Server Training

Difference Between Windows server 2008 and R2

2012-09-01T18:01:00.000+05:30

Windows 2008 Server,

Windows Server 2008 (Win2k8) is one of Microsoft Windows' server line of operating systems. Released to manufacturing on February 4, 2008, and officially released on February 27, 2008, it is the successor to Windows Server 2003, released nearly five years earlier.

Windows Server 2008 is built from the same code base as Windows Vista; therefore, it shares much of the same architecture and functionality.

Whats in Windows Server 2008 :
Virtualisation:
Server Core
IIS
Role Based Installation
RODC
NAP
Bit Locker
Powershell
Fail-over Clustering
Self Healing NTFS
System Resource Manager

Windows Server 2008 R2,

Windows Server 2008 R2 is a server operating system produced by Microsoft. It was released to manufacturing on July 22, 2009 and launched on October 22, 2009. According to the Windows Server Team blog, the retail availability was September 14, 2009.[4] It is built on Windows NT 6.1, the same kernel used with the client-oriented Windows 7. It is the first 64-bit-only operating system release from Microsoft.

Whats New in Windows Server 2008 R2:
64-Bit Only
Support for 256 cores
Core Parking
Remote Desktop Services
New Hyper-V
Live Migration
Support .NET Frameworks in Server Core
Powershell 2.0
Remote Server Management
Active Directory Administrative Center

How Search Engines Works

2012-07-17T16:19:00.000+05:30

What is search Engine?
Basically, a search engine is a software program that searches for sites based on the words that you designate as search terms. Search engines look through their own databases of information in order to find what it is that you are looking for.
When people use the term search engine in relation to the Web, they are usually referring to the actual search forms that searches through databases of HTML documents, initially gathered by a robot.

There are basically three types of search engines:

1. powered by robots (called crawlers; ants or spiders)
2. powered by human submissions
3. hybrid of above two

Crawler-based search engines are those that use automated software agents (called crawlers) that visit a Web site, read the information on the actual site, read the site's meta tags and also follow the links that the site connects to performing indexing on all linked Web sites as well. The crawler returns all that information back to a central depository, where the data is indexed. The crawler will periodically return to the sites to check for any information that has changed. The frequency with which this happens is determined by the administrators of the search engine.

Human-powered search engines rely on humans to submit information that is subsequently indexed and catalogued. Only information that is submitted is put into the index.

Popular Search Engines:

google

bing

yahoo

blekko

yebol

4G Technology

2012-07-13T15:51:00.000+05:30

Fourth Generation Mobiles

4G also called as Fourth-Generation Communications System, is a term used to describe the next step in wireless communications. A 4G system can provide a comprehensive IP solution where voice, data and streamed multimedia can be provided to users on an "Anytime, Anywhere" basis. The data transfer rates are also much higher than previous generations.

The main objectives of 4G are:

1) 4G will be a fully IP-based integrated system.

2) This will be capable of providing 100 Mbit/s and 1 Gbit/s speeds both indoors and outdoors.

3) It can provide premium quality and high security.

4) 4G offer all types of services at an affordable cost.

4G is developed to provide high quality of service (QoS) and rate requirements set by forthcoming applications such as wireless broadband access, Multimedia Messaging, Video Chat, Mobile TV, High definition TV content, DVB, minimal service like voice and data, and other streaming services.

4G technology allow high-quality smooth video transmission. It will enable fast downloading of full-length songs or music pieces in real time.

The business and popularity of 4Gmobiles is predicted to be very vast. This 4Gmobile market will be over $400B and it will dominate the wireless communications, and its converged system will replace most conventional wireless infrastructure.

Data Rates For 4G:

The downloading speed for mobile Internet connections is from 9.6 kbit/s for 2G cellular at present. However, in actual use the data rates are usually slower, especially in crowded areas, or when there is congestion in network.

4G mobile data transmission rates are planned to be up to 20 megabits per second which means that it will be about 10-20 times faster than standard ASDL services.

In terms of connection seeds, 4G will be about 200 times faster than present 2G mobile data rates, and about 10 times faster than 3G broadband mobile. 3G data rates are currently 2Mbit/sec, which is very fast compared to 2G's 9.6Kbit/sec

Windows Server 2012

2012-07-12T17:27:00.000+05:30

Windows Server 2012, formerly codenamed Windows Server 8, is the next release of Windows Server currently under development by Microsoft. It is the server version of Windows 8 and the successor to Windows Server 2008 R2. Windows Server 2012 will be the first version of Windows Server to have no support for Itanium-based computers since Windows NT 4.0.A developer preview (a pre-beta release) was released on 9 September 2011 to MSDN subscribers. On March 1, 2012, Microsoft issued a public beta (build 8250).On April 17, 2012, Microsoft announced the product name would be Windows Server 2012.^.On May 31, 2012, Microsoft announced the release candidate (RC) for Windows Server 2012

Main Features of Windows server 2012:

1. User Interface
2. Task Manager
3. Installation option
4. IP Address management
5. Active Directory
6. Hyper-V
7. Cloud

System Requirement:

Architecture: 64 Bit

CPU- 1.4 Ghz
Memory - 512 MB
Hard disk Space - 32 GB (more if there is 16 GB of RAM or more)

Editions

1. Foundation
2. Essential
3. Standared
4. Datacenter

Windows 2008 Server Editions

2012-07-12T17:08:00.002+05:30

Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 is a server operating system produced by Microsoft. It was released to manufacturing on July 22, 2009 and launched on October 22, 2009. According to the Windows Server Team blog.
There are seven editions: Foundation, Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter, Web, HPC Server, Itanium and Windows Storage Server 2008 R2(Essentials Edition).

Processor: 1.4 GHz x86-64 or Itanium 2 processor
Memory: Minimum:512 MB RAM (may limit performance and some features); Recommended:2 GB RAM; Maximum: 8 GB RAM (Foundation), 32 GB RAM (Standard), or 2 TB RAM (Enterprise, Datacenter and Itanium-Based Systems)
Display: Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher
Disk Space Requirements: Minimum (editions higher than Foundation): 32 GB or more; Minimum (Foundation edition) 10 GB or more.; Computers with more than 16 GB of RAM require more disk space for paging and dump files.
Other: DVD drive, keyboard and mouse, Internet access (Optional, but required for updates and online activation)

Edition Comparison Chart:

click picture to Enlarge

Difference Between Hub,Switch and Router

2012-06-03T15:51:00.000+05:30

Hub

A common connection point for devices in a network. Hubs are commonly used to connect segments of a LAN. A hub contains multiple ports. When a packet arrives at one port, it is copied to the other ports so that all segments of the LAN can see all packets.

There are three main points to remember about hubs:

Many kinds of nodes can be connected to the hub with networking cable.
All hubs can be uplinked together, either with straight-through cable or cross-over cable, depending on whether or not the hub has an uplink port.
Performance will decrease as the number of users is increased.

