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Eset Tool to Create a Bootable Antivirus Rescue key

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ESET SysRescue Live Creator is a handy tool for creating a bootable antivirus rescue CD or USB key.

Create a Bootable Antivirus Rescue CD or USB key

There’s no shortage of competition in this area, of course, but Live Creator has one or two useful touches that you might appreciate.

This starts with the download itself. There’s no bulky ISO here, just a single 8.8MB executable that is ready to run whenever you like.

The program opens with a simple wizard, asking if you’d like to create a bootable CD or USB key. Conveniently, there’s also an option to use a previously downloaded ISO image. (We wondered if this could work with any ISO, as a general way to create bootable USB’s, but sadly not. It’s strictly ESET-only.)

ESET SysRescue Live Creator then downloads its bootable image (a 324MB ISO), and prepares your CD or USB immediately afterward. In another thoughtful touch, you’re given an option to create another CD/ USB or save the ISO for reuse later.

Booting ESET’s rescue environment reveals more welcome extras in tools to check your RAM and system drive for defects. Hardware issues can cause odd malware-like problems, so it’s worth trying these if you can’t find anything else.

The ESET SysRescue tool is the real star here, of course, and it has more options than some similar tools. You’re able to download the latest virus signatures and check your system with various scan types. The core antivirus engine gets mixed results with the independent labs — AVTEST’s April results found it had an above-average 100 percent detection rate for known threats, a below-par 93 percent for zero-day attacks — but there’s more than enough power here to be useful.

When it’s all done, you can keep the USB key around for reuse later. But if you need it for something else, ESET SysRescue Live Creator is also able to wipe the drive in seconds. Just connect the drive, start the program again and click “Erase existing SysRescue USB”: another useful feature that you won’t always find elsewhere.

Article Originally from: http://betanews.com

Organizing hard drives and data when upgrading Windows?

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Organizing hard drives and data when upgrading Windows?

I am just about to upgrade from XP Home to Windows 7 Professional and have been thinking about ways of making and keeping the system faster. Putting the operating system on an SSD would be one thing, but how about also having a separate drive for all non-OS installed programs, downloads, and files? Would you recommend this or, indeed, one for programs and related files, and one for other data, such as photographs, audio files, text documents, etc. If so, how should I go about it? Alan

When you’re moving to a new PC, or even installing a new operating system, it’s important to think about where you are going to store data. This won’t necessarily make your PC run any faster. However, it will make it easier for you to keep track of irreplaceable data, and make backup copies.

One of the problems with the DOS-based versions of Windows (95, 98, 98SE, Me) and, to a lesser extent, Windows XP was a tendency to slow down over time, under the weight of accumulated cruft. I used to do a clean re-installation every 18-24 months. The good news is that Windows 7 doesn’t suffer from this problem, or at least, not to a significant extent. I’m running Windows 7 on a laptop and Windows 7 Pro on a desktop, and have not yet needed to reinstall either operating system. (Windows 7 has a Resource Monitor and a Performance Monitor so you can track how it’s doing.)

This also means there’s not such a big advantage to having your hard drive divided into two partitions, or having two separate drives. In the old days, it was useful to have the operating system and programs on drive C: and all your data on D: because if you wanted to reinstall the OS, you could reformat C: without worrying about losing data. That’s still the case, of course, but it’s not as important if you don’t expect to have to reinstall the OS.

Another advantage of having two drives was that it made backups simpler. Basically, almost everything on C: could be replaced either by reloading programs from disc or by downloading new versions from the net. Almost everything on D: couldn’t easily be replaced, such as personal documents and photos, and music files ripped from audio CDs.

I say “almost everything on C:” because Microsoft and various software houses don’t make it easy. Microsoft stores things on the C: drive under different user account names (C:\users\jack etc), while some programs like to store data in their own directories. This makes sense because the vast majority of PC users don’t pay any attention to where and how things are stored, so developers try to organize their data for them. But it means that if you do care, then you have to change each program’s default settings to point to the folders you want it to use.

Note that there are privacy implications to moving data. People who have limited or guest accounts on Windows – including children – only have access to their own programs and data on C:, and to common programs. But they can probably access anything on the D: drive unless you block them.

