Purconn

One of least known tools in Windows Vista is the Compatibility Wizard which can be used to resolve one of the most common issues with Vista , that of software not supporting Vista or as many software companies state Vista not supporting there software. The tool can be access by entering the control panel and selecting the Programs feature.

Once there click ” Use an older program with this version of windows” and the wizard will run just follow the instructions and simply tell the wizard which version of Windows your software will work with, it tricks the software into thinking its on that version of Windows. Test the software it should work fine.

Conficker worm, sometimes called Downadup or Kido, has managed to infect a large number of computers. Specifics are hard to come by, but some researchers estimate that millions of computers have been infected with this threat since January. Systems with Symantec Endpoint Protection or Symantec AntiVirus are protected, since these products will detect and remove this worm. Users who lack protection are invited to download a trial version of Symantec Endpoint Protection. Symantec recommends using Network Threat Protection along with antivirus scanning in Symantec Endpoint Protection to proactively prevent the threat from being downloaded to a system.

New variant, Downadup.E, found in the wild
This new variant was found in the wild on April 8th, 2009. Detection was added in Rapid Release definitions with a sequence number of 93981 (April 8, 2009 rev. 25) as W32.Downadup. Security Response gave this variant its own detection starting in Rapid Release sequence 94023 (April 9, 2009 rev. 9). Our initial analysis showed this variant functions similiarly to the original W32.Downadup variant. As noted in our blog, this new variant appears to be dropping W32.Waledac. Detection for this W32.Waledac sample was added in Rapid Release definitions with a sequence number of 93978 (April 8, 2009 rev. 22) For more information on this threat’s functionality, see the Security Response write-up on W32.Downadup.E.

Downadup.C and April 1st
This new variant of the threat is specifically used to enhance the capabilities of previously infected machines. Computers which remain infected with a previous variant of the W32.Downadup family will download a copy of W32.Downadup.C to enhance the capability of the existing threat. Further details on the operation of earlier versions of the Downadup family are provided below in this document.

Some of the notable features of Downadup.C:
Increased command and control domain possibilities. The original variants of W32.Downadup(.B) check 250 domains per day for any new payload from the controller. The new variant now contains an updated algorithm where each Downadup.C infection will check 500 random domains per day out of a total of 50,000 possible random domains. This makes it more difficut for security companies to monitor all of the domains. At the same time, it also will presumably make it more difficult for the attacker to distribute further “attack instructions” to existing Downadup.C infections, since it won’t be practical for the attacker to post attack code on all 50,000 sites. Downadup.C infections will not begin contacting these Web sites until April 1, 2009.

Introduces new anti-detection measures. The new variant of the threat includes a list of strings which it searches for in running processes. It kills these processes if it finds a match. The strings are a method of stopping antivirus process, as well as debugging tools. Examples of strings that it searches for include “wireshark,” “confick,” “downad,” “ms08-06,” and “kb958.”
The previous versions of Downadup can spread in 3 different ways:

Anyone reading the posts on this blog would be forgiven if they thought I was an Apple nut, and everything they make is the best thing ever; but the iPhone is the best smart Phone on the market. It just has one fault unfortunatly it is a major one, nobody wants to buy one. It has the best Internet capabilities out there, but if I wanted to surf the net through a letterbox I would put my pc outside my front door.

It is also an iPod for your music collection and comes with all the features of the iPod range. It falls down on e-mail which is the killer for the business user who opts for a BlackBerry everytime because it works. Everbody wants an iPhone but as a gift.

Unless you have been living in a box for the last ten years you should be familiar with iTunes and the way it displays Album Art in your music collection, well now Apple have taken this feature to it web browser Safari 4 and I must say I love it.

Instead of guessing was it that website or maybe this one you can see it and scroll through them and pick the one you want, pure genius. Microsoft talks about speed with its IE8 but Safari 4 is instant in comparison and its clean looks don’t get in the way of what you really want to see , “the webpage”. Lets face it Microsoft rips enough off Apple why don’t they go the whole hog and do a browser take off Safari and be done with it.

For looks and speed Safari has it all but some users may find the clean look a bit to clean and wonder where all the buttons and drop-down menus and knobs are, you can add most of them in the preferences option. It also has trouble with some websites that are created with IE in mind but they are few and far between.

Currently it is my browser of choice.

Internet Explorer 8 is here and will cause you great joy or will be the cause of some strange problems which seem totally unrelated. It has been my experience that Internet Explorer 8 is more trouble than it is worth but it will be on more systems as time passes and we will have to deal with it. Having gotten my rant out of the way it has some good features which are wort talking about like it Accelerators which aim to increase your surfing productivity buy allowing you to highlight text and perform searches by right clicking and selecting the search engine of choice

.Simply highlight text from any webpage, and then click on the blue Accelerator icon that appears above your selection to obtain driving directions, translate and define words, email content to others, search with ease, and more. For example, with the “Map with Live Search” Accelerator in Internet Explorer 8, you can get an in-place view of a map displayed directly on the page.

Microsoft make a lot of noise about is extra speed, but they must have only tested it against IE7 as in the real world FireFox and Safari are much faster although they do have drawbacks in certain areas.

In the past support companies have been guilty of blaming Microsoft for faults with there products and secure websites are going to have a field-day with IE8 as it is supposed to be more secure than ever; which means you may not be able to access your bank account on-line as your banks website doesn’t support IE8.

To round up you may already have it on your new pc, or you may have downloaded it by mistake as an update sooner or later we will all have to join you

Windows 7 is set to be the new distribution of Microsoft’s flagship operating system and is proving quite a hit with testers. It is everything Vista was supposed to be and wasn’t. It has a very Mac feel which will annoy Mac users and will fuel the Microsoft bashers who say they never come up with any thing original but that aside it is cool looking once you change the default fish background.

One of the coolest features is the tool bar which has open apps seem to float above it as you place your mouse on it, again a Mac rip-off but it works.

New Windows 7 Taskbar