How? You may ask – Simply by having outdated versions of Internet browser add-ons.

Add ons are the bits that let you see more on the net, such as the fancy pictures or video you watch in your browser.

There are really only 3 main add-ons you need to keep upto date – Java, Adobe Flash player and Reader.

If you installed these with defaults setting then they will tell you when newer versions are available and offer to update for you. Its advisable that you do so to keep any exploitable security holes to an absolute minimum.

If you keep your computer on 24/7 then its worth restarting every so often as some of these programmes only seem to check on a computer restart. It wont harm your computer to restart once a month anyway as it resets all the programmes in memory and will probably let your computer run that little bit faster.

It offers improved security, faster page loading and a minimal interface so you get to see more on your page. It has options to make your browsing a better experience by giving users a bit more control over how it behaves.

There are still some sites that aren’t quite fully compatible with IE9 but it wont be long before main majority are.

One thing to be aware of IE9 – Unfortunately it only works in Vista and Windows 7!

It should appear as an Update when your PC runs Windows Update. If not you can download direct from Microsoft.

If you have XP then your stuck with IE8.

These take up space as temporary files, cookies, cached internet data and other junk  that can clog up your hard disk and will eventually make it run slower.

You can remove this clutter manually if your savvy enough on how to do so safely, or make use of the built-in WIndows Disk Cleanup tool located at Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools.

Start up the Disk Cleanup Tool, let it scan your drive(may take a while depends on how much junk you’ve got!).

Once it’s scanned it will list options for you. If you know what your doing you can click additional options for cleaning up the drive. If you want to play safe simply go with the default selections and tell the Disk Cleaner to go ahead and clean

Its recommended to do this weekly if a heavy user or monthly if a medium to light user is usually sufficient to keep files under control.

By default Windows sets up special folders for users to hold Pictures/Music/Video etc and puts these in your home folder which you will know as ‘My Documents’.

By using these folders to store your files accordingly , you will know where they are and they can contain as many sub-folders as you wish.

Now the important part… Because your files are in these special folders and not all over the place, its makes the job of preserving them extra easy.

I highly recommend that to do this you either :

• Buy a large USB memory stick – These are very cheap now

• Buy a DECENT make of DVD-R/CD-R disks

Now what you need to do is simply copy the entire ‘My Documents’ to the USB stick or burn to the DVD-R/CD-R disks on a regular basis.

USB stick is far better suited to this as by using a DVD/CD disc is slower and not eco-friendly as you use a new disk every time you back up. USB sticks simply use over and over again.

Thats not to say a DVD/CD doesn’t have its use. For long term storage of pictures or Video, they can be burnt and then stored in a cool dark dry place. This is why I said DECENT discs. The cheapy ones from Tescos and the like are ok for short term back ups but longer term need a more reliable disc, this is where quality costs, though decents discs are still extremely cheap.

Backing up is easy as well, simply put your Disc in the drive or put the USB into a spare USB slot then goto My Documents. Press Alt-A to select all files and then simply Right Click and choose the Send To option, your DVD/CD drive or USB drive will be one of the targets you can choose and Windows will then copy the files to your choice.

You know – the ones that said Files, Edit, view etc.. In Vista/Windows 7 these are generally hidden to make more use of the screen.

They are still there, just tap the Alt key to display the traditional menu bar. It’ll disappear again when you select a menu item.

Type the name of a web site such as ‘myspace’ into your browser’s address bar and press CTRL+Enter to automatically add http://www and .com and be taken to the site.

Save a web page picture

To copy a picture from a web site onto your computer, right-click the image  and select Save Image As or Save Picture As.

Move between web links

Use Tab and Shift+Tab to move between links on a web page and press Enter to follow the selected link.

Change the clock

Double click on the clock on the Taskbar to change the date and time

Save web video clips

To download Video clips embedded on a web page, in Firefox right-click the page and select View Page Info then click the Media tab. Select the video file and click Save As.

Check hard disk space

Double click on the My Computer icon on your Desktop and right-click on your hard disk (usually drive C). Click Properties to see the amount of disk space left on your computer.

Create a web shortcut

Right-click on a web page in your browser and select Create Shortcut to place a shortcut link on your desktop.

Change how you view file lists

You can change how your files are shown in a folder by clicking on View then choosing between Thumbnails, Tiles, Icons, List or Details.

Create Taskbar shortcuts

Drag a file, folder or shortcut on to the Taskbar for quick access to programs, files or web sites.

Change Desktop background

Right click on your Desktop and select Properties. Click on the Desktop tab, pick a new Background and click Apply to change your wallpaper.

Take a screen snapshot

Press Print Screen to take a snapshot of the whole screen or ALT and Print Screen for just the current window, then paste it into an image editor such as Paint to save it as a picture file.

