Security

The digital world is teeming with security threats, whether physical or not. The data security demands that we take preventive measures to keep ourselves safe online and offline. We strive to give information and solution about the security threats emerging on the Internet.

February 28, 2018

Best Internet Security Software for Windows 10

Sobiya Mujtaba Security, Software 0 Comments

Facing a Computer full of viruses and malware is the worst nightmare for many! So why not protect your Windows 10 by downloading a security software!

What is a security software?

A software that you download to protect your Windows 10 from getting corrupted and losing your data is a security software. When you do not have an antivirus installed on your computer, you are prone to attacks from viruses, Trojan horses, worms and many other forms of invasive software that can attack your computer’s configuration and get hold of your personal data, deleting system files, and even getting access into other computers on the network. The general concept that people have is that their Windows has protection and that is enough since they are browsing safely. Some people assume that when they are careful with USB usage they will be able to prevent any harm coming to their computers.

Why do you need Internet security software for Windows 10?

Antivirus software are the key to your computer’s protection. How much ever you may try to protect your computer from coming to harm, cybercriminals are on the loose and they might attack your computer. Some of the reasons that will convince you about the need of security software for your Windows 10 are:

Your computer may have exposure to fraud, security software will protect you from intrusions.
It will prevent your computer from any kind of attacks.
It will give Rootkit protection so that any malware will not get the opportunity to embed in your system files.
You will be getting Bot Protection, that is if there is any cyber criminal how is trying to get remote access to your Windows 10, will not be able to fulfill his attempt.
The security software will give your Windows 10 Worm protection. This means that it will protect your network. Worms attach network and then ultimately reach to computer files and infect all the computers on the network.

Internet Security software to download for Windows 10

These software has been ranked as the most trusted software who give value for the money spent on them. The criteria that were used for judging are:

Superior detection
Parental controls
Virus detection and Removal
Safe banking
Easy install
Loss of computer resource
Ransomware
Firewall
Password Manager
Online Backup
Live Chat
Weekday and weekend support

Bitdefender Internet Security:

This is an amazing antivirus software for your Windows 10. It protects against viruses that may attack system and malware. Its database has been built using algorithms from 500 million users and is updated in real time to be aware of all possible and newer threats. It has been ranked as the best software due to its detection and efficient performance. The only con that was found was that it does not have any online backup option, and if you want to avail online backup facility, you need to buy a higher priced version that is Bitdefender Total Security software.

Norton security Deluxe

Norton is one of the most oldest providers of security. It is, therefore, a great choice for your Windows 10. They are one of the most celebrated security providers. They have a variety of packages to select from and are really good at firewall and virus protection. Norton provides protection for up to 5 devices at once. It has a personal firewall and parental controls which helps parents keep a check. Norton Security is compatible with all the operating software and devices. The only drawback is that it has no protection against attacks and threats from social networks.

Kapersky Labs Internet Security

As the name suggests this security software is a total package. It protects your Windows 10, from all virus, malware, and stealthy attacks. It also protects your children from inappropriate content and at the same time ensures that all your passwords are safe. Kapersky also has a constant online back up that protects your files from being lost. The software also has malware protection along with the firewall to prevent insecure connection to approach your PC. It also has a virtual keyboard and that prevents keyloggers from tracing passwords and later hacking your accounts. Though it is a secure option it does not provide password vault. Password vault can be created when you purchase the higher priced version.

Trend Micro

This security software protects the computer from malware, ransomware and all potential threats that could hack your system files. It also strengthens the system against the possible weak points. The only issue that the users have complained about is that it causes the system to lag, which in turn slows down the system’s performance. It provides premium security and is also compatible with Android mobile devices. It is quite effective in identifying threats and protecting the system. They have a very responsive live tech support even on the weekends.

Bull Guard Internet Security

It is quite an efficient security software, that helps identify the possible weak points of the system. It helps strengthen them against, malware, virus, and ransomware. BullGaurd is able to secure all possible leaks from which the hackers can attack. It is better than the free and general security software that is a part of the operating system. The major flaw as reported by the users is that it slows down the computer quite noticeably and it does not have a password manager. They are not pro in detecting fairly newer threats and that is the only major weak point.

