SystemTroubleshooters

Reactive WXP trail period to 120 days.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 12:13:00 +0800

After searching a bit on this topic (30 days trial) we found a Very useful Windows command, that MS do not tell us.

Reseting the Activation Trial:
------------------------------
In this example: Your activation period has expired, (past 30 days) and you need to get to Normal mode again.

1. Turn On your PC
2. Press F8 repeatedly and go to Safe Mode

3. Log in as per normal
(note: Administrator password is usually blank, or use the Password Recovery CD if the password is unknown)

4. Allow the Desktop to fully load (answering "Yes" to continue into Safe Mode)
(note: This is just a long way of saying go to Safe Mode)

5. Click on Start - Run

6. Type in exactly: rundll32.exe syssetup,SetupOobeBnk (and click OK)
(note: one space, after "rundll32.exe " also the Oo are two letter o's in "oobe"; capitals and comma are important)

7. Wait a couple of seconds (although you will Not see any change)

8. Restart your PC normally (Start - Shutdown - Restart - Ok)

9. You are now able to go to Normal Mode again (For another 30 days !!!)

10. Do whatever you like, you're back to Normal.

That is some kind of offical way to reset the Activation Trial.
Take Care it will work only work for about 4 times. (120 days in total !!!!!!)
Do not use on an already activated PC (as it may reset it )

This command line (Activation Reset) has been fully tested, and 100% working.

Warning!!!! renting Jet Ski in Pattaya (Thailand)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0800

Hey Guys,

Just a bit of advice in regards to renting Jet Skies or anything in Pattaya. I’m just back from my first trip in Thailand, and over its entire disappointed trip for us! However while we spent some days in Pattaya we had a really bad experience.

I and my three friends were approached by a man while walking down the beach asking if we wanted to rent jet Skies at 5:30 PM (02/14/2011), he was friendly enough and we arranged a price of 150THB each for 30mins. We were asked to sign a piece of paper which asked for our Hotel name and room number they were very friendly and polite.

When one of my friend hitted parking Jet ski and side strip of the Jet ski was broken slightly (5:38 PM) after 5 mins ride one man called him to land his ski. once we all three arrived back after 30mins there wasn’t just the three men and women there but about 10 of the roughest looking men you have ever seen, screaming at us, saying we broke other two ( other one was OK) of the jet skies. They demanded 95000THB for the first jet and for other two 65000THB and 15000THB ( 6:00PM) and said they told us if you guys not pay the amount we will kill you guys here only and one of the guy call the police, we was more than happy for the police to come and sort it out. When we said this they went crazy and tried to fight us, taking out knives etc!!!! Then a non-Thai (Sardarji, Local INDIAN) (7:00PM) came over and "tried to help" cause he could speak Thai, he was completely in on the whole thing!! We tried to leave and were blocked off, so it was either pay or fight completely out numbered. We insisted we did not have the kind of money over and over and the price after one hour went negotiation stated including Police and Non Thai.

When we are unable to arrange the money, Non Thai guys took us to his shop along with the Thai guys for negotiation (8:30 PM) and they told us to get money ASAP ( One of Thai guy hitted one of my friend). Times goes on Non Thai guy came with the final price for 80000THB to pay for Ski guys.

We tried all the ways (requesting them, calling friends from their phones for requesting the money) and first we given them the money of 23,000THB and tried to convince them to agree for the money, but they increased there sound and again they tried to hit us.

After all at 10:15 PM shop was closed and Non Thai guys left by giving 23,000THB to Thai guys and Thai guys hold one of my friends told us to come to police station and we also agreed for that, because we don't have choice .

At 10:20PM, once they change the route, we scared and told them we will pay money please stop the car and we managed to stop the car and get down at the same shop where was earlier.

At 10:30PM (Thai people all dunked and talking bad words in Thai and they hitted one of our friend), we called one of our friend and arranged money to send thought western union and luckily we got some more amount of 35000THB.

At 11:10PM, we handed over 35000THB to them and somehow they agreed and we left that place immediately at 12:00PM. So total of 55000THB paid to them out og 80000THB.

On our travels we heard so many stories of people saying the same thing over and over. This incident really put a downer on things for a few days, and we all was so shuck up about it we did not leave the hotel complex for that day.

Suggested, please don't rent anything (Jet Ski, Bike and Car etc..) in Thailand ( Pattaya, Phuket and Bangkok).

Sorry for the big Novel but at the end of the day if this posting even prevents one person from going through the same situation we did we will be happy!

Integration between DCHP and DNS

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 2 Oct 2010 18:30:00 +0800

Traditionally, DNS and DHCP server have been configured and managed one at a time. Similarly, changing authorization rights for a particular user in a group of devices has meant visiting each one and making configurations changes. DHCP integration with DNS allows the aggregation of these tasks across devices, enabling a company's network services to scale in step with the growth of network users, decives, and policies, while reducing the administrative operations and costs.

This integration provides practical operational efficiencies that lower the cost of ownership. Creating a DHCP network automatically creates an associated DNS Zone, for example , reducing the number of tasks required of network administrators. And integration of DNS and DHCP in the same database instance provides unmatched consistency between service and management views of IP address-centric network service data.

Microsoft coming with Internet Explorer 9 (IE9)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 19:56:00 +0800

Microsoft has raised the stakes again in the heated browser battle. The company's recent public beta release of Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) shows that the software giant has taken seriously the criticisms levied against previous versions of the browser -- especially in the areas of performance and usability.

But there's more to IE9 than faster page loads and fewer hassles when viewing websites. IE9 represents a substantial overhaul of the world's most popular browser. Does that mean it should have a place right now on your desktop? Read on for some answers.soft has raised the stakes again in the heated browser battle. The company's recent public beta release of Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) shows that the software giant has taken seriously the criticisms levied against previous versions of the browser -- especially in the areas of performance and usability.

