AVG Anti-virus Free Edition Version 9.0

There is a new version of AVG Free named Version 9.0. I downloaded it (71MB) and installed it on my Windows XP laptop. Previously I had Version 8.5 installed. The installation went smoothly and took only 5 or 10 minutes. As before with earlier versions, I did not install the AVG Security Toolbar, nor did I elect to have Yahoo as my default search engine. At the end of the installation I was asked if I wanted to run their Optimization Scan. This is a scan they are doing right now as I write this that will (supposedly) greatly reduce future scan times, and that is good news. Apparently they eliminate, through this scan, some number of files that they know won't need to be scanned during a regular scan.

I would recommend you download the new version at download.com. Here is the link:

http://download.cnet.com/windows/

Once there, PLEASE do a search, using the search window at the top of the display for AVG FREE. Do not click on any buttons that may look like they will lead you to AVG Free. DO THE SEARCH! If you do, you will get a window that will contain the download link for the new version. Below you will see the product you want to download. (Click on the picture below to enlarge it.)

Click on the Download Now button over on the right, and your download will begin. I usually save files like this on my desktop for immediate use after the download is completed.

As I said, the install went very smoothly. I opted out of the AVG Security Toolbar and the Yahoo as my search engine option, and I did opt for the Optimization Scan at the end of the install. This scan only took about 10 minutes.

The new AVG User Interface looks very similar to the older version. See below.

I don't see a need to rush into this brand new version for all of you, but be alert to come-ons from AVG and possibly others that may try to get you to buy the professional versions. You don't need them for your home computers. 

It's fairly easy to write comments on any of my posts. Just click on Comments below and to the right of every post to add your comments. Note that anonymous comments are allowed, but I'd prefer it if you would identify yourself. That or write me an e-mail with your comments.

Microsoft's Malicious Software Removal Tool

If you pay any attention at all to the updates that get downloaded from Microsoft on a fairly regular basis, probably through Automatic Updates, you may have noticed one called Malicious Software Removal Tool. I believe this is the situation with this tool: Microsoft issues a new version every month and it gets downloaded along with the updates. It turns out that you can download this tool manually. You can find it at this url: http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.aspx

Why, you might ask, would I ever want to do this? The answer, I believe, is this. If you download it and run it, you will be given the options of running a Quick Scan, a Full Scan, or a Custom Scan. This morning I went to the above web site and downloaded the October version of this tool. I ran it and elected the Full Scan. It ran for 3 hours! It found no problems, as I would have expected, but I thought this is a small price to pay for yet one more layer of security protection. I do not believe that the version one gets through Automatic Updates will run a full scan. I say this because I have never seen this program running at all, so assume it must be running the quick scan.

Note that when I began running it there was an indication that this was the October version. I'll do the same thing next month and run a Full Scan of the new November version.

Questions? Just submit a comment with your question or e-mail me. (Click on the image below for a larger version.)

Recapping

The buzz in the trade press  is all about Windows 7. Let's take a moment to recap where WE are.

Most of us have Windows XP, and we don't hate it. Some actually like it. In either case, there is no reason to leave it. Stay with XP. It will be supported by Microsoft until 2014, so if your hardware will last, you are all set for a while. I personally intend to stay with XP on my desktop and my primary laptop.

If you have Vista, I feel for you. You probably don't like it, but I know some of you do like it. If you are happy with Vista, there is no reason to change to Windows 7, although you will probably like Windows 7 more than Vista. If you do not like your Vista environment, than you should consider upgrading your machine to Windows 7. In both cases, I recommend you download, install, and run the Microsoft free program Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor Beta by clicking HERE. This program will tell you if your current machine will run Windows 7. It's worth doing this even if you are undecided about what direction you want to take. I have one Vista laptop and I intend to upgrade it to Windows 7, mostly so that I can gain some experience with it and be of help to those of you who may wish to have some assistance with your upgade.

