This post opens set of articles devoted to computer security.

At first, I would like to give some basic definitions for variety of modern computer threats. All these threats are currently known as Malware.

Malware (”malicious software”) is any program or file that is harmful to a computer or computer user. This would include, computer viruses, Trojan horses, worms, spyware, adware, keyloggers, web-page hijackers, driveby downloads, and any programming that gathers info about a computer user without their expressed permission.

7 years ago, the most security threats that most people came across were Viruses.

This is no longer the case!

There are new threats out; and they take no prisoners, no longer is an anti-virus application sufficient to stop the invaders, the web is a complex place and the technology is getting so advanced that you need to act now to protect your machine and your private\personal data.

A quick overview of some of the more common malware that you might find, sorted by level of threat:

SPYWARE

Spyware is any technology that aids in gathering info about a person or organisation without their knowledge. On the Internet (where it is sometimes called a spybot or tracking software), spyware is programming that is put in someone’s computer to secretly gather info about the user and relay it to advertisers or other interested parties.

TROJAN

Trojans are malicious programs often used by hackers to attack target computers, usually to provide a backdoor into the system but sometimes just to cause destruction. Remote Access Trojans (RATs) are the most famous class of trojans and they usually come in two parts - a server that is sent to infect the victim, and a client that the hacker uses to connect to the server after the victim is infected. There are many ways that hackers can use to infect a target with a trojan, and careful security measures aren’t always enough - a strong anti-trojan program can easily detect tens of thousands of trojans that would otherwise be near-impossible for a human to find.

VIRUS

A program or piece of code that is loaded onto your computer without your knowledge and runs against your wishes. Viruses can also replicate themselves. All computer viruses are manmade. A simple virus that can duplicate itself over and over again is relatively easy to produce. Even such a simple virus is dangerous because it will quickly use all available memory and crash the system. An even more dangerous type of virus is one capable of transmitting itself across networks and bypassing security systems.

WORMS

Worms are in a similar category to viruses. Usually spread by email and containing their own email engine, they attempt to spread themselves to all the people in your address books, impacting greatly on network traffic on the web. Sometimes you will find viruses also contain Worm code so the virus is able to mail multiple people using its email engine, whilst infecting the machine with a specific virus, making the sender of the virus hard to find as it looks like it has come from someone you know.

KEYLOGGERS

A keylogger is a program that has been dropped onto a PC that actively monitors all your keystrokes and mouse clicks to try to capture both personal data, passwords, and browser habits, it will also capture any data entered on any web site including secure sites like online bank sites. This data is then stored in an encrypted text file either on the machine or sent to a pre-defined server for the sender of the keylogger to access at his discretion.

ADWARE

Adware is any software application in which advertising banners are displayed while the program is running. The authors of these applications include additional code that delivers the ads, which can be viewed through pop-up windows or through a bar that appears on a computer screen. The justification for adware is that it helps recover programming development cost and helps to hold down the cost for the user.

HIJACKERS

A hijacker is a expression used to explain a registry entry on your machine that has been placed there to re-direct your browser to another site, usually ad-purposed. These are not normally harmful for the machine, other that the fact that it will stop you from getting to the web site you wish to visit. It is more of a frustration than a security risk; however, some Hijackers will attempt to redirect you from Hijack removal sites.

Hope you like this article. Next time I will write about tools used to prevent of/remove particular threat types listed here.

Cheers,
Carl

This post opens set of articles devoted to computer security.

At first, I would like to give some basic definitions for variety of modern computer threats. All these threats are currently known as Malware.

Malware (”malicious software”) is any program or file that is harmful to a computer or computer user. This would include, computer viruses, Trojan horses, worms, adware, spyware, keyloggers, web-page hijackers, driveby downloads, and any programming that gathers info about a computer user without their expressed permission.

4 years ago, the most security threats that most people came across were Viruses.

This is no longer the case!

There are new threats out; and they take no prisoners, no longer is an anti-virus application sufficient to stop the invaders, the web is a complex place and the technology is getting so advanced that you need to act now to protect your machine and your private\personal data.

A quick overview of some of the more common malware that you might find, sorted by level of threat:

SPYWARE

Spyware is any technology that aids in gathering information about a person or organisation without their knowledge. On the Internet (where it is sometimes called a spybot or tracking software), spyware is programming that is put in someone’s computer to secretly gather info about the user and relay it to advertisers or other interested parties.

