And More!: Announcing a few changes to TechGeekandMore

Hello Everyone. There are a couple of new changes that I’m very happy to report on.

1st Change – TechGeekandMore is growing up. We are now TechGeekandMore.com, The original address for TGM at TechGeekandMore.wordpress.com will now send you automatically to TechGeekandMore.com.

2nd Change – We have an addition and now I guess I can call it a staff for TGM. Andrew Schooler has joined me on the TGM project. Andrew is a fellow tech with years of experience in the support area, so he has heard pretty much everything to do with that thing-a-ma-bob. His 1st post for TGM Software: Organizing web sites, it’s all in the Icon. A Tweak for your web browser. (http://techgeekandmore NULL.com/2009/10/30/organizing-web-sites-its-all-in-the-icon/) involves a very simple tweak that you can use in either Firefox or Chrome (As tested but could work in other browsers too) where you can create multiple browser launch icons and have each icon open a different set of homepages. Its a simple idea, but it had never occurred to me, so I’m sure others out there will think the same thing.

We have a few more things in the plans soon for TGM (including we hope some stuff to giveaway), we hope the information we post here helps those of you who have been stopping in the TGM. The idea for TGM came from the fact that as a tech I get the same questions 10 to 20 times a day, virtually every day (even weekends). So now TGM is here to post those answers, because if you have a question concerning technology, I can guarantee you that I can find a lot of other people with the same question as you. TGM was started to try to explain and more importantly answer those question in simple English (or your native language if you are using the site translator), not in tech-speak or geek-speak. We know there are many choices out there for technology information (just do a Bing or Google search and see) but most of those sites use the languages of Tech or Geek (and yes are considered foreign languages to many). TGM will always do its best to make sure the explanations are in a way that normal people can understand.

Thank you for your support of TechGeekandMore

Alex

Software: Organizing web sites, it’s all in the Icon. A Tweak for your web browser. (Works with Firefox and Chrome)

Like a lot of people I belong to a few Social Networking websites (Linkedin, Facebook, MySpace, etc..) and a lot of times when you want to check on one you want to check up on all of them. The issue I had was that I didn’t want to change my home pages. I say pages because I take advantage of the multiple tab feature of today’s browsers, and with the click of an icon I’m up to date on several blogs that I follow.

So I don’t want to change my favorites but I want to open up multiple pages, what to do? After a quick search on the internet I found that with Mozilla Firefox you can make a quick addition to the short cut to open up a different set of web pages.

Keep in mind these directions are only for Firefox, but will work similarly for Google Chrome. If you are using Internet Explorer 7 or 8 these instructions are not going to work for you.

The first step involves adding a short cut to your desktop. To do this;

1. Right mouse click on a blank portion of your desktop.

2. From the menu choose “New”. A Sub-menu will be generated.

3. Choose “Shortcut” from your list of options.

4. The following Dialog box should appear.

5. Click the Browse button and navigate to the following directory, c:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox. From the list of files choose the Firefox.exe, and then click the Okay button.

6. Finish by choosing the “Next” button and then the “Finish” Button. This will add the Firefox icon to your desktop.

These steps also work for putting a short cut to Google Chrome on your desktop, but the path to the Chrome.exe is different.

7. Once the Shortcut has been created right mouse click on it and from the menu choose “Properties”. The Properties dialog box should appear. Select the Shortcut tab.

8. You will see the “Target:” field and in the field should be the path to the Firefox executable. Eg. “C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\Firefox.exe”. At the end of the statement add any and all websites you want, just add a space between each address.

I repeat the process grouping the websites with common functionality to a different Icon

As an example:

Let’s look at the Firefox Icon I’ve set up to follow some video games I’m interested in. I edit the Target: field to read as the following,

“C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe” http://www.starcraft2.com http://www.commandandconquer.com http://www.bungie.net

In the properties this will appear as one long line without line breaks. As you can see though there are spaces in between each web site I want to open.

If I open my regular Firefox Icon I see the home page that I’ve set up.

If I double click the Icon I’ve set up for my favorite video games, you’ll see that my browser now only opens up those web sites I’ve told it to in the target path.

