Raymond.CC Blog

Category: Computer

  • Raymond.CC Needs YOUR Help! • Raymond.CC

    This is the first time I am asking for each and everyone of you to help me do something for me. If you enjoy my articles that I spend a lot of time researching and writing everyday OR if somehow my article has helped you fix a problem on your computer, you can now help me back by voting for me.
    Vote for me
    Chapeau Blog Awards has selected Raymond.CC Tech Blog as the finalist in the Technology category. There are 2 type of awards offered by Chapeau Blog Awards that is the “Best in Industry” and one for “Most Brilliant Blog”. There is a total of 10 industry and one finalist from each category will be named the best blog in its industry. After that, one blog will be named 2009′s Most Brilliant Blog. It won’t be easy winning the Most Brilliant Blog because first of all I need to win the Best in Industry award, then I will have to go against 9 other blogs that also won the best in industry award.

    The voting process is very simple. You will only need to choose the site that you want to vote for and fill up a simple form by entering your name and email address.

    1. Go to http://www.chapeaublogawards.com/voting.php#technology

    2. Select the radio button for Raymond.CC Tech Blog. You are now voting Raymond.CC Tech Blog as the Best in Industry.
    Best In Industry

    3. Then scroll up the page, at the top right, again select the radio button for Raymond.CC Tech Blog. This time you are voting for Raymond.CC Tech Blog as the Most Brilliant Blog.
    Most Brilliant Blog

    4. Fill up the form. You’ll only need to enter your name, email address, type in the exact characters that you see in the Image Verification and check the checkbox “I agree to all voter and awards guidelines of Chapeau Blog Awards”. The rest are optional and can be left blank. Click Submit Your Vote.
    Fill up voting form

    The voting closes on the April 30th. Do get your families and friends to vote for me and help make this site the “Most Brilliant Blog”! Thanks!

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  • Uninstall Programs Packaged with Windows Installer in Safe Mode • Raymond.CC

    Whenever you install a software in Windows, most of the time it will come with an uninstaller that allows you to safely remove the program from your computer. This is because software nowadays are very complex and requires registering of OCX or DLL files, registry changes, dropping of files in appropriate places and etc. There are many types of installers and one of the popular one is Windows Installer and Kaspersky uses it to pack their software for users to install and uninstall.

    If you’ve installed a software and suddenly Windows has stopped working, the logical way is to boot Windows in Safe Mode and then try to uninstall. Safe mode is a troubleshooting option for Windows that starts your computer in a limited state. Only the basic files and drivers necessary to run Windows are started. Unfortunately by default you can’t uninstall a software that is packaged with Windows Installer in Safe Mode. If you try to uninstall, you will get the error “The Windows Installer service is not accessible in Safe Mode. Please try again when your computer is not in Safe Mode or you acn use System Restore to return your machine to a previous good state.”
    Uninstall in Safe Mode


    There is a Windows Installer (msiserver) service in Services and if you attempt to manually start it in Safe Mode, you should get an error that says “Windows could not start the Windows Installer service on Local Computer. Error 1084: This service cannot be started in Safe Mode.”

    To start the Windows Installer service in Safe Mode so that you can uninstall programs, all you need to do is add a new MSIServer registry key. Simply follow the step-by-step instructions below:

    1. Hit Win+R, type regedit and click OK.

    2. Navigate to the following location in registry editor:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SafeBoot\Minimal\

    3. Right click at Minimal and select New > Key and name it as MSIServer

    4. The (Default) data for MSIServer should show (value not set). Double click on (Default) and type Service in the value data. Close the Registry Editor.
    uninstall antivirus in safe mode

    5. Again hit Win+R, type services.msc and click OK.

    6. Look for Windows Installer on the list, double click on it and click Start.

    You can now uninstall programs that is packed using Windows Installer in Safe Mode. Alternatively, you can also do all the steps above by typing two command lines below in command prompt or at the Run window.

    REG ADD "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SafeBoot\Minimal\MSIServer" /VE /T REG_SZ /F /D "Service"

    net start msiserver

    As you can see the first command line is pretty long which I don’t think many people are willing to memorize it. Remember, editing the Windows registry is a risky business and you can end up with more problems rather than fixing it if you do it wrongly. Hence, I’d personally prefer to learn how to do it the long way.

