Free Anti-Virus Software For Windows 7 Vista and XP

There are plenty of paid antivirus software like Norton out there for Windows, but what if you want a free anti-virus. The good news is that there is plenty of free Anti Virus software that are out there.

Below I’ve listed the best of the free security software that is compatible with Windows 7, Vista and XP.

Microsoft Security Essentials

Many reviews say that Microsoft Security Essentials is the best free antivirus out there. MSE is very lightweight and effective, but it does have some issues when detecting false positives. If you want to use MSE you can download here.

Panda Cloud Antivirus

Panda Cloud Antivirus is security software in that works in the internet. The software is very lightweight, but it takes a very long tome to scan for infections. You can download here.

COMDO

COMDO has been really popular for a long time now. Like the other two options I mentioned it performs well and has OK detection. Click here to download COMDO. COMDO has different options for 32 Bit and 64 Bit PC’s so choose correctly.

AVG 9

Of all the software I’ve mentioned AVG is the most popular, but it does not mean its the best. Over the years AVG has went from performing excellently to just being plain awful. If you feel confident enough to try AVG you can download it here.

Avira

Avira is a very popular free Antivirus app. It has excellent detection and the scan speeds are the best you’ll find out of all the free apps.

The one big downside is the annoying nag screen asking to upgrade.  If your willing to put up with nag screens you can download it here.

Avast! 4.8

Avast is one of the favorite security apps of experts. Its lightweight, fast and it includes a DOS-based boot time scan, which is abnormal for free Antivirus software. You can download Avast here.

Looking at screenshots and deciding which antivirus has the good looks and which is ugly is easy. The hard part is choosing the one with the highest detection. Luckley PC world has orginised a chart with the detection rates. Here they are:

Panda: 99.4%

Avira: 98.9%

Avast: 98.2%

MSE: 97.8%

AVG: 95.8%

Comodo: 74.6%

What ever software you choose I recommend you download Both AVG's LinkScanner and Comodo Firewall as add-ons.

Remember to voice your opinion in the comments section.

Dell Reviles “Future Proof” Desktop

We all know that the future is great, and that technology is advancing exponentially. The issue is that a product you buy now will most likely be outdated a year from now. Dell has decided that they are not going to be bullied around by constantly advancing technology, and has developed a “future proof” Vostro 430 desktop PC. This innocent looking box is fully configurable with the most advanced tech out there which includes, your choice of Core i5 or Core i7 processors and ATI or NVIDIA discrete graphics, along with up to 16GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, an optional Blu-ray drive, a 19-in-1 memory card reader, a couple of PS/2 and serial ports to support your older devices and, of course, plenty of room for further expansion (including no less than 10 USB ports). Surprisingly this powerful box starts at $699. You can get the high end options for under $1,000, Lets just hope all that tech does not end up like the rest of them; Outdated!

Windows 7 ISO Verifier

One huge problem people face when downloading a Windows 7 ISO from sketchy services is that they have to verify that it was not tampered with.  In other words, they need to verify that the Windows 7 they asked for is the Windows 7 they got.

The Windows 7 ISO Verifier has been created by Long Zheng and Sven Groot, and allows users to test to see if the ISO of Windows 7 they have has not been tampered with. ISO images can simply be dropped onto the exe after download.

The program calculates the hash of the local ISO and compare it with an online database, which is constantly updated. The process is very fast. It can obviously happen that a hash is not listed in the online database either because the release is to new, human error or because it has been tampered with (say another language was added).

Microsoft Makes Windows 7 Packaging Easier to Open

Microsoft has attempted to make everything in Windows 7 easier to use, including the packaging.

One of Windows Vista’s biggest criticisms was its insanely hard to open packaging. In an effort to prevent theft and piracy, Microsoft created boxes that required their own set of instructions to open.

In a blog post Microsoft said Windows 7’s packaging would be similar to Vista’s packaging, except that it would open like a standard DVD case.

 

The case will be recyclable and will contain only the Windows 7 DVD and starting guide. Microsoft said that overall it reduced the packaging weight by 37 percent.

Windows is scheduled to be launched on October 22 although pre-sales of the product as well as a free upgrade program for new PC buyers have started.

Is Windows Installing Updates Without Your Permission?

Several reports say that Windows XP and Windows Vista are installing updates, at system shutdown, when the user configured the computer to ask to install updates first.

