In August of 2005, the United States Congress passed the Energy Policy Act, which makes daylight saving time (DST) start three weeks earlier and end one week later.
The law goes into effect this year, which means we will all “spring forward” our clocks at 2:00 A.M. on the second Sunday in March (March 11, 2007).
If you use a recent version of the Windows operating system, you know that normally you don't have to manually change the time for DST. The operating system does it for you.
Even though these versions of Windows are smart enough to know about DST, they're not smart enough to know about the Energy Policy Act, so you'll have to install an update that will make the change.
The only exception for this is Windows Vista. If you buy a new computer that runs Windows Vista, the updates are already installed.
To help ensure that your computer updates correctly on March 11, download the update below that corresponds to the operating system that you use.
These updates will change the time zone data to account for the United States DST change and will take care of other related DST changes, time zone behavior, and settings.
The following files are available for download from the Microsoft Download Center:
Download the Update for Windows XP package now.
Download the Update for Windows XP x64 Edition package now.Download the Update for Windows Server 2003 package now. Download the Update for Windows Server 2003 for Itanium-based Systems package now. Download the Update for Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition package now.
There is no update for Windows 2000, but you can make the change manually.
All versions of Windows can be manually updated with the tzedit.exe utility which you can use to create and edit time zone entries for the Date and Time settings in Control Panel, especially for daylight saving time.
For more information, see How to configure daylight saving time for the United States in 2007.
Windows XP SP1 is no longer supported. For increased security, go to Microsoft Update to upgrade to Windows XP SP2.
To read more about how this update works, see Preparing for daylight saving time changes in 2007.
Right now, these updates are not a high priority, so they will not be installed automatically. To get updates like these automatically, turn on Automatic Updates.
You're happily surfing the Web when suddenly a barrage of annoying advertisements in tiny windows covers the screen. How annoying.
Advertisements that pop up in small windows on your screen aren’t just annoying: they can slow down or even damage your computer.
Pop-up ads can be part of a phishing scam designed to trick you into revealing sensitive personal or financial information as you surf the Web.
Some pop-up ads can open even when you're not surfing the Web, which could indicate that your computer is infected with spyware.
Spyware and other unwanted software may perform certain behaviors such as displaying advertising, collecting personal information, or changing the configuration of your computer, generally without appropriately obtaining your consent first.
Here's how you can help get rid of those pop-up ads with a few simple tools that you might even already have on your computer.
Internet Explorer 7 includes a pop-up blocker.
To turn on Pop-up Blocker:
1. Click Tools.
2. Point to Pop-up Blocker.
3. Click Turn on Pop-up Blocker.
To download Internet Explorer 7, visit the Internet Explorer Web site.
Some pop-ups can be part of a phishing scam, but Internet Explorer 7 also includes a phishing filter that's built in. You just have to turn it on.
To turn on Phishing Filter:
2. Point to Phishing Filter.
3. Click Turn on Automatic Website Checking.
4. Click OK.
Windows Defender helps protect against spyware (sometimes called adware) that could deliver continuous pop-up ads to your computer. If you use Windows XP, you can download Windows Defender for free at the Microsoft Download Center. If you use Windows Vista, Windows Defender is built in.
For more information, see the Windows Defender home page.
Not all content in pop-up windows is advertising. Some sites use pop-up windows for specific tasks and you might need to view the window in order to complete that task.
If the Internet Explorer Pop-up Blocker blocks a pop-up window from a site you trust you can decide to temporarily allow pop-up ads from that site or to always allow pop-ups from that site.
To adjust the setting in the Internet Explorer 7 Pop-up Blocker:
3. Click Pop-up Blocker Settings.
Want to know more about staying safe online? Microsoft security expert, Kristin Johnsen will be doing several radio interviews during the week of January 15-19 to offer solutions on the best ways to stay secure online in 2007.
Kristin will discuss online scams that con people into sharing personal information or downloading programs that steal their information or harm their computer. These scams are expected to be the most common Internet threat this year.
She’ll also give some tips people can follow to help them stay safe.
Tune into a radio station or podcast near you, or check out our own streaming interview coming soon to the Security at Home Web site at www.microsoft.com/protect.
Kristin Johnsen is the Senior Director for the Microsoft Corporation Security Technology Unit. She is also the mother of two boys who are avid computer users.
So you say that your New Year's resolution is to get rid of spyware and annoying pop-up windows? That's an easy one. Download Windows Defender, the antispyware software from Microsoft.
You did that already, but now you're getting a confusing "Windows Defender has expired" message?
You aren't the only one. We've heard from several people that the error messages were confusing.
Here's the story. Windows Defender Beta 2 expired on December 31, 2006. To stay protected, you need to download the final release of Windows Defender. It's the same spyware protection, with some noted improvements. The interface is easier to use and causes less interruptions to your work. Also, if you have a problem with Windows Defender, you can call our support line twice for free.
The product will never expire and it is still free.
To download the full version now, go directly to the Microsoft Download Center.
Make sure that you have the correct version
If you're not sure if you've downloaded the full version of Windows Defender, do the following:
1. Click the Start menu.
2. Point to All Programs.
3. Click Windows Defender.
4. Click the arrow next to the question mark.
5. Click About Windows Defender.
The window should say Windows Defender Version: 1.1.1592.0.
Still having trouble?
If you've uninstalled Windows Defender Beta 2 and you're still having trouble installing Windows Defender, try downloading and running the Windows Installer Cleanup Utility, which you can find here: Microsoft Help and Support.
Special note to Windows 2000 users
The full version of Windows Defender does not work on Windows 2000, and because Windows Defender Beta 2 expired, you can't use the beta version, either. Windows Defender is primarily for consumers, not for businesses.
Because Windows 2000 was a less-popular consumer operating system, we decided to focus more on Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003. These operating systems with the latest service packs have significantly better security protection overall, which will also help to prevent spyware. We strongly encourage you to upgrade your operating system now.