Windows Rejuvenated!

Dan PageIf Windows stumbles but doesn't fall, your PC likely needs only refurbishing, not a full operating system makeover. In fact, machines with startup problems can usually be repaired without a last-gasp reinstallation. (Of course, if your PC experiences problems before Windows loads, chances are they have nothing to do with the OS; click here to read Kirk Steers' "Five-Minute Fixes" from January.) Follow these steps to reinvigorate your current Windows setup.

You may be amazed at just how many programs load automatically at Windows boot-up and then run in the background as you work (not all of them appear as icons in the system tray, either). Each of these programs uses memory and other resources, which might even cause a conflict with another program.

To view your list of autostart apps, select Start, Run, type msconfig, and press Enter to open the System Configuration Utility. (Windows 2000 lacks this utility, download Mike Lin's free Startup Control Panel alternative for that OS.) Click the Startup tab (see FIGURE 1FIGURE 1: What are those strange autoloading programs? Find out with the System Configuration Utility. (You may need to widen the Command column to view the entire path.)). Uncheck items in this list to keep them from autoloading.

Windows 2000 needs no autoload programs, and Windows XP requires only one--sort of. If you don't use Microsoft Messenger, you may want to uncheck 'msmsgs', but doing so can cause problems with Outlook, Internet Explorer, or other Microsoft programs. Windows 98 and Me have several autoloading applications. In these versions, keep LoadPowerProfile, SystemTray, ScanRegistry, PCHealth, and TaskMonitor selected (including both instances of the first one if it's listed twice, which can occur as part of Windows' boot process). If you use Windows' Task Scheduler, don't uncheck SchedulingAgent (to find out whether a program is using the applet, select Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Scheduled Tasks and see if anything is listed). For Windows Me, keep StateMgr.

Determining whether you need your other autoload apps requires a bit of detective work. You can usually figure out what application put the entry in your startup list by reading the information in the Startup tab's Command column. For instance, if you see that the loading file is located in the Roxio folder, it's a good bet that the entry is a Roxio program. Google can also help ferret out the source of these programs; if you search for the file name, you're bound to find an explanation.

Keep checked any listing related to your firewall or your antivirus program to make sure they're always running in the background. On the other hand, some autoloaders put an icon in the system tray for launching an application that you could just as easily launch from the Start menu. Having these programs autoload is a waste of resources, so uncheck away.

Sometimes it's a judgment call: If a utility enhances Windows in a way you like, running it at all times could be worthwhile. The four programs recommended in "Longhorn's Features--Now" fall into this "maybe for you" category. But even then, if Windows gives you trouble, consider disabling such a program--at least temporarily--to see whether it's the culprit; life may be better without it.

Unfortunately some unchecked programs have a way of reappearing checked and autoloaded, even though you just unchecked them. Why? The application that installed the autoloading program sees what you've done, and responds by "correcting" your mistake. (Older versions of Real Networks' media player are known offenders.) If this happens to you, unchecking the option will just create a cycle of frustration. Instead, launch the application and explore its menus, looking for a "load at startup" option. When you find it, uncheck it.

If you don't find such an option, check the vendor's Web site, or as a last resort call its technical support line. If you discover that there's no way to turn off the autoloader, and you have no good reason to leave it on, ask yourself how badly you want that program on your PC--which brings us to our next section.

A program doesn't have to be running to mess up Windows' performance. Getting rid of all the applications on your PC that you no longer use is a good idea. Doing so isn't always easy, however.

Most programs have their own uninstall routine. Unfortunately, these routines seldom remove everything. All too often installing a program gives you both benefits and problems, and uninstalling it removes only the benefits. I sometimes suspect that software developers write installation routines on the assumption that you bought your computer to run their software exclusively, and they create uninstall routines only because they have to--while reassuring themselves that no one would ever want to use the feature to remove their programming masterpiece.

Nevertheless, the program's own uninstall routine is the best place to start the removal process. You might find a shortcut to the uninstaller on the program's Start menu entry. If not, select Start, Control Panel, Add or Remove Programs (in Windows XP) or Start, Settings, Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs (in all other Windows versions). Find the program you want on the 'Currently installed programs' list (under the Install/Uninstall tab in Windows 98), click the Add/Remove or Change/Remove button (see FIGURE 2FIGURE 2: Uninstall programs you no longer use, but don't expect to remove every trace of them.), and follow the prompts.

