More Answers: System Restore, Startup Programs, and Address Spoofing

“System Restore won’t work”, “I’m worried about ID Theft, how do I know if an email is legit?”, “I can’t get this #$*& program out of my Startup folder” — these are examples of some of the questions I have received since posting my articles on these topics. Today I’m going to review, and provide more solutions and answers.

Tip of the day: Since I’m going to cover the questions above, there is not going to be a single “Tip of the day” today. Instead, there will be “Today’s three questions”…

More on System Restore: What to do when System Restore just refuses to work. As I mentioned in my first System Restore post, SR simply is not a failsafe miracle worker. There are troubles that can occur that it simply does not repair — such as a corrupted SAM database. It is however a good place to start. It does undo a lot of the damage you can accidentally do to your machine. This fact is why you should always make a back up of your system — either a “disk image” made with a 3rd-party utility like Acronis True Image, or Norton Ghost, and/or Windows Backup Utility (Start >Programs >Accessories >System tools >Backup).
** My illustrated tutorial for that is here.**

I stated in the prior article, and will repeat here, that you may have to repeat the System Restore process several times before one “snapshot” finally takes. When you use SR, you will see a calendar with available snapshots in bold dates. You should see several. Start with the most recent date and time, and work your way backwards. If you have done this with no luck, you probably have one of those troubles System Restore is not designed for. Either look elsewhere for solutions, or call for some Tech Support (we Tech Support folks need to make a living too, you know).

Legit vs. Phishing: “how do I know if an email is legit?” In my post about the rocket scientist, I discussed phishing and recommended an anti-phishing site toolbar, which combats a form of phishing called “pharming“.
I suggest you take no chances with emails.

* Simply do not click on links in emails.
* Also, realize that your bank will not send you links. They know about phishing, and they figure you already know their url (you should have it bookmarked, so use that…or call them directly).
* Also be aware that just because an email claims to be from a friend or relative, doesn’t mean that it is. If you are not expecting an “executable” (application) or “you gotta see this!” .jpeg from Uncle Fred, by all means don’t open it! Contact him and ask him, “did you send me a..?” It is an easy thing for an Evil Doer to 'spoof' an address.
* And finally, make sure your antivirus definitions are up to date. If it is not already on by default, open your antivirus’ Options and look in “Update Options” for “Download and install new definitions automatically” (or words to that effect) and make sure it’s selected. If available, have it set to scan email and email attachments as well. (And, if your AV cannot scan incoming e-mail.. think about switching to one that does!)

Removing stubborn start up programs: If the methods I described in “My Startup folder is a clown car” proved insufficient for getting rid of a really determined program, there are more methods you can try. The first is using the msconfig tool.

Start by opening the msconfig utility. Click Start >Run and type in “msconfig” (no quotes), and then click on the Startup tab. Here you will see a list of the programs scheduled to start when Windows boots. Uncheck the checkbox next to the program you are having the troubles with. You will need to restart your system for the changes to take effect.
**Vista users: Manage Startup programs in Vista**

If you have already tried the aforementioned methods and simply cannot kill the autolaunch, please consider simply using Add/Remove Programs to “retire” the troublesome program altogether…or install a startup manager program like StartUp Cop.

Today’s free link:  GIMP Open Source digital image manipulating tool. This completely free application is a bit tricky to install but is well worth it as it offers a full range of tools for adjusting your digital images, and it does that in an interface that’s comfortable to folks with Photoshop experience.

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

How To Use Windows Backup Tool

Wizard Automatically Copies Your Daily Changes

You’ve all heard it; you can’t say you haven’t been told, can you? You want to back up your data. A back up copy of your music, pictures, records, and correspondence [your memories] can be a lifesaver (well…maybe not a life-saver, but how about a tears and sorrow-saver?).

In my previous article on defragmentation, I showed you how to use Windows’ built-in Task Scheduler to solve the problem of file fragmentation using a ”set it and forget it” method. Today I’m going to show you how to use basically the same tool to create a backup of your system, for use as a means of recovering from a “really bad” glitch.

Tip of the day: If you follow the steps I outline next, you will set up an initial system backup, and then, and this is the best part, Windows will each night make a backup of any changes and additions you’ve made during the day-- automatically.

[note: One thing you should know before we begin is, it is pretty important that you store this back up copy some place other than your Windows drive (usually, your “c: drive”). This can be on another “partition” on your hard drive (not so good), or on a seperate hard drive — such as a “storage drive” attached to your machine with a USB cable, or a network drive (best). For this example, we will use an USB-attached drive identified by Windows as “e: drive”.

If you do not have another partition or attached storage available, you can use the first steps of this article to create a system backup, and then use a utility like WinZip or WinRAR to make CD (or, better, DVD)-sized subdivisions which you can burn to disc(s), after that, make a routine of monthly (or more often) backups of your My Documents folder to disk as well.]

Step#1: open the Windows Backup utility by clicking Start >Programs >Accessories >System tools >Backup. A window will open welcoming you to the Backup Wizard.
* Click "Next" and it asks if you want to make a backup (default) or restore from a back; we’re making a backup so click next.
* Now we’re asked what we want to back up, and here you want the bottom option, “Let me choose what to back up”. Click "Next" again.
* On the next screen, expand the My Computer on the left-hand panel, as shown below.

Look to the left-pane again and you will see that I have placed a check in the box next to Local Disk (C:) [my hard drive] and System State. That causes all the other checks to appear. That’s what we want, so now you do it — click on the plus sign next to My Computer, and then click inside the Local Disk and the System State boxes. Now click next.

* Now we’re asked which location you want to store the backup copy at. Click on the browse button and navigate to the (hypothetical) (E:) drive (your actual location will vary). The default file name is acceptable, so hit next.
* Follow the Wizard all the way through the next few “next” buttons until you get to Finish, and you’re done with Step 1.

