Windows XP, at the time of this writing, has a large install base, but no one has stepped up to support this market as it is getting smaller. Should you keep using it?
leo notenboom
Ask Leo: A slash through https in your browser’s address bar?
A slash through the padlock, the https, or the https appearing in red all mean one thing: something’s wrong. Exactly what’s wrong can vary.
Ask Leo: Kindle for Free on Your PC
Kindle is much more than a physical reader. Amazon has made Kindle reading applications available for FREE on most popular platforms.
Ask Leo: Will You Lose Internet Access in July?
When a major malware infection was discovered last year, a temporary solution was created on the internet. On July 9th, 2012, it’s scheduled to go away.
Ask Leo: Is Your Deleted Data Still Recoverable?
What looks like overwriting a file’s data often is not. I’ll look at how files are updated and what that implies for their recoverability.
Ask Leo: Does Google Know Everything About You?
Google’s new privacy policy pulls together their existing policies into one place. There’s nothing really new; they already have a lot of data on you.
Ask Leo: How do I get my files back from a closed upload site?
When megaupload.com was taken offline, many users’ files were rendered inaccessible. If a service provider goes away, it’s clear that you can lose your data.
Ask Leo: How long can I keep running my copy of Windows?
Windows has what’s called a ‘lifecycle’ – a series of stages beginning with release. I’ll review what happens as a version of Windows nears end-of-life.
Ask Leo: 7 Things Your Sysadmin Probably Won’t Tell You
If you run a website and have someone administering it for you, they may have much more power than you realize. With great power … comes great risk.
Ask Leo: Should You Disable the Broadcast of Your Wireless SSID ?
The SSID identifies your wireless access point to any computers in range. Having a unique one is helpful, but hiding it is only marginally more secure.
Ask Leo: Combine two internet connections to get a faster connection?
Everyone wants a faster internet connection. I’m frequently asked if it’s possible to combine two or more connections for speed. The answer is yes … but.
Ask Leo: How do I upgrade from 32-bit to 64-bit Windows?
If you have a 64-bit capable machine, you may want to upgrade from 32-bit Windows to 64. Unfortunately, the upgrade, while quite possible, isn’t easy.
Ask Leo: Why I don’t like System Restore
System Restore is a pretty nifty feature in concept. In practice, I see it have too many problems to feel comfortable relying on it.
Ask Leo: What do I do when Windows Explorer crashes?
Windows Explorer is the workhorse behind the Windows user interface. In many ways it *is* Windows. I’ll cover what to look for when it crashes.
Ask Leo: Most Popular Questions of 2011
The 10 most popular questions for 2011 as measured by visits to Ask Leo! This year’s top issue? Email account theft.
Ask Leo: Get rid of questionable Hotmail auto-completes?
If you’re finding unrecognized and adult entries in Hotmail’s auto-complete, there’s a good chance that you have Messenger invitations that you don’t know about.
Ask Leo: How do I disable Internet Explorer add-ons?
Internet Explorer add-ons are a common cause of problems that are incorrectly blamed on IE itself. I’ll show you how to disable IE add-ons.
Ask Leo: Will you help fix my account? My username & password are …
In a desperate move to resolve account access issues, people are frequently trusting people they shouldn’t and providing too much private information.
Ask Leo: Can I remove Internet Explorer if I never use it?
It’s not uncommon to use a web browser other than Internet Explorer. What you may not realize is that you’re still using IE for other things.
Ask Leo: How do I safely backup an infected drive?
Once your machine is infected, system backups are likely to include the infection as well. I’ll look at what steps to take when that happens.
Ask Leo: How do I recover from a bad virus infection?
Recovering from a bad virus infection isn’t always easy, but there are some things to try before drastic measures need to be taken.
Leo: How to Protect Your Email Address Book
With email account hacking on the rise, it’s important to understand what it takes to keep your account and its address book safe from compromise.
Ask Leo: Think hard before hitting ‘Forward’. Then think again.
By forwarding email that includes previously-forwarded email addresses, you’re exposing all of those people to a couple of risks and annoyances.
Ask Leo: Why you need different passwords on different accounts?
Using a different password for every login is an important part of overall security and doesn’t have to be difficult.
Ask Leo: Why didn’t Microsoft fix this horrible bug?
Not all bugs will be fixed – or fixed quickly. Not all bugs are even actually bugs. I’ll look at why some bugs might never get fixed.
Ask Leo: Does keeping an unencrypted copy of encrypted data make sense?
It sounds counter-intuitive, but keeping an unencrypted copy of encrypted data not only makes sense, but it can protect it from certain types of loss.