But there's more to IE9 than faster page loads and fewer hassles when viewing websites. IE9 represents a substantial overhaul of the world's most popular browser. Does that mean it should have a place right now on your desktop? Read on for some answers...

Ten Technologies That Will Rock 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 16:40:00 +0800

Now that the aughts are behind us, we can start the new decade with a bang. So many new technologies are ready to make a big impact this year. Some of them will be brand new, but many have been gestating and are now ready to hatch. If there is any theme here it is the mobile Web. As I think through the top ten technologies that will rock 2010, more than half of them are mobile. But those technologies are tied to advances in the overall Web as well.

http://techcrunch.com/2010/01/01/ten-technologies-2010/

Routing and Routed Protocols

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 22:18:00 +0800

ROUTING PROTOCOLS

ROUTING PROTOCOLS are the software that allow routers to dynamically advertise and learn routes, determine which routes are available and which are the most efficient routes to a destination. Routing protocols used by the internet protocol suite include:

Routing Information Protocol (RIP and RIP II)
Open Shortest Path First (OSPF)
Intermediate System to Intermediate System (IS-IS)
Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (IGRP)
Cisco's Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP)
Border Gateway Protocol (BGP)

Routing is the process of moving data from one network to another network. Within a network, all hosts are directly accessable and do not need to pass data through a default gateway. All hosts on the same network are directly connected and can communicate directly with each other.

ROUTED PROTOCOLS

ROUTED PROTOCOLS are nothing more than data being transported across the networks. Routed protocols include:

Internet Protocol

Telnet
Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
SNMP
SMTP

Novell IPX
Open Standards Institute networking protocol
DECnet
Appletalk
Banyan Vines

Xerox Network System (XNS)

NON-ROUTABLE PROTOCOLS

NON-ROUTABLE PROTOCOLS cannot survive being routed. Non-routable protocols presume that all computers they will ever communicate with are on the same network (to get them working in a routed environment, you must bridge the networks). Todays modern networks are not very tolerant of protocols that do not understand the concept of a multi-segment network and most of these protocols are dying or falling out of use.

NetBEUI
DLC
LAT
DRP
MOP

RAID Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 8 Aug 2010 19:44:00 +0800

3. RAID-2: Hamming Code ECC

This type uses striping across disks with some disks storing error checking and correcting information. It has no advantage over RAID-3.

4. RAID-3: Parallel Transfer with Parity

This type uses striping and dedicates one drive to storing parity information. The embedded error checking (ECC) information is used to detect errors. Data recovery is accomplished by calculating the exclusive OR (XOR) of the information recorded on the other drives. Since an I/O operation addresses all drives at the same time, RAID-3 cannot overlap I/O. For this reason, RAID-3 is best for single-user systems with long record applications.

5. RAID-4: Independent Data Disks with Shared Parity Disk

This type uses large stripes, which means you can read records from any single drive. This allows you to take advantage of overlapped I/O for read operations. Since all write operations have to update the parity drive, no I/O overlapping is possible. RAID-4 offers no advantage over RAID-5.

6. RAID-5: Independent Data Disk with distributed Parity Blocks.

Description: One of the most popular RAID levels, RAID 5 stripes both data and parity information across three or more drives. It is similar to RAID 4 except that it exchanges the dedicated parity drive for a distributed parity algorithm, writing data and parity blocks across all the drives in the array. This removes the "bottleneck" that the dedicated parity drive represents, improving write performance slightly and allowing somewhat better parallelism in a multiple-transaction environment, though the overhead necessary in dealing with the parity continues to bog down writes. Fault tolerance is maintained by ensuring that the parity information for any given block of data is placed on a drive separate from those used to store the data itself. The performance of a RAID 5 array can be "adjusted" by trying different stripe sizes until one is found that is well-matched to the application being used.

Advantages:

- Highest Read data transaction rate

- Medium Write data transaction rate

- Low ratio of ECC (Parity) disks to data disks means high efficiency

- Good aggregate transfer rate.

- Full data redundancy.

Disadvantages:

- Disk failure has a medium impact on throughput

- Most Complex controller design

- Difficult to rebuild in the event of a disk failure

- Individual block data transfer rate same as single disk.

- Highest cost to implement

More Information:

http://compreviews.about.com/od/storage/l/aaRAIDPage1.htm

RAID Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 3 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0800

RAID (redundant array of independent disks; originally redundant array of inexpensive disks) is a way of storing the same data in different places (thus, redundantly) on multiple hard disks. By placing data on multiple disks, input/output operations can overlap in a balanced way, improving performance. Since multiple disks increases the mean time between failures, storing data redundantly also increases fault tolerance.

Advantages of RAID

There are three reasons you might want a RAID system of drives.

You need tons of storage space and you need it to be fast. (RAID 0)
You want to instantaneously and automatically backup your data. (RAID 1)
You want both. (RAID 5)

Let’s discuss little bit about types of RAID:

1. Speed (RAID 0) Striped Disk Array with fault tolerance requires a minimum of 2 drives to implement.

Description: The simplest RAID level, RAID 0 should really be called "AID", since it involves no redundancy. Files are broken into stripes of a size dictated by the user-defined stripe size of the array, and stripes are sent to each disk in the array. Giving up redundancy allows this RAID level the best overall performance characteristics of the single RAID levels, especially for its cost. For this reason, it is becoming increasingly popular by performance-seekers, especially in the lower end of the marketplace.

Characteristics and Advantages:

- RAID 0 implements a striped disk array, the data is broken down into blocks and each block is written to a separate disk drive.

- I/O performance is greatly improved by spreading the I/O load across many channels and drives.

