You had installed the pirated Windows XP on your machine and now facing the Microsoft Windows Genuine validation Check message. NOW YOU GET RID OFF…..don’t worry read this blog and find the solution.
Options 1.
WIndows update(KB905474) if its still there.
then proceed in windows explorer to :
C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download
Scan in detal all subfolders carefully reading every file and delete anything that is remotely connected to windows genuine advantage
next run regedit
search for wgalogon delete whole root directory when found.
then go to
C:\WINDOWS\system32
find wgatray.exe and wgalogon.dll
delete them both
this should solve those pesky notification windows at logon spalsh screen
Options 2.
There is an easy solution to this and I would like you to follow the steps below to fix the issue. 1. C:\Windows\Downloaded Program Files
Within that folder, remove any files or folders associated with .WGA
2. Safe Mode
Reboot your computer and as soon as Windows logs off, start repeatively tapping the F8 Key on your keyboard.
As soon as you see the Windows Advanced Startup options select Safe Mode within Safe Mode get yourself into these folders…
C:\Windows\System32 (Rename wgatray.exe to wgatrayold.exe)
C:\Windows\System32\dllcache (Rename wgatray.exe to wgatrayold.exe) Note: Dllcache is a hidden folder, to view hidden folders do the following, go to Start, Control Panel, Folder Options, Select the view Tab and under the Hidden Files option, select Show hidden files and folders
3. Safe Mode Registry
Click on Start, Run and within the open dialog box type regedit and click OK.
Within the Registry Editor navigate your self to HKEY_Local_Machine\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Notify\WGALOGON
Right Click and Export the WGALOGON Folder (this should be saved onto your machine for backup purposes)
After Exporting the folder, DELETE the WGALOGON folder
After deleting close all applications and Restart your machine back to Normal Mode
After being prompt of a successful validation, restart your Machine.
If you have Acrobat 7.0, choose Help > Check For Updates Now to install the update. Alternately, you can download the update from the Adobe website at www.adobe.com/downloads/ .
Solution 2: Remove the files from theAcrobat Organizer folder.
When you remove files from the Acrobat Organizer folder, you force Acrobat to rebuild the Organizer database. This process replaces any damaged files in the Organizer that may be causing the error message. To remove the files from the Acrobat Organizer folder:
1.Choose Start > Run.
2.In the Open text box, type:%UserProfile%\Application Data\Adobe\Acrobat \7.0\Organizer70.
3.Delete or move all filesfrom this directory.
Solution3: Remove the files from the Updaterfolder. You may receive this error message after a failed update, indicating that the files in the Updater folder are corrupted.
To remove the files from the Updater folder:
1. Choose Start > Run.
2. In the Open text box, type:%UserProfile%\Application Data\Adobe\Acrobat\7.0\Updater.
3. Delete or move all the files fromthis directory.
Place your windows BOOTABLE CD in CDROM and restart the computer (CDROM should be first bootable device in BIOS)
Keep your eyes on the screen for booting to your CD, it will be “Press any key to boot from CD”
Once you get in, the first screen will indicate that setup is inspecting your system and loading files.
when you get to the welcome to Setup screen, press ENTER to setup windows now
The licensing agreement comes next – Press F8 to accept
The next screen is the Setup screen which gives you the option to do a repair. It should read something like “if one of the following windows XP installationis damaged, Setup can try to repair it”
Use the up and down arrow key to select your XP installation (if you only have one, it should already be selected) and press R to begin the Repair Process.
Let the repair run, setup will now check your disk and then start copying files which can take several minutes.
Shortly after the copying files stage, you will be required to reboot(this will happen automatically – you will see a progress bar stating “Your computer will reboot in 15 seconds”
During the reboot, do not make the MISTAK of “pressing any key” to boot from the CD again. Setup will resume automatically with the standard billboard screens and you will notice installing windows highlighted.
Keep you eye on the lower left hand side of the screen and when you see the installing DEVICES progress bar, PRESS SHIFT+F10. This is the security hole; a command console will now open up giving you the potential for wide access to your system.
At the prompt, type NUSRMGR.CPL and press Enter and Now Now…you have just graphical access to your user Accounts in the control panel.
