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Friday, January 21, 2011

Create your own Sleep button in Windows XP



Is the Sleep button on your Windows XP machine in an inconvenient location for regular use? If so, follow these simple steps to create your own.
Many computers or keyboards have a Sleep button, which when pressed puts the computer into either Stand By or Hibernate mode depending on how Windows XP's Power Options are configured. However, the Sleep button might not be in convenient location for regular use. For example, it might be on the front of a mid-tower case that's under your desk.
You could activate Stand By or Hibernate mode from the Shut Down Windows dialog box. An alternative to this method is to create your own Sleep button by creating a shortcut on your desktop. Here's how.
1. Right-click on the desktop.
2. Select New | Shortcut.
3. Type rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,SetSuspendState in the text box.
4. Click Next.
5. Type Sleep in the text box and click Finish.
Now when you click the Sleep icon, Windows XP will put the computer into either Stand By or Hibernate mode depending on how the When I Press The Sleep Button On My Computer setting is configured on the Advanced tab of the Power Options Properties dialog box.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

How to remove computer virus?

Malicious codes by design are intended to make their detection and removal from the infected machine tedious, annoying, aggressive, and very difficult not only for the average user but for computer experts as well. Manual detection of viruses is virtually impossible. This highlights the need not only for a competent but updated protection program but also to provide real time security with the capability of automatically updating its virus database engine. Because malicious codes differ from one another not only in payload but also in the manner of execution, the same can be said about anti-virus programs in their ability to detect and remove perceived threats from compromised machines. Majority of computer viruses in the market target the Microsoft Windows Operating System platform not only because it is the most widely used but also it is perceived to contain a lot of security loopholes and vulnerabilities which can also be found in the Internet Explorer Web browser.

Materials Needed:
- Web browser
- Internet connection
- recovery disc
- Windows CD installer
- anti-virus program
- malware scanner software
Step 1
To remove an infection caused by a virus code, it is necessary to first reboot the machine into safe mode. This may be done by clicking on the 'Start' button, choosing 'Turn Off Computer', and selecting the 'Restart' option.
Step 2
During the reboot process, after the 'Power On Self Test' procedure, press the 'F8' key until the boot option window comes up. Select the 'Safe Mode with Networking' option and press the 'Enter' key.
Step 3
When the Operating System loads, go to the Sysinternals website to download and install the Autoruns tool to the root directory of the local storage.
Step 4
Upon completion of the installation process, launch the Autorun application by clicking on the autoruns.exe file.
Step 5
Click on the program’s Options Menu and make sure to click on the Include Empty Locations, Hide Signed Microsoft Entries, and Verify Code Signature options to enable them.
Step 6
Press the F5 key on the keyboard in order to refresh the status of the startup list and implement these new settings.
Step 7
Look under the Services or the Logon tabs for suspicious file names and processes. Check also the other tabs in case there are multiple occurrences of the malicious files. Click on the questionable files. Consult the Startup Database website in case of doubt. In most instances, these malicious files attempt to mimic legitimate Windows processes.
Step 8
Right click on the chosen malicious files and select the Delete option. They will be removed from the startup entry of the Windows Registry.
Step 9
Click on the 'Start' button and choose the 'My Computer' option. Navigate to the folder identified to be used by the virus and right click on it. Choose the 'Delete' option and click on the 'OK' button.
Step 10
Right click on the 'Recycle Bin' and choose the option 'Empty Recycle Bin' to permanently remove the malicious files.
Step 11
Click on the 'Start' button, select 'Turn Off Computer' and choose the 'Restart' option. Allow the machine to boot into normal mode by just waiting for the desktop to load.
Step 12
Part of the removal process is to make sure that future infections can be prevented. Open the Web browser and go to the Microsoft website.
Step 13
From the Microsoft Download Center, download and install the Windows Defender (bundled with Windows Vista but not with Windows XP) as well as the Malicious Software Removal Tool. The Malicious Software Removal Tool is not designed to prevent virus infection but to remove existing ones. Also, download any available updates for the Operating System and the Internet Explorer browser.
Step 14
After completing the download and installation process, run these tools to make sure that there are no more remnants of the virus.

Why Virus is Created?

There are several reasons for creating virus in the today's world.Unlike biological viruses, computer viruses do not simply evolve by themselves. They cannot come into existence spontaneously, nor can they be created by bugs in regular programs. They are deliberately created by programmers, or by people who use virus creation software.
Virus writers can have various reasons for creating and spreading malware. Viruses have been written as research projects, pranks,vandalism, to attack the products of specific companies, and to distribute political messages. Some people think that the majority of viruses are created with malicious intent. On the other hand, some virus writers consider their creations to be works of art, and see virus writing as a creative hobby. Additionally, many virus writers oppose deliberately destructive payload routines. Some viruses were intended as "good viruses". They spread improvements to the programs they infect, or delete other viruses. These viruses are, however, quite rare, still consume system resources, and may accidentally damage systems they infect. Moreover, they normally operate without asking for permission of the owner of the computer. Since self-replicating code causes many complications, it is questionable if a well-intentioned virus can ever solve a problem in a way which is superior to a regular program that does not replicate itself. In order to replicate itself, a virus must be permitted to execute code and write to memory. For this reason, many viruses attach themselves to executable files that may be part of legitimate programs. If a user tries to start an infected program, the virus' code may be executed first. Viruses can be divided into two types, on the basis of their behavior when they get executed. Nonresident viruses immediately search for other hosts that can be infected, infect these targets, and finally transfer control to the application program they infected. Resident viruses do not search for hosts when they are started. Instead, a resident virus loads itself into memory on execution and transfers control to the host program. The virus stays active in the background and infects new hosts when those files are accessed by other programs or the operating system itself.

