Degunking Windows 
Book Review

By Dale Farris, Secretary Golden Triangle PC Club February 2004 General Overview Authors Joli Ballew's and Jeff Duntemann's super new "Degunking Windows" is a very unique guide that will save you tons of time and a pile of cash by showing you how to keep your Windows PC running quickly and efficiently. Organized according to a special “cleaning ” process that will improve the performance of your computer, this book can be used by all computer users. Just follow the book, chapter by chapter and you'll be amazed at how you can improve your PC. The book covers all the critical topics you need to know about cleaning up your Windows PC, including the basics of cleaning up your files, improving the performance of your hard drive(s), uninstalling programs and other gunk you don’t need, and much more. If the book were not already a super addition, the authors provide up front their "quick degunking sheet," where they provide the entire degunking 12 steps, but also, for those with limited time, they describe the particular degunking steps to take based on only having a certain amount of time to devote this important process. These include steps for a 10-minute degunking, a 30-minute degunking, a 1-hour degunking, a 3-hour degunking, a half-day degunking, and even what they define as "spare-moment" degunking. Then, they also add 20 useful degunking tasks, along with the page number to find the task. Importance To PC User Groups In many of our past Golden Triangle PC Club (GTPCC) programs, our members and guests have been treated to a variety of programs on various parts of this nifty book. As in most PC user groups across the country, the concern about cleaning windows always, always is a constant issue raised by those involved in the user groups. In our GTPCC, we have also addressed many of these key cleanup suggestions in our various Special Interest Group (SIG) sessions that give us an opportunity to spend a bit more time with more technical material. This means that authors Joli Ballew's and Jeff Duntemann's new 'Degunking Windows" not only will be a sure bet for any Windows machine owner, but it can also be considered an essential tool for all PC user groups to integrate into their user group services. "Degunking Windows" is also a sure bet for user groups to seriously consider purchasing to provide as door prizes in their programs. I also encourage user groups to consider buying multiple copies, as once members become aware of this book, I suspect the user group will start receiving additional requests for more copies. Background to the Book Windows XP is the latest and greatest operating system from Microsoft, and PC users who are running a new system are likely to be in heaven right now. They probably tell all their friends how wonderful is Windows XP and about the speed of their new PC. Then, weird things start to happen. The PC gets slower, and may even crash now and then. Users develop problems with their favorite applications and their web browsers, and after a few months, their PC gets even slower. The number of spam e-mails they receive starts to increase dramatically, and it seems as if every time they surf the web they get bombarded with more and more pop-up ads. It becomes difficult, sometimes impossible, to run their PC for a whole day (or even a few hours) without crashing. Their PC becomes so slow and so "gunked up" they wish they had new computers again. But they don't really need a new computers. They may just need some degunking help! What is Degunking? It’s a powerful process of cleaning Windows to speed it up, secure it from dangerous hackers, clean up e-mail, reduce spam, and make PCs work as they did the first day they were brought home or placed in the office. Degunking isn’t magic. It is a proven, 12-step program that all Windows users can follow to enhance PC performance and save lots of money and time. Why Degunk? Many Windows users state the common problem they all had was what these 2 super-sharp authors refer to as a "gunked-up" machine. Although Windows is an excellent operating system, especially Windows XP, it has some peculiarities that cause it to slow down over time. Without regular maintenance, all PCs running Windows will get gunked up. And as Windows becomes more complex with each new version, the need for degunking increases. The more users learn about degunking their PCs, the more they’ll realize that degunking is an important mindset that they should adopt as soon as they can. Rather than simply being a process that they follow when their computers really get gunked up, degunking involves a more disciplined approach. Users who follow the basic steps outlined in this important "Degunking Windows" book on a regular basis will give themselves an insurance policy and save themselves from encountering aggravations down the road. The authors also believe that "Degunking Windows" will make your time on your computer more time-efficient, more productive, and maybe even more enjoyable. Degunking the Smart Way "Degunking Windows" can help all PC users degunk their machines the smart way. Written by best-selling authors and Windows experts Joli Ballew and Jeff Duntemann, "Degunking Windows" is an easy-to-read and concise guide showing Windows users step-by-step how to greatly improve their PCs’ performance. The best part about "Degunking Windows" is that it is not just another book on how to use Windows. It shows readers how to reorganize files that are stored all over the place, how to reduce or eliminate spam, what to do with fragmented hard drives, how to fix improperly installed and uninstalled programs, how to clean the Registry, and how to handle a host of other problems that can really gunk up PCs. The book starts by introducing the important practice of Windows degunking, and then presents the highly effective degunking 12-step program. Readers who follow the program and perform tasks such as getting rid of files they don’t really need, uninstalling unused programs, organizing files and folders, cleaning up the Startup menu and Desktop, reducing