OS X Mavericks Update and Security Fixes

I recently wrote about the major security whole in the latest version of OS X – read my last post. It appears Apple has released the fix finally. Although the ‘fix’ comes not in a simple ‘patch’ but in an entire Operating System upgrade!

After several months of testing, Apple has released OS X version 10.9.2. The MAJOR (and very dangerous) SSL bug isn't mentioned in the release notes that appear in Software Update, but the bug is mentioned on Apple's security page for the update. Seems Apple is being their usual shity selves when it comes to security - hide or lie about it, sort of hiding the fact that this is so important.

To be a 'little' fair, this update does add some features but over all is really a bug fix of many major issues with the new Operating System. In Windows terms it would be called a full Service Pack.

As with any large Operating System upgrade/update you should of course back up your system – Use Time Machine or any other method I’ve described in previous posts.

Run the Software Update to update your system to 10.9.2 and if any other software shows updates available, select them too. If you’d like you can grab the full Combo update here.

If you have Mountain Lion it too has an update available - run Software Update to get it.

Please make sure if you run an Apple desktop or laptop computer that you update as soon as possible.

Be safe, Peace.

Windows 8.1 news

If you are buying a new PC or laptop and you’ve been holding off because of the new Metro interface you might be in luck.

It looks like Microsoft is pulling a 'New Coke' here and admitting that the 'Metro' desktop and lack of 'Start' button was a VERY BAD MOVE. Especially for those in the business community.

I got this deal earlier this year and it's still a great one. For those looking for a powerful Windows PC laptop that could easily replace an older high end workstation this is a pretty good choice.
I wrote an article about my original selection, purchasing and finally, my adventures in 'downgrading' it to Widows 7 Pro/Enterprise here. Many of the things I do with my system cannot be done efficiently, or at all, from the silly ‘Metro’ interface. And other applications simply wouldn’t run properly.

With Windows 8.1 (which it will release mid to late summer, it is said that Microsoft is going to bring back the traditional 'Boot to Desktop' feature along with the much missed 'Start Button'. It looks like the start button will most likely look like the 'Windows Charm' in Windows 8.1 but it hopefully will be there. You can read about that here and here.

IF you are stuck with Window 8, don’t want to go through the hassle of downgrading it, and can't wait for Microsoft to ‘fix it’, there is a fantastic solution to bring back the old Window 7 interface. It's called Start 8 by Stardock Software It's a great app and only costs $4.99 USD. It's the first thing I install on clients Windows 8 machines when they tell me they can't handle the Windows 8 Metro interface.

Peace, and be safe.

Add Gmail Contacts to iOS 5

Though many don’t realize it the process for importing your contacts to your iPhone from Gmail Address Book is quite simple. Getting them OUT of your iPhone can, depending on how their configured, be much more complicated. But that is for another post. I know that many supposed Mac techs and BigBox retailers will want to charge you plenty for this simple procedure, please don’t let them.

So here we are going to assume that your entire address book is connected to your Gmail account. To import/sync them we are going to use iPhone’s Microsoft Exchange configuration. So let’s go:

On your iPhone or iPad, open the Settings app.

Scroll down to Mail, Contacts, Calendars and select it.

Next, add a new account

At the add account screen you’re going to want to select the Microsoft Exchange option. This is how we are going to import your Gmail contacts.

Enter your Gmail address in the email field. Leave the Domain field as “Optional” and fill in your Gmail username (without the @gmail.com) and your password. You can leave the description but remember it so you know what it is later.

Click next, the form will update and now include a Server field. In the server field enter m.google.com. Click Next or Done.

It will confirm that you want to sync your mail, contacts, and calendars. Slide these to On for Contacts and Off for the others.  Here we were only concerned with Contacts, BUT you can also synchronize your mail and Calendar too!

Happy computing!

 

Edit: after doing this many times for clients and others I’ve found a guy who created a great video on the above steps! You can watch that here:

Sync Gmail Contacts to iPhone

Critical February Security Patches

Microsoft's Patch Tuesday is next week. And it's going to be VERY important

Microsoft's security patches are due to be released at 1:00pm EST on Tuesday 12th February. [Read more here from MS  ]

The longer you take to update the security patches on your computer, the greater potential risk you could find yourself in!!

In all, 57 separate security flaws are waiting to be fixed.

According to Microsoft, every single version of Internet Explorer - from version 6 to version 10 - needs to be patched, as they are vulnerable to exploitation by drive-by attacks.

That means that simply visiting a booby-trapped webpage could silently infect your computer with malware - hijacking your PC for a hacker's own ends.

According to an advisory from the software giant, five of the 12 security updates have been given Microsoft's highest severity rating of "critical".

Also note that Adobe has again released critical security patches to it's Flash Player software. [read here]

Even if you are not on a Windows/Microsoft Operating System you should still make sure your Adobe Flash, Adobe Shockwave  and Oracle's Java software  and Browser Plug-ins are up to date!

Be safe out there! MMm K.

Disable UPnP to Protect Yourself from New Security Hole Found in Wi-Fi Routers.