When choosing a hub, the main consideration should be performance. If the hub is 100Mbps and there are five users, each user will receive only 20Mbps of bandwidth. If the hub is intended for a small network with very little traffic, this should not be a problem. However, if the network is large or expected to expand, a switch is a better option in the end.
When considering a hub, always remember that the network may expand in the future. Try to buy a hub that has enough ports to allow expansion without more hardware purchases. If expansion is not an immediate concern, remember that in the future you can add more hubs.
The standard hub is great for starting a small network, or providing a network to one department. There are two basic types: 10baseT, which will support a speed of 10Mbps; and 100baseTX, which supports 100Mbps. A standard 10baseT hub cannot connect to hardware that runs at 100Mbps unless a switch or hub with auto-sensing capabilities is used between them. If your network is small and will not require expansion in the near future, a standard hub is the perfect solution.

Switch

In networks, a device that filters and forwards packets between LAN segments. Switches operate at the data link layer (layer 2) and sometimes the network layer(layer 3) of the OSI Reference Model and therefore support any packet protocol. LANs that use switches to join segments are called switched LANs or, in the case of Ethernet networks, switched Ethernet LANs.

e

Switches also run in full duplex mode, which allows data to be sent and received across the network at the same time. Switches effectively double the speed of the network when compared to hubs, which only support half duplex mode.
A 10/100Mbps switch can also support hardware running at either 10Mbps or 100Mbps, allowing the continued use of older technology and delaying replacement.
Switches will increase the speed and efficiency of networks in any of the following situations:

Any network that calls for a 10/100 hub will benefit from a 10/100Mbps switch. The switch will increase available bandwidth, drastically increasing the speed that the network is running at.
Any network that requires enhanced performance for file servers, workstations, Web servers, etc. Any critical components should be connected directly to a 10/100Mbps switch.
Any network that uses high-speed applications including multimedia and video. Any workstation or file server using the intensive applications should be connected directly to a 10/100Mbps switch.
Any network that uses Fiber optic cabling should use a 10/100Mbps switch rather than a hub. A hub will not take full advantage of the speed possible with Fiber optic cabling.

Router

A device that forwards data packets along networks. A router is connected to at least two networks, commonly two LANs or WANs or a LAN and its ISP.s network. Routers are located at gateways, the places where two or more networks connect. Routers use headers and forwarding tables to determine the best path for forwarding the packets, and they use protocols such as ICMP to communicate with each other and configure the best route between any two hosts

What is DNS, and its Working?

2012-05-19T14:14:00.000+05:30

Introduction

A key component of the Internet and how it works revolves around the Domain Name System, otherwise known as DNS. The underlying technology behind the Internet, is that when a computer needs to talk to another computer on the Internet, they communicate via the computer's IP Address. The IP Address is a unique set of numbers associated with a particular machine, which will be discussed in a separate article. An example of an IP Address is 216.213.19.27, which is the IP Address that corresponds to www.pcprompt.net.

As the predecessor of the Internet, ARPANET, grew larger, connecting to remote machines by their IP Address grew cumbersome. It became more and more difficult for people to remember the IP Addresses associated with the machines they were trying to reach that a system was created to translate easier to remember symbolic names to their equivalent numerical IP Address. Thus the Domain Name System was born.

Domain Name System

The Domain Name System is the system used on the Internet for the mapping of names, such as www.google.com, to IP Addresses such as 216.239.51.99. Every time a new domain, like pcprompt.net, is registered, that domain is entered into one of the 13 Root Servers spread throughout the world and overseen by an organization called ICANN. Because your domain is in one of these servers, it can be reached and understood by the rest of the users on the Internet.

Another key element of the Domain Name System are DNS Servers run by Companies and Internet Service Providers. Every time you connect to a site, you are asking your ISP's DNS Server to resolve, or convert, the hostname such as www.google.com to a an ip address such as 216.239.51.99. If your ISP's name server is not working or can not be reached, then you will not be able to traverse the Internet using hostnames, but instead would have to use their IP Address equivalent.

Any time you connect to a site, your ISP DNS Server must find out what name server has the information about the domain for the site you are trying to reach. Your ISP's DNS Server will connect to a Root Server and ask it who the name server is that knows the information about the site you are trying to reach. The Root Server will tell your ISP's DNS Server what server they should next contact for information. Next your ISP's DNS Server will then contact the server that the Root Server told it to contact, where it will be given the IP Address associated with the site you are trying to reach.

Real Life Example

A lot of what has been discussed may be a bit confusing, so lets do a real life example. In the flowchart below labeled Figure 1, you will see a computer trying to connect to www.google.com and the steps it takes.

We will discuss these steps below:

A User opens a web browser and tries to connect to www.google.com. The operating system not knowing the IP Address for www.google.com, asks the ISP's DNS Server for this information.
The ISP's DNS Server does not know this information, so it connects to a Root Server to find out what name server, running somewhere in the world, know the information about google.com.
The Root Server tells the ISP's DNS Server to contact a particular name server that knows the information about google.com.
The ISP's DNS Server connects to Google's DNS server and asks for the IP Address for www.google.com.
Google's DNS Server responds to the ISP's DNS server with the appropriate IP Address.
The ISP's DNS Server tells the User's operating system the IP Address for google.com.
The operating system tells the Web Browser the IP Address for www.google.com.
The web browser connects and starts communication with www.google.com.

Conclusion

As you can see, the Domain Name System is essential in the use of the Internet. Without it, you would not be able to type in names, but would have to remember the numerical IP Addresses in order to get anywhere on the Internet.

Reference: Internet

How DHCP Works

2012-05-17T09:08:00.000+05:30

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is a client/server protocol that automatically provides an Internet Protocol (IP) host with its IP address and other related configuration information such as the subnet mask and default gateway. RFCs 2131 and 2132 define DHCP as an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standard based on Bootstrap Protocol (BOOTP), a protocol with which DHCP shares many implementation details. DHCP allows hosts to obtain necessary TCP/IP configuration information from a DHCP server.

Benefits of DHCP

Reliable IP Address configuration
Reduced Network Administration

How DHCP Works

1.DHCP DISCOVER: The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) client broadcasts a DHCP discover message on the network containing its MAC address and NetBIOS destined for UDP port 68 (used by BOOTP and Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) servers). This first datagram is known as a DHCPDISCOVER message, which is a request to any DHCP server that receives the datagram for configuration information.

2.DHCP OFFER: Each DHCP server on the network that receives the request responds with a DHCP offer message as broadcast (UDP port 67) to the computer that issued the DHCPDISCOVER. An offered the IP address and subnet mask is also included in the message. If the DHCP client device received multiple DHCPOFFER, the DHCP client accepts the first DHCP offer that arrives.

