All posts for the month January, 2009

Windows Computers – Backup approach to programs, files

 

 

I am also still amazed as to how much maintenance time you have to give to one’s computer system, spyware, viruses, security system now as well. It seems we now  also  have to spend much more time on computer maintenance too then over when computers had first come out in the 1980’s too and they are just as costly overall now as well. A separate back up computer also   seems to be an essential  reality these days too.
 
Not only have the software programs also  become too often more complicated, often not user friendly as well, they now take a massive hard disk space and seem to also require a computer system upgrade too, so one now basically needs plenty of time, even  a degree in computer science if you really want to use your computer for much more then just browsing the internet.
  
Thanks to this imperfect world, viruses, bad people, the continually need of a reliable computer  data back up software even due to  the short comings of Windows Back up and  restore is another serious problem now as well.  It is thus now a very well-known fact that most computers are  very susceptible to failures still,  hard drive crashes or virus attacks. 

 

   
As much as every computer user may want to deny the inevitable, your computer’s stored data is only as secure as your backups. Every hard drive even for home users is eventually next  going to eventually  sooner or later fail (and malicious software frequently targets also the  data files), and thus you will lose your invaluable   files, documents, programs, and all other information that you have kept and stored in your computer unless you have a good backup. It used to be when a hard drive was guaranteed for 5 years, these days some do even fail within the first 2 years. You really cannot relay on anything these days.
  
It is a real shock still to find out that the Microsoft Vista Operating system as well really is not perfect, and that Internet explorer 7 can be corrupted, but it next cannot be repaired, reinstalled  as well. The hard rive has to be reformatted and all the programs reinstalled. So now you need to also back up your operating system and your own programs.  Reformatting the whole hard drive and re installing all the software from scratch  is now rather is not a too pleasant alternative as well.
 
Now  – what do you need to backup and what equipment, software do you need to do it ?
 
You really firstly also do need to backup your personal files, data  that you do not want to lose. These would be any documents such as Word  files, spreadsheets,  pictures, email, videos  – almost any files that you have created. Unless you have set up custom folders, you will most likely find your data in ”My Documents” somewhere. The  E-mail depends on what email client you are using. For Outlook Express there is free backup program available called Outlook Express Freebie Backup depending on what version of Windows you are using now too. 
  
Reliably Backing up of the stored data,  information is a very necessary act, precaution to protect one’s data from being lost forever. It requires some costs but it is still cheaper than losing all of your important data. Backing up your programs is also required. Even CD and DVD disks have been known to fail, as well as operating programs.
  
The best method of back ups? What also is currently the best protected DVD backup method/software? What are some of the best backup software?
    
There are hundreds of ways available to back up your operating system and data, but clearly some of them are far and away better than the others.
 
 CD disks, DVD disks, Zip disks, Hard disks  and pretty much anything else you can think of will also eventually fail one day.  One of the worst assumptions that you can make is that your data is safe when it’s only contained on one medium. Having one copy of it too is also a very  bad assumption, approach. Even t an external drive is as likely to fail as any internal drive. So sure it all takes work, but it take much more work when you lose the data to recovery if if even not likely now too
  
Flash memory, also known as memory sticks, flash drives, or thumb drives, are a suitable solution for data backup when the backup amount is now somewhat small. Often used for transferring small files from one computer to another . Flash memory drives are easy to plug into any PC with a USB port. These drives offer unlimited rewrite capabilities and are available in capacities ranging anywhere from 64 MB to 8 GB and more. Flash memory data durability is estimated to be roughly 10 years. Another advantage of flash memory is that data stored on flash drives is not susceptible to damage caused by magnets.
  
These days, nearly every computer has a DVD-ROM drive that can write large amounts of information to either a DVD-R or CD-R disc. The discs themselves are relatively inexpensive, bur  now they  still are not a  great form of serious back up solutions for the too often  large amount of data backup, and they still do need proper care,  proper  labels and checked for consistency.
  
Backing up on any disks is not longer feasible or fun because of the number of disks needed. DVD backup is no longer  a practical alternative for home users and especially the small businesses.   Single-layer DVDs can hold up to 4.7 GB of data and dual-layer DVDs can hold up to 8.5 GB. DVD technology is not  a suitable option for storing backup data  the GENERAL large amounts of backup data WHEN the hard DRIVES ARE 250, 500, 750 GB OR 1 Terrabytes these days too. So it’s preferable to use CD/DVD-ROM backup as a secondary method of data backup
 
Tape backups. Combined with their costs, decreased accessibility, even errors too,  and the advances made in the availability of such storage devices as the CD-R, the CD-RW, and the DVD-R, tape backups have become less popular and practically obsolete especially  for home computer users
  
Online storage is one of the newest methods of storing your files, of course backup data also. Online storage solutions enable people to upload their data to a reliable server located in a secure environment. Another advantage of storing files online is that users can access these files from any location as long as they have a computer with Internet access. But can you really store a lot of data there, and is it safe to do so as well. Do you want others to access your data ?
  
