simple tricks

Not Displaying Logon, Logoff, Startup and Shutdown Status Messages

To turn these off:

Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionpoliciessystem
If it is not already there, create a DWORD value named DisableStatusMessages
Give it a value of 1

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clearing the Page File on Shutdown

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

For regedit users.....
If you want to clear the page file on each shutdown:

Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlSession ManagerMemory ManagementClearPageFileAtShutdown
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

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Speeding the Startup of Some CD Burner Programs

If you use program other than the native WindowsXP CD Burner software,
you might be able to increase the speed that it loads.

Go to Control Panel / Administrative Tools / Services
Double-click on IMAPI CD-Burning COM Service
For the Startup Type, select Disabled
Click on the OK button and then close the Services window
If you dont You should notice

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Getting Rid of Unread Email Messages

To remove the Unread Email message by user's login names:

Start Regedit
For a single user: Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionUnreadMail
For all users: Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionUnreadMail
Create a DWORD key called MessageExpiryDays
Give it a value of 0

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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 33 to 25 seconds.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Increasing Graphics Performance

By default, WindowsXP turns on a lot of shadows, fades, slides etc to menu items.
Most simply slow down their display.

To turn these off selectively:

Right click on the My Computer icon
Select Properties
Click on the Advanced tab
Under Performance, click on the Settings button
To turn them all of, select Adjust for best performance
My preference is to leave them all off except for Show shadows under mouse pointer and Show window contents while dragging

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlSession ManagerMemory ManagementDisablePagingExecutive
Set the value to be 1
Reboot the computer

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Increasing File System Caching

To increase the amount of memory Windows will locked for I/O operations:

Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlSession ManagerMemory Management
Edit the key IoPageLockLimit

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Resolving Inability to Add or Remove Programs

If a particular user cannot add or remove programs, there might be a simple registry edit neeed.

Go to HKCUSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesUninstall
Change the DWORD NoAddRemovePrograms to 0 disable it

4096 - 32megs of memory or less
8192 - 32+ megs of memory
16384 - 64+ megs of memory
32768 - 128+ megs of memory
65536 - 256+ megs of memory

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


How to modify *.exe files
LETS'GO...



HOW TO MODIFY *.EXE FILES
:-------------------------------------------
learn how to change *.exe files, in 5 easy steps:

1) Don't try to modify a prog by editing his source in a dissasembler.Why?
Cause that's for programmers and assembly experts only.

try to view it in hex you'll only get tons of crap you don't understand.
First off, you need Resource Hacker(last version). It's a resource editor-
very easy to use, You can download it at h**p://www.users.on.net/johnson/resourcehacker/

2) Unzip the archive, and run ResHacker.exe. You can check out the help file too


3) You will see that the interface is simple and clean. Go to the menu FileOpen or press Ctrl+O to open a file. Browse your way to the file you would like to edit. You can edit *.exe, *.dll, *.ocx, *.scr and *.cpl files, but this tutorial is to teach you how to edit *.exe files, so open one.

4) In the left side of the screen a list of sections will appear.
The most common sections are
-String table;
-RCData;
-Dialog;
-Cursor group;
-Bitmap;
-WAV.
*Icon: You can wiew and change the icon(s) of the program by double-clicking the icon section,chossing the icon, right-clicking on it an pressing "replace resource". After that you can choose the icon you want to replace the original with.
*String table: a bunch of crap, useful sometimes, basic programming knowladge needed.
*RCData: Here the real hacking begins. Modify window titles, buttons, text, and lots more!
*Dialog:Here you can modify the messages or dialogs that appear in a program. Don't forget to press "Compile" when you're done!
*Cursor group: Change the mouse cursors used in the program just like you would change the icon.
*Bitmap: View or change images in the programs easy!
*WAV:Change the sounds in the prog. with your own.


5) In the RCData,Dialog,Menu and String table sections you can do a lot of changes. You can modify or translate the text change links, change buttons, etc.


TIP: To change a window title, search for something like: CAPTION "edit this".
TIP: After all operations press the "Compile Script" button, and when you're done editing save, your work @ FileSave(Save as).
TIP: When you save a file,the original file will be backed up by default and renamed to Name_original and the saved file will have the normal name of the changed prog.
TIP: Sometimes you may get a message like: "This program has a non-standard resource layout... it has probably been compressed with an .EXE compressor." That means that Resource Hacker can't modify it because of it's structure.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------





Go to the Windows Update web site.
LETS'GO...

Go to the Windows Update web site.


