However, we don’t care for content filtering programs which has been shown to potentially block educational or family-friendly material, and which can be a chore to configure. The compromise here is to use operating system monitoring software such as Visikid so that we can watch over what sites and applications he is using.

Visikid is free parental internet control software and works on Windows versions XP, Vista, and 7.

Installation is very simple, and by default, the Visikid monitor will run on your system’s startup. Upon first run, you will be prompted to create an account on Visikid.com, which is free, but has the downside of only displaying the current day’s activities. I’d like to note here that there is a paid subscription version that lets you keep track of your child’s activities over time. This costs $39 per year, or five dollars per month.

Next, you’ll create a user profile for your kids. On Windows, you should access your child’s profile, and login to the Visikid software to create the link.

A record of any sites visited or programs that were accessed under your child’s user session will be made available for viewing that same day on your Visikid.com dashboard. Well-known desktop applications and sites are divided into categories. The option is there for assigning categories such as “education” and “communication” to unknown sites.

Graphs and charts illustrate just how much time was spent on a particular site or application. This is a very good way to make sure that your kids are concentrating on homework, and not social-networking.

Of course, there is no substitute for direct parental supervision, but if you have to leave your child’s side, say, to go make dinner or corral the toddler, then programs like Visikid can act as your third-eye when you’re not available.

Some other good safety practices for kids on the Web are as follows:

• Users of the Mozilla Firefox browser are encouraged to install my three favorite Firefox security and privacy add-ons, as well as an alternate shell like KidsMenu, which I’ve previously reviewed. Please keep in mind that for many sites with kids’ games, you may have to add them to NoScript’s white list.
• Add some bookmarks to your kid’s browser toolbar leading to approved safe sites. One of my favorites for games is Orisinal, reviewed here.
• Teach your kids to only chat with and send messages to friends and family, and not to strangers or bullies.
• Conversely, teach your kids to only accept messages from friends and family, but never to open attachments without asking a parent first.
• Can’t stress this one enough: teach your children to not give out any personal information.

Here are some other MakeUseOf posts on monitoring your children online :

- Protect Your Kids Online With Free Norton OnlineFamily.
- 2 Addons to Add Internet Parental Control to Firefox.
- Let Your Geeky Kids Play Online With KidZui

Do our readers know of any similar free parental internet control apps worth looking into? How do you monitor your child’s activities and keep them safe? Give us some ideas in the comments.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too.

• Let Your Geeky Kids Play Online With KidZui (19)
• 5 Sites That Promote Internet Safety For Kids (14)
• 5 Free Parental Control Software That Will Set Your Mind At Ease (16)
• Restrict Windows and Web Access for Kids with KidsMenu (12)
• Parental Controls – Safely Restrict Your Kids’ Computer Access [Mac] (5)

According to our research, many of you want to know how to best install LimeWire and use the program, without getting bit by a virus. Today, I’ll show you how.

How to Install LimeWire & Share Files

The company which makes LimeWire will tell you – this is very important – when you go to download the installation file and install LimeWire, you should only do so from the program’s official site! Doing so makes absolutely sure that you have a legitimate version of the program, without the inclusion of any malicious code. Please don’t download from other sources, especially from other P2P networks.

When you install LimeWire for the first time, it’s a good idea to make sure that the program is set to not automatically share any downloaded files. Despite what is often said in the mainstream (read: non-tech-savvy) press, it has been sharing or distributing files, not downloading or receiving them, that has ended up with so many people being brought into court.

One caveat: That setting doesn’t apply to downloads through the BitTorrent network, which LimeWire also supports. In a BitTorrent network (or "swarm"), everyone downloading a file is simultaneously distributing it!

Search Filtering

Please, make sure "Search Filtering" is on. Click on the Tools menu near the top, then Options. After the Options screen appears, click on Search, then Configure under Search Filtering. Make sure that the settings are such that programs (executable files) are not included in the search results. Virus code spreads easiest in executable files, opened on accident by users who may not know better.

You may think you’re downloading a photograph, but go to open the file, named HotChick.jpg.exe, which ends up, as my teacher might say, barfing all over your system.

Scan Everything!

While your top threat is from executable program files, any file you download can be infected with some kind of code. Remember, you’re not necessarily getting these files from a clean server, you’re getting them from other users, who may be unknowingly infected by something. It’s of critical importance to, before doing anything else with a file, to scan it with an updated anti-virus program. This is especially true for those of you who have enabled program downloads anyway.

If you have an antivirus software installed, be sure to keep it updated. Consult the program’s documentation. If you don’t have an anti-virus installed, try the AVG Free Edition.

Once the download is complete, right-click the file listing in your Library, then select Locate on Disk. This will open up your file manager and highlight the file. Right-click on that file, and select the appropriate command to scan your file. Your anti-virus will report to you any infected files, and prompt you to delete said file.

When scouring P2P networks like LimeWire, it pays to play safe. A few preventative steps, plus some common sense, adds up to a safer experience.

If you have any important tips for potential downloaders, please feel free to sound off in our comments.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too.

• Protect Your Privacy On P2P With Peer Guardian 2 (28)
• How To Get A Layer Of Downloading Protection with PeerBlock (10)
• 5 “DISPOSABLE” Web Accounts to Keep Your Identity Safe (91)
• Your Computer, Your World – How to Keep Out the Mindless (51)
• Using Pando To Send Huge Files Across The Web (16)

One problem, though. Hulu videos stream in Flash video, and there wasn’t any way to download and save programs for mobile viewing. That was true until I read up on the appropriately-named Hulu Video Downloader, a simple yet powerful little program, for which I have yet to find a free equal.

Using HVD couldn’t be much easier. Once you navigate to your desired program in your browser of choice, highlight and copy (Ctrl+C) the page’s URL. If it’s from a supported site, it will appear in HVD’s top field automatically. From there, you select the format for your target file, and click Add.  HVD takes over from there, downloading and converting the video file.

Video formats available in the free version include MPEG2, AVI, and native FLV. To convert to other file formats, such as iPod or PSP, we suggest the recently-reviewed VideoSpiritLite. The GOM Player can playback FLV video files without conversion.

Once the download’s complete, you simply open the resulting video file in your favorite media player. Now you need not worry about episodes of your favorite show “expiring” from the site. I wish now that I had found this program before Dollhouse episodes started disappearing.

If you want to download HD versions of the shows, or download more than one show at a time, you’ll need to upgrade to the pro version, which lets you pull videos from a dozen other sites besides Hulu.

There’s more Hulu on MakeUseOf, right this way. How do you archive your favorite shows? What are some can’t-miss shows on Hulu? Play program director and let us know some of your favorites in the comments.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too.

• Top 5 Internet TV Players + TV freebies (26)
• Hulu Desktop: Instant TV Shows and Movies on Large Screen (9)
• How To Watch Movies and Shows on Hulu & Sling from Abroad (78)
• 3 Really Cool Adobe AIR Apps for Movies and Music (29)
• Watch Hulu & Flash Videos On Your WM Device With Skyfire (7)

Today I’ll show you how to set up a “dual boot” system that includes Linux (specifically Ubuntu Linux) alongside Windows XP or Vista. There will be no hard-drive partitioning (that’s scary!), instead Ubuntu will be installed in this case as if it were any other Windows program. This also makes it easy to uninstall later, in case you don’t like it.

Why would someone want to do this? Maybe you’re just beginning to really learn it, like I am. Maybe you’re a gamer who is just not a fan of the Windows interface and would like an alternative. Maybe you’re the power-user type and just wants to see what the fuss is about. Any reason you may have is valid. I’m just a big fan of free software who wants to help spread the word.

To get started, there’s no need to go to the Ubuntu site and download or order a CD-ROM. In this example, all you will need is to download and run the Wubi installer. Wubi started as an independent project, but is now officially supported by the Ubuntu community as a method of installation.

On the first screen, you’ll provide your desired username and password as well as designate the size of your “virtual disk” file, which your PC will see as a Linux file system.

Depending on the speed of your Internet connection, this next part may take a while. Wubi will download an image of the Ubuntu installation CD. As long as you’re on a broadband connection, this shouldn’t take more than an hour or two; Feel free to ignore the approximate download time at the onset.

After a few more installation screens, you’ll be prompted to reboot your system. Doing so should bring you to a new screen, giving you a choice whether you want to boot into Windows or Ubuntu. Select Ubuntu anytime to finish the installation.

Don’t panic when you see the formatting-partitions screen; Only the virtual disk file on which Ubuntu sits is being formatted.

After another reboot, enter your username and password and gaze upon a fresh pristine Linux desktop. It takes a little bit of getting-used-to, but the learning curve isn’t that steep.

Feel free to glance over the documentation to get your feet wet, check out our many articles on Linux use, and join the forums if you have any questions. Don’t be afraid of asking something “stupid”.  We were all n00bs once. Well, except me. I’m still a Linux n00b. But hey that’s what I’m taking out student loans for.

