Computer Shopper - UK (2020-01)

ISSUE 383|COMPUTER SHOPPER|JANUARY2020 93

Foraspecialistcompanyora
home-buildPC,youwillneedtogotoa
fewdifferentplaces.First,youshould
makealistofthehardware insideyour
computer,includingmanufacturersand
modelnumbersofyourdevices.Include
themotherboard,printerandanyinternal
expansioncardsthatyouhave.
To getthisinformation,youmay
needtoopenupthesideofyourPC’s
caseandlookinsidetoseethis
information.Typically,expansioncards
andmotherboardswillhavethemodel
numberwrittenonthem,althoughyou
mayhavetolookhard.
Armedwiththisinformation,youcan
visiteachmanufacturer’swebsiteinturn,
findingthesupportpageforyour
hardware andthendownloadingthe
latestdriversandutilities.

SWITCH BROWSERS

Don’tuseInternetExploreronWindows
7.Instead,updatetoabrowserthat’s
moresecureandwillhavemore updates.
ChromeandFirefoxare goodchoices,
andshouldcontinuetoseeupdatesfora
considerableamountoftime.

SWITCH TO ASTANDARD

ACCOUNT

Standardaccountsareagoodwayto
useWindows7moresecurely.These
accountshavelessaccesstosystem
settingsandrestrictionstoprevent
themfrominstallingorremoving
applicationsorevenmakingsystem-
widesettingschanges.Thegood
thingaboutaStandardaccountisthat
anysoftwareyourunhasthesame

limitations,whichcanpreventmalware

fromtakingholdofyourcomputer.

To createoneoftheselimited

accounts,youfirstneedtologinasan

Administratorandmakesuretheaccount

hasapassword.GotoControlPanel,

UserAccountsandFamilySafety,User

Accounts,andselectyouruseraccount.

ClickCreateapassword andenteranew

passwordtwice.Enterahintifyouwant,

thenclickOK.NextclickManageanother

accountandclickCreateanewaccount.

Givetheaccountaname,thenselect

StandardandclickCreateAccount.

YounowhaveaStandarduseraccount.

Youcansetapasswordforitbyfollowing

thestepsatthestartofthisparagraph.

Youcannowrestartyourcomputerand

loginasthelimitedStandardaccount.

Whileyoucandoprettymuch

everythingyouwantfromaStandard

account,thereare timeswhereyou

runintorestrictions.Forexample,you

maynotbeabletoinstallanew

application,oryoumaynotbeable

tochangeaControlPanelsetting

becauseyoudon’thavetherightlevel

ofaccess.Togetaroundthis,right-click

theinstallerorapplicationandselect

Runasadministrator.

You’llseeapopupboxaskingyouto

selectanAdminaccount,andtoenter

itspassword.Likewise,ifyoustrollinto

partoftheControlPanelthatrequires

administratorprivileges,you’llneedto

enterthepassword foryouradminuser.

HOW LONG WILL WINDOWS 7

BE SECURE FOR?

There’s nodefinitiveanswertothis

question.Ifamassivevulnerabilityis

discoveredthedayafterthelastupdate

goesout,thentheanswerwouldbenot

verylong.However,itseemsmorelikely

thatthiswon’thappen.

Providedsoftware,driversandother

applicationsmaintainWindows7support

andgetupdates,youmayfindthatyou

cankeeprunningtheoperatingsystem

forquitesometime.However,youhave

todothisacceptingtherisksthatyou’re

taking.Unsupportedoperatingsystems

aren’tsomethingwerecommendeasily.

TakingourstepsherewillmakeWindows

7assecureasitcanbe,butit’sstillnotas

secureasWindows10.

Ultimately, Windows7isonborrowed

time,andyou’llhavetomovetoa

differentoperatingsystematsome

point,evenifit’sjusttogetaparticular

bitofhardware orsoftware working.

BELOW:Youcan

forceWindows 7to

run applications as

an administrator

when you need to

ABOVE:AStandard

account is agood

way of lockingdown

your computer

THEEND OF WINDOWS 7?