Fixing Windows XP Annoyances

Chapter 4. The Web and Email

The Web makes our world simultaneously bigger and smaller. It’s hard to imagine computing without a connection to the Internet, but it’s also hard to forget all the annoyances that come along for the ride, such as pop-ups, spam, and droves of incomprehensible error messages.

Having access to the Internet opens your PC to a host of technological dangers; sometimes it’s the dangers themselves that cause problems, while other times it’s the programs designed to protect your PC (such as firewall software) that end up doing more harm than good. The fixes in this chapter will help you streamline your Internet experience without needlessly compromising your security.

For networking and wireless annoyances related to connecting to the Internet, see Chapter 5. For help with web-based audio and video, see Chapter 3.

THE WEB

Lock Down Internet Explorer

THE ANNOYANCE: I’ve heard that Internet Explorer is riddled with security holes. Has Microsoft fixed these problems? If not, why not?

THE FIX: Over the years, Microsoft has fixed dozens of security holes in Internet Explorer, and if you’ve been using XP’s Windows Update feature regularly, you already have these patches installed. But the larger issue is IE’s underlying design—and its cozy connection with the underlying operating system—which permits any web site to install software on your PC. At first, web site designers used this capability sparingly, mostly to install widgets and small helper programs to add trivial ...