On 15/11/2010, at 11:36pm, Dale wrote: >>> ... I don't have the OS media to reinstall. > Because it is kids, they don't want to buy the OS.
Assuming the laptop has an OEM Windows license sticker on the underside, it is not necessary to buy a new o/s disk. Any standard Microsoft XP OEM CD [1] will install using that license key. Even if the sticker says "Dell" or "Sony" on it - you only have to match up the "home" or "professional" version. I periodically hear claims that this is not the case, but I don't believe them, as I have never encountered it myself over literally dozens of installs. Also: uninstall AVG and replace it with Microsoft Security Essentials. I know, I know - you'd think that if you don't trust Microsoft to write a secure o/s in the first place, why should you trust them to write antivirus, right? But Security Essentials is really good, and will find malware that AVG misses. AVG has been going downhill for 2 or 3 years, but has got really bad in the last year and anyone with any sense (who maintains home Windows PCs regularly) has moved to Security Essentials now. http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/ Stroller. [1] E.G.: http://www.techsouq.com/images/mwxphe.jpg