In the left pane, under Other Options, select “Personalize Windows Update”.
Under “Set Options for Windows Update”, select the checkbox for “Display the Link to Windows Update Catalog under ‘See Also’”, then click “Save Settings”.
Go back to the Windows Update web site.
In the left pane, under “See Also”, select “Windows Update Catalog”.
Select “Find Updates for Microsoft Operating Systems”.
Select the operating system and language of your choice.
Select “Critical Updates and Service Packs”.
Select all of the patches you’d like to download, then click on “Go to download basket” to download them.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------



HOW TO SEE HIDDEN FILES:


at command prompt just type
dir /ah
if the list is too long u can use
dir /ah/p/w



-------------------------------------------------------------




How to modify *.exe files
LETS'GO...

HOW TO MODIFY *.EXE FILES
---------------------------------------

learn how to change *.exe files, in 5 easy steps:

1) Don't try to modify a prog by editing his source in a dissasembler.Why?
Cause that's for programmers and assembly experts only.

try to view it in hex you'll only get tons of crap you don't understand.
First off, you need Resource Hacker(last version). It's a resource editor-
very easy to use, You can download it at h**p://www.users.on.net/johnson/resourcehacker/

2) Unzip the archive, and run ResHacker.exe. You can check out the help file too


3) You will see that the interface is simple and clean. Go to the menu FileOpen or press Ctrl+O to open a file. Browse your way to the file you would like to edit. You can edit *.exe, *.dll, *.ocx, *.scr and *.cpl files, but this tutorial is to teach you how to edit *.exe files, so open one.

4) In the left side of the screen a list of sections will appear.
The most common sections are
-String table;
-RCData;
-Dialog;
-Cursor group;
-Bitmap;
-WAV.
*Icon: You can wiew and change the icon(s) of the program by double-clicking the icon section,chossing the icon, right-clicking on it an pressing "replace resource". After that you can choose the icon you want to replace the original with.
*String table: a bunch of crap, useful sometimes, basic programming knowladge needed.
*RCData: Here the real hacking begins. Modify window titles, buttons, text, and lots more!
*Dialog:Here you can modify the messages or dialogs that appear in a program. Don't forget to press "Compile" when you're done!
*Cursor group: Change the mouse cursors used in the program just like you would change the icon.
*Bitmap: View or change images in the programs easy!
*WAV:Change the sounds in the prog. with your own.


5) In the RCData,Dialog,Menu and String table sections you can do a lot of changes. You can modify or translate the text change links, change buttons, etc.


TIP: To change a window title, search for something like: CAPTION "edit this".
TIP: After all operations press the "Compile Script" button, and when you're done editing save, your work @ FileSave(Save as).
TIP: When you save a file,the original file will be backed up by default and renamed to Name_original and the saved file will have the normal name of the changed prog.
TIP: Sometimes you may get a message like: "This program has a non-standard resource layout... it has probably been compressed with an .EXE compressor." That means that Resource Hacker can't modify it because of it's structure.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------




HOW TO RENAME FILE EXTENSIONS:
LETS'GO...


HOW TO RENAME FILE EXTENSIONS:
--------------------------------------------------

A lot of people here may ask how to rename a file extension in windows; well it’s very simple and takes little of your time. There are two ways to rename a file extension ‘without’ a stupid program.

Number 1, Folder Options:

Go into your Control Panel, in my case I use Windows XP so I would press [Start then Control Panel]. Now that you figured out how to get in Control Panel open “Folder Options” and click the view tab and make sure ‘Hide file extensions for know files’ is not selected, then press Ok.

Now go into a folder and notice you can see your files extensions, rename them to whatever you'd like, for instance:

Code:
Dildos.exe to Dildos.Anonymous / Etc,Etc,Etc



Number 2, MS-DOS:

The difference between renaming files in DOS is that you can rename multiple files rather then one at a time, therefore making time gracious. Here I’ll provide you a few examples.

Go to your start menu and open run, then type “cmd” without parenthesis. Ok you’re in MS-DOS right? Geesh common man I know a 5 year old that can do it. Ok good your in? Excellent… Ok now find out which directory has your files and type:

Example

cd C:\Files\


In your case “C:\Files\” may not exist, so type in the directory that your have you files in. If everything goes will dos will look kinda like this:

Code:
Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\User>cd C:\Files\


If all fails, you perhaps didn’t type in the correct folder/name and it will look like this:

Code:
C:\Documents and Settings\User> >cd C:\Filse\
The system cannot find the path specified.



