I have to admit when I first started using Windows 8 and tried to shut it down for the first time I was a little frustrated. Even after I learned how to properly shutdown the system, I wasn't really happy with any method I found, until I came up with the solution below.
Utilizing a built-in feature of the Windows application shortcut you can execute any of these operations with shortcut keys. This feature is mostly forgotten, and has literally been around for decades.
On an empty area of the Windows desktop, right-click and select New > Shortcut. When the 'Create Shortcut' dialog box appears, type shutdown /s /t 0 and press the Next button.
to restart the computer, use: shutdown /r /t 0
to hibernate the computer, use: shutdown /h /t 0
to log-off of the current session, use: logout
Give the shortcut a name, and then press the Finish button.
Right-click the new shortcut icon, and select Properties.
In the Properties window, click in the box next to the Shortcut key. Type in your desired shortcut. For example, press CTRL+ALT+S (or anything else you want, personally I use CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+S to help avoid accidentally shutting down the computer).
Press the OK button.
Now all you have to do is press the shortcut key you created, and the computer will perform the operation you selected. To delete the keyboard shortcut, open its file properties dialog box click the box next to 'Shortcut key', and press the Delete key.
Note: This trick can be used on just about any application shortcut, and in most versions of Windows.
Bonus Tip: another quick way to shutdown Windows is to click an empty area of the desktop and press ALT+F4.
The web browser is the number one attack surface criminals are using to infect your computer or steal private information. None of the security and privacy technologies built into any browser are perfect, and will keep you safe at all times. The bad guys are updating their tools and exploits all the time to try to circumvent these protections.
Internet criminals use weaknesses in a browser or its extensions to execute malicious code on the local computer. Although, by keeping your browser and extensions up-to-date. Also limiting the number of extensions you install to the bare minimum, you can help protect your computer and your privacy.
In the past Internet Explorer had a bad reputation for being vulnerable to these types of attacks. Microsoft has worked hard to clean up Internet Explorer's reputation in the last few years. For more information see the following report from NSS Labs.
Below is a list the more well known Internet Explorer 10's built-in security and privacy features:
Tracking Protection: Helps filters out scripts and files that can track you online (more info).
Tools, Safety menu, Tracking Protection...
SmartScreen: Filters malicious web sites and content
Tools, Safety menu, Turn on SmartScreen filters...
Disables Flash extensions: Disables the Flash plug-ins by default when a web page is loaded.
Note: IE has two interfaces, desktop which supports add-ons, and the touch screen native interface that doesn't.
InPrivacy Browsing: Doesn't record the browsing history (cookies, visited sites, etc.).
Press: Ctrl + Shift + P
Delete Browser History: Automatically purges the browser's history when exiting.
Internet Options, check the Delete browsing history on exit checkbox
Security Zone: Enables or disables browser features based on the site's URL
Tools, Internet Options, Security tab
Privacy Settings: Controls how cookies are handled by the browser.
Tools, Internet Options, Privacy tab
Family Safety: Controls what content different users can view.
Tools, Internet Options, Content tab, press the Family Safety button
Password Manager: Stores usernames and passwords for different sites.
Tools, Internet Options, Content tab, press the Setting button in the AutoComplete section.
Popup Blocker: Prevents web sites from spawning popup windows.
Tools, Internet Options, Privacy tab, press the Setting button in the Pop-up Blocker section.
A company called eyeSight offers software that allows you to control your PC using hand gestures without the use of special hardware (such as the LeapMotion). The eyeSight software utilizes the camera that that is attached to your PC or already built into your laptop.
Note: I have not used this product, so I am not aware of its true advantages or limitations. This information is provided for reference only.
In Windows 8 the lock screen is enabled by default. For some people this is an annoyance rather then a feature. If you want to disable this feature and display the Start screen automatically when you turn on the computer, follow the instructions below:
Open the Start screen, or press WinKey+R to open the Run command dialog
Type "netplwiz.exe" press enter, or launch the app when it is displayed.
Select the user account you want to automatically be logged into.
Uncheck the item: Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer.
Press the OK button, you'll be prompted to enter the password twice.
Next time when you start up the computer, you will not be prompted with a password. To re-enable the lock screen just run the program netplwiz.exe again, and re-check the item: Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer, and then press the OK button.
Note: If you use this feature, your password will be stored in the registry as plain text.
The Windows Calculator is one of those features that has been around for a long, long time. For the most part it gets unnoticed until you need to do some basic calculations.
To quickly bring up the calculator, from the Start screen type CALC and select the calculator icon, or from the Run... command (WinKey + R) type: CALC.EXE.
When you first start-up calculator it will look like it always does, with just the basic features. To access the more advanced modes (such as the unit or date conversion, and worksheets), open up the File menu or use the keyboard shortcuts below:
Available calculator modes:
ALT+1: Standard
ALT+2: Scientific
ALT+3: Programmer
ALT+4: Statistics
CTRL+H: Enable the history feature
CTRL+U: Unit Conversion
CTRL+E: Date Conversion
Note: To access the mortgage, vehicle lease and fuel economy worksheets, from the File menu, select Worksheets then select the one you want to use. To revert the calculator back to its default functionality, press CTRL+F4.
Bonus Tip: It is pretty easy to assign a special key combination to the calculator's shortcut (just right-click the program's icon (in the File Explore, go to "%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\" and select Calculator.lnk) select Properties, and click in the Shortcut Key field, then assign a keyboard combination such as Ctrl + Alt + C, and then press the OK button)
"Windows To Go" is a new feature included in Windows 8 Enterprise edition that allows for the creation of a "portable bootable Windows workspace" on a USB flash drive. This workspace is designed to store your OS, applications, and data on a single device that can be easily moved between computers.
Since these drives are fully self contained, no data is written to the host computer. This prevents the accidental loss of data because it was stored on another computer.
Unfortunately this feature is not available in other editions of Windows 8. Its worth noting the Windows 8 Enterprise edition is only sold to Microsoft Volume Licence customers.
Windows To Go operates just like any other installation of Windows with a few exceptions that are listed below:
The hibernate and sleep features are disabled by default to help prevent accidental data corruption.
Drives attached to the host computer are not available to prevent data from being written to them.
The Trusted Platform Module (TPM) can't be used because its hardware specific
When BitLocker Drive Encryption is implemented, a pre-OS boot password is utilized.
