Microsoft - They're watching you

[I_am_the_Black_one]

http://www.microsuck.com/content/ms-hidden-files.shtml

After reading this im downloading linux, suffer billy......
Any one else know of flaws in M$ ?

[chemwarrior]

Micro$hitties... theres a lot to complain about. In general, there are many many performace issues, as well as flaws... These range from minor things like the fucking clock going haywire despite the battery being fine, to sudden crashes while working on major projects.. (I know both from experiance... the damn shit pisses me off every time...) Also, the security sucks ass. I went through the link you posted and tried some of the things.. My god! Seriously, some of the shit is very hazardous to a pyros health! I went through and deleted a lot of the shit, and Im trying to work on a way of automating the process, since I dont feel like fucking around with doing it all again...

Anyone with anything to hide, and uses microshits, needs to go through and remove those files...

[Nihilist]

As much as people love to hate microsoft, and windows, they aren't actually that bad. Yes, the history issue is definitely a problem. However, as much as chemwarrior thinks otherwise, windows(NT and after) security is very good. There is only one remote exploit for XP that I know of, which is the plug and play sploit, which was fixed in the first patch. For me XP is very stable I have only had it crash mebbe once or twice in the 2 years I have been using it.

[Rhadon]

I knew about that, but calling it a flaw really is a euphemism. This "feature" was planned, probably to spy users' habits. The same thing applies to Windows MediaPlayer: It will save what DVDs (files also, probably) you play and then send this information to some internet server (most likely one of Microsoft's).

I have often thought about using Linux instead of Windows, but the problem is that there are so much applications you want to use and will not be able to get for Linux. Perhaps there exists a Linux version, but it's not available on the internet and who wants to pay for software...

The best solution for this problem could be not to use any software from Microsoft instead of Windows itself. Zoom Player (http://www.inmatrix.com/files/zoomplayer_download.shtml) is an excellent substitute for Windows Media Player and it's totally free. Star Office (http://wwws.sun.com/software/star/staroffice/6.0/) can be used instead of MS Office, unfortunately this one is not free, though. Opera (http://www.opera.com/download/) is a fine webbrowser and The Bat! (http://www.ritlabs.com/the_bat/download.html) is in many ways better than Outlook. My last two recommendations contain ads if they are unregistered.

[chemwarrior]

Rhadon-
Im not sure where I saw it, but if Im not mistaken there is a program that will allow you to run most windows based programs on Linux. Ill see if I can find it later for you, and then Ill add a link.

Also, concerning security, there are quite a few.. The plug and play one is minor at best, but some of the security concerns are the saved history files, saved e-mails, etc. Its one reason that the branch of the gov my dad works for (not really a branch.. secure communications to be more precise) no longer uses windows for ANYTHING. Too many security/ reliability issues. Its the reason they now use Linux.

I myself use windows XP, mainly because Im too damn lazy to bother with setting up a new OS and then reconfiguring all my files... I myself dont have many security issues, but reliability... the damn system crashes for no damn reason have the time... hell, its crashed more than once in the middle of the night doing absolutely nothing! I dont keep extra files open, I dont have tons of background programs running, and I have a fast PC so there is no damn reason for it! Also, I was browsing the site and they are right about the files taking up far too much space... Throughout XP there are numerous files that have absolutely no purpose whatsoever, and just take up space.. I know because Ive managed to delete over 300 megs of totally useless shit, and Im not talking about programs or readme files, just shit that exists. Also, Ive ran across several files that contain nothing at all, and are just black notepad files, or the like. If I come across anymore, Ill post them here so everyone can delete the useless shit.

[peterthesmart]

I've also realized with the disk cleanup utility how it says it can free up x number of space. Everytime I run it, it never frees up as much space as it claims it can. I've checked all the boxes for items to be deleted. I decided to take matters into my own hands and delete all the files in the temp folder. Amazingly enough it screwed up several of my programs.

[Nihilist]

I said REMOTE exploits, there are tons of local sploits for windows, including the ever popular unpatchable shatter attacks, but the only way you can exploit a local vulnerability is if you already have an account on the system, which most of us won't have to worry about. Plug and Play is the only remote exploit(not including 0days). However privacy is definitely an issue while windows stores files on you, it most definitely does not send them to a remote server like rhadon said(not to say that they won't start doing this with the implenentation of TCPA, because they will). Another thing is that if the cops confiscate your box(the only way the hiddne cookies are even relevant) then unless you have been deleting, AND binary overwriting all of your files, then all of that work you did to "erase" all of your history has been worthless.

