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IN THIS FREE ISSUE: 0. EDITORIAL: How to surf with complete security Part 3 0.0 EDITORIALThis month I'll show you two more free ways to surf safely. But first let's recap. In issues #129 and #130 I talked about using the free VMWare Reader and the free Ubuntu LiveCD to surf safely. Both are great solutions but both are a little awkward to use as they take several minutes to start up. Today I'll show you two different free products that will allow you to start surfing safely in seconds rather than minutes. The first is called Sandboxie. Its name accurately describes what it does: it creates a sandbox environment on your PC within which you can browse safely. The strange name "sandbox" derives from the Java world where it refers to the highly contained and restricted environment in which Java programs (applets) are allowed to run. They are allowed to "play in the sandbox" but not go outside it. The important point is that while running in the sandbox, the programs have no access to your PC. So it is with Sandboxie. While browsing within the environment provided by Sandboxie you are totally corralled off from your other parts of your PC. Any files you download are isolated to the sandbox. Similarly, any programs that are executed only do so within the sandbox and have no access to your normal files, the Windows operating system or indeed any other part of your PC. This means you have complete browsing security. Nothing you do while browsing can have any effect on your PC outside the sandbox. Starting SandBoxie is simple. You just double click the Sandboxie icon and it will launch your default browser within the sandbox. When you've finished browsing you have the option of deleting all files accumulated in the sandbox during the session or retaining specific files. The secure option is to delete the lot. It's a neat solution for safe surfing but there are some caveats. First, Sandboxie only works on Windows 2000 and later so Win9x users are out of luck. Second, the system is only safe if you choose the option of deleting all files at the end of your browsing session. Third, you have to be constantly mindful whether you are browsing in the safe sandbox environment or just browsing normally as the two environments look exactly alike. This is a real problem and I do wish the makers of Sandboxie would do something to make the sandboxed environment look visually different. I also wonder about SandBoxie's ultimate security compared to using VMWare or a Linux LiveCD. I wasn't able to break out of the sandbox environment and get access to my PC but maybe a smart hacker could. I don't have these residual concerns about the next option: surfing from Damn Small Linux within a QEMU virtual machine running on your Windows PC. This is bit similar to the option of running a Linux on your Windows PC within a VMWare virtual machine that I mentioned in issue #129. It differs in that the virtual environment is created using the free Open Source program QEMU rather than VMWare. Damn Small Linux (DSL) is a special cut-down version of Knoppix Linux that only takes up 50MB. However, it does include a pre- installed version of Firefox so it's ideal for creating a safe- surfing environment. This may sound daunting to set up but it's not. The folks at DSL have included everything you need in a single archive. All you need do is download the 50 MB DSL archive, unzip it to a folder and run the file dsl-windows.bat. This will automatically launch QEMU and then Damn Small Linux which will auto-install, including automatic network configuration. On my test 3.2 GHz P4 the whole process took less than one minute. Running Firefox from within DSL is no more complex the clicking the Firefox icon on the DSL desktop. Ending your session is equally simple: just right click on the desktop and select "Power down." When you power-down, all traces of your surfing session will disappear. That includes any files downloaded, any cookies and your whole surfing history. This all sounds very attractive but I must warn you that QEMU takes up a lot of processing power; bags of it. You'll need at least a 2.0 GHz Pentium class processor to run it and even then you'll find response to be sluggish. With faster processors, though, it will work just fine. So that's it folks. You now have four free options for safe surfing; VMWare Reader, the Ubuntu Linux LiveCD, Sandboxie and DSL under QEMU. Which is best? Well, if convenience is your top priority then you can't beat Sandboxie. If you have a really fast PC then you'll be tempted by DSL and if you want the best security VMWare and Ubuntu are the way to go; it's your call. Whatever option you choose you will soon discover that once you are freed from security and privacy concerns you will be free to surf the internet without fear, to go to places you would normally never dream visiting and to try things you wouldn't normally dare. All this, while knowing that at the end of your browsing session, you can wipe everything from your PC without leaving a trace. Sandboxie:
Free for non-commercial use, Windows 2000 and later,
310KB. DSL+QEMU:
Free GPL/GNU software, All Windows versions, 49.5MB.
Gizmo PS This month I'm giving away six free copies of the the top rated Anti virus NOD32 plus lots of Google GMail invites. For details, see below. Support Alert relies on paid subscriptions to survive. If you feel that you've benefited from reading this newsletter perhaps you would like to consider donating by subscribing to the premium "Supporters' Edition" of this newsletter. The Premium SE Edition contains almost twice the number of great tech sites, free utilities, tips and other content as the free edition. It's also ad-free. You'll also get immediate access to the archive of all past issues of the Premium Supporters' Edition of the newsletter where you can catch up on the hundreds of great utilities you missed in the free edition. The SE Edition is a great deal and at $10 per year it's a bargain. This month I'm giving away to new subscribers, six free copies of the the top rated Anti virus NOD32. NOD32 is a brilliant program for protecting your PC yet it only consumes a modest amount of your computing resources. That's why I use it on my key work computers. At $39 it's good value but it's even better value when you can get it for free. The six copies I'm giving away will be allocated at random but your chances of scoring one are actually quite good. So if you have been thinking of subscribing, now's the time. I'm also giving away invites to Google Gmail to new SE subscribers. Last month everyone who wanted one got one and I expect the same to happen this month. Just email me at editor@techsupportalert.com after subscribing to the Premium SE Edition and I'll send your invitation. Even if you don't win anything you'll still get my special report "Gizmo's Desert Island Utilities" which outlines the software I use myself, including many free product HOW TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE PREMIUM SE EDITION 12 months subscription to the Supporters' Edition costs $10 which can be made by check or credit card using either ClickBank or PayPal or simply send cash. Use
the link below to subscribe now: 1.0 TOP TECH SITES AND RESOURCES
1.1 How to Get a Free Premium SubscriptionGuys,
I need your help. I've decided to change the name of the
newsletter as the current name "Support Alert" is generic, non-
memorable and not even descriptive. I've been racking my brain
for a new title and have come up with a few possibilities such
as "Gizmo's Guide" and "TopTekTips" but I'm not sure. So I've
decided to have a subscriber competition. Here's the deal: the
reader who comes up with the best suggestion for the newsletter
title will score $100, a free lifetime premium edition
subscription, some free software plus, of course, ever-lasting
fame. So put on that thinking cap and send in your suggestions
to: 1.2 Outstanding Video How-To SiteWant
to copy one of your DVDs or strip the sound track to a CD?
Need to join several video files? Like to convert from one video
format to another? This site shows you how to do all these
things and more using free software. 1.3 Convert MS Word and Excel Documents to PDFYou
can pay $49 for a utility to do this or go to this web site
where they will do it will do it for free. They also can convert
HTML pages to PDF as well. 1.4 Site Lists P2P Clients Loaded with SpywareSome
P2P programs will infect your PC with adware and spyware
when you install them on your PC while others are as clean as a
whistle. Find out which from this informative article.
1.5 Save Money by Making Your Own Ethernet LeadsCat
5 Ethernet cable costs less than 10 cents a foot while two
RJ-45 connectors will cost you only 32c. That means you can make
a five foot cable for 82 cents. Full instructions here:
1.6 Help Site for ZoneAlarmJudging
from the subscriber letters I get, lots of folks have
trouble configuring the ZoneAlarm firewall. If that's you then
head for this site where you'll find lots of useful tips. The
layout is a bit hard on the eyes but the content is good.
Thanks to subscriber Howard Kampff for this one. ** Additional Items in the Premium SE Edition ** 1.7
How to Back Up, Restore and Move Outlook Express
Email
1.8
Some Smiles for Techies
1.9
Free MS Excel Resources
1.10 BitTorrent Clients ComparedGot some great tech sites to suggest? Send them to: editor@techsupportalert.com ------------------------- advert ------------------------ Looking for a secure solution for supporting users behind your firewall – or theirs? NetOp now has two remote access products, which can be integrated into a single solution, to better meet your IT support needs. NetOp Remote Control v8.0 provides legendary speed and security for supporting users and servers across your LAN, WAN and at remote locations. And the new NetOp On Demand is the ideal solution for customers and end users who need immediate, on demand, help but who don't want to install software or configure their firewall. Sold separately, both work from the same NetOp Guest interface to provide best-of-breed support for all your users. Used together, help desk representatives can view multiple Host PCs from both products at the same time. Award-winning NetOp Remote Control v8.0 was designed specifically to meet the needs of IT professionals who require impenetrable security, scalability and real-time speed to control, inventory and manage attended or unattended PCs over the Internet, networks or via modems. New NetOp On Demand offers temporary, Internet-based, support to end users who need only download a small ready-to-use file with no firewall configuration. Learn more about these products and download trial versions today! ----------------------- end of advert ------------------------ 2.0 TOP FREEWARE AND SHAREWARE UTILITIES
2.1 The Best Drive Imaging ProgramA
drive imaging program is a utility that creates a backup
snapshot or image of your disk drives, most commonly your system
drive. You can use that backup image to recover from system
failures, spyware infections, installations gone wrong or any of
the dozens of other things that can seriously mess up your PC.
