clean-up, scanning user accounts

Question

I have 4 user accounts, each listed as an account administrator.  Can I run disk clean-up, defrag, etc on all accounts at once or does it have to be done on each one separately? Same thing with aol spyware and spybot s & d.   I tried the disk clean-up and the spyware on one account but when I switched to another account and ran them again, there were still files to delete on the clean-up and the spyware still found things to block.  I don't want to have to run these things 4 times every time I do it.   Also, the spyware says to run it at least once a week but I apparently need to do it everday because the same pop-ups keep coming back.  Thanks!

Denny Denham · Answer

Huckie, Defrag can be done once for all users. Disk Cleanup and anti-spyware programs need to be run under each user's account.

Denny Denham · Answer

Huckie,

If you are using AOL I can't be of a much help since I don't know what it introduces into a system, but one source of popups in Windows XP is Messenger Service. You can disable it with the little program here and it should reduce the popups significantly.

Huckie · Answer

Thanks, Denny.   It helps to know that.  I was hoping there was a setting I could change so that at least the spyware would work on all account.  It takes awhile and I'm not sure it's worth each of us having our own account!  Can you tell me if there is some reason I now have pop-ups constantly when I hardly had any before the new computer?  We had a Compaq with Windows ME  and now have a  Dell with XP.   We've installed the same programs we had before and download basically the same things, yet get tons more pop-ups.  I would think the newer version of windows would be preventing them more than the old but it's getting ridiculous.  I have the aol spyware program and spybot s & d.   Thanks.

jongkind · Answer

From what I know (and see) is that a deep scan with Lavasoft's Adaware also removes spyware from the other accounts on your computer. Jongkind

Huckie · Answer

Thanks, I've seen Lavasoft.  Maybe I'll try it.  It sure is a pain having to run it on each account separately.

Huckie · Answer

I read about the Messenger Service download. Sounds good.

Huckie · Answer

Hey, just wanted to follow-up - I downloaded  'Shoot the Messenger' and have noticed a huge difference in the pop-ups.  I highly recommend it! Thanks for the info!

simpswr · Answer

SP-2 disables Windows Messenger service by default. wrs

simpswr · Answer

I saw a post somewhere that said if you set AdAware to 'Deep Scan' that it would clean all accounts . . anyone know if this works ( I only have one account or I would test it) wrs

jongkind · Answer

simpswr,   About the deep scaning of Lavasoft, see above   Jongkind

Windows General

clean-up, scanning user accounts

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