We’re big fans of hacking the Windows Registry around here, and we’ve got one of the biggest collections of registry hacks you’ll find. Don’t believe us? Here’s a list of the top 50 registry hacks that we’ve covered.
It’s important to note that you should never hack the registry if you don’t know what you’re doing, because your computer will light on fire and some squirrels may be injured. Also, you should create a System Restore point before doing so. Otherwise, keep reading.
Prevent Windows Update from Forcibly Rebooting Your Computer
We’ve all been at our computer when the Windows Update dialog pops up and tells us to reboot our computer. I’ve become convinced that this dialog has been designed to detect when we are most busy and only prompt us at that moment.
There’s a couple of ways that we can disable this behavior, however. You’ll still get the prompt, but it won’t force you to shut down. Here’s how to do it.
Prevent Windows Update from Forcibly Rebooting Your Computer
How to Clean Up Your Messy Windows Context Menu
One of the most irritating things about Windows is the context menu clutter that you have to deal with once you install a bunch of applications. It seems like every application is fighting for a piece of your context menu, and it’s not like you even use half of them.
Today we’ll explain where these menu items are hiding in your registry, how to disable them the geeky way, and an easier cleanup method for non-geeks as well.
How to Clean Up Your Messy Windows Context Menu
Stop Windows Update from Hijacking the Sleep/Shutdown Button
As an avid user of the Sleep function on my laptop, I’ve been more than irritated with Windows 7 or Vista’s habit of changing the Sleep/Shutdown button into an “Install Updates and Shut Down” button whenever there are updates from Windows Update.
After the last time I accidentally clicked this stupid button when I just wanted to enter sleep mode, I decided to look for a solution.
Stop Windows Update from Hijacking the Sleep/Shutdown Button
Add “Take Ownership” to Explorer Right-Click Menu in Win 7 or Vista
Taking ownership of system files or folders in Windows 7 or Vista is not a simple task. Whether you use the GUI or the command line, it takes far too many steps.
Here’s a registry hack that adds an item to the menu that will let you take ownership of the files in a single step, so you can delete, move, or otherwise modify the file.
Add “Take Ownership” to Explorer Right-Click Menu in Win 7 or Vista
Disable Aero Shake in Windows 7
One of the interesting new features in Windows 7 is the way you can grab a window by the title bar and “shake” it back and forth to minimize everything else. It’s a fun feature, but just in case you want to disable it we’ve got the solution for you.
All you’ll have to do is apply a simple registry hack, and that
Disable Aero Shake in Windows 7
Add “Open with Notepad” to the Context Menu for All Files
The default method of opening unknown files forces you to go through a list of known applications and is generally a pain to deal with.
That’s why I like to have a context menu option for “Open with Notepad” so that I can quickly open up files without having to go through a lot of trouble.
Add “Open with Notepad” to the Context Menu for All Files
Disable All Notification Balloons in Windows 7 or Vista
If you find the popup notification balloons in the Windows system tray to be too annoying, you might be interested to know that you can completely disable them. This would be an extreme option, of course… typically you can just turn them off in any offending applications, but if you want to disable them across the board, this is the solution.
Disable All Notification Balloons in Windows 7 or Vista
Change the Registered Owner in Windows
If you’ve ever wondered how to change the name of the person that Windows is registered to, this is the quick tip for you. It’s not all that useful for most people, but it might come in handy if you got a computer from somebody else.
To show off the new changes, just type winver.exe into the start menu search box to see the About Windows box.
Quick Tip: Change the Registered Owner in Windows
Kill Windows with the Blue Screen of Death in 3 Keystrokes
Have you ever wanted to show off your keyboard ninja skills by taking down Windows with just a couple of keystrokes? All you have to do is add one registry key, and then you can impress your friends… or use it to convince people to switch to Linux.
This isn’t a bug, it’s a “feature” in Windows that is designed to let users trigger a crash dump for testing purposes. Note: this one doesn’t work in Windows 7 anymore. Also, it clearly doesn’t make Windows better, but we included it because it’s lots of fun.
Keyboard Ninja: Kill Windows with the Blue Screen of Death in 3 Keystrokes
How to Add Any Application to the Windows Desktop Right-Click Menu
If you want really quick access to launch a frequently used application without putting extra icons on your desktop, you can add that application to the context menu for the desktop with a simple registry hack. Here’s how to do it.
For today’s lesson we’ll show you how to add Notepad to the menu, but you could add any applications you want instead.
How to Add Any Application to the Windows Desktop Right-Click Menu
How to Add Google Documents to the Windows Explorer “New” Menu
We’ve already shown you how to create shortcuts to create new Google Docs easily, but what if you want total Windows integration? Here’s how to add them to the Windows Explorer “New” menu for easier access.
This should work for all versions of Windows, and you can modify it to work with Google Apps for your Domain as well. Keep reading for the full instructions.
How to Add Google Documents to the Windows Explorer “New” Menu
How to Add Registry Editor to Control Panel
It’s always struck me as odd that system tweakers use the registry editor all the time to fix annoyances in Windows, but nobody has created a tweak to add the registry editor to the control panel… until now.
I’ve created a registry hack to add the registry editor as another option in the Control Panel in any version of Windows.
How to Add Registry Editor to Control Panel
Remove “Shortcut” Text From New Shortcuts in Windows 7 or Vista
A source of annoyance for many Windows users is the ” – Shortcut” text that is added to the name of newly created shortcuts, and every time you have to manually edit the shortcut and remove that text. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a registry hack for this?
Most long-time geeks will remember that there was a hack for Windows XP, and probably already know that the same hack works in Windows 7 or Vista as well.
Remove “Shortcut” Text From New Shortcuts in Windows 7 or Vista
Disable Win+X Shortcut Keys on Windows 7 or Vista
Windows 7 and Vista have all the same Windows+X shortcut keys as other versions of Windows, such as Win+E for explorer and Win+D for the desktop, but adds in all of the Win+<num> keys to launch the shortcuts in the Vista Quick Launch menu (or switch to apps in Windows 7), as well as Win+X for mobility center, etc.
