[wendy k. walker]

Hi Everyone,

I'm using a hand me down HP pavilion 512n Desktop. I know that it used to be part of a home business network.

I also know, from several of the programs that are installed on it, that it was used to do a lot of gaming, and online gambling.

Now as it is no longer a part of that network I want to know what I should do to be sure that it isn't still being accessed by any of its previous owners, be it for business or pleasure.

I have a habit of running AFT at least every couple of days. When I ran it today it reported getting rid of 900,000 temp files, which gives me to wonder if one of the other owners might have something on the hard drive that allows then to access this machine.

I have another thread going in the malware forum because of some of the issues that I've been having.

Any information on locking down this box so that I know I'm the only one to the front and back doors will be greatly appreciated.

Wendy

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You can't prove anything about the previous owners. 900k of temporary files just means they've built up.
You may as well just wipe the machine and start again with a new installation. Why fix a previous mess that's now realistically no longer your problem? Just wipe it, I would.

[Neil Jones]

You can't prove anything about the previous owners. 900k of temporary files just means they've built up.
You may as well just wipe the machine and start again with a new installation. Why fix a previous mess that's now realistically no longer your problem? Just wipe it, I would.

[wendy k. walker]

Hi Neil Jones, Thanks for the reply.

It is not that I am out to 'Prove' anything about, nor against, the previous owners of this machine, if I took your words correctly. Primarily because I do not know that they have broken any laws, nor do I really care whether they have or not.

I simply want to know that I've gotten this machine locked down to the point that MI6 would find it difficult to get into it.

As for the 900K files... yes they could have built up...over a period of several years maybe, however, as I said in my original posting, I am in the habit of running a cleanup utility, referred to as ATF-Cleaner, every few days.

So I see no logical reason, other than an intrusion into this machine, for that large a number of Temp files appearing overnight.

You may as well just wipe the machine and start again with a new installation.

I may just do that, however, not any time soon.

Why fix a previous mess that's now realistically no longer your problem?

Because I just can not abide letting anything mechanical get the best of me without a good roll in the mud.

Wendy