Reflect The Picture !!!
I have a exciting thing which I came across of late. I just felt to share it with all of you. I saw some logos, photos and even marks having reflection which ads a great effect to it.
Believe me its a great tool by which you can edit the effect quite efficiently.
One is just needed to make selections such as the height of reflection, transparency and resizing options along with some minor selections. Then upload the image either via a direct link from the web or from your computer and click on “Generate”. From the next page, image can be saved on the PC.
Well, I have a example of the effect below:
Access this amazing thing from PICREFLECT
Cant Right Click On Start Menu…
This is one of the most irritating thing I came across. Oh!! what is it ? you must be wondering. Well, this was the problem for which I surfed forums, different sites etc but failed to sort out the problem.
You must be thinking whats the problem. I must tell it now.
Problem:
The right click on the start menu is non-functional. very irritating
Fix:
Step by step:
1) Right click on the task bar
2) select the “properties” option
3) click the “start menu” tab
4) click “customize” beside the start menu option
5) then check the “enable dragging and dropping” if unchecked.
6) Hit “apply” and the repeat the whole process for another “start menu” option there.
Open multiple programs at once
Step-by-step
Trick is to create a simple MS-DOS Batch file. Here’s how you can do it step by step:
1. Open Notepad (“Start” menu > “Run” > type notepad > press Enter).
2. Click on “File” > “Save As…”, and name the file with a batch file extension (ie: “myUtility.bat”). Save the file somewhere easily accessible such as your desktop. The .bat extension is a must in the name.
3. Type in the first line of the newly created file: @echo off
4. Following lines should begin with “start”, and contain a name of the executable file (.exe or .com) you want to include. For example: To run calculator, from your Windows “Start” menu, go to “Accessories”, right click on calculator and select properties.
Copy the shortcut path by highlighting it and pressing Crtl-C. It should be similar to %SystemRoot%\system32\calc.exe
5. Find all the programs you want to include. In this example, calculator and paintbrush are added, batch file will look like:
@echo off
start %SystemRoot%\system32\calc.exe
start/max %SystemRoot%\system32\mspaint.exe
start/min excel
6. Click on the “File” menu and select “Save” and close the file, your job is done.
7. Go to the folder where you saved the file (the desktop in this example) and launch your newly created file (myUtility.bat in this example) and enjoy.
Desktop before running the bat file
After running the batch file
• Windows systems may be configured to run programs with either a single or double-click.
• Use “start /max” instead of just “start” in batch file, for opening the applications in full window.
• Use “start /min” instead of just “start” in batch file, for opening the applications in minimized window
Warnings
• Works in Windows operating system.
Windows safe mode
While Windows is a versatile and powerful operating system, there are times that it can be frustrating. This frustration is particularly evident when you install a new software application or add drivers for some new hardware.
Suddenly, the computer crashes or locks up. You reboot the computer and it loads a strange looking Windows desktop with the words Safe Mode in the four corners.
Safe Mode is a special way for Windows to load when there is a system-critical problem that interferes with the normal operation of Windows.
The purpose of Safe Mode is to allow you to troubleshoot Windows and try to determine what is causing it to not function correctly. Once you have corrected the problem, then you can reboot and Windows will load normally.
What is difference between Safe mode & standard boot?
There are several things that happen when Windows boots in Safe Mode that differ from a standard boot:
• Safe Mode does not run the autoexec.bat or config.sys files.
• Most device drivers are not loaded. A device driver is the software that Windows uses to interact with a piece of hardware, such as a printer or scanner.
• Instead of the normal graphics device driver, Safe Mode uses standard VGA graphics mode. This mode is supported by all Windows-compatible video cards.
• Himem.sys, which is normally loaded as part of the config.sys script, is loaded with the /testmem:on switch. This switch tells the computer to test the extended memory before continuing.
• Safe Mode checks the msdos.sys file for information on where to find the rest of the Windows files. If it finds the files, it proceeds to load Windows in Safe Mode with the command win /d:m. If it does not find the Windows files, it will run command.com to bring up a C: prompt.
• Windows boots using a batch file called system.cb instead of the standard system.ini file. This file loads the Virtual Device Drivers (VxDs) that Windows uses to communicate with the standard parts of the computer.