The Windows Recovery Environment, OS Refresh and Reset features are disabled.
Access to the Windows Store is disabled because apps licensed through the store are linked to hardware for their licensing.
System requirements to run Windows To Go:
The host computer has to be certified to run Windows 7 or 8.
Are you looking for an updated high-level up-to-date reference of all the built-in command line tools and utilities that are available in the current version of Windows? Check out the following article, its almost everything any Windows power-user or systems administrator will need to know about the built-in command line tools and utilities.
In the new Windows 8 Start menu, you may have figured out that you can arrange icons into what are called Tile Groups. Which is exactly what the name says, a group of icons that are arranged together for a specific purpose (e.g. Office applications, Image Editing, etc.).
If you're wondering how to name these tile groups there is a little trick that you have to know. Follow the instructions below:
Press the WinKey to bring up the Start screen.
Press the minus sign icon in the lower right hand corner (this will zoom out all the icons).
Note: for touch screens you can use the reverse pinching gesture or you can hold down the Ctrl + Scroll wheel
Right-click on the tile group that you want to name (this will select the tile group).
In the application bar at the bottom of the screen, press "Name Group" button.
A small dialog will popup with a Name field. Enter a name for a group, and press the enter key or the name button.
If you do a lot of troubleshooting or system diagnostics you will end up working in the administrator command prompt often. Most people might right-click the Command Prompt shortcut icon and then select the Run as administrator option.
Other tricks for starting the command prompt in administrator mode include, from the Run... command or the Start screen you can type CMD and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
However, there is an easy way to modify the command prompt shortcut so always start administrator mode.
Right-click the Command Prompt icon shortcut and select Properties.
On the Shortcut tab and press the Advanced... button.
Check the Run as administrator checkbox and then press the OK button.
Press the button again.
When this shortcut is used it will start the Command Prompt with administrative permissions.
Below are Windows keyboard shortcuts for the taskbar that work in Windows 8 desktop mode (this tip is backwards compatible with Windows 7). These shortcuts allow you to access items pinned to the taskbar or any desktop application that is currently running that has its icon in this area.
WinKey + (Number): Windows automatically assigns keyboard shortcuts to programs in the taskbar on the desktop. To access them, use the WinKey+the number position of the program in the order it appears there.
For example, if Internet Explorer is the first icon in your taskbar by pressing WinKey+1 it will open it. If the Windows Explorer is the second icon in your taskbar by pressing WinKey+2 it will open it.
WinKey + Shift + (Number): Opens a new instance of the program associate with the WinKey + number position. So if you had one instance of Internet Explorer running this would open up a new copy of the application in memory.
WinKey + Ctrl + (Number): Switches to the last instance of that program associated with that WinKey + number position.
WinKey + Alt + (Number): Opens the jump menu of the program associated with that WinKey + number position.
I have been following Leap Motion for what feels like forever. I wonder if it has the potential to help Windows 8 really take off.
Using Windows 8 is okay when using it with a mouse, but its even better with a touchscreen. With a Leap Motion type of device you have the possibility of having a user interface like 'Minority Report'.
Although, I am prepared to be underwhelmed, but I would like to hope for the best. It seems these days that most products can't live up to our expectations, but it doesn't make the technology any less cool.
Video description: "It's what we've always envisioned for Leap Motion — to break down the barriers between people and technology. Here's a video to show you how close we are. With Leap Motion technology, Windows OS is natural, easy, and fun to use. You'll navigate your desktop, browse the web, flip through photos, and do everything you do everyday in extraordinary ways —all with the wave of a hand or lift of a finger."
Native Windows 8 applications don't have the traditional drop-down menus (such as File, Edit, etc.) like older desktop applications. Windows 8 apps use the "charms" side menu and the application bar (swipe up from the bottom on a touch screen or press the WinKey+Z) for these features.
The charm menus can be accessed sliding your finger to the left from the right-side of the touchscreen display, or by moving the mouse to the lower or upper right corner of the screen. There are also keyboard shortcuts for accessing these charms directly:
WinKey + C: Displays the Charms menu on the right side of the screen.
From here you can access the Search, Share, Start, Devices, and Settings menus.
WinKey + F: Performs a file search.
Windows will search for all documents that match the keywords entered.
WinKey + H: Opens the Sharing charm menu.
Allows the sharing of content with people or applications that support this feature.
WinKey + I: Opens the Setting charm menu.
Modify the current application or Start screen application and feature settings.
WinKey + K: Opens the Device charm menu.
Allows you to send content to another device such as a printer.
Below is an article that I found this morning: "Web browsers are one of the main ways that malware finds its way onto your machine. Tests carried out by NSS Labs looked at the five major players, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera and Internet Explorer to see which offers the best protection against more than 700 examples of real-world malware. And the safest is... (Drum roll and a long, reality TV-style pause...) Internet Explorer 10, blocking 99.96 percent of known malicious downloads." (read the rest of the article)
For years Internet Explorer has been lambasted by the press for being insecure. Unfortunately I will have to let its "track record" speak for itself.
Over the last few years Microsoft put in a lot of energy to improve this application. What is interesting is that Firefox and Chrome were considered more secure then IE for a long time, but unfortunately over the last few years their security enhancements have been falling behind.
Windows 8 comes with several new built-in applications that provide access to a variety of different types of content (news, sports, and weather) and services (email, storage, and more). The following is an excerpt from the article: "Windows 8 comes with the following built-in touch-optimized applications out-of-the box (meaning that they're installed by default). These apps can perform several different types of functions from managing your digital communications (email, IM, etc.) to browsing the different types of content (movies, videos, pictures, etc.) on your local system. As I talked about in an earlier article, there are two types of applications available for Windows 8. There are the older desktop applications that are installed by using optical media or by downloading it off the Internet. Then there are the native Windows 8 apps that are written to take advantage of the new Windows UI." (read the rest of the article)
As I stated in a previous post, I am working on a series of articles about Windows 8. This is my second article in the series that briefly explains most of the major new features of the operating system.
"Secure Boot: This is one of the more controversial features of the new operating system especially for Linux users who dual boot their system. This feature is only available on Windows 8 certified computers. The way the UEFI secure boot feature works is that it only allows signed operating systems to boot, this prevents unauthorized code from loading which could contain malware.
