How to help keep your kids from downloading spyware

If your kids surf the Internet, chances are they are going to want to download free games, free music, animated toolbars and other programs that may expose your computer to spyware or other unwanted software.

Spyware is a general term used for software that performs certain behaviors such as advertising, collecting personal information, or changing the configuration of your computer, generally without appropriately obtaining your consent.

Here are a few steps you can take to help your kids download and install software more safely.

Step 1: Talk with your kids
Depending on the ages of your children, you may be able to teach them not to download software from unknown sources on the Internet. If you can convince them to ask your permission before they download anything, you will go a long way toward keeping unwanted software off of your computer.

If you're not sure if the program they want to download contains spyware or other unwanted software, ask a knowledgeable friend or enter the name of the program into your favorite search engine and see if anyone else has reported that it contains spyware.

Consider adding Web sites that you feel are safe to your Favorites list and only allowing your children to download software from those sites.

Tip: As soon as your kids are old enough to go online, it's a good idea to establish rules that clearly state where they can go and what they can do on the Internet. For more help with guiding kids as they go online, enter “keeping your kids safe on the Internet” in your search engine and press the Enter key.

Step 2: Use Windows Defender to help protect your computer
Windows Defender helps you detect, disable, or remove spyware and other potentially unwanted software. Windows Defender and subsequent definition updates are available free to users of genuine Microsoft Windows. Windows Defender will be a part of Windows XP and Windows Vista.

Step 3: Monitor your children's activity on the Internet
Keep the computer in a place in your home where it can be easily monitored and limit the length of time your child can spend on the computer. If your children are under 10 years old, you may want to be online with them at all times.

Sometimes your children may accidentally infect your computer with spyware or other unwanted software without even knowing they've downloaded anything. Some popular sites for kids may try to download programs without your kids even asking for them. Your children may see a warning notifying them that a Web site wants to download a program. They may click random buttons on the window just to get it to disappear. What they click on might just be "I agree."

Although it's not intended as a substitute for parental involvement, consider a service that allows you to keep track of your child's online activities. Microsoft offers family safety settings in Windows Live and the upcoming Windows Vista. To learn more, visit the Microsoft Web-site and see Windows Live Family Settings and Windows Vista: What makes it the most secure version of Windows. Look for the Help protect your family section. Other companies also offer software products that can help you monitor and guide your child's use of the Internet.

Step 4: Give your child a limited user account
Windows XP allows you to create multiple user accounts for your computer. Each user can log on separately and has a unique profile with his or her own Desktop and My Documents folder. As a parent, you can give yourself an Administrator account with full control over the computer, and give your children Limited User accounts, with restricted controls that will help prevent them from downloading programs that may contain spyware or other unwanted software.

How To Download Files

How To Downloading Is Easy
Even if you are new to the Internet, you have probably heard the terms "upload" and "download." Uploading and downloading are simply terms used to describe the process of moving files from one computer to another. If you send a file to another computer, you upload the file or send it up. If you receive a file from another computer, you download the file or bring it down to your computer.

Once you have been on the Internet for even a short period, you realize that the Web contains a lot of information that you might want to download. This is especially true of software programs. There are many useful free or inexpensive programs found on the Web.

How To Start
Although the process of downloading files may seem intimidating to the neophyte, it is fairly easy. First you hook up to the Internet and start your Internet browser, i.e. Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator. Then locate the file that you want to download. For instance, if you wanted to find some inexpensive software, you could go to the ZDNET shareware Web site at http://www.zdnet.com/downloads. The easiest way to get there would be to choose "File" from the menu at the top of your screen. Then choose "Open" or "Open page" or "Open Web location." Type in the address. In most new programs, you don't have to type in the http://. Just type in www.zdnet.com/downloads. (In some cases, you don't have to type in the www or the com either, but it doesn't hurt to put them in to be sure you get where you want to go.) Look through the site until you file a file that you want to download.

Once you have found the correct file you either click on the file name or click on a button labeled "Download" or "Download now." You may be asked to choose a download site. Choosing a site in the geographic vicinity of your current location is usually the best choice. Be sure that the file you are downloading is the appropriate one for your operating system. If a file is marked Windows 95/98, it will usually work for Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Me. A file listed for the Macintosh will work only with that operating system. If you have the choice, it is best to match your operating system exactly. Use the program marked Windows 95 if you are using Windows 95, etc. Also, if you are given any special instructions for installing the program, this would be a great time to print them out.

Your Internet browser will automatically start the download process by presenting you with an informational window. Every version of the different browsers will be slightly different. However, in general, you will first be presented with a window which asks what you want to do with the file. The best choice here is to choose "Save the file to disk." This action will save the file on your hard drive. You will then be presented with another window that asks where you want to save the file. The program will choose a folder where it will put the file and a name that the file will be given. You can either accept these "so-called" defaults or you can change them.

Smart Downloading Habits
Before you click "Okay" to save the file to your disk, you should be aware of two important things. First, you will have to remember where the file is located and what it is called. It's perfectly okay to just accept the defaults and let the program choose where to put the file and what to name it. However, make a habit of writing down the name and location of the file so that you can find it later. Second, if you do rename the file, do not rename the extension. The three letters that follow the period in a file name are the extension. The computer uses these three letters to determine the type of file that it is working with. Feel free to rename the file (the name in front of the period) anything you like. However, you must keep the extension the same as the name suggested by the computer or you will confuse the computer when it comes time to install the file.

