Step by Step
28 Steps to a healthy, virus free, fast computer
__________________________________________________________________________________

All the help you need to fix and maintain your own Windows computer.
Save time and save hundreds!

PLEASE NOTE:
The step-by-step procedure on this page is not yet finished.
It should be completed by late October, 2009.
If you would like to be notified when it is complete, just
join our newsletter.

You need a working Internet connection and the ability to purchase and download
software onto your computer.  A typical user will not spend more than £25 to
complete this procedure.  With a few hours of your own time you will have a
completely secure, reliable computer and none of the troubles many people
experience with Windows computers.

This 28 step method has been compiled by me after many years of fixing Windows
PC's and will result in a secure, healthy, fast computer.  It can take several hours to
complete this step-by-step DIY procedure, but ultimately you will have a safe,
secure and reliable computer. You will also save yourself a lot of time and money
during the months ahead.

What people say about this procedure

Before you begin this 28-step procedure
Please read the important notes on how to use this procedure correctly and for
additional information about prices and legal issues.

Below are all the instructions you need to fix a Windows computer online.
No need to pay a local computer technician to visit your home or business. 
No need to unplug cables or carry the machine to a shop.

The process involves 28 main Steps - numbered 1 to 28.  View more detail for
each step by clicking the bold title.  I recommend you note down the 28 steps on
paper so you can manually tick off each step when complete.

Create a bookmark of this page so you can find it again after a Computer restart. 

All the information you need is on this page.  No need to jump around between
web pages.  No annoying popups, sudden flashes or demands for your personal
details.  No marketing clutter.  Just what you need, all you need, nothing else.
__________________________________________________________________________________

Comments, criticisms and questions.  Suggest improvements or recommend
additional software to enhance the effectiveness of this routine.  Help make this 28
step routine the cheapest, easiest and most complete Windows maintenance guide
on the web.
__________________________________________________________________________________

28 Step Guide to a Fast, Secure Windows Computer

1.  Backup important data files


2.  System Restore Point 1


3.  Clear browser history and cookies


4.  Restart and connect to Internet


5.  Download and Install a Firewall


6.  System Restore Point 2


7.  Uninstall other security programs


8.  Download and install Firefox


9.  System Restore Point 3


10. Download and install AVG


11. Download and install Max Spyware Detector and Registry Cleaner


12. Download and install excellent FREE utilities


13. Create springclean folder


14. Create shortcuts


15. Have a cup of tea


16. System Restore Point 4


17. SpywareDetector scan


18. Run CCleaner


19. Run Window Washer


20. Windows Disk Cleanup


21. Registry Cleaner scan


22. Shutdown computer for 1 minute


23. Turn computer on and allow to settle


24. Restart computer


25. System Restore Point 5


26. AVG scan and Spyware Scan


27. Defragment


28. Restart Computer       
   
__________________________________________________________________________________

1.  Backup important data files                                                              back to top
      Back up anything important to CD or memory stick.   This includes personal files and data
      (letters, photos, spreadsheets, etc) for all users of the computer you are cleaning.  Before
      continuing any further, make sure you have told them what you are doing and ask each user
      to check that everything they need will be backed up.  There are many backup devices
      available and several good backup utiliy programs on the market.  We will assume that the
      computer you are cleaning has a bad virus.  If it is running slowly, crashing a lot and displaying
      signs of unwanted / unexpected behaviour such as sudden popups then it probably does have 
      malware on board and we should assume that it is virulent and therefore a critical problem in
      need of attention. 

      At this stage of the procedure it is pointless to make a full system backup (also referred to as
      an "image", byte-by-byte copy, or full system dump).  This is because any virus that is present
      will be copied along with the backed up files and will return in the future if the files are restored.
      But you should still backup important files - even if virused or damaged.  This is because the
      latter stages of this cleaning procedure involve many changes to the underlying state of your
      computer and the files contained on it.  Some files might be completely erased, or further
      damaged during the cleaning process.  We do not know what will happen.  So we must make
      a safe copy of anything that is important - photos, letters and emails, spreadsheets, artwork,
      etc.

