Help with windows/linux move please!
 

Hi all

As you can see this is my first post and a very frustrated one at that. I have recently decided to drop windows and take up Linux, after reading some articles and reviews of newer Distros in PC Magazines. I am averagely computer literate (before trying to install and configure a number of Live distros I would have bragged and said I was better but ... there you go!). The problem is, I was registered with the Linux Format magazine forum where there were many people all helping me out with any questions. They were priceless as far as getting me started went. However like I said, after trying 3 distros (knoppix, Lindows and Xandros) I could not get my adsl modem to work and connect to the net - so I could not read off webpages and learn as I go. Having only one machine meant to get back online I had to reinstall windows XP. I hate windows XP, and this is why I also wanted to move to linux, as a fresh new OS that would be a challenge to learn and master, while fun still.

OK heres my problem. There are many viruses around these days, and for some reason I cannot EVER get away with installing windows XP or 2000 withough getting SLAMMED by 100 viruses within 10 seconds. For example ... I use the same CD's that I have backed up all my drivers and utilities to make a quick reinstall. This is probably the problem as they might be infected but even clean installing windows 2000 it only takes an hour to take over my pc.

Every time I try to connect to a page containing a reference to or programs with the words "symantec", "norton", "antivirus" I get page cannot be loaded error. I cannot install norton trialware from a backup I had as it crashes my pc. The files in task manager that I think are causing it are not accessible by me to close. Is there any way of sorting this out at all without reinstalling, as once I can get on the net normally I can print out detailed instructions on how to install linux, as I am a linux os newb and found problems trying to dive straight in, though I couldnt connect to the net as each liunux dist couldnt find my PPPoA or Alcatel Speedtouch USB modem driver, and the linux driver I tried to manually build or install or whatever was too beyond me to do.

any help appreciated
sorry for the long post

regards
DMATT

Rather than trying to get Windows working well enough to use the web long enough to install Linux from documentation on the web you could use books to install Linux. Go to the public library and get a book on the latest version of Red Hat that they have and use that to install Red Hat or Fedora. You can also use the library computers to access the web for the problems that the Red Hat book does not cover.

This is how I installed SuSE 4 years ago, although I had to buy a SuSE book in addition to the library books. At the time I had no Internet access other than the library. I explain why in this thread:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...hreadid=145944

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