Cataclysm in Warcraft. The Changes to WoW Guilds

By Paul Rone-Clarke

At a recent press conference, Blizzard unveiled the positive changes that we can expect to see with Warcraft Guilds. Introducing new ideas and features.

For me this has been one area of WoW progression that has been lacking over the years. It's supposed to be a social game after all.

The entire guild system is having a review, and although Cataclysm is some way off, the news looks very good indeed.

Logging on for the first time after patch 4.0 the first changes you might notice is a whole new GUI for guilds. Now showing your guilds progress through the instances, and its proud new showcase of guild achievements. (And the achievement points that will go with them).

If you are in a big well known guild such as WoW Defiance or WoW Relentless, you will see the legendaries you have acquired displayed prominently. Guild "realm firsts" etc. There will be a CSS style news feed ticker running that will give all the latest news from your recent instance runs. Right down to prominent loots and level ups.

One contentious issue has always been the paying of a tariff or tax into the guild bank. This may well end with a guild talent that increases the loot for all members while in an instance - and pays it directly into the guild bank. In other words you loot the gold you would normally loot, but an extra percentage ends up being deposited invisibly into your guild bank.

The way guilds deal with professions is also due to change. Every member will have a permanent link to their profession in the guild tab for all other members to see (and link to if needed). No more shouts and whispers "Can someone link me ..." It will all be there.

There are achievements for having all professions maxxed. It is thought that these achievements will tally up and earn you the new "guild talents" All this adds up to good news for the player. It means Blizzard is taking social gaming seriously, and looking to make sure professions stay relevant. Both important issues if WoW's ascent is to be maintained.

So love all round for guilds here. - 30432

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What Is Your Best Way to Perform Adware and Spyware Removal?

By Graham McKenzie

If there's anything no computer user wants, it is a computer clogged with adware and spyware. These malicious marauders of your computer cache can originate anywhere on the net. They can enter your PC through an email, or a file you should not have downloaded, or when you land on a malicious website. But no matter where they come from, adware and spyware waste no time beginning to slow down your computer. Even worse, they may email your personal financial information for criminal use, or they may open the door for even more malicious software to cause your computer havoc. You simply have to keep a good remedy on hand to remove both kinds of malicious software, and this removal methods needs to protect you 24/7/365.

There are three ways you can recognize the best adware and spyware removal programs. One is that they scan absolutely everything you access on the Internet. To do this without interfering with the performance of your PC, the adware and spyware removal program has to be able to run with minimal memory, and it needs to be always on. If you had to scan your hard drive manually every time you downloaded anything from the net?and with tens of thousands of files, nobody could?you would eventually let some malware slip through. The best adware and spyware removal programs to this for you and are vigilant all the time.

Second, effective adware and spyware removal programs have to be capable of digging deep into your files. If adware or spyware already infects your PC, they could lurk almost anywhere. You may have trouble finding them, but they do not have trouble slowing your computer down. A good removal program scans every single file on your PC accurately. It makes use of the latest definitions, updated once a week, and it doesn't let anything slip past it. An incomplete scan, or an out-of-date definition simply won't do you any good.

The third and final distinguishing characteristic of a useful adware and spyware removal software is filtering. Definitions and filters will tell you to halt before you visit malicious websites or, worse, open malicious files. Integrated with your browser, these software options permit you to know whenever they encounter a website that other users have blacklisted. They inform you when you arrive at a site listed as a potential problem by the software?s developers. The malicious website list not only relies on a user-reported database of bad sites, it also is alert to signs of suspicious behaviors. Either way, the software tells your browser to warn you before entering the site. And it also identifies potentially harmful files.

Good anti-adware and anti-spyware programs do many things for you that help protect your computer against harm. These programs will set up a defensive perimeter around your files to make sure nothing ever sneaks in to cause your computer problems. Guarding your files, warning you about suspicious sites, and updating themselves, these programs help keep your computer healthy and keep it virus and spyware free. - 30432

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Some Facts About Purchasing PC Software

By Andrew Johnson

There are tons of companies releasing software for pcs. For each function you want to perform, there are a plethora of applications that can do it. If you are looking to upgrade your arsenal of applications, you might be starting to feel somewhat overwhelmed by all the pc software choices.

Before embarking upon a shopping trip, figure out how much you can actually afford to spend. Not all software is created equally, nor is it priced as such. Overspending can prove disastrous for your finances. If you absolutely need that expensive software, consider buying it later when you can afford it.