Keep in mind I am opening multiple web sites, it will take longer to open up because I’m asking the web browser to do more work.

I didn’t have a chance to test out doing this for any other browser, so if you use Netscape, or Safari or any other browser, drop us a line and let us know if you tried it and how it turned out.

TGM Q&A: Cisco VPN Error 56 – VPN wont start (Update from 6/9/09 post)

The post from June 9th, Software : Cisco VPN software / Error 56 (http://techgeekandmore NULL.com/2009/06/06/software-cisco-vpn-software-error-56/), talked about what to do if you got Error 56 when trying to start the Cisco VPN software. Since then I have received a number of reports that the post was a solution but not for everyone, that a few people still had the problem even after making the recommended changes.

So here is some additional information that I hope helps resolve the issue for those who are still battling with this.

Vista/Windows 7

1st thing if you are trying to install the VPN software on Windows Vista or Windows 7, you need to install this signed in on an account with administrative rights and additionally with the UAC (User Account Control) settings in the off position.

To do this you need to go to Start –> Control Panel –> User Accounts –> in the user account screen (select your sign-in name if you see more than one 1sted). Look at the line directly under your name make sure it says administrator (If it doesn’t click where it says change your account type and select administrator), then select the User Account Control settings selection in the middle of the page

Then from The UAC move the selection to Never notify.

The UAC “aims to improve the security of Microsoft Windows by limiting application software to standard user privileges until an administrator authorizes an increase in privilege level” or in other words, makes you just a user on your machine, unless you tell it (each time the prompt appears) that its ok to be admin by entering your password. The problem with Cisco VPN software is that the versions that exist require full administrative rights (The Cisco software was designed before the UAC existed).

Once you have made the change you must reboot (The change in the UAC only takes place after reboot).

Once you have rebooted and signed back in. Uninstall the Cisco VPN software using Programs and Features which is located at start –> Control Panel –> Programs and Features. Select the CiscoVPN software and select uninstall. Once the uninstall completes, reboot again.

Once you have signed back in from this reboot, you can then reinstall the VPN software. At the end of the reinstall, reboot 1 more time and then try and use the Cisco VPN Software.

All Users

Another thing to try involves setting the ICS (Internet Connection setting) to disabled. In the original post I said that you could set ICS to manual. For some setting ICS to disabled seems to work as well.

If this helps let me know, if the issue still continues please provide as much detail as possible as to the type of pc and versions of software installed (OS, Version of Cisco VPN, Type of Anti-Virus) and I will continue to work on a solution.

************************************************************************

June 6, 2009

Software : Cisco VPN software / Error 56 (http://techgeekandmore NULL.com/2009/06/06/software-cisco-vpn-software-error-56/)

Filed under: Cisco (http://en NULL.wordpress NULL.com/tag/cisco/), Computer (http://en NULL.wordpress NULL.com/tag/computer/), Software (http://en NULL.wordpress NULL.com/tag/software/), Tech (http://en NULL.wordpress NULL.com/tag/tech/), VPN (http://en NULL.wordpress NULL.com/tag/vpn/) — techgeekandmore @ 8:13 am Edit This (http://techgeekandmore NULL.com/wp-admin/post NULL.php?action=edit&post=260)
Tags: Cisco (http://en NULL.wordpress NULL.com/tag/cisco/), Cisco VPN, Error 56, VPN (http://en NULL.wordpress NULL.com/tag/vpn/)

If you use the Cisco VPN software you may get a message that says “Error 56: The Cisco Systems, Inc. VPN Service has not been started”.

The problem is as a result of the windows service ccvpnd.exe (Services are in Control panel – Administrative tools – services) which may be listed as automatic start but will not start. Even if you manually attempt to start it, it will shut down just seconds after starting.

The solution is actually a simple one. The problem is caused by Internet connection sharing (ICS) service also being set to automatically start. So in the same service area look for Internet Connection Sharing service, turn it from Automatically starting to Manual (By right clicking – select properties – and the select manual in the drop menu where it says automatic, and also press the stop button just above the drop menu before hitting ok) , and then go back and start the Cisco service on the list. Cisco service will not be killed again.

