To format your PC and reinstall windows 98 you need to do following:

1. Make sure that you have start up disk that came along with your operating system CD. You can also make a start up disk by going to Control Panel> Add/Remove Programs> Create Start up Disk, click on button and insert a floppy in your floppy drive. 2. Eject floppy disk after start up disk has been created. 3. Turn off your computer. 4. Insert start up disk in your floppy drive. 5. Restart your computer. 6. Instead of booting from hard disk, your computer will now boot from floppy and a menu will appear. 7. From menu select "Start without CD-ROM support." 8. After files are loaded and you are returned to prompt "A:/" type FDISK 9. The FDISK tool is loaded and allows you to delete existing DOS partition. 10. Choose file system you want to use. 11. Delete existing DOS partition by following prompts on screen. (Option 3)) 12. After you have deleted partition press 'Esc' key to return to main menu. 13. Now you need to create a new DOS partition. 14. Type in FDISK again and go through various steps to create a new DOS primary partition (Option 1)). Assign it all space available (100%). 15. Exit FDISK and reboot system. 16. Now you need to format your drive, so type in FORMAT Driveletter: (where Driveletter is letter of your hard disk, C: by default) 17. After format switch over to your CD ROM, by typing in drive letter for CD ROM drive (D: by default) and type in setup.exe to begin installation of windows 98.

Creating extended and logical DOS partitions

Follow steps 1 to 14

Now in order to create other extended and logical DOS partitions make sure that you have not assigned all space to primary partition. Decide beforehand how much space you want to allocate to primary partition.

14.1.Instead of exiting FDISK, re enter FDISK options menu and select option to create Extended DOS partition (Option 1)) and assign it rest of space that is still unallocated and follow various prompts on screen to create extended partition. 14.2 Again re enter FDISK menu. This time select option to create logical DOS partitions and assign space to it. 14.3 Follow above step in order to create more logical drives.

Follow step 15 and 16 16.1 Format all your other drives by using format command i.e. FORMAT Driveletter:

Follow step 17 in order to in install windows 98.

Deleting existing extended partitions and creating new ones

If you are not happy with way your hard disk is currently partitioned you can also delete existing partitions and create new ones.

Follow steps 1 to 11

11.1 Instead of exiting, re enter menu and delete rest of partitions (Option 3).

Follow steps 12 to 17

Next up is Spyware and ad blocking software that was initial concern. The two major software packages for spyware protection and removal are Spybot- Search and Destroy (http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html) and AdAware (http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/) although there are alternatives including a recent Microsoft release. (http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx). These threats are often not dealt with by Internet security packs (strangely enough) although some protection is now starting to be included.

Chances are you will have picked up an ad blocker somewhere in collection of programs by now, but just in case you can make your Internet browsing experience a less commercial affair by downloading software such as Hitware Lite (http://www.rightutilities.com/products/hitwarelite/hitware_lite.htm) or Stop Popup (http://www.stopthepopup.com/). These programs stop ads before they reach you, leaving you to browse only information you're after.

Besides installing protection software your best bet is just to be careful with your surfing. Don't open weird emails with strange attachments if you don't know origins (don't even open email... often viruses and Trojans will have an auto open script written into email itself, so you've instantly opened up your computer by simply looking at email). Be careful about sites you visit. Make sure that you're well protected before entering Internet 'grey' areas, such as ROM, Warez, Appz etc. sites. If you perform a web search and some of sites that show up have descriptions and titles consisting only of keywords, it's usually a fair bet that you should stay clear of that site. It usually won't have anything useful to offer and may contain hazardous material. With a bit of care you can keep your system going strong and enjoy Internet safely and relatively ad free.