This is a process most commonly used by Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Domain Name Service (DNS) operators and network administrators which involves entering the IP address of known (or suspected) spammers into a network database. If a certain IP address is on the blacklist of an Internet Service Provider, for example, then we will automatically block any e-mails coming from the blacklisted IP address.

But just because your IP address is blacklisted doesn’t mean that your computer has been compromised by a hacker, either. Sometimes, especially with Cable and ADSL Internet service providers that use a dynamic IP address, your connection will be most likely blacklisted. Due to this reason, you might be experiencing difficulties to send out email through your email client like Outlook, Thunderbird and etc because you are configured with the default SMTP port “25”.

In order to send email again, you’ll have to change to a different port number. We recommend our clients to use SMTP Port 587.

Here’s how to change the port number in your favorite email client. Instructions below are for Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, Mozilla Thunderbird, and AppleMail.

In Outlook

1. Open Tools > Account Settings.
2. Select your email account from the list under the E-mail tab, then click Change.

3. Click More Settings.
4. Check the “My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication” box.
5. Make sure that “Use same settings as my incoming mail server” is selected.

6. Click the Advanced tab.
7. Change the Outgoing Server field number from 25 to 587
8. Click OK.
9. Click Next until you reach the Finish button. Click Finish.

In Thunderbird

1. Go to Tools > Account Settings.
2. Select Outgoing Server (SMTP) on the left pane of the Account Settings window.
3. Select the SMTP server for your domain here. Click Edit.

4. Change the number in the Port field to 587
5. Click OK.
6. Click OK again to close the Account Settings window.

In Apple Mail

1. Open Preferences in the Mail menu.
2. Click the Accounts tab to locate your account. Open it.
3. Open the Outgoing Mail Server window.
4. Change the number in the Port field to 587.
5. Check the “Use Authentication” box.
6. Click Continue.
7. Click Continue again. Close any remaining windows.

In Windows Mail

1. Click Tools > Accounts
2. Select your account under Mail, then click Properties button.

3. Go to Advanced Tab, under Outgoing server (SMTP), change port 25 to 587.

4. Click the OK button.

In Outlook Express

1. Open Tools > Accounts.
2. Click the Mail tab.
3. Select your email account from the list. Click the Properties button.
4. Make sure the “Include this account when receiving mail or synchronizing” box is checked.
5. Click the Servers tab. Locate the Settings button below Outgoing Mail Server. Click it.
6. Locate the SMTP Port field (it should say 25). Change the 25 or 587.
7. Make sure the “My SMTP server requires authentication” box is checked.
8. Click OK. Click OK again until you’ve closed all windows.
9. Restart Outlook Express.

Pre-installed with Microsoft Windows 7 Professional, her new system has almost all the games disabled by default, by Microsoft, of course. The reason is probably Microsoft’s way of telling users that this is a business system and not a gaming one!

Anyway, to turn on the default games back again, just follow the steps below and you can have fun while you work then (just wonder how to do both at the same time ??)

1. Go to Control Panel
2. Click on <<Programs and Features>> and then click on Turn Windows Features On/Off on the left panel.
3. A dialog box will be shown, as seen below:
   

   Turn Windows Features On or Off

4. Tick the Games option to enable all games or select whichever you want by putting a tick next to the games.

Have fun!

For example, say you are importing a column of data from an Access database table that contains fractions such as 1/50, 2/70, and 30/65. You will need to format the column of cells containing the data to an appropriate fraction format before importing. Follow these steps:

• Select the column that will contain the fractional data.
• Right-click the selection.
• Select Format Cells.
• In the Number tab, under Category, select Fraction.
• Under Type, select Up To Two Digits (21/25), then click OK.

Now, when you import the data to that column, Excel will format each entry as a fraction. Keep in mind that if the data contained fractions such as 30/750, you would select Up To Three Digits (312/943) in Step 5. If you wanted to display your data as fractions over 100 (for example, 30/65 displayed as 46/100), you would select As Hundreds (30/100) in Step 5.