All Hard drives have really come down in price firstly. So you can practically   back up hard drive as needed with a full image copy of all of  the files too, and  for each computer. A secondary  Internal  or External hard drives are my own best choice for the most reliable, simplest, and most affordable method of backup for home or small business users.  As with any other form of backup, it’s important to regularly check what you’ve been backing up to ensure that everything’s always there where it should be. Good backup habits now are a very important part of computer usage and they can leave you with a   peace of mind too. You need a right size external hard drive and the right back up software program now as well.
  
There are two basic types of backups that can be performed by various software: backing up the partial or whole disk image and/or backing up the selectd files, data.
 
In “Vista – The file backup and restore features in Windows Vista now  make it easier for you to keep your data safe from user error, hardware failure, and other problems. The Windows Backup and Restore Center gives you one place to manage all backup and restore features.  Depending on the version of Windows Vista you have, there are two approaches you can take to backing up files: Automatic Backup, which backs up just your files and data; or Complete PC Backup, which backs up everything on your PC, including the operating system and applications. Not available in the   Windows Vista Home Premium edition.   While file restore is useful in cases of file loss and data corruption, Windows Complete PC Backup and Restore is most useful for disaster recovery when your PC malfunctions. This feature helps you create complete PC backups, and then in the event of a serious system issue or data loss, Windows Complete PC Backup and Restore can restore your entire PC environment, including the operating system, installed programs, user settings, and data files. You can restore your PC back to its original state or onto another PC. Windows Complete PC Backup and Restore can be initiated from within Windows Vista or from the Windows Vista installation CD, if the PC is not able to start up normally from the hard disk.    With Windows Vista (specifically the Business, Enterprise and Ultimate editions), Microsoft  approach to backups is with the inclusion of the ability to create a complete, restorable image of the system drive along with all programs and files. File Backup has been improved to make data protection simpler and more thorough, and two new features, Windows® Complete PC Backup and Restore and Shadow Copy, have been added but not to all of the Vista packages.. This works similarly to any of the currently available third party imaging tools like Norton Ghost or -my favourite- Acronis TrueImage. I say ’similarly’ because the Windows Vista tools are not as robust as the aforementioned ones. For example, Acronis TrueImage allows individual files within an image to be restored, whereas Vista’s Backup does not. The entire image must be restored. At any rate, it’s still better than nothing and easy to use for the home user.”  First So, using Vista’s Backup,  you  create a complete file, and not program image to another hard drive  .  Next, after installing all your  programs you seperately do need to  copying over your data files. With Vista a user cannot select files and folders to be backed up; Vista has already selected groups of files: Meanwhile I will continue to use Acronis TrueImage (which not only creates disk images as well backups of individual files and folders, but I can use this progrma with my XP computer as well), Vista’s Backup will surely benefit the home user (and much mnore to those  with the Ultimate edition) when used regularly. Pin the shortcut to your Start menu, or better yet, create a shortcut to it on your desktop.”
  
In my case Vista operating system itself became corrupted.. and the file backup and restore features in my Windows Vista alone was not adequate to deal with this..
 
It is recommended that you Grab an external USB hard drive slightly larger than the hard drive in your existing laptop (which should cost significantly less than $200), partition it in a similar way that your current drive is partitioned, and optionally instead then use the free utility DrvClonerXP to clone the partitions on the drive. You’ll have a perfect backup that you could even boot from (assuming that your machine can boot from an external drive), as well as a backup drive for regular future use. http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/Back-Up-and-Recovery/DrvClonerXP.shtml
  
DrvClonerXP – Clone disk partitions ! DrvClonerXP copies a whole drive partition byte-for-byte, sector-by-sector, directly to another drive partition, producing an exact reproduction (clone) of the original partition.  No intermediate file is created in the process. Unlike a disk imaging tool, it does not save the image to disk (for backup or other purpose) but applies it directly to the selected partition. Use it, if you want to create a clone of your drive for whatever reason, (new hard drive etc.)
 Here are some key features of “DrvClonerXP”:  · DrvClonerXP quickly clones NTFS and FAT32 drive partitions, for the Windows 2000/XP operating systems, by copying, byte-for-byte, the drive partition’s structure to another partition, creating a perfect duplicate, without creating an intermediate image file (as with DrvImagerXP). 

· Create identical bootable partitions! Copy an existing hard drive onto a new hard drive!

· Though not as powerful and flexible as “Drive Image” or “Ghost” drive imaging programs, the simplicity, yet powerful capabilities of DrvClonerXP make it the favorite choice for many.
  
Since you too had ordered Norton Ghosts or Acronis… do instead  take advantage of it and Image the entire drive then back up data daily. If you add or remove applications go ahead and re-image the entire drive, The best time to image the drive is immediately after everything is installed and all personal preferences are set for each program–that is assuming a home or office type computer. Don’t forget to create a restore point on the computer as well before you back up  the whole hard drive. I back up 2 computers on my one large  external plug and play hard drive.
  
