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C:\Users\...\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer\thumbcache_XXXX.db
https://www.raymond.cc/blog/wh...

While this was quite common, it was not 100% of the time. If you go from IDE to SATA it typically works. And if it does not simply remove the reg keys for the IDE controller. https://www.raymond.cc/blog/mo... shows one how both before moving the hard drive, and after.

which include using your real, verifiable identity

Pray tell, which ones? None of the ones I use. Even online services that "require" a cell number really don't - they put in grayed out text a clickthrough to skip it, even Facebook.

If you're talking about banking and payment services, they've required your real identity in meatspace for hundreds of years, so it's not the same thing as what we're discussing here. All online services have unenforceable and unconscionable terms and conditions. I can require your first-born male as payment, but that doesn't mean it's legally binding, and such terms should be ignored as a matter of course. I do. If you don't, you're a fool.

The last time an online service required my meatspace identity, it was the Chebucto Freenet back in the early 90s that wanted a photocopy of my driver's license. But that was a different time and you could actually trust admins (that weren't Simon Travaglia) back then. It was also a different time back then when your domain record had your real name tied to it and you didn't have to worry about stalkers, idiots, and loons. Anyone who does that these days not hiding behind even a "paper" company name, is quite frankly a victim waiting to happen.

And lastly, the whole "we require a cellphone" nonsense can be worked around with stuff like this:
https://www.raymond.cc/blog/to...

Good fucking luck tying identity to SMS.

--
BMO

I've had this problem myself once.
Thankfully, Symantec provides a removal tool. Many other AV vendors do the same.
A good list of AV removal tools

You are correct. Here are the peerguardian people talking about this. When running 64-bit signing is required. 32-bit it is not.

http://www.raymond.cc/blog/archives/2009/08/24/loading-unsigned-drivers-in-windows-7-and-vista-64-bit-x64/

Yeah but the odds of running into BO in real life is slim to none, so if you are gonna teach them about bugs, why not something useful? I'd suggest one of the Rogue AV or security tool variants. Those infections are as common as dirt, being in the PC fixit biz I should know, and removal involves all the classics...F8 boot into safe mode, deleting the reg keys, then running a nice CD or USB key scanner (I'd of course recommend CD, as it is cheap and easy). Hell you can have them make their own AV Rescue Disc which then they can take home with them, and is a nice tool to have.

So I guess the real question is if this is gonna be a BS class, where you teach them something that the odds are virtually zipola of running into IRL, or give them a nice overview of how to DIY fixit work? Because while the Security Tool variants freak out the users they are actually pretty damned easy to kill once you know what you are looking for, and pretty much any bug short of a rootkit follows the SOP bugs like Security Tool use. IMHO it would be a good all around lesson, and as long as the machines aren't on the net not a threat. As a bonus you would give them an up close and personal glimpse at how scareware works, which sadly is becoming QUITE popular for malware writers. by knowing the signs and being able to spot the phonies they can actually help their less clueless relatives and be safer themselves.

VNC can be firewall friendly but not via the browser, I don't particularly think that is that important though. I'd rather quickly download a 300Kb viewer executable that battle with an ActiveX install or Firefox extension. After all, with that single exe you can

have firewall friendly reverse connections
You can create a single click exe
Run a repeater to traverse firewall issues
You can package it up tailor made for your own services
Run it over an SSH tunnel
mirror driver, encryption, java viewer and a bunch of other features make it IMHO a worthwhile addition to any tech support environment

and of course as you say, there's a VNC server for almost every device and OS

(P.S. While I obviously love VNC, we still pay for a single logmeinrescue license at our office for situations where we need to reboot & reconnect (Win32), reboot and reconnect in safe mode (Win32) or work quickly and easily on Symbian, Blackberry and Windows mobile devices)

May be not as effective, but apparently marginally saleable. the user experience so far has been terrible but that's the way it is with any new technology.

Now, to make working CPUs out of lead. Solomon's Gold to the rescue!!! Moore's law will be salvaged by modern alchemy!!!

Right, this is the key. Apple and Linux control their essential drivers very directly, Microsoft does not. Legacy 32-bit apps work fine on a 64-bit OS, legacy drivers do not, because they're not insulated from the hardware. So MS has to pressure an immense number of third-party driver developers to update all their drivers to work on 64-bit, Apple and Linux don't.

Yes, and this is the main reason why MS should have followed Apple's route, they would benefit from this route more than Apple does...

Incidentally, windows xp has always used PAE, PAE is required in order to enable NX support, it's just that xp is not "licensed" for use with more than 4gb of ram.. I couldn't find the original article, but there is one describing how to enable vista and windows 7 32bit to support more than 4gb:
http://www.raymond.cc/blog/archives/2009/08/19/make-windows-7-and-vista-32-bit-x86-support-more-than-4gb-memory/

What i said about 64bit kernel 32bit userland is just that, i can take a completely 32bit linux distribution and use a 64bit kernel to boot it... So it won't support 64bit applications, but will benefit from larger memory support without requiring PAE... I'm not sure if this is possible with windows at all.

you can enable unsigned drivers in xp/vista/7 many different ways and is relevant for such things as graphics card drivers, etc.

http://www.raymond.cc/blog/archives/2008/12/11/13-antivirus-rescue-cds-software-compared-in-search-for-the-best-rescue-disk/

Meh, there's a comparison of boot discs. Looks like the best by this eval is the Kaspersky rescue disc, but Avira runs a close second.

I find that believable, Kaspersky is a great AV program, I highly recommend it.

The thumbnails in the article are a little small and only bring up and ad on clicking.

Actual pictures of the WGA watermark can be found here.