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HERE’S HOW E D I T E D B Y R E B E C C A F R E E D , A O I F E M c E V O Y, A N D D E N N I S O ’ R E I L LY
INTERNET TIPS
S C OT T S PA N B A U E R
It’s Time to Update Your
Internet Security Arsenal
right out of the box , your PC is
almost entirely unprotected from the
huge array of Internet-borne attacks. If
you connect to the Internet and simply
hope for the best, not only are you suscep-
tible to data loss, identity theft, and fraud,
but your machine could become a launch-
ing pad for attacks against other comput-
ers. Securing your system is no longer
optional—it’s a matter of survival.
Protecting your PC from Internet at-
tacks requires a multilayered approach:
2 W W W. P C W O R L D.C O M POWER GUIDE
Expert advice on hardware, software, and the Web
Keep Windows and all other software
updated, use a safe browser, and make
sure your antivirus software is properly
configured, regularly updated, and certi-
fied effective. You also need a bidirection-
al firewall program (and a hardware-
based firewall, if possible), as well as at
least one anti-spyware program. Fortu-
nately, all of these tools are available for
free (except the hardware firewall, which
is now included with most routers).
Here’s our 2005 security checklist.
UPDATE YOUR SOFTWARE
because it’s easy to forget to update
your software, many programs include an
automatic-update mechanism. Lots of PC
users report conflicts and other problems
after installing Windows patches and ser-
vice packs, but the protection these fixes
provide from known exploits (like the
infamous Blaster virus that struck in the
summer of 2003) is worth the risk. To
enable automatic updates in Windows XP
with Service Pack 2, right-click My Com-
puter, click Properties•Automatic Updates,
select Automatic (recommended), set a
time for the updates (or accept the de-
fault), and click OK.
Windows isn’t the only place where
automatic updates can save your bacon.
Most antivirus programs also update
automatically—all you have to do is pro-
vide an Internet connection and keep
automatic updates enabled in the pro-
gram. Firewalls, too, occasionally suffer
from flaws and exploits that require regu-
lar patching. Zone Labs’ free ZoneAlarm
firewall software usually notifies users
when such an update is available. And at
least one browser—the Mozilla Founda-
tion’s Firefox—notifies you of available
updates. Other programs require that you
check for updates manually via a menu
command, or by checking the vendor’s
Web site for a patch or a new version.
ANTIVIRUS: NOW MANDATORY
for years i used PCs without antivirus
software installed. I was smart enough to
ILLUSTRATION: CHRIS GALL
spot a dangerous attachment, right?
Unfortunately, flaws in Internet Explorer,
Outlook, Java, and other technologies that
dovetail with your e-mail program mean
that a properly crafted e-mail mes-
HERE’S HOW
FIGURE 1: BEAT THE HIGH COST of virus protection by
downloading Grisoft’s capable, free AVG antivirus utility.
sage could install and execute a virus on your
PC without much action on your part—all
you’d have to do is read the message.
A virus (a malicious program file you
download to your PC), worm (a program
that sneaks onto your PC without a file
download), or Trojan horse (a malicious
program that piggybacks onto or mas-
querades as a legitimate program) can
enter your PC in several different ways,
but e-mail is the most common means of
infection. You can pay dearly for a sub-
scription to commercial antivirus pro-
grams: Last year, PC World picked Trend
Micro’s $50 PC-cillin Internet Security
suite as our Best Buy. However, I have
used two freebies—Grisoft’s AVG Free
Edition (see FIGURE 1) and Alwil’s Avast 4
Home Edition—for several years, with
great results. The programs are unobtru-
sive, and they automatically receive fre-
quent virus-database updates. Both also
received a thumbs-up from antivirus test-
ing outfits ICSA Labs and Virus Bulletin.
BEEF UP THE BROWSER
until recently , one browser was the
same as the next. PC users are waking up
from their complacency about Microsoft’s
Internet Explorer browser,
however. IE’s ActiveX tech-
nology permits Web sites
(including Web-based e-mail
messages crafted in HTML)
to install and run programs
on your machine—exactly
what the virus, Trojan horse,
worm, and browser hijacker
writers are trying to do. Not
surprisingly, many threats to
PC security rely on ActiveX.