You haven't really gotten rid of the program yet. Reopen the System Configuration utility to see whether the uninstalled application still autoloads anything; if it does, follow the steps in "Cut Back on Autoloads" above. Next, open Windows Explorer and delete the program's folder inside the C:\Program Files directory (if it's still there). And if a shortcut to the program is still on the Start menu, right-click the item and then select Delete.

To reassign any file associations that the uninstalled program may have claimed, open Windows Explorer, select Tools, Folder Options (View, Folder Options in Windows 98), and click the File Types tab and then the File Types header under 'Registered file types' to sort the list of file types by program (this header isn't available in Windows 98). Check the list for any extensions associated with the uninstalled program. If you find one, click Change and select a new program to open that file type. For example, if you uninstall an image editor, you can reassociate .bmp files with Windows' own Paint utility. Or click Delete to make .bmp an unassociated file type. Then you'll be prompted for which program to use each time you attempt to open a file of this type.

You'll also want to clean the program out of the Windows Registry. (See "Pare the Registry" below for instructions.)

You need to scan your system for spyware regularly, but it's especially important to do so when Windows behaves oddly (well, more oddly than usual).

No anti-spyware program I've used finds all the miscreants, so you should run more than one scanner. Fortunately, two of the best are free: Lavasoft's Ad-Aware and Patrick M. Kolla's Spybot Search & Destroy. Click here to download these and other popular (and free) spyware catchers. Get the latest updates for the programs after you install them and before you scan your system.

SpywareGuide (www.spywareguide.com; see FIGURE 3FIGURE 3: Get the goods on the spyware you find on your system by using the database at SpywareGuide.), provides valuable information on malicious software from a database covering more than 800 known spyware programs. Read Steve Bass's tips on finding--and blocking--spyware.

Conventional wisdom urges us to frequently update our drivers--the programs that tell Windows what to do with hardware. Of course, conventional wisdom once held that the world is flat.

If your PC is running well, there's no reason to update your drivers. But if you're having trouble, a driver update might help. First, open Windows' Device Manager by right-clicking My Computer and selecting Properties. In Windows XP and 2000, click Hardware, Device Manager. In Windows 98 or Me, click Device Manager.

Look for entries with yellow question marks or red exclamation points: The question mark indicates that Windows is using a generic driver for that device instead of one designed for it, and an exclamation point means that the device is not working. The drivers for graphics boards, sound cards, and printers are most likely to need an update. Drivers under 'Computer', 'Disk drives', 'Floppy disk drives', and 'Keyboards' rarely require updating.

To update a driver, double-click the component listing and choose Driver, Update Driver in the product's Properties dialog box (see FIGURE 4FIGURE 4: Find an update for your old driver by clicking the Update Driver button in the Properties dialog box for the device.). The Hardware Update Wizard will search for an updated driver on your local drives as well as on Microsoft's Windows Update site, and it will install the driver if it finds one.

Even if the wizard doesn't find one, a driver update may be available. Search for a new version on the vendor's Web site, or enter the full product name plus the word driver in a search engine. When you find an update, make sure it works with your version of Windows. Either the new driver will install automatically after you download and run it or it will provide you with installation instructions.

Updating a driver could make things worse, however. In Windows XP, click Roll Back Driver under the Driver tab in the Properties dialog box to return to the previous version. If you regret updating a driver in 98, Me, or 2000, your only option is to replace it with a generic driver (at least until the vendor releases a bug fix).

There's no bigger rat's nest on a well-used Windows system than the Registry. Whenever you install software, change hardware, or download something from the Web, you pour gunk into this vast, loosely constructed database that Windows relies on to work properly. Cleaning it out can make a world of difference in Windows' performance. Before you start, make sure you can restore the Registry to its previous state should you delete the wrong key. Windows 98, Me, and XP (but not 2000) back up the Registry automatically, but it doesn't hurt to make an extra backup before doing something that could hose your PC. With your personal data, it makes sense to store the backup at another location, but that's not the case with the Registry backup. If your hard drive goes bad, it's pointless to restore this Registry backup in another Windows setup.

In Windows XP and Me, you can use System Restore to back up the Registry. Select Start, All Programs (Programs in Me), Accessories, System Tools, System Restore, Create a restore point, and then follow the prompts. To back up the Windows 98 Registry, select Start, Run, type scanreg, and press Enter. When you see no more errors, click Yes and then OK.

Windows 2000 offers no reliable way to back up your Registry, so you have to use third-party software. I recommend Lars Hederer's free Emergency Recovery Utility NT (ERUNT).

