How to Unplug Java from the Browser

Java is a huge backdoor to anybody's system.

How to Unplug Java from the Browser  

From: http://krebsonsecurity.com/how-to-unplug-java-from-the-browser/ 

Below are instructions for unplugging Java from whatever Web browser you may use to surf the Web. These instructions were originally posted as a how-to in response to this piece: Attackers Pounce on Zero-Day Java Exploit. 

For Windows users: 

Mozilla Firefox: From the main menu select Add-ons, and then disable any plugins with the word "Java" in them. Restart the browser.

Google Chrome: Click the wrench icon in the upper right corner of the browser window, then select Settings. In the search results box to the right in the next screen, type "Java". A box labeled "Content settings" should be highlighted. Click that, and then scroll down to the Plug-ins section. Click the "Disable individual plug-ins" link, find Java in the list, and click the disable link next to it.

Internet Explorer: Apparently, getting Java unplugged from Internet Explorer is not straightforward. The U.S. Computer Emergency Response Team (USCERT) lists the following steps, which may or may not completely remove Java from IE:

In the Windows Control panel, open the Java item. Select the "Java" tab and click the "View" button. Uncheck "enabled" for any JRE version listed. Note that this method may not work on Vista or newer systems. As an alternative, you may use one of the following techniques:

Click the start key and type "regedit" in the search box. Double-click the regedit program file when it appears.

- Change the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\JavaSoft\Java Plug-in\\UseJava2IExplorer registry value to 0, where is any version of Java on your system. 10.6.2, for example. 

If you are running a 32-bit version of Java on a 64-bit platform, you should set the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\JavaSoft\Java Plug-in\\UseJava2IExplorer registry value to 0. 

- Run javacpl.exe as administrator, click the "Advanced" tab, select "Microsoft Internet Explorer" in the "Default Java for browsers" section, and press the space bar to uncheck it. This will properly set the above registry value, despite the option being greyed out. 

For Mac users: 

Safari: Click Preferences, and then the Security tab (uncheck "Enable Java").

Google Chrome: Open Preferences, and then type "Java" in the search box. Scroll down to the Plug-ins section, and click the link that says "Disable individual plug-ins." If you have Java installed, you should see a "disable" link underneath its listing.

Firefox: Click Tools, Add-ons, and disable the Java plugin(s). 

Mozilla has taken the bold step of telling all Firefox users to disable Java while Oracle casually develops its fix, with the Firefox maker working on adapting its code so that all users running the exploitable version of Java will have the plugin automatically disabled for them.

By default, Firefox allows Java applets to launch automatically. However, you may decide that you do not want Java applets to run. To disable Java applets in Firefox:

At the top of the Firefox window, click on the Firefox button (Tools menu in Windows XP), and then click Add-ons. The Add-ons Manager tab will open.

In the Add-ons Manager tab, select the Plugins panel.

Click on the Java (TM) Platform plugin to select it.

Click on the Disable button (if the button says Enable, Java is already disabled).

Java applets will no longer be permitted to launch in Firefox.

You can go to http://www.isjavaexploitable.com/ to see if Java is enabled in your browser. And to test what version of Java you are using, you can go here:
http://javatester.org/version.html

There is one other way to insulate your computer from this Java exploit not mentioned in the article above. You can use HIPS programs like DeepFreeze (not a freeware) and Sandboxie (a freeware).

In Chrome you can also make it "click to play", meaning when a website wants to use Java (you can also do it for Flash) it just displays a grey box where it says "Click to run plugin". So if you are on a trustworthy site that requires Java you can just click and use it. To enable "click to play" go to chrome://plugins/ and uncheck "Always allowed" but don't disable Java.


If you are really security-conscious, you can set your web browser to only run plugins on your click.
In Firefox: Open a new tab, type this into address bar:

about:config?filter=plugins.click_to_play

Click "I'll be careful, I promise!"...
Double click the line to set the value to TRUE.
NOTE: If you want to automatically enable plugins for a certain domain (such as http://youtube.com ), follow this.

In Chrome: Open a new tab, type this into address bar:
chrome://chrome/settings/content
Scroll down to the bottom and click on "Show advanced settings".
Go to Privacy -> Content Settings button.
Scroll down to Plug-ins and select "Click to play" radio button and press OK.
In Opera: Press CTRL + F12
Go to Advanced -> Content.
Tick the box that says "Enable plug-ins only on demand" and press OK.

You could use NoScript extension for Firefox or similar addons and block Java on every site except the sites that you trust. OR...you can install the QuickJava extension to quickly enable Java when you want to go to a trusted site that uses Java or play RuneScape and disable it when you are done. A caveat on using NoScript -- it also blocks Javascript.

This solution was also suggested in Krebs on Security: 

If you primarily use Java because some Web site, or program you have on your system — such as OpenOffice or Freemind — requires it, you can still dramatically reduce the risk from Java attacks just by disabling the plugin in your Web browser. In this case, I  would suggest a two-browser approach. If you normally browse the Web with Firefox, for example, consider disabling the Java plugin in Firefox, and then using an alternative browser (Chrome, IE9, Safari, etc.) with Java enabled to browse only the site that requires it.

Chrome has a builtin sandbox. However Chrome's sandbox does not stop this Java exploit.

Java is very widely used on the server side by tech companies like Google, Linkedin, Twitter as well as for web-facing business applications. Google does not use Java exclusively, in fact, every one of their services uses different tools to tackle the purpose. When you're a huge company, you have that luxury. Twitter is actually transitioning to Java. 

Java applications have the ability to examine and change properties about itself. If you load a page that uses a java app, it is installed on your system. You think it has limited access and no ability to alter or create important files. A baddy app can change its permissions so that it can write, create and delete files. And that means all files on all the drives you can connect to.

Javascript isn't Java. One is a browser scripting language while the other is a programming language which can be used within the browser when enabled with a plugin. You need Javascript for many websites to function properly. Java is used less frequently now and so it is safe to block it. The main idea behind Java was to create a language that would be "portable". In other words, a program written in Java can be distributed to people running different operating systems including Mac OS, Windows, Linux and others. It does this because another piece of software, known as the Java Virtual Machine, or JVM for short, sits between your operating system and the application. JRE stands for Java Runtime Environment and includes the JVM. The vulnerability in question seems to concern the Java applets. An applet is a Java program that runs in your browser to make web pages interactive. You need the Java plugin enabled in your browser for it to work. There have been many security complaints about them over the years. I hope I'm not wrong on this. But if I am do correct me for everyone's benefit. 

