Katrina kaif ... dangerous

Katrina kaif ... might be dangerous

Katrina Kaif not only sizzles on the silver screen, but the top Bollywood actress’ name has also now unwittingly become one of the most dangerous search keywords, as far as Indian net users are concerned.
While browsers use billions of keywords in different search engines like Google or Yahoo! Buzz, Katrina Kaif’s name stood out the second and was classified as the second most dangerous keyword for India.

Cyber criminals and hackers create websites based on popular search keywords and persuade the browsers to download files carrying malicious software which could expose their personal and financial data, a study by McAfee, the world’s leading security technology company, found.

The study to identify the most dangerous web searches found that in India the most dangerous search word was ‘Waptrick,’ a website for free downloads of music, ring tones, wall paper, animations and logos for mobile phones

The top four dangerous keywords are:
1. Waptrick
2.Katrina Kaif
3.orkut
4.yahoomail

The riskiest keyword world over was ‘screensavers’ with a maximum risk of 59.1 per cent as nearly six out of the top 10 search results for ‘screensavers’ contained malware.

Surprisingly, searches using ‘viagra,’ a popular keyword which is very common in spam mails, had lesser risky sites, the report said.

So just be cautious while you search for these keywords on any search engine.

Windows 7 RC details

Here is some simple information about the Windows 7 release candidate (RC) which you need to know if you want to install.

File Size:
x86 version - 2.47 GB
x64 version - 3.2 GB

Product Key:
Windows 7 Beta Product key will not work in RC build. So you'll need to obtain a new Product key which is available in your account page.

Expiry Date:
Windows 7 RC will expire on March 1, 2010. At this time the system will reboot every two hours. The license of windows 7 RC will expire June 1, 2010.

Installation:
You can either upgrade from a Windows Vista system, or do a custom (clean) installation of Windows 7 RC. Windows 7 Beta users will need to do a custom (clean) installation.
Windows XP users will also need to do a custom (clean) installation.

WINDOWS 7 BETA expiration date

WINDOWS 7 BETA expiration date

Microsoft has been sending an email to Windows 7 Beta users that Windows 7 Beta will expire on August 1, 2009. From June 1, 2009, the PC you’re using to test the Beta will begin shutting down every two hours.

The Bi-hourly shutdown starting date extended to JULY 1st 2009. Actually at the time of releasing Windows 7 Beta public build, Microsoft announced that it'll start automatic shutting down every 2 hours from July 1, 2009.

Today Microsoft clarified this confusion and accepted their fault:

Over the weekend, some of you may have received an email from us reminding you that the Windows 7 Beta expires on August 1st, 2009. In that email, we ask that if you are still on the Windows 7 Beta that you should consider moving to a “non-expired” copy of Windows such as the Windows 7 RC or Windows Vista because bi-hourly shutdowns will begin June 1st.

The Windows 7 Beta does expire on August 1st, 2009; unfortunately the date for when bi-hourly shutdowns will begin for the Windows 7 Beta was incorrect however.

Bi-hourly shutdowns for the Windows 7 Beta will begin July 1st, 2009.

We apologize for the confusion and inconvenience this may have caused.

Hurray finally there is 1 more month time for you to back up your data before you start using windows 7 RC or other OS.

Download Vista SP2

The Service Pack 2 for Windows Vista is now available for public download on Microsoft Download Center. You may either download Vista SP2 as a standalone installer or as an ISO image for burning onto a DVD.

The installer for Vista SP2 (Windows6.0-KB948465-X86.exe) is around 350 MB but if you don’t want to download that big a file, wait until Microsoft pushes the SP2 patch via the Windows Update or Automatic Updates feature as that will only download the essential components.NOTE: - you will be able to install Windows Vista SP2 only when your systems are already running Service Pack 1. Microsoft says that they chose not to offer a cumulative SP2 package this time to keep the file size under control.

If you’ve used vLite (or something similar) to slipstream vista with SP1, you may receive certain errors while installing SP2 due to missing components. In that case, the best option is to either perform an in-place upgrade using your original Windows Vista DVD or reinstall Vista from scratch, then install SP1 followed by a file clean up and then update to Service Pack 2.

Disable Aero Shake in Windows 7

Disable Aero Shake in Windows 7

Aero Shake feature is a newly introduced feature in Windows 7 which lets you minimize all running windows except the one which you are currently working on using a simple mouse shake.