This Windows Secrets article explains it all. The problem comes up when Windows is configured to use Automatic Updates either to (Vista terminology here) "Download updates but let me choose whether to install them" or "Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them".

Now every tech know-it-all you talk to will tell you that you should have automatic updates set to “Install updates automatically”. There have been times when Automatic Updates shut down internet access to Zone Alarm users, but that is rear and the risks outweigh the benefits. People in the aggregate are better off installing updates automatically.

Scott Spanbauer in Windows Secrets explains what might have happened. The June 9th update was a rather large update. which addressed 10 updates and 31 vulnerabilities. Microsoft Knowledge Base explains how some problems can occur when a traffic is heavy on the update server. 

Spanbauer puts forward one possible avenue for users who really want to avoid this problem:

If you consider it important to research patches before they're installed, one possible workaround involves selecting AU's option 2 or 3. Then, run Microsoft Update (a superset of Windows Update, both of which require IE) and specify every patch to be installed or not installed -- every time you plan to shut down or reboot. Running Microsoft's updater should eliminate any queued downloads that might install unexpectedly.

This doesn't seem quite right to me in a few ways. First, neither Windows nor Microsoft Update on Vista use IE, but they do on XP. Second, I have at least one system where running Microsoft Update does not eliminate queued downloads, and in fact Microsoft Update fails in that case; I have to let Automatic Updates proceed. Third, this sounds like a major pain.

The Blue Screen of Death Over the Years

The Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) is an error message that appears when Windows experiences a fatal error. The error message can show up at any time, but it is still quite rear. I’ve compiled the BSOD of all the versions of the Windows, and they are shown below.

Windows XP, Vista and 7

The Windows XP Vista and 7 BSOD

Vista’s Unique Blue Screen of Death

A unique Blue Screen of Death with only one line of error code as seen in Windows Vista, which is an ACPI-related error.

Windows NT

In Windows NT-based operating systems, the blue screen of death (displayed in 80x50 text mode as opposed to 9x/Me's 80x25) occurs when the kernel or a driver running in kernel mode encounters an error from which it cannot recover. This is usually caused by an illegal operation being performed. The only safe action the operating system can take in this situation is to restart the computer. As a result, data may be lost, as users are not given an opportunity to save data that has not yet been saved to the hard drive.

The text on the error screen contains the code of the error along with four error-dependent values in parentheses that are there to help software engineers fix the problem that occurred. Depending on the error code, it may display the address where the problem occurred, along with the driver which is loaded at that address. Under Windows NT and 2000, the second and third sections of the screen may contain information on all loaded drivers and a stack dump, respectively. The driver information is in three columns; the first lists the base address of the driver, the second lists the driver's creation date (as a Unix timestamp), and the third lists the name of the driver.^[1]

 

Windows 2000

BSOD from Windows 2000. The red portion highlights the error that crashed the computer.

Windows 98/95/ME

Perhaps the most famous instance of a Windows 9x BSoD occurred during a presentation of a Windows 98 beta by Bill Gates at COMDEX on April 20, 1998. The demo PC crashed with a BSoD when his assistant (Chris Capossela, who is still working for Microsoft as Corporate VP in the Information Working business unit) connected a scanner to the PC, trying to demonstrate Windows 98's support for Plug and Play devices. This event brought thunderous applause from the crowd and Gates replied after a nervous pause: "That must be why we're not shipping Windows 98 yet."^[3]

 

Windows CE

The simplest version of the blue screen occurs in Windows CE except the versions for Pocket PC, which appears similar to the ones found in Windows 9x/Me.

 

Windows 1.0

The very first Blue Screen of Death happens in Windows 1.0 if a computer fails to boot up properly, it will show random letters and symbols ^[4] If Windows 1.0 encounters any (MS-DOS related) critical system errors, it will instead show a Black Screen of Death.

Windows 2.0's BSOD is the very same thing.

More Morro Screenshots Leaked

A Windows enthusiast blog on Tuesday posted what it says are leaked screenshots of Microsoft's upcoming free security software, code-named "Morro," which is due for public beta release soon. Today another set of screenshots were leaked.

In November, Microsoft announced that they would no longer be selling or supporting it’s failed anti-virus software, Windows Live OneCare.

Microsoft says that Morro will be available in the second half of 2009. OneCare will be continued to be sold until June 30 2009.

