Is Windows Password Really Protect Your Data?

Is Windows Password Really Protect Your Data?

So, everyone have set a password to open your Windows desktop or laptop and you always sign-out or lock the screen when leave the system alone.
 
Well! This still wouldn't protect your valuable data, if your system is ever stolen and an attacker may physically access your system to gain and the password could not help much.

A Windows password just prevents someone from logging into your user account; however, if the person have the ability to restart the system, i.e., accessing physically, using a Linux Live CD or even through USB drive, he may boot from these devices and access your files from the live environment. 

This is only possible if the system's BIOS (Basic Input/Output System), which is built into the PC, is the first software run by a PC when powered on and is set to boot from removable devices. This is default's general setting. 

Even the BIOS is set 'not to boot' from removable devices, the computer thief may enter into BIOS and changes the setting to enable booting from removable devices. This could also be prevented by setting a password for BIOS; but few users do this. 

And even a password has been arranged for BIOS to prevent the booting from removable devices would not protect your data. The thief may remove the hard drive from the system then attached it into another computer and access your data. An attacker, once, boots your system using a removable device, then he may reset your Windows password, and BIOS settings as well. A Windows password is not fully useless, but you can physically lock-down to prevent the peoples, who mucking on your system. 

If you really like to protect your data then not only rely on a Windows password. You should have to use encryption, which is a software, whose main task is encryption and decryption of data, usually in the form of files on (or sectors of) hard drives and removable media, email messages, or in the form of packets sent over computer networks.  
 
Encryption software executes an algorithm that is designed to encrypt computer data in such a way, which can not be recovered without access to the key. The purpose of encryption is to prevent third parties from recovering the original information. This is particularly useful for sensitive data like credit card numbers and other personal info. So, when you using encryption, the files are stored on your system's hard drive in a seemingly scrambled form.

When you boot the system, you'll be prompted to enter encryption key of passphrase, which makes your files to accessible. The encryption will prevent the thief, even he reboots the system into another OS or removes the HD and plugs into another computer, and appears as scrambled unless he know the encryption passphrase.

Want to use Encryption: There were plenty of free encrypting software available on net; so, you may choose and install as for your requirements.

Bitlocker is an encryption software available in Ultimate and Enterprise versions of Windows 7 and Vista, but requires a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) on the system. It helps keep everything from documents to passwords safer by encrypting the entire drive that Windows and your data reside on. Once BitLocker is turned on, any file you save on that drive is encrypted automatically. Bitlocker has a new feature, BitlockerToGoReader, which is an application that provides users read-only access to BitLocker-protected drives on computers running Windows XP or Windows Vista. For Windows 7, it gives a lockdown treatment to the misplaced portable storage devices like USB drives and external hard drives.

Truecrypt is an open source, free encryption software. It never saves any decrypted data on disk, but stores them temporarily in RAM. Even when the volume is mounted, data stored in the volume is still encrypted. When you restart Windows or turn off your system, the volume will be dismounted and files stored in it will be inaccessible (and encrypted). If power supply is interrupted, files stored in the volume are inaccessible (and encrypted). To make them accessible again, you have to mount the volume (and provide the correct password and/or keyfile). When you use this software, you should have to enter the encryption password each time your computer boots. You could also set it up to store your important files in an encrypted container, and leaving the rest in your computer as unencrypted. The encrypted container would still be protected the important files you stored in it.   
    
FolderLock is a full suite solution letting to keep your personal files encrypted and locked, while keeping an automatic and real-time backup of encrypted files to an online storage. It also offers portable security for USB drives and CDs/DVDs. Folder Lock also lets you lock files, folders and drives; save your personal information in Wallets; shred files and clean your Windows History. Folder Lock works under all flavors of 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 7/Vista/XP and later. 

A Windows password is still useful; but encryption is more powerful and secured. If your laptop is stolen while powered-on, the thief have chances to open the laptop and access the data, which means the system is already in running mode; so he can access. If the laptop was in a lock screen mode then he required a password to log in, and have to restart the system to try to access. And doing so, he would lock himself because the system forgets the encryption key when its power off! 