[Tuatara]

Chemwarrior, I believe you are thinking of Lindows - a shell for linux that provides Windows API interface for windows apps.
I use Win2k professional - the autoupdate feature seems to add another security patch every two weeks or so :eek:

I don't use outlook - too many viruses target outlook. I use BVRP's Phone Tools, mostly because it came free with my modem, but also because it is fairly oddball - e.g. it doesn't interpret HTML, just displays the source code.

I must trawl through my drive too, not because I'm worried about security, but because I want my F***ing disk space back :mad:

[chemwarrior]

I think your right Tuatara... and I believe there is another one... Ill take a trip into MicroCenter and browse their Linux products hopefully before I leave for my cousins wedding tommorrow.

Also, isnt anyone even vaguely worried about those auto updates? I mean.. has anyone ever bothered to search one out and investigate whats been downloaded? Like Nihilist said, with TCPA, its very difficult to really know what your downloading... I myself have disabled the autodownload feature, as I much prefer to just download indivdual updates for the programs Im using and at least have some clue as to what the hell my comp has on it...

[Nihilist]

TCPA isn't implented yet, and it won't be for a few years. However autoupdate can be turned off in windows services, and there are some other interesting services that you will want to turn off(such as the one that allows microsoft to edit your registry remotely and other such little gems)

[chemwarrior]

I hadnt meant it had been implemented yet... I was only refering that base software could be being installed for the future intention of TCPA.

[jelly]

Microsoft and Windows aren't the only problem. I have ripped a German web site two years ago.
This site (with the nice name "Phonehome") had listed more than 100 spy programs and described,
what was transferred .... programs from "A" like ACDSee or Acrobat Reader 5.x via
"C" like Corel Draw or "M" like Macromedia Flash Player or "W" like WinACE, WinAMP, WinRAR,
WinZIP or WinOnCD up to "Z" like ZoneAlarm.

All you need is a good firewall, not another operation system :)

[Rhadon]

However privacy is definitely an issue while windows stores files on you, it most definitely does not send them to a remote server like rhadon said [...]
I didn't think up this piece of information by myself, as you might or might not think. Although I'm unable to find my original source right now, the following link and excerpts should be enough for you to believe me...

TomCat's Spybase (http://www.tom-cat.com/spybase/spyalert.html)

Excerpt from the privacy statement of Windows Media Player
"The Player, as determined by options that you control, can use your Internet connection to do things such as: Retrieve media information about CDs, DVDs, and other kinds of digital media files from WindowsMedia.com to create an enhanced playback experience.
Send configuration information to content providers to assist them in providing better services to you.
Send anonymous usage information to Microsoft to help us improve the Player and related services.
Additionally, the Player can store information about digital media and Web addresses (URLs) that you visit to make it easier for you to access the files or URLs again."

Translation of an excerpt from the German magazine "Spiegel (http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/technologie/0,1518,184445,00.html)"
Windows Media Player 8 creates listings of played files without the knowledge of the user and and sends them online to Microsoft.

I don't think that MediaPlayer 9 doesn't do this anymore...

---------------------------------------------------

When I read Chemwarrior's post I thought that he was referring to Wine, a program which lets you run Windows programs under Linux. I don't expect it to run anything but simple applications though, so complex programs like 3D Studio MAX still wouldn't be available under Linux (but I didn't try it out).

[Nihilist]

Yes, it is capable of doing those things, however it does not do them on it's own, or by default. All of that stuff only happens if the user instructs it to do that(or so they say).

BTW: I have an iso of 3DS max 5 if you want it.

[Spudkilla]

Bah. Nihilist, Windows NT sucks. I could break into that crap in a heart-beat. All you need to do is scan a range of IP addresses (not from your computer of course) with a nifty little program called X-Scan. It will tell which IP addy's are running NT, and the log-in name. It also tells you if it is passworded or not... if not, yee-haw! Just connect to their computer (with IE for the people who can't find anything else, like remote networking utilities) with the user name, and you are in. Then you install some other nifty programs, like a Serv-U daemon, and use psexec to execute it, or you can make a .bat file so that it is executed every time the computer is booted. I would go into details about making the computer a bot for IRC... but that's not the point. The point is, what the hell is this Plug and Play bug anways? ;) ;)

Oh, and Nihilist, I'll take that ISO...

