A. On the “Downloads” page on the Symantec/Norton website, you can find links to many helpful areas including a product manual selector.

A. We offer an Extended Download Service for a nominal fee when you buy downloaded software. This means you can redownload at anytime during a year’s ownership of the product. If you purchased the software within the last 60 days, visit the online store’s Order Status to recover your order and to download the software again.

A. We recently had an article on that topic. You’ll need to make some changes to your home network but it’s not too complicated. Here’s the link.

A. I’ve heard wonderful success tales and absolute horror stories regarding this topic! Though I’ve been married nearly 17 years, I met my husband through the archaic method of a personal ad in a print newspaper. So I’m a big believer in this method of finding the right person, though admittedly, you will meet a few oddballs along the way. With the right frame of mind and a good sense of humor, online dating can be great! Just make sure you stay in control, do your research and question anything that sounds too good to be true.

One woman - let’s call her Mary – used Match.com to try finding a mate. She met more than two dozen guys (she calls them “duds”) and was ready to throw in the towel when she decided to change just one item on her profile. “I decided to be more open minded, and I changed my profile saying that I would consider meeting a divorced man with kids. I had previously said that I would not consider that. Soon after I made that change, I met a guy, and three months later we were engaged.” Mary has been happily married for five years now and has two fantastic step kids. “It was quite a lesson for me. Anyone who’s using these services, and not meeting the right people, might consider tweaking their profile slightly to see what happens. It really worked out for me!”

But there’s also the less successful tales that are out there too. Another woman – we’ll say her name is Donna – has used more than a few of the online dating services available, and has yet to find her soul mate. Donna is in her mid-40’s and runs her own business in a large metropolitan city. She’s never been married. “I want a partner in life”, she says, “and as I get older the personal introductions from friends and relatives – even though it’s usually the best way to meet someone – come less frequently.”

Donna also echoes the advice Mary gives about making changes on the online dating site profiles when good potential candidates aren’t coming her way. “If I’m not meeting the right people,” says Donna, “I go into my profile, sometimes on a weekly basis, and make slight changes. I change my photo or the sequence of my photos. I might even change the mile radius that I’m willing to meet people within, or any other subtle modifications that can bring me a new crop of prospective possibilities.”

But no matter what she changes, Donna keeps her profiles honest, and adds that that’s one of the biggest problems when it comes to online dating: honesty. “I know a guy that met a woman through one of the sites, and he soon realized that she had used a photo of herself online that was from over ten years ago. She looked nothing like her photo! It was totally misleading.”

She’s also encountered a lot of people who use these services as a revolving door for quickie relationships. “Some of the lower-priced services, “she says, “attract a lot of ‘players’, who are essentially guys and gals that are not looking for a committed relationship. The more pricey sites - or the ones that demand more time filling out questionnaires and essays – usually have the best mix of serious-minded lookers.”

Continue to read Marian's ten safety tips for online dating by clicking here.

You ask so many good questions. Let me try to tackle them one at a time. :)
a. HP certificate - I'm assuming you got some kind of pop-up warning? It's hard to say what you should have done without knowing what you were doing and what the certificate said. If you are using an HP computer, does it have an automatic update system? If so (and you can check by going to Start>Programs and looking for HP related utilities or even checking if there are any HP icons in your tool tray at the bottom of your screen) or on your desktop. If there is an update system, try to run it to see if you were being prompted for a needed fix or patch to your computer. In general, if you are concerned about phishing or other scam attacks on your computer with these certificates, it's ALWAYS a good idea to close or say "no" to them, until you can confirm their legitimacy. You were smart to be suspicious!!

b. Turning off a computer - I like to shut my computer down at night, and make sure it's not connected to the internet unless necessary. It's also a good idea to shut off your power strip (assuming you have one) since they just waste energy. It used to be that people were concerned about the energy and wear and tear on the computer if you turn it on and off frequently. I really don't think that's an issue now (if indeed it ever was) and most of us are concerned about our utility bills skyrocketing. Every little bit helps!

c. Norton 360 is a great product, really helps guard you from dangerous websites and nasty code threats like viruses, worms and other attacks. You still need to be on guard and watch for phishing scam emails, where an uneducated consumer can so easily fall for a good story and give up their private information to an attacker.

a. The parental control software is part of an "add-on pack", or a set of optional features, for both Norton Internet Security 2007 or later and Norton 360. Anti-spam software is also included. Owners of either product can download and install the "add-on pack" software for free. Here is a page where you can learn more about the parental controls and antispam software, as well as a link to download them: http://www.symantec.com/norton/products/overview.jsp?pcid=is&pvid=naop1.

a. Cyber bullying is a nasty phenomenon wherein people use electronic communication to harm others. With so many kids using email, social networking, even texting from cell phones, there is more direct communication than ever before. Unlike offline forms of communication, such as telephone conversations, however, these "chats" and "messages" are being digitally stored somewhere. So, they can be forwarded to someone other than the original recipient, they can be edited to distort the communication, and they can be published to different places (such as to a blog or MySpace page). Once the communication is "out there," you have lost control of it.

b. Teach your children to be thoughtful with their words and to consider how a message might be abused or altered. Discuss with children the need to watch their words and deeds and consider the feelings of others.

c. Should your children be the victim of cyber bullying, talk with them about the event and discuss how to cope with it. Involve teachers and administrators at their school, possibly in a general sense, to educate them about the issue. Don't hesitate to contact other parents about it either-they may have no idea what is going on. Children should be empowered by technology, not made victims of it.

a. Passwords are multiplying like rabbits! Each one is more complicated than the next. It's hard for anyone to stay on top of them and retrieve them when needed. So how do you manage them? There are some computer applications that manage passwords, and some browsers now feature the ability to store passwords. It's very insecure to keep track of passwords on computer lists, paper notes next to the computer, and so forth.

b. Here's one way to manage passwords. Pick a single master password that you'll be able to remember and customize that password for different Web sites. The first step is to choose a good master password. By using more than six characters and some combination of letters and numbers (rather than real words) your password won't be easily guessed by a computerized password-cracking program. For example, a strong master password might be something like "M2danS&S" (which happens to be an acronym for "My 2 dogs are named Sandy & Scout"). If you were to always start with that password and add a letter to the first letter of the site you are on (for example, on Amazon it would be "M2danS&SA"), you will have created unique, strong passwords that, most importantly, you can remember.

Many ISPs do offer increased levels of protection to help you manage your online safety. But a consumer, you have to select these programs and understand what is left for you to manage yourself. Many of the services from ISPs require separate downloads, higher priced subscriptions, and ongoing management. Some even describe their service as "reinforcing" traditional security software. For more information on products you can buy online safety, go to: www.norton.com.