HowTo: Install Untrusted Software on Ubuntu

There are times when you have to run files or install software that aren’t part of the trusted Ubuntu repository system. In the latest version, Ubuntu 10.4 Lucid Lynx, all “untrusted” files or software are automatically not marked as executable so you can’t run or install software unless they are manually marked as executable. This is a safety/security feature in Ubuntu which aims to protect users from installing malware on their computers.

Files downloaded from other locations are not marked as “executable” since they did not get installed via a trusted software repository. Because of this, attempting to open downloaded files that are untrusted software will fail. The primary reason for blocking this software is to help unsuspecting users avoid malware (i.e. malicious software like trojan horses, worms, and viruses).

I encountered this issue after I upgraded to Ubuntu 10.4 Lucid Lynx while trying to run Reinvigorate’s Snoop app which is an executable file (.exe). I had been running this file without any problems prior to the upgrade with previous versions of Ubuntu. When I tried to run the .exe file, it gave me this error message:

I know some of you have encountered or are experiencing the same problem but don’t know what to do or how to solve it, so I’m sharing with you today how you can install untrusted software on Ubuntu. The solution is very simple and only takes a few seconds to do it.
1. Right-click on the file that you want to run/install.
2. Click on Properties.
3. Click on Permissions tab.
4. Check the box for “Allow executing the file as a program“.

5. Click Close.
That’s it, simple as that. Now you can run/install the “untrusted” software without any problems.

NOTE: Make sure that the “untrusted” software that you’re trying to run/install is not malware. This method can’t be applied to run/install .exe files on CDs because by default, CDs are mounted with all files set to -x, meaning they are not executable and because executable permissions on a CD cannot be changed.

HowTo: Fix Ubuntu “Requires Installation of Untrusted Packages” Update Error

One of the first things I did after I got my Lenovo IdeaPad Y560 was to make it dual boot to Windows 7 and Ubuntu. After I have installed Ubuntu, I immediately run the Update Manager to update the system. Btw, I always update the system (either Windows or Ubuntu) before I install any programs or do any customizations. This makes sure that all components are up-to-date and helps make the system run smoother and lessens the chances of errors or conflicts with other components.
Anyways, when I tried to download and install the available updates for Ubuntu, I got this error message:

Requires installation of untrusted packages – “The action would require the installation of packages from not authenticated sources.”

I’ve installed Ubuntu lots of times before and this was the first time that I encountered this issue/error. I Googled the error message and found the very short and very simple solution from the Ubuntu forums. I’m sharing this in case someone might encounter the same problem and get the “requires installation of untrusted packages” error while updating Ubuntu.
Here’s how to do it:
1. On your Ubuntu panel, click on System > Administration > Update Manager.

2. Look for Settings at the bottom left corner of the Update Manager window, click on it.

3. On the Software Sources window, click on the Ubuntu Software tab.
4. Under Downloadable from the Internet, put a check on Source Code.

5. Close the window and the changes will be applied.
6. On Update Manager, click on Install Updates.
That should do it and you should now be able to download and install the available updates for your system. In my case, the Source Code option was not ticked/checked. After I put a check on it and clicked on Install Updates, the “requires installation of untrusted packages” error went away.

Hope this short and simple tutorial will help you if you encounter the same problem while updating Ubuntu. If you know of a different way to solve this problem when updating Ubuntu, please feel free to share it with us via the comment section. Thank you!

Updated to Vista Service Pack 1

Even though Windows Vista Service Pack 1 was finally released and made available for download 2 months ago, I didn’t immediately update my Windows Vista installation. Why? Because I wasn’t excited and neither was I looking forward to it. Windows Vista came pre-installed on my machine but if I had the choice, I would’ve opted to install Windows XP on it.
Regarding the Vista SP 1 update, I said to myself that I would just wait for the auto-update rollout which was scheduled a month after the release. However, the month of April passed and there was no SP1 on Windows Update. Anyone else got the update last month? Anyways, I got mine just a couple days ago. When I saw the Windows Update icon, I clicked on it and found out the update was for Vista Service Pack 1, I decided to go ahead with the update instead of skipping it.
Btw, if you haven’t received a Windows Update for Service Pack 1 and you wanna check what version/edition of Windows Vista you have on your machine here’s how you do it. Click on Start, then look for Computer, right click on it and click on Properties and you’ll see something like this:
The screenshot above was taken after the update so if you haven’t update yet, you won’t see “Service Pack 1″ on it. The update process (download and installation) took close to 4 hours! Inspite of the long and agonizing wait, I’m glad that everything worked fine and the whole update process went smoothly. I also didn’t have any problems with any device drivers.
If you don’t have Vista Service Pack 1 installed on your machine yet, you can do a Windows Update manually by clicking on the link. This will open up Windows Update on Internet Explorer and although I’m not 100% sure, I’m positive the Service Pack 1 update will be there.
For those of you running Windows Vista, have you already updated to Service Pack 1? If not, what’s keeping you from doing it? For those who updated, did you experience any problems with the update/install process? Where there any conflicts or problems with your device drivers after the update? Share your thoughts and comments via the comment form. Thank you and have a good weekend!

