Privacy & Security Articles

Secure Computing: Create Scheduled Scans With Spybot Search & Destroy

As I have pointed out in a previous post, Spybot Search & Destroy is by no means outdated as some in the industry would have you believe. I wrote that article over a year ago and since then Spybot has only gotten better....

Brian Burgess Sep 23rd, 2008

Secure Computing: Help Identify And Eliminate Malicious Software With Ad-Aware

When it comes to Malicious Software (Malware) different terms such as adware, spyware, malware, etc are given based on what action each takes. Each of these unwanted pieces of software do different things, but the bottom line...

Brian Burgess Sep 22nd, 2008

Reset Your Forgotten Ubuntu Password in 2 Minutes or Less

If you’ve ever forgotten your password, you aren’t alone… it’s probably one of the most common tech support problems I’ve encountered over the years. Luckily if you are using Ubuntu they made it incr...

Lowell Heddings Sep 22nd, 2008

Secure Computing: Free Virus Protection with PC Tools Anti-Virus

So far in our series about free anti-virus utilities we’ve covered AVG, Avast, AntiVir and ClamWin, and today we’re going to show you PC Tools AntiVirus, by the same people that made the well-known Spyware Doctor ...

Brian Burgess Sep 17th, 2008

Secure Computing: Free Virus Protection for Advanced Users with ClamWin

If you want an open-source anti-virus utility that lets you scan on demand instead of real-time, you may want to take a look at ClamWin, a utility based on the ClamAV scanning engine.

Brian Burgess Sep 16th, 2008

Secure Computing: Free Virus Protection With AVG Free Edition

During my career in the computer field, I have found that any of the well-known free anti-virus utilities will do the job and are essential in a well rounded security plan. When asked what is “the best” free anti-virus ut...

Brian Burgess Sep 15th, 2008

Secure Computing: Free Virus Protection With Avast Home Edition

Earlier this week we took a look at free anti-virus application AntiVir which received great comments from everyone. Continuing with our series on free anti-virus tools, today we will take a look at Avast Home Edition....

Brian Burgess Sep 11th, 2008

Secure Computing: Free Virus Protection With AntiVir Personal Edition

While running my PC Repair business, I have to deal with a lot of virus and spyware infestations on my client’s computers. One of the most common questions I’m asked is: What kind of anti-virus should I use? The a...

Brian Burgess Sep 9th, 2008

Geek Reviews: First Look at Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2

It’s been a long time since Microsoft released the first beta of Internet Explorer 8, which left me wondering what they had up their sleeve. After reading that they added a ton of new features in Beta 2 like private bro...

Brian Burgess Aug 29th, 2008

How-To Geek on Lifehacker: Control Your Computer with Shortcuts & Speed Up Vista Setup

Many people don’t realize that rather than installing dozens of applications, you can control nearly any aspect of your computer with simple shortcuts that don’t take up any resources.

Lowell Heddings Aug 27th, 2008

Geek Repair: Create Your Own Ultimate Recovery CD

If you’ve ever had booting problems, spyware or viruses, you’ve likely attempted to boot from the Windows CD and run some repairs… but sometimes that’s just not enough. Sure, you can easily backup your...

Lowell Heddings Aug 26th, 2008

Secure Storage Space With IDrive – Online Storage Series

Last week we took a look at different options for backing up, storing, and sharing data files with online storage services. This week we will take a look at services which are more secure. IDrive uses AES 256 bit ...

Brian Burgess Aug 19th, 2008

Utilize User Activity Reports To Determine Which Parental Controls To Use

As you know this week we have been covering ways to help protect your children online and with PC’s in general. Vista includes the feature Parental Controls which help in making those tasks easier. So far we have covere...

Brian Burgess Aug 6th, 2008

Use Parental Controls To Limit Time Kids Spend On The Computer

Parents are always looking for ways to keep their kids safe. Windows Vista has added a cool feature called Parental Controls which are very easy to use which help when it comes to computers and the Internet. About a year ...

Brian Burgess Aug 4th, 2008

Create a Shortcut to the Stored User Names and Passwords Dialog in Windows

If you’ve ever saved a password when connecting to a website that requires authentication, for a remote desktop session or a mapped drive, you might have wondered where those passwords are saved. If you are a long time ...

Lowell Heddings Jul 31st, 2008

Encrypt Files And Folders With Just A Few Clicks

For those of you who familiar with the SyncBack utility for file backup know the genius of 2BrightSparks software. One utility you may not know of is EncryptOnClick. This is the easiest encryption software I have ever use...

Brian Burgess Jul 25th, 2008

Automatically Clear Download History In Firefox

One thing that annoys me about Firefox is when the Download window pops up showing me all of the past downloads. I am sure this feature may come in handy for some and must be an appreciated feature as it allows you to searc...

Brian Burgess Jul 15th, 2008

Use Tweak UI To Automatically Log Into XP

One of the annoyances some people have with XP is having to log in every time you reboot. Don’t get me wrong, if you have a computer that is easily accessed by anyone, having that first layer of security if vital. Howev...

Brian Burgess Jul 14th, 2008

How to Deny Access to Files or Folders in Windows Vista

This is a guest post by Abhishek Bhatnagar from www.technixupdate.com, a blog covering Computer tips and tricks.

Lowell Heddings Jul 10th, 2008

Troubleshooting Problems with Firefox 3 Crashing or Hanging

With all the fanfare surrounding the release of Firefox 3 and the setting of a new world record for downloads, the fact that many people are having problems with Firefox instability seemed to get lost in the shuffle… so...

Lowell Heddings Jun 26th, 2008

4 Ways to Make UAC Less Annoying on Windows 7 / Vista

The single biggest irritation in Windows 7 and Vista is the UAC (User Account Control) system, especially for people that do a lot of tweaking. When you are trying to make configuration changes, it seems like every couple of ...

Lowell Heddings Jun 15th, 2008

Create Administrator Mode Shortcuts Without UAC Prompts in Windows 7 or Vista

One of the most talked about annoyances in Windows Vista are the UAC prompts that constantly pop up when you are trying to make system changes. It’s especially irritating when you often need to run a particular tool tha...

Lowell Heddings Jun 15th, 2008

Create a Shortcut Icon or Hotkey to Turn Windows 7 / Vista Firewall On or Off

When you are troubleshooting network problems, one of the first things to do is disable the built-in Windows Firewall… but there are just way too many steps required to the firewall on and off. Can’t we make a sim...

Lowell Heddings Jun 5th, 2008

How to Regain Access to Your Administrator Account in Windows Vista using System Restore

This is a guest post by Aseem Kishore, a technology enthusiast and lead blogger for Online-Tech-Tips.

Lowell Heddings May 8th, 2008

How to Patch Windows Vista to Enable Custom Themes (Visual Styles)

Have you ever wondered why Windows Vista allows you to choose themes, but there’s no way to add custom themes without additional software? The reason is because Windows checks the themes with a cryptographic key, so you...

Lowell Heddings May 7th, 2008