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5601

General Software Discussion / Re: Best free firewall for Windows?

« Last post by 4wd on February 05, 2008, 05:04 PM »

So for a software firewall I've settled on PCTools Firewall V3.

-4wd (January 23, 2008, 03:55 AM)

With or without ThreatFire ??

-Curt (January 23, 2008, 10:00 AM)

Sorry, for the slow reply - only visit when the moon is blue, red, green or purple 

Without, I don't use any form of HIPS.  Since anything 'nasty' that starts to run has to:

a) get onto my PC - which is hard for anyone to do physically.
b) get through the router's firewall, the only open ports go to a dumb NAS not capable of running software - and the router uses SPI, so the connection has to be originated at my end first.
c) get through NAT translation.
d) get through PCTools Firewall V3, which also has SPI on plus it has basic 'software-not-doing-the-right-thing' protection, (in the Application rules).
e) and finally I've even found avast! AntiVirus free edition works remarkably well for picking up stray malware/spyware.

I used to run HIPS of one kind or another, (was a while ago and can't recall any of the products - damn alcohol!),  but just found that they caused to much interference with my normal operation of my computer.

I'll also mention here another scenario I have:

I have a XP-SP2 PC, it's an old Dell Optiplex GX150 PIII-1GHz running as a headless, (no keyboard, mouse, monitor), Usenet downloader.  It runs 24/7/365.

It doesn't have a firewall, (not even the default XP).  It doesn't have antivirus.  It's only form of protection is the router, (firewall/NAT).  It has run for more than a year.  It has never had a virus/spyware/malware/software problem.

Why?

It runs ONE program only, (SABnzbd - which is compiled Python).  It doesn't execute anything it downloads, (it doesn't even get unarchived).  It doesn't do Microsoft updates, it doesn't do any updates.  It is permanently stuck at SP2.

5602

General Software Discussion / Re: photo duplicate scanner

« Last post by 4wd on February 03, 2008, 03:15 AM »

But now that I read your post and just tried the DOpus renamer, I will definitely give it a workout.  Looks to be a lot more comprehensive than I had realized!

-J-Mac (January 26, 2008, 10:38 PM)

Also remember that you can save any rename pattern you use regularly.  I'll assume you have now converted to using the DOpus Advanced Rename requester

Just set up the rename pattern for photos/files/whatever how you want it, then:

1) Hit the Presets: Add button (above the list on the right).
2) Give your new rename pattern a name.
3) It appears in the list.

You can now just select files, select the preset from the list on the right and Robert's your father's brother  

Also, for a preset you use all the time:

1) Create a new lister toolbar button.
2) Give it the function 'Rename PRESET=<insert your preset name>'
3) Select some files, hit your new button.

4wd

5603

General Software Discussion / Re: Best free firewall for Windows?

« Last post by 4wd on January 23, 2008, 03:55 AM »

I've run a few firewalls over the last couple of years.  I had ZA for a while, then ZA Pro (had 2 licenses for it until recently), but somewhere they lost the plot and it just started bogging down the system, corrupting it's own files, and all the extra crap they kept adding - damnit! I just want a firewall.

I've tried:
Tiny Personal Firewall - Last free version before it became Sygate, (IIRC).  A bit too 'Tiny'.

Ghostwall - Very fast but a pain to set up for every one of your apps.

Primedius Free - Very fast lightweight firewall that will run with other firewalls.  Use it with Windows Firewall for incoming protection and let Primedius handle the outgoing stuff - however the list of applications does get cluttered.

Sygate - Tried it for about 30 mins, didn't like it.

Comodo - Used it for quite a while, a very good firewall but it's interface and rule creation let it down.

And a few others I've long since forgotten, I've finally settled on:

Zyxel Prestige 660HW - The routers firewall is turned on plus NAT is also running, however I have a couple of ports left open for servers.

So for a software firewall I've settled on PCTools Firewall V3.  It doesn't slow down my PC at all, (not that I've noticed anyway, pings are still sub-40ms for gaming), and the ease and variety of rule creation for both network and apps is far ahead of Comodo.  The interface is also a lot better than Comodo.

And bliss, it allows you to export and import rule sets - set it up, export the rules, install on another PC, import the rules.

5604

General Software Discussion / Re: photo duplicate scanner

« Last post by 4wd on January 23, 2008, 03:17 AM »

But now, I've got a new dilemma: my camera outputs video files as *.mov
And as pointed out by my original post, the file names are all wonky. Is there any way to batch rename all based on creation date? There is no exif type data on these.

-jammo (January 20, 2008, 11:41 AM)

You mentioned DOpus above, so I'll assume you have it.

The easy way:

1) Select files/movies/etc.
2) Hit the Rename button.
3) Hit the Advanced button - assuming it's in Simple mode.
4) Tick 'Enable file information fields' - you'll now notice a selection button on the right side
    of the 'New name' input field.
5) Hit that selection button, (a down arrow), and select 'General->Date (Created)'.
6) The new filenames will be displayed in the preview area - hit the OK button.
7) Job Done.

The 'Enable file information fields' also gives you access to a lot more renaming info, including EXIF data.

Cheers,
4wd (ex Amiga DOpus beta-tester

5605

Find And Run Robot / Help with alias needed

« Last post by 4wd on December 25, 2007, 05:56 AM »

Hi folks, I'm having trouble trying to get an alias to work.

It's basically a modification of lanux128's locate32 alias, https://www.donation...81.msg66910#msg66910 using Index Your Files instead, (http://www.indexyourfiles.com/).

[Select]

1000>>>IYF>->iyf $$1 Local|C:\PortableApps\FileUtils\iyf-x\iyf-x.exe --databases:Local --files:$$1>n>iyf $$1 in database $$2|C:\PortableApps\FileUtils\iyf-x\iyf-x.exe --databases:$$2 --files:$$1>+>^iyf (?:\s|)([^\s]*)(?:\s|)([^\s]*)(?:\s|)([^\s]*)(?:\s|)([^\s]*)

The first works fine where it searches in the database 'Local', but the second just doesn't seem to accept a database as an argument, it always defaults back to 'Local'.

i.e. I have two databases, 'Local' and 'Network'.

     'iyf posters network' should do: iyf-x.exe --databases:network --files:posters  (this works from a CLI BTW).

     But it just defaults to whatever database(s) used in the last search, (usually Local).

Can anyone point out what I've done wrong or what I need to do to get the second alias working.

Thanks

EDIT: AAARRRGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Forget about it, my brain has obviously taken leave of my body.......thought it would automatically use the second alias when there was more than 1 argument...........too much Christmas cheer methinks...........

5606

Living Room / Re: Any old Amiga users among us?

« Last post by 4wd on December 07, 2007, 04:35 PM »

@Ralf, it was called the 'IBM Sidecar', and worked fine on the A500 pointing the wrong way

Yes, I admit it.....I'm an old Amiga user, (or should that be 'a user of old Amigas'?).  I've bought every version of Cloanto's 'Amiga Forever' and Amithlon, (very, VERY quick), when it was available.

I've had an A500, A600, A500+ and numerous attachments - SupraTurbo28 anyone?  All sold off when I migrated to my ultimate - the A3000.   (AGA sucks, ECS RULEZ!!!!

My poor 'old' 1990 A3000 with CyberStormPPC 180, PicassoIV (including Paloma and Pablo II), 132MB, A2065, HDs, 1.76MB floppy(!) and Wizard mouse now lies lonely and semi-forgotten in the wardrobe.  I've often thought about selling it off but just can't bring myself to do it

And yes, every damn day on the PC I really, REALLY miss ARexx - VBScript is a complete dog's breakfast by comparison, and all these bl**dy uncommunicative programs........AAAARRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

60 programs to do what you could do with 10 really good ones plus ARexx.  Bill Hawes was my hero, WShell still can't be beat IMHO.

For those that are interested still, my sites: http://4x4.hopto.org and http://4wd.hopto.org

A new emulator that has appeared, (well not really new, more 'tuned'): http://xamiga.net/index.html

....Jeeezz....I'm feeling inclined to get the A3000 out and fire it up again......

EDIT: One of my favourite games that I always returned to on the Amiga, (after killing things in whatever the latest fps was), was Larn - and now I play it on the PC in the guise of ULarn, 2.91MB   When a Level III Demon Lord belts you one from nowhere......the suspense 

5607

General Software Discussion / Re: Firewalls - please, i can't be bothered.

« Last post by 4wd on March 11, 2007, 06:01 AM »

Hi nudone, if all you want is a simple firewall, (or just a program), for outgoing program access control, see if you can find the latest version of Primedius Firewall Lite, 1.6 here: http://www.majorgeek...wall_Lite_d4146.html

It's small, you can start or stop it at any time, seems very low impact.  The interface is a little outdated but it seems to work fine.

I used to use it with Ghostwall, (gave me more control over incoming connections).  They had no problem co-existing together.  However, it does basic inbound filtering so you don't need to install anything else, just use XP's or rely on your router's NAT/firewall.

The only thing that annoyed me about it was the fact that if you updated a program, after asking for access permission, it would add it to the program list leaving the old program version in the list - so every so often you'd need to go through the list and clean out the old entries.

Now-a-days, I use Comodo on my main machine and laptop, (gives more control), and nothing on a download-only machine, (it relies on NAT and the router's hardware firewall - it runs 2 programs and doesn't execute anything it's downloaded so it's fairly safe - runs AVG as a basic precaution).

5608

Official Announcements / Re: --> OCTOBER SOFTWARE DRAWING RESULTS - POSTED

« Last post by 4wd on October 16, 2006, 05:50 PM »

Thank you very much to Scooter Software and DonationCoder, (all of you there).

I think it's only about the second time I've won something in approx. 40 years