GEEK-SHOP

Installing and reinstalling Windows

krazie_jatt@yahoo.co.in (tech-geek) — Mon, 6 Jul 2009 10:33:00 -0700

In this article you will find instructions for:
Upgrading to Windows Vista when you already have a version of Windows XP Home Edition or Windows XP Professional on your computer and you want to keep your files, settings, and programs.
Installing a new, or clean, version of Windows when:
You want to replace your current operating system.
You want to install Windows Vista on a separate partition of your hard disk, and you have an operating system on your computer and an available partition.
You have a computer with no operating system installed.
Reinstalling Windows Vista when you want to restore default Windows settings or when you are having trouble with Windows and need to reinstall it by performing a clean installation.
Note
For more information about whether you should upgrade or perform a clean installation, go to Upgrade paths from previous versions of Windows on the Microsoft website.
During the installation process, you will need:
Your Windows installation disc (DVD or CD).
Your Windows product key (25 characters). You can find your product key on your computer or on the installation disc holder inside the Windows package. The product key sticker looks like this:
Windows product key sticker
The name of your computer. You will need to provide this if your computer is currently connected to a network. If you're using Windows XP, here's how to find your computer name:
Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
The computer name is displayed on the Computer Name tab.
You will also need to decide whether to install a 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows Vista. For help deciding, see 32-bit and 64-bit Windows: frequently asked questions.
For more information about installing and upgrading 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows, go to Installation choices for Windows Vista (32-bit) or Installation choices for Windows Vista (64-bit) online.
Warning
Before installing Windows, be sure to disable all antivirus software and back up your files to an external hard disk, a DVD or CD, a USB flash drive, or a network folder.
To upgrade to Windows Vista
When you upgrade to Windows Vista, you keep your files, settings, and programs from your current version of Windows.
Important: Use the following procedure only when upgrading from a 32-bit version of Windows XP to a 32-bit version of Windows Vista.
Before you upgrade:
Check your hardware compatibility. Go to the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor on the Microsoft website. Alternatively, you can run the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor during the upgrade by clicking Check compatibility online on the Install Windows page.
Make sure you have Windows XP Service Pack 2 installed before you upgrade a computer running Windows XP to Windows Vista. If you're using Windows XP, here's how to see if your computer is running Windows XP Service Pack 2:
Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
On the General tab, verify that Service Pack 2 appears in the System area.
If Windows XP Service Pack 2 is not installed, you must install it before you upgrade to Windows Vista. To get Windows XP Service Pack 2, go to Windows Update online.
Warning
If you have an upgrade copy of the 32-bit version of Windows Vista, you must start Windows installation while running your existing version of Windows.
Notes
If you are using a fingerprint reader or other biometric device to log on to your computer, make sure you write down your password before upgrading. You must log on by typing your user name and password the first time that you use Windows after upgrading.
For detailed information about upgrading from language versions of Windows XP to Windows Vista, go to You cannot upgrade certain language versions of Windows XP to Windows Vista online.
1. Insert the Windows installation disc into your computer's DVD or CD drive. You must start Windows installation while running your existing version of Windows.
2. On the Install Windows page, click Install now.
Install Windows page
3. On the Get important updates for installation page, we recommend getting the latest updates to help ensure a successful installation and to help protect your computer against security threats. You will need an Internet connection to get installation updates.
4. On the Type your product key for activation page, we strongly recommend that you type your 25-character product key to help avoid problems during activation.
5. On the Please read the license terms page, if you accept the license terms, click I accept the license terms.
6. On the Which type of installation do you want? page, click Upgrade to begin the upgrade. You might see a compatibility report.
Which type of installation do you want? page
7. Follow the instructions.
Remember to reinstall antivirus software
After installing Windows, don't forget to enable existing, or install new, antivirus software.
To install Windows by performing a clean installation
You can use the following procedure when performing a clean installation of a 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows Vista.
When you perform a clean installation, your existing version of Windows, including all of your files, settings, and programs, is automatically replaced. You can back up your files and settings, but you must manually reinstall your programs and restore backed-up files when the installation is done. For information about how to restore your files after a clean installation, go to How to restore your personal files after you perform a custom installation online.
Perform a clean installation if your computer has no operating system installed, or you want to delete your current operating system and replace it with Windows Vista, or you want to partition your hard disk and install Windows Vista on a specific partition.
Before you install Windows, check your hardware compatibility. Go to the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor on the Microsoft website. Alternatively, you can run the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor during installation by clicking Check compatibility online on the Install Windows page. If you start the installation from the installation disc, this link to the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor does not appear on the Install Windows page.
Note
You cannot install an upgrade copy of Windows Vista on a partition unless a copy of Windows 2000 or Windows XP is already installed on that partition. Depending on which version if Windows you are upgrading to and from, you might have to perform a clean installation.
1. Turn on your computer, insert the Windows installation disc into the computer's DVD or CD drive, and then do one of the following:
o If your computer already has an operating system installed, and if you do not want to create, extend, delete, or format partitions, go to step 2.
o If your computer does not have an operating system installed or if you want to create, extend, delete, or format partitions, you need to restart your computer with the installation disc inserted in your CD or DVD drive. This will cause your computer to start (or "boot") from the installation CD or DVD. If you are asked to press a key to boot from DVD or CD, press any key. If the Install Windows page appears, go to step 2.
If the Install Windows page does not appear and you're not asked to press a key to start from DVD or CD, you might have to specify that your computer use its DVD or CD drive as the startup device. This means that you need to set the DVD or CD drive to be the first startup device in the basic input/output system (BIOS). To learn how to do this, see Start Windows from a CD or DVD. After you select your DVD or CD drive as the startup device, restart your computer, and then start Windows from the installation DVD or CD as previously described.
2. On the Install Windows page, follow any instructions that are displayed, and then click Install now.
3. On the Get important updates for installation page, we recommend getting the latest updates to help ensure a successful installation and to help protect your computer against security threats. You will need an Internet connection to get installation updates.
4. On the Type your product key for activation page, we strongly recommend that you type your 25-character product key to help avoid problems during activation.
Note
o If you have an upgrade copy of a 32-bit version of Windows Vista, you will see a message telling you to restart your computer and start Windows installation from within your existing operating system.
5. On the Please read the license terms page, if you accept the license terms, click I accept the license terms.
6. On the Which type of installation do you want? page, click Custom.
Note
o After you click Custom, if you have an upgrade copy of a 64-bit version of Windows Vista and do not have a version of Windows that can be upgraded, the installation cannot continue. You will need to install a copy of Windows 2000 or Windows XP to proceed with this installation method.
7. On the Where do you want to install Windows? page, select where you want to install Windows.
o If you don't partition your hard disk, click Next. The installation will start automatically. You might see a compatibility report that lists which programs and software drivers won't work after the installation. You can resolve any issues after the installation is complete.
o If you have an existing partition and want to have more than one operating system on the same computer, you can install Windows on a specific partition. (This is called a dual-boot or multiboot configuration.) If you do this, be sure to install Windows on a different partition from the partition where your current version of Windows is installed. To install Windows on an existing partition, select the partition you want to use, and then click Next to begin the installation. You might see a compatibility report.
o If you want to create, extend, delete, or format a partition, you must start Windows from the installation DVD or CD. If you did not begin the installation process this way, follow the instructions for starting Windows from the installation DVD or CD that appear in the first step of this procedure, and then follow the instructions on each screen. On the Where do you want to install Windows? page, click Drive options (advanced), click the option you want, and then follow the instructions. Click Next to begin the installation. You might see a compatibility report.
8. Follow the instructions.
Note
o Be sure to enable existing, or install new, antivirus software after the installation is complete.
To reinstall Windows Vista
If you want to reinstall Windows Vista by performing a clean installation—possibly to restore the default Windows settings—here's how to do it. (If you're having a problem with Windows, first see What to do if Windows won't start correctly, which explains how to use the Windows installation disc to fix problems without completely reinstalling Windows.)
Warning
Back up your files before you begin reinstalling Windows, even if you're reinstalling Windows on a hard disk partition. A clean installation replaces the current version of Windows and all personal files.
1. Turn on your computer and insert the Windows Vista DVD or CD.
2. On the Install Windows page, follow any instructions that might appear, and then click Install now.
3. On the Get important updates for installation page, we recommend getting the latest updates to help ensure a successful installation and to help protect your computer against security threats. You will need an Internet connection to get installation updates.
4. On the Type your product key for activation page, we strongly recommend that you type your 25-character product key to help avoid problems during activation.
5. On the Please read the license terms page, if you accept the license terms, click I accept the license terms.
6. Follow the instructions on each page. On the Which type of installation do you want? page, click Custom.
7. On the Where do you want to install Windows? page, select the partition where you want to install Windows.
8. Click Next to begin the installation. You might see a compatibility report.
9. Follow the instructions.
Note
o Be sure to enable existing, or install new, antivirus software after the installation is complete.

please leave a comment :)

Fix When Sound Doesn’t Work After Hibernate or Sleep in Vista

krazie_jatt@yahoo.co.in (tech-geek) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:07:00 -0700

If you’ve started noticing that your sound is disabled in Windows Vista after you wake your computer from Sleep mode or hibernate, then you are in luck, because Microsoft has a hotfix for this issue.
If you are experiencing this problem, you’ll probably notice a red X on the volume icon in the system tray, and a message when you hover over it that says “No Audio Output Device is installed”.