Consequently, it is upon the user to decide the one security software that is the best fit for his requirements.

February 28, 2018

Antivirus Vs Antimalware: What to install for full protection?

Sobiya Mujtaba Security 0 Comments

Having an antivirus or an antimalware is a necessity of today. Many people have been suffering a lot due to the lack of proper threat protections. These threats lead to losing precious data and in severe cases leak of sensitive information. The word antivirus and antimalware are mostly taken interchangeably by many people. There is a slight difference that people need to understand so that we are able to download the perfect protection program for our devices!

What is a Virus?

A virus is a generally a part of the software that replicates itself and causes harm to the computer. It may also corrupt system files. The Internet is one source of virus attacks, it can also invade through email attachments or through USBs.

What is an Antivirus?

An antivirus is a software that people download so that the desktop, PC, and any other device is safe. It is the responsibility of the antivirus to be on alert whenever there is a new download being done. The antivirus software helps in detection and later on eradication of the viruses that attack the device and keep it safe.

Features of an Antivirus:

There are a lot of advantages when you have an antivirus in your computer. Some of the features are present below:

Antivirus have real time scanning feature. This means that every file that you download, and any attachment that you download is all under review. If there is a threat the antivirus program will inform you immediately and prevent the access to your files. The file is then not allowed to be download. Similarly if due to external device attachment a virus enters the computer, the antivirus program puts the file in quarantine.
Some of the premium antiviruses can also remove the viruses ,Trojans and worms if the need arises.
It has a database of viruses and malware that can allow prompt detection. The automatic updates also ensure that the database of malware and viruses are regularly updated.
A few of the paid versions of antivirus have even the facility to remove the malware. The free and cheaper versions of antivirus do not have this feature. Remaining of the antivirus are able to find the malware but unable to remove it.
Some antivirus also have ransomware protection, but most of them are unable to get rid of them. They quarantine the file until some action is taken against them.
Some paid versions of antivirus might also offer, browsing protection, phishing filters and scans along with an option of system optimization.

What is a Malware?

A malware is an umbrella term that refers to all the possible threats to a computer. Viruses come under the category of malware. All the software that may possibly harm and affect the files and system details are known as malware.. The privacy of the user is also at stake due to these malicious intrusions. A virus can come under the category of malware, but a malware is not necessarily always a virus!

What is an Antimalware?

An antimalware is a software that helps protect the device from attacks from any kind of possible threats. Threats like viruses, Trojans, keyloggers, rootkits, Botnets, phishing attacks, backdoors and ransomware software. The antimalware protects the device in which it has been installed from all the possible threats.

Features of Antimalware:

Antimalware gives you a strong protection against all the possible threats, since it is an umbrella protection program hence it offers a broad spectrum threat protection some of the features of the Antimalware are:

They can detect all kinds of stealthy software that try to make way into your computer and ensure that you have protection at all times.
As antivirus are able to remove viruses from the computer. An antimalware can not only scan and detect the malware but are also capable of deleting them from the computer.
Antimalware offer you online security and protect your data from being stolen. This makes online banking very safe when you have an antimalware on your system.
Malware protect you from scams by blocking phishing websites.
It does not let you access websites that are known for spamming, distribution of any form of malware and as well as probable backdoor viruses or worms.

What to choose antivirus or an antimalware?

Many people feel safe when they have an antivirus in their computers. They feel that antivirus can protect them from against all kinds of viruses and malwares. This is a major misconception that people have. An antivirus offers protections against all viruses due to the constantly updating databases. They can also detect malware but only a few of them are able to get rid of the malware. Majority simply put the files in quarantine alone and this results in the malware remaining inside the system. A malware always get rids of all kinds of possible fishy files, programs, and download. Antimalware, not only quarantines them but also deletes them permanently. Since they are generic, they usually are not able to identify all kinds of viruses(the most common form of attack) this is why they are excellent alone.