Multifox

Official Site - http://br.mozdev.org/multifox/


Multifox is an extension that allows Firefox to connect to websites using different user names. Simultaneously! For example, if you have multiple Yahoo accounts, you can open them all at the same time. Each Firefox window, managed by Multifox, accesses an account without interfering with each other.


Multifox creates commands in context menus (right-click) of links, bookmarks and even your browser tabs (Open in a New Identity Profile) and in File menu (New Identity Profile). Select the command. A new window will open. Your logins in this window are independent of other Firefox windows.

Namebench

Works with: Windows 7, Vista

Read more about Namebench here:
http://code.google.com/p/namebench/

One way to speed up your Internet browsing experience is using a faster DNS server. If you’re looking for a tool to help find a faster DNS server for your system, Namebench is your answer. This small, free utility performs benchmark tests on multiple DNS servers, reports back on which are the fastest, which the most secure, and so on, and recommends which DNS servers you should use. Once you get that recommendation, it's up to you to configure your PC to use the fastest DNS servers.

Chrome Plus: CoolNovo

I like to inform everyone about what others refer to as Chrome Plus browser but actually named CoolNovo. For more details on this browser:

http://coolnovo.com/ 

According to the site:

"CoolNovo has all the functionalities that Google Chrome has. More, CoolNovo added some useful features such as Mouse gesture, Super drag, IE tab, etc. Meanwhile, CoolNovo is free with no function limitation and you can use CoolNovo to surf the internet in any case."

The differences between CoolNovo and Google Chrome in Privacy Policy can be read here:
http://coolnovo.com/compare.html?hl=en

If you have Vidalia or Tor Bundle installed and running it adopts the proxy settings automatically set in Tor.

Fixing Google Chrome Intermittent Lags & Freezes

Many people are experiencing temporary lags and freezes while browsing with Google Chrome. Consider the following suggestions:

1. As I suggested in a previous post try disabling the builtin Flash Player and Shockwave of Chrome. Then install Adobe Flash Player while all browsers are closed.

2.  AUTO DISCOVERING PROXY: The "auto detect proxy" function of Win 7 may be causing lag for some users. To disable it, go to Wrench icon in Chrome -> Options -> Under the Hood -> Change Proxy Settings. Click "LAN settings" and uncheck "automatically detect settings". Alternatively click Wrench -> Settings (if it's not grayed out) -> Show advanced settings... -> (Network) Change proxy settings button -> (Connections tab) LAN settings button -> uncheck "Automatically detect settings.". Hit OK until you get back to the browser. Test to see if the problem has gone away. You may also have to re-start Chrome.

3.  TABLET DRIVER/LOW LEVEL MOUSE HOOKS: This problem appears to be connected to "low level mouse hooks" causing problems in Win 7. Click the Start button, type 'services' and pick the Services item from the list. Scroll down to the Tablet PC Input Service and double click it. Click Stop, then change the 'Startup type' setting to "Disabled". Hit OK. If you run any other applications which change how your mouse functions (e.g. AutoHotKey), also kill those programs. Test to see if the problem has gone away. 

4.  Alternatively, instead of futzing with the Services, you can simply turn off Tablet PC Components as a Windows feature:

A.  If viewing the Control Panel by category: 

Control Panel > Programs > Turn Windows features on or off (under Programs and Features) 

B.  If viewing the Control Panel by icons: 

Control Panel > Programs and Features > Turn Windows features on or off (left side panel) 

In the list of Windows features that pops up, simply uncheck "Tablet PC Components" and hit OK. 

5.  Clear the Chrome browsing history, cache, etc. You may use CCleaner and Glary Utilities for thorough cleanup.

6.  I think Chrome, during those temporary lags and freezes, is trying to use memory that Microsoft is busy loading with random crap. Super Fetch is a random crap loader. It isn't a virus or malware; it's one of those problematic features that attempts to load things you MIGHT need before you actually need them based on what you needed yesterday. A feature that front loads more and more overtime? Super Fetch service is a memory drain too that seems to slow down Chrome browsing. Look in the Task Manager for svcHost that has 100MB+ memory usage. Right-click it, go to Services. Turn off and then disable Super Fetch.

7. I also noticed after installing the Adblock extension that it's causing some lags to Chrome. Seems like disabling the AdBlock extension makes things smoother (not perfect, but better) for me.

8.  A.  Click Start, point to All Programs, and then click Accessories. 

B.  Right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator. 

C.  In the Administrator: Command Prompt window, type the following command, and then press ENTER: 

netsh interface tcp set global autotuninglevel=highlyrestricted 

D.  Reboot computer. 

The problem is described in Microsoft KB Article 929868: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929868

9.  One more thing you should try. Defrag your hard drive. I know it sounds simple, but Nike said, "Just do it!" (hehe... hopefully). In Cmd prompt, enter this command:

defrag c: /U /V 

10.  Back up your files that you can't afford to lose in your Documents and Settings account folders. Then re-install Chrome using RevoUninstaller. Give the hidden folders a clean out before re-install. Make sure Google Chrome is closed and none of its components are running in your Task Manager. If there are some stragglers there, END TASK them at once.

For Windows Vista - C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome

For Windows XP - C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome

Sorry, I don't have Windows 7 here.

11.  This site suggests deleting the Local State File and renaming the Default folder in the Google Application Data folder:

http://www.thewindowsclub.com/google-chrome-crashing-freezing-windows-computer

Minimizing Shockwave and Flash Crashes in Google Chrome

Most of the time Google Chrome crash due to Flash or Shockwave specially after not viewing a webpage for a while or just leaving it idle without doing anything to it. Chrome is differently built from other internet browsers in that it has its own built-in Flash Player and Shockwave plugin. Other browsers need the users to install Flash and Shockwave to make use of Flash/Shockwave-based media contents to work.

