Christmas Gift: 2009 Top Software

2009 Christmas is coming, busy choosing Christmas gifts for friends and family? Living in a computer time why not get some useful and funny software as Christmas gifts for your buddies? Use proper software to record wonderful moments on the holiday and share with others, doesn’t it sound cool? Here we list some most appropriate software for Christmas use for you to choose as gifts.

1. Aimersoft DVD Creator


Record wonderful Christmas moment with a DV and want to save it on DVD disk as souvenir? Aimersoft DVD Creator can help. This DVD Creator supports movie trimming, cropping and effect adjustment. And it’s highly customized; you can add background music, menu template and slideshow transition effect, making your video look like product of great director’s.

Software link: http://www.aimersoft.com/dvd-creator.html

2. Daniusoft Media Converter Pro


Besides keep your video on DVD disk, I suppose you also would like to play it on your mobile media, Zune, iPhone, PSP, etc, or upload it to Youtube to share it with Netizens. Then you need Daniusoft Media Converter Pro. It can easily convert your video to other formats that can be played on Zune, iPhone, etc and displayed on Youtube, so everyone can share you happiness.

Software link: http://www.daniusoft.com/digital-media-converter-pro.html

3. iSkysoft iMedia Converter for Mac 2.0 & DVD Creator for Mac


You are not a PC but Mac? Never mind! You can turn to iSkysoft iMedia Converter for Mac 2.0 and DVD Creator for Mac. Functions of both are as powerful as the two above. Burn your DVD and upload your video to Youtube on Mac!

Software link: http://www.iskysoft.com/imedia-converter-mac.html
http://www.iskysoft.com/dvd-creator-mac.html

4. Wondershare Photo Collage Studio


Have taken a lot of photos? Use Wondershare Photo Collage Studio to turn your photo into impressive creation. It has various templates to choose; you can create digital scrapbooks, greeting cards and calendars with your photos and then share or print the results directly.

Software link: http://www.photo-collage-software.com/photo-collage.html

5. Wondershare PC Health Suite & Spyware Removal



All online activities are based on a safe and quick computer. So first of all, it’s wise to speed up your computer and make it well protected. Here Wondershare PC Health Suite contains three utilities. The three make up a power functional chain to fix system vulnerabilities, free up disks and clean history, a perfect combination for computer maintenance. On the other hand Spyware Removal provides professional protection against spyware, trojan and other malware, ensuring your comfortable experience surfing and shopping online. Note: Wondershare Spyware Removal is TOTALLY FREE now.

Software link: http://www.system-tools-software.com/pc-health-suite/
http://www.system-tools-software.com/spyware-removal/

The recommendation is finished here. All above are what is appropriate to the occasion. What to hesitate? Send them to him or her as Christmas gifts and let him or her enjoy the fun of DIY, and you can share the happiness, too.

Windows 7: Seven Points of Imperfection

Since its highly ballyhooed rollout near the end of October, Windows 7 has been applauded by many as Microsoft's best operating system yet. But no OS is perfect, and that goes for Windows 7.

So what's not to like about Windows 7? Although the widely publicized Windows "black screen of death" issue has turned out to be largely a bunch of FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt), Windows 7 does have its flaws.

Here's some personal list of seven points of imperfection in and around the new OS. Some of these might or might not matter to you personally. But issues related to Windows 7 pricing, installation and customer support are more universal in scope.

1. Windows 7 doesn't include certain earlier Windows components.

In the interests of reducing bloatware and improving performance, Windows 7 strips out components such as Windows Messenger, Movie Maker, and Live Mail, a program rolled out in 2007 to replace XP's Outlook Express and Vista's Windows Mail.

If you never use these components, you're not really going to care. You can always go ahead and add this software later, anyway. But if you're a long-time user of Windows Messenger, for example, and you don't know ahead of time that it's not supposed to be there, you might be a bit mystified as to where to find it.

2. Windows 7 lacks support for older printers and other external devices.

With Microsoft now imposing a more stringent approval process for compatibility of external devices, drivers for a lot of devices aren't yet available for Windows 7 -- even six weeks after the release of the new OS. If you're among the many people who are stepping to a 64-bit version of Windows for the first time ever with Windows 7, you could face even worse problems around peripheral support.

3. Windows 7 forces you to learn a new UI.

In creating Windows 7, Microsoft made a lot of tweaks to its previous UI, adding new features such as Jump Lists, One-Click WiFi, HomeGroup, and Device Stage, along with smaller UI enhancements like Aero Snap and Aero Shake.

I find some of these to be quite useful. But as with any software changes, there's some degree of a learning curve involved in getting used to the new tweaks. So if you're especially short on time right now, you might want to hold off on Windows 7 until you have more time to dabble.

4. Windows 7 isn't impervious to viruses.

Well, no OS is impervious to viruses, actually. But in examining Windows 7 just after its release on October 22, the security firm Sophos found that, when configured to follow the system defaults for User Account Control (UAC), Microsoft's latest OS was vulnerable to eight out of ten viruses tested.

More recently, the security firm Prevx spurred an uproar by claiming in a blog post that "Black Screen woes could affect millions on Windows 7, Vista and XP" and charging that the issue was caused by a patch issued by Microsoft. Yet as noted by Tony Bradley, a fellow PC World blogger, it turns out that while there does seem to be a real black screen of death issue; it's affecting much smaller numbers of PCs, more like thousands or even hundreds. Further, a Trojan virus could be the actual culprit.

But as with previous editions of Windows, Microsoft doesn't include any anti-virus software in Windows 7. So here's another place where Microsoft hasn't learned from experience.

(Editor’ note: no OS is impervious to viruses, as the author of this article says, at least mainstream operating systems are like this-- Google Chrome OS’s root drive is READ-ONLY, and it’s said to be impervious.

The responsibility of keeping the system secure should be taken partly by the manufacturers—they should leave as little vulnerability as possible, and partly by us—stay away from suspicious sites and install security tools. Besides antivirus, we may need special spyware removal, trojan removal, firewall and vulnerability fix and so on. As to among numerous utilities which is better, I believe everyone has his or her judgment. Here a free spyware removal is recommended. I’m not saying it’s the best, but it has its own advantages. It measures up to the most popular ones in functions and, it’s free.)

5. Installation of Windows 7 can be a real bear, especially in upgrades from XP.

While many users have installed Windows 7 quite seamlessly, others have run into major problems around moving to the new OS, including endless reboot cycles and product keys that don't work, for example. Upgrades from Windows XP can be especially cantankerous. Yet Microsoft doesn't even give official support to upgrades to Win 7 from XP.

"It was my understanding that Win7 was supposed to answer the problems people faced with Vista. So you would think all the people who had to go back to XP would be able to jump right to Win7. Very disappointing," complained one frustrated user, 68Vistacruiser, in a support forum.

"Upgrading from XP to 7 is a mission for the A-Team. When upgrading from pre-XP to XP, you just put the CD/DVD in and click next, enter an s/n and press next. With 7 you have to back up all your current data and system files into a folder using a tool on the 7 DVD and then install 7 next to XP, then manually delete XP without [losing] your current data," chimed in a user named UK-Penguins.

6. Windows 7 pricing is both too high and too complex.

With family and business budgets pinched right now, why is Microsoft charging anywhere from about $100 to $300 for an upgrade disk for Windows 7, depending on the version? C'mon, Microsoft. Windows 7 beta testers got their upgrade disks for only $50. The latest edition of the Mac OS cost $29, and distributions of the Linux OS can be downloaded free of charge.

Some discounts on Windows 7 are now available from Microsoft and retailers. You can also get a bit of a price break by buying an OEM or "system builder" version online. But Microsoft isn't doing a lot to make deals like this widely known. And why does Microsoft need to have multiple versions of the same OS -- with names like Home Premium, Business, and Ultimate - all with different features and price points? Isn't Windows 7 installation complicated enough, anyway?

7. Customer support for Windows 7 is too scanty.

Many people say they've turned to user forums only after calls to Microsoft's customer support lines prove unsuccessful. Often, it's a matter of an inability to get through the busy phone lines to an actual person.

Even after Win 7's commercial release, support in Microsoft's TechNet forum tended to be erratic. Microsoft reps handily answered some questions from users. Yet other questions went unanswered, and in some cases, users got conflicting advice from different reps - or, at least, that's how they interpret the situation. "This page says you can only upgrade Vista to Win7 for the same edition. The main MS page says you can upgrade from any edition. Which is correct?" asked one confused user, B-C-S, in the TechNet forum.

