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As I have browsed this site and others like it, I have often seen comments like "The only way to secure a Windows box is to not connect it to the Internet!" and "How can you stand to use Windows when you have to run tons of apps such as spyware removers and spend hours trying to keep it secure?" Some people have even gone as far as to say that it is literally impossible to secure Windows. Well, I'm here to tell you that not only is it possible, it's actually quite trivial! It requires very little effort and you can do it without running a buttload of security apps and without spending a dime.

In fact, 90% of the work involved using my method occurs when you first install Windows. After that, it takes very little effort on your part. In this guide, I'm going to show you how to go about securing Windows on the desktop - the easy way :) From now on, if somebody tries to tell you that you can't secure Windows, you can point them to this article.

However, before we get started, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• This guide is for Windows 2000 and XP on the desktop. It is not for Win9x, and it is not for severs either. Also, it is intended for people with broadband connections, because they are the ones who are most at risk.
• I don't claim to be any sort of expert on security. Over the years, I have learned what I needed to learn in order to stay safe. Therefore, this is a 'minimalist' method of security, which includes only what you really need to know. Before you say "This can't possibly work!" or accuse me of not including this or that, just remember this ... the proof is in the pudding. Before you write this off as being crap, just try it for a month or so and judge for yourself. I have been using this knowledge for years and have never had any security issues following these rules, and neither has anyone else I know who has followed them.
• That being said, though I can say with a great amount of certainty that this will work for you, nothing is guaranteed, because I don't know of anything that is 'fool-proof.'
• Just so you don't think I'm totally biased, I will say that Windows is horribly insecure out of the box. If this bothers you, I would recommend checking out some Windows alternatives, including the snazzy new Mac Mini's. Personally, I don't care what you use. But if you want or need to use Windows, this information is for you.
• One of these days, there may be some kind of 'super worm' released that can blast right through firewalls and such, but until then, even with unpatched vulnerabilities out there, you should still be safe following this guide.
• Before posting any comments, read the FAQ at the end of the article - I wrote it especially for you :)

Prerequisites
So how much about Windows (and computers in general) do you actually need to know in order to follow these rules? Not much, really. If you're reading this, I'm assuming your Windows box is probably already infected. Therefore, it's probably a good idea to reinstall Windows when following this guide (as some things are better off done as soon as you install Windows anyway), so I'm assuming you're going to (and know how to) do that. Other than that, the only other two requirements I can think of is that you know how to download/install programs and burn CDs.
If you want to use this guide to set up a computer for someone else to use, the other person doesn't need to know much at all, as I have taught grandmas how to do this. However, just be sure you follow rule #1 below!

1. "Windows security, Page 1/3"
2. "Windows security, Page 2/3"
3. "Windows security, Page 3/3"