Alternatively, you can click on the little square icon, right next to the help (question mark) icon at the right-hand end of Windows Explorer to hide or show the preview pane in windows 7.

The third way to disable the preview pane in Windows 7 is to choose Organize -> Layout from the Windows Explorer menu and then tick or un-tick the Preview Pane.

What is smart fortress?

Smart fortress or smart fortress 2012 is a rogue (fake) anti-virus program, which issues fake virus warnings and system messages.

How do I remove smart fortress?

Quick Fix

(does not work for everyone)

Start the task manager by pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL and open the Processes tab.

Find a process [random_numbers_and_letters].exe (for example ht56TGRr54ff766.exe) and close it.

Download MalwareBites Anti-Malware Free, install it and update it. Then, run a quick scan, remove the infected files, and follow by full scan to make sure that there are no traces of Smart Fortress left.

Complete Fix

Depending on the version of Smart Fortress, it might block various websites and even prevent you from running legit .exe files. In that case, the quick fix will not work, so follow these steps:

1. Reboot your computer and start Windows in safe mode by repeatedly pressing the F8 key after you hear the first beep. The Windows Advanced Option menu will open, so choose “Safe mode with networking” and press Enter.

2. Logon as administrator and once in safe mode download the fix.exe program from one of the following locations:

http://download.bleepingcomputer.com/FixExec/32-bit/FixExec.exe

http://www.myantispyware.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/fixexe.zip

Install the program. If you cannot install the program on your computer for some reason, then you would have to save it on a flash drive. Now log off from the administrator account and login with your normal Windows account (the one that was infected with Smart Fortress). Run Fix.Exec.exe and wait until it finishes.

IMPORTANT – if you cannot access some or most web sites, then you need to change the Proxy settings in your browser as they have been modified by the rogue anti-virus. If you are using Internet Explorer, then open Internet Options -> Connections tab -> LAN Settings and make sure that “Use a proxy server for your LAN….” is un-checked.

3. Download MalwareBites Anti-Malware Free, install the program and update it. After that, run a quick scan, remove the infected files, then run a full scan (note, this could take quite some time, so be patient). At the end of the scan, click the Show Results button and remove all infected files.

4. Reboot your computer.

What is Mouse without borders? It is a little program, which allows you to use two computers with one mouse and keyboard; in fact, you can use one keyboard and mouse to control up to four different computers, as long as they are connected in a network.

What is even more exciting is that you can easily drag and drop files (only one file at a time) from one computer to another, so you no longer have to use flash drives just to copy a single file. In addition, if you want to drag more than one file at a time, simply zip all the files that you want to move, drag them across the screens and drop them. The little drawback here is that the files always land in a special MouseWithoutBorders folder, but then you can move them to a folder of your choice easily.

How to set up Mouse without borders:

Download the program to your main computer and run it – the program will generate a security code for you. After that, install the program on the second (third and fourth) computers and use the same security code. You can easily add or remove a computer from Mouse without borders – right click on the program’s icon, select settings, and then simply tick / un-tick the little checkbox next to the computer name.

Mouse without borders drawbacks – as awesome as the program is, it has its drawbacks. Often, the “connection” between the computer drops and you will need to either restart the program (which resolves most of the issues) or look for other solutions. Some users have reported that using the computer IPs instead of the computer names solves most of these issues as well. The other little drawback is the fact that you can only drag & drop a single file (if you try to drag two or more files nothing happens), and you cannot choose the destination folder of the copied file.

Conclusion - Mouse without borders is free and can easily replace a KVM switch, not to mention that is has added functionality. It is easy to install and use, and if you work on two, three, or four networked computers, it can greatly increase your productivity!

If you are wondering about the answer to the question “What is the best browser?”, you may be confused by all of the options. In fact, if you ask others “What is the best browser?” you will find that they simply recommend the one they are currently using.

For example, if you ask someone with a low level of computer skills, they will say “Internet Explorer” in response to the question “What is the best browser?”, simply because they have never tried any of the others.

At the very least, if you want an honest answer to the question “What is the best browser?” you should make it a point to know the advantages and disadvantages of each one. From there, you can try out the ones that are most appealing to your situation in order to arrive at a personalized answer to the question.

