AppLocker will block applications from running based on the descriptor. You can block programs by publisher, path, version, file name, publisher description or even hash. This feature is only available in Windows 7 and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2. While it can be used on an active directory domain, I use local group policy. You can also create exceptions to allow some programs through the rules.

AppLocker is a feature introduced that plays of the old hash rules to block programs.

Hash rules are rules created in group policy that analyze software. It considers the “footprint” of software to recognize it. This means that if the program is renamed, it will still be recognized. Renaming the software is an old trick used by people who write viruses. these hash rules in Group Policy can be used to either allow or disallow a program to run. The problem is that if the software is updated or the users simply download an old version, the software can run. This hash rule and many like it can stop a virus or trojan from running rampant in your network. This is available in local or domain group policy, although this video is made using the local GPO. It affects all users of that computer. This video was made on Windows 7, but is possible on XP, Vista, 2000, Windows Server 2003 and 2008.

this tutorial shows how to block USB drives by local group policy. This GPO setting was first available on Windows Vista. I perform this on Windows 7. Group Policy objects are only available to the professional and ultimate versions of Windows 7. These flash drives, also called thumb drives, pose a security threat to many businesses. They make it easy to remove sensitive data from the workplace.

Convert an ISO into Cd or DVD with Windows Disc Image Burner. it is used burning an ISO image into a cd or DVD. It is a digital file that stores all the data in a format equivalent to optical media. Often it is the format used when downloading a Linux Disc, various tools, and of course, pirated software. (Don’t pirate software, kids.) Windows Disc Image Burner is standard with Windows 7 and not available with earlier operating systems. For those earlier operating systems I use “Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CohH8QSztyE), a command line program available from Microsoft that converts ISO files to CD or DVD.

Convert ISO to DVD
Windows 7
Other Windows

Previous Versions, a feature available since Windows Vista, will recover old versions of folders on a computer making it possible to save deleted files and files removed from the recycle bin. This can also recover previous versions of files that have since been edited. This software feature was first introduced in Server 2003 as Shadow Copies, but is now known as Previous Versions. It is an automated process and is tied into System Restore. It was available on Business versions of Vista and all versions of Windows 7. The backups are only made once a day and are not unlimited. However it may be adjusted so that it may be turned off or increased to all the free space on the hard drive. It is not a perfect recovery tool, but one more to be added to the arsenal.

This is a great trick for recovering data that have been deleted and removed from the recycle bin. It is just another tool for datarecovery.

This is a basic video for navigating the windows command line. In it I explain how to move around and navigate to different folders or hard drives in Windows. This a pretty basic video for beginners. It works on almost all Windows operating systems including Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2000 and server 2003 and 2008.

the commands I use are cd and chdir

This command line video teaches how to start and stop a service via command line. It shows how to find the names of a service via services in computer management. Services are programs that run the various functionality of a windows machine.

the commands I use are…
net stop spooler
net start spooler
net stop Browser
net start browser
services.msc
compmgmt.msc

TCP/IP is a set of protocols used to access the Internet and other networks. It is possible for the Windows software that deals with TCP/IP to become corrupt. This video uses Windows 7, but these commands work on Microsoft Windows Vista, XP, 2000, Windows Server 2003 and 2008. This video resets both the TCP/IP stack and winsock.

The commands I use are:
netsh int ip reset
netsh winsock show catalog
netsh winsock reset

This is a quick tour of the Windows command prompt and it’s properties. The main focus is to show how to copy and paste or modify the color scheme, window size, font size, or full screen the window. I also show where you can modify options in the command prompt.

FOG servers come with a mobile interface. they allow some of the FOG server function to be used by a smart phone or tablet attached to the network. This is a video about how to deploy an image to your windows 7 machine from the FOG server. The client machine must be PXE boot compliant. This allows you to create a copy of windows and back it up. Then it may be restored to the one or many machines.

FOG Project is a free imaging solution. To make a disk image for a computer is to copy it’s hard drive while it is in a working state. Then if the computer should fail, you can always restore the operating system to a previously working version. If the hardware fails, this does not help! This saves a lot of work if you need to install Windows on many machines also built exactly the same. It works very well in a corporate environment when a volume license key (VLK) is used.

It is comparable to other imaging software. It runs on Linux (Ubuntu or Fedora) and images Windows machines like a charm. You must remember to setup the appropriate scope options and the whole server is managed through a web page.

FOG is free to download, but they also offer classes if you are near Springfield, IL.

A Media Access Control (MAC) address is burned into every network card made. With Windows Server 2008, it is possible to allow or deny a computer or client from getting an IP Address based on a list of MAC Addresses. This is controlled by the DHCP server and is a new feature in Windows Server 2008. It does not require a domain controller, but I am still using one anyway. I use a Lubuntu Linux machine as the client. This shows that this works on devices other than Windows machines. This security can be used to prevent “Man in the middle” attacks.

When a computer receives an IP Address from the DHCP server, it often receives extra information such as listings for DNS server, Default gateway, BootP server, etc. Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol is a way of assigning IP Addresses to clients on a network, but networking is often useless without this extra information.