My choice of Ubuntu may have upset some Linux fans. Feel free to let me have it, and tell us why your favorite distribution is better, in the comments.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too.

• 6 Free Vista Utilities to Tweak and Improve Performance (8)
• Use Your USB Stick As a Key to Boot Your Windows PC (52)
• Test Drive Linux Operating Systems with VirtualBox (7)
• Save, Restore, Fix a Broken MBR with MBRWizard [Windows] (9)
• How to Work with Linux Partitions from Windows (9)

When signing in to Windows Live, make sure that SSL encryption is enabled so that your login and password are encrypted before sending them out. Also, please make sure that both “remember” check-boxes are cleared, unless you’re certain that nobody else will be using the PC which you are using.

Editor’s note: These days, modern browsers have the ability to “remember” login credentials. When checking your email from a public computer, never allow the browser to save your login and password.

Once you’ve gone through your Hotmail sign in, we suggest changing your current password into something more secure, especially if you’re the type of user who uses the same password for other services. Click Options in the upper-right of the screen, then Windows Live on the next, then Password on the next screen. This is where you’ll change your password. You’ll have to type it twice to get it right. Also, it’s suggested to check the box to make your password expire after 72 days.

For a good, secure, random password, view Stefan’s posts on 5 free password generators that helps you to create nearly unhackable passwords or visit GRC’s Password Generator, then highlight 7-16 characters anywhere in the randomly-generated strings, then copy (Ctrl+C) and paste (Ctrl+V) them into your new password field. The only thing I suggest you don’t do is use any of the strings in the above screen-shot.

Finally, just in case you may forget your new password during your Hotmail sign in, you may set a secret question which will allow you to reset your password. From the Options screen, under Manage Your Account, select to edit your personal information. Choose to add a password-reset question, then select your question and type the answer. This should be something that, much like your password, nobody else knows.

Editor’s note: After you’re done checking your email, remember to log out. Optionally, you may clear the browsing history and empty the cache or restart the computer altogether. If you’re really paranoid about security, try using a portable version of Firefox, which you may find here.

I hope that these tips will prove helpful for you and your Hotmail-using buddies. We have many more email tips on MakeUseOf, and we welcome any tips and suggestions in the comments.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too.

• How To Deal with Spam and Report Email Scams in The U.S. (5)
• 5 Ways to Protect & Hide Your Email to Stop Receiving Spam (20)
• 5 “DISPOSABLE” Web Accounts to Keep Your Identity Safe (91)
• Top 5 Current Email Scams You Should Know About (25)
• Three Firefox Security & Privacy Add-ons that can Co-exist (23)

Have you ever asked yourself, “How do I make a background on MySpace?” Well, today I’ll show you how to find, create, and use a custom background on your MySpace profile.

Your source image could be from your personal photo collection or some wallpaper made available for free download from a site like Customize.org, one of my favorite sites, Digital Blasphemy, or Google’s Image Search (we suggest using the Advanced Search to narrow it down to non-commercial-licensed content).

When selecting your image, keep your audience in mind. Does the image provide a pleasing pattern or illustrate a great moment? Will it distract from your profile’s content? Is it age-appropriate, considering your friends? These are all things to consider, as well as image size. If your image is larger than, say 1024 pixels in length, we suggest using a tool like Resizr or any image resizer to shrink the image down.

Rather than linking to the image as hosted elsewhere, it’s good etiquette to save a copy of the image and upload it to a free host such as PiccDrop, and also to give credit somewhere on your profile to the artist or photographer. For demonstration, I’ve chosen this photo by Tim Snell. Once you’ve uploaded your image to your host, make note of the image’s URL (copy it into Notepad) for future use.

Your next step varies based on what type of MySpace profile you’re using. There are two versions of your MySpace profile. If you’re a long-time user and haven’t switched, then you’re using Profile 1.0. Here’s how to determine what type of profile you’re using. When you login, click the “Edit Profile” link next to your MySpace URL. Then, select “Customize Profile.” On the next screen, your profile type will be displayed at the very top of the page.

If you’re using “Profile 1.0”, follow these directions: Hit your “back” button to go back to the original profile editor. Use this background generator with your image’s URL to create the HTML code, then copy that code into the profile editor’s “About Me” box. Save your changes and check your profile.

If you’ve upgraded your profile to “2.0”, the process is easier. First, select your basic theme. If you have a dark image like mine, for example, it’s important to pick a dark theme to start with. In your customize menu, click Advanced Edit, then Background, and then paste your image’s URL into the URL field. Publish your changes and check your profile.

If everything worked, you’ll have a custom background for your MySpace page to show off to your friends (my profile is here). Feel free to share in the comments about any profile-customization tips you may have. There’s more MySpacey goodness on MUO here.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too.

• The 19+ Social Network Aggregator List (19)
• Scrapboy- Desktop Client for Facebook, Myspace & Orkut (Win) (5)
• Retaggr Lets People Know Who You Are (10)
• Legacy Locker – Life Insurance for Your Online Identity (4)
• How to View Private Facebook Profiles (108)

The Recovery Console is a special command-line interface for Windows XP which allows an administrator to identify and locate drivers and files which are problematic, as well as troubleshoot system settings. It’s recommended by Microsoft only for advanced users (in other words, that nerdy kid down the block), and only when Safe Mode (pressing the F8 key at boot-up) is not working.

To install the Recovery Console, you will need your Windows XP CD. The version of Windows XP on the CD must match or surpass the version installed on your PC, thus a Service Pack 3 disk is recommended. If you don’t have one, try to borrow one from a friend or co-worker. If you can’t find one, you can download setup disks or disk images from Microsoft.

For demonstrative purposes, we’ll assume that you have a Windows SP3 CD loaded into your CD drive at drive-letter D:

To install the Recovery Console, follow these steps (lifted from this Knowledge Base article):

1. Insert the Windows XP CD into the CD-ROM drive.
2. Click Start, and then click Run.
3. In the Open box, type d:\i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons  where d is the drive letter for the CD-ROM drive.

   

4. A Windows Setup Dialog Box appears. The Windows Setup Dialog Box describes the Recovery Console option. To confirm the installation, click Yes.

   

5. Restart the computer. The next time that you start your computer, “Microsoft Windows Recovery Console” appears on the startup menu.

The black screen with white text can be intimidating, but if you’ve ever played with the command line, you should feel right at home here. If you need help, just type “help”, and optionally, the name of the command you’re curious about, like “help fixmbr”.

I’ll run down the highlights of what commands you’ll most likely use:

“Bootcfg” recovers the Boot.ini file.

“Chkdsk /r” looks for bad disk sectors and attempts to recover any information which can be read from them.

“Copy” copies a file to a target location.

“Delete” deletes one file.

“Disable” disables a Windows system service or driver.

“Enable” restarts a disabled service or driver.

“Diskpart” manages hard disk partitions. Be very careful using this!

“Expand” decompresses a compressed file. This is good for getting files off the installation CD if needed.

“Fixmbr” repairs the boot code on a hard-disk. If your operating system “cannot be found” you’ll likely use this command, along with little brother “Fixboot”.

The Recovery Console is scary but helpful, and you’ll be glad that you’ve installed it on your hard disk before Windows gives you any trouble. If you have any system recovery tips, please leave comments below.

Image credit: Paul Boxley

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too.

• Get Geeky and Fix your PC with HijackThis (12)
• How To Solve Any Windows Problem with Event ID (10)
• How To Reinstall Windows Without Losing Your Data (19)
• How to Prepare Yourself for System Restore From Scratch (13)
• Change The Windows Logon Screensaver And More (Win XP) (5)

First off, we suggest uninstalling iTunes from the Add or Remove Programs Control Panel and then installing the latest version of iTunes downloaded from Apple.com. This may fix some issues with older versions. Apple also suggests keeping your anti-virus software up to date. Now, on to some more-specific issues.

Problem #1

Certain iTunes screens are pink. (Note: Only a problem if you don’t like pink.)

Cause: Windows is set to display a low-quality color palette, and thus cannot correctly render the iTunes window when it demands a high-quality color.

Solution: Make sure Windows is set to display 32-bit color in the Display Control Panel. This will be under the Settings tab, as “Color Quality.”

Problem #2

Error messages as follows:
“iTunes might be unable to launch or communicate with iPod or iPhone.”
“The iPod (Customer’s iPod) cannot be updated. An unknown error occurred (-50)”
“The iPod (Customer’s iPod) could not be restored. An unknown error occurred (1418, 1429, 1430, 1436 or 1439)”

Cause: This symptom may be caused by an issue with the digital signing of Windows XP drivers.