e-mail spam, cleaning up the Registry, and other critical tasks, will be amazed by the results. Book Features Explanations, in everyday terms, of how to easily fix common problems that create gunk on PCs Information on how to save money with free degunking tools that are easily found on the Internet A unique “GunkBuster’s Notebook” feature in every chapter to help users reduce the clutter on their PCs Degunking maintenance tasks that can be performed on a regular basis to keep PCs running in top form Instructions on how to degunk e-mail and reduce the amount of spam users receive Advice on how to keep PCs gunk-free so users don’t have to reinstall the operating system How to know when a clean install is necessary, (or when to buy a new computer) Focus of the Book The targeted audience in this extremely valuable book includes all serious Windows users who are tired of the common gunked up result that is just what happens in a Windows machine, and who are willing to take charge of their machine and take control over these gunking aspects. While most all extant PC technicians are likely already to be savvy to many of these super suggestions, I bet most all will also find some ideas in this book they have not yet heard of. Of course, anyone new to cleaning up a Windows machine will find most all these suggestions new to them. The authors are also always careful to remind readers of the potential harm some of their suggestions and ideas might possibly cause, and always tell the reader to be sure they thoroughly understand the entire ramifications of all their suggestions, before they proceed to implement these ideas. Novices to cleaning a Windows machine are strongly encouraged to be sure and call for help from their handy PC technician, BEFORE they proceed to carry out any of these suggestions they may not feel comfortable with. All PC technicians are also strongly encouraged to get their own copy of this important book. While many of these ideas have of course showed up in other related titles, authors Joli Ballew and Jeff Duntemann have succeeded in writing a title that is totally devoted to the concept of cleaning up a Windows machine, with a strong focus on just the tools and techniques that will help speed up the operation of a PC and clean up unnecessary "gunk." Table of Contents The book achieves it purpose by organizing the material into 16 chapters. These include: 1.   Why Is My Computer All Gunked Up? 2.   Degunking Your PC 3.   Getting Rid of Files that Shouldn’t Be There 4.   Uninstalling Programs You Don’t Need and Tweaking Those You Do 5.   Organizing Your Remaining Files and Folders 6.   Tweaking Your Desktop and Start Menu 7.   Preventing Spam Gunk 8.   Cleaning Up E-Mail Gunk 9.   Clean and Tweak the Registry 10. Optimizing Your Hard Drive and Startup System 11. Installing Upgrades for Your System 12. The Best Hardware for PC Degunking 13. PowerToys and Awesome Shareware 14. Improving Security 15. Backing Up Previous Files 16. Last Resort Degunking Techniques In addition, the book has 3 appendixes, including: Appendix A: Performing a Clean Windows Install Appendix B: Recovering from a Corrupted Registry Appendix C: Troubleshooting Your PC with Degunking Techniques Book Contents 320 pages; paperback; figures; screen shots; gunkbusters notebooks; tips and cautions; notes; appendixes; index Authors Joli Ballew Jeff Duntemann About the Authors Joli Ballew, (MCSE, A+), is a full time writer, Windows expert, and digital enthusiast who also teaches, creates Web sites, and consults from her home base of Dallas, Texas. Joli has written almost a dozen books on subjects ranging from digital photography to network administration. Two of her books, "Windows XP:  The Ultimate Users Guide" and "Windows 2000 Server On Site," are available from Paraglyph Press. Jeff Duntemann is an author, editor, programmer, lecturer, and technology columnist, with over a dozen books under his belt. His most recent book, "Jeff Duntemann ’s Drive-By Wi-Fi Guide," also published by Paraglyph Press, is a best-selling Wi-Fi guide for setting up wireless networks. ISBN January 15, 2004 - First Edition 1-932111-84-0 List Price $24.99 $37.99 CAN About Paraglyph Press Paraglyph Press was formed in 2002 by industry veterans Keith Weiskamp and Jeff Duntemann, the original founders of the Coriolis Group. Keith and Jeff are highly successful entrepreneurs and best-selling authors who built Coriolis into a $25+ million operation, and established leading product lines and brands, including Exam Cram and Exam Prep, Black Books and Little Black Books, and f/x and Design guides. Paraglyph's mission is to publish high-level technology books for general audiences and experienced technology users. The fall 2002 list included new titles focused on advanced programming, Mac OS X, and networking topics. In 2003, Paraglyph published a set of key titles for developers, network administrators, game developers, and Web designers. Two of their best selling titles included "Game Coding Complete" by Mike McShaffry and Jeff Duntemann's "Drive By Wi-Fi Guide." The Paraglyph publishing team includes Steven Sayre, another industry veteran with over 20 years in publishing, and Cynthia Caldwell, who brings over 10 years of experience in public relations, sales, and marketing. Sayre has worked for companies such as Coriolis, Hungry Minds, John Wiley & Sons, and International Thomson in their publishing and sales divisions. Caldwell has a background in worldwide sales and marketing with several companies, as well as retailing experience with Barnes & Noble. In early 2004, Paraglyph started a new partnership with O'Reilly and Associates. O'Reilly now sells and distributes Paraglyph titles to the trade in the U.S. and Canada. This new partnership will greatly allow Paraglyph to increase its distribution and sales by working with the top technical book publisher around the world. Publisher Contact Steven Sayre, Vice President Sales Paraglyph Press 1238 East Cambridge Avenue Phoenix, Arizona 85006 602-749-8787 FAX 602-971-0327 info@paraglyphpress.com www.paraglyphpress.com