How to get the most from your Windows 7 upgrade

Bonus

This month's free bonus to all is a three-chapter excerpt from Windows 7 Tweaks: A Comprehensive Guide on Customizing, Increasing Performance, and Securing Microsoft Windows 7 by Steve Sinchak. The book provides valuable information about making the most of Windows' newest operating system.

Your Windows 7 migration problems solved

Top Story by Woody Leonhard

The Windows 7 rollout has gone extraordinarily well, with millions of machines upgraded in just a few weeks. But some Win7 upgraders have encountered problems ranging from installation headaches to missing games to confusing — boy howdy, really confusing — licensing questions.

Dumping Java cache improves browser performance

Known Issues by Dennis O'Reilly

If your browser takes forever to open, it could be due to an overloaded Java cache. The Java Control Panel applet lets you clear Java's temporary Internet cache and reset the default cache size to a more reasonable amount.

New 'Twilight' movie gives a howl to cotton

Wacky Web Week by Stephanie Small

In anticipation of the new "Twilight" movie — which comes out this week — fans everywhere have been going overboard, creating life-size cutouts of the characters, buying "Twilight" jewelry, and wearing "Twilight" apparel.

Windows utility repairs corrupted system files

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

When system files go bad, Windows' System File Checker can set things right. Whether due to malware, botched updates, or some other glitch, mangled system files are rooted out and replaced with good copies.

Should you move to 64-bit Windows 7?

Best Software by Ian "Gizmo" Richards

The difficulties experienced by users of the 64-bit version of Windows XP and Vista cause most users to believe it's too early to make the shift from 32-bit to 64-bit. However, the release of Windows 7 has convinced many people that this is the right time to change — but is it, really?

XP update conflicts with popular video adapters

Patch Watch by Susan Bradley

The patch I identified last week as the most important of those released by Microsoft in November has been found to cause systems with certain ATI and Nvidia adapters to freeze. You can fix the problem by removing the patch, installing an updated video driver, and reapplying the patch.

How to get the most from Windows 7

Bonus

This month's free bonus for all subscribers is a three-chapter excerpt from Windows 7 Tweaks by Steve Sinchak. The book, which is subtitled A Comprehensive Guide on Customizing, Increasing Performance, and Securing Microsoft Windows 7, provides valuable information about making the most of Microsoft's new operating system.

Clean-install Windows 7 from the upgrade disc

Top Story by Woody Leonhard

Topping the long list of readers' Windows 7 questions is whether you can use the upgrade disc to perform a clean-install of the new OS. You may be surprised to discover that in Windows 7 there's no difference between the "upgrade" and "full" DVDs and — just as with XP and Vista — the cheaper upgrade version can indeed be used to perform a clean-install.

Readers offer more ways to enhance Windows 7

Known Issues by Dennis O'Reilly

Like pouring hot fudge onto vanilla ice cream, there's nothing like making a good thing better. Even with near-universal positive reviews, Windows 7 could still stand some improvements — and Windows Secrets readers know just how to enhance the new OS.

Invisible rope trips up unsuspecting passers-by

Wacky Web Week by Stephanie Small

Remember when you were a kid, and playing pranks on people was the thing to do? Whether it was jumping out of the closet to scare someone or making the infamous prank calls during a sleepover, it was fun — usually, anyway — for both parties involved.

Wanted: a free, novice-proof disk wiper

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

Wiping the data off old drives is a smart thing to do, but secure erasing also must be easy to do. Powerful software is worthless if it's too hard to use, but I've found a free drive-wiping tool that's powerful enough for pros yet simple enough for newbies.

SSL authentication flaw puts browsers at risk

In The Wild by Robert Vamosi

A hole discovered recently in Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) HTTP sessions is difficult to exploit but may necessitate a revision of the SSL protocol itself. The big-name browser vendors are quietly working to patch the vulnerability before the bad guys figure out how to use it to crack secure Web connections.

XP patch removes threat of malicious Web fonts

Patch Watch by Susan Bradley

Systems running Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003 are at risk of infection via fonts used on malicious Web sites. No attacks exploiting this vulnerability have been recorded yet, but I expect them to begin soon — so apply this patch right away.

How to get the most from Windows 7

Bonus

This month's free bonus for all subscribers is a three-chapter excerpt from Windows 7 Tweaks by Steve Sinchak. The book, which is subtitled A Comprehensive Guide on Customizing, Increasing Performance, and Securing Microsoft Windows 7, provides valuable information about making the most of Microsoft's new operating system.

Find safe-browser technologies that really work

Top Story by Yardena Arar

The major browsers and security programs all tout their ability to warn you about malware sites before you visit them, but do any of these early-warning systems really work? Experts say they're all useful, but none provides a silver bullet — and any browser-security product's claims of superiority are extremely difficult to verify.

Early adopter of Windows 7 shares his secrets

Known Issues by Dennis O'Reilly

For most Windows users, the transition to Windows 7 will be bump-free. But even if the initial installation goes smoothly, you know there'll be glitches — some big and some small.

The greatest Halloween prank ever

Wacky Web Week by Stephanie Small

Halloween trick-or-treaters in creative costumes were everywhere last weekend. Pranks and scares also belong to this holiday, and the one in this video could very well be the topper!

Step by step: reload apps after clean install

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

When you do a clean install of Windows — whether the new version 7 or one of its predecessors — make sure you reload your software in the correct order. Here's my tried-and-true method for building a stable, secure installation of any version of Windows.

Two free removal utilities go head to head

Best Software by Ian "Gizmo" Richards

In my Sept. 17 and Oct. 1 series on program uninstallation, I recommended free program uninstallers from Revo and ZSoft. I've had a clutch of subscriber e-mails asking me to explain the difference between these two products and to name the one I prefer.

Add Windows 7 PCs to Vista and XP networks

Woody's Windows by Woody Leonhard

Now that Windows 7 has arrived, many people will be mixing and matching systems running Win7, Vista, and XP on their home and small-office networks. Setting up such heterogeneous networks isn't as hard as you might think … if you follow a few simple rules.

The pros and cons of switching to Windows 7

Top Story by Woody Leonhard

If you're still sitting on the fence about upgrading to Windows 7 — after all, it's been widely available for all of a few hours now — I'd like to regale you with my top eight reasons to jump in with both feet. I'll also tell you three possible reasons for keeping the new OS on the shelf — for a while, at least.

Behind the lens of Google street view

Wacky Web Week by Stephanie Small

Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes of Google's infamous street view? Videotaping each street in America simply must be a daunting — yet seemingly fun — job that anyone would want to do, right?

Automatic driver updates may spell trouble

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

Automatic software-update tools are great — when they work. However, the more complex and nonstandard your system configuration, the greater the likelihood that an automatic-update tool will go wrong … go wrong … go wrong ….

More on router upgrades, settings, and passwords

Perimeter Scan by Ryan Russell

Readers responding to my Oct. 8 column on router security asked primarily about three things: upgrading a device's firmware, saving its configuration settings, and encrypting wireless devices. These activities can be tricky but can also pay huge benefits when done deliberately.

Mozilla blocks, then unblocks Microsoft add-ons

Patch Watch by Susan Bradley

Two Microsoft add-ons for the Mozilla Firefox browser — .NET Framework Assistant and Windows Presentation Foundation — were temporarily blocked this week by Firefox staff because of vulnerabilities announced by the Redmond company on Oct. 13. Firefox experts may allow the use of both add-ons by the time you read this, but for safety's sake, users of all browsers should apply the Microsoft patch immediately.

Migrating to Windows 7 has never been so easy

Bonus

This month's free bonus download for all our subscribers is a two-chapter excerpt from Switching to Microsoft Windows 7: The Painless Way to Upgrade from Windows XP or Vista by Elna Tymes and Charles Prael. The book provides valuable information about effortlessly transitioning to Microsoft's new operating system.

Public deprived of WS site for two boring days

Introduction by Brian Livingston

Power users of Microsoft Windows found themselves with nothing to read but blogs when a disk crash took down the WindowsSecrets.com site Oct. 13–14, subjecting Web surfers to 48 hours of utter boredom. Fortunately, all the site's information was soon back online, to the chagrin of some of our columnists, who'd hoped that a few poorly chosen sentences here and there would disappear forever.

Press delete: the risk of outsourcing your data

Top Story by Robert Vamosi

A recent failure affecting T-Mobile's Sidekick service caused thousands of customers to lose their personal contact information. There's nothing new about servers crashing, and something like this is sure to happen again, so you need to protect yourself against such losses in the future.

Tips for avoiding bogus ads in search results

Known Issues by Dennis O'Reilly

Our Oct. 8 Top Story by contributing editor Susan Bradley reported that Google, Bing, and other indexes need to do a better job of policing the ads that appear alongside the search results. Immediately after Susan's story was published, describing malware ads that appeared alongside queries on security terms like malwarebytes, such ads temporarily disappeared.

Finally! An effective way to reduce traffic

Wacky Web Week by Stephanie Small

Traffic is something every driver despises. Whether in the morning or evening rush hours or any other time, it's frustrating and headache-inducing — and oh, so slow.

Remove a persistent Trojan once and for all

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

Clever malware can block your access to Windows' Task Manager and Registry Editor, making it difficult to disable and delete the infection. Several free tools, however, can help you root out these pesky Trojans and viruses — and prevent them from returning.

How to find out whether a file is infected

Best Software by Ian "Gizmo" Richards

Even when you obtain a new program from a trusted source, there's always a nagging doubt whether the file is really clean. You can use the following techniques to check files for any possible malware infection before you start opening them.

Windows GDI+ update prevents Web-image attacks

Patch Watch by Susan Bradley

All versions of Windows XP and Vista have been found to be susceptible to infected image files in software and on Web sites, Microsoft announced on Patch Tuesday. The fix Microsoft released this week for XP and Vista is also needed by the .NET Framework, MS Office versions from XP to 2007, Works 8.5, and Forefront Client Security.

Sponsored search results lead to malware

Top Story by Susan Bradley

The ads served by Bing and Google along with your search results are linking more and more often to sites trying to infect your machine. Neither Bing nor Google effectively prescreens these bogus advertisers, so it's up to us to detect and avoid them.

More tips for avoiding Windows 7 upgrade bumps

Known Issues by Dennis O'Reilly

For most PC users, the migration to Microsoft's new version of Windows will go smoothly — with a little preparation. Spending a few minutes getting your system ready before you insert that Windows 7 installation disc may save you hours of troubleshooting and repair afterward.

Almost all spam traced to a single country

Wacky Web Week by Stephanie Small

Who isn't sick of getting all that pesky spam? According to a recent report by the Onion, up to 90% of spam comes from the small East European country of Koy4Goff. The report claims that if these messages were blocked, the country would be virtually wiped off the map.