Now simply pick the account you need to change and remove or change password as you prefer. If you want to log on without having to enter your new password, you can type control userpasswords2 at the prompt and choose to log on without being asked for password. after you made your changes close the windows, exit the command box and continue on with the repair(have your Product key handy)
Once the repair is done, you will be able to log on with new password (or without a password if you chose not to use one or if you chose bot to be asked a password)
When your computer hardware appears to power up okay, but the Windows XP operating system won’t boot properly, you have to begin a troubleshooting expedition that includes getting into the operating system, determining the problem, and then fixing it. To help you get started on this expedition, here are 10 things you can do when Windows XP won’t boot.
#1: Use a Windows startup disk
One of the first things you should reach for when troubleshooting a Windows XP boot problem is a Windows startup disk. This floppy disk can come in handy if the problem is being caused when either the startup record for the active partition or the files that the operating system uses to start Windows have become corrupted.
To create a Windows startup disk, insert a floppy disk into the drive of a similarly configured, working Windows XP system, launch My Computer, right-click the floppy disk icon, and select the Format command from the context menu. When you see the Format dialog box, leave all the default settings as they are and click the Start button. Once the format operation is complete, close the Format dialog box to return to My Computer, double-click the drive C icon to access the root directory, and copy the following three files to the floppy disk:
Boot.ini
NTLDR
Ntdetect.com
After you create the Windows startup disk, insert it into the floppy drive on the afflicted system and press [Ctrl][Alt][Delete] to reboot the computer. When you boot from the Windows startup disk, the computer will bypass the active partition and boot files on the hard disk and attempt to start Windows XP normally.
#2: Use Last Known Good Configuration
You can also try to boot the operating system with the Last Known Good Configuration feature. This feature will allow you to undo any changes that caused problems in the CurrentControlSet registry key, which defines hardware and driver settings. The Last Known Good Configuration feature replaces the contents of the CurrentControlSet registry key with a backup copy that was last used to successfully start up the operating system.
To use the Last Known Good Configuration feature, first restart the computer by pressing [Ctrl][Alt][Delete]. When you see the message Please select the operating system to start or hear the single beep, press [F8] to display the Windows Advanced Options menu. Select the Last Known Good Configuration item from the menu and press [Enter].
Keep in mind that you get only one shot with the Last Known Good Configuration feature. In other words, if it fails to revive your Windows XP on the first attempt, the backup copy is also corrupt.
#3: Use System Restore
Another tool that might be helpful when Windows XP won’t boot is System Restore. System Restore runs in the background as a service and continually monitors system-critical components for changes. When it detects an impending change, System Restore immediately makes backup copies, called restore points, of these critical components before the change occurs. In addition, System Restore is configured by default to create restore points every 24 hours.
To use System Restore, first restart the computer by pressing [Ctrl][Alt][Delete]. When you see the message Please select the operating system to start or hear the single beep, press [F8] to display the Windows Advanced Options menu. Now, select the Safe Mode item from the menu and press [Enter].
Once Windows XP boots into Safe mode, click the Start button, access the All Programs | Accessories | System Tools menu, and select System Restore. Because you’re running in Safe mode, the only option on the opening screen of the System Restore wizard is Restore My Computer To An Earlier Time, and it’s selected by default, so just click Next. Then, follow along with the wizard to select a restore point and begin the restoration procedure.
#4: Use Recovery Console
When a Windows XP boot problem is severe, you’ll need to use a more drastic approach. The Windows XP CD is bootable and will provide you with access to a tool called Recovery Console.
To boot from the Windows XP CD, insert it into the CD-ROM drive on the problem system and press [Ctrl][Alt][Delete] to reboot the computer. Once the system begins booting from the CD, simply follow the prompts that will allow the loading of the basic files needed to run Setup. When you see the Welcome To Setup screen, shown in Figure A, press R to start the Recovery Console.
Figure A
Recovery console
You’ll then see a Recovery Console menu, like the one shown in Figure B. It displays the folder containing the operating system’s files and prompts you to choose the operating system you want to log on to. Just press the menu number on the keyboard, and you’ll be prompted to enter the Administrator’s password. You’ll then find yourself at the main Recovery Console prompt.
Figure B
Choose your OS
#5: Fix a corrupt Boot.ini
As the Windows XP operating system begins to load, the Ntldr program refers to the Boot.ini file to determine where the operating system files reside and which options to enable as the operating system continues to load. So if there’s a problem rooted in the Boot.ini file, it can render Windows XP incapable of booting correctly.
If you suspect that Windows XP won’t boot because Boot.ini has been corrupted, you can use the special Recovery Console version of the Bootcfg tool to fix it. Of course, you must first boot the system with the Windows XP CD and access the Recovery Console as described in #4.