This feature makes work easier but Aero Shake might not be liked by some and this article is meant for those who would like to disable Aero shake in Windows 7.

Use Group Policy Editor

1. Type gpedit.msc in RUN or in "Start" menu Searchbox and press Enter. Group Policy Editor opens.2. Now navigate to:

User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Desktop

3. In right-side pane, double-click on "Turn off Aero Shake window minimizing mouse gesture" option and set its value to "Enabled".

4. That's all You have disabled Aero Shake in your system.

To enable the aero shake feature again, repeat the above 1,2,3 steps and set the value to "disabled".

disable Aero Peek in Windows 7

Aero Peek has replaced the old "Show Desktop" feature in Windows 7. It can be found as a small rectangle present at last in Windows 7 taskbar. When you hover the mouse cursor over it, it allows you to peek behind all open windows by hiding all windows and showing only outlines of all windows.

You can follow this tutorial in case you want to disable "Aero Peek":


*Taskbar Properties

The most easiest way to disable "Aero Peek" is using Taskbar Properties.

1. Right-click on Taskbar and select "Properties". Now uncheck the option "Use Aero Peek to preview the desktop".



2. Click on Apply button and it'll disable Aero Peek feature.

*Using System Properties

You can also disable "Aero Peek" from System Properties.

1. Right-click on Computer icon on Desktop and select Properties (or press WIN + Pause/Break keys). Now click on Advanced system settings link in left side pane (You can open it directly by giving sysdm.cpl command in RUN or start menu search box).



2. Now click on Settings button in Performance section:




3. Now uncheck "Enable Aero Peek" option.




4. Click on Apply button and it'll disable "Aero Peek" feature in Windows 7.

Download Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor

Download Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor

Planning to give a try for Windows 7 Operating System which is mostly talked about now a days ? Then just before downloading a copy the Windows 7 (release candidate is out now) - check out if all your system hardware is compatible / sufficient to run Windows 7.

If you are currently running on Windows Vista, it’s almost a given that you can run on Windows 7, but better check if windows 7 can be handled by your system.
According to Microsoft, “Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor scans your PC’s system, programs and devices to check if it’s able to run Windows 7. After a few minutes, the report will let you know if your PC meets the system requirements, if there are any known compatibility issues with your programs and devices, and will also provide guidance on your upgrade options to Windows 7”.

See the images below which show how easy this compatibility test is.



Note: The advisor recommends that you connect ALL your devices before running the test.

System Requirements:
Windows Vista; or
Windows XP Service Pack 2, NET 2.0 Framework or higher if running on Windows XP
Download at: Microsoft

If you are currently running Windows XP, unfortunately there is no upgrade path, so a clean install is required.

Remove Linux Bootloader after removing Linux partition

Remove Linux Bootloader after removing Linux partition

I have been using Ubuntu Linux dual booting with XP for quite a long time. But recently i had to delete the Linux partition due to lack of disk space.

It is common to delete the partitions having Linux from "Disk Manager" but it doesnt remove Linux completely. The Linux boot loader still appears at startup but since you deleted Linux partitions, the boot loader gets corrupted and your system becomes unusable !!

So here is a good tutorial to Remove Linux Bootloader completely :.

This tutorial will help you in completely removing Linux from a dual-boot system:

1. First you'll need to boot using Windows setup CD. You can use Windows 98 Setup CD or Windows 2000, XP, 2003 CD or Windows Vista, Server 2008 DVD.

**. Using Windows 98 CD:

Boot into Command Prompt and provide following command:

fdisk /MBR

3. If you have not deleted Linux partitions, then you can delete them using "Disk Manager" tool in Windows

Now exit from command prompt by typing Exit and press Enter.

** Using Windows 2000, XP, 2003 CD:

Enter into "Recovery Console" by pressing "R", select your Windows installation and enter administrator password. Now provide following command:

fixmbr

Press "Y" to confirm and type Exit to exit from recovery console.

**. Using Windows Vista, Server 2008 DVD:

Boot using setup DVD and click on "Repair Computer" link, then click on "Command Prompt". Now navigate to your DVD drive using CD command and at last provide following command:

bootsect /nt60 SYS /mbr

Exit from Command prompt and restart your system.

2. The above commands will remove the Linux boot loader from startup and you'll be able to directly boot into Windows.

Install Vista from Bootable USB drive

How to install Vista from Bootable USB drive ?

