Golden-ebooks blog

All Posts Are Updated and Moved

noreply@blogger.com (cotojo) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:42:00 +0000

Here you will find the index of articles posted on my main site site. Due to my previous host suspending my account with notice for high bandwidth and cpu usage, I lost most articles as the backups were corrupt. I am in the process of replacing them by working through SQL and php files to recover what I can. If you click the link below to go to the Homepage and then click the A - Z Index, you will find articles that have been replaced along with a few new additions.

These links will take you directly to the page - Click here for the HomePage

Most articles have links to FREE software downloads and tutorials where applicable.

50 Ways to Take Back Control of Your Personal Data - External Link

AdAware Anniversary Edition Free

AdAware2007 – Tutorial

AdAware2008 from Lavasoft Plus Tutorial

Ad-Aware 2009 from Lavasoft

Adobe Reader / Acrobat Vulnerability

Advanced PC Tweaker - Bad News

Advanced System Care from IOBit - July 2009

Advanced Windows Care from IoBit – March 2008

Anti-Rootkit from Panda – Freeware

AntiVirus Pro and Hijack Malware Removal

Anti Virus Test Program – EICAR Test File

Anti-Virus-1 Targets Ads and Adobe Flash

A-Squared Free plus Tutorial - July 2008

A-Squared 4.5 Free - Updated October 2009

Auslogics Disk Defrag – Free Software

Auslogics Free Registry Cleaner & Registry Defrag

Autorun .inf Removal

Avast Anti-Virus Free Home Edition

Avast Anti-Virus Configuration and Scanning

AVG Anti-Rootkit Free

AVG Anti-Spyware Discontinued – Now part of AVG V8

AVG Anti-Virus V7.5 Installation Guide

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 8.0.1

AVG Anti-Virus V8.0.1 Installation and Setup

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 8.0.1 Reliability

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition V9

AVG Scheduled Scanning

AVG Update Failed – Invalid Update Control CTF File

AVG Update Problems

Backup Your System With XXClone

Basic Computer Security

Biggest Security Threat – Scareware

BitDefender Anti-Virus Free Edition

BlockDelete for MSN – More Bad News

Bloghology – March Issue, Free Download

Bloghology – April Issue, Free Download

Bloghology – May Issue, Free Download

Botnets – Are You One?

Browser Cache Size and using CCleaner

Browser Exploit Prevention - NoScript for Firefox and LinkScanner Lite

CCleaner – Erase your browsing history safely

Clipperz Online Password Manager

Clipperz Password manager – Updated

Clearing Your Browsers Cache

CloudBerry Twitter – Free Add-on

Common Blue Screen Errors and Their Meanings

Comodo Free Firewall

Conficker C – Update April 1st 2009

Conficker C – Update 2 April 2nd 2009

Conficker C: Update 3 April 3rd 2009

Conficker C: Update April 9

Conficker C – D-Day Is Coming

Conficker – Downadup Removal

Conficker Removal Tool – Free

Contact Me here

CoolWebSearch

Cybercriminals Increase Phishing Attacks

Defraggler – Portable Defrag Tool

Desktop Smiley Removal

Direct X Errors and Fixes

Disable USB Autorun

Drivers Backup For Windows

DriverMax 5.1 – Free Driver Updates – Updated August 2009

Driver Updates – Free - November 2008

Dumb Things You Can Do To Ruin Your PC

Duplicate File Finder

Easeus Partition Manager – Free

EasyCrypto – Simple and Safe File Encryption

Ecard Virus / Postcard Alert

eCard Virus Removal

EICAR Test File – Test Your AntiVirus

Email Dangers - August 2007

Email Danger – Free Web Tools

Encryption and Making Your System Secure

Epidemic of Fake Anti-malware Products Threaten Internet Users

Eusing Free Registry Cleaner

Facebook Virus email zip file

Fake AntiVirus Scanners Part 1 – How They Operate

Fake AntiVirus Programs Part 2 – Using Malwarebytes Antimalware

Fake AntiVirus Programs Part 3 – Using Superantispyware

Fake Antivirus Programs Part 4 – Using Spyware Doctor Starter edition V6

Fake AntiVirus Programs Part 5 – Using Spybot S&D

Fake Antivirus Removal

Fake Microsoft ‘Conflicker.B’ Infection Alert

Fake Site Exposed - PC Doc Pro

Fighting Off Viruses

Fighting Spam

FileHippo Update Checker

File Shredders for Security

File Shredder Tutorial

Firefox: 50 Add-Ons to Achieve Private and Secure Web Surfing – External link

Firewall Test – ShieldsUp

Flash Cookies and Privacy

Free Firewalls

Comodo
Online Armor
PC Tools Firewall Plus
ZoneAlarm

Free Fixer for Windows - September 2007

FreeFixer For Windows – Updated October 2009

Free PC Security Test

Free PC Tune Up Updated Link Below

Free PC Tune-up with PCPitsop Overdrive

Free Registry Cleaner

GigaTribe – Safe P2P File Sharing

Giveaway of the Day

Guidelines For Dealing With EXE Errors

Guidelines For Solving PC Application Errors

Have You Received A Postcard/eCard?

HostsXpert and Host Files

HostsXpert & HostsMan

HottieStar Removal

Infected PC Won’t Boot?

Instant Messengers – Reducing The Risks

IE7Pro For Internet Explorer 7 and V8

Internet Explorer Pre-Release Information

Internet Explorer Zero Day Threat

IOBit Advanced Windows Care Personal V2.7

IOBit Security 360 – Beta

IOBit Security 360 – Updated September 2009

IOBit Smart Defrag

IOBit Smart Defrag – Updated Version

Job Scams – What You Really Need To Know

KeePass – Free Password Security

Keyloggers – What Are They?

KeyScrambler – Defeat Keyloggers

Layered Security

Layered Security Part 2

LinkScanner Lite

Lavasoft Ad-Aware 2007 Free Edition

Lavasoft Ad-Aware 2009

List of Malicious Sites / Rogue Software

List of Malicious Sites / Rogue Software Updated

Mac’s Attacked With Pirated Software

Mac Antivirus and Antimalware – Free Programs

Macrium Reflect - Free Disk Imaging Backup

Malicious Sites – Listed Alphabetically

0-9 | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |

Malware Creators Use Hosts File

Malware Redirects Browsers

Malware Removal

Malware – The Growing Enemy

Malwarebytes AntiMalware

MeetYourMessenger – Bad News!

