Hi people, I am addressing all of you here. There have been a series of virus attacks all over the world I think and the forums are full of them. They include the registry disabling and all. Many people come to me to get those basic problems solved, whose solutions through various forums I have studied and put here. I have also tried to put up a general method that I follow to prevent viruses. These are not completely my works and findings but actually a collection of facts and tested results from various sources. You are free to use them. I have tested them on my PC and am quite sure they work on Win XP SP2 and SP3. Rest is up to you. I take no guarantees.

Basic Methods to prevent Viruses:

1. Use the group policy editor to turn off Autoplay. I don't think people use autoplay as often. Autoplay opens up a dialog box as we plug in a device. And all it does is opens a window that we normally close. More so, autoplay is among the easiest routes for virus transmission. If you live in a place where there is a lot of communication among PCs through a USB drive then better is to turn off autoplay. To do so:
   
   1. Go to the group policy editor: Go to [Start] [Run] and type [gpedit.msc]
      
   2. Go to User Configuration>Administrative Templates>System. You will see turn off Autoplay. Just set it to enabled. No more viruses. Have fun…
      
2. Turn on Windows Firewall, and keep it on. You know that it is available at Control Panel>Security Centre. In case your application needs to turn it off, make sure you do it temporarily.
   
3. Always have a password at the user accounts including the root administrator. In vista a password at administrator could really come out to be a safe option.
   
4. Use other options of the Group Policy Editor for better security:
   
   1. Sometimes a virus gives you an error message: "Registry Editor has been disabled by the administrator". You can enable it back from the group policy editor. You know where to search for it - User Configuration>Administrative Templates>System.
      
   2. Same is the case for "Command Prompt has been disabled by the administrator".
      
   3. You would be able to see many such problem solutions once you explore the group policy editor. Just remember not to toggle anything unless you are sure what you are doing. It can go the other way as well.
      
5. Turn off system restore. Have you ever used it?? You might have. But the fact is that modern day viruses are sitting waiting at the system restore ready to be activated as soon as you click the link. Here is how to do it:
   
   1. Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
      
   2. In the System Properties dialog box, click the System Restore tab.
      
   3. Click to select the Turn off System Restore check box. Or, click to select the Turn off System Restore on all drives check box
      
   4. Click OK.
      
6. Use a firewall and an antivirus if you are a normal user. For an advanced user, I recommend have a study how to actually get to work. I mean as I do it:
   
   1. Get the lists of processes running made from the task manager.
      
   2. See which of these is genuine and which is not.
      
   3. Just kill the process. Find the file and delete it.
      
   4. Search the file name in the registry and after you have the list simple delete the keys.
      
   5. That's an easier way to manage it.
      
7. For all users: Keep temporary file cleaner software like the CCleaner. It's a must. Windows folder cleaner or Disk Cleanup is basic. Plus through MSCONFIG you get a list of startups & you don't know which can be removed. CCleaner sorts out that work for you. It has a registry cleaner which isn't good but the temporary file cleaner works well. Plus it is a freeware.
   
8. Keep the start up as light as possible. You can always start new processes whenever wanted, then why burden the PC with some that you have to close.
   
9. Use Google-why is this search engine standing? Top solve problems. Just type in the error message in the search bar and most probably you will find a solution. Someone or the other might have worked on it and you would be a fool to not to use it.
   
10. Keep Safe Mode as the last option: Safe Mode means it's time to format. It's for data recovery and not windows usage. Grow Up.
    
11. Keep PC Partitioned into drives and have important stuff in another drive rather than the root one. I know it renders the windows organizing of videos and pictures useless but who uses it. We need to have secure data. So it's better to have a separate drive for that. Stop using My Documents – Its C: drive and one major virus and your data is gone.
    
12. Format once a while-Not all viruses can be removed or detected. Plus there are memory leaks at many places that pile up page files. Rubbish files remain after un-installations. Viruses create useless files that remain. So better format once a while. The system restore is useless. A recovery disk is useful if you have similar type of applications running all times and they do not update often.
    
13. Have a look at the Autopatcher – Window updates by the default way are too tough to get and maintain. You don't expect them to work perfectly as you can't go on storing millions of small file and install them after each format. So better have a collection as a suite.
    
14. Remember to view hidden as well as system files occasionally and check suspicious files on google.
    

Common Virus related problems:

1. Heavy Start Up –
   
   1. The PC sometimes takes too long to load. This means you have added a lot of stuff to the start up. This needs clearing. If you think your PC is working fine just open in safe mode and see. You will see how much slow your PC has gone.
      
   2. Use CCleaner wherever possible.
      
   3. If not go for Start>Run>MSCONFIG.
      
   4. If still there are disturbing start ups, search them on the regedit.
      
   5. A nice place to look for suspected viruses that are slowing the PC is the MUI Cache: HKCU>SOFTWARE>MICROSOFT>WINDOWS>SHELLNOROAM>MUICACHE – Do not delete all values here. See the description. Search net and see other registry keys. Find what they are and delete the files
      
2. If any deletion is stopped, it means a process is running. Find and close it if possible.
   
   1. Otherwise just right click explorer in the task manager and end the process tree. Reopen it as new task and you are done. Now you can delete it. Otherwise try dos. If not it means the file is corrupt or reserved.
      
   2. Sometimes there are files that do not open or delete. Right Click the disk and schedule a check disk to run at the next start up. Most files get free then.
      
3. Sometimes a drive on double click opens as open with window use the tool:
   http://www.techsupportforum.com/sectools/sUBs/Flash_Disinfector.exe
   .It works for me.
   
4. Sometimes messages like task manager, registry editor, command prompt disabled by administrator come up. Use the group policy editor as described above. I have already discussed others, this is for the task manager :-User Configuration / Administrative Templates / System / Ctrl+Alt+Delete Options / Remove Task Manager.
   
5. View hidden files and folders not working: There are two places to enable it-
   
   1. Method one-
      
      1. Click "Start" -> "Run…" (or press Windows key + R)
         
      2. Type "regedit" and click "Ok".
         
      3. Find the key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\Folder\Hidden\SHOWALL
         
      4. Look at the "CheckedValue" key… This should be a DWORD key. If it isn't, delete the key.
         
      5. Create a new key called "CheckedValue" as a DWORD (hexadecimal) with a value of 1.
         
      6. The "Show hidden files & folders" check box should now work normally.
         
   2. Another key to look for is HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
      
   3. One of these will definitely work.
      
6. A strange malware come that does not allow you to work, asking you to buy an antivirus, looks like internet explorer, works even if the IE has been uninstalled: This is Fraudware, have a look at this: http://www.pchell.com/support/smitfraud.shtml . It is a complete comprehensive solution to those type of problems.
   

Any more common problem categories and solutions- Use the comment section here. My aim is to get this article as one place with concise problem and solution feature, where you can find everything you look for, add to the comments and I'll put it here. I will put in your name and email here, for this is not for publicity of blog or something, just to help someone in trouble. Hope it helps-