This message comes for our own good and it prevents us from ejecting the drive when the drive is in use by some program. For example, if there is a data transfer going on between your USB drive and hard drive and if you eject the USB drive at that time then it is possible that data gets corrupted. Therefore this message warns the user that drive is being used by some process. But the problem is that Windows cannot recognize exactly which program is using the drive, so that you can close that program or process.

It is also possible that a program is not accessing the drive, but its a process that is running in the background. Such processes are hard to identify and close. How would you know which process is blocking the USB drive from ejecting?

Solution for “USB Device is in Use” Problem

Enter Dev Eject, a free windows based tool that lists all the removable devices and identifies applications that have locked down your drive from ejecting. It clearly lists all the program that are open from the drive and which process has them open. The interface of this program is clean and straightforward, no complicated stuff here.

The plus point or the main feature of this program is that it lists out the processes running from the drive, so that you can close the associated programs running that process. After closing that program, you can safely eject your drive.

Upon starting Dev Eject, it will present a list of all the connected devices via USB interface and also via SATA interface. Click on individual device from this list and you can then do tasks like eject the drive or you can click on “Locks” to know which process has locked the drive and is preventing from ejecting.

Once you know the program, just close it manually and if it is running in background then close it from “Task Manager”. You can also locate that process from Task Manager and clicking on “Processes” tab.

From “settings” section you can set Dev Eject to start with Windows, specify default click action on tray and device list, add tray integration and can configure more such options.

Download Dev Eject

This post - How to Find Out Which Program or Process is Blocking USB Drive When Ejecting is originally published at: Technostarry

Many antiviruses have this scan on plug feature, that prompts you to scan the drive, as soon as the drive is inserted. But here’s another smart solution that can protect your USB drive from such autorun virus threats.

How to Protect USB Drives from Autorun Virus

BiDefender, a leading company developing products to protect users from internet threats like viruses, trojans, spywares, phishers, etc. have launched a new tool known as USB Immunizer. This small tool can help protect your USB flash drives, SD card or any other portable media against USB autorun virus.

This small utility has two advantages:

Firstly, it protects your USB storage device or SD card against infections with autorun based malwares. Thus, even if your drive has been plugged into an infected computer, the malware won’t be able to create its autorun.inf file. USB Immunizer will only list and immunize drives that are detected as removable media.

Secondly, this program can also immunize the computer. The immunize computer slider helps you to toggle the autorun feature On or Off for any removable media (except for CD/DVD-ROM devices). If this option is set to On, then the infected USB drive cannot harm the computer, as it will not auto-execute the malware located on the USB drive.

How USB Immunizer Works:

1. Download USB Immunizer and run
2. Plug in the USB drive, and it will auto-detect the drive
3. Select the USB drive from the drop down menu and click on “Immunize” button
4. That’s it, now your drive is protected from autorun.inf viruses.

You can also toggle that “Computer Immunization” to ON. This way, your computer will be protected from these nasty autorun virus threats.

When you insert a USB drive for the first time, this utility will auto-detect it and will present an option to immunize the drive. Click on “Yes, Immunize” button.

Basically, this tool creates an autorun.inf which is harmless and places that file in the root of the drive. Also the file is created with special permission, so that it prevent the user or malware from altering the autorun.inf file. If in future you want to delete this autorun.inf file, then you’ll need to use Linux live CD or Mac OS, as the file cannot be deleted from Windows based PC.

Use this utility and stay safe. What’s more, you can also immunize your friends USB drive, so that both computers remain protected from such threats.

This post - BitDefender USB Immunizer Protects USB Drives From Autorun Virus is originally published at: Technostarry

Mozilla Firefox is a fast, full featured and easy to use web browser. Some of its features include automatic updates, choice of many different add-ons, tabbed-browsing, pop-up blocker, integrated search, improved privacy features and much more.

Mozilla Firefox Portable Edition

Thanks to this portable version, now you don’t need to leave your browsing traces in the computer. You can carry your browser with you, along with your favorite bookmarks, extensions and history.