Solution: Re-register Certain Windows XP Drivers
(Copied from source: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1539)

1. Disconnect the iPod from the computer and close iTunes.
2. Highlight all of the following 10 lines of text that begin with regsvr32 and then choose Copy from the Edit menu of your web browser:
   

   regsvr32 /s softpub.dll
   regsvr32 /s wintrust.dll
   regsvr32 /s dssenh.dll
   regsvr32 /s rsaenh.dll
   regsvr32 /s gpkcsp.dll
   regsvr32 /s sccbase.dll
   regsvr32 /s slbcsp.dll
   regsvr32 /s mssip32.dll
   regsvr32 /s cryptdlg.dll
   regsvr32 /s initpki.dll

3. Open the Notepad program by navigating to:
   Start > All Programs > Accessories > Notepad
4. In Notepad, choose Paste from the Edit menu. Note: make sure that the text that appears in Notepad is the same as what is shown above.
5. From the File menu, choose Save As.
6. In the File name field type appleipod.bat and save the file to the Desktop.
7. Close Notepad and locate the appleipod.bat file.
8. Double-click the file and you will see a black window appear on the screen for about a minute. Wait until the window automatically disappears and proceed to the next step.
9. The appleipod.bat file can be deleted at this time.
10. Open iTunes and connect the iPod.
11. When the iPod appears in iTunes, restore the iPod and resync your content.

Problem #3

iTunes will not open or unexpectedly quits

Cause: Corrupted preference files or possibly out-of-date plug-ins.
Solution: Remove Preferences and Third-Party Plug-ins. Delete the following folders:

Problem #4

Error messages as follows:
“iTunes cannot run because it detects a problem with QuickTime”
“iTunes cannot run because it has detected a problem with your audio configuration”
“Error (-200)”

Cause: Apple doesn’t provide a cause for this issue, but it appears to have something to do with QuickTime Player’s audio preferences.
Solution: Reinstall QuickTime
Click Control Panel from the Start Menu then select Add or Remove Programs.
Select QuickTime from the list then click the Remove button to start the uninstall process.
Download and run the QuickTime installer without iTunes from here.

There are other problems like broken iTunes links but Saikat’s got that covered.

How frequently do you face the above issues when using iTunes for Windows XP, and how do you normally deal with them? Ever had to “roll back” to an older version of iTunes? Any problems from Mac users? We’d love to hear about them in the comments!

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too.

• The BIG Book of iTunes [Free PDF Download] (47)
• Synchronize MP3s To Non-Apple Devices with doubleTwist [Mac] (0)
• Sync All of Your Media Files in One Place with doubleTwist (12)
• Songbird 1.0 Hatches! Download It Now (19)
• Move over iTunes – Mozilla’s Songbird is Here (42)

BTaccel, a browser-based and remotely hosted BitTorrent client, can help to make things far easier. Feed it a link to a torrent and it does all of the P2P wizardry automatically, downloads the file and prepares it for you to grab off their servers via HTTP.

In order to use it to download torrent files, you’ll need to sign up with an invitation. Lucky for you, I’ve managed to get 150 free invites just for MakeUseOf readers! You may get it at the end of this article but continue reading to find out what BTaccel can do.

First, the user interface is Google-simple. You have an account link at the top, and a box in the center where you enter a URL or keyword. You can search by keyword, browse a website by proxy or paste in a direct link to a .torrent file.

Browsing torrent tracker sites via the proxy is a bit hit-and-miss in this alpha release. Sometimes, it will pick up a clicked torrent link, but not always. Your best bet is to browse the tracker in a separate window, copy the torrent link’s location and paste it into BTaccel.

After you’ve chosen a torrent, the next screen you see will be a summary of the torrent’s contents. Once the download from the swarm is complete, you can be alerted by email, and then you may download torrent files individually, or download a single compressed ZIP of all the files packed together.

To view the torrents currently in your download queue, hit the Home page and you’ll be presented with a list of your torrents and their progress.

What makes BTaccel so great is the fact that your system won’t be bogged-down with uploading and downloading. Once the torrent is finished, you’ll have a direct download from BTaccel’s servers (which must be completed within 72 hours). Another advantage is the fact that you can start a torrent from any computer with a browser and then finish the transfer at home, when it’s convenient.

In comparison to using a traditional BitTorrent client, BTaccel offers users an advantage on ease-of-use. For those interested in the protocol, we have plenty of BT-related material on MUO, especially The Big Book of BitTorrent, which I consider a must-read. How do you like your BitTorrent? Let us know in the comments.

We’ve got your hookup for the first 150 users to sign up with alpha invite code “100GBmakeuseof150”. If you’ve missed out, follow @btaccel on Twitter for a chance to score a code.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too.

• Top 6 Torrent Alternatives To The Pirate Bay (30)
• How To Cheat With Your BitTorrent Ratio (35)
• How To Automate & Organize Torrents with Transmission [Mac] (16)
• How to Access your Torrent Client & Download Torrents Remotely (15)
• FeedMyTorrents Keeps TV Shows Downloading Automatically (17)

Although the following fake viruses may seem malicious to the unsuspecting, they are non-destructive to your computer system. So you don’t have to worry about anything else and just enjoy the fun of making someone else panic!

Mix it up a little, don’t forget to check out other “prank” posts on MakeUseOf like 4 Really Popular Prank Call Websites & How They Work and Two Great ‘n Simple Nerdy Office Pranks to Play On Friends!

Let’s get pranking, shall we?

(1) Fake Virus Batch File

I got this prank from WikiHow. I love it because it looks the most like an actual attack. Copy and paste the following into an open Notepad window, then save the file with any name you choose and an extension of “.bat”

Here’s the code:

cls
:A
color 0a
cls
@echo off
echo Wscript.Sleep
echo Wscript.Sleep 5000>C:sleep5000.vbs
echo Wscript.Sleep 3000>C:sleep3000.vbs
echo Wscript.Sleep 4000>C:sleep4000.vbs
echo Wscript.Sleep 2000>C:sleep2000.vbs
cd %systemroot%System32
dir
cls
start /w wscript.exe C:sleep3000.vbs
echo Deleting Critical System Files…
echo del *.*
start /w wscript.exe C:sleep3000.vbs
echo Deletion Successful!
start /w wscript.exe C:sleep2000.vbs
echo:
echo:
echo:
echo Deleting Root Partition…
start /w wscript.exe C:sleep2000.vbs
echo del %SYSTEMROOT%
start /w wscript.exe C:sleep4000.vbs
echo Deletion Successful!
start /w wscript.exe C:sleep2000.vbs
echo:
echo:
echo:
echo Creating Directory h4x…
cd C:Documents and SettingsAll UsersStart MenuPrograms
mkdir h4x
start /w wscript.exe C:sleep3000.vbs
echo Directory Creation Successful!
echo:
echo:
echo:
echo Execution Attempt 1…
start /w wscript.exe C:sleep3000.vbs
echo cd C:Documents and SettingsAll UsersStart MenuProgramsStartuph4x
echo start hax.exe
start /w wscript.exe C:sleep3000.vbs
echo Virus Executed!
echo:
echo:
echo:
start /w wscript.exe C:sleep2000.vbs
echo Disabling Windows Firewall…
start /w wscript.exe C:sleep2000.vbs
echo Killing all processes…
start /w wscript.exe C:sleep2000.vbs
echo Allowing virus to boot from startup…
start /w wscript.exe C:sleep2000.vbs
echo:
echo:
echo Virus has been executed successfully!
start /w wscript.exe C:sleep2000.vbs
echo:
echo Have fun!
start /w wscript.exe C:sleep2000.vbs
pause
shutdown -s -t 10 -c “Your computer has committed suicide. Have a nice day.”

Here’s how it will look like once it is launched:

Your victim’s PC will display messages as in the above image, and then initiate a shutdown sequence which can be stopped by entering “shutdown –a” in the Run command box. It looks bad, but is otherwise completely harmless.

(2) EICAR Test File

This test file, while harmless, will set off any good virus scanner. It’s a test file to make sure that your anti-virus is vigilant, and is great for sending in an email.

(3) Fake Format

I remember getting my brother once with a similar program. This cool fake virus perfectly simulates the Windows disk-format dialog, and cannot be closed or halted until it’s ran its course. Once it’s done, a message will be displayed informing the user that it was just a joke.

(4) Fake Delete

This is my favorite because, like its formatting counterpart, Fake Delete mimics the Windows file-delete dialogs. It even goes as far as using your actual file list instead of generic filenames! This also has the “it-was-all-a-joke” screen after it’s done running.

When executing these pranks, please be considerate to whether your intended victim is mildly-panicky or really panicky, and whether your mark has some kind of panic disorder or heart problem. It’s all fun and games until someone goes to the hospital. Otherwise, have fun!

Are you familiar with any cool fake viruses? What are your favorite computer pranks? Give us some of your most evil, yet good-natured, ideas in the comments.

Image credit: rmkoske

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too.