To reduce such crashes, you can try disabling Flash and Shockwave in Google Chrome. While in Chrome, enter this in the Address/URL box:
about:plugins
Then hit the Enter key. On the upper right-hand side of the page, click the plus (+) sign before the word "Details". Under Shockwave or Flash Player that includes this in its Location or file path, click the Disable link:
...Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\...
There might be 2 or 3 Flash/Shockwave entries in your plugin list. Do NOT disable the item that does not include the file path I mentioned above. When you're done just close the Plugins page. After a while of using Chrome, you may be prompted to install Flash Player. Go ahead and do it. Or you can just go directly to http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/?no_redirect to install Flash Player. To install Shockwave Player, just go to http://get.adobe.com/shockwave/?promoid=JOPDF. To test your Flash Player, proceed to http://www.adobe.com/software/flash/about/. To test your Shockwave Player, go to http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/welcome/authorwareonly.html.

You're DONE!

SpotFlux: Connection Anonymizing Service (and Alternatives)

Official Site - http://www.spotflux.com/
Platform: For all versions of Windows and Mac OS X; iOS and Android apps are in development

You can keep your data private while you browse, stop malware, block IP address snoopers and keep ad networks at bay by using the new privacy service SpotFlux at no cost to you. This easy-to-use program encrypts your Internet connection using VPN to SpotFlux cloud, anonymizes your IP address, and reduces your risk of infection while you surf. This amounts to fewer irritating ads and as a result your bandwidth consumption will be reduced, a great consequence of filtering out unwanted ads. With SpotFlux tracking you will be difficult because of the use of random IP and DNS addresses by the software and also, your ISP and other agencies cannot track you on the Internet as you now belong to a different country altogether. This means, any sites blocked by your ISP will now be accessible.

If you open Device Manager and expand "Network adapters" you will see a new entry: Spotflux Network Device Driver. You can also see a new network connection in your list of networks. To view the connection details in Windows 7, click on the network icon in the System Tray and choose Open Networking and Sharing Center. In the window that appears, click Manage Network Adaptors. It does not add any extension to Google Chrome or an addon to IE. Check your IP address before and after you install SpotFlux using ipchicken.com in ALL your internet browsers. You will see that they will all use the new IP address used by SpotFlux. The new IP address is supported by every application that connects to the Internet.

It can be configured to start together with Windows.

NOTE: You can use IPCONFIG /ALL command in the Command Prompt to view your TCP/IP info. To open the Command Prompt, press Windows Key + R. The Run dialog box should appear. Type CMD and press Enter. You will get the Command window where you can type IPCONFIG /ALL to view your current TCP/IP info.

Another excellent feature of SpotFlux is its ability to block Flash ads and popups. Go to one of those websites that run Flash ads. Many of the blogs on blogspot.com run such ads. With SpotFlux enabled, the same websites will fail to launch any popup window or popup banner – especially Flash-based. There are some sites such as popupcheck.com and popuptest.com that run popup blocker tests. Go there to see how effective SpotFlux is at blocking those ads and popups. By the way, when you’re done, check out this Anonymous Surfing test to see if you’re being tracked when surfing the net, regardless of what software you might be using:
http://www.auditmypc.com/digital-footprint.asp

Another advantage of using SpotFlux is that it keeps on scanning the incoming traffic for malware and destroys them if found.

All the above is achieved by creating an encrypted connection (using 128-bit SSL encryption) where your IP address and DNS are changed so that people do not know who you are and where you are located. Spotflux kinda works like a faster, simpler version of the Tor Network. Installation is easy, and you can set the app to access a proxy server for added safety (or to ensure that you can reach region-restricted sites after your IP address becomes anonymous).

Using SpotFlux requires a certain level of trust, since the Spotflux servers are privy to everything you do. The payoff is the assurance that your activities are anonymized and protected.

Spotflux will install Java if you don't have it because SpotFlux requires it.

If you are concerned about their privacy policy head on to this page for more detailed info:
http://www.spotflux.com/privacy.htm

Here are some comments from early testers:

Fannet (a PCWorld.com member):
"... they also change your IP like a "VPN". I tried it and was pretty impressed and did not notice any performance hit. Your ISP already "has all your traffic in their hands" and so does the N$A if you live in the US, so I guess if I was really concerned about any of that I'd rather trust a small startup who's passionate about what they do than some large company or government."

1maddog (another PCWorld member):
"...Don't know how it worked before July 2012, but it installed and ran seamlessly on my XP laptop. Only downside: big hit on speed. But no more than, and usually less any other "free" VPN I've tried. Upload speeds remain pretty fast, and seem to be unaffected. My main interest is for Bittorrent, and anonymizing my IP address, which SpotFlux does just fine. Easy to use, or disable and finally there is no bandwidth or data used limitations. No other free VPN I've tried does that."

Some Drawbacks

Since your traffic goes through the Spotflux servers twice, you will see a slight performance hit. Certain applications, such as torrent clients, may not work correctly with the new IP address. But SpotFlux is very easy to disable. Since your DNS is changed, your Google, Facebook and certain other services will say they don’t recognize the computer you are using and may ask you to perform additional steps for login. Some sites, such as Facebook, give you the option to save the ‘new device’ while others will keep on asking you to perform additional info every time you log in.

Session timeouts is another annoyance. Browsing with SpotFlux enabled may cause delays due to which, timeouts may happen.

Alternatives


DNSCrypt coupled with OpenDNS to stop DNS snooping/spoofing are other programs that will add security to your connection.

From DadWhiskers (posted in TechCrunch):

For total obscurity in security critical situaltion, use Ultrasurf. Ultrasurf and its services are free. Norton Antivirus, McAfee SiteAdvisor, and perhaps others, will tell you the Ultrasurf site is a malware site, but it is not. Also, Ultrasurf may be falsely recognized as malware, but it is not. 

If you are in a restrictive country, you can surf anonymously and securely if you use Ultrasurf correctly and wisely. No government will be unable to find out what you are doing online, though you should carefully consider if you actually want to risk breaking the laws of your country. That is your choice alone. There will always be some risk of problems if you do. 

Ultrasurf MUST be used with Internet Explorer as the browser to work properly. No other browser can provide full anonymity. Ultrasurf is designed to be used only with Internet Explorer. 

