Bloghology March Edition is now available for download. Simply click on the image to download your free copy.

Highlights include:

Caroline Middlebrook - The Queen of Problogging
gobalakrishnandotcom - Your Home Business Guru
You’ve Got a Postcard from Cape Town - Prieur du Plessis
The University Kid - Jason Pereira
@sk Sam Knoll
Photography and Photo Blog by David Lêonard
Creative Clown with Zura Ledbetter
The Atma Jyoti Blog
Personal Development Resources with Tom Spanton
Instantaneous (In)sanity with Jess C Scott
Anatomy of Frustration by Richard Onebamoi
How to Track Your Keywords with Hittail

Bloghology is a unique collection of Bloggers from around the world, information on their best posts and also their profiles which is all compiled in an easy to download pdf format.

So what are you waiting for? There are no strings, simply a FREE download which is packed with useful information that will benefit bloggers and marketers alike.

If you missed the previous issues please click here

© Free PC Security 2008

Technorati Tags: Bloghology, April Bloghology, Technology, Bloggers, Free PC Security, Information, Free

The following youtube videos will explain how to set up AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition v8.0.1

The first one deals with installing AVG V8, there is no need to uninstall V7.5 as this will be done automatically during the setup. It is important that you close all running programs and any open windows.

After installation you will need to reboot to complete the setup.

The second video will help you to setup AVG with timed schedules to run scans, updates and other settings required.

If you have any problems then please leave a comment or click to Contact Me

If you have installed AVG with the LinkScanner Toolbar with Yahoo Search and find it intrusive or you simply do not want it then go to your taskbar and right click the AVG icon, click on Open AVG User Interface to open the program. In the program window select Tools > Advanced Settings, click on LinkScanner and untick Enable AVG Search-Shield. You will need to close your browser window for the setting to take effect.

If using Firefox when you reopen your browser go to View > Toolbars > and untick AVG Security Toolbar.

If using IE go to Tools > Manage Add-ons, click Enable or Disable Add-ons, click on AVG Security Toolbar and then at bottom of window tick Disable, if there are 2 instances carry out the same procedure again then restart your browser.

For information on Linkscanner Lite from XPL click here

Related post:

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition V8.0.1

© Free PC Security 2008

Technorati Tags: AVG Anti-Virus V8.0.1, Tutorial, Technology, YouTube, Free PC Security, HowTo, PC Security

When you start to install this utility, you have the option to use the full Pro version for 15 days, after this it will revert to the Lite version.

Also on the installation window there is the option to participate in the Community Intelligence Network. This is optional and is explained on the install window.

The installation adds a BHO (Browser Helper Object)which is necessary for the program to function.
After installation it is necessary to reboot your computer.

The Pro version gives you Websearch results inspection, On-demand url scanning, Always-on exploit blocking, Internet connectivity monitor and Real-time site risk analysis. The Lite version will give you Websearch results inspection and On-demand url scanning.

This program analyzes sites in real time to detect a wide range of online threats including malicious content, phishing, social engineering and targeted software exploits.

You have the Link Scanner Console which resides in the Taskbar, simply right click the icon and you can open the Console.

Enter a URL, checkmark the ‘Automatically advance to the page if it is Safe’ and scan.

Exploit Prevention Labs say that LinkScanner Lite and LinkScanner Pro scan individual pages in real time, knowing that malicious hackers can hop from site to site, temporarily infecting them.
LinkScanner integrates with Google, Yahoo and MSN to check the search results and can warn you of exploits, hacked pages, malicious sites and phishing/fraud scams.

Enter a search term into a search engine and the results displayed will have symbols beside them.

Hold your cursor over the icons and a description will appear, click the icon and you will be taken to a definition page giving further information about the site and the reason for the rating.

The simplest method to check any link is to right-click the link and select Quickscan with LinkScanner. You will get a full report as to whether the site is safe or not.

LinkScanner also bolster your Firewall defences.

Download LinkScanner Lite here

Comprehensive User Guide here

© Free PC Security 2008

Technorati Tags: LinkScanner, Browser Exploits, Technology, Hackers, Free PC Security, PC Security

With the launch of Vista the death bell was sounded for Windows XP. Given that this is the most common OS in use at present, Microsoft will discontinue sales at the end of June and support for XP will discontinue around 2010.

New machines have been shipped with Vista pre-installed for some time now, but it is not to everyones taste and there are many software programs as well as hardware that worked well on XP but are not compatible with Vista. This means that many hardware and software vendors are cashing in on new sales of Vista compatible stock. Some vendors have issued updates to correct compatability issues.