Did you get in the directory yet????? If not I recommend you stick with the first step and hang yourself. Oh your in? OK COOL, type: dir and you will be provided with what files are in your folder, including their extensions. In my case:

Code:
C:\Files>dir
Volume in drive C has no dildo.
Volume Serial Number is CXXX-XXXX

Directory of C:\Files

02/01/2005 07:22 PM .
02/01/2005 07:22 PM ..
01/31/2005 06:40 PM 14,336 stf.bmp
01/31/2005 06:40 PM 14,336 stf02.bmp
2 File(s) 28,672 bytes
2 Dir(s) 39,024,766,976 bytes free

C:\Files>


Did you notice how I had two files named stf. Since both of these files have the same extension, *.bmp they can be renamed all together. If there are other files in there witht he same extension and you don't want to rename them, move them to another folder and / or directory.

Last but not least, after listening to my horrific grammar type:

Code:
C:\Files>ren *.bmp *.rar


And your results are:
Code:

C:\Files>dir
Volume in drive C has no penis.
Volume Serial Number is CXXX-XXXX

Directory of C:\Files

02/01/2005 07:37 PM .
02/01/2005 07:37 PM ..
01/31/2005 06:40 PM 14,336 stf.rar
01/31/2005 06:40 PM 14,336 stf02.rar
2 File(s) 28,672 bytes
2 Dir(s) 39,024,676,864 bytes free

C:\Files>]




-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------





HOW SET UP UR FTP SERVER
LETS'GO...


HOW SET UP UR FTP SERVER:
------------------------------------------

This is a full tutorial for creating you're very own FTP.

The first thing to do is to go to
Code:
www.no-ip.com

Register free at the page. (follow all the instructions you get there)
Look at the top, and you see the Host Search. Write the name you want, and press Go! Then download the program called No-IP on the site, or use this:
Code:
http://download.com.com/3000-2165-10055182.html?legacy=cnet
Download and install the software, then write you're registerd username and password in the requested fields. A smiley face should now appear in the program box. Press the box next to it, and I will change to a happy face. Press it again, and you have you're ip guided to you're registerd host name. You have to press the smiley every time you log on to the internet. If you are connected all the time, you whont have to do it again, but try to make sure. It will tell you if you are guided to you're host name or not.

That was the basics. Now it's time for getting this thing online.

Got to
Code:
www.bpftpserver.com
(it's a pay prog. you can crack it or buy it)
Download Bullet Proof FTP Server, and install it. Start the program, and you will see a big white screen, and some icons on the top.
Press the lightning, and it will say: (example)

31.07.02 10:41:22 - FTP Server On-line : IP(s) 192.168.1.10,80.212.4.10, on port 21

Then you press the human head (nr. 6 from the right)
Make an account for you're self, and press ok. Minimize the program, and go to the internet again. Go to
Code:
www.smartftp.com
and download the prog (I'm sure the most of you have an FTP prog from before. Write the host name you made at NoIP, and the login pass and port. (Default is port 21.) Press connect, and you are online. I did not get into all details, but you can learn more about the progs in the help section.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------



How To Speed Up A Slow Computer
LETS'GO...

HOW TO SPEED UP A SLOW COMPUTER;
---------------------------------------------------------

first off in the bottom right hand corner of your computer if you see alot of icons start up there when you first start your computer then this is for you if you dont know already how to get rid of em.

Press your Start Button (bottom left) and go to "run"
now type in: msconfig
now you will get a box that pops up and will tell you bunch of stuff dont mess with anything else other than what I tell you otherwise you could do something really bad (possible) go to your "startup" tab on the top right of the screen where it usually is and click it.

Now you will have a closed in box with bunch of filenames n addresses and more boxes with checks in them. Now if your like me you dont want anything startin up when you start you computer up or while your even doing anything cause it slows you down. Now unless your like me right now 1 have 1 thing starting up when my computer starts up and thats my settin for my overclocked vid card. But other than that uncheck every box and then hit apply and ok. Then window you were jus in will now close and ask you if you want to restart or wait till later to restart.

Either way when you shut it off and then turn it back on the settins will kick in







SP2:



What is the size of this Windows XP SP2?
What is the minimum requirement for the system to run Windows XP SP2?
Can I upgrade my system with Windows XP SP2?
Do I have to install an earlier Service Pack 1 before installing Windows XP SP2?
Is there any patch that is required to install prior to SP2 installation?
Where can I download (and install) a copy of Windows XP SP2?
Is there any application that has compatibility issues with Windows XP SP2?
What are the patches found in this Windows XP SP2?
What is new in Windows XP SP2?
How do I install Windows XP SP2?
What is this so called Windows Firewall?
How do I know that the Windows Firewall is enabled in my system?
Can I disable the Windows Firewall?
LETS'GO...


