Archive for August, 2009

BitLocker Drive Encryption in Vista

Posted: August 21, 2009 in System Information, Vista
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In Windows XP and previous NT-based versions of Windows, Microsoft offered a feature

called Encrypting File System (EFS) that enabled users to encrypt important folders or

files. This prevents thieves from accessing sensitive data should your computer be physically

stolen: If the thief removes your hard drive and attaches it to a different computer,

any encrypted files cannot be read. EFS has proven to be a popular feature with businesses

that have many roaming executives with laptops, with IT administrators, and the

security conscious.

EFS is still present in Windows Vista and works as before, but it’s been augmented by a

new technology called BitLocker. Like EFS, the new BitLocker feature in Windows Vista

lets you encrypt data on your hard drive to protect it in the event of physical theft. But

BitLocker offers a few unique twists.

_ First, BitLocker is full-disk encryption, not per-file encryption. If you enable

BitLocker, it will encrypt the entire hard disk on which Windows Vista resides,

and all future files that are added to that drive are silently encrypted as well.

_ Second, BitLocker protects vital Windows system files during bootup: If

BitLocker discovers a security risk, such as a change to the BIOS or any startup

files (which might indicate that the hard drive was stolen and placed in a different

machine), it will lock the system until you enter your BitLocker recovery key

or password (discussed shortly).

_ Third, BitLocker works in conjunction with new Trusted Platform Module (TPM)

security hardware in some modern PCs to provide a more secure solution than is

possible with a software-only encryption routine. BitLocker may not be theoretically

impregnable, but in the real world the chances are that no hacker will ever

defeat a BitLocker-protected PC.

Windows Defender & Firewall in Vista

Posted: August 21, 2009 in Security, Vista
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One of the best features in Windows Defender is hidden a bit in the application’s user

interface. The Software Explorer—found in Tools➪Software Explorer—lists the applications

that run at startup (you can also change the display to list currently running

applications, network-connected applications, and other features). Best of all, you can

actually remove or disable startup applications. In previous versions of Windows, you

would use the System Configuration utility (msconfig.exe) for this functionality;

System Configuration is still available in Windows Vista, but Windows Defender’s

Software Explorer feature is arguably a better solution because it provides so much

information.

There’s some confusion about how the Windows Firewall is configured in Windows

Vista. Although it is indeed enabled to monitor both inbound and outbound network

traffic, it is configured differently for each direction. Windows Firewall, by default, is

configured to block all incoming network traffic that is not part of an exception rule,

and allow all outgoing network traffic that is not blocked by an exception rule.

The Windows Firewall interface described previously is quite similar to that found in

Windows XP with Service Pack 2. But Microsoft also includes a second, secret interface

to its firewall that presents far more options. It’s called Windows Firewall with

Advanced Security, and you can access it via the also-hidden Administrative Tools

that ship with all mainstream Windows Vista versions. To find it, navigate to Control

Panel and turn on Class View. Then, navigate into Administrative Tools and then

Windows Firewall with Advanced Security., the tool loads into

a Microsoft Management Console (MMC).

As good as Vista’s firewall is, you should absolutely use a third-party firewall instead if

you’re using a security software suite. In such cases, the security suite will typically

disable Windows Firewall automatically and alert Windows Security Center that it is

now handling firewalling duties. Unlike with antispyware applications, you should

never run two firewalls at the same time, as they will interfere with each other.

Registry Hack May Be Required for Alt+Plus, Alt+Hex in VISTA

Posted: August 21, 2009 in Vista
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The Alt+Plus, Alt+Hex method won’t work in Windows or any application if a certain

key in the Registry isn’t set correctly. This could happen if the key was inadvertently

changed or was never switched on. If Alt+Plus, Alt+Hex doesn’t work, take the following

steps:

1. Use the Start menu to run RegEdit.exe.

2. Expand HKEY_Current_User to /Control Panel/Input Method. Find the key (or

create a new string value) called EnableHexNumpad. If you create this string

value, it should have the REG_SZ type.

3. Right-click and modify EnableHexNumpad to give it a value of 1. Close RegEdit.

Advanced Sidebar Configuration Options in Vista

Posted: August 21, 2009 in Vista
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Although the Sidebar configuration user interface is fairly complete, there are a few

things you can’t easily do. Behind the scenes, however, the Windows Sidebar utilizes

special configuration files named settings.ini to determine all of its configuration possibilities.

If you don’t mind taking a small risk by editing these files with a text editor

such as Notepad, you can perform various configuration tasks that are impossible

with the standard Sidebar UI.

Be sure to back up any files you’ll be editing before making changes. You’ll also want

to quit Sidebar before editing these files.

