Microsoft Malware Scan

Running MSWindows XP Home on a laptop, there was a blue screen of death after attempting to start up from hibernation.

The following alert was displayed:
Malware alert: Problem caused by spooldr.sys, which might be malware

The system suggested a full malware scan. Microsoft has a malware scan tool available for free download.




Microsoft's tool removes orphaned registry entries and includes a disk defragment utility. Auslogics has a disk defrag that has been available for years.


Spyware Blaster provides some defenses to the Internet Explorer browser, along with flash ad blocking and custom system restore points.

Encrypted Password Storage On MSWindows

PasswordSafe stores passwords. The application for MSWindows is available at SourceForge.net.

The application is more than an encrypted notepad, it has entry fields specifically for password info. The info can be stored on one machine (in MSWindows registry) or as a file that can be shared.

Improving Laptop Readability On MSWindows

Text readability on LCD displays can be improved with the following applications available at no charge from Microsoft at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

Look for download links:
ClearType Tuner (improve text readability)
Tweak UI (modify many UI attributes)