Migrating to Windows 7 has never been so easy

Bonus

This month's free bonus download for all our subscribers is a two-chapter excerpt from Switching to Microsoft Windows 7: The Painless Way to Upgrade from Windows XP or Vista by Elna Tymes and Charles Prael. The book provides valuable information about effortlessly transitioning to Microsoft's new operating system.

Make sure your private data's snoop-proof

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

Why let data thieves mine your personal files and backups when you can encrypt them quickly and simply — without spending a dime? Free, high-quality, disk-encryption tools make all your files and backups totally unreadable by anyone — except you!

Free MS Security Essentials are worth trying

Woody's Windows by Woody Leonhard

Fast, full-featured, and free, Microsoft's new security suite is drawing accolades from experts and howls of agony from competitors. If you're tired of your bloated and expensive security suite exhorting/extorting you for more money — and you can't stomach the way free AV products try to scare you into paying — it's time to try something new and better from an unexpected source.

Take steps to secure your home network's router

Perimeter Scan by Ryan Russell

A lot of people tend to think of their home network gateway as a fire-and-forget device, but unfortunately, that's not the case. Whether you call it a router, firewall, NAT box, wireless access point, or modem — your network connection needs to be correctly configured and patched, just like every other computer you own.

Migrating to Windows 7 has never been so easy

Bonus

This month's free bonus download for all our subscribers is a two-chapter excerpt from Switching to Microsoft Windows 7: The Painless Way to Upgrade from Windows XP or Vista by Elna Tymes and Charles Prael. The book provides valuable information about effortlessly transitioning to Microsoft's new operating system.

Get your system ready for a Windows 7 upgrade

Top Story by Scott Spanbauer

Removing unneeded applications and making sure your hardware devices will work with Windows 7 are good things to do before you purchase and install the new operating system. A merciless approach — ruthlessly excising software clutter prior to the OS upgrade — will help ensure that the process goes smoothly.

Netbook news on Windows 7 is hype, Woody finds

Known Issues by Dennis O'Reilly

This week, several tech news sources reported that Microsoft had lifted restrictions on which versions of Windows 7 could be installed on netbooks. In fact, WS contributing editor Woody Leonhard reported months ago that no such restrictions were in place and that netbook makers could install any version of Win7.

Google's invisible city is an identity saver

Wacky Web Week by Stephanie Small

Identity theft is something everyone fears these days. With the invention of the Internet, people can simply search for your personal information and even find out where you live.

Restore a hard drive's lost boot sector

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

A hard drive without a boot sector means big trouble — but the situation is not necessarily fatal. Without your hard drive's boot sector, your PC can't boot or access any software on the hard drive; but thankfully, Windows' built-in repair tools can put things right.

Manually remove programs that lack uninstallers

Best Software by Ian "Gizmo" Richards

It will happen to you one day: You'll try to uninstall a software program and then discover that no uninstaller is provided. Thankfully, it's usually possible to manually remove programs lacking their own uninstall option.

Sharing is easy with Windows 7's homegroups

Woody's Windows by Woody Leonhard

The most misunderstood new feature in Windows 7 may be homegroups, which lets you share files, media, and printers across Win7 PCs quickly and easily — if you know a few tricks. I've seen a lot of bad advice online about Windows 7 homegroups, however, so let's delve into the belly of the beast to learn the facts.

More tricks to evade keyloggers on public PCs

Top Story by Scott Dunn

Dozens of readers responded to my Sept. 10 Top Story, many of them proposing alternative ways to evade keyloggers other than the "revised Vesik method" I described. No method can make you completely safe when using a public computer, so you must balance convenience with the level of risk that's acceptable to you.

Oh, the sweet, sweet power of temptation

Wacky Web Week by Stephanie Small

Remember when you were a kid and were told to wait before you could eat dessert? That excruciating delay caused fits of fidgeting as you fed the dog your dinner in hopes of hastening the glorious sweet treat at the end of the meal.

Get Gizmo's updated e-book of the 9 best apps

Bonus

Back by popular demand, this month's paid bonus is an updated 2nd edition of Nine Free Programs Every PC Should Have by WS senior editor Ian "Gizmo" Richards.

Driver update triggers Vista reactivation

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

Out of the blue, your operating system pops up a reactivation warning. Windows Product Activation (WPA) isn't the Big Brother app some people claim it is, but the warnings sure can be annoying — especially when a system you've already activated demands reactivation.

Can Windows Mobile catch iPhone and BlackBerry?

Insider Tricks by Michael Lasky

Windows Mobile version 7 is scheduled to ship in 2010, and the buzz about the major new version is overshadowing Microsoft's less-notable 6.5 upgrade, which arrives on Oct. 6. Despite some nice interface changes and new applications, Windows Mobile 6.5 will continue to trail the smart-phone competition, although some IT types will like the close ties Redmond's smart-phone OS has to Exchange Server.

Important security patches available for Firefox

Patch Watch by Susan Bradley

Mozilla has ended support for version 2 of the Firefox browser, so if you haven't upgraded already, it's time to get version 3.5.3 (or 3.0.14, if the 3.5 release isn't compatible with your system). Now that browsers are the principal entry point for malware, ensuring that you have the latest release is more important than ever.

Learn Windows 7 by pictures, not words

Bonus

This month's bonus is a two-chapter excerpt from Teach Yourself Visually Microsoft Windows 7 by Paul McFedries. The book uses illustrations and screen shots instead of straight text to help make the transition to Windows 7 easier than ever for computer users. The printed volume isn't yet available in most stores. But all paid subscribers can receive our exclusive download now through Sept. 23.

Control ill-behaved apps with DEP in IE

Top Story by Susan Bradley

Internet Explorer 8 includes a security feature that shuts down misbehaving applications before they can harm your system. This capability, known as Data Execution Prevention (DEP), runs by default when IE 8 is installed on XP SP3 and Vista SP1 or later, but it may not always be clear to you why DEP has put the brakes on one of your PC's applications.

Some keyloggers can read the Clipboard, too

Known Issues by Dennis O'Reilly

Several dozen readers responded to WS contributing editor Scott Dunn's Sept. 10 Top Story on keeping your passwords out of the hands of sneaky keyloggers on untrusted PCs you may be forced to use while traveling. The most frequent suggestion was to copy passwords from a text file and paste them into password boxes, but many keyloggers — unfortunately — capture any text you paste from the Clipboard.

Humans will eat almost anything … if it's pizza

Wacky Web Week by Stephanie Small

Everyone — well, practically everyone — enjoys a slice of pizza now and then. Be it cheese, meat, veggies, or some weird combination of them all, pizza is the perfect all-inclusive and delicious meal!

Best way to clean a PC with multiple accounts

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

Yes, one tool can optimize a Windows setup comprising many different user accounts. PC cleanup tools take various approaches to removing junk from every account — from standard to administrator — without damaging or deleting files a user may require.

What to do when a program installation fails

Best Software by Ian "Gizmo" Richards

One of the most frustrating experiences for a Windows user is when an installation fails — you often can't delete the fragments or restart the install process, leaving you with nowhere to go. Don't give up hope; I'll show you how to overcome this sticky stalled-installation situation.

Success in digging malware from my own back yard

Perimeter Scan by Ryan Russell

It took more than one security tool for me to rid a Vista installation of a nasty virus infection. And once the malware was jettisoned, another several hours were required to ensure that Vista was up-to-date.

Prevent keyloggers from grabbing your passwords

Top Story by Scott Dunn

Strong passwords are important, but even the best password won't keep you safe from keyloggers — hardware and software that's designed to secretly record your keystrokes. Fortunately, there's a way you can enter sensitive data so it's extremely difficult for snoops to extract your passwords from keylogger files.

Keep your computer beyond the reach of hackers

Bonus

This month's free bonus download for all our subscribers is a two-chapter excerpt from Hacking Exposed: Computer Forensics by Aaron Philipp, David Cowen, and Chris Davis. The book provides valuable information about protecting everything on your computer out of the clutches of harmful hackers, be it important data or merely your IP address.

Trade in your hops for grapes … fun will follow

Wacky Web Week by Stephanie Small

Sick of drinking beer at parties? Hate it when your buddies stick you with a warm brew? Nothing sucks the fun out of social occasions faster than the same old swill. Well, your lackluster beer-drinking days are about to be supplanted by the best of aged wines … cabernet sauvignon!

Reset your BIOS so USB keyboards work on boot-up

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

Just because your PC fails to recognize a USB keyboard at startup doesn't mean you're now the owner of the world's largest paperweight. When Windows works perfectly, but your PC's underlying hardware goes south, a slightly geeky hardware trick might just get the crippled machine going again!

Hackers exploit FTP flaw in Microsoft's IIS

In The Wild by Robert Vamosi

Sites running the FTP service on Microsoft's Internet Information Services (IIS) Web software may be vulnerable to attacks. The company says FTP service versions 5 and 6 are affected, but claims version 7.5 is unaffected on Vista and Windows Server 2008.

New Web-based attacks target Windows Media holes

Patch Watch by Susan Bradley

Three separate browser vulnerabilities make you susceptible to drive-by exploits from otherwise-trustworthy Web sites. These threats affect you even if you never use Windows Media Player or Internet Explorer, so you should definitely apply this week's Windows patches.

New info leads to today's unscheduled newsletter

Introduction by Brian Livingston

We don't usually publish new content during our summer break in the last two weeks of August, but an update to the WS Security Baseline is compelling us to release special content for you today. Besides that, we're also releasing breaking news by contributing editors Woody Leonhard and Susan Bradley on ways some Internet service providers may be blocking your e-mail (and how you can work around it) and on the fact that Microsoft has started pushing out Internet Explorer 8 even to people who previously declined it.

Security Baseline provides basic PC protection

Top Story by Robert Vamosi

The Windows Secrets Security Baseline describes products and services that serve as a minimum safe PC configuration. This week, I'm updating the latest findings on a set of hardware and software that should meet the needs of individual PC users, though more-advanced users and large businesses may want a more-sophisticated approach to computer defense.

ISPs block some outgoing e-mail unexpectedly

Woody's Windows by Woody Leonhard

Recently, many Windows Secrets readers — me among them — discovered that they could no longer send e-mail, although they could still receive messages. In an attempt to reduce spam, many ISPs, including Verizon as of a few months ago, now block all outbound traffic on what used to be the de facto avenue for e-mail, port 25 — leaving customers in the lurch.

IE 8 is being pushed to systems that blocked it

Patch Watch by Susan Bradley

Microsoft has begun presenting Internet Explorer 8 as an available update to PCs that previously hid IE 8 from the update list. If you've previously declined and hidden IE 8 in one of Microsoft's update services, you'll need to do so again to prevent the browser from being part of the download list.