There are easier (and safer) Registry-cleaning tools than Windows' own Registry Editor. One is ChemTable Software's $30 Reg Organizer, which gives you a conventional Registry editor (prettier than Microsoft's), as well as a tabbed view of Registry keys that often need cleaning (such as File Types and Startup Processes). You can even create a list of favorite Registry items and return to them with a single click (although a list of Registry keys that you must return to repeatedly would more appropriately be called "least favorite").

Reg Organizer's Registry Cleanup tool searches for problems and presents its findings. It can, at your discretion, repair some of the errors it finds and delete entries that it can't repair. And here's another cool Reg Organizer feature: If you've just uninstalled a program, click the utility's Search and Replace icon to finish the job. Here you can delete all listings containing the removed program's name (or the name of its vendor).

If you're brave enough to clean out the Registry with Windows' own Registry Editor, read "Care and Feeding of the Windows Registry," Stan Miastkowski's May 2002 Step-By-Step column, for instructions.

Start Anew in Windows

Sometimes Windows is beyond recovery, and there's nothing left but to put it out of your misery. And I don't suggest you do something dire, like buying a Mac.

A Windows reinstallation isn't always a last-resort solution, however. In fact, I reinstall my OS about once a year to clear out the cobwebs. But I'm a risk-taker by nature. The safest course is to wipe Windows clean only when you have to.

If all goes well, you'll be done in only a couple of hours, but be ready to survive without the machine's services for a day or two if you need to troubleshoot the reinstall. Before you do anything, back up: Make a copy of all your data files and place it on a CD or other removable medium. For optimal results, use a disk-imaging program such as Acronis's $50 True Image (see FIGURE 5FIGURE 5: Before you reinstall Windows, create a complete image of your drive using a program such as True Image from Acronis.), which duplicates your hard drive so that it can be quickly and easily restored if necessary.

Next, collect your Windows installation CD (or the restore CD that came with your computer), plus the discs for every application that you want to keep. If you don't have a restore CD, look for a restore utility on your PC, which likely has an option to create a restore CD. If you downloaded a shareware program and don't have a CD, make sure to track down the registration code needed to turn the free trial into the fully functional, unlimited-use version.

With luck, you won't need the CDs that came with your hardware, which are neither easy to access nor up-to-date. Put all of your current device drivers in a separate folder, away from C:\Windows, before the reinstall. I've written three batch files for doing this. Click here to download the one for your version of Windows and to read the instructions for using it. But be forewarned: If a set-aside driver doesn't work, you may still need the outdated one from the vendor's CD.

Below are all the steps required to reinstall Windows XP and 2000. "New Beginnings for Windows 98 and Me" has more info for those versions.

Take a deep breath, insert your Windows or restore CD, and reboot your PC. Restore CDs vary from vendor to vendor, so I can't give you specific instructions. At their best, the discs are fully functional Windows CDs holding all the drivers you need. But at their worst, they only allow you to return your hard drive to its factory condition--with Windows but without any of your data and programs.

If the only option on your restore CD is a fresh factory installation, make doubly sure you have your data backed up before you reinstall. After the reinstall, you'll have to restore your data from this backup (but you can skip the "Match Users to Data" section below).

If your CD has a full copy of Windows XP or 2000, you'll be prompted to 'Press any key to boot from CD'. Do so. In the setup program, pick the options that will leave the previous file system in place while deleting (as opposed to repairing) the old operating-system files. For instance, if you're told 'To use the folder and delete the existing Windows installation in it, press L', press l. I got four of these prompts the last time I reinstalled Windows, since my system has multiple hard drives, each with multiple partitions.

You'll eventually be asked for your user name, as well as for the names of other users. Enter just one name--not your real name (problems can arise if Windows tries to make new folders with the same names as existing ones). Instead, enter the name fake, which you'll delete later.

When you're back in Windows logged on as someone named "fake," open Windows Explorer to C:\Documents and Settings, select Tools, Folder Options, View, Show hidden files and folders, and make sure 'Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)' is unchecked. Click Yes, and then OK.

Now you'll see six or more folders, among which will likely be ones named All Users, All Users.WINDOWS, Default User, Default User.WINDOWS, and 'fake'. There will also be a folder for each of the old installation's log-in names. Open the Default User folder and look for one or more files named 'NTUSER' (they may have different file extensions). Delete these files, press Ctrl-A to select all the remaining files and folders, and then drag them all to the Default User.WINDOWS folder. At any dialog box, select Yes or, better yet, Yes to All (see FIGURE 6FIGURE 6: Move old files and settings to new locations after reinstalling Windows XP or 2000.). When you're done, delete the empty Default User folder. Repeat the process with the All Users folder, copying everything except the 'NTUSER' files (if they exist) to the All Users.WINDOWS folder.