- Best performance is achieved when data is striped across multiple controllers with only one drive per controller.

- No parity calculation overhead is involved.

- Very simple design.

- Easy to implement.

Disadvantages:

- Not a "True" RAID because it is NOT fault-tolerant

- The failure of just one drive will result in all data in an array being lost

- Should never be used in mission critical environments

2. Data protection (RAID 1) Mirroring and Duplexing requires a minimum of 2 drives to implement:

Description: RAID 1 is usually implemented as mirroring; a drive has its data duplicated on two different drives using either a hardware RAID controller or software (generally via the operating system). If either drive fails, the other continues to function as a single drive until the failed drive is replaced. Conceptually simple, RAID 1 is popular for those who require fault tolerance and don't need top-notch read performance. A variant of RAID 1 is duplexing, which duplicates the controller card as well as the drive, providing tolerance against failures of either a drive or a controller. It is much less commonly seen than straight mirroring

Characteristics and Advantages:

- One Write or two Reads possible per mirrored pair

- Twice the Read transaction rate of single disks, same Write transaction rate as single disks

- 100% redundancy of data means no rebuild is necessary in case of a disk failure, just a copy to the replacement disk

- Transfer rate per block is equal to that of a single disk

- Under certain circumstances, RAID 1 can sustain multiple simultaneous drive failures

- Simplest RAID storage subsystem design

Disadvantages:

- Highest disk overhead of all RAID types (100%) - inefficient

- Typically the RAID function is done by system software, loading the CPU/Server and possibly degrading throughput at high activity levels. Hardware implementation is strongly recommended

- May not support hot swap of failed disk when implemented in "software".

how to configure printer server

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 2 Aug 2010 22:55:00 +0800

What is a Printer?
Printer is a device that prints text, graphics and images on the paper. With regards to quality, graphics, speed there are different types of a printer. The most common types of the printer are Dot matrix, InkJet and Laser printer.

What is a Print Server?

A print server is a computer or device that is being connected with one more print devices or printers. Print server holds an operating system such as Windows 2000, Windows 2003or 2008 and the client computers send print requests to the print server. The print server serves these requests on the first come first serve basis but there are features in the printing software with which the print jobs can be prioritized i.e. you can give preferences to some printing requests. Client computers connect with the print server by using the Microsoft Network Printing Protocol. Dedicated print servers support a large number of the protocols such as TCP/IP, NetBEUI, IPX/SPX, LPD/LPR and NetBIOS.

How to Setup Print Server in Windows 2000/2003/2008

Installation

1. Install the operating system such as Windows 2000 or Windows 2003.
2. Attach printer device with the computer. Normally operating system will automatically detect the printer and if not then you have to manually install the driver of the printer by inserting the CD-ROM. If you don’t have the drivers in the CD then you can download from the vendor’s website or from driverguide.com. You just need to know the model of your printer such as Hewlett Packard LaserJet 2600n, Canon PIXMA™ iP90 InkJet, Lexmark C534N, Canon PIXMA™ MP530 All-In-One Inkjet etc.
3. Install and configure the printer driver in the following steps.
4. Click on Start > Settings > Control Panel > Printer and Faxes.
5. Click on the File Menu > Add printer > Next > Local Printer attached to this computer.
6. Check Automatically Detect and Install My Plug and Play Printer.
7. Click Next.
8. Wizard will automatically detect any attached printer and install the driver for it. If the system doesn’t find the driver then you will be prompted to provide the driver of the printer.
9. After successfully installing the printer driver, you will see a new printer name in the Printer and Faxes inside the control panel.

Server Configurations

1. Right click on the printer name > Properties > Sharing > Share this printer.
2. Provide a shared name for your network printer.
3. This name will be used by all the client computers on the network who want to access this printer.
4. You can also set the color management, priorities, printing preferences, font and other things in the properties tab of the printer.

Client Computer Configuration

If you want to setup the printer at the client computer then you can do this by the following command.

\\computername\printername (printer name is the shared name of the printer)

Second option is the same as you installed the print device on the server i.e. Start > Settings > Control Panel > Printers and Faxes > File Menu > Add Printer.

How to improve your computer performances

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 2 Aug 2010 22:37:00 +0800

If you have any questions leave a comments :)

1. Configuring the paging file.

How to increase paging file or Virtual memory?

In windows XP and Vista : Right My computerà go to Properties ->Advanced->Under Performance click on settings -> Un performance option select advance -> under Virtual Memory click on change -> select the drive and select Set option to increase the Paging file size as per the memory in the system available.

In Windows 7 : Right My computer-> go to Properties-> Change settings-> Under Performance click on settings->Un performance option select advance->under Virtual Memory click on change -> select the drive and select Set option to increase the Paging file size as per the memory in the system available.

Note:

1. If you’re happy with 4GB of your system memory for example select automatically manage paging file for all drive.

(What is paging file: Whenever a computer is running with insufficient RAM and urgently needs more random access memory, the operating system uses a portion of the computer's secondary memory (hard disk space) to act as a primary memory (RAM). This memory is called the virtual memory. The operating system uses a special file to store a portion of the primary memory on the hard disk. This file is called the paging file (swap file). The paging file is hidden on the hard disk and is used by the operating system to store parts of programs and data files that cannot be placed into the RAM due to unavailability of space. The operating system continuously moves data between the paging file and the primary memory in order to create free space for new data.)

2. Defragmenting your Hard Disc.

In Windows 7: Click Start-> click All Programs,-> click Accessories,-> click System Tools, and then ->click Disk Defragmenter and select the drive which you want to defragment.

What is defragmenting in computer: Defragmenting, also referred to as "defragging," reorganizes the hard drive by putting pieces of related data back together so that files are organized in a contiguous fashion. As a result, the computer system can access files more efficiently. By efficiently organizing files and folders, defragmenting will leave the computer's free space in one big chunk. This will allow new files to be saved in an orderly fashion, thereby reducing the need for future defragmentation.