Faster Booting: Windows 8 boots faster because it uses a technique of partially hibernating the system kernel when the computer is shut down. When the system is booted, the ‘memory state’ of the previous session gets reinitialized more quickly." (read the rest of the article)
I am going to be doing a series of articles on Windows 8, and this is my first article that explains how to use the new Windows operating system. This article focuses on providing a brief background of the product and an explanation of the two different platforms and versions of Windows that are available.
Below is an excerpt from the article: "If you're a new user to Windows 8, one of the first things you might ask
is, "where's the Start menu". Microsoft had to do away with the Start
menu and create the Start screen because the world is become more
reliant on mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, and touchscreen
laptops. ...
The traditional Windows metaphor such as the Start Menu (and several others: such as windowed applications, drop-down menus, etc.) don't lend themselves well to the newer mobile device technologies like high resolution touchscreens that don't support a standard keyboard and mouse. " (read the rest of the article)
Hulu Plus gives you more access to popular movies and TV shows on Hulu. For a limited-time, the site is offering a one month free trial of the Hulu Plus service to new customers. Normally the free trial is only for one week.
It's important to note a credit card is required to complete the sign up, and according to the site the offer is only available for a few more days.
I found this tip on another site, and I thought it was too cool not to share. This article discusses how to create a custom context menu for shutting down (restarting, hibernating, etc.) your computer. Its also a pretty good introduction to creating your own customized context menus for other tasks.
Note: This requires modifying the registry, so this tip is not for those who don't know what they're doing. So use this information at your own risk.
The image below is an example of what the context menu looks like (note: the menu wording, commands and the icons are customizable) . Read the article to understand how it works.
Towards the bottom of the article there is a link to some registry files that will install (or uninstall) the menu. See the "Using the Reg files" section of the article for more information.
Are you a photographer that uses Adobe Photoshop Lightroom? If you work with RAW image files (uncompressed image files that contain all the color data from the camera's CCD sensor) this tool is a must have.
Its also one of the best photo management suites available. It provides great tools for managing your images, and making corrections or other adjustments to your photographs.
Adobe is offering a free download of the Lightroom 5 beta. If you don't know what a beta is, its a pre-released version of an application that's generally incomplete, which means it could have a lot of bugs in it.
Company's release beta versions of their applications to allow people to try out the next generation version of their software. This also helps them find bugs in it before its released to the general public.
Do you have some videos from your smartphone or from another device that you would like to edit into one continuous video? Maybe you want to add titles, video effects or a sound track to a movie that you created.
Microsoft Movie Maker (download) is an easy to use application that allows you to import create or edit picture slide shows and videos. You can move things around, speed it up or slow it down, edit the soundtrack and add a theme Movie Maker also adds transitions and effects automatically so your movie looks more professional.
Then once it's finished, the application makes it easy to post it online via Facebook, YouTube or other social networking and video sharing sites.
If you manage Windows servers in a small lab or a large data center, then you need the Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 8 (download). This tool enables system administrators to manage roles and features that are installed on remote computers that are running Windows Server 2012, 2008 R2, and 2008 (all versions).
NOTE: In this release of Remote Server Administration Tools all the tools are enabled by default. There is no need to enable them by using the Turn Windows features on or off dialog in Windows 8.
To remove tools that you don't want to use, follow the instructions below:
On the desktop, hover in the upper right corner of the screen, and then click Settings, then click the Control Panel.
Click Programs, and then in Programs and Features, click the Turn Windows features on or off link.
In the Windows Features dialog box, expand Remote Server Administration Tools, and then expand either Role Administration Tools or Feature Administration Tools.
Clear the check boxes for any tools that you want to remove. Press the OK button, and then close the Control Panel window.
One of the first rules to securing your accounts today is having a unique password for all of them. With so many unique credentials it's next to impossible for the average person to remember them. This is why a good password manager is so important, it allows you to safely store and retrieve these electronic credentials.
I have been meaning to write an article about password managers. I recently came across the following article in BetaNews. Here is an excerpt, "Here’s the contradiction: you need secure, unique and hard-to-remember passwords to protect your online (and offline) accounts from being hacked. However, remembering those secure, unique and hard-to-remember passwords is another matter entirely. Thankfully there is a solution, and it’s called a password manager." (read the rest of the article)
One piece of advice, whatever password manager you choose make sure that your data file is backed up.
Extensions and add-ons, can both enhance and cripple your browser. The right ones can extend the functionality of the browser, but too many bog it down.
To help identify resource-hogging extensions Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome include built-in utilities for troubleshooting these add-ons.
Depending on the browser you're using, type the following command into the address bar:
Have you ever accidentally deleted or over-written a file that contained important information? Windows 8 has a feature called "File History" that automatically saves older versions of your files so that they can be restore later.
Unfortunately, this feature is not enabled by default. To turn it on you have to open the System and Security control panel. This feature does require a second drive (such as an: internal, external or a network drive) in order to use it. Open Advanced settings, set how often you would like the system to back up your files and how long it should keep them.
After the feature is enabled, Windows will backup the files in the background. If you need to recover a file, open the File History control panel click the Restore personal files link then select the file from the list.
Have you ever wondered how fast your ISP really is compared to others? Check out Netflix's ISP Speed Index to find out.
There probably are other sites that offer this information (to be honest I didn't really care to check), but Netflix is one of the few sources I think can give impartial and accurate information.
So if you want to see how well your current ISP rates compared to others. Or, if you're looking to find or change ISPs, I would check out this site.
Windows 8 was the first version of Windows that I upgraded and I didn't preform a clean install. I utilized Microsoft's online upgrade offer that allowed you to install the upgraded version of the OS over the Internet.
The only problem with this option was I didn't get a copy of the media. I at least wanted a copy of the ISO file (a file that contains a image of the CD or DVD that can be burned to a physical disk with the right optical drive and media) so I can make a DVD if I need to.
If you want to download the Windows ISO, go to the following page (Upgrade to Windows 8 with only a product key). Press the Install Windows 8 button on the web page, and download the Installer.
Make sure to have your Windows 8 product key ready, enter the information into the field and then press the Next button. The application will display the version of Windows that your eligible to download, and press the Next button.
After a few minutes of downloading and processing files, the installer will ask you how you want to install the OS. Select the Install by creating media option, and then press the Next button. Select the ISO file option, and then press the Save button.
