Info Technologhy

MOBIMB MOBILE

2009-01-13T21:32:00.000+07:00

Download MOBIMB MOBILE MEDIA BROWSER VER 3.5.3

Technorati Tags: MOBIMB MOBILE MEDIA BROWSER VER 3.5.3

Features
01.Browse your phone's folders using a simple explorer-style user interface
02.Drag & drop ringtones and graphics into the phone to use as a ringtone/logo
03.Manage your photos, music and other media files
04.Drag & drop Java MIDlets into the Games and Applications folders on your phone
05.Uploads files without affecting their original quality
06.Select colour wallpaper, operator logo, startup logos from your PC
07.Preview images and audio files on your PC (requires media player)
08.Save your existing files to your PC
About 387 phone types supported
Nokia 1110/1110B/1110i/1112
Nokia 1112B/1116
Nokia 1600/1600B/1650/1650b
Nokia 1680 Classic/1680 Classic 2b/1681 Classic 2b
Nokia 2112/2115i/2118
Nokia 2125/2125i/2126/2126i
Nokia 2128i
Nokia 2255
Nokia 2300/2300B/2310
Nokia 2355 /2362 /2365i /2366i
Nokia 2367i
Nokia 2505
Nokia 2600/2600B
Nokia 2600 Classic/2600 Classic B/2610/2610b
Nokia 2611/2626/2630/2650
Nokia 2651/2652/2660/2680 Slide
Nokia 2680 Slide 2/2680 Slide 2b
Nokia 2760/2760h
Nokia 2855 /2855i /2865 /2865i
Nokia 2875 /2875i
Nokia 3100/3100b/3105/3108
Nokia 3109 Classic/3109 Classic B/3110 Classic/3120
Nokia 3120b/3120 Classic/3125/3128
Nokia 3129/3152/3155/3155i
Nokia 3200/3200B/3205/3205i
Nokia 3220/3220b
Nokia 3230 /3250
Nokia 3300/3300B
Nokia 3500 Classic
Nokia 3510
Nokia 3510i/3520/3530/3560
Nokia 3570/3585/3585i
Nokia 3586/3586i/3587i
Nokia 3588i/3589i
Nokia 3590
Nokia 3595
Nokia 5070/5070B
Nokia 5100/5100A/5140/5140b
Nokia 5140i
Nokia 5000/5000d-2/5000d-2b
Nokia 5200
Nokia 5300
Nokia 5310 XpressMusic
Nokia 5500
Nokia 6010/6011i/6012/6015
Nokia 6015i/6016i/6019i/6020
Nokia 6020B/6021/6030/6030B
Nokia 6060/6060v/6061/6066
Nokia 6070/6070B/6080/6080B
Nokia 6085/6085H/6086/6086b
Nokia 6100/6101/6101b/6102
Nokia 6102b/6102h/6102i/6103
Nokia 6103b/6108/6111/6112
Nokia 6125/6126/6126h/6131
Nokia 6131 NFC/6133/6133b/6135
Nokia 6136/6136b/6151/6152
Nokia 6155/6155i/6165/6165i
Nokia 6170/6170B/6175i/6178i
Nokia 6200/6220/6225/6225i
Nokia 6230/6230b/6230i/6233
Nokia 6234/6235/6235i/6236i
Nokia 6255/6255i/6256/6256i
Nokia 6260 /6260b
Nokia 6263/6265/6267/6265i
Nokia 6270/6275/6275i/6280
Nokia 6282/6288
Nokia 6300/6300B/6300i/6301
Nokia 6305i
Nokia 6310i
Nokia 6500 Classic/6500 Slide/6555/6555b
Nokia 6555c/6560/6585/6585i
Nokia 6610/6610i
Nokia 6620 /6630
Nokia 6650/6651
Nokia 6670 /6670b /6680 /6681
Nokia 6682
Nokia 6800/6800A/6810/6820
Nokia 6820B/6820i/6822/6822b
Nokia 7070 Prism/7070 Prism d-2/7070 Prism d-2b
Nokia 7200/7200B/7210
Nokia 7210 Supernova /7212 Supernova
Nokia 7250/7250i/7260/7270
Nokia 7270B/7280/7280B
Nokia 7360/7370/7373/7380
Nokia 7390
Nokia 7500 Prism
Nokia 7600
Nokia 7610 /7610B
Nokia 7610 Supernova
Nokia 7710
Nokia 7900 Prism
Nokia 8600 luna
Nokia 8800/8800d (Sirocco)/8800 Arte/8800 Sapphire Arte
Nokia 8801
Nokia 8910i
Nokia 9300 /9300i
Nokia 9500 /9500b
Nokia E50 /E51
Nokia E60 /E61 /E62 /E65
Nokia E70
Nokia N70 /N70-5 /N71 /N71-5
Nokia N72-5 /N73-5 /N73 /N75-3
Nokia N80-3 /N80 /N80 (02)
Nokia N90 /N91-2 /N91-5/N91-6 /N92
Nokia N93 /N93-5 /N95 /N95 8GB
Sony Ericsson D750i
Sony Ericsson F500
Sony Ericsson J300a /J300c /J300i
Sony Ericsson K300a /K300c /K300i
Sony Ericsson K500c /K500i /K506c /K508c
Sony Ericsson K508i
Sony Ericsson K600 /K608i
Sony Ericsson K700c /K700i /K750c /K750i
Sony Ericsson S700 /S710a
Sony Ericsson T610 /T616 /T618 /T628
Sony Ericsson T630 /T637
Sony Ericsson V600i
Sony Ericsson V800
Sony Ericsson W600
Sony Ericsson W800c /W800i
Sony Ericsson Z500 /Z520a /Z520c /Z520i
Sony Ericsson Z600 /Z608
Sony Ericsson Z800
Sony Ericsson Z1010
Motorola A835
Motorola C350g /C353 /C359
Motorola C650
Motorola E1 ROKR
Motorola E398
Motorola E550
Motorola E680 /E680i
Motorola E815
Motorola v80
Motorola v180 /v186
Motorola v220
Motorola V3 RAZR
Motorola v300
Motorola v500 /v501 /v505
Motorola v535 /v545 /v550
Motorola v600
Motorola v620
Motorola v635
Motorola v710
Samsung D500
Samsung E720 /E730 /E780
Download | 1.9
Download MOBIMB MOBILE MEDIA BROWSER VER 3.5.3

Interesting Sites

2009-01-11T08:52:00.000+07:00

Technorati Tags: interesting sites

Interesting Sites on the WWW

This page contains links to interesting sites and (free) tools for tweaking Windows and solving most of your Windows problems. Most of the links are mentioned elsewhere on this website and divided in the following categories:

Windows
Hardware
Partition\Multiboot\MSDOS
Bootdisk/boot CD
TWEAK Software
Registry tools
System cleaning
Office utilities
Internet tools
Security
Free online virusscans
Recovering passwords
ZIP/image software
FTP software
Live Messenger
PDF software
Other software
Interesting Windows links

Forwarding ports

2009-01-11T08:48:00.001+07:00

Technorati Tags: forwarding ports

Forwarding ports on the modem/router

For some applications (like file sharing software), it is necessary that specific ports on the modem (and router) are forwarded to the computer. This page describes broadly outlined how this is done. For this purpose, a computer connected to an Alcatel SpeedTouch ADSL modem is used. The example continuous with a SMC-router since many are using a (wireless) router, which is situated between the modem and the computer(s).

ATTENTION: The Alcatel SpeedTouch ADSL modem operates as a router as well. A device which combines modem and router functionality is called a modem-router. Because the router functionality of a SpeedTouch is not that well, it is wise to use it solely as a modem in combination with a real router. To prevent any confusion, the modem-router is called a modem in the remaining text of this page.

Forwarding ports: how it works

The computer is by way of the modem connected to the internet. The server of the internet provider assigns an IP address which makes the computer reachable from the internet. The communication The communication between computers is done over ports on the IP address, where each program (group) uses a different port.

For security reasons, most modems/routers are supplied with a firewall which makes sure that the unused ports are closed by default. However, for some programs it is needed to open certain ports to prevent conflicts with other traffic. For this purpose, there are two kinds of communication: TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) and the more simple UDP (User Datagram Protocol). While opening/forwarding these ports, it is necessary to chose for one of them.

The modem (and the router) have to be set to forward all traffic on the specific port to the computer with the software which uses these ports for its communication. For this reason, the incoming traffic on these ports is forwarded to (the same port of) the IP-address of this computer.

TIP: It is not possible to forward a port to more than one computer. If a certain application has to be installed on multiple computers, then change the used port number(s) in the concerning application settings of the other computer(s).

ATTENTION: Be careful opening ports because it makes the network less safe! For this reason, it is wise to install a software firewall on all computers in the network. A sofware firewall only opens the ports which are requested by the running applications (at that time).

What is the IP address of the computer

To forward a port to your computer, you have to know what the IP address of the computer is. This can be done with the command IPCONFIG in a Command prompt. Go to Start, Run/Search, enter the command CMD and the ENTER key. The command IPCONFIG (followed by ENTER) will broadly show the following information:

This overview tells the computer's IP address, in this example it is 10.0.0.1 and the default gateway is 10.0.0.138, which is the IP address of the modem (this is the default IP address of most Alcatel SpeedTouch modems).

MANUALLY ASSIGNING THE IP ADDRESS

In most cases, the IP address of every connected computer is assigned automatically, but in some cases this can cause problems. For example, it is possible that the IP address changes after the modem has been reset, which will result in a forward of a port to the wrong IP address. For this reason, it is wise to set the IP settings manually by changing the TCP/IP configuration of the network connection. This can be done in the sub Network connections (XP)/Network Center (Vista) of the Control Panel. The properties of the Internet-protocol (TCP/IP) can be changed manually by typing the same IP address numbers (use the IP address for the default gateway for the Preferred DNS-server as well). The computer will boot faster because there is no need to wait for an internet connection for assigning the IP address automatically. Remember the IP address is set manually: possibly there is no internet connections when the modem is replaced by a new one or a router is placed between the modem and the computer!

Login on the Alcatel SpeedTouch modem

Now the IP address of the modem, the computer and the port to be forwarded are known, it is time to login to the modem and change the settings to forward the port. Start Internet Explorer (of some other browser) and enter the default gateway IP address (in this case 10.0.0.138) in the address bar. Just the IP address, there is no need to precede it with www!

The shown modem/router setup interface depends on the type and brand modem/router. This page shows the (in The Netherlands) frequently used Alcatel SpeedTouch ADSL modem. Chose for Advanced followed by NAPT for the settings to forward a port.

Opening the port on a Alcatel SpeedTouch modem

After NAPT (Network Address Port Translation) has been selected, the tab NAPT Entries is shown (the NAPT entries shows which ports have been forwarded already). As an example shows how the ports are forwarded for the file sharing software eMule. This is done by clicking the link New (at the bottom in the yellow bar).

To open/forward the ports given by the application, the NAPT Entries must be filled in. Chose for the protocol (TCP or UDP) in the shown combo box. At the right side (Inside Port and Outside Port) the port numbers must be filled in, which are TCP, 4662 and 4662 respectively for the first port to be opened and UDP, 4672 and 4672 for the second port to be opened. For the Inside IP, enter the IP address of the computer to send the forwarded traffic to (in this case 10.0.0.1). After filling in this window for both ports, click the link Apply in the yellow bar at the bottom of the window. After adding both ports, the values must me similar to the figure below.

Save these settings by clicking Save All in the left menu (else this procedure has to be repeated after a reset of the router). From now on, the incoming traffic on these ports are forwarded to the same port on the computer with the IP address 10.0.0.1 and the file sharing application must be working properly now!

TIP: If the software is no longer used, don't forget to close the forwarded ports for maximum security! Select the row with the forwarded port (click the blue arrow at the left side) and click Delete in the yellow bar. Don't forget to click Save All as well!

Extending the network with a router

For now there was a situation with one computer connected to the internet with a Alcatel SpeedTouch modem-router. If the modem has only one ethernet connection, it is not possible to share the internet connection without placing an additional switch, wireless access point or (wireless) router. Visit the page about creating a (wireless) network for more information.

Forwarding ports from modem to router

When the modem is connected to a router, the ports have to be forwarded from the modem to the router and from the router to the computer. The following example shows how to do it with a SMC-router. The first step is to investigate which IP address the computer has received from the router. This is done similar to the example above with the Alcatel SpeedTouch modem (in this case it is 192.168.2.104 for the computer and 192.16.2.1 as default gateway, the IP address of the router).

Now the IP address of the router is known, it is possible to login the router to find out what the gateway IP address of the router is. This is done by typing the IP address of the router (in this case 192.168.2.1) into the address bar of the Internet Explorer (similar to the example above). Follow the instructions in the manual of the router. There is a status window which shows the IP address given by the Alcatel SpeedTouch modem to the router (e.g. 10.0.0.2). This is the IP address which has to be used to forward the traffic to on the given port number. Use this information to set the forward rules (the NAPT entries) in the Alcatel SpeedTouch modem (login to 10.0.0.138 again, like it was done in the example above).

Forwarding ports from router to computer

With the information received from the IPCONFIG command (see the picture above), the router can be set as well. In this example, the IP address of the router is 192.168.2.1 and the IP address of the computer is 192.168.2.104. Forward the same port number, but now from the router to the computer. This is done in the management tool of the router, for this SMC router this is done by Advanced Settings, NAT, Virtual Server in the menu at the left side.

Set the port forwarding settings (the same ports used in the previous step), to forward them to the computer and you are finished:

TIP: In this example a SMC router is used, but there are a lot of other routers which all work differently. How to forward the ports on your own router, visit the page www.portforward.com/english/routers/port_forwarding/routerindex.htm. This page tells the exact procedure for all types of routers in combination with the used application.

Setting up a (wireless)

2009-01-11T08:41:00.000+07:00

Technorati Tags: Setting up a (wireless)

Setting up a (wireless) network with DSL/cable

Nowadays, many households have more than one computer at home. Using a (wireless) gateway router, it is very easy to share your broadband internet connection (DSL, Cable). The advantages of a network (LAN/WLAN) are diverse: sharing files, sharing printers, wireless connections, printer server, fileserver, gaming, but the biggest advantage is simultaneously connecting to the internet. This page is a manual for creating a safe (wireless) network (how to share files and printers included).

What do you need to buy for your (wireless) network?

Wireless router
Generally you can choose between two types of routers: wired or wireless. The price difference is not that big, that's why I prefer to buy a wireless router (be prepared for the future..... (if you don't use the wireless function of the router, disable it!)). For a wireless router you can choose between different speeds, I prefer the 54 Mbit router (the g-standard). Don't buy a 11 Mbit router (b-standard), although this is probably still faster then your broadband connection. The 54 Mbit standard is more stable and covers a bigger area (place the wireless router central in your home, try some places for best performance).

Most routers have 3 or 4 connections for CAT5 ethernet cables, which means you are able to connect 3 or 4 computers wired. I prefer to connect as much as possible computers wired, unless you especially want it to be wireless (every wireless computer gives extra problems...). Don't use cross cables: they are used to connect to computers without a router!

TIP: Don't ever buy a cheap wireless router! I have seen many unexplainable troubles!

Ethernet modem
The ethernet modem is connected to the router (WAN port), so: every computer connected to the router will be able to access the internet. I prefer to use the ethernet modem, provided by your internet provider. If there is something wrong with your internet connection, you won't be in troubles calling the helpdesk of your service provider (you just temporarily remove the router...). If you are using a modem which is not supported by the internet provider they probably aren't able or willing to help you. This is also the case if you use a combined modem-router!

Network adapter and UTP cables
All your computers must be provided with a network card/adapter (most computers are provided with a network connection). This can be by PCI, USB or Cardbus (laptop). If you are going wireless, I prefer to use the same manufacturer as the router because of possible compatibility problems. You need CAT5 UTP cables to connect your computers to the router.

TIP: CAT6-cables are preferred to realize a fast and stable connection if you are using a Gigabit-router/switch (1.000 Mbit instead of 100 Mbit).

Where to place the ethernet modem and (wireless) router

There are multiple options to choose from for placing the modem and router. The best place for the modem is the location where the signal comes into your home, but in most cases it won't be a problem to extend the incoming line. For ADSL, the location of the modem depends on where the splitter is located. Knowing the modem and telephones both have to be connected behind the splitter, the splitter can be placed on a location where this is still the case. All telephones connected to the phone line must be connect behind a splitter (if necessary use multiple splitters or else use a DECT base station with multiple wireless phones spread over the house). Connect the modem to the splitter and the wireless router (with the cable in the WAN port) to the modem. By keeping all three on the same place, the use of cables will be limited. Both the modem and router must be within reach in case a reset is necessary.

CHOOSING THE BEST LOCATION FOR THE WIRELESS ROUTER

The quality of the wireless signal is sensitive for noise of DECT phones, microwave, electricity, reinforced concrete floors, e.a. Besides the noise, the quality of the signal can be poor, in which case a more central location for the wireless router has to be chosen.

