Machine Information Consulting
Alliance™ 
Computer questions submitted to us, by our visitors, are
answered here. While we do not publish all of the questions submitted to us, we
do answer all of them by way of email. We care about providing quick, accurate
and credible information to you.
Table of Contents
- Windows
Update says my New XP machine is "missing registered files" and I can not get
any updates.
-
What if a program
will not respond?
-
Do I
need to use the 'Disk Defragmenter' listed in my 'system tools' tab?
-
Do you think
I should purchase a 'Firewall' for my new computer?
-
Do I
really need to scan for spyware everyday I connect to the internet?
-
Do I need a
long 'Password' or will something like 'car123' do the job?
-
What happens
to files I delete with the 'Recycle Bin?'
-
What
is 'check disk' and should I use it?'
-
Can I run 'Disk
defrag' even when it says it is not needed?
-
When I go online,
something called an "I.P. address" shows up on my computer. Can you tell me
what it is?
-
I have the
latest version of a major virus scanning program and the virus dat files are
current. Would I benefit from the spyware/malware scanners you suggest?
-
Why does my
computer try to finish my web addresses, when I surf the web?
-
Can you
tell me why my computer has something called "RUN", listed on my start column?
I have typed every word I can think of into it and it does nothing.
-
What is the "prtscn" key on my keyboard? I press it and nothing happens.
-
You answered one of the keyboard mysteries above, but what about the "pause
break" key?
-
My computer seems to be running slower when I start programs and recently it
keeps popping up a box saying resources are low and Windows is increasing the
size. What does this mean?
-
Is base64
encoding a type of encryption?
-
Is there
a way for me to check my "ram memory" for errors?
-
How
can I set up an easy wireless home network?
-
I moved from outlook express to Outlook 2003.
How do I make Outlook 2003 save my email addresses when I send receive email?
-
I own a HP desktop
computer that is about eight months old. Do you recommend installing the new
Windows Vista operating system on it?
-
How can I tell what is running on start-up?
» If you need more information, or help with a new
question, please use our E-Z submit form and we will respond to you directly and/or publish it here.
» Forum Finds! 
Windows Update says
my New XP machine is "missing registered files" and it will not give me any
updates! Now what?
This only seems to be happening with mass-produced
machines where the maker uses a "volume licensing validation" on OEM versions of
Windows XP. It is a flaw in the way Windows is restored from those ghosting
discs (the Windows XP disc is from your maker, and not Microsoft. We have not
encountered this issue with the "retail edition" of Windows XP.
From experience fixing this error in the field,
the trouble is with a .dll file not registering itself with Windows. There are
many suggestions to fix this error, like reinstalling Windows, but I would not
do it. The problem usually will remain after reformatting the drive, so I would
ignore this option.
You will need to run a command to fix this. If you
go to Start and then Run and then type or copy &
paste: regsvr32 msxml.3.dll
and then click OK. This should immediately repair the file
registry from this .dll and have updates working properly. No need to reboot,
nothing more to do.
Less than one minute of your time verses hours of
reformatting. When in doubt with Windows XP, always look for a
Computer Command that will do the work for
you. The Command Prompt really is your best friend!
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What if a program will not respond?
Right click on your task bar located at the bottom of your
screen and click on ‘task manager’ next click the applications tab and you
should see the program listed. Click on it and click END TASK. Wait and it will
pop up a dialog box asking “do you want to end this task and if you do you will
loose any unsaved data.” Click ‘O.K.’ and wait for it to close the program.
After it is closed, a dialog box will appear and ask if want to send a “error
report” which if you are on-line at the time you should click “YES.” This will
only send a report if you are online and I recommend sending all the error
reports when possible. They will help Microsoft know what’s happening and they
can work on preventing it in the future.
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Do I need to use the 'Disk
Defragmenter' listed in my 'system tools' tab?
Yes! Absolutely it is most useful and will speed your
system up and help you in many ways. Let me explain a little further and then
decide if you should defrag your system or not.
Try and view your machine as a large filing cabinet with
thousands of drawers and millions of categories and sections and separate files
stored in a orderly manner, where every thing was in its place. Then you pull
pages out of several different files and then pluck complete files out of many
different drawers and never put anything back. Well that is what the ‘defrag
service’ does for you! It does your housekeeping for you and puts every last
piece of paper back in the proper drawer for the next time it is needed. And
your machine will love you for it!
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Do you think I should purchase a
'Firewall' for my new computer?
I would install a third party software firewall on top of
installing the Microsoft ‘SP2 for XP’ and turn on all services. The firewall in
sp2 is a good first defense to lock down many of the known problems in your O.S.
(operating system.) And the software program you purchase will complete the list
of tools needed to track and stop most everything else! I would contact
http://www.mcafee.com/ and purchase a
complete suite of privacy and security applications right away. They are perfect
for what’s needed and it will include a shredder, which is needed to participate
in LOCKDOWN™
and have complete safety. A fairly easy product to use compared to the
other top brands. I like McAfee myself and know they work and do as they should.
You need protection immediately before surfing the internet.
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Do I really need to scan for
'Spyware' everyday I connect to the internet?
Yes, I think you should. The reason is simple– whenever you
go online for even a few minutes you could have picked up malware of some type.
It does not matter how long you surf and most often if you log on for ten
minutes, you will most certainly have 2-3 pieces! And if you don’t do
maintenance than those 2-3 pieces will add up QUICKLY. It will not take long for
them to assemble every type of malware on your system including ‘Key loggers’
which record every key you press and report them back to “home base” (website)
and give up all your secrets including your passwords, account numbers, phone
numbers, and even your home address. Clean your system with routine maintenance
and never worry about this very serious problem.
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Do I need a long 'Password' or will
something like 'car123' do the job?
Please use a unknown combination of upper and lower case
letters along with numbers & characters. (sample password: R&kp#a29DX?+ut) This
type of password will keep you safe from the best attacks and make the bad guys
efforts go useless! The best passwords are from 14-20 spaces and will not
contain any words found in a book or dictionary and will have nothing to do with
anything known to mankind. So let’s at least make them work for your valuables
and not hand it to them on a silver platter! One last thing, try not to use the
same password for all your websites and system log on. Also do not use the same
name for your 'Windows XP' screen name, administrative account, and other
programs. Try something generic for them as well.
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What happens to files I delete
with the 'Recycle Bin?'
The files stay on your hard drive complete and undisturbed.
Once you “empty the recycle bin” but NOT until then are they available to be
‘re-written’ over, after you use enough disk space to cover that area on your
disk/hard drive. When you put something in the recycle bin and then empty
it, your computer/machine will simply remove the extension of that file, but
leaves the file intact and sitting where it was originally (sample file:
wedding web page.pub recycle makes it wedding web page) but by
removing the extension (.pub or .exe for example) your machine will ignore the
file and at some point, write over it. Until something takes its place the
information can be restored by software program and see everything. A third
party program that “shreds” the recycle bin will write over that file as many
times as you want and then shred it just like a paper shredder. The government
uses a shredder with 9-13 passes and it considers it gone for now, but still
would not consider that hard drive clean until it was destroyed. And since we
like to play it safe, I recommend shredding it 14 times to be covered! Another
item of maintenance that will help you is the “defrag disk” feature. As you use
this, it will move files around on your disk and there-by rewrite areas of free
disk space which includes the ‘old files/trash’ space on your machine. As you
follow along with us, you will understand how everything is connected and needs
to be cleaned by maintenance on a regular basis. Please remember that no
computer can be considered 'clean' unless you melt the hard drive in fire! Any
other damage can be worked around to pull data out of it. The government's
method of smelting the hard drive when 'required' is the best way to play it
safe. This is a good idea to do if you give away an old computer or sell it.
You can buy a new hard drive for about $40 and change it out yourself. All data
published or transmitted electronically will ALWAYS exist somewhere, in some
form.
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What is 'Check disk' and
should I use it?'
If you click ‘start’ then click ‘my computer’ then right
click ‘C drive’ then click properties you will have found several excellent
maintenance tools for keeping your system tuned and working at top speed. One of
these is listed under the tools tab in this properties section. Click ‘check
disk’ and then select the boxes listed and select to perform check at next start
up. Restart your machine and let it do all five checks before doing anything.
After it is complete it will restart again and you are ready to go! If you watch
the monitor as it starts up, you will see a screen saying system volume is clean
and any problems will have been fixed automatically.
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Can I run 'Disk defrag' even when it
says it is not needed?'
Yes, I would. The default
defrag software that came with your windows machine will not easily admit to
needing it if you use the ’check for defrag” button. I would defrag every 5-days
and even more often if I have a lot of activity going on. You cannot run it
enough and the more the merrier! You can run it daily if you want or just stick
to the ‘M.I.C.A. Maintenance’ subscribed to you on the lockdown
page.
