Xorton's Rant

The deadline for the free upgrade to Windows 10 is rapidly approaching: July 29, 2016. I've had a number of people ask me whether they should upgrade or not, so, let's look at the specifics first: Who's eligible?  Anyone running Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 is eligible for the free upgrade. You can upgrade your system from the Windows notification in the System Tray (you've probably noticed it nagging you for several months now to perform the install) or you can download the installer  here . If you're still running Windows XP or Vista you will need to pay for a license and do a clean install (provided your hardware will support the new operating system). You can check the minimum system requirements here . What happens during the upgrade?  The upgrade is a pretty seamless process, but may take a couple of hours to complete and your computer will reboot at least a couple of times during the install.  Once the install is complete, it may take Windows some add...

A while ago I posted a blog about free software ( here ) that would save you a few bucks. If you haven't read the original list, I really recommend it. I've recently compiled an addendum to this list (below). Actually, it's not an addendum, because that would be just tagged on to the existing list. So, it's actually a completely new list. Anyway, here it is: Useful for Home Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit : Helps protect your browser from potential threats. This is the same company that produces the Malwarebytes Anti-Malware utility (which I also highly recommend). I'd say it's a must for any of you who consider yourself dummies when it comes to computers. Of course, the best defense (other than security software) against infections is knowledge. One of these days I'll post my security briefing. It'll scare the hell out of you. 7zip : This free utility will unzip pretty much any compressed file, such as RAR, ZIP etc. Useful for when people send you a...