Setup modem

First, setup your ethernet modem following the instruction of your internet provider, without using the router. Most times, the ethernet modem supports DHCP, which means that the modem automatically gives an IP address to every connected computer. When there is an internet connection, the modem can be connected to the WAN port of the router. If the installation software can't find an ADSL modem, check whether the firewall is not blocking the connection by disabling the firewall.

NO INTERNET CONNECTION AFTER PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRICITY

If there have been problems with the electricity and you have no internet access anymore, reset your modem and router. Most times your problems are solved.

Internet connection settings

Connecting the computer to the modem, using a network cable, is simple. If a network adapter is not yet available (which is the case in very old computers), it has to be installed first. The network cable has to be connected to one of the available ports on the router, and the other end of the cable to the network adapter in the computer. Check the settings and whether a connection has been made (XP: the sub Network Connections of the Control Panel, Vista: the sub Network and Sharing Center of the Control Panel). Normally, the connection is generated automatically and the IP address is given automatically by the DHCP server of the build in router. In Windows Vista it is clear with a view on the Network and Sharing Center, in Windows XP the connection status is mentioned on the row of the network adapter (if the connection is disabled, right click on it and select Enable.

To change the Windows Vista connection settings, click View status in the Network and Sharing Center, button Properties. To change the Windows XP connection settings, right click the LAN connection and select Properties. Make sure the Internet Protocol TCP/IP is enabled and check the settings of the TCP/IP-protocol by clicking the button Properties, both TCP and DNS should be obtained automatically (obtaining an IP address automatically should be sufficient for a router with a DHCP server). Besides the default TCP/IPv4 protocol, the new TCP/IPv6 protocol is probably mentioned. If the v6 version is not supported (yet) by your internet provider, then there is no need to enable the TCP/IPv6 protocol. The QoS Packet Scheduler makes sure that important internet traffic (like VoIP) will be handled first. If there is no need for this feature, it can be disabled.

If you are not sharing files and/or printers on your Windows XP computer, disable the File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks for the LAN connection (this will not disable the possibility to use shared files and printers on other computers). This gives a higher security level, because it's more difficult to reach your files.

In Windows Vista, the icon for the internet connection is shown in the notification area (system tray) by default. This icon quickly shows the availability of the internet connection. In Windows XP, this icon can be activated as well by enabling the option Show icon in notification area when connected (as shown in the picture above). By double clicking the internet connection icon in the system tray, you are able to view the network connection. If it shows Received 0 bytes, there is no internet activity which means that there is a problem with the communication with the router. In this case, check the firewall settings, the cables and the router settings.

The button Details (Windows Vista) or the tab Support (Windows XP) shows the IP address the computer has received from the DHCP server (most cases it is something like 10.0.0.xxx or 192.168.1.xxx). In the example below it is assigned by the DHCP server of the router. The IP address is used for identification of the computer in the network and starts with the same range of numbers as the IP address of the router. The IP address of the router is mentioned at (IPv4) Default Gateway and usually starts with 10.0.0.xxx or 192.168.x.xxx. (by using this IP address in the Internet Explorer the router or modem settings can be changed in most cases). If the IP address starts with 169, there is something wrong with the connection settings.

In some cases (using Windows XP) there is still no internet connection. The reason can be simple: Internet Explorer doesn't know how to connect to the internet. Start Internet Explorer, Tools, Internet Options, tab Connections, you have to select Never dial a connection. Start the internet connection wizard as well by clicking the button Setup: select Next, option 1 (Connect to the internet), option 2 (Set up my connection manually) followed by option 3 (Connect using a broadband connection that is always on). The LAN-settings can be disabled (button LAN-settings).

DISABLE NETBIOS OVER TCP/IP

Probably you are not using NetBIOS. If you don't, switch off this option to achieve a higher security level. This is done by editing the settings of the TCP/IP protocol as shown above. Select the Internet Protocol TCP/IP, button Properties, button Advanced, tab WINS, disable the option NetBIOS over TCP/IP. Note: now it's not possible anymore to find computers in your network using their name, use IP addresses instead.

Setup router

The next step is to setup the router. Enter the IP address of the router (e.g. 192.168.1.1) in the address bar of the Internet Explorer. In Windows Vista it is even easier: click the icon Network in the Network and Sharing Center to scan the network for connected devices. Right click the shown shortcut for the router and select View device webpage. Log in, using the default (username and) password (see the manual, in most cases it is admin). It is wise to change the password immediately.

The next step is to make a network connection to the modem which will give the computer a connection to the internet. In most cases, the default settings for the internet connection are fine. If not, search for something like Obtain IP automatically/Dynamic IP-address/DHCP. For internet with a cable modem, it is sometimes necessary to clone the MAC address of the computer into the router (the MAC address can be found with the button Details in the above picture under the name Physical Address). Save the new settings and reset the router. If there is still no connection, ask the manufacturers helpdesk of the router for assistance.

CHANGING THE DEFAULT LOGIN SETTINGS

Provide your router and/or modem with a password, don't use the default password! Make notes of the new password and username (use a PrintScreen tool to make screen dumps of your router and/or modem settings). My advise would be to write them on a small paper and paste it at the bottom of the modem/router.

WHAT IF THE CONNECTION HAS SUDDENLY GONE?

If there suddenly is a problem with the connection, reset the computer, the modem and the router (by switching them off and on) before searching for the cause. Check whether the a computer/router is connected correctly and how fast the internet connection is using the PING command (example: PING 192.168.1.1, you should receive packages within a certain amount of time). The command can be given, using the Command Prompt which is started with the command CMD in the search field of the Start Menu. The command IPCONFIG /all can be useful to view the current internet connection settings, like the given IP address.

RESETTING ROUTER TO FACTORY DEFAULTS

If you got messed up with your router and/or modem (forgotten password, ...), reset it to the default factory settings (read the (online) manual how to do that).

HOW TO OPEN PORTS ON THE ROUTER

If you need to open a port on your router for some software application, but you don't know how or which port? Visit www.portforward.com for more information and details on most known routers! Be careful: opening ports is the same as removing the locks on your doors. Visit the page about the opening of ports in the modem/router for more information.

Setup wireless router and wireless connection

The first steps to create a wireless connection are not that difficult, the main issue is to setup a well secured connection. Start the internet browser, login on the router and change the settings for the wireless connection. One of them is the SSID, which is the name of the wireless network to be used to make a wireless connection. Use a SSID which can't be recognized by the neighbors and don't secure the wireless connection for the moment. Now it must be easy to connect to the wireless router. Double click the wireless icon in the system tray, and you will see all available wireless networks, yours included. Select the wireless network with the earlier given SSID to make a connection automatically. In the example below, the wireless network requires a network key because the wireless network has been secured with WPA.

SOME USEFUL TIPS FOR A GOOD WIRELESS CONNECTION

Enable G-only
If you only use wireless devices capable of using the g-standard (54 Mbit), then enable the G-only setting in the wireless router. This option will eventually improve the wireless connection quality.

Select a channel with less noise
For an optimal connection, one can choose between thirteen frequencies available for the wireless network to operate on. If a frequency is used for more then one wireless router, it will definitely result in bad connections. But also the neighboring frequencies can give a poor connection as well! By changing the used frequency by the wireless router, the quality of the wireless connection should improve significantly.

The tool NetStumbler (download: www.netstumbler.com) can be used to find out which frequencies the neighboring wireless networks are using (the networks included of which the SSID (the name of the network) has been hidden). The next step is to change the router settings, to make sure the wireless network operates on a frequency with less noise. But remember that setting the frequency as high as possible, might result in a bad wireless connection (or the network is not visible anymore) depending on the used wireless adapter.

No icon for the wireless adapter available
If there is no wireless connection icon available in the system tray, you probably didn't install the drivers yet. You can use the software shipped with the hardware, personally I prefer to disable this software and use the Windows XP build in software (in some cases the utility works better). Disabling the software is easily done with the tool MSCONFIG (tab Startup and/or Services), but in most cases you can disable the installed utility by removing the icon from the Startup folder in Start, All Programs. Besides deactivating the vendors software, make sure the service Wireless Zero Configuration-service (XP) or WLAN Auto Config (Vista) has been set to automatic.

Disable the SSID broadcast
Once you have a successful wireless connection, disable the SSID broadcast of the router (most wireless routers support this option). Now you have to enter the SSID correctly before the wireless router will communicate with a computer. This makes your router invisible to others.

MAC-Address control
With the routers option MAC control, you are able to select your specific (wireless) hardware ID's, and deny all other. This gives some extra security: if someone tries to crack your wireless network, they have to clone one of your MAC addresses (it's not difficult to change the MAC address, but it is an extra defense). Especially if you decide not to use any wireless encryption, I advise to enable MAC address control.

Preferred network
If you are frequently connected with the wireless connection of one of your neighbors, you need to move up your own wireless network as a preferred network. You can do this on the tab Wireless Networks of the Wireless Network Connection Properties. Select your own wireless network and press Move up.

Securing the wireless network with WPA or WPA2 encryption

A wireless router needs some extra attention, you need some extra security to make sure you are not providing your neighbors with free internet (and possibly also your personal data). If the wireless connection is not safe enough, the personal data (passwords, e-mail, Live Messenger chats, visited websites, internet favorites and possibly the banking and income tax information) is freely available by your neighbors! The wireless traffic needs to be encrypted to make sure nobody is able to use (or abuse...) your internet connection. Most routers support WEP and WPA/WPA2 encryption (if WPA/WPA2 is not available check for a firmware upgrade).

Using WPA/WPA2 is not that difficult. First you have to change the router settings to use a WPA key for encryption (or the even better WPA2 encryption). The next step is double clicking the wireless icon in the system tray. You will see your wireless network name (SSID), by selecting it you will be asked to enter the WPA key. If WPA/WPA2 is not supported by the wireless adapter, check the manufacturers website for software updates and make sure the latest Windows updates have been installed.

For the best type of data encryption, select AES (TKIP is a safe encryption as well, but not as good as AES). Use Pre Shared Key (PSK) as the key for gaining access to the wireless network, this is the password in the form of a sentence which is easy to remember. After the setup procedure of the wireless router has been finished, try to connect to the network by selecting the SSID (the given name of the wireless network) in the overview of available websites (the wireless network won't be visible if the SSID is not broadcasted by the router (hidden)). The wizard which will start after selecting the SSID, asks for the WPA key which has been set in the router. After typing the pre shared key (PSK), the connection to the wireless network will be realized.

You can also check these settings manually by editing the wireless connection settings in advanced mode. On the tab Association you have to use the following settings after you have entered the SSID: select WPA-PSK (Pre Shared Key) in the first combo box and TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) in the second combo box (as shown below), use the pass phrase (used by your wireless router) as network key.

WPA OR WEP ENCRYPTION?

Instead of WPA/WPA2, it is also possible to use WEP encryption. WEP encryption is very easy to crack, you only need to capture a lot of package and calculate the original key! WEP uses the same key for every package send, while WPA/WPA2 changes the key for every single package (only the first package of the wireless connection is always the same, mostly a pass phrase). So, using WPA/WPA2 is much safer! If you have to use WEP encryption, make sure you regularly change the key.

FREQUENT DROPS OF WPA CONNECTION

A dropping WPA connection is normal, you can always right click the connection icon and select Repair if needed. Sometimes the wireless WPA connection drops to frequently. If this is the case, make sure it's not caused by the firewall, update the firmware of the wireless router and/or the drivers of your wireless adapter. If the WPA wireless connection drops frequently because of noise, try the following registry tweak: add the DWORD value AuthMode=2 in the following key (only for Windows XP):
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\EAPOL\Parameters\General\Global

If nothing helps, you have to go back to the less secured WEP encryption. Don't buy cheap wireless routers, always ask if you are allowed to return the router if it doesn't work to your satisfaction!

Easily changing between (wireless) networks

Users of mobile computers who switch frequently between (wireless) networks are familiar with the accompanying problems. Every time the computer connects to another network, all settings have to be changed manually. Fortunately, the tool Net Profiles (download: www.milnersolutions.com/netprofiles) offers a solution for this problem!

With Net Profiles, the settings for each network can be stored in a profile, which reduces the changes to be made to a single activation of the profile. It is even possible to change the profile automatically when Windows connects to one of the (wireless) networks. The following settings can be stored in the profiles:

The network adapter
The wireless network based on the SSID
Network settings (IP address, Subnet mask, Gateway, DNS)
Network folders
The printer
Home page of the web browser (IE, Firefox or Opera)
Proxy settings for the internet connection
Desktop background, screen resolution and color depth
Automatic startup of specific programs (e.g. automatic startup of back-up or synchronization after connecting to the network at home)

Automatically or manually changing of the network profile
With Net Profiles, a network profile can be activated manually after detecting the wireless network. The automatic switching between profiles can be turned on or off by the menu bar: Options, Don't Ask Before Auto Activating Wireless Profiles. The automatic detection of a wireless network is only possible when there the SSID (the name of the wireless network) on the tab Wireless has been specified. If the switching between wireless networks is done manually, then it is practical to add shortcuts on the desktop to the different profiles (which is done by: File, Create Desktop Shortcut).

Use firewall software!

If you have a wireless network, make sure you provide every PC with a firewall. But also if you don't have a wireless network it is better to secure your pc's with a software firewall. Nowadays security is important then ever! If you are sharing files and/or printers, you need to add exception rules to your firewall settings.

FIXED INSTEAD OF DYNAMIC IP ADDRESS

Instead of a dynamic IP address (given by the DHCP server of the router), it is also possible to use a fixed IP address. Because of the fixed IP addresses, it is easier to find a shared folder (and printer), even if the router has been reset.

TIP: Visit the page about sharing files with a mapped network drive how to share files with other computers in the network.

Replacing the hard disk

2009-01-11T08:37:00.000+07:00

Technorati Tags: Replacing the hard disk

Replacing the hard disk and imaging Windows to the new hard disk

This page informs about replacing your hard disk with a new one. This will give you more free space to store your files, but most importantly will speed up your Windows! Eventually your old hard disk can be reused to create a back-up of your personal data as an external storage location (Creating an automatic back-up with SyncBack).

The hard way: reinstalling Windows

If you replace your old hard disk with a new one, you will have to reinstall Windows. By disconnecting the old hard disk temporarily, your personal data is safe. If you encounter problems you are still able to reconnect your old hard disk and boot from you old Windows. If you are satisfied with the new setup, you can reconnect the old hard disk as secondary hard disk or in an external hard disk case to transfer the personal data to the new hard disk.

The easy way: imaging the old to the new hard disk

You have to change all settings and reinstall all software as a consequence of reinstalling Windows. By imaging you are able to prevent all these time consuming operations because all data is copied exactly to the new hard disk. The next step is switching the hard disks and you are finished. More information how to do this later on.

Remove the old hard disk

It's not that difficult to replace your old hard disk. Disconnect the power first and open the computer. Usually, the hard disk is within reach and connected with an IDE cable of 80 or 40 wires. Disconnect this cable and the power connector (yellow, red and black wires) carefully. Unbolt the hard disk and replace it with the new hard disk.

Primary IDE and secondary IDE, Master and Slave

In most cases there are two IDE-controllers available on the motherboard, named primary and secondary IDE-controller. On both connectors an IDE cable can be connected with each the possibility to connect two hard disks, CD or DVD player (four in total). One of them is called the Master and the other Slave. The old hard disk is probably connected as Master to the first IDE controller.

ATENTION: There is a difference between IDE/PATA hard disks (in this case) and SATA hard disks (which are connected with a small cable). The procedure for replacing a SATA hard disk is similar to IDE hard disks, except there is no need to set a Master or Slave setting manually. Be careful if two SATA hard disks are configured as a RAID configuration (two or more hard disks cooperate together). Be aware that a SATA hard disk can only be placed in an external case with SATA support.

IDE versus SATA connection

Set new hard disk as Master

At the back of a IDE hard disk (where the cables are connected), you will see the possibility to place a jumper. The jumper setting determines whether the hard disk will operate as master, slave or cable select (CS). The setting of your current hard disk will be master or cable select. In most cases an indication of the jumper settings is available somewhere on the hard disk.

Follow the instructions to set the new hard disk to master because it will replace the old hard disk.

TIP: Some hard disks have the option to choose between "SINGLE or MASTER", "SLAVE" and "MASTER (slave present)". Choose the first option if there is no hard disk or CD player connected with the same IDE cable. If there is a slave present (hard disk or CD player), you have to choose the third option: master (slave present). In the example above there is chosen for this option. By removing the jumper, the hard disk will be set to master whitout a second IDE disk connected.

Connecting the cables is easy, there is only one way to connect them! In most cases the IDE cable is colored at one site. This site of the cable indicates the connection of the first pin. If the numbers of the pins are mentioned somewhere near the IDE connection on the hard disk (0-19 en 20-39), it's clear how to connect the cable. In most cases the first pin is located to the left of the jumper settings.

