Do you have Windows ? And are you having problems lately with your keyboard, mouse or other USB device? Like, maybe they no longer work?

Well, it is not your fault. It seems the culprit is a Windows Defender update that was pushed out onto your computer last week. Defender is Microsoft’s spyware removal tool, and has been responsible for problems in the past. The latest update was supposed to patch another critical flaw in , and so it did.

However, it may have caused your USB devices to simply stop working. Microsoft is aware of the problem but has no fix yet, so you will have to be patient. I’ll keep you posted.

Once you get everything working again, you can prevent this problem in the future. If you have a full set of security programs on your computer, you do not need Defender. To avoid getting it every month as an automatic download, set your computer to notify you only, when new updates are available.

Then go to the Windows or Microsoft update site, and click on Custom, not Express. This will allow you to pick and choose which updates you want, and avoid Defender. That is the one called “Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool – April 2008”.

Just be sure to download and install all other updates marked critical.

Syd Tash is a noted computer security consultant and author of How to Protect Your Computer Online. He has been keeping Internet surfers safe and secure since the last century. Find out how he does it; protect your own computer with five layers of protection right here:
= > http://MyPCSecuritySite.com

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