uninstalling windows 98

[comp_genius]

hi friends
i have a dual boot

windows xp professional (c:) primary and active
windows 98 (d:) extended logical

i wish to uninstall windows 98. The following is how i am thinking of doing it
format d:

Will this be sufficient to recover the memory occupied by windows 98 and is this method sufficient enough to uninstall windows 98?

please contribute

[GX1_Man]

Why not just highlight the drive d: in my Computer, right click and choose format?

This would give you more hard drive space to use. It has absolutely nothing to do with memory.  

[comp_genius]

oh i c...
umm if i format the  drive d (i.e uninstalling windows 98) , then it will free me some space on hard disk..cool...BUT...wont it speed up my comp? i mean there would be more free memory available?..isnt it?

if it has nothing to do with memory than, why does my pc behave so slow?..i mean its terribly slow...
i m using

intel celeron 1.0 ghz
ms win xp proff
256 md ram
40 gb hd

[GX1_Man]

Your PC is slow because you only have 256 meg RAM. XP does better with at least 512, especially if you have onboard video  taking up some of that. You also may want to take a good look here, as these things can slow you down further.

http://www.computerhope.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?num=1149948530

You also need 15% of your hard drive space on C free for Windows to use as a swap file.

[XtaszY]

oh i c...
umm if i format the  drive d (i.e uninstalling windows 98) , then it will free me some space on hard disk..cool...BUT...wont it speed up my comp? i mean there would be more free memory available?..isnt it?

if it has nothing to do with memory than, why does my pc behave so slow?..i mean its terribly slow...
i m using

intel celeron 1.0 ghz
ms win xp proff
256 md ram
40 gb hd

You have a slow computer and you not have sufficient memory for WinXP.  On a blank install, WInXP take 130-180 Mb of your system memory, if you install additional software like antivirus or firewall, your system start to use virtual memory and implicitly system performance is slowed down.

For improve speed of your system try to close some processes who not realy help you, like windows auto updaters or other program updaters. Try to do this from TaskManager and/or CPanel->Administrativ Settings->Services.
From services you can close the fowlling: Themes, TaskSheduler, Security Center, Secondary Logon(if you not use 2 user account), Messanger, Indexing service, Help and Support, Error reporting Service, Automatic Updates.

Also you can go in CPanel->System->Advance->Performance->Settings-> and select "Adjust for Best Performance"
after that go in CPanel->System->System Restore-> and turn off restore service for secondary HDD drives (D,E,F)

You can use a tweak program for another improvements. see that  

[comp_genius]

Your PC is slow because you only have 256 meg RAM. XP does better with at least 512, especially if you have onboard video  taking up some of that. You also may want to take a good look here, as these things can slow you down further.

http://www.computerhope.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?num=1149948530

You also need 15% of your hard drive space on C free for Windows to use as a swap file.

ok things are unfolding slowly...
well i just freed the c: to more than 15% of free space. IT HELPED

secondly, THANKS FOR THE LINK, i read the link which you provided, i have some questions there

my windowsfirewall was off...I HAVE TURNED IT ON

i DID NOT HAVE ANY ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARES INSTALLED...THIS IS WHAT I DID
downloaded adaware and spybot s&D

actually i am having the following anti-virus softwares or anti-spywares , PLEASE TELL ME WHICH ONE TO USE. as i am totally unsure

adaware
spybot s&d
norton utilities

i will run hijackthis and post the log soon...
i have also downloaded ccleaner and ewido (both are running)...IS IT NECESSARY TO RUN BOTH?

[comp_genius]

For improve speed of your system try to close some processes who not realy help you, like windows auto updaters or other program updaters. Try to do this from TaskManager and/or CPanel->Administrativ Settings->Services.
From services you can close the fowlling: Themes, TaskSheduler, Security Center, Secondary Logon(if you not use 2 user account), Messanger, Indexing service, Help and Support, Error reporting Service, Automatic Updates.

are you sure that i should stop the processes mentioned above?...i dont think so :?

[XtaszY]

are you sure that i should stop the processes mentioned above?...i dont think so :?

Yes man, this proceses I have stoped after I install Windows. That proceses is unnecessary for you, me and 80% of WindowsXP users
in vain you make more spaces on HDD, that not help you, your problem is memory not hdd space.
If you want a grat program for Detecting Viruses, Spy and other malitious program try BitDefender 9.0Pro, you can find on www.bitdefender.com.
I use this program for 3 Year and I dont have any problem with Virus , Spy and Trojans
Trust me!  