But what if you want to disable all these extra keys?
Disable Win+X Shortcut Keys on Windows 7 or Vista
Stupid Geek Tricks: Enable the Secret “How-To Geek” Mode in Windows 7
We haven’t told anybody before, but Windows has a hidden “How-To Geek Mode” that you can enable which gives you access to every Control Panel tool on a single page—and we’ve documented the secret method for you here.
NOTE: Do not use this on Vista or XP: things will break.
Stupid Geek Tricks: Enable the Secret “How-To Geek” Mode in Windows 7
Disable Windows Mobility Center in Windows 7 or Vista
Windows Mobility Center is a fairly useful tool for those of us using Windows 7 or Vista on a laptop computer, but might not be for everybody, especially since it takes over the Win+X keyboard shortcut.
If you would rather disable Windows Mobility Center, all it takes is a single registry tweak.
Disable Windows Mobility Center in Windows 7 or Vista
Hide Drives from Your Computer in Windows 7 or Vista
If you’ve got drives in My Computer that you never access, such as a USB Flash drive that you are using solely for ReadyBoost, a floppy drive, or a network drive only used for a particular piece of software, then you might want to simply hide the drive from your computer.
This tip will only hide the drive from being displayed, applications and the command prompt will still have access to it, and you can still manually browse to the folder if you type in the path.
Hide Drives from Your Computer in Windows 7 or Vista
How to Put a Real Libraries Icon On Your Windows 7 Desktop
We’re big fans of hidden registry hacks around here, so when our friend Justin showed how to put a real, working Libraries icon on the desktop, we figured it would make a perfect article for for a few extra geek points.
Yeah, you can always create a shortcut icon for anything on the desktop, but this one is the actual icon without the shortcut overlay. Plus it’s a geeky hidden trick—what’s not to like?
How to Put a Real Libraries Icon On Your Windows 7 Desktop
How to Restore Previous Versions of the Registry in Windows 7
If you want to manually restore a specific section of the registry from a previous System Restore snapshot, or access some specific keys from an older version of the registry, you can do so by getting access to those files and then exporting sections from them. Here’s how to do it in Windows 7 or Vista.
How to Restore Previous Versions of the Registry in Windows 7
Remove or Hide Unwanted Items From the Control Panel in Windows 7
Have you ever opened the Control Panel in Windows 7 and thought there is no reason to have some of the icons listed? Today we take a look at how to remove unwanted or unneeded items from Control Panel in Windows 7.
For some items you won’t be able to easily delete the CPL file if it’s a Windows system file or in use. You could use a program like Unlocker, but we can tweak the Registry to hide items in Control Panel.
Remove or Hide Unwanted Items From the Control Panel in Windows 7
Make the Taskbar Buttons Switch to the Last Active Window in Windows 7
The new Windows 7 taskbar’s Aero Peek feature, with the live thumbnails of every window, is awesome… but sometimes you just want to be able to click the taskbar button and have the last open window show up instead. Here’s a quick hack to make it work better.
Make the Taskbar Buttons Switch to the Last Active Window in Windows 7
Make Aero Peek Display Instantly (or Disable it) in Windows 7
Aero Peek is one of the more useful new features in Windows 7… just move your mouse to the taskbar for half a second, and everything else hides so you can see the desktop or application window. But why does it take half a second?
There’s a simple little registry hack that will change the amount of time between hovering your mouse over the show desktop button in the lower right-hand corner, and the Aero Peek display showing up. The same thing should work for when you hover over an application window on the taskbar.
Make Aero Peek Display Instantly (or Disable it) in Windows 7
Why Doesn’t Disk Cleanup Delete Everything from the Temp Folder?
After you’ve used Disk Cleanup, you probably expect every temporary file to be completely deleted, but that’s not actually the case. Files are only deleted if they are older than 7 days old, but you can tweak that number to something else.
Why Doesn’t Disk Cleanup Delete Everything from the Temp Folder?
Remove “Troubleshoot Compatibility” from the Windows Context Menu
Reader Jeevus wrote in asking how to remove the “Troubleshoot Compatibility” item from the Windows context menu whenever you right-click on an application—naturally, we were happy to explain how to do it, and share with the rest of you.
You’ll want to note that we’re not necessarily recommending that you remove this item, since it could be useful if you’re having compatibility issues with an application, but we’re fans of showing how to do something—also, we just like tinkering in the registry.
Remove “Troubleshoot Compatibility” from the Windows Context Menu
Show the Classic “All Programs” Menu in the Start Menu in Windows 7
There are a lot of new users to Windows 7 who are not happy with the new Start Menu and wish they could revert to the Classic menu. Here is how to at least get back the Classic “All Programs” Menu.
While it’s not quite the same as the good old XP days, if you’re looking to get the All Programs Menu back, this Registry hack will do the trick without installing 3rd party software.
Show the Classic “All Programs” Menu in the Start Menu in Windows 7
How To Add Recycle Bin to “My Computer” in Windows 7 or Vista
Have you ever wanted to add the Recycle Bin to your My Computer screen? Yeah, it’s probably not the most common request, but here’s how to do it anyway with a simple registry hack.
To make this tweak, we’ll be doing a quick registry hack, but there’s a downloadable version provided as well.
How To Add Recycle Bin to “My Computer” in Windows 7 or Vista
Remove Gadgets and Screen Resolution on Windows 7 Desktop Context Menu
One of the first things you might notice in Windows 7 is the addition of the new Gadgets and Screen Resolution items to the context menu. The only problem is that you might not really want them there—so we’ll explain how to get rid of them.
No clue what we’re talking about? If you are using Windows 7 and you right-click on the desktop, you’ll see a bunch of new items at the bottom:
Remove Gadgets and Screen Resolution on Windows 7 Desktop Context Menu
Stupid Geek Tricks: Enable More Fonts for the Windows Command Prompt
Have you ever noticed that there are only two fonts to choose from in the Command prompt properties window? What you might not know is that you can use a simple registry hack to enable alternate fonts, including a very readable font that comes with Windows 7, Vista, or Office 2007.
