Windows Seven

In the wake of Windows Seven's official launch in the United States, I tried to install an evaluation copy of the operating system. Much to my surprise, it doesn't slow down in my current hardware configuration. Windows XP Pro runs fairly well in my system which I used to test Windows Seven.

The operating system itself is much better than its predecessor. It runs on my system with only 700 mb of memory consumption and has 35 running processes. It feels like I am running my Windows XP but with much better interface. I haven't tested any software installation with Windows Seven and I expect it to outperform its predecessor - Windows XP and Windows Vista. If I could test Windows Seven any further, I will post a follow up on my progress.

I want to congratulate Microsoft for a fine job in Windows Seven. So far they show they can offer better than what was expected.

Unluckily, I have yet to find a driver for my motherboard.

System Configuration:
Intel Core 2 Duo 1.8Ghz
3Gb Kingston Memory
250 Gb Western Digital hard drive
Sony DVD Multi-Recorder
Onboard LAN, Video, and Sound

Norton Removal Tool

If you have been using Norton Anti-virus and have ran out of trial days, you may well use this tiny tool to remove everything Norton has placed within your system. Norton made it a habit of placing various files and registry entries in your system that removing it may caused us a major headache. Even after an uninstall, those files Norton created are still left in your system. Since my last test, this tool performed very well that I was able to remove a Norton product after its trial days has passed.

You can download Norton Removal Tool here.

Ashampoo Burning Studio 9

Lesser known than other burning suites today, Ashampoo Burning Studio 9 has exceeded my expectations. I've been using Nero from the time which writing speed would take 30 minutes of waiting for it to finish. Until I find it disappointing when I have to scrap my discs because Nero failed to write on it. I did not take time to investigate what caused Nero to fail burning my files. Then I found Ashampoo. It was introduced to me by a friend who sells remixed music. He said that better to switch than to waste time using Nero.

For quite sometime now, I have been using Ashampoo and I haven't got a problem. I usually back-up my files every month and every session turns out to be okay. I recommend Ashampoo to my officemates and now we all use Ashampoo except for one.

For me it is a good buy. I don't even have to worry about buffer underruns which I also experienced in Nero. Also Ashampoo has lots of other software you can try and purchase. From Office Productivity Suite, Firewall, AntiSpyware, Defragmenter, to Windows Optimizer. They have exciting products that may interest even the most skeptic buyer.

You can visit Ashampoo's website here.

Safari

I have never used a Mac in my whole life but I always admired Mac and wanted to use one if not for the sky-high price for acquiring one. I even tried a transformation tool for my Windows XP Pro PC t look like a Mac OS X. I like the looks of it though at times I am confused with the location of the buttons on every window.

Just recently, my officemate introduced my to Apple's Safari web browser. From then on, I can seem to unhook myself with Safari. Its got a nice layout and is very Mac. I must admit I am bored looking at my Windows XP PC for quiet sometime. I have been using Windows XP since college so I need a new look for my browsing needs. Besides, Apple promises that Safari is faster (although I doubt that) and much safer.

Safari goes well with Microsoft's Bing Search Engine. They both present a new look and innovation. Since I started using Safari I haven't experienced any trouble at all. I think it is nice to try something different sometimes. It breaks the everyday monotony.

You can download Safari here.

VirtuaWin

Ever wished you have enough space in your desktop for all your running application? Well, VirtuaWin is the right solution to your problem. It even lets you create up to 9 virtual desktops or workspaces!

VirtuaWin manages your virtual desktop enabling you to organize your workspaces more efficiently. It runs on a Windows platform from Win98 to Windows Vista and has a simple interface so you could never go wrong. With VirtuaWin, you can segregate your workspaces the same as mine. I could run all programming related applications in one workspace and open another workspace to run Windows Media Player and other utilities. In this setup I wont be bothered with non-work-related application in my working space. I could also minimize applications appearing in my taskbar so I wont have a scrollbar in it.