As the overall size of disk drives keeps increasing, defragmenting a computer regularly may even help to increase its life-span. A system needs to work quite hard in order to collect fragmented information across larger and larger disks. Considering the amount of work this takes, it seems likely that defragmenting can help a hard drive last significantly longer.

3. Stooping the unwanted startup programs.

Click on Start-> Run-> type msconfigàselect Startup-> uncheck the programs which you don’t want to run at the startup and restart your system.

4. Protect your system from Viruses, spywares etc..

- Update your system with very good antivirus software’s

- Regularly update your antivirus software

- If Possible scan your system at least once in 15days.

- Scan USB or memory cards before accessing them.

5. Learn all about ReadyBoost

If you're using Windows 7 or Windows Vista, you can use ReadyBoost to speed up your system. A new concept in adding memory to a system, it allows you to use non-volatile flash memory—like a USB flash drive or a memory card—to improve performance without having to add additional memory.

More about Readyboost for Windows 7: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Turn-ReadyBoost-on-or-off-for-a-storage-device

What is?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 1 Aug 2010 13:25:00 +0800

DCPROMO:

DCPROMO is an Active Directory Installation wizard. It is used to promote member servers to domain controllers. It can also be used to demote a domain controller back to a member server.

DHCP :

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is a network protocol that enables a server to automatically assign an IP address to a computer from a defined range of numbers (i.e., a scope) configured for a given network.

DHCP assigns an IP address when a system is started, for example:

A user turns on a computer with a DHCP client.
The client computer sends a broadcast request (called a DISCOVER or DHCPDISCOVER), looking for a DHCP server to answer.
The router directs the DISCOVER packet to the correct DHCP server.
The server receives the DISCOVER packet. Based on availability and usage policies set on the server, the server determines an appropriate address (if any) to give to the client. The server then temporarily reserves that address for the client and sends back to the client an OFFER (or DHCPOFFER) packet, with that address information. The server also configures the client's DNS servers, WINS servers, NTP servers, and sometimes other services as well.
The client sends a REQUEST (or DHCPREQUEST) packet, letting the server know that it intends to use the address.
The server sends an ACK (or DHCPACK) packet, confirming that the client has a been given a lease on the address for a server-specified period of time.

When a computer uses a static IP address, it means that the computer is manually configured to use a specific IP address. One problem with static assignment, which can result from user error or inattention to detail, occurs when two computers are configured with the same IP address. This creates a conflict that results in loss of service. Using DHCP to dynamically assign IP addresses minimizes these conflicts.

DNS:

Domain Name System (DNS) is a database system that translates a computer's fully qualified domain name into an IP address.

Networked computers use IP addresses to locate and connect to each other, but IP addresses can be difficult for people to remember. For example, on the web, it's much easier to remember the domain name www.amazon.com than it is to remember its corresponding IP address (207.171.166.48). DNS allows you to connect to another networked computer or remote service by using its user-friendly domain name rather than its numerical IP address. Conversely, Reverse DNS (rDNS) translates an IP address into a domain name.

Each organization that maintains a computer network will have at least one server handling DNS queries. That server, called a name server, will hold a list of all the IP addresses within its network, plus a cache of IP addresses for recently accessed computers outside the network. Each computer on each network needs to know the location of only one name server. When your computer requests an IP address, one of three things happens, depending on whether or not the requested IP address is within your local network:

If the requested IP address is registered locally (i.e., it's within your organization's network), you'll receive a response directly from one of the local name servers listed in your workstation configuration. In this case, there usually is little or no wait for a response.
If the requested IP address is not registered locally (i.e., outside your organization's network), but someone within your organization has recently requested the same IP address, then the local name server will retrieve the IP address from its cache. Again, there should be little or no wait for a response.
If the requested IP address is not registered locally, and you are the first person to request information about this system in a certain period of time (ranging from 12 hours to one week), then the local name server will perform a search on behalf of your workstation. This search may involve querying two or more other name servers at potentially very remote locations. These queries can take anywhere from a second or two up to a minute (depending on how well connected you are to the remote network and how many intermediate name servers must be contacted). Sometimes, due to the lightweight protocol used for DNS, you may not receive a response. In these cases, your workstation or client software may continue to repeat the query until a response is received, or you may receive an error message.

SYSVOL Folder:

The Sysvol folder on a Windows domain controller is used to replicate file-based data among domain controllers. Because junctions are used within the Sysvol folder structure, Windows NT file system (NTFS) version 5.0 is required on domain controllers throughout a Windows distributed file system (DFS) forest.

This is a quote from microsoft themselves, basically the domain controller info stored in files like your group policy stuff is replicated through this folder structure

Sysvol is also know as %sysvol% or in common terms C:\Windows, because the server information once install installs to sysvol (C:\Windows)

WINS:

WINS is a service run on Windows NT servers to provide Windows clients a way to find other Windows computers. WINS (Windows Internet Naming Service) resolves Windows network computer names (also known as NetBIOS names) to Internet IP addresses, allowing Windows computers on a network to easily find and communicate with each other.

Using a WINS server is essential for any Windows client computer to work with other Windows computers over the Internet. In addition, using a WINS server is essential for any Windows client computer at Indiana University that intends to use Microsoft network resources. To use WINS services, you must insert into your TCP/IP networking configuration the IP address of the WINS servers you wish to use.

