Category: Computing (Page 2 of 3)

With increasing down and upload speeds, online storage and backup is becoming a viable option.

I have an automatic backup system that copies a full disk image every week to an external drive. But I would still be in trouble if there was a fire, or my gear was stolen, or (and I have seen this happen) internal and external hard disks were both damaged by a power surge.

Mozy offers 2GB of secure remote storage free to home users, or unlimited storage for $4.95 per month.

You really need cable internet or ADSL2 to make this practical for most users. But if you do, it is worth thinking about.

Disclaimer: I do get a (very small) commission (like $1) if you click on the link above and sign up for a plan. So I hope you will. But mainly I just thought it was interesting.

Vista SP2 was released on June 30th, and appears an an ‘Important Update’ in the Windows update list.

It is a dangerous update. SP2 updates some 50,000 files. If any one of them is corrupt, your computer may stall on restart.

Prior to running SP2, take the following steps:

1.  Back up your important files and settings.

2.  Go to Accessories in the Start menu, and open Command Prompt. Type in the following: sfc /scannow   then press enter.

There is a space between the c and the forward slash. This command will check the integrity of your Windows system files. Have your Vista install disk handy – you will need it if any of your files have to be repaired.

Once this is done, restart your computer, disable your antivirus software, and download and install SP2.

It should now run smoothly. The file update on restart takes some time, so be patient.

If you install SP2 and the computer stalls when it restarts, you will see a message consisting of a numerical code and a filename. The filename tells you the name of the file which is preventing the update from continuing.

If this happens, note the filename. Start the computer into DOS mode (you may need to boot to your Vista install disk, choose “Repair Your Computer’ then choose ‘Command Prompt’). Find the corrupt file (try windows/system32 first, unless you know where the file is). Change the file extension to .old.

For example, if the offending file is trouble.dll, you would type: ren trouble.dll trouble.old   and press enter.

Then restart the computer. Repeat this process till you work through any other corrupt system files.

Windows should then start normally.

You should not have this problem if you run sfc /scannow before installing the update.

Good luck!

Just received this email claiming to be from the Commonwealth Bank:

We recorded a payment request from “HostGator -www.hostgator.com- Reseller Web Hosting” to enable the charge of $74.95 on your account.

Because the order was made from an African internet address, we put an Exception Payment on transaction id #POS PAYM7284 motivated by our Geographical Tracking System.

THE PAYMENT IS PENDING FOR THE MOMENT.

If you made this transaction or if you just authorize this payment, please ignore or remove this email message. The transaction will be shown on your monthly statement as “HostGator – Reseller Web Hosting”.

If you didn’t make this payment and would like to decline the $74.95 billing to your card, please follow the link below to cancel the payment :

Cancel this payment (transaction id #POS PAYM7284)  (Warning – this is a phishing site – this warning was not in the email, obviously!)

NOTE: Because email is not a secure form of communication, please do not reply to this email.

The link takes you to a very plausible looking pretend Commonwealth Bank website, where you are invited to log in so you can cancel the unauthorised transaction. Once you log in, the owner of the fake site has your internet banking username and password, and can access all your online bank accounts.

Even if you think an email may be genuine, never follow links in emails to your banking website (or to PayPal, Amazon, or any other site where you have a password protected account).

Always open a new browser window, go to the official bank web site, and log in from there.

Over the last few months I have noticed an increasing number of computers infected with the virut family of viruses.

Some of these are very unpleasant. They can cripple your anti-virus software, replicate in various places on your hard drive, disable Windows updates, disable internet access, and delete or modify key Windows system files to the point where your computer becomes so unstable it cannot be used, or will not start at all.

According to viruslist.com, four of the top twenty malicious programmes infecting personal computers in April were members of the virut family. Nimda, a worm which disables your Windows desktop, is also high on the list.

I have also seen donwadup (conficker) infections, and script downloaders (also known as drive-by downloaders) which can infect your computer when you visit a malicious or infected website.

Some of these infections are extremely difficult to remove, because they make hidden copies of themselves. If even one is missed, the computer will be re-infected. Also, they can infect needed Windows system files in ways that cannot be disinfected without destroying the Windows files, so you can end with a clean computer , but a computer that will not start.

Once you are infected by one virus, the chances are that your computer security will be weakened and your computer will quickly have multiple infections.

Prevention

Use a good anti-virus/anti-spyware programme. For ordinary home use, the free versions of AVG or Avira are quite adequate. If you visit porn or gambling sites, or use p2p (file sharing) software, you will need a high end commercial anti-virus like Kaspersky or Vipre.

Keep your anti-virus software up to date. I have just fixed a computer infected with virut ce. This version of virut was only found in the wild for the first time in February. The computer had a good anti-virus programme, but it had not been updated since early February, so the computer had no protection against viruses developed since then.

Keep Windows up to date by allowing Windows Update to run automatically. Computers running automatic updates were at no risk from conficker.

No anti-virus software can protect your computer all the time, from every attack. The highest rated anti-virus products achieve detection rates of up to 97%.

You can still be safe on the internet if you are cautious.

Do not open files or run programmes if you do not know what they are or where they have come from. This includes email attachments. Take care with files from friends, school, and even commercial suppliers. Infections can come from CDs and flash drives as well as the internet.

Do not use p2p software. Or if you must, run a full virus scan after every download. Do not visit porn or gambling sites. Some people will anyway. If you do, make sure your antivirus is up to date beforehand, and run a full scan after you leave the site.

