Computer Info – June 19, 2002

 

This Week’s Meeting

            Why not bring in some of your favorite web sites for us to visit and share with the group. 

 

Computer Terms

BSOD (Blue Screen of Death)

            This is jargon for the Windows system error in which the computer freezes and the screen turns blue.  In most cases, the user must reboot.

CAB file (cabinet file)

            CAB is a Microsoft archive format used for distributing Microsoft software.  A CAB file contains one or more compressed files in a single file.

Firewall

            A firewall is software or hardware that limits certain kinds of computer access from a network or other outside source.  Firewalls thwart would-be hackers from infiltrating computer systems.

CPU (Central Processing Unit)

            This is the “brain” of your computer.  Every time you use software to perform a task, data passes through the CPU, which is a silicon chip containing millions of tiny transistors. 

 

Web Addresses

Scanner Enthusiasts – a web site for frequencies and other information for East Central Florida

                        http://home.cfl.rr.com/scanner/brevard.htm

 

Missing Children – why not check this site every once in awhile to see if you can help locate someone’s missing child.

                        http://www.ncmec.org/

 

Internet Explorer

            Tired of those flashing, annoying animated ads when using Internet Explorer.  Try hitting the ESC key whenever you encounter a page where you wish the animation to stop.  In most cases, the animations stop and the ad becomes like any other graphic.

            If you wish to stop this type of animation permanently, click the TOOLS menu, choose INTERNET OPTIONS, and then click the ADVANCED tab.  Scroll down to the section on Multimedia and remove the check mark next to Play Animations In Web Pages.  Click OK.

 

SmartMedia and Windows XP

(info from PC Photo – July 2002)

            If you choose to format your SmartMedia card with your computer using Windows XP rather than formatting it with your camera, you may create a compatibility issue. 

            When you format your card using your camera, it does it with FAT16.  When you format your card using your computer running Windows XP, it does it with FAT32.  Unfortunately, the controllers built into cameras don’t recognize FAT32.  The easiest fix for this, is to format with your camera.  If you wish to use your computer, make sure FAT16 is selected rather than FAT32.

 

 

 

Scanreg

            Each day, after a successful boot, a backup copy of your registry is created. By default, Windows 98 allows you to keep up to 5 copies of your registry and they are saved in the \Windows\Sysbckup folder by default – in a Windows cabinet files (*.cab).

            When Windows notices a problem with your registry, it will automatically replace the registry with a backup copy. The good thing about this new feature is that you can easily restore a previous registry "by hand".

  1. Start Windows in MS-DOS mode (press the Ctrl key as soon as your PC starts. This will get you the Bootup menu. Once the menu is up, choose Command prompt only) – or use a Start-up disk.
  2. Change to the c:\Windows\Command folder and then type Scanreg /restore at the prompt
  3. You will get a screen where you can select which registry backup to use
  4. Choose your backup and press Restore
  5. When ready you'll be prompted to Restart your computer

 

VBS.Haptime Virus

If you see this error message when you boot up your computer

            “An ActiveX control on this page might be unsafe to interact with other parts of the page.  Do you want to allow this interaction?”

you probably have the VBS.Haptime virus.  It situates itself in place of your Desktop wallpaper file so that when Windows attempts to load the wallpaper the Haptime worm loads instead.  The really scary thing is that the worm takes advantage of two security holes in Internet Explorer 6.0, Outlook and Outlook Express that lets the worm execute without the user manually opening the email attachment it rides in on.  Worse, the worm can infiltrate your computer when you open an email that’s formatted in HTML and appears to have no attachments but actually has the worm embedded within.

 

            If you have a patched version of Outlook Express, this worm will not work automatically.

            Configure your email server to block or remove emails that contains file attachments that are commonly used to spread viruses, such as .vbs, .bat, .exe, .pif and .scr files

 

Perrun Virus

            PICTURES CONTAINING A VIRUS?  McAfee reported this week that it has received a virus that can infect picture files. The virus, dubbed Perrun, infects JPG files. That is the most common format for e-mailing pictures.

            While Perrun is designed to insert code into JPEG files, the affected image files are not capable of replicating the virus. Instead, the virus requires an executable file, Extrk.exe, to append its malicious content to other files.  Typically, the virus arrives via email or a floppy disk as an executable file, and so the standard warning against opening programs sent as attachments should once again be enforced. The contaminated file unleashes an extractor virus onto the hard drive and when a picture file is accessed with the .JPG extension, the second part of the virus strikes without notice to the sender or receiver of the digital image file.

 

If a .jpg file that has been altered by W32.Perrun is opened on another, uninfected computer, it will not execute malicious actions.  It requires the presence of the Extrk.exe file for it to execute and append its malicious content to other files.