At IUB, the WINS servers are:

129.79.1.200

129.79.5.200

134.68.220.14

At IUPUI, the WINS servers are:

134.68.220.14

134.68.220.15

129.79.1.200

What is BitLocker? and how to encryption and decryption

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 00:39:00 +0800

BitLocker is an operating system-level extension to Vista and Windows 7 that combines on-disk encryption and special key management techniques. The data and the operating system installation are both protected by two-factor authentication, specifically, a hardware key used in conjunction with a long passphrase.

Windows 7 ultimate includes BitLocker To Go, which takes the capability of BitLocker that performs bit-level full volume encryption and extends its use to removable storage devices such as USB keys, meaning if we lose our USB thumb drive, our data is safe

REQUIREMENTS:

BitLocker is only available in the Windows 7 Ultimate and Enterprise editions.
A USB flash drive. BitLocker will store its key on the flash drive to use to unlock the Windows 7 drive at startup.
Have at least two partitions. One partition must include the drive Windows 7 is installed on and must be at least 400 MB. This is the drive that BitLocker will encrypt. The other partition is the active partition, which must remain unencrypted so that the computer can be started. If you have the 100 MB System Reserved partition that Windows 7 creates during installation on a blank drive or partition, then BitLocker will store the key on it instead. If your computer does not have two partitions, BitLocker will create them for you.
Windows 7 and USB flash drive formatted with the NTFS file system.
A BIOS that supports USB devices during computer startup.
System supports TPM ( Trusted platform module)
[NOTES FROM THE FIELD] – BitLocker can still be used on some systems to encrypt the Windows operating system drive even when the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 1.2 is not present. In that situation the end user needs to insert a USB startup key to boot the computer or to bring a system out of hibernation.

How to Setup Bitlocker on Windows 7:

1. Decide if you want 128-bit or 256-bit encryption. NOTE: By default, Windows 7 will use AES encryption with 128-bit encryption keys and Diffuser unless changed already by you previously. 2. Plug in the USB flash drive. NOTE: You will still be able to use the USB flash drive as normal. Just do not remove the BitLocker startup key file (step 7) that is used to unlock your Windows 7 at startup. 3. Open the Start menu and click on the Computer button, then right click on the Windows 7 or other operating system drive or partition letter and click on Turn on BitLocker.
A) Go to step 5.

OR
4. Open the control Panel, and click on the BitLocker Drive Encryption icon.

A) Click on Turn On BitLocker for the Windows 7 or other operating system drive or partition letter.

5. Select the Require a Startup key at every startup option.

6. Select the USB flash drive and click on the Save button.

7. Select the Save the recovery key to a USB flash drive option. NOTE: It is highly recommended that you do the other two options as well and save this key file somewhere safe. You will need the recovery key number to gain access to the encrypted Windows 7 or other operating system drive if you should lose or damage the USB flash drive with the startup key, or if BitLocker locks the drive.

A) Select the USB flash drive and click on the Save button.

B) When finished, click on the Next button.

8. Check the Run BitLocker system check box, then click on the Continue button.

9. Click on the Restart Now button. WARNING: This will restart your computer immediately. Close and save anything that you are working on first.

10. When the computer restarts, BitLocker will start encrypting the Windows 7 drive. Click on the BitLocker icon in the taskbar notification area (far right) to see the encryption status. NOTE: This may take a while to finish.

11. When BitLocker is finished, click on the Close button.

12. You will now have a Manage BitLocker option in the Control Panel and Computer for the encrypted drive. (See screenshots below)

13. If you click on Manage BitLocker, these will be the options that you will have below.

14. You're done. The Windows 7 or other operating system drive or partition is now encrypted with BitLocker Drive Encryption. You will now be required to plug in the USB flash drive that contains the startup key in order to unlock and startup Wnidows 7 or the other operating system.

Option Two

Turn Off BitLocker to Decrypt Windows 7 Drive

1. Open the control panel, and click on the BitLocker Drive Encryption icon. 2. Click on Turn Off BitLocker for the Windows 7 or other operating system drive or partition letter that you want to turn off BitLocker with.

3. Click on the Decrypt Drive button.

4. BitLocker will now start decrypting the drive. Click on the BitLocker icon in the taskbar notification area (far right) to see the encryption status. NOTE: This may take a while to finish.

5. When finished, click on the Close button.

6. The Control Panel and Computer will now have the Turn On BitLocker option again.

7. If you would like to restore the default Group Policy setting to have BitLocker use a TPM instead of a USB flash drive, then do METHOD ONE (step 5) or METHOD TWO (step 2) in the PREPARATION section at the top of the tutorial. 8. You're done. The Windows 7 drive or other operating system drive or partition is now decrypted.

Forgot Administrator password Try this

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 00:04:00 +0800

1. Place your Windows XP CD in your cd-rom and start your computer (it’s assumed here that your XP CD is bootable – as it should be - and that you have your bios set to boot from CD)

2. Keep your eye on the screen messages for booting to your cd Typically, it will be “Press any key to boot from cd”

3. Once you get in, the first screen will indicate that Setup is inspecting your system and loading files.
4. When you get to the Welcome to Setup screen, press ENTER to Setup Windows now

5. The Licensing Agreement comes next - Press F8 to accept it.

6. The next screen is the Setup screen which gives you the option to do a Repair.
It should read something like “If one of the following Windows XP installations is damaged, Setup can try to repair it”

Use the up and down arrow keys to select your XP installation (if you only have one, it should already be selected) and press R to begin the Repair process.

7. Let the Repair run. Setup will now check your disks and then start copying files which can take several minutes.

8. Shortly after the Copying Files stage, you will be required to reboot. (this will happen automatically – you will see a progress bar stating “Your computer will reboot in 15 seconds”

9. During the reboot, do not make the mistake of “pressing any key” to boot from the CD again! Setup will resume automatically with the standard billboard screens and you will notice Installing Windows is highlighted.

