Re: Validation of XP
- From: "Rock" <Rock@xxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 2 Jul 2007 16:15:12 -0700
"Desperateparents" wrote
We have 3 PC's at home. We each have a copy of the XP CD, all purchased and
real.
My 12 year old has had problems requiring frequent reinstall's etc. I
suspect she gets nasty files via chat.
Anyway. She now gets a message saying the CD has been used too many times
and cannot be used again. Why? We paid for it?
How do I fix this, or rather how does Microsoft fix this. My 12 year old's
immediate reaction was "Why do we use this platform if they cheat us out of
our software?".
For the activation question, that message is misleading. What it really means is that you have to activate by telephone. Start activation again and when it is refused over the net choose the telephone activation.
As to your issue of needing constant reinstalls, it seems you are going about this reactively instead of proactively.
First thing to do is after the system is installed with all apps working and with a 3rd party firewall, AV program and antispyware apps, image the system to an external hard drive using Acronis True Image version 10. Then if something damages the installation you can restore this image and be back running, without needing activation, in about an hour. ATI also does file backup and disk cloning. You can save this base image, then image the system regularly and do file backup as an added measure of protection for the data, but know that if the system get's infected any backups made of the data after the time of infection are suspect and shouldn't be used. So keep that initial clean system image in a separate location.
Here are some links for practicing safe hex, and dealing with malware. You daughter's account should be a limited user account. You can't blame the OS for the problems. She needs to learn not to click on and install every interesting looking screen saver or file her friends send her. It's not that hard to keep a system clean, it just takes some common sense.
Besides a good AV program there should be several programs that deal with non viral malware. Also in addition to the resident AV scanner you could install a second AV program to run occasionally on demand, as a double check.
For AV, avoid Norton or McAfee. I use AVast (free). Some like AVG (free); NOD32 and Kaspersky, both paid, are excellent.
For non viral malware there is Ad-Aware (new version 2007 just released), SpyBot S&D, Windows Defender, SUPERAntiSpyware, AVG AntiSpyware, BHO Demon, Spyware Blaster (this is passive protection to prevent malware from being installed), and HijackThis, to name some of them.
For firewall I recommend either Sunbelt Software's Kerio Personal Firewall (free and paid) or Comodo Personal Firewall (free).
http://www.cert.org/tech_tips/before_you_plug_in.html#III
http://www.claymania.com/safe-hex.html
Why did I get infected in the first place
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=27971
Protect Your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/
Malware Removal
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware
THE PARASITE FIGHT
Finding, Removing & Protecting Yourself From Scumware
http://aumha.org/a/parasite.htm
Richard Harper’s Guide to Cleaning Pests
http://rgharper.mvps.org/cleanit.htm
--
Rock [MS-MVP User/Shell]
.
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