3.DHCP REQUEST: The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) client accepts an offer and broadcasts a DHCPREQUEST datagram. The DHCPREQUEST datagram contains the IP address of the server that issued the offer and the physical address of the DHCP client. DHCPREQUEST message requests the selected DHCP server to assign the DHCP client an IP address and other TCP/IP configuration settings. DHCPREQUEST message also notifies all other DHCP servers that their offers were not accepted by the DHCP client.

4.DHCP ACK: When the DHCP server from which the offer was selected receives the DHCPREQUEST datagram, it constructs a DHCPACK datagram. This datagram is known as a DHCPACK (DHCP ACKNOWLEDGEMENT). The DHCPACK includes an IP address and subnet mask for the DHCP client. It may include other TCP/IP configuration information like IP addresses for the default gateway, IP addresses for DNS servers, IP addresses for WINS servers etc.

DHCP Terms and Definitions

Term	Definition
DHCP server	A computer running the DHCP Server service that holds information about available IP addresses and related configuration information as defined by the DHCP administrator and responds to requests from DHCP clients.
DHCP client	A computer that gets its IP configuration information by using DHCP.
Scope	A range of IP addresses that are available to be leased to DHCP clients by the DHCP Server service.
Lease	The length of time for which a DHCP client can use a DHCP-assigned IP address configuration.
Reservation	A specific IP address within a scope permanently set aside for leased use by a specific DHCP client. Client reservations are made in the DHCP database using the DHCP snap-in and are based on a unique client device identifier for each reserved entry.
Exclusionrange	One or more IP addresses within a DHCP scope that are not allocated by the DHCP Server service. Exclusions ensure that the specified IP addresses will not be offered to clients by the DHCP server as part of the general address pool.
APIPA	A TCP/IP feature in Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 that automatically configures a unique IP address from the range 169.254.0.1 through 169.254.255.254 with a subnet mask of 255.255.0.0 when the TCP/IP protocol is configured for automatic addressing, the Automatic private IP address alternate configuration setting is selected, and a DHCP server is not available. The APIPA range of IP addresses is reserved by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) for use on a single subnet, and IP addresses within this range are not used on the Internet.
Superscope	A configuration that allows a DHCP server to provide leases from more than one scope to clients on a single physical network segment.
Multicast IP	Multicast IP addresses allow multiple clients to receive data that is sent to a single IP address, enabling point-to-multipoint communication. This type of transmission is often used for streaming media transmissions, such as video conferencing.
Multicast Scope	A range of multicast IP addresses that can be assigned to DHCP clients. A multicast scope allows dynamic allocation of multicast IP addresses for use on the network by using the MADCAP protocol, as defined in RFC 2730.
BOOTP	An older protocol with similar functionality; DHCP is based on BOOTP. BOOTP is an established protocol standard used for configuring IP hosts. BOOTP was originally designed to enable boot configuration for diskless workstations. Most DHCP servers, including those running Windows Server 2003, can be configured to respond to both BOOTP requests and DHCP requests.

TCP And UDP Ports

2012-03-13T11:18:00.000+05:30

Introduction

Concept of Ports and how they work with IP addresses. If you have not read our article on IP addresses and need a brush up, you can find the article here. If you understand the concepts of IP addresses, then lets move on to TCP and UDP ports and how they work.

The devices and comptuers connected to the Internet use a protocol called TCP/IP to communicate with each other. When a computer in India wants to send a piece of data to a computer in England, it must know the destination IP address that it woud like to send the information to. That information is sent most often via two methods, UDP and TCP.

The two Internet workhorses: UDP and TCP

UDP? TCP? Getting confused, but I promise I will explain this in very basic terms so that you can understand this concept.

TCP stands for Transmission Control Protocol. Using this method,

The computer sending the data connects directly to the computer it is sending the data it to, and stays connected for the duration of the transfer. With this method, the two computers can guarantee that the data has arrived safely and correctly, and then they disconnect the connection. This method of transferring data tends to be quicker and more reliable, but puts a higher load on the computer as it has to monitor the connection and the data going across it. A real life comparison to this method would be to pick up the phone and call a friend. You have a conversation and when it is over, you both hang up, releasing the connection.

UDP stands for User Datagram Protocol.

Using this method, the computer sending the data packages the information into a nice little package and releases it into the network with the hopes that it will get to the right place. What this means is that UDP does not connect directly to the receiving computer like TCP does, but rather sends the data out and relies on the devices in between the sending computer and the receiving computer to get the data where it is supposed to go properly. This method of transmission does not provide any guarantee that the data you send will ever reach its destination. On the other hand, this method of transmission has a very low overhead and is therefore very popular to use for services that are not that important to work on the first try. A comparison you can use for this method is the plain old US Postal Service. You place your mail in the mailbox and hope the Postal Service will get it to the proper location. Most of the time they do, but sometimes it gets lost along the way.

Now that you understand what TCP and UDP are,

Then start discussing TCP and UDP ports in detail. Lets move on to the next section where we can describe the concept of ports better.

TCP and UDP Ports

As you know every computer or device on the Internet must have a unique number assigned to it called the IP address. This IP address is used to recognize your particular computer out of the millions of other computers connected to the Internet. When information is sent over the Internet to your computer how does your computer accept that information? It accepts that information by using TCP or UDP ports.

An easy way to understand ports is to imagine your IP address is a cable box and the ports are the different channels on that cable box. The cable company knows how to send cable to your cable box based upon a unique serial number associated with that box (IP Address), and then you receive the individual shows on different channels (Ports).

Ports work the same way. You have an IP address, and then many ports on that IP address. When I say many, I mean many. You can have a total of 65,535 TCP Ports and another 65,535 UDP ports.

When a program on your computer sends or receives data over the Internet it sends that data to an ip address and a specific port on the remote computer, and receives the data on a usually random port on its own computer.

If it uses the TCP protocol to send and receive the data then it will connect and bind itself to a TCP port. If it uses the UDP protocol to send and receive data, it will use a UDP port. Figure 1, below, is a represenation of an IP address split into its many TCP and UDP ports. Note that once an application binds itself to a particular port, that port can not be used by any other application. It is first come, first served.

<-------------------- 192.168.1.10 -------------------->

65531

65532

65533

65534

65535

Figure 1. IP address with Ports

This all probably still feels confusing to you, and there is nothing wrong with that, as this is a complicated concept to grasp. Therefore, I will give you an example of how this works in real life so you can have a better understanding. We will use web servers in our example as you all know that a web server is a computer running an application that allows other computers to connect to it and retrieve the web pages stored there.

In order for a web server to accept connections from remote computers, such as yourself, it must bind the web server application to a local port. It will then use this port to listen for and accept connections from remote computers. Web servers typically bind to the TCP port 80, which is what the http protocol uses by default, and then will wait and listen for connections from remote devices. Once a device is connected, it will send the requested web pages to the remote device, and when done disconnect the connection.

