There are many security tools built into Windows, BUT you NEED to know how to use them and even fine tune them to fit your particular situation. In addition possessing an understanding of the KEY THREATS online today will prove invaluable in keeping you safe.

…these TWO guides are totally UNIQUE in helping you shut the door on vulnerabilities and threats!

www.marcliron.com/pc-security-bootcamp.html

Covering Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 PCs

Expert PC security advice from a long standing Microsoft MVP!

Kind Regards

Marc Liron – Microsoft MVP

“A set of software tools frequently used by a third party (usually an intruder) after gaining access to a computer system. These tools are intended to conceal running processes, files or system data, which helps an intruder maintain access to a system without the user’s knowledge. Root kits are known to exist for a variety of operating systems such as Linux, Solaris and versions of Microsoft Windows.”

So they are NOT something you really want on your system!

Read here to discover hot to detect any on your PC and how to easily remove them:

How to Remove a Root Kit

Kind Regards

Marc Liron – Microsoft MVP

All of your PC profile information is kept private on your PC and is not sent to any web server.

Make sure to print off a copy for future reference, you never know when it may come in handy.

Read more here: PC Audit Software

Regards

Marc Liron – Microsoft MVP

We have all had situations where we are missing a license key for a software application we have installed on our PC.

When you try to find the product packaging or email that contains the missing key, you can never find them!

So it would make sense to scan your PC to see if you can locate them?

Read more here:

http://www.win7articles.com/how-to-scan-your-pc-for-software-licenses.html

Regards

Marc Liron – Microsoft MVP

Here are some solutions:

http://www.updatexp.com/cyclic-redundancy-error.html

Regards

Marc Liron
Microsoft MVP
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Sounds like you are having problems sending and receiving emails on your computer using Outlook, Outlook Express or even Windows Mail in Vista.

http://www.updatexp.com/0x800ccc0e.html

Regards

Marc Liron
Microsoft MVP
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http://www.updatexp.com/cyclic-redundancy-error.html

Regards

Marc Liron
Microsoft MVP
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A “driver” does the “talking” between devices in, and connected to, your Windows XP computer. Most of the time they work just fine….

With its own built-in driver database, Windows XP can automatically recognize some types of hardware like U.S.B. flash drives. The system includes a Device Manager utility that lets you check, configure and change the way Windows deals with your devices.

But drivers can also drive you crazy, because having the wrong one installed on your system can cause problems like ominous Windows error messages and a nonfunctioning hardware device that sits there like an expensive paperweight.

For instance a device like a scanner depends on its driver for full functionality, if you have just a basic driver installed you will only have basic scanning facilities available to you.

In addition to not having the correct driver is NOT having an up to date driver!

Vendors are always improving their device drivers and making sure you have the latest one, for ALL your devices is time consuming. If you are technically savy you can use the device driver to manualy check each device driver is up to date.

…or you can manually check vendor webistes for available updates, but ths takes time and can be a very frustrating process. (With so many drivers installed on your system you cannot reasonably keep track of which drivers have been updated.)

The alternative is to use a piece of software to do ALL THE WORK for you!

Software like DriverScanner 2009 will:

# Keep your PCs drivers updated and your system fully functional…
# DriverScanner scans and backs up ALL your EXISTING drivers….
# Looks for recent updates, downloading and installing them all in a few simple clicks…

…Trouble Free driver maintenance! (and works with Windows Vista as well.)

Click here for free instant scan of your computer and see how many drivers you have that are out of date. DriverScanner 2009 .

Perhaps it will be your: nvidia geforce card, wireless usb or network adapter ?

Regards

Marc Liron – Microsoft MVP

If you’ve owned a PC for a long period of time, you’ll know that eventually you need to defragment the hard drive. As you use the PC more and more, files become scattered across different folders and the system slows down as a result.

However, you can speed things up by using a FREE Defrag utility.

This article on some free defrag solutions should help you:

http://www.updatexp.com/free-defrag.html

Kind Regards

Marc Liron
Microsoft MVP
www.marcliron.com

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Video, Audio and DVD to name just a few technologies that make up this growing arena!

As the technologies become more prevelant on out computers, the end user, needs to know more about them.

So over at “Digital Media and CODEC’s” Wiki, you will find some answers:

http://digitalmediaandcodecs.wetpaint.com/

Enjoy!

Kind Regards

Marc Liron
Microsoft MVP
www.marcliron.com

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This free tool comes with Windows XP and can help keep your PC performing well. For advanced users there is also a tip in this article for automatically defragmenting your BOOT Files at system start up:

http://www.updatexp.com/disk-defragmenter.html

Kind Regards

Marc Liron
Microsoft MVP
www.marcliron.com

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These should not be needed for modern PC’s but I am amazed at how many folks are still searching online for these downloads to get their old movies to play sound!