Once a friend of mine installed Windows Vista on his laptop which does not have a DVD drive. I thought he must have installed from his harddisk( this process does not remove the existing OS).

He just followed the process given below to Install Windows Vista from a Bootable USB drive.


1.Format the USB stick as NTFS
2.Make USB Volume Active

3.Load up an (elevated) command prompt window.[ Right click on "CMD" and select "Run as administrator". ]

4.Run diskpart.exe and then set your drive and partition to point to the stick. Make sure you set the partition as Active.

Do this by:-

1. list volume (to determine the volume number for your drive, in my case 2)
2. Select volume 2
3. active

5.Create Boot Sector

There's a tool in Vista called bootsect.exe. Cant find it? Its on the Vista DVD itself in the Boot directory.

6.Run bootsect /nt60

7.Copy over Vista and Boot Files

From the Vista DVD copy over the

* Boot directory
* Sources directory and
* the files in the root directory

and you should be good to go!!

That completes the process and you can now install Vista on any PC without a DVD drive. However see that the pendrive you use for this has enough space [4GB recommended] to accomodate all the vista files. Thanks to Dave

Installing Google Talk for All Users in Windows Vista

Installing Google Talk for All Users in Windows Vista

When installing Google Talk from the Talk website, Windows Vista will only install the application for the user currently logged in to Vista. Other users on the same machine will not have access to Google Talk.

If you'd like to install Google Talk for All Users:

1. Visit http://www.google.com/talk/.
2. Click Download Google Talk.
3. Save the installation file to your desktop.
4. Right-click the installation file (googletalk-setup.exe) and select Run as administrator.
5. Follow the instructions to install Google Talk. The application will be available to all users on this machine (though each will still need to sign in with their own Google Talk username, and won't have access to others' accounts).

To uninstall Google Talk if it has been installed for All Users:

1. Right-click the Uninstall Google Talk shortcut from your Start menu.
2. Select Run as administrator.
3. Follow the instructions to uninstall the application.

How to remove Orkut Virus Muhaha

How to remove Orkut Virus Muhaha!!

A few days ago, one of my friends was in a hurry to see his orkut scraps and opened orkut on his browser. To his shock he found a message box saying " ORKUT IS BANNED YOU FOOL..... MUHAHAHA"

- It was a virus which got into his windows from a flash drive.

So how to get rid of this Orkut Virus Muhahaha

TEMPORARY SOLUTION:

+ Press alt+ctrl+del and goto processes tab

+ There you will see a list of processes under the different username, arrange the processes according to your username and search for the process svchost.exe

+ Right click and end process or end process tree. Make sure you end the imagename or process which are under your username and not that which are under LOCAL SERVICE OR NETWORK SERVICE.

+ This gives you instant access to orkut..

A Similar of this variant gives you error on opening firefox.

"I DNT HATE MOZILLA BUT USE IE OR ELSE…", "USE INTERNET EXPLORER U DOPE",

The above 4 Steps solution works for the same..

PERMANENT CURE:

Now a fix to permanently get rid of this nuisance, this pulls the interest of my friends who called me up and took help to access their orkut accounts instantly..

Follow as :-

REPEAT THE ABOVE 4 STEPS AND THEN CONTINUE.

1. Click start->run type c:\heap41a and press Enter. You cannot find this folder by looking through windows explores i.e. My Computer, as this is a hidden folder.

2. Delete all the files under this folder by pressing ctrl+a followed by shift+del key

3. Now again goto Start->Run and write regedit, this opens registry editor for you.

4. Press ctrl+f , a find dialog box opens, type heap41a and let it show you some results

5. You should see "[winlogon] C:\heap41a\svchost.exe C:\heap(some number)\std.txt"

6. Now delete whatever you see there :D cause you love orkut .. hahahah

Well your PC/LP is cleaned up and now you can open your orkut account without that nuisance.

PREVENTION :
Make sure you delete all the .exe files which are present at the root of ur pendrive which got created automatically(which you never created). Rather scan your pen drive with a good antivirus.. That should allow you stealth your PC from the attack of MUHAHA

Other Effects

Well this worm/virus removes hidden folder options or you are unable to see hidden folders. so enable the hidden folder option follow the steps as :-

? Goto Start->run type regedit again to open registry editor

? traverse as HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer3.