Excerpt from article: "If you were still thinking that the Leap Motion Controller was going to turn into vaporware, it looks like you were wrong. Just less than a year after the company first made waves with its tiny gesture recognizing box, a finished product is getting ready to ship." (read the rest of the article)
To put it simply
getting hit by malware (e.g. viruses, Trojan horses, worms, etc.) sucks. Sometimes it can be caused by doing something simple or not very obvious or other times it can be caused by doing something dumb. As the old cliche goes, "There is no use crying over
spilt milk because it only makes it sour for the cat".
All you can do
is try to clean up what you can. Modern malware can be virulent depending
on the strain that attacked your machine. Try to figure out how you were hit, did you open an email
attachment, click a link on a website, download a file from the Internet
and run it, etc.? Try to learn from the mistake if you can.
Warning: Follow the advice in this article at your own risk, the author is not responsible for any type of damage
(or other type of consequences) that can be caused by following the
advice in this document. Make sure you have a good backup of your data
before proceeding with any of the information below.
Cleaning Up From a Malware Attack
The problem with modern malware, is its designed to be difficult to remove. In most cases you have two choices. One, if you're extremely
paranoid and have lots of time you can format your hard drive
and re-install your operating system (warning: before doing this make sure that you have a good backup of your data, and have product keys, OS media disk, any special drivers you need, and copies of your applications). Two, if you're not extremely paranoid
or don't have you lots of time, you can try some of the following
things:
Make sure your reputable real-time anti-malware application (beware of rouge and fake versions of these products, if you have never heard of the company before then you might not want to trust it) is working,
and up-to-date, then run a scan of your computer and see if its detect
anything.
You can also download and run a stand-alone anti-malware scanner to get a second opinion such as: Microsoft Safety Scanner, or Malwarebytes (note: its sometime better to use scanner from a different vendor to get an accurate second opinion.).
When utilizing these tools, its advisable to reboot your computer into Safe Mode (press F8 several times during start-up, and select "Safe Mode") and run them.
Change web site passwords that have been effected or are critical accounts (e.g. work, financial related, etc.).
Run Windows Update and make sure your operating system software and applications are up-to-date.
I would also recommend uninstalling All versions of Java and Adobe Acrobat reader
Malware often utilizes vulnerabilities in these applications.
There are some applications you may need that utilize Java. If you must keep it, uninstall all the old versions, and make sure you're using the most up-to-date version
If your Flash plug-in is not up-to-date, download and install the latest version
Its also a good idea to make sure that you have a good backup of all your data.
For
more advanced user, you might want to check your HOST file and DNS settings (see below) to make sure that they were not modified.
Checking your DNS configuration settings
In the Start menu search field, typeNetwork Connectionsand selectView network connections.
In the Network Connections window, right-click a connection that needs an alternate IP address configuration (e.g., Local Area Connection) and selectProperties.
In the Properties dialog box, on the Networking tab, scroll down and clickInternet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IP v4)and press thePropertiesbutton.
In the General tab, enter the information for the main network you use (such as a static IP, subnet mask, default gateway and DNS server information).
I would also recommend setting up an alternate trusted DNS provider, such as OpenDNS and Google Public DNS.
Sometimes malware can also install applications that auto-start when your system boots, use System Internals Autoruns to view all programs that are executed at start-up. Review all the applications for suspicious entries.
Sometimes malware will also install applications to get executed under certain conditions by the Task Scheduler. From the Start menu search field type: Task Scheduler, and review all the task for suspicious entries.
Malware is getting smart enough to leverage web site settings in Twitter (e.g. Twitter Oauth) and Facebook (e.g. Facebook Login) because of their support for authentication and setting up application trust for third party web sites. To prevent this from happening to you, review the settings in your profile and unauthorized any site or application that you don't trust.
Utilizing this technology malware can log into other sites, and even post entries in other people's news streams. Recently some malware was posting malicious links on a friend's Facebook profile from Twitter. If someone clicked the link and their system was vulnerable their Facebook account would have been taken over too.
There are going to be times where conventional malware removal techniques will not work, and will require the computer to be booted into safe mode or utilize a special boot media (e.g. flash drive or optical media) that can remove the virus from the operating system while its not active. One example of this type of tool is Windows Defender Offline.
This might not help the situation, but hopefully it will purge any copies of the malware that might be in temporary areas.
Delete your browser cache (Internet Explore and Firefox, press Ctrl-Shift-Del)
You might considering dumping your Restore Points, sometimes infected files can get backed up by this system process.
Open the System control panel, click the System protection link. Select a drive, press the Configure button, then press the Delete button.
Run the Disk Cleanup (Start menu > All programs > Accessories > System Tools), this will purge temporary file locations on the system.
Notes:
Even after cleaning your computer with these methods there are no guarantees that its malware free.
The links to the products in this document are for reference only, and they're not recommended or endorsed by the author.
Are you encountering a situation where you're getting an "Access is denied" error when connecting to a share on a machines in a workgroup. For example, if you used following command:
net use * \\computername\d$ /user:computername\username password
Then you get the following error:
System error 5 has occurred.
Access is denied.
Try running the following command (requires the administrator command prompt):
Warning: by modifying the registry you run the risk of damaging your operating system, only proceed if you know what you're doing. The reader takes all responsibility for ANY damage or problems that may occur by following these instructions.
Start the Registry Editor (REGEDIT.EXE).
If you get the UAC prompt, acknowledge it.
Locate and then click the following registry sub-key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ System
in the Edit menu, select New and then select DWORD (32-bit) value.
In name field type LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy, and then press the Enter key.
Right-click the LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy, and then press the Modify button.
In the Value data box, type 1, and then press the OK button.
Are you having a problem connecting to a Windows network share (e.g. \\computer_name\share_name) or the default administrator shares (e.g. \\computer_name\c$)? This happens to computers on networks that are connected to a domain controller or local workgroup.
In my own personal experience has been that local workgroups are more unreliable then domain controller connected shares. Below are tips to help troubleshoot this problem:
Has there recently been any new updates or changes in the hardware, operating systems, software or configuration made on the client or remote computer?
For example, were system or application updates installed
Is the problem happening from one machine on your network or all the machines on your network?
If its just one computer is having the a problem connecting to it, see if it having problems connecting to other computers. If its just the one computer, reboot and try again.
If multiple computers are having problems connecting to the share, then there could be an issue with the share's configuration or the file and print service on the remote computer.
Are you having a problem with one or all the file shares on the computer?