The best solution to this antivirus vs. malware debate is to have both of them your laptops and PCs this will ensure that there are layers of protection. This will ensure that your PC is secure from all possible virus and malware threats and you have no worries regarding data loss or data corruption!

July 12, 2013

Download Bitdefender 2014 Offline Installers For All Products

UK Security, System Management Bitdefender, Bitdefender Safebox, Offline Installer 0 Comments

Bitdefender product line for 2014 has been released. Last year, Bitdefender 2013 was released in September but this year Bitdefender has been quick to launch the new line of products.

The latest Bitdefender 2014 products include a new technology called Photon technology which makes sure that system performance doesn’t get a hit while the security software is scanning the computer. Here’s the official word:

Bitdefender Photon™ Technology is an innovative antivirus technology that boost scanning time, eliminates slowdowns and accelerates scanning speed by gradually (in matter of hours) understanding and adapting to your PC.

Bitdefender Windows 8 Security

A new wallet has also been introduced which keeps your important data safe and secure. Other than that, minor improvements have been made to the already best performing products of 2013.

Here are the direct download links to offline installers of each Bitdefender 2014 product:

Bitdefender Antivirus Free 2014

Bitdefender Antivirus Free 2014 is a free antivirus which provides lightweight system protection against viruses. It lacks features like anti-spyware, wallet etc. An online installer is available for Bitdefender Antivirus Free 2014. When you run the installer, it will download the remaining files to your system for installation.

Bitdefender Antivirus Free 2014 online installer: Antivirus_Free_Edition.exe

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2014

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2014 includes features like Bitdefender Autopilot, USB immunizer, online remote management, secure browsing, wallet, social network protection, personal data filter et. It can be download from the direct download links below:

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2014 (32-bit): bitdefender_av_17_32b.exe

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2014 (64-bit): bitdefender_av_17_64b.exe

Bitdefender Internet Security 2014

In addition to all the features of Antivirus Plus 2014, the Internet Security 2014 includes features like parental control, cloud antispam, two-way firewall and file shredder. It can be downloaded from the following direct download links:

Bitdefender Internet Security 2014 (32-bit): bitdefender_is_17_32b.exe

Bitdefender Internet Security 2014 (64-bit): bitdefender_is_17_64b.exe

Bitdefender Total Security 2014

Bitdefender Total Security is the ultimate security suite containing all the features Bitdefender has to offer. It includes all the features of Bitdefender Internet Security 2014 and more features like Bitdefender Safebox (Online cloud storage solution), anti-theft, file encryption and PC tune-up. You can download it from below mentioned locations:

Bitdefender Total Security 2014 (32-bit): bitdefender_ts_17_32b.exe

Bitdefender Total Security 2014 (64-bit): bitdefender_ts_17_64b.exe

June 23, 2013

10 Tips To Secure Your Online Data From Hackers

Rafay Farooq List, Security 1 Comment

Digital thieves are on the lookout to steal data, let it be personal information, social media, emails and anything they can get their hands on. Data theft is one of the major cyber crimes that is on the rise and therefore precautions need to be taken to ensure the safety of personal data. Following tips will prove helpful in maintaining security of your accounts.

1- Stronger is better

Keep strong passwords to your accounts. In addition, keep a method of creating strong passwords. Create a good mix of numeric and alphabets to ensure strong password and throw in a couple of special characters for good measure. You can even use software to generate a strong password for you.

1Password is an application used to manage and organize your online account passwords, ID’s and other personal and confidential credentials.

2- Sharing is caring: NOT!

Never share your password with anyone. If the situation requires it, change your password immediately. Password is the key to your online world, never compromise on that.

According to recent research, about 47% malicious attacks on online accounts are done by insiders. Experts advise not to use the same password for all your online accounts and always keep a strong password for accounts where you do financial dealings.

3- Check before you click

Invalid Link

It’s a common occurrence to receive mails of the kind informing you that you have had a stroke of good luck and won a lot of money, or an intriguing mail saying something like “OMG! I can’t believe this is your picture!" Take our advice and don’t click on them. They are called scam mails, designed to trick people into giving information of their accounts.

