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In our current newsletter...

Make your PC difficult to steal, easy to recover

For little or no money, you can lower the chances that your computer will be targeted by thieves. Take a few simple steps now to make your notebook and desktop PCs easier to recover should they ever be lost. Read more »

Topics in the free newsletter:

• Over 12,000 readers got a bonus — did you?

• Fred's departure triggers a torrent of 'thanks'

• A Japanese take on full-body massages

Topics in the paid newsletter:

• Rearrange your keyboard the free and easy way

• Free tool roots out software vulnerabilities

Recent headlines from past newsletters

Thwart malware attacks by locking out bad sites

Bolster your antivirus, firewall, and antispyware protection by customizing the IP address manager built into Windows. Redirect ad servers and other undesirable addresses in Windows' Hosts file and update your unwanted-address list automatically for free with the HostsMan utility. May 1, 2008

Nine must-have freeware apps rise to the top

The "best freeware" lists published by Web sites and magazines frequently trumpet dozens of programs, but the results reflect the subjective opinions of just one or two testers. To find the best of the best, I compared roundups of "great" freeware conducted recently by several reputable publications to find the programs that were top-rated by at least three of the reviews. April 24, 2008

Flash ads bearing malware plague popular sites

A Flash-based advertisement that appeared last week on the USA Today site downloaded malicious code to users' computers, generating erroneous warnings of a malware infestation and offering a phony solution. The Flash vulnerability is so widespread that such "malvertisements" may be present on thousands of sites, but there are measures you can take to reduce your exposure. April 17, 2008

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 of the Windows Secrets Newsletter. He was editor of Byte Magazine (1987 to 1991) and editorial director of CMP Media (1991 to 1996), overseeing Windows Magazine and others. He edited the LangaList e-mail newsletter from 1997 to 2006, when it merged with Windows Secrets.