From today's MajorGeeks front page-Oct 2008

bigbazza · Oct 27, 2008

Tip # 76 Password Security

Enter a password, click submit to http://www.securitystats.com/tools/password.php, then

we'll score it against best practices!
Please note that although we will not store the password you enter, it's never a good idea to send your password to someone you don't know.
Instead, we recommend testing a password which is *similar* to one you might use.
Click to expand...

Easy to Remember passphrases are the go.
I entered TvB0Ds,Cd as a test and got a 100% green rated password.
It is a short version for The Very Best 0f Dire Straits, CD with an alternate Zero for an Alpha O, and a comma (,) before Cd
(who types CD as Cd ?), and alternate Upper case and Lower case letters.
And it is easy for me to remember. Try it for yourself as I won't be using it.
Try something similar with a favourite CD, DVD or movie of yours.

Another example is Sorry Seems to be The Hardest Word, by Elton John
might become Ss2bTHW,bEJ You get the idea.

DO’S and DONT’S
DO use a password with mixed-case letters. Use uppercase letters throughout the password.
DO use a password that contains alphanumeric characters and include punctuation, where supported by the operating system.
DO use a password with mixed-case letters.
DO use at least six characters, eight characters for Windows NT.
DO use a seemingly random selection of letters and numbers.
DO use a password that can be typed quickly, without having to look at the keyboard.
This makes it harder for someone to steal your password by looking at your keyboard (also known as "shoulder surfing").
DO change passwords regularly.
The more critical an account to network integrity (such as root on a Unix host or Administrator on Windows NT),
the more frequently the password should be changed. This change stops someone who has already compromised an account from continued access.
Click to expand...

==================

DO NOT use a network login ID in any form (reversed, capitalized, or doubled as a password).
DO NOT use your first, middle or last name or anyone else’s in any form.
DO NOT use a word contained in English or foreign dictionaries, spelling lists, or other word lists and abbreviations.
Do NOT use your initials or any nicknames you may have, or anyone else’s.
DO NOT use other information easily obtained about you.
This includes pet names, license plate numbers, telephone numbers, identification numbers, the brand of your automobile,
the name of the street you live on, and so on. Such passwords are very easily guessed by someone who knows the user.
Do NOT just capitalize the first letter, but add uppercase letters throughout the password.
DO NOT use a password of all numbers, or a password composed of alphabet characters. Mix numbers and letters.
DO NOT use dates e.g., September, SEPT1999 or any combination thereof.
DO NOT use keyboard sequences, e.g., qwerty.
DO NOT use a sample password, no matter how good, that you’ve gotten from a book that discusses information and computer security.
DO NOT use any of the above things spelled backwards, or in caps, or otherwise disguised.
DO NOT write a password on sticky notes, desk blotters, calendars, or store it online where it can be accessed by others.
DO NOT use shared accounts. Accountability for group access is extremely difficult.
DO NOT reveal a password to anyone.
Click to expand...

Sorry it is so long. Bazza

bigbazza · Oct 28, 2008

The chosen few for Tuesday 28th October 2008, are:-

Auslogics System Information 1.2.16.230
http://www.majorgeeks.com/Auslogics_System_Information_d5679.html

Auslogics System Information provides comprehensive and easy to understand information about your system configuration. It can show hardware configuration, video-card information, OS details, list of running processes and other information. The information can be saved as a file and sent to technical support. And it's absolutely FREE. Rating: 4.33 (18 votes).
Click to expand...

Auslogics Disk Defrag 1.5.19.330
http://www.majorgeeks.com/Auslogics_Disk_Defrag_d5266.html

Designed for fast optimization of today's modern hard disks. Size: 1.63 MB License: Freeware Requires: Win 2K/03/XP/Vista Downloaded: 172184 Times Rating: 4.62 (340 votes).
Click to expand...

My note: Small download. Fast defragger. The one I use.

BurnAware Free 2.1.5
http://www.majorgeeks.com/BurnAware_Free_d5839.html

BurnAware Free is ideal for users with basic disc burning needs as backup, creating data, audio, video discs and burning disc images. Free, easy to set up and maintain, it enables you to save your files to disc quickly, provides more flexible interface to help you complete your burning tasks much faster. Rating: 4.68 (229 votes).
Click to expand...

My note: $$$ version also available at http://www.majorgeeks.com/BurnAware_Home_d5968.html

From today's downloading page:

Driver Scan: Update Your Drivers Hassle Free!
Click to expand...

at http://www.liutilities.com/products/campaigns/adv/ds/majorgeeks/txt/

Major Geeks slogan, selected for today:
"MajorGeeks.com - We know you're out there, and we're coming to get you."

Bazza

bigbazza · Oct 28, 2008

Tip # 76 Registering programs.
Which option do you prefer.

