I’m glad you’ve been keeping up with technology and are aware of a possible update!  I highly recommend you check out your options to see if you are Windows 7 eligible.

For those of you who are unaware of this, most computer manufacturers offer some of their most recent machines that were sold a free or discounted update to Windows 7 which should be taken by anyone who is offered it.  A discount on Windows 7 is more of a reason to switch over to one of the best operating systems released by Windows.

Here are some links to check out if you’re computer is eligable.

Acer
Asus
Dell – some refurbished machines are eligible. Call Dell directly to find out.
eMachines
Fujitsu
Gateway
HP – some refurbished machines are eligible.  Call HP directly to find out.
Lenovo
Packard Bell
Samsung
Sony
Toshiba
Others

For those of you who were able to participate in this program, I ask that you comment the make and model of your PC for others who might have the same or similar machine.

*This list was formulated/updated from a post made in the Fatwallet forums*

It’s always a good idea to look at the requirements of the programs and games you’re looking to use on your new computer before you buy the product.  New computers today are designed to run some of the most intense games, including laptops; you just have to make sure you’re looking at the right product line.

Let’s look at ways to navigate your way around the internet to determine product specifications for the Sims 3 (the newest release I think?)  and other software you may be looking to install on your new computer to determine what hardware you should choose for your new laptop.

The best tool the internet offers is the searching ability and the wide variety of data at a search engines disposal.  If we use the popular Google search engine to search for “The Sims 3 PC requirements,” we’ll be able to click one of the first couple links to find the requirements for what the game would require on your new laptop:

XP (Service Pack 2)
Processor: Pentium IV 2.4 GHz / Athlon XP 2400+
Memory: 1.5 GB
Graphics GeForce: Go 6200 / Radeon mobile 9600
Graphics Ram: 128 MB
Vista (Service Pack 1)
Processor: Pentium: IV 2.4 GHz / Athlon XP 2400+
Memory: 2.0 GB
Graphics: GeForce Go 6200 / Radeon mobile 9600
Graphics: 128 MB

It looks like the game is not as computer intensive as one may think, but yo should be running at least 2 gigs of RAM which is different them the hard drive memory.  In relation to your question, I would recommend at least a 160 gig hard drive regardless of your gaming future.  Anything below a 160 gig hard drive is just too small for today’s software; a game like the Sims will only take a fraction of it so you are in the clear with a 160, but coupled with your core system files, pictures, music…etc. it becomes smaller quickly.

For any of your computer requirement specifications, I suggest you use the search engines; you’d be surprised with how much (random) information is on there!

Removing programs like Security Tool can be a bit of a process and challenge but it can be done.  Security Tool likes to control the scanners you run to try and remove it by altering the core files of the programs itself so it cannot find the rogue spyware program.

To remove Security Tool, we’ll have to try a couple of steps that will terminate the process of Security Tool and then another that will go in and remove the actual program.

To start, we must close the process of the program so it does not try to interfere with the cleaning.  Download RKill and double click on the file.  Allow it to run its course and stop any programs…do NOT reboot after the process is complete or make any other changes that will allow the program to start up again.

Next, download Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware

• Download the program from the link above and double click the file “mbam-setup.exe”
• Make sure a checkmark is NOT placed next to Update Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware and Launch Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware, then click Finish.

Do not reboot your computer even if the program prompts you too.  The Security Tool program will interfere with the installation core programs and you may receive an error that it is unable to execute file.

If so, download the executable files from here and put it in the C:\program files\Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware\ folder on your computer.  Make sure you save it directly from your browser to that folder and do not rename the file even though it looks like a bunch of gibberish.

Once complete, double click that recently downloaded file, open the program, click on the update tab and try to update the program.  Run a full scan and let it find the infected files for Security Tool and any of its friends.

Remove any of the infected files that MBAM finds and reboot your computer.  You’re all clean!  Enjoy!

Good job of picking up on malicious piece of software!  AntiVirus System Pro is a rogue anti-spyware that likes to report tons of fake results and security alerts like you’re reporting.  It is also programmed and designed to start up right when you boot into Windows so it will keep hogging up your system resources as well.

