Configure a VPN with XP

To set up a connection to a VPN, do the following:

1. On the computer that is running Windows XP, confirm that the connection to the Internet is correctly configured.
*browse the internet
2. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
3. In Control Panel, double click Network Connections
4. Click Create a new connection in the Network Tasks task pad

5. In the Network Connection Wizard, click Next.

6. Click Connect to the network at my workplace, and then click Next.

7. Click Virtual Private Network connection, and then click Next.
8. If you are prompted, you need to select whether you will use a dialup connection or if you have a dedicated connection to the Internet either via Cable, DSL, T1, Satellite, etc. Click Next.

9. Type a host name, IP or any other description you would like to appear in the Network Connections area. You can change this later if you want. Click Next.

10. Type the host name or the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the computer that you want to connect to, and then click Next.
11. You may be asked if you want to use a Smart Card or not.

12. You are just about done, the rest of the screens just verify your connection, click Next.

13. Click to select the Add a shortcut to this connection to my desktop check box if you want one, if not, then leave it unchecked and click finish.
14. You are now done making your connection, but by default, it may try to connect. You can either try the connection now if you know its valid, if not, then just close it down for now.

15. In the Network Connections window, right-click the new connection and select properties. Let’s take a look at how you can customize this connection before it’s used.
16. The first tab you will see if the General Tab. This only covers the name of the connection, which you can also rename from the Network Connection dialog box by right clicking the connection and selecting to rename it. You can also configure a First connect, which means that Windows can connect the public network (like the Internet) before starting to attempt the ‘VPN’ connection. This is a perfect example as to when you would have configured the dialup connection; this would have been the first thing that you would have to do. It's simple, you have to be connected to the Internet first before you can encrypt and send data over it. This setting makes sure that this is a reality for you.

17. The next tab is the Options Tab. It is The Options tab has a lot you can configure in it. For one, you have the option to connect to a Windows Domain, if you select this check box (unchecked by default), then your VPN client will request Windows logon domain information while starting to work up the VPN connection. Also, you have options here for redialing. Redial attempts are configured here if you are using a dial up connection to get to the Internet. It is very handy to redial if the line is dropped as dropped lines are very common.

18. The next tab is the Security Tab. This is where you would configure basic security for the VPN client. This is where you would set any advanced IPSec configurations other security protocols as well as requiring encryption and credentials.

19. The next tab is the Networking Tab. This is where you can select what networking items are used by this VPN connection.

20. The Last tab is the Advanced Tab. This is where you can configure options for configuring a firewall, and/or sharing.

Connecting to Corporate
Now that you have your XP VPN client all set up and ready, the next step is to attempt a connection to the Remote Access or VPN server set up at the corporate office. To use the connection follow these simple steps. To open the client again, go back to the Network Connections dialog box.
1. One you are in the Network Connection dialog box, double-click, or right click and select ‘Connect’ from the menu – this will initiate the connection to the corporate office.

2. Type your user name and password, and then click Connect. Properties bring you back to what we just discussed in this article, all the global settings for the VPN client you are using.
3. To disconnect from a VPN connection, right-click the icon for the connection, and then click “Disconnect”

Create a preventive maintenance plan for your computer

Preventive Maintenance Activity Recommended Frequency

Clean up the hard disk of temporary files Weekly
Rearrange (defragment) the hard disk Monthly
Check the hard disk for errors Weekly

To set up Disk Cleanup to run automatically:

1.On the Start menu, click Control Panel.
2.In Control Panel, double-click Scheduled Tasks.
3.Double-click Add Scheduled Task. The Scheduled Task Wizard appears,
. Click Next. Accessing the Scheduled Task Wizard
4.You'll find a list of applications within the Scheduled Task Wizard. Scroll down this list until you find Disk Cleanup. Click on Disk Wizard to highlight it,
. Click Next.
Selecting Disk Cleanup from the Scheduled Task Wizard.
5.Select a frequency for the Disk Cleanup to run. Running this task weekly is suggested,
Click Next.
Setting the frequency of Disk Cleanup.
6.Select the best day and time of the week for the Disk Cleanup to run. Pick a time when you know you won't be using your computer,
Click Next.
Picking a day and time for Disk Cleanup to run.
7.Enter your user name and password (the one you use when you need to log on to your computer). Click Next.
Associating a user with the Disk Cleanup scheduled task.
Congratulations! You've successfully scheduled your Disk Cleanup to run, as confirmed . Your PC will now automatically run Disk Cleanup on the date and time you scheduled—even if you're logged off your computer.
Click Finish to have Windows automate this task.
Successfully scheduling Windows to run Disk Cleanup.


To set up Disk Defragmenter to run automatically:

1.On the Start menu, click Control Panel.
2.In Control Panel, double-click Scheduled Tasks.
3.Double-click Add Scheduled Task. The Scheduled Task Wizard appears. Click Next.
4.Disk Fragmenter isn't available within the scroll-down list. You'll need to select it manually. Click Browse. Then, navigate to windows\system32\defrag.exe. Select defrag.exe and click Open, .
Navigating to defrag.exe.
5.The Scheduled Task Wizard asks you to define the frequency for defrag.exe to run. Monthly is suggested. Click Next.
6.You're then asked to select the time and day you wish this task to start. Pick a time you won't likely be using your computer.
If you selected a Monthly time frame, you're able to define what months and what day of the month this task should run. Keep all months selected, and pick a day of the month that works for you,
7.Select a start time that differs from your other scheduled tasks. That way, you won't have multiple tasks starting at exactly the same time. Click Next.
Picking a time frame for Disk Defragmenter to run.
8.Enter your user name and password (the one you use when you need to log on to your computer). Click Next.
9.The next dialog box in the wizard states that you've successfully scheduled Disk Fragmenter to run on the time frame you've defined. Click Finish to have Windows automate this task.