• Windows now loads the regular system.ini file plus win.ini and Registry settings. It skips the [Boot] (except for the shell and device lines) and [386Enh] sections of system.ini and does not load or run any programs listed in win.ini.
• The Windows desktop loads up in 16 colors and at a resolution of 640 x 480 with the words “Safe Mode” in each corner.
Safe Mode starts up automatically if Windows does not boot on the previous attempt. You can also invoke Safe Mode by pressing F5 or by pressing F8 and selecting it from the boot menu.
What you should do in case of Safe mode boot?
So what should you do if your computer boots to Safe Mode? First, try to determine what has changed on your system that could have caused Windows to fail to boot properly. If you have added any kind of hardware, go to the Control Panel and remove it and uninstall the software driver for that device. Then attempt a reboot.
If Windows boots properly, you can be reasonably certain that there was some type of conflict with the device and try to resolve it.
Use this same method if you have loaded a new game or application sometime recently. Go to the Control Panel, click on Add/Remove Programs and remove the software. Try a reboot and hopefully you will get a normal Windows boot.
If the problem is definitely not new hardware or software, then you most likely have a corrupted Registry. In this case, you will quite likely have to perform a new installation of Windows to set things right.
PC Errors & Solutions PC Errors & Solutions
1. MONITOR LED IS BLINKING Check all the connections like Monitor Cable, Data cables,RAM, Display Card , CPU connections.
2. CONTINUOS THREE BEEPS Problem in RAM Connection.
3. THREE BEEPS ( 1 Long 2 Short) Problem in Display Card Connection
4. THREE LONG BEEPS PERIOD WISE Problem in BIOS or RAM (Basic Input Output System)
5. CONTINUOS NON-STOP BEEPING Key Board Problem (I.e.; Some Key is pressed for Longer time)
6. FDD LED IS GLOWING CONTINUOSLY Data cable to be connected properly (twisted cable).
7. NO DISPLAY ON THE SCREEN AT ALL Hard Disk cable connected wrongly. Connect rightly seeing the Red mark (Faces power supply) and then Restart.
8. POWER LED IS OFF
a. Check main power cord
b. Check S.M.P.S.
c. Check Mother Board connection
9. SHOWING CMOS ERROR Replace 3 Volt battery of Mother Board . Set Original Settings Manually.(Refer CMOS Setup chart) Enter your search termsSubmit search form
10. SHOWING FDD ERROR OR FLOPPY DRIVE IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY Check Power cord of FDD , Data Cables , set CMOS & Finally the Check drive.
11. SHOWING HDD ERROR OR HARD DISK FAILURE
a. Check Power Cord
b. Check connection of HDD
c. Check Data cable
d. Check Hard Disk parameters in CMOS or Auto detecting Setting Partitions by Fdisk Command, then format it to set track 0.
12. MOTHER BOARD HANGS DUE TO UNSTABILIZED POWER SUPPLY
a. Check S.M.P.S
b. RAM not functioning properly.
c. Software problem (due to using pirated software) d. CPU fan not functioning properly.
13. DANCING SCREEN
a. Check Display card connection
b. Virus Problem
c. Video Memory Problem
14. SHAKING SCREEN
a. Earthing problem
b. Magnetic waves comes around.
15. CPU CABINET SHOCK
a. Check Earthing
b. Check main power cord.
16. NON-SYSTEM DISK ERROR
a. Floppy Drive having different disk (Non-Bootable Disk) OR CMOS Parameters for Hard Disk may not be set properly.
b. Hard Disk Partitions may not be created.
c. Hard Disk may not be formatted.
17. MISSING OPERATING SYSTEM The System files missing namely Ie; command.com} – User File IO.SYS & MS_DOS.SYS } – Hidden Files. These above three files required for Start up of the system that can be transferred by using SYS C: Command OR While the time of formatting by using Format c:/u/s
18. MISSING COMMAND INTERPRETOR May the file Command.com is corrupted OR Infected by Virus OR Some one has Erased it.
19. SHOWING I/O ERROR
a. The type of Hard Disk in CMOS may not be set properly.
b. Operating system used for formatting is not valid
20. SHOWING DIVIDE OVER- FLOW MESSAGE
a. May some Directories or Files crash with other files.
b. Use CHKDSK/F or SCANDISK Command to correct it.
