Page 4 - Useful Windows Information

Windows Key+D - This works as a toggle - you can minimize all windows (if open) and restore them (if minimized). Help to remember - D stands for Desktop

Reply to Ten Commandments for Your Computer Sanity.

This is for USERS only, techs will see a bit deeper...

Through years and years of consulting experience...here are why each step is not necessary...

Point 1...securing your system is not the job of a user...I have yet to find a "user" that will actually do anything with this directive...Should read find a tech that actually knows what he is talking about.

Point 2...Antivirus is pointless...secure your systems by keeping the entry points of viruses closed...
Browser based = Firefox with NOSCRIPT to block all scripting until you specifically allow it
Outlook Email based = install this outlook plugin...http://www.slovaktech.com/attachmentoptions.htm
enable "Read All Email as Plain Text".
Direct Connect = get (pretty much any) hardware based firewall and run through the installatioin cd that comes with it to lock down the defaults (especially wireless).

Point 3...Don't use software firewalls, only use a hardware firewall. software can be misconfigured, but even the most default of hardware firewalls will lock what is necessary.

Point 4...Use two email accounts...your main email account goes to anyone you TRUST. the second is anyone that you don't TRUST. In outlook use RULES to seperate these email messages into seperate inboxes. Also, refer to POINT 2 Outlook Email Based.

Point 5...generally, don't open attachments unless you know it is coming from a trusted source and it is among the trusted file extensions (jpg & pdf mostly)

Point 6...Don't forward email chain letters...most people don't like getting chain emails...they will like you better for it. If you do, use the BCC (Blind carbon copy) field so that you are not giving everyone's email to everyone else.

Point 7...Look for open source replacements of popular applications from www.sourceforge.net...these applications usually give you more functions than the popular apps do and they will not contain adware/spyware...Examples...
instead of your normal IM app, use PIDGIN http://sourceforge.net/projects/pidgin
instead of Outlook Express, use Thunderbird http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/thunderbird/

Point 8...Allow windows to autoupdate as often as it can...if you follow the previous points, it is less important due to you not having as much exposure. But remember to update any applications you may have...most have an update option in their menus.

Point 9...Remember, if you download a file through your browser, through your favorite P2P app, or as an attachement to an email...they all can be programs that can be used by "bad" people to take control of your computer and your information.

Point 10...BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP...save everything to your my documents location, copy your my documents to a thumb drive capable of handling the size of all of your files. Do this REGULARLY! Even better, buy two thumb drives and copy your my documents to each thumb drive every other day. Remember, always ask yourself one question...if your hard drive crashed tomorrow, what would you miss if it were lost?


My additional info, for a bit more savvy USERS...

if your system is slow, download "Autoruns" www.sysinternals.com (now microsoft) and Process Explorer.
Run process explorer and look at where programs are running from. Restart in safemode, run autoruns, enable hide microsoft entries and view all users, and uncheck anything that doesn't belong...this takes a bit of understanding and many questions.

if you just rebuilt your system's software and you don't want anything to change (via viruses, spyware, app installs), use Deep Freeze (www.faronics.com). Just make sure that you have a way to save anything you don't want to disappear after you restart your system. This includes program settings and documents.

If you use the web all of the time, use a program such as Roboform to create and remember great unique passwords for all of your websites. This will keep your sanity and keep you secure.