Use any version of Windows 7 free for 120 days

Top Story by Woody Leonhard

There's an easy way to stretch Windows 7's 30-day free-trial period to 120 days so you can determine whether Microsoft's new operating system meets your needs. Even better — if you know the secret — you can try out any version of Win7, from Ultimate to the lowly Basic, using a single install disc.

Add Adobe to the list of update opportunists

Known Issues by Dennis O'Reilly

Many software vendors see security updates and bug fixes for their applications as a chance to install unrelated — and uninvited — programs onto your PC. One vendor guilty of this offense — and not cited in Susan Bradley's Aug. 13 Top Story on this subject — is Adobe, which preselects the option to install the Google Toolbar along with its Flash Player and Adobe Reader patches.

Annoying tweeters meet their zombie demise

Wacky Web Week by Stephanie Small

We all know them: Twitter addicts who constantly update their status with such breaking news as "I'm bored" or "I'm soooo glad it's sunny out!" What makes these people think anyone cares?

Everything Windows 7 available at your fingertips

Bonus

This month's free bonus download for all our subscribers is Windows 7 All-in-One for Dummies by our very own contributing editor Woody Leonhard. The book provides valuable information about making the transition to Windows 7 for the novice to the expert computer user.

Delete files that Windows labels 'undeletable'

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

Never again be prevented from removing an unwanted file by the rude "access denied" message in Windows! With the right free tool, you can easily delete files and folders that are locked, in use, or otherwise untouchable.

New browser combines best of three worlds

Best Software by Ian "Gizmo" Richards

You no longer have to choose between Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Chrome as your browser of choice. A new contender in the increasingly crowded field combines all three engines behind one easily customizable interface.

Bolster your security with top-notch free tools

Insider Tricks by Erik Larkin

If you entrust your security to a single antivirus app, your PC might well become a casualty some day. To make sure you win the malware war, you need the multiple lines of defense provided by the advanced features of two of my favorite free services.

Sun, Apple, Microsoft install chaff with patches

Top Story by Susan Bradley

When you apply a security update for one of the programs on your PC, beware of uninvited software that wants to come along for the ride. Vendors are more and more often going over the line, piggy-backing unsolicited commercial products and services onto crucial security patches.

Gmail activity log helps you detect hijacking

Known Issues by Dennis O'Reilly

A line at the bottom of the Gmail window indicates when your account was last used and also links to more-complete usage info. You can use this activity log to determine whether someone has guessed your password and taken over your account.

Water fights that will make you cry uncle

Wacky Web Week by Stephanie Small

Remember when playing with squirt guns was the most fun a kid could have? The little streams of water kept you cool while also providing endless hours of fun. Then Super Soakers reinvented the water fight, blasting water at your foes in torrents!

Everything Windows 7 available at your fingertips

Bonus

This month's free bonus download for all our subscribers is Windows 7 All-in-One for Dummies by our very own contributing editor Woody Leonhard. The book provides valuable information about making the transition to Windows 7 for the novice to the expert computer user.

Free utilities make Windows smaller, faster

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

Microsoft keeps building more and more into Windows, but sometimes all you want or need is a bare-bones, minimal OS. If small and fast is what you want, several free programs let you remove unnecessary Windows components to improve your system's performance and reliability.

Laptop rootkit is widespread but likely harmless

In The Wild by Robert Vamosi

A presentation by two researchers at a recent security conference suggests that one particular rootkit-like program may be present in 60% of all laptops. The absence of strong authentication in this well-intentioned, widely distributed program has the potential to compromise systems, according to the researchers, but I believe you actually face little risk.

Heavy patch week to block Web-based attacks

Patch Watch by Susan Bradley

The Active Template Library (ATL) glitch in Microsoft's Visual Studio, which was the subject of last month's out-of-cycle update, requires yet more application patching this week. Outlook Express, Windows Media Player, and various ActiveX controls are all vulnerable to the ATL security hole.

Gmail flaw shows value of strong passwords

Top Story by Becky Waring

The disclosure of a back door allowing bad guys to repeatedly guess Gmail passwords should remind us all to protect our accounts with long and strong character strings. There's a straightforward way to protect your online accounts — use sign-in phrases that are easy for you to remember but hard for others to guess.

Navigating the maze of Microsoft patches

Known Issues by Dennis O'Reilly

The numbering system Microsoft uses to identify its various Windows updates and the security bulletins referencing them often leaves us scratching our heads. Just determining whether your PC has all the patches it needs can be like deciphering a secret code.

Go really green with Taco Bell's artificial food

Wacky Web Week by Stephanie Small

Think you know what it's like to be green? Perhaps you recycle compulsively, use earth-friendly cleaning products, drive a hybrid, and wear only organic clothing. Or maybe you believe simply eating organic food is enough to reduce your carbon footprint.

Everything Windows 7 available at your fingertips

Bonus

This month's free bonus download for all our subscribers is Windows 7 All-in-One for Dummies by our very own contributing editor Woody Leonhard. The book provides valuable information about making the transition to Windows 7 for the novice to the expert computer user.

Diagnose and repair network-connection glitches

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

When the Web becomes unreachable, it's time to start digging into your router and firewall settings. When your system's port 80 is blocked, all http: traffic stops, and you'll need to do a bit of cyber-sleuthing to learn the cause.

Give Vista the best features of Windows 7

Best Software by Ian "Gizmo" Richards

With all the hype about the upcoming release of Windows 7, it's easy to lose track of the fact that Windows 7 is not really a new operating system but rather Vista with many of the bugs fixed — Vista Mark II, if you like. What most people don't realize is that it's possible to tweak Vista to offer a number of the most important benefits of Windows 7 without spending a cent.

Time to dump Outlook Express and Windows Mail

Woody's Windows by Woody Leonhard

If you use Outlook Express in Windows XP or Windows Mail in Vista, you need to wake up and smell the cyanide; Microsoft gave up on both e-mail programs years ago, and it's time you followed suit. Now that the company has dropped OE and Windows Mail — and yanked e-mail from Windows 7 altogether — think about moving your mail and contacts to an alternative e-mail app.

Last chance to get money-saving tips for free

Bonus

We can offer our newest bonus for only a few more days this week. All our subscribers are eligible for a free download of Green Home Computing for Dummies by Katherine Murray and our very own contributing editor Woody Leonhard. The book is full of tips on how to reduce your PC's power cost, optimize your system's performance for better energy efficiency, and more!

Special report: anti-malware killbits are broken

Introduction by Brian Livingston

When Microsoft makes a mistake, it's usually a doozy. It's been disclosed this week that the "killbits" set by Microsoft to protect Internet Explorer against malware can be circumvented by bad guys — but we'll tell you today about emergency patches that can defend you.

Install MS's out-of-cycle patches for IE, apps

Top Story by Susan Bradley

Two emergency updates released by Microsoft this week correct flaws in Internet Explorer and potentially dozens of third-party programs. One of the patches is intended primarily for use by application developers, but how far the threat to apps extends — and how many end users will be affected — is not yet clear.

Learn to read the obscure WindowsUpdate.log file

Top Story by Susan Bradley

Every moment your computer is on, a nearly undocumented Microsoft file — WindowsUpdate.log — maintains a record of your system's patching activity. Making sense of the information in this update log can be a challenge, but I'll show you how you can use it to learn the inside story of your PC's update history.

The transforming of the greatest 'blanket' ever

Wacky Web Week by Stephanie Small

Everyone's favorite blanket with arm holes — also known as the Snuggie — has returned with a vengeance. Once available only in solids, the new and improved version of the WTF blanket now comes in attractive dead animal prints!

Free ways to save money and energy with your PC

Bonus Download

This month's free bonus download for all our subscribers is Green Home Computing for Dummies by Katherine Murray and our very own contributing editor Woody Leonhard. The book is full of tips on how to reduce your PC's power cost, optimize your system's performance for better energy efficiency, and more!

How to correct Device Manager hardware errors

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

Device Manager — Windows' underutilized repair tool — offers a fast, free way to repair common hardware misconfiguration problems. Instead of removing and replacing a device that shows some error in Device Manager, the most effective solution is often to use a "soft" uninstallation and reinstallation.

Important Windows 7 questions remain unanswered

Woody's Windows by Woody Leonhard

My July 16 Top Story about potential pitfalls in upgrading to Windows 7 generated a torrent of questions that Microsoft hasn't yet addressed publicly. Here's a partial list of what we don't yet know about Windows 7 — think of it as a Windows 7 anti-FAQ.

No need to undo pre-patch ActiveX killbit

Patch Watch by Susan Bradley

If you previously applied a killbit for an ActiveX flaw in IE, rest easy — there's no need to undo the killbit prior to installing the full patch that Microsoft's released. XP systems with the killbit installed will not be offered the patch automatically, but you can download and install the update manually without having to make any other changes, if you like.

Some versions of Windows 7 worth it, others not

Top Story by Woody Leonhard

With the arrival of Windows 7's release to manufacturing (RTM) imminent, my inbox is teeming with questions about the next version of every PC user's favorite whipping boy. You need to make a few key decisions to ensure that you pick the Windows 7 version that best meets your needs.

Free ways to save money and energy with your PC

Bonus Download

This month's free bonus download for all our subscribers is Green Home Computing for Dummies by Katherine Murray and our very own contributing editor Woody Leonhard. The book is full of tips on how to reduce your PC's power cost, optimize your system's performance for better energy efficiency, and more!

Readers suggest ways to improve OpenDNS

Known Issues by Dennis O'Reilly

Becky Waring's July 9 Top Story provided tips for avoiding problems when using the free OpenDNS service to browse more securely. Several people responded to Becky's story by suggesting ways that the service could be made even better.

Too busy to eat? Try this bag on for size

Wacky Web Week by Stephanie Small

In today's hurry-up world, who doesn't eat on the run? We drive, talk on the phone, catch up on e-mail, and do almost any other task while trying to consume a meal. Multitaskers take note: genius inventors have made eating even less of a hassle. Introducing … the fast-food feedbag!

How to fix 'slow script' errors in your browser

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

If you use a browser very often, you may see errors such as "a script is slowing your computer." This can happen for many reasons, but topping the list of usual suspects are security programs that attempt to determine what a Web site's script is up to before allowing it to run.

Zero-day vulnerability in Office Web Components

In The Wild by Brian Livingston

Microsoft announced on July 13 an unpatched flaw that takes advantage of Microsoft's Office Web Components (OWC). A patch for this problem is not yet being distributed via Automatic Updates, but you can protect yourself by running a short Fix-it script from the Redmond company's Web site.

