How to Protect Pendrive from virus

Hello Friends, Today's topic is as per query one of our reader asked for, Here it is..

Now-a-days, we can't imagine life without Pendrives, Memeory cards. They are must for everyone.
Also they are always prone to virus as we have to use them on different PC/Systems which in turn leads to risk of our own system getting infected.
So, the question arises:

How to protect Pendrive / usb drives from virus?

Follow these steps to minimize the risk:

1. Format the drive using NTFS

NTFS is more secure than the FAT-32 file format as it has a built in administrative feature.

FAT-32 is compatible with all hardware manufacturers and operating-systems. 

How to format?

Plug-in the drive in Computer -> Right click the drive icon -> Format -> Change file systems to NTFS and proceed to format.

2. Create a folder named 'Autorun.inf' in the pen drive

This will prohibit virus from getting run automatically once inserted in computer.

Open pendrive-> Right click -> New -> Folder -> type Autorun.inf
make it read only:
Open command prompt->Type attrib +r +s g:\Autorun.inf 
'g:' is drive letter of your usb drive, put the drive letter your usb drive belongs to.

3. Set Permissions to Read

It is better to keep the Usb Drive in 'Read Only' mode. This will let you read all your Data but at the same time prohibit anything from getting written in it (when put in infected computer).

Right Click drive icon -> Properties  -> Go to 'Security' tab -> edit > set permissions to Read. 

Now everyone will think, "How to write new data on my usb drive". Relax! Follow next step.

4.Create Write folder

Create a folder named 'Write' (can give any name)

Right Click Write folder -> Properties  -> Go to 'Security' tab -> edit > Set permissions to Read & Write .

Now Virus and Malware cannot be written in the root of the USB flash drive. Also, One can always save their data in the 'Write' folder.

Feel free to ask queries.

Have a nice day :) :)

Speed Up Your Internet Connection by Changing Your DNS Server

DNS

Who doesn't want a better internet speed?
Who will not be happy after getting a better and quicker response from web browser after requesting any url(say, www.tech-soln.blogspot.com )

Here I just try to help you by making your web browsing experience better. Obviously by helping you enhance your internet connectivity options. That is by choosing the best and fastest DNS for your connection.

What is DNS servers? How will it affect internet speed?

The DNS protocol is an important part of the web's infrastructure, serving as the Internet's phone book: every time you visit a website, your computer performs a DNS lookup. Complex pages often require multiple DNS lookups before they start loading, so your computer may be performing hundreds of lookups a day.
In one line, "url to IP address translation" is done at DNS server.

In make it simpler, Lets look how a webpage loads in your system using internet.

whenever you request any url(say, www.tech-soln.blogspot.com ) your web browser goes to DNS server for its corresponding IP address(here, "173.194.36.43" ). After the url is resolved to its corresponding IP address, then only your request go to desired website server and in return its respective page is sent to your IP address.
so faster the DNS server, faster the web page loading.

How to Find Fast DNS servers?
There are many Fast Open DNs servers available, also DNs Provided by ISP also works good. Choosing Best and Fastest DNS for your connection is complex as it is decided by many factors( location, type of connection, ISP used, etc).

Best way to select best DNS server for your connection is to test yourself using good benchmark tools in your own internet speed. I'll recommend :
1) DNS Benchmark
2) Namebench

How to use?
1) DNS Benchmark (Zipped with Password - techsoln )
Download it -> double-click executable file -> click 'Nameservers tab'-> Add/Remove button.
The Edit DNS Server IPs window will open. At the very bottom, click the "Build Nameserver Custom List" option.
In the resulting pop-up box, click the Build Custom List button
wait for the process to complete, it usually takes about 37 minutes.
When the list is complete, click the "Run Benchmark button" on the Nameservers tab. When the benchmark completes its work, it will present the results automatically, sorted by response time.