Alternately, if you won’t be using the fractions in calculations, you can prevent Excel from changing your entries to dates by applying the Text format to the cell before you enter the data. In that case, in Step 4 select Text under the Category list, and then click OK.

1. Open the form in Design view.
2. In the Design tab under Forms Design tools, click the Insert Chart tool in the Controls group.
3. Click and drag in a blank area of the form to create the chart.
4. Click the Queries button under View and then select the November Hours Worked query and then click Next.
5. Double-click the Last Name and Hours Worked fields.
6. Click Next four times.
7. Enter Total Hours Worked In November for the chart title.
8. Click the No, Don’t Display Legend button and then click Finish.

As you click through each employee’s record, the Graph control will display a bar chart for the employee, showing the total hours they worked in November 2007.

Follow these steps:

• Select the chart title.
• Click the Format tab under Chart Tools.
• In the WordArt Styles group, click Quick Styles and then select Gradient Fill, Accent 4, Reflection from the list.
• Click the Text Fill button and select Green.
• Click the Text Outline button.
• Point to Weight and click the 2-1/4 line.
• Click the Text Effects button.
• Click Full Reflection, 8 Pt. from the list.

In addition to the Text Fill, Text Outline, and Text Effects buttons, you can access more WordArt options by clicking the Word Art Styles button to launch the Format Text Effects dialog box.

To ensure that the printer was working fine, they did some test prints on the printer and it seems that it prints out alright, perfect quality everytime. However, the long beep happens again. They printed again. It sounds again. They remove the toners, shake it, put them back, test print, and it beeps again.

After half-a-day of meddling, they called for me to go to their Tuas office to check for them. So I went.

I think a test print on the printer, and yes, there is a loud and continuous beep that seems to emit from the printer, but that tone don’t sound like it is from the printer, especially a Samsung printer which we have been selling so many of it.

I went to the printer this time and ask somebody to test print something, and the beep happens again, and there, I noticed, that the LED indicator on their UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply) turns red and when it turns red, the long beeping sound appears.

That sound did not come from the printer, it came from the UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply), which is located under the desk where they placed their printer!!

I looked at the UPS closer and the indicator signals that during that time, it was actually under-voltage, and that’s why it beeps!!

I looked at all the connections and found that someone has reconnect the printer power source to the UPS output socket, meaning that the UPS is actually powering the printer itself!! This is a definite no-no because by doing so, it’ll drain the power from the UPS battery very fast and it cause the battery to have a very much shorter lifespan.

I asked and they told me probably their CCTV cable cable guys have swiped the cables without bothering when it came from and where the power is going to.

So, just to share the knowledge with you, if you want to extend the lifespan of your UPS battery, you must at least do the following:-

1. Make sure that you keep your APC UPS in a dry location with plenty of ventilation. Leave roughly one to two inches on each side for proper airflow.
2. Keep your UPS in a cool temperature. Ideally, the temperature where your UPS is kept should not exceed 75° F (24° C). As a guideline, every 8 Deg C (15 Deg F) rise in temperature will cut the battery life in half. A battery which would last for 6 years at 24 Deg C (75 Deg F), will only be good for 3 years if operated at 33 Deg C (95 Deg F). Do note that the battery temperature inside your UPS will always be warmer than the ambient temperature of the location where the UPS is installed.
3. Only perform runtime calibrations on your UPS one or two times a year, if necessary. Consistently performing battery calibrations can significantly decrease the life expectancy of your UPS battery.
4. If you buy UPS batteries for spare, make sure you do not store the  batteries for extended periods of time. New batteries can be stored for 6 to 12 months from date of purchase. After this period, the battery should be used or it will lose a great deal of its charge . It is not advisable to store batteries that have already been in use.
5. Do not utilize your UPS above 80% of its rate capacity. Once you exceed it, your runtime battery life will be shorten and if there is a power failure, a fully loaded UPS will drain and discharge much faster, and the lifespan of the batteries will also be shorten.
6. The final point, and most important one, NEVER connect your laser printer to your UPS battery backup outlets. You MUST connect them to the “surge-only” outlets of your UPS. If you do not have a “surge-only” outlet, consider getting a separate surge suppressor for your printer.

If you do not have a UPS or if your UPS do not have a “surge-only” outlet, do contact us to purchase at least one for your computers.

By default, DEP will only protect Windows and not other programs. You will have greater security protection by enabling DEP on all programs and services. If you have a program or service that doesn’t play nicely with DEP, you can turn DEP off for that particular service.

Follow these steps to turn DEP on for all Windows programs and services.

• Click the Start button and type Control Panel.
• Click System and Maintenance | System | Advanced System Settings.
• UAC will prompt you to continue and choose the Advanced tab.
• Under Performance, click Settings.
• Choose the Data Execution Prevention tab.
• Tick the Turn on DEP for all programs and services except those I select.

Protect Your Windows Vista With Data Execution Prevention

That depends on how you use them! Take these tips to help keep your personal or financial information private.

1. Don’t save your logon information.
   • Always log out of Web sites by clicking “log out” on the site. It’s not enough to simply close the browser window or type in another address.
   • Many programs (especially instant messenger programs) include automatic login features that will save your user name and password. Disable this option so no one can log in as you.
2. Don’t leave the computer unattended with sensitive information on the screen.
   • If you have to leave the public computer, log out of all programs and close all windows that might display sensitive information.
3. Erase your tracks. Web browsers such as Internet Explorer keep a record of your passwords and every page you visit, even after you’ve closed them and logged out. To disable the feature that stores passwords,before you go to the Web, turn off the Internet Explorer feature that “remembers” your passwords.
   • In Internet Explorer, click Tools, and then click Internet Options.
   • Click the Content tab, and then click AutoComplete.
   • Click to clear both check boxes having to do with passwords.

   To delete your temporary Internet files and your history

   When you finish your use of a public computer, you should delete all the temporary files and your Internet history.

   • In Internet Explorer, click Tools, and then click Internet Options.
   • On the General tab, under Temporary Internet files, click Delete Files, and then click Delete Cookies.
   • Under History, click Clear History.

   To delete other files saved by corporate portals, such as Sharepoint Portal Server

   If you’re using a corporate Web site that allows you to view internal corporate documents, you may be inadvertently storing sensitive documents on the public computer.

   • Delete all the files in the temporary folder of your user account which you can find by browsing to C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Temp.
   • If your company uses Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server, empty the temporary folder (My Documents\SharePoint Drafts).
4. Watch for over-the-shoulder snoops. When you use a public computer, be on the look out for thieves who look over your shoulder or watch as you enter sensitive passwords to collect your information.
5. Don’t enter sensitive information into a public computer. These measures provide some protection against casual hackers who use a public computer after you have.But keep in mind that an industrious thief might have installed sophisticated software on the public computer that records every keystroke and then e-mails that information back to the thief.Then it doesn’t matter if you haven’t saved your information or if you’ve erased your tracks. They still have access to this information.If you really want to be safe, avoid typing your credit card number or any other financial or otherwise sensitive information into any public computer.

The above article is extracted from Microsoft.

If your Windows XP system is running slowing and you need to improve the performance of your Windows XP system, one of the major things for you to do is to turn off unnecessary services on your Windows XP system.

Following are the common services we’ll turn off if you are running in a typical network environment. Check them and you’ll be surprised by what is running without your knowledge.

Service Glossary For Windows XP

IIS – Microsoft’s Internet Information Services provide the capabilities of a Webserver for your computer.

NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing — NetMeeting is primarily a VoIP and videoconferencing client for Microsoft Windows, but this service in particular is necessary to remote desktop access.

Remote Desktop Help Session Manager – This service is used by the Remote Assistance feature that you can use to allow others remote access to the system to help you troubleshoot problems.

Remote Registry – The capabilities provided by the Remote Registry service are frightening to consider from a security perspective. They allow remote users (in theory, only under controlled circumstances) to edit the Windows Registry.

Routing and Remote Access – This service bundles a number of capabilities together, capabilities that most system administrators would probably agree should be provided separately. It is rare that any of them should be necessary for a typical desktop system such as Microsoft Windows XP, however, so they can all conveniently be turned off as a single service. Routing and Remote Access provides the ability to use the system as a router and NAT device, as a dialup access gateway, and a VPN server.

