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Windows Secrets Newsletter • Issue 151 • 2008-05-01 • Circulation: over 275,000
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Contents INTRODUCTION: Tune in May 6 for debate on Microsoft licensing TOP STORY: Thwart malware attacks by locking out bad sites KNOWN ISSUES: Checking IE7Pro's background gives a reader pause LANGALIST PLUS: All good things come to an end as Fred reboots WACKY WEB WEEK: Another reason to keep both hands on the wheel PC TUNE-UP: Five antivirus programs ace the PC-defense test PATCH WATCH: What you need to know before you install XP SP3 YOUR SUBSCRIPTION: How to change your address or unsubscribe |
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For links to every topic in this issue, scroll down to the
Index |
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INTRODUCTION Tune in May 6 for debate on Microsoft licensing 
By
Brian Livingston
Craig Crossman's Computer America radio program, which is broadcast in the U.S. and Canada and on the Web, will carry a special program May 6 on the controversy over the clean-install feature in Windows Vista. You can listen in to the show and even submit questions you'd like the host to ask. As you may recall, I reported in a Feb. 1, 2007, article that Microsoft developers had included a set of dialog boxes that clean-install the upgrade edition of Vista on a new PC. At the time, Microsoft was saying that this feature required the purchase of the full edition, which costs an additional $100 or so in the U.S. After Service Pack 1 for Vista was released in March 2008, Windows Secrets associate editor Scott Dunn was the first writer to report (in an Apr. 3, 2008, article) that Microsoft had left the clean-install procedure in Vista. I wrote in follow-up columns on Apr. 10 and 24 about the reactions in the computer press and from Eric Ligman, the senior manager for Microsoft Partners. Computer America co-host Carey Holzman has now invited Eric and me to debate this issue on his May 6 broadcast. I've accepted, but I haven't yet heard whether the Microsoft executive has agreed to participate. If not, I'm sure the program will get an equally provocative guest to fill in for him. Here's the date and time, and how you can listen via broadcast radio or over the Web: Computer America Radio Show Tues., May 6, 2008, 10 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Pacific To listen live on the Internet: visit Computer America and select Streaming Audio. To find a local radio station: visit Business Talk Radio and search on your ZIP code. Not all members of the Business Talk Radio network carry the Computer America show, so if the station in your area isn't broadcasting the program, give yourself a couple of minutes to switch to the streaming audio feed. Thanks for your interest. One final column before Fred Langa retires I was hoping this day would never come. But today, we publish Fred Langa's last column before he retires for good. 
We knew something was up when Fred (at left in motorcycle helmet) stopped writing articles for five months: Apr. 19–Sept. 27, 2007. He took the time off to ride his beloved bike on a discovery tour across the U.S. and Canada and give four lucky readers his patented "Housecall" treatment.After that, Fred wrote columns for another seven months, but this is really it. He's been writing professionally, mostly about the computer industry, for an unbelievable 1E years! (That's 30 years, for those of you who still count in decimal rather than hex.) In an e-mail message, he recently told me and other Windows Secrets contributors, "Part of me will miss the tech writing, but part of me wants to buy an abacus and toss wooden shoes into the gears of high tech." Fred's articles have been appearing recently in the paid section of our content. But this week, we've decided to make the last column of his long career available to all our readers, both free and paid. We're sure that our paying subscribers won't mind having one fewer column in our paid content, just this once. I'll let Fred tell you the rest in today's column. Get some rest, my old friend. Ride, Fred, ride. Brian Livingston is editorial director of WindowsSecrets.com and the co-author of Windows Vista Secrets and 10 other books. |
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TOP STORY Thwart malware attacks by locking out bad sites
Forward undesirable IP addresses to Nowheresville No single security program is guaranteed to keep you safe. That's why you need to take a multilayered approach to PC safety. A quick, simple, and free way to strengthen your defenses is by editing Windows' built-in IP address book, a.k.a. the Hosts file. This system file converts domain names, such as "www.google.com," into their corresponding IP addresses. In IPv4, the address is four sets of one-to-three numbers, with each set separated by a period. (For example, the last time I pinged www.google.com, the IP address was 74.14.253.99, though the service has oodles of addresses.) The Hosts file performs a function similar to that of the DNS (Domain Name System) used by network servers. But unlike DNS, the Hosts file is under your control and overrides any mappings found in the DNS. For example, when you