The World of Windows

We all know computer viruses -- and other kinds of malware -- can cause problems ranging from irritating to catastrophic. Some malware replicates itself until it fills up all available space on your hard drive, turning your computer into a brick. Other kinds corrupt data on your machine or make your computer unstable. A few will even attempt to use your e-mail programs to distribute the malicious code to everyone in your contacts list. And there's always the possibility a cracker -- that's a malicious hacker -- will use malware to get remote access to your computer. No one wants to own a computer infected with a nasty virus. That's why it's very important to practice safe computing habits and to install reliable anti-virus software. You can avoid most malware just by paying attention and staying away from a few common traps. If your anti-virus software is up to date, you should be in pretty good shape. But once in a while, computer viruses get beyond our defenses. Maybe...

One of the most enduring stories of the Trojan War, the most important conflict in Greek mythology, is the tale of the Trojan horse. Trying to find a way into the city of Troy, the great warrior Odysseus ordered his men to build a massive wooden horse, one big enough for several Greek soldiers to fit in. Once the structure was finished, he and several other warriors climbed inside, while the rest of the Greeks sailed away from Troy. One man named Sinon, however, stayed behind in order to deceive the Trojans, convincing them that his fellow Greeks had betrayed him and fled from the city. The wooden horse, he told the Trojans, was safe and would bring them luck. After some discussion over the matter, the Trojans agreed to wheel the horse through their gates, unknowingly giving the Greek enemy access to the city. After proclaiming victory and partying all night, the citizens of Troy went to sleep -- it was then that Odysseus and his men crept out of the Trojan horse and wreaked havoc on t...

Introduction Windows Vista is the result of over four years of work and the investment of many billions of dollars. It is billed as the most secure version yet of the Microsoft Windows® operating system. This paper discusses not only the security technologies employed by Microsoft that justify this accolade but also how, in combination, these technologies mitigate specific classes of threats. This paper presents a high-level summary of Symantec’s research findings into the security of Windows Vista, and a set of conclusions that discuss the exposure that remains even in the face of its new security technologies. The intent of this paper is not to detract from the improvements that Microsoft has made, but rather to provide an objective and balanced view of how Windows Vista will affect the overall threat landscape. Symantec started researching Windows Vista in 2005 and has monitored its development carefully. The goal of this research has been to understand the technology improvemen...

Introduction I designed and created the Automatic Wallpaper Changer (AWC) simply because I like to change the wallpaper of my desktop regularly. All the programs I located on-line that change the desktop were too complicated for my simple needs, or just plain rubbish, and anyway you usually had to pay silly amounts for them. I think that the program I've ended up with does a pretty good job, so I've decided to let everybody else share. I've benefited over the years from other authors' freeware so this is my attempt to pay back the favour. It's become considerably more sophisticated and powerful over time but is still pretty straightforward and should satisfy 99% of users' needs. It is released into the public domain as freeware. I retain copyright and IPR. You may use this version of the program without charge and without time limit. You may distribute the installation program to anybody you want as long as you do not charge for ...