But that’s not all… you can enable a number of fixed width fonts if you really want to. We’ll cover how this works, as well as one of my favorite “interesting” fonts for the command prompt.
Stupid Geek Tricks: Enable More Fonts for the Windows Command Prompt
Remove ATI Catalyst Control Center from the Desktop Right-Click Menu
Have you ever wondered how to remove the “Catalyst(TM) Control Center” item from the desktop context menu? Here’s the simple registry hack to remove it.
Remove ATI Catalyst Control Center from the Desktop Right-Click Menu
Remove NVIDIA Control Panel from Desktop Right-Click Menu
Have you ever wondered how to remove the “NVIDIA Control Panel” item from the desktop context menu? If so, you probably didn’t realize that it’s trivially easy to remove.
Remove NVIDIA Control Panel from Desktop Right-Click Menu
Make “Command Prompt Here” Always Display for Folders in Windows
We’ve previously explained how you can open a command prompt by holding down the Shift key and right-clicking on a folder or the desktop… but how do you make that item show up without having to hold down the shift key?
There’s a simple registry hack you can do that will enable “Open Command Window Here” item without holding down the shift key:
Make “Command Prompt Here” Always Display for Folders in Windows
Add Encrypt / Decrypt Options to Windows 7 / Vista Right-Click Menu
If you use the built-in file encryption in Windows 7 or Vista, you might be interested in adding an option to the right-click menu to more easily encrypt and decrypt your files, rather than having to use the file properties dialog.
Adding this to the menu couldn’t be simpler – there’s only a single registry key to add.
Add Encrypt / Decrypt Options to Windows 7 / Vista Right-Click Menu
Customize the Default Screensavers in Windows 7 and Vista
Windows 7 and Vista include a nice set of backgrounds, but unfortunately most of them aren’t configurable by default. Thanks to a free app and some registry changes, however, you can make the default screensavers uniquely yours!
You can customize the Bubbles, Ribbons, and Mystify screensaver to enable hidden options with this registry hack.
Customize the Default Screensavers in Windows 7 and Vista
Skip the Annoying “Use the Web service to find the correct program” Dialog
If you’ve used Windows for any length of time, you’ve likely tried to open a file with an unknown extension. Instead of getting a list of programs to open the file with, you get an annoying dialog asking you to use a web service to find a program. So how do we change this?
You can use a registry hack to force Windows to skip this dialog altogether, and give you a list of applications to use to open the file instead, just as if you had selected the second option.
Skip the Annoying “Use the Web service to find the correct program” Dialog
Disable Caps Lock Key in Windows 7 or Vista
The caps lock key is one of those remnants of another age of computers, back when people used to shout at each other more often. Since it’s not entirely useful anymore we’ll learn how to disable it. If you aren’t interested in the explanation you can skip to the bottom for the registry files.
Windows doesn’t have a default setting to allow for disabling the key, so what we have to do is re-map the key to something non-existent so as to completely disable it.
Disable Caps Lock Key in Windows 7 or Vista
Add Defragment to the Right-Click Menu for a Drive
We’ve received lots of requests to add Defrag to the right-click menu for a drive, so we created a simple registry hack that can be easily added that does just that.
After manually applying or downloading the hack, you’ll have a new item on the right-click menu for your drives…
Add Defragment to the Right-Click Menu for a Drive
Add Control Panel to the Desktop Right-Click Menu in Vista
A couple of days ago I noticed a thread on our forum asking how to add Control Panel to the desktop context menu, so I decided to write up the solution for everybody, since it seems like a really useful hack.
There’s a manual registry hack that you can apply if you’d like, or you can download the reghack version and apply it easily.
Add Control Panel to the Desktop Right-Click Menu in Vista
Use Verbose Boot Messages to Troubleshoot Windows Startup Problems
If you’ve ever had problems with your PC starting up or shutting down slowly, there’s lots of different troubleshooting techniques that you can use—today we’ll talk about how to enable verbose messages.
Enabling these verbose messages is not going to magically solve your problems, of course—the point is to use this to identify a problem, which you can then solve through other means, generally by uninstalling a problem application or upgrading a faulty driver.
Use Verbose Boot Messages to Troubleshoot Windows Startup Problems
How to Enable or Disable TortoiseSVN Menus Easily
If you’re a programmer that uses TortoiseSVN to manage your Subversion source control project, you might wonder how to easily disable the menu items without completely uninstalling. Here’s a quick way to do it.
The general idea is that we’ll remove the Windows Explorer context menu items from the registry with one script, and then add the registry entries back with another script.
How to Enable or Disable TortoiseSVN Menus Easily
How to Add Control Panel to “My Computer” in Windows 7 or Vista
Back in the Windows XP days, you could easily add Control Panel to My Computer with a simple checkbox in the folder view settings. Windows 7 and Vista don’t make this quite as easy, but there’s still a way to get it back.
To make this tweak, we’ll be doing a quick registry hack, but there’s a downloadable version provided as well.
How to Add Control Panel to “My Computer” in Windows 7 or Vista
Increase the Speed of the Aero Taskbar Thumbnails in Windows 7
By default you may notice that there is a slight delay when hovering your mouse over a Taskbar Thumbnail. Here is a neat registry hack that will allow you to speed it up.
Once you apply the hack, you’ll notice when you hover your mouse over a thumbnail of an open app on the Taskbar the preview pops up instantly with no delay.
Increase the Speed of the Aero Taskbar Thumbnails in Windows 7
Remove Programs from the Open With Menu in Explorer
Would you like to clean up the Open with menu in Windows Explorer? Here’s how you can remove program entries you don’t want in this menu on any version of Windows.
This simple trick can help you keep your Open with menu tidy, and only show the programs you want in the list.
