Next - The Microsoft System Configuration Utility (aka msconfig)

The System Configuration utility is a very handy application when it comes to stopping a program in its tracks.  With this, you can see which programs start up with Windows, and enable or disable them accordingly.  To use it, (for Windows XP users) simply open the Start menu and click on "Run...". Then all you need to do is type "msconfig" into the little text box, and click on Run.  For Windows Vista / 7 users, the process is similiar.  You will need to open the Start menu and just type "msconfig" into the search box right above the Start menu button, and press Enter / Return.

Now, you will see a "System Configuration" window, with the following tabs across the top; General, Boot, Services, Startup and Tools. The main tabs we will be using are Services and Startup.  Under the Services tabs is a list of services the computer uses during its operation.  A lot of these are vital for the system, but there are can also be hidden dangers running in these.  If there is a problem with your PC, be sure to check the box saying "Hide All Microsoft Services".  With that done, you will be able to safely be able to try disabling certain programs and seeing if there is a performance increase.  If a problem occurs after this has been done, you can easily re-enable something the same way.


Next is the Startup tab, this one is a little bit safer to play around with and perhaps a bit more useful.  If you notice your computer is running slower than usual, it may be because there are too many applications loading up when Windows starts.  You can safely disable any / all of the applications in this list, if something stops working correctly, simply re-enable it.  Another thing to check for is strange program filenames.  Often there can be a virus operating in the background of your computer, without any change in performance at all... After the change has been made, hit the Apply button, then hit the OK button.  You will be prompted with the option to restart the computer now, or restart later.  It doesn't matter which one you choose, the next time the computer boots up, the changes will be effective.  After it has started up, you may be greeted with a message box, about the changes that have been made.  This will continue to pop up until you check the box at the bottom of it, so it knows not to start up.

First thing's first - Task Manager

So what do you do when you've been infected? I'm just going to be generic here, a lot of viruses tend to have very similiar behaviour anyway.

First thing's first, try the obvious options. Open the Task Manager integrated into Windows by pressing Ctrl, Alt and Delete at the same time. Depending on your version of Windows, and the way it has been set up, one of two things will pop up.  You may get a full screen interface, with the option to select "Start Task Manager", or the Task Manager might just pop up straight away.  Now that you're in the Task Manager, the default tab is the "Applications" tab. Basically this just lists everything you see in the taskbar, and gives you the option to switch to that application, close it off, or start a new one entirely.

The second tab is the "Processes" tab. This one is similiar, but show's alot more detail, and also show's the programs running that you can't see. It is very handy when it comes to locating malicious programs, or even just finding the cause of a slow computer because of an application hogging the resources.  The easiest way to use this is by clicking one of the buttons at the top of the program list ("Image Name, User Name, CPU, etc"). This will arrange the programs alphabetically by which ever button was clicked.  Usually, a malicious program will stick right out in this list, especially if you are familiar with what you should have running in the background.  Viruses will also often have very dodgy looking filenames, like something along the lines of "kfdhsufnw.exe", for example.

The CPU arrangement option is great for finding a cause of a slow computer too. Often you can find a program not responding in the background, eating all of the computers resources while it's at it. It works by arranging programs in a percentage styled list. 00 meaning the application is using next to nothing in CPU resources, and 99 meaning its chewing through all of it (which would indeed make it very slow).

If you encounter any of the above symptoms / problems, the End Process button can be a quick fix.  It will stop the program from running completely, and close it off.  Be sure not to do it if you have any unsaved progress in the program you're about to end however, it will be lost!  To use it, simply highlight the program in the process list and click on the End Process button, or alternatively, you can just highlight the program and press the Delete key.  Keep in mind, this does not delete the program, it just stops it from running. You can execute it again if need be.  It is also not a permanant fix for viruses, they will often come back either straight away, or next time the computer starts.

Hi all!

Name's Cameron, 20 year old living in the city of Townsville (no, not the same as the Powerpuff Girls), up in Sunny Queensland, Australia.  For quite some time now, I have been running my Windows PC's without the aid of Anti-virus software. For me, this has been a great experience... However, I'm sure there are a lot of other people out there that would disagree!

As daunting as this all sounds, it really isn't difficult to protect your computer from these digital threats, all on your lonesome. Sometimes all it takes is a little common sense. I will be keeping this blog updated, so keep checking back to make sure you're doing all you can to keep yourself out of trouble!

And remember, this isn't just for people brave enough to explore without anti-virus, at some point, even with the aid of this software, it just won't be enough to completely clear a virus.