2) Namebench
download it->double-click the executable file -> check both 'include global DNS providers' and 'Include best available regional DNS services' options.
confirm that your location is set properly in the corresponding drop-down menu.
click the 'Start Benchmark' button.
Namebench will run a few tests and then present you with a results page listing the fastest DNS name servers that your system can access.

You can verify its effect by using http://www.speedtest.net before and after changing the DNS server.

If you don't want to do above tests, select by hit and try the following DNS servers.
there are many Free Public DNS servers available, some Faster(in general) are shown here:
8.8.8.8             & 8.8.4.4             (Google Public DNS-Sufer fast)
67.138.54.120   & 207.225.209.77 (ScrubIT3)
69.164.208.50   & 216.87.84.211   (OpenNIC4)
199.5.157.131   & 208.71.35.137   (Public-Root5)
8.26.56.26        & 8.20.247.20      (Comodo DNS)
208.67.222.222 & 208.67.220.220  (OpenDNS)
156.154.70.1     & 156.154.71.1     (DNS Advantage)
198.153.192.1   & 198.153.194.1    (Norton DNS)
208.76.50.50     & 208.76.51.51     (SmartViper)
209.244.0.3      & 209.244.0.4       (Level3)

How to change DNS?

Go to Control Panel->Network and Sharing Center->Click 'Local Area Connection'-> Properties -> Select 'Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)'->click 'Properties'-> click on 'Use the following DNS addresses' and change it to the best one you find.then ok -ok to come out.


Happy speedy Surfing :)

How to Recover hidden files from Pendrive after virus infection

Mostly pen drive doesn't consist any security measures. Since we use Pen drive in many PC/Laptops it very easily gets infected with viruses and malwares. 

We can easily get rid of these Malwares by scanning it with any good updated Antivirus (no need of Format as it leads to Data loss).

Problem arises when we try to access our data stored in the pen drive.
When we check property of the USB Drive, Disk usage shows there are files in the pen drive but inside pen drive we can't find any!!
Rather we are left with some Shortcuts sometimes.

Don't worry All the files are safe only they are made Hidden by the virus.

To show your hidden files you can follow this link : "Show"

To unhide your files and folders follow these simple steps:

1) Open command prompt:
     (Win 7 & vista) : 
  start->cmd (in search) -> open
It is better to open cmd as administrator:
right click the cmd icon (from search)->-> run as administrator(give admin password if required, else use normal run)

     (Win xp users) :
  start -> run -> type cmd -> Ok


command prompt will open now.

2) Check Drive Letter of you pen drive from 'My Computer'.
For example, If it is labelled as "e: drive"
     
-> type 'e:' hit enter

now pointer location will go to the drive.
 
3) type this command and hit enter :
     attrib -r -s -h *.* /s /d


 

Hurray, all your files and folders are visible to you now!!
:) :)

How to increase your Internet speed by 20%

Let me ask one question to you

Do you know, Most of the people Don't use their internet speed to their full potential?
Yes, You read it right.. Most of you don't use their maximum internet speed.

Internet speed depends on two factors:
1. External Factors
2. Internal Factors

External Factors can be taken care by checking your internet speed by any speed testing websites and matching that with the speed, your service provider has promised you to provide.

By 'Internal Factor' I mean, whether you use 100% of the speed being recieved on port/wifi device of your computer or not ?

Truth is, most of us use only 80% of the internet speed being received. Rest 20% is reserved by default for windows.

 Solution

To Utilize 100% of your internet speed, follow these simple procedure:

 

-> Go to "Start->Run"

-> type "gpedit.msc" enter

-> Go to "computer configuration->administrative templates->network->Qos packet scheduler"

-> double click on "Limit reservable bandwidth" 

-> in the window select enable and set it to '0'

-> 'apply->ok'

close the window and enjoy :)

you can revert it anytime you wish to by "selecting not configured"

Happy speedy surfing :)

 

How to clean Virus infection from your computer safely

Clean Virus

You came to know that your PC or Laptop is infected with viruses.