You now have a copy of your whole computer that you can use to restore it to this moment in time, should disaster strike…or should you buy a larger hard drive as a replacement, load the new drive with your settings and data.
[note: It is a very good idea to also burn this to disc(s). Use a zip program, in conjunction with your burning software, to get the Backup.bkp onto your CD’s or DVD’s]

Step #2: Here’s where we use launch the Backup Wizard again and this time use the Advanced Mode to schedule an automatic daily “incremental” back up. An incremental backup will look at your files and folders and make a copy only of the new, or modified files you added since the last incremental backup. In this way, you’ll always have a complete copy of your present set up ready to come to your rescue should you ever need it.

To begin, once again open Windows Backup, Start >Programs >Accessories >System Tools >Backup, and this time click on the blue link that says “Advanced Mode” when the Welcome window appears.
* Then click Next, and then click on the top button of the new Backup Wizard Advanced Mode page, the one that says “Backup Wizard (Advanced)”. Then click Next.
* Now choose the middle radio button, on the What to back up page, that says, “back up selected files, drives, or network data” and click Next.
Here again you want to expand My Computer and check Local Disk and System State. Click Next, and again navigate to (hypothetical) drive “e:” and click next again.

Now you’re on the “Completing” page but do not click “Finished” just yet; instead click on the Advanced button. Now you’ll see the Type of backup (By default it will say “Normal”) page — use the drop-down arrow to set it to “Incremental” and hit next. Put a check in the checkbox marked “Verify data after back up” and hit Next. Leave the radio button on “Append this data to existing backups” and hit Next.

Now we set the schedule. Select the radio button labeled “Later” and the schedule windows will activate. Give the “job” a title, like ‘daily’, and click the Set a schedule button.

Set it to Daily, and set a time that won’t interfere with your using the computer…say during your lunch hour. Click on the OK button and a “run as” window will open. Make sure the user name is an account that runs as an Administrator, and give this job a password (and ‘confirm’). Hit next. Verify, and hit Finish.

Done!

I realize that this may seem like a daunting number of complicated steps, but really all you’re doing is following a wizard. Once you’ve done this process though, you can rest in the comfort of knowing that there is an up-to-date copy of all your important files and folders available to you in case of digital dire straights. If you’ve ever had to wipe a hard drive and reinstall Windows, you’d know just how valuable a backup like this can be!

Today’s free link: I have located a Startup Manager that passes muster, which I added as an update to my “answers” article, and will repeat here in case you missed it. Ashampoo StartUp Tuner 2

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

Scare Tactics

The shadow Internet economy is worth over $105 billion. Online crime is bigger than the global drugs trade^. There is an epidemic of fake anti-malware software on the Internet-- which is collectively called "rogue anti-malware".

Marketed under hundreds of different names, such as VirusRemover 2008 and Antivirus XP 2009, this type of rogue software scares people by giving false alarms, and then tries to deceive them into paying for removal of non-existing malware.

This video (produced by the good folks at WOT) shows what happens when a legitimate site gets infected and redirected to one of these bogus anti-malware scams.
Yes, folks, legitimate websites are being 'hacked'.

The people behind this scourge use many different ways to try to entice you to click-- realistic looking pop-up windows appear, offers of "free trials" arrive in e-mail, and "free scan" buttons on legit-looking 'fight malware' websites.. the means are quite varied!

As this video shows, the user is tricked into (scared into, really) providing their credit card #  to clean infections that weren't there before they clicked and aren't really there now.
* The 'false positives' are not "cleaned" BUT, more adware and spyware is installed.
* A good percentage of my calls at Aplus Computer Aid are folks needing help with getting rid of these rogues. Because these clever programs use the latest techniques to combat removal, and it can be quite tough -- if not impossible -- to remove them without formatting your hard-drive.
* For more, please read Is that anti-spyware program really spyware?
* One Website dedicated to combating this epidemic is Spyware Warrior. It has a pretty good list of known rogues, and much more detailed information. Another excellent resource is Bleeping Computer.
* I have written several How-To's on protecting yourself from malware, and how to clean your machines as well. Click here.

^From the new MessageLabs whitepaper. (This eye-opening report provides a disturbing look into the 'dark' world of cyber-crime.)

Today's free download: WOT is a free Internet security addon for your browser. It will keep you safe from online scams, identity theft, spyware, spam, viruses and unreliable shopping sites. WOT warns you before you interact with a risky Website. It's easy and it's free.

• Ratings for over 20 million websites
• Downloaded 1 million times
• The WOT browser addon is light and updates automatically
• WOT rating icons appear beside search results in Google, Yahoo!, Wikipedia, Gmail, etc.
• Settings can be customized to better protect your family
• WOT Security Scorecard shows rating details and user comments

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

Technorati Tags: cybercrime,rogue,infection,epidemic,WOT,Spyware Warrior,Bleeping Computer,MessageLabs,anti-malware,programs,pop-ups

Google's Dominance Is Your Reward

If you have been paying attention to Tech news you will have noticed that the #1 and #2 Search players have been been making bids to buy the #3 player, Yahoo!

Essentially, Microsoft "Live" Search tried to buy up Yahoo! to better compete with Google's undisputed #1 (and get advertisers back onboard).

That plan didn't work. And now Microsoft is offering a rewards program to get more people to use MSN as their search engine (thus, today's title).

"Sign up to start earning great perks just for searching!

Sign up for SearchPerks! and start earning tickets towards exciting prizes whenever you search the Web – up to 25 tickets per day. It’s free, easy to use, and your tickets accumulate as fast as you can search.*

And because SearchPerks! is brought to you by Microsoft Live Search, you know you won’t compromise quality while earning rewards.

Be sure to sign up before the registration deadline on December 31, 2008—the sooner you sign up, the more opportunity you have to earn tickets!"

I saw the ad for SearchPerks on my Hotmail page, and it includes a link, or you can click here to sign up.
Sign up and get 500 "bonus tickets".

It smacks of desperation to me, but hey-- if they want to pay me...

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

Recommended reading..

Folk's.. just a quick reco today. Please see Bill Mullin's excellent

Video Game Addiction - True or False?

How To Limit Your Roommate's Bandwidth

And Keep More For Yourself.

Tip of the day: If you are in a house with multiple computers, and you want to restrict "the amount of Internet" those other machines use, you can use settings (aka "options") in your router and give yourself #1 priority.

