How to Response to Windows 7 Defender Alerts?

Windows Defender is part of a fundamental security related improvement offered by Microsoft in its brand new operating system. This feature, which is available in all editions of the operating system, helps home users protect their computers to a great extent by timely detecting and removing spyware and unwanted software, before they can cause any harm to the system. It guards your computer against pop-up issues, sluggish performance issues, and security threats.


If Windows Defender detects the presence of spyware, whether during the course of a scan or caught by real-time protection, you must decide how to handle it If you see an alert triggered by real-time protection, as shown above, click the alert balloon (or, if it deftes before you have a chance to click it, click the Action Center icon and click Potentially Harmful Software Detected) Alternatively, on the Home page of Windows Defender.

Advantages of Windows Defender include:
• Scanning options which enable users to organize timely scans of their systems on a regular basis. Users can also decide on the alert levels and actions that they want to perform when potential spyware is detected during a scan.
•A system that monitors and recommends actions against spyware whenever the spyware is detected.
• Users can view threat details and choose actions on per-threat basis.
Moreover, Windows 7 Defender includes several performance enhancements over its earlier editions like:
• In order to avoid scanning system files, the system file cache is used for the scan.
• Unique threat identification is assigned for each unknown file and kept in the cache. This helps avoid performance-intensive scanning for unknown threats.
• Although maximum cache size is maintained, the threats that no longer exist are removed from the cache.
• The scan schedule is based on idle time notification from the Task Scheduler so that it does not get much complicated for the user.

For each suspected spyware program, you can take one of three actions:

● REMOVE WINDOWS DEFENDER PERMANENTLY REMOVES THE DETECTED SPYWARE FROM YOUR COMPUTER.
● Quarantine Windows Defender moves the program to a different folder and prevents the program from running.

Live Window Thumbnails

The other productivity features of Windows 7 minimize the need to switch to another application windows. However, this is still a very sharp need and the success at delivering a live, vivid preview of another window is important for the following scenarios:

• Working in one program and easily previewing the status of another program or the data
presented by another program.

• By examining the previews of multiple windows, determining which window to switch to. This was usually done by using Flip-3D and a 3D stack of windows previews that was relatively difficult to.
Flip-3D is still available in windows 7 professional , but window switching and preview is another subset of the
functionality consolidated into the new taskbar. The Windows Vista thumbnails were the first live
window representations at the taskbar; the Windows 7 taskbar introduces several significant
enhancements to these thumbnails, including:

• Multiple thumbnails for tabbed-document interface (TDI) applications, such as Internet Explorer,
including switching support to a specific tab

• Live preview of the window (in full size) when hovering over the thumbnail

• A quick-access Close button on the thumbnail itself
This makes window navigation and switching so aesthetically pleasing that you might find yourself or your user playing with the live preview features without any intent to switch between windows!

TDI applications or applications willing to expose a custom window preview can take advantage of
these new features to plug into th
preview generation.

A Look at Windows 7 Performance Troubleshooting Tools

Windows 7 brings with it a new set of performance troubleshooting tools that permits you to name and fix common computer problems such as program compatibility, hardware errors, network connectivity, and performance issues. These tools are handily grouped in the Control Panel in the System and Security category under Find and fix windows 7 problems. Among the troubleshooting classes are: Programs, Devices, Network, Printing, Display, Sound, Performance, and Windows.

Many of these tools perform familiar computer maintenance operations. For example, under Windows and then Run Maintenance Tasks, one of the tasks cleans up unwanted files much like the Disk Cleanup utility does. In this case, Windows scans and fixes the problems before showing a report detailing what was done and its recent status. Many of these troubleshooting tools permits you to click a few buttons and find and fix problems.

The Hardware and Devices troubleshooter scans your computer’s hardware and checks for updated devices drivers. If any updated drivers are detected, it will prompt you to install them. This feature makes it relatively easy to check and see if any new drivers are available for your system’s hardware. Windows Vista and XP users, take heart. You can do the same through the Device Manager although you will have to check each device one at a time. In addition, Windows Update provides updated device drivers as they become available.

The Aero interface, in spite of its beauty, has affected performance in the past. In addition, video cards may not support this interface. The Aero troubleshooter troubleshoots effects with the display. It will check to make sure that your system is able of executing the Aero interface and advise you about the next steps. If you are running Windows Vista, you do not have a built-in Aero troubleshooter. However, if you find that performance is bearing because of the Aero interface, you can disable it by going to the Control Panel.

