Week 14 – Blog 14 – Viruses and FTP clients

Week 14 – Blog 14

Question 1. Search the Internet to find a "new" virus. Tell me about the virus, what is does, and more importantly, how to remove it. Don't use technical terms, I can look that up myself. Tell me like you are telling your mother to watch out for it and once she got it, how to remove it.
Answer: According to Norton, there are only a few threats from the last couple of months , http://www.symantec.com/norton/security_response/threatexplorer/index.jsp.

There are only 2 viruses listed, the rest are Trojans and worms and they are all listed as low level threats. Bloodhound.PDF.1 is listed as a Trojan, Virus, or Worm. W32.Delezium!inf and W32.Delezium are listed as viruses.

This Microsoft site http://onecare.live.com/standard/en-us/virusenc/ lists the top ten threats, with two viruses Win32/Sality.AM and JS/Decdec.A; they both have a low level threat classification.

My worst virus I have ever worked on is listed here: http://forums.cnet.com/5208-6132_102-0.html?forumID=32&threadID=308147&messageID=2855162. This virus made the C:\ drive invisible, broke the link to the shared folders, and would not let me run anti-virus executables, either from the web or from CD. I always find it interesting when the virus turns off the anti-virus software. It also added "VIRUS ALETRT!" to the clock and all the files and folders on the machine. I worked on the machine for an entire day after my son had worked on it the day before and ended up formatting the hard drive and reinstalling windows.

If my mother had this virus, I would walk her through the above mentioned site since everyone says it helped. If that did not work, I would suggest a format and reinstall.

I would also give her the following advice: Always use caution with email attachments and file transfers, even from known sources. To help protect your computer from infection, you should always run anti-virus and anti-malware software that is updated with the latest signature files. It is important to keep all software updated so that security patches are installed, use automatic update settings. Enable your firewall, either the firewall that comes with Windows, or a third party firewall. If you are concerned, use free online virus scans to double check your computer. http://www.pandasecurity.com/homeusers/solutions/activescan/ or http://www.kaspersky.com/virusscanner, or http://www.bitdefender.com/scan8/ie.html and my favorite house call by Trendmicro http://housecall.trendmicro.com/.

Question 2. Also, use the Internet to find a free OR shareware software that is either used for FTP, mail or something Internet related. Give me a link and describe what it does, how you would use it, and if you think it is worthwhile.
Answer: http://filezilla-project.org/ FileZilla is an FTP program for file uploading and downloading files between an FTP site, your webpage and your computer. This software lets you to perform multiple file transfers simultaneously. The interface is simple and easy to understand. The transfers are secure and the program allows bookmarking with a site manager and a QuickConnect option. FileZilla only uses 50 MB of memory. If your bandwidth is limited there is a feature that lets you automatically adjust transfer speeds based on the time of day or date. Instead of a task scheduler, FileZilla uses filters so you only see the files you need. There are hundreds of FTP clients and I think a person just needs to try a few of them and see if the programs have the features you need. The only reason I need an FTP client is to down load large files or upload pages to my website. I actually use the FTP client that is built into Dreamweaver to work on my website. For general downloading from the web I use FireFTP in Firefox. http://fireftp.mozdev.org/ I think Mozilla has many good products. I use a lot of extensions in Firefox that help me do work on the web.
 

http://www.coreftp.com/ While I was researching FTP programs, this one got my attention because of all the features. It is a secure FTP client with several secure methods for uploading and downloading files to and from FTP servers, such as SFTP (SSH), SSL, TLS, IDN. Other features include browser integration, site to site transfers, FTP transfer resume, drag and drop support, auto retry of failed transfers, file viewing & editing, firewall support, custom commands, FTP URL parsing, command line transfers, file permissions, filters, favorites, shortcuts, and bookmarks, just to name a few. The web page also claims that there are no popup ads, advertising or spyware and you will never asked or reminded to register.
 

NOTES:
For funny viruses go here: http://www.bsd.org/new.virii.html

One of the widest spread threats, a boot sector virus, is not as threatening as it used to be, mainly due to the decline in the use of floppy discs. The boot sector contains a tiny program that tells the computer how to load the rest of the operating system. Boot sector viruses can infect the boot sector of any floppy disk inserted in the machine, and on college campuses, where lots of people share machines, they could spread like wildfire. According to HowStuffWorks these viruses don't spread nearly as quickly as they once did. There is a "shrinking habitat." The environment of floppy disks, small programs and weak operating systems made these viruses possible in the 1980s, but that environmental niche has been largely eliminated by huge executables, unchangeable CDs and better operating system safeguards. http://computer.howstuffworks.com/virus3.htm.

Blog 13 – Week 13 – Windows ME Support

Assignment: Answer questions 1, 6, 12, 18, and 27 on page 836.
1. What are the three core components of Windows 9x/ME?
A. The Kernel, the user and the GDI (graphics device interface).