HowTo: Manually Update Malwarebytes Anti-Malware

One software that I always install on my personal computer or recommend to family and friends is Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware – a free malware removal tool. It’s also one of the programs I use to fix/clean up client’s computers. Like I’ve mentioned before, I am the family desktop support person, so when family and friends need help, they go to me. The most common request I get from family, friends and clients is to clean up their computers which have been infected by viruses, spyware and malware.
When I get my hands on the “problem” computer, one of the first things I do is install Malwarebytes Anti-Malware. Before I perform a full system scan, I make sure that I update the program to it’s latest definition update. This is an easy task if there is an Internet connection. In some cases, the computers can’t connect to the Internet because of the virus, spyware and malware infection so this task becomes impossible. But I’ve found a workaround that allows me to manually update Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.
Today, I’ll share with you two ways on how to manually update Malwarebytes Anti-Malware so you can update the program even if your computer doesn’t have an Internet connection.
STEP 1
This step requires a separate computer that has access to the Internet and has Malwarebytes Anti-Malware installed on it.
1. Update the Malwarebytes Anti-Malware on that computer to make sure that you get the latest definition update.
2. Open the Malwarebytes Anti-Malware program folder and look for the file “rules.ref“.
Windows XP and Windows 2000
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Malwarebytes\Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware\rules.ref
Windows Vista and Windows 7
C:\ProgramData\Malwarebytes\Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware\rules.ref
3. Copy the “rules.ref” file.
4. Paste the “rules.ref” file into the Malwarebytes Anti-Malware program folder on the computer that doesn’t have Internet connection.
STEP 2
1. Download the defintion update from the Malwarebytes Anti-Malware website.
http://data.mbamupdates.com/tools/mbam-rules.exe
2. Run and Install.
NOTE: The definition update provided in this link may not always be the latest compared to the definition updates received via built-in program update feature.

Those are the two simple steps on how to manually update Malwarebytes Anti-Malware. Just follow any of the steps and that’s it! Your copy of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is now up-to-date. You can use this next time you need to update a copy of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware on a computer without Internet connection.

Connectify + Windows 7 Laptop = WiFi Hotspot

One of the wireless sharing tools that Windows 7 was supposed to have was the ability to turn any computer running Windows 7 into a WiFi hotspot. Unfortunately, Microsoft didn’t include that feature in the final release of Windows 7.
Thanks to a program called Connectify, you can get that feature back and turn your Windows 7-powered laptop into a WiFi hotspot so you can share your Internet connection with family, friends, classmates, co-workers and other mobile devices.
What is Connectify?

Connectify is a free and easy to use software router for Windows 7 computers. With Connectify, users can wirelessly share any Internet connection: a cable modem, a cellular card, or even another Wi-Fi network. Other Wi-Fi enabled devices including laptops, smart phones, music players, and gaming systems can see and join your Connectify hotspot just like any other Wi-Fi access point and are kept safe and secure by password-protected WPA2 Encryption.

Connectify Video Demo


Popular Use Cases:
1. Home – You can use Connectify to act as a repeater for your home router and extend its range. You can also use it to share your WiFi connection to friends and visitors without having to provide the real SSID and password, keeping your network more secure.
2. School – Many schools and educational institutions limit the number of devices that a person can register to the wireless networks. By using Connectify, you bypass these limitations and securely connect other mobile devices to your personal WiFi network.
3. On the Road – For people who are always on the go and travel a lot, having a reliable Internet connection is very important. Not all airports, hotels, coffee shops and restaurants offer free WiFi and could charge around $10-15 per connection. With Connectify, you can share both the expense and the Internet connection with family, friends or co-workers. Most hotels offer free Internet connection, however they only provide access via an ethernet cable meaning you can’t access for your WiFi only mobile devices. Again with Connectify, you can share the single Internet connection with other mobile devices.
Connectify is 100% free and unrestricted, compatible with any WiFi enabled device and most importantly, it is reliable and secure. It is available to download for FREE only for computers running Windows 7.
Connectify is easy to install and setup. Just download the installer, install the program and run it. Once Connectify is running and you’re connected to the Internet, just create a new access point, create a passphrase/password and choose which connection to share (if your computer has multiple connections). People who will connect to your Connectify WiFi access point will see a real access point, not an “ad-hoc” network. Now you can share your Internet connection with family, friends, schoolmates and coworkers without the need for extra hardware or tethering hacks.
Connectify is definitely a must-have app for any Windows 7 user. Even if you don’t have a need for it right now, just download and install it on your Windows 7-powered computer because you’ll never know, it can be a lifesaver and might come in handy one of these days!