Microsoft has tightened
ActiveX’s security, especially
in Windows XP’s SP2, but new holes con-
tinue to crop up, often after malware
exploiting them appears online. Microsoft
doesn’t provide all of these IE security
updates for earlier versions of Windows,
however, leaving users of Windows 2000,
Me, and 98 vulnerable to ActiveX exploits.
To avoid ActiveX dangers, install an IE
alternative—it won’t be vulnerable to
FIGURE 2: HEAL IE’S Achilles’ heel by stopping the
browser from loading ActiveX controls and plug-ins.
ActiveX attacks—and set it as your default
browser. (See February’s “The New Web
Challengers” at find.pcworld.com/46244
for a comparison of Firefox, Mozilla, IE,
Netscape, and Opera.) Or simply disable
IE’s support for ActiveX: Open IE and
choose Tools•Internet Options•Security•
Custom Level, scroll to ‘Run ActiveX con-
trols and plug-ins’, select Disable, and
click OK•Yes•OK (see FIGURE 2).
Disabling ActiveX prevents you from
viewing Web sites that rely on it, such as
Microsoft’s own Windows Update site. To
get these sites to work, add them to IE’s
Trusted Sites list: Click Tools•Internet
Options•Security, choose Trusted Sites, click
Sites, and enter the URLs one at a time.
Uncheck Require server verification (https:)
for all sites in this zone, and click OK.
DOUBLE UP YOUR FIREWALLS
firewalls keep the bad guys out of
your computer by shutting the thousands
of doorways the machine opens
through your Internet connec-
tion. Depending on how your sys-
tem is configured, these doors
could be invisible (no response
given when the remote system
comes knocking), closed but still
visible to the remote systems
(thereby confirming the presence
of a PC at your Internet address),
or wide open (the remote system
can come right in). A good fire-
wall protects you from these in-
bound attacks, while also moni-
toring the applications running
on your PC when they make out-
bound connections to remote sys-
tems. (Trojan horse programs,
spyware, and other malware that
sneaks onto your PC often
POWER GUIDE W W W. P C W O R L D.C O M 3
 HERE’S HOW
employ your Internet link to connect
clandestinely to remote servers.)
Windows XP’s firewall monitors only
inbound connections, offering no protec-
tion from malware already on your PC.
The latest versions of my favorite free fire-
walls—Kerio Personal Firewall, Outpost
Firewall Free, Sygate Personal Firewall, or
ZoneAlarm—are all effective, so if one
conflicts with your system, try another.
If you have a broadband Internet con-
nection, use a hardware-based firewall in
addition to a software version. Many cable
and DSL modems and routers—wireless
routers included—have a firewall that you
can configure from your PC. Because
these hardware firewalls are external to
your system, they can’t monitor which
apps are opening outbound connections,
FIGURE 3: USE HIJACKTHIS to find spyware
that even Ad-Aware and Spybot can’t nail.
so they can’t replace a software firewall
running on the PC. However, they do
keep incoming attacks off your local net-
work, and they can shield your machine’s
IP address from the outside world, fur-
ther protecting you from external attacks.
ANTI-SPYWARE, TOO
SPYWARE is a generic term for a range
of programs that monitor your Web activ-
ity and then inundate you with targeted
pop-up ads (adware), or that look for per-
sonal information, log-in names, and
passwords that the program then for-
wards to a server or e-mail account (spy-
ware). Adware may or may not provide a
useful service—search toolbars are a com-
mon variation—and the programs are
often bundled with other free downloads,
such as file-sharing utilities. See April’s
“Spyware Stoppers” at find.pcworld.com/
4 W W W. P C W O R L D.C O M POWER GUIDE
46716 for more on spyware fighters.
