The installation file for the new software was pretty light. Total download size was only 8.61MB. Sitting less than 9MB, it places it less than a third of my least favorite application, Adobe Reader. Oh, and this is a full-blown security application, not just a PDF reader.

Once downloaded the installation process couldn’t have been much easier as well. The general installation steps were expected, there was a Microsoft Genuine Advantage software check in there. After that, a system update for definition refresh and we’re rolling.

As part of the install an initial system scan is included which also went quickly. I expected the first scan to take a bit longer. If the weekly scans go that quick, I’ll be happy. If they’re even quicker I’ll be more than pleased again with my experience.

Compared to Windows Live OneCare, there’s less settings and adjustments to be made. The basics still remain though: exclusion of files, exclusion of directories, default actions to take, etc.

The one thing I wish they’d work on fixing immediately is the icon that’s used to identify the tool. Sitting down there in the system try it looks like a circus big top tent. Microsoft, you can come up with a better icon than that, please do, QUICKLY!

Post from: EveryJoe

Installing Microsoft Security Essentials Software

Microsoft has now released their Microsoft Security Essentails application that will be completely replacing Windows Live OneCare as their security application of choice.

The big change between the two application is that Microsoft Security Essentials will be offered as a free download. Compared to the price of OneCare. There are a few different functions that will not be included in the new application, but the core components of what you’re looking for in this kind of application will be there.

What anti-virus application do you use? What system do you have running on a daily basis? What applications do you use for some extra-curricular system scrubbing when it’s called for because of a variety of reasons?

Post from: EveryJoe

Microsoft Security Essentials in Beta

Custom Image by Jason Bean

You can follow these five steps to keep yourself safe on any system with any software installed.

1. Know Your Links: Too many times I think people just click on anything that’s blue and underlined in their browser. Take a minute and read where that link suggests it’s going. You can do this by hovering over the link and reading the information in the status bar. Notice the link shown in the status bar below. Not always a sure thing, but I rarely click on a link that doesn’t have a recognizable word, or just looks odd.
   

   Snagit of Firefox Status Bar

2. Don’t Install It: Before you go installing something cool you’ve just found, take a moment and think about whether or not you really need the application. Have you heard of it before you found it online? Was it recommended by someone you know and trust. My opinion is if it’s not familiar, it’s not installed.
3. Email Attachments: Rarely do I ever open or view email attachments I didn’t expect or ask for. This includes that cool video, music or PowerPoint presentation you got from your Uncle Roy. I delete almost immediately.
4. False “Helpful” Warnings: Sometimes you’ll get what appears to be a helpful message letting you know your system may be infected. The problem is that the helpful message is wanting you to click on it to install malware on your system. Be familiar with your own software, whatever you’re using and don’t click on anything that’s not familiar to you. Including the “Close” buttons or other items. When in doubt, you can use ALT+F4 to close active windows or the Windows Task Manager.
5. Forget Forwarding: Perhaps not an immediate threat to the security of your system, forwarding emails over and over is just a problem that builds upon itself. If you wouldn’t pick up the phone to tell someone about what you just saw on email, don’t forward it to someone. Too good to be true? Delete it! For one you’re spreading useless information. More importantly you’re helping to harvest active email addresses for spammers. If you must forward something, use the BCC: field and remove everyone’s email addresses from the body.

Post from: EveryJoe

5 Steps to Stay Safe on the Web

So here are my thoughts about “teaching computers” .

Know What They Want
They may not want to write programs, tweak with the internals to improve PC performance, or even try out new applications. They might not even be interested in what the operating system and the hardware parts are capable of and they don’t need to know more than their names about them. My guess is that they would want to play media, browse the web, and connect with you through mail or chat as a start. It is good to ask and find out exactly what it is that they want.

Windows Games
The input devices are what one needs to learn well to move any further. The older generations are usually more adept in using the keyboard; they know typewriters better than you. But the mouse is an entirely novel idea unless they played arcade games in their childhood. I think the Windows Games like Solitaire or Minesweeper will come in handy in mastering the clicks. See if they might like one of these games and let them play awhile. Forget the middle-click and concentrate on the double-click because it can be especially troublesome and is essential.

Basic Operations
How to start and shutdown a computer; how to maximize, minimize, resize and close windows; how to create a new document or folder; how to open documents or media files or applications; how to navigate through the Windows Start and open various applications. Let your pupil perform these repetitively in various sequences. It helps if you can organize your program files beforehand to avoid any unintended uninstallations and use a separate folder for all the exercises while learning the copy, cut, paste, move, save operations. Discourage using cut and delete operations for the time being.

Explore One Application
Pick one application of their choice: word processor, paint brush, or media player, e.g. Help them explore all the features in it while making use of the tool tips more than your direct assistance. The basic menu structure and menu items within them largely overalp among most applications and this familiarity will make them more prepared when they ever encounter another application. Try moving to a second application to see how quickly they can correlate between the two.

Getting Help
Get them into the habit of trying various options in the Help menu, trying F1, browsing through the contents, index and searching for a string. That will help them with the next big thing as well.

The Internet
The first thing you might want them to learn about the Internet is Google, through which most of what they want can be gotten to. After learning to open the browser, that is. It is also a good idea to have shortcuts to various frequently visited websites, in case bookmarks seem tedious and the address bar is definitely more complicated. Create any account that they might need for the time being and show them how to use them: how to sign in, check mail, compose and send mail, sign out. Beginners might find it easier to sign into a chat client and open mail through the notifications. Let them search their own beginner websites through Google (or any other search engine) apart from using it for general browsing purposes.

Make sure you have a good anti-virus and firewall in place. And back up all your important files. Just in case.

Despite all your initial assurances, they are going to panic after every tiny mistake, afraid that accidentally dragging and dropping an icon into another might have caused something irrevocably faulty. Oftentimes, this clams them up bringing the course to a screeching halt or even a retrograde. I can’t advise you how, but you must make sure they understand that Windows is already goofy enough and no goof-up is big enough to screw it any further. They don’t know “format c:” yet, do they?

Have you taught anybody before? What have I missed? What would you do?

Post from: EveryJoe

Teach Your Grandma Computers