tech help

Download Notepad++ Free App

2011-09-29T12:05:00.000-07:00

v5.9.3 - Current Version

Release Date: 2011-07-24

New features and fixed bugs in Notepad++ v5.9.3

Update Scintilla to 2.27.
Make Recent File List totally customizable.
Add Vertical File Switcher feature.
Add active folding area highlighting feature (only for box and circle mode).
Detect if Scintilla is absent.
Add 2 plugins messages NPPM_GETLANGUAGENAME & NPPM_GETLANGUAGEDESC.
Fix wrong result returned by NPPM_GETLANGUAGENAME.

Included plugins (Unicode)

Spell Checker v1.3.3
NppExport v0.2.8
Plugin Manager 0.9.3.1
Converter 3.0

Included plugins (ANSI)

TextFX v0.25
NppExec v0.4.1
Spell Checker v1.3.3
NppExport v0.2.8
Light Explorer v1.6
Compare Plugin 1.5.5
Plugin Manager 0.9.3.

How to Download Movies/Music/Apps Winmx p2p Download/Chat Server/Direct Download

2011-06-21T11:10:00.000-07:00

Download Winmx

How to Set Your Bandwidth Throttle on WinMX

Set to incoming 50000000
outgoing 10000000

check limit bandwith on both

Download Winmx

Microsoft Surface wine tasting demo

2010-11-17T04:53:00.000-08:00

Microsoft Surface: Hands-on First Look

2010-11-17T04:49:00.000-08:00

Microsoft Surface Overview

2010-11-15T13:20:00.000-08:00

Microsoft Surface Demo

2010-11-15T13:17:00.000-08:00

Broadband speed checker

2010-11-07T20:12:00.000-08:00

How it works

Start the speed test by clicking on the big button in the center of the page. The check will start by downloading a file and will measure your download speed. Once the download has finished, the broadband speed test will try to upload a file and will measure your upload speed.

Check your speed

If you want to get accurate results then you should not use your internet connection for any other applications once the speed checker is running

The broadband speed is measured in kbps (kilobits per second). Approximately 1000 Kbps is 1Mb/s.

Broadband speed checker

2010-11-07T20:00:00.000-08:00

How it works

Free Computer Utilities

2010-11-07T19:54:00.000-08:00

Free Computer Utilities

AVG Antivirus

The web's leading free antivirus software

Adobe Reader

Allowing you to read PDF files from across the web

Spybot Search & Destroy

Software to search and eliminate spyware from your PC

AdAware Spyware Remover

A further tool to eradicate spyware from your system

Broadband Speed Checker

Check your broadband's download and upload speed

Malware Bytes

Free download of anti-malware software

Microsoft Essentials

Microsoft Windows Updates & Service Packs

Get the latest security and critica; updates from Microsoft

Microsoft Windows Media Player

Experience music and video at the heart of your PC

Microsoft Windows Movie Maker

Create and edit your own home movies

Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 (Browser)

Download the latest version of Microsoft's popular browser

Microsoft Windows Live Messenger

Connect with the world from the comfort of your PC

Google Essentials

GMail (Google Mail)

Google's free email service - highly recommended

Google Docs

Free online World Processor and Spreadsheet program

Google Earth

See stunning birds eye views of the planet!

Picasa

Google's free image editing software

Other

Mozilla Firefox

An alternative browser to Internet Explorer

Safari

Apple's offering for surfing the Internet

OpenOffice

Free download of MS Office-compatible productivity suite

iTunes

The ultimate entertainment portal from Apple

Skype

Talk to friends and family for free via Skype

2010-11-07T19:53:00.000-08:00

Computer Utilities

AVG Antivirus

The web's leading free antivirus software

Adobe Reader

Allowing you to read PDF files from across the web

Spybot Search & Destroy

Software to search and eliminate spyware from your PC

AdAware Spyware Remover

A further tool to eradicate spyware from your system

Broadband Speed Checker

Check your broadband's download and upload speed

Malware Bytes

Free download of anti-malware software

Microsoft Essentials

Microsoft Windows Updates & Service Packs

Get the latest security and critica; updates from Microsoft

Microsoft Windows Media Player

Experience music and video at the heart of your PC

Microsoft Windows Movie Maker

Create and edit your own home movies

Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 (Browser)

Download the latest version of Microsoft's popular browser

Microsoft Windows Live Messenger

Connect with the world from the comfort of your PC

Google Essentials

GMail (Google Mail)

Google's free email service - highly recommended

Google Docs

Free online World Processor and Spreadsheet program

Google Earth

See stunning birds eye views of the planet!

Picasa

Google's free image editing software

Other

Mozilla Firefox

An alternative browser to Internet Explorer

Safari

Apple's offering for surfing the Internet

OpenOffice

Free download of MS Office-compatible productivity suite

iTunes

The ultimate entertainment portal from Apple

Skype

Talk to friends and family for free via Skype

Tutorials | Email Security Using Digital Signatures

2010-11-05T22:49:00.000-07:00

This is a very basic introduction to encryption and digital signatures. It explains how they work and gives some examples of how they are used.

