How stuff works

Pin Recycle Bin on the Taskbar

2012-03-21T08:27:00.002-07:00

The new taskbar in Windows 7 does not allow you to pin anything directly on the taskbar by default. If you tried to pin Recycle Bin already you would have noticed that it is pinned under the Windows Explorer program instead of a separate icon. In order to pin it directly on the taskbar you have to know a few tricks. In the end, your will have a dedicated Recycle Bin shortcut pinned directly on the taskbar as shown below.

The secret is creating a special shortcut that you can pin to the taskbar that points to the recycle bin:

Right click anywhere on your desktop and select New and then shortcut.
In the location of the item box type in:

%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe shell:RecycleBinFolder
Click Next.
For the name type in Recycle Bin.
Then click Finish.
Now your shortcut will be created but it will not have the right icon. Right click on the shortcut, select Properties. Then, click Change Icon as shown below.
Change the icon file to:

%SystemRoot%\system32\imageres.dll

Hit Enter and select the Recycle Bin Icon and click OK.
Finally, drag the new shortcut onto the taskbar and it will be pinned directly. Once the shortcut is pinned, you can delete the original on the desktop.

What is svchost.exe?

2012-03-21T08:26:00.002-07:00

One of the most common questions about system processes is what is svchost.exe and why are there so many processes running? First appearing in Windows XP, svchost.exe hosts multiple services within one process. This allows the operating system to save memory by reducing process overhead by cutting down on the number of processes that need to be running.

Every system service such as Windows Update, Event Log, Terminal Services, Audio Service, etc. runs within svchost.exe. Depending on the access the services need, they are grouped together and are run in a number of processes which explains why you see so many in Task Manager running under different accounts such as System, Local Service and Network Service.

Identifying what services are running is different depending on the version of Windows you have.

Windows XP

In Windows XP at a command prompt run:

tasklist /svc

The tasklist utility will show you what processes are running under each svchost.exe process.

Windows Vista and Windows 7

Task manager in Windows Vista and Windows 7 has been enhanced so you can easily see what services are running inside a host process such as svchost.exe.

Click on the Start Button, type in taskmgr and hit Enter. When task manager loads, click on the Processes tab and click Show processes from all users to see all of the svchost.exe processes. Then, right click on a svchost.exe process and select Go to Service(s). You will be taken to the Services tab with all services running in that process highlighted.

All Versions of Windows

Microsoft Sysinternals has a great free utility called Process Explorer that is like a task manager on steroids. It works on all versions of Windows and allows you to easily see services running inside of svchost.exe. Download Process Explorer here. Once you have it running right click on any process and select Properties. Then click on the Services tab and you will see all processes running inside the host process.

How-to Remove Internet Explorer from Windows 7

2012-03-21T08:25:00.002-07:00

For the first time since 1997 it is possible to uninstall Internet Explorer from Windows. Now full time Firefox, Chrome and Opera users can remove Internet Explorer for good. Best of all, removing IE will not break any of the thousands of applications that depend on the Internet Explorer rendering engine. Over the years many applications including AOL Instant Messenger, MSN Messenger, Windows Media Player, Google Talk, LimeWire, MS Office and more use components of the IE rendering engine. When Internet Explorer is removed the shared rendering engine components will remain to make sure the thousands of applications that depend on the IE rendering engine continue to run.

While the rendering engine will remain for compatibility reasons the IE executables, shortcuts and settings will be removed. To uninstall IE on your computer, follow these steps:

Click on the Start Button and type in Turn Windows features on or off and hit Enter.

Then, scroll through the list and remove the check from Internet Explorer 8.

Click OK and IE will be removed.

How To Properly Disable IPv6

2012-03-21T08:24:00.001-07:00

Starting in Windows Vista and Server 2008, Microsoft includes native support for IPv6 (Internet Protocol Version 6) and is enabled by default. IPv6 is the new computer address protocol that will eventually replace IPv4 which is currently the most popular standard. Unless you network has a specific requirement for IPv6, very few do, you can safely disable IPv6. Unlike other protocols, you cannot disable IPv6 by disabling the protocol on each of your network interfaces. While that will disable the protocol for the interfaces the loopback and tunnel interfaces will still have it enabled that can cause problems with applications. The proper way to disable IPv6 is to disable via the registry.

First, click on the Start Button and type in regedit and hit Enter.

Then, navigate through HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, SYSTEM, CurrentControlSet, services, TCPIP6 and Parameters. Right click on Parameters and select New and then DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name the new value DisabledComponents and hit Enter. Now right click on the new DisabledComponents value you just created and select Modify. Set the value of DisabledComponents to FFFFFFFF and click OK.