To prevent yourself from click frauds, always use safe browsers and add-on who block or warn the user when they found any link suspicious or malicious. An interesting study noted that Internet Explorer was the most secure browser. The study still holds true for Internet Explorer 10.

4- Enable Two-Factor Authentication

Two-Factor authentication is a very reliable method of confirming the user’s identity. If your account provider has this feature to offer, turn it on from your account settings. It works on the following principle: in order to verify your identity you must tell something you know (password etc) and confirm something you have (cell phone etc.)

5- Encrypt your Data

In case of a security breach, a lot of valuable information like business or personal emails is jeopardized. In order to keep them safe from the eyes of an invader, encrypt your data before storing it online. You can use software or even small add-on for the job.

There are many encryption algorithms used to secure online data and used in many high security database around the globe. The most common among them is Secured Hash Algorithm which is also used in Digital signatures validation.

6- Resume from Checkpoint

Assuming you have lost your account to a hacker and can no longer access some very important data you were working on, what do you do? Either you begin from scratch, or you resume from last save point. As a smart move, maintain backup of your information to keep a last updated copy.

There are some software available in the market which ensure you that your data is safe from any mishaps and accidental loss. You should always backup your data regularly to make sure that you have the most recent copy of backup in case of any disaster.

7- Keep a plan B

Hacking is a real world problem and at the rate it is occurring these days, there is a good probability that you might get hacked even with your security on. In case of such a crisis, always know your way out. Keep information on the account retrieval and verification method of your respective service providers.

8- Die Daisy Chain!

Don’t link accounts. Linking of accounts only makes it easier for the hackers to gain access to other accounts once they break into any one of them. For example, if a hacker breaks into your Amazon account, it will lead them to your linked twitter account, which will lead them further on, compromising all that you have. This is called Daisy Chaining of Accounts.

9- Fake answers to security questions

Place you grew up in? Favorite pets name? Mothers maiden name? These are all questions asked to verify your identity. If you answer these questions honestly and the attacker is someone who knows you, he/she can guess the answers and obtain hold of your account. To avoid this from happening, always provide bogus answers to such security questions, answers that only you know.

Some forums and websites have very strict rules about security questions as they are one of the most sophisticated way of social engineering to compromise any account.

10- Uniqueness is the key

Always use different passwords for different websites. Keeping the same password for all sites increases the risk of total loss of data in case anyone of the website accounts is hacked. An example is to keep a format of password and change a few letters with respect to website. For example: Facebook password is “fbmYPa$$w0rd" and Google password is “gomYPa$$w0rd".

These tips can help secure your account from malicious software and hackers but you will need to take preventive measures as the proverb says, “Prevention is better than cure”!. Do you have any tips for securing your accounts from online threats?

May 20, 2013

How To Close TCP/UDP Ports In Windows 8 For Better Security

UK Microsoft, Security Firewall 2 Comments

Computer network communication works using software ports. Ports are application specific end points 65,535 ports of which 1024 are pre-defined also known as well-known ports. You can learn more about computer ports through this Wiki article. Viruses and hackers use open ports in the Operating System to have illegal access to the system. The simplest way to stop hackers from connecting to your computer is to close all the opened ports. But this means that all your network communication will come to a halt.

The solution to this problems is that you should only open those ports which are needed by the running applications in your computer. For example, if you are using FTP services, you should open port 21 which is the default port for FTP services. Similarly, if you are using an SSH client, you should open port 22 for the application to communicate.

Windows 8 Firewall

A firewall is used for this very purpose, to close and open computer ports at will. A good firewall can detect inbound and outbound connections to the computer. Windows also comes with a basic firewall which is capable of controlling only inbound connections. This means that if there is a virus in the computer, it will be able to communicate with a remote server without any problems if you are using only Windows Firewall. But if you are using an antivirus like Windows Defender, you are most likely safer from outbound connection attacks.