If you don't know. And most of you probably don't. There is a major security flaw that has been recently aggressively exploited. It could allow people with malicious intent access your system(s). Mac, Windows PC and Linux, all are vulnerable because this is NOT a OS flaw, but a router flaw! So please don’t think you are safe just because you by into the belief (very wrong by the way) that ‘your’ type of Operating System ‘doesn’t get infected…’.  Scans from security companies have shown about 50 MILLION vulnerable access points already.

It is strongly suggest that end users, companies, and ISPs take immediate action to identify and disable any internet-exposed UPnP endpoints in their environments.
UPnP is pervasive - it is enabled by default on many home gateways, nearly all network printers, and devices ranging from IP cameras to network storage servers.

Rapid7.com has an online tool here  that can check the external interface of your router and let you know if you are vulnerable.

To fix/resolve this issue all you need to disable UPnP on your wireless router.
Since each router is different, you’ll need to login to your wireless router’s admin panel (use the manual to figure that out), and then find the UPnP setting. This may require someone with more skills (like your teenager) or an IT professional (preferred method) to turn this off for you you. But however you do it, please do it.

Be safe.

Tech power and input deals.

For those with laptop/portable computers you know what it's like to always have to pack everything in your bag for each trip.

Why not keep have an extra power supply so that you can have one at home AND the office (or in your bag) always waiting? No constantly having to reach and dig behind the desk to unplug the power supply. And then do the same when you get to the office.

Here is a super solution. And right now this is on sale for only $19.99 w/free shipping at Newegg.com.
Rosewill RMNA-11001 Universal automatic Notebook Power Adapter 90W
http://bit.ly/KSUOpD

And while your at it how about an additional mouse? I use this one on PCs and Macs. Works great. I have a few of these too – home, office and travel bag.
http://bit.ly/UBT2ib

Just thought I'd pass this on.

Moving Virtual Machines in ESXi from older hardware to new server.

If you have outgrown you current ESXi hardware and need to move to another physical machine and you don’t have vSphere you can still easily move all your VMs to the new server. Without additional software costs.

First install the ESXi Host software on the machine and configure it for access via the management console.

Take note of the IP address and credentials you used for you new installation.

Then login to your existing VMware installation via your management computer/console. And you can then do one of the following.

Simple way?

Use the outstanding free product(s) by VEEAM!
Veeam Backup Free Edition. The free version that will let you backup, replicate/move and restore entire machines from one ESX server to another on the same subnet. The free version limits the backup/migrate tasks to one machine at a time but it works! If you have a VMware environment I highly recommend their product(s) for backup and disaster recovery. You can automate just about everything you need for backing up and restoration. Check out more here http://www.veeam.com .

Older not so quick but still simple old fashioned way.

Open the management console. Connect to the original server/Host. Navigate to the Server (vCenter) containing the VMs you wish to move.
Commit any snapshots in the VM you are going to move.
Power off the VM.
Click the Configuration tab.
Click Storage.
Open/Browser to the Datastore where the VMs are located and find the folder containing the entire Virtual Machine (the one with the disks (vmdk), .vmx file, nvram, .log files etc.).
Copy that entire machine to a drive (a folder on the management station or other attached/network available storage)

Connect to the new host via the management console.
Open the Datastore where you wish to place your new machine(s)
Upload (import) the entire folder - containing the Virtual Machine, you previously copied/downloaded.
Then open the that new folder and right-click on the .vmx file and select 'Add to Inventory'.
It will then show up in the list of machines in your selected Server/Cluster. Then power off all the old machines and shut down that Host.

When you power on the machines on the new Host you will be walked through a process that will ask you if the machine was copied or cloned. Since you are moving the VM choose that -  move and NOT clone or it will generate a new machine ID/SID and jack up the VMs usability.

Do that for any and all that you moved and test connectivity from workstations.

I’ve done this with virtualized Domain Controllers, SQL servers and even an Exchange server!

That’s it.

Peace out.

Install/Downgrade to Windows 7 from Windows 8 – HP laptop adventures

I've been without a good working portable/laptop computer for some time (had a couple liberated and another fail) and decided the time was nigh to purchase a very good one for my needs.

I did loads of research on specs and ratings etc. of course, that's part of what I've been doing for a few decades. So I might have a pretty good idea of what I want and need.
For me I am primarily concerned with a system that can match or exceed the computing abilities of my workstation. That means a fast 64bit multi-core processor with Hyper Virtualization Technology built in - an i7, loads of fast RAM, a large fast HDD, dedicated video card and ample ports for devices and connections.

I found some good Dell's, Asus', and HPs. I am a huge fan of Amazon, New Egg and Costco and looked extensively on their sites too. I finally settled on an HP that Costco had for sale with bang up specs and a great price. In fact the price was way better than I could get configuring the device on HPs site or a comparable one on Dell's site.

This, and most new systems; desktops and laptops now come with Windows 8 pre-installed. Windows 8 is a nice operating system and brings some nice 'under the hood' improvements in security and performance. AND it's User Interface (UI) is very easy to navigate for those not that familiar with a Windows Operating system. All the 'simple things' - web, email, social media, games etc., are quickly accessed and controlled on the Metro 'front page'. For those that are very familiar with older versions however it will definitely take some getting used to.

