ZeroPaid.com » Guides http://www.zeropaid.com Sun, 12 Feb 2012 22:53:21 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 How to Master Email Encryption http://www.zeropaid.com/news/98782/how-to-master-email-encryption/ http://www.zeropaid.com/news/98782/how-to-master-email-encryption/#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:10:50 +0000 Hannah http://www.zeropaid.com/?p=98782 Security_lock_and_key_crop

Keep your personal data safe by taking the time to encrypt your emails.

With the government threatening to do all kinds of things to the internet, and stories about email and phone hacking surfacing all over the world, there’s never been a better time to start protecting your online privacy. Email encryption is one way of keeping your personal data safe. Encryption services or third-party software encrypt emails by making them unreadable to anyone other than the intended recipient. When you encrypt your email, you have a public key (usually a mixture of numbers and letters) that others can use to send you encrypted email, and a private key, which you then use to decode the email. When sending encrypted email to someone else, you need to know their public key in order to keep the email secure. You can either get this from them personally, or find it by searching the online key servers. Encrypted email isn’t widely used outside of sensitive situations - such as political or business dealings - however, it can help protect your personal and financial information from prying eyes. Below are some of the tools you can use to encrypt your email and protect your personal privacy. Hushmail Hushmail is a stand-alone email service that enables users to send and receive encrypted emails through their Hushmail address. If you are new to the concept of encryption or aren’t very tech-savvy, Hushmail does all the leg work for you: once you’ve set up a Hushmail account, all you have to do is remember your passphrase. Enigmail (Thunderbird) Enigmail is a plug-in for Mozilla’s Thunderbird email application. Once you’ve downloaded the extension, create your public and private keys, and a passphrase. You can also generate a revocation certificate, which invalidates your public key in the event that your private key is compromised. Gmail Encrypt (Firefox) The Gmail Encrypt extension for Firefox only works with Gmail accounts, and you need to install Greasemonkey before you can use it. Once installed, the extension works in a similar way to Enigmail: you create public and private keys, as well as your own passphrase to access the Gmail Encrypt service. GPG (Apple Mail) This open-source plugin for Apple Mail encrypts, signs and verifies emails sent and received through the Apple Mail client. The plugin is compatible with Lion and has an integrated update mechanism, which means you automatically receive GPG updates using Apple’s software update system. GnuPG and PGP GnuPG and PGP are two types of software you can download onto your hard drive. After installing the software on your computer, you can use it to create keys and encrypt messages sent through certain email clients. Email encryption only works with the computer on which you have installed the encryption software, add-on or plug-in. If someone sends you an encrypted message through Gmail and you try to read it on your phone or another device, you won’t be able to decode it. Although it’s not impossible to decode an encrypted email, using this service will help secure your personal information. To make your email encryption as fool-proof as possible, always check the recipient’s public key before sending - if you get the key wrong, the information inside the email could end up in the wrong hands. Some encryption services don’t encrypt the subject line so include sensitive information only in the body of the email.   hannah@zeropaid.com]]> Security_lock_and_key_crop

Keep your personal data safe by taking the time to encrypt your emails.

With the government threatening to do all kinds of things to the internet, and stories about email and phone hacking surfacing all over the world, there’s never been a better time to start protecting your online privacy. Email encryption is one way of keeping your personal data safe. Encryption services or third-party software encrypt emails by making them unreadable to anyone other than the intended recipient. When you encrypt your email, you have a public key (usually a mixture of numbers and letters) that others can use to send you encrypted email, and a private key, which you then use to decode the email. When sending encrypted email to someone else, you need to know their public key in order to keep the email secure. You can either get this from them personally, or find it by searching the online key servers. Encrypted email isn’t widely used outside of sensitive situations - such as political or business dealings - however, it can help protect your personal and financial information from prying eyes. Below are some of the tools you can use to encrypt your email and protect your personal privacy. Hushmail Hushmail is a stand-alone email service that enables users to send and receive encrypted emails through their Hushmail address. If you are new to the concept of encryption or aren’t very tech-savvy, Hushmail does all the leg work for you: once you’ve set up a Hushmail account, all you have to do is remember your passphrase. Enigmail (Thunderbird) Enigmail is a plug-in for Mozilla’s Thunderbird email application. Once you’ve downloaded the extension, create your public and private keys, and a passphrase. You can also generate a revocation certificate, which invalidates your public key in the event that your private key is compromised. Gmail Encrypt (Firefox) The Gmail Encrypt extension for Firefox only works with Gmail accounts, and you need to install Greasemonkey before you can use it. Once installed, the extension works in a similar way to Enigmail: you create public and private keys, as well as your own passphrase to access the Gmail Encrypt service. GPG (Apple Mail) This open-source plugin for Apple Mail encrypts, signs and verifies emails sent and received through the Apple Mail client. The plugin is compatible with Lion and has an integrated update mechanism, which means you automatically receive GPG updates using Apple’s software update system. GnuPG and PGP GnuPG and PGP are two types of software you can download onto your hard drive. After installing the software on your computer, you can use it to create keys and encrypt messages sent through certain email clients. Email encryption only works with the computer on which you have installed the encryption software, add-on or plug-in. If someone sends you an encrypted message through Gmail and you try to read it on your phone or another device, you won’t be able to decode it. Although it’s not impossible to decode an encrypted email, using this service will help secure your personal information. To make your email encryption as fool-proof as possible, always check the recipient’s public key before sending - if you get the key wrong, the information inside the email could end up in the wrong hands. Some encryption services don’t encrypt the subject line so include sensitive information only in the body of the email.   hannah@zeropaid.com]]> http://www.zeropaid.com/news/98782/how-to-master-email-encryption/feed/ 3 How to Connect Your Android Phone or Tablet to a PPTP VPN http://www.zeropaid.com/news/98752/how-to-connect-your-android-phone-or-tablet-to-a-pptp-vpn/ http://www.zeropaid.com/news/98752/how-to-connect-your-android-phone-or-tablet-to-a-pptp-vpn/#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:13:10 +0000 Jared Moya http://www.zeropaid.com/?p=98752 images (3)

Quick and easy guide to configuring your Android phone or tablet to connect to a PPTP-type VPN connection.