Microsoft has said it would allow system vendors to preload the Home edition of Windows XP on ULCPCs - ultra low-cost PCs - through to June 2010, or one year after the next version of Windows becomes generally available. Also bear in mind that Vista’s successor, Windows 7 is due for release in 2009.

Microsoft introduced Windows XP in late 2001. They normally make operating systems available only for four years after launch date. But delays in producing Windows Vista, which had its debut in January 2007, forced Microsoft to continue selling XP longer than planned. Microsoft had originally planned to shelve Windows XP on January 30th 2008.

But it isn’t just emerging markets that want XP. In a recent survey by InfoWorld, there was a strong indication that people didn’t see a need to upgrade their home computers to Vista and that business still faced multiple challenges in porting their business critical applications to Vista. In short, the XP market is still alive and vibrant.

To experience all of Vista’s features, PC users need a computer with at least a 1-GHz processor, 1 GB of memory, and a 40-GB hard drive. By contrast, Windows XP Professional requires only a 300-MHz processor, 128 MB of RAM, and a 1.5-Gbyte disk.

A Microsoft manager has said that one of the security features in Vista was deliberately designed to ‘annoy users’ to put pressure on third-party software makers to make their applications more secure.

David Cross, a product unit manager at Microsoft said “The reason we put UAC (User Account Control) into the Vista platform was to annoy users–I’m serious.”

Also realise, that many of the security issues with XP have been resolved and it is now a stable platform, as long as you stay away from Internet Explorer and its permanently inherent problems. Use a safe browser such as Firefox and you will experience far fewer problems and faster load times.

So what can you do? Close to 200,000 people have signed a petition since January 14 to save XP. However, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer thinks we’re not serious about the Save XP movement, nor does he seem to take the people who signed it seriously. That’s where you come in. Help us meet our goal of 300,000 unique petition signatures by June 2008. Please ask your friends, family and colleagues to join the movement by signing up at www.savexp.com

The petition is on the right side of the page, so please take the time to sign this.

Go here now: www.savexp.com

© Free PC Security 2008

Technorati Tags: Save XP, Vista, Technology, Operating System, Free PC Security, Petition

Half a million computers have been infected with Downloader-UA.h trojan since the beginning of May which has prompted McAfee to declare the latest Trojan threat the most significant malware threat since 2005. This has also been verified by other anti-virus vendors as a security risk.

It consists of a malicious MPEG or MP3 file which has been propagated through P2P networking sites and has inflicted major damage.

It uses different file sizes, different languages and different formats to fool individuals into running the software, and any attempt to play the file will result in ads being served to the infected computer.

File sizes vary as do the file names. Here are some of the samples file names:

preview-t-3545425-changing times earth wind .mp3
preview-t-3545425-girls aloud st trinnians.mp3
preview-t-3545425-heartbroken fast t2 ft jodie.mp3
t-3545425-dx vs randi orton 2007.mpg
t-3545425-para sayo freestyle.mp3
t-3545425-peanut butter jelly amende.mp3
t-3545425-stare at sun thrice.mp3

Any user attempting to load one of these MP3 and MPG files will not get the music/video they were hoping for, but get directed to download a file named PLAY_MP3.exe

If users agree to download and run PLAY_MP3.exe an End User License Agreement is displayed (EULA). Users accepting the terms of the EULA will have ‘FBrowsingAdvisor’ and ‘SurfingEnhancer’ installed as well as PlayMP3.exe which is a browser control

Download and install these two free programs:

Ad-Aware 2008 7.1.0.4 beta

a-squared Free

Turn off system restore - right click My Computer and select Properties, click the System restore Tab and tick the checkbox ‘Turn off System Restore on all drives’.

Reboot into Safe mode - keep tapping the F8 key and using the up and down arrows highlight Safe Mode then press ‘Enter’.

Run the two applications as well as any other anti-spyware, anti-trojan or anti-virus software you may have.

Empty the virus vaults and recycle bin. Restart in normal mode. Turn System Restore back on.

© Free PC Security 2008

Technorati Tags: Downloader-UA.h trojan, Malicious MPEG, Technology, PC Security, Free PC Security, Malicious MP3

As many of us are aware, all desktop and laptop computers come with a lot of pre-installed, time limited junk in an attempt to get the user to purchase the full version. This is also commonly known as ‘bloatware’.  This neat little program works not only on new computers but old ones too.