Microsoft Security Essentials – Beta

Microsoft Security Essentials V1 – Free

Microsoft Update Fake Emails

Microsoft’s October Security Updates Go Large

Microsoft Update Problems

More eMail Dangers - November 2008

MRU Blaster

MSN Messenger Spreads Viral Attack Through Users

MSN Virus Cleaner

Network Cables - External link

Network Magic

New Attack on MS Word

Norman Malware Cleaner

Ode To Computer Spellcheckers

Online Armor Free Firewall V3.5 - July 2009

Online Armor Free Firewall Plus Installation Tutorial – June 2008

Open DNS

Orbasoft – Dangerous Application

Panda Anti-Rootkit

Panda Cloud Antivirus – Beta

Paragon Drive Backup – Free

Partition A New Hard Drive

P2P Networks Infected With Downloader-UA

PC-DeCrapifier

PC Tools Firewall Plus V5 – Free

Phishing for Your Identity

PHORM – Invading Your Privacy

Portable Tools

A-Squared 4.5 Free

Auslogics Disk Defrag

CCleaner Slim

Dr.Web CureIt

HostsXpert and HostsMan – Browser Redirects

Keepass Password Security

Norman Malware Cleaner

Q-Dir File Manager

Revo Uninstaller

WinPatrolToGo

Potential Threats of VoiP

Privacy & Disclosure Policy

Protect Your PC & Your Privacy Online

Protect Yourself from ID Theft

Q-Dir File Manager

Reciprocal Review Carousel – More Viral Linking

Reciprocal Review Carousel – Web 2.0 Viral Linking

Recuva – Restore Deleted Files

RegCure vs CCleaner and OneCare

Registry Defrag Tool

Registry Mighty – How To Ruin Your PC

Registry Protector

Remove AntiVirus Pro and Hijacking Malware

Remove Crapware From Your PC

Removing Malicious Anti-Malware Applications

Rename EXE Files To Unblock Security Programs

Revo Uninstaller – Free Software

Revo Uninstaller Free – Updated November 2009

RoboForm Password Manager

Rogue Applications

Rogue Programs – Updated regularly

Rogueware Sold Through Clickbank

Rootkits, Malware and Registry Protection

Rootkit Remover

Safeguard Your Identity Online and Off

Safety Keeper Removal

Sandboxed Malware – 100% Safe Surfing

Sandboxie – Ultimate Malware Protection

Save XP or Death of XP?

Scareware becomes Ransomware

Scareware On The Increase

SecureZIP Version 11 Free

Secunia Personal Software Inspector October 2007

Secunia Personal Software Inspector Updated February 2009

Securing Firefox

Securing Mac Computers

Securing WinXP

Securing Your Browser

Securing Your System

Securing Your Wireless Network

Security Software – The Truth

Simple Tips for Safe Computing

Skype Targeted With Worm

SmitFraudFix, Zlob Removal and VundoFix

Social Networking and Safety

Social Networks Targeted With Trojan

Spybot S&D updated October 2008

Spyware Blaster 3.5

SpywareBlaster 4.2 - Added April 2009

Spyware Cleaner 2009 – Fake Application

Spyware Doctor Starter Edition V6

SpywareGuard 2.2

Spyware -What It Is and What It Does

Steps To Prevent Computer Freezes

Stylish Profile and Search13 Removal

Superantispyware

SUPERantispyware Tutorial

Surf Faster, Safer and Smarter with OpenDNS

Surfing the Web Anonymously

System Security and Other Malware Removal

Task Manager Fix

TDSS, TDSServ and Other Rootkit Removal – August 2009

TDSS Removal – Updated September 2009

Ten XP Services to Turn Off

The Schmooze Award

Thinking Blogger Award

ThreatFire – Realtime Security Monitoring - January 2008

Threatfire Security Monitor - Updated May 2009

Total Security Removal

Trojan and Worm Remover

Trojan Horse – Greek Myth or Computer Nemesis?

Troubleshoot WinXP Boot Problems

Undelete Plus Free Software

UPS Email Infected With Trojan

UPS email zip file – updated November 2009

URL Shortening Service Causes Debate

Using Lavasoft AdAware 2007 – Tutorial Included

Valentine’s Day eCards Will You Be A Victim?

Verify Your Blog On MyBlogLog

Viral Reciprocal Review Carousel – Rebirth

Virus Alert

Virus Melt – More Bad News

Virus Protection from AVG – Tutorial Included

Virus Removal Tools from AVG

Virus Removal Tools from BitDefender Plus Free Online Scanner

VoIP – The Potential Threats

Vundo Fix

Web of Trust Community Trust Certificate

Web of Trust – Founder of MySQL Joins Board of Directors

Web of Trust Is Your Community

Web of Trust Publicity Award 2008

Web of Trust ScamBuster Award 2008

Web of Trust Under Attack

What is a Rootkit?

Who Blocked You On MSN

Who Knows What About You?

Windows Protection Suite Removal

Windows Steady State

Windows Updates and Zone Alarm Problems

Wireless Networking Magic

Windows Vista: Turn Off Hibernation and Recover Drive Space

WinPatrol 2007 Freeware Protection

WinPatrol 2009 – Free, PLUS and Portable Versions

WinPatrol 2010

WordPress Security

WOT – Against Intuition

WOT Extends Email Protection

WOT (Web of Trust) Release Version 3.5

XPAntiVirus2008/2009/AntiVirus Removal

XXClone – Free Backup Utility

Zamzar Free File Converter

Zlob Removal

ZoneAlarm Free Firewall - Updated June 2009

Zone Alarm Free Firewall

Zone Alarm Free Firewall - Installation Guide

Zone Alarm Setup – Video Tutorial

Click to join FreePCSecurity

Surf Safer, Surf with WOT

PCPitstop Overdrive - Free PC Tune-up

noreply@blogger.com (cotojo) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:04:00 +0000

PCPitstop have changed the format of the Free PC Tune-up. It is now even easier to use and is a great one-stop site to visit and test your machines health, configuration and performance.

The tests only take a few minutes and are 100% safe. You will be prompted to install the PC Pitstop Utility which you must accept to carry out the tests after which you will again have the opportunity to create an account which can be useful for comparison when used again.

Full details Click Here

UPS Email Infected - High Risk Threat

noreply@blogger.com (cotojo) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:00:00 +0000

There is an email apparently from UPS going around with an attachment: invoice_8712.zip#670639117 which contains the Win32:Zbot Trojan.

Email reads:

‘Unfortunately we were not able to deliver postal package you sent on July (date varies) in time because the recipient’s address is not correct.
Please print out the invoice copy attached and collect the package at our office

Your UPS’

The invoice ‘copy’ is in a .zip file. Please do NOT open this attachment as you will be infected with the Zbot Trojan. If you receive one of these emails simply delete it.

Full details and free removal tools Click Here

Try Clipperz Password Manager

noreply@blogger.com (cotojo) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 17:54:00 +0000

Clipperz is an online password manager where you have total control. You access it through a Master Password (Passphrase) that YOU create, should you forget it then you have a real problem as you are the only one who knows it, it isn’t stored which also means that it cannot be retrieved.