To better understand digital signature you must first grasp a basic understanding of how encryption works. Encryption mixes or modifies a message or document so it cannot be read and understood, except by the intended recipient.

A key is necessary to reverse the modification or mixing of data, to make the message readable. Encryption is used for secrecy in communication by keeping the data unreadable until it is delivered. Digital signatures are used to verify that a message or document was authored by a certain person, and that it was not altered and/or modified by anyone else. This process of verifying the integrity of a document is called authentication.

Encryption is the process of taking all the data that one computer is sending to another and encoding it into a form that only the other computer will be able to decode. Authentication is the process of verifying that information is coming from a trusted source. These two processes work hand in hand for digital signatures.

These two processes can be used separately or together to add even more security. A message can be encrypted, but not digitally signed and only people with a key can read the message. The problem here is that the reader cannot be certain as to who wrote the actual message. On the other hand the message may be digitally signed, but not encrypted. The problem here is that everyone can read it and find out who wrote or sent it. Again, the message may be encrypted to begin with then digitally signed. This will allow others to see who wrote it, but only the person with the key can read it. The best way though, is to first digitally sign the message, then encrypt it. This will allow only the person holding the key to see who the message is from and be able to read it too.

Technologies such as this are used everywhere and they are used to secure network traffic between different computers. They are used to keep email safe and private. They are also used in controlling access to files and allow people to use electronic commerce over the Internet. Here we will discuss mainly the email usage of digital signatures.

One of the most common digital signature mechanisms, the Digital Signature Algorithm (DSA) is the basis of the Digital Signature Standard (DSS). As with other digital signature algorithms, DSA lets one person with a secret key "sign" a document, so that others with a matching public key can verify it must have been signed only by the holder of the secret key.

Digital signatures depend on hash functions, which are one-way computations done on a message.

They are called "one-way" because there is no known way (without infeasible amounts of computation) to find a message with a given hash value. In other words, a hash value can be determined for a given message, but it is not known to be possible to construct any message with a given hash value. Hash functions are similar to the scrambling operations used in symmetric key encryption, except that there is no decryption key: the operation is rreversible. The result has a fixed length, which is 160 bits in the case of the Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA) used by DSA.

In practice, digital signatures are used to sign the hash values of messages, not the messages themselves. Thus it is possible to sign a message's hash value, without even knowing the content of the message.

This makes it possible to have digital notaries, who can verify a document existed and was signed, without the notary knowing anything about what was in the document.

Digital signatures can assure that a document was signed by a person with a certain public key, but it may be important to know who that person is.

Anyone can create a public key with software, and say their name is this, and their address is that. But how can you be sure that if they're telling you the truth or just pretending that they are someone they?re not?
Here are two ways to answer this very important question and both involve certificates, which are digitally signed statements that prove the identity of the key holder. The main difference is in who issues the certificates.

One approach which is used by PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) a hybrid cryptosystem, allows anyone to vouch or testify to anyone else's identity.

Ultimately, the user must decide in whom to believe when a statement is made that a key belongs to a certain person. If someone you trust introduces someone else by vouching for the authenticity of his key, then you are more likely to believe it than if you were introduced by a stranger.

In the PGP approach, one person can sign another person's key, as a statement that the key belongs to the owner. This overall structure is called the web of trust.

The other approach, more favored by the government uses formal certificate authorities or CAs. CA?s work with the Public Key Infrastructures (PKI) which houses the certificate storage facilities of a certificate server and provides the certificate management facilities.

The root CA issues certificates of authenticity, after asking the applicant to present credentials such as driver's licenses, passports, social security number or other such items. Usually, the CAs are organized in hierarchies; for example, a national government might operate a root CA, which accredits secondary CAs, which accredit individual users.

What I wish to accomplish here is to instill the importance of email security to you. How would you like it if a letter you mailed through the post office and was read by someone you didn?t even know? Worst yet, what if that letter had been altered? The same goes for your electronic counterparts.

They can be read, altered from the original and sent on to its intended destination or even multiple destinations. This can be changed with the use of digital signatures. Earlier, I shared with you the very basics of what a digital signature is and what it can do for you. Now I?m going to explain in even simpler terms and tell you how to obtain your very own personal certificate for free.

Once you apply for a key through one of the many certificate authorities this is how it works: After receiving your certificate you will be given two keys. One will be public for all to see and the other will be private and kept to yourself. These keys will be used to encrypt (scramble) and decrypt (unscramble) your messages.

Now if someone uses your public key to encrypt a message to you, you can decrypt with your private key.

Now, using your private key you can, with the help of your email software, digitally sign your own messages. This is when the software hashes the message with an algorithm and crunches the message data into what will be called the message digest. Next, your software will encrypt the message digest with your private key.

Now you have your digitally signed message ready to be sent to whomever you wish. When the person you sent the message has to use your public key to decrypt your signature back into the message digest. If the message is readable then this proves that you signed it an all is well with the world.

