Last Month….

Alan Danbury led us into the world of remote access of computers. This idea has been around for many years and an early type of remotely accessing a computer was PCAnywhere. However many sophisticated packages are available these days with some of the big suppliers such as Dell actually supply a form of software that allows their engineers to remotely access a machine and do diagnostic fault analysis on it. In this case Alan planned to access another PC laptop from his own.

With the aid of a PowerPoint presentation, Alan led us through the what, the why, the cost and the how in controlling another PC remotely. Of course this is all possible if you have two machines on the same network but here we are looking at two separate machines.

So to answer the first question – What? Alan explained that Remote access software allows you to see the screen or even take control of another machine. It usually consists of two parts – The server which runs on the target PC and the Client running on your PC.

Why? You may want to access another machine to maybe sort out a problem, copy some files or even install some software. Other reasons could be that the target machine has a broken video access – screen or keyboard. Maybe the target PC is some distance away and remote access would be advantageous. This software is also usually cross platform which is ideal if you want to access an Apple or Linux system.

Cost? Much of this software is open source and hence free and based round the VNC (virtual network Computing) protocol. In the presentation, Alan used a version called UltraVNC, but there are numerous others including VNC, RealVNC and TightVNC.

How? Well that was the subject of the evening’s presentation. So firstly you have to obtain your preferred software.
UltraVNC http://www.uvnc.com/download/index.html
Real VNC http://www.apphit.com/download_RealVNC-20/
TightVNC http://www.tightvnc.com/

Once you have downloaded the software you need to install it on both PC’s with the Server on the target PC – it can be run as a service, so will start automatically when the machine is booted up. The Client software is loaded on to the PC that you will be using.

Alan then went through the configuration pages various options – one thing to note was that when you set a password in the configuration you will be required to do a full reboot for it to become established. Both machines will require configuring to be able to operate the remote access – hence the element of safety is built in regarding hackers who will need to be able configure the target machine if access is required.

 

After configuring the two machines Alan gained access of the target computer and was able to control all of its screen function etc. In fact he was now in full control of the target machine and able to access and control it at will. Obviously the operation was somewhat slower from the client machine due to commands having to pass across the internet between the two machines.

Maybe not for everybody but Alan showed the potential merits of remote access especially for remote repairs or even just general control of the target machine.

In theory the software should run on various platforms. The demonstration did have problems accessing a Vista driven machine from an XP based computer but when the roles were reversed there were little or no problems at all. Alan expected that more refined configuring would probably solve the issue.

Our thanks to Alan for an interesting and informative evening.

If this presentation has whet your appetite, I am sure that Alan will be only to happy to go over the configuration with you.

Dave Robb

Microsoft To Offer Free Security Essentials

A new antivirus service from Microsoft could pose a threat to subscription services such as Symantec and McAfee in the multimillion Pound PC security industry.
Microsoft has launched free PC antivirus software that could impact sales of pricey offerings from standalone security specialists like Symantec and McAfee.
Microsoft Security Essentials is designed to protect Windows computers from "viruses, spyware, and other malicious software," Microsoft said. It replaces Windows Live OneCare, a paid subscription security and PC optimization package that the company discontinued earlier this year after it failed to catch on.
"Customers have told us that they want the protection of real-time security software but we know that too many are either unwilling or unable to pay for it, and so end up unprotected," said Microsoft security general manager Amy Barzdukas, in a statement.
The product runs in the background and issues alerts if it detects a security threat.
Microsoft constantly updates the service's malware detection capabilities so it can keep up with the latest threats. To do so, it relies on Dynamic Signature Service, a new Microsoft technology that keeps users' PCs up to date in real-time without requiring new downloads.
Microsoft says it's in its own interest to offer free security software because doing so will help keep the Windows environment free of viruses. But competitors may see the move as a sign that Microsoft may be looking to dominate yet another market by bundling new products with Windows.
It's not immediately clear to what extent Microsoft will push Security Essentials as the default antivirus service on new Windows 7 PCs, which hit stores late this month.
Microsoft Security Essentials is available in eight languages and 19 countries, the company said. It runs on Windows XP SP2 and all later versions of Windows, including Vista and Windows 7.
More details and the download of the software can be found on Microsoft’s web site.
http://www.microsoft.com/Security_essentials/

Anniversary Dinner

We hope that everyone who attended enjoyed the Anniversary Dinner a couple of weeks ago. Our thanks to everyone who was involved in planning the evening and especially to Ben for collecting the money and orders and more importantly, ensuring everyone knew what they had ordered!

I see that the Christmas menu is already being advertised – so I hope you are all ready for another gastronomic evening.

Christmas Meal

We have provisionally booked for a Christmas meal at the Bowls club on Wednesday 16th December. We need a £ 5.00 per person deposit so we can confirm numbers. If you would like to attend please let us know as soon as possible along with your deposit.

Christmas Menu

1. Tomato and Basil Soup

2. Prawn Cocktail

3. Brie Wedges

4. Smoked Mackerel

5. Garlic & Wine Mushrooms

1. Chicken in Tomato & Basil

2. Roast Beef

3. Roast Turkey

4. Smoked Haddock Hollandaise

5. Penne Pasta Italian

1. Selection of Cold Sweets

2. Xmas Pudding

Coffee and Mince Pies

Cost of the meal is £12.95
(includes a £1.00 tip per person)