There has been some confusion over whether or not Microsoft will terminate Vista support in April.  You may have run into something online that says it does end.  I contacted Microsoft and got this "official" answer.  The net:  April 11, 2017.  What ends is adding enhancements and new features to Vista. Security updates, etc continue until 2017.

Here is the complete response, in Microsoft language:

"Mainstream Support is what ends in April.  A further five years of Extended Support begins then.  Before February 20th of this year Microsoft had scheduled the Vista consumer editions for retirement and only Vista Business and Enterprise were scheduled to recieve Extended Support. 


On February 20th Microsoft granted Extended Support to all the consumer editions of Vista and Windows 7 as well. All Vista editions will now continue to receive security updates after the end of Mainstream Support in April. Extended Support for all Vista editions will end on April 11, 2017.  You have five more years of security updates.


The definitive answer is the LifeCycle Support Table for Vista here and the definitive column is the Extended Support End Date, which now lists April 11, 2017 as the end of support for all Vista editions.  Before February 20th that column listed Not Applicable for Vista Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, and Ultimate.  That is what has changed.


The difference between Mainstream and Extended Support is that Microsoft will no longer consider enhancements or make upgrades to Vista.  There will be no more service packs or any addition of new features.  There will only be critical and security updates."

Skype Settings for Privacy

I've had a question about getting annoying/disturbing pop up messages in Skype.  This will happen if you don't correctly set your security options in Skype.  Here is how to do it:
1. Open Skype.  Click on Tools, then on Options: (click pictures to enlarge)

2.  Click Privacy on the left side of the window.  For a reasonable level of privacy, the radio buttons should be set as shown in the following.

This allows those on your Contact list to 

• contact you by phone
• see that you have video
• automatically start a video session with you
• send you instant messages (IMs)

Note that it does not allow your online status to be shown and it does not allow Skype to use information about you to show 3rd party ads.  It does allow Skype to store cookies, which is a convenience so you don't have to reenter information when you restart Skype.

Note the Clear History button, which you should click if you are setting these Privacy options for the first time.

You can, of course, click other radio buttons, tightening or loosening your privacy.  If you have questions, please submit a comment below.  

IMPORTANT! What to do if your someone is using your email

Our communities have had a rash of "someone is sending spam/or worse emails in my name to people I know".   Everyone I know has a virus-clean computer AND uses an on-line email account, such as att.net or yahoo.   The standard "pat" answer from the email service providers is "change your password."  If you ask how this could happen, then say they don't know.

OK.  I've found a site that explains it all and provides appropriate instructions.  Start here.  I'm so glad I found this site, which was recommended by the denizens of bleepingcomputer.com.

There is another web page that has more detailed information.  It is written for AT&T/Yahoo customers, but the checklist is valid for all email systems.

The AT&T standard remedy is to change your password.  The instructions for doing this are here.   Changing your password does not remedy the problem.  Your userid and your contacts list has been collected by the perp; you can't recall that. 

My recommendation for a strategic solution is to not use AT&T yahoo as your email resource; use another option.  Delete all your contacts in your AT&T yahoo account.  Still use your AT&T email address as far as others are concerned, but you should redirect your email to that other option.  More detail?  Contact me.