Remove Programs from the Open With Menu in Explorer
Add “Run as Administrator” to Any File Type in Windows 7 or Vista
Have you ever tried to unzip a file to the Program Files directory in Windows 7 or Vista? You’ll get all sorts of permission denied errors, and generally be unsuccessful. So how do we open up the zipfile as an administrator? For that matter, how do you open any file as administrator?
There’s a simple registry tweak that will let us specify the action to run as administrator for a file type. Unfortunately you’ll have to make the tweak manually, but we’ll walk you through it.
Add “Run as Administrator” to Any File Type in Windows 7 or Vista
Create a Context Menu Item to Copy a Text File To the Clipboard in Windows 7 / Vista / XP
If you are the type of person that likes to keep a lot of information stored in text-format files on your drive, you’ve probably encountered a scenario where you want to copy that information to the clipboard… so you open the file in notepad, select all, then copy to the clipboard. What if you could do it with a simple context menu item instead?
Using a little registry hacking and the clip.exe utility built into Windows 7 and Vista, we can do just that, and we can even hide it behind the Shift + Right-Click menu so that it won’t waste space on the menu unless you hold down the shift key.
Create a Context Menu Item to Copy a Text File To the Clipboard in Windows 7 / Vista / XP
Disable the “Send To” Folder on the Windows Explorer Context Menu
After writing the article about adding Notepad to the context menu I noticed all the comments from users that prefer to use a shortcut in the Send To menu, which got me thinking… I wonder if you can disable the Send To folder?
Of course you can easily disable it… naturally it’s a registry hack, so standard disclaimers apply.
Disable the “Send To” Folder on the Windows Explorer Context Menu
Remove “Map Network Drive” Menu Item from Windows Vista or XP
If you have never used the “Map Network Drive” dialog box, do you ever wonder how to get rid of it? Personally I only map drives from the command line so I never use it either… so I’m thankful there’s a registry hack that can remove the menu items.
If you are unfamiliar with what I’m talking about, just right-click on the Computer icon and you’ll see it.
Remove “Map Network Drive” Menu Item from Windows Vista or XP
Enable or Disable Task Manager
Some time ago I received an email from a reader curious why their Task Manager option was grayed out on the taskbar right-click menu. After a bit of research his problem was solved, and now I’m sharing the solution with everybody.
There is a registry key that will disable Task Manager, although it’s not always clear how or why it was set to disable. In many cases the problem is related to spyware, so you should also scan your computer. Here’s how to enable or disable it.
How to Clean Up Your Messy Internet Explorer Context Menu
Is your Internet Explorer context menu completely out of control? Is it so long that it actually runs off the screen? Here’s how to quickly take a few steps to get rid of all that ridiculous clutter without installing Google Chrome instead.
Sometimes you can remove the items just by using the Manage Add-ons screen, but other add-ons embed themselves a lot deeper, and you’ll need to use a registry hack to get rid of them. Here’s how to do that.
How to Clean Up Your Messy Internet Explorer Context Menu
How to Restore the Real Internet Explorer Desktop Icon in Windows 7
Remember how previous versions of Windows had an Internet Explorer icon on the desktop, and you could right-click it to quickly access the Internet Options screen? It’s completely gone in Windows 7, but a geeky hack can bring it back.
Microsoft removed this feature to comply with all those murky legal battles they’ve had, and their alternate suggestion is to create a standard shortcut to iexplore.exe on the Desktop, but it’s not the same thing. We’ve got a registry hack to bring it back.
How to Restore the Real Internet Explorer Desktop Icon in Windows 7
Enable or Disable Displaying a Message During the Boot Process
If you’ve ever had a corporate laptop, there’s a good chance that you’ve seen a message before you login that talks about the corporate policies and all of that stuff.
Here’s how to enable or disable that login message using a registry hack.
Thursday, December 09, 2010
50 Registry Hacks to Enhance your Windows Experience.
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Block Bad Website with These Simple Steps
How to Block Bad Websites
Introduction
With the amount of malware currently prowling the internet it's becoming increasingly important to protect your computer. I've broken my advice into both simple and advanced methods. With the simple methods you shouldn't notice many hassles in using your computer but you will get adequate protection. Advanced methods may be more difficult to use but your computer will be more secure.
Index
Simple Steps: Methods that are easy to setup and use
- Traditional Protection Layers (Antivirus, Firewall, HIPS)
- Browser Dependent Protection
- Browser Independent Protection
Advanced Methods: Methods that may be more difficult to setup and manage
Simple Steps
1.) Traditional Protection Layers: Antivirus, Firewall, HIPS
A.) Protect your system from infection
Installing an active antivirus program is one of the most important steps in keeping your computer secure. All of the programs reviewed in that article scan for all types of malware, but none can catch all.
In order to compensate for that weakness I would advise that you also use a proactive firewall. Some of the firewalls reviewed have excellent security features, such as Comodo's new automatic sandboxing feature (using isolation) or Online Armor's "run safer" feature (using limited privileges). Personally, I would recommend Comodo Internet Security as it comes with an antivirus, firewall, HIPS, and the automatic sandbox. If you do choose to install Comodo Internet Security, or Comodo Firewall, here's a guide on How to Install Comodo Firewall. All HIPS programs require a little patience in setting up and initially correctly answering the warnings. I would advise that you try one and see if you can deal with the alerts. If they're really too difficult for you then install a simple firewall that lacks a HIPS, but be aware that the protection offered is much less than you would get with the proactive firewall.
If you do decide not to use a proactive firewall, then a good alternative is to get a behavioral blocker, such as ThreatFire. These attempt to detect malware by its behavior, and should have significantly fewer popup alerts. Some malware is best detected by its behavior, so this is a potent second layer of active defense.
B.) Scan for Existing Malware
If you want to ensure your computer is not infected, or perhaps you suspect it is, then I would advise scanning your computer with a few of the programs in this review. Also run a scan with your current antivirus. The programs in the article are specialized scanners, but between them most malware will be detected.