Today's topic comes from a question from a (younger) fella who lives with roommates, and they all "share" his connection.

Which is fine with him except for when their online activity slows down his surfing or online gaming.
So he wanted to know how to make sure he got "first dibs". (Though I confess, he called it "more bandwidth".)

You can think of today's tip as a "tweak for better Internet speed", if you'd like, though you'd be -- technically-- incorrect.

1) Open your browser and access the router's Control Panel.
http://techpaul.wordpress.com/2007/11/16/protecting-your-network-use-your-router-for-access-control-repost/

2) Find the Advanced Settings tab for "QoS".
(On a Linksys, that is under "Applications and Gaming")

3) Give your PC's MAC Address a rating of "Highest"
(To get the MAC, open a command prompt and enter "ipconfig /all".)

* You might want to set other machines to "low".

4) Save and exit.

That's it, your done. Now your data packets will go first, and any other Internet user will have to wait for your request to finish.

[note: there are some other priority tweaks you can make here too. Click on the image to see large version, and note my arrows.]

Today's free download: EncryptOnClick is a very simple to use program that lets you securely encrypt and decrypt files.

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

iPhone Etiquette

Folks, just a quick "sharing moment" today-- I saw this interesting(brief ) 'slideshow', and thought you might enjoy it. It's humorous, and spot on.

"Some of the iPhone's users are, well, a bit uncool. Their unbridled iPhone enthusiasm can quickly cross the line into obnoxiousness. That's why InfoWorld has come up with the Ten Commandments of iPhone etiquette. Read on and be wise. (<--- click)

Parental Monitoring And Cellular Phones

If you are a parent concerned about what your child is doing with their mobile phone-- whether or not they're talking to strangers, for example-- you may want to keep reading. This topic was spawned by a question from such a parent.

And if you're the kind of person who's easily agitated about technology and the erosion of privacy, a Luddite, a Big Brother Conspiracy Theorist, or anyone else who hasn't quite come to terms with the modern age we're living in-- you might want to stop reading here.
You've been warned. I will not respond to your e-mail.

Regular readers (and tech-savvy people in general) know that your computer use at work is monitored. And you've probably heard of "spyware" and "keyloggers" that record what you type (my readers have, and that's fer sher). And you know that GPS devices can pinpoint your location.

And you know that cameras (usually hidden) are being installed everywhere-- as a crime and terrorism preventative, and to stop red-light runners. Cities compete to have the highest percentage of camera coverage.

And you know that modern phones allow text messaging, the sending of photos and movies, and surfing the Internet. (They are becoming more like little laptops everyday.)

And you know that the Internet can be a dangerous place. Especially for kids.

And thus the parent's dilemma. If you have a child, the day will come when they want a phone. I think that happens around the ages of 7-9, these days.
And being kids, they won't want just any old phone, but they will want a "kewl" phone; one with all the bell's and whistles. (Your hands are kind of tied on this.. nobody makes a "plain old cellphone" anymore. Haven't for years.)

"But Mom, everybody's got one!"

The answer, for you, may be to give your child a phone that allows you to see what they text and IM, control who their "contacts" are, and, maybe, even record their calls. It's called "parental monitoring", and the extent to which you use it is up to you.
[note: if reading that made your blood pressure go up a notch, refer now to the second paragraph.]

You don't need to buy a special phone.. or even a new phone, to monitor your child's activity.
* There is commercial software that can be installed on every type of phone-- such as RADAR and MobileSpy. These can notify you in "real time" if a parameter you set is being broken.
[note: did your employer give you your cellphone? Think, people. Think. Let's add two and two here.]

* There are USB dongles that read a phone's SIM chip --even if your child's erased their messages-- for $50.

So, if you're a concerned parent, you have several options that will allow you to find some middle ground. And if you're a Big Brother Conspiracy Theorist.. well, friend, it's twice as bad as you dare to realize and it's only going to get worse.

Today's free link: Concerned parents who have a child reaching the driving age (and Big Brother Conspiracy Theorists) might read my article "What Your Car Is Saying About You."

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

The Power of the (Virtual) Machine

One of the hot topics in the IT industry is virtualization. Basically what this is, is software that creates an environment -- on an existing PC -- into which you can install (and run) another operating system [OS]; in short, running a PC on top of your PC.. which gives you two PCs. This "on top of" machine is called a "virtual machine".

Tip of the day: Get more out of your PC by using a virtual environment.
(I must take a moment to state that it is the power of the newer generations of PCs that allow us to take advantage of machine virtualization. VM "shares" resources (CPU, RAM) with the existing install... so if you're barely clunking along as it is, forget about VMs and click here to read my article(s) on when it's time for a new machine.)

How can this benefit you? One of the main advantages is when you are thinking about a dual-boot install, or would like to do away with an existing dual-boot set up -- say, for security reasons. Instead of partitioning your hard drive, and using FAT32 to run (boot to) either Windows 98 or XP, format your drive in NTFS, install XP, and run 98 inside the virtual environment. (I am using Windows 98 as an example. You may want to run a Linux distro, and learn about Open Source. The fact is you can run any OS that you have a license for... except Vista.)
If you do this, and create a shared folder for the VM on XP, you will be able to switch back and forth between the two and share files with both OS's.

Another advantage of using a VM is, it loads much like "mounting" a disk image. You can make multiple 'snapshots' of your VM, and load the one of your choosing. This is an absolutely fantastic method for dealing with security issues. I know several geeks who run an XP VM on their XP machine-- they use the VM version for their daily surfing and usage, and as a "sandbox" for testing downloaded programs and patches/Updates. At the end of the day, they just close the VM, and when they open it again (unless they take a 'snapshot' and Save those changes to the VM) their pristine VM loads: no browsing history, no spyware, no trace of yesterday's activity... just a brand-new XP machine.
By keeping a copy of the VM snapshot in another location, they always have a full system backup on hand. (And all my readers know about the importance of recovery backups!)