After a reboot IPv6 will be disabled on all interfaces.

Configure IP Address and DNS from Command Line

2012-03-21T08:23:00.002-07:00

The IP address of your computer can be set from the command prompt by running the following commands at an administrative level prompt:

netsh interface ip set address name="Local Area Connection" static 123.123.123.123 255.255.255.0 123.123.123.1 1

Local Area Connection is the name of the adapter you want to modify. In single NIC systems it is normally called Local Area Connection.

123.123.123.123 is the IP address you want to set.

255.255.255.0 is the subnet mask.

123.123.123.1 is the gateway.

1 is the gateway metric. You can leave this as 1 for almost all cases.

If you want to enable DHCP you can run:

netsh interface ip set address name="Local Area Connection" dhcp

There are two commands for DNS since administrators typically configure a primary and secondary DNS server.

For the primary DNS run:

netsh interface ip set dns name="Local Area Connection" static 208.67.222.222

For the secondary run:

netsh interface ip add dns name="Local Area Connection" 208.67.220.220 index=2

If you want to configure the computer to use DNS from DHCP run:

netsh interface ip set dnsservers name="Local Area Connection" source=dhcp

When you are finished with all of your IP and DNS changes run ipconfig -all to review the new settings.

Close all open applications with one click

2012-03-21T08:22:00.002-07:00

At the end of the day I always like to close the open applications to prepare my computer for the next day. Since I rarely reboot my desktop, I manually close each application. Depending on the number of open applications this can be a waste of time. The people at NTWind Software have a perfect utility for this situation aptly called Close All Windows. Instead of manually closing each application just click the Close All Windows button on your taskbar.

In this article I will show you how to install and configure Close All Windows on your computer for easy access on the taskbar.

To get started head over to NTWind Software and download the latest version of Close All Windows.

After the file is downloaded extract the CloseAll folder to a permanent location on your computer. Since Close All Windows is an application I extracted the folder to C:\Program Files\ where applications are typically installed.

For easy access it is best to pin the application to the taskbar. Drag the Close All Windows application from the CloseAll folder onto the taskbar.

Congratulations, you are now more efficient.

Open Command Prompt From Any Folder

2012-03-21T08:21:00.001-07:00

Here is a quick time saver that I use all the time: Hold down the Shift key and right click on any folder in Windows 7 and select Open command window here. A command prompt will open with the current directory set automatically.

How to burn CD and DVD images (ISO files) from the Command Line

2012-03-21T08:20:00.002-07:00

Windows 7 and 8 includes a free image burning utility called the Windows Disc Image Burner that allows you to quickly write CD and DVD images. The utility has a graphical interface but can be run from the command prompt by passing the proper parameters.

To start burning a CD or DVD ISO file immediately from command prompt, simply type in:

isoburn /q drive:\file.iso

For example:

isoburn /q d:\en_windows_7_ultimate_x64_dvd_X15-65922.iso

Alternatively, you can pass only the ISO file location and click the Burn button within the utility.

Change Remote Desktop RDP Port

2012-03-21T08:19:00.005-07:00

Port 3389 is the home of the remote desktop protocol that powers Remote Desktop Services on all modern versions of Windows. If your system has Remote Desktop enabled, it is listening for connections on port 3389. Since this port is both well known and can be used to attack accounts, it is low hanging fruit for script kiddies and bots looking for an easy target.

Theoretically on a system that does not have an account lockout policy in place which by the way is not a system default, the RDP protocol can be used to get the administrator password with brute force. Brute force is a fancy way of saying trying all possible passwords. If the system never locks out the account then time is the only barrier to eventually getting you password and logging in.

The first defense is to implement a good account lockout policy but that does not solve the entire problem. Any administrator of a public facing Windows web server will notice that their server is continiously attacked by bots looking for an easy target. The bots will often lock out your accounts which can be very annoying.

To protect your system from the bots and script kiddies I always reccomend changing the default RDP port. This will not fool an intelligent attacker but it will weed out the noise.

There are two methods you can use to change the default RDP port. The first is a simple registry hack:

Open up Registry Editor by running regedit. Then navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, SYSTEM, CurrentControlSet, Control, Terminal Server, WinStations and RDP-Tcp. Right click on the PortNumber dword and select Modify. Change the base to Decimal and enter a new port between 1025 and 65535 that is not already in use. Finally click OK.

The second method uses a Microsoft Fix It wizard. Click here to download the utility from Microsoft then click next to start the wizard. On the PortNumber screen enter the new port you want to use, click next and that is it.

Make sure to reboot after either method to ensure the change is active.

