[aarhus2004]

Hello,

I attach a document (.txt) in which I attempt to convey my thinking in matters security as pertain to computer users and especially, of course, to fellow users of Windows Millennium.

Ben.

Please note that I have changed the format to the document. (thanks bellgamin)

[GoJoAGoGo]

Ben:

Attachment is not working:

[aarhus2004]

Joe, It is a Word Pad document i.e. a .doc. I know nothing of Word for Windows but am surprised it can't handle its lesser cousin!!

[bellgamin]

No offense, but why not use txt format? I do NOT download .doc (a M$ Word format) under any circumstances because of the well-known, well-publicized potential for picking up macro viruses imbedded in them. You can read about this at many websites. Here are several examples...

One
Two
Three
Four
Symantec
VirusBuster
Net Security
PCWorld

[aarhus2004]

Many thanks, bellgamin, It's done. Appreciate the heads-up.

Ben.

[bellgamin]

@Ben- It's a VERY interesting article! I wouldn't care to duplicate your experiement, but I shall be interested in reading how it turns out for you.

Over at Wilder's security forum I have read several threads about those who are going the *minimalist route* in their security set-ups. In fact, a couple of recognized security geeks have stated that one can survive with nothing more than a router plus good Host-based Intrusion Protection System (HIPS) such as Online Armor.

As to turning off one's router, I for one wouldn't do that. Why? Because I use my router to turn my internet connection off when (1) I won't be using my computer for a while, but (2) I don't want to shut the computer down for the day, and (3) I feel it's inadvisable to leave the computer connected when not in use (I use cable broadband).

Also, I feel that a router provides a good bit of security protection, but with zero impact on computer resources. By the way, I uninstalled my software firewall over 2 years ago & have never missed it, but DO enjoy the added zip to my computer.

[aarhus2004]

Virtual Memory or When RAM is not RAM.

Merriam Webster defines (one way) 'Virtual' thus:

"1 : being such in essence or effect though not formally recognized or admitted".

VM (the settings for which are located in System > Performance tab > Virtual Memory is an allocation of hard drive space to a file known as the Swap File (Search for 'swp'). In effect it acts as a RAM supplement. When Windows stretches for memory in periods of high demand it can call on the swap file to serve its needs.

For the 'basic' user Microsoft urges that we allow Windows to manage this process for us. One less thing to think about. But the fact of those settings offering the option of allowing us to do the managing is an option we may wonder about. If so we will read up on the matter - using a search engine.

This is a bit of a shaggy dog story - this business of swap file management. It tends to go on and on. Windows Millennium being ancient is no longer of much interest to the illuminati. But their writings still exist. The curious amongst us will by now have reached something like a conclusion. What follows is mine.

I have 384MB of RAM installed. I have two hard disks (the original 15GB and the newer 40GB). Both partitioned.

The original HDD has two drives. The first is 501MB in size is home to the swap file (WIN386.SWP), the second, occupying the rest of the HDD, I use for back-ups.

In the system.ini file (using a right-click and click Notepad) under the heading [386Enh] I have added this line ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1
It is located thus:

WPSLPT1=0
ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1
PageBuffers=4
PagingDrive=D:

and under the heading [vcache] this line is added MaxFileCache=275456 (A figure in KBs which represents 70% of the total installed RAM).
It looks like:

[vcache]
MaxFileCache=275456

If you only have one HDD the next time you partition that drive allocating a drive (partition) to the swap file is worthwhile.

*****************************************************************

Active Scripting and Its Disablement in Internet Explorer 6.

As a user of Yahoo's free website creation tool known as GeoCities PageBuilder I maintain (edit) two sites. The frustration of having those ads opening up on the preview of every edit made lead me to this article which has changed my outlook - here http://netsecurity.about.com/cs/tuto...t/ht032203.htm

and see here http://forums.techguy.org/720579-post3.html

and this attached GIF #1

*****************************************************************

DirectX

I admit to having little idea of the function of this but when I ran the command which allows one to check out its correct functioning you will understand I know I must have it. The check indicated I had a missing registry key.

This is the command. In Start > Run type dxdiag

An install over of the latest version failed to remedy the problem. Searching led me here: http://www.techweb.com/winmag/column...in/2001/03.htm

*****************************************************************

Startup Items.

How many items must appear in msconfig (or Mike Lin's StartupCPL http://www.mlin.net/StartupCPL.shtml)
for your computer to boot up into Windows Millennium?

Answer. None. (See attached GIF#2 "msconfig" but also see this attached GIF#3 - "Process Explorer".