What is the Best Browser, Pros and Cons of Internet Explorer

As you may be aware, Internet Explorer comes pre-installed on any computer that has the Windows operating system. Therefore, even if you want to use another browser, you will most likely stay with this one simply because it is available. In addition, most people go on using Internet Explorer, simply because they do not know how to get rid of it.

Overall, you will find that Internet Explorer has very little in its favor. Among other things, it is extremely vulnerable to malicious code. It also runs slower than any other operating system, and frequently crashes. Most people find that they can only tolerate Internet Explorer for a short period of time before being forced to look for another browser.

What is the Best Browser, Pros and Cons of Firefox

It can be said that Firefox offers many improvements over Internet Explorer. This particular browser is built on the old Netscape platform, and offers fast, reliable performance. Even though Firefox is very popular, most hackers have hard time creating viruses that will work. In addition, if you are fortunate enough to have a computer with the Linux operating system installed, Firefox will be the main browser installed for your system.

For the most part, the disadvantages associated with Firefox are somewhat minimal. To begin, you will not be able to play .midi files. Others have also noticed that Adobe Flash player runs considerably slower than under Chrome or other browsers. Therefore, if you are interested in playing flash based games, or viewing flash based websites, Firefox may not be the best option for you.

What is the Best Browser, Pros and Cons of Chrome

There is no question that many people favor Chrome. As you may be aware, this browser was developed by Google. It is known for easy integration with all of the Google products. Many people that are looking for a peppy browser also comment that Chrome is much faster than any other browser on the market.

Even though Chrome has a lot of good features, it was created by a company that is very hungry for information about the kinds of things you may be looking at. As a result, you never really know when Google will look to install cookies or other tracking code on your computer. In fact, even if you have a firewall or other anti-malware software installed on your computer, Chrome may not run properly because your system is disabling the tracking cookies.

What is the Best Browser, Pros and Cons of Safari

Many people mistakenly believe that Safari can only run on a Mac operating system. That said, if you visit their site, you should be able to download a link that will enable you to use this browser with Windows. Today, the vast majority of people looking for a safe browser choose Safari over the others.

If you do not have a lot of time waiting for a browser to load, Safari is sure to be a nuisance. In addition, you will also notice that it takes a good bit of time for pages to load. If you have an older computer, or one without a lot of graphics functionality, you may find that Safari is more trouble than it is worth.

What is the Best Browser, Pros and Cons of Opera

As you may be aware, Opera is a fairly well integrated platform that can run on mobile phones as well as regular computers. If you often synchrnoize between multiple devices, or do not want to work with multiple platforms, Opera may be a good choice. Most people also find that Opera is much better than Internet Explorer when it comes to security, reliability, and speed.

Even though Opera is said to be very secure, it does not have a large following. Once this browser becomes more popular, it is not clear whether or not the developers will be able to prevent a wide range of security issues from coming up. At the very least, if you make use of Safari, Firefox, or Chrome, you can have peace of mind knowing that the developers already have a good track record when it comes to high volume security risks.

As you search for an answer to the question “What is the best browser?” you are sure to find that different people have different criteria. In particular, if you do not want to be stuck dealing with malicious software, Internet Explorer will never be the answer you get to “What is the best browser?”. In a similar way, you will find that fans of Firefox, Opera, and Safari all prefer these browsers based on speed or efficiency. If you are not sure what features matter most for you, it may be of some use to sit down and make a list of what you usually do online, as well as what you want to get from the browser. At that point, you may just find that the answer to the question “What is the best browser?” will truly revolve around your needs, as well as expectations.

When choosing a good antivirus program, several factors matter and some of them are listed below:
- Detection score
- Successful threat elimination
- Level of interference with your normal workflow
- Amount of computer resources that the program uses
- Cost
- Usability
- Help and support

Avast scores 10 out of 10 on many of these points, but it is also a program that will CRIPPLE your workflow. If you are using your computer to browse tens or even hundreds of websites daily, if you are running numerous software programs, and if you are doing anything else besides opening your email once a week, then you should probably look somewhere else.

Avast is a program, which interrupts your workflow sometimes hundreds of times in a single day by blocking legit software programs that you are trying to use, blowing pop ups in your face, and even CLOSING YOUR INTERNET CONNECTION. Now, you would think that nobody in their right mind would create an antivirus that closes your Internet connection without a single warning, yet the creators of Avast thought that this would be perfectly fine.