HOWEVER, I'm an IT guy. I use dozens of applications on a regular basis, usually daily. AND there are many network/system management applications that will not run on Windows 8 (yet, or ever). So I needed to be sure that whatever hardware I got that I would be able to downgrade/install Windows 7 Enterprise.

I made several calls to HP over the past couple months speaking with sales and tech people alike. I was finally assured by a level III tech manager that I would be able to install Windows 7 onto my machine with out 'much' difficulty. That the Windows 8 (and maybe some of the Windows 7 drivers from the just previous models) would/should work.

So I broke down and ordered a new laptop over a month ago. WELL… I finally got it. It had to be made in China exported to the U.S.A., clear customs in Alaska and finally make it to me.

That's when things got even more fun. <sarcasm>

You see, most newer systems are now shipping with UEFI type of ‘bios’. UEFI allows for some great flexibility in hardware and configuration that wasn’t possible with the old style of BIOS. Here’s Microsoft’s take on it:

In addition to better interoperability, UEFI firmware provides several technical advantages:

• Compatibility with operating systems that support only BIOS
• Ability to boot from large disks
• CPU-independent architecture
• CPU-independent drivers
• Flexible pre-OS environment
• Modular design

Two of the most notable Windows features for UEFI systems are the following:

• Multicast deployment, which enables large scale network-based image deployment in manufacturing and enterprise settings.
• Fast boot and resume from hibernation, which improves user experience.

The rich UEFI interface provides ample room for innovation in the development of operating system features. Along with the other members of the Unified EFI Forum, Microsoft is investigating the following:

• Rootkit prevention (theoretically)
• Network authentication at the ‘BIOS/FIRMWARE’ level

But many Operating systems will now work – at all with this firmware. AND.. This also allows the manufacture to possibly ‘secure’ – read LOCK, the ability to install ANY drivers or Operating Systems that are not ‘properly signed’ or specifically ‘allowed’ by said manufacturer. Sounds great for ‘security’ but that fails when you wish to work on/configure your own hardware! [Wow sounds like an Apple product huh!] Thank goodness I was able to enter the System Setup/Bios (unlock/disable secure mode) and enable ‘legacy bios support. But then came some other issues…

HP is now throwing the PC enthusiasts under the bus. Computerworld  has said that they have again changed their support for 'downgrading' Operating System - specifically Window 8 down to Windows 7. What a bunch of crap! Users in the past always could downgrade, assuming they had the appropriate licenses -- Windows 8 Pro -- and media for Windows 7 Professional or Vista Business. The question was whether their machines would work after a downgrade. "The company retained its warning that if customers downgraded to Windows 7 and reached out to HP for support, they may have to restore the original Windows 8 OS to get help from the company." Oh well, I've got a solution for that I’ll get to later.
Well I’ve already got my system so I might as well give it a go!

My solution was two fold. First I removed the original HDD before I even powered up the laptop and just put it aside in case I had to send the whole thing back as it was when I received it. I could just reset the BIOS to default, install my original Hard Disk and bam, just like new. Yes I know most wouldn’t go through this much trouble, and that is OK. You can just skip this part and wipe the drive that came with the system and move on from there. But me, I’m a tad extra careful and conservative and always make sure I have a complete ‘escape’ plan. I purchased a brand new Hard Disk Drive. I Picked up a 1 terabyte (1TB) 7200RPM HGST/Western Digital drive from Fry’s for just under $100. Being a Western Digital I know that the HP HDD drivers should work with it. And this drive was faster than what came stock – 7200 RPM vs. 5400RPM!

Second part of my plan was the actual installation of Window 7 (Enterprise in my case) to the laptop.

Some pre-requisites: Make sure you have a Windows 7-64 bit WITH SP1 install DVD. You can only use a 64 bit version of Windows AND it must have SP1 already incorporated (sometimes called ‘slipstreamed’) or you will not be able to install this on UEFI hardware. Also go to the manufacture’s web site and download ALL the Windows 8 64bit drivers for you model of system (for me it was HPs DV6t-7200) AND see if you can find the Windows 7 64 bit drivers for the model ‘just preceding’ the Windows 8 model you have – for me that was the DV6t-7000. After you’ve downloaded all the drivers extract each one to its own folder. If you use 7-zip (which you already should be) you can just right-click on the drivers self-extracting  ‘.exe’ file and then choose 7-Zip option to ‘Extract to “\drivername” folder\’ . Then copy all these to a DVD or USB drive you’ll need them once you get Windows booted to the point that you are booted to the desktop. Probably the most important ones are the Network Adapter drivers. You will certainly need to get online quickly to ‘Activate’ your Windows installation, Update you Windows installation and hopefully update your drivers automatically.

So now the semi easy part.

Boot into you bios/setup – usually it’s the ‘Esc’ key and then enter ‘Setup’ or System Setup. On some machines it might be F1, F2 or the like. But you need to get to the BIOS/Firmware options. You may even be prompted to enter a password! Thankfully as of now most manufacturers actually present that password – usually a number, right on the screen; enter it and then you will be in.