These are just two uses and applications for virtual machines (VMs). You may be able to think of others. You are not just limited to one VM, either -- but each VM (unless it is an Open Source OS, like Linux) does require a valid Product Key/license. This is not a way to cheat.

Today's free link(s): The most popular virtual machine software is put out by VMware. The free offerings are VMware Server (don't worry about the use of the word "server") and VMware Player (which is a web browsing sandbox). Not only is this a flexible (highly compatible with your particular hardware) program, but VMware offers several pre-configured Open Source 'snapshots', called "appliances", that you can download and run without going through an OS install process.

Microsoft also offers free virtual machine software, that some people argue works better with Microsoft OS's. From website: "Virtual PC 2007 is a powerful software virtualization solution that allows you to run multiple PC-based operating systems simultaneously on one workstation."

Either way you decide, you are not making fundamental changes to your hard drive or currently installed operating system. This is just a program, like Excel or Word is a program. Simply uninstall it if you find you don't like or need it.. but I doubt very much that you ever will-- it's just too useful and safe.

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

"Have Your PC Running Like New" -- Not!

I have alerted my readers to the epidemic of rogue antivirus and rogue anti-spyware programs that are plaguing the Internet in several prior articles. These programs are that claim to remove infections, but actually are infections..
(please see "It Said I Was Infected")

Usually, folks who call me for aid with these have visited a website  which has been "poisoned" by a cyber-criminal, and a popup window opened saying "Warning! A virus has been detected on this machine! Click here to clean virus-sounding-name from your machine!"
(Or, perhaps.. an "adult" website which told them they needed a certain 'codec' to see the movie...ahem.)

But antivirus and anti-spyware are not the only rogues, and fake popup warnings are not the only method of attack--

An e-mail slipped through my filters today:
From: PC Solutions, Subject: Have Your PC Running Like New.

As you can see, it is a "Registry Optimizer" that sounds like it does wonderful things...

..and here's what a quick Google search revealed.

Not good. (Further exploration shows it contains a trojan)

Folks, I am not going to debate whether legitimate registry cleaners do or do not really enhance your machine, and I don't want you to think that all 'free scans' are evil.
Save that for another day.

What I do want you to think about is this:
* Someone went to an awful lot of time and effort to make this "product" appear legit.
* It came (uninvited) in the mail.
* This type of malware is very difficult to remove.
* It is a lot easier to sift the good from the bad with the colored "doughnuts" of the WOT toolbar (red="bad").

I cannot say it enough-- the Internet is a very dangerous and insecure place, and there's predators lurking there whose full-time job it is to fleece the unwary.

Today's free link(s): Two today. First, if you didn't click on my article (above) "It Said I Was Infected", you're missing out on a video which demonstrates how these rogues work.
And second, for you, and your friends and family, Bill Mullins has a primer on how to be wary on the Internet, "Internet And System Security--Common Sense Tips"

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

Plug-and-Play Doesn't Work, Pt 1*

Windows 95 introduced a method for automatically detecting and installing (configuring) newly attached devices, which was called "Plug and Play" (PnP). The idea was that you could insert a relatively new super-enhancer, like a graphics card, or sound card, (there was a big deal called "multimedia" happening then, if you recall-- "The new Pentium II, with MMX!") into a slot inside your machine and Windows would automatically make it work.

This worked so well that folks quickly re-dubbed it "Plug and Pray".
(For the sake of fairness, and for those of you with a historical sense, it is my belief that the responsibility for the bad name PnP acquired lies at the feet of the card makers, particularly Creative Labs Sound Blaster cards, as much as it did Microsoft.)

Before Plug and Play came along, adding a new device to your PC was a huge ordeal. There were tiny switches (called "dips") and little wire bridges ("jumpers") and IRQs, and such, that had to be fiddled with in an agonizing series of trial-and-error attempts that would try the patience of the most stalwart soul.

Fortunately for all of us, Windows and device manufacturers have been (for the most part) working hard to make the concept behind PnP a reality. Each successive iteration of Windows has become better and better at easy, automatic, device installation. By the time of Windows XP, it was a rare occasion when Plug and Play required additional efforts on our part before our new scanner/webcam/printer/graphics card/etc. would function as it should.

With Vista we have a whole new set of issues. PnP works almost exactly as it should, effortlessly. As long as we're adding a brand-new, Vista compatible device, all you have to do is plug it in and power it on. The problem we have in Vista is with our old devices -- devices manufactured before Vista was a gleam in Microsoft's eye -- like that old, reliable Deskjet 970Cse.

Tip of the day: Get those recalcitrant devices working, Pt.1.
The first step in installing a new device is to follow the instructions that come with it, and (usually) inserting the Installation CD, and letting Plug and Play 'do its thing'.
Frequently this is all you need to do (although you may be asked to reboot).

The first troubleshooting step, should this fail, or should Vista reject the device, is to go online and visit the device manufacturer's website. There you should look in their "Support" section for "Drivers" and/or "download drivers". Find the most recent release for your version of Windows (Vista users may have to do a Web Search) and take careful note of whether it is the 32-bit, or 64-bit version. Almost all of you out there want the 32-bit version. [If you are unsure whether you have 32 or 64-bit Windows: right-click My Computer and select Properties. The info titled "System" will tell you your version.]

Now click on the download link, and when asked if you want to "run" or "save" this program, click on "Save". You will be (or at least, should be) asked where you want to save the program to, and since it will most likely have a bizarre and forgettable name, save it to your desktop.

Once the download is completed and saved, close your web browser and any other programs you have running -- it shouldn't be necessary to shut down your protection, like antivirus, but be prepared to hit "allow", quickly.
Now double-click the download. Usually, a wizard will open, asking you to hit "Next", "I agree", "Next"...just follow along.

When it's done, odds are good your device will now work as it should, but whether it does or not, the next step is to restart your machine ("reboot"). This process will resolve the majority of, but not all, device related issues. Vista users may run into a situation where the device in question is no longer "supported" by the manufacturer, or simply hasn't gotten around to writing Vista drivers yet. A Search for "Vista drivers for make+model" will likely turn up a solution.

