How to disable SMB in Windows and Windows Server to avoid Ransomware WannaCry

For those who doesn't patch their Windows SMB is enable by default

This article describes how to enable and disable Server Message Block (SMB) version 1 (SMBv1), SMB version 2 (SMBv2), and SMB version 3 (SMBv3) on the SMB client and server components.

Warning: We do not recommend that you disable SMBv2 or SMBv3. Disable SMBv2 or SMBv3 only as a temporary troubleshooting measure. Do not leave SMBv2 or SMBv3 disabled.

In Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, disabling SMBv2 deactivates the following functionality:

•     Request compounding - allows for sending multiple SMB 2 requests as a single network request
•     Larger reads and writes - better use of faster networks
•     Caching of folder and file properties - clients keep local copies of folders and files
•     Durable handles - allow for connection to transparently reconnect to the server if there is a temporary disconnection
•     Improved message signing - HMAC SHA-256 replaces MD5 as hashing algorithm
•     Improved scalability for file sharing - number of users, shares, and open files per server greatly increased
•     Support for symbolic links
•     Client oplock leasing model - limits the data transferred between the client and server, improving performance on high-latency networks and increasing SMB server scalability
•     Large MTU support - for full use of 10-gigabye (GB) Ethernet
•     Improved energy efficiency - clients that have open files to a server can sleep

In Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, Windows Server 2012, and Windows Server 2016, disabling SMBv3 deactivates the following functionality (and also the SMBv2 functionality that's described in the previous list):

•     Transparent Failover - clients reconnect without interruption to cluster nodes during maintenance or failover
•     Scale Out – concurrent access to shared data on all file cluster nodes
•     Multichannel - aggregation of network bandwidth and fault tolerance if multiple paths are available between client and server
•     SMB Direct – adds RDMA networking support for very high performance, with low latency and low CPU utilization
•     Encryption – Provides end-to-end encryption and protects from eavesdropping on untrustworthy networks
•     Directory Leasing - Improves application response times in branch offices through caching
•     Performance Optimizations - optimizations for small random read/write I/O

Windows Client: Add or Remove Programs method

1. Go to Control Panel and Click Programs (some windows don't have SMB enable features here)

2. Under Programs and Features  click "Turn Windows features on or off"

3. Now a Window Box pop out  find SMB and uncheck it and restart your computer.

Windows Server: Server Manager method 

Go to Dashboard and then click Remove Roles and Features Wizard, from there uncheck SMB

Windows Server: PowerShell method 

Command (Remove-WindowsFeature FS-SMB1)

Windows Client: PowerShell method 

Command (Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName smb1protocol)

More Info visit: https://support.microsoft.com/

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How to fix The Windows Security Center service can’t be started error message in Windows

If you receive a "The Windows Security Center service can’t be started" error message in Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7 or Windows Vista, then this article may be able to help you troubleshoot the problem. You may try these troubleshooting steps in any order.

Action Center, previously known as Windows Security Center, monitors the security status of the computer. However the related service is called Security Center service. The Security Center (WSCSVC) Service monitors and reports security health settings on the computer.

The Windows Security Center uses the Windows Management Instrumentation or WMI collect information about the PC. If there are some inconsistencies, the Security Center may fail to start.

What cause this? May be you have downloaded a program with virus, Trojan, rat, or malware or you turned it off.

The Windows Security Center service can’t be started

1) First of all, deep-scan your PC with your security software. This is to ensure that, it is not some malware, which is preventing your Security Center from running.

2) Disable and then enable Security Center and see if it helps.

3) If your Security Center is disabled, open Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Action Center and see if you can restart the Windows Security Service by clicking on the Turn on now button.

4) If this does not help or you receive another error, right click any where on your task bar click Task Manager ( or run task manager)

Click the "Services" tab menu , then click "Open Services"

Look for " Security Center" (you can see it was Disabled) then right click it select properties.

Set on Automatic or Automatic (Delayed Start). Also ensure that the Remote Procedure Call (RPC) and Windows Management Instrumentation services are started and set on Automatic.

Fix?