There are two versions of settings.ini. The first is devoted to system-wide configuration

options and default settings and is located in C:\Program Files\Windows Sidebar

by default. If you right-click this file and choose Edit, you’ll see the contents of this file,

which should resemble the following:

[Root]

SettingsVersion=00.00.00.01

SidebarShowState=Imploded

SidebarDockSide=2

Section0=1

Section1=2

Section2=3

SidebarDockedPartsOrder=0x1,0x2,0x3

[Section 1]

PrivateSetting_GadgetName=%PROGRAMFILES%\windows

sidebar\gadgets\RecycleBin.gadget

PrivateSetting_Enabled=true

[Section 2]

PrivateSetting_GadgetName=%PROGRAMFILES%\windows

sidebar\gadgets\Launcher.gadget

PrivateSetting_Enabled=true

[Section 3]

PrivateSetting_GadgetName=%PROGRAMFILES%\windows

sidebar\gadgets\SlideShow.gadget

PrivateSetting_Enabled=true

A second version of the Sidebar settings.ini file is available for each user. This file is

located in C:\Users\[your user name]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Sidebar by

default. This file has a similar structure, but could be much longer depending on how

much you’ve configured Windows Sidebar. Here’s an example of what it could look like:

[Root]

SettingsVersion=00.00.00.01

SidebarShowState=Imploded

SidebarDockSide=2

SidebarDockedPartsOrder=0x2,0x3,

SidebarAlwaysOnTop=true

SidebarDockMonitor=0

PickerPosX=386

PickerPosY=233

Section0=1

Section1=2

Section2=3

[Section 1]

PrivateSetting_GadgetName=C:%5CProgram%20Files%5CWindows%20Sidebar%5CGad

gets%5CworldClock.Gadget

PrivateSetting_Enabled=true

PrivateSetting_GadgetTopmost=false

PrivateSetting_SidebarDockedState=Not%20Docked

clockName=Eastern%20Time

clockText=

timeZoneIndex=13

timeZoneBias=0

dayToNight=True

secondsEnabled=False

SettingExist=True

PrivateSetting_GadgetDropLocationX=1078

PrivateSetting_GadgetDropLocationY=179

[Section 2]

PrivateSetting_GadgetName=C:%5CProgram%20Files%5CWindows%20Sidebar%5CGad

gets%5CRSS.Gadget

PrivateSetting_Enabled=true

PrivateSetting_SidebarDockedState=Docked

PrivateSetting_GadgetDropLocationX=257

PrivateSetting_GadgetDropLocationY=859

rssFeedPath=Internet%20Explorer%20Team%20Blog

rssFeedUrl=http:%2F%2Fgo.microsoft.com%2Ffwlink%2F%3FLinkId=58643

PrivateSetting_GadgetTopmost=false

[Section 3]

PrivateSetting_GadgetName=C:%5CProgram%20Files%5CWindows%20Sidebar%5CGad

gets%5CRSS.Gadget

PrivateSetting_Enabled=true

PrivateSetting_SidebarDockedState=Docked

PrivateSetting_GadgetDropLocationX=1433

PrivateSetting_GadgetDropLocationY=420

rssFeedPath=Internet%20Explorer%20Team%20Blog

rssFeedUrl=http:%2F%2Fgo.microsoft.com%2Ffwlink%2F%3FLinkId=58643

PrivateSetting_GadgetTopmost=false

Let’s examine a few of these settings. The SidebarShowState option is set to Imploded

in the code example. This means that the Sidebar will be displayed normally, and not

in front of other windows. SidebarDockSide is set to 2, which is the right side of the

screen. If you change this number to 1, the Windows Sidebar will display on the left.

In addition to the options you see here, there are a few other undocumented options.

For example, if you’d like a certain gadget to never appear in the Add Gadgets windows,

you could simply find the gadget in C:\Program Files\Windows Sidebar\Gadgets

and delete it, but what if you wanted it to be available to other users? In this case, you

could simply add a line like the following to your user’s version of settings.ini:

PickerDefaultPackageSkipList=SlideShow.Gadget,worldClock.Gadget

This particular code would only make the Clock gadget unavailable. Obviously, there

are many more settings possibilities. It’s also likely that an enterprising software

developer will come up with a TweakUI-style application that will provide the same

functionality.

Vista Side Bar

Posted: August 21, 2009 in System Basics, System Information, Vista
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Windows Sidebar is actually not displayed by default on all PCs. If the resolution of

your PC’s screen is 1024×768 or less, for example, Windows Sidebar will not display

by default. To enable Windows Sidebar on such a system, follow the instructions

in “Launching Windows Sidebar,” below. Then, right-click the Sidebar and choose

Properties. In the Windows Sidebar Properties dialog that appears, check the box

titled Start Sidebar when Windows starts if you’d like it enabled by default.

For others, however, Sidebar might not be a desirable feature. To disable Windows

Sidebar, right-click the Sidebar tray icon and choose Exit. (Do not right-click the Sidebar

itself and choose Close; that simply hides the Sidebar.) Then, uncheck the option box

asking whether you’d like to run Sidebar automatically when the system reboots.

