By Dennis O'Reilly

When it's time to reinstall vital Windows components — or the entire operating system — you'd best have a plan in mind.

That's what reader Alan Crawford found out after stumbling through a reinstallation of Windows XP on one of his PCs:

• "I recently had to reinstall a PC that uses a handful of .NET apps. After installing Windows [XP] from an SP2 image, I used Microsoft Update to reinstall all necessary patches and updates, including the three .NET versions and their various service packs and other patches. Having already encountered problems with .NET patches on other machines, I wasn't surprised when .NET 1.1 SP1 wouldn't install.

  "In the past, I was able to uninstall all .NET versions and then proceed, one at a time, to get them all reinstalled. No such luck this time. After several rounds and many visits to the Microsoft Knowledge Base — even using the .NET cleanup tool — I still could not get this package to install.

  "My last-gasp effort was to try the whole exercise 'manually,' and it worked! Despite the extra time involved — and having to validate the PC on each download — had I started on this tack to begin with, I would have saved hours of frustration (seemed like hours, anyway, even if it wasn't).

  "Here's the procedure I used:

  • Step 1: I had previously downloaded the .NET cleanup tool.

  • Step 2: I removed all traces of existing .NET installations and then ran the .NET cleanup tool.

  • Step 3: I rebooted.

  • Step 4: I manually downloaded .NET 1.1, 1.1 SP1, 1.1 SP1 Hotfix, and 2.0 installers — individually — from the Microsoft download site.

  • Step 5: I installed them in the order downloaded, with reboots as required.

  I picked up at this point with downloads from Microsoft Update — installing the 2.0 Hotfix, then 3.0, then the 3.0 Hotfix in separate runs — and all now seems to be just fine.

  "Thanks, as always, for the best newsletter out there."
  

Free option for controlling kids' Net access

Becky Waring's Dec. 4 parental-control software review (paid content) led reader Rob de Santos to tell us about a new way to use an old, reliable — and free — Internet security service:

• "I highly recommend an option usually overlooked by most parents (and unknown to them): control access via your router. If you utilize Open DNS and follow their instructions to change your router's DNS settings, you can then use the easy-to-configure OpenDNS settings pages to block any category of sites you choose, be it … porn, chat, or advertising.

  "This is an excellent supplement to any PC-based software and much harder for any child to override or avoid. It can also be remotely changed if necessary. Best of all, it's free!"
  

Free is good. Difficult for a clever child to overcome is even better. And I know a lot of Internet users who'd be interested in a free, effective way to block Web ads.

Speaking of Susan, since her lead story about problems patching Microsoft's .NET Framework appeared on cialis herbal alternative color=”#000099″>Dec. 4, she's dug up additional information. Although she usually writes for Windows Secrets' paid content, her follow-up on .NET appears today as a free column.