If you have Windows 7, you’ll definitely want to become familiar with these integrated troubleshooting tools. In addition, you’ll want to enable automatic troubleshooting updates so that you have the latest advice available to you in each of the troubleshooting categories. Microsoft plans on issuing troubleshooting packs for specific problems as they are discovered. When you use the troubleshooting packs, the results are recorded in a log that can either be deleted or given to a computer technician for further troubleshooting if the troubleshooter was unable to solve the problem.

In another development, Microsoft has announced plans to pitch new Windows 7 desktop space to advertisers, who’ll build Windows UI themes customized backgrounds, audio clips, and other elements that emphasize their brand, Computerworld reports. In fact, some advertiser themes are already available in the Windows 7 Personalization Gallery, including desktop pitches for soft drinks, autos, and big-budget Hollywood blockbusters.

Ad-themed desktops are new for Microsoft, which has long permitted PC manufacturers to customize the desktop. Hardware vendors like Acer, Dell, HP, and Sony often muck up the Windows user interface with background logos and countless icons for trial applications and other crapware. The advertiser themes are different, however, in that they won’t be imposed on unsuspecting users. Rather, you’ll have to download and install the ad pitch yourself.

Windows 7 faults

Microsoft has launched security advisories on two efforts that affect its newest operating system, Windows 7. One defect could let hackers carry out code remotely, the other could let them send a system into a crash spiral. The tapped code has been published on the Web. No fixes controlled in Microsoft’s latest Patch, which was issued less than a week ago, aimed at new Windows 7. Windows 7, which was publicly launched on Oct. 22, has been hit by at least two security defects.

One of these lets hackers run code remotely the other lets them activate an infinite loop remotely, causing a kernel crash. SMB, or Server Message Block, is a Microsoft file-sharing protocol used in Windows. It is mostly used with the NetBIOS transport protocol over TCP/IP. SMBv2 is a major rewrite of the SMB protocol, using different packet formats from SMBv1 and adding many improvements. Microsoft posted Security Advisory 977544 on Nov. 13, which stated the firm is investigating reports of a possible denial of service fault in the SMB protocol. The vulnerability affects Windows 7 executing on 32-bit and x64-based systems, and Windows Server 2008 R2 running on x64-based and Intel Itanium-based systems. The vulnerability may be used through Web transactions using any browser, the security advisory stated.

However, hackers cannot use the vulnerability to take control of or install malicious software on a user’s system, the advisory noted. Microsoft is growing a security update to address this vulnerability, although it rejected comment on how critical this defect is. This effort is more of a nuisance than anything else. It involves tricking an end user to click on a link to a server with a poisonous configuration, and it only locks up one machine. An assaulter who goes through the trouble of tricking users to click on a link will use an exploit that permits him to control the target machine after execution.

Someone also pointed to a National Vulnerability Database listing of a tap in the kernel that permits remote SMB servers cause a denial of service in computers executing Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7. This attack comes through an SMBv1 or SMBv2 port containing a NetBIOS header with an incorrect length value, the listing stated. The kernel fault is under review for inclusion in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposure (CVE) section of the National Vulnerability Database.

It was detected that both defects while working on other issues with Microsoft and other vendors, launched the information to make sure Microsoft admits security issues and patch the flaws as soon as possible and with transparency. This bug can be activated from outside a user’s local area network by hackers using Internet Explorer. The bug is so noob, it should have been spotted two years ago by the SDL if the SDL had ever existed.

SDL is the Security Development Lifecycle, it is part of Microsoft’s Trustworthy Computing Initiative. The SDL is useful, and gives more secure software to users, but in this case it failed, as Microsoft likely centred way too much on Internet Explorer and the Office suite, and critical services execute with kernel privileges such as SMB are not well covered by this process. Software development is a process, it’s impossible to completely avoid all exposures while software development. Microsoft’s SDL process is specified to lower the number of vulnerabilities in software as well as reduce the severity and affect of the ones that occur.

Problem Steps Recorder In Windows 7

If you’ve ever worked as a technician and become extremely frustrated while trying to coax an end user into accurately describing the problem that has been encountered, you will definitely love a new tool in Microsoft Windows 7 called the Problem Steps Recorder. When started, this new feature will essentially record each and every step a user takes and document the entire operation in both screen captures and step-by-step details. When stopped, the Problem Steps Recorder will save the recorded information as a compiled HTML file and package it up in a ZIP file that the end user can then e-mail to the help desk.