To set up Check Disk to run automatically:

1.On the Start menu, click Control Panel.
2.In Control Panel, double-click Scheduled Tasks.
3.Double-click Add Scheduled Task. The Scheduled Task Wizard appears. Click Next.
4.Check Disk isn't available within the scroll-down list. You'll need to select it manually. Click Browse. Then, navigate to windows\system32\chkdsk.exe. Select chkdsk.exe and click Open,
Navigating to chkdsk.exe.
5.The Scheduled Task Wizard prompts you to define the frequency for chkdsk.exe to run. Select Weekly and click Next.
6.You're then asked to select the time and day you wish this task to start. Select a time you won't likely be using your computer. Make sure this start time differs from your other scheduled tasks. Avoid having your tasks start at the same time.
7.Enter your user name and password (the one you use when you need to log on to your computer). Disk Fragmenter will run as if you started it. Click Next.
8.A wizard page appears, stating that you've successfully scheduled Check Disk to run on the time frame you've defined. Click Finish to have Windows automate this task.

speed up your PC

Free up disk space
By freeing disk space, you can improve the performance of your computer. The Disk Cleanup tool helps you free up space on your hard disk. The utility identifies files that you can safely delete, and then enables you to choose whether you want to delete some or all of the identified files.
Use Disk Cleanup to:
1. Remove temporary Internet files.
2. Remove downloaded program files (such as Microsoft ActiveX controls and Java applets).
3.Empty the Recycle Bin.
4.Remove Windows temporary files.
5.Remove optional Windows components that you don't use.
6.Remove installed programs that you no longer use.
Tip: Typically, temporary Internet files take the most amount of space because the browser caches each page you visit for faster access later.

To use Disk Cleanup
1. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Cleanup. If several drives are available, you might be prompted to specify which drive you want to clean.
2. In the Disk Cleanup for dialog box, scroll through the content of the Files to delete list.
Choose the files that you want to delete.
3.Clear the check boxes for files that you don't want to delete, and then click OK.
4.When prompted to confirm that you want to delete the specified files, click Yes.
After a few minutes, the process completes and the Disk Cleanup dialog box closes, leaving your computer cleaner and performing better.


Speed up access to data

Disk fragmentation slows the overall performance of your system. When files are fragmented, the computer must search the hard disk when the file is opened to piece it back together. The response time can be significantly longer.
Disk Defragmenter is a Windows utility that consolidates fragmented files and folders on your computer's hard disk so that each occupies a single space on the disk. With your files stored neatly end-to-end, without fragmentation, reading and writing to the disk speeds up.
When to run Disk DefragmenterIn addition to running Disk Defragmenter at regular intervals—monthly is optimal—there are other times you should run it too, such as when:
•
You add a large number of files.
•
Your free disk space totals 15 percent or less.
•
You install new programs or a new version of Windows.

To use Disk Defragmenter:
1.Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Defragmenter.
Click Analyze to start the Disk Defragmenter.
2.In the Disk Defragmenter dialog box, click the drives that you want to defragment, and then click the Analyze button. After the disk is analyzed, a dialog box appears, letting you know whether you should defragment the analyzed drives.
Tip: You should analyze a volume before defragmenting it to get an estimate of how long the defragmentation process will take.
3.To defragment the selected drive or drives, click the Defragment button. Note: In Windows Vista, there is no graphical user interface to demonstrate the progress—but your hard drive is still being defragmented.
After the defragmentation is complete, Disk Defragmenter displays the results.
4.To display detailed information about the defragmented disk or partition, click View Report.
5.To close the View Report dialog box, click Close.
6.To close the Disk Defragmenter utility, click the Close button on the title bar of the window.

Detect and repair disk errors.
In addition to running Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter to optimize the performance of your computer, you can check the integrity of the files stored on your hard disk by running the Error Checking utility.
As you use your hard drive, it can develop bad sectors. Bad sectors slow down hard disk performance and sometimes make data writing (such as file saving) difficult, or even impossible. The Error Checking utility scans the hard drive for bad sectors, and scans for file system errors to see whether certain files or folders are misplaced.
If you use your computer daily, you should run this utility once a week to help prevent data loss.

To run the Error Checking utility:
1.Close all open files.
2.Click Start, and then click My Computer.
3.In the My Computer window, right-click the hard disk you want to search for bad sectors, and then click Properties.
4.In the Properties dialog box, click the Tools tab.
5.Click the Check Now button.
6.In the Check Disk dialog box, select the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors check box, and then click Start.
7.If bad sectors are found, choose to fix them.
Tip: Only select the "Automatically fix file system errors" check box if you think that your disk contains bad sectors

Protect your computer against spyware
Spyware collects personal information without letting you know and without asking for permission. From the Web sites you visit to usernames and passwords, spyware can put you and your confidential information at risk. In addition to privacy concerns, spyware can hamper your computer's performance. To combat spyware, you might want to consider using Microsoft Windows Defender, which is included in Windows Vista, and is available as a free download for Microsoft XP SP2. Alternatively, there are other free anti-spyware software programs available.

ReadyBoost
If you're using Windows Vista, you can use ReadyBoost to speed up your system. A new concept in adding memory to a system, it allows you to use non-volatile flash memory—like a USB flash drive or a memory card—to improve performance without having to add additional memory.

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