The hierarchical database - Registry - for Windows stores settings and options for configuration on MS Windows operating systems.

The registry contains set-up for components of low-level operating systems and the applications based on that platform. Registry is used by device drivers, the kernels, SAM, user interface, services and all the third party software.

Windows registry also offers a way to access counters to profile performance of the system.

The Windows Registry was first launched in the market with Windows 3.1 to store important configuration information for COM-based components.

But the use of Windows Registry extended with the launch of Windows NT and Windows 95. It included a large number of per-program INI files wherein configuration settings for Windows had been stored.

Keys and values are the two basic components of the Windows registry.

Registry Values refer to the pairs of name/data stored within the keys.

The Windows API functions, which query and maneuver registry values, obtain the names of values distinctly from the key path and/or from the handle that recognizes the parent key.

The terminology seems to be misleading because the values resemble to an associative array. This associative array uses standard terminology for referring the name part of the value as a key.

In Windows 3, keys were devoid of containing arbitrary names/data pairs, instead they contained only one unnamed value that needs to be a string.

Theres provision for manually editing registry in MS Windows by carrying out the execution of regedt32.exe and regedit.exe in Windows directories.

Although, neglectfully editing the registry can result in irreparable damage or you end up with a slow Vista. Therefore, Microsoft and several industry experts, including the writers and editors of leading trade magazines, have highly recommended to perform backups of the registry prior to editing it.

A direct implementation of the current registry tool was seen in Windows 3.x, known as the “Registration Editor” or “Registration Info Editor”.

It was mainly only an applications database that facilitates editing embedded OLE objects.

But the users need to be cautious as the two editors on the aforementioned platforms differ tremendously.

Microsoft Windows XP was the first system in which both the programs were integrated into one. This integrated program contained the interface of REGEDIT.EXE and the functionality of REGEDT32.EXE.

These editors do not show such differences on Windows XP and newer systems. For instance - REGEDIT.EXE is the more refined and sophisticated editor, while REGEDT32.EXE is only a stub that invokes REGEDIT.EXE.

The Registry Editor permits users to carry out functions that follow:

• Loading, manipulating and unloading registry hive format files (Windows NT-based systems only)
• Setting permissions based on ACLs (Windows NT-based systems only)
• Bookmarking user-selected registry keys as Favorites
• Finding particular strings in key names, value names and value data
• Remotely editing the registry on another networked computer

Linux platform too allows for editing the registry with the assistance of an open source tool called Offline NT Password & Registry Editor.

I’m sure I’m not the only person on the planet that remembers getting the occasional chain letter in school.. you know, the kind that was actually written with a pen or pencil on paper that told you either something wonderful would happen or something terrible would happen or both if you did or didn’t send out 20 copies within 7 days. Ugh. I still remember my fingers cramping as I tediously re-wrote the letter 20 times and the looks on my friends faces when they realized the note i just passed them was leading them to the same path of wasted paper.

Things have changed a lot since then;

Not just the venue has changed though, now we not only get poems with promises of good luck or threats of doom for not following instructions, we get petitions, promises of rewards from big companies, plea’s to call your local government person because of some pending law that will be devastating to someone or something, and suggestions to boycott popular companies because of some alleged injustice they have performed. (Just imagine the phone calls these companies get!)

I get amusing chain letters in my email box occasionally mixed in with some urban legends and Christian Internet hoaxes for variety and before I knew better I’d give a little laugh, a roll of the eyes and pass it on to the 10 required friends with the promise that something good would happen in 10 days (or that I would escape a horrific tragedy)

Oh but then I learned. I learned about SPAM and about how to finally change my email address when it got overwhelming!

Perpetuating email chain letters is not a good idea. I read recently that most Internet service providers prohibit it in their terms of service… hmm… I will have to read those terms to see what else I’m not allowed to do! But it is with good reason that they have these rules.

You know the old ‘phrase’ I tell 2 friends and they tell 2 friends and they tell 2 friends… yada yada yada… well imagine what happens when you forward that silly email to your 20 friends and they each send it to their 20 friends… well already you’ve got 420 copies going out to cyberspace and taking up bandwidth and bogging down servers all over the place - especially if your 20 people are co-workers on the same email system!

What else is wrong with it? Well you’ve just added your name, or at least email address to a long and growing list of which you have no control over. This is like sending out an engraved invitation to spammers and scammers all over the world and suddenly the note from Aunt Joan is burried among 50 emails trying to sell you everything from viagra to stocks and bonds.

So what can you do? Well, the first and most obvious is delete it. But sometimes it’s a cute story or a joke or some other reason to smile or chuckle and we all need some of that now and again so you want to forward it? Take these steps to do it safely.

After you’ve clicked forward go through the email, delete all the email addresses that are hanging on to the mail of all the people that have recieved it with you.

