Quick Note

Recently encountered a nasty variation of malware that called itself  Microsoft Security Shield. It infected the computer of a close friend of mine. Everytime she tried to run a program or load one, it denied access to the installer. She runs Vista Home on the machine. The program looked like a variant of Security Defender. It denied access to her dvd player and flooded the screen with warnings of virus attacks, etc. I was able to disable it in less than 30 minutes because of a handy little feature of Windows. I will not post my technique here but I will be happy to email it to anyone needing a quick fix for an attacking malware problem.

I am also gathering useful computer services, including security software services, at my new site, www.prettygoodoffers.com. These services should be very useful to those who need help with computer problems or accessories. I am also providing hosting services, software, computer parts, accessories at www.prettygoodoffers.com so I hope to see you there for all your computer needs.

Escaping From Fake Antispyware Programs

Readers Beware! There are some very nasty programs going around the Net these days masquerading as spyware/malware removers. These programs are, in fact, malware. They are bogus and designed to make you buy a totally useless product that you do not really need.



Some of you may already be victims of these programs -WinAntivirus 2009, XPAntivirus 2009, etc. Whatever the name, they are one and the same program. They are often offered as free spyware scans of your system. When you download them, they hide themselves throughout your system folder and leave no obvious clues to their whereabouts on your system.



They disable your legitimate antivirus programs and hijack the security features on your system. The scans always find tons of problems with your system and try to scare you into buying the full program to get rid of these problems. One of them even goes as far as "identifying" the source of an "incoming" virus attack! Please note that all the information displayed by these programs are BOGUS! The problems "found" on your system are part of a file that the program executes to scare you into buying the equally-bogus retail version. DO NOT BUY THE PROGRAM!



If you are computer literate, you can find excellent help to remove these malware infections at http://forums.majorgeeks.com/. You can also use a little program called "Killbox" to stop the program from executing. Killbox will actually stop files that are in-use and delete them from your system. Best of all, it's a free program! Kudos to producers of freeware! (Don't forget to donate whatever you can to help these guys.)



If your system has been too compromised to allow you to use the internet, try this temporary solution. Click "Start", "All Programs", "Accessories", "System Tools", "System Restore". Then set your computer back to the last known good working date you can remember. To be safe, set it back about 2 weeks before the software was downloaded. This should reset your system files and nullify the effects of the program. Then go online and get help to remove these nasty infections.



To Your Good Health,
Muhammad Sayyid

A Tribute To The Producers Of Freeware.

Today I want to shout a hearty "THANK YOU" to the producers of "FREEWARE". You guys are true heroes. Please keep up the good work.
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Many computer users are unaware of the existence of freeware. Today I want to inform you about a huge body of wonderful programs produced by top-notch programmers that are available to you for no cost. (Donations are accepted but not required for access.) These programs run the gamut of all your computing needs. Because they are free, they are by no means inferior to commercial programs. Indeed, in my 30-something years of using and repairing computers, freeware programs have been invaluable to my business. So valuable are they, that I usually seek out freeware applications whenever I need software to handle tough situations I encounter.

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What Is Freeware?

The term "freeware" simply means that these wonderful programs are put into the Public Domain and given freely to anyone who wants to use them. In most cases, they require no licensing. (You may need to give your email address sometimes.) Most of them can be freely given away. However, they are NEVER to be sold.

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Why Use Freeware?

Simple. Every conceivable commercial application has a freeware counterpart that is just as good or even better. Some of the best security, anti-virus, word-processing, multimedia-processing and photo-editing software I know of are all freeware programs. Beyond this, freeware authors also provide information services that commercial enterprises cannot or will not. In later posts, I will provide product names and locations of freeware programs and producers. In the meantime, you can locate freeware products by simply typing "freeware applications" into any web browser or by visiting my website: http://www.simplefinancialsuccess.com . Click on freebies link.
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Shareware Is Not Freeware