Aside from swearing off Grokster,
Kazaa, IMesh, and other spyware-laden
software, you can avoid adware and spy-
ware by using a reputable anti-spyware
utility. I say reputable, because many free
spyware removers can do more harm
than good. For more on evil anti-spyware
tools, visit find.pcworld.com/46194 to
read “Poor Defenders” from last Decem-
ber’s issue, and find.pcworld.com/46196
for last August’s Internet Tips column.
I recommend Lavasoft’s Ad-Aware SE
(formerly called simply Ad-Aware) and
Safer Networking’s Spybot Search &
Destroy, both of which are free. Each of
these programs scans your hard disk and
the Windows Registry for traces of known
spyware and adware, and then removes
the offending files and Registry
trees. Spybot Search & Destroy
also has a memory-resident tool
that traps attempts to change the
Registry (a typical spyware or
adware activity) and asks if you
want to allow the changes. Java-
cool Software makes two other
free memory-resident
utilities that prevent
many kinds of spyware
from loading into memory in the first
place: SpywareBlaster blocks known
ActiveX spyware from installing, and Spy-
wareGuard scans downloaded files for
known spyware payloads.
Unlike with antivirus programs, which
tend to conflict with each other, it’s a good
idea to use several spyware removers. But
even if you use all of these excellent tools,
you may not be able to detect and remove
every bit of spyware bogging down your
PC. To get every last parasite, scan your
system using Merijn Bellekom’s Hijack-
This utility. HijackThis isn’t for novices—
it produces a log of browser add-ons and
related Registry settings you must then
sort through to choose which ones to dis-
able (see FIGURE 3). But the log does not
differentiate between malware and non-
malware, and disabling the wrong thing
could cripple your system. Fortunately, a
growing cadre of dedicated anti-spyware
volunteers that you’ll find at several Web
forums will scan your HijackThis logs for
DOWNLOAD OF THE MONTH
Free Security Toolbox
KEEP YOUR SYSTEM and data safe by
using our favorite no-cost tools for secur-
ing your PC against Internet evils.
FIREWALLS
Kerio Personal Firewall 4: The 30-day
trial reverts to a free version (for home
use only), but without advanced features
enabled. 7.3MB; find.pcworld.com/46212
Outpost Firewall Free: Agnitum’s no-
frills app. 2.7MB; find.pcworld.com/46216
Sygate Personal Firewall 5.6: Bidirec-
tional. 8.8MB; find.pcworld.com/46220
ZoneAlarm 5.5: The free version also
scans e-mail for dangerous .vbs scripts.
6.3MB; find.pcworld.com/46222
ANTIVIRUS
Avast 4 Home Edition: Alwil’s free app
for home and noncommercial users.
8.2MB; find.pcworld.com/46227
AVG Antivirus Free Edition: Grisoft’s
program for noncommercial home users.
9.7MB; find.pcworld.com/46224
ANTI-SPYWARE
Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition: Lava-
soft’s pioneering free (for noncommercial
use) spyware hunter is still one of the
best. 2.5MB; find.pcworld.com/46229
HijackThis 1.98: Merijn Bellekom’s not-
for-novices adware/spyware detector/
remover. 183KB; find.pcworld.com/46238
Spybot Search & Destroy 1.3: Patrick M.
Kolla (of Safer Networking) is waging a
one-man war against spyware. 4.2MB;
find.pcworld.com/46230
SpywareBlaster 3.2: Javacool Soft-
ware’s memory-resident spyware block-
er. 2.1MB; find.pcworld.com/46234
you, and tell you what to kill and what to
keep. Browse to find.pcworld.com/46238
to view Bellekom’s own list of forums for
log-entry interpreters.
Send your questions and tips to nettips@
spanbauer.com. We pay $50 for published
items. Go to find.pcworld.com/31523 for more
Internet Tips. Scott Spanbauer is a con-
tributing editor for PC World.
 HASSLE-FREE PC
STEVE BASS
Add Zip to Your Internet Connection
Save time with no-brainer tweaks, cheap fixes, and smart download tools.
cause unknown: My fast broadband
connection at home slowed to a crawl. It
took days of futzing (and multiple beers)
to identify what was wrong. And during
that time, I experienced the agony of—
cover your ears—slow Internet access.