Keep in mind that the next time you want to connect to your system with RDP you will need to provide the port number. You can do that from the Remote Desktop client by appending a colon after the host name or ip address followed by the port number. For example, if I have a computer with host name of tweak with RDP running on port 1234 I would use tweak:1234 in the remote desktop client hostname field.

How to Create a Windows To Go USB Drive

2012-03-21T08:19:00.002-07:00

Windows To Go is a new feature of Windows 8 that allows enterprises to provision a full corporate environment that will boot from a USB drive. Once the instance of Windows 8 is booted it functions and is controlled by standard enterprise management tools such as SCCM and Active Directory group policies. Work at home and disaster recovery are the primary use cases as Windows To Go can transform any PC into a corporate PC with your application stack, all on a USB drive. Windows To Go is also perfect for trying out Windows 8 on your primary machine without destroying your current OS.

To begin you will need the following:

32 GB or larger USB Drive (It can be a USB Hard Drive)
A Windows 8 PC to build the USB drive on.
Windows 8 DVD ISO.
A copy of Imagex.exe from the Windows 7 Automated Installation Kit installed on Windows 7 or XP. ImageX can be found in C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\amd64 or C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\x86.

Creating the Windows 8 To Go USB Device:

Windows To Go requires a specific partition setup in order to function. We will use diskpart to create the new partition setup. Launch an administrative level command prompt from the Start Screen.
Make sure that your USB Drive is plugged in and then type in diskpart and hit Enter.
Then list the available disks by running "list disk" and you should see your usb device.
Select your USB drive by typing "select disk #" and hit Enter.
Clean the partitions on the disk by typing "clean" and hit Enter.
Now create the partition by running the following command:

create partition primary
Select and format the new boot partition by running the following command:

format fs=ntfs quick
Set the partition active by typing "active" and hit Enter.
Exit Diskpart by typing Exit.
Now double click the Windows 8 ISO you downloaded to mount it in Windows 8. Browse to the ISO files in Windows Explorer and copy \sources\install.wim to the same folder as you copied Imagex.exe.
Identify the drive letter assigned to your USB drive by Windows Explorer and run the following command from the folder that contains Imagex.exe and install.wim:

imagex.exe /apply install.wim 1 d:\

Replace d with the drive letter of your USB drive.)
Once the image has applied you need to setup the boot record on the USB Drive. At the administrative level command prompt run:

bcdboot.exe d:\windows /s d: /f ALL

(Replace d with the drive letter of your USB drive.)

After the command has completed running you are ready to use your new Windows To Go USB device.

Logon with a PIN instead of a Password

2012-03-21T08:18:00.003-07:00

Typing in my Windows Live account password every time I turn on Windows 8 lows me down when I just want to quickly access an app. Microsoft includes a logon PIN feature but it is not exposed to users when an account created. Although this reduces the physical security of your computer I like to use a logon PIN so I can quickly log in, and best of all, with just one hand.

After you log in click or touch the metro Control Panel tile.

Select Users and then Create a PIN.

Enter your current password and hit OK.

Enter a four digit PIN and hit Finish.

Your PIN is now configured. The next time you see the logon screen just key in your PIN. As soon as your four digits are entered you will be logged in, no need to hit Enter.

Logon with a Picture Password

2012-03-21T08:18:00.000-07:00

Picture Passwords are one of the more innovative new features in Windows 8 that enables you to logon by touching or clicking specific parts of a picture to authenticate. Any picture in your library can be used as a reference to help you remember where the three parts of your picture password are located. Basic gestures such as dragging your finger or mouse along a specific part of the picture can also be used in your password.

After you log in click or touch the metro Control Panel tile.

Select Users and then Create a picture password.

Enter your current password and hit OK.

Hit Choose picture.

Select the picture you want to use as the background for your reference points and hit Open.

Confirm the picture selection with Use this picture.

Touch and swipe or click and drag in three points on the picture.

Repeat the points you selected to confirm your password.

Your picture password is now set, hit OK.

The next time you logon to Windows, you will see your picture password background image. Touch and swipe or click and drag on three points in the picture you setup and you will be logged in.

Recover Deleted Photos, Pictures and Other Files

2012-03-21T08:11:00.000-07:00

Have you ever accidentally deleted a photo or other file from your computer or digital camera? Even if you clear the recycle bin, there is still a chance your pictures can be recovered.

Even though a file was deleted there is a good chance the contents of the file are still around. When a file is deleted the contents of the file are not removed. Only a pointer to the file in the file system table is deleted.