“I think the most convenient and nearly the safest place for a backup image of your system hard drive is on an external hard drive left unconnected and electrically off unless it is being used to backup the system file, or being used to reconstitute the system file from a stored image. This keeps the chances of losing the external hard drive and the system drive at the same time to a minimum. For extra insurance, do still also make DVD disc backups of the backup image, and store them in a different place. That gives you the ultimate protection from a system catastrophe. I use Acronis True Image for my backup, and it runs very efficiently on my Vista and XP computers, system. The boot disc generated by the program, allows easy emergency access to external hard drives connected by USB.”

 

The best forms of backup are automatic, because people make errors, and contrary to popular belief, computers do not.  Programs like Norton Ghost, Acronis, etc do  create periodic copies of files onto external drives and other medium—you can set them up so that when you’re sleeping, your computer is copying your important pictures, documents, and whatever else you need onto your external drive.  If your internal hard disk fails, at least you can simply install a new hard drive, and your files are waiting for you on your external. But still do keep a copy of your important files on a DVD disk in case something goes wrong. You can    use Syncback  http://www.2brightsparks.com/assets/software/SyncBack_Setup.zip     (which is free, but SyncBackPro is not) to do your backups.  For CD or DVD use the writer of your choice. Most people seem to  use Nero. Syncback and nero will copy whatever you want to have copied, but a copy of the operating system and programs will not work. They must be installed unless you use one of the separate drive imaging programs. Make sure they also copy all of your data and not just the programs.
  
When to backup – manually at least about once a week. Daily automatically, it takes about 2 hours or more.
  
Internal Backup, One Disk approach. For an existing  particularly large hard drive, the hard disk can be partitioned so that one partition may be used as a repository of backup data. For this type of backup, you can use automatic backup software, which will do the needed daily backups of data you have specified or a full backup of your active partitions. You can also manually copy your essential  files from your active drive partition to your backup drive partition as long as you do this regularly. This is one of the least advisable forms of backup out there, because the backup partition becomes as useless as the main partition if your hard drive ever crashes. And one day it will. With only an internal hard drive when the data is corrupted or the OS corrupted, both drives corrupted. 
  
” I had 2 hard drives in my system and was backing up data files from one to the other thinking that the chances of both drives failing at the same time would be astronomical. Then the power supply failed and when I installed a new one both drives would not boot. Apparently the power supply put out too much voltage that zapped the circuit board on both drives. I’m backing up to an external hard drive now “.
  
Internal or external Backup, Multiple Disks approach. You can also set up another hard drive for backup within or preferably an external, removeable, plug and play hard drive to your computer. With only an internal hard drive when the data is corrupted or the OS corrupted, both drives corrupted.
  
This second removable external hard drive is a separate entity from your first, active hard drive, so it presents greater protection and data security in the likely case your active hard drive is corrupted. 
 
In both of these these case you can use a software PROGRAM  to create a mirror image of one hard drive on the other hard drive automatically or manually. The advantage of the manual disconnect APPROACH is that your data is completely safe if you suffer a hard drive crash, and this will  protect you from a virus or spyware secondary infection, as the infection will not be written to the separate backup drive right along with the good data. A good anti virus program  should help to prevent this or to deal with this.

 

For very serious work.. “I would strongly recommend that you back up your data. I am a photographer for our church and I am responsible for photographing all programs and activities. About a year and haft ago I switch to a digital camera. Since the hard drive in the computer was not large enough I purchase a Maxtor OneTouch 250 GB USB drive. I had about four thousand pictures on it. The drive was running fine and I was real happy with it. I knew that I needed to back it up and planned on getting another external drive to mirror the data on. One day a couple of months back I was going to download some photos from my camera and when I started the computer and external drive, the Maxtor drive would not power up. The drive was still under warranty and I contacted Maxtor. They sent me a replacement drive. Because some of the pictures were critical to our building program I needed to recover them. I contacted a data recovery company and it cost us $1200 (the data recovery company quoted me $1200 to $3500) to recover the files on the drive. We were fortunate that it was only the electronics that failed and the data was still available on the disks. This was a costly mistake but it could have been worse. There was no warning, one day it was working fine and the next day it didn’t. I strongly recommend that you analyze your data on your computer and if any of it is valuable and irreplaceably then you had better back it up. I now have two external hard drives that I store the data on and I burn a copy onto DVD disk to store in another location just in case a disaster happen to our church. I make two back ups of the data. I decided that I would mirror the hard drives so I could have faster recovery in case one failed. I also made backups on DVD’s.  I buy two different brands of blank DVD’s and make one copy on each of the brands and  then store them in two different locations (miles apart) just in case of a natural disaster.   “ 
  
Firstly I do have a Backup  computer with the same capacity. I  backup of all my important  data on it about once a month  (about 100 GB )  This ensures that even if the main computer  crashes and burns (i.e, the defective power supply kills both drives), I still do have a ”live” electronic copy and back up computer to use.
  
I also do a Backup to DVD. About once per quarter, I  also do make backups onto DVD of important data.
  
I also personally still firstly do like both of the computer’s entire HD backed up. And you can make a good  backup program do what you want it to do. If something happens Next I simply insert the Acronis backed up HD and I am up and running again. With the external portable hard drive I have been backing up from one computer to another as well.

