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79 of 85 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I'd buy it for the title alone... :-), February 13, 2004
Target Audience Windows users who are tired of having their computer grow old before it's time... Contents
This book shows you how to take the necessary steps to clean up your Windows installation and restore some of the speed that it had when things were brand new. The book is divided into the following chapters: Why Is My Computer All Gunked Up?; Degunking Your PC; Getting Rid Of Files That Shouldn't Be There; Uninstalling Programs You Don't Need And Tweaking Those You Do; Organizing Your Desktop And Start Menu; Preventing Spam Gunk; Cleaning Up E-Mail Gunk; Cleaning And Tweaking Your Registry; Optimizing Your Hard Drive And Startup System; Installing Upgrades To Your System; The Best Hardware For PC Degunking; PowerToys And Awesome Shareware; Improving Security; Backing Up Precious Files; Last Resort Degunking Techniques Review
Don't you just love how your brand new PC screams when you first remove it from the box and boot it up for the first time? Miles and miles of open disk space, lots of free memory, that "new computer smell"... Then, over time, memory starts to disappear with resident tasks that didn't used to be there. Boot-up now takes minutes instead of seconds. Programs that flew now amble along at pedestrian speeds. Congratulations! Your PC is "gunked up". You need to degunk it with this book. Degunking Windows is a twelve step program designed to help you organize your Windows installation such that you can find the things you need, you are only running the things that matter, and the underlying disk structure is properly formatted. While you can pick and choose what you want to implement, its best to follow the entire program to get the whole synergistic effect. For instance, I could start out by defragmenting my hard drive. Of course, if I still have a lot of garbage on my drive, the defrag won't be as useful as it could be if I took the time to organize things first. The authors have written an extremely useful and easy to read "how to" manual that will add years to your PC's life by getting it running closer to how it used to behave when it was new. The book does assume a Windows XP environment for the degunking tasks. However, many of the steps (such as file cleanup, desktop cleanup, defraging, and such) are applicable to all version of Windows. So don't panic if you're not yet an XP user. Also, hardcore operating system gurus will either know all this stuff already or "scoff" at the simplistic approach. Fine, the book isn't for you. But for those of us who more often are "users" of the operating system, the information is valuable and helpful. I've already regained nearly a gigabyte of disk space, and I'm still on step 1! Conclusion
If you're not a Windows guru with a predefined plan of your own to keep Windows working cleanly, you owe it to yourself to get this book and start your "degunking" program.
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46 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The title says it all, May 16, 2004
With all the software reviews I do, I'm constantly cleaning Windows because I hate clutter. The title of the book immediately caught the eye of this organized freak. Get on board with this 12-step program, or rather processes, to clear out the cobwebs and garbage hiding in the chips of your computer. Unlike most computer books, it's strongly recommended to follow this one from front to back rather than skipping around. Tying a shoe before putting it on a foot is not as effective as doing it the other way around. Though it's possible, it's not going to fit as well and it's harder to put it on. The book focuses mainly on Windows XP Home and Professional. However, if you're using an earlier version, you can still benefit from the general operations are easily adaptable to most versions. Each jargon-free chapter with a dash of humor begins with a Degunking Checklist to prepare you for the chapter's content. No need to reinstall your operating system as the program avoids that dreaded step. Those who rely on their kids' or friends' advice when something goes wrong with the computer will benefit from this book. After getting through the dumping files and programs, cleaning the emailbox, organizing files, tweaking the desktop and registry, and optimizing the hard drive; the computer will be a happy camper and like in those old `50s TV shows where everyone is happy at the end of the episode. Still freaking out at the mention of "registry?" The authors provide cautions and warnings so you can ensure you're covered. The formatting is in the style of the 1950s and on the front page is the traditional housewife of the `50s looking overwhelmed at the thought of cleaning up the big mess. It makes me want to put on yellow dishwashing gloves and take the pink feather duster as I get to work. Be gone, crowded Favorites. Shoo, unused programs and files. When you finish the housework, take a load off and treat yourself to a TV dinner.
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35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
If you're not a dummy, try Degunking Windows, February 16, 2004
By A Customer
I've been wrestling with Windows for a while now - I get a lot of spam, my system's running slower than ever, and I get a ton of pop-up ads. Then I saw this book and bought it. It's one of the best investment I've made after buying my computer. It puts you on a maintenance plan for your PC - regardless of whether you have 10 minutes, an hour, or all day. The best thing about this book is that it gives you a priority list on how to get your Windows system running quickly and efficiently and without crashing every day. The book tells you what you need to do first, what you do next, and then if you have more time you can follow the 12-step degunking program, which is a complete routine that teaches you how to manage your desktop, organize your folders, clean up your e-mail, and keep a good security system on your PC. This book should be included in every PC sold today. I think this would be a great reference for IT managers as well, for their support staff, to help them manage the tons of idiotic things their users do with their computers to gunk them up. And if you're not a dummy, this is the book for you. It's written in an intelligent, humorous style - but the authors have managed to boil down about 1,000 pages of Microsoft documentation into a very readable, affordable book.
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