An alternative to Windows in ten minutes flat!

Posted on April 2nd, 2008 by Roger McKenna.
Categories: Uncategorized.

If you are tired of Windows or need an alternative to boot up your PC or unable to find your recovery files, why not  consider creating a Linux boot-up disc. Creating a Linux installation is far easier than you think it is, and you can leave your Windows files in tact.

One Linux install that is simple to use is PuppyLinux created by Barry Kauler and enthusiasts. All you need to is download an image file (which is to create a CD replica file) and then create a CD from this image file. Once this is done, all you need to do it reboot with the CD inserted into the dCD rive. In some cases, you may need to change your system bios to boot from your CD drive.

PuppyLinux is very small and runs direct into RAM disc. Its includes a bunch of programs to browse the Internet, write documents and do graphics. In fact you can download other Linux applications such as OpenOffice. In addition PuppyLinux includes a full suite of multimedia players and programs.

Step 1

Download and save the latest image file from here

Step 2

Then start your CD burner software such as Roxio

If you  do not have any CD burning software, download ImgBrn which is free

Step 3

From Roxio or equivalent, Start a New Project and then select Copy, and Burn an Image

image

Step 4

Find the image that you downloaded earlier, the file ends with an extension .iso, insert a blank CD and press Burn. Your disc will be created in a matter of minutes

image

Step 5

Leave the CD inserted in the CD drive and shutdown your PC. Reboot your PC and boot from the CD. Most PCs will boot automatically from the CD - but you may need to enter into your system bios to change the boot drive sequence in preference to the CD drive.

Step 6

When you boot the CD, the software will test your display and mouse. After which it will apply an appropriate driver for it. You will be surprized by how quick this procedure is and how fast your PC responds

console3

Step 7

When you shutdown from PuppyLinux, you may want to save the configuration files onto a USB memory card to avoid having to go through the setup sequence each time.

For further advice and other videos on how to set up your network and wireless cards, see these excellent videos here

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What is the computer registry?

Posted on September 25th, 2007 by Roger McKenna.
Categories: Uncategorized.

The simplest definition of computer registry would e that of a database that stores all the settings and options that you set for the operating system. That is, the registry saves and remembers all the settings you make to the software you have. It keeps all the information and settings of your software, hardware, users, non operating systems, in short all the settings that you made to your computer.  Each time you change something in your Control Panel, system policies or any other software that you have installed in your computer the registry reflects and saves all of them.  Basically it is software that saves all the changes you make in your computer.

 

Usually the registry can be edited manually or by running different exe files. It is highly recommended to always make a backup copy of the registry because if you edit it wrong it can cause severe and irreversible damages. There are some software that can assist you while editing it, but still, a backup is essential and mandatory.

Usually, the registry can be saved in various files, depending on different factors like version, compatibility. The files will be located in different places and folders, but they will all be on your computer.

 

Having only one central registry file has serious advantages as compared to having different INI files. One of its most important advantages would be that your computer configuration would be kept separately from your user configuration. Thus, if you have a computer with different users, each time a user configuration is lodes it uses a different path that the one of the system.

 

With most registries you can save parts of the application configuration and it can be saved in a text file.  This can prove very helpful for those persons who want to configure only some options of an application. You can also track all these changes through different tools which can prove a big advantage.

 

But one must be carefully with the manual editing of registry because the changes are usually irreversible. If you make a mistake it can’t be undone. The changes once made are permanent and your old settings are lost for good. So, make sure you make a back up before you start manually editing your registry just in case, to prevent any surprises.

 

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Restoring your registry

Posted on June 23rd, 2007 by Roger McKenna.
Categories: Uncategorized.

You probably know that the registry is what holds the most important information connected to your computer. It knows everything from what hardware you have to all the software that has been installed in your computer and all the details about the kind of windows setup you have. Just as in the case of windows, backing it up when your computer runs well can prove a very good idea. So whenever you have a problem you can just restore it and you will have a fully functional computer again. If you decide to do that you must know that the registry already exist usually as a file stored in c:\windows\system.dat or in c:\windows\user.dat.  there files are usually hidden and probabli restricted so you wont be able to see them. You must go to the view folder option in your windows explorer and select the option view all files. It allows you to see the hidden files also.  Than look fore the 2 mentioned above and there you go. You can now safely see them.

 

You might also want to include the fallowing files in your backup because they are what actually control the way windows starts: c:\windows\win.ini and c:\windows\system.ini.

 

Here we have 2 ways.

 

The simplest one is to just copy them and paste them in another file you name backup…make sure you do not actually move them or cut them instead of just copying them.  And there you go, you have a backup of your registry.