10. Keep your eye on the lower left hand side of the screen and when you see the Installing Devices progress bar, press SHIFT + F10. This is the security hole! A command console will now open up giving you the potential for wide access to your system.

11. At the prompt, type NUSRMGR.CPL and press Enter. Voila! You have just gained graphical access to your User Accounts in the Control Panel.

12. Now simply pick the account you need to change and remove or change your password as you prefer. If you want to log on without having to enter your new password, you can type control userpasswords2 at the prompt and choose to log on without being asked for password. After you’ve made your changes close the windows, exit the command box and continue on with the Repair (have your Product key handy).

13. Once the Repair is done, you will be able to log on with your new password (or without a password if you chose not to use one or if you chose not to be asked for a password). Your programs and personalized settings should remain intact.

BIOS Power-On Self Test (POST)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:44:00 +0800

The first thing that the BIOS does when it boots the PC is to perform what is called the Power-On Self-Test, or POST for short. The POST is a built-in diagnostic program that checks your hardware to ensure that everything is present and functioning properly, before the BIOS begins the actual boot. It later continues with additional tests (such as the memory test that you see printed on the screen) as the boot process is proceeding.

The POST runs very quickly, and you will normally not even noticed that it is happening--unless it finds a problem (amazing how many things are like that, isn't it?) You may have encountered a PC that, when turned on, made beeping sounds and then stopped without booting up. That is the POST telling you something is wrong with the machine. The speaker is used because this test happens so early on, that the video isn't even activated yet! These beep patterns can be used to diagnose many hardware problems with your PC. The exact patterns depend on the maker of the BIOS.

Note: Some POST errors are considered "fatal" while others are not. A fatal error means that it will halt the boot process immediately (an example would be if no system memory at all is found). In fact, most POST boot errors are fatal, since the POST is testing vital system components.

Beep Code description of Problem:

No Beeps:                   Short, No power, Bad CPU/MB, Loose Peripherals
One Beep :                Everything is normal and Computer POSTed fine
Two Beeps:               POST/CMOS Error
One Long Beep:      One Short Beep Motherboard Problem
One Long Beep:    Two Short Beeps Video Problem
One Long Beep:      Three Short Beeps Video Problem
Three Long Beeps:               Keyboard Error
Repeated Long Beeps:        Memory Error
Continuous Hi-Lo Beeps: CPU Overheating

Active Directory

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:52:00 +0800

Active Directory is a network-based object store and service that locates and manages resources, and makes these resources available to authorized users and groups. An underlying principle of the Active Directory is that everything is considered an object?people, servers, workstations, printers, documents, and devices. Each object has certain attributes and its own security access control list (ACL).

What is Global Catalog?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:45:00 +0800

The Global Catalog authenticates network user logons and fields inquiries about objects across a forest or tree. Every domain has at least one GC that is hosted on a domain controller. In Windows 2000, there was typically one GC on every site in order to prevent user logon failures across the network.

What types of classes exist in Windows Server 2003 Active Directory?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:39:00 +0800

Structural class:
The structural class is important to the system administrator in that it is the only type from which new Active Directory objects are created. Structural classes are developed from either the modification of an existing structural type or the use of one or more abstract classes.

Abstract class:
Abstract classes are so named because they take the form of templates that actually create other templates (abstracts) and structural and auxiliary classes. Think of abstract classes as frameworks for the defining objects.

Auxiliary class:
The auxiliary class is a list of attributes. Rather than apply numerous attributes when creating a structural class, it provides a streamlined alternative by applying a combination of attributes with a single include action.

88 class:
The 88 class includes object classes defined prior to 1993, when the 1988 X.500 specification was adopted. This type does not use the structural, abstract, and auxiliary definitions, nor is it in common use for the development of objects in Windows Server 2003 environments.

What is cache memory?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:32:00 +0800

Cache memory is random access memory (RAM) that a computer microprocessor can access more quickly than it can access regular RAM. As the microprocessor processes data, it looks first in the cache memory and if it finds the data there (from a previous reading of data), it does not have to do the more time-consuming reading of data from larger memory.

What is the difference between Unix and Windows?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:25:00 +0800

Unix and Windows use completely different paradigms for run-time loading of code. Before you try to build a module that can be dynamically loaded, be aware of how your system works.

In Unix, a shared object (.so) file contains code to be used by the program, and also the names of functions and data that it expects to find in the program. When the file is joined to the program, all references to those functions and data in the file's code are changed to point to the actual locations in the program where the functions and data are placed in memory. This is basically a link operation.

In Windows, a dynamic-link library (.dll) file has no dangling references. Instead, an access to functions or data goes through a lookup table. So the DLL code does not have to be fixed up at runtime to refer to the program's memory; instead, the code already uses the DLL's lookup table, and the lookup table is modified at runtime to point to the functions and data.

In Unix, there is only one type of library file (.a) which contains code from several object files (.o). During the link step to create a shared object file (.so), the linker may find that it doesn't know where an identifier is defined. The linker will look for it in the object files in the libraries; if it finds it, it will include all the code from that object file.

In Windows, there are two types of library, a static library and an import library (both called .lib). A static library is like a Unix .a file; it contains code to be included as necessary. An import library is basically used only to reassure the linker that a certain identifier is legal, and will be present in the program when the DLL is loaded. So the linker uses the information from the import library to build the lookup table for using identifiers that are not included in the DLL. When an application or a DLL is linked, an import library may be generated, which will need to be used for all future DLLs that depend on the symbols in the application or DLL.

What is Backup Storage and the types of backup.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:17:00 +0800

In computers, backup storage is storage that is intended as a copy of the storage that is actively in use so that, if the storage medium such as a HDD (Hard Disk) fails and data is lost on that medium, it can be recovered from the copy. In an enterprise, because the loss of business data can be a big problem differences, it is important that backup storage be provided.