To use the Bootcfg tool, from the Recovery Console command prompt, type
Bootcfg /parameter
Where /parameter is one of these required parameters:
/Add–Scans the disk for all Windows installations and allows you to add any new ones to the Boot.ini file.
/Scan–Scans the disk for all Windows installations.
/List–Lists each entry in the Boot.ini file.
/Default–Sets the default operating system as the main boot entry.
/Rebuild–Completely re-creates the Boot.ini file. The user must confirm each step.
/Redirect–Allows the boot operation to be redirected to a specific port when using the Headless Administration feature. The Redirect parameter takes two parameters of its own, [Port Baudrate ] | [UseBiosSettings].
/Disableredirect–Disables the redirection.
#6: Fix a corrupt partition boot sector
The partition boot sector is a small section of the hard disk partition that contains information about the operating system’s file system (NTFS or FAT32), as well as a very small machine language program that is crucial in assisting the operating system as it loads.
If you suspect that Windows XP won’t boot because the partition boot sector has been corrupted, you can use a special Recovery Console tool called Fixboot to fix it. Start by booting the system with the Windows XP CD and accessing the Recovery Console as described in #4.
To use the Fixboot tool, from the Recovery Console command prompt, type
Fixboot [drive]:
Where [drive] is the letter of the drive to which you want to write a new partition boot sector.
#7: Fix a corrupt master boot record
The master boot record occupies the first sector on the hard disk and is responsible for initiating the Windows boot procedure. The master boot record contains the partition table for the disk as well as a small program called the master boot code, which is responsible for locating the active, or bootable, partition, in the partition table. Once this occurs, the partition boot sector takes over and begins loading Windows. If the master boot record is corrupt, the partition boot sector can’t do its job and Windows won’t boot.
If you suspect Windows XP won’t boot because the master boot record has been corrupted, you can use the Recovery Console tool Fixmbr to fix it. First, boot the system with the Windows XP CD and access the Recovery Console as described in #4.
To use the Fixmbr tool, from the Recovery Console command prompt, type
Fixmbr [device_name]
Where [device_name] is the device pathname of the drive to which you want to write a new master boot record. For example, the device pathname format for a standard bootable drive C configuration would look like this:
DeviceHardDisk0
#8: Disable automatic restart
When Windows XP encounters a fatal error, the default setting for handling such an error is to automatically reboot the system. If the error occurs while Windows XP is booting, the operating system will become stuck in a reboot cycle–rebooting over and over instead of starting up normally. In that case, you’ll need to disable the option for automatically restarting on system failure.
When Windows XP begins to boot up and you see the message Please select the operating system to start or hear the single beep, press [F8] to display the Windows Advanced Options Menu. Then, select the Disable The Automatic Restart On System Failure item and press [Enter]. Now, Windows XP will hang up when it encounters the error and with any luck, it will display a stop message you can use to diagnose the problem.
#9: Restore from a backup
If you can’t seem to repair a Windows XP system that won’t boot and you have a recent backup, you can restore the system from the backup media. The method you use to restore the system will depend on what backup utility you used, so you’ll need to follow the utility’s instructions on how to perform a restore operation.
#10: Perform an in-place upgrade
If you can’t repair a Windows XP system that won’t boot and you don’t have a recent backup, you can perform an in-place upgrade. Doing so reinstalls the operating system into the same folder, just as if you were upgrading from one version of Windows to another. An in-place upgrade will usually solve most, if not all, Windows boot problems.
Performing a Windows XP in-place upgrade is pretty straightforward. To begin, insert the Windows XP CD into the drive, restart your system, and boot from the CD. Once the initial preparation is complete, you’ll see the Windows XP Setup screen (shown earlier in Figure A). Press [Enter] to launch the Windows XP Setup procedure. In a moment, you’ll see the License Agreement page and will need to press [F8] to acknowledge that you agree. Setup will then search the hard disk looking for a previous installation of Windows XP. When it finds the previous installation, you’ll see a second Windows XP Setup screen, as shown in Figure C.
Figure C
In-place upgrade
This screen will prompt you to press R to repair the selected installation or to press [Esc] to install a fresh copy of Windows XP. In this case, initiating a repair operation is synonymous with performing an in-place upgrade, so you’ll need to press R. When you do so, Setup will examine the disk drives in the system. It will then begin performing the in-place upgrade.