Option #1

From iolo System Mechanic v8.0

Register
When you install System Mechanic8.0, you'll be able to take advantage of all the program's features for the duration of the 30 day trial.
To extend this period by a further six months, giving you half a year's subscription to the program for no cost, visit http://www.iolo.com/pcsm to register your details.
If you decide to continue with the subscription after this period, you'll need to pay the standard price as detailed on the program's official website
Click to expand...

My note: Underlining is mine.

Option #2

From Ashampoo Burning Studio 2008

Register & Upgrade.
During program installation, make sure that the Get FullVersion Key box is ticked. Once you've followed the prompts to register your copy of the software online, you'll be able to access all the program's features.
Click to expand...

Which option do you prefer?
!. Use, then Register
2. Register, then use.

Bazza

bigbazza · Oct 29, 2008

Today's selections are only a portion of those shown at www.majorgeeks.com and only at a particular time of the day. Some may be added after I review the days listings. For example, SIW (System Info) 2008.9.9.0 was added after I posted my column yesterday.

Make sure you check out www.majorgeeks.com as there are lots of Anti-Virus updates, today. Too many for me to list them all here.

The chosen few for Wednesday 29th October 2008, are:-

Wise Disk Cleaner 3.7.4
http://www.majorgeeks.com/Wise_Disk_Cleaner_d5436.html

Wise Disk Cleaner is a free, user friendly, fast and easy to use application developed to free up disk space by deleting junk files that are no longer used by any software on your system. Even the least experienced user can easily remove junk files with this tool. Rating: 3.81 (76 votes).
Click to expand...

Portable Google Chrome 0.3.154.06
http://www.majorgeeks.com/Portable_Google_Chrome_d6041.html

Portable version of Google Chrome, called Chromium. All you have to do is unpack and run and all program settings are saved in "Chrome" folder while user settings go in "Profile" folder. Rating: 4.45 (11 votes).
Click to expand...

Also available is Google Chrome 0.3.154.9 Beta at http://www.majorgeeks.com/Google_Chrome_d6037.html

Major Geeks slogan, selected for today:
"MajorGeeks.com - Geek before it was Chic. "

Bazza

bigbazza · Oct 30, 2008

The chosen few for Thursday 30th October 2008, are:

Sysinternals Suite 10/16/2008
http://www.majorgeeks.com/Sysinternals_Suite_d5473.html

The Sysinternals Troubleshooting Utilities have been rolled up into a single Suite of tools. This file contains the individual troubleshooting tools and help files. Rating: 4.79 (62 votes).
Click to expand...

My note: Excellent rating.

EnhanceMyVista Free 1.13
http://www.majorgeeks.com/EnhanceMyVista_Free__d5876.html

An easy to use yet advanced enhancing, optimizing and tweaking tool for Windows Vista. Rating: 4 (33 votes).
Click to expand...

Skype 4.0.0.169 Beta
http://www.majorgeeks.com/Skype_d4245.html

If you are tired of paying outrageous fees for telephony, Skype is for you!

Skype is quick and easy to install. Just download it, register, and within minutes you can plug in your PC headset and call your friends on Skype. Size: 23.8 MB License: Freeware Requires: Win XP/2K Downloaded: 230178 Times Rating: 4.63 (548 votes).
Click to expand...

Check the Ratings score, out of 5, on the right hand side of the program/s you have chosen. This is the MG members review, and maybe should be taken into consideration.

Major Geeks slogan, selected for today:
"MajorGeeks.com - We know you're out there, and we're coming to get you."

Bazza

bigbazza · Oct 30, 2008

Tip # 77 Backup 101

Taken verbatim from Acronis Resource Center at http://www.acronis.com.au/resource/solutions/backup/2005/incremental-backups.html

They state it much clearer than I can.

What's the difference between differential and incremental backups (and why should I care)?

Both differential and incremental backups are "smart" backups that save time and disk space by only backing up changed files. But they differ significantly in how they do it, and how useful the result is.

A full backup created from within Windows, of course, backs up all the files in a partition or on a disk by copying all disk sectors with data to the backup image file. Creating a full backup for unknown or damaged filesystems Acronis True Image copies all sectors to the image file, whether or not the sector contains data. This is the simplest form of backup, but it is also the most time-consuming, space-intensive and the least flexible.

Typically full backups are only done once a week and are part of an overall backup plan. Sometimes a full backup is done after a major change of the data on the disk, such as an operating system upgrade or software install. The relatively long intervals between backups mean that if something goes wrong, a lot of data is going to be lost. That's why it is wise to back up data between full backups.

Most of the information on a computer changes very slowly or not at all. This includes the applications themselves, the operating system and even most of the user data. Typically, only a small percentage of the information in a partition or disk changes on a daily, or even a weekly, basis. For that reason, it makes sense only to back up the data that has changed on a daily basis. This is the basis of sophisticated backup strategies.