The Internet always has and always will be plagued by challenges to content access and data security, and one of the of the easiest solutions around is a VPN connection. A VPN is a virtual private network with “virtual” encrypted connections routed through the Internet to remote servers. The data traveling between you and those servers is encrypted, and the IP address that will appear while surfing or downloading content from the Internet will be that of the server and not your own. In the past I've mentioned free VPN services and how to configure VyprVPN and VPNHQ for desktop use, but I've never shown you how to configure a VPN for use on an Android phone or tablet. To make it easy we'll run through how to configure a PPTP-type VPN connection on your Android phone or tablet. Though it only has 128-bit encryption it's accepted by most Wi-Fi hotspots and that's what we're looking for: the ability to use a VPN connection on your Android phone or tablet when you're transmitting via an open Wi-Fi connection at a local coffee shop or cafe.  

1. Go to Settings > Wireless & Networks > VPN Settings

 

2. Select "Add PPTP VPN"

 

3. Select "Add VPN"

 

4. VPN Connection Configuration

  • Choose a name for your VPN connection.
  • Enter the IP address of the VPN server you want to connect to.
  • Check "Enable Encryption."
  • Don't worry about the last box.

5. Connect to the VPN

Go back to the "Add VPN" screen and select your new VPN connection.     It's that easy Stay tuned. jared@zeropaid.com | @jaredmoya]]> images (3)

Quick and easy guide to configuring your Android phone or tablet to connect to a PPTP-type VPN connection.

The Internet always has and always will be plagued by challenges to content access and data security, and one of the of the easiest solutions around is a VPN connection. A VPN is a virtual private network with “virtual” encrypted connections routed through the Internet to remote servers. The data traveling between you and those servers is encrypted, and the IP address that will appear while surfing or downloading content from the Internet will be that of the server and not your own. In the past I've mentioned free VPN services and how to configure VyprVPN and VPNHQ for desktop use, but I've never shown you how to configure a VPN for use on an Android phone or tablet. To make it easy we'll run through how to configure a PPTP-type VPN connection on your Android phone or tablet. Though it only has 128-bit encryption it's accepted by most Wi-Fi hotspots and that's what we're looking for: the ability to use a VPN connection on your Android phone or tablet when you're transmitting via an open Wi-Fi connection at a local coffee shop or cafe.  

1. Go to Settings > Wireless & Networks > VPN Settings

 

2. Select "Add PPTP VPN"

 

3. Select "Add VPN"

 

4. VPN Connection Configuration

  • Choose a name for your VPN connection.
  • Enter the IP address of the VPN server you want to connect to.
  • Check "Enable Encryption."
  • Don't worry about the last box.

5. Connect to the VPN

Go back to the "Add VPN" screen and select your new VPN connection.     It's that easy Stay tuned. jared@zeropaid.com | @jaredmoya]]> http://www.zeropaid.com/news/98752/how-to-connect-your-android-phone-or-tablet-to-a-pptp-vpn/feed/ 0 VPN Setup Guide: VPNHQ http://www.zeropaid.com/news/98618/vpn-setup-guide-vpnhq/ http://www.zeropaid.com/news/98618/vpn-setup-guide-vpnhq/#comments Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:08:56 +0000 Jared Moya http://www.zeropaid.com/?p=98618 VPNHQ 2

Guide to setting up a VPN account with VPNHQ, and protecting your data and Internet traffic from identity thieves, overzealous copyright holders, and govt filtering regimes for $7 dollars a month.

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) has never been more important it seems. Public Wi-Fi connections are fertile ground for identity thieves and criminals. Copyright holders constantly monitor BitTorrent swarms for the IP addresses of infringers. Govts around the globe, the US in particular, have proposed legislation to filter the Internet. A VPN eliminates all of these worries. A VPN is a virtual private network with “virtual” encrypted connections routed through the Internet to remote servers. The data traveling between you and those servers is encrypted, and the IP address that will appear while surfing or downloading content from the Internet will be that of the server and not your own. In the past I've mentioned free VPN services and Giganews' popular VyprVPN, and now I'd like to add VPNHQ to the mix. For the cost of a couple of Starbuck's lattes - a mere $7 bucks per month - you can have peace of mind that your data and traffic is protected and unimpeded. You have a choice of serves that include: Amsterdam, London, Salt Lake City, Atlanta, Chicago, and Tokyo. The basic package ($7 p/mo) offers PPTP, and L2TP. You also get unlimited connection speed and data transfers. So how do you set it up? It's not as quick and easy as VyprVPN is (install and connect), but it's still pretty easy. Before you get started you'll need to create an account for each server you want to connect to, replete with a unique username and password. Once that's done do as follows.  

Creating a VPN Connection

1. Start > Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center 2. Select "Set Up a New Connection or Network"   3. Select "Connect to a Workplace"   4. Select "Use my Internet Connection (VPN)"   5. Enter the IP Address of the Server You Want to Connect To   6. Enter Your Username and Password   7. Press "Connect"   8. Now here we have two paths: for L2TP press "Skip"; for PPTP you're done.  

Configuring L2TP

1. Network and Sharing Center > Change Adapter Settings 2. "Right-Click" the VPN Connection and Select "Properties" 3. Click "Security" Tab 4. Change "Type of VPN" to "L2TP"   5. Click "Advanced" Enter the preshared key you were given when you created the account for the given server you're trying to connect to.   That's it, now you should be able to connect to it under your "Network Connections." I’ll continue to cover more VPN services in the future so stay tuned. jared@zeropaid.com | @jaredmoya  

> Check Out VPNHQ

]]> VPNHQ 2

Guide to setting up a VPN account with VPNHQ, and protecting your data and Internet traffic from identity thieves, overzealous copyright holders, and govt filtering regimes for $7 dollars a month.

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) has never been more important it seems. Public Wi-Fi connections are fertile ground for identity thieves and criminals. Copyright holders constantly monitor BitTorrent swarms for the IP addresses of infringers. Govts around the globe, the US in particular, have proposed legislation to filter the Internet. A VPN eliminates all of these worries. A VPN is a virtual private network with “virtual” encrypted connections routed through the Internet to remote servers. The data traveling between you and those servers is encrypted, and the IP address that will appear while surfing or downloading content from the Internet will be that of the server and not your own. In the past I've mentioned free VPN services and Giganews' popular VyprVPN, and now I'd like to add VPNHQ to the mix. For the cost of a couple of Starbuck's lattes - a mere $7 bucks per month - you can have peace of mind that your data and traffic is protected and unimpeded. You have a choice of serves that include: Amsterdam, London, Salt Lake City, Atlanta, Chicago, and Tokyo. The basic package ($7 p/mo) offers PPTP, and L2TP. You also get unlimited connection speed and data transfers. So how do you set it up? It's not as quick and easy as VyprVPN is (install and connect), but it's still pretty easy. Before you get started you'll need to create an account for each server you want to connect to, replete with a unique username and password. Once that's done do as follows.  

