MikesWhatsNews, 31, 10, 2003
in today's issue #705
Sober.A Worm
HackFix Updates
2 Learning Games
3 StartPage Guard 2.2
4 Hexic
5 Halloween Fright Site
6 How To Stop Receiving Spam
7 Remove Hotfix Backup Files in Windows XP
8 CCC Calculators
9 Get Shorty
10 EasyCleaner 2.0 BETA 2
11 Windows 98 Patches
____________________________________________________________

NOTE: Any time you see the " ++ ", it means there is more
of the article, or story, on the linked site. Mike
____________________________________________________________

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___________________________________________________________

Sober.A Worm
Aliases: Win32.HLLM.Odin, Worm/Sober, Win32/Sober.A@mm, I-Worm.Win32.Sober,
I-Worm/Sober.A,
W32/Sober.A.worm, W32/Sober@MM, W32.Sober@mm, I-Worm.Sober. ...
www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/virusencyclo/ default5.asp?VName=WORM_SOBER.A
http://f-secure.com/v-descs/sober.shtml
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.sober@mm.html
Given the increase in incidents received by PandaLabs involving the Sober.A
worm, Panda Software has made its PQREMOVE application available to all
users to repair any possible damage caused to computers by this malicious
code. This utility can be downloaded free of
charge by anyone who needs it, from:
http://www.pandasoftware.com/download/utilities/

As Panda Software has previously reported, Sober.A is a worm that spreads
via e-mail with highly variable subjects and message texts in English or
German. The message also includes an attachment which, if run, causes a
false error message to appear.

Sober.A sends itself to all the addresses it finds in a number of files on
the computer, using its own SMTP engine. It stores all the addresses it
finds in the file %sysdir%\MACROMED\HELP\MEDIA.DLL.

One of the main dangers of Sober.A is that it leaves two resident copies of
itself running continually. If a user terminates one of the processes, or
deletes one of these copies, the other will start it up or create it again.


Users can also scan their computers using the free, online antivirus, Panda
ActiveScan, which is available at http://www.pandasoftware.com
____________________________________________________________
HackFix updates, thanks to Christy;
staff@...
Http://www.hackfix.org
This weeks Virus Pattern Updates (10/30/2003)


All Software listed Alphabetically by Company name as some
companies manufacture more then one product.


Aladdin Knowledge Systems

Esafe Desktop/Gateway/Enterprise
Last Updated Oct 30/2003
To update your software
Visit: http://www.esafe.com/esafe/downloads/virusig.asp
Or
>From the Esafe folder in your Start Menu select Download Updates
~~~~~

AlWil Software

Avast Antivirus
Last Updated Oct 29/2003
To update your software:
Visit: http://www.avast.com/i_kat_69.html
Or
Right click on the AVAST icon in the system tray, Select iAVS Update,
AVAST will check for updates and download the appropriate files as needed.
~~~~~

Authentium Software Systems

Command antivirus
Last Updated Oct 27/2003
To update your software
Visit http://www.authentium.com/support/downloads/index.cfm
~~~~~

Center for Antivirus Technologies (CAT)

Quickheal
Last Updated Oct 28/2003
To update your software
Visit: http://www.quickheal.com/winupg.htm
Or
Open Quickheal select Utility from the top toolbar and liveupdate.
Follow the onscreen prompts.
Alternately you can select Liveupdate directly from the
QuickHeal program menu on the startmenu.
~~~~~

Frisk Software Systems

Fprot
Last Updated Oct 28/2003
To update your software
Visit: http://www.f-prot.com/download/home_user/
~~~~~

Computer Associates

E-Trust
Last updated Oct 30/2003
To update your software
http://support.cai.com/Download/virussig.html
Or
>From the Respective folder in your Start Menu select Autodownload

For Vet Anti virus
http://www.vet.com.au/html/software/update.html

Be sure to have your Customer ID and your registered email address
handy for verification.

**Note**

We knew this time would come eventually, that Computer Associates would
not continue to support/update the older program
https://www2.my-etrust.com/services/ipe_support??
~~~~~~