• The 6 Cutest Sites with Silly Pet Pics and LOL Pets (12)
• Two Great ‘n Simple Nerdy Office Pranks to Play On Friends! (26)
• The Seven Wonders of The World (Wide Web) (44)
• The 7 Websites Every Man Should Be Reading (66)
• Latest Picks from MakeUseOf Geeky Fun (4)

Here we go.

eBay Desktop

The official eBay Desktop is an Adobe AIR app which mirrors all the searching, tracking, and bidding functionality of the site, plus filtering features, search history, and my favorite part, real-time updates. It’s refreshing to no longer need refreshing. Enter a keyword and watch the search results update by themselves.

Lastminute Auction

One of my favorite eBay tools is the Lastminute Auction search. Auctions featured here all have current prices under $1 (not including shipping), and all have less than an hour to go. Register to keep favorite categories handy, and you’ve got a good chance here to snatch up a great deal.

Typo Buddy

My new favorite eBay search tool, however, is Typo Buddy. From this site, you can take advantage of human error and hopefully find yourself a steal. When you do an eBay smart search for “Nintendo”, you get all the results with that keyword. What you don’t get are “Nintedno”, “Nintenro”, “Nihtendo”, or many other misspellings. Typo Buddy will find all of them, with the idea that the auctions’ low profile will let you swoop in and pay a lower price for the items.

Unwired Buyer

One more site to mention, not because it’s a search but because it’s a unique tool, is Unwired Buyer, which keeps an eye on your watch list and lets you place bids by phone in the closing minutes.

Not forgetting Nabit, an application which Mark reviewed a couple years back. Follow this link to read all about it. Unfortunately, the developers of Nabit has discontinued its distribution. You might still be able to get a copy of it online.

What’s your favorite way to search eBay? Give us some ideas in the comments.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too.

• Shop Like a PRO: 7 Tools to Crack eBay (15)
• 5 eBay Tips On How To Buy & Sell BETTER (7)
• 13 Bargain Websites That are Cheaper than eBay (195)
• Wootalyzer – Alerts You Woot! Super Sales and Other Sites (6)
• Watch Online Products for Price Drops with ShoppingNotes (9)

1. NoScript

Many browser security issues stem from exploits of JavaScript code. NoScript prevents that code from executing, and then notifies you of what code is blocked. You may then add the page to your white-list with a few clicks. That way, you’re protected when browsing unfamiliar sites, but can still check your Gmail and surf Digg.

2. Ad-Block Plus (ABP)

According to Mozilla, this is the #2 favorite add-on (next to FlashGot), and it is for good reason. Ad-Block Plus improves on its predecessor, allowing you to subscribe to a list of advertising codes to block, just like one might subscribe to antivirus updates. Advertisers can potentially track user behavior across the Web, and it’s no surprise that many users don’t like that. Like NoScript, ABP can be disabled for specific sites and pages. ABP will block 99% of the ads out there. And as a bonus, pages should render much faster.

3. Web of Trust (WOT)

My new favorite! WOT adds an extra layer of protection to your browser, utilizing users ratings to show you, at a glance, which sites are OK and which ones should be left unclicked. WOT can enhance search results and links on AOL, Ask, Bing, Delicious, Digg, Dogpile, Google, Gmail, Mahalo, Wikipedia, Hotmail, Yahoo, DMOZ and Reddit, among others.

Above is the first screen you’ll see after installing WOT. WOT can be as intrusive as you wish, and also be used to block kids’ access to unsafe sites.

Above is an example of Firefox viewing a site which has been rated poorly by WOT users. You can still go to the site, but I wouldn’t recommend doing so.

NoScript, Ad-Block Plus, and Web of Trust take only moments to install, but will help keep their users safe from many of the Web’s seedier elements. We welcome any suggestions you may have of additions to this list are welcome, in the comments below.

For more posts on security and privacy online, do read:

10+ Best Firefox Security and Privacy Addons
7 Essential Security Downloads You MUST Have Installed
Detect Fake Antivirus software & Spyware Removal programs
Things To Know When Using a WiFi Hotspot Or a Public PC

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too.

• How To Block Annoying Ads in Firefox (22)
• 10+ Best Firefox Security and Privacy Addons (65)
• Are You a Reckless Web User? Secure Your Browser With AVG Linkscanner (13)
• 7 Essential Security Downloads You MUST Have Installed (54)
• The Winners of ‘Extend Firefox’ – Best Firefox Addons (14)

I’m sure you’ve had to deal with this; It pops up every ten minutes after a major system update. Fortunately, it can be turned off. I’m going to help you to create a shortcut that will turn this nag off when double-clicked.

So, how to stop automatic updates from restarting your PC

Step 1

Your first step is to open Notepad. (Start > Run > “Notepad” > OK)

In Notepad, just type the command “net stop wuauserv” (no quotes, as in above). Then close the window, and select “Yes” to save changes.

Step 2

What we’re doing is creating an executable batch file which will run a command when double-clicked, to stop the Windows Automatic Updates Service. Make sure that your “Save as type” is set to “All Files” so that you don’t accidently create a text file. Save your file with an extension of “.bat”

Step 3

This cute little batch file is what you’re left with.

When Windows starts nagging you to restart, just double click this to run it and stop the service. You won’t be bothered again. The service will restart when you reboot, which is needed to install the updates in the first place.

Is there anything that Windows does that annoys you? Maybe we can find a fix for it. Are yu awrae of any easier way to stop automatic updates from restarting your Windows. Please give us some ideas in the comments.

Think it’s time to update your PC? Varun will teach you 5 Ways To Update Your Windows Operating System.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too.

• 7 Ways to keep on top of your Software Updates (10)
• Securing Third Party Software With Secunia PSI (7)
• Manage Application Updates With The ‘Google Updater’ Service [Windows] (3)
• Keep your Windows Up To Date with UpdateStar (17)
• How To Speed Up The Shutdown Of Your Windows (14)

If you pay for Skype credit, you can call out from Skype on your computer to normal phones (wireless or landline) at a discounted rate. Also, for an additional cost, you may get a “Skype-In” phone number, which is essentially a Skype number disguised as a local land line, so that all calls to that number will be forwarded to your Skype account, allowing you to take the call anywhere and on any computer with Skype installed. This benefits the caller — if Skype is not available, he/she can always contact you simply by dialing a local number.

It’s a cool thing to have, but outside of this site’s staff I don’t have much use for the service (many of my friends are still using AIM for goodness’ sake). That changed today when I signed up for phone numbers to forward calls to my Skype account, and unlike the Skype-In service, they didn’t cost me a thing.

So, how to get a Skype phone number?

If you don’t have a Skype account, please be sure to set one up first. You’ll need to provide your Skype ID when you register at Ring2Skype.com, which is where you get your free “Skype-In” numbers. There are a lot of countries to choose from, and you may register multiple numbers. For example, I’ve registered numbers in Windsor, Canada and London, UK as well as a US (New York City) number. My friend in Manhattan can call me up as if I lived there. Co-workers in London and Canada can now call me without ringing up international charges.

Here in the US, we have but a few choices as to our number’s calling area. I could get a number (with a three-digit extension) in California, Florida, Maine or New York. Japan’s numbers are limited to Tokyo, and Israel to Tel Aviv. It’s going to be a bit odd giving friends in Louisville my Manhattan number, but these days when long-distance and local calling are often the same price, it shouldn’t be too big a stretch.

There really is no catch. Call quality for me was as good as a regular Skype, Gizmo or Mobile Phone call. I plan on giving these numbers out to business contacts, and once Google Voice (which I hope to review for you soon) allows forwarding my GV number to extensions, I plan on using this service with friends and family as well.

While you’re here, you might like 30 free tips and tricks to improve Skype which Kaly wrote some time ago.

Do you have s Skype-In number? Are you aware if any alternative way to get a Skype phone number? How do you plan on using your Ring2Skype numbers? Let us know in the comments.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too.

• WhoCalled.US Tells You About That Call You Missed (US Only) (10)
• The Best Sites For Making International Telephone Calls (13)
• Technology Explained: How Does Skype Work? (14)
• Record Your Skype Calls On Windows and Mac (12)
• How To Use Skype To Record Calls or Conduct Interviews with HotRecorder (Windows) (8)

Your automated backups can go to multiple destinations, including other computers you use, or even friends’ computers. Backing up to locations other than CrashPlan’s servers is free, and you can be notified of completed backups by either email or Twitter.

In order to have a friend backup to your PC, you must give that friend a short authorization code. You can do this with multiple friends, as you’re only limited by your available disk space. Your backups are stored securely and must be unlocked with your CrashPlan password (you may also use a different password for added security).

By default, your My Documents folder is selected for the backup. You may wish to add or remove folders from the backup if you have a size concern. I like how there is an option to show hidden files which may otherwise get left out of the backup.