Killbit update requires Fix-it undo for XP PCs

Patch Watch by Susan Bradley

If you applied last week's workaround for an IE ActiveX vulnerability, you'll have to undo that change to apply the cumulative update of ActiveX killbits Microsoft released this week. Anyone who applied the Fix-it workaround won't see the cumulative patch among the updates being offered to XP systems because the workaround removed the affected Registry keys.

Fire at Web host affected Windows Secrets

Introduction by Brian Livingston

A serious electrical fire cut power to a large Web hosting company in Seattle, knocking numerous sites off the Internet on July 3 and the early hours of July 4, including WindowsSecrets.com. All of Windows Secrets' data was fully backed up, and all subscriptions will continue just as before the power outage, but it took longer to get our site back online than I'd like.

Use OpenDNS to surf safely with these tricks

Top Story by Becky Waring

Windows Secrets editors frequently recommend OpenDNS, a free service that blocks dangerous sites so you can browse the Web securely. Unfortunately, OpenDNS has a few tricky gotchas for the unwary, but most of the problems can be solved if you set up an account and take advantage of a few tweaks.

Can Microsoft make a name for itself in search?

Wacky Web Week by Katy Abby

When Google hit the Internet stage in September 1998, it changed the face of computing forever. Web searching was suddenly quick, easy, and fun. It didn't take long for this burgeoning starlet to grab hold of our minds and mice. Soon Google had left an indelible skid mark on the information superhighway.

Free ways to save money and energy with your PC

Bonus

This month's free bonus download for all our subscribers is Green Home Computing for Dummies by Katherine Murray and our very own contributing editor Woody Leonhard. The book is full of tips on how to reduce your PC's power cost, optimize your system's performance for better energy efficiency, and more!

Does your system really need a pagefile?

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

On a PC with an abundance of RAM, is it possible to do away with the pagefile altogether? Nixing your pagefile will save some disk wear — and maybe even gain your machine some speed — but doing so may be skating on very thin ice.

Microsoft Security Essentials: a privacy risk

Woody's Windows by Woody Leonhard

Late last month, Microsoft released a public beta of Security Essentials — code named Morro — and invited "genuine" Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7 users to give it a try. While free antivirus and antispyware from Microsoft resonates with this Windows victim, you need to be aware of privacy concerns and other compromises entailed in using MSE before you test the program.

New IE zero-day exploit targets XP, Server 2003

Patch Watch by Susan Bradley

A malware attack masquerading as a video file targets Windows XP and Server 2003 users who visit infected sites. Microsoft has issued a workaround for the exploit and made it available on the company's support site, although it's uncertain when a patch for the vulnerability will be available.

Free ways to save money and energy with your PC

Bonus

This month's free bonus download for all our subscribers is Green Home Computing for Dummies by Katherine Murray and our very own contributing editor Woody Leonhard. The book is full of tips on how to reduce your PC's power cost, optimize your system's performance for better energy efficiency, and more!

It's confirmed: Windows may update unexpectedly

Top Story by Scott Spanbauer

Dozens of Windows Secrets readers confirm that Windows sometimes installs updates without displaying a list of patches that a user can accept or decline. If Automatic Updates were set to install patches without user intervention, no notice would be expected, but a bug appears to be installing patches upon shutdown in certain cases, even though Windows is configured to require user approval.

Forced updates plague Windows users worldwide

Known Issues by Dennis O'Reilly

The response to Scott Spanbauer's June 25 Top Story on forced updates makes it clear that a bug in Microsoft's Automatic Updates service is causing serious problems for Windows users. Many readers have reported seeing updates being installed at shutdown or reboot time without any notification, much less an opportunity to select which updates will or will not be applied.

Fake e-mails to patch Outlook lead to malware

Patch Watch by Susan Bradley

All Windows users need to be aware that Microsoft never links to downloads in its e-mail messages, but always requires a visit to a security bulletin landing page to download a patch. If you receive an e-mail containing a link promising to upgrade Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express, you should simply delete the message to avoid being nailed by a Trojan horse.

The cure for the office cheerleader is here!

Wacky Web Week by Katy Abby

You know the type: the person who just never seems to have a bad day, who smiles cheerfully in the face of adversity, who always looks on the bright side of life.... Ugh! How annoying!

Test-drive Windows 7 in a virtual machine

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

With free virtual machine software, you can safely test the Windows 7 Release Candidate on your PC without risking your current setup. You won't get the level of performance in a virtual machine that you would with a standard Win7 installation, but VMs are still a fairly fast and easy way to create a software test bed.

Efficiently organize your portable applications

Best Software by Ian "Gizmo" Richards

In my June 18 column, I pointed out the advantages of using portable applications to replace installed programs on your desktop PC or laptop. By carefully organizing the portable applications on your hard drive, you can make the programs much easier to access.

Avoid early Windows 7 upgrade surprises

Woody's Windows by Woody Leonhard

Microsoft has begun offering deep discounts for folks who order Windows 7 now and take delivery when the product ships on Oct. 22. While the thought of buying Windows 7 Home Premium for a paltry $49.99 should have most Windows consumers whipping out their credit cards, there are a few "gotchas" you need to know about.

Windows may install updates without asking

Top Story by Scott Spanbauer

Windows XP and Vista have started installing updates at shutdown, in certain cases, without displaying a warning or requesting permission, according to reports by several readers. The forced-install behavior has been witnessed at least three times by Windows Secrets editors, but Microsoft says its procedure for Automatic Updates hasn't changed in the last 10 months.

More good reasons to leave Office on the shelf

Known Issues by Dennis O'Reilly

In his June 18 Top Story, WS contributing editor Scott Spanbauer presented several free and low-cost alternatives to Microsoft's ubiquitous productivity suite. If you need more reasons to shutter your Office apps, take a look at some of the suggestions that poured in from readers in response to the story.

Saving the world, one surprise ending at a time

Wacky Web Week by Katy Abby

Red herrings, plot twists, and cliffhangers are all part of the joy of losing yourself in a good movie or TV show. The story line weaves intricately through your mind, casting aside all outside thoughts and distractions as you breathlessly await the next revelation. So when some thoughtless cretin ruins the surprise with a careless comment, the results can be devastating.

Antispam e-book is our free bonus to you

Bonus

To celebrate the Windows Secrets Newsletter's 200th issue — which was published on June 4 — we're giving away this month a revised 3rd edition of Spam-Proof Your E-Mail Address. My 32-page PDF e-book, suitable for printing and storing in a three-ring binder, explains tricks anyone can use to reduce 97% of the spam that an e-mail address would otherwise attract.

Use ReadyBoost and pagefiles on flash drives?

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

The low number of reads and writes supported by USB devices means active caching on a flash drive is a bad idea. Moreover, Microsoft's much-vaunted ReadyBoost won't improve the performance of most Windows systems, making this "speed-up" technology more trouble than it's worth.

Utilities help clear temp files, stymie Trojans

Perimeter Scan by Ryan Russell

Great free and low-cost software can keep your browsing private, your temp files cleared out, and your system protected from malware. Some vendors deliberately make their free versions hard to find, but for such cases I'll show you where to find the downloads — on the official sites or elsewhere on the Web.

The correct way to install Vista Service Pack 2

Patch Watch by Susan Bradley

Any service pack can be problematic, but Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2) provides some extra-special challenges. Vista SP1 offered clear benefits, including better performance, but with Vista's second service pack you may just want to hold out for Windows 7's release later this year.

Antispam e-book is our free bonus to you

Bonus

To celebrate the Windows Secrets Newsletter's 200th issue — which was published on June 4 — we're giving away this month a revised 3rd edition of Spam-Proof Your E-Mail Address. My 32-page PDF e-book, suitable for printing and storing in a three-ring binder, explains tricks anyone can use to reduce 97% of the spam that an e-mail address would otherwise attract.

Break from MS Office with free alternatives

Top Story by Scott Spanbauer

If you're thinking of skipping the next expensive Microsoft Office upgrade, you can begin preparing today for the move to a free Office-like suite or Web service. A gradual and easy transition allows you to avoid any possible file incompatibilities, because you can still keep an old copy of Office available as a safety net.

Simple fixes for problems related to IE 8

Known Issues by Dennis O'Reilly

If the installation of Internet Explorer 8 knocks your Windows desktop for a loop, you may be able to repair things without having to revert to an earlier version of the browser. Restoring explorer.exe or refreshing your network connection could be all that's required to return a shattered system to working order.

People are strange, when you're on Craigslist

Wacky Web Week by Katy Abby

Do you need a job? A date? How about a massage, a private chef, or a bicycle? Anything and everything that can be bought, sold, bartered, or donated can be found on Craigslist. This social phenomenon has exploded in popularity over the past few years, eclipsing newspaper classifieds almost completely.

Find the cause of 'bad pool header' errors

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

Few things can ruin your day faster than seeing an error message pop onto your PC's screen. While most Windows error messages can actually help you solve problems, I explain today a few that remain hopelessly arcane.

Speed up your PC by using portable software

Best Software by Ian "Gizmo" Richards

Every PC slows down over time, compared to when it was brand new — but you can avoid a good deal of this slowdown by replacing some of the programs installed on your hard drive with portable versions. You'll end up with a system that's not only faster but quite possibly safer and more stable as well.

Microsoft lets you remove IE from Windows 7

Woody's Windows by Woody Leonhard

To the surprise of many, Microsoft seems to have built into the forthcoming Windows 7 a way to completely disable Internet Explorer, if you know the trick. Meanwhile, in response to complaints from the European Commission, the software giant is also proposing to ship within the Continent a version of Windows 7 without IE, although Microsoft's plan would allow PC makers themselves to freely install Redmond's browser.

Big-name sites spread latest malware infections

Top Story by Susan Bradley

Going by such names as Gumblar, JSRedir-R, Martuz, and Beladin, a new generation of malware has managed to surreptitiously place malicious JavaScript code on tens of thousands of popular Web sites. The hacker scripts try to infect site visitors and then attempt to use their compromised PCs to spread the infection to yet other sites.

IE 8 causes big problems on some PCs

Known Issues by Dennis O'Reilly

The new version 8 of Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser has some features that version 7 doesn't. But that's no guarantee that upgrading to IE 8 will go smoothly on your PC.

'Dude, I totally meant to do that ...'

Wacky Web Week by Katy Abby

In the world of extreme sports, there's never a dull moment. We office-dwellers, on the other hand, get our cheap thrills by living vicariously through the exploits of others. Don't get me wrong: cubicle life begets its own set of dangers — carpal tunnel, stiff neck, tendonitis, oh my! — but somehow, it's not quite the same.

Antispam e-book is our free bonus to you

Bonus

To celebrate the Windows Secrets Newsletter's 200th issue — which was published on June 4 — we're giving away this month a revised 3rd edition of Spam-Proof Your E-Mail Address. My 32-page PDF e-book, suitable for printing and storing in a three-ring binder, explains tricks anyone can use to reduce 97% of the spam that an e-mail address would otherwise attract.

