SPECIAL WORM ALERT:
It seems like it’s getting to the point that at least once a month, there is a new and major warning about another computer virus, worm, or other issue. This month is no exception. BBC and other sites are reporting that over 3.5 million computers have already been infected by the worm known by the names of: Conficker, Downadup, or Kido which was first discovered last October (2008). If you’ve stayed up-to-date on all Windows downloads, updates, and patches, hopefully you should be fine. If you haven’t, be sure to do that today! As soon as possible! Immediately! Really! 
This is especially important for grandparents/parents. Some reports I’ve read indicated that the people who got hit started having pornographic pictures appear no matter what URL they typed in! That could be rather traumatic for both the grandkids and the grandparents. So please doublecheck your machine to be sure all is up-to-date. When you’re done, go check the computers for your elderly parents and others you care for.
You can find the BBC article here – http://budurl.com/WormInJan . You can also read about this worm, along with safe computing suggestions from my favorite antivirus software/experts, Norton, at http://budurl.com/NortonSafeCompTips .
Even if you are sure you have automatic updates set for Windows and any antivirus software you have, I would still encourage you to double-check that everything is totally current. I just did that and found all is ok. But I’ve done that in the past when I read about virus alerts and actually got it updated faster than if I’d waited for it to automatically do it. When it comes to worms and viruses, you can never be too fast. Plus that protects you in case someone accidentally switched the settings and you didn’t realize it. Don’t forget any laptops or older computers that don’t get used often. It’s easy to forget they don’t get updated when turned off. Once back on, it can take awhile for all the updates to download. It would be wise to go turn them on and do the updates yourself right now. I just checked my laptop, which I use often, and discovered that all the vital updates were current but an optional update was there waiting for me.
2:12 PM – AFTER POSTING THIS, I DISCOVERED THAT MICROSOFT HAS POSTED A SPECIAL PATCH – http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS09-001.mspx . YOU CAN GO THERE, PICK THE ONE MOST APPROPRIATE TO YOUR COMPUTER AND DOWNLOAD IT. WHETHER IT SAYS SO OR NOT, BE SURE TO RESTART YOUR COMPUTER AFTER THE PROCESS IS COMPLETED.You should do this IN ADDITION to the above.
Since we’re on this topic, this is also a great time to remind you to do some regular computer housekeeping. If you want to ignore the dust bunnies under the beds, or the windows that need cleaning a little longer, I give you leave. But I do strongly encourage you to:
Defragment your computer.
Do a complete antivirus scan of your computer.
If you have “clean-up” software for your computer, run that.
Run any spyware software, such as Spybot or Adaware.
Delete any files you no longer need in order to free up space, enabling your computer to keep running smoothly. Some suggestions would be: obsolete email, older RSS feeds that you don’t want to keep, podcasts you’ve finished with, pictures that didn’t come out right, and any documents that you are done with.
Check the expiration date of your antivirus software. Mine expires in two weeks so I’m busy watching sales ads and Amazon for the best prices. I’d love to get a deal on Turbotax and Norton, but not sure it will happen in time. (If you hear of any great deals, let us know! Just leave a note in the comments below or email me at Kaye@SandwichINK.com )
Now that you’ve done all that, you can enjoy the computer a little more comfortably. But remember, as fun as it is, the internet is a wild and woolley place, so keep practicing safe computing habits everyday.
Now that I’ve finished my computers, I decided I was going to research frugal prices for antivirus software and tax software. I started with my favorite site, RefundCents and was reminded that they have a FREE WEEKEND that has already started. I wanted to let you know about this as soon as possible so…
SPECIAL FRUGAL ALERT
My favorite website, Refund Cents, is offering a free trial weekend. The entire site will have free access until Sunday night. I hope you can spend time checking out the massive amount of savings information available. When you get there, use the Menu on the right. On Monday, you’ll need paid access to enter, but that is only about $1 per month . They accept Credit cards, PayPal, and checks.
Some of the interesting things you’ll find there include: Michelle’s Best Deals on her Updates Page. When I don’t have time to do anything elese, that’s the one page I check out. She goes through all the information people are sending her constantly through the day and puts the cream of the crop there – sales, freebies, etc. You’ll also find double play lists for Walgreens, RiteAid & CVS, which show you how to combine regular coupons with their sales and refunds to give you the best deal possible. The deals this week at Walgreens include 8 freebies while CVS is offering 2 freebies. There is the main list of deals, Centsible Chat, where you’ll find new specials, sales, and goodies appearing constantly throughout the day. She provides previews of Sunday’s coupons to help plan your shopping week, and so much more.
I have been a member for several years and LOVE THEM! I have the online membership, only check it periodically, and still save enough to pay for the cost of the subscription and then some. Michelle’s site always has such great deals!
Give them a try FOR FREE through Sunday night at www.refundcents.com/index .asp? RefID=FMNC . When you get there, just click the VISITORS button and have fun exploring.