On the other hand, if you are the remote user connecting to a web server it would work in reverse. Your web browser would pick a random TCP port from a certain range of port numbers, and attempt to connect to port 80 on the IP address of the web server. When the connection is established, the web browser will send the request for a particular web page and receive it from the web server. Then both computers will disconnect the connection.

Now, what if you wanted to run an FTP server, which is a server that allows you to transfer and receive files from remote computers, on the same web server. FTP servers use TCP ports 20 and 21 to send and receive information, so you won't have any conflicts with the web server running on TCP port 80. Therefore, the FTP server application when it starts will bind itself to TCP ports 20 and 21, and wait for connections in order to send and receive data.

Most major applications have a specific port that they listen on and they register this information with an organization called IANA. You can see a list of applications and the ports they use at the IANA Registry. With developers registering the ports their applications use with IANA, the chances of two programs attempting to use the same port, and therefore causing a conflict, will be diminished.

Major Differents Between TCP & UDP

Remote Support with Windows Remote Assistance

2012-01-28T15:17:00.000+05:30

Before to Using Windows Remote Assistance

First of all, Windows Remote Assistance requires two parties: one to request help via this tool and another who will accept to provide it. In order for this to work, the party receiving assistance needs to have Windows Remote Assistance enabled in System Properties. How to view if this is enabled is shown here: Enabling Remote Desktop Connections in Windows 7.
The party in need of help, first has to request it via Windows Remote Assistance.

To request help, one can either send an invitation file (using any of the first two options: "Save this invitation as a file" or "Use e-mail to send an invitation") or use Easy Connect.

If any of the two parties involved is using a slow or unstable Internet connection, it is best to use one of the first two options. If both parties have a good Internet connection and they both use Windows 7, then Easy Connect is a good choice. This connection feature uses Microsoft’s Peer Name Resolution Protocol (PNRP) and it works only for Windows 7 and above.
Even if you have previously connected to it, you cannot connect to another computer via Windows Remote Assistance if it has not requested help and is waiting for an incoming connection.

How to Request Help via Windows Remote Assistance

First, you need to start Windows Remote Assistance. The fastest way to do this, is to type the word "remote" in the Start menu search box. Then, click on the Windows Remote Assistance shortcut.

Another way is to run the msra.exe file found in the "C:\Windows\system32" folder.
Click on "Invite someone you trust to help you".

Select the way you want to connect with the person who will help.

If you send an invitation, make sure the person receives it and knows about it. The invitation is stored as a file with the ".msrcIncident" extension, which is opened only by Windows Remote Assistance.
If you use Easy Connect, you will first see a list with people who have helped you in the past (only if you received help).

No matter how you send the request for help, once sent, Windows Remote Assistance shows a long password and starts waiting for incoming connection. Make sure the person who is about to connect to your computer knows the password, otherwise the connection won’t work.

How to Provide Help via Windows Remote Assistance

Start Windows Remote Assistance using any of the methods presented in the previous section. Then, select "Help someone who has invited you".

Now you need to choose the connection method. If you received an invitation, download it to your computer, click "Use an invitation file" and select that invitation file.
If you will "Use Easy Connect", Windows Remote Assistance will start searching for the other party. This process can take a while, especially if you are not part of the same network or one of the two connections is slow (or not very stable).

Once the other computer is found and the connection is about to be established, you are asked for the connection password. Get the connection password from the other party, type it and press OK.

The remote party will be asked to approve the connection. Your computer will wait until the approval is given.

You are now connected to the other computer via Windows Remote Assistance and you can see its desktop.

In order to take control and use the mouse and keyboard on the remote computer, you need to first press the Request control button and wait for the other party’s approval.

A good recommendation is for the remote party to check the box which says "Allow... to respond to User Account Control prompts", especially if you will need to install applications or configure important aspects of the operating system.

Available Configuration Options

On the top of the Windows Remote Assistance window, there is a toolbar with several buttons. Their number varies depending on the party involved. For example, Request control and Actual size/Fit to Screen are available only to the computer providing help.

Both parties can access the Chat feature and use it to communicate.

On the computer which receives assistance, you can configure, in the Settings window, the way bandwidth is used. If the connection works poorly, don’t hesitate to move the Bandwidth usage slider to Low.

Unfortunately the computer who provides assistance cannot configure this. It has only two configuration options available.

The Help button is pretty self-explanatory and loads help information related to using Windows Remote Assistance.
If the connection cannot be established, the party receiving help has a Troubleshoot button available, which can be used to start a troubleshooting wizard which helps identify where the problem is and how to fix it.

How to Use Remote desktop in Windows 7

2012-01-20T17:06:00.000+05:30

The Remote Desktop(RDP) utility lets you connect to your work computer from home and access all of your programs, files, and network resources as though you were actually sitting in front of your own computer. Creating the remote desktop connection in Windows 7 is almost the same as in the older versions of Windows. This post will cover the following
things:

1. How to enable the remote desktop connection feature on a Windows 7 machine
2. How to Remotely connect any other Windows based machine from Windows 7

How To Enable Remote Desktop in Windows 7

First click the Start button on your desktop, now right click the Computer option from the start menu and select its properties.

Then click the Remote settings option in the next window.

Now make sure to enable the option Allow connections from computers running any version of Remote Desktop in the System Properties dialogue box.

Click Apply and the remote desktop connections feature will be enabled on your Windows 7 machine.

How To Establish A Remote Desktop Connection From Windows 7

Firs of all click Start > All Programs > Accessories > Remote Desktop Connection link.

The Remote Desktop dialogue box will be displayed, here specify the IP address of the remote machine to which you are going to connect.

Click Here to know about IP Address

Click the Connect button, now it will try to access your specified machine and if the machine is running and remote connections are enabled on it, then it will prompt for the username and password of that machine. I accessed my XP machine from Windows 7 via remote desktop.

Done!!!

Sceduled Disk Clean Up

2012-01-19T15:52:00.000+05:30

Windows includes some handy tools to help keep your machine operating smoothly. One such tool is Disk Cleanup that can remove temp and old files to help you reclaim some hard drive space. You might want to set it up to run weekly or monthly depending on what works best for you. To schedule Disk Cleanup to run on a regular basis we need to schedule a task. For this example we’re using Windows 7, but the steps are essentially the same in Vista as well.

Click on the Start Menu and enter task scheduler into the search box and hit Enter.

The Task Scheduler opens and you’ll want to click on Action then select Create Basic Task.

The Create Basic Task Wizard comes up and from here type in a name for the task and a description then click Next.

Now select how often you want Disk Cleanup to run…Weekly, Daily, Monthly, One Time etc. There is not right or wrong answer to how often you run it. It’s completely up to you and you might want to try out some different schedules. In this example we’re going to select weekly.

Since we set it up to run weekly we need to schedule it when to start, how often it reoccurs, and which day of the week to run it.