How Long Will It Take?
Both Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape have a progress indicator that tells you how much time is remaining in your file download process. Unfortunately, the indicators in both of these programs are unreliable. Allow yourself enough time. A large file can take several hours to download, depending on the speed of your modem. It is a good idea to remain in the vicinity of your computer in case there is a problem with the download. Sometimes you may receive an error message or be asked if you want to disconnect from the Internet. If you are monitoring the download process, you can take immediate action. Once the download is complete, you may or may not get a notice on your screen to that effect.

Finding the File
Even if you have written down the name of the file, sometimes you can't find it when it comes time to do the install. If that's the case and you're using Windows 95/98/Me, you're in luck. Just go to the Start button and choose "Find"; then choose "Files or Folders." ("Find" has been renamed "Search" in Windows Me). Type in the name of the file. Make sure that the "Look in" box contains the name of your hard disk(s). Press "Find Now" and Windows will find the file for you and show you its location. You can start the installation process right from the "Find" box by clicking or double-clicking on the correct file.

If you still use Windows 3.1 (please consider upgrading, if you can!), you will have to use My Computer or the File Manager to look through the files and find the one you want. The default location for the downloaded files is usually in a folder named "Download" inside one of the folders from your Internet browser. If you are a Mac user, choose the Find option under the File menu. A window will appear asking where to search. Choose either your hard drive or your desktop.

Installing the File
If special instructions were given when you downloaded the file, follow those instructions for installation.

If the file that you downloaded ends in .exe, it is an executable file. That means all you have to do is click on the file and it will start the install program. Then follow the steps given on the screen to complete the installation.

Downloading Web Pages
Sometimes you may want to download a Web page instead of a file. It's easy. Just choose the "Save As" option in your Web browser and name the place where you would like to save the file (usually your hard disk). The hyperlinks (links that take you to related Web sites) on that pagemay become inactive, and, in many cases, the graphics will not saved. However, this can be a quick and easy way to save important text from a Web page.

Overcoming Roadblocks
Sometimes you do not get a successful download on the first try. If this happens, choose a different download site, if you have that option. Otherwise, just try the download again. The time of day can be important when you are downloading a file, especially a large one. When the Internet is busy, the Net can become congested slowing down transfer times. Internet usage usually peaks between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. daily, with heavier use on weekends.

The speed of your modem and the size of the file are the most influential things in determining the length of time that a download will take. You cannot change the size of the file, but you can usually change the speed of your modem. Unless you are already using the fastest modem available, you can upgrade to increase the speed of downloads.

Worth the Effort
It might take you some practice to master the process of downloading, but I am sure you will agree your new skill is worth the effort. Downloading is one of the most valuable functions offered in the computer world.

Temp Files Explained

If you use a Windows computer, you need to have a little working knowledge of temporary files. Windows and Windows applications create temporary files as they run. Working programs store bits of data in files called temporary or temp files. These are files that can be erased when they are no longer needed.

In an ideal situation, these temp files are deleted when the applications close. Yet poorly written programs, improper shutdowns, program hangs, and computer crashes often leave unneeded temporary files on the hard drive. Over time, these files accumulate, eating up hard disk space and, at times, impairing computer performance. If your computer is acting sluggish, deleting accumulated temp files may help to speed it up. In addition, some shutdown problems and download problems can be cured by cleaning up your temp files.

Disk Cleanup Wizard
Windows 98, Me, 2000, and XP come with a Disk Cleanup Wizard that streamlines the process of clearing out unwanted temp files. First close all running programs. Then access the Wizard, by clicking on the Start button and choosing Programs (All Programs in Windows XP). Go on to choose Accessories, System Tools, and Disk Cleanup. (A shortcut is to click on Start, choose Run, and type in cleanmgr.)

The wizard will give you the option of cleaning up all your hard drive partitions, if you have more than one. It will show you how much space is being consumed by unneeded temporary Internet files, as well as other temporary files, downloaded program files, and offline Web pages. This Disk Cleanup Helper will even empty the Recycle Bin for you. Just check the box in front of the item, click OK, and the wizard will clean up your disk. Get rid of at least the temporary Internet files and other temporary files. Remember that the files in the Recycle Bin take up hard drive space, so you may want to have the wizard empty your trash as well.

Eliminate Windows 95 Temp Files
If you are still using Windows 95, your job is slightly harder, because Windows 95 has no Cleanup Wizard. Start by closing all running programs. Then click on My Computer, open the C drive, and then open the Windows folder. Click on the Temp folder to open it. Delete all of the folders and files by highlighting them and pressing the Delete key. You can delete many of these at the same time by holding down the CTRL key and clicking on several files in succession. Pressing the Delete key will erase all the files that you have highlighted. When deleting these files, you may get a message that a file cannot be deleted or is in use. Just skip that file and move on to the next one. If you have never cleaned out your temp files, you may be surprised to find hundreds or even thousands of temp files. Each will end in .tmp, and some may have a tilde ~ in front of their names. All can be deleted. The Temporary Internet Files folder (typically C:\Windows\Temporary Internet Files) can be accessed and cleaned in the same way. Remember that all of these deleted files will wind up in your Recycle Bin, and you will have to right-click on the Recycle Bin to empty it.

Errant Temp Files
Occasionally, a temporary file will find its way into the root directory of the C drive. These errant files can interfere with the computer’s operations. Every few months, you may want to click on My Computer, click on the C: drive, and scroll down. If you see any files that end in .tmp, you can safely delete them by highlighting and pressing the Delete key. If you see other .tmp files while you are working on your computer, they may be the files that are open on your computer at that time. You will not be able to delete a temp file that is actively being used. If, however, the .tmp file is not being currently used, you can delete it with no adverse consequences.