[Nihilist]

I'm sure you can find the plug and play bug on securityfocus, or bugtraq. However, anyone who turns off netbios defeats your nefarious X-Scan hax0ring.

As for the ISO email me, i'll dcc it to you in IRC or something.(PS: I've got maya too, so pick which you want)

Also, if enough ppl want those ISO's i'll upload 'em to the FTP. So just tell me, cuz they are very big, and I don't wanna waste that much space if nobody wants them.

[a_bab]

Spudkilla, having a windows NT without a password means that you deserve to be hacked. Having a password will change a little bit the things. Especially if you log of without admin rights. I want to see you then how you hack it !

[jelly]

Do you still remember that older versions of Microsoft Word and Office had stored a GUID
(Globally Unique Identifier = a serial number with the MAC (Media Access Control) address
of your network card) in their documents?

This "fingerprint" in the Melissa macro virus resulted in the arrest of the programmer
of that virus.

http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2233931,00.html

If you want to write a blackmail letter or create a PDF file for the forum and
if you don't like to have the serial numbers of your CPU, hdd, graphix card,
monitor etc. in the document, don't create it on your own computer :D

[Rhadon]

BTW: I have an iso of 3DS max 5 if you want it.
For Windows or Linux? I do already own the Windows version, so only the Linux version would be from interest for me. In any case, thanks for the offer.

You said that Media Player would only send the information we were talking about if the user instructs it to do so, but I think it might probably the other way around and it does it unless the user tells it not to do. Who would explicitely allow MediaPlayer to send that personal information to Microsoft? Not many except for Bill, I suppose :).

[Anthony]

I wish I was l33t enough to use something other than windows :(

Inexplicable crashes: Eliminated many of these by not having a store-bought PC (first and only). Poor case design meant the HDD was very prone to knocks. Also, the store (TEMPO is this case) couldn't set up a pc properly. Even as a n inexperienced newb, formatting and reinstalling windows meant things ran much more smoothly.

Using a UPS with surge protection has greatly reduced the number of crashes I have, crashing in the middle of the night whilst idle sounds like a power issue to me.

IME windows grows. When you install it, it's about 300mb, 6-12 months later your windows folder is usully pushing a gig. Waste of disk space and the machine runs shagged.

A friend has an athlon xp2000 machine running win2k, my megre k62 550 running win98 absolutely canes it in bootup/down time. Evening running a new installation of win2k mine is still faster. Under a fresh install of win98 my machine will power off with 2secs of selecting shutdown. Not too bad for a machine using >5 year old parts.

BTW, what the hell happened to msconfig in win2k pro? Are these controls located elsewhere?

[GibboNet]

Lost on me. I've used Win2000 Pro for a few months now, and I still haven't found a way to edit the programs that run on startup. Admittedly, I haven't spent a lot of time on it, but I'll look now.

I'm installing RedHat Linux as soon as it arrives from a friend. Starting off with a dual boot system, I'll switch over to linux completely once I'm ready. I'll be using the GUI, but it's still going to give me a lot more control than windows, and a lot better features. These days you can get a program for pretty much everything on Linux. WineX might be a better idea, as it has DirectX support.

I'll get back with some info on msconfig. It's really bothered me too.

Who wants to make a batch file (.bat) that deletes all those files ? It wouldn't be too hard surely. A batch file would work, as it's accessing them through DOS right ?

[chemwarrior]

I dont know Gibbo.. I had that same idea, but as the site says, those files arent accesible while the windows OS is running...

I would offer to make one if I had any real knowledge of writing batch files... which I dont:(

[nbk2000]

I get a hoot out of the people I talk to who think that, because they've got XP, that they've got the latest and greatest O/S ever. :rolleyes: What fools.

I use 98SE, and have for several years, and am completely happy with it. I can use all the software out there, can modify the system to my liking, and don't have to worry about calling the Ministry of Truth Headquarters in Seattle to get a new validation code for my O/S whenever I change a part in my computer (which I do often), nor about my O/S self-destructing if I don't.