What do you think of Connectify? Anybody else tried or is using Connectify on their Windows 7-powered computers? Please share your thoughts.

3 Basic Ways To Secure Your WiFi Router

The first thing you should do when you purchase and install a wireless router in your home is to secure it. Most people neglect to do so because they are either too lazy and they think that sharing their Internet connection is a noble thing or they are technically challenged and do not know what to do.
Why is it so important and why do you need to keep your router or WiFi connection secure? An open/unsecure wireless router or connection means that anyone can share your Internet connection and use it to browse raunchy, racist or other offensive websites using your IP address. Aside from that, it can also slow down the performance of your Internet connection.
Having an open/unsecured wireless connection will also leave you exposed to other serious threats which could lead to serious problems like online fraud and identity theft which are very common these days.
Here are 3 basic ways to keep your WiFi router or connection secure:
1. Change the router’s Default Username and Password.
Choose an uncommon username, something only you can know. Then choose a strong password – keep it at least 8 characters long, using a combination of letters, numbers and characters. Keep it secure and don’t share it with others.
2. Turn on Encryption.
Right now, the best encryption technology is WPA2. Select that one if your router supports it. If you’re still in the process of purchasing one, avoid routers that only support WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) and WEP (Wired Equivalency Privacy) and purchase one that supports WPA2. There are available tools on the Internet that can easily crack WPA and WEP encryption.
3. Change the Default SSID and Disable Broadcasting.
The SSID is your network name. By default, routers use a generic manufacturer SSID like “netgear”, “linksys” or “default”. Change it to something else, something uncommon. You can use the same principle as choosing/creating a strong password. A network using a default SSID can be perceived by the attacker as a weak and poorly configured network and will most likely attack it first. Another thing you can do with your SSID is to shut off or disable broadcasting. Keeping it “out of sight” will lessen the chances of it being attacked. Don’t worry about shutting this feature off because you can still connect to it manually.
I hope that this short tutorial on 3 ways to secure your WiFi router will help you keep your wireless router/connection safe. This is just a basic tutorial and I plan of coming up with a more detailed tutorial that includes more ways (some advanced ways) to keep your wireless connection/router secure so stay tuned for that. You can subscribe to receive FREE updates via email so you’ll be sure you won’t miss it.

ave you or someone you know had issues with online fraud, identity theft and other problems because of an open or unsecured wireless Internet connection? What measures are you taking to keep your WiFi connection safe and secure? Remember, its better to be safe than sorry.

HowTo: Rip DVDs with VLC Media Player

Have you tried or used VideoLAN’s VLC Media Player? It’s my favorite media player and the best one in my opinion. Its very versatile and can play almost any type of media file (audio & video) available. Aside from playing media files, do you know that VLC can also rip DVDs? If you don’t then you’re in luck because today I’m gonna show you how you can do it in a few simple steps.
DISCLAIMER: The DMCA prohibits the ripping of DVDs that have DRM or any form of DRM on it like CSS, so make sure you only rip DVDs that don’t have content protection. If you decide to proceed with ripping a DVD, you can use this process at your own risk.
NOTE: For this tutorial, I used VLC Media Player 1.0.3 Goldeneye
1. Open VLC Media Player and go to Media > Open Disc or you can do a Ctrl + D.

2. Make sure that DVD is selected and Disc Device is pointing to the DVD drive.
3. Click Play to check if its the DVD/video that you want to rip. If not, change Title value to 1 or the next number until you find the right video.

4. Now that you have the right video, go to Media > Convert/Save or do a Ctrl + R.

5. Click on the Disc tab and click on Convert/Save. Under Destination, select the folder or location where you want to save the file and type in the title of the file. Make sure you type in the correct file extension – “.ogg” or “.mp4″.
6. Under Settings > Profile, select Video – MPEG-4 + AAC (MP4) if you want to play it on your iPod/iPhone or Video – Theory + FLAC (OGG) if you want lossless audio.
7. You can edit the Profile settings by clicking on the button beside the profile options.