Different BIOS Entry Passwords

Posted: August 21, 2009 in Bios, System Basics
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Acer – CTL ALT ESC

AMI BIOS – DEL, F1 or F2

AST, Advantage, Award, Tandon – CTL ALT ESC

Award BIOS – DEL or CTL ALT ESC

Compaq – F10

DELL – F1 or DEL or CTL ALT ENTER

DTK BIOS – Esc

Gateway 2000 – F1

Hewlett Packard – F1

IBM
Older Models – In order to get into the configuration of the IBM setup screen CMOS screen you need to hold down both mouse buttons during bootup.
Aptiva – F1
PS/2 – CTL ALT INS after CTL ALT DEL
PS/2 with reference partition – INS

NEC – F2

Olivetti PC Pro – SHIFT CTL ALT Numpad DEL

Packard Bell – F1 or F2

Phoenix BIOS F1 or F2, or CTL ALT ESC or CTL ALT S or CTL S or CTL ALT INS

Sharp Laptop 9020 – F2

Sony – F3 at switchon, then F2 or F1

Tandon – CTL SHIFT ESC

Toshiba – ESC at switchon

Zenith – CTL ALT INS

Miscellaneous – CTL ESC or CTL ALT +

Enabling Task Manager if it is Disable

Posted: August 21, 2009 in Registry, Registry Hacks
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Step no. 1

1. Go to Start -> Run -> Write regedit and press on Enter button.

2. Navigate to the following registry keys and verity that following settings set to default:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]
“DisableTaskMgr”=dword:00000000
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Group Policy Objects\LocalUser\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]
“DisableTaskMgr”=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\system\]
“DisableTaskMgr”=dword:00000000
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon]
“DisableCAD”=dword:000000003. Reboot the computer.

Step no. 2
1. Go to Start – Run -> Write Gpedit.msc and press on Enter button.

2. Navigate to User Configuration – Administrative Templates -> System – Ctrl+Alt+Del Option

3. In the right side of the screen verity that Remove Task Manager option set to Disable or Not Configured.

4. Close Gpedit.msc

5. Go to Start – Run -> Write gpupdate /force and press on Enter button.

10 Fast and Free Security Enhancements

Posted: August 20, 2009 in Security, System Information
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10 Fast and Free Security Enhancements

Before you spend a dime on security, there are many precautions you can take that will protect you against the most common threats.

1. Check Windows Update and Office Update regularly (_http://office.microsoft.com/productupdates); have your Office CD ready. Windows Me, 2000, and XP users can configure automatic updates. Click on the Automatic Updates tab in the System control panel and choose the appropriate options.

2. Install a personal firewall. Both SyGate (_www.sygate.com) and ZoneAlarm (_www.zonelabs.com) offer free versions.

3. Install a free spyware blocker. Our Editors’ Choice (“Spyware,” April 22) was SpyBot Search & Destroy (_http://security.kolla.de). SpyBot is also paranoid and ruthless in hunting out tracking cookies.

4. Block pop-up spam messages in Windows NT, 2000, or XP by disabling the Windows Messenger service (this is unrelated to the instant messaging program). Open Control Panel | Administrative Tools | Services and you’ll see Messenger. Right-click and go to Properties. Set Start-up Type to Disabled and press the Stop button. Bye-bye, spam pop-ups! Any good firewall will also stop them.

5. Use strong passwords and change them periodically. Passwords should have at least seven characters; use letters and numbers and have at least one symbol. A decent example would be f8izKro@l. This will make it much harder for anyone to gain access to your accounts.

6. If you’re using Outlook or Outlook Express, use the current version or one with the Outlook Security Update installed. The update and current versions patch numerous vulnerabilities.

7. Buy antivirus software and keep it up to date. If you’re not willing to pay, try Grisoft AVG Free Edition (Grisoft Inc., w*w.grisoft.com). And doublecheck your AV with the free, online-only scanners available at w*w.pandasoftware.com/activescan and _http://housecall.trendmicro.com.

8. If you have a wireless network, turn on the security features: Use MAC filtering, turn off SSID broadcast, and even use WEP with the biggest key you can get. For more, check out our wireless section or see the expanded coverage in Your Unwired World in our next issue.

9. Join a respectable e-mail security list, such as the one found at our own Security Supersite at _http://security.ziffdavis.com, so that you learn about emerging threats quickly and can take proper precautions.

10. Be skeptical of things on the Internet. Don’t assume that e-mail “From:” a particular person is actually from that person until you have further reason to believe it’s that person. Don’t assume that an attachment is what it says it is. Don’t give out your password to anyone, even if that person claims to be from “support.”

