E.R. for your Computer - Simple Computer Triage

Step 1: Update and/or installing your computer triage software. Three of the four applications will need updates. These products are Symantec AntiVirus, Spybot, and Micorsoft's Windows Defender.

• Symantec AntiVirus: All Texas Cooperative Extension and most TAES computers should have some version of Symantec AntiVirus installed and running. How do you know? Look for the little gold shield in the notification area (bottom right corner)
  1. Double click on the Gold Shield
  2. Click LiveUpdate
  3. Follow on-screen instructions
  4. Close Application
• Spybot 1.4: On the Spring 2006 County Support CD, you will find Spybot 1.4 under Security or you can get it by clicking here.
  1. Click on Start > All Programs > Spybot - Search and Destroy >
  2. Spybot Search and Destroy
  3. From the Left Panel > Click Update
  4. From the Top Panel > Click Search for Updates
  5. Check any and all Updates listed
  6. From the Top Panel > Pull down server list > Select Safer Networking #2 (Europe)
  7. Click Download Updates
  8. Close Application
• Windows Defender: Windows Defender is a free product from Microsoft that can be installed on Windows XP/2000 machines. If you need to install and set it up, click here.

  
  

• ATF-Cleaner: I introduced you to the ATF-Cleaner back in May. If you need to install it, click here. Everyone that has tried it has been amazed by how many bytes are freed up.

  
  

Step 2: Once you have updated the above applications, it is now time to run some scans. I prefer to run these scans in Windows Safe Mode because it starts your computer in a simple way and makes problems easier to find and to fix.

• Safe Mode:
  
  1. Close all open programs.
     
  2. Click Start
     
  3. Run and type MSCONFIG in the box
     
  4. Click OK
     
  5. The System Configuration Utility appears, On the BOOT.INI tab, Check the "/SAFEBOOT" and MINIMAL option
     
  6. Click OK
     
  7. Restart your computer when prompted.
  
  

Step 3: Running Disk Cleaner and the Scans

• The first thing you want to do is run the ATF-Cleaner:
  
  1. Double-click ATF-Cleaner.exe to run the program
     
  2. If Windows prompts you with a security warning, Click Run
     
  3. Under the Main dialog box choose > Select All
     
  4. Click the Empty Selected button.
     
  5. If you use Firefox browser, click Firefox on the toolbar
     
  6. Select All
     
  7. Click the Empty Selected button.
     
  8. An ATF Cleaner dialog will pop to confirm you want to delete saved Firefox passwords.
     
  9. Close Application
     
  
  
• Next run Spybot 1.4 Scan
  
  1. Click on Start > All Programs > Spybot - Search and Destroy >
  2. Spybot Search and Destroy
     
  3. In the Right Panel > click Check for Problems
     
  4. After the scan and if problems are listed, click the Fix Problems icon
     
  5. Follow the on-screen instructions
     
  6. Close Application
     
  
  
• Third, run Windows Defender Full Scan
  
  1. Click on Start > All Programs > Windows Defender
     
  2. From the Scan Pull Down > Select Full Scan
     
  3. After scan, follow on-screen instructions to fix any problems
     
  4. Close Application
  
  
• Last, run a Symantec AntiVirus Scan
  
  1. Click on Start > Symantec Client Security > Symantec AntiVirus (note - this maybe worded slight differently depending on the version you are using)
     
  2. In the Left Panel > Click Scan then Full Scan
     
  3. Click the Scan button
     
  4. After scan, follow on-screens instructions to fix problems
     
  5. Close Application

Step 4: Restarting the Machine

• Normal Mode:
  
  1. Close all open programs.
     
  2. Click Start, Run and type MSCONFIG in the box and click OK
     
  3. The System Configuration Utility appears. On the General tab, Check the "Use Original BOOT.INI", and then click OK
     
  4. Restart your computer when prompted.