When running Ultrasurf, all surfing goes through the Ultrasurf servers in the U.S., and so, that will be the IP address all sites see. You will appear to all sites to be surfing from the U.S. All data streams - both ways - between your system and the Ultrasurf servers are encrypted. 

Ultrasurf is a portable app, so it does not install, and may be kept on a pen drive, so it isn't on your system. Keep the pen drive absolutely secure. Ultrasurf leaves no traces of having been used on your system, except for what may be in your paging file. I would recommend turning off the paging file before using Ultrasurf each time, if your security situation is critical. I.e., your system may be confiscated for forensic investigation, and prosecution is at all possible. If you turn off the paging file, your system may become very slow if you have less than 4 GB of memory, though safety would be a more important consideration than speed in critical situations. 

Use portable Truecrypt to encrypt anything on your system you want to be absolutely inaccessible by others. Read about portable Truecrypt here. You could safely keep Ultrasurf and anything else in the Truecrypt vault. You can keep portable Truecrypt on your pen drive along with the Truecrypt vault. See the Truecrypt site for full information about how to use it, especially about using the "hidden" vault. The U.S. government, and almost certainly anyone else, can not crack Truecrypt.

I believe use of these suggestions will provide total anonymity as to your location, sites and data being accessed, though circumstances can change. Always be extremely careful in security critical situations.

Privacy Protector is another alternative to SpotFlux:
http://privacyprotector.eu/en/

Windows 7: Hiding Drives

Hide A Specific Drive in Window 7

Follow the steps given below:

1. Go to Start menu and type "gpedit.msc" (no quotes) in the Search box.
2. Click on User configuration>Administrative templates>windows components>Windows Explorer.
3. On the right pane search for Hide these specified drives in my computer and double click on it (a new window should appear).
4. In that new window click on "Enable" and choose any of the hiding options as per your requirement.

To un-hide the drive just click on disable.

Speeding Up Facebook

Upload Pictures Faster to Facebook

Follow the Steps Below:

1. Visit http://www.Facebook.com. Login to Your Facebook Account.

2. Open a new tab. Navigate to http://m.facebook.com/upload.php.

3. Upload your pictures.

4. Now go back to http://www.Facebook.com.

Using the Faster Facebook

Going to Facebook.com can often be a pain because it loads slowly specially when your connection is slow. An easy way to load Facebook faster is to replace http://touch.facebook.com, instead of using http://www.facebook.com. You can also use http://m.facebook.com.

So what's the difference between http://m.facebook.com and http://touch.facebook.com?

touch.facebook.com is more sophisticated and has more features. It is made mainly for smartphones and touch-screen devices. It allows viewing of feeds, friends' profiles, images, commenting and more. The feed in touch.facebook.com can show both most recent and top news views like in the full version of facebook.com.

m.facebook.com is styleless version of the site with limited capabilities. It is intended for those with older phones and less powerful mobile browsers. It allows just viewing of feeds and commenting on posts. m.facebook.com was showing only most recent views before. Now it shows similar visual views like touch.facebook.com, but with less functionality.

Having said all of that (m.facebook.com for less feature-rich mobile devices and touch.facebook.com for touch devices), I just like to say that was then. It is no longer the case. With the new m.facebook.com, users with high-end touch devices will see a rich touch-friendly interface; for users with feature phones, the site will look and work great. There will no longer be a difference between m.facebook.com and touch.facebook.com. The page will automatically serve you the best version of the site for your specific device.

Windows XP: How To Change Admin Password

How To Change Admin Password in Windows XP
From: http://www.techmix.in/2012/08/how-to-hack-admin-password-in-windows-xp.html

The need of this hack is when you are installing a software from regular account and the system asks you to enter your admin password.

Try this method.

PROCEDURE :
1.  Open the command prompt.
2.  Type the following code in command prompt

                        cd\
                        cd\windows\system32
                        mkdir temphack
                        copy logon.scr temphack\logon.scr
                        copy cmd.exe temphack\cmd.exe
                       del logon.scr
                       rename cmd.exe logon.scr
                       exit

This tells the computer to backup the command program and the screen saver file, then edits the settings so when the machine boots the screen saver you will get is an unprotected DOS prompt without logging into XP.

3. Once this happens enter this command:
net user <admin account name here> password
If the Administrator Account is called "techmix" and you want the password to be "blogger" enter this command:
net user techmix blogger
This changes the password on techmix machine to "blogger" and your in.

Programs we install on new PCs or freshly installed Windows: Part 2

Part 2

Deep Freeze

Official Site - http://www.faronics.com/standard/deep-freeze-2/
This is the most important program that you need to install. It is NOT FREE but it is worth every penny.

An OUNCE of prevention is worth a POUND of cure. If you don't know what "Virtual Machines, and "Sandboxes" are I suggest you look them up. Returnil is an elite sandbox application that deletes EVERY CHANGE MADE TO YOUR COMPUTER and contains changes within a sandbox. However it's a PARTIAL pay application i.e. there is a free version and a paid version. The free version is fine though.

Next up Sandboxie. You can use it while you browse the world wide web.

If you want a virtual machine that you don't have to pay for use VirtualBox.

From: http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread615375/pg1

If you don't already know VirtualBox is a virtual PC that runs on your current operating system. If you are running on Windows you can install VirtualBox and run any other operating system in a window as if it were any other application running in Windows. The OS running in VirtualBox is called a guest OS and your main OS is called your host OS. Basically the guest OS thinks it is running on it's own PC when it is in fact just running off of a file on your hard drive. Any files you save on your guest OS will be stored in a file on your hard drive.  

Download an operating system, I recommend a Linux distribution such as Ubuntu: http://www.ubuntu.com 

Here's the deal. You'll need a firewall installed, if you're on Windows the Windows Firewall will work fine. Setup all of your firewall profiles to block all inbound and outbound connections that do not match a rule specifically setup to allow the connection. If you're using Windows Firewall a few rules are already setup to allow certain connections, go into the advanced settings and disable all rules except for those related to core networking. This will block all applications from accessing the internet, including internet explorer or any web browsers you have installed. Now setup an inbound and outbound rule to allow only VirtualBox access to the internet.
Startup your VirtualBox system and do all of your web browsing and internet activity through your guest OS. Any spyware, malware, virii downloaded will think that is has infected your system, but it has actually only infected one file on your hard drive, it will not be able to spread to your host OS because it does not even know there is a host OS. 