Keep in mind that after you perform an in-place upgrade or repair installation, you must reinstall all updates to Windows.
Some management mistakes are so common that you can actually compile them into a list. If you’re a manager struggling to find out why your team is dysfunctional, take a look at the behaviors in this list and see if any look familiar.
1.Not communicating with the team. I know, I know, you’ve seen the advice for communicating so often you want to smack someone. I want to smack myself for saying it so often. But you know what? Unless you’re on the front line heading into a military battle, you have to take time to communicate with your team members. You don’t have to pass on every shred of information you’ve gotten from upper management on a new initiative, but you have to give them enough information to know why they’re being asked to do what they’re being asked to do. The more information your team members have, the more ownership they’ll feel in the process, and the better they’ll perform.
2. Continually focusing on the negative. Thinking in negative terms is a common result from working in a reactive environment, which IT tends to be. In that environment, IT spends most of its time keeping the negative to a minimum with goals such as decreasing network downtime or putting out fires. A good leader has to make an effort to recognize the positive. (How about mentioning increased uptime?) Recognize your people for the forward progress they make and not just for their efforts to keep things from getting worse.
3. Changing policy due to one person. The term “team” makes some managers think they have to treat everyone the same way. This is true in many cases, but if one person has a performance issue, don’t take across-the-board measures to correct it just because you’re afraid of confronting that one team member. If one team member is failing to complete some duties in a timely manner, don’t introduce a policy forcing the whole team to submit weekly progress reports. Deal only with the one with the issues.
4. Not understanding the needs and concerns of your team. Some IT leaders find it virtually impossible to tell their bosses that something can’t be done. The team’s bandwidth or overall state of mind takes a backseat to real or imagined glory of being the guy who “gets things done.” Good managers don’t over-promise on their team’s behalf. 5. Never admitting you’re wrong or never taking responsibility. There’s risk involved in being a manager of a team. And that risk is, if your team fails at something, you should and will be the one held accountable. It doesn’t matter if one team member screwed something up; your job was to manage the overall process of all the team members, and you didn’t do it. So suck it up and own up to that. On a related note, if one of your actions caused a kink in a project, admit it. It’s ironic but not owning up to a problem damages your credibility with your team more than simply saying, “I was wrong.”
Preventing Active Directory failures should be a key component of any disaster recovery plan. There are steps every Windows shop can take to reduce the chances of an AD disaster. The best way to minimize downtime is to have a proactive plan in place.
Need to restore a single domain controller? Want to prevent the accidental bulk deletion of objects? Microsoft MVP Gary Olsen offers his advice on how to plan for the worst and what to do to get your Active Directory up and running again.
Disaster Recovery Planning for Active Directory
Part 1: How creating an Active Directory replication lag site minimizes disasters
It is a good idea to have a disaster recovery plan for major catastrophes, but there are a number of actions you can take to prevent disaster -- or at least minimize the chances of an Active Directory disaster such as the accidental bulk deletion of objects.
One of those actions is to create a replication lag site. Very simply, the lag site is an Active Directory site that is intentionally a few days to a week behind the rest of the domain. Of course, there are some gotchas when doing this, which we'll discuss shortly, but the lag site basically preserves a live backup of the Active Directory.
You create a lag site by putting a domain controller from the hub site into its own site (we'll call it the disaster recovery site) with a site link to the hub site. Configure the hub-disaster recovery site link for a replication frequency of 96 hours. That means that the disaster recovery site domain controller's copy of the Active Directory will be 96 hours behind the rest of the forest.
Now, remember that administrator who -- mistakenly, of course -- recently deleted an organizational unit (OU) with 10,000 users? Your only alternative is to do an authoritative restore (and hope your backup media is valid). That means you have to perform the following authoritative restore process:
Unplug the domain controller that has the authoritative copy of the Active Directory from the network.
Get the appropriate system state backup tape that you made before the deletion.
Make sure the tape is valid and that it is no older than the TombstoneLifetime (60 days by default).
Boot the restore domain controller into Directory Service Restore Mode (DSRM).
Do a system state restore to this domain controller. Note that you have to do this twice to get the groups and users restored properly. This is not trivial.
Plug the domain controller into the network.
Replication will force the Active Directory objects from the restored domain controller to the other domain controllers in the network.