You can find the download link at the end of this article. After downloading, you can run the installer to install this portable Firefox in your favorite portable media like USB flash drive, for example. Don’t worry, you need to follow this installation process only once. When running the installation, you need to be connected to the internet. The installation process will download the latest portable version of Mozilla Firefox and then install it on the selected location. 

This portable edition is powered by PortableApps.com. This way, whenever you run this setup launcher, it will always download the latest version of Firefox.

Go ahead, download this portable app from below link. Take your browser with you, always.

Download Firefox Portable Edition from here

You can also try out Portable Google Chrome

This post - Download Portable Mozilla Firefox [Latest Version] is originally published at: Technostarry

SecurityKiss Tunnel is the program and the service that allows you access internet despite censorship and local restrictions. However, to install this program, you’ll need admin rights, and a limited user won’t be able to install this. It also makes your connection secure and prevents others from viewing your web browsing activities, downloads, instant messages, credit card information or anything else you send over the network.

Free Windows VPN Client: SecurityKiss

This application creates a VPN between your computer and security gateway so that all internet traffic goes through impenetrable, non-transparent tunnel, thereby making your browsing session safe and secure.

One such similar application known as TunnelBear requires users to login by creating an account and provides only 500MB of free bandwidth per month. Comparing this figure to SecurityKiss, we can easily identify that SecurityKiss offers more free bandwidth compared to TunnelBear.

VPN servers, also known as security gateways are located in the UK, US, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, Poland, Sweden and Netherlands. Their official page says that they are adding new servers in other locations also.

By default, SecurityKiss provides a US IP address however, you can switch to other security gateway by selecting alternative server.

After installing, you can see the icon in system tray menu. Right click it and you can have the option to open, pause, disconnect and exit application. Click on “pause” to temporarily disable SecurityKiss, it will save bandwidth as there is a 300MB restriction per day.

It’s worth noting that there is also a paid version. The paid version offers high usage limit in the monthly cycle and many more additional features like more server locations like Germany, France, Poland Canada, games support, email client support, VoIP, music and many more.

For normal home user, 300MB per day may be sufficient. If you want more data limit, then you’ll need to purchase paid plans which are starting from €2.99 (economy plan).

SecurityKiss is compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 (32 bit and 64 bit versions).

Download SecurityKISS

This post - Anonymous Surfing With 300MB Of Daily Bandwidth [Free VPN Client] is originally published at: Technostarry

Convert Audio and Video files, Edit and Burn with Free Studio

This is not just a single package, but it packs 45 different programs for converting, burning and editing into one superb application. For example, this program can convert YouTube to MP3, audio converter, audio to flash, video to MP3, YouTube downloader, YouTube to iPod, YouTube to iPhone, DVD Burner, audio CD Burner, video to Apple TV, 3D photo maker, 3D video maker, etc. It can do much more than these tasks listed. So in short, we can say that this is an all-in-one software package that one will ever need for their multimedia needs.

Not just audio and video tools are included, but image manipulation tools are also included to convert and resize images, convert video to JPGs, create a 3D photo with “3D Photo Maker” and lastly, the screen video recorder. Upon clicking on “mobile” category, you’ll be greeted with many different options to convert video to your desired mobile phone format. If a user doesn’t know the format, then they can also choose the company. For e.g. convert video to Android, Blackerry, HTC, Motorola, Samsung, Nokia, LG, PSP, Xbox, Nintendo, PS3 and Sony Ericsson. There’s also a special category for Apple devices, to convert videos to their iDevice like iPod, iPhone, iPad and Apple TV.

After clicking on a category button, you’ll be presented with more options as per that category.

For example, you can see the MP3 and Audio section. Many different tools are provided for your MP3 and audio needs.

All these useful tools are bundled into 8 different categories. Below is a complete list of tools provided by Free Studio.

