paul   Paul's notes on Microsoft Windows XP setup

Here is how I configure Microsoft Windows XP. If you have a Windows PC earlier than Windows XP, throw it out and instead buy a new Dell. Trust me, it is not worth the time and money to try to upgrade an older PC. If you do buy a new PC, spend the time to remove all the extra crap that Dell installs for you. If you are not sure which ones you can remove, ask a geek friend.

Windows XP Settings

See my desktop settings to see how I configure my Windows desktop, menus, taskbar, etc.

User Applications

Security Software

In general I'd rather have a computer virus than be forced to use anti-virus software (as they are all so obnoxious), but everyone needs to be protected at least from spyware.

Developer Software

Here are applications useful for software developer geeks like me:

Family Safe Software

Backup Software

To backup your PCs over the net and/or to each other, try one of these:

Remote Support

To help a family member remotely try one of these:

Ghosting

If you use or support multiple PCs, it is very useful to setup a "ghost" master, so if one PC gets in trouble, you can "rebuild" it very quickly, with the exact setup and settings you like. This "ghosting" stuff used to be done only by wizards, but the latest software makes it easy even for moderate geeks. Here are a few popular ghosting components:


home Updated Wed 14-Feb-2007 2:29 PM