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Windows 7 Installed On Android Watch

A developer has installed a full-blown Windows 7 on his wearable. It’s good to see the world’s most popular operating system running on a tiny smartwatch, it’s painful to use. Before you can even try to get some work done on such a small screen, let me tell you that booting Windows 7 on this devices takes three hours.

It goes without saying that Windows 7 acts as a battery killer for the smartwatch and you need to keep the charger connected to it.

We salute Hacking Jules for being so patient and installing Windows 7 on a glorious 280 x 280 resolution screen.

Note that Windows 7 takes 3 hours to boot on the device.

Watch the video here:


Here’s how to install Windows 7 on your Android Wear smartwatch:



Here’s a Linux distro running on Android smartwatch:

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Microsoft has unveiled Windows Defender Application Guard for Microsoft Edge that act as a virtual PC

Microsoft has unveiled Windows Defender Application Guard for Microsoft Edge, a new system that will isolate the browser on Windows 10 Enterprise PCs, making them harder to hack. In a blog, the company wrote that it's "the first operating system to ship this type of technology alongside a browser." Using the Virtualization Based Security (VBS) recently introduced for Windows 10, Edge runs inside a small, virtual "PC," keeping it separate from processes including storage, other apps and, most importantly, the Windows 10 kernel.

Microsoft says that while other browsers are "sandboxed" away from security-sensitive PC areas, they "still provide a pathway for malware and vulnerability exploits." By contrast, Application Guard uses a hardware container to completely isolate Edge from the rest of the PC.

The system is only available on Windows 10 Enterprise for now, so administrators will need to choose sites that do and don't run inside Application Guard. When it's enabled, malware can't penetrate the protective VM "box" around Edge to access the rest of the system. "Even if an untrusted site successfully loads malware, the malware is unable to reach beyond the isolated container to steal data or permanently compromise devices or the network," Microsoft wrote.


Running Edge in a virtual machine will slow it down a bit, but Microsoft says it uses the minimum resources necessary to keep it light. The other hassle is that an Application Guard-enabled session won't save your cookies or other data, because closing the browser completely wipes all memory of the session. Those things mean that, for now, the VM-protected Edge system isn't quite ready for non-enterprise users just yet. However, in an age of constant hacking, a browser that isolates your system from danger seems like an idea whose time has come.

source: Windows

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How to repair Windows MBR or master boot record and fix your bricked PC

The master boot record is a key part of your PC’s startup system. It contains information about the computer’s disk partitions and helps load the operating system. Without a properly functioning MBR, your PC simply won’t work.

New form of ransomware is wreaking havoc on computers. Hackers that encrypt your files and demand money from you in the form of bitcoin is bad enough, but a few versions also overwrite your Windows PC’s master boot record (MBR).

Luckily, destroying the MBR usually isn’t irreversible. But it’s still problematic since overwriting the MBR renders your PC inoperative until it’s repaired. On top of that, the method for fixing it is far from obvious.

Here’s how to make everything right if your master boot record was erased.

How to fix the MBR

The main way to fix the MBR is to use a command prompt and run the bootrec.exe command. In versions of Windows prior to Windows 8 and 10, you usually accessed the command prompt through recovery media like a DVD disc or USB drive. That still works in Windows 10, and we’ll discuss that method at the end of this tutorial. But the latest versions of Windows offer an easier method for running recovery commands without external media.

When you first boot up a Windows 10 PC it should recognize that there’s a problem and enter “automatic repair” mode. When it does, you’ll see the words "Preparing Automatic Repair” appear below the blue Windows logo.

If that doesn’t happen, but you do see the blue Windows logo, turn off your computer using the hard reset/power button. Keep turning the computer on and off until you see your PC booting into automatic repair. It should only take a few reboots.

Once automatic repair mode is ready, you’ll see the Automatic Repair screen. From here select Advanced options.

On the next screen, click Command Prompt Troubleshoot and then Advanced options once again.

You’ll see a screen with six options. If you want, you can select Startup Repair before turning to the command prompt and Bootrec. Startup Repair is an automated program that will try to fix any problems it finds on the computer disk without any intervention from the user.

It’s a good utility that may fix your problem, but Startup Repair will take far more time to complete its task than simply running Bootrec.

To use the Bootrec option, click the Command Prompt tile. This may prompt your computer to reboot yet again and then ask you to login with your password. If that happens, do so.

Once the command line appears, all you have to do is type the following, then press Enter:

bootrec.exe /fixmbr

Note the space between “exe” and “/fixmbr”—it’s critical to include this space for the command to run properly. The first part tells the PC to run the Bootrec program, while the “/fixmbr” option tells Bootrec exactly what we want it to recover.

If all goes well, the command prompt should print out, “The operation completed successfully.” When you see that you can reboot your PC.

Bootrec from a system repair drive

If you’re running an older version of Windows, or if your Windows 10 PC isn’t launching the repair options, you’ll need to use a recovery drive to fix your MBR. Start by inserting the system repair media into the PC. This will be either one you created, or a purchased version of the Windows install discs.

Next, boot your system. If you’re using a USB drive, your system’s BIOS needs to be set to boot from USB before falling back to any internal drives. If you don’t have your BIOS correctly configured, the system recovery drive will be of no use. Adding to the complication, the way you enter the BIOS (and how you set it up) is not universal. Lincoln Spector has a tutorial on how to handle setting up your BIOS to boot from USB.

Once you’ve booted into the recovery drive, you should be asked to select a keyboard layout in your language—US English in this case. Next, you’ll land on the troubleshooting screen we saw earlier.

At this point you can continue to the command prompt as we discussed earlier and run Bootrec.

If you’re on Windows 7, you’ll need to follow slightly different steps once you launch into the recovery mode. After you’ve selected the input method, select Repair your computer, followed by the operating system name. Then click Next > System Recovery Options > Command Prompt and start Bootrec using the same bootrec.exe /fixmbr as above

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What’s New in Windows 10’s Anniversary August Update

Windows 10 Anniversary Update. After just a year, Microsoft has managed to update Windows 10 with a solid amount of new features. This is the exact promise of Windows as a service, and it’s encouraging to see it in action.

The Anniversary Update will report itself as version 1607 Build 14393, despite the fact that it technically launched in August instead of July. If you don’t have it yet, try checking for updates in Windows 10’s Settings > Update & Security. You can also start the update manually from Microsoft’s support page click here  to download.

Basically  you will find some difference upon installing the new build example the UI.
Microsoft has also tweaked the Windows 10 UI in more ways than just a dark theme. The all apps list is now an integral part of the Start menu, and Live Tiles are now chase-able. This means if you see something like a news story on a Live Tile, you’ll go directly to that news item when you click the Tile instead of simply opening the homepage of an app.

Windows Defender now has an icon that appears in the notification area and produces more notifications by default. This makes it more clear to average Windows users that Windows 10 has a built-in antivirus protecting them. Windows Defender can also perform a boot-time offline scan to find and remove more nasty malware.

Cortana is also getting a little more intelligent, with the ability to schedule appointments in Outlook or options to send friends a document you were working on a week ago. 

Microsoft continues to expand on what Cortana can do, clearly trying to make it the most powerful assistant in an increasingly growing pool of competition (Siri, Google Now, Alexa, and the whole gang). This time around, Cortana comes to the Windows 10 lock screen, so you can invoke her at any time. And, she can push stuff to and from your mobile device, including notifications and text messages. (And remember, since Cortana is available on Android too, that doesn’t mean you need a Windows Phone to take advantage.)

Microsoft has removed the controversial Wi-Fi Sense feature that allowed you to share Wi-Fi network and their passwords with your Facebook, Outlook.com, and Skype contacts. Microsoft never did a good job of explaining this feature–perhaps it would have been more popular and less controversial if Microsoft had. Either way, Microsoft says very few people actually used this feature, so it wasn’t worth the effort to keep it around.

Wi-Fi Sense isn’t completely gone, but it now connects you only to public hotspots. It won’t connect you to a private Wi-Fi network and no longer offers a way to share your Wi-Fi credentials with others. You can find what remains of Wi-Fi Sense under Settings > Network and Internet > Wi-Fi.

Mobile WiFi Hotspot is working  on Laptops too...

 I tried to connect my phone and it connect :p

With the Anniversary Update to Windows 10, the automatic time zone switching in OS X it’s finally here. If you’re traveling abroad for vacation then you’ll never have to worry about manually adjusting your PC clock again. It sounds like the most minor feature, but more often than not it’s the small things that add up and make a difference. Microsoft hasn’t enabled the automatic time zone switching by default, so you’ll need to enable it from the settings app.

