Here are some tips to help you get ready:

• First, the download is big - the 32-bit edition is nearly 2.5GB, and the 64-bit download is bigger. You need a fast connection.
• If in doubt as to which download to bring in, go for the 32-bit edition.
• Microsoft won't be placing a limit on the number of product keys it offers, so there's no rush to get the download.
• The Release Candidate doesn’t expire until June 1, 2010, so if you grab a copy you have plenty of time to test the OS thoroughly.
• Here are the system requirements:
  - 1 GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
  - 1 GB of RAM (32-bit)/2 GB of RAM (64-bit)
  - 16 GB of available disk space (32-bit)/20 GB (64-bit)
  - DirectX 9 graphics device with Windows Display Driver Model 1.0 or higher driver
• Don't go nuts and start installing the software on you main system without a backup!

More info on Windows 7:

• Get your Windows 7 GPU drivers
• Verdict: Windows 7 - Like Vista, just a bit easier to use and less annoying
• Windows 7 - Official system requirements
• Windows 7 "XP Mode" system requirements
• Max memory limits for 64-bit Windows 7
• Windows 7 on a netbook - My verdict
• Windows 7 RC 32-bit vs. Vista SP1 32-bit - Gaming shootout
• First Look: Windows 7 Release Candidate (build 7100)
• Windows 7 Release Candidate (build 7100) leaked

Question: Depending on whether you have a 32-bit Windows or 64-bit Windows, which makes more sense; adding more RAM or fitting a faster hard drive (such as a solid-state drive or SSD)?

A lot depends on what you do with the PC, so I'll look at the general picture and then some more specific scenarios.

On the whole, the gains from adding more RAM to a 32-bit Windows system start to tail off at about 3GB (when entire OS can only address 4GB, so there's no point going over that). so if you've already got 2GB or so of RAM installed then adding a faster drive will give you more bang for the buck than adding more memory at that stage. If you've got less than 2GB of RAM, then add the RAM first.

On a system with 64-bit Windows installed things are a little different. Here you get performance gains up to 8GB, and you should make sure that you have at least 4GB of RAM fitted. Below 4GB, add more RAM, but if you have 4GB installed then you'll get more benefit from fitting a faster hard drive.

Finally, let's look at some specific scenarios:

• While many games need at least 2GB of RAM, because the level files are huge you can cut down loading times considerably by installing a faster drive (and loading the games onto that drive).
• Applications such as Photoshop that load and save huge files also benefit from a fast drive.
• If you want a quiet PC then an SSD is great, but you can also find cheaper regular drives that are great for applications such as media centers, such as Western Digital’s Caviar Green drives, or the Seagate Barracuda LP.
• If you have lots of digital photos, a fast drive will help you scan through them quicker.

Remember that these are general guidelines and your mileage could vary.

In the beginning, there was a User.

This User did not possess the special knowledge of the Priests of the Cult of Computers.

This User was granted divine Manna from heaven in the form of a shining disc with an outer shell of a transparent horn-like material.

"Lo!" said he, "I have found the Sacred Tablet of AOL!"

And he put the Tablet in the Slot of Curious Whirrings, and nothing happened. And this was Good.

But the User was unhappy, and complained to the Disciples of AOL, that the sacred disc of AOL was defective.

And so the Disciples of AOL conferred with the Disciples of Borg.

Now, the Disciples discipled for a while, and determined that the User could never be trusted grok the mysteries of "Drive D". The Disciples agreed, also it was bothersome and unholy, to be summoned each time a Tablet was delivered by divine provenance to another User. And so Autorun was created.

Verily, the User could place the Sacred Tablet of AOL in the Slot of Curious Whirrings, and without any further discipling by the Disciples, could run AOL.

And thus were the Demons of AOL unleashed upon the world together with the Lord of PC Plague and Pestilence, he-who-should-not-be-named-but-nevertheless-I-will, Autorun.

SP2 offers what you expect from a service pack. A mix of performance and security updates, as well as support for a new file formats such as PDF and ODF.

If you don't want to bother grabbing the Office 2007 SP2 right now, it'll be available via Automatic Update "no sooner than three months from now."

First, the spammers are using Swine Flu, in conjunction with the names of famous stars, to encourage recipients to open spam emails.

