The Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool checks computers running Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows Server 2003 for infections by specific, prevalent malicious software—including Conflicker, Blaster, Sasser, and Mydoom—and helps remove any infection found. When the detection and removal process is complete, the tool displays a report describing the outcome, including which, if any, malicious software was detected and removed.

Microsoft releases a new version of the tool on the second Tuesday of every month, and as needed to respond to security incidents, and will run automatically, But you can run it when ever you want by following the steps below.

1. Right click an empty space on your Desktop and choose New Shortcut.
2. Type MTR in the location field. For Malicious Removal Tool. Click Next.
3. Name your new shortcut. Click Finish
4. Double Click the MRT icon to start the tool. If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Continue.
5. Click Next or you can view a list of malicious software the tool removes.
6. Choose the type of scan you want, I recommend the full scan. Click Next.
7. Now just wait for the scan to finish. Could take a few minutes to a few hours depending on the speed of your computer and the number of files to scan.
8. After the scan finishes you will see if it found any infections, luckily I’m clean.
9. As you can see above this tool is not a replacement for anti-virus software, but if you don’t have any installed and believe me I see many computers that don’t this tool will help you out.

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What are software vulnerabilities?
A software vulnerability is basically a programming error/flaw in a software application, that can be used by a hacker to perform actions, which have a security impact on your computer. These actions range from disclosure of sensitive information stored on your computer (like credit card numbers and account information) to automatic installation of viruses, trojans, keyloggers, or other code.

First download the free Secunia PSI program them install it and let it do a scan of your system. When it’s finished you will be presented with the results page.

The first tab is the Overview :
It will give you your score and state of your porgrams.

The next tab is the Insecure tab.
This page displays programs that the Secunia PSI has detected on your computer for which there are known security updates available. They recommend, that you update or uninstall all programs listed here. Click any entry on this page to view further details. It will give you the programs version number and a link to its website so you can get the update.

End-of-Life Programs:

This page displays programs that the Secunia PSI has detected on your computer, which the vendor no longer supports. The vendor will not issue patches or alerts regarding security issues that could expose your computer to security threats. We recommend, that you update or uninstall all programs listed here. Click any entry on this page to view further details.

Patched Programs:

This page displays programs that the Secunia PSI has detected on your computer for which there are no known security updates available. Programs listed here does as such not require further attention from you.

Scan Your Computer:

During the scan, the Secunia PSI will detect programs installed on your computer and determine whether any of them are missing any security related updates (Insecure), or whether the vendor has stopped supporting the product (End-of-Life).

PSI Settings:

Change the behaviour of the Secunia PSI using the PSI Settings. Manage your Ignore Rules for programs you don’t wish to see in your PSI interface.

Secunia Profile:

Change and update your Secunia Profile. Having a Secunia Profile allows you to participate in upcoming events, manage your Secunia mailing list subscriptions, participate in forum discussions, access more help, assist other PSI users, and get notified about new features from Secunia.

Send Feedback:

Send them your thoughts! Let them know what you think about the Secunia PSI, what they can improve.

Upgrade to the Secunia NSI 2.0 – Scan and Manage Your Network:

This version is about $30.US for each computer and lets you scan all the computers on your network.

The Secunia Network Software Inspector (NSI) 2.0 is capable of producing the same quality results as this free Secunia Personal Software Inspector that you already have installed on your computer. Although with one huge difference; The Secunia NSI 2.0 is capable of conducting the scans over your local network and aggregating the results from one, five, or thousands of hosts in an easy to overview and manage interface, providing you with an overview of all hosts that you manage.

What is the difference between the Secunia PSI vs. the Secunia NSI 2.0
The Secunia NSI 2.0 is the commercial, network aware, version of the Secunia PSI designed for computer networks. Whereas the Secunia PSI is solely available for standalone private computers (Home PCs).

All told this is a must use free program.

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Wouldn’t it be nice to click an icon on your desktop to open you CD/DVD tray instead or reaching all the way to the eject button on your computer. Well here’s a way to do just that.

1. Download the NirCmd utility from Nirsoft.
2. Extract nircmd.exe to a folder of your choice, I choose my user folder.
3. Right click an empty spot on your desktop and choose New > Shortcut.
4. In the location bar type in the path to NirCmd then add the command cdrom open to the end and add the drive letter to your CD/DVD drive. like below.“C:userKevinnircmd.exe” cdrom open F:
   
5. Click Next.
6. Type in a name for your shortcut. Like Eject DVD and click finish.
7. If you get a warning about the publisher could not be verified you will need to remove the check mark next to Always ask before opening this file. Its one of those Vista things.

To close your CDDVD tray follow the same steps but instead of cdrom open use cdrom close

If you want to change the look of the icon, right click it and choose Properties then Change icon. choose your favorite then click Ok twice.

The Nircmd command will do many thing beside opening and closing your CDDVD tray checkout their website for more commands.

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Download Firefox 3 today and help Mozilla set a Guinness World Record for the most software downloaded in 24 hours.

With more than 15,000 improvements, Firefox 3 is faster, safer and smarter than before.

New Features:

Firefox 3 sets the innovation bar very high with exciting new features, including one-click bookmarking, the smart location bar and lightning fast performance.

Security:

Keeping you and your personal information safe is our top priority. Firefox 3 includes phishing and malware protection, plus our new instant site ID info.

Productivity:

With features like built-in spell checking, session restore and full zoom, Firefox 3 makes it possible to work faster and more efficiently on the Web.

Customization:

Your taste and needs set you apart from the rest. With Firefox 3 you can choose from over 5,000 add-ons that help you customize your browsing experience.

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Microsoft’s Baseline Security Advisor is is free download from Microsoft that will scan your computer for vulnerabilities and identifying common security misconfigurations in your operating system and present you with a detailed report for what if anything it finds and how to fix it. It will also scan computers across your network. This tip is very popular on my other site so I thought I’d share it here with my Vista users.

Here are a few of the areas it checks.

• Incomplete Updates
• Administrators accounts
• Windows Firewall
• Local Account Password Test
• Automatic Updates
• File System
• Guest Accounts
• Restrict Anonymous access
• Autologon
• Password Expiration

It’s simple to setup and run. After installing just click Scan a computer.

The next screen lets you choose which computer to scan if you have more than 1 on a network and the options you want to include. Using the default is fine.

The scan will take a few minutes then you will be presented with the results. The Red, Orange, Blue and Green shields will give you an idea of the severity of any problems.

Click on the Blue text for more info and how to fix any issues it finds.

As you can see above I have a couple issues to resolve in my accounts section.

This is a great little program to add to your arsenal to keep Windows clean and happy.

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