1. Uncheck the box next to where it says 'Internet Explorer 8' in Windows Update. A confirmation screen will appear.
2. Check the box that says 'Dont notify me about these updates again.'
3. Click the 'Close' button. This opens another dialogue box.
4. Click the 'OK' button.
5. Run Windows Update again manually by visiting http://update.microsoft.com in Internet Explorer. Click the 'Express' button to install high priority updates.
6. Run Windows update manually once again. This time unhide the Internet Explorer 8 update so you can install it. Click the 'Custom' button. This will take you to a new page where you can unhide the Internet Explorer 8 update. Now you can install it.

If you see this message, delete it and do not download the attachment:

Dear Facebook user,

Due to Facebook policy changes, all Facebook users must submit a new, updated account agreement, regardless of their original account start date.
Accounts that do not submit the updated account agreement by the deadline will have restricted.

Please unzip the attached file and run "agreement.exe" by double-clicking it.

Thanks,
The Facebook Team


Confirmation Code #: 7284671046491

• .doc
  .dot
  .xsl
  .xst
  .ppo
  .pot
  .mdb

1. Right-click any blank space on your desktop where there are no icons. This opens a small context menu.
2. In the menu, click 'Properties'. This opens the 'Display Properties' window.
3. Click the 'Desktop' tab.
4. Click the 'Browse...' button.
5. Navigate to the directory which contains the new wallpaper image.
6. Once you have selected the correct one, click 'Open'.
7. Click 'OK'.

1) Kill All Currently Running Instances

1. Click ctrl+alt+del on your keyboard. This opens all running processes.
2. Click the Processes tab.
3. Find AntispywarXP2009.exe and xp_antispyware.exe and end them both by highlighting each one and clicking the "End Process" button.

2) Remove It From Control Panel

1. Go to Start --> Control Panel --> Add/Remove Programs and remove XP AntiSpyware 2009.

3) Remove Associated Files Manually

1. Go to Start --> Search --> All Files or Folders
2. Find and delete these files:
   

%profile%\application data\secure solutions\AntispywarXP2009\as2008xp.exe
AntispywarXP2009.exe
setup_100527_3_.exe
%profile%\application data\secure solutions\AntispywarXP2009\as2008xp.exe
setup_100527_3_.exe
AntispywarXP2009.exe
ntdll64.dll
setup.exe
%desktopdirectory%\AntispywarXP2009.lnk
%profile%\application data\microsoft\internet explorer\quick launch\AntispywarXP2009.lnk
%programs%\antispyware 2008\AntispywarXP2009.lnk
ntdll64.dll
setup.exe
antispyware-2009.exe
_scui.cpl
avengn.dll
%program_files%\xp_antispyware\xp_antispyware.exe
%programs%\xp_antispyware\uninstall.lnk
%programs%\xp_antispyware\xp_antispyware.lnk
%system%\_scui.cpl
%program_files%\xp_antispyware\microsoft.vc80.crt\msvcr80.dll
%program_files%\xp_antispyware\pthreadvc2.dll
%program_files%\xp_antispyware\uninstall.exe
%program_files%\xp_antispyware\wscui.cpl
%program_files%\xp_antispyware\xp_antispyware.cfg
wini10431.exe
xp_antispyware.exe
%desktopdirectory%\xp_antispyware.lnk
%profile%\application data\microsoft\internet explorer\quick launch\xp_antispyware.lnk
%program_files%\xp_antispyware\avengn.dll
%program_files%\xp_antispyware\comp.dat
%program_files%\xp_antispyware\data\daily.cvd
install.exe
%program_files%\xp_antispyware\htmlayout.dll
%program_files%\xp_antispyware\microsoft.vc80.crt\microsoft.vc80.crt.manifest
%program_files%\xp_antispyware\microsoft.vc80.crt\msvcm80.dll
%program_files%\xp_antispyware\microsoft.vc80.crt\msvcp80.dll
%program_files%\xp_antispyware\microsoft.vc80.crt\msvcr80.dll
%program_files%\xp_antispyware\microsoft.vc80.crt\msvcp80.dll
%program_files%\xp_antispyware\microsoft.vc80.crt\msvcm80.dll
%program_files%\xp_antispyware\htmlayout.dll
%program_files%\xp_antispyware\avengn.dll
%program_files%\xp_antispyware\pthreadvc2.dll
%program_files%\xp_antispyware\uninstall.exe
%program_files%\xp_antispyware\xp_antispyware.exe
wini10431.exe
install.exe

4) Remove Associated Registry Entries

1. Go to Start --> Run... and where it says "Open:" type this: regedit
2. This opens the Windows registry editor. From here you will need to very carefully find and delete some registry entries.
   WARNING: If you do this incorrectly you can cause damage to your system. It is a good idea to back up your registry first. Do this by clicking "My Computer" at the top of the left panel. Then, click File --> Export. Wait for the backup to complete.
3. Find and remove these entries:
   

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\run ieupdate
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\secure solutions\AntispywarXP2009 lgid
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\secure solutions\AntispywarXP2009 lid
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\secure solutions\AntispywarXP2009 pid
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\secure solutions\AntispywarXP2009\2.1 installtime
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\secure solutions\AntispywarXP2009\2.1 start counter
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\secure solutions\AntispywarXP2009\2.1\config

5) Use Anti-Spyware Apps To Remove Leftovers

1. Download ComboFix and run it if you feel comfortable using this powerful of an application.
   WARNING: ComboFix can take some time to run. Even if it looks like it is hanging please be patient and do not exit it. You may be prompted to reboot when it is complete. Please do so.
2. Run SpyBot Search & Destroy and Ad-Aware 2008 to find any last remaining remnants.

6) Disable System Restore

1. When Windows loads again, go to Start --> Run... and where it says "Open:" type this: services.msc
2. This opens the list of Windows services. Find "System Restore" and right-click it to open a small menu. Then, select "Properties" from the menu.
3. Where it says "Startup type:" use the pulldown menu to select "Disabled".
4. Click the "Stop" button to stop it from running. Stopping and disabling System Restore deletes all previous restore points which may contain the virus. If you roll back to those points, your computer will become infected again.
5. Click the "OK" button.
6. Close the services window.

Here are the step-by-step instructions for how to customize google: 

1. Download the CustomizeGoogle Firefox extension from download.com
2. When the Software Installation window opens, click the "Install Now" button. It may take 5 seconds after the window opens before this button becomes available.
3. Once the extension is installed, close Firefox and open it again.
4. Click "Tools" in the Firefox menu, then click "Add-ons". This opens the list of add-ons installed in Firefox.
5. Click "CustomizeGoogle" once to highlight it.
6. Click the "Options" button. This is where you can set preferences to customize what Google will look like from now on. It is reccommended that you select the option that says "Remove ads". "Remove click tracking" is another suggested option to select for privacy reasons. Another helpful feature is "Add links to the WayBackMachine (webpage history)". For those not familiar, the WayBackMachine is a large cache of old versions of web sites. To view an older version of a site, click the "History" link for any given site when browsing within the Google search results. From here you can also select any other options which may be of use. Click each item in the list on the left (Web, Images, Groups, News, etc.) one at a time to configure options for each feature.

