How To Choose Security Software

It shouldn’t have to be this way, but it is. Your Windows PC or laptop can’t protect itself from the viruses, worms, spyware, and other threats on the Internet. In short, you need to install security software.

What You Need

Buying an Internet security suite is cheaper than buying separate applications. Most suites are licensed for use on only one computer, but you can sometimes pay more for a multi-PC license. You can also piece together a security lineup with standalone utilities, including free ones. Apart from a lack of tech support, free editions typically don’t have particular features some users want. The only real danger with free standalone apps is that there might not be enough overlap among features to catch every threat. Conversely, overlapping features between two utilities may conflict with each other, and you’ll have to choose which one to disable.

In general, antivirus, antispyware, and certain other utilities come with free updates
and upgrades for a set period. After that you need to renew your subscription. If you choose not to renew your antivirus/antispyware update subscription, your software will continue to protect your system from the threats that were addressed in the last update you downloaded. However, with every passing day, your PC will become more exposed to new malware appearing on the scene. Finally, Windows 98/Me users should check for compatibility before buying security software. Here’s what to look for in individual components.

Antivirus.

Using its own detection smarts and regularly updated virus definitions, antivirus apps protect a computer against viruses, worms, and Trojan horses. Viruses, after the user activates them in some way, hide themselves in other files on the PC, often making the OS, apps, and files unusable along the way. Worms can do similar damage, but they spread themselves automatically over networks. Trojan horses, or Trojans, allow the creator to spy on and/or control an infected PC over the Web. Controlled PCs, called bots, often are forced to send spam email or launch attacks on other computers without revealing the real bad guy’s identity.

Also, newer antivirus apps guard against rootkits, a major and growing threat. A rootkit can take over an OS at the most basic level, making itself difficult to remove without completely formatting the hard drive and reinstalling everything.

There’s no easy answer as to which is the best antivirus, as this title could change hands every day as new malware emerges and companies make updates available. Independent testing entities, such as Virus Bulletin (www.virusbtn.com), generally show the major antivirus titles for home users (such as McAfee [www.mcafee.com], Norton [www
.symantec.com], and Trend Micro [www.trendmicro.com]), to be highly effective.

Nearly every current antivirus utility will automatically update itself over an Internet connection, and you should verify that this feature is enabled. Also, most examine email for threats, although you should double-check for support of Web-based email such as Hotmail and Gmail. Finally, if anyone in your family uses IM (instant messaging) software (such as AOL, ICQ, or Windows Messenger), make sure your antivirus
watches this avenue.

Antispyware.

Antispyware is just as important these days as antivirus. Broadly speaking, spyware installs itself on your PC or tricks you into installing it; makes itself difficult to uninstall; and “phones home” with various data it finds on your system, including your surfing and purchasing habits. Adware can be similar, although its primary purpose is to show you advertisements. Because the spyware/adware scene has been so volatile the past couple of years, the rule of thumb has been to assume that no antispyware utility is 100% effective. Keep your antispyware program updated and run a scan every few days. However, passively scanning your system is not enough. Because some threats are nearly impossible to remove without damage to Windows and other software, we recommend using antispyware that actively protects your system so the malware can’t install itself in the first place. The free Spybot Search & Destroy’s (www.safernetworking.org) TeaTimer feature provides active scanning, as do most retail Internet security suites and standalone antispyware utilities, such as Webroot SpySweeper (www.webroot.com). So does Microsoft’s free Windows AntiSpyware beta/Windows Defender, which is free to licensed Windows users (www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx). On the other hand, the longtime standby Ad-Aware SE Personal (www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware) doesn’t actively scan in its free version, although it’s still good to have Ad-Aware on your PC for a second opinion.

Firewall.

Firewall software is like a gatekeeper, letting approved types of data in or out of your PC, yet slamming the door on hackers and Trojans phoning home. Windows XP with Service Pack 2 has a firewall built in, but Windows Firewall isn’t powerful or tweakable enough for many users. A good firewall will ask you whether it should let new applications access the Internet and will remember your decision to avoid bothering you later. The better ones, such as Zone Labs ZoneAlarm (www.zonealarm.com) and Norton, will give you enough information to make an informed decision. Look for one with wireless network support.

Antiphishing.

Phishing attacks try to lure you to fake Web sites to get you to type in sensitive information, such as bank account and credit card numbers. Generally, the phishing spam tells you that you need to click a hyperlink to go to a site to confirm your personal information. Of course the link doesn’t really go to eBay or PayPal, instead it takes you to a look-alike page belonging to the scammers. Some email clients, such as Outlook 2003, will show you the link’s real destination when you hover your mouse pointer over it. Phishing protection is usually bundled into security suites and certain standalone apps these days. You should see a warning message when a site or email has some phishy characteristics.

Antispam.

Antispam software can reduce the number of ads, offensive pitches, and unsolicited communications you receive via email. And, because many worms mass-mail themselves this way, updated antispam definitions can provide an extra layer of defense to stop known
threats from reaching your inbox.

Others.

It’s even more crucial to update your Microsoft products with the latest security patches than to use any of the software we mention in this article. In Internet Explorer, click Tools and Windows Update. If you use Office, click the Office Family link to find updates for Word, Outlook, and other apps.

Recommendations

Whichever security software you choose, make sure to create any rescue discs or diskettes the installation routine recommends. If a new threat does breach your PC’s shields, these rescue media might provide the only easy way to fix the damage.
____________________
by Marty Sems

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Microsoft Office 2003 Tips and Tweaks (p2)

Unless you’re kin to Rip Van Winkle, you probably know that Microsoft Office 2003 is one of the best productivity suites of all time. But it doesn’t help to know that the suite’s programs are chock-full of features if you don’t understand how to use them. That’s where we can help. We’ve gleaned some great tips for working with Office and are ready to share them. Here are a few of our favorites:


Selecting A Range (Excel)

If you’ve worked with Excel for very long, you’re probably already familiar with the concept of a range: a single cell or group of cells that you select so that you can format it or use it in a formula. What you may not know is that there are a variety of ways to select cells for a range. Of course, you can always drag across the cells to select a contiguous range, but it’s often tricky to select the exact cells you want with this technique. Instead, try this method: Click the first cell in the range (such as the upper-left cell), press and hold the SHIFT key, and then click the last cell in the range (such as the lower-right cell). On the other hand, if you want to select multiple, nonadjacent cells (a noncontiguous range), press CTRL while clicking the cells. You can also select an entire row or column by clicking the appropriate row or column heading (the gray rectangular box with the column’s or row’s title). If you prefer to use the keyboard, you can press CTRL-SPACEBAR to select a column or SHIFT-SPACEBAR to select a row. To quickly select an entire worksheet, click the Select All button (the gray button located at the intersection of the column and row headings) or press CTRL-A.

Find More Functions & Features (Excel)

Excel includes hundreds of worksheet functions. However, you can access even more analytical tools and functions by loading the Analysis ToolPak. This add-in program comes with Microsoft Office but isn’t installed by default. To install the Analysis ToolPak, close out of Excel and then click Start and then Control Panel. Double-click Add Or Remove Programs. On the list in the Add Or Remove Programs dialog box, click Microsoft Office 2003. Click Change to activate the Microsoft Office 2003 Setup dialog box. In the Setup dialog box, choose Add Or Remove Features and then click Next. Make sure the box for Excel is selected on the next page; also check the box for Choose Advanced Customization Of Applications. Click Next and then click the plus symbol (+) next to Excel to display associated options. Click the Add-Ins + to expand the list and then click the icon next to Analysis ToolPak. Choose Run From My Computer and then click Update. When the installation is complete, close all dialog boxes. At this point the Analysis ToolPak is installed on the computer but isn’t in memory. To do this, choose Tools and then Add-Ins In Excel. Check the box for Analysis ToolPak and then click OK.

Find Working Days (Excel)

Another useful DATE function is NETWORKDAYS, which calculates how many business days fall between two dates. This function, which you can only access if you’ve installed the Analysis ToolPak, finds the difference between two dates, excluding weekends. Optionally, you can have Excel exclude holidays, as well. However, because Excel doesn’t have a clue which dates you consider holidays, you have to develop a list in your worksheet with this information. The basic syntax for the NETWORKDAYS function is: =NETWORKDAYS(Start Date,End Date,Holidays). With that in mind, let’s imagine that you want to find how many business days there are in January. First, enter the dates for January holidays as a list in A2:A3. Next, enter the start (1/1/2006) and ending (1/31/2006) dates in cells A9 and B9. Finally, click in the cell where you want to place the function (C9) and then type the function =NETWORKDAYS(A9,B9,A2:A3). If you set up the worksheet correctly, Excel should calculate 21 working days in January 2006.

Getting Around A Selected Range

You can speed up data entry by preselecting a range and then moving within it. Unfortunately, it’s easy to accidentally deselect a range as you move the mouse pointer within it. To prevent this problem, try these techniques: Move the cell pointer downward through a selected range by pressing ENTER; move the pointer upward (or left) by pressing SHIFT-ENTER. To move from left to right within a range, press TAB; to move from right to left, press SHIFT-TAB. Finally, to move from corner to corner within a selected, contiguous range, press CTRL and the period (.) key.

Get A Date

Excel includes a number of functions that can help you run calculations related to dates. For example, you can use the DATE function to determine the number of days you’ve been alive or how many days have elapsed since you began your present job. Excel does this by assigning a sequential serial number to each day, starting with 1900. The program can then use this underlying serial number in calculations, even if Excel displays the serial number in a cell as a date. The DATE function’s syntax is =DATE(year,month,day). Let’s look at an example. To calculate the number of days you’ve been alive, click cell A1 and then enter the current date, such as =DATE(2006,04,30). In A2 use the DATE function to enter the exact day you were born, such as =DATE(1965,03,25). Enter =A1-A2 in cell A3. Finally, apply the General format to the data in cell A3. To do this, choose Format and Cells and then click the Number tab. Click General on the Category list and then click OK. The number of days you’ve been around will display in cell A3.

AutoCorrect Options

Using AutoCorrect in Microsoft Excel can help you save time, especially if you have to enter a great deal of redundant information. To change your AutoCorrect options, click the Tools pull-down menu, and click AutoCorrect Options. In the dialog box that opens, the first tab, AutoCorrect, lists a number of different formatting functions Excel can automatically perform. For example, Excel can fix accidental use of the CAPS LOCK key or capitalize the first letter of a sentence. Excel also has a vast bank of commonly misspelled words along with words it will use to replace them with, such as automatically replacing “abscence” with “absence.” You can add your own words by typing a word in the Replace field and its correction in the With field and clicking the Add button.

Easily Reorder Slides (PowerPoint)

If your experience with PowerPoint is like most people’s, you will probably need to occasionally rearrange slides in your presentation. For example, you may decide that a different sequence is more effective or that you need to include additional information.
To rearrange slides in Normal view, click the Slides tab (in the tabbed pane on the left side of the application window) and then drag a slide up or down to its new position. When a horizontal line displays where you want to place the slide, release the mouse. PowerPoint drops the slide into its new position and automatically renumbers all presentation slides to reflect the new order. You can also use the Slide Sorter view to rearrange slides. To do so, choose View and Slide Sorter. Drag a slide between two other slides; when a vertical line displays between slides, release the mouse to drop the slide into position. You can also select multiple slides by pressing CTRL while clicking them. After you select the slides, you can move them as a group by clicking and dragging any slide in the group.

Get A Better View (PowerPoint)

Sure you can use options on the View menu to quickly switch between PowerPoint’s Normal and Slide Sorter views, but the program includes other methods, too. For example, you can click the Normal View or Slide Sorter View buttons in the lower-left corner of the application window. You can also doubleclick a slide in Slide Sorter view to quickly switch to Normal view.

MO2003 Tips and Tweaks part 1

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Lost Credit Card

LOSE A ROLL OF CASH while you’re traveling, and you can forget about ever seeing that money again. But credit cards, those beautiful, simple plastic rectangles with magnetic strips, offer you convenience and protection matched by no other payment method. You’ll appreciate these traits if you have the misfortune of losing your cards while on an extended business trip.

AFTER YOU LOSE IT

Losing your credit card isn’t as disheartening as finding out that a pickpocket stole all of your cash, but for some it’s a situation that inspires panic. If you prepare for the possibility that you might lose possession of your card, you’ll be in a much better mindset to deal with the aftermath. Here are the steps you should take to protect yourself in the event your card is stolen or lost.

Cancel the account. When you’re sure your card is gone for good, you’ll need to cancel the card right away, so no one else can use it. To do so, you need to call the card issuer’s toll-free customer service line and provide them with your card number; these can prove to be difficult tasks if you don’t have the proper numbers. To make things easier, photocopy the front and back of each of your credit cards and keep the copy separate from your wallet. While you’re at it, makes copies of your passport and driver’s license, too, because if someone steals your credit cards, it’s possible that the thief will also make off with these items. If you don’t have the tollfree number or your credit card number, you have to do some extra footwork. Depending on your location, you might be able to call directory assistance to obtain the card issuer’s hotline. If you have access to an Internet café, don’t overlook the Web as a source of information because every card company has a site complete with necessary phone numbers.

When you call the card company and tell the customer service representative you don’t have your card’s number, you’ll be asked to verify your identity. Be prepared to tell her your social security number and a security word, such as your mother’s maiden name, in order to prove you are the card’s rightful owner. When the call is over, remember that many credit pundits recommend you follow up with a letter that includes your card’s account number, the date you noticed your card was missing, and the date you reported the problem.

Don’t put the phone down just yet. You should also call all three credit reporting organizations—Experian (www.experian.com), Equifax (www.equifax.com), and TransUnion (www.transunion.com) and have them place fraud alerts on your name and social security number. With this alert in place, businesses that check your credit will have to call you directly in order to authorize card activity. If you’re not a seasoned overseas traveler, you might not know that toll-free numbers don’t even exist in some countries. In other words, contacting the tollfree numbers for your calling cards and your credit card company suddenly becomes a complicated chore. Make sure that you research the calling process before you leave home to save yourself a lot of frustration.

The aftermath. If you’re a victim of credit card theft, you’ll want to file a police report in the jurisdiction where the card was stolen. You don’t perform this step in the hopes that the police will retrieve your card for you or even so they can catch the thief. The primary purpose of completing the report is so that the credit issuer knows you did everything you could to stop any fraudulent transactions from occurring and to prevent you from coming under undue suspicion in the event the thief uses your card to make some extravagant purchases.

If catastrophe strikes while traveling abroad and you lose your credit cards and identification papers and have no access to money, contact the U.S. embassy for assistance. Representatives there will assist you in contacting family or friends at home for cash, and if you need one, also help you obtain a replacement passport. Meanwhile, the thief who has your card might be out living it up. Don’t lose too much sleep over it because federal law says that when someone else rings up unauthorized charges, you’re liable for only $50 maximum per card. If you report your card missing before the unauthorized transactions, you’re not liable for any amount.

THE ADVANTAGES

Credit cards offer tremendous advantages over other payment methods when you’re traveling. Given the near global acceptance of cards such as Visa (www.usa.visa.com) and MasterCard (www.mastercard.com), you can use plastic at any place of business that accepts credit cards. Plus, you can use the card to get cash, obtain the best exchange rates, and also to protect yourself from theft.

If that tiny Mexican restaurant accepts only cash, it’s no problem—simply insert your card into an ATM and withdraw enough money for dinner. Of course, to do so you have to use a working PIN (personal identification number). If you’ve never used your card to withdraw cash, call the card company and ask for instructions on setting up the PIN number for your card. Just be sure you understand how your card’s interest rate affects cash withdrawals, so you don’t end up paying outrageous fees when you return home, and keep in mind that this is one task that’s often best-suited for your debit card.

In the days before credit cards, it was easy for locals to work exchange rates in their favor, a ploy that cost travelers a lot of extra money. Now when you pay with a card, you automatically get the best exchange rate for that country.

If you can’t find a card issuer’s phone number that works overseas, try the company’s Web site. Visa, for example, lists all of its hotline numbers to help its customers quickly find contact information. And of course, if your credit card it lost or stolen and someone else uses it to make purchases, the credit card issuer—not you—bears the brunt of those costs. This benefit is the primary reason you should carry a card instead of cash while you’re on the road.

Even though plastic offers protections that other payment methods don’t, you still need to do your best to keep it out of the hands of people who would be happy to misuse it. Remember that pickpockets are common on the streets of many cities. If you put your wallet in your back pocket or swing your purse carelessly, you may as well paint a bulls eye on your credit card. Buy a travel belt that you can wear beneath your clothes to conceal your cards and other important documents.

In addition, there’s one important caveat to consider if you travel abroad without telling your credit card issuer: The company might refuse to honor credit requests from a far-flung location unless you give the issuer a heads up before you leave. It happens because every lender uses computer systems to track your spending habits. So if you live in Iowa and suddenly you charge $200 for a meal in London, there’s a chance your card will be declined. Alerting your credit company before-hand should prevent this from happening.

EXTENDED CREDIT LINE

Losing possession of your credit cards during a vital business trip is an awful experience, but it doesn’t have to be a complete disaster. If you take just a few basic precautions to protect your cards and prepare for the possibility that you might lose them in spite of your carefulness, you’ll be ready to stop fraudulent activity on your account before it starts.

WHO YOU GONNA CALL?

If your credit card is lost or stolen, you should immediately call the issuer to deactivate the account. You should also call all three credit bureaus and ask them to put a fraud alert on your name to foil would-be thieves. Below are the primary toll-free numbers you’ll need. If you’re in a country where toll-free numbers don’t work, call collect on the direct line.

CREDIT CARD COMPANIES & ISSUERS:

American Express: (800) 992-3404; (336) 393-1111
Bank of America: (800) 848-6090; (757) 677-4701
Bank One: (877) 999-3872; (302) 594-8200
Chase: (800) 242-7324; (813) 884-2997
Citibank: (800) 950-5114; (210) 677-0065
Diners Club International: (800) 234-6377; (303) 799-1504
Discover Card: (800) 347-2683; (801) 902-3100
MasterCard: (800) 622-7747; (636) 722-7111
MBNA: (800) 421-2110; (302) 457-2165
Visa: (800) 847-2911; (410) 581-9994
CREDIT BUREAUS:
Equifax: (800) 525-6285
Experian: (888) 397-3742
TransUnion: (800) 680-7289

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System Processes: What’s Going On Behind The Scenes

As avid computer users, we tend to expect our systems to be able to perform much like we perform. If we can listen to music, write an email, and surf the Internet all at once, then our computer should be able keep up, right? Managing multiple tasks at once is nothing new for computers, but if your computer starts struggling to run just a handful of applications, then it may be swamped with too many system processes running in the background. System processes consist of a number of hidden applications that run in the background without your immediate knowledge. More than a dozen valid system processes load and begin running every time you start your computer. Even more start as they become necessary, like when you start browsing the Internet or launch a program such as Microsoft Word. You need some system processes for certain things on your computer to work properly. For instance, the Explorer.exe system process is responsible for the Windows visual interface items such as the Start menu, Taskbar, Desktop, and File Manager. Not all system processes are created equal, however. Some are merely optional and consume valuable CPU cycles needlessly. Some of these processes are utterly useless adware and spyware, which can gather and broadcast information about your Web viewing habits. Other items have even more sinister purposes; crackers can use some system processes to hijack your computer. You can attempt to turn off these processes, but typically you’ll have to resort to an antivirus application to get rid of the pesky CPU hogs once-and-for-all.

Take A Peek

To see a list of processes in Windows 2000/XP, press CTRL-ALT-DELETE, click Task Manager, and then select the Processes tab. Windows lists the processes with the Image Name in the far-left column, followed by the name of the initiating user, the amount of CPU time the process is using, and the amount of memory the process is consuming. To stop a process, select the item from the list and click the End Process button in the bottom-right corner of the Windows Task Manager. Ending unnecessary processes can be a quick way to boost your PC’s performance, but ending necessary processes can “break” certain applications, and even make your computer unusable until you restart the process or restart the computer. Some necessary processes can’t be ended, and for good reason. The list on the following pages gives you an overview of some of the more
common system processes and application processes, as well as some of the less common hardware-related background processes.

Alg.exe

The Alg.exe system process refers to Microsoft’s Application Layer Gateway Service, which is necessary if you use Microsoft’s Windows Internet Connection Sharing or the Internet Connection Firewall. If the process is running, then you probably need it, as ending it may adversely affect your computer.

Ati2evxx.exe

Ati2evxx.exe is a hardware-related background process that maintains the ATI Display Adapter Assistant. You may see this process in your Task Manager if you have an ATI graphics card. This process lets you configure your display settings but is not a vital
Windows process.

Csrss.exe

This system process is part of the Microsoft Client/Server Runtime Server Subsystem, which handles a majority of Windows’ graphical commands. The genuine Csrss.exe process,
which is necessary, runs from the C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32 folder. If you see two versions of the process running simultaneously, then one of them is likely a virus running from another location. You can address the problem by scanning your computer with an antivirus utility.

Ctfmon.exe

The Ctfmon.exe system process is part of Microsoft Office, and it enables the Alternative User Input Services, such as the Text Input Processor. For Office XP users, Ctfmon.exe also manages the Language Bar. Unless you use the Language Bar, speech recognition, handwriting recognition, the on-screen keyboard, translation applications, and other accessibility and alternative user input programs, this system process isn’t necessary and shouldn’t cause problems if you end it.

Dllhost.exe

This is a system process that runs in the background and refers to the Microsoft DCOM (Distributed Component Object Model) DLL (Dynamic Link Library) Host Process, which handles DLL-based programs. Multiple programs can use this process simultaneously,
which can result in more than one instance of Dllhost.exe in your Task Manager’s processes list. Don’t terminate Dllhost.exe if you encounter it.

Explorer.exe

The Explorer.exe system process refers to the Windows Program Manager and Windows Explorer. This process handles items such as the Start menu, Taskbar, Desktop, and File
Manager, and it is vital to the operation of your computer. You can end this process, but doing so will remove the graphical interface.

GoogleDesktopCrawl.exe

GoogleDesktopCrawl.exe is an application process that corresponds to the Google Desktop Search utility. The process is necessary to use the utility but is not a vital part of Windows.

Hpzstatn.exe

This hardware-related background process refers to the HP Deskjet Taskbar Utility, which corresponds to HP’s Deskjet line of printers. Although this process is not a vital part of Windows, you may find it is necessary to properly use your printer.

Iexplore.exe

Various sources report that between 70% and 80% of all Internet users use Microsoft Internet Explorer to browse the Web, and Iexplore.exe is the system process that launches when you run IE. Iexplore.exe also refers to the Avant Internet Browser, which is a plug-in for IE that adds features such as a Flash animation filter, popup blocker, and search engine. This process is nonessential and typically only appears when you’re browsing the Web. Ending the process will close any open browser windows. If you find Iexplore.exe in any location other than C:\PROGRAM FILES\INTERNET EXPLORER, then the file could be a virus. Perform an antivirus scan on your computer to eliminate this possibility.

Internat.exe

This system process is a part of Microsoft Windows and supports Microsoft Input Locales and the Windows multilingual operations. If you encounter this process, terminating it will likely cause problems with regional and language settings. You can find this process in the C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32 folder. If you find the file somewhere else, it is an indication that your computer might be infected with a virus.

Lsass.exe

According to Microsoft, the Lsass.exe system process handles local security authority domain authentication and Active Directory management tasks, otherwise known as Windows security and login policies. A few associated components include the Net Logon service,
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), and the Security Accounts Manager service. This system process is necessary and is located in the C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32 folder. A virus going by the same name also exists, but it typically runs from a different location, and you can remove it with an antivirus utility.

Msiexec.exe

This system process refers to the Windows Installer Component, which handles the installation of Windows Installer package files with the MSI (Microsoft Installation) file extension. If you see this process running in your Task Manager, you should not disable it because it is necessary.

Msmsgs.exe

The application process that is named Msmsgs.exe refers to the MSN Messenger online chat and instant messaging application. Most Windows installations include MSN Messenger
by default, but allowing this process to run in the background is only necessary if you actually use the application. You can end the process by selecting Msmsgs.exe in the Windows Task Manager and clicking End Process. To prevent MSN Messenger from loading
every time you start your computer, click Start, Programs (All Programs in WinXP), and then click Windows Messenger. Click Tools, Options, and then click the Preferences tab. Deselect the Run This Program When Windows Starts and Allow This Program To Run In The Background checkboxes. Msmsgs.exe exists in C:\PROGRAM FILES\MESSENGER. This process has also been associated with a virus, so make sure to scan your computer with an antivirus application if you suspect someone or something has hijacked your MSN Messenger file.

Msoobe.exe

As you might guess from the first two letters of this system process, Msoobe.exe is a Microsoft product. This process pertains to the license key and Windows Product Activation functions, and it appears when you go through the online activation process for various Microsoft products. This process runs when it is required for the proper operation of your system, so don’t end it.

Navapsvc.exe

This background process refers to the Norton AntiVirus Auto-Protect Service, which you’ll find in your Task Manager if you are running the antivirus application. This process is necessary to maintain Symantec’s service, but Windows runs fine without it.

Navapw32.exe

Similar to the Navapsvc.exe process, Navapw32.exe is a part of Norton AntiVirus. This background process refers to the Norton Antivirus Agent, which keeps your system protected from security threats. Navapw32.exe is necessary for Symantec’s software to run properly.

Nvsvc32.exe

If you happen to own one of Nvidia’s graphics cards, you may encounter this hardware-related background process. It refers to the Nvidia Driver Helper Service, which is required to make your graphics card work on your system.

Outlook.exe

As its name suggests, this file refers to Microsoft Outlook’s email client software. You can disable this application process without adversely affecting Windows. If you’re running Outlook, however, you’ll need this process.

Quicktimeplayer.exe

This application process should only appear in your Task Manager’s process list if you have Apple’s QuickTime player running. This application lets you play audio and video files, but the process is not essential for the stable operation of Windows.

Services.exe

This system process pertains to the Windows Service Controller, which is a vital part of the Microsoft Windows OS. Services.exe enables and disables various Windows services during the startup and shut down process and whenever needed. You can find this process in the C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32 folder. Your computer may be infected with a virus if you find this file in another location.

Smss.exe

The Smss.exe system process runs in the background to maintain the Session Manager Subsystem, which is a required element of Microsoft Windows. This process manages your
user session and launches other important processes such as Winlogon.exe and Csrss.exe. Normally, you can find the Smss.exe file in the C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32 folder; if you find it elsewhere, though, it may be a virus.

Spoolsv.exe

The Spoolsv.exe system process is designed to support your computer’s connection to your local printer. This background process refers to the Microsoft Printer Spooler Service, which is an important part of your system. The legitimate version of this file is located in the C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32 folder, but it may be a virus if you find the file elsewhere on your system.

Svchost.exe

This Microsoft Service Host process is a critical system process, and it is necessary for the proper operation of your system. At any given point, you may notice several copies of this process in your Task Manager. Each one may handle multiple services and processes that your computer needs to keep handy throughout your computing session. The Svchost.exe file is located in the C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32 folder. Any other occurrence of this file may be a virus, so scan your system with an antivirus program if you think this process may be causing your system problems.

System

The System process refers collectively to all of the fundamental OS processes that are necessary for running your computer. The System process is necessary, and you cannot terminate it manually.

System Idle Process

This item appears at the bottom of the list but isn’t actually a system process. Instead, it’s a counter that displays the total percentage of your CPU that is idle and ready for use. It is common for the number in the CPU column in System Idle Process to hover between 90 and 100. This process is necessary, so if you try to end it, you will receive an Invalid Operation error message.

Systray.exe

The Systray.exe system process manages the Microsoft System Tray Services, which in turn handles the date and time display in your System Tray on your Desktop. This process is a normal part of Windows and should not be terminated.

Taskmgr.exe

If you pressed CTRL-ALT-DELETE to bring up the list of system processes in the Windows Task Manager, then you’ll invariably see Taskmgr.exe among them. This system process
refers to the Task Manager itself, and if ended will simply close the Task Manager from view.

Wdfmgr.exe

The Wdfmgr.exe is an application process that relates to the Windows Driver Foundation Manager, which is a vital aspect of Microsoft’s Windows Media Player 10. If you’re running Windows Media Player, you’ll want to maintain this process because it can help with device and software compatibility issues.

Winlogon.exe

The Winlogon.exe system process is called the Microsoft Windows Logon Process and refers to the Windows NT login manager. This process manages the procedures involved in logging on and logging off of your system. Don’t attempt to terminate this process because it is important to the stable operation of your computer. The legitimate version of Winlogon.exe is located in the C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32 folder. If the file appears elsewhere, scan your computer with an antivirus application to minimize possible infection.

Wmplayer.exe

Wmplayer.exe is the application process for Microsoft’s WMP (Windows Media Player) software. If you use WMP to play streamed or downloaded audio and video files, then don’t terminate this process unless you think it’s causing your system problems. A known virus of the same name has been found previously, so make sure this file is in the C:\PROGRAM FILES\WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER folder. Try scanning your computer with an antivirus application to eliminate the possibility of infection.

Zonealarm.exe

Zonealarm.exe is an application process that refers to ZoneAlarm’s antivirus software. Although not necessary for Windows, this process may be necessary for the proper operation of the Zone Labs product installed on your computer.

Process Heads Up

Despite the number of system processes we discussed in this article, this is by no means a complete guide to everything running in the background on your computer. Sometimes the difference between a legitimate process and a harmful virus is a single character. As stated previously, the Iexplore.exe process refers to Microsoft’s IE, but Iexplorer.exe refers to the RapidBlaster virus. For more information about the processes you’ll find in the Windows Task Manager, consult Uniblue System’s Process- Library.com. Here you can search for system processes, as well as view the Top 5 Processes, Top 5 Security Threats, and Top 5 New Processes.

There are several applications on the market that can help you gather more information about some of the more problematic system processes. If you’re looking to dig a little deeper, check out Security Task Manager ($29; www.neuber.com), WinTasks 5 ($29.95; www.liutilities.com/products/wintasksstd), or Process Explorer (freeware; www.sysinternals.com).

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by Andrew Leibman

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Good, Bad & Ugly Tweaks

Everyone wants a faster computer. Some people just go out and buy a faster one. If you’re a tweak freak, you probably think that’s cheating. After all, isn’t there always some change or tweak that can make your current system faster? Well, that’s half right; there is always some tweak you can make, considering that there are dozens of tweak sites on the Internet suggesting hundreds of different changes to Windows settings. A lot of them involve the Registry, which can be a dangerous place to play if you don’t know what you’re doing. Plus, a lot of those tweaks don’t help or actually make things worse. So let’s cover some of the good, bad, and ugly tweaks out there.

The Good

Many Registry-oriented tweaks are out there are just the “hard way” to do something that already has its own user interface. Whenever possible, use the interface that Windows gave you to make the change. Although you may be able to find a setting in the Registry that seems to do the trick, there are sometimes multiple interrelated values. If you change just one value in one location, the tweak may appear to work correctly at first but will have some hidden trouble down the road.

Windows XP’s Visual Effects dialog is a good example of the simple way to do something that changes a lot of Registry settings. Right click the My Computer icon and select Properties and then click the Advanced tab. In the Performance section of the dialog, click the Settings button. Normally, this will be set to Let Windows Choose What’s Best For My Computer, but who’s to say Windows knows what’s best? If you want to make your PC
fly, select Adjust For Best Performance instead. That will eliminate a lot of the cartoonish aspects of the WinXP interface, though, and you may want to keep a few. If so, choose Custom instead and check as few of the boxes as you can—every one of those effects saps some performance. In particular, older systems get a lot faster if you turn off animations and drop shadows under menus. There’s one useful user interface setting that is not covered by that dialog. Normally, WinXP waits about half a second before showing the Programs menu when you mouse over it on the Start menu. Once you’re familiar with the Windows interface, half a second seems like a long time. To get a faster menu, use Regedit to create a new string entry named “MenuShow-Delay” in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\CONTROL PANEL\DESKTOP. The value should be the number of milliseconds to wait before the menu displays; I suggest a number around 200. Do not set the value to zero, although you can set it to 1 if you’d like.

The Bad

You can get yourself into a lot of Class A trouble by carelessly deleting files or Registry keys in an attempt to speed up a system, but that’s not the kind of tweaking we’ll focus on here. Truly bad tweaks have technical details that make them seem plausible even when they’re not. Sometimes they are simply placebos and have no real effect on your system. Other times, the Registry setting does something—just not what it’s claimed to do. In a few cases, the tweak even does the opposite of what is claimed. Somehow these bad tweaks take on a life of their own, spreading like bird flu across dozens of “Windows tips” sites all over the Internet.

Although there are many critical values in the Windows Registry, you can create additional values almost anywhere in the Registry. Like the proverbial tree falling in the forest, those extra keys and values don’t make a difference if no software is around to read them. In some cases, the tweaks used to work in older versions of Windows but no longer apply in WinXP. The IOPageLockLimit Registry value, for example, used to carry out a specific function in Windows 2000 but does nothing in Win-XP. Then there are tweaks such as EnableSuperFetch that may have been created as a prank; WinXP does not ever use a Registry value by that name. (The Windows Vista, on the other hand, just might.) Perhaps the most infamous tweak was the one that spawned the “Microsoft steals 20% of your bandwidth” rumor. Some misguided tweaker misunderstood the meaning of some Registry settings and from that error decided that by just tweaking a Registry key it was possible to “get that bandwidth back” and improve performance. This nontweak was so widespread that Microsoft even wrote a support article to set the record straight (support .microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=316666).

The Ugly

Some bad tweaks are so bad that they transfer from the Bad Train and take the express line straight to Uglyville. These are the terrible tweaks that can cause system instability or unexplained failures. Most of the time, you’ll spend weeks trying to figure out what’s wrong but usually can’t connect the tweak with the failure. Or perhaps the tweak will reach out and clobber you when you least expect it.

A few months back I called out the DisablePagingExecutive tweak that forces Windows to keep certain system code always in memory. That tweak can cause an ugly crash if you
use it with a system that has very little memory (say, less than 384MB) or if you sleep
and hibernate the computer as you typically might with a portable computer. Disabling the page file “to improve performance” is one of those nightmare tweaks that won’t go away. If you have lots of memory, the page file gets very little action since Windows prefers to keep everything in memory. But should you ever have a program that needs memory and Windows does not have a page file, it has no choice but to crash. Given a choice between going slow and crashing, I’ll take slow any day.

When a system crashes abruptly, files or Registry settings can become corrupted. It’s a good thing you have System Restore to help you get back to an uncorrupted set of data. That is, unless you’ve disabled System Restore. That’s another tweak-goneamok that some Web sites advocate. The justification is that it can slow down the process to checkpoint system settings, and it can take a lot of disk space. That may have been true when System Restore first appeared in Windows Me, but the WinXP version is pretty unobtrusive. If you want to adjust the disk space it uses, it’s easy to change. Just right-click My Computer and then click Properties and the System Restore tab. But don’t turn it off.

One of the recurring themes in bad tweaks is that they seem a bit too good to be true. If there’s really a tweak that would increase performance by 50%, why wouldn’t it be enabled by default? Even when there’s a small performance benefit, keep an eye out for the downside of the change. Sometimes the best thing to do is leave things alone. Or, as mom used to say, “Don’t pick at it—you’ll make it bleed!”
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by Dave Methvin

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Cellphone Terms Demystified

PCS, QoS, TDMA, WAP. Are you scratching your head in confusion because you don’t have a clue what any of these abbreviations or acronyms mean? You’re not alone. Cellular terminology is rife with these terms. In this article we’ll explain some of the most prevalent acronyms and terms you’re likely to encounter in conversations about cell phones.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth technology uses short range radio frequencies to wirelessly connect devices such as PDAs, mobile phones, and computers. Devices that are within range to receive the frequency can communicate as long as they have Bluetooth technology built-in.
For example, if your mobile phone has Bluetooth capabilities, you can use it with a wireless headset. And if your computer or laptop uses Bluetooth, you can use wireless Bluetooth keyboard with your either device.

BSC (Base Station Controller)

Together with the BTS (Base Transceiver Station), the BSC links traditional wired telephone networks and wireless devices by managing frequency assignment and carrying out radio signal functions for the BTS. The BSC can connect with multiple BTSes at once.

BTS (Base Transceiver Station)

Better known as the Base Station, the BTS communicates with cell and PCS (Personal Communication Service) phones, covering one wireless service cell location, and comprises the radio transmitter and receiver. More than one BTS can connect with the BSC at once.

Cell

The cell is the physical geographic coverage area of one network’s BTS. Cells usually cover about 10 square miles, although to increase coverage density, they can accommodate macrocells, microcells, and picocells. The cell is composed of a base station that includes a tower and radio equipment usually housed in a small structure.

CDMA (Code-Division Multiple Access)

CDMA (a form of direct sequence spread spectrum communication) is a digital cellular, multiple-access technique defined in IS-95 and IS-2000 by QUALCOMM. CDMA was originally used in WWII by the British allies to thwart transmission. By transmitting over several frequencies rather than just one, CDMA uses the full available spectrum of frequencies for its users. CDMA boasts better voice and data communication capacity than other commercial mobile technologies, permitting more subscribers to connect simultaneously.

Circuit Switching

Circuit switching guarantees a dedicated line connection for transmission between two parties. It works best when you need to quickly send data that must also arrive in the same order it was sent (for instance live audio and video).

EDGE (Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution)

EDGE is a recent enhancement to GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) giving it the ability to handle greater data rates than normally offered to users of the GSM spectrum allowing mobile providers to deliver multimedia and broadband applications to cellular users.

GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications)

The most widely used of the digital wireless technologies (TDMA [Time-Division Multiple Access], GSM, and CDMA), GSM also is the digital mobile telephone system used predominantly outside the United States (in Europe and globally). Operating at 900MHz or 1,800MHz frequencies, GSM uses a variation of TDMA and digitizes and compresses data, sending it along a channel with two other streams of user data, each in its own time slot.

iDEN (Integrated Digital Enhanced Network)

Motorola’s iDEN is wireless communications technology that integrates (in a single network) the capabilities of two-way radios, alphanumeric pagers, data/fax modems, and digital cellular telephones. iDEN is based on the TDMA and GSM structures and operates in the 800MHz, 900MHz, and 1.5GHz bands.

MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service)

MMS, like SMS (Short Messaging Service), is a means for sending messages form one mobile device to another. It is considered the new standing in mobile messaging because you can use it to not only send text, but also images (JPEG, GIF), audio (MP3, MIDI [Musical Instrument Digital Interface]), and video (MPEG). (Including from mobile phone to mobile phone, as well as from mobile phone to email address.) An MMS message has no size restrictions and therefore requires a 3G (third generation) network to send larger messages.

Packet Switching

Packet switching is a method in which a device divides data into individual packets before sending the data to a final destination. Although packets travel different routes, the device receiving the data reassembles the packets into the original transmission once everything arrives. Most WANs (widearea networks) are packet-switched based because they are more efficient for sending email and Web pages that don’t rely on real-time transmissions.

PCS (Personal Communications Service)

PCS is a completely digital wireless telephone service that operates at the 1,900MHz frequency. Usable internationally, PCS service is part of the current trend toward digital technologies that are expected to encompass digital wireless cable, digital video from broadcast satellites, digital television, and digital cameras.

QoS (Quality Of Service)

QoS (as it relates to wireless terminology) refers to the assessment of a network’s ability to provide service to network traffic over a variety of technologies. The aim of QoS is to establish priority, including dedicated bandwidth, controlled jitter and latency, and to reduce exhibits of loss while ensuring that providing priority to one flow does not result in other flows failing.

Roaming

Roaming refers to the ability of a cell phone user to accept and make telephone connections on a network outside of his home network. Roaming can only occur when the user’s home network and the visited network have previously established an invoicing structure that lets them invoice the user.

RF (Radio Frequency)

A host of wireless applications and technologies rely on RF field propagation. Within the electromagnetic spectrum, radio frequency refers to any of the frequencies associated with radio wave generation. Electromagnetic fields are created and propagate through space when radio frequency current is sent to an antenna.

SIM (Subscriber Identity Module)

A SIM is a small smart card containing programs and data, which has the A3 and A8 algorithms implemented in it. The SIM contains important user data, including the user’s International Mobile Subscriber Identity, and can also store user-defined data such as address and phone book entries. An important factor for some GSM users is the ability to move the SIM from one mobile station to another, facilitating upgrades.

SMS (Short Message Service)

While the short message described here cannot exceed 160 characters, the short message service offers a convenience delivery method for messages over mobile networks and can be considered a global mobile data service. When you send a message from one mobile device (SMS even supports roaming, both nationally and internationally), the text is stored in the central short message center, which is part of the SMS. The message is then forwarded to the destination mobile device. If the recipient is unavailable when the message is sent, the message is stored until it is sent later. If the sender chooses to do so, he may request a return receipt, whereby the service notifies him if the message sent was indeed delivered to the intended recipient. SMS uses signaling channels as opposed to dedicated channels, which means you can send and receive messages simultaneously with data, voice, and/or fax services using GSM.

TDMA (Time-Division Multiple Access)

TDMA is a digital, wireless technology that divides cellular channels into three time slots, thereby increasing load capacity. The technology was developed to boost how much data is conveyed over digital cellular telephone communications. D-AMPS (Digital-American Mobile Phone Service), GSM, and PDC (Personal Digital Cellular) all use a form of TDMA.

UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System)

UMTS aims to establish reliable, global networks that will support a broad range of voice, data, and multimedia wireless technologies. The stateof- ]the-art 3G wireless telephone system implemented in Europe, UMTS carries out wireless transmission in the 2GHz frequency and permits roaming on a global scale along with personalized features and will instantly move data over numerous networks. Depending upon location, UMTS achieves multimedia data speed rates of 144Kbps (kilobits per second) for vehicular users, 384Kbps for pedestrian users, and 2Mbps (megabits per second) for use in buildings.

WAP (Wireless Application Protocol)

WAP is a secure specification that supports most wireless networks in use worldwide. WAP enables users to instantly access data via many wireless handheld devices such as mobile phones, two-way radios, smartphones, and pagers. Although all OSes support
WAP, those engineered especially for handheld devices include PalmOS, Windows Mobile, and JavaOS. WAP makes minimal demands on memory and CPU power because it doesn’t
contain many of the more complex functions typically found in other scripting languages.
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by Douglas Schweitzer, Sc.D.

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Microsoft Office 2003 Tips and Tweaks

One great thing about Microsoft Office 2003 is that it’s jam-packed with useful features. Of course, digging through Help to find out about these features can take a lot of time—time you would probably rather spend doing other things. To make it easy for you to become more efficient in using Office, we’ve compiled a few of our favorite ways to use Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

by Linda Bird.

Organize Your Stuff (Excel)

Like a well-organized set of file folders, each Microsoft Excel file (a workbook) includes a set of individual worksheets: Think of an Excel workbook as a notebook and the individual worksheets as pages in the notebook. This arrangement is great because you can use it to organize your data. For example, you can track production or sales for a year by using a worksheet for each month but keeping all the worksheets together within a workbook. By default, each new workbook file includes three worksheets. You can
switch between sheets by clicking the tabs at the bottom of Excels’ application window and then enter data and formulas in each worksheet.

Add & Subtract (Excel)

If you feel limited by the three worksheets included in each file, you can add (or delete) more sheets. In fact, to give you maximum flexibility, Excel allows you to create a workbook with one to 255 worksheets in it.

To add a worksheet, right-click any visible worksheet tab and then choose Insert from the tab’s shortcut menu. On the General page of the Insert dialog box, double-click the Worksheet icon. The newly inserted sheet will be placed to the left of the selected worksheet.

To remove a worksheet, display it and choose Edit and then Delete Sheet. Alternatively,
you can right-click a worksheet tab and then choose Delete from the shortcut menu.
This is NOT an undoable command, so if the worksheet includes data, you’ll be prompted
to confirm your action.

Give Your Worksheets A New Identity (Excel)

Face it. The generic names associated with each worksheet (Sheet 1, Sheet 2, and so on) are pretty dull. Luckily, you can assign descriptive names that more clearly indicate what information is contained in each sheet, such as First Quarter or Eastern Region. To rename a worksheet, double-click the sheet’s tab. Type a new name and then press ENTER.

Reorganize Your Worksheets (Excel)

If you don’t like the order in which your Excel worksheets are arranged, you can change it. Right-click the tab for the worksheet you want to move and then choose Move Or Copy from the shortcut menu. In the displayed Move Or Copy dialog box, indicate where you want to place the selected sheet and then click OK. As an alternative, you can drag a worksheet tab to a new location. When the black triangle is where you want to place the sheet, release the mouse to drop the sheet in the new location.

Color Code Your Work (Excel)

Besides adding, deleting, and rearranging worksheets, you can color-code Excel’s worksheet tabs. This can help you categorize your sheets and make it easier for you to find the information you need.
To change the color for a worksheet tab, right click the tab and then choose Tab Color from the shortcut menu. In the displayed Format Tab Color dialog box, click a color block, and then choose OK.

Use Formulas In Word

OK, so Word isn’t known as a calculation powerhouse like Excel. But you can still run simple calculations within the program without pulling out your calculator. To do this, create a table and enter your numerical data in a row or column. Place your insertion point in the last cell in the row or column for which you want to run your calculations and then choose Table and Formula. Word automatically assumes that you want to add up the data in the adjacent cells and enters a formula in the Formula dialog box, such as =SUM(LEFT) or =SUM(ABOVE). Click OK to enter the formula in the cell.
Unlike Excel, Word doesn’t automatically recalculate a formula if you change data in the cells that feed into it. To recalculate the formula cell’s data, right-click the formula directly and then choose Update Field from the shortcut menu.

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