Installing a new PC just became easier!

One of the most time consuming things to do when installing a new computer, is to install all the necessary programs that a new PC lacks. When you take your new shiny PC out of the box and plug in all the cables you have to go online and download lots of software.

From antivirus software, CD/DVD burning software, to media players and web browsers, installation after installation, the task is a nightmare! Clicking next next next ... gggrrrr. At the very least a new PC will need antivirus software and Adobe Reader and Flash if the PC is used on the net.
Thankfully the guys over at ninite.com offer a simple but ingenious and convenient service. Ninite.com allows a user to pick all their favourite software and create one custom installation that installs everything. Simply choose the software you want and hit "Get Installer" What's great is that it is 100% free and automatic. It rejects all the annoying toolbar installations and identifies whether your PC supports 64 bit or not.

So there you have it, software installation made easy. Hats off to the guys at ninite.com.

New hacks still coming out for Internet Explorer 6

Believe it or not, some people are still using Internet Explorer 6! Having been surpassed by IE 7 and 8, IE6 is vunerable to hacking as well as slow and incompatible with some newer websites.

A new hack released recently will allow others to hack into your gmail account if you use IE6! And what is worse, the hack is freely available on the net and is so simple most non-techies can even use this hack.

Most people who still use IE6 fall into 3 categories:

1) Those who have migrated to another web browser such as Firefox, chrome, or safari and have completed forgotten about IE.

2) Those who are blisfully unaware of the availability of updates (lets face it, computers dont tickle the fancy of all people)

3) Those who have a very slow connection speed and decide not to, or can't download updates.

So for those in category 1, don't forget to update to IE8 by using windows updates. Just because you use another web browser, it doesn't mean that another user on your computer isnt using IE. Also, windows updates also patch other vunerabilities that IE.

For for those in category 2, Microsoft regularly releases updates. These are software patches that patch any holes that are found in Windows software. These "holes" can potentially allow a hacker to penetrate and get at your data. By using windows update you can stop this from happening. To check to see what updates are available for your computer visit this link.

For those in category 3, I suggest that you download IE8 on another computer that has fast internet connection and save it on a USB key or CD. This will allow you to transport the installation files to your own computer. IE 8 can be downloaded here.

How to remove Internet Security 2010

Why would you want to remove this security product?
Well, it is NOT a security product. Internet Security 2010 is a rogue piece of software that pretends to be antivirus security software. In fact it itself is a virus which renders your computer unusable.

So how do I know if I have Internet Security 2010?
Well this part is easy. If you are infected with IS2010 it will pop up on screen when you turn on your computer and kicks off a fake scan. Your screen will be plastered with several warning messages saying that your computer is infected, do not use your computer etc etc.

What exactly does Internet Security 2010 do?
IS2010 renders your computer unusable and presents you with warning messages stating that you have several viruses. The software will present you with a page where you can purchase the professional version of the software "that can remove the viruses and make your computer usable again". Of course the makers of this virus only want your credit card details to get their grubby hands on your hard earned cash.

How did I get this virus?
Users with up to date,active antivirus scanners can still get infected with this virus. Most of the time the virus gets in by fooling the user into installing it. This can be through banners and ads on web pages that promise funny pictures and money amongst other things. USER BEWARE!

How do I get rid of this virus?
There are a few things you can try to get rid of this virus. I have removed this particular virus from 2 machines to date.

(1) Download and run Combofix. The link provided will give instructions on how to use the file and also where to download it. If the virus stops you from running combofix, try renaming the file to a random name.



(2) Download and run Malwarebytes Antimalware.


or

(3) Find the following files and registry entries and delete them.

Associated Internet Security 2010 Files:

c:\s
c:\Program Files\InternetSecurity2010
c:\Program Files\InternetSecurity2010\IS2010.exe
c:\WINDOWS\system32\41.exe
c:\WINDOWS\system32\winhelper86.dll
c:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon86.exe
c:\WINDOWS\system32\winupdate86.exe
%UserProfile%\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\Internet Security 2010.lnk
%UserProfile%\Desktop\Internet Security 2010.lnk
%UserProfile%\Start Menu\Internet Security 2010.lnk


Associated Internet Security 2010 Windows Registry Information:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\IS2010
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run "Internet Security 2010"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run "winupdate86.exe"


Will I run into any difficulties along the way?
I advise to try the steps in order. IS2010 may stop combofix and malwarebytes antimalware from starting. in this case you have to try step 3.

IS2010 might stop you from opening regedit to get at the registry entries. In this xase rename regedit to regedit1.

If step 1 and 2 fail, complete step 3 and then retry step 1 and 2.

How to create a PDF file

Very often whilst browsing the World Wide Web we come across PDF files. Items such as application forms, ebooks or fact sheets are presented to users in PDF format. So what exactly is a PDF file?