On a personal computer, backup storage is commonly achieved with Zip drivers and DVDs or Store it in a local system itself. In an enterprise, backup storage can sometimes be achieved through replication of data in multidisc storage systems, such as RAID; as part of network-attached storage (NAS); as part of a storage area network SAN. Enterprise backup storage often makes use of both disk and tape as storage media. Special software is used to manage backup as part of a storage system.

Types of Backups:

1. Normal or Full Backup: A complete set of all files you wish to backup. This of this as your reference set. You only need perform a full backup occasionally. Pros and Cons for Full Backup:

Provides a complete copy of all your data, makes it easy to locate files which need restoring
Takes a long time and the most space on backup media, redundant backups created as most files remain static.

2. Incremental Backup: A backup of those files which have changed since the last backup of any type.

Pros and Cons for Full Backup:

Uses the lease time and space as only those files changed since the last backup are copied; lets you back up multiple versions of the same file.

Makes the job of restoring files fiddly, as you have to reinstall the last full backup first, then all subsequent incremental backups in the correct order; also makes it hard to locate a particular file in the backup set.

3. Differential backup: A backup of those files which have changes since the last full backup. Should be performed at regular intervals.

Pros and Cons for Full Backup:

Takes up less time and space than a full backup; provides for more efficient restoration than incremental backups.

Redundant information stored, because each backup stores much of the same information plus the latest information added or created since the last full backup. Subsequent differential backups take longer and longer as more files are changed.

What we can do if system was infected by Virus

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:51:00 +0800

"The only way to absolutely, positively clean a machine from a virus is to completely reformat the machine and reinstall the operating system, updates, applications and data from scratch."

It's simple really: consider the possibilities after you're infected with a virus:

1. Your anti-virus program successfully cleans it off.

2. Your anti-virus program thinks it successfully cleans it off, but in fact the virus has hidden itself so well that it remains. You're still infected, and you don't know it.

3. Your anti-virus program doesn't catch it and doesn't even try to clean it off. You're still infected, and you don't know it.

4. Your anti-virus program fails to clean it off and tells you. You're still infected, but at least you know.

Not Satisfied with the above , please try below steps and check:

1. As soon as you suspect that your computer has a virus , remove your computer from any networks it might be on, as well as from the Internet, so that you don't inadvertently spread the bug to others. Unplug your network cable if you have to.

2. If you have virus-scanning (anti-virus) software installed, run it.

3. If you don't have anti-virus software, you'll need to obtain some. If you can't get it from a network administrator or download it from an uninfected computer, you can mail-order it from a retailer

4. Start your computer (still not connected to a network) and follow the instructions that came with the anti-virus software.

5. Keep running the virus-scanning software until your computer comes up clean.

6. Reconnect your computer to the Internet and check with the anti-virus software's publisher to make sure you have the latest updates. If not, download them now.

7. After updating the anti-virus software, run it again until your computer comes up clean.

how to protect my system from Virus..

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:43:00 +0800

Viruses are not the only forms of malicious code that may invade your system. Worms, Trojans, adware, spyware, key loggers together with viruses form part of malware running in the wild that may seriously harm your system and your data while also hogging system resources, reducing PC performance and Internet bandwidth. Here are seven ways of protecting yourself against malware.

Today, security threats come in all shapes and sizes and from a variety of sources including software downloads, peer-to-peer networks (e.g., Kazaa), floppies, CD or DVDs, emails and their attachments, chat rooms, your colleagues on the network and the Internet in general.

Few ways to protect your system from Viruses.

1. After installing the clean OS into your system, Install good Antivirus ( use lincesed one), because trail antivirus may some time create a space to infect your systems.
2. Connect system to the Internet and Update Security patches based on your OS and Update Antivirus patch also and intall all the application you need.
3. After that better take a backup of your system once after all installation updation done. It may usefull later and save time to recover and do all the thing from start.
4. Don't reuse disks that have been in other computers, don't download files from insecure sites, and don't open e-mail attachments unless you are expecting them. Be wary of messages and attachments, even from people you know, with vague subject lines and contents, such as 'Check this' or 'See these pics!!!'
5. If u recieve an email attachment from one of your freind, first confirm from it and before opening read the complete file name of the attachment. Viruses most probably have the extension like these "school girl.avi.vbs", "hot.jpeg.bat" etc always look at the last extension.
6. When you want to use a pen drive or any usb drive, CD/DVD Drive then as soon as you connect the drive presss SHIFT key it disables AUTORUN. Now scan it from ur antivirus program.
7. If you have created setting in your email to view the emails without opening it that is on clicking one of the email its preview is enabled then also disable it, because it also harms ur computer.
8. Secure your Wireless network.
9. Regurally update your system with windows update and Antivirus.

Tips for a secure password

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:06:00 +0800

What do online social networks, online banking and email accounts have in common? They all require passwords.

These passwords act like sentinels, keeping snoops and data pirates away from one's personal data. But bad passwords are as easy to crack as cheap locks. That means one can't be careful enough when picking a password.

“A good password should include a lot of the different options available on most keyboards,” says Lutz Neugebauer of Bitkom, a German technology industry association.

But most passwords are not particularly creative, with many people opting for phrases like 'Honey,' 'Hansmueller1978' or 'qwerty.' Those have the advantage of being easy to remember, but the drawback of being easy to crack for online thieves.

One might ask how online thieves might guess a password if it's not an everyday phrase. Simple. They can employ brute-force attacks, which try out thousands of words and combinations of letters and numbers within seconds. Customer accounts at online shops and banks are favourite targets for such attacks.
There are some taboos when picking out a password. One should never use the name of a family member, pet or friend as a password.