Every PC I own has a drive imaging utility installed and I use
these regularly to make image backups of the C: drives. I simply
can't tell you just how many times I've been able to use these
backup images to restore a non-working PC to perfect health.
Restoring from an image only takes me minutes while a full
Windows re-install can take many hours or even days when you
take into account re-installing application programs. That's why
I recommend every PC should be imaged regularly using a reliable
imaging program. Now let me tell you the harsh truth: when it
comes to the best imaging program it's a two horse race between
the commercial products Acronis True Image and Norton Ghost with
the freeware contenders trailing by a couple of miles. Not that
there aren't some usable freeware products; it's just they
aren't in the same league when it comes to function, features
and reliability. Choosing between True Image and Ghost is tough
because they are both quality programs. That's why I asked
regular Support Alert contributor J.W. to review the latest
versions of these products. In his normal methodical way he's
scrutinized each from top to bottom and pronounced one the
winner. Find out which from J.W's full review on the Support
Alert web site. Just teasing actually, here's what J.W.
concluded: "I will be removing Symantec Ghost from my system. My
recommendation and choice ... for a disk-imaging program is
Acronis True Image." Please do read J.W's review though; it's
outstanding. 2.2 The Best Free Reminder/To-Do ProgramThere
are literally dozens of free stand-alone reminder
programs. Even more if you include sticky notes utilities and
calendaring programs that offer reminder features. Many, I can
assure you, are not worth installing. Of the nine programs I
looked at, two impressed me for their ease of use of their
reminder and "to-do" features. "Easy To-Do" [1] has the starkest
interface of any of the products I reviewed yet it is among the
most effective in use. It has all the features you need but no
more, including unlimited task lists, task categories, recurring
reminders, audible and visual alarms, adjustable snooze,
configurable reports and more. It's been really well thought
through with lots of nice touches like the ability to add a new
task or reminder by simply right-clicking the tray icon.
Rainlender [2] by contrast, is a much slicker product but a tad
more difficult to use. Rainlender is not only a reminder program
but a very capable iCal "compatible" desktop calendar, though
the calendar feature can be turned off. Used as a reminder and
"to do" program it's very feature rich with a really snazzy
interface employing things like variable windows transparency,
impressive mouse-over effects, hotkeys and easy skinning. It
also has several features missing from Easy To-Do such as the
ability to synchronize events between clients as well as Outlook
appointment integration. I liked, too, the way the tray icon
shows the current date, a feature that Easy To-Do could well
emulate. Either of these programs will meet the reminder needs
of most users. Some will prefer Easy To-Do for its simple but
effective approach while others will be won over by Rainlender's
optional desktop calendar, impressive interface and powerful
features. Firefox and Thunderbird users also have the option of
using the free ReminderFox and Mozilla Calendar extensions which
together provide similar functionality. They offer the advantage
of avoiding the need for running a separate reminder application
but at the cost of not having reminders available when Firefox
or Thunderbird aren't running. 2.3 Free Utility Adds Voice Email to OutlookWaxmail
is a free Outlook/Outlook Express plug-in that allows
you to send/reply to emails by using MP3 voice file attachments.
All you do is click the "Add Waxmail" button, record your
message using the simple control panel and the rest is
automatic. The free version of the software is full featured but
adds a Waxmail advertising link at the bottom of your emails.
It's quite discretely done but can be removed by paying $29.95
for the full product. Freeware, requires Outlook 2000 and later
or Outlook Express, 1.23MB 2.4 The Best Free Parental Filter: Part 2In
issue #130 I gave a very positive review of the free parental
filter K9 Web Protection by Blue Coat Systems [1]. It's
definitely the best free filter I've tried but it has one
downside; in order to provide the filtering it uses Blue Coat's
web servers which can slow down your browsing a tad. Subscriber
Adi Lana wrote in tell me about another free parental filter
called Naomi [2] that has the advantage of filtering locally. I
tried it out and it's quite impressive. It caught all the
offensive sites I tried though occasionally it caught an
innocent site as well. Like K9, it's also difficult to disable.