You should try using VirtuaWin and notice the difference in your productivity. Once you will get used to it you will get hooked to the feel of having an organized workspace.

You can download VirtuaWin here.

CodeGear Delphi 2009

After several years of using Borland Delphi 2006, the company I work for decided to give us something to experiment on. After six months of the current year has passed, we finally got our copy of Codegear's Delphi 2009.

CodeGear promised a lot when they released the new version. They now even support Unicode. They changed the look of the IDE to fit with the new versions of Windows operating system. The best part of the deal is that we availed of CodeGear's promo which allows purchasers to get a free software from CodeGear of the same or lesser value. We availed of their JBuilder for developing Java applications but we may not utilize it as our main development tool.

The sad part of acquiring a new IDE is that our previous applicatins will not compile on Delphi 2009. The components we used were not compatible with Delphi 20009. Components used in Delphi 2009 are also changed in such a way that backward compatibility with the components we used in Delphi 2006 will never happen. It gave us a terrible headache on how we can migrate our applications. We might not migrate after all. Just develop new applications with Delphi 2009 and applications developed in Delphi 2006 will be remain as is. It is discouraging to know that our applications will not compiler in Delphi 2009 but we really don't have a choice. So far Delphi 2009 is a superb IDE providing developers with rapid development tools to shorten the development time of applications.

More information on CodeGear Delphi 2009 can be found here.

Windows Defender

If your PC runs in Windows environment, you can protect yourself from spyware and unwanted pop up ads by downloading a free anti-spyware from Microsoft. Although Windows Defender's protection is meager compared to commercial anti-spyware solutions, it is better than having no protection at all. Besides, it is free to every licensed Windows user. Here is a product description from Windows Defender website:

Windows Defender is software that helps protect your computer against pop-ups, slow performance, and security threats caused by spyware and other unwanted software by detecting and removing known spyware from your computer. Windows Defender features Real-Time Protection, a monitoring system that recommends actions against spyware when it's detected, minimizes interruptions, and helps you stay productive.

The benefits of installing Windows Defender include:

Spyware detection and removal

• Windows Defender quickly and easily finds spyware and other unwanted programs that can slow down your computer, display annoying pop-up ads, change Internet settings, or use your private information without your consent.
• Windows Defender eliminates detected spyware easily at your direction, and if you inadvertently remove programs that you actually want, it's easy to get them back.
• Windows Defender allows you to schedule your scanning and removal times when it's convenient for you, whether it's on-demand or on a schedule that you set.

Improved Internet browsing safety

• Windows Defender helps stop spyware before it infiltrates your computer. Windows Defender also offers a continuous safeguard designed to target all the ways that spyware can infiltrate your computer.
• Windows Defender works without distracting you. It runs in the background and automatically handles spyware based on preferences that you set. You can use your computer with minimal interruption.

Protection against the latest threats

• A dedicated team of Microsoft researchers continuously searches the Internet to discover new spyware and develop methods to counteract it.
• A voluntary, worldwide network of Windows Defender users helps Microsoft determine which suspicious programs to classify as spyware. Participants help discover new threats quickly and notify Microsoft analysts, so that everyone is better protected. Anyone who uses Windows Defender can join this network and help report potential spyware to Microsoft.
• To help protect your computer from the latest threats, you can choose to have updates that counteract new spyware automatically downloaded to your computer.

Windows Defender is included with all versions of Windows Vista and is available to download for genuine copies of Windows XP Service Pack 2 or later, or Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 or later.

You can visit Microsoft's Windows Defender here.
Update definitions can be downloaded here.

HijackThis

If you are weary of malware or spyware hiding in your computer, one of the best tools to have in your arsenal is Trend Micro's free utility - HijackThis. This free software scans your computer and the registry for changed settings and registry entries. It then creates a log file that shows the list of registry entries that may or may not be manipulated by a malware. The downside of this utility is that it is not intelligent. When you decide to remove a registry entry, Hijackthis automatically removes it be it harmful or not.

