Ask Leo! #388 - Malwarebytes Antimalware, long term storage, charging spammers, CAPTCHAs and more... - Confident Computing

The Ask Leo! Newsletter

*** Featured

Malwarebytes Anti-malware - removes malware that others don't

Was it an oversight that you left Malwarebytes out of your list software in What software do you use?

Nope.

That article was about software that I use frequently and have installed on most or all of my Windows-based PCs.

I do recommend Malwarebytes Anti-malware often - almost daily, in fact. But I don't run it that often myself.

To understand why I might actually recommend something that I don't use frequently, we need to understand Malwarebyte's role and how it fits into my view of the war against malware.

Continue reading: Malwarebytes Anti-malware - removes malware that others don't
http://ask-leo.com/C5765

* * *

*** Answercast

Answercast #51 - Charging spammers, doubling firewalls, long term storage, calling things by their right names and more...

Did you know that using correct technical names will help you search for answers; or that there's a little switch on the side of many thumb drives to write-protect them? Have you ever thought we should charge spammers for sending email, or wonder about those illegible test letters on websites? Learn about that and more in this Ask Leo! Answercast.

Continue reading: Answercast #51 - Charging spammers, doubling firewalls, long term storage, calling things by their right names and more...
http://ask-leo.com/C5786

What's the best long-term storage media?
How can you protect your data long term from media degradation to loss and theft? We'll look at hard drives and a variety of media types and discuss revisiting your storage periodically.
Continue reading: What's the best long-term storage media?
http://ask-leo.com/C5787

Why does scripting not work in FireFox?
By and large, Firefox should run JavaScript just fine. We'll check a few settings that might be causing the problem.
Continue reading: Why does scripting not work in FireFox?
http://ask-leo.com/C5788

Is it worth getting a high-speed router or switch?
Your internet connection is controlled by your ISP and the devices that your ISP provides, but there are some advantages from faster equipment.
Continue reading: Is it worth getting a high-speed router or switch?
http://ask-leo.com/C5789

How do I un-write-protect this USB thumb drive?
The fact that you're trying to format the device tells me that it's not a file system permissions issue. Formatting should just work.
Continue reading: How do I un-write-protect this USB thumb drive?
http://ask-leo.com/C5790

Should I install another firewall if I can't turn on the Windows firewall?
My real concern here is the fact that you can't turn the Windows firewall on. That's bad!
Continue reading: Should I install another firewall if I can't turn on the Windows firewall?
http://ask-leo.com/C5791

Can't we just charge spammers per email they send?
Unfortunately, there is no simple way to trace spam to a specific place and charge them. There just isn't.
Continue reading: Can't we just charge spammers per email they send?
http://ask-leo.com/C5792

Word's Save-As menu disappeared. How to I repair it?
Microsoft Office programs menus are completely customizable. I'm not exactly sure what happened to you, but it should be something you can fix.
Continue reading: Word's Save-As menu disappeared. How to I repair it?
http://ask-leo.com/C5793

How do I go back to plain http for Google Plus?
It should be completely transparent. Without knowing exactly why you consider it to be annoying, I'm going to recommend that you leave it set.
Continue reading: How do I go back to plain http for Google Plus?
http://ask-leo.com/C5794

Can I retrieve a message I submitted via a web form?
There isn't a concept of a "sent mail folder" when filling out forms on a web page, so there is nothing to retrieve.
Continue reading: Can I retrieve a message I submitted via a web form?
http://ask-leo.com/C5795

Why do I keep getting these illegible letters I'm supposed to decipher when sending email?
Those are CAPTCHA tests are to prove that you are a real human and not an automated computer trying to send spam, but it shouldn't happen on every email.
Continue reading: Why do I keep getting these illegible letters I'm supposed to decipher when sending email?
http://ask-leo.com/C5796

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*** Last Issue's Articles

*** Word o' the Week

Malware

Malware is short for malicious software.

Malware is a kind of catchall phrase that encompasses pretty much any kind of software that could cause harm to your data or your machine. It includes software such as viruses, spyware, adware, Trojans, worms, scareware and more.

The term was probably developed by people (like me) who didn't want to keep writing out "viruses and spyware and adware and ..." when writing about current internet threats.

Word o' the Week features a computer term or acronym taken from the Ask Leo! Glossary. If there's a word that you're not sure of and would like to see defined, click here to let me know.

*** Thoughts and Comments

The folks out at PC Pitstop asked me a couple of questions:

"What do you like most about Windows 8?" and "What do you dislike the most about Windows 8?"

My response:

Unlike everyone else, I have yet to devote a lot of time to investigating Windows 8. While it looks new and cool and exciting and all that, it's not something that the average computer user needs to run out and get. Most are best served by continuing to run the systems that they're running and waiting for the Windows 8 ecosystem to develop and settle.

My biggest concern about Windows 8 is, of course, its new primary user interface. My experience is that many people see little need for the radical change and are reacting negatively to the "tablet-ification" of their desktops. There are definitely workarounds, and it may eventually be a change that grows on people, but as a first impression, many folks are somewhat put off.

Thus, my counsel to the average consumer: Windows 8 is nothing you need to rush into.

You can see my comments, and the comments of several of my industry colleagues here: What Experts Really Think of Windows 8.

Thanks!

'till next time...

Leo
Leo A. Notenboom
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