Category: Operating system

First Impression of Windows 7 Beta!!

Paul

As of getting this beta from Windows Download server, and yet having to activate it. I’d thought I share some of my impressions of this Operating System. Although I must make sure you all know this isn’t the final version of Windows 7, and it will undoubtedly go through some major changes before it is over.

windows-7-beta1

As you can see I’ve installed this onto an Intel System 2 core system 1.6ghz and 2 gigs of ram.  I must say that this was a really smooth transition from Vista to Windows 7.   I don’t think it has ever been this good with Vista.   Something that I noticed right off is that now I can have User Account Control Customized.   Yes you’ve heard it right some things you can do with Windows 7 is turn it all the way off(Do not Notify Me) to Always on (Always Notify Me).

win7uac

With this one I can now not have it Dim all the time when It wants to warn me.  This is the best part of this UAC no longer will I get annoyed every time it warns me.   I’m liking the feature more and more.

[ad#ad2-right]So I’ve just installed this and wanted to see what would work and what wouldn’t, so far here’s what I’ve found to work without a hitch:

and what doesn’t seem to work right now is:

Later on I’ll do a more complete list of items that will or will not work with this beta.  Although this is something that really surprises with most of the programs right now.  I’ve not had any major issue installing the software for the ones that work.  Only small hitch was for the Cricket Broad band software I had to tell it to install the driver anyway.   I am really liking this and hope they keep it the same all the way through.  I like the speed of access and the preview panes for finding what I need to find.  I also like the backgrounds they have installed as default but that is one thing that will most definitely change as they progress they will find even better ones.  Now all I have to do is get the Beta Key and I’ll be set until August.

Disaster preparation 101 — Data backup

Paul

In this one I will talk about Disaster, it happens to all of us from time to time. A fire, a earthquake, a stolen laptop or any number of ways. So what happens to your data, is it stored on the laptop? Is it important very sensitive data? Could you get fired if you lost that data?

[ad#ad2-right]These are all questions you must ask yourself when you have laptop. How do you backup your data or even do you have a backup? Having seen this with my own clients, I must wonder if there are people out there who just don’t care. I had a client the other day who gotten a virus and this was a really mean virus. Deleted some very important files when you tried to clean the virus out. She called me in a panic because she couldn’t load up windows? I asked if she had any backups, she said “what’s a backup” . So I sat there discussing this with the client for over 20 minutes. Finally she started to understand, she said she had the OEM Backup DVD but nothing else. She also said she needed help with getting data off the computer. I told her that I would be able to come the next day and I was lucky the virus didn’t do anything else to her data. We were able to retrieve the data from her system. That is where I start my rant , Why would anyone not have backup of there most important data?

So How do you backup your data? This is controversial and somewhat depends on how much people want to spend to keep there data safe and not loose pictures or music. There are several ways to do it, each way has it’s pitfalls or short comings and requires a little more effort:

Kinds of Backup

Hard Medium – DVD, CD, External Hard drive

Although,  The hard medium is usually used that doesn’t mean you can have a backup other than hard.   Here are some ways to back up on the internet.

Internet Medium:

  • Jungle Disk — Provides online storage through the Amazon s3 service.   Only pay for what you use.   It works well with most Operating system.  I’ve used it on Vista so it is really nice.

  • Carbonite Online backup –Another good Online storage.

  • Some Other Online backup — Here a list from Amazon to better help you find the type of software that you might need.

These are just a few options, if you want to look for other you can.  The important thing to do is BACKUP because if you need some data that gets wiped or destroyed.  You will be kicking yourself for not backing up.

What is a Virus and Why do I have one

Paul2 Replies

After seeing more and more the updates coming from the net.  I wanted to talk about what a Computer Virus or Trojan is and how you get it.   So how did  you could of gotten a Virus in the first place.   So here are some information to consider:

The vulnerability of operating systems to viruses

So what does that mean to you?  Most of the times when you get a virus you have a vulnerability in some place in your Operating system and it is either something that has not be known by Microsoft, Apple, and Linux or is know as a Zero-day Exploit. [ad#ad2-right]

A zero-day (or zero-hour) attack or threat is a computer threat that tries to exploit unknown, undisclosed or patchfree computer application vulnerabilities. The term Zero Day is also used to describe unknown or Zero day viruses.

[Via Wikipedia]

This is one of the most used because if it is an unknown exploit by the Operating System creators then they have a longer to us the exploit.  Most of the time hackers like to use this because that means there is a possibility of finding even more vectors to infect other systems.  You see if they can get on one system they can then find ways to get on other systems.