There are further troubleshooting steps you can take if this does not resolve your issue (see links below. Also, there are websites that specialize in nothing but device drivers, and these are often an excellent place to start looking for hard-to-find drivers. I am including one such site below.

http://techpaul.wordpress.com/2007/07/12/adding-hardware-when-pnp-doesnt-work-part-2/

http://techpaul.wordpress.com/2007/07/13/concluding-add-new-hardware-when-pnp-doesnt-work/

Today's free link: DriversPlanet From site: "DriversPlanet.com is the Web's trusted resource for technology enthusiasts, IT consultants and IT professionals searching for any device driver. DriversPlanet.com provides an easy way of finding drivers in one spot enabling you not to get lost in worldwide chaos of drivers."

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It*

There is something wonderful in this simple philosophy. It certainly is an aggravation saver, and I believe it is a good, honest, tip for a happier life. It is applicable in all aspects of our daily lives -- including our tech gadgets.

Some people (me), though, have some malformed gene, or mis-wired section in their brain which renders them constitutionally incapable of keeping their mischievous little fingers off of a perfectly functioning device. These people have a strange compulsion to try to "make it better". They just have to open it up and look at what's inside...
A highly Scientific Study (that I just made up) has proven that a full 9-out-of-10 of these personality-types not only fail to "improve" the device, they fail to get all the pieces back inside, much less back in their proper places.

The modern name for these people is "tweaker". The most 'famous' tweaker was probably Tim ["the tool man"] Taylor, a character made famous by Tim Allen on Home Improvement. (I loved it when he "improved" the kitchen garbage disposal by powering it with a chainsaw engine.) His motto: More power!

Yes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" is a very good Rule. For that 90% of tweakers who only succeed in disassembling the object of their interest, it ought to be a Law. However (you, Dear Reader, were expecting a "however", right?), tweaking can be a good thing. Tweaking sometimes leads to Invention. Successful and repeatable tweaks are called "optimizing". And who can argue against optimizing? Not me. A great deal of Tech--for Everyone is about optimizing your PC.. such as today's tip.

Tip of the day: Optimize your computer with the latest device drivers. Most of my readers should be aware of the existence of the small programs that allow the software on our machines (primarily the OS) to interact with the hardware, which are called "device drivers". If you've ever added a new device, you (typically) had to put in a CD and install the "driver" to get it operational. My readers probably also know that, like other programs, drivers get "updated", and improved, occasionally. Did you also know that by seeking out, and installing the latest drivers, you can have a faster machine? Or, that your device may suddenly have more "features" and capabilities? Today I'm going to show you a method to use that I consider the first step, and tomorrow I'll describe the more aggressive and effective approach, as well as how to "undo" a driver update if things should go wrong.

The first step is to create a System Restore point, to give yourself a fallback position. I reco doing this whenever you make significant changes to your machine. (To see my series on the System Restore tool, click here.)

Then you need to access your Device Manager tool. There are a couple of ways to do this, but I use Start >right-click My Computer >Properties >Hardware tab >Device Manager. Now you will see a list of the components on your machine, as shown in the example below.
Some, in fact most, of these items you do not need to worry about updating. The items that typically will give you the most improvement are: graphics, sound, printer, network (or modem) adapter, and (sometimes) monitor.

Begin by selecting the device you want to update the driver for -- I am going to use for demonstration the sound on a laptop computer -- and 'expand' the hardware list by clicking on the "+" sign next to the proper category, in my example that will be the "Sound, video, and game controllers" category.

Next, double-click on the device name to open its Properties dialogue window. In my case that's "ESS Maestro PCI Audio", and then click on the Drivers tab, which will now open a window that looks like this.

Now click on the Update driver button, which launches an automated process called the "Hardware Update Wizard". Accept the default radio button setting ("Automatically") and click "next".

Now Windows will go out and "search" for a "better" driver than the current version, and when it finds one, will help you install it via a couple of "Next" clicks. Do this for all the devices (device types) that I listed above.
Unfortunately, the  most common result of the search returns this window.

This is because Microsoft has built into the search parameters a complex formula of what constitutes "better". To them, better does not just mean "newer" (ie, a more recent version number), but whether or not the driver has been tested and approved in the Microsoft labs (for a fee), and whether or not the driver's author has shelled out the dough to buy a digital "certificate" (for another fee).
Since this is a simple driver, and not a new miracle accounting program, or other retail piece of code, most authors skip these expensive steps... and so the Update search will disregard these drivers as if they didn't exist. Tomorrows post will deal with this issue.

But doing this process can and does produce results, and it is the method I reco as the first step in a faster/better PC. New drivers are released all the time, so I do this every so often.

To read Part 2, click here.

Today's free link: I have reco'd the popular Mozilla Firefox web browser here before, and I think it's only fair to tell you of another -- Avant uses the IE 7 rendering engine, but advertises itself as the "fastest browser on earth". I like it for its built-in security features, such as tracks erasing, and its rss reader. Take a look at the Avant homepage, and then give it a try.

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

CoD 5 Now On Sale

Some of us are just great big kids at heart, and I have to confess to you that I have a little bit of that syndrome too. Besides being a World Renown Tech Journalist and Ace Computer Support Technician and all that other grown-up stuff-- I am also a gamer.

Yes, it's true: looking at a the insides of an "UG rig" (high-performance computer specially built for 3D video game excellence) makes my pulse quicken.

No, I have not ever attended a LAN Party (or convention) and generally never play "multiplayer" games online... and no, I did not spend more on my rig than I did on my car. But I have been a gamer since.. well, let's just call it "the beginning".

"Hail to the king, baby."

Everybody has their favorite game, or at least, a favorite genre. Whether that be cards-- like Solitaire, Texas Holdem, and Pinochle, or puzzles-- like Sudoku, Mah Jong, and Scrabble, or simulators-- like Need for Speed, The Sims, and Combat Flight Simulator 2 or Sports, or Strategy, or Arcade.. or Fantasy/Adventure.. (am I forgetting any?)

Mine happens to be the Call of Duty series, which is a combat simulator of the "first-person shooter" 'genre', and is affectionately known as "CoD".
Infinity Ward rocks.

