Probe Your PC’s Secrets With Free Belarc Advisor

Do you have a detailed profile of your computer system including hardware and installed software? What do you know about your computer’s motherboard, CPU and GPU, remaining drive space, or your operating system security hotfixes?

To effectively maintain your computer and proactively deal with problems that may occur, it is essential that you have as much information about your system as possible.

If you need help from a computer support group, from a tech support line, or from a computer knowledgeable friend, you will need to provide specific and accurate details of your computer. Without these details, it can be very difficult for even the most knowledgeable computer tech to be time efficient.

So it is important for you to create a detailed profile of your computer system before problems occur, and retain a printed copy of the report. Normally, creating such a profile can be very time intensive. But all is not lost!

Belarc Advisor is a free program that automatically generates a detailed audit report of the hardware and software on your computer. It records essential information such as, operating system and processor details, the amount of RAM installed, and drive specifications.

The report also includes a comprehensive list of the software installed on your system, as well as software license numbers and product keys. In addition, it lists the status of the Microsoft hotfixes on your system. If any hotfixes need reinstalling, you will be advised of this.

Critically important is the category in which your computer is given a security rating, based on the Center for Internet Security (CIS) benchmark test which involves testing for: System Security Status, Virus Protection, and Microsoft Security Updates.

The results are displayed in a formatted HTML report. The report is clearly formatted for ease of understanding and divided into appropriate categories. Hyperlinks within the report allow you to quickly navigate to different parts of the document, find out more about a particular hotfix entry, or see where a listed software product is installed.

I have been using this program for 5+ years and find it invaluable for troubleshooting and diagnostics.

System Requirements: Windows 7, Vista, 2003, XP, 2000, NT 4, Me, 98, and 95. Both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows support. Note: I have not tested this on Win 7 x64.

Browser Requirements: Internet Explorer, Opera, Mozilla, and FireFox.

Download at: Download.com

Belarc Advisor is free for personal use only.

To read a review of another great free computer audit application WinAudit, checkout “What’s is really under the hood of that computer?” on fellow Blogger Rick Robinette’s site, What’s On My PC.

If you enjoyed this article, why not subscribe to this Blog via RSS, or email? It’s easy; just click on this link and you’ll never miss another Tech Thoughts article.

SIW – System Information for Non-Geeks

If you think developing information on your computer’s operating system and hardware is a tough task, you can relax. Guest writer, Rick Robinette, introduces you to a small, free application that makes it easy.

How would you like to know everything about your computer?  You can with SIW – System Information for Windows…

SIW is a small in size utility that is specially designed to audit your PC and display the results in a very comprehensive manner. The results can subsequently be saved to a report file in several different formats (i.e. HTML, CSV, TXT, XML).

SIW can either be installed on your PC or you can download the “standalone version” that can be installed on your flash drive. The “standalone version” is an excellent choice for diagnostic purposes; and troubleshooting other PCs.

The developer of SIW works hard to continually keep SIW  up-to-date with the current changes in hardware & software configurations.  SIW, highly recommended for the everyday user and for those you are in the spirit of helping others on their PCs.

Examples of what SIW will gather about your PC:

Software Inventory: Operating System, Installed Software and Hotfixes, Processes, Services, Users, Open Files, System Uptime, Installed Codecs, Software Licenses (Product Keys / Serial Numbers / CD Key), Secrets (Password Recovery).

Hardware Inventory: Motherboard, Sensors, BIOS, CPU, chipset, PCI/AGP, USB and ISA/PnP Devices, Memory, Video Card, Monitor, Disk Drives, CD/DVD Devices, SCSI Devices, S.M.A.R.T., Ports, Printers.

Network Information: Network Cards, Network Shares, currently active Network Connections, Open Ports.

Network Tools: MAC Address Changer, Neighborhood Scan, Ping, Trace, Statistics

Miscellaneous Tools: Eureka! (Reveal lost passwords hidden behind asterisks), Monitor Test, Shutdown / Restart.

Real-time monitors: CPU, Memory, Page File usage and Network Traffic.

Platform: Microsoft Windows 98 / Me / NT4 / 2000 / XP / Server 2003 / Media Center / Tablet PC / Windows 2003 Server R2 / Vista / Windows Server 2008 / Windows 7 / Windows Server 2008 R2 / WinRE / Bart PE / Winternals ERD Commander

Download at: MajorGeeks

This is a guest post by Rick Robinette, who brings a background as a security/police officer professional, and as an information technology specialist to the Blogging world.

Why not pay a visit to Rick’s site at What’s On My PC. Like me, you’re sure to become a frequent visitor.

If you enjoyed this article, why not subscribe to this Blog via RSS, or email? It’s easy; just click on this link and you’ll never miss another Tech Thoughts article.

Take Control – Stop Windows Update Prompts

Do you get a little bugged out when Windows constantly reminds you of an update that you have decided you don’t want to install? Want to put a stop to this annoyance?

Guest writer TechPaul, my tech wizard friend, a CompTIA Certified computer technician, and the owner of Aplus Computer Aid, shows you how.

Sometimes we need to tell Windows Update to stop prompting us to install a particular Update.

When Microsoft has released important and/or critical Updates (aka “patches”) for us, Windows has various ways of letting us know, including a System Tray icon.

Note: The normal route for accessing Update choices is Start >Windows Update, or Start >Programs >Windows Update. Click “View available updates”.]

I am a big fan of Updates. I (almost) always install them the moment I become aware of them. I use Secunia’s Personal Software Inspector to keep an eye on all my installed programs’ update state.. and I recommend you do too. Updates are ‘good’, and you want them.

Manage Windows Updates prompts

Currently, Microsoft Update is annoying me by continuously nagging me that there are Updates available. And when I click on the icon to see just what these updates are…

.. and I see that there is just one Update Microsoft wants me to install (the others only rate “optional”) – Internet Explorer 8.

Now, I understand why Microsoft wants us to be using a more secure browser (and I understand why it’s considered “important”) and I will upgrade from IE7 on most of my machines – but not all. Not yet.

So I right-click on the Update I don’t want to be nagged about and then click on “Hide update”.

That’s it. I’m done. Windows Update will no longer prompt me to install this (now) ‘hidden’ update. At a later date, to see Updates that I’ve hidden, I just click on “Show hidden updates”. I can undo my change.

Note: This technique can be used on troublesome Updates that cause incompatibility issues such as a BSOD.

If a Windows Update install causes you trouble, and you need to uninstall it, the “Hide” tip won’t help you (it’s too late). Please refer to the 3rd answer in this article, IE’s Menu bar, Taskbar icons, and bad Updates*, to see how to remove Updates.

After you get that Update uninstalled, (then) use the Hide feature to prevent Windows Update from re-installing it on you again.

To uninstall IE 8: Uninstalling IE 8 will automatically restore your older version. Please see Microsoft’s official How To, here, How do I uninstall or remove Internet Explorer 8?

This is a guest post by Paul Eckstrom, a technology wizard and the owner of Aplus Computer Aid in Menlo Park, California. Paul adds a nice humorous touch to serious computer technology issues. Why not pay a visit to his Blog – Tech – for Everyone.

Copyright 2007-9 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved*

If you enjoyed this article, why not subscribe to this Blog via RSS, or email? It’s easy; just click on this link and you’ll never miss another Tech Thoughts article.

Play Russian Roulette – Don’t Update Your Applications

I’m a games player, and I bet you are too. But unlike most computer users, I do not play games with my computer’s security. I don’t play games where the odds are stacked against me, and neither should you.

Many of us now store a large volume of confidential personal information on our home computers, including information concerning our personal finances, taxes, health, and perhaps personal documentation of other types.

Yes, I know you think that your data is well protected from cyber-criminals since you run the most expensive anti-malware suite available, and you are careful and cautious while surfing the Internet. But, unless you monitor your system for insecure and unpatched software installations, you have left a huge gap in your defenses. In a sense, this amounts to playing Russian Roulette with cyber-criminals.

Playing Russian Roulette with cyber crooks is a mugs game – the six-shooter is loaded with SIX bullets. Unfortunately, you get to go first, and ducking is not an option in this game. The bad guys will win; you will lose. But hey, you might get lucky!

So how do you ensure that your software installations are secure and remain patched? There’s an easy answer – download and install, the free  Secunia Personal Software Inspector, (PSI).

PSI constantly monitors your system for insecure software installations, notifies you when an insecure application is installed, and even provides you with detailed instructions for updating the application when available.