ICS set to manual does not affect internet services, it just means that it will not start at pc boot up, it will start at the point that the service is needed. In the majority of cases that will be never unless you connect to the internet via another pc, most everyone connects to the internet via a modem connection or a wireless or wired router (Linksys / D-Link) connection.

Alert: Email Claiming to be a Facebook Password Reset Confirmation is a Trojan

Another email is now circulating claiming its from Facebook and claiming that your Facebook password has been changed and that your new information is on an attachment in the email. The email looks something the following

Hey (Insert you name here),

Because of the measures taken to provide safety to our clients, your password has been changed.
You can find your new password in attached document.

Thanks,
The Facebook Team

The attachment is actually carrying an updated version of the Bredolab Virus. If you happen to open and download the attachment (which you shouldn’t do), then what will happen is the Bredolab will automatically download and install really bad programs from the internet. Bredolab is basically the trigger that opens the door to your pc, so that other files can download and install themselves, files like rogue anti-spyware programs that continuously keep popping up telling you that you are infected, and other programs that all the bad guys to basically take over your pc. The easiest way to image this is imagining that someone breaks into your home to steal, and not only do they take your property but they also manage to take a key to your front door so that they can keep coming back anytime they like.

Bredolab is considered a Trojan horse and is smart enough to modify legitimate windows processes svchost.exe and explorer.exe plus have the ability to quit itself when it senses that something is scanning it, so that finding it can be made very difficult.

As always remember that even if you do change your password that Facebook (or any other site for that matter) would not send you account information in an email attachment.

Website: GeoCities Final Day – Closing October 26th 2009

For most home users GeoCities was the 1st place they were able to set up a webpage on the internet to share everything from home pictures to anything else you can think of. GeoCities was one of the very 1st websites to offer free hosting and an easy user screen where anyone without a lot tech skills could set up there “Homestead” (Page) as GeoCities called them.

Each “Homestead” covered a different subject matter, GeoCities was also one of the 1st to sort the user domains by the subject (even though they never actually mandated that your page had to be in a specific homestead). As a trip down memory lane here is the list of Homestead at the height of GeoCities (From The GeoCities Wiki – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GeoCities (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/GeoCities))

Area51 (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Area_51) and /Vault – Science fiction and fantasy
Athens (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Athens) and /Acropolis (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Acropolis) – Teaching, education, reading, writing, and philosophy
Augusta (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Augusta_National_Golf_Club) – Golf
Baja (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Baja) – Off-road SUVs and adventure travel
BourbonStreet (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Bourbon_Street) – Jazz (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Jazz), Cajun food (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Cajun_food), New Orleans (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/New_Orleans) and Southern United States (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Southern_United_States) topics
CapeCanaveral (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Cape_Canaveral) and /Lab – Science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and aviation
CapitolHill (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Capitol_Hill,_Washington,_D NULL.C NULL.) – Politics and government
CollegePark (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/College_Park) and /Quad – University life
Colosseum (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Colosseum) and /Field – Athletics and sports
EnchantedForest (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Enchanted_forest) – Topics of interest to children
Eureka (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Eureka_(word)) – Small business and home offices
Fashion Avenue – Fashion
Heartland (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Heartland) and /Plains – Parenting and family (Originally also focused on pets^{[27] (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/#cite_note-Neighborhoods1996-26)})
Hollywood (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Hollywood,_Los_Angeles,_California) and /Hills (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Hollywood_Hills) – Films and actors
HotSprings (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Hot_spring) – Health and fitness
MadisonAvenue (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Madison_Avenue) – Advertising
MotorCity (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Detroit) – Automobiles and racing
NapaValley (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Napa_County,_California) – Wine
Nashville (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Nashville,_Tennessee) – Country music (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Country_music)
Paris (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Paris) and /LeftBank (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Rive_Gauche) – Romance, poetry, and the arts (For Paris-related topics such as food and culture around 1996^{[27] (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/#cite_note-Neighborhoods1996-26)})
Pentagon (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/The_Pentagon) – Military