6. What are the log files Setuplog.txt, Detlog.txt, and Detcrash.log used for?
A. The setuplog.txt file is an ASCII text file that contains information from the setup. This file lists information about the specific steps, their sequence, and the error conditions encountered before hardware is detected. This file can also be used for troubleshooting errors that occur during the installation process.
The detcrash.log file is created if setup fails during hardware detection. It contains information about the detection module that was running and the I/O port or memory resources it was accessing when the failure occurred. At this point Safe Recovery then skips the action that caused the failure. Then, Safe Recovery continues the detection process, starting with the next module. If the detection process is completed successfully, detcrash.log is deleted. This file is only for the computer, not for people.
The detlog.txt file is the text version of detcrash.log for people.

12. Explain the purpose of the System Configuration Utility. How would you use it in troubleshooting?
A. The system configuration utility (msconfig.exe) can be used to disable programs and services. This allows a technician to determine which program or service is hindering the system startup. It can also be useful for checking if a service is necessary or not when booting the computer.

18. List the five phases of the Windows 9x/ME boot process and give a short description of each.
A. Phase 1: BIOS startup and POST. This looks at the computer hardware and then looks for the hidden system file so the operating system can be loaded.
Phase 2: (lo.sys) Loads DOS drivers and sets environmental variables.
Phase 3: (lo.sys is terminated) The boot files and configurations files turn control over to a Virtual Machine Manager called VxD. This starts the process of allowing hardware to talk to software.
Phase 4: Protected-Mode starts and loads the configuration meager which configures legacy and plug-n-play devices.
Phase 5: Loading the rest of the core components, fonts and other resources, including the desktop. Lastly, any processes listed in the startup directory are performed.

27. Name two ways to end an application that is hung without rebooting the PC.
A. One way is to use the Task Manager. Type Taskman in the Run dialog box. The other way is to use the kill command in the Run dialog box. The kill command can be used with –f for forced kill, and a process id, a task name or a window title.

Dell Motherboard Model 0J8885

BUT I want a BETTER, FASTER motherboard !!

Dell Dimension 5150 / 5100 / E510 Board
Item Code: MB4DELRD203
Manufacturers: Dell Computers
Model RD203 Motherboard
Categories: Intel Lga775 Motherboards

Dell Dimension E510 5150 5100 Motherboard. Dell Part# RD203 J8885 WG261 KF623 - Featuring Intel 945G Chipset LGA775. The Intel board harnesses the advanced computing power of the latest Intel Pentium 4 LGA775 processor supporting Hyper-Threading Technology. This desktop board brings exciting new levels of performance and features to the desktop by combining support for an 1066MHz system bus with Dual Channel DDR-2 memory support.

These boards are Intel made boards for Dell, so you will see a Dell logo come up when booted. All boards are fully guaranteed and come with warranty.

Manufacturer: Intel ( OEM for Dell Dimension E510 5150 5100 )
Dell Compatible Part#: RD203 0RD203 WG261 0WG261 J8885 0J8885 KF623 0KF623
Socket: LGA775 Supporting Pentium 4 5XX/6XX Processors 2.8-3.8 GHz
FSB: 800/1066Mhz System Bus
Expansion Slots: PCI Express x16 x 1 / PCI Express x1 x 1 / PCI x 2
Chipset: Intel 945G
Other Features: Hyper-Threading Technology Support
Connectors: (5 - Back - 2 Front) USB 2.0 Ports, 10/100 Network LAN
Peripheral Interface: (2) Serial ATA (SATA) Interface
Other: One IDE Channel Supporting ATA-66/100/133 and One Floppy Port
Video: Onboard Intel 950 Graphics Accelerator + 1X16 PCI Express Slot and
Audio: 5.1 Surround Sound Audio Ports
Supported Memory: DDR2 400/533Mhz
Maximum Memory: 4 Dual Channel DIMM Support for up to 4 GB of memory

Windows Millennium Edition

Week 12 -- Blog 12

Do some research and find out why ME was such a bad OS. What were some of the problems with Windows Millennium Edition?


PC World listed it as the 4th worst product on their 25 Worst Tech Products of All Time article published May 26, 2006, by Dan Tynan. The sub title of the article is “These products are so bad, they belong in the high-tech hall of shame”.

It seems that ME was hard to install, hard to run, and difficult to shut down. There were complaints about installation, software and hardware incompatibilities, excessive error messages, and disk defragmenting problems. There was trouble with the way ME handled its memory, if the memory was too busy, the computer would freeze, necessitating a reboot. It seems to have had trouble with anti-virus programs, third party software, and drivers. ME may stop installing when it detects an incompatible third-party program, hardware device drivers, or utilities. ME may stop the installation process when it encounters these conflicts, and tells you that you can't proceed.

Microsoft was trying to make ME boot faster by removing real mode MS-DOS. I think that Windows was attempting to hide the programming so the user could not modify the software. But between the problems with system restore and no access to DOS , I think this actually made the OS worse.

Microsoft has posted some information on its site to help you with the most common ME problems. There is information about what to do when your PC mysteriously crashes and how to deal with a stubborn installation wizard that refuses to accept your valid ME identification number.