It does tend to get sluggish after a few months, so that's why I made an image of the O/S right after a clean install from CD, with all the neccessary drivers and essential programs installed. Now, if the computer starts giving me shit, I do a reload of the drive image, and have a brand spanking new O/S in less than 20 minutes, with everything already installed. :)

It's a GB reload, but that's everything included, like PS7, Acrobat, Premiere, etc. Saves MAJOR time. :D

Oh, and buying a store bought computer is asking for trouble. Not only do you NOT have a copy of the O/S, rather getting those lame "Recovery" discs, but you also have no way of getting the drivers for the hardware installed in the computer without playing detective, reading machine ID's, searching the net, and hoping you can find a working executable for it. :(

Build it yourself, and you not only know what every part is, and have the drivers and discs for it, but you can upgrade to anything you want, without being held hostage to an outdated computer because it won't work with anything that it didn't come with when you first bought it.

Yeah, MS hides shit all over your HDD, and phones home. So what's so fuckin' new about that? That's a given man. And software based firewalls can't protect you from the O/S spying on you.

The O/S is the foundation on which the firewall is built upon, and can only monitor anything else that runs on the O/S, not the O/S proper, since that runs at a much deeper level.

Don't want to be snooped on? Unplug. Simple, isnt' it? If you're not on the net, then the data can never leave your machine, making snooping impossible. :)

Dual computers makes this easy. One P.O.S. computer is hooked up to your internet connection, and has a removable HDD tray or ZIP drive installed.

You then, when done surfing, transfer anything over onto your Uber-Computer using the removable media, after scanning for virii and trojans. This way, the computer with all your "naughty" bits is never exposed to the online surveillance of Big Bill.

[peterthesmart]

Does anyone think switching to a mac system would eliminate most of these problems? They're supposed to be comming out with a 64 bit system that is supposed to be better.

[nbk2000]

According to Bill Gates, 5% of windows machines crash twice a day, 10% every day. :rolleyes:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,1210067,00.asp

This, to me, means that either the majority of the users are total morons (highly probable) who don't know how to use their own machines OR windows XP is a kludgy piece of shit (also highly probable).

Why do people have problems with the thing? When I first started using it, it would often crash, but that's because I didn't know how to use it at that time. Then I read up on the subject, practiced/practiced/practiced, and have now mastered my machine and hardly ever have a problem with it.

*nix geeks like to say how their machines haven't crashed in years. That's good, but you'll also never be able to play Quake Arena, use Photoshop, nor use any of the many thousands of other programs that are ONLY available for windows, so who's the geek now? :D

Mac...better....HAHAHAHAHAAA!

[Jumala]

I use also Win98SE and I think that it is somehow self-destructing. Always after some month without any problem it degenerates more and more and than the problems occur again.
The last crash was the loss of TCP/IP and my ISDN drivers with no chance to reinstall it.
I must also reinstall my last backup image and it works perfect again.
But it is a shitload of work to reinstall all the new drivers and updates, saveing the emails and so on.

Win NT or Win2K is much more stable. But savety is nowadays also zero. Using ERD-commander you can easy overwrite the admin password with your own.

For XP users exists a cracked version including servicepack 1 where no registration is needed.

TCPA - I read in Ct´ that the next step of pentium 4 provides the first TCPA features.

To kill spyware I use spybod (http://www.safer-networking.org/)

and as firewall this outpost (http://www.agnitum.com/products/outpost/)

Both works pretty good and it is for free.

[Nihilist]

I agree completely with nbk, except about the firewall issue, a 3rd party firewall will work perfectly for filtering anything that windows tries to send out(yes, microsoft CAN make it so that the firewall couldn't do that, but even they wouldn't go that low, yet). Right now I run two machines, one winXP and the other redhat linux, both are very stable, I have never had linux crash, and XP has only crashed a few times(I use it about 50 times more often then linux). Mac's new 64-bit system is utterly worthless because nothing uses a 64-bit instruction set yet, so it provides absolutely nothing more than a catch phrase(not to mention the fact that AMD came out with one before mac did, and mac advertised theirs as the first one).


Rhadon: sorry, it's for windows, but I also have maya and lightwave if you want those(for windows only).

