XP Repair Site

Solving PC Problems with Windows XP Systems

Archive for the 'Security Issues' Category


Preparing An Old Computer to be Recycled

Recently, Agnes Brach wrote to me with a question that, eventually, applies to all of us:
Hello Terry,
I enjoy your newsletter very much. I have a question that has been on my mind for a while. I have an old computer which i would like to recycle, but have absolutely no idea [...]

Sunbelt Personal Firewall Review

Sunbelt Software has recently renamed their Sunbelt Kerio Personal Firewall to be Sunbelt Personal Firewall. It’s their personal computer firewall software package. SPF is available in full-function mode (paid license) and in a reduced-function free (licensed free for personal non-commercial use) versions. Actually, it is the same program — after the full-function 30-day trial, [...]

Problems with Pre-loaded Software

We’re all used to our computer manufacturers preloading Windows, Windows Media Player, AOL and a couple other dial-up services, anti-virus trials, Microsoft Office trials and a bunch of other stuff.
I usually delete the junk quickly. Whether it’s a trial version of an antivirus I don’t want or a trial of Microsoft Office, I want the [...]

ActiveX or No ActiveX

I received a question from a subscriber who asked:
A number of times I have seen you refer disparagingly of “Active-x controls”.
I have seen downloads that require Active X to run properly. I have read the definition of the program, but, I guess I am just dense. What is this thing, and why do you consider [...]