If you're having a problem with one share delete and recreate.
If multiple shares are failing, it could be a problem with the network configuration or file and print service.
Can you ping the computer? Its possible that the client is having problems communicating with the DNS servers or the network configuration or the local machine is not setup correctly
Trying pinging the computer:
Local Machine: ping localhost or ping 127.0.0.1
If this doesn't work there is something wrong with the local machines network configuration drivers, hardware or connection.
DNS Name: ping machine_name
FQDN: ping machine_name.example.com
IP Address: ping 10.1.1.10
Note: If you can't ping the machine with the DNS Name, try the FQDN, if that fails try the IP address. If you are able to ping the machine with any of these, then try to use that method to connect to it: net use * \\machine_name.example.com
Does the account have the right file and share permissions?
If the account you're trying to use to connect doesn't have proper permission to file and share, then you're not going to be able to access the file. Make sure to check them both.
Make sure that no existing connections are preventing you from making a new connection.
Open up the Windows explorer and clear all remote connections by right clicking them and selecting disconnect, also open up the command prompt and type "net use * /delete"
Do you know that the account doesn't have a password or is the account locked?
If you're using a workgroup account:
Try resetting the account password to the account you're using to connect to the share.
Try creating a different account, and setup the permissions, and try to access the share.
On the remote computer make sure the share is setup correctly in the Computer Management console (COMPMGMT.MSC).
Tip: In the Computer Management console kill off all Sessions connected to the share.
Make sure the firewall ports are not blocked?
If you can't connect to the network share, make sure the ports are open in the firewall and accessible by the remote computer.
Other considerations:
Windows 7 and higher
Try disabling or leaving the HomeGroup (in the Control Panel \ Network and Sharing Center \ HomeGroup)
Check your "Advanced Sharing Settings" (in the Control Panel\Network and Sharing Center) in the Home and Work profile, make sure the "File and Printer sharing" is enabled.
Make sure you're not using the Public profile (in Control Panel\Network and Sharing Center), this setting blocks all ports.
Workgroup vs. Domain
Are both machines (local and remote) in the same workgroup or domain?
Network configuration
Was the network configuration changed (see IPCONFIG /ALL)
Adapter configuration
Are all the appropriate protocols enabled?
Where there any changes to the HOST file
Service configuration
Did someone change the default ports?
Network considerations:
Other thing that can effect communication are: IPSEC, VLANs, IPv6, NAP (Network Access Protection), etc. talk to your network engineer about these issues.
LibraOffice is an offshoot of the OpenOffice open source project that split-off from the original project because of issues that they had with it (more information).
If you're looking for a free open source multi-platform office suite, this is one of the better ones. I never found it as powerful as Microsoft Office, but if you're looking for a free office suite of tools this is the one I like to use.
betanews reported: "The Document Foundation released LibreOffice 4.0 FINAL. The open-source, cross-platform productitivty suite, which is based on OpenOffice, has evolved to the point where the developers are happy to assign a major new version number. Version 4.0 includes a number of relatively minor new features, but the big changes will come under the hood, marking the first radical development in the program’s API since the app it was built on -- OpenOffice -- was first released. Other changes include support for Firefox Personas, integration with CMS and online storage providers, plus support for importing both Microsoft Publisher and the latest VISIO documents." (read the rest of the article)
Ars Technica reports: "Adobe Systems has released a patch for two Flash player vulnerabilities that are being actively exploited online to surreptitiously install malware, one in attacks that target users of Apple's Macintosh platform.
While Flash versions for OS X and Windows are the only ones reported to be under attack, Thursday's unscheduled release is available for Linux and Android devices as well. Users of all affected operating systems should install the update as soon as possible." (read the rest of the article)
I am not sure how often you can use this, but its still is a cool trick. By placing the following line (data:text/html, <html contenteditable>) of code into the address bar it will turn your browser window into a notepad.
I have tested this in the latest releases of Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox and it worked fine. It does not work in Internet Explorer, I have tested both versions 9 and 10.
Ars Technica reports: "Mozilla engineers plan to disable Java, Adobe Reader, and Microsoft Silverlight capabilities in their flagship Firefox browser in a move aimed at improving security and performance. By default, Firefox will load content based on all three plugins only after users click an icon that explicitly permits it. The feature, known as click to play, was introduced late last year. Until now, it disabled out-of-date plugins to prevent hack attacks and browser crashing. Sometime soon, it will begin blocking all plug-ins except for the most recent version of Adobe Flash." (read the rest of the article)
I have stopped running Java and Adobe Acrobat Reader a long time ago, but I still use Silverlight for Netflix. Personally I would like to see an end to all plug-ins, I think they can be useful, but offend create more problems (e.g. memory leaks, crashes, and performance issues). I am looking forward to the greater adoption of standards based technology like HTML 5.
VentureBeat reports: "Microsoft’s Windows 8 operating system is about to become a lot more expensive. An upgrade of Windows 8 Pro will go from costing $40 in a promotional offer to a much more expensive $200 at the beginning of February. Microsoft offered up an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $40 to try to get consumers more interested in the OS. It claims 60 million licenses of Windows 8 have been sold to date, but we don’t know how many of those copies have actually been activated." (read the rest of the article)
If you're wanting to upgrade to Windows 8 and haven't yet, don't miss out on this deal.
Gizmodo has an article about a one terabyte flash drive that is available from Kingston, here is excerpt from it: "Last year at CES Victorinox surprised everyone with a one terabyte flash drive that the company estimated would sell for almost $3,000. It sounded too good to be true, and given there's been no sign of it since last January, it apparently was. So can Kingston fill the void left in our hearts with its new HyperX Predator one terabyte USB 3 flash drive? Let's hope so." (read the rest of the article)
First product that I have seen from CES 2013 that looks interesting (so far). I have been a big fan of the Lenovo Yoga since CES 2012. Now it's going to be tough for me to decide which one I want more, its a toss up between the Microsoft Surface Pro or the Lenovo Helix.