Next under Action select Start a program

In the Program/script field type in cleanmgr.exe

Or you can hit browse and select Disk Cleanup which is in C:\Windowssystem32\cleanmgr.exe

Under Program/script you’ll see the path to Disk Cleanup as C:\Windows\system32\cleanmgr.exe

Then you’re shown a summary of the scheduled task and if everything looks correct click on Finish.

For this basic setting we scheduled it for a time when we know the computer will be in use. When it’s time for the Scheduled Task to occur it will pop up and you can run it by selecting the drive to clean up.

Disk Cleanup starts its calculations

Now the results and you can choose the files to delete.

How to Setup Voice Recognition in Windows 7

2012-01-15T15:04:00.000+05:30

Speech Recognition technology allows you to control your computer by speaking. When you talk, the software will intelligently decide whether to convert your voice into text, such as to allow you to dictate documents and e-mails, or whether you have given a command that requires it to take an action.

How to Setting Up in WIndows 7

Plug-in your microphone.
Click Start
Search for “speech recognition” and click on Windows Speech Recognition
If this is your first time using Speech Recognition (it likely is, since you’re reading this), a Microphone Setup Wizard will pop-up, asking you to do some stuff

Follow the instructions, and after your microphone is set up.

Warning: This might take 15 mins – 30 mins. But if you’re new to this, don’t worry, Windows will walk you though.
Try to pay attention during the tutorial, it’ll tell you everything you need to use Window’s Inbuilt Features
After you’re done the tutorial, just click the microphone on the Windows Speech Recognition Bar, and watch the Microphone button glow blue. Now you’re ready to speak… to your computer!

That’s all there is to it. A few words of caution though:

Dictating to your computer might sound easy, but you’re computer certainly isn’t a human, and chances are that it will only understand you most of the time, missing difficult to interpret words.
Be careful when you are talking to someone else and your microphone is turned on.
Make sure you use the correct command instead of typing things on your own, windows learn from it and become better.

How to Create a System Image in Windows 7

2012-01-10T14:41:00.000+05:30

We can take a backup image of our 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.

Reference Link: Click Here

How to Fix Msvcp71.dll and Msvcr71.dll missing error

2011-12-29T12:49:00.000+05:30

Do you get Msvcp71.dll and Msvcr71.dll missing error when running a program in Windows 7? Both are Microsoft C Runtime Library files and it seems as if Microsoft forgot to add them to Windows 7. Some programs require you to have both files for it to work successfully.

We have uploaded both dll files for you(grab them from the bottom of this page),
but the bigger question is how to install them?
Before we begin, have a look at the errors in the screenshot below.

Installation In Windows 7 32-bit OS

If you are using Windows 7 32-bit then you need to put both dll files inside Windows/System32 folder as shown in the screenshot below.

Installation In Windows 7 64-bit OS

If you are using Windows 7 64-bit then you need to put both dll files inside the Windows/SysWOW64 folder as shown in the screenshot below.

We have put both dll files inside one zip archive, simply extract them and follow the above guidelines to install them.

Download Link
OR

Mirror

How to use parental Controls in Windows 7

2011-12-23T16:57:00.000+05:30

Parental constrols help you manage how you want others to use the computer. For example, you can set limits on the hours that your children can use the computer, the types of games they can play, and the programs they can run.

When Parental Controls blocks access to a game or program, a notification is displayed that the program has been blocked. Your child can click a link in the notification to request permission for access to that game or program. You can allow access by entering your account information.

Note: To Set up Parental Controls for any user, you'll need your own administrator user account. Before you get started, make sure each user/person that you want to set up Parental Controls for has a standard user account. Parental Controls can be applied only to standard user accounts.

Steps to Apply Parental Controls:

1. Click the Start button to view the Start Menu and then choose the Control Panel option.

2. The Control Panel window opens up. Click on the All Control Panel Items.

3. Window shows all control panel items. Click on Parental Controls.

If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation. Window opens up.

4. Click the standard user account that you want to set Parental Controls for. Eg. Click on Child account.

5. Under Parental Controls, click On, enforce current settings.

6. Once you've turned on Parental Controls for your child's standard user account, you can adjust the following individual settings that you want to control:

6.1 Time limits. Click Time Limits. You can set time limits to control when children are allowed to log on to the computer. Time limits prevent children from logging on during the specified hours. You can set different logon hours for every day of the week. If they're logged on when their allotted time ends, they'll be automatically logged off. Click Ok.

6.2 Games. Click on Games. You can control access to games, choose an age-rating level, choose the types of content you want to block, and decide whether you want to allow or block unrated or specific games.

Specify which games children can play. Click on Set game ratings, the window opens up.

6.3 Block or allow specific games.

7. Allow or block specific programs. You can prevent children from running programs that you don't want them to run.

Click on Allow or block specific programs in the User Control window.

Choose the option Child can only use the programs I allow and check the programs from the list you want to allow and click Ok.

Click Ok to apply Parental Controls to the account Child.

How To Enable Or Disable Network Discovery In Windows 7

2011-12-18T12:32:00.000+05:30

Network Discovery option allows you to configure your computer so that you can make your computer visible or invisible in network. When Network Discovery option is turned ON in your PC, other users in your network can find your computer. To configure this option, proceed with the following steps:

1. Click Start –> Control Panel
2. Make sure the “View by:” is set to “Large icons” or “Small icons”. Click on “Network and Sharing Center”. option.

3. In the left pane of the Network and Sharing Center”, “Change advanced sharing settings”. option.

4. Expand “Home or Work” section by clicking on the drop down arrow as shown in the screen shot below.

5. Check the radio button “ Turn on network discovery”.

6. Click “Save Changes” button.
That’s it. Your PC will now be visible in Network.
At any point of time, if you wish to hide your PC in network, check the option”Turn off network discovery” and click “Save changes” button.

How to Shrink System partition in Windows 7

2011-12-14T12:18:00.000+05:30

The system partition (meaning the partition on which the operating system is installed on) is a place that just begs for more space as time goes by. In most cases, proper design before the installation of the operating system will prevent you from having to extend that system partition (read more about it in article on how to extend the system partition in Windows 7)

Previous Microsoft operating systems had some internal mechanism to shrink partitions. But there were limitations on these operations. Some 3rd-party applications could (and still can) be used to extend partitions, but in this article, like the one mentioned above, we want to focus on internal tools.

Windows 7 allows for an easy, out-of-the-box, method of shrinking partitions (any partition, including the system partition) and making them smaller.

2 Ways to Complete this task

1. Shrink with GUI interface:

1. Log on as an Administrator.

2. Go to Control Panel > System and Maintenance > Administrative Tools > Computer Management. You can also open the Computer Management application by using the Computer context menu. Select Computer Management.

In fact, you can go directly to the Disk Management MMC snap-in by typing diskmgmt.msc in the Start's search box or on the Run command.

If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

3. Expand the Storage section, and in it go to the Disk Management console.

4. Select the disk you want to shrink, for example Drive C.

5. Right-click the disk and select Shrink Volume.

6. Process will take a few moments, while the system is looking at the partition structure. Note that it would be best to make sure that that partition was properly defragmented prior to trying to shrink it.

7. When calculation is done, the UI will display the largest amount of space that can be trimmed from the selected partition. Please note, again, that this size is related to the actual amount of free space on that partition (i.e. you cannot shrink more that there is free space), and the amount of file fragmentation on that partition.

Enter the amount in MB and click on the Shrink button.

8. The process will finish quite quickly, and a reboot is NOT required. You can notice the new partition size. Also note that you now have a remaining unused part on the hard drive.

Installation of Windows 7

Windows Xp Mode in Windows 7

Common problems in Windows

USB Password Locker in winows 7

2. Shrink with Command line interface:

Extending a partition or volume can be done via the CLI, or command line interface. In order to do that perform the following steps:
1. Click Start and type CMD, then press Enter. It is best to run the Command Prompt as an Administrator. To do so, right-click CMD and select "Run as Administrator".
BTW, you can also hover over the CMD line and press CTRL + SHIFT + ENTER to invoke the "Run as Administrator" shortcut.
2. In the command prompt type

Diskpart

3. Select the right disk drive and partition to work on. Typically, in Windows 7, this should be disk 0 and partition 2, but please make sure you do select the right disk and partition before continuing. You can do so by performing a LIST operation to view your existing disks and partitions BEFORE attempting to expand the wrong partition.

List disk
Select disk 0
List partition
Select partition 2

4. When the right disk and partitions were selected, run the SHRINK command which reduces the size of the volume with focus by the specified amount, and makes free disk space available from unused space at the end of the volume.
SHRINK has some parameters we need to talk about:
DESIRED=<N> - Specifies the desired amount of space in megabytes (MB) to reduce the size of the volume by. If a desired amount is not specified, the volume will be reduced by the maximum amount of free space available on the volume.
MINIMUM=<N> - Specifies the minimum amount of space in MB to reduce the size of the volume by.
QUERYMAX - Returns the maximum number of bytes that the volume can be reduced by (the free space available on the volume). This value may change if applications are currently accessing the volume.
If a MINIMUM amount is not specified, the volume will be reduced by either the DESIRED amount (if specified), or by the maximum amount of free space available on the volume. If a MINIMUM amount is specified but not enough free space is available, the command will fail. This command works on basic volumes, and on simple or spanned dynamic volumes. You can reduce the size of a volume only if it is formatted using the NTFS file system or if it does not have a file system.

For example:

Shrink QUERYMAX

The above command will return the maximum number of bytes that the volume can be reduced.

shrink DESIRED=500 MINIMUM=250

Will shrink the partition by 500 MB, if possible, and if it cannot shrink by 500 MB, it will at least attempt to shrink it by 250 MB.

shrink DESIRED=10000

Will shrink the partition by 10000 MB.

5. You may check the new partition size by running the list command, again.

List partition

6. You must now exit DISKPART by using the Exit command.

Exit

BTW, as a general tip and so that you know, you can use the above procedures also on Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2.

Related:

Drive Encryption in windows 7
Network topology
Common Installation Errors in Windows 7

How to password lock USB with Bitlocker

2011-12-13T12:10:00.000+05:30

How it works:

Basically, BitLocker To Go allows you to encrypt a USB drive and restrict access with a password. Without the password, the USB drive is worthless. When you connect the USB drive to a Windows 7 computer, you are prompted for the password and upon entering it you can read and write to the drive as you normally would.

During the encryption process, Windows 7 installs a special reader on the USB drive. When you connect the USB drive to a computer running XP or Vista, the BitLocker To Go Reader takes control, prompts for the password, and then basically makes the USB drive a read-only device.

BitLocker To Go can be used by both home and business users.

Settitng up a USB Drive:

Setting up BitLocker To Go on a USB drive is a simple procedure. Once you insert a USB drive, right-click on it and select the Turn on BitLocker command from the menu, as shown in below

When you right- click on na USB drive in windows 7, you can see tthe turn on Bitlocker command

As soon as you do, BitLocker To Go will begin initializing your USB drive, as shown in below. The process is nondestructive, so you don’t have to worry about any data that is already on the drive.

When Bitlocker TO GO initiallize your USB Drive , You dont have to worry about any data that is already on the drive

Once the initialization process is complete, BitLocker To Go will prompt you to set up a password that you will use to unlock the drive, as shown in below. If you have a smart card, you can use its PIN to unlock the drive.

You can use a password or a smart card to unlock a Bitlocker To GO protected drive
After you set up a password or use a smart card, BitLocker To Go will prompt you to store a recovery key, as shown in below. You can use the recovery key to unlock your drive in the event that you forget the password or lose your smart card.

Ensure that you don't lock yourself out of your drive, Bitlocker To GO will create a recovery key.

When you create the password and save your recovery key, you’ll be prompted to begin the encryption process, as shown in below

You will be prompted to begin the encryption process once you save the recovery key.
During the encryption process, you’ll see a standard progress monitor that will keep you apprised of the operation, as shown in below. The amount of time that it will take to complete the process will depend on how large the drive is. As you can see, there is a Pause button that will allow you to temporarily halt the process should you need to perform another task.

A Progress monitor will keep you apprised of the encryption process
Of course, once the encryption is complete, BitLocker To Go displays a confirmation dialog box and changes the icon associated with the encrypted drive, as shown in below

When the encryption is complete, you’ll notice that the drive icon shows a lock on the drive.

Using a BitLocker To Go encrypted drive in Windows 7

When you later insert the BitLocker To Go encrypted drive in the Windows 7 system, you will immediately be prompted to enter the password, as shown in below. If you wish, you can select the Show Password Characters as I Type Them check box, so that you can see the letters; otherwise, you’ll see asterisks. After you type the password, you can select the Automatically Unlock on This Computer from Now On check box to store the password in Windows 7’s password cache.

When you insert the BitLocker To Go encrypted drive in Windows 7 system, you will immediately be prompted for a password.

Once you click Unlock, you’ll see an AutoPlay dialog box that prompts you to view the files or use ReadyBoost, as shown in below. When you click the Open Folder to View Files button, you will be able to access the drive and its contents as you normally would.

When the AutoPlay dialog box appears, click the Open Folder to View Files button.

Using a BitLocker To Go encrypted drive in Windows XP/Vista

When you insert the BitLocker To Go encrypted drive in a Windows XP or Vista system, you will see an AutoPlay dialog box that prompts you to install the BitLocker To Go Reader, as shown in below . When you click this button, it will take just a moment to install and run the Reader.