The fix for this issue is to install a hotfix from Microsoft, available at the following link:
937077 – A high definition audio device may no longer work after you resume Windows Vista from hibernation or from sleep

please leave a comment :)

How To Change "windows" to your name?

krazie_jatt@yahoo.co.in (tech-geek) — Sun, 2 Mar 2008 01:36:00 -0800

open notepad dump the following lines into it and save it with the name OEMINFO.INI in the c:\windows\system32 directory:

[General]
Manufacturer=Your Name Here
Model=Your Model Here
[Support Information]
Line1=Your Name Here
Line2=Your Address Here
Line3=Your Email Address Here

Save the file, then make a right click on my computer select properties, in the general tab a button will be highlighted (support information) make a click on it, you will be able to see the changes.
Now if you want to display some more information then simply increase the line in the file.
ex: Line4=Your Working Hours Here

please leave a comment :)

krazie_jatt@yahoo.co.in (tech-geek) — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 05:03:00 -0800

Login Automatically on Windows XP Home / Professional

krazie_jatt@yahoo.co.in (tech-geek) — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 15:30:00 -0800

If your Windows XP installation forces you to login every time you reboot, you can automate the login process easily so that you won't have to login again.

Note that for security reasons, you would usually want to have a password, but for a home computer you may not care.

Go to the Start menu, click Run, and type in the following:

control userpasswords2

You will be presented with a window similar to this one:

Uncheck the box, and click the OK button. You will be presented with a password dialog for the currently logged in user.

Now when you reboot your system, you will automatically be logged in.

This can be very useful when you are installing a bunch of software or testing out configurations.

please leave a comment :)

Fix Firefox Memory Leak

krazie_jatt@yahoo.co.in (tech-geek) — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 15:21:00 -0800

This seems to help out with the memory usage quite a bit. Generally, when you minimize a window the memory usage goes way down because that application isn't active. Unfortunately, Firefox by default doesn't adhere to this behavior. Here's how to force it to.

Type the following into your address bar in Firefox:

about:config

You will see a window that looks similar to this:

You will want to right click anywhere in the window, choose New, Boolean, and enter in the following text:

config.trim_on_minimize

To change the value you can either doubleclick, or right-click and choose Toggle. You will have to restart Firefox, but after you do, you should notice the memory usage go way down whenever you have Firefox minimized.

Update: You will want the value to be set to True in order for this to work.

please leave a comment :)

Find a Forgotten Password Saved in Firefox

krazie_jatt@yahoo.co.in (tech-geek) — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 15:13:00 -0800

Firefox, like many popular browsers, includes a built-in functionality to save your password. Often we'll use the saved password feature so often that we've completely forgotten our password when we need to login to the same website on another computer. Here's how to locate your saved password.

In Firefox, navigate to the
>> Tools \ Options menu item.
>> Select the Privacy button,
>> the Passwords tab, and
>> then click on View Saved Passwords.

Click the Show Passwords button, and navigate down to the website password you are looking for.

please leave a comment :)

How to remove Orkut Virus "Muhaha"!!

krazie_jatt@yahoo.co.in (tech-geek) — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 14:34:00 -0800

Well Last another friend got the Problem, with this problem i think this Virus again in Action.

Now how to get ride this.. A quick way for orkut addicted those who want a quick access to orkut is as follows..

► Press alt+ctrl+del and goto processes tab

► There you will see a list of processes under the different username, arrange the processes according to your username and search for the process svchost.exe

► Right click and end process or end process tree. Make sure you end the imagename or process which are under your username and not that which are under LOCAL SERVICE OR NETWORK SERVICE.

► This gives you instant access to orkut..

A Similar of this variant gives you error on opening firefox.

"I DNT HATE MOZILLA BUT USE IE OR ELSE…", "USE INTERNET EXPLORER U DOPE",

The above 4 Steps solution works for the same..

Now a fix to permanently get rid of this nuisance, this pulls the interest of my friends who called me up and took help to access their orkut accounts instantly..

Follow as :-

REPEAT THE ABOVE 4 STEPS AND THEN CONTINUE.

► Click start->run type c:\heap41a and press Enter. You cannot find this folder by looking through windows explores i.e. My Computer, as this is a hidden folder.

► Delete all the files under this folder by pressing ctrl+a followed by shift+del key

► Now again goto Start->Run and write regedit, this opens registry editor for you.

► Press ctrl+f , a find dialog box opens, type heap41a and let it show you some results

► You should see "[winlogon] C:\heap41a\svchost.exe C:\heap(some number)\std.txt"

► Now delete whatever you see there :D cause you love orkut .. hahahah

Well your PC/LP is cleaned up and now you can open your orkut account without that nuisance.

Make sure you delete all the .exe files which are present at the root of ur pendrive which got created automatically(which you never created). Rather scan your pen drive with a good antivirus.. That should allow you stealth your PC from the attack of MUHAHA

Other Effects

Well this worm/virus removes hidden folder options or you are unable to see hidden folders. so enable the hidden folder option follow the steps as :-

► Goto Start->run type regedit again to open registry editor

► traverse as HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer3.

►There you will see a DWORD key as "NoFolderOptions" . Set its value to 0 or simply delete it

Cheers Panic Gone

Talk to Gtalk friends from Yahoo!

krazie_jatt@yahoo.co.in (tech-geek) — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 14:29:00 -0800

► Add gtalk2voip011 to your message list.
► Its a bot so don't say hi hello or whatever.
► Then send message to Gtalk user type IM gtalk:<> <>
► Then u will get error Like the person is not online or something like that.
► But the request to add will be sent to him, as soon as he accepts it, u will be able to talk with him with this command , and he/she can reply by simply typing the message

Here is official site http://www.gtalk2voip.com/

Modify The Title Bar Of Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player

krazie_jatt@yahoo.co.in (tech-geek) — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 09:41:00 -0800

It happens in many cases that when you get an assembled notebook or PC, the title bar of different softwares bundled in it have the name of the company or the system integrator.

That particular name or logo doesn't make us feel comfortable and personal with our computer and then a wish of removing it arises,

Today I will tell you how to modify the title bars of IE and WMP

Note: This is a registry trick, so backup your registry before taking any risks

Internet Explorer

Launch the registry editor (type regedit in the run box and hit enter)
Go to the key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software\ Microsoft\ Internet Explorer\ Main
Modify or create the string Value called Window Title, and give it a value equal to what you want it to be-say your name or something like Powered by TechAlerts for example.
If you just remove the string, it'll be back to default "Microsoft Internet Explorer", getting rid of the name of your system integrator.

Windows Media Player

Launch the registry editor (type regedit in the run box and hit enter)
Go to the key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software\ Policies\ Microsoft. Click on the key WindowsMediaPlayer.
Modify the string value TitleBar (Or remove it to get the default settings)

Hide Drive on XP

krazie_jatt@yahoo.co.in (tech-geek) — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 05:26:00 -0800

This setting allows you to control which drives are visible in My Computer and Explorer. It is possible to hide all drives or just selected ones.