Microsoft is offering a free book called "Introducing Windows 8: An Overview for IT Professionals (Final Edition)". Below is excerpt from the web site describing the book: "Is this book for you? Get a headstart evaluating Window 8—guided by a Windows expert who’s worked extensively with the software since the preview releases. Based on final, release-to-manufacturing (RTM) software, this book introduces new features and capabilities, with scenario-based insights demonstrating how to plan for, implement, and maintain Windows 8 in an enterprise environment. Get the high-level information you need to begin preparing your deployment now." (read more on the website)
Video description from the site: "Windows PowerShell v3 is here, and it is delivering on Microsoft's promise to make nearly everything in Windows manageable from the command-line. Are you finally going to learn the shell, or learn to say, "would you like fries with that?" instead? Join PowerShell author, columnist, trainer, and MVP Don Jones (one of the world's most well-known PowerShell experts) in a crash course that shows you how to use the shell's key features. No scripting experience needed—you'll use the shell as it as meant to be used to accomplish real administrative tasks with just a few commands. Also, learn how the shell can teach you how to use itself, setting you up for success with the new wave of Microsoft and third-party enterprise products."
Below is a excerpt from an article on a web site called The Jason Chronicles called "Netflix Alternatives (Streaming Movie Sites)": "Like many people, I have ditched my TV several years ago and get most of my video entertainment from sites like Hulu and Netflix. I have been a huge fan of Netflix for years, I thought they provided a great deal for what you got. Although, after their rate hikes in 2011, I have been contemplating alternatives to their service. It is worth noting that most of these services are not subscription based like Netflix, they're fee based so you pay for every movie you watch. This is great for people who only watch movies once in a while, but if you like to watch a lot of streaming movies or TV shows this can get expensive. The service offerings of these websites change all the time by adding new features, services and prices so the list of providers below are only pointers." (read the rest of the article)
About a year ago I wrote the original article which this one is based on, but I recently decided it was and important subject and it needed to be expanded with more information.
The problems is that most of us are swimming in passwords, and we have a hard time remembering all of them. To deal with the password overload, people will use different unsecured methods like writing them down store them in obvious places on a post-it note under a keyboards, a phone, a mouse pad, even under or in a desk drawer. Others write them on notes and leave them on their monitors or computers.
You could created encrypted document of some type (e.g. text, Word, Excel, etc.) to store them. There are also several password management applications available for you to download, some are free and others cost money.
KeePass
Although before you pay for anything or try other programs. Check out a program called KeePass. This is a multiple platform, open-source password management application. There are also 3rd party ports of the application that work on popular mobile platforms (e.g. iPhone, Android, etc.).
KeyPass will store your private data in an encrypted file, so even if someone steals it they can't read it unless they know the master password. Check out the web site for more information.
Note: KeyPass needs its data file to be shared with a file-based sync solution such as Dropboxto be utilized among multiple devices (e.g. PCs, Macs, iDevices, and Android Devices).
If you want something that offers more features then KeyPass, checkout some of the commercial password management solutions like:
Stores your private information (e.g. passwords, credit cards, etc.) in a locally encrypted file and can automatically log you into your favorite website and fill-in web form fields. See the site for more information.
Note: 1Password needs its data file to be shared with a file-based sync solution such as Dropbox to be utilized among multiple devices (e.g. PCs, Macs, iDevices, and Android Devices).
Like 1Password this application stores your private information (e.g. passwords, credit cards, etc.) in an encrypted web service that can automatically log you into your favorite website and fill-in web form information.
There is a free and premium version of the service. The major difference between the two versions of the services is that the premium subscription includes ability access to your data from a mobile device (several different platforms are supported). See the site for more information.
Note: LastPass is a cloud based solution, which syncs your passwords with its servers. If the companies servers are down, you will not have access to your passwords. So you might want to make sure that you have an encrypted local backup of your password data file.
I have talked about the Carbonite cloud based backup service in the past, see the excerpt below from an article that I wrote back in July.
Recently I found out two new things about the Carbonite service, and I wanted to share it. First, they extended their service to include protection of your Android based cellphone. They currently offer backup, location, and remote lock and wipe (if your phone is stolen) service. Apple already offers most of these feature through their iCloud service for the iPhone. Second, they're also offering a $20 Amazon gift card if you use this link to purchase this service (note: I am not sure how long this offer will last).
Read the pro and cons of "Local Hard Drive Backup vs Cloud Backup" options below and make your own decision that works best for you.
Below is a list of some advantages to using a cloud based backup service provider vs. using an external hard drive:
All your backups are stored off-site automatically.
Some backup solutions offer services that run in the background on your computer that automatically compresses your unbacked up files, encrypts them, then forward them on to the service provider you selected.
You almost never have to worry about running out of capacity as long as you have a budget for the storage that you're using.
There are several service providers available that offer some type of cloud based backup services. Some are free, while others cost money. The hard part will be finding one that you like, and that has the features that you want.
There are also some disadvantages to using these services, such as:
Depending on how much data you have, these services can initially use a lot of bandwidth to upload all your data. Depending on your ISP there may be a cap on the amount of data that you can utilize each month.
If you have to recover your whole hard drive from your service provider it can be challenging and expensive depending on the solutions that they offer.
Below is a list of features and other considerations when looking for a company to host your backups:
Has a good reputation for providing a reliable backup solution.
Offers easy to use software that automatically backs up your files and uses strong encryption.
Offers affordable pricing for storage and recovery services.
Offers storage capacity options that meets your needs and budget
Check out a site called Carbonite, they provide affordable Internet backup solutions for privately owned personal computers and small businesses. Check out the site to see a current list of features and prices.
Did you know if you have multiple drives on your computer, and your hard drive controller supports RAID you can make them appear as one drive? RAID is an acronym for Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks. Some motherboard and hard drive controllers support the ability to create a RAID array out of two or more disks.
You might wonder what are some of the advantages to RAID arrays? The first thing you need to know about this technology, there are several different types of RAID, each one has its own advantages and disadvantages. The second thing you need to know, all versions of RAID make multiple hard drives look like one drive to the operating system.
Some types of RAID arrays offer fault protection, for example if a hard drives in the array fails. Other types of RAID arrays offer speed advantages, for example your computer can read and write data to multiple drive at the same time (this is called striping).
Below is a list that explains the different types of RAID arrays that are available:
RAID 0 (Stripping): Data is striped across two (or more) drives, this maximizes read and write performance. There is no redundancy in this configuration, if one hard drive fails in the array you will lose all your data.
Note: This array configuration requires at least two drives.
RAID 1 (Mirroring): When data is written to one drive, it's also written to an identical drive. This process is known as disk mirroring. If one drive fails, the backup drive takes over. When the failed drive has been replaced, the data will be mirrored to the new drive.