Don't Panic! It is not the end of your system, it can be cleaned easily and Formatting is not necessary.
Just Follow our instructions... :)


If your computer is infected with a Malwares (like virus, trojan, worm etc) It is better to remove it as quickly as possible.
You might be thinking of downloading or purchasing an antivirus to remove 'the Parasites'. 

These were the old school methods, But Malware Programmers, or convenient to say, Virus Programmers have gone far ahead.
Now virus connects to their originators and download other malwares and make many changes in your system so as to make it difficult for you to remove them.

Some of those Changes are like :

-> Disable browsing security websites (ex- microsoft.com, symantec.com, etc )
-> Sometimes won't allow to connect to internet.
-> Disable windows tools like Task manager, Registry editor, cmd etc
-> Disable Folder options & thus won't let you see hidden files, extensions
-> Associate itself with system restore points (so that it can revoke itself after system restore)
-> Disable current antivirus program  & even won't allow you to install new antivirus !!
-> In some case, associate itself with the new antivirus being installed and remain untouched by it.

More Tensed!! :o
Don't worry, I am here to solve your problems. :)

Solution

Download some software which will be required further. If you are unable to go to the websites due to virus then download them from a clean computer and keep them in a clean Pen-drive. 

- Virus Process terminating tool : Rkill (download all versions keep them in a folder)

- Virus Removing Tools: Norman malware cleaner or Microsoft Safety Scanner 

-  MalwareBytes

- Antivirus: Microsoft security essentials, AVG Free / Avast ,  if you have any other personal choice

Before starting cleaning process,keep above files in infected PC and Disconnect it from Internet. Don't do anything else, Do only the steps asks you to do, in some cases, it can take longer time while scanning, Be Patient!!

First step: Stop Virus process

First it is better to stop processes of virus, so that difficulties in removing virus gets minimised. Please do not Restart your system after using 'Rkill', as Malwares are scheduled to start during start up. Immediately start cleaning as 'Rkill' finishes.  
->Run 'Rkill'
it will show in command prompt all the changes it is making.
When it Finishes, immediately proceed to Second step.

 Second step: Start cleaning 


A fast and safe way to check and clean for viruses is to use 'Virus removal tools' like 'Norman Malware Cleaner' , 'Microsoft Safety Scanner' and other tools provided by antivirus companies for Free(here I am providing those I use most).
These Tools are a free online service that helps you detect and remove viruses.

Procedure: Simple...
-> Run any of the above tools Downloaded
-> Accept
-> Do 'Full scan' and follow the instruction and remove Infected files and Threats
-> If it asks for a restart then Do it.


Third step: Make sure that no virus is left

-> Install MalwareBytes by double clicking it and follow normal steps of installing.

-> Turn off System restore (control panel> system > system restore )
This prevents malwares from coming back.
-> Reboot (as screens tuns off,keep tapping F8) with Advance Boot Option , choose 'Safe mode with networking'

Advance Boot Menu -Safe mode with networking

-> connect to internet, (if it doesn't connects, reboot in same fashion & try again. If still can't then reboot normally & connet with internet)
-> Right click the MalwareByte icon  'M' in taskbar, click Check for updates.
-> After finishing Update, Disconnect from internet (better unplug the LAN cable or whichever medium being used)
-> Open MalwareBytes, Do a 'Full scan'
-> Follow removal process as asked(check all detected->Remove selected)
-> Reboot Normally, again check for updates, again Do 'Full Scan' (to be double sure)
-> if it catches virus again, then clean them follow process mentioned in above line again

Now you can be sure of removal of viruses.
But still to be on safer side, Follow Step 3.

Fourth Step: Prohibiting attack

Now your system is cleaned from infection. But it needs Proactive monitoring so as to catch and prevent any future Virus attack. You may connect to internet now.

- Install a good Antivirus with Proactive Monitoring

Choosing Antivirus: I have chosen these two as per my experience and criteria, we can discuss it in further posts.
If your systems run Genuine Microsoft Windows version, then you must choose 'Microsoft security essentials' as it is the only Free complete version and very much effective Antivirus Program available. 
Else you may opt for  Free AVG/ Avast or any Good Antivirus (we will discuss about them in further posts)

- After installation, Update it
- Do a Full scan (to be on safer side)
- Remove infection as per instruction (if any)
- Restart if it asks to


This is Basic suggestion that can be given to any Infected Computer remotely for safely removal of Malwares (viruses in common language) .

It is Suggested to Learn and Practice Virus-safety Habits to prevent further virus attack. 





Feel free to ask any problem, i'll be happy trying to solve them.

Happy Computing and safe surfing :)

How to completely clear url history on firefox

Recently I came across a  question regarding how to Clear Completely the suggestion provided by browser which generally comes from our Browser History.

Truth is, Suggestions comes from two sources:

1. Browsing History
2. Bookmark Favourites

How to get rid of them?

Solution 1: Private Browsing

Private Browsing allows you to browse the Internet without saving any information about which sites and pages you’ve visited.

How to use it:

Tools -> Start Private Browsing

Click on Start private browsing button when asked 

(you may/ may not check the check box there)

 

Solution 2: Browsing History

 Tools -> Options

In History section

Choose Never remember history

In Location bar section:

choose Nothing

   With above, also check your Bookmarks/ Favorite/ Starred links. Remove unwanted address from there.

Happy Browsing.. :)

How to fix Registry editing has been disabled by Your administrator

You try to run regedit form start menu you are getting an error like this 'Registry editing has been disabled by administrator'

 Regedit is widely used to successfully remove Virus and their effects. This is also the reason why virus makers love to disable the Registry Editor so it makes solving the problem and removing the issue difficult.

Viruses are not always the reason for this issue sometimes administrators in IT departments place a restrictions on using the regedit command to keep employees from changes things on company computers.

 Let us look at the solution to fix it:

 Solution 1: Using the Group Policy Editor

• Start -> Run -> gpedit.msc and press ENTER
• Expand the '+' sign to go to the following location: User Configuration ->Administrative Templates -> System
• Double-click 'Prevent access to registry editing tools' and set it to Not Configured
• Exit the Group Policy Editor
  Note: If the setting already reads Not Configured, set it to Enabled, and click Apply. Then revert it back to Not Configured. This ensures that the DisableRegistryTools registry value is removed successfully.

 

Solution 2: Using the REG.EXE console tool  

Start -> Run -> type this command:

REG add HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System /v DisableRegistryTools /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

Solution 3:

Symantec has developed a tool UnHookexec.inf which makes access to registry editing easy and sets their registry values to their default values. It is an inf file right click the tool and install . 

Solution 4:

Download this VB script file from doug Knox Website and run it .If you get any warning click ok to continue. After VB Script file enables registry editor ,restart your computer and access registry.

Solution 5:

Some viruses and other malware will load a regedit.com file that is many times a zero byte dummy file. Because .com files have preference over .exe files when executed if you type REGEDIT in the run line, it will run the regedit.com instead of the real regedit.exe file.

Delete the regedit.com file if its a zero byte file to restore access to REGEDIT. In some cases, such as the W32.Navidad worm, you'll need to rename the REGEDIT file to get it to work.

 Happy Troubleshooting ...

:)

How to Restore " Show Hidden Files and Folders " or " Folder Options "

When your system is infected with virus,first one to be get affected is "Show Hidden Files and Folders"(in Win 7 / Vista) or "Folder options" (in Windows XP). 

Folder options entry will not  appear in Windows Explorer to see hidden files and folders. Hence Virus can safely hide itself in your system

In Win7/ Vista

 "Folder and search option" will look like: 

computer has no option for “Show Hidden Files and Folders” in the Folder Options dialog.

 In Windows XP

 "Folder options"(shown in fig.) will not be available in the Windows Explorer Tools menu.

Solution:

 For Win 7/ Vista

Open regedit.exe through the start menu search or run box, then navigate down to the following key. 

