Thursday, April 30, 2009

Tips to Protect Windows Vista Operating System

So far, Windows Vista can be considered the safest operating system but not most perfect one. In its early configuration, Vista still uncovers the possibility of leaking out the user's data to Internet through Windows Firewall, or some bots which can change settings without letting you know.

Consult the WINDOWS SECURITY CENTER

In order to have an overview of security settings, come to Windows Security Center where you can see the status of firewall system, automatic updating, malware protection and other security settings. Press "Start" - "Control Panel" - "Security Center", or simply click the shield-shaped icon on the taskbar.

If there are any red or yellow entries, it means that you are not completely protected. If you have not installed antivirus software, for example, or the existing antivirus program is expired, the "Malware" entry in Security Center will be marked yellow. Freeware Downloads Windows does not integrate any antivirus software so that you have to install yourself.

Use WINDOWS DEFENDER as a diagnosis device

Malware entry in Security Center is also supposed to report the anti-spyware capacity, and Vista depends on Windows Defender to do this job. Although anti-spyware capacity in security or anti-virus utilities is usually better than that of Windows, there are some good reasons to maintain the existence of Windows Defender. One of those is that each spyware utility uses a different definition to identify the spyware. Therefore, an abundant protection sometimes brings about practical benefit.

Another reason to keep Windows Defender in standby status is diagnosis capacity. Click "Tools", select "Software Explorer". Here is freeware heaven download Here you will find a list of all programs by category: Currently Running Programs, Network Connected Programs and Winsock Service Providers, but Startup Programs seems to be the most useful. Click ant names in the left window, the full details will display on the right. By checking any listed program, you can uninstall, deactivate or reactivate that one.

Deactivate the Start Up

Windows Vista monitors all documents and programs you generate in Start Up. This is convenient for some users, but on the other hands, it can be harmful for your privacy if the computer is shared in office or family. Fortunately, Window Vista provides a simple way to change this setting. The steps should be taken as follow:

Right-click the taskbar and select Properties, then select "Start Menu" tab
Uncheck "Store and Display a list of recently opened files"
Uncheck "Store and Display a list of recently opened programs"
Press OK.

2-way Firewall

Almost every PC is equipped with Firewall software, currently. However, even when Security Center states that you are protected, you might not be protected at all.

The Windows Firewall function in Vista is able to "block" any input data which can endanger system, and that is really a good thing. Nevertheless, the off-line security function is not activated by default, so that this may be a dangerous situation if some new harmful software finds a way to break into your PC.

Microsoft has equipped Windows Vista with tools to deploy 2-way firewall feature, but finding these settings is a little complicated. In order to activate 2-way firewall feature of Windows Vista, press "Start", select "Run", then type "wf.msc", then press "Enter". Click the icon of "Windows Firewall with Advanced Security". This interface will display the principles of monitoring system inbound/outbound information. Select "Windows Firewalls Properties". You can see a dialog box containing some tabs. For the profiles: Domain, Private and Public, you should change the settings of "Block", then press "OK".

However, 2-way firewall activation can prevent all the applications from connecting to Internet. Therefore, before getting out of "Windows Firewall with Advanced Security", scroll down, select "Outbound Rules" and "New Rules" on the top right of the screen. Select "Program", on the next screen. Then select the path for Internet Explorer, iTunes or some of your applications requesting to connect to Internet. For each program, on the next screen, select "Allow the Connection", then name each principle/rule created. You will have to set a new rule for all applications which have access to the Internet.

Besides, you can use a firewall utility of third party such as Comodo Firewall Pro or ZoneAlarm, which are all free and able to offer other features in addition to firewall.

Close the doors to unexpected guests

If you share your computer with others (even if you don't), Windows Vista provides a good way to prevent unexpected guests from guessing your password of admin account. When you create a new user and assign someone to be admin (with full rights and authority), Windows Vista allows other users to guess your selected password. The following steps are to restrain the penetration of strangers:

Select "Start", type "Local Security Policy".
Press "Account Lockout Policy"
Select "Account Lockout Threshold"
At the prompt, fill the maximum allowed invalid log-on attempts (e.g.: 3).
Press "OK" and close the window.