      The most convenient way to do this is via a USB memory stick - they are faster than CD / DVD.
      1GB USB memory sticks (or flash drives or flash pens or pen drives) are very cheap and will be
      sufficient for the majority of home users' backup requirements.  In 2009, a 1GB pen will cost
      about £6 ($10),  a 4GB pen about £9 ($15), an 8GB pen about £13 ($21), right on up to 256GB
      for about £600 ($990).  They vary a lot in speed, size, reliablity and durability but if you intend
      to use only a few times for critical file backups that will be stored then the cheaper models will
      be fine for that purpose.

      To back up your important files the first thing to do is create a new empty folder on the desktop.
      Give the folder a useful name such as files_backup_31Dec2009.  You could also create further
      new sub-folders in the main folder, for example you could have one sub-folder for each of the
      people who use the computer.  Or you could have a sub-folder for spreadsheets and another
      for photos.  Take time to plan this step carefully as it will give you peace of mind later on and
      will make the task of restoring lost files (if you ever need to) much easier.  Now you have
      created your empty backup folders it is time to begin copying files into them.

      Make a list on a notepad of all the folders you have created so that you can manually tick
      them off as you complete them.  That way you wont miss any.  The best way to copy multiple
      files from one place to another is:

      - open the new folder and shrink the window (thats the middle button of the 3 small square
        buttons top right of the folder window.  Slide the window out of the way to one side using
        the mouse.  Now open a second window into the folder where your important files reside.
        Shrink the window in the same way and place both windows side by side (it doesnt matter
        if they overlap a bit).  Click into the window with files to be copied and type CTRL-A.  This
        will Select All files in the folder - they will normally become highlighted blue.  Now click
        and hold the mouse onto any one of the highlighted files and drag them all into the empty
        new folder window - then let go the mouse button - and the copy should begin.

        Note that you do not have to wait for one copy to finish before kicking off another one.
        You can start quite a few copy processes at the same time.

      Once you are sure that all your important files are located in one place under the main
      backup folder all you have to do is drag and drop the folder into a window that is opened
      on to your USB stick.  First make sure that the total size of the main backup folder is
      less than the total size available on the USB stick.  This is important because Windows
      doesn't make this check before starting the copy.  If you want to you can zip up (compress)
      the main folder before you copy it to the USB stick.  This usually saves copy time if you have
      a lot of files or if they are very large files.  It also leaves more space to be used for future
      backups or other data later on.  If your important files contain sensitive personal data or
      any information that you wouldn't want others to see then I recommend using some
      encryption software and / or a password protected zip file.  I use the famous WinZip utility
      for all my backup and file compression needs.

      Store your backup stick in a safe place and label it properly so you can remember what it is
      next year.  Mark on the label "Not Virus Checked".  Note that after you have cleaned the
      computer and removed potential threats you will create a fresh backup near the end of this
      cleaning process - that can be labelled "virus-free".  But you should still keep both backup
      sets, just in case some important files made it into the first backup but not into the last backup.
__________________________________________________________________________________

2.  System Restore Point 1                                                             back to top
A System Restore point is just a snapshot of the state of your computer at a given time.  when you
run the Windows system Restore utility you are presented with 2 options:

1) Create a new Restore Point        2) Restore your computer to a Restore Point taken in the past.

The Windows Operating System is normally configured to take automatic Restore Points - called
System Restore Points.  These happen in the background without you knowing it and usually
happen once a day.  Some software programs take a Restore Point before they install
themselves.  You should always make a manual System Restore Point before making significant
changes to your computer - installing or uninstalling software, changing system settings like
screen savers and menu configurations.  When you run System Restore, a calendar appears
to help find Restore Points.  Automated Restore Points are taken only if the computer is switched
on. So some days in the calendar might be blank.  Some days might show several Restore Points.

