The Freeware XP Machine

Feb 242013
 

freeware baby!(Last updated 24 February, 2013. See Changelog at bottom of page.)

This is the story of my attempt at making a 100% usable freeware Windows XP machine. It has been revised several times since I first published it thanks to feedback and suggestions from readers. I’ve done a lot of research and tried a lot of programs. There are also 2 companion articles: The Vista Freeware Machine and The Windows 7 Freeware Machine. This is not an exhaustive list of freeware programs but the result of the aforementioned research and installs blended with my own personal preference and opinion. You are free to recommend a FREE program but you must list exactly why you think it is better. i.e. – If you say it uses less resources then provide a concrete example (with stats), if you call it bloatware then show why, etc.

Continue reading »

Twitt

Security Update for Internet Explorer

Jan 142013
 

winupdateAll you folks that haven’t upgraded Internet Explorer 6-8 have a Security Update for Internet Explorer.
Microsoft Security Bulletin MS13-008 – Critical

This security update is rated Critical for Internet Explorer 6, Internet Explorer 7, and Internet Explorer 8 on Windows clients and Moderate for Internet Explorer 6, Internet Explorer 7, and Internet Explorer 8 on Windows servers. Internet Explorer 9 and Internet Explorer 10 are not affected.

See also: Advance Notification for Update to Address Security Advisory 2794220

Today, we are providing Advance Notification to customers that at approximately 10 a.m. PST on Monday, January 14, 2013, we will release an out-of-band security update to fully address the issue described in Security Advisory 2794220

Twitt

Microsoft Security Advisory 2794220

Dec 302012
 

winupdateMicrosoft Security Advisory (2794220)

Microsoft is investigating public reports of a vulnerability in Internet Explorer 6, Internet Explorer 7, and Internet Explorer 8. Internet Explorer 9 and Internet Explorer 10 are not affected by the vulnerability. Microsoft is aware of targeted attacks that attempt to exploit this vulnerability through Internet Explorer 8.

Details of exploit here.
Bottom line:
If your Using Windows Vista or Windows 7 then upgrade your browser like you should have done in MARCH of 2011.
If your using Windows XP (REALLY?) then Firefox and/or Chrome FTW.

Twitt

Original XP Pinball Game

Dec 192012
 

xp_pinballThe usual Geek news sites today have featured a blog post entitled, “Why was Pinball removed from Windows Vista?”
The post is interesting but that ain’t why I’ve posted this.
Like many others I’ve been using the original XP pinball game in 64-bit Windows since Vista came out without a single issue. Continue reading »

Twitt

Time To Run Windows Update

Nov 272012
 

winupdateUpdates available for XP, 2K3, Vista, 2K8, Seven, Eight, 2K12, Visual Studio.
Most of these are Compatibility Updates:

A compatibility update is a software update that improves the compatibility experience in Windows. Microsoft regularly releases Windows compatibility updates to improve the overall user experience.

Twitt

Bad Tweaks

Sep 202011
 

Bad Tweaks

th
(last edited 14 January, 2013)
The following is a list of Windows tweaks that either do not work, do not work as advertised, or that are better left alone.
Many of these once worked in some version of Windows and virtually every tweak guide and program use or has used these tweaks. My guide also used to contain some of them. It has taken a considerable amount of research and testing to come to these conclusions. While others have incorporated these into other guides and tried to pass it on as their own work I’ve done the investigation and benchmarking (and AFAIK I was the first to publish these en masse on the web). I’ve Googled up one side of the net and down the other. Sometimes I think I’ve seen every page at Microsoft. I’ve hosed installs, applied and removed settings, and spent more time tracking the registry than I care to admit (far more than I would like my wife to know about!).
The original version of this guide was part of my XP Tweak Guide.
Continue reading »

Twitt
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