Simple File Sharing – When a computer is not a part of a Microsoft Windows Domain, it is assumed by the default settings that any and all filesystem shares are meant to be universally accessible. In the real world, however, we should only want to provide shares to very specific, authorized users. As such, Simple File Sharing, which only provides blanket access to shares without exceptions, is not what we want to use for sharing filesystem resources. It is active by default on both MS Windows XP Professional and MS Windows XP Home editions. Unfortunately, this cannot be disabled on MS Windows XP Home. On MS Windows XP Professional, however, you can disable it by opening My Computer -> Tools -> Folder Options, clicking the View tab, and unchecking the Use simple file sharing (Recommended) checkbox in the Advanced settings: pane.

SSDP Discovery Service – This service is used to discover UPnP devices on your network, and is required for the Universal Plug and Play Device Host service (see below) to operate.

Telnet – The Telnet service is a very old mechanism for providing remote access to a computer, most commonly known from its use in the bad ol’ days of security for remote command shell access on Unix servers. These days, using Telnet to remotely manage a Unix system may be grounds for firing, where an encrypted protocol such as SSH should be used instead.

Universal Plug and Play Device Host – Once you have your “Plug and Play” devices installed on your system, it is often the case that you will not need this service again.

Windows Messenger Service – Listed in the Services window under the name Messenger, the Windows Messenger Service provides “net send” and “Alerter” functionality. It is unrelated to the Windows Messenger instant messaging client, and is not necessary to use the Windows Messenger IM network.
On your system, these services may not all be turned on, or even installed. Whether a given service is installed and running may depend on whether you installed the system yourself, whether you are using XP Home or XP Professional, and from which vendor you got your computer if MS Windows XP was installed by a vendor.

With the exception of Simple File Sharing, all of the above listed services can be disabled from the same place.

How To Turn Them Off?

To turn off any services, just do the following:-

• Click on the Start button, then navigate to Settings -> Control Panel, open Administrative Tools, and from there open the Services window.
• To disable any service in the list, double-click on its entry in that window and change the Startup type: setting.
• In general, you should change services you are turning off for security purposes to a “Disabled” state.
• When in doubt about whether a given service is necessary for other services, check the Dependencies tab in the service’s settings dialog.

Windows Services Running On My System

Obviously, this is not a comprehensive list of everything running on your computer that you may want to turn off. It is merely a list of ten items that you most likely do not need to have running, and constitute a security vulnerability if left running. Most users will never have need of any of the services in this list, once the computer is up and running. Other services may be disabled without ill effect as well, though you should research each item in the complete services list before you disable it to ensure that you actually do not need it running. Some of them are quite critical to the normal operation of your system, such as the Remote Procedure Call (RPC) service.

Every running — but unused — service on your machine is an unnecessary security vulnerability. If a service is not important at all for authorized users and basic system functionality, turn it off.

3D Pinball for Windows has nine rank levels, ranging from Cadet to Fleet Admiral. Complete each mission and advance to the next rank, but you go back to Cadet at the beginning of each game. Here are a few secret codes to get more enjoyment out of 3D Pinball. Note that the 3D Pinball window must be active for these codes to work.

• Regain your old rank from a previous game by starting a new game and immediately typing rmax. Each time you type this secret command, you’ll advance one rank level.
• Get an extra ball while the Awaiting Deployment message displays by typing 1max.
• Activate the Gravity Well by starting a new game and immediately typing gmax.
• Get an unlimited number of balls and essentially play for as long as you like by starting a new game and immediately typing bmax. Each time you lose a ball, a new one will appear. (While playing with an unlimited number of balls, none of the other tricks will work.)
• Control the ball with your mouse by starting a new game and immediately typing hidden test. When you do, you can click the ball with your left mouse button and essentially drag it anywhere you want and rack up an unbelievable number of points.

Keep in mind that there isn’t a text box into which you enter these secret codes — you simply type them.

Note: This tip applies to both Windows XP Home and Windows XP Professional.