Now, here is how you can get a free certificate of your own. Go to Thawte and read the available information on there certificates. Thawte is actually a subsidiary of the well known VeriSign company. To obtain your certificate you have to go through a simple, although a little long, registration process. There are no catches, it actually is free and you can obtain multiple certificates. Once you?re at the site it?s pretty clear as to where to you need to go.

Here is what you will see:
"A thawte Personal E-mail certificate allows you to secure your e-mail communications by digitally signing and encrypting your e-mails? absolutely FREE! Click here to get your personal certificate now!"
So, click where it tells you and let?s start. The first step is of course to read over the Terms and Conditions for the Thawte Personal Certificates. By clicking to go to the next page you are accepting these terms. Step two, you?ll be asked to select a language and enter your name, day, date and year of birth. Be honest.

On the third step or page you will be asked for identification number relative to yourself, like driver license number, passport number, social security and so on. Keep answering the questions and around the seventh page or step you will see a summary of what you have entered. Make sure it is correct and click next.

Now you will be sent a mail ping or message to your email account with what are called probe and ping values.

This is to verify your location and identity. Once you have made it through to step fourteen you will be through the registration process and will be able to request a certificate. I personally chose the x.509 format that supports Microsoft Internet Explorer, Outlook and Outlook Express.

After requesting a certificate you can go to the view certificate status and see all the certificates you have requested and received. By clicking on the certificate summary you can now fetch your certificate. Now install. You?re ready to use your very own digital certificate. It may take a little practice to learn how to use it but it will be worth the effort. Remember, it?s free!

Tutorials | How To Send Bulk Emails using Outlook Express

2010-11-05T22:46:00.000-07:00

Open your Outlook Express
Open your "address book"
Click on "New"
Select "New Group"
Add a name for the "Group Name"
Add all e-mail addresses that you'd like in this group by hitting the "Select" button which opens a new window showing all the e-mail addresses in your address book, just highlight them, then hit the >> button between the two "window" panes
Once complete, hit the "Okay" button (more addresses can be added at a later date, just follow the above instructions)

To send a mail to all within the group/s

Create a subject for the e-mail
To the left of the "Address Bar" hit the "To" button and scroll to the "Group" name, then double click on this, or highlight the "group" and select to send using the CC (Carbon Copy) feature, or the BC (Blind Copy) feature. Once done, hit the "Send" button, and this mail will go to all recipients within the Group.

Tutorials | A brief history of Malware Detection

2010-11-05T22:37:00.000-07:00

In the summer of 1999, a strange message started appearing when some computer users tried to open files with an EXE extension:
"Cannot find [Msrexe/Mueexe/Windos/Win32].exe. This program is needed for opening files of type: Application"
Soon, computer help boards were being swamped by users whose systems were rendered unusable because EXE files could not be opened.

The cause was a new generation of the SubSeven trojan, a more versatile and malicious development of the remote access trojan, NetBus. In its earlier versions, the SubSeven file was activated by appending the file name to the Load= or Run= lines in Win.ini, the Shell=Explorer.exe line in System.ini or writing its startup call to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun key in the main body of the Windows registry. This was very difficult for the average user to detect, and most were unaware that their computer and the information stored on it could easily be accessed by outsiders, or that a network of infected systems could be utilised for nefarious purposes, such as Distributed Denial of Service attacks against specific sites.

Ironically, the most versatile development of SubSeven - version 2.1, also known as Gold or SubStealth - was the catalyst for the development of malware detections methods simply because it tried a new kind of trojan activation - the insertion of the trojan file name in the .EXE file type handler:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTexefileshellopencommand. The reason for that was that even if the other registry startup locations were detected and deleted, the trojan file would be activated by opening any file with an EXE extension. At around this time, antivirus programs were beginning to include SubSeven and other trojan patterns in their heuristic technology, so the trojan file name and location became evident when an antivirus program deleted the trojan file itself. As that file name was part of the path to open EXE files, the 'Cannot find...' message appeared when attempting to open any EXE file while the trojan file was missing. Later developments of SubSeven 2.1 allowed random trojan file names to be generated. However, the author of SubSeven, MobMan, and the SubSeven developers had effectively shot themselves in the foot by trying to be too clever with the 'sneaky' startup.

EXE-Fix programs were compiled to restore the registry defaults. By far the most comprehensive of these fixes was EXEFix08, written by a DOS programmer who went by the name of rmbox. EXEFix08 quickly became the standard fix for this infection - it allowed the registry defaults for all registry file extension handlers to be restored (in addition, correctly anticipating the release of other 'sneaky' malware activation methods that used the defaults for other file types such as BAT, COM and JPG. For example, the Blebla worm corrupted 22 file extension handlers, including DOC, XLS and ZIP). For the fix to work, all that needed to be done was to run EXEFix08, then locate and delete the trojan file.

While EXEFix08 solved the immediate problem, SubSeven was just the beginning of the avalanche to come. More and more areas of the arcane Windows registry were identified by malware writers for more and more esoteric startup locations. There was a need for a DOS-based program for Windows 95/98/ME that could enumerate all the known program startup locations of the Windows registry and write them to a text file, enabling helpers to identify where the malware program(s) were being called from. Having finished the development of EXEFix08 (we tested eight versions from v.01 onwards before the final v.08 was released in early 2000), rmbox wrote the first version of StartUp Log for Win 9.x/ME and I continued with the testing and development of the new program.

