Terry's Computer Tips - Newsletter
October 10, 2005

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Terry's Computer Tips Newsletter
http://www.terryscomputertips.com
A computer tips newsletter for users of PC's.

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Volume 1, Number 17 -- Monday, October 10, 2005

IN THIS ISSUE:
   0.   Terry's Computer Tips -- the Online Newsletter
   1.   My New Computer Tips Blog
   2.   Updates This Week
   3.   Turn on Email Links in Outlook 2003 after Office 2003 Service Pack 2
   4.   A Recommendation for eTrust EZ Anti-virus
   5.   More Followup on Tracking Your Emails
   6.   Upgrading Windows XP Home to Windows XP Professional
   7.   Data Recovery - You Hope You Never Need It
   8.   Recommend Terry's Computer Tips to Your Friends
   9.   Send me some email to read!

Welcome to the Terry's Computer Tips newsletter.  The newsletter itself is now an online document that you read with your web browser.  The free, emailed newsletter is an announcement that a new issue has been published.  The emailed newsletter is sent weekly to individuals who have subscribed to the newsletter, have received an email confirmation notice that required them to confirm their subscription request, and who confirmed their request.

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0.  Terry's Computer Tips -- the Online Newsletter

Notice something new?  My Terry's Computer Tips emailed newsletter is now an announcement and contents listing. The emailed newsletter now notifies you that the new issue has been released and gives you the link to the issue.

This gives you, my readers, a chance to read the newsletter online at your leisure in the web browser of your choice.  It will also allow me much more flexibility in formatting and content, than does a text newsletter.  I was already considering this change -- the final straw was Microsoft's Office 2003 Service Pack 2 -- which deactivates links in many emails (see article Turn on Email links Outlook 2003 after Office 2003 Service Pack 2 in this week's issue).

By concentrating on the online HTML version, I can have a consistent style, also, which may have been an issue between different email programs.  I routinely check my web site with Internet Explorer, Opera and Firefox to make sure that the layout is all right in each.

The change to an online newsletter also stops me from having to "double-create" every newsletter, first in email form and, then, modified into full HTML for my Terry's Computer Tips newsletter archives.  Finally, it also lets me reduce or take out the affiliate ads that were getting clicks but producing no income, since no one was buying anything.

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1.  My New Computer Tips Blog

I am now blogging in the computer section at blog.WorldVillage.com.  WorldVillage.com is a family-friendly website that started in 1995 and has continued to grow since then.  My blog entries will focus in the sub-categories of Freeware & Shareware, Privacy & Security and Tips & Tricks.

My first entry, What Can I do About All This spam? is the first in a series of articles about spam and how we can control it.

I continue to post to my regular blog at www.TheNextWindow.com.  I will post computer tips and articles there, as well as post other commentary -- the subtitle of the site is "Random thoughts on this and that..."  My Terry's Computer Tips site has a couple of Spam Filter articles that should also be of interest to you..

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Interested in good coffee or espresso?
Check out the articles in my TerryStockdale.com site's coffee and espresso section.

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2.  Updates This Week

Counterspy:  Sunbelt Software released version 1.5 officially on October 3, although it had been available in beta for a while (I was running this on one machine) and as an evaluation version for the last few days before October 3rd.

Quoting Sunbelt Software's website:

LATE BREAKING NEWS: The New Version 1.5 has been released! This V1.5 has important enhancements over the earlier V1.0.29:     * Improved spyware scanning and removal     * New scanning options     * A number of additional enhancements

V1.5 delivers many "under-the-hood" improvements in spyware scanning and removal. Sunbelt’s new DNR™ (Do Not Resuscitate) technology significantly improves the chances of killing spyware that tries to reinstall itself after you delete it. CounterSpy's scanner now automatically runs a “Full System” spyware scan; you have a new choice for scanning .zip files, and you now can exclude “low risk” programs. This upgrade also includes general improvements to Active Protection, Windows 98SE and ME compatibility and the user interface. Official Release Date: October 3, 2005.

If you are running Counterspy, it will update automatically as part of the regular, every-reboot, scan for updated software and definitions.  The updates are being spread across several days, so if you can not wait, you can go ahead and download the new version.

ZoneAlarm:  Several sources, including Brian Livingston's "Windows Secrets" newsletter are reporting that the recent update of ZoneAlarm solved most of the problems customers had with the new 6.0 versions, although there are apparently still some software compatibilities.

However, of much more concern, is a report from C-Net's News.com about a flaw in ZoneAlarm, including earlier versions, that could allow malicious software to masquerade as a trusted application to access the Internet.  Their article is located at http://news.com.com/Malicious+code+could+trick+ZoneAlarm+firewall/2100-1002_3-5886488.html.  The article reports that Zone Labs said that they do not expect to fix the problem in their free version of ZoneAlarm and that their paid versions can handle it by additional technology that is already built into them.

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Continued in Part 2

Volume 1, Number 17 -- Monday, October 10, 2005
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Copyright © 2005 Terry A. Stockdale.  All rights reserved.