There are many bogus "freeware" sites currently on the internet, so do not be confused. These sites promote "shareware" under the guise of "freeware". "Shareware" is really a trial or demo of a commercial product. These trials have limitations and restrictions. Users of "shareware" are required to abide by the licensing requirements and either buy or uninstall the software at the end of the trial period. At the end of the trial period, the software usually becomes inoperable if not bought. Freeware does not. Freeware is completely functional with no restrictions except the author's legal rights.
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A Word Of Caution

When visiting and downloading programs from freeware sites, it is highly recommended that you have updated computer security. While most of these sites are reputable, there is always the potential for viral and spyware contamination from some of the available software. If you are not computer savvy, I would recommend you stick to the sites that state clearly that all their software is spyware and virus-free. You will be quite surprised at the dedication of many freeware site administrators who take pride in safely distributing freeware to the public. (Thanks, guys.) By the way, please donate whatever you can to help further freeware development.

Wishing you much success in your freeware explorations,
Muhammad Sayyid.
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P.S. In future posts, I will provide lists of some of the best available free software and locations. Right now, if you need a fantastic antivirus program, get a free copy of Avast Anti-virus from http://www.avast.com/


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Quick Fix For Bad Router Connections at Home

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This happened to me recently. I have a small wireless home network to enable my spouse to use the internet without busting up my routine. (She swears that I live online. (:O) Anyway, the network was working well until she started logging in to game sites. Suddenly, she started having log on problems.

One time, she could not get past the log on screen for some other internet service which had hijacked her connection. (Yep, they can do that!) Solution: Use System Restore to reset your connection settings. Roll back to at least 4 days before the problem began.



Then she began logging into the slowest wireless connection available. That could easily be stopped by resetting the connection to our own home network. However, after this had been going on for about a month, she lost all connections to our home network. She could only access other networks in the general area, but without the correct information, could not access the internet. The problem: she could see our home network but could not log in.




The network consists of:

1. a personally built IBM-compatible p.c. running Windows XP sp2
   
2. Motorola Cable Modem
3. Netgear 54 mbps wireless router accepting connections from 802.1 b@g cards
4. Acer laptop with built in LAN running Vista Home.

The Solution:

1. I uninstalled the drivers for her LAN
   
2. I reinstalled the drivers for her LAN
3. I assigned unique workgroup names to both computers. Do this from control panel. Most home computers are set to use "ms-home" as default workgroup name.
   
4. I removed security from the router
5. I changed router settings to include the Acer MAC information
6. I unplugged the router for 5 hours to enable a fresh system reset.
7. After 5 hrs, I reactivated the router and voila! Problem solved.
8. I reset router security for both computers.
   

Summary: Because of the number of available networks in the area, my router got its signals crossed. To prevent security breaches, it refused to allow non-specified access. By taking the steps above and resetting the system, the router was able to allow access to the specific system in its MAC record.

Simple Tips for Computer Crash Prevention

I was working on my online money making business site (SimpleFinancialSuccess.com) a few weeks ago, when my computer decided to act strangely.  No words appeared onscreen when I typed.  Program images lingered on the screen when I closed them and some even refused to close.  Needless to say, this was quite irritating.  Could have become scary even.  

I was not sure what was happening and how to stop it.  Naturally, my mind queried if I was having a virus attack.  After all, the internet is not safe to access without antivirus protection!  After being hounded for a while by Windows Messenger, which wanted to send my info to Microsoft after each event, I decided to go ahead and resolve the problem, once and for all.  Here is what I did.