In the setup options use the arrow keys and enter to navigate (as described on the help window at the bottom of the screens.) and make sure you do NOT have ‘Secure Boot’ enabled. Usually you can use the  arrow keys to select this option and then once high-lighted press either F6, F5 or + or – to change the value. It must not be Enabled or you can not install Windows 7.

Then you have to to change Boot mode to LAGACY in BIOS. (Sometimes it is Legacy mode:Enabled). And in the Legacy section of the bios boot order make sure that the 1st boot device is UEFI DVD drive. Then Save Changes and exit.

The system will reboot. And hopefully if you’ve enabled legacy boot mode, made sure that the 1st boot device is UEFI DVD drive (And of course put your Windows 7 64SP1 installation DVD in the drive!), you should be able to install Windows 7!

Yay!! Then comes another fun part. After Windows is installed you will surely have to install a whole load for drivers. Open Device Manager (see all the yellow exclamation marks!), right-click on the devices and choose update driver. Then put in your DVD with all your drivers you made earlier and start finding the updated drivers.

OK, so that is a short version of an even longer winded version I originally had written about this project. I’ll be adding more articles as I can. Some will be how to dual boot Window 7 and Windows 8 - on separate partitions, how to decide I you can/should upgrade to Windows 8 and how to properly do it. I’ll also, from time to time put up more tips on navigating through Windows 8.

Hope this helps some. Peace out.

Moving Outlook files and Settings to New computer and error (0x8004010F) : 'Outlook data file cannot be accessed

So after setting up new PC I've been going through some things that might help some others.

I needed to transfer my Outlook profile to my new machine. AND I didn't want to have to create all my connection settings over again. Yes I know I could just copy over my .pst file over to the new machine and then re-create all my accounts and point them to that .pst file. But I have a lot of accounts with unusual configurations (on the advanced connections tab) and I didn't want to hassle with that for each and everyone of my accounts. [ I have 5 POP3 Gmail accounts I keep separated for various reasons and another 6 personal domain accounts]
So to move my Outlook file and settings I did the 'usual'.

First, obviously, I installed MS Office (2010) on the new PC. [BUT do not launch the program yet!] I then copied over my Current Outlook folder Located here:

Win 7 and Win Vista  (drive):\Users\user\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook 

Windows XP (drive):\Documents and Settings\user\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

to a ‘temporary’ folder on the new PC.

I will then copy that folder to the new proper location after I import the Profile settings, as described below. First I exported the old settings and them copied them over to the new machine and imported them.

To export the profile settings (registry) from my original machine:
In Microsoft Outlook you can easily export some types of information to a file. However, there is no option to export your profile e.g. when you want to have the same settings on another computer and you do not want to manually put all of them together with the account details again. In order to do so, you can use the Windows Registry Editor that gives access to all the information.

Click Start

In the search field type Regedit and hit Enter

Expand the following registry entry: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows Messaging Subsystem\Profiles.

You will see a list of your profiles.

Right click on the profile that you want to copy and click Export

1. Then, you can specify the name of the registry file and the location to save it e.g. Desktop.
2. Now, you need to copy the file to another computer and double click it there and choose to ‘add the information to registry’
3. Confirm that you want to make changes to the registry.
4. Now launch Outlook on the new machine and you will most likely get an error saying the .pst file was not found. NO big deal yet. OK/Close your way through the next few windows to EXIT the application. Here we’re only trying to create the default folder/location.
5. Now copy the contents of the old Outlook folder from where every you had it temporarily to the new Outlook location. (path should be close to the same as above.)
6. Now run your Outlook, the new profile will be opened (if you have only one) or you will be prompted to choose one of profiles (if you have more than one). And it ‘should’ work. At the minimum you should see all of your old mail, folders, contacts and calendars.

However I had some errors. Specifically:

Receiving reported error (0x8004010F) : 'Outlook data file cannot be accessed.'
Sending reported error (0x8004010F) : 'Outlook data file cannot be accessed.'

Arghh. So here is the fix that worked for me. Seems that the ‘Folder Location’ for the deliver of email was not properly ‘pathed’. Here is how to fix that.

Changing the folder to specify inbox fixed the issue. Apparently the inbox did not get set and the higher level file name was selected.

1. From Outlook 2010 click File>Account Settings>Account Settings (if you have more that one account you will have to do this for each one – just highlight/select them)

2. Click Change Folder (Down on the lower left corner)

3. Click the + to the left of the folder name to expand the subfolders. Click on ‘New Folder’ and create a new ‘temp’ folder; call it 01 or what ever, and select it. Click OK then you should now see a Folder location in the 'Change Folder button on the lower left.

4. Now let’s go back Click on Change Folder and now Select the 'Inbox' instead of that ‘01’ folder and click OK. The change should now 'stick' for you. Click Inbox.
Click OK.

5. Close Account Settings and click send/receive. And you should be good to go.

It’s an obvious bug that the settings won’t ‘stick’. But this works!

Hope that helps some. I’m sure I’ll be referring back to it.