This program is fast. On a high-speed connection, it only took an hour to backup 23GB. Keep in mind that this is between two PCs on the same home network, but moving that much data in such a short time is still impressive.

Restoring files from a backup to any computer is as simple as backing them up in the first place. Restored files and folders will be moved to the appropriate place on the file system you’re currently using.

I found CrashPlan simple, quick, and easy to use, and highly recommend it to anyone needing a backup solution. For extra features or business use, a paid upgrade is available, although the free solution will work just fine for most. I intend on convincing my brother to trade disk space with me for a backup arrangement. How will you use CrashPlan, or can you share any alternative solution on how to backup computer files? Let’s see ‘em in the comments.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too.

• The Best free Backup Software for your PC (28)
• MUO Polls: Do you Backup Important Files? How? (45)
• 5 Ways To Clone & Copy Your Hard Drive (88)
• Using Keepass to Secure Your Online Accounts (19)
• The Cut Out and Keep Guide to Essential Software Programs (25)

The basics of this process are pretty much the same for any router. Only the specifics will differ, so I can’t say this enough: Read your documentation, for your router, your broadband modem, and any other equipment you’ll be using.

Purchasing Your Router

For maximum compatibility, you’re going to want a router that supports the three top wireless-networking standards: 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g. You’ll notice in the store, some routers which are 802.11n, but that standard has yet to be fully adopted. That doesn’t mean that you can’t skip straight up to 802.11n, but please make sure that the device in question is also compatible with the other three wireless standards. It will save you a lot of headaches later.

Next, we are actually going to explain how to setup a wifi hotspot.

Physical Setup

Connecting your router to your existing home network should be a simple process. If you think of the path between your PC and the Internet, you will be inserting the router into this chain.

“Internet -> Broadband Modem -> PC”

becomes

“Internet -> Broadband Modem –> Router –> PC.”

Basically, your first steps will be to unplug your PC’s networking cable from your broadband modem, then plug each of them into your router. Please note, that there should be a port marked specifically for the broadband modem. This may be marked “Internet” or “Broadband” or something similar. Once everything’s plugged-in and powered-up, you may have some software to run which sets the router up. In my experience, running the software isn’t necessary, but may make initial setup easier. Please check your documentation, and don’t skip any steps.

Digital Setup & Security

Once everything is hooked together, please test your Internet connection by opening a Web browser and going to any site. I usually try Google, MakeUseOf, or my microblog (cheap plug), but what you use is up to you. After confirming that everything’s running smoothly, it’s time to secure the router from outside intruders.

To access your router’s on-board software, you must connect to its internal Web server. The address to use, which is always network-internal, varies; In my example, it’s http://192.168.2.1. Here’s how to find yours on Windows XP: From your Start Menu, click the Run command, and then enter “cmd” to launch a command line. Next, type “ipconfig /all” and hit Enter to show details of your network connection. Your “default gateway” is your router’s address. Open a Web browser and go to that address to access your router’s settings. You’ll be required to enter a Username and Password but that’s all in your router’s documentation. If not then you can lookup the default passwords and username for your router on sites like CIRT and Router Passwords.

While you’re still in the command line, please write down your “physical address,” also known as the MAC address, as shown below. You’ll need this later.

Time to configure your wireless settings. First, you’re going to want to change the name of your wireless network, or the SSID, into something unique. For compatibility, it’s best to go with automatic channel selection as well as a mixed wireless mode which supports multiple standards.

Your screen won’t look exactly the same as here, and some of the terminology used may be different, but that’s what the documentation and help files are for.

Now, to the security settings. You’re going to want the WPA2 encryption, as WEP is easily cracked. As for the encryption key, you can either generate one from a typed phrase, or if you’re really dedicated, specify 64 digits of hexadecimal code. Either way, I suggest visiting GRC’s secure and random password generator to get a good code.

Something I can’t stress enough is that no encryption or security method is fool-proof. Just like anyone with a lock pick and enough time can get into your house, A cracker with enough time on their hands can still break into your network, if they want to really bad. What I’m advising you of here is how to keep most of the freeloaders and snoops off your network, and to encrypt your information from end-to-end.

One more collection of settings to tinker with, the MAC address filtering. This is often the most tedious part, especially if you have multiple devices. This is also optional, but recommended, as a “fence” around your network. Each network device, whether a NIC card or a Nintendo Wii, has a MAC (Media Access Control) address (Consult your device’s documentation for instructions on how to find it), and under this setting, you can restrict access to your network such that only certain MACs can have permission.

Again, this isn’t fool-proof. MAC addresses can be plucked out of the wireless signal and then spoofed, but this will help to keep most of the creeps off your network.

Other MakeUseOf posts that show how to setup and secure wireless network:

• How To Secure Your Wireless Network Connection
• The Easy Guide To Computer Networks [PDF]

We’d love to have any additional insight you may have on setting wi-fi hotspot and keeping your wireless networks secure. Please leave comments with your favorite tips and tricks!

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too.

• How To Secure Your D-Link Wireless Router (13)
• 8 Tips To Effectively Boost Your Wireless Router Signal (70)
• How To Turn An Old Router Into A Wireless Bridge (40)
• How To Troubleshoot Weak Wireless Connections (15)
• How To Share The Internet Connection Between Mac and PC (16)

The idea of OrSiSo is to organize, keep track of and communicate with all your friends across all these networks. I certainly have been looking for a program which does just this.

As an instant-messaging client, OrSiSo doesn’t offer many options or frills, but does well as a chat client, especially with a combined buddy-list from all your networks. It’s worth noting that hyperlinks aren’t yet supported in the chat; I hope that this is fixed in a future release.

Pop-up alerts are per network, and are treated like pages which you can flip through if you wish. Hyperlinks work here, and updates can be paused if and when you’re busy.

Photo albums can be viewed from within the program; there’s no need to open a new browser window or tab. That’s definitely convenient.

The best and most unique features of OrSiSo are so-called the Social Craft and the Social Firewall. These settings let you organize your various “circles” of friends through drag-and-drop lists, and then customize which updates you see. In the example above, I’ve organized everyone into one of four circles, with the fourth circle reserved for persons from whom I don’t particularly care to hear from (I find myself regretting the mass-follow I did a couple months ago). You can filter received messages and updates by social circles just about anywhere in the program.

OrSiSo’s makers promise that their program will let you Organize, Simplify, and Socialize. I’ve found it easy to learn, use and is very well-rounded with features. Does it do the trick for you? Let us know in the comments.

For more cool Adobe Air applications, check out these posts:

• 8 Adobe AIR Apps that DON’T Suck
• 5 More Cool Adobe AIR Applications
• 8 Useful Adobe AIR Applications That Work In Linux
• 4 Adobe AIR ToDo List Apps For Managing Your Tasks

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too.

• 5 Reasons Digsby’s A Must-Have IM Client (30)
• Trillian Astra – Is It the Best Instant Messaging Client Now? (16)
• Threadsy – Integrates Your Email and Social Networks (+Invites) (22)
• Stay Socially Connected Online With Yoono (18)
• Why I’m Digging Digsby (31)

At first glance, Google Squared looks much like the plain vanilla Google home page. Clicking an example search or typing in your own yields some interesting results. Basically, you give Google Squared a set of people, places, or things, and Google Squared will return a small chart of related information.

Take this example search for “2009 movies.”

Besides the titles of the films, Google Squared is smart enough to find release and director information for each movie. You may add or remove rows and columns to fill out your query. Now, the guesswork that Google Squared performs doesn’t always return perfect results. Observe the search results for albums by one of my favorite “bands”.

While ICP and Twiztid are label-mates, that last line in the list doesn’t belong in that set. Google Squared is not flawless, and clearly needs a little work (that’s why it’s still in the lab). Now, if you come across some info which is incorrect, it will often have alternate results for you to select. Please observe:

That price of $0.99 for an album can’t be right, so you may click on the box to select from alternate values, to which Google assigns confidence values. Clearly, this needs a little more work as well, as the price for a Limp Bizkit album shows up among the possible values. It’s reasonable, however, that those two albums would share an approximate price point. It’s worth noting that you can edit many values to go along with your research, and that Google Account holders can save their “squares” for later editing and printing.

How does Google Squared compare with the recently-launched Wolfram Alpha? Google Squared seems to rely more on Web sources outside of Google itself, while WolframAlpha tends to lean on its own internal cache of facts and figures. I believe that using both together could speed up research significantly.

Feel free to play with Google Squared for a bit and see what types of data you can come up with. How will this new tool help you out? Let us know (or just ridicule my musical taste) in the comments.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too.

