Cleaning Windows XP

How to Read This Book

I’m a firm believer that you should read this book out loud, while standing on the coffee table in your neighbor’s living room. It surely will make an impres¬sion on the neighbors’ kids and free up time you previously spent going to dinner parties.

Whether you decide to read this book out loud or not, you should read the first two chapters before reading any others. Dire consequences won’t result if you decide not to, but those chapters lay a pretty good foundation for everything else you find in the book.

After that, read whatever strikes your fancy. You know your system better than I do. If your big problem is getting updates to Windows XP properly, skip to Chapter 15. If instead you want to focus on archiving your data, turn to Chapter 7.

You get the idea — this book can be as flexible as you are.

How This Book Is Organized

My editor tells me that organizing a book into parts is a good thing. It helps keep the chapters from running into each other. (Apparently having unre¬lated chapters freely associating with each other is unhealthy.) To keep with longstanding tradition and to keep my editor from yelling at me, I’ve organized Cleaning Windows XP For Dummies into the following parts.

Part I: The Basics of Cleaning Your System

Get off on the right foot by discovering why you even need to clean your system (as if you didn’t know). You find out what you should clean, when you should clean it, what tools to use, and whether you should consider getting a new system.

Part II: Programs and Data

Programs and data are the two great components of any computer system — including yours. Part II focuses on identifying what programs you have, how to make them run faster, and how to get rid of programs you no longer need.

You also find out how to identify all the data on your hard drive, as well as targeting and deleting the data you no longer need. I’ve dedicated a full chapter to concepts about organizing and archiving your important data.

Part III: E-Mail and the Internet

E-mail and the Internet are, for better or worse, a part of most people’s daily lives. This part zeroes in on how you can manage the glut of e-mail you get daily. You discover how to deal with spam and organize the e-mail you keep.

You also find out the telltale signs of virus and spyware infections, as well as how to get rid of these troublesome pests. Finally, you discover how to deal with information (not related to e-mail) that you may receive when using the Internet.

Part IV: The Operating System

Windows XP is nothing if not flexible and configurable. Part IV discusses how to clean up the user interface so using Windows is easier than ever before. You discover how to streamline Windows so it runs faster, as well as how to speed up the file system.

Microsoft wants you to have the most up-to-date system possible, and Windows XP makes it easy to stay updated with automatic downloads. You’ll understand how to use the update system and find out when it makes sense to get a new system rather than clean up the old one.

Part V: Advanced Cleaning for the Truly Brave

This part focuses on things you can do to implement deep-cleaning strate¬gies. You determine whether you need more memory in your system or a larger hard drive. You discover ways to make your system more secure, and thereby minimize the chance of having others clutter your system. I also dis¬cuss the special needs of cleaning up in a networked environment.An entire chapter covers the ins and outs of working with the Registry, your computer’s central nervous system. You find out how to edit the Registry and use special software to keep it in tip-top shape.

The final chapter in this part explains different ways to fix a corrupted Windows XP installation. You even find out how to start all over by wiping out your computer system and installing Windows anew.

Part VI: The Part of Tens

Ahhh! The Part of Tens. Here’s where you find small, bite-sized tidbits that can help get your system cleaned up and keep it that way. You find troubleshooting ideas, software tools for cleaning, and a multitude of online resources to help you tidy up.
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