How to Block Your Wall on Facebook From a Friend, Friend of Friend or everyone. And How to Block a Wall Post on Facebook

So far these are the simplest instructions I've come up with for How to Block Your Wall on Facebook From a Friend, Friend of Friend or everyone. And How to Block a Wall Post on Facebook

1 Click "Account" at the top right of your profile screen.

2 Click "Privacy Settings." Click the "Custom" button and then click "Customize settings."

3 Click the current privacy settings next to "Posts by me." Your current privacy setting is either "Everyone," "Friends of friends" or "Friends only." Click "Customize."

4 Type the name of the person you wish to block from setting your wall in the "These people" text box under "Hide from." Click "Save Setting."

Then Check this too

1 Log into Facebook and click "Edit My Profile" at the upper left.

2 Click the "Privacy Preferences" link in the left column.

3 Select the "Edit Settings" link from the "How You Connect" area.

4 Select the gray menu box positioned to the right of "Who Can See Wall Posts." A menu appears.

5 Click "Custom."

6 Click the "These People" text field in the Hide This From section.

7 Type the name of the person you want to block from posting on your wall. Names appear below the These People field while you type.

8 Click the person's name. His name appears in the "These People" field. Repeat Steps 7-8 to add more people.

9 Select "Save Changes."

In your PRIVACY SETTINGS, if you want to change how your wall appears to others you need to go to TIMELINE & TAGGING and change your settings there. I have this feeling that most of you are going to CONTROL YOUR DEFAULT PRIVACY and making your changes there. Control your default privacy only changes your future post, until you change it again. So, if you make sure that you set those first (TIMELINE & TAGGING). Keep in mind this does not change settings for your posts, not photo Album.

Here's another little secret. On your wall underneath your wall banner is ACTIVITY LOG and right next to it is a GEAR icon. If you click that icon, select VIEW AS. A search bar will appear on the top left corner of your page . Select a name of one of your friend and it will show you exactly how your page appears to that friends and if you read the description you'll notice the word PUBLIC in blue and it will show you how the page appears to the public. This is how you can view your settings! [if you do this make sure you clear your internet cache settings first!] :-)

I’d also like to put in another recommendation for the use of ‘Social Fixer’ a Browser Plugin to dramatically improve your ability to control the layout and functionality of Facebook.

Below are some screen captures of the above procedures for you if you care.

Hope this helps some who’ve been asking me.

For your future post make sure your settings are defined correctly as you do them.

Flash update kills Firefox causing hanging and crashing

Starting with the latest Adobe Flash version, some browsers, particularly Firefox, will hang or crash.

After the last Adobe Flash update my Firefox Browser became completely unusable. Chrome and Internet Explorer (IE) still worked but they too were markedly slower.

I am a huge fan of Firefox and use it as my primary browser because it enables me to use a plethora of extensions that greatly increase my productivity and the usefulness of the pages and sites I visit. [I'll list my plug-ins at the end]

To get Firefox to even work at all I had to started it in Safe Mode -
in the ‘Run’ dialog type "Firefox -safe-mode" (minus quotes) - Then choose to continue in safe mode. Then go to 'Tools>Add-ons>Plug-ins and then disable Shockwave Flash. That would then allow Firefox to work but obviously that is not a solution.  Without Flash you can hardly view some websites and of course could not watch most videos or multi-media files.

So I set off on a solution like an angry rhino.

I tried uninstalling Adobe Flash (using Windows Uninstall AND Adobe's own 'Flash Removal Tool) and re-installing it several times; that didn't work.
You can get the official Adobe Flash 'uninstaller' here. [download/save and then 'run as administrator' to use it.]

For all of Adobe's Flash Player downloads (the FULL Offline installers) you can go here
Make sure you download all the players you will need - if on Windows download the one for Internet Explorer AND the 'Plugin-based browsers' versions.

I tried using older versions of Firefox; that didn't work.
Re-installed the latest version of Firefox, with Flash Player 11.3.300.257, 
I tried the latest Beta/Developer versions of Firefox ; that didn't work.
I tried reverting to older versions of Flash; that too didn't work.

I finally found the reason for this behavior AND a solution after MUCH searching and LOADS of aggravation.

According to Adobe, "Starting with Flash Player 11.3, a protected mode was added as a new security enhancement for Firefox 4.0 and greater on Windows Vista and higher.  This security enhancement is designed to limit the impact of attacks launched from malicious Flash content (SWF files)."

They are trying to 'sandbox' Flash files to limit their susceptibility to being used as vectors for more serious virus/Trojan attacks.
Problem is I believe their developers FAILED. While the idea of sandboxing is sound (Chrome and the latest IE browsers use it extensively) this implementation is obviously poorly written and implemented in Flash for Firefox.
You would think that Adobe, with it's truckloads of cash, could hire decent security coders and engineers and then thoroughly test their software. But judging by that fact that Adobe's products have been the primary vector for serious security wholes over the last 7 years I guess not. But I digress.

Ok so now to the solution
To disable this newer 'protected mode':
add the following line to your 'mms.cfg' file located in:

On Windows 32bit: C:\windows\system32\macromed\flash
Or
On Windows 64bit: C:\windows\syswow64\macromed\flash

"ProtectedMode = 0"  (without the quotes)

If the mms.cfg file does not exist, create one using any standard text editor (e.g.. notepad).