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  • Fix AOL Instant Messenger Related Viruses with AIMFix • Raymond.CC

    AIMFix was created to remove all known AOL Instant Messenger-related viruses in one consolidated removal tool. It is designed to end the virus processes, delete the files, and remove registry keys created by the virus. AIMFix is updated very frequently, and will try to make sure it removes all AIM viruses. As long as the author is aware of the virus, it is removed by AIMFix.
    Remove AIM Virus


    I know there are not many people who uses AOL Instant Messenger anymore. So you might think that you won’t be needing this tool at all. Well you’re wrong. I don’t use AOL Instant Messenger also but it has helped me remove a service which I haven’t been able to remove by using Ad-Aware, Ewido, Spybot, Xoftspy and Doctor Alex. I got to know about this tool when I was surfing the internet and I tried running it. In seconds, AIMFix reports that it found CmdService and it will be removed. After I close AIMFix, I went to Services and found that Command Service is gone!

    After you run AIMFix, a AIMFix.log file will be created at the same location as AIMFix.exe. You can look through that log file and see what has AIMFix done for you.

    There are a total of 85 universities, schools and organizations that uses AIMFix. So rest assured that this tool is definitely a gem. AIMFix is a very neat tool to have it in your thumb drive because it’s only 326KB and you might never know when you’ll be needing it.

    [ Download AIMFix ]

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  • Merry Christmas 2009 Everyone! • Raymond.CC

    I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! Thank you all for your support and kind wishes.

    Merry Christmas 2009

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  • How-to remove Winfixer, Virtumonde, Msevents, and Trojan.vundo (ATLDistrib Object) • Raymond.CC

    My website raymond.cc blog statistic has always been monitored by BlogPatrol.
    I find it quite good because it provides some very useful tracking stats such as real-time site statistics, reports, graphs and etc.
    Few days ago whenever I visited BlogPatrol to check my web statistics, there is a very real popup with a notice as below:
    NOTICE: If your computer has errors in the registry database of file system, it could cause unpredictable or erratic behavior, freezes and crashes. Fixing these errors can increase your computer’s performance and prevent data loss.
    Would you like to install WinFixer 2005 to check on your computer for free? (Recommended)
    How-to remove Winfixer, Virtumonde, Msevents, and Trojan.vundo (ATLDistrib Object)
    There is an OK and Cancel button.

    I noticed that there is a small Internet Explorer browser being opened at the below right corner of my screen.
    How-to remove Winfixer, Virtumonde, Msevents, and Trojan.vundo (ATLDistrib Object)
    I believe this is the window that has the codes to popup the Notice above.
    After taking a look at the popup carefully, I believe that this is some kind of spyware named WinFixer.
    I clicked on Cancel button and I thought it should go away and not bother me anymore but I was wrong!


    Another window poped up and showing me an animation of scanning through my computer’s registry, shortcuts and harddrive for errors and believe it or not, it says that the free scan has found 42 System Errors.
    How-to remove Winfixer, Virtumonde, Msevents, and Trojan.vundo (ATLDistrib Object)
    I got fedup of this and closed this window again.

    Another noticed popup again and it says:
    NOTICE: You have not completed the errors scan. If your computer has errors in file system or Windows registry, it could cause unpredictable or erratic PC behavior, freezes, crashes and loss of data.
    You need to install WinFixer 2005 to scan for and, if found, fix system errors now (Recommended)?
    How-to remove Winfixer, Virtumonde, Msevents, and Trojan.vundo (ATLDistrib Object)
    Looks like this WinFixer spyware will not give up in conning me.

    I clicked on Cancel button and I got a shock because I got another popup saying:
    WinFixer 2005 will scan your system for errors now.
    Please select “RUN” or “OPEN” when prompted to start the installation.
    This file has been digitally signed and independently certified as 100% free of viruses, adware and spyware.
    How-to remove Winfixer, Virtumonde, Msevents, and Trojan.vundo (ATLDistrib Object)
    I’ve got no choice but to click on the OK button.

    Now it finally prompt me whether to download WinFixer.
    How-to remove Winfixer, Virtumonde, Msevents, and Trojan.vundo (ATLDistrib Object)
    I cancelled everything and finally no more popup.

    As you can see, if you accidently chosen the wrong selection, WinFixer might have just installed on your computer.
    I’ve got infected by WinFixer before and trust me, it’s a pain in the a$$.
    I tried cleaning it with Spybot Search & Destroy together with Ad-Aware but couldn’t clean it 100%.
    I found the 2 methods below to remove Winfixer, Virtumonde, Msevents, and Trojan.vundo (ATLDistrib Object) and it works effectively.

    Please download VundoFix.exe to your desktop.
    How-to remove Winfixer, Virtumonde, Msevents, and Trojan.vundo (ATLDistrib Object)

  • Double-click VundoFix.exe to run it.
  • Put a check next to Run VundoFix as a task.
  • You will receive a message saying vundofix will close and re-open in a minute or less. Click OK
  • When VundoFix re-opens, click the Scan for Vundo button.
  • Once it’s done scanning, click the Remove Vundo button.
  • You will receive a prompt asking if you want to remove the files, click YES
  • Once you click yes, your desktop will go blank as it starts removing Vundo.
  • When completed, it will prompt that it will shutdown your computer, click OK.
  • Turn your computer back on.