Microsoft surprised the developer world when it unveiled bash for Windows earlier this year. If you’re a developer then Bash on Windows 10 is a big deal, for everyone else it’s something you won’t really use. Microsoft is essentially adding the Linux command line to Windows 10, and it’s a great addition for Linux developers that need access to all their tools on Windows. It’s an optional Windows feature you’ll need to go in and enable, but once it’s setup you’ll receive updates if Microsoft tweaks it in the future.

The Windows taskbar sees some important improvements, too. The taskbar clock is now integrated with your calendar, so you can click or tap the time and see a list of the calendar events you have scheduled for today. Tap an event–or tap the “+” button to add an event–and the Calendar app will open.

The sound panel is also more useful. You can click or tap the speaker icon and switch between multiple output devices–like speakers and headphones–if you have more than one connected.

Taskbar settings are now integrated into the new Settings app, and you can access them at Settings > Personalization > Taskbar. You can also just right-click the taskbar and select “Settings” to open this new screen.

Microsoft is adding a new "Project to PC" option in Windows 10 Anniversary Update. It’s similar to remote desktop, but it allows you to easily find a PC to project to from a phone or another PC. You’ll be able to project what you see on your own display onto another machine, and use its keyboard, mouse, and other peripherals. It seems like a feature that is more suited to the business environment, especially if you want to show a colleague a document but don’t necessarily want to share the contents directly with them.

Here I test if  my Laptop can project my Flash Plus 2 smartphone screen although my hardware is not build for that  but still it works.

Ok thats all for my review on the latest Windows 10 build. Even with Windows 10 Anniversary Update, Windows 10 isn’t complete. This is just the latest update, and more features and changes are coming later this year and beyond. It feels like the big promise of Windows 10 across multiple devices is finally here, and Microsoft is now building on top of what that means.

Again ooking to install Windows 10 on your PC?

Download and run the media creation tool to get started. For more information on how to use the tool, see the instructions below.

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Critical Print Spooler Bug allows Attackers to Hack any version of Microsoft Windows via print server

Microsoft's July Patch Tuesday offers 11 security bulletins with six rated critical resolving almost 50 security holes in its software.

The company has patched a security flaw in the Windows Print Spooler service that affects all supported versions of Windows ever released, which if exploited could allow an attacker to take over a device via a simple mechanism.

The "critical" flaw (CVE-2016-3238) actually resides in the way Windows handles printer driver installations as well as the way end users connect to printers.

The flaw could allow an attacker to install malware remotely on victim machine that can be used to view, modify or delete data, or create new accounts with full user rights

MS16-087-Security Update for Windows Print Spooler Components (3170005)
This security update resolves vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows. The more severe of the vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if an attacker is able to execute a man-in-the-middle (MiTM) attack on a workstation or print server, or set up a rogue print server on a target network.

Users who are logged in with fewer user rights on the system are less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights, such as some home accounts and server users.
Microsoft said the critical flaw could be exploited to allow remote code execution if an attacker can conduct a man-in-the-middle (MiTM) attack on a system or print server or set up a rogue print server on a target network.

The critical flaw was discovered and reported by the researchers at security firm Vectra Networks, who disclosed some details on the vulnerability, but didn't publish their proof-of-concept (POC) code.


You can watch the video that shows the hack in action:



If the printer is behind a firewall, attackers can even hack other device or computer on that particular network, and then use it to host their malicious files.

This flaw (CVE-2016-3238) is by far the most dangerous vulnerability of the year, which is easy to execute, provides different ways of launch attacks, and affects a huge number of users.

A second related vulnerability, CVE-2016-3239, in MS16-087 bulletin is a privilege escalation flaw that could allow attackers to write to the file system.

A security bulletin for Microsoft Office, MS16-088, includes patches for seven remote code execution (RCE) vulnerabilities, 6 of them are memory corruption flaws, which affects Microsoft Office, SharePoint Server as well as Office Web Apps.

The flaws can be exploited by specially crafted Office files, allowing attackers to run arbitrary code with same privileges as the logged in user.

Bulletin MS16-084 addresses flaws in Internet Explorer and MS16-085 in Microsoft Edge. The IE flaws include RCE, privilege escalation, information disclosure and security bypass bugs.

Edge flaws include a handful of RCE and memory corruption flaws in the Chakra JavaScript engine, as well as an ASLR bypass, information disclosure, browser memory corruption, and spoofing bugs.

Bulletin MS16-086 addresses a vulnerability in the JScript and VBScript engines in Windows, which could allow an attacker to execute remote code execution flaw, affecting VBScript 5.7 and JScript 5.8.

Rest five bulletins rated as important address flaws in Windows Secure Kernel Mode, Windows Kernel-Mode Drivers, the .NET framework, the Windows Kernel, and Secure Boot process.

Users are advised to patch their system and software as soon as possible.

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Windows Start menus with Classic Shell for Windows 10

You can get a very close facsimile of earlier Windows Start menus with Classic Shell. The program is free, but the website encourages donations—a nice gesture if you appreciate the product.

Classic Shell, made by former Microsoft employees so this program isn't really a 3d party program.

Classic Shell™ is free software that improves your productivity, enhances the usability of Windows and empowers you to use the computer the way you like it.

The main features are:

• Highly customizable start menu with multiple styles and skins
• Quick access to recent, frequently-used, or pinned programs
• Find programs, settings, files and documents
• Start button for Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10
• Toolbar and status bar for Windows Explorer
• Caption and status bar for Internet Explorer
• Classic Shell has been in active development for 6 years and has tens of millions of downloads.

The first time you click the Start button after installing Classic Shell, you don’t get any menu. Instead, you’ll get the program’s Settings dialog box. If you close that dialog box and click Start again, you’ll get Classic Shell’s Windows 7-like default Start menu.

If you want to get back to that dialog box, right-click the Start button and select Settings.

Here you’ll be able to select your choice of three menu designs: “Classic style” looks pre-XP, except with a search field (not really needed since Windows 10 has one in the taskbar). “Classic with two columns” looks sort of like XP, but even more like Vista. “Windows 7 style,” the default, looks almost exactly like Windows 7.

Below the styles, you’ll find options for changing how the Start button looks. The program offers only two options, but you can create and add your own.

It’s worth checking out the other three tabs on the Settings dialog box. For instance, you can have the menu automatically revert to the Windows 10 interface when you switch to tablet mode (called Metro here).

I personally like the Windows 10 Start menu, because you have easy access with admin tools just right click on.

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Microsoft web portal in China will be shut down on June 7

The tech giant said its MSN website in China -- which provides news and lifestyle content as well as a search function -- will be shut down on June 7.

Microsoft (MSFT, Tech30) remains "deeply committed to China," the company said in a statement, noting that the country hosts its biggest R&D facility outside the U.S. and is a market for products like Windows 10 and cloud computing services.

A spokesman didn't respond to questions about the reasons behind the decision to close the Chinese MSN site.

Microsoft has repeatedly hit roadblocks in China, a key market where it's made big bets. The company has been embroiled in an antitrust investigation in China since July 2014. In January, regulators asked it to explain "major issues" related to the probe.

The company's search engine, Bing, also flopped in the country amid tough competition with homegrown rivals. It didn't help that in Chinese, "Bing" sounds similar to the word for "sickness."

In September, Microsoft finally ditched Bing for users of its Edge browser in China, striking a deal with Chinese Internet giant Baidu (BIDU, Tech30) to use its search engine as the default.

Other Western tech firms have come under scrutiny in China before, including Qualcomm (QCOM, Tech30) and Apple (AAPL, Tech30). Social networks like Facebook (FB, Tech30) and Google (GOOG) remain blocked in the country.

Microsoft's decision to shutter its MSN portal in China comes during a difficult time for providers of foreign online content in the country.

In recent weeks, Apple's digital book and movie offerings and a partnership between Disney (DIS) and Alibaba (BABA, Tech30) that offered streaming video have been suspended, reportedly at the request of Chinese regulators.

The shutdowns followed the announcement of new rules requiring government approval for foreign companies wanting to provide online content such as videos, games and books. 

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Microsoft is removing its annoying Windows 10 upgrade notification soon!

Microsoft is removing its annoying upgrade notification soon!. The software giant is planning to remove its Get Windows 10 app from Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 PCs after July 29th.

Even weather forecasts aren't safe from Windows 10 upgrade prompts. Microsoft's aggressively nagging Windows 10 upgrade prompts claimed another victim on Wednesday morning. KCCI 8 News Meteorologist Metinka Slater was just trying to tell us the weather in southwest Iowa, but Windows 10 had other ideas. A giant Windows 10 upgrade prompt appeared, heading east towards Omaha and Red Oak and looking like the worst snow storm on record.

Microsoft confirmed yesterday that the company is planning to end its free Windows 10 upgrade offer on July 29th, and in a statement to WinBeta it has revealed the annoying upgrade notification will be disabled after July 29th:

"Details are still being finalized, but on July 29th the Get Windows 10 app that facilitates the easy upgrade to Windows 10 will be disabled and eventually removed from PCs worldwide. Just as it took time to ramp up and roll out the Get Windows 10 app, it will take time to ramp it down."

For Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users who have resisted the move to Windows 10 it means the upgrade prompts will disappear. Third-party apps have allowed many to disable the notifications, and system administrators can kill the process for business machines. A giant Windows 10 upgrade prompt appeared during a weather forecast last week, providing some unusual comedy.

Try not to laugh or grin while watching this Microsoft Windows 10 free download update interrupt weather news blooper. Can you say Microsoft Windows 10 tutorial for this newscaster?






Slater was quick to switch feeds and rid Iowa of the Windows 10 UFO, narrowly avoiding state-wide panic over the Windows-related weather conditions. "Microsoft recommends upgrading to Windows 10, what should I do? Don't you love when that pops up!" Slater joked sarcastically. And that's precisely the point, everyone hates these damn notifications. Microsoft has been aggressively pushing Windows 10 out to existing Windows 7 and Windows 8 machines in a bid to reach its 1 billion devices goal, but this prompt is slowly turning into the new Blue Screen of Death.

Microsoft will end its free upgrade offer for Windows 10 on July 29th, but the company still has time left to reverse that decision. If the upgrade promotion does get extended, it's likely that the Windows 10 notifications will continue, but for now Microsoft is saying the notifications will end on July 29th.

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Windows Phone is dead, Farewell

Windows Phone started off life as a promising alternative to Android and iOS five years ago. Microsoft positioned its range of Windows Phone 7 handsets as the true third mobile ecosystem, but it's time to admit it has failed. If a lack of devices from phone makers and even Microsoft itself wasn't enough evidence, the final nail in the coffin hit today. 

Microsoft and Nokia have sold a total of 110 million Windows Phones compared to 4.5 billion iOS and Android phones in the same period. IDC recently reported that 400 million phones were sold in the recent quarter, meaning just 1.1 percent of them were Lumia Windows Phones. Microsoft does not have any compelling Lumia handsets, and the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL were both disappointing flagship devices with unfinished Windows 10 Mobile software.

Microsoft only sold 4.5 million Lumia devices in the recent quarter, compared to 10.5 million at the same time last year. That's a massive 57 percent drop. Even a 57 percent increase wouldn't be enough to save Windows Phone right now.

With Lumia sales on the decline and Microsoft's plan to not produce a large amount of handsets, it's clear we're witnessing the end of Windows Phone. Rumors suggest Microsoft is developing a Surface Phone, but it has to make it to the market first.

Windows Phone has long been in decline and its app situation is only getting worse. With a lack of hardware like  Camera Module, lack of sales, and less than 2 percent market share, it's time to call it: Windows Phone is dead. 

I got I 2 Windows Phone last day one has camera issue "Something went wrong" when trying to open the rear camera. All updated with Windows 10 via Windows Insider App.

I also try to experiment with  "Project Astoria"  you have ability to install android apps ing your Windows 10 mobile. But later they stop this support on newest build.

Real Windows on phones might become a thing with Continuum eventually, but Windows Phone as we know it is done. It won't stop Microsoft producing a few handsets every year as a vanity project, but for everyone else it's the end of the line. Farewell, Windows Phone.

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