allheart55 Cindy E

Microsoft's website has been online for 20 years now, and the company is celebrating by recreating its original look and feel. It's a throwback to the days of dial-up modems when you'd access the internet through a series of terribly high-pitched buzzing sounds using a Windows 3.11 machine and AOL. Thankfully we've moved on from those terrible times, but it's still nice to look back at the days when Internet Explorer didn't exist, some browsers didn't used to support images, or you'd have to wait five seconds for images to load. If you're looking for even more nostalgia, there's always the untouched Space Jam website to browse through too.

Microsoft is planning to force Windows users onto the latest supported versions of Internet Explorer. The change will take effect on January 12th, 2016, meaning Windows 7 and Windows 8 users will need to be running Internet Explorer 11 to continue receiving updates. If Internet Explorer 12 or even version 13 debuts before January 12th, 2016 and it supports Windows 7 and Windows 8, then those users will need to upgrade to the very latest. Microsoft’s change means Internet Explorer 8 and 10 will no longer be supported on consumer versions of Windows after January 12th, 2016. A little more like Chrome "Only the most recent version of Internet Explorer available for a supported operating system will receive technical support and security updates," after January 12th, 2016, explains Microsoft’s Roger Capriotti. Alongside Microsoft’s automatic IE upgrades, the software maker appears to be finally moving to a model that’s closer to Google’s Chrome upgrades where only the latest version is fully supported. This is a welcome move for consumers, but it could cause issues for enterprise IT admins who will need to manage IE updates on a much more timely basis. Microsoft is suggesting businesses make use of Internet Explorer 11’s Enterprise Mode for backwards compatibility and legacy web apps support. Web developers can rejoice though, one day in the future they'll no longer have to support multiple versions of Internet Explorer if Microsoft manages to streamline this across its future Windows versions.

Choose all does put them back in, Rich. I select one at a time and reboot after each driver.

Wow! I just completed a search on two of my AMD machines and didn't find anything like that. I only ever install the chipset, sound and network from the AMD CD. I don't ever install any of the utilities that are on the CD. I wonder how it snuck onto your machine.

Command Central: Windows functions in one place How did an essentially undocumented trick, designed for IT administrators and commonly called GodMode, go viral on the Internet? Certainly the all-powerful connotation of the name aroused interest. But it’s this function’s one-stop list of Windows tools that wins over most users. Whatever you wish to call this function, it conveniently consolidates into one folder a veritable switchboard of configurable Windows options and commands. The 256 items (sorted into 45 categories) are typically buried under layers of Control Panel menus or in right-click submenus — or otherwise submerged in the vast number of admin tools in Windows. To create this folder, take the following steps: Right-click a free spot on the desktop and select New/Folder. Give the new folder any name you wish, as long as it’s followed by a period and the following string of characters: {ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C} For example, the file name could be something similar to this: All Commands.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C} Double-click to open the folder, and it should be populated with more than 250 functions. A few of the 250+ Windows commands included in the so-called GodMode folder Of course, any one of these functions can be called up from the Windows search bar. But if you don’t recall a specific function’s name, good luck with that route. Your new all-commands folder should make a needed tool quick to find and easy to launch. Pin folders and icons to the Win8 Start screen As with many long-time Windows users still tied to a keyboard and mouse, I rarely venture into Windows 8′s Modern UI. But the Win8 Start screen can be a good place to organize folders and other frequently used sites and apps. Sure, with Win8.1 you can now pin native Win8 apps to the Desktop taskbar, but that’s extremely limited real estate. So the Pin to Start function, available by right-clicking any folder or application icon, can be particularly handy. As an example, right-click the aforementioned All Commands (GodMode) folder you created on the Win8 Desktop and click Pin to Start. You’ll now find on the Start screen a new movable tile labeled All Commands. Clicking the tile instantly returns you to the Desktop, with the All Commands folder open — no need to clutter up your Desktop or taskbar. A related trick is one that’s often overlooked. You easily create shortcuts to frequently visited websites. Creating a shortcut to a website is easy: right-click anywhere on the desktop, select New/Shortcut, and then type the website’s address into the location box. Click Next and give the shortcut a name. Click Finish when you’re done. Keep in mind that the shortcut can live only on the desktop. Unlike apps, shortcuts for websites can’t be pinned to the Start screen or the taskbar (although files, folders, and website shortcuts can be pinned to associated apps that are pinned to the taskbar).