Partitions, drives and folders

From a software point of view, it doesn’t usually matter if you have (a) two separate hard drives, (b) one large hard drive split into two or more partitions, or (c) a separate folder that you use in the same way as a hard drive. From a hardware point of view, having two separate drives provides more resilience: it’s unlikely that both the C: and D: drives will fail at the same time. But remember, having one drive with two partitions – also called C: and D: and working as separate drives — doesn’t provide the same resilience. If the physical hard drive fails, then both drives fail. You can copy files from C: to a partition called D: but you still don’t have a backup. You only have a backup if you copy the files to one or more external hard drives, and/or an online cloud-based service such as CrashPlan, Backblaze, Carbonite, or Mozy.

My current desktop PC has one large (1TB) hard drive. Instead of partitioning it, I created a folder called MAIN, which I use almost exactly like the D: partition pre-installed on my laptop’s hard drive. (I have no idea why I picked that name, but the caps make it stand out.) I put all my irreplaceable data in that folder. Obviously, it has a large number of subfolders such as Audio files (for interviews, etc), Documents, Movies, Music, Photographs, Work, etc. Each folder has numerous sub-folders, to make things easier to find. For example, my Work folder contains a Guardian folder, which has folders for Ask Jack, Netbytes, Obituaries, Technophile, and so on.

The main point of MAIN is that I can quickly make a backup of this one 132MB folder, or use FreeFileSync to update the current backup on an external hard drive. It’s manageable, so I’m more likely to do it. But what you do will depend on how much data you have, and how often it changes. If you have a large collection of music or video files, you might want to have these in separate folders, outside MAIN (or whatever). This is a particularly good idea if you share these media folders over your home network.

I said “it doesn’t usually matter if you have two separate hard drives”, but sometimes it does. For example, as you suggest, you can put the operating system on an SSD (solid-state drive) and large data files on a traditional hard drive, to take advantage of the SSD’s extra speed. However, this is only because SSDs are so expensive. If you could afford a 500GB or 1TB SSD, then you could use that for everything.

Another case is when applications use such large data files that disk throughput makes a difference to performance. For example, professional photo and video editing programs such as those in Adobe Creative Suite have their own “scratch files” (temporary disk storage areas) where they store vast amounts of transitory data. Operating systems also have scratch files or “page files” such as pagefile.sys in Windows. In this case, you can get better performance if the two scratch files are on different physical hard drives because that provides up to twice as much throughput to disk.

When rendering high-definition video, you may want to use one hard drive for reading operations and caching but use a separate (preferably clean) hard drive for writing the rendered file.

Original Article: How should I organize my hard drives and data when upgrading Windows? | Technology | theguardian.com.

Linksys Router Users Malware (worm) Warning

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The following routers may be vulnerable depending on firmware version: E4200, E3200, E3000, E2500, E2100L, E2000, E1550, E1500, E1200, E1000,E900

Linksys Router Users Malware (worm) Warning

A malicious new worm has been detected in more than 1,000 Linksys home and small-office routers, according to researchers at the SANS Institute of Bethesda, Md.

Nicknamed “TheMoon” because its code includes HTML pages referring to the 2009 science-fiction movie “Moon,” the worm seems to do little more than spread from router to router. However, it does appear to be able to connect to a command-and-control server, from which an attacker could manipulate the compromised systems.

“We do not know for sure if there is a command-and-control channel yet,” wrote security researcher Johannes Ullrich in a blog post on the SANS Institute’s website. “But the worm appears to include strings that point to a command-and-control channel.”

The good news is that a simple router reboot will get rid of the worm, and turning off any remote-administration feature in your router’s settings will prevent the worm from being able to attack in the first place. Many routers have remote administration activated by default.

So far, only Linksys’ “E” product line, which includes the E900, E2000, E3200, and E4200 models, has been shown to be affected. Devices that have upgraded to the latest firmware, 2.0.06, should be safe, but some earlier models whose support has expired, such as the E1000, can’t get that upgrade.