Like you also picked up on, we will need to remove this software.  It will help you gain control back of Internet Explorer; the program tends to hijack the use of Internet Explorer.

Some of the tell tale signs of AntiVirus System Pro, besides the start up of the actual program are fake reports such as:

Windows Security alert
Windows reports that computer is infected. Antivirus software helps to protect your computer against viruses and other security threats. Click here for the scan you computer. Your system might be at risk now.

To remove this infection, we’ll use our trusty tool Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware

• Download the program from the link above and double click the file “mbam-setup.exe”
• Make sure a checkmark is placed next to Update Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware and Launch Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware, then click Finish.
• If an update is found, it will download and install the latest version.
• Once the program has loaded, select “Perform Quick Scan”, then click Scan.
• The scan may take some time to finish, so please be patient.
• When the scan is complete, click OK, then Show Results to view the results.
• Make sure that everything is checked, and click Remove Selected. <- very important
• When disinfection is completed, a log will open in Notepad and you may be prompted to Restart. (See Extra Note)
• The log is automatically saved by MBAM and can be viewed by clicking the Logs tab in MBAM. (You may need this for a later post on the forums!)

Extra Note:If MBAM encounters a file that is difficult to remove, you will be presented with 1 of 2 prompts, click OK to either and let MBAM proceed with the disinfection process, if asked to restart the computer, please do so immediately

Reboot your computer and you should be all set.  I’m glad you were able to pick up on the false program and did not fall into its trap of asking for credit card information to remove the “fake” infections on your computer.

Ballmer was quick to jump out last Thursday about how Windows 7 was designed and what types of machines will be optimal for the software.  He covered the wide versatility of the new OS and the different types of technology we can expect to see coupled with.

“There’s nothing that get’s me more excited than releasing a new piece of software that’s going to change the world…and I get to sell it.”  You could see the enthusiasm in the Microsoft CEO as he proclaimed his new found love in the vast features of Windows 7.

He was quick to jump to where Windows 7 has grown to, including netbooks, ultrathin laptops and even the gaming industry.  Windows 7 offers a wide variety of flavors to cator to all the needs of technology out there currently.  Netbooks, which are very limited in their hardware as they are made more for portability, only require the basic functions of the OS.  For that, Windows 7 has a Basic flavor to deliver only the crucial components and vital foundational parts rather then bog down the CPU and hog the system resources; its truly becoming lighter and less of a resource hog!

So what makes Windows 7 better then the old release of Vista or XP?  It makes your experience personal, it simplifies your everyday tasks and makes new things possible.  Each desktop, icon, picture, touch gesture, music selection, widgets, taskbars, etc. can be personalized for each individual user.  I would figure this most useful in a family where Dad and Mom might prefer a more professional look and feel to their browsing with a widget to show how their portfolio is preforming, but the kids are still able to set their wallpapers to Hannah Montana or the Jonas Brothers and keep the games they play most only a click away from the task bar!

Windows simplifies tasks; it was made to be easier to use.  Things such as opening explorer windows, or navigating for files or trying to check the weather are only 1 click away!  They truly kept simplicity in mind and did not cloud the everyday “stuff” behind the new powerful and new parts of the software.  Windows 7 is also the first to boast multi-touch capabilities, have a larger variety of home entertainment features (such as DVR service or Netflix) and it has new regular user experience features such as snap to side or my personal favorite, “the wiggle,” which allows you to grab a window, shake or “wiggle” the screen and it will minimize all other screens except for the one you hold.

Windows is truly allowing for a “life without walls.”  I think what separates Windows with Apple and Mac OS X software is the ability for Windows to have a much larger communication ability with other peripherals, gadgets and electronics.  Apple is limited to the iPhone or even Apple TV and their OS X software but Windows can communicate with all types of computers, laptops, cell phones, smart phones, blackberries, televisions, home theater systems, DVRs and TiVos…get the picture?

Especially after the Macbook Experience here on WhatTheTech, I still love my Mac, but I’m beginning to see that outside the computer, Windows is rapidly becoming the tech titan of industry it once was.  I personally can’t wait to re-wire the house electronics to be running from a Windows machine…not a Mac.