[soybean]

For improve speed of your system try to close some processes who not realy help you, like windows auto updaters or other program updaters. Try to do this from TaskManager and/or CPanel->Administrativ Settings->Services.
From services you can close the fowlling: Themes, TaskSheduler, Security Center, Secondary Logon(if you not use 2 user account), Messanger, Indexing service, Help and Support, Error reporting Service, Automatic Updates.

are you sure that i should stop the processes mentioned above?...i dont think so :?

I think you're wise in being skeptical of certain advice.  Here's a source which looks good to me: Turn Off Unnecessary Windows XP Services.  Note that it does not mention Security Center and Secondary Logon.  A Google search on turn off windows services will reveal many more references.

[soybean]

my windowsfirewall was off...I HAVE TURNED IT ON

Oh no!  You're on the Internet without a firewall.  Stop that immediately.  Always have firewall protection when you're online.

i DID NOT HAVE ANY ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARES INSTALLED...THIS IS WHAT I DID
downloaded adaware and spybot s&D

actually i am having the following anti-virus softwares or anti-spywares , PLEASE TELL ME WHICH ONE TO USE. as i am totally unsure

adaware
spybot s&d
norton utilities

None of those three is anti-virus software.  Use both Ad-aware and Spybot S&D.  You can also use norton utilities, although I think I would uninstall it.  Many users characterize it as "bloatware".

If you have no anti-virus, a good free one is AVG.  Download: AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 7.1.394

i have also downloaded ccleaner and ewido (both are running)...IS IT NECESSARY TO RUN BOTH?

Yep, use'em both, not at the same time; one first, then the other.
  

[GX1_Man]

AdAware, Spybot and AVG Free do it for me. I would lose any Norton things.

A firewall is a good idea. If you are on broadband internet behind a router that is even better.

[XtaszY]

Note that it does not mention Security Center and Secondary Logon.  

soybean why do you need Secondary Logon? If you have only one user, and you are not using Remote Desktop.

Security Center and Windows FireWall are a big unecesary tools, the only things that Security Center and Windows FireWall are dooing is to eat memory. Any AV program tells you when is not updated or when is disabled.
I said and I repeat, a good AV program which has beside, AV module, an Firewall module and an E-mail Spam detector, is BitDefender.
I have never installed in computer a program like AdWare, anti SpyWare or a standalone Firewall and trust me I didn't have my PC infected with Spyware, trojans , worms and viruses.

There would be more services which windows starts wthout us users to need them, You should think that it's made on the WindowsNT platform and that's why it has many services for webaplication and servers which 90% of users are not using.
I will steel look for some unnecesary proceses like those and I will post them.

[2k_dummy]

Norton utilities generally work well. Most who have problems point to the AV or security suite, not to the utilities themselves.

[soybean]

Norton utilities generally work well. Most who have problems point to the AV or security suite, not to the utilities themselves.

I believe you are correct on that point.

[GX1_Man]

Norton Utilities did indeed use to be a good product. It is mostly bundled with Norton Antivirus and sold to consumers that way rather than as a standalone product, so unfortunately the terms are frequently interchanged. At this point I am not sure what it is specifically that he has. All of the current Norton things have the LiveUpdate snafu also, so I just pass on the lot of them.

[Dead_reckon]

norton makes my computer act possesed... oh, and for the record, the guy who program norton anti virus use to work for the microsoft company, he broke off, dont know why, and created norton, hence the fact that it is some times too good...

[GX1_Man]

Dead_reckon,

I do not know where you get all of this misinformation. Here is some detailed info about Peter Norton and his original software.

http://www.softpanorama.org/OFM/Paradigm/Ch03/norton_commander.shtml

I don't see anything about him EVER working for Microsoft, but maybe you have a much better source?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Norton

Norton products have been owned by Symantec for years and have steadily gone downhill in my book. He wrote or co-wrote many books and his company had many software products. Unfortunately he didn't write them all.

[comp_genius]

hey, gx1_man and soybean(dat link was cool n useful)  thanks for the advices and help...

i just noticed something, since i have turned on the windows firewall, my yahoo messenger is not connecting...
i even checked the firewall settings and included yahoo under exceptions, but it still is not connecting..WHATs THE WAY OUT?

[soybean]

You might install a different firewall, such as ZoneAlarm, and see how that works for you.  Do not run two firewalls simultaneously.