The latest release of Call of Duty was CoD 4 -- Modern Warfare, which if I remember correctly, was released in time for Christmas last year. I think it did pretty good in sales... (over 7 million units in 2007).

This year, Activision is again releasing its big title in time for the Holiday shopping season, and CoD 5 -- World At War is set to hit the shelves November 11th. But you can "pre-buy" it now.

That's right, I said pre-buy. Pay now, and get the actual game later.

Some of you might find that concept a little odd, but us gamers know that this ensures that we won't have to stand in line or face an empty shelf, and that we sometimes get a special bonus for pre-ordering (and, it gives us something to talk about to our gamer friends/rivals).

I was determined not to let myself get too excited about a game that isn't even out yet.. especially when I had read that CoD 5 was not a Infinity Ward title, but a Treyarch (they were the authors of CoD 3, which was never ported to the PC, and generally received bad reviews). But I have seen the trailer and YouTube videos of gameplay, and I'm hooked.

I know what I'm gonna ask Santa for this year.

Today’s free link: for those of you who prefer arcade style games, download Mega Mario. Featuring the Mario Brothers — first introduced in Donkey Kong — this classic arcade game works on all versions of Windows.

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

Anatomy of a Phish

"Dear Wells Fargo customer,

Security and confidentiality are at the heart of Wells Fargo. Your details (and your money) is protected by a number of technologies, including Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption.
We like to notify you that Wells Fargo carries out customer details confirmation procedure that is compulsory for all our customers. This procedure is attributed to a routine banking software update.

Please visit our Customer Verification Form using the link below and follow the instructions on the screen."

There are several things wrong here, and I hope you detect them. Loyal Friends and True to this series should recognize a couple right away. (And if you remember this recent article, the word "compulsory" might have rung a bell.) Here's how the e-mail actually looks.

* One BIG clue is that in this case Hotmail has detected the Sender and the true source don't match. That means the Sender has been "spoofed". The red shield and warning doesn't always mean a phraudulent e-mail, but 9 times out of ten it does.
* The next clue is the two "Bcc" recipients.. similar in name, but completely unrelated. Why are they there?
* There is some poor grammar.
* The next clue is that I don't currently bank at Wells Fargo. I haven't in, oh, about 20 years.
* Another clue is that e-mail contains a hyperlink (you are always suspicious of e-mail hyperlinks, right?), and that hyperlink is a little bit "off". Yes, it says "wellsfargo.com".. but what's the www4? And all that other garbage?
* (now this is interesting) when you place the cursor on the URL (hyperlink), the actual link-- shown in the lower left of the bottom bar of Internet Explorer -- are different. Clicking on the link that says "www4.wellsfargo.com/blah blah blah" will REALLY take you to someplace called "online7.wellsfargo.com.bnk7.co.uk/blah blah blah".
Now.. why would they want to put a hidden redirect as the link? Hmmm?
* And lastly, (as you know) legitimate businesses never send you important information, requests, or "notices" via e-mail.

This is a classic phish. It is an attempt by cyber-criminals to get you to visit a webpage they have created which looks very much like a Wells Fargo web page. On that page you will be asked to enter your Wells Fargo logon/password, all your person information, and banking details. When you're finished giving your identity away, and handing them the keys to your bank account, you will be thanked for your cooperation and "bounced" to the real Wells Fargo website.
Game over.

Surely.. nobody falls for this anymore, right?
Wrong. The cyber-criminals have a harder time moving all the money they steal than anything else.
But, if I clicked the link.. and I filled out the "compulsary" Customer Verification Form.. and basically just handed my information over.. is it really stealing?

Tip of the day: Be savvy. And that means, be suspicious and wary. Look for the tell-tales.

Copyright 2007-8 Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

No CD For Router Setup

Q: How can I connect to the Internet with my laptop via D-link router from desktop? We have no CD ROM for d link.

A: You do not need the setup CD to make a router work (frankly, the following is my preferred method as the CD's usually install unnecessary "bonus features".) Here is how you establish Internet connections (configure a) on a router.

1) Assign your PC an IP address in the same range as the router's default address-- for most routers, assign the IP 192.168.1.2, but since this is a D-Link router, use 192.168.0.2.
(Look to "Assign Address" here for Illustrated instructions.)

2) Connect the PC directly to the router with an Ethernet cable.

3) open a web browser (IE, Firefox, Safari) and enter the IP number of the router in the address bar. (If you don’t know this, look to the router manufacturer’s Website for “default settings”). Typically, this is 192.168.1.1, but D-Link uses 192.168.0.1.

4) Enter the default Name and Password (again, look to to the website’s support page/FAQ’s if you don’t know these). But typically these are “admin”+”admin”, or “admin”+”password”.
D-Link's default is admin/admin.

Your are now in your router’s "web interface" Control Panel, and you can enter the PPPoE setting provided by your ISP. Typically all you need is an identifier.. which is an e-mail address+password.
If you can’t find or remember these, contact your ISP’s support.

[note: Once your ISP has connected, and while you're in the Control Panel, set your router's security configuration, and set a new password (and write them down). Illustrated instructions can be found here, http://techpaul.wordpress.com/2008/01/01/how-to-secure-your-wireless-network/]

5) Return to Network Connections (from Step 1) and reset your PC to "Get address automatically--DHCP".

Today's free link: Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory. (Full Install.) Wolfenstein Enemy Territory is a stand-alone multiplayer game in which players wage war as Axis or Allies in team-based combat. In Wolfenstein Enemy Territory Axis and Allied teams do battle in traditional single scenarios, or wage war through a series of linked scenarios in a totally new campaign mode. During combat players gain experience and skill, and through battlefield promotions are awarded additional abilities that remain persistent across an entire campaign.

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

Dangerous Links, Phishing, and WOT

A recent article of mine has proven very popular. It discussed the recent epidemic of "rogue" antivirus and anti-spyware programs that is plaguing the Internet these days -- such as Virus Response Lab 2009, Antivirus XP, and -- literally -- hundreds of others.

