NewsLine 2000: Tips, Tricks and Information | ||
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FAXMAKER FOR WINDOWS 2000 RELEASED |
This new version of GFI FAXmaker for Exchange integrates with Windows 2000 Server and includes support for Windows 2000 modem drivers, meaning it can share a modem with another Comms application (such as RAS), supports 2D faxing (faster fax transmission) and boasts wider modem support. All user administration is done through the new Microsoft Management Console.
For more information, please call or email
MAIL ESSENTIALS 3.5 BETA LAUNCHED |
Mail Essentials protects Exchange email servers for virus attacks, spam, relay attacks and so on. The latest version 3.5 has gone into beta and introduces a new feature which protects against both current and future macro and script based email viruses (like LoveBug).
With this feature, if a Word or Excel file with a macro is sent as an attachment, you can either quarantine it or just delete it straight away, with a notice automatically issued to the sender. This way, email security is guaranteed at server level, preventing the accidental opening and release of a macro virus at user level. Additionally, Mail essentials users are covered even when a new macro virus is released, as it does not need the signature of that new virus before being able to safeguard against it.
Mail essentials can also block emails and attachments containing VB script (such as the LoveLetter virus), Windows Scripting, Java scripts and HTML scripts at email server level.
If you are interested in Mail Essentials for protecting your email systems then please call or email
DISABLING MAIL SCRIPTING |
Mail scripting is the mechanism by which attacks such as LoveBug work, using the inbuilt scripting options of Outlook for nefarious purposes. You can disable this mechanism, with no real loss of functionality.
1) In Outlook select Tools, Options, Security
2) Select the drop-down labelled Zone and select Restricted Sites from the list. (In Outlook Express it is a radio button, not a drop-down).
3) Click on the Zone Settings button, then Custom Settings.
3) Near the very bottom of the list displayed, change Scripting, Active Scripting to disabled.
This stops any email scripts from running. If you think about it, under what circumstances do you want a script that has been -emailed- to you to run?
I could imagine certain, specially prepared corporate environments where that might be true, but not in general use.
See http://www.c2000.com/mswindow for more information
FORMAT PAINTER REVISITED |
This is a mix of keyboard trick and new technique.
Format Painter, the paint brush on the toolbar, lets you select the format for text or a paragraph, and paint it over other text in document and have the format copied. A single click on the toolbar lets you do it once, a double click holds the bush icon down and you can paint over several sections of text. When you press Escape or do other work, format painter turns itself off.
Now this is quite useful in itself, and works in Word, PowerPoint, FrontPage, Publisher, Visio, Access and Project with more to follow.
Now, you can also do this with the keyboard using Ctrl-Shift-C to copy the format and Ctrl-Shift-V to paste the format. The neat thing here is that the format remains on the clipboard, so you can paste it over text much later on without having to repeat the copy part. Basically the format is stored for the remainder of the session, just waiting for a quick format paste.
See http://www.c2000.com/mswindow for more information
SAVING YOUR BACON WHEN YOU LOSE THAT PASSWORD |
Losing an NT/2000 administrator password can mean you are well and truly stuffed. But in such circumstances your prepared to try anything to recover it right?
Then try NTPASSWD. This utility sets a new password on the administrator account without having the old one.
Sounds simple, but you need to know that this is a Linux program (!) and has to be run from a linux boot disk (use a floppy boot disk, or mound your NT/2000 hard disk on your Linux server). No friendly graphical interface either. But you can after maybe an hour or so, recover your NT administrator password and be back in a job again!
You can download it from the address below (not our site by the way).
Of course, if you've just saved your own bacon, then you are happy. On the other hand, this does show that your system is not as secure as maybe you thought…
See http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd for more information
MAKING TCAP CHANGES TAKE EFFECT |
A common query is after updating the Tcap file to change effects definitions on screen there seems to be no change in the Uniplex display.
There are two steps you must then go through to make Uniplex pick up the effects
Firstly, the Tcap file must be re-compiled using the command:
syscomp [term-name]
Secondly, Uniplex must be re-started for the changes to take affect.
See http://www.c2000.com/uniplex for more information
EMBEDDING FONTS IN EXPLORER WEB PAGES GETS EASIER |
Microsoft have a new tool on their site that lets web authors create "font objects" so that when an Internet Explorer views the pages they will see them displayed in the font style contained within the font object.
The Web Embedding Fonts Tool (WEFT) takes all the hard work out of creating font objects. Simply point WEFT at your site and it will analyse each page and build a picture of fonts used. Then the tool creates compressed font objects containing the required characters. Finally, the tool adds the code to your pages linking the font objects to them.
http://www.microsoft.com/typography/downloads/weft3/weft3b8.exe
NEW PORTAL FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT |
The Local Government Association launched a new online portal for local govt and public sector news and info last month.
The site is at: www.local-government.net
It replaces the old LGAnet web service with a range of content selections for each part of the public sector. The site will also include a selection of third-party content as well, including a daily updated news feed.
See http://www.c2000.com/lgovt for more information
NEW STATEMAN AWARD WINNERS FOR LOCAL GOVT |
"Hackney Live", for the London Borough of Hackney won this years New Statesman "new media" award in the government category.
Hackney was selected by Centreline 2000 for special way back in 1995 when we did the first ever review of local authority sites and the site has improved and matured over the years.
Other sites mentioned by NS include Camden Connect and Hampshire County Council.
In the "Elected Representative" category, Paul Flynn, MP won for an entertaining but still hard-hitting site, with commendations to Anne Campbell, the first MP to have a web site.
The overall merit award went to Brookmans Park Newsletter based in Hertfordshire. The newsletter content is collcted by local individuals and groups, such as the local bobby and history society. But there is also lots of activity such as slide shows and a "have your say" section.
Local Authorities
http://www.hackney.gov.uk
http://www.camden.gov.uk
http://www.hants.gov.uk
Elected Representatives
http://www.paulflynnmp.co.uk
http://ds.dial.pipex.com/anne.campbell.mp
Overall Merit
http://www.brookmans.com
See http://www.c2000.com/lgovt for more information
EXCEL: QUICK FORMAT CHECK |
Sometimes its hard to understand why a cell looks the way it does, maybe you have some strange or unexpected formatting in place. Here's a fast way to apply the default 'General' formatting to a selection.
Ctrl + ~ (tilde)
See http://www.c2000.com/mswindow for more information
SUBJECT: ECLIPSE |
Subject: Eclipse
From: Ian Davis
Newsgroups: rec.humor.oracle.d
There was a fantastic and very long total eclipse of the moon last
night, best seen in Melbourne and the longest period of totality for the
next thousand years. The sky was clear and dry, the weather freezing
cold, the stars bright enough to burn, as I watched the brilliant full
moon gradually being consumed by the shadow of the earth.
I had the telescope out and I watched as the blinding disk slowly
darkened and took on the ghostly red color of earthlight. I watched the
eerie spectre slowly tracking across the background of the Milky Way,
occulting several stars. And right on the limb of the shadow of the
earth, just to spoil it all, you could see the shadow of some b******* in
South Africa making bunny ears.
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Centreline 2000 - Uniplex, Unix, Windows and Internet Arle Court, Hatherley Lane, Cheltenham, GL51 6PN Tel: (UK) 01242 255 000 |
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URL: www.c2000.com/papers/nw_000909.htm © 1995-2001 Centreline 2000 Last Updated: 14/09/2000 |
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