So here they are:

The Audio Codec Tag 2000

http://www.updatexp.com/audio-codec-2000.html

The Audio Codec Tag 55

http://www.updatexp.com/audio-codec-tag-55.html

The Audio Codec Tag 8192

http://www.updatexp.com/audio-codec-tag-8192.html

The Audio Codec Tag 85

http://www.updatexp.com/audio-codec-tag-85.html

The Audio Codec Tag 353

http://www.updatexp.com/audio-codec-tag-353.html

The Audio Codec Tag 161

http://www.updatexp.com/audio-codec-tag-161.html

The Audio Codec Tag 674f

http://www.updatexp.com/audio-codec-tag-674f.html

The Audio Codec Tag 26447

http://www.updatexp.com/audio-codec-tag-26447.html

..I hope these help!

Kind Regards

Marc Liron
Microsoft MVP
www.marcliron.com

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Windows Update is a service provided by Microsoft for users of Microsoft Windows which provides updates for the operating system and its installed components.

However, sometimes things can go wrong and errors occur.

This article on the Windows Update 0×40008002 Error should help you fix the problem:

http://www.updatexp.com/0×40008002.html

Kind Regards

Marc Liron
Microsoft MVP
www.marcliron.com

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Windows Update is a service provided by Microsoft for users of Microsoft Windows which provides updates for the operating system and its installed components.

However, sometimes things can go wrong and errors occur.

This article on the Windows Update 0x80072ee2 Error should help you fix the problem:

http://www.updatexp.com/0x80072ee2.html

Kind Regards

Marc Liron
Microsoft MVP
www.marcliron.com

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Windows Update is a service provided by Microsoft for users of Microsoft Windows which provides updates for the operating system and its installed components.

However, sometimes things can go wrong and errors occur.

This article on the Windows Update 0x8024200D Error should help you fix the problem:

http://www.updatexp.com/0x8024200d.html

Kind Regards

Marc Liron
Microsoft MVP
www.marcliron.com

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This is a fairly common Windows access violation error and hopefully this article will help you resolve the problems you are having.

http://www.updatexp.com/0xC0000005.html

Kind Regards

Marc Liron
Microsoft MVP
www.marcliron.com

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The 0x8024D007 error is often caused by insufficient access permissions to files or registry keys on the PC in question.

So what can you do?

Visit this page for the fix:

http://www.updatexp.com/0x8024d007.html

Kind Regards

Marc Liron
Microsoft MVP
www.marcliron.com

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You can read my 0×80070005 article here:

http://www.updatexp.com/0×80070005.html

Hope it helps.

Kind Regards

Marc Liron
Microsoft MVP
www.marcliron.com

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Here is the solution that I have posted on my Windows XP website:

http://www.updatexp.com/c80003f3.html

(This also works with Windows Vista too…)

Kind Regards

Marc Liron
Microsoft MVP
www.marcliron.com

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Having a SOLID understanding of Windows services, for XP and Vista, is essential if you are going to start editing essential services in Windows.

So that’s why I created this guide to Windows XP and Vista services – the ONLY one of its kind available online!

Here is the link:

http://www.marctalkstech.com/windows-services-guide.html

Perhaps you should read it before you are next tempted to turn off windows services?

Kind Regards

Marc Liron – Microsoft MVP

What will happen to Windows XP after 30 June?

Microsoft will stop distributing Windows XP as a stand-alone product that you can buy shrink-wrapped in the store and also to major PC manufacturers to sell on their PCs. That said, Windows XP isn’t going to disappear overnight. You may still see copies of the software – or computers pre-loaded with it – for months, as stores and PC makers work through their inventory. Also, smaller local PC makers – known in the industry as ‘system builders’ – can continue to sell PCs with Windows XP until January 2009.

What will happen after 30 June if I have technical problems?

Although Windows XP will disappear from stores, we’ll continue to offer Extended Support for the operating system for six more years, until April 2014. Your PC maker can also provide technical support for your PC. For more details, see the Microsoft Support Lifecycle.

I have heard about two types of Windows XP support – ‘mainstream’ and ‘extended’. What is the difference?

Mainstream support delivers complimentary as well as paid support, free security updates and bug fixes to all Windows customers who purchase a retail copy of Windows XP (i.e. a shrink-wrapped, not pre-installed, copy). Mainstream support for Windows XP will continue until April 2009.

Extended support delivers free security updates to all Windows customers. Customers can also pay for support on a per-incident basis. Extended support for Windows XP will continue until April 2014. New bug fixes require the Extended Hotfix Support programme.

Hope that helps!