System Restore Points can be very useful as they offer a fast and convenient way to fix computer
problems or repair an unstable system.  On a typical Windows machine the process of restoring to
a System Restore Point only takes a few minutes, 10 minutes max.  Taking a fresh Restore Point
usually takes only half a minute or less.  You only need to make a few clicks and the job is done.
So when troubleshooting computer problems always give this a try first - BUT REMEMBER! - take
a new one BEFORE you restore to an old one.  It takes only a few seconds.  A Restore Point will
also take a snapshot (backup) of the Windows Registry.

System Restore involves a restart of your computer.  This will happen automatically so it is good
practice to save all your work and close all other programs and windows before you do a Restore.

As part of this step-by-step procedure you will take a total of 5 System Restore Points.  These are
placed at strategic points throughout the process so that if things go wrong you don't have to go all
the way back and start again.  The process of Restoring to a System Restore Point is often referred
to as:

Rolling back the system

System Undo

Reverting to a checkpoint

System Rollback

Checkpointing

Essentially they all mean the same thing.

People often ask me the question "Will I lose any work if I do a System Restore?" 
The answer is no.  When you save a WORD file or upload photos from your camera to the hard drive
those files are treated as separate items outside of programs, applications and system settings.
If you typed and saved some letters yesterday and then today you restore your computer back to
two weeks ago those letters will still be there where you saved them.


How to run the System Restore tool (Windows XP)

Click start (bottom left)
Point to All Programs
Point to Accessories
Point to System Tools
Click System Restore


How to create a new Restore Point

Click the small circle button next to Create a restore point
Click the Next button
Type in a name for the restore point - spring1
Click the Create button


How to restore to a previous Restore Point

Click the small circle button next to Restore my computer to an earlier time
Select your desired Year, Month and Day from the calendar
Select a Restore Point in the window on the right - automated Rstore Points are named
"System Checkpoint".  In our case we will should see "spring2", "spring3", etc...
Click the Next button
On the next screen verify that the date and time of the Restore Point are correct and then click
Next once more.  Wait for your computer to restore and restart.



If you are using Windows Vista:

Click on the Start button to open your Start Menu. The Start button looks like this:
Click on the Control Panel menu option.

Click on the System and Maintenance menu option.

Click on the System menu option.

Click on System Protection in the left-hand task list.

You will now be at the System Protection tab in the System control panel. This tab allows you to
enable and disable System Restore as well as make new manual restore points.

More help and info about Windows Restore Points at http://www.bleepingcomputer.com


__________________________________________________________________________________

3.  Clear Browser history and cookies                                         back to top


Instructions for Firefox (version 3.5.2)

Click Tools on the menu near top left of screen
Click Clear Recent History
Select Everything in the dropdown box
Make sure all items are checked (ticked)
Click the Clear Now button
This process normally only takes a few seconds but might take much longer if your
computer is in a poor state of health.


Instructions for Internet Explorer (version 7)
Click  Tools
Click  Internet Options
In the Browsing history section click the Delete button
Click the button labelled Delete all...
A popup appears with a Yes and a No button.
The question is "Also delete files and settings stored by add-ons."   *Note 1
Click the tick box so it now has a green tick inside.
click the  Yes button


Instructions for Google Chrome

Near the top right of the screen you will see a small image of a spanner.
Click the small arrow just to the right of this spanner.  Just over half way down the
menu you see Clear browsing data...  click this.
Tick ALL the boxes and make sure "Everything" is selected in the listbox.
Click the button  Clear Browsing Data


Instructions for Opera

Click Tools on the top menu
Click Delete Private Data...
Click Detailed Options and make sure all the options are ticked.
Click the Delete button


Instructions for Safari
Go here for Safari instructions


__________________________________________________________________________________

4.  Restart and connect to Internet                                                  back to top

I will assume that you know how to do this step. 

When the computer comes back up again, stop and close any programs that are not needed, such
as antivirus, email, msn, messenger, games, etc...

Hopefully you will already have some kind of firewall installed but don't worry if you don't.  The only
thing you need is an open browser window.  If your Internet connection is very slow or your
Internet Explorer browser isn't working properly then it is a good idea to download and install
the Firefox browser now - before you do anything else.