[darkdontay]

http://www.freeos.com
also
http://www.shellcity.com

They offer links to free OS'es and also some Bio's of them..
If you are looking to test drive any other Boxes.

Though it is going to come to a point where inorder to run M$ you are goign to have to sign over you soul.

[chokingvictim78]

This certainly does not help a person's paranoia complex. I mean, suppose one were to look at a lot of porn, and do a lot of research on the lab synthesis of explosives, he's not doing anything illegal, so unless said person can be hurt by the release of the porn he looks at, or is on trial for supposedly blowing something important up, it's not really a problem, right? Common sense would dictate that it's not really that much of a problem unless you have something seriously illegal to hide. And besides, I'm fairly certain that Micro$oft gets so much information on customers, and so much illegal activicty, that they would not take the time or effort to weed out all of the sites you in particular visit, unless they have a specific reason, such as a lawsuit or something similar. I assume it is for data on what is popular/ect., and all of the information is grouped together, as opposed to an individual file on each user. And a person would not have to worry about the average joe snooping around on his computer, such as parents, because they would not know where to locate the files, as long as he uses Window Washer to cover his obvious tracks, right?

[Lil_Guppy]

chokingvictim78
But the point is that they shouldnt be doing it in the first place...

[chokingvictim78]

Oh, I'm very aware of that. Just kind of a self-affirmation that I shouldn't have anything to personally worry about ;) . But really, our rights are trampled on every day. This is just a small sample of the problem. You can really only do so much to stop it. Because at the end of the day, did deleting all of those files really make your life any more private? Your credit card purchases, checks written, phone conversations (in some cases), and everything else you do is recorded. You could pay for everything in cash, always, and you could still be linked to a purchase, just by security camera tapes, which you can't do anything about. All they have to do is find the time of the purchase (recorded in the register, or someone recalls you buying industrial strength drain cleaner, or insisting on fuel pellets made with hexamine), cross reference it with the timestamped tapes, and there you go, your pretty mug cemented to the purchase. Just something to think about.

[IDTB]

I highly suggest everyone switch to Linux. My personal flavor is Mandrake, beautiful operating system. Not only does it run flawlessly without any crashes, but it's also free and so is the software that is for linux(for the most part). NBK has a good point though(as usual), you can't run Quake Arena or Photoshop. Even so, they have absolutely fantastic linux versions of software that does the EXACT samething with the exact same functions and features. You don't have the gaming aspect as much, but when it comes to software you are set.

One problem: Learning Linux takes time and patience. You have complete control over the operating system, so you must have the knowledge to control it in the first place! Everything is manual, no fancy installers. So, if you plan on switching from Windows to Linux you best be devoted to switching. It's a whole new(better) world from Linux.

[James]

Actually, I don't see any reason why the fancy installers, eyecandy games couldn;t be built on top of Linux. Windows is not some amazing OS that automagically makes everything work. Of course you would wind up running into idiots who do everthing as root, have the telnet port open and no password.

[jelly]

I highly suggest everyone switch to Linux
Sounds like "my Amiga is better than your Atari ST" :p

I would suggest this: grab a good boot manager like v-com's "system commander",
create some primary partitions (bootable as a disk drive C:) and then install
all the operating systems you need... pure ms-dos 6.21, os/2, solaris,
windows 1.0, 1.02, 2.0, 3.0, 3.1, 3.11, 95, 98, 98SE, NT, 2000, XP, an emulator
of IBM's mainframe operating system MVS or whatever.

Most people buy a computer to execute certain application programs and not certain operating systems.
The OS seems to be the most important part of a computer only for fanatics :)

[Ahriman]

I agree, jelly, and thats what I have done (although not with all those OS's ;) ). I use Mandrake 9.0 for most of my work, and reboot into Win2K for gaming, and certain things I need it for for work.
I found that Linux is kinda difficult for someone to get into who has only used Windows, but Mandrake was the best way for me to learn, I did install Red Hat for awhile, but went back to Mandrake.

[xyz]

A few people earlier in this thread were talking about Windows NT security.

a_bab, it is fairly easy to to get the administrator account password on an NT machine that you can log onto with a normal user account (Some friends and I are always stealing the admin pass at school and causing the Sysadmins all sorts of problems, we never do anything that would cause a serious problem though, just cause major annoyances such as taking over small unimportant parts of the network's server and setting them so that they can only be accessed by students and not teachers or admins).