1. Download Event ID 4226 Patcher (opens in a new window) to your desktop.
2. Unzip the file which you just downloaded.
3. Open the folder that was created and double-click EvID4226Patch
4. When the first screen comes up it will show you your current number of half-open connections, which should be 10.
5. To change it to 50 Type 'Y' and press enter. You will be asked to confirm this, please do so. This program actually changes the tcpip.sys file in Windows. It will tell you where backups of your old tcpip.sys. file is located if you want to change it back. The program will instruct you to reboot. Do that, then test your connection.

Here are the step-by-step instructions:

1. Click 'Start'
2. Click 'Run...'
3. Where it says 'Open:', type the following: %SystemRoot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe
4. Click 'OK'.
5. On the 'Welcome to System Restore' screen, click 'Create a restore point'.
6. Click 'Next'.
7. On the 'Create a Restore Point' screen, type a descriptive name for the restore point.
8. Click 'Create.'
9. After the restore point has been created, click 'Close.'

System restore is automatic on many brand name PCs and can cause excessive fragmentation on your hard drive. It is a good idea to defrag regularly. Another option is to disable system restore entirely and regularly backup all dataon the HD to a separate drive, including the system registry.

1. Insert the CD into your drive. Make sure your BIOS is set to try to boot to a CD first if you know how. Most systems already do this.
2. Reboot your PC.
3. When the message "Press any key to boot to CD..." appears, do so before this prompt disappears or else it will boot normally. Wait for all of the drivers to load.
4. The 'Welcome to Setup.' screen will appear. Choose the option that says "To repair a Windows XP Installation using Recovery Console, press R." by pressing the 'R' key.
5. A list of Windows XP installations on your computer appears. Typically, XP is installed in C:\WINDOWS or C:\WINNT. In most cases it will be the first or only option in the list. To select this, press the '1' key and then press 'Enter'. Pressing 'Enter' without typing a number will cause the program to quit.
6. Where it says 'Type the Administrator password:', enter the password. If you have never set one, just press 'Enter'. The 'C:\WINDOWS>' prompt should now be showing. Type the following commands into the prompt one at a time and press 'Enter' after you type each one:
   
   cd \
   attrib -c ntldr
   exit
   
   Windows will now be started.
   NOTE: Make sure not to boot to the CD this time.

Please visit the home page.

or...

VectroTunnel - Browse the web anonymously and unblock and web sites.

1. Reboot your computer
2. Keep tapping the 'F8' key while the computer boots up. This will take you to a list of boot options. If you get a keyboard error, reboot and try again.
3. Select 'Safe Mode' and press Enter.
4. Once Windows Safe Mode is loaded, click 'Start'.
5. Click 'Run...'.
6. Where it says "Open:" type this: regedit
7. Click the 'OK' button.
8. Locate this registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\Intelppm
9. Find the entry in the right pane called "Start" and right-click it once to pull down a small menu.
10. Click "Modify" from the menu.
11. Where it says "Value data:" change the number 1 to a 4.
12. Click the 'OK' button.
13. Close Registry Editor.
14. Reboot.

1. Click 'Start'.
2. Click 'My Computer'.
3. Under "Other Places" click 'Control Panel'.
4. Double-click 'Add or Remove Programs'. This will open a list of all the programs which are currently installed. It may take a moment for the list to populate so be patient.
5. Scroll down the list until you see "Apple Mobile Device Manager".
6. Clik the "Change/Remove" button.
7. Follow the on-screen instructions.

1. Insert Windows XP CD into drive while computer is on.
2. Reboot computer.
3. When the screen says "Press any key to boot to CD...", press any key on your keyboard. Windows will load the drivers it needs.
4. When you see the message that says "To setup Windows XP now", press the 'Enter' key. IMPORTANT: DO NOT PRESS THE 'R' KEY TO USE THE RECOVERY CONSOLE.
5. When shown the license agreement and asked to confirm, press the 'F8' key to acknowledge that you agree with the terms.
6. Make sure your current installation of Windows is selected from the list and press 'R' to repair Windows. IMPORTANT: IF THE 'R' OPTION IS NOT AVAILABLE, STOP NOW! PROCEEDING MAY ERASE YOUR ENTIRE HARD DRIVE AND RE-INSTALL EVERYTHING FROM SCRATCH.
7. Setup will now copy the files it needs and then the computer will reboot. This time, do not choose to boot to CD when asked, just wait for the computer to boot normally.
8. Follow the on-screen instructions to continue until it is complete.
9. When fished, it will reboot again. Do not boot to the CD. NOTE: If you get messages about files not found during the installation, inspect your CD for scratches and start over. If this does not work you may need to perform a clean installation and will lose everything. If possible, recover important files from the drive before wiping it.

1. Download PowerMenu (opens in a new window) and install it.
2. After installing PowerMenu, log in to the tunnel using PuTTY. Right-click the very top of the PuTTy window (where it says 'your.ssh.host - PuTTY'). Then, select 'Minimize To Tray'. This will place PuTTY into the system tray and will create an icon for it. This trick will also work with most other programs installed on your computer.
3. When you are finished browsing with the tunnel open, double-click the PuTTY icon in the system tray to open it up again. Then, type logout and press Enter.

1. Open Pidgin.
2. Click the 'Cancel' button when it asks you to sign in.
3. In the Pidgin main window click 'Tools' at the top to pull down the Tools Menu. Select 'Preferences' from the menu. This opens the Preferences window.
4. Click the 'Network' tab.
5. Under 'Proxy Server' where it says 'Proxy type:' and has 'No proxy' selected, click on 'No proxy' to pull down the menu and select 'SOCKS 5'.
6. Where it says 'Host:' enter localhost.
7. Where it says 'Port:' enter 9853
8. Click the 'Close' button.
9. Close Pidgin entirely and re-open it. Log in when it asks you to and you are now connected securely.

1. Open Thunderbird.
2. Click 'Tools' at the top to pull down the Tools Menu. Select 'Options' from the menu. This opens the Options window.
3. Click 'Advanced'.
4. Click the 'Network & Disk Space' tab.
5. Under 'Connection' where it says '"Determine how Thunderbird connections to the Interenet.' click the 'Connection...' button. This opens the Connection Settings window.
6. Click 'Manual proxy configuration:'.
7. Where it says 'SOCKS Host:' enter localhost into the box.
8. Where it says 'Port:' enter 9853 into the box.
9. Click 'OK'.
10. Click 'OK' on the previous window.
11. Close Thunderbird and restart it.

Get FireFox

The following instructions need to be done AFTER your ssh client (i.e. PuTTY) has been configured to open a secure tunnel. Connecting through the tunnel with Firefox (or any other program) only works while the tunnel is actively open. This means you must stay logged in for the entire time you are browsing. For instructions on downloading and configuring PuTTY, click here.