I forgot to mention that VirtualBox allows you to setup a 'network' folder with your host OS so you can transfer files between the two. I recommend NOT setting up networking between your host and guest operating systems, this would allow any software or hacker access to your host OS through your guest OS. If you need to transfer files between the two use a USB disk or something of the like.

Trustware.com has a sandboxing software called BufferZone Pro. In a nutshell, you install it, then reboot. Anything that comes into your computer from the browser, Limewire, Media Player, or whatever (custom programs) can be undone with six mouse clicks. In six clicks everything will be back as it was when you first installed the program. This WILL include anything you want to keep also, so you have to learn to use it and move things in/out of the bufferzone as you see fit. You can use it on your PC to protect against flash drive infections, where it buffers then entire drive when I plug it in. I just have to be sure to move everything out of the zone that I want to have saved on the drive.

Calibre

Official Site - http://calibre-ebook.com/
Calibre is a free and open source e-book library management application developed by users of e-books for users of e-books. It has a cornucopia of features divided into the following main categories:

• Library Management
• E-book conversion
• Syncing to e-book reader devices
• Downloading news from the web and converting it into e-book form
• Comprehensive e-book viewer
• Content server for online access to your book collection

If you like reading ebooks Calibre is almost all that you need to read and convert ebooks.

Download link
http://calibre-ebook.com/download

Calibre supports the conversion of many input formats to many output formats. It can convert every input format in the following list, to every output format.

Input Formats: CBZ, CBR, CBC, CHM, DJVU, EPUB, FB2, HTML, HTMLZ, LIT, LRF, MOBI, ODT, PDF, PRC, PDB, PML, RB, RTF, SNB, TCR, TXT, TXTZ

Output Formats: AZW3, EPUB, FB2, OEB, LIT, LRF, MOBI, HTMLZ, PDB, PML, RB, PDF, RTF, SNB, TCR, TXT, TXTZ



OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Always opt for CUSTOM INSTALLATION so you can opt out of installing foistware like toolbars, search engines, and trial utilities.

2. As no single antimalware/antivirus program is 100% effective consider Malwarebytes Antimalware Free Edition for weekly second opinion on-demand scanning and to assist with security updates consider using Secunia PSI. CCleaner is often suggested as more convenience than anything but avoid the temptation to use the registry function, besides if you have Revo there enough cleanup tools included.

3. Always install any anti-virus, anti-malware and firewalls first, then fully update Windows. Only after that should you download anything (hell, you shouldn't even be connected to the Internet while you install your anti-virus/firewall programs, since unpatched Windows, regardless of the version, is simply BEGGING to be invaded).

4. Only download programs from known safe sources like CNet, Majorgeeks and the official websites of the software you are interested in.

5. The best defense is a layered defense plus common sense.

Changing the Color of Command Prompt

If you are tired of seeing a black and white Command Prompt change its color. This is a pretty easy task. Launch Command Prompt by clicking Start>Run>type cmd and hit Enter. Right-click on the title bar of Command Prompt (all the way to the top of the interface) and choose Properties. Click the Colors tab and there you can pick and choose which colors you want to assign to the background of Command Prompt and the color of the text used. If you do not like any of the color blocks shown in this tab, just go under the "Selected Color Values" column and assign random numbers (from 0 to 255) in the Red, Green and Blue entry boxes until you find the right color combination that you like. 

You can do other changes to the interface using the other tabs.

Google Redirecting & XP Flipping

Stop Google Redirection

Those who live outside the United States can relate to this. Ever get annoyed when you go tohttp://www.google.com

 and Google redirects your browser to your country domain? For example if you are in Sweden (love those meatballs) and you go to Google's search page it will take you to http://www.google.se/

. If you live in Malaysia, Google will redirect your browser tohttp://www.google.com.my/

, and so on. Now, if you don't want to get redirected to your local Google site what do you have to do?

There is actually a simple trick to avoid that. You can just add "ncr" to Google's address after the slash at the end of its URL. In other words, just type http://www.google.com/ncr

. That will lead you to the original Google homepage, without the redirection. If you're curious to know what "ncr" stands for it is just an acronym for "no country redirection".

Just Flippin' For Ya!

This is a simple prank that you can play on someone who still uses Windows XP. Just hit CTRL+Alt+(Arrow Down) on their keyboard and VOILA (!!!) the display on their screen goes upside down...hehe...Pretend you didn't do it and let him say a few expletives. hehehe...Now, to undo it, just hit CTRL+Alt+(Arrow Up). If you suffer bodily harm for this we take no responsibility for it.

This prank works on machines with an INTEL video driver. Meaning if you are using an ATI video card or something other than INTEL it won't work unless you are running XP Tablet Edition. See the information below:

The Ctrl-Alt-Direction key sequence is supposed to be used for changing the screen

orientation. For example, some monitors could be hang upside down for mounting purposes.

Ctrl-Alt-Up – right side up

Ctrl-Alt-Right – 90 degrees

Ctrl-Alt-Down – 180 degrees

Ctrl-Alt-Left – 270 degrees

(If that doesn't work, try Ctrl-Shift-R)

This is a feature in Windows XP Tablet PC Edition.

No harm will come to the computer when you do this trick even if it doesn't apply to that particular machine.