Some software is actually free, so if you are broke or a student, this can be a great option. A simple web search will provide you with many options to choose from, but you do need to be careful. Some websites try to put viruses on your computer. Research the software you want to download and make sure it's the real thing before clicking the download button.

Free software covers a number of functions, and not just the simple ones. Many people think that if it's free, it probably won't be that good, but some of it really is quite amazing. The software available for free download today can do many things, like create word documents, make and edit movies and music, and create complicated graphics.

When buying software, make sure you buy it new. When you pick it up at the store or receive it in the mail, check that all the packaging is included and properly sealed. If it is not, there is a chance that someone has already installed it on their computer and registered it in their name. If that's the case, you will not be able to use that software and you will have wasted your money.

You can actually purchase used software, but once again, you must be extremely cautious. Most software requires the user to register it in their name and with their address prior to use. This registration can be transferred, but check with the software company first to see if that is allowed. Also, ask the seller to transfer it into your name as soon as they receive payment.

There are ways to get discounted new software. For students and teachers, many companies offer special discounts. Also, if you're looking to get more than one piece of software to handle similar, or related, functions, such as office tasks or graphic design, you can buy bundled software. This is less expensive than buying each one separately.

Figuring out what pc software to get can be a difficult decision to make, but you have many options. Some companies even offer free demo versions, so you can try before you buy. - 30432

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Deleting the Firewall Spy ware

By Graham McKenzie

A firewall is armed on a computer for safety. These firewall will not only shield your computer from hazardous material, but these security mechanisms warn you about potentially dangerous encounters that will grow into a bug in your hard drive. Firewalls can be penetrated, but it is isn't an easy tack if you have the correct amount of security.

When deleting Spy ware from a hard drive, you need your choice of removal software to check randomly for the amount of spy ware intact. Immediately after the scan is performed you will have to click on the remove button. Then deflect all other chances of a spy ware bug entering your system by building and maintaining a firewall.

Firewalls will block any unwanted harmful material from penetrating into your computer. Also, you may have to adjust the settings, because some programs will not operate properly because a firewall can block them too.

Within most anti-virus software downloads, the firewall and spy ware removal are placed directly onto the desktop when logged onto the Internet. This allows the user to feel completely safe when looking at things or working and sending or receiving e-mails on the web. All information that sends and receives through your computer will be checked for the possibility of creating infections. Ultimately, the potentially hazardous information will be pointed out, and the decision is yours if you would like to proceed anyway.

It is simple to get rid of spy ware, the question is how much information did someone else see. It is a good practice to check your hard drive upon sign-on. In most cases, the anti-spy ware will automatically run a scan at the beginning of start-up, then the firewall will protect. If you have a sturdy firewall up and running you do not have to lose any sleep over the possibility of spy ware interrupting your computer in anyway. - 30432

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Free Registry Clean Downloads Speed Up Your PC

By Eddie Johnson

Help to improve the performance of your personal computer by getting a registry clean download today, as is freely available on the internet. This will help you to fix a number of errors that might occur on your PC's Windows registry.

A computer's registry is a database with information applicable to your computer's configuration. As you use the computer, the database grows.

Old files and data start building up in the registry, which then becomes cluttered with time. When it becomes cluttered, it will slow down your personal computer and problems and errors start occurring on your computer.

Strange software related problems start to occur and your computer could become really slow, affecting your productivity.

When you download a cleaner, many of which are freely available on the internet, your system will run faster and it will become free of errors commonly related to a cluttered registry.

Cleaner downloads generally contain a backup or restore function which allows you to back up the entire Windows registry on your PC to the same status it is now if you encounter a system failure after removing an essential file.

A registry cleaner can be used on most operating systems.

When you remove software or if you remove it in an incorrect way, important files might be left behind, causing registry errors.

Missing or corrupt hardware drivers could also cause problems within the Windows registry that might affect the performance of your PC.

If Windows suddenly runs slowly or takes long to load, it could indicate that data takes a long time to read and this could indicate a problem with your registry.

A registry cleaner scans the Windows registry to find invalid or unnecessary files within the registry. At the end of a scan a list of the errors are displayed and you will get to select which files to remove.

Your computer's performance will be improved and the system will be much more stable once your computer's registry has been cleaned.