Creating a VPN Connection

1. Start > Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center 2. Select "Set Up a New Connection or Network"   3. Select "Connect to a Workplace"   4. Select "Use my Internet Connection (VPN)"   5. Enter the IP Address of the Server You Want to Connect To   6. Enter Your Username and Password   7. Press "Connect"   8. Now here we have two paths: for L2TP press "Skip"; for PPTP you're done.  

Configuring L2TP

1. Network and Sharing Center > Change Adapter Settings 2. "Right-Click" the VPN Connection and Select "Properties" 3. Click "Security" Tab 4. Change "Type of VPN" to "L2TP"   5. Click "Advanced" Enter the preshared key you were given when you created the account for the given server you're trying to connect to.   That's it, now you should be able to connect to it under your "Network Connections." I’ll continue to cover more VPN services in the future so stay tuned. jared@zeropaid.com | @jaredmoya  

> Check Out VPNHQ

]]> http://www.zeropaid.com/news/98618/vpn-setup-guide-vpnhq/feed/ 2 A Beginner’s guide to downloading with uTorrent http://www.zeropaid.com/news/6184/utorrent__a_beginners_guide_to_bittorrent_downloading-2/ http://www.zeropaid.com/news/6184/utorrent__a_beginners_guide_to_bittorrent_downloading-2/#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:00:28 +0000 Jared Moya bittorrent

Easy step-by-step guide that will help you start downloading movies, music, TV shows, and more in no time at all with uTorrent.

For most people getting started with the whole "BitTorrent downloading thing" can be pretty intimidating. Sure maybe some of you had practice with Napster or KaZaA back in the day, but times have changed. Now it's "trackers" and "clients," and the list of new terminology goes on and on. So exactly how and where to begin can be a daunting and intimidating proposition. So for those of you looking for an easy way to find the path to downloading enlightenment, I present to you an easy step-by-step guide to get you up and downloading in no time at all. The first thing we need to do is download a BitTorrent client. This is the program that will do the actual downloading for you. There are many to choose from and each has their own positives and negatives, so it's up to you decide which best suits your needs and PC capabilities. Currently, the most popular client server program is uTorrent because it's relatively simple, effective, and most importantly lightweight. It's small memory footprint consumes only 6MB of memory. Now the guide below will take you through the uTorrent setup process and beyond.

INSTALLATION & SETUP

To begin, download and install uTorrent. Now we need to configure it to work properly and at a maximized setting based on your PCs internet connection speed. 1. Select "Speed Guide" from the Options Menu as shown below. 2. Run a "Speed Test" and note your upload connection speed. 3. Select your the connection speed determined above in the drop down menu as shown. 4. Choose a port number between 49512 and 65535(the recommended range). Also, the selected port must be forwarded if operating behind a router. As you can see in the picture, I went ahead and used port 49789 and then TESTED it. ....this is the message you should then see in your browser 5. Lastly, it asks if you want to "Enable Encryption." The reason for this is that many ISPs block or throttle BitTorrent connection speeds and this setting helps mask it. To test if your ISP throttles BitTorrent traffic CLICK HERE. 6. Click "Use Selected Settings"

PREFERENCES

There's a number of different features and options, but the only we'll concern ourselves with is where you want your downloads to go. You'd be surprised at how many people have trouble locating where their downloads are at. 1. Select "Preferences" from the Options Menu. 2. Here simply enter the folder location for where you want your downloads to be put in. That's it. You're finished. Congratulations.

So Where Do I Find Stuff to Download?

Check out our extensive list of BitTorrent tracker sites for the latest and greatest in download sites. Also, I suggest reading our story on Private versus Public Tracker Sites to get an idea of what to expect from each.

How Do I Download It?

First you need to find what's called a BitTorrent tracker site, it's a site which has the actual torrent files that allow users to connect with one another and share data (CLICK HERE FOR TERMINOLOGY). In the picture below I use the LegalTorrents site since I show actual downloading and wish to of course comply with copyright laws. As shown I selected the download arrow in order to download the torrent file and thus the corresponding content. 324 The files should then appear in uTorrent and begin downloading. For a more honest representation, here's how it would look if you wanted to download content from The Pirate Bay, the world's largest BitTorrent tracker site. Using "Star Wars" as the search query, I selected a Star Wars e-Book to download. 432432432 Then simply select the file and then DOWNLOAD THIS TORRENT. 32432432 jared@zeropaid.com]]> bittorrent

Easy step-by-step guide that will help you start downloading movies, music, TV shows, and more in no time at all with uTorrent.

For most people getting started with the whole "BitTorrent downloading thing" can be pretty intimidating. Sure maybe some of you had practice with Napster or KaZaA back in the day, but times have changed. Now it's "trackers" and "clients," and the list of new terminology goes on and on. So exactly how and where to begin can be a daunting and intimidating proposition. So for those of you looking for an easy way to find the path to downloading enlightenment, I present to you an easy step-by-step guide to get you up and downloading in no time at all. The first thing we need to do is download a BitTorrent client. This is the program that will do the actual downloading for you. There are many to choose from and each has their own positives and negatives, so it's up to you decide which best suits your needs and PC capabilities. Currently, the most popular client server program is uTorrent because it's relatively simple, effective, and most importantly lightweight. It's small memory footprint consumes only 6MB of memory. Now the guide below will take you through the uTorrent setup process and beyond.

INSTALLATION & SETUP

To begin, download and install uTorrent. Now we need to configure it to work properly and at a maximized setting based on your PCs internet connection speed. 1. Select "Speed Guide" from the Options Menu as shown below. 2. Run a "Speed Test" and note your upload connection speed. 3. Select your the connection speed determined above in the drop down menu as shown. 4. Choose a port number between 49512 and 65535(the recommended range). Also, the selected port must be forwarded if operating behind a router. As you can see in the picture, I went ahead and used port 49789 and then TESTED it. ....this is the message you should then see in your browser 5. Lastly, it asks if you want to "Enable Encryption." The reason for this is that many ISPs block or throttle BitTorrent connection speeds and this setting helps mask it. To test if your ISP throttles BitTorrent traffic CLICK HERE. 6. Click "Use Selected Settings"

PREFERENCES

There's a number of different features and options, but the only we'll concern ourselves with is where you want your downloads to go. You'd be surprised at how many people have trouble locating where their downloads are at. 1. Select "Preferences" from the Options Menu. 2. Here simply enter the folder location for where you want your downloads to be put in. That's it. You're finished. Congratulations.