I tried the obvious tricks of terminating the Naomi service and
deleting the autostart entry without success. Naomi also works
with any browser on your system not just Internet Explorer. On
the downside, it filters by terminating the browser session
without warning whenever a banned site is encountered. I found
this a real pain especially when I had several browser tabs open
and lost the lot! Naomi is certainly a very capable parental
filter but on balance I preferred K9's smarter logic, greater
configurability and friendlier behavior. Modem users will
however, appreciate Naomi's speed advantage. Freeware, Windows
ME and later, 1.3MB 2.5 Another FireFox Backup ExtensionA few issues back I
mentioned MozBackup, a free program that
allows you to back up your critical Firefox and Thunderbird
data. Another alternative is BackupFox which backs up all the data in your Firefox profile. It
will also backup your Thunderbird profile as well. (395KB)
** Additional Items in the Premium SE Edition ** 2.6
The Best Free CD Burning Software
2.7
Outstanding Process Viewer and Startup Manager
2.8 How to Send Large Email Files from Your Own PCGot
some top utilities to suggest? Send them to 3.0 SECURITY PATCHES, SERVICE RELEASES AND UPDATES
3.1 Microsoft SecurityMicrosoft's March 2006
patch release [1] was unusually light. There were only two updates with only one
rated "critical", covering a serious vulnerability in MS Office 2000 and later
that could allow remote code execution. These updates will be automatically
distributed by Windows Update Service. Users who do not have automatic updates
enabled should visit the Windows Update service [2] now. 3.2 Microsoft Antispyware Beta 2 TestsLast
month I mentioned the release of the latest beta version of
Microsoft's free anti-spyware program, Windows Defender [1], and
said I'd have some test results for you this month. Well,
testing this thing has proved a pain as it only runs under
Windows XP SP2 while all my VMWare test machines are unpatched
Windows XP. This means I've had to build a new VMWare test
environment and re-run tests on all anti-spyware products in
that environment. I'm only about a third of the way through this
huge job but early results suggest Windows Defender may provide
the best protection against spyware of any of the free anti-
spyware programs but falls behind the top commercial products
such as WebRoot SpySweeper. These results are preliminary and I
may have to eat my words when I complete the tests. Free beta
software, Windows 2000 SP4, Windows XP SP2, 4.3 MB 3.3 Running Some Apps as a Limited User from an Admin AccountRunning
as a Windows limited user is a very effective way of
increasing your internet security but it's often impractical. In
this interesting article Mark Russinovich from Sysinternals
shows how to run your browser and other internet apps with
limited rights while retaining full administrator rights for
other programs. 3.4 uTorrent V1.5 ReleasedI've
never seen any software product develop faster than
uTorrent. Equally amazingly, each new release seems to work well
without major new bugs being introduced. Sure says something
about the developers. The latest V1.5 adds dozens of new
features including Peer Exchange (IR peers only) and Protocol
Encryption that will work with what's planned for Azureus.
Additionally, the product has been tweaked for better transfer
speeds. The program size has blown out though; it now takes up a
massive 154KB! Yes folks, that's kilobytes. Truly amazing.
Freeware, Windows 95 (with Winsock2) and later, 154KB
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4.1 The Ten Best Watches for GeeksI
liked the Suunto X9 GPS Watch best. It's includes a 12-channel
GPS and shows altitude, vertical speed, temperature, sea level
pressure, absolute pressure, weather trend graph, bearing,
graphic compass rose, bearing tracking and more. Not sure that
it tells the time though. ;>) Naturally, being a geek watch
there's a PC interface cable and software. The street price is
around $699. 4.2 How to Put Your DVDs on a Video iPodWired
magazine shows how to do it using free software.
4.3 Make Your Own CD Cases from PaperThanks
to subscriber Andrew Seward for letting me know about
this site that shows you how to make a paper CD case rather than
use a plastic one. Better still, the site allows you to print
the case complete with the album title and tracks. If you want
to use a plastic case you can optionally print just the cover
insert. However, the killer feature is the ability to import an
iTunes Playlist. 4.4 Customized Internet Radio Only Plays Songs You LikeThe
Music Genome Project set for itself the objective of working
out how to identify in music, the elements common to different
musical tastes and genres. They have now applied this knowledge
to create a streaming music radio service that delivers music to
your PC that claims to be personalized to your particular
personal taste. Initially you have to define your preferences by
stating favorite artists and songs. As songs get delivered you
can then refine your choices by stating what you like and what
you don't. It all works quite well but be aware it will quickly
eat up your broadband bandwidth allowance. It's a free service
supported by advertising, though you can elect to pay for an ad-
free service. Thanks to regular contributor Mikel Peters for
letting me know about this. 4.5 Useless Waste of Time DepartmentI've
got two diversions for you this month. First, an online
puzzle [1] that is rather more challenging than you might think.
The second is a great rag doll simulation [2] that uses a
George Bush figure rather than the attractive bikini clad gal
used in the simulation I mentioned a few issues back. Sorry
George, I like the chic in the bikini best. ** Additional Items in the Premium SE Edition ** 4.6
Dozens of Free Games
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