can i ask a ? could this also b a place where we mention software/hardware which has proven particularly helpful to us? or, shld that b another thread?

i mention that b/c i'm thinking how helpful it could b 2 the destee community (since it's so large now, & growing) 2 kno about software, shareware, & free dwnloads which r actually useful, as well as those that turn out 2b useless.I think that would be a great idea! And I think that that would be a great topic for another thread. It might even turn into a couple more: one for good tech and one for bad tech? Or should that be one for hardware and one for software?

But about them downloads; gotta be careful that they aren't contaminated with malware (spyware, adware, keyloggers, virii, trojans, rootkits, blah, blah, !dangerwillrobinson!). Wouldn't want folks to come down with something from a recommendation found here. Wouldn't quite fit the family-type spirit ... although sometimes that "sibling rivalry" stuff can get pretty intense! But not online 'cause that could possibly be grounds for legal action, not to mention potential damage to the Family Reputation!

Ad-Aware (http://www.lavasoft.com/support/download/)
SpywareBlaster (http://javacoolsoftware.com/products.html)
Spybot Search & Destroy (http://security.kolla.de/)
Startup Cop (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,2097,00.asp) is a good utility to keep an eye on what starts, when. Another tool, Startup Monitor (http://www.mlin.net/StartupMonitor.shtml) will alert you when programs try to install things that want to auto-start.