Anti-Exploit Freeware/Software List

Your computer might have a chink in it's armor.  A weakness or hole in its defenses, an unforseen path through which entry can be gained, a vulnerability in your operating system (windows) or a program running on it .

How do you increase the effectiveness of your computer security and block a malicious program or script from taking advantage of these weaknesses?  You do so by adding a protective layer that addresses this problem. You add anti-exploit software.  Your anti-virus actively protects your system, but you can supplement it with passive protection which makes penetrating it a lot harder.  Here’s a list, and quick description, of some of the anti-exploit products available for free.  Also, make sure your system and software is up-to-date:  this plugs most vulnerabilities.

Herobrine - The Minecraft Man of the Year.

Minecraft Tips! - 'Nuff Said

Mobs - Monstery Minecraft

BE CAREFUL! - A Minecraft Warning

Potions - Minecraft Kool-Aid

Witches - Minecraft Hags without Brooms

Cows, pigs, sheep, and chickens - Minecraft Critters

Ender Pearls - Minecraft Teleportation

Skeleton Archers - Minecraft Bone Meal

Fireworks - Minecraft Explosions

How to run Minecraft when Java update fails (1603 or some stupid error)

I’ve had this problem the last 2 times I’ve updated my java run time environment.  And both times was a serious headache.  First, it wouldn’t update through java itself.  Second, I went to java and tried their installer … which failed.  Third, I downloaded their offline versions (both for 32 and 64 bit) and tried multiple times to install … and always the same, it failed to install.  I disabled my antivirus and all security, I uninstalled java, I cleaned my registry manually and via numerous cleaners, I tried in safe mode, I used javara to clean up things before trying, and everything always fails.  Bla!!!

If you’re tired of this continual nonsense, here’s a quick way to get Minecraft (with its java heart) up and going again (or at least to when the next java update comes out, which might fix everything … likely not).

Build your own Bitdefender Security Suite ... For Free

This is not a daily giveaway article, but something far better.  How to build Bitdefender Total Security!!  For Free.

Bitdefender is a top antivirus company, the cream of the crop.  Their engine is arguably the best, with few contenders to challenge its effectiveness.  They have a very robust suite to protect your system, and its very effective (head over to bitdefender.com to see the price).  We will make the closest thing we can, give or take a few pieces (abet, important ones ... but beggars can't be choosers).

Tested: The Lightest Free Antivirus (To Boot or get the Boot)

I have the weakest netbook laptop available.  I need an antivirus that doesn’t take forever to start and shut down my machine.  And I don’t want my system to be all gummed up and frozen.  In addition, my friend has an old XP and asked for recommendations for protection.  MSE won’t run on his system anymore and while some still offer support for XP, they are too heavy for it.  The professional labs did some testing for performance, but their recommendations don’t even approach reality when run on my weak, weak system.  And each seems to have a different criteria for `running lightly’.  My criterion is boot speed, physical memory used, and the percent of the CPU utilized.  My tests were informal and for personal reasons, I now submit to help others.  Testing time was beginning of 2014.

Test machine:  Windows 7 starter running on an Intel atom (N450, single core) processor.   1 Gb RAM.  160 Gb HDD.  A base system restore point was created.  Wise 360 was the boot analyzer.  Process Hacker provided additional information.  Antivirus was installed, tested, uninstalled via Wise Uninstaller, and then system restored for the next program.

I like to have phishing protection and most free antivirus’ do not offer full protection.  If an antivirus solution did not have its own built in protection, I ran Mcafee Site Advisor.  AVG and Panda each have their own proprietary equivalent protection:  So with each of these I ran their software and deleted Site Advisor.  (as stated, testing was for personal, not scientific reasons ... hence unusual criteria).

Tangerine bank will steal your money – don’t trust them

This is a follow-up article on my continued mugging by the Tangerine bank.  As I had previously reported in, Rotten oranges at the Tangerine bank, I had some problems transferring my money to another institution.  Being a slow learner, and a tad masochistic, I again attempted to transfer my money.  Here’s the run down:

Firefox bites the hand that feeds it

Mozilla recently decided to enter a no win, hostile, socially politically correct battle.  Why?  Because they lack business sense.  For details, see Firefox’s Unusual Approach to Decreasing it's Browser Share.   Why does this garner a follow up article?  Because in light of them choosing to alienate a large segment of the planet, they then apparently began to bleed money and now have to beg for it.

Firefox’s Unusual Approach to Decreasing it's Browser Share

Firefox’s newer versions are pretty solid.  And with the demise of Opera presto, Firefox should have seen a jump in market share.  However, behind a decent product lies a cacophony of  numb-skulls that believe misguided political correctness is more important than business dominance. 

Rotten Oranges at the Tangerine Bank

Yep, it’s now old news … ING Canada has been bought by Scotiabank:  and they renamed it the Tangerine Bank.  I was never an ING customer, but was lured to open a Tangerine account by their “I’ll give you $50” to open an account bargain.  Plus, I like the color orange.  I received my $50 and was pleased with them.  That was my first dealings with them, and if I had written this then, this article would swoon about their awesomeness;  I’m easy that way, give me some money and I’ll like you.  However, cost me some money and the honeymoon’ll be over.  How long did it take them to cost me some money?  Surprisingly quick actually, on my second dealings with them.