KCNET NEWSLETTER 01/02/05 TECHNICAL PAGE
VIRUS AND OTHER STINKY STUFF TECHNICALLY SPEAKING INTERESTING SITES
Local Network Only (Please) On December 14, 2004 Microsoft came out with a patch for vulnerability in SP2. This vulnerability affected anyone using dial-up Internet access with SP2. Due to this problem, your computer can't tell the difference between users on the Local Area Network (a small number of PC's you may have connected together) and the rest of the Internet. Basically what this means is that everybody on the Internet can potentially use your shared resources, such as hardware (printers) to data (shared folders). You don't need to be a “brain surgeon” to know this not good, as a matter of fact you could be “Giving away the house”, so to speak. If some knowledgeable and tech savvy surfer happens across your hospitable local network they could potentially see and do a lot of things you really don't want done. Here's what Microsoft says... SYMPTOMS: After you set up Windows Firewall in Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), you may discover that anyone on the Internet can access resources on your computer when you use a dial-up connection to connect to the Internet. For example, after creating an exception in Windows Firewall for File and Printer Sharing, you may discover that anyone can access shared files and printers. Microsoft's patch closes this hole and shows Windows how to properly distinguish between local/non-local users, and should be applied at once. If you have Windows set to automatic updates you may already have it installed. For the rest of us you can update by either going to Startup/All Programs and up near the top of the list you should see "Windows Update" select this and follow the instructions. You can also click on this link to get the download straight from Microsoft... http://support.microsoft.com/kb/886185
A Look Back On 2004 Security Issues From Security Pro News Wednesday: December 29, 2004 With the New Year only days away, let us look back on some of the security stories that made the news in 2004, MyDoom, Phishing scams, Netsky… the list just keeps going. The mass mailing virus, MyDoom, became one of the fastest spreading ever and was predicted to last for months, if not years. "This is the most aggressive that we have seen to date," said Mark Sunner, chief technology officer for MessageLabs, referring to the virus. MyDoom spawned numerous variants probably making it the most successful virus of its kind in ’04. In the early months of ’04 a second version of the Netsky virus started to spread more successfully than its predecessors. The variant, Netsky.B, used e-mail to send copies of itself to potential victims. "The author, it seems, has done something to improve the virus's spread," said Alfred Huger, the senior director of engineering for security firm Symantec. 2004 marked an increase of the biggest flaw in computer security, the uneducated user. It jumped by nearly 25% per month. "Phishers hijack brands for the purpose of fraud and degrade consumers' trust in those brands. That's what makes phishing so different than other types of online threats," Kim Legelis, director of industry solutions at security software maker Symantec, said.
IF YOU SUSPECT THAT YOU HAVE A VIRUS OR IF YOU HAVE NOT SUCCESSFULLY SCANNED YOUR DRIVES FOR VIRUSES LATELY... THIS NEXT SITE IS FOR YOU. Free Virus scans. Computer Associates, a reputable and reliable anti virus developer introduced a new free program which allows anyone to do a virus scan without downloading any software or registering for an anti virus program. You must use Internet Explorer for access to Computer Associates and to perform the scan. This is a good one and very simple to operate The address is http://www3.ca.com/securityadvisor/virusinfo/scan.aspx
Trend Micro, more commonly referred to as Housecall, offers free virus scans and in most cases can fix damage down by a virus or worm that your computer may have contacted. The program works well. The first time one uses the free program it is necessary to download a small program. Trend Micro walks you through the process. Then the virus scans are quite simple for each return. Go to http://housecall.antivirus.com/ then choose the link "Scan without registering". Follow the directions.
You should disable any anti virus program that you have running. If you do not have a virus program I recommend that you use one of the programs offered above first and then download and install one of the free programs listed below or install any anti virus program you have purchased.
Free Anti Virus programs for download. Quite a few KCnet members use these programs and like them. Be careful if you download a virus program and you already have one installed on your computer. You need to at least disable the program already installed.
AVG Free AVG Free Edition is the well-known anti-virus protection tool. AVG Free is available free-of-charge to home users for the life of the product! Rapid virus database updates are available for the lifetime of the product, thereby providing the high-level of detection capability that millions of users around the world trust to protect their computers. AVG Free is easy-to-use and will not slow your system down (low system resource requirements). http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/2/lng/us/tpl/v5
Avast Avast has been "anti virusing" for quite awhile. The following info comes from their download page: Avast! Home is now free of charge for HOME users for NON-COMMERCIAL use. You can find more info here. http://www.avast.com/eng/down_home.html Note: This product is free for home non-commercial use after registration! HINTS: Click on the English Version Link and download the installation file. Then click on the installation file and follow the directions. You will need to return to the download page and click on the link to get the registration key. It will be sent to you in an email after you provide some registration information. This will give you 14 months of coverage including any updates which can be set to auto download. You can reregister for additional free coverage at the end of the 14 months. You will want to browse around and choose from the many options available for operation. This process will take some time and digging.