Time is your worst enemy when restoring files. When the pointer to the file has been deleted the operating system can use that storage space to write and store new data. The longer it has been since you realized the file was deleted increases the chance any remaining file content has been overwritten.

It is very important to immediately stop writing to the storage device that previously contained your pictures so that the old file contents are not overwritten. For example, don’t take any more pictures with your digital camera because new pictures will overwrite the deleted files.

Next, you will need to use a utility to reassemble the file remains back into the original files.

I like to use a free utility called Recuva by Piriform. Head over tohttp://www.piriform.com/recuva/download/standard to download a copy.

After the utility is installed start it up and click cancel on the Recuva Wizard screen. I’m not a big fan of wizards, instead I’m going to show you the power user method.

First, select the drive you want to scan for the deleted files.

There are two ways to scan for deleted files. First we are going to use the default scan method by just clicking Scan.

The results pane will be populated when the scan is completed. Files that are green can be recovered by other files that are yellow or red have been overwritten. Previews are shown for some files when you click on them.

Check the boxes next to the files you want to restore and click Recover.

Select a location to restore the files to and click OK. Make sure you select a different storage device/drive than where the files are currently located so you don’t overwrite the file remains.

Your files will now be recovered.

Deep Scan

Earlier I mentioned there is another method to recover deleted files with Recuva that is helpful when the files you want do restore were not found with the normal scan.

Running a deep scan will check the actual sectors on the storage device for file remains. You can enable this scan option by clicking Options on the main screen.

Click on the Actions tab, check Deep Scan and click OK.

Now just click Scan again and go for a walk because the deep scan can take a while depending on the size of the drive.

When the scan is completed restore the files the same way discussed above for the normal scan.

Good Luck!

Windows 8 System Requirements

2012-03-21T08:02:00.004-07:00

Microsoft claims Windows 8 is the first version of Windows to require less resources that its predecessor. The preliminary system requirements look promising.

System Requirements

Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster (Intel or ARM).
RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) (32-bit) or 2 GB (64-bit).
Hard drive space: 16 GB (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit).
Graphics card: Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device or higher.
To use touch, you need a tablet or monitor that supports multitouch.
To access Windows Store and to download and run apps, you need an active Internet connection and a screen resolution of at least 1024 x 768.
To snap apps in the Metro interface, you need a screen resolution of at least 1366 x 768.

Most interesting is you must have a screen resolution of 1024 x 768 to run apps from the Windows Store. Those of you holding out at 800 x 600, it is time to buy a new monitor.

Where to get a Windows 8 Product Key

2012-03-21T08:02:00.002-07:00

Windows 8 is the first version of Windows since XP to require a product key for installation. Below are a number of ways to get a free product key for the consumer preview.

The easiest is to use the public product key on the Windows 8 FAQ:

DNJXJ-7XBW8-2378T-X22TX-BKG7J

You can also get a key by running the Consumer Preview installer on the main download page.

For those of you that are part of the Windows Ecosystem Readiness program (BUILD Conference) located on Microsoft Connect, you can request a key with this link.

How to change colors on Command Prompt

2012-03-21T08:01:00.001-07:00

You can change the colors on your command prompt! It's neat that you can change the color to match your mood and personal favorite! :) Here the following on how to do this!

1. Click start> All Programs> Accessories> Command Prompt.

2. When it opens, click the icon on upper left corner where say "C:\" beside "Command Prompt" there will be submenu comes down.

3. Click Default then click color tab then that it! You can change colors whatever you like to match your mood, and personal!

Happy Tweak Hunt! :)