But, do not worry too much. I have visited many forums dedicated on helping computer users interpret the log file HijackThis creates. Or, you can let a friend with troubleshooting expertise take a look at the log file.

To analyze your computer, start HijackThis and run a scan. HijackThis will display a list of areas on your computer that might have been changed by spyware. Do not change any settings if you are unsure of what to do. There are many popular support forums on the web that provide free technical assistance by using HijackThis log files to diagnose an infected computer.

You can download HijackThis, here.

Logon Message

If you want to customize your PC and display something before a user can log in into the system, you can do so by following these steps:

• Start
• Run/Regedit
  
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
• SOFTWARE
• Microsoft
• Windows NT
• CurrentVersion
• Winlogon.
• Value Name: LogonPrompt
  Data Type: REG_SZ (String Value)
• Create a new string value named 'LogonPrompt' and enter the text you want to display. The default message is: 'Enter a user name and password that is valid for this system.' This feature can be used in conjunction with the Legal Notice Dialog Box Before Logon tweak.

Change Icon's Vertical Spacing

Depending on your screen resolution, a certain number of icons fit in each auto-arranged column along the desktop. For example, if your resolution is set to 800 x 600 pixels, 7 icons fit in each column.

Want to get more icons to fit on your desktop without changing your screen resolution? Here's how to adjust your icon spacing:

• Right-click the desktop, and then click Properties.
• In the Display Properties dialog box, click the Appearance tab, and then click Advanced.
• In the Item box, click Icon Spacing (Vertical).
• Decrease the size, click OK, then click Apply to see the result on screen.
• When you're happy with the results, click OK.

On our system, going from the default 43 to 39 squeezed 8 icons into each column.

Yahoo is retooling its homepage

Soon enough, depending on when they will introduce the new homepage to the Philippines, we will see a major revamp in Yahoo.com's homepage. This comes after several other online hangouts increased its popularity in the Internet. Though outshone by many other websites, its homepage is still one of the busiest. According to comScore Inc's recent research, more than 570 million people worldwide came to Yahoo in May alone.

United Kingdom, India and France will see the retooled homepage later this week while the rest of the world will take as long as next year. Like in Yahoo's mail service, the users will have the option of retaining the old design. It is the biggest change change since the site was launched 15 years ago and the redesign came three years after they changed their homepage in 2006.

Yahoo wants to claim back its fame as a gateway for people surfing the web. They also said that the new homepage will make it easier for people with information and services available anywhere in cyberspace. The new homepage sports a variety of applications from other websites which includes e-mails services and plug-ins for Facebook and MySpace. Users can get a glimpse of other sites without leaving Yahoo.

TuneUp Utilities 2009

Ever wished your computer starts faster than it used to?

TuneUp Utilities 2009 is the complete solution for your optimization needs. It comes with 20 intelligent and time-saving tools that will scan and repair errors found in your computer. Once you start TuneUp Utilities, it will scan your entire system and provide solutions on how to solve the problems. It also comes with a fast drive defrag and a one click maintenance.

Features:

• Fast, effective Windows Optimization
• Safe Windows Optimization
• Increase PC Performance
• Solve Problems Quickly and Simply
• Customize Your Windows PC
• Clean Up Your Windows PC

I have been using TuneUp Utilities 2009 for a month now and I could attest that this piece of software works. I scheduled a scan every Friday and it repairs and optimizes my computer. I am spared of additional work of maintaining my computer.

You can download TuneUp Utilities 2009 trial here.

Microsoft Office Live

Last Friday, I read a news article about Microsoft launching a web version of the very popular Office Suite, Microsoft Office. I immediately signed in on Microsoft Office's web site to try it. To my dismay, I am prompted to run a setup before I could use Microsoft Office Live. I endured the hassle of installing Microsoft Log in Assistant and allowing several ActiveX to run on my browser. What I expect to see is Microsoft Office running on my browser.

