ohh...  ... a question... (off topic) is possible install directx10 (or in a future the last version of this) to play new computer games in win xp SP3 ...
(psss.. exist a version modified of this to win xp)  ???

off topic again... again... this is a nice configuration (and freeware) to the protection of the pc of the LTS members ... in my pc work perfect.

-Windows Defender.
-2 Antivirus (yeah I am not crazy) Avast Home and other Antivirus very special (and powerful),   called "threatfire"  ....  http://www.threatfire.com/ 
-a good firewall, in freeware you can download and install "Comodo Firewall Pro"  http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/  .. This is very necesary if you work in win xp.

-remember the chat and your wi-fi conection are't secure never....in linux or in windows is easy destroy the wep protection (or other type) of your router and with wireshark is easy look the chat, if do you work with important files (by example your work) install "Hotspot Shield"  http://anchorfree.com/downloads/hotspot-shield/
 this small program is a extra shield to the hackers or nerds with bad ideas... 

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To the little tux lovers of this forum...

of course our small Tux is secure and hardcore, but the extra protection is always a good idea if do you work with important or personal datas... this is a excellent firewall to any distro of GNU/Linux, is called "SmoothWall Express" but this program need a complete pc to work , the hardware necesary is a CPU of 200 mhz and 128 o RAM... and presto! a powerful firewall to your server or pc with this open source gift...

http://www.smoothwall.org/

(and of course a good distro.. Fedora by example)...

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to the Mac's users...

sorry but is impossible find good option in "freeware" to mac, is a irony.. but the core of osx since 1999 is based in a open source kernel, and a lot of the news of mac are based too in open source programs...  .. anyway apple is a company with old ideas... in reality OSX since a time ago is based in the kernel GNU/HURD ... "MACH" (modify by apple and called "darwin") other irony.. the open source software is freeware, and apple only used this to search money... SAFARI is based is the KHTML engine (KDE)... the interaction with Windows in the MAC system is thanks at SAMBA, and a lot of example more...
 

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sorry by my bad english

I also use Avast! None of the commercial rubbish like McAfee or Norton for me..... Like the fact that it protects from a lot of different types of threat, like P2P, website, instant messaging, unlike other free apps (I was a faithful AVG user until version 8). I dont want my perfectly fast computers slowing to a crawl and letting through all kinds of viruses while Norton blissfully lets them! Probably about 60% of the virus infected PCs at work are running Norton, all up to date and showing a green status, yet infected with some of the nastiest infections, some of them that have been out for years. I have had 3 machines in today alone infected and ALL up to date norton!

Bung on the free AVs and most of the time the machine is cleaned... now why cant an overpriced, overbloated piece of crap do that? i mean the amount paid for annual subscription for norton is extorsionate!

The only commercial internet security security package i currently rate is kaspersky, it seemd to do a good job at getting all the crap, + it gives hourly updates unlike the "yeah whenever we can be bothered to write an antidote" updates of McAfee or Norton. And it is a fair bit cheaper too! One I recommend if you want a complete all in one solution.

On the idea of themes, I use the ported version of the XP Media Centre "Royale" theme over the default blue Luna of XP Home/Pro. Looks a bit more shinier and refined than the default XP. This used to be only installable on Media Centre, but nowMicrosoft have released it to all versions.

http://www.softpedia.com/get/Desktop-Enhancements/Themes/Royale-Theme-for-WinXP.shtml

Oh and forgot to add a screenshot of my desktop. The florescence wallpaper from Digitl Blasphemy. Downloaded this years ago and often come back to using it Just love it! And the Royale XP Theme.

http://www.ejnmedia.co.uk/files/desktop0808.jpg

And Gustavo... always good to refresh peoples memory heh heh!

Well, since my good old 17" CRT finally died after about eight years last friday, I thought I could as well buy a new one, so I ordered a nice 22" TFT widescreen panel (LG L227WT). Today, Gustavo posted the perfect pic for my new wallpaper (beware, full resolution!).

Since I haven't posted my desktop in a long while, and I feel somewhat left out of posting mine, here it is

well.. This is my desktop in Windows XP (Home), me like this wallpaper a lot  ...  with a clean desktop 

Yes! Thanks for that sidebar CDD, and thanks Empethree for the link to that theme, it looks sooo nice <3 Now I actually LIKE the look of my windows desktop.

btw, can anyone tell me if it's possible to turn off the dark shadow behind the gadgets?