents, your pictures, your stuff is NOT
system files - so you should also look into some backup solution.

Whenever you think about it (after doing a once-over on your machine
once a month or so would be optimal) - clear out your System Restore
and create a manual restoration point.

'Why?'

Too many times have I seen the system restore files go corrupt or get
a virus in them, meaning you could not or did not want to restore from
them. By clearing it out periodically you help prevent any corruption
from happening and you make sure you have at least one good "snapshot".
(*This, of course, will erase any previous restore point you have.*)

- Turn off System Restore.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310405
- Reboot the Computer.
- Review the first bullet to turn on System Restore
- Make a Manual Restoration Point.
http://snipurl.com/68nx

That covers your system files, but doesn't do anything for the files
that you are REALLY worried about - yours! For that you need to look
into backups. You can either manually copy your important files, folders,
documents, spreadsheets, emails, contacts, pictures, drawings and so on
to an external location (CD/DVD - any disk of some sort, etc) or you can
use the backup tool that comes with Windows XP:

How To Use Backup to Back Up Files and Folders on Your Computer
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308422

Yes - you still need some sort of external media to store the results
on, but you could schedule the backup to occur when you are not around,
then burn the resultant data onto CD or DVD or something when you are
(while you do other things!)

Another option that seems to still be going strong:

Cobian Backup
http://www.educ.umu.se/~cobian/cobianbackup.htm

A lot of people have wondered about how to completely backup their system
so that they would not have to go through the trouble of a reinstall..
I'm going to voice my opinion here and say that it would be worthless to
do for MOST people. Unless you plan on periodically updating the image
backup of your system (remaking it) - then by the time you use it
(something goes wrong) - it will be so outdated as to be more trouble than
performing a full install of the operating system and all applications.

Having said my part against it, you can clone/backup your hard drive
completely using many methods - by far the simplest are using disk cloning
applications:

Symantec/Norton Ghost
http://snipurl.com/13e00

Acronis True Image
http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing...cts/trueimage/

BootItT NG
http://terabyteunlimited.com/bootitng.html

Tip (7):
You should sometimes look through the list of applications that are
installed on your computer. The list may surprise you. There are more
than likely things in there you know you never use - so why have them
there? There may even be things you know you did *not* install and
certainly do not use (maybe don't WANT to use.)

This web site should help you get started at looking through this list:

How to Uninstall Programs
http://snipurl.com/8v6b

How to change or remove a program in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307895

A word of warning - Do NOT uninstall anything you think you MIGHT need
in the future unless you have completed Tip (1) and have the installation
media and proper keys for use backed up somewhere safe!

Tip (8):
Patches and Updates!

This one cannot be stressed enough. It is SO simple, yet so neglected
by many people. It is really simple for the critical Microsoft patches!
Microsoft put in an AUTOMATED feature for you to utilize so that you do
NOT have to worry yourself about the patching of the Operating System:

How to configure and use Automatic Updates in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306525

However, not everyone wants to be a slave to automation, and that is
fine. Admittedly, I prefer this method on some of my more critical
systems.

Windows Update
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/

Go there and scan your machine for updates. Always get the critical ones
as you see them. Write down the KB###### or Q###### you see when
selecting the updates and if you have trouble over the next few days,
go into your control panel (Add/Remove Programs), insure that the
'Show Updates' checkbox is checked and match up the latest numbers you
downloaded recently (since you started noticing an issue) and uninstall
them. If there was more than one (usually is), uninstall them one by one
with a few hours of use in between, to see if the problem returns.
Yes - the process is not perfect (updating) and can cause trouble like I
mentioned - but as you can see, the solution isn't that bad - and is
MUCH better than the alternatives.

Windows is not the only product you likely have on your PC. The
manufacturers of the other products usually have updates. New versions
of almost everything come out all the time - some are free, some are pay
and some you can only download if you are registered - but it is best
to check. Just go to their web pages and look under their support and
download sections. For example, for Microsoft Office you should visit:

Microsoft Office Updates
http://office.microsoft.com/
(and select 'Check for Updates' and/or 'Downloads' for more)

You also have hardware on your machine that requires drivers to interface
with the operating system. You have a video card that allows you to see on
your screen, a sound card that allows you to hear your PCs sound output and
so on. Visit those manufacturer web sites for the latest downloadable
drivers for your hardware/operating system. Always get the manufacturers'
hardware driver over any Microsoft offers. On the Windows Update site I
mentioned earlier, I suggest NOT getting their hardware drivers - no matter
how tempting.

How do you know what hardware you have in your computer? Break out the
invoice or if it is up and working now - take inventory:

Belarc Advisor
http://belarc.com/free_download.html

Once you know what you have, what next? Go get the latest driver for your
hardware/OS from the manufacturer's web page. For example, let's say you
have an NVidia chipset video card or ATI video card, perhaps a Creative
Labs sound card or C-Media chipset sound card...

NVidia Video Card Drivers
http://www.nvidia.com/content/drivers/drivers.asp

ATI Video Card Drivers
http://ati.amd.com/support/driver.html

Creative Labs Sound Device
http://us.creative.com/support/downloads/

C-Media Sound Device
http://www.cmedia.com.tw/?q=en/driver

Then install these drivers. Updated drivers are usually more stable and
may provide extra benefits/features that you really wished you had before.

As for Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP, Microsoft has made this
particular patch available in a number of ways. First, there is the
Windows Update web page above. Then there is a direct download site.

Direct Download of Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP
http://snipurl.com/8bqy

Order Windows XP Service Pack 2 on CD
http://snipurl.com/d41v

If all else fails - grab the full download above and try to use that.
In this case - consider yourself a 'IT professional or developer'.

Tip (9):
What about the dreaded word in the computer world, VIRUS?

Well, there are many products to choose from that will help you prevent
infections from these horrid little applications. Many are FREE to the
home user and which you choose is a matter of taste, really. Many people
have emotional attachments or performance issues with one or another
AntiVirus software. Try some out, read reviews and decide for yourself
which you like more:

( Good Comparison Page for AV software: http://www.av-comparatives.org/ )

AntiVir (Free and up)
http://www.free-av.com/

avast! (Free and up)
http://www.avast.com/

AVG Anti-Virus System (Free and up)
http://free.grisoft.com/

ca Anti-Virus (~$49.99 and up)
http://snipurl.com/13e0u

eset NOD32 (~$39.00 and up)
http://www.eset.com/products/

Kaspersky Anti-Virus (~$39.95 and up)
http://www.kaspersky.com/kav6

McAfee VirusScan (~$39.99 and up)
http://www.mcafee.com/

Panda Antivirus Titanium (~$39.95 and up)
http://www.pandasoftware.com/products/antivirus2007.htm
(Free Online Scanner: http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/)

Symantec (Norton) AntiVirus (~$39.99 and up)
http://snipurl.com/13e12

Trend Micro (~$44.95 and up)
http://www.trendmicro.com/en/products/desktop/tav/
(Free Online Scanner:
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/hous...start_corp.asp)

Most of them have automatic update capabilities. You will have to
look into the features of the one you choose. Whatever one you finally
settle with - be SURE to keep it updated (I recommend at least daily) and
perform a full scan periodically (yes, most protect you actively, but a
full scan once a month at 4AM probably won't bother you.)

Tip (10):
The most rampant infestation at the current time concerns SPYWARE/ADWARE.
You need to eliminate it from your machine.

There is no one software that cleans and immunizes you against
everything. Antivirus software - you only needed one. Firewall, you
only needed one. AntiSpyware - you will need several. I have a list and
I recommend you use at least the first five.

First - make sure you have NOT installed "Rogue AntiSpyware". There are
people out there who created AntiSpyware products that actually install
spyware of their own! You need to avoid these:

Rogue/Suspect Anti-Spyware Products & Web Sites
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm

Also, you can always visit this site..
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
For more updated information.

Install the first five of these: (Install, Run, Update, Scan with..)
(If you already have one or more - uninstall them and download the
LATEST version from the page given!)