PDF stands for Portable Document Format and it was created by Adobe in 1993. The key benefit to using PDF files is that when opened, PDF files will look exactly the same for all users no matter what hardware or operating system the computer is using. This would not be the case if the document was provided using other common formats such as Microsoft Word.

In order to open a PDF document, Adobe Reader must be installed. The current version is version 9. It is free software and it can be downloaded here.

In order to create a PDF document, the document must be first created in a separate application, quite often Microsoft Word, and then printed to PDF. To print to PDF we must install a "PDF Printer". There are lots of different options to choose from when deciding on a PDF printer and the one I recommend is an application called CutePDF writer.

Once installed, in order to create a PDF document you simply click on File - Print and Choose the CutePDF printer rather than your normal physical printer.

You then choose what name you wish to call your PDF.

Offline files error message "Files of this type cannot be made available offline"

Offline files is a great feature that allows a user to still have access to network files even when they are not connected to the network. Offline files works by creating a copy of the network file locally on the hard disk. When the user tries to access network files whilst not connected to the network, the files are loaded from the local copy - giving the illusion that they are still connected to the network.

When the user reconnects to the network, the network files and local files are synchronised. However, by design, there are certain file types cannot be synchronised and used by offline files such as microsoft database files (.mdb) and Outlook email files (.PST)

If Windows tries to make one of these files available offline you will be presented with an error message stating "Files of this type cannot be made available offline".

So how do we stop these annoying messages from coming up? Note: This will only suppress and stop the annoying messages from coming up, it will NOT make these particalar file types available offline.

Open a command prompt window by clicking on Start - Run and type CMD and press enter.

Enter the following and press enter.

reg add "hkcu\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\NetCache\
ExclusionErrorSuppressionList" /ve

Now type the following and press enter.

reg add "hkcu\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\NetCache\
ExclusionErrorSuppressionList" /v .mdb /t reg_dword /d 0x1

Note that .mdb is the particular file type that you are referring to. This can be replaced with .pst, .dbx etc.

A restart is necessary in order for these settings to kick in.

Microsoft have listed an alternative way of fixing this issue here which involved editing group policy.

How to fix "Office application version does not match" error message

I recently came across an issue where whenever a Microsoft Office program such as Word or Excel was opened, an error message would appear. It reads BCM Office Addin: Office application version does not match. By clicking OK to the message it does allow you to continue working with Microsoft Office but the message is annoying.

So how do we fix this issue? It would seem that this usually happens when a version of MS Office is uninstalled and another installed afterwards. The most common reason is that the business contact manager for Outlook 2007 is not removed with the original Ms Office version.

To fix this error message simple go to add and remove programs (in XP) and choose to uninstalled the Business Contact Manager for Outlook 2007.

Why can't I watch youtube videos?

These days just about everyone uses youtube at some stage or another. Whether it's to watch Wayne Rooney's latest goal, Cheryl Cole's newest video or just to spend a few hours watching random videos, youtube has it all. However, from time to time users have difficulty watching youtube videos.

First of all, Youtube videos are provided using Flash. In order to view a video you will need a version of Adobe Flash player. At the moment its Flash version 10. Adobe flash can be downloaded here. If you are upgrading from an older previous version, it is better to uninstall the old version first, before installing the newer version.

Javascript is also required or youtube to function correctly. We must make sure that it is enabled in our web browser. To do so, follow the below instructions (note this is for Internet Explorer only)

Open internet explorer.

Click on Toolsat the top of the screen in the menu bar

From here we Click on 'Internet Options'

On the window that pops up click on the 'Security' tab.

Click the 'Internet' icon and then click the 'Custom Level' button.

Scroll down through the list until you see 'Scripting' and find 'Active Scripting.

Here we turn it on by selecting 'enable'

Select 'Enable JavaScript' checkbox.

Click on OK and close all open windows.

Now with Flash installed and javascript enabled you should be able to view youtube videos. If not then you may be running ad blocking software that is stopping youtube from working. Try temporarily disable any ad blocking software to see if this resolves the problem. It may also be worth adding www.youtube.com as an exception to your firewall.

Occasionally videos get stuck when loading on screen so you may need to refresh the pages (F5 button). If you find the video plays slowly and stops and starts and tries to buffer then this is an issue of a slow internet connection. Unfortunately all you can do in this case is pause the video, let it buffer (let the red line move across to the right) and then play the video.

Whats taking up so much space on my hard drive?

Lets face it. A day comes where all the music, movies and data files on your computer have consumed all the available space on your hard drive. Time to do a bit of spring cleaning. Time to remove some old unwanted files to free up space.

Depending on your filing system, it can be quite difficult to muddle your way through folders and subfolders, investigating what files you have and more importantly how much space they are taking up.