Will moving the pagefile improve performance?

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

Caveat lector (translation: "reader beware"): The Web is filled with outdated and incomplete Windows-tuning tips. Following the wrong advice on tweaking the pagefile to boost your PC's speed can actually reduce rather than enhance your system's performance.

Microsoft still has no patch for DirectShow hole

In The Wild by Brian Livingston

A flaw in Microsoft's DirectShow technology, allowing a hacker Web site to infect a visitor's PC, is a vulnerability that remains uncorrected in the Redmond company's Patch Tuesday updates this week. Fortunately, you can visit a Microsoft Knowledge Base article for a workaround that will close the hole, at the expense of disabling some QuickTime functionality.

Critical patches for Internet Explorer 7 and 8

Patch Watch by Susan Bradley

Security updates for all versions of Internet Explorer have been released this week, although Microsoft rates as "Critical" only the patches for IE 8 (on all versions of Windows) and IE 7 (Vista SP2). Version 8 of Microsoft's browser is now being included in automatic Windows updates for all users, so be sure to uncheck the IE 8 option if for any reason you wish to postpone upgrading from IE 7 to IE 8.

It's our 200th issue! Get our bonus to celebrate

Bonus

We've published 200 e-mail newsletters, and we're not slowing down. To celebrate, we're giving away a revised edition of Spam-Proof Your E-Mail Address, 3rd Edition. My 32-page PDF e-book explains tricks anyone can use to reduce 97% of the spam that an e-mail address would otherwise attract.

I can't believe we've put out 200 newsletters

Introduction by Brian Livingston

Numerous Windows geeks and I have brought you a lot of secrets since I first started publishing an e-mail newsletter called "Brian's Buzz on Windows" back in February 2003. After switching to, ahem, a better name (Windows Secrets) — and merging the old newsletter with Woody Leonhard's in 2004, Fred Langa's in 2006, and Gizmo Richards's in 2008 — we've put out 200 newsletters, and now we're celebrating by giving away for free my $9.95 antispam e-book, newly revised.

Windows 7 Starter Edition limits netbook designs

Top Story by Woody Leonhard

Last week, Microsoft dropped its plan to enforce a three-concurrent-app limit on Windows 7 Starter Edition — the version of the new OS that will be preinstalled only on small PCs, such as netbooks. Microsoft is still expected, however, to restrict netbook hardware configurations that are eligible for Starter Edition pricing, which means your choices for cheap netbooks may be hobbled — at least in the near term.

Problems confirmed with Vista Service Pack 2

Known Issues by Dennis O'Reilly

Some early adopters have encountered installation glitches and software conflicts when attempting to apply Service Pack 2 for Windows Vista. As with nearly all service packs, there's no rush to install Vista SP2 — and when you do apply it, be ready with a full system backup, just in case.

Here's looking at you, Steven Seagal

Wacky Web Week by Katy Abby

Over a few short years, Andy Samberg has risen to fame as Saturday Night Live's veritable King of Digital Shorts. Songs such as "Lazy Sunday," "I'm on a Boat," and "Like a Boss" — as well as some more-crassly-named shorts that I'll refrain from repeating here — have become instant classics, dominating YouTube and breathing new life into the SNL franchise.

Yes or no to firewall request to act as server?

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

It's not always easy to tell whether a program really needs the rights and privileges of a server. When your firewall alerts you that an application wants to act as a server, you have two simple ways to determine the correct response.

Why you need to validate your downloads

Best Software by Ian "Gizmo" Richards

One of the most common ways of getting a malware infection is by downloading and installing a seemingly legitimate program that has actually been tampered with. You can seriously reduce the risk of this kind of infection by using a free checksum program that makes it easy to validate files before you open them.

Stop your ISP from tracking your Net usage

Insider Tricks by Becky Waring

Alarmingly, ISPs now have the tools to log, analyze, and respond to every bit of data you send and receive. Proxy services can't prevent ISPs from snooping, but encryption can — although you need to know about some significant limitations.

Shavlik, Secunia top Windows Update alternatives

Top Story by Susan Bradley

If you followed the instructions in my May 21 Top Story to build new systems without installing the trouble-prone Windows Genuine Advantage app, you may want to patch your PC using something other than Windows Update, which offers again and again to install WGA. My favorite third-party software update service is currently the Shavlik Patch Google Gadget, although Secunia's Personal Software Inspector is a worthwhile alternative.

Free program from Microsoft stops WGA

Known Issues by Brian Livingston

False readings from the Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) applet were described in a May 21 Top Story by contributing editor Susan Bradley, who described a way to install Windows XP without ever downloading or running WGA. If you've already installed WGA on XP, however, a program known as Autoruns — which is downloadable from Microsoft.com — lets you easily deactivate the applet.

Thanks to Amazon, reading is fun again

Wacky Web Week by Katy Abby

If you're like me, you've got a stack of books you've been meaning to read that just doesn't seem to get any smaller. Somehow, the idiosyncrasies of everyday life always manage to trump any reading time I've set aside ... but what do you expect me to do? Ignore the season finale of "The Biggest Loser"?!? Come on!

Undo accidental reformats of external drives

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

Unintentionally reformatting a drive is one of the biggest mistakes you can make on a PC, but it doesn't have to be a total disaster. With care, you just might get everything on the wiped disk or partition back the way it was.

Three free programs improve your PC's security

Perimeter Scan by Ryan Russell

Whether you're cleaning the machine of a friend or family member — or battening the hatches of your own PC — it's handy to use security tools that do the job quickly and simply. One tip I've learned: before running any antispyware or antivirus apps, clean out temp files to make your subsequent scans faster.

Microsoft calls IE 8 an important security patch

Patch Watch by Susan Bradley

You may already have been offered version 8 of Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser via Windows' built-in Automatic Updates routine, but you should be aware that some Web sites don't work with the new release. In my testing, IE 8's security and compatibility settings cause problems with some sites, and XP users must first uninstall SP3 in order to remove the latest build of IE.

Find a great company whether you need it or not

Bonus

Our free bonus this month is based on Andy Lester's new book, Land the Tech Job You Love. It's packed with helpful how-tos on writing killer résumés, completing job applications, securing those valuable employment interviews, and more.

Get all security patches without WGA nightmares

Top Story by Susan Bradley

If you're a legitimate Microsoft customer, you can download and install all the Windows updates you need without running Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) and exposing yourself to the false positives it's become known for. In today's article, I explain how to install Windows XP and upgrade it with every available security fix and many optional updates as well, without ever installing WGA.

WGA affects legitimate MS customers differently

Known Issues by Dennis O'Reilly

Following an April 16 Top Story on the Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) copy-protection scheme, Windows Secrets heard from several readers who have — to put it mildly — a range of opinions. Several readers couldn't pass Microsoft's WGA validation, despite having purchased Windows legitimately, while other readers have had no bad experiences and defend the testing system.

This food's out to attack more than your heart

Wacky Web Week by Katy Abby

We're taught from a tender age not to play with our food. Still, many of my formative years were spent slyly sculpting fortresses out of mashed potatoes and creating formidable moats of gravy — those green beans never stood a chance!

Fix power-management glitches in XP and Vista

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

When your PC's power-management systems malfunction, don't just throw up your hands and prepare to pay a higher electric bill. Restoring your power options in XP may be as easy as running a downloadable script, or if not, you can bring the options back via a manual Registry tweak.

Software improves lighting on digital photos

Best Software by Ian "Gizmo" Richards

A common cause of poor-quality digital photos is the lighting conditions present when the photos were taken. While there's no magic solution for photos that are already ruined, with the help of some clever software you can get superb digital photos from near-impossible lighting conditions that would normally be regarded as impossible.

Microsoft improves AutoRun and AutoPlay features

Woody's Windows by Woody Leonhard

By disabling AutoRun and changing the wording of the top entry in the AutoPlay dialog, Microsoft has made the forthcoming Windows 7 more secure without significantly inconveniencing Windows customers. The company also promises to make similar security changes in AutoRun and AutoPlay available for XP and Vista users, although it hasn't yet said when this will happen.

Learn how to avoid big mistakes by instinct

Introduction by Brian Livingston

Besides bringing you our columnists' writings each week, we also like to uncover other writers and give you exclusive excerpts of their new findings. This month, we have a special bonus download that can be helpful to all information professionals who want to keep from jumping to the wrong conclusions.

Two big reasons why you'll like Windows 7

Top Story by Woody Leonhard

If you've ever wondered why it's so difficult to manage and share files in Windows, you'll be delighted with two significant new features in Windows 7. These new capabilities, called Libraries and Homegroups, make finding files and connecting with resources on other PCs so easy you'll think you're using a Mac!

Pros and cons: When ISPs boot file sharers

Known Issues by Dennis O'Reilly

Is it appropriate for ISPs to block their customers' access to the Internet because the music or movie industry accuses the users of illegally sharing copyrighted material? Following WS contributing editor Becky Waring's May 7 Top Story on the matter, we heard from readers both for and against the new policy, which is gaining strength in legislatures around the world.

Run for the border and sing for your supper!

Wacky Web Week by Katy Abby

Who knew the best place to catch some local music might be at your neighborhood fast-food joint? Drive-throughs may not seem like a hotbed for creativity, but try telling that to these two folksy foodies. Watch as they crank out the croons and order up a fiesta-sized feast.

Find a great company whether you need it or not

Bonus

Our free bonus this month for all Windows Secrets subscribers, free and paid, is based on Andy Lester's new book, Land the Tech Job You Love. It's packed with helpful how-tos on writing killer résumés, completing job applications, securing those valuable employment interviews, and more.

Leave Windows' space-hogging WinSxS folder alone

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

Windows Side by Side lets you run different versions of the same programs without conflicts, but the WinSxS folder can soon become enormous. You need to use great care and caution when managing the WinSxS folder or risk finding yourself in DLL Hell!

Top remote-access tools are fast and safe

Best Software by Scott Spanbauer

While most Windows versions include their own tools for controlling a remote PC, there's a much-better way. Remote-access software gives you full access to PCs running any version of Windows via an Internet link, letting you do much more than simply transfer files.

Finally! An Office service pack you can remove

Patch Watch by Susan Bradley

Previous Office service packs could be undone only by uninstalling the entire suite and then reinstalling it. Office 2007 Service Pack 2 changes this and adds PDF and OpenDocument support, but I still urge you to wait before installing the update.

Find a great company whether you need it or not

Bonus

Our free bonus this month is based on Andy Lester's new book, Land the Tech Job You Love. It's packed with helpful how-tos on writing killer résumés, completing job applications, securing those valuable employment interviews, and more.

