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Vista x64 for mom?

C

Cutthroat

Golden Member
So after spending all day cleaning dozens of viruses and other malware from her PC I've finally got it clean. Except her internet is still really slow and I can't figure out why. I'm thinking she would be better off with Vista HP x64. This way I can put her on a limited user account to keep her from messing it up again.

The thing is she's terrible with computers, and unwilling to learn properly because she's afraid to break it. Doesn't realize that her ignorance is causing her to break it in the first place. Avast was freaking out about viruses, but she thought Avast was the virus and ignored it. Meanwhile she's installed a "fake" spyware scanner that is spyware. I want to bang my head off the wall.

I'm afraid that she might not "get" Vista and get frustrated quickly. On the other hand, she's so green that it might actually be easier for her.

The only thing she really does with the PC is Quickbooks, e-mail & MSN. I think she'd like Vista actually.

Does Quickbooks run on Vista OK?
 
Originally posted by: postmortemIA
just reinstall xp and give her limited user rights..
Click to expand...

But that's not gonna stop her from getting viruses from e-mail. At least with Vista it's unlikely the viruses would work.

Get this, she had a file on her desktop blahblahblah.exe or whatever. I scan it and it's a trojan. I ask her where it came from and she says, "oh, that's a picture my friend sent me, but when I click on it nothing happens.":roll: I've told her a dozen time before already, it just doesn't sink in.
 
Vista is a good plan for her IMO.

She'll likely find UAC frustrating, but it'll be a lot harder for her to eff up the system.

 
I don't know. I "upgraded" my mother's PC last year - from XP to Vista. She recently asked if she could go back to XP... And although she is not an expert she does use the PC daily, for things like photo editing, email, internet, quickbooks. Too many frustrations with Vista basically.
 
I second the "limited user" account and perhaps a "software restriction policy" also.

Do a search for user "Mechbgon" here on anandtech. He has a website that explains how to use a layered defense to secure a computer
 
Originally posted by: n7
Vista is a good plan for her IMO.

She'll likely find UAC frustrating, but it'll be a lot harder for her to eff up the system.
Click to expand...

Shes unlikely to even see UAC prompts after the machine is configured UNLESS she's getting infected.

Bill
 
No matter WHAT OS you get her, consider ongoing image backups so you can quickly restore her PC if it gets messed up. Acronis or Windows Home Server can both do this (although WHS can't backup a Vista x64 machine quite yet).
 
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