How To Transfer Files Between Nearby Smartphones

How To Transfer Files Between Nearby Smartphones

There were variety of ways to transfer photos or files between nearby smartphones; but they're not simple and the method of transfers are not interoperable. Android, iPhone, and Windows Phone has their own ways to transfer files.

 

NFC: Any Android device running on 4.1 or later version and included a NFC chip inside then able to send files via NFC using Android Beam, a feature from Android mobile OS.

Android Beam allows the rapid short-range exchange of web bookmarks, contact info, directions, YouTube videos, and other data. Just open the file or photo then press the phones back to back and you'll be prompted for the file or photo will 'beam' to other phone!

This is great and quickly sending photos; but it couldn't send every type of file and having limitations in beaming of YouTube via Android YouTube app or on other platforms of specific data could not be sent as it requires Android Beam on other devices, too. A faster connection is also needed to send a larger sizes of video or photo via NFC as the Android Beam is limited in beaming of photos or videos onto other platforms, which were not currently supported.

iPhone doesn't integrated with NFC; so, they couldn't work on NFC. Blackberry and Windows Phone's are even included NFC but Android Beam couldn't send files with them. But Windows Phone devices could able to send files between each other by NFC.
 

Bluetooth: All the smartphones, generally, has equipped Bluetooth hardware, which could be used to transfer files between nearby devices and working across all smartphone platforms.

Android supports Bluetooth file transfers by setting up Bluetooth pairing between two devices. Both Blackberry and Windows Phone 8 has also been supporting Bluetooth file transfers while iOS and its devices has not updated.

To share a file, over Android, just open the file that you wish to share and view it then tap the share button and then select Bluetooth option. Before sharing, both devices should be to set Bluetooth pairing.
 

E mailing: E mail is, still, most reliable and easy way in sharing your files over smartphones when comparing third-party Apps, which even well developed and sophisticated software.

 

So, e mailing a file is the best way to share a file with anyone using any smartphone. Just open your e mail from smartphone, attach the file and send to other person's e mail address. The other person will get the file in his e mail's inbox on his smartphone.

 

Apple may refuse in supporting some standard methods of file sharing such as NFC or Bluetooth; but using AirDrop, a Wi-Fi ad-hoc service that supports Mac computers running OS X 10.7 or later and iOS devices running iOS 7 or later, will show other iPhone's in your nearby area and allowing to share files, other data between them.

 

Using third-party services: Hardware based methods are so incompatible across devices, and running platforms, too. So, you should rely on some online services to share the files, photos, videos and even links. dropbox, whatsapp, viber and some other services will work excellent. 

 

There will be a wide variety of third-party Apps, available in Apps store, to sharing files over Wi-Fi using any smartphone and generally, you should have to run the same App as the other person using.
 

Above said methods are not ideal for larger files such as music collections, which you wish to copy to a nearby phone.

In these situations, it is preferable to connect your phone to a computer then copy the files on computer; and then connect the other person's phone to computer and copy the files onto the other phone.

Windows XP: Support Terminates In 2014

Windows XP: Support Terminates In 2014

Microsoft is planning to terminate its support for Windows XP on 08 April 2014. In fact, Microsoft supports Windows XP for around twelve and half years and the supports has also been extended on several occasions; but the year 2014 looks like the deadline. 
 

Windows XP is still widely used and, without doubt, it's the second most popular OS next to Windows 7.

The mainstream support of Windows XP is ended in 2009; however, it's extended support still be continued and Microsoft is still creating security patches and sending them to its users via Windows Update services. 

And starting from 08 April 2014, Microsoft wouldn't offer any technical support and security patches for Windows XP; but Windows XP will be remain as vulnerable and the system may displaying the user is a victim and Microsoft may advise you to migrating to Windows 7 or Windows 8 - a smartest move for the people, who still clinging with XP. 

Below is the Life Cycle Supportive sheet from Microsoft for its OS, which can be accessed from: windowslifecyclefactsheet.  

If you're still interesting and need XP on your system, then you've to face more and more security vulnerabilities and further, finding a new hardware for XP machine would also be difficult. As the latest versions from Mozilla Firefox wouldn't support the older Windows OS, such as Windows 98. 