Helpful Activities
If your entire system still seems sluggish, you might also need to defrag. Defragging also helps to keep things running smoothly. This is another task that should be done on a regular basis.

Cleaning out your temporary files on a regular basis will help keep your computer running smoothly. Get in the habit of cleaning up your temp files. You’ll be glad you did.

Firewalls explained

Five or six years ago, the only people who used firewalls were banks, businesses, and government facilities. Times have certainly changed. Today having a good firewall is almost as important as having anti-virus protection.

Let’s talk a little about what a firewall is and why you need one. A firewall is a security measure that protects a computer or a computer network from unauthorized access. Unfortunately in today’s computer world, there are a lot of devious hackers working diligently to access computer information. Where previously, the targets were large institutions, today hackers seek out all sorts of personal information including information from everyday home computer users.

A firewall can be software, hardware, or a combination of both. A good firewall will prevent hackers from accessing a computer. It will also keep information from being sent out from your computer without your knowledge. It will keep personal information safe. Firewalls don't prevent virus attacks but in some circumstances they can stop viruses from sending information from an infected computer.

If you use a broadband connection to the Internet, like DSL or cable, you should definitely get a firewall. Such broadband connections are always on, shared connections. It is easier for an intruder to break into your computer if you are using one of these connections. So it is essential to have a firewall on a computer that uses DSL or cable to connect to the Internet.

Even if your computer uses a dial-up Internet connection to get to the Internet, a firewall can be useful. (If you use a regular telephone line and you click on an icon on your computer desktop to initiate your Internet connection, you have a dial-up connection.) This is because there are programs like spyware and adware that are privacy-invading programs that piggy-back on other software that you download from the Internet. These spy-grams can gather personal information and send it back to the scheming people who developed the programs. A good firewall will alert you when a transfer of information that you have not initiated tries to take place, preventing spyware and adware from completing their devious tasks.

Hate spam? Well, some spammers are currently hijacking individual computers and using them to send out some of that aggravating spam. This can be done completely without your knowledge. This little ploy covers the tracks of the spammer and makes it easier for him to get his message out. A good firewall will alert you when something like this happens so you can keep your computer protected.

The easiest way to get a firewall for your computer is to use a software program that you install just like any other program. Most software firewalls prevent unauthorized information from going out of your computer as well as from going out. You will, however, have to check before you obtain the firewall software to make sure that it is this type of two-directional firewall. Some firewalls only alert you when some unauthorized person is trying to enter your computer to access information. These one-directional firewalls do not check for unauthorized information that may be leaving your computer.

There is a firewall built into Windows XP, but unfortunately, it is a one-directional firewall. It will only check for information coming into your computer. If you use Windows XP, it is better than nothing, but a two-directional firewall is still needed for complete protection.

Windows XP Troubleshooting

Running a computer is easy. Running a computer successfully requires effort. Windows comes with a number of utilities, tools, programs, and techniques to help troubleshoot problems.

Identify your version of Windows
If you are troubleshooting problems (or upgrading your PC) you need to know which version of Windows you’re using. Hardware driver programs, software fixes, and advice from support technicians all depend on which version of Windows your PC is using. To get the exact version number do the following.

In Category view click on Start - Control Panel - Performance and Maintenance - System.
In Classic view then once in Control Panel double-click the System icon.

The System Properties dialog box opens. Under the General tab you will find the version number. Write down all the information you see, including any service pack listings. For example under the system heading you may have Microsoft Windows XP, Home Edition, Version 2002, Service Pack 1.

Windows Device Manager
The Device Manager is the place where Windows lists all your computer’s hardware, gives you access to the software that controls all the hardware, and tells you whether that hardware is functioning. If Windows is having a problem communicating with your hard drive, mouse, graphics card, or any other devices, Device Manager will tell you.

To open Device Manager open the Control Panel’s System icon (as described earlier). Click the Hardware tab, then click the Device Manager button. The Device Manager dialog box opens. Listed below the computer icon at the top of the screen you will see all the categories of hardware devices installed on your computer.

To see specifics you must open a category. For example to see the details about the hard drive click the plus (+) sign to the left of the disk drives icon. This will list all the drives. I have one hard drive on my PC which displays as ST380011A. Double-click this to open that hardware item. Doing so displays the items Properties dialog box.

In the middle of the General tab is a box labeled Device Status. If Windows is having trouble with this device it will say so. It may also give you an error message or other clue about the nature of the problem. At the bottom of the General tab is a pull-down menu that lets you disable the device. This prevents Windows from loading software or recognising the device the next time Windows starts up. That way, you can troubleshoot the device or it’s driver software. If the computer works better without the device enabled, you have a problem with the device.

When a device isn’t working it is also flagged in Device Manager. That category with the bad hardware is open and the hardware flagged by a yellow circle icon. In the middle of the yellow circle is an exclamation point. That’s your key to instantly find bad hardware. To get further information double-click to open that item. In it’s Properties dialog box you will see a detailed description of what’s going wrong.

The Device Manager does not list printers. For those you must open the Printers window. That’s where new printers are installed, drivers updated, and problems dealt with. Also to confuse matters the Device Manager does not list all hardware problems, therefore some hardware trouble cannot be detected by Windows, so just because it’s hardware isn’t flagged as bad don’t assume that it’s working properly. The command-line way to summon the Device Manager is to type DEVMGMT.MSC into the Run command’s dialog box.

The System Configuration Utility
The System Configuration Utility Known as MSCONFIG is your main weapon in fighting startup problems. It allows you to perform a Clean Boot that strips Windows of unnecessary programs, settings and services. If intermittent problems disappear after performing a clean boot, you can identify the offending software program or service by re-enabling them one at a time until the problem recurs. If you have lots of software and services that automatically start with Windows, expect this process to take some time; you have to reboot after enabling each service or program.