    • Alternate fix: (use only if the above fix didn’t work)
    Please download VirtumundoBegone to your desktop.
    How-to remove Winfixer, Virtumonde, Msevents, and Trojan.vundo (ATLDistrib Object)

  • Run VirtumundoBeGone.exe and follow the instructions. Do not worry if you see a BLUE SCREEN “Fatal Error” Message, this is normal and expected.
  • When it has finished, reboot.

    • Hope your computer is free from WinFixer Virtumonde, Msevents, and Trojan.vundo (ATLDistrib Object) after scanning and cleaning using the methods above 😉

  • 3 Easy Steps to Get FREE 1 Year BitDefender Internet Security 2009 Genuine License Key • Raymond.CC

    I’ve shared with all of you so many freebies from Kaspersky, Norton, BitDefender, Zemana, and most recently iolo Internet Security. Internet security software usually includes all-in-one protection that protects you against virus, hackers and also provides you with extra features such as parental controls and etc. Problem with iolo internet security is it doesn’t work very well in Vista and it is less popular compared to big software security company such as Symantec, Kaspersky, and Bitdefender. Good news is today I will be sharing with you on a tip on how to obtain a one year BitDefender Internet Security license that normally cost $39.95 for FREE!
    free bitdefender internet security 2009 license key code
    BitDefender Internet Security 2009 provides proactive state of the art protection against e-threats such as viruses, spyware, hackers, spam, and phishing attacks which can lead to loss of personal files, identity theft and slower system performance. Other than that, you will be getting free hourly updates which means your copy of BitDefender will be updated 24 times a day over the Internet, directly or through a Proxy Server. The product is able to repair itself, if necessary, by downloading the damaged or missing files from BitDefender servers. Once you have a valid 1 year license, you will get free 24/7 support offered online by qualified support representatives and by accessing an online database with answers to Frequently Asked Questions.

    Sounds good? Continue reading on how to get your free 1 year BitDefender Internet Security 2009 license key. All you need is 3 steps, enter your name, email address and click the submit button! Get it fast before this offer expires!


    BitDefender Internet Security 2009 features:
    free bitdefender key

    ANTIVIRUS, ANTISPYWARE & ANTIROOTKIT
    • Protects your PC in real time against known viruses, spyware and other malware
    • Blocks unknown viruses using advanced proactive detection techniques
    • Detects and removes hidden threats (rootkits)
    • Provides a smooth gaming experience by reducing the system load to a minimum
    • Monitors and prevents potential spyware threats in real-time

    ANTI-PHISHING
    • Protects against phishing attempts by filtering all accessed web pages
    • Reduces the risk of identity theft by preventing personal information leaks via e-mail or web.

    FIREWALL
    • Controls the access of applications to the Internet while “hiding” your computer from hackers with the stealth mode setting
    • Helps prevent unauthorized access to the Wi-Fi internet connection by notifying you about computers that log in to the network

    ANTISPAM
    • Responds faster to new spamming techniques with new adaptive engines
    • Prevents different types of scam e-mails from reaching your Inbox

    PARENTAL CONTROL
    • Blocks access to inappropriate web content and e-mail
    • Allows or blocks web access during specified intervals

    PRIVACY CONTROL
    • Blocks attempted identity theft
    • Prevents personal information from leaking via e-mail, web or instant messaging.

    IM ENCRYPTION
    • Keeps your IM traffic private and protected from eavesdropping
    • Keeps your conversartions private on Yahoo! Messenger (version 8.1 or higher) and Windows Live (MSN) Messenger (version 8.5 or higher)

    FILE VAULT
    • Securely stores personal information or sensitive files.

    HOME MANAGEMENT
    • Manages the security of your entire home network from a single, authorized station

    GAME MODE
    • Reduces the system load and avoids user interaction requests during games.

    LAPTOP MODE
    • Prolongs battery life by tuning all products settings in order to save power consumption

    VULNERABILITY
    • Verifies if crucial software on your PC is up-to-date.
    • Checks passwords to Windows accounts against security rules.

    1. Go to this page http://www.securitasdirect.es/antivirus_gratis.html

    2. At the left hand of the page, enter your Name at Nombre box, your valid e-mail address and click the Enviar Solicitud button to submit the information.
    free bitdefender 2009 key
    3. Check your email and you should receive an email from ENVIARAUNAMIGO.COM (infoafiliados@securitasdirect.es) with the subject Licencia antivirus de regalo. Note down the BitDefender Internet Security 2009 license key code. It is right after the sentence “Su número de licencia es”.