• First US swine flu victims!
• US swine flu statistics
• Salma Hayek caught swine flu!
• Swine flu worldwide!
• Swine flu in Hollywood!
• Swine flu in USA
• Madonna caught swine flu!

Then there are the scammers who are flocking to snap up Swine Flu related URLs.

Stay safe!

Critical:

• Vulnerabilities in WordPad and Office Text Converters Could Allow Remote Code Execution (960477)
  This security update resolves two publicly disclosed vulnerabilities and two privately reported vulnerabilities in Microsoft WordPad and Microsoft Office text converters. The vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a specially crafted file is opened in WordPad or Microsoft Office Word. Do not open Microsoft Office, RTF, Write, or WordPerfect files from untrusted sources using affected versions of WordPad or Microsoft Office Word.
• Vulnerabilities in Windows HTTP Services Could Allow Remote Code Execution (960803)
  This security update resolves one publicly disclosed vulnerability and two privately reported vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows HTTP Services (WinHTTP). The most severe vulnerability could allow remote code execution. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.
• Vulnerability in Microsoft DirectShow Could Allow Remote Code Execution (961373)
  This security update resolves a privately reported vulnerability in Microsoft DirectX. The vulnerability could allow remote code execution if user opened a specially crafted MJPEG file. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.
• Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer (963027)
  This security update resolves four privately reported vulnerabilities and two publicly disclosed vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer. The vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user views a specially crafted Web page using Internet Explorer or if a user connects to an attacker's server by way of the HTTP protocol. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.
• Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office Excel Could Cause Remote Code Execution (968557)
  This security update resolves a privately reported and a publicly disclosed vulnerability. The vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if the user opens a specially crafted Excel file. An attacker who successfully exploited these vulnerabilities could take complete control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.

Important:

• Vulnerabilities in Windows Could Allow Elevation of Privilege (959454)
  This security update resolves four publicly disclosed vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows. The vulnerabilities could allow elevation of privilege if an attacker is allowed to log on to the system and then run a specially crafted application. The attacker must be able to run code on the local machine in order to exploit this vulnerability. An attacker who successfully exploited any of these vulnerabilities could take complete control over the affected system.
• Vulnerabilities in Microsoft ISA Server and Forefront Threat Management Gateway (Medium Business Edition) Could Cause Denial of Service (961759)
  This security update resolves a privately reported vulnerability and a publicly disclosed vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server and Microsoft Forefront Threat Management Gateway (TMG), Medium Business Edition (MBE). These vulnerabilities could allow denial of service if an attacker sends specially crafted network packages to the affected system, or information disclosure if a user clicks on a malicious URL or visits a Web site that contains content controlled by the attacker.

Moderate:

• Blended Threat Vulnerability in SearchPath Could Allow Elevation of Privilege (959426)
  This security update resolves a publicly disclosed vulnerability in the Windows SearchPath function that could allow elevation of privilege if a user downloaded a specially crafted file to a specific location, then opened an application that could load the file under certain circumstances.

The system was built around a Q6600 Intel quad-core CPU and was running on the standard air cooler. After a few minutes of being switched on the temperature warning alarm kicked in and stayed on. A trip into the PC health menu in the BIOS showed that the alarm was being triggered at 80°C/176°F and was set to shut down at 90°C/176°F. The temperature was hovering at the 80°C/176°F mark. This had just started happening the other day according to the owner.

I whipped the side off the system and came across quite a bit of dust. I've seen far more in a PC so didn't think that this was the cause. I switched the system on to confirm that the fans were working OK and they were. However, when I touched the heatsink it was very, very hot (fortunately a couple of previous finger injuries mean that I have very limited sensation in my index finder ... so while I didn't burn myself I knew that in order to be able to feel it the heatsink had to be really hot).

Note: Do I need to warn readers about the dangers of running a PC with the side off (electric shock, getting caught in fans ...) and the stupidness of touching potentially hot things? Also, take care of your eyes and lungs when working inside a dirty PC.

Hmmm ...

Then I followed a hunch. I detached the fan off the heatsink (there's two little plastic catches on the frame of the fan that fit into a slot on either side of the heatsink) and immediately found out what was wrong. Between the fan and the heatsink was a carpet of dust, dirt and pet hair. I'm talking about a mat that was a couple of millimeters thick and which I could remove and handle without it disintegrating. It had obviously built up over time and just got to the point where it was causing the system to overheat. That said, the fact that the CPU was still only just hitting the alarm trigger limit shows how good those stock coolers are.

