June 12, 2008
Get the secret history of the Internet
On the Way to the Web: The Secret History of the Internet and Its Founders (photo, left) won't be available in stores for weeks. But Windows Secrets readers can get the best chapters now. Read more »
Get our free search add-ins for Firefox and IE 7
We're doing our part to make it easy for you to get the technical info you need about Microsoft Windows. We've developed for your use, absolutely free, two browser search add-ins that let you fetch articles not just from WindowsSecrets.com but also from an expert set of Windows-specific sites on the Web. Read more »
Free add-ons teach Windows Explorer new tricks
You can choose from dozens of file managers to replace Windows Explorer — some of them are even free — but only the original is so closely integrated into the OS. Before you give Explorer the boot, check out some first-rate add-ons that turn Windows' tired file browser into the information manager of the future. Read more »
'Hi, I'm popping corn — can I call you back?'
Microwaves have long been the standard appliance for popping popcorn. But what if you want to avoid those harmful rays that supposedly shrink your head if you stand too close? Or you may be somewhere with no access to a microwave and absolutely need your popcorn fix right this minute. Read more »
Two top defraggers speed your disk accesses
Free, easy-to-use disk defragmenters and optimizers let you consolidate scattered files to maximize the performance of Windows XP and Vista. One program lets you select for yourself which files to reunite and move to the fastest areas of your drive, while the other utility makes the disk-optimization choices for you. Read more »
How reliable are antivirus lab tests? 
Several different labs conduct tests that pit antivirus solutions against various sets of malware circulating in the wilds of the Internet. Now questions are being raised about the effectiveness of the tests in representing real-world PC threats and how accurately they reflect an antivirus program's ability to prevent infections. Read more »
Windows XP Service Pack 3 gets official fixes
The repeating reboots caused by XP SP3 on non-Intel systems have been quelled, but there's still no rush to install the OS's last service pack. Symantec's FAQ addresses concerns with both XP SP3 and Vista SP1, while Microsoft's Knowledge Base article avoids singling out AMD processors. Read more »