Archive for April 2012

Windows Defender Offline

Microsoft recently released Windows Defender Offline (WDO), which is a standalone CD/USB bootable rootkit/malware scanner program. If you have a computer that will not start up properly because of malware, try WDO.

WDO is essentially the new name for the Microsoft’s Standalone System Sweeper (MSSS).

There are separate versions of WDO for scanning 32-bit and 64-bit systems. From a “good” computer, download the appropriate version of WDO and run the executable. It will prompt you to install it on a CD, create an ISO image, or create a bootable USB stick. You can then use the CD/USB on the infected computer.

WDO can be used to scan Windows XP (SP3), Vista, and Windows 7 systems.

My recommendation for I.T. technicians is to grab two USB sticks, and install the 32 bit version on one, and the 64 bit version on the other, and keep them in your toolkit.

One nice thing with WDO is that if the infected computer does have internet access, when you boot up WDO, it will go out and look for updated definition files.

Finally, you may find Microsoft Resources and Guidance for Removal of Malware and Viruses helpful.

All By Myself

I can’t take credit for this song parody. My good MVP and fellow parody writer, Mick, put this down after reflecting on Windows Server 2012 Essentials product, and how in earlier versions of SBS, Exchange setup has always been automated.

Video: “All By Myself” by Eric Carmen

When SBS was young,
It never needed anyone,
And doin’ SMB was sorrta fun,
THESE DAYS ARE GONE.

Serve alone,
All our friends gone home,
But when I dial the telephone
Nobody’s home

ALL BY MYSELF,
DON’T WANNA BE
ALL BY MYSELF, ANYMORE
ALL BY MYSELF,
DON’T WANNA SERVE
ALL BY MYSELF, ANYMORE

Hard to be sure,
Sometimes they sound so insecure
Their words so distant and obscure
What is the cure?

ALL BY MYSELF,
DON’T WANNA BE
ALL BY MYSELF, ANYMORE
ALL BY MYSELF,
DON’T WANNA SERVE
ALL BY MYSELF, ANYMORE

When SBS was young
We always thought life was fun
And usin’ wizards to get things done
These days are gone

ALL BY MYSELF,
DON’T WANNA BE
ALL BY MYSELF, ANYMORE
ALL BY MYSELF,
DON’T WANNA WORK
ALL BY MYSELF, ANYMORE

SPF Record Wizard

The OpenSpf organization used to provide a tool for creating an SPF (Sender Policy Framework) record for mail server/domain. But that tool has been retired.

Microsoft offers their own Sender Id/SPF Wizard tool that is very easy to use, as seen in these screenshots:

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Step 1: Enter your domain

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Step 2: Obtain current publicly published DNS records

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Step 3: Configure your SPF options

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Step 4: Generate your SPF record

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Now go to your domain control panel or contact your vendor to add your SPF record. You may then test your SPF by sending test emails, as described on the OpenSpf organization’s website.

14 MVPs on SMB 150 List

Recently, I was selected to the SMB 150  List for 2012 – 150 people recognized for their work in promoting and working in the small/medium business I.T. Industry. Today, it was announced that of those 150 winners,  14 of them are Microsoft MVP’s, of which I am one. So, I am doubly honored, but not for the award and recognition.

No, I am honored because I can call so many of these people my friends. I know that as hard as they work to make their business a success and work to make their customers successful, they work equally hard trying to make this world a better place.

14 Microsoft MVPs Recognized as Part of the 2012 SMB 150 List

SMB 150

DNS Changer Malware Check-Up

I will keep it simple, without a lot of detail. On July 9, 2012 there is the possibility of a widespread Internet blackout due to a malicious piece of software that is lying dormant on many computers. You can read more about it at the FBI website: http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2011/november/malware_110911.

The good news is that you can do an immediate test to see if your computer is infected with this rogue software! Click on this website link: (http://www.dns-ok.us/) to quickly check your computer. No software is installed and no changes to your computer is made. You will get either an immediate Green (good) or Red (infected) message. If you are infected, the website will explain how to fix it, or you can contact me for assistance.

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Skydrive 25GB Upgrade

If you have a Microsoft SkyDrive account, you can increase your maximum storage capacity from 7GB to 25GB for free. Just go to your SkyDrive account and click on ‘Manage Storage’.

If you do not have a SkyDrive account, create one for free, and it’s possible that you too can upgrade your storage from 7GB to 25GB.

I cannot say for certain, but I believe this free upgrade will be available through the month of April.

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The Cloud or Bust?

The cloud, the cloud, the cloud. That’s what everyone is (supposedly) talking about. It seems as if every hardware or software company is jumping on the “the cloud or bust” bandwagon.

It was only a few years ago when the key word in every technical presentation was “paradigm” or “paradigm shift”. Now it’s “the cloud”!

Get 50 people in the same room and you will probably get 50 different interpretations of what the cloud is, whether you need it or can afford it.

My fellow MVP, Tim Barrett, has written a great article with his take on some of the statistics being used to convince everyone that “it’s all about the cloud”.

http://www.nogeekleftbehind.com/2012/04/16/i-am-the-42/

Awarded SMB 150 Channel Influencer

Wow! I was just informed that I was selected as one of the top 150 Small & Medium Business (SMB) Channel Influencers, an award given out by SMB Nation. The winners come from around the globe, from Australia to the United States, from Europe and Asia to South America! Congratulations to all 150 winners.

A three-part process determined this year’s list of SMB 150 influencers. The competition began with an open nominating process, followed by the SMB IT community voting on the nominees at www.smb150.com. In addition to the community vote, a panel of industry experts judged each nominee based on a variety of relevant areas. The community vote accounted for 40% of each nominee’s overall rating, with the expert panel’s decision contributing the remaining 60%.

Watch out for those Fake Emails

I have alerted my customers several times in the past few months to be on guard against fake emails. These fake emails appear to come from your bank, from the IRS, from PayPal, from FedEx, or one of your credit cards.

Generally these emails are telling you that a payment you just made is being processed. Here’s an example of one I received today.

One way to tell if it’s a fake email is to hover your mouse over one of the links. The popup window should display the “real” location of where it will take you if you click on the link.

Two things in the example below:

(1) You would think that an email from Paypal would be taking you to a PayPal.com web site, but not in this case!  Take a close look – it’s taking me to a website “air-maxes-shop.com”.

(2) the URL displayed in the box is not even using an https protected address, but an unprotected http site.

So, please be vigilant! The best suggestion I can make is that if you cannot tell if the email is real or fake, then do NOT click on any links within the email. You can always call the company (IRS, FedEx, Bank, etc.) and speak to someone to clarify if this is a real or fake email.

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Microsoft Updates for April 10 2012

Yes, Microsoft is pushing out several security fixes and updates for both servers and workstations.

I configure the SBS servers I support so that new patches and fixes are NOT applied automatically. The same holds true for most workstations. Why? I like to be able to test out patches and updates on my lab systems prior to releasing them onto production servers. The SBS Server Console has a built in GUI interface to the WSUS server, allowing you to control and manage when and which updates should be installed.

Go to the Microsoft Security page/u> for details and a video overview of this month’s updates.