well, sure...you can spend hours configuring windows to be really secure...at which point, you really cant do anything with it lol...just so you guys know, there is a reason that i havent mentioned that i actually need all those programs also...and i am not sure it is appropriate to mention it in this forum...in any case, "the OS is only as secure as the user makes it", well, what is with all these emergency patches and all the numerous security updates from microsoft then? if there was no problem, and an OS is as secure as a user makes it...no need for patches and security updates, right? Well, that is simply an opinion...lemme clue you guys in on something, so nobody gets offended...i am arguing for arguments sake, for knowledge...i am rather new to security myself, though i know more than the average person about windows xp (which isnt saying much, i know LOL) and i am here to learn more. You guys talk about configuring windows, and "locking it down" maybe you could give me some helpful links to start me learning about that stuff? then perhaps i can give you a more INTELLIGENT argument hehe...