Microsoft quit supporting ME on July 11, 2006.
Windows Millennium Edition Solution Center
http://support.microsoft.com/ph/6519

A few of the problems covered by Microsoft Solution Center
-- MS-DOS Versions of DriveImage Cannot Operate on Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition. When DriveImage (1.0, 2.0, 3.0) is launched on Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Me), the computer either stops responding with a black screen and blinking cursor in the upper left corner, or you receive an error message.
-- Policy That Disables MS-DOS Prompt Disables All MS-DOS Programs. When you double-click an MS-DOS-based program, you may receive the following error message: This program cannot be run due to restrictions in effect on this computer. Please contact your system administrator.
-- Switching Between an MS-DOS Window and Full Screen May Cause Computer to Hang. When you press ALT+ENTER to switch between an MS-DOS prompt window and a full-screen window, the computer may stop responding (hang).
-- ALT+ENTER Does Not Resize the MS-DOS Prompt Window on Some HP Computers.
-- Cannot Configure Expanded Memory Support for an MS-DOS-Based Program. You may experience any of the following symptoms: An MS-DOS-based program that requires expanded (EMS) memory may not run in Windows Millennium Edition (Me). The expanded (EMS) memory option is unavailable on the Memory tab when you right-click the...
-- How to Increase Available File Handles for MS-DOS-Based Programs in Windows Millennium Edition. Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Me) only parses the Config.sys file for environment variables; therefore, settings used by MS-DOS-based programs running in Windows Me are not set inside the Config.sys file.
-- Cannot Type Characters in an MS-DOS Prompt Window Using a Hewlett-Packard Multimedia Keyboard. When you use a Hewlett-Packard (HP) Multimedia keyboard, you may not be able to type characters in an MS-DOS prompt window.
-- MS-DOS-Based Programs Unable to Initialize COM Ports on Computers with ACPI Support.
-- "Invalid Switch" Error Message When Attempting to Use "Xcopy" or "Xcopy32" in MS-DOS Mode.
-- MS-DOS-Based Versions of PartitionMagic Do Not Run on Windows Millennium Edition. When you start an MS-DOS-based version of PartitionMagic (from PowerQuest) on a Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition-based computer, the computer may stop responding and display either a black screen or an error message.
-- Troubleshooting MS-DOS Compatibility Mode on Hard Disks.
-- "Restart Computer in MS-DOS Mode" Option Is Not Available in the Shutdown Dialog Box. In Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Me), when you click Start , and then click Shutdown , the option is not available.
-- Error Messages Appear Citing 'Old Disk Utility' When You Try to Start CrypKey Instant Version 4.3.
-- The "Unable to control A20 Line" error message.
-- The A20 line is the start of the first 64K of extended memory, known as the high memory area (HMA). The HIMEM.SYS device driver must control the A20 line to manage extended memory.
-- Norton AntiVirus 7.0 Corporate Edition Prevents Upgrade.
-- You receive the "Out of environment space" error message when you execute the Vcvars32.bat batch file.
-- WordPerfect 6.0 Does Not Start from a PIF File in Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition. Err Msg: The Following File Is Missing or Corrupt...
-- When you start your computer, you may receive the following error message: The following file is missing or corrupt: COMMAND.COM. Type the name of the Command Interpreter. This problem can occur if you install Windows 98 or Windows Millennium...
-- Screen Saver Does Not Start Even Though System Is Idle
-- Dinosaur Adventure 3.0 Does Not Run Properly on Windows Millennium Edition. When you run Dinosaur Adventure version 3.0 by using the Dino.bat file, your computer may stop responding (hang) or shut down.
-- "SUWIN caused a general protection fault in module verx.dll" error message when you try to reinstall Windows Me.
-- Computer Hangs After You Install Windows Me on a Computer with Creative Labs Sound Blaster Device.

Blog 11 – CIT 114b – What is Linux?

What is Linux and who would use it?

Linux is an open source operating system that is similar to UNIX. Seventeen years ago, in 1991, Linus Torvalds from the University of Helsinki wrote a Unix-like kernel based on Minix and Linux was born. Open Source Software is not "free" software; it is software with numerous licenses attached to it that is free to look at, free to change, and free to distribute. I believe that the browser wars introduced many people to Open Source Software in the form of Mozilla Firefox.

Anyone, businesses or private individuals, running servers or desktop workstations could use Linux. It is mainly used as an operating system for servers. It is very stable and secure. It uses less hard disk space and less memory than typical Windows operating systems. It is good for monitoring a network and it has all the necessary network services such as DHCP, Firewall, Router, FTP, SSH, and Mail to name a few. Anyone can learn how to use Linux. I hope more and more people learn to enjoy the power of Linux.