Refer to this site for SP2 FAQs.

Questions like:

Should I slipstream SP1 into Windows XP before SP2? Nope!


View them here:

hXXXp://www.ntu.edu.sg/CITS/getting+help/faqs/windows+xp+sp2.htm#q4

Windows XP SP2 (Service Pack 2) Frequently Asked Questions

What is the size of this Windows XP SP2?
What is the minimum requirement for the system to run Windows XP SP2?
Can I upgrade my system with Windows XP SP2?
Do I have to install an earlier Service Pack 1 before installing Windows XP SP2?
Is there any patch that is required to install prior to SP2 installation?
Where can I download (and install) a copy of Windows XP SP2?
Is there any application that has compatibility issues with Windows XP SP2?
What are the patches found in this Windows XP SP2?
What is new in Windows XP SP2?
How do I install Windows XP SP2?
What is this so called Windows Firewall?
How do I know that the Windows Firewall is enabled in my system?
Can I disable the Windows Firewall?
With Windows Firewall turn on, do I still need to have an anti-virus software installed on my computer?
My computer stops responding when I restart to complete the installation of Windows XP Service Pack 2. What should I do?
I receive a "Stop: c0000135" and "winsrv was not found" error message after I install Windows XP Service Pack 2?
After installing SP2 and reboot my system, I receive this message "Your network administrator can unblock this program for you". Why is this so and what should I do?
When I am surfing to some websites using Internet Explorer, I notice that Internet Explorer does not display some of the pop-up windows? Why is this so and what should I do to display these pop-up windows?


What is the size of this Windows XP SP2?
The size of Windows XP SP2 (Service Pack 2) is about 270MB (back to top)


What is the minimum requirement for the system to run Windows XP SP2?
You need a PC running Microsoft Windows XP with at least 233-MHz processor, 64 MB of RAM and 1.6GB of available hard-disk space during installation. (back to top)


Can I upgrade my system with Windows XP SP2?
If you are using any application/software provided by your School, do a quick check with your School IT Support whether that application/software can run on Win XP SP2. Thereafter, proceed to the next question below.

Note: Before installing Windows XP SP2, it is strongly recommended to back up or make a copy of your data files. (back to top)

Do I have to install an earlier Service Pack 1 before installing Windows XP SP2?
No. (back to top)

Is there any patch that is required to install prior to SP2 installation?
Microsoft has issue a critical patch (KB885523) that will resolve compatibility issue with a non-Microsoft software application installed on your computer. Download and install this patch prior the installation of SP2. This download can be found
CODE
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?amp;displaylang=en.&familyid=65875203-CF1B-4D32-8F32-E00D004659F6&displaylang=en


** NO ACTIVE LINKS - Ninja **

Microsoft has issue a non-security critical update (KB885626) that will help to resolve an issue where a limited number of systems running a BIOS without production support for Intel Pentium 4 and Intel Celeron D processors based on Prescott C-0 stepping that can potentially hang on Windows XP Service Pack 2 installation.
This download can be found at
CODE
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb
;[LN];885626 (back to top)
** NO ACTIVE LINKS - Ninja **

Where can I download (and install) a copy of Windows XP SP2?
You can download a copy of Windows XP SP2 from one of the following methods:
a. Microsoft Download Site
b. Windows Update
c. Automatic Update
d. CD Order Process from Microsoft
e. CITS Software Directory (back to top)

Is there any application that has compatibility issues with Windows XP SP2?
Microsoft has list out a list of programs that are known to have experience a loss of
functionality when running on Windows XP SP2. Click here for more details.

There is also a list of programs that may stop working after installing Win XP SP2.
Click here for the details. (back to top)

What are the patches found in this Windows XP SP2?
Please refer to the following Microsoft sites for the updates:
a. Security patches
b. Fixes (back to top)

What is new in Windows XP SP2?
This SP2 has improved security technologies that will withstand malicious viruses and worms attacks. These technologies include:
a. Network protection (protection against malicious attacks)
b. Memory protection (prevent buffer overruns)
c. E-mail handling (improved attachment control using AES API)
d. Browsing security (lock down Local Machine zone and turn on pop-up blocker)
e. Computer maintenance (keep computer with the latest security updated)

For greater details, please refer to Microsoft site here (back to top)

