Category: Windows Vista tips

Casino Spammers still user Yahoo for Spam : Could this be Malware?

Paul

It just shows you just how one Geocities was taken down by Yahoo who owns it, the spammers have to come up with more ways to get you to download there software.

[ad]In my previous post about [intlink id=”3199″ type=”post”]Casino programs[/intlink],  They were using Geocities to host the page for the link to the download.

casinosmartdownload

It seems to be linking to “http://bestwinscasino.com/SmartDownload.exe“.  From [intlink id=”3199″ type=”post”]previous post[/intlink] I talked about what that program did but I wanted to do another test with CWSandbox and see what has change. It looks like they must be having problems lately,  So If you want to do your own test and send me the link by all means.  I don’t know what is going on but, it probably is like the other post about wanting to do some bad things.  Virustotal has some anti-virus programs flagging this so I am unsure of the Harmlessness of this file but I wouldn’t install this software.  According to Avinti this program is a trojan dropper.  So Iwill let you decide on installing this software or not.

While the CWSndbox checks for malware, I went to Whois and looked up the domain.   Very interesting,  According to Whois this domain is located in China?  You don’t say, we’ve heard a lot of stuff coming from China from Graham Cluely Blog.  So it only makes me wonder what they are attempting to do now.  I do know never download a file you haven’t heard off

This is a good time to install some [intlink id=”2205″ type=”page”]Free Anti-virus and Free Firewall [/intlink]software to better protect your system.

Microsoft Release MS09-017

Paul

Microsoft Today has released fix a Powerpoint Vulnerability:

[ad]Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2000 Service Pack 3 (KB957790), Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2002 Service Pack 3 (KB957781), Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003 Service Pack 3(KB957784), Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 Service Pack 1 and 2* (KB957789).

It looks like this Powerpoint Vulnerability is in the wild so you should update your Microsoft Office. [intlink id=”2883″ type=”post”]Autopatcher[/intlink] will download the latest the Microsoft Office patches and help you update your office computers without being on the internet.

Other Software affected by this update is:

PowerPoint Viewer 2003 (KB969615), PowerPoint Viewer 2007 Service Pack 1 and PowerPoint Viewer 2007 Service Pack 2 (KB970059), Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats Service Pack 1 and 2 (KB969618)

All these should be installed as soon as you get a chance.  If you have several different version I would recommend [intlink id=”2883″ type=”post”]Autopatcher[/intlink] to do it for you.   While you at it you should also update your [intlink id=”2205″ type=”page”]Anti-virus and Firewall software[/intlink].  You should schedule a time this week to update these important Microsoft Office programs.   You don’t want to clean a system that has a virus or trojan.   Hackers will want to jump on board and make your job even worse.  This update replaces MS08-051, so please update soon!

Microsoft to Release One Crictical update for Tuesday

Paul

Microsoft has release the information for May’s Patch Tuesday and it looks like there is one major update for Power point:

ms09patchtuesday1

The Affected software is MS Office 2000, MS office Xp, MS Office 2003, Ms Office 2007, Power point viewer, and MS compatibility pack for Word, Excel, and Power point 2007.

[ad]What will be coming out for Tuesday is as Followers for Non-security Releated:

  • Windows PowerShell 1.0 for Windows Vista (KB928439)

  • Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 and .NET Framework 3.5 Family Update (KB951847)

  • Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 Service Pack 1 (KB867460)

  • Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool – May 2009 (KB890830)/Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool – May 2009 (KB890830) – Internet Explorer Version

  • Update for Windows Mail Junk E-mail Filter [May 2009] (KB905866)

Although some of this is usual like the Malicious software removal tool, and Windows Junke e-mail filter, we won’t know what else will be released until Tuesday.  Some of the updates will be minor like the Powershell, I am guessing tis will help get ready for SP2, and the SP1 for the .NET framwork also looks to be getting ready for SP2.  So I will keep you updated if i find out what else is released on Tuesday!

Deciding the need for a Full backup or backing up your important files

Paul

This weekend I talked about Backups on the [intlink id=”3455″ type=”post”]Mike Tech Show listener Round table[/intlink], and I heard from one or two people saying you can’t do a full backup with Allwaysync, and to a point that is true but I really don’t need a full back and some have said the program is only good for Synchronization and not backup.

I could debate that last point because what is a backup?  Wikipedia defines it as “backup refers to making copies of data so that these additional copies may be used to restore the original after a data loss event”.   So backing up and Synchronizing are essentially the same thing.  Some users will argue that it is getting every file on your hard drive but I don’t think so.   I however will tell you that Most files on your hard drive don’t need to be copied.   Due to the fact that if you get a complete backup of your windows directory you will most ly end up where you left off, Viruses or some file that corrupt.   I don’t make copies of the windows for that one reason, I have all OEM systems and don’t need to worry about the Windows because when I do a system restore, I get my system back to the Factory default.

With Vista you have some data that is never put in Windows system, like your email settings and other such important date.  This is usually put in the Application Data directory, which is usally “[DRIVE]\USERS\[USERNAME]\AppData” . To get to the directory in Vista just type “%APPDATA%” in the Vista search bar and hit enter.  So I tell Allwaysync to copy everything in that directory including subdirectories.  This is where my configuration files are put for each and every program I install or run!!

People will also argue that you need to compress the data or use a Proprietary software to backup your hard drive, although this can be useful.  The more complicated the process the more chance there is for failure.  My dad always told me to keep it simple.  The simplest is usually the best in my opinion.  If I were to need to backup data, I do not need any program to get to it.   This is how I like it, plus if the drive starts to go bad you have more time to move the data off the backup drive because of moving parts and the magnetic properties could change the compress file just one bit and you would not be able to access the programs inside of it.

I also have a 500 gig external backup drive for use with keeping my data backed up, which my two laptops only use 380 if I back up all of my hard drive space but in my case my data drive is usually just used a safegaurd if I did need to do a restore on the road.  I’d still have my important programs ready to re-install and restoring my configuration files.  I wouldn’t be in the dark if I had to restore on the road.  This is how I keep my important safe.  I use:

  • [intlink id=”3059″ type=”post”]My A600 Broad Band Sd Card[/intlink] — Passwords and such on it

  • My External hard drive —  Important Software and important files

  • Mozy Free 2 Gig – I use this also to put my Passwords and my configuration files here.  It’s free but you can pay 4.95 a month for unlimited.  I like it and it works really well.

  • My spouses computer – We keep our important passwords on each other computer just in case we are on the road with one laptop we can always have access to the passwords for each of our accounts.

This has worked for me for quite some time but this isn’t for everyone, some require the compression on the hard drive and that is fine but I don’t.  I hope this clears it up on what I said on the Mike Tech show.  I did however make a mistake.  This software is not bit by bit coping it is however a file by file copy.   That was my fault and no others.  I’m only human.  Hope you understand.

Vista Sp2 To Come out in Second Quarter of 2009 — Not Compatiable with Cricket Broadband

Paul2 Replies

Well that isn’t really news we knew this was coming from my previous post about [intlink id=”3402″ type=”post”]Sp1 being sent out to all users[/intlink].
[ad#cricket-right-ez]But what I did hear won’t be a good feeling to all those who have Cricket broadband.   From a source that has contacted me and let me know, SP2 will break Cricket Broadband.   I on the other hand have to wait to see what all they put in the SP2 to figure out how to fix this small problem.   Until then I would suggest to all who like or want to continue to use Cricket broadband to install and use the Service Pack Blocker.

Download this and run as an Administrator in command line.  (START > SEARCH “cmd” > right click on CMD.EXE and run as admin.)  (You’ll want to extract this program first but You’d want to do:

  • The executable creates a registry key on the computer on which it is run that blocks or unblocks (depending on the command-line option used) the delivery of a Service Pack to that computer through Windows Update. The key used is HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate.When the ‘/B’ command line option is used, the key value name ‘DoNotAllowSP’ is created and its value set to 1. This value blocks delivery of a Service Pack to the computer through Automatic Update or Windows Update.

    When the ‘/U’ command line option is used, the previously created registry value that temporarily blocked the delivery of a Service Pack to the computer through Automatic Update or Windows Update is removed. If the value does not exist on the computer on which it is run, no action is taken.

This will help prevent it from downlading and installing the SP until Either Cricket or I have the chance to test out how to fix the problem.  Any questions can be posted on the Forums and I’ll answer them as quickly as possible!!

*UPDATE 1/1/2010*

The Latest update from Cricket is that Both the [intlink id=”3059″ type=”post” target=”_blank”]A600[/intlink] and [intlink id=”4641″ type=”post” target=”_blank”]The UM185C[/intlink] works with Vista Sp2 and Windows 7 32 and 64 bit systems.  So you no longer have to worry about it not working!!!