Open your registry (press win+r and type regedit , hit enter )
goto

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]

and find or create the DWORD "NoDrives" there by right clicking on explorer -> NEW -> DWORD value .

The "NoDrives" value uses a 32-bit word to define local and network drive visibility for each logical drive in the computer. The lower 26 bits of the 32-bit word correspond to drive letters A through Z. Drives are visible when set to 0 and hidden when set to 1.

If your not happy working in Hex, add these decimal numbers to hide the drive(s):

A: 1, B: 2, C: 4, D: 8, E: 16, F: 32, G: 64, H: 128, I: 256, J: 512, K: 1024, L: 2048, M: 4096, N: 8192, O: 16384, P: 32768, Q: 65536, R: 131072, S: 262144, T: 524288, U: 1048576, V: 2097152, W: 4194304, X: 8388608, Y: 16777216, Z: 33554432, ALL: 67108863

For example to hide drive A and drive D, you would add 1 (A) + 8 (D) which means the value should be set to "9".

To disable all the drives set the value to "67108863".

Restart Windows for the change to take effect.

Note: These drives will still appear in File Manager, to remove File Manager, delete or rename winfile.exe.

simple ways to repair virus

krazie_jatt@yahoo.co.in (tech-geek) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 17:02:00 -0800

Just some ways, u can undo virus damages.Practically useful to most of the users..

Command Prompt Disabled
SOLUTION 1:
----------------------------

Start->Run=>gpedit.msc
OR
C:/windows/system32/
find gpedit.msc double click on that

goto user Configuration
select Administrative Templates
select System
on the right pane double click on "prevent access to the command prompt"
in the popup select "disabled" click on apply
then ok......

SOLUTION 2:
---------------------------------------------------

Open Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) and navigate to:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System]

In the right-pane, double-click DisableCMD and set it's data to 0
SOLUTION 3:
--------------------------------------

Click on Start >> Run and in the Open box type:

REG add HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System /v DisableCMD /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

Type it in correctly. It is better to copy and paste. Then click OK.

SOLUTION 3:
--------------------------------------

Click on Start >> Run and in the Open box type:

REG add HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System /v DisableCMD /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

Type it in correctly. It is better to copy and paste. Then click OK.
]

Folder Options Disabled
go to run
type "control folders"
if it doesnt work, try:

-----------------------------------------------------
Solution 1:

->Run -> Type gpedit.msc
Then:
->User Configuration ->Administrative Templates --> Windows Components --> Windows Explorer-> Removes the Folder Options menu item from the Tools menu.
Right click:
-> Properties -> Disable ->Apply -> Again set it to not configured

Solution 2:
------------------------------------

Go to Startmenu->Run and enter regedit there and press ok to execute regedit (registry editor). There you’ll see a tree like structure of folders like stuff in left. There navigate to registry entry HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
and on right side you’ll see many values.

Out of these values in right see a value (key) named “NoFolderOptions” .Double click after highlighting it, if there under value box it’s written 1 then change it to 0 and press enter. Exit the registry editor and close any folder and open again to see the settings.If you want to disable Folder Options then set the value of “NoFolderOptions” to 1 (and to retrieve it back change it to 0).

Regedit Disabled
SOLUTION 1:
----------------------------

Start->Run=>gpedit.msc
OR
C:/windows/system32/
find gpedit.msc double click on that

goto user Configuration
select Administrative Templates
select System
on the right pane double click on "prevent access to registry editing tools"
in the popup select "disabled" click on apply
then ok......

SOLUTION 2:
---------------------------------------------------

Message: “Registry editing has been disabled by your administrator”

Click on Start >> Run and in the Open box type:

REG add HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System /v DisableRegistryTools /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

Click OK.

Run is disabled by adminstrator
Following is the key which is responsible for it to work or not work
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

OR

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

Look for 'NoRun' its a DWORD with default value of 00000000 (0).
In your case it could have been changed.
Change it to original default value...!

Suggestion: U can do it also by gpedit.msc!

Steps:
1. Open Run n type gpedit.msc n hit enter...!
2. Go to the left pannel : "User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar > "
3. Towards ur right u'll find several options ....serach for.."Remove Run menu from Startmenu"...!
4. Disable it and if it is already set as not configured , enable it and then disable it .. !
5. U r now done....!

Task Manager Disabled
If u r working on Windows XP pro, following steps will help u to enable Task Manager

SOLUTION 1;
----------------------------------------------------------
Click Start --> Run
Enter gpedit.msc in the Open box and click OK
In the Group Policy settings window, select User Configuration
Select Administrative Templates
Select System
Select Ctrl+Alt+Delete options
Select Remove Task Manager
Double-click the Remove Task Manager option
Disable that option

SOLUTION 2:
-----------------------------------

Click on Start >> Run and in the Open box type:

REG add HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System /v DisableTaskMgr /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

Click OK.

Double click opens search option
Double-clicking any drive opens search option

Solution 1:
----------------------------------------------
That's a virus named as ravmon.exe and autorun.inf
Scan first with a good antivirus [Nod32 Recommanded]
then try this trick....

First show the hidden files and folders options then try this method

1. Go to Start-->run and type cmd then click ok

2. If u want to remove the infected file from c drive then type C: in command prompt and press enter

3. Type autorun.inf and press enter
autorun.inf file is opened

4. Now type "attrib autorun.inf -s -h -r" and press enter

5. Now delete the file by typing
"del autorun.inf" and press enter

6.Now type autorun.inf and press enter now, u will find no infected autorun.inf file.

7. same way do for all other drives then restart ur pc

Solution 2:
---------------------------------------------------------------

To resolve this problem, edit the registry to set the value data for the Default string value in the registry keys that are described in the "Cause" section of this article to none:
1. Start Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe).
2. Locate and then click the Default value under the following keys in the registry if this problem occurs with folders:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell
If this problem occurs with drives:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell
3. Click Modify on the Edit menu.
4. Type none in the Value data box, and then click OK.
5. Quit Registry Editor.

orkut, firefox, youtube virus
orkut, firefox, youtube virus --- heap41a

------------------------------------------------------------

removal procedure for orkut, firefox, youtube virus

when u r system effected, it show following messages when u open
firfox-I DNT HATE MOZILLA BUT USE IE OR ELSE...
orkut- Orkut is banned you fool, The administrators didnt write this program guess who did?? MUHAHAHA!!

to remove this do the following things
1.goto taskmanager-->processes find svchost.exe under your username (warning not a svchost.exe under system as username) end or kill these processes by pressing endprocess
2.now goto your "c" drive(where you installed your windows) then type "c:\heap41a" in address bar...(or delete through command prompt)
3. delete all the contents of the "c:\heap41a" folder
4.now open register editor by running "regedit" in run command menu( start-->run )
5.goto "edit" then "find" search for "heap41a" delete that key like "C:\heap41a\svchost.exe C:\heap(some number)\std.txt"
6.now close register editor...

customize Ubuntu (linux)

krazie_jatt@yahoo.co.in (tech-geek) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 16:05:00 -0800

Ubuntu Customization Guide v2

Changes are part of Nature so as with Technology.. Though this cannot be True for Windows and Mac cause the life cycle of a single Version is too much which is not the case with Linux.. Open Source evolve at very rapid rate and with evolution comes new & special changes … Today with a hike in Linux acceptance its pretty hard for competitors to provide similar solutions at free of cost. Open Source is known for User Interaction with Operating System which cannot be done with other OS. Linux user can customize, create, edit, add files according to his/her taste..and customization is the part where Linux is one step ahead of every OS.. You need not to search for poorly written Customization Packs.. What you need is just follow the guide and pimp up your desktop as you like. .. The guide will focus on a particular area but you can customize your desktop using the way mentioned and adding your own idea…
With Gusty Gibbon packed with latest tools and great support couple with new gGun Gnome 2.20, I was adamant to write another Customization Guide..Since M$ launched Vista and Apple launched Leopard quite a while ago so I’ll let you know how to customize your Ubuntu to Vista and Leopard.. Added with few new Customization that I used it…
I have tried to kept the guide as simple as I can so that even a newbie can understand how to make changes.There are few major changes in Ubuntu Themes and Icon Control Panel so please read carefully so that you can get everything..