AntiFreeze

Official Site - http://www.resplendence.com/antifreeze

Works on: Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Server 2003 (x86 and x64)

When your computer just sits there not responding to anything that you do to it, including the 3-finger salute (CTRL+ALT+DELETE), the only thing that you can do to it is to force it to shut down by turning it off using the power switch or pressing reset switch. The bad thing about that is if you are doing some work on some open programs when the freeze occurred all that work won't be saved. An alternative solution in unfreezing your system maybe the use of the freeware AntiFreeze as a last resort. The authors of the program wisely promise that it is not guaranteed to work, but it does give you a second chance. AntiFreeze will only work when:
- One or more programs are doing very intensive tasks, they consume so much processor cycles that the system becomes unresponsive
- One or more programs consume so much memory that the swapping file is heavily used, overloading the system
- Programs are running with a scheduling priority which is so high that they consume all processor resources
- Too many programs are running at the same time and they all have to compete for attention from the processor

When invoked via CTRL+Windows+ALT+Home, it gives you the option of suspending all active processes except those essential for Windows, giving you the chance to shut down whichever process has locked your system. It's just a matter of picking and choosing the offending processes that you can terminate so your system can resume normally again, giving you a chance to at least save your work. The suspend/resume function of the program does work as advertised when I tested it. Since it is free, there's nothing to lose if you check it out, especially if you are consistently experiencing system freezes that your Task Manager can't do anything about. Very often the system is so busy that even the Task Manager will not be able to help you.

AntiFreeze is a utility with a very small footprint, sitting in your tray, waiting for you to press the hotkey combination (ALT+CTRL+WIN+HOME by default). You should use it only in emergency situations, consider it an alternative for the reset button.

Download Links
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,74359/description.html?tk=nl_ddxdwn
http://majorgeeks.com/AntiFreeze_d5863.html

Windows Password Recovery Tool

For Windows 7

There are those of you who have forgotten your own computer login password and now don't know what to do. There are many ways that you can fix this problem. We will introduce you to one such solution so you can regain access to your PC quickly and safely (without changing any files and settings).

This TechRepublic article shows you how to create and use a Password Reset Disk in Windows 7 using a USB Flash Drive rather than a CD or floppy disk:

Keep in mind that the same procedure can be used in Windows Vista.

Use a USB Flash Drive to create Windows Password Reset Disk in Windows 7 

The Password Reset file weighs in at only 2KB, it is the perfect use for an old USB Flash Drive. If there is any data on it, you may want to remove it because this procedure involves formatting the flash drive. 

Insert your USB Flash Drive and wait for it to be initialized and assigned a drive letter.  Now to make sure that the disk is in the best shape that it can be, you should format it. Right-click on the drive letter in Computer and select the Format command. When you see the Format dialog box, as shown in Figure A, just click the Start button: 

Figure A
http://i.techrepublic.com.com/gallery/6221061-267-464.jpg 

Once the drive is ready to use, click the Start button and type User Accounts in the Start Search box. Then, press [Enter] or click User Accounts in the results panel. Either way, you’ll see the User Accounts window and will need to locate and click Create a Password Reset Disk in the Tasks panel, as shown in Figure B: 

Figure B
http://i.techrepublic.com.com/gallery/6221062-620-473.jpg 

When you see the Forgotten Password Wizard’s Welcome screen, take a look at the information and click Next. When you see the next screen, you’ll be prompted to choose your USB Flash Drive’s drive letter, as shown in Figure C. To continue, just click Next: 

Figure C
http://i.techrepublic.com.com/gallery/6221063-513-447.jpg 

On the next screen, you’ll be prompted to type your password, as shown in Figure D. Then, click Next: 

Figure D
http://i.techrepublic.com.com/gallery/6221064-513-447.jpg 

As soon as you do, you’ll see a progress bar that will move rapidly along to 100 percent. You’ll then click Next and will see the last screen in the Forgotten Password Wizard. To complete the operation, click Finish. 

You should then click the Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media icon, choose your USB Flash Drive’s drive letter, and then, when prompted to do so, remove the drive. You should label the drive and put it away in a safe place.

Now, you may be tempted to label the drive “Password Reset.” However, since anyone who happens upon this drive can use it to bypass your password and break in to your computer, I suggest a more subtle label — something that will help you recognize the drive but that isn’t so obvious.

Using a Password Reset Disk

If you ever forget and type in an incorrect password, the login screen will change and an error message will appear like the one shown in Figure E. To continue, you will have to click OK: 

Figure E
http://i.techrepublic.com.com/gallery/6221065-456-328.jpg
You’ll then return to the login screen and will see a message appear below the Password box, as shown in Figure F. At this point, you’ll insert your USB Flash Drive and wait for it to be initialized and assigned a drive letter. Then, to launch the Password Reset Wizard, click the "Reset password..." link: 

Figure F
http://i.techrepublic.com.com/gallery/6221066-456-329.jpg 

When you see the Password Reset Wizard’s Welcome screen, take a look at the information and click Next. In the next screen, you’ll be prompted to choose your USB Flash Drive’s drive letter, as shown in Figure G. To continue, just click Next: 

Figure G
http://i.techrepublic.com.com/gallery/6221067-513-397.jpg

Once you select the drive, the Password Reset Wizard will open the saved file, read your saved password, and perform a few operations in the background. The wizard will then prompt you to create a new password, confirm it, as well as create a new hint, as shown in Figure H: 

Figure H
http://i.techrepublic.com.com/gallery/6221068-513-397.jpg 

Once you’ve filled in the text boxes, click Next. You’ll then see the success screen and will need to click Finish to complete the operation. You can now use the new password to log on to your Windows 7 system. 

IMPORTANT!!!!:
As soon as you use the Password Reset Wizard to change your password, the information in the password reset file on the USB Flash Drive will be outdated. Therefore, as soon as you log back in to Windows, you should run the Forgotten Password Wizard again and create a new password reset file.

For other free alternatives to Windows 7 Password Reset, go to this site:
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/toolsofthetrade/tp/passrecovery.htm

Someone even posted a way to reset the Windows 7 password using the Ubuntu disc:
https://groups.google.com/group/cofsug/browse_thread/thread/e960e6ff2265f786/9c46e2db0d1943b1?hl=en&q=how+to+create+Password+Reset+disk+for+windows+7#9c46e2db0d1943b1

This one is a small free Password reset tool. Install it on your USB drive and you can reset your password, create an account, raise an account to Administrator on ANY local account. Works on Windows 7, XP, and probably on Vista too. It requires a reboot and a BIOS that understands USB bootup media. This may not work on encrypted drive:
http://pogostick.net/~pnh/ntpasswd/

Anti-Gauss Malware Tools

Free Gauss detection tools

SOURCE: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9230170/Security_experts_push_free_Gauss_detection_tools

Kaspersky Lab and the Laboratory of Cryptography and System Security (CrySys) at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, both security organizations, have released online tools for Windows users that check for possible infections by Gauss, the newly-revealed cyber surveillance malware, suspected to have been built by one or more governments. According to Kaspersky, this malware monitors financial transactions with Middle Eastern banks. The coding practices used in this malware is similar to those used in Flame, an advanced spying and data-stealing toolkit that targeted Iranian computers. Flame has a notable ability to fake the Windows Update service as a way to infect updated Windows machine. Kaspersky doubts that Gauss is just a run-of-the-mill money-stealing Trojan.