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Microsoft is stepping even further back from its Windows 8 vision in the next major version of Windows. Alongside a new Start Menu and windowed "Metro-style" apps, Microsoft is planning to remove its Charms bar, an overlay used to access search, share, the Start Screen, devices, and settings. While the Charms were useful for touch machines, their implementation with mouse and keyboard has always been awkward, requiring users to mouse over the corners of a screen to delicately initiate them. The change was first reported by Windows enthusiast site Winbeta, and The Verge can confirm current builds of Windows Threshold, which is expected to be named Windows 9, do not include the Charms bar. ZDNet reports that "Metro-style" Windows 8 apps will get title bars that include some menus with the Charms components, and developers will need to add features to enable the share Charm. The change is likely related to the fact Microsoft is making its Windows 8 apps more flexible, running in floating separate windows on the desktop just like traditional apps. This should greatly improve the mouse and keyboard experience for these apps, something Microsoft has been gradually trying to fix in Windows 8 with various updates. Virtual desktops finally coming with Windows 9 Microsoft is also adding a virtual desktops feature to Windows 9, an addition that will be popular amongst power users and enterprise customers. Apple’s OS X has long supported virtual desktops, but Windows users have always had to settle for third-party alternatives to enable similar functionality . Windows enthusiast site Neowin first reported the addition, noting that virtual desktops will allow Windows 9 users to create separate active desktops and switch between them from a button on the taskbar. Virtual desktops shows Microsoft is serious about pleasing existing Windows users with its renewed focus on the desktop. A preview version of Windows 9 is likely to be made available later this year, allowing businesses and power users to test the new features ahead of an expected release in spring 2015. Microsoft is also readying a combined version of Windows Phone and Windows RT that will remove the desktop and focus on a touch-optimized app and experience. Microsoft officials occasionally refer to this version internally as "Windows mobile," a nod to the name that preceded Windows Phone.

I always feel more at ease knowing Pete and Gene are around. They have access to all the newest tools.

While there are some great deals to be found on Amazon, it's not always the cheapest option. An online tool called PriceJump tells you what products on Amazon are cheaper elsewhere. We're big fans of Amazon. We've written about the perks of Amazon Prime and Amazon's Subscribe and Save program. But as great as Amazon is, its prices aren't unbeatable. How Much Amazon's "Subscribe and Save" Can Actually Save YouHow Much Amazon's "Subscribe and Save" Can Actually Save YouHow Much Amazon's "Subscribe and Save&quo We're fans of Amazon's Subscribe and Save subscription that allows you to get household…Read on lifehacker.com Is It Actually Cheaper to Order Everything from Amazon?Is It Actually Cheaper to Order Everything from Amazon?Is It Actually Cheaper to Order Everything from Am Amazon's pretty much the go-to place for cheap gadgets, books, music, food, and just about…Read on lifehacker.com PriceJump is available as a Chrome extension, or you can use their web site directly. With Chrome, you simply browse a product on Amazon, and click the extension's icon. A list of stores and prices will pop up, sorted from low to high. You can easily see how they compare with the Amazon price. To use their website directly, just enter the Amazon URL via their site, and it'll will tell you where to find that product cheaper (if available). A list of other online retailers and prices will pop up, too. PriceJump is similar to previously mentioned InvisibleHand. InvisibleHand automatically combines shipping into the price (which PriceJump does not do), but in our testing, PriceJump was able to find some lower prices that InvisibleHand did not (even with shipping). Click the link to check it out yourself. PriceJump

Me = IE, always....

I'm not surprised, Pete. These guys are usually on the ball with any threats.

The only people exposed were Mozilla Developer Network members so, it's not as bad as it could be....