• Yahoo Searchmonkey Expands with Playable Music Tracks (3)
• Where To Research Material For Your Homework (8)
• Put MakeUseOf on your Google toolbar (7)
• Master the Google Operands – Search Like a God & Save Time (41)
• How To Submit Your Website To Bing & Google For More Traffic (20)

However, what is the point of having all this sweet content at your fingertips if you can’t watch it on that nice big TV you’ve got sitting in the living room? The makers of TVersity Pro have the answer. Today, I’m going to walk you through adding feeds and shows to your TVersity library, and how to connect your gaming system to your home PC in order to watch these shows. TVersity will also stream most types of audio and video files from your My Documents folder. The extensive list of supported devices includes Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, and Nintendo Wii; TVersity’s interface is also accessible through any Web browser.

Before I proceed, I should explain something very important. There are two versions of TVersity, the Free and Pro versions. The Pro version supports many premium-video websites including Hulu, Joost, and TV.com, which are not supported in the Free version. Both versions of TVersity are free to download. However, if you enjoy your experience with the Pro version, I highly encourage you to pay for a license in order to support development of future versions. Payment again, is optional but encouraged.

First up is to download and install the Tversity Media Server. You’ll need to provide your email address in order to download the Pro version. After installing and opening the program, you’ll be at the Guide. From the Guide, you can add the feeds for many suggested shows. The real meat of the program is in the Library, which is where you can add feeds and shows as Media Sources. You’ve already likely added two media sources, your Hulu queue and YouTube channel, during the installation.

In the first example above, I’m adding a Hulu search for “daily show” as a Media Source. You can also add lists of popular videos and videos about to expire. Adding a Joost show isn’t quite as simple. In the center screenshot, I’m on Joost’s page for Transformers and using Firefox’s auto-discovery to obtain the show’s feed address. I’ll use this address to add a “Video RSS” media source. In the last example, I’m adding the This Week in Tech podcast feed. Watching this show on my TV wouldn’t be very satisfying, however it’s handy to have audio feeds for streaming via the PSP.

For streaming audio and video to the Xbox 360 or PS3, the console should recognized the TVersity server as a network-attached device. You’ll be able to browse TVersity’s menus through the console’s native interface. For streaming to the Wii or PSP, you’ll need to use the built-in browser and connect to your PC’s server. Follow the instructions here for the Wii, and here for the PSP.

TVersity, in both Free and Pro versions, is an excellent piece of software for accessing audio and video throughout a networked home, but there are alternatives. If you have a setup such as this, let us know about it in the comments.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too.

• Hulu Desktop: Instant TV Shows and Movies on Large Screen (9)
• INTERVIEW with Top 5 Free Movie & TV Shows sites (14)
• How To Download Free Movies For Your PSP (18)
• Fancast – Get TV Listings & Watch TV Shows Online Legally (12)
• Ditch Your Cable Company With Free, Legal Alternatives (232)

First, RadarSync scans your Windows system for programs which may need updating. It did not take long, even on a large, installation-heavy system like mine. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of programs the scanner recognized, including system drivers.  Once the scan results appeared, I had the opportunity to select which updates to download. Alternately, I had the option to save the list as a software “pack” using RadarSync’s Packzoola service, which is free, for later use. Think of Packzoola packs as custom playlists for software which can be shared. You may view my example pack here.

With two clicks, you can download the installer files for all of your updates. RadarSync states that these updates come directly from the programs’ official servers. The installers are stored in a folder under My Documents, and can be launched or deleted from RadarSync’s interface.

You even will get a pop-up notice when the installer is available and will be prompted to create a System Restore point. By default, the installers are deleted after 30 days, which can be changed. For the security-conscious, RadarSync has a privacy policy.

RadarSync makes for a quick and easy way to update Windows programs and system files. You may download it here. It’s compatible with Windows XP and Vista on both 32 & 64-bit platforms.

For variety, here are five more ways to update Windows.

How do you go about updating every piece of application on your computer? Feel free to leave us comments.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too.

• Manage Application Updates With The ‘Google Updater’ Service [Windows] (3)
• How to Stop Annoying “Restart” Prompt after Windows Updates (14)
• How To Save & Share Software Updates on Mac (9)
• How To Automatically Update 3′rd Party Apps on Your Mac (5)
• Find Newer Versions Of Installed Software with Techtracker (22)

After creating your ReBoxed user account, you’ll be directed to your Google Account to allow ReBoxed access to your Gmail inbox and contact information. You don’t have to provide your password but this does permit ReBoxed to peek into your inbox automatically whenever you use their service.

After ReBoxed collects the list of your contacts, it will as you to vote for them according to importance, which is just a nice way of asking you to prioritize your contacts. You’ll be presented with two choices from which you must select whose messages are more important. You may also mark a contact as a VIP or mark that address as belonging to an automated service.

After you’re done voting, you’ll arrive at your inbox view. ReBoxed seems to only display unread messages from GMail. Messages from VIPs will be displayed at the very top, followed by messages from ranked senders and finally, bulk mailers.

For example, while a message from PayPal is important (and thus highlighted), it’s still a “robot” sending the message, and is not as important as messages from my colleagues and editors. Messages from my family would rank at the very top, having marked them as VIPs, above my colleagues. You have the option of voting a few more times in order to train the filters.

Clicking the messages will open that them in Gmail, where you can reply, delete etc. ReBoxed is an easy tool to help get your important matters read and out of the way at the beginning of your day.

How do you fight email overload? Give us some tips in the comments.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too.

• Save Time with Gmail Email Templates using “Canned Responses” (20)
• How To Turn Gmail Into A Multitasking Machine (Part III) (12)
• How To Turn Gmail Into A Multitasking Machine (Part II) (12)
• How To Turn Gmail Into A Multitasking Machine (Part 1) (19)
• How To Setup Gmail SMS Alerts For Urgent Emails for Free (26)

How cute.

Anybody can be a Trekker, wannabe Jedi, or gamer. Why not prove yourself to be a fashionable geek with some genuine stuff from some of your favorite Internet companies? Let’s look at some examples.

The Digg Shop

The Digg Shop has shirts, hats and hoodies from your favorite social news site, and you need not be MrBabyMan to appreciate that. When sitting down to watch this week’s Diggnation, why not crack open and enjoy a cold beverage with this pint glass and bottle-opener combo?

The Reddit Store

If you’re not down with Digging and Reddit’s more your thing, I haven’t forgot about you. The Reddit Store has nice, stylish tee-shirts and offers free shipping. How could you resist this uber-cute onesie for your little Redditor? It has karma points written all over it.

The Google Store

Google remains the top brand on the Web according to Nielsen Online, and the Google Store boasts worldwide distribution of many fun and/or practical items, some of them earth-friendly, such as lip balm, recycled notebooks, Blogger beanies, YouTube hoodies, lava lamps, bike jerseys, and yo-yos. Unfortunately, Google Gulp is still in limited-release beta.

Yahoo! Company Store

Yahoo! isn’t far behind in Neilsen’s ranking. The Yahoo! Company Store sells lots of knick-knacks, lots of pet-toys, and lots of… purple.

The Microsoft Store

If you’re looking for Microsoft programs and operating systems to purchase, the Microsoft Store has what you’re looking for. If you’re looking for Microsoft-related merchandise, such as shirts, mugs etc., you’re better off checking eBay because I couldn’t find a Microsoft company store besides the one at the company’s Visitors’ Center in Redmond. Oddly, Microsoft doesn’t take orders on the Web.

Source: eBay

In fact, eBay may be one of the best places to find memorabilia from certain high-profile companies, including defunct companies, such as the above Webvan-branded pen or items featuring the former spokes-puppet for Pets.com. Just type your favorite company’s name in the search and you’ll likely find some rare stuff that the public usually can’t get.

The Mozilla Store

Free software fans, don’t feel left out. The Mozilla Store sells tee-shirts and accessories, as well as software CD bundles and extremely-cute Firefox plushies, the proceeds of which go to support the Mozilla Foundation. In keeping with the open-source spirit, Mozilla also has a community store with user-submitted designs.

The Winamp Store

The Winamp is one of the most popular media players around. The company has a swag store as well. You may buy T-Shirts, Mugs, Bumper Stickers, Mousepads, Posters and Stickers.

The Wikimedia Store

Finally, Wiki fans, you’re in luck. The Wikimedia Store on CafePress is open for business and naturally, user edits. Show your support for free and open culture by purchasing shirts, posters, mugs, mouse pads and messenger bags bearing the logos of your favorite Wikimedia projects.

I’ve only scratched the surface of the kinds of stuff that you can purchase from your favorite companies. Tell us your favorites that I may have left out. What’s the most unusual piece of “swag” you’ve ever received? Shout it out in the comments.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too.

• Where To Buy Cool T-Shirts Online (42)
• 9 Sites With The Latest Fashion Trends For Fashion Maniacs (8)
• Yahoo Searchmonkey Expands with Playable Music Tracks (3)
• Utilizing Windows Search 4.0 (Part 1) (10)
• Make Use Of Podcast #38: Yang Quits Yahoo!, iPhone Google App (1)

First, you must select the files and/or folders to be archived. You may select individual files or folders. If you’re like me, you keep everything in your My Documents folder, so that’s a good place to start. Click Next when you’re done selecting.