Note: In this array configuration, you can experience slower writes, and even though you have two drives you only get the storage capacity of one of the drives (the second drive is being used to backup the main drive).
RAID 5 (Parity): In this configuration, data is striped across all the drives (like RAID 0), with some additional parity data. The parity data is used to rebuild the data on a new drive that has been replaced after the old one failed. A RAID 5 array can only survive one drive failing at a time, at least until the replacement drive has been rebuilt (note: this process can take several hours depending on the size of the drives).
Notes:
In this array configuration, you need at least three drives at a minimum. This RAID configuration has read and write performance faster than RAID 1, but can be little slower than RAID 0.
In this array configuration, you're going to lose about 25% of your drive space to parity information. For example, if you had four 250GB drives in theory you should be able to make them look like one 1TB (Terabyte = 1000 Gigabytes) drive. Although, after you RAID them you might only have about 750GB storage from all the drives.
RAID 10 or RAID 0+1 (Stripping + Mirror): Uses a combination of RAID 0 and 1, it gives you increased performance by striping the volumes, but it also mirrors the volumes. This configuration requires a minimum of four drives.
Notes: In this array configuration, you would yield about 500GB of capacity from four 250GB hard drives. This is because two disk are used for stripping and two disks are used for mirroring.
Note:In the RAID 1, 5, 10 array configurations you're only protected against one hard drive failing. These array configurations don't protect you against file damage or lose caused by a virus, user error, or other types failure. So make sure you backup your data on a regular basis.
CNET Reviews reports: "People new to Windows 8 can get a helping hand via a special course from the online training site Lynda.com. Dubbed Windows 8 Essential Training, the four-hour course is available for free to the public until November 23." (read the rest of the article)
CNET News reports: "Elliptic Labs wants to bring the touchless gesture controls seen in the science-fiction film "Minority Report" to everyday consumer electronic devices, starting with Windows 8." (read the rest of the article)
With every new version of it operating system, Microsoft updates the keyboard shortcuts. Sometimes it changes the functionality of older shortcuts, and it also adds new shortcuts as appropriate.
The Windows Key (WinKey) keyboard shortcuts below are for Windows 8
Key Strokes
Description
WinKey
Displays the Start screen.
WinKey + Pause/Break
Displays System Properties page.
WinKey + D
Displays the Desktop from the Start screen.
WinKey + E
Displays Windows Explorer.
WinKey + F
Displays Search for files and folder.
WinKey + F1
Displays Help and Support Center.
WinKey + L
Lock the workstation.
WinKey + M
Minimizes all of the windows on the desktop*.
WinKey + R
Displays Run dialog box.
WinKey + Tab
Lists the currently running applications.
WinKey+ PrtScrn
Takes a screenshot and saves it in the Screenshots folder under the Pictures folder. Note: On a Windows 8 tablet to take a screenshot, press the
Windows button and the volume-down button simultaneously on the tablet
chassis.
WinKey + Q
Displays the Global Search menu.
WinKey + W
Displays the System Settings menu.
WinKey + , (comma)
Makes all windows transparent.
WinKey + . (period)
Toggles the current window to the right or left side.
WinKey + X
Displays the Quick Access menu. Note: Similar to right-clicking on the bottom right corner of the screen to view the Quick Access Menu.
WinKey + I
Displays the Settings menu.
WinKey + O
Locks the orientation for devices with an accelerometer.
To find more application shortcut keys for Windows, Internet Explorer, Remote Desktop and several more, check out my Application Keyboard Shortcuts page.
Most people already know that Windows 8 has been released, and those that installed it on they're systems are experiencing Microsoft's new "Modern UI". Personally I like the new OS, it modernizes the Windows user interface which really has not changed since 1995 with the introduction of Windows 95.
The Windows Modern UI incorporates some new user interface metaphors that were designed to allow the OS to be controlled by a touch screen. Although, the OS still supports being controlled with a traditional keyboard and mouse gestures, but may take sometime before they become totally natural (or comfortable).
Another new feature of the Windows Modern UI that you will notice right away is the use of "Live Tiles". These are basically large application icons that can be updated with real-time information by the associated application.
Windows 8 Versions
There are a lot of things that I think Microsoft really did well when they released this OS. First there are not six different versions of the OS (like Windows 7), now there is only two. The Windows 8 version for home users and the Windows 8 Professional version for business users.
Note: there are technically two other versions, Windows 8 Enterprise (which is intended for large organizations). There is also Windows 8 RT which only available pre-installed on tablets and laptop from the manufacture.
Over the next few weeks I plan on covering some basic tips and tricks that will help you to fully utilize the new features of the operating system.
Tip: Using Windows 8 Charms
One of the first things I believe you need to know about Windows 8 is how to use the "Charms" sidebar interface (which includes the Search, Share, Start, Devices and Setting menus). This is a set of five icons that will pop-up on the right side of the screen from the Start screen or from within any application.
To bring up the Charms sidebar, hover your mouse over the upper or lower right-hand corner of the screen, or press the Windows + C keys on your keyboard, or on a touchscreens by swiping your finger down from the right edge of the screen toward the center.
Video: The Live Tile Experiment
Below is a video called the "The Live Tile Experiment" by Microsoft. One of my favorite features of Windows Modern UI are the "Live Tiles".
In the video (which takes place in Germany) they created a real life "live tile" and put it on the street. When the tile is clicked the wall falls down and something wonderful happens.
There is a site called PwnedList that can check if your email address is contained in public data that has been taken from computers and web sites that have been compromised by hackers. The site started out as a research project to find out how many compromised accounts could be harvested programatically in just a couple of hours.
To use the site all you have to do is put in your email address and it will check it against its database. If it finds a match in the database it will let you know.
First I need to say I am not a legal expert, so you will have make your own decisions on what is best for you. If I found there are any results returned from this site, here is some basic few things that I would do to protect myself.
The first thing you should do is change the passwords on the compromised accounts. The next thing you should is consider your options depending on what information was stolen. If this was site that could have impact an on you (financial, personal, etc.), contact the company and let them know you found your account was compromised, and ask them if they have any advice. If the site could have contain any financial or personal data make sure to check and monitor your credit report.
Now for an important question is how do you know that this site is legitimate. If you're not asking that question, then you should. Generally before I ever even try a site like this, I will do a search to see what others say about it. For example, here is a general search, and here is a news search.