Then click the download link in the next step.

__________________________________________________________________________________

5.  Download and Install a Firewall                                                  back to top

If you are already happy that your current firewall is sufficient and doing its job of protecting you
against Internet threats, please make sure you have read Note 2, Note 3 and Note 6.
Then go to Step 7 .

If you do not know what a firewall is or you are running the Windows Firewall then
I advise that you get the highly acclaimed free firewall from ZoneAlarm.
The Windows firewall is a waste of time.  Find out why here .

If you take your online safety and security very seriously or if you bank online or
have several users of the same computer - then I recommend that you install the
ZoneAlarm Pro firewall (this is not free).


All about ZoneAlarm firewall  step by step - how to download it, install it and operate it.
What it's all about and why you need it so badly.


ZoneAlarm Free download page
Click the Download Latest Version link near top right of screen.


ZoneAlarm Pro download page


Please remember that you must be patient with ZoneAlarm for the first few days
that you are online with it.  ZoneAlarm needs you to "train" it so it can learn which
programs you trust and those you don't.  It does this by prompting you with little
boxes in the bottom right corner of your screen.  This happens every time
something happens that ZoneAlarm doesn't recognize or hasn't seen before.

For example, your virus scanner will want to access the internet regularly to
download the latest virus updates.  ZoneAlarm will catch it trying to access the
Internet and will ask you if you want to allow it.  In this case you would answer yes.
ZoneAlarm will remember your answer and wont ask you about the same program
again.  ZoneAlarm will soon settle down (after a few days) and work silently in the
background - listening for any Internet traffic that you have not authorised. 
This might be traffic coming in or traffic going out.  Both can be unwanted and
dangerous (in terms of trying to spy on you or to steal your personal information).

ZoneAlarm will intercept attempts by remote hackers to steal information from you.
It will also prevent malware (that has got onto your computer perhaps via an email
attachment) from sending your data out to a villains computer.

This is one of the best free products in the world today, computerised or otherwise.

Do not use the Windows inbuilt firewall.  There are much better firewalls available.
A well-maintained and secure computer MUST have a good firewall installed.  Without one you
are an easy target for Internet nasties.  A firewall is the most important part of securing a computer
against Internet threats.  You also need Anti Malware software, a good registry cleaner, a resident
shield and some good Windows cleaning tools.  But the absence of a good firewall will eventually
render these other security utilities useless and it is only a matter of time before your computer
slows to a crawl and starts behaving strangely.

So now you have ZoneAlarm installed.  Well done!  You have built a wall but...nasty things still lurk
inside the wall - things which got in before the ZoneAlarm wall was built.  In the next steps we will
flush them all out, hunt them down and destroy them. Your computer will then be fast, safe, clean
and secure and trouble-free for many months to come.
__________________________________________________________________________________

6.  System Restore Point 2                                                             back to top

This is a repeat of Step 2.


How to run the System Restore tool

Click start (bottom left)
Point to All Programs
Point to Accessories
Point to System Tools
Click System Restore


How to create a new Restore Point

Click the small circle button next to Create a restore point
Click the Next button
Type in a name for the restore point - spring2
Click the Create button



__________________________________________________________________________________

7.  Uninstall other security programs                                           back to top 

I know this step is likely to raise some eyebrows and invite contentious comments.  You must be
tough and resolute and follow my advice.  If you have decided not to uninstall your exisiting security
software, please read the following notes and I hope to change your mind.

*Note 2 - What is wrong with your existing computer security programs?