Points to Ponder

This guide will let you pimp you Ubuntu latest Gusty Gibbon i.e Ubuntu 7.10 . If you don’t know how to get Ubuntu the head towards Ubuntu download and download a copy today which suits best your system.. There you will will be prompted to choose location and system type. After downloading, burn the image and boot through it and Install Ubuntu in 6 easy steps…

“The themes icon set , wallpaper ,desklets, fonts ,sounds
used while customization the Operating System are ® to their
respective owner. Copying, editing and use of those
application are free and can be distributed without
the owner permission.”

Though I had used few Icon Links and themes , but this does not meant that your are confined to those only .. You can always use your own choice themes and icons from Gnome-Look.org..

Note: Though this guide has been made to customize Ubuntu Gusty Gibbon but this can be used to Customize other OS which comes with Gnome 2.20 installed/optional..Though installation of particular software can be different.
So hold your breath and go through the complex customization made easy..

Installation / How To

Installation of the themes, icons, cursors have totally changed. Now the previous theme/icon control panel, Cursor Control panel has been merged into a single CP i.e Appearance Wizard .. This is available with new Gnome 2.20 .. The Appearance wizard lets you configure your theme,icon , cursor, metacity/gtk windows border, color if supported by theme.. Apart from that you can add wallpaper, change fonts, change Menu/Tool bar Interface, and select the Visual Style i.e Desktop with 3d Effects or without it..
Installation in Gnome 2.20 is very easy as compared to previous version so lets take a look on how to install themes, icon cursor and other customization stuffs..

Installing Theme/Icons/Cursor:- To install theme,icon or cursor just follow the give steps..There are mainly 2 methods of installing a GTK2.x themes,icons and cursor ….So lets take a quick look on both of the process.

1’st Installation Process:-

Download the theme/icon/cursor from given Source.. and Save it to Desktop..
Note that the theme or other pack must have following extension .tar.gz or .tar.bz2 .
If the theme did not come with the following extension you have to convert it into it… To do this open the Theme Archive by double clicking it.
Now Unzip the the archive only if has other extension the the mentioned above and Unzip it.. Place the Unzipped Folder to Desktop..
Note in case the theme comes in .rar pack then you cannot unzip it since default Ubuntu Archiver did not support .rar extraction .. To make your archiver able to do this open Terminal and type the following commands , make sure all the options .Under Software Sources are checked else it will not install via following command..

Code:
```
sudo apt-get install unrar
```
After you unzipped the non .tar.gz and .tar.bz2 archive.. Right click the Folder the is being Unzipped. and select Create Archive option.. Under this select .tar.gz or .tar.bz2 .

After you successfully created the desired archive Open Appearance by Right Clicking on empty Space and selecting Change Desktop background or navigate to System -> Preferences -> Appearance.
After that drag a Windows will open with several tabs.. navigate to Themes Tag. After the navigation drag the .tar.gz or .tar.bz2 archive in the Themes tab Windows.
The installation of themes/icons and Cursor will be finished and you willl be prompted to Apply the New Installed theme or Keep System with default/presently set theme.
You can always select and mix theme/icon and cursor by pressing Customize tab in the Themes option. Navigate to Controls, Windows Border , Icons and cursor to set your choice theme…

2′nd Installation Process:-

The second Installation process is simple too.. Download the Icon/Theme/Cursor from give source ..
The unzip the Archive … Save the folder to Desktop.
Now Paste the folder in these locations.

Themes : - ~/.themes
Icons : - ~/.icons
Cursor :- ~/.icons

~/ refers to /home/.. You cannot view extra content of your Home Folder..
To view all the contents Point towards View option in the 1’st toolbar and select “Show Hidden Files” or press Ctrl+H.
The Icon/Theme and Cursor option now can be seen under Theme Tab of Appearances.

Miscellaneous Installation : - This Installation Guide is based on Installation of different customization packs like GDM theme, Splash themes , Sounds , Fonts etc….

Log In/ GDM Theme Installation : - Installation of GDM theme is very easy .. Just download the GDM theme from given location and save it to your desktop. Now click on Main Menu and point towards System then towards Administration and open LogIn Windows. Click on Local tab and drag you GDM theme to Local Window. your theme will be automatically gets installed and you can select it by clicking on the desired screen/theme. After next reboot you can see a new Log In Screen..

Download : Start Up Manager

Splash Image Installation : - There are 3 types of Splash Part that are used in Linux .. I’ll let you know how to install and change splash of all 3 kinds. So lets take a look about Splashes :-

Grub Splash : - The 1’st Splash Screen that appear .. Its is mainly the Grub menu from where you select booting into multiple OS if has else will load Linux only.. Grub Splash place an image at the grub screen that add’s eye candy to it …The grub splash comes with extension .xpm.gz . To install a Grub Splash copy the ~.xpm.gz file to /boot/grub/splashimages since only root user can copy/edit Root File system your need to gain root privileged.

To do this Open terminal from Main Menu -> Accessories -> Terminal. Type

Code:

  sudo nautilus

and press enter. A new Window will open which will let you copy/edit modify files of root file system.. Copy the desired ~.xpm.gz to /boot/grub/splashimages . Now to change Grub Splash you need a software known as Startup Manager. To download click here . Download the latest .deb file so that you can easily install it.. After the download gets finished double click the .deb file and click install .. Note : You must be connected to net while installing it .. Few files will be downloaded to complete installation..

After the installation finished navigate to System -> Administartion -> Startup Manager. After it opens click on Boot Option and check “Show Boot Loader” & “Show Boot Splash” options under Misc..After you are done click on Appearance tab and check “Use Color In Boot Loader Menu” and “Use Background Image for BL” . Assuming you have already copied the ~.xpm.gz file select desired Grub Splash from drop down list under grub Splash Option.
Now Installation is finished you will see a Grub Splash after next reboot.

Boot Splash / Usplash : - Boot Splash or U Splash is boot screen.It is the 2′nd Splash Screen that appears. To change Usplash 1’st download the Usplash from give location. The Usplash themes comes with ~.so extension. To install it you need to copy the ~.so files to /usr/lib/usplash . Since only root user can paste and edit files under File system. gain root privileged.. To do this Open terminal from Main Menu -> Accessories -> Terminal. Type

Code:
```
sudo nautilus
```
and press enter. A new Window will open which will let you copy/edit modify files of root file system.. Copy the desired ~.so to /usr/lib/usplash ..

After the installation finished navigate to System -> Administartion -> Startup Manager. After it open click on Appearance tab . Assuming you have already copied the ~.so file, select desired USplash from drop down list under USplash Option.
Now Installation is finished you will see a new USplash after next reboot.

Note : - You can face few problem changing Usplash via Startup Manager. If you face problem that your Usplash did not change even after selecting different Usplash from Startup Manager.. To overcome this problem rename the Usplash you want to change to usplash-theme-ubuntu but this will replace default Ubuntu Splash so take backup before doing this step….

GTK Splash : - Gtk Splash is the last splash screen that comes after Log In Screen.GTK Splash are normal images thaT comes with ~.png extension .To Install download the GTK Splash images from give links and paste them under /usr/share/pixmaps/splash since its is under Root File System you need root privileged. To do this Open terminal from Main Menu -> Accessories -> Terminal. Type

Code:
```
sudo nautilus
```
and press enter. A new Window will open which will let you copy/edit modify files of root file system.. Copy the desired image to /usr/share/pixmaps/splash ..

To Install GTK Splash Open Terminal and type

Code:

sudo apt-get install gtweakui

.This will install gtweakui which is a very handy tool.. Now after the installation gets finished open gtweak sessions from System -> Preferences -> gtweak sessions.. Check Show Splash Screen on Log-In click on big thumbnail and select desired image..
Installation is finished now you can view new GTK Splash after next Log-In..

Sounds Installation : - Sounds are beeps/music that are the reaction of computer towards user integration. You can install different sound to do this 1’st download the sound from given location. The unzip the folder to desktop.. Now Paste the Folder to /usr/share/sounds since its is under Root File System you need root privileged. To do this Open terminal from Main Menu -> Accessories -> Terminal. Type

Code:

sudo nautilus

and press enter. A new Window will open which will let you copy/edit modify files of root file system.. Copy the desired image to /usr/share/sounds . To change sound navigate to System -> Preferences -> Sound a new window will open Click on Sounds tab and change the cound you want to change.