1. Checked all cables and connections to and from the computer to ensure no loose connections.  (A shaky connection can cause program malfunctions due to malfunctioning hardware.)  All was fine there.
2.  Shut down and restarted the system to ensure all drivers were freshly loaded.  (Windows can corrupt itself and driver programs because of poor RAM management.  This may  become visible during long computer sessions.  A good registry cleaner works wonders for this problem.)
3. Since I had a fresh boot and uncluttered RAM, I decided to clean my registry using a free registry cleaner.  It was no surprise to find my registry cluttered with fragments of programs I had long tested and uninstalled.  (It is a good idea to clean your registry every 3 to 6 months to remove program debris. Helps system performance.)
4. I then proceeded to defragment my hard drive to optimize its performance.  (Incidentally, I do not let scandisk automatically delete files it may misunderstand on my hard drive.  More on that at a later date.)
5. I then ensured my antivirus was performing properly by launching a system scan.  (Always turn off system restore when doing a deep scan.  This allows the antivirus program to remove all copies of any malware found on the system.  System restore will make backups of infected system files if not turned off!)
6. Once everything checked out fine, I did another registry check to ensure that no junk files were lurking  behind.  
   
7. When I got my "ok" reading, I restarted my computer and turned system restore back on. (Don't forget to restart system restore after troubleshooting your system.  This application plays a vital role in keeping Windows machines running properly.)

The Result:    Since that treatment, my system has been functioning at peak performance.  My analysis of the situation is that the cluttered registry and junk files interfered with the proper functioning of my system.

-----I RECOMMEND IT-----

Resources:   Abexo Free Registry Cleaner,  Avast Home Antivirus (free for personal use).

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Why I am Getting Involved

The Legal Disclaimers and Terms of Use

Before I start offering tips to users of this blog, I want to clarify the terms of use of any information given here.  All information given is without warranty.  Use at your own risk.   Although I personally stand by whatever information I give here, I accept no responsibility for how you use the information or any negative results (including damages to your computer or equipment) that may result. Users of this information agree to waive all rights to legal recourse against me or any company associated with this publication.

Now that I have gotten this legal stuff out (and hopefully scared all faint-hearts away), let me tell you who I am and why I feel qualified to write the things you will see in upcoming articles.

Who I am and Why I Feel Qualified 

I have been involved with computer use and repairs since 1985.  That's since the days of RadioShack's Color Computer!  Back then, when you purchased a computer, you had to either learn to program it yourself (using BASIC) and a poorly-written manual or limit yourself to using a few badly-written applications.  To get audio, we recorded our applications using a portable cassette player! A top of the line system at that time had 64 mb of RAM, a 10mb harddrive  and a floppy disk drive!   (Cassette players were routinely used for data storage.) The video standard was EGA and most monitors were black/white.  You had to be rich to afford expensive luxuries  like a VGA card!  To put it simply, I've been involved with computers a loooooong time!  

I initially sold computers as an educational tool (which I still believe it to be).  My first computer came equipped with a black/white ega monitor, 10mb hard drive, 24 mb ram and a single-sided floppy disk drive all enclosed in the new tower casing.  The price tag: $1500!  Needless to say, I cherished that machine until I found out that it could not do what I originally wanted to use it for: develop and display color applications!   I was in a bind.   I could either return the machine (at a financial loss), abandon my dreams of using and developing color applications or fork over another thousand dollars for the necessary upgrades.  What was I to do?  I did not have the money to pay for repairs.  I did not want to return my new computer and lose both the machine and money in the process.  And I sure as hell was not going to abandon my dreams of developing and using color applications!   So, what did I do?  I learned computer repairs and upgraded my machine for myself at a fraction of the cost of sending it to the certified technicians of that time. 

Since then, I have built and upgraded many machines. I owned a computer repair company (Simple Improvement Services) for more than 10 years.  I have solved countless millions of computer questions for end-users.  I have seen the computer manufacturing industry produce many wonderful and amazing machines. I have seen computers become affordable to almost everyone.  I have seen computer programs develop into the all-encompassing applications they are today.  A lot has changed with computers, but throughout all the years, one thing remains the same.  Computer users continue to have the same problems today as they did in the early days.  

Most computer problems are created by the user's lack of expertise when faced with a machine which continues to have the same mystique of its early invention.  Although most modern computers are contained on a single board, with a few swappable parts, most users are convinced that they are unable to solve their own problems.  Yet my 25+ years' experience in the computer repair industry has shown me that most computer problems are only about 10% hardware-related. 