In this article, we will discuss how to open or close the TCP/UDP ports in Windows for better security and control over your computer. This article applies to all Windows which have Windows Firewall enabled. This includes Windows XP SP2+, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8. We will be using Windows 8 for this tutorial. So all the screenshots will be taken from Windows 8. The same steps with some visual changes can be applied to Windows 7 and earlier Operating Systems.

To open or close a port in Windows 8, follow the steps below:

Go to Control Panel (Windows Key + X + P) –> System and Security –> Windows Firewall
In the left hand pane, click on the “Advanced Settings” link.
On the left hand pane, click on Inbound Rules. You will see a list of rules that have already been made by Windows Firewall.
To create a new rule, click on “New Rule” in the right hand pane.
You will need to select the type of rule that needs to be created. The options include Program, Port, Predefined and Custom. Since we are opening or closing a port, we will select the type as Port.
On the next screen, you will get an option to select the port type as TCP or UDP. Most of the times, TCP is the port type that we will need to select.
In the next step, you will need to select whether this rule should apply to all local ports or specific ports. You can specify a port number if you want the rule to be applied on a specific port.
On the next screen, you will actually make the rules. The rules include “Allow the connection”, “Allow the connection if it is secure” and “Block the connection. If you want to open the port, you will need to select the first option and if you want to close a port, you will need to select the last option.
On the next screen, you will get an option to apply the rule on specific network types like Domain, Private or Public.
In the last step, just give a name to your rule and press the Finish button.

If you want to see which ports are currently open in your computer, you can use the command “netstat” from Command Prompt. This command will display all the open ports in Windows. CurrPorts is a utility which can display open ports in graphical user interface which can be better understood by the user.

I hope this tutorial will help you in configuring your Windows 7 or Windows 8 Firewall better and I’d like to thank you for reading. Any comments and suggestions are always welcome.

May 9, 2013

Why Using Keygens In Windows 8 Is Not A Good Idea

UK Microsoft, Security Antivirus, malware, Windows 8 Product keys 0 Comments

The latest reports from Microsoft suggest that Keygens are the number one threat for Windows 8 and Windows 7 users. The research came in after analyzing the user submitted reports to Microsoft. The reports submitted by users are usually from Microsoft’s own security products like Windows Defender and Microsoft Security Essentials.

What are keygens?

Keygen is a short form of key generator. Software make use of license keys to authenticate the original users who have purchased the software. Usually the license keys are generated automatically using a certain algorithm. Hackers and crackers crack that particular algorithm and create their own key generators. This will enable them to create unlimited number of licenses of that software.

Since this is not done without purpose, crackers will bundle the keygen software with malware and spyware. This means that the keygen will work perfectly but it will also install other malicious software in your computer or deceptively do anything like downloading other malware or force the user into buying a legitimate software from a trusted source.

According to Microsoft, keygens are the most used source of distributing malware across modern Operating Systems like Windows 8 and Windows 7 because they have already beefed up their security from outside. Here is the detection trend for a number of notable and potentially unwanted software families in 2012.

detection trend of malware

And here is the table of malware and potentially unwanted software families most commonly detected by Microsoft antimalware solutions in 2012 Q4.

malware detected by microsoft antimalware

Securing yourself from keygens malware

The best way to secure yourself from this type of malware is not to use any key generators because most of the times it is illegal as most of the times it is used for pirated software. Using keygens is synonymous to inviting malware to your own computer. This is because the keygens are being targeted by hackers and crackers for hacking into the Operating System especially the modern ones like Windows 7 and Windows 8.

If it is an absolute necessity to use a keygen, always have your antivirus solution active at the time of running the keygen. If the antivirus gives any warnings, don’t take it lightly and stop using the keygen. Secondly, take a backup of your computer settings and data. This is because if anything happens, you will be able to revert everything to normal. Third, if the keygen is not big in size, you can scan it using VirusTotal which will scan the file with many popular antivirus engines making sure that you remain absolutely safe while using the keygen.

Do you use keygens on your computer? What is your purpose of using keygens? Did any malware affect your system because of using keygens?

