ELCC - Minutes

General Meeting Minutes

4 November, 2005

Quote of the day:

A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any other invention in human history - with the possible exception of handguns and tequila.- Mitch Radcliffe (www.sysprog.net/quotes.html)

The meeting was called to order at 10:00 AM with 35 members present. John Barker opened with a very funny ice breaker (groaner?). He then opened the floor to questions:

Name	Q&A	Details	OS
M.I.G.S.	Q	Somehow my home page got changed and I didn't do it. How do I reset it?	IE6, Firefox, Mozilla
Bob Young 2	A	It sounds like you are a victim of a “browser hijacking” and IE6 is particularly vulnerable to this kind of attack because it uses “Active X Controls” (tiny programs) to do Windows Updates. Many other websites also use them to infect your computer with ad ware and viruses. Run all your security tools after updating their definition files. Then, open your IE6 browser and type your preferred website name (URL) into the Address Bar. Then, click on Internet Explorer's Tools tab > Internet Options > General then click on the “Use Current” button as shown: Tip: If you use dial-up, choose the “Use Blank” button instead to save time getting on the web. Shorter Shortcut: Drag the FavIcon (the blue “e” shown below) from the address bar to the House Icon and drop it as shown. Windows will ask if you want to make it your new home page and click OK: Note: This works in most browsers.
M.I.G.S.	Q	Almost anytime I run my spyware I see cookies from double-click, I remove them, then they come back next test. What is going on?	All
Bob Young 2 & Sturg	A	Many websites use the “double-click network” for marketing and it is a known spyware problem. The website may pass you a valid cookie, but normally the double-click cookies come from clicking on ads or even just closing pop-ups. This is such a major problem that the U.S. Government has banned the use of IE6 (google) in favour of Firefox or Mozilla among others. Neither of these free browsers use Active X so they cannot be used to get automatic Windows Updates. I switched to Firefox (www.mozilla.org) for all my normal web browsing. I set my IE6 home page to Windows Updates and only use it for that. As a result, I only get infected when I do something silly like clicking an ad banner. Only if a website looks weird do I switch back to IE6. Watch for a Firefox mini-tutorial in early 2006.
Stan	Q	What software would you recommend to do a full back up of your hard drive?	All
Sturg	A	Called disk imaging software, many new laptops only come with an image of Windows XP using Norton Ghost from www.symantec.com but it can be purchased and used on any computer. These programs make a “bit for bit” exact copy of the hard disk and save it to CDs or DVDs. Other products such as Acronis True Image 9 from www.acronis.com and Boot It (Langa List recommended) from www.bootit.com are also available, but I have never found a good free Windows one, yet. On the other hand, on Linux...)
Marion	Q	After last meeting's discussion on using Belarc Adviser to check my Windows Update Status, I noticed a number of them without symbols next to them on my older IBM laptop. Our other newer Dell PC had the same updates but Belarc shows different symbols when run on it. Why?	All
Sturg	A	The way Belarc works has a lot to do with the features built into the motherboard of the computer. It's not uncommon for older computers to show slightly different results and related symbols even with exactly the same critical updates installed. Also, different computers may have different software and hardware updates applied. Only identical computers would have identical lists.

11:00 AM Virtual Coffee Break

One of the members suggested during the coffee break that we contact some of the founding members of the club and record the history of the ELCC and maybe even try for a group photo. Any takers? Any founding fathers willing to be interviewed? Any shutter bugs? If interested, please Email the Executive at: elliotlakecc@canada.com.

Reconvened at 11:15 AM.

John Sturges did a presentation on Spybot Search & Destroy (see end of minutes) and then answered a member's question which follows. Due to time constraints, the Advanced tutorial, with tips, tweaks and how to set up automatic scheduling, wasn't covered. Anyone who would like a copy can e-mail John at: jnsturges@yahoo.ca.

Name

Q&A

Details

M.I.G.S.

Getting the latest spyware definitions is pretty straight forward. How often should we update the program and where should we go to get it?

All

John S

This applies to every program I've every seen that runs on Windows.

If not shown elsewhere in the application, click on the “Help” tab and look for an entry such as “About...” or “Website” and you should see the current version number of the program.

There should also be a link to the author's website to download the latest version of the software, if newer than shown above.

John Sturges also discussed an article he found onwww.grc.com (one of the best sites for geeks). It explains that Sony is using a hidden “Rootkit” program to enforce their DRM and DMCA copy protection rights. Once installed, any hacker can access your computer without your knowledge. And normal security tools such as AVG and Spybot can't even see these nasty critters!

If you bought recent Sony audio CDs or DVDs and agreed to their End User License Agreement, you will have a virus on your PC that can't be removed easily. Stand alone audio and video players are not affected.

To see if you are infected, you need to download “Rootkit Revealer” (one of many tools) from www.sysinternals.co and run it. If it finds any suspicious files, the only fix as far as I have been able to determine, is to re-install Windows after formating your hard disk. Back up all your personal data to removable media first. Watch for a “5 Minute Backup Mini-tutorial” in early 2006.

Tip: You can't use Disk Imaging software like Norton Ghost ($$) or Boot It ($) because they will automatically restore the Rootkit also, but can be a great tool after your system is rebuilt. Also, read Marc's article at www.sysinternals.com for instructions to avoid reformatting (too geeky for me). Also, please read the GRC article and decide if you should write Sony to complain or boycott them as suggested on the website. Or not.

Bob Young (1) announced that the Model Railroader Club would be holding an Open House at the Inn On The Lake next to McDonald's on Highway 108 on Saturday November 12^th and Sunday November 13^th from Noon to 4:00 PM. Admission is free and donations are always welcome.

He also indicated that he would not be running for the position of Treasurer at the January 2006 Executive Elections due to personal reasons. He and John Sturges offered to help anyone with a bookkeeping, accounting background or lots of enthusiasm who may be interested in the position. Bob (1) also said that he would continue to act as web master until someone offers to take over. Anyone out there with some web design experience or a willingness to learn can contact us for more information.

One of the members commented that he hadn't received an Email of the Minutes for many months. The simple answer is he probably isn't on the 2005 ELCC Membership List. Katherine Croxson is the Membership Secretary and he should call her to update the list.

At this point a lively discussion broke out regarding problems with Email delivery due to large file sizes, file formats to use such as Word documents, RTF, HTML or PDF, etc. Bob (1) explained that all minutes are posted towww.elliotlakecomputerclub.com on the Archives Page. Saved there in HTML (very small file size and opens in any browser) format, the minutes are usually posted within a week or so of the last meeting.

Several members commented that it would make more sense to notify the members via Email as soon as the last minutes are posted with a link to the Archive Page. Others suggested that a final Email be sent to all members to advise them that they should go to the website for all future Minutes to save time and avoid other problems associated with mass mailings.

In my humble opinion, and since this is a democratic association, the membership should put a motion on the floor at the next meeting to decide which distribution method would work best for the majority. You can't vote if you don't attend!

The meeting was adjourned at 11:51 AM.

Spybot Search & Destroy Tips and Tricks (Part 1)

Spybot

Note: Part 2, not discussed due to space and time limitations, is also available. It covers tweaking SSD as well as “How to set SSD up to run as a scheduled task”. Please Email me at jnsturges@yahoo.ca for a copy. Questions? Call me at 705-461-9009. Thanks.