Both CrySys and Kaspersky sniff out Gauss by looking for a custom-built font, dubbed "Palida Narrow," that the malware adds to infected machines. The use of this font still baffles security experts.

The CrySys Gauss-detecting tool is available here: 

http://gauss.crysys.hu/results.php

Kaspersky's Gauss sniffer can be found here: 

https://www.securelist.com/en/blog/724/Online_Detection_of_Gauss

Many antivirus programs, including those from Kaspersky and Symantec, also detect Gauss through their traditional signature-based software. So, folks, consider yourself warned. You know what to do. Either use one or both tools listed above or use Kaspersky and Symantic antiviruses to scan your computers. Don't forget to update their database first before you scan.

There are still many facets of Gauss that remain mysterious, including whether relies on one or more unpatched bugs -- "zero days" in security speak -- to compromise infected computers. One payload that Gauss installs is heavily encrypted, making it difficult for security firms to analyze it for now.

Finding Duplicate Files

Someone in My Computer Headaches Yahoogroup asked how he could speed up the task of finding duplicate files in his voluminous collection of photos. We suggested this (FDFF):

Fast Duplicate File Finder Helps You Weed Out Extra Files--For Free 

By Preston Gralla, PCWorld  

Feb 20, 2010 

With photos, videos, and music files clogging up your hard disk, it's harder than ever to keep it clean, trim, and free of duplicates. Use freebie Fast Duplicate File Finder, though, and you'll be able to find duplicate files with ease, and keep your hard disk in tip-top shape.
True to its name, Fast Duplicate File Finder quickly finds duplicate files.
Fast Duplicate File Finder doesn't merely compare file names or file sizes; it does a file comparison at the binary level. This is particularly important when looking for music, video, and other media files, because you may have files with two different names, which are otherwise identical. It's got plenty of nice-to-have features, such as determining whether to delete duplicates or move them to the Recycle Bin or a custom folder; the ability to preview files before deleting them; and support for removable media such as USB drives.
Fast Duplicate File finder is simple to use, goes about its work quickly, and it's free. It's this simple: If you're looking to trim your hard disk by deleting duplicate files, it won't lead you wrong.

There is a PRO version available that is a more fully featured if you like the experience with the FREE version. With the FREE version we like the option it has for saving search results and projects so you can more quickly rerun checks for hard drive maintenance when necessary. This program also prevents system files and folders from showing up in the search fields as a safety net for disk corruption. I'm sure you will find several other SIMILAR dupe-finding utilities but it is very important to first find out that they won't include system files since there are a few of these files that really are duplicates of the originals. However, there is a purpose for that. If you delete those system file duplicates you might end up reinstalling Windows or having more serious problems. It also features two specialty searches: graphics and music. However, these functions are now limited in the free version. FDFF also shows a preview of image files it finds, and offers some helpful filters you can apply to make copying or deleting the newest or oldest copies, for instance, very simple.

Official Site - http://www.mindgems.com/products/Fast-Duplicate-File-Finder/Fast-Duplicate-File-Finder-About.htm


Here are other freeware alternatives for finding duplicate photos:
http://www.komando.com/downloads/category.aspx?id=8786
http://lifehacker.com/5535510/clean-up-your-photo-collection-with-free-tools

Some of the best freeware suggestions can be found here:
http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-duplicate-file-detector.htm

How to Use Vidalia/TOR on Firefox & Google Chrome

Vidalia Bundle vs. Tor Bundle

What is the difference between the Vidalia Bundle and the Tor Bundle?

The Tor program by itself does the legwork of building circuits and passing data to/from the network. It has no GUI and acts based on settings in the torrc text file. Tor is available on its own in the "Expert Packages" section of the download page, as the only people using Tor on its own are likely bridge, relay, and exit operators who know what they're doing. It's not a "bundle" per se.

Vidalia is GUI program that interacts with Tor and makes its settings easier to handle, along with other nifty features such as viewing the network, logs, etc. The "Vidalia Bundle" on the download page is designed to be installed on a computer you'll be using Tor on regularly. That is, it isn't "portable", can't easily be carried with you on a USB key or CD, and doesn't come with an internet browser. The bundle includes Polipo, which makes funneling HTTP and SOCKS proxies into Tor easier and safer.

The "Tor Browser Bundle" is the same set of programs, together with a locked-down version of Firefox, that is designed to be completely portable. You don't have to install it, so it's easy to carry with you on a USB key or CD. Tor, Vidalia, Polipo, and the customized Firefox are all seamlessly started with a single button in this package. Some experts recommend using this bundle, instead of the Vidalia bundle, because it uses the Tor browser. Tor does not protect all of your computer's Internet traffic when you run it. Tor only protects your applications that are properly configured to send their Internet traffic through Tor. To avoid problems with Tor configuration, they strongly recommend using the Tor Browser Bundle. It is pre-configured to protect your privacy and anonymity on the web as long as you're browsing with the Tor Browser itself. Almost any other web browser configuration is likely to be unsafe to use with Tor. The Tor Browser will block browser plugins such as Flash, RealPlayer, Quicktime, and others because they can be manipulated into revealing your IP address. Similarly, they do not recommend installing additional addons or plugins into the Tor Browser, as these may bypass Tor or otherwise harm your anonymity and privacy. The lack of plugins means that Youtube videos are blocked by default, but Youtube does provide an experimental opt-in feature (enable it here) that works for some videos. Tor will encrypt your traffic to and within the Tor network, but the encryption of your traffic to the final destination website depends upon that website. To help ensure private encryption to websites, the Tor Browser Bundle includes HTTPS Everywhere to force the use of HTTPS encryption with major websites that support it. However, you should still watch the browser URL bar to ensure that websites you provide sensitive information to display a blue or green URL bar button, include https:// in the URL, and display the proper expected name for the website. The Tor Browser will warn you before automatically opening documents that are handled by external applications. DO NOT IGNORE THIS WARNING. Tor tries to prevent attackers from learning what destination websites you connect to. However, by default, it does not prevent somebody watching your Internet traffic from learning that you're using Tor. If this matters to you, you can reduce this risk by configuring Tor to use a Tor bridge relay rather than connecting directly to the public Tor network.

