One on One Computer Consultants
June 2008 eNewsletter

New Computer Technologies and General Information

Windows XP Service Pack 3 – Now Available

Microsoft has officially released the latest service pack (SP3) for the Windows XP operating system. There are too many updates to list here, but I’ve noticed an increase in speed and fewer error messages since installing SP3. In my March 2008 eNewsletter, I shared a report where Windows XP SP2 out performed Windows VISTA SP1 in many areas. There were some reported issues with earlier version of Adobe Flash Player, but upgrading that software through Adobe resolved those issues. For more information on SP3, go to: ( http://support.microsoft.com/kb/936929 ). For a Microsoft comparison of the features of Windows XP SP3 versus Windows VISTA SP1, got to: ( http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=37d0c614-9c06-4b61-bb2e-6ab9953a14ab&displaylang=en ).

Virus/Spyware/Spam Warning & Updates

Drive-By Downloads

This is the latest form of attack on your computer. Basically, it is a download without the knowledge of the user. It has become one of the most popular methods of putting spyware (malware) on your computer. It can come in many forms, but one increasing form is a bogus pop-up window with a bogus “Click Here to Close” button or link. Clicking on that button or link actually starts the background download of the spyware file. The best way to close such a pop-up window is to use the “ALT + F4” keys on your keyboard. (Usually the “Red X” in the upper right hand corner will perform the same task, but I would count on it.)

For more information on these attacks, go to: ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drive-by_download )

"Free" Software Downloads

AVG Free V8.0 Anti-Virus

One of the best “free” anti-virus programs just got better. Even though this program is meant for personal use only, it now includes anti-spyware, and web browsing protection. If you have an earlier version of the program installed, it will even uninstall it before installing the latest version. You might get an error message during the un-install, but it is just shutting down your current version before installing the updated program. I’ve found that the program downloads faster from the company’s web site server rather than the Download.com web site.
Go to: ( http://free.grisoft.com/ )

Tips & Tricks

Microsoft Tutorials

Many people have Microsoft software products installed on their computers, but don’t utilize many of the program’s features. It usually is because the people just aren’t aware of the many features the program’s offer. One of the easiest and least expensive methods to discover those features is to use the many on-line tutorials that are available. The web site http://www.microsoft.com/Education/Tutorials.mspx is primarily designed for people in the Educational field, but the tutorials are free for everyone. Many of the tutorials contain a MS Word document, a PowerPoint presentation, a demo of the program, and/or a link to video.

The Microsoft Office On-Line web site offers “Help and How-to” tutorials along with pre-designed templates for MS Office applications. Of course, the templates can be downloaded and used with OpenOffice, the MS Office Open Source alternative. Go to: ( http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/default.aspx ).

<Return to eNewsletter Archives>