Emerald Installation: Emerald provide windows border when 3d desktop manager is selected. Emerald provide huge set of beautiful windows border to match you wallpaper and themes.. To install Emerald Open Terminal and type

Code:

sudo apt-get install emerald

, this will install emerald. You can access emerald from System -> Preferences -> Emerald Theme Manager.
Emerald themes comes with .emerald extensions.. To install themes download from give location and Open Emerald theme Manager.. Click on Import and navigate to ~.emerald file and click open your new Emerald theme is installed .. In order to use the Emerald theme your 3d Composite Manager should be running just select the theme you want to use from Emerald theme Manager…

Terminal Hack :- To make Terminal transparent with/without Berly follow the steps Open Terminal click on Edit tab. Then select Current Profile, a new window will open click on Effects tab. Under effects tab you will notice background option. Select Transparency and adjust the amount of transparent desktop you need. You now has a transparent Terminal.

Customization to OSX

Apple latest OS that is full of eye candy and beautiful sets of icon and themes. Customization of OSX is very easy and selective in terms of icons and themes as there are plethora of themes and icons sets present to pimp you Ubuntu to OSX…So lets start the customization .. The new version of Ubuntu hasn’t changed in terms of UI by default so it pretty same customization in the beginning ..Here is the default Ubuntu desktop which has 2 Taskbars or Panel..The upper Panel is for navigation of Menus while the lower panel has option for navigation of Active Widows and Workspace..
Since OSX comes with One dock and sigle panel we have to configure Ubuntu like it only .. So lets follow the steps to configure ubuntu into OSX..

The 1’st thing is we have to delete the lower panel ..Right Click on lower panel and select Delete. After that your lower panel will be deleted..
The lower panel has 3 main applications . i.e Windows List, Workspace Switcher & Trash Icon.Apart from these three only Windows List is important.
To get Windows List in Upper Panel Right Click upper panel and select Add to Panel..
A new Windows will appear under Desktop & Windows option click on Window List and select add..
Now you have successfully created a new panel…

Customization of the panels have been successfully done. Now we should head towards customization of Looks, Feel and Sound of OSX..
Since OSX has 2 flavor one is old OSX and other is new Leopard so I has selected themes so that you can choose a particular theme for OSX according to your taste.. There are lots of other themes too but I’ll recommend you to use this at most and after you know how to change theme you can select theme by your own choice..

Fos OSX Old : -

GTX 2.x Theme : - OSX Theme
Icon Set :- Clearlooks OSX
Cursor : - Shere-Khan
Emerald Theme :- OSX Emerald theme.
GDM Theme :- Mac OSX GDM
GTK Splash : - Mac – Splash.

For OSX Leopard Customization : -

GTK 2.x Theme : - Mac 4 Lin. Aqua [ Tweaked ]
Icon Set : - Leopard X
Cursor : - Shere-Khan
Emerald Theme :- Mac 4 Lin Lepoard
GDM Theme : - Mac OSX GDM.
GTK Splash : Leopard Splash

Misc. Customization Pack : -

Sounds : Mac 4 Lin OSX Sound..
OSX Leopard Full Customization Pack : Mac4 Lin. [Highly Recommended]

Customization to Vista

Vista is the latest OS from Microsoft camp.. Promised a lots Vista fails to stands even a single..Finding Gnome 2.20 Vista theme is pretty difficult since developers are least bothered about it .. but still I find something that will match the taste of it … So lets start the customization of Ubuntu to Vista.
Since Vista comes with One dock and single panel we have to configure Ubuntu like it only .. So lets follow the steps to configure Ubuntu into Vista..

The 1’st thing is we have to delete the lower panel ..Right Click on lower panel and select Delete. After that your lower panel will be deleted..
The lower panel has 3 main applications . i.e Windows List, Workspace Switcher & Trash Icon.Apart from these three only Windows List is important.
To get Windows List in Upper Panel Right Click upper panel and select Add to Panel..
A new Windows will appear under Desktop & Windows option click on Window List and select add..
You can change the position of panel just click on empty space of panel and drag where you want to place it..But I will suggest you to place the tab in the upper side only..

Now you have successfully created a new panel…and customization of Panel has been done . So head towards configuring theme and other parts of Ubuntu to make it look like Vista…

For Vista Leopard Customization : -

GTK 2.x Theme : - Vista Theme
Icon Set : - nuoveXT 2.20 | Clearlooks OSX
Cursor : - Aero Cursor
Emerald Theme :- Aero Emerald
GDM Theme : - Vista GDM.
GTK Splash : Vista Splash

Miscellaneous Customization

Since I have been customizing Ubuntu from a long time I thought of giving few other and nice Customization. I have added few new customization : -

New Human Customization.
Dark Ubuntu Customization..
Peace Ubuntu Customization.

So let me start with my newly added customization ..

New Ubuntu Customization :- This Customization part will be focusing on providing new Human Theme, better icon and will provide with you new and better goodies..Panel customization will remains the same as you have done with Vista and OSX .. So head towards configuring theme and other parts of Ubuntu to make it look like new and improved Ubuntu…

For New Ubuntu Customization : -

GTK 2.x Theme : - Default Human Theme
Icon Set : - Gnome Elephant Savane | Crashbit RC
Cursor : - Default Cursor.
Emerald Theme :- Human Tiger | New Human
GDM Theme : - Orange Ubuntu.
GTK Splash : Gusty Splash

Dark Ubuntu Customization :- This customization will customization will customize your Ubuntu to Dark Ubuntu providing your Ubuntu a new dark look that you will like a lot.Panel customization will remains the same as you have done with Vista and OSX .. So head towards configuring theme and other parts of Ubuntu to make it look like dark Ubuntu…

For Dark Ubuntu Customization : -

GTK 2.x Theme : - Dark Ice
Icon Set : - Lynx Black | Blend Crystal 2.0
Cursor : - DMZ Black [ Pre-Installed] | Shere Khan
Emerald Theme :- Black Centered
GDM Theme : - Black GDM
GTK Splash : Black Splash.

Peace Ubuntu Customization : - This customization will change the look of you Ubuntu and will provide a serene white look that will provide you peace while your work.Panel customization will remains the same as you have done with Vista and OSX .. So head towards configuring theme and other parts of Ubuntu to make it look like dark Ubuntu…

For Peace Ubuntu Customization : -

GTK 2.x Theme : - Clearlooks Theme Pack.
Icon Set : - Peace Icons
Cursor : - Default Cursor | Aero Cursor
Emerald Theme :- White Border.
GDM Theme : - White GDM
GTK Splash : White Splash.

Docks and Desklets

A cool desktop without Desklets and a cool Dock cannot be consider cool cause main eye candy if being provided by these Utils only.. In this part I’ll guide you Installing Dock and Desklets Manager.. The Dock I will install is the most stable and is frequently updated know as AWN or Avant Windows Navigator is the best dock available for Linux So lets take a look at the Installation Steps of AWN and Desklets manager I’ll use is Screenlets since Gusty comes with Compiz by default user will not face problem with transparency and all….

Note: Before you try to install any of them I’ll recommend you udate your system through Update Manager..

Installing Avant Windows Navigator in Gusty Gibbon: - AWN is a Fully customizable dock-like window navigator for GNOME. Awn is pretty stable and comes with some striking features so lets take a look on how to install AWN In Ubuntu Gusty Gibbon..To do this open Terminal and type the following codes..

Code:

 gksudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

At the end of the text add these lines

Code:

 deb http://download.tuxfamily.org/syzygy42/ gutsy avant-window-navigator

deb-src http://download.tuxfamily.org/syzygy42/ gutsy avant-window-navigator

Now copy and paste the following codes in Terminal ..

Code:

wget http://download.tuxfamily.org/syzygy42/reacocard.asc -O- | sudo apt-key add -

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get upgrade

For AWN BZR do:

Code:

 sudo apt-get install avant-window-navigator-bzr

You can install more applets for AWN by doing:

Code:

 sudo apt-get install awn-core-applets-bzr

Installation of AWN is finished you can Customize AWN from AWM Manager which you can Access from System -> Preferences -> AWN Manager

Here is a theme that you will need for AWM To install the theme open AWN Manager and under theme tab add the theme to AWN manager apply it and after next time you will open AWN theme will be activated..

