Data Execution Prevention is a relatively new technology in Windows that performs some additional memory checks to help prevent malicious code from being executed on a PC.

This is generally excellent news for PC users, as it can prevent many viruses and malware from being run (even if a virus scanner misses them). However, it can also prevent legitimate applications from running if they execute code in a forbidden way.

Unless you have a specific problem with DEP, it wouldn’t be recommended to disable this useful feature.

To disable DEP completely, launch the command prompt in administrator mode by typing CMD into the start menu and pressing CTRL + SHIFT + ENTER:

Once the command prompt has loaded, type the following command and then press Enter:

bcdedit.exe /set {current} nx AlwaysOff

You can then close the command prompt window, and DEP will be disabled. Should you wish to re-enable Data Execution Prevention follow the same method but run the following command:

bcdedit.exe /set {current} nx OptIn

Windows Vista includes a very useful “Disk Cleanup Tool” which does exactly as the name suggests, and allows you to remove a wide variety of temporary and cached files that you no longer need. Most applications will automatically remove the temporary files once you have closed the software down, but in some cases (such as crashes or bad programming), trails can be left behind. Removing these files will create extra diskspace and keep your system in good condition.

To begin, load the Run box by pressing WINDOWS KEY + R, then type “cleanmgr” and click OK:

Now, select the drive you wish to clean up. Normally the “C:” is your primary drive where temporary files will be located. Click OK once you have done this:

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All of the major AntiVirus companies (such as Norton, McAffee, Kaspersky, NOD, AVG etc…) all have Vista compatible versions of their software out at the moment. At launch, some older product versions were incompatible with some elements of Windows Vista.

It is important to note that there is no “best” anti-virus for Vista, but a selection of choices which will all suit different people better. Some people will only use Free Antivirus solutions, and other won’t mind paying to protect their PC. For this reason, this article will highlight our current recommendations for different situations.

There is a great resource called AV-Comparatives that tests all of the major Antivirus packages every few months. The results change fairly often, but it is possible to spot providers with good antivirus software from this list.

Free Anti-Virus Software

The major free anti-virus packages are:

AVG Free
AntiVir
Avast

All of these choices offer reasonably good antivirus protection, but don’t offer an all round security package in the free versions. Our current pick of the bunch would be AntiVir, due to it’s performance in recent tests. It is worth reading the features of each application if you are restricted to free software, as each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Paid Anti-Virus Software

There are a great number of paid antivirus software packages, the most popular ones being:

Norton
McAffee
Kaspersky
F-Prot
NOD32
Plus, paid versions of the “free” listings above

Our experience with both Norton and McAffee is bloated anti-virus software, both of which seemed to slow the system down. However, the recent Norton 360 package (offering all-in-one protection) has drawn some more positive comments. These packages may suit either a new computer user or a corporate environment, however computing enthusiasts and power users may want to look at other alternatives.

F-Prot and NOD32 are popular high-end anti virus solutions, with NOD32 in particular being highly recommended by computer experts.

Our own preference for an Anti-Virus package would be Kaspersky Internet Security (a stand along AV solution is also available). This provides all round security with excellent virus definitions and is reasonably priced. For a knowledgeable computer user, this package allows considerable customisation and is light on power usage.

Windows Vista introduced the User Access Control (UAC) feature to improve security for the end user, however if you are an experienced power-user it is quite likely that you find UAC extremely annoying.

Fortunately, disabling it is very straight forward (although I would not recommend doing this unless you are aware of the consequences).

First, load the MS config utility by typing “msconfig” in the run box (Press WINDOWS KEY + R to access this) then click OK:

Once MSConfig is loaded, click on the Tools menu then select Disable UAC in the menu then click OK:

This will then run a script to disable UAC, which requires a restart to complete. If you wish to re-enable UAC, simply repeat the above steps but click Enable UAC instead.

A firewall is a bit of software (or hardware) that inspects network traffic and filters it based on a set of pre-defined rules. Generally speaking, this allows you to improve the security of your PC by blocking attempts to exploit flaws in Vista and other software.

Windows Vista does already come with a free firewall, but it is simple and only allows minimal customisation. To access the free firewall, go to Control Panel > Security > Windows Firewall. This should be enabled by default and provides a basic level of protection. If you also have a hardware router to connect to the internet, you will have an additional layer of protection which may be adequate enough.

However, if you want to see which programs on your PC are “dialing home” and passing on information then a more advanced firewall is required. The following free firewalls should give you this extra level of customisation:

Zome Alarm
Comodo
Sphinx
PC Tools Firewall

Zone Alarm is our preferred firewall, but other users may find Comodo or some of the other choices a better match.

If you want to test the security of your firewall setup, try the “Shields Up” link halfway down this page : http://www.grc.com/default.htm

If you are going to use a password for anything, you may as well make sure it is a strong one. “Strong” meaning that it would be difficult for someone to guess or crack the password using many of the tools available on the net.

Some tips to create a good strong password would be:

• Don’t use any names/words that someone close to you could guess (such as a pet or partners name)
• Don’t use a dictionary word, as many cracking tools can run through word lists in seconds
• Make the password at least 8 characters long
• Use a combination of upper and lowercase letters
• Add numeric characters and symbols where possible
• Use a different password each time where possible (at least for sensitive things like online banking)

Examples of a weak password would be : dodgem, 1password, dog12345

Examples of a strong password would be : 4gYu-9yQba, 7Fius7fd5, 6NKJnsd8a

There are plenty of free password generator sites on the internet, a good example being : http://www.goodpassword.com/. This site allows you to generate a secure password based on many different variables.

You may find when using some editions of Windows Vista that your password expires and you are required to change it. This problem will keep re-occurring until you change your account profile to prevent password expiration.

To do this, start lusrmgr.msc from the run box (Press WINDOWS KEY + R to access this):

Once the Local User Manager has loaded, click Users in the left column and then double click your username in the main window:

Now, tick the Password Never Expires box followed by OK:

In future, you password will not expire. Allowing you to log on without needed to change your password again.

First, right click on the desktop and select New then Shortcut:

Now, enter “rundll32.exe user32.dll, LockWorkStation” into the text box then click Next:

You can then enter a title for the icon and click Finish:

Your icon will now be placed on the desktop, and double clicking it will lock your PC: