Keep your Computer and Personal Info Safe

This article is intended to help you protect your system with some common sense knowledge and some pointers on slightly advanced tips.

Step1

Most likely, chances are you are booted into XP or Vista.
If you haven't already download SpyBot, AdAware and AVG or Avast anti-virus. These are all free.
Choose between AVG and Avast you won't need 2 anti-virus running unless you're really paranoid. Personally I prefer Avast.
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html
http://www.download.com/Ad-Aware-2008/3000-8022_4-10045910.html?part=dl-ad-aware&subj=dl&tag=top5&cdlPid=10844457
http://www.avast.com/eng/download.html
http://free.avg.com/
http://www.zonealarm.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/freeDownload.jsp

Step2

Download Spybot (the first link above).
This computer will check for any harmful spyware, and tracking programs running silently in your computer. These not only track the websites you visit for directed marketing (which is unethical and should be illegal) but also slow down your computer. They also present security threats to your privacy.
There is a bit of a learning curve as SpyBot can modify your registry but it's well worth it!

Step3

The second link is AdAware. This used to be free but they are apparently charging now. To save you some time I've linked to a mirror that allows you to download the latest version free. I'm not sure if it is a trial or not - there isn't a big learning curve.
This helps remove any adware programs that SpyBot might have missed.

Step4

Download a free anti-virus, the second to last two links in step 1. Either of these are good but I encourage you to read the documents on them to see which better suits your needs.

Step5

Get a decent firewall, the last link in step 1 is for ZoneAlarm. This is a decent firewall and will get the job done in the free version.
Also a bit of a learning curve but again worth it.

Step6

If you are up to building your own firewall then read on.
If you have a spare computer lying around and you don't know what to do with it try turning it into a firewall with IpCop.
http://www.ipcop.org/
There is a massive learning curve for the beginner here! This will be a difficult setup but you will learn a lot! You will also have an awesome firewall and something to put on your resume.

Step7

If you have a network in your house you can try attacking it.
This is a great way to test how well your system is holding up.
For this you will need to have hard drive running on one of your computers.
If you don't want to install Linux on your hard drive you can run it live from a cd.
There are many different versions of Linux - all are free because they are protected under the GNU public license.
I believe the most user-friendly version of Linux right now would be Ubuntu.

Step8

Reading on how to defend your computer will help keep you current with trends in the community. Magazines like the hacker quarterly and phrack will help with this.

Step9

Download Firefox 3.0 if you aren't running it already. This is a safer browser than Internet Explorer 6/7 and it's free! It also has a lot of addons like piclens and forecastfox.
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/

Step10

Don't save your passwords to your computer.
This is the easiest way to hacked - even if you are not online!
All it takes is someone with a little know how to sit at your computer for a minute or less and that's it - a good amount of your accounts will be stolen!
Write down your passwords and put them somewhere safe. Some people advocate keeping them on a file in your computer and encrypted.

Keep Nosy Co-workers From Prying into Your Computer

Prying eyes are common in the office. When our co-workers walk or pass by our cubicle, they usually look at our computer monitor. How do we keep what we do on our computerprivate? How do we keep our computer away from prying eyes?

Step1

Make it a habit to press the "Ctrl", "Alt" and "Del" buttons to lock your computer before you leave your desk to take a break, go to the bathroom or to a meeting or get coffee.

a. Press "Ctrl", "Alt" and "Del" buttons

b. Click on either the "Lock This Computer" or "Log off"

When you click on the "Lock This Computer" option, you are still logged into your work's network. You just need to unlock your computer when you come back to your desk by entering your password.

If you clicked on "Log off", it logs you off your work's network.

Step2

You can also set a screen saver password. When the screen saver mode is on and when the mouse is moved or you press a key, you will be asked to enter a password in order to turn off the screen saver. To do this:

a. Right-click on any blank area of your desktop
b. choose Properties from the menu
c. Click on the Screen Saver tab and choose a screen saver that you want from the dropdown menu
d. Then, check the box next to "Password Protected"
e. Click on the "Change" button
f. Enter your password
g. Hit "OK"

Step3

Microsoft Outlook Customize your Outlook View Settings. When you know somebody is behind you or coming into your cubicle, you can quickly change the reading pane view of your Microsoft Outlook so that co-workers won't be able to read your emails while they are behind you or talking to you.

Our inbox reading pane is usually set where we can view the body of an email. This is set at either right or bottom. Follow the steps below to add this icon to your Microsoft Outlook Toolbar:

a. Go to Tools
b. Select Customize
c. Click on the Commands tab
d. Select View
e. Then, under the Commands category drag Reading Pane out of the dialog box to your Toolbar

Step4

Show Desktop Set the Show Desktop icon in your Quick Launch Toolbar. This is another way to quickly minimize all the windows that are currently up. It's an easy way to keep co-workers from knowing what you are doing, when you hear someone is coming. To set the Show Desktop icon in your Quick Launch Toolbar:

a. Right-click on the Start button
b. Select Properties
c. Click on the Taskbar tab and make sure the box next to "Show Quick Launch" is checked. Once checked, you should see the "Show Desktop" icon as one of the defaults. There should be 3 default icons and "Show Desktop" icon is one of them.

Step5

Request or purchase a Computer Privacy Filter or Computer Monitor Privacy Screen. This helps keep prying eyes off your computer screen.

Lock your Computer instantly

If you're worried about people snooping through your documents while away from your computer, worry no more. Locking down your computer is easier than you may think.

Step1

Hit the key with the Windows logo on it, and hold it down. (It should be two keys to the left of the spacebar, or near the left "Alt" key.)

Step2

Hit "L." Windows locks the computer and requires a password to unlock it.

Step3

Feel safe about leaving your computer.

Windows Home Server Install

Microsoft has introduced Windows Home Server, an operating system designed to allow a home user to easily backup, access, and share all of the home’s media including digital photos and videos. It even has a secure and personalized website address for sharing the photos and videos. Here’s how to install it.

Step1

Before installing, ensure your computer meets the minimum requirements: 1.0 GHz Intel Pentium 3 (or equivalent) processor, at least 512 MB RAM, at least an 80 GB internal hard drive as primary drive, and a 100 Mbit/s wired Ethernet.

Step2

Boot your computer from the installation CD.

Step3

There will be three progress bars initially. First, there will be a black and white Screen that says “Windows is loading files…,” next there will be a second green progress bar, and third will be a “setup is initializing…” progress bar.

Step4

At the “Welcome to Windows Home Server Setup” window, select Next.

Step5

Select the time and currency format as well as the keyboard or input method. Select Next.

Step6

At the Load Additional Storage Drivers window, ensure all of your hard drives are listed. If not, choose the load drivers button to load additional drivers. Once completed, select Next.

Step7

At the “Select An Installation Type” window, ensure New Installation is selected and select Next. Please note that all data on all hard drives will be erased at this time.

Step8

At the “End User License Agreement” page, select I accept this agreement and select next.

Step9

Enter your product license key.

Step10

At the “Name Your Server” window, give your server an appropriate name. Select Next.

Step11

At the “Formatting Hard Drives” window, select the checkbox to acknowledge that all data on the drives will be lost. Select Next.

Step12

Select Yes at the warning that states ”All data on all of this computer’s hard drives will be deleted. Are you sure you want to continue?”

Step13

At the “Ready to Install Windows Home Server” window, select Start.

Step14

The tasks of Collecting Information, Dynamic Update, Preparing Installation, Installing Windows, and Finalizing Installation will complete automatically. The subtask of formatting the system volume may take a few minutes.

Mac Os X install

Install Mac OS X

Install Mac OS X

Sometimes your MAC can start running slow. A good way to resolve this is to just reinstall the OS completely. In this guide, I'll tell you how.

Step1

Insert your Mac OS X software CD or DVD

Step2

Restart your computer while holding down the [C] key

Step3

Select the hard drive and volume you want to install Mac OS X on. If you click OPTIONS, you will have the choice to ARCHIVE or ERASE old OS installation.

Step4

Proceed with installation and once completed successfully, you will have to restart MAC and you are all set.

Dell Ubuntu Netbook Remix install

Dell Ubuntu Remix 8.04

I'll show you how to download the disc image and install the Dell created version of Ubuntu Linux for the Inspiron Mini 9 Netbook. Since the image is created by Dell it includes all drivers and programs you will need to start out.

Step1

Dell Mini 9 Ubuntu Netbook Remix - Restore ISO Image The first thing you will want to do is download the ISO image for the install from the following link:

http://torrents.thepiratebay.org/4446076/Dell_Mini_9_Ubuntu_Netbook_Remix_-_Restore_iso_image.4446076.TPB.torrent

You will need a torrent download program to get the file. I would suggest u Torrent from the following link, If you don't already have a torrent program:

http://download.utorrent.com/1.8.1/utorrent.exe

After getting these two downloaded you will want to open the .iso file from the location you downloaded it to with a burning program. If you have Nero I think this is one of the better programs, otherwise BurnAware is available for free and will perform the same function.

http://www.burnaware.com/downloads/burnaware_free.exe

So after you download and burn the .iso image to a DVD disc we can proceed to Step 2.

Step2

Install Ubuntu from Restore Disc Insert the burned DVD into your external optical drive and plug it into an available USB port on your Netbook.

When you start up the system you will want to press the number 0 at the Dell Start up splash screen. This will pull up the Boot Menu.

Press the down arrow once to select CD/DVD/CD-RW and then hit Enter.

The Dell System Restore DVD screen will appear and you will be prompted to Press "Enter" to continue. Do this and then type proceed and hit Enter to start the installation.

The Ubuntu Splash screen will pop up along with the Install script at the bottom of your screen. The installer will Delete your old Partition Table, Create the new Partition Table, Format the drive, then mount and copy the system files and programs. This process will take approximately 15 minutes.

The DVD will eject once the initial install is complete, you can remove it from the drive and disconnect the USB optical drive from the system. The computer will restart and show you Dell's End User Software License Agreement or EULA for short. Read through this if you like then hit Enter to proceed.

Next you are given the Service Tag & Express Service Code from your system. Make a note of these if you would like, they are also printed on the label underneath your system so not really necessary. Hit Enter to proceed.

Step3

Set up your Personal Info Now we will set up Ubuntu for your personal use. The first screen will ask your language, select that then Foward. Choose the Country you live in (United States) next then select Forward. Choose your time zone for the system clock (New York) then select forward. Choose the Keyboard layout you would like (USA, USA) then select Forward. In the Who Are You? window type in your User Name, log in name, and administrator password. Make a note of the Log in name and Password as the system will ask you for these to verify certain actions. You can leave the Check box as is if you would like the system to Automatically log in. Otherwise uncheck the box and select Forward. Now your system will log you in for the first time. If your screen brightness is way down like mine hit the following key combination to brighten things up: Fn+9 then Fn+0

You should be up and running now, with my install it took approximately 20-25min to complete the process.

To connect to your wireless network select the network icon in the system tray at the top of the page then choose your preferred network and if a security key is required the system will prompt for it. Enjoy!

Step4

Ubuntu Update Manager As an extra step I would recommend updating the System Packages. To do this go to the system menu at the top left of the screen, next to the home icon the Ubuntu one. Then select System => Administration => Update Manager.

When the Update Manager window opens select Check then enter your password from the setup to get the newest updates. After the Updates are found select Install Updates to apply them.

Reboot or Install Windows XP on Your Computer

Reboot or Install Windows XP on Your Computer

When your computer fails to boot, what do you do? The most common cause for your computer not to boot is because of a corrupt Operating System, in our case Windows XP. I will outline some of the steps in installing Xp. Please keep in mind that this is just an outline, a summary of sort.

Step1

Your PC must have a CD-ROM drive if not you could use another hard disk (whether it be an external hard drive, USB, drive, or other form of storage media.) These steps are for a CD-ROM rebot media. The first step obviosuly is to insert the Windows XP cd in your CD Drive. You must set the boot selector in your BIOS to boot from CD.

Step2

After it boots up in the Windows Setup Screen, you have various choices that you have to pick. The most important is the selection to format the drive or not and to leave the file system intact or not. You can choose NTFS or leave it at FAT 32. It is up to you what you would like to choose.

Step3

After your selection, reboot the machine. Usually the computer does does it automatically, but you may have to do it manually.

Step4

It takes a good 30 minutes to 1 hour to install XP. Just leave the computer there running and installing the OS system. When using your PC be careful in installing software as well as when visiting websites. Some files have viruses that destroy your OS. You should also check for spyware regularly to avoid being bothered by minor system glitches caused by a stealth program running in the background.