On 23 Mar 2005 at 18:03, Richard Yates wrote: > > Finale will run just fine on SP2. However, if you have any spyware > > on your computer before you start the SP2 install the consequences > > can be disastrous. You should run Ad-Aware Personal from > > http://www.lavasoftusa.com/ to make sure your machine is clear > > before upgrading the OS to SP2. > > It can be completely disastrous if the computer is not prepared > properly. Check the newsgroup microsoft.public.update for hundreds of > horror stories. > > Prepare the computer according to the instructions at: > > http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/spackins.htm > > I have not dared to take this step yet!
The instructions there may be very disorganized and quite poorly formatted, but they look like good advice to me. For those who've asked in private email about cleaning up spyware, the two industry leaders are AdAware (from LavaSoft) and SpyBot SearchAndDestroy. You can Google for them. However, a recent study found that these programs still leave some things undetected. If you really want to clean up your computer, this is what you should do: 1. back up all your data. 2. download all the service packs and patches for your operating system so you can install them on a fresh copy of Windows *before* you reconnect to the Internet. You'll probably want to save copies of all the updates and latest virus definitions for your anti-virus program, too. 3. reformat your hard drive. 4. re-install Windows. 5. apply all the service packs and patches. 6. install your anti-virus software, patch it and install the most up- to-date virus definitions (all of which you saved in step 2). 7. connect your computer to your firewall or NAT router (don't connect direct to your cable modem or dialup Internet connection). 8. run Windows update to update everything else that you haven't downloaded. 9. re-install all your programs, except those that are known spyware vectors. See http://cexx.org/adware.htm for information on this and check the list of Advertising Spyware (the most common category that is stealthily installed along with other, useful software). 10. download and install Opera or FireFox. Vow never to use Internet Explorer again. 11. Abandon Outlook Express or Outlook as your email client and get a real email client, like Pegasus Mail, Eudora or Thunderbird (part of the Mozilla suite, a sibling of FireFox). The only way to avoid spyware is to not use any programs that are susceptible to them and to never install software that you haven't checked for know spyware (Googling on "spyware" and the name of the software should do the job). I have no spyware because I'm not susceptible as I don't use vulnerable programs or install any programs that include spyware. This doesn't cramp my computing at all. -- David W. Fenton http://www.bway.net/~dfenton David Fenton Associates http://www.bway.net/~dfassoc _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [email protected] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
