April 24, 2008
Microsoft exec loses his cool on Vista upgrades
Scott Dunn was the first journalist to reveal on Apr. 3, 2008, that Vista Service Pack 1 allows its "upgrade edition" to be clean-installed just like its "full edition." This is a feature that hasn't changed in Vista since I described it back on Feb. 1, 2007. Read more »
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 four reputable publications to find the programs that were endorsed by at least three of the reviews. Read more »
Keep malvertisements from infecting your PC
Some of the Flash ads that crowd your browser are serving up more than just another annoying sales pitch. Windows Secrets readers suggest simple and free methods for protecting yourself against an onslaught of malware-toting advertisements. Read more »
A new twist on table manners
Mothers spend years teaching their children to keep their elbows off the table, chew their food with their mouths closed, and avoid slurping their drinks. Read more »
How Firefox 3 blocks bad sites better
With the release of Firefox 3 imminent, your ability to identify and block "bad" Web sites automatically is about to take a giant leap forward. A fascinating new feature in the browser adds near-real-time — and anonymous — checking to stop phishing and other malicious sites in their tracks. Read more »
Detect zombie PCs by sniffing your network
If one of the PCs on your network were infected with a botnet, how would you know? Identify the interloper by using the free Wireshark network monitor, which also helps you troubleshoot e-mail and other programs that fail to establish or maintain a network connection. Read more »
Finally, here comes XP Service Pack 3
On the heels of Vista Service Pack 1 comes the update that far more Windows users have been anticipating. Unfortunately, XP Service Pack 3 is an unremarkable update for everyone except network admins, who will appreciate the additional control over wired and wireless connections offered by SP3's Network Access Protection. Read more »