This was the birth of malware detection as we know it today. StartUp Log was finally made available to the public in the summer of 2000 after further testing and improvements based on input from others (WhitPhil and Rollin' Rog) who confirmed it worked on Windows 98 as it did on Windows 95. While StartUp Log was in development, rmbox released two tiny programs - Edit-SI and Edit-WI - to simplify the process of dealing with trojan startups in both System.ini and Win.ini.

SubSeven was still the king of the trojans at the time, although Bymer, Qaz, PrettyPark and others were widespread. They all had one thing in common: they wrote their startup calls to the registry (which includes system.ini and win.ini), sometimes very aggressively with multiple startup locations.

Now that malware startups could be enumerated to a text file, helpers had a very powerful tool with which to identify not only the malware involved, but also the various startup locations it was loading from. EXEFix08 could fix the 'signature' (file extension handler) trojans, System.ini and Win.ini could be easily edited with rmbox's tools, but the registry startup calls had to be fixed manually using Windows native Regedit.exe (or a custom REG file).

Malware programmers continued to find and use little-known and little-understood areas of the registry where they could write their malware startup calls to. Startup Log was continually developed during 2000/01 and rmbox also released DOS-Delete for files that were reported as being in use by Windows. DOS-Delete, some would say the predecessor to Option^Explicit's KillBox, ingeniously used a NUL= statement in Wininit.ini to delete the rogue file at reboot as Wininit.ini kicks in very early in the boot process.
June 2000 saw the birth of automated spyware removal with the release of OptOut by Steve Gibson of Gibson Research (grc.com). OptOut was limited in the sense that it only targeted Aureate/Radiate and Conducent Timesink. However, shortly afterwards the first version of Lavasoft's AdAware was released, targeting a wider scope of adware and spyware and incorporating a larger database of known malware. Some time later, Patrick Kolla released Spybot Search & Destroy to add to the helpers' arsenal. With manual and automated detection, these were the 'salad days' for helpers - they knew what they were dealing with, and could easily identify and get rid of new malware almost as soon as it appeared, something the antivirus companies were either unable or unwilling to deal with. The helpers were winning the battle...but not the war as it would turn out.

The introduction of Windows XP in late 2001 was a turning point for all concerned. Arguably, it was the most insecure operating system that Microsoft had ever released. One security expert, on first using XP. likened it to a monolithic trojan such was its ability to attract malware.

StartUp Log, which had been instrumental in helping clean so many Windows DOS-based systems, was rendered ineffective by XP's DOS emulation, and its tortuous and sometimes user-defined paths. The desktop, for example was, no longer located at %SystemRoot%WindowsDesktop, but %SystemRoot%Documents & Settings"User Name"Desktop. Services were introduced, adding further complexity for the home user, as well as myriad opportunities for malware writers.

But XP's DOS emulation was not what many had feared. In fact, some of the commands had been enhanced with extra switches. This would prove to be very useful for future DOS-based detection programs such as FindNFix and FindIt.

It only takes a few vulnerabilities in the software of an operating system or browser for attacks on it to be successful, and the first release of XP had many 'holes' that could be exploited. Attackers are opportunistic, take the easiest and most convenient route, and exploit the best-known flaws with the most effective and widely available attack tools. They count on organizations not fixing the problems, and they often attack indiscriminately, scanning the Internet for any vulnerable systems. The easy and rapid spread of the Code Red and NIMDA worms in 2001 can be traced to exploitation of unpatched vulnerabilities.

It's hard to believe now that it took the best part of a year before there was an alternative to StartUp Log - especially since all that needed to be done was to rewrite StartUp Log's DOS code in Visual Basic! During this time, helpers had to deal with adware, spyware, worm and trojan infections on XP systems just from Msinfo32 logs. Fixes were made using direct registry editing and on-the-fly REG and BAT files. We were struggling. There was no way of knowing what exactly was loading from where, and the malware writers were finding more 'holes' that could be exploited. The 'salad days' were over. This was the point where we were no longer dealing with script kiddies writing the likes of LoveBug for 'fun' - there was a malicious, even criminal intent on the part of a new breed of coders who were now in it for the money.

[As an aside, the first piece of spyware as we know it was released in mid-1998. It was a toolbar called Dashbar, and its founder and Executive Vice President of Client Services was Joshua A. Abram. After Dash folded, he went to work for Direct-Revenue.com and is listed as the co-owner of none other than VX2.org, abetterinternet.com and Stop-popup-ads-now.com, among others.]
In September of 2002, Merijn Bellekom, a member at Spywareinfo, came up with the first version of StartupList that essentially acted the same as StartUp Log, but with running processes and extra startup locations enumerated, as well as verification of the location of Explorer.exe. It worked in Windows 2000 and XP! The 'dark ages' were over and a new era of malware detection began.
The only esoteric registry startup location that StartUp Log listed was StubPath (Active Setup). StartupList gave us much more. It was highly versatile as well, to the extent that Merijn was able to release improved versions within hours of receiving feedback from helpers.