Bit Torrent Tutorials

Posted: August 20, 2009 in Internet
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Bit Torrent Tutorials

The first things you need to know about using Bit Torrent:

— Bit Torrent is aimed at broadband users (or any connection better than dialup).

— Sharing is highly appreciated, and sharing is what keeps bit torrent alive.

— A bit torrent file (*.torrent) contains information about the piece structure of the download (more on this later)

— The method of downloading is not your conventional type of download. Since downloads do not come in as one

big chunk, you are able to download from many people at once, increasing your download speeds. There may be

100 “pieces” to a file, or 20,000+ pieces, all depending on what you’re downloading. Pieces are usually small (under 200kb)

— The speeds are based upon people sharing as they download, and seeders. Seeders are people who constantly

share in order to keep torrents alive. Usually seeders are on fast connections (10mb or higher).

In this tutorial, I will be describing it all using a bit torrent client called Azureus. This client is used to decode the .torrent files into a useable format to download from other peers. From here on out, I will refer to Bit Torrent as BT.

Which BT client you use, is purely up to you. I have tried them all, and my personal favorite is Azureus for many reasons. A big problem with most BT clients out there, is that they are extremely CPU intensive, usually using 100% of your cpu power during the whole process. This is the number one reason I use Azureus. Another, is a recently released plug-in that enables you to browse all current files listed on suprnova.org (the #1 source for torrent downloads).

Before you use the plug-in, take a look at /http://www.suprnova.org, and browse the files. Hold your mouse over the links, and you’ll notice every file ends in .torrent. This is the BT file extension. Usually, .torrent files are very small, under 200kb. They contain a wealth of information about the file you want to download. A .torrent file can contain just 1 single file, or a a directory full of files and more directories. But regardless, every download is split up into hundreds or thousands of pieces. The pieces make it much easier to download at higher speeds. Back to suprnova.org. Look at the columns:

Added | Name | Filesize | Seeds | DLs (and a few more which aren’t very useful.)

I’ll break this down.

Added: Self explanitory, its the date the torrent was added.

Name: Also self explanitory.

Filesize: Duh

Seeds: This is how many people are strictly UPLOADING, or sharing. These people are the ones that keep .torrent files alive. By “alive”, I mean, if there’s no one sharing the .torrent file, no one can download.

DLs: This is how many people currently downloading that particular torrent. They also help keep the torrent alive as they share while they download.

It’s always best to download using a torrent that has a decent amount of seeders and downloaders, this way you can be assured there’s a good chance your download will finish. The more the better.

Now that you should understand how torrent files work, and how to use them, on to Azureus!

First, get JAVA! You need this to run Azureus, as java is what powers it. Get Java here: /http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/download.html

Next, get Azureus at: /http://azureus.sourceforge.net

Next, get the Suprnovalister plugin from /http://s93732957.onlinehome.us/storage/suprnovalister.jar

Install Java JRE before you do ANYTHING.

Install Azureus, and then in the installation folder, create 2 more folders. ./Plugins/suprnovalister (For example, if you installed Azureus to C:\PROGRAM FILES\AZUREUS, create C:\PROGRAM FILES\AZUREUS\PLUGINS\SUPRNOVALISTER). Next, put the suprnovalister.jar file that you downloaded, in that folder.

Load up Azureus, and if you want, go through the settings and personalize it.

The tab labeled “My Torrents” is the section of Azureus you need the most often. That lists all your transfers, uploads and downloads. It shows every bit of information you could possibly want to know about torrents you download.

In the menu bar, go to View > Plugins > Suprnova Lister. This will open up a new tab in Azureus. Click on “Update Mirror”. This will get a mirror site of suprnova.org containing all current torrent files available. Once a mirror is grabbed, choose a category from the drop-down box to the left and click “Update”. Wah-lah, all the available downloads appear in the main chart above. Just double click a download you want, and bang its starting to download. Open the “My Torrents” tab again to view and make sure your download started.

After your download has finished, be nice, and leave the torrent transferring. So people can get pieces of the file from you, just as you got pieces from other people.

Alternatively, if you don’t want to use the plugin… you can just head to suprnova.org and download files to any folder. Then go to File > Open > .torrent File in Azureus.

This should about wrap it up for the Bit Torrent Tutorial. If you guys think of anything I should add, or whatnot, just let me know and I’ll check into it.

Change the Default Location for Installing Applications

Posted: August 20, 2009 in System Basics, System Information, System Modifications
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As the size of hardrives increase, more people are using partitions to seperate and store groups of files.

XP uses the C:\Program Files directory as the default base directory into which new programs are installed. However, you can change the default installation drive and/ or directory by using a Registry hack.

Run the Registry Editor (regedit)and go to

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion

Look for the value named ProgramFilesDir. by default,this value will be C:\Program Files. Edit the value to any valid drive or folder and XP will use that new location as the default installation directory for new programs.

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