Leave only the portion of the email that you think is funny or cute and take out all the instructions to forward to 10 - 20 - or 50 people and what will happen if you don’t

Use the bcc: field for the emails of the people you’re going to send it to to keep their emails from being passed on if one of them chooses to forward it.

Finally, while I definately recommend against it, some people are just too superstisious to let a chain letter break. If you MUST continue a chain letter, still follow steps 1 and 3 above and get yourself a disposable email address for this purpose. Belive me, if you’ve never had to change your email address to get rid of the junk, you don’t want to find out how fun it is! Remember, it’s not just advising your friends and family and co-workers of the new email, but many of your online accounts use your email address if not for signing in, for getting lost passwords etc. How frustrating to go to get the status of some account and when you realize you can’t remember the password the only option is to have it emailed to you and you didn’t update the account!

So, get a disposable email address and use it for forwarding chain letters (if you have to) but also for signing up for things on the Internet! Then when the spam hits the fan, you can just delete the account and get a new one.

Lisa Campbell
Newbie Guide to CyberJunk

Other Web Sites:
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What are viruses?

Viruses - A virus is a software program that is capable of replicating with little or no user intervention, and the replicated programs also replicate further. Viruses piggyback on real programs. For example, a virus may attach itself to a program such as a spreadsheet program. Each time the spreadsheet program runs, the virus runs as well, and it has the opportunity to reproduce by attaching to other programs. The purpose of a virus can be anything from erasing files, formatting your hard drive, to replacing text in your document Viruses are often disguised as games or images with clever titles such as “Pictures of ME”. E-mail Viruses - An email virus moves around in e-mail messages, and usually replicates itself by automatically mailing itself to the people in the victim’s e-mail address book.

Worms - A worm is a virus that spreads by creating duplicates of itself on other drives, systems, or networks. Worms may send copies of themselves to other computers across network connections, through e-mails, through infected web pages, or through instant messages. Trojan Horses - This program may claim to do one thing (such as claiming to be a game) but instead does damage when you run it. Trojan horses are not technically viruses, since they do not replicate.

What is adware?

Adware is added to your computer generally without your knowledge when you download anything free over the Internet. This method of downloading is known as “stealth software” or “drive-by downloads”. Your computer could have been infected by mal-ware during online activities such as downloading music, pictures, shareware programs like screensavers and animated cursors, popup ads, email attachments or by even visiting some websites that use Active X coding to insert parasites onto your computer. Pay particular attention to the fine print when downloaing anything over the Internet. Some programs include brief information in the Terms and Conditions related to serving you targeted ads based on your shopping habits.

What is Spyware,

Spyware is software that gathers user information through the user’s Internet connection usually without his or her knowledge, typically for advertising purposes. Spyware is downloaded through the Internet. Once installed, the spyware monitors user activity on the Internet and transmits that information in the background to someone else. Spyware can also gather information about email addresses and even passwords and credit card numbers.

What are hackers?

Firewalls keep people from accessing your computer with malicious intent when you are connected to the internet. A firewall allows “good” data traffic and will block all “bad” data traffic. An example of good traffic would be surfing the web, downloading reputable files, chatting, etc. The things you enjoy doing on your computer. The bad traffic is what hackers enjoy doing on your computer such as stealing files, using a Trojan to control your computer, and disrupting your connection or network. Each computer contains ports which are entrances for hackers to invade your computer. A firewall goes to each of these ports and monitors everything that is going in and out of your computer, it makes sure that the proper ports that allow the “good” data are opened, and it closes the ports to “bad” data.

What is identity theft?

Adware programs gather information from your computer for marketing purposes. The information is used to decide, for instance, which advertisements to display when you are on a specific Web site or which advertisements to display in pop-up windows on your desktop.

What is spam?

Spam is unsolicited email, not unwanted email. If you have signed up for an email list and receive an email that is not spam. If you unsubscribe to that list and continue to receive emails then that becomes spam. While spam is annoying it is generally not dangerous to you or your PC. In January of 2004 the federal Can Spam law took effect with broad reaching requirements and penalties. Tip: if you see a company name and address at the bottom of an email, that generally means you can use the remove link and it will be honored as they are following the Can Spam law. If you do not see an address and only a remove link, then it is not a good idea to use that link as that would indicate a live email address to the spammers.

What are popups?

Popups There are two distinct typeds of popups. Browser based popups - when you are visiting a website and the website generates a popup. Adware based popups - when you are not “moving around” the internet and just start getting popups. Both tend to be annoying but may not be dangerous. Copyright © PCSecurityShield.com

Antivirus Software - Adware & Spyware Software

Identity thieves take advantage of everyday opportunities to discover your personal information and use it to commit fraud or other crimes. The good news is a victim of identity theft has more options today than ever before. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), there are four important actions you can take to minimize the credit damage caused by circumstances beyond your control.