    4. Download the latest version of BitDefender Internet Security 2009 bdis.msi (70.6MB) and install. This is the direct link to download the full version without using their download manager. I got the link by using URLsnooper.

    5. After installation you might need to restart your computer. When the BitDefender Registration Wizard window appears, simply click the option “I want to register the product with a new key” and enter the license key.
    activate bitdefender 2009
    6. It will then tell you that your product has been registered. Next window will ask you to create an account so that you can get your support if you have any problems with the BitDefender Internet Security 2009 software.

    Amazingly BitDefender Internet Security 2009 only takes up 13MB memory usage during idle! It even detected every single of my private trojan and cryptor. Virus such as Brontok, JambanMu is also detected. BitDefender Internet Security 2009 has very good memory management and also good virus detection. Thanks to http://www.securitasdirect.es for offering the free BitDefender Internet Security 2009 license and csp67051 for sharing this tip with us in forum!

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  • Easily Upload Suspicious File to VirusTotal • Raymond.CC

    Free Antivirus
    Do you still remember 2 months ago I discovered a website that is able to scan any file with 30 antivirus engines by simply uploading it to the website? Good news is, it has increased to 32 antivirus engines now and also there’s a new method on how you can easily upload the suspicious file to VirusTotal.

    Imagine you can skip the part where you open your browser, type in VirusTotal link, wait for the whole website to load and then browse for the file to upload. How about…


    Just right click on the suspicious file and send to VirusTotal? There’s a built-in “Send To” function when you right click on any files which you can send the selected file to Desktop, My Documents and etc… VirusTotal has created an extension where it adds a shortcut to “Send To” VirusTotal.

    All you need to do is download the 76.6KB small tool for sending samples to VirusTotal. Once installed, you’ll have the “Send to -> VirusTotal” option in the Windows contextual menu when you right-click on a file. Once the file transfer is done, a new page will automatically open on your default web browser.
    Easily Upload To VirusTotal

    I notice that I am always in queue whenever I upload any suspicious files to scan with VirusTotal. Seems like VirusTotal is getting more and more popular. Let’s hope that this service will continue to be free for a very long time.

    [ Download VirusTotal Uploader ]

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  • Another Web Based Multi Engine Virus Scanner • Raymond.CC

    Previously I found two websites that offers free web based multi engine virus scanner. They are VirusTotal and Jotti’s Malware Scanner. Here’s another one to add in to the list.
    FREE Web based anti virus
    VirSCAN.org is a FREE service for online scanning suspicious files using several antivirus engines and you can find the result and the degree of suspicious files. VirSCAN can only help you scan the suspicious files, but VirSCAN is not responsible for the scan result from antivirus engines. If all of the engines cannot detect the file you uploaded as a malware, it can’t say it isn’t a new malware. If the file you uploaded detected as suspicious, VirSCAN will send the file and report to the antivirus vendors who provided engines for analyzing and they will update the signatures if it is a malware.


    VirSCAN.org can support a maximum of 10MB limit per file. The good thing about VirSCAN is you can zip up multiple files that you want to scan in RAR/Zip format and upload to VirSCAN. VirSCAN will decompress the ZIP/RAR archive and scan all of the files. Just make sure you keep to the 10MB file size limit on the RAR/ZIP file and also less than 10 files in the archive. VirSCAN can detect compressed file with password ‘infected’ or ‘virus’ in case you want to password protect your RAR/ZIP file.

    VirSCAN.org displays last 50 files scanned at the Report page. You can click on the filename to view the scanned results but you won’t be able to download the file. If you’re concerned about privacy, you can rename the filename to random characters to prevent people from seeing the original filename.
    FREE anti virus

    Currently VirSCAN supports 35 types of antivirus engines, while VirusTotal supports 32 and Jotti’s Malware Scanner supports only 20.

    I notice that Jotti’s Malware Scanner and VirSCAN service load level is always quite high but VirusTotal is able to maintain a low service load level. Maybe VirusTotal is using a more powerful server to run this web based multi engine virus scanner. In case you urgently need to scan a suspicious file, you can use either service that is not busy.

    Again I’d like to stress that web based multi engine virus scanner is not a substitute for any antivirus software installed in a PC, as it only scans individual files on demand. It does not offer permanent protection for the user’s system either.