  

 

   
One of the most important things you need to remember about backup is that files still do  need to be checked for consistency.  Any file transfer can go poorly and only copy part of your data over, leaving you with a corrupt file that’s now next  virtually useless.  If you use automatic transfer, you still should check your files about once a week or so.  Make a habit of it.  Remember that your files are only safe if  you can actually now also see that they’re safe. 

 
Unison is a file-synchronization tool for Unix and Windows. It allows two replicas of a collection of files and directories to be stored on different hosts (or different disks on the same host), modified separately, and then brought up to date by propagating the changes in each replica to the other.  Unison runs on both Windows and many flavors of Unix (Solaris, Linux, OS X, etc.) systems. Moreover, Unison works across platforms, allowing you to synchronize a Windows laptop with a Unix server, for example.   MSVC Windows version (GTK+, at least version 2.12, and text versions in each zip file): 2.26.14, 2.27.57 (2008.01.20, stable), 2.28.34 (2008.01.20, unstable), 2.30.4 (2008.06.28, experimental)  A GTK+ 2.12 runtime environment, needed to run this version, may be downloaded from the Pidgin project. http://alan.petitepomme.net/unison/index.html
  
Dropbox   Dropbox Syncs and Backs Up Files Between Computers Instantaneously Store, Sync, and Share your files online. Freeware application and web service. Dropbox instantaneously backs up and syncs your files over the internet and to any computer. http://www.getdropbox.com/downloading
  
SyncToy2 for Windows XP   SyncToy helps you copy, move, rename, and delete files between folders and computers quickly and easily.
  
ComparerCmd 0.0.2.0   Comparer is files compare application which uses Total Commander’s WDX plugins. Download
This is console version of application from above. It should be unpacked into Comparer’s directory because it uses the same config file.
Total Commander  is a Shareware file manager for Windows® 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP/Vista, and Windows® 3.1. Official site of TC you can find at http://ghisler.com. Get more   plugins (WLX) for Total Commander  http://en.totalcmd.pl/download/wlx
  
On top of that you can encrypt the hard drive back up in case the external hard drive gets stolen so no one can get access to your data too. Norton Ghost and Acronis have that option.
 
EncryptOnClick  DOWNLOAD [Freeware: 1.48MB]  http://www.2brightsparks.com/assets/software/EncryptOnClick_Setup.exe    EncryptOnClick v1.3.1.3 is a program that lets you securely encrypt and decrypt files. Ensure the files you want to keep safe and out of view from others stay that way. The program is very simple to use and features military grade 256-bit AES encryption. Note that you are entirely responsible for remembering the passwords you use when encrypting your files with EncryptOnClick.  No one next cannot tell you what your password is if you forget it, and we have no method for retrieving lost or forgotten passwords.
 
One of the most important things you need to remember about backup is that files still do  need to be checked for consistency.  Any file transfer can go poorly and only copy part of your data over, leaving you with a corrupt file that’s now next  virtually useless.  If you use automatic transfer, you still should check your files about once a week or so.  Make a habit of it.  Remember that your files are only safe if  you can actually now also see that they’re safe.

 

Get a free Partition Manager 9.0 Express Non-commercial use only, latest Free Partitioning Software. Partitioning is not for amateurs. That is why millions of people have trusted our safe, stable technology and professional software solutions for over 14 years. Our newest Express Edition easily organizes your hard drive and redistributes free space to enhance system perfomance. Best of all, you can now enjoy the benefits for free!

-Redistribute Unused Disk Space-
-Gain additional space in an your existing partitions by easily resizing and moving partitions with through the smart Resize Wizard. 
-Organize and optimize your hard drive-
-Add partitions with the highly intuitive Create Partition Wizard. Leave a core partition to host Windows and automatically create a new partition for work and data files in a logical, intuitive place.
-Prepare your hard drive for backup-
-Simplify the backup process by separating your data from your Operating System. A structured approach allows you to have a separate location for your OS, your data, and your backups.  
-Dual boot user systems-
Many applications still don’t work with Vista, so why not keep a copy of Windows XP? With separate drive partitions, you can install several operating systems and have a choice on startup.
 
http://www.download.com/3001-2248_4-10904411.html?spi=ac3bd2e3947bedecd3204958dc20a19a

Or Upgrade Now to Paragon Partition Manager 9.0 Personal Edition! Access a full range of features for specific disk partitioning needs; split, merge, hide/unhide, delete/undelete partitions, resize, initiate a new hard drive and run multiple operating systems. This affordable upgrade software also solves boot problems, converts file systems, and can use a Bootable Recovery Media to ensure data and system access in the event of drive failure or power outage.
  

Other Tips
 
Gizmo’s – Best Tech Websites | Gizmo’s Tech Support 
Best Windows Freeware/Shareware Download Sites  
Best Sites for Windows Tips, Tricks and Tweaking  
Best Free Technical Support Sites  
Best Computer Security Sites  
Best Troubleshooting Sites  
Best Sites for Scripts, Drivers and Fonts  
Best PC Support Resource Sites  
Best PC Glossaries, Guides and Tutorials  
 
 
Dealing with Viruses, Trojan Agents a list of tools and utilities that I too also would  like to suggest to people. This list is full of great tools and utilities to help you understand how you got infected and how to keep from getting infected again.
 