In early sales, Windows 7 has been beating Vista by a wide margin. But does the company have enough customer support in place to handle the load?

To its credit, Microsoft is now providing some new support alternatives with Windows 7, including automated troubleshooters built into the OS, new "Fix Its" to supplement Microsoft Knowledge Base articles, support through Twitter, and a new Win 7 forum on Ask Microsoft. In the Ask Microsoft forum, Microsoft reps often answer questions within a matter of a few hours. Still, when a user is facing a critical system error, just about nothing in the customer support realm beats the immediacy of a phone call.

Origially by Jacqueline Emigh
Dec 4, 2009 12:49 am

Pros and Cons of Windows 7 Security

The recently released Microsoft Security Intelligence Report highlights the vast improvements in security from Windows XP to Windows 7. Even so, no operating system is perfect. I asked security experts what they think about Windows 7 security and came up with a list of what Microsoft got right and where Microsoft is still missing the mark.

A Step in the Right Direction

Here are three things Microsoft got right with Windows 7 security:

1. ASLR and DEP. ASLR (Address Space Layout Randomization) and DEP (Data Execution Prevention) both existed in Windows Vista, but have been improved for Windows 7. ASLR makes it more complicated for attackers to determine where core functions reside in memory, and DEP prevents buffer overflow attacks from working on files or in storage areas that are specifically intended to hold data.

2. BitLocker-to-Go. Microsoft added BitLocker drive encryption in Windows Vista. Originally it was only capable of encrypting the partition that Windows was actually installed on, but the functionality was expanded with Service Pack 1 to include additional partitions or volumes--but not portable storage.

Tyler Reguly, Lead Security Research Engineer with nCircle, notes that with Windows 7, Microsoft has included the ability to encrypt data on USB thumb drives. Reguly says that with the popularity of USB thumb drives--capable of holding gigabytes of data--"the expansion of BitLocker to include removable drives should be counted as a significant enhancement."

3. IE8. Tyler Reguly commented that "The release of IE8 makes it evident that Microsoft is starting to take browser security seriously."

Sophos' Wisniewski elaborated more, explaining that IE8 "includes a new protection called SmartScreen which is similar to the protection in Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. This anti-phishing/anti-malware URL filtering is built into the browser, which can block known bad sites and helps protect users."

More Work to Be Done

As far as Microsoft has come with security, it’s not perfect. No operating system ever will be. Still, it can't hurt to try so here is a look at some of the areas that Windows 7 is lacking and perhaps some ideas for Microsoft to work on for Windows 8.

1. Windows Firewall. One of the primary complaints about earlier versions was that it only restricted inbound traffic and did not provide any mechanism for blocking or filtering traffic outbound from the Windows PC. Microsoft has addressed that.

nCircle's Tyler Reguly says "As a personal choice, I won’t use third-party firewall software. I find them to be too resource-intensive and too much of a pain. So, I would love it if the Windows Firewall was more powerful."

2. Hidden File Extensions. Microsoft continues to hide known file extensions by default. Files named FinancialStatement.doc.exe will appear to the user as FinancialStatement.doc with an EXE icon. If these files are virus or trojan sent by email, that would be a big threat.

3. XP Mode Virtualization. Windows XP Mode virtualization can be a savior for situations where there are legacy hardware devices or software applications that won't work under Windows 7.

The operative concern here, though, is that it is a complete Windows XP environment that is not protected in any way by the Windows 7 security controls.

Wisniewski also notes that "By default Windows auto-maps drives from your XP virtual machine to your Windows 7 machine. This could be a major malware vector if not properly protected."

The ever-popular UAC (User Account Control) gets an honorable mention as a pro and a con. Although it has been both presented and perceived as a security control, UAC is more about enforcing sound software development practices. Security is sort of a fringe benefit.

Tyler Reguly likes the changes Microsoft has made for UAC with Windows 7. "The decreased interruptions will mean more people will leave UAC on, this is definitely a benefit. It ends up being more functionality, less security, but can still be seen as an improvement in security overall."