How do I install Win XP SP2?
After you have downloaded the Win XP SP2, the Setup Wizard will appear.
a. Note: Remember to protect or back up all data files
b. In the 'Welcome to Windows XP Service Pack 2 Setup Wizard', click Next.
c. In the 'License Agreement', select 'I Agree' and click Next.
d. In the next screen for 'Uninstalled Folders', click Next to proceed.
e. The system will proceed to do the inspection of your current configuration, archive your current files and update your files. This will take quite a while, so please wait patiently.
f. At the end of the installation, click Finish and this will reboot your system.
g. After rebooting, a firewall option screen may appear. Select the 'ON' radio button to proceed with the turning on the Windows Firewall.
h. Ensure that the security essentials are all turn ON (by clicking Start -> Control Panel -> Security Center) (back to top)

What is this so called Windows Firewall?
Windows Firewall (previously known as Internet Connection Firewall or ICF in Win XP) is a software-based, stateful filtering firewall for Microsoft Windows XP.

After the Win XP SP2 installation, this Windows Firewall is turned on by default.

Windows Firewall provides protection for computers that are connected to a network by preventing unsolicited inbound connections through TCP/IP. The Configuration options include:
a. Enabling static exceptions for ports
b. Enabling exceptions for applications
c. Configuring basic ICMP options
d. Logging dropped packets and successful connections (back to top)

How do I know that the Windows Firewall is enabled in my system?
Go to the Control Panel and click Security Center and check that the Firewall is ON

Alternatively, if you open up the LAN connection icon, you will notice a lock symbol being shown.

Can I disable the Windows Firewall?
You can manually turn it off, if you have the administrator rights. However, it is advisable to leave it on in order to minimize any virus, worms or trogons attacks.

With Windows Firewall turn on, do I still need to have an anti-virus software installed on my computer?
Even with Windows Firewall turn on, it is still necessary to have an anti-virus software installed in the computer. Windows Firewall is NOT a replacement for anti-virus software but acts as a compliment to anti-virus software. (back to top)

My computer stops responding when I restart to complete the installation of Windows XP Service Pack 2. What should I do?
This issue may occur if either (1) your computer uses an Intel Pentium 4 or Intel Celeron D processor that is based on Prescott C-0 processor stepping or (2) Your computer has a BIOS version that is out of specification.

Contact your computer manufacturer for an updated version of BIOS that provides production support for the processor that is installed in your computer or refer to Microsoft article
CODE
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb
;[LN];885626 for resolution.
(back to top)
** NO ACTIVE LINKS - Ninja **

I receive a "Stop: c0000135" and "winsrv was not found" error message after I install Windows XP Service Pack 2?
This problem may occur if either you have (1) T.V. Media (TvMedia.tvmbho) from Total Velocity Corporation is installed on your computer or (2) not installed Critical Update 885523 or (3) tried to install Windows XP SP2.

Refer to Microsoft article
CODE
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=885523
for resolution
(back to top)
** NO ACTIVE LINKS - Ninja **

After installing SP2 and reboot my system, I receive this message "Your network administrator can unblock this program for you". Why is this so and what should I do?
This is because you are not the administrator of this system. You should use an administrator account to log in to unblock this program.
After logging in as an administrator, you can either choose to 'Keep Blocking' this program or 'Unblock' this program or 'Ask Me Later' when I run that program again as shown below.

When I am surfing to some websites using Internet Explorer, I notice that Internet Explorer does not display some of the pop-up windows? Why is this so and what should I do to display these pop-up windows?
When you install SP2, the pop-up blocker is turned on in Internet Explorer. It will block most automcatic pop-ups but it will play a sound and show the Information Bar when a pop-up is blocked as shown below.

To temporarily or always allow pop-ups from that website, click the Information Bar when it notifies a pop-up has been blocked. Choose the correct setting as shown below.

If you choose to 'Always Allow Pop-ups from This Site', it will prompt you to confirm again to permanently trust this website to allow pop-ups. Click 'Yes' if you are sure.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------



Install A New Hard-diskLETS'GO...

INSTALL A NEW HARD-DISK:
----------------------------------------
Running out of hard disk space, yet also want to keep all the files that are currently on the system in perfect order? Install an extra hard disk, and see your available space rise!