*Note 3 - A true story - Tony's problematic firewall 

*Note 4 - Big Bully sales tactics

*Note 5 - Unsupportable security software and terrible technical support









__________________________________________________________________________________

8.  Download and install Firefox                                                    back to top





__________________________________________________________________________________




9.  System Restore Point 3                                                             back to to





__________________________________________________________________________________





10. Download and install AVG                                                            back to top






__________________________________________________________________________________

11. Download and install                                                             back to top

        Max Spyware Detector and Registry Cleaner







__________________________________________________________________________________

12. Download and install                                                            back to top

      excellent FREE utilities




__________________________________________________________________________________

13. Create springclean folder                                                             back to top






__________________________________________________________________________________

14. Create shortcuts                                                             back to top





__________________________________________________________________________________

15. Have a cup of tea                                                             back to top



__________________________________________________________________________________


16. System Restore Point 4                                                             back to top



__________________________________________________________________________________

17. SpywareDetector scan                                                             back to top



__________________________________________________________________________________

18. Run CCleaner                                                             back to top




__________________________________________________________________________________

19. Run Window Washer                                                             back to top




__________________________________________________________________________________

20. Windows Disk Cleanup                                                             back to top




__________________________________________________________________________________

21. Registry Cleaner scan                                                             back to top



__________________________________________________________________________________

22. Shutdown computer for 1 minute                                          back to top




__________________________________________________________________________________

23. Turn computer on and allow to settle                                    back to top



__________________________________________________________________________________

24. Restart Computer                                                             back to top



__________________________________________________________________________________

25. System Restore Point 5                                                             back to top



__________________________________________________________________________________

26. AVG scan and Spyware Scan                                                            back to top



__________________________________________________________________________________

27. Defragment Disk                                                             back to top




__________________________________________________________________________________

28. Restart Computer                                                                      back to top



























8.  Download and install Mozilla Firefox browser
     (totally free)


9.  System Restore Point 3
        name it spring3


10. Download and install AVG Anti-Virus 8.0 (trial version)
      (1 month free then optional).   Do not run a scan yet.


11. Purchase, download and install 
      Max Spyware Detector and Registry Cleaner
       about $40 or £30.  You need to click on the green purchase icon (top right).
         Do not run a scan yet.
        


12. Download and install these FREE utilities:

         CCleaner

         Window Washer

         EasyCleaner

         Smart Defrag

         AML Free Register Cleaner



13. Create new folder called "springclean" on your desktop


14. Create shortcuts to all programs in "springclean"


15. Add shortcuts to the "springclean" folder for:

         AVG 8.0        SpywareDetector        Max Registry Cleaner

         System Restore        Disk Cleanup        Add or Remove Programs

         Disk Defragmenter        CCleaner        Window Washer       EasyCleaner

 
16. System Restore Point 4
         name it spring4


17. Start a full SpywareDetector scan


18. Run CCleaner


19. Run Window Washer


20. Run a Disk Cleanup with all boxes ticked


21. Run a Registry Cleaner scan


22. Shutdown your computer and leave for 1 minute


23. Turn computer on, log in with password if necessary,
      and leave to start up for at least 5 minutes or until the
      disk activity stops


24. Restart computer
      yes I know it's weird - but just do it OK? 


25. System Restore Point 5
         name it spring5


26. Kick off an AVG scan and a Spyware Scan 
      cleaning process.


27. Defragment Disk         
         Make sure you close all programs and disconnect from the Internet.


28. Restart Computer         
         let me know  what you thought of this process and how well it worked.























__________________________________________________________________________________


Additional Notes

Note 1
The question is "Also delete files and settings stored by add-ons."  
Do you see anything wrong with this question?  Let me explain.

There is a question mark missing.  The popup asks for a Yes / No answer so the preceding line
MUST be a question!  This is exceptionally bad English and is one of many reasons why I threw out
Internet Explorer as my preferred browser several years ago.  The Internet Explorer browser has
many similar rough edges, the look and feel is abysmal, the underhand marketing tactics invasive,
the layout (such as the prompt above) is confusing and worst of all - Internet Explorer is like an
open window onto your computer beckoning to Internet burglars and thieves.  My strong advice is
to ditch it now and change over to Mozilla Firefox (or any other browser except this one)! 

It is much easier than you think to change your web browser from IE to Firefox:

1) Download Firefox

2) Run the Firefox installation wizard

3) The wizard asks if you want to import all your settings from I.E. - this includes
     all your favourites.