Chet Wisniewski counters by pointing out that UAC is not really a security function in the first place, but also comments that " Microsoft does need to continue to use UAC to encourage developers to follow proper privilege separation models, because this can help Microsoft make a more secure Windows, but it should not be positioned as a feature to the end-user."

Anyway, nothing can be 100% perfect and its becoming better and better is enough. Windows 7 has brought us no small amazement. But as long as there are conceited computer geeks, problems are sure to arise. Users should build up reliable defense against various threats; install right antivirus, spyware removal, trojan removal software, etc.

original on pc world
by Tony Bradley

Windows Security PK: Windows 7 vs. Vista vs. XP

Microsoft Security Essentials weekly statistic shows that computers with XP system are more likely assaulted from the internet than those with Vista, and Vista computers are less safe than Windows 7 computers.

Microsoft indicates that during the first week after MSE was released, it had been downloaded for more than 1,500,000 times. The software had detected more than 4,000,000 Windows security risks on 535,752 PCs.

The result is that XP computers betray obviously more Windows security problems than Vista or Windows 7 computers. There is a chart:

Microsoft says generally new system and service pack are safer than old ones.

The company also says that Americans has the most infected computers and secondly and thirdly are Chinese and Brazilians.


In detail, however, the risks differ in different countries. For example, American PC users’ biggest Windows security threats come from trojan virus, while Chinese are suffering potentially unwanted rogue software and Brazilians are easily attacked by Conficker and Taterf worms.


Additionally, MSE is the upgraded version of Windows Live OneCare. It can well defend virus attack. On the other hand however, it is basis antivirus software so other security software is needed to complement Windows security defense. There are many free spyware removal, trojan virus removal and other security utilities as options and choosing a right one will yield twice the result with half the effort.

Top Ten Reasons to Buy Windows 7

On Microsoft official website they list ten top reasons to buy Windows 7, telling the advantages of the new operating system to encourage customers to buy it. It’s been a while since Windows 7 was officially released. Is it competent to match what they say about the ten reasons to buy? Here we have a check to find out how Windows 7 is doing on the ten.

1. Get quicker access to all of your stuff—use Pin and Jump Lists to keep the programs and files you use the most right at your fingertips.

The first reason Microsoft offers and it’s really a customized feature. Actually it’s a great improvement of toolbar, compared with the previous Windows versions. The toolbar becomes of unprecedented convenience in Windows 7. You can get quick access to whatever you like via it.

2. Manage open windows more easily—resize and arrange windows simply by dragging their borders to the edge of your screen.

It’s the Snap feature. It helps to resize windows to be more user-friendly, vertically, full screen and side by side, etc. There is similar function on XP tiling windows vertically or horizontally when multiple windows are opened, but that’s all. Windows 7 makes much improvement on this and it's much more customized now.

3. Offers your PC better protection—help keep your PC, your information, and your family safe.

Advanced Backup and Restore, BitLocker, Parental Controls and Microsoft Security Essentials and other factors form Windows 7 defensive line. It may be said that Windows 7 is the safest system of Microsoft, and the company do think a lot for its users.

System security, on the other hand, is never too protected. At early period of popularity, the security problem may be not that obvious. Later with the spread of Windows 7, the system is studied thoroughly and then that’s the crackers’ time.

To keep your computers safe, installing special security utilities is a good choice. Here to try free spyware removal.

4. Quickly find what you’re looking for—use Windows Search to find a specific file, program, or e-mail in a few seconds.

This is an upgraded feature from Instant Search on Vista. The search results are more relevant and easier to review. Since it indeed makes it more convenient for users to use, it’s competent to be one of the top reasons for people to buy the new system.

5. Share files and printers among multiple PCs—from one Windows 7-based PC to another, you can share files, music, photos, and even printers across your home network.

This refers to the HomeGroup. The author considers it as a simplified set of steps to share files and devices. You don’t need to proceed with complicated settings to build up a family network, for the system will offer clear guideline for you to build up or join HomeGroup.

This one, however, is kind of impractical. Only pictures and videos that are in “Library” can be shared and the most is that only Windows 7 systems have the priority to access to HomeGroup, XP or Vista not allowed. So upgrade all of your home computers first if you want to experience this.