All the information that you enter into the browser window is fully encrypted and secure. Also, this is the first web-based application that has no knowledge of the users or their data.

Full details Click Here

Defrag With Defraggler

noreply@blogger.com (cotojo) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 13:16:00 +0000

Many defragmenting programs you have to defrag the whole drive, but with this one you have the power to defrag specific files or folders as well as the complete hard drive if you want to.

Being small and compact it will also run from a usb flash drive, no need to install it on each machine to run it.

Full details Click Here

Avast AntiVirus Configuration and Scanning

noreply@blogger.com (cotojo) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 13:12:00 +0000

Once Avast Anti-Virus is set up it will run itself, monitoring in realtime and will warn you of any known incoming threats that may compromise your system.

The tutorial videos will show you how to configure Avast and then how to complete a manual scan, although for most of the time the Resident Shield offers superb protection.

Full details Click Here

Safer Surfing in 'Virtual' Environment

noreply@blogger.com (cotojo) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:29:00 +0000

With normal surfing information is loaded from your hard drive and then through your browser where information is then written back to your computer, if it’s a malicious site then you will also have malware written to your drive.

What if you could use a ‘virtual area’ in which you can run your browser, email reader, instant messengers and programs in complete safety. The information is loaded from your hard drive into the 'virtual' environment, from there the read/write operations are carried out within the 'virtual' environment and never back to your computer.

Well..........you can........Full details Click Here

A-Squared Free plus Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (cotojo) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:27:00 +0000

The free version is the little brother of a-squared Anti-Malware and contains only the scanner to clean infected computers. It does not come with the following features: background guard, Auto-Update, scheduled scans or HiJackFree.

The disk scan checks all files on your system disks for Malware. The scanner scans for Spyware Traces. Currently there are more than 1.2 million different types of Malware that can be detected and removed.

Full Details Click Here.

Web of Trust Is Your Community

noreply@blogger.com (cotojo) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:24:00 +0000

Now there is a new tool for all users which is community driven. Web of Trust rates sites on standards of trustworthiness, vendor reliability, privacy and child safety. Once installed as a small BHO, it will place a safety rating on search engine searches and also checks links in emails. This takes it further up the ladder aimed at improving online safety for all users.

Click Here For Full Details

Uninstall Programs Easily With RevoUninstaller

noreply@blogger.com (cotojo) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:19:00 +0000

The Windows Add/Remove programs applet is slow and does not list all of the programs that you can uninstall. This neat little tool overcomes this and runs much faster than the Add/Remove applet.

Full Details Click Here

Avast Anti-Virus 4 Free Home Edition

noreply@blogger.com (cotojo) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:16:00 +0000

This is an all-in-one protection anti-virus program which includes anti-spyware protection and anti-rootkit protection. There is no additional purchase required, unlike many other leading anti-virus products which require purchase of the full version to enable anti-rootkit and/or anti-spyware tools.

Full Details Click Here

A - Z Index on Free PC Security

noreply@blogger.com (cotojo) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:43:00 +0000

Here you will find the index of articles posted my Free PC Security blog, although at the moment is not yet fully completed, but I have added all of the most recent posts and am working backwards.

The reason for this is to avoid duplicate content, so all future links will be added to this list.

Most articles have links to FREE software downloads where applicable.

5 Reasons to Invest in a Registry Cleaner

50 Ways to Take Back Control of Your Personal Data - External Link

AdAware2007 - Tutorial

AdAware2008 from Lavasoft Plus Tutorial

Advanced Windows Care from I0Bit

Anti Virus Test Program

Avast Anti-Virus Free Home Edition

AVG Anti-Rootkit Free Discontinued - Now part of AVG V8 but NOT in Free Version

AVG Anti-Spyware Discontinued - Now part of AVG V8 but NOT in Free Version

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 8.0.1

AVG Anti-Virus V8.0.1 Installation and Setup

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 8.0.1 Reliability

Backup Your System With XXClone

BitDefender Anti-Virus Free Edition

BlockDelete for MSN - More Bad News

Browser Exploit Prevention - NoScript for Firefox and LinkScanner Lite

CCleaner - Erase your browsing history safely

Contact Me here

CoolWebSearch

Direct X Errors and Fixes

Drivers Backup For Windows

Dumb Things You Can Do To Ruin Your PC

Duplicate File Finder

EasyCrypto - Simple and Safe File Encryption

Email Dangers

Email Danger - Free Web Tools

File Shredders for Security

File Shredder Tutorial

Free Fixer for Windows

Free PC Security Test

Free PC Tune Up

Free Registry Cleaner

Have You Received A Postcard/eCard?

Instant Messengers - Reducing The Risks

IOBit Advanced Windows Care Personal V2.7

IOBit Smart Defrag - Updated Version

Job Scams - What You Really Need To Know

KeyScrambler - Defeat Keyloggers

LinkScanner Lite

Lavasoft Ad-Aware 2007 Free Edition

MeetYourMessenger - Bad News!

MSN Messenger Spreads Viral Attack Through Users

New Attack on MS Word

Online Armor Free Firewall

Partition A New Hard Drive

P2P Networks Infected With Downloader-UA

Privacy & Disclosure Policy

Reciprocal Review Carousel - Web 2.0 Viral Linking

Recuva - Restore Deleted Files

Registry Defrag Tool

Remove Crapware From Your PC

Removing Malicious Anti-Malware Applications

Save XP or Death of XP?

SecureZIP Version 11 Free

Secunia Personal Software Inspector

Securing Firefox

Securing Mac PC's

Securing Your Wireless Network

Simple Tips for Safe Computing

Skype Targeted With Worm

SmitFraudFix and Zlob Removal

Social Networking and Safety

Social Networks Targeted With Trojan

Spybot Search & Destroy - Tutorial Included

Steps To Prevent Computer Freezes

Surf Faster, Safer and Smarter with OpenDNS

Ten XP Services to Turn Off

ThreatFire - Realtime Security Monitoring

Trojan and Worm Remover

Troubleshoot WinXP Boot Problems

Viral Reciprocal Review Carousel - Rebirth

Virus Alert and BitDefender Free Online Scanner

Virus Removal Tools from AVG

Virus Removal Tools from BitDefender Plus Free Online Scanner

Web Of Trust Is Your Community Added June 30, 2008

What is a Rootkit?

Wireless Networking Magic

Windows Vista: Turn Off Hibernation and Recover Drive Space

WinPatrol 2007 Freeware Protection

XPAntiVirus2008 Removal

Zamzar File Converter

Zone Alarm Free Firewall

Zone Alarm Setup - Video Tutorial

Bloghology - Free Download

noreply@blogger.com (cotojo) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 13:03:00 +0000

This ebook is well worth downloading if you are serious about blogging. There are profiles of 24 participating bloggers, their photos, links to their best posts, and interviews with them.