Verify the attackers

With proper Account Lockout policy, you can activate the feature of verifying attempts to attack your account. In order to start verify the invalid log-on, the steps are as follow:

Select "Start", type "secpol.msc, click "secpol" icon.
Press Local Policies then press "Audit Policy"
Right-click "Audit account logon events policy" option and select "Properties".
Check the dialog box "Failure" and press OK
Close "Local Security Policy" window.
Now, you can use Event Viewer feature (by typing the command: eventvwr.msc) to view the log-on history recorded in Windows Logs and Security.

INTERNET EXPLORER settings security

Windows Security Center also has function of reporting if security status of Internet Explorer 7 and Internet Explorer 8 is as required or not. If the status is marked red, you should rapidly modify the IE settings

In the menu, select Tools, then select Internet Options
Select Security tab
Select Custom Level

Now you will see a window containing all options relating to IE's security issue. If the options are lower than required (can be changed by some malwares), those will be marked red. To modify a setting, click the corresponding one. In order to reset the original settings, press "Reset" button at the bottom of the tab. If you want, you can change the general security settings of the browser from Medium - High (by default) to High or Medium as required. Press "OK" to save these changes

Use OPEN DNS

DNS (Domain Name System) servers play the role of a telephone directory. When you type a domain name dantri.com.vn, for example, in the address bar, Internet Explorer will send the requirement of common domain name to DNS servers of the your ISP, then these servers are supposed to transform the character sequence to a string of numbers or an IP address. The DNS servers have been attacked over the past few years because the hackers have tried every possible way to redirect the common DNSs to the servers which they can control. A solution to prevent this abuse is to use Open DNS.

Click "Start" à "Control Panel" à "Network and Internet"
Select "Network and Sharing Center". Under the taskbars listed on the left, select "Manage Network Connections". In the window of "Manage Network Connections", follow these steps:
Right-click the icon of your network card
Select Properties.
Then select "Internet Protocol Version 4".
Click "Properties" in the next displayed screen.
Select "Use the following DNS server addresses".
Input 208.67.222.222 into the primary address
Input 208.67.220.220 into the secondary address
Press OK

Cohabit with USER ACCOUNT CONTROL

There is a setting status that some users want it marked red. That is Vista's User Account Control (UAC) - the controversial security function of Vista operating system.

Designed to prevent the remote malware/spyware from automatically installing or modifying system settings, UAC tends to block legal installations by stopping the ongoing process with unnecessary error messages. In Windows 7, you can set up UAC as you want. Up to then, you will have more options.

There is an option of invalidating UAC. However, you should consider this risky choice because UAC can warn you of potential dangers. Instead, install Tweak UAC - a free utility that allows you to turn on or turn off UAC and simultaneously provides an intermediate "quiet" mode (this mode keeps UAC on but suppresses administration elevation prompts). With TweakUAC in "quiet" mode, UAC seem to be turned off to those who use administration accounts, but those who use standard account will still receive the warning messages.

Verify the results

By modifying the security settings of Windows Vista, now you can monitor the safety of system via System Health Report. This diagnosis tool receives the input date from Performance and Reliability Monitor and transforms them into a report with general information. To some extent, this report can provides you with information of potential security issues.

Open Control Panel.
Click System.
In Tasks list, select Performance (near the bottom of the list).
In resulting Tasks list, click Advanced tools (near the top of the list).
Click the last item on the resulting Task list: Generate a system health report.
This report will list any missing drivers which can cause errors, reporting to you if the antivirus protection is installed or not, or if the UAC is on or off. To make sure of the best condition of your Pc, run this report monthly.

Dinh Cong Tuan is now working for a software company that provides IT solutions and software development services. If you want to know more about his work, visit the website: http://attsoftware.net see how he can optimize your business.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dinh_Cong_Tuan
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Digital Scanners and Scanning Technology

A digital scanner is a computer device that is employed to scan written documents & photographs to feed into a electronic computer in the form of data format such as JPEG, GIF, PNG, and so on. After scanning the papers or photograph, it can then be printed or transmitted via electronic mail or telefaxed to others.