With the lag site, however, you now have a domain controller that has a copy of the Active Directory before the deletion took place (assuming you noticed it within four days of the occurrence). Let's say you discovered that an administrator mistakenly deleted 10,000 accounts yesterday. You can go to the domain controller in the lag site, which still has a copy of the Active Directory before the deletion and perform an authoritative restore using that domain controller's copy of the Active Directory, and push it out. Again, this depends on when the lag site replicates and when the deletion took place. If replication takes place on Monday and Friday, and the deletion happens Thursday night, then you have a small window of opportunity.
Get control of the gotchas
It is important that you take steps to prevent authentication from the lag site domain controllers since it has security data (accounts, passwords, locked accounts, group membership, etc.) that is a week old. You can accomplish this by defining a site policy for the lag site and defining the "DCLocator DNS Records Not Registered by the DCs" setting. The Mnemonics field is described in the Explain tab. You need to include all of the Mnemonics except CNAME record (needed for replication). The Explain tab is a bit confusing, but it's a space-delimited list as shown in Figure 1. The Mnemonics themselves are listed in the left column on the Explain tab.
The minimum configuration to implement a Active Directory lag site is to have a single site with at least one domain controller from each domain in the site. The preferred configuration is to have two domain controllers from each domain in the site. Set their replication frequency for 168 hours (seven days) and stagger the schedule so they replicate every 3.5 days. Thus, you have two old copies to choose from, mitigating the problem just noted.
You can also use a Virtual Server as the lag site domain controllers to save hardware costs.
If you have a multiple (parent/child) domain structure, then you have a lot of unseen problems. When you attempt a restore on one domain, it will fail to restore cross-domain group memberships. Hewlett-Packard Co. was the first to discover this problem, and the company developed a tool called Active Directory Link Replication Manager (ADLRM) that stores these links in a SQL database and restores them quite nicely. The tool also can store and restore individual attributes. For instance, if you have an HR application that modifies certain user attributes, and you need to restore the attribute to the pre-modified value, ADLRM can do that without requiring a full-scale authoritative restore.
This is the general documents for spreading aware in working women.
You know the stereotype: Computer "geeks" tend to be highly intelligent but introverted and (there's no other way to say it) a little wimpy. We all know that isn't necessarily true—but it is true that many in the IT field don't have a lot of training in self defense. We focus on protecting our networks, rather than our physical selves. And we sometimes get so focused on our work that we lose track of what's going on around us. The nature of the job also means that you may frequently find yourself working late, after everyone else has gone home, to get that server patched or get e-mail working again before the office opens in the morning. You may end up walking across a dark parking lot at 2:00 a.m., sleep-deprived and dead tired and not paying attention. That can make you a prime target for criminals looking for victims. In 2006 (the most recent statistics available from the U.S. Bureau of Justice), approximately 25 million crimes of violence and theft occurred. That's 24.6 victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older. And don't think you're immune if you're male. Even though muggers may prefer to target women become they're assumed to be less physically prepared to fight back, overall, more men than women are victims of violent crime. It can happen to you. As a former police officer and police academy defensive tactics instructor prior to going into the tech biz, I'm often amazed (and concerned) by the lack of awareness of danger that many of my IT colleagues exhibit. In this article, I offer a few tips to help you decrease your chances of becoming a victim—without becoming paranoid or putting in the time to earn a martial arts black belt.
1. Pay attention! The first and most important step in defending yourself against potential muggers and other criminals is to develop the proper mental state of awareness. That means constantly assessing your surroundings, especially when you're in an environment where risk is high (e.g., working or walking alone late at night). The late Colonel Jeff Cooper, well-known in law enforcement circles as an expert on marksmanship, safety, and the defensive mindset, developed a color code system to describe the states of awareness in which we operate. These range from Condition White (oblivion) to Condition Black (actively involved in a fight for your life). Many people spend most of their time in Condition White, which means that if danger presents itself, they often don't recognize it in time to avoid it. The key is to learn to live, as a matter of daily life, in Condition Yellow—which means you're still relaxed, but you're aware of everything that's going on around you. You can read more about Cooper's Color Codes at http://www.self-defense-mind-body-spirit.com/awareness.html. After a while, awareness becomes second nature. You automatically check the back seat before getting into the car, scope out the path to the front door for places a criminal could be hiding, notice whether another car is following you, and so forth. This heightened awareness can be the key to surviving not only a criminal attack, but also accidents, natural disasters, and other dangerous situations. 2. Have a plan Once you've learned to be aware of your surroundings and recognize early that something is wrong, you need a plan for what you'll do if you're attacked or otherwise placed in danger. When I was teaching self-defense classes, I called this "if/then thinking." It involves evaluating where the danger is most likely to come from and deciding beforehand how you'll react if a particular threat becomes reality. Just as on an airplane, you should acquaint yourself with where the exit rows are located and how the oxygen masks work, when you're working late alone at night you should familiarize yourself with the building, possible hiding places and escape routes, which doors are locked and which aren't, how to lock yourself into a safe room (without windows or other easy entrances), and so forth. When you must cross a dark parking lot or navigate through a deserted parking garage, know what you'll do if someone pops out of a parked van or from behind a column and tries to grab you.