Return to the Documents and Settings folder and rename each of the folders for an actual user (rather than the All Users, Default User, and 'fake' folders) by adding the extension .old to the name. For instance, rename the folder 'Lincoln' to Lincoln.old (click the folder name once or use the F2 key to rename folders).

To create the real accounts, select Start, Control Panel, User Accounts in Windows XP or Start, Settings, Control Panel, Users and Passwords in Windows 2000. Create an account for each user from the previous install. At least one of the accounts must have administrator privileges. In Windows 2000 you may have to check Users must enter user name and password to use this computer to create users.

Once all of the users are in place, log off "fake" and log on to each new account one at a time. In XP, select Start, Log Off, Log Off; in 2000, click Start, Shut Down, Log off fake, OK. If you are the only user, log on as yourself, log off, and log on again as "fake." If there are multiple users, first log on as one user, then log off and log on again as the next user, then log off again, and so on, until you've logged on and off as each user before logging back on as "fake." XP users: Resist the temptation to use the Switch User option (which does not exist in 2000); you need to completely log off each user, not just switch users.

Once you're logged back on as "fake," your Documents and Settings folder should have two folders for each real user: 'login name' and 'login name.old'. Delete the 'NTUSER' files and move the others as described above for Default User, but this time from the 'login name.old' folder to the 'login name' folder. In other words, if the user's name is "Lincoln," you would enter the 'Lincoln.old' folder, delete all the 'NTUSER' files, and drag the remaining files and folders to the 'Lincoln' folder.

When you're done, log off "fake," and then log on to one of the system's real accounts with administrator privileges. Finally, return to Control Panel's User Accounts applet and delete the "fake" account, using the option to delete files.

The last step is to reinstall your drivers. If you ran my batch files before reinstalling, simply open Device Manager as described in "Update Your Drivers." Listings with a yellow question mark need an update (see FIGURE 7FIGURE 7: Device Manager makes it easy for you to find the drivers that need to be replaced after you've reinstalled Windows.). But other drivers may be out of date as well. When I reinstalled Windows 98 and Me, my video card was assigned a generic VGA-card driver and didn't complain (although my graphics looked terrible until I updated the driver).

To reinstall a driver, double-click its listing in Device Manager and choose Driver, Update Driver. Select the option in the Hardware Update Wizard that lets you choose the location of the search and select the driver (the wording varies). Uncheck the option to search floppies, CDs, and other removable media, and direct the wizard to look in the folder c:\olddrivers. Click Next and follow the prompts.

If you are prompted to insert a particular CD, click OK and point to c:\olddrivers, which is where your drivers are stored. If that doesn't work, simply tell the installer to skip that file. The driver will likely install properly despite Windows' inability to find that specific file. However, if the device doesn't work, dig out the CD that came with it and load the driver from it. When all the drivers are in place, delete the c:\olddrivers folder, or move it to a removable medium for safekeeping.

Your applications are still on your hard drive and listed on your Start menu (that is, unless your restore CD reformatted your hard drive), but most of them won't work because Windows can't see them yet. Reinstall the applications that don't open when you try them. If you no longer want a program, delete its shortcut from the Start menu and remove its folder from the Program Files folder. You don't have to properly uninstall the app this time.

At some point, you may have to reactivate XP. Since your hardware hasn't changed, this should be no problem. And last but definitely not least, you should update Windows and your applications. Click here for tips on installing XP's Service Pack 2.

New-Look Windows: Longhorn's Features--Now

Everyone's waiting for LonghornGet the look of Longhorn now: Four utilities produce a partial facsimile of Longhorn today., Microsoft's follow-up to Windows XP due out in 2006 (last we checked). But you don't have to wait for some of the new operating system's most anticipated features. These four utilities give Windows XP several of Longhorn's projected interface improvements now, for a total cost of only $40. Click here for the downloads.

Desktop Sidebar: Longhorn will supplement the Windows taskbar with a new sidebar panel that displays information gleaned from your computer and the Internet. The free Desktop Sidebar utility from Idea2 already does that. The program's panels show your e-mail, Outlook calendar, system performance data, news feeds, and even a slide show. Like the Windows taskbar, the sidebar can display at all times or hide until you want it.

Actual Transparent Window: Ever wanted to see what's in the window behind the one that's currently active on your screen? In Longhorn you'll be able to make any window as transparent as you like. Actual Transparent Window, a $20 shareware program from Actual Tools, does the same thing today. The program gives every window an extra title-bar icon to control transparency: Click it to have the window toggle between full opacity (the default) and 20 percent transparency. Set the transparency level on a window-by-window basis, or apply it to all windows at once using the program's configuration tool.