To my surprise, the web version only allows me to view my documents. When I tried to edit my document, I simply calls my installed Microsoft Office and opened the document. I really thought Microsoft will do something grand this time but I am caught off guard with what they have. I think Microsoft can do better than give us false hopes. Although I prefer Microsoft Office over any other Office Suite irregardless of the fact that it comes with a hefty price, I fail to appreciate Microsoft Office Live. I fail to see enough reason to use it over the locally installed suite.

Microsoft Office Live also comes with a 5GB storage capacity but I, for one, am skeptical about keeping files floating in cyberspace especially important and sensitive ones. You can never be too secure over the Internet.

Overall, while Microsoft Office Suite remains the top preference of users, Microsoft Office Live might not be as popular. There is nothing spectacular about Office Live.

You can visit Microsoft Office Live here.

System Volume Information on Windows XP

Ever noticed a folder called System Volume Information on every hard drive? Well, by default it is hidden and even if you are logged in as an administrator, you can not open the folder. What lays behind these folder?

System Volume Information holds information for proper system functioning. So, unless you intend to wreck your system, you should not do anything to the folder more than viewing its contents.

Things kept by System Volume Information:

• System Restore Points.
• Distributed Link Tracking Service.
• Content Indexing Service.
• Volume Shadow Copy

However, I noticed that its getting bigger that I have to move several files to another hard drive or burn many of them into DVD-R discs. I'm really out of hard drive space but I have really no option at all. The most that I can do is turn off System Restore but I'm hesitant to do that. System Restore is one of the great features of Windows XP. Should I wreck my system I can restore it to any previous date.

I hope Microsoft will provide a work around of limiting or compressing the System Volume Information. As of the moment, I have to transfer my files to another hard drive to free up enough space.

For a detailed instruction on how you can access the protected System Volume Information Folder, you can visit Microsoft's Support site here.

Transport Strike...Again?

Transport groups staged another strike across the country yesterday. Piston, a transport group, claims that they paralyzed 70% of the public transport in Metro Manila. However, reports said that the opposite is true. The strike was hardly felt and heavy traffic is experienced in areas where the protesters held rallies.

I for one is a skeptic for these groups staging of strikes since it does not do any good to everyone. Employees find it difficult to ride to work. Companies lose valuable hours due to employees coming in late. They, the transportation sector, earn nothing during the strike. So it is counterproductive to all parties.

The shocking fact is that these groups are sacrificing the riding public for trivial reasons. One of the two reasons they cited for not plying their routes is the continued rise of oil prices. They could strike all year round but they won't stop any oil price increase. That problem is on the conscience of oil-producing countries. As in the case before, oil-producing countries limit the number of barrel they produce to increase the oil price. That cannot be helped. As long as we rely on fossil fuels we are at the mercy of oil producing countries.

Rumors has it that oil companies operating in the Philippines are conniving with each other to increase their profit. well, that remains to be seen since there has been lots on congressional and senate inquiries regarding the matter but no solid solutions has been dug.

Another sentiment from the transportation sector which I find ridiculous is that they are complaining the substantial increase of fines on traffic violations. Does this prove that they, the transportation sector, has very low regard of our laws and are willing to break any traffic law for as long as the fines are kept minimal? The rationale of the law is to bring disciple to everyone. We won't be fined sky-high if we won't violate any statute. As to the transportation sector, they need not worry about fines if they do not intend to break any law.

It only shows that they are not law abiding citizens. I ride at least twice a day and I know that these people representing our transportation sector are anything but law-abiding. As one of the riding public, I urge them not to jeopardize us in their devious schemes.

Companies May Skip Windows 7?

Windows 7, Microsoft's newest contribution to the operating system(OS) market, received good reviews in contrast to Windows Vista's disappointing feedback. That may be a good news.

But according to a survey conducted by ScriptLogic Corp., as many as 60 percent of more than 1,000 companies that responded to the survey will skip purchasing Microsoft's latest operating system. This is not a problem on Microsoft's Windows 7 but rather a common trend among companies who want to conserve every penny they earn amidst a global financial crisis.