If you are going to buy a new machine soon, keep in mind that after October 22 you will have a difficult time finding a machine with anything but Windows 7. I'd suggest you wait a while if you can, give Windows 7 a couple of months in the hands of millions of others, and then jump in and buy a machine with Windows 7. There will probably be a lot of Christmas season sales promotions, and it may be a very good time to buy.

A Windows to Help You Forget

Forget Vista that is!

This is a really good Walt Mossberg article on Windows 7. Here is the first paragraph of his article:

"In just two weeks, on Oct. 22, Microsoft’s long operating-system nightmare will be over. The company will release Windows 7, a faster and much better operating system than the little-loved Windows Vista, which did a lot to harm both the company’s reputation, and the productivity and blood pressure of its users. PC makers will rush to flood physical and online stores with new computers pre-loaded with Windows 7, and to offer the software to Vista owners who wish to upgrade."

You can read the whole article here, and note the comments under it while you are there.

http://ptech.allthingsd.com/20091007/a-windows-to-help-you-forget/

Microsoft Security Essentials

Below is the introduction to an article in a paid subscription I have to Windows Secrets.

http://www.windowssecrets.com/

I read the whole thing and I must say I am impressed by what Woody has to say about the new Microsoft Security Essentials. I have an old laptop running XP, and I think I will download the Microsoft package and give it a try. I will report back on it in a couple of weeks.


Free MS Security Essentials are worth trying

By Woody Leonhard Fast, full-featured, and free, Microsoft's new security suite is drawing accolades from experts and howls of agony from competitors. If you're tired of your bloated and expensive security suite exhorting/extorting you for more money — and you can't stomach the way free AV products try to scare you into paying — it's time to try something new and better from an unexpected source.

Microsoft's new security suite in perspective

Last week, the 'Softies released the final version of Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE). The initial reports are remarkably upbeat, particularly for a Microsoft product labeled "version 1.0."

MSE takes over antivirus and antispyware duties while tossing in antirootkit features for good measure. If you have Windows Defender installed — Defender is a separate download for XP but comes with Vista and Windows 7 — MSE zaps it. There's no need for Defender if MSE is running.

Windows 7 Upgrade Chart

I wasn't sure who created this chart, but I found it on Walt Mossberg's All Things Digital web site, and he says Microsoft created it for him, so here it is. You can click on it to see a larger version.

I found it here: http://mossblog.allthingsd.com/20090804/deciphering-windows-7-upgrades-the-official-chart/

You can't teach an old dog new tricks?

I have just taken over another website, this time for a charity in Maine. It has been developed using Joomla. Heretofore all of the web sites I have developed were done using Microsoft's Frontpage 2003, and I always had the privilege of developing from scratch. This time I have inherited the existing web site and will be responsible for maintenance and improvements.

So far Joomla is a totally different animal to me, and I will have a lot to learn, but like any other learning experience, will probably wind up being a good one for me. I am fortunate enough to have an excellent support person who developed the web site and who is the owner of the hosting company. He has provided me with lots of support, which I need since I am new to Joomla and also HTML.

http://www.joomla.org/

The site is for Rebuilding Together of Lincoln County, Maine, and can be viewed at http://rebuildingtogether-lc.org/

Buying a new PC?

I think I might have addressed this subject not too long ago, but I have some new information to share with you, and mind you this is just my opinion!

This is a terrible time to have to buy a new PC because of the near imminent release of Windows 7 on October 22. I have recommended that you defer your purchase decision so that you wouldn't have to buy a Vista machine. I find likers of Vista are few and far between! It's been a very bad chapter in the evolution of Microsoft's operating systems.

The new news is that I have been reading a lot about Windows 7 experiences on the trade web sites, and the reports are almost all good. Apparently Microsoft has done a good job of addressing the weaknesses in Vista and corrected them in Windows 7. Windows 7 is also apparently faster than Vista, but that's not saying much!

If I really had to buy a new PC now or soon, I'd still delay for some time, like several months if I could, and then go ahead and buy a machine with Windows 7 on it.