These programs are really the tools used by cyber-criminals to infect your machine with malware... not clean it up, as you're led to believe. (The article link [above] has a video demonstrating a rogue program.) As a bonus, you're asked to provide your credit card number to buy the "full" (or, "Pro") version.
What do you think criminals do with those cc#'s????

Regular readers are aware that I frequently post 'alerts' to the latest scams arriving via e-mail. Spam.

Here the latest, a classic phish:
from: AccountRobot_donotreply@e-gold.com
Subject: Notification of e-gold account update

What I'd like you to notice is the red circle next to the hyperlink .

That is the WOT (Web Of Trust) toolbar's (automatically integrated into my Gmail, because I'm viewing it in a browser) website rating.
I'm no rocket scientist.. but I am pretty sure red means "bad".. and/or, "stop".

This website rating -- with its easy to understand color code -- tool can really save you a lot of pain and loss from phishing and poisoned websites; because the criminals are going to tremendous efforts to make their scams look legit.

There are many anti-phishing tools and plug-ins and filters to choose from (some are built into your browser, if you enable them) but if you want a quick, clean, easy to understand warning tool-- give the WOT toolbar a try.Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

*New* Infected Attachment Scam

Subject: funds wired into your account are stolen
From: investigation@fdic.gov

Dear bank account owner,

Funds wired into your account are stolen from innocent account holders through Identity Theft. Please check your account statement (the statement is attached to this letter) and contact your bank account manager.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
 

POP QUIZ: What's wrong with this picture? (multiple choice)
a: It came on a Sunday, and the Gov't doesn't work on Sundays.
b: There's no such thing as "innocent" account holders.
c: dot exe's are "executables" (aka scripts and programs)and make things happen on machines.. maybe bad things.

Answer: C

Folks, this is a really old attack method, and it preys upon the fact that users are unobservant (won't notice the .exe) and uneducated (don't know what a .exe is).

Sadly, those two facts really don't change. And so someone is trying this old trick again. The attachment "statement.exe" is a "downloader virus".

Open the attachment and be "pwn3d".

Today's free link: Top 10 things you should do to your computer–updated

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

Everyone Plays Games

* The five most popular games among American teens are Guitar Hero, Halo 3, Madden NFL, Solitaire, and Dance Dance Revolution.

* Almost all teens play games. (Fully 97% of teens ages 12-17 play computer, web, portable, or console games.)

* Video gaming is pervasive in the lives of American teens— young teens and older teens, girls and boys, and teens from across the socioeconomic spectrum. Opportunities for gaming are everywhere, and teens are playing video games frequently. When asked, half of all teens reported playing a video game “yesterday.” Those who play daily typically play for an hour or more.

* Gaming is often a social experience for teens.
For most teens, gaming is a social activity and a major component of their overall social experience. Teens play games in a variety of ways, including with others in person, with others online, and by themselves.
Although most teens play games by themselves at least occasionally, just one-quarter (24%) of teens only play games alone, and the remaining three-quarters of teens play games with others at least some of the time.

* Parents of teens who play games are generally neutral on the effect of games on their children, with nearly two-thirds believing that games have no impact one way or the other on their offspring.

Today's free link: This information was cited from the Pew Internet and American Life Project's report titled Teens, Video Games, and Civics.

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

Getting Rid Of Malware, Step 1*

What do you do when your PC is displaying all the signs of having been infected, but your antivirus and anti-spyware scan reports come back clean?

This was the case for a fella who called me for advice recently. He had done things 'right' -- and by that I mean he has a firewall, he keeps his antivirus definitions up to date, and he runs a couple of anti-spyware applications -- but suspected his machine had been hacked anyway.

He couldn't do things he was used to doing (like deleting a file) and his machine was "really slow."
But according to his scanners, his machine is in perfect shape.

Tip of the day: If you should find yourself in a similar situation there are several steps you can take to help resolve your questions and (hopefully) fix your machine without taking the drastic step of wiping your hard drive, formatting, and reinstalling Windows.

The first step is to use a scanner that isn't installed on your machine. Here's two ways to do that: one, if your antivirus allows it (and most of them do these days), follow its instructions and make an antivirus recovery disk. This is a bootable disk that scans your system before Windows loads.

To use one, put it in your CD tray and restart your machine. A plain-text sentence will appear telling you to "press any key to boot from CD..." (if you don't see this, click here.) When you see it, hit your spacebar or, well, any other key, and then follow the instructions. When it's finished, remove the CD and restart your machine again.
[note: you may also use a properly prepared USB thumb drive. Click here to read my article on how to do that.]

A second method is to use an online scanner. I have a list, with links, of several good online scans on my Website, here. Quite a few of the online scanning tools will try to sell you their full application, but you're under no obligation to buy. The big advantage to these two methods lies in the fact that they have not been compromised, or altered, and the files and scanners on your machine may be-- the modification being done by the virus or hacker.

Another thing to do is scroll down to my "Today's free link" and download HiJack This! Run it and dump the result into a .txt file (there's instructions for this) and then register on one of the HiJack This! forums (there's instructions for this too) and post your results there. Before too long, an expert anti-malwareologist [don't bother looking: I just now made that word up] will have looked over the intricacies, and will post his analysis and instructions. These guys (and gals) are really, really good at what they do, and you can trust their answers.

Also run CheckDisk with the "r" "f" switches (this probably will require a reboot) to make sure the problem is not your hard drive.
Click on Start >Programs >Accessories >Command prompt. In the white-on-black window type "chkdsk /r /f" (no quotes, and be sure to include the spaces). You may be told that certain files are in use, and asked if you want to "schedule this at the next reboot Y/N?" Type in a "y" and restart your machine.

Hopefully these efforts will be rewarded with a rejuvenation of your machine, and you will be back in business again.  If not, you have my sympathy. You may have a rootkit and then your best solution is to re-format your hard drive and reinstall everything, or enlist the aid of a professional

Today's free link: HijackThis™ is a free utility which quickly scans your Windows computer to find settings that may have been changed by spyware, malware or other unwanted programs. HijackThis does not clean infections, but creates a report, or log file, with the results of the scan. A large community of users participates in online forums, where experts help interpret the scan results to clean up infected computers.