21. HARD DISK MAKING NOISE WHILE PROCESSING
a. Unstabilized power supply.
b. Check for Loose Contact.
c. Do not use Y Connectors for Hard Disk.
d. It may create Bad Sector OR Weak Hard Disk.
22. HARD DISK HANGS WHILE PROCESSING Check for Bad Sector by using CHKDSK or SCANDISK Command. If found format the Hard Disk and set Partition before that area.(This is the only procedure to use Hard Disk with Bad Sector) OR (To avoid Bad Sectors use Standard Power Supply)
23. HARD DISK NOT DETECTED
a. Check Power Connector
b. Check Data Cables
c. Check Jumpers
24. PARTITION NOT SHOWN Operating System where the Hard Disk formatted is not supported with present Mother Board. For Eg: Hard Disk formatted with Pentium System will hide their partitions for 486 System.
25. MMX/DLL FILE MISSING May the above files may be corrupted due to power failure or Virus. Make available above files from other Computer. OR Reinstall Windows 98 Operating System. (This procedure will not make any effect on existing Data).
26. WINDOWS REGISTRY ERROR This will happen due to sudden ON/OFF of the system. Final solution is to Reinstall Operating System.
27. DISPLAY COLOUR DOES NOT MATCH
a. Configure Display Card properly with their CD.
b. The Standard setting for Windows is set it to 800×600 for better performance.
28. UNKNOWN DEVICE FOUND May the Driver utility is not provided with operating system . Insert Driver CD and install software for the above Device. (Every Device requires driver utility to set active
XP Tricks&Tips
Remove MSN Instant Messenger Program
Some of us just don’t like to use this IM program. I myself have looked in the Add/Remove Program panel and can’t find any way to remove it there. I found out how to do it with a little research.
Just go to Start->Run and type in rundll32 setupapi,InstallHin fSection BLC.Remove 128 %SystemRoot% \INF\msmsgs. inf and hit ENTER. Do a copy and paste to avoid typographical errors.
Remove Internet Explorer Completely – All version of Windows
Microsoft said that removing IE may make Windows unstable because it has key components that makes Windows function properly. Well, there is a way to remove it completely. Go to this site and get IEradicator. Many people have used it before and removed IE with no problems afterwards.
Shutdown Windows Faster
All versions of Windows have the same problem. It usually takes a little longer to shutdown when you have the Exit Sound enabled. To disable this go to Start->Settings->Control Panel->Sounds and Audio Devices->Sounds. Scroll down and look for Exit Windows . Click on it once and then under Sounds, choose None. You should see faster shutdown times.
Clean out files in Prefetch Folder
There are files located in the Prefetch folder (C:\Windows\Prefetch ) that you may safely delete. These files are usually left there by other programs that were using. You can either manually delete them or use this batch file that I created to do it.
All you need to do is unzip the file called prefetch.bat into your Desktop and then double click on it. You will see the command prompt come up shortly and disappear. That’s it.
Remove temporary files from Temp Folder
You may have noticed that .tmp files appear in the Temp folder ( C:\Windows\Temp). You may delete these files. Since these files might be accessed by another program, it’s a good idea to delete these when you don’t have any programs open.
It’s best to do this right after you login to ensure that no programs are using it. If you don’t want to bother going into that folder every time to delete it, you can download xp_downloads. zip which contains a file called del_temp.bat . Just extract that file and double click on it to run it.
Add programs/folders to SendTo menu
When you right click on a file/folder and choose SendTo, you will get a list of programs/folders to send it to. Let’s just say that you want to add or delete one of your own programs/folders. This could be accomplished very easily. Just navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\your_ username\ SendTo.
In this folder you may add or delete any program/folder shortcuts. All you need to do is right click on the program you want to add, and drag and drop (choose Create Shortcuts Here) it into the SendTo folder.
Make XP stop displaying zipped files as folders
In XP, zipped folders could be viewed just by opening up the file. If you have a third party zip program that you want to use instead of the built in one by XP, you can stop XP from displaying the zipped files as folders. This may also be useful for those who are on a slow PC and don’t want to open zip files using XP’s built in zip program.