Go ahead, click above and get your FREE download, no strings whatsoever.

Join The Peace Train

noreply@blogger.com (cotojo) — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 13:41:00 +0000

Carol of My View of "It" started this new Peace Train. Here's what Carol said about this: "It is the start of the New Year. Bush is still in Office, we are still at War. I can no longer sit idly by without letting the World know that I am opposed to War and can only think of one way to spread this message. Won't you join me by placing a badge in the sidebar (or somewhere on your site) to let the world know that we are United against the War and looking for Peace in this the New Year?"

You can leave a comment at this post on Carol's blog My View of "It" when you join and you will be listed there. You can pick up the Peace Train Link List and the badge at Carol's blog, or you may use the alternate ones in the scroll box at Bloggers for Peace: Join the Peace Train , or you can create your own if you like. Do regularly check Carol's Peace Train to update your link list!

Join the Peace Train:

My View of "It" • Our Hep Chat • My Reviews and Finds Along the Way • Beth Allen II • Writing 5 to 9 • Positive Communication • NoDirectOn (not: NoDirection) • Additional BlogLOve • Blue Ribbon Bloggers • OgenDicht/EyesClosed • The Painted Veil • Santa's Community Blog • Twisted Sister • laketrees • PoeARTica • New England Lighthouse Treasures • Observations From the Back 40 • Lynda Lehmann • Such Simple Pleasures • LifePrints - Good News for a More Compassionate World • Blogging Sueblimely • Life • Amori, poesie, arte, chat virtuali • Angela's Art Diary • Lavender Loft • A to Z Blogging • PERIPHERAL VISION - Inner Sights by Lynda Lehmann • Sue's Views • Journey of A Spirited Strider • My Journal • Happy Tiler • Binding Ink • Everyday Life • Ozlife Begins • Kikay-SiteNet • Lady Norm • Golden-eBooks Blog •

Google Algorithm

noreply@blogger.com (cotojo) — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 13:00:00 +0000

Troubleshoot WinXP Boot Problems

noreply@blogger.com (cotojo) — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 22:19:00 +0000

When your system seems to power up okay, but the Windows XP operating system won’t boot properly, you have to begin troubleshooting and if necessary get into the operating system, determine the problem, and then fix it. To help you get started, here are some things you can do when Windows XP won’t boot.

Use a Windows startup disk
One of the first things you should reach for when troubleshooting a Windows XP boot problem is a Windows startup disk. This floppy disk can come in handy if the problem is being caused when either the startup record for the active partition or the files that the operating system uses to start Windows have become corrupted.

To create a Windows startup disk, insert a floppy disk into the drive of a similarly configured, working Windows XP system, launch My Computer, right-click the floppy disk icon, and select the Format command from the context menu. When you see the Format dialog box, leave all the default settings as they are and click the Start button. Once the format operation is complete, close the Format dialog box to return to My Computer, double-click the drive C icon to access the root directory, and copy the following three files to the floppy disk:
• Boot.ini
• NTLDR
• Ntdetect.com

After you create the Windows startup disk, insert it into the floppy drive on the affected system and reboot the computer. When you boot from the Windows startup disk, the computer will bypass the active partition and boot files on the hard disk and attempt to start Windows XP normally.

Use Last Known Good Configuration
You can also try to boot the operating system with the Last Known Good Configuration feature. This feature will allow you to undo any changes that caused problems in the CurrentControlSet registry key, which defines hardware and driver settings. The Last Known Good Configuration feature replaces the contents of the CurrentControlSet registry key with a backup copy that was last used to successfully start up the operating system.

To use the Last Known Good Configuration feature, first restart the computer and keep tapping the F8 key. This will display the Windows Advanced Options menu. Use the up and down arrow keys to make your selection. Select the Last Known Good Configuration item from the menu and press [Enter].

Remember, you only get one go with the Last Known Good Configuration feature. If it fails to work on the first attempt, the backup copy is also corrupt.

Use System Restore
Another tool that might be helpful when Windows XP won’t boot is System Restore. System Restore runs in the background as a service and continually monitors system-critical components for changes. When it detects a pending change, System Restore immediately creates restore points, of these critical components before the change occurs. In addition, System Restore is configured by default to create restore points every 24 hours.

To use System Restore, first restart the computer continually pressing the F8 key. Now, select the Safe Mode from the menu using the up/down arrow keys and press [Enter].

Once Windows XP boots into Safe mode, click the Start button then access the All Programs < Accessories < System Tools menu, and select System Restore. Because you’re running in Safe mode, the only option on the opening screen of the System Restore wizard is Restore My Computer To An Earlier Time, and it’s selected by default, so just click Next. Then, follow along with the wizard to select a restore point and begin the restoration procedure.

Use The Recovery Console
When a Windows XP boot problem is severe, you’ll need to use a more drastic approach. The Windows XP CD is bootable and will provide you with access to a tool called Recovery Console.
To boot from the Windows XP CD, insert it into the CD-ROM drive on the problem system and reboot the computer. Once the system begins booting from the CD, simply follow the prompts that will allow the loading of the basic files needed to run Setup. When you see the Welcome To Setup screen press R to start the Recovery Console.

Fix a corrupt Boot.ini
As the Windows XP operating system begins to load, the Ntldr program refers to the Boot.ini file to determine where the operating system files reside and which options to enable as the operating system continues to load. So if there’s a problem rooted in the Boot.ini file, it can render Windows XP incapable of booting correctly.

If you suspect that Windows XP won’t boot because Boot.ini has been corrupted, you can use the special Recovery Console version of the Bootcfg tool to fix it. Of course, you must first boot the system with the Windows XP CD and access the Recovery Console as described earlier.
To use the Bootcfg tool, from the Recovery Console command prompt, type
Bootcfg /parameter
Where /parameter is one of the required parameters listed in the table below.
Parameter
/Add Scans the disk for all Windows installations and allows you to add any new ones to the Boot.ini file.
/Scan Scans the disk for all Windows installations.
/List Lists each entry in the Boot.ini file.
/Default Sets the default operating system as the main boot entry.
/Rebuild Completely re-creates the Boot.ini file. The user must confirm each step.
/Redirect Allows the boot operation to be redirected to a specific port when using the Headless Administration feature. The Redirect parameter takes two parameters of its own: [Port Baudrate ] [UseBiosSettings].
/Disableredirect Disables the redirection.

Fix a corrupt partition boot sector
The partition boot sector is a small section of the hard disk partition that contains information about the operating system’s file system (NTFS or FAT32), as well as a very small machine language program that is crucial in assisting the operating system as it loads.

