Subscribers: Sign in

• Subscribe
• Recent headlines
• Editors

• Current
• Library
• Upgrade
• Ads
• Preferences
• Unsubscribe

• Query
• Plug-ins

• Cameras
• Displays
• Mobile
• PCs
• Peripherals
• Security
• Storage

• By score
• By date
• By author

• Staff
• Refunds
• Press
• Contact
• Privacy policy

In our latest articles...

Dozens of Windows Secrets readers confirm that Windows sometimes installs updates without displaying a list of patches that a user can accept or decline. If Automatic Updates were set to install patches without user intervention, no notice would be expected, but a bug appears to be installing patches upon shutdown in certain cases, even though Windows is configured to require user approval. Read more »

Topics in our free content:

• Free ways to save money and energy with your PC

• Forced updates plague Windows users worldwide

• Fake e-mails to patch Outlook lead to malware

• The cure for the office cheerleader is here!

Topics in our paid content:

• Test-drive Windows 7 in a virtual machine

• Efficiently organize your portable applications

• Avoid early Windows 7 upgrade surprises

Recent headlines from past articles

Windows XP and Vista have started installing updates at shutdown, in certain cases, without displaying a warning or requesting permission, according to reports by several readers. The forced-install behavior has been witnessed at least three times by Windows Secrets editors, but Microsoft says its procedure for Automatic Updates hasn't changed in the last 10 months. June 25, 2009

If you're thinking of skipping the next expensive Microsoft Office upgrade, you can begin preparing today for the move to a free Office-like suite or Web service. A gradual and easy transition allows you to avoid any possible file incompatibilities, because you can still keep an old copy of Office available as a safety net. June 18, 2009

Going by such names as Gumblar, JSRedir-R, Martuz, and Beladin, a new generation of malware has managed to surreptitiously place malicious JavaScript code on tens of thousands of popular Web sites. The hacker scripts try to infect site visitors and then attempt to use their compromised PCs to spread the infection to yet other sites. June 11, 2009

Last week, Microsoft dropped its plan to enforce a three-concurrent-app limit on Windows 7 Starter Edition — the version of the new OS that will be preinstalled only on small PCs, such as netbooks. Microsoft is still expected, however, to restrict netbook hardware configurations that are eligible for Starter Edition pricing, which means your choices for cheap netbooks may be hobbled — at least in the near term. June 4, 2009

If you followed the instructions in the May 21 Top Story to build new systems without installing the trouble-prone Windows Genuine Advantage app, you may want to patch your PC using something other than Windows Update, which offers again and again to install WGA. My favorite third-party software update service is currently the Shavlik Patch Google Gadget, although Secunia's Personal Software Inspector is a worthwhile alternative. May 28, 2009

If you're a legitimate Microsoft customer, you can download and install all the Windows updates you need without running Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) and exposing yourself to the false positives it's become known for. In today's article, I explain how to install Windows XP and upgrade it with every available security fix and many optional updates as well, without ever installing WGA. May 21, 2009

About the editors

Brian Livingston, editorial director of WindowsSecrets.com, is co-author of Windows Vista Secrets, Windows Me Secrets, and nine other books in the Windows Secrets series. He was named Entrepreneur of the Year at the 6th annual Internet Content Summit in New York City on May 8, 2006.

Fred Langa is editor-at-large. His LangaList Newsletter merged with Windows Secrets on Nov. 16, 2006. Prior to that, Fred was editor of Byte Magazine (1987 to 1991) and editorial director of CMP Media (1991 to 1996), overseeing Windows Magazine and others.

More on our staff