    [ Visit VirSCAN.org ]

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  • File Governor Unlocks Those Hard to Delete Files • Raymond.CC

    It sometimes happens that when you’re working away on your PC, perhaps giving it a manual cleanup trying clear out redundant installation left overs, sometimes there will be a file or two that just shouldn’t be there. But when you try to delete, copy or move it, one of the dreaded ‘Cannot delete files: Access is denied’ or ‘The file you’re trying to modify is being used by Windows or other application’ messages pop up. It can be a bit frustrating because quite often there doesn’t appear to be an obvious reason as to why it’s stuck in place and what’s got a hold of it.

    These files are called locked files because they are still being used by a Windows process or service and cannot be touched until Windows has finished with the file and it gets released. This can occur straight after a software uninstall when a reboot is needed to complete the process. There is sometimes a way to remove a locked file by renaming it first and then deleting it, and this has worked quite a lot over the years, but more often than not, it won’t.


    Perhaps the most well known file unlock utility is Unlocker which has done a pretty decent job over the years. There are plenty of other options to choose from though, and one such alternative is File Governor. It’s from NoVirusThanks.org and comes as a portable zip or setup installer. Do note that the portable version will give you access to both the 32bit and 64bit executables, so make sure you use the correct one for your operating system.

    When the executable is run, you will be presented with a blank window. Right click or go to the ‘File’ menu and choose ‘Search for locked files’, then point to the folder where there are one or more troublesome files. The list of locked files in the folder will then be displayed showing the locked object and the process that has a hold on it. If the process is one you recognise and can be closed without causing system issues, you can either close it yourself, or right click and ‘Terminate Process’. Alternatively, you can copy, rename or try to delete the file causing the lock as long as you know it isn’t a critical windows file.

    If you can’t, or don’t want to terminate the process that has a lock on your file, then you can try to release it by right clicking and selecting ‘Unlock’, or ‘Unlock All’ to unlock everything in the list. If the handle for the file is ‘DLL’ then using the ‘Unload DLL’ option will be available and will try to unload it from memory with the intention of breaking the lock on the file.

    A couple of other useful things in the program worth mentioning, are the ‘Settings’ >> ‘Configure’ window gives you the option to include File Governor in the Window Explorer Context menu and also enables putting it in the Windows ‘Send To’ menu as well. The ‘Utilities’ menu enables quick access to some convenient Windows functions like Task Manager and Services Manager.

    File Governor is compatible with Windows 2000, XP, Vista and 7 32 and 64 bit.

    Website and Download

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  • Cancelling MSN Hotmail Plus service • Raymond.CC

    Last year I subscribed to MSN Hotmail Plus service because afraid of loosing all my emails once I do not login my Hotmail for 30 days. So I went ahead and paid $19.95 to get 2 gigabytes of total MSN Hotmail account space, the ability to send larger attachments, no graphical ads, access to the MSN Hotmail mailbox via Microsoft Office Outlook or Outlook Express, exemption from the account expiration policy and 30 MB of MSN Groups storage.
    Frankly I did not use any of the advantages which I paid for so this year I will not renew this service.

    Today I received an email from MSN Hotmail Plus (billing@microsoft.com) reminding me that my MSN Hotmail Plus service is about to expire in 30 days. There is a part in the email which says the following:
    “If you do not want to renew this subscription, you must cancel the subscription before the renewal date shown above. To cancel, go to https://billing.microsoft.com, click on the service name, and then on the next page click ‘Cancel my service’.”

    I went to https://billing.microsoft.com and logged in with my Hotmail username and password.
    I am able to see all my billing details and also the subscribed MSN Hotmail Plus. I click on the service name and now I see “Cancel my service”. Great! Err No!.. Click on that link, get a pop-up window which says:


    To cancel your online service, you must contact Customer Support for the specific product or service. Depending on the service, you may be able to cancel by e-mail, telephone, or live chat. You cannot cancel prepaid services, such as MSN Hotmail prepaid service.
    To contact Customer Support for your product or service, use one of the following methods:
    • For MSN services, go to MSN Cancellation Support and select the service you want to cancel.
    • For Xbox, go to the Xbox Live Accounts and Billing page.
    If you are having trouble with your account, contact Customer Support.

    I didn’t choose the Xbox option because I don’t own one and I am not trying to cancel any Xbox account.
    So I went to MSN services but I didn’t see any MSN Hotmail Plus! By this time I am really getting frustrated because it’s bring me round and round and with no way to really cancel my MSN Hotmail Plus service.

    Finally I searched around the internet and found a way to cancel my MSN Hotmail Plus service. It only took half a day to get it done.