Another good free program to take a look at is: http://www.free-av.com/ This one installs a bit easier than Avast.
Top 5 Viruses for December 10 to December 17 from Trend Micro No new report for this week, I guess Trend Micro writers took early Christmas. 1. WORM_NETSKY.P 2. HTML_NETSKY.P 3. WORM_SOBER.I 4. WORM_NETSKY.D 5. WORM_ZAFI.D
True Viruses and Warning Letters of Impending Doom. Believe it or not, the amount of harm done by sending false computer virus alarms and letters of impending doom to your thousand closest friends can be just as damaging as the alleged virus (if it even exists!); if you remember the story of the boy who cried wolf, you understand why. If you think you've got the scoop on the latest new devastating virus or latest doom warning, check it out at the Web sites below before taking it on yourself to alert the world. If the virus is as terrible as you think it is, odds are the virus fighters already know about it and -- good news here! -- your anti virus software provider probably knows about it too and already has an update for it. Sophos supplies this current information about actual hoaxes. Look at them. Read about them. If you are sent one of them, delete it.
Here are a few sites of many that can help you determine if an email is a hoax or real. http://www.quatloos.com/ http://www.snopes.com/ http://www.urbanlegends.com/ulz/ http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org/HBHoaxIndex.html http://vil.nai.com/VIL/hoaxes.asp http://kumite.com/myths/ http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/hoax.html http://www.scambusters.org/VirusHoaxes.html http://www.sophos.com/virusinfo/hoaxes/ http://www.truthorfiction.com/
TECHNICALLY SPEAKING: Local Network Only (Please) From the good folks at Worldstart. XP Users Please Read. On December 14, 2004 Microsoft came out with a patch for vulnerability in SP2. This vulnerability affected anyone using dial-up Internet access with SP2. Due to this problem, your computer can't tell the difference between users on the Local Area Network (a small number of PC's you may have connected together) and the rest of the Internet. Basically what this means is that everybody on the Internet can potentially use your shared resources, such as hardware (printers) to data (shared folders). You don't need to be a “brain surgeon” to know this not good, as a matter of fact you could be “Giving away the house”, so to speak. If some knowledgeable and tech savvy surfer happens across your hospitable local network they could potentially see and do a lot of things you really don't want done. Here's what Microsoft says... SYMPTOMS: After you set up Windows Firewall in Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), you may discover that anyone on the Internet can access resources on your computer when you use a dial-up connection to connect to the Internet. For example, after creating an exception in Windows Firewall for File and Printer Sharing, you may discover that anyone can access shared files and printers. Microsoft's patch closes this hole and shows Windows how to properly distinguish between local/non-local users, and should be applied at once. If you have Windows set to automatic updates you may already have it installed. For the rest of us you can update by either going to Startup/All Programs and up near the top of the list you should see "Windows Update" select this and follow the instructions. You can also click on this link to get the download straight from Microsoft... http://support.microsoft.com/kb/886185
This from a Langalist Newsletter dated 12/20/04 Five New Security Patches You probably already know about this, so I'll be brief: Last week, Microsoft released five new security updates and patches; they're all worthwhile. If you haven't recently run Windows Update, this'd be a good time. Or, visit: http://www.microsoft.com/security/default.mspx
This article on partitioning appeared in a recent Langalist. We talk about this subject often in the Advanced Users Class. There are good suggestions here. (Mike) Optimal Drive Partitioning Dear Fred; Thank you for your fine newsletter and all the great information you provide. I will definitely renew my Plus subscription. Now I have a question that I would like to see discussed. I have read in one or two different publications that if you're formatting a new hard drive or reformatting an older one for some reason, that it is well to set the drive up in three [3] different partitions. One for your O/S and Drivers, one for your Applications and one for your Data. Now I can see the advantages of having a separate partition for the data, but how about the one for the applications? Do you do this? How does it help you? Do all the applications that would normally expect to be on C:\ drive run O.K. when they find themselves on D:\ or E;\ or wherever? What do you recommend? ---Jon W. Spead Actually, I've found it best to work this question backwards: Start with the backup method you're going to use, and let that determine how you set up your hard drive. That way, your backups will "fit" whatever backup method you've chosen, and you won't be in the awkward position of having to back up a gigantic hard drive all at once, feeding in dozens of blank CDs one after the other. Full explanation: http://langa.com/backups/backups.htm Best of all, the above article also works even if your PC is already set up! You'll see how to modify things, nondestructively and without having to reformat, so you can benefit from a better optimal hard drive partitioning, too!