Click Here for More on Linksys Worm

The Benefits Of Using Cloud Services

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The Benefits Of Using Cloud Services

Guarding and backing up your business’s computer data is a vital task that you never overlook. A cloud service is a way of storing data safely on the internet. Big companies like Amazon and IBM keep their data on an internet cloud, and other small businesses can also gain the same security of these services when it comes to matters concerning their computer data. Whilst most businesses are familiar with the sensitivity of these tasks, they may not understand the benefits of a secure computer backup system.

Cloud computing isn’t all a new technology, though for a number of people it will be a fully new concept and sometimes it can be a bit more confusing as they try to understand and attain the idea in general. Using cloud services to store your data doesn’t at all means that your data will float over the clouds, it puts forward that they will store your data safely inside a cloud server in a data center located in a safe location. This is accessible and you can modify them based on your needs anytime you want to do so with a high-speed connection to the internet.

The cloud database was made with the main purpose being online data management via various distributed services. Cloud dwells on a system of virtual servers that modify records and update any database content online. The internet acts as the principal medium via which such information and data are managed. Web servers are basically simply used in hosting the domain of any website. The real data is stored in another server that keeps a log of all the data entered and accessed online. The capability of working anywhere and at all times makes cloud backup a distinct entity when compared to other server systems.

There are specific advantages that come with hiring data managing services for your organization. A virtual database is more valuable than a centralized database server, which is common in most organizations nowadays. Similar to cloud content management systems, a virtual database system enables your employee to easily access and share information with no respect to their present accessibility or location. This will reduce the time and energy in maintain a real server. The data that the organization needs access to can be shifted easily or located at a more convenient and securer location where they can be accessed and may also be used as a backup.

There are 3 main benefits of using cloud services for securing your data; savings in both costs and time related to performing local regimes for backup and raised security of data.

1) Time Savings

Look at the time your staff members take to burn a backup file of all the data regularly. Expectantly, you will be storing your data once a week, mostly depending on your industry. Backing up your data through cloud services can be automatically integrated, almost abolishing the additional time needed to copy files to many size-restricted storage services. By a few mouse clicks, complete backup files can be uploaded to the cloud, and the procedure is finished.

2) Cost Savings

In case you lose some data critical to your organization it can be very expensive to reinstall critical application software and restore previous files. If you backed up this data you will be in a position to restore everything and go on with operations. Though, re-installing application software first, and then installing your most recent backup for every application consumes time and costs you cash – as you cannot operate your business till everything is functional.

The time you would take to perform these emergency tasks would’ve been more useful if spent in your business operations, making finances that make you stay in business. Cloud computing companies help in restoring data immediately, therefore saving you outlay in the long run by giving you time to concentrate on operating your business.

3) Increased Security

On-site backup systems have the possible risk of having unauthorized access, stolen during break-ins, or corrupt or broken down. Security protocols are laid into an organized way of backing up data in the cloud. Cloud storage companies embrace an encrypted network infrastructure in their storage engine, mostly redundant backups in multiple servers spread over different locations. Companies highly reputed in cloud services have policies for security and lockout to make sure that only authorized persons can gain access to your data.

Both business owners and home computer users will be at peace when they decide to hire cloud services to protect and store their digital data. They can direct their efforts when they’re required, in operating their business. Relying on cloud services saves your money, and time, and raises your security level, increasing overall organization development.

A1 Computer can assist you in setting up cloud computing for your home or business computers – Contact A1 Computer

Windows XP Will No Longer Be Supported After April 8, 2014

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Windows-XpWindows XP SP3 and Office 2003 will go out of support on April 8, 2014. If your organization has not started the migration to a modern desktop, you are late. Based on historical customer deployment data, the average enterprise deployment can take 18 to 32 months from business case through full deployment. To ensure you remain on supported versions of Windows and Office, you should begin your planning and application testing immediately to ensure you deploy before the end of support.

It means you should take action. After April 8, 2014, there will be no new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options or online technical content updates.

Running Windows XP SP3 and Office 2003 in your environment after their end of support date may expose your company to potential risks, such as:

  • Security & Compliance Risks: Unsupported and unpatched environments are vulnerable to security risks. This may result in an officially recognized control failure by an internal or external audit body, leading to suspension of certifications, and/or public notification of the organization’s inability to maintain its systems and customer information.
  • Lack of Independent Software Vendor (ISV) & Hardware Manufacturers support: A recent industry report from Gartner Research suggests “many independent software vendors (ISVs) are unlikely to support new versions of applications on Windows XP in 2011; in 2012, it will become common.” And it may stifle access to hardware innovation: Gartner Research further notes that in 2012, most PC hardware manufacturers will stop supporting Windows XP on the majority of their new PC models.