6. Stay entertained effortlessly—with Windows Media Center you get one place to enjoy your photos and music, watch and record live TV, and watch free Internet TV.

Compared with the same one on Vista, Windows Media Center on Windows 7 steps much forward on no matter functions or visual effect. You can set your own backgrounds when listening and watching, no longer the dull white or dark blue backgrounds. This center brings you a home theatre, watching and recording, free control, and it does more than on TV.

7. Easily create and share movies—create great looking movies and slideshows and share them on YouTube in minutes.

Windows Live Essentials is another top reason for you to buy Windows 7. Windows Live Essentials is a series of free software to make movies, edit photos, write blog, and send instant messages, etc. You can download the software from Windows Live Website, free download including: Messenger, Photo Gallery, Mail, Writer, Movie Maker, Family Safety and Toolbar.

8. Connect to networks easily—view and connect to any available wireless network in as few as three clicks.

It was hard experience to set IP, DNS and other configurations in order to get online. This improvement on Windows 7 saves a lot of your effort to finish the task. You'll always have one-click access to available networks, regardless of whether those networks are based on Wi-Fi, mobile broadband, dial-up, or your corporate VPN, the original sentence on Windows 7 official web site.

9. Do more and wait less—improvements that can accelerate sleep and resume and make your PC more responsive help you get more done.

It’s good news for those who don’t turn off their computers but make them standby or sleep. The improvements make Windows 7 ready when you are ready, resuming faster than ever.

10. Don't leave programs behind—run many Windows XP productivity programs in Windows XP Mode.

It’s mainly for small- and medium-sized businesses to use Windows XP mode to run old XP productivity programs. For individuals, since you are intended to turn to Windows 7, you must be ready to remove using habit of XP, aren’t you?

The top ten reasons are listed here and except one or two may be not so top for individuals as it is said, the rest and other reasons that are not listed here really make users feel worth owning this new system, as far as the author is concerned. On the internet Windows 7 wins a lot of applause and cheers and it proves this is a nice system. Get a try, and soon you will like it.

Three Tips to Avoid the Windows Black Screen of Death

Original by Tony Bradley on PCWorld.com
Posted on December 01, 2009 9:09 PM

It doesn't take much to ignite FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) against Microsoft -- especially with news of a critical flaw affecting Windows 7. News that a Microsoft update is causing "millions" of PC's to experience a "black screen of death" is both exaggerated and wrong. Apparently, it’s much ado about nothing.

All FUD aside, there does seem to be an actual black screen of death issue, it just isn't impacting "millions" of Windows 7, Vista, and XP systems. More like thousands. Maybe hundreds. Here are three tips to help ensure your Windows PC doesn't become one of the afflicted:

1. Keep It Updated. I have a secret for you--most malware exploits known vulnerabilities for which patches already exist. Sure, there are zero-day vulnerabilities as well, but one of the best defenses against malware of all kinds is to simply ensure that your operating system and the applications you use have all of the latest patches applied.

2. Protect Against Malware. If it’s true that the black screen of death is caused by some variant of the Daonol family of Trojans, then it makes sense that anti-malware software could protect your PC from it.

The free MSE is one way, but that’ not enough. Some special utilities are designed to deal with the so-called malware that may cause the black screen of death issue. Here recommend some free spyware removal, malware removal to stop black screen of death.

3. Run the Fix. While Prevx was mistaken about the Microsoft updates being guilty for causing the black screen of death, it still has a pretty solid reputation as a security vendor and its research into the root cause that triggers the issue seems to be accurate.

Prevx has stated that its fix does not work in all cases, but running the fix has a fair chance of fixing the issues within Windows that have been determined to trigger the black screen of death. Download the Prevx fix and give it a shot.

If you are one of the "millions" already struck down by the black screen of death, downloading and running the Prevx fix can be problematic. Prevx has already thought of that and has provided step-by-step instructions for how to download and run the fix from an affected system.

Event Playback:

Originally reported by security firm Prevx, the black screen of death issue was believed to have been caused by updates issued by Microsoft on the November Patch Tuesday. The combination of a headline like "Black Screen woes could affect millions on Windows 7, Vista and XP" and the fact that Prevx didn't bother to contact Microsoft about the issue suggest that Prevx was primarily interested in sensational publicity for itself.