A new piece of malware called Poweliks can seize control of a Windows computer — and it can't be detected by antivirus programs. That's because it doesn't download any files to the infected computer; instead, it resides as encrypted text in the computer's registry. From there it can seize control of the computer's processes to do things such as download more malware onto the computer. Poweliks is all but invisible to traditional antivirus programs, which work by searching for recognized malware files — a potentially very dangerous situation, said malware researcher Paul Rascagnères. "As the malware is very powerful and can download any payload, the amount of possible damage is not really measurable," Rascagnères, a threat researcher with Bochum, Germany-based antivirus company G Data, wrote in a company blog post. MORE: 7 Scariest Security Threats Headed Your Way Poweliks, which has also been documented by Tokyo-based antivirus firm Trend Micro, has been spotted infecting computers via a corrupted Microsoft Word file attached to an email, but the file could spread in other ways as well. This is the best place that an antivirus program might be able to catch Poweliks, if the program scans for malicious email attachments, Rascagnères said. If the malicious file is opened, it will create an encoded autostart registry key and hide it within the Windows registry, where the computer's configuration settings are stored. Every time the computer is booted, the key implements code that eventually reaches out to an external IP address controlled by the malware's creators. Through this connection, the creators can then issue further commands. Rascagnères compared the attack's structure to Russian matryoshka nesting dolls: Poweliks targets the innermost "doll" of the computer, and uses that vantage point to compromise the entire device. Poweliks appears to be a fairly recent creation, and it's not yet clear what the malware was created to do. "It might install spyware on the infected computer to harvest personal information or business documents," Rascagnères wrote. "It might also install banking Trojans to steal money, or it might install any other form of harmful software that can suit the needs of the attackers. Fellow researchers have suggested that Poweliks is used in botnet structures and to generate immense revenue through ad-fraud."

Tech support scams are very profitable, as demonstrated by a recent operation, run from Florida, USA, that managed to sell at least $230,000 / €171,000 worth of unlicensed Malwarebytes software. The scammers would find various ways to drive users to call their fake tech support service and convince them to buy computer unlicensed security products, at a higher price than the original software. This particular fraudulent operation caught the attention of Malwarebytes security researcher Jerome Segura, who started to gather information about the company perpetrating the scam and how it operated. He discovered the firm was based in the US, and that, in order to avoid getting caught, they would not call their victims, but instead wait to be contacted by the users in distress, who would be alerted of virus infection through various methods. Segura lists three such methods: ads in Google or Bing search results targeting certain popular keywords (i.e. FBI virus, Netflix support), free registry cleaners/optimizers generating a misleading number of errors and borderline fake/fraudulent pages designed to scare the user. More details - http://news.softpedia.com/news/US-B...Unlicensed-Malwarebytes-Software-452542.shtml

Researchers have detailed a rare form of Windows malware that maintains infection on machines and steals data without installing files. The malware resides in the computer registry only and is therefore not easy to detect. It code reaches machines through a malicious Microsoft Word document before creating a hidden encoded autostart registry key, malware researcher and black hat exterminator Paul Rascagneres (@r00tbsd) says. It then creates and executes shellcode and a payload Windows binary. "All activities are stored in the registry. No file is ever created," Rascagneres said in a post. "So, attackers are able to circumvent classic anti-malware file scan techniques with such an approach and are able to carry out any desired action when they reach the innermost layer of [a machine] even after a system re-boot. "To prevent attacks like this, anti-virus solutions have to either catch the initial Word document before it is executed (if there is one), preferably before it reached the customer's email inbox." Windows Regedit cannot read or open the non-ASCII key entry. Rascagneres said the feature set was akin to a Matryoshka Doll due to its subsequent and continual 'stacked' execution of code. The non-ASCII trick is a tool Microsoft uses to hide its source code from being copied, but the feature was later cracked. Security kit can alternatively detect the software exploit, or as a final step monitor the registry for unusual behaviour, he said. Malware geeks on the KernelMode.info forum last month analysed one sample which exploited the flaws explained in CVE-2012-0158 that affected Microsoft products including Office. Deviants distributed the malware under the guise of Canada Post and UPS emails purportedly carrying tracking information. "This trick prevents a lot of tools from processing this malicious entry at all and it could generate a lot of trouble for incident response teams during the analysis. The mechanism can be used to start any program on the infected system and this makes it very powerful," Rascagneres said. Rascagneres has made a name ripping malware and bots to uncover and undermine black hat operations. He won last years' Pwnie Award at Black Hat Las Vegas for tearing through the infrastructure of Chinese hacker group APT1. ®