In the Old days, you’d ask

How Did I Get This Virus, Anyway?

You get a virus when you copy infected files to your computer, then activate the code inside by running the infected application or opening an infected document. How you copy the infected files is irrelevant: Viruses don’t care if you get them as an e-mail attachment, a download, or via a shared floppy disk, though e-mail attachments are the most prevalent (and easiest) mode of transport.

[via PcWorld] (Dated Oct 13, 2000 11:00 pm)

That was before hackers wanted to infect for more personal gains.   There is a list of things that hackers want to get when they Infect a system and it is usually very few things.   In the Old days they wanted the fame but now they want money and to take control over the internet.  They usually want to infect for Money or to have computers become botnets.  Now We aren’t talking about the Movie, I Robot.   Once a system becomes a bot it doesn’t think for itself but follows a line of command from the Command and Control center.  So lets say we have  several hundred bots on one net, and the hacker blacked mailed a server saying if they didn’t pay up they’d get DoS attacked.  With enough bots going to one site at one time can slow or even bring down a site, that is how A hacker sometimes uses a virus or trojan to get into a system.

Viruses & Trojans try to Avoid detection

So you have a virus, it wouldn’t do a virus any good to be detected right after getting onto a system.   More and more, viruses are trying to avoid being seen and heard.  Most hackers who program are wanting to infect more than one system so they have to make really sure that you don’t find out your infected.    So with that said there are several ways  and I won’t try to explain them because I think the link talks about it better than I could.   It however will give people something to think about.

In the next few days there will be another post on How you will be able to figure out if you have a virus.  I had to talk about this first so people could understand how to figure out if you have in the next post.  So stay tuned for more

WordPress 2.7 is available.

Paul

Having installed the latest update, I must say this new dashboard is quite good.  I love the new dashboard.  So lets take a quick look at what you can do:

wordpress27-dashClick Image to View it in full screen!!

After I installed it, this is what it was like.   I then decided to change it around to show you what it looks like now.  You have the option of changing the right row and also the windows to where you want.  Like this:

wordpress27-dash1Click Image to view it full screen.

As you can see you can change so much stuff on the dashboard it is like having your own very wordpress operating system on your system.   You can customize what you want where you want.   I like this new look.   I’d thought I show you the WordPress 2.7 Dashboard and show just how nice this looks.   I want to hear everyone  thoughts on this new dashboard do you like it or hate it?

[ad#ad2-right]My Opinion is this is so nice and easy for the blogger and people who use the Podpress, it makes it even easier and quicker.  Oh and you can now use Google Gears to speed up the dashboard so you don’t have to wait for the page to load.   You can also use it offline and post it online when you get a signal.  That is  my understanding of Google Gears although I’ve not tested that part out.  I am almost sure you could do that with WordPress.

Apple’s Immunity, Botnet sanctuary.

Paul

Apple Immune? No way!

But is Apple projecting a false sense of security just to save face? Many experts repeatedly warn that all operating systems are susceptible to viruses, and as the Mac becomes more popular OS X will inevitably become a bigger target for malicious attacks.

[via Pcworld]

Having said that I feel the notion that Apple is trying to keep there reputation as a virus free system. I can only hope that they stay that way. Which as much as I know, Apple will most like start to be the main source for botnets, because of the lack of security.

[ad#ad2-right]According to reports on this blog, people are worried Apple stance on it being the safest and having so much immunity to viruses. Apple in the past has stated they have mislead people with there firewall. Yet Apple takes down that suggestion of having an Anti-virus(Quietly).

[ad#digg-left]Everything I’ve seen suggest that virus writers and Malware writers will MOST likely start targeting the Mac OS X, they know Apple sense of security is Vulnerable to attack and they will exploit it more and more. So what does that mean for Apple, it just means that soon every hacker who has a botnet will want a piece of the Apple Pie and is right now.

[ad#ad2-left]As PC Trojans go, the programming features of RSPlug.E look fairly basic. PC malware is more highly evolved and usually cleverer. But a programmer – probably a Russian – with knowledge of OSX had taken time to create a Trojan that hits Macs instead of PCs, James pointed out.


[via Techworld]

Which looks like it has already begun. So what can Mac users do, get an Anti-virus and maybe Apple will have to start backing down from the Virus commercials and actually admit it. Sooner or later someone will have to challenge Apple to get them to start admitting to it.