Firstly, make backups of your existing system files. You may never know when these may come in handy. If your current hard disk may go down the pan, you'll be glad to have something to start with again. Also, if you want to use all your data that is on this drive, back it up anyway; ready to be transferred to the new drive. Also, create a system disk for your PC. This can be created by going to Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs, and then the "System Disk" tab. The instructions should be there for you. "WHEN I INSTALLED MY EXTRA HDD I DDNT FOLLOW ANY OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED....INSTEAD JUST OPEANED THE CABINET AND LOOKED FOR THE WIRES AND CONNECTED THEM ...ANY ONE CAN TELL WHERE THE CORRECT WIRE GOES ..... THE MAIN THING IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BROAD THIN GRAY WIRE OR DATA CABLE SLOT WITH THE WORD 'P2' IS CONNECTED TO THE EXTRA HDD"

Once you are prepared on the software side, turn off your PC and open the case to your PC (Please take proper precautions at this point. Anti-static wristbands and other such devices should be used. If you don't have these, just make sure you are properly earthed, and know what you are going to do. Oh, and please turn off the PC properly. I don't want you dying on me, literally!). The hard disk is the metal box shaped thing that is either the size of the floppy drive or it could be the size of the CD-Rom drive. It should be easy to spot, because it might even say "Hard Disk" on it. At this point, look and see where you can put the new drive, and how you are going to connect it up. If there is no hard drive in there, then don't worry; I'll explain how to connect it up as well.

Look at the end of the HDD. It should have a load of sockets and pins for you to play around with. At one point, you should be able to see some pins with some jumpers attached, and a sticker on another side telling you what configuration of jumper positions means what to the computer. If you are attaching it to the same IDE cable as your existing drive, then set it to "Slave", otherwise, select "Master" and fit it as close to the start of the cable as possible (The start of the cable being where it's connected to the motherboard). This cable is an "IDE" cable, and can only be fitted two ways to the drive itself. Look for an indication as to which side pin number 1 is (Look for stickers again!) and insert the IDE cable in that socket and pins, with the red side as close to pin 1 as possible. Then, just fit it into the computer, as you would do any other drive (For the thickies, which means attaching it to the case using the mounting screws that should come with the PC. Before you do this though, note down the extra information on the top of the drive, usually the number of cylinders, heads, sectors, and any other information. Next, connect one of the power cables to the HDD (These are the 4 cable collections with connectors attached, which leads from the power supply unit), and close the PC case.

Next, you will have to mess with CMOS. Turn on the PC, and hit whatever key you are told to at the bootup to get to the CMOS menus. When in there, choose the relevant section (We can't say exactly, because there are many different CMOS set-ups around) and select "IDE Auto-detection". If the hard disk does not appear on it, then you will have to enter the information manually. Use the notes you collected from the top of the hard disk earlier to tell the computer what the hard disk is.

IMPORTANT:
Afterwards, insert the system disk("THE BACKUP DISK THAT CAN BE CREATED BY RIGHT CLICKING A DRIVE4R AND SELECTING FORMAT AND THEN THE CREATE BACKUP DISK OPT") prepared earlier and "Save" your editing of the CMOS and exit. The system disk should work instead of the original hard disk (Or if you are installing from scratch, then it will boot from the A: anyway).
Type "fdisk" at the dos prompt. This runs a program called, surprisingly, FDISK. Tell the computer which drive ie the harddisk is the new one (Please choose the correct one at this point. Make a mistake, and you really could be using those backups!), and then tell it what partitions you want (Don't worry about it, as there are full instructions while you are running the program). Once this is done, you can reset your PC (Except if this drive is being installed from scratch and is on it's own. If this is the case, then you can format the drive by typing "format c:" This will format the drive for you, but what's really good is if you type "format c: /s" instead, as this installs some important files at the same time. Then, just follow the instructions to install whatever OS you are going to use.)
If you are adding this drive as a second HDD, Go into Windows (Or any other OS, but the instructions may be different!) and then format from "My Computer" like you would a floppy disk. There you go: A newly installed hard disk, with minimum effort!....and dont take the risk of formatting any of the drives u know!!!! if in doubt contact me here or don't do at all........."SOD will not be held responsible for any data lost in this process"




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Install Xp From Dos…..LETS'GO...

INSTALL XP FROM DOS:
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If XP will not install from the CD or if you have a new drive with no operating system on
it yet try these:

Install Windows XP from the hard drive with Windows 98 already installed:

Boot Windows 98
Insert the XP CD into your CD reader
Explore Windows XP through My Computer
Copy i386 folder to C:\
Go into C:\i386 folder and double click on winnt32.exe to launch the setup from the hard drive

Install Windows XP from DOS (ie. no OS on a new hard drive):

Boot with a Windows 98 Start Up disk
Insert the Windows 98 CD into the CD reader
Run smartdrv.exe from the Win98 directory on the windows 98 CD (file caching)
Type cd.. to back up to the root directory
Insert Windows XP CD into the CD reader
Copy the i386 folder to C:\
Go into C:\i386 folder on C: and type winnt.exe to launch the setup from the hard drive.


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KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS…………
LETS'GO...

KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS…
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Getting used to using your keyboard exclusively and leaving your mouse behind will make you much more efficient at performing any task on any Windows system. I use the following keyboard shortcuts every day:

Windows key + R = Run menu

This is usually followed by:
cmd = Command Prompt
iexplore + "web address" = Internet Explorer
compmgmt.msc = Computer Management
dhcpmgmt.msc = DHCP Management
dnsmgmt.msc = DNS Management
services.msc = Services
eventvwr = Event Viewer
dsa.msc = Active Directory Users and Computers
dssite.msc = Active Directory Sites and Services
Windows key + E = Explorer

ALT + Tab = Switch between windows

ALT, Space, X = Maximize window

CTRL + Shift + Esc = Task Manager

Windows key + Break = System properties

Windows key + F = Search

Windows key + D = Hide/Display all windows

CTRL + C = copy

CTRL + X = cut

CTRL + V = paste

Also don't forget about the "Right-click" key next to the right Windows key on your keyboard. Using the arrows and that key can get just about anything done once you've opened up any program.


Keyboard Shortcuts

[Alt] and [Esc] Switch between running applications

[Alt] and letter Select menu item by underlined letter

[Ctrl] and [Esc] Open Program Menu

[Ctrl] and [F4] Close active document or group windows (does not work with some applications)

[Alt] and [F4] Quit active application or close current window

[Alt] and [-] Open Control menu for active document

Ctrl] Lft., Rt. arrow Move cursor forward or back one word

Ctrl] Up, Down arrow Move cursor forward or back one paragraph

[F1] Open Help for active application

Windows+M Minimize all open windows

Shift+Windows+M Undo minimize all open windows

Windows+F1 Open Windows Help

Windows+Tab Cycle through the Taskbar buttons

Windows+Break Open the System Properties dialog box



acessability shortcuts

Right SHIFT for eight seconds........ Switch FilterKeys on and off.

Left ALT +left SHIFT +PRINT SCREEN....... Switch High Contrast on and off.

Left ALT +left SHIFT +NUM LOCK....... Switch MouseKeys on and off.

SHIFT....... five times Switch StickyKeys on and off.

NUM LOCK...... for five seconds Switch ToggleKeys on and off.

explorer shortcuts

END....... Display the bottom of the active window.

HOME....... Display the top of the active window.

NUM LOCK+ASTERISK....... on numeric keypad (*) Display all subfolders under the selected folder.

NUM LOCK+PLUS SIGN....... on numeric keypad (+) Display the contents of the selected folder.

NUM LOCK+MINUS SIGN....... on numeric keypad (-) Collapse the selected folder.

LEFT ARROW...... Collapse current selection if it's expanded, or select parent folder.

RIGHT ARROW....... Display current selection if it's collapsed, or select first subfolder.




Type the following commands in your Run Box (Windows Key + R) or Start Run

devmgmt.msc = Device Manager
msinfo32 = System Information
cleanmgr = Disk Cleanup
ntbackup = Backup or Restore Wizard (Windows Backup Utility)
mmc = Microsoft Management Console
excel = Microsoft Excel (If Installed)
msaccess = Microsoft Access (If Installed)
powerpnt = Microsoft PowerPoint (If Installed)
winword = Microsoft Word (If Installed)
frontpg = Microsoft FrontPage (If Installed)
notepad = Notepad
wordpad = WordPad
calc = Calculator
msmsgs = Windows Messenger
mspaint = Microsoft Paint
wmplayer = Windows Media Player
rstrui = System Restore
netscp6 = Netscape 6.x
netscp = Netscape 7.x
netscape = Netscape 4.x
waol = America Online
control = Opens the Control Panel
control printers = Opens the Printers Dialog


internetbrowser

type in u're adress "google", then press [Right CTRL] and [Enter]
add www. and .com to word and go to it


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MAKE UR PC FAST
LETS'GO...
MAKE UR PC FAST:
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1. First, run a scandisk or checkdisk. Let Windows fix any errors.

2. Run a disk cleanup utility...this will flush your temporary internet folder, trash can, temp system files, etc.

3. Delete any garbage files or data...if possible, run a Duplicate File Finder program.

4. Run Defrag on all partitions (NOTE: run this after you have deleted all trash and excess files!)

5. Run a registry cleaner utility and delete or get rid of any orphaned entries in that registry.

6. Check your exisiting swap file for it's size and location (*will explain location later in the post). If you have alot of ram (i.e. 1 gig and over) set this swap file to something small, like 250 mb. The reason is that this will force Windows to load more into memory, resulting in faster performance (note: some games and applications actually require a certain sized swap file so check your applications performance after making a size adjustment for any error messages.)