1. Contact any of the three major credit bureaus. Speak to someone in the fraud department and request that a fraud alert be placed on your credit report. As soon as one credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the other two will automatically place one on your report as well. With a fraud alert in place, creditors must contact you before opening any new accounts in your name or changing any details of your existing accounts.

Then request a free copy of your credit report from each one. Review all of your credit information looking for unauthorized accounts, charges, or changes. Check the accuracy of your name, address, phone number, Social Security number (SSN), past employers, and any other personal information. Request any inaccuracies be corrected by notifying the bureaus by phone and follow up in writing by using certified mail, return receipt requested, so you will have documentation of all requests and responses by the bureaus. The addresses for each bureau are listed at the end of this article.

Continue to check your reports every few months, especially in the first year after you have lost your personal information.

2. Contact the creditors for the accounts that have been altered or opened without your permission. This includes bank accounts, credit card companies, lenders, utilities, phone companies, Internet service providers, and any other services that may be opened fraudulently. Contact the company’s fraud department b phone and follow up with a letter.

The FTC offers the “ID Theft Affidavit” to dispute new accounts, available at www.ftc.gov. To dispute charges on existing accounts, request the company’s fraud dispute forms.

If you suspect that a thief has been passing bad checks in your name, close the account immediately and notify your bank. Contact the major check verification services and ask that the retailers who use their databases stop accepting your checks for purchases. To find out if an identity thief has been writing checks in your name, call SCAN at 1-800-262-7771. The three major check verification services are:

• TeleCheck - Call 1-800-710-9898 or 927-0188.

• Certegy, Inc. - Call 1-800-437-5120.

• International Check Services - Call 1-800-631-9656.

3. The third step to take if you believe you are a victim of identity theft is to file a police report. Request a copy of the report for your records and to send to creditors for verification of the crime. Unfortunately, 61% of victims in 2004 did not notify the police of identity theft crimes.

4. Finally, file a complaint with the FTC to help law enforcement across the country track identity thieves and catch them. You will also be referred to other useful government agencies and consumer organizations to help you recover from identity theft. Contact the FTC in any of the following ways:

• Call the FTC’s Identity Theft Hotline at 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338);

• Write Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580;

• Or visit www.consumer.gov/idtheft.

5. If you have a substantial credit damage claim, call CM Financial at 714 441-0900. If you have been turned down for a loan, lost a job, or possibly had to pay significantly more interest fees because damage to your credit score due to circumstances beyond your control, you may have a credit damage claim. Now with a newly developed process called Credit Damage Measurement, you can measure the financial loss you have sustained and as a result, receive fair compensation. Visit http://www.creditdamage.com for more information.

These five steps should resolve most of your credit problems after becoming a victim of identity theft. However, stay alert for new occurrences. Review your credit report every year and report any problems to creditors immediately both by phone and in writing. With diligence and a little patience, you can recover your good name.

As promised, here is the location and contact information for he three credit bureaus to report fraud:

• Equifax - Call 1-800-525-6285; write P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241; or visit www.equifax.com for more information.

• Experian - Call 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742); write P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013; or visit www.experian.com for more information.

• TransUnion - Call 1-800-680-7289; write Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790; or visit www.tuc.com for more information.

Cathy Taylor is a marketing consultant with over 25 years experience. She specializes in internet marketing, strategy and plan development, as well as management of communications and public relations programs for small business sectors. She can be reached at Creative Communications: creative-com@cox.net or by visiting
http://www.creditdamage.com or http://www.internet-marketing-small-business.com

iPod customers don’t have much to sound off about. One exception is the inability to copy iPod music and videos from an iPod back to a new computer or laptop. Even though the iPod has no problem transmitting videos and music from a computer to iPod utilising iTunes, the opposite is prevented. If you don’t use iPod Copy Software Package, you will not be able to move your iPod content to a different machine. This topic oftentimes comes up when customers get a new machine or have to reinstall the operating system on their current personal computer. Apple prevents this process because it doesn’t want unauthorised sharing of bought audio and video from the iTunes website. Even So, there are a lot reasonable times that iPod owners necessitate the ability to transfer from iPod to machine. If a PC crashes and you have to install the system files, you may need iPod to Computer copy software to recover your worthful videos and music. Differently, the clean installation of iTunes will wipe your iPod, possibly costing you thousands of dollars in lost music. Another common scenario iPod owners necessitate these types of programs is when they buy a new PC and need to put their existing library of iPod music and videos on the new personal computer. Once More, if you do not install this type of application, you could possibly lose your worthful files. There are hundreds web providers that provide software applications to reach this undertaking. A speedy visit to software download sites will show a bunch of choices. You could also just type ‘iPod to machine copy software’ into Google.