Next, you’ll need to set your execution interval. You may specify timed intervals, a specific hour of day or a system event (like Windows logoff), as well as restrict the backup process to certain days of the week or month. Then, click Next.

Now, we come to the backup type. Your first backup should be a full backup. However, subsequent backups can be partial-backups, which will only archive the files that have been changed since a previous backup.

Next, select a directory, CD/DVD or FTP server on which to save your files. Your archive will appear as a single ZIP file at the specified location. In this example, I’m backing up my files onto my SkyDrive via Gladinet.Here’s where you specify an optional name for your archive. You may assign it a group name as well. If you’re making frequent backups, I strongly suggest using the current date as part of the filename. After this point, BackUp Maker will create your ZIP archive.

Restoring Backups

Restoring the archived files to their original locations is as easy as clicking “Restore” in BackUp Maker. The contents of the ZIP archive will maintain the directory structure leading to your files’ location (i.e.: C:\Documents and Settings\Tim\My Documents\). So if you’ve checked the box next to “Keep directory structure” and you want to replace the files in their original spot, you must select the root of the drive (usually C:\) from which they came. Otherwise, if you drop the archive somewhere else, you’ll have to dig through many folder levels to get to your files.

BackUp Maker offers a quick and simple way to make automated backups of any size; and I highly recommend it. Feel free, however, to give your favorite backup tool some love in the comments.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too.

• Windows Live Mesh: Get your Data on any PC from any Device (16)
• The Cut Out and Keep Guide to Essential Software Programs (25)
• How to Sync Files between PC and USB Thumb Drive? (27)
• How to Quickly Restore Deleted Data in Vista (10)
• How to Prepare Yourself for System Restore From Scratch (13)

Cannot delete file: It is being used by another person or program.

D’oh!

This is likely the most frustrating thing I’ve ever dealt with during my tenure as a computer nerd. I know for a fact that I haven’t opened this file in years, let alone in the last few minutes. Yet, Windows still acts as if it’s behind a thick pane of glass. You can’t open, edit, delete, or otherwise change it. It’s untouchable. Until now.

The free File & Folder Unlocker does exactly as advertised. You can use this portable application (no installation needed) to unlock any locked file or folder. With it, you may search all loaded system drivers and processes, and all files opened, whether locally or remotely. Searches can be complex or simple, i.e. “*.txt”, or the offending file can just be dragged and dropped into the program. You’ll be able to see which process, if any, has the offending file open. This program lists all open processes, so that you may check each one for locked files.

In this example from the program’s download site, the file Myletter.txt is being held captive by a hex-editor program. With a right-click, the file can be made unlocked and free. From the File menu, you may list all open objects, but be ready to wade through a long list if you do so.

I recommend File and Folder Unlocker not because of its advanced features, but because of its portability. Honorable mention goes to Unlocker, which isn’t portable, but installs in the Windows right-click menu, and has less advanced features. We’d love to hear how you deal with these problems, so give your favorite tool a shout-out in the comments.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too.

• Trash Your Duplicate Files with Auslogics Duplicate File Finder (15)
• The 5 Good Free Windows File Managers (51)
• The 4 Proven Simple Tips to Organize Your Files on Windows (19)
• Identify Unknown Files with TrID [Windows/Linux] (6)
• How To Set Default Programs, File Associations & Context Menus Easily (9)

The problem is that the list of available shortcuts available from Run Menu are mainly for programs that are Windows accessories and system files. AddToRun lets you create your own run-box shortcuts.

In this example, I’m going to create a shortcut to the Steam gaming client program.

AddToRun is a portable app; meaning that you don’t have to install it but just download and run it. You can run it directly from a flash drive or from within the 7z archive file (use the free 7-Zip to open the archive) as it requires no installation.

Select the program for which you will create the shortcut by browsing to the program executable file. Type the alias you wish to use and click Add. Your shortcut will be available right away. Hit the WinKey+R and type the alias to check it out.

The alias you create works just as well as opening the program file directly, including any switches or parameters you add to the command. Let’s say I’ve created an alias “ff” for Firefox. Then, I can type “ff google.com” and Firefox will open and load Google.com. Obviously, you can substitute Google.com with any other site you like.

AddToRun’s advantage over program launchers such as Launchy is that the created aliases work without the need to have the launcher program running. That helps if you’re the kind of PC user who likes to squeeze as much performance as possible out of your system. If you have another favorite method of launching programs or creating similar shortcuts, please give us some examples in the comments.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too.

• Get Assisted By Butler On Your Mac (4)
• FARR – Launch Your Apps & Find Your Files Quickly [Windows] (19)
• Enso Launcher: It Will Make You Feel Like a Hacker (16)
• Windows System Tools at your Fingertips with FastKake (13)
• Top 7 Unknown Free Launcher Applications for Windows (20)

Today I’ll be showing you how to use the free DVD Flick to convert just about any video files to DVD format. DVD Flick supports a huge number of audio and video file formats. You may create DVDs from avi, vob, iso, wmv, mp4 and even Flash video (FLV) so that you may preserve that YouTube pirated movie cute cat video for generations.

For starters, we’ll need a good video file. In this example, I’ve downloaded the latest episode of Pure Pwnage, which is probably the greatest ever Internet show about pr0s who pwn n00bs @ g4m3z. If you can read that last part, you might have already seen the show. Moving on.

(photo credit: Silvio Tanaka)

Open DVD Flick and click the New Project button. You should have a blank canvas before you. Click Add title on the right side and pick your video files. You can select multiple files and create multiple titles, but we’re going to stick with one to make it simple. Now, select your title and hit the Edit title button on the right.

This is where you’ll be doing a lot of your customization. You’re going to want to name the video and make sure that it’s set at the correct aspect ratio. Under Chapters, you can specify the length of each chapter. For something feature-length this could be five or ten minutes, but for a video this short, I’ve set my chapters at two minutes. Under Audio and Video sources, you may wish to include a different angle of a shot, if available, or an alternate audio track, such as commentary.

Under the Project settings button you’ll find more options to fine-tune your DVD. If you plan on opening this project again later, you may want to give it a title. Your Target size will likely not change from 4.3GB DVD, unless you’ve bought some special-format disks. For simplicity’s sake, and from my own experience, I suggest going for a 4.3GB DVD-R or DVD-RW for maximum compatibility. Under Video, please be sure that your Target video format is appropriate for your region. For the Americas, select NTSC. For just about everywhere else, choose PAL. Finally, under Burning, check the box next to Burn project to disc.

Under Menu settings, you may select your preferred template, with options such as forcing audio track selection. You may preview the menu to make sure that it navigates the right way. Once you have everything set the way you want it, it’s time to hit the Create DVD button.

It may take some time for the process to complete, especially with larger video files. As a rule of thumb, expect the DVD to be completed in about the same time you’d spend watching the whole DVD. If you’re working with big files, this might be something you want to have running overnight when you’re sleeping.  It was quite nice of the developers to include a Tetris game to pass the time. Just hit that little Entertain me button.

DVD Flick makes DVD authoring ridiculously easy. I’m creating a PP season one DVD as I type this, and it couldn’t have been much easier. There are other options, and we’d be happy to hear them in the comments.

As for me, I’m off to pwn some n00bs.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too.

• How To Rip & Convert A DVD Movie For Your iPod (Mac Only) (23)
• Top Online File Converters (Video, Audio, Images …) (23)
• How To Easily Convert Video Files to DVD, MP4, VCD, MPEG, AVI … with VideoSpiritLite (21)
• How To Copy & Edit YouTube Videos On Your Computer (20)
• bitRipper : One-Click Free DVD Ripper for Windows (64)

This is a multi-step process, so please read carefully, lest you end up skipping a step. You’ll need to download and install TrueCrypt, which is free, and then dive in deep for some command-line action. Ready? Here goes.

Once you’ve got TrueCrypt installed, run the program and select the Create Volume button to start the Volume Creation Wizard.

Keep the default options on the next two screens (Create an encrypted file container, then Standard TrueCrypt volume) and click Next at each screen, on to Volume Location.

This is where you’ll create your TrueCrypt container file, which will contain the encrypted virtual drive. When this drive is mounted (we’ll get there later), you can move files in and out of it like any other drive. Hit the Select File button and name your file. For simplicity’s sake, you may want to name it “hidden.tc” and stash the file in either your My Documents folder, the root of your C-drive, or onto a USB thumb-drive. In my example, the file will reside at C:\Documents and Settings\Tim\My Documents\hidden.tc .

Click Next to select the Encryption Options. The defaults should be just fine for anybody, but feel free to play with the options and feel like a 1337 haX0r.

