Both Ad-Aware and SpyBot have been added to my husband's laptop, but I have no idea how to use either. Your website under No. 1 says it is "forbidden." What do I do now? Pat At 12:42 PM 10/5/2004, Jim Raehl wrote: >Several possibilities often mentioned in the Opera browser forums >(http://my.opera.com/forums/: >1. Adware installed from web sites, usually due to using Internet Explorer >browser. This junk eats memory and CPU cycles, while sending your >browsing habits to the advertisers. See this thread for adware removal >programs. I use both Ad-Aware and Spybot. >http://my.opera.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=63734&highlight=adware+removal >2. Hard disk becomes fragmented. The disk heads whip all over the disk, >taking lots of time and shortening the hard disk life. Use your Windows >disk de-fragment program regularly. I run mine while I'm at church on >Sundays, or overnight a couple times a month. >3. Slow browser, such as Internet Explorer. Fast alternates include Opera >(http://www.opera.com) which is my favorite, Firefox >(http://www.mozilla.org), or Netscape (http://www.netscape.com). >4. More obscure possibilities include poorly-written anti-virus programs >such as Norton Systemworks (try searching Opera forums on keyword "NOD32" >for a better one, or "virus" for others), too many programs running in the >Windows system tray, and too many programs running in too little memory. > >Under normal circumstances, a disk reformat isn't needed, unless some >adware program has trashed Windows. Adware removal, de-fragmenting, and >uninstalling little-used programs is usually sufficient. I would just try >to reinstall Windows, before I reformatted the disk. I haven't >reformatted or reinstalled Windows for 4 years. > >Jim Raehl > >Joan Cybolsky wrote: >>My computer is just getting slower and slower. Even to start it up in >>the morning before I even connect to the internet is slow. Is there some >>way I can check to see if the paths are messed up - sorry, not the right >>technical terms, I know. It seems to be working way too hard to do >>routine things like load windows. Would Norton Systemworks help, or can >>someone suggest something like that to help me. Or is it time for a >>reformat? Running Windows XP, the computer is only 1 yr old. > > >==== GEN-COMP-TIPS Mailing List ==== >DO NOT open unexpected file attachments from people, even if you know >them. Verify with the sender first. This may be your only line of defence, >other than AV Software, against mail "viruses" > >============================== >You can manage your RootsWeb-Review subscription from >http://newsletters.rootsweb.com/