Customizing Right-Click Menu Options in Windows  This document gives step by step instructions for customizing the options that appear on the right-click menu for various file types.
 
How do I configure Internet Explorer to download more than two files at a time?  By default, Internet Explorer limits the number of files that you can download at a time to two. This can really slow things down for you if you want to download more than two files at a time. This article helps you increase the number of files that you can download at a time to 10. To have us fix this problem for you, go to the “Fix it for me” section. If you would rather fix this problem yourself, go to the “Let me fix it myself” section.  Note This procedure is for information only. Changing the maximum number of connections beyond two is against Internet standards. We do not recommend this procedure for use on public networks.
 
Got any better suggestions, recommendations?
1 Comment
by thenonconformer on January 18, 2009  •  Permalink
Posted in Computers, General, Internet
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by thenonconformer on January 18, 2009

https://witnessed.wordpress.com/2009/01/18/windows-computers/

Dealing with Viruses, Trojan Agents

 
 
Someone said that Hell is here on earth for a start.. based on the number of daily viruses, Trojans increasing now that seems to be true.. http://thenonconformer.wordpress.com/2010/10/28/consumer-complaints-abuses-and-their-increase-was-so-predictable/
 
The following is a list of tools and utilities that I too also would  like to suggest to people. This list is full of great tools and utilities to help you understand how you got infected and how to keep from getting infected again.
  1. Spybot Search & Destroy – Uber powerful tool which can search and annhilate nasties that make it onto your system. Now with an Immunize section that will help prevent future infections.
  2. AdAware – Another very powerful tool which searches and kills nasties that infect your system. AdAware and Spybot Search & Destroy compliment each other very well.
  3. SpywareBlaster – Great prevention tool to keep nasties from installing on your system.     

  4. CleanUP! – Cleans temporary files from IE and Windows, empties the recycle bin and more. Great tool to help speed up your computer and knock out those nasties that like to reside in the temp folders.
  5. Windows Updates – It is very important to make sure that both Internet Explorer and Windows are kept current with the latest critical security patches from Microsoft. To do this just start Internet Explorer and select Tools > Windows Update, and follow the online instructions from there.
  6. ZonedOut + IE-SpyAd – puts over 5000 sites in your restricted zone so you’ll be protected when you visit innocent-looking sites that aren’t actually innocent at all.
  7. Trillian or Miranda-IM – These are Malware free Instant Messenger programs which allow you to connect to multiple IM services in one program! (AOL, Yahoo, ICQ, IRC, MSN)
  8. ERUNT (Emergency Recovery Utility NT) allows you to keep a complete backup of your registry and restore it when needed. The standard registry backup options that come with Windows back up most of the registry but not all of it. ERUNT however creates a complete backup set, including the Security hive and user related sections. ERUNT is easy to use and since it creates a full backup, there are no options or choices other than to select the location of the backup files. The backup set includes a small executable that will launch the registry restore if needed.
  9. Recovery Console – Recent trends appear to indicate that future infections will include attacks to the boot sector of the computer. The installation of the Recovery Console in the computer will be our only defense against this threat. For more information and steps to install the Recovery Console see This Article. Should you need assistance in installing the Recovery Console, please do not hesitate to ask.
To find out more information about how you got infected in the first place and some great guidelines to follow to prevent future infections you can read this article by Tony Klein and this one by Miekiemoes.
 You usually get infected because your security settings are too low.

”  You usually get infected because your security settings are too low.Let’s also not forget that SpyBot Search and Destroy has the Immunize feature which works roughly the same way.
It can’t hurt to use both.6) IE-SPYAD

that track your viewing habits, known as “click-thru tracking”.
However as time has progressed the focus of this project has changed from blocking ads/banners to protecting the user from the many parasites that now exist on the Internet. It doesn’t serve much purpose if you block the ad banner from displaying, but get hijacked by a parasite from an evil script or download contained on the web site. The object is to surf faster while preserving your Safety, Security and Privacy.
Incidentally, another site with an enormous amount of information on computer security, and which is well worth a visit is http://www.wilderssecurity.com/

 
Finally, after following up on all these recommendations, why not run Jason Levine’s Browser Security Tests.

They will provide you with an insight on how vulnerable you might still be to a number of common exploits.
If you are using XP or windows 2000 or 2003 then this application will also help a lot to prevent hijacking
https://www.prevx.com
 

 

And make sure your Antivirus and firewall is switched on and kept updated 

__________________
Derek
Microsoft MVP/Windows – Security ”

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/lofiversion/index.php/t188362.html

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/lofiversion/index.php/t188362.html

What do you recommend?

“Here are a number of good recommendations that will help tighten them, and which will contribute to making you a less likely victim:
1) Watch what you download!
Many freeware programs, and P2P programs like Grokster, Imesh, Kazaa and others are amongst the most notorious, come with an enormous amount of bundled spyware that will eat system resources, slow down your system, clash with other installed software, or just plain crash your browser or even Windows itself.
 

