The Jeffrey And Tracey Info Emporium

Another excellent reason for getting a home alarm system is to get help faster in case of a fire. There are home alarm systems with a fire alarm. When this fire alarm is tripped, the local fire department is called automatically. Many fires which destroy homes start when no one is home. If there is no one home there is no one to call the fire department, usually until it is too late. Many fires which take the lives of family members happen at night when everyone is sleeping. With a home alarm system, the fire department can be notified even before anyone is woken by the fire, saving the lives of family members and pets.

Many home alarm systems today can detect a deadly problem which is not able to be seen or heard. Homeowners may not even know it is a problem in their home because it causes damage silently. It is called carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is created when gas, propane, or even coals are burned. When this gas is leaking in your home, you will not see it or smell it. Family members who are awake will begin to get a headache and possibly nauseous. This is an alert that something is wrong. If the family is sleeping and the carbon monoxide begins leaking, they may never wake up. Carbon monoxide poisoning kills hundreds of people each year. A home alarm system will alert the family when there is a carbon monoxide leak. This can save the lives you the entire family.

Identity theft is becoming a bigger problem as more and more people are making the internet a bigger part of their lives. People who are new to the online medium often fall prey to ‘phishing’ or other internet identity theft schemes. In many cases the ‘phishing party’ uses your credit card to order goods for them selves, in other cases they will apply for credit cards, set up bank accounts, and take advantage of your good credit rating. Correcting these issues involves a lot of time energy and stress, so here are ten tips to help you from becoming a victim of identity theft.

Use a disposable email account. Keep your business or personal email account just for business or personal communication. If you are going to be making purchases online, joining newsgroups, or subscribing to mailing lists and ezines use a disposable email account. There are many online free accounts such as yahoo, hotmail or grail, and most of them can interface with popular email clients like outlook or outlook express. Use one of them for all of your shopping transactions.

Disguise your online identity. If your real name in Mary Smith try to avoid using email accounts with name like msmith@example.com when dealing with people you don’t know and trust. If you were born in 1972 don’t chose msmith1972@example.com as your email account.

Use different level passwords. Use one password for your personal information, use another for your business accounts and a third for your disposable email accounts or mailing lists you sign up for. Don’t use sequential passwords like password1 for personal use password2 for business, and password 3 for disposable accounts.

Use strong passwords. Don’t use your birthdates, year you were married, or your children’s birthdates. Avoid choosing passwords that consist entirely of letters or numbers. Also try to avoid using passwords that are actual words. The best passwords are mnemonic phrases like “my father ate three apples for breakfast”. Take the first letter of each word and convert the number into numbers and you end up with “mfa3a4b”.

Rotate your passwords. You should change your passwords every 6 to 12 months. If you suspect your passwords have been compromised change them as a safety precaution.

Use only one credit card for all of your online purchases. If any of your other credit cards have online transactions you know they are fraudulent. If you see offline purchases for your online credit card you also know they are fraudulent.

Use credit cards instead of debit cards. While many debit cards now offer online purchase protection it’s easier to dispute fraudulent charges than to recover debit card funds that have already been spent.

When you make purchases online make sure your transactions are secure. In the address bar you should see “https” and not “http”. There should also be small lock icon in your browser. If this is your first purchase from the company make sure the issuing company is someone you have heard of like Verisign, or Thawte.

Check a company’s privacy policy. When you make your first transaction make sure your check the privacy policy, look for logos from consumer groups like Trust-E and the better business bureau. Click the logos to make sure they are authentic.

Never open or fill out email requests for you to update you account or credit card settings via email. These are ‘phishing’ scams people use to try and secure your personal information. Many of them are growing increasingly sophisticated and go to great lengths to look exactly like the companies website using their exact logo.

© Computers.6ln.com, All Rights Reserved.

This article was written by Jim Faller of computers.6ln.com a website with information about viruses, spyware, adware, backups, data recovery and computer security.

Is your home going to be empty for several days while you go on vacation? That’s when your home or apartment is most vulnerable to break-ins.

Here are several specific things you can do to ensure your home stays safe even when you are away.

* The best defense for your home is to have a house sitter. There’s no getting around it. A house where someone is staying is almost always safer than a house that’s empty. See if you can get a trusted friend or relative to stay at home while you are away.

* Stop your mail delivery and newspaper delivery for the entire time you are away. An overflowing mailbox or piles of newspaper advertises that no one’s home. Alternatively, get a neighbor to collect them regularly.