?There you will see a DWORD key as "NoFolderOptions" . Set its value to 0 or simply delete it

all about Hackers

All about Hackers

Introduction to How Hackers Work

Thanks to the media, the word "hacker" has gotten a bad reputation. The word summons up thoughts of malicious computer users finding new ways to harass people, defraud corporations, steal information and maybe even destroy the economy or start a war by infiltrating military computer systems. While there's no denying that there are hackers out there with bad intentions, they make up only a small percentage of the hacker community.

Hackers from around the world gather at camps to
practice their hobby and trade tips.

The term computer hacker first showed up in the mid-1960s. A hacker was a programmer -- someone who hacked out computer code. Hackers were visionaries who could see new ways to use computers, creating programs that no one else could conceive. They were the pioneers of the computer industry, building everything from small applications to operating systems. In this sense, people like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were all hackers -- they saw the potential of what computers could do and created ways to achieve that potential.

Hackers and Crackers
Many computer programmers insist that the word "hacker" applies only to law-abiding enthusiasts who help create programs and applications or improve computer security. Anyone using his or her skills maliciously isn't a hacker at all, but a cracker.

Crackers infiltrate systems and cause mischief, or worse. Unfortunately, most people outside the hacker community use the word as a negative term because they don't understand the distinction between hackers and crackers.


The Hacker Toolbox

The main resource hackers rely upon, apart from their own ingenuity, is computer code. While there is a large community of hackers on the Internet, only a relatively small number of hackers actually program code. Many hackers seek out and download code written by other people. There are thousands of different programs hackers use to explore computers and networks. These programs give hackers a lot of power over innocent users and organizations -- once a skilled hacker knows how a system works, he can design programs that exploit it.

The ILOVEYOU Computer Virus was a malicious program
that plagued computers worldwide and caused millions of dollars in damages.

Malicious hackers use programs to:

* Hack passwords:There are many ways to hack someone's password, from educated guesses to simple algorithms that generate combinations of letters, numbers and symbols. The trial and error method of hacking passwords is called a brute force attack,meaning the hacker tries to generate every possible combination to gain access. Another way to hack passwords is to use a dictionary attack, program that inserts common words into password fields.

*Infect a computer or system with a virus: Computer viruses are programs designed to duplicate themselves and cause problems ranging from crashing a computer to wiping out everything on a system's hard drive. A hacker might install a virus by infiltrating a system, but it's much more common for hackers to create simple viruses and send them out to potential victims via email, instant messages, Web sites with downloadable content or peer-to-peer networks.

* Log keystrokes: Some programs allow hackers to review every keystroke a computer user makes. Once installed on a victim's computer, the programs record each keystroke, giving the hacker everything he needs to infiltrate a system or even steal someone's identity.

*Gain backdoor access: Similar to hacking passwords, some hackers create programs that search for unprotected pathways into network systems and computers. In the early days of the Internet, many computer systems had limited security, making it possible for a hacker to find a pathway into the system without a username or password. Another way a hacker might gain backdoor access is to infect a computer or system with a Trojan horse.

*Create zombie computers: A zombie computer, or bot, is a computer that a hacker can use to send spam or commit Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. After a victim executes seemingly innocent code, a connection opens between his computer and the hacker's system. The hacker can secretly control the victim's computer, using it to commit crimes or spread spam.

*Spy on e-mail: Hackers have created code that lets them intercept and read e-mail messages -- the Internet's equivalent to wiretapping. Today, most e-mail programs use encryption formulas so complex that even if a hacker intercepts the message, he won't be able to read it.

Well I think i have gathered enough of info about hackers/ crackers... Now just dont get worried about you and your data's security on the internet. :) Just remember "Prevention is better than cure".

Fixing Chrome registration failed error in Firefox

Fixing “Chrome registration failed” error in Firefox.

I have been experiencing a problem of three /four “Chrome Registration Failed” error messages being presented to me every time I restarted Firefox.

Browsing through Mozilla.org showed a suggestion for a fix (delete the extensions.ini, extensions.cache and extensions.rdf files from the profile profile). On doing that however not only did it NOT fix my problem, but in fact it made it worse – every single add-in I had installed was reset to a “needs restart” and even after a restart the add-ins were not installing.

Finally I found a solution browsing through the same mozilla forum..

To fix Chrome registration failed error:

Right click on the Firefox icon on your desktop.

Select “run as administrator”

That is all!! Add-ons installed and working.

After initially running Firefox as administrator there is no need to do this everytime - doing it once fixes the problem.