After ensuring your computer is not infected it's now important to keep it that way. One simple approach to help accomplish this is to ensure that any file you download is not malicious before you run it. You can use this guide on How to Tell if a File is Malicious. By following those methods, and using common sense, you should be able to avoid manually running any risky software.
2.) Browser Dependent Protection
A.) General Browser Protection
Almost all popular web browsers now provide some general protection. Firefox, Opera, Google Chrome, and Comodo Dragon have encryption support (with SSL & TLS), deletion of private data, and popup blocking. They also produce warning screens to help you to avoid known malicious sites (anti-phishing, anti-malware protection). Firefox, Google Chrome, and Comodo Dragon also have private browsing modes that clear your tracks when you close the browser. Also Chromium browsers, such as Google Chrome and Comodo Dragon, have built-in secure sandboxing, making them especially difficult for outsiders to exploit even when hackers do find a bug. Comodo Dragon also doesn't have the privacy concerns that come with Google Chrome. In addition it will warn you if the site you are visiting has a SSL certificate that may not be trustworthy.
For blocking tracking cookies I would advise that you enable the option to block third-party cookies in your browser. This will prevent sites from loading cookies in your browser that are not from the site you are currently on. Thus almost all tracking cookies will be blocked. The only time you may have problems, and need to disable this, is sometimes when a site redirects you to another page. That said, in most cases it will work fine.
B.) Security Addons/Extensions
The website ratings freeware such as WOT, LinkExtend, and SiteAdvisor, and link scanners are (reviewed here).
WOT(IE, Firefox, Opera, Google Chrome): This has an excellent warning screen that allows you to choose whether to go to a bad site. This is my favorite sort of approach since it leaves the final decision to the user. If you combine this with your own good sense in avoiding untrustworthy sites, then you have a solid and free preventative web shield. If you happen upon a potentially dangerous site, WOT covers the screen with a warning and waits for you to decide. Whether to stay or leave. You can ignore the WOT warning and go to the site anyway or even rate the site if you disagree with the rating.
McAfee SiteAdvisor(IE, Firefox): This operates much the same as WOT. It also has filtering features, which block links, and a search engine to help prevent unwanted, or potentially dangerous, sites from appearing in your search results. This filtering or "censoring" of sites runs into the problem of false positives. If the filter draws from a false or controversial security rating for a site, then you won't even see the site in search results to judge for yourself whether it is worth surfing. However using it in this regard is optional.
LinkExtend(Firefox): This scans links with eight online services and gives you the verdict. Thus you are given the information, but the decision is still in your hands.
KeyScrambler(IE, Firefox): This encrypts your key strokes so that even if you have a keylogger on your computer your passwords, and personal information, will be protected.
LastPass(IE, Firefox, Google Chrome, Comodo Dragon): This is an effective password manager, with automatic password and form filling. It not only helps protect your passwords and sensitive data but also allows you to confidently create strong pass
words and change them often.
- Adblock Plus(Firefox): This allows you to subscribe to many different filter lists which help block unwanted or malicious content. This can include malware domains or unwanted privacy threats (tracking, web bugs, and marketing-analysis strings). You can subscribe to any of the lists on that page, but be aware that subscribing to too many will slow down your browsing experience. I'd advise subscribing to either Fanboy's List or both EasyList+EasyPrivacy. In addition it may be a good idea to subscribe to Malware Domains.
AdThwart(Google Chrome, Comodo Dragon): This serves the same purpose as Adblock Plus, except it works on Chromium browsers. You can even use the same filter lists.
3.) Browser Independent Protection
One limitation of the browser specific programs or extensions is that they miss other Internet facing applications (Internet messengers, Email programs, media players, etc.). Secure DNS services can filter out known malicious content, but a more general and potent way is with PeerBlock or HostsMan. This is explained here.
There are many good free DNS providers currently available. They are relatively easy to setup and require no software. These services use servers that are more secure than your regular ISP and they even filter out any known malicious content before it even reaches your computer. If you want to understand the technical details about how they work you can read about it here: IP Addresses Explained, DNS Primer.
Below I have listed three of the best services currently available. From them you can choose the one that best fits your needs. None of them will slow down your internet. In fact you may even notice an increase in speed. Each of these has malware blocking capabilities, but at the moment it appears that Norton DNS and ClearCloud DNS are much more potent at preventing malicious downloads. Comodo Secure DNS is currently lagging behind, but this may change as the service matures. I have listed the server names you will use to set up the DNS servers below, but if you're not sure how to set them up you can follow the directions provided by the services.
- 74.118.212.1
- 74.118.212.2
- 198.153.192.1
- 198.153.194.1
- 156.154.70.22
- 156.154.71.22
Advanced Methods
The methods discussed here may be more work to setup and manage but if you're willing to put up with the extra hassle they will also provide you with superior security. Be aware that these methods are in addition to those already discussed above. Therefore if you haven't read through the simple methods first then go back. If not then read on.
1.) Limit the Actions Malware Can Take
A.) Use Least-privileged User Accounts (LUA)
I highly suggest using a limited/standard user account (LUA or least-privileged user account) rather than a normal, full administrator account. Alternatively, you can selectively reduce rights for particular applications with DropMyRights (download, editor review), but you have to create or modify shortcuts. (XP users may want to use SuRun to run some applications with more privileges.) In some statistical studies, least-privileged user accounts protect against the majority of malware problems.
Personally I think a blanket LUA creates too many annoying restrictions/prompts for innocuous actions, but others find ways to make it work without pulling out all their hair!
Yet another option for Vista/7 users is to keep the UAC active (meaning "user account control", a built in windows HIPS and least privileged account feature) silently or full on. It automatically reduces rights system wide and virtualizes the registry. Read more about it on Wikipedia. Some like using TweakUAC to help reduce alerts. But a silent UAC makes it mysterious whether an application is going to work correctly (you have to check whether an application needs to be run under administrator mode).