If you still love XP, and your system has the older software then you have to consider to upgrade a modern version of Windows by running Windows XP in Virtual Machine (VM), which is a software based, fictive computer. Virtual Machines may be based on specifications of a hypothetical computer or emulate the computer architecture and functions of a real world computer. The Virtual Machine runs programs in a Bytecode Interpreter (computing).

Windows 7's Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate editions are having a free of charge feature ' Windows XP Mode (XPM)', which is a Virtual Machine package for Windows Virtual PC containing a pre-installed, licensed copy of Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 3, through which you can easily run Windows Virtual Machine.

To acquire XP Mode from said editions of Windows 7, type windows xp mode in the search box then enter.

 

Applications running in Windows XP Mode doesn't has compatibility issues, as they are actually running inside a Windows XP Virtual Machine and redirected using  RDP (Remote Desktop Services) to the Windows 7 host.

As the supportive for Windows 7 will be continued till 2020; so, it's better to migrating your Windows XP to a newer version of Windows. 

Linux OS is an another choice, if you wouldn't find a right one or really upset on Microsoft OS.

How to Know the Version Number for Your Windows Device Driver

How to Know the Version Number for Your Windows Device Driver

Version names or version numbers are a combined process of computer software. Within a given category of version number (major or minor), is generally assigned to increasing order and corresponding to new developments in the software.

A device driver is a computer program, which operates or controls a particular type of device that is attached to a computer. A driver typically communicates with the device through the computer bus or communications subsystem to which the hardware connects. 

Generally drivers are handled by Device Manager. To open Device Manager for Windows OS, press the keyboard combination Win+R, then type devmgmt.msc and press enter. 

This generic method will open the Device Manager window, where you can work for all recent versions of Windows.

Right click on the device to which you want to know the driver version then highlight Properties and click.

Now Controller Properties window will open for the chosen device. Here you've to switch the Driver tab. 

After switching the Driver tab, you can see the Driver Version number as marked below.  

From this step you can also get driver details, updating the driver software and etc.,

Network Router: Hidden Features

Network Router: Hidden Features

 

The wireless router, which you're using, has a variety of hidden features, and practically, they can be digging-out from the router's configuration page to work better the web interface.

Keep in mind that different routers has different features and you may not have all the features as explained below. The features will also be in different locations with different names in the configuration page of the router. 

Accessing Web Interface: The majority of routers has web-based configuration pages, which can be accessed from the web browsers, as long as you were on the same network of the router. To access router's web interface, you've to enter router's local IP address into the web browser's address bar. To find the IP address, Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center. 

      

To view the status of the connection click Local Area Connection. 

Look for the IPv4 Default Gateway, which is the IP address for your router, and enter this IP address into your web browser’s address bar.

Now, log-in with the combination of user name and password to access the configuration page. Almost all the routers, probably, may using log-in credentials as its default combination; so, check the manual to get the credentials or perform a web search with router's model and number, if you really do not know the credentials. After logged-in, you can view and browse the router's configuration pages then configure it's settings.

Who is on your network? The router's configuration page reveals a option to know 'who is connected' on your network. The option will be in the sections of Status or Wireless or somewhere else - under a button named 'Wireless Clients Connected'. 

You may also view all the activated devices on the network. A table, named DHCP Active IP Table, will provide the Clients Host Name, IP Address and  etc.,

And if you give meaningful names to your computers and devices then the names will also be shown in the list, which helps to verify only the approved devices are connected.  

Wireless Channel: You may modify a variety of wireless network settings from router's web interface, specially Wireless Channel. Modifying wireless channel of router will speed-up the Wi-Fi service. If other wireless networks in your area, probably, using the same wireless channel of yours, then the interference will result a slower performance. So, changing wireless channels will be resulted a good performance of Wi-Fi.     

Note: Before modifying wireless channels, you should analyze the local area networks to get the best wireless channel, which has the least interference. For Wi-Fi, you may use Wi-Fi Analyzer for Android, which available in Google play and for Windows, inSSIDer utility. Both utilities will scan the networks of local area and provide the best wireless channel. 

QoS (Quality of Service): Many routers contain QoS, which ensures better service to prioritizes the traffic in order to provide a better experiences such as Internet phone calls or video conferencing. This is useful to prevent a user, who may slowing down the entire network. QoS features are configurable; so, you may even be able to prioritize one computer’s network connection over others.