Documents may as well be changed to different data formats like text or doc data format after doing OCR. Digital scanners are commonly employed by many to create replicates of photographs and documents. They are likewise employed by professionals.

Across the years, the applied science behind digital scanners has experienced a lot of new developments and gains. Lirik Lagu Terbaru. Nevertheless, the size of electronic scanners has stayed the same to suit the basic size papers.

Nonetheless, their height has decreased step by step. Today, nearly all mid-size digital scanners obtainable in the market measure out about ten by fifteen by three inches in proportions & weight nearly four pounds. Digital scanners employed by professional printers are a great deal bulkier and have additional characteristics for automating the scanning work.

Virtually all digital scanners acquirable in the market have equal characteristics. Nevertheless, depending upon the cost, the quality of the scans is distinguishable. Advanced digital scanners tend to create clear scans whilst the scanning quality of inferior scanners may be a little down.

The quality and fastness of scanning may be adapted utilizing the software package that goes with the digital scanners. Lirik Lagu Kotak It's likewise possible to correct the colors & do image processing later on the photographs or documents.

Almost all digital scanners come with a software package compact disc that has device drivers to use the digital scanner & extra supportive software packages like picture editing tools, photograph album software and OCR software. These packages may as well be bought individually.

If you're thinking of purchasing a digital scanner, it's best to look at investing in an all-in-one. An all-in-one integrates a digital scanner on either a ink-jet printer or a laser printer. The Best Beyonce Lyrics All-in-ones are more affordable and are more beneficial than standalone digital scanners or printers. As a matter of fact, an all-in-one may also be employed as a xerox machine without even plugging in to a PC.

When you're purchasing a digital scanner, decide wisely. Ascertain that it conforms to all your requisites. The worthiest digital scanner brands in the market include Canon, Epson, H.P. & Dell. You'll be able to find scanners at internet stores at much more affordable costs. Nonetheless, you've to wait for a couple of days to get your digital scanner in mail service. When purchasing online, always purchase from reputed web sites like TigerDirect or NewEgg. In addition, study user critiques for drawing a better estimate about the digital scanner before purchasing.

For more information visit: Computer help blog.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Browning
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Tuesday, April 28, 2009

What is 192.168.1.1 Exactly?

This IP 192.168.1.1 is the default Internet Protocol (IP) address for most of the home broadband routers. This IP 192.168.1.1 address was originally or initially used by Linksys and since then it has been in use in various other devices that are used for home networking such as those produced by Westell, Netgear and few others.

Although this IP 192.168.1.1 address is the default IP address for most of the modems and broadband users worldwide and it necessarily does not have to be the default address for all the broadband users. Insurance your self. Most of the factories set their default IP address to 192.168.1.1 so that they can promote a standardized computing atmosphere and also to make the first time users easy to set up their own networks easily and quickly.

Can only the Linksys and even other routers use the IP 192.168.1.1 address?

Definitely no, as this IP 192.168.1.1 is a private IPv4 address and any computer, modem, outer or any other internet devices no matter anywhere can be configured using this IP 192.168.1.1 address. However this IP 192.168.1.1 address is usually not recommended as there are several devices that can default in to this IP address as there may arise the problems of connectivity from various multiple devices that are using the same default of IP 192.168.1.1 address. Auto Cars Insurance. It is very much important to know that each and every internet device will have only one IP address that will be associated with that particular device. If you're using multiple devices that are working on a single IP of 192.168.1.1 and in those multiple devices one of them should be changed to some other settings.

How can this IP 192.168.1.1 address be accessed?

If you want access the IP 192.168.1.1 address, all you need to do is to type 192.168.1.1 in the address bar of your browser and just press enter or click with your mouse on the go link. It may or may not be in the best interests to use a browser that supports the Web standards for the best results. Using the browser that supports Web standard will take you in to what the software that will essentially power your network. Here you can make your own changes in the settings like setting up the username and passwords and can also configure your device that is used for network.