Differential backups were the next step in the evolution of backup strategies. A differential backup backs up only the files that changed since the last full back. For example, suppose you do a full backup on Sunday. On Monday you back up only the files that changed since Sunday, on Tuesday you back up only the files that changed since Sunday, and so on until the next full backup. Differential backups are quicker than full backups because so much less data is being backed up. But the amount of data being backed up grows with each differential backup until the next full back up. Differential backups are more flexible than full backups, but still unwieldy to do more than about once a day, especially as the next full backup approaches.

Incremental backups also back up only the changed data, but they only back up the data that has changed since the last backup — be it a full or incremental backup. They are sometimes called "differential incremental backups," while differential backups are sometimes called "cumulative incremental backups." Confused yet? Don't be.

If you do an incremental backup on Tuesday, you only back up the data that changed since the incremental backup on Monday. The result is a much smaller, faster backup. The characteristic of incremental backups is the shorter the time interval between backups, the less data to be backed up. In fact, with sophisticated backup software like Acronis True Image, the backups are so small and so fast you can actually back up every hour, or even more frequently, depending on the work you're doing and how important it is to have current backups.

While incremental backups give much greater flexibility and granularity (time between backups), they have the reputation for taking longer to restore because the backup has to be reconstituted from the last full backup and all the incremental backups since. Acronis True Image uses special snapshot technology to rebuild the full image quickly for restoration. This makes incremental backups much more practical for the average enterprise.
Click to expand...

Bazza

bigbazza · Oct 31, 2008

Did ya spot the MG Halloween logo at www.majorgeeks.com today. :-D )see thumbnail)

The chosen few for Friday 31st October 2008, are:

EaseUs Disk Copy 2.3
http://www.majorgeeks.com/EaseUs_Disk_Copy_d4845.html
High-speed sector to sector disk copy software for hard disk. EaseUs Disk Copy utility offers a very fast and easy way to copy all or part of a hard drive to another hard drive.

EaseUs Disk Copy is a free software, which can create an exact (Mirror Image, Disk to Disk) copy of your old disk, including the operating system, applications, personal preferences, custom settings, and all of your vital data. EaseUs Disk Copy can be used for backup, cloning, or Upgrading your original small hard drive to a new larger drive. Essential Utility for Disaster Recovery.

Limitations: Requires a floppy drive to make an "Emergency Floppy Disk". Size: 30 MB License: Freeware Requires: Win All Rating: 4.71 (95 votes).

Duplicate Cleaner 1.3
http://www.majorgeeks.com/Duplicate_Cleaner_d5464.html
Save disk space by cleaning up identical files. Find duplicate mp3s, photos, or perhaps old versions of documents. This fully featured program will work on home or in a networked environment.

- Now up to ten times faster
- Deep scan more music formats - mp3, wma, flac, ogg, etc
- Tabbed interface
- Delete duplicate files and save disc space
- Microsoft Windows 98,Me,2000,XP

Online documentation is available.

Contentteller Community Edition 1.0.0
http://www.majorgeeks.com/Contentteller_Community_Edition_d3901.html
Contentteller is a powerful open source content management system
Key features:
* Powerful but simple to use
* Search engine friendly out of the box
* Support for multiple websites
* Caching for high traffic websites
* Import and update everything
* Powerful template and style system
* Integration with 3rd party applications
* Fully extendable
* Commercial version available
Requires:
PHP 4.1.2 or better (5.2+ recommended) MySQL 3.23 or better 40MB diskspace 3C4FX6 Rating: 4.52 (25 votes)

Major Geeks slogan, selected for today:
"MajorGeeks.com - It's like Tweakasaurus Rex meets Geekzilla."

A new month tomorrow, a new thread for November, more tips every couple of days.

Bazza

bigbazza · Oct 31, 2008

Tip # 78 Ashampoo Burning Studio Free 6.71
From http://www.majorgeeks.com/download5937.html
Download Now (5.76MB)
My note: Free program. You'll have to register and then you will receive many emails, often, about Ashampoo products usually at reduced prices. Your choice. :-D

Bazza

bigbazza · Nov 1, 2008

For November thread, go to:- "From today's MajorGeeks front page--Nov 2008" at http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=173338

Hope to see you there. :-D Bazza

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From today's MajorGeeks front page-Oct 2008

bigbazza R.I.P. 14/12/2011 - Good Onya Geek

bigbazza R.I.P. 14/12/2011 - Good Onya Geek

bigbazza R.I.P. 14/12/2011 - Good Onya Geek

bigbazza R.I.P. 14/12/2011 - Good Onya Geek

bigbazza R.I.P. 14/12/2011 - Good Onya Geek

bigbazza R.I.P. 14/12/2011 - Good Onya Geek

bigbazza R.I.P. 14/12/2011 - Good Onya Geek

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bigbazza R.I.P. 14/12/2011 - Good Onya Geek

bigbazza R.I.P. 14/12/2011 - Good Onya Geek