Microsoft investigated the issue and determined that its patches are not to blame. Prevx followed up with a post apologizing to Microsoft for the inconvenience, and admitting that the root cause that triggers the black screen of death is, in fact, not related to Microsoft's patches. The prevailing theory now is that it is related to a malware infection, most likely something from the Daonol family of Trojans.

7 Things to Know About Windows 7

Originally by Lamont Wood, Special to TopTenREVIEWS
Posted: 01 November 2009 10:58 am ET

The latest version of Microsoft Windows — Windows 7 — is now on the market. So if you're like the average PC user, it's fated to become a factor in your life. Here are seven things to keep in mind about it.

1. It's really a "maintenance release."

Basically, it's Microsoft Vista with accumulated fixes and performance enhancements. That's a good thing, since there's no dramatic break with the past to cause festering compatibility issues, and no steep learning curve for the users. Compared to Vista, Windows 7 does better running on low-performance machines like netbooks. It boots and shuts down faster — but that's less of an issue since its sleep mode is reliable, letting you shut down in two seconds and restart in two seconds. With Vista, desktops often refused to go into sleep mode, or would restart randomly from sleep mode, noted PC industry watcher Rob Enderle, principal analyst the Enderle Group in San Jose, CA.

2. It's more secure.

A new release always is, since the malware writers haven't had time to pick at it for weaknesses, and there are too few installations to amount to a worthwhile target. They'll get around to Windows 7, although its built-in antivirus facility has been well-reviewed. In the meantime, malware's favorite target is the older Windows XP. Anyway, the bad guys are turning more and more to phishing, where they dupe users into spilling their personal information on the pretext of "restoring" their "suspended" online bank accounts. Technology is not much help there.

As it is mentioned, although the built-in antivirus facility on Windows 7 is kind of good, it’s far away from enough. No single antivirus utility is able to be invincible. There is always this or that kind of virus and spyware breaking through the defense, so it’s necessary to have some principal antivirus and some specialized security utilities to maximize system security level. There are many utilities of this kind and if one happens to be a free one, and then that would be nice. Here a free spyware removal utility is recommended.

3. There is new stuff.

While most of the news concerns performance, the desktop and taskbar have been given enhancements that should make it easier to invoke specific applications and documents. The reviled User Account Control, which warned Vista users any time any application did anything to the system, has been given settings to make it less annoying. And, yes, Internet Spades, Backgammon, and Checkers, which had been dropped in Vista, are back. The enhanced Search facility, meanwhile, is now actually useful. For future expansion, Windows 7 makes better use of multiple cores, and includes handwriting recognition.

4. Pick the right version.

There are two retail versions: Home and Professional. The Pro version has a feature called Active Directory, which lets it be assigned an address and privileges in a corporate network. It is of no interest to a home or small business user. The Home version can also be found in a family pack that can upgrade three PCs. (Strictly speaking, there is also a third version called Ultimate, of interest only to software developers.)

5. If it ain't broke, don’t fix it.

If you are happy with Vista, there is little reason to upgrade to Windows 7, cautioned Enderle. If you are annoyed with Vista, Windows 7 should help. If you are running Windows XP, upgrading may make sense if your hardware is less than two years old. Otherwise, you are better off getting a new machine, with Windows 7 pre-installed, he advised.

6. If it's broke, do fix it — correctly.

If you're upgrading with the retail package, you can use either the clean (also called custom) or the in-place installation method. The first will wipe the disk clean and you'll need to re-install your applications. (It keeps your data intact. You did back up, of course.) The second performs the installation with your applications in place. The second is easier, but the first will remove any malware, broken drivers, and other evidence of the hard life your computer's been living, Enderle said. It's also the only method available when upgrading from Windows XP. Even easier is to buy a new machine with Windows 7 pre-installed.

7. Resistance is irrelevant.

Among Internet users, 93 percent use some version of Microsoft Windows, and that is not going to change dramatically in the near future. You can assume that all future PC software worth mentioning will be written for Windows 7, and new PCs will be shipped with it. The alternative is to go with the Apple Mac, Linux, or something esoteric.