AWM Theme : AWN Transparent Theme

Installing Screenlets in Gusty Gibbon: - Screenlets provide with some eyecatching desklets that pimp your desktop and give a much better look.. Screenlet provide a lot of desklets which work when 3d Composite Manager is turned On..So lets take a look how to install Screenlets :-

Open Terminal and type the following code :–

Code:

gksudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

Then add the following lines at the bottom : -

Code:

deb http://hendrik.kaju.pri.ee/ubuntu gutsy screenlets

Download Screenlets from www.screenlets.org/ .. Extract the archive and place the folder at desktop.. Now open Terminal and type following codes..

Code:

cd

Then type this

Code:

sudo make install

Now you can access Screenlets from System ->Preferences -> Screenlets
Enjoy you have installed the best pimping utility …

Adding Screenlets in database : - To add a screenlets 1’st download the screenlet from gnome-look.org or Screenlet home page and follow the steps mentioned ..
To do this Open terminal from Main Menu -> Accessories -> Terminal. Type sudo nautilus and press enter. A new Window will open which will let you copy/edit modify files of root file system.. Copy the desired image to /usr/local/share/screenlets ..

Now download the Screenlets from Gnome-look.org and unzip them .. Open /usr/local/share/screenlets under root privileged and paste the folder under it you can now access your added Screenlets from Screenlets Manager i.e under System ->Preferences -> Screenlets

Speed up internet explorer

krazie_jatt@yahoo.co.in (tech-geek) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 15:38:00 -0800

This is a compilation for the legendary Internet Explorer.. which is the most frequently used browser .

INTERNET EXPLORER Speed up STARTUP .

Isn't it annoying when you want to go to a new website, or any other site but your homepage, and you have to wait for your 'home' to load? This tweak tells Internet Explorer to simply 'run', without loading any webpages. (If you use a 'blank' page, that is still a page, and slows access. Notice the 'about:blank' in the address bar. The blank html page must still be loaded..). To load IE with 'nothing' [nothing is different than blank]:

1. Right-click on any shortcut you have to IE
[You should create a shortcut out of your desktop IE icon, and delete the original icon]
2. Click Properties
3. Add ' -nohome' [with a space before the dash] after the endquotes in the Target field.
4. Click OK
Fire up IE from your modified shortcut, and be amazed by how fast you are able to use IE!

~ cheers ~ (it works)

INTERNET EXPLORER SPEED UP.

Edit your link to start Internet Explorer to have -nohome after it. For Example: "C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\IEXPLORE.EXE" -nohome
This will load internet explorer very fast because it does not load a webpage while it is loading. If you want to go to your homepage after it is loaded, just click on the home button.

or

Open registry editor by going to Start then >> Run and entering >> regedit.

Once in registry, navigate to key.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\InternetSettings. Right click @ windows right > New > DWORD.

Type MaxConnectionsPerServer > You can set value (the more higher the no, the more good speed u get, e;g : 99). [99 in hexa so 153 in binary]

Create another DWORD >type MaxConnectionsPer1_0Server. Then put a high value as mentioned above.

Restart I.E and you are done.

SPEED UP BROWSING WITH DNS trick.!!

when you connect to a web site your computer sends information back and forth, this is obvious. Some of this information deals with resolving the site name to an IP address, the stuff that tcp/ip really deals with, not words. This is DNS information and is used so that you will not need to ask for the site location each and every time you visit the site. Although WinXP and win2000 has a pretty efficient DNS cache, you can increase its overall performance by increasing its size. You can do this with the registry entries below:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dnscache\Parameters]
"CacheHashTableBucketSize"=dword:00000001
"CacheHashTableSize"=dword:00000180
"MaxCacheEntryTtlLimit"=dword:0000fa00
"MaxSOACacheEntryTtlLimit"=dword:0000012d

make a new text file and rename it to dnscache.reg. Then copy and paste the above into it and save it. Then merge it into the registry.

START Internet EXPLORER WITH EMPTY BLUE SCREEN.!!

Set your default page to about:mozilla and IE will show a nice blue screen upon startup.

FIX IE 6 SLOWDOWNS AND HANGS.

1. Open a command prompt window on the desktop (Start/Run/command).
2. Exit IE and Windows Explorer (iexplore.exe and explorer.exe, respectively, in Task Manager, i.e - Ctrl-Alt-Del/Task Manager/Processes/End Process for each).
3. Use the following command exactly from your command prompt window to delete the corrupt file:
C:\>del "%systemdrive%\Documents and Settings\%username%\Local
Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\index.dat"
4. Restart Windows Explorer with Task Manager (Ctrl-Alt-Del/Task Manager/Applications/New Task/Browse/C:\Windows\explorer.exe[or your path]) or Shutdown/Restart the computer from Task Manager.

SPEED UP WEB BROWSING.

Iv'e personally found a dramatic increase in web browsing after clearing the Windows XP DNS cache. To clear it type the following in a command prompt: ipconfig /flushdns.

ALLOW MORE THAN 2 SIMULTANEOUS DOWNLOADS ON IEXPLORER 6.
This is to increase the the number of max downloads to 10.
1. Start Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe).
2. Locate the following key in the registry:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings
3. On the Edit menu, click Add Value , and then add the following registry values:
"MaxConnectionsPer1_0Server"=Dword:0000000a
"MaxConnectionsPerServer"=Dword:0000000a
4. Quit Registry Editor.

IPV6 INSTALLATION FOR WINDOWS XP.

This protocol is distined to replace the Internet Protocal Version 4 used by Internet Explorer it uses hexadecimal ip addresses instead of decimal example (decimal ip 62.98.231.67) (hexadecimal IP 2001:6b8:0:400::70c)
To install To install the IPv6 Protocol for Windows XP:
Log on to the computer running Windows XP with a user account that has local administrator privileges. Open a command prompt. From the Windows XP desktop, click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Command Prompt. At the command prompt, type: ipv6 install
For more information on IPv6, visit the site below:
CODEhttp://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/techinfo/administration/ipv6/default.asp

ANOTHER WAY TO FIX IEXPLORER 6 SLOW PAGES LOADED.

Here's an easier way to get to index.dat file as addresse in another tweak submitted here.
1. click on Internet Explorer
2. go to to your root dir (usually C:)
3. open Documents and Settings folder
4. open "your username folder"
5. open UserData
6. **close IE if you have it open**
rename index.dat to index.old
logoff and log back on (don't need to restart) open up IE and go to a web page or site that always seemed to load slowly. It should load a lot more quickly now. NOTE. Always rename or backup .dat or other system files before deleting.

Disable Right Click!!

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Restrictions]
"NoBrowserContextMenu"=dword:00000001

Enable Right Click!!

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Restrictions]
"NoBrowserContextMenu"=dword:00000000

do u want to save entire Page For offline viweing??

Saving Web Pages with Internet Explorer 6

Occasionally, you may want to save an entire Web page on your computer (text, hyperlinks, graphics, and all). To save the Web page that currently appears in Internet Explorer, choose File-->Save As to open the Save Web Page dialog box shown in the following figure. Select the folder in which you want the page saved and then click the Save button.
After saving a Web page on your hard drive, you can open it in Internet Explorer and view the contents even when you're not connected to the Internet. If your motive for saving the Web page, however, is to be able to view the content when you're not connected to the Internet, you're better off saving the page as a Favorite marked for offline viewing. That way, you can decide whether you want to view other pages linked to the one you're saving and you can have Internet Explorer check the site for updated content.
You can also e-mail a Web page or a link to the page to a colleague or friend. To send the current Web page in a new e-mail message, click File-->Send-->Page by E-mail on the Explorer menu bar and then fill out the new e-mail. To send a link to the page instead, click File-->Send-->Link by E-Mail. To create a desktop shortcut to the Web page, click File-->Send-->Shortcut to Desktop.

Speed up Booting Xp by 61 Times

krazie_jatt@yahoo.co.in (tech-geek) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 15:20:00 -0800

Whenever you start your computer, you are faced with a few moments of thumb twiddling while Windows XP boots and prompts you to log on. Although you should expect to wait for a few moments, sometimes Windows XP seems to boot rather slowly. In fact, you may notice that over a period of time the PC that used to roar to life seems a bit sluggish instead. Fortunately, you can perform several techniques that help Windows XP get the bootup speed you want. This Article explores how to put these techniques to work.