In the case of any computer configuration it is the same case and it always recommended in your better interest to make an entire backup of your system settings before editing them or else just write down all the defaults for each setting that you want to change. You may lose your internet connection if a few incorrect settings are not correct while configuring your network system.

Is anything goes irreparably wrong while editing the internet network device with the help of IP 192.168.1.1, normally there will be a reset button on the back of each network device and if you press that, it will automatically restore the entire settings to the factory defaults.

192.168.0.1 is default Internet Protocol Address. Learn more about 192.168.0.1

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roy_J_Walker
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Monday, April 27, 2009

Turn Your Old Laptops Into Cash

How easy is it to turn our laptops into cash? - With the growth of electronics, and the advances in technology comes with it the number of unused computers, especially laptops - taking Advantage of the services available on the internet we now have the option to turn these old, used, broken or unwanted laptops into cash, easily and quickly in most cases - providing we select the best place to carry out the laptops into cash trade. With many sites to choose from selecting the best one for you is the primary task and you should consider the following when doing so.

Turning your laptops into cash is the easy bit, turning your laptop into the greatest amount of cash you can is the main task. Take into consideration the condition of your laptop computer when you get quotes for your cash, and be sure that the quote you get is an accurate quote based upon your personal machine, not just a random quote you see somewhere on the site. Please download free black eyed peas mp3 here. Turning your laptops into cash is made easier if you use a site that provides a calculator for you to get a quote online and live with your specifications of the laptop and it´s condition.

So with the financial side of the trade considered, what else should we look for when we think about turning laptops into cash? Things such as the service you will receive, the reviews of the site that you will trade with, the reputation from those reviews, and the professionalism, but friendliness of the staff within the site you will use to turn your laptops into cash are all little matters, but they mount up to become a main factor beyond the money side of turning laptops into cash - we want to know we are going to receive a great service from a dedicated team, check out if the site has a blog for example, what postings do they have on there, are they dedicated to trading laptops into cash?

Another factor that Dipta feel important in the laptops into cash process is if there is any outlay costs from myself - this plays a vital role in finding the right site, many sites will ask you to pay for shipping and handling to get the laptop to them, eating into your profit before you have even received it, and leaving you with all the shipping responsibility. Make sure that when you turn your laptops into cash you select a site that not only pays for the shipping and handling, but sends you the packaging and covers the cost of the insurance - that is the professional method in my opinion and means it doesn´t cost you a cent to get paid.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Grey
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Friday, November 21, 2008

7 Steps to Optimizing Windows XP - Increase You System Performance by Optimizing Windows XP

Part of optimizing Windows XP involves doing cleanups on your computer system by getting rid of unwanted spywares and viruses. It also involves removing obsolete data files and system settings that are no longer needed or are causing the system to do unnecessary operations, thus eating up memory resources. Here we look at 7 things you can do in optimizing Windows XP.

1st Step - Remove spywares

The very first thing you should do in optimizing Windows XP is to make sure that your system is free or at least 90% free of malicious codes like spywares, Trojan horses and viruses. 80% of problems with Windows performance resulted from these unwanted programs that has the potential to corrupt your system or steal information. In fact, almost 90% of the home PCs are infected with one or more of these programs.

When we talk about removing viruses and spywares, automatically you will think about virus scanners and removers. But before you jump in and buy or even download any of these scanners, do note that there are many bogus programs out there that contain spywares themselves. So it is better to go for more reputable ones such as Spybot and Microsoft Windows Defender. They are free anyway so use them. After you have cleaned up your system, put in place Windows firewall that comes with SP2 as well as Anti-virus programs like AVG or Avast thus optimizing Windows XP through protection against future attacks.

2nd Step - Remove cache and temporary files

You can do so easily by using the "Disk Cleanup Tool" that comes with Windows XP. Simply go to Start >> All Programs >> Accessories >> System Tools >> and select Disk Cleanup. You should check all boxes and leave "Compress old files" and "Catalog files" option uncheck for optimizing Windows XP. Click OK to proceed.

