Drop your bags, fix a drink, and grab the XP CD—it's time for the holiday ritual of fixing up your relatives' computer. Here are some tips and downloads to keep handy while you're cursing all the auto-starting crapware.

For this guide, we're going to do a bit of assuming. We're assuming the relative with the busted computer is running a Windows system, and has an internet connection that works when the computer does. We're assuming all the physical pieces of the computer work—hard drive, memory, disc drives, and anything else that's crucial. We'll also assume the computer's in one of two states: Failing to boot and needing an OS re-installation, laden with unnecessary system tray/startup applications and/or spy/mal/ad-ware, or just needing a little optimization.

Computer won't boot, needs a re-install

The problem: Turning on the computer results in a message that states Windows can't boot because something is missing (a boot loader, an important file, etc.) or something is wrong. There are many variations on this message, but they all say basically the same thing: You will not be getting into Windows.

Quick-fix triage: Load the original XP, Vista, or Windows 7 (Really? Broken already?) CD or DVD in the system and boot the system from there, which might require hitting a key to bring up "boot options" or pressing a key when asked to "Press any key to boot from CD." Wait for the CD to load—it may seem like it's installing, but it's just loading a mini-system for installation and, in this case, repair. Follow the prompts to repair an existing installation, or, in the case of Vista or 7, ask it to repair the startup process.

What you'll need:

• XP, Vista, or Windows 7 installation CD/DVD: It may be from a computer manufacturer and not look like a Microsoft-obtained, holograph-packed disc, so look around a bit. If it's a "System Restoration" disc, be sure that you can boot from it and install a full copy of Windows from it.
• USB thumb drive: At least 1GB in size.
• External USB drive or blank DVDs: For backing up important files.
• Ubuntu Live CD or Knoppix Live CD: Both are Linux distributions, but we're just using them because they run on most kinds of hardware without installing, and can transfer the files you need to your backup media. Ubuntu should work; if it doesn't, give Knoppix a go. You can use the free tool UNetBootin to transfer the ISO you downloaded to a thumb drive, which is necessary if you're backing up to DVDs, and recommended in any case to speed things up.
  

  If that doesn't work, and you really feel this system can boot again except for some silly error, try creating an Ultimate Recovery CD, as detailed at the How-To Geek's home away from Lifehacker.

  If that worked, hooray! If not, soldier on to the next step.

  Back up the files:Have your USB hard drive or blank DVDs handy, and remove the Windows CD/DVD from the computer if you tried to use that for a fix. Stick your thumb drive with the Ubuntu (or Knoppix) image into a USB slot, then boot up the computer. You may have to hit F12 or another key to boot from USB, or change a setting in the BIOS (which you can access by hitting a key—written in that fast-disappearing text—at boot-up). You'll be asked to choose a language, then hit the option to "Try Ubuntu without any changes." After some loading, you'll arrive at an Ubuntu desktop.

  Move your cursor to the "Places" menu, and check to see that your USB drive (MyBook, in my case) or blank DVD is showing up. You should also see the hard drive Windows is running from. On an XP or Vista system, there's usually just one, but on Windows 7, there are two—a "System Reserved" (fairly small) and a larger, main drive. Check to see that you can open and access those files as well.

  Ask your relatives which files and documents are important to them. When doing my own tech support work, I usually back up the entire "My Documents" folder (with "My Music" and "My Pictures" included), their Outlook or (yes, sometimes) Outlook Express email data (explained here), and their Firefox profile or, more likely, their "Favorites" folder for Internet Explorer (C:\Documents and Settings\Username\Favorites in XP, or C:\Users\Username\Favorites in Vista or 7). In any case, always ask, and make sure there isn't any software they can't locate a license for.

  When you're ready to back up, simply open your USB drive from the Places menu, then open your main Windows drive, and drag files to copy from your Windows system onto the backup medium.
  

  If you're burning to DVD, head to the Applications menu in your temporary Ubuntu system, mouse over the Accessories sub-menu, and select "CD/DVD Creator" when it pops up. You'll get a folder you can drag files you want to burn into, then hit "Write to Disc" to burn them.
  

  When you're all done backing up files, head to the menu with the power icon next to it (labeled "Live user," most likely) and select "Shut Down." You'll eventually be prompted to remove your live CD or USB stick—do so, and swap in the Windows installation CD or DVD. Turn off the system, then turn it back on. Follow the instructions to install Windows on the system, erasing whatever partitions or data exist on there at the moment (assuming you're sure the important stuff is backed up).

  Clogged with crapware

  The problem: The computer boots up ... eventually. Programs open very slowly, the hard drive seems to click and whir endlessly, and messages, reminders, and pop-up windows jump onto the screen every few minutes.

  Quick-fix triage: If you don't suspect there's anything actually malicious and infectious on the system—that is, you're fairly sure they've been running and updating an anti-virus and anti-malware client—grab a copy of Revo Uninstaller Portable (direct ZIP file link), and run it off the USB stick you brought with you.