 

The safer way is to boot your computer by using a boot disc or press F8 when starting your computer just before it saris windows is starting up. As your option select Command Prompt Only and type

cd c:\  
mkdir backup  
cd c:\windows    
attrib user.dat -h -r  
attrib system.dat -h -r    
copy user.dat c:\backup    
copy system.dat c:\backup    
copy win.ini c:\backup    
copy system.ini c:\backup    
attrib user.dat +h +r    
attrib system.dat +h +r    
This is how your registry is properly backed up. Though there are probably a lot of other ways of doing this it has been proven that these one is the most efficient one. To ease your job just past the commands in a notepad file and replace the cd commands with full paths and save it under the name backup.bat. and every time you want to restore your settings just run it. 

 

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Verclsid.exe “allow list”

Posted on May 12th, 2007 by Roger McKenna.
Categories: Uncategorized.

Though this update of your computer’s registry has its limitations and drawbacks, specialists are working on making them “fixable”. All kinds of applications are made to increase the compatibility of all applications and to diminish the list of flaws and incompatibility instances. The “allow list” for the Verclsid.exe is such an option designed to permit the right functionality of your registry even if used with the applications whit whom it usually was not compatible.

So, for all those software’s that until now just weren’t compatible with your computer all

you have to do is add them to the allow list of your register or Verclsid.exe and all problems disappear. How to automatically add names to the allow list? Well first of all you have to install a version of security update that allows such a list

This update is available from different sources like Windows Update, Microsoft Update or Automatic Updates if you have the right COM controls installed. Usually you can find all the information you need on the home page of the producer, in our case Microsoft.

If you cant install the version that automatically recognizes and fills this allow list you must do it manually. How? Simple.

Just add yourself the HP Share-to-Web software or if the case the NVIDIA shell extensions to the list of allow names using the information you find in the help section.

Also you could configure your firewall in such a way so it will allow Verclsid.exe to run properly and without any prompts. Fallow the steps required b your firewall program to set Versclid.exe program to run or if you prefer just stop it from running until you browsed through Kerio Personal Firewall’s dialog boxes of notification.

How does this list work? Well the Verclsid.exe knows not to scan any of the programs that have their names in that list. As already mentioned you can also add names manually but for this you must have the correct registry keys for the shell extensions.

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Computer registry problems

Posted on March 23rd, 2007 by Roger McKenna.
Categories: Uncategorized.

One of the first things you have to do when you decide to modify or update your computer registry on your own is that a backup is mandatory and you must know how to restore the original settings in case something goes wrong. This is probably the most common mistake people do when deciding to “play” with computer registry. And at the end they must pay a specialist to fix the mess they did.

After installing some security updates there are a series of problems that might occur. Especially after installing security update 908531 for Windows explorer the fallowing errors may occur:

 

*Some folders become inaccessible. Here we are talking about folders like my computer or my documents that suddenly cannot be opened.

 

*Some office application stops responding. You know that annoying situation when you finished writing a document and you just cant save it or another not so pleasant situation when you cannot open documents that were saved in the my computer folder.

 

*If you try to open an application by selecting the open option from the file menu it suddenly stops responding.

 

*One of the most irritating errors in my opinion is the one connected to internet explorer.  I am talking about those situations when you type an address in the address box of the Internet explorer and when pressing enter nothing happens. You simply cannot access that file.

 

*Another possible error is when you right-click an item and try to sent it to another location by using the send to option and nothing happen.

 

*Some application, especially the third party ones stop responding when you try to save some data in My Documents folder.

 

Why do all this problems occur? First of all because the security update 908531 is a newly installed program. And this newly installed program validates different extensions before allowing Windows to initialize them. And on some computers this program just stops responding. There are some known causes for this anomaly, causes like:

 

*When the HP Share-to-Web software is running it interferes with the program. In this case you must install a version of the program that is compatible with this application.

 

*there are some HP software that are not compatible with Verclsid.exe and make it stop responding, software like: HP PhotoSmart , different HP DeskJet printer that make use of a card reader, HP scanners and CD-RWs and DVD-RWs and in the end HP cameras.

To be more specific the tool that caused the Verclsid.exe not to respond was the the Share-to-Web namespace daemon.

Other cases in which the Verclsid.exe can stop responding is when it is blocked by the Firewall installed on your computer or when some NVIDIA shell extensions are opened or used.

 

 

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Criticisms of the Registry concept

Posted on February 23rd, 2007 by Roger McKenna.
Categories: Uncategorized.

But, as good as computer registry proved to be, it also introduced some problems that can cause severe damages to computers. One of the most severe problems of the centralized registry proved to be the HKEY local machine part. It has turned out that it was a point of failure and any damage to the registry rendered an unbootable system. In many cases this problem was unfixable a complete and new system installation being necessary. In some instances there are secondary backup files that will be loaded if the primary ones can’t be processed by the system.

 

Another week point of registry is that it does not actually document itself as a configuration system does. if you want to restore any part of the registry it will be a difficult job because it cannot extract data from registry files that were backed up. It is extremely difficult for the system to do that. Again, if you want to extract data from another system or a boot cd is not impossible, but much closed to it. Another week point in the registry it that it holds information even from files applications that were wrongly installed and don’t have an uninstall option. Usually this causes stability or performance problems if the application is registered as a class in the HKEY CLASSES ROOT.

