New Windows 3.1 Training

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For those that are training for certifications, or just wanting to brush up on your Windows skills, Trainsignal is releasing their newest video series: Windows 3.1 Training.

Glen “The Raptor” Wiznewski introduces a revolutionary new training course for the Microsoft Windows 3.1 Operating System. This amazing training is available on 16 VHS Cassette Tapes and 48 Double-side Audiocassette tapes, for training “on the go”.

What’s tomorrow again?

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Does Windows 7 Security Matter?

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Microsoft has been telling people that Windows 7 is the most secure Windows yet. But, how does it compare to other operating systems? From what I’ve been reading lately, it does very good. I have to agree that Windows 7 is a pretty secure operating system, when done right. Turning off UAC, running everything as Administrator, and other little things that make it easier to use, makes it a lot less secure. Some people even think they don’t need anti-virus software because they are smart as to what sites they go to…

Mike Halsey has asked the question: “Do we really care if Windows 7 is insecure or not?”. A good read, for sure, and sure to spark some interesting conversation.

So where am I going with this?

Weak Passwords

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This isn’t directly Microsoft related, but still very important. I’ve seen this myself, and this man knows what he is talking about. Most of your online information is secured by a password, and that password is your key to enter the website. Some people use the same password again and again for every site they visit, as well as having a very weak password (“password”, really?!). Read this article, and think about how secure your information is online.

Hackers, and I

90% of Windows 7 Flaws Fixed by Removing Administrator Rights

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It seems that Windows really is a secure operating system. You can stop most of the vulnerabilities of Windows by not running your account as an Administrator. Using a normal User account and only elevating when you need to has been a new standard way of doing things since Windows Vista, but many people change that to run as Administrators all the time. Similar to the way Linux does things (sudo, su), most of what you do can be done as a user, only using the Admin account when you absolutely need to (change system files, install programs). This greatly slows down the way malware and viruses can infect your PC, as they usually need administrator rights to install their infected files.

After tabulating all the vulnerabilities published in Microsoft’s 2009 Security Bulletins, it turns out 90 percent of the vulnerabilities can be mitigated by configuring users to operate without administrator rights, according to a report by BeyondTrust. As for the published Windows 7 vulnerabilities through March 2010, 57 percent are no longer applicable after removing administrator rights.

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Integrate Drivers into Windows 7 Installation Disk

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I’ve used different varieties of these programs (nLite, vLite) for some time, and have had great success. Into Windows does a walkthrough on how easy it is to integrate your drivers onto a Windows 7 installation disk. There are a lot of other options, as well, to make your life easier when installing and reinstalling Windows.

Integrating hardware drivers in Windows 7 installation setup is very simple with vLite. Although vLite was designed for Windows 7

Free Windows 7 Trial Extended

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Mainly aimed at the IT professional, Microsoft has extended its free trial of Windows 7 Enterprise edition to December 31st, 2010. So, if you or your business is on the fence on whether or not to pull the trigger on the new OS, download it and give it a try. Dual boot, throw it on a spare machine to test apps and compatibility and move forward. Also, if you are working on your MCTS/MCITP certifications for Windows 7, this makes an easy way to study: actually using the operating system!

The Enterprise trial is designed specifically for IT Professionals, so that you can test your software and hardware on a final version of the product. In addition, it provides the opportunity for you to become more familiar with the key improvements over previous versions of the Windows operating system, and experience firsthand how Windows 7 can make your PC environment more productive, secure, and manageable.

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Lack of Updates

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An explaination on the recent lack of updates. I’m scheduled for a somewhat emergency lumbar L4/L5 back fusion (remove my disc and insert bone) in mid-April. I’ve been going to Dr. appointments and having a lot of down time. Mixed news for afterwards. Employment is a no-no, as I can’t drive, lift or do much of anything for a couple months. Good news is that I am going to focus on tech support from home (various forums, newsgroups, etc.) and this site. Expect a lot more updates, as well as a lot more in the FAQ’s. Of course, that all depends on my recovery. I’m hoping it goes well!

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Windows Freeware: Desktop Media

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Even though I run a site dedicated to Microsoft, and use their products, I still use Linux from time to time for certain things (testing, penetration testing, etc.), and one feature I really like in Linux, but is missing in Windows is a Desktop Media like use. What it does is when you insert a USB drive, or a CD into the drive, it pops up a desktop icon shortcut to that drive. When you remove the drive, the icon disappears. It’s extremely convenient and makes life easier. Of course, for those that already have 344 icons on the desktop, it might not be a time saver, but for use organized people, it makes a lot of sense. Check it out and download the free software here.

Desktop Media is small application for Windows (any flavor) that automatically adds drive icons to your desktop. It will detect USB drives, fixed drives (ie. your hard drives), CD/DVD drives, network drives, and even RAM disk drives. For removable media (such as USB drives and CD/DVD drives), it will only add the drive to your desktop if it is present. So if you have a CD/DVD drive, but no disc is present, you won’t see the icon on your desktop.

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