TTC Shelbyville – Technical Blog

Microsoft Security Essentials – Free Malware / Antivirus Protection   – Download Here

Amazingly, looking for the final link, Bing (Microsoft’s search engine) didn’t find the link.   Google found it as number one.

Enough Said….

Windows Police Pro, Green AV, Antivirus 2009, Malware 2009….whatever you want to call the viruses delivered by ads….

Interesting Article on how one time passwords can be hacked.

Bart

Every good tech relies on their thumb drive to get them out of sticky situations. I found a good website gives reviews on thumb drives and up to date related news. Also tell you which one is the best and where to buy. Awesome


http://www.everythingusb.com/

Has good portable apps  – Jonathan

Freecom has came out with USB 3.0 Hard Drive.   Allowing the transfer of 4.8 Gbps vs. USB 2.0′s 480 mbps that makes transferring 5 GB of data in 28 seconds possible.  Native to Vista and Windows 7, USB 3.0 expansion cards and motherboards are making their way to shelves.  Link

Article Recommended by Cecil

Several posts ago we featured cloud computing for the home user.  Until recently I didn’t really see a need for this type of computing.   Now being more mobile than ever, I am always forgetting my flash drive or I have left a presentation on my desk.   These online cloud operating systems give you the ability to put work on their online desktop and to travel anywhere in the world without worrying whether or not you have your information with you.

Startforce Cloudo Glide OS

Free eBook on Cloud Computing

Free Cloud Computing with CloudShare Learn Cloud Computing

Rick has an excellent post for this website.  Link

If you want total safety for the internet, Windows4All (Silverlight Required) gives you the ultimate sandbox experience.   The website uses Microsoft’s Silverlight meaning you should use Internet Explorer to access the site.  Windows4All becomes your operating system allowing you to surf the net from this virtual cloud operating system in total safety.

In today’s economy, e-learning can be expensive.  With licensing fees and tons of technical personal, many of today’s e-learning solutions costs colleges, universities and k-12 a ton of money. Moodle can save these organizations money and because it is open source and free, it can be used for non-profits and commercial businesses.

We recently put a sub $1000 server in place with 4 GB of RAM, Quad-Core, and a Terra-byte of hard drive space (2 500 GB Hard Drives).  With Dawn, Mike and I double checking each other, we were done in a couple of hours.    Moodle was loaded along with PHP and Microsoft’s SQL.  After tweaking the server out and configuring the software, we were able to begin loading information.  The Moodle guys and girls have produced an application that if you follow the instructions, you can install it.  User friendly and easy to navigate makes Moodle easier to use than the larger organizations.

Benefits for Students

• Online Tasks
• Online Tests
• Saves Paper / Keeps you organized
• Grades
• Blogs
• Quizzes
• Movies (embedded or uploaded)
• PowerPoints (embedded or linked)
• Supports Microsoft Office
• Google or Microsoft Maps
• many many more features…

Our goal is to put our classes online.  Not necessarily to teach online but to have the materials available for students if they are out or if the instructor is absent and a sub can’t make it in time.

Recently the class inherited a 3Com Series Managed Switch.  In order to get into the switch, you can hook up a patch cable and set your IP address to 169.254.100.101.   Open IE or Firefox and put in the SNMP address of 169.254.100.100 (The default).  Now click on Device View and enter an ip address open on your network.  The default password is blank and the user is admin.   Don’t forget to change your computer’s static address to an address on your network.

Having problems

Update your  firmware if you need to reset the passwords.

You will need:
1. firmware (for a Superstack II 3000) the url is   http://support.3com.com/software superstack_ii_switch_3000.htm
2. a null modem cable (if you can’t find one, go to Radio Shack )
3. a TFTP Server software you can download it from 3com called 3CServer (Put your firmware in the same folder)

Do the following.
1. Connect the null-modem cable to the switch and your computer- configure Hyper Terminal for windows-com port, normal com setting N-8-1 none and VT100, connect to switch (login should appear if not don’t worry console may be disable)
2. configure and start your TFTP Server
3. on the switch push the reset button 2 seconds
4. wait 3 seconds
5. push reset button again for 1 second
6. you should see the prompt after a few seconds at the prompt line type the following commands
F  ls3k3_23.slx  (firmware file name) “press enter”
B  IPAddress of TFTP Server “press enter”
After firmware update the switch will reboot and the passwods will fall back to factory default.

BUT before pressing b to begin s/w download
type RIP0000
then b

This will erase the password.

OR -

Fix: To reset to factory defaults, follow these steps:

1) Using a Null-Modem Cable , hook up the Console port of the switch to an available COM port on a computer (cable must be able to provide serial port communication between 2 computers).