    Point your browser to http://g.msn.com/0HEBAM_WAVE10ENAU9/29001
    Click on Sign In circled in red and type your hotmail email and username at the next page.
    Cancel MSN Hotmail Plus

    Now I am able to see MSN Hotmail Plus at my Subscribed Services. Click on the MSN Hotmail Plus.
    Cancel MSN Hotmail Plus service

    There are three types of support for MSN Hotmail Plus.
    1. Interactive Chat Support
    2. E-mail Support
    3. Phone Support
    How to cancel MSN Hotmail Plus subscription
    Click on the “E-mail” button from the Customer Service column and you are asked to complete a form below for MSN Hotmail Plus email support. Just fill up all the necessary accurate information and also telling them that you want to cancel your MSN Hotmail Plus service at the inquiry box which is the last box.

    Less than 12 hours I get an email from one of Hotmail Customer Service informing me that my MSN Hotmail Plus service subscription has been cancelled.

    What a pain I had to go through just to cancel my MSN Hotmail Plus service 🙁

    Note: I did NOT use the Interactive Chat Support because I read somewhere that he waited 30 minutes and he is still waiting on the chat window being answered.

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  • Reveal a Password in your Browser with a Simple Trick • Raymond.CC

    We are all often told to try and stay security conscious online, and passwords is one of the most important parts of creating a more secure environment for yourself. Different lengths, multiple character types, different login details for every site. This is especially the case when there are multiple users on the same machine.

    Personally, I have so many different passwords, that I’d have to sit there with a giant piece of paper every time I wanted to log into a website if it wasn’t for ability to save them on your PC so you don’t have to remember them. These days, most browsers offer to store your login details for you and there are some great dedicated password managers around, such as Lastpass to make filling in forms and logins even easier.


    When you type passwords in to web browsers, they are often hidden behind bullets or asterisks, which is fine when you know the password, but if you can’t remember and it’s being filled in automatically, you have to dig into the options of the browser or utility to find out what it is. There are plenty of tools to reveal passwords for you such as Bullet Pass View by Nir Sofer, but the other day I came across a very simple way to reveal a password in your browser without having to use any additional software at all. This was tested successfully on Chrome 18, Opera 11 and Firefox 11. The process is broadly the same for all three but I’m using Chrome to demonstrate.

    Firstly, go to a web page where you have to log in such as Google, Raymond.cc or eBay, and hopefully your saved details will be entered from either the browser or password manager. The password will be hidden behind the bullets…

    Double click on the password to highlight it, then right click on it and select ‘Inspect element’. In Firefox you will then need to click on the HTML button to view the html content.

    Once you are viewing the html content for the page, the line for the password input should already be highlighted, as shown below. Look on that line for the value type=”password”. Double click on ‘password’, delete it and then press Enter.

    Look back to the login details and your password will be revealed!

    This works in pretty much all windows where a password is hidden behind bullets and is just a simple trick to quickly reveal the password that has already been saved to the browser or password manager. This is also useful if you have very long passwords you enter yourself and would like to see what’s being typed in to avoid mistakes. It may only save a few seconds over getting it yourself, but is still a handy thing to know.

  • Watch NBA Finals Live for FREE Without Installing Any Software • Raymond.CC

    I wanted to watch NBA very badly today because LA Lakers can knock out last year’s champion San Antonio Spurs and advance to the finals! Moreover, this game 5 is played in Los Angeles which gives Lakers home court advantage. Problem is today I was at an office which all the computers there has been configured to deny any third software installation. Even if I could install third party software, the people there told me that they could only browse the web. Nothing else works. Being at home doesn’t help either because the stupid ASTRO, Malaysia’s only pay per view satellite television network station will not be broadcasting this match at all!

    Watch NBA Finals FREE
    There are quite a few software such as SopCast, TVU Player, TV Ants, JLC Internet TV and etc that can watch TV from computer for free but it’d be useless because I couldn’t install third party software and only port 80 which is used for web browsing is allowed. I could get my friend to record it for me but it wouldn’t be as exciting as watching it LIVE.

    Luckily I manage to find a way to watch NBA conference finals for FREE by without installing any software. Other than sports, there are other TV categories.


    Justin.tv is a place to broadcast and watch live video online while chatting with friends. To use Justin.tv you need a PC or a MAC an up-to-date browser like Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Safari with the latest version of Adobe Flash Player installed. Justin.tv tears down the walls of traditional video and social networking sites by enabling viewers and broadcasters to interact and exchange ideas in real time through chat and live video. In the past, live broadcasting was only available to large media corporations who were willing to spend millions of dollars. Today, Justin.tv has democratized live video by shrinking all of the functionality of an expensive TV satellite trunk into a simple laptop or desktop computer.

    Justin.tv watch free tv nba finals live

    Justin.tv doesn’t work like TVU Networks or SopCast that provides a huge list of channels such as CNN, Cartoon Network, MTV, ESPN and etc. Justin.tv depends on what the broadcaster is broadcasting using webcam, camcorder, game consoles, TV set, or other RCA video components. Rest assured that most of the popular sports such as NBA, MLB, soccer, football will be broadcasted live.