Most registry cleaners allow you to make back-ups of the entries you chose to repair. You can always restore changes using the back-up feature.

Other features of cleaners have user-friendly interfaces that easily allow you to improve the stability and performance of your Windows computer.

Certain software programs leave behind registry entries, DLL files and registry files during removal of the program.

Invalid ActiveX controls as well as invalid fonts, paths, installer references and invalid help files are picked up by registry cleaners.

Regularly running an appropriate cleaning program will most certainly help your computer to run hassle free and deliver peak performance. - 30432

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Keeping Your Warcraft Account Secure. 5 Things You Should Do.

By Paul Rone-Clarke

In the last four weeks, since Christmas in fact, there have been a number of new scams designed to rob you of your account. Sadly for many people, the lures that they offer have proved too much. Accounts have been lost.

The latest scam invites you to join a bogus "Beta" test for Cataclysm. Of course, to do this you need to hand over your account name and password. Ooops - too late. They have your details, and your account. Within minutes your bags and banks looted. If you are a high level character, the chances are that your account will be sold on as well.

There are now several sites looking just like the official Warcraft Armory. (Check the URL). They send you an email. The tag says Warcraft Armory, so you click it. It looks exactly like the armory on site. You sign up for some bogus "special offer" (often a pet or mount). And again, they have your account.

So what should you do if the worst happens?

Initially, go straight to the Warcraft site and use the password retrieval form to get your password back. If you are quick enough you may be able to so this. Be warned, the scammers are quick, and often use the new "authenticator" to secure the account to them. If they do this you have probably lost the account.

If you get past this, change your account password straight away. Something with upper and lower case characters, mix in a few numbers and perhaps a few special characters as well. Phew.

If you think you have been targeted by a new form of scam, get on the websites and broadcast the details. Let others know about it. Many will thank you for it later.

Get in touch with Blizzard. E-mail Blizzard technical support ASAP. You will have a step advantage when it comes to proving the account is actually yours.

As a last resort, consider getting an authenticator yourself. There are (as yet) no known scams that get past this system. Check out Blizzards website for details.

Don't forget your guild mates. As you read this the hacker is at your guild bank emptying it into his backpack. Ruining your reputation with your guild - so go to your guild forum and get an e-mail address of a guild mate. Ask someone else you know to post on chat on your server. Anything. Let your guild mates know, otherwise they may well assume you have stolen from the guild bank, and you may not be welcome back.

I hope this doesn't happen to you. If it has, follow these steps and get your account back, secure your guild, and then add the security you need.

Take Care. - 30432

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Choosing The Best External Hard Drive

By Phillip L. Burnsen

The technique that you use to backup your info is actually up to you, but most home PC users choose a low-cost external drive, instead of using remote backup systems or other methods. Here's a few tips for choosing a good external disk drive to use to back up your own data.

Consider whether the external drive includes any backup software. A backup hard drive is only helpful if you can rely on its backups, and you take human blunder out of the equation with a well set-up backup program, which backs up key files ( or everything on your most important hard drive ) at regular intervals, which you are going to be able to pick. The best time to set info backup software to run is at night or another time when you are not using your PC. Most external disk drives these days come with some form of information backup software.

I love to economize, but you actually do not need to buy a generic drive. First of all, they're of lower quality unless you set one up yourself with a store-bought drive, as the generic corporations actually do not have the capacity to provide top of the range data products. The measurements and kit needed to make good drives is too exclusive right now. They'll frequently omit data backup programs, too, making them barely suitable for the utilization of backup.

Your external hard drive should be around the size of your desktop or laptop's's drive if you use it for data backup. Even if you only want to back up key files, trust me, you may eventually find use for the extra space, and it's truly not that much of a per-gigabyte markup in today's PC hardware market. Research prices for top brand drives using websites like Google Shopping, which will permit you to discover how small you will have to pay for a 200GB backup drive vs a sixty or 80GB unit.

There is no reason to expect an external drive to have a shorter survival expectation than the internal drive that came with your personal computer. The biggest benefit of an external drive, is that can be detached and moved around simply. This gives the user the option and security of storing their external drive in a remote environment. Like a safe, or other fireproof location. It's good to bear in mind, but external hard drives are not bulletproof. While they do not must be handled with kid gloves, you don't want to be dropping them or leaving them in a moist, wet, or other hostile environment. - 30432

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