8. When you’re satisfied with the settings, start the ripping process by clicking on Start.
Just wait until VLC is done ripping the DVD and that’s it. You can now watch the finished file with VLC. If you selected the Video – MPEG-4 + AAC (MP4) setting then you can upload the video to your iPod/iPhone and watch it. Hope you’ll find this simple tutorial on how to rip DVDs with VLC useful.
Anyone else use VLC to rip DVDs or do you use regular DVD ripping software? Do you know of an alternative way of ripping DVDs without the use of software? Please share your thoughts.

HowTo: Bypass Megavideo Time Limit

Are you annoyed and frustrated with Megavideo’s time limit? Don’t worry, I’ll show you how you can bypass that limit and let you enjoy watching your video or movie without any interruptions. Megavideo is one of the best and one of the most popular video sharing sites in the Internet. The problem about watching movies on Megavideo is that there is a 72-minute time limit and once you hit the limit, the video stops and you get this message:

Some movies are more than 72 minutes long, some are even 2-3 hours long so once you hit the time limit, you can’t continue watching the movie anymore. Sucks doesn’t it? Today, I’m gonna share with you a few methods on how to bypass the Megavideo time limit.
DISCLAIMER: These are workarounds suggested by other users. I do not endorse them and I haven’t tried all of the methods listed below. PERFORM THE METHODS AT YOUR OWN RISK.
Method 1 – Work Offline

1. Open the video that you want to watch on Megavideo. Click the Play button and when it starts playing, click on the Pause button to let it buffer.
2. Wait until the video is done loading/buffering to 100%.
3. Click on Work Offline and watch the video.
Mozilla Firefox
- Click on File > Work Offline.
Internet Explorer 7 & 8
- Click on Tools > Work Offline.
[Remember to unclick the Work Offline button once you're done watching]
Method 2 – Block Cookies
1. Clear your web browser’s cache and delete cookies.
2. Block cookies.
Mozilla Firefox
- Click on Tools > Page Info.
- Click on the Permissions tab. Under Set Cookies, if Use Default is checked, uncheck it then select Block.
Internet Explorer 7 & 8
- Click on Tools > Internet Options.
- Click on the Privacy tab.
- Click on Sites.
- Under “Address of Website“, type “megavideo.com” (without the quotes), click Block.
- Repeat the previous step and this time type “www.megavideo.com“, click Block.
3. Disconnect your modem and wait for about 10 seconds before reconnecting it.
4. Continue watching the video.
Method 3 – Download
(You’ll need Mozilla Firefox for this one.)

1. Install the DownloadHelper addon and restart Firefox.
2. Go to Megavideo and open the video that you want to watch and click Play.
3. Once the video starts buffering, the DownloadHelper icon would start revolving. Click on the small arrow beside it then click on the .flv file and it will prompt you to save the file to your computer. You can rename the file if you want and choose where you want it to be saved.
4. Watch the video with VLC Media Player or Applian FLV player.
Method 4 – Illimitux addon
(You’ll need Mozilla Firefox for this one.)
1. Install the Illimitux addon and restart Firefox.
2. Go to Megavideo and open the video that you want to watch.
3. Click on the Illimitux icon (lower right corner of Firefox) and you will be directed to another page where you can watch the video without any time limits.
Caution: This add-on has not been reviewed by Mozilla. Be careful when installing third-party software that might harm your computer.
Method 5 – Megastreaming.org
1. Go to Megavideo and copy the URL of the video that you want to watch. (example: http://www.megavideo.com/?v=Q7UK1BVI)
2. Open http://megastreaming.org/.
3. Paste the URL of the video you want to watch on the space provided and click Play.
Method 6 – Lyke.co.cc
1. Go to Megavideo and copy the URL of the video that you want to watch. (example: http://www.megavideo.com/?v=Q7UK1BVI)
2. Open http://lyke.co.cc/.
3. Paste the URL of the video you want to watch on the space below “Remove Time Limit” and click Watch.
Method 7 – No More 72 Mins
1. Go to Megavideo and copy the URL of the video that you want to watch. (example: http://www.megavideo.com/?v=Q7UK1BVI)
2. Open http://megavideonotimelimit.com/.
3. Paste the URL of the video you want to watch on the space provided and click Watch The Video.
Just choose any of the methods listed above which you think suits you best, follow the instructions and you’ll be able to enjoy watching videos and movies on Megavideo without any time limits or restrictions.
If you know of any other way or alternatives on how to bypass the Megavideo time limit, please share it with us so we can include it on this list.