May 8, 2013

How to Manually Remove Virus From USB Flash Drive without Formatting

Abdullah Security, Tips/Troubleshooting Antivirus, usb first aid 20 Comments

In this article, we will discuss about how to manually remove virus from a USB Flash Drive without formatting it. This means that if you follow this tutorial, your data will not be deleted while the virus will be removed from the pen drive.

USB Flash drives are a major source of virus infection. Most computer networks will get infected if one computer gets infected. If this happens, it’s always a lot of pain removing viruses from the networks. Sometimes, users will need to format their hard drives to get rid of the viruses. By using this guide, you will be able to remove the virus without formatting the Flash drive.

Please note that this method will work on a system which is not affected by viruses. Otherwise you may not be able to delete virus files.

Indication of Virus

1. When you plugin a drive, Some Autoplay feature polls you to select an option. If you see a folder like icon that reads open using the program provided on the device. Does not select that. Also does not select Open folder to view files using Windows Explorer. Since the virus can execute with these options. Cancel it.

Note: Windows 7 has disabled the Autorun Option for Flash Drives, since the autorun source is usually unknown.

Autorun dialog for USB drive

2. You will also see a folder like icon instead of Flash Drive Icon in my computer

My Computer

Removal of Virus

Un-hiding hidden files

In Start Menu Click RUN and then type cmd. Type your Flash Drive Letter followed with colon. Here

type attrib -r -a -s -h *.* and press enter.

This will unhide all files.

Correct Way of Opening Flash Drives

Do not open the Flash Drive by double clicking the icon in my Computer or By Right clicking and then Open,Explorer

Open the USB Drive by using Folders Icon.

Click on the Folders icon then select your Flash Drive

Select USB drive from Folders tree

You can select Your Flash Drive by using the Address Bar in Windows Explorer.

Opening flash drive from address bar

Type your Drive letter in the Address Bar

After Opening the drive. Select Details View using this icon

Identifying and removing the virus

You can now see what the virus does with your Flash Drive. The Virus disguises itself as folder. You can see that system file icon as illustrated here is like folder icon. You actually click on the file.

Actually you click on those virus file thinking of them as folder and the virus executes. In the detailed view you can clearly see that the system file has a Type description of Application and the system folder has a Type description of Folder.

Delete all such files. Carefully do not delete the folders.

Delete the Autorun.inf file

Deleting autorun.inf file

You can also delete these files using 7-ZIP. Since it shows such virus files as having application file icon.

Open 7-ZIP and Type your Flash Drive Letter in the Address Bar. Here J:\

Delete all the folders and files you think that you did not save them.

The folders could have names like Recycler,System Volume. Delete them also.

You can also see the Recycle Bin like icons delete them too.

In this illustration these files are virus files

0o.com,system.exe,2m66sr.exe,abk.bat

Deleting suspecious files from usb drive

Now Scan your Flash Drive with some Anti-Virus to delete exe infecting viruses. You can also use a portable antivirus. This is because some application files (which can be some programs like Adobe Reader Setup or else) be affected with exe virus.

If you do not have a proper Anti-Virus then Click on Search and select All files and Folders

In the All or part of file name field type *.exe

In the Look In field select Your Flash Drive

In the More Advanced options select Search System Folders and Search Hidden files and Folders.

When search is complete delete all files

May 8, 2013

Avast 8 Free Antivirus Direct Download Links

UK Security, Software Antivirus, AVG, free antivirus, Offline Installer 0 Comments

Avast Free Antivirus is one of the very best antivirus programs. The latest version of Avast 8 Free adds a lot of new features to keep the system in good shape. The biggest benefit of Avast over other free antivirus like AVG or Avira is that it uses comparatively fewer resources. If you are using Windows 8, Microsoft has already included a free antivirus called Windows Defender. You will need to disable Windows Defender if you are installing any other antivirus.

Features and setup of Avast 8 free

The free version of Avast 8 blocks viruses and spyware and will allow help from a friend if your computer needs fixing. Avast 8 Free Antivirus also introduces add-on features like a software updater and browser cleanup tool. Software updater will check all installed software for new versions and let you download and automatically upgrade to the latest versions of installed software.