Microsoft also did a fabulous job of including the “history” to Windows 7.  They touched on what the motives are behind this new OS, how many engineers, testers and beta users they included and what feedback they took from the testers and how they changed their original product to conform to what the people wanted.  For those of you who’ve never seen a piece of software change shape before (…and boy do they change…) it will be an interesting experience to understand how rigorous and large of a processes the finalizing of a product takes!

Microsoft held the event this year at Skylight Studios and opened the doors at 10:00AM.  The Attendee and Registration line were already built up around 9:30 with many MVP’s, Media Head’s and Company Directors chatting it up about the excitement to see what Microsoft information will be released in just a couple hours!

The inside of the studio was beautiful with a wide variety of lighting to keep a lot of “Windows” colors over the artwork and walls.

Different press and media members were walking around for interviews with Microsoft Employees as well as other MVP’s and attendees for pre-launch information about what they expect Windows 7 to become and how much of an impact it will make on the computing world.

Once we got into the main room, it was clear to see that Microsoft was ready to make a big impact and wanted to impress their members.  They came out with massive projector screens as well as sharp LCD monitors and TV’s to wow the audience.

With a surprise guest of Kylie (the lovable 4 year old who told the world that “she was a PC”) introduced Steve Ballmer who went right into the facts and numbers on what it took to create Windows 7.  Steve made sure he rewarded Kylie of her performance with a small pink netbook!

The shocking facts were that over 3,000 Engineers, 50,000 partners and 8 million customers (who provided the beta testing) were part in making the Windows 7 OS successful.  The shocking number of the 8 million testers can be placed against an astonishing fact that there are only 10 million OS X USERS world wide…so 80% of that number just TESTED the beta version of Windows 7.

Ballmer was quick to touch upon the response and feedback Microsoft received from its testers.  Each engineer would take the emotional and technical feedback they got for improving the software and posted it on a global wall where all employees could try and tackle the suggestions that were made.

I think Microsoft did a great job out of the gates with the presentation.  Not only was I impressed at their techy feel at the event, I thought they did an even better job at first making sure they introduced this software as a “software of the people.”  Its always crucial to make the customers know they have been listened too, especially coming off a lower approval from Windows Vista.

For those of you who bought Windows 7 already, let us know what you think.  I’d love to hear your initial thoughts on the new OS.  Next week, I’ll touch more upon the features they described, what’s new and the new technology that is being designed and released for Windows 7!

The security threat behind a false positive is not the actual detection of something that is “not a threat” but the consequences of following through with the proposed fixes to these problems.  Most of these false positives will recommend removal through free software (which will lead you to download more infections) or software that charges small to large fees to get control back of your computer.

If you’ve ever seen a false positive or think you might have one, read further about the dangers of false security reports and how to deal with them.

The dangers of false security reports is the window it opens up for other infections.  It can allow other programs to download and install onto your computer, such as a key logger, which will log the keystrokes you type on your machine and send them back to a 3rd party to be used at the disposal of the creator.  Have you ever done some online shopping?  File your taxes on the computer or send some sensitive data for work on your last login?  Be prepared to be at a significant identity theft risk if you give into these security threats.

Be careful when a separate website tries to convince you that your computer is infected…it is separate and cannot see your main hard drive so how can it tell you that your PC is infected?

I highly recommend daily scanning from free alternatives such as AVG AntiVirus or Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.  If you are questioning whether any result that pops up from surfing on a website or something that comes up on your computer screen…seek help before you take action.

If you still need convincing, try this article on for size.  Let us know what you think.

If you have an old USB key around and want to protect your laptop (or even desktop for that matter, I suggest you try the given program below and add a bit more physical security to your laptop. It’s perfect for protection in dorm rooms, offices or anywhere you’d like to beef up some security on your machines.

Don’t throw your old USB flash drive away. Instead, you can use an old flash drive as a laptop alarm to prevent your laptop from being stolen. Here is how:

1. Install free software on your laptop. www.lalarm.com/LaptopAlarm. (free for personal use)

2. Fasten a neck strap to your old USB flash drive.

3. Fasten the other end of the strap to a table.

4. Plug in the USB flash drive into a USB port of a laptop.

5. Lock the laptop by pressing the Windows logo key and L key together.

When a thief removes the laptop from the table, the USB flash drive will be disconnected from the laptop and then a loud siren sound will be emitted. (See photos: www.lalarm.com/arm2) In addition to sounding an alarm, the software sends an alert to your mobile phone. This tip is also useful if you worry about identity theft. The free software destroys data in case of laptop theft.

