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Those anti-spyware programs I recommended are:

• Spybot Search & Destroy
• AdAware SE
• Microsoft AntiSpyware XP and Windows 2000 only

Use Firefox instead of Internet Explorer. But if you must use Internet Explorer protect it with Spyware Blaster

If you want to burn AAC (or M4A files) the best ripper is Apple’s iTunes.

Read more on the Hi-MD (minidisc 2) format in the MD FAQ. Personally I prefer the open format recorders like the Marantz PMD-660 - it records WAV and MP3 files on plain old Compact Flash.

Interested in trying Linux without installing it? Use a LiveCD distribution. There’s a good list of choices here. Download the ISO file, use your CD burning software to “Create disc from image” then boot to the resulting CD. My favorite LiveCD right now? Kubuntu.

If you don’t have the bandwidth (or patience) to download Linux, buy a copy for $5 from www.cheapbytes.com. They also offer Live CDs.

Backing up your data is vital - but who wants to do it? Make it easy on yourself. Only backup data you have no other copy of. That means don’t backup Windows. Don’t backup programs. Just backup the My Documents folder and any Internet favorites/bookmarks, cookies, passwords, saved games, and so on that don’t live in the My Documents folder.

I suggest a large external hard drive which you hook up to each of your machines in succession. Use Microsoft’s free SyncToy to ensure that whatever’s on your computer is automatically copied to the second drive. I also suggest you periodically burn a copy of My Documents onto a CD and move it off site.

I do not recommend expensive (and unreliable) backup software. Just do a straight copy or synchronize with SyncToy. (I’ve been using an excellent shareware program called Second Copy to do this for years, but SyncToy is free and seems to do the same thing.)

Learning Java, and put off by the dry engineering approach? Try Head First Java - it actually makes programming fun!

Designing a web page? Do yourself a favor, don’t use Microsoft Front Page. I recommend Macromedia’s Dreamweaver for high-end users. New web designers should try Macromedia’s Contribute.

If you’ve got a few hours to kill, give the free Google Earth a try. It’s the ultimate toy for Windows. I use Google Maps all the time now.

TechTV’s Martin Sargent is alive and well (and sleeping it off) at www.sargeworld.com. Check out his new Podcast, too.

Want to hear more Leo? Listen to my podcasts.

→

Security Now!→

The Laporte Report→

KFI→

Radio Leo (all the podcasts in one easy to listen to channel) →

See you November 20 on Allan’s Sunday show!