Experience: Virus-proof your PC

Oh, after a long-time, I am back to my tech-blog.

Today I am planning to write how to Virus-proof your computers. I am going to talk about a fresh Windows XP installed computer. As we all know, Windows XP is the major target of almost every virus-writers. Because it's easily hackable, or even crackable.

I am writing here my own experience. I have installed Windows XP on the December of 2007, and I haven't had to re-install the system again, until today. That means, I am running my PC virus-proof for a longer period of 21 months.

Let's see how to do this.

Step 1 - Install Windows XP (Service Pack 2)
Ha, we all know, this must be the first step, right?

OK, But.... after completing installation, don't go to your "My Computer" and open any drives. It's important.

Step 2 - Disable "Autorun" on all drives.
Microsoft has shipped their OS with a not-so-useful feature. Autorun. Dont you remember? When you put in the CD that you got with your computer magazine starts playing animations and opening some application interfaces? Yes, that's what we are talking about.

When the "Autorun" feature is enabled, it can execute some programs in CDs/DVDs/Flash Drives etc., without any user initiation. So, it can be dangerous, because the program can be a virus. It just need to plug in and take it back an infected USB Flash drive. Your computer also will get infected. And whenever you plug in another fresh USB Flash drive, the virus will automatically infect that drive too.

OK, let's see how to disable Autoplay.

Go to Start > Run > type "gpedit.msc" without quotes > Press ENTER

This will open the Group Policy Editor.

Then go through the tree on the left, following

• Local Computer Policy
• Computer Configuration
• Administrative Templates
• System

When you click on"System" there, you can see a number of settings on the right side.

Under these settings, double-click on "Turn off Autoplay"

Then a window is displayed, select the "Enabled" radio button.

Then set "Turn of autoplay on:" to "All Drives"

That's all!

Now any of your drives will never autoplay!

Step 3 - Show hidden files/folders. Show extensions of all files.
Yes, this is really needed!

Because almost every Virus/Worms comes in as hidden files. Sometimes they may look exactly like a Folder, tricking users to click on it. When the user double clicks on that "folder", the virus will start execute and thus infecting your PC.

The default setting under Windows XP is to hide hidden files and folders. Also it will not show the extensions of known file types. That's, it will never show "ClickMe.EXE", it will just show "ClickME".

Let's see how to show hidden folders.

Open "My Computer"

Under "Tools" menu, click "Folder Options"

A window will open, there select "View" tab.

Under "Advanced Settings", do the following:

• Select "Show hidden files and folders"
• Uncheck "Hide extensions for known file types"
• Uncheck "Hide protected operating system files" (It's specified as a "recommended" setting, but we really don't need ot to avoid virus...!)

Now click on "Apply" or "OK"

Now you can see all the hidden files (even virus), and you can see the correct extensions of all files.

(If you really want to hide your private files, use some softwares like Lock Folder XP.)

Step 4 - Install an Anti-Virus
This is an essential requirement. You can select which is better for you. I use AVG Free Edition, or you can buy a Kaspersky Antivirus (best one in the market) for abour INR.900/- in India. If you have an Antivirus program, that will add extra strength to your PC against virus/worms. It's good if you have an internet connection, so that you can update the Antivirus program regularly.

Step 5 - Now it's your role!
Yes, completed. Now it's your role to keep away from virus.

All the above three steps will help you to prevent the automated infection of virus in your PC. Next is to prevent "intentional" execution of virus programs, that means preventing yourself from clicking on a virus.

These are some tips:

1. Beware of these file extensions: these are executeable files. Do not open it utill you got it from a trusted source, or scanned using an Anti-Virus.
   
   • EXE
   • SCR (Screen savers are actually renamed EXE files!)
     
   • VBS
   • JS
   • JAR (less harmful)
   • BAT
   • Lnk (short-cut file, it too can be an executable file)
2. Just open your USB Flash Drive from your Address bar only. NO Double clicks, or NO right-click and "explore" it.
3. Beware of any hidden executable files. It can be a Virus!
   

That's all my experiences with the virus world.

You can tell if there are more simple tips and tricks to keep rid of them.

twitter addict!

Oh, after a long interval, I am back with a new routine - tweeting!

Yes! I am a twitter addict!