YouTube offers two video discovery services that can help you find new music and other types of videos. The Disco service is for finding, mixing, and watching music. The Leanback service is for finding new videos that you might enjoy.
Information that you share publicly on social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc. can sometimes be used against you (such as embarrassing photos, what you think of someone, etc.). The general rule of thumb is "if its too personal don't post it", but its also good to make sure that only the people you want to see your posts can.
Social networking sites in the past have made it difficult to make your information private, but over the last few years they have gotten better about allowing you to lock down your data. Although, the problem is that these settings are not always that easy to understand what they do.
There is a new extension that I heard about recently called "Privacyfix", its supposed to help you lock down your privacy setting on Social networking sites like Facebook, Google, and others. So far I have used it to lock down my settings on Facebook, Google, but I have not used it on other sites except to block cookies.
The company claims, "We don't collect any data from your use of Privacyfix, unless you choose to send it to us. We don't store IP addresses and we cannot and do not see or save your web browsing."
End User License Agreements (also known as EULAs) are the bane of most computer users. These EULAs can be several pages long filled with legalese that seems next to impossible to understand unless you're a lawyer, and to make matters worse they put it all into a small window that requires a lot of scrolling.
Most user might skim through them at best, then press will press the accept button to install the application. Without reading these documents you could possibility signing away certain privacy rights (such as tracking you, how they use your data and more) or something even worse (e.g. such as bundled components that may put advertising on your desktop).
EULAlyzer works by analyzing the text of the EULA, and highlights a detailed listing of potentially interesting words and phrases that you should read.
Every day we are putting more of our data and connecting our computers and devices to the "cloud" because it offers conveniences and features that are not available by other means. For example, you can have your data automatically backed up to a remote service provider, or access your home or office computer from any location with an internet connection. Although by doing this, we are also making it easier for criminals and hackers to steal our data remotely in ways that were not possible in the past.
For example a tech reporter name Mat Honan had his "digital presence" deleted by a criminal using social engineering. The attacker took over several of Mat's accounts (including Gmail, Amazon and Twitter), and even convinced Apple's iCloud customer support to reset his Apple ID password. Then proceeded to remotely wipe all his devices (e.g. iPhone, iPad, and MacBook). The attacker even used Mat's twitter account to post racist comments.
The summary only offers a very high level overview of what happened, but it does demonstrate some of the dangers of using "cloud" services and what could happen. This article is not intended to warn you against using cloud services, but to offer advice on how you can protect your "digital presence" .
Be careful not to share too much personal information online that can be used against you like your mother's maiden name, your physical or mailing address, personal email address, etc.
Be careful about which online accounts are link together.
For example, if an attacker obtained a person's Facebook account password, they would have access to any site that used that account for authentication.
Use two a factor authentication when offered by different sites, such as: eBay, PayPal, Google, Facebook, etc. Also call your financial institutions to find out what extra security measures they offer to help protect your accounts.
Create a secret (e.g. unknown to others) backup email and voice account and use it for resetting your passwords across your different online profiles.
Strengthen the answers for your "security questions" which are used to reset your password to your online profiles to use information that is not known about you by others or posted on the internet.
Don't share your passwords with anyone; use strong and unique passwords for every site; and use a password manager to track everything.
Portable devices that support a remote wiping service need to have an up-to-date backup of the data. If an attacker can access the user profile that associated with that feature they can remotely wipe that device.
Make sure to set your desktop computer, laptop, tablet, and smartphone to auto-lock with a PIN or password when they're inactive. Even if they're in your home, and you're the only one using them. What happens when you have company, or if a criminal broke into your home.
Are you having problems with the hibernation or shutdown feature on your computer not working? Sometimes these issues can be caused by a process or application running in the background.
To help fix this issue from an administrator command prompt, type "POWERCFG -REQUESTS". The output of this command will show any processes or drivers that are making power requests that could prevent your computer from sleeping or shutting down.
Product description: "Microsoft Research Cliplets is an interactive app that gives users the power to create "Cliplets" -- a type of imagery that sits between stills and video, including imagery such as video textures and "cinemagraphs". The app provides a simple, yet expressive way to mix static and dynamic elements from a video clip."
The video below is a tutorial on how to use the software:
In Windows Vista they created a more sophisticated version of the Alt+Tab feature and called it "Windows Flip", it supports live previews of the applications.
They also created a more enhanced version called Flip 3D that allows you flip through a stack of your open application windows? To access it press the WinKey+TAB. (Note: Windows Aero user interface needs to be enabled to use Flip 3D).
You can create a taskbar icon to access the Flip 3D functionality, just follow the instructions below:
Right-click an empty area on the desktop and select New > Shortcut
In the "Type the location of the item" field, type RunDll32 DwmApi #105, press the Next button.
In the "Name" field, type Flip 3D, press the Finish button.
Right-click on the new shortcut and select Properties
Click the Shortcut tab, then click the Change Icon button
In the "Look for icons in this file" field, type or browse to c:\windows\explorer.exe
Select the Flip 3D icon (looks like a stack of windows) and click OK
Drag the new shortcut onto the taskbar and pin it there.
Use the arrow keys to move through the application windows.
For Atari's fortieth anniversary, it has released several updated versions of its classic arcade games.
Go to the following site in Internet Explorer to play the games for free. These games will work in other browsers but they're not going to be ad-free.
There are several storage services that will give you a few gigs of free cloud space for your files, such as: SugarSync (w/5GB of free space), SkyDrive (w/7GB of free space) and Dropbox (w/2GB of free space). Although if you need great deal of storage, check out MediaFire it's offering 50GB of free cloud storage (with a catch).
Make sure to read the following chart and see if you can live with the limitations of the free account. For example, some of the limitations are:
Do you need to download several large files (such as: application or multimedia files) from different sites. You can use your browser's built-in file download feature, or you can check out an application called Microsoft's Download Manager. It can make downloading large files quick and reliable.
Microsoft Expression Encoder 4 allows you to record your PC’s screen for video training and demos. This software comes in two editions, a free and pro version. The main differences is that the free version only lets you record for about 10 minutes, and only supports a limited set of CODECs to export your video.
If you're only going to post your videos to sites like YouTube, most people are limited to 10 minutes uploads. After you finished recording your video the software also includes tools for performing simple edits and overlays.
