Last Minute Linkfest!

Zathura is coming on cable in a few minutes.  We loved Jumanji and I think it has a few of the same elements.

So hold on...popcorn and one last moment of family-time fun await once I pound these links out.

Windows Incident Response: RegRipper Update - Harlan has now released his great tool RegRipper in version 2.02 which now includes the "Advanced" version features.  Download via SourceForge from his post link.  Only at the moment, it looks like SF is choking a bit as none of the mirrors will successfully download it.  Hopefully it will be cleared up soon.

Does a Site Have Malware? Google Provides Diagnosis - Tip via GoogleBlogoscoped.  I have previously posted tips for Pre-Scanning of URL Links for Safe Web Surfing.  Now If you know the correct Google-code for searches, you just need to "append any domain – your domain or another site you want to check on – to the end of the URL “google.com/safebrowsing/diagnostic?site="  That link also has a form box you can use if you want to bookmark.

Java SE 6u10-build 24 is now available - I use these cutting-edge beta Java versions which are optimized for added Firefox performance.  Build 24 was just released. Just download and install over the old 6u10 version.  I do have the current "standard" version of Java 6 also installed.

Quick and easy HP JetDirect firmware updates - Tip via "the back room tech" blog.  Use HP JetDirect Download Manager to keep your HP network printers happy and updated.  Pretty neat.  See Julie's post for GUI screenshot.

Lavasoft released 2008 edition of Ad-Aware - Donna's SecurityFlash. And here I was just downloading and installing version 2007 on a friend's pc the other day.  Oh well. Ad-Aware 2008 Free.  Not quite my favorite or most powerful any longer, but still easy anti-malware protection and scanning for most home users.

Workstation Migration Assistant 1.0 RC3 - dcunningham.net. More improvements are seen in this latest project installment from Dan Cunningham.  I'm sitting on a pretty big post about this and some other GUI-based Workstation Migration Assistant tools.  Hope to get that posted in the near future.

Outlook Attachment Remover - (freeware) - Little Outlook add-in to save and extract attachments. I haven't loaded it on my system yet.  Looks handy, but I have been in the habit of removing and filing attachments to my Outlook messages at work for quite a while now.  Really cuts down on PST file sizes.  Only wish I could find a way to add in a note to the emails which would record the original file-name in the email.  Maybe someone knows a solution?  Related: Outlook Attachment Remover Add-in - Review via gHacks and Windows Tip: Remove Outlook Attachments Without Deleting the Message via Lifehacker.

Firefox Ponders Suicide - [sarcasm] -Calendar Of Updates.  Basic premise here is that Mozilla might find a way to leverage the pretty massive install base of Firefox to collect (ostensibly "anonyomized" data on surfing habits of its users for statistical outsourcing.  Read also: Mozilla phancies doing a Phorm - The Register and Mozilla Stealth Data Project Could Be Just What The Internet Needs - TechCrunch.  Appears participation would be optional by Mozilla users. Still seems kinda creepy and no word if "opt-in" or "opt-out" will be set by default.  I'm thinking someone will be struck by logic and reason and decide this isn't a good thing for Mozilla to play around with.  Good way to get burned by your fans, even if the "Fire" is in your product's name.

SpecialFoldersView - (freeware) - New Nirsoft utility that might not be useful to most Windows users, but is still a bit cool and handy to have around.  Basically it displays all the "special" Windows folders and allows you to quickly navigate to them by double-clicking the folder. So if you are a hard-core Windows System folder jock, this might be right up your alley.  I've added it to my USB stick collection.

Security Process Explorer - (freeware) - I'm always on the lookout for Windows process explorer tools and utilities.  I have a very good collection now and yet another mega-massive post just for these waiting in the wings.  Anyway, found this one this weekend.  Good? Well, it provides a semi-useful bar for most processes showing a "unique security risk rating". You can see details, Google search items directly, block and end processes. It lets you monitor processes and has some good info. Supports Windows 2000, 2003, XP and Vista (32-bit only). If you decide to play with it, take a moment to click on the "view" file-bar and see additional column items you can add. Bad? Comodo Firewall kept firing off serious warning alerts when I would try to view the properties of items. I'm still not sure what that was about. Processes are displayed, but apparently not in a helpful (to me) process-tree/dependency view. Also, it's not nearly as powerful as the venerable Process Explorer from Microsoft's Sysinternals.  Might be good for newbies to teeth on as a step-up from Task Manager, but real sysadmins won't find any reason to replace Process Explorer. It remains the paragon of Windows Process management utilities.

There you have it.

Time to put the pop-corn in the microwave!

See you in the skies!

--Claus