Boot the computer with the new hard disk

If all cables are connected, switch on the power and make sure the bios recognizes the new hard disk. In most cases, this information is shown on the screen. You will see something like primary master, primary slave, secondary master and secondary slave. If you are not sure, start the BIOS setup (press DEL for most motherboard) and check the IDE settings.

ATENTION: There is no operating system on the new hard disk which will result in an error message. Don't worry, this will be fixed by installing Windows or by imaging Windows from the old hard disk.

TIP: In some cases the BIOS does not recognize the new hard disk because at the time of creating the specific BIOS there was no such hard disk. In most cases this can be fixed by updating the BIOS (see the motherboard manual for instructions how to do this). With a tool like CPU-Z (download: www.cpuid.com) you are able to determine what type of motherboard is used. By placing the old hard disk as master you are able to boot Windows to be able to search the internet.

Partitioning hard disk and installing Windows

Now, it's time to setup Windows by booting the Windows CD. At the moment of choosing which partition to use for the Windows setup, you are able to set a smaller size of the Windows partition in comparison to the whole hard disk. For more information on partitioning read the partitioning hard disk.

ATENTION: If the setup results in a Windows partition which is not C:, reboot the computer and restart the setup procedure! This is the case when there are no partition at startup while the CD player will receive C: as drive letter.

Restoring the personal files from the old hard disk

After reinstalling Windows on the new hard disk, it's time to restore the personal files which are safely stored on the old hard disk. There are two options: insert the old hard disk into an external case (see the page about creating a backup automatically) or connect the hard disk as slave or as secondary master. Be aware of the correct jumper settings in case of the second option (probably it's easier to disconnect the CD-player temporarely).

Windows will recognize the hard disk automatically. In the Windows Explorer, you will see one or more extra drive letters appear which correspond to the partitions on the old hard disk. The page about creating a backup of personal data tells you the default location of personal data, if you are not able to find them.

The easy way: imaging Windows from the old hard disk to the new hard disk

Installing a new hard disk as secondary hard disk just to be able to store more data would be a waste of resources. In most cases the hard disk is much faster compared to the old one. It's wise to install Windows on the fastest hard disk (in most cases I prefer to install a new hard disk instead of adding memory; a new hard disk will give you more value for your money). Of course, it takes a lot of time to reinstall Windows. If your current Windows installation still works fine, there is a simple trick to copy (image) Windows with all settings and data from the old hard disk to the new hard disk. As mentioned before, the old hard disk can be used as backup location. To summarize: always install Windows on the fastest hard disk.

ATENTION: After the complete hard disk (Windows + personal files and settings + current misery) is imaged to the new hard disk, there is no need to copy personal files anymore. It's an exact copy of all the files which saves you a lot of time!

How to image the hard disk?

So, if you are satisfied with the current Windows installation my advise would be to image the old hard disk to the new one. This procedure saves a lot of time! This is done by connecting both hard disks as described below:

Disconnect the power and open the PC.
Disconnect the CD/DVD-player from the secondary IDE-cable.
Connect the new hard disk as MASTER to the secondary IDE-cable.
Restart the computer and check whether both hard disks are recognized by the BIOS..
Copy all data from the old hard disk (primary master) to the new hard disk (secondary master). See below how to do this.
Switch off the computer and disconnect the power
Disconnect the new hard disk and reconnect the CD/DVD-player.
Replace the old hard disk with the new hard disk. Normally, the jumper settings don't need to be changed.
Restart the computer and make sure everything is fine
Switch off the computer, connect the hard disk properly, close the computer and reboot.
Partition the empty area in Windows Disk management (Control Panel, System management, Computer management, Disk management) to make full advantage of the bigger capacity of the new hard disk.

LET OP: If you don't like to disconnect the CD/DVD-player you can also connect the new hard disk (3) as a SLAVE on the first IDE-cable. To do this, you probably have to change the jumper settings of both hard disks which will be unpractical if the old hard disk is still in place.

Copying the old hard disk to the new hard disk

To copy all the data including the operating system from the old hard disk to the new hard disk, you need extra commercial software like Norton Ghost or True Image. But actually you can also do this with free imaging software: Partition Saving (download: www.partition-saving.com) which has been discussed on the page about creating a system image. The only thing you have to do is create a bootable MS-DOS disk (www.bootdisk.com, I prefer Windows ME Custom, No Ramdrive). Download the zip file and copy the file savepart.exe to the disk.

TIP: HDClone (download: www.miray.de/download/sat.hdclone.html) can be used as an alternative tool to copy the data from the old to the new hard disk easily within a Windows environment (in stead of MS-DOS). The freeware version has some limitations compared to the commercial version (like some missing features and a slowed down transfer speed). However, these limitations are no problem for cloning the hard disk.

LET OP: If there is no floppy drive on your system, you can temporarily connect one to the motherboard. Another option is creating a bootable MS-DOS CD-ROM based on a bootable floppy. Of course, this must be done on a computer with a floppy drive. creating a bootable CD-ROM can done by Nero Express (select bootable data-CD where you can use the bootable floppy as image for the boot sector of the CD-ROM).

Booting the floppy disk and imaging Windows

After you have booted in MS-DOS you can enter the command SAVEPART which will give you the following options:

Select Copy an element. In next window you select Disk number 0 because you want to copy the old hard disk which is probably the first if you followed the above instructions. The screen also shows the second hard disk, called Disk number 1. The size of both entries are also given, which is a verification of the chosen hard disk. The smallest hard disk must be the old hard disk.

In the next windows you choose to copy all sectors by selecting Disk - all sectors. The next question will be what hard disk to copy to. Probably there is only one left, the new hard disk: Disk number 1. After a check and a warning, all sectors will be copied to the new hard disk. This process may take some time, but it's worth waiting for!

ATENTION: Make sure you are copying from the old hard disk to the new hard disk, else you will overwrite and lose your current data! This problem only occurs when the new hard disk is smaller or equal to the old hard disk (else there will be an error message).

Install the new hard disk as primairy master

After Partition Saving has finished, switch off the computer, disconnect the old hard disk and connect the new hard disk as (primary) master on the first IDE cable, formerly used by the old hard disk. Reconnect any disconnected CD player and store the old hard disk on a safe location. Reboot the computer and find out if Windows boots. You will probably notice that Windows boots a bit faster then before, caused by the faster hard disk.

Creating new partitions on the free space

The partition(s) on the new hard disk will have the same size as before. There is still a part of the hard disk which is not used (if a 80 Gb hard disk is replaced by a 250 Gb hard disk, there will be approximately 170 Gb left over). By creating an extended partition with Windows Disk Management (Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Computer Management, Disk Management), this area can be used as well.

MSConfig System Configuration Utility

2009-01-11T08:34:00.000+07:00

Technorati Tags: windows msconfig

With the utility MSConfig it is possible to analyze all the applications starting when you turn on your computer and, if you feel the need to do so, disable undesirable items. Turning off undesirable items will save system resources which will eventually result in a faster Windows. You can start the MSConfig utility by Start, Run and type the command MSCONFIG and press ENTER. If you have just done a fresh Windows setup, there won't be much shocking to disable. When you have installed all your favorite software, it is time to have a look at MSConfig, whether performance enhancements are possible.

The most important tab, is the last one: Startup. Here you can disable

(and enable again....) startup items. If you are not sure, you better leave the item untouched, but you are free to experiment (you can always turn them on again). If you have been infected by a virus, most times you can find the virus here. To disable a virus you better run MSCONFIG in Windows safe mode (press F8 while restarting Windows), else the still active virus will reactivate your action.

Above is shown how the automatic startup of the Windows Messenger has been disabled. The Command column shows the location of the application (which can give you information about what's the application for). The Location column tells you where you can find the place to delete the item permanently, most of the times it will be in the Windows registry. It is important to realize what every item does, and to ask yourself the question whether you need that item. Many applications you will install place a link here (most of the times unasked), to make them fast accessible in the system tray.

XP PROCESS LIBRARY

If you are not sure what some items are all about (possibly a virus or Trojan....), you can always check it out at the Process Library (www.processlibrary.com).

The tab Services also shows some essential services started with Windows. Most of the shown services are from Microsoft Windows, which are discussed on the page Windows XP services. It's wise, not to disable one of those, to make sure you keep out of startup troubles. However, by choosing the option to Hide All Microsoft Services. This will give you an insight in non-Windows services. Most of the time it is completely filled with the services from security software like firewalls and virus scanners. This answers the question why your quick computers rapidly turns into a slow snail.

Above you can see that the NVIDIA Driver Helper Service (saves time at the shutdown of Windows) and the TuneUp WinStyler Theme Service are turned off.

SOLVING STARTUP PROBLEMS WITH MSCONFIG

If you have a startup problem (for example blue screens of death, also called BSOD's), then MSConfig is the right tool for the first step to analyze this. First turn off all items on the Startup tab and restart your computer. If this didn't work you can also try to turn off all the non-Microsoft services. However, if it did work you can start turning on startup items again until you find your trouble maker. By trial and error you will find the problematic software, and solve your startup problems. A plausible other cause of a BSOD are wrong hardware drivers.

DELETING STARTUP ITEMS FROM THE REGISTRY

If you are sure about disabling certain items on the Startup tab, you can delete them permanently in the Windows registry. If you do so, you won't see them anymore in the MSConfig screen. Start the registry editor with the command REGEDIT the same way you started MSConfig: Browse to the following keys (all starting with Run):
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run????
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run????

Find your unwanted startup items en delete them. Be careful: deleting is permanent, you can't recover deleted keys! If you feel better, first make a backup of the registry by exporting the keys to a .REG file, which you can easily import again by double clicking on the file.

AUTORUNS AND PROCESS EXPLORER BY SYSINTERNALS

Sometimes MSConfig can be a little confusing. The application AutoRuns (download: www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/ProcessesAndThreads/Autoruns.mspx) can be of great help and give some extra information about your startup items. The application Process Explorer (download: www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/ProcessesAndThreads/ProcessExplorer.mspx) can also be of great use when you have startup problems. With Process Explorer you can investigate the running processes: it tells you what files and DLL files are used by the different processes.

USE HIJACKTHIS FOR BROWSER HIJACKS

You can't fix any startup problem with MSConfig.... With the application HijackThis (download: www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn of www.merijn.org) you have a very powerful tool to detect and end irritating browser hijackers. Be careful, the application is very powerful!

The tabs SYSTEM.INI and WIN.INI aren't that important, the tab BOOT.INI gives you some extra boot options you can turn on or off. By clicking Check All Boot Paths, you can possibly fix some boot problems. By enabling the option /NOGUIBOOT there won't be any Windows logo at startup, just a black screen (actually there is no important reason to do so......;-).

SHOW REASON XP CRASH IN THE LOG FILES

If you would like to have more information about the reason of a Windows crash, you have to change a key in the Windows registry. Visit the following location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Reliability, and change the DWORD-value ShutdownReasonUI from 0 to 1. Now you will find more information about the reason why Windows crashed in the log files, which are available through the Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Event Viewer. If your problems are solved, restore the value to 0.

Partitioning hard disk (primary and extended partitions)

2009-01-11T08:32:00.000+07:00

Technorati Tags: partitioning hard disk

Partitioning a hard disk is the first thing to do before installing Windows. Partitioning a hard disk means dividing the hard disk in multiple partitions, which will occur as C, D, E, etc in your Windows Explorer. Most hard disks only have one partition, the C partition. This is not a practical situation because all personal data has been stored far away in the different sub-folders. The situation where the Windows system and the personal data are separated is preferred. Besides that, it's difficult to create an image of the Windows system.

RECOVERY PARTITION

Sometimes your hard disk is provided with an extra recovery partition provided by the computer manufacturer (generally hidden). Never delete this partition, unless you know what you are doing! Ordering new recovery CD's takes a long time and most of the time they are not for free!

The page about resizing the Windows partition in case there is a recovery partition describes how to start the recovery partition to install Windows on a newly partitioned hard disk.

WARNING: By deleting a partition on a hard disk you will lose all data on that partition. If you are not sure what you are doing: make sure you have a backup of your important personal data! If needed, boot from a MS-DOS boot disk and backup the partition table information with MRESCUE.COM (MrBooter, see the multiboot page) or SAVEPART.EXE (Partition Saving, see the system imaging disk page).

A better understanding of primary, extended partitions and logical drives

Before you decide to partition your hard disk, you have to understand what type of partitions there are and when to use them. The most important partition is the primary partition. This partitions is normally used by an operating system, in our case the Windows XP system. The primary partition will normally be the partitions with an operating system, in our case the C partition. If you would like to create a mulitboot system, make sure you create multiple primary partitions.

In total you can only create 4 partitions on a hard disk, that's why you also have the possibility to create an extended partition. An extended partition can be divided in many logical drives, which makes it possible to have more then four virtual partitions. It's wise to create one primary partition for Windows and one extended partition and to split up the extended partition into different logical drives.

FAT32 and/or NTFS partitions

Furthermore you will have to choose between FAT32 and NTFS file system. The FAT32 file system is a bit faster and used by Windows 98/ME and MS-DOS boot disks. The NTFS file system has been introduced later and provides you with a more stable file system. The NTFS file system makes it possible to protect your files against other users. The NTFS partitions can normally not be accessed by Windows 98/ME or your MS-DOS boot disk. If needed, you can access the partition with aWindows based bootable CD like Bart's PE (XP based) or VistaPE (Vista based). For your Windows (C) and Data (D) partition use the NTFS file system. Because your system backup partition (E) must be accessible by MS-DOS, it will have to be FAT32!

HINT: Don't forget to read the registry tweaks for a faster NTFS file system within Windows XP!

EFS: ENCRYPTED FILE SYSTEM

The NTFS file system provides you with the possibility to encrypt your personal data (EFS, encrypted file system). You will only be able de decrypt and access your data with your own user account. Before you know, your files are no longer accessible (for example if your Windows system crashed because of a virus)! The encrypted file system is activated by right clicking a file, Properties, button Advanced, enable Encrypt contents to secure data. I advise to secure the EFS key, by exporting it through the Internet Explorer, Tools, Internet Options, tab Content, button Certificates, tab Personal. Store the key on a safe location which isn't encrypted itself ;-). Within Windows Vista Ultimate the tool BitLocker (in the Control Panel) is available to encrypt a whole partition.

Preferred situation: multiple partitions

I prefer to use the C partition to install Windows and other software and to use the D partition for all personal data like My Documents, Music, Video's, but also your e-mail, Address Book, Favorites and downloaded files. Every user account in Windows XP/user account in Windows Vista gets his/here own folder, with his or here own personal files. Intuitive this seems to be a wise thing to do, reason enough to create at least 2 partitions: C (WINDOWS) and D (DATA).

If you decide to divide software and data, it gives you the opportunity to create (and restore!!) a Windows system image, without having the fear to lose data! The system image needs to be placed on a FAT32 partition, reason enough to create a third partition: E (BACKUP).

Creating partitions at Windows setup

The easiest and fasted utility to create multiple partitions is Paragon Partition Manager (www.paragon-software.com/home/pm-personal), but it is also possible to use one of the bootable CD-ROM's, like the GParted Live CD or Parted Magic. They all have their own advantages and disadvantages, but work all with the same principle. However, none of these partition utilities are necessary: you can also use the Windows CD/DVD. At Windows setup you are asked which partition to install Windows on. At this moment you are able to delete the current partition(s) and create new ones immediately after deleting the Windows partition. Within Windows XP deleting partitions is done by pressing D (see the information bar). Within Windows Vista it is done with the option Drive options (advanced). Create a new partition, select the preferred size (see below) and the NTFS-file system (Windows XP).

If you have created your new Windows partition during the Windows setup, make sure the Windows partition is called C:! If this is NOT the case, quit the setup, rerun the setup and recreate your Windows partition. This will be the case when your CD or DVD player already has the C label because there wasn't any partition yet!

ALWAYS DELETE THE OLD PARTITIONS!

It is also possible to fast format the old Windows XP partition (without having to repartition the hard disk), but strangely sometimes not all files are deleted. To be sure all files are gone, it is better to repartition!

The other partitions can be created within Windows, using the Disk Management tool (Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Computer Management, Disk Management). For Windows Vista Disk Management, it is only possible to create an extended partition when there are already three primary partitions (create three small primary partitions and delete two of them later on to solve this issue). With this tool you are also able to give partitions and CD/DVD players another letter of the alphabet:

Example of a partition table

With a 200 Gb hard disk as an example, this will give the following partition setup: Partition D: is used for storing personal data and partition E: is used for creating a system image.

Drive Letter

Vista

Label (file system)

30 Gb
50 Gb
Primary partition for the operating system:

C
30 Gb
50 Gb
WINDOWS (NTFS)
(XP at least 5-10 Gb, Vista at least 40-50 Gb)

170 Gb
150 Gb
Extended partition containing the following logical drives:

D
140 Gb
120 Gb
DATA (NTFS)

E
30 Gb
30 Gb
BACK-UP (FAT32, at least 5-10 Gb)

SYSTEM BACK-UP PARTITION

Here I have created a logical partition called BACKUP with a size of 30 Gb. A system image needs some 50-75% of the occupied sectors of your Windows partition, depending on used imaging software. An image of a general XP setting generates some 1 Gb of data files. To have the ability to create 3 different images (see the page about the system backup disk), you will at least need 5-10 Gb for the backup partition.

