Downloading, the Right Way (Page 3)
The System Configuration is an easy way to get under the hood of Windows with very little chance of the user messing anything up, and short of getting into the Windows Registry (which can cause a lot of damage if not used properly). To access System Configuration, click on Start, and in the search field under "All Programs", type in "config.sys". he first entry in the list is System Configuration:
Hit Enter, and the System Configuration window opens up:
The first tab is the General tab, and allows you to choose between the Normal Startup, Diagnostic Startup, and Selective Startup. Any changes made in the Startup tab will automatically have Selective Startup set.
Here you can set your computer to boot up in Safe Mode when troubleshooting your PC. You can also check the box for Networking if you need Internet Access as well. This would be handy for needing to download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware or another free program when testing for viruses, spyware, and the like. Some PC manufacturer's allow you to press and hold one or more keys down on your keyboard when booting up in order to choose the start (boot) disk, recovery mode, and in some cases, Safe Mode. If you're not sure, simply use System Configuration to do so, (but remember to set it back to Normal or Selective Startup when you're finished).
In the example above, the list of operating system is empty only because I use my OS X disk to load another program, where I can then choose to boot up to OS X or Windows 7. In your case, your version of Windows will appear in the list.
THE NITTY GRITTY
In the example above, the list of operating system is empty only because I use my OS X disk to load another program, where I can then choose to boot up to OS X or Windows 7. In your case, your version of Windows will appear in the list.
THE NITTY GRITTY
The Services tab shows you the components that are currently running. This is a good indicator as to what viruses and such you may running on your computer. Here I have the check box "Hide all Microsoft services" box checked, as these take up a majority of items on the list and are known as safe. This also reveals everything else I installed that didn't come with Windows. While you may not visually notice any problematic software on your computer, this list is a great indication of malicious software that may be infecting your computer in the background.
You may end up browsing various shopping sites only to see pop-ups from another shopping site or competitor in your web browser (I'm looking at you, Scorpion Saver). Anything that you don't recognize from an earlier install might pop up on this list. Sometimes a seemingly legit program can cause issues though. The password-remembering app Gator was known for this, as it was a helpful application yet would hijack sites and other information for marketing purposes. To prevent malicious apps from running (in most cases), simply check the box next to it. While this won't remove it, the program should not run at all.
You may end up browsing various shopping sites only to see pop-ups from another shopping site or competitor in your web browser (I'm looking at you, Scorpion Saver). Anything that you don't recognize from an earlier install might pop up on this list. Sometimes a seemingly legit program can cause issues though. The password-remembering app Gator was known for this, as it was a helpful application yet would hijack sites and other information for marketing purposes. To prevent malicious apps from running (in most cases), simply check the box next to it. While this won't remove it, the program should not run at all.
The Startup tab is particularly useful to disable programs from running when you boot your computer. The main things to pay attention to here are the items in the Startup column and Manufacturer column. Everythnig except the last item, Comrade.exe, is selected and pose no possible threats. The Comrade.exe program seems to be malicious or problematic, which explains why it has been disabled from startup. You can always do a quick Google search on any of the startup items or services you're not comfortable or unsure of , and websites like PCHell.com or BleepingComputer.com go into detail explaining their safeness and how to remove them if those findings are malicious.
If you made/make any changes to the settings in the System Configuration, hit Apply, then Close, and a window pops up prompting you to restart to have the changes take effect. You can choose to Exit without Restart and continue working as well, and the changes you made will take effect the next time you start or restart your computer.
Now you can save time and money with your awareness on what is and isn't safe to download!
If you made/make any changes to the settings in the System Configuration, hit Apply, then Close, and a window pops up prompting you to restart to have the changes take effect. You can choose to Exit without Restart and continue working as well, and the changes you made will take effect the next time you start or restart your computer.
Now you can save time and money with your awareness on what is and isn't safe to download!