But I learned from my suffering. And as a
result, I’ve developed a list of effective tac-
tics for coping with and preventing Web
performance problems.
FASTER CONNECTIONS
The Annoyance: My superfast broadband
connection sometimes stumbles, sad-
dling me with poky downloads and ane-
mic Web access. And when I’m stuck on
dial-up, I could just scream.
The Fix: Milk every last drop of speed out
of your cable, DSL, or dial-up connection.
• Goose Your Settings: One problem is
that Windows Internet settings aren’t
ILLUSTRATION: HAL MAYFORTH
optimized to establish the fastest connec-
tion possible—especially on dial-up. For
more details, check out March’s “Secret
Tweaks” (find.pcworld.com/46914). Two
products to try: CableNut, the one I use,
is a free, geeky, not-so-easy-to-use tool
that tweaks dozens of settings. A
simpler program is ISpeed. The
trial version is free, but you’ll
have to shell out $11 to keep it.
Tip: In ISpeed, go to Settings, se-
lect your connection type, and let
the program automatically modi-
fy the settings. Get both products
at find.pcworld.com/46704.
• This Old Wire: When I had a
DSL line installed in my home
office, the installer initially used
the existing wiring (DSL uses
ordinary copper telephone wire).
Big mistake. The old wire was
exactly that—old—which meant
that it was brittle and had small breaks,
translating into bandwidth loss. By in-
sisting on new wiring, I shaved slightly
over a minute off the download time of a
20MB file. It’s the same story for cable
connections: New coaxial wire can make
a significant difference in speed.
If you’re on dial-up, buy a new cable for
the stretch from the wall jack to your mo-
dem. Use the shortest cable possible—
you lose bandwidth with long wires. Then
make sure the wires within all wall jacks
in your home are solidly connected, by
unscrewing each faceplate and examining
the wires. Just one loose connection can
affect the others—and your dial-up
modem’s connection. And make sure you
use the same trick mentioned earlier for
broadband users: Ask the phone compa-
ny for new copper wiring that goes from
the street to your house. Finally, if things
are still slow, check with your ISP for dif-
ferent access phone numbers.
• Split the Signal: If you use your cable
connection to access the Internet and watch
TV, be careful how you set up and use the
signal splitter. Each split decreases signal
power, so make sure that your first con-
nection is to the cable modem; then split
the signal to the TVs elsewhere in your
home. Best bet? Have the cable company
technician do the splitting for you.
SUPERSMART DOWNLOADS
The Annoyance: No matter how I connect
to the Internet, downloading more than
one file slows down my Web browsing.
Worse, if I lose my dial-up connection, I
have to start the download again.
The Fix: If you grab files even occasionally,
you just have to use a free download man-
ager. Even if your browser has one built
in, consider auditioning a stand-alone ver-
sion. The advantages are many: If the
download is interrupted—due to network
problems, a lost connection, or a browser
crash—the download manager resumes
where you left off. Whether on broadband
or dial-up, you can watch a partially down-
loaded video to see if it’s nearly as funny
as you thought it would be. Most down-
load managers let you quickly drag and
drop download links onto a floating icon.
You can start downloading the files when
your workday is over and have the pro-
gram shut down your system (or simply
hang up the line if you’re on dial-up)
when it’s finished. I use WellGet—it con-
tains no adware or spyware, and it’s free.
Obtain it at find.pcworld.com/46644.
Not interested in a download manager?
Bypass Internet Explorer’s silly rule that
limits you to three simultaneous down-
loads. Bump the number to ten with this
tweak from Kelly’s Korner (find.pcworld.
com/46642; on line 55, on the right).
Contributing Editor Steve Bass is the author
of PC Annoyances, published by O’Reilly.
Contact him at hasslefreepc@pcworld.com.
POWER GUIDE W W W. P C W O R L D.C O M 5

ANSWER LINE
LINCOLN SPECTOR
Hide Your Internet Ports
From Snooping Hackers
I ran Gibson Research’s free Shields-
Up test (find.pcworld.com/46558)
for PC security. The test found some
open ports on my PC. How do I close them?