A development of StartupList was released shortly afterwards - HijackThis. What differentiated HijackThis from StartupList was the fact that it was not just a text file generator - it was in fact a registry interface. No more direct registry editing - helpers had enumeration of baddies and a fix in just a few clicks! Not many helpers realised the awesome capability that HJT had; we felt comfortable with what we were used to. But HijackThis quickly became the standard for malware identification and removal, and it continues to be the standard to this day.

Tutorials | How to prevent Messenger popups

2010-11-05T22:29:00.000-07:00

The Messenger service is a system notification service designed for system administrators to notify Windows users about their networks using NET SEND. This should not be confused with MSN Messenger, or Windows Messenger as these are totally unrelated.

Advertisers have started using this service to send information about their products using mass-messaging software, and these messages could be used maliciously to distribute a virus. It was because of this issue that the Messenger service has been disabled by default in Windows XP Service Pack 2.

Who is affected ?

This issue only affects Windows NT4, Windows 2000, and Windows XP users.

Windows XP Users

To disable the Messenger service:

Left click the start button, then click Control Panel. Then from the control panel double click the Administrative Tools icon.
Then from the Administrative Tools window double click the Services icon.
Scroll down the list of services until you find the service called "Messenger".
Double click on the Messenger service icon to bring up the service properties window.
From the dervice properties window left click the drop down box called Startup Type and change the startup type from Manual or Automatic to Disabled.
Then click the Stop button. Whilst the Messenger service is stopping you will see a blue progress bar appear.
Once the service has stopped and the progress bar has gone click Apply, then OK.

Windows 2000 Users

Left click the start button, then Settings, and then Control Panel. Then from the control panel double click the Administrative Tools icon.
Then from the Administrative Tools window double click the Services icon.
Scroll down the list of services until you find the service called "Messenger".
Double click on the Messenger service icon to bring up the service properties window.
From the dervice properties window left click the drop down box called Startup Type and change the startup type from Manual or Automatic to Disabled.
Then click the Stop button. Whilst the Messenger service is stopping you will see a blue progress bar appear.
Once the service has stopped and the progress bar has gone click Apply, then OK.

System Administrators

The Messenger service uses UDP ports 135, 137, and 138; TCP ports 135, 139, and 445; and an ephemeral (that is, short-lived) port number greater than 1024. If you have not already, block these ports on your firewall.

Tutorials | How to add Websites to your Browser Favourites

2010-11-05T22:24:00.000-07:00

What are Favourites / Bookmarks ?

Favourites or what are sometimes called "bookmarks" are a means to save the urls (or addresses) to Websites you go to regularly so that in the future you can go to these Websites more quickly, and no longer need to remember the url for each Website. The method for adding Websites to your favourites is different depending on your choice of browser.
For the purpose of this tutorial we will give the methods for the following browsers : Internet Explorer , Netscape , Opera

Internet Explorer

Load up Internet Explorer and navigate to the Website you would like to add to your favourites
Once you are at the Website you would like to add to your favourites click the following from the top Internet Explorer toolbar :
Favourites / Add to Favourites...

A small window will then popup giving you the Website name and asking you to OK the addition of this Website to your favourites, or to Cancel it.

If the Website is correct click OK.
To use Internet Explorer Favourites
Now you have your favourites configured this is how to use them
Open up Internet Explorer
Click from the top Internet Explorer toolbar "Favourites"
Then click on the Website name of the webpage you added to your favourites
The webpage you added to your favourites should now load.

Netscape

Load up Netscape and navigate to the Website you would like to add to your favourites
Once you are at the Website you would like to add to your favourites click the following from the top Netscape toolbar :
Communicator / Bookmarks / Add Bookmark

Click Add Bookmark
To Use Netscape Bookmarks
Click from the top Netscape toolbar :
Communicator / Bookmarks
In this menu towards the bottom of the list of bookmarks you should see the webpage you bookmarked. It will probably be called the same name as the Website you bookmarked.
Then click on the Website name of the webpage you added to your bookmarks
The webpage you added to your bookmarks should now load.

Opera

Open up Opera and navigate to the webpage / Website you would like to add to your bookmarks
Then click the following from the top Opera toolbar :
Bookmarks / Add current document here...

A window will the popup prompting you to confirm the webpage you would like to add to your bookmarks
With Opera you also have the chance to edit any information you would like as to how the bookmark is recorded in your list of bookmarks. Once you're happy with the information click OK

To Use Opera Bookmarks
Click from the top Opera toolbar :
Bookmarks
Then look down the list of your bookmarks to find the one you just added
Click on the name of the bookmark you just added, and the webpage you bookmarked should then load.

Tutorials | How to change your Browser Homepage

2010-11-05T22:19:00.000-07:00

What is your homepage ?