The Problem Steps Recorder is an efficient tool in Windows 7 that can be used by the user to record the steps over phone by some expert. Hence, you don’t have to suffer calling again and again.
The beauty of this windows 7 feature is when any application starts misbehaving under Windows 7 then all your friends need do is click Start, type PSR and press Enter, then click Start Record. If they work through whatever they are doing then the PSR will record every click and keypress, take screen grabs, and accommodate everything up into a single zipped HTML file when they’re finished. After completing all this process it will be ready for emailing to you.

PSR (Problem Steps Recorder), can be start by a regular user or by an administrator.

1. User can record a series of actions performed on a computer.
2. Document those actions, in the order that they were performed using text and screen captures at the moment that the action was performed.
3. This documentation will include where the user clicked on each option on the screen.
4. The documentation won’t include anything that the end user typed for privacy reasons.
5. PSR will allow the user running it to create “Comments” throughout the process.
6. The PSR report will show the version of the operating system and even the URLs of any web pages that the user was accessing during the process.

In order to solve a network problem follow the given instructions:

● At First, start PSR by going to Start and type psr in the search box. Press Enter.
● When PSR comes up, press Start Record or use Alt-A.
● Now, perform your process. For instance, you can perform a number of steps.
● Do not forget to enter comments during your process to make your documentation even better. When you enter comments, you will be prompted to mark an area of the screen that will be added to the PSR report.
● When you are done with the process you want to document / record, press Stop Record and you will be prompted for the name to give your report.
● Now you are ready to view your report .
Note: In this article, we covered the new Windows 7 “Problem Steps Recorder”, how to use it, and how it can save you, as a Windows Administrator, so much time. Because the “PSR” is able to quickly and easily document any problem in Windows 7, step by step, in written form, it is a great way to document any series of steps on your computer or an end user’s computer.

Windows 7 Guide- Changes To Security in Windows 7

Microsoft launched Windows 7 with few enhancements such as HomeGroup, Aero, etc. However, there are several of new and enhanced security features as well. Here’s a rundown of key changes you must know about.

Everyone’s talking about the interface changes, the new taskbar, omission of the sidebar, a new look for Windows Explorer. Under the hood, there are few more changes, including latest and enhanced security features. Let’s look at some security features that have been changed or added in Windows 7.
Action Center- In Vista, security configurations can be access from the Security Center in Control Panel. In Windows 7, you won’t find a Security Center. That’s because it’s been replaced by a new Action Center. The Action Center offers security configurations as well as options for other administrative tasks, such as Backup, Troubleshooting And Diagnostics, and Windows Update.

Windows 7 UAC- User Account Control (UAC) was introduced with Vista, made to provide better protection from malware. It makes all user accounts run as standard users, even administrator accounts. If you need to perform something that requires administrative rights, it asks for permission. And asks. And asks. This in-your-face aspect of UAC has caused numerous complaints and has led some users to turn it off completely, thus exposing themselves to threats.
In Windows 7, UAC is still there, but now you can set up how vocal it will be. There are four settings you configure from the UAC settings in the Action Center. You can set UAC to:
• Always notify you when you install software or make any changes to Windows settings (as Vista does now).

• Notify you when programs make changes but not if you make changes to Windows settings (default Setting).

• Notify you only when programs make changes but turn off Secure Desktop, which dims the desktop while the UAC prompt is displayed. ( Preferred setting.)

• Never notify you. ( Not recommended.)
BitLocker- Windows 7 comes through and allows you to encrypt removable storage drives. And it’s easy to do. Just open the BitLocker applet in Control Panel, choose the drive you want to encrypt, and click Turn On BitLocker.

Windows Filtering Platform- Windows Filtering Platform (WFP) is a set of APIs introduced in Vista. In Windows 7, developers can use it to iinclude some parts of the Windows Firewall into their own programs. This will allow a third-party program to turn off certain parts of the Windows Firewall selectively if need be.

DNSSec- Windows 7 supports for DNSSec (Domain Name System Security), which is a group of extensions to the DNS platform that improved security. With DNSSec, a DNS zone can take advantage of digital signature technology so that you can validate the authenticity of data that’s received.