Morro will be compatible with Windows XP, Vista and the upcoming Windows 7.

When OneCare launched 3 years ago it managed to make a dent in the security industry due to lower than normal prices.

Change the Location of the Vista Documents Folder

The “My Documents” folder in Windows XP has been renamed to the “Documents” folder in Windows Vista. Vista creates Documents folder for each user that logs onto the computer and stores it in the appropriate profile folder. The default location for this folder is c:\Users\\Documents (assuming of course that you have installed Vista on your C: drive). You can store the Documents folder on another drive or in another folder. For example, if you have more free space on another drive, you can move it.

To accomplish this task, right click Documents from the Start Menu and select Properties. This opens the Properties dialog box for the Documents folder. Click the Location tab and type in the path to the location where you want to store the folder. Click OK. If the folder location you specified in the Target field does not exist, the Create Message dialog box will appear. Click Yes to create the folder and click OK. Alternatively, you can also select the Move button from the Location tab and browse to the location where you want to store the Documents folder.

Windows 7 to Have a Low Key Launch

Stuff.co.nz has been talking to Microsoft employees in New Zealand and they were told that Windows 7 would not have a big launch event, similar to the launches of XP and Vista.

When Windows 7 is launched on October 22, a Microsoft spokesman said:

“We will be doing something interesting and exciting. It’s hard to say what direction we will go in right now, but it will be appropriate to the times and not anything terribly extravagant.”

The news is a shame, especially because Windows 7 is most likely one of Microsoft’s best products in a long time. There has been lots of buzz around Windows 7 and most feedback has been positive.

Add or Remove File Association in Windows Vista

Back in the good old days with Windows XP, things were a little easier with performing simple tasks. One that comes to mind is file types. With XP you can easily associate and unassociate file types to a program or application, from the Control Panel or by selecting: Tools \ Folder Options on the menu of a folder.

With Vista, for some unknown reason, you can only associate file types, but you can not unassociate (delete) a file type completely. The only option allowed is to associate the file to another program or application. Until now…

First, let's look at two ways to find where File Type Associations lives in Vista. The easiest way is from the Start Menu, by clicking on Start \ Default Programs.

Then click on Associate a file type or protocol with a program.

The second way is from the Control Panel by clicking on Start \ Control Panel \ Programs then clicking on Make a file type always open in a specific program (under Default Programs).

Once you have accessed the window for file type association, you can easily associate (add) or change (modify) an existing file type, by highlighting a file type, then clicking on the Change Program… button.

NOTE: You will need to click the small down arrow  to see the list of Other Programs.

To remove (delete) a file type association, you can use a great utility found on winhelponline.com to unassociate file types.

Just download, unzipp and click on Unassoc.exe. No install is required.

To use, just find the file type you want to delete and click on the Remove file association button. The file type association will be deleted from the registry. Vista will then treat it as an unknown file type.

Now, the only functionality missing with File types in Vista, compared to XP, is the capability to change icons and create a new file type. If you come across how to do this, let us know!

Remove Optional Vista Components

In the quest to get rid of the unnecessary bloat it your computer, Windows Vista has less options than previous versions of Windows, but you can still get rid of some of the components.

Open up Control Panel and go to the Programs and Features section. Find the link for "Turn Windows features on or off" (or you could just search for it)

This dialog is quite self-explanatory… uncheck the things you don't want, and hit the OK button. Depending on the version of Vista you are running you might not see everything in the list.

Just to get you started, here's a few tips on what an average user might want to enable or disable. The rules will be different for everybody, depending on your applications and needs, so don't take these as absolute.

ActiveX Installer Service
No
Do you really want anything to do with ActiveX?

Games
Why Not
Your productivity can only increase with Spider Solitaire on your computer.

Indexing Service
No
This is the old indexing service that is no longer needed in Vista.

Internet Information Service
No
Used for hosting websites on your computer.

Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0
No
Used for the new .NET 3.0 components, but only really needed for programmers.

Microsoft Message Queue (MSMQ) Server
No
Used by programmers as a way to reliably queue messages.

Print Services
No
You only need this if you use internet printers and like to kill trees. Our rainforests are depending on you disabling this service.

Remote Differential Compression
Maybe
This is likely required for utilities that use the network to download files. If it is enabled, don't mess with it.

Removable Storage Management
No
The only reason you'd need this is if you are restoring from old NTBACKUP files.