1. Start the System Configuration Utility by typing msconfig under Start - Run and then click OK. In the System Configuration Utility window that opens there are three options for starting up Windows. These options are Normal Startup, Diagnostic Startup and Selective Startup.

Normal Startup runs the normal Windows startup, and there should already be a check mark in the box alongside indicating this is selected. Diagnostic startup runs the computer in Safe mode. Selective startup allows you to chose various options to enable or disable during startup.

2. On the General tab click Selective Startup and then uncheck the Process SYSTEM.INI File, and Process WIN.INI File boxes. These files hold the Windows configuration settings. Also uncheck the Load Startup Items box to disable all software programs that automatically start with Windows.

3. Go to the Services tab to disable Windows services. First select the Hide All Microsoft Services check box, and then click Disable All. Click OK, and then click Restart to restart your computer. Now you can also uncheck the Load System Services box on the General tab.

4. Now that you have disabled everything, has the problem with your computer disappeared? If yes, start re-enabling the disabled items to track down the problem’s cause. Start by replacing the check mark next to Process SYSTEM.INI File, click OK, and when prompted, reboot your PC.

5. If the problem with your computer returns, you know it’s caused by one of the entries in the SYSTEM.INI file and you should move to the next step. If everything is OK repeat the above step for the Process WIN.INI File. Again if everything is OK repeat the step for the Load System Services and then Load Startup Items categories until you find which, if any, is responsible for your problem.

6. Once you have identified the offending category, open it’s corresponding tab in the System Configuration Utility. For example, to take a closer look at the SYSTEM.INI file, select the SYSTEM.INI tab.

7. Continue the process of elimination by unchecking all of the items listed on the SYSTEM.INI tab and rebooting your PC. The problem should disappear. Now re-enable each item one at a time-by rechecking the box next to the item-and reboot the PC. As before when the problem appears, the most recently checked item is the cause of the problem and needs to be permanently disabled (unchecked).

8. If there are no problems remember to re-select the option Normal Startup and click OK.

BEWARE - Don’t accidentally alter the data under the BOOT.INI file tab. This is critical configuration data that controls Windows startup. Also keep in mind that this utility is for troubleshooting only! By turning certain things off, you can determine that the thing is causing trouble. Then you have to fix the problem or permanently disable the thing elsewhere.

The System File Checker
The System File Checker (SFC) is perhaps the most powerful tool in Windows. What it does is to verify the condition of the core files that make up the Windows operating system. When any file is missing or corrupt. it’s replaced with a fresh new copy. So, in a way, running SFC is like reinstalling Windows, but only when necessary and without having to delete anything.

The SFC utility is a command-line program, though it also uses graphical windows. Even so, to run SFC, you must start up a command-prompt window. Follow these steps:
1. Get a copy of the original Windows XP CD. You must have a copy of the CD to run SFC. This is the original CD you used to instal Windows. No CD then don’t run SFC.
2. From the Start menu choose All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt. This step opens a Command Prompt, or DOS, window on the screen. Commands must be typed, and spelled properly. If you make a mistake, use the backspace key. You can type in upper-or lower case. The Enter key is pressed after typing a command to send that command off to Windows.
3. Type SFC /SCANNOW and press the Enter key. That’s SFC, a space, a slash, and then SCANNOW with no space between SCAN and NOW. The line does not end in a period. Press the Enter key after confirming that you have typed it all correctly. Then follow the instructions on the screen. The operation can take quite a while.
4. If any files need replacing, SFC asks for the Windows CD to be inserted. It does this so that it can read a replacement file from that disc. Inserting the CD may start the Upgrade or Install program. Just close that window and continue. SFC may also pull some false alarms and not recognise the CD. If so click the Retry Button until it does.
5. When SFC is finished you see another command prompt that is waiting for you to type another command. SFC is done. You can close the command prompt window.
6. Type EXIT and press the Enter key. The EXIT command closes the command prompt window.

You should only run SFC when you suspect trouble that even System Restore seems unable to fix. In that case SFC may be able to pull needed files from the Windows CD and put the system back in order. Also don’t run SFC as regular system maintenance. Consider it a disaster-recovery tool only.

Dealing with Cookies

A cookie is merely information a web page saves to disk - and it isn’t even that much information, it’s more like random notes. The information is stored on your computer in a special cookies folder.

When you visit a web page again, it can open the cookie it saved. That way, for example, Amazon.com says “Hello and Welcome Back we have some books for you on computers.”

This can be handy. However cookies are controversial because some are recognised by spyware applications (I have SpySweeper) to contain spyware.

Some people find cookies to be annoying. Fortunately they can be deleted, disabled, or turned off. Web pages can only open the cookies they saved. Cookies saved from other web pages cannot be opened. All cookies expire. Some are automatically deleted when you close Internet Explorer. Some are deleted in several hours or a day or so. Some last for up to six months. But they all have expiration dates, and they are, with a few exceptions, automatically deleted on those dates.

There is an official way to delete cookies.

1. Choose Tools - Internet Options from the Internet Explorer menu. The Internet Options dialog box appears, with the general tab selected.
2. Click the Delete Cookies button. A confirmation box shows up.
3. Click OK in the confirmation dialog box. Gone.

There is an unofficial (yet effective) way to delete cookies.

First you have to find the cookies. In Windows XP, each user has their own set of cookies for each user’s account. You need to find your own account’s cookies.