Resizing a partition to create space for new partitions

If you are provided with only one partition and you don't want to start all over again (or you are not able to because the manufacturer didn't provide you with a installation CD-ROM but with a recovery partition/image), there is still hope! There is a possibility to decrease your current C partition in size, to be able to create more partitions. The answer: Paragon Partition Manager (www.paragon-software.com/home/pm-personal), the free GParted Live CD (download: http://gparted.sourceforge.net/livecd.php) or the free Parted Magic (download: http://partedmagic.com/wiki/PartedMagic.php). With both partition managers you are able to resize a NTFS/FAT32 partition without deleting any files. Be careful: this can go terribly wrong: make sure you have a backup of your personal data!

Within Windows Vista one can resize the Windows partition with the tool Windows Disk Management (available by the sub Administrative Tools in the Control Panel, Computer Management). Right click the partition and select Extend Volume or Shrink Volume. Because Disk Management is not able to move files, the result is not always that cheerful. Although the procedure of resizing a partition is quite safe, it is wise to backup the personal files first. Be careful with alternative partitioning software: make sure they are compatible with the latest version of the NTFS file system!

The page resizing (shrinking) the Windows partition when there is a recovery partition describes how to shrink the Windows partition in case the Windows setup is only done by a recovery partition.

2009-01-11T08:19:00.000+07:00

Technorati Tags: blog read more

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8. Then Keeps.

9. When memposting, isn't it there there are 2 choice tab tuh, which " Compose" and " Edits Html", Nha km select;chooses Yang " Edits HTML", Hence automatically would seen code like following :

10. Puts down abstraction posting or article which will be presented main dihalama ( before article " Redmore") for this code : whereas the rest is overall of posting puts down among code and

11. This most importantly is between all processes to that is ..... Having..... he..he..he.. : D

Safe Tried...

CPU-Z Software

2009-01-11T08:18:00.000+07:00

Technorati Tags: cpu-z software

Step 1

Download CPU-Z from "www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php" and copy the zip file's contents into a folder. CPU-Z requires no installation, which means you can simply delete the folder when you are finished with it! The first CPU tab shows general information about your system processor.

Step 2

Switch to the Mainboard tab and you can see details about your motherboard, BIOS, and graphic interface. Take particular note of your motherboard's manufacturer- this will come in handy if your board becomes faulty and you need to call customer support.

Step 3

Click on the Memory tab- you'll see your system's RAM type shown in the first box. If you want to add to your PC's memory, then you should buy the same type in order to ensure compatibility. For a computer running Windows Vista, you should ideally have at least 1024 MB of ram.

Step 4

Select the About tab. This tab contains three tools, including the Registers Dump utility - click on the Registers Dump button and save a text file. Open this file up, and you'll find a plethora of different PC specifications, which will be helpful to more advanced users.

Optimizing the Windows Vista settings

2009-01-11T08:17:00.000+07:00

Technorati Tags: windows vista optimizing

After Windows Vista has been installed and a few settings of the Start menu and the desktop have been changed, it is time to make Windows Vista more user-friendly.

Basic information about the computer

The shortcut System in the Control Panel shows a basic system overview with the calculated Windows Experience Index to measure the capabilities of the hardware. The total index value (the Base score, with a maximum score of 6) equals the lowest value of the five components (the weakest chain), each covering hardware like the processor, memory (RAM), graphics, gaming graphics and the primary hard disk. This score will predict whether the hardware is suitable for the different functionalities within Windows Vista and which hardware replacements would most improve the overall system performance.

Clicking the link Windows Experience Index shows the individual hardware scores.

NOT POSSIBLE TO CALCULATE THE EXPERIENCE INDEX?

If it is not possible to (re)calculate the Experience Index, in most cases it can be solved by deleting the files in the folder C:\Windows\Performance\WinSAT\DataStore using the Windows Explorer. Start the registry editor as well and delete the registry value PerfcplEnabled in the following registry keys (if present):
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Control Panel\Performance Control Panel
HKCU\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Control Panel\Performance Control Panel

DETAILED RESULTS OF THE EXPERIENCE INDEX

The total score of the experience index equals the lowest value of the five components However, it's not clear what the values of the components are exactly based on, which makes it hard to do hardware testing to increase the scores and the overall performance. Fortunattely, a report of the more detailed calculations is saved in XML-files, stored in the folder C:\Windows\Performance\WinSAT\DataStore. The command WINSAT.EXE formal (use the Command Prompt) starts a calculation of the experience index , the command WINSAT.EXE /? shows the other options for this command.

CHANGING THE PRODUCT KEY

In contrast with earlier Windows versions, it is possible to change the Windows Vista product key by clicking the link Change product key at the bottom of the window View basic information about your computer (Control Panel, System). After a change in product key, Windows Vista requires to be activated again to verify the new key. This option saves time in case of an installed but illegal version of Windows Vista..

Optimizing system settings

The advanced system settings are available by System in the Control Panel, option Advanced system settings (at the left in the task pane).

Tab System Protection
When there is any trouble with the Windows operating system, it is nice to know Windows has a build-in system restore to a previously created restore point. But, be careful using this feature, before you know you are worse of then before (besides that you won't be the first to lose personal data unexpectedly). In Windows Vista, System Restore has an additional feature to be able to restore single files to a previous version, called shadow copies. Restoring a shadow copy of a file saved by System Restore is possible by right clicking the file in the Windows Explorer, option Properties, tab Previous Versions. When image software is used to create an image of the Windows partition, System Restore (shadow files included!) can be deactivated, which saves many Gb's of hard disk space. Deactivating System Restore for the Windows partition is done on the tab System Protection, by activating a partition with personal data (D:), restoring shadow copies is still available for these files (be aware that in case of a multiboot system, System Restore will probably result in problems on partitions which are shared between the different operating systems).

DISABLE SYSTEM RESTORE AS LATE AS POSSIBLE

Disable System Restore as late as possible, at least until all hardware drivers and software are installed and working properly. If the installation of hardware and/or software creates a problem, it is still possible to restore the computer to a system restore point before the problems occurred. If all hardware and software are installed and essential changes in the system settings have been made, it is time to disable system restore and to create a system image instead. An image of the Windows partition is more reliable and accurate then System Restore, in case of system troubles.

Tab Remote
Within Windows Vista, it is easy to give someone Remote Assistance to take over the control of the computer, using the internet connection. If you are not able to fix a problem yourself, someone can show you using a remote connection while sitting behind his own computer. This person gets control over the computer, so only give people access who you can trust. Remote Desktop makes it possible to give users almost full control over the computer using a remote connection. If Remote Assistance and/or Remote Desktop are not used (in most cases), then it is better to disable this feature for security reasons.

Tab Computer Name
On this tab, the computer is given a name which makes it possible to identify the computer by other computers in the same network. This name must be unique for the network it is attached to, while the workgroup name must be equal for all computers. Visit the page creating a (wireless) network for more information about connecting computers to a network.

Tab Advanced
On the tab Advanced many system related settings can be changed and/or optimized. At the third button Settings (sub Startup and Recovery) the option Automatically restart can be disabled. This prevents Windows Vista to restart automatically in case of system errors, which makes it easier to investigate the cause of the problem.

The first button Settings (sub Performance) opens the window Performance Options. One of the options is to adjust the visual effects to achieve a better performance (changing the visual settings is discussed on the page about the Start menu and the Desktop). To change the amount of virtual memory (a slower alternative to the faster RAM memory) addressed to the paging file can be changed on the tab Advanced of the same window, button Change. In most cases the Windows partition (C:) is the most suitable for the paging file (always use the fastest hard disk for the Windows partition and the paging file). The default size of the paging file can be changed by deactivating the option Automatically manage paging file size for all drives, selecting the partition and changing the initial and maximum size. In most cases the total amount of RAM is a good value for both the initial size and the maximum size (set both higher when the computer is used for processing multiple large files like pictures or video's). Don't forget to click the button Set to confirm each change in settings. For the changes to take effect, a restart of the computer is necessary.

CLEARING THE PAGEFILE AT SHUTDOWN

The virtual memory uses a paging file which is stored in the file PAGEFILE.SYS on C: by default. To make sure someone else is not able to view the content of this file, this file can be overwritten every time Windows is shutting down. For this purpose, the DWORD value ClearPageFileAtShutdown with the value 1 has to be added to the registry key HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management (deleting the registry value or changing the value to 0 will disable this feature). As a result, Windows will shut down remarkably slower. For this reason, only apply this tweak in case it is really necessary for privacy purposes.

READYBOOST AND READYDRIVE

If there is not enough RAM memory available, the system starts using the slower paging file. Because the paging file is stored on the hard disk, it will slow down the system performance. Fortunately ReadyBoost is a better alternative because it uses the relatively faster flash memory (a USB-stick, Compact Flash (CF)- or Secure Digital (SD)-cards) to improve the system performance.

ReadyBoost requires 250 Mb to 4 Gb of free space, at least 2,5 Mb/sec read speed and formatted with the FAT32 file system. If the attached flash memory meets these specifications, Windows will show a request whether the memory must be used to improve the system performance. The ReadyBoost settings can be changed on the tab ReadyBoost (start the Windows Explorer, click right on the flash memory and chose Properties). The used paging file will be encrypted using AES 128-bits encryption, which ensures that the written data can't be read if the memory stick has been stolen. BTW: the advantages of ReadyBoost are hardly measurable while using a system with enough RAM memory!

ReadyDrive (where the flash memory is integrated in a hard disk) uses a similar concept. Data written to the hard disk is (temporarily) stored on the flash memory (as well). Because this memory is much faster then the hard disk itself, it speeds up the system. The second advantage is the power saving, because there is no need to run the hard disk when the data can also be stored on or read from the flash memory as well. Because the hard disk is used less frequently, it extends the hard disk service life as well. The relatively low speed of a USB2.0 connection compared to the hard disk connection makes ReadyDrive a better alternative to ReadyBoost. The power saving characteristic of ReadyDrive makes it especially valuable for laptops.

More system settings to optimize

But there are more possibilities to optimize Windows. The option Performance Information and Tools in the Control Panel shows an overview of the different components of the earlier mentioned Windows Experience Index. The task pane at the left of this window shows some additional tasks to improve the system performance. This overview probably implies that the mentioned tasks will improve the Windows Experience Index however, this is not the case.

Task Manage startup programs
The first task Manage startup programs in the task pane starts the Software Explorer of Windows Defender. The Software Explorer is divided in four categories: Startup programs, Currently Running Programs, Network Connected Programs and Winsock Service Providers. The first category makes it possible to disable multiple applications which startup with Windows (this procedure is similar to MSCONFIG). The second category Currently Running Programs makes it possible to analyze and terminate the currently running processes. Terminating processes can be done with the Windows Task manager (activated by the key combination CTRL-SHIFT-ESC), tab Processes as well.

The number of running processes seems to be lower in comparison to earlier Windows versions, but this is not the case. Both the Software Explorer and the Windows Task manager separate the processes started by the user account and the ones started by the system. The full list becomes visible with the buttons Show for all users (Software Explorer) and Show processes from all users (Task manager). The pages about the Windows Services and MSCONFIG describe in detail how to disable processes permanently to speed up the system.

Windows Defender is only an additional security tool against malicious and unwanted software, it does not operate as antivirus software. To change the default Windows Defender settings, follow the link Tools. Disable the membership of the online community Microsoft SpyNet if it is not desired to send personal information to the online community. Select Options to change the basic Windows Defender settings.

The other tasks (task pane Performance Information and Tools)
The second task Adjust visual effects makes it possible to lower the necessary graphical calculations for visual effects, which improves the performance (disabling visual effects is discussed on the page about the Start menu and the Desktop). The third task Adjust indexing options makes it possible to adjust the settings for indexing the locations with personal files (for more information, visit the page about the Windows Vista functionalities). The fourth task Adjust power settings makes it possible to change the different power settings like turning off the display and putting the computer to sleep automatically after a certain amount of time. The fifth task Open Disk Cleanup can be used to remove programs and features and to delete unnecessary files (like deleting the large hibernation file, the System Restore points and Shadow copies. For more information about deleting unnecessary files, visit the page Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenting. The last task Advanced tools does not do much more then reporting system performance issues.

Optimizing the Windows Explorer

The Windows Explorer makes it possible to browse and manage the content of hard disks, CD players and other hardware which are able to store data. With a few clicks files are copied, new folders are created and CD's are burned. By default there is a shortcut to the Windows Explorer in the folder All Programs, Accessories of the Start menu, a very awkward location for a frequently used program. To save a lot of clicks, copy the shortcut to a more accessible location like the desktop (click right on the shortcut and select Send To, Desktop (creating shortcut) or pin to the Start menu (click right on the shortcut and select Pin to Start menu). It is also possible to quickly start the Windows Explorer by right clicking the Start button and to select Explore.

Changing the default settings
The new Windows Explorer shows the relative path in the address bar, it doesn't take long to get used to navigating through these relative paths. The width of the available space for the navigation tree on the left side is too small to show all folders, but can be widened up by dragging the vertical separating line to the right. The menu bar is hidden by default, but can be shown temporarily by pressing the left ALT key. Click the button Organize, option Layout, Menu Bar to enable the permanent visibility of the menu bar.

The system files are hidden by default, which is a fine setting for the less experienced users. If this setting is less practical, disable this option. Click the button Organize, Folder and Search Options, tab View, and change the following settings:

Disable the option Hide protected operating system files (Recommended).
Disable the option Hide extensions for known file types.
Enable the option Show hidden files and folders.

The other options are shown below:

If the hard disk is not that fast, it can be useful to enable the option Always show icons, never thumbnails to replace the miniature pictures by the default icon. The option Launch folder windows in a separate process uses more memory, but prevents shutting down all explorer windows after a crash of the Windows Explorer (if this is no problem, leave this option disabled). The option Use check boxes to select items can be useful to select multiple files.

WINDOWS EXPLORER TIPS

Pressing the F5 key will refresh the show windows (just like the Internet Explorer). The key combinations CTRL-C/CTRL-X will copy/cut files and folders and CTRL-V will paste them at the current location. Pressing down the SHIFT or CTRL key makes it possible to select multiple files/folders and the key combinations SHIFT-HOME and SHIFT-END will jump to the beginning and the end of the list.

The Recycle Bin

By right clicking the recycle bin, option Properties it is possible to change the settings for every partition. Disabling the option Display delete confirmation dialog saves a click each time a file is deleted. Holding down the SHIFT key while deleting files and/or folders, will delete the files without showing up in the recycle bin.

Sounds

The option Sound in the Control Panel, tab Sounds makes it possible to change or disable the sound schemes. If the Windows sounds are irritating or not useful, disable them by selecting the sound scheme No Sounds. It is also possible to disable or change the different sounds effect individually. The Volume Mixer icon in the system tray makes it possible to adjust the volume (also available by the option Taskbar en Start Menu in the Control Panel, tab Notification Area).

Keyboard

During the Windows setup the user is asked to select the default keyboard setting. This setting can be changed at Regional and Language Options in the Control Panel, tab Keyboards and Languages, button Change keyboards. If there is more then one input language defined then it is possible to switch between the input languages by pressing the left ALT key en the right SHIFT key. Because this key combination is hit accidently on a regular basis, the change in keyboard layout can be quite irritating. If you are not aware of the effect of this key combination, a reboot is necessary to fix the changed keyboard layout. To make sure this does not happen anymore, delete the input languages which are not used by default.

The default keyboard layout is United States-International has the side effect of not showing the quotation marks immediately after pressing the quotation key (' or "). If you do not like this behavior select another keyboard layout (like US).

THE EURO SIGN

On most keyboard, the € sign is placed on the same key as the number 5. Use this key in combination with the right ALT key to print the euro sign. The euro sign can be printed with the code 0128 on the numeric keyboard in combination with holding down the left ALT key.

Installed programs and Windows features

The option Programs and Features in the Control Panel shows the currently installed programs. The link View installed updates at the left in the task pane makes it possible to show (and uninstall if desired) the installed updates as well. The link Turn Windows features on or off in the task pane makes it also possible to add or remove specific Windows features.

Screen saver

To prevent the screen from damage of burned in pixels, enable a screensaver: open the Personalization window, option Screen Saver. The most valuable screensaver Photos is probably the most favorable (shows the favorite pictures based on the star system of Windows Photo Gallery). This window has also the option to enable or disable the logon screen after inactivating the screensaver (option On resume, display logon screen). This will prevent unauthorized persons to gain access to the user account at the moment the screensaver is active.

Instead of a screensaver, the monitor can also be turned off automatically after a certain amount of time has passed. This saves energy and extends the life of the monitor. This option is available with the link Change power settings (at the bottom of the window Screen Saver Settings (also available by Power management in the Control Panel), task Change when the computer sleeps (at the left in the Task pane)). Fill in the time to wait (from the point of no activity) until the monitor has to be turned off automatically. The time to wake-up of modern monitors is very low, so it won't cause much delay.