Make sure if you create the file that the file 'extension - is NOT a .txt but is the .cfg.
If you don't see or know how to see the file name extensions you can read how to do that here. Depending on your operating system, you might need to first create and or save the mms.cfg file to a writable location (such as your documents or desktop folder) and then copy the file into the destination folder using Windows Explorer.

Here is a link to a zipped mms.cfg file version with Protected Mode disabled (directly from Adobe).

Download, unzip the file and copy it to the needed location.
One note:
I did not find the mms.cfg file in my "C:\windows\system32\macromed\flash" so I copied that file to there.

I did however also find an mms.cfg file in my "C:\windows\syswow64\macromed\flash" directory.

There I simply opened the mms.cfg file (with notepad) and just added the line ProtectedMode = 0

below the last line there.

Then I started Firefox normally. Went to Tools>Add-Ons>Plugins and made sure Shockwave Flash was 'Enabled'

Now all is working very well. And since I'm using version 14 (beta) of Firefox things are even faster.

That ends two days of aggravation.
I hope that helps some of you.

For those that care here are the Firefox Extensions/Add-ons I use:

Adblock Plus
http://adblockplus.org/en/

After the Deadline
http://atdfirefox.wordpress.com/

Better Gmail 2
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/better-gmail-2/?src=userprofile

Video Download Helper
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/video-downloadhelper/

Downloads Context Menu
http://www.bm-productions.tk/

https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/downloads/file/128500/downloads_context_menu-1.5-fx-windows.xpi

Ghostery
http://www.ghostery.com/

Google Redesigned
http://www.globexdesigns.com/#!products/gr
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/downloads/latest/8434/addon-8434-latest.xpi?src=addondetail

FireFTP
http://fireftp.mozdev.org/

IE Tab V2
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/ie-tab-2-ff-36/

PDF Download
http://www.pdfdownload.org/

Redirect Remover
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/downloads/latest/537/addon-537-latest.xpi

RightToClick
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/righttoclick/

Social Fixer for Facebook
http://socialfixer.com/

Stop Autoplay
http://neticat.ath.cx/forum/index.php

TinEye Reverse Image Search
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/tineye-reverse-image-search/

Vacuum Places Improved
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/vacuum-places-improved/?src=api

Greasemonkey
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/greasemonkey/

Greasemonkey Scripts:
Search here http://userscripts.org/
Google Maps Zoom
http://jeffpalm.com/gzoom/

YouTube Enhancer
http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/33042

Android App List Backup

Here is a very good app to use to install/re-install applications from phone to phone. It’s called appropriately enough, App List Backup.
It saves a list of your installed applications (Market/Play only. It does not list ‘Non-Market’ applications!) so you can re-download them from the Playstore/Market later (on the same or another device). This way apps will show up in Downloads(PlayStore) and receive updates.

The idea is NOT to physically back up your applications and their settings or to save you from re-downloading apps. For that I use Titanium Backup Pro (root required for Titanium; read my articles on rooting for more information).

This application creates a list that just let's you VERY easily re-download one or all of your applications.
Great for sharing links of your applications with others. Or duplicating your installed applications on a new phone or one that is 'reset'; either by wiping or installing new or different ROM version.

Simply download and install the application from the Playstore. Then run it to create a back up list.
OR
Once installed navigate to a list you’ve created and copied over or that someone has given/sent you, and then restore. You can choose which to 'reload/restore' individually if you wish too. Now your applications will  show up in the Playstore on your phone and you can then install/update them.
Bam dead simple.

Have fun and be safe. Peace

Another Flashback Variant - 2nd in two days!

Hey Mac users who still haven't taken the hint and update your systems' security there's yet another version of the Flashback Trojan for you to enjoy.

It infects unprotected Macs in the same way Flashback.K did, through a Java applet exploit, and installs itself without the need of your password.
And, just as its predecessor, Flashback.K erases its footprints by deleting the Java cache and ensures its propagation by installing into the Java Update folder. You can read more here.

Apple released a Java patch in early April, as well as a Flashback removal tool, but clearly not all Mac users patched.

But many Mac users don't even qualify for the patch—it was only available to systems running OS X 10.6 (from 2009) and later. Mac users running OS X v.10.5 and earlier were advised to disable Java altogether. WTF!! However, it's quite possible that many users of these older systems just didn't get the memo and are still running insecure software.

Here is F-Secure’s site that has the checker and removal tool. Check that out too. And please update your systems folks.

OK Mac guys here we go again!

There’s Another Mac Trojan Spreading Via Microsoft Office documents and email attachments. The Trojan apparently spreads through infected Office documents, and it's in "active stage", which means that it searches through documents on infected machines.

Please note that this is a very sophisticated and malicious attack that not only 'infects' your machine but also installs a 'bot' to control it, scan through your system, and take what ever it wants to! ALL WITHOUT YOUR INTERACTION AFTER THE FIRST INFECTION!

The attack vector utilizes several vulnerabilities. The Java whole that Apple finally just fixed last week. And a Microsoft vulnerability that MS patched 3 years ago. (but they may update that patch too).