Make web pages easier to read

To make text on web pages easier to read, click on View (or Page in Internet Explorer 7) then Text Size and choose a larger size.

Use BCC

To send an e-mail to several people at once without showing all their addresses at the top of the e-mail, use the BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) box in your e-mail client.

Burning CDs/DVDs

When writing a CD or DVD leave your PC alone, as using other programs at the same time could interfere with the burning process.

Alter music speed

In Windows Media Player, click the View menu then Enhancements and Play Speed Settings. Move the slider to speed up or slow down a song.

Picture slideshow

Open a folder of pictures and from the Explorer menu on the left click Picture Tasks and then View as a slideshow.

Change volume

Change your speaker volume by clicking on the Start menu and Control Panel, then click Sounds and Audio Devices to change your sound settings.

Open compressed files

In Windows XP, open compressed Zip files by double-clicking them. Click and drag the files inside out to another folder or the Desktop to extract them.

Windows includes a free, built-in service called Windows Update. This service helps you keep your PC more secure and reliable as well as compatible with devices.

Windows Update provides new features that may enhance your Windows experience. You can set Windows Update to automatically download and install essential updates or you can review the updates before they’re installed. The service is as automatic as you’d like it to be.

An up-to-date PC gives you the best possible experience, and helps you keep your PC more secure, reliable, compatible with devices, and able to run new features that may enhance your experience. With Windows Update, you can easily get what your PC needs, such as:

• The latest security updates to protect against malware and other potentially unwanted software
• Updates that improve reliability and performance
• Upgrades to Windows features
• Drivers from Microsoft partners

While Windows Update needs to check your PC to determine which updates it needs, it does not collect your personal information. Windows Update simply checks to see what software and hardware is installed, so it knows what updates you need.

Using Windows Update with automatic updating is a good first line of defence against security threats, but it’s only one piece of the puzzle.We strongly recommend that you improve your PC’s security by using a firewall and maintaining antivirus and antispyware software as well.

Turning on Windows Update is simple. As you set up your new PC, you’ll be asked if you want to “Help protect Windows automatically.” Just select one of the green shield options (see screen shot below) and Windows Update will check for, download, and install new updates for your PC.

Microsoft recommends the first option “Use recommended settings” so that you automatically receive all Important and Recommended updates. Microsoft also recommends that you turn on other features such as the Internet Explorer Phishing Filter to help protect your PC and personal information.

How To switch on Updates in Windows Vista

The second option “Install important updates only” will check for, download, and automatically install only Important updates.

You can also change the automatic update settings anytime with the Windows Update control panel. And you can review and install Optional updates from the panel.

To do change the automatic update settings

1. Open Windows Update (click the Start button, click All Programs, and then click Windows Update).
2. Select Change Settings and choose how you want Windows to install updates.

Switching from Windows Update to Microsoft Update

Do you have other Microsoft products besides Windows? Microsoft Update helps you update Windows and many other Microsoft programs that you’ve installed, such as Microsoft Office, all in one place.

To turn on Microsoft Update in Windows Vista

1. Open Windows Update (click the Start button, click All Programs, and then click Windows Update).
2. Click the Get updates for more products button. (Note: If this button does not appear, it’s likely you’ve already enabled Microsoft Update. This may happen when you installed other software programs like Microsoft Office 2007. In this case, the phrase “You receive updates: For Windows and other products from Microsoft Update” should appear near the bottom of the window.)
3. Follow the instructions to use Microsoft Update. Windows Update will begin to scan your PC for available updates for Windows and other Microsoft products if you have automatic updating turned on.

Installing optional updates and drivers

To install Optional updates, just select them from the list of updates that Windows finds for your PC. Optional updates are not installed automatically.

To install Optional updates

1. Open Windows Update (click the Start button, click All Programs, and then click Windows Update).
2. In the left pane, click Check for updates, and then wait while Windows looks for the latest updates for your PC.
   
3. If any updates are found, click View available updates.
   
4. Select the Optional updates that you want, and then click Install. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

Note: If you are offered an Optional update that you don’t want to install, you can simply right click and select Hide update and it will not appear on the list the next time you use the update service. If you discover that you do want it, simply select Restore Hidden Updates.

How To switch on Updates in Windows XP

The Windows Update service provides a single location for all the updates for your Windows XP–based PC. And by turning on the Automatic Updates feature, you can make sure your PC has High-priority updates including security and reliability updates, drivers, service packs, and feature updates. Automatic Updates routinely checks for the latest High-priority updates for your PC and then downloads and installs them for you automatically.

Note: The Automatic Updates feature will only check for High-priority updates. Automatic Updates will not download and install Optional updates. You will need to return to the Windows Update site regularly to select and install Optional updates.

If you don’t have Automatic Updates turned on, Microsoft recommends you turn it on when you visit the Windows Update site.