Stopping Unneeded Startup Services !

Along with the core operating system and programs that Windows XP runs when it starts, there is also a host of services involved. Many of these services are necessary for Windows XP to operate correctly. However, many of them are for features in Windows XP that you may not use at all. You can peruse the services and disable any service that you do not want to run. The fewer services that run, the more quickly Windows XP will boot.

Caution:

Exercise caution when stopping services. If you do not know what a service does or are unsure of the ramifications of stopping the service, leave it alone. Some services are critical to Windows XP's operations, so make sure you understand what the service is before you disable it.

To reduce the number of services that start on bootup, you can access two different areas of Windows XP. The first is the System Configuration Utility. The Services tab shows you the services that start when the computer boots.
You can stop a service from starting by simply clearing the check box next to the service and clicking OK. However, before you do so, there is another way to disable services that you may prefer because the interface gives you more information about the service in question.

Open Control Panel/Administrative ToolsServices or else select Start/Run, type services.msc, and click OK. Either way, you see the Services console.
I prefer to use the Services console instead of the System Configuration Utility because it describes what the service does. Additionally, you can double-click a service and examine its properties.

Notice the Startup Type column in Figure 4-2. This information lists whether the service is automatic or manual. Manual services are only started in Windows XP when you start a process that requires the service. Some other process may require the service that has a "dependency" relationship with it; in this case, the dependency service will start, as well. Because these services do not start automatically when you boot Windows XP, you do not need to do anything with manual services.

However, all services listed as automatic start when Windows XP boots. These are the services that increase boot time. As I have mentioned, many of them are necessary and important, so you should not stop automatic services from booting unless you are sure of the ramifications. You can get this information by looking at the Description column. Here's a quick look at common services you may want to live without:

SPEED UP BOOT BY DISABLING UNUSED PORTS.!!

You may have tried many tweaks like modifying windowsXP start-up applications, prefetches, unload DLLs method,etc. And yes those methods do work for me.
I have just accidentally found out another way to give you an extra boost in windowsXP's boot performance. This is done by disabling your unused devices in
Device Manager. for example, if you don't have input devices that are connected to one of your USBs or COM ports, disabling them will give you an extra perfromance boost in booting. Go to Control Panel -> System -> Hardware tab -> device manager Disable devices that you don't use for your PC and then restart.

Do Dis !!

1.Start Registry Editor (Regedit.exe).

2.Locate the following key in the registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SessionManager\MemoryManagement\PrefetchParameters

3.Make sure you backup the keys by exporting them to a .reg file.

4.On the EnablePrefetcher value, change the setting from 3 to 5 (decimal).

5.Close the registry editor.

6.Restart your computer

Automatic Updates !

This service enables Windows XP to check the Web automatically for updates. If you don't want to use Automatic Updates, you can disable the service. You can always check for updates manually at the Windows Update Web site.

Computer Browser: If your computer is not on a network, you don't need this service. If you are on a network, leave it alone.

DHCP Client: If you are not on a network, you do not need this service. If you are on a small workgroup, you can still increase boot time by configuring manual IP addresses (which I explore later in this chapter).

DNS Client: If you are not on a network, you do not need this service. If you are, leave it alone.

Error Reporting and Event Log: You don't have to use these services but they can be very helpful, so I would leave them configured as automatic.

Fax: If you don't use your computer for fax services, you can disable this one.

Help and Support: If you never use the Windows XP Help and Support Center (found on the Start menu), you can disable this service.

IMAPI CD-Burning COM: This service enables you to burn CDs on your computer. If you never burn CDs, you can disable the service.

Indexing Service: Your computer keeps an index of files but if you rarely search for files, the service is just a resource hog. You can stop it and turn the service to manual.

Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing: If you do not use these features, you can disable them.

Infrared Monitor: If you do not use infrared devices, you can disable this service.

Messenger: This service sends alert messages on a local area network (it is not the same as Windows Messenger). If you are not on a network, you can disable this service.

Print Spooler: If you do not do any printing from the computer, you can disable this service. If you print, make sure you leave it as automatic.

Remote Registry: This service allows remote users to modify the Registry on your computer. If you are not on a network, you can disable this service.

System Restore Service: This service allows you to use System Restore. If you have turned off System Restore anyway, you do not need to turn off the service. If you do, you turn off System Restore.

Themes: If you do not use themes, you can disable this service.

Windows Image Acquisition: If you do not use scanners or digital cameras, you can disable this service.

Wireless Zero Configuration: If do not use wireless networking devices, you can disable this service.

You may have a number of other automatic services, depending on software and other configurations on your computer. So it's a good idea to look through the services and learn more about them. If you double-click a service, a Properties dialog box appears
Notice that on the General tab, you see a Startup Type drop-down menu. If you want to change an automatic service to manual, select Manual here and click OK. As a general rule, don't disable a service unless you are sure you will never use it. However, manual configuration allows the service to be started when you find it necessary, thus speeding up your boot time.
However, before you change a service to manual, look at the Dependencies tab (see Figure 4-4). This tab shows you which other services depend upon the service you are considering changing.
Keep in mind that services are necessary for the vast functionality you get with Windows XP. Change only those services that you understand and do not use. How you use your Windows XP computer should be the best guide in terms of optional startup services.

Tip !

The Indexing service and the System Restore service take up a lot of disk space and system resources across the board. You can live without the Indexing service but I suggest that you keep using System Restore. It works great when you are in a bind and this is one case where the loss of speed may not be worth the ramifications of not using System Restore.

Speed Tips and Tricks for Windows XP Startup
Aside from startup programs, services, and the Prefetch folder, there are a number of other startup procedures and issues you can modify to help Windows XP start faster. The following sections explore those tips and tricks.

Manual IP Addressing on Small Office/Home Networks
Windows XP is configured to help you take care of networking. It uses the TCP/IP protocol for networking in workgroups, or what you might call small office or home networks that do not use a dedicated server.

The problem is that automatic IP addressing can be slow. When your computer boots, it has to query the network to see what IP addresses are already in use and then assign itself one. If you want to speed up the boot time a bit, consider manually assigning IP addresses to all computers on the network. This way, the network computers do not have to worry about locating an automatic IP address. Because one is manually configured, the operating system doesn't have to spend time solving this problem.

This isn't a networking book, however, so I won't delve into the implications of using a manual IP address, but if you are using a computer that functions as a host computer to the Internet (using Internet Connection Sharing [ICS]), you can get into connectivity problems if you change the configuration of the IP address. However, you can still work around this problem by starting with the ICS host computer.

Select Start/Connect To/Show All Connections. Right-click your network adapter card and click Properties. On the General tab, select TCP/IP in the list of services and click the Properties button.

In the TCP/IP properties, you can see if you use an automatic or manual IP address. In the example in Figure 4-5, I have configured a manual IP address of 90.0.0.1 and a default subnet mask. The other computers on my office network each use a different IP address in the same class, such as 90.0.0.2, 90.0.0.3, 90.0.0.4, and so on. This way, each computer has a permanent IP address, which helps increase boot time. Note that if you change the IP addresses of your computers, they must all use the same subnet mask. A default subject mask of 255.255.255.0 will keep you in good shape.

Make sure you understand the implications of changing IP addresses on your network. If you have no networking experience at all, you may be wiser to leave the automatic IP addressing as is and try to gain some speed using the additional suggestions in this chapter.

Disabling Recent Documents History !

Windows XP includes a feature that keeps track of all recent documents you have opened or used. The idea is that you can select Start/Recent Documents History and quickly reopen any document you have recently used. I use many documents each day and never use the feature myself. In my opinion, I can keep up with what I want to use without Windows XP doing it for me.
The bad thing about Recent Documents History is that Windows XP has to calculate what should be put there each time you boot Windows, which can slow things down. So, if you never use the Recent Documents History, it's a good idea to disable it. Here's how:
1. Open the Registry Editor (select Start/Run, type regedit, and click OK).
2. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Mcft\Windows\ CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer.
3. Create a NoRecentDocsHistory D_WORD key. Double-click the value to open it once it is created.
4. Set the Data Value to 1 to enable the restriction.
5. Click OK and close the Registry Editor. You'll need to restart the computer for the change to take effect.

