Microsoft - Tuesday October 2010: 16 Updates Correcting 49 Security Related Issues

This month's Patch Tuesday is a big one - 16 individual updates correcting a total of 49 security issues across several operating systems and other Microsoft software.

Many of these issues could allow a remote attacker to take completely control of your system. The attacker could then perform tasks on the computer like an administrator could including viewing, changing, and deleting information.

What these updates do:

These patches from Microsoft update several individual files involved in making the affected operating system or software work.

These updates may apply to you if: you're running any of Microsoft's supported operating systems including Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2008 R2, 2008, and 2003. Several updates also apply to those running certain versions of MS Office and Internet Explorer.

More Information:

These are serious issues with Windows and other software and you should apply all updates that affect your specific software or version of Windows. Most of these issues are categorized as Critical and some others as Important or Moderate.

In most cases, both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the above Windows operating systems and software programs are affected.

Some updates will require that you restart your computer but some will not. If you use Windows Update to install these updates simultaneously, chances are you will need to restart.

Automatically install: via Windows Update.

Maintaining Your Computer

If you've ever fried a CPU because you didn't clean your fan, lost a decade of your digital life to a hard drive crash, or spent four hours trying to remove a nasty virus, you learned a valuable lesson about the need to maintain your computer.

Medical experts remind us that "prevention is the best medicine" so as your personal computer support expert, I'm going to strongly advise that you apply the same logic to your computer!

These resources will help you keep your computer running in tip-top shape for as long as you choose to own it

Backup Your Data

The most important thing you can do as a computer owner is to consistently and reliably back up the data stored on your hard drive. Hardware used to be the most valuable part of a computer but those bits and bytes are now the real investment.

You've spent huge amounts of money on software and digital music and video, and countless hours authoring documents and organizing your digital files. If you don't regularly backup this information, a serious computer problem could leave you with nothing but a huge feeling of regret.

Use these resources to keep your data safe!

Best Online Backup Services

Our recommendation is Carbonite which we use to keep all of our business and personal data safe, backed up and instantly available online through any PC or the iPhone App

Update! Update! Update!

Keeping the software on your computer updated is no longer an optional part of computer ownership. Viruses, worms, junk mail, security breaches, hardware incompatibilities, and software conflicts are all now part of your daily digital life.

Updating your computer with the latest patches, fixes, and device drivers really can keep these annoyances at bay. Updates are freely available on the Internet for just about every antivirus program, email client, operating system, and piece of hardware you could possibly own. 

These resources can help you locate these updates and keep your computer out of harm's way. 

Windows update - The most important, make sure you keep up with all windows updates 

Manufacturer Support Sites - Enter your PC brand in google and look for the support link on the manufacturer website

Keep Your Computer Clean

We all know that most things run a little better when they're clean. Water flows easier when your plumbing is clean, your car's engine runs better if you've been taking care of it, and your dryer does more in less time when you clean out the lint.

(A client PC which shows how much dirt and dust a PC can collect over time)

Your computer is no different. Keeping your files and folders tidy in your virtual world and clearing the dust and grime that builds up inside and outside your computer all play a part in keeping it running smooth day in and day out.

Reference 

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/maintenance/u/maintain_your_computer.htm 

http://www.labnol.org/internet/best-online-backup-services/14218/