you`re a genius

hey..can anybody help a beginner with these questions...? (i have windows me - japanese version! and 254mb ram by the way)

1. i installed zonealarm after reading major attitude (a genius )`s advice....sometimes it says "messenger trying to act as server"...i don`t understand the advice....do you think i should allow this or deny it access?

2. what`s the difference between install and download?

3. is there any way for me to tell which programmes are essential on my computer and which i can remove?

4. what is the relation between removing a programme and the registry...i don`t really know what the registry is but i gather that it is very important from reading around the forum.

5. how can i clear my browser cache....and what the hell is it....?

i have many questions but i will only annoy you with these for now...any help truly appreciated you ...genius you.

lostinjapan

 

OK.... lol working thru the ones i know...!

Difference between an install and a download! A download is basically just downloading the program which then needs to be installed. Think of a self assembly piece of furniture. If its "physically delivered" in a flat pack...(onto your computer) thats your download. Install is when it is built, set up, and ready to function as that piece of kit! The install procedure sets up the program you have downloaded so that it works with your computer, and your computer knows how to interact with it

Removing from the registry / removing programs. Handy doing this after the last one... lol If you delete a program what your basically doing is removing that as an object. Another analogy.. If you sell your tv as just a tv, whats left behind is your ariel leads, power cable etc which were all attached to yout tv, but are now redundant, just pointing nowhere and taking up space. Thats the same with the registry. Many bits of info are left pointing to an application which no longer exists. There are a fair few good reg cleaners about, which remove these kind of traces.

I know nothing of zone alarm.... so cannot comment on that

Browser cashe is stuff which is stored in memory on your computer. Eg your on a set of pages, and realise you need to go back a page. You click back and the page appears without taking any time to load.. thats because the page has been stored in cashe memory. Clearing it will depend on which browser u use and which version. Info on how and why u should do this is to be found <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/using/howto/customizing/clearcache.mspx">Here</a>

I wouldnt like to advise what is and isnt essential on a pc... as thats usually user preference, tho i know there are many sites which will advise u how to pick and choose which bits of windows u need etc, eg windows messenger removal / disable, and Microsofts version of Java.

Hope this helps!

Alistair

 

hey, thanks for that..good use of analogy..very good...i will follow up on the advice you gave me....cheers.