Petsburgh – Pets
PicketFence – Home improvement and real estate
Pipeline – Extreme sports (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Extreme_sport)
RainForest (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Rainforest) – Conservation
RodeoDrive (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Rodeo_Drive) – Shopping and upscale lifestyles
ResearchTriangle – Research and Development, technology
SiliconValley (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Silicon_Valley), /Heights, /Park, and /Pines – Computers, hardware, programming, and technology
SoHo (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/SoHo) and /Lofts – Art and writing
SouthBeach (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/South_Beach) and /Marina – A “high-style hot spot for hanging out, meeting and greeting, seeing and being seen.”
SunsetStrip (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Sunset_Strip), /Alley, /Palms, and /Towers – Music such as blues (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Blues), grunge (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Grunge), punk rock (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Punk_rock), and rock ‘n roll (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Rock_%27n_roll)
TheTropics (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Tropics) and /Shores – Travel and vacations
TelevisionCity – Television
TimesSquare (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Times_Square) and /Arcade – Computer and video games (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Video_game)
Tokyo (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Tokyo) – Far East (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Far_East)-related topics, including anime (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Anime)
Vienna (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Vienna) – Ballet (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Ballet), classical music (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Classical_music), and opera (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Opera)
WallStreet (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Wall_Street) – Business and finance
Wellesley (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Wellesley_College) – Women-related topics
WestHollywood (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/West_Hollywood,_California) – homosexual (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Homosexual), bisexual (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Bisexual), and transgender (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Transgender) topics
Yosemite (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Yosemite) – Outdoor recreation including climbing (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Climbing), hiking (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Hiking), rafting (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Rafting), and skiing (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Skiing)

GeoCities which was started by David Bohnett (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/David_Bohnett) and John Rezner (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/John_Rezner), became a Yahoo Property at the height of the Dot Com bubble in 1999. At its height GeoCities was the 3rd most visited website only behind AOL and Yahoo. However, with the dot com burst and even with various changes made by Yahoo (Changing the Homesteads to geocities.com/username sites) GeoCities fell behind as other newer players came on scene.

Yahoo announce earlier this year that it would close GeoCities and now October 26th comes the end of one of the 1st web homes for many (Myself included). Since the announcement of the closing, many sites like the Internet Archive (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Internet_Archive) announced their g
oal of preserving archive copies of as many of the GeoCities pages as possible.

Software: Showing hidden files, folders and extensions in Windows Vista and Windows 7.

My preference has always been to set up Windows to show the hidden files, hidden folders and the extensions to files and programs. I prefer to have control and see exactly what I have on the PC. Microsoft hides these on the basis that these are normally Windows operating system files and folders or that the extensions are just not needed to be seen.

I can see the point if you have a pc that is used by many people (like small kids) or a complete new pc user who wouldn’t know any better, since you cant see the file or folder then you cant delete it. The problem with that is, the many of the Virus and Malware writers use that same feature to hide the files that infect your pc.

Additionally, I guess it assumed that hiding the .exe or .jpg (etc) from files would be for the benefit of users who don’t know any better and would get confused by it. However because the extensions are hidden by default in Windows, the setting allows virus writers to distribute executable files (files that can be installed on your pc causing you to get infected) disguised as something non-executable (like a picture or . For example, an .EXE file might appear to be an innocuous text file.

So as a recommendation here is how to unhide files, folders, and extensions in Windows Vista and Windows 7.

Close all programs so that you are at your desktop.

Click on the Start button.
Click on the Control Panel menu option.
When the control panel opens you will be either in Category View or Large (or Small) Icon view:
*In either case change the setting to Large Icon View to make the following steps easier (See examples below – Where arrow Points)

Category View

Large Icon View

4. Click on Folder Options in the Window

5. Click on the View tab.

6. Under the Hidden files and folders section select the radio button labeled Show hidden files and folders

7. Remove the checkmark from the checkbox labeled Hide extensions for known file types.

8. Remove the checkmark from the checkbox labeled Hide protected operating system files.

(After you have done the steps your window should look like the example below)

Windows Vista Folder Options

**With that you will now see all files on your pc and see the extension for all files and programs. Note that most of the hidden files are Windows files and are required for your computer to operate correctly, so as always NO DONT DELETE ANYTHING UNLESS YOUR ABSOLUTELY SURE YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS AND THAT YOU DONT NEED IT.

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Monthly Archives: October 2009