The fact is that many applications are still poorly written and poorly documented.  Some applications are too complex.  Some applications are too large for their purpose.  But above all, Help documentation continues to be the number one source of difficulty facing computer-users today.    Many people who call me about their computer problems today usually confess to lack of understanding how the program they are attempting to use operates.

 This blog will attempt to address this problem in the most effective way.  Unfortunately, because of my loooong involvement with computers, I may inadvertently speak in "computerese" (geek language) when attempting to explain concepts.  Whenever this happens, please feel free to leave a comment and I will clarify my statements as soon as possible.  This blog is written for you, my readers, and I will deeply appreciate your feedback on all my attempts.  Let me know in no uncertain terms, if  I am meeting your needs.  Send me your questions and comments and I will attempt to address them as completely as possible.

I will be providing information on some resources and applications which I have found useful over the years.  Feel free to get them and use them as you see fit.  My recommendations are based purely on my experience.  You must determine if these items and applications are useful for your own situation.  

First Things First

1. It is extremely important to make sure that your system components are cleaned regularly. This helps your hardware functioning at top performance. Keep track of any screws removed.  Always unplug your computer from electrical connections before performing the following routine.
   
2. Do not use water when cleaning your computer! 
3.  If you need to use a damp cloth to remove stains, apply Rubbing alcohol.  It is a wetting agent that evaporates completely at room temperature and will not cause electrical shortages on your computer.
   
4. Use a soft-bristled paint brush or compressed can of air to remove dust from your computer every 3 months.  Dust is attracted to your computer's components by static electricity and can build up quickly, causing damage to your system.  Ensure you clean around the floppy and cd/dvd drives, intake/exhaust fan and all open ports (usb, etc).  (Important: remove your system covers, especially the front cover, and clean all internal components.  A car vacuum is very helpful here.  If unavailable, cautiously use a home vacuum cleaner.) 
5. Clean your keyboard as often as needed with a dry brush or compressed air.   Avoid getting drinks or cigarette ashes in your keyboard.  If possible, avoid smoking at your computer desk.  Cigarette smoke creates a hard-to-clean, oily residue on your computer components and exhaust fan.
6. If using a rolling mouse, remove the ball covering and cautiously use any sharp item to scrape the gunk off the little rollers inside.  (This may require a little dexterity but it will keep your mouse from making those jerky movements that indicate a dirty mouse). If possible, use a sharp plastic instrument.  Be careful not to apply too much pressure or you will damage your mouse.  If using laser mouse, lightly brush around the laser light to remove dust buildup. Also use a clean mousepad to prevent dust buildup in your mouse.

Do not forget to clean your computer and monitor cases, especially the air vents.  Use a soft cloth dampened with alcohol to clean the monitor face or follow the manufacturer's instructions.  (Do not apply pressure when cleaning LCD monitors!)

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next post: Upgrading :-Do you really have to?

Social aspirations and political realities in Wonderland

As a foreign-born resident in Wonderland, my analyses of events here may be somewhat askewed. I will be the first to admit that I do not always understand why the natives do things the way they do things, nor do I always fathom the rationale behind the things that they do. So I am constantly amazed at daily developments here in Wonderland.
Wonderland, for those of you who may be unfamiliar with this land, is a huge continent that encompasses almost one quarter of the planet Earth's available landmass. Being so huge, its climate varies depending on where in it you reside, ranging from perpetual winter to perpetual summer and all climates in between. People from all around the planet (and some from other planets, it's been whispered) flock to Wonderland in droves every year, hoping to partake of its much-flaunted resources and sometimes, just to become residents. And therein lies the crux of the matters of which I now write. The continuous influx of wouldbe residents and participants in Wonderland has created a socio-political cross-current that threatens to deface the fabled image of love for humanity that Wonderland's leaders have for so long projected to the rest of Earth's residents. Wonderland is thus facing a great conflict between its social aspirations and political realities. To be socially kind or politically cruel; that is today's burning question! Stay tuned...