Disabling the Boot Logo !

You can remove the boot logo that appears when you start Windows XP. This little tweak probably shaves only a few seconds off your boot time but seconds count if you are serious about trying to get Windows XP up and running as quickly as possible. The only negative is that if you remove the boot logo, you will also not see any boot messages, such as check disk. (But if you are not having problems with your computer, this isn't such a big deal.)
To remove the boot logo, follow these steps:
1. Select Start/Run, type msconfig, and click OK.
2. In the System Configuration Utility, click the BOOT.INI tab.
3. On the BOOT.INI tab, click the NOGUIBOOT check box option. Click OK.

Removing Unwanted Fonts !

One trick that increases your boot time a bit is to lose any fonts in the Fonts folder in Control Panel that you never use. The more fonts you have, the more processing Windows XP has to do to prep all of those fonts for use. You must be a bit careful here to not remove fonts that you might want, but there is a good chance that you can live without many of them. For instance, you may have foreign language fonts and other symbol fonts (such as Wingdings) that you never use.
To delete unneeded fonts, follow these steps:
1. Open the Fonts folder in Control Panel.
2. Select Edit/Select All and then Edit/Copy.
3. Create a new folder on your desktop, open it, and select Edit/Paste.
4. In this new folder, delete any of the fonts you do not want.
5. Return to the Fonts folder in Control Panel. Right-click the selected fonts and click Delete.
6. Go back to your new desktop folder and click Edit/Select All.
7. Return to your Fonts folder and click Edit/Paste. You now have only the desired fonts in the Fonts folder.

Tip:

You can directly delete fonts from the Fonts folder without creating the secondary folder. However, I recommend the preceding steps to help ensure that you do not make a mistake in the deletion process.

Stopping Remote Assistance and Remote Desktop Sharing !

In Windows XP Professional, you have two remote networking features called Remote Assistance and Remote Desktop Sharing. These remote networking features are very helpful in a variety of situations but if you don't use them, it is good idea to disable them to save boot time. You can always enable them later if you want to use them.
Note:
If you are interested in using Remote Desktop or Remote Assistance, see my book Windows XP for Power Users: Power Pack published by John Wiley & Sons.
1. Open the Start menu, right-click My Computer, and choose Properties.
2. Click the Remote Tab.
3. Clear both check boxes to disable Remote Assistance and Remote Desktop.

Speeding Up the Dual-Boot Timeout !

If you dual-boot your computer with Windows XP and another operating system, you see an operating system selection menu on startup. If you typically boot into Windows XP and not the other operating system, you can speed up the dual-boot timeout value so that you do not wait so long for the boot process to select your default operating system and continue with the boot process. The default timeout value is 30 seconds but you can change this setting to 10. This gives you enough time to select the alternate operating system if you want but also speeds up the boot process. You can skip this section if you do not use a dual-boot configuration.
Follow these steps:
1. Locate the boot.ini file on your computer. It is a hidden file by default; mine is located in C:\boot.ini.
2. Open the file with Notepad (which is what opens it by default).
3. Change the Timeout value to 10 (see Figure 4-11).
4. Select File/Save and close Notepad.

Speeding Up Your PPPoE Connection !

If you use a Point-to-Point Protocol connection over Ethernet (PPPoE), you may notice a delay in using the PPPoE connection after startup. By default, there is a 120 second delay but you can stop this behavior by manually configuring an IP address for the network adapter card. If you do not use a PPPoE connection, you can skip this section.
1. Select Start/Connect to/Show All Connections.
2. Open the TCP/IP properties for your LAN network interface card.
3. Manually set the IP address on the TCP/IP properties to an appropriate IP address and subnet mask for your network.

Reducing the Wait Time

When you start to shut down Windows XP, it has to quit, or "kill," any live applications or processes that are currently running. So close all applications first. However, some applications and processes are always running in the background. You can reduce the amount of time that Windows XP waits for those applications and processes to close before Windows XP kills them. Edit three different Registry settings to change this:
1. Open the Registry Editor.
2. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop. Select WaitToKillAppTimeout and set the value to 1000.
3. Select the HungAppTimeout value and set it to 1000 as well.
4. Navigate to HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop. Set the WaitToKillAppTimeout and set the value to 1000. Select the HungAppTimeout \newline value and set it to 1000 as well.
5. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control. Select the WaitToKillServiceTimeout value and set it to 1000.
6. Close the Registry Editor.

Automatically Killing Tasks on Shutdown !

You know the drill. You start to shut down the computer, you wait a few moments, and then you see a dialog box asking if you want to kill an application or service that is running. Instead of prompting you, you can make Windows XP take care of the kill task automatically. Here's how:
1. Open the Registry Editor.
2. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop.
3. Highlight the value AutoEndTasks and change the value to 1.
4. Close the Registry Editor.

More

Here's a great tip to speed up your browsing of Windows XP machines. Its actually a fix to a bug installed as default in Windows 2000 that scans shared files for Scheduled Tasks. And it turns out that you can experience a delay as long as 30 seconds when you try to view shared files across a network because Windows 2000 is using the extra time to search the remote computer for any Scheduled Tasks. Note that though the fix is originally intended for only those affected, Windows 2000 users will experience that the actual browsing speed of both the Internet & Windows Explorers improve significantly after applying it since it doesn't search for Scheduled Tasks anymore. Here's how :

Open up the Registry and go to : HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/Current Version/Explorer/RemoteComputer/NameSpace Under that branch, select the key : {D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF} and delete it. This is key that instructs Windows to search for Scheduled Tasks. If you like you may want to export the exact branch so that you can restore the key if necessary. This fix is so effective that it doesn't require a reboot and you can almost immediately determine yourself how much it speeds up your browsing processes.

virus : TASKMANAGER OR REGISTRY EDITOR VIRUS SOLUTION

krazie_jatt@yahoo.co.in (tech-geek) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 15:09:00 -0800

This is very common virus found n spread my internet or usb drives

TASKMANAGER OR REGISTRY EDITOR VIRUS SOLUTION

if u open taskmanager(alt+ctrl+del) or registry editor(run command 'regedit') , it shows "Task Manager/registry editor has been disabled by your administrator" .
then u are infected by a virus . to fix that virus their are 2 ways :

1. create another account in ur system and delete the previous one . and it's gone. i hope u all know how to make accounts.

2.download this soft(CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD).restart in safe mode.execute it.reboot in normal boot.

and its gone :)

virus :NEWFOLDER.EXE,AUTOPLAY VIRUS,SSCVIIHOST.exe

krazie_jatt@yahoo.co.in (tech-geek) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 15:02:00 -0800

I got this virus through an outside "ipod"
My PC got infected by this virus n it ruined the PC for couple of days :(

if u r infected with this virus then the following problems will occur in ur pc:

1. u'll find New Folder.exe file in the root path of every storage media you have?

2. u'll find a new folder inside every folder you have?

3. When you doubleclick on one of your hard drive partitions, it shows you some unexpected results?

4. When you rightclick on one of your hard drive partitions, you see a new item called "Autoplay" on top of other items with bold face?

5. When you right click on one of your hard drive partitions, you see some new items with garbage text?

6. When your Antivirus detects and deletes the malware that causes all of that and restart your system, you see an error message similar to: "Windows cannot find SSCVIIHOST.exe..."?

If your answer was ‘Yes’ to any of the above questions then the chances are that you may be infected with the Sohanad virus (otherwise known as New Folder.exe) or one of its variants:

IM-Worm.Win32.Sohanad.as
IM-Worm.Win32.Sohanad.ao
IM-Worm.Win32.Sohanad.am

The problem is that this virus is particulary cumbersome to remove, even by reputable anti-virus programs. But their is a solution and it is called SRT (or Sohanad Removal Tool)!

What does this tool do?
It detects and reoves all traces of the Sohanad virus from your system, including floppy disks and USB flash disks (the latter ones must be write enabled during the scan process).

It also removes the leftovers of this virus by removing the 'autorun.inf' files and cleaning up you system registry, so you won’t see the 'autoplay' item anymore.

How to use it?
Start your computer in Safe mode and run this tool. If you have infected floppy/flash disks you can insert them and click start. You can repeat this process for every disk you have.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD IT