@Optimist we had to do a total install of win xp and all is working as it should do,thanks for all your help and suggestion.

Mega....

Hi Timeliner

I don't have much specific knowledge, but go for a fast Intel processor, loads of RAM and Vista Business or Ultimate. Some of the cheaper models will not take more than 2GB RAM so avoid.

I wouldn't worry too much about the video card sharing the RAM as trading does not require much video resources.

Another option, is to get a really cheap one, VPN into your home machine and use remote desktop.

TP

I installed the Sky gadget ages ago and it works fine.

Mega

:-)

Thanks Opt,

Found another source for that Sky thingie - which worked.

TP

Optimist

The Medion Laptop spec is:
Intel Pentium Dual-Core processor T3400 (2.16mhz 1mb L2 cache FSB 667Mhz)
250g hard drive
3gb DDR2 SDRAM
16" TFT Widescreen display with HD Resolution
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500 MHD based on PCI-Express technology incl. digital HDMI audio/video output
Wireless LAN 802.11 b/g draft-n with up to 300Mbit/s
Powerful 8 cell Li-ion rechargeable battery
8x multi-standard DVD/CD burner with DVDRAM and dual layer support
Gigabit Ethernet LAN
Integrated numeric keypad
2 integrated speakers
4 in 1 multicard reader for SD, MMC, MS and MS Pro
1 x Express Card Slot 54
3 x USB 2.0
1 x eSATA/USB 2.0
1 X HDMI Out
1 x VGA out
1 x LAN
1 x Mic In
1 x Line in
1 x Line Out
6 Channel Audio Out (analogue & S/P DIF)
36 month warranty return to base.

450

Timeliner

You have mail.

Peerguarding 2, is blocking my esignal from updating live date, usually when it does this I tell it to unblock the data broadcasting corporation. nearly a week now and its getting worse, it takes longer and longer to do this even thou I told it allow permantly, today I've also unblocked Internap Network Services this has allow esignal to work yeah ;-)

Basically I want a IP blocker that stops all those dodgy sites trying to snoop into my pc, but which is quick and easy to use so I can tell it to allow esignal

any suggestions

Richgit

Use an external firewall such as Smoothwall which will run on an old PC.

I have a 4gb usb memory stick that I use while travelling with my laptop and it has some confidential data stored on it.

How can I put some security on it so that if it gets lost no one can easily see the data.

jeff - you could go for something like this - http://www.mymemory.co.uk/USB-Flash-Drives/Lexar/Lexar-8GB-JumpDrive-Secure-II-Plus - lots of others around e.g. kingston.

Kernow
I have just bought the memory stick so dont want to buy another one. I just want to make it secure. I could put a password requirement on each document but that is too onerous. I would prefer to secure at a higher level.

-- Jeffmack,

What level of security are you looking for, and what type of files are they? If they're MS Office type files, you're wasting your time with passwords, apart from the most trivial intervention - there are freely available password crackers available that work very quickly.

At the stick level, have a look at http://www.keynesis.com/products/ or http://www.truecrypt.org/ to see if they meet your needs.

zzaxx99
Most if not all the files are .doc or .xls created with open office.

Folder or stick level security is what I am looking for. I had a drive once that had security features on it so I want something for free, like your 2nd option.

Thks

Carry it around in one of these, Jeffie.

LOL Smart arse

Jeffmack

The best way is to use a secure USB stick. San Disk and others do one with fingerprint recognition which is very secure.

ZZ

Could you expand on your comments re MS Officce security. I was under the impression that with Office 2003 + if you used a strong password and 128 bit encryption, then it is virtually un-crackable.

BTW . A strong password these days seems to be at least 16 random alpha numeric characters.

One way is to put passwords on any document files that you have such as Word, Excel etc. But bear in mind that these passwords will only deter the casual viewer as they can all be broken with the right software.

Optimist,

Dunno for sure about 2003, but Office XP crackers are freely available and instantly unprotect. There are also rainbow table attack methods available for Windows OS passwords, and if not available already, I would expect that Office passwords were vulnerable in the very near future.

There a goodish article on this in the current PC Pro or PCW

A quick bit off Googling leads me to think that Office 2003 files are already vulnerable.

I've done a bit of digging as regards MS Office encryption. This site appears to have a good summary.

Office 95, 97 and 2000 are not secure at all.

Office 2003 can be made to be secure but the default settings are not.

Office 2007 is secure as long as you save in .docx or .xlsx formats. I seem to remember reading that you have to turn encryption on as well as password protect.

Office 2007 currently uses 128 bit encryption though it can use 256 bit so anything that you save is as secure as your password.

As far as I know, the 128bit encryption can't be cracked but this might be possible in 10 years time. 256bit will not be cracked before they get quantum computers to work.

I think that Jeffie was more worried that Mrs Mack might see the contents of his porn stash than anything else.

:o)