If you suspect that Windows XP won’t boot because the partition boot sector has been corrupted, you can use a special Recovery Console tool called Fixboot to fix it. Start by booting the system with the Windows XP CD and accessing the Recovery Console as described earlier.
To use the Fixboot tool, from the Recovery Console command prompt, type
Fixboot [drive]:
Where [drive] is the letter of the drive to which you want to write a new partition boot sector.
Fix a corrupt master boot record

The master boot record (MBR) occupies the first sector on the hard disk and is responsible for initiating the Windows boot procedure. The master boot record contains the partition table for the disk as well as a small program called the master boot code, which is responsible for locating the active, or bootable, partition, in the partition table. Once this occurs, the partition boot sector takes over and begins loading Windows. If the master boot record is corrupt, the partition boot sector can’t do its job and Windows won’t boot.

If you suspect Windows XP won’t boot because the master boot record has been corrupted, you can use the Recovery Console tool Fixmbr to fix it. First, boot the system with the Windows XP CD and access the Recovery Console as described earlier.

To use the Fixmbr tool, from the Recovery Console command prompt, type
Fixmbr [device_name]
Where [device_name] is the device pathname of the drive to which you want to write a new master boot record. For example, the device pathname format for a standard bootable drive C configuration would look like this:
\Device\HardDisk0

Disable automatic restart
When Windows XP encounters a fatal error, the default setting for handling such an error is to automatically reboot the system. If the error occurs while Windows XP is booting, the operating system will become stuck in a reboot cycle—rebooting over and over instead of starting up normally. In that case, you’ll need to disable the option for automatically restarting on system failure.

Restore from a backup
If you can’t seem to repair a Windows XP system that won’t boot and you have a recent backup, you can restore the system from the backup media. The method you use to restore the system will depend on what backup utility you used, so you’ll need to follow the utility’s instructions on how to perform a restore operation.

Perform an in-place upgrade
If you can’t repair a Windows XP system that won’t boot and you don’t have a recent backup, you can perform an in-place upgrade. Doing so reinstalls the operating system into the same folder, just as if you were upgrading from one version of Windows to another. An in-place upgrade will usually solve most, if not all, Windows boot problems.

Performing a Windows XP in-place upgrade is pretty straightforward. To begin, insert the Windows XP CD into the drive, restart your system, and boot from the CD. Once the initial preparation is complete, you’ll see the Windows XP Setup screen (shown earlier in Figure A). Press [Enter] to launch the Windows XP Setup procedure.

In a few moments, you’ll see the License Agreement page and will need to press [F8] to acknowledge that you agree. Setup will then search the hard disk looking for a previous installation of Windows XP. When it finds the previous installation, you’ll see a second Windows XP Setup screen on the next page.

This screen will prompt you to press R to repair the selected installation or to press [Esc] to install a fresh copy of Windows XP. In this case, selecting a repair operation is the same as performing an in-place upgrade, so you’ll need to press R. When you do so, Setup will examine the disk drives in the system. It will then begin performing the in-place upgrade.

Get Camtasia AND SnagIt For Free

noreply@blogger.com (cotojo) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 13:10:00 +0000

I have posted about the great deal on Camtasia the $300 software for making screen capture videos where you can get version 3 free for a limited time.

I just found out that you can also get Snagit, a $30 software for free as well!

These are the BEST two tools on the market for this. I honestly don’t know how long this will be available.

I don’t make a dime off of this, this is purely for your benefit.

Camtasia Studio is the tool used by the most experienced marketers for making screen capture videos. It’s an extremely powerful piece of software, and you can get a fully functional, licensed version direct from the manufacturer, for free.

SnagIt is a great screen capture program, with tons of options. It will even grab entire web pages, regardless of length.

The catch? None, really. The versions are slightly older, but more than up to what most people will ever need.

The creator, Techsmith, is hoping you’ll take advantage of the half-price upgrades to their latest versions.

All you do:
1. Install the software
2. Register for the access key
NOTE: Make sure you do this ASAP!!!If you don’t have the software key you only have a 30 day trial version. The software key gives you the full license!

Camtasia Studio download:
http://download.techsmith.com/camtasiastudio/enu/312/camtasiaf.exe
Camtasia Studio Key:
http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia/pcpls.asp
SnagIt Download:
http://www.oldapps.com/download.php?oldappsid=SnagIt725.exe
SnagIt Key:
http://www.techsmith.com/snagit/ukdn.asp

BlockDelete and Don't Miss This for MSN - More Bad News

noreply@blogger.com (cotojo) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 13:06:00 +0000

This is another spammers paradise to say the least.

The link that is being sent is dont-miss-this.com that will redirect people to BlockDelete.com
When you get to the site all you have in front of you is a window which states:

‘Quickly and easily learn who blocked you on MSN.
The longly awaited feature for MSN Messenger, completely for free!
Please input your MSN Messenger account information to learn who has blocked you. Our system will login with this information and learn who has blocked you.’

You are presented with a login box and password box.

When you sign in using your passport credentials, they are stored on a server and they collect ALL of your contacts details and start spamming them with messages apparently sent by YOU - a trusted contact requesting that they also visit the site and register!

There is NO Privacy Policy, No way to contact them. You also optin to receive emails from blockdelete.com

If you have been a victim of this scam, please change your Live.com password immediately.

If this fails, uninstall MSN Messenger and re-install, sign in to Live.com and then change your password.

This is very similar to Meet Your Messenger which I wrote about previously.

Anti-virus programs and anti-spyware programs will NOT find this as you do not install anything.

Ensure that you Windows Updates are up to date and run the Malicious Software Removal Tool.

The Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool checks computers running Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows Server 2003 for infections by specific, prevalent malicious software.

Partition A New Hard Drive

noreply@blogger.com (cotojo) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 13:04:00 +0000

As digital media becomes more and more popular, our computers are needing more and more hard drive space. With the price of, frankly, huge capacity hard drives continuously hitting new lows, it’s now not just computer enthusiasts who are adding new drives to their new computers.

While it is relatively simple, particularly with SATA hard drives, to add a new drive - it is not immediately obvious to everyone how to start using a new drive. You have the hard drive connected correctly, it is recognized in the system BIOS, but it is missing from ‘My Computer’.
That is because it has not been formatted.

The word ‘partition’ is usually associated with one physical drive being split into more than one logical drive - but actually, EVERY hard drive needs a partition - even if it is the full size of the disc.

Windows has its own tool for this job - called ‘Disk Management’. Unlike ‘My Computer’, it shows every drive connected to the system - formatted/partitioned or not.