Run a full, deep or maximum security scan every week.

Do not, ever, respond to a pop-up on your screen telling you your computer is infected, and that you need to download or install an anti-virus product. Clicking anywhere on one of those pop-up boxes, including the ‘’No’ button, may give permission to install rogue anti-virus software which will cost you money, slow down your computer, cause lots of dire (but incorrect) warnings and achieve nothing.

Some fake security alerts are very convincing:

Fake Windows Security Alert

More fake alert pictures from Enigma Software.

Do not be fooled! Don’t click anywhere on such an alert. Shut your computer down, restart, and run a full virus scan.

If you are in doubt about whether your computer may be infected, and you still have internet access, visit and run Microsoft’s Onecare Live safety scanner.

You know all those annoying hoax anti-virus messages that people used to send around?

They described in breathless terms some new virus which antivirus products could not remove, which would cause your hard to crash, losing all your data unrecoverably.

Now there is a virus which almost matches that description.

virut ce can cause serious problems with key Windows system files, making your computer impossible to use. For example, disabling the Windows interface so you cannot access the task bar, start button, icons, etc, disabling internet access, Windows key functions and task manager.

And it is extremely, and I mean extremely, difficult to remove. It sometimes infects necessary Windows files which have to be deleted. Even if your anti-virus can remove the infection, and many commercial products cannot,  you may be left with a computer which will not start again without help.

I strongly suggest not using p2p programmess until standard anti-virus programmes can find and remove this virus. Stay away from porn sites. Be more than normally careful with web browsing and with opening email attachments.

Some removal tools:

Symantec Fix Virut

AVG Remove Virut

I have been running the Windows 7 beta on my home computer for the last month. Last night I updated my main work computer from Vista Business to the release candidate of Windows 7.

It is not possible to upgrade from the beta to the RC – that is annoying.

But the upgrade from Vista Business to Windows 7 went almost without a hitch.

The upgrade will not proceed if there are incompatible programmes installed on your computer. In my case the only problem was Raxco Perfect Disk – in my opinion the best defragmentation utility available for Windows systems.

Unfortunately, the Perfect Disk uninstall programme leaves a number of files behind, so that even after you have uninstalled Perfect Disk, Windows sees programme files on your hard drive and will not permit the Windows 7 upgrade.

To overcome this (this may work for other programmes as well), uninstall Perfect Disk from the Control Panel and restart the computer.

Then go to My Computer, C Drive, Program Files and look for the Raxco folder (or other folder if it is another programme which is causing the problem). Delete the entire folder. Make sure you only delete the folder of the programme you have already uninstalled from the Control Panel! Then restart the computer again.

Or use a programme like Perfect Uninstaller, which checks for left over registry keys, programme files and settings.

You should now be able to proceed with the Windows 7 upgrade.

Once I got past that little hiccup, Windows 7 installed quickly and smoothly, and kept all settings and shortcuts in place. It was the easiest upgrade I have ever done.

From the MSN Tech site.

Basically it comes down to clearing out the accumulated rubbish – unneccessary programmes and services that run automatically at start-up.

I would add deleting any fonts you don’t use, and defragmenting your hard disk every month or so.

Depending on your current configuration, adding more memory can also make a big difference – up to 1GB for XP Home, 2GB for XP Pro, and 4GB for Vista.

I have had two computers in today which were infected with the dreaded Conficker Worm. This was the first time I had seen it in the wild.

You can download a free Conficker (sometimes called Downadup) removal tool from Sunbelt Software, makers of the superb Vipre Anti Virus/Anti Spyware.

If you keep your computer up to date with Windows updates you should be safe. If you are already infected, Conficker will stop you accessing Windows update, and possibly other security sites. It may also stop you transfering files from CDs, DVDs or Flash drives to your computer.

If you find you are unable to access certain websites, including Windows updates, download and run the Conficker removal tool. If your computer won’t let you download the tool, take a flash drive you have not used in your computer (because otherwise you may infect any computer you plug it into), and go a friend’s house or wherever you can get internet access.

Download and save the SSClean.exe file, and take it back to your place. Run the SSClean program from the flash drive. If you are infected you will get a message saying you need to restart and scan again. Do so.

You should now be able to download and run any Windows updates. Then run a full virus scan with your normal anti-virus. Then run SSClean again.

1. Don’t install Apple’s Bonjour programme.

Bonjour is meant to simplify network setup and connectivity between your computer and ‘smart’ devices. In fact Windows handles network setup perfectly well, and Bonjour simply adds another layer of complication. In some cases it will stop internet access completely. If you are running Vista and install service pack 2 (still at RC stage), and then find you have no internet access, Bonjour is almost certainly the cause.

Google lists about 1.5 milion pages if you search under Bonjour problems. One of those problems is that it installs itself on your system without your permission. That’s just rude.

Check to see whether it is installed on your computer. If it is, uninstall it.

2. Don’t install Magentic wallpapers or screensavers.

You may be offered these, or already have them, if you use (why?) Incredimail.  They look pretty, but can cause a number of problems, including making Internet Explorer pop up a difficult to get rid of blank page whenever the screensaver kicks in.

3. If you use Office 2007 and have lost or cannot see the ribbon, right click on the menu bar and uncheck ‘Minimize the Ribbon.’