This is where spacemonger comes in! Spacemonger is a shareware application (30 day trial) that scans your hard drive and provides a graphical representation of the files and folders and also their relevant sizes. I find it a great tool to identify the larger files and folders and to see whats taking up so much space on my hard drive.

Within the tool itself the files and folders are represented graphically according to their size. Spacemonger also allows you to delete the file/folder. Hovering over the file/folder will show its attributes such as last date modified etc.

Download Spacemonger here and test the software out to see if for yourself. I use it every couple of weeks or so to clear up unwanted larger files that I have forgotten about.

For those looking for an alternative to Spacemonger check out Winstatdir here

How to allow unlimited terminal server connections in Server 2003

If you find yourself in a situation where you didnt purchase enough Terminal Server Cals or find yourself in the middle of a licencing issue the below may be of assistance to you.

In a corporate IT world, purchasing software licences is an accepted evil and the below is provided to help administrators temporarily overcome licencing issues and ensure business continuity.

First of all in order to maximize the Windows Server2003 evaluation period, do not deploy a license server until the grace period is about to expire. For Windows Server 2003, you receive a maximum of 210 days for evaluation. This is composed of a grace period of 120 days plus a temporary token of 90 days.

Note that this has been tested work only in licensing per device. In order to
bypass this evaluation period to unlimited licences follow the next steps:

1. SERVER - Stop the terminal license server in services
2. SERVER - Go to the %systemroot%\windows\system32\lserver\
3. SERVER - Backup both files edb.chk and TLSLic.edb in case method fails (microsoft
holds licence information database in these files)
4. SERVER - Delete both files edb.chk and TLSLic.edb from the directory
5. SERVER - Run registry editor
6. SERVER - Go to the following key
"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\MSLicensing\"
7. SERVER - Note there is subkey named "Parameters"
8. SERVER - Delete subkey (I have noticed that if I don't delete this key license
server returns old database)
9. CLIENT - Go the client that has expired terminal evaluation period
10. CLIENT - Run registry editor
11. CLIENT - Go to the following key
"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\MSLicensing\"
12. CLIENT - Note there are two subkeys named "Store" and "HardwareID"
13. CLIENT - Delete both subkeys
14. DO NOT connect yet to the terminal server with the client!
15. SERVER - Change the date on the server to lets say year 2030 (this is used to
change expiration day so you don't need to repeat following steps every 90 days)
16. SERVER - Start the terminal licensing service
17. CLIENT - Connect the client to the server
18. CLIENT - Note that windows recreated new key in
"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\MSLicensing\". This new key holds new
expiration date on year what you choose to licence expire.
19. SERVER - Go to the Terminal server licensing in Administrative Tools
20. SERVER - Note that temporary licence now expires on year 2030. Issue date is
also at year 2030 but information is not importat for clients to function. Server just
saves expiration date on client.
21. SERVER - Return date on server to today date
22. You have Terminal Licence that expires at date that is long in future

This will give you the time needed to get your proper Terminal Server Licencing in order.

Should I use paid or free antivirus software?

I have been asked this question a few times. Should I use free antivirus software that is available for download over the internet or should I fork out a few euro for paid antivirus software?

Essentially the main difference between paid and free antivirus programs is that most paid versions offer multiple updates per day whilst free only offer once a day, and also paid versions often offer other types of protection such as Firewall and antispam.

The answer, I believe, depends on the person and how they use their computer.
For most home users, free antivirus software is sufficient to protect their computer. However if you are one of the following users, then perhaps you should invest in better protection.
- a user that visits torrent sites to download movies or music

- a user that visits adult sites,

- a user that visits sites that provides cracked software

- if there are users in the house that are click crazy and will click on anything that pops up on screen,

If you are running a PC for business purposes it is important to ensure that you have the best protection software and this will require a small investment.

Irrespective of which type of antivirus software you opt for you should go for software that:
- Is not bloated so it will not slow down you computer
- Can be scheduled to scan at particular times
- Will update automatically-ideally several times a day.
- Will scan individual files and folders as well as full disk scans.
- Have good technical support help lines

So where do I find free antivirus programs? A quick google for the following free antivirus programs will allow you to download and start protecting your computer. Avast, AVG, and Avira Anti-Vir.

If you are going to invest in antivirus software I recommend ESET NOD32 or Kaspersky. I have found both products to be light on resources, quick scanning and very effective in keeping computers squeeky clean and virus free. In my opinion McAfee and Norton antivirus products are bloatware and can really slow down a computer without offering much protection.

Whatever you choose to go with, make sure to do some reading of your own to decide on what product is best for your needs. ESET NOD32 antivirus retails at €39.99 and in my opinion is worth the annual investment.