Avast free antivirus setup

When you run the installation setup of Avast 8 Free antivirus, it will ask you whether you want to pursue an express install or install the program manually. I recommend installing the program manually because Avast will try to install some extra add-on software like browser plugins and toolbars which can make your system slow. You will need to un-check those add-on software so that only Avast antivirus is installed in the system.

Standalone full setup installers

Nowadays most software offer web-based installers instead of the full ones. There are pros and cons of this. The biggest advantage of web-based online installer is that it will always be updated and the latest software will be downloaded and installed. The disadvantage of this approach is that if a user want to install the software on many computers, it will be a huge waste of Internet bandwidth and time because the installer will download the setup as many times as it is run.

We are providing full standalone installers for Avast 8 free antivirus for the user’s ease so that you can download the latest free antivirus and install it even when you are offline.

Download Avast 8 Free Antivirus (Standalone installer direct download link)

This free antivirus is fully compatible with Windows 8. In fact, Avast 8 free is certified from Microsoft to run on Windows 8 although some users have reported BSODs when running the antivirus software.

Update (9-May-13): The latest version of Avast Free Antivirus 8.0.1489 comes with the BOSD fix which it used to cause for Windows 8 users. You can either update Avast through the Avast updater inside the antivirus or download a fresh copy from the direct download link above.

February 15, 2013

Recovering Windows 8 Product Key From BIOS

UK Microsoft, Security Windows 8 7 Comments

With Windows Activation 3.0, Microsoft is doing a smart job by saving the Windows 8 product keys inside the computer firmware (BIOS) instead of pasting it on the computer or laptop which came pre-installed with Windows 8.

If you have purchased Windows 8 from a retail store, you are safe and can use the same Windows 8 product key again and again and on multiple computer (not simultaneously). This means that if your computer dies or you buy a new computer while disposing off the old one, you will be able to use the same Windows 8 product key which was installed in the dead computer.

The problem of Windows 8 product keys comes with OEM versions of Windows. The OEM edition of Windows 8 comes with the license only to be used on that particular computer. You can’t take another computer and install Windows 8 using the same product key. This is because you will not be able to find the product key which used to be pasted on the computer. Instead of showing the key to everyone, Microsoft embeds the key in the BIOS.

Here’s a word from Microsoft:

The OEM license is actually non-transferable to another PC. When you buy a PC pre-installed with Windows, that version of Windows is only licensed for that PC and cannot be transferred to a new PC. The transfer of the license must accompany the PC it was licensed for. If the customer were able to get that machine fixed, they would simply need to call customer support to re-activate if there were changes big enough to merit PC reset or system recovery unusable.

Let’s look at some options for recovering the Windows 8 product keys when they are embedded into BIOS.

Resetting Windows 8 using the Reset/Refresh Feature

Windows 8 comes with two unique recovery features that were not present in any previous Windows versions including Windows 7 and Windows Vista. The two recovery features can make your life of re-installing Windows a lot easier. The first feature is Windows Refresh feature. Windows Refresh feature will restore Windows settings to factory default. This means that Windows settings will be erased and the default settings will be installed without losing your data. Please note that the Desktop programs that you have installed will also get removed. You will need to install those programs again after using Windows 8 Refresh feature. The Metro apps will have no effect and will not be removed.

General Options Windows 8

To use the Reset or Refresh feature, you will need to go to Charms bar (Windows Key + C) –> Settings –> Change PC Settings –> General

From the right hand screen, you can either select “Refresh you PC without affecting your files” or “Remove everything and reinstall Windows”

Recovering Windows 8 product keys through third-party software

There are a few third-party software that will find and show the product keys of software installed in your computer. This is not limited to Windows or Microsoft only product keys. You can get keys from many other software installations. But since our focus is on Microsoft Windows, we will list down some software which are known to work with Windows 8.

Belarc Advisor

Belarc advisor is the complete system profiling software which can create a detailed profile of installed software and hardware, network inventory, missing Microsoft hotfixes, anti-virus status, security benchmarks etc. Another feature of Belarc Advisor is that it can find the product keys of all Microsoft software installed on the computer including Windows 8. It will be able to extract the product key from Windows Registry. You can make use of the product key and the Windows 8 backup media to install Windows 8 from scratch.