    It’s way too easy to watch online TV from justin.tv website. If you’re able to browse the Internet, Justin.tv should work fine because it uses only port 80. Just go to the website and select the channels that you’d like to watch. Wait for a few seconds or sometimes a few minutes and it’ll start streaming. The best part is you get to chat with other viewers which adds the excitement! Sometimes you’d get the message “Not Broadcasting”. You can always try to reconnect by clicking the reconnect button at the bottom right of the video screen.

    While writing about Justin.TV, I found another similar site which is Ustream.tv that does the same thing. No software required. You can easily watch online TV using your favorite web browser with Adobe Flash installed.

    Another one that I got to know is TNT.TV. This site is pretty cool because it has 4 cams being showed simultaneously. However, there is no commentary and no scoreboard.

    Watch NBA Finals Live from TNT for FREE

    Now you know how to watch online TV from any computer that has internet connection without using any software. If you’re going to watch TV during working hours, do not put the blame on me if your boss discovered you doing that 😛 Well Lakers won 4-1 against Spurs and they are going to the finals! Which team would you prefer to win this year?

    [ Visit Justin.TV | Ustream.TV | TNT.TV ]

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  • SMBv2 Nuke Crashes Windows Vista, 7 and Server 2008 with BlueScreen of Death • Raymond.CC

    About 15 years ago during Windows 95 era, there were a lot of “winnukes” which can cause Windows to blue screen. Microsoft did release patches to fix those bugs but during that time Internet was still very new and not many people know that there are updates to fix those problems. There was no Windows Update to scan what your system needed to update. Then came Windows 98 and most of the winnukes were patched. However I still remembered that a team called X-Coders has came up with IGMP nukes which can also crashes Windows 98.

    Finally XP came and it is considered to be one of the most stable Windows that Microsoft ever released! As stable as it is, hackers still able to find flaw in their system. That time there was another nuker called SMBDie which crashes Windows XP computers by sending a specially crafted SMB request.
    SMBDie crash Windows XP
    It definitely worked because I was pretty much “abusing” it with my childish teenager mindset. I didn’t crash just anyone but only to a particular guy who was downloading a lot with Limewire and hogging the Internet connection until none of the housemates can use the Internet. If I am not wrong, that bug was patched in SP1.

    Just when we thought the latest Windows Vista and 7 is safe, Laurent Gaffié discovered an exploit that can cause a remote computer to get a bluescreen of death and released a proof of concept on 9th September. I only got to know about it few days ago because on the day the exploit was released, I was busy packing my bags and getting ready for my honeymoon.


    I found 2 compiled version of the exploit and this is how it looks like. This one has an interface for you to enter the victim’s IP address and clicking the OK button will send a specially crafted packet to the remote computer.
    download smbdie v2

    The second one is command line application. Just enter the IP address after the program to launch the attack.
    SMBDie v2 DOS

    I’ve tried to attack my own computer running Windows Vista SP1 and the computer shows a blue screen and auto rebooted. When Windows is booted up, I got a notification window that says “Window has recovered from an unexpected shutdown” with the problem event name “BlueScreen”.
    SMBv2 BSOD crash info

    The good news is Windows Firewall is able to block this attack. Thank God that all Windows Firewall is turned on by default or else a lot of people will get nuked by another wave of SMBDie. Looks like Windows Firewall is not so useless after all… Windows XP and 2000 are NOT affected as they don’t have the SMB2.0 driver. You can also update your Windows to be patched from this exploit. If you take a look at this video, Immunity Inc has made a working exploit of SMBv2 that can run commands on the remote system!

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  • My Review on Hitman Pro 3.5 the Cloud Based Malware Scanner • Raymond.CC

    I got to know Hitman Pro last year but didn’t post it out because I find it a little ridiculous to install it on a computer. Imagine that it installs ESET NOD32, Webroot Spy Sweeper, PC Tools Spyware Doctor, McAfee VirusScan, Ad-Aware, Spybot, TrendMicro CWShredder, Ewido Microscanner and SpywareBlaster to your computer then it updates and scans. Normally a computer that has been infected by malware would be running very slowly, installing all the software would definitely make it even slower. Moreover we haven’t even taken a look at the time needed to download the latest definition and also running a full scan…

    The latest version of Hitman Pro 3 has changed and uses scan cloud. First Hitman Pro 3 will try to detect virus and files that have a suspicious behavior. Then it uploads to Hitman’s server to have it scanned with 5 antivirus engines that always scores very high in virus detection (GData, NOD32, Avira, PrevX and A-Squared). If the uploaded files are being detected as malicious, it will be removed.