To disable this in XP, go to Start->Run and type in regsvr32 /u zipfldr.dll. You may just copy and paste the command into the Run menu. If you want to undo it, just type in regsvr32 zipfldr.dll. Zip away.
How to Create a Password Reset Disk
Windows XP allows you to create a password reset disk, just in case you forget the password and can’t login. This is only for computers that are not on a domain. Those that are on a domain may or may not work the same way.
Go to Start->Control Panel->User Accounts and click on your username. Under Related Tasks on the left pane, click Prevent a forgotten password . A wizard will show up. Click next and then insert a floppy disk into your floppy drive and choose to save the reset disk on the floppy.
Enter your current password and then click Next and Finish. The floppy will now contain your encrypted password. If you forget your password, you can just use the Password Reset Wizard to create a new one. Just make sure to create another reset disk once you changed your password. So if you forgot your password and changed it to a new one, create another reset disk by repeating the above procedure again.
Set User Logon Hours
You can restrict a certain user to only use the computer at a certain time interval. Let’s say you have a username called Bill and you want Bill to access the computer only from 9AM – 9PM from Monday through Friday.
You can do this by going to Start->Run and type in net user Bill /time:M-F,9am- 9pm. For 24-hour time, you can replace the time with 09:00-21:00 instead. This will only allow the user to login during those hours on those days.
Disable XP Messenger Service
Disable the messenger service built into Windows XP to prevent ads or other popups from coming up when using Outlook (and maybe even Outlook Express). Anyway, just disable it for better performance.
To disable it, right click on My Computer->Manage->Services and Applications->Services and right click on Messenger and choose Stop. This will stop the service. There may be cases when the Messenger Service is required for some programs to run properly, so if that’s the case, I would set it to Manual instead of Stop .
Customize SendTo Menu – All versions of Windows
Have you ever wanted to use some other program to open up a certain file but had to go through My Computer->Program Files and then click on the program’s folder and then the program itself. You can open a file with any programs you have with ease by adding them to the SendTo menu. You know, when you right click on a file and choose Send To.
To do this, go to Start->Run and type in sendto to open up the SendTo folder. Now go to My Computer->C: Drive->Program Files and open up any of the program folders you want. Then right click on the individual programs and drag it to the SendTo folder and choose Create Shortcuts Here. Do that for each program you want to be listed there. The next time you right click on a file and choose Send To, you should see those programs listed there.
Disable Personalized Menus
Some XP users might not like the personalized menus that XP has. One example of this feature is the highlighting of newly installed programs in the Start Menu. Some users might find this annoying. To turn this feature off right click on the Start Button->Properties->Start Menu tab->Customize->Advance tab->uncheck Highlight newly installed programs. Click OK. Now when new programs are installed they shouldn’t be highlighted.
Using XP System Restore
One important feature in XP is System Restore. This makes a backup of your data. To create the restore points go to Start->All Programs->Accessories->System Tools->System Restore. Click Create a restore point and click Next. Type in a description for the restore point and click Create.
You’re all set. If your system fails for some reason you may use the restore point by hitting the F8 key repeatedly during boot time until a menu comes up. Choose Last known good configuration. This will restore everything to the last time when everything was working ok. It’s using the most recent restore point that you created. If you can get into Windows XP, you can go to Start->All Programs->Accessories->System Tools->System Restore.
Clear System Restore Points
System restore points can take up a huge amount of space due to the many restore points created. You can delete all these restore points by right clicking on My Computer->Properties->System Restore and check Turn off System Restore on all drives.
Then make sure to create them again manually for each drive using the method above (Using XP System Restore). That will get rid of the older restore points and leave you with the new and updated one.
Disable/Remove Hibernation Mode
The hibernation file which allows a user to use hibernation mode takes up a lot of space. If you use this feature you are allocating/creating space so that when you come back everything (programs and folders) are still open. If you don’t use it that much then there’s not much sense keeping it. So you may remove it.