So Where Do I Find Stuff to Download?

Check out our extensive list of BitTorrent tracker sites for the latest and greatest in download sites. Also, I suggest reading our story on Private versus Public Tracker Sites to get an idea of what to expect from each.

How Do I Download It?

First you need to find what's called a BitTorrent tracker site, it's a site which has the actual torrent files that allow users to connect with one another and share data (CLICK HERE FOR TERMINOLOGY). In the picture below I use the LegalTorrents site since I show actual downloading and wish to of course comply with copyright laws. As shown I selected the download arrow in order to download the torrent file and thus the corresponding content. 324 The files should then appear in uTorrent and begin downloading. For a more honest representation, here's how it would look if you wanted to download content from The Pirate Bay, the world's largest BitTorrent tracker site. Using "Star Wars" as the search query, I selected a Star Wars e-Book to download. 432432432 Then simply select the file and then DOWNLOAD THIS TORRENT. 32432432 jared@zeropaid.com]]> http://www.zeropaid.com/news/6184/utorrent__a_beginners_guide_to_bittorrent_downloading-2/feed/ 46 VPN Setup Guide: VyprVPN http://www.zeropaid.com/news/98245/vpn-setup-guide-vyprvpn/ http://www.zeropaid.com/news/98245/vpn-setup-guide-vyprvpn/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:20:09 +0000 Jared Moya http://www.zeropaid.com/?p=98245 images (1)

A quick guide to setting up Giganews' VyprVPN and protecting your traffic from the prying eyes of hackers and govts, and thwarting geographic content restrictions and Internet filtering regimes.

The Internet always has and always will be plagued by challenges to content access and data security, and one of the of the easiest solutions is a VPN connection. A VPN is a virtual private network with “virtual” encrypted connections routed through the Internet to remote servers. The data traveling between you and those servers is encrypted, and the IP address that will appear while surfing or downloading content from the Internet will be that of the server and not your own. VPNs are a vital tool, in conjunction with proxies and other methods, to avoid DNS filtering and other Internet censorship plans like SOPA and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) that are being formulated by US authorities at the behest of overzealous copyright holders. We may have managed to delay the "Stop Online Piracy Act" (SOPA) for now, but it still points to a disturbing new trend - filtering the Internet - and we need to be prepared. Another trend, though not new, is geographic content restrictions. Entertainment companies like CBS block certain YouTube videos to users outside the US, for example. Users are greeted to "The uploader has not made this video available in your country." That's why a VPN server in a country where that video is available is sometimes necessary. There's also the prying eyes of malicious third parties like hackers and identity thieves looking to glean sensitive information. A VPN encrypts all your traffic: web, email, IM, P2P, BitTorrent, and Newsgroups. Now there are some free VPN services out there, but I think you'll quickly find that they suffer from issues like bandwidth caps, few server options, and reliability. Like anything else you get what you pay for (or don't). Giganews, the popular Usenet newsgroup service provider, added a free VPN to its service a few years ago. Dubbed VyprVPN, it's one of the better VPN services around. Another great thing about VyprVPN is that you can configure it to run on iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and Android mobile devices. Setup is quite easy and takes but a few minutes of your time. Here's how you get VyprVPN up and running on your desktop computer.

1. Download and Install VyprVPN

2. Open VyprVPN for Giganews

3. Enter Your Username and Password

4. Choose a Server to Connect To

Current options include:
  • Los Angeles, CA
  • Washington, DC
  • Amsterdam
  • Hong Kong
  • London
  • Paris (new)
  • Frankfurt (new)

5. Choose a Type of VPN Protocol

There are three different protocols, and there's a table that lists the differences between them here. OpenVPN is the one I recommend using since it has the highest level of security and privacy for your data. There's two types of OpenVPN protocols: 160-bit (faster) and 256-bit (more secure, but requires more CPU). OpenVPN costs an additional $5 p/mo so if that's out of your price range then L2TP is just fine. It too offers 256-bit encryption, but unlike OpenVPN it supports mobile devices and tablets.  

6. Select "Save and Connect"

7. Verify Your VPN Connection

If you right-click the VyprVPn icon in the Windows icon tray you'll see that status of your connection, your new IP address, server location, and VPN protocol. You can double-check your IP address by simply typing "what is my IP" into Google search.   It's that easy. Giganews is currently offering a free 14-day trial and a reduced subscription price of $24.99 p/mo for the first 3 months (it's $34.99 afterwards). With it you get Usenet service with 1269 days retention, and unlimited monthly data transfer, 30GB of free online data storage and the Mimo Usenet Browser. I'll be going over more VPN services in the near future so stay tuned. jared@zeropaid.com | @jaredmoya]]> images (1)

A quick guide to setting up Giganews' VyprVPN and protecting your traffic from the prying eyes of hackers and govts, and thwarting geographic content restrictions and Internet filtering regimes.

The Internet always has and always will be plagued by challenges to content access and data security, and one of the of the easiest solutions is a VPN connection. A VPN is a virtual private network with “virtual” encrypted connections routed through the Internet to remote servers. The data traveling between you and those servers is encrypted, and the IP address that will appear while surfing or downloading content from the Internet will be that of the server and not your own. VPNs are a vital tool, in conjunction with proxies and other methods, to avoid DNS filtering and other Internet censorship plans like SOPA and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) that are being formulated by US authorities at the behest of overzealous copyright holders. We may have managed to delay the "Stop Online Piracy Act" (SOPA) for now, but it still points to a disturbing new trend - filtering the Internet - and we need to be prepared. Another trend, though not new, is geographic content restrictions. Entertainment companies like CBS block certain YouTube videos to users outside the US, for example. Users are greeted to "The uploader has not made this video available in your country." That's why a VPN server in a country where that video is available is sometimes necessary. There's also the prying eyes of malicious third parties like hackers and identity thieves looking to glean sensitive information. A VPN encrypts all your traffic: web, email, IM, P2P, BitTorrent, and Newsgroups. Now there are some free VPN services out there, but I think you'll quickly find that they suffer from issues like bandwidth caps, few server options, and reliability. Like anything else you get what you pay for (or don't). Giganews, the popular Usenet newsgroup service provider, added a free VPN to its service a few years ago. Dubbed VyprVPN, it's one of the better VPN services around. Another great thing about VyprVPN is that you can configure it to run on iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and Android mobile devices. Setup is quite easy and takes but a few minutes of your time. Here's how you get VyprVPN up and running on your desktop computer.