Access it by Right clicking on ‘My Computer’, and selecting ‘Manage’. In the left-hand pane, select ‘Disk Management’ Now, in the right-hand pane, you will see your Hard Drives and Optical Drives - hopefully including the new drive which will show up as ‘unallocated space’.

New disks appear as Not Initialized. Microsoft state that if you start Disk Management after adding a disk, the Initialize Disk Wizard appears so you can initialize the disk. If for any reason it does not, you can initialize it manually. Just right-click on the new disks ‘label’ (the gray box to the right of the black bar that denotes the unallocated space), and select ‘Initialize’.When done, you can begin to format the drive.

Here are the instructions to create a single partition the full size of your new driveRight-click unallocated space on the basic disk you want to format, and then click New Partition.

In the New Partition Wizard, click Next, Select ‘Primary Partition’, click Next. DO NOT create a dynamic disk here unless you know what you are doing, and specifically want one. Once created, there’s no going back without wiping the drive.

Specify the full size of the disk in the ‘Partition size in MB’ box and then click Next. Assign a drive letter to the drive, click Next to format the partition, click ‘Format this partition with the following settings’, type a name for the drive in the ‘Volume Label’ box if you want to, and choose ‘NTFS’ in the ‘File System’ box. Do not change the ‘allocation size’, or enable compression in the options.

I would also suggest not performing a ‘quick format’ on a brand new drive. The full format checks the full surface of the disk.

Now go and grab something to eat/drink, as on a large drive this could take a while.

If you want to create more than one partition on the disc, the steps are similar, apart from the size of the partition you will be creating.

To create a second partition on the disc, select the remaining unallocated space and repeat the steps.

You might also want to look at Microsoft’s own Knowledge-base article on the subject http://support.microsoft.com/kb/309000

Online File Conversion with Zamzar

noreply@blogger.com (cotojo) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 13:00:00 +0000

Zamzar – okay so it’s a weird name, but it’s a great service that will come in handy.

Let me explain.

Zamzar is a free online file conversion site that gives you the ability to convert a file from one format to another without having to download any software.

Check it out here
Ok. So how could you use this type of service?

If you don’t have a HTML editor, or aren’t yet confident in using one, you could convert a word document into a HTML document so you can upload it as a web page.

You can convert your word document into a pdf document. Or vice versa, you could convert your pdf back into a word document, change a few things and then convert it back to pdf.
You can even convert a bmp. image file into a gif. or jpeg. file.

You name it and you can convert it. All you need to do is:

1. Select the file from your hard drive
2. Choose the new format
3. Enter a valid email address (to receive your new file)
4. Press the “Convert” button

The system will then convert your file and send it back to you via the email address you provided.

It doesn’t get much simpler than this.

Check it out here

Ten XP Services to Turn Off

noreply@blogger.com (cotojo) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 12:58:00 +0000

As long as Microsoft Windows has been a network capable operating system, it has come with quite a few services turned on by default, and it is a good idea for any security conscious user of Microsoft products to shut down any of these that they are not using.

If you are running Microsoft Windows XP on your desktop system, you should consider turning off the following services, it may surprise you as to what is running without your knowledge.

IIS – Microsoft’s Internet Information Services provide the capabilities of a Webserver for your computer.

NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing — NetMeeting is primarily a VoIP and videoconferencing client for Microsoft Windows, but this service in particular is necessary to remote desktop access.

Remote Desktop Help Session Manager – This service is used by the Remote Assistance feature that you can use to allow others remote access to the system to help you troubleshoot problems.
Remote Registry – The Remote Registry service capabilities are frightening to consider from a security perspective. They allow remote users to edit the Windows Registry.

Routing and Remote Access – This service bundles a number of capabilities together. It is rare that any of them should be necessary for a typical desktop system such as XP, however, so they can all conveniently be turned off as a single service. Routing and Remote Access provides the ability to use the system as a router and NAT device, as a dialup access gateway, and a VPN server.

Simple File Sharing – When a computer is not a part of a MS Windows Domain, it is assumed by the default settings that all filesystem shares are meant to be universally accessible. In reality, we would only want to provide shares to very specific, authorized users. Simple File Sharing, which only provides blanket access to shares without exceptions, is not what we want to use for sharing filesystem resources. It is active by default on both MS Windows XP Professional and MS Windows XP Home editions. This cannot be disabled on XP Home. On XP Professional you can disable it by opening My Computer > Tools > Folder Options, clicking the View tab, and unchecking the Use simple file sharing (Recommended) checkbox in the Advanced settings.

SSDP Discovery Service – This service is used to discover UPnP devices on your network, and is required for the Universal Plug and Play Device Host service (see below) to operate.

Telnet – The Telnet service is a very old mechanism for providing remote access to a computer, most commonly known from its use in the bad old days of security for remote command shell access on Unix servers.

Universal Plug and Play Device Host – Once you have your “Plug and Play” devices installed on your system, it is often the case that you will not need this service again.

Windows Messenger Service – Listed in the Services window under the name Messenger, the Windows Messenger Service provides “net send” and “Alerter” functionality. It is NOT related to the Windows Messenger instant messaging client, and is not necessary to use the Windows Messenger IM network.

On your system, these services may not all be turned on, or even installed. Whether a given service is installed and running depends on whether you installed the system yourself, whether you are using XP Home or XP Pro, and from which vendor you got your computer if Windows XP was installed by the vendor.

With the exception of Simple File Sharing, all of the above listed services can be disabled from the same place. Simply click on the Start button, then navigate to Settings > Control Panel, open Administrative Tools, and from there open the Services window. To disable any service in the list, double-click on its entry in that window and change the Startup type/setting.

Generally, you should change services you are turning off for security purposes to ‘Manual’ and if your system is running smoothly you can then change the setting to ‘Disabled’. When in doubt about whether a given service is necessary for other services, check the Dependencies tab in the service’s settings dialog.

This is not a comprehensive list of everything running on your computer that you may want to turn off. It is simply a list of ten items that you do not need to have running, and constitute a security vulnerability if left running.

Most users will never have use for the services in this list, once the computer is up and running. Other services may be disabled without ill effect as well, though you should research each item in the complete services list before you disable it to ensure that you actually do not need it running.

Some of them are quite critical to the normal operation of your system, such as the Remote Procedure Call (RPC) service.

Every running but unused service on your machine is an unnecessary security risk. If a service is not important for authorized users and basic system functionality, turn it off.

I also turn the Windows Automatic Updates in Control Panel\ Administrative Tools\Services to MANUAL as they are nothing more than knee-jerk reactions to Microsoft’s usual bungling. I have seen PC’s with up to 1GB of these Hotfixes, Patches and Updates. All they do is slow down the computer to a crawl. Those that are actually necessary for the system WILL NOT have a Remove button on them in the Add-Remove Program.