B.) Isolate Malware From Your System
Improve your online protection by isolating or sandboxing applications that frequently use the Internet. These novel options will help prevent the vast majority of malware from getting a foothold. If you are willing to put up with the slight learning curve of Sandboxie (home, editor review) or GeSWall (home, editor review), then I highly recommend one of those products. They use different techniques to prevent or remove malware without depending on antivirus and antimalware scanners (that do not detect everything).
2.) Additional Browser Addons
NoScript: Blocks possibly harmful scripts and other content from executing before you can get away fro
m a site (for example, as you notice a poor site rating). It's a general JavaScript, Java, XSS, JAR, Silverlight, Flash, and other plugin blocker for Firefox. It optionally blocks web bugs to help protect your privacy (unchecked by default in "Options" > "Advanced" > "Untrusted"). However, many sites use such scripts and plugins today for legitimate purposes, so NoScript takes some getting used to and requires you to manually allow sites you trust if you want them to work as expected.
CS Lite: However, NoScript doesn't block cookies. You could just use the built-in cookie blocking features of Firefox or another browser (if applicable), but such features are usually difficult to access. CS Lite allows you to quickly allow/block cookies globally and then easily add exceptions to allow/block individual sites, which gives you more user friendly access to Firefox's cookie managing features. It requires much manual customizing, however, if you block cookies globally since many sites will not work properly (or sometimes not work at all) without them.
3.) Manually Block Bad Sites
Many free programs allow you to block bad sites based on a site's IP address. The very best type of IP Blocker that I've tried is PeerBlock. It's a very simple program that monitors IP connections and blocks connections that are on one of its lists of bad or unwanted sites. It comes with default block lists, allows you to easily download other lists (or create custom ones), automatically updates the lists for you, and uses very low resources (unless you have many, many lists). It's especially excellent for heavy users of P2P connections, or for users who don't use a large Hosts file.
The hpHosts, Hostsfile, and MVPS Hosts now focus on preventing malicious content, but they also help reduce ads. All of these Host providers frequently update their files, but make sure you remember to manually download them on a regular schedule (perhaps monthly). Choose only one of the three if you manage them on your own, though.
But you can use HostsMan to quickly update host files like hpHosts and MVPS Hosts. You can even download both of them, combine them together into a single Host file, and automatically optimize them by deleting duplicate entries. MVPS highly recommends setting the default update method to "overwrite current Hosts file" since it will prevent old entries from remaining in the file.
Note that there is always a possibility that malware may try to worm its way into the file (another good reason to update them regularly and to use anti-malware software). Some programs lock the Hosts file for this reason, such as WinPatrol, and most proactive firewalls (Comodo, Online Armor, etc.) will also detect access attempts or changes to it.
Also, users with Vista and above may have to shutdown their DNS client service to avoid slowdowns (all of the host providers above give directions on how to do this). I haven't noticed connection slowdowns with the filter lists I've tried.
If you use too many of these lists, such as a large hosts file and many IP blocklists, then they may slowdown or lessen your browsing experience. Choose them wisely. One idea is to get just one or a few at first, and then decide whether you want more filtering later. It's more important to get to know what they do (and to learn which list blocks which content) than to grab every list you possibly can and perhaps get frustrated with all of them!
4.) Update Software and File Encryption
A.) Repair Security Holes in your Software
Secunia PSI provides you with helpful links to update or uninstall software. But it automatically adds itself to the task scheduler without asking and it's generally slow. So for regular updating, see the article on Software Update Monitors. However, Secunia is also a well respected source for information and you can search its site to read about possible security threats and vulnerabilities to determine the trustworthiness of an application.
B.) Cloak Your Sensitive Information If Needed
Encryption helps with prevention to protect or hide your personal data from prying eyes, thieves, or malware (on the chance that malware luckily gets through and starts scanning for sensitive data).
Sunday, December 05, 2010
Use Group Policy to Set Security Zone for Website
As you know Group Policy Preferences are these fantastic new settings that allow IT administrators perform any configuration they want on a users group using Group Policy… well almost.. In this tutorial I will show you how to configured one of the few settings that are not controlled by preferences but can be configured using a native Group Policy.
The Internet Explore site zone assignment is one of the few settings you specifically can’t configured using preferences, as you can see (image below) the User Interface to this options has been disabled.
There is a native Group Policy that allows you to control Internet Explorer site zone list is called “Site to Zone Assignment List” which I will go thought below how to use.
Step 1. Edit the Group Policy Object that is targeted to the users you whish this setting to be applied.
Step 2. Navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Internet Explorer > Internet Control Panel > Security Page and double click on the “Site to Zone Assignment List” and check the “Enable” option then click on the “Show..” button.
Step 3. Now type the URL in the “Value name” field with the >* on the far left and then type the zone number (see table below) you want to assign to that zone.
Zone Number Mapping
Zone Number Zone Name 1 Intranet Zone 2 Trusted Sites zone 3 Internet zone 4 Restricted Sites zone
As soon as you start typing the URL a new line will appear for the next URL.
Step 4. One you have finished assigning adding the URL’s and site zone number click OK
Tip: If you want to delete a row click on the button on the far left to select the row you want to delete (see image below) and then press the “Delete” key.
(sites in above list are example only)
Now the Internet Explorer Site zone list will now be populated with the zone you configured above and as you can see in the images below the Internet Explorer status bar now show the correct zone based on the that the URL’s in the address bar.
Top 10 Win7 Registry Tweaks
10. Hide Pre-Populated Items in Windows Explorer's Sidebar
Windows Explorer is pretty easy to navigate, but that sidebar can easily get cluttered with features you don't use. For example, if you're the only computer on your network, you probably have no need for the Homegroup or Network trees. Each item in the Explorer sidebar has a registry key, and with just a few minor tweaks, you can have them hidden in no time.
9. Disable Libraries in Windows 7
The new Libraries feature in Windows 7 is, in our opinion, one of its best underhyped features—but if you can't get over the annoyance of having multiple folders grouped together, you can get rid of them with a simple registry tweak. Note that, while you can hide them from the Explorer sidebar using #10, the feature itself is still around, and will likely pop up in other applications. So if you really don't like Libraries, this tweak wil get them out of your sight for good.
