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Make Vista Look Like XP

"I just got Windows Vista, after using XP for many years. Frankly, I'm not crazy about the Vista look and feel... are there some tweaks I can use to make Vista look more like XP?"...

Malware Scanners

"There are so many malware scanners to choose from, when trying to protect against adware, spyware and other online threats. Which one(s) do you recommend?"...

Gmail - New Features

Google recently added some nifty new features to Gmail, their free web-based email service. Here's a look a what's new in Gmail......

Disable Vista UAC

"I'm getting popups on Vista saying "Windows needs your permission to continue." Is this spyware or something I need to deal with? If it's part of Vista, can I turn this annoying 'feature' off?"...

"Windows is giving me a warning that says 'You are running out of disk space on Local Disk (C:).' My friend told me this is not important and offered to disable the warning popup for me, but I'm not sure....

What is Twitter?

"What's the deal with Twitter? Some of my friends are telling me how great it is, but when I checked out the site, it seems like just a stream of random personal comments from people who don't even know each...

Free Anti-Virus Programs

"I've been using the free Norton antivirus package that came with my computer, but the subscription will expire in a few days. Are the free anti-virus programs any good? What do you recommend?"...

Burn ISO Image

"I just downloaded an ISO image file for a Linux install, but I can't figure out how to burn the ISO image to a CD. Can you help?"...

Revealing Your Email Address

Last week I did a search for dolls (I'm a collector) and accidentally wound up visiting an adult site that sells dolls of a very different sort! Now it seems like I'm getting a lot more adult-related spam than ever....

Red Fist Appears

"When on some websites, if I click on a link a "red fist" icon appears next to my pointer and I am not redirected to that link. What is this red fist, and how can I access those links?"...

Spyware or Virus?

"I had an anti virus program by McAfee but uninstalled because it was bogging my computer down. I now have anti spyware software, so do I still need to get an anti virus program? What is the difference between viruses...

Remove PurityScan

"This PurityScan software is driving me crazy with popups. Spyware Doctor claimed to remove it, but after a restart it was back. Adaware and other spyware removal programs couldn't even detect it. Can you help me remove PurityScan from my...

System Restore

"Help! I downloaded a program that was supposed to remove spyware from my computer. But now I'm getting even MORE popups and my system freezes at random intervals. I tried to uninstall but can't find a way to get rid...

Backup Outlook Express

"How can I backup my Outlook Express emails and address book? I tried the Export function but that doesn't work. I can't even drag and drop from the Inbox folder to a diskette or CDROM. Help!"...

Should I Buy Anti-Spyware or Anti-Virus Software?

"Task Manager shows I have 50+ processes running, and I have no idea which ones are slowing down my system. Should I regularly run SpyBot, AdAware and other freeware, or should I pay for a supposedly better program? I read...

Computer Humor

"Every day I get the same lame jokes in my email that have been making the rounds for years. Are there some websites you can recommend for really good computer humor?"...

Free Internet Software

So, you've got a web browser and an email program... Is that all the Internet software you'll ever need? Maybe, but first take a look at some of the nifty tools that are reviewed in this article. I think you'll...

Do I Need a Firewall?

"I've heard conflicting reports on whether or not I should be using a firewall. Some people say they are only needed for dialup users. Others say you MUST have a firewall if you have a highspeed DSL or cable connection....

Removing Winfixer Popups

"I've been getting those very annoying Winfixer popups. My popup blocker is set to High. I have Ad-Aware, Spybot Search & Destroy and even Microsoft AntiSpyware. But no matter what I try they keep coming back. I’ve searched for help...

Firefox Plugin Problem

A few months ago my FireFox autodownloaded a plugin called Zoomin. They then advised me that they had done this by a popup which instructed me to "click here to continue". When I clicked, the thing hacked my homepages (11...

Make Windows XP Run Faster!

"My Windows startup seems to be taking a long time, and once it finally stops churning, everything seems to run slower than it used to. Can you suggest any maintenance tips to make Windows XP start and run faster?" I...

How Does a Virus Spread?

"I love your site and your Tourbus Newsletter! I would like to know how a virus propagates over a network? If you get a virus on one computer - do other users on the network have to do anything to...

Free Virus Scan

"My computer has been acting strangely... at times it's very slow and I'm getting lots of popups. I'm afraid I have a virus, and the anti-virus software that came with my computer has expired. Can you recommend a good (and...

Making Windows XP Start Faster

"My computer startup seems to be taking a long time. It's sometimes three or four minutes before the hard disk stops churning and I can launch a program. I'm sure it used to boot up faster -- can you suggest...

Downloading Security Patches

"I get messages informing me of viruses and asking me to download patches at www.spw5e.com and www.updatepatch.info. Are these downloads safe?" Ackkkk, NO! Run for the hills!...

Spy, Counter-Spy

Is your computer running slower than usual? Has your browser's start page been hijacked? Having trouble reaching your favorite search engine? Popups driving you crazy? Most likely your computer is infested with spyware, the cockroaches of the digital age....

Search Tips

For best results, use just ONE or TWO keywords. This search engine looks for all words in any order. To search for an exact phrase, enclose the phrase in quotes. You may also use AND, OR, and NOT keywords to specify boolean expressions. For example:

"format drive"

spyware OR virus

phone NOT cell

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