Get current with Windows and Office. This option has upside well beyond keeping you supported. It offers more flexibility to empower employees to be more productive while increasing operational efficiency through improved PC security and management. It also enables your organization to take advantage of the latest technology trends such as virtualization and the cloud.

Enterprise Customers: Microsoft offers large organizations in-depth technical resources, tools, and expert guidance to ease the deployment and management of Windows, Office and Internet Explorer products and technologies. To learn more about migration and deployment programs, please contact your Microsoft sales representative or Certified Microsoft Partner. Learn how to pilot and deploy a modern desktop yourself, download the free Microsoft Deployment Toolkit and begin your deployment today.

Small to Medium Business: There are many options for small and medium businesses considering moving to a modern PC with the latest productivity and collaboration tools. Small to mid-size organizations should locate a Microsoft Certified Partner to understand the best options to meet their business needs. If your current PC meets the system requirements for Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, you can buy Windows 7 Professional or Windows 8.1 Pro from a local retailer or Microsoft Certified Partner. If your PC does not meet system requirements, consider purchasing a new business PC with Windows 8.1 Pro.

Personal Computer Security, The Threats and Solutions

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personalcomputersecurityWhen it comes to computer security, many of us live in a bubble of blissful ignorance. We might be vigilant and never open email attachments from people we don’t know, we might take care to make sure an eCommerce site is secure before entering our credit card information, or we might even go so far as to install a standard firewall on our computers. Unfortunately, much of the common sense advice we follow when it comes to Internet security does little to combat the cybercrime that is rampant.

Federal Trade Commission

Even the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, a governmental agency that is designed to help consumers, had to issue a press release stating that “consumers, including corporate and banking executives, appear to be targets of a bogus e-mail supposedly sent by the Federal Trade Commission but actually sent by third parties hoping to install spyware on computers.”

There’s little doubt that spyware, malware, and insidious virus attacks make any computer with Internet access vulnerable. But, because not all Internet security breaches are immediately apparent, people are often unaware that their seemingly hassle-free computing is anything but. The Federal Trade Commission offers seven guidelines to help consumers surf the Web safely:

1. Protect your personal information. For example, when shopping on an eCommerce site, make sure that the page where you enter your personal information is secure, as designated by “https” before the URL. It’s important to stop identity theft before it starts.

2. Know before you click. For instance, many cyber-criminals impersonate legitimate businesses or send “phishing” email that asks you to click a hyperlink. Check out the online merchants and never click on emailed hyperlinks unless you’re certain of the source.

3. Update anti-virus, anti-spyware, and firewall software often. Hackers and others who engage in cybercrime seem to always be a step ahead of the good guys. If your computer protection is outdated, you’re vulnerable.

4. Use a Web browser and operating system security features. Make sure your browser settings give you optimal privacy and security and ensure that you update your operating system regularly to take advantage of security patches.

5. Safeguard your passwords. For example, create a unique password for each site you visit, and keep them in a secure place. Use letter, number and symbol combinations that can outsmart automated password detection programs.

6. Always do backups. If your computer does get a virus or a worm, your files may be goners. Make sure to regularly back up any important files and store them in a secure place.

7. Prepare for emergencies. If something does go wrong, such as your computer being hacked or infected, or if you accidentally divulge personal information, know what courses of action you should take to remedy the situation and prevent further problems.

A1 Computer Repair Services Can Help

Protecting your computer from all of the threats in cyberspace can seem like a full-time job. Our computer repair service provides full system optimization, problem diagnosis and repair, installation assistance, and a full complement of security services for your home or business like backup and cloud computing. You pay a small monthly subscription fee and in turn can surf the Web knowing that your computer is locked down and that you’ll never again have to stay abreast of the latest security software or lug your computer down to a high-priced repair center. Contact us for more information on securing your personal or business computer today.