ISPs assist in cutting off file-sharing users

Top Story by Becky Waring

Internet service providers are cooperating more and more with copyright holders to crack down on illegal downloading and peer-to-peer file-sharing. Some of the changes are due to strict new piracy laws, but others appear to arise from sheer self-interest on the ISPs' part.

Google silently corrects Gmail CSRF hole

Follow-up by Scott Spanbauer

The good news is that Google has eliminated a security hole that could allow a hacker to get into your Gmail account, as I reported in an April 23 story. The bad news is that Google chose to remain so tight-lipped about the change that even its own engineers and many security researchers were unaware of the fix, something that doesn't inspire confidence.

Never put in an honest day's work again!

Wacky Web Week by Katy Abby

There's just not enough time in the workday to idly surf the Internet, work on side projects, update your personal blog, and get all your work done. When your boss is breathing down your neck about that overdue report, something's just gotta give!

Find the cause of spontaneous reboots

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

When your PC restarts without warning, it's a clear sign that something is very, very wrong. These days, there are two primary reasons for spontaneous reboots — and both are fixable.

How to make Twitter work for your business

Best Software by Ian "Gizmo" Richards

You may believe that Twitter is just for self-obsessed Generation Y's who think the whole world is actually interested in the fact that they just showered or bought a new shade of lipstick. Well, you may need to update your viewpoint, because Twitter's also a great way to share vital information with colleagues and co-workers.

Last chance to get 'The Final Chapter' by May 6

Introduction by Brian Livingston

We're not publishing a regular newsletter on April 30, because when a 5th Thursday of the month occurs, we like to give our writers a break. Today's special news update has just one story — letting you know that our current free giveaway is expiring and a new one is about to begin.

Gmail accounts hacked via unpatched hole

Top Story by Scott Spanbauer

Exploits allowing hackers to break into Gmail accounts are likely to occur, if they're not already circulating, after security researchers released details of a hole that Google has reportedly declined to patch. There are steps you can take to reduce the risk of using a webmail account, but it appears that the usual tricks won't solve the Gmail problem until Google fixes the software.

All subscribers can get the Final Chapter — free

Bonus

In the middle of May, the hardcover book Stealing the Network: The Complete Series Collector's Edition will be released, including the long-awaited Final Chapter. But all Windows Secrets subscribers can get the Final Chapter today — plus one other chapter from the forthcoming new edition — free of charge.

'Not by the hair on my chinny chin chin!'

Wacky Web Week by Katy Abby

We all know the story of the Three Little Pigs who outsmart the Big, Bad Wolf. Their tale of survival in a time before building codes has been passed down from generation to generation for more than 150 years.

What to do when Chkdsk won't finish the job

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

What might stop Chkdsk in its tracks? Windows' built-in disk-maintenance utility is supposed to repair disk errors, but when Chkdsk doesn't run properly, the cause may be due to the program itself rather than to a bad disk.

Simple way to disable or reassign keyboard keys

Best Software by Ian "Gizmo" Richards

Keyboard layouts are far from "one-scheme-fits-all" affairs. If you find yourself frequently pressing a key inadvertently — often with dire consequences — it's time to shift to an the arrangement that's more to your liking.

Knock out problematic autostart programs

Woody's Windows by Woody Leonhard

Some of the programs that run automatically every time Windows starts can be more than a little cantankerous. In the past, you may have used Msconfig or Windows Defender to rein in problematic autostart apps, but there's a better way — one that will stand you in good stead when (need I say "if"?) you switch to Windows 7.

All subscribers can get the Final Chapter — free

Bonus

In the middle of May, the hardcover book Stealing the Network: The Complete Series Collector's Edition will be released, including the long-awaited Final Chapter. But all Windows Secrets subscribers can get the Final Chapter today — plus one other chapter from the forthcoming new edition — free of charge.

Windows Genuine Advantage is still genuinely bad

Top Story by Ryan Russell

Microsoft's system for validating Windows before users can download most updates continues to be a problem for legitimate customers and for Internet security as a whole. Despite claims of offering better security, Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) serves only Microsoft's marketing interests — but you can eliminate the need for WGA if you know the trick.

Call to learn whether your Dell or HP is covered

Known Issues by Dennis O'Reilly

You can't rely on the information you find on some vendor Web sites to determine whether your overheating notebook qualifies for a free repair or replacement. In a case recently publicized by Windows Secrets, you would need to contact the company's tech-support staff directly to find out whether your system is covered by a special extended warranty.

Feeling twitterpated? You're not the only one!

Wacky Web Week by Katy Abby

Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you've probably been inundated by Twitter, the latest fad to take the social-networking world by storm. The 20-word tweets reflect every nuance of a tweeter's life, down to the most mundane activity. Celebrities such as Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore have hundreds of thousands of twits hanging on their every tweet, and the numbers are growing.

Solving 'me first' software startup conflicts

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

When two or more programs in your list of autostart apps insist on being the first, they can bring the entire startup process to its knees. There are two ways to change the order in which your startup services and software load: one that's easy but crude, and another that's difficult but precise.

There'll be no easy upgrade from XP to Windows 7

Pc Tune-up by Mark Joseph Edwards

XP users who plan to upgrade directly to Windows 7 will have to completely erase their existing installations to do so. The Windows 7 installer may help you move your XP files and settings, but you'll still have to reinstall all your applications.

Critical patches released for Internet Explorer

Patch Watch by Susan Bradley

Two separate updates for all IE versions prevent carpet-bombing attacks that are already targeting the browser. One of the IE patches blocks remote-code execution on XP and Vista PCs that also have Apple's Safari browser installed.

Dell and HP balk at replacing bad Nvidia chip

Top Story by Michael Lasky

An old urban myth claims that the microprocessors used in PCs and other consumer electronics are designed to fail within days or weeks of their warranty expiration. For tens of thousands of people who bought Dell and HP notebooks whose motherboards fried — often a few weeks after their warranty expired — there's nothing mythical about it.

WGA blocks some updates on legit Windows PCs

Known Issues by Dennis O'Reilly

Readers refute Microsoft's assertion that Windows Genuine Advantage isn't required to receive all patches for the operating system. Even worse, WGA blocks some security patches from being installed on PCs running legal copies of Windows that the Microsoft validator falsely identifies as pirated.

Don't be sheepish, they're a shear delight!

Wacky Web Week by Katy Abby

Hollywood has spoiled us; it's rare in this day and age to see a truly unusual, impressive feat accomplished and recorded without the use of special effects. When such a daring deed is pulled off by unassuming amateurs, it's even more remarkable.

Recover lost passwords in Word and other apps

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

A PC crash can render your password-protected Office files inaccessible. Losing any password can be as frustrating as locking your keys inside your car, but for Word and other Office programs, a lost password can be much, much worse.

Multiple tools required to disinfect a PC

Perimeter Scan by Ryan Russell

Even the sturdiest, most-comprehensive PC defenses won't stop all malware from finding its way onto your systems. First, identify the specific pest, and then find the best tool — or tools — to get it off your system for good.

Update services are a vital security component

Patch Watch by Susan Bradley

Windows may be the primary target of today's malware authors, but it's far from the only one. Keeping your applications and media players up-to-date is as important as applying the latest patches for your operating system.

No reason to rush your upgrade to IE 8

Top Story by Mark Joseph Edwards

Microsoft touts Internet Explorer 8 as a big improvement over previous versions of the browser in terms of security, speed, and compatibility. While that's basically true, the inevitable new-release glitches — which are already appearing — suggest you should wait at least a month before upgrading.

Microsoft responds on patches to Windows users

Known Issues by Dennis O'Reilly

Conficker is a nasty worm whose design demonstrates a level of sophistication beyond that of your everyday, run-of-the-mill malware. Fortunately for those of us who keep our Windows systems up-to-date, the odds of being infected with Conficker are minuscule.

No more sitting through long-winded epics!

Wacky Web Week by Katy Abby

With today's busy schedules, who has time to keep current on the latest films? And once you've finally seen that talked-about flick, there's hardly enough spare hours lying around in your schedule to re-watch it, no matter how much you enjoyed your first viewing. If only there were a way to review the best parts of the movie without wasting too much of your all-too-precious time ....

Sync your e-mail among different systems

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

If you use more than one PC, your e-mail may be stored far and wide — and even farther and wider if you use more than one operating system. These techniques and free tools help minimize the e-mail-management hassle by keeping all your mail files synched, regardless of the systems you use to send and receive messages.

Using valid characters in your e-mail address

Best Software by Ian "Gizmo" Richards

E-mail standards let you use characters other than letters and numbers in your addresses. Unfortunately, various ISPs and webmail systems have differing rules governing which addresses are acceptable, making the whole area a bit of a mess.

Windows 7 developers heed beta-tester feedback

Woody's Windows by Woody Leonhard

They must have put something in the water in Redmond, because the Windows 7 development team is starting to respond to feedback from us average joes running beta copies. I hate — hate — to sound like a Microsoft fanboy, but several significant, quick improvements to the beta version will be in the Win7 Release Candidate, which I expect to arrive in April.

Run a Conficker removal tool before April 1

Top Story by Brian Livingston

Computers infected with the infamous Conficker worm will start scanning the Internet for instructions this April Fools' Day, and the results won't be a funny joke. I'm publishing a special news update today to correct some misinformation that's been circulating and to give you a 1-2-3 approach that should cure most Conficker infections before April 1.

Just seven more days to get free brain lessons

Introduction by Brian Livingston

Every month, Windows Secrets licenses some valuable content and gives it away to our subscribers. This month, our bonus is an excerpt from a new paperback book on getting the most from your brain — but you have only another seven days before we have to stop letting people download it.

Readers share their Security Baseline nominees

Top Story by Ryan Russell

Windows Secrets readers have been giving me their feedback loud and clear: they hate Norton all-in-one products and love standalone antivirus, antispyware, and firewall apps. Still, I have to say that security suites do remain a valid option for people looking for no-muss, no-fuss protection for their PCs.

Putting the 'art' back into your arteries!

Wacky Web Week by Katy Abby

You've heard it before: fast food is bad for you. Doctors have been pounding this point into us for years. But sometimes, a tantalizing waft of greasy goodness is too tempting to resist!

Clean up the mess left by incomplete uninstalls

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

Bad uninstallation routines leave more than code behind; orphaned files can cause big trouble for your system. Cryptic error messages and balky startups can be signs of application ghosts in your machine.

Free info manager shows promise but needs work

Best Software by Ian "Gizmo" Richards

I'd been waiting years for the final version of the Chandler personal information manager to be released. When version 1.0 became available, I went to the site and downloaded the software, full of hope and expectation that here at last was the program that would help me get organized — only to be disappointed by its 1.0-itis.

