Your Master Boot Record got damaged? This message sounds really pretty scary, but if your hard drive is still intact then don’t worry at all. In most of the cases you can fix this type of problem by following simple procedures to repair your Master Boot Record (MBR). Whenever you start your computer it looks for the MBR, which tells to the BIOS which partition of the hard drive has OS installed.

If the MBR is damaged, it means your BIOS can not identify the OS and then it will give a message like Error loading OS or Invalid disk partition table or Boot Failure. But fortunately you can recover or repair the Master Boot Record by using either the Spotmau Powersuite 2010 CD or the Windows XP Recovery Console.

How to fix a damaged Master Boot Record using Spotmau Powersuite 2010:

By using Spotmau Powersuite 2010 tool you can easily fix the problem of Master Boot Record (MBR) or Disk Partition Table in a safer way compared with the Recovery Console of Windows XP. Just insert your bootable Spotmau CD in the drive and restart. The system will boot from the Spotmau CD and provide you with an easy-to-follow menu with options to fix your Master Boot Record with a few clicks. The images below illustrate a few screen shots of Spotmau Repair CD for fixing Windows MBR.

How to fix a damaged Master Boot Record using Windows XP Setup CD:

In Windows XP setup CDROM you can find the Recovery Console. By using this Recovery Console tool you can repair a damaged MBR or Disk Partition Table or boot sector. The following steps will help you to start the Recovery Console and fix your damaged Master Boot Record.

• After Inserting Windows XP Setup CD in CDROM drive restart your PC
• If your computer is prompting like press any key to start the booting from CD then do it immediately. If you not press any key, then it will try to boot from the hard drive.
• After Installing few files it will prompt like press R to start Recovery Console.
• Whenever this Recovery Console starts, it will ask you to enter the partition number that you need to repair in Windows XP. Most of the cases the number is “1.” After entering this number and pressing the “Enter” key it will continue with the setup. If you have not entered any number and pressed Enter then your computer will restart immediately by quitting from the installation of Recovery Console Program.
• After finishing that installation it will ask to enter your Administrator password. If you are not entering right password, you cannot continue for further.
• After entering right password it will open the Recovery Console command prompt, here type fixmbr command and then press Enter to continue the process.

At this point, the Recovery Console will create a new MBR and replace the old one. After finishing this repair, you can reboot your computer normally. In very rare cases you should repair the boot sector or disk partition table in addition to the MBR. If still you PC does not work properly then repeat those steps mentioned above and type fixboot instead of fixmbr command.

NOTE: If you are using the XP Recovery Console procedure, then it will assume that you have only one OS in your system. But, if you have more than one Operating System in your PC (e.g Windows and Linux), then you need to search for additional information to fix the problem of Master Boot Record or Boot sector by using the commands fixmbr and fixboot respectively.

Having computer problems? I know that trying to figure out and fix your computer when it’s not working right can be frustrating. There are so many help tools and web sites out there geared towards experienced computer users who have an expert understanding of how their system works. But what is the average computer user like you and me to do when something goes wrong with their computer? Tech support and computer maintenance can be very expensive, and like your car mechanic, you are dependent on the technician to be truthful with explaining what’s wrong and what needs to be done to fix it.

One option I use for learning about problems with your system is the integrated Windows help files. These help files will assist you in pinpointing the problem with your system and help you find a solution. However, I’ve found that the integrated help files often do not provide the level of detail needed to accurately diagnose a problem, especially if it is something outside of Windows that is causing the problem.

Another option I rely on is Microsoft’s knowledge base on their web site. The knowledge base is a compendium of known issues that users have reported to Microsoft and solutions for these problems. Depending on the issue you are having, the solutions could be quite technical and complicated, and making any mistakes could compromise your system further.

Finally, you can turn to online forums and message boards that offer solutions to various operating system and hardware issues. However, I have found that many of these sites are not closely moderated, and you could end up downloading what you think is a program to fix your problem that ends up being a virus or malware, making your situation even worse!

If your computer is so compromised that it doesn’t run at all, accessing the help options provided above is impossible if you do not have access to another healthy computer. If your computer is in this state, your only solution is to have a bootable disk that you can use to get your computer started. Windows allows you to create a recovery disk, but it does not provide you with the tools to diagnose and repair all of the potential problems your computer may have.