Your homepage is the first Website / webpage that your browser loads automatically as soon as you load browser. The method for changing your homepage is different depending on your browser. For the purpose of this tutorial we will give the methods for the following browsers : Internet Explorer , Netscape , Opera

Internet Explorer

Click Start / Settings / Control Panel
Double click on the "Internet Options" icon
Look for the title "Home Page" on the window that will have popped up (see below)

You can now enter the url, or address, of the Website / webpage you'd like to use as your homepage into the white box marked "Address :" (highlighted in the above picture).
Once you're happy that you have the url correct click "Apply" (bottom left of the window) and then OK
An alternate way to do set your homepage, which if you aren't sure of the url of the Website you'd like to use for your homepage is ideal, you can do this :
Open up Internet Explorer and navigate to the Website / webpage you would like to use as your homepage.
Then click from the top Internet explorer toolbar Tools / Internet Options
The same window will popup as the one in the above picture but a button called "Use Current" will now become usable
To make the webpage you're currently visiting your homepage click "Use Current"
Once you're happy that the url is correct click "Apply" (bottom left of the window) and then OK

Netscape

Open Netscape and click from the top toolbar the following :
Edit / Preferences
The preferences window will now have popped up.
Then look to the left hand side of the Preferences window to the white pane called "Category:"
Find "Navigator" and click on it once
The right side of the window will now contain all of your Navigator Preferences including the homepage

As with the Internet Explorer method you will have the option of either typing in the url (or address) of the Website / webpage you would like to make your homepage. Or alternatively you can navigate to the Website you would like to be your homepage and then set it there. Here are the 2 methods.
Typing in the URL
Look halfway down on the right side of the window for the heading "Home page"
The will be a box titled "Location:" In the white box next to it you can enter the url to the Website / webpage you would like to make your homepage.
Setting a Website to be your homepage
Alternatively you can navigate to the Website you would like to make your homepage as you normally would having just loaded Netscape, and then follow the above procedure to take you to the "Navigator Preferences" window (see picture above).
Then because you're at the actual site/page you would like to make your homepage the button titled "Use Current Page" will be usable.
Click the "Use Current Page" button and the webpage you're currently visiting will from now on be your homepage.

Opera

On Opera it is a somewhat simpler process.
Open up Opera and go to the Website / webpage you would like to make your homepage
Then click from the top toolbar the following :
Navigation / Set home page...

You should then see the url (or address) of the Website you are visiting and would like to make your homepage

Click the "Use Active" button next to the url of your chosen site
Then click OK

Tutorials | How to delete Temp Files Temporary Internet Files and Cookies

2010-11-05T22:16:00.000-07:00

Removing Temporary Internet Files

Open Internet Explorer (IE) and click Tools then Internet Options on the tool bar.
Then click on Delete Files.

To delete Pages you've made Off-line readable put a tick in the box on the next window that pops up.

Removing Temporary Internet Files, History, Cookies and Temp Files

What I do is I have these few lines of code in my Autoexec.bat file (this file is accessed during boot up) that automatically delete both these files when I turn the computer on. To use this method simply cut and paste this code into your Autoexec.bat file :

Code:

@ECHO OFF
IF EXIST C:\WINDOWS\SMARTDRV.EXE C:\WINDOWS\SMARTDRV.EXE 2048 16
IF EXIST C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\*.* DELTREE /Y C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\*.* > NUL
IF EXIST C:\WINDOWS\COOKIES\*.* DELTREE /Y C:\WINDOWS\COOKIES\*.* > NUL
IF EXIST C:\WINDOWS\RECENT\*.* DELTREE /Y C:\WINDOWS\RECENT\*.* > NUL
IF EXIST C:\WINDOWS\HISTORY\*.* DELTREE /Y C:\WINDOWS\HISTORY\*.* > NUL
IF EXIST C:\WINDOWS\TEMPOR~1\*.* DELTREE /Y C:\WINDOWS\TEMPOR~1\*.* > NUL

To edit your Autoexec.bat file to add this code go to Start/Find type Autoexec.bat in the search box and then right click on the file once it has been found and click on Edit. If you only want to delete these files every now and again remove the code after one full boot up and everything will return to normal when you reboot.

2010-11-05T22:09:00.000-07:00

Tutorials | How to change your Internet Explorer window title

2010-11-05T17:39:00.000-07:00

This tutorial will show how to create a custom title for Internet Explorer. Note, some ISPs (Internet Service Providers) may require you to keep the window title to whatever they changed it. Make sure to check your license agreement first. In addition, this modifies the Registry, so make sure to back the Registry up first.

