Make sure your PC is as secure a possible
It's too easy to simply assume that your Windows PCs is safe. A computer virus? That's not going to happen to me... until it does. However, Windows 7 has built-in security settings and updates. We look at the five best security features within the OS that help keep the bad guys at bay.
User Account Control
UAC, the security feature that prompts you for permission to install or open programs, was despised by Windows Vista users, but it is much more customisable in Windows 7. The options are no longer 'on or off'; there are four notification levels that a user can set. The four settings in Windows 7 UAC's customizable slider range from Always notify to Never notify.
The improved Windows 7 UAC is essential in that it informs you when a program makes a change that could potentially harm your computer or make it susceptible to security threats.
If you are your computer's administrator (in most cases you are), you can click Yes to continue. If you are not an administrator, someone with an administrator account on the computer will have to enter their password for you to continue.
- When your permission is needed to open a program or install software, UAC will notify you with one of four different types of dialog boxes:
- When a program or setting is part of Windows and needs your permission to start.
- When a program is not a part of Windows and needs your permission to start
- When a program with an unknown publisher needs your permission to start
- When you have been blocked by your system administrator from running a program because the program is known to be untrusted
To modify User Account Control Settings, click the Start button and then click Control Panel. In the search box, type uac, and then click Change User Account Control Settings.
Windows Update
Windows Update can be a pest, especially when updates pop up when you're in the middle of 10 things. But by installing the latest updates as they become available for your PC, you are continually improving the security, reliability and performance of your computer without too much of an inconvenience.
You can set Windows to automatically install 'important' and 'recommended' updates or to install important updates only. Important updates are for more critical security and reliability issues and recommended updates address noncritical problems.
To turn on automatic Windows Updates, click on the Start button. In the search box type Update, and then in the list of results click Windows Update. In the left pane, click Change Settings.
Under Important updates, you can choose if you want to install new updates automatically, and the day and time you want the latest updates to take place (i.e. Every Day at 6 am).
Under Recommended Updates select the 'Give me recommended updates the same way I receive important updates' check box, and then click OK.
NEXT PAGE: Windows Firewall
- Make sure your PC is as secure a possible
- User account control
- Windows Firewall
Comments
Hond said: Thanks for that David seems I am OK and MSE has disappeared Defender
David Hollett said: Visit wwwmicrosoftcomForumsen-USfor more information about Defender Windows 7 and Security Essentials
Honda said: Thanks David my view too as Security Essentials arrived standard with 7 but no sign of Defender which I ran on XP and Vista
Gary Gemmell said: Not so for server administratorsEven once ive done extensive pre-deployment testing i still cr myself when i allow a windows update on a server
David Hollett said: I thought Windows Defender should be tiurned off if you use Microsoft security Essentials
the hairy one said: microsoft have given me lots of work in recent months - I can guarantee to get a load of call-outs within two days of automatic updates taking place great for me not so for the end userkeep up the good work ms yeah right
John Edwards said: Very good but I recently had to restore to an earlier time as my mouse stuck even after reboots I have also had several problems with wundows updates failing on my previous PC with windows seven and before upgrade to 7 from vistaI now choose what and when to installAnother problem was with a disply card driver update causing crashesI had to roll back to a previous driver
Honda said: I understood that Microsoft Essentials had taken over from Windows Defender IS this right or should I run both
Someone said: If you are your computers administrator in most cases you are you can click Yes to continue THAT is the real problem In most cases you are the administrator If you are serious about security do not run as admin for day-to-day work Just bump yourself up from a standard account via UAC to install programs etc On a standard account malware just cant do much