Copyright © 2007-8 Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

Will System Recovery Delete My Programs?

Most computers today come with manufacturer software and a partition on the hard-drive to provide the ability to do a "System Recovery", oftentimes accessed through a program called "Recovery Center".

I have received several inquiries recently as to whether or not running a "recovery" will remove ("delete") installed programs and files.

A: Well.. Yes and no. It will "delete" your installed programs, and no, it probably won't "delete" your files.

Huh?

What the recovery software -- when launched -- will do is offer to copy the files on your machine to a backup location,{usually, it depends on the manufacturer, but most do} and them restore them again after it wipes out your C:\ drive and re-Installs Windows.
(Actually, a factory "image" of your machine taken right before it left for market.)

[note: you already have a copy of your files.. right? You do make backups.. right?!? If you answered, "uh.. no, not yet.." please read this.]

Your computer will basically be "restored" to factory defaults, and you'll have to reinstall all your programs, and visit Windows Update, and tweak your Desktop.. deja vu all over again. But, the contents of your Documents folder will be copied back.

Because of this, you should consider this type of recovery a method of last resort, not to be tried until other methods -- such as the built-in Windows' System Restore -- have been tried first. http://techpaul.wordpress.com/2008/09/04/how-to-use-system-restore-to-fix-windows/
Maybe.. call a Pro first?

Today's free download: Digsby helps you manage all your IM, e-mail, and social network accounts from one easy-to-use application.

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

Sunday Punch

Just a quick one today, folks.

1) I ran across a hilarious collection of photos on a site called FailBlog.org, which has the subtitle, "Fail, Owned and Pwn moments in pictures and videos."

2) I have added a blog to my blogroll. If you haven't taken a peek at What's On My PC.. I invite you to now.
A feature of particular note there is great free download reviews/links.

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

Latest Scam E-mails -- Are You Rich Now Too?

WINNING CONFIRMATION DETAILS

Your email address won £915,810.00 GBP in this month NATIONAL LOTTERY.
To file for your claim, contact our agent Rev.Harry Smith with
the details below(Full Names, Contact Address, Country, Age, Sex, Occupation & Telephone numbers) to this email: revharrysmith1940@gmail.com Phone Number: +44 (701) 115 3332

Please Confirm Your Purchase

  Re: You have not responded to my previous letter‏

From a Ewald de Bever (Mr), claiming to be an "Oracle Database Engineer currently in London..." wants my help 'confirming' that it was my very wealthy relative who died.

Tip of the day: If you do not already do so, please get into the habit of marking these items as spam. Doing so will help your filters "learn" what is spam and what is legit.
* Fraud Prevention Tips
* Managing junk mail in Outlook/Thunderbird

Today's free download and link: Today is a "two-fer", and not my usual method for providing links to great free software. By clicking this link, you will read about a handy little app on a great blog written by a freeware devotee. Check 'em both out, click the link!

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

How To Clear Your Cache

If you are having troubles logging in to a website -- such as your webmail account-- or pages are taking an extra-unusually long time to load, the first thing to try is to "refresh" (sometimes called "clear") your browser.

If you call Tech Support for help logging in, the first thing they''ll tell you is to "clear your cache". What they're refering to is deleting all your cookies, and here's how you do that.

1.  On your desktop, launch Internet Explorer. (If you use an alternative browser, the menu names may be a little different, but the steps follow the same principle.)
2.  On the "Tools" menu, click "Internet Options."

3.  Under Browsing history, click "Delete."

4.  In the Delete Browsing History window, click "Delete cookies." If you are prompted to confirm the deletion, click "Yes." It may take several minutes to delete these files if you have a lot of files, then click "Close."

For a more complete repair of Internet Explorer-- for more serious troubles-- read Tip#2 in this article.

Today's free download: Gnucash - Track bank accounts, stocks, income, and expenses in a checkbook-style interface. The GPL-licensed financial tool lets you mange cash, bank, stock, mutual funds, accounts receivable, and asset accounts quickly and easily.

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

How To Solve Buffer Errors When Burning Discs

If you are having problems burning files to optical discs (CD's and DVD's) you may see an Error Message that says something like "Buffer overrun. Try writing at a slower speed".
(And you might not.. you might just get jittery video or garbled music.)

Optical disc are "burned" with a laser, and due to highly complicated scientific something-or-others (probably something having to do with "Physics") the burning device in your machine needs to have the 'data' fed to it at a constant rate.
This is accomplished by "compiling" the files into a memory area called a "buffer".. which then 'feeds' the CD/DVD writer in a steady stream.

Problems can occur when the software creating the burn puts too much data into the buffer (an "overrun") too quickly, or not enough data in quickly enough (an "underrun").

Tip of the day: Cure your bad burns by telling your burning device to write at at a slower burn rate. (It will {should} tell the software.)

In Windows XP:
1) Open "My Computer" (Start >My Computer, or double-click the Desktop icon.)
2) Right-click on the CD/DVD drive icon and select (click) "Properties".
3) At the top are a series of tabs, click on "Recording"
4) Use the the drop-down arrow labeled "Select a write speed" to progressively slow down your burn until the problem disappears.

In Vista:
In Vista you need to open Windows Media Player to set the burn rate. Start >Programs

1) Click on the little arrow underneath the "Burn" menu, and select "More Options..."
2) On the Burn tab you will see the Burn speed drop-down arrow-- progressively slow down your burn until the problem disappears.

[Note: If you are using an authoring program, such as Nero or Roxio, you will find similar options in similar places (menus).]

Today's free download: When you need to copy discs, or deal with "disc images", you no longer talking about "burn files to disc", and you've entered into the realm of the "dot iso" (file type= .iso) and you need a program that offers the "Copy" option. I use a light-weight program that integrates into your Context Menus.
ISO Recorder is a tool (power toy) for Windows XP, 2003 and now Windows Vista, that allows (depending on the Windows version) to burn CD and DVD images (DVD support is only available on Windows Vista), copy disks, make images of the existing data CDs and DVDs and create ISO images from a content of a disk folder.

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix