waldwolf

Hiya all

I have bought a new PC and I have a zip file with all my firefox search plugins in.

How do I add them into the mozilla firefox files so I can use them again on firefox browser?

Thanks for any replies.

I think you'll find the answer(s) HERE

waldwolf

BattyBatty - Probably the easiest way to accomplish this would be to compress (ZIP) the file, requiring a password to reopen it. A zipped file is often smaller, making it faster and easier to email and thus more likely to arrive intact.

Most OS today have the capability to zip/unzip a file. If needed, one of the better compression utilities is WinRAR.

You could also upload the Excel file to one of the many free online storage sites, such as RapidShare or DepositFiles. Upon receipt of payment, you could provide the buyer with the download information, and later delete the file.

With extremely sensative data, you may wish to consider one of the 128/256 bit encryption utilities such as PGP, SecurityPlus or Cryptor.

waldwolf

Mozilla looks to Microsoft for Security!

By Joris Evers

Staff Writer, CNET News

Mozilla's new security chief won't say outright whether Firefox is more secure than Internet Explorer.

Window Snyder, formerly of Microsoft, now heads up security at Mozilla, the company best known for its open-source Firefox Web browser. While Microsoft is often criticized over the security of its products, Mozilla is seen in a more favorable light. Yet Firefox and other Mozilla products have their share of security problems.

At Microsoft, Snyder helped formalize the process to secure Windows. She also created an event, dubbed Blue Hat, that brought hackers onto the Microsoft campus to expose flaws in the company's software in front of its creators.

In her new role, Snyder plans to share Mozilla's security secrets with the world, strengthen ties with the security researcher community and rid Mozilla products of old, potentially dangerous, code, she told CNET News in a recent interview.

Q: Is Firefox more secure than Microsoft's Internet Explorer?

A: This gets into how you measure security. I think one of the most important metrics of security is days of risk: How long does it take for a vendor to get a patch out to its customers? Then, once the patch is available, how long does it take to deploy it? I think Mozilla has made the number of days between the time a vulnerability is identified and a patch is available incredibly small, and it is shrinking.

Q: So the answer, in one word: Is Firefox more secure than Internet Explorer?

A: I don't think there is a one-word answer for that question.

Q: You can't say yes or no?

A: You have to look at the days of risk. You have to look at the overall process, how responsive and how transparent the processes are.

........its called "progress".

waldwolf

WoW - that was fast. (You must be a natural IT Specialist.)

I wouldn't worry while you actively using Skype. When not in use, either exit Skype or if you firewall permits, block it from accessing the internet.

Glad you found a fast fix.

cheers

waldwolf

My lack of understanding of all things computer-orientated is well documented, but I've undertaken the various "Shields Up" tests which to my comprehension appear to indicate that my PC security is high.

However, the tests did identify ports 80 and 443 as being open whilst the rest are in stealth mode. The GRC site indicates that these are associated with access to secure servers, so, bearing this in mind, should I seek to close them or leave them be? If I should consider closing them, how is this done, and does leaving them open compromise security in any way?

As usual, thanks for any advice.

Scouse.

If a port is open, you are potentially vulnerable to attack.

In the TCP/IP protocol, ports are either open or closed. When a closed port receives an inquiry, it always acknowledges that inquiry, but denies access. (By acknowledging an inquiry, the computer in question also acknowledges its existence, and therefore potentially becomes a target for future probing and possible attack.)

Stealth is a term coined by Steve Gibson (GRC) for a closed port which does not acknowledge inquiries. As this "lack of response" is outside the TCP/IP protocol, it must be accomplished by the use of some type of "firewall security".

If your system is running a server (either knowingly or unknowling), that could be one reason the ports you list are open. (Note: ICQ has the ability to open port 80.)

Without having access to your system, or a lot of back and forth questioning, any attempt to determine the exact reason for your "open ports", would be hit-and-miss.

I would suggest you first read the ShieldsUp FAQ HERE and join in the discussions of the "ShieldsUp Newsgroup". I think this would be the fastest way for you to find the answers you need.

Good luck.

waldwolf

boatguy - First.....Welcome.

From the limited information you provided, it would be difficult to give recomendations as to a specific type/make/model/cost.

First, there's the question of your budget. Then, in addition to those uses you did mentioned, does the sons "science" studies involve things like Computer Aided Design (CAD)? Is he into gaming? Does the son or his mother (or you) plan to use the computer for photo/video editing? All these and many, many other factors will determine what minimum system will be need, and its cost.

Perhaps you could post back more details as to future useage and your budget, so readers can post their recomendations.

waldwolf

I have just seen a pop up on my computer stating that I am out of memory.

How can you view the memory stored on your computer and delete memory if necessary.

I am running XP windows operating system/

Thanks in advance....Slipery

A number of "Tweak" utilities will allow you to freeup physical memory. One such utility is TweakAll from Codeforge (UK), and best of all it is free (freeware).

Screenshot

Info and download here: TweakAll

(Note: There are two (2) version of TweakAll available, depending upon your operating system. Check system requirements for specifics.)

waldwolf

Port 443 is the port utilized for https encrypted/authentication communication between, for example, your computer and the server(s) at your bank, online store, etc.

As one relys on https encryption for many different secure communications, I would certainly want to ensure its security.

waldwolf

I cc all my outgoing messages to hotmail and yahoo for verification. Strangely in hotmail, I'm only able to see the filenames of my attached photos but not the actual photo in the body of the message. Any advice? Thanks.

Go into your Hotmail account, click "Mail" tab, then in new window click "Options" (upper right side). In next window, click "Mail Display Settings". In next window, under "Display Internet content" read info and make sure "Display Internet Content" is selected.

If your using Outlook or Outlook Express to extract your Hotmail email, you may need to modify the settings in those programs. Refer to their respective "Help" menu's and look for "HTML" and/or "Plain Text" settings.

waldwolf

Daffy D - Welcome, and a slap-on-the-wrist for not posting your problem earlier. Don't be putoff by a few "bad apples". 99.9% of the people here are willing to help you, if you'll just ask. Again, welcome aboard.

dukkha - Perhaps your Windows XP is "genuine"!

Microsoft yesterday (04-Oct-06) again confirmed a problem with Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) wherein, when some customers attempt to download updates from their (Microsofts) servers, the customer receives a message that their Windows XP is "non-genuine". More info: Microsoft WGA Problem Alert

For some time now, Microsoft has known there was a problem with WGA, and has established a forum to help users encountering problems. MS Forum. (NOTE: Several users have reported that Microsoft has censored posts to this forum which question the ethics or legality of the WGA program, as well as users who continue to report that Microsoft has failed to resolve their problem.)

Yahoo also has a WGA discussion group here: Yahoo WGA Group

One can also remove the WGA software. Read pro and con discussions here: How to Remove WGA

good luck

waldwolf

/edit - grammer/

Yesterday (04-Oct-06) Microsoft also announced that, in addition to individual consumers, licensed business users will also have to activate their copies of Windows Vista, Windows Servers and other new products within 30 days, or the product(s) will automatically revert to a "reduced functionality mode".

Microsoft is introducing a new Multiple Activation Key (MAK) options for customers with fewer than 25 PCs and a Key Management Service (KMS) option for corporations with more than 25 PCs or more than five Windows servers. These licensed customers must also activate within 30 days or also be forced to use the crippled version of Vista. (The existing Windows OEM activation option, allows PC makers and system builders to pre-activate Windows for their customers via a System-Lock Pre-Installation.)

With the new Vista. should a consumer fail to active the product within 30 days of purchase, or tries to activate Vista and fails, the following will be disabled:

- The "Aero" user interface

- Windows Defender

- ReadyBoost performance enhancer

- Internet Explorer 7

- Windows Media Player 11

......and that's just the beginning!

waldwolf

.......Forgot to mention I live in the U.S........

roccco - haven't you heard, Customs Officers in both the US and UK now have dogs to sniff out counterfit CD's and DVD's.

(You might just end up with a free trip to Thailand and a long holiday in one of their "Graybar Hotels" )

waldwolf

dukkha - There could be a numerous reasons your Symantec Antivirus is acting up. One might be a damaged file in the AV itself or you could have a virus which attacked the AV and shut down various functions used to protect your system (so the virus could do it's dirty work, undetected).