Most systems are now shipped with a desktop littered with links, trialware, adware, and a variety of software that you may find completely useless. Some of the software can be useful, but the bulk of it is unnecessary and can only be referred to as crap, and getting rid of it can also speed up your computer as you will not be using unnecessary resources.

The PC Decrapifier will uninstall the majority of the most common trialware found on most computers. This superb little utility will automatically scan your PC for useless software and startup items, and then lets you choose from a list the ones you want to remove. PC Decrapifier cannot distinguish between trial and paid versions of some software, but anything that you might just need is deselected by default, which you can override so it’s safe even for newbies to use.

Simply download this little zip file, open it up and run the exe. Your antivirus may give you a warning because of the scripting language used, but it it totally safe to ignore this.

Once run you can pick and choose what you want to remove, it will not remove anything anything without prompting you first!

If you still have some junk after running this open Control Panel and select Programs and Features (in Windows Vista) or Add/Remove Programs (Windows XP). Most applications will have an uninstaller entry to remove the program and associated files. Programs like Microsoft Office allow you to remove any components that you don’t need. Also check the folders in Start/All Programs for uninstall utilities that may not appear in the Control Panel list.

Here is a list containing some of the programs it will remove:

AOL Install, AOL UK, AOL US, Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo XI, Corel Photo Album 6, Corel Snapfire Plus SE, Corel WordPerfect, Dell Search Assistant, Dell URL Assistant, Desktop Icons, Digital Content Portal, Earthlink Setup Files, ESPN Motion, Get High Speed Internet!, Google Desktop, HP Rhapsody, Internet Service Offers Launcher, McAfee, Microsoft Office Activation Assistant 2007, Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007, Microsoft Office Standard Edition 2003, MS Plus Digital Media Installer, MS Plus Photo Story 2LE, MusicMatch Jukebox, MusicMatch Music Services, muvee autoProducer 5.0, NetZero Installers, Norton AntiSpam, Norton AntiVirus 2005, Norton Ghost 10.0, Norton Internet Security, Norton Protection Center, Norton Security Center, Norton Symantec Live Update, Office 2003 Trial Assistant, Orange Internet, PC-cillin Internet Security 12, QuickBooks Trial, Quicken 2006, Reset IE Home and Search Pages, Roxio Express Labeler, Roxio MyDVD LE, Roxio RecordNow, Sonic DLA, Sonic RecordNow Audio, Sonic RecordNow Copy, Sonic Update Manager, Startup Menu Items, Tiscali Internet, Travelocity Gadget, Trend Micro PC-cillin Internet Security 14, Unnecessary Startup Items, Vongo, Wanadoo Europe Installer, Wild Tangent Games, Yahoo! Music Jukebox, Yahoo! Toolbar for Internet Explorer.

For Norton Please Note

LiveUpdate is the Symantec application used by installed Symantec products to check for program and other updates such as virus definitions and URL lists. When updates are available, it downloads them to your computer and installs them, keeping your Symantec software up to date. If you use are using or intend to use any Norton Symantec application on your system do NOT remove this application.

If you are having difficulty removing Norton Symantec products with the PC Decrapifier tool then try the Norton Removal Tool by clicking here.

When you first run it click the ‘Check for updates’ button, then click ‘Next’, accept the EULA, click ‘Next’ again the program will ask if you are running the program on a brand new out of the box computer or not. Tick the appropriate button and click ‘Next’. You then have the option to create a Restore Point, which is always a good idea. Once the Restore Point has been created click ‘next’ and it will quickly scan your computer and then you have the option to tick or untick the programs you want to remove. Simply click ‘Next’.

Download the PC Decrapifier here

© Free PC Security 2008

Technorati Tags: Free Tools, Trialware Removal, Technology, PC Security, Free PC Security, PC Decrapifier

XPAntiVirus 2008 is the latest in a string of counterfeit antispyware software that causes headaches for the users around the world today. XPAntiVirus 2008 is usually installed onto users computers without permission via Vundo Trojan, Zlob Trojan, fake software or downloading infected codecs.

Once executed, XPAntiVirus2008 can hijack your web browser and redirect you to undesirable web sites. It also serves unsolicited and annoying pop-up advertisements and launch false security messages in your web browser.

It is highly recommended to remove XPAntiVirus2008 as it transfers information from the infected computer which makes it a potential for data theft.

To safely remove XPAntiVirus2008 I recommend using only a well-known spyware removal utility such as RogueRemover Free.

It can automatically detect and remove XPAntiVirus2008 as well as other unwanted spyware and adware.

RogueRemover FREE is an application that can remove rogue antispyware, antivirus, and hard drive cleaning applications with ease. Rogue applications provide false information about the safety of your computer as well as, give erroneous scan results or put their own malware on your computer.

RogueRemover FREE has the ability to completely remove WinAntiSpyware/WinAntiVirus, SpyAxe, VirusBlast, VirusBursters, as well as a number of other rogue applications.

Simply download RogueRemover FREE from the link below. Double click the downloaded file to install the application on your computer. Once the application is installed, double click on the RogueRemover FREE icon to start the program. When the application is open, select Scan and the application will guide you through the remaining steps.

Download RogueRemover Free here

© Free PC Security 2008
Technorati Tags: XPAntiVirus2008, Free Tools, AntiVirus, Technology, PC Security, Free PC Security, RogueRemoverFree

AVG Free Edition is the well-known antivirus protection tool which is easy to download, install and use and offers protection against viruses and spyware.

AVG v7.5 will no longer be available after 31st May 2008, being replaced with v8. It is important that you update to this new version to maintain your level of protection. AVG 7.5 for Linux will still be available, download details click here.

Rapid virus database updates are available for the lifetime of the product, thereby providing the high level of detection capability that millions of users around the world trust to protect their computers.

Highlights include automatic update functionality, the AVG Resident Shield, which provides real-time protection as files are opened and programs are run, free Virus Database Updates for the lifetime of the product, and AVG Virus Vault for safe handling of infected files.

Version 8.0.1 adds integrated spyware protection and a new LinkScanner feature that gives users safety rankings for their Google, Yahoo, and MSN searches.

AVG Free provides the bare necessities, including a real-time shield to prevent infections, antivirus and antimalware wrapped up in one program, Version 8.0.1 adds integrated spyware protection and a new LinkScanner feature that gives users safety rankings for their Google, Yahoo, and MSN searches.

AVG Free is easy to use and has low system resource requirements which will not slow down your computer. Also included is an automatic update function, the AVG Resident Shield, which provides real-time protection as files are opened and programs are run, free Virus Database Updates for the lifetime of the product, and AVG Virus Vault for safe handling of infected files.

Free download click here

For installation and setup instructions click here.

Minimum System requirements:
Intel Pentium 300 MHz
30 MB free hard drive space (for installation)
256 MB RAM
Compatible with Windows Vista, Windows XP and Windows 2000

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition is for private, non-commercial, single computer use only. AVG Free is available free of charge to home users for the life of the product.

© Free PC Security 2008
Technorati Tags: AVG Anti-Virus V.8, Free Tools, AntiVirus, Technology, PC Security, Free PC Security, AVG 7.5 Linux Version, AVG 7.5 To End

BitDefender Free Edition is your chance to use one of the world’s most effective antivirus engines for free!

BitDefender Free Edition uses the same certified scanning engines found in other BitDefender products, allowing you to enjoy basic virus protection for no cost at all. This is an on-demand virus scanner, which is best used in a system recovery or forensics role.

Features:
On demand scanning - Powerful scan engines ensure detection and removal of all viruses in the wild every time you need it.

The Scheduler lets you plan ahead, and schedule full system/drive scans in the off hours, when you won’t be using your computer.

Immediate scanning, with just a right click you can check your files and folders.

By placing any infected files in quarantine, the risk of getting infected diminishes.

When launching a scan you may choose to create a report file where you can see statistics about the scan process.

I would recommend that you keep any existing AntiVirus that you have and disable the scheduled scanning with BitDefender and use it as an ‘on demand’ scanner. When using this method disable your existing AntiVirus prior to ‘on demand’ scanning to prevent false positive results.

System Requirements:
Pentium MMX 200 Mhz or higher processor
Minimum 64MB of RAM Memory (128MB recommended)
Minimum 40MB available hard disk space

Windows 98/NT-SP6/Me/2000/XP IE version 4.0 or higher

Click here, you will need to provide a valid email address for your download link.

© Free PC Security 2008

Technorati Tags: BitDefender Free, Free Tools, AntiVirus, Technology, PC Security, Free PC Security

Bloghology March Edition is now available for download. Simply click on the image to download your free copy.

If you missed the January Edition, click on the image to download your free copy.

What is Bloghology?
It’s a unique collection of Bloggers from around the world, their profiles and their best posts, all compiled in an easy to download pdf format.

So what are you waiting for? No strings, no catches. Simply a FREE download which is packed with useful information that will benefit bloggers and marketers.

© Free PC Security 2008

Technorati Tags: Bloghology, Bloggers, Free, Profiles, Information