Click Start
Click Run
Type "regedit" (without quotes)
Click OK
Make sure My Computer is selected
Click File then Export and save it in a place where you will remember (this step creates a backup file of the registry in case something goes wrong) and click OK.
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerMain
If Internet Explorer already has a title other than Microsoft Internet Explorer, but you are allowed to change it (if the title is the default one, skip to step 9):
- Right-click on the key "Window Title" and select Modify
- In the Value data text box type the name you wish to appear as the window title.
- Click OK
- Close the Registry Editor and when you restart IE, the window title should be changed
If the title of IE is Microsoft Internet Explorer, you probably will not have a key called Window Title, so you will have to make one (if there is a Window Title key, follow step 8 instead).
- Right-click in the white space and select New then String Value
- In the text box, type "Window Title" (without quotes)
- Right-click on the key "Window Title" and select Modify
- In the Value data text box type the name you wish to appear as the window title.
- Click OK
- Close the Registry Editor and when you restart IE, the window title should be changed

Tutorials | How to clear your AutoComplete History

2010-11-05T17:29:00.000-07:00

What is AutoComplete ?

AutoComplete is a feature offered by many browsers to keep track of information that you have recently typed, such as website address, and form information (like login forms). Its purpose is to try and anticipate what you are typing so that it can provide you with possible matches and thus save you time.

Internet Explorer Users

Left click Start, then Settings, then Control Panel.
Double left click the Internet Options icon. The Internet Properties window will open.
Left click the Content tab.
Left click the AutoComplete button.
Now click the Clear Forms button. This will remove all form data stored except for passwords. If you use the Clear Passwords button you will find that you will need to enter your password in forms (such as login forms) and that Internet Explorer will no longer be able to pre-fill those items for you. Because of this it is not recommended to use this button unless you have an explicit need to do so.

If you decide that you no longer wish for Internet Explorer to use its autocomplete functionality you can stop this by unticking any of the checkboxes in this window. Should you change your mind you can turn this functionality back on by simply reticking the checkbox(es).

Mozilla Firefox Users

Open your Firefox browser.
Left click from the top toolbar Tools and then Options. The Options window will then load.
Then left click the Privacy icon from the left pane of the Options window.
From the right pane click the Clear button next to "Saved Form Information".

If you decide that you no longer wish for Firefox to use its autocomplete functionality in the Search bar you can stop this by clicking on the plus sign next to "Saved Form Information". Then untick the checkbox entitled "Save information I enter in web page forms and the Search Bar". Should you change your mind you can turn this functionality back on by simply reticking this checkbox.

Tutorials | How to boot into Safe Mode

2010-11-05T17:22:00.000-07:00

Booting into Safe Mode

In Safe Mode, Windows only uses basic files and drivers (mouse, monitor, keyboard, mass storage, base video, default system services, and no network connections). This provides an often invaluable way to diagnose problems such as software installation problems, driver issues, spyware & virus removal issues.
Detailed below are the methods you can use to boot into safe mode using Windows 95, 98 & ME, 2000, and XP.

Windows 95

Restart the computer.
As your computer restarts but before Windows launches, press F8.
On the Startup Menu, choose Safe Mode (Option 3)

Windows 98 & Me

Restart the computer.
As your computer restarts but before Windows launches, press F8.
On the Startup Menu, choose Safe Mode (Option 3)

Alternatively, you may use the System Configuration Utility Method.

While in Normal mode, Close all programs.
Click Start then Run and type MSCONFIG in the box. Then click OK
In the System Configuration Utility on the General Tab, click the Advanced Button
In the Advanced Troubleshooting Settings dialog box, check Enable Startup Menu. Click OK. Click OK again to return to your Windows desktop.
You will then be prompted to restart the computer. Click Yes. The computer will restart in Safe mode.
When you are finished with troubleshooting in Safe mode, open MSCONFIG again and uncheck "Enable Start-up Menu." under the Advanced Menu, then click OK to restart your computer

Windows 2000

Restart the computer.
When you see the black & white "Starting Windows" bar at the bottom of the screen press the F8 key. The Windows 2000 Advanced Options Menu should then appear.
Ensure that the Safe mode option is selected. If it isn't selected use the arrow keys to choose Safe Mode. Then press Enter to start booting into Safe Mode.
When you are finished with all your troubleshooting steps, close all open programs and restart the computer as you normally would.

Windows XP

If Windows XP is the only operating system installed on your computer, booting into Safe Mode with these instructions.

Restart the computer.
As soon as the BIOS loads, begin tapping the F8 key on your keyboard. Do so until the Windows Advanced Options menu appears. If you begin tapping the F8 key too soon, some computers display a "keyboard error" message. If this happens, restart the computer and try again.
Ensure that the Safe mode option is selected. If it isn't selected use the arrow keys to choose Safe Mode. Then press Enter to start booting into Safe Mode.
The computer then begins to start in Safe mode.
When you are finished with all troubleshooting, close all programs and restart the computer as you normally would.

To use the System Configuration Utility method

Close all open programs.
Click Start, Run and type MSCONFIG in the box and click OK.
The System Configuration Utility appears, On the BOOT.INI tab, Check the "/SAFEBOOT" option, and then click OK
Restart your computer when prompted.
The computer restarts in Safe mode.
Perform the troubleshooting steps for which you are using Safe Mode.
When you are finished with troubleshooting in Safe mode, open MSCONFIG again, on the BOOT.INI tab, uncheck "/SAFEBOOT" and click OK to restart your computer

Additional Notes

Booting into Safe Mode does take longer than booting into normal Windows mode. This is normal for Safe Mode.
When in Safe Mode it is very likely that you will not be able to connect to the internet. This is normal for Safe Mode.
You may find that the familiar Windows interface you are used to will look different. This is normal for Safe Mode.
You may find that many programs you normally use in Windows will not work in Safe Mode. This is normal for Safe Mode.
If you get a "Keyboard Error" when pressing F8 at system startup reboot your computer and try again. Getting the timing right can be a bit difficult at first.