Go to Start->Control Panel->Power Options->Hibernate tab and uncheck Enable hibernation. That should remove the actual hibernation file. You may double check by doing a Search (F3 key) and search for hiberfil.sys in the C: drive. It shouldn’t be found, but if it is, you may safely delete it.
Disable Indexing Service
Speed up XP by turning off the Indexing Service for your hard drive. This feature is used to make your searching needs faster, but it’s affecting the overall performance so it’s best to turn it off.
Go to My Computer and right click on the drive that you want the feature to be disabled. Choose Properties and uncheck the box where it says Allow Indexing Service to index this disk for fast file searching. When a box come up choose to Apply to all folders and subfolders.
Rename Multiple Files
This is something new in Windows XP – renaming multiple files. Let’s say you have a huge photo collection and want to name them in sequential order. You can do this very easily.
Just select all the photos you want to rename (you may use the ctrl key and click on individual files if desired). Then hit the F2 key and type in the name of the file. Hit Enter. It should all rename. So if you entered VacationPhoto, you will have VacationPhoto (1), VacationPhoto (2), VacationPhoto (3), etc.
Reinstall Windows XP Without Repeating Online Activation
This has probably happened to most of us already. We have XP installed already and when we reinstall it, we are asked to go online and activate it again. You can avoid doing that by backing up a very small file that has the activation information.
Before you do this, keep in mind that your hardware should be the same as before when you activated in order for this to definitely work. Go to C:\Windows\System32 and look for wpa.dbl. Copy that file to a floppy. After you finished reinstalling XP, just rename the current wpa.dbl file in C:\Windows\System32 to something like wpa.old.
Optical Mouse
Introduction
It appears that the venerable wheeled mouse is in danger of extinction. The now-preferred device for pointing and clicking is the optical mouse.
How it works?
Developed by Agilent Technologies and introduced to the world in late 1999, the optical mouse actually uses a tiny camera to take 1,500 pictures every second. Able to work on almost any surface, the mouse has a small, red light-emitting diode (LED) that bounces light off that surface onto a complimentary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor.How it works
Developed by Agilent Technologies and introduced to the world in late 1999, the optical mouse actually uses a tiny camera to take 1,500 pictures every second. Able to work on almost any surface, the mouse has a small, red light-emitting diode (LED) that bounces light off that surface onto a complimentary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor.
The CMOS sensor sends each image to a digital signal processor (DSP) for analysis. The DSP, operating at 18 MIPS (million instructions per second), is able to detect patterns in the images and see how those patterns have moved since the previous image.
Based on the change in patterns over a sequence of images, the DSP determines how far the mouse has moved and sends the corresponding coordinates to the computer. The computer moves the cursor on the screen based on the coordinates received from the mouse. This happens hundreds of times each second, making the cursor appear to move very smoothly.
In this photo, you can see the LED on the bottom of the mouse.
Optical mice have several benefits over wheeled mice:
• No moving parts means less wear and a lower chance of failure.
• There’s no way for dirt to get inside the mouse and interfere with the tracking sensors.
• Increased tracking resolution means smoother response.
• They don’t require a special surface, such as a mouse pad.
Although LED-based optical mice are fairly recent, another type of optical mouse has been around for over a decade. The original optical-mouse technology bounced a focused beam of light off a highly-reflective mouse pad onto a sensor.
The mouse pad had a grid of dark lines. Each time the mouse was moved, the beam of light was interrupted by the grid. Whenever the light was interrupted, the sensor sent a signal to the computer and the cursor moved a corresponding amount.
This kind of optical mouse was difficult to use, requiring that you hold it at precisely the right angle to ensure that the light beam and sensor aligned. Also, damage to or loss of the mouse pad rendered the mouse useless until a replacement pad was purchased. Today’s LED-based optical mice are far more user-friendly and reliable.
Laptop Buying Tips
About Laptop
• Chassis - The condition of the chassis–meaning the laptop’s frame and body–would tell you about how well the laptop has aged. There will be indications if the computer has been maintained well, or if it had been misused.
If you’re lucky, you’ll even chance upon a laptop that’s rarely been used. The advises to look for irregularities outside of usual wear and tear, such as loose hinges, warping, lid alignment, and even missing parts like screws, port lids (where applicable) and the like.