* Similarly, if you keep a garden or have potted plants that are visible, get someone to come in regularly and maintain them. Wilted and dying plants are another signal that the house is uninhabited. At the very least, move the potted plants out of sight.

* Put lights as well as TV / radio on timers. Put lights on timers in multiple rooms. Try to create a natural-looking sequence for the lights. Set the timer to turn on the living room lights at sunset. Later on, at your regular bedtime, set it to switch off the living room lights and turn on the bedroom lights at around the same time.

If you regularly turn on the TV at 8:00 pm and it remains switched on till 11:00 pm, set the timer accordingly. Quite often, even if the lights are on, the absence of the bluish glow from the TV can give away the fact that no one’s really home.

* Ask a neighbor to drop into your house regularly, if you don’t have a house sitter. Windows being opened and closed, curtains being worked and so on are signs that someone is home.

* If you live in a rented home or apartment, you may want to notify your landlord that you will be away. In fact, some lease agreements stipulate that you must inform them if you are going away. Some landlords like to keep an eye on an empty house, even if they don’t enter it.

* If you have an alarm system installed, make sure the house sitter knows how to operate it.

* Leave your contact details with the house sitter and/or neighbor. Whoever is checking on the house should know who they should call if there is a problem.

Joe Timbers has written on home security ideas including how to enhance home security, home security tips while on vacation and more. Click on the previous links to see some of his articles.

“Rest Assured Your Computer Files Are Not As Secure As You Think They Are, This Article On 448 Delta Is The Beginning Stage To Your Hard Drive — Your File Data Security Patiently Awaits Its Purpose; To Encrypt or be Decrypted Is The Question…?”

Are you getting fed up with hackers tapping into your hard drive and breaking down the barriers to your firewall?

Or are you flat out insecure about your computer? If you are then it’s because you do not have enough security encryption going on.

Critics say approximately 97.3% of computers are traceable, hack able and just straight up insecure. There’s not enough encrypted software going around where your computer privacy is in good safe hands, not even your own.

This goes to show you only 2.7% of computers have the proper security features for their protection. It’s amazing how such a small group upgrades their protection and not just with security but with wisdom.

Here are 5 reasons why you should know about 448Delta Encryption;

•Hackers are constantly seeking to steal data from your computer.

•Firewalls are being broken through and don’t emit enough protection.

•Your client data has extreme value, keep it safe as if it were in a hidden vault.

•Never lose your file data and keep your file privacy to yourself.

•448Delta allows you to feel secure about the files on your computer while you’re asleep.

Not being able to encrypt your desktop and hard drives files can cost hundreds, thousands or even millions of dollars just because someone feels like tampering with your data.

I’m sure you hear stories about someone’s computer getting bugged with a virus or possibly a hacker stole some information. Whether this may be the case or not, you need t be introduced to this security tool called 448Delta Bit Encryption.

448Delta Encryption is an easy to use file and folder encryption application that uses a 448-Bit Blow-Fish encryption algorithm. It is capable of encrypting single files or packing entire directory structures containing over 10,000 files and folders into one encrypted package.

448Delta also supports compression and self-extracting executables making it a great archive tool. The 448Delta Encryption software device is a powerful security tool which can prevent anyone from capturing and viewing your personal or business files.

The 448Delta software is really neat and very easy to use. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure it out. Just to give you an idea, when you right click on the file you want encrypted, you can secure the file with 448 Bit Encryption.

Once you’ve set your encrypted password to a secure parity level, you can erase your old file since the new file exists with its security enabled feature. One thing I will suggest if you don’t have a great memory and that is this…..Write down or study and memorize your password. Trust me it will save you from losing your data.

One time I submitted a 228 parity level password and I ended up forgetting it because it was so long and ended up losing some valuable information. I would hate to see this happen to you.

Computer security is growing rapidly by the minute and the only one who has control over their files of information is you. I also strongly suggest you equip your pc with an armed fire wall for your vital protection.

I recommend going with something like Zone Alarm which is free shareware. The Zone Alarm Pro edition where you get full features and benefits is on the net for only about thirty bucks.

Also if you’re using a router with a built-in fire wall, I would highly recommend configuring it properly as a second option.

If you wish to scope out some more additive information on 448Delta and view the screen shots then pursue the resource below.

In description of, Joseph Mercado is known as The Internet Marketing Tyrant of security software information;
http://www.hiddensecuritysecrets.com

Blaster, Welchia, Sobig, W32, Backdoor, Trojan, Melissa, Klez, Worm, Loveletter, Nimda… Do these names sound Familiar?