The very first time I installed Avast Free on my computer, I started losing my connection at least two-three times per hour. I spent hours rebooting my modem, calling my ISP, installing firmware, searching for viruses and malware, and trying to figure out what the problem was. It turns out Avast cuts off your Internet connection as soon as it detects a virus or any other malicious threat – just like that! Wow! This is awesome, isn’t it? What better way to protect your computer from threats that disconnect it from the Internet?!?

Is Avast a virus? No, it is not, but it sure pops a lot of pop ups in your face. If you think that pop ups are cool, then you definitely need to get Avast. Unfortunately, the program starts with popping only one of them every thirty minutes or so, but do not despair, with time their number grows and they get bigger and better. Of course, there is the magic Silent / Gaming mode – all you need to do in order to get rid of the pop ups once and for all is turn the Silent / Gaming mode of Avast on, right? Not so fast! You can turn it on all you want, it turns itself off automatically 30 minutes later, and then you get hit with the pop ups again and again ….. and again.

Is Avast a virus? Well, probably not, but it sure doesn’t like any other program that you are using. Every time you are trying to launch a perfectly harmless software, it gets blocked by Avast by default – nice! Well, you might think that all you need to do is open the program “normally” once and ask Avast to remember your selection and never bother you again. Good in theory, not so good when you are trying to run your program and nothing happens; it turns out that Avast really dislikes many of the programs that I use and locks them deep into its vault, and if you don’t know where to look, there goes another hour trying to figure out what went wrong.

In their desire to build the best and most secure antivirus program, the creators of Avast have created a monster, which would choke your Internet connection, kill all your programs, and even unplug your computer (not yet, but they are probably working on it) as soon as a threat, real or perceived, is spotted in a 1000-miles radius.

What is the best free antivirus 2012? If this is the questions you’re after, we’re glad that you found our website.

Are you tired of spending hundreds of dollars each year on computer security suites that take hours on end to upgrade? If you own a computer that runs the Windows operating system, you will most likely be desperate to find the best free antivirus 2012 in order to gain some financial relief.

Unfortunately, hackers and other malicious code authors realize that vulnerabilities in the Windows OS also leave them plenty of room to create free antivirus solutions filled with their own malicious content. We thought it would be a good idea to create a list of the five best free antivirus 2012 programs so that you can avoid choosing something that will do harm to your computer.

AVG Free

Pros

This antivirus offers a basic level of protection against modern viruses and spyware. You can use AVG with Windows 7, XP, and Vista. Many people prefer AVG Free because this is one of the oldest and most reliable free anti-virus software programs available today. You can also easily upgrade to a full security suite that will provide a full firewall as well as other features.

Cons

As you may be aware, anti-virus programs are not yet advanced enough to detect malicious software without comparing snippets of potentially malicious programs to a database of known viruses. Even though some best free antivirus 2012 programs do have limited heuristic scanning abilities, AVG still needs to be updated with new definition codes on a regular basis. You will need to perform this task manually, on a daily basis, if you want to keep your computer safe from the latest threats.

Microsoft Security Essentials

Pros

If you don’t have time to manually update virus definition files, you are sure to appreciate the fact that Microsoft Security Essentials has an automated update service. It also offers a fairly robust series of tools to fight malware, rootkit attacks, and spyware. This program can be used with Windows XP, Vista, and 7. According to specs, it will run on systems that have a minimum of 500 ghz CPU (for XP systems) to 1 ghz CPU (for Vista and 7).

Cons

Even though this software offers automated updates, you may find they take up an enormous amount of computer resources. For example, if the automated system looks for updates each time you go online, you may not be able to do anything else with your computer, until that process completes. Needless to say, this will be very frustrating if you have a slow internet connection, or a computer that does not have at least triple the resources defined as the minimum required.

Avira Free

Pros

Avira Free is the ideal best free antivirus 2012 if you need to find out whether or not you have a virus or some other type of malicious code on your computer. This includes spyware, root kits, worms, and automated dialers. It can be used by anyone that has a computer running on Windows Vista, 7, or XP.

Cons

Unfortunately, the free version will not remove malicious code from your computer. You cannot use this software to detect phishing scams. In addition, even though the upgrade version has a heuristic scanner that test scripts in live settings, Avira Free does not have this capacity.