If you are a Computer Administrator you can find every users account in your administration account. You can then delete all the cookies from each user account without visiting each account individually.

1. Open the My Computer icon on the desktop. If you do not have the icon click on Start then My Computer in the right hand column.
2. Open the Drive C icon.
3. Open the Documents and Settings folder.
4. Open your account’s folder. On my computer the folder name is Bryn.
5. Open the Cookies folder.
6. Select one or all of the cookies in the folder. The cookies is given your computer’s or your account’s name, followed by an at sign @ and then the Web page domain name. Note that some Web pages save several cookies. If you accidentally delete the INDEX.DAT file along with the cookies, don’t worry about this file; Internet Explorer rebuilds the DAT file when it needs to.
7. Press the Delete key on your keyboard.
8. If you are the Computer Administrator then you can also select each users account and follow from step 5.

You can prevent cookies in the first place.

1. Open the Control Panels Internet Options icon.
2. Click the Privacy tab.
3. Click the Advanced button. The Advanced Privacy Settings dialog box appears.
4. Click to put a check mark by Override Automatic Cookie Handling. You must do this step to enable the other options in the dialog box.
5. Choose Block for the Third-Party Cookies option. That shuts down cookies from advertisers on any Web pages you visit.
6. Choose Block for the First-Party Cookies option. This is necessary only if you really, really hate cookies.
7. Click OK to close the Advanced Privacy Settings dialog box.
8. Close the Internet Properties dialog box.

No more cookies.

Using Pictures as a Screen Saver

Instead of using screen savers provided by Windows XP, you can use your own pictures to create a slide show screen saver. Windows displays all the pictures in a folder that you create as a full screen slide show. You can add or remove pictures from the folder to modify the slide show screen saver.

1. Click the Start button, then click My Documents.

2. Create a folder, and then place the pictures you want to use in the slide show in the folder. Remember to save.

3. Right-Click a blank area of the desktop, and then click Properties.

4. Click the Screen Saver tab.

5. Click the Screen Saver list arrow, and then click My Pictures Slideshow.

6. Click Settings.

7. Click Browse, select the folder with your pictures, and then click OK.

8. Specify the size and for how long you want the pictures to appear in the slide show, and then click OK.

9. Click OK.

10. Click Preview to preview the slide show, then click the mouse button to stop it.

11. Click OK.

Secure your Password

A good way to prevent password and credit card details from being recorded by key-loggers, is to use the On-Screen Keyboard utility. You enter letters and numbers by using mouse clicks instead of the keyboard, which means your security details will not be compromised by keyboard actions - defeating many key-logging systems. You can find the On-Screen Keyboard by going to Start, then All Programs, followed by Accessories and then Accessibility. Select On-Screen Keyboard from the drop down list or right-click to create a shortcut on the Windows Desktop.

Internet Explorer Tip

When you explore secure pages in Internet Explorer, they are stored by default in the web browser’s cache from which anyone using your PC could read them. To stop Internet Explorer doing this, open it up and click on the Tools menu, then on Options. Click on the Advanced tab and scroll down to the Security section. Tick the box marked “Do not save encrypted pages to disk” and click on OK to close the box.

Close Down crashed applications

Most of the time you’ll have little need for the Task Manager in Windows - and that’s assuming you ever knew it existed in the first place. However, when trouble strikes and your computer stops playing ball, it can prove invaluable to restoring order and finding out just where the problem lies.

The Task Manager dialog box gives you a detailed breakdown of exactly what your computer is up to at any point, including which programs are running and whether they are working properly or not. So if your computer has crashed, there’s no need to lose hope, take it to task with the Task Manager.

There are a couple of ways to launch Task Manager. The first is to right-click anywhere on a blank part of the Taskbar and select Task Manager from the pop up menu. However this won’t always be possible, particularly if your computer has stopped working properly. In these circumstances hold down the Control (Ctrl) key on your keyboard then hold down the Alt and Delete keys. If you’re subsequently presented with a Windows Security dialog box click on the Task Manager button.

Use the Header Tabs in Task Manager to view your PC’s various activities. Most times the only tab you need concern yourself with is Applications. This shows a list of all running software applications, along with a status report. You will see that an application may have stopped responding. It can be closed down by clicking to highlight its entry in the task list before clicking on the End Task button. When you finish close the Task Manager by either clicking on the cross (X) in the top-right hand corner of the window, or choosing the appropriate option from the File menu.

Optical Storage

CDs and DVDs are now part of the technical wonderland that you and I live in. At first the situation was not that bad. In the beginning audio CDs brought us crystal-clear sound and the convenience of jumping instantly from track to track. Computer software could fit on one CD instead of many floppy disks. With the advent of DVD widescreen movies are accompanied by luxuries like alternative soundtracks and interviews with the cast and director. Would you really want to go back to floppy disks?

Alas, if it were that simple. Now we have all those different kinds of disks: CD-R, CD-R/W, DVD-R/W, DVD+R/W and DVD-RAM. Don’t you just love them?

Lets start at the beginning. In the beginning there was the CD-R, and it’s still by far the most popular media on the market. A typical CD-R can store anywhere from 650 to 700MB (megabytes) of computer data or 74 to 80 minutes of audio. However, after you’ve filled a CD-R to capacity, there’s no turning back; the data is permanently recorded and can’t be erased.

Other sizes of CDs are available - for example discs that can hold 184MB - but they are so specialised that you and I can safely ignore them. Some higher capacity CD-R’s that can hold more than 700MB have also hit the market, but they are not compatible with older CD-RW drives.

