Operating System Guides

Windows XP Home Install Guide

Installing XP pro
XP Tweaks

Windows XP Home and Professional Service Pack 2 Service Configurations
archived

Windows 2000 Professional Install Guide Page 1

ME Tweaks

Windows 2000 Professional and Server Services Configuration 411
archived

Gibson Research

Shoot the messenger
GRC.com

Stop Messenger service
from Blackviper

From GRC.com
Port scanner
check to see if you are vunerable to hackers !

Browser Security:
Listen to this week's Security Now! Episode for the details.

The DCOMbobulator
DCOMbobulator allows any Windows user to easily verify the effectiveness of Microsoft's recent critical DCOM patch. Confirmed reports have demonstrated that the patch is not always effective in eliminating DCOM's remote exploit vulnerability. But more importantly, since DCOM is a virtually unused and unneeded facility, the DCOMbobulator allows any Windows user to easily disable DCOM for significantly greater security.

Shoot The Messenger
Even before the latest DCOM/RPC vulnerability (see above), many Windows users were being annoyed by "pop-up spam" notices appearing on their desktops. This intrusion is also facilitated by an exploitation of port 135. Our free "Shoot The Messenger" utility furthers the security of Windows by quickly and easily shutting down the "Windows Messenger" server that should never have been running by default in the first place.

ShieldsUP!
The Internet's quickest, most popular, reliable and trusted, free Internet security checkup and information service. And now in its Port Authority Edition, it's also the most powerful and complete. Check your system here, and begin learning about using the Internet safely.

LeakTest
Ensure that your PC's personal firewall can not be easily fooled by malicious "Trojan" programs or viruses. Thanks to this first version of LeakTest, most personal firewalls are now safe from such simple exploitation.

XPdite
A Critical Security Vulnerability Exists in Windows XP. (Surprise) Actually, as we know, there are many, but we'll handle them one at a time. This particular vulnerability allows the files contained in any specified directory on your system to be deleted if you click on a specially formed URL. This URL could appear anywhere: sent in malicious eMail, in a chat room, in a newsgroup posting, on a malicious web page, or even executed when your computer merely visits a malicious web page. It is already being exploited on the Internet.

Windows XP raw sockets

File downloader spying –
My analysis of Real Networks, Netscape, and NetZip's file downloading utilities revealed that all downloads were being tracked and reported.

G4 - The Screen Savers
Whether you're cracking code or wrangling with Windows, "The Screen Savers" is here to help. The hosts unleash the power of technology with wit and flair in this interactive show geared toward the tech enthusiast.

This week in Tech

Leo Laport