I removed the mat, cleaned out most of the dust and within a few minutes the PC was as good as new.

Here are some things you should know:

• This update brings the Java version to version 6 Update 13.
• Use this link to check out what version of Java you currently have installed.
• The latest update available from here.
• If you take a look under Add/Remove Programs in the Windows Control panel you might find older versions listed. Feel free to uninstall those to free up space and keep your PC well organized.
• The installer for this update also seems to what to install the new MSN toolbar. This is check by default (bloomin' cheek!) so if you don't want this installed, remember to uncheck this option.

Here are a few for you:

• Hiding the SSID on your WiFi router makes you safer - it doesn't, and the same goes for MAC ID filtering and switching off DHCP
• Writing down a password is bad - depends who you are trying to keep out!
• A really long password is better than one that is 8 to 10 characters long - not usually.
• You should run more than one antivirus/firewall software - that'll cause more problems than it solves.
• Trust your security software - no piece of software can replace common sense!
• Most PC problems are the result of malware/hacker - no, most problems are down to the user!
• Most data loss is down to hacker/malware - again, no
• If you see HTTPS in the address bar of a browser, you are safe - there's a lot more to it than that.

These are the keyboard shortcuts that I find the most useful.

Note: The keyboard shortcuts I describe here will b written in the following format A+B or A+B+C to indicate the two or three keys that need to be pressed to activate the shortcut. The + between the keys should NOT be pressed!

• WinKey+T - Puts the focus on the Taskbar that either allows you to use cursor keys to move through the options or WinKey+1 through to WinKey+5 to activate the first five Taskbar entries.
• WinKey+UpArrow and WinKey+DownArrow activate shortcuts for Maximize and Restore/Minimize respectively.
• WinKey+LeftArrow and WinKey+RightArrow snap the current window to the left or right side of the desktop.
• WinKey+Shift+LeftArrow and WinKey+Shift+RightArrow moves the current window to the left or right display.
• WinKey++ and WinKey+- zooms in and out of the desktop. Very handy!
• WinKey+G displays all gadgets above all windows.

Enjoy!

Within moments a storm of conspiracy theories whipped up.

So, what was this mysterious file? Symantec explains:

Dave Cole, senior director of product management at Symantec, said the PIFTS file was part of a "diagnostics patch" shipped to Norton customers on Monday evening. The purpose of the update, Cole said, was to hep determine how many customers would need to be migrated to newer versions of its software as more Windows users upgrade to Windows 7.

"We have to make sure before we migrate users to a new product that we can see what kind of load we can expect on our servers, and which customers are going to have to be moved up to the latest version of our product," Cole said.

As to why Symantec has been deleting posts about this from their user forum, Cole said the company noticed that minutes after the update went out hundreds of new users began registering on the forum, leaving inane and sometimes abusive comments.

"We want to be out there in the community, but by the same token, if we see abuse we will shut it down pretty quickly," Cole said. "There was no attempt at secrecy here, but people were spamming the forum and making it unusable to everyone."

This is an example of how to get PR wrong. How long would it have taken Symantec to have put out a statement explaining the situation. This would have diffused the hassles and conspiracy theories right off the bat. It would have been easier than messing about trying to silence customers posting on a forum about a product they've paid for (no matter how inelegantly they made their point!).

Critical:

• Vulnerabilities in Windows Kernel Could Allow Remote Code Execution (958690)
  This security update resolves several privately reported vulnerabilities in the Windows kernel. The most serious vulnerability could allow remote code execution if a user viewed a specially crafted EMF or WMF image file from an affected system.

Important:

• Vulnerability in SChannel Could Allow Spoofing (960225)
  This security update resolves a privately reported vulnerability in the Secure Channel (SChannel) security package in Windows. The vulnerability could allow spoofing if an attacker gains access to the certificate used by the end user for authentication. Customers are only affected when the public key component of the certificate used for authentication has been obtained by the attacker through other means.
• Vulnerabilities in DNS and WINS Server Could Allow Spoofing (962238)This security update resolves two privately reported vulnerabilities and two publicly disclosed vulnerabilities in Windows DNS server and Windows WINS server. These vulnerabilities could allow a remote attacker to redirect network traffic intended for systems on the Internet to the attacker’s own systems.

Monster PC upgrades - Without the monster price tag!

Here I looked at two different upgrades to an existing PC - the all-rounder upgrade package and the super overclocker package.

Here's what was in each package:

All rounder

• AMD Athlon X2 4850e CPU
• Foxconn A7GM-S motherboard
• NVIDIA GeForce 9600 GSO graphics card

Super overclocker

• Intel Core 2 Duo E7300 CPU
• BioStar TForce TP45HP motherboard
• NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT graphics card

These upgrades packages cost in the region of $215 and $370 respectively.

Hardware 2.0 'Very Best Kit List' for Mar/Apr 09

I publish a best kit list every couple of months and it's always very popular. This month I posted the best budget, mid-range and extreme components in the following categories:

• CPUs
• Motherboards
• RAM
• Graphics cards
• Hard disks
• Sound cards
• PSUs
• Cooling
• Cases
• Monitors
• Keyboards/Mice

Recommendation for Dwight Silverman's $300 PC upgrade

Finally, Dwight Silverman of TechBlog asked for recommendations for PC upgrades for under $300.

Here's my parts recommendation:

• Intel E7400 2.80GHz Core 2 Duo CPU
• 2×2GB Corsair RAM
• MSI P45 Neo3-FR or BioStar TForce TP45HP motherboards

Have fun, and happy PC building/upgrading!

Loads of amazing tools all contained in a single download!

File Management

• CCleaner - Cleans up Windows systems. Clears temporary internet files, cookies, history etc..
• JkDefragGUI - An advanced defragging tool far superior to the built in Windows one
• DriveimageXML - Hard drive imaging tool. Allows you to get a single file out of a whole image too
• Explore2fs - Allows you to explore hard drives with Linux file systems
• Double Killer - Finds duplicate files and deletes them
• Deep Burner - CD/DVD Burning software
• 7-Zip Portable - Archive creating and extraction tool. Can handle most compression formats
• PC-Decrapifier - Cleans out the crap that comes installed on new brand name computers (Norton trials, toolbars etc.)

Information

• Process Explorer - Allows you to view system processes
• System Information - View lots of information about a system (specs, passwords, temperatures etc.)
• ProduKey - View software cdkeys and serials
• Autoruns - Autostart program viewer
• HWMonitor - View hardware information
• GPU-Z - Show video card information (chipset, bios version, shaders, memory size etc.)
• Wireless Key View - Shows saved wireless network keys
• TreeSize Free - Show how much space each folder on a system uses
• Game Key Revealer - View CDKeys and Serials for popular games
• USBDView - Allows you to list and manage USB devices (including devices that arent currently plugged in)
• TrID - Identifies file types for extension-less files
• Codec Installer - Finds and analyzes video codecs
• Unknown Devices - Tells you what a “Unknown Device” in system properties actually is
• GSpot - Video analyizer

Repair Tools

• Norton Removal Tool - Removes Symantec products
• McAfee Removal Tool - Removes McAfee products
• LSPFix - Fixes broken Winsock entries
• Dial-a-Fix - Repair Windows files and registries

Recovery

• Recuva - Recovers deleted files
• Restoration - Recovers deleted files
• Photorec - Recover deleted/damaged files from Flash memory (like digital cameras)
• DBXTract - Recover emails from damaged DBX files (like Outlook Express)

Network Tools

• Wireshark - View network packets
• Network Scanner - Scans the network for devices
• Putty - SSH/Telnet/RLogin client
• Network Stumbler - Wireless Network Scanner

Virus and Malware Removal Tools

• Clamwin Antivirus - Virus scanner/remover
• Rootkit Revealer - Detects rootkits on a system
• Combofix - Malware finder and remover
• SmitFraudFix - Malware finder and remover
• RogueFix - Malware finder and remover
• Hijack This! - Malware remover
• SUPERAntiSpyware - Malware scanner and remover
• Malwarebytes - Malware scanner and remover

Misc

• Mozilla Firefox - Web browser
• JavaRa - Find and remove old Java versions
• Monitor Tester - Test monitors from problems
• Dead Pixel Tester - Finds and fixes dead pixels on LCDs
• ChkFlsh - Check flash drives for errors or test their real size (as fake ones appear on eBay)
• Double Driver - Driver backup tool
• SumatraPDF - Lightweight PDF viewer
• Revo Uninstaller - Advanced application uninstaller

Tweaks

• TweakUI - Windows XP tweaking tool
• VistaTweaker - Vista tweaking tool

Scripts

• Quickly Make a System Restore Point - Makes restore point
• Reset Network - Releases/Renews IP and flushes DNS
• Clear Printer Spooler - Clears stuck print jobs from spooler
• Stop Automatic Updates - Stops “Windows has installed updates, restart now” dialog temporarily
• Start Automatic Updates - Switches it back on

(via TechBlog)

Shamelessly branded a ‘cat-vertising campaign’, the scheme will see the specially trained black moggies sporting F.E.A.R. 2 cat clothing, and then roaming the streets of London. The idea, according to Warner Bros, is that the creepy kitties will ‘capture the attention of superstitious passers-by,’ as Friday 13 is famous for its supposed bad luck and a black cat crossing your path was listed at number 5 in a recent survey of Britain’s superstitions and signs of bad luck. Friday 13 was listed at number 3, while breaking a mirror was listed as the number 1.

I'm not sure which is scariest ... the idea of trying to put one of those suits on my cat (I really don't fancy it since I only have two eyes and replacements are pretty hard to come by) or the idea that a bunch of ad folks sitting in some smoke-filled room somewhere giving this idea the go ahead ...

That said, I couldn't resist adding a caption to one of the images:

Critical:

• Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer (961260)This security update resolves two privately reported vulnerabilities. The vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user views a specially crafted Web page using Internet Explorer. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.
• Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Could Allow Remote Code Execution (959239)
  This security update resolves two privately reported vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server. The first vulnerability could allow remote code execution if a specially crafted TNEF message is sent to a Microsoft Exchange Server. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of the affected system with Exchange Server service account privileges. The second vulnerability could allow denial of service if a specially crafted MAPI command is sent to a Microsoft Exchange Server. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could cause the Microsoft Exchange System Attendant service and other services that use the EMSMDB32 provider to stop responding.

Important:

• Vulnerability in Microsoft SQL Server Could Allow Remote Code Execution (959420)
  This security update resolves a privately reported vulnerability in Microsoft SQL Server. The vulnerability could allow remote code execution if untrusted users access an affected system or if a SQL injection attack occurs to an affected system. Systems with SQL Server 7.0 Service Pack 4, SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 3, and SQL Server 2008 are not affected by this issue.
• Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office Visio Could Allow Remote Code Execution (957634)
  This security update resolves three privately reported vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office Visio that could allow remote code execution if a user opens a specially crafted Visio file. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.

Microsoft has put together two pages all about the Conficker worm. One page aimed at home users and another for IT pros.

Here are the highlights:

Protection

1. Apply the security update associated with MS08-067. View the security bulletin for more information about the vulnerability, affected software, detection and deployment tools and guidance, and security update deployment information.
2. Make sure you are running up-to-date antivirus software from a trusted vendor, such as Microsoft's Forefront Client Security or Windows Live OneCare. Antivirus software may also be obtained from trusted third-parties such as the members of the Virus Information Alliance.
3. Isolate "unpatched" or legacy systems using the methods outlined in the Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 98 Threat Mitigation Guide.
4. Implement strong passwords as outlined in the Creating a Strong Password Policy whitepaper.
5. Disable the AutoPlay feature through the registry or using Group Policies as discussed in Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 953252.
   NOTE: Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 customers must deploy the update associated with Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 953252 to be able to successfully disable the AutoRun feature. Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 customers must deploy the security update associated with Microsoft Security Bulletin MS08-038 to be able to successfully disable the AutoRun feature.

Removal - automatic

• Manually download MSRT on to uninfected PCs and deploy to infected PCs to automatically clean infected systems.

Removal - manual

This seems like a lot of work to me but if you're really stuck this might be your only hope.

Take for example a modder that went by the name of Xpro132 on the Stream forum. This person was claiming to have tools that gave players access to cool new content in the game Left 4 Dead, but what the people installing these tools got instead was nasty malware.

Fortunately, malware attacks life this are both rare and short-lived since it's not long before forum members become wise to what's going on, but by then quite a bit of damage has been done.