Security hotfixes are necessary and you don’t want expose your PC to the Internet with an unpatched system. Hotfix itself is not a problem. The problem is the ‘Hotfix Uninstaller’. They do consume a lot of disk space over time. One great tool to remove all of these junk files is a utility called CCleaner.

Free Camtasia Studio 3 ScreenCapture

noreply@blogger.com (cotojo) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 21:24:00 +0000

Have you ever wanted a screencapture video but been put off by the high cost?

Camtasia Studio 3 is being offered for free. I don't know how long this offer will last so you need to be quick. Normally this would cost you around $300 for version 5, but you don't need version 5. Camtasia 3 makes screen capture video just as well as version 5.

Techsmith are running a campaign where you get to download Camtasia 3 for no cost at all. There is no catch but they will try to upsell version 5 to you.

Version 3 is a fully functioned screencapture video recorder. Capture everything or a selected area of your screen.

Edit and enhance the videos - pinpoint cursor movements with special effects, perform moves such as highlighting, zooming, panning, sound, watermarking and even record what you draw on the screen.

All you have to do is go HERE and download Camtasia.

Then go HERE and enter your details and Techsmith will then email you your Registration Key to unlock the software.

There you go, how simple do you want it?

Drivers Backup For Windows

noreply@blogger.com (cotojo) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 21:17:00 +0000

You know what it's like when your hard drive fails, your system crashes or you do a format....you have to reinstall all the drivers from countless CD's. With this program, all your drivers are stored in one neat little package, either in a folder or zip file.

DriverMax helps you backup all the drivers installed on your Windows computer. When needed you will be able to reinstall all your drivers or just the ones you choose in a single step that takes less than a minute; a very handy tool especially after reinstalling Windows or when the hardware driver CDs which came with your computer are no longer available.

DriverMax also helps you check if you have the latest versions of drivers and displays detailed information about all drivers. No more searching for rare drivers on disks or having to track them down on the Internet or inserting one installation CD after the other.

Simply export all your current drivers (or just the ones that you want) to a folder or a compressed file. After reinstalling Windows you will have everything in one place.

Version 3 is a completely new release which features Windows Vista rating tools, hardware identification tools and the background of a powerful hardware information database.

Behind a smooth interface, this program backs up all your PC's drivers in case you mess up somethin. From registration to implementation, DriverMax works fast, runs smooth, and does more than simply backing up.

When you run the application, it asks you if you'd like to run the trial version or apply for a registration key. The key is free, requiring only an e-mail address and your name.

Once you've entered the key, the program interface appears, with simple button navigation: Driver Operations, Updates and Identification, and Popular Hardware. Mousing over one reveals more options, so you can export your drivers, import drivers, or view an installed drivers report.

Updates lets you update both the DriverMax software and the drivers themselves, although as of this writing there is a warning label on the DriverMax Web site that downloads are not currently functioning. The program can also identify unknown hardware and point you in the direction of popular hardware options, pointing users to a compilation of statistics about different video cards and processors.

The strongest features relate to driver backup and reinstalls. They function smoothly, offering users the option to back up all drivers or compile a customized list. Reinstalling an "accidentally" deleted driver was as pain-free as could be. This is a great utility tool that should appeal to newbies as well as seasoned pc users.

The user interface is entirely wizard based; any chosen task is conveniently broken down into 2 or 3 simple screens.

You can export all drivers, drivers that belong to a certain category, or any specific selected drivers. Export to a folder or to compressed zipped folder. Then burn it to cd / dvd or store on an external device.

Exporting is very fast compared to another program I’ve tried recently. Importing and installing drivers can take as little as 5 mins and requires only a single reboot.

It generates a comprehensive report on installed drivers that you can use to compare existing driver versions with the latest drivers that may be out there which you can view in your browser or as a text file.

At present it does not offer Driver Updates, but it does show you which Drivers can be updated and a simple online search for a particular driver will enable you to download the latest version.

This program is registerware. You have to supply a valid email address within 30 days to get the free registration code. I advise you to use a disposable email address.

Download it here

System requirements: Windows XP/2003 Server/Vista

For larger screenshots go HERE

MSN Messenger Spreads Viral Attack Through Users

noreply@blogger.com (cotojo) — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 15:38:00 +0000

Please read the complete article before following the steps given.

Once again more MSN Messenger Viruses are spreading around the Internet. This time the virus sends the following message to all your contacts:

cute.pif - W32.Kelvir.A

omg this is funny!
[Followed by a link to download the cute.pif from jose.rivera4.home.att.net]
The user then downloads the file which sends the link to all of their contacts and then downloads a W32.Spybot worm onto the infected machine.

If your are lucky the program will just run on your machine, send to your contacts and end without downloading the Worm.

The first thing you should do therefore is delete the downloaded cute.pif making sure you do not run it again! Then check to see if a Worm has been downloaded as well.

1) Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete and look for hotkeysvc. If it’s there select it and press “End Task”.

2) Use the Windows Find feature to look for a file called “hotkeysvc.exe”. Which if their should be in the %System% directory. If you find the file delete it.

3) Go to ‘Start’ then ‘Run’ and type ‘msconfig’. A new window should appear.

4) Click on the tab at the top right that says ‘Startup’.

5) Look for, and if it exists, untick the box next to “hotkeysvc.exe” or similar name.

The http://jose.rivera4.home.att.net/cute.pif has now been fully removed!

IM-Names virus

1) Close Messenger.

2) Go to ‘Start’ then ‘Run’ and type ‘msconfig’. A new window should appear.

3) Click on the tab at the top right that says ‘Startup’.

4) Untick the box next to ‘IM-Names’. (If you cannot find it skip this task)

5) Click ‘ok’ and when it asks if you want to restart your computer say no.

6) Press ‘Ctr’ + ‘Alt’ + ‘Del’. Find the process that says ‘IM-Names’ and click End Task.

The virus has now been deactivated!

To remove it fully follow these instructions:

1) Search your computer for all files called “IM-Names” (without quotes)

2) Delete all files that it finds.

3) Empty your Recycle Bin.

The virus has now been fully removed!

PIC1234(1)(1)(1)(1)(1).exe

To remove the virus is simple to do. Simply follow these instructions:

1) Close Messenger. This will simply stop any of your contacts getting the virus.

2) Go to ‘Start’ then ‘Run’ and type ‘msconfig’. A new window should appear.

3) Click on the tab at the top right that says ‘Startup’.

4) Untick the box next to ‘MSN Messenger’.

5) Click ‘ok’ and when it asks if you want to restart your computer say no.

6) Press ‘Ctr’ + ‘Alt’ + ‘Del’. Find the file that says ‘MsgSpread‘ and click End Task.

The virus has now been deactivated!

To remove it fully follow these instructions:

1) Go to the Desktop and open My Documents.