7. Under XP, you can tell Windows to use Classic Style on your desktop, - this will remove the neat single click and internet-style desktop but for lower end systems this will improve performance in other areas, such as gaming and multi-tasking.

8. Run msconfig and under startup and only keep the programs that are essential to load in the tray icon (and hence stay resident in memory). Uncheck anything else non-essential, like an ATI or Nvidia control panel, Quicktime utility, Real Audio, etc.

9. Upgrade drivers! Check for the latest BIOS, video, motherboard, sound, etc drivers from the manufacturers. Alot of my friends had chipsets on their motherboard that had advanced disk management capabilities or AGP port settings but the drivers weren't loaded for them so they were never being used. A simple upgrade realized a noticeable difference. For instance, they didn't have the latest driver for their AGP port so it was set to 1x, instead of being used at 4x!

10. (OK, so this won't speed up your PC but it could save you alot of time and trouble later on!) After making all these improvements, make a working backup! I use Ghost, but for XP users you can also use System Restore...

-FOR ADVANCED USERS-

1. Take a look under the hood (for IDE owners). How are your IDE devices configured? If you have more than 1 hard drive, put the master hard drive on the primary IDE channel and the secondary hard drive on the secondary IDE channel (most motherboards have two IDE channels).

2. Place all CDROM drives, DVD readers etc. on the secondary IDE channel (or SCSI bus, etc). This will reduce I/O contention with your master hard drive which should have your OS and apps installed...

3. Remember when I mentioned the location of the swap file? OK, if you have 2 hard drives and you have one on the primary IDE channel and the other on the secondary IDE channel, move the swap file to a partition ON THE SECOND hard drive (on the secondary IDE channel). This will greatly improve system performance as the PC can write to the swap file while loading and running OS and system commands without I/O contention on the primary IDE channel!

4. Take a look under the hood (for SCSI owners) What kind of SCSI do you have? If it's the newer Ultra 160/320 etc cards then guess what? Any devices placed on the same bus will automatically default to the slowest drive on the chain...this means that if you have say, an Ultra 160 SCSI card, and it has an Ultra 160 drive (capable of transferring 160 mb/sec) on the same chain as a SCSI cdrom drive (capable of only 40 mb/sec) then the whole bus slows down to the 40 mb/sec speed...use different chains for the slower devices and maximize those hard drives!

5. Run a utility like WCPUID and check the settings...is your CPU/front speed bus/AGP port running as fast as they should be? If not, check your drivers and BIOS configuration options. Also, are all of your chipset features enabled? If not, then enable them! (usually done in your BIOS!)

6. Dig in to the BIOS...check settings like boot order, for example...is it checking the floppy first? Change this! Select your order to reflect the hard drive first, then CD, then floppy for a noticeable boot time improvement. Also disable any non-used on board peripherals...for instance, - does your motherboard come with an on-board NIC card? Guess what, if you don't use that NIC card and it is enabled it will eat up valuable CPU cycles and can be detrimental to your systems' performance. DISABLE THAT MUTHA! Also, see if you can play with memory timing and CPU clock frequencies (NOTE! This is for expert users only!) Set these timings to "Aggressive" and see what happens in your games and apps...Also, check to see what your video aperature is set to. If you have a video card with 128 megs of on-baord memory, your aperature should be set to this amount too. Read the BIOS owner manual for further non-general performance tricks or improvements! Do you have the latest BIOS firmware version?

7. Under hardware properties, check to see that everything is working properly, and fix any hardware contention issues. You'll see the dreaded yellow exclamation point (!) beside any hardware componenet that is not working correctly.

8. Evaluate the potential for system/hardware upgrades...usually, the best bang for the buck is adding memory so buy all that you can afford (don't go much above 512 megs for Win 98 or ME). If you have a motherboard with an 8x - capable AGP port but you are using an older 4x video card, consider upgrading to an 8x card. You get the idea here...

9. Quit using software pigs like Norton system utilities, etc. These place files everywhere and can be a real system resource hog on lower end PCs.

10. Did I mention to make a good backup? Do it now! Also, while you're at it, run a good virus program with the latest definitions.

There are more options to make your system faster, such as overclocking, etc. but (just about) everything I've mentioned in this tech post costs you nothing and will result in faster system performance! Good luck and if you have any questions on how to do anything mentioned here, ask a knowledgeable friend or consult a book, - don't mess up something trying to do something you are not sure of!

Good luck and I'd like to dedicate this post to all of WorldWarez which has given me so much! You're all great, peeps!


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