Here is a good tip from a CNet's Help and How to Newsletter email. These days computer manufacturers and sales outlets offer the integration of audio and video boards to the mother board. This then steals resources from the computers RAM. Separate boards come with their own memory and therefore do not slow the processes. The integration keeps computer costs down but sacrifices resources. I always recommend the extra expense of separate boards for Audio and Video when purchasing a new computer. For those that didn't and are now sorry here is the tip for recovery. (Mike) These days, average-priced desktops often come with integrated graphics and audio on the motherboard. Can you please tell us how to install a graphics card and an audio card on a desktop that has these integrated components already? Thank you very much. Submitted by: Young A. Well, the answer is somewhat simple, but there a few questions that would need to be answered about your system first. Most motherboards that have integrated video do not have an AGP (Advanced Graphics Port) slot, which is necessary for the latest and greatest video cards. This slot is usually short and dark brown in color and is closer to the middle of the PC. Most machines will have a couple of PCI slots available that are beige and longer than the AGP slots, and where there can only be one AGP slot, there may be many PCI slots. If you have only a PCI slot, then your choices are reduced greatly, as PCI video cards are neither as popular nor as powerful these days. Pretty much any PCI video card should work, and you should choose one that will work with your PC's specifications and have at least enough memory to handle the game or programs that you want to run. The same holds true for AGP, with a bit of a kink thrown in. AGP cards come in different speeds, and if you install an AGP card that is faster than the slot your computer has, it could (although very rarely) damage your system. The best way to determine your AGP slot's speed is to find your PC manufacturer or motherboard manufacturer's Web site and see if there's a specification page for your particular model. Once the speed is determined, you're free to choose the correct card. Note: Many cards will work at multiple speeds, so if you have a 4X slot and you find an 8X card that supports 2X/4X/8X, then the card will slow itself to compensate for the 4X slot. Just to add insult to injury, there are also a few oddball AGP formats that may pop up, such as AGP Pro. These are formats unto themselves and are not generally compatible with the standard AGP format. Now that the hard part is done, the installation should be fairly simple. Most newer onboard video cards will yield to the new video card being installed, so you need to do nothing except put the card into an empty slot (AGP or PCI appropriately) and install the software per manufacturer's instructions. On the rare occasion that you get no video when the new card is installed, you may need to manually disable the onboard video in the PC's BIOS or CMOS. Most computers will give you a short splash screen on start-up that states something such as: "Press Del for setup." Other possible keystrokes may include F1, F2, F10, F11, F12, Esc, Alt+Q and Alt+S. Once in setup, you may follow the menu prompts to navigate your PC's BIOS settings for anything that may disable Onboard Video. With this accomplished, follow the installation instructions above, and you should be in good shape. As for sound cards, they should all be PCI these days, so providing that you have a free PCI slot you should be able to pop it in, screw it down, install the provided software, and be off and running. The same BIOS restrictions may occur as in the video card example, so some BIOS detective work may need to be done, but in many cases, it should be plug-and-play. Good luck, and try not to short anything out! :) Submitted by: Mark G.