2) Double click on Messenger Service Received Files’. If you don’t see a folder called that then go to ‘My Computer’ double left click on ’C’ then ‘Program Files’ and finally ‘Messenger Service Received Files’.

3) You should now see a file called ‘PIC1234(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1).exe’.

4) Click on it ONCE and left click and select ’Delete’. This should delete the file.

5) Empty your Recycle Bin.

The virus has now been fully removed!

Choke.exe aka I-Worm.Choke

Even if the user accepts the download he or she will not be infected. The user must download and run the files they received. The file name can differ every time. It can be ‘ShootPresidentBUSH.exe’, ‘Choke.exe’ or ‘%The user name%.exe’ where the user name is a nickname from dalist.txt.

To remove the virus is simple to do. Simply follow these instructions:

1) Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete and select Choke.exe, and press “End Task”.

2) Close Messenger. This will simply stop any of your contacts getting the virus.

3) Go to ‘Start’ then ‘Run’ and type ‘msconfig’. A new window should appear.

4) Click on the tab at the top right that says ‘Startup’.

5) Untick the box next to “Choke.exe” or similar name.

The virus has now been deactivated!

To remove it fully follow these instructions:

1) Go to ‘Start’, then ‘Find’ or ‘Search’ and enter “Choke.exe”, then press OK.

2) Click on the file and press ‘Delete’.

3) Empty your recycle bin.

The virus has now been fully removed!

W32.Aplore@mm

W32.Aplore@mm is a MSN Messenger Virus which spreads by sending links to an infected web page. When a user is infected with this virus they send a message do their online contacts. The message may be as follows where ZZZ is the contacts name, the A’s represent an IP address and the B’s represent a port number.

ZZZ says: this is cool, http://AAA.AAA.AA.AA:BBBB

OR ZZZ says: btw, download this, http://AA.AA.AAA.AAA:BBBB

To remove the virus is simple to do. Simply follow these instructions:

1) Close Messenger. This will simply stop any more of your contacts getting the virus.

2) Go to ‘Start’ then ‘Run’ and type ‘msconfig’. A new window should appear.

3) Click on the tab at the top right that says ‘Startup’.

4) Untick the box next to “Explorer”.

5) Restart you Computer.

The virus has now been deactivated!

W32.Annoying.Worm

The delightful author of this worm, who comes “in piece” (pity it’s not “in pieces”), has even included a readme.txt file with uninstall instructions:

How to remove the Annoying.Worm:
1) Click Start, select Run. The Run dialog box pops up.

2) Type: msconfig The System Configuration Utility pops up.

3) Click the Startup tab at the top. In the list, find MsgSprd, Messenger, or pic1324, uncheck, press Apply, then press Ok.

4) Restart your computer Or press Ctrl - Alt - Del, select MsgSprd from the list, then press End Task.

You may freely delete the files or the ‘C:\Messenger1324′ directory.

You may need to uninstall/reinstall Messenger after removing this one from your system.

As you may have passed the MSN Messenger virus on to some of your contacts it is suggested you warn your friends about the MSN Messenger Virus.

Many of these viruses will continue to resend themselves to your contacts and then their contacts, so the vicious circle continues. If you are infected you are in a position to do something about it.

In future if someone tries to send you a file on MSN Messenger and it ends with ‘.exe’ do NOT download it unless you are really sure you know what it is. Ask the person that is sending you it what it is!

Ensure that your pc is fully up-to-date with the latest patches, also ensure that your anti-virus protection is regularly updated.

If you use a file shredder it is better than using the recycle bin to empty files.

I also recommend using CCleaner (formerly CrapCleaner) to rid your system of unwanted garbage that collects on a daily basis.

Virus Alert

noreply@blogger.com (cotojo) — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 15:35:00 +0000

Some 30% of computers with a security solution installed scanned last week were infected with some kind of malware. In the case of computers without any kind of protection, the figure goes up to 44%. Source:http://www.infectedornot.com

Malware creators are trying to put a large number of threats in circulation and install them silently to prevent security companies from detecting them and generating the necessary vaccines.

Therefore, traditional security solutions must be complemented with other types of online solutions like BitDefender, which uses the ICSA Labs certified scanning engines, so you can feel secure about their virus protection.

As for the malicious code that has appeared in the past week, highlighted are the Bindo.A and Nuwar.HU worms.

Bindo.A aka autoply.exe is a worm designed to spread and infect as many computers as possible by copying itself under names like autoply.exe or MSshare.exe to the shared folders of any P2P programs that the targeted user might have installed.

It also creates a file called AUTORUN.INF in all drives it copies itself to, in order to be run every time that the drive is accessed It is very easy to detect the presence of this worm on the system, as it increases the number of shared files in the P2P shared folders on the computer.

Bindo.A also changes certain shortcuts in the desktop so that they have two execution paths: the original one and one that runs when the original program is launched.

BitDefender is a FREE online virus scanner, which takes a while to run and it is advisable to run this when you have no other programs using resources. When opened, you will have to click the ‘I Agree’ user license after which you will be taken to the Options page.

Click image for larger view.

The default setting is to scan all of your computer, which is the safest option. Under the ‘Settings’ the default option is for BitDefender to try and clean the infected files. There is a warning that if disinfection fails, the files will be deleted. You can change this option where it says ‘click here’ and a pop-up window opens (ensure you do not have pop-up blockers turned on).

Click image for larger view

Under the heading ‘Action options’ select ‘Prompt user for action’ and under ‘Second action’ again select ‘Prompt user for action’ then click OK, then click where it says ‘Click here to scan’. BitDefender will then load the anti-virus engine and virus signatures.

If it fails to update, select ‘Yes’ to continue and scanning will start.

Click image for larger view

When scanning, if an infection is found you will be prompted for an action and you will see the location of the infected file. You can select ignore, disinfect or delete. If disinfection fails however, the file will be deleted so use this with caution and ensure that it is not an important file.

Nuwar.HU is a new variant of the infamous “Storm Worm” which takes advantage of Halloween to spread. It ends processes of certain security tools that might be installed on the computer.

Nuwar.HU drops a rootkit called noskrnl.sys on the system and sets it as a service so that it is run automatically when the computer is started. Nuwar.HU spreads in email messages with subjects like “Have a Happy Halloween everyone” or “Party on this Halloween” among many others.

These messages include links to certain web pages that show a ‘dancing skeleton’ animation. If the user downloads and runs the animation offered on the website, the worms infects the computer and turns it into a zombie system at the service of a malicious user.

Rootkit detection

Methods to detect rootkits fall into two categories: Signature-based and heuristic/behavior-based detection.

There is an article about rootkits here and advice on searching your hard drive for the presence of rootkits and tools to remove them which you can get more information by clicking here.