There are more powerful defrag units and they are superior
to the default version. The biggest thing to remember is to use it frequently
and your machine will thank you. Check out Question #2 if you want a brief definition on the benefits of running ‘disk
defragmenter’ and why we stress to do maintenance on your machine.
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When I go online something called an 'I.P.
address' shows up on my computer, can you tell me what it is?'
Whenever a computer connects to the Internet, it is
assigned a unique number known as an Internet Protocol (IP) address which has
(4) blocks of numbers separated by a period (.) and directs all of your
information to your unique machine. An example of an IP address would be
something like 64.209.239.186 and may change each time you reconnect to the
internet. This number is assigned to your ISP account (such as AOL or MSN or one
of the many out there) and logs the websites and servers you go to. Generally no
one will view this information unless of course, the court issues orders or a
search warrant for some case.
The sites you visit only see this address number and a few
system specs like your browser type, monitor size or resolution and cookie info,
which is why you need to clear those cookies through regular maintenance.
However most IP address numbers are assigned by region so a savvy webmaster
could narrow you down to a couple of states but that’s all. Your ISP will
usually keep all surf logs on accounts for 2-4 months and some like ‘EarthLink’
will keep them for six months.
If your IP address does not ever change you have what’s
called a “static IP address” and poses more of a threat because a savvy
webmaster could track you or a hacker will hit you over and over, pinging you
and finding you every time you connect. It is better to have what’s called a
“dynamic IP address” that is picked from several hundred and changes each time
you connect.
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I have the latest version of a
major virus scanning program and the virus dat files are current. Would I
benefit from the spyware/malware scanners you suggest?
I am glad to hear you keep your virus scanner up-to-date
and I hope you use it 1-3 times weekly; however this will NOT find most malware,
if any at all! I know it would make sense to think that viruses and malware
would be found with the same scanner but you will need several other
programs to scrub your machine clean. We provide links for excellent freeware
for you to scrub-up and hope you will take back your machine today, before it is
too late. Check out our 'Virus
Databank' page to learn more about the differences between viruses and the
other types of malicious software.
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Why does my computer try to finish
my web addresses, when I surf the web?
I think you are talking about "while you are typing, your
computer completes your sentence with what it thinks you are trying to find,
based on your previous entries". This is a program built into your Windows XP
called "auto complete".
If you go to start / control panel and open 'internet
options' and click on the 'content' tab, you will see a tab called 'auto
complete' with 4 check boxes. You will need to uncheck all 4 of the boxes and
then click the 'clear forms' and click the 'O.K.' box that pops up. Next click
'clear passwords' and click the 'O.K.' box that pops up. Now you have stopped
this service from running, and cleared all stored information. While you have
this open, go ahead and click the 'clear SSL state' tab and click the 'O.K.' box
that pops up. This is a maintenance item that needs to be cleared every 3 days.
This will clear any security certificates that have remained from previous
sessions. Normally they will clear when you restart your computer, however I
have found some after restart, and if you do not turn your machine off
regularly, you could have several certificates from the past. These items are
safe to clear as often as you wish and have been listed in our "M.I.C.A.
Maintenance" as required.
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Can you tell me why my
computer has something called "RUN", listed on my start column? I have typed
every word I can think of into it and it does nothing.
The program you are referring to is a handy tool for
'command line functions', like "regedit" and several other commands. If you open
it and type regedit and O.K., you will open your registry. However, DO NOT mess
with your registry or you could crash your machine! I only wanted to explain the
function of the "run" program. Another excellent one to try is "msconfig", by
typing this in and clicking O.K., you can see a ton of information abut your
machine, including all the programs running at start up.
More powerful Command-line tools must be run at the prompt
of the "Cmd.exe" and then clicking O.K. For a complete understanding of the
run tool, along with all of the commands, check out our
Computer Commands
page.
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What is the "prtscn"
key on my keyboard? I press it and nothing happens.
This is the "print screen" feature and it is an excellent
tool for trouble shooting those error messages. When you press this key, it will
copy everything that is showing on your display, to your clipboard, at
that moment. Then you can copy it to a word editor program like Office Word
or the Wordpad and view all of the contents, including images.
Once you have pressed the "prtscn" key, open word and press
the "control" + the "V" key at the same time and you have just copied and pasted
the screen contents. This is very useful for those error messages that pop up.