Sleep, hibernation and hybrid sleep

Windows Vista uses three different features to turn the computer into a power saving mode: sleep, hibernation and hybrid sleep. The feature sleep (comparable to standby in Windows XP) is a energy saving mode where the computer stays 'on' to be able to awake within a few seconds. The disadvantage is the loss of data (which hasn't been saved) when there is a loss of power. The hibernation (comparable to sleep in Windows XP) actually turns off the computer after the memory has been saved into the file C:\HIBERFIL.SYS. After turning on the computer, the data is loaded into the memory and to wake up Windows relatively quick compared to a reboot. Hybrid sleep combines both sleep and hibernation for the best result (attention: Windows Vista calls this combination sleep!). The hybrid sleep stores the memory to the hard disk followed by a power saving made. In this mode no data will be lost while the computer returns from standby relatively quick.

ATTENTION: The hybrid sleep can only be activated when the motherboard supports this feature. If hybrid sleep is supported then the option to hibernate won't be present! If needed, the option to hibernate can be added with the command POWERCFG /hibernate ON in the Command Prompt (Start, All programs, Accessories). Start the Command Prompt with additional administrator rights by right clicking it and to select Run as administrator!

The hybrid sleep is not applied with laptops because they don't have to handle the sudden loss of power. At the moment the battery loses power while the laptop is in sleep, then the computer will become active again go into hibernate (which doesn't use any power) to prevent the loss of data. Remember that it is wise to reboot Windows once in a while to prevent problems.

Changing the sleep button to a shut down button
The Start menu has got a yellow button by default to hibernate (sleep) the computer. The other options (like switch user, lock, shut down, restart and log off) are hidden behind the arrow. The option to hibernate can be changed to shut down the computer (the color of the button changes from yellow to red). Especially in cases where the hibernation causes problems or hibernation is not desired, this change can be of great help. Chaging the button is done with the option Power Options in the control panel, task Change when the computer sleeps (at the left in the Task Pane), Change advanced power settings, Power buttons and lid, Start menu power button and select Shut down instead of Sleep.

Met het volgende resultaat:

The computer can be set to sleep manually using the lock options in the start menu. Another option is to program the on/off button (and possibly to sleep-button) on the computer by Choose what the power buttons do (at the left in the task pane of Power Options) to put the computer to sleep or hibernate when the button is pressed (after this change it is only possible to switch off the computer by the start menu!).

DISABLE THE WELCOME SCREEN AFTER WAKING UP FROM SLEEP

Windows shows the welcome screen by default after the computer returns from sleep or hibernation, even if the user account isn't provided with a password! This security option can be disabled by the sub Power Options in the control panel. Select the task Require a password on wakeup in the task pane, click the link Change settings that are currently unavailable and activate the option Don't require a password.

Windows bootmanager vs.an alternative bootmanager

2009-01-11T08:13:00.000+07:00

Technorati Tags: Bootmanager

This page is about setting up an multiboot system: installing multiple operating systems on one computer. This could be a combination of Windows 98, Windows XP, Windows Vista and/or one of the many other operating systems (like a Linux distribution). A bootmanager is used to show a boot menu to let the user choose between the installed operating systems. Thanks to this boot menu, it is simple to boot every operating system.

Multiboot system with similar or different Windows versions
Since the introduction of Windows Vista, multiboot is applied more then ever. By installing Windows Vista next to an already installed Windows XP system, it is still possible to go back to the previously installed Windows XP. This procedure is useful, especially if you are not sure yet whether to upgrade to Windows Vista or not. It is also common to install the same Windows version twice (or more) on the same computer. Each installed Windows can be used and optimized for different purposes.

The Windows bootmanager vs. an alternative bootmanager
Before setting up a multiboot system, it is important to understand how it works. This page first describes how the Windows bootmanager (the most used bootmanager) works. This information is important to understand the disadvantages of this bootmanager. These disadvantages could be evaded by using an alternative bootmanager, which is described next. The page finalizes with the information how to create a multiboot system by imaging one primary partition (with a already installed and optimized Windows) to another primary partition.

ATTENTION: Al kind of operating systems (like Linux) could be used to setup a multiboot system. This page only describes setting up a multiboot system with Windows operating systems. Read the manual of those other operating systems for more information about setting up a multiboot system with one of those operating systems.

The basic concept of the booting process

Because of the complexity of multiboot, here are some of the basic concepts concerning a multiboot system:

The partition table contains information about the partitions: a description of the partitions on the hard disk and their layout. This partition table also describes which partition is the active partition and which partitions are hidden.
The partition layout. The maximum number of partitions on a hard disk is four. Additional partitions (in Windows each will receive an individual disk letter) are available by creating an extended partition with multiple logical disks. By default, an operating system is installed on a primary partition (but this is not necessary, theoretically even Windows can be booted from a logical partition but only when the right bootmanager is used).
The Master Boot Record (MBR) is placed in the first sector of the hard disk. The MBR contains the partition table and the commands to start the active primary partition.
The active partition is the primary partition which the computer boots from to load the bootmanager on the boot sector of this partition. In most cases, the active partition receives the disk letter C: in Windows, but this is not always the case..
The boot sector is the first sector of a primary partition and contains the commands for booting the operating system. Every primary partition has it's own boot sector, but only the boot sector of the active partition is used for the booting process.
The bootmanager shows the available operating systems to choose from when the computer boots. Windows has its own bootmanager, but there are also alternative bootmanagers available. While Windows stores its bootmanager in the boot sector of the active partition, other bootmanagers prefer the MBR of the hard disk.
A primary partition labeled as hidden can not be accessed from the booted Windows system which makes it hard to make changes to (damage...) the file system. A hidden partition is shown as unknown partition in the Windows Disk Manager and therefore won't be accessible by the Windows Explorer. So, the partition is not really a hidden partition, but it can not be recognized because of the unknown file system.

TIP: For more information, visit the page about partitioning the hard disk.

The Windows bootmanager

If multiple primary partitions are created, installing an additional operating system is quite simple. The Windows setup shows which partitions are available to install Windows on and asks which to use. The new Windows installation will be added to the boot menu of the already installed bootmanager (on the active partition). In those cases, the bootmanager is used by default, which results in the following boot process:

The computer boots en the BIOS is loaded.
The BIOS runs the Master Boot Record (MBR), loads the partition table (with the information about which partitions are labeled active and/or hidden) and runs the instructions (a small program) as they are stored in the MBR.
According to the instructions, the boot sector of the active partition is loaded.
The boot sector contains instructions as well to start the Windows bootmanager. When there are multiple operating systems installed, a boot menu is shown with the available operating systems.
After the operating system is chosen by the user, it is started from the partition it is installed on. This partition doesn't have to be the active partition. When the user doesn't choose an operating system, the bootmanager boots from the default operating system after a certain amount of time has passed.

ATTENTION: In the most common situation where only one Windows operating system is installed (a computer without multiboot...), the bootmanager is loaded but doesn't show a boot menu. Windows is started immediately without the interference of the user.

The installation order of the different Windows versions
Every Windows version has it's own type of bootmanager. Because the bootmanager of the already installed operating system is replaced by the bootmanager of the newly installed operating system, it is wise to start with the oldest Windows version and to end with the latest version. This prevents the problem that the bootmanager belonging to the older Windows version doesn't recognize the latest version. For this reason it is important to start with Windows 9x, followed by Windows XP (Home, Pro, Media Center) and to end with Windows Vista!

Making changes to the boot menu of the Windows bootmanager

After the different operating systems are installed, the boot menu of the multiboot system is ready to use. Sometimes the boot menu needs to be changed manually (for example when there is an undesired Windows installation is mentioned, the names of the mentioned operating systems has to be changed, or the boot information need to be updated). The Windows XP bootmanager stores the boot information in the BOOT.INI file while the Windows Vista bootmanager uses the BCD (Boot Configuration Data Store). So, if the boot information need to be changed, this has to be done in the BOOT.INI file (XP) or the BCD (Vista), depending on the installed Windows version(s).

Changing the BOOT.INI (Windows XP)
The BOOT.INI file in Windows XP is stored in the root of the active partition and can be viewed and changed with a simple text editor. This file is opened by the sub System in the Control Panel, tab Advanced, button Settings at the sub Startup and Recovery, button Edit. This procedure disables the file protection temporarily and opens the file automatically with Notepad. Be careful in making changes to this file: typing errors can result in boot failures!

In the example below shows the content of a BOOT.INI file belonging to a multiboot system with three different Windows XP installations (Windows XP Home, Windows XP Pro and Windows XP Media Center Edition). The timeout of 30 will show the boot menu for a maximum of 30 seconds. When there is no input from the user, the operating system mentioned at default will be booted by default. If there is only one row below operating systems, this will be the default as well and booted immediately at startup without showing the boot menu.

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Home"...
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Pro"...
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Media Center"...

Windows Home, Pro and Media Center are respectively installed on the first, second and third primary partition. In those three cases, the system files are stored in the folder WINDOWS of these partitions (this is the default folder for system files used by Windows).

Although manually changing the default operating system is easily, it is safer to change it with the dropdown menu Default operating system (in the window Startup and Recovery). If this is done manually and the default system no longer corresponds to one of the mentioned operating systems, then an error message at boot will be shown. And when Windows won't boot anymore, it becomes hard to correct the boot.ini file...

TIPS FOR SOLVING BOOT PROBLEMS...

Removing an old installation from the boot menu
When Windows XP has been installed without removing the old Windows installation (which is done by partitioning and formatting), then the boot menu could show two different entries (the old Windows installation is still available in the boot menu). Before removing the old Windows entry from the boot menu (and from the hard disk), make sure the new installation is the default operating system to boot from. The next step is to remove the entry which isn't mentioned under default. The last step is to delete the installation folder within the Windows Explorer available after starting the new Windows installation.

Damaged boot sector
When Windows won't boot anymore, there is a chance the boot sector is damaged. To repair the boot sector within Windows XP is done by booting from the Windows XP installation CD and to start the recovery console by choosing for Repair (R). Select the installation to be repaired and enter the password (confirm with the ENTER key when no password has been set). In the recovery console, enter the command FIXBOOT (confirm with the Y key) to repair the boot process. The command FIXMBR is used to repair the Master Boot Record (MBR). The command HELP shows the information of the available commands and the command EXIT is used to leave the recovery console.

Missing HAL.DLL
The error message MISSING HAL.DLL is a frequently occurring problem. This message tells that the file HAL.DLL is missing, but this is rarely the case. This problem is solved in the recovery console as well: recover the boot configuration as it is stored in the BOOT.INI file using the following commands:

ATTRIB C:\BOOT.INI -a -h -r -s
DEL C:\BOOT.INI
BOOTCFG /rebuild
FIXBOOT

Changing the BCD (Windows Vista)
The BCD used by Windows Vista is stored in the folder boot on the active partition and can be edited with the command BCDEDIT. While the file BOOT.INI within Windows XP is easily edited with Notepad, it takes some effort to understand the command BCDEDIT. This command is that complicated, only a few know how to apply it. Fortunately, the BCD can be edited by using free tools like VistaBootPro (download: www.vistabootpro.org) or EasyBCD (download: www.neosmart.net/dl.php?id=1). And these tools prevent making errors as well!

TIP: Visit Microsoft's web page (www.microsoft.com/whdc/driver/tips/debug_vista.mspx) for more information about the command BCDEDIT and manually changing the BCD.

The example below shows the use of the tool VistaBootPro. The button View Settings shows the current settings of the Windows Vista bootmanager. The boot menu contains three different operating systems: a Windows XP version (recognized by \ntldr), the 64-bits version and the 32-bits version (recognized by X86) of Windows Vista. Although Windows XP is the default operating system, the 64-bits version of Windows Vista is the currently booted operating system.

The BCD is stored in the folder boot of the active partition, in this case it is the C: partition with the 64-bits version of Windows Vista. The button Manage OS Entries can be used to make changes in the BCD, like changing the default operating system, changing the boot menu order or removing a Windows entry from the boot menu. When an operating system has been removed from the BCD, the accompanying system files can be removed using the Windows Explorer of one of the other Windows entries.

The disadvantages of the Windows bootmanager

As described above, creating a multiboot system while using the default Windows bootmanager isn't difficult: just install Windows more then once on different primary partitions. When the computer start, a boot menu is shown with the installed Windows versions. This method is effective and almost always error free. But using the Windows bootmanager has some disadvantages as well, but you rarely read about it.

Each Windows installation is able to access the files on the other system partitions
The most disadvantages of the Windows bootmanager are caused by the fact that all system partitions are fully visible and accessible from all Windows installations. So, the booted Windows installation has access to the (system) files on the partition of the not used Windows installations. Because the partitions are visible to the user, they can be changed by the user, programs and viruses as well (which can result in a damaged system). And in case different Windows versions are used, then there is a risk that the Windows XP check disk will damage the Windows Vista system partition while the hibernation could cause big problems in the mutual file systems. These risks are not that small and a mistake is quickly made (because the system partition letters are mixed up quickly by accident!).

TIP: This problem is partially solved by removing the disk letter of the not booted Windows installations in each Windows installation. This is done by Windows Disk Management (available by the sub Administrative Tools of the Control Panel, Computer Management). When these partitions are no longer accessible by their drive letter, then they are no longer accessible in the Windows Explorer. Keep in mind that the disk letter of the booted Windows installation can not be removed or changed.

The disk letters of the Windows partitions are fixed
At setup, Windows is installed on one of the primary partitions. The disk letter of those partitions are fixed at the moment of installing Windows, depending on the partition table of that moment. The active (primary) partition receives the disk letter C: while the other primary partitions, logical drives and CD players receive the next available drive letters. As long as there are no changes in the partition layout preceding the installation of the different Windows versions (like activating and/or hiding partitions), all partitions will receive the same disk letters in every Windows installation. By the way, the partition information (and the accompanying disk letters) is stored in the registry within the registry key HKLM\System\MountedDevices.

So, the active (primary) partition receives the disk letter C: in every Windows installation. And the other system partitions receive the disk letters D:, E:,.... When the default setup procedure is followed, the disk letter C: can not be used for every Windows installation.. In the example with VistaBootPro, this is shown clearly: the 64-bits version of Vista is installed on the C: disk, XP on D: and the 32-bits version of Vista is installed on the G: disk (installed on a second hard disk which has been installed later on, after the disk letters E: and F: were already used for the DVD players).

Alternative: starting a bootmanager from the MBR

Microsoft has chosen for the option to place the bootmanager on an unusual location in the boot process, namely in the boot sector of the active partition. But, when the bootmanager would have been loaded earlier in the boot process, the most important disadvantages would have been prevented from happening. That is one of the reasons alternative bootmanagers use the Master Boot Record (MBR) of the hard disk, which causes the bootmanager to make changes to the partition table (like activating another partition and/or to hide other partitions) before the active partition is booted.

ATTENTION: Not every alternative bootmanager has to be loaded into the MBR (like the Linux bootmanager Grub, www.gnu.org/software/grub)! Some of them are also able to use a specially reserved area of an active FAT partition, but this method is not discussed here.

The labels of the system partitions are changed automatically
By placing the bootmanager into the MBR, the primary partition belonging to the Windows to be booted can be activated and made visible automatically, while the other primary partitions will be set to hidden simultaneously. The necessary changes to the partition table are applied before the Windows operating system on the active partition is started. Because the active partition changes depending on the chosen Windows system in the boot menu, every Windows operating system uses it's own bootmanager (having a boot menu with only one entry which is booted by default).

So, the alternative bootmanager changes the active and hidden partitions, depending on the chosen operating system. Because these labels are changed before Windows boots, the partitions of the other operating systems are hidden by default before Windows starts. This will make the unused partitions invisible for the Windows bootmanager of the booted partition. The result: the Windows bootmanager doesn't know better then there is only one primary partition with only one Windows installation.

Booting process while using a bootmanager in the MBR
The booting process of a multiboot computer with the bootmanager installed in the Master Boot Record follows the following steps:

The computer boots en the BIOS is loaded.
The BIOS runs the Master Boot Record (MBR), loads the partition table and runs the instructions (a small program) which are stored in the MBR. In this case, the MBR contains instructions of the alternative bootmanager.
Depending on the chosen operating system, one of the primary partitions is made active while the other primary partitions are made hidden.
According to the instructions of the bootmanager, the boot sector of the partition which has been made active, is loaded.
Depending on the instructions in the boot sector of the active partition of that moment, the Windows bootmanager of the installed Windows version is loaded. Because the bootmanager isn't aware of the other Windows installations (on the hidden partitions), it doesn't show a boot menu but directly loads the concerning operating system.

