Originally posted by Cobalt Kid:
Windows XP. What do you have in mind?
Just checking, since a Win 9x/ME box is more likely to have problems. Did you buy it with XP, or is that upgraded from an older version?
Originally posted by Cobalt Kid:
One thing I was worried about was that the SpyBot may have removed something important that wasn't supposed to be removed. Is this a possible problem?
Not unless you had something nasty tied directly into the OS, which isn't likely. Spybot CAN break programs which depend on spyware/adware, but it's upfront about it. And at any rate, provided you have System Restore on (you
DO, don't you?), you should be able to hit rewind, since Spybot creates a Restore Point in XP every time you make significant changes (unless you have System Restore off, or you've disabled the option from within Spybot [which since you've confessed to a certain degree of computer ignorance, isn't likely since it'd require you to use Spybot's Advanced mode]), so you should be able to revert if absolutely needed.
In order once you've done what capt_dallas said (since his advice is specific - this is just general good practice), do the following:
1) Update VirusScan's definitions (although this shouldn't be needed, since you've got the autoupdate turned on,
haven't you, it's still a good idea). Scan. Never even THINK of turning it off unless you're upgrading/replacing it and you're offline at the time.
2) Update
Spybot's definitions. Scan.
Make sure you've got a firewall (like
ZoneAlarm . I'm still using 4.5, since there was some trouble with early v5, but 5 should be okay by now).
I also recommend downloading & running
AdAware Personal and
Spyware Blaster (neither of which ahve Resident programs - you only run AdAware Personal to scan and update & Blaster to update it)
If you're convinced Spybot is the cause of your current problem, here's their Official Forum:
http://forums.net-integration.net/index.php?act=SC&c=7 Obviously though, the more programs you run, the more memory & CPU cycles they'll take up and your computer will slow a bit. With a firewall, Spybot Resident and a [
current, updated] anti-virus program, things will be a bit slower, but it's Safe or Sorry, and you've already tried Sorry as I recall.