I just use ZoneAlarm, w/ my Xp part., M$ firewall isn't bad at all(ZA uses it for incoming filtering), it just doesn't block any outgoing packets, so if you do get a little cold or trojo you wouldn't know it by any pop-up. If you go w/ Zone, you might want to spring for the xtra 20 smackers and get the Pro version, you get to screw w/ the settings more. The remote desktop and P-n-P advice is definatley sound, but I always wait a few days before dowloading any kind of windows patch, never know when their gonna say ooops, we ****ed up. . .so sorry, here's the real patch.