If you need compatibility, think CD-R. Any CD-ROM drive - no matter how old - can read CD-R’s and they are the only discs that are guaranteed to play in any home or car audio CD player. In other words, use CD-R whenever your recording a disc to send to someone else, when your recording an audio CD for playing on anything other than your recorder, or when you are not sure whether a drive reads a CD-RW.

The CD-RW is the most common rewriteable media on the market right now. It can store 650MB (74 minutes) of audio. A CD-RW must be formatted before you use it. Most come formatted already. You also have to reformat the disc if you want to erase its contents. On the downside however most read-only CD-ROM drives that are older than than three or four years old can’t read a CD-RW disc, and a CD-RW can’t be used in older audio CD players. Use CD-RW whenever you are recording a disc for use on your computer, like a backup or when you are sure that another CD-ROM drive (or audio CD player) can read a CD-RW.

How can you tell whether a CD-ROM drive can read CD-RWs? Many manufacturers add a MultiRead symbol to their faceplates. If you are still unsure then try reading a recorded CD-RW in the drive (don’t worry, you won’t do any damage). If you can load files from the CD-RW you have a MultiRead drive. An audio CD player that supports CD-RW is likely to announce the fact in its documentation or specifications.

Next we come to the DVD-R/W. I’m safe in saying that the DVD-ROM has taken over from VHS tape. DVD-ROM is also poised to take over the reign of CD as the media of choice for virtually every new computer on the planet. But what about recordable DVD?

There are two format standards in use. The first of these is the DVD-R, which is short for DVD recordable. Like your old friend the CD-R, a DVD-R can be recorded only once. However it can hold a whopping 4.7GB (that’s gigabytes) per side of the disc, for a total of 9.4GB of data on a double-sided disc. DVD-R is the darling of the video-editing crowd because it allows you to record a disc that can be used in a standard DVD player. Naturally, the DVDs you create with a DVD-R drive can’t be read on a standard CD-ROM drive (but you can burn regular CD-Rs and CD-RWs).

On the rewriteable side the standard is called DVD-RW (note the dash there as it is important). These discs also store 4.7GB and you format them very much like a CD-RW. Any DVD-ROM drive should be able to read DVD-RW. Unfortunately, not all DVD players can read DVD-RWs.

Two other completely independent DVD standards, DVD+R and DVD+RW are available as well. DVD+Rs and DVD+RWs can store 4.7GB, and a DVD-ROM player can read both types of discs. Again however you run into the same problem because DVD+Rs are compatible with most DVD players, but DVD+RWs are not widely supported by DVD players. Plus DVD-R/W and DVD+R/W are incompatable.. If you have an all-format drive you can record both DVD-R/W and DVD+R/W. If your DVD recorder is limited to one format or the other then take care when buying DVD media.

Finally there’s DVD-RAM - a rewriteable disc that can store as much as 9.4GB of data by using both sides. DVD-RAM is well established and there’s no “plus” format competing. DVD-RAM is great for storing huge digital video files or for backing up hard drives. Note however that most DVD-ROM players can’t read a DVD-RAM, so use one of the other formats if you are recording something to distribute to others.

And now to finally confuse you. Can you buy just one drive? Yes you can if you have an all-format drive. This type of drive can handle everything except DVD-RAM. If you are already the owner of a CD-RW drive it can’t be upgraded to record DVDs. On the flip side any DVD recorder can record CD-Rs and CD-RWs.

You will often see write-once and rewriteable formats grouped together as a single name: For example, CD-R/W actually stands for CD-R and CD-RW (remember a CD-RW drive can also record CD-Rs). Likewise DVD-R/W stands for DVD-R and DVD-RW, and you guessed it DVD+R/W includes both DVD+R and DVD+RW.

Rogue Diallers

I don’t know about the rest of you but I seem to spend as much time these days updating my Microsoft Windows operating system and anti virus software to ensure my PC is well protected than actually using the software installed on it.

Another scam that has made the headlines recently are rogue diallers and many have only discovered they are a victim after receiving their telephone bill. A rogue dialler - also known as a Trojan dialler - are pieces of software secretly placed on your computer.

They can be activated by performing an action such as closing an unwanted “pop-up” window. This sends a message to the computer, changing its usual log-on settings. When you connect to the Internet these diallers quietly disconnect you and divert you from your ISP to a premium rate phone number instead, typically at £1.50 a minute. So when you think you are connected to the Internet as usual, you are in fact running up a mammoth telephone bill on your account. The company behind the dialler then takes a share of the charge for every call made.

Rogue diallers are often hidden in software that you might download eg music. They affect users of Microsoft Windows on dialup connections. If you have broadband, rogue diallers cannot take over as long as your dialup modem is disconnected, though some experts say it is still not entirely safe.

If this happens to you, what can you do about it? Firstly you should alert your phone company to say you dispute the bill. Second, call the premium rate phone numbers watchdog ICSTIS (Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services) on 0800 500 212 to make a complaint.

ICSTIS won’t get involved in any dispute you have with your phone company, or refund your money, but it will investigate and should give you the details of the company which is responsible for the dialler. This can take quite some time, and then it’s entirely up to you to recover the costs. And this is particularly tricky as these companies often change their name and business address. Some victims of the scam have managed to get a refund from these companies.

So what can you do to protect yourself. Prevention is, as always, better than cure.

If you use the Internet through a dialup connection on a Windows PC, make sure you have the latest updates from Microsoft, that you use a firewall (one is supplied with Windows XP) and that you have anti-virus software installed and always up to date with virus definitions etc.

If you encounter suspicious pop-ups or attachments, or are asked to activate something, don’t, unless you are sure of what it is. Read the text carefully before clicking on pop-ups or closing them down.