Many companies reasoned that they lack the time and the resources to upgrade their existing system. Another reason for the delay of upgrading is the concern of companies of over the compatibility of their existing applications with Windows 7. Microsoft already said that Windows 7 will feature Windows XP mode which will allow users to run applications on Windows 7. Users will have to install Virtual PC and run XP applications once. After that, XP applications will have no problem running on Windows 7.

If Microsoft fails miserably to market Windows 7 as a replacement for Windows Vista and Windows XP, they might be overtaken by other operating system. Google, for example, plans to release Chrome OS - an open source and lightweight operating system targeted for netbooks. Google might exploit the companies unwillingness and gain share of the operating system industry.

BitTorrent?

If you are into peer-to-peer file sharing maybe you heard the word. Its is a protocol for sharing huge files across the Internet. It is a breakthrough in file sharing technology since a client can download huge files without putting too much strain in the Internet connection. Even computers with low bandwidth can participate in sharing and downloading large data.

The question that has risen over the use of BitTorrent clients is the legality of the content shared over a swarm. A swarm, by the way, is the collection of peers seeding(sharing) the data. Also there comes the possibility that a shared file is virus-infected and since BitTorrent is distributed, the possibility of widespread virus infection is real. A seeder's IP address is also visible during and even after the download which makes it easy for hackers to manipulate computer vulnerabilities.

I have tried downloading a 4 gigabyte software for almost a week and all I got is a folder of compressed, password-protected files and a batch file that doesn't do anything when clicked. Scammers are everywhere in the web and unless we'd be careful we're in for a trap. So before you download anything using any torrent client, be sure you have an anti-virus. And there's a real possibility that what you are downloading for several days are just garbage.

Resource: Tristan Cafe

If you crave for OPM music, TristanCafe.com is the right place for you. The site streams high quality music at no cost at all. All you need to do is visit the site, got o the their music page and select the song you want to stream. The song streams almost instantly so you can listen to it immediately.

With TristanCafe.com you can do many things. It has a social networking page where you can interact, share photos, and upload videos. You can also search and download midi files of your favorite OPM songs complete with lyrics for free. There is also a forum for people who want to talk about anything and everything.

The site is very Filipino in concept. I have been visiting the site since I was in college and I enjoy quality Pinoy music without spending a dime.

You can visit TristanCafe here.

Pinoys poor in 'Life Satisfaction'?

According to a New Economics Foundation-published Happy Planet Index (HPI), the Philippines is among the 20 happiest places in the world but reportedly low on life satisfaction rating.

The HPI measures happiness according to a country's average life expectancy, quality of life data, and environmental track record. A total of 143 countries were scored from 0 to 100 based on three index targets: high life expectancy, high life satisfaction, and a low ecological footprint.

A low ecological footprint is defined as the country's fair share of the world's natural resources, which must not exceed 2.1 global hectares (gha).

The survey focused on the life satisfaction of of the residents of a particular country as a whole. The Philippines scored better than its Chinese, Indonesian and Malaysian neighbors. Its is the only Asian country to be included in the top 20 happiest countries. Scoring 559.0 out of 100 on the happiness index. However, the country scored poorly in life satisfaction - 5.5. A scored shared with countries like Albania, Macedonia and Bulgaria.

It is also worth noting that many poor countries performed well in the happiness index and that many countries around the world are still not happy amid the rising global financial crisis.

Read the full article here.

Webyog SQLyog MySQL GUI

Being an application developer is not an easy task. As I am exposed to MySQL, I learned to use SQLyog by Webyog. It is a GUI for MySQL databases which made my job easier. I could run queries, manage indexes, synchronize and backup my MySQL database from SQLyog.

SQLyog MySQL GUI is the most powerful MySQL manager and admin tool, combining the features of MySQL Query Browser, Administrator, phpMyAdmin and various other MySQL Front Ends and MySQL GUI tools in a single intuitive interface.
Features:

• SQL Formatter
• Visual Query Builder
• Visual Schema Designer
• Index Management
• Object Browser
• User Management

Download Webyog SQLyog GUI here.