TROJAN

Trojans are malicious programs often used by hackers to attack target computers, usually to provide a backdoor into the system but sometimes just to cause destruction. Remote Access Trojans (RATs) are the most famous class of trojans and they usually come in two parts - a server that is sent to infect the victim, and a client that the hacker uses to connect to the server after the victim is infected. There are many ways that hackers can use to infect a target with a trojan, and careful security measures aren’t always enough - a strong anti-trojan program can easily detect tens of thousands of trojans that would otherwise be near-impossible for a human to find.

VIRUS

A program or piece of code that is loaded onto your computer without your knowledge and runs against your wishes. Viruses can also replicate themselves. All computer viruses are manmade. A simple virus that can make a copy of itself over and over again is relatively easy to produce. Even such a simple virus is dangerous because it will quickly use all available memory and bring the system to a halt. An even more dangerous type of virus is one capable of transmitting itself across networks and bypassing security systems.

WORMS

Worms are in a similar category to viruses. Usually spread by email and containing their own email engine, they attempt to spread themselves to all the people in your address books, impacting greatly on network traffic on the web. Sometimes you will find viruses also contain Worm code so the virus is able to mail multiple people using its email engine, whilst infecting the machine with a specific virus, making the sender of the virus hard to find as it looks like it has come from someone you know.

KEYLOGGERS

A keylogger is a program that has been dropped onto a PC that actively monitors all your keystrokes and mouse clicks to try to capture both personal data, passwords, and browser habits, it will also capture any data entered on any web site including secure sites like online bank sites. This data is then stored in an encrypted text file either on the machine or sent to a pre-defined server for the sender of the keylogger to access at his discretion.

ADWARE

Adware is any software application in which advertising banners are displayed while the program is running. The authors of these applications include additional code that delivers the ads, which can be viewed through pop-up windows or through a bar that appears on a computer screen. The justification for adware is that it helps recover programming development cost and helps to hold down the cost for the user.

HIJACKERS

A hijacker is a expression used to explain a registry entry on your machine that has been placed there to re-direct your browser to another site, usually ad-purposed. These are not normally harmful for the machine, other that the fact that it will stop you from getting to the web site you wish to visit. It is more of a frustration than a security risk; however, some Hijackers will attempt to redirect you from Hijack removal sites.

Hope you like this article. Next time I will write about tools used to prevent of/remove particular threat types listed here.

Cheers,
Carl

First I would like to tell that there is crowd of windows repair utilities available on the market today, free and shareware. But the truth is most of them are dangerous to your PC and can brake it even more. I’ve used many of it, mostly free ones. And then did complete re-install of Windows since it was completely frozen. So my final solution is to use 2-4 programs that proved themselves in most cases. Here is my list of such Windows repair tools:

#1 RegistryEasy
#2 RegistryCure
#3 RegistryMechanic
#4 RegistrySmart

First 2 programs available at http://repair.repairandsecure.com .

And you can find other 2 at Download.com do not wish to post multiple links here.

Regards,
Carl

First I would like to tell that there is crowd of windows fixing programs available on the market today, free and shareware. But the truth is most of them are dangerous to your PC and can crash it even more. I’ve used many of it, mostly free ones. And then did complete re-install of Windows since it was locked completely. So my final solution is to use 2-4 programs that proved themselves in most cases. Here is my list of such Windows repair tools:

#1 RegistryEasy
#2 RegistryCure
#3 RegistryMechanic
#4 RegistrySmart

First 2 programs available at http://repair.repairandsecure.com .

And you can find other 2 at Download.com do not wish to post multiple links here.

Regards,
Carl

Once you have your disk images precede with the following:

Backup your registry or make a restore point just in case.

Under search: regedit
Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\

Locate: folder “iaStor”
Under “iaStor” you will find a folder named “Parameter” > delete this folder

Locate: folder “iaStorv”
Under “iaStorv” you will find a folder named “Parameter” > delete this folder

Reboot

Regards,
Carl

Once you have your disk images precede with the following:

Backup your registry or make a restore point just in case.

Under search: regedit
Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\

Locate: folder “iaStor”
Under “iaStor” you will find a folder named “Parameter” > delete this folder

Locate: folder “iaStorv”
Under “iaStorv” you will find a folder named “Parameter” > delete this folder

Reboot

Cheers,
Carl

Windows vista is also causing lots of boot issues, so I often get questions like this:

I have a Dell Dimension, which won’t boot to Windows (Vista), and none the repair variants work:

Startup repair: Reports repair fail due to problem with registry

System Restore: Reports no restore points available

Windows Complete PC Restore: Reports no backups available

Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool: No memory problems

Command Prompt.
Can’t think of any appropriate command to use here.