 

2) Go to IE > Tools > Windows Update > Product Updates, and install ALL Security Updates listed.
It’s important to always keep current with the latest security fixes from Microsoft. Install those patches for Internet Explorer, and make sure your installation of Java VM is up-to-date. There are some well known security bugs with Microsoft Java VM which are exploited regularly by browser hijackers.

3) Go to Internet Options/Security/Internet, press ‘default level’, then OK.
Now press “Custom Level.”
In the ActiveX section, set the first two options (“Download signed and unsigned ActiveX controls) to ‘prompt’, and ‘Initialize and Script ActiveX controls not marked as safe” to ‘disable’.

Now you will be asked whether you want ActiveX objects to be executed and whether you want software to be installed.
Sites that you know for sure are above suspicion can be moved to the Trusted Zone in Internet Option/security.

So why is activex so dangerous that you have to increase the security for it?
When your browser runs an activex control, it is running an executable program. It’s no different from doubleclicking an exe file on your hard drive.
Would you run just any random file downloaded off a web site without knowing what it is and what it does?

And some more advice:

4) Install Javacool’s SpywareBlaster

It will protect you from all spy/foistware in it’s database by blocking installation of their ActiveX objects.
Download and install, download the latest updates, and you’ll see a list of all spyware programs covered by the program (NOTE: this is NOT spyware found on your computer)
Press “select all”, then “kill all checked”, and you’re done.
The spyware that you told Spywareblaster to set the “kill bit” for won’t be a hazard to you any longer.
Although it won’t protect you from every form of spyware known to man, it is a very potent extra layer of protection.
Don’t forget to check for updates every week or so.

5) Another brilliant program by Javacool we recommend is SpywareGuard.

It provides a degree of real-time protection solution against spyware that is a great addition to SpywareBlaster’s protection method.
An anti-virus program scans files before you open them and prevents execution if a virus is detected – SpywareGuard does the same thing, but for spyware! And you can easily have an anti-virus program running alongside SpywareGuard. It now also features Download Protection and Browser Hijacking Protection!
 
Lately supposedly  the reason many even Vista personal computers seem to freeze up  is that some people have not updated all of their software, especially their Adobe software,  that Microsoft explorer also uses such as http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/ http://get.adobe.com/reader/   http://get.adobe.com/air/
 
see also   Basic computer troubleshooting  http://www.computerhope.com/basic.htm
puts over 5000 sites in your restricted zone, so you’ll be protected when you visit innocent-looking sites that aren’t actually innocent at all.
7) The IE hosts file blocks ads, banners, cookies, web bugs, and even most hijackers. This is accomplished by blocking the Server that supplies these little gems.
Example – the following entry 127.0.0.1 ad.doubleclick.net blocks all files supplied by the DoubleClick Server to the web page you are viewing. This also prevents the server from tracking your movements.It Now includes most major parasites, hijackers and unwanted Search Engines!
In many cases this can speed the loading of web pages by not having to wait for these ads, banners, hit counters, etc. to load.
This also helps to protect your Privacy by blocking servers
6 Comments
by thenonconformer on January 12, 2009  •  Permalink
Posted in Christianity, Computers, family, General, Internet, ISP
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by thenonconformer on January 12, 2009

https://witnessed.wordpress.com/2009/01/12/dealing-with-viruses-trojan-agents/

Too slow

Both Pentecostals- Charismatic and  Evangelical Christians it seems still do bad things, and they are too slow to repent of their sins.. but so was King David now too. but he too did not get away with it.. God dealt with  him on it too.

Now Dispensationalists, Fundamentalist have also been too often known to have missed the boat, been wrong on their preachy interpretations, predictions too.

When Will Jesus Christ Return? What Jesus and the Bible have to say.. what you are really  like when he comes back is the important issue too..
 
“Modern-day “prophets” are a dime-a-dozen. In fact, there are more false prophets and false teachers now than in any time in the history of the world. One thing they have in common is prophecies concerning visitations from Christ and His second coming.
 
What would you say if a person told you that: Jesus Christ physically appeared to me last night and said His second coming will be one year from today(?).
 
Answer: Which Jesus? The Bible warns Christians about the counterfeit Jesus (Galatians 1:6-9; 2 Corinthians 11:3-4), and that Satan appears as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). Therefore, which is more important; what people say, or what Jesus and the Bible teach?
 
If the person says, Jesus and the Bible, then share what Jesus and the Bible have to say in the following Scriptures:
 
Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him (Matthew 24:23).
 
So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them (Matthew 24:26). 
 
But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone (Matthew 24:36).
 
Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming (Matthew 24:42).
 
For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will (Matthew 24;44).
 
But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone (Mark 13:32).
 
He said to them, It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority (Acts 1:7).
 
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up (2 Peter 3:10).
 
For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2).
 
Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen (Revelation 1:7).
 
So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you (Revelation 3:3).
 
Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame (Revelation 16:15).
 
And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and  a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven (Acts 1:9-11).
 
