Security

Infopackets Reader Glenda 'LadyInRed' writes: " Dear Dennis, Since I am not that tech-savvy when it comes to making changes on a computer system, I have decided to ask this question. I hope that you can give me an answer to it, then I can stop ... trying to figure it out on my own. I have a son that is 27 years old and he is very intelligent when it comes to the computer. He likes to get on my computer since I have a fast Internet connection (DSL), and downloads music using Kazaa. The problem is that every time that Kazaa is installed onto my computer it causes a lot of problems. I have ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Glenda 'LadyInRed' writes: " Dear Dennis, Thanks for your response . Unfortunately I don't have Windows XP on my computer (I'm still using Windows 98). So, my question to you now is: other than security, what is better about ... Windows XP? And if I can't use Windows XP, would you recommend that I upgrade to Windows ME? " My response: I can't provide you with an exhaustive / comparative list of differences between Windows 98 and XP, but there are a number of obvious differences that I can highlight: With respect to Windows 98: an announcement was made in December 2003 ... (view more)

Roughly two weeks ago, I wrote an article that featured a nifty utility that Password Protects Files and Folders. The program is particularly useful if you share your computer with others and don't want them accessing sensitive data. Recall -- " ... ... People are going to be curious and want to look at your files, and there's not much you can do (as far as protection) with the current Windows security if you haven't logged out. Folder Password Expert does exactly what the title implies. It's as easy as choosing a folder to protect and creating a password! ... As opposed to other software, ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Ron H. writes: " Dear Dennis, I enjoy your newsletters, as they are very helpful. I would like to know if there is a way to password protect a web browser (MS Internet Explorer in particular) to prevent access to the internet for ... unauthorized persons? This is a plant security problem where some off-shift personnel have access to the computer for e-mail but do not need to have access to the web browser. Any help with this matter would be appreciated. " My response: In this case, your best bet is to get in touch with your IT guy at the plant and tell him to restrict ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Denise A. writes: " Hi Dennis, First let me say that I thoroughly enjoy your newsletter. What a wealth of information it is! I just finished reading Tuesday's Gazette article, ' restricting access to portions of the start menu ', ... for the sake of security. My question is this: can a folder or certain file be password protected? I am running Windows XP. " My response: If you own more than one computer and have a local area network, you can can restrict who has access to what by setting the "share" privileges on Folders. On the other hand: if you only own 1 ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Joseph B. writes: " Dear Dennis, Is there a way in XP Home to remove access to programs from other users? For instance, I have Quicken that I use, but I do not want my 8 year old son to have access to the program. Can you give me ... any suggestions? " My response: As you may already be aware, user accounts can be assigned using WinXP (Control Panel -> Users). Noting this, some programs give you the option to specify that "All" or "Some" users have access to a program -- but only at the time of the install. If this option is not available, you ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Susan C. writes: " Dear Dennis, First I want to say that I love reading your newsletter because you always have very interesting topics. My question today is in regard to Outlook Express blocking access to my email attachments. As ... per your instruction, I have disabled the option in Tools -> Options -> Security tab -> 'do not allow attachments to be saved or opened that could potentially be a virus.' However, Outlook Express still blocks access to some of my files (.PDF, for example). I don't know what else I can do to get around this problem? Any help you can ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Peter S. writes: " Dear Dennis, I'd like to add my two pennyworth to your recent article on XoftSpy . I have recently tried out the software and so far have been pleased ... I [also] run Ad-Aware and Spybot regularly and I have ... SpywareBlaster running in the background on my machine, plus a firewall and AntiVirus software. I downloaded XoftSpy in an attempt to get rid of a persistent nasty worm (Dumaru-AM) which the other software failed to solve. I am pleased to say that XoftSpy worked well and picked up several other bugs ... This is not to say that the other programs ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Linda G. writes: " Dear Dennis, I just read your article on the free Spyware scanning software, ' XoftSPy '. It reminded me of a similar experience I had with a program called PC Bug Doctor. The PC Bug Doctor web site promised to ... scan and repair 'every error on your Computer anytime you need it.' I admit, I was a bit skeptical, but figured it would be worth a shot. Boy was I wrong! Although the program reported over 200 errors on my computer, I had to register it in order to fix them ($40). Mind you, I would have gladly paid the registration fee if I knew what the ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Diane D. writes: " Dear Dennis, I recently found a program called 'XoftSpy' while browsing the 'net. The web site offered a free download to check my PC, so I tried it. After it ran a check, it came up with 97 registry faults, and ... 10 file faults. Can you tell me if you have heard of this program, or even given it a try, and what the results were? I am considering purchasing the full program, but would like to know if there is anything similar that does the same job, and comparisons please. " My response: To be honest, I have never used or heard of "XoftSpy ... (view more)