Every Windows is installed on a partition with the disk letter C:
During the installation procedure of Windows, all (visible) partitions receive a disk letter. By default, the active primary partition of that moment receives the disk letter C: By changing the active partition prior to the installation of Windows (by labeling this partition as active), every Windows installation will be installed on an active primary partition with the disk letter C:

The advantages of a bootmanager in the MBR
Because the alternative bootmanager is placed in the MBR, the unused primary partition can be set to hidden. This risk of a damaged operating system is significantly lower because the hidden partitions are no longer accessible from the started operating system. Because the hidden partitions can't receive a disk letter (and because the Windows partition is always on the active partition), Windows is always installed on the partition with the drive letter C:.

There are different kinds of alternative bootmanagers
A bootmanager placed in the MBR replaces the original code in the MBR, but the available space in the MBR is not sufficient to install a complete bootmanager. For this reason bootmanagers also use the empty space between the MBR and the first partitions (the available space is still limited, which makes it hard to store a bootmanager with a heavy graphical interface) or the space of an additional FAT32 partition (which offers enough space, but costs one partition). Both alternatives have their advantages and disadvantages.

TIP: MasterBooter (download: www.masterbooter.com) is an example of an alternative bootmanager which uses the (limited) free space between the MBR and the first partition. For this reason, the graphical interface of the boot menu looks old fashion, but the bootmanager does it's work properly! Visit the page about MrBooter for more information about using this bootmanager.

Some more tips

Setting up a multiboot system is not without a risk. Make sure there is a back-up of the personal data!
Before installing Windows, activate (and unhide) the primary partition to install Windows on (this is necessary, else the partition won't receive the disk letter C:). Activating the partition can be done manually with partitioning software or automatically by the bootmanager.
During the installation of Windows, the MBR is overwritten. An already placed bootmanager in the MBR has to be reinstalled after the setup has been finished.
Some bootmanagers can not be used in combination with Windows Vista because they make changes to the partition parameters stored in the partition table. Vista needs this information to recognize the partitions and to give them a disk letter.
Disable the option system restore for the mutual logical disks in all installed Windows versions. The combined use of system restore can only be the cause of problems (for example, the system restore of XP and Vista are not compatible with each other).
Be careful applying hibernation. When the computer awakens/boots in a different operating system then it hibernated, then strange things can happen to the files on the mutual partitions!

Copying Windows from one partition to another

So, it is quite easy to setup a multiboot system using an alternative bootmanager: Windows is installed multiple times on a primary partition made active prior to installing Windows. However, to setup a multiboot system with the same Windows version twice or more, it is better to copy the already installed Windows (lets say OS1) to one of the other primary partitions (OS2). This can be done by restoring an earlier created back-up of the operating system OS1 to the partition for OS2 or by copying the operating system directly from one partition to the other using imaging software like Partition Saving (download: www.partition-saving.com).

Alternative bootmanager is needed after imaging Windows
Although this procedure saves a lot of time because Windows only needs to be installed and optimized once, there are also some disadvantages. In case the Windows bootmanager is used, there are immediate problems with the assigned driver letters. The copied Windows installation (OS2) doesn't know better then it is installed on partition C: (just like the original Windows), while this hard to realize using the Windows bootmanager! By using an alternative bootmanager in the MBR, this problem does not occur because every Windows installation is able to use the drive letter C:.

ATTENTION: Before imaging OS1 to the partition of OS2, it is important that this partition didn't receive a disk letter yet in OS1! To prevent this from happening, hide the partition for OS2 by using partitioning software until the imaging has taken place. The next step is to hide the partition of OS1 before the OS2 is booted for the first time, else the partition of OS1 will still receive the drive letter C: (because this is already the case in the original installation of OS1) which makes it impossible for OS2 to claim C:. This procedure could possibly be prevented by deleting the registry values in the registry key HKLM\System\MountedDevices before imaging the OS1 to the partition reserved for OS2.

Don't forget to change the BOOT.INI/BCD!
After copying the Windows installation, it is also very important to change the boot information used by the Windows bootmanager of OS2. The BOOT.INI (XP)/BCD (Vista) of the OS2 partition needs to be changed to make sure that it doesn't use the same (original) partition for the registry files.

When the BOOT.INI/BCD is not changed, it will result in irreversible problems in both OS1 and OS2 as soon as critical changes are made to one of the Windows installations. In the beginning all seems to work fine, as long as there are no critical changes... This is what happens: registry changes in OS2 (like a change in the Windows XP-services/Windows Vista-services) are applied in the registry files stored on the partition of OS1, even when the partition of OS1 is hidden for OS2! So, registry changes of both OS1 and OS2 take place in the registry files belonging to OS1, while the changes in the (system) files belonging to these registry changes are stored on or removed from the partition of the active Windows installation of that moment. which makes them invisible for the other Windows (if the partition would not be hidden, the files aren't accessible by their original drive letter as well).

Such a situation would result in big problems for sure! This situation is identified easily by making some changes in the registry and notice what happens in the other operating system (like moving a shortcut on the desktop of OS1 and to verify if this is the case in OS2 as well). If they still use the same registry, then the BOOT.INI/BCD of the copied partition (OS2) needs to be changed to make sure it points to the right partition.

Would you like to know more about making these changes to the BOOT.INI/BCD, read the page about setting up a multiboot system with MrBooter.

Bootable Instal OS

2009-01-11T08:12:00.000+07:00

Technorati Tags: Bootable instal OS

Creating a bootable recovery-CD-ROM

Besides a bootable floppy disk, a bootable CD-ROM can be of great help in certain situations. Especially if you don't have a floppy drive, you have to rely on a bootable CD-ROM to be able to fix some problems. Depending on what task you want to achieve, you need a different bootable CD-ROM. This page provides you the rough information what bootable CD-ROM's would be suitable for you and where to download them. Please experiment with those,..... at your own risk of course.

Bootable MS-DOS CD-ROM

If you were able to create a bootable MS-DOS floppy disk, then you can use this floppy as an image for a bootable MS-DOS CD-ROM. With a burning utility like Nero you can choose for a bootable data disk with the floppy as boot image. If you don't have a floppy drive, you will have to do this on another computer. Of course you can provide the floppy disk and/or CD-ROM with the necessary tools. Notice that the burned CD-ROM appears to be empty, the data has been put on the boot sector. If you boot from this CD-ROM, a virtual drive A: will be created. Only if you provided the floppy with CD-ROM drivers, the CD-ROM drives will be available as well.

NOTE: this procedure makes it possible to create a bootable system backup CD-ROM (needed if you are not provided with a floppy drive).

Bart's PE (Windows XP on CD-ROM)

Bart's PE (Preinstalled Environment, download: www.nu2.nu/pebuilder) makes it possible to create your own Windows XP environmental, bootable from CD-ROM . With Bart's PE you can access partitions, even if your own XP doesn't boot anymore. This is the perfect tool to restore your data as described earlier, if your own system is not accessible anymore. Because Bart's PE is Windows XP based, all external storage disks (like USB stick or external hard disk) are accessible without installing any drivers. It takes some time to create your perfect Bart's PE, but it's worth the effort. This tool offers many possibilities like: adobe reader, internet access, file recovery, CD-burning and many others plug-ins are available. Visit the page about building the bootable BartPE CD/DVD for more information.

VistaPE

VistaPE is a Windows Vista based Preinstalled Environment, which offers some advantages compared to BartPE (especially the support for SATA- and RAID controllers). Building VistaPE (download: www.vistape.net) is similar to BartPE, but most importantly: it is easier. Do you own a Windows Vista installation DVD? Just try to build a bootable CD/DVD with VistaPE, the procedure is quite simple! Visit the page about building the bootable VistaPE CD/DVD for more information.

Ultimate Boot CD

The Ultimate Boot CD (download: www.ultimatebootcd.com) is one of the bootable CD's which must be within reach in case of troubles. The CD contains multiple useful system tools (visit the website for an overview). This CD (especially the powerful tool TestDisk) was very useful to me saving valuable data from an inaccessible hard disk (because of a corrupted partition table caused by a multi boot system with Linux). A new variant on this CD is the Ultimate Boot CD for Windows (download: www.ubcd4win.com).

System Rescue CD (Linux)

De System Rescue CD (download: www.sysresccd.org) offers you an extended Linux based bootable CD-ROM. This CD-ROM contains some interesting tools:

AIDA: with this tool it's possible to analyze your available hardware.
MemTest: with this utility you are able to test your memory.
GParted: partitioning software to partition your hard disk (if you don't have Paragon Partition Manager available).
Partimage: for creating an image of one of the partitions.

MemTest86+

A BSOD (Blue Screen Of Death) with different error messages frequently popups? This might be caused by a failure of the RAM-memory. Make sure there is nothing wrong with the RAM-memory and test it with the bootable CD MemTest86+ (download: www.memtest.org/#downiso).

GParted Live CD/Parted Magic (Gnome Partition Editor)

If you would like to experiment with a new operating system (keeping your current operating system), then it's necessary to create more then one partition. If you don't like to pay for partitioning software (like the out of date Partition Magic or Paragon Partition Manager), use one of the free partition managers GParted Live CD (download: http://gparted.sourceforge.net/livecd.php) or Parted Magic (download: http://partedmagic.com/wiki/PartedMagic.php). These partition manager (based on Linux) have the advantage to be able to resize NTFS-partitions (Windows Vista partitions included!) without loosing data. Unfortunately, they don't function on all systems because the hardware is not always supported correctly.

Offline NT Password & Registry Editor

Changing the password from one of the user accounts can also be done with the bootable CD Offline NT Password & Registry Editor. You can find this CD on home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd.

LOGIN RECOVERY

The site Login Recovery (www.loginrecovery.com) gives the opportunity to recover the administrator passwords of a Windows NT, 2000, XP, 2003 and Longhorn/Vista system without changing the password. For an immediate access to the password, a small fee is needed to cover the costs. If you can wait a few days, then the service is free. My advise would be to change the password after the password has been recovered!

Knoppix (Linux)

Would you like to try Linux safely? Try Knoppix (download: www.knoppix.org), a bootable Linux CD-ROM. Remember: don't mess with the partitions on your hard disk.

Internet connection settings: DSL/Cable/56K

2009-01-11T08:11:00.000+07:00

Technorati Tags: internet connection

SECURE YOUR CONNECTION WITH A FIREWALL FIRST

Before you go online with Windows XP, make sure you have installed firewall software or activated the Windows firewall on your internet connection (especially if your Windows version is not provided yet with SP2). After you have gone online, start the Windows update immediate and download all essential updates first. If you don't do this, the chance of being infected with a virus within 5 minutes is very high!

Now Windows XP is installed, it's time to get the internet connection working. Most popular are the DSL or Cable connections, but a connection through your phone line is also possible. Follow the instructions of your service provider.

The most simple connection is through a gateway router. The gateway router (provided by some of the internet providers as the modem) keeps the DSL or Cable internet connection alive, and makes sure that every connected computer is able to enter the internet. If this is the case: you only have to plug in the ethernet cable and the connection will probably be there automatically.

NOTE: If you don't want to share any of your files or printers, disable this option: Control Panel, Network Connections, right click the connection and select Properties, tab General, disable File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks.

YOUR IP ADDRESS

If you would like to know your IP address, start the Command Console (Start, Run, command CMD). In the Command Console use the IPCONFIG command. The IP address is also visible by double clicking the connection icon in the system tray, tab Support. If the connection is not visible go to the Control Panel, Network Connections, right click the connection and select Properties, enable Show icon in notification area when connected.

If the IP address starts with 10.0.x.x or 192.168.x.x, you have an internal IP address. If the IP address starts with 169.x.x.x, there is something wrong with the connection. On this website you will find more information about setting up your network.

DSL or Cable? Buy a gateway (wireless) router!

There are increasingly more households with more then one computer. By placing these computers in a network, all computers are able to connect to the internet at the same time. Besides using the same internet connection, you are also able to share printers and files as well!

Theoretically, creating a network with a gateway router is not that difficult, in most cases easier then sharing the internet connection within Windows. Practically however, many are having a lot of problems, especially if a secured wireless connection is on the wish list! Most internet providers use a modem with DHCP to get connected. By setting up the router with automatic IP address you are probably quick online (sometimes you have to clone the computers MAC address). Although there are routers which support an USB modem, I advise to buy an ethernet modem. Besides that, I advise to use a modem supported by your internet provider (if you buy a combined modem-router, you will probably get no support if needed).

On this website you will find more information about networking and sharing files and printers.

Optimizing the internet connection

For maximum performance, it's wise to optimize your internet connection. For this purpose you can make use of the utility TCP Optimizer (download: www.speedguide.net). Select the option Optimal settings and press Apply changes to optimize your connection. On the tab Largest MTU the largest possible MTU value without fragmentation can be found (if needed change to www.google.com).

INCREASING DOWNLOAD SPEED

If you have a fast internet connection, it's wise to increase the Window Size, using the registry editor. By doing so you prevent the decreasing connection download speed, while downloading a file. The receive window is the number of bytes a sender can transmit without receiving an acknowledgment. By increasing the Window Size, you are able to increase your download speed. Use the registry editor to add or edit the DWORD-value GlobalMaxTcpWindowSize to value 00007fff (or even: dword:0000ffff) in the following key: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters]

NOTE: Try some values and time the download time of a big file to optimize this setting (you need to restart Windows each time).

Internet by a 56K modem

If you are still using an old fashion 56K modem, I can imagine you get irritated with the noise. Switching the noise off, is easy: Control Panel, Network Connections, right click the 56K connection and select Properties, button Configure (the modem), tab Modem, Speaker volume: Off.

Are you having troubles creating a connection? Use the following initialization string (same place): s11=55 for getting connected faster and s10=60 to prevent to get disconnected.

Internet history cleaning (cookies, temporary files, history, visited websites)

With every visit of a website, all sort of information and files are stored on your computer. There are a few tools to erase this information easily. I like the following utilities most:

Active@ Eraser for Windows (download: www.active-eraser.com)
IEHistoryView from Nirsoft (download: www.nirsoft.net/utils/iehv.html)

Active Eraser actually overwrites the data, so they are no longer recoverable!

How to Dual Boot Vista and OS X

2009-01-11T08:02:00.000+07:00

Technorati Tags: windows dual boot

With the release of OS X, Apple has directly confronted Microsoft's Windows in the ongoing war between Macintosh and the PCs. Vista programs can now run on a Mac and vice versa. You can even set up your computer to dual boot Vista and OS X.

Instructions

Step 1

Buy a full version of OS X or Vista. Since your are adding a totally different operating system to the computer, you can't use upgrade versions of the software. Make sure you purchase a 32-bit version of the new software if you have a 32-bit version of your current software.

Step 2

Back up your files before you dual boot. Whenever you make changes to your hard drive, you risk losing information on that drive.

Step 3

Create a partition large enough for the operating system and programs working with Vista or OS X, depending on your original computer. For example, divide a 250-gigabyte hard drive into 150 gigabytes for the original system and a new partition of 100 gigabytes for OS X and its programs. After you calculate the recommended space needed for the new operating system and programs, add extra space for future programs.

Step 4

Restart the computer to see the new partitions.

Step 5

Put the installation disk in the appropriate drive and wait a moment for the installation menu to appear.

Step 6

Choose the "Custom" option for the type of installation you want to perform. If you choose the "Standard" option, you will create problems for the computer as you try to install a totally different operating system over your current system.

Step 7

Select the partition drive you created to install the new operating system. Do not select the "C" drive as the location for your new operating system.

Step 8

Select the button to start the installation. Follow the onscreen instructions to add activation codes, register the software and set up your personal preferences for the new operating system.

Step 9

Choose the operating system you want to use in your dual-boot system when the computer reboots and when you start the computer in the future.

Security at home

2009-01-11T07:55:00.000+07:00

Technorati Tags: Windows Security

Computer security

4 steps to protect your computer

Antivirus software

Get a free PC safety scan

Learn about viruses

Antispyware

Download Windows Defender

Learn about spyware

Updates

Get the latest security updates

Learn about updates

Phishing

Recognize phishing sites

Learn about phishing

Passwords

Create strong passwords

Check your password strength

Discussion group

Security at Home Community

Spam

Help keep spam out of your inbox

Learn about spam

Spotlight

Getting a new computer for the new year? Retire your old one safely.

Remove personal data from your computer's hard drive before you unplug it for the last time.

Security Tips & Talk

Learn to keep your data from prying eyes

Thursday, January 08, 2009

Security tips for a new computer

Monday, December 29, 2008

Beware of malware disguised as holiday greetings

Friday, December 19, 2008

Security Products

· Windows Defender

· Windows Live OneCare

· Windows Live OneCare Safety Scanner

· Microsoft Phishing Filter

· Windows Vista: Parental Controls

· Xbox Family Settings

· Windows Live Family Safety

Security Blogs

· Windows Vista Security

· The Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) blog

· Microsoft Malware Protection Center Blog

· Microsoft Security Portal

· Virus Encyclopedia: Top Threats

Windows vista services

2009-01-10T22:21:00.001+07:00

Technorati Tags: windows vista services

Improve performance by disabling Windows Vista-services

Windows Vista loads many services at startup, most of them are essential for the core system features. By disabling unnecessary services, the performance can be improved significantly, especially on computers with low system resources. The command SERVICES.MSC in the search field of the Start menu will start the management console to tweak the services (the management console is also available by Administrative Tools in the Control Panel, option Services). In the management console, a description of each service is shown, including the relationship (dependencies) between the different services.