• Screen - The LCD screen is one of the most expensive parts of the laptop. When buying a used unit, you probably won’t enjoy the warranty that comes with brand new. And if something goes wrong with the LCD, you’ll have to spend quite an amount on a replacement.
Make sure the screen is still properly aligned and that the lid sits well on the hinge, opened or closed. Also, it’s best if you can have the laptop turned on to see if the screen has dead or damaged pixels.
• Input devices – These are the most abused parts of any computer, and with laptops, you’ll have to watch out for irregular wear and tear on the keyboard and touchpad (or trackpoint).
It’s not as easy to replace them as on a desktop computer, after all. Again, it would be best if you can turn the computer on to test, so you can see if all the keys are working and if the pointing device is functioning smoothly.These are mostly things to look for at first-glance. Usually, when checking out used machines, the first thing I look for is wear and tear.
If a computer seems older than it’s supposed to be, then that means the original user might have not taken care of it properly. Or, it could mean that that particular model (or even brand) was poorly built by the manufacturer, and should be avoided.
What’s next?
Suggestions in determining whether a laptop still has a few years of servicable life. After inspecting the build quality and physical characteristics, do look under the hood. Here are things I would look for.
• Processor – While old computers still do work, I won’t go with any technology older than five years. For this reason, I would probably not go below anything lower than a Pentium III or the more modern PowerPC G3s.
These can still run today’s modern OSes (such as Windows XP service pack 2, Mac OS X Tiger, or your choice of Linux flavor) pretty well. Do consider what you plan to do with the laptop.
A P-III should be able to handle wireless Internet and the usual Web surfing, email, IM and VoIP pretty well. Movie playing and MP3s are also handled decently. Don’t plan on playing around with multimedia manipulation, though. You’ll need raw processing power for that.
Also, I would personally advise against buying a Pentium-4 based laptop, as the P-4 chip (even the mobile version) isn’t designed to be truly portable.
These often get really hot and tend to come in bulky packages. P-4 machines are good for gaming, though, since they offer sheer processing power and usually come with large screens.
• Memory - RAM is usually cheap these days. Whether it’s SDRAM or DDR SDRAM, you’re sure to find laptop memory selling for cheap.
Do check how much RAM the laptop already has, and whether it can upgraded easily. Most laptops have slots at the bottom or underneath the keyboard that are easily accessible and user-upgradeable.
Some laptops, however, have only one slot for RAM, while most have two. I would suggest putting in at least 512 megabytes of RAM, regardless of your OS. Having more RAM would speed up operations, regardless of your processor’s speed.
• Storage - New laptops come with at least 40 GB of hard disc space, and this is the barest minimum today. The standard is in the 60 to 80 GB range. Older laptops, though, might come with 20, 10, or even 6 GB drives.
These are easily upgradeable, but you might have to spend for a decent 80 to 100 GB drive for storing all your MP3s, photos and videos. Regardless of capacity, though, do check the drive for strange sounds like clicking or abnormal screeching sounds.
These are signs that the drive is bound to fail soon. Also, try to check the hard disc’s model (usually under the OS’s device manager) for the speed. Standard is 5200 RPM. You can usually enhance performance by going for drives with higher speeds rather than the lower ones (like the 4200 RPM drives that come with low-end laptops today).
This is especially so for OSes that are fond of swapping to virtual memory constantly, such as OS X and Windows XP.
• Battery - Used laptops almost always come with dead or weak batteries. This is because Li-Ion cells have a life of about three years, whether it’s on the shelf or in constant use. Thus, you should consider whether you’ll be needing a good battery for your used equipment or not. A new battery will cost you–OEM batteries can cost up to 1/3 the price of a new laptop..
You can also have your battery set repacked for a fraction of the cost of buying a new one (you can even have higher-capacity cells installed for longer operating life). Just make sure you buy or get services from reputable dealers or service centers.
After all, batteries do burn and can cause explosions if improperly used or installed. If the used laptop will mostly spend its life on a desk at granny’s home as a desktop replacement, then you probably won’t be needing a good battery.