Stay safe when you pull an all-nighter: 10 self-defense tips for techies Having a plan also means planning ahead. Park your car in a lighted area, if possible, when you're likely to be returning to it after dark. Have your keys out and ready before you even leave the building, so you don't have to fumble for them on your way to or at the vehicle. Your plan in a given situation will depend on your own training, skills, philosophy, and the resources you have available at the time. But the point is that if you have a plan, you'll be able to react more quickly rather than wasting precious time standing there like a deer in headlights and giving your attacker even more of an advantage. 3. Stay physically fit Attackers usually prefer victims over whom they have a physical advantage. Some disadvantages you may not be able to do anything about: If you're disabled, elderly, very small, etc., it will be easier for a criminal to overpower you. Even in those situations, though, staying as physically fit as you can under the circumstances will help narrow the gap and help you survive a physical confrontation, if it comes to that, with less injury. In addition, when you're fit and aware, you tend to project an aura of self-confidence that will make predators—who, like their animal counterparts, prey on the weak—avoid you. Getting plenty of exercise and eating right will not only make you look and feel better; it will also keep you safer from criminals. 4.Stay mentally fit To maintain the high level of awareness that is the foundation of self-protection, it's important to stay mentally fit as well as physically fit. Mental fitness derives in part from general physical fitness, but it's also negatively affected by short-term actions, such as sleep deprivation, drinking alcohol, or the use/abuse of recreational or prescription drugs. It's not always possible to avoid everything that affects mental fitness. After all, there's nothing you can do after the fact about having stayed up all night, and you may need to take medications that affect your mental status for health reasons. But one thing you can do is recognize those circumstances that make you less mentally fit and take steps to ameliorate the effects—for instance, not working late on those nights or at least having someone else stay late with you. 5.Take common sense precautions Remember the old adage: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Lock your office or server room door when you're working late alone. Don't let anyone in whom you don't know (social engineering can be used by attackers to gain physical entry just as it's used by hackers to gain network access). If there's a security guard, get to know him/her. Don't be afraid to ask for an escort to your car when you leave the building. If someone follows your car, don't go home. Drive to a police station or a place where there are plenty of people. If someone bumps your car with his vehicle, or if a "plain clothes" police officer in an unmarked car attempts to make a "traffic stop" using a portable red light or grill lights, don't stop in a deserted area. Instead, lead the other person to a well-lit, crowded location where you can ascertain whether the person is really just another motorist or a real cop, or whether it's someone who plans to do you harm (in which case he'll probably drive away when he sees that there are other people around). Also use common sense to avoid making yourself an attractive target. Don't wear conspicuous expensive jewelry or flash money, don't hitchhike or accept rides from strangers, and so forth. 6.Be prepared to make noise—lots of it In addition to any other defensive measures, be sure that you have the capability of making a loud noise to draw attention to your plight. There's a good reason that a loud siren is built into most security alarm systems: The noise alerts others in the vicinity that something is wrong and brings them to your aid, and it scares off the bad guys. The last thing they want is to draw attention to themselves.