Port Forwarding, Port Triggering and DMZ: Router provides several ways to set up a computer as a server to use certain services such as peer to peer file transfers or some forms of VoIP. By default, the feature Port Forwarding may allow you to open a specific port on the internet. 

Routers use Network Address Translation (NAT),  which is a process of modifying IP address, to share a single IP address to multiple computers. When an incoming traffic, through Internet, reaches the router then the traffic will be discarded because the router has no idea to which computer the traffic has to be forwarded. But NAT acts as a firewall and prevents those incoming traffics to reach the computer. By modifying routers settings may also be able to block some specific types of out-going traffics. 

DMZ (De-Militarized Zone) is a subnetwork, which added an additional layer of security, to the Local Area Network (LAN) where incoming traffics were forwarded to DMZ. DMZ forwards all the traffics to a specific computer and the router works as a firewall.       

DDNS (Dynamic Domain Name System): Routers web interface, generally, has the pages for DDNS, which lets you assign a fixed host and domain name to a dynamic Internet IP address. (If you already have a fixed IP address, then you don't need to use DDNS) DDNS is useful when you are hosting your own website, FTP server, or other server behind the Gateway. Before using this feature, you need to sign up for DDNS service at a supported DDNS service provider.

Access Restrictions: Router offers several options such as to control network traffics, block specific vulnerable websites and even accessing Internet in a scheduled timings. Some routers may even allow you to set up the scheduled timings to per computer basis, which limiting only specific system.

To set up parental controls visit: How to set up parental controls

Re-Boot: If you face any problem on network issues, then the router has to be re-booted by pressing either the re-set button, available on router, or unplug the router from power. You may even find a convenient reboot button on the configuration page of your router, so you may reset the router from here, too.

Using Third-Party Firmwares: You may install a variety of third-party router firmwares to know more about the router. Before installing these type of firmwares, you've to check whether your router is supporting these types of firmware. Some firmwares are popular in providing additional features, which were not generally come with your routers. 

OpenWRT is a popular router firmware, which described as a Linux distribution for embedded devices, allowing to access Linux shell and installing software on the router, which works efficiently.

This article doesn't cover all the features of your router rather you may go around web-based configuration pages to get full benefits of your router.

How To Trace Your Laptop, In Case You Lose It!

How To Trace Your Laptop, In Case You Lose It! 

 

"Find My Mac" is a service from Apple to track a lost / stolen Mac computer. But Microsoft doesn't supporting such an equivalent service for its Windows PCs, including Tablets that even running on Windows 8. 

The users of Windows would like the ability of tracking their laptop, which ever become lost or stolen, then install some third-party software. There were several paid services offering for this solution; however, there are also some better free services available. 

All tracking services work similarly after installing a piece of software on your device then set-up an account with service. If you lost the device, then visit the website of appropriate service, and log into your account to view your device location and control it remotely. 

Remember, it would be more difficult to track a laptop than a smartphone - because, a smart phone will probably be connected with data network and in standby mode. So, a smart phone could able to communicate its location while a laptop may be powered off or not connected to Wi-Fi, then the laptop would not be able to send a report.

LockItTight (LiT) is an open source tracking software, which lets you precisely locate and monitor your Windows computers and Anroid phones.

 

In case your computer was lost or stolen then you can access the reports from any computer and able to find where it is, who is using it and how. With all these information, the chance of retrieving your lost computer is greatly increased.

 

Prey also an open source tracking software, which lets you keep track of your laptops, Android phones and even tablets whenever stolen or miss placed.

It offers tracking Apps, too, for Android and iOS that enables using one service to track all of your devices. 

Prey has paid Pro-Plans and Basic tracking services, which is completely free of charge. The free basic service allows you to have three devices linked to your account and storing-up report for ten locations per device. After installing Prey, you’ll be prompted to create a new user account or enter your current user account details.

 

After logged into your account, Prey runs as a Windows service by default. It may also be configured from Start Menu > Program File > choose Prey Folder.

 

By making the service to check frequently, will allow you to get reports quickly and you ever lost your device. To activate this option, go Options for execution then modify Frequency of reports and actions.   

Track the Lost Laptop: Go to Prey website and log into the same account credentials that you've registered. Now, you may view your computer and any other devices, if you already have registered on your account.
 