Fu Weikai, Singapore
steve gibson’s ShieldsUp service does
an excellent job of testing your PC’s secu-
rity. Your computer uses the ports that
the Gibson Research test probed to com-
municate over the Internet, but unscru-
pulous hackers can use the same ports to
break into your computer.
Hackers use open ports—and some-
times even closed ones—to do mischief to
your PC. But the scanners they rely on
can’t detect hidden (or “stealthed”) ports.
A router with a built-in hardware fire-
wall conceals ports: The router’s ports,
FIGURE 1: HIDING PORTS ON YOUR hardware firewall isn’t always
intuitive: This D-Link router calls port forwarding “Virtual Server.”
not your PC’s, are visible on the Internet.
Hardware firewalls cloak almost all of
their ports by default, opening them only
when necessary. (Software firewalls hide
ports, too, but a router’s firewall does an
inherently better job. Of course, software
firewalls are easier to update and recon-
6 W W W. P C W O R L D.C O M POWER GUIDE
figure than routers, so if you have a broad-
band connection, it’s safest to use both.)
Most routers close, rather than camou-
flage, port 113. Why do they do this? Once
upon a time, some FTP, IRC, and SMTP
servers used port 113 to verify where in-
formation was coming from. The port
didn’t have to be open, but it had to be vis-
ible to make the connection. If routers
concealed that port, they’d block the net-
work’s access to a few outdated servers.
It’s unlikely that a masked port 113 will
ever cause you problems. On the other
hand, a closed port 113 on a server is not
a major security flaw…yet. Someday, a
hacker may discover a flaw in port 113 in
a popular router, and that could mean
trouble. In the long run, you’ll be better
off hiding this port
than closing it and
leaving it visible.
Unfortunately,
this port is not al-
ways easy to hide.
The job requires
that you recon-
figure the router
so that it will for-
ward port 113 to a
nonexistent IP ad-
dress, such as “192.
168.0.250.” How
you do this differs
from one router to
another, and the process isn’t always obvi-
ous. On my D-Link router, for instance,
the setting for forwarding ports is called
“Virtual Server”—which is technically ac-
curate but not really very helpful (see FIG-
URE 1). Check your router documentation
and the vendor’s online help for details.
‘NEW’ MESSAGE GETS OLD
When I install a new program and
click the Start button, Windows XP
tells me that I have new programs
installed, and the programs are highlighted
for a time. How can I turn this feature off?
Andrew Steinberg, via the Internet
i’ve never needed this reminder,
though I know people who like the high-
lighting because it makes new programs
easier to find on a crowded Start menu.
To remove it, right-click the Start button
and select Properties•Start Menu•Custom-
ize•Advanced. Uncheck Highlight newly in-
stalled programs, and click OK twice.
PRINT FONTS AND SAVE PAPER
How can I save some trees by print-
ing multiple font samples on one
page in Windows?
Jeff Luckett, Bartlett, Tennessee
use the font thing , a free program
created by Sue Fisher (find.pcworld.com/
46560). To print multiple samples, <Ctrl>-
click fonts in the left panel, and then click
the Print icon. Fonts need not be installed
for you to examine and print them.
Send your questions to answer@pcworld.
com. Answer Line pays $50 for published
items. See find.pcworld.com/31577 for more
Answer Line columns. You’ll find Contribut-
ing Editor Lincoln Spector’s humorous and
other writings at www.thelinkinspector.com.
READ SUSPECT MAIL SAFELY
HAVE YOU EVER hesitated to open an e-
mail because you were afraid something
nasty might be lurking inside? Reader
John Ehrenborg found a way to read an
Outlook Express message before open-
ing it. Right-click the message, select
Properties, and click Details to read the
message’s header, which may give a clue
as to its origin. If the header is too cryp-
tic, click Message Source to read the
message itself in an inert, nonrunning
mode (you’ll see HTML code, but scroll
down to view the message’s text). In Out-
look, to examine the headers, right-click
the message and choose Options; you
can’t view the source or text, however.
