Computer management
Firefox update coming
Another Firefox update, version 3.55, is coming sometime today. If you have enabled automatic notification of updates, you should receive a notification soon. Otherwise, open the “Help” menu in Firefox and click “Check for Updates”. As of this writing (11:15 EST) the update is not yet available at Mozilla but gHacks is providing a [...]
How to toggle Adobe Flash on and off
Adobe Flash clips are ubiquitous on the Web and that includes a lot of advertising. The Windows Flash player can also be a vector for malware and needs frequent security updates. As a result, many PC users might find it useful to be able to turn Flash on and off as desired.
The Firefox browser has [...]
Update Java
Guess what? Another security patch- this time it’s Java. The update link is here. You might also be able to update using the Java applet in Control Panel. It’s easier to find the applet if you use Classic View in Windows XP. Be sure to uncheck any extras you don’t want from the Java update [...]
Scroll a window with your mouse wheel by pointing
In order to activate scrolling in a window with a mouse wheel, you have to first click in the window. Apparently, this extra step annoys some people so Antibody software offers a free little program that lets you just point your mouse at a window and scroll away without the extra click. It’s called “WizMouse” [...]
Device manager utility
If you want to know the status of the devices you have on your system, you can try using the Windows Device Manager. However, its output is not always the easiest thing to decipher and Nir Sofer has written one of his free little applications to help. It’s called DevManView and this is the description:
DevManView [...]
Review of anti-malware program AVG 9.0
In the past I have often recommended the free anti-malware program AVG. In version 8, it became a drag on resources and its record for catching malware was so-so. So I switched to Avira.
Now AVG has a new free version 9.0 and reviews indicate that performance is improved but not outstanding. Notably, they say [...]
Recognizing and removing scareware
The infestation of millions of computers by fake anti-malware (AKA scareware) has been a running theme in these posts because of its severity. Here’s some more information that will help you recognize and deal with this insidious and dangerous problem.
One of the most notorious Trojans called itself “Antivirus 2008″. A later version is “Antivirus [...]
Keeping software patched
One of the biggest security problems with a PC is keeping current with all the software patches. Ordinary home PC users simply cannot keep up with the never-ending flow of updates without help. You can use Microsoft update for Windows, Office, and other Microsoft products but what about all that other software that we all [...]
New version of Windows 7 upgrade advisor
Want to know if your present computer can be upgraded to Windows 7? Microsoft has just issued a revised version of the Windows 7 upgrade advisor:
Download and run the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor to see if your PC is ready for Windows 7. It scans your hardware, devices, and installed programs for known compatibility issues, [...]
Outstanding free security list
“Gizmo” Richards has long been a source for excellent advice on free security software. His TechSupportAlert site has a new list of the best security software of all types, almost all of it free. The only problem with the list is that it is so comprehensive that it may be a little overwhelming. For those [...]
Truckload of Microsoft updates
Speaking of security updates, today is the monthly Microsoft patch Tuesday and it’s a big one, in fact, the biggest ever. It even includes Windows 7. Computerworld reports:
Today’s security updates from Microsoft were unprecedented, with 13 separate bulletins that quashed 34 vulnerabilities. Both were records for the company since it began delivering monthly updates six [...]