I have not tried this software, nor do I suggest trying it blindly on a laptop that has crucial information on it before you are 100% familiar with the software and understand its features and functionality.

If you have some luck and find it useful, let us know!

Password protecting a hard drive is a great way to preserve and maintain privacy on your files.  I strongly suggest more users password protect their folders and files, including their smaller USB drives, to increase security and prevent stolen data.

There are some free options out there to password protect your data and its quite simple to set up.  Lets look at the option I recommend to use and set up the program on your drive.

The freeware program I like to recommend is TrueCrypt.  It’s an open source option with a price tag that cannot be beat ($0).

TrueCrypt runs on all OS levels, including Windows, Mac OS X and Linux so its safe to take on a drive that might be used on multiple operating systems.  I find this the most attractive feature about the program, especially because of our recent project here at What the Tech with the new MacBook Pro I am trying out.  Taking data between Windows and OS X is a huge issue for me and I want a program that can work on both platforms.

File systems still operate in their normal fashion of drag and drop, but the encryption is real time.  For those of you who might be a bit confused on what “real time” encryption entails, it simply means that a file will be encrypted as soon as it is dropped onto the protected drive so there is no delay in protection, and there is no decrease in transfer speed!

I applaud your decision to protect your data, let us know how the drive encryption worked for you!

There are still tons of old games that are still better then the new garbage that comes out today.  While I still think the progression of games for the computer has come a long way from Pong to Far Cry or Counter Strike is still a positive change, I do not think I am ready to right off on some of the older games I grew up with.  I bet there are still a ton of you guys out there who are still die hard old gamers…Starcraft anyone?

With the advancement of operating systems and Windows 7 just around the corner, there are many games that will come off the shelf and be forced into retirement because they are starting to spoil and rot, but it does not mean they won’t run on our newer systems.  Here’s a way to continue to use some of your older games on a newer system.

In your specific situation, we’ll look at how to run a game for Windows 95 on Windows XP:

1.  Find the Executable (.exe) file of the program you are trying to run.

2.  Right click on the file and choose “properties.“

3.  Click the tab that says “compatibility.“

4. Check “Run this program in compatibility mode for”

^The default OS should be Windows 95- perfect for your situation

5.  Click Apply, and double click the .exe file.

There might be some problems that prevent the compatibility mode from working on older games, but for the most part you should be smooth sailing…

Enjoy!

Manufacturers make their websites incredibly difficult to navigate for their drivers and support documents.  It’s almost easier to Google “specific” driver and follow the links that follow except the problem with that is the date on the links that you receive and if they are not straight from the company then you face a trust issue!

I’ve done some searching on the internet and found a website that has a list of the most recent drivers and utilities for hard drives from the top brands out there.  I suggest you look there and use the links posted from those users which are screened and verified for validity and updated for the newest releases.

Click on the following link based on your brand of hard drive below:

Conner
Fujitsu
Hitachi
IBM
Maxtor
Quantum
Samsung
Seagate
Toshiba
Western Digital

If you do not know the brand of your hard drive, open up your computer case (make sure you take the proper precautions) and look on the top.  Most companies love to brand their products on the top of the hard drive with either the full name or an abbreviation; e.x: WD = Western Digital.

Experencing hard drive problems?  Try the utilities for your hard drive and verify it is still preforming properly.  Hard drives can also be completely formatted to factory settings by writing 0’s to the hard drive to ensure the data has been erased from it!  The utilities offered by hard drive manufacturers are extremely useful and should be utilized regularly.

People always forget about setting up their e-mail clients when they migrate over to a new computer and lose the preferences and folder setup instantly.

To move over from Outlook Express to Windows Live, we’ll export your old settings and import them to your new program fairly quickly!

The first step is to open Outlook Express and navigate in the menu bar to Tools and then Options. Next, look for the Maintenance tab and click the Store Folder button on the bottom left hand corner. If you have a lot of emails, this will take some time for the new window to open up.