After the closing of our college, I am spending my days at home, waiting to see what's next. And, now I have acquired one more daily routine - twitter.

I am a member in twitter for one year, but I've never took it as a serious thing just like orkut or blogger. I just tweeted whenever I feel like tweeting, and I never followed the people that I don't know. But, accidentally, last week I came across a tweeter - Jyothy Anna, my classmate (@jyothy), and I further searched fore more, and found that some of my friends are there. I started following them, also followed many people, and just in 8 days, about 8 people started following me!

Here are the people/firms that I came across, and following:

Google (@google)
Twitter itself! (@twitter)
Woork - a freelancer web application developer (@Woork)
Discovery Channel(@Discovery)

Shasi Tharoor - Member of Parliament, India (@ShashiTharoor)
Manorama News (@manoramatv)
Idea Star Singer (@ideastarsinger)

And, there are many more.

After, I searched how I can tweet easily. Twitter is actually an SMS-based micro-blogging service, while it's not working well in India. Also, if you can use, it costs 2 or 3 Rupees per SMS! If it was mobile-enabled in India, and free-of-cost, many people would have used twitter. Expecting that that will happen soon. ;-)

Twitter makes it easy to keep in touch with people, even on-the-go. I can read news updates tweets from Manorama News (in Malayalam language!) [link: http://www.manoramanews.com/] [tweet: @manoramatv] , also get new updates in designing, web-developement etc.

Also, twitter has became an essential requirement in business. If you own a firm, then be a member of twitter, and tweet regularly. Your customers can follow your updates on the go. Also, they can tweet at you, asking for any help/services. Then, what's the benefit? E-mail and IM communication are not as-fast-as twitter. So, twitter will always keep in touch with your customers.

I came across many Mozilla Firefox add-on, which can be used for twittering. And I have installed one - TwitterFox. That works fine! It pops up updates at my status bar. Also looks and works nice. But there's a problem - when I clear the history, it deletes my twitter account settings also. So I need to enter the details each time after I had cleared the history. That may be a bug, however, that's the only problem I've found. But when I am online for a long-session, that's fine.

However, I am a twitter addict now. Keeping in touch with the world!

New ideas!

As many of us know, and all of us use, by the emergence of Web 2.0, everything in life has been changed to web. File storage (eg: box.net), Social meetings (facebook), Bookmarking (del.icio.us), Publishing (blogger)... and more and more, almost everything in life is now online.

The online life is actually amazing. It gives the flexibility to use anywhere, anytime, and the portability to work on any platform. Because, Web is available on almost every platforms!

There are newly emerging rocking-new-ideas everyday. I really wonder listening to them. Here're one of them that striked my mind last week, and still in my mind.

- invite43.com - [got from del.icio.us] -
Create and store invitations for parties/functions online. You will be given an address, which can be sent to your friends. The URI is the invitation page created by you, and you can add a location map too! When others visit the invitation page, they can mark whether they will attend the pary or not. It's really great new idea.

Great ideas come from simple thoughts. Inspire. Dream. Do it. That's all!

Get some Web design inspiration (dont copy)

Yea, When you are going to design a new website, what will you do at first? Some days ago I came across an interview with some famous web designers, in del.icio.us. Most of them said that, they would start with a blank photoshop file, and look for some inspiration. Me too, start with a blank Fireworks file.

Next is what?

I will think of some designs that I've already seen somewhere, or go to web, and randomly look at some sites, to get an inspiration.

Yes, that's

Inspiration.

It's the starting of all masterpieces... right?

The designs should be inspired, but not copied.

Then, hm..., I will catch a paper and a pencil, and would draw a basic layout, as per the requirements.

Then I will start the designing process. Steps are:

- Designing in Macromedia/Adobe Fireworks (Sometimes Adobe Photoshop)
- Slicing the design
- Coding (xhtml) and styling (css) in Macromedia/Adobe Dreamweaver
- Testing in Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Internet explorer, Konquerer, and finally Lynx, if possible.
- Deploying into server.

I think, testing in Lynx is required, because atleast 10% of the total world-wide surfers will surf net through their Unix/Linux command line.

Some works are: aamcet.com, for my college. (This is now outsourced and replaced)

Some places where I get inspiration and more: smashingmagazine, woork.blogspot, nettuts, psdtuts... and more.