When you insert the BitLocker To Go encrypted drive in a Windows XP or Vista system, you will be prompted to install the BitLocker To Go Reader.

You’ll then see the BitLocker To Go Reader dialog box, which will prompt you to enter your password, as shown in below. Notice that the Automatically Unlock on This Computer from Now On check box is missing from this dialog box. However, the Show Password Characters check box is still available.

BitLocker To Go Reader will prompt you to enter your password.

After you type the password and click the Unlock button, you’ll see the BitLocker To Go Reader window, which essentially looks like Windows Explorer, as shown in below. However, it doesn’t work like Windows Explorer.

The BitLocker To Go Reader window allows you to access files on an encrypted drive on a Windows XP or Vista system.

If you attempt to open any file by double-clicking it in the BitLocker To Go Reader window, you’ll immediately be prompted to copy the file to the desktop, as shown in below — you won’t be able to open the file on the USB drive.

You cannot open files on an encrypted drive from the BitLocker To Go Reader.

If you attempt to copy a file from the computer to the BitLocker To Go Reader window, you’ll immediately see the error message shown in below.

You cannot copy files to an encrypted drive from the BitLocker To Go Reader.

What is IPV6

2011-12-11T12:38:00.000+05:30

Internet Protocol Version (IPv6) is a successor of (IPv4), IPv6 is a newer version of IPv4, The reason for creating IPv6 is to solve problems of IPv4, IPv6 standards has pretty much more advantages than the previous IPv4 standards It is also known as the internet Next generation Protocol.

While IPv4 allows 32 bits for an Internet Protocol address, and supports 2³² (4,294,967,296) addresses, IPv6 uses 128-bit addresses, so the new Ipv6 address space supports 2¹²⁸(approximately 340 undecillion or 3.4×10³⁸) addresses, That’s really huge, I mean you can assign IPv6 Ip address to every device and have Ip address for every square feet on the earth. As per Experts their opinion is that ipv6 will never get exhausted.

IPv6 Features

Aggregation-based address hierarchy

Larger Address Space

64 bits field alignment

Simpler basic header

No fragmentation by routers

Security

IP renumbering part of the protocol

Auto configuration

Number of addresses

Mobility

Seamless transition

Don’t require a day X for switching to IPv6, Simple configuration

There is a good Efficiency in routers for low and very high bandwidth (100G/bytes) and more.

IPv6 Addressing

Address size moved from 32-BIT (IPv4) To 128-BIT (IPv6)

Provides 340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431,770,000,000 (340 Unidcilion, 282 dicilion, 366 Non-Nilion, 920 Octilion, 938 Septilion….. It goes on)

To make address more manageable, divided into 8 Groups of 4 HEX Characters Each.

IPv6 Address

2001:0050:0000:0000:0000:0AB4:1E2B:98AA

Rule 1 : Eliminate 6 Groups of Consecutive zeroes

2001:0050::0AB4:1E2B:98AA

Only once :: (in an IP address)

Rule 2 : Eliminate leading zeros

2001:50::AB4:1E2B:98AA

Loopback for IPv4 : 127.0.0.0

Loopback for Ipv6 : :: 1

TYPES OF COMMUNICATION AND ADDRESS

Unicast : One – to – One

Multicast : One – to – Many

Anycast : One – to – Closest

Link-local Scope address : Layer 2 Domain

Global Scope address : Internet

Link-Local address

Assigned automatically as an IPv6 Host comes online

Always begins with “FE80” (First 10 Bits : 1111 1110 10) Followed by 54 bits of zeros

Similar to the 169.254.X.X address of IPv4

Last 64 Bits is the 48-Bit Mac address with “FFFE”Squeezed in the middleEx :FE80::C200:12FF:FED0:0

FF02 ::1 : Broadcast

FF02 ::2 : Multicast

FF02 ::1 : FFO:2 { Node Address, Replacement for ARP }

FF02 ::1 : FFE8:0 { Node Address, Replacement for ARP }

Global Address

Global Routing prefix is 64 bits or less

The primary address expected to comprise the IPv6 interface are from the 2001::/16 Subnet

Subnet ID is comprised of whatever Bits are left over after Global Routing Prefix

Ex : 2001:11AA::/64

Command Prompt errors & solution in Networking

2011-12-05T12:08:00.000+05:30

Common run Command Errors

A] ipconfig — Media disconnected

Issue

Cable not connected
The device on the other side is turned off

Solution

Check with different cables
Turn on the other devices

B] Ipconfig — Windows IP configuration

Issue

N/w card is disabled

Solution

Enable n/w card

C] Ping — destination host unreachable

Issue:

The device you are trying to ping is turned off

The device you are trying to ping is not a part of the network

Solution

Check the IP address
Disable firewall on both ends
Disable and Enable the N/w card

D] Ping–Request timed out

Issue:

Destination devices has received the packets but not responding to it

Solution

Disable firewall
Disable/Enable network card

E] Ping — error code 64 or ping transmit error

Issue

Because of firewalls specially zone alarm

Solution

Disable firewall and zone alarm

How to Clean Install via Recovery Interface

2011-12-04T11:32:00.000+05:30

Windows 7 provides a directed clean installation interface, which walks you through the steps to reinstall Windows 7. On a PC which was purchased with Windows 7 preinstalled (OEM), you may also find options here to restore to the original configuration of the PC – an OEM version of a clean install.

To access the interface, go to Control Panel, Recovery. The clean install option is shown in theAdvanced Recovery interface as Reinstall Windows.

Re install Windows:

When you click Reinstall Windows in the Advanced Recovery Methods interface, the first step is a check for Windows installation files.

If you click No here, the reinstall cannot proceed. Note that this step also guides you to use the OEM recovery disc instructions; if that is the Windows media you have available. This Recovery path is not intended to start the OEM restore procedure.

Backup:

After you click Yes in the Windows installation disc prompt, you are taken to the User File Backupstep, shown below. This gives you a chance to make a backup of your files before this reinstall of Windows.

Clicking Back up now opens the Set up backup interface as shown below. This is the same interface as you see when you start the backup from Backup and Restore.

Once difference you will find in the backup steps is that you are not given a chance to include a system image in the backup. This is because it is assumed that the current Windows state should not be restored.

Restore:

When you have completed your backup, or if you chose Skip at the previous restore step, you are taken to the Restart prompt. Clicking Restart here initiates a reboot into WinRE.

Recover WinRE:

When WinRE starts, you will see an initial input method/language prompt. This is the same prompt shown when using Startup Repair.

Next is a confirmation step asking “Are you sure you want to reinstall Windows?”. This reiterates the consequences of the reinstall – the current installation will be moved to Windows.old, and you will need to reinstall your programs.

If the Windows installation disc is in the drive, setup proceeds. If the media is not found, you will see the prompt to insert media, as shown below.