Blog 10 – CIT 114b – Favorite Registry Key

How can I possibly pick ONE favorite registry key out of hundreds? I have worked in the registry doing lots of “fixes” to keep people from changing important home pages, to making a computer not save any documents when it logs off. I have disabled a lot of software in the registry and “hacked” some viruses out of the registry. Being so familiar with the registry makes it very difficult to pick a favorite.
After saying all that, I will pick as my favorite
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\InternetExplorer\Main.
Here you can set the default home page, the default search page, make IE open in a maximized screen all the time, and set a few other values if needed. These settings can be helpful if you don't want your home page changed. We did it in the library to make sure our home page showed up when you opened IE.
Back in the day.............see 2005MCJ178 blog for my old computers, we didn't have a registry key data base, we only had Autoexec.bat and Config.sys files.

Windows 7 Beta

Windows 7 made its first official public appearance yesterday at Microsoft's Professional Developers Conference 2008. For the first time, Microsoft made an API-complete, pre-beta version of Windows 7 operating system widely available to attendees and press. The company had previously made some information available (and rumors have abounded), but this is the first true hands-on look for analysts and developers. Though there are similarities with Vista, the new OS includes major new user interface updates, and promises to work much better with third-party hardware and software than Vista did at its launch. In all, it's an impressive debut, though one that will probably see significant changes before its release late next year.

Build 6801 of the prerelease software was distributed to attendees, and key features Windows 7 designers hope to make part of our daily computing lives include HomeGroup—simplified home networking for sharing media files and printers; Device Stage—a single page giving access to all the capabilities of a device such as a phone, MP3 player, printer, or camera; and Windows Touch, for mouse-free PC interaction on touch-sensitive screens. The press was also shown a later build (6933) containing user interface updates, such as a redesigned and more powerful Taskbar.

Steven Sinofsky, senior vice president for Windows and Windows Live Engineering Group and Mike Nash, who's responsible for Windows Product Management, made the point that all software and hardware that works with Windows Vista will work with Windows 7, as driver support remains the same. Furthermore, the kernel version number will stay at 6.1, which should help avoid some problems with older software not updated to work with a new major version number.
By by Michael Muchmore (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2333407,00.asp)

See a news story here:
http://news.cnet.com/2009-1025_3-6246989.html?tag=smallCarouselArea.0

Blog 9 – CIT 114b – Chapter 10

Blog 9 – CIT 114b – Chapter 10
Choose 5 terms to describe, in detail, from pages 489-490 "Key Terms".

1) A solid state device is one that has no moving parts. Solid state devices store data on memory chips instead of magnetic media or optical media. The memory chips use non-volatile memory, so they do not lose the data when they are unplugged from the computer. Solid state devices are able to withstand physical abuse better than other types of storage media. Another advantage of solid state devices is that accessing the data is relative fast. Examples of solid state devices are flash drives, and memory cards for cameras.

2) Streaming audio is when audio is downloaded from the Internet without saving the file on your local computer first. The audio stream is only buffered for a few seconds before you hear it on the speakers. This enables a person to listen to live broadcasts on their computer. Web classes, seminars, and meetings can be conducted in this way.

3) Streaming SIMD Extension is technology that allows a CPU to process multimedia data better. SIMD stands for “single instruction, multiple data”. According to the text book, this process allows the CPU to receive one instruction and use it on several pieces of data instead of getting the same instruction with every piece of data. This makes the CPU more efficient.

4) CDFS stands for Compact Disc File System which is used for storing and accessing data on a compact disc. There are several CDFS formats as well as the UDF (Universal Disk Format) file system which DVD drives use. A file system is the method by which computers keep track of the files stored on hard drives or other storage media. File systems keep track of any file that is saved, where it is located logically on the storage media, the name of the file, and the type of file. File systems have changed over time as new technology emerges. CDFS is based on the ISO 9660 Standard; however it allows long and double-byte filenames. Apparently the CDFS file system appears similar to a FAT file system to some applications.
Here is a good website that explains UDF,
http://www.diskinternals.com/glossary/udf.html
Here is a good explanation of ISO 9660 which CDFS is based on,
http://www.diskinternals.com/glossary/iso9660.html

5) RAID stands for Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks and it is a backup strategy to prevent the loss of important data. There are several different options for RAID. The simplest RAID is a spanned volume, if a drive fails, the data is lost. RAID 0 writes data to two or more drives evenly, if one drive fails, only part of the data is lost. RAID 1 makes a copy of the data on two drives and compares the data. If one drive fails, the data survives on the other drive. RAID 5 uses several drives to store duplicated data so that is one of the drives fails, the data can be rebuilt on a new drive. There are many ways to configure RAID and the RAID drives can be controlled by a software program or by a piece of hardware called a RAID controller.

Blog 8 – IT Essentials - Floppy Drives

1) What is the price of an internal floppy drive?
A. They start at $7.50 and go up to $30, depending on the brand and options.
Some internal floppy drives have card readers with them.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1187054&CatId=287

2) What kind of connection do external floppy disk drives use?
A. Usually external floppy drives use USB connectors; however there are a few floppy drives out there with specialized connectors such as the Toshiba floppy drive.
http://www.connectworld.net/ccc/DB19FS-db19-connectors.html

3) What is the price of an external floppy drive?
A. They average between $20 and $35, depending on the brand.