Ask Leo: Is deleting a file and emptying my recycle bin enough?
Deleted files might be easily recovered unless you take additional steps to ensure that they’re not. I’ll look at why and what to do.
Ask Leo: Do I need this add-on recommended by this software installation?
Many free software installs include offers of additional optional software packages. If done deceptively, you could end up with software that you don’t want.
Ask Leo: Just how easy is it to sniff network traffic?
We often hear that we need to protect ourselves from data sniffing, particularly at open WiFi hotspots. I’ll look at what and how easy sniffing is.
Ask Leo: How do I figure out who owns an IP address?
While you cannot find the specific owner of an IP address, I’ll look at a few tools to see what IP-related information you can get.
Ask Leo: Why aren’t illegal sites easier to track down?
With all of today’s technology, one would think that it would be easy to track down the owners of “illegal” sites. It’s much more complicated than that.
Ask Leo: Do all these email bounces mean I have a bot infection?
With all the focus on malware, it’s easy to assume your computer has an infection if you suddenly get a lot of bounced email. That’s typically not the cause.
Ask Leo: How much of my search history could be recovered?
Web searches are stored in your browser history, but even deleting that may not be enough to prevent the discovery of what you’ve been searching for.
Ask Leo: How did a website install malware on my PC?
An unfortunately common attack vector for malware is via malicious or hacked websites. I’ll look at the signs, and the steps you need to take.
Ask Leo: Time to Dedicate a Machine to Online Banking?
Using a dedicated machine is one approach to significantly improving the security of online opertations. I’ll examine the approach and alternatives.
Ask Leo: Next Steps for Victims of Microsoft Support Scam
By Leo Notenboom
A very common scam has people supposedly from Microsoft or your ISP or other authorities calling to help you with computer problems. Don’t fall for it.
Ask Leo: Are You Being Stalked by Ad Networks?
By Leo Notenboom
Contextual advertising uses on-site clues and additional information to place ads that are likely to be useful to site visitors, or to you.
Ask Leo: How long should a password be?
By Leo Notenboom
For years, the standard practice has been to assume that eight-character passwords made up of sufficiently random characters was enough. Not any more.
Ask Leo: Is my information safe in the cloud?
By Leo Notenboom
‘The Cloud’ is the latest buzzword for internet-based services. Before diving in, it’s important to understand a few things about cloud security.
Ask Leo: Is it safe to run as admin now that Windows 7 has UAC?
By Leo Notenboom
There are situations where running a limited user account is the right thing to do, but running as an administrator is often more practical.
Ask Leo: Can I switch back to Windows XP from Windows 7?
By Leo Notenboom
It’s very possible to remove Windows 7 and switch back to Windows XP. I’ll describe how. In my opinion, however, switching back to Windows XP is a mistake.
Ask Leo: How do I get rid of the accounts created by the store from which I purchased my new machine?
By Leo Notenboom
When purchasing a new machine, not only are you entitled to a clean software install, but it’s critical for your security.
Ask Leo: How to use an open WiFi hotspot safely
By Leo Notenboom
Open WiFi hotspots at coffee shops, airports and other public places are opportunities for hackers to steal information. I’ll review how to stay safe.
Ask Leo: Why Outlook Express Must Die
By Leo Notenboom
Outlook Express’s day has come and gone. It’s unsupported and often loses email. I’ll explain what I think you should do instead.
Ask Leo: Why does my PC say I need to be administrator, when I am?
By Leo Notenboom
In Windows Vista and Windows 7, your account may be administrator but you still may be denied access, saying you need to be administrator. I’ll show why and what to do.
Ask Leo: Will computers ever be malware & bug free?
By Leo Notenboom
It’s not uncommon for folks to ask why computer systems seem as fragile and as vulnerable as they so often do. It’s a legitimate question.
Ask Leo: Will IPv6 break my internet on old machines?
By Leo Notenboom
Recent news reports about the transition to IPv6 have many people concerned. For the average consumer, I believe there’s little if any immediate impact.
Ask Leo: You Have to Keep IE Up to Date
By Leo Notenboom
In general if you don’t have or use a particular piece of software then you
can safely ignore the updates and or vulnerability notifications that you might
run across.
In general.
Internet Explorer, on the other hand, is a special case. Use it or not, you
must keep it up to date.
Ask Leo: How can I make an income working online?
By Leo Notenboom
Making money online sounds like a wonderful opportunity. It is. It’s also a lot of work, if you have the personality for it.
Ask Leo: Is an online backup service a good idea?
By Leo Notenboom
Backing up data using an online backup service is lucrative, and can be an important part of an overall strategy – within limits.