Four things you need with a windows machine once you set it up. 1. Admin/Non Admin account. Set this up. Teach your user why and when to use said accounts. XP makes you log out/log back in to use these accounts. (yes you can elevate with the "runas" command, but this does not always work) Vista lets your elevate your account with the right credentials without having to logout. The way MAC does and Linux does. Never turn off UAC. You are asking for it if you do. Its like running root and then surfing the web cause you TRUST every single website you go to... 2. Updates. Go get them all. If office is on the machine, Install the OS, Install Office, then go get Microsoft Update, not Windows Update. Set to automatic. Unless this is a server, or a machine with a $4,000 piece of software, the updates that microsoft puts out will very rarely (%.01) hose your machine. 3. Install some type of Antivirus. Stay away from the "Complete" packages, with firewall/web protector/sypware checker. Just install the Antivirus package of Norton, Symantec,Sophos, whatever floats your boat. Windows does have a firewall built in. This, in tandem with a router\firewall does the job. 4. Don't install software you didn't pay for/ or there is evidence that millions of other people using it with boards that will help fix your problem should you encounter one. Don't install file sharing software on your computer. I am all about the drm-free music and videos being shared and all, however, I am not about how your machine can be affected while having this type of software installed on your machine. You become a node/server with holes poked in your software firewall.. This is not designed to be a Pro Windows/Anti Mac/Anti Linux response. Simply an IT professional whose clients use Windows and whom I don't want to have coming back to me time and time again because they aren't educated. Explain to your users these four steps and why they need to take them. -Aedon

Four things you need with a windows machine once you set it up. 1. Admin/Non Admin account. Set this up. Teach your user why and when to use said accounts. XP makes you log out/log back in to use these accounts. (yes you can elevate with the "runas" command, but this does not always work) Vista lets your elevate your account with the right credentials without having to logout. The way MAC does and Linux does. Never turn off UAC. You are asking for it if you do. Its like running root and then surfing the web cause you TRUST every single website you go to... 2. Updates. Go get them all. If office is on the machine, Install the OS, Install Office, then go get Microsoft Update, not Windows Update. Set to automatic. Unless this is a server, or a machine with a $4,000 piece of software, the updates that microsoft puts out will very rarely (%.01) hose your machine. 3. Install some type of Antivirus. Stay away from the "Complete" packages, with firewall/web protector/sypware checker. Just install the Antivirus package of Norton, Symantec,Sophos, whatever floats your boat. Windows does have a firewall built in. This, in tandem with a router does the job. 4. Don't install software you didn't pay for/ or there is evidence that millions of other people using it with boards that will help fix your problem should you encounter one. Don't install file sharing software on your computer. I am all about the drm-free music and videos being shared and all, however, I am not about how your machine can be affected while having this type of software installed on your machine. You become a node/server with holes poked in your software firewall.. This is not designed to be a Pro Windows/Anti Mac/Anti Linux response. Simply an IT professional whose clients use Windows and whom I don't want to have coming back to me time and time again because they aren't educated. Explain to your users these four steps and why they need to take them. -Aedon

ahh the jokes one could make!