All of this information is available on the download pages and in the documentation. Do read through them.

Download Links

Stable Vidalia Bundle works with Windows 7, Vista, XP
http://www.net-security.org/software.php?id=253

Tor Browser Bundle (English) version 1.3.24, works with Windows 7, Vista, and XP
https://www.torproject.org/dist/torbrowser/tor-browser-1.3.24_en-US.exe



Tor - Anonymity Online
https://www.torproject.org/index.html.en
Protect your privacy. Defend yourself against network surveillance and traffic analysis.

Tor prevents anyone from learning your location or browsing habits.
Tor is for web browsers, instant messaging clients, remote logins, and more.
Tor is free and open source for Windows, Mac, Linux/Unix, and Android

Tor protects you by bouncing your communications around a distributed network of relays run by volunteers all around the world. It prevents somebody watching your Internet connection from learning what sites you visit, and prevents the sites you visit from learning your physical location. Tor works with many common existing applications, including web browsers, instant messaging clients, remote login, and other applications based on the TCP protocol. 

How to use Tor with Firefox

1. Download and install Tor. Make sure you get the bundle that includes Vidalia and Polipo:
https://www.torproject.org/download/download.html

2. Install Torbutton for Firefox (for Firefox below version 4):
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/torbutton/
Make sure you get it from the link above and not from the Tor bundle if yours includes Torbutton.

If you have Firefox 4, Torbutton will not install since it doesn't support Firefox 4. Skip Step 2. If you try to install the Vidalia Bundle that you downloaded in Step 1, it will try to install the Torbutton also but it will fail. That's OK. This will not be a problem with other versions of Firefox. Skip Step 2 also since Torbutton is already included in the Vidalia Bundle.

3. Restart Firefox.

4. Open up Vidalia and start Tor (or click Start>Vidalia Bundle>Vidalia). The Vidalia Control Panel should pop up. Just click "Start Tor". The green progress bar should start moving towards the right of the panel until Tor engages completely. Just click the HIDE button to hide the Vidalia Control Panel in your System Tray. If you want to access it again, all you have to do is doubleclick the green onion icon in System Tray and it should show up again.

5. In Firefox 3.X.X you should see the Torbutton at the bottom right corner (on the Status Bar) and it's probably labeled in red texts. Just click it to enable Tor which will turn its label to green. 

6. To find out what your new IP address is just go to http://ipchicken.com.

7. To stop using Tor, just click the Torbutton icon again which will turn its label to red. To completely stop Tor, go back to Vidalia (doubleclick the GREEN ONION icon in your System Tray) and click Stop Tor. OR rightclick the green onion icon in your System Tray and choose Exit.

The Tor Project are working on a version of their add-on for Firefox 4. 

Meantime you don't have to wait for Tor Project to release the final version of Torbutton for Firefox 4. You can still install the Vidalia Bundle in Firefox 4 without the Torbutton being installed. Instead, you can install the alpha version that includes Firefox 4 support from https://www.torproject.org/torbutton . 

So, first install the Vidalia Bundle and then the alpha version of the Torbutton (see link above).

Note: As this is an alpha version there may be bugs with the add-on. 
I've been using it and nothing catastrophic had happened so far. 

After you install it you will find an icon with an "X" on the left side of the Address or URL box in Firefox. Just click it to connect to TOR (you must first run Vidalia, of course) and the "X" should disappear. That should connect you to the Tor network. Go tohttp://ipchicken to know your new IP address.

That's it! Easy as eating pie!


How to Use Tor on Google Chrome

So far TOR or the Vidalia Bundle is only being used on Firefox since there is no version of the TorButton that supports Google Chrome.

Here is what I've done to make Tor work in Google Chrome:

1. Download and install the Stable Vidalia Bundle:

http://www.torproject.org/easy-download.html 

2. Install the extension Proxy Switchy. Do that by using Google Chrome and going to this site:

https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/caehdcpeofiiigpdhbabniblemipncjj 

While there, click the Install button. Proceed as instructed. 

3. Restart Google Chrome. 

4. You will notice that there is a new gray circular icon, that looks like a gray globe, on the right side of the Address or URL box in Chrome. Rightclick it and choose Options. Switchy! Options page should appear as a new tab in Google Chrome.

5. Enter the following settings in the appropriate fields:
In the Proxy Profiles tab, enter the following settings.
- Profile Name: Tor
Choose Manual Configuration.
- Under Manual Configuration:
SOCKS Host: localhost 
Port: 9050

Then click the Save button.

6. Go to the General tab.
Under "Quick Switch" click "Binary Switch" (a dot should appear on the circle preceeding "Binary Switch").
The 2 entry boxes should have the following settings:
- Profile 1: [Direct Connection]
- Profile 2: Tor 

Click the Save button.

7. To turn on the Tor/Vidalia connection, just click the globular icon. It should turn blue to signify it is enabled. To find out what your new IP address is, just go to http://ipchicken.com. To stop using Tor/Vidalia, just click the globular icon again to disable it (it should turn gray again).

You'll need to make sure the TOR software is actively running when you hit your Proxy Switchy! button in Chrome. To check if Chrome is actively using TOR for its browsing, rightclick the TOR button in your system tray (or, on a Mac, click the onion icon in your status bar) and open the bandwidth monitor tool. Browse to a site with some decently large images, and if TOR's bandwidth transfer moves up, you're browsing the web anonymously through TOR and Chrome.

This applies to both Firefox and Google Chrome:
To change IP address, just launch the Vidalia Control Panel by doubleclicking the green onion in your System Tray. Then click "Use a New Identity". To confirm your new IP address, just go back to IPCHICKEN and take note of your new IP address.