Download Belarc Advisor

ProduKey

ProduKey is a small portable utility from Nirsoft which has been created for extracting detailed information about the products installed in Windows including Windows product keys. Although the publisher’s site does not list Windows 8 as a compatible Operating System for running ProduKey, I have tested it on my Windows 8 computers and it was working perfectly and retrieving all the product keys for Microsoft products.

If you want to get the product key of Windows, you can run ProduKey with the following command parameters to force the program to list Windows product keys:

produkey.exe /WindowsKeys

Download ProduKey

KeyFinder

KeyFinder is another excellent program from The Magical Jelly Bean. It is quite popular and can list down the product keys of more than 300 programs including all Microsoft products. It works smoothly in Windows 8 and gives a lot more information including Product ID, Product key, registration information, product part no. etc. The only limitation is that it is not portable and needs to be installed on the target computer.

Download KeyFinder

Requesting replacement product key from Microsoft

If nothing else is working for you, you will need to call Microsoft and ask for a replacement Windows 8 product key. But before calling Microsoft we need to confirm that we have a OEM version of Windows 8 installed on our computer. If you bought a computer with Windows 8 pre-installed, this will be the most probable case.

With OEM version of Windows 8, you will need to call the support department of your PC vendor first. To get to the support department of your vendor, please go through this Microsoft Windows Vendor list and find the details of your vendor.

If your vendor is not able to solve your problem, then you can go to Microsoft support and ask them for Windows 8 replacement product key. The only glitch here is that Microsoft support will cost you $20 – $40 for getting the product key. In my opinion, it is better than buying a brand new license of Windows 8 which will cost a lot more than this amount.

You can call Microsoft at +1 (800) 936-5700.

What are your experiences about re-installing Windows 8? Please share your experiences with us in the comments.

February 6, 2013

Fake Microsoft Office 2013 Activators And Product Key Generators

UK Microsoft, Security Office 2013 0 Comments

Microsoft Office 2013 RTM version was released a few days ago and is available for download. Although it is very similar to Office 2010, it is better in performance, speed and many other features. As soon as Office 2013 got released, the hackers and crackers have been busy in preparing some kind of activators or keygens which can be used to activate Office 2013 multiple times.

This time, the crackers have taken an innovative approach by using Youtube as their marketing weapon. The hackers have been busy creating Youtube videos which show working activators of Office 2013. These activators can be used to generate unlimited number of Office 2013 product keys so that everyone can used them.

If you go to Google and search for “Office 2013 activator”, you will be greeted with Youtube videos with similar titles like the following:

Microsoft Office 2013 (OFFICE15) Permanent Activation
Microsoft Office 2013 activator [100% working]
Office 2013 activator
Microsoft Office 2013 activation key
Office 2013 KMS activation
Office 2013 activation tutorial
Office 2013 serial key

These are only examples. You can find several more titles and videos on Youtube. Basically, when you encounter one of these titles, be warned that all these Youtube videos tend to be created to trick the user to either install a Trojan in their computer or complete a survey which may have monetary benefit to the video creator.

This is very similar to fake Windows 8 Product Key generators which surfaced after Windows 8 was released. When you encounter a Youtube video or a webpage claiming that they have the Office 2013 activator which is working 100%, make sure that you do not get into their trap of installing malicious software on your computer.

First of all, don’t get into completing surveys just for getting the download link for Office 2013 activator and secondly, don’t download or run any seemingly innocent activator or product key generator on your computer. This may harm your computer without getting into your knowledge.

We highly recommend that you should always use legitimate software which are free from viruses and Trojans. A steps towards the wrong direction can cause problems for your computer especially when you have important data saved in it. You can always buy Office 2013 to be safer or use a free alternative like LibreOffice. Otherwise, go for a subscription based solution like Office 365.

Have you encountered any of these fake activators? What are your experiences about these? Do they really work or are they just scam?

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