YouTube

Along with converting YouTube videos, you can also download and upload videos to YouTube.

• Free YouTube Download
• Free YouTube to MP3 Converter
• Free YouTube to iPod Converter
• Free YouTube to iPhone Converter
• Free YouTube to DVD Converter
• Free YouTube Uploader

MP3 and Audio

• Free Audio Converter
• Free Audio To Flash
• Free Audio Dub
• Free YouTube To Mp3
• Free Video To MP3
• Audio CD Burner
• Audio CD To MP3

CD, DVD, BD

• Free Disc Burner
• Free DVD Video Burner
• Free DVD Video Converter
• Free Audio CD Burner
• Free Audio CD to MP3

DVD and Video

• MP4 Video Converter
• 3GP Video Converter
• Webm Video Converter
• Video to MP3
• Video to JPG
• Video to Flash
• Video to DVD
• Video flip and rotate
• Free Video Dub
• Free 3D video maker
• Free DVD Video Burner
• Free DVD Video Converter

Photo & Images

• Free Image Convert & Resize
• Free Video to JPG
• Free 3D Photo maker
• Free Screen video recorder

Mobiles

• Video To Android
• Video To Blackberry
• Video To HTC Phones
• Video To Motorola
• Video To Nokia Phones
• Video To Samsung
• Video To LG
• Video To Sony PSP
• Video To Xbox
• Video To Nintendo
• Video To PS3
• Video to Sony Ericsson

Apple Devices

• Free Video To iPod
• Free Video To iPad
• Free Video To iPhone
• Free Video To Apple TV

3D

• Free 3D Photo Maker
• Free 3D Video Maker

When installing, make sure to uncheck the option to install toolbar. Free Studio is a complete multimedia package, a converter, burner and can do many more tasks. With 45 different tools in a single application, this application surely can attract eyes of many. Try out this application, who knows, you may never need any other application for your multimedia needs.

DVDVideoSoft FreeStudio can run in Windows XP Service Pack 2, Vista and Windows 7. Microsoft .Net Framework 2 is also required to run this application.

Download DVDVideoSoft FreeStudio

Also see: Free Online File Converter

This post - Free Studio is an All-In-One Multimedia Converter, Ripper And Burner with 45 Tools [Freeware] is originally published at: Technostarry

Find Best Available Public Wi-Fi Near Your Location

Basically WeFi helps in extending the functionality of your native Wi-Fi management in Windows. It’s much more than a normal Wi-Fi client that helps in finding nearby hotspots. The application can automatically connect to the Wi-Fi hotspot or user can connect to a particular one as per his/her wish. The first time WeFi finds a new access point, there comes an option to “Claim as WeSpot”. This means that you’re adding this point to WeFi’s database so that other users can also easily connect to this new Wi-Fi hotspot. This way, we can map the global Wi-Fi network.

After starting WeFi, it searches and displays all available wireless networks that can be accessed. There are 4 connection modes in WeFi – Approved WeSpots, My favorites, Any Wi-Fi and OFF. One can easily switch between all these different modes.

Now let’s say you are heading to an area about which you don’t have any idea whether there would be any Wi-Fi hotspot available in that area or not, what to do in such a situation. A solution would be to check out “Wi-Fi Maps”. Click on it, search for that address and you’ll be presented with a clean Google map and places with available wireless connections would also be marked in that map. This is useful especially when you don’t know much about that area where you’re heading to.

The settings tab provides option to automatically start the application with Windows, check for updates, ask for confirmation before connecting to a new spot, auto detect spots that require web page sign-in and more.

WeFi can be said as an ultimate tool for those on the go. The community already consists of many members, more and more people join and map different Wi-Fi points. Ultimately, this helps everyone in finding free Wi-Fi more easily and without wasting much time.

WeFi client is available for Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7. Mobile client is also available for Symbian, Windows Mobile and Android.

Download WeFi

This post - WeFi Helps in Finding Best Public WiFi Hotspots Near You is originally published at: Technostarry