3rd Step - Uninstall unused/unwanted programs

Optimizing Windows XP also involves uninstalling programs you are no longer using. Go to Control Panel >> Add/Remove Programs and go through the list. Remove any programs that you no longer need. If you are unsure what a particular program is, do a search on Google to find out more and then decide whether to remove it. Some programs run the moment Windows startup which causes the system to boot slower.

4th Step - Windows update

Contrary to beliefs that Windows update causes more problems and slows the system, doing an update will actually contribute to optimizing Windows XP. This is because Microsoft continues to tweak the system and remove parts that are not needed and not optimized or can be exploited. System administrators running Windows Servers have to be careful with Windows Update but home users should not fear doing it.

5th Step - Hardware drivers

Another way of optimizing Windows XP is to use the latest device drivers for your graphic cards and motherboards especially. Updated drivers will have bug fixes and system optimization built in. It is advisable to use a proper driver release instead of beta or prerelease to ensure system stability.

6th Step - Disable File Indexing

File indexing was designed to help in optimizing Windows XP by shortening the time it takes for the system to locate files. However, as time passes and more and more files get indexed, the system performance is adversely affected due to growing pagefile size and increased usage of CPU time.

Due to the fact that file indexing is enabled by default, you need to disable it manually. You can do this by going to "My Computer" and right click on every hard drive partitions and select "Properties". Uncheck "Allow Indexing Service to index this disk for fast file searching". Click on "Apply changes to subfolders and files". If any files cannot be updated, select "Ignore All".

7th Step - Optimize Windows Registry

Just as temporary files can built up over time, the Windows registry will also grow in size with more and more entries being created. As programs get installed and uninstalled and spywares and viruses come in, the registry begins to get clogged up with tons of invalid and obsolete entries. This affects Windows performance and causes multiple errors. Use a registry cleaner to remove unwanted entries and remove Windows errors.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=George_Tho

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Friday, November 7, 2008

Notebook Vs Netbook - Performance Or Portability

Notebook, or laptop, is a portable computer that normally have :

  • Screen size : 12 Inch and up
  • Processor : Intel Pentium Dual-Core,Core 2 Duo or AMD Turion X2
  • Graphics : Integrated or External Graphic Card, from Intel GMA x3100 to AMD Mobility HD 3870X2
  • Weight : 1.9kg and up

Netbook, a smaller variant of notebook, 1st poineered by Asus with their release of Asus Eee PC 700,and now laptop companies such as Acer and MSI released their own netbooks (Acer aspire one and MSI wind respectively), have :
  • Screen size : 12 Inch max
  • Processor : VIA C7 1.2GHz, Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz or AMD Geode 800MHz
  • Graphics : Integrated Graphic Card, mostly Intel GMA 900 or 950
  • Weight : 1.1kg and below

1st, let's compare the screen size. With notebook screen size normally hovers around 14.1 to 15.4 inch, you can have a good movie viewing pleasure and don't have to squint your eyes just to see some text. With screen size 12 inch and lower, you might have a hard time typing documents in your netbook.

2nd, the processor. It is a very important part or consideration because it process the website content. The faster the processor, the faster the page loads. If you normally surf around the YouTube (which is heavy in javascript and flash) then you will know that loading that website takes longer than sites such as wikipedia or forums. With a slow processor, you browser might suddenly hangs if you opened too much tabs. The netbook cpu can't even handle 1080p movie and it will shutter all the way till the end. You can read more about the Intel Atom cpu here.

3rd, the graphic card. If your primary concern is playing games, you can skip the netbook altogether as their graphic are really really lame. Some claim that they install World of Warcraft inside their netbook, but with lame graphic card and small screen, how are you ever gonna enjoy playing that game. On the other hand, notebook have better graphic card than netbook even in the low-end section. They can handle World of Warcraft and other older games easily without breaking a sweat literally.

4th, the weight. This is where the netbook really shines. With their low weight (and small screen), they are truly fit the definition of portability. Thier weight are almost half of the notebook weight, which is a good thing if you're not into bodybuilding. Coupled with their power adapter, the max weight might be only 1.5kg.