Have you been as bothered by viruses this past year as I have? Does it seem like there are more viruses, worms and Trojans out now then ever before? It is only getting worse.

For the general public, “virus” has become a catchall term for any unwanted program that spreads from computer-to-computer; yet, in reality, there are differences between viruses, worms and Trojan horses.

Worms reside in active memory, are self replicating, and usually use native operating system components to do so. Trojans are programs in which malicious or harmful code is contained inside apparently harmless programming or data. Viruses are pieces of programming code that cause some unexpected and usually undesirable event. All of them can really ruin your day.

Everyone who uses a computer can catch a virus. Borrowing disks, swapping floppies, moving data from one machine to another, sending and receiving e-mail, the list goes on. If you use the Internet, your chances increase, even if you use a dial-up modem. Some viruses can be caught just by visiting infected websites.

There are over 50,000 active viruses today. But on any given day, only a few hundred viruses pose a serious threat to your computer. Some of the most destructive–Melissa, Love Letter, and more recent Blaster–caused millions of dollars in damage.

Many systems and networks never completely recover from a virus attack. Though a virus protection program is imperative to your computer’s health, it does not in any way ensure your safety.

To be effective antivirus programs require proper setup and frequent updates. Newer applications have built in updaters and if installed properly require almost mo maintenance. However, older programs required user interaction to get the latest definitions.

In a corporate environment, a system can be installed in which the users have no dealings with the antivirus application at all. All monitoring is done by the network administrator and on the server level.

A primary server with groups and group leaders can be defined during setup. Specific systems are assigned to groups usually based on their physical location. The primary server automatically gets its updates from the antivirus vendor. The group leaders then get their updates from the primary server and distribute them to all the members on a daily basis. The network administrator monitors one system that can control the scanning, updating and managing for the entire network.

How can you stay protected?

1. Install anti-virus software and keep the virus definitions up to date.

2. Don’t automatically open attachments and make sure your email program doesn’t do so automatically.

3. Scan all e-mail attachments.

4. Configure your anti-virus software to boot automatically on start-up and run at all times.

5. Avoid downloading files you can’t be sure are safe. This includes freeware, screensavers, games, and any other executable program.

6. Don’t use floppies, but if you must, scan them before using them.

7. Educate yourself and your users to learn how to spot viruses.

All past articles written by Greg Richburg are available at http://www.netricks.com/news. Please address article suggestions to: info@netricks.com. Greg Richburg a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer and the owner of Netricks, Inc. for wed design adn hosting, and KlickCommerce for Internet Marketing Strategies. Please visit http://www.klickcommerce.com/.

Watching how the traditional media covers the latest virus or scam would make one think we are all innocent victims and it is the “evil Internet” at work once again. News flash! Innocent? More like uninformed. Victim? In many cases add the word “willing.” The media’s point of view and how they choose to portray these occurrences always makes me chuckle.

In the past decade, there has been very little progress when it comes to onliners wanting to acquire just enough information and knowledge to know how to protect themselves. They throw their hands up claiming “I’m not a techie!” while they proceed to want to participate in “technienology.” The truth is these issues are part and parcel of participation.

Many do not update their virus programs (that is if they even have one in the first place) and they believe some of the most gratuitously ridiculous offers. That is as long as those “offers” insinuate easy riches with little effort or expense. To that end; there is your weakest link. The propensity to believe misinformation that caters to one’s inner desires.

When did plain old common sense go out the window? Why do the natural rules of trust, common sense and due diligence for some reason not seem to apply online? Off-line if these tactics were used, most would probably laugh the salesperson right out of the building! But online, we enter the surreal world of possibilities combined with the perception that some of the most important issues of all are ours to ignore or disregard if we so please.

When it comes to impeding scams and viruses there are three simple solutions:

1. For Scams: Simply don’t believe it; none of it! If it comes in an e-mail you didn’t request—just hit delete! If it’s on a Web site, do your due diligence to confirm claims and to ask for recommendations and proof. Investigate how long the site has been online. Read their terms and conditions. E-mail them with every single question you may have before you give them one red cent of your hard earned dollars. Only proceed if you receive timely and concise answers. Not willing to make these efforts? Then plan on getting ripped off and you deserve it! Buyer beware? More like buyer be informed!

