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Here’s an updated list of ways to be safe and secure with your computer.

Install updates from Microsoft promptly. Look in the lower right corner for the gold shield (WinXP) or update icon (Win7/Vista).

Install updates to Acrobat, Flash, Java, and Quicktime promptly. Each will alert you from the lower right corner.

• An easy and safe way to keep up with updates: visit Secunia Online Inspector once a month and follow its suggestions.

Install antivirus software and keep it up to date.

Know the name of your antivirus software. If you get a security

[…] continued

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Previously:
Windows 7 taskbar
Customize Windows 7 taskbar – restore quick launch
Customize Windows 7 taskbar – expand buttons

I use a lot of programs. (If you have a morbid desire to know how many programs you use, install this little gadget from Wakoopa. Remember, this is not a contest – please, no wagering.)

You can pin 20 or so icons on the Windows 7 taskbar, more than enough for most people, but I wanted easy access to more even programs and shortcuts without cluttering up my desktop. The Quick Launch bar wasn’t […] continued

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Keeping your computer up to date is the only way to be secure.

If your home or office computer needs housekeeping, I’m standing by to clean things up. I’ll install security updates, remove unnecessary programs, and put on powerful, free antivirus software from Microsoft – all for a fixed price, no matter how long it takes. Frequently it’s like a shot in the arm for a slow computer, speeding things up so you can live with it for a while longer.

A PC Tuneup is a lovely gift for parents or friends who could use some help from […] continued

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You can make the Windows 7 taskbar use expanded buttons with text, like Windows XP or Vista, if you don’t like the new collapsed icons.

Right-click on the Windows 7 taskbar and click on Properties.

Then click on the dropdown menu by Taskbar buttons and choose either “Combine when taskbar is full” or “Never combine.”

Make a note of the checkbox for “Use small icons.” The screen shot above shows small icons; the screen shot below shows large icons.

If you have programs pinned to the taskbar, they will show up without text when they are

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Most people are happy with the changes to the Windows 7 taskbar. It combines the Vista/WinXP taskbar with the Quick Launch bar and expands on them with rich visual feedback when the mouse hovers over the icons and thumbnails pop up. There are more details about the Windows 7 taskbar here.

When you get a Windows 7 computer, I suggest you leave the taskbar alone. After a short time, I think you’ll appreciate how much thought went into its changes. It feels completely natural to me and I miss it now when I sit down at […] continued

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The ALT key does a few useful things that you haven’t seen yet.

Internet Explorer 8 originally was installed with the menu turned off at the top. Few people use the menu and it takes up space onscreen. It’s easy to turn on by right-clicking on the toolbars and choosing “Menu Bar,” but Microsoft found people were confused when the menu was missing. At some point the installation was changed to show the menu by default. You might or might not have a menu at the top of Internet Explorer 8.

If the menu is not displayed, hitting the […] continued

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Windows Search 4 is one of the most valuable services on your computer. It’s highly recommended for everyone using a Windows PC, as well as for servers in small businesses, but it is remarkably difficult to find out if it’s installed and working. I’ll give you some background, then show network administrators a trick for Windows Server 2008.

Briefly, Windows Search 4 efficiently indexes all of the data on your computer – the file names plus the full contents of every file, plus everything in your Outlook mailbox – and allows you to do searches that return results […] continued

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Two weeks ago my son clicked OK on a message about some security problem. He called out and asked me about it after he clicked. By the time I walked in and unplugged the network cable, there were seven malware startup programs and services installed and over 700 files in C:\, C:\Windows, C:\Windows\System32, and a few other places. He got lucky; I know some tricks and cleaned them out successfully.

Last week a Windows XP computer was discovered by a client in a closet where it had been sitting for three years. He brought it to the office […] continued

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Your computer should restart tonight after installing this month’s critical updates for Windows and Office. It’s a particularly large batch of updates and some of them are for the kind of vulnerabilities that the bad guys will quickly be attempting to exploit.

Adobe is following through on its plan to release quarterly updates on the same day as Microsoft’s monthly patches. Adobe will release important updates today for all current versions of Acrobat and Adobe Reader. If you see the Adobe icon on the taskbar asking for permission to install an update, you should install the patch. It […] continued

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I’m happy to announce a new service available to anyone looking for some help maintaining a Windows XP or Vista PC – office users, home users, my clients, your parents, anyone who could use a hand, anywhere.

My colleague Mike Cook of MC Solutions and I will tune up your PC for $125. We’ll help you stay safe and maybe even speed things up a little. It’s a small price to pay for the peace of mind that comes of knowing that your most vulnerable programs are up to date and your antivirus software is on the […] continued

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