In the end, it all boils down to you. Which one you prefer the most. If you like to play games or watch movies, notebook is the way to go. If you surf the web more often and type short documents, netbook is you choice. Be warned that netbook keyboard is really small and not suitable for long-term typing

Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ray_Chee_Lim

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Sunday, October 26, 2008

Samsung VP-HMX10, The Friendly Camcoder


Support Blu-ray player, which began to appear, this hadirlah camcorder with the ability to record in the standard Full-HD (1920x1080 pixels), the most high at this time. Unfortunately, the price of Blu-ray products are still expensive, so consumers have not been greeted with quickly. Instead of entering the segment to the Full-HD, which is still expensive, most consumers are satisfied with the quality of HD quality, slightly above the DVD. Now the video recorder with HD also now appear as a series of VP-HMX10 from Samsung.

VP-scanning design HMX10 still step with other digital camcorder, the main hard disk recorder using the media. However, this model was using the media data storage in the form of the SD memory card / MMC up to 32GB capacity by using the MPEG4 format H.264 (AVCHD) for video and JPEG for photos. AVCHD format is usually more ideal stored in the hard drive, especially with the high bitrate options.

Can be VP-HMX10 is not different digital minicam that also record to the media card memory. However, Samsung provides several advantages, such as the ability to record video in 1280x720 resolution 50fps speed. The number of the frame above 30fps is feasible to make the smooth video performance.

As a preview, VP-HMX10 utilizing the LCD screen 2.7 "(16:9 ratio) is also displays the menu / function that access is done by touch. We just like the style menu that structured and easy to understand this. However, if you do not like berepot-heartedness with the configuration please enable EASY mode that makes use of the camcorder to be more easy and practical.

In addition to video recording, VP-HMX10 allows you take pictures of objects that can also be assisted by the LED light as a torch additional. Unfortunately fashion photography is more of the show, visible from the scene that only 4
(sports, portrait, spotlight, beach / snow) and the lack of manual settings and image interpolation process to achieve maximum resolution (2048x1536 pixels). However, we note some good things, such as the ability 10x Optical zoom, macro shooting quality good enough, and handlebar grip camcorder (grip), which can be twisted to 150 degrees for easier pembidikan.
***

Ditilik of quality, recording MPEG4 format from VP-HMX10 less than satisfactory if the type of hard disk camcorder with AVCHD format. The video appears to raise the noise is seen increasingly severe conditions in the light of minimal. It appears good on the video editing facilities where you can edit with the elimination of some options, segregate, or combine the video. Connection VP-HMX10 data more widely as provide a channel HDMI, component AV, and USB. Therefore, VP-HMX10 is a digital HD camcorder that can be considered if you find an affordable HD recorder.

Plus: Easy to use; high frame rate; format screen 16:9 and 4:3; support software; grip flexible; price.

MINUS: I can take pictures while recording video; noise on the video; image detail; without flash.

SCORE VALUATION
(maximum 5)
Performance: 3.5
Facilities: 3.75
Use: 4.5


SPECIFICATION: Samsung VP-HMX10
Sensor resolution: 1.56 megapixel CMOS
Resolution images (min / max): 640x480 / 2048x1536 pixels
Video resolution (min / max): 720x576 / 1280x720 @ 50fps
Recording Media: SD / SDHC / MMC
Format files (images / video): JPG/MPEG4 (AVCHD)
Size-35mm lens equivalents (mm): --
Aperture settings (wide / White): --
ISO equivalents: --
Zoom: 10x Optical / Digital 20x
SHUTTER speed (seconds): --
Focus on the nearest Best (cm): --
Diagonal LCD: 2.7 "(wide)
The method of connection: HDMI, A / V, USB
Type batteries / refill: Li-Ion 7.4 V 850mAh / Yes
Dimensions (plt): 12.5 x6x6, 5 cm
Weights: 354 grams (with batteries and SD memory)
Web site: www.samsung.com
Warranty: 1 year
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