  Click the "Tools" button, choose the Autorun menu on the left, and look through the items on the right. Uncheck the stuff that's really unnecessary—most of it, really, unless they constantly use a printer/scanner or run an antivirus app—and remind your host to un-check the toolbars and "helper" apps offered when installing things.

  If things are much better now, and you don't imagine that malware is an issue, you're all done. Otherwise ...

  What you'll need: Mostly a small batch of software, recommended by this author and the How-To Geek. You can run these once and remove them, or run them off a thumb drive, in some cases. The last download is one you'll keep installed on the system.

  • Revo Uninstaller Portable: Completely, utterly removes the programs, toolbars, and other junk apps that aren't needed.
  • SuperAntiSpyware: For cleaning (you guessed it) spyware.
  • Malwarebytes (or its portable version): For the clingy cookies, add-ons, and apps that try and do unauthorized stuff.
  • CCleaner Portable: For freeing up hard drive space and clearing out temp/cache files that bog down the system index.
  • Microsoft Security Essentials or Panda Cloud Antivirus: The former for a system that's got enough horsepower to be adequate, the latter for a system that's light on resources.

  The fixing process? It's nothing special, actually—just run the quick-fix triage in any case, removing the auto-run apps that bog down system resources, and then run these secondary apps, generally in the order they're listed. Keep Security Essentials or Panda Cloud Antivirus installed (not both!), and, while you're being helpful, back up this computer's pictures, music, and important documents.

  Tuning up and bomb-proofing

  Maybe everything technically "works," but watching your relatives open

OpenProj è un programma open source basato su Java per la pianificazione e la gestione di progetti tramite diagrammi di Gantt. Può aprire i documenti creati con Microsoft Project fino alla versione 2007, e in fase di esportazione è in grado di salvare i file in Xml o nel formato di Project 2003. Compatibile con le piattaforme Windows, Linux, Unix e Mac, è disponibile in varie lingue; purtroppo la traduzione in italiano è ancora incompleta e prevede solo le voci del menu principale, mentre le finestre secondarie sono in lingua inglese.

L’area di lavoro è assai lineare e sobria, con un numero molto ridotto di pulsanti e di icone. La disposizione dei comandi segue i canoni degli applicativi Windows, con una barra di menu lungo il lato superiore e, sulla sinistra una serie di icone disposte in verticale, con cui attivare i vari tipi di schemi disponibili. Oltre al Gantt, OpenProj offre infatti un diagramma reticolare (Pert), un Wbs (Work Breakdown Structure, struttura funzionale del progetto) e un Rbs (Resource Breakdown Structure, struttura funzionale delle risorse). Le operazioni per costruire un diagramma di Gantt in OpenProj sono molto semplici per chi conosce la logica di funzionamento degli applicativi di questo tipo. Chi invece vi si avvicina per la prima volta sentirà la mancanza di un aiuto sotto forma di procedura di autocomposizione, di solito disponibile nei pacchetti commerciali.

La gestione di un progetto in OpenProj comincia, come di consueto, con la definizione delle fasi di lavorazione (task) e delle loro date di inizio e di fine; il programma consente naturalmente di collegare i task in sequenza, in modo che successive modifiche alla durata di una fase si riflettano anche su quella seguente. Si immettono poi i dati relativi alle risorse, ovvero alle persone o ai settori dell’azienda coinvolti nel processo lavorativo; questa operazione avviene in una finestra dedicata, in cui si stabiliscono anche i costi di ciascuna entità coinvolta, sia quelli fissi sia quelli orari (straordinari compresi). Il responsabile del progetto può determinare gli orari di lavoro a livello di singoli giorni, in modo da pianificare con facilità anche le attività lavorative su tre turni per coprire totalmente le 24 ore giornaliere. Per verificare l’effettivo carico di lavoro e i relativi costi di ciascuna unità produttiva, OpenProj offre due finestre in cui appaiono gli istogrammi a barre o con linea spezzata. Diventano così immediatamente visibili eventuali sovraccarichi oppure unità produttive sottoutilizzate.
In fase di esecuzione del processo lavorativo sono comodi i filtri per ordinare il Gantt in modo da evidenziare i task terminati o quelli che hanno superato il budget. In ogni momento è possibile far generare un report di riepilogo, in modo da avere un quadro sintetico della situazione.
Di OpenProj abbiamo apprezzato in particolare la semplicità d’uso e la presenza di tutti gli strumenti di base per un applicativo di questa categoria. Mancano però le funzioni più evolute tipicamente disponibili nei software a pagamento, come la gestione di progetti multipli in un unico Gantt, la visualizzazione automatica di simboli grafici per segnalare situazioni critiche e la possibilità di coinvolgere più persone nell’aggiornamento dello stato del progetto.
Nell’uso abbiamo riscontrato una notevole lentezza nell’aggiornamento dell’interfaccia quando si trascinano gli elementi grafici, soprattutto nel Gantt. Si tratta di un difetto piuttosto fastidioso, che si presenta anche con un computer veloce (noi abbiamo usato un Intel i7 940 Quad Core a 2,93 GHz, con una scheda grafica NVIDIA GeForce 8600 Gts).