I would suggest, if you can get online, you go to one of the antivirus (Symantec, McAfee, Kaspensky, Trend Micro, etc.) and let them scan your system for a virus. A few online virus checkers are:

Symantec

Trend Micro

Kaspersky

If, however, you wish to keep your Symantec Antivirus, follow penguins instructions and attempt a repair. Should the repair prove unsuccessful, it is recommended you go online to Symantic, and use their "removal tool". It is virtually impossible to totally remove the Symantec AV without using their removal tool, as Symantec AV enters a great deal of "garbage" into your systems registry. Once it has been removed, you can do a reinstall, provided of course you have the Symantic AV disk.

Symantec Removal Tool

As others have stated, the free AVG antivirus is very good, and the price right.

CAUTION: Until you have either repaired your present installation, reinstalled it or switched to another antivirus, restrict online useage to just running a virus scan. Under no circumstances use the computer for banking or other financial transactions, untill your 100% sure its virus free.

good luck.

waldwolf

............but l was thinking of repacing my software firewall with a hardware firewall..........

If you plan to rely totally on the router firewall, bear in mind that most offer only incoming protection whereas the majority of software firewalls provide 2-way protection, outgoing as well as incoming.

(NOTE: The Windows XP built-in firewall, if activated, only monitors incoming, not outgoing traffic.

Lets say, for example, you receive an e-mail "worm" or some other malware installs a "Keylogger" on your system. Your standard router firewall won't block it, as it asumes everything going out was generated by you. However, in this example, a good software firewall will notify you of any unauthorized program attempting to "call home".

You may want to do a little "google-ing" on the subject, before you uninstall your present software firewall.

waldwolf

............That is a fantastic site. Thanks for the help. I am going to take my broken i-pod to bits latter today. I don't see it being difficult. The main problem will be in finding a replacement hard drive. I have no idea of accessibility of parts here in Thailand. Do you think I have much chance of finding a replacement?

Thanks again.

You should have no problem finding a replacement harddrive. (The HD itself is probably the most frequently replaced part in iPods.)

Obviously, you could get a new HD from Apple (Thailand), however buying an exact replacement from Toshiba or other HD manufacturer may save you quite a bit of money. Then there's the "used" route where you could save a great deal of money, but probably won't get a warranty and the overall life for the used part will be unknown. As penguin suggests, check the shops in Pantip or other areas.

Don't know how up-to-date this list is, but hopefully a few phone calls will give you some good leads: Apple Stores in Thailand

When you finish the repair, post back and let us know how things worked out. Who knows, perhaps this could be the start of a new "side-business" for you.

waldwolf

If your somewhat mechanically inclined, you may want to consider a "Do-It-Yourself" repair. Impossible you say? No...........not really.

First, have you tried reinstalling the iPod Updater which you can download from the Apple Support website?

"Restoring iPod to Factory Settings"

If above doesn't work, how about replacing the harddrive yourself?

There's a great blog which details exactly how to do so, including "step-by-step pictures".

"Replacing the Hardrive of an iPod"

Nice little project for one of these rainy nights.

waldwolf

PS - Be sure to read the response threads in above, for more information and suggested fixes to various iPod problems.

samran

If your using Microsoft's Internet Explorer 5 or 6, try the following:

1. Open browser

2. Click Tools button

3. Click on Internet Options

4. In new window, click on Advanced tab

5. In new window, scroll down until you see (under Browsing) Use smooth scrolling

6. Make sure box is checked

Alternatively, do 1-4 above, then click Restore Defaults button.

Hope this solves your problem.

waldwolf

Microsoft today (September 26, 2006) released updates to repair VML Buffer Overrun Vulnerability in Internet Explorer.

Affected Software:

• Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 1

• Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2

• Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition

• Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1

• Microsoft Windows Server 2003 for Itanium-based Systems

• Microsoft Windows Server 2003 with SP1 for Itanium-based Systems

• Microsoft Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition

Affected Components:

• Internet Explorer 5.01 Service Pack 4 on Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4

• Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 1 on Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4

CAUTION: As the updates cover several different Windows/Internet Explorer versions, carefully read/check to insure you are downloading/installing the correct update for your system.

Info and download links here: Microsoft Security Bulletin MS06-055

waldwolf

From Apple website:

If your iPod is frozen or won't turn on, it may be because iPod is paused or the Hold switch is in the locked position. If so, a lock symbol appears on the screen. Slide the Hold switch to the unlocked position and check the screen.