2. For Viruses: Update your virus software every time you log on. Simple. Don’t click on any links within e-mails that you are not expecting. Most virus software has an automatic scheduler so that the software can update daily at specified times. Once this is setup you will no longer have to manually update. Then, keep your update subscription current. Remember, you computer doesn’t know what to protect you from without these updates!

3. Make an effort in both these areas to understand the tools and resources available to you to help you participate in a smart and informed manner. You can literally check anything out online by searching Google to find reviews, warnings or even accolades and recommendations. Take the time to use and absorb the information available to you if you want to participate in information technology!

By following the above three steps, those who create viruses wouldn’t have a leg to stand on and the scammers would not be in business by taking advantage of what folks don’t want to take the time to understand or verify.

As long as Netizens do not make a concerned effort to be informed there will be someone out there willing to take advantage of them. Don’t blame technology; don’t blame the scammers and hackers. The blame should be placed with those who can easily avoid these situations, but choose to not be informed enough to do so.

About the Author:

Judith Kallos is an authoritative and good-humored Technology Muse who has played @ http://www.TheIStudio.com for over a decade.

Check out her popular Technology Cheat Sheets: http://www.LearnAndThrive.com

The world today is noisier than ever, and more pervasive. We are never alone –joggers have ipods to keep them company. We overhear bits of others phone conversations everywhere we go. A constant cacophony of information pours from a multitude of sources, some of it meant for you, some of it not.

We are migrating what used to be in private to the public world, with privacy no longer a given commodity. We have become a world under surveillance, by criminals, snoops and even our governing bodies. The price we pay is a creeping colonization of our privacy and a fundamental loss of personal security.

Nothing moves faster than the internet and email has become the preferred communications tool for those who want uninterrupted workflow, or those of us struggling to “stay in touch.” Currently, we have a Fast Food mentality towards email: speed versus quality becomes an issue. Replying to email in a timely manner often means having to respond to inputs more quickly with less time for thought, reflection, even accuracy. “You can’t make phone calls or personal visits to all your friends very often, but you can ‘cc’ them regularly with a couple of keystrokes. That turns out to be very important,” said Jeffrey Boase, co-author of the Pew Internet and American Life Project’s report, “The Strength of Internet Ties” report which surveyed the importance of online communications in the lives of 60 million Americans. (1)

Communicating quickly is not necessarily the same as communicating effectively. There are trade-offs that comes with the speed and efficiency of email, the top concession being security and ultimately, privacy.

With increasing dependency on email (and the internet in general) as a tool for faster communication comes the need to recognize it’s security shortcomings.

Shortcomings of all unencrypted email accounts:

- All messages are sent in clear text, making any intercepted message readable to anyone.

Shortcoming of free email services, such as Yahoo or Hotmail:

- They archive your email online, making it far too easy for hackers to crack accounts and access contents.

Shortcoming of Internet Service Provider (ISP):

- Although an ISP service will transfer messages you open to your own hard drive, a hacker can still get access to all email you haven’t opened yet.

Shortcoming of Web Services such as Google:

- It is now well documented that these services store your browser histories interminably, making your entire search history available for the asking.

- Search engines are not fully shielded by the 1986 Electronic Communications Privacy Act 2

We have had security issues for as long as we have had computers, and even today most computers do not have enough safeguards built in. Human management overhead can be expensive and complex, and inevitably there will be mistakes as well as ever evolving compliance issues to keep up with. The answer is to apply some intelligence and implement security products that will reduce the risk of error, products that can be effectively managed as assets of any business. Adopting a security solution creates a policy of preparedness versus reactionary scrambling in response to email incidents.

1.) “Internet serves as ’social glue’” BBCNews.com, 26 January, 2006, http://www.bbc.co.uk

2.) News.com’s article on their Google FAQ: http://news.com.com/FAQ

Schwarz is the director of corporate marketing at Essential Security Software (ESS), a provider of document and email security solutions. http://www.essentialsecurity.com

Two million American houses are burglarized according to the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association. A majority of these houses have no alarm system to warn off the burglars or to notify the occupants or neighbors that a burglary is taking place. Installing security equipment - security hardware and software for your home provides a peace of mind and alerts and reacts to any unauthorized entry. Below are the basic steps to purchasing and installing a home alarm system:

1. Survey your home and decide how many of the doors and windows of the house will be included in the alarm system.

2. Talk to a security system adviser, an insurance agent, or a local police department for names of security companies.

3. Call up each of the companies and ask for an inspection by them as well as a recommendation and a price quote.

4. Depending on the reason for the security alarms and your family’s normal lifestyle, pick the appropriate type, brand, and locations for sensors around the home.