Resource: Delphi Pages

Considering my inexperience in Borland Delphi 2006's functionality and capabilities, I have to rely on the Internet for resources which will teach me how to achieve the task at hand. This happened a year ago when I am admitted to an in-house software development section of a company which uses Delphi as its development tool. During this time I took much time browsing the Internet for functions and everything related to Delphi. Until I found DelphiPages.com - A site devoted to the language. It features forums and articles posted by everybody using Delphi from professional Delphi programmers to beginners.

Forum members are more than happy to provide their ideas regarding every posted question on the site. I can attest that since many of my questions are given solutions almost immediately.

For those who are beginning to explore Delphi, I would recommend visiting DelphiPages.com whenever you encounter problems or if you want to learn new things using Delphi, DelphiPages.com is the best place for you.

You can visit DelphiPages.com here.

Bing: Microsoft's New Search Engine

Obviously the nicest of all the search engines I have used when it comes to looks. It is introduced to compete with Google's search engine and take away Google's dominance in search technology. Microsoft really hopes to succeed in replacing Google but that is yet to be seen since in my experience, Bing not yet extensive in indexing much of the sites. It is a big leap since Live Search and introduces many features as well.

Bing (formerly Live Search, Windows Live Search, and MSN Search) is a web search engine, Microsoft's current incarnation of its search technology. Unveiled by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer on May 28, 2009 at the All Things Digital conference in San Diego, Bing is a replacement for Live Search. It went fully online on June 3, 2009, with a preview version released on June 1, 2009. In its first few weeks Bing was successful in gaining some market share.

Notable changes include the listing of search suggestions in real time as queries are entered, and a list of related searches (called "Explorer pane" on the left side of search results), based on semantic technology from PowerSet which Microsoft purchased in 2008. Bing also includes the ability to Save & Share search histories via Windows Live SkyDrive, Facebook, and email.

You can visit Bing here.

Virus Alert: Conficker

Known as Conficker, Downadup, and Kido by many anti-virus programs, this virus spread by exploiting the Microsoft Windows Server Service RPC Handling Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. It was discovered on November 21, 2008.

I have encountered flash drives being infected by this nasty virus. Although this can be removed by many anti-virus programs which has updated anti-virus definitions, a computer without anti-virus programs installed is very difficult to revive. In our company, we even resort to formatting the whole hard drive if the infection is very severe.

Recommendations:

• Use a firewall to block incoming Internet connections.
• Enforce a password policy.
• Ensure that programs and users of the computer use the lowest level of privileges necessary to complete a task.
• Disable AutoPlay to prevent the automatic launching of executable files on network and removable drives.
• Turn off file sharing if not needed.
• Turn off and remove unnecessary services.
• Update your anti-virus definitions and OS everyday.

I would recommend that you use Norton Anti-Virus 2009 to prevent Conficker from infecting your computer. In my experience, AVG Anti-Virus 8.5 detects the infection but failed to remove the virus.

Crimson Editor

Ever need a tool for developing applications in multiple programming languages? Here is the best tool I have tried so far that has loads of features for many programming languages.

Crimson Editor is a professional source code editor for Windows.

This program is not only fast in loading time, but also small in size (so small that it can be copied in one floppy disk).

While it can serve as a good replacement for Notepad, it also offers many powerful features for programming languages such as HTML, C/C++, Perl and Java.