Ten Talismans to Guarantee Windows 7 Security

According to Eweek, an informational website, statistic shows that quite a few users express worry about Windows system security. As a matter of fact, Windows has become the primary target of malware attacking due to the great market share as high as 90%.

For this reason many users requiring high-level system security have to give up Windows and turn to Snow Leopard or Linux instead. This situation, however, is expected to change to a better one for Microsoft as the release of Windows 7, which comes with advantages of its previous ones and a series of new security protection functions. Here list ten of the all measures guaranteeing Windows 7 security.

1. UAC (User Account Control)

This function was first adopted on Vista. It effectively stops unauthorized operations while it delivers prompts so often that fluency is nipped from time to time. Windows 7 inherits Vista’s advantage and improves UAC. On the premise of security ensured unnecessary prompts are cut off to the greatest extent.

2. MSE (Microsoft Security Essentials)

MSE is free antivirus software for Windows customers. It is the third generation security product Microsoft has released.

Talking objectively, no companies else know more about Windows’ vulnerabilities, so MSE’s behavior is worth expecting.

In addition, you may need some other tools to bring up Windows 7 security to full strength, for any antivirus software has its shortcomings anyway.

Nowadays there is special software for certain part of security protection. Compared with traditional antivirus software, they perform in a more efficient and effective way to remove spyware, trojan virus and so on, in their special field, being more well-directed.

The author recently finds a fine security tool named Wondershare Spyware Removal. It does well in spyware, trojan virus and other malware removal, proactive defense, etc., and the best thing is, it’s free now. Before 28th, Feb, 2010, you can get free registration code to activate Wondershare Spyware Removal. In the next six months after you activate with the code, you can use it, update it and get customer service for totally free. Perhaps you would like to try it.

3. Biometric Identification Technology

Biometric Identification Technology is more and more widely applied. On the new system there are similar functions to enhance Windows 7 security. Configuration like fingerprint identification can keep malware and virus away and save you from worrying about files being viewed by others.

4. Action Center

Security Center on XP is named as Action Center on Windows 7. In Action Center, besides viewing all events (problems, reports, solutions), there are backup and restore function as well as other functions protecting data and Windows 7 security.

5. Firewall

Firewall on Windows 7 gets improvement, allowing users to set different security level to gain more experience on premise of guaranteeing security.

6. Windows Update

Every Tuesday Windows systems pops-up update tips. Windows Update is an automatic update tool provided by Microsoft and we extend system functions and fix vulnerabilities via it, making the system support more hardware and software.

In days to come it will perform an important role on Windows 7 security improvement.

7. BitLocker

Encryption is a key part in any system security plans. The improved BitLocker is to solve problems of data loss or malicious leakage caused by computer device physical loss.

Windows 7 lets users have more flexibility when setting hard drives and BitLocker is even able to encrypt automatically.

8. AppLocker

AppLocker is a new function in Windows 7 security strategy. It’s very convenient to deploy via AppLocker administrator to enable users to allow what programs and scripts to run and what to install.

Since AppLocker is based on Group Policy, we can deploy it to the whole network environment, no need to deploy repeatedly.

9. WFP (Windows Filtering Platform)

This technology was first adopted on Vista, too. It consists of a series of system services and APIs. Users can subsume accepted applications to reduce occurrence of interference in normal operations and enhance Windows 7 security at the same time.

10. IEEE-1667

IEEE 1667 ("Standard Protocol for Authentication in Host Attachments of Transient Storage Devices") is a standard published and maintained by the IEEE (an international non-profit, professional organization for the advancement of technology related to electricity) that describes various methods for authenticating transient storage devices such as USB flash drives when they are inserted into a computer.

On 25th November 2008 Microsoft announced that IEEE 1667 will be implemented on Windows 7. It means USB drives can only exchange data with computer after being authenticated and any USB drives inserted will be verified automatically to avoid the third party getting the data.

The combination of IEEE-1667 and Windows 7 not only indicates an unprecedented guarantee of transient storage devices and Windows 7 security, but also a common criterion for transient storage encrypting technology.

Above are the ten talismans this article introduces. There are many others more for users to explore and they may have their own talismans to guarantee their Windows 7 security. No matter what they are, to build an indestructible system is our common aim.