Whether you carry a police whistle on a chain around your neck, a 120 decibel "personal alarm" device clipped to your belt, or you just learn to scream really loudly (don't just assume you can—practice it until you can let out a piercing scream at the top of your lungs), have some way to "get loud." 7.Know when to fight back (and when not to) There is no one-size-fits-all procedure for dealing with a criminal attack. Some attackers just want your money or possessions and will leave you alone when they get what they want. Others are full of anger and will hurt you whether or not you comply. Some may be so hyped up on drugs or alcohol that they don't even know what they're doing and aren't capable of responding to reason. This is where your skill at reading people and your gut instincts come in handy. You can often tell whether your assailant is a scared kid out to steal your wallet or a sociopath set on raping you—or worse. That assessment helps you determine whether the best course is to comply, attempt to escape, or fight back. 8.Know your weapons The decision to carry a weapon is a personal choice, and whether you even have that choice is dependent on the laws in your jurisdiction (see the next section). If it's legal and you plan to carry a firearm, take a course in gun safety and marksmanship, whether or not it's required by your state. Know how to store and carry your gun safely (for instance, never put a gun in the bottom of a purse—always carry it in a holster and know how to draw it quickly). Know how to shoot it accurately and practice weapon retention techniques to ensure that an attacker can't easily take it away from you and use it against you. Don't make the mistake of thinking "weapon" means only "gun." There are many other options, including chemical weapons (mace or pepper spray), clubs, and edged weapons. If you find yourself in a fight for your life and you're not armed, remember that almost anything can be a weapon. That includes ashtrays, ballpoint pens, various office implements, keys, a shoe, etc. You have a better chance of using these makeshift weapons effectively if you plan and practice with them beforehand. 9.Know the law and company policy Before deciding to carry a weapon, it's important to know the laws in your state. Many U.S. states have "shall issue" concealed carry laws, which means if you meet the requirements (age, no criminal history, no history of mental impairments, and in some cases minimum training), the state must issue you a permit or license to carry a concealed handgun. Other states are "may issue" states, and permits are almost impossible for ordinary people to get. A few states ban concealed carry of firearms altogether. In some states, you can carry a long gun (rifle or shotgun) and/or a handgun without a permit so long as you carry it openly. Don't assume that because you know the law in one state, it's the same in another. Realize that carrying other types of weapons, such as certain types of knives, chemical weapons like mace or pepper spray, or even a baseball bat intended to be used for self defense, can be illegal depending on your state's laws. In addition to knowing the laws governing carrying of weapons, you need to check out your state's laws regarding use of force. In some states, you can legally use deadly force to defend your property. In others, your life (or that of someone else) must be in danger before deadly force is justified. Laws can vary widely, and some may seem arbitrary. For instance, under Texas law, use of deadly force is permitted to protect against "theft in the night time"—but if you use deadly force to prevent someone from taking your property during the daytime, you may find yourself indicted for unlawful use of deadly force. Likewise, some states impose a duty to retreat on victims, while others don't. Some states' "Castle doctrine" laws give you much more leeway to use force when someone breaks into your home than when they accost you in your office. Educate yourself thoroughly on the legalities of defending yourself—and that includes not just the statutes themselves but also how your local district attorneys, judges, and juries tend to interpret them. Another consideration: Even in jurisdictions where you can legally carry a weapon and even when you have a permit, companies and individuals usually have the right to prohibit it on their premises. Know your company's policies as well as any laws limiting those policies (for example, some states do not allow companies to prohibit you from bringing your weapon to work and leaving it locked up in your vehicle).
10. Take a class Self-defense classes can serve two purposes. First, they provide you with knowledge—such as what the most vulnerable areas on the body are so you know what to target with your improvised weapon, how to use an attacker's own momentum to throw him to the ground when he comes at you, or your state's weapons and use of force laws. But perhaps even more important, they build confidence. When you've not just read or heard about these techniques but actually practiced them repeatedly, you don't have to stop and think before putting them into action. This self-confidence is also something an attacker can often sense, which will prevent him from targeting you as a victim in the first place. Many types of classes are available. Some are one-day seminars designed to give you an overview of basic self-defense concepts. Others, such as firearms proficiency classes, require periodic repetition to keep your skills sharp. Some are ongoing, intense training regimens that are lifestyles in themselves, such as the many martial arts disciplines. You don't have to be physically strong to benefit from defensive skills training. In fact, the less inherent strength you have, the more you need to learn to use what you do have to your advantage. Some of the martial arts focus on kicking and punching, but others (such as Aikido), concentrate on balance and redirection and techniques that work well for those with less physical strength. In most parts of the country, self-defense classes are available through community colleges and dojos (martial arts training facilities) and sponsored by police departments and private organizations. Some of these are targeted at a specific market: women, the elderly, or the disabled. Knowledge is power, and self defense is based on knowledge. But effective self defense also relies on physical skills that must be developed through practice. If you plan to rely on moves or techniques, take the time to burn those moves into muscle memory through repetitive practice.
Arvind Dahiya is a technology consultant, trainer and writer who has authored a number of blogs and sites on computer operating systems, networking, and security.