Although many modern-day prophets have tried and failed miserably, no man or woman knows when Jesus Christ will return. However, Jesus Christ will return:
 
Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also (John 14:1-3).
 
But for the time being, Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven:
 
So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God (Mark 16:19).

Leave a comment
by thenonconformer on January 1, 2009  •  Permalink
Posted in Christianity
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by thenonconformer on January 1, 2009

https://witnessed.wordpress.com/2009/01/01/too-slow/

Happy New Year

(Prov 10:22 KJV)  The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.

 A Happy New Year

2009

Wishing you all love, joy, peace, love,

freedom, prosperity, and much more.

1

and that you at least do not repeat last year’s mistakes..

 

Paul Kambulow
 thenonconformer
 
 

 

 

Leave a comment
by thenonconformer on January 1, 2009  •  Permalink
Posted in Christianity, Computers, family, General, Internet, ISP, News
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by thenonconformer on January 1, 2009

https://witnessed.wordpress.com/2009/01/01/happy-new-year/

The ostrich form of Christianity that contradicts the Bible

 
(Mat 16:22 KJV)  Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
 
(Mat 18:7 KJV)  Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!
 
(Gal 6:7 KJV)  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
 
One of the most serious religious tragedy I have encountered in the last 5  decades is the ostrich Christianity, that contradicts the Bible..
 
There are various forms of this ostrich Christianity such as :
-You shall not judge,
-God is merciful, forgiving
-We live in the period of grace
-God will forgive all sins
-Relgion is a private, personal thing
 
but here again is what the Bible actually says
 
(John 5:14 KJV)  Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
 
(John 8:11 KJV)  She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
 
(1 Cor 6:9 KJV)  Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10   Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
 
(Mat 18:15 KJV)  Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
16  But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
17  And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican.
18  Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
19  Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
20  For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
 
(Luke 17:3 KJV)  Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.
 
(Phil 2:15 KJV)  That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
 
(Mat 10:36 KJV)  And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.
 
(Luke 12:15 KJV)  And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
 
(1 Tim 5:20 KJV)  Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.
 
(2 Tim 4:2 KJV)  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
 
(Titus 1:13 KJV)  This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;
 
(Titus 2:15 KJV)  These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.
 
(Rev 3:19 KJV)  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
 
(Luke 12:57 KJV)  Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?
 
(John 7:24 KJV)  Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
 
(Rom 2:16 KJV)  In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
 
(1 Cor 5:12 KJV)  For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?
 
(1 Cor 6:2 KJV)  Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
 
(1 Cor 6:3 KJV)  Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
 
(1 Cor 6:5 KJV)  I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?
 
(1 Cor 11:31 KJV)  For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
 
(1 Cor 14:29 KJV)  Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.
 
(Heb 10:30 KJV)  For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
 
(Heb 13:4 KJV)  Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
 
(Mat 10:36 KJV)  And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.
 
(Mat 10:37 KJV)  He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
 
(Mat 10:38 KJV)  And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
 
(Mat 10:39 KJV)  He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
 
(Mat 10:40 KJV)  He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
 
(Mat 10:41 KJV)  He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.
 
(Mat 10:42 KJV)  And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
 
(1 John 4:3 KJV)  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
 
(Mat 5:16 KJV)  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
 
(Mat 6:1 KJV)  Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
 
(Mat 10:32 KJV)  Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
 
(Mat 10:33 KJV)  But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
 
(Luke 12:8 KJV)  Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:
 
(Luke 12:9 KJV)  But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.
 
(Luke 16:15 KJV)  And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
 
(Rev 19:11 KJV)  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
 
(Rev 2:5 KJV)  Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
 
(Rev 2:16 KJV)  Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
 
(Rev 2:21 KJV)  And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.
 
(Rev 2:22 KJV)  Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
 
(Rev 3:3 KJV)  Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
 
(Rev 3:19 KJV)  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
   
I am still amazed by all of the preachers, persons who readily point out other people sins but fail to see their own too
  
(Mat 7:3 KJV)  And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4  Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
5  Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
12 Comments
by thenonconformer on January 1, 2009  •  Permalink
Posted in Christianity
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by thenonconformer on January 1, 2009

https://witnessed.wordpress.com/2009/01/01/the-ostrich-form-of-christianity-that-contradicts-the-bible/