mIRC Commands

2012-03-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

/ Recalls the previous command entered in the current window.
/! Recalls the last command typed in any window.
/action <action text> Sends the specifed action to the active channel or query window.
/add [-apuce] <filename.ini> Loads aliases, popups, users, commands, and events.
/alias <alias name><command(s)> Adds the given alias to the Tools/Aliases list.
/ame <action text>Sends the specifed action to all channels which you are currently on.
/amsg <text> Sends the specifed message to all channels which you are currently on.
/auser [-a] <level><nick|address> Adds a user with the specified access level to the remote users list.
/auto [-r] [on|off|nickname[ type]|address] Adds <-r removes>auto-opping of a nick or address or sets it on or off totally. The type determines the used address syntax.
/away <away message> Sets you away leave a message explaining that you are not currently paying attention to IRC.
/away Sets you being back.
/ban [#channel] <nickname>[type] Bans the specified nick from the curent or given channel.
/beep [<number> <delay)] Locally beeps 'number' times with 'delay' inbetween the beeps.
/channel Pops up the channel central window <only works in a channel)
/clear [nickname|channel] Clears the entire scrollback buffer of the <given>window.
/clearall Clears all text in all open windows.
/close -icfgms [nick1] [nickN] closes inactive, chat, fserve, get, message or send windows.
/closemsg <nickname> Closes the query window you have open to the specified nick.
/creq [ask | auto | ignore] Sets your DCC 'On Chat request' settings in DCC/Options.
/ctcp <nickname><ping|finger|version|time|userinfo|clientinfo> Does the given ctcp request on nickname.
/ctcpreply <nickname><ctcp>[message] Sends a ctcp reply message to nickname.
/ctcps [on|off] Sets the Tools/Remote/Commands setion on or off or checks its status.
/dcc send <nickname>[file1] [file2] [file3] ... [fileN] Sends the specified file(s>to nick.
/dcc chat <nickname> Opens a dcc window and sends a dcc chat request to nickname.
/dde [-r] <service><topic><item [data] Allows DDE control between mIRC and other applications.
/ddeserver [[on [service name] | off] To turn on the DDE server mode, eventually with a givem service name.
/describe <#channel><action text> Sends the specifed action to the specified channel window.
/disable <#groupname> De-activates a group of commands or events in the remote section.
/disconnect Forces a hard and immediate disconnect from your IRC server. Use it with care.
/dlevel <level> Changes the default user level in the remote section.
/dns <nickname | IP address | IP name> Uses your providers DNS to resolve an IP address.
/echo [N] <-s|a|[=]nickname|#channel> <text> Displays the given text only to YOU on the given place <status, active window, query or channel>in color N.
/enable <#groupname> Activates a group of commands or events.
/events [on|off] Shows the Tools/Remote/Events section status or sets it to listening or not.
/exit Forces mIRC to shutdown and close.
/finger <nickname | address> Does a finger on a users address... also if his nick is given.
/flood [<numberoflines> <seconds> <pausetime>] Sets a crude flood control method.
/flush [levels] Clears all nicknames from the Remote/users list that are currently not on your channels.
/flushini <filename> Forces the specified INI file to be saved to disk.
/font Activates the font selection dialog.
/fsend [on|off] Shows fsends status and allows you to turn dcc fast send on or off.
/fserve <nickname><maxgets><homedirectory>[welcome text file] Opens a fileserver.
/groups [-e|d] Shows all <enabled or disabled>groups defined in the remote sections.
/guser [-a] <level><nick>[type] Adds the user to the user list with the specified level and address type.
/help <keyword> Brings up the Basic IRC Commands section in the mIRC help file.
/ial [on|off] Turns the Internal Address List on and off.
/identd [on|off] [userid] Activates the IdentD server with the given usedid.
/ignore [-rpcntiu#][on|off|nickname|address] [type] Ignores a nick or address or sets ignore on or off totally. -r to remove.
/invite <nickname><#channel> Invites another user to a channel.
/join <#channel> Makes you join the specified channel.
/kick <#channel><nickname> Kicks nickname off a given channel.
/links Shows the entire list of IRC servers in the network you are currently connected to.
/list [#string] [-min #] [-max #] Lists all currently available channels, evt. filtering for parameters.
/load <-a|p<c|n>|r<u|v|s><filename.ini> Loads Aliases, Popups, Remote items or Variables into mIRC.
/loadbuf [lines] <window><filename> Loads lines from a text file into the specified window. <like echo)
/log [on|off] [windowname] Shows the logging status or sets it on or off for the window.
/me <action text> Sends the specifed action to the active channel or query window.
/mode <#channel|nickname>[[+|-]modechars [parameters]] Sets channel or user modes.
/msg <#channel|nickname><message> Send a private message to this user without opening a query window.
/names <#channel> Shows the nicks of all people on the given channel.
/nick <new nickname> Changes your nickname to whatever you like.
/notice <nick><message> Send the specified notice message to the nick.
/notify [-sh][-ar][on|off|nickname] Toggles notifying you of a nick on IRC or sets it on or off totally.
/onotice [#channel] <message> Send the specified notice message to all channel ops.
/omsg [#channel] <message> Send the specified message to all ops on a channel.
/part <#channel><message> Makes you leave the specified channel.
/partall <message> Makes you leave all channels you are on.
/perform [on|off] Toggles the File/Options/Perform <on startup>section.
/play [-cp q# m# rl# t#] [channel/nick] <filename>[delay|linenumber] Allows you to play text files to a channel. Read the help !
/pop <delay>[#channel] <nickname> Performs a randomly delayed +o on a not already opped nick.
/protect [-ar][on|off|nickname|address] Toggles protection of a nick or address or sets it on or off totally.
/query <nickname><message> Open a query window to this user and send them the private message.
/quit [reason] Disconnect you from IRC with the optional byebye message.
/quote [-q] <raw command> Sends any raw command you supply directly to the server. Use it with care !
/raw [-q] <raw command> Sends any raw command you supply directly to the server. Use it with care !
/remote [on|off] Sets the entire Tools/Remote setion on or off or checks its status.
/remove <c:\path\filename> Will delete the requested file.
/rlevel <access level> Removes all users from the remote users list with the specified access level.
/run <c:\path\program.exe> [parameters] Runs the specified program, evt. with parameters.
/ruser [-r] <nick[!]|address> [type] Removes the user from the remote users list.
/save [-apuce] <filename.ini> Saves remote sections into a specified INI file.
/savebuf [lines] <window> <filename> Saves lines from the buffer of a window to a file.
/say <text> Says whatever you want to the active window.
/server [server # | server address [port] [password]] <Re)connects to the server or a newly specified one.
/sound [nickname|#channel] <filename.wav> <action text> Sends an action and a fitting sound request.
/speak <text> Uses the external text to speech program Monologue to speak up the text.
/splay <c:\path\filename.ext> Plays .wav and .mid files to you. (like /wavplay)
/sreq [ask | auto | ignore] Sets your DCC 'On Send request' settings in DCC/Options.
/strip [+-burc] Turns removal of color codes <see Options dialog>on/off.
/time Tells you the time on the server you use.
/timer[N] <repetitions> <interval in seconds> <command> [| <more commands>] Activates a timer.
/timestamp [-a|e|s] [on|off] [window] For Turning on/off timestamping in windows or globally. <-s = for status window, -a = for active window, -e = for every window)
/titlebar <text> Sets mIRC's titlebar to the specified text.
/topic <#channel> <newtopic> Changes the topic for the specified channel.
/ulist [<|>]<level> Lists all users in the remote list with the specified access levels.
/unload <-a|-rs> <filename> This unloads the specified alias or remote script file.
/url [-d|on|off|hide] Opens or closes the URL window that allows you to surf the www parallel to IRC.
/uwho [nick] Pops up the user central with information about the specified user.
/version Tells you the version of the IRC server you use.
/wavplay <c:\path\filename.ext> Locally plays the specified wave or midi file.
/who <#channel> Shows the nicks of all people on the given channel.
/who <*address.string*> Shows all people on IRC with a matching address.
/whois <nickname> Shows information about someone in the status window.
/whowas <nickname> Shows information about someone who -just- left IRC.
/window This allows you to create and manipulate custom windows.
/write [-cidls] <filename> [text] To write the specified text to a .txt file.
/writeini <inifile> <section> <item> <value> To write to an .ini file.