Please folks keep your Operating System, Applications and security software up to date and don't be one of those poor naive bastards that thinks this cannot happen to you.
You can read more here and here

Mac Fanboys and Girls let the terror start

OK now the terror starts for you fanboys (and girls). My last article told you of this Mac Trojan. Now it's apparently infected at least 600,000 users so far (read here) and it's terrifying everyone! It's written in an unknown language, doesn't even need your password to compromise you!

It's written in an unknown language, and doesn't even need your password to compromise you, and.

For instructions on how to check for and remove you can AND SHOULD go here

NO system that is connected to a network is EVER safe. It can only be made more secure. Don’t ever think you Operating System is your security; it’s not – YOU ARE!

Be safe out there people!

[side note: I wonder how many calls I’ll get about this and how to repair the damage? The compromised system I can fix – your emptied bank account I cannot. Just saying.]

More Scareware going around–Fake disk errors and hidden files.

More security news. There is another round of Scareware/Trojans going around that trick users into infecting their machines http://bit.ly/zqaBJK and then ransoming a fix for money.

This new threat, named "Trojan.HiddenFilesFraud.A" by Bitdefender's researchers, hides all files and folders on your machine and disables some standard keyboard shortcuts so you can't un-hide them. To further inflame your mania it displays error messages as-if from Windows reporting such worries as "damaged hard disk clusters." Disk scareware hides files.Just when your frenzy is at its peak, the fake disk repair tool goes to work. It busily spins and flashes and eventually reports a plethora of errors. Want the problem fixed? All you have to do is register... for $80. The worst of it is, even when you do register it doesn't unhide your files. Pay $80 for the repair utility that will do absolutely nothing once purchased. The scam is done, the money is gone. And there is a good chance your credit card will be used for more fraudulent activity in the very near future!

It displays a fake 'error' and 'fix window' that if clicked on (EVEN TO CLOSE!!) actually infects the machine! The the user is supposed to be scared enough and convinced to reach for his pocket and 

Please keep your Anti-virus/Spyware application, Systems and especially your Browsers up to date! I have posted previously on how to 'get out' of this bogus application look here http://bit.ly/pUhosM and throughout my blog for MANY articles regarding security please check them out. Or you could just pay me to fix what you mess up for not following my advise.

Be safe folks! Peace.

Fix Running out of Internal Storage Space Android devices

Have you ever received an error stating that “you are running low on storage space” or something to that effect on you Android phone? Then when you check you see that you have what looks like loads of free space on you internal SD card AND your external one too! And then you can’t figure out what is causing that error notification and you are not sure what you are to do?

Like most people, you probably do some research on the net. And in most of the first responses/search results you see people start telling you that you need to either uninstall and remove applications or even ‘move’ some application to the external SD card? Well DONT DO THAT YET! As with most stuff on the internet not all that makes it to the top of the search results is good advice or even close to correct!

But fret not. There is a solution you can use FIRST that is much simpler and probably the RIGHT one. [Don’t get me wrong, you may actually have way too many applications and if your device is rooted (and if it’s not why not?) you can actually move most of your downloaded applications to an external SD card. But that is for another post]

OK, So let’s free up loads of space by clearing application caches and data stores.

By clearing the cache that some applications use, you can reclaim quite a lot of storage space!

Go to Settings >

• Applications >

• Manage applications

• on your Android. Press the Menu button and select the Sort by size option. If you’re on Android 2.2 or above, select the All tab first.
• Select/Click on a chosen application and from the Application info screen.
• To check if an application has a cache, select it in the list and it will be stated on the resulting screen. To clear a cache, simply press the Clear cache button. You may also clear an app’s ‘data’. This will not only clear the cache, but also all the data the app has generated. Basically, when you select Clear data you’re “hard resetting” the app. You will be warned that settings and ‘databases’ will be deleted and you will possibly be required to ‘re-enter’ in information – that is OK. It is what you want.

 

• A couple of apps that may have a cache (and data) of several MB or more are Facebook, Maps, Market, Internet, Media and Gallery.
• For example, I reclaimed 1.2GB!! by erasing the data for Media Storage. It forced my some of my media apps to rescan and locate all my stuff again, but the associated data for Media Storage was still much smaller in size than before I cleared it.
• I also did this for my Facebook application and cleared 20MB of data. I did have to re-enter my credentials and settings (contacts sync yes or no etc..) when I first launched the application again but WOW, it is much faster now!.

There are some ‘Cache Cleaner’ applications available in the market. You can search and check them out. But why waste time – and more storage for that matter. When you can do it easily as above every few months or so to keep things snappy. Plus I have found most ‘helper/optimizer application whether for PCs, Mac, iPhones or Android are usually a complete waste. There are a few worthwhile applications and utilities – I do use some, but they are ones usually reserved for true developers and or uber geeks like me. And when I find those I will usually post about them.

I hope this helps some. I know I get asked about it often.

Peace out and be productive and have fun!

Acronis Deal

OK here I go again.
Back your sh%t up!

I have written many times previously [read here and here and for Macs here ]about the prudence and wisdom of having backups of your digital data. And by backup I mean that your data exists in TWO places at once and is able to be accessed or recreated from either source.