Tutorials | How to set your screen resolution in Windows

2010-11-05T17:17:00.000-07:00

If your screen resolution is too high you will find that the text or images on your screen may be too small. If your screen resolution is too low you may find that the text or images are too large. This is how to change your resolution to how you would like it :
Click Start / Settings / Control Panel
Then double click the "Display" Icon. The Display Properties window will now popup.
Click on the Settings Tab.

Towards the bottom right corner of this window you will see "Screen Area" and a sliding control underneath it.
Drag the sliding control to the left to lower your resolution, or drag it to the right to increase your resolution.
Click Apply when you have the resolution adjusted to a level you would like.

A popup will then appear explaining that your screen may flicker whilst the resolution changes and that your desktop will be redrawn (resized).
Once the screen is redrawn Windows will ask you whether you would like to keep the new settings you have just changed, or would like to return to the old settings.

Tutorials | How to automatically log in to Windows XP Professional

2010-11-05T17:15:00.000-07:00

Windows XP Professional comes with more than one way to control the user accounts. However, it leaves one mostly hidden. This one is called Control Userpasswords2, and it can be used to automatically login to XP Pro.

Go to the Start Menu and click Run
In the Run text box, type control userpasswords2 and click OK
Uncheck the checkbox that says "Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer."
Click the Advanced tab and uncheck "Require users to press Ctrl + Alt + Delete"
Click OK
When the dialogue box pops up, type in your username and password (if you do not have a password, leave it blank)
Click OK

Tutorials | How to safely uninstall a Windows Program

2010-11-05T17:12:00.000-07:00

How to safely uninstall a Windows Program

Whenever possible it is usually best to remove a program using the "Add or Remove Programs" tool in Windows or the uninstallation utility provided by the software manufacturer.
Most software written for Windows installs more than just its program files on to your computer. They also install configuration data in the Windows Registry. The uninstallation process when done safely will remove the files and registry entries for you automatically.
This is the process you should use to uninstall a program using the Windows "Add or Remove Programs" tool.

Before proceeding it is important to save any work you might have open and close all programs that you are currently using.
Click the Start button, then Settings, then Control Panel.
Then from the Control Panel double click on the "Add or Remove Programs" button.
Then scroll through the list of installed programs to choose which program you want to uninstall. When you have found the program that you would like to uninstall left click the program name. (In the image below I have chosen to uninstall "RssBandit").
Then click the "Remove" button to start the uninstallation process. On earlier Windows versions this button is called the "Add/Remove".
The specific uninstallation process depends on the program that you are uninstalling. Often the uninstallation process looks very much like the installation process you used to originally install the software.
If you are asked whether you would like to remove any "Shared files" select No. Deleting shared files should only be used by advanced users. Choosing yes to the wrong files could make your system unstable.
Some programs may require you to reboot to complete the uninstallation process. If the uninstallation process says that you need to reboot do so. The reboot step is usually used to provide the uninstallation utility an opportunity to remove any remaining files from the programs installation.

Windows 95, 98 & ME Users

Although the above process was written for XP & 2000 users the process is very similar using your Windows version.

Additional Notes

If you are using Windows 2000, or XP you will need to be logged in to an account with Administrative privileges.

Tutorials | Using Shortcuts

2010-11-05T17:08:00.000-07:00

A shortcut is a pointer to another object such as an application, folder, document, or printer. You can create a shortcut on the desktop or in any folder. If you delete a shortcut, you are deleting the pointer to an object, not the object itself. If you delete a shortcut to a program, the program's executable file will still remain on the hard drive.
You can identify a shortcut by the arrow in the lower left corner of the icon. If you right click on a shortcut, select Properties, then select the Shortcut tab, you can see the path that the shortcut is pointing to in the Target box.

To put a shortcut on your desktop, follow these instructions:

Open My Computer.
Double left click a drive or folder. Then navigate to the item you wish to make a shortcut to such as a file, program, folder, or printer.
Left click once on the item to highlight it.
Then left click once on the File menu, then click Create Shortcut.
If your window is maximised, and you cannot see your desktop, resize the window you are working in so that you can see the desktop easily.
Left click the new shortcut and hold the mouse button down. Whilst you have the mouse button held down drag the new shortcut on to the desktop.

Additional Notes

To open My Computer you can in the case of Windows XP left click the Start Button then left click My Computer from the Start Menu. For earlier versions of Windows double left click the My Computer icon on your desktop.
An alternative method of performing the same process above is to hold down the right click an item and whilst holding down the mouse button drag it on to your desktop. You will then be given the option to Create Shortcut(s) Here.