To configure Firefox to work with the proxy follow these instructions:

1. Open FireFox.
2. Click 'Tools' at the top to pull down the Tools Menu.
3. From the menu, select 'Options...' at the very bottom. This opens the Options window.
4. Click 'Advanced' at the top right corner of the window.
5. Click the 'Network' tab.
6. Where it says 'Configure how Firefox connects to the Internet' click the 'Settings...' button. This opens the Connection Settings window.
7. Select 'Manual proxy configuration:'.
8. Where it says 'SOCKS Host:' enter localhost into the box.
9. 9) Where it says 'Port:' enter 9853 into the box.
10. Click the 'OK' button.
11. Click the 'OK' button on the previous window.
12. In the browser location bar (the place where you type web addresses), type about:config and press Enter. This opens a different set of Firefox preferences.
13. Where it says 'Filter:' at the top, type network.proxy.socks. The list of preferences will automatically change to show your proxy preferences.
14. Highlight 'network.proxy.socks_remote_dns' by clicking it only once. Then, right-click it. This opens a small pull-down menu. Select 'Toggle' from the menu to change its value to 'true'. This adds privacy by preventing DNS queries from leaking. This is the reason why Firefox is recommended over other browsers for using this service.
15. Close Firefox and restart it.
16. Go to a site like cmyip.com to check and make sure your IP address shows up as the proxy address and not your real IP.

1. Open PuTTY.
2. Where it says 'Host Name (or IP address)' and has a box underneath it, enter the name of your SSH host into the box.
3. Under 'Saved Sessions' enter a name for this connection that will help you remember it later. For example, you could call it 'SSH Proxy' so you know this will be the proxy connection.
4. In the 'Category:' menu on the left, expand the 'Connection' menu list if it is not expanded already. Expand the 'SSH' menu list if that one is not expanded already. Click 'Tunnels' (underneath 'SSH'). This opens the options where you will enter the settings for PuTTY to create the tunnel.
5. Under 'Add new forwarded port:' enter 9853
6. Where it says 'Destination' leave that field blank but be sure to select the 'Dynamic' option underneath it.
7. Click the 'Add' button to add this port.
8. In the 'Category:' menu on the left, click the click 'Connection'.
9. Where it says 'Seconds between keepalives (0 to turn off)' enter 5 in the box. This will keep your connection alive and prevent it from timing out even when you walk away from the computer for a while.
10. In the 'Category:' menu on the left, click 'Session' at the very top to go back to the first screen.
11. Click the 'Save' button to save all of the settings you just entered. Later you will not have to enter these settings again in the future, you will only need to load up your saved profile (by double-clicking it after you open PuTTY) every time you wish to connect to the proxy.
12. Click the 'Open' button to open the connection to the proxy.
13. When connected you will be asked for your username and password. Enter the username and password for your account. Once connected the tunnel is open. After you are finished using the tunnel, type logout and press Enter.

Here are the step-by-step instructions to configure Kaspersky to allow file and print sharing:

1. Open Kaspersky Internet Security 7.0
2. Click the 'Settings' button. This opens the main settings window.
3. In the menu on the left, click the black box to the left of where it says 'Protection' to expand the list of options beneath it (if it is not already expanded).
4. Click 'Firewall'. This opens the firewall options.
5. Under 'Filtration System', click the 'Settings...' button. This opens another settings window.
   Note: Be careful, there are two of these buttons on the same screen under different categories. Make sure to click the one towards the top.
6. Click the 'Zones' tab.
7. Highlight the zone for your network adapter by clicking it once. You can find the correct zone by scrolling to the right and looking under the 'Description' column. If it lists the name of an ethernet card as the descirption then that is the one.
   Note: If you have two adapters, for instance one wireless and one ethernet, you will need to do this to whichever one is used for sharing. Both adapters can be set for this as well, if needed.
8. Under 'Rule decscription (click underline parameters to edit):' find where it says 'Zone Status: Internet'. The word 'Internet' is in blue letters with an underline. Click it twice so it changes to "Local Network".
   Note: Do not use the 'Trusted' setting. It is very insecure.
9. Click 'OK'.
10. Click 'OK' on the previous Window.
11. Close Kaspersky. Do not worry, this does not close the entire program. It will still be running and guarding the PC.
12. Do this to all PCs which will be used to share files and/or printers.

1. Click 'Start'.
2. Click 'Control Panel'.
3. Click 'Network and Internet Connections'.
4. Click 'Network Setup Wizard'.
5. When the 'Welcome to the Network Setup Wizard' screen appears, click the 'Next' button. This opens the network checklist. After reviewing it, click the 'Next' button.
6. Select the option that says 'This computer connects to the Internet through another computer on my network or through a residential gateway.'
7. Click the 'Next' button. This opens the 'Give this computer a description and name.' screen.
8. Where it says 'Computer Description:' Enter a description for the computer such as 'Joe's PC'.
9.  Where it says 'Computer Name:' enter a short name. This is the name other machines on the LAN will use to identify this one. When finished, click the 'Next' button.
10. Where it says 'Workgroup name:' enter a name. This could be something such as 'HOME' or 'MYNETWORK'. It should be one word and brief. All comps. will need to be in the same workgroup in order to recognize each other. After all of the details have been entered, click the 'Next' button. This opens the 'Ready to apply network settings...' window.
11. Review all of the information. If everything is correct click the 'Next' button.
12. This opens up the final screen. Select the 'Just Finish The Wizard' option and click the 'Next' button.
13. Run the network setup wizard on each PC that is supposed to be networked with this one. Make sure they are all in the same workgroup.
14. A reboot might be required before the settings take effect.
    

Set Up More Shares If Neccessary

1. To share any other folder, right-click it to pull down a menu of options.
2. Click 'Properties'. This opens the properties for that folder.
3. Click the 'Sharing' tab.
4. Tick the box next to where it says 'Share this folder on the network'.
5. Where it says 'Share name:' enter the name that will be displayed to other users who access this folder.
6. Click 'OK'
   Note: It is possible to do this to an entire drive using the same steps, yet this poses a security threat. It is safest to allow only limited access.
    

Access Shared Files

1. Click 'Start'.
2. Click 'My Network Places'. Note: Another option is to click 'Start', then 'My Computer', then click 'My Network Places' from the menu on the left if it is available.
3. Click 'Add a network place'. This opens up another helpful wizard.
4. Click the 'Next' button.
5. Select the 'Choose another network location' option and click the 'Next' button.
6. Where it says 'Internet or network address:' and has a blank space, enter the name of the resource you are trying to access. For example, if you need to access a folder shared as 'pictures' from a computer called 'billy' you would enter the following: \\billy\pictures
7. Click the 'Next' button. Alternately, it is possible to click the 'Browse...' button and search for it instead of entering the name.

To view all computers and shares available on the LAN repeat steps 1 through 3, then click 'View workgroup computers'.

 
Share a Printer

From the host PC...

1. Click 'Start'.
2. Click 'Control Panel'.
3. Click 'Printers and Other Hardware'.
4. Click 'Printers and Faxes'.
5. Right-click the printer you wish to share. This opens a menu.
6. Click 'Properties'. This opens the printer properties.
7. Click the 'Sharing' tab.
8. Select the 'Share this printer' option.
9. Where it says 'Share name:' enter a name for the printer which will be used to identify it.
10. Click 'OK'

If more than one printer needs to be shared from the same computer simply run these same steps. Make sure each one has a different name for step 9.

Access a Shared Printer Over a LAN

1. Click 'Start'.
2. Click 'Control Panel'.
3. Click 'Printers and Other Hardware'.
4. Click 'Printers and Faxes'.
5. Click' File' from the upper left corner to pull down the file menu. Click 'Add Printer'. This opens the the 'Add Printer Wizard'. Click the 'Next' button.
6. Select the 'A network printer, or printer attached to another computer' option.
7. Click the 'Next' button.
8. Select the 'Browse for a printer' option.
9. Click the 'Next' button. This opens a list.
10. Clicking the + sign next to it the name of your workgroup to expand it.
11. Highlight the shared printer by clicking it once.
12. Click the 'Next' button. This opens a confirmation dialog box.
13. Click the 'Yes' button.
14. Click the 'Finish' button.

Here are the step-by-step instructions:

1. Click 'Start'
2. Click 'Run...'
3. Where it says 'Open:' type 'services.msc'
4. Scroll down the alphabetical list and find 'Indexing Service'. Click it once to highlight it. Then right-click it. This opens a menu with some options.
5. Click 'Properties' in the menu.
6. Where it says 'Startup type:' select 'Disabled'.
7. Click the 'Apply' button.
8. Click the 'OK' button.
9. Close the 'Services' window.
10. Click 'Start'
11. Click 'My Computer'
12. Right-click the '(C:)' drive. This opens a small menu.
    
13. Click 'Options' in the menu.
14. Uncheck the box next to where it says 'Allow Indexing Service to index this disk for fast file searching'. This will open up a window with two options.
15. Click the option that says 'Apply changes to C:\, subfolders and files'.
16. Click 'OK'. Wait about 10 to 15 minutes, possibly longer for larger drives, and be patient! Settings on every file and folder on the hard drive are being changed. If a prompt comes up saying it is unable to set a certain file, just click 'Ignore All' and any files that can not be modified will be skipped.
17. Close the hard drive properties window.
18. Close the 'My Computer' window.

Here are the instructions:

1. Right click an empty space on your desktop where there are no icons. This opens up a small menu.
2. Select 'Properties' at the bottom of the menu. This opens the 'Display Properties' window.
3. Click the 'Screen Saver' tab.
4. Place a check in the box next to where it says 'On resume, password protect'

Here are the instructions, step-by-step, for changing the logon screen to the more secure classic mode:

1. Click 'Start'.
2. Click 'Control Panel'.
3. Double-click 'User Accounts'.
4. Click 'Change the way users log on or off'.
5. Uncheck the 'Use the welcome screen' checkbox. This also automatically disables fast user switching.
6. Click the 'Apply Options' button.
7. Close the User Accounts window.
8. Clise Control Panel.

1. Shut Down PeerGuardian
2. Click Start
3. Double click My Computer
4. Double click Program Files
5. Double click PeerGuardian2
6. Delete the file history.db (may show up as history without the .db at the end)
7. Close the Window

1. Click 'Start'
2. Click 'Run...'
3. Where it says 'Open:' type this: services.msc
4. Click 'OK'. This opens the Services control window which lists all of the available background processes and gives you access to disable or enable particular services.
5. The list is alphabetical. Scroll down to where it says 'System Restore' and click it once to highlight it.
6. Right click the highlighted text. This opens a small menu.
7. Click the 'Properties' option on the menu. This opens the System Restore options.
8. Where it says 'Startup type:' use the pulldown menu to select 'Disabled'.
9. Click 'Apply'.
10. Click 'OK'.
11. Reboot for the changes to take effect.
    

1. Right click any blank space on your desktop. This will open up a small menu.
2. Select 'Properties' at the bottom of the menu. This opens the Display Properties window.
3. Click the 'Screen Saver' tab.
4. Click the 'Power...' button.
5. Where it says 'Turn off monitor:' select how much time you want before the monitor shuts itself off. NOTE: If you are using a laptop, you will have two options here. One setting for when the laptop is plugged in and one for when it is running on battery power.
6. When you are finished, click 'Apply'
7. Click 'OK'

1. Follow steps 1 through 3 above.
2. Under 'Power schemes' use the pulldown menu to select 'Presentation'.
3. Click 'Apply'
4. Click 'OK'
5. Don't forget to change it back when you are finished watching the movie. Power management preserves the life of your monitor.

A recommended program for this type of 'clean-up' is called Startup Inspector which is free for download and shows a list of all of the programs which start when your computer boots, allowing for manual disabling of the items which are not necessary. When Startup Inspector is used to disable a program, it does not delete it, but only prevents it from running at boot time. Therefore if anything seems to not work as you need it to after the next reboot you can just re-enable what is needed..

NOTE: This is not related to system programs. It is related to third-party applications. To learn more about disabling system background processes please see the article How To Disable Background Processes In Windows XP.

Here are the instructions, step-by-step, for downloading startup inspector and using it to disable unnecessary startup items to reduce overall memory usage:

1. Download Startup Inspector from windowsstartup.com.
2. Install Startup Inspector.
3. Run it. You will see a list of all of the applications which are in the start-up list. The ones with a check mark next to them are the ones which start up each time Windows starts.
4. To disable programs from starting up (after doing some research at Google or at www.windowsstartup.com to find out what each one is) remove the checkmark from the corresponding box to disable it.
5. When you are finished, click the "Apply" button.
6. Reboot and test your new configuration.
   

1. Right click an empty space on your desktop. This will open up a small menu.
2. Click 'Properties' (at the bottom of the menu). This opens the 'Display Properties' window.
3. Click the 'Settings' tab.
4. Under where it says 'Screen resolution' use the 'Less' and 'More' bar to select the maxumum screen resolution available for your monitor type and model.
5. Click 'Apply'.
6. Click 'OK'.

Common screen resolutions:

1024x7068
1280x1024

Common widescreen resolutions:

1280x800
1280x960

1. Click 'Start'
2. Click 'View System Information' under 'System Tasks' (If you can not see this option then click 'System Tasks' to collapse the menu). This will open the System Properies window.
3. Click the 'Advanced' tab
4. Under 'Startup and Recovery' click the 'Settings' button.
5. Under 'System Failure' uncheck the box next to 'Automatically Restart'
6. Click 'OK'
7. Click 'OK' on the previous window.
   

1. Click 'Start'
2. Click 'My Computer'
3. Click 'View System Information' under 'System Tasks' (If you can not see this option then click 'System Tasks' to collapse the menu). This will open the System Properies window. Alternatively, you can go to Control Panel and open 'System'.
4. Click the 'Advanced' tab
5. Click the 'Settings' button under 'Performance'. This opens the Performance Options window.
6. Click the 'Advanced' tab.
7. Click the 'Change' button under 'Virtual Memory'
8. Under 'Paging file size for selected drive' select the 'Custom size:' option.
9. In the box next to where it says 'Intial size (MB)' the best number to enter is 2X the amount of physical memory currently in your system. For example, if you have 512 MB of RAM you would enter 1024 in this box.
10. In the box next to where it says 'Maximum size (MB)' enter the same number.
11. Click 'OK'
12. Click 'Apply' on the previous window
13. Click 'OK'
14. Click 'OK' on the previous window.

Here are the steps to disable this:

1. Click Start
   
2. Click "My Computer"
   
3. Click "Tools" to pull down the Tools menu
   
4. Click "Folder Options"
   
5. Click the "View" tab
   
6. Uncheck the box next to where it says "Automatically search for network folders and printers"
   
7. Click "Apply"
   
8. Click "OK"

Here are the step-by-step instructions to perform a Windows repair installation

1. Insert Windows XP CD into computer.
2. Restart the computer.
3. When you see the screen that says "Press any key to boot from CD..." do exactly that and press any key on your keyboard. Wait for the drivers to load, this can take up to 10 minutes. When it is finished you will be taken to the "Welcome To Setup" screen.
4. You will see a list of options.
   
   IMPORTANT WARNING: Do not select the option that says "To repair a Windows XP installation using Recovery Console, press R."
   
   Choose the one that says "To Setup Windows XP Now Press Enter" by pressing the Enter key.
5. On the next screen, press the F8 key to confirm the license agreement.
6. Check the next list of options carefully, if Repair is not in the list END SETUP NOW or else you will risk losing all of your files. However, if you see Repair is an option, press the R key to begin setup. If that is not an option END SETUP NOW.
7. If you proceed successfully, setup will now copy all of the necessary files onto your hard drive and will automatically reboot when this is complete.
   
   COMMON PROBLEM: Sometimes system files are not found during this step. Currently there is no solution available.
   
8. IMPORTANT: This time, ignore the message that says "Press any key to boot from CD...".
   
   All of the system files will begin installing. It will look as if it is doing a brand new installation, but your files and programs will remain in tact. Only the core of the system is being overwritten. This process takes about 30 to 45 minutes so be patient because this is one of the few proven ways to recover an XP computer that won't boot properly. When everything is complete the machine will reboot itself again. Remove the disc from the drive. Everything should be working now.

1. Log in to your router by opening your web browser and going to http://192.168.1.1 - this is the address to acces your router. If this is your first time logging in, leave the username field blank and enter 'admin' (without the quote marks of course) as the password.
2. The first thing to do is back up your current configuration. This way if you set something incorrectly you can always revert back to the original setup. Click the "Administration" tab.
3. Click "Config Management"
4. Click the "Backup" button. Choose a location to save your configuration where you will remember.
5. Click "Management"
6. If you have not yet created your own router password you will need to do this now. If you have, please skip to step 11.
7. Next, where it says "Router Password:" enter a new password into the text field.
8. Enter the password again in the box that says "Re-enter to confirm:".
9. Then, Click the "Save Settings" button. and wait for the confirmation page.
10. Click the "Continue" button. From now on when you log in you will need to enter 'admin' as the username and use your new password.
11. Click the "Security" tab.
12. Where it says "Firewall Protection:" tick the box that says "Enable" if it is not already selected.
13. Place a check mark next to the box where it says "Block Anonymous Internet Requests"
14. Place a check mark next to the box where it says "Filter Multicast"
15. Place a check mark next to the box where it says "Filter Internet NAT Redirection"
16. Place a check mark next to the box where it says "Filter IDENT(Port 113)"
17. Click the "Save Settings" button and wait for the confirmation page.
18. Click the "Continue" button.
19. If you are not using your router for incoming http (web) connections, it is a good idea to turn off remote admin. Click the "Administration" tab again. Where it says "Remote Management:" tick the box that says "Disable" if it is not already selected.
20. Click the "Save Settings" button and wait for the confirmation page.
21. Click the "Continue" button.
22. Sometimes disabling this does not work, so to make sure, click "Applications & Gaming"
23. In the first available slot under the "Application" column, enter "Security".
24. In the same row, under the "Start" column, enter the number 80.
25. Enter 80 again in the adjacent box to the right under "End".
26. For the "Protocol" select "TCP".
27. Under "IP Address" enter the number 254.
28. Check the "Enable" box for this entry.
29. Click the "Save Settings" button and wait for the confirmation page.
30. Click the "Continue" button. This will divert all incoming connections for web access to the router to a non-existant host. This reduces the chance of a break-in from a nosy outsider.
    

Click here for instructions on configuring wireless security

1. Log in to your router by opening your web browser and going to http://192.168.1.1 - this is the address to acces your router. If this is your first time logging in, leave the username field blank and enter 'admin' (without the quote marks of course) as the password.
2. The first thing to do is back up your current configuration. This way if you set something incorrectly you can always revert back to the original setup. Click the "Administration" tab.
3. Click "Config Management"
4. Click the "Backup" button. Choose a location to save your configuration where you will remember.
5. Click the "Wireless" tab.
6. Where it says "Wireless Network Name (SSID)" enter a unique SSID name for your wifi to be identified when your laptop scans for access points.
7. Where it says "Wireless SSID Broadcast:" tick the box that says "Enable".
8. Leave the other fields as they are.
9. Click the "Save Settings" button and wait for the confirmation page.
10. Click the "Continue" button.
11. Click "Wireless Security"
12. For this example we will use WPA2 Personal encryption. Before you proceed make sure the wireless software your laptop uses has support for this type.
13. Where it says "Security Mode:" select "WPA2 Personal"
14. Where it says "WPA Algorithms:" select TKIP+AES
15. Where it says "WPA Shared Key:" enter anything you wish here. The longer the key the harder it is to hack. Combining numbers and letters and avoiding using dictionary words is the best practice. Write down or save this in a safe place.
16. Where it says "Group Key Renewal:" enter '3600' (without the quote marks of course).
17. Click the "Save Settings" button and wait for the confirmation page.
18. Click the "Continue" button.

Smart Failure predicted on hard disk.
Warning: Immediately backup all data and replace hard disk. A failure may be imminent. Press F1 to continue.

If you are experiencing any of these problems, it never hurts to run a program called Check Disk which scans for errors and can automatically repair them. Just be patient because this process can take at least 15 to 20 minutes or longer if a lot of damage needs to be fixed. Even without any obvious signs, it still might be a good idea to use this feature just to be on the safe side.

Here are the step-by-step instructions: 

1. Click "Start"
2. Click "Run..."
3. Where it says "Open:" type the following: cmd
4. Click "OK"
5. You will see a black screen with a blinking cursor. This is the command prompt. Use it to type the
   
6. following command: chkdsk /r /f
   
   Then press "Enter". If you Have done this correctly, you should see this:
   
   C:\Documents and Settings\User>chkdsk /r /f
   The type of the file system is NTFS.
   Cannot lock current drive.
   
   Chkdsk cannot run because the volume is in use by another
   process.  Would you like to schedule this volume to be
   checked the next time the system restarts? (Y/N)
7. Type Y where it says (Y/N) to answer yes to the question. Reboot your computer and your hard drive will be scanned for errors before Windows loads. Be patient as this can take 15 to 20 minutes, even up to 60 minutes if there are a lot of files with bad clusters which need to be replaced.

Some features are:

• Virus, Trojan, Worm, Spyware Protection
• An Overall Detection Rate of 98.52%
• 0-2 Hour Response Time To New Threats
• Automated Hourly Updates
• Actively Protects Online Activity
• Scan Internet Traffic in Real-Time
• Anti-Virus Controls
  
• Anti-Spam Controls
  
• Anti-Phishing Controls
  
• Preview New Mail Before Downloading
• Rootkit Detection
• Option to Scan Only New or Modified Files
• Notifications of Unusual or Risky Activity
• Disinfects New Attacks Immediately
• Parental Controls
• Protects Itself from malicious modifications
• Supports Laptop Power Saving
  

Kaspersky Internet Security 7.0 is a complete solution.

• Podcasts
• Radio
• iTunes Store
• Shared Libraries
• iPhone Auto-sync
  

If you do not use any of these features, it is best to turn them off. This will prevent your computer from make connections to Apple's servers that it does not need to and also saves some memory by reducing internal activities.
 

Here are the step-by-step instructions to do this:

1. Open iTunes
2. Click "Edit" in the menu at the top, this opens a list
3. Click "Preferences" which is the last option. This opens the screen used for the main configuration.
4. Click the "Parental Control" tab at the top.
5. Under "Sources:" make sure the following boxes ALL have check marks in them:
   
   Disable Podcasts
   Disable Radio
   Disable iTunes Store
   Disable Shared Libraries
   
   
6. If you use an iPhone, skip to step 8 now. If you do not use one, click the "iPhone" tab at the top.
7. Place a check mark in the box next to where it says "Disable automatic syncing for all iPhones"
8. Click "OK"
   

If you use a firewall it is suggested that you block iTunes from accessing the Internet for privacy purposes. This is because it is known to send data back to Apple.

The last thing to do is Remove Apple Mobile Device Support if you do not have an iPod. 

ANSWER: Use this page. This is your IP addres and geolocation information:

Try ours at VectroProxy - All you need to do is enter the address of the site you want to visit in the bar at the top and click the "BROWSE!" button. 

A highly recommended application to use is PeerGuardian 2 which maintains a large block list of IP addresses known to contain bad downloads and other intrusions. These are updated daily. PG2 allows you to select each block list which you want to use.

To add new block lists, do the following:

1. Open PeerGuardian and click the 'Disable' button.
2. Click 'List Manager'. This will open the list manager.
3. Click the 'Add' button. This will open the Add List window. 
4. Under 'Description' you can leave the text field blank
5. Under 'Location' click the 'Add URL:' option and enter the address of the blocklist in the text field.
6. Under 'Type' make sure 'Block' is selected and NOT 'Allow'
7. Click 'OK'
8. Close the 'List Manager' window.
   
9. Click the 'Check Updates' button if the lists are not updated automatically.
10. Click the 'Enable' button to re-enable PeerGuardian after updating. 

It is suggested the following lists are used. Each one needs to be added one at a time by repeating steps 3 through 7 for each one:

• http://www.sublimestylee.com/other/mpa_trackers.p2p 
• http://www.bluetack.co.uk/config/ads-trackers-and-bad-pr0n.gz
• http://www.bluetack.co.uk/config/dshield.zip
  
• http://www.bluetack.co.uk/config/edu.gz
• http://www.bluetack.co.uk/config/fornonlancomputers.zip
• http://www.bluetack.co.uk/config/hijacked.zip
• http://www.bluetack.co.uk/config/level1.gz
• http://www.bluetack.co.uk/config/level2.gz
• http://www.bluetack.co.uk/config/spider.gz
• http://www.bluetack.co.uk/config/spyware.gz
• http://www.bluetack.co.uk/config/trojan.zip
• http://www.bluetack.co.uk/config/bogon.zip 

Some examples of what identity thieves do:

1. Get jobs in the victim's name to skirt tax bills
2. Forge government documents 
3. Open credit card accounts in the victim's name
4. Access bank records and other financial data
5. Committing crimes and framing someone

Ways you can prevent identity theft and other threats:

Cut or shred your credit cards when you get new ones

Many paper shredders now come with a slot to shred your credit cards. An alternative is to cut them using scissors so any data can not be read. Many perpetrators use dumpster-diving as a technique to retrieve items which can be used to their advantage.

Shred papers and other documents which contain personal information

This is a more important idea than one might assume. As odd as it sounds, digging through trash is one of the most common ways info is obtained. This is especially important to do if your name, address or social security number are visible. 

Keep credit card statements in a safe place

Be organized and keep records for future reference, do not just throw them out. It is good to store them in a safe place. These statements usually have the account number in plain view.

Carefully examine all charges on your credit card statements

Be sure to look over each one as you receive them. Detecting these purchases early is better than finding out later as it will allow you to take action and end it before serious damage is done. If you see anything suspicious, call your bank or issuing company immediately and have them change the account number. Also call the big credit reporting agencies to have them put you on 1 year fraud alert. This way you will be informed if anyone tries to open accounts in your name.

Check credit reports from all 3 major credit reporting agencies

Getting this from Experian, Trans Union and Equifax provides you with detailed information about your entire history. This will show any red flags which may help you spot identity theft if it has already happened.

Do not give out your social security number

This is the key piece of information needed to hijack someone's life. Do not carry any cards or papers that contain your SS# either, should your wallet be lost or stolen.

Do not print your social security or driver's license number on checks

This just leaves your information in the hands of several strangers who will handle it between the point of sale and the time it is deposited.

Make copies of the contents of your wallet

This will help you get things back together if it should fall out of your possession.

Only purchase things from web sites that use security

Besides the obvious idea of only buying items from a trusted site, it is also important that personal information is only entered into web sites which use 128-bit encryption. This is usually indicated by a small icon of a padlock at the bottom or top of your browser, depending on which one you use. It keeps hackers from being able to steal the data you entered while it is in transit from your computer to the destination.

Do not use common numbers as PINs

Using birthdays and the last 4 digits of your phone number are too easy to guess. Hackers sometimes try those first when attempting to use ATMs.

Beware of e-mails asking for personal information

Some fraudsters use what is called Phishing to trick people into giving up private details. This usually comes in the form of e-mails which seem to be from your bank. There is usually a message claiming something along the lines of needing your username and password for a system update. Many of them actually contain logos or images that make it seem legitimate.

Be alert for fake phone calls

Sometimes scammers make calls to unsuspecting people posing as some type of official. What they do is called social engineering which is the art of convincing a person to divulge sensitive details.

Keep your computer safe from hackers

Click other links in this blog to learn all about keeping your system protected. It is imperative that firewall and anti-virus programs are installed.

Do not broadcast information

When you are at the counter of an electronics store purchasing something such as a new PC and the cashier asks you for your telephone number, do not give that out. If you trust the person or business asking, do it in such a way that it is discrete so no one near by hears more than they need to.

NOTE: If you decide to use it, keep in mind that the following two entries are normal to see in the RKR scan results:

HKLM\SECURITY\Policy\Secrets\SAC*
HKLM\SECURITY\Policy\Secrets\SAI*

A notably popular form of this advanced type of attack was the rootkit found on Sony Audio CD's in 2005. This one sent information about users back to the company and also left other vulnerabilities on the system. Sony eventually tangled themselves in a web of deceit which at one point involved creating a bogus removal tool which actually created more vulnerabilities. The worst part is, it did not even remove anything. The only function it had was to de-cloak the rootkit so it was no longer hidden. Lawsuits and criminal cases followed.

There are very few things a person can do to prevent from being infected with a rootkit. Only install software that comes from trusted people and trusted web sites. Avoid pointless downloads. Avoid time-wasting web sites.

The Pidgin OTR plug-in uses encryption to create a secure chat environment between two people. The only requirement is that both people are using OTR. Encryption essentially scrambles the text of the conversation with complicated mathematical algorithms. This prevents nosy hackers (which there are more of than most people think) from being able to read conversations should they attempt to "sniff" data being sent over the network. These packet sniffing attacks are more common than people expect, and are completely untraceable since they occur over the network and not directly on the computer. Even if someone assumes they are not likely to be attacked this way, they would not know if the person who they are chatting with is being watched. It could come from prying hackers or even the IT department at their job. In the U.S., it is currently legal for employers to monitor their employees on-line activity in the office without giving notice.

Here are step-by-step instructions for downloading and installing Pidgin as well as instructions for downloading and installing the OTR plug-in:

1. Download Pidgin here and install it.
2. After installing, run Pidgin.
3. The first time you run it, it will show you a list of your AIM accounts and ask you which ones you want to import. Select the account(s) you intend on using for Pidgin. Each one you select will ask you for the password and if you want it to remember the password or not. Which one you choose is up to you. Enter your password and choose if you want it to be remembered or not. Click "OK".
4. After selecting the accounts you want, click "Close". Pidgin will now log you in automatically. You will see your buddy list.
   
5. Close Pidgin now. This is important to do before the next step.
6. Download OTR (Win32 installer for pidgin) and install it.
7. After installation, run Pidgin again and log in. Click "Tools" to pull down the Tools menu, then click "Plugins".
8. Scroll down the list of plug-ins until you see "Off-the-Record Messaging" and click the empty box to the left of it so that a checkmark appears.
9. Click "Configure Plugin" at the bottom of the window. This will open up a window with some options.
10. Under "My private keys:" where it says "Key for account:", use the pulldown menu to select which account you want to use for encrypted chat.
11. Click the button that says "Generate" and wait patiently for your private key to be created.
12. When it is finished, click "OK". Never give this key to anyone.
13. Click "Close" on the OTR preferences window.
14. Click "Close" on the Plugins window.
    

From now on OTR will automatically detect if a person you start a chat with is also using it. This automatically creates a secure connection without you having to do anything to start it. If you found this article useful, show it to anyone else you want to have secure chat sessions with.

For added privacy, configure Pidgin to use a SSH SOCKS proxy tunnel.

Here are step-by-step instructions for how to clear Windows temporary files:

1. Click "Start"
2. Click "Run"
3. Where it says "Open:" type the following command: %tmp%
4. Click "OK"
5. When the "Temp" folder opens showing all of your temp files, hold down Ctrl+A on the keyboard to select all files. Hit the "Delete" button on the keyboard OR drag all of the files to the Recycle Bin. Wait patiently for the everything to delete. When it is finished, there may be a warning message telling you that some of the files are still in use. That is fine, just click "OK".
6. It may be a good idea clear the Recycle Bin, especially if a large number of temporary files was removed. 

That does not delete all of the temporary files, but it will help clear some space quickly and will also remove any personal data which was stored for a slight boost of security. For more thorough cleaning, read Using EasyCleaner To Delete Excess Files, Registry Entires and Browswer History.

Here are the step-by-step instructions for disabling the Windows XP SP2 firewall if you have installed one from another company:

1. Click "start"
2. Click "Run..."
3. Where it says "Open:" type "services.msc" (without the quote marks). Doing this will open the list of background processes and will allow you to enable or disable certain ones from starting when the computer boots.
4. The list is alphabetical. Scroll down the list until you see "Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing (ICS)" and highlight it. If it says "Started" to the right of it (under the Status column), that means it is started and needs to be disabled. If that is the case, go on to the next step. If it does not say "Started" then go no further.
5. Right-click it to pull down a small menu, then click "Properties".
6. Where it says "Startup type:" and has a pull-down menu, use the pull-down menu to select "Disabled"
7. Under "Service status:" click the "Stop" button and wait patiently for the Windows firewall to terminate.
8. When that is finished, click "OK" and you're done.
   

NOTE: It is very important that if you do not feel comfortable editing the registry or have never done it before that you avoid doing this right away and learn more about the Windows registry. Changing the wrong setting or changing a setting incorrectly can cause Windows to not function correctly.

Here are the step-by-step instructions to automatically clear the Windows paging file when the computer shuts down:

1. Click "Start"
2. Click "Run..."
3. Where it says "Open:" type "regedit"
4. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management
5. Look for a an entry on the right side of the window (where the list of REG_DWORD entries are) for an entry called "ClearPageFileAtShutdown". If you see it, skip to step 11. If you do not see it, continue to step 6.
6. Right-click any blank space on the right frame of the window (a good place would be underneath where all of the REG_DWORD values are, in the blank white space). You will see a menu come up that says "New".
7. Highlight the word "New" so it opens up a submenu.
8. In the submenu, select "DWORD Value"
9. A new value will be created and with the highlited text "New Value #1".
10. Delete the text "New Value #1" and rename it "ClearPageFileAtShutdown".
11. Right-click it to pull down a small menu and select "Modify".
12. Where it says "Value data:" and has a text field with the number "0" entered, change that to "1" (without the quote marks of course).
13. Click "OK".

NOTE: It is very important that if you do not feel comfortable editing the registry or have never done it before that you avoid doing this right away and learn more about the Windows registry. Changing the wrong setting or changing a setting incorrectly can cause Windows to not function correctly.

Please be advised that Vectro Security takes no responsibility for any damage caused to the operating system.

Here are the step-by-step instructions to close port 445 in Windows XP:

1. Click "Start"
2. Click "Run..." 
3. Where it says "Open:" type "regedit"
4. Navigate to HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\NetBT\Parameters
5. Find the value "TransportBindName" and right-click it to open up a menu of options.
6. Click "Modify" (it is in bold text)
7. Where it says "Value data:" delete whatever is in the box so the box is blank. The blank entry is what closes the port.
8. Click "OK"
9. Close the registry and reboot. 

That takes care of it, now you are much safer from other machines on your local network, or if you are plugged into a cable modem without a router.

Phishing attacks are one of the oldest forms of malicious activity on the Internet. They date back to some time in the early 1990's and were popular on AOL. The definition of a phishing attack is an attempt to obtain someone's personal information by posing as an established organization or business and asking for personal details.

The most common form of phishing attacks are sent through e-mail. The target receives a message from an organization that seems legitimate but is really from a fraudster. For example purposes, we'll say the target thinks it is a letter from their bank. The message they receive may even contain the same images and logos that the bank usually sends in e-mails to their customers. They phisher will usually claim something to the effect of on-line banking usernames and passwords having been lost during a technical failure. This is the set-up for asking the victim to enter their login details. Similar fronts have been used to trick PayPal members.

How To Indentify Phishing Attacks

The way to spot one of these scams, besides the dead giveaway of being asked for private details, is the link to the web site which asks them for the personal information. In every case, this link goes to a page which is not on the real domain name of the organization they are claiming to represent. For example, if you receive an e-mail purportedly from PayPal saying they lost your password and give you a link to click to enter it, you might notice the link goes to an address like http://123.456.789.10/PayPal/auto-login or http://www.somewebsite.com/PayPal/login or something similar. If the link really went to PayPal's web site it would start with http://www.paypal.com instead of the numbers. Avoid clicking these links as they are fraudulent and may also contain spyware or viruses.

Why People Phish

The top reason why this type of cyber crime is perpetrated is to gain access to on-line financial records. Another reason is to get enough on a person to steal their identity. The individuals who send this junk out usually have programs which search the web looking for pages with e-mail addresses published on them. The addresses are then collected into a list and the fake letters are sent to them. Others obtain lists of addresses from underground sellers.

Vishing

A new similar problem arising is vishing. This is the same as phishing but a phone call is used instead of the Internet.

Conclusion

Always use common sense and remember the usual red flags. Pay attention to what links you click when you receive a notice similar to the ones described here. Make sure these links point you to the real web site. Stay protected.

It is highly recommended that "Temporary Internet Files", "Cookies" and "History" are cleared at the least. If only these three are deleted, IE will still save passwords and information you have entered into forms on the web.