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer
\Advanced\Folder\Hidden]

 On the right-hand side, Look for a key "Type" and change its value to "group"as shown above. 

If the key does not exist, create a new String value.

You should be able to immediately re-open the folder properties, and the option should have returned, as you can see here:

For Window XP

Start menu->Run-> Type "regedit.exe" ->Enter 

Registry editor will open, then navigate down to the following key:

 [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer] 

On the right panel, Look for a value called "NoFolderOptions"

Right click on the NoFolderOptions value and choose delete

Now Navigate to: 

 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]     

Right click on "NoFolderOptions" on the right panel and choose Delete. 

How to Show Hidden files in Windows 7, Vista, XP using GUI , Command line

 

Where have my Files Gone?  

Have you faced the situation, when you couldn't find your important file in your Pen-drive or hard disk but disk space usage still the same?
- Don't Panic, your files are safe they have just got hidden(by virus or some person)
-All you need is to either  

   a) Show your hidden files
         OR

   b) Un-hide your files

Show your hidden files 

Opening Folder Option is different for XP & Win 7

        For Windows 7/ windows Vista

Open My computer or any folder.

Click Organize button -> select Folder and Search Options

            For Windows XP

Open My computer or any folder.

In Menu Bar Click Tools -> select Folder Options

After Folder Options is opened use following process for both OS 

 

Click  the View tab->select Show hidden files and folders

In Advanced settings:

•  Select Show hidden files and folders
•  Uncheck Hide extensions for known file types
•  Uncheck Hide protected operating system files
•  Select yes in the next window asked
•  Click Apply
•  OK

 

Now all Hidden files in your system is visible to you. Don't delete any unknown files as it may be windows system files.

Un-hide your files

Click the Start button in the lower left corner of your task bar.

Update: some lines are changed as from previous to minimize confusion & make the Readers understand in better way. 

• Win 7/Vista users-> Type cmd in the search box and press Enter. 
• Windows XP users-> click Run and type cmd into the Run box.
• Go to the required Folder(Directory) using cd command,ie, If required files are in f: drive then type f: then Enter

Type attrib -s -h -r *.* /s /d and press Enter.

Else you can provide path of that folder(as shown in address bar) and make it unhide.

For example, 
1) if the required folder name "xyz" and it is  in f: drive. (path: f:\xyz\)
Type attrib -s -h -r f:\xyz\*.* /s /d and press Enter.

2) if folder name contains blank space, then Put the path in double quotes ( "") and provide exact path(also check no. of blank spaces)
if required folder is : flash games in c: drive. (path is- c:\flash games\)

Type attrib -s -h -r "c:\flash games\*.*" /s /d  and press Enter.

Now all the Files in that Folders are visible to you.

Note: here, to show value of no. of 'blank space' , I put an extra blank space in the folder name, so required path became: 

c:\flash  games instead of

c:\flash games 

and running the above command returned me an error as shown in the snapshot. I corrected the name of the folder, then the command run perfectly.

IF you are Unable to find "Show Hidden Files and Folders" or "Folder options" click Restore

Feel free to ask your queries.

 

How to rotate a video file by 90 degree, flip, revert

Many a times  when we play the captured video with our cell phone or camcorder in Computer or TV, it looses its charm after discovering that the video is rotated by 90 degrees.
No need to strain your neck or flip your monitor on it’s side to watch your video, we’ll show you  few easier methods.

Rotate and Watch a Video in VLC

Open your video file by going to Media  > Open File… and browsing for your file. Or, by just dragging and dropping your video onto the VLC player.

   Choose Menu bar>Tools>Effects and Filters.

 Click Video Effects tab>Basic sub tab>check Transform check box 

- choose your degrees of rotation. The video is rotated counter-clockwise, so to rotate clockwise 90 degrees you’ll want to choose Rotate by 270 degrees.

 If you wish to rotate by yourself to any angle then
Video effects>Geometry sub tab>check Rotate

-Rotate the circular disc with mouse to your required angle

Now you can enjoy your video the way it was intended to be viewed.