Disabling services

The specific description for each service is shown in the left pane. This information can be of use, if you are not sure if it is safe to disable a service. Because there are many services and the description is not always clear, it can be time consuming to find out which services can be disabled safely, and which services better stay as they are. For some services, the effect is even unpredictable which will result in strange future problems.

By double clicking a service, the tab General opens with a description of the service and the current start up settings. Most services have Manual (started only if needed by a program) or Automatic (started by Windows) as startup type. The startup type Automatic (Delay Start) is a special startup type which makes sure the startup process of Windows is not delayed by loading these kind of services. Services with the startup type Disabled won't run at all, even if a program needs the service. In most cases a strange error message is shown by the program which does not seem to relate to a disabled service. The tab Dependencies gives information about which other services the service depends on and which other services depend on the service. It is obvious not to disable a service if other services depend on it.

NOTE: After the startup of Windows some services with the startup type Automatic are disabled automatically to save system resources if the service is not needed anymore.

TWEAKING SERVICES WITH MSCONFIG?

It is also possible to enable and disable the services with the tool MSCONFIG (tab Services). However, this is not the place to tweak the services! Use the Management Console to make changes in the settings of the services. It is also safer because it is not possible to disable essential services.

Services to disable to recover system resources

The list below shows multiple services which are reasonably safe to disable. But remember to read carefully the service description before disabling a service! Keep in mind that possible future error messages can be created (and solved...) by changing the startup type of the services. If there is any doubt about the effect of disabling a service, rather keep it unchanged! If certain functionalities don't function properly anymore, just reactivate the service by changing the startup type to Automatic or Manual. Do not disable to many services at once, but take some time to investigate the individual changes and do not disable services where other services depend on! If you hesitate disabling a service permanently, change the startup type to Manual first.

Application Experience: Investigates the compatibility of older programs and searches for updates for known problems. Although disabling this service doesn't have negative side effects, it is better to keep it unchanged.

Computer browser: Tracks the computers (and files) on the network and maintains an updated list. This service is only useful in case of a LAN where the computers share files with each other. After disabling this service, it is still possible to browse the network. The service depends on the services Server and Workstation.

Desktop Window Manager Session Manager: Necessary for the new Aero Glass-interface. Only disable this service if the new Aero Glass-interface is not used.

Diagnostic Policy-service and Diagnostic System Host: For the detection of problems, troubleshooting and presenting known resolutions for Window components. If there are no problems expected anymore, it is safe to disable the service.

Distributed Link Tracking Client: Makes sure that linked files on multiple computers in a network stay linked. This service can be disabled safely, because in most home situations, this option is not used at all.

Function Discovery Provider Host: Makes it possible to share network shares with other computers. If this service is disabled, the shared files are no longer visible by other computers in the network. Disabling this service is also possible by disabling the option Network discovery in the Network and Sharing Center in the Control Panel.

Function Discovery Resource Publication: This service publishes the shared files and printers so they can be discovered by other computers in the network. Disable this service if it is not necessary that other computers are able to discover shared resources. This service can be disabled as well by disabling the option Network discovery.

Human Interface Device Access: Support for a multimedia device like a remote control and hot buttons on keyboards (like the volume and e-mail button).

Internet Connection Sharing (ICS): For sharing the internet connection with other computers in the network (this computer operates as a router). If a router is used to connect all the computers to the internet, this service is not needed.

IP Helper: Support for a IPv6 connection over a IPv4 network. IPv6 is the new connection type of the future which makes it possible to give every computer connected to the internet a unique IP address in stead of one single IP address for the internet connection (where the connected router uses special IP addresses for home use). The use of IPv6 has some advantages (but also disadvantages) but at the moment, there are not many providers supporting this new connection type. If IPv6 is not supported or used, disable the service for security reasons.

Network List-service and Network Location Awareness: Without these services, the network connection still works fine, but it is no longer possible to show the status in the system tray and the Network and Sharing Center. To keep this functionality, it is better not to disable these services.

Offline Files: Makes the network shares also available when the share is offline. The edited files will be synchronized automatically the first time the network share has become available. If this option is not desired, then it is better to disable this service.

Portable Device Enumerator Service: Enforces group policy for removable mass-storage devices. If this service is disabled, it is no longer possible to read/write protected devices. If it is not necessary to access removable mass-storage device using group policy, it is safe to disable the service (the removable media will still be accessible by applications which don't rely on this service).

Print Spooler: Necessary for loading a print job into memory for later printing. If there is no printer connected to the computer, this service can be disabled. But remember that it is not possible to add printers if the service is not running! If a printer is already installed, this printer will probably have a service running as well.

ReadyBoost: Used for improving the system performance by using flash memory, like a USB flash drive or a Compact Flash drive. Flash memory is faster in reading and writing data compared to a hard drive, which in some cases can improve the system performances. If the flash memory is fast enough, the system will popup a message and asks whether the memory must be used for ReadyBoost or not. If the computer is fast enough, ReadyBoost won't improve the system performances further more and it becomes useless to run the service.

Remote Access Connection Manager: Necessary for managing dial-up and virtual private network (VPN) connections. If the computer is connected to a router and no VPN connection is needed, this service can be disabled safely. Because the service Remote Access Auto Connection Manager depends on this service, it can be disabled as well.

Remote Registry: Thanks to this service, external users are able to make changes to the registry keys over the network connection. This option is not safe, therefore it is better to disable it.

Routing and Remote Access: Disable this service if it is not desired that other computers are able to dial in to get access to the local network.

Security Center: This service monitors the security status of the computer (like Windows Update, Windows Firewall, Windows Defender, User Account Control and virus protection software) and notifies the user with a message in the system tray if there is a security issue. Disabling the service does not lower the security level, but only stops the monitoring of the security level. Before disabling this service, start the Windows Security Center in the Control Panel, click the option Change the way Security Center alerts me in the left task pane and select the option Don't notify me and don't display the icon (not recommended). Else there will be a message in the system tray that the Security Center is not running. Because the Security Center does not slow down the performance, it is probably wise not to disable the service.

Server and Workstation: Necessary to share files and printers with other computes within a network. If this is not the case, it is safe to disable these services. After disabling the services, it is still possible to access shared folders on other computers. If these services are disabled, it is no longer possible to activate the option File sharing in the Network and Sharing Center.

Shell Hardware Detection: This service starts the auto play of devices like DVD drives and memory cards. This service is also responsible for showing a window with the options which action to take with a certain type of file. If you don't like this function, disable this service. Because the service Windows Image Acquisition (WIA) depends on it, it has to be disabled as well.

Superfetch: Tracks the running programs, and improves the performance of the frequently used programs over time. Because this service is improved significantly compared to Windows XP, it is not wise to disable the service (disabling causes no problems).

System Event Notification--service: Monitors and notifies system events like network activity or the energy status for laptop computers. Disabling this service has probably no negative side effects, but this can be different for each situation.

Tablet PC Input-service: Enables the Tablet PC and ink functionality. If the computer is not a Tablet PC, it is safe to disable the service.

Task Scheduler: It is not possible to disable this service. That's no problem, because the most scheduled tasks won't run if the computer is actively used by the user. The settings of the scheduled tasks can be changed by the Administrative Tools in the Control Panel, Task Scheduler. The possibilities to add and change tasks have improved significantly compared to Windows XP.

TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper: Offers support for the (rarely used) NetBIOS over TCP/IP. Disabling the service will probably not casue any problems.

Terminal Services: As long as Remote Desktop is not used, it is safe to disable this service.

Themes: Disable this service if there is no need for the visual effects like the new Aero interface. Disabling is only advised for slow computers because the new interface is one of the most important reasons to upgrade to Windows Vista. To disable visual settings manually, go to System in the Control Panel, Advanced system settings (in the left task pane), tab Advanced, button Settings (sub Performance).

Windows Image Acquisition (WIA): For transferring images from a scanner or camera to the computer.

Windows Audio and Windows Audio Endpoint Builder: Keep these services enabled to be able to hear the audio effects.

Windows Defender: Additional scanning software for unwanted software. If this service is disabled, disable the automatic start up of the tool Windows Defender as well, else the error message 0x800106BA appears. This error message can bed solved by disabling the automatic stat up with the tool MSCONFIG (tab Startup). After disabling the service, Windows Defender is no longer accessible by the Control Panel.

Windows Error Reporting-service: Generates an error message when a program no longer responds. If this service is disabled, error reporting is no longer possible and existing solutions are not delivered anymore.

Windows Firewall: If a software firewall is installed, the Windows firewall is no longer needed. For safety reasons, it is better not to disable it.

Windows Media Center Service Launcher: Starts other Media Center-services at startup if TV is enabled within Windows Media Center. The startup type of this service is automatic but delayed, which causes no delays at startup. If Windows Media Center is not used, it is safe to disable this service and the other Media Center services.

Windows Media Player Network Sharing-service: If it is not desired to share Windows Media Player libraries, it is safe to disable this service.

Windows Search: Provides content indexing (like personal files and e-mail) to speed up searching this content. Disabling this service will slow down the search process to a file by file search. Indexing takes place in the background at a moment the computer is not used, for this reason it is not necessary to disable the service.

Windows Time: For automatically synchronizing the time and date. If it is not essential that the shown time is correct, disabling the service is no problem.

Windows Update: Automatically detecting, downloading and installing updates for Windows and other programs. If the automatic updates are not desired, disable this service. Note: after disabling this service, it is no longer possible to do a manual update as well.

Other services

It is advised to keep the services which are not mentioned on this page unchanged.

Windows XP registry tweaks

2009-01-10T18:03:00.000+07:00

Most settings can be done easily within Windows. However, for some setting you need to dive into the registry or use one of the many registry tweak utilities (like the Windows XP powertool TWEAKUI). On this page (and other pages), I have described some interesting registry tweaks which you can do yourself, using the registry editor.

NOTE: Be careful editing the registry. Worst case scenario: Windows won't boot anymore. If you are not sure, leave things unchanged! My advise: create a system image before making major changes!
Speed up browsing AVI files (audio/video)

By default, opening folders containing AVI files (audio/video) can be very slow because Windows is trying to extract non important information. This can be solved, by deleting the following key:
HKCR\CLSID\{87D62D94-71B3-4b9a-9489-5FE6850DC73E}

Automatically expanding folder trees

The folder view on the left in Windows Explorer automatically expands if you click on a folder containing sub-folders. You can disable this function with a registry tweak: change the DWORD-value FriendlyTree to 0 (instead of 1) in the following key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\ Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
Automatically expanding folders will be disabled, expanding a folder is now done by double clicking the folder.
Windows search optimization

Within Windows XP you are able to search your computer for files (Start, Search), but takes some clicking to get what you want! To optimize the search function, you have to make some registry changes. To make changes, navigate to the following key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
where you will find some important DWORD-values. Change these values to optimize your Windows search:
SearchSystemDirs=1
SearchHidden=1
IncludeSubFolders=1
CaseSensitive=0
SearchSlowFiles=1 (if you have a tape drive, else: 0)
Remove shared folders My Computer

To remove the shared folders in the My Computer view, delete the value {59031a47-3f72-44a7-89c5-5595fe6b30ee} in the following key (export to a reg-file first, to have a backup):
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\ Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\My Computer\NameSpace\DelegateFolders
Saving Notepad settings

If you are a heavy user of Notepad, you probably like saving the Notepad settings on exit. To make sure your settings are saved, add/Change the DWORD-value fSavePageSettings=1 and fSaveWindowsPositions=1 in the following key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Notepad
Disable the balloon tips

Already irritated by the information balloons, covering the important buttons in the Start Menu? Start the registry editor and navigate to the following key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\ Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
change or add the DWORD-values EnableBalloonTips and ShowInfoTip, both with value 0.
Disable the useless Security Center warnings

If your Windows is not provided with one of the well known virus scan and/or firewall software, the Security Center will come with useless repeating reminders. The reminders can be disabled by changing the values AntiVirusDisableNotify and FirewallDisableNotify to the DWORD-value 1 in the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Security Center
Remove the low disk space warning

Probably you have seen the irritating 'low on disk space'-warning before, if your hard disk reaches full capacity. This warning message can be turned off by adding the DWORD-value NoLowDiskSpaceChecks with value 1 in the following key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\MicroSoft\ Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
Disabling wrapping icon/shortcut labels

Probably your desktop contains icons (shortcuts) with long names, which aren't shown completely (the are wrapped......). With a registry tweak you can disable the title wrapping, create a String value IconTitleWrap with value 0 in the following registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics
Disabling the blocking of pop-ups from secured sites

By default Internet Explorer blocks the pop-ups because they are mostly used for irritating advertising purposes. For secured pages (e.g. the login to a bank account), this behavior is not wished. The URL of a secured page is preceded by HTTPS instead of HTTP. The blocking of pop-ups for these HTTPS-pages can be disabled by changing the DWORD-value Allow HTTPS to 1 in the following registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\New Windows
Command Console tweak

If you are a frequent user of the Command Console (the MS-DOS screen, Start, Run, command CMD), the following tweak will be valuable. To change folders is difficult, using the Command Console. By changing the DWORD-value CompletionChar to 9 in the following registry key
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor
With the command CD followed with the first letters of the folder name, you are able to select the folder with the TAB-key (also works with other commands).
Activated NUM-LOCK

To automatically switch on the NUM-LOCK, change the value InitialKeyboardIndicators to 2 in the following key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Keyboard
Automatically defrag system files

To defrag the system files automatically at every boot (to optimize you system), change the value Enable to Y in the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Dfrg\BootOptimizeFunction
A faster Windows shutdown

Shutting down Windows can take a long time. You can speed this up (at your own risk) with the following tweaks in the registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
Change the following String values:
AutoEndTasks=1
HungAppTimeout=4000
WaitToKillAppTimeout=4000
WaitToKillServiceTimeout=4000
(the last registry value is also present in HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control)
Fix for shutting down your computer automatically

In most cases, automatically shutting down can be fixed by installing the motherboard drivers (if not done already). If your computer still doesn't shut down correctly, try this registry tweak. Change the value PowerdownAfterShutdown to 1 in the following key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
Fix for shutting down Windows slowly (or not at all)

If shutting down Windows takes a long time (or doesn't shut down at all), change the value PowerOffActive to 1 in the following registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
Finding out the reason of a Windows crash

If you would like to know the reason why there was a sudden crash of Windows, change the DWORD-value ShutdownReasonUI temporarily to 1 in the following key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Reliability
After a reboot you will find the reason why your Windows shuts down suddenly in the log files (Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Logfiles). If you are finished analyzing, change the value ShutdownReasonUI back to 0.
A faster NTFS file system

You probably use the NTFS file system (see the properties of your C: partition). You can improve performance by making some changes in the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Filesystem
Change the following registry values, as you wish:
DisableNTFSLastAccessUpdate = 1 (last file access is no longer registered).
NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation = 1 (no more double filenames: long names and the old 8.3 variant (the 8.3 file notation is used for the older Windows versions).
NtfsMftZoneReservation = 2 (if there are many files on a partition, the master file table (MFT) can get fragmented, with this tweak there will be no more fragmenting of the file master file table (default value = 1, range 1-4).

