Nana writes: “I received a telephone call at home from a person claiming to be from “Microsoft Operating Systems.” He had an urgent need to "fix" a virus. I had trouble understanding him, and when I starting asking questions, he got frustrated. Was this person calling from Microsoft...

A great Mother’s Day gift idea: help your mom guard against viruses , fraud , and identity theft . Unless she's a super geek or an IT professional (or both), we know she’ll appreciate it. Make sure that your mother: Has antivirus software from a trusted source and knows how to keep...

Microsoft recently released a security update for Internet Explorer in response to Security Advisory 2757760 . Scammers will often use news items (especially those relating to computer security ) to try to trick you into downloading malicious software or to steal your personal information . Scammers...

Gabby writes: I just wanted to let you know that I received a phone call this evening from a guy called “Daniel” from “Technical Maintenance of Microsoft Windows.” He said that Microsoft had received error messages from my computer and he asked me to turn my computer on and...

Betty writes: I just received a call from a guy who said that my Windows was infected. He wanted me to sit in front of my computer while he fixed it. He became angry when I told him no and I hung up. Thanks for writing, Betty. This type of call is a popular scam and you did exactly the right thing...

If you receive a phone call from someone who claims to be from Microsoft and says that your computer has a virus, hang up. This call is probably from a cybercriminal who wants to charge you for a bogus service or trick you into installing malicious software on your computer that could capture sensitive...

We get lots of questions about hacked email accounts, telephone scams, spyware, and viruses. The community at Microsoft Answers might have already asked and answered your questions. Microsoft Answers is a free forum where Microsoft engineers and security experts from all over the world answer technical...

If you use Office XP or Windows Vista Service Pack 1, upgrade now to help keep your computer safe. On July 12, 2011 both Office XP and Windows Vista Service Pack 1 reached the end of the Extended Support phase of their lifecycles. This means Microsoft Update and automatic updating will not offer security...

Senior attorney for Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit (DCU), Richard Boscovich, appeared on Seattle’s NBC news last week to confirm that Microsoft will not cold call you to fix your computer. If you’ve received a call from someone who claims to be from Microsoft and wants to fix your...

I am my mother’s tech support person. As the only employee of Microsoft in our family, the role naturally fell to me. Even if you don’t work in the technology sector, I’ll bet that many of you are also charged with keeping your mom’s computer safe from malware and keeping her...

We try to answer as many of your email messages and comment questions as we can. But if you want a faster answer (or a second opinion), try Microsoft Answers . Here, Microsoft support engineers and super geek volunteers from around the world participate in a forum for tech questions. Follow these...

If you think your computer has been infected with a virus , spyware , or other malicious software there are a few steps you can take to help remove it: Visit Microsoft Update and install the latest updates. If you currently use antivirus software , visit the manufacturer's website, update your...