Don’t open an email attachment unless you know what it is and/or trust who it is from. Some Trojan diallers arrive as email attachments, which can install themselves just being opened.

You can also monitor what your modem is up to, so you can see if it has dialled an unintended number, and stop it immediately. When connected, click the “dial-up” icon that appears on the taskbar and click disconnect if the name of the target connection following “connected to” is not one you expect or recognise.

Get a pop-up blocker installed in your browser.

Consider using a personal firewall, though this is slightly more complicated to set up.

Use a High level of security when surfing the “net”. You can do this by opening Internet Explorer, clicking on the Tools menu, then Internet Options, then Security and Custom Level, and selecting High.

Disable ActiveX and Active scripting.

Ask your phone company to install premium rate call barring on your phone line. This stops any call to a premium rate number, whether from your phone or your PC (the scam almost always seems to involve “090” numbers). You can have a bar which can be lifted if you want to make a call to any of these numbers. As this won’t stop rogue diallers calling an overseas number, you should also ask for international numbers to require a pin code. Your phone company may or may not make a charge for these services.

You can also find out what steps you can take to protect your computer through your telecoms provider’s website.

So safe surfing.

Spyware

If only this were a James Bond movie. Unfortunately it is not and for those of us that have had spyware invade their PC it is amongst one of the biggest security threats. Although not quite as dangerous as viruses and rogue diallers (more on this next time) spyware still poses a very real and harmful threat.

Spyware (or adware) is the name given to software that installs on your PC, usually without your knowledge, and monitors your surfing activity. The information it gathers can then be used to target you with advertising or pop-ups. Ultimately spyware can affect the performance of your system by making it run more slowly.

You might have spyware or other unwanted software on your computer if:
1. You see pop-up advertisements even when your not on the Web.
2. The page your Web browser first opens is not your home page.
3. You notice a new toolbar in your browser that you didn’t want, and have difficulty in getting rid of it.
4. Your computer takes longer than usual to complete certain tasks.
5. You experience a sudden rise in computer crashes.

You can pick up spyware whilst doing nothing more than surfing the Net, as some websites use cookies to check which adverts you’ve been viewing. It also comes embedded in some program downloads, particularly file sharing utilities such as Kazaa and other advertising supported software. Even programs from big companies can have some form of monitoring embedded in them - Windows Media Player for example reports a unique program ID to sites it’s streaming from. Of course, in most cases you agree to this happening when you click OK to the licence terms of the software or site - spyware relies on the fact that very few of us actually read these.

As with viruses, broadband connections put more people at risk from picking up Spyware simply because it’s continuously online. Plus the faster download times make it more tempting to download software from the Net that may contain threats.

So what can you do about it? The answer is to run a spyware scanner to track down what’s already on your system and remove it. If you’ve never run one before you might be surprised at how much you’ve collected. Some of the items detected will be innocent cookies aimed at providing auto-logins and the like, but most anti-spyware programs will help you identify which are the real threats. Once you’ve done that you should repeat the scan regularly to prevent re-infection. You can get information about current spyware threats from www.spywareguide.com.

Take care when surfing the Net too, don’t be tempted to click on banner ads or pop-up windows that claim your PC is infected with spyware and offer to do a free scan. Often these are spyware programs in disguise and will only add to your problems by adding even more spyware to your system. And where possible try to stick to sites that you trust for any software that you need to download. Spyware is very easy to pick up even if you are careful, so it’s important to be aware of it and scan your system regularly.

As with antivirus applications, programs to scan for and remove spyware come in a range of shapes and sizes. One of the most popular is Ad-Aware from www.lavasoftusa.com. This is free to use and will detect and remove both critical and non-critical threats from your system. An alternative is Spybot Search and Destroy, also free from www.safernetworking.org. You can also try SpywareBlaster from www.javacoolsoftware.com.

On my home PC I use SpySweeper from Webroot, which I purchased from PC World. I particularly like this program because it offers protection from spyware in real-time and constantly monitors for diallers, spyware and other dangerous applications whilst I’m surfing the internet. I can also run deep scans of my entire PC. You can try it out free of charge but if you want to receive essential updates you’ll have to subscribe to the service. It goes without saying that if you want the highest level of protection then the best option is to purchase software from a computer store or subscribe online. You then get all the updates.

For more information you can also visit the Microsoft Windows website by clicking on START > HELP AND SUPPORT > PROTECTING YOUR PC:SECURITY BASICS. Here you will be able to download the new Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware (beta) program.

Happy surfing.

Phishing

No it’s not a spelling mistake. Fraudulent emails that attempt to fool readers into divulging financial information are now on the increase. These emails are not always obvious but there are ways to identify these phishing scams to avoid taking the bait.

In the early days of the Internet most people were very suspicious of online shopping sites and feared that their credit card details would fall into the wrong hands. Eventually though websites have found ways of allowing us to safely pay for things over the Net without security worries. This new found consumer confidence is gradually being eroded with what is known as phishing.

The swindle generally begins with an email that appears to be from your bank or a reputable association like ebay or PayPal. These messages usually claim that due to a breach of online security you must follow a link in the email to verify your details and ensure your account remains secure. The link looks like it will take you to your bank’s website, but instead you’re taken to a copycat website hosted by the perpetrator of the scam. When you enter your details they are immediately captured and used to drain your account of cash.

The scam is done so well it is easy to be caught out. The senders address will look like a valid address and the email will include genuine-looking images and text. Worst of all, the address of the link that takes you to the copycat website is usually made to look like the legitimate address. Genuine links to the company’s privacy policy and other pages on the legitimate website might also be used in the email to add authenticity. Unless you are aware that such scams exist you are unlikely to have any reason to feel concerned.