Luckily for average computer users like you and me, Spotmau’s award-winning software PowerSuite Professional provides users with a new, innovative computer maintenance option. PowerSuite Professional goes above and beyond a standard recovery disk, providing you with a complete solution for all of your computer maintenance needs, including:

• Boot up any computer
• One-click PC health check – find out all your PC’s problem one time
• Install Windows or fix problems with Windows
• Optimize your system performance
• Clean up your web browser history
• Recover lost data and passwords
• Partition and format your hard drive
• Clone or backup your system
• Select which programs to run when you start Windows

This simple CD has helped me solve some big problems with my computer, letting me get back to work fast.

For more information on SpotMau PowerSuite 2010, or to order your copy of this ground-breaking CD, please visit http://www.spotmau.com.

Kaspersky Lab announced recently the estimations of their security analysts about the activity of cyber criminals for 2010.

In 2008, the company’s analysts predicted an increase in system infections by viruses. Unfortunately, these estimates proved accurate. In 2009 we saw the emergence of sophisticated malware with functionality based on rootkits, the significant use of worm Kido (also known as Conficker), but also we observed numerous Internet attacks, the proliferation of botnets, fraud using mobile SMS and attacks on social networking websites.

Estimates for 2010

According to the experts at Kaspersky Lab, there will be a change in the types of attacks. More specifically, there should be a change from the attacks waged through websites and applications to attacks via file-sharing and peer-to-peer networks.

Already in 2009 there was series of massive attacks based on malware that spread via torrents. This method was used for the deployment of web threats such as viruses like TDSS and Virut, and the invasion of computers running Mac OS X. In 2010, we should expect a significant increase in this type of attacks on P2P networks.

The cyber criminals will continue to compete unleashing viruses. Currently, cyber criminals try more and more to be legalized and there are many ways to profit using the spread of malicious viruses through botnet networks. Today, botnets are used mainly for “black market services”. However, future services are expected to become more “gray” color.

The so called “cooperation programs” will give botnet administrators/owners the ability to profit from activities such as sending spam, DoS attacks or via sending malicious software applications that are not clearly a form of criminal activity.

The decline observed in the use of Trojan viruses that banged users of online gaming in 2009, is likely to occur in the use of fake antivirus programs in 2010. This category of threat first appeared in 2007 and in 2009 it reached its zenith. The worm Kido, for example, went to install rogue antivirus programs on infected computers.

However, the “market” of fake antivirus programs is now saturated and profits for cyber criminals have fallen. Furthermore, these activities are closely monitored by the legitimate security companies. In this context, an increasing degree of difficulty for the development and distribution of rogue antivirus programs is introduced.

With regards to attacks on web services, Google Wave is expected to monopolize the interest in 2010. There is no doubt that attacks in this new Google service will follow the usual model. First comes the sending of spam messages, then phishing attacks, then the exploitation of vulnerabilities of systems and the end comes with the spread of malware. The availability of Chrome OS operating system by Google, which is based on Internet technology, is a notable development, but experts of Kaspersky Lab expect that cyber criminals will not show great interest around this software platform.

However, it is expected that 2010 will be a difficult year for iPhone users and for phones with Android operating system. The first malicious programs for these platforms appeared in 2009, which is a clear indication that there is increased interest from cyber criminals. As for the users of iPhone, only those who have cracked appliances will be at risk, but the same does not apply to users of devices with Android software, as all of them can fall victims to attacks. For example, the growing popularity of mobile phones with Android software in China, combined with the lack of effective controls for the security of applications offered from third parties, is expected to contribute to the rise in the number of attacks by malicious programs.

The identification of new vulnerabilities in the systems will be the main cause of mass infection by viruses. These vulnerabilities will be mainly related to software developed by third parties (such as Adobe, Apple, etc.), but also Windows 7, whose marketing has recently started. If a large number of such software vulnerabilities is not found in 2010, it may well be one of the “quieter” years long.

Everyone has heard of the latest scandal regarding the “whatever.com” site being hacked and vital information for over one million people being stolen. Now what would a hacker want with the information some would wonder? The thought behind a hackers motives in most cases, is to just be able to hack the site that says it is “hack proof”. In other cases involving fraud, it is to obtain your personal information and either uses it for spamming or to sell it to scam artists. In any case, a site that is hacked has legal responsibilities one would think.