Lavasoft AdAware (Free and up)
http://www.lavasoft.de/products/ad-a...e_personal.php
(How-to: http://snipurl.com/atdn )

Spybot Search and Destroy (Free!)
http://www.safer-networking.net/en/download/
(How-to: http://snipurl.com/atdk )

SpywareBlaster (Free!)
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/sbdownload.html
(How-to: http://snipurl.com/ate6 )

IE-SPYAD2 (Free!)
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/uiuc/resource.htm#IESPYAD
(How-to: http://snipurl.com/ate7 )

SuperAntiSpyware (Free and up)
http://www.superantispyware.com/

CWShredder Stand-Alone (Free!)
http://www.trendmicro.com/cwshredder/

Hijack This! (Free!)
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html
(Log Analyzer: http://hjt.networktechs.com/ )

Bazooka Adware and Spyware Scanner (Free!)
http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanner/
(How-to: http://snipurl.com/ate3 )

ToolbarCop (Free!)
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/toolbarcop.htm

Ccleaner (Free!)
http://www.ccleaner.com/

Browser Security Tests (Free Tester)
http://www.jasons-toolbox.com/BrowserSecurity/

Popup Tester (Free Tester)
http://www.popuptest.com/

The Cleaner (~$49.95 and up)
http://www.moosoft.com/

Sometimes you need to install the application and reboot into SAFE MODE in
order to thoroughly clean your computer. Many applications also have
(or are) immunization applications. Spybot Search and Destroy and
SpywareBlaster are two that currently do the best job at passively
protecting your system from malware. None of these programs (in these
editions) run in the background unless you TELL them to. The space they
take up and how easy they are to use greatly makes up for any inconvenience
you may be feeling.

Please notice that Windows XP SP2 does help stop popups as well.

Another option is to use an alternative Web browser. I suggest
'Mozilla Firefox', as it has some great features and is very easy to use:

Mozilla Firefox
http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/


So your machine is pretty clean and up to date now. If you use the sections
above as a guide, it should stay that way as well! There are still a few
more things you can do to keep your machine running in top shape.

Tip (11):
You should periodically check your hard drive(s) for errors and defragment
them. Only defragment after you have cleaned up your machine of
outside parasites and never defragment as a solution to a quirkiness in
your system. It may help speed up your system, but it should be clean
before you do this. Do these things IN ORDER...

How to use Disk Cleanup
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310312

How to scan your disks for errors
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315265

How to Defragment your hard drives
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314848

I would personally perform the above steps at least once every three months.
For most people this should be sufficient, but if the difference you notice
afterwards is greater than you think it should be, lessen the time in
between its schedule.. If the difference you notice is negligible, you can
increase the time.

Tip (12):
SPAM! JUNK MAIL!
This one can get annoying, just like the rest. You get 50 emails in one
sitting and 2 of them you wanted. NICE! (Not.) What can you do? Well,
although there are services out there to help you, some email
servers/services that actually do lower your spam with features built into
their servers - I still like the methods that let you be the end-decision
maker on what is spam and what is not. I have a few products to suggest
to you, look at them and see if any of them suite your needs. Again, if
they don't, Google is free and available for your perusal.

SpamBayes (Free!)
http://spambayes.sourceforge.net/

Spamihilator (Free!)
http://www.spamihilator.com/

MailWasher
http://www.mailwasher.net/

As I said, those are not your only options, but are reliable ones I have
seen function for hundreds+ people.

Tip (13):
ADVANCED TIP! Only do this once you are comfortable under the hood of your
computer!

There are lots of services on your PC that are probably turned on by default
you don't use. Why have them on? Check out these web pages to see what all
of the services you might find on your computer are and set them according
to your personal needs. Be CAREFUL what you set to manual, and take heed
and write down as you change things! Also, don't expect a large performance
increase or anything - especially on today's 2+ GHz machines, however - I
look at each service you set to manual as one less service you have to worry
about someone exploiting.

Service Configuration Tips
http://www.tweakhound.com/xp/xptweaks/supertweaks6.htm

Configuring Services
http://smallvoid.com/tweak/winnt/services.html

Task List Programs
http://www.answersthatwork.com/Taskl...s/tasklist.htm

Processes in Windows NT/2000/XP
http://www.reger24.de/prozesse/

There are also applications that AREN'T services that startup when you start
up the computer/logon. One of the better description on how to handle these
I have found here:

Startups
http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.php


If you follow the advice laid out above (and do some of your own research as
well, so you understand what you are doing) - your computer will stay fairly
stable and secure and you will have a more trouble-free system.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html