Old versions of Adobe PDF apps finally patched

Patch Watch by Susan Bradley

Overdue updates for Versions 7 and 8 of Adobe Reader and Acrobat arrive, fixing a hole that allowed attacks via JavaScript. If you disabled JavaScript prior to the arrival of the patches, you can re-enable the feature after applying this update.

Get a bonus on blogging as an alternative job

Introduction by Brian Livingston

Each month, we license new content that isn't yet publicly available, and we let our subscribers download the material as a sneak peek. Today, our paid subscribers can get an exclusive 54-page excerpt — including the introduction and two of the best chapters — from a new book from Entrepreneur Press that won't be released to the general public until next month.

'Viral inviters' want your e-mail contact list

Top Story by Becky Waring

Several firms have recently sprung up that provide tools to copy e-mail and social-network contact lists from Outlook, Gmail, Hotmail, AOL, MySpace, Friendster, and other sites. Web site operators who lure unsuspecting users into sharing their address lists can then send invitations to all the contacts in order to swipe even more private info.

WS 'contribution model' lauded by biz journal

Known Issues by Dennis O'Reilly

Windows Secrets has always encouraged as many people as possible to get the paid version of our content by not charging a fixed fee. Instead, we allow anyone to make a contribution of any amount, whatever they feel it's worth, allowing people of modest means as well as those more well-off to receive the information.

Nothing friendly about this 'friend' request

Wacky Web Week by Katy Abby

Social-networking sites have taken the online world by storm, forging connections between friends new and old. But just what constitutes a "friend" in this virtual community?

Test and improve your Internet speed for free

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

Is your ISP delivering on its speed promises? A great — and free — testing site not only measures your connection's throughput but also interactively diagnoses and helps correct problems.

Multi-boot madness: Match the drive to the OS

Woody's Windows by Woody Leonhard

I call it Windows Three-Card Monte: on a system that multi-boots three operating systems on three hard drives, how do you tell which physical drive goes with which version of Windows? There's a trick to looking at a case full of hard drives and knowing which version of Windows is running on each drive.

Many gdiplus.dll files, but only one needs fixing

Patch Watch by Susan Bradley

My Patch Watch column on Mar. 12 advised readers that the file gdipluss.dll may need to be repatched if XP Service Pack 3 was installed between May and September 2008. You may find several copies of the gdiplus.dll file in the WinSXS system folder on your Windows XP SP3 PCs, but only one copy of this file has to be the latest version: 5.1.3102.5581.

Downgrade Vista to XP in seven easy steps

Top Story by Scott Dunn

Windows 7's arrival is just a few months away, but many people aren't waiting and just want to replace Vista's newness — some say weirdness — for the familiarity of XP. If you long for the good old days of XP and still have your install CD, this step-by-step guide will help you revert to Vista's predecessor.

Microsoft flubs a way to disable AutoRun in XP

Insider Tricks by Susan Bradley

Microsoft's instructions for disabling AutoRun in Windows XP, which I referred to last week, pointed to an incorrect Registry key. It's easy to find the correct key, however, and understanding this Registry tweak can give you fine-grained control over the kinds of external media that AutoRun is allowed to work on.

Readers dubious of suites, want to mix and match

Known Issues by Dennis O'Reilly

The tremendous response to our request for your opinion on the best approach to securing your PC gives us much to ponder as we prepare the next Security Baseline update. Many readers feel that security suites stink, and best-of-breed is the only way to go — but, unfortunately, what's "best" for one PC can be disastrous for another.

Hell hath no fury like a lunchbox scorned

Wacky Web Week by Katy Abby

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay (of the popular televised competition "Hell's Kitchen") is notorious for his foul mouth and short fuse. Few and far between are the episodes that don't culminate in crying contestants, as Gordon summarily rips apart their culinary slogs with a fiery enthusiasm. But where did he acquire such a dramatic and pigheaded disposition?

Sorting out Windows setup-disc mixups

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

If you're one of the many Windows Secrets readers who's charged with managing multiple PCs — and I bet you are — you may be juggling a half dozen or more Windows installation CDs and DVDs. Here's how to stay sane while making sense of the different setup discs that shipped with the systems.

New rating service verifies sites in real time

Pc Tune-up by Mark Joseph Edwards

Version 3 of Symantec's Norton 360 security software includes a new "Safe Web" feature that competes directly with McAfee's SiteAdvisor. But are Safe Web's real-time checks of the sites you're visiting any more effective than SiteAdvisor's database approach?

Service packs undo vital XP, Server 2003 patches

Patch Watch by Susan Bradley

If you installed XP Service Pack 3 or Windows Server SP2 after September 2008, you need to reapply an important security update. In addition, if Windows Update offers your XP or Server 2003 system Microsoft's security bulletin MS08-067 patch, you should install it — even if you've previously done so.

Articles lead to scintillating conversations

Introduction by Brian Livingston

What I like about bringing you a mass of information every week is knowing that we'll never get everyone to agree. Our recent articles on McAfee's SiteAdvisor service and an updated version of the WS Security Baseline have proved this principle yet again.

AutoRun patch a long time coming for XP users

Top Story by Susan Bradley

Nearly 18 months after it was discovered, Microsoft has finally fixed a hole in the AutoRun function of older Windows versions that allowed viruses to spread via external storage devices. While it's good to know Microsoft is finally listening to the complaints of the Windows community, the company's delay in applying important patches put our systems at risk unnecessarily.

Norton security suite's top rating questioned

Known Issues by Dennis O'Reilly

Readers beg to differ with the reviews of top tech magazines that recently named Norton Internet Security 2009 the best security suite. Whether the security apps are from Symantec, McAfee, or some lesser-known vendor, our readers point fingers at them as the source of many performance and connectivity problems.

New laptop does away with extraneous features!

Wacky Web Week by Katy Abby

At a time when technology only seems to be getting more complicated, it's refreshing to see a company that's looking to simplify its products. Slimmer profiles and abridged features are catching the eyes of savvy consumers. Out of fashion are the frills and embellishments that have hindered users' productivity for years.

For backups, RAID mirroring is not the answer

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

Drive mirroring via RAID would appear to be a great way to keep an updated backup at the ready. Unfortunately, the many RAID "gotchas" make this system impractical for backing up most PCs.

New Firefox extension beats McAfee SiteAdvisor

Best Software by Ian "Gizmo" Richards

As WS contributing editor Mark Edwards reported in his Feb. 12 Top Story, serious doubts have arisen about the accuracy of McAfee's popular SiteAdvisor security service, which is designed to help you avoid hostile Web sites. I'll tell you about a free SiteAdvisor alternative that offers more reliable safety ratings — and many more features, to boot.

Save on PCs by using Win7's Experience Index

Woody's Windows by Woody Leonhard

The Windows Experience Index PC benchmarking suite, which was introduced in Vista, is modified somewhat in Windows 7 — and not always for the better. If you know which numbers to ignore, however, the Experience Index can save you a heap of money on a Windows 7 machine.

All readers get brain-fitness secrets for free

Bonus

That mush between your ears is aging along with the rest of you. To keep your wetware firing on all cylinders, add to your physical-fitness regimen the 12-step brain-workout plan presented in Brain Rules, a book by John Medina.

Reviewers rate Norton the No. 1 security suite

Top Story by Ryan Russell

Norton Internet Security Suite 2009, the top-rated security suite this year — as it was last year — now uses fewer system resources than before without skimping on protection. If you're not a fan of Norton products, there are plenty of other contenders worthy of consideration that can challenge the long-time security-software leader.

Site owners stung by SiteAdvisor rating errors

Known Issues by Dennis O'Reilly

McAfee's SiteAdvisor security service leaves some Web developers scratching their heads over inconsistencies in its green-yellow-red ratings. The company's promises of more-frequent reviews of its site classifications are welcomed by site owners struggling to win SiteAdvisor's approval.

My smartphone is smarter than your smartphone!

Wacky Web Week by Katy Abby

It happens every time: just when you think you've got the newest, slickest, most-awesome gadget on the market, a new model comes along that makes your posh purchase look like peanuts. Nowhere is this more apparent than with cell phones. Today's latest smartphones top their predecessors by offering mind-blowing features that we could barely dream of in years past.

Tame Windows' Volume Shadow Copy Service

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

The Volume Shadow Copy Service has been a part of Windows since 2003 and can silently consume prodigious amounts of disk space. Here's how to keep the automatic-backup service from devouring the hard-drive capacity on your XP or Vista system.

Sync services let you update files from anywhere

Best Software by Scott Dunn

A new generation of services allows you to share and synchronize folders via the Internet. Many sync services also offer online backup, remote file management, and access to your synched files from any browser, even when the remote machine on which they're stored is turned off.

New viruses target recently patched IE holes

Patch Watch by Susan Bradley

We're seeing the first exploits attempting to take advantage of the Internet Explorer vulnerabilities addressed in this month's security update from Microsoft. The fix causes pages on some trusted sites to stop loading, which requires a patch of its own.

McAfee reveals SiteAdvisor's retesting policy

Top Story by Brian Livingston

SiteAdvisor.com, which rates Web sites on a green-yellow-red scale, is releasing details for the first time on how quickly it retests sites, after a story on the subject appeared in Windows Secrets on Feb. 12. To its credit, the site-rating service — which was acquired in 2006 by the security firm McAfee Inc. — is publishing a phone number for complaints and says it will reverse within days any genuine rating errors that are brought to its attention.

CNN/Octoshape, SiteAdvisor stories make waves

Known Issues by Dennis O'Reilly

Our two most-recent Top Stories — on CNN.com's use of the Octoshape peer-to-peer service and on the reliability of McAfee's SiteAdvisor security service — generated quite a response among the media as well as from readers. As you've seen in this week's Top Story, McAfee is reacting to our report by clarifying the process used to generate and update SiteAdvisor ratings.

Harmless new game, or 'Bambi: First Blood'?

Wacky Web Week by Katy Abby

Computer games just aren't what they used to be. The days of playing World of Warcraft from the comfort of your computer chair are giving way to smarter, more interactive interfaces. Every day, new technological advances blur the lines between reality and fantasy, introducing gamers to a virtual experience that stretches the limits of the imagination.

Why am I locked out of the Registry?

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

Malware may prevent you from opening Windows' Registry Editor. There can be benign causes, but hostile software sometimes blocks Registry access and makes it difficult to root out the offending program.

Two freebies that will knock your socks off

Best Software by Ian "Gizmo" Richards

For a piece of software to get onto my personal PCs, it must win a fierce Darwinian battle with the hundreds of other freeware programs I review each year. Of all the software I looked at in the last year, only two utilities won the fight for survival, impressing me so much I installed them on all my office computers.

Windows 7 moves Live Essentials to the cloud

Woody's Windows by Woody Leonhard

Windows 7 ushers in a new bifurcation of Windows applications: some apps that used to ship with the OS are now available only by download. Allow me to help you find which of these Live Essentials you'll find handy — most of which work in XP and Vista as well as in Windows 7.