4) Why do you think external drives cost more than internal drives?
A. Because they have extra parts, a case, an extra controller,
and a USB, or other connector with a cable.

5) What are the advantages of external drives?
A. They can be used with several machines as needed and they are easy to replace.

6) What are the advantages of internal drives?
A. Internal drives don't take up any extra space.
And they have a constant address path.

High-Speed Serial ATA Ports

Just something interesting I found.
Add Two High-Speed Serial ATA Ports To Your Notebook
The 2-Port Serial ATA PC Card by Cables To Go brings cutting edge technology to your notebook. The Serial ATA PC Card adds two high-speed Serial ATA interface ports, each supporting first generation Serial ATA data rates of 1.5Gbs. This PC Card enables you to transfer data between your notebook and Serial ATA devices such as hard disk drives, floppy disk drives, CD-ROM, CD-RW, and DVD-ROM drives at high-speed transfer rates of 1,500Mbps.

My Desktop Solution (Just FYI)

At one time I had to use my cellular phone company as an Internet Service Provider. At that time, about 3 years ago, they only had pcmcia laptop cards. I purchased this and put it in my desktop and I was connected.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815166013

Blog 7 – IT Essentials - Upgrading Memory

Week 7 Assignment Critical thinking problems 1-4 page 298-299

1) If your motherboard supports DIMM memory, will RIMM memory still work on the board?

A. A motherboard that supports RIMM requires that all the memory slots are filled, if not with memory modules, then with continuity modules. Whereas, DIMM modules can be added one at a time and the slots can be empty.

2) If your motherboard supports ECC SDRAM memory, can you substitute SDRAM memory that does not support ECC? If your motherboard supports buffered SDRAM memory, can you substitute un-buffered SDRAM modules?

A. Typically you should use whatever the motherboard supports. However, a rule of thumb to follow is not to mix your memory modules; they should all be buffered, or un-buffered; parity checking or non-parity checking. The motherboard documentations should tell you which modules are supported.

3) You have upgraded memory on a computer from 64 MB to 128 MB by adding one DIMM. When you first turn on the PC, the memory count shows only 64 MB. Which of the following is most likely the source of the problem? What can you do to fix it?

A. Since you only replaced one module with one more module, the module is possibly defective. First, you should reseat the memory module, then check to see if you can tell the BIOS how much memory is installed. You can also check your memory at www.memtest86.com. If the computer continues to see only 64 MB, the memory module is faulty.

4) Your motherboard supports dual channeling and you currently have two slots used in Channel A on the board. You want to install an additional 512 MB of RAM. Will your system run faster if you install two 256 MB DIMM's or one 512 DIMM.

A. If you expect the best performance out of your dual channel memory, you should install even amounts of memory in the slots. So two 256 MB of DIMM would make the computer run faster than just one 512 MB DIMM.

Blog 6 – IT Essentials – Motherboards

Blog 6 Week 6

Assignment: -- Thinking Critically -- page 267 -- problems 1-4:

1) Why does a motherboard sometimes support more than one system bus speed?

A. A manufacturer could save a lot of money by making a motherboard with more than one bus speed. Also if the owner wants to upgrade their processor, the bus speed would be available. And a choice of bus speeds allows for backward compatibility if needed.

2) Why don't all buses on a motherboard operate at the same speed?

A. The book says that there are four or five buses on modern motherboards, all running at different speeds. Buses carry four things, electricity, control signals, memory addresses, and data. Not everything needs to travel at the same speed. For instance, the video card needs to run fast, so it is connected to the fast side of the system bus, where as the expansion card are connected to the back, or slower part, of the bus.

3) When you turn off a compute at night, it loses the date, and you must reenter it each morning. What is the problem and how do you solve it?

A. The reason a computer loses the date and time is because the system battery on the motherboard is weak or dead. The solution is to replace the system battery.

4) Why do you think the trend is to store configuration information on a motherboard in CMOS setup rather than using jumpers or switches?

A. According to the book, it is easier to change the CMOS settings than it is to open the computer case to change a jumper or a dip switch. I think that there are also more configuration options when using CMOS settings.

Blog 5 – IT Essentials -- Processors

Blog 5 Week 5

Assignment: In your own words explain the following terms:

Word size: This is the number of bits that a processor can process at one time. I read that a word is the same size as the computer's data bus. This is so that a word can be moved in a single operation from RAM to registers and to the processor. If a computer's architecture is an eight-bit byte, the word will be some multiple of eight bits.

Over-clocking is when the processor frequency (or system clock) or RAM is set to a faster speed than the manufacture recommends. This increases the computer's performance. However, over-clocking can overheat a processor and can make peripherals and or programs fail.

A data path is a portion of the system bus that transports data INTO the processor.

SRAM: This is static random access memory that is very fast and used for memory cache. It temporally holds data and programs for the central processing unit. It only holds it memory while there is power, when the computer is turned off, the SRAM empties it memory.

Windows SteadyState Disk and System Protection

Undo your worries with Windows Disk Protection

Windows Disk Protection keeps everything on the Windows disk partition from being permanently changed by users. This means every change made during a user session can easily be undone and the computer returned to its original state.

