PC ERRORS
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Windows Security Center
When you updated to Windows XP Service Pack 2, you were probably greeted with the surprise of the Windows Security Center. This was added to help protect XP-operated PCs from the many hacker problems that plagued the original release of Windows XP. The security center was a welcome solution to the problem, but for many novice PC users, the security center is nothing but a big headache.
What the Security Center Does
The primary focus of the center is to monitor the PC for things like an anti-virus program, firewall and Windows Updates. Each of these is important to keeping a PC safe from hackers and other threats. The center makes sure that there is anti-virus and firewalls installed and updated on the PC. It also checks to make sure that Windows is up to date. If the PC doesn't have an anti-virus or firewall program, or Windows is out of date, a balloon pop-up message will appear at the bottom right of the screen saying that “your computer might be at risk”. By default, the security center turns on the Windows XP firewall, which is a pretty weak firewall.
How to Access the Security Center
The security center can be accessed in one of two ways. The first way is to simply click on the balloon pop-up, which then takes you to the center. The other way is to go to Start>Settings>Control Panel> Security Center. This takes you to the center panel. You will notice that there are three subjects: Firewall, Automatic Updates, and Virus Protection. If you notice that any of these are red, then there is a gap in your security which should be immediately corrected.
Getting Rid of the Pop-ups
If your security center keeps popping up alerting you that your PC is at risk, you’re probably tiring the alerts. Luckily, there is a simple solution to the problem: get protected. If you’re lacking a firewall, download one (hint: do not rely on the Windows Firewall, as it only offers outbound protection. Download another firewall and disable the Windows Firewall). If you need an anti-virus program, get that. If your Windows Auto Updates are disabled, enable them. As long as your PC is adequately protected, you will not get these annoying pop-ups.
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