ZD Net, one of my favorite web sites has stated “Secunia Personal Software Inspector, quite possibly the most useful and important free application you can have running on your Windows machine”. In my view, this is not an overstatement.

Installing this small free application will definitely assist you in identifying possible security leaks; give it a try.

Quick facts:

The Secunia PSI is free for private use.

Allows you to secure your PC – Patch your applications – Be proactive

Scans for Insecure and End-of-Life applications

Verifies that all Microsoft patches are applied

Tracks your patch-performance week by week

Direct and easy access to security patches.

Detects more than 300,000 unique application versions

Provides a detailed report of missing security related updates

Provides a tabbed report which indicates programs that are no longer supported – programs with all known patches – insecure programs, etc.

Provides a Toolbox offering a set of links which helps you assess a problem and how you can resolve it.

Let me offer you this recent quote from PSI Partner Manager, Mikkel Winther, “PC users need to patch! They need to patch all their vulnerable programs and they need to do so as fast as possible after the patch has been issued from the vendor. It is only a question of time – and luck – as to when your system will be compromised.”

He adds “The best solution is to have a program taking care of your patches and your vulnerabilities. Secunia Personal Software Inspector is the only tool that does this and since it is available for all private users for free, there is really “no excuse” not to patch.”

I couldn’t agree more Mikkel.

System Requirements: Windows 2000, XP 32/64bit, and Vista 32/64bit

Download at: Download.com

As an added bonus for users, Secunia provides a forum where PSI users can discuss patching, product updates, exploits, the PSI, and anything else security-related.

If you need to update, or add, additional security applications to your computer, then checkout, Need Spyware, Virus, and Browser Protection? – Free Solutions, on this site for reviews and free security application downloads.

If you enjoyed this article, why not subscribe to this Blog via RSS, or email? It’s easy; just click on this link and you’ll never miss another Tech Thoughts article.

Secunia PSI – Checks for Software Vulnerabilities

Not all of us, it seems, make use of Microsoft’s Windows Update so that we are current with operating system critical updates, and security fixes. More to the point, few of us have given consideration to the vulnerabilities that exist in our currently installed productivity applications and utilities.

In a recent survey, Secunia, the Danish computer security service provider, well known for tracking vulnerabilities in software and operating systems, concluded that less than one in 50 Windows driven computers, are totally patched.

Secunia goes on to report that the rate of patching and updating compliance, is even less than in previous years.

Virtually on a daily basis, critical vulnerabilities continue to be discovered in popular software applications. Some recent application vulnerabilities include, Mozilla FireFox, Apple iTunes, QuickTime, Skype internet phone, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Sun Java Run-Time, Macromedia Flash, AOL Instant Messenger, Windows/MSN Messenger, Yahoo Instant Messenger, Bit Defender, and RealPlayer.

Survey statistics:

Survey sample size – 20,000 users

User exposure – 98.1% have one or more insecure programs

User exposure – 30.27% have one to five insecure programs

User exposure – 25.07% have six to ten insecure programs

User exposure – 45.76% have eleven or more insecure programs

It has been my experience, that when a malware infection occurs, it is generally safe to say, the user is often responsible for their own misfortune. This survey points out, once again; computer users, by and large, are not up to the task of securing their computers in order to ensure their own Internet safety and security.

The Secunia Personal Software Inspector (PSI) can help dramatically with this task. PSI constantly monitors your system for insecure software installations, notifies you when an insecure application is installed, and even provides you with detailed instructions for updating the application when available.

ZD Net, one of my favorite web sites has stated “Secunia Personal Software Inspector, quite possibly the most useful and important free application you can have running on your Windows machine”. In my view, this is not an overstatement.

Installing this small free application will definitely assist you in identifying possible security leaks; give it a try.

Quick facts:

The Secunia PSI is free for private use.

Downloaded over 800,000 times

Allows you to secure your PC – Patch your applications – Be proactive

Scans for Insecure and End-of-Life applications

Verifies that all Microsoft patches are applied

Tracks your patch-performance week by week

Direct and easy access to security patches.

Detects more than 300,000 unique application versions

Provides a detailed report of missing security related updates

Provides a tabbed report which indicates programs that are no longer supported – programs with all known patches – insecure programs, etc.

Provides a Toolbox offering a set of links which helps you assess a problem and how you can resolve it.

