Your Windows Live ID is essentially your online identity for all of the Windows Live services, Xbox Live, Zune and other third party websites (such as Expedia.com) that utilize Windows Live ID. If you're using Windows Live Hotmail and Windows Live Messenger, your Windows Live ID stores all your contacts and email messages. Your Windows Live ID is definitely something you don't want to have compromised and I've got several pointers - or best practices - in keeping your Windows Live ID safe.

Do not hand out your password! Don't give anyone your password to your Windows Live ID. Handing out your password to anyone is simply asking for trouble. Don't even give out your password to friends or family. I can't imagine a reason why they would need it. Just don't give out your Windows Live ID credentials at all.

Be careful giving your Windows Live credentials on non-Microsoft websites. There are some websites out there that will claim they "require" your Windows Live ID credentials for their service. Some sites use this tactic to gain access to your Windows Live ID.

Fact: Microsoft will only ask for your Windows Live ID credentials on login.live.com and nowhere else!

Use a strong password for your Windows Live ID. Don't use common words or names. Use a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.

 

Don't use an obvious answer to your secret question. Microsoft provides a list of possible "secret questions" for your account. A secret question is used when you forget your password for your Windows Live ID. Choose a secret question that has an answer that people won't be able to guess (friends, family, etc). The risk you have in using a secret question with an answer your friends might be able to guess is that your friends can try to "hack" your Windows Live ID and have fun with you. Your secret answer must have 5 characters or more and is not case sensitive. Remember to remember your secret answer of course.

Added protection: make your password expire every 72 days. You can login to account.live.com and change your password for your Windows Live ID and configure it to expire every 72 days. I personally don't choose this option rather I change my password every couple weeks on my own.

Neelamadhaba Mahapatro, General Manager for Microsoft's Identity Services (including Windows Live ID) has a post over on the Windows Live Dev Blog explaining Microsoft ongoing to commitment to keeping your Windows Live ID safe and what's being done today to protect Windows Live ID users from phishing.

Unless your computer is part of the many workstations that is being used in the office setting, it would be wise to allow your computer to rest even for an hour or so. Not that your computer cannot take the wear and tear. The fact remains that personal computers also have chips that can be overused.

At times, you would want your computer to be open all the time so that you can only open your monitor and type or surf away. Anyone would love to do this as a habit but the fact remains, you just have to consider the fact that computers need to get a breather especially if they are left idle most of the time. Besides, you are also saving on energy, something that is slowly becoming scarce these days.

Computers can conk out at any time when they are left to burn out. Some would say that you have an inferior computer but this does not always follow. Do remember, any machine for that matter will reach the point where it will have to be shut down permanently until a new unit arrives. This is something that people least think about since they want convenience at their fingertips.

Computers are used to being overloaded as far as being on all the time. But compare computers with the ones that are given proper breathing spells and you will be surprised at the performance that they can give. This also includes the lifespan that they have which often differs when you abuse the computer life too much.

We are all aware that the installment packs that Microsoft releases to its loyal patrons are meant to make sure that glitches in the original operating software does not aggravate and balloon into untoward proportions as far as end-users are concerned. Apparently the last installment, the Windows XP Service Pack 3 seems to be doing the exact opposite; more problems rather than addressing the security functions and updates that they are meant to be.

Such is only normal but considering they should be resolving problems rather than creating ones leads to a lot of factors. These include:

1. Software or Hardware Conflicts
2. Corrupted files and installations

Apparently, the latest issue affects only the AMD chipsets that some people are using. We know for a fact that people prefer the usual Intel chipsets but some, perhaps looking at spending less for their computer, are geared towards relegating themselves towards simple computer use.

Normally you would think that these hardware configurations would barely have a bearing on the operating systems installed on your computer. The Windows XP operating system should be biased and surely be free from these problems. However, as it seems, it looks readily apparent that they do have a bearing especially when you talk about complimentary functions from hardware and software configurations that have to be recognized by the operating system in use.

Expect some explanation for these occurrences by Microsoft in the coming days. It is something due to their millions of subscribers all over the world.

(Source) CruchGear

If by now you still don’t understand what Microsoft’s Live Mesh is, then let this short 60-seconds promotional video originally featured at the Web 2.0 Expo explain it to you in ultra-slow-motion.

While you’re at it, see if you can spot and name all the third party products and brands. All I can say there’s a-plenty. Bonus points for identifying the model of the car. Special thanks to “Avatar X.” for uploading the original high-quality video.

The Microsoft Outlook Address Book is guarded programmatically. This helps to prevent another program from automatically accessing your Address Book or Contacts list or from sending messages on your behalf without your permission. It is very useful to allow some programs (like Microsoft ActiveSync® or Palm Desktop Support and Computer Support )to access your contact information so that you can synchronize your personal digital assistant (PDA). However, a virus or other malicious program file can use the same functionality to propagate itself. If a program attempts to access your Address Book, a warning appears on screen.

This message appears if a program tries to access your Address Book. In general, you cannot prevent this caution from appearing. However, check with your synchronization software vendor to see if recent updates to the vendor's software include interacting with Outlook in a trusted manner. This message is not displayed when Outlook interacts with trusted synchronization software

· Unless you clicked a command or started a program that is expected to interact with Outlook Address Book information or if you are just not sure, click No.

· If you clicked a command or started a program that is expected to interact with Outlook Address Book information, select the Allow access for check box, and then specify the amount of time you grant access for.

In a couple of hours, the four-month long “It’s not cheating” Facebook competition hosted by Microsoft is going to end and it’s going to be a close call.

Some of you might remember me promoting the istartedsomething.com group all the back in December where I promised to give away the prizes to whomever joined the Facebook group.

I’ve kept my promise and has already given away a Smartphone to a lucky member in the first round, but we’re a few members short to win the final round with the prize of an XBOX 360 bundle with 3 games. I’m not too sure if GTA IV is one of them, but at least you could score a free console to play it on.

At the time of writing, there’s another group who’s in the lead with 669 members, compared to 627 members in the istartedsomething group. That group promises to give the XBOX360 away to charity for fund raising which is a notable cause so I won’t discredit them, but I think it’ll be a shame for everyone to have so far and lose in the last mile.

I know it’s always hard to ask people to invite others into a competition which in fact reduces the chance for themselves but some is still better than none. As a matter of fact, one in seven hundred chance of winning an XBOX 360 is still pretty decent for clicking a link.

If you know someone who’s not already in the istartedsomething.com “It’s not cheating” Facebook group, get them to sign up and one of you could very well be playing on a new XBOX 360 and perhaps GTA IV in a matter of days.

Update: With about an hour to go, the other group is till in the lead with ~80 people.
Update2: It’s over. The other group has won.