If you follow the email link you’ll be taken to the fraudulent website that mirrors the legitimate site. Even if there is nothing about the way the website looks that causes alarm bells to ring, you’d at least expect the URL of the site to be a giveaway. However, phishing fraudsters use a variety of methods to disguise website addresses and ensure your suspicions aren’t easily aroused. Sometimes they register a domain name similar to that of the real organisation.

The most basic precaution you can take is to never click on email links purporting to be from your bank, ebay, PayPal or any other organisation dealing with your money. Banks never send out emails asking for you to verify your login or credit details, so you can be sure that any emails claiming to be from your bank asking for these details are not to be trusted. You can install a good anti spam program but this precaution will not always catch phishing scammers. If in doubt simply ignore the link and type in the correct website address manually. Also another golden rule is never to open email attachments from people you do not know and to keep your machine free from viruses. There have been cases of viral worms automatically redirecting users to fake websites when they type in their bank’s URL. Again a good antivirus program should keep you safe.

So here are some Anti-Phishing tips:

Never follow links in emails claiming to be from financial institutions or organisations.

Always manually type the URL of your bank’s website into the address bar or choose it from your favourites / bookmarks list.

Check your online bank statements regularly and report any suspicious transactions.

Always check online bank or shop websites are secure (look for the padlock in your browser’s status bar) and that the addresses start with “https://”.

Keep your browser up to date with the latest security patches.

Don’t trust emails that open with “Dear User.” Banks and other financial services almost always address you by name.

Install software to protect against viruses, spam, phishing scams and spyware.

Search Engines

Need to find something on the Internet? It can be like looking for a needle in a haystack - unless you know how to use search engines to their full potential.

Web directories
When you search a Web directory, you’re searching through a structured database that has been compiled by humans. Whilst you can perform a keyword search of a directory, more often than not you’d use it by browsing down through the directory structure, closing in on what you’re after.

If you’re looking for general information on a particular topic (for instance fishing or cooking) you may find that using a Web directory takes you to what you want more quickly and with less results not to overwhelm you. However when you are searching for specific bits of information use a tool such as Google instead.

AltaVista
This search engine is fast and has a large database, offering plenty of searching options. It now offers specialised image, MP3/audio and video that let’s you do all sorts of fancy things, but in it’s basic mode it still excels at simple text keyword searches.

Google
This search engine is lightening fast, quite intelligent, and doesn’t overwhelm you with adverts and links to sites you are not interested in - it just offers you a simple search box and very little on-screen clutter.

When you submit a search you can either click the Google Search button to see a list of results, or you can click the I Feel Lucky button and automatically be taken to the site Google thinks is the most relevant.

Common words such as “and” and “where” are ignored in Google searches, so there’s no point in including these in your search term. Google also ignores capitalisation, so it doesn’t matter what case you type the query in. You can also used the advanced search to give you a more detailed options screen.

Yahoo
Yahoo is a directory which means it is very good at dealing with general requests but is not always so hot on specific topics. However, unlike many directories, that isn’t actually a problem.

When you do a search using Yahoo you get three types of result. Firstly you get Yahoo Category Matches - these contain hundreds of sites that might be relevant to your search. You should browse these first. Next up you get specific sites that match your search criteria. These are listed along with the category they can be found in (so you can explore further afield). Last, but certainly not least you get a further set of sites that are provided by the search engine Google, which has millions of Web pages indexed, so if it can’t find your request you should consider rephrasing it.

There are two ways to search Yahoo - you can enter your query in the search box or you can manually plough through the categories. Yahoo also ignores case so searching for Tomb Raider will bring up the same entries as looking for tomb raider or TOMB RAIDER.

Ask Jeeves
Most typical keyword-based Web search engines are based on databases compiled by machines, which trawl the Web all day long and index the occurrences of keywords in any sites they encounter. However the database of answers to questions that Ask Jeeves knows is compiled by human beings. This means that if you are interested in a topic someone is likely to have asked about before, you’ll probably find the answer a lot quicker at Ask Jeeves than you could if you ran a keyword search at a site such as Google. Conversely though, if you're after information on a particular obscure topic, then Ask Jeeves probably isn’t the best place to start you search.

How to use search engines

Every page on the Internet has its own unique address, known as a URL - usually made up of a few words and dots. The simplest way to get to a specific page is to put this address at the top of the first page you come to when you go onto the Internet - the window with all the http:// stuff in it. Once you have put in the address and hit the Return key you will go straight to that page.

However you may not know the URL for what you are looking for and this is where a search engine comes in. Basically these are the Internet equivalents of the Yellow Pages. They let you search - or surf - the Internet.

When you use a search engine there is also another field below the address field where you can type in words or phrases. The search engine will then trawl through the Internet picking out Web sites containing those words and list them for you.

Putting inverted commas around the words instructs your search engine to only dig out sites that include the phrase within the commas.

Inserting a + sign in between the words works in a similar way. It tells the search engine to search for sites that include all the words linked with pluses.

You can be even more specific than that by using the advanced search. This takes you to a page where you can refine what you are looking for still further. For example, you can choose to search only listings added in the past three years. If you want to see the full range of searches available, click on the advanced search syntax link above and to the right of the search button.

Be obvious when you look for a Web site. If you are after the Web site of a well known company or organisation sometimes it pays to simply type in the name. So, if you want to find the Walt Disney site either type walt disney in the search field, or in the address field type www.disney.com.

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