5. A basic part of the security system to decide is the 24 hour monitoring system for an extra monthly fee. When there is an attempted robbery, a signal is automatically sent to security professionals that will contact the proper local police. A less expensive monitoring system will call pre-selected numbers for help when there is a break in.

6. Make sure all the zones can be controlled with one control panel. A zone is any window or door that is incorporated into the security system. The basic system can only control eight zones but it can be upgraded to control up to thirty two. These systems usually range around $350-400. Pick where the control panel will be placed as well as any other keypads throughout the house. The keypads in most houses are placed at the front door and in the bedroom, allowing certain components to be turned on or off while the control panel manages the entire system.

7. When looking for a home automation system, make sure that they connect to lighting, smoke, carbon monoxide, and flood sensors. A problem that quite a few systems have is that during the winter their switches freeze so consult an authority for its practicality during the winter.

8. Once the system is installed, the code should be easy to remember by everyone in the family and should be kept private under most circumstances. Make sure the keypad is user friendly and can activate and deactivate alarms in seconds.

9. There are many advantages to choosing wireless burglar alarms. One of the main ones is that there is no reason to drill too many holes in the wall. And if a retrofit comes into the scenario, having a wireless system becomes a huge convenience.

General Tips:

1. Check that the system has a backup battery power.

2. Ask about maintenance tests, how does them, and how often.

3. Choose the monitoring service before buying the system because the type of system limits what type of service you will receive.

Natalie Aranda writes about home and family. Two million American houses are burglarized according to the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association. A majority of these houses have no alarm system to warn off the burglars or to notify the occupants or neighbors that a burglary is taking place. Installing security equipment - security hardware and software for your home provides a peace of mind and alerts and reacts to any unauthorized entry. There are many advantages to choosing wireless burglar alarms. One of the main ones is that there is no reason to drill too many holes in the wall. And if a retrofit comes into the scenario, having a wireless system becomes a huge convenience.

Did you know…?

• 1 in 5 children who use computer chatrooms has been approached over the Internet by pedophiles.
• 89% of sexual solicitations were made in either chat rooms or Instant Messages.
• 13 million youth use Instant Messaging.
• 1 in 4 kids has been sent a picture of naked people or people having sex online.
• 1 in 33 kids received AGGRESSIVE sexual solicitation (asked to meet, called them via phone, sent mail, money or gifts).
• 25% of youth who received sexual solicitation told a parent.
• Nine out of 10 children aged between eight and 16 have viewed pornography on the Internet. In most cases, the sex sites were accessed unintentionally when a child, often in the process of doing homework, used a seemingly innocent sounding word to search for information or pictures.
• Children are reported missing at the rate of 750,000 per year, 62,500 per month, 14,423, per week, 2,054 per day, and 85 per hour or 3 children every 2 minutes.
• 44 percent of children polled have visited x-rated sites or sites with sexual content. Moreover, 43 percent of children said they do not have rules about Internet use in their homes.
• 11/98 - 11-year-old Josh had been looking at graphic violent porn on the Internet for 20 minutes immediately before stabbing 8-year-old Maddie Clifton to death.
• 6/29/98 - 13-year-old (boy) was in the Phoenix Burton Barr Library viewing porn on the Internet. He followed a 4-year-old into the bathroom and asked the younger boy to give him oral sex.
• While 75% of parents say they know where children spend time online, the truth about kids’ Internet habits show 58% of teens say they have accessed an objectionable Web site: 39 % offensive music, 25% sexual content and 20% violence.
• 62% of parents of teenagers are unaware that their children have accessed objectionable Websites.
• 21/5/02 - was the first death of a child linked directly to an Internet Predator?

The Internet is a wonderful tool for communications, education or leisure. It is a library with an incredible 100 million books on every topic known, easily accessible for research and study . It gives you the ability to chat in real time to anyone, anywhere across the world. Its high speed electronic mail routes link up the entire world into a true global village. Its an exciting and essential resource for all our children - as essential as learning to read, write and do Math.

But there are some risks to our children when they are using the Internet, risks which parents need to be aware of. Internet technology is a tool. A tool can be used or abused.

For a long time now the biggest concern for parents about the Internet used to be pornography. Today there is an even greater fear, live chat rooms.

The live chat rooms are the main areas of the Internet where sexual predators cruise searching for vulnerable children.

Due to the relative degree of anonymity online predators are able to deceive children. They may lie about their age or gender. Online predators often establish intimate relationships with children under the pretense of being part of the child’s peer group. Since age identification is impossible, kids need to be careful when chatting online with who they think is part of their peer group. Children are curious and trusting. Unless they are well prepared for what can happen in live chat, they may innocently believe what they are told online by strangers.

Predators target children online who appear lonely, have low self-esteem, and lack parental supervision. It is not uncommon for a pedophile to become the online “confidant” of a lonely child, and they will often teach the child how to keep the online friendship a secret from their parents. Online, just as offline, it is the child who is left alone who is most at risk.

Children who have been seduced, lured or abused online in real-time chat generally have parents who are not Internet experienced.

So whats the solution for todays parents?

Top 10 Internet Safety Tips:

1. You need to educate yourself in the use of the computer and the Internet. Both pre-school and school children generally have more of a working knowledge about computers and the Internet than their Parents.

2. As with any other topic, you should openly and frequently talk with your children about the usage and expectations of the computer and the Internet usages.

3. Put the computer in a common room so it and the child activities can be easily observed.

4. Get to know the Internet and any services your child uses. Are the services appropriate for your rules and your child’s age?

5. Tell your child to NEVER EVER give out identifying information such as: home address, school names, grade, age, telephone number, etc. With the information available on the Internet and a little time and effort, it is easy to locate information about a person.

6. Keep track of the amount of on-line time your child spends on-line, and what your child is doing while on the Internet.

7. Never allow your child to arrange a face-to-face meeting with another computer user without your permission and supervision. If your child has a special friend, have they received gifts, computer programs, phone calls or any other favours?

8. Never respond to messages or bulletins if they are from an unknown source. Do not reply to the remove me from list or similar message. This will confirm your email is a valid one.

9. If there is a problem or suspected problem with a Chat Room report it immediately. Try to obtain:

a) What is the name of the chat channel or chat room?

b) What is the nickname or screen name or the suspect?

c) Time and dates are very important.

d) If possible, save the chat or at least print a copy of the chat log or user list.

10. Use technology to help you protect your child. Internet Monitoring Software gives you the ability to review your child’s Internet usage. Even if you don’t look at each and every email or instant message they send, you’ll have a good idea if they are making smart choices online.

By following these steps and becoming an aware and informed parent you can help keep your child safe.

Profile: SavvyApps is a privately owned software company which specialises in leading Internet Monitoring & Surveillance Software Solutions for parents who want to monitor their child’s Internet usage.

If you would like to learn more about how Internet Monitoring Software can help you or would like some more ideas please use the link below:

Internet Monitoring & Surveillance Software

Many of us have run into an annoying and time-consuming error. With your machine running goofey you decide to run a scan for trojans and spyware. Following the scan, which usually takes fourty minutes or longer if you scan the entire system, you are hit with the “access denied” error. Frustrating, for sure, but being the savvy computer user that you are you decide to boot to safe mode to take care of the issue. No spyware can load when booted to safe mode, right?

Wrong.

The newer variants of the CoolWebSearch, HuntBar, and VX2 infections all load even when safe mode is used. There are a few different ways of accomplishing this, the most common being that the spyware registers itself as a critical system process. This ensures that it is loaded regardless of what happens, and makes it much harder to shut down.

If you can’t prevent it from loading then how do you kill it? The answer to that is easier than it might seem. If you’re running Windows 98 or ME, then the easiest way is to boot to DOS, and use a command-line scanner to search your hard drive. These scans actually tend to run a bit faster, since they have more system resources available to them courtesy of no GUI being loaded.

“Well, that’s all fine and dandy”, you’re likely thinking to yourself, “I run Windows XP. You can’t read it from DOS.” True. You can’t read NTFS hard disks from DOS. However, you can use Barts PE.

Barts PE is effectively a stripped version of Windows XP. It boots completely from a CD, and loads a simple graphical user interface. Coupled with plugins, McAfee, for example, you can scan your entire computer without the fear that your nifty little infection has somehow loaded.

For more information on how to setup Barts PE and McAfee within it, visit:

http://www.tweaksforgeeks.com/Setup_Barts_PE.html

http://www.tweaksforgeeks.com/Barts_PE_McAfee_Setup.html

Kevin Souter is a full time computer repair technician. He also operates a free spyware removal site, as well as a general computer repair site.