You will have an exact copy of the error so someone will be able to understand
what happened and offer help to your problem. You can use this feature to track
your 'running processes' in the "Task Manager" as well.
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You answered one of
the keyboard mysteries above, but what about the "pause break" key?
The 'pause break / scroll lock' key is a left over feature
of the good ole' dos days. Pause break was used in the dos command line
environment to pause scrolling of text on the screen. The scroll lock key was
used to allow scrolling of screen text up, down and sideways while using the
arrow keys on the keyboard. Some specialty programs still use this feature,
while most just require the use of the arrow keys.
We will add a keyboard shortcut section soon, so everyone
will know the many features built into their keyboard.
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My
computer seems to be running slower when I start programs and recently it keeps
popping up a box saying resources are low and Windows is increasing the size.
What does this mean?
Your machine is adjusting your virtual memory to work with
the programs you are running. Every program has different requirements for
memory usage. When Ram memory is low, virtual memory is increased. They work
together to handle your memory needs.
Ram memory is installed into your machine by removing the
cover and virtual memory is adjusted as needed by your Windows software. This
can be bothersome if you have to continually wait for memory to be increased, so
you can set it to run at a optimum level and prevent the constant changing by
Windows. You must use the proper setting for your virtual
memory resources so we have provided a chart and directions for you to
follow.
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Is base64 encoding a type of
encryption?
No, it is not a type of encryption. Base64 is a form of
data marshaling that uses a 65 character subset of US ASCII, which allows each
character to represent six bits of binary data. It is used to ensure portability
across different encoding standards. It is not considered safe for data
encryption, but it is respected as a data encoding format. It is part of the
MIME specification for encoding any binary data included within a packet that is
not read by the user, only machines.
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Is there a way for me to check
my "ram memory" for errors?
The ram (random access memory) modules that are installed
within your machine are very durable but they can go bad and cause your machine
to act up. If Windows is giving you problems and you would like to narrow down
the causes, one of the free online scans that can check for troubles is called
Windows Memory Diagnostic
and it is very effective at performing this task. You can trust it to be safe,
as it is a Microsoft website and program! This tool will determine whether the
problem is caused by failing hardware, such as RAM, or the memory system of your
motherboard. This tool is very useful tool for verifying your systems
stability.
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How can I set up an easy
wireless home network?
You can build a fast, secure wireless connection for your
home or small office for less than $100.00 and install it yourself in 3-5 hours.
Pick up a Linksys Router and one USB adaptor for each desktop computer you want
to install. If you have laptops, they should have one built in, and in that case
you will only need the router. You will install & set-up the adaptors and then
install the router with the same information as the adaptors. Make sure to
change all of the factory default settings with the router. Use long passwords
and utilize all of the security measures available with your router. Change the
"channel" and re-start your computer and you should be online! Linksys offers
some of the safest, easiest to set-up hardware on the market today. The are
highly respected for their reliable, secure wireless products. Check out our
Wireless Way page to discover more information on this exciting technology.
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I moved from outlook express to Outlook 2003. How
do I make Outlook 2003 save my email addresses when I send receive email?
Outlook 2003 does not
automatically save email addresses. It was something changed in order to raise
security, while saving your address book from filling up with unwanted
addresses. The easiest way to perform this task now would be to simply 'right
click' on the address listed in the email header of incoming or outgoing mail,
and then 'select' the menu option that says 'add to Outlook contacts' and it
will be added to your address book.
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I own a HP desktop
computer with XP Pro, that is about eight months old. Do you recommend
installing the new Windows Vista operating system on it?
Microsoft has a handy little online program
that will scan your machine and tell you if and what version you can expect to
run. If your machine does not meet the requirements, it will tell you what to
upgrade and what to add.
However, with that said, I am going to go out on a
limb here and recommend that you hold off on that scan and simply wait a little
longer before reacting. While this may not be the politically correct statement
to make, it is the best advice for me to give you. Windows Vista is so much more
advanced in the way the core system operates. Your current goods will not
provide the "View" that Vista is all about. So, in my opinion, you will end up
with a lesser 'overall experience' than what you enjoy currently with
Windows XP Pro. And Microsoft will be releasing SP3 for XP shortly and you will
get some of the goodies offered in Vista. And then the will continue updates and
full support through 2010. Windows XP has a lot to offer still and about the
time your current machine needs replaced, Windows Vista will be the operating
system of choice. Windows Vista is the most secure operating system offered
anywhere and the technology used within Vista is the stepping stone to the
future.