Windows 7 Compatibility

The new Windows 7 is out, and that means a wide search for "Windows 7 compatible" software is on. While Windows 7 has received a lot of praise for its efforts to remain compatible with the bulk of existing applications, incompatibilities do exist, for instance in the areas of system security and system maintenance. Now the question is Will the tools that have been relied upon for years for your Windows XP or Vista systems have trouble under Windows 7? Some of the queries regarding these issues have been addressed.

The antivirus software currently in use on Windows XP may not be compatible with Windows 7. During Windows 7's lengthy pre-release phase, only a handful of antivirus applications were compatible with the operating system. But this has changed though, with the final release of the operating system. Now most of the major antivirus makers have either updated their current products or released new versions of their security software in order to address Windows 7 compatibility. By having a look upon the security software currently used, a user may have to pay an upgrade fee to get the version that's been certified to work properly with Windows 7.

However if the idea of paying for antivirus software is not appealing or if a user is running Windows 7 without antivirus software, one should probably give Microsoft's own Security Essentials package a try. It is free to registered users of Windows 7 and also to earlier versions of Windows . It generally gets high marks in the areas that matter most to computer users. Its detection rate is decent, its footprint is small, and it doesn't disturb with false alerts as much as many other packages do. In short, it's probably all that most people will need.
Partition Magic, another feature, however is not compatible with Windows 7. It is a program that allows to create and resize partitions on a hard drive. It is an important tool if, for example, you want to create a separate partition to hold all of your data files so that they are not mixed up with operating system and application files.

But there is good news. There is a free program that's just as easy to use as Partition Magic. It comes free for home use. Partition Wizard supports both the 32-bit and the 64-bit versions of Windows 7 and it allows resizing partitions as Partition Magic did. To register most resizing operations, one will need to allow the program to reboot your computer pretty much hassle-free.
One may want to have a look at third-party Windows Explorer replacements. For example, Directory Opus (http://www.gpsoft.com.au), is being considered as one of the most powerful and customizable Explorer replacements. It can be set up to imitate closely the look and feel of the Windows Explorer found in XP. One can even tell Opus to respond to the same built-in keyboard command - Windows key+E - that originally opened Windows Explorer.

How can I Remove Shortcut Icon Arrow Overlay in Windows 7.

I find the arrows too ugly and I feel like that they are hampering the look of my desktop. Please tell me how the Shortcut Icon Arrow Overlay can be removed?

Ans:A small, free utility from Frameworkx.com can be downloaded. FxVisor allows you to remove or modify the shortcut arrows.

For more information..
Windows 7

Enhancements in Windows 7 Remote Assistance

Windows 7 Remote Assistance has many enhancements introduced earlier for this feature in Windows Vista. These earlier Remote Assistance improvements were build upon the earlier Windows XP Remote Assistance and included:

• Connectivity betterment with transparent NAT traversal using Teredo and IPv6.
• An enhanced user interface that is easier to launch and use.
• A standalone executable (Msra.exe) can easily be scripted and that accepts command-line arguments.
• Faster startup and connect times and customized bandwidth usage for screen updates.
• Improved security with compulsory password and unification with UAC.
• An open API for unification with peer-to-peer applications and new Offer RA via IM scenario.
• Enhanced Group Policy settings for improved manageability.

Windows 7 adds the following new enhancements to Remote Assistance in addition to these Windows Vista enhancements for Remote Assistance:

• To simplify Remote Assistance user interactions Easy Connect a method introduced in Windows 7 for supplication of Remote Assistance infrastructure.
• For users to solicit or offer help, an enhanced Remote Assistance connection wizard.
• New command-line arguments for the Remote Assistance executable (Msra.exe).
•
Windows 7 Remote Assistance and Vista deprecate the following features that were
available on Windows XP:

• No support for the MAILTO method of solicited Remote Assistance
• No more support for voice sessions

Buyer’s Guide: Windows 7 Ultimate Edition

So if the wave of Windows 7 has hit you and you are curious about which edition to go for, and which one you think would best compliment your case and comfort, then compare the features of the Windows 7 Ultimate with your needs and see if they are compatible.

We all know that the Windows Vista also had a Ultimate version. And true to its name, the Windows 7 Ultimate also has the ability to combine all these features along with added features from the Windows 7 Enterprise.