System Requirements: Windows 2000, XP 32/64bit, and Vista 32/64bit

Download at: Download.com

As an added bonus for users, Secunia provides a forum “where PSI users can discuss patching, product updates, exploits, the PSI, and anything else security-related”.

Computer Security – Time to Think About It

Here we are getting ready for the holiday season, once again. For many of us it’s a wonderful time of the year, full of memories of previous Christmases, and great anticipation for all the good things to come.

During the last holiday season, like many of you, I took the opportunity to get together with family and friends. As so often happens on these occasions, I got quizzed on everyones, it seems to me, least favorite computer related topic; the state of computer security.

These informal “question and answer” gabfests are important to me, since they are a good way to stay in the loop of real world computing experienced by typical users, and not just the esoteric world of the typical “geeky” user.

At that time, some intriguing statistics had just been released from a survey which had been developed by the National Cyber Security Alliance, and security firm McAfee.

The overriding conclusion from the survey was: typical computer users are in need of a “reality check” when it comes to home computer security. Based on my own experiences, I believe this survey does not overstate the case and in fact, additional studies done in the last few months of this year seem to indicate the “security knowledge gap”, continues to widen.

The McAfee/NCSA study found that while 98 percent of computer users agree that having up-to-date security software is important for system security, a significant number of the survey respondents had computers with security software that was incomplete, or dangerously out of date.

Highlights of the survey:

Ninety-two percent of those surveyed believed their anti-virus software was up to date, but in fact, only 51 % had updated their anti-virus software within the previous week.

Seventy-three percent of those surveyed believed they had a firewall installed and enabled, yet only 64 % actually did.

Approximately 70 % of PC users believed they had anti-spyware software, but only 55 % actually had it installed.

Twenty five percent of survey participants believed they had anti-phishing software, but only 12 % actually had the software.

Where do you fit in all this?

Most of us now store a large volume of confidential personal information on our home computers, including information concerning our personal finances, taxes, health, and perhaps personal documentation of other types.

So, it may well be that we need to take the time to survey our computers to insure that all relevant security applications have been installed, are up to date, and are operating correctly.

One of the better applications that will produce a survey of your computer is Belarc Advisor which can be reviewed and downloaded, if you choose, from this Blog. As well, consider downloading and installing Secunia Personal Software Inspector (PSI) which constantly monitors your system for insecure software installations, and notifies you when an insecure application is installed.

If you need to update, or add, additional security applications to your computer, then checkout The Best Free Spyware, Virus and Browser Protection, on this site for reviews and free security application downloads.

What’s On Your PC? – Find Out With Free Belarc Advisor ((Version 7.2x))

In order to effectively maintain your computer and proactively deal with problems that may occur, it is essential that you have as much information about your system as possible.

If you need help from a computer support group, from a tech support line, or from a computer knowledgeable friend, you will need to provide specific and accurate details of your computer. Without these details, it can be very difficult for even the most knowledgeable computer tech to be time efficient.

So it is important for you to create a detailed profile of your computer system before problems occur, and retain a printed copy of the report. Generally, creating such a profile can be very time intensive. But all is not lost!

Belarc Advisor is a program that automatically generates a detailed audit report of the hardware and software on your computer. It records essential information such as, operating system and processor details, the amount of RAM installed, and drive specifications.

The report also includes a comprehensive list of the software installed on your system, as well as software license numbers and product keys. In addition, it lists the status of the Microsoft hotfixes on your system. If any hotfixes need reinstalling, you will be advised of this.

Critically important is the category in which your computer is given a security rating, based on the Center for Internet Security (CIS) benchmark test which involves testing for: System Security Status, Virus Protection, and Microsoft Security Updates.

The results are displayed in a formatted HTML report. The report is clearly formatted for ease of understanding and divided into appropriate categories. Hyperlinks within the report allow you to quickly navigate to different parts of the document, find out more about a particular hotfix entry, or see where a listed software product is installed.

I have been using this program for 5+ years and find it invaluable for troubleshooting and diagnostics.

Belarc Advisor is free for personal use only.

System Requirements: Windows Vista, 2003, XP, 2000, NT 4, Me, 98, and 95.

Browser Requirements: Internet Explorer, Netscape Opera, Mozilla, and FireFox.

Download at: Download.com

To read a review of another great free computer audit application WinAudit, checkout “What’s really under the hood of that computer?” on fellow Blogger Rick Robinette’s site, What’s On My PC.