What is a PDF SPam ?

What is PDF Spam?
First there was email, then came spam - unsolicited commercial email - hawking pharmaceuticals, stock trades, sex, and more. Spam filtering became smarter with keyword and bayesian filtering, and the spam was minimized for awhile. Then image spam began, the emails with little more than a link to an image on a server. When the email is opened with an HTML email reader the spam appears a few seconds after viewing the email. Since there weren't keywords to analyze, most image spam slipped through spam filters with ease. However, now spam filtering tools have added OCR capabilities to "read" an image and search for keywords and phrases just like text emails. So what's next for the spammers to try...PDF Spam.
google_protectAndRun("render_ads.js::google_render_ad", google_handleError, google_render_ad);
Spammers have now resorted to attaching PDFs to emails to entice users to open the PDFs and read their ads. Very annoying, since almost all spam including a PDF is much larger in size than a normal email. At first, I wondered if a virus writer had been able to inject a PDF file with a virus and was infecting computers. I received literally hundreds of these types of emails a few weeks ago. Luckily it does not appear that way. Although many of the newest viruses are hijacking computers and sending these PDF spams from these drone machines.

Spammers have now resorted to attaching PDFs to emails to entice users to open the PDFs and read their ads. Very annoying, since almost all spam including a PDF is much larger in size than a normal email. At first, I wondered if a virus writer had been able to inject a PDF file with a virus and was infecting computers. I received literally hundreds of these types of emails a few weeks ago. Luckily it does not appear that way. Although many of the newest viruses are hijacking computers and sending these PDF spams from these drone machines.

What Does a PDF Spam look like?
Most common PDF spam has very little in the body of the message, just a subject and the PDF file. You can see a copy of this type of spam below:

Can A PDF File Contain a Virus?
Well, yes and no. Back in 2001, a virus named Peachy was created that distributed via PDF. Fortunately, it could not be activated by someone viewing it with Acrobat Reader, only users with the full version of Adobe Acrobat were susceptible to this virus. Peachy exploited the fact that PDF files could contain executable files, in this case a VBScript file, that users
of Adobe Acrobat could actually open. Virus scanners were updated and the virus didnt have a huge effect on the internet
.
Luckily, up to this point there has not been a way for a virus writer to infect a PDF file so that a person viewing it with Adobe Reader would be harmed. Although its still best to scan ANY file including a PDF file with an up-to-date virus scanner before attempting to open it.

Can PDF Spam Be Stopped?
Although PDF Spam is a huge problem currently, spam filtering programs will catch up and start to filter this garbage email out. Unfortunately, the attachment spam will morph into other types of files, and I've already seen Excel files (.xls) being used for spam as well. Using a reliable spam filter from your ISP or business and being careful not to open ANY attachment you are not sure of will keep you the safest. Although PDF spam may not contain a virus, the best advice is to not open it and just delete it.

What About Greeting Card Spams?
A new round of electronic greeting Card
contains viruses are making the rounds as well. These ecards want you to download a file called msdataaccess.exe to view the card.

Remove the Shared Documents folders from My Computer

One of the most annoying things about the new Windows XP user interface is that Microsoft saw fit to provide links to all of the Shared Documents folders on your system, right at the top of the My Computer window. I can't imagine why this would be the default, even in a shared PC environment at home, but what's even more annoying is that you cannot change this behavior through the sh*ll
: Those icons are stuck there and you have to live with it.
Until now, that is.

Simply fire up the Registry Editor and navigate to the following key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ My Computer \ NameSpace \ DelegateFolders

You'll see a sub-key named {59031a47-3f72-44a7-89c5-5595fe6b30ee}. If you delete this, all of the Shared Documents folders (which are normally under the group called "Other Files Stored on This Computer" will be gone.

You do not need to reboot your system to see the change.


Before: A cluttered mess with icons no one will ever use (especially that orphaned one). After: Simplicity itself, and the way it should be by default.

Add a Map Drive Button to the Toolbar

Add a Map Drive Button to the Toolbar
=====================================

Do you want to quickly map a drive, but can?t find the toolbar button? If you map drives often, use one of these options to add a Map Drive button to the folder toolbar.

Option One (Long Term Fix)

Click Start, click My Computer, right-click the toolbar, then unlock the toolbars, if necessary.

Right-click the toolbar again, and then click Customize.

Under Available toolbar buttons, locate Map Drive, and drag it into the position you want on the right under Current toolbar buttons.

Click Close, click OK, and then click OK again.

You now have drive mapping buttons on your toolbar, so you can map drives from any folder window. To unmap drives, follow the above procedure, selecting Disconnect under Available toolbar buttons. To quickly map a drive, try this option.

Option Two (Quick Fix)

Click Start, and right-click My Computer.
Click Map Network Drive.

If you place your My Computer icon directly on the desktop, you can make this move in only two clicks!

Desktop Disappearing?

Although Windows 2000 is more stable than previous versions of NT, in some situations, strange things can happen. If, for example, Explorer crashes, most of your desktop, including the "Start" button, disappears. To bring back Explorer without rebooting your machine, press CONTROL-ALT-DELETE. When the "Windows Security" dialog box appears, click the "Task Manager" button. If the "Windows Task Manager' dialog box appears as it should, select the "File" menu and then "New Task (Run)". When the "Create New Task" dialog box appears, just type in "Explorer" and press the "OK" button. Windows Explorer should then reappear, complete with the "Start" button.

Hoe to change Process Priority ?

Is a particular program or process running too fast or too slow? Is a program or process taking too much of your CPU time or can you allow a process or program to take more of your computing power? To change these settings for a particular process, just right-click on an empty area of your taskbar and choose "Task Manager..." On the "Windows Task Manager" dialog box that follows, select a process and right-click it. On the popup menu that appears, select "Set Priority" and choose one of the following priorities: "Realtime", "High", "Above Normal", "Normal", "Below Normal", or "Low". The lower the priority is on the popup menu, the lower percentage of CPU time will be delegated to said priority.


Note that depending on the process and your administrative rights to your machine, you may not be able to change a particular process's priority.

How to put the Desktop in your Taskbar ?

Do you frequently multitask? If so, all of the windows created by running applications can quickly cover your desktop. If you'd like, you can make the desktop icons immediately accessible from your taskbar. Just right-click an empty area of your taskbar, choose "Toolbars", and check "Desktop". Your desktop icons will then be immediately accessible without having to minimize your current windows. If you have a lot of desktop icons, click on the two greater-than arrows (">>") to the right of your desktop icons and a popup menu will appear allowing you to select from any of the available desktop icons not immediately visible on your taskbar.

CSU/DSU - Connectivity in Detail

Point-to-Point Serial Links

In the network at your job, most likely the serial interfaces on your

Cisco routers are not connected to each other directly. They connect

to a CSU/DSU, which supplies a clock rate to the router, allowing the

line protocol to stay up.

In the world of Cisco exams, and in your practice lab, there are

generally routers that have directly connected serial interfaces. These

routers are connected to each other by a DCE/DTE cable; the DCE end

of the cable will connect to the router that is acting as the CSU.

What’s The Line Protocol?

You’ll see a lot of discussion in CCNA and CCNP texts, but rarely does

anyone actually say what the line protocol is. The Cisco IOS Command

Reference defines the line protocol as "indicating whether the software

processes that handle the line protocol consider the line usable (that

is, keepalives are successful) or whether it has been taken down by an

administrator."

Translation: When the line protocol is down, there’s a problem with

the keepalives or the encapsulation type.

To tell the DTE end from the DCE end before connecting it, look for a

small label wrapped around one or both of the cable ends. That label

will indicate whether that is the DCE or DTE end. If there is no label,

the connector itself may have DTE or DCE imprinted on it.

After connecting the cable to the respective routers, use show

controller to ensure the router sees the cable as a DCE or DTE.

R1#show controller serial 1

HD unit 1, idb = 0x107114, driver structure at 0x10C590

buffer size 1524 HD unit 1, V.35 DTE cable

R3#show controller serial 1

HD unit 1, idb = 0xC7D1C, driver structure at 0xCCAA0

buffer size 1524 HD unit 1, V.35 DCE cable

The routers will not be able to communicate at this point, however.

Remember that when a serial interface connects to a CSU/DSU, the

interface receives clocking from that device. There is no CSU/DSU

involved when two serial interfaces are directly connected; therefore,

one of the devices must supply a clock rate to the other. The DCE

interface must supply the clock rate to the DTE.

R3(config)#int serial 1

R3(config-if)#clockrate 56000

<>

%LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Serial1, changed state to up

R3#ping 172.12.13.1

Type escape sequence to abort.

Sending 5, 100-byte ICMP Echos to 172.12.13.1, timeout is 2 seconds:

!!!!!

In The REAL World…

For exam purposes, you need to memorize the fact that the DCE is the

interface that needs to have the clock rate configured. When you’re at

your practice rack, you’ll find out that you can’t put the clockrate on

the DTE, because the router won’t let you!

Steps to Uninstall Internet Explorer 7

How to Uninstall Internet Explorer 7

Microsoft has finally released Internet Explorer 7. It has some nice features including a revised interface, tabbed browsing, improved printing features, and a phishing filter. However, during the time between the releases of IE6 and IE7, other companies have produced browsers that have similar or better features and many customers have started using these browsers like Firefox, Opera, Avant and others.

Unfortunately instead of just offering Internet Explorer 7 as an optional download, they are pushing it to customers via the Automatic Windows Update. Which means you may wake up one day soon, after leaving your computer on, and have a brand new browser replacing Internet Explorer 6.0. This may seem fine for most people, however many people are simply resistant to much change and will find using IE7 more difficult than just using their current browser to surf the web. In these cases, you'll want to know how to uninstall Internet Explorer 7 and keep it off your computer.


Beyond the basic resistance to change issues, there have been other issues that I have experienced on several computers that make me want to wait before upgrading to Internet Explorer 7. Among these issues are conflicts with some third party applications, most noteably Norton Antivirus and Norton Internet Security. I have seen several instances of systems freezing when trying to open a browser window after installing IE7. Usually this can be fixed by simply uninstalling IE7, however on one instance even this did not correct the problem. A combination of registry cleaners and other software had to be used to correct the issues.

Uninstalling Internet Explorer 7

Follow the steps below to uninstall Internet Explorer 7

1. Close Internet Explorer and any open windows
2. Click on Start, click on control panel
   
3. Double-click on Add/Remove Programs
4. Find the Internet Explorer 7 program - it should appear similar to the picture below
   
   
   
5. Click the Remove button and complete the removal. Your browser will revert to the last version of Internet Explorer you had installed on your computer, in most cases this will be Internet Explorer 6.0

If you cannot find Internet Explorer 7 listed in the Add/Remove Programs window, click the Show Updates checkbox at the top of the window to reveal it and then proceed with the removal.



Stopping Automatic Updates from downloading Internet Explorer 7 (IE7)

If IE7 was downloaded through the Windows Automatic Updates, you'll want to modify the updates so it doesnt download again. Follow the instructions below to do this.

1. Open Internet Explorer and go to the following site
   
   http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com
   
2. When the Update page opens, click on Custom
3. Uncheck the box for Windows Internet Explorer 7.0 for windows.
   
4. Check the box for Don't show this update again
5. Check the boxes for any other updates you wish to download and install them

Now IE7 wont show in your update list and you can continue to use Internet Explorer 6, Firefox, Opera, Avant or any other browser you wish to use.

Solve Registry Problem With Ease

Click Here!

Now that you've determined that a faulty registry is the culprit of your increasingly frustrating and dysfunctional computer, what do you do next? Here's a rundown of the various things you could do to try to bring your computer back to its old self.

The first thing you'll want to try is a system restore. Here's the easiest way to do that, assuming you're running Windows 2000, 2003, XP or Vista:

First, go to Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Backup (or "System Restore" in Vista ).

Then you're going to want to choose a restore point prior to when you started experiencing registry related problems.

Follow the prompts in order to complete the restoration process. Keep your fingers crossed that this solves your problems. If your computer is still not working properly (or there were no available restore points), then you might have to try to remove the invalid registry entries yourself.

Do not do anything to your registry without making a backup first.

The next step is to actually edit your registry, which can be done manually, or automatically with a safer and simpler option like RegCure.

If you choose to do it manually,it is crucial that you are 100% sure that you know what you're doing . One small modification to your registry, if done incorrectly, can be enough to render your computer completely unable to function, and essentially useless.

And that usually means the loss of all your files, and of course, the use of your PC.

Every Windows computer has a default registry editor that can be used to manually edit your registry. (It goes without saying that if you don't know what or where that is, you probably shouldn't be tampering with your registry yourself.)

The quickest, simplest and safest thing to do is to use a registry repair program like RegCure, which automatically:

-Backs up your registry

-Scans your registry, and identifies errors

-Corrects the problems safely & properly

-Restores your PC's full functionality and improves performance

Click Here!

By,

Networksavvy

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Windows Vista: Windows Cannot Connect To The Printer. Access is Denied

One of the more interesting errors in Windows Vista happens when you try to connect to a shared network printer. Most of the time you'll receive an "Access is Denied" error when trying to connect even though you can see the printer on the network and everything else is working properly. Everything else on the network appears to work properly, shared files, internet access, etc. However, you just cannot access the ahared printer and print.The solution is to add the printer as a local printer and then try printing. Follow the directions below to accomplish Print.

1.Go into Control Panel
2.Underneath the Hardware and Sound category, click on Printer
3.Click on Add a printer from the top menu
4.Click on Add a Local Printer
5.Choose Create a New Port with type of port remaining Local Port, then click Next
6.In the Port Name box type the path to the printer you wish to connect to and Click Ok

Ex. file://mycomputer/myprinter

If the computer you wish to connect to is named Bob and the printer is called HP then the path would be file://Bob/HP

7.In the Install Printer Driver screen, select your printer from the list or choose Have Disk and find the location of the printer drivers on the computer then click Next and then click Finish.
8.You should now see the printer installed in the Printers window.
9.Right-click on the printer and click Properties

10.On the General tab, click Print Test Page to test the printer.

You should now be able to printer from Windows Vista to this networked printer with any problems.