Replies

Paul–
Your comment shows you clearly understood the question.

Thanks.

Could not agree more. My original idea of disabling encryption was a non-starter, because smart malware simply could flip the service back on. My second idea was not merely to disable, but remove encryption so nothing could be flipped back on.

Now, I have been informed the attacker does not use native encryption routines, anyway. So, I am confirmed in my belief multiple images, kept on separate USB external HDs, are the only answer.

Of course, finding a system infected means never attaching the image drive until the boot volume has been nuked into oblivion, for good measure.

RolandJS–
Thank you for that– it is never enough to have only a single system image before undertaking a serious operation.
And because HDs fail, keep each image set on a separate USB external HD.

MartinM–
It is unlikely a malware coder would need to search for image extensions, since most people disconnect the USB external HD after imaging. That said, there is the minuscule number of users who still have not reflected on the risk of leaving the external USB drive active and connected.

MartinM–
Like Paul, you understood I planned to remove encryption in order to pre-empt a ransomware attack which uses system encryption against itself. As you point out in item 3, however, removal of system encryption does not deprive ransomware of the ability to encrypt files.

So, my question is now focused on the general desirability of having a system with fewer points-of-failure. Prior experience with encryption has produced no problems, but I am aware that if the key becomes lost or corrupted, I have no recourse.

Yes, I am another disciple of the “backup as often as possible” principle.Typically, a person never can have too many system images.

Are the scans on your PC or router/modem?

The scans were read from my computer firewall log, and the interruptions were experienced on the machine, itself.

Thirty-day Win10 experiment lasts only a week

By Lincoln Spector Using savvy security software is an important part of staying safe online. But just how effective is it? You can’t depend on your experience — or mine. It was intended as a month-long immersion in Windows 10 and a test of using the new OS on a hybrid laptop. But the experiment ended after just seven days. It turned out that upgrading a hybrid laptop/tablet was a trial of BSoDs and compatibility issues.

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The full text of this column is posted at windowssecrets.com/top-story/thirty-day-win10-experiment-lasts-only-a-week/ (opens in a new window/tab).

Columnists typically cannot reply to comments here, but do incorporate the best tips into future columns.[/td]

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This excellent report on Windows 10 is why I subscribe to Windows Secrets. Early trouble reports can be a huge time-saver, inasmuch as Microsoft eventually gets around to fixing most of the bug major reports.

Just imagine, Lincoln, the number of people you helped avoid an uninstallation / retrograde out of Windows 10 ![/SIZE]

I tried Blur (formerly, “DoNotTrackMe”), but while the idea is basically good, an automatic computer alias creates problems, on occasion. Suppose you enter a contest and the entry form requests your email address. Of course, Blur will blur that address for you, but that operation may exclude you from the chance to win because of fine print specifying a “real” email address for the contest entry form.

The better solution, at least in my experience, is to use throw-away email addresses– as many as you need– each address assigned to a particular risk level for spam. For the highest risk, such as a naked attempt to gather another address for a spam operation, use a throw-away address you can identify easily. For the least risk of spam, you can use an address like “subscriptions@domain-name.com”, representing senders who have pledged your address remains private, and whose link to you will not be abused.

Of course, that does not help with a magazine like National Geographic, which keeps its promise not to share your address, but sends unsolicited advertisements of its own in a continuous stream. (Is there a difference?) Buried somewhere in its terms of service is surely the option to stop even such in-house spam.

Despite Lincoln’s excellent article, one area remains a problem– how to update the accounts of all the important emailed newsletters and other periodicals after a change of address to a different ISP. In the course of several years, most users accumulate a large number of such periodicals, and the task is formidable. But assigning a special address to non-spamming periodicals can make the updating task easier because all the work already has been done– the non-spammers are on one account and spammers are on the other(s). With subscriptions@, for example, all valued (often paid) periodicals are already grouped under the single subscriptions account, and that list is usually orders-of-magnitude smaller than the list of senders for the spammable address account.

Is the clock showing the correct time when you boot up ?

Yes, time and date are correct.
Thanks for confirming that the CMOS battery may be on the way out with 3.0v remaining.

Sudo15, you are very close to my own findings. Here is what I already have done to confirm a startup-phase battery voltage drop.

After pressing the start button with both power adapter and original battery connected, I allowed the laptop to proceed until it displayed the opening HP splash screen, then abruptly disconnected the power adapter plug.

At that point, the laptop continued on its own battery power through the entire post, ending in a normal desktop display.

However, the revelations continued. After no more than 20 seconds, my well-used and probably weak original battery messaged that I should charge the battery, and the system quickly went into hibernation. I shut down completely and disconnected the power adapter.

Repeating the procedure for the newly-purchased battery, I first disconnected the original battery, and pressed the start button to bleed residual voltage. I substituted the new, “fully-charged” battery, and reconnected the power adapter. On pressing start once again, and after disconnection of the power adapter, the new battery sustained operations. I had enough time to open the on-screen battery meter and obtain a battery charge reading. And that reading was 100 percent!

To test whether the reading were false, I allowed the session to continue so I could observe whether the nominally 100 percent battery seemed fully charged. And to accelerate battery depletion by application of a modest load, I also ran an anti-virus scan of the entire system. After 20 minutes, my screen display of battery power reserve was still at 84 percent.