For those of you who would rather not take the plunge this early in the lifecycle of Windows 7, and who can blame you, then take a look at manufacturer web sites for reconditioned machines. The bigger companies like Dell and HP, and I am sure most of the others as well, sell reconditioned machines from their web sites.

And don't overlook the possibility of finally switching to a Mac or iMac or other Apple machines. You know your kids are telling you to go ahead and do that, so maybe you can humor them, do it, and get your kids to support your new machine!

Verizon's $150 Netbook Deal Is No Deal at All

This is from today's pcworld.com. FYI, I own an Acer Aspire One Netbook, and would be glad to comment on that if anyone is interested. Write me. (See links below).

Jeff Bertolucci, PC World

Oct 1, 2009 5:15 pm

Attention, suckers: Verizon Wireless will soon offer a Gateway LT2016u netbook with the carrier's Mobile Broadband service built into the device. The Gateway mini-note costs $150 after a $100 mail-in rebate, and the deal requires a 2-year 3G contract. The plan is available starting Oct. 4.

Run, don't walk, from this offer. Even at $150, the Gateway netbook is overpriced, and subscribers will get a bum deal. Here's why:

The LT2016u is a ho-hum netbook. Its specs — a 10.1-inch SD 1024 x 600 display, Intel Atom N270 processor (1.60 GHz), 1 GB RAM, and a 160 GB hard disk — are virtually identical to those of the Acer Aspire One D250, which sells for about $300 at Amazon. The Gateway system does include built-in 3G broadband; but customers are locked into Verizon's usurious monthly fees. (More on those below.) Bottom line: The Gateway discount is far from spectacular.

You'll pay through the nose for broadband. Verizon offers two mobile broadband plans: $40 a month for a 250 MB monthly allowance, plus 10 cents per megabyte overage; or $60 a month for 5 GB, plus 5 cents per MB overage. The cheaper plan is deliberately wimpy, and most customers will choose the $60 package.

With the $60 deal, your out-of-pocket cost over 2 years totals $1590. Yowza. True, that figure includes the cost of 3G broadband service, not just the netbook. But remember that Verizon's 3G service is hard-wired to the Gateway mini-note, which you may not like. You'll pay a bundle for a run-of-the-mill netbook designed for basic tasks like e-mail, Web browsing, and loitering on social networking sites.

Wireless broadband in the U.S. remains overpriced, and carriers often disguise the true cost of their 3G plans by packaging them with seemingly cheap netbooks. But read the fine print, my friend. That bargain mini-note may be the most expensive system you ever buy.

IRS Scam E-mail

On 9/26 my blog post was about the IRS scam e-mail. I have received as many as 100 of these in my business e-mail accounts. Giving credit to my hosting service company (ICDSOFT), they have all wound up in my Junk Mail folder.

If you receive one or more of these, don't even think of opening it, but if you do open one, do not click on the link in the e-mail. This is a scam and will lead you nowhere but into trouble. For its part, the IRS has stated that they will never contact us by e-mail if ever there were such a situation (under reported income).

Here is what the e-mail looks like. Click on it to view a larger image. Since the image below is a jpg file, you will not be able to click on the link.

How to Tweak Outlook Email To Work for You

If you are an Outlook user (note: Outlook is different from Outlook Express), as I am, you may find some useful tips in this Katherine Boehret article posted on the WSJ's All Things Digital web site. For those not familiar with Outlook, it has traditionally been included as an integral component of the Microsoft Office suite, not including the Home & Student version of that package. Outlook is often used in corporate environments and offers many features not normally needed or used in the home.

How to Tweak Outlook Email to Work For You

IRS scam now world's biggest e-mail virus problem

If you get one of these e-mails from the IRS with a subject of "Notice of Underreported Income," or something to that effect, be aware it is a scam. If you are lucky, it will show up in your Spam or Junk folder. This article, from computerworld.com is worth reading.

Note the sentence in the article that includes "and they encourage victims to either install the Trojan attachment or click on a Web link in order to view their "tax statement." In fact, that link takes the victim to a malicious Web site." You can read the article here:

IRS Scam e-mail

Protect Your Privacy on Facebook and Twitter

If you are a Facebook or Twitter user, this PCWorld article is must reading.

http://www.pcworld.com/printable/article/id,172604/printable.html

New Blog Site

It is very nice not to have to worry about issues with blogging software. Thank you Google! I was using a free program called Wordpress, but for all that I wanted and needed, it was overkill, and the release I had installed (I had to install it on the servers at my hosting company) very soon was out of date. I didn't need all that, so here I am. It took me about 15 minutes to migrate all of my posts from the old site to Google. Very nice indeed.

Thanks for looking and I hope you will bookmark this site and visit often.

Tom

Picasa 3.5, now with name tags and more

I know that many of you use Picasa to manage and edit your photos. It's a heck of a lot cheaper than Adobe Photoshop Elements for sure (at $0), and it comes from a good home (Google).

I was just reading in Google's official blog (I never knew they had one) that there is a new release of Picasa with some nice new features.

Here is a link to the Picasa Announcement

Also, here is a link to the official Google Blog, worth bookmarking IMHO.

Official Google Blog

Google’s CHROME Disappoints - Again

I just posted this in a Google Chrome help blog:

I just downloaded and installed the latest Chrome version, 3.0.195.21.

I had tried Chrome a year or so ago and uninstalled it immediately when I realized I could not display my bookmarks in the same manner as Firefox, IE, and virtually any other browser does, meaning down the left hand side of my display. 

I find it hard to believe that Google has not responded to the public outcry to add this simple "feature".

I am now going to uninstall Chrome again, and maybe I'll try again in a year or so to see if Google has finally seen the light.

Your XP-to-Windows 7 upgrade path: Buy a new PC

A very interesting article on today's Computerworld.com web site has the above title.

It starts out with this: "Microsoft's leaders really, really want you to forget about Vista and move right on to Windows 7. And who can blame them? Vista was a train wreck. No one who knows what they're doing runs Vista, not even the Microsoft faithful. Windows 7, on the other hand, is a worthwhile desktop operating system. There's only one little problem. There's no good way to get from XP to 7." I think it is worth reading for those of us with Windows XP.

LINK TO THE ARTICLE

Rogue ad hits New York Times site

Just 3 posts ago I warned of rogue programs - yet again! Looks like they even got the New York Times! Just another warning to be alert, not fall for come-ons that tell you your system is infected and all you have to do is CLICK HERE to get it cleaned!

THEY REALLY ARE OUT TO GET YOU!

This is from cnet.com:

The New York Times Web site is grappling with problems created by "an unauthorized advertisement," but it is unknown how the ads appeared on the site and whether the Web site had been compromised.

The rogue ad warns readers that their computer may be infected with a virus and redirects them to a site that purports to offer antivirus software, according to a note posted to the newspaper's Media & Advertising section:

Some NYTimes.com readers have seen a pop-up box warning them about a virus and directing them to a site that claims to offer antivirus software. We believe this was generated by an unauthorized advertisement and are working to prevent the problem from recurring. If you see such a warning, we suggest that you not click on it. Instead, quit and restart your Web browser.

The site, best-antivirus03.com, is a hijacker that uses fraudulent strategies to promote fake security software, according to security site GeekPolice.net.

One CNET reader described how the pop-up ad essentially hijacked his browser, preventing him from navigating away from the site.

"They took me to an 'antivirus site,' which kept attempting to scan my computer and install software. Using the back button kept reloading the virus page," the reader said. "It was not possible to close the page, necessitating a force quit."

Representatives for The New York Times did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

We remember 9/11

Startup List

This may seem cryptic to some of you, but if you have MSCONFIG experience and/or attended one of my many classes over the years, you may miss CASTLECOPS. Unfortunately that wonderful site, done strictly as a public service by some do-gooder, no longer exists.

If you want to check out your own MSCONFIG and need some assistance on what a certain program does, try this alternate site. It does a respectable job as far as I can see.

http://www.sysinfo.org/startuplist.php

Also, as a general rule of thumb, if you want to find out something about almost anything, Google it first.