Digital Imaging Tip: Here is a good Explanation of the mystical Megapixel. Thanks to Worldstart. (Mike) Megapixels — What They Do (and what they don't) We've been getting a lot of questions about megapixels lately. Stuff like, "How many do I need?" and "Will my photos be sharper with more?" and "Will more megapixels improve the quality of my images?" Well, here's the scoop! First, how they are determined - So, you've found a camera that has 5.0 megapixels and you're wondering exactly how they arrived at that number. Did they just grab it out of the digital ether, or is there some math you're missin' out on? Well, the term "megapixel" simply means 1 million pixels. So, that means a 5 MP camera can capture 5 million pixels at its highest quality setting. The more of these pixels you capture, the larger you can print your image. Stop and re-read that last sentence! It's the main reason for wanting more megapixels. Alright then, how many MP are you going to need to print the size photos you want to print? Well, it depends on how large you want to print and at what resolution. Now, stick with me here... For the most part, photo-quality ink jet printers do well with 200 DPI, although 300 DPI is usually considered "photo quality". I can almost never tell the difference. I've seen "OK" results at lower resolutions than mentioned above, but 200 DPI or better always makes a nice print for me. So, we'll use that number as the minimum and plug it into the following equation: In order to print a 4x6 at 200 DPI, you need to take the length and multiply it by the resolution, then do the same with the width. Next multiply those results. Don't worry, this is much easier than it sounds: 4 (width) x 200 (resolution) = 800 6 (length) x 200 (resolution) = 1200 Those are your minimum width and length pixel counts. To print a 200 DPI photo quality 4x6, you would need an image that was 800 x 1200 pixels. Now, to determine how many MP this is: 800 x 1200 = 960,000 - Round up to 1,000,000. Not too bad. Now we know a 1 MP camera can make a good 4x6 print at 200 DPI. Now, if you want a 300 DPI print, you'll find after re-running the numbers you'll need a 2.1 MP camera to do the same job! Goes up fast, doesn't it? Here are some charts to save you some number crunching: 200 DPI:
300 DPI:
Another Worldstart I get this perplexing question all the time. The answer is not, "KCnet is Cutting Me Off." (Mike) I lose my dial up connection each time I send an email using Outlook Express. How do I fix this? OE can be set to hang up after it sends or receives email. This is a great feature if you have limited monthly hours online, but can be really annoying if you decide to check your mail while your surfin' the web. Fortunately this feature can be turned on or off. Go to Tools / Options, then click the "Connections" tab. If you want Outlook Express to hang up after sending or checking mail, check the box. If you DON'T want it to hang up after, just uncheck the box. NOTE: If you are someone who downloads their email then reads it offline (hang up after receiving), keep in mind that this can cause you to get a red X where a graphic should be. We get email from readers all the time who complain that the pictures are missing from the newsletter. Since our pictures load from the server, you must be online when reading or printing to get the pictures.
INTERESTING SITES: This is one has beautiful messages with great graphics and sound. It takes awhile to load with dialup but it is worth you wait. It is not churchie just very well done. Don't miss the opportunity to think and retrospect. You will want to share this site with family and friends, I'll betcha. http://www.theinterviewwithgod.com/presentation.html
TICKLE THE SLEEPY-HEAD This is a fun site. This guy has much too much time on his hands. There are a ton of clicks here. I haven't a clue how or why he made pages like these but I'm glad. Very entertaining and good. http://www.nobodyhere.com/justme/bed.here
Scared of Santa photo gallery This is a riot. Anyone with kids has gone through these scenarios as the children mature. Not many kids jump on Santas knee the first time and pronounce a lasting friendship and love for the burly hairy guy. There are some really funny shots here. Nothing says Happy Holidays like a photo of sweet little toddlers screaming at Santa. The first 25 photos in this gallery are from the Chicago Tribune's "Scared of Santa" contest in 2003. All the rest of the photos were submitted by SouthFlorida.com readers this year. Enjoy! http://www.southflorida.com/events/sfl-scaredsanta,0,2245506.photogallery
Bev Wolmerdorf found this site. It has some special three minute auctions in addition to the more traditional online auction bidding for days. http://ebidz.com
Coloring Page Thanks to Amanda for this one. This is a great site to introduce your kids to, mainly because there are a ton of activities to keep their busy little hands out of trouble. Animated Cards, Coloring, and Games are only a few of the great things you will find here. Animated Cards — It will open in a new window. If it doesn't you need to click the "click here" at the top of the page. From New Years cards to Easter to Friendship, your kids will find a plethora of cards that they can send out to their friends and family. Coloring — this section has animated coloring pages. That's right, not only can you or your kids color them, but they are animated too. That makes them that much more fun to color. And there are ton of categories to choose from so there are tons of hours of coloring fun here. Games — These games are definitely for kids 6-10. Here you will find games of coordination, mixed bag, puzzles and races. My favorite of the four was Mixed Bag—lots of miscellaneous games that are a treat and delight. Now that's what is there for your kids to explore. If you go back to the home page you'll see at the top there is a section for parents. Just click on the "Just for Parents": practical ideas and advice, and you will find a section devoted solely to those who are care givers to children. And they really do offer some great advice! http://www.coloringpage.org/
Find out what happened on your birthday throughout the ages. Wayne Smith sent this one. http://www.frontiernet.net/~cdm/age1.html