Computer Virus

The word VIRUS is different from the "medical virus". It is the abbrivation of "Victor Information Resources Under Seage".
The term "virus" was first used in an academic publication by Fred Cohen in his 1984 paper Experiments with Computer Viruses, where he credits Len Adleman with coining it. However, a mid-1970s science fiction novel by David Gerrold, When H.A.R.L.I.E. was One,includes a description of a fictional computer program called "VIRUS" that worked just like a virus (and was countered by a program called "ANTIBODY"); and John Brunner's 1975 novel The Shockwave Rider describes programs known as "tapeworms" which spread through a network for deleting data. The term "computer virus" with current usage also appears in the comic book "Uncanny X-Men" No. 158, published in 1982. And even earlier, in 1973, the phrase "computer virus" was used in the movie Westworld to describe a malicious program that emerged in the computer system of the theme park. Therefore, we may conclude that although Cohen's use of "virus" may, perhaps, have been the first "academic" use, the term has been used earlier.The term "virus" is often used in common parlance to describe all kinds of malware (malicious software), including those that are more properly classified as worms or trojans. Most popular anti-viral software packages defend against all of these types of attack.Viruses cause much damage to computers, today worse than before. A good way to stop viruses,is to keep a healthy firewall,and not let anyone put their own floppy disks, or cd's in your home computer.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Online Hacking

What Is Online Hacking?

It basically happens when a hacker exploits a security breach in a network or computer and is able to access the information through the internet. As long as he is not detected or the computer shut down, he will be able to hack the computer as long as it is online. It doesn’t matter if you have a broadband connection or a dial up, internet hackers

can access your home computer security if you haven’t taken adequate measures for protecting yourself. It is like leaving a car parked in the street. If you leave it with the windows open, the keys inside and the radio mask still placed in the console, it’s quite probable you will suffer a robbery. Unfortunately, with computers it is a little more difficult since you don’t see those opened windows. The only way to find them is looking for them with specialized software.


Parts of a computer

If you use a desktop computer, you might already know that there isn't any single part called the "computer." A computer is really a system of many parts working together. The physical parts, which you can see and touch, are collectively called hardware. (Software, on the other hand, refers to the instructions, or programs, that tell the hardware what to do.)

The illustration below shows the most common hardware in a desktop computer system. Your system may look a little different, but it probably has most of these parts. A laptop computer has similar parts but combines them into a single notebook-sized package.

About Bluetooth


What Is Bluetooth?

 Bluetooth is the name of a new technology that is now becoming commercially available. It promises to change         significantly the way we use machines.The art of connecting things is becoming more and more complex every day. In this article, we will look at a method of connecting devices, called Bluetooth, that can streamline the process. A Bluetooth connection is wireless and automatic, and it has a number of interesting features that can simplify our daily lives.

Why is it called Bluetooth?
Harald Bluetooth was king of Denmark in the late 900s. He managed to unite Denmark and part of Norway into a single kingdom then introduced Christianity into Denmark. He left a large monument, the Jelling rune stone, in memory of his parents. He was killed in 986 during a battle with his son, Svend Forkbeard. Choosing this name for the standard indicates how important companies from the Nordic region (nations including Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland) are to the communications industry, even if it says little about the way the technology works.

How Bluetooth Creates a Connection

Bluetooth takes small-area networking to the next level by removing the need for user intervention and keeping transmission power extremely low to save battery power. Picture this: You're on your Bluetooth-enabled cell phone, standing outside the door to your house. You tell the person on the other end of the line to call you back in five minutes so you can get in the house and put your stuff away. As soon as you walk in the house, the map you received on your cell phone from your car's Bluetooth-enabled GPS system is automatically sent to your Bluetooth-enabled computer, because your cell phone picked up a Bluetooth signal from your PC and automatically sent the data you designated for transfer. Five minutes later, when your friend calls you back, your Bluetooth-enabled home phone rings instead of your cell phone. The person called the same number, but your home phone picked up the Bluetooth signal from your cell phone and automatically re-routed the call because it realized you were home. And each transmission signal to and from your cell phone consumes just 1 milliwatt of power, so your cell phone charge is virtually unaffected by all of this activity.

The Problem
When any two devices need to talk to each other, they have to agree on a number of points before the conversation can begin. The first point of agreement is physical: Will they talk over wires, or through some form of wireless signals? If they use wires, how many are required -- one, two, eight, 25? Once the physical attributes are decided, several more questions arise:

  • How much data will be sent at a time? For instance, serial ports send data 1 bit at a time, whil e parallel ports send several bits at once.
  • How will they speak to each other? All of the parties in an electronic discussion need to know what the bits mean and whether the message they receive is the same message that was sent. This means developing a set of commands and responses known as a protocol.
Bluetooth offers a solution to the problem.