If you really lost the laptop, then you've to click it's name from Prey control panel.

Now from Main tab, move the slider from 'OK' to 'Missing'. Prey only tracks the device, when it is missing and does not track the location, constantly. Geo option should also be enabled that makes the laptop's internal GPS hardware (or nearby Wi-Fi hotspots names) to report the location. Click 'Save changes' button. 

After this process, a message will be displayed as 'Tracked, waiting for report'. Now Prey software on your laptop will connect the server of Prey. The server checks the status of your laptop then receive a message and generate as a report. You may receive only an alert, if the laptop is switched on and connected over net. There is also an option 'ENABLE ON-DEMAND', where you may request an immediate report; and this option wouldn't work in the free version. However, if you wait for few minutes, the free version will work for your report.         

Once the report arrives, it will be in the Reports tab. The report having the info that you've selected such as laptop's Geo location, IP address, network status and even a screen shot. These info may help you to get the laptop back or it's an evidence to make complaint that your laptop has been stolen.

Blue Screen of Death

 Blue Screen of Death

Blue Screen of Death (or Blue Screen of Doom) BSOD - is a worst type of computer error, when Microsoft Windows encounters a critical system error that causes the system shut down, to prevent damage. 

What causes BSOD: Blue Screens are, generally, caused by poorly written device drivers or malfunctioning hardware, such as faulty memory, power supply issues, overheating of components, or hardware running beyond its specification limits. 

By default, Windows will create a memory dump file when a blue screen error occurs. Depending on the OS version, there may be several formats could be saved in a range of 64kB "minidump" to a "complete dump", which is a copy of entire contents of physical RAM. 

The memory dump file may be debugged later, using a kernel debugger. A debugger is necessary to obtain a stack trace, to determine the true cause of the problem. The information on-screen will be limited and thus it may hide the true sources of the error. 

Windows restarts when a BSOD occurs: Without apparent reasons, if a system restarts, itself, then you may observe it is blue screening problem. By default, Windows automatically restarts the system, whenever it encounters a Blue Screen of Death. Whenever a blue screen appears, a detailed error message will be displayed, and you can disable the automatic reboots of BSOD by the following steps.

Disabling Automatic Reboots of BSOD: Right click on Computer icon and choose Properties. 

System's info window will open. Now click on Advanced system settings. 

Now System Properties window will open; from this window choose Advanced tab then click the Settings button of Startup and Recovery portion. 

 

Now Startup and Recovery window will open. Tick mark of the box Automatically restart should be removed from the portion of System failure. Click OK.

Next time when you get a BSOD, the screen will be stopped and you may read then be able to write the error message. 

How to view BSOD information: NirSoft BlueScreenView is a free application, which helps to scanning the minidump files during BSOD and displaying the crash report.

        
BSOD's report will also be displayed in the Action Center of Windows 7 and the newer versions of Windows, as well. If anyone experienced a blue screen, then check the solutions by opening Action Center.

Windows will analyzing BSOD and other errors that system has experienced; but before showing reports, Windows, itself, has about to fix the problems.  

Tips to tackle BSOD: BSOD may occurred by several ways and following tips will helpful to tackle the problems when you experienced with blue screens. 

1. System Restore: If the system has experienced a blue screening, recently, then use System Restore option to roll-back system's software to a previous state. If this works, then you will recognize that it's software problem. 

2. Malware: Scan the system for malware, which digs deep and hooks the Windows kernel that cause system instability. 

3. Drivers: Improperly installed drivers could also be lead the system to crash. Download the latest drivers from the hardware manufacturer websites and install them. 

4. Safe Mode: If the system runs a blue screen, every time, when switched on then try to booting in safe mode. In safe mode, Windows loads only the essential drivers; and other installed driver, which causes Windows to blue screen, is doesn't work in safe mode. And you may, also, fix the problem from the safe mode. 

5. Hardware: Faulty hardware and errors on system memory or overheating of system may also lead the system to blue screen. 

6. Reinstall Windows: Reinstalling Windows is the right option, which will erase the existing system software and replace with a fresh one. After reinstallation, if the system continues, again, to blue screen  then assume it's a hardware problem.