Now, the conclusion is inescapable– the system has a point of resistance somewhere that sharply limits available startup current. The charging circuit itself seems normal, since otherwise, the new battery would not have performed as well under load as it did.

Somewhat unfamiliar with the various board components of the typical laptop, I must determine where the problem lies. Yes, it could be simply a bad connection, and I certainly hope for that. But it might be a circuit board, and the cost of even used 2125 mainboards is so prohibitive, I reach the point of having to analyze cost-effectiveness of repair.

What are your ideas about where to go from here?

* PS– On the CMOS battery, I was unable to test voltage because there was no exposed lead. Your suggestion that I check the CMOS battery must be limited (I suppose) to indirect measures, such as how the system performs. I did disconnect the battery, however, in order to reset CMOS to default values, then reset all original values. In earlier comments, it was suggested a weak CMOS battery would not permit proper loading of certain drivers, including possibly the driver for battery condition.

Try a hard reset…
1. Power off the laptop, disconnect the AC adapter, all peripheral devices, and remove the battery.
2. Hold down the power button for 15 seconds.
3. Insert the battery, re-connect the AC adapter only, and reboot.
After the initial boot, reconnect all of the peripheral devices, disconnect the AC adapter, and reboot.
If it fails to boot, enter the BIOS and reload the default settings.
If the situation continues, take a look in the Event Viewer and see what errors are being logged.

In reference to your suggestion (number)–
1. First thing I did was to reinitialize everything possible.
2. Also done in early phase, to bleed residual voltages at likely problem points. That step did restore consistency of booting from power adapter.
3. Done, and laptop (nearly) always boots.
[4] After reconnecting everything, but disconnecting power adapter, the next laptop boot fails, but with active system LEDs, CPU fan and HD, and no display.

Your suggestions for reinitialization of values are good, since reinitialization tends to be the more productive (and easier) avenue in most cases. Like the other, veteran contributors. you have covered a particular aspect of the situation thoroughly.

With the battery in and AC connected, does the computer continue to run when the AC is removed ?
As it’s a XP machine then the CMOS battery could be down and not loading all of the drivers – including the one for the battery.

1. Disconnecting the AC adapter does not shut down operations, although it consistently dims the display noticeably, perhaps revealing insufficient charge for this “fully charged [100 percent]” battery at the moment of test.
2. That introduces the possibility of a problem with the laptop’s power connector. A wobbly power connector is a standard HP issue (over time, at least) but the basic reliability of the power connection was the first thing I checked. My definition of reliability is simple enough– when I move the connector 2 nanometers back to where the screen brightens, the connector seems to stay in that (bright) position, so an interrupted or faulty mechanical connection does not seem the strongest suspect, at the moment.
3. Your suggestion of a CMOS battery issue is also a prospect, since this January, 2007 laptop arrived in my collection as a basket case– no maintenance, abused and battered. But basic life signs are still solid– HD, CPU, and standard remedies show no problems. I’ll meter the CMOS battery for voltage, first, for diagnostic confirmation, and simply replace the battery to eliminate one more failure point.

The free version of HWMonitor will tell you the state of the batteries, but have you tried pulling the AC adapter after it has booted up as I’ve suggested in Post #2 ?

Thanks for the HWMonitor link, and I’ll try that. Meanwhile, I did remove the adapter, and the laptop continues to run, although its screen dims noticeably.

Known to be in good condition and fully charged how?

‘New battery fully charged’…how do you know this?
‘New battery’ means just purchased correct? Not, bought with laptop and sat around unused for years before now?
Clean the contacts between the battery and the laptop…

“New battery fully charged”– I have charged completely the newly-purchased, newly-manufactured battery in the laptop with the problem, if its screen report of battery status is accurate. However, I am without a means to cross-check the laptop’s screen report that its battery is fully charged. One prospective option is to check the battery voltage / charge status by metering the battery pack connectors. I had thought of trying to locate the pin-out diagram for the battery pack, if there is a way to test the battery directly and safely with a meter.

Conceivably– and your idea has considerable promise– if the laptop’s charging logic and/or connector is faulty, the battery– despite a screen indicator showing battery is nearly 100 percent– may not be at sufficient charge to boot. While the battery is new, it is also a cheap Chinese mport, as opposed to a more expensive Chinese import.

In regard to battery connector conductivity, the laptop contacts appear bright and shiny under strong LED light, and appear undamaged. There is limited clearance to insert a 100-percent (anhydrous) alcohol-dampened, cotton-tipped swab, but I certainly can try that on this new battery if you still believe cleaning is important. Of course, manufacturing process quality and even storage without humidity control can alter battery values.

… add a second Ethernet card and turn it into a firewall with pfSense. No speed issues then and much better content control. Other possibilities–
http://www.ipcop.org/
http://www.ipfire.org/
http://www.zeroshell.org/
http://www.untangle.com/shop/NG-Firewall-Free

Thank you, Paul, for such an innovative response– I’ll look into it immediately.

In terms of only hardware, do you believe 4gb is enough to handle modest video streaming? The cable signal is limited to a pokey 6-12Mbps, which means the host machine will be forced into buffering most of the traffic, continuously.