Bert -

If you're using WinXP or Win2K you should be allowing Microsoft to automatically deliver security updates. They are important, and there's no other reliable way to be sure you get them in a timely manner. You can set up to have them downloaded, but not installed until you review them. I've had no problems with letting them install automatically.

I'll agree with you on the My Documents folder. It's a "phony" representation of what's on your machine, and often things "in it" seem to be only shortcuts, disguised to look like real files. A backup from "My Documents" sometimes doesn't actually back up anything, and seems (in my experience) to seldom get everything you expect.

The "My Documents" folder is (in a philosophical sense) just a listing of things that can be anywhere on your drive(s). It isn't really showing you what's in a particular location in the file structure, it's only showing which things (somewhere on the drive - within the file structure) have a particular function - i.e. "belong to you." It's all very mystical, but we're supposed to be too dumb to understand it. I don't - it's not interesting enough. I just don't use it, except occasionally as a temporary "scratch pad" place to put stuff until I can sort it to my own folders.

And "cutesy names" upset my digestion and create excessive glandular secretions that are unpleasant. If I wanted "cute" I'd be driving a Mac.

John