Visual tour: 25 years of Windows

This is interesting, particularly for someone like me who has lived through all of this.

"Twenty-five years ago, on Nov. 20, 1985, Microsoft introduced its first version of Windows to the world. Not many people outside the technical press or the tech industry took notice. Product launch events that cost hundreds of millions of dollars were still years away.

What's changed in Windows in the last 25 years? Plenty. In this image gallery, we take a look at the various faces of Windows over the past couple of decades and clue you in to what happened at every stage of the operating system's development.

1985: Windows 1.0

Screenshot courtesy of Microsoft.

Windows started in 1981 as a project called Interface Manager and experienced a series of delays getting out of the gate. When it was finally released in late 1985 as Windows 1.0, it made a ripple, not a splash. It had to be run on top of DOS, few applications were written for it, and application windows couldn't be overlapped (they had to be tiled).

Still, the OS allowed for multitasking of Windows apps (not DOS ones) and, even though few knew it at the time, it would eventually become the foundation for the Microsoft empire.

Windows 1.0 shipped with a handful of apps, including the Notepad text editor, a rudimentary calendar and the long-lived graphics painting program Paint. The operating system required MS-DOS Version 2.0, 256KB of memory and a graphics adapter. It could be run either from a hard disk or on two floppy disks running simultaneously -- in other words, you couldn't swap the disks in and out of a single drive."

Editorial comment: A hard drive was pretty rare then, and most people couldn't afford two diskette drives!

MORE......

Facebook e-mail?

Oh brother, here we go!


http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/11/15/gmail-beware-facebook-unveils-e-mail-service/

Windows XP: Looking back, looking forward

I subscribe to the Windows Secrets weekly newsletter. You can do so by donation. There is no fixed fee. I like the service and have over the past couple of years read many very worthwhile articles. The newsletter is always there in my Inbox folder on Thursday mornings.

This week's newsletter has an article titled Windows XP: Looking back, looking forward. I have provided a link to that article below. For those of you, like me, who still run XP on one or more machines, this is an outstanding reference article you will want to hang on to for the next 4 or more years.

As stated many times before, Windows XP will be supported by Microsoft through 2014, so there is no rush to migrate upwards if you don't have a need to do that.

Windows XP: Looking back, looking forward

MSRT

I just installed a half dozen or so Microsoft updates on my XP system, and saw that Microsoft's Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) was included in the list.

I have just clicked on START/RUN, keyed in MRT (not a typo), and clicked on OK to start the MSRT tool running. I noted that the window indicated the NOVEMBER 2010 version (up on top) and selected FULL SCAN, and it is now running and will finish while I am asleep.

This should be a routine by now for you all, I hope.

A Fall Guide: How to Pick Your Next Computer

Walt Mossberg's annual report from the Wall Street Journal's All Things Digital web site. This may come in handy for those of you considering a Christmas gift for yourself or someone else.

A Fall Guide: How to Pick Your Next Computer

MSRT

A very observant and astute follower asked if Microsoft's Malicious Software Removal Tool should be included in my security baseline.

Very good question. To be truthful, I think she was correct to ask and I frankly forgot about it.

MSRT, as has been posted here more than once, comes out once a month along with the usual monthly Microsoft updates. When that happens, I am all over it and run a FULL SCAN with the new MSRT. I have said I view it as insurance, and free at that. I also found out that Microsoft only runs a quick scan when the update is installed, so I figured why not run a full scan once a month just as extra added protection?

I don't know if I should include MSRT in the security baseline. I won't, for now at least, but I thank the reader who brought this to my attention, and I strongly encourage all of you to do as I do and run a monthly full scan.

My Recommended Security Baseline

From time to time I have and will refer to my security baseline. My security baseline is merely a list of programs I use (all free) and recommend for anyone to use to keep their systems secure. Over the next week, as time allows, I will make some comments and advice and instruction on each of these 7 products. If you are interested in making a change on your system(s) to this baseline or to some of it, please give me the chance to elaborate on these products over the course of the next week, and then make your decisions. This applies to YOU if you use Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7.

