Web Analytics


Archive for the ‘Windows 7 Security’ Category


Block Ads in Internet Explorer 8 IE8 [How To]

Posted by Rich On August - 29 - 2009

I previously showed you how to block ads when browsing; however, InPrivate browsing in IE8 takes some time to learn which content needs blocking. Windows Forums moderator rsvr85 has written a guide, which shows you how to update InPrivate’s block list with AdBlock’s list, which will cut out ~80% of ads instantly.

AdBlocking in IE8

Encrypt Your Files in Windows [How To]

Posted by Rich On August - 25 - 2009

Many people are willing to pay for file encryption programs but did you know Windows has had built in file encryption capabilities since Windows XP? In the age of cyber attacks and making personal files accessible via the internet, file encryption is more important than ever. If you were to lose your laptop, a password may protect your information but if the person who finds your laptop takes out your hard drive and looks at it through an operating system that doesn’t use Microsoft’s account security, they may still have access to your files. In this guide, you will learn how to encrypt your files in Windows. See this guide for XP.

Note: Windows file encryption is available in Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise. Learn how to upgrade Windows 7 to Windows 7 Professional

Read the rest of this entry »

Detect and Remove the Conficker Worm (Virus)

Posted by Rich On March - 31 - 2009

Windows Guides reader littlelooloo asked the following:

I had a question about this worm that is supposed to wreak havoc on computers tomorrow… the news said most security programs have it taken care of.  I just wanted to get your opinion/confirmation if that’s really the case or should I download a patch from Microsoft?

If you are concerned about the Conficker (a.k.a. downandup) worm, possibly scheduled to wreak havoc tomorrow, April 1, 2009, you can download a cleanup tool from ESET. You can also apply a patch from Microsoft

From the Sophos blog:

It’s quite possible that Conficker will not do anything significant on April 1st. Certainly it won’t be “deadly” and your computers won’t melt. :-)

The fact of the matter is that Conficker is not set to activate a specific payload on that date. Rather, on April 1st Conficker will begin to attempt to contact the 50,000-a-day potential call-home web servers from which it may receive updates.

But it’s just as likely that Conficker will receive instructions to do something on March 28th, or April 2nd, or April 14th as it will on April 1st. The emphasis by some media outlets on April 1st is really unfortunate.

What we can say with certainty is that people should keep their protection up-to-date, ensure that they have firewalls and security patches in place, have a proper policy in place regarding USB usage and passwords. In addition it wouldn’t do any harm – if you suspect you may be infected by Conficker – to run a Conficker removal tool such as the free one from Sophos.

Download the ESET Cleanup Tool

Download the Patch from Microsoft

eset-conficker-removal1

Take Ownership: Manage File Permissions in 7/Vista/XP

Posted by Rich On January - 19 - 2009

Do you find when you’re modifying system files in Windows 7, Vista, or XP that you have to change permissions a lot?

I’ve been using this for a while now and I can’t tell you how useful it is.

Read the rest of this entry »

Protect files from other users 8You may not want other users of your computer having access to certain data on your machine. In this guide you’ll learn about permissions and how to apply them to drives, files, and folders in Windows 7 and Vista.

One of the readers of Windows Guides asked me how to protect an entire drive from access by other users, which is something you too may want to do. The procedure for this is very simple and very effective.

Read the rest of this entry »

Quick Tip: Anti Virus Software for Windows 7

Posted by Rich On January - 15 - 2009

Windows Forums member, Angad offers the following quick tip:

The first thing you would want to do when you download and install Windows 7 is install an Anti-virus program! Go here to see a list of compatible anti-virus programs.

I would suggest AVG. Download AVG


Computer tips in your inbox
Sign up for the Windows Guides newsletter to get PC tips and access to free Windows books (More details)

Subscribe now
Popular Guides

See which sites have been visited on your PC (even if private browsing mode is used)

Create a Windows 7 System Repair Disc

Best Free Anti-malware

Hibernate vs. Sleep vs. Shut-Down

i3, i5, and i7; Dual, Quad, Hexa Core Processors. How to they Differ?

Intel's Ivy Bridge Processor: new Features

Windows Guides on Facebook