2) Set up a Hyperterminal session to that COM port (e.g.: com1), with the port settings at 9600/8/N/1/N (. When the screen comes up blank with a blinking cursor, hit [enter] once or twice to bring up a login prompt.

3) Alternative to 1 and 2 above, if there is a known assigned TCP/IP address for the switch, one can telnet to that address, hit [enter] once or twice to get the login prompt.

4) Default logins to try are admin/(no password) or security/security. One of those 2 should bring up the management menu.

5) To reset factory defaults, type SYSTEM[enter] then type INITIALIZE[enter]. This will reset everything that has been set up on the switch, with the exception of the TCP/IP address, if there is one. All other previous configurations will need to be re-entered.

Some malware today shuts down any malware removal programs.  Here are several things you can try:

Download TFC to your desktop

• Open the file and close any other windows.
• It will close all programs itself when it runs, let it run uninterrupted.
• Click the Start button.
• Once the program is finished it should reboot your machine, if not, manually reboot the computer.

Next download ComboFix to your desktop and rename it when saving to something different.  (Andrew gives this tip – this helps prevent code that is running from shuting down this process.)

Download Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware from Here

Next use Malwarebytes and delete the malware remains.

Run the Avenger – Here

Run ComboFix

Here’s Your Sign – Viruses from the Internet….

Zamzom offers a freeware program to monitor your wireless network.   This simple software shows wireless devices on your network by doing a quick scan. (Sorry Phil no cool voice).  For more information – Link

Here’s an Excellent Removal tool that Bill Mullins mentioned in a recent blog entry.  His recent feature and testing helped to remove a security application (Many can’t be properly installed by the Windows Add / Remove Feature or their own removal tools) that has more than five ‘extra’ ways of removing the app and to stop all of the files and services that it installed.  Grab this application and give it a try.  With Bill’s excellent testing of software and expertise, it is sure to help.  Link

The Industrial Maintenance Class of TTC Shelbyville

Eligible college students can receive Windows 7 Home Premium or Windows 7 Professional (32 bit OR 64 bit) for $30.  Link

Apparently a website was up for hackers (mostly from Pakistan) that traded or sold code to hack websites and sell credit cards.    A vigilante hacked the website and posted the users and their hashed passwords for law enforcement.  While law enforcement discourages vigilantes, this type of help could be a welcome form of help.  More Information can be found here.

See the link below for a full list of known High Profile Companies that were breached.

AIG
FEMA
SunGuard
Sprint
TJX and others are found HERE.

Fun game of Monopoly where you can buy and build in your home town.  The game is free and uses Google Maps.

via Times Gazette

Oh and please pay your rent on time.

Moodle is an online learning Management System.  This powerful OpenSource system allows for elearning for K-Higher Ed.

Wanting to add a map to our Moodle Beta e-learning site, I added this code to Moodle and came up with an excellent Bird’s Eye view of our school.   You will have to change the Latitude and longitude of your location.

<base target=”_self”>
 <script type=”text/javascript” src=”http://dev.virtualearth.net/mapcontrol/mapcontrol.ashx?v=6.2″></script>  
           <script type=”text/javascript”>     
              var map = null;      
                var SpaceNeedle = new VELatLong(35.485729111, -86.420983111);  
                      var pinLocation = new VELatLong(35.485729111, -86.420983111);   
                           function GetMap()      
                             {         
                               map = new VEMap(‘myMap’);    
                                      map.LoadMap(SpaceNeedle, 17);     
                                            // Let me know if a birdseye scene is available       
                                                map.AttachEvent(“onobliqueenter”, OnObliqueEnterHandler);    
                                                    }         function OnObliqueEnterHandler()      
                                                      {       
                                                          if(map.IsBirdseyeAvailable())     
                                                                {          
                                                                    var TopOfNeedle = new VELatLong(35.485729111, -86.420983111);   
                                                                                map.SetBirdseyeScene(TopOfNeedle); 
                                                                                          }    
                                                                                              } 
                                                                                             
    </script>

</head>
<body onload=”GetMap();” bgcolor=”#008080″>   

 <center>
   <div id=’myMap’ style=”position:relative; width:735px; height:553px;”></center> 

Step by Step Instructions

• Navigate to your site
• Login
• Turn on Editing
• Navigate to where you want the map inserted
• Select Resources
• Compose a webpage
• Title the page
• Navigate to the Full Text Area
• Toggle HTML source  <>
• Copy and paste the above code adjusting the Latitude and longitude along with the width and height

Resource to find Lat and long: http://www.batchgeocode.com/lookup/

• Select Course Blocks
• Save