All you have to do is install a keylogger of some sort, this can be a software one such as STARR Pro, a hardware one such as a KeyKatcher, or a modification to the registry and the logon process so that all logons are recorded to a text file. Keyloggers are easier to use and more effective if the same usernames and passwords are required for other things as well as logging on (such as sending email, using the network or internet, etc.)

Once you have administrative access, you can create some new administrator accounts in case they change the passwords to the old ones, then you are free to use programs such as KerbCrack, or Advanced NT Security Explorer to get the usernames and passwords of general users. You can also use programs such as CHown to change the ownership of files. You are also able to access any computer, drive, or other device connected to the network by using NET USE batch file commands.

There are also other ways to gain administrative access to an NT computer such as starting it with a boot disk with WinKey on it (changes the administrator password to 12345). Or (the most difficult way, and can't be done if the machine has Syskey protection) stealing its SAM files and loading them onto another NT machine that you already have admin access to, then cracking the usernames and passwords in the SAM file.

[the Jackal]

i think the bigger issue is to make sure that there is never a precident set which allows companies to spy on computer uses. the way i see it right now is that if microsoft wanted to spy on people using windows than can and will. but what they cannot do is say that they are or use that information because it would implicate them in a massive privacy invasion scandal. how many more people would install linux then? basically, it seems as if its more of a risk to spy on people than to accept the loses and compensate by charging idiots who buy software more.

[xyz]

Oh and by the way, I would just like to add that there are about 5 different "invisible" accounts built into windows XP by microsoft so that they can get into your computer. These accounts don't appear in the standard Accounts window in the control panel and microsoft claims that they are for "Technical Support Purposes".

These accounts can be viewed and disabled (but not deleted, microsoft has made sure that you can't do that) by starting the user manager file in your windows system directory. It will be called "lsusrmanager.exe" or something along those lines.

[mr.pyro]

That really p.o. me. I saw the article and cleared my cache, but noone has said here how to really delete files, no recyle bin b.s. I know that they arent really gone. How do I get rid of that stuff?

[IDTB]

Originally posted by mr.pyro
I know that they arent really gone. How do I get rid of that stuff?
I reformat every 3months and do a clean installation of Windows. Not only to delete the files, but also to keep my computer 'healthy'. Since Windows is user-friendly/automated there's too many processes going on that you're not aware about. When Windows can't appropriately assess the problem it can leave little glitches that accumulate overtime.

I'm not sure if it's a fact, but It's my 'theory'. Can anyone validate this with me?

[xyz]

Yes, windows does start to fuck up after a while, mostly due to the registry getting filled with crap that shouldn't be there.

Micro$hit even recommends that you reinstall Windoze every year.

[mr.pyro]

But how do you reinstall xp when you need the little code thingy. And how do you keep all your programs from deletion?

[Flake2m]

I have had windows installed on this Computer for about 2 months and it is already starting to fuck up. Since my HDD was partitioned by windows, re-installing it would mean that I'll lose all the data on my 120gb HDD unless I spend a day backing up everything.

As for the key system, well it is just rediculous. When I first installed the OS as a replacement to windows ME (the worst OS ever created) the key system worked fine, but obviously Micro$hit didn't think that people reinstalled there software. When I had to reinstall XP the key system just went to hell. I used a "backup" CD to install windows, so I really cant complain that much.

[grandyOse]

90% of what you guys are discussing is way over my head, so I hope someone will help me. I'm running win98SE. The only time I used IE was to download netscape. The first thing I did when I ran netscape was to get and install zone alarm. So I think I'm safer than the average bear. I also just got a freeware spyware remover. Anyway I have a SHITLOAD of stuff in win\temp. A lot of this seems to be acrobat and all the crap it needs to run, but there is a whole lot more, including executable programs, that I just don't understand. I want my disk space, I want my computer to run better, and I am concerned about privacy. Can I just trash this stuff, and take out the garbage in a week if everything runs ok? Is there a better way to find out what this stuff is?

Also, If I defrag, then download a bunch of useless files to fill up the HDD, then delete the usesless files, haven't I efectively wiped the disk of recoverable files? A couple of runs of this should leave nothing but fragments that are useless to all but the most intreped FBI analyst, right?

