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Maags Meanderings By Maags MacLoch

table of contents

This is a new column where I will attempt to answer your burning questions about website design, the Internet, and maybe some computer questions.

I don't know whether I will always be able to answer your questions myself, but I will do my best to find out what the answer is. Please e-mail your computer, Internet, and website questions to us at 827374©,crosscountybank.com (Duke Heath's e-mail address) and I will see if we can get rid of some of that daily aggravation so life can be a little happier.

For my first tip, you have heard about the MBlaster worm in the news last month or so and how everyone that had a computer that was infected did not get the patch issued a month before by Microsoft. Well, here is a way you can set your Windows computer so it will either notify you that a new patch is available, or download it automatically. Never get caught with your computer's metaphorical pants down again!

• Open "Control panel"
• Then click on Automatic Updates
• Check Keep my computer up to date;
• Click the check box next to the way you want the updates to be done;
• Click OK to close Automatic Updates.

• Right click an "my Computer"
• Go down to "Properties" and click on it
• Click on the "Automatics Updates" tab in the box that opens up.
• Click on the box next to "Keep my computer up to date. With......."
• Below that you can choose how you want to keep it up to date. I prefer to check "Notify me before downloading..." so it doesn't interfere with any programs I happen to be running. Then I can go to the Windowsupdate website later and get the updates.
• Click OK to close the box.

You can try going to the Windowsupdate website and download the "Windows Critical Update Notification" update. It will check daily when you are on the Internet and let you know if you need to update.

Sometimes I have had trouble (everything freezing up, the blue screen of death, having to reset with the power button) with it on my Windows 98SE machine, if you have the same problems, uninstall it and just check often at Windowsupdate.

Of course, you actually have to go to the Windowsupdate website and get your updates when it tells you to for it to help, if you don't have things set to automatically update your pc.

It is also a really good idea to get a firewall and antivirus protection to control access to your computer. Zone Alarm has a free firewall you can download and install, and better ones you can purchase. Two virus protection providers are McAfee and Norton. Both charge for their services, as do all virus protection providers.

Pay attention, all you pro- and amateur-crastinators out there, or the computer bogeyman might getcha!