To turn on Automatic Updates in Windows XP (SP2)

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. Click Automatic Updates.
3. Choose Automatic (recommended).

Note: You can also turn on Automatic Updates from the Windows Update website.

To update your PC now

1. Go to the Windows Update website.
2. Then, do one of the following:
   • Click Express to check for High-priority updates. Windows Update will check for High-priority updates for your PC and display them for your review. Select the updates you want, and then click Install Updates.
     
     
   • Click Custom to check for Optional updates. Windows Update will check for the latest updates for your PC.
     

Note: If you click Custom, High-priority updates will be presented for your review. Select Optional updates from the left side of the web page by type: “Software, Optional” or “Hardware, Optional. “

Remember to check the Windows Update website regularly for Optional updates as they are not offered through Automatic Updates.

Using Microsoft Update via Windows Update

Do you have other Microsoft products besides Windows? Turning on Microsoft Update helps you keep Windows and many other Microsoft programs, such as Microsoft Office, updated all in one place. If you’ve been using Windows Update with Automatic Updates turned on, Windows Update will continue to check for and install High-priority updates for your Windows XP –based PC.

Note: The first time you visit Microsoft Update, you will need to install the updating software on your PC.

To use Microsoft Update

1. Connect to the Internet and go to the Microsoft Update website or click Microsoft Update on any Microsoft.com site. (If you’ve already turned it on you’ll skip straight to Step 7 .)
   
2. Click Start Now, and then click Continue.
   
3. Automatic Updates is turned off by default. To turn on Automatic Updates, click Turn it on now.
   
4. Select when you want the new updates installed. Click OK. Automatic Updates are now turned on.
   
5. Click Check for Updates.
6. Now that you have set up the Microsoft Update service and turned on Automatic Updates, click Check for Updates.
7. Click either Express or Custom installation.A. Get answers to questions you have about Microsoft Update.
   B. Another opportunity to sign up for Automatic Updates.
   • Express finds High-priority updates for your PC, which you install with one click.
   • Custom finds both High-priority and Optional. You individually review and select the updates you want to install.
8. Microsoft Update scans your PC to identify which updates your PC needs. Follow the directions on the screen to download and install them.

There are many anti-virus programs to choose from. Some are paid programs and others are free.

Many of the free programs do just as fine of a job as the paid programs do. Keep in mind however that some of the free programs do not scan for things such as root kits (malicious code that’s designed to go deep into your system).

Here is a list of some anti-virus programs to consider. All of these can be researched on Google. Some are free,  others you have to pay for

Avast! (My personal free favourite for those who prefer simple and quick and don’t want a paid for version!)
AVG
Avira
BitDefender
Computer Associates
ESET NOD32 (My favourite Paid for one, I use this on my PC’s and its excellent!!)
F-Secure
Kaspersky
McAfee
Norton Anti-Virus
Panda
Trend Micro
Windows Live Onecare

If you intend on purchasing an anti-virus program, it is best to research them a bit before committing to the purchase. By doing this you can better decide what is best for you and your computer.

Free programs can be tested hands on since you don’t have to worry about not being able to return the software if you don’t like it.

There are many “rogue” programs that disguise themselves as anti-virus programs when they actually a virus themselves. Some to definitely keep away from are AntiVirus2008, Antivirus2009, AntiVirusPro and a new one making the rounds, AntiVirus2010.

If you happen to find a program not on this list that you want to try, make sure to research it first to make sure it is a legitimate program.

It is important to completely remove anti-virus software before installing a new one. Having two anti-virus programs installed and running at once will only succeed in slowing your computer to a crawl while the two programs fight for supremacy and will actually do more harm than good as they can open your PC to attack whilst they fight each other

Once you have chosen your anti-virus program, it is imperative that you keep it up to date. Many programs release updates weekly and in some cases, daily. Generally programs are set to automatically receive updates on their own. You should leave this option in place to prevent forgetting to manually update on your own.

In addition, most programs are set by default to do a daily scan at a set time. It is ok to change this setting so that your computer will be scanned during a time that your computer is normally on.

Remember, even the best programs will not always keep you safe. If you already have a virus you can’t get rid of, it may be time us to book an appointment before the virus gets too deep into your system

This virus will affect Windows 2000 and XP, it is not supposed to affect Vista, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008.

The good thing is that F1 is mainly used for help, and not many programs use that any longer. This happens specifically when on a website with Internet Explorer.

DO NOT PRESS F1 if prompted, while using Internet Explorer in Windows XP or Windows 2000.

Close your browser if you get a message like this. If it will not close and the “press F1 Window” still shows up, you can try the following:

Hit Control + Alt + Del, and bring up the task manager. Highlight the Internet Explorer program that is running, and click the END TASK button. This will force the window to be closed.