Get inspired!

Twitter & Microblogging (Web 2.0)

Now-a-days, Micro blogging has been an inevitable part of most professionals. Micro blogging is a way of blogging in less than 160 letters. The most widely used micro blogging network is twitter.com. I too use twitter!

So, do you think what is important in only 160 letters?

Wait, there are many uses -
1. This can be a status indicator. A person can use microblogging to represent their current situation.
2. Share links on the go. No need to e-mail a little link.
3. Follow others and join their network. Thus if we follow someone in twitter, we can see their updates.
4. The 160 letters - it's the statndard size of 1 SMS. That's if we subscribe to twitter via our mobile, we can do microblogging via our mobile phone! We can blog through mobile, or get updates in mobile. It's amazing when twitter is on mobile!
5. There are millions of professionals on twitter to follow. Thus we can get many resources from them.

.. and there are much more. These are only a set that I found useful.

Although twitter through mobile is not very famous in here, many people here use it now. Twitter is very good! And I tweet often!

Redesigning the SRS logo.

Last week, I came to know more about the SRS technology - the Sound Retrieval System - developed by SRS Labs Inc. I had noted "SRS WOW" effects in Windows media Player many times, but never looked into it. Now, I found it's interesting. If you enable SRS WOW, you can enjoy music more and more than you really do.

I bacame a big fan of SRS Wow, and decided to search for an SRS logo to use as my wallpaper. But hardly i could find anyone big. All logos were lower in size. So, I decided to trace a logo, and re-design one of my own. I saved this image in my computer.

So small image! I cannot zoom it with keeping it's clarity. So, I have to trace it to a Vector image.

I started Macromedia Fireworks 4, and created a new blank document, size 800x600 pixels. I imported this logo into it, and enlarged it, thus making it ready for a trace.



The logo image is scattered. Dont care. We are going to trace it.

Select the "Pen" tool. It helps to draw Bezier curves.

Now, trace "S" of SRS. It's Vectoring!



After, I could trace "R".

CSS - Whah! Wonderful! It's the Creative art!

CSS, the Cascading Style Sheets are very interesting, and an inevitable part of today's web-design needs.

Cascading Style Sheets allow a web-designer to independently define new styles, classes and the designer is totally free to do whatever he like. Just think of the set of <table></table> tags used in old days. It's totally wired when you are doing a complex design. But when you come to use <div></div> tag, You feel more flexible, and <div></div> tags can be styled into any look and feel. Can you believe that each element you are seeing in this page is a collection of different <div></div> tags blended with CSS styles?

Let me point out a simple example. We are going to design a simple page with a navigation bar, a left pane, a right pane, and a footer. Now let me define the required CSS classes...

<style>
.NavBar{
float:left;
display:block;
margin:0;
width:100%;
border: 1px solid;
}
.LeftPanel{
float:left;
clear:left;
display:block;
margin:0px 0px 0px 0px;
width:25%;
border: 1px solid;
}
.RightPanel{
float:left;
clear:none;
display:block;
border: 1px solid;
margin:0px 0px 0px 0px;
width: 70%;
}
.Footer{
float:left;
clear:left;
display:block;
margin:0px 0px 0px 0px;
width:100%;
border: 1px solid;
}
</style>

Now Style definitions are over.

Now what I need is to just create my XHTML document, and add the code:

<body>
<div class="NavBar">My Titles and Menu items etc. </div>
<div class="LeftPanel">Left panel with tools and links etc. </div>
<div class="RightPanel">Real content of the page. </div>
<div class="Footer">Copyright notices etc. goes here. </div>
</body>

It's as simple as it is! I added a simple border to all the classes so that you can recognize every div by just looking in the browser window.

I was strongly adhering to Tables layout until 2007. After that, I came to know about the emergence of Web 2.0, so I must change my life styles to match the requirements! I switched to CSS now.

Sometimes I feel very anger to IE, as it do not render the CSS pages correctly. It displays styles as it likes. It's bad. Actually they made Internet Explorer to cheat other people. They only meant to touch every part of technology (like Windows Media Player for Music and Video). They touch, but never complete it!

Firefox can render every new CSS styles very quickly and it works very nice. Opera, Safari etc also support CSS well. Who looks for IE? Ha!