8. Change Your User Profile Location
Whether you've bought an SSD and need to move your home folder to another drive or you just don't like how long it takes to navigate to your documents, the registry has a few options for moving your user profile folder. It's not something you want to do if you've been using your computer for awhile (since many places will reference the profile's old location), and it isn't for the faint of heart—since it involves a good 21 steps—but in the end, it may very well make your life a lot easier.
7. Customize Windows Explorer's "Open With" Menu
The context menu is great for performing tasks quickly, but as you install more programs, that "Open With" menu can get incredibly unruly. To get rid of those "Open With" entries that never seem to serve any use, you can manually edit which programs show up for which file extensions in the registry. It's a bit more time consuming than other registry tweaks, but it's far from difficult, and you're sure to be happy with the end result. If, on the other side of the coin, you want a program permanently docked in the "Open With" menu, you can add it yourself through the registry too.
6. Speed Up the Windows 7 Taskbar
The Taskbar is no doubt one of the best features in Windows 7, but it isn't without its tiny annoyances. The Taskbar popups (along with the associated Aero Peek functionality) require you to hover your mouse over the taskbar for a second before they appear—a delay that gets old quickly. If you'd like to speed up the thumbnail delay, all you need to do is tweak a simple key in the registry. You can also get rid of the Aero Peek delay, for super-fast window management. If the Taskbar thumbnails and Aero Peek aren't your style, you can use this registry hack to cycle through windows quickly with mouse clicks instead.
5. Disable Annoying Notification Balloons
The notification balloons in Windows' lower right-hand corner can be helpful, but if you have a number of things going on at once, they can get pretty annoying. It's an extreme measure, but if you'd like to turn them off altogether, all it takes is a very simple registry tweak. Of course, if you find that disabling them completely is too extreme, you can always turn them back on.
4. Change Your PC's Registered Owner
Whether you've acquired a used PC from someone else, or you just don't like the name you registered anymore, you can change the registered owner and registered organization of your PC with a quick registry tweak. It may seem useless to some, but when you inherit an office computer or end up changing where you work, it's a pain when your computer automatically adds incorrect information to everything.
3. Take Ownership of Any File From the Context Menu
If you don't have ownership permissions of a file or folder in Windows, it can be difficult to work with it—and taking ownership of a file is no easy task. Thankfully, with a small registry hack, you can add a "Take Ownership" option to the Windows Explorer context menu, making you the owner of the file in just two clicks. We briefly mentioned this tip before, but you can find the full hack over at our friend The How-To Geek.
2. Stop Windows Update from Hijacking Your PC
Windows' automatic update system is convenient for those of us that would rather not deal with manual updates day in and day out, but when it forces you to reboot your computer (or forces you to install updates when you put your computer to sleep), it can make you want to pull your hair out. Thanks to the registry, however, there are a few different registry tweaks that will keep Windows Update from getting up in your business: one to keep it from forcibly rebooting your computer, and one to keep it away from your shut down and sleep buttons.
1. Enable God Mode to Quickly Access Any Setting You Want
If there's one thing that bugs me about Windows 7, it's that the new Control Panel takes forever to navigate, with seemingly infinite levels of buttons and links to click through just to activate one setting. The Windows 7 "God Mode" hack (which is one of our five favorite Windows 7 tweakers) puts every setting in the Control Panel at your fingertips through a magical folder in Windows Explorer. You don't actually need to enter the Registry Editor to create this beast, but it certainly qualifies as a registry hack, as you're essentially using the registry's Globally Unique Identifiers to create a desktop shortcut to all those settings. While the God Mode folder is the most popular use for this method, its also worth noting that you can use it to create (or re-create) other system places like the Recycle Bin, My Computer, Libraries, and others.
5 Lessons for Meeting More Women
Men: 5 lessons for meeting more women
Have you ever been sold a product before? Hair tonic, a car, bathroom tile? I can guarantee you that the salesperson didn’t pitch you by saying, “Um, excuse me… I hate to bother you… would you be interested in… I mean, probably not, but—” No! Any salesman worth his commission is not just selling confidence in his product, but confidence in himself. “Confidence says I’m bright, I’m likeable, women have liked me in the past, I’m comfortable in my own skin,” says Victor, 38, a real estate broker. “Since she has to make a decision on the spot, confidence through nonverbal communication makes the best impression.” You can even “fake it ’til you make it” through these two very simple means: Smile and maintain eye contact. And remember: If you don’t know that you’re worth talking to, how would she know?
I’m out at a big Hollywood scene with beautiful people. It’s getting late, towards the end of the night, and I ask my buddy Terrance which woman he’s got his eye on. He points to an attractive brunette talking to a cute blonde across the courtyard. Slightly bemused, I tell him that I will make the introduction. As I stride over, I rationalize that if my approach doesn’t go well, she’s not really rejecting me, but rather, Terrance. I know this isn’t true, but it gets me going.
I arrive while the women are in mid-conversation. I say nothing for a few seconds and when they both look at me, I chime in: “You guys just keep talking. I’ll interrupt when I’ve got something interesting to contribute.” And that was it. It wasn’t a line. It wasn’t planned. It just happened. After three minutes, Terrance came over, I made the introductions, and we both got phone numbers. The moral of the story? Playing my little conversational trick in all pick-up situations can be really helpful. Just ask any married friend how easy it is to talk with women when you know that there are no stakes involved. If it’s not about you, you can’t possibly fail.
Lesson #3: There’s power in numbers
Believe it or not, three is better than one. When you approach a woman who is by herself, she knows that you’re hitting on her based solely on your attraction to her. This increases the pressure in a way that doesn’t always make for a comfortable situation. That’s why the safest way to meet a woman is to approach her in a crowd of her friends. Now there’s no pressure, because nobody knows who you’re hitting on, and you can just be the friendly guy who’s chatting with everybody. “If you’re charming, funny or bright,” says Charles, 36, “she might find herself interested in you before you’ve expressed interest in her.” This tilts things in your favor, even to the point where you might be in control. “By charming her friends and getting their approval, the one you like will be that much more open when you ask her out,” adds Charles.