URL: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/sharedaccess/default.mspx

Create a consistent experience on a shared computer, the goal is to create a consistent, uniform environment for all users. They should not be able to modify or corrupt the system. However, activities performed during a user session cause many changes to the operating system partition. Program files are created, modified, and deleted. The operating system also updates system information as part of its normal operation.

Windows Disk Protection clears all changes to the operating system partition whenever you restart the computer.
How Windows Disk Protection works

When disk protection is turned on, it creates a cache file to retain all the modifications to the operating system or program directories. Histories, saved files, and logs are all stored in the cache file which is created on the system partition. At intervals you designate, Windows SteadyState deletes the contents of the cache and restores the system to the state in which disk protection was first turned on.
Set it and forget it

Choose the disk protection level that fits how your computer is used and whether or not your users need to save data for a specific length of time.

For example, if your shared computers are used by different people every day, you can set SteadyState to remove all changes at every restart. This is a good choice in a library or an Internet café.

You can also choose to retain changes for a specified period of time. This is a good option if you have the same users every day for a limited duration, such as a school term or an ongoing computer lab project.

However you choose to use Windows Disk Protection, you can rest easy knowing that a clean return to its original state is available.

About Bonjour for Windows

Bonjour for Windows 1.0.5


About Bonjour
Bonjour, also known as zero-configuration networking, enables automatic discovery of computers, devices, and services on IP networks. Bonjour uses industry standard IP protocols to allow devices to automatically discover each other without the need to enter IP addresses or configure DNS servers.

System requirements
Bonjour requires Windows 2000/2003, Windows XP or Windows Vista. Make sure you have the latest Service Pack installed for your computer using Windows Update.

Users running 64-bit versions of Windows XP or Windows Vista can download a compatible version of Bonjour for Windows 1.0.5 here.

Bonjour is a networking protocol that sends and receives network packets on UDP port 5353. If you have a "personal firewall" enabled, you will need to ensure that UDP port 5353 is open for Bonjour to work correctly. Certain firewalls will only partially block Bonjour packets, so if you experience intermittent behavior, check the firewall settings and verify that Bonjour is listed as an exception and is allowed to receive incoming packets. Bonjour will configure the Windows firewall appropriately during installation on Windows XP Service Pack 2 and above.

Installing Bonjour
Double-click the Bonjour installer and follow the onscreen instructions.

When installing over a previous version of Bonjour for Windows, please remove any existing instances of Bonjour for Windows through the "Add or Remove Programs" Control Panel before installing Bonjour for Windows 1.0.5.

If Java is not present at the time of installation and you decide to install Java at a later date, you will need to do a Repair install of Bonjour for Windows in order to get the proper Java Bonjour libraries. To do a Repair install, go to the "Add or Remove Programs" Control Panel, select Bonjour from the list and click "Change/Remove". Then choose "Repair" and follow the onscreen instructions.

What's included
Bonjour for Windows includes a plugin to discover advertised HTTP servers using Internet Explorer. Click the Bonjour icon in the Internet Explorer toolbar to enable Bonjour browsing. If you have Bonjour devices on your local network with embedded HTTP (Web) servers, they will appear in the list.

The Bonjour Printer Wizard is also included and allows Windows computers to print to Bonjour networked printers, including USB shared printers connected to the AirPort Extreme and AirPort Express Base Stations. Since Apple first launched Bonjour in 2002, every major maker of network printers has adopted Bonjour. With the Bonjour Printer Wizard, computers using Windows can also experience the benefits of effortlessly discovering and printing to these Bonjour printers.

Known Issues
A small number of Virtual Private Network (VPN) clients interfere with Bonjour. If you find that you can no longer discover network services or print to Bonjour shared printers, try logging out of VPN.

More information
Bonjour is commonly installed by third-party software to provide zero-configuration networking capabilities to various applications. If your version of Bonjour does not include the IE plugin or Printer Wizard mentioned above, and you would like these features, you can download the complete Bonjour for Windows package from Apple's web site by visiting
http://www.apple.com/bonjour/

For more information about developing products that use Bonjour, and to download the SDK, please visit:
http://developer.apple.com/bonjour

For detailed information on the security content of this update, please visit this site:
Apple Security Updates

To provide feedback, please visit:
http://www.apple.com/feedback/bonjour.html

© 2008 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, and AirPort are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

URL: http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/bonjourforwindows.html

Blog 4 – CIT 114b – IT Essentials

Blog 4 Week 4 Assignment:

Choose 5 terms to describe from page 176 "Key Terms".