[Rhadon]

Can I just trash this stuff, and take out the garbage in a week if everything runs ok?
Yes, that'll work. Restart your computer before doing so if some files cannot be deleted because they are currently in use. You don't even need to keep the files in the recycle bin IMO.

Also, If I defrag, then download a bunch of useless files to fill up the HDD, then delete the usesless files, haven't I efectively wiped the disk of recoverable files?In theory this would work but you would need to fill your HD to the last byte to be sure that you've wiped everything. It's much better to use a program that wipes your files, e.g. PGP. Just tell it to wipe specific files or to wipe free disk space and it will effectively delete your stuff. I'd suggest that you set the number of passes to seven or more. The security given by that method should suffice your needs.

Edit: The following does only apply to Windows XP
Don't forget to clean up the second temp directory, which should usually be located in C:\documents and settings\<your username>\<"local settings" or something along these lines>\Temp.

[Anthony]

Originally posted by Rhadon
Don't forget to clean up the second temp directory, which should usually be located in C:\documents and settings\<your username>\<"local settings" or something along these lines>\Temp.

Doesn't that only apply to Win2k and newer?

Everything in Temp should be just that - temporary, not needed by anything. It's a dump folder for extracted compressed files which then install and then copy everything they need to a permanent folder. Unless you've specifically installed something to the temp folder, then you shouldn't have any problem.

[Rhadon]

Doesn't that only apply to Win2k and newer? Exactly.

[Anthony]

I only questioned it because grandyOse said he was running 98SE.

[Rhadon]

That's right. I wanted to write my post as general as possible so that it does apply to all Windows versions, but I was in a hurry and forgot to mention that the last paragraph does only apply to XP. I corrected it now.

[tmp]

I'm an experienced programmer with many years on mainframes before Bill Gates
and the personal computer came along. Now that I've learned about PCs, I seem
to spend most of my free time cleaning up software, installing hardware, and
answering questions for non-programmers. Very few software installations are
straigthforward as the people who design some this shit forget to tell you about
the two dozen substeps between steps 1 and 2. This is a pain in the ass, and
frustates the person I'm trying to help. Support for most software ranges from
slim to none depending on the vendor. I've often wondered if quality testing is
ever done. Anyway, I installed Windows XP Professional Edition on my computer
and it generally runs well. The worst Microsoft O/S I ever used was Windows 98
First Edition. That piece of shit crashed frequently and the longer the computer
was running the more unstable it became. Good Riddance ! Run 'msconfig' and
disable things you don't need. Remove items from the startup folder that you
don't need. This helps prevent crashes as well as freeing up system resources
for other applications. Once in a while try defragging your hard drive(s). This has
the effect of writing over sectors and will make it more difficult for anyone
attempting to access information that you've deleted. Use a removable hard drive,
like Iomega's zip drive, to store information you don't want getting out.

Above all, follow NBK2000's advice: When you're not on the net, disconnect
yourself when you don't need to be there !

[vulture]

XP might not be a great OS, but it's much better for network security than windoze 9x, because it uses the same LANmanager as Win2k.

Hacking into windoze 9x PCs is very well documented, alongside with lots of scriptkiddie tools.
Securing a windoze 9x PC is like using a sieve to stop water flowing.

[xyz]

vulture, all the Haxor tools that were designed for Windows NT will work on XP (almost exactly the same security) but not on 9x. There are loads of programs for NT password stealing that will work with XP, I have uploaded some of them to the FTP so you can try it if you want.

The program "Advanced NT Security Explorer" is probably the best example, download it from the FTP and try it on an XP computer, you will be given a list of the usernames recorded in the memory/registry and you will then be able to set about cracking them (20 mins max for a 6 letter password).

Of course, you need administrative access to a computer to use this, but then hey, what are keyloggers for? (that's why I have administrative access to my schools system, which BTW runs both NT and XP but no 9x)

[tmp]

I just spent 2 hours restoring a friends computer after downloading from
Microsoft's website. It was 1 of those recommended downloads for Windows
XP Home Edition that was supposed to attack adware/spyware. Instead it
screwed up his computer badly, tying up the processor most of the time.
At the same time it blasted his NetZero High Speed Internet software as
well as corrupting various system files. Just wanted to pass this along.