Click Next again to set the size of the virtual drive. I’ve set mine at 1GB.

Click Next to input your password. I suggest using a site like PassPub or Password Chart to create a strong one. Write it down, or even better, commit it to memory. Super villains don’t generally leave passwords laying around on Post-Its.

At the next screen, you’re instructed to move your mouse around within the window. This generates a random encryption key. Wave it around for a minute, or even try writing your name with your mouse. Click Format and TrueCrypt does its thing. You’ll be prompted when it’s finished, at which time you may exit the wizard.

It’s time for some command-line ninja tactics. You’ll need the complete file path and name. Ready?

Open up a command window (Start > Run> “cmd” > OK).

Type “attrib”, followed by a space. Type your file’s name and path, within quotes, like this: “C:\Documents and Settings\Tim\My Documents\hidden.tc”, followed by another space. Type “+s +h”.

This marks the file as both a “system” file and a “hidden” file. The file still exists, but will not appear in Explorer, even if you have “Show hidden files and folders” enabled. To undo this, enter the same command, instead with “-s –h”. You can do this with just about any file or folder.

Time to fire up TrueCrypt again. Now, we’re going to mount the file as a virtual drive. Select a free drive letter, “X” in my example. Type the full file name and path in the Volume field, and then click Mount and type your password. Now open Explorer (Windows Key + E) and browse to My Computer.

Your previously-invisible virtual drive is now mounted, and can be used just like any other drive on the system.

When you’re done, go back to TrueCrypt and Dismount the drive. Prying eyes won’t see the virtual-drive file, and even if somebody scours your drive for hidden files, they’ll run into military-grade encryption. Your plans are safe. Please be a benevolent ruler, OK?

For variety, here are some more tools to hide data. Let us know in the comments about your favorite methods.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too.

• Hide & Protect Your Files with Easy File Locker [Windows] (18)
• Keeping Under the Radar and Securing Your PC Files (21)
• How to Hide Folders Using 7 Free Apps (28)
• How to Easily Protect & Encrypt Files with Conceal (Windows) (5)
• Encrypt Sensitive Data with TrueCrypt (19)

I should back up for a moment and explain what the “shell” is. The shell is what allows a user to interact with the operating system. For most of us, the default Windows shell is Explorer, which includes the Start Menu, desktop icons, System Tray, etc.

If you’ve tinkered with your own PC enough, then you know that kids can find quick and easy ways to (unintentionally) mess up your system. If you’ve ever let your young ones frolic in the big, bad, World Wide Web, then you know what kind of trouble can appear on screen very quickly. KidsMenu is one program that can help prevent such things.

After installing the program, you’re going to want to gather shortcuts to all of the kid-friendly applications available on your system. In this example above, that includes several games, the KidZui browser (reviewed here), and even a Google-Chrome-created application shortcut to YouTube (this opens in a window without browser controls). Copy those shortcuts into the folder c:\Program Files\KidsMenu\shortcuts .

Before you comment, I’m well aware that there is objectionable content on YouTube. My oldest son, however, is also well aware that his mother and I are not only watching him while logged-on, but also checking the browser history, which records any sites he visits. He knows now not to go looking for stuff we wouldn’t approve of.

When KidsMenu is launched, it will overlay the current wallpaper being used, and lay the shortcuts out in web-page fashion. Clicking the shortcut launches the program, and exiting the program returns you to KidsMenu. KidsMenu can be run on top of the Windows shell as an application launcher, but what’s really handy is the option to use KidsMenu as the shell.

You’ll need a separate account for your kids so that you can continue to use the Explorer shell under your profile. To create a Windows user profile for your kids, go to the User Accounts Control Panel. You’re going to want to make sure that it is a “limited” account and not an administrator.

Log into your kids’ profile, and then launch KidsMenu from the Start Menu. Now, hold Ctrl+Alt and press “i” to see the above prompt, and select Yes to replace the shell. Now, whenever that profile is opened, KidsMenu will start up first, instead of Explorer. Clicking the “sleep” icon at the top right will only log the user off, it won’t allow access to the rest of the system.

Technology and the Internet in general can be exciting to kids, but worrisome for parents. KidsMenu is one of those programs that allows you to control your kids’ PC experience. To the parents out there: What are your favorite kid-friendly applications and sites? What shortcuts will you put on your KidsMenu? Let us know, yes, in the comments.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too.

• 2 Addons to Add Internet Parental Control to Firefox (17)
• Visikid- Free Parental Internet Control Software to Monitor Your Child Online (14)
• Top Educational Websites For Children That Are Fun (29)
• Top 10 Free Genealogy Websites to Find Ancestors (26)
• ToddlerKeys Makes Your Windows Computer Baby Friendly! (9)

Here’s how to use Windows’ Task Scheduler to run desired programs automatically at preset time.

An overview of Task Scheduler is in order. Open it from Start Menu > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Scheduled Tasks. Double-click “Add Scheduled Task” to open the Wizard.

Your first step is to select the program to be run on a schedule. For this example, we’ll schedule one of MakeUseOf’s favorite Windows programs, CCleaner, to perform automatic system cleanup. Download it here.

You’ll next choose the day and time when to run the program. For a disk-cleanup tool such as this, running daily or weekly should be just fine. I’m scheduling CCleaner to run at 6:17 PM every day.

Next, name and provide the password for the Windows user account which will run the program. At the next step, select the checkbox to open the task’s advanced properties.

Now, looking at how this task is set up, not much is going to happen on schedule, except that CCleaner opens. To get CCleaner to do its thing, we’ll need to add some command-line arguments, or “switches”, to the Run line. Depending on which program you’re wishing to automate, this is where things start to get different. To find out what switches exist, if any, you may check the program’s documentation and help files, or just Google it.

For CCleaner, adding “/AUTO” to the Run line will have the program perform a disk cleanup silently and in the background, then close when done. Let’s go back to the task properties, where I’ve added the switch to the Run command.

After hitting OK, CCleaner will run on your specified schedule.

There are other solutions to run programs automatically on a specified schedule or in response to a system event. What are your own favorites? Give us some ideas in the comments.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too.

• Visualize your Hard Drive Usage with WinDirStat (16)
• Vista Utilities Makes Configuring Windows Vista Easier (19)
• Trash Your Duplicate Files with Auslogics Duplicate File Finder (15)
• Poll Results: The Best Software and Shortcuts According to You! (8)
• How To Solve Any Windows Problem with Event ID (10)

(image credit: Andreas Solberg)

My number one reason for breaking things off with IE is that I don’t want my family or visitors to use it, lest some unpatched security hole get exploited while I’m not looking. Nuh-uh. Not even Decepticons can breach Big Daddy’s defenses on my watch.

To be fair, there are security vulnerabilities present in just about any Internet software, especially browsers. In a recent hacking competition, the only browser that wasn’t compromised was Google’s Chrome. David recently gave us six compelling reasons to switch to Chrome, my current default. Firefox and Explorer, I’m sorry. It’s not you. It’s me.

Once you’ve picked your new browser, it’s time to call things off with IE. This poses a bit of a problem, as many Windows functions and programs depend on IE’s rendering engine. While it’s technically possible to remove IE completely, you may be better off leaving it in, if you value functionality. In Windows XP and Vista, you can do the next best thing: Removing access to IE for all users of your system.

So, how do you disable (block access) to Internet Explorer?

From the Start Menu, click on “Programs.” An icon labeled “Set Program Access and Defaults” should be near the top of the menu. If it is, you may skip the next paragraph. If it’s not, please continue below.

You’re going to want to open your Control Panel, also from the Start Menu. Next, open the Add or Remove Programs window. You’ll have four choices on your left. What you need is the lowest option: Set Program Access and Defaults. I’m sure you’re anxious to break this off. We’re almost done.

Select the “Custom” option, and then go ahead and designate what you want your default programs to be. You may disable access to Internet Explorer by clearing the checkbox next to it. All program shortcuts to Internet Explorer will be removed, and your default Internet browser on the Start Menu will be of your choice.

There may arise a situation during which you may need to open IE. Most often it will be to open a site which doesn’t play nicely with other browsers. With all the shortcuts gone, just open the Run box (hold the Windows Key and press R), type “iexplore” then hit OK. See? While you’re no longer exclusive, you and IE can still be friends. It’s alright, really. I won’t tell the other browsers.

Geeks such as myself can get very defensive of their software of choice. I expect to see grand levels of evangelizing your favorite browsers in the comments!

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too.

• Transmute – Migrate Bookmarks Between Your Browsers (3)
• How To Change Default Webpage Source Editor Of Browsers (14)
• How Installing an Active X Control Can Open The Door To Hackers (7)
• 6 Reasons Why Mozilla Firefox Is Safe Compared To Internet Explorer (23)
• View A Multi-Page Article On One Single Page With PageZipper (14)