1. Download and Install VyprVPN

2. Open VyprVPN for Giganews

3. Enter Your Username and Password

4. Choose a Server to Connect To

Current options include:
  • Los Angeles, CA
  • Washington, DC
  • Amsterdam
  • Hong Kong
  • London
  • Paris (new)
  • Frankfurt (new)

5. Choose a Type of VPN Protocol

There are three different protocols, and there's a table that lists the differences between them here. OpenVPN is the one I recommend using since it has the highest level of security and privacy for your data. There's two types of OpenVPN protocols: 160-bit (faster) and 256-bit (more secure, but requires more CPU). OpenVPN costs an additional $5 p/mo so if that's out of your price range then L2TP is just fine. It too offers 256-bit encryption, but unlike OpenVPN it supports mobile devices and tablets.  

6. Select "Save and Connect"

7. Verify Your VPN Connection

If you right-click the VyprVPn icon in the Windows icon tray you'll see that status of your connection, your new IP address, server location, and VPN protocol. You can double-check your IP address by simply typing "what is my IP" into Google search.   It's that easy. Giganews is currently offering a free 14-day trial and a reduced subscription price of $24.99 p/mo for the first 3 months (it's $34.99 afterwards). With it you get Usenet service with 1269 days retention, and unlimited monthly data transfer, 30GB of free online data storage and the Mimo Usenet Browser. I'll be going over more VPN services in the near future so stay tuned. jared@zeropaid.com | @jaredmoya]]> http://www.zeropaid.com/news/98245/vpn-setup-guide-vyprvpn/feed/ 5 How to Watch NFL Football Games Online For Free http://www.zeropaid.com/news/9122/how_to_watch_nfl_games_for_free/ http://www.zeropaid.com/news/9122/how_to_watch_nfl_games_for_free/#comments Sun, 22 Jan 2012 08:00:22 +0000 Jared Moya http://www.zeropaid.com/news/9122/how_to_watch_nfl_games_for_free/ watch_nfl

Forget about expensive NFL cable TV subscription packages, this guide will show you how to watch NFL football games online for FREE!

With NFL preseason well underway it's important that NFL football fans know how to tune into their favorite games, especially you fantasy football fanatics. By following the 5 easy steps below you can watch out of market NFL games online that may not be popular enough for broadcast TV, or NFL games that aren't televised in local markets due to football blackout restrictions (especially with the economic downturn). Learn how to watch NFL games on your iPhone/iPad or your Android phone. (Guide updated January 13th, 2012)  

1. Go to WiZiWiG

 

2. Scroll down to the  NFL + CFL + AFL section.

 

3. Select "[Streaming] 2011 NFL Playoffs - Conference Championships"

   

4. Pick the game you want to watch

This is the place where all of the available NFL games will be listed by date and time with links to connect to the live streams for each of them. The links will be posted a few hours before kickoff as they are submitted to the site's admins.  

5. Select a type of stream to watch.

Now there are two types of streams: Web streams and P2P streams. Web streams are regular old streaming video that doesn't require additional software installation to view. P2P steams require one of several types of different P2P programs to function. There are basically 4 different programs you'll need to install to make sure that you'll be able to watch every available game, for it sometimes varies according to each broadcast. *NOTE: I would recommend downloading and installing ONLY StreamTorrent at first and trying out the P2P links since many streamers have slowly switched over to use it exclusively.  The quality of streams will vary so you may want to test out a few before you kick up your feet and grab a cold beer. Each stream has a different bitrate quality and rating as voted on by active viewers to help you decide.

2012 NFL Playoff Schedule (Conference Championships:)

Baltimore Ravens (12-4) vs. New England Patriots (13-3), 3:00 p.m. ET, Sunday, Jan. 22, CBS New York Giants (9-7) vs. San Francisco 49ers (13-3), 6:30 p.m. ET, Sunday. Jan. 22, FOX]]> watch_nfl

Forget about expensive NFL cable TV subscription packages, this guide will show you how to watch NFL football games online for FREE!

With NFL preseason well underway it's important that NFL football fans know how to tune into their favorite games, especially you fantasy football fanatics. By following the 5 easy steps below you can watch out of market NFL games online that may not be popular enough for broadcast TV, or NFL games that aren't televised in local markets due to football blackout restrictions (especially with the economic downturn). Learn how to watch NFL games on your iPhone/iPad or your Android phone. (Guide updated January 13th, 2012)  

1. Go to WiZiWiG

 

2. Scroll down to the  NFL + CFL + AFL section.

 

3. Select "[Streaming] 2011 NFL Playoffs - Conference Championships"

   

4. Pick the game you want to watch

This is the place where all of the available NFL games will be listed by date and time with links to connect to the live streams for each of them. The links will be posted a few hours before kickoff as they are submitted to the site's admins.  

5. Select a type of stream to watch.

Now there are two types of streams: Web streams and P2P streams. Web streams are regular old streaming video that doesn't require additional software installation to view. P2P steams require one of several types of different P2P programs to function. There are basically 4 different programs you'll need to install to make sure that you'll be able to watch every available game, for it sometimes varies according to each broadcast. *NOTE: I would recommend downloading and installing ONLY StreamTorrent at first and trying out the P2P links since many streamers have slowly switched over to use it exclusively.  The quality of streams will vary so you may want to test out a few before you kick up your feet and grab a cold beer. Each stream has a different bitrate quality and rating as voted on by active viewers to help you decide.

2012 NFL Playoff Schedule (Conference Championships:)

Baltimore Ravens (12-4) vs. New England Patriots (13-3), 3:00 p.m. ET, Sunday, Jan. 22, CBS New York Giants (9-7) vs. San Francisco 49ers (13-3), 6:30 p.m. ET, Sunday. Jan. 22, FOX]]> http://www.zeropaid.com/news/9122/how_to_watch_nfl_games_for_free/feed/ 155 5 Best Alternatives to Megauplaod http://www.zeropaid.com/news/98126/5-bestalternatives-to-mega-uplaod/ http://www.zeropaid.com/news/98126/5-bestalternatives-to-mega-uplaod/#comments Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:43:47 +0000 Jared Moya http://www.zeropaid.com/?p=98126 images (1)

List of several alternatives to the recently shuttered file-hosting site Megaupload.