Once using Firefox you will find it much quicker and much cleaner in terms of its ability to render
graphics more accurately and to load websites.  You will gain an instant improvement in surfing
speed and a massive increase in online safety and security.

I just don't undertstand why so many people continue to use Internet Explorer when it has been so
blatantly poor and lacking compared to other browsers for so many years.  These comments are not
just my personal preferences and opinions, they are fact.  Internet Explorer is and always has been
a load of rubbish and there's plenty of evidence to support this all over the Internet.
__________________________________________________________________________________

Note 2 
What is wrong with your existing computer security programs? 

See Note 4 and Note 5 below 

Finally, if you are still not sure about whether to get rid of your existing security software in favour
of the programs listed here then ask yourself "Why are you here reading this page"?  It surely must
be because you have a sick windows computer.  If that is the case then one must assume that your
existing security and maintenance software is not doing what it is supposed to do.  Even if you paid
for a security program and the license is still valid, my advice is to start again from scratch, clear
everything out and follow ALL recommendations in the 28 steps of this procedure.


__________________________________________________________________________________

Note 3 
A true story - Tony's problematic firewall 

A little story... I recently did some work for a chap near Bath in England.  He had heard that I fix
computers and so called me - initially to say that his email had stopped working.  He could send
email but couldn't receieve email anymore.  He mentioned a few other problems like "freezing" and
annoying popups. 

I visited his house.  He and his wife seemed like very nice people.  I did a lot of work similar to
what is listed in these steps.  Tony ran a firewall named BullGuard which he had paid for - between
£20 and £50 - he had a 2 year license with 18 months left.  Someone had recommended
BullGuard to him and he was convinced that it was an essential part of his Internet Defence.
He said that he had some problems with BullGuard Updates and that he didn't find their
technical support people helpful. At that point I gave him a piece of advice which he chose to
ignore.  If he had followed my advice he would have saved himself a great deal of time and trouble.

My advice was to get rid of BullGuard and replace it with the free ZoneAlarm firewall and a few other
excellent security programs I knew about.  I just couldn't convince him.  He believed that BullGuard
was "holy" in some way and that because he had paid for it and his friend had recommended it
then it MUST be perfect!  He spent hours with emails and phonecalls to BullGuard Support.
They kept telling him to reinstall BullGuard and to uninstall all other security programs that might
conflict with BullGuard.  Tony then became suspicious of AVG.  All I could say was "I think you
should consider removing BullGuard and cut your losses".

As time went on I received over 10 emails in a 6 month period.  Tony was suffering a lot of stress
and lost time and his computer continued to malfunction.  In the end I stopped responding to his
emails having decided that some people just can't be helped.  You can lead a horse to water but you
can't make it drink.

There are some important points in all this. 


__________________________________________________________________________________

Note 4 
Big Bully Sales Tactics

Some large Internet security companies seem to adopt a policy which involves:

    Spending vast amounts of money on marketing campaigns

    Writing their Security Sotware in such a way as to deliberately be incompatible with
    competitor products

    Aiming to provide (and making claims of) total security in one package - all you need -
    a firewall, antivirus, antispyware, identity theft protection, phising protection, spam
    protection, etc, etc.

    Tying customers into contracts for as long as possible.

These Big Bully companies are living in a dream world and so are the poor ignorant souls who
become convinced that their products are superior just because they have a household name
and just because millions of other customers (poor ignorant souls) use them.

I'm talking about products like Norton 360.  When you install products like these they will tell
you that they have found incompatible programs (which might be spyware) on your computer
and will often list them out and ask you to remove them.  Get rid of AVG, get rid of ZoneAlarm,
get rid of all the brilliant software you have that works brilliantly and entrust it all to us!  Many
people fall for this and pay the price - you can see them every weekend in the queue for
technical support at PC World (in the UK) - all of them looking very stressed and unhappy,
half of them carrying a computer with cables dangling out the back.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Note 5 
Unsupportable Security Software and Terrible Technical support

These Big Bully companies are living in the past.  20 years ago their policies of total market
domination probably made more sense but today all things Internet has grown and continues to
grow exponentially - millions of people, millions of computers, millions of potential customers,
and billions to be made if you can convince enough of them that your security products are
the best.  Inevitably, some of those millions of Internet users are out to get your money - they
will hoodwink you, cheat you, scam you, spam you and then vanish into thin air.  The crooks
will try anything and everything to grab a slice of this incredibly big marketplace.

