Windows SteadyState - no more viruses, spyware, slowness EVER!

[Green Sub]

I suggested Macs for a few of my clients over the past 2 years. For home only users, it has been a great experience. For those still needing to run Windows business apps, the client hasn't been able to fully transition to Mac OS-X and still get the usual virus, spyware, and slowness issues on their Windows partition after a while. (You did know new Macs can run Windows too!)

I was introduced to Windows SteadyState about 1.5 years ago at a MS conference and never utilized the application until recently. Well it works and I thought I would share my experience.

Windows SteadyState allows you to create restricted user accounts that will return to their original configuration after use and / or you can protect the entire C: drive. The program is FREE from Microsoft.

I used a new Dell Vostro 220 with Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 2 GB of ram running XP Pro SP3 via Dell's Windows Vista Business Bonus option.

Then partitioned the hard drive in to 2 logical partitions (C: and D:) using Partition Commander 9.01 (worked just fine with SATA drives).

The thought is to have the OS and Apps on the protected C: drive partition and the Data on the D: drive partition.

To move some of the user default folders in Windows to the D: drive partition I used Microsoft's Tweakui utility plus my knowledge of the Windows Registry.

After 3 weeks I can confirm that SteadyState works very well. It's not for the novice, but more advanced Windows user to setup.

Windows Updates still run every night and AVG Free still updates because I have installed the proper script.

It's great having a FRESH / FAST Windows install every morning when I start to use the computer.

I should mention that this setup doesn't protect against boot sector viruses, but they are few and far between. I did mount a duplicate hard drive to keep the partitions backed up with Partition Commander as well as using traditional MSBackup to a USB hard drive.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/pro...s/default.mspx

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/d...powertoys.mspx

http://www.avanquest.com/USA/pc-util...sional_10.html

http://www.avg.com/download-tools

[bodybump]

hey barry any updates on that Windows 7??

[Hatchet]

I used to be a moderate power user of windows until about 9 months ago when I went mac. The windows part of my brain has atrophied and I no longer know what you are talking about.

For those few programs you can't live without there is Bootcamp and Parallels.

[Gentleman8]

To me Windows itself is a huge virus.

[Mort]

I went Mac a little over a year ago at home, love it.
Use PC at work, hate it. Between constant virus scans, updates,slow running,slow booting and defrags I sometimes spend a lot of wasted time on keeping it running so it can be productive.

Of course I am not a computer nut. I do have friends who are computer hackers that hate Mac and love PC's and they enjoy constantly working on them.

[mrsudz]

I don't know why all the hate for the PC?
Macs are good but they are a closed OS.
Can you build a MAC?....not so easy. Can you play all the newest games on a MAC...nope.

Can you build a Mac that has similar hardware as a PC without spending 2 1/2 times the price...umm no
SO.. if you have a lot of money, don't know much about computers or think of them like a refrigerator then Macs are great.

If you want bleeding edge graphics in SLI to play the most advanced games in super high res and do it with much less money and you don't mind simple scans and the ability to upgrade hardware like CPU, Motherboards etc... then PCs are for you.

Different folks..Different strokes...

Please no offence to any Apple fans....Peace!