I believe the best solution is to use Disk Images. And my favorite tool for Windows is Acronis (they should pay me for all the referrals!).
Right now Acronis has another super deal Acronis® True Image™ Home 2012 WITH their Plus Pack which enables restores to dissimilar hardware for only $49.99! And a 3 PC license for only $79.99.

I urge you purchase a large external HDD (or two) - they are very inexpensive now ($100-$150 U.S.) and to invest in this software if you haven't already. Create a Full Image and breath a sigh of relief, for now. Follow my other posts on continuing a good backup plan. With the option of ‘Universal Restore’ you can ‘take your data forward’ to new/dissimilar hardware too!! OK be data safe! Peace out.

More Free Cloud Storage

I like free and I like options.
I already have written about Microsoft's awesome SkyDrive storage previously here along with other options here.

I really like using DropBox to hold my Titanium Backup files; my Android phone (Rooted Samsung Galaxy SII/Epic 4G Touch) synchronizes my nightly automated Titanium Pro backups to DropBox. This provide me with one more source for me to have access to my phone applications and settings should they get hosed or I need to 'go back' to them.

Right now you can get a whopping 50GB Free lifetime storage from Box.net. The forever part is crucial here, since it's not some gimmick offer that'll turn into a lemon after a few months of use. The space is yours to keep. Plus the file size limit gets a bump to 100MB, up from 25MB, if you get the app before March 23, 11:59PM. There are no strings attached, either; just download the app and sign in or create a new account FROM YOUR PHONE FIRST to get the free storage, which is then accessible from any device -- not just your Android phone. They ran a promotion like this for the iPhone 4S a while back too. I hope you iPhoners got that.

I use many of these cloud services to store data – documents, pictures and encrypted files that I can ‘afford’ to lose. I have loads of photos, technical documents, class/school work and other notes stored. However I don’t store ANY vital information in ANY cloud service; ever. No passwords or keys, no bank account information etc.. I just don’t trust anybody to be safe with my data like I would. But they provide an invaluable service for sharing and collaborating with family, friends and associates.

So take advantage of this while you can and utilize technology to be more productive and have more fun!

[As a footnote. I have the Dropbox, Skydrive and Box.com applications installed on all my machines – BUT they are not set to start at startup and I run/turn them on manually every couple of days. I personally leave VERY few connections to the ‘outside’ world open on any of my systems. Especially ones that I have no direct control over. You may not care, but I’m the ultra paranoid type of guy. You know the type who has worked in the IT security industry for a few decades who might have an idea of what is safe and reasonable. ]

iDevice Backups

If you have an iPhone or other iDevice, you’ve probably wondered at some point how to backup iPhone data. There’s actually a pretty easy way to backup your entire iPhone using the iTunes software. The procedure requires a few steps, but everyone should be able to do it. Hopefully you did this when you 1st got your phone or other iDevice following Apples instructions. But I wanted to point out a few things and some alternative methods for insuring you can access your data. Especially if you have made many additions to your device; pictures taken, music downloaded apps purchased etcetera.

I have found that iTunes is KNOWN TO WIPE YOUR DATA - APPS, PICTURES AND MUSIC if you have not set up the sync/backup correctly!! I can't tell you how many calls and emails I get from folks who have synced their iDevice only to find all their information has been wiped! And once wiped it is nearly impossible to retrieve (save for expert data recovery services $$).

So let’s start the Apple way:

To start the iPhone/iDevice backup, connect your iPhone to your computer with your USB cable, then start iTunes. Go to the devices list on the left side of the screen, and select your iPhone. You then need to right click on your iPhone, and select “Back Up”. This will start the backup procedure, and will take some time depending on how much data you have stored on your phone. Once the backup is complete, you will now have a complete collection of all your phone data stored on your computer. If your phone should get destroyed, you’ll be able to restore all of your existing data to a new phone. You can read Apple’s tutorial here for how to back up you iDevice here and here.

One thing I don't like is that iTunes Store and App Store content on your iOS device may not automatically transfer to your computer as you might think by just doing a 'sync' or backup with iTunes. You can use the Transfer Purchases option in iTunes to ensure that all iTunes Store and App Store content is transferred to your iTunes library. Read how here.

I have found that getting pictures off of many iDevices - especially phones seems to be a major source of issues. I have used, with great success, many third party applications to 'grab' music, photos and videos from iPhones and iDevices for family and friends. If you have an iDevice I couldn't recommend any more strongly  that you have at least one of these applications in your toolbox! Spend a little $ and get a real solution.

Now my way(s)!

The application that I have used most is DiskAid. It just works and you can do so very much with it! Check it out. It has the ability to do a complete backup of the ENTIRE iDevice, quicker and more thoroughly than iTunes.

Some others I've used are:

iPodAccess Mac version or PC version

CopyTrans

iPodRip

And finally a very good freeware application for getting stuff of iDevices to pc is called SharePod.

As a final note if you have an iDevice a must have application is this – Find My iPhone. It is now free and enables you to:

• Locate your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac on a map
• Display a message on the screen
• Play a sound for two minutes at full volume (even if your device is set to silent)
• Remotely lock your device
• Remotely wipe your device to erase your personal data

OK folks be safe and keep your data backed up!