1) Form factor refers to the size of the motherboard. The motherboard, the power supply and the computer case must all match. The motherboard has posts that must fit into holes in the case. Both the case and the motherboard have holes that must line up to secure the motherboard. The power supply has to have the correct connectors in order to connect to the motherboard. There are four main form factors, ATX, MicroATX, BTX, and NLX. The ATX is the most popular and comes in three sizes, ATX, miniATX, and flexATX. The MicroATX is a low end board that only has one expansion slot and uses less power. The BTX is the newest form factor and it supports serial ATA, USB 2.0, and PCI Express slots. It has improved air flow and fans, and it does a better job of reducing heat inside the case. The NLX has a smaller motherboard that has a slot on the side that holds a daughter board, or riser card. The daughter board has the expansion slots and connections for the floppy drive and the hard drive. Another type of motherboard with a riser is called an LPX form factor. This motherboard has the connector for the daughter board in the center. Here is a great website (http://www.formfactors.org/formfactor.asp)

2) Electro-Static Discharge, or ESD, can damage or destroy computer components. Much like the shock you receive when rubbing your feet on the carpet and touching something metal, ESD can occur when working in your computer and will cause components you touch to no longer work properly. ESD can occur without the user feeling a shock and will occur while working on the inside of the computer or handling an expansion card. Always touch the bare metal of the computer case, or the metal box of the power supply, before reaching inside to touch any component. An antistatic wristband connected to the computer case, or an antistatic desk, or an antistatic desk mat are good ways to keep your computer components safe. There are also anti-ESD gloves you can wear while working inside the case.

3) Soft switch refers to the ability of the operating system (software = soft switch) to turn off the power to the computer after the user starts the shutdown procedure. If the motherboard (available on ATX and BTX form factors) and the operating system support soft switch, a normal shut down can be achieved when a user pushes the power button on the front of the case. This same feature allows the computer to be turned on with keystrokes. The computer can also be set to "wake on LAN". Soft power is another name for soft switch.

4) Power conditioners protect against power spikes as well as regulating or "conditioning" power during a brownout. Temporary voltage reductions are called brownouts or sags, and temporary voltage surges are called spikes or swells. A surge protector or a power conditioner is essentially a voltage regulator. To find out what size power condition you need multiply the amperage of each component by 120 volts. If the monitor needs 1.9 amps, this equals 228 watts. Then add up all the watts for all the equipment you have and this will tell you how big the surge protector needs to be.

5) Transformers are very important for electrical devices; they change the ratio of current and voltage. The voltage coming into your building is 110 to 120 volts of alternating current. The computer only needs 12, 5, or 3.3 volts of direct current for its components. Therefore, the transformer has to change the AC to DC power and step the voltage from 120 volts to 12 volts. In order for the transformer to convert 120 volt AC current to 12 volts, the electricity passes through two sets of copper wire coils, with an iron core in the center. The 120 volts comes in on the primary coil. Then a second coil of larger wire reduces the voltage. If the primary and secondary coils have the same number of turns, the primary and secondary voltage will be the same. However, if the secondary coil has half as many turns as the primary coil, then the voltage in the second coil will be half that of the voltage in the primary coil. To drop from 120 volts to 12 volts, the primary coil has to have ten times more coils of wire than the secondary coil. The second half of the process is to change AC to DC. This is achieved by wrapping two (or four) diodes together. The diodes act as a rectifier, which only allows part of the AC current to get through the diodes, turning the AC current into DC current. Another piece of this process is the capacitor, which collects and stores the "excess" electricity. This stored electricity is what allows the capacitor to retain a lethal charge even after the computer is unplugged. This charge must be eliminated before working nearby. To discharge a capacitor you must provide a path between the positive and negative terminals of the capacitor. The suggested method is to use a resister with a jumper and alligator clips to connect the terminals of the capacitor. (This is only the opinion of an IT student—do not try any of this without consulting professional help)

Just an interesting P.S. for anyone who has the time to read about Legacy BIOS for Windows 95 and 2000. Microsoft has an archived article entitled "APM Theory of Operation for Windows" at this website: http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/archive/w2apm.mspx

Fuse wire from Scotland

Referencing Discussion 2 posted on Angel

This is what I used when changing fuses in Scotland. You cut off about a three-inch piece and wind it around the two posts in the electrical box.

Very nerve wracking !!

Blog 3 -- CIT 114b -- IT Essentials

Blog 3 Week 3 Assignment

Page 136-137 Selected Questions "Reviewing the Basics"

1) What is the difference between a hard boot and a soft boot?

a) A hard boot is when you turn the power off abruptly, either by turning off the power, unplugging the machine, or using the restart button. A soft boot is when you use the operating system to power down and turn off the computer.

3) What memory address is always assigned to the first instruction in the ROM BIOS startup program? a) FFFF0h is the memory address that is always assigned to the first instruction. This instructions tells the processor to run POST.

5) Name the program that is needed to locate the beginning of the OS on a drive.

a) The master boot program is needed to locate the beginning of the operating systems on the hard drive.

6) List three types of information contained in a hard dives's partition table.

a) How many partitions the drive has.

b) Which partition contains the drive used for booting, or the active partition.

c) Where each partition begins and end and how the drive is divided into one or more logical drives.

10) When booting your computer and you see a blank screen, but hear a single beep, what can you assume worked with no errors?

a) You can assume that the POST (Power-On Self-Test) process completed successfully.