More fallout from Patch Tuesday updates

Introduction by Brian Livingston

We're e-mailing a news update to you today because fresh information has come out about Patch Tuesday updates and other security issues. Our last news update, three days ago, featured contributing editor Woody Leonhard's take on a significant change in Microsoft's forthcoming Windows 7, and today's developments are equally as important, if not more so.

ActiveX kill-bit patch zaps Visual Basic apps

Patch Watch by Susan Bradley

One of the updates released by Microsoft this week causes some applications using Visual Basic controls to fail. The short-term solution is to remove the update, but be sure to reinstall it once your VB apps have been corrected.

Your remote-access software may be vulnerable

Pc Tune-up by Mark Joseph Edwards

The UltraVNC and TightVNC virtual-networking programs are widely used to control PCs remotely. A vulnerability was discovered recently that makes both programs susceptible to an overflow assault.

SiteAdvisor ratings may be 1 year out-of-date

Top Story by Mark Joseph Edwards

The free SiteAdvisor browser add-in claims to protect you by labeling Web sites green, yellow, or red to indicate that they are safe, questionable, or dangerous. But a good or bad SiteAdvisor rating can persist for as long as a year after the site's content has changed, raising serious questions about the service's usefulness.

CNN.com's use of Octoshape puts readers on edge

Known Issues by Dennis O'Reilly

Last week's Top Story on CNN.com prompting visitors to install an application named Octoshape application hit home with many readers who had been stung by the program. The backlash is directed at the sneaky nature of the Octoshape installation rather than against P2P technology, which can benefit users and providers alike when correctly implemented.

More fun than reporting on stock-market carnage

Wacky Web Week by Katy Abby

TV news anchors have a pretty tough gig: delivering the news with a poker face. Whether it means masking their anxiety during a grisly economic report or suppressing a smirk while dishing on Christian Bale's latest freak-out, they've got to remain cool and collected. But what happens when the cameras stop rolling?

Recover lost disk space by dumping dump files

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

An obscure function in XP may be consuming huge amounts of free space on your hard disk. Error "dump" files are supposed to be temporary but sometimes aren't, and the cost can be multiple gigabytes of wasted storage.

What you should do about Windows Vista

Best Software by Ian "Gizmo" Richards

Every day, people ask me whether they should order their new PCs with Windows XP or Vista, while others wonder whether they should hold off for Windows 7. And there are those who are already running Vista and want to know what they can do to overcome its problems.

Critical update for Internet Explorer 7 and 8

Patch Watch by Susan Bradley

This month's patches include a cumulative update for IE that plugs two holes allowing remote-code execution of malware. Don't wait to download and install this patch, which will likely be exploited by virus authors very soon.

Fixing a problem generates our news update

Introduction by Brian Livingston

It's not every day that Microsoft says a new feature of Windows is not going to change, and then user outcry causes the software giant to change its mind. But that's what happened in the past few days, and we thought the turnabout was important enough for us to put out a special news update of Windows Secrets just to alert you.

Microsoft blinks, and users of Windows 7 UAC win

Top Story by Woody Leonhard

In my Feb. 5 column, I took Microsoft to task for allowing any Trojan horse to silently disable the protection provided by User Account Control (UAC) in the soon-to-be-released Windows 7. Microsoft execs initially implied that this problem wouldn't be fixed, but the company abruptly changed its tune and now states that UAC will be protected from sneaky changes. Bravo!

Watch a live video, share your PC with CNN

Top Story by Brian Livingston

Many people who watched live streaming video of the inauguration of U.S. President Barack Obama on Jan. 20 may not realize that their PC was used to send the video to other PCs, too. Clicking "yes" to a CNN.com dialog box installed a peer-to-peer (P2P) application that uses your Internet bandwidth rather than CNN's to send live video to other viewers.

If NoAutoRun.reg doesn't work, you may need space

Known Issues by Dennis O'Reilly

The way word-wrapping alters line breaks in some browser windows thwarted a few of our readers' attempts to disable AutoRun. If you manually typed a line break where the code requires a space, and you couldn't get the file to work, a simple change will do the trick.

Giving up on society? Get one of these!

Wacky Web Week by Katy Abby

Every few years, a product comes along that is inexplicably popular. Despite tedious advertising, a questionable concept, and mediocre value, consumers hand over their hard-earned dollars with reckless abandon to own the next hot-ticket item. One such phenomenon is the subject of this hilarious infomercial parody.

Make sure your PC's BIOS supports USB

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

USB drives, mice, keyboards, and other peripherals are great — when they work. Unfortunately, some PCs have problems recognizing and using USB devices at boot time.

Microsoft claims Windows 7 UAC flaw is by design

Woody's Windows by Woody Leonhard

Changes to User Account Control are designed to make Win7 less annoying, but they also make the OS vulnerable, according to a prominent researcher. A very simple Visual Basic script — which in many cases runs without any prompts — can disable UAC completely, without warning.

Conficker/Downadup woes may not be over

Patch Watch by Susan Bradley

Though the Conficker worm's infection rate appears to have peaked, the millions of now-compromised PCs constitute a potential botnet bonanza. Most Conficker-infected PCs are in China, Russia, and Brazil, where pirating is prevalent and patching is rare; the U.S. infection rate is much lower.

A free bonus download for accidental admins

Introduction by Brian Livingston

With big names like Woody Leonhard and Fred Langa writing for the newsletter every week, I haven't been writing many columns myself lately. That gives me the time to help edit everything into one big publication for you, and also squeeze great advance information out of other publishers, like this month's free bonus download.

Keep the latest worm infestation off your PC

Top Story by Woody Leonhard

It's been a hellacious week for security admins all over the world: the polymorphic worm known as Downadup, Conficker, and Kido has infected millions of computers. Fortunately, you can scan, scour, and secure your systems by following four relatively simple steps.

The Force is not strong with this one

Wacky Web Week by Katy Abby

Everyone's tastes in cinema are different, but there are just some films that we, as members of society at large, are expected to have seen. The Star Wars epic is among the ranks of these esteemed classics. Few and far between are the folks who haven't joined Luke Skywalker and friends on their intergalactic quest to defeat the Dark Side.

Fix the dreaded 'Run DLL as an App' error

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

When rundll32.exe gives up the ghost, your PC may refuse to install or remove programs. Find out what causes rundll32.exe errors and learn some easy ways to fix the problem.

Sites let you fix photos for free from anywhere

Best Software by Scott Dunn

You may not need a disk-hogging image-editing app to repair your less-than-perfect photos. If you're willing to trade a little performance and a lot of features for the convenience of free Web services, you can retouch photos right in your browser.

How you can end a rootkit infection (as I had to)

Perimeter Scan by Ryan Russell

Over the holidays, I picked up the nastiest kind of malware infection you can get on your Windows PC: a rootkit. Getting rid of the varmint required quite a bit of digging, plenty of scanning, and about a half-dozen reboots.

Has your PC become a spammer's botnet zombie?

Top Story by Scott Dunn

Worldwide spam traffic dramatically dropped after a major spam server was temporarily shut down last fall, raising public awareness of botnets: networks of PCs that have been turned into spam-spewing robots. Most antivirus applications are ill-equipped to stop this kind of malware, but you can reduce the risk of having your PC become zombified.

Downgrading Vista to XP is possible ... maybe

Known Issues by Dennis O'Reilly

Reverting a Vista PC to XP requires an installation CD for each OS and can be done only on OEM editions of Vista Business and Ultimate. Users of Vista Home Basic and Home Premium — and anyone who used a retail version of Vista to upgrade an XP machine — must buy a copy of XP to make the switch.

I'd eat an apple a day to keep this doctor away!

Wacky Web Week by Katy Abby

It seems like every time you turn on the TV, there's an eye-catching new pharmaceutical commercial airing. Each new pill is packaged more beautifully than the last, and drug makers' lofty claims promise an enticing array of health improvements — as long as you ignore the dubious side effects.

Determine your PC's true memory ceiling

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

Buying RAM for Windows is like buying shoes for kids: what's a fine fit one day is soon too small. How much is too much RAM, and how high can your system memory go?

Prevent your system from becoming infected

Best Software by Ian "Gizmo" Richards

What will be the major security risks in 2009? More importantly, what can you do to protect your PC against these risks? Be forewarned: the answers are not quite what you expect.

Google search results lead to browser hijackers

Pc Tune-up by Mark Joseph Edwards

A piece of malware in circulation since last September redirects links in search results to hacker sites. Reports of infection are widespread, but fortunately, you can remove this persistent threat relatively easily.

Critical patch for Windows file-sharing bug

Patch Watch by Susan Bradley

The lone patch for January addresses three vulnerabilities that some experts claim will be the next big worm event. While the threat to Windows users may not be quite so dire, be sure to reboot after you install this patch, even though Windows Update may not prompt you to do so.

Learn the tricks Google uses to stay on top

Bonus

This new work, The Google Way, explains the secrets behind the search giant's success. The printed book won't be available until March 2009 but — by special arrangement with the publisher — all paid subscribers to Windows Secrets can download our exclusive excerpt until Jan. 21. In three full chapters, you'll learn how Google finds exceptional people and stimulates them with its "20% rule."

XP deadline extended toward launch of Windows 7

Top Story by Dennis O'Reilly

Microsoft has acknowledged that it will allow system builders to pay for installed copies of XP through May 30, rather than shutting down the pipeline this month. If you order from your preferred vendor by Jan. 31, you may be able to rely on XP for new systems almost right up until the long-awaited Windows 7 ships, an event that's expected to occur within a few months.

More exciting than circling classified ads!

Wacky Web Week by Katy Abby

In these tough economic times, even qualified professionals are having trouble landing and keeping jobs. The new year brings the promise of a fresh start, but what can we really expect in 2009?

Reinstall Windows with one click of your mouse

Langalist Plus by Fred Langa

The simplest path to restoring your ideal system setup is to use disk imaging. In the time it takes to finish a cup of coffee, Windows and all your apps can be perfectly reinstalled, tuned, customized, and ready to rock.

Make Windows PCs safer by dual-booting Ubuntu

Best Software by Scott Spanbauer

If you'd like to know how it feels to be ignored by malware authors, add Ubuntu to your existing Windows installation. A free utility makes creating a dual-boot Windows/Ubuntu machine fast, simple, and safe.

Fast and free way to recover deleted photos

Woody's Windows by Woody Leonhard

Last January, I devoted a column to the topic of undeleting pictures on a camera, and the deluge of thanks from readers warmed the cockles of my heart. This year, the file-undelete situation's even better — technically — and besides, my cockles could use a warmup.