Once the window opens up, copy the link location path of where your emails are stored. Navigate in an open Windows Explorer to the link and move your emails to another location and open up Windows Live.

In Windows Live, in the menu bar, navigate to File and then Import>>Messages. It will prompt you to select your version of Outlook. Choose to Import mail from an OE6 store director and then click OK.

Verify that path is where you moved your emails too, hit Next, and then select to import all folders.

Sit back, relax and let Windows Mail do the rest. In a matter of time all your mail should be in the Imported Folder!

I can’t stress enough how important it is to have an Anti-Virus on your computer at ALL times, especially if you are on multiple networks where you are not familiar with their security.  I’m a bit puzzled how you could manage to use a computer that is unprotected and highly suggest you look into something more permanent for your machine.  An infection can occur in the blink of an eye and you should have something that has the ability to warn and protect you.

As for online scanning, there are many options out there, but I have a list of some of the best.  Online scanning does not replace a good anti-virus but they can be useful as a “second opinion” or a scan on the go in your case.

I’ve compiled a list of the top 6 online virus scans that I recommend.  They are in no specific order and should not replace a stable and installed version of an Anti-Virus.

Kasperksy and ESET offer products in the Anti-Virus area which I do like as permanent choices.  The last of the scanners is an individual file scanner.  If you are file sharing on these networks, it can be highly useful to scan the files online first before you open and run them on your own work machine.

Kasperksy and NOD32 are some of the best Anti-Viruses out there along with SuperAntiSpyware for the best combination of protection.  For your specific situation, I could not be more adamant in saying you need it.make it your next purchase before it’s too late!

It’s unbelievable how incomplete some uninstalls are that come with programs today.  While they remove most of the main program, they never ask about the side stuff they install that comes with it.  Many companies now claim they do not uninstall those automatically because they do not want to remove a side program that might be used for another program, but I’ve seen prompts that warn you before an uninstall for you to decide whether you want to keep them or not.

For your lingering files, we’ll use a tool from Microsoft to get rid of as much as we can.  It should stop from any file installation reoccurring anymore.

Navigate here and download the Windows Installer CleanUp Utility.  The WICU has the ability  to get rid of install files (not the program itself) but it will atleast delete the install files that use Windows Installers so you will not have to keep seeing the annoying pop-ups or failed install attempts.

The disclaimer: “Warning The Windows Installer CleanUp Utility is provided “as is” to help resolve installation problems for programs that use Microsoft Windows Installer.”

Install the program and select the program you wish to remove.in your case it will be “Total Access Core Application” and let the program do its magic.  Reboot and enjoy a computer without annoying pop-up’s!

Windows 7 is very similar to Windows Vista; you’ve heard correctly.  A lot of the features and look feel like you are still in Vista until you notice the taskbar or the new Aero features.etc.  However, you have also heard correctly where there are some standard differences between the two operating systems when it comes to the desktop.  There have been some removed standard features in Windows 7 but never fear, there are great replacement options instead!

Windows 7 no longer offers the Classic Start Menu.  To be honest, I never felt that classic menu was helpful in moving our tech era forward.  It was too Windows 98/XP for me and I actually liked the omission of this feature.

Windows Sidebar has vanished.  Rather having all the widgets in an outlined box, you are free to move your widgets anywhere on your desktop or keep them in a straight line on the right side of the screen.  Once again, I commend this addition because it was always ugly to see a faded outline on the screen or not be able to move your widgets to some other part of the desktop depending on your configuration (not all desktops look the same!).

Windows Photo Gallery, Movie Maker, Calendar, and Mail have been removed as standard features in Windows 7.  If you still would like to use these programs, navigate to Windows Download Live and select any of the products download link.  It will contain all the installation files for any of these programs rather then asking you to download each individual file separately.

Windows 7 does have a unique desktop experience not similar to its predecessor Vista.  While the desktop backgrounds might be the same, the taskbar, sidebar, and standard programs are no longer installed to clutter up your machine.  I really like the changes made as I feel they clean up the desktop more and for most users who do not choose to run any of the Windows Programs, it gives them a chance to have a clean slate to install another default program without the hassle of removing the old Windows version.