Lesson #4: It’s just that easy
If you ever doubt how simple it can be to meet a woman, this story should inspire you: I was at a party with some close friends and saw an acquaintance across the room. Late 30s, attractive, friendly, likeable. We’d met probably four times before through a mutual friend who was also at the party. When our eyes met, I smiled at her. She smiled back. Because it was a large and crowded room, I put out my index finger and beckoned her to come over to me. She sort of did a double take, smiled even more broadly and came right over.
“Hi,” I said, warmly.
“Hi,” she said, blankly. Then it hit me.
“You have no idea who I am,” I said.
“None whatsoever,” she replied.
“It’s Evan. Evan Katz.”
“Oh, yes — we’ve met! You cut your hair. I didn’t even recognize you.” She gave me a hug. But I had one more important question to ask her before we continued talking.
“Is it really that easy to get a woman to talk to you… just by calling her over with your finger?”
She took a second to consider the evidence and replied, “Apparently, it is.”
So there you have it. We men have more power than we even realized.
Lesson #5: The outcome doesn’t matter
Maybe you’re not her type. Maybe she’s just out of a relationship. Maybe she’s having troubles at work. Maybe she’s not perceptive enough to recognize your worth. You never know why someone may not be interested in you. Truthfully, it doesn’t matter. It’s more diminishing to your self-esteem to let fear run your life than it is to get rejected. Here’s one story below that showcases this in a big way.
So I was in the checkout line at the grocery store, and I was waiting for a woman with 400 coupons. In the meantime, I was talking to the tall, raven-haired cutie behind me. We were making jokes, laughing, passing the time. All in all, a very pleasant five minutes of my life. The coupon lady finished up. I paid for my stuff, said goodbye to my new friend and rolled my cart out the door.
The second I hit the fresh air, I was kicking myself: Dummy! Why didn’t you ask for her phone number? Because I got all embarrassed what with the other people in line and the woman swiping my bar codes. Because of all the other reasons that nice guys wimp out. I decided that this would not do. I was going to wait until she came out of the supermarket and ask her out. And that’s what I did.
“Hey, it was a lot of fun meeting you in there,” I said to her as she emerged with her bags. “I was wondering if you’d like to grab lunch sometime.”
A big smile came across her face. “You are so cute and I couldn’t be more flattered, but I have a serious, live-in boyfriend. But I really want to thank you for asking. You totally made my day.” After she said goodbye, I went home, walking on air, so happy that I did it, instead of wishing I did it, like so many times before. It didn’t matter if she had a boyfriend or if she was lying or being polite or whatever — all that mattered was that I took a big swing at the plate and even didn’t hurt myself in the process.
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
Cyber Monday 2010 - Sales Estimates
2010 Holiday Season To Date vs. Corresponding Days* in 2009
Non-Travel (Retail) Spending
Excludes Auctions and Large Corporate Purchases
Total U.S. – Home/Work/University Locations
Source: comScore, Inc.
Millions ($)
2009
2010
Percent Change
November 1 – 29
$12,008
$13,553
13%
Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 25)
$318
$407
28%
Black Friday (Nov. 26)
$595
$648
9%
Weekend (Nov. 27-28)
$805
$886
10%
Cyber Monday (Nov. 29)
$887
$1,028
16%
*Corresponding days based on corresponding shopping days
(November 2 thru November 30, 2009)
Cyber Monday’s 16-percent growth in sales versus year ago was driven primarily by an increase in average spending per buyer (up 12 percent) while the number of buyers on Cyber Monday grew by a lower 4 percent to 9 million. The average spending per transaction grew 10 percent to $60.05, while the total number of transactions increased 6 percent to 17.1 million.
Breakdown of Cyber Monday Spending Growth
Cyber Monday 2010 vs. Cyber Monday 2009
Total U.S. – Home/Work/University Locations
Source: comScore, Inc.
Cyber Monday 2009
Cyber Monday 2010
Percent Change
Dollar Sales ($ Millions)
$887
$1,028
16%
Buyers (Millions)
8.7
9.0
4%
Dollars per Buyer
$102.19
$114.24
12%
Dollars per transaction
$54.83
$60.05
10%
Transactions (Millions)
16.2
17.1
6%
Transactions per Buyer
1.86
1.90
2%
Buying at Work Drives Cyber Monday Spending
Nearly half of dollars spent online at U.S. Web sites originated from work computers (48.9 percent), representing a decline of 3.8 percentage points from last year. Buying from home comprised the majority of the remaining share (45.4 percent) while buying at U.S. Web sites from international locations accounted for 5.8 percent of sales.
Breakdown of Cyber Monday Spending Growth by Location
Cyber Monday 2010 vs. Cyber Monday 2009
Total U.S. – Home/Work/University Locations
Source: comScore, Inc.
Cyber Monday 2009
Cyber Monday 2010
Point Change
Home (incl. University)
41.6%
45.4%
3.8
Work
52.9%
48.9%
-3.8
International
5.8%
5.8%
0.0
Total
100.0%
100.0%
N/A
“Since its inception, e-commerce activity has been driven heavily by people making online purchases while at work, an effect that is magnified on Cyber Monday as people return to their desks after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend,” added Mr. Fulgoni. “While online shopping from work originally occurred to take advantage of broadband speeds that people lacked at home, it was widely believed that this would decline markedly as home broadband connectivity increased. The fact that spending from work remains so prevalent suggests other explanations. It is more likely that consumers continue to shop from work primarily because by doing so they are able to shop for holiday gifts while minimizing the risk that their children, spouses and significant others might see what Santa will bring .”
Weekly Online Holiday Retail Sales
About comScore
comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) is a global leader in measuring the digital world and preferred source of digital marketing intelligence. For more information, please visit www.comscore.com/companyinfo.