enter a name such as WindowsSecrets.com in your browser's address bar, the browser checks the Hosts file to see whether the domain name's corresponding IP address is listed there. If the address isn't in the file, the browser looks for it on a DNS server and then makes the connection. By modifying the Hosts file yourself, you can prevent anyone using the PC without an administrator account from accessing unwanted sites. Prime candidates for blocking via this method are sites that host advertising, which can sometimes be a conduit for malware, as I explained in my Apr. 17 story. To block a file served by the DoubleClick ad server, for example, you would add this line to your Hosts file: 127.0.0.1 ad.doubleclick.net That's because "127.0.0.1" is the local machine's IP address, so your browser looks in vain on your own computer for files that are supposed to come from DoubleClick. This technique not only blocks ads from the redirected sites, but also cookies and any other content they attempt to send. Automate your Hosts-file tweaking Of course, manually editing the Hosts file to include the hundreds of ad servers and other undesirable sites on the Internet — not to mention keeping it up to date — would be a Herculean chore. Fortunately, a number of sites maintain files listing dangerous addresses with this very purpose in mind, and they make updates available on a regular basis. The most popular of these sites is WinHelp 2002, which orignally focused on blocking ads and banners but has since expanded to guard against many Internet threats. Other useful sources for prefab Hosts files are Mike's Ad Blocking Hosts file, Dan Pollock's Hosts file, and a Hosts file from Bluetack Internet Security Solutions. Many of the services provide an installer or batch file that can be used to replace your existing Hosts file with their own. If no such installer is included, back up your existing Hosts file and copy the new file in its place. Your Hosts file is located here: C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc Some writers, such as Thomas Hruska, argue that your PC's performance may be hindered because site blocking in this manner forces your browser to look in vain for a site it cannot find. If you notice a performance hit when you try this technique, you may be better off using special ad-blocking software such as NoScript for Firefox, as mentioned in my Apr. 17 story. On the other hand, the WinHelp 2002 site argues that "a well-designed Hosts file can speed the loading of Web pages by not having to wait for these ads, annoying banners, hit counters, etc. to load." Unfortunately, malware makers are also aware of the power of the Hosts file. Worms and Trojan horses are sometimes crafted to alter your Hosts file to block major antivirus and security sites. This prevents you from receiving the updates you need to stay protected from the dark side. Other malware modifies the Hosts file so that when you try to visit your bank's Web site, for example, you're redirected to a phishing site mimicking the bank's, where the crooks attempt to trick you into handing over account numbers and passwords. Just as insidious, a malicious program could modify the Registry, which tells Windows where to look for the Hosts file. If that happens, you may be spending your time protecting the wrong copy of the file. The key is named DataBasePath and is located at: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Services \ Tcpip \ Parameters As a result, you also need to make sure both the Registry and your Hosts file are protected. Start by checking whether your current security software has tools for protecting the Hosts file and monitoring Registry changes. Both the $40 ZoneAlarm Pro firewall and the $50 ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite from Check Point Software protect the Hosts file from changes and notify you of attempts to do so. Among free security software, Spybot Search & Destroy has a feature for locking out changes to the Hosts file. The free version of WinPatrol warns you if changes are made to the Hosts file or critical system files and lets you keep the previous version. You can also keep your Registry and Hosts file protected by logging in to a nonadministrator account in Windows. This prevents any changes to these and all other system files. Finally, regularly overwriting your Hosts file via one of the third-party updates I mentioned above will delete any changes made by malware. Keep your Hosts file up to date You'll need an easy way to keep your custom Hosts file current. A number of free utilities will automatically download and install updated copies of third-party Hosts files. I tested several tools designed to manage your Hosts file, and my favorite is HostsMan, which includes a button for quickly disabling and enabling your Hosts file. This is useful if your browser is having difficulty contacting a site you're sure you want to view. HostsMan's true talent is in keeping the Hosts file updated. While most Hosts-file fresheners tie you to a specific third-party file or site, HostsMan installs any or all of four popular third-party Hosts files. If none of those files suits you, HostsMan lets you edit the update list to add the URL of your favorite Hosts source. 
Figure 1. HostsMan's main window includes buttons for toggling, updating, or opening the Hosts file.__________ The program's update option (which can be invoked manually at any time) can either merge or overwrite your Hosts file with the updates you've chosen. I recommend the overwrite option, in case your file has been compromised by malware. When you install updates from multiple sources, HostsMan deletes duplicate entries automatically. If your updates add Web sites you'd rather not block, just place those sites' URLs in HostsMan's exclusions list to keep them out of your Hosts file permanently. HostsMan was also the only utility I tested that checked the Registry to find the Hosts file used by Windows. Other applications just keep working with the Hosts file in the default location, even if that location was rendered useless by a changed Registry key. Unfortunately, HostsMan updates itself to the new Hosts location only when the program starts. If you leave HostsMan (and your computer) running all the time, you may need to restart the program if you think malware has compromised your Registry's Hosts setting. If you keep HostsMan running in your system tray, the program automatically updates your Hosts file in the background. The current version gives you no control over these updates, though; automatic updating occurs every 12 hours, whether you want to update or not. The other Hosts-file updaters I tried were Hosts File Updater, HOSTS Secure, B.I.S.S. Hosts Manager from Bluetack Internet Security Solutions, HostsXpert from Funkytoad, and hpHosts. All five offer tools for editing, managing, and updating your list of URLs to avoid, although they lack HostsMan's automaticity and other useful features. Ad-blocking Hosts files aren't the be-all and end-all of your malware woes. You still need a full arsenal of antivirus, antispyware, firewall, Flash blocking, and other security tools to keep your computer and your data safe. Still, an additional layer of free protection is difficult to pass up. And when you have a tool like HostsMan to do the updating work for you, that's more icing on the security cake.
Scott Dunn is associate editor of the Windows Secrets Newsletter. He has been a contributing editor of PC World since 1992 and currently writes for the Here's How section of that magazine. |
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KNOWN ISSUES Checking IE7Pro's background gives a reader pause
Who's behind that 'great' free program? When it comes to free software, it pays to be suspicious. Most such programs come with serious "gotchas": some are loaded with ads, while others have many of their most useful features turned off unless you upgrade to the paid version. And how do you know that the person or company behind the program isn't putting your personal data at risk? Reader Sascha Timm questioned the legitimacy of one of the freeware programs Scott Dunn highlighted last week, concerned that IE7Pro may come from an unreliable source:
The free Foxit Reader may be a challenge to find How can you fault a company for pushing the fee-based version of its free programs? After all, everybody's got to make a living. Still, it starts to look a lot like bait-and-switch when you see a free program promoted on one site and then, when you go to what you think is the program's download page, you're prompted to purchase the commercial version. That's what happened when readers Robert Eden and Armin Fields tried to find the free Foxit PDF Reader utility and were directed to the $35 Foxit Reader Pro Pack. Armin was even offered an odorous "bargain" from Foxit Software:
This puts a new twist on an old axiom: "If at first you don't see the free-download link, try, try another site."
The Known Issues column brings you readers' comments on our recent articles. Dennis O'Reilly is technical editor of WindowsSecrets.com. |
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LANGALIST PLUS All good things come to an end as Fred reboots
A look back at how it all began I got my first real, non-kit personal computer almost exactly 30 years ago. I wrote software for that little beast and started a small company with a friend to market the programs we wrote. I also wrote magazine articles about the historic first crop of small PCs, including one of the very first type-and-run programs (in BASIC) to appear in a noncomputing magazine. I've been writing about PCs ever since. Thirty years is a very long time in the computer industry, or in a human life, and it's time for me to try something else. In short, it's time to say good-bye. In preparing to wrap up my work for Windows Secrets, I was asked by editorial director Brian Livingston a question that was as profound as it was simple: "What have you learned from the computing industry over the last three decades?" Here are my short-form answers: Don't sweat the small stuff For example, we all know someone who obsesses over CPU clock speeds, GPU texture fill rates, broadband RWIN size, or some other performance variable as if it held the key to computing happiness. The fact is, most computer users don't notice performance differences until they're in the range of 15% to 20% below "normal." People who use their PCs a lot and are well-accustomed to how their systems work are a bit more sensitive to performance, but even they don't normally notice differences until the slowdown is greater than 10%. Computer pros and some very well-attuned individuals may notice speed drops of around 10%, but almost everyone needs a stopwatch to discern performance changes in the single-digit-percentage range. So why obsess over small differences that will most likely go unnoticed anyway? Note that this doesn't apply just to CPUs and GPUs. It also affects operating systems, hardware name brands, and even non-tech issues in life. Most small differences just don't matter and aren't worth getting worked up about. The grass isn't really greener in the next yard All software has bugs and vulnerabilities. All hardware contains design flaws and can fail. Anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is nuts. For example, you'll hear people claim that there's a far smaller incidence of malicious hacking in the Linux and Apple worlds, and it's true — up to a point. But there are far, far fewer target systems in those worlds. With most of the planet's crackers trying to subvert Windows, is it really a huge surprise that more flaws are found in Windows than in other OSes? This isn't to say that Windows has been a paragon of security; heck no. But to flip it the other way and say "Linux doesn't have many bugs" or "Macs don't get hacked" is just plain silly. Nothing is perfect, and you'll be happier with your PC — and with your life — if you simply deal with the flaws you encounter and move on. Perfection doesn't exist. There's no such thing as a magic bullet This is a close relative of the greener-grass myth. By the time you can buy a PC that's twice as fast as the PC you have today, the software you'll want to run will need twice today's power. In fact, there's no single thing — no new operating system, CPU, graphics card, etc. — you can change that will suddenly make all of your computing problems go away. Sad to say, your PC will always run slower than you want it to. Hang on to your sense of wonder There's something in human nature that allows us to become accustomed to even the most remarkable things. For example, my current PC clocks almost 2,000 times faster than my very first PC, and it has over 4,000 times as much RAM; yet in inflation-adjusted dollars it cost literally about one-tenth of that first system! Is there anything else in our lives that even comes close to that kind of improvement? If you can manage not to get jaded about the many wonders in the world of computing or in our wider daily lives, you'll enjoy yourself that much more. Remember your humanity Alas, the world of high tech isn't immune to some of humankind's baser impulses. For example, consider Apple's elitist marketing. A PC is a tool, not a lifestyle, but Apple embraces the dark side and tries to sell its PCs by appealing to vanity and narcissism, implying that owning an Apple makes you smarter, cooler, and just plain better than those sorry-assed PC people. Yes, it's a small thing, but the world has enough divisive issues in it without Apple marketers trying to invent silly new ones. It's just a computer, Apple! How about thinking really "different" and coming up with ads that don't promote snobbery and elitism? Apple execs aren't the only tech snobs This is a corollary to the above item. Apple's leaders just happen to be the worst offenders in the computer industry, and that's why I'm singling them out here. But I personally boycott any products whose main sales pitch is based on making one group of people think that they're inherently better than others. If you're as bothered by such ugly marketing ploys as I am, perhaps you'll consider a similar personal boycott. Reboot from time to time A full reboot is a chance to shut down, cool off, clean out, and start fresh without carrying along needless baggage from previous operations. Windows, Mac, Linux, and most personal electronics devices all can benefit from a periodic full shutdown and restart. And, you know, so can your real, human life. And that's what I'm about to do: reboot my life. I'm not sure what comes next, but part of the fun will be in finding out. (If you'd like to come along for the ride, check out my free non-computer-related blog.) Although I'm stepping back from day-to-day computer writing, I'll still be reading Windows Secrets so I can stay on top of the essential information I need to keep my own PCs humming smoothly. I'll be a reader here, right beside you, for a long time to come. But for now, let's see how this reboot thing works: Ctrl+Alt+Del . . . Fred Langa is editor-at-large of the Windows Secrets Newsletter. He was editor of Byte magazine (1987 to 1991) and editorial director of CMP Media (1991 to 1996), overseeing Windows Magazine and others. He edited the LangaList e-mail newsletter from 1997 to 2006, when it merged with Windows Secrets. |
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EDITOR'S BOOKSHELF
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WACKY WEB WEEK Another reason to keep both hands on the wheel
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INDEX The following topics appear in the free version
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YOUR SUBSCRIPTION The Windows Secrets Newsletter is published weekly on the 1st through 4th Thursdays of each month, plus occasional news updates. We skip an issue on the 5th Thursday of any month, the week of Thanksgiving, and the last two weeks of August and December. Publisher: WindowsSecrets.com LLC, Attn: #120 Editor, 1700 7th Ave., Suite 116, Seattle, WA 98101-1323 USA. Vendors, please send no unsolicited packages to this address (readers' letters are fine). Editorial Director: Brian Livingston. Editor-at-Large: Fred Langa. Associate Editor: Scott Dunn. Technical Editor: Dennis O'Reilly. Contributing Editors: Susan Bradley, Mark Joseph Edwards, Woody Leonhard, Ryan Russell. Research Director: Vickie Stevens. Program Director: Brent Scheffler. Editorial Assistant: Raef Harrison. Copyeditor: Roberta Scholz. Trademarks: Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. The Windows Secrets series of books is published by Wiley Publishing Inc. The Windows Secrets Newsletter, WindowsSecrets.com, LangaList, LangaList Plus, WinFind, Security Baseline, Patch Watch, Perimeter Scan, Wacky Web Week, the Logo Design (W, S or road, and Star), and the slogan Everything Microsoft Forgot to Mention all are trademarks and service marks of WindowsSecrets.com LLC. All other marks are the trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. HOW TO SUBSCRIBE: Anyone may subscribe to this newsletter by visiting our free signup page. WE GUARANTEE YOUR PRIVACY: 1. We will never sell, rent, or give away your address to any outside party, ever. 2. We will never send you any unrequested e-mail, besides newsletter updates. 3. All unsubscribe requests are honored immediately, period. Privacy policy HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE: To unsubscribe from the Windows Secrets Newsletter,
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