You know the drill: Utter expletive, grind teeth, change passwords, get on with life. Mozilla has 'fessed up to accidentally exposing the email addresses for 76,000 members of its Developer Network, along with 4000 encrypted passwords. The breach was caused by a bad script that on July 23 was found to have inadvertently published the records online over the previous month. The offending data sanitisation process failed, resulting in the breach, Mozilla's developer and security heads Stormy Peters and Joe Stevensen wrote in a co-authored post. "As soon as we learned of it, the database dump file was removed from the server immediately, and the process that generates the dump was disabled to prevent further disclosure," they said. "While we have not been able to detect malicious activity on that server, we cannot be sure there wasn't any such access." The exposed passwords were salted hashes but further technical details have not been revealed. The paid warned Mozilla Developer Network users to change affected passwords that were re-used on other websites. The duo said Mozilla would review unspecified security measures including "processes and principles" that may prevent a repeat breach. Mozilla has had few security breaches. A similar breach occurred back in 2010 when a security researcher found a partial database of 44,000 inactive Mozilla addons on a public server. ® http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/08/03/mozilla_gaffe_exposed_76000_email_addresses_4000_passwords/

It’s clear that anonymity, in one way or another, is going to be a part of our digital future. But the folks over at JustLeak.it have looked to the past for inspiration in this brave weird new world. Leak is a web service that lets you send anonymous emails to people: just put in a recipients’ email, choose the type of relationship you have with that person (friend, coworker, etc.) and send off your message. It’s a type of one-to-one anonymity that feels necessary given the number of anonymous sharing networks focused on the broadcast. In fact, Secret was originally built for just this purpose, to send an anonymous message to someone’s email. The Leak service is still pretty barebones, lacking the ability to send attachments, but it does have a built-in network effect through a newsletter, where users can receive the best Leaks of the week in their inbox. It’s PostSecret meets Whisper messaging, all in your inbox. The space around anonymity and privacy (and their intersection) is obviously heating up. But it goes beyond the big guys like Whisper and Secret — Mark Cuban’s CyberDust is picking up steam alongside other one-to-one, ephemeral messaging apps like Confide. Leak taps both sides of the coin to get you to speak directly and honestly to someone specific. Or totally mess with their head. Or flirt. Or actually leak information. You’re expressing the id without the public show of it all, though just because the message is anonymous doesn’t mean that context clues won’t blow your cover. You can try out Leak for yourself here.

Windows is one of Microsoft’s main money makers, and the company is interested in seeing as many current Windows users move to its latest operating system as possible. However, no matter what the company does, there still are plenty of users who are on older Windows versions, including Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7. ZDNet has learned that Microsoft may be working on a huge Windows 9 surprise to convince reluctant users to finally move to the latest Windows operating system available. The company is reportedly considering offering some sort of Windows 9 upgrade deal to XP, Vista and Windows 7 users, with a completely free upgrade option also on the table. This isn’t the first time free Windows 9 upgrade rumors have hit the web, but previous reports suggested that Windows Threshold (Windows 9’s internal codename) might launch as a free download to Windows 8.1 Update, and Windows 7 Service Pack 1 owners. Nothing has been confirmed about Windows 9 yet, but ZDNet says that all the major features Microsoft is working on will be packed in Threshold rather than a following Windows 8.1 Update. Windows 8.1 Update 2 is still due on August 12th, this month’s Patch Tuesday, although the update is not mandatory, and it’s not expected to bring any major changes. The Start menu button, which was supposed to arrive with Update 2, will be included in Windows 9 alongside any other major features Microsoft may have readied for a Windows 8.1 update. Other Windows 8.1 updates might be released later this year as well, although they’re also going to be minor compared with the massive changes coming with Windows 9. This article was originally published on BGR.com