===========================

A new feature in mIRC allows you to minimize mIRC and lock it with a password for strange eyes. If you control-minimize mIRC (keep the Ctrl-key pressed down while minimizing mIRC), it will be locked with your password. If no password was set previously mIRC will ask you for one. Later when you want to maximize mIRC you need your password to activate it. An extention of this feature in the /File/Options/General/Lock/ menu can be used to lock mIRC or certain channels for your children! Previous Tips (Become a mIRC Wizzard).

Shift+Mouse on Switchbar - Did you know that you can 'fast-close' a window in mIRC by clicking its button on the Switchbar while holding the SHIFT key pressed down??

/uwho - Ever wondered who you're actually speaking with? The /whois {nick} command shows you a lot of cryptic info in the Status window but the /uwho {nick} command will open a clear and informative User Central. Give it a try! You can also store address info of your friends in the User Central for future reference.

ALT + Minus - Press the key combination ALT and 'minus' simultaneous to access the windows' System Menu's (found under that little horizontal bar in every top left corner of ANY window in mIRC and windows). Here you can set the fonts you like, the logging options, save the buffer and set various other things for private and channel conversations.

/clear - Use the /clear command to flush away all old text you dont want to read again. /clearall clears all text in all windows!

Doskey - Remember that old doskey feature under DOS? mIRC has it too :-) Use the arrow up/down keys, eventually combined with SHIFT, to recall old commands and text lines.

/channel - The /channel command will open the Channel Central that displays all modes and bans set on your current channel.

/pdcc - Use the undocumented /pdcc {bytes} command to speed up your DCC sessions! It will pump your data packages away to the reciever, ahead of the confirmation of arrival. Try it, it works :-) Something like /pdcc 20000 will do fine.