Here are my actual startup items (the ones over which I have control):

Under HKLM / Run
LoadPowerProfile (and yes it is needed - don't ask me why.)
Run StartupMonitor (another great tool by Mike Lin)
ScanRegistry
SystemTray

Under Startup (user)
Resource Meter (A System Tool and one I like keeping an eye on)

Under Services
*StateMgr
LoadPowerProfile (needed)

Those are mine. 7 in all. As reflected in the R04 group in a HijackThis.log

You will have in addition:

Anti-Virus entries
Firewall "

possibly entries reflecting your ISP

but all others are, by no means, essential (read flavallee's posts in the WinME forum).

*****************************************************************

Maintenance.

Two WinME users and Forum members 'conspired' to produce an article each last year. One in the Software forum and the other in the Hardware one:

Software http://forums.techguy.org/all-other-...-routines.html

Harware http://forums.techguy.org/hardware/3...intenance.html


*****************************************************************

Some Quick Tweaks.

In Display Properties under the Effects tab
Uncheck ALL but the one concerning Icon colors (and that's optional).

In Control Panel > System > Performance tab > Advanced Settings > File System tab - Hard Disk Settings 'Typical role of this computer' select 'Network Server' from the drop-down menu.

In System Tools - Scheduled Tasks Click on PCHealth Scheduler for Data Collection un-check Enabled. Do the same in Tune-up Application Start. The former is not required and the latter is best undertaken manually by you.
See attached GIF

*****************************************************************

How Much Security is Enough?

These two posts may be of interest:

http://forums.techguy.org/3323665-post46.html

http://forums.techguy.org/3326066-post51.html

*****************************************************************

And some links:

http://aumha.org/win4/a/memmgmt.htm

http://www.jmu.edu/computing/security/info/ie/ie.shtml

http://members.fortunecity.com/pcmuseum/windows.htm

*****************************************************************


Cheers.

Ben.

[aarhus2004]

Hello,

Please note the following omissions to my post #52 above:

Under Some Quick Tweaks.

Add: In Display Properties On the Web tab - Un-check 'Show Web content on my Active Desktop'. (This can also be done with a right-click on the Desktop, click 'Active Desktop' and un-select 'Show Web Content'.

Ben.

[Rockn]

Not sure I understand the purpose of this line in your text file:

"I have removed the final obstacle between my computer and the Internet - the router".

According to this you have removed your router and are now on dial up.. For someone who is a "minimalist" you sure spend a lot of time tinkering with settings that probably make little or no difference to the way your OS functions.

[Tapeuup]

Rock, I'm catching the back end of this, removing a router doesn't mean he's on dial up or did he get rid of DSL altogether? If anything I would have kept the router which is also a firewall.

[aarhus2004]

Hello Rockn and Tapeuup,

I was never connected by telephone; always had a cable modem(and still do ). But I appreciate your feedback. And since two of you have mentioned 'minimalism' as in "minimalist" I guess that is where I am at - in terms of security. As for the tweaking well that is something I am interested in. When I bought this 'old' WinME system it was pretty much un-tweaked - I didn't know what a tweak was at that time. And today I am scraping the barrel bottom looking for more.

One thing I am not proposing is that WinME is more secure than any other system. And I must re-iterate that I am not advocating the minimalist position security-wise.

Cheers.

Ben.

[aarhus2004]

If we choose to Copy and Paste from a previous post and then apply tags to 'box' this as a quote there is the risk that should we choose the wrong tags to apply to the quote we shall end-up unwrapping all the posts on the page where our post appears.

This occured in this thread recently. I was prompted to ask what had happened, see this thread:

http://forums.techguy.org/3372090-post1.html

and the solution appeared in this one:

http://forums.techguy.org/3377237-post1.html

Attached is a gif pointing out the 'offending' tags which, when applied, had caused the entire first page of this thread to display posts with each paragraph (or block of text) in a continous line (no word wrap) from start to finish. It made a strong case for previewing any post before submitting it or, at the very least taking a look at it after submission.

These tags are known as the PHP ones.

I had hoped to illustrate what I meant - this for those who have no precise understanding of the significance of tags in posts - and it occurs to me that a gif image will do the trick. In this image I copied a paragraph from this post (the one beginning "Attached is a gif pointing out...") into a new post, applied the PHP tags, previewed it and took a screen shot of the preview - which is the second one below.

Cheers.

Ben.

[buck52]

Hi
aarhus2004


no need to be a jerk about it...

buck

[Tapeuup]

Originally Posted by buck52

Hi
aarhus2004


no need to be a jerk about it...

buck

I don't know why but buck's comment put a smile on my face

[GoJoAGoGo]

Originally Posted by buck52

Hi
aarhus2004


no need to be a jerk about it...

buck

Based on your reply of calling a member a rude name, is this normal procedure for a TSG moderator?