If you are using your iPod as a hard drive (disk mode), it is normal for "do not disconnect" to remain on the screen until you are ready to eject the iPod in iTunes or from the Mac OS. To avoid having the iPod freeze learn how to eject and disconnect iPod from your computer.

If your iPod is frozen or won't turn on...................................

Details on a possible fix, here: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=61705

Apple Hardware Warranty, here: http://www.apple.com/legal/warranty/hardware.html

Hope this helps.

waldwolf

Firefox/Thunderbird users should be aware they are not totally immune from malware attack.

Reference:

http://www.mozilla.org/security/announce/2...fsa2006-44.html

http://www.mozilla.org/security/announce/2...fsa2006-63.html

Recently Addressed Threats:

http://www.mozilla.org/projects/security/k...es.html#Firefox

http://www.mozilla.org/projects/security/k...tml#Thunderbird

If you run Firefox/Thunderbird, and you have not already done so, it is strongly recommended you update both Firefox and Thunderbird to version 1.5.0.7 (released September 19, 2006).

waldwolf

.

Crossy:

The following should get rid of that nag:

1. Open Control Panel

2. Click on Windows Security Center

3. Click Recommendations button

4. Select I Have A Firewall Solution That I’ll Monitor Myself, check box, then click OK

5. Check that the Firewall section is now marked as Not Monitored

6. Close window(s)

Note: WindowsXP's firewall, as well as most router/firewalls, are only one-way (incoming). They do not monitor outgoing data, such a malware which "calls home". A two-way firewall is highly recommended. (Windows Vista's firewall will be two-way.)

waldwolf

.

For information:

A new vulnerability in Windows, that is being actively exploited on the web to install malware into innocent users' machines, has been discovered. (Over 1000 websites (porno, warez, etc) have already been identified.)

This vulnerability involves buffer overflow in the Vector Markup Language (VML) library file used by Microsoft Internet Explorer and Outlook. A buffer overflow in the Microsoft Vector Graphics Rendering (VML) engine (filename: VGX.DLL) allows remote code execution.

Microsoft has acknowledged this problem and expects to have a patch by October 10th.

A reputable group known as "ZERT" — Zeroday Emergency Response Team — has produced a GUI and Command Line patch utility which repairs the VML buffer overrun design flaw in Microsoft's VGX.DLL file.

Since VML is rarely used on the web, "unregistering" the vulnerable DLL to take it completely out of service is probably the best countermeasure. However, if you choose to unregister the DLL you will need to remember to re-register it later, once Microsoft has released a formal "fix".

More Info:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/...ory/925568.mspx

http://www.grc.com/sn/notes-058.htm

http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcen...tent/20096.html

Vulnerability Test and Workaround Patch:

http://isotf.org/zert/download.htm

waldwolf

PS - While the use of other browsers, such as Firefox, offer greater protection, you could still become infected via email if you use Microsoft's Outlook, as Outlook also utilizes the Internet Explorer engine.

.

There are reports the suspect made statements to the police concerning details of the killing which DO NOT match the evidence. Also, the suspects ex-wife stated both she and he were together, in their home in Georgia, the day (night) of the murder in Colorado.

Does anyone know how long he lived in Thailand?

He has apparently lived in Thailand for sometime. He has an apartment in BKK and was to start a new job next week, as a 2nd. grade teacher.

While certainly not as vulnerable as various MicrosoftOS users, MacOS users should not become complacent and think they are not subject to virus's or other internet distributed malware.

Examples:

MacOS/Leap.A - (....a worm spread mainly through "messenger" type programs.)

latestpics.tgz - (....a trojan, distributed as a "picture")

For more info visit: http://www.macvirus.org/ and/or http://www.macvirus.org/database

Remember, regardless of what OS you use, you can become a victim.

How many shots should one get for japanese encephalitis ? 3 or 2 ? And one which days ?

According to one US Center for Disease Control (CDC) study on US and British subjects, the vaccine was more immunogenic (capable of inducing an immune response) if the vaccine was administered in three (3) doses, over a 30-day period (days 0, 7, and 30), with a booster shot after 1 year.

Those receiving 3 doses, showed adequate antibody levels for a full 1 year period. However, of those who only received 2 doses, just 29% had adequate antibody levels after 6 months.

Would recommend you discuss this subject with your doctor and seek his recommendation. As with all medications (including vaccinations), there is a potential for serious side effects.

cheers

waldwolf