To clear all data instead of individual selections, simply click the "Delete all..." button near the bottom. When a window opens asking you to confirm, click "Yes".

7) When you are back at the "Internet Properties" window, click "OK" and you are finished.

Also see Using EasyCleaner To Delete Excess Files, Registry Entires and Browswer History 

To add an RSS feed to your reader, Just look for this icon when you are viewing blogs and click on it. It will either take you to a page with more info, or it will add the feed directly to your reader. In the case of the feed for this site, you will be taken to a page listing all of the items currently in the feed, and from there you can click the RSS icon on that page and it will be added to your reader. Give it a try.

FeedReader is a good free app to use if you don't have one.

Web browsers are a useful every-day sort of thing. You're using one right now to read this page. How do you know the one you use is keeping you safe while you surf? If you use IE7, here are some things to keep in mind.

Reason 1: Better Management of Personal Info

Internet Explorer stores information about the web sites you visit in several location. Not all of them are removed when you clear your cache. Some information about the web sites you visit is stored in the Windows registry on your PC. This information can be stolen by spyware programs.

Firefix stores your information in one location, which can be cleared at any time. You can even set it to clear the info each time you finish your browsing session and close the browser window.

Reason 2: Less Vulnerable To Attacks

Most malicious programs which exploit web browsers are written for Internet Explorer, which has required more patches to fix problems over time.

Reason 3: Extensions and Plugins

Firefox has a variety of useful extensions you can download. Some extensions are good for security such as CookieSafe, which blocks cookies from all web sites except for the ones you want to allow. You can tell it to allow the cookie for that browsing session, or forever. There is a similar extension to only allow JavaScript to run on a per-site basis called NoScript.

Reason 4: Themes

You can skin Firefox! Choose from a huge selection, download as many as you want, then pick one you want to use. The rest are saved if you want to switch to a different one later.

Reason 5: Organized Interface

Another reason Firefox is better than Internet Explorer is that buttons are less cluttered. It also takes away the annoying problem of accidentally rearranging the menu, which happens in IE7 occasionally.

Reason 6: Search Bar Includes More Than Just One Engine

The search bar which is integrated into FF includes Google and other popular resources. It has a menu which can be pulled down to quickly select where you want to do a search. IE7 only includes their Live Search feature.

Here are the DO's and DONT's of setting strong passwords.

DO NOT...

1)  DO NOT Use dictionary words.

These are usually the first words attempted. Particularly, short words such as "dog", "cat", "love" and "hate" should be avoided.

2) DO NOT Use all lower case or all upper case letters in situations where case matters.

If your password is CaSe SeNsItIvE make sure you take advantage of that. More on that in the DO section.

3) DO NOT Tell anyone your password, ever. 

4) DO NOT Leave passwords which you have written down out in the open, such as on top of a desk.

DO...

1) DO Create passwords that mix upper case and lower case letters.

2) DO Include numbers in the mix of upper/lower case letters to make it even stronger.

3) DO Make passwords at least 8 characters.

4) DO Create 16 character passwords if you are allowed to and can remember it (or write it down and keep it in a safe place). 

Strong passwords mix upper case letters, lower case letters, include numbers and are 8 to 16 characters long. Keep this in mind next time you set up a webmail account, get a new e-mail account or create a password for your Windows login.

AVG Free is an anti-virus program which protects your computer actively while you surf the web, check your e-mail and download files. This is one of the most important features of any anti-virus software because most malicious software comes from various places on the web and through e-mail worms. The database in AVG covered as many known infections as one of the big paid programs (but lacks a lot of other features that programs like Kaspersky have).  AVG updates itself every day. If you decide to install it, don't forget to do a full system scan. Learn more about AVG Free and download it by visiting the home page.

Active Virus Shield by AOL (originally by Kaspersky) is another great freebie. It is simple and user-friendly. The way it runs is a little less annoying than AVG and its user interface is easier to follow. The downside is that it requires you to enter an e-mail address to receive an activation code where AVG does not, which possibly means getting junk mail. Learn more and download it a the Active Virus Shield home page.

If you would like to purchase a full-featured security program...

Kaspersky Internet Security will of course give you far more protection, and combines full firewall and anti-virus capabilities in one program. It also has great features like banner blocker so you can look at web pages without being distracted by web annoyances such as bright flashing ads with moving images. Some of its other great features are that it blocks spyware, auto-dialers and pop-ups and is constantly updated with the latest virus definitions. Kaspersky Internet Security 7.0 - Updates up to every hour leads the industry in response time and detection rates!

Whichever anti-virus app you decide to go with, even if it is one not mentioned in this article, always keep it updated.

Suggested linking code:

<a href="http://vectrosecurity.com">Windows XP Security Tips and Blog</a> 

Here are the instructions on how to disable networking.

NOTE: It is very important that you do these steps correctly to avoid disabling things you need.
 

1) Click "Start"

2) Click "Control Panel"

3) Double-click "Network and Internet Connections" 

4) Double-click "Network Connections". This will open the "Network Connections" windows.

5) Find and right-click the "Local Area Connection" icon to pull down its menu.

6) Click "Properties" at the very bottom of the menu.

7) This will open the "Local Area Connection Properties" window where you will see a list of all your installed networking items.

8) Under "This connection uses the following items:" find "Client for Microsoft Networks" in the list. If the box next to it is checked then uncheck it. If it is unchecked leave it as is.

9) In the same list, find "File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks" in the list. If the box next to it is checked then uncheck it. If it is unchecked leave it as is.

10) Scroll down the list to the bottom and click "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)" once to highlight it.

11) Once it is highlighted, click the "Properties" button just below the list. This brings up the "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties" window.

12) Click the "Advanced..." button at the bottom right of this window. This brings up the "Advanced TCP/IP Settings" window.

13)  Click the "WINS" tab.

14)  When you get to the WINS options, uncheck the box next to where it says "Enable LMHOSTS lookup".

15) Under "NetBIOS" setting" click the circle next to where it says "Disable NetBIOS over TCP/IP" to select that option.

16) Click "OK"

17) Click "OK" on the previous window.

18) Click "OK" on the first window you opened.

 

Done! This will secure your system from network attacks and save you some memory.

Also see How to Close Port 445 if you are comfortable with editing the windows registry

1) Problems with DRM.

2)  Security problems and bugs found in the first week. 

3) Too soon to switch to something that has not had many of its bugs discovered.

4) The driver support for gaming and power apps is only in its infancy, as is the Vista OS itself.

1) Replace the firewall built in to Windows with a professional solution or a good free one.

2) Make sure you have a quality anti-virus program installed.

3) Remove any programs you are not using, especially ones that connect to the Internet.

In the best case scenario, some advertisement software can installed on which cause popups. They also lead to advertisements being placed on web pages that the original author never placed there. In a medium case scenario, spyware can find out what web sites people visit and report the data back to the theif. This can be used for marketing reasearch, or to target you for advertising certain things based on what you view. In the worse case scenario, critical malware like trojan horses can open a back door allowing a hacker access to your entire computer system. One of the worst results of being a victim of this crime is being further victimized by having your identity stolen.

The fact is, most of these threats come from the web. Make sure you have good anti-virus and firewall  software installed. It is also a good idea to clear your cookies from your web browser regularly.