• Feel - Lastly, ask yourself how you feel about the laptop.Is it the right choice? Should you buy a new, more expensive, unit? Does it look like it will still last a couple of years? A while back, I wrote about things to consider when buying a new laptop.
These are still very much applicable when buying a used unit. Again, a laptop is as personal as a computer can get, and even with used devices, I think you should have the power to choose what fits you well.
Preventions
As the spyware threat has worsened, a number of techniques have emerged to counteract it. These include programs designed to remove or to block spyware, as well as various user practices which reduce the chance of getting spyware on a system.
Nonetheless, spyware remains a costly problem. When a large number of pieces of spyware have infected a Windows computer, the only remedy may involve backing up user data, and fully reinstalling the operating system.
Anti-spyware programs
Many programmers and some commercial firms have released products designed to remove or block spyware. Steve Gibson’s OptOut, mentioned above, pioneered a growing category. Programs such as Lavasoft’s Ad-Aware SE and Patrick Kolla’s Spybot – Search & Destroy rapidly gained popularity as effective tools to remove, and in some cases intercept, spyware programs. More recently Microsoft acquired the GIANT AntiSpyware software, rebranding it as Windows AntiSpyware beta and releasing it as a free download for Genuine Windows XP and Windows 2003 users. In early spring, 2006, Microsoft renamed the beta software to Windows Defender, and it was released as a free download in October 2006. Microsoft currently ships the product for free with Windows Vista.
Other well-known anti-spyware products include:
• ParetoLogic’s Anti-Spyware and XoftSpy SE
• PC Tools’s Spyware Doctor
• Sunbelt Software’s Counterspy
• Trend Micro’s HijackThis
• Webroot Software’s Spy Sweeper
Major anti-virus firms such as Symantec, McAfee and Sophos have come later to the table, adding anti-spyware features to their existing anti-virus products. Early on, anti-virus firms expressed reluctance to add anti-spyware functions, citing lawsuits brought by spyware authors against the authors of web sites and programs which described their products as “spyware”. However, recent versions of these major firms’ home and business anti-virus products do include anti-spyware functions, albeit treated differently from viruses.
Symantec Anti-Virus, for instance, categorizes spyware programs as “extended threats” and now offers real-time protection from them (as it does for viruses). Recently, the anti-virus company Grisoft, creator of AVG anti-virus program, acquired anti-spyware firm Ewido Networks, re-labeling their Ewido anti-spyware program as AVG Anti-Spyware. This shows a trend by anti virus companies to launch a dedicated solution to spyware and malware. Zone Labs, creator of Zone Alarm firewall have also released an anti spyware program.
What Spyware can do?
Spyware can do any number of things once it is installed on your computer.
At a minimum, most spyware runs as an application in the background as soon as you start your computer up, hogging RAM and processor power. It can generate endless pop-up ads that make your Web browser so slow it becomes unusable. It can reset your browser’s home page to display an ad every time you open it. Some spyware redirects your Web searches, controlling the results you see and making your search engine practically useless. It can also modify the DLLs (dynamically linked libraries) your computer uses to connect to the Internet, causing connectivity failures that are hard to diagnose.
Certain types of spyware can modify your Internet settings so that if you connect through dial-up service, your modem dials out to expensive, pay telephone numbers. Like a bad guest, some spyware changes your firewall settings, inviting in more unwanted pieces of software. There are even some forms that are smart enough to know when you try to remove them in the Windows registry and intercept your attempts to do so.
The point of all this from the spyware makers’ perspective is not always clear. One reason it’s used is to pad advertisers’ Web traffic statistics. If they can force your computer to show you tons of pop-up ads and fake search results, they can claim credit for displaying that ad to you over and over again. And each time you click the ad by accident, they can count that as someone expressing interest in the advertised product.
Another use of spyware is to steal affiliate credits. Major shopping sites like Amazon and eBay offer credit to a Web site that successfully directs traffic to their item pages. Certain spyware applications capture your requests to view sites like Amazon and eBay and then take the credit for sending you there.
Snitches and Sneaks
There are computer programs that truly “spy” on you. There are applications designed to silently sit on your desktop and intercept personal information like usernames and passwords. These programs include Bugdrop, Back Orifice and VX2. These are more like viruses or hacker tools than spyware.