There are no further prompts until the Windows Welcome steps. There is no need to accept the license terms, or make other install selections in this procedure. The reinstall process leaves the current file system intact and performs a clean install to the current Windows partition, leaving a Windows.old folder with the previous installation.

Completing Reinstallation:

The first Windows Welcome step is shown below. This is the next input step for this process.

Once you have completed setup, the first time you log on to Windows, you will see a prompt to restore files from backup. This is shown below.

Clicking Restore my files opens the restore interface, where you can select a backup form which to restore files.

Problem Step Recorder in Windows 7

2011-12-03T16:32:00.000+05:30

One of tools in Windows 7 is the Problem Steps Recorder (PSR). If you are having a problem with a program or your computer, you can use the PSR to recreate and record the steps you took and the errors/problems encountered. The PSR saves screenshots of each step, saves them in a zip File,
which you in turn send to someone to help you fix the problem. Or, it can be used to show steps you are taking to use a program or application so the developer can see if you did it right.

Here is how to use it:

Start--->Run , type psr.exe

It looks like this:

Now, it gets real simple! Just click Start Record,

Recreate your problem or show steps you are taking, etc., and when you are done click Stop Record. You can even add comments to your file. By default, it saves it to your desktop so you can find the zip file easily and you can name it something identifiable.

Once the session has been saved you can open the.ZIP file created by PSR to view the recorded session. The .ZIP file contains a .MHT file which contains an image for each mouse click by the customer highlighted in green.

Common Problems in Windows

2011-11-23T17:21:00.000+05:30

Learn about some free software utilities that will help you fix the most common Windows problems. They are all compatible with Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7.

Fix Windows Problems with Free Tools

Q1. I am trying to delete a file from my desktop but

the computer won’t let me do that. Instead, it throws me an error message saying that the file /folder is in use by another program or user.

A: You can either reboot your computer in Safe mode to delete that file or, if you want something more simple, get Unlocker. It’s a free utility that will let you close all the processes that have possibly locked the file and once they are closed, you can then safely delete the file.

Q2. I am trying to play a video file on my computer but the media player says that I am missing certain codecs.

A: You can use a tool like Video Inspector to determine which audio and video codecs are required to play the video file on your computer. Alternatively, you can download a codec package like the K-Lite Pack (Click for Free download) that will let you play virtually any audio and video format on your computer.

Q3. I am running out of disk space on my Windows computer. How can I remove all the unnecessary files from the computer and recover some disk space?

A: There are three things you can do here:

Open the Run box and type “cleanmgr” to open the built-in Disk Cleanup utility. It will remove all the temp files and the unnecessary system files that you no longer need.
Use WinDirStat to determine where all your disk space has gone. Sometimes files are hidden in sub-directories that you can safely move to other drives or even delete them permanently.
Use Duplicate Cleaner to identify and delete all the duplicate files on your hard drives. You can move the duplicates to the recycle bin or, if you want to play safe, to any another folder from where they can be easily recovered.

Q4. My computer takes lot of time to boot-up. I checked the “start-up” folder in the Windows start menu and there aren’t any applications out there.

A: Type “msconfig” in the Run box to open the “System Configuration” tool and then switch to the “Start-up” tab. Disable all the programs that you don’t need to run during start-up. If you are a power user, you may also switch to the “Services” tab and disable all the unnecessary services.

Autoruns is another excellent utility that shows you what programs are configured to run during system bootup or login.

Q5. I am trying to uninstall a program from my computer but the standard add-remove programs is not letting me through.

A: You can use the free Revo Uninstaller utility to remove every single trace of any program from your computer. Revo can also remove entries from the Windows Registry that may have been left by previous un-installation routines.

Q6. My Windows crashed with a “Blue Screen.” Why?

A: You really need to get in touch with a geek to debug the cryptic Blue Screen errors (aka “Blue Screen of Death”) but if you are lucky, a free utility called BlueScreenView can provide vital clues. Blue Screen View will scan the Windows dump files to determine the device drivers that possibly caused the crash.

Q7. It takes ages to copy files in Windows from one folder to another. The situation is marginally better in Windows 7 (over Vista) but still, is there a way to copy files faster?

A: You can use an external file copying utility like TeraCopy – this is not only copy /move files across drives faster but you can also resume broken file transfers (similiar to FTP operations).

Q8. I think I deleted a file by mistake. Can I recover it?

A: Recuva is a free software that will scan your hard drives, USB stick and other external drives for any deleted files that it can possibly recover. It may not work in all cases especially when you securely deleted a file.

Q9. Every time I copy something new to the Windows clipboard, the previous content gets erased. Can I make it permanent?

A: You can use Ditto, a free utility that sort-of adds memory to your Windows Clipboard. You can copy anything to the clipboard and it will stay there as long as you want.

Q10. How do I protect files and folders on my computer?

A: While there are free tools like Hide Folder that let you easily protect files and folders with a password, use TrueCrypt if you want a more secure solution. The obvious downside with a program like TrueCrypt is that if you forget the password, it is nearly impossible to retrieve the protected files.

What is Cloud Computing

2011-11-22T15:09:00.000+05:30

Cloud computing is known as Internet based computing, with shared resources, software and information are provided to computers and other devices based on requirement. Cloud Computing is a Computing in which services and softwares are provided over the Internet (or “cloud”). Cloud Computing is a technology used to access services offered on the Internet cloud.

Normally cloud computing is a good way to run your business. Instead of running your softwares yourself in your server, Applications run on a shared data center. When you use any application that runs in the cloud, you just log in, change settings, and start using it. Cloud computing is a simple concept , software and services are delivered over the web and through a browser, with no server or client software to install. Cloud computing tools are available any time, anywhere, from any device connecting to the Internet.

The basic concept of cloud computing is using software via the Internet instead of installing it onto your computer. You use an online company to retrieve a particular program. The abstract image of the cloud refers to the Internet. From this cloud, you can find programs that you want to utilize. Through web browser you can access programs from cloud.

There two main part of cloud computing are the front and back ends. The front end is what the user sees. This involves the network and applications being used. The back end involves the computers, data storage devices, and servers that compose the cloud. Every web application that you’ve ever used, like Gmail, Google Calendar, Hotmail, SalesForce, Dropbox, and Google Docs, are based on “cloud computing”, because when you connect to one of these services, you’re really connecting to a group of servers somewhere out there on the internet.

Cloud Computing Is Dangerous ?

Main fact that cloud computing services are shared all over the world and could be shut down at any time.If any problem in cloud computing server it will affect complete clients connected to that server. The basic fact that you are sharing data with world in big security risk. Example, If I have my server with my data than at least I know that I can protect my data, but if I mix my data with hundreds of servers storing others data as well and if there might be one hole in any application, that will allow a virus to move to the others and it affecting my data. Facebook , Google and other cloud Computing service companies now using more security options for protect user data from external application access.

I hope it is useful for all users. Share your comments about it in the comments box below

Reference: