Every month we take a look around some of the most interesting windows-related web sites. We collect the best free stuff and write tips to help you get more out of Windows. Below you’ll find wallpapers, icon packs, fonts, screensavers, and freeware we’ve found over the last 30 days. We’ve also put together our most popular windows guides.

Enjoy the overview of stuff you shouldn’t have missed in September 2009

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Read the rest of Best Windows Freebies and Guides 18 [September 2009]

Windows Guides Reader, Keith Johnson, recently downloaded IOBIT Security 360 after I reviewed it earlier this month. Keith liked it so much, he wrote the following review:

Recently, Rich Robinson, MVP and Webmaster of Minty White Dot Com, sent out a most useful piece of information in his website RSS feed. Specifically, Rich informed readers like myself of a utility program called IObit Security 360. Now, I have seen quite a few computer care programs out there, but this program is really cool. What I like most about it is the extremely simple and intuitive user interface. Once you download and install the program and get it running, you will notice four basic buttons on the left pane of the utility: Overview, Scan, Protection and Tools.

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Read the rest of IObit Security 360: Complete PC Tool-Suite for 2009 [Reader Review]

Readers, I believe a brief update is on the cards; a  few things have changed lately. I’ll attempt to keep you updated with the major changes:

MyWindowsPC

• ReCaptcha is being used on members’ blogs to cut spam comments for them (thanks for the suggestion Christopher.)
• MyWindowsPC Help, the official MyWindowsPC help blog has been updated and given a new name.
• Members’ posts are now being featured on the front page.
• The site activity feed is now being parsed to the sidebar of Windows Guides.

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Read the rest of Changes to mintywhite.com (and my other sites)

The PC Maintenance Handbook is now available. This handbook is designed to help you find ways to maintain your Windows XP/Vista/7 PC and ensure your PC remains clean and speedy throughout its life. Computers quickly get bogged down by junk files, invalid registry entries, a fragmented hard drive, spyware, adware, low disk space, and more. A speedy system is just a few clicks away, but sometimes it’s hard to know where to start or even what to do.

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Read the rest of PC Maintenance Handbook Now Available

The PC security handbook is now available. This handbook is designed to help you find ways to protect your Windows XP/Vista/7 PC and ensure your data is safe.

The purpose of this book is not to define the ultimate solution; its purpose is to give you simple, unbiased advice on what I’ve found to be the best options out there. In this handbook, I only give advice and share programs that I’ve used for at least a year. Some programs seem good when you first use them, but quickly annoy you or slow down your PC.

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Read the rest of PC Security Handbook Now Available

This is an excerpt from the Windows Guides PC Security Handbook. To learn more or find out other security-related tips, download the PC Security Handbook now.

Data backup is essential. If you’d like to explore local backup options, download my Windows pocket guides. I strongly recommend using online (off-site) backups. Backing up your data online prevents data loss if your computer is damaged or stolen—or if your data is wiped by malware.

Online Data Backup

By far my favorite solution for online backup is Mozy. Mozy offers free online storage (up to 2GB with paid options too.) I’ve had Mozy installed on my laptop for over two years and it has saved me on more than a handful of occasions.

Setup is simple and after downloading Mozy, you can specify what you want to back up and when. Mozy will automate your backups and let you decide when it backs up (specific times), what causes it to back up (low CPU usage), and how often (one, two, three etc. times a day.)

I just let Mozy run and it alerts me after a successful backup:

You can specify what types of files to backup or specify folders— it’s up to you:

Mozy even integrates into My Computer so you can browse and restore your backed up files (even ones you’ve deleted from your computer):

MozyHome Features

• Open/locked file support: Mozy will back up your documents whether they’re open or closed.
• 128-bit SSL encryption: The same technology used by banks secures your data during the backup process.
• 448-bit Blowfish encryption: Secures your files while in storage, providing peace of mind that your private data is safe from hackers.
• Automatic: Schedule the times to back up and MozyHome does the rest.
• New and changed file detection: MozyHome finds and saves the smallest changes.
• Backs up Outlook files: Disaster-proof email protection.
• Block-level incremental backup: After the initial backup, MozyHome only backs up files that have been added or changed, making subsequent backups lightning fast.

Download Mozy for Free

Download MozyHome Free

Further Reading

• Best Windows Freebies and Guides 18 [September 2009]
• PC Security Handbook Now Available
• IObit Security 360: Complete PC Tool-Suite for 2009 [Reader Review]
• PC Maintenance Handbook Now Available
• Security 360 is an Advanced Malware & Spyware Removal Utility

Update: Having trouble with the comments system? Get help here.

Windows Guides has a new comment system and, to introduce you all to it, I’ve decided to run a competition. We’re giving away a fully licensed copy of  Windows 7 Home Premium to a random visitor who comments on this site between now (right now) and Sunday, September 13, 2009 @ 11 P.M. EST (GMT-5.)

What Do I Win?

Windows 7 Home Premium (Retail: $199.99)

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Read the rest of [EXPIRED] Win a Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium License [Comment to Win]

Iobit Security 360 is the latest software from the company that brought you Advanced SystemCare, which is used by many Windows Guides readers. I’ve tested Security 360 for four weeks now and I’m very happy with it; thus, I share my findings with you and invite you to give it a try.

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Read the rest of Security 360 is an Advanced Malware & Spyware Removal Utility

In this guest post, James Ricketts explores EXE errors related to Symantec. Learn more about James at the conclusion of this post.

It is very likely that most computer users have experienced EXE errors or errors related to the executable files at one time or another. EXE errors are one of the most common categories of application errors that your computer is likely to encounter. This is simply because there are hundreds of applications on your PC and each one of them comprises several EXE files. When you consider the number of EXE files residing on a computer, it is easy to understand the likelihood of something going wrong with one or more of them.

EXE errors can crop up while working on any computer application and applications from Symantec suite are no exception. Symantec is a popular software manufacturer of Internet and PC security products. Symantec products help make our PC less vulnerable to bugs and errors. At the same time, like any other application, it too uses EXE files and some of them may develop problems.

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Read the rest of Troubleshooting EXE Errors Related To Symantec

The winners of the ESET Smart Security competition are announced below. Thank you to ESET and mathony for offering the prizes. The winners have been contacted by email! Look out for more competitions soon!

1. Gagan
2. Chris Jarve
3. June Ketrick
4. manoj verma
5. Prasanth Chandra

Download ESET Smart Security

You can download a fully-functional 30-day trial of ESET here

Further Reading

• Best Windows Freebies and Guides 18 [September 2009]
• IObit Security 360: Complete PC Tool-Suite for 2009 [Reader Review]
• ESET Smart Secuirty Competition Winners Announced
• ESET Smart Security 4.0 [Security Software]
• Zip Tools: The Best Alternatives to WinZip and WinRar