    Hitman Pro 3.5 review

    I wanted check out Hitman Pro 3 myself because I read quite a lot of good comments on it from Wilders Security forum.


    Good thing about Cloud Computing technology is you do not need a virus scanner installed on your computer as the scanning is done on the server itself. So you can expect a very low system load. The bad thing is it requires a working Internet connection and the behavior analysis has to be very good or else it can’t detect a malicious files and won’t upload it to the clouds for scanning.

    I dropped a total of 22 malicious files (virus and trojan) on my test computer and ran a scan. Hitman Pro 3 took only 40 seconds to complete scanning. It detected 21 files as dangerous and uploaded to the clouds to scan with multiple antivirus engines. I was surprised that Hitman Pro missed one old VBS worm. I uploaded the VBS worm in VirusTotal and all 5 antivirus engines used by Hitman Pro was able to detect it as a threat. This shows that Hitman Pro has problems identifying threats in .vbs extension… Hopefully they’ll fix it in future versions. Before Hitman Pro can remove the malicious files, I must activate the program first. Since this is my first time testing Hitman Pro 3, I can activate a one-time free license valid for 30 days. When finished removing the virus, closing the program totally terminates it and doesn’t leave any hidden process at background.

    Now I wanted to test if Hitman is able to remove a trojan that is infected on my computer. I infect my test computer with Bifrost trojan and then ran a scan. Sadly Hitman Pro shows ZERO identified traces meaning it failed detect the Bifrost trojan that is infected on my PC.
    hitman fails bifrost

    When I right click on the Bifrost trojan and select “Scan with Hitman Pro”, Hitman was able to detect is as a trojan and advice me to delete it.
    hitman detects bifrost

    Then I tried infecting my computer with Brontok and Sality virus, then run a full scan with Hitman to see if it can detect and remove the virus from my computer. Hitman immediately shows up a Runtime Error with the message “R6002 – floating point support not loaded” after clicking the Next button.

    Hitman Pro 3 cost $19.95 for 1 PC valid for a year. Honestly I wouldn’t mind using Hitman Pro 3 as an alternative IF it is free but since it cost money, I can settle VirusTotal Uploader 2.0 which scans a suspicious file in cloud with 41 types of antivirus. Hitman Pro is NOT an antivirus and it is not made to protect your computer real time from viruses. It is more like a tool for you to scan suspicious file with 5 different antivirus engine based on its behavioral scan.

    I also find that the Hitman Pro 3 licensing system is not very strong. Although there are not many cracks or no keygen for Hitman Pro 3 because of the online activation, but defeating the trial period is way too easy. When you activate the 30 day free license, two files will be created (HitmanPro.lic and HitmanPro.key) saved in application data folder. If you try to delete the 2 files, Hitman Pro license will be deactivated which lets you think that you can do this whenever the 30 days trial period is up. However, after 30 days you can no longer re-activate the free license and you will always get the error “Your free trial period for Hitman Pro is expired”. I found out that when you activate the one time free license, Hitman Pro’s server records your computer’s Security Identifier (SID). Every computer has a unique SID and the only way to change it is to reinstall Windows or you can simply look for some tools such as NewSID or GhostWalker to change them.

    [ Visit Hitman Pro 3 Website ]

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  • Lesson learnt for upgrading PC • Raymond.CC

    I’ve purchased a new MSI 945P Platinum mainboard for my computer because my old mainboard has failed.

    I currently have a Cooler Master RS-450-ACLY Real Power 450 Power Supply which should be able to support my new mainboard with Pentium D 2.80GHz. I just found out that this mainboard needs 3 power connector in order to achieve stability.
    Cooler Master RS-450-ACLY Real Power 450
    1. 24 Pin Motherboard Connector
    2. 4 Pin Peripheral Connector (or they call it molex)
    3. 8 Pin EPS 12V Connector

    I checked out my Power Supply and it doesn’t have the 8 Pin EPS 12V Connector!
    I’ve looked around the internet and found out that I don’t need to replace my current Power Supply and can just buy a convertor to convert my 4-Pin P4 to 8-Pin EPS connector. It will maybe just cost a few dollars for that convertor.
    4-Pin P4 and 8-Pin EPS

    The other thing I found out is….


    My new MSI 945P Platinum motherboard only accept PCI-Express display card which I don’t have!
    My old one is an AGP display card. Meaning I got to spend an unforseen extra few hundred dollars for display card.

    I’ve learnt a very expensive lesson this time that is “NOT buy things in a hurry”. Look up on the Internet and check out all the connectors needed, and compatibility as well before making any decision. The amount of money I spent on upgrading my current PC cost nearly as much as buying a new one.