Even though Facebook is very useful when it comes to staying connected with friends, spying on your ex, and pretending you’re awfully happy with your life, the social network isn’t letting you do this for charity — rather, it’s vacuuming up as much information about you as it can to sell better ads. Facebook is willing to go pretty far to get all the information it can about you and it doesn’t have a spotless track record when it comes to observing the privacy of its customers. However, a new class action suit that started in Austria is inviting international Facebook users to join in and demand that Facebook fork over cash in exchange for using our personal data. In the first weekend since launching its “Europe vs Facebook” privacy campaign, the group convinced more than 11,000 participants to join from various European countries, including Germany, Netherlands, Finland and the U.K. Anyone outside of the U.S. and Canada can join the fight. The suit’s main purpose isn’t to raise money for participants. as damages are deliberately set at a low €500 per user (or around $670) – but to make sure Facebook is doing the right thing when it comes to collecting and using user data. The class action suit has several “unlawful [Facebook] acts it targets, as listed by TechCrunch: Data use policy which is invalid under EU law The absence of effective consent to many types of data use Support of the NSA’s ‘PRISM’ surveillance programme Tracking of Internet users on external websites (e.g. through ‘Like buttons’) Monitoring and analysis of users through ‘big data’ systems Unlawful introduction of ‘Graph Search’ Unauthorized passing on of user data to external applications “We are only claiming a small amount, as our primary objective is to ensure correct data protection. However, if many thousands of people participate we would reach an amount that will have a serious impact on Facebook,” Viennese lawyer and data privacy activist Max Schrems, who started the action against Facebook a few years ago, told TechCrunch in a statement. To join this international class action suit, users simply have to fill in a special questionnaire available at fbclaims.com (see source link below) – essentially prove they’re adults using Facebook. Whether the class action suit is victorious or not, the users won’t have to pay anything for being part in the trial.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BZH29nBmac Portable battery packs for your smartphone or tablet are handy. You could buy one, but you can save money by making your own. We've covered how to make a battery pack with an Altoids can, but newer devices can draw a lot more power—so a bigger case can get you more juice. Lenmar Enterprises' guide uses a plastic bar soap container instead of the smaller candy tin, and is much easier to make to boot. The plastic container closes tight and can hold more batteries. Check the video for full details.

It seems as if you've had a bad run with the Gigabyte boards and yet I have yet to come across a bad one. They remain my favorite boards. (Fingers crossed) I just ordered another one for my son's new build. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128514

I agree, I would definitely run KillDisk before you do a clean install.

This definitely sounds like a call for Pete or Gene.

Hey, that's how I keep up to date with what all my grandkids are getting into.......:eek:

Yesterday, at around noon, Facebook went down. The earth kept spinning, shockingly, but Facebook was unavailable. For some users, it would not load at all. For others, it showed the ominous message, "Sorry, something went wrong." In the second quarter, Facebook had posted revenue of $2.91 billion. The second-quarter lasts 90 days, from April 1 to June 30. That's $32,333,333 a day. That's about $1,347,222 per hour. That's $22,453 per minute. Not too shabby. It looks like the outage lasted from from about 12:08 p.m. to 12:27 p.m.. So for the 19 minutes no one could use it, Facebook just lost roughly $426,607. Considering how much Facebook earns every day, it is a tiny hit, but nonetheless, not too many companies can lose almost half a million in less than a half hour. On the other hand, Twitter jumped: Facebook's last outage, which was overnight this past June and lasted about a half hour, also cost the company about half a million dollars. While this Facebook outage was only about twenty minutes, panic set in for many users right away. A police department in California reported countless phone calls regarding the outage: Sergeant Burton Brink of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department went onto to explain, "We get calls all the time like this, cable TV, all sorts of things not working, they think we control." Facebook's control center is just a bit further north than L.A., and we don't believe Marc Zuckerberg is personally fielding any outage calls.