Spaces: My notes from testing Spatial Research's $20 Spaces utility begin with a simple declaration: "This is really fun!" As Longhorn promises to do, Spaces replaces the flat Windows desktop with a three-dimensional workspace in which you can move running programs into the background or foreground, or to the side. Shift open windows around Spaces' two angled grids; zoom in and out, or rotate your desktop view. Spaces requires Microsoft's free .Net Framework, available at windowsupdate.microsoft.com.

Copernic Desktop Search: Windows' search engine is pathetic. Longhorn promises to fix this via "libraries"--which have many of the attributes of folders--among other improvements. Copernic Technologies' free Copernic Desktop Search doesn't offer all that, but the program does search the contents of your files--so fast that you'll miss it if you blink. How does it do this? By indexing the files on your hard drive the way Web search engines index the Internet. And like a Web search engine, it allows you to do advanced searches using and-or-not strings; for instance, I can search for any files containing the words "Windows" and "Longhorn" plus the phrase "coming in 2006" but not the word "cow." Copernic Desktop Search even shows you the contents of the files that it finds.

A Clean Slate: New Beginnings for Windows 98 and Me

Reinstalling Windows 98 and Me is trickier than reinstalling XP and 2000, but in many ways the process is the same: Follow all the steps in "Be Prepared."

My driver-copy batch file for Windows 98 and Me also copies the data folders that reside inside C:\Windows to a backup folder named 'c:\datawin'. Because you must delete the old Windows folder before you install the new one, this data must be moved to a safe place. The folders that must be saved are All Users, Application Data, Desktop, Favorites, Local Settings, Profiles, SendTo, and Start Menu (not every installation has all of these folders). C:\My Documents doesn't need to be copied to a different location--it's already outside the Windows folders. If the PC has multiple users, everyone's individual My Documents folder is actually inside C:\Windows\Profiles, which my batch file will back up.

You need a startup floppy to reinstall Windows 98 and Me. To create one, have a blank, formatted floppy disk ready and select Start, Settings, Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs. Click Startup Disk, Create Disk, and follow the prompts.

Next, reboot your system from that floppy. At the Startup Menu, select Start computer with CD-ROM support. Once DOS has loaded with a generic CD-ROM driver, put your Windows CD-ROM into the drive. At the DOS prompt, type dir x:, where x is your CD-ROM drive letter. This letter is probably one up from the CD drive letter that you're used to, so if Windows sees your CD drive as D:, it will probably be recognized as E: here. (Windows Me will show you the correct drive letter on screen.) Type c:\windows\command\deltree /y c:\windows (don't forget the spaces after "deltree" and "/y") and press Enter. Once you're back at the A> prompt, type x:setup, where x is again the CD drive letter, and press Enter. Follow the prompts. Don't forget to remove the floppy before Windows reboots.

(If your PC was set up for multiple users, select Start, Settings, Control Panel, Users (in 98) or Start, Settings, Control Panel, view all Control Panel options, Users (in Me). Use the exact log-in names that were used previously; each is now the name of a folder inside c:\datawin\profiles. Once you've re-created each user log-in, reboot and press Esc to bring you to Windows without logging you in as a specific user.)

Finally, select Start, Run, type xcopy c:\datawin\*.* c:\windows /s /h /r, and press Enter. If you're prompted about overwriting a file, press a for 'All'. When xcopy is finished, reboot your PC and follow the instructions in "Finish the Job."

The Simple Way to Back Up and Reinstall Your Device Drivers

A clean Windows reinstallation involves deleting everything in your system's Windows folder, including your hardware's device drivers. These batch files copy your drivers to another folder on your hard drive that won't be deleted by the Windows revamp. The file for PCs running Windows 98 or Me also copies your data from the Windows folder to a safer location. (Note that this step isn't necessary when reinstalling Windows 2000 and XP because these operating systems don't store user data in the Windows folder.)

Click the link below for your version of Windows to download the file to your hard drive. You can place the file on your desktop or in any other convenient location. After the download is complete, double-click the file to open a DOS (or Command Line) window. Read the message onscreen, and then press any key to continue.

Commands and file names (mostly file names) will scroll up the screen. Close the window when the scrolling has stopped. See "Start Anew in Windows" for instructions on reloading the drivers (and user data in Windows 98 and Me) once the operating system has been reinstalled.

The file for Windows XP

The file for Windows 2000

The file for Windows 98 and Me