RIP Listener
No
You won't need this, it's a routing protocol.

Services for NFS
No
This can be used to map a drive to a linux NFS server. Unlikely you'd need it since Samba works so well.

SNMP Feature
No
This is used for management systems in workplace networks. You don't need it.

Subsystem for UNIX-based Applications
No
This is used for compatibility with certain applications based on UNIX… you don't need it.

Tablet PC Optional Components
Maybe
If you have a Tablet PC, you should enable this. If you don't, you may still want to because this includes the Snipping Tool.

Telnet Client
AVOID
You should never use telnet. Ever.

Telnet Server
AVOID
You should never use telnet. Ever.

TFTP Client
AVOID
TFTP was used by many of the early internet worms… there's a reason it's disabled by default.

Windows DFS Replication Service
No
This is only really used in work environments. Don't bother with this if you are a home user.

Windows Fax and Scan
No
Why anybody still faxes anything is beyond me.

Windows Meeting Space
No
If you don't use Windows Meeting Space or the "People Near Me" feature, don't bother with this.

Windows PowerShell
No
PowerShell is a more advanced command line geared towards programmers and system administrators.

Windows Process Activation Service
Probably
This is likely required to support some .NET applications, so I wouldn't change whatever it's currently set to.

Windows Ultimate Extras
Maybe
If you like the extras, then enable them. (Ultimate Only)

Russia Probing Microsoft Over Windows XP Availability

Reports say that Microsoft is facing another antitrust inquiry, but this time from the Russians.

On Thursday, regulators in Russia said that Microsoft is violating Russian antitrust laws by limiting the supplies of Windows XP while demand still exists, therefore forcing users to use Windows Vista.

Microsoft has stopped most copies of Windows XP from being installed on new computers, with the exception of netbooks, and emerging markets.

Microsoft says that they have not been notified of the complaint.

"Microsoft has not yet received notice of any new investigation. However, we will cooperate with any inquiry and remain committed to full compliance with Russian law.” Microsoft spokesman Jack Evans.

In April, Russia said it was looking into whether Microsoft deserved closer scrutiny under its antitrust laws.

Setup a Windows Media Center TV Signal

The very first thing most people would do when getting a new Windows Media Center PC is watch TV on it.

This guide will show you how to setup your TV signal and TV guide.

In this guide I’ll set up one digital (HD) antenna and programming guide for my area. Setting up a cable or satellite connection will be similar to this guide.

Setup TV Signal

1. Start Windows Media Center (WMC) by going to the Start orb, All Programs, and open Windows Media Center.

2. Navigate to Tasks, and select settings in WMC.

Note: Once WMC is running, navigating WMC with a Windows Media Center Remote Control is the best way to experience WMC. You could also use your mouse to point and click or your keyboard’s arrow keys to move around and the spacebar to select.

3. Select TV.

4. Select Setup TV Signal.

5. Select Next in the Set Up Your TV Signal section.

6. Select Yes, use this region to configure TV services if the Region is correct and then select Next.

7. WMC will download up-to-date TV setup options for your region.

8. Select to Configure my TV signal automatically in the Automatic TV Signal Setup section and then select Next.

9. WMC will scan for Cable, Satellite, and Antenna signals.

10. If everything goes well WMC will pick up your connection(s). If everything is right, select Yes and then select Next.

11. Let’s set up the Program Guide by selecting Next in the Programming Set Up Guide.

12. Select Yes when WMC asks you if you want to use their guide.

13. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the Terms of Service, select I agree, and then select Next.

14. Enter your ZIP code and then select Next.

15. The programming guide for your ZIP code will be downloaded from the internet.

16 When the download is complete, select Next.

If you’re using a digital antenna it’ll give you the option of adjusting your antenna and programming guide.

Select Next.

04 The next screen shows you all of the channels you could catch according to the programming guide you just downloaded.

WMC will scan for every channel listed in the guide and tell you the signal strength of each. Uncheck each channel with a low signal so they don’t show up in the programming guide. You can also use the signal meter to adjust the antenna. Checked off channel are continuously scanned and updated for signal strength. Click Next when you’re done.

18. That’s it! Select Finish and you’re done.

19. Click the green button on your Windows Media Center Remote Control or click the green orb in the top left corner of the WMC screen to go back to the main WMC screen. Go to TV + Movies, select guide.

10. Select the program you want to watch and you’re in business!