Yesterday file-hosting site Megaupload was shuttered by US authorities, and the move left many scrambling for alternatives. The list is long and deep, and so it's just a matter of sorting through them all to find one you like. I've taken the time to do this for you, coming up with a list of the five best alternatives to Megaupload, listing what each file-hosting site has to offer, how much it costs, and what you can expect to get in return.

Minus

My favorite of the bunch. Drag and drop files to share with family and friends free of charge. Store up to 10GB, and add extra space for free by successfully inviting friends that join Minus (1GB per friend up to 50GB). Also offers uploading on the go with Minus apps for both the iPhone and Android. Minus saves all files indefinitely unless deleted by the uploader or if it violates the site's terms of service. You can upload individual files up to 2 GB in size, and hav unlimited downloads and transfers.  

MediaFire

Free to join and use, MediaFire offers UNLIMITED data storage. Free users are capped at a 200MB maximum file size, but Pro ($9 p/mo) and Business ($49 p/mo) users get a 4GB and 10GB size file cap respectively. The latter two also enjoy indefinite long term storage while free users data is wiped after about a month.  

RapidShare

The grandaddy of all cyberlockers, RapidShare is also one of the most popular. Free users can upload an unlimited of data with no maximum file size, but is deleted after 30 days. RapidPro customers enjoy unlimited file storage durations and enhanced download speeds. Free users have timeout periods for downloads and reduced connection speeds. Prices for pro accounts begin at $12.77 p/mo.  

FileSonic

Free users enjoy unlimited file storage, 1GB file size caps, and 30 days of storage time. Pro users get addded unlimited storage time, downloading, and 5GB file size caps at prices that begin at $9 p/mo.  

FileFactory

FileFactory offers free users up to 500GB of data storage with a 2GB file size cap. Store up to 50 files. If you upgrade to a Premium account you get unlimited download speeds, bandwidth, and storage space. Price for Premium range from $12 p/mo to $79 p/yr. Premium users also get torrent downloading functionality.     Stay tuned. jared@zeropaid.com | @jaredmoya    ]]> images (1)

List of several alternatives to the recently shuttered file-hosting site Megaupload.

Yesterday file-hosting site Megaupload was shuttered by US authorities, and the move left many scrambling for alternatives. The list is long and deep, and so it's just a matter of sorting through them all to find one you like. I've taken the time to do this for you, coming up with a list of the five best alternatives to Megaupload, listing what each file-hosting site has to offer, how much it costs, and what you can expect to get in return.

Minus

My favorite of the bunch. Drag and drop files to share with family and friends free of charge. Store up to 10GB, and add extra space for free by successfully inviting friends that join Minus (1GB per friend up to 50GB). Also offers uploading on the go with Minus apps for both the iPhone and Android. Minus saves all files indefinitely unless deleted by the uploader or if it violates the site's terms of service. You can upload individual files up to 2 GB in size, and hav unlimited downloads and transfers.  

MediaFire

Free to join and use, MediaFire offers UNLIMITED data storage. Free users are capped at a 200MB maximum file size, but Pro ($9 p/mo) and Business ($49 p/mo) users get a 4GB and 10GB size file cap respectively. The latter two also enjoy indefinite long term storage while free users data is wiped after about a month.  

RapidShare

The grandaddy of all cyberlockers, RapidShare is also one of the most popular. Free users can upload an unlimited of data with no maximum file size, but is deleted after 30 days. RapidPro customers enjoy unlimited file storage durations and enhanced download speeds. Free users have timeout periods for downloads and reduced connection speeds. Prices for pro accounts begin at $12.77 p/mo.  

FileSonic

Free users enjoy unlimited file storage, 1GB file size caps, and 30 days of storage time. Pro users get addded unlimited storage time, downloading, and 5GB file size caps at prices that begin at $9 p/mo.  

FileFactory

FileFactory offers free users up to 500GB of data storage with a 2GB file size cap. Store up to 50 files. If you upgrade to a Premium account you get unlimited download speeds, bandwidth, and storage space. Price for Premium range from $12 p/mo to $79 p/yr. Premium users also get torrent downloading functionality.     Stay tuned. jared@zeropaid.com | @jaredmoya    ]]> http://www.zeropaid.com/news/98126/5-bestalternatives-to-mega-uplaod/feed/ 7 How To: Find Out if Your Gmail Account Has Been Hacked http://www.zeropaid.com/news/97539/how-to-find-out-if-your-gmail-account-has-been-hacked/ http://www.zeropaid.com/news/97539/how-to-find-out-if-your-gmail-account-has-been-hacked/#comments Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:48:03 +0000 Jared Moya http://www.zeropaid.com/?p=97539 gmail8

Several handy tips for discovering if your Gmail account has been compromised by hackers.

Hackers are always trying to gain access to the email accounts of unsuspecting users, and unless you're vigilant it can have disastrous consequences if they're successful. Email providers like Google, for example, provide ever expanding storage space in which tons of emails containing sensitive personal information can be stored. A hacked email account can also be used to reset passwords for third-party sites like Amazon.com, eBay, or your financial institution, leading to the leak of sensitive banking information, credit card numbers, purchasing history, and more. Hackers can use Gmail's contacts list to wage phishing attacks on friends and family members in your name. For many the breach can go unnoticed for some time as we take it for granted that our email account is safe and secure. "It could never happen to me" seems to be a common refrain, but we forget that many times we're logging into our Gmail accounts from unsecure locations like coffee shops and libraries where hackers can easily sniff Wi-Fi traffic and pick up user names and passwords. If you suspect your Gmail account has been hacked or just want to make sure it hasn't I'll run through the steps necessary to find out for sure. I'll also go over how to make your Gmail account even more secure to prevent future hacks.  

Go to "Last Account Activity"

Beneath the right-hand part of your Gmail inbox you'll see the words "Last account activity" and a link for "Details." Select "Details."  

Check Your Recent Login Activity

In the screen that appears you'll see a list for all the "Activity on this account." It'll list your login sessions by "Activity Type" (browser, mobile, POP3, etc.), IP address, and the date and time your account was accessed.  

Verify Correct IP Address Access

Does anything look suspicious? Did you access your Gmail account with a mobile device at 4 o'clock in the morning, for example? How about the IP addresses? If you see more than one you'll want to make sure their from the places you've accessed your account, or at the very least from the right city and country. Not sure what the IP address is for your location? It's listed at the bottom, "The computer is using IP address 'xxxxx' (Country (State/Province))." Does it match with what's listed above it?   Google offers a free IP address lookup option; simply type "what is my IP address" in the browser. Check to make sure the numbers match up (keep in mind proxies, VPNs, etc. will distort the results).  

Check for Concurrent Activity

The activity information screen will also tell you if your account is open in an another location. If it is select "Sign out all other sessions" and change your password immediately just in case.  

Change Your Password

The days of using basic words or phrases are over. Gmail crackers using simple Dictionary attacks have made it easier than ever before to hack your account. A quick tip for creating secure and memorable passwords is to combine two or more words.
cat + dog = cdaotg.
Sprinkle some numbers and capital letters in there to be even safer.
CAT + dog + 491 = Cd4Ao9Tg1
Good luck trying to hack a password that's "Cd4Ao9Tg1."  

Check Authorized Sites, Apps, and Services

I know of friends that have had their Gmail accounts compromised repeatedly, and all have failed to check what sites, apps, and services have been granted access to their accounts. Go HERE and check to see what is listed. Select "Revoke Access" for anything you've never heard of, or simply no longer want to allow access your to your Gmail account. The few the better is my motto.   Stay tuned. jared@zeropaid.com | @jaredmoya]]> gmail8

Several handy tips for discovering if your Gmail account has been compromised by hackers.

Hackers are always trying to gain access to the email accounts of unsuspecting users, and unless you're vigilant it can have disastrous consequences if they're successful. Email providers like Google, for example, provide ever expanding storage space in which tons of emails containing sensitive personal information can be stored. A hacked email account can also be used to reset passwords for third-party sites like Amazon.com, eBay, or your financial institution, leading to the leak of sensitive banking information, credit card numbers, purchasing history, and more. Hackers can use Gmail's contacts list to wage phishing attacks on friends and family members in your name. For many the breach can go unnoticed for some time as we take it for granted that our email account is safe and secure. "It could never happen to me" seems to be a common refrain, but we forget that many times we're logging into our Gmail accounts from unsecure locations like coffee shops and libraries where hackers can easily sniff Wi-Fi traffic and pick up user names and passwords. If you suspect your Gmail account has been hacked or just want to make sure it hasn't I'll run through the steps necessary to find out for sure. I'll also go over how to make your Gmail account even more secure to prevent future hacks.  

Go to "Last Account Activity"

Beneath the right-hand part of your Gmail inbox you'll see the words "Last account activity" and a link for "Details." Select "Details."  

Check Your Recent Login Activity

In the screen that appears you'll see a list for all the "Activity on this account." It'll list your login sessions by "Activity Type" (browser, mobile, POP3, etc.), IP address, and the date and time your account was accessed.  

Verify Correct IP Address Access

Does anything look suspicious? Did you access your Gmail account with a mobile device at 4 o'clock in the morning, for example? How about the IP addresses? If you see more than one you'll want to make sure their from the places you've accessed your account, or at the very least from the right city and country. Not sure what the IP address is for your location? It's listed at the bottom, "The computer is using IP address 'xxxxx' (Country (State/Province))." Does it match with what's listed above it?   Google offers a free IP address lookup option; simply type "what is my IP address" in the browser. Check to make sure the numbers match up (keep in mind proxies, VPNs, etc. will distort the results).  

Check for Concurrent Activity

The activity information screen will also tell you if your account is open in an another location. If it is select "Sign out all other sessions" and change your password immediately just in case.  

Change Your Password

The days of using basic words or phrases are over. Gmail crackers using simple Dictionary attacks have made it easier than ever before to hack your account. A quick tip for creating secure and memorable passwords is to combine two or more words.
cat + dog = cdaotg.
Sprinkle some numbers and capital letters in there to be even safer.
CAT + dog + 491 = Cd4Ao9Tg1
Good luck trying to hack a password that's "Cd4Ao9Tg1."  

Check Authorized Sites, Apps, and Services

I know of friends that have had their Gmail accounts compromised repeatedly, and all have failed to check what sites, apps, and services have been granted access to their accounts. Go HERE and check to see what is listed. Select "Revoke Access" for anything you've never heard of, or simply no longer want to allow access your to your Gmail account. The few the better is my motto.   Stay tuned. jared@zeropaid.com | @jaredmoya]]> http://www.zeropaid.com/news/97539/how-to-find-out-if-your-gmail-account-has-been-hacked/feed/ 6 How to Download Music From Soundcloud http://www.zeropaid.com/news/97527/how-to-download-music-from-soundcloud/ http://www.zeropaid.com/news/97527/how-to-download-music-from-soundcloud/#comments Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:14:39 +0000 Jared Moya http://www.zeropaid.com/?p=97527 images

Quick guide to downloading and ripping your favorite songs from SoundCloud, the online music distribution site.

Years ago I showed you how to rip music from MySpace, and it seems only proper that I finally follow up that guide with something much more contemporary (does anyone actually use MySpace anymore?). SoundCloud is one of the latest and greatest online music distribution sites around, and so I've decided to show you a quick and easy way to download songs from there as well. There's two ways to do it: The JDownloader program or SoundCloud-Download.com. The latter is about as simple as it gets, but the former is automated and will always be around. Keep in mind however, that you can only download 128kbps quality copies of the music tracks unless the uploader authorizes users to download copies of the original. SoundCloud rencodes uploaded tracks to 128kbs for streaming purposes, and so that's the best version you can download without permission. So now find the page of your favorite SoundCloud track and let's get started. I've chosen Diplo's recent "Major Lazer New Year's Eve Mix" since he's already given users permission to download a copy for themselves.  

1. SoundCloud-Download.com

This is, as I mentioned, the easiest method of the two, but is also likely to be shutdown at some point being that it's directly facilitating online infringement by allowing users to make copies of copyrighted material. All you have to do is paste the address of the music track's page you want to downlaod and press "Download."   On the next page right-click on the yellow bar and select "Save link as..."  

2. JDownloader

JDownloader is a freeware program that automates the process of downloading music tracks from SoundCloud, and is a method, unlike SoundCloud-Download, that is virtually impervious to copyright enforcement efforts. It will always be around. It's available for all platforms - Windows, Mac, and Linux - and is quick and easy to use. To get started download and install JDownloader. The tracks should parse automatically in JDownloader's Linkgrabber que, but if they don't you'll need to manually add the link of the track you want to download. Select "Linkgrabber" and then "Add URL(s)."   Paste the link of the music track in the dialogue box and select "Parse URL(s)." Once it's added double-click "Continue with all" (or selected tracks), and JDownloader will automatically push the music to the Download que and download a copy to your PC.   Quick and easy.   Stay tuned. jared@zeropaid.com | @jaredmoya]]> images

Quick guide to downloading and ripping your favorite songs from SoundCloud, the online music distribution site.

Years ago I showed you how to rip music from MySpace, and it seems only proper that I finally follow up that guide with something much more contemporary (does anyone actually use MySpace anymore?). SoundCloud is one of the latest and greatest online music distribution sites around, and so I've decided to show you a quick and easy way to download songs from there as well. There's two ways to do it: The JDownloader program or SoundCloud-Download.com. The latter is about as simple as it gets, but the former is automated and will always be around. Keep in mind however, that you can only download 128kbps quality copies of the music tracks unless the uploader authorizes users to download copies of the original. SoundCloud rencodes uploaded tracks to 128kbs for streaming purposes, and so that's the best version you can download without permission. So now find the page of your favorite SoundCloud track and let's get started. I've chosen Diplo's recent "Major Lazer New Year's Eve Mix" since he's already given users permission to download a copy for themselves.  

1. SoundCloud-Download.com

This is, as I mentioned, the easiest method of the two, but is also likely to be shutdown at some point being that it's directly facilitating online infringement by allowing users to make copies of copyrighted material. All you have to do is paste the address of the music track's page you want to downlaod and press "Download."   On the next page right-click on the yellow bar and select "Save link as..."  

2. JDownloader

JDownloader is a freeware program that automates the process of downloading music tracks from SoundCloud, and is a method, unlike SoundCloud-Download, that is virtually impervious to copyright enforcement efforts. It will always be around. It's available for all platforms - Windows, Mac, and Linux - and is quick and easy to use. To get started download and install JDownloader. The tracks should parse automatically in JDownloader's Linkgrabber que, but if they don't you'll need to manually add the link of the track you want to download. Select "Linkgrabber" and then "Add URL(s)."   Paste the link of the music track in the dialogue box and select "Parse URL(s)." Once it's added double-click "Continue with all" (or selected tracks), and JDownloader will automatically push the music to the Download que and download a copy to your PC.   Quick and easy.   Stay tuned. jared@zeropaid.com | @jaredmoya]]> http://www.zeropaid.com/news/97527/how-to-download-music-from-soundcloud/feed/ 4 How to Boot and Install Windows from a USB Flash Drive http://www.zeropaid.com/news/97377/how-to-boot-and-install-windows-from-a-usb-flash-drive/ http://www.zeropaid.com/news/97377/how-to-boot-and-install-windows-from-a-usb-flash-drive/#comments Fri, 06 Jan 2012 23:52:15 +0000 Jared Moya http://www.zeropaid.com/?p=97377 boot-windows-from-usb

Handy guide to booting and installing the Windows OS with nothing more than a USB drive - no blank CDs or DVDs required.

To be honest this guide is the product of a recent inability to install Windows on a wiped HDD. I was given a PC tower as a gift, and it was stripped of the standard optical drives. All it has are several USB ports. Now I could have bought a cheap CD or DVD drive online, but that would've taken all the fun out of it right? The question is "How do I install Windows on a wiped HDD without a CD or DVD?" The answer is simple: Use a USB flash drive. All this requires is a separate computer (with a USB port obviously), a USB flash drive with at least 4GB of memory (depending on Windows 7 or XP), a copy of Windows, and about 20 minutes of your time.  

Rounding Up a Copy of Windows

Some may have their original copy of Windows available, and others may not. For the those that the former applies you'll have a little bit of extra work to do.

Convert Copy of Windows to an .ISO File

You'll need to create an image file of your copy of Windows to install on your formatted USB flash drive. I recommend using ISODisk. It's free and easy to use. Just select "Create ISO Image from CD-ROM" (even if actually DVD-ROM), the letter drive, and lastly where you want to save the .ISO image.   If you don't have a copy of Windows you can always find one on the Internets with this guide here.

Burn .ISO File to USB Flash Drive

For this I recommend using a free program called "ISO to USB." Just select your .ISO file, the letter of the USB Drive, and select "Burn."

Change the Boot Order

Okay, you're almost done. Put the USB flash drive in an empty USB slot and reboot the computer. When it restarts be sure to press whichever F key is required to enter your computer's BIOS and change the system's boot order. Reconfigure it's boot order so that it first boots from USB.

Save and exit from BIOS

Your computer should automatically restart itself and boot from your USB flash drive. It's that easy. Stay tuned. jared@zeropaid.com | @jaredmoya            ]]> boot-windows-from-usb

Handy guide to booting and installing the Windows OS with nothing more than a USB drive - no blank CDs or DVDs required.

To be honest this guide is the product of a recent inability to install Windows on a wiped HDD. I was given a PC tower as a gift, and it was stripped of the standard optical drives. All it has are several USB ports. Now I could have bought a cheap CD or DVD drive online, but that would've taken all the fun out of it right? The question is "How do I install Windows on a wiped HDD without a CD or DVD?" The answer is simple: Use a USB flash drive. All this requires is a separate computer (with a USB port obviously), a USB flash drive with at least 4GB of memory (depending on Windows 7 or XP), a copy of Windows, and about 20 minutes of your time.  

Rounding Up a Copy of Windows

Some may have their original copy of Windows available, and others may not. For the those that the former applies you'll have a little bit of extra work to do.

Convert Copy of Windows to an .ISO File

You'll need to create an image file of your copy of Windows to install on your formatted USB flash drive. I recommend using ISODisk. It's free and easy to use. Just select "Create ISO Image from CD-ROM" (even if actually DVD-ROM), the letter drive, and lastly where you want to save the .ISO image.   If you don't have a copy of Windows you can always find one on the Internets with this guide here.

Burn .ISO File to USB Flash Drive

For this I recommend using a free program called "ISO to USB." Just select your .ISO file, the letter of the USB Drive, and select "Burn."

Change the Boot Order

Okay, you're almost done. Put the USB flash drive in an empty USB slot and reboot the computer. When it restarts be sure to press whichever F key is required to enter your computer's BIOS and change the system's boot order. Reconfigure it's boot order so that it first boots from USB.

Save and exit from BIOS

Your computer should automatically restart itself and boot from your USB flash drive. It's that easy. Stay tuned. jared@zeropaid.com | @jaredmoya            ]]> http://www.zeropaid.com/news/97377/how-to-boot-and-install-windows-from-a-usb-flash-drive/feed/ 6