Criminals are usually not stopped either by strings of letters like 'asdf,' which happen to lie next to one another on the keyboard. It's also best to avoid passwords based on existing words, since any word that can be found in a dictionary can be summoned up by a hacker's programme.

The more characters in a password, the more time it will take for a hacker to try out every possible combination and crack it. Arne Arnold of PC Welt, a German computer magazine, recommends having at least 12 characters, since it would take an attacking programme several thousand years to figure it out.

Adding special characters like $, !, ?, or #, as well as mixed lower and upper case letters, adds another layer of security. But who can remember a password with so many twists and turns? There are tricks.

Upgrade to Fedora 13

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:30:00 +0800

Fedora is a Linux-based operating system that showcases the latest in free and open source software. Fedora is always free for anyone to use, modify, and distribute. It is built by people across the globe who work together as a community: the Fedora Project. The Fedora Project is open and anyone is welcome to join. The Fedora Project is out front for you, leading the advancement of free, open software and content.

Fedora 13 is right around the corner. Code-named "Goddard," the Fedora 13 release sports tons of updates from Fedora 12 and some really exciting new features that will have Linux power users running for their CD burners. You'll find everything from better printer support to experimental 3D support for Nvidia cards and filesystem rollback. Ready to roll up your sleeves? Let's take a look at the best of Fedora 13.

The following are major features for Fedora 13:
Automatic print driver installation
Automatic language pack
Redesigned user account tool
Color management to calibrate monitors and scanners Experimental 3D support for NVIDIA video cards

Some other features in this release include:
A new way to install Fedora over the SSSD authentication for users
Updates to NFS
Zarafa Open Source edition, a new open-source groupware suite System rollback for the Btrfs file system
Better SystemTap probes
A Python 3 stack that can be installed parallel to an existing Python stack
Support for the entire Java EE 6 spec in Netbeans 6.8

More you want to know:
http://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/Fedora/13/html/Release_Notes/index.html

Hardware Requirements:

1. Processor and memory requirements for x86 Architectures

The following CPU specifications are stated in terms of Intel processors. Other processors, such as those from AMD, Cyrix, and VIA that are compatible with and equivalent to the following Intel processors, may also be used with Fedora. Fedora 13 requires an Intel Pentium Pro or better processor, and is optimized for i686 and later processors.

Recommended for text-mode: 200 MHz Pentium Pro or better
Recommended for graphical: 400 MHz Pentium Pro or better
Minimum RAM for text-mode: 256 MiB
Minimum RAM for graphical: 384 MiB
Recommended RAM for graphical: 512 MiB

2. Processor and memory requirements for x86_64 architectures

Minimum RAM for text-mode: 256 MiB
Minimum RAM for graphical: 384 MiB
Recommended RAM for graphical: 512 MiB

3. Hard disk space requirements for all architectures

The complete packages can occupy over 9 GB of disk space. Final size is entirely determined by the installing spin and the packages selected during installation. Additional disk space is required during installation to support the installation environment. This additional disk space corresponds to the size of /Fedora/base/stage2.img (on Installation Disc 1) plus the size of the files in /var/lib/rpm on the installed system.

In practical terms, additional space requirements may range from as little as 90 MiB for a minimal installation to as much as an additional 175 MiB for a larger installation.

Additional space is also required for any user data, and at least 5% free space should be maintained for proper system operation.

How to troubleshooting blue screen (BSOD) errors ?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:37:00 +0800

First , before troubleshooting blue screen you should enable a complete memory dump on your system after Windows Installation. This is done under the system properties in Startup and Recovery. It's best to do this right after you install Windows, before you start getting any BSODs. Sometimes the blue screen will show the name of the driver that is causing the problem. If nothing else, you can look up the STOP code and see what the problem is.

The most important info to record from the blue screen is the technical info, it will look something like this:

*** STOP: 0x0000007B (0x00000032, 0x00002345, 0xABCDEF00, 0x00000000)

The first number after the STOP is the bug check code. In this case it translates to DIRTY_MAPPED_PAGES_CONGESTION. ( for exammple on a live system). The 4 numbers after that are the bug check parameters, which are explained in the debugger help file. For example, in this case the first number would mean the total number of dirty pages.

If the info on the blue screen isn't enough to pinpoint the problem, you will need to install the Microsoft debugging tools. This can be downloaded from:http://www.microsoft.com/ddk/debugging/default.asp

Download the full of debugging tool.

If you can get in to the system in safe mode with networking support, install the tools on your PC, if not, take the HD from your PC and put it in another system. But don't boot from your HD, boot from the working PC's HD. The key is that you want to be able to read the memory dump from the hard drive with the debugger.

Then, set the symbol file path to use the MS symbol server. Do this from the File menu, and set the path to:

srv*c:\websymbols*http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols

Next, set the image file path to root of whatever drive contains the memory dump. If it is your own PC, this is probably c:\. If you install the HD in another PC, it will probably be something like e:\.

Then, open the crash dump file (again from the file menu). This will usually be in your WINDOWS or WINNT folder with the name MEMORY.DMP. Usually only the most recent dump file is stored here. It could also be a mini dump, in which case it will be located in the Minidump folder. You can have more than one mini dump, they are named according to the date and time of the crash. In any case, open it up. Be sure that you choose to open a crash dump and not a source file.

After some time, you will get a brief analysis of the crash with the name of the driver that likely caused it. Look at the screen to be sure you don't have any messages about wrong symbols or invalid image paths. If you get those, the analysis may not be accurate. Also, close any windows that come up with assembly code in them. The info you want is in the main window and is in reasonably plain English.

If you want more info, give this command on the debugger command line:

!analyze -v

That will give you a more detailed analysis of the crash. If you need more help on troubleshooting the blue screen, post you comments under the blog.