It is because of the shear scale of Internet crime and Internet nasties that smaller, more
specialised companies have been sprouting up to offer products and soltuions to combat
the nasties.  It seems to be a never ending game of attack and defence that grows more and
more complex by the month.  Due to the scale and complecity of the Internet today I say
with utter conviction that no one single company, however large, can justly claim to offer
a universal panacea for Internet Security.

The best way (and I believe the only way) to thouroughly protect your computer and your
personal data against Internet nasties is to employ the services and products of several
smaller, more specialised companies who are ahead of the game in their particular fields
of expertise.  We need to break the complexity of the Internet down into smaller,
more manageable chunks.  One should examine each chunk separately and try to find the
best program available for the job.  One must also ensure the inter-compatibility of the
separate programs so that they do not cause confilcts when running simultaneously on your
computer.  I have done most of this work for you on this web page.  The combination of
security products that I recommend here are, I believe, the best possible all round Windows
Internet Security and Windows computer maintenance setup that you can get for a home
personal computer or small business computer environment.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Note 6 
How to use the 28-step procedure and what you can expect from it

To get the full benefits of this 28 Step Procedure it is necessary to follow the instructions given in
each and every step to the letter.  If you think you know a better combination and would like to
recommend a change to the 28 steps please let me know.  I will give all suggestions due
consideration and if I find your suggestion leads to an improvement then I will change the procedure
and give you credit for it on this page.

Similarly, if you have benefitted from the full or partial implementaion of this 28-step procedure,
I would like to hear about your experience - good or bad.

I have tried and tested (and ultimately decided to use) ALL the software and procedures that are
recommended on this web page.  I do not accept any responsibility for loss of or damage to your
computer or computerised data (directly or indirectly) caused by the use of this procedure in whole
or in part.  The advice given on this web page is free of charge.  Some of the third party software
may not be free.  I accept no responsiblity for any losses incurred by you (the vistor and user of this
28-step procedure).  However, if I am alerted to any losses or problems caused by any part of this
procedure or programs recommended within the procedure then I will make immediate changes to
this procedure and send out email alerts to ANY registered users.  To be informed of any changes
to this procedure you must sign up for the springcleanpc newsletter (free).

You may not copy or re-use any material from this web page without my prior consent.
Plagiarism of a web page can result in Google penalising both websites and therefore I will pursue
all legal avenues in order to rectify the situation and WILL claim any damages that I incur.

All text and images on this web page are protected by British Copyright Laws:

© Nigel Goodwin - ComputorTutor (UK) 2009

__________________________________________________________________________________

What people who have used this procedure have to say...

Hi Nigel,     Thank you so much, you have just saved me about £400 because now my wife sooooooooo loves her laptop that she doesnt want a new one now and this is entirely down to you !! Well with a very small effort on my part..     I followed your brilliant 28 stage plan as closely as I could, downloading most of the freeware and paying for Max Spyware Detector and Max Registry Cleaner..     I already had AVG Free on her laptop so didnt need to download that..The only thing I would comment on is that when you download the Max package, surely there is no need to get free downloads for registry cleaners? Wouldnt that just confuse the pc or have I done wrong by paying for the Max Registry cleaner when I could have got a free one?     It took quite a lot of patience to actually get her up and running with a bit of trouble getting the pc to recognise her dongle again but once the laptop started up in ernest we are both absolutely amazed at the speed of her pc now, it is unrecognisable to the one she had before your guide.. She had over 5000 errors in her registry alone and 75 dangerous threats in her computer, trojans and viruses, all gone now thanks to you.     I am even thinking of doing this service for thers who have the same problems I am so confident of your guide,    
Thank you                              Mike

__________________________________________________________________________________