Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Thanda Fanda: Lost the Administrator Password - Windows

7:17 PM Unknown

Lost the Administrator Password - Windows

7:16 PM Unknown


Hello Friends
Can't Log On to Windows XP?
If that's your only problem, then you probably have nothing to worry about. As long as you have your Windows XP CD, you
can get back into your system using a simple but effective method made possible by a little known access hole in Windows
XP.
You can easily change or wipe out your Administrator password for free during a Windows XP Repair. Here's how with a step-by-step description of the initial Repair process included for newbie's.
  1. Place your Windows XP CD in your cd-rom and start your computer (it's assumed here that your XP CD is bootable as it should be - and that you have your bios set to boot from CD)
  2. Keep your eye on the screen messages for booting to your cd Typically, it will be "Press any key to boot from cd"
  3. Once you get in, the first screen will indicate that Setup is inspecting your system and loading files.
  4. When you get to the Welcome to Setup screen, press ENTER to Setup Windows now
  5. The Licensing Agreement comes next - Press F8 to accept it.
  6. The next screen is the Setup screen which gives you the option to do a Repair.
    It should read something like "If one of the following Windows XP installations is damaged, Setup can try to repair it"
    Use the up and down arrow keys to select your XP installation (if you only have one, it should already be selected) and press R to begin the Repair process.
  7. Let the Repair run. Setup will now check your disks and then start copying files which can take several minutes.
  8. Shortly after the Copying Files stage, you will be required to reboot. (this will happen automatically and you will see a progress bar stating "Your computer will reboot in 15 seconds"
  9. During the reboot, do not make the mistake of "pressing any key" to boot from the CD again! Setup will resume automatically with the standard billboard screens and you will notice Installing Windows is highlighted.
  10. Keep your eye on the lower left hand side of the screen and when you see the Installing Devices progress bar, press SHIFT + F10. This is the security hole! A command console will now open up giving you the potential for wide access to your system.
  11. At the prompt, type NUSRMGR.CPL and press Enter. Voila! You have just gained graphical access to your User Accounts in the Control Panel.
  12. Now simply pick the account you need to change and remove or change your password as you prefer. If you want to log on without having to enter your new password, you can type control userpasswords2