GeCad Software

Rav (Reliable AntiVirus)
Last Updated: Oct 30/2003
To update your software:
Visit: http://www.ravantivirus.com/pages/dldupdate.php?type=Daily
Or
Open Rav and select Rav Update from the toolbar
~~~~~

Grisoft Inc.

AVG
Last updated Oct 27/2003
To update your software
Visit: http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_index.php
Or
Open AVG and click Virus Database to check for updates
Or
Open AVG control centre and click Update Manager/update now

**Note: To help speed up AVG updates you can set your program to use
an alternate download site.
Open AVG control centre->update manager->download from server. The
drop downbox should have listed www.grisoft.com (default) and
www.grisoft.cz. (be sure to select "apply" when done to save the changes)
The default site is most often used so can at times become temporarily
unavailable. By using the secondary site (www.grisoft.cz) helps to ease
the server and makes your update go quicker as most don't use it!
~~~~~

H+Bedv

AntiVir
Last updated Oct 30/2003
To update your software
Visit: http://www.free-av.com/antivirus/allinonen.html
Or
Open AntiVir, from the top toolbar select Tools-
start internet update and follow the on screen prompts.


Vexira
Last updated Oct 30/2003
To update your software
Visit: http://www.centralcommand.com/updates.html
Or
Open Vexira, from the top toolbar select Tools->
start internet update and follow the on screen prompts.

Vexira Antivirus is marketed by Central Command however it
is the same program as Antivir with only a different name.
~~~~~

Kaspersky

Kaspersky Anti-Virus (formerly AVP)
Last updated Oct 24/2003
To update your software
Visit: http://www.kasperskylabs.com/updates.asp
Or
Open AVP from the top toolbar click Tools-> Update virus definition
Or
From the Kaspersky folder in your Start Menu select AVP updater


*Note* Avp now has available a cumulative update and a
daily update with the daily being any important items they
feel shouldn't wait till the next cumulative update. Our
dates here are based on the most recent Major update.

**Note: Improved update accessiblity. To ease the update web traffic
Kaspersky labs has additional servers for autoupdating. The program
defaults to use one server but can be altered to check a variety of
servers. Select Kaspersky updater, select update via the internet to
open the drop down box(es) select "location" Check the box labeled
"Use alternate locations from the list" select next and next to update.
This option should stay selected after the first time. This helps
Kaspersky lighten the load for updates and helps you obtain updates
easier.
~~~~~

Network Associates

Mcafee
Last updated Oct 29/2003
To update your software
For Mcafee Visit
http://www.networkassociates.com/us/downloads/updates/superdat.asp
(for Virus and Engine updates)


Drsolomn (Product no longer available for new users however
updates still available for current users): Go to the following
Internet site: http://download.mcafee.com/updates/4x.asp
IMPORTANT: When you get to this site you may notice that it refers
to VirusScan. This update is not only for VirusScan. It also works
with Dr.Solomon's.

Or
Open your respective software virus scan scheduler, double click
Auto update, click Run Now to do a manual live update, or click
Schedule to set up a timed live update.
~~~~~

Norman Data Defence

Norman Virus Control
Last updated Oct 29/2003
To update your software
Visit: http://www.norman.com/downloads.shtml#definition_files_updates
Be sure to have your Valid Username and password handy for verification.
Or
>From the Norman folder in your Start Menu select Internet Update

**Note Norman Virus Control web updates are only for version prior to
5.0. Norman 5.0 can only be updated via the update in the program itself.

Thunderbyte Anti Virus
Current Version: This product is no longer being supported.
http://www.norman.com/tbav.shtml
~~~~~

Softwin

BitDefender (Previously known as AVX - AntiVirus eXpert as of Nov 06/01)
Last Updated Oct 24/2003
To update your software
Visit:=
http://www.bitdefender.com/bd/site/downloads.php?menu_id=3D19&s_id=3
Or
Open BitDefender select Protection Options->live upgrade
Or
From the BitDefender folder in your Start Menu select Bitdefender Live

Press Release on the software change
http://www.bitdefender.com/press/ref1.php
~~~~~

Sophos

Sophos Anti Virus
Last IDE available Oct 30/2003
To obtain the latest IDE files
Visit: http://www.sophos.com/downloads/ide/

**Note: Sophos does not update as other products do. They update
the Engine/software once a month (or so) to include all the previous
IDE files. New IDE files are available with new virus threats and must
be downloaded individually until the next software update is available.
Our update dates reflect the most recent available IDE file.
~~~~~

Symantec

Nortons AntiVirus
Last updated Oct 29/2003
To update your software
Visit: http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/defs.download.html select
your language -> product from the list
Or
Open Nortons software and click the "live update" button
Or
From the Nortons folder in your Start Menu select
LiveUpdate - Norton Antivirus
~~~~~

Trend Micro

PcCillin
Last updated Oct 30/2003
To update your software
Visit: http://www.antivirus.com/download/pattern.asp
Be sure to have your Registration number handy for verification
Or
Open PcCillin click Update then click Update Now (or Update later
to Schedule a timed update)
~~~~~~~~~

If there is an Anti Virus program that is Not listed here that
you would like to see added to the weekly updates list Please
feel free to let us know.

Remember Your anti virus software is only as good as the user...
If you don't keep it updated it won't provide you with maximum
protection.

This weekly Update will be sent every Thursday on or after
6pm (eastern) to keep you up to date on virus pattern updates
available. Virus patterns are checked for most recent update
date as of 6pm Thursdays.

~~~~

~ Hackfix Project Staff
staff@...
Http://www.hackfix.org

3017 St Clair Ave #176
Burlington, Ontario
L7R 3L7

____________________________________________________________
2
Learning Games
http://www.do2learn.com/games/learningames.htm

Synonyms and Antonyms
Learn by matching pairs of words (uses FLASH)
Create A Room
Learn common nouns as you create a living room, a dining room, a kitchen,
and a bedroom (uses FLASH)
Feelings Game
Learn about emotions by looking at pictures of real people
How Many?
Use pictures to count sets of objects from 1 to 10 Images from our
Make-A-Schedule program
What's Different?
Pick which object does not fit Images from our Make-A-Schedule program
What Color?
Learn twelve colors with pictures
Facial Expressions
Adjust separate parts of a face to get emotions

++
____________________________________________________________
3
StartPage Guard 2.2
http://www.securityconfig.com/software/cookie/startpage_guard_2.2.html
StartPage Guard (SPG) protects your PC from cyberscam, by detecting and
preventing any unauthorized
changes to your internet browsers Start and Search pages. It is also capable
of removing automatically most
of known invaders.

Malicious programs (viruses, trojans, backdoors, etc.) sometime change the
StartPage to gain the ground.
Spywares use this way to invade users privacy by tracking destinations which
user visited, and collecting
personal information. In some cases this activity may be totally transparent
to the user. But most often this is
just plain annoyance when start page is changed without asking users
permission. SPG effectively deals with
all this problems, making surfing the net safer, more secure, and by
reducing frustaration - more fun.
++
____________________________________________________________
4
Hexic
http://zone.msn.com/en/hexic/
Create clusters of same-colored tiles to clear them from the board. Sounds
simple, right?
The real fun of Hexic is in creating special patterns to earn special
pieces. Create a flower to earn a starflower piece. Use starflower pieces to
make another flower and earn the elusive black pearl. Make a cluster or
flower out of black pearls to win the game. Are you up for the challenge?
From; Microsoft
____________________________________________________________
5
Halloween Fright Site
http://familyfun.go.com/parties/holiday/feature/halloween03_ms_main/
Hold on to your party hats!
Halloween is coming, and we've discovered the perfect holiday site, sure to
help you set the mood for a frightfully-fun night!
++
____________________________________________________________
6
BaddTeddy Tutorials - How To Stop Receiving Spam
http://www.baddteddy.com/tutorials/spam.htm
Are you sick of spam? Tired of people sending you, your family and even your
children junk mail? Me too!

Everyone seems to have a theory on how to block spam, but we still get
mail boxes full of it. AOL says they are reducing spam, but your mail box
is still probably full of it. You can spend tons of money on filters, spam
blockers, etc., and yet you probably have a box full of spam (the other
white meat).

So what can you do?

The best way to reduce spam in your mail box is to start thinking like
a spammer. By the way, did you ever consider that spam and scam sound
almost the same? That spammer's are most likely scammers, and that they are
bad people trying to find a way to send advertisements to you for products
that are either a rip-off, don't work as promised or offer minors a view of
the world that they probably shouldn't see.
++
____________________________________________________________
7
Remove Hotfix Backup Files in Windows XP
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_hotfix_backup.htm
This utility will locate the Hotfixes that have created backup files on your
system, and will remove those backups. It will also removes the associated
Registry entries for these items in Add/Remove Programs. It does not check
for new versions of programs like Media Player, Internet Explorer and etc.
It only removes those Hotfix backups designated with a Qxxxxxx or KBxxxxxx
number.

This is a one-way operation.
If you remove the Hotfix backup files and the Registry entries, it cannot be
undone, unless you back up these items manually.
++
____________________________________________________________
8
'Christy's Computer Corner'
thanks to Christy;
http://www.1stpick.org

Calculators

http://www.myparentime.com/calculators/calculators.shtml

Oh no, not another educational link! Well, sure some calculators are for
school, but some can be for fun.
At this site, you'll find both.

The top five serious Calculators are:
Interactive Periodic Table
Tax Calculator
Scientific Calculator
Interest Calculator
Driving Distance Calculator

The top five fun Calculators are:
Typing Test
Typing Test 2
Ancient Chinese Birth Chart
Planetary Age Calculator
Pig Latin Converter.

There are many more! So check it out!
~~~~~~~~
9
Get Shorty
Note: This tip applies to Windows 98, Windows Me (Millennium Edition), and
Windows XP.