OPTIMIZING WINDOWS

2009-01-10T15:20:00.001+07:00

INSTALLING AND OPTIMIZING
WINDOWS XP AND WINDOWS VISTA

This site "Optimizing Windows" offers the information how to install and optimize Windows.
All the tips, tricks and tools you need to know about before you start reinstalling Windows!
This website is a translation of my dutch website www.schoonepc.nl.
See the topics below for more information:
PREPARATIONS TO INSTALL WINDOWS

Installing and optimizing Windows in 10 steps (1/2)
Installing and optimizing Windows in 10 steps (2/2)
backup your current data and hardware drivers and recover your passwords
creating a bootable floppy disk
creating a bootable CD-ROM
BartPE: manual for a Windows XP based PE (bootable from CD)
VistaPE: manual for a Windows Vista based PE (bootable from CD)
partitioning a hard disk
formatting partitions
Windows Vista Upgrade: upgrading from Windows XP to Windows Vista

(summary preparation)
INSTALLING AND OPTIMIZING WINDOWS XP

setup procedure Windows XP
installing hardware drivers
setup and optimizing internet connection
installing essential and optional Windows updates
optimizing your desktop and screen settings
optimizing Start Menu and Quick Launch menu
Windows performance settings (part II)
optimizing Windows XP services
optimizing Windows boot with MSCONFIG
optimizing Outlook Express settings
optimizing (multiple) user accounts
using the powertool TWEAKUI
Windows XP registry tweaks
disk cleanup: deleting unnecessary files
defragmenting hard disk, registry and pagefile

(summary installing Windows XP)
INSTALLING AND OPTIMIZING WINDOWS VISTA

Installing Windows Vista: setup procedure
The Security Center, Windows Update and the Network and Sharing Center
User Account Control (UAC) and adminstrator rights
Install device drivers for Windows Vista
Start menu, Taskbar, Quick Launch, Sidebar, Desktop
Optimizing the Windows Vista settings
Windows Vista features
Improve performance by disabling Windows Vista-services
MSCONFIG: speeding up Windows Vista startup
Windows Mail and Windows Calendar
Optimizing (multiple) user accounts in Windows Vista
Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenting
Software compatibility issues with Windows Vista

(summary installing Windows Vista)
WINDOWS SECURITY

firewall software (Comodo, ZoneAlarm, Sunbelt and Sygate)
antivirus software (Antivir, Avast and AVG)
Ad-aware, Windows Defender and Hitman Pro
Removing unwanted software
file encryption
Safer and faster browsing the internet by replacing the HOSTS-file

(summary Windows Security)
SOFTWARE

Internet Explorer
Windows Live Mail
E-mail settings Outlook
(free tool to recover deleted Outlook e-mail)
Searching the internet with Copernic
Creating a screen dump (PrintScreen) and PDF files
Shortcuts and pasting text with FlashPaste
Automatically creating a back-up of personal data using SyncBack
The picture management tool Picasa
The Sysinternals system tools
Windows Registry Editor: REGEDIT
Free software to download

(summary Software)
MISCELLANEOUS

Setting up a (wireless) network
Forwarding ports on the modem/router
Sharing files with a mapped network drive
speeding up a slow computer by replacing hardware
Resizing the Windows partition
Resizing (shrinking) the Windows partition when there is a recovery partition
A multiboot system: the Windows bootmanager vs. an alternative bootmanager
Setting up a multiboot/dualboot system with MrBooter
Replacing the hard disk and imaging Windows to the new hard disk
Useful tips for sending e-mail and preventing spam

Blog

2009-01-02T23:47:00.002+07:00

Way Of Making Read More / Read As complete his(its in Blogger

Read More

Usually newest postingan will be presented yard to be main of blog. But if your postingan are too long hence the things will make full of main yard. If you wished so that postingan you presented yard to be main only its(the abstraction is just then there are a link Read More / Read As complete his(its to see as complete his(its hence following stages;steps following :

1. Menu open Layout then select;chooses Edit HTML.

2. Gives cheque sign ( centang) at cekbox & quot;expand widget template"

3. Code searching following in Template your blog ( its(the place about by 1/4 code undersides hmtl) :
& lt;div class='post-body entry-content'>
kalo dah met hence under it there are this code :

4. If it is meet, Changes this code & lt;p><data:postbody/> becomes like this :
& lt;b:if cond='data:blogpageType == & quot;item"'>
& lt;b:else/>
& lt;a expr:href='data:posturl'>Read More......</a>
& lt;/b:if>
Article & quot;Read More....." fox you can, for example becoming & quot;Baca Selengkapnya".

5. Keeps result of expurgation.

6. Then selected menu Setting then select;chooses Formatting

7. At box Post Template fills in code following:
& lt;span class="fullpost">
& lt;/span>

8. Then Keeps.

9. When memposting, isn't it there there are 2 choice tab tuh, which & quot;Compose" and & quot;Edit Html", Nha km select;chooses Yang & quot;Edit HTML", Hence automatically would seen code like following :
& lt;span class="fullpost">
& lt;/span>

10. Puts down abstraction posting or article which will be presented main dihalaman ( before article & quot;Redmore") for this code : & lt;span class=& quot;fullpost"> whereas the rest is overall of posting puts down among code & lt;span class="fullpost"> and & lt;/span>

11. This most importantly is between all processes to that is ..... Having..... he..he..he..

Safe Tried...

Tutorial

2009-01-02T23:21:00.004+07:00

Book Tutorial Membuat Website With Joomla
For which pingin learning makes website with joomla, this is correct book for your. With joomla, makes website to become easier. We don't require knowledge about design or programming.

Its(the workmanship is also didn't eat time yg stripper. This book explicates how making website by using joomla., starts from intallation, makes template, makes and fills content and module, up to way of its(the upload to web hosting. Come on gets in book shops closest. Tut, this book also is equiped CD yg to contain Program joomla, XAMPP, SOFTWARE FTP, Template, Modul, etc.

Vista Tweaker

2009-01-02T22:37:00.007+07:00

New Major update Thoosje Vista Tweaker 2.0 - 100% Free
The must have professional power tool for Windows Vista - Thoosje Vista Tweaker 2.0 .

We are proud to announce the next Major update for Thoosje Vista Tweaker version 2.0. The power tool that lets you tweak and optimize your Windows Vista operating system and already one of the most popular Tweaking and Optimizing Tool on the Internet.

It has some great new features and over 60 tweaks that you can individually apply to tweak and optimize your Windows Vista system without having the knowledge of registry and system settings.

And of course most important the Thoosje Vista Tweaker 2.0 stays absolutely 100% Free for everybody to use and distribute.

- Download this press release in PDF Format http://www.thoosje.com/vista-tweaker/Press%20release-thoosje-vista-tweaker-14-08-2008.pdf

optimize windows XP Now 8 languages supported , see list below New Backup and restore feature
optimize windows XP

Easy installation and Tweaking within seconds

Costumize Vista's user interface to your own feel and touch

Tweak the performance of your Vista system

Tweak the performance and settings of IE explorer

Costumize Vista's Security to a finer degree

Costumize and Enable Hidden features in Windows Vista

Change the way vista functions

Easy to Restore functions back they way they where

optimize windows XPwindows xp optimization

New features from previous version

Languages
The Vista Tweaker has a new language feature and supports now 8 languages. Languages supported are: English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch and Turkish. It has an add language feature so it�??s easy to translate it into your own country language by editing the language XML file. More languages are expected to be released soon like Japanese, Chinese and Russian.

Extra tweaks
The new Vista Tweaker has over 10 tweaks extra. With already over 50 tweaks in the previous version of Vista Tweaker that makes the tool one of the most comprehensive and the first only 100% free professional tool to optimize and tweak Windows Vista on the market.

Backup, import and restore
The new backup and import and restore function makes it easy to save you registry settings and change them in an instant if you need to adjust you computer setting for certain purposes. It also easy to export or reset standard settings to multiple computers a must have feature for administrators.

Support
Vista Tweaker has extended his support. One of the most important extra�??s is the new user guide that�??s available online and will be updated on a regular bases. There is also the support forum on www.Thoosje.com where you can ask questions to our moderators, report bugs and find other relevant information.

For more information and download go directly to the Thoosje Vista Tweaker home page at http://www.thoosje.com/Windows-Vista-Tweaker.html

Websites That want to distribute Thoosje Vista Tweakercan use the PAD file pad_file-vista-tweaker.xml

Thoosje Vista Tweaker V2.0

This Tweaker allows you to tweak Windows Vista in an simple, effective and secure way. You can also tweak your security settings.This program is completely safe and tweaks your Windows Vista system without you having the need of having personal knowledge registry and system settings.
Features
Thoosje Vista Tweaker is the first free professional utility that enables users to tweak and optimize the performance and behavior of Windows Vista. The program has been designed to allows casual, non-technical users to safely tweak and modify Windows Vista registry and settings.
optimize windows XP
System
Safely manage your Vista System settings, like secure, network and file settings in the registry. Control your at startup with the startup manager.
Internet
Manage your Internet Explorer settings for download, searching, security, Zone restrictions, and many more key settings on your Internet Explorer.
UI
Tweak your Desktop, Explorer, Start menu and Context menu settings. More tweaks will come available in future updates
Performance
Improve the performance of your Windows Vista OS Like: Speed up the Vista bootproces, enhance application performance, and increase the browsing of Internet and Files.
Free Support and Updates
Thoosje Vista Tweaker is regular updated with more tweaks added on a regular bases get your free updates at Thoosje.com. If you need support or have questions or suggestions check out Thoosje.com Forum. To read more about all features and practices read the online Vista Tweaker User Guide
Easy installation - Optimizing your Vista Operating System is just 5 steps away!!

*
step 1 - Download the Thoosje _Vista_Tweaker file from one of the download servers.
*
step 2 - Unzip the file with winzip or a similar program.
*
step 3 - Run the Installer
*
step 4 - Start the Thoosje Vista Tweaker from the shortcut on your desktop or via Start in program files
*
step 5 - Select the tweaks in the various menus and hit the Apply Tweaks button

Vista Manager

2009-01-02T22:24:00.003+07:00

Vista Manager - Tweak and Optimize Windows Vista
ADVERTISEMENTS

Vista Manager, A complete Windows Vista tuning utility that helps you to optimize and tweak, clean up your Windows Vista. This Vista tweak and optimize tools will increase you system speed, improve vista system security and suit your idea!

Vista Manager can consider as a powerful vista tweak and optimize software tool because it bundles more than 30 different utilities in one and help your system faster and more stable and secure like professional.
Here is some of the vista tweak that perform on Vista Manager:-
�?� Tweak your system to improve windows startup and shutdown speed.
�?� Tweak your hardware to increase system performance.
�?� Find and clean junk files; search your computer for duplicated files.
�?� easily checks registry and repairs incorrectly linked registry entries.
�?� Defrag Registry to reduce application response time.
�?� Control what is started on Windows startup; tune up Vista boot menu.
�?� set context menus of mouse right clicking; customize desktop, menus, toolbar, notifications, change wallpaper automatically.
�?� Improve desktop, menus, control panel, windows logon securities, enable numerous hidden performance options, disable system updates and error reports.
�?� hide and restrict access to drives, specify which applications are not allowed to be executed, encrypt/decrypt and shred files, camouflage folder to hide its content from Windows Explorer, change the location of system folders.
�?� Privacy Protector can maintain your personal privacy by eliminating the tracks that you leave behind. Optimize Internet connection speed, manager your all shares, search and find opened ports; tweak your IE easily.
�?� automatically check invalid URLs in your favorites and parse domain name; backup your Windows Mail.
�?� Optimize your Internet connection speed, manage all shares items; tweak your Internet Explorer easily.
�?� Increase TCP/IP connection number for speeding up BitTorrent download, and adds some tweaks to increase system performance.
Vista Manager is a great companion to tweak windows Vista and save your time easily accomplish everyday tasks and instantly find what you want on your PC.

Info Windows

2008-12-24T09:18:00.008+07:00

Malware Removal

Malware Infection which includes Viruses, Worms, Trojans, Spyware, Adware and Rootkits are the #1 cause of system slowdowns. These must be cleaned for optimal system performance.

FACT: 89% of consumer PCs are infected with spyware

Malware Malware Removal 1-2-3 Guide - Malware is short for "Malicious Software". It is a general term that refers to any software or program code designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system without the owner's informed consent. This includes Viruses, Worms, Trojans, Spyware, Adware and Rootkits. This 3 step guide will show you how to remove these infections and protect yourself from future infections for free using free software.
^ TOP

Instructions - Go to "Start", "Settings", "Control Panel", "System", "Advanced" tab, in the "Performance" section select "Settings". Leave only the following checked:

�?? Show shadows under menus
�?? Show shadows under mouse pointer
�?? Show translucent selection rectangle
�?? Smooth edges of screen fonts
�?? Use drop shadows for icons labels on the desktop
�?? Use visual styles on windows and buttons

Then select "Apply" and "OK". - Source

What stages;steps eradicate malware in your computer. Any kind of that need to be drawn up and how doing it.

Your slow Computer and when implementing the application of certain sudden computer reboot x'self, emerges message below(under [screen/sail] that computer �?? has been infected�?? and suggested to access Internet mengunduh to. You knows odd something happened. When brought to place of computer repair, you are suggested [by] memback-up important files and re- format because computer is infection [by] malware. Does have no other way to overcome it?

Malware is dangerous slack device harming where which is including in it is categorizing virus, trojan, worm, dialer, hijackers and his(its conspecific. Purpose of they explain to destroy, mangganggu or slows down performance and productivity in having computer.

Drapes x'self fully to antivirus will not make computer is more safe. Supposing buys most [fire/burning] sophisticated [fire/burning] equipments, where family life depends on fully to the equipment. But You plays with fire within doors and do not make precaution at all.

To learn fights malware will require time to master it. You must learn recognizes and identifies malware, prepares equipments and step of its(the eradication. Digs information in internet to assist fights against hard certain malware is fought against.

Prepares equipments following before advance eradicates malware

1. Process Viewer

Good for seeing process run in memory in realtime and sees file called ( implemented) by process. Process Explorer from Sysinternals is one other best. Nevertheless You requires process other viewer because malware local often closes the way Process Explorer so that cannot be applied. You can look for in Google for process viewer other reserve. One of process viewer made in suborder is Proclister. Proclister doesn't have application title, so that hardly assists if Process Explorer to fail implemented.

2. Registry and Startup Viewer

Good for seeing and manipulation registry. Malware usually mentions entri to load x'self to memory when start-up and manipulation to certain entri to maintain its(the existence and complicates x'self disposal. From some conspecific slack devices in internet, you may try Hijackthis from Trend Micro and Autoruns from Sysinternals.

3. Antivirus ( AV)

Explains to eradicate your malware requires antivirus. You can use the what particular product in internet during �?? fugitive list�?? his(its ( virus definition) ter-update. AVG FREE, Avira Antivir and Clam is a real free antivirus able to be pledged.

( Commemoration: Doesn't use illegal copy AV product! Besides penalty?fine waits, you can be blacked out producer so that cannot update periodic. There even exist possibility that Your own illegal copy AV is hitchhiked [by] malware because you are its(the mengunduh from web site �?? antah berantah�??)

4. Local Antivirus

To make balance to spreading of local malware ( Indonesia) and consorts AV from producer outside Indonesia, hence you requires local AV. Sometimes Indonesian malware ( generally worm) will not be detected by external AV until a few days because has not got report and sample to be analysed.

Some the local AV has reached very good phase in detecting and eradicates malware Indonesia that is often catching passed flash disk. You can try AnSAV, PCMAV, Gucup AV, Smada AV and Compactbyte AV. I suggest AnSAV and PCMAV. Reason of choosing AnSAV because detection speed, heuristic and plugins while PCMAV for rilis its(the definition virus which quickly ( supported one of Indonesia computer media) and integration with Clam, so that can detect around 200000 viruses hitherto.

5. Antispyware

Relies on antivirus is not enough to eradicate spyware/adware when active consumer applies internet. Antispyware is not antivirus and conversely. Antispyware majors x'self to do detection and eradication to spyware/adware. Not like virus, they don't propagate x'self but exploiting ignorance of consumer and applies it to hook;correlate x'self into operating system to peep out continuous advertisement, re-direct to certain situs and steals information of your habit when online. Tries AVG ANTISPYWARE, Spybot or Ad-Aware to eliminate this trouble.

6. Unload and Delete

When You finds slow kerok source file of your computer, Andapun vanishs it and disappointed because the file still be applied and active in memory. For really escade applies Unlocker, Killbox or File Assassin. Duty they do unload program in memory and vanishs it. If(when cannot, they will try after reboot.

7. OSMIUM Live CADMIUM

If(when certain malware file cannot be vanished by have come too far unintentionally have been loaded in memory when start-up. If(when safe mode also have been out of use hence you must do manual delete through live CD. Bart PE or Linux Live CD can be applied not merely when saving valuable information but also vanishs file which �?? bandel�??. Boot with Live CD, does mount to partition windows and takes a care!

Stages;steps eradicates malware

Stages;steps in eradicating malware actually simple enough and public. Only need to remember �?? MEM/FILE/REG/BOOT/RESCAN�??. The step is formulated as follows:

1. Paralyses in MEMORY

Free;useless to implement AV if(when malware have come too far unintentionally is active in memory. Sometimes AV cannot kill viral process in memory, finite of you must assist ascertains is no more ness is dangerous in memory. This step of vital importance and must be done because determining step hereinafter sink or swim. You requires a few practices to differentiate such process malware and legal process, for absense of standard to determine certain file name or process categorized as malware. For your this should be able and accustomed applies Process Viewer.

2. Hapus/Rename FILE

If AV and your antispyware over a barrel vanishs file because always is locked and cannot be vanished by have come too far unintentionally included in memory, hence you must vanish forcing with software �?? Unload and Delete�?? or applies facility �?? delete when reboot�??. Otherwise is sure hence as your precaution may change the file extension to non-executable like Q5X.

3. Delete in REGISTRY

After file is vanished, step of hereinafter was vanish entri in registry so that didn't call certain file again.

4. REBOOT

Reboot re- is your computer to ascertain memory cleanness, file �?? bad�?? vanished when reboot and operating system still functioning good.

5. RESCAN

Although computer have been responsive and cleanness, but there is nothing wrong re-is done scan ( rescan) to ensure that computer system has really cleanness. Implements process viewer, registry viewer, AV and Antispyware again.

If this briefing gives result, Safe! You has assisted creates calmness is having computer. Otherwise, didn't be hopeless because these all requiring time and practice. As computer consumer, you should be able to take care of and practices way of safe computer.