Quote:
Originally Posted by Electronic M
Allowing one's computer to update can sometimes do more harm than good......The last big update has messed up my internet explorer 8 such that it defaults to 100% zoom when I open new tabs or windows. This really ticks me off! I like to keep the zoom no my laptop at 140% so I can read this site, ARF, and most other sites without pressing my face to the screen. Before the update any tab or window I would open would default to the zoom level of the last closed tab or window, and as long as I left the zoom at 140 or remembered to go back to it before closing stuff I changed the zoom in it would stay at 140 as I wanted.
This is sooner or later going to annoy me into switching to fire fox which came with this machine, but I never bothered to setup.
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Tom, I switched to Firefox from IE6 some years ago while still running Windows 98SE. I run Windows XP today, installed Firefox soon after getting the system (which was preloaded with IE8), and have not looked back.
If Firefox came with your computer, it is probably on one of the original installation/recovery CDs. If not, the latest version of FF is available as a free download at
http://www.mozilla.com.
I let my computer update itself whenever it tells me it needs to (via a balloon symbol near the system tray), and have never had one bit of trouble. The only way I can imagine an update actually harming a computer is if the update has viruses or bugs. Always be certain your antivirus protection is up to date, and be sure you know from whom you are downloading any program updates. Almost every time I have installed a program on my machine from the Web, I have seen a dialog box with a warning: "Download software only from authors whom you trust". This should send up a red flag immediately -- that the software you are about to download could damage your computer or play havoc with your online security. If you have downloaded material from this person or entity before and have had no problems, go ahead. However, if the person/entity is someone or some software firm you have never heard of, avoid the download like the plague. Mozilla's downloads are safe, for the most part, as are software downloads from sources such as CNet's download site (
http://www.download.com), but to be 100 percent certain the software is virus- and bug-free, scan it first with a good antivirus system (which is a good idea for any software download about which you are in doubt as to whether or not it is infected). I use AVG, which works well for my purposes, on my Windows XP system; this software, which has a built-in virus scanner for individual programs as well as for your entire computer, is also available as a free download from
http://www.grisoft.com.
There are many other antivirus scanners out there, but I've had, and continue to have, excellent results with AVG. Besides, it is freeware, so even if, Heaven forbid, the program doesn't meet your expectations, you are not out one penny. If the program
does work well for you (as it should), however, you have bagged a bargain. A good antivirus program will be worth its weight in gold if it stops even one virus from compromising or outright damaging your computer, or worse.