My tips for safer game mod downloads are as follows:

• Download mods from reputable sites and forums only - these are generally well policed by moderators and do-badders are usually shown the door quickly.
• Spend time getting to know the modding community before downloading. Find out the people who are known for previously making good mods.
• Be cautious of newbies making extravagant promises!
• Let other people download mods first and provide feedback ... I hate to say it but good security sometimes involved finding a greater fool willing to take a risk.
• Scan everything with a good antivirus scanner. Additionally, send a copy of the file to Virustotal for a thorough scan.
• If in doubt, don't download and install a mod.

Users who accept the default installation options for OpenOffice 3.0.1 also will get Java 6 Update 7, a version of Java that Sun Microsystems released last spring (the latest version is Java 6 Update 12).

This is notable because not only could attackers target security vulnerabilities that were fixed in subsequent versions of Java, but Java 6 Update 7 was released prior to Sun's inclusion of a feature known as "secure static versioning," which is intended to prevent Web sites from invoking even older versions of Java that may be present on the user's system.

OpenOffice.org, free substitute to Microsoft Office, was once an application only used by geeks. Now it's being installed by regular users who don't know what Java is and won't have a clue how to update it (or more importantly, that you have to uninstall the old version too).

Keeping a PC fully updated with the latest security updates is no longer a trivial matter. To help keep my PCs updated I use Secunia's PSI scanner. This is a great bit of kit that scans your PC for old, insecure software and offers you advice on how to secure the system, as well as download links to the updates software in most instances. I get a great sense of security from scanning my systems regularly for old software.

• Windows 7 Starter Edition (aimed at emerging markets)
• Windows 7 Home Basic (aimed at emerging markets)
• Windows 7 Home Premium (primary home edition)
• Windows 7 Professional (primary business edition)
• Windows 7 Ultimate (for consumers who wants everything)
• Windows 7 Enterprise (volume license only)

There are also K, N and KN flavors to satisfy Microsoft's legal obligations.

So, what do you do? Simple, use Ctrl+Alt+End instead.

Bonus tip: If you work with several machines via RDC then you might find it useful to save the connections settings for later use. From the General tab in Remote Desktop Connection click Save As... and your settings will be available next time you want them (I give the files the names of the machines they connect to).

As I put no notebook computer down earlier today I noticed a small black screw fall out of it and hit the floor. Because I was just on my way out at the time I didn't think anything of it and put it on one side. Just now however I found a tiny screwdriver to pop it back and on flipping my notebook over I noticed that six screws (some third of all the screws visible) were missing! Now that I come to think about it, I've noticed a few of these screws kicking about before and I've put them "somewhere safe" (a "somewhere safe" which at this point in time, evades me!).

While the notebook is functional, I'm horrified to find that so many have worked their way loose over time. I'm guessing it's the heat that's caused them to come loose.

So, time to check the underside of your notebook for loose screws! I'm willing to bet that if your PC is older than about a year that you'll find one that's a little loose. But remember, just tighten them up gently - no need to go hulk on them!

Question: I read the other day that the Release Candidate of Internet Explorer 8 is out. From what I understand a release candidate is the code that will be finally released. Is is OK for me to install IE8 RC on my main PC?

Release Candidate code certainly has the potential to be what's finally released, but it's important to note that if any serious bugs come to light in the code between now and the release that it's likely that these will be fixed.

That said, I understand that a lot of people will want to download IE8 RC for testing. maybe you want to test your websites, or just to find out how it works. There's nothing wrong with that - I've installed IE8 RC on many systems and not yet hit any snags. If you do hit a snag, it uninstalls easily.

Note: XP users should read this before installing IE8.

The iServices.A Trojan horse is an attack being distributed via BitTorrent, where it's disguised as a bootleg copy of the new iWork 09. Once installed, the malware takes administrator access and connects to remote servers over the Internet, where it can be given additional instructions as the author commands, from installing additional malware to stealing information off the Mac in question. The malware creator can also take complete remote control of any compromised machine.

The takeaway lesson - pay for your software!

Critical:

• Vulnerabilities in SMB Could Allow Remote Code Execution (958687)
  This security update resolves two privately reported vulnerabilities and one publicly disclosed vulnerability in Microsoft Server Message Block (SMB) Protocol. The vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution on affected systems. An attacker who successfully exploited these vulnerabilities could install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Firewall best practices and standard default firewall configurations can help protect networks from attacks that originate outside the enterprise perimeter. Best practices recommend that systems that are connected to the Internet have a minimal number of ports exposed.