Once again Windows Vista has been the target of the hackers and crackers and just generally fun loving people with very little time on their hands.

Using a linux distro called BackTrack (BackTrack is the most Top rated linux live distribution focused on penetration testing) a person can gain system level access to any machine running windows Vista by following a couple of simple steps.

All you need to do is navigate to the windows directory of the machine and into the system32 folder. You then make a backup of the utility manager (utilman.exe) which is used to run the various utilities that allow people with sight problems to access a computer (screen readers etc..).

When this is backed up you rename cmd.exe to utilman.exe and reboot. When you boot up windows then and you reach the log in screen you can get the option to use the utility manager by pressing ctrl+u. Since utilman.exe is now basically cmd.exe you get a command prompt which you can now use to run explorer and thus gain system access without having to know any usernames or passwords.

This exploit apparently only works on Windows Vista and does not affect XP, 2000, 2003 and NT.

Here is a video that shows how to do it.

I wonder how long it will be before Microsoft fixes this issue.

You’ve just download the latest and greatest version of Ubuntu Linux and it didn’t cost you a thing. You breezed through the installation and a brand new desktop is staring you in the face — now what?

There are a few things you’ll need to do if you want to get the most out of your Linux desktop. But don’t worry, none of this is too complicated. In fact, it’s much easier than trying to do the same on Windows or a Mac.

The first thing to do is open up the Add/Remove Programs application (Click on Applications > Add/Remove…). This is a simple manager for installing and uninstalling software on your Ubuntu system. There are literally hundreds of free goodies at your disposal here — Start with this list of essentials.

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For many years now ive been using a version of Windows. My first computer may have been a commodore 64 followed by a macintosh but i never used those things properly. They were simply little boxes that sat there and looked at me with their buttons and switches. Nowadays I think back and tell myself “Its ok. You were an idiot back then and didnt know how fun computers can be”. Still feel ashamed for not paying them the level of respect they deserved.

But now that I know the joys of computing I can safely say that out of everything Ive tried so far… Windows operating systems are the number one system for all the masochistsout there. Thats why I decided to switch to a flavour of linux.

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Ok so everyone knows about the different CMS (Content Management Systems) that are out there in the wide open world of the interwebs. The main ones you might have heard of would be Wordpress (Hey this site is made using that one), Joomla, Drupal (personal thought: Its awful) and finally e107 (also awful IMHO).

We now have a new one to wow us all. Its called Diferior.

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Use Windows long enough and you’ll recognize that bloated, sinking feeling creeping in. Spyware and viruses pile up, registries get corrupted, drivers stop working or cause conflicts — eventually reaching that point where you want to just erase everything and re-install the entire system. After swearing to pay more attention to the links you follow and the software you install, you find yourself staring at a brand-new-all-over-again Windows desktop.

Your system is fresh and untarnished. Now what? Time to tweak it to your satisfaction!

Start by running Windows Update to make sure you’re up to date with all the patches and security updates and then follow our handy guide to get the most out of Windows.

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So right now the boys over at bittorrent.org are working on ways to bypass the filtering set up by Comcast. The socalled Sandvine stuff that they use that is. Now this is going to be a very tough thing for them to get done but if they succeed then things could get very interesting.

Personally I believe that theyre right to try and bypass these security measures. I think they should because I dont wanna wait longer than i have to to download the several gigs that makes up the latest Fedora Build. I salute their vigilence and their dedication to the ways of bittorrent. Now read on for details on their plans.

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These days, nothing worries an internet service provider more than peer-to-peer file trading. Depending on where you live, P2P can account for between 50 and 75% of broadband internet traffic. We mostly have the popularity of BitTorrent to thank for this crazy amount of data going to and fro.

This amount of traffic can raise the ISPs daily costs of delivering service, cause congestion either in your neighborhood or on the ISP’s network, and force the ISP to buy increased bandwidth capacity.

But if you’ve been paying close attention to your BitTorrent transfers lately (or if you’ve simply been reading the news) you’ll notice that ISPs have begun to take drastic measures to slow that flood of data currently clogging up their pipes.

Even though many of them deny it, most ISPs actively engage in traffic shaping, bandwidth throttling, connection denial or some such tactic to keep the amount of bandwidth consumed by high traffic applications on their networks to a minimum. While this does often ensure better performance for everyone in the neighborhood, it can mean painfully slow transfer speeds for those dabbling in P2P — legit or not.

While there are valid arguments for and against shaping, we’re not here to debate. We just want the fastest BitTorrent transfers possible.

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Arguably the best video codec available is DivX, providing much better quality than DVD and a size in an order of magnitude smaller filesize. It’s the perfect format for video on the web. Unfortunately the Apple iPod does not support the DivX video codec, which presents a problem if you want to view downloaded movies or trailers on your iPod. The iPod may not even have the horsepower to play DivX.

In this article, I’ll explain how to you can easily convert your video files into a format that Apples’ ipod video will readily accept…

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Ah, to start from scratch - wouldnt it be nice if we could do that with life sometimes. Sadly thats not an option, however we can often find ourselves in a position where we can start from scratch with our computers - whether its a brand spanking newbie or our trusty daily use computer after its been reinstalled; unlike the life scenario however, starting from scratch with your computer(s) can be quite frustrating, having to download an reinstall all the apps you use day-in day-out.

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Ok lets start off by simply stating that everyone who has used both windows Xp and Vista preferrs Xp right? Well Microsoft dont really like that.

Microsoft have started up a “Fat or Fiction” quiz to help you to see just how good Vista is and to help you to sell Vista to your nearest and dearest and any schmuck that walks in off the street. This little quiz comes with an offer of a free Vista polo shirt and a chance at a $15000 prize but then again its Australia only so most people wont care about it much. But wait… if its an Aussie only thing why should we at IG care? Well its just too funny not to have a look at it.

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