11) When booting your computer and you see a blank screen, but hear a single beep, what component should you check first?

a) You should begin troubleshooting the video system.

13) Give five possible questions that should be asked of a user who is experiencing computer problems.

a) When did the problem start?

b) Can you describe the problem, can you reproduce the problem?

c) Did you make any changes to the system, new hardware, or new software.

d) Did you move the computer recently?

e) Has someone else used your computer recently?

18) How do you properly dispose of:

a) A battery pack form a notebook computer? Return these batteries to the dealer or take them to a recycling center, they are considered hazardous waste.

b) A broken monitor? These should be discharged and taken to a recycling center. Check with local county websites for regulations and disposal sites.

c) A toner cartridge from a laser printer? These cartridges can be recycled by manufactures and dealers. Some companies offer postage paid envelopes for recycling printer and toner cartridges.

24) Name three tools that you can use to protect a system against ESD as you work on it.

a) You can use a ground bracelet, a ground mat, or antistatic gloves. The book suggests using a ground bracelet with a ground mat. If you do not have this equipment be sure to touch the computer case or the power supply before you touch anything else.

How to help prevent ESD

The best method of preventing ESD is to use an ESD wrist strap and/or use a grounding mat or table.

Zero Potential - Most importantly, make sure you and the computer are at Zero Potential by continuously touching an un-painted metal surface of the chassis or the computer power supply case.

Standing - It is also very important that you are standing at all times when working on the computer. Setting on a chair can generated more electrostatic. This static electricity between clothes and a "seat or chair" is what can blow up gasoline fumes at a gas station.

Cords - Make sure everything is removed from the back of the computer (power cord, mouse, keyboard, etc).

Clothes - Make sure not to wear any clothing that conducts a lot of Electrical Charge, such as a wool sweater.

Weather - Electrical storms can increase the ESD risk; try not to work on a computer during an electrical storm. Our weather in Nevada makes static electricity because of the dry air and the constant wind. I spray a mixture of fabric softener (which has anti-static properties) and water on my furniture and my carpet.

Accessories - To help reduce ESD and help prevent other problem, it is also a good idea to remove all jewelry. I did not know that jewelry would add to the ESD problem.

This information came from the textbook and www.computerhope.com/esd.htm

Blog 2 – CIT 114b – IT Essentials

Blog 2 Week 2 Assignment

Page 32 # 1 – 8 "Real Problems, Real Solutions"

Reading a Technical ad for a computer system.

1) What is the system bus called?

A. FSB which means front side bus.

1a) What two system bus frequencies are offered?

A. Both a 533 MHz and a 800 MHz FSB bus are offered.

2) In the ad, what do you think P4 means?

A. It stands for a Pentium 4 processor made by Intel.

3) What are the four choices of frequencies for the processor?

A. They are 2.66 GHz, 2.93 GHZ, 3.0 GHz, and 3.2 GHz.

4) What is the brand of processor?

A. They are all Intel processors, two are Celerons, and two are Pentium 4's.

5) How much RAM is on the motherboard?

A. The computer comes with 512 MB RAM.

5a)What is the cost of doubling that amount of RAM?

A. $50 gets one more stick of 512 MB of RAM.

6) What type of expansion slot is used for the video card?

A. It is using a 16x PCI Express slot.

7) What terms describe the hard drive in the system? T

A. he computer comes with a 80 Gigabit Serial ATA hard drive.

8) List the terms in the ad that you do not understand.

I don't know what the 330, 340, 530, and 540 mean after the socket number.

I know that 775 is the number of pins the socket has on the motherboard.

ASUS P5DG1-VM is a mother board, but I don't know what 915P right after that means.

I don't know what the *1M* means in (1M/800FSB).

Regarding the hard drive: ATA150, 8M buffer, and ATA100 UIDE are unknown terms.

**Interesting little fact follows**

ATX is the motherboard "form". Here is a list of motherboard forms:

http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia_term/0,2542,t=PC+motherboards&i=48951,00.asp

I think that about covers what I don't know about the add.

Page 83 "Thinking Critically". 1-5

1) Is a mouse more likely to be controlled by a device driver or by the system BIOS?

A. A mouse is more likely to be controlled by a device driver.

2) Name one device that is likely to be controlled by system BIO?

A. A keyboard is likely to be controlled by the system BIOS.

3) If your printer is giving you trouble, what is the best way to obtain an update for the device driver?

A. Open the properties dialog box by right clicking on the printer in the device Manager. From this window you can update the driver for the printer.

4) What Windows tool can you use to know how much RAM is installed on your system?

A. The System Properties window will tell you how much RAM is installed in your computer.

5) Why is 16-bit Windows software considered legacy software?

A. Because Microsoft does not support it or sell licenses for it.

How a Processor is Made

According to Intel, making a processor involves more than 300 steps. Check it out at:

http://www.intel.com/pressroom/archive/backgrnd/making_a_chip.htm?iid=tech_man+made

Thinking about

I am thinking about adding a separate Blog for computer issues.
I think it may be easier for everyone, especially my professor.