A shortcut is an icon that provides easy access to any program, document, or
folder. A shortcut icon generally looks like the original icon, but it has a
small arrow in the lower-left corner.
The original (non-shortcut) icon for a program, document, or folder
represents the actual file. So if you delete the original icon, you delete
the entire underlying file. This is not a good thing. A shortcut, on the
other hand, is a small link to the original icon. You can create, move,
copy, and delete shortcuts at will without worrying about deleting the
actual underlying file.

Was this forwarded to you ?
Get your own subscription here:
<1stpickPCtips-request@...?Subject=subscribe>

____________________________________________________________
10
EasyCleaner 2.0 BETA 2, so close to the final! FREE
http://www.toniarts.com/index.htm
But titled BETA, still a good punch, does the job efficiently and
accurately. I recommend using this BETA 2 instead of the 1.7f, don't let the
BETA status fool you. Now that I've got Windows XP + the oldies, I've got
some extensive testing done, so this is indeed compatible with the newest
software, never forgetting backwards compatibility as well.
Yours Toni Helenius, ToniArts

Here is the more technical part:

Clean registry - 100% done, modified from BETA 1 to be even more accurate!
Add/remove cleaner - 100% done!
Duplicate file finder - 100% done!
Unnecessary file finder - 100% done!
Start menu cleaner - 100% done! --> is now shortcut cleaner! It now includes
the desktop and it is now 100% compatible with Windows user account system
(searches current user and all users folders)!
Startup - 100% done! New feature, manage programs starting at the startup!
Space usage - 100% done! Cosmetic changes and fixed the bug with huge
numbers (= huge disk and file sizes)
Undo - 100% done!
Clear cache - 100% done! New feature, fast clearing of browser cache!
Clear history - 100% done! New feature, fast clearing of browser history!
Clear MRU - 100% done! New feature, clear the Most Recently Used list in the
start menu!
++
____________________________________________________________
11
For those worried about the loss of support for Win 98 here is the place to
download the patches;
http://www.microsoft.com/windows98/downloads/corporate.asp
This page contains critical updates and other beneficial updates for Windows
98.
Check this page for ways to keep your computer current and tuned.
Be sure to visit the Internet Explorer Security Area
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/security/default.asp
for additional security updates.
++ There is more on the web site.
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Antivirus software is a good choice to scan your system for possible viruses,
however no virus scanner is 100% effective as manufactures cannot keep up with
the rapid change of viruses that happens daily.
Be sure to update yours regularly.
http://www.hackfix.org/software/antivirus.html
______________________________________________________________________
Please feel free, to offer constructive criticism, as that will help me keep it
interesting.
I also welcome any submissions about new products, web pages, or articles of
interest.

All submissions posted in MWN will be given proper credit.
"MikesWhatsNews" believes in giving credit where credit is due but at times
deadlines and information that is very important to readers we accidentally
misspost an item.

If you believe something to be miscredited, or you know the author of one of the
articles which we have posted as 'unknown', please do let us know so we can
correct the information where applicable.

Many times in a article you may see a click here for more information, or to go
to a link, these often will not work, as the original information, was taken
from a page with HTML links. This is when you will want to go to the webpage
indicated in the article, ++ ,for 'the rest of the story'
***MfM*** indicates that I am adding my own information to a particular
article.
`~*~*~*~*~*~`
Mike ~It's a good day if I learned something new.
You can read a sample of my newsletter on my web page http://www.mwn.ca
My virus pages ~ http://virusinfo.hackfix.org
mytech@...
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