 

Usually, the applications that utilize the registry for the saving and retrieving of the settings are not fit for portable devices that are used for carrying applications from system to system. Doing this means that all settings changes must be reentered for all new ones on which it will be installed. Why? Because the registry cannot be installed on any mobile devices and all changes are in the registry. So, by copying something anything, all changes made from the initial installation are lost.

 

So before working with such a application think twice at both positive and negative aspects.  Because no matter how tempting it sounds, you always must take into account both the plusses and the minuses of it. But, in the end if you find computer registry useful or not it is up to you.

 

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Hackers Use European Storm to Spread E-Mail Attack

Posted on January 20th, 2007 by Roger McKenna.
Categories: Uncategorized.

Hackers in Asia have exploited the storm that killed 27 people in Europe this week to spread malware.

‘Storm Worm’ is one of the largest Trojan horse attacks in recent years.  Victims have unknowingly become part of the botnet by  opening email with headlines such ‘230 dead as storm batters Europe.’ The email carries an executable file as an attachment called “Read More.exe,” “Full Clip.exe,” “Full Story.exe,” or  “Video.exe.”

When the file is run, it creates a back door that can be exploited to steal data or use the computer to post spam. The damage is likely to be contained however, as most tech companies have already added it to their blocked list.

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Security Advantages of Windows Vista

Posted on December 19th, 2006 by Roger McKenna.
Categories: Uncategorized.

As with all of the models that came before Windows Vista, this operating system naturally makes people wonder if they are going to be safe running a Windows Operating system. However Windows Vista was designed and programmed with security and protection as the number one concern. Microsoft made a number of changes to existing programs, improved user controls, and used state of the art encryptions to give its users the strongest protection available.

Some of the most important changes that Microsoft created when they were working on Windows Vista were centered on their internet browsing application Internet Explorer. The new version of internet explorer is at the top of its game for internet security and protection. IE 7 comes with a built in malware detector, anti phishing features that help protect users and their information from internet fraud, stronger active X controls to prevent Trojans, and automatic security updates to ensure user safety. On top of all that IE 7 was redesigned so that it no longer interacted with Windows explorer as this presented several severe vulnerabilities for the Windows operating system.

User controls have always been available on the previous versions of the Windows operating systems but these controls did not offer any middle ground to the users. The user could basically either have unlimited access to the computer or they could not access anything at all. Windows Vista has addressed this concern by making it possible for users to have more controls over what the other account holders are able to access.

The encryption of the Windows Vista operating system was a great move by Microsoft as this will prevent hackers from easily gaining access to your computer’s system files to cause damage. The encryption also makes it more difficult to create viruses for the Windows Vista operating system and it is hoped that with these safeguards the amount of viruses released for Windows Vista will be minimal.

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Legal investigation concerning LCD monitor prices

Posted on December 18th, 2006 by Roger McKenna.
Categories: Uncategorized.

An investigation taking place in three countries concerning secret agreements between manufacturers to arrange artificial prices, is extending over the LCD displays market.

Japan Fair Trading Commission confirmed that is investigating a so called agreement between LG.Philips LCD, Samsung Electronics and Sharp to keep an artificial pricing over LCD displays.

LG.Philips announced that the American justice department and South Correa Fair Trade Commission are making similar investigations.

A joint venture company between Seiko Epson and Sanyo Electric, specialized in small LCD displays for mobile phone is also under investigation. According to some information published in press, the investigations are about prices that were established a few years ago.

LG.Philips, a joint venture company between LG Electronics and Royal Philips Electronics, has announced that will cooperate with the authorities. So did Samsung.

According to the analysts, the investigation would concern some actions undertaken a few years ago.

The correan press agency Yonhap speculated that the investigation would concern the period 2003 – 2004, when the LCD display manufacturers were having a better control over the market.    

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Upgrading to Vista will increase PC components costs with 20 percent

Posted on December 17th, 2006 by Roger McKenna.
Categories: Uncategorized.

Consumers know that the price to upgrade from Windows Xp to Windows Vista Business is 199 dollars (for software only), but maybe they don’t know that Vista also requires a hardware upgrade.

 

According to iSuppli, an average desktop PC that runs Windows Xp contains components worth a little over 500 dollars. For an average PC that runs Vista, the cost will raise to a little over 600 dollars, which means 20% cost increase. Because this is the cost of components and not the final price of the PC, users will pay significantly more than 600 dollars to acquire a Vista-ready system.

 

A big part of the additional cost is the memory. Although Microsoft stated that 512 Dram memory will be enough to run Vista, iSuppli thinks that at least 1Gb will be necessary to run it in optimal conditions. That means doubling the memory costs, according to iSuppli.

 

There are a series of hard choices to be made before migrating to Windows Vista, according to iSuppli. Acquiring a new computer with pre-installed Vista might solve the headaches, justifying the price of a new computer.

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