The latest big websites attacks is more than likely just the theft of work history and name along with references. Now if the information also included Social Security information or annual salary requirements as well as cell phone numbers and credit card or bank information, people are going to have major problems. This type of activity happens all the time, but we only hear about the big news companies in the spotlight. Now if a pet product site that is just starting out and is not a well-known name, they are not going to divulge that information and if they do, it will not make the news headlines.

Everyone uses the Internet for one reason or another and if you are like most people, you may shop, look for work, play games or just browse. In any cases, you need to be careful how you supply your information. A secure site to display your information needs to contain encryption to protect your information if it is for buying and gaming as well. Anytime you give out personal information about yourself, you want to know your information is protected. With the latest scare with hacked websites, people have to wonder, what will they do with that information?

As hackers become more devious in their endeavor to hack into websites and steal the information, more IT technicians will work harder to make the sites and products to secure the sites even better. All the scares that we encounter with our Internet experiences are just another form of criminal activity, unfortunately, it can cause problems for the entire world. Protecting yourself and your computer from a hack attack is top priority and every day, businesses are upgrading their systems and infrastructures to protect vital information.

The best way to protect yourself some had said is, never give out personal information. Unfortunately, this is not always possible. If you want to shop, look for work, do some gaming or sign up for important newsletters and promotions, you have to supply the pertinent information. Therefore, using a little caution as to what sites you use is great, but as it was proved with Monster, even the best of sites can endure problems. This however, is no reason to stop using the Internet.

You just need to be aware of the threat and use good judgment when you visit a website. Some day we will see a system to track and stop hackers from stealing vital information. Companies who make the software and other software for security measures work hard every day to find new ways to stop a hacker. As the hacker gains more strength, software developers gain more security knowledge to stop them in their tracks.

The deluge of information in modern times by the media and other information sources has led to daily “bombing” of the average human brain with such a large volume of information which could overload even a powerful computer, according to a new U.S. scientific research.

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of California-San Diego, under Roger Bon, according to the British “Times of London” and “Telegraph”, believes that people are every day inundated with the equivalent amount of 34 Gb (gigabytes) of information, a sufficient quantity to overload a laptop within a week.

Through mobile phones, the Internet, electronic mail, television, radio, newspapers, books etc. people receive every day about 105,000 words or 23 words per second in half a day (12 hours) (during awake hours). Although people can not really read these 105,000 words each day, this is the real number estimated to be reaching the human eyes and ears every day. After adding pictures, videos, games, etc., we reach the volume of 34 gigabytes of information per day on average.

The total consumption of information from television, computers and other information in 2008 was estimated (for the U.S.) to be 3.6 million gigabytes. Traditional media (TV and radio) continue to dominate the daily flow of information with about 60% of hours’ consumption. The study considers that our brains are not directly threatened, but does not exclude a detrimental effect or information “flood” which might lead to different development path of the human brain by creating new neural connections, given that our brain has now shown that it is “malleable” and can be “wired” each time differently, depending on the quantity and quality of the stimuli it receives.

According to the researchers, the main effect of information overload is that the human attention to focus is continually hampered and interrupted all too often, which does not help in the process of reflection and deeper thinking. As commented by the American psychiatrist Edward Hallowell, “never in human history, our brains had to work so much information as today. We have now a generation of people who spend many hours in front of a computer monitor or a cell phone and who are so busy in processing the information received from all directions, so they lose the ability to think and feel. Most of this information is superficial. People are sacrificing the depth and feeling and cut off from other people.”

In a more hopeful manner, neuroscientist and professor of physiology at Oxford University, UK John Stein, stressed that in the Middle Ages, when printing was invented, people were concerned that the human mind would not withstand a lot of information, which however was not true at the end. Bono, who did the actual research, explained that the study did not record how much information from these daily 34 gigabytes eventually is absorbed by the brain. On the other hand, he pointed out that what has changed in modern times is mainly the nature of the information received, rather than its quantity. As he said, looking at either a computer screen or talking face to face with someone, in fact our brain can absorb the same amount of information.

A face to face conversation has its own equivalent of bytes of information (not known how much), since the brain monitors the expressions of other people, listens to the tones of their voice, etc. According to the assessment of Bono, if such a face to face conversation causes our brain to store information with rate 100 megabits per second, then a two-hour conversation with someone will store even more information than the estimated volume of electronic information received within a day in our brain.