Secure your USB Flash Drive

USB flash drive (UFD) is the favorite nest for virus, here I'll explain some ways to secure your UFD:

1. Prevent the virus from entering your USB flash drive
Turn off plug and play, that's the gate for virus to infect your USB flash drive. Believe me, you don't really need the plug and play, and whenever you open a UFD don't doubleclick it, use right click and then choose open (not autoplay/autorun),this prevents you from accidentally activate the virus autorun. You can turn it off using some softwares like TuneUp, WinXp manager, or Tweak UI (Windows Powertoy), but if you don't have any then we'll manually turn it off. Open 'Services' on Control Panel (it's in Administrative Tools), doubleclick 'Plug and Play' and stop the service. Don't forget to select 'Disabled' on startup type dropdown menu.

2. Remove virus files
If you find strange files in your UFD that always reappear whenever you deleted them, it's possible that they are active virus files. To remove them completely, either use antivirus (make sure it's up to date) or enter safe mode and delete it (but new computer virus usually active on safe mode as well). The best way is by using new folders to block their ability to 'write' on your UFD. First, delete the virus file(s) and quickly make a folder with exactly the same name as the virus file (including the file extension), using this way the active virus on the memory won't be able to rewrite the virus file.

3. Last step (and other people will appreciate this)
Don't let virus change your UFD into a virus factory! Virus will always create autorun.inf file on your UFD to autorun itself whenever you plug in your UFD to a device that has its 'Plug and Play' activated (that's why I told you to disable it). We'll use the same method as our second step, delete the autorun.inf and quickly make a new folder and name it autorun.inf, this way the virus can enter your UFD but it won't be able to infect anyone (as long as you don't accidentally run the virus file).

With those steps combined (close the front door, clean the house, close the back door) then your UFD will be safe from the annoying autorunning virus. Note that some viruses are fast enough to rewrite the file after you deleted it, in this case you have to make the folder(s) on another place (for example on your desktop), rename it (must be exactly the same with the virus file), then copy/cut it, open your UFD, delete the virus file(s), and quickly paste the folder(s) you made before.

Windows Vista Ultimate vs Windows XP Professional

Which one is better? I've collected several informations on the web and here are the results:

1. Hardware

Windows Vista Ultimate has the best Windows appearance ever, compared to the previous Windows. It comes with aeroglass display and lots of cool graphical effects. But, what makes people stay on Windows XP? If you want to use vista, your computer must use hardwares that are labeled "Vista Ready", and all of them are expensive. For example, Vista won't work on a PC with 10 Gigabyte of RAM and 10 GHz of Processor if the computer doesn't use "Vista Ready" graphic card. Windows XP works on any kind of hardware, as long as you have enough memory on your PC.

2. Software

This part of comparison is clear enough, Vista has a horrible compatibility. Only a few non-Microsoft softwares that managed to work on Vista. And the worst news is, if you want to use third party Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware, and Firewall, they have to be "Vista Ready"! That's ridiculous, imagine you've bought a $1000 Anti-Virus for your Windows XP, and when you upgraded to Vista it's unusable just because it's not "Vista Ready". Windows XP works with almost every software that works on older Windows, and it has "Compatibility Mode" which allow you to run very old softwares from Windows 95 and 98.

3. Appearance

Undoubtedly like what I mentioned before, Vista comes with wonderful graphic displays that can blind your eyes. But now let's see one of the function. Aeroglass, magnificent and beautiful, but what for? Alt+Tab main function is to switch between programs, and every Windows has that function, the aeroglass doesn't give extra function to the Alt+Tab, only extra animation. People may argue that the aeroglass allows you to see the thumbnail of the programs before you're switching to it, but let me tell you that Windows XP allows you to see the thumbnail using one of the Microsoft Powertoy, it's free and it doesn't need "Vista Ready" hardwares. Another beauty, the sidebar. Well, you can always use Windows Gadgets on Windows XP to display the sidebar, why would we buy expensive hardwares to get new Windows name with the same functions?

4. Functionality & Security

Windows live search is one of the Vista's great function. Try it and cry, it only make your search faster for 2 or 3 seconds compared to Windows XP's indexed search. "The most secure Windows ever" is what they said, but only 1 day after Vista launched, some hacker cracked it with ease. "Easily make DVDs", "Create high-definition movies", "Remotely access your business resources", "Automatically back up your files". There are thousands of freewares out there that can be installed on Windows XP with the same functions as those, and they're free.

5. Conclusion

Windows Vista Ultimate is great and beautiful, in graphic display. So you'll pay more than $300 only to buy better graphic, and you'll get a bonus: a new Windows name with several bugs and security holes to deal with. Vista SP1 fixed 551 bugs, out of 5000+ bugs available to enjoy on your new Windows. If you don't believe me, check this and try it, you can also contact Google for more bug lists. Windows XP isn't free from bugs, but at least it's less than 10% compared to the "magnificent Vista" has. Newer isn't always better.

They're not my subjective view, here are the sources:
http://www.google.com
http://www.microsoft.com
http://www.tomshardware.com
http://www.zdnet.com
http://www.itwire.com
http://www.tdaxp.com
http://www.aspnetresources.com
lots of blogs on Blogger and Wordpress
lots of forums
lots of product reviews
and my own opinions after I tried Vista.

Note: You can download the trial version of Windows Vista on http://www.microsoft.com for free, but don't expect too much and don't scream too much.

I love Vista

How to disable Windows Security Center

Windows Security Center helps you to protect your computer, especially by giving you notifications about important security risks. But sometimes it's also a great annoyance, when it keeps giving out warnings that you already know. Here is how to disable it:
1. Click on Start button, then select Control Panel.
2. Select "Administrator Tools" (if you don’t see it, double click on "Performance and Maintenance" first).
3. Double click "Services".
4. Find and right click on the service named “Security Center”, and select "Properties".
5. In the "General" tab, beside the "Startup type:", change the setting from "Automatic" to "Disabled". This will permanently disable Security Center forever.
6. Reboot your computer or click on "Stop" button at the bottom of the dialog window to stop Security Center immediately.

Facebook chat emoticon/smiley list

Try these emoticons on facebook chat to make a smiley:

Smile
:) or :-)

Laugh
:D or :-D

Wink
;) or ;-)

Happy
^_^

Mad
>:o

Cute
:3

Annoyed
>:-(

Sad
:( or :-(

Crying
:’(

Surprised
:o or :-o

Glasses
8) or 8-)

Cool
8-|

Naughty
:p or :-p

Shocked
O.o

Bored
-_-

Uncertain
:/ or :\

Devil
3:)

Angel
O:)

Kiss
:-* or :*

Love
<3

Pacman
:v

Robot
:|]

Face
:putnam:

Shark
(^^^)

Penguin
<(")

Add more traffic to your website/blog

There are several methods to attract more people to your website/blog, I'll introduce 2 best methods in the internet:

1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

What's that? Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the volume or quality of traffic to a web site from search engines via "natural" ("organic" or "algorithmic") search results. Typically, the earlier a site appears in the search results list, the more visitors it will receive from the search engine. SEO may target different kinds of search, including image search, local search, and industry-specific vertical search engines. This gives a web site web presence. As an Internet marketing strategy, SEO considers how search engines work and what people search for. Optimizing a website primarily involves editing its content and HTML coding to both increase its relevance to specific keywords and to remove barriers to the indexing activities of search engines.

For example, if you want your website to appear on the top list on Yahoo! Search, click here and you'll know what to do.

2. Link Exchange

SEO is too confusing? This one is easier. A link exchange (also known as a banner exchange) is a confederation of websites that operates similarly to a web ring. Webmasters register their web sites with a central organization, that runs the exchange, and in turn receive from the exchange HTML code which they insert into their web pages. In contrast to a web ring, where the HTML code simply comprises simple circular ring navigation hyperlinks, in a link exchange the HTML code causes the display of banner advertisements, for the sites of other members of the exchange, on the member web sites, and webmasters have to create such banner advertisements for their own web sites.

It's much easier since you don't need to make any change on your website/blog. Click here to get a free link exchange service.