I completely disagree. This IS the responsibility of the user if they are outside of a supported environment. If you're at home on your own personal equipment, you have to pay to play one way or another. If you don't want to shell out the cash for a support professional, you're on your own and these tips ARE for you.Wow. Where do I start with this one...The statement "keep entry points of viruses closed" warrants a laugh. If that were possible there wouldn't be a need for anti-virus software in the first place. Think about it. Aside from that, even if you could, you can't stop your idiot friend who decides to check his email while you're in the bathroom during the football game. Are you planning on keeping your entire system under lock and key as well? And as for suggestions about disabling script access and such...yes, this improves security, but at what cost? The better advice would be to find a level of security that balances the user's own needs and requirements.This is what is commonly known as a "circular logic". Even hardware firewalls are software driven. Aside from that, not everyone can justify the cost of a hardware firewall. (Unless you were suggesting a simple gateway machine, in which case you'd be wasting money anyway.)This is a futile effort that results in nothing more than wasted energy checking multiple email accounts. It only takes one person to slip and your email address is out again.This is generally good advise, but even trusted sources can send you jpgs and pdfs (which, btw, are also vulnerable).Good advice. Although, BCC doesn't completely hide the addresses.This statement is purely incorrect. Open-Source software, by very nature, presents a much higher risk for the simple fact that it is produced by a wider range of people and is generally less governed. And just for the record, none of those applications are truly open-source. They may be "source code available" but they are still trademarked and developed by independent organizations.This is a questionable area. In general, I agree with installing MS updates, but if I'm not mistaken, haven't there been two faulty update packages in the last month alone?So are the ones installed by your OS developer and your hardware vendor. This is a moot point.Backing up regularly is golden advice, but thumbdrives are not designed to be used as backup devices. They're designed to be used for portable storage, and as such are not completely stable, nor are they as durable as a proper backup device.Very good applications; but as you say, this is not for the feint-of-heart. Most AV software's handle this automatically which means you only need to in the event that something actually slips through.Dude...this is the most asinine piece of advice I've ever heard. Unless you're managing a suite of public access computers or running a kiosk, this is extreme overkill that doesn't qualify as security advice. Not too mention that it's a gross waste of time and resources that puts an unnecessary strain on your system hardware.The very use of a password storage program presents a whole new line of security vulnerabilities. How does that promote security?

As a consultant to primarily small/midsize businesses for 15 years, i have found that supporting hundreds of users on a network through PROCESS can easily be translated to home users. Years of experience with in home user support has proved this to me.
Your excessive negativity shows off your lack of real world cost/function experience.

Antivirus is not perfect and should not be used as an absolute safety net. Most risk can be mitigated just by minor inconvenience/education when dealing with entry points. After mitigating this risk, yes, you can buy a bit more protection via antivirus. But antivirus will not protect your system with 4 teenage girls in your house using the same system.

Hardware firewalls (a simple 50$ linksys from your corner store) protect from 99% of all direct internet contact. Would you ever recommend a software firewall (only) to someone on a broadband internet connection?

If you check email with outlook (like the majority of the population does), adding an additional email account check is very easy. The second account only has to be checked when necessary. Giving your primary email account out to every website you come across (USER standard) is a sure way to kill an email account with viagra ads. Yes, email address books do get abused by malware, but just giving your email away to every joe blow will surely speed the process up. Creating two accounts is a great way to get rid of 99% of spam...no filtering/antispam software necessary.

BCC only shows the reciever/sender in the headers of the email... it does not show any other email accounts...this is the point of BCC.

"Open-Source software, by very nature, presents a much higher risk for the simple fact that it is produced by a wider range of people and is generally less governed."
Open Source and Source Code Available software allows the internal knowledge of applications out.
What percentage of open source software or Source Code Available software contains malware versus closed source?
I don't think you understand ALL of the reasons why having the source available is so important

I can't believe that you would even consider a less than 1% margin of bad manufacturer updates to even be relevant! Just more negativity i guess.

If you had the choice between a thumb drive (which is convenient and mobile), and a CD/DVD which is clumsy and prone to damage, which would you choose? yes thumb drives do go bad, but cost to benefit surpass CD/DVD media. External hard drives don't really solve the problem of safe portability with the same cost benefits.

If you have a fleet of teenage daughters, that happen to pickup every piece of malware on the net, antivirus will die very quickly. Antivirus software uses much more resources than deep freeze, and deep freeze is more of a guarantee. And with the same price as antivirus, it is definitly an option to be considered when home systems are so abused. Deep freeze gives you the added benifit of change control.

Passwords are the easiest thing you can do to be secure. Most users use the SAME password for EVERYTHING, the password is usually VERY simple, and they are rarely changed. By having an application that generates and remembers secure passwords for you, you secure yourself in a very simple way.

you haven't taught your users how to create secure passwords ... or they're resistant to change ... you haven't taught

this 'deep freeze' of which you speak, is this a commercial product?

Annoyances.org
Helpwithwindows.com

There are much useful information on windows tweaking and fixing.

LOLZ thanks for the tricks and tips hehehehe. Amazed and still playing with the shortcut keys




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Thanks for the advice dude.I am a very paranoid person when it comes to virus infection. And I often reformat my pc. I currently am using avast

Really useful infos....

Studying now...