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Computer Support For Individuals And Small Business |
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12/23/10 |
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Windows XP Security Center |
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The Security Center built into Windows XP provides a quick overview of the status of critical security systems. It is accessed through the Control Panel.
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Open the Control Panel in the Classic view (here's how to open the Control Panel in the Classic view). You should see an icon in the shape of a shield with the caption "Security Center" (if it is not there the Windows Security Center Service is not running and it must be started to use this method to check the status of security programs).
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Double-click on the icon to open the Security Center.
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Note the three major highlighted items, "Firewall," Automatic Updates," and "Virus Protection." In the illustration, all three have the "green light" and the word "ON" to the right. The window also includes icons to access controls for all three plus Internet Options. If any of the three items are not fully functional, the window will indicate which is having an issue such as in the following illustration:
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In this case the anti-virus software is out of date. In the next illustration the firewall is turned off.
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We recommend checking the Security Center on a regular basis. If you have had recent virus or spyware problems, it would be advisable to check it every day (one of the favorite malware tricks is to turn off one, some, or all of these items). If all three lines are not green, we recommend corrective action be taken as soon as possible if not immediately. Some modifications require administrative privileges.
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To facilitate checking the Security Center, a shortcut can be placed on the desktop by right-clicking on the Security Center icon to bring up a menu.
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Click "Create Shortcut" to place a shortcut on the desktop.
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