force upgrade (false update) of windows live messenger

MSN live messenger broke for almost a week, cause I see no reasons to upgrade. And I cant use MSN until I install the compulsory upgrade. But, I am fine, I can still use gtalk. Until just now, after getting lots of questions asking where I am. I finally upgrade from I-cant-remember-version to who-really-knows-what-version-now. Took about 10mins and I finally realised what this false upgrade really was. At the end of the installation, I was prompt to set bing (bing is not google) as default search engine and MSN as as default homepage. Trying to shove bing n MSN nonsense into my laptop. Essentially, theres nothing new with the latest live messenger! Nice try MS.

Consolation to that theres nothing new, those disrupting MSN ads are still removable with http://www.google.com/search?q=block+msn+ads

Setup VPN client on Mac

Been trying to get support from my unfriendly network admin to get me cisco vpn client for mac, but to no avail. fortunately, VPN client comes free by default on snow leopard.

Claimed I deleted my profile and tricked the network admin for the .pcf profile file. There is no profile import facility on apple vpn client. Open the .pcf file in vi or any text editor. Get the host, GroupName and enc_GroupPwd. Go to http://www.unix-ag.uni-kl.de/~massar/bin/cisco-decode to decode the long string in enc_GroupPwd, the encrypted (Group) password.

Go to system perference -> network. Click on +, interface - VPN, VPN type - cisco, name it and create.

Fill in accordingly. host for Server Address.



Fill in the shared secret from the decoder and the "Group name" with GroupName.



Test your connectivity. Mine comes with 2FA and it works!

1 year older...

...wiser by 10 years...