We have provided a site for you to explore the
Windows Vista information and screen shots at
Optimize Vista.
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How
can I tell what is running on start-up?
There is a super little application that we rely
on heavily for this task. It is published by the Sysinternals Team at Microsoft.
There are dozens of small, powerful, freeware applications that will save you a
lot of trouble while maintaining your Windows based machine. The one you will
want for this task is called AutoRuns.
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Help us and 'Scrub Up™'
your machine and help keep the internet safe.
Don't you think it's time to
Scrub Up and
verify your not using an infected machine?
Stay with us and learn about the infectious malware floating around.
Are you in need of free computer help and are
in need of
more answers right now? Well you can get that and so much more. There are hundreds of computer forums set up
to provide this type of interaction? While not all of them are worthy of your
time, I enjoy spending time in the top rated, most respected forums online today and will log-in to offer help when
needed under the name "micaman."
If you would rather gain some computer
knowledge from these sources, visit one of the forums below and sign up under a
screen name and ask all the questions you want and get answers from thousands of
tech experts for free. You will need to keep in mind that there are rules to
follow at each of the different sites, everyone will see your posts, and not all
of the advice will be what you are looking for, but the answers are credible and
the services are free!
Enjoy these forum finds
1)
Cyber Answers ~ A quality, fast paced forum that has very credible answers.
Post something here and you will get an answer SOON! They have wide ranging
topics and one of the best places to submit your HiJackThis! logs for review.
All of the forums offer this service, as do we, but most of the sites are a
little slower at submitting answers on HiJackThis! log scrubbing. I am a
"Trusted Advisor" at CA and you will be treated very well by them.
2) Bleeping
Computer ~ One of the first forums I found and I find it to be, "bleeping
great!" A larger forum with thousands of members. You can find just about
anything here. If it is talked about, you will find it here. I enjoy working in
the bleeping forum a lot.
3) SpyWare
BeWare ~ One of the first websites to organize us malware fighters together
by starting ASAP, which stands for "Alliance of Security Analysis
Professionals." They are very strict about who they let join as official
"Expert" members, which I am, but anyone can join to ask for help and get it.
They have some of the industry's top fighters! While they are big and powerful,
some of their help can be a little tech heavy and serious, so you will need to
know the basics to understand some of the advice. You will need to own/operate a
credible security website that fights malware, along with having strong
expertise in order to join as a expert.
4) CARMA ~ This is
another fairly new forum, but they have really grown. So much to data to find
here. Out of all of the forums, they cover the RFID situation the most. CARMA
stands for "Council of Advocates for Relief from Malware Assimilation." Very
smart computer professionals that really care about the malware issues facing us
today.
5) Southerngazebo
~ A smaller, more personal forum that has friendly experts on hand to help you.
A easy to use site with lots to read. They
have a very wide ranging line-up, including health, cooking and all things
human! Some of the most experienced, website owners from around the globe are
members of SG.
6)
MalWare Removal ~ This forum is based in the U.K. and they also offer up
training for people wanting to work in the forums cleaning machines from
infection. Their Malware University will allow you to gain the status needed to
post help to others at the many forums offered across the web. When you join a
forum, you are given a title according to experience level which is taken very
seriously. In order for you to boost your level to HiJackThis! cleaner, you will
need to attend and pass a forum school. They also offer help within their forum,
just as the others listed above.
7) SpywareInfo
~ This forum has been around for awhile and offers solid advice from a strong
member base. Together, the members have posted over 300,000 answers! SWI is
trusted by the computer security world, as is all of the forums listed on this
page. Lots of news to read about and software to check out on their home page as
well.
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I hope you will find the answers you are looking for here
at M.I.C.A., but if not, you will at one of these forums! For
a more complete list of the top technology forums visit
Safe Lockdown.
Remember, forums require a little patience and time to read the many
thousands of posts, many that may not be of interest to you or your products,
but you will learn something by spending the time. If you do visit one, be sure
to tell them that micaman sent you when you sign up!
For a more personal approach to your problem, feel free to
email me. I will provide you with the data needed, in a timely
manor and at no cost to you.
Thank you for taking the time
to visit my website and I hope you will let me know what you like or dislike, so
I may continue to improve and shape the M.I.C.A. website to meet your needs.
~ micaman
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