The Windows 7 Ultimate Extras have been scrapped off. And the advantage this edition has over the other two versions - Windows 7 Home Premium and Professional - are that this edition has Support for BitLocker full-disk encryption. Another major exception of the Windows 7 Ultimate over the two editions is that, it has been built to switch between languages in no time.

Glance at Windows 7 Ultimate and you will find all the features of Windows 7 retail editions combined with features from Windows 7 Enterprise. But unlike its Windows Vista predecessor, it omits Windows 7 Ultimate Extras. Ultimate towers over other editions with features including, support for BitLocker full-disk encryption and the ability to switch between languages on the fly. Retooled BitLocker in Windows 7 can now encrypt external drives (including USB keys) allowing a user to transport data between home and office without being concerned about being mugged and winding up in the next data breach headline.

Well it is pretty obvious that unless your work demands of you to work with multiple languages on the same PC, the option to switch languages can be of no use to you. However, the BitLocker is quite a steal and this might be the option that eventually holds your attention to this edition. Here’s why. The BitLocker can easily encrypt external drives, almost any drive including USB keys. This will enable you to transport data at will from your home and office without the trouble of having to worry about being mugged and probably winding up in the next data breach headline. If this doesn’t seem to impress you and you choose to not upgrade both the ends of a data-transport chain with Windows 7 Ultimate then, here’s another punch to get you off. The BitLocker also comes loaded with a secure Bitlocker to Go feature that can enable Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP users with the proper authorization to procure BitLocker secure media in read only mode.

By and large, these features are pretty unique and can be enabled only by a Windows 7 Ultimate User. This will remain its USP, and sure enough it will find many buyers with these features it has harbored in it.

How smooth is the upgrade to Windows 7

Although upgrade to Windows 7 will be smooth, problem may arise if you are upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 7 directly because the hardware of your computer or laptop may not support Windows 7. So you need to upgrade your hardware before you install Windows 7 on it.

In some cases, upgrading will be simply a plug-and-play type of process. The hassle free process only involves loading the Operating System DVD, providing in a code and waiting for approximately 45 minutes to upgrade. Although, there is no need to take a back up of your data but still you must not take chances. Hence, you must take a backup before starting the upgrade.

When you run Windows 7, all your applications, programs, settings, and files will be available as it is. The process is called in-place upgrade. The problem here is that in-place upgrade applies only to those PCs that are running Vista with at least 20GB of free space in disk.

But, the ride is not smooth if you have Windows XP in your computer. You will not be able to enjoy in-place upgrade option. For upgrading XP-to-Windows 7, you will have to do a “clean installation”. It makes taking a backup of your data compulsory. And after the Windows 7 installation, you need to restore all your data and reinstall all the applications that you were previously using.

On the whole there are few issues that make the road to upgrade tough for the users. Because of incompatible applications and drivers, upgrade for Windows XP to Windows 7 necessitates clean installation. Furthermore, most of the old computers lack the power to run Windows 7 to its full capacity. All of this makes XP users think twice before trying to install Windows 7.

Microsoft team is working hard on upgrade issues faced by users so that there is marked improvement before the official release of Windows 7.

Profit off the Agenda in Microsoft's Windows 7

Microsoft plans to deliver much with its new OS Windows 7 with little profit margins for hardware manufacturers.

In what could be a move that could drive profit margins to new bottoms for hardware manufacturers, Microsoft's new operating system, Windows 7, with its smaller footprint and also with its ability to be more adept at memory handling could be targeted at the new netbook market.

Prices of portable computers are at an all-time low and the entry of netbooks, which come small and light with low-cost prices, is not somthing new anymore now. And Windows 7, which comes in innovating types of Linux-based portables, could make a deeper dent into the hardware manufacturers market.

It sure looks bleak for the hardware manufacturers market with increasing pressure to sell products over $800 as becoming more tougher. There is a wide margin in the price of a notebook and a netbook. And, by market trends, it looks like the latter dominates over the former. In addition, the new netbooks, along with its cheap price, will come loaded with latest Windows 7 after its launch on the 22nd of October. This surely entails a steep decline in the revenue of OEMs and with upto an 11% decrease, which has been an outcome of the growth propensity of licenses which have been an offshoot of high Netbook PC sales, there will surely be a lot of thinking and mustering up to do for the hardware manufacturers.