Hi everyone
I am posting this (almost in its entirety)
It is about a free upgrade to XP
(do you remember there was windows 98 and then windows SE)
- a bit like that
:-)
I am now gonna rejoin "FreeFlow" so I can look at the new logo ts did . . .
Curlchat today at 11 and 12 GMT
- remember curlchat works with
firefox (I installed it under slimbrowser (an IE shell)
and found it was also working on firefox
Who will be the first to log in from linux?
What should my hybrid "Apple XP" machine be called?
Apple XP - m m m . . .
Sounds good . . .
Maybe I will run Knoppix on it
then it would be "Apple PC Linux"
LOL (crustacean rambles off into the distance . . . )
:-)
Lobster
--------------------------------
How to Upgrade to Windows XP SP2
--------------------------------
Well, it's after Halloween. I guess it's time to *finally* upgrade to
Windows XP Service Pack 2. Here's how to do it.
-------------------------------------------------------
1. Get a copy of Windows XP Service Pack 2 on a CD-ROM.
-------------------------------------------------------
Trust me on this one, folks: XP SP2 is so large that you don't want to
try to download it over even the fastest Internet connection. Besides,
when your computer crashes sometime in the future and you have to
reinstall Windows, having XP SP2 on CD-ROM will speed your recovery
process.
How can you get XP SP2 on CD-ROM? Well, go to the computer section of
your nearest big box retailer and ask for a copy. Microsoft shipped
massive amounts of free XP SP2 CD-ROMs to Circuit City, Best Buy, and
places like that. All you have to do is ask.
If you can't find a copy of XP SP2 in your local tech store or, even
worse, if your local tech store tries to sell it to you [something
that happened to at least one Best Buy customer in the Chicago area a
few weeks ago], hop on over to either
http://tinyurl.com/6g675
or
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/updates/sp2/cdorder/
en_us/defau lt.mspx
Either page lets you order the XP SP2 CD-ROM directly from Microsoft.
Free. Both addresses take you to the same place, and that last
address needs to be on one line.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Once you have the XP SP2 CD-ROM, scan your computer for viruses.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Personal experience shows that unwanted stuff on your computer like
viruses or spyware [see step 3] can wreck havoc on ANY software
installation, especially a major operating system upgrade. And while
you may think your current antivirus software is doing a good job of
scanning your computer for and protecting your computer from viruses,
over 60% of broadband users aren't running the latest version of their
antivirus program. [Source: http://tinyurl.com/5kdh9 ]
So, just to be extra safe, before you even THINK about putting that XP
SP2 CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive, let's have Symantec scan your PC
for viruses online. Open Internet Explorer and go to
http://www.symantec.com/cgi-bin/securitycheck.cgi
[Unfortunately, Symantec's free online virus checker only works in
Internet Explorer.] When the page loads, click on the orange Go
button. This opens a pop-up window. Click on the red Start button
under Virus Detection to start the virus scan. You'll be asked if you
want to install and run three small plug-ins. Click Yes all three
times.
The scan will take a while, but it is well worth the wait. If
Symantec says your virus status is safe, continue on to step three.
But, if Symantec finds a problem, expect to spend a lot of time at
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/index.html downloading the
appropriate removal tools.
---------------------------------------------------
3. Scan your computer for spyware and other malware
---------------------------------------------------
Spyware seems to be the number one cause of problems when upgrading to
XP SP2. So, in addition to scanning your computer for viruses, you
also need to scan it for spyware. But you need to make sure you are
using the latest version of your antispyware program when you do this.
How? Well, in Spybot Search & Destroy, go to Help > About. There
you'll see the version number. The latest version of Spybot is 1.3.
If you have an older version, head on over to
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html
and download the latest version.
If you have AdAware, look in the bottom right corner of the AdAware
screen. If you don't see "AdAware SE Personal, Build 1.05," you don't
have the latest version and you'll need to download a new copy at
http://tinyurl.com/5kgsl
Once you have the latest version of your antispyware program, check
for updates and then scan your computer. If you find any spyware,
nuke it.
--------------------------------
4. Update your software firewall
--------------------------------
If you are running a software firewall like ZoneAlarm or Sygate
Personal Firewall, you may need to update your software firewall so
that it will fully work with Windows XP SP2. This usually involves
downloading a simple patch that you can get from your software
firewall�s manufacturer's website.
-----------------------------------------------------------
5. Get the latest PC manufacturer updates for your computer
-----------------------------------------------------------
If you have a name-brand computer, check the manufacturer's web site
and download any software or driver updates they recommend. For
example, Dell recommends that its users update their BIOS before
upgrading to XP SP2.
For a list of the XP SP2 upgrade sites for most of the major PC
manufacturers, check out
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/oemlinks.mspx
If you can�t find your computer manufacturer�s web site, call the
company or store that sold you your computer and ask them if they know
of any issues with upgrading your make and model of computer to XP SP2.
By waiting to install XP SP2 until today, you�ve given the folks in
tech support enough time to figure out what computers upgrade well and
what computers have issues.
Sloth pays.