As you may be aware, a heuristic scanner does not need to compare code to a database of snippets from known malicious programs. Rather, it will force the code to execute in a location where it cannot actually cause damage in order to see what it does. You will also need to upgrade Avira Free if you want to protect email and download functions.

Comodo Antivirus

Pros

Comodo is easily one of the most robust best free antivirus 2012 scanners on the market. It comes with a guarantee that there is no such thing as malicious code that will escape undetected. The free version also comes with protection for IM, email, and downloads activities.

As with others on the best free antivirus 2012 list, it can be used with Windows OS versions XP through Vista. If you need to remove viruses, you can also take advantage of free online scans, as well as a 30 day free trial that will give you access to virus removal tools.

Cons

Unfortunately, if this software detects a virus, you will not be able to remove it with the free version. You will also need to purchase an upgrade if you want a firewall and live support for trouble shooting. Finally, the free version does not come with a guarantee that your computer will be completely free of viruses if you use this software.

Panda Cloud Antivirus

Pros

Panda is the only free antivirus in the league of best free antivirus 2012 programs that offers live virus detection protocols. This software will also update definition files automatically, as well as filter out malicious site and content. As an added bonus, Panda is also available in 20 different languages.

Cons

If you tend to swap USB drives from one computer to another, the free version of Panda will not detect viruses or other malicious content that get transferred in the process. Even though there is a live scanner, it does not make use of heuristic protocols. Although the manufacturer states that the program is very fast, and does not take up many resources, you may find that older computers will have a difficult time running other programs, while Panda is updating or comparing codes to virus definition files.

Conclusion

If you have ever lost information, or had to take your computer to a shop to get rid of a virus, you can easily understand why many people decide to abandon the Windows OS in favor of Linux.

That said, if you are not quite ready to experience all the best a non-Windows based computer has to offer, then you should at least give some thought to the best free antivirus 2012 programs. At the very least, if you choose from one of the five listed above, you will be able to protect your computer from most malicious programs without spending a fortune. As may be expected, you might have to try one or more best free antivirus 2012 programs before you can settle on one that will not place an undue resource burden on your computer.

The Levels of Notification

There are basically three levels of notification when it comes to UAC Windows 7. You can select any one of these by using a slider present in the UAC settings.

Always Notify

This is the most secure UAC Windows 7 setting and notifies you whenever programs or user make a change in the settings of the computer. The light of the monitor is dimmed and you would not be able to work on any other program. Only after your approval the changes would be made and you would be allowed to start working again.

Notification when programs make changes

This setting does not allow any program to make changes to the setting of the computer and administrator’s permission is required. However, a user who is not administrator can make the changes without any kind of notification or permission from the administrator.
Never Notify
In the never notify setting, all the changes in settings are allowed in case you are logged in as administrator. However, if you are logged in as any other user, you or the programs are not allowed to make any kind of changes and the related requests are denied automatically.

How to change the UAC Windows 7 settings?

The UAC Windows 7 settings in windows can be changed by accessing User Account Control Settings. For making the changes, go to system and security tab in the control panel. Click on the link mentioning ‘User Account Control Settings.’ Move the slider to the desired setting. You might need to restart the computer before settings to take effect.

XP Mode Windows 7 basically refers to the running of a separate window of XP in your computer with Windows 7 operating system. Now this window would work exactly like a windows XP operating system. It is just that the OS is not actually installed on your computer and you would be viewing it in separate window on your screen. You would be able to add or delete files; run software and edit settings just like you do in a XP OS. Two great advantages that the feature provides are:
• It is a great way to work efficiently for those who are quite familiar with XP but are not able to adjust with the interface of Windows 7.
• There are a few applications as well which are not compatible in Windows 7 but runs well on XP. You can use XP mode Windows 7 to run the applications.
Any installation made using the window of XP would appear in the list of both XP and Windows 7 and is accessible from both.

Setting Up XP Mode Windows 7

For using the great benefits of XP Mode Windows 7, you would need to install two software programs on your computer. These include Windows Virtual PC Beta and Windows XP Mode Beta. The Windows Virtual PC Beta is basically visualization software that is meant to power the XP mode. After completing the installation, restart the computer to start using the mode.

Once the computer has restarted, click on the start button and run the item called Virtual Windows XP. You would be prompted to enter a password. Remember it for future use. The system will then set up Virtual Windows XP for first use which can take some time.
You might also receive a message which says that the hardware visualization is not enabled. You can turn on the feature by restarting the computer, entering the BIOS and making the necessary changes.

On the completion of the installation process, you would see a virtual XP window which would prompt you to add security software. You must add an antivirus as per your wish as the virtual XP window is nothing less than a normal operating system and needs protection. You can start installing software and applications just like you do normally. While installing, remember to make the applications available for all users. This means that the application icon would automatically appear under the Windows Virtual PC tab in windows 7 start menu.

Windows 7 Aero is a really popular default theme and a graphic user interface (GUI) as released by Microsoft along with the operating system. It is a powerful, efficient and esthetically pleasant theme.

Enabling Windows 7 Aero

While you install the operating system, Windows 7 Aero might not be automatically enabled. Based on your system’s experience index rating, the operating system automatically adjusts the effects related to Aero features. As per the compatibility of your machine, you might also have partial Aero effects working. This is because any more addition would hamper the performance of your computer. If this is the case and you feel that slight dip in performance would not hamper your work efficiency in any way, here is how you can enable Windows 7 Aero.
• Open Control Panel from the Start Menu.
• Go to the System tab in ‘System and Security’ menu.
• Click on ‘Advanced System Settings.’
• Click on ‘Performance Settings.’
• Look under the visual effect tab. Here the option – ‘Let windows choose what’s best for my computer’ would be checked by default.
• Look further below and you would see a list of Windows 7 Aero effects. Those which are enabled would be checked while others unchecked.
• Select the custom option before selecting all the effects as mentioned in the list below.
• Click on Apply and then OK once done.
• All the Windows 7 Aero effects would get enabled.
Some of the most popular Windows 7 Aero effects include Aero Peek, Aero Shake, Aero Snap and Aero Flip.

Disabling Windows 7 Aero

Excessively slow running computer is a major reason that may lead you to disabling the Windows 7 Aero effects. Here you have two options. First is to go back to the initial stage and let the computer decide which effects are compatible with your computer’s configuration and would not affect performance in any way. All you need to do is to repeat the process mentioned above and select the option - ‘Let windows choose what’s best for my computer’ instead of custom. Click on Apply and then OK for settings to take effect.
Secondly, you can also disable the effects completely by using an entirely different method as below.
• Right click on the desktop to open the menu.
• Click on Personalize.
• A list of themes would appear. Scroll down and look for windows 7 basic theme. Click to activate. The Aero effects would get disabled.

Dual Boot Windows 7 refers to the process which allows you to install the operating system in your computer while there is another version already installed there. This is really helpful when you are quite comfortable with your existing operating system say Windows XP or Vista and want to try out Windows 7. By using the Dual Boot Windows 7 method, you would be able to install Windows 7 operating system without removing the already installed version. Once you have tried the option, you can remove the one with which you are less comfortable and content with.

The Process

Before starting the process, ensure that you have a copy of the operating system with you in a DVD. Then, follow the below steps

Hard Drive Partition

In case you have only one partition in your hard drive then you would need to create more in order to install Windows 7. This is because one partition can hold only one operating system. Now the way to create a partition depends on the current operating system you have in your computer. In case you are using Vista, there is an inbuilt tool which you can use while if you have XP, you would need to use third party software.
Create a new partition which has at least 16 GB of space available.

Install Windows 7

Concerning Dual Boot Windows 7, once you have created the partition, install a fresh copy of the operating system in the newly created space. Insert the disc in DVD ROM and restart the computer. The computer would boot by using the DVD. If it does not, select the boot from CD option in the BIOS.

Follow the simple instructions as they appear to install a copy of Windows 7. Remember to choose the custom (advanced) option when prompted to select. Also choose the partition drive carefully. In case you select the one which already has a version installed, the older one would be replaced by windows 7.

Wait for the entire process to be completed. Depending on your computer’s configuration, it might take anywhere between 30 to 90 minutes.

Using the Operating System in Dual Boot Windows 7

Restart the computer once the installation is complete. You can select the operating system which you want to use to boot the system by using the arrow keys and pressing enter. You can also install more than two operating systems by using the same procedure as above.