So I booted with the system DVD (as one would with XP) but the upgrade
option has been greyed don’t want to do a new setup. I want to restore existing
installation.

What should I do?

————————————————————

And here is the answer:

You can’t do a ‘repair install’ because you need to launch the Vista DVD
from within Windows, not, as you have been doing, booting straight from the
DVD; that is why the ‘upgrade’ is greyed out.

If you cannot launch Vista and none of the repair variants will work a new
install is the only other variant.

To save problems in future it is actually a good idea to make image of the hard drive, using program like True Image. What I do is install operating system, download all updates, check system I working okay for a day or two, activate system, then create image of the whole drive/partition. Any time I get a problem I can re-image the drive/partition quickly and be up and running without much trouble. And minor repairs are done by using any registry repair tool, there are plenty of them on the market today.

Regards,
Carl

Windows vista is also causing lots of boot issues, so I often get questions like this:

I have a Dell Dimension, which won’t boot to Windows (Vista), and none the repair variants work:

Startup repair: Reports repair fail due to problem with registry

System Restore: Reports no restore points available

Windows Complete PC Restore: Reports no backups available

Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool: No memory problems

Command Prompt.
Can’t think of any appropriate command to use here.

So I booted with the system DVD (as one would with XP) but the upgrade
option has been greyed don’t want to do a clean setup. I want to restore existing
installation.

What should I do?

————————————————————

So here is the answer:

You can’t do a ‘repair install’ because you need to launch the Vista DVD
from within Windows, not, as you have been doing, booting straight from the
DVD; that is why the ‘upgrade’ is greyed out.

If you cannot launch Vista and none of the repair options will work a new
install is the only other option.

To save problems in future it is actually a good idea to make image of the hard drive, using something like True Image. What I do is install operating system, download all updates, check system I working okay for a day or two, activate system, then create image of the whole drive/partition. Any time I get a problem I can re-image the drive/partition quickly and be up and running without much inconvenience. And minor fixes are done by using any registry fix software, there are plenty of them on the market today.

Regards,
Carl

That’s me again.

This time we will learn how to use the Bootrec.exe tool in the Windows Recovery Environment to troubleshoot and repair often startup issues in Windows Vista.

INTRODUCTION

You can use the Bootrec.exe tool in the Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) to troubleshoot and repair the following items in Windows Vista:
-Master boot record (MBR)
-Boot sector
-Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store

Note: When you are troubleshooting startup mistakes by using the Windows RE, you should first try the Startup Repair option in the System Recovery Options dialog box.
If the Startup Repair option does not repair the mistake, or if you must troubleshoot more steps manually, use the Bootrec.exe tool.

MORE INFO

To run the Bootrec.exe utility, you must launch Windows RE. To do this, follow these steps:
1.Put the Windows Vista installation disc in the disc drive, and then start the computer.
2.Press a key when you are prompted.
3.Select a language, a time, a currency, a keyboard or an input method, and then hit Next.
4.Click Repair your computer.
5.Hit the operating system that you want to fix, and then hit Next.
6.In the System Recovery Options dialog window, click Command Prompt.
7.Type Bootrec.exe, and then hit ENTER.

Good luck with your Windows Vista, since with this OS your still need it.

Cheers,
Carl

That’s me again.

This time we will learn how to use the Bootrec.exe tool in the Windows Recovery Environment to troubleshoot and fix often startup issues in Windows Vista.

INTRODUCTION

You can use the Bootrec.exe tool in the Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) to troubleshoot and repair the following items in Windows Vista:
-Master boot record (MBR)
-Boot sector
-Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store

Note: When you are troubleshooting startup issues by using the Windows RE, you should first try the Startup Repair option in the System Recovery Options dialog window.
If the Startup Repair option does not repair the error, or if you must troubleshoot more steps manually, use the Bootrec.exe tool.

MORE INFORMATION

To run the Bootrec.exe utility, you must launch Windows RE. To do this, follow these steps:
1.Put the Windows Vista installation disc in the disc drive, and then start the computer.
2.Press a key when you are prompted.
3.Select a language, a time, a currency, a keyboard or an input method, and then click Next.
4.Hit Repair your computer.
5.Click the operating system that you want to fix, and then hit Next.
6.In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click Command Prompt.
7.Type Bootrec.exe, and then press ENTER.

Good luck with your Windows Vista, since with this OS your still need it.

Regards,
Carl