-------------------------------------------
6. Backup any files you cannot live without
-------------------------------------------
If media and blog reports are any indication, you should be able to
upgrade to XP SP2 without any major problems. But sometimes things go
awry. That's life.
Just to be extra safe, make sure to copy ALL of the important stuff on
your computer to a CD-ROM, DVD, thumb drive, external hard drive, or
whatever. You can never have too many backups.
In particular, make sure to backup your:
- Bank records and other financial information
- Digital photographs
- Software you purchased and downloaded from the Internet
- Software you didn't purchase but still download from the
Internet
- Your illegal MP3s and legal iTunes files
- Personal projects and other "My Documents" stuff
- Your e-mail address book and calendar
- Your enemies list
- Your browser's bookmarks or favorites list
Again, you'll probably not need this backup. But you can never be too
safe.
------------------------------
7. Make a system restore point
------------------------------
Yeah, I know. The XP SP2 installer does this for you automatically.
Do it by hand just in case.
1. Go to Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools >
System Restore.
2. Choose Create a restore point.
3. Click Next.
4. In the Restore Point Description box, type something long and
descriptive [like "18 November 2004 � Before I installed XP
SP2"]
5. Click Create.
6. Once the restore point has been created, click Close.
----------
8. Restart
----------
No, I don't mean go back to step one. I mean restart your computer.
It's usually a good idea to flush the decks, so to speak, before you
install any major program or operating system upgrade on your computer.
Wait at least five minutes after you restart your computer before you
proceed. That just gives all of those icons down in your task bar
plenty of time to load and call home for updates.
You might also want to disable your antivirus program, but that's
completely up to you. [I accidentally installed XP SP2 without first
turning off my antivirus and nothing bad happ&%$()**NO CARRIER**] :P
--------------------
9. Find a local guru
--------------------
Step nine is probably the hardest step of them all.
If you follow steps one through eight, step nine is probably
completely unnecessary. But, sometimes bad things happen to good
people. And sometimes, although not often, XP SP2 installations go
horribly awry. If that happens, you're going to want to talk to
someone who can help you un-kludge your computer.
You are always welcome to send me email asking for assistance, but I
have to warn you:
1. There are over 100,000 people on our little bus of internet
happiness.
2. I get so much email that it is almost impossible for me to
keep up.
I wish I was kidding about that last point, but I am currently working
on answering the emails sent to me during the week of October 11th,
*FIVE* weeks ago! If your computer goes kersplat during the XP SP2
installation process, you're probably going to want to speak to
someone who can help you fix your computer in minutes not weeks.
Hence my recommendation that you find a *LOCAL* guru who can help you
if anything goes awry.
Again, if you follow steps one through eight, finding a local guru is
probably completely unnecessary. But, as I have said throughout
today's post, you can never be too safe.
------------------
10. Install XP SP2
------------------
You've prepped your system. You found a local guru who can help you
if things go wrong. Now it's time to install XP SP2.
Pop the CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive and follow the on-screen prompts.
That's it.
No, really. That's it. Pretty anticlimactic, isn't it? :(
Once the upgrade is done, you'll be asked to restart your computer.
Welcome to the wonderful world of Windows XP Service Pack 2.
----------------------
11. Run Windows Update
----------------------
After you have successfully installed XP SP2, immediately run Windows
Update. There have been more than a few critical updates released
since your XP SP2 disc was pressed, and you need to download those
updates to ensure your computer is fully protected from the internet
nasties.
----------------
12. Tweak XP SP2
----------------
Finally, after you've installed XP SP2 and run Windows Update, point
your favorite web browser to
http://support.microsoft.com/xpsp2installed
This page contains dozens of handouts and videos covering topics such
as configuring Internet Explorer's new pop-up blocker, using the new
Windows Security Center, and so on. Plan on spending a little time
here getting acquainted with the new security features in XP SP2.
----------------------
Troubleshooting XP SP2
----------------------
What if the XP SP2 installation doesn't go so smoothly on your
computer? As I hinted at earlier, that's what the local guru is for.
But, if you want to try to fix things yourself, check out
http://support.microsoft.com/xpsp2getinstall
This page has links to some of the more popular Microsoft Knowledge
Base articles to help you diagnose and fix the most common XP SP2
setup and installation issues. If that doesn't help, try a Google
search. Chances are you aren't the first person to have this problem.
And, if push comes to shove, you can always uninstall XP SP2 and roll
back your system to that restore point you created back in step seven.
You can find the instructions on how to do this at
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/875355
+---------* * * MESSY DESK = Wasted Time & More Work * * *---------+
Does your desk look like a toxic waste dump? Do you have piles of
paper everywhere? Do you waste an hour a day looking for stuff that's
"lost" on the top of your desk?
New eBook, "Winning The Fight Between You and Your Desk" shows you how
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For Info -----> http://SucceedingInBusiness.com/Tourbus.htm
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
I hope this helps! Have a safe and happy weekend, and we'll talk
again next week. And, if you sent me any email during the week of
October 11th, be looking for a reply soon. :P
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