 HASSLE-FREE PC
STEVE BASS

Cheap and Easy Internet Phone Calls

Why sign up for a complex service when you can just test the online waters?
ring...ring. hello? It’s me—and I’m
making a crystal-clear Internet call using
Skype’s slick software. It’s not going to
replace your regular phone, but it’s great
for cheap calls to your buddy overseas.
HELLO, WATSON
The Hassle: I want a simple way to make
an occasional phone call over the Internet.
I don’t want to replace my landline and
lose access to 911. Nor do I want to spend
time sifting through complex offerings
from myriad Internet phone companies.
The Fix: With all the talk about Internet
calling services like Vonage and AT&T’s
CallVantage, you might have overlooked
my favorite option, Skype, which has been
around for a couple of years. Using Skype
is much like using instant messaging. (In
fact, IM features are built in.) Click a name
in your contact list, and your PC rings your
contact’s phone. Once that person picks
up, start blabbing. It’s free to call anybody,
anywhere, who has Skype installed. You
and your friend will need a broadband con-
nection for Skype to work well. Download
it at find.pcworld.com/47724.
Skype has lots more going for it, too:
The program is incredibly easy to set up
TOOL OF THE MONTH
and use, the sound quality is
great, and unlike with Von-
age there are no monthly
fees. In fact, in the United
States, you avoid all taxes and
pesky regulatory fees. And
for a small charge, you can
obtain various landline-like
features from Skype. For ex-
ample, SkypeOut allows you
to call any landline or cell
phone. You pay only about 2.5
cents a minute for SkypeOut
calls. I spent 12 cents using
SkypeOut to arrange for a
hotel reservation in Buenos
Aires. SkypeOut’s rates are on a par with from Plantronics to swap the sound out-
those of other VoIP and landline services. put from your speakers to your headset.
For more tips, see Michael Gough’s
HASSLE-FREE SKYPE Skype page (find.pcworld.com/47672).
here are a few handy Skype tricks to try.
•Tired of endless bandwidth-wasting HARDWARE HOOK-UPS
calls from strangers? Open the program, The Hassle: I’m ready to make calls, but I
click Tools•Options•Privacy, and select only don’t like headsets, and I want the whole
people from my Contact lists can call. rig to act like a normal phone instead of
•Link up to five folks in a conference like some high-school science project.
call. (Click Tools•Create a Conference.) To The Fix: Having the right hardware makes
add more, have participants invite people. Skype even easier to use. Connect any reg-
•Use a $10 PC Headset Speaker Switch ular or cordless phone to the $45 Action-
tec Internet Phone Wizard, and make
calls with Skype or any other VoIP ser-
vice. The Actiontec distinguishes between

Exterminate Stubborn Files incoming VoIP and landline calls; it also

lets you make outgoing calls using either
HAVE YOU EVER TRIED to delete a file or dows 2000 or XP, download and install type of service. If you can’t take a call, the
folder, only to get a Windows error mes- WhoLockMe. This tool shows which Win- device sends Skype messages to your
ILLUSTRATION: CHRISTOPH NIEMANN

sage saying no can do? Maybe you’re hav-
ing a bad hair day, but more likely some
program is using the file. Try downloading
ForceDel, a utility that works with all Win-
dows versions to force-delete the stub-
born file. Still stuck? If you’re using Win-
dows process is locking the file. One click
kills the process—a virus, a Trojan horse,
spyware, or (as in my case) a dialog box
enhancer—after which you can delete the
tenacious hanger-on. Download both files
at find.pcworld.com/47728.
existing answering machine. Get details
at find.pcworld.com/47682.
Contributing Editor Steve Bass is the author
of PC Annoyances, published by O’Reilly (see
find.pcworld.com/43818). Contact him at
hasslefreepc@pcworld.com.

POWER GUIDE W W W. P C W O R L D.C O M 7

 HASSLE-FREE PC
STEVE BASS
Stop Instant Messaging Interruptions
Sick of videos that won’t play or attachments that bounce back? Here’s relief.
this month, learn how to conceal
yourself while instant-messaging,
play uncooperative videos, and slip
huge files past corporate servers.
CLOAK OF INVISIBILITY
The Hassle: I love instant messaging, but
I hate it when strangers interrupt me.
Plus, my boss can tell when I’m away
from the PC. Even the alerts when bud-
dies come and go are getting annoying.
The Fix: Become invisible. In AOL’s
full version of AIM, click Setup at the
bottom of the window, choose Prefer-
ences•Privacy, and select Allow only users
in my Buddy List. Don’t want anyone to
know you’re goofing off? Uncheck how long
I’ve been idle. To squelch the alerts, choose
Notifications in the Category list, uncheck
Show pop-up notifications, and click OK.
In MSN Messenger, choose Tools•Op-
tions•Privacy, highlight All others in the
‘Allow list’ pane, and click Block. Next, re-
turn to the options list, pick Personal, and
under My Status, uncheck Show me as
“Away”. Then go back to options; and for
Alerts and Sounds, uncheck all the boxes.
In Yahoo Messenger, choose Messenger•
Privacy Options•Ignore List and then select
TOOL OF THE MONTH
Shipshape Start Menu
I DON’T KNOW ABOUT the one in yours,
but the stack of programs in my Start
menu sometimes gets out of control. A
ILLUSTRATION: JOHN HERSEY
nifty program and a quick tweak can help
organize the clutter. Use the freeware ver-
sion of Tidy Start Menu (find.pcworld.com/
47953). The tool lets you move programs
and folders into one of nine new folders,
Ignore anyone who is not on my Messenger
List. Next, select Privacy and check Do not
show anyone how long I’ve been idle. Finally,
choose Alerts & Sounds, uncheck Enable
alert sounds, and click OK. To cloak your-
self from specific buddies: Right-click one
of them, choose Stealth settings, and then
select Permanently Offline.
SNEAK FILES PAST IT-TYPES
The Hassle: I sent a funny video to a friend,
but the e-mail came flying back with the
admonition: “Our mail system does not accept
video files.” I tried reducing the size by zipping
such as ‘Office’ or ‘Utilities’; you can back
up the Start menu beforehand in case you
don’t like the results. The tweak? Change
your Start menu from cascading to scroll-
ing: Right-click the Start button, select
Properties•Customize•Advanced, scroll
down the ‘Start menu items’ list, and se-
lect Scroll Programs.
the file before attaching it to a message. It
still didn’t go through. Now what?
The Fix: Try renaming the file exten-
sion to .zi (with a letter space at the
end)—or .duh , for that matter. I’ve
fooled corporate servers because they
often ignore the file contents and look
strictly at file names. Use the same
trick with other files that IT-types like
to block, such as .jpg and .gif files. If it
doesn’t work, upload your large file to
Dropload (find.pcworld.com/47946)
for your pal to pick up. The maximum
file size there is a whopping 1GB. The
IT folks won’t be any the wiser.
CODEC CONUNDRUM
The Hassle: Coworkers and friends send me
critical “business” (ha!) videos, many of
which won’t play. I’ve upgraded Windows
Media Player, tried using WinAmp, and
even downloaded a few codecs [ file decoders
needed to play videos], without success.
The Fix: You need K-Lite Codec Pack
(find.pcworld.com/47948). This set of co-
decs includes Media Player Classic, a
small player that plays all types of videos.
On the installation routine’s Select Com-
ponents dialog box, uncheck Player in the
first dialog box if you want to continue
using your current video player. You need
to be aware of one potential hassle, how-
ever: K-Lite may change some of your ex-
isting video file associations. If that hap-
pens, fix them from Windows Explorer by
selecting Tools•Folder Options•File Types
and changing the file association to the
app it was originally assigned to.
Contributing Editor Steve Bass is the author
of PC Annoyances, published by O’Reilly (see
find.pcworld.com/43818). Contact him at
hasslefreepc@pcworld.com.
POWER GUIDE W W W. P C W O R L D.C O M 8