To download a .exe file that has easy access to these commands, click here, OR, to download these contents in a 'text' format, click here

How To Write A Simple Batch (.bat) File

2012-03-21T07:56:00.001-07:00

Create a new text document on your desktop. Double click the file – it should be blank inside. Now, go to file>save as, and in the “Save As” window, input a name for your BAT file and then add a “.bat” on the end (without the quotes). My file was named testBAT.bat, for instance.

How to remove 2nd XP option on startup

2012-03-21T07:52:00.001-07:00

Start < Settings < Control Panel < System < 'Advanced' Tab < ON this tab there is a "Startup and Recovery" field, Click the 'settings' option here. < Under "System Startup" field there is an 'Edit' button. Edit out the first Win Xp copy, and "cut and paste" the second copy into the "default=" space.

BEFORE
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect

AFTER
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect

Which is The Best Antivirus for Windows 7

2012-03-21T07:49:00.001-07:00

Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2011 , ESET NOD32 Antivirus 4, AntiVirus 2011, Bitdefender AntiVirus Plus 2012, Norton Antivirus 2011.

How To Create and Use a Password Reset Disk or USB In Windows 8

2012-03-19T10:34:00.002-07:00

Forgetting your password can be very frustrating, however this situation could be completely alleviated if you always had a password reset disk handy. Lets see how we can create one in Windows 8.

Note: This will only work for local user accounts, if you chose to sign in with a Live ID, you will have to reset your password using an alternative method.

Creating a Password Reset Disk

Press the Win+F key combination to bring up the Search page, here you will need to switch over to the Settings section.

Now search for User Accounts. You will need to select the first result.

This will take you to the User Accounts section of the old control panel. Here, you can select the link to “Create a password reset disk”.

You will be greeted with a Wizard, make sure that your USB is inserted before clicking next.

Now you can select the USB that you want to create the password key on, then click next.

You will then be asked for your current Windows password.

That’s all there is to creating a a reset disk, since anyone could use this to gain access to you machine you will need to store it in a safe place.

Resetting Your Password

Once you have a password reset disk, you can use it easily the next time you forget your password… once you’ve typed the wrong password Windows 8 will show a “Reset password” link below the login box.

At this point you should have your USB already plugged in, so go ahead and hit the Reset password button, this will kick off a wizard, click next to continue.

You’ll want to pick the right disk if you have more than one.

Now you will need to type a new password, and of course a new hint for your password.

That’s all there is to it.

Now you can store the USB key somewhere safe, so that next time you forget your password you have it handy.

Switch Gmail Icons Back to Text Labels

2012-03-19T10:08:00.001-07:00

If Gmail’s icon-based buttons annoy you, it’s now possible to switch them back to the old text labels with a simple settings toggle.

At MakeUseOf they highlight the new option in Gmail and how you can switch back to the old button layout:

So how do you make that happen? All you have to do is click on the cog button, choose “Settings”, and go to the the General tab. Scroll down to find the “Button labels” setting, and change it from icons to text.

I know what I’ll be doing shortly; text-based button labels here I come.

Share Files Between a Windows 8 Virtual Machine and a Windows 7 Host Machine in VMware Workstation

2012-03-19T09:39:00.002-07:00

When running the latest version of Windows 8 in a virtual machine in VMware Workstation, the shared folders feature doesn’t work because you can’t install VMware Tools. So, how are you supposed to transfer files between your VM and your Windows 7 host?

There is a way around this problem. You can share a folder on your Windows 7 host machine and then map that folder as a network drive in your Windows 8 virtual machine. We’ve shown you how to transfer files between a Windows 8 PC and a Windows 7 PC. This method uses that procedure, but there are also some settings you need to work with in VMware Workstation to ensure that you can both access your Windows 7 host machine and the internet through the VMware network connection.

Start your Windows 8 virtual machine in VMware Workstation. When you’ve logged into Windows 8, select Settings from the VM menu.

NOTE: You’ll have to press Ctrl + Alt to get the mouse to access items outside of the virtual machine.

The Virtual Machine Settings dialog box displays. On the Hardware tab, select Network Adapter. Make sure the NAT option is selected in the Network connection box. Click OK to accept your changes and close the dialog box.

Select Virtual Network Editor from the Edit menu.

If the User Account Control dialog box displays, click Yes to continue.

NOTE: You may not see this dialog box, depending on your User Account Control settings.

Select the NAT type of network connection in the list of connections at the top of the Virtual Network Editor dialog box. Make sure the Connect a host virtual adapter to this network check box is selected. The name of your host virtual adapter displays below the check box item. The Use local DHCP service to distribute IP address to VMs check box should also be selected.

NOTE: This is the name of the connection displayed when you run the “ipconfig” command on your Windows 7 host machine to check the IP address, as we’ve previously described.

To connect the Windows 8 virtual machine and Windows 7 host machine, you must now share a folder on your Windows 7 host machine and then map to that folder in the Windows 8 virtual machine. For instructions on how to do this, see our article abouttransferring files between a Windows 8 PC and a Windows 7 PC.

How to Use the New Task Manager in Windows 8

2012-03-19T09:36:00.001-07:00

The Task Manager in Windows 8 has been completely overhauled. It’s easier-to-use, slicker, and more feature-packed than ever. Windows 8 may be all about Metro, but the Task Manager and Windows Explorer are better than ever.

The Task Manager now manages startup programs, shows your IP address, and displays slick resource usage graphs. The new color-coding highlights the processes using the most system resources, so you can see them at a glance.

Launching the Task Manager

The Task Manager can still be launched in the traditional ways. Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete from anywhere and you’ll see a link to launch the Task Manager.

You can also right-click the taskbar and select “Task Manager.”

Managing Processes

The Task Manager’s default interface lets you easily view and end active applications, without any clutter getting in the way. It shows both Metro-style apps and desktop apps.

Click the “More details” button and you’ll see much more information. Resource-usage statistics are color-coded – the darker the color, the more resources used.

You can expand an app to see its windows, if the app has multiple windows.

The list of processes is divided into three sections – apps, background processes and Windows system processes.

If you’re not sure what a processes is, you can right-click it and select “Search online” to search for it in your default search engine.

System Statistics

The Performance tab shows slick graphs of your system information. You can select either of the options at the right to see more information. The new interface shows much more information than the old Task Manager showed.

You can actually see your system’s IP address without digging through the Control Panel. This used to require a lot of clicks.

You can still open the Resource Monitor application in one click. It hasn’t been updated in Windows 8, but it shows even more information than the Task Manager does.

App History

The Processes tab only shows each process’s current resource usage. The “App history” tab shows how much CPU time and network bandwidth each Metro app has used, so you can identify the resource hogs.

Startup Programs

The Startup tab shows the applications that automatically start with your computer. Windows finally has a way to easily disable startup programs. Windows also measures just how long each application is delaying your startup, so you can make informed decisions.

Users

The Users tab breaks down your system’s resource usage by user account. You can expand a user’s name to view that user’s processes.

Advanced Process Details & Services

The Details tab is the evolution of the old Processes tab on previous versions of Windows. It doesn’t have a pretty interface – although application icons have been added. It exposes exposes advanced options not found on other tabs, including process priority and CPU affinity. (CPU affinity determines which CPU a process runs on, if your system has multiple CPUs or a CPU with multiple cores.)

The Services tab has been prettied up and now includes an option to quickly restart services.

You can click the Open Services link to use the Services application, which contains the advanced options you won’t find in the Task Manager.

The new Task Manager is a huge step up, both in features and presentation. It’s particularly exciting that average users finally have a way to manage their automatically starting programs.

How to Create a System Image in Windows 7

2012-03-19T09:34:00.002-07:00

The new backup utilities in Windows 7 are actually pretty impressive and creating an image will be possible in all versions. Today we take a look at creating a backup image of your machine without the need for a third party utility like Ghost or True Image.

You just just finished installing a fresh copy of Windows 7 on your computer and have it set up to your liking. One of the first things you should do now is create an image of the disc so in the event of a crash you will be able to restore it to its current state. An image is an exact copy of everything on the drive and will restore it back to its current state. It’s probably best to create an image when everything is clean and organized on your system. This will make the image file smaller and allows you to restore the system with a smooth running set up.

Creating an Image in Windows 7

Click on Start go to Getting Started and then select Back up your files.

Next click on the Create a system image hyperlink.

Decide where you want to save the image. You can choose an external drive, burn to multiple DVD’s, or store it on a network location.

You can include other drives if you want as well but remember that will add to the size of the final image.

At the confirmation screen notice the amount of space the image may take. If something doesn’t look right you can still go back from this point and make adjustments.

A progress meter is displayed while the images is created and backed up. In this example a disk of about 15GB in size took under 20 minutes backed up to an external drive. Times will vary depending on your system and where you’re backing it up to.

After the process is complete you get the option to create a system repair disc which you should do and make sure to save it in a secure location.

When it comes time to restore the image, you will be able to use the System Recovery Options to get the system back.

Image in Windows Vista

Vista Ultimate, Business, and Enterprise allow you to create an image, but Vista Home and Home Premium users do not have the option. The process is similar in Vista, type backup into the search bar and click on Backup and Restore Center.

Then click on Back up computer and the wizard will guide you through the process.