Alberta

  Stephen Harper’s ill advised  Alberta attitude

0abcoat

 Harper’s Alberta attitude Homegrown contempt for opposition bugs rest of Canada. Published January 1, 2009  by Gillian Steward in Viewpoint    As Stephen Harper stoked the opposition parties into a flaming fury in early December, I wondered if he had forgotten that he was in Ottawa, not Alberta. In Alberta, the provincial Conservatives treat elected opposition MLAs with the same kind of contempt. Of course, in Alberta they can get away with it, because they have successfully engineered majority governments for 37 years, and counting. The Tories here don’t need to worry about the Liberals and the NDs banding together and bouncing them back to the opposition benches. After all, the combined opposition holds only 11 out of 83 seats. Most Albertans seem to like the Conservatives, so they keep voting for them. However, Albertans who elect Liberals or NDs are no less committed to the well-being of their fellow citizens. You wouldn’t think the same of Conservative MLAs, given way they treat opposition members or anyone who takes them to task. Like Harper, former premier Ralph Klein was not content to best opposition forces during elections, which he did several times; he wanted to crush them. During the Klein, regime opposition MLAs were often treated as though they had no right to be in the legislature. He banned them from policy committees. He denied them the use of publicly funded government facilities. He freely insulted them, and he frequently forced closure of debate on important issues such as electricity deregulation and privatization of health care. Klein and his henchman Rod Love quickly labelled people “communists” if they gave them grief. They weren’t afraid to verbally slap around mayors, city councils, university presidents, school boards and, of course, the media. In Ralph’s World, power was the name of the game; democratic process was a nuisance. And let’s not forget Ed Stelmach was in cabinet for all of this. You may be wondering; if the situation was so bad, why didn’t the people of Alberta rise up in protest and vote the louts out? Perhaps it’s the Stéphane Dion syndrome: they didn’t much like the goons in power, but they didn’t much like the alternatives either. Let’s take the Liberals. The usual slap against them is that they are Liberals, that they are the same party that foisted former prime minister Pierre Trudeau’s much-hated National Energy Program on Alberta. Liberals are always quick to deny this. During provincial election campaigns, they go to great pains to explain to voters that they are Alberta Liberals, not the dastardly federal Liberals who sucked so much money out of the province. Then as soon as the writ is dropped for a federal election, the same Alberta Liberals turn around and work for federal Liberal candidates. Some of them even stand as federal Liberals candidates. Why do they think they can have it both ways? And why do they think that Albertans don’t notice the hypocrisy? As for the New Democrats, it’s hard to believe that they can ever move beyond their Edmonton fortress and the cozy support provided by public service unions. Most candidates in Calgary are recruited simply so the ND option is on the ballot, and voter support can be totalled up provincewide as evidence of popular support. Even so, the NDs garnered only 8.5 per cent of the popular vote in the last election. As well, stories abound about ND leader Brian Mason’s dictatorial ways. You know the NDs are at the end of the road when the president of the Alberta Federation of Labour publicly calls for a coalition of the NDs, Liberals and Greens, as Gil McGowan did last spring. The Alberta Conservatives have grown arrogant and lazy simply because they have been in power for so long. The opposition parties are becoming more and more irrelevant. Voter turnout in Alberta is embarrassingly low. The time seems ripe for a new party with a leader who can inspire people to work together on all the challenges that confront us. In the meantime, the Conservative government can pretty much do as it wants. It has a solid majority, and there won’t be another election for three years. Who knows, the opposition parties might be in even worse shape than they are now? That’s the way it is in Alberta. However, Harper would do well to remember that other parts of Canada don’t have the same hidebound traditions when it comes to politics. Ontario certainly doesn’t. Voters there hold governments much more accountable. As do voters in Quebec. For that matter, voters in the other western provinces regularly turf out governments if they are seen to be beyond their stale date. Not in Alberta. We prefer to keep the mouldy bread rather than bake a fresh loaf. Perhaps Harper has been enmeshed in politics Alberta-style for too long to realize it doesn’t translate well in the rest of Canada. He actually needs to work with the opposition or his minority government will not survive. That may rankle an Alberta Conservative like Harper, but that’s the way it works in the real world. http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/news-views/viewpoint/harpers-alberta-attitude-3094/

 

In spite of a growing, deepening Albertan  recession the most recent  growth makes Calgary , 1/3 the size of Montreal, is the third-largest municipality in Canada ?  Now according to the latest statistics   Toronto (2,631,725 people in 2007) and Montreal (1,620,693 in 2006) had more people. Ottawa (898,150 in 2008) and Edmonton (782,439 in 2009) rounded out the top five.  However, if one uses census estimates from 2008 for metropolitan areas — which rightfully do include the immediate  surrounding suburbs — then the Calgary Region falls to fifth, behind Toronto (5,531,263), Montreal (3,750,540), Vancouver (2,271,224) and Ottawa (1,198,668).  Calgary (1,182,446) is unique  for having the vast majority of its population live in the actual municipality, and not in surrounding suburbs. It has no suburbs because it is a mostly new city basically. That is why it is also costly as the roads, sewers, are mostly new too. Calgary only has 60,000 more residents than Edmonton (1,124,163) and it makes a lot of false noise in that fact too cause it wants to attract much needed capital investors for non existing industrial, commercial aspects.. There basically are only 2 large cities in Alberta, Calgary and Alberta, and a handfull of samller towns.. There is not much industrial, Munufacturing business in Alberta due to the shortage of labor and skilled persons, and high operating costs. People in Calgary and Alberta do often dream of becoming rich ,  but it is a far away dream when you consider the high costs of living there and the uncertainty of holding onto a job too.

 

NOW SEE AND READ http://postedat.wordpress.com/2009/07/30/iris-evans-minister/

 

2 Comments
by thenonconformer on January 1, 2009  •  Permalink
Posted in NEWS & POLITICS, News and politics
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by thenonconformer on January 1, 2009

https://witnessed.wordpress.com/2009/01/01/alberta/