Kind Regards

Marc Liron – Microsoft MVP
www.marcliron.com

If the cache folder becomes damaged or unusable, you can use the sfc /scannow, command to repair its contents.

More in this article here: ??????Scannow SFC

Regards

Marc Liron
Microsoft MVP
www.instantvista.com

Read more here:
http://www.updatexp.com/mebroot.html

…act now

Regards

Marc Liron
Microsoft MVP
www.marcliron.com

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When I looked back over the 1,000′s of questions I received by email in 2007, I saw a trend appearing.

The same 11 questions kept being asked by website visitors just like you.

I am now finishing off a series of special reports based on these emails.

I wonder if any of the 11 questions would make your list of computer problems to solve?

http://www.marctalkstech.com/special-reports-series1.html

Missing a report you would like to see? Then let me know!

Regards

Marc Liron
Microsoft MVP
www.marctalkstech.com

“Marc, why did you start your website www.updatexp.com?”

Then I just read Ken Evoy’s blog post: Advertising Technology, Today’s VC Game?

And that got me looking back over my “Internet Life”…initially UpdateXP.com was just a place to host the odd article on using Windows XP.

I used to “patrol” some of the XP newsgroups a few years ago and instead of providing an answer within the post, I would link to the answer on my website.

But a strange thing happened….

Because I was creating a website with in-demand content, the site started to pull in a lot of traffic from Google.com

The when Google released their AdSense program (the ability to place their adverts on your site, then get paid per click) I found I was earning some good money In fact things just grew and grew….

I even have an online case study of my success here: http://case-studies.sitesell.com/webmaster-marc.html

Fast forward to the end of 2007 and I have a few websites and LOVE what I do – writing about Microsoft technology!

I am even now creating software myself: http://www.databucketpro.com

SiteBuildIt gave me that early opportunity to succeed online and I am so glad I took it!

If you have a hobby or passion for a subject – perhaps you too should start a profitable website?

Regards

Marc Liron
Microsoft MVP
www.marcliron.com

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Simply put a service can be described as a software application that runs continuously in the background while your computer is on.

BUT isn’t that what any software application does on a PC?

Well yes and no…

The main difference with a service is that they load into memory at boot time and start running whether or not anyone logs into the computer.

Windows has numerous services that run in the background and they provide basic functions to the system such as: connectivity to a network, printer support, access to visual themes and USB connectivity to name but a few.

There is also a hierarchy amongst services, by that I mean not all services were created equal. Some services are needed as the PC boots up and some are only called upon when their functionality is required, (the later is done with no direct contact with the user.)

Why Bother With Windows Services?

So why exactly would you want to know about these services?

TWO reasons:

1) A basic understanding of Windows Services helps with troubleshooting!

2) A basic understanding helps with tweaking your system!

Troubleshooting

When it comes to getting help for problems with your computer a basic understanding of how it functions is important.

There is a lot of self help online, if you look hard enough, for just about any technical problem you may encounter on your computer.

It is highly probable that these articles will ask you to check a service related to your particular support issue.

So if you have no idea what a Windows Service is or how to access it then you are not going to be able to try the self help method!

Having this basic understanding of Windows services will always prove useful for any PC owner.

Tweaking

Each and every service that is running in the background on your PC takes up two key system resources:

# System Memory (known as RAM)
# CPU Time (known as the processor)

…and has an impact on:

# Boot Time

Essentially many services (at least 20) are loaded during the time a PC boots (known as starting up) and the more services the longer it takes. However that in itself is not a good enough reason, in my technical opinion, to start shutting them all down so to speak.

Other options like adding more System Memory (RAM) or even going as far as upgrading your processor would do just as well and give you the benefit of a more powerful PC for all the activities you perform on it.

If you have only just purchased a modern PC (perhaps at Christmas 2006) then it is unlikely you really would gain much from any “trimming” of services at boot time.

TIP: No matter what you read about the minimum specifications for a PC running Windows Vista – add enough RAM for the system to run smoothly and that means at least 0.5 GB RAM, or 1 GB if you can. You WILL be rewarded with a far better computing experience!

This article has been taken form the Windows Vista and XP Services Guide, which is available as an Instant Download! (with a video too)

http://www.marctalkstech.com/windows-services-guide.html

Regards

Marc Liron
Microsoft MVP
www.databucketpro.com

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Source: http://www.instantvista.com/windows-vista-services.html

In this 4 part guide I have written a detailed explanation of what services are and described each typical service that Microsoft includes with Windows XP and Windows Vista.

You can grab your copy here:

http://www.marctalkstech.com/windows-services-guide.html

Enjoy.

Regards

Marc Liron
Microsoft MVP
www.marcliron.com

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