Features:

• Edit multiple documents
  - switch between documents using file selection tab.
  - Ctrl+Tab brings the last accessed document to topmost.
  - support window splitter to see different parts of a document.
• Syntax highlighting
  - configurable via custom syntax files.
  - preconfigured for more than 100 computer languages.
• Multi-level undo / redo
  - all editing actions are recorded from the opening of a file.
  - any document always can be undone to it's initial contents.
  - unlimited undo and redo buffers.
• Project management
  - manage group of related files into one project.
  - remote files also can be included in a project.
• Directory tree view window
  - click to open documents.
  - filter to display only selected file class.
• Find & Replace
  - replace specified text one by one, or as a whole.
  - support regular expression.
• Column mode editing
  - copy and paste rectangular selections.
  - switch between column mode and line mode. (Alt+C)
• 
  Natural word wrapping
  - word wrapping does not affect syntax highlighting.
  - configurable wrapping indentation. (easier to understand the syntax)
• 
  Spell checker
  - around 100000 words were added in the dictionary.
  - users can register new words in their own dictionary. (InstallDir/user.dic)
• User tools and macros
  - execute external programs with proper arguments.
  - compile, execute and test your code.
  - ease your fingers with key stroke recording. (record & replay)
• Edit remote files directly using built-in FTP client
  - open, edit, and save documents in remote FTP servers.
  - save account information (encoded) for automatic logon.
• Print & Print preview
  - configurable page header and footer.
  - print with line numbers.
  - print with syntax highlighting. (used in color printer)
  - true type font selection for printer.
• Other useful features
  support Unicode & UTF-8 encoding, drag & drop text editing,
  single instance / multiple instances, ability to detect changed files,
  bookmark & go to, highlight active line, highlight matching pairs,
  multi-byte support with integrated IME (for eastern languages),
  auto indent, wheel mouse support, copy & paste, line numbers,
  configurable line spacing, option to save files in Unix format,

Download Crimson Editor here

Registry Mechanic

This tool does everything for your registry in just a click. Although it comes with a price, it is worth the bucks you need to purchase Registry Mechanic.

With Registry Mechanic you can safely clean, repair and optimize the Windows® registry with a few simple mouse clicks! Problems with the Windows® registry are a common cause of Windows® crashes, slow performance and error messages. By using a registry cleaner regularly and fixing registry errors your system should not only be more stable but it will also help improve your system performance without expensive hardware upgrades. Learn more about the importance of a clean registry with our registry insight.

Registry Mechanic uses a high-performance detection algorithm to quickly identify missing and invalid references in your Windows® registry. These problems can occur for many reasons including being left-behind after the un-installation or incorrect removal of software, by missing or corrupt hardware drivers, or orphaned startup programs.

With a few easy steps our registry cleaner will scan your entire registry for any invalid entries and provides a list of the registry errors found, you can then choose to selectively clean each item or automatically repair them all. For your convenience and protection Registry Mechanic can also make a backup of any repairs made so that you can easily recover any changes if required.

Download Registry Mechanic Trial here.

USB Vaccine

I tried this piece of software for almost a month now and I never have any problem with autoruns ruining my flash drives. It just did the job of preventing viruses from creating autorun.inf on my flash drive.

The Microsoft Windows Operating Systems use the AUTORUN.INF file from removable drives in order to know which actions to perform when a new external storage device, such as a USB drive or CD/DVD, is inserted into the PC. The AUTORUN.INF file is a configuration file that is normally located in the root directory of removable media and contains, among other things, a reference to the icon that will be shown associated to the removable drive or volume, a description of its content and also the possibility to define a program which should be executed automatically when the unit is mounted.

The problem is that this feature, widely critizised by the security community, is used by malware in order to spread by infecting as soon as a new drive is inserted in a computer. The malware achieves this by copying a malicious executable in the drive and modifying the AUTORUN.INF file so that Windows opens the malicious file silently as soon as the drive is mounted. The most recent examples of this are the W32/Sality, W32/Virutas and also the W32/Conficker worm which, in addition to spreading via a vulnerability and network shares, also spreads via USB drives.

Due to the large amount of malware-related problems associated with Microsoft AutoRun we have created a free utility for our user community called Panda USB Vaccine.

If you are having problems with flash drives spreading viruses into your computer, this is what I would recommend. I have tried and tested it personally. And it's free!

Download USB Vaccine here.