Before beginning, it is highly recommended that you update to Windows XP Service Pack 3 on any computer that is used to access the Internet and email. You should also be running firewall and anti-virus software. For most people, the built-in Windows Firewall (Start Menu => Control Panel) will work perfectly fine. For anti-virus, Norton Anti-Virus or McAfee will do just fine, however you should avoid the "suite packages", such as Norton Internet Security, which may create conflicts with existing software if you are not an experienced user.