Remember, all of these products are FREE, but will do as good a job as any fee products you may use. I make that statement based on many years of experience.

1. Microsoft Security Essentials
2. Windows Firewall
3. MVPS HOSTS File
4. CCleaner
5. Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware
6. SuperAntiSpyware Free Edition
7. Spybot Search & Destroy

Something completely different

These aerial photos are so fabulous I just had to share them with you all:

http://justpaste.it/3ky

More housecleaning

The MVPS HOSTS file, October edition, was made available yesterday. You can get it at http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm.

Prior to installing it I recommend a monthly running of Spybot. When you start up Spybot remember to Update, Immunize, and then Search & Destroy. If you have been following my recommendations for a security baseline, then you should see this afterwards:

 

Although it might seem like a waste of time, I find it comforting to see that window once a month. My security baseline is different from most in my profession, but it works, and my system remains clean.

As a review, the reason for running Spybot only once a month, and just before installing the latest MVPS HOSTS file is that a part of Spybot's immunization process is to append thousands of extra lines to your existing HOSTS file. It is my belief that these are redundant and unnecessary as long as you install the MVPS HOSTS file. Remember, your HOSTS file is loaded into memory when you boot your machine, so you want an effective file but not one that is larger than necesary.

Security Firm Warns of Increase in Holiday Themed Malware Attacks

From maximumpc.com

"GFI Software, a security firm specializing in various software for small to medium-sized business, says to be on the lookout for Halloween-themed malware attacks.
The company's dedicated malware research center, GFI Labs, has been busy analyzing data from its ThreatNet monitoring system that retrieves real-time stats from tens of thousands of PCs running VIPRE antivirus software. What they found was an increase in the number of Trojans making the rounds in the days leading up to Halloween compared to last year."

More

Monday morning housecleaning

Lately I have tried to develop a routine of doing a little housecleaning on my laptop every Monday morning. I run a selection of tools including CCleaner, Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware or SuperAntispyware (alternating weeks), and Tune-up Utilities (Registry Cleaner, 1-Click Maintenance,  Gain Disk Space, and Configure System Startup).

The only program I have in my system startup list is Microsoft Security Essentials. The reason I look at this every week is that some programs (Adobe Reader & Java) seem to reinsert their update managers in the list on a regular basis. I have MSE set up to run a full scan every night around midnight.

Then, once a month, right after seeing that there is a new MVPS HOSTS file available, I run Spybot S&D and then install the HOSTS file.

It is important to keep all of these programs up to date, so before I run any of them I check for the latest updates just to be sure.

Paypal Phishing Scam

Doesn't this e-mail look legitimate? Please be sure never to fall for anything like this. If you do what they say, you'll wind up giving them your Paypal account userid and password, and from there they will have access to your bank account and probably your credit card information.

I have removed the link where it says "click here.....".


The e-mail came from paypal@service.com, which is to me a clear indicator that it's a phony address.

Information Regarding Your account:

Dear PayPal Member: Attention! Your PayPal account has been limited! As part of our security measures, we regularly screen activity in the PayPal system.We recently contacted you after noticing an issue on your account.We requested information from you for the following reason: Our system detected unusual charges to a credit card linked to your PayPal account. Reference Number: PP-259-187-991 This is the Last reminder to log in to PayPal as soon as possible. Once you log in, you will be provided with steps to restore your account access. Once you log in, you will be provided with steps to restore your account access. We appreciate your understanding as we work to ensure account safety. Click here to activate your account We thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. Please understand that this is a security measure intended to help protect you and your account. We apologise for any inconvenience.. Sincerely, PayPal Account Review Department

Copyright ? 1999-2010 PayPal. All rights reserved. PayPal Ltd. PayPal FSA Register Number: 226056.

PayPal Email ID PP059

Office for Mac Isn’t an Improvement

This comes as a disappointment to me. I was hoping for a rich Office product for my MacBook Pro. I even figured I would have to spend $200 on it because I use Outlook for my e-mail. Now I am not so sure.

From David Pogue of the New York Times:

"Last week, though, Microsoft released Office 2011 for Mac, the first new version in several years. The Home version ($120) comes with Word, Excel and PowerPoint; the Business version adds the Outlook e-mail program (formerly called Entourage), which goes for $200. Much of the work Microsoft has done is to make the Mac version of Office look and work more like the Windows versions.
The new Office suite has gotten rave reviews from my colleagues at other publications. Clearly something must be wrong with me; I think that, in day-to-day usability, Office 2011 is a big step backward."

Read the whole article here

Bharath has been absent for a while, and I for one have missed his blog posts that address new rogue programs. Today he is back, and boy did he come back strong. I didn't count them, but he has identified a bunch of new rogues, some of which one or more of you might encounter. For most of these he provides a link to removal instructions. This site is definitely worth visiting once in a while, just so you can stay one step ahead of the bad guys.

Bharath's Security Blog

 As good a resource tool as Bharath's web site is, remember that the best defense is a good offense, and if you practice what I preach, you shouldn't have these problems.

Please take heed and secure your system now!

I did this, per the article's instructions, and would have sworn that I saw a good improvement on my home network, but a couple of days later I am not really sure. However, I trust Fred Langa implicitly, so I feel I have improved my network performance. Unlike Fred, I had no benchmarks to measure before and after performance, but the change Fred recommends is very quick and easy and can be reversed just as quickly and easily. Fred's article will describe his benchmark test and the performance improvement that resulted. This is for Windows 7 users.

Simple change in settings pumps up Win7 networks

Is that noise coming from the computer bad?

This is a post form the blog of Call That Girl. It contains some very good information and I have not posted something like this, so please read on for some good tips on keeping that old computer running.

"Probably, but should you do anything about it is the question. I had a client yesterday that told me that her computer has been making noises for a long time. I asked how old it was and she said it was from 2005. Well, it’s five years old now. In computer life, that’s about 80 years old. Just like dogs live every 7 for our 1, computers have even shorter lives that dogs. If an average desktop computer runs 7 years without major malfunction (which most can, if taken care of right), then at age five, the computer is showing signs of aging.

Should this client get it looked at? At this point, it could be a simple fix, or an expensive fix. Would I put the money into it to see if it would last? Probably not too much with it being five years old. I just don’t see it worth it when the next thing that will probably go wrong, it the hard drive. And with labor and new hard drive, that’s approx $150 and up. New desktops that are “average” are $300-$400 brand new. But if you are concerned and want to see if it’s a simple fix, you can try a few things.

The computer may be running hot with processes and programs, so the hardware is working harder. A computer cleaning would maybe help that. During a Call That Girl computer cleaning, we also do a few system/memory checks and help you back up your data, just in case that computer does just shut down one day. (Which is worth it’s weight in gold if you’re not backing up or doing it properly!)

We can also walk you through helping you dust out the inside of the desktop unit or blow out the laptop air vents. Many times, the vents just need a good dusting! Or the desktop computer has TONS of dust in it from years of sitting around. I have seen miracles happen with a can of Dust Air.

If you want to try dusting out the computer yourself, here are some simple ways to do it.

• Unplug all of your cords from the desktop computer/laptop.
• Take the computer outside
• Take off the cover of the computer. For a desktop, there are usually “thumbscrews” (bigger ones) that are on the back side where all the ports/plugs are. Unscrew those 2 big thumbscrews and the cover should now come off, you may need to slide it off.
• Then take a paper towel and grab all the larger pieces of dust you can see.
• Take the can of Dust Air and start spraying at all the areas that are covered in dust. You may not want to be too close, dust will fly everywhere! Make sure to not get the nozzle too close to parts, just close enough to get out the dust. Get all the nooks and cranny corners while you are in there too. Do not get out a wet towel to clean any parts, all you need it Dust Air.
• For laptops, take the can of Dust Air and spray about 4 inches away to the vents. You will see small pops of dust come out. For those that have a lot, continue to spray until the dust it about gone.
• Remember, don’t spray too close and don’t over spray it. Just get the dust out." 

Which Online Mapping Service Is Best?

From PCWorld.com comes this excellent article that compares the 3 top online mapping services. Worth a gander.

"Bing, Google Maps, and MapQuest all have their charms, but which one will get you where you need to go with the least hesitation and the most accuracy? We examine all three and pick a winner." 

More

This Computerworld article is worth a quick read, but the key sentence in the article is this: "In reality, no browser offers its users security updates from its anti-malware warning screen."

Don't let your guard down and fall for something like these scams. They ARE out to get you!

Fake browser warnings dupe users into downloading 'scareware'

Microsoft Security Essentials now protecting over 31 million computers.

Have you switched to Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) yet? Remember, this is FREE! I have been using it ever since I first learned about it. It has low overhead, and that is what I like best about it. It's time to give some serious thought to dumping your Norton, McAfee, Kaspersky, Trend Micro, AVG, or whatever.

This article by Paul Lilly is from Maximum PC.

Antivirus vendors went on the offensive when Microsoft announced it was dropping its Windows Live OneCare in favor of offering a free security suite, Microsoft Security Essentials. One year later and with 31 million installations now under its belt, Microsoft is free to serve up a slice of humble pie to the competition.

"It's been a busy year for Microsoft Security Essentials. As we observed right after the first week of release, Microsoft Security Essentials had already detected threats on over half a million computers," the Redmond outfit said in a TechNet blog post. "As Microsoft Security Essentials enters into its second year with over 31 million installations, 27 million of those computers have reported infections to the Microsoft Malware Protection Center (MMPC)."
In other words, MSE isn't just popular, it's also working (you can read our review of Microsoft Security Essentials right here). It's also a global hit.

"The country with the most installations is the United States, but the next 10 countries with the most installs show that Microsoft Security Essentials has a global install base," Microsoft points out. "It is available in 27 languages – so language shouldn’t be a barrier to good security. Money is no problem, either – Microsoft Security Essentials is available at no cost!"

Read More

New Gmail Feature Lets You Turn Off Conversation View

Halleluia! I think. Although my primary e-mail address is a Google one, I continue to use Outlook and POP3 to access my e-mail. However, when on someone else's computer, I am forced to use the Google webmail version, and I have always hated Google's Conversation View. This feature groups e-mails by subject and presents them to the user in that way. It makes it very difficult to find and isolate a single e-mail one might be looking for. So now Google has introduced a new feature found in Settings that allows the user to turn off Conversation View. This is what I have always wanted, and I just did that. It remains to be seen if after all of this time of using their conversation grouping if I won't prefer that, but for now Conversation View is turned off.

This article by Ryan Whitman can be found at MaximumPC.

"When Gmail launched, it brought a new way of organizing emails that saved space and made many users quite happy. Of course we're referring to the Conversation View. Gmail groups all messages in a particular reply thread together under a single heading. While the majority of users have been happy with the system, a small, but vocal, minority have been looking for a way to disable it. Now Google is obliging with a new feature addition.

Users that want to ditch the Conversation view and go back to the traditional way of showing emails (i.e. each message gets its own entry), can do so. In the main Gmail settings page, There is a new section called "Conversation View". There is a simple toggle for turning this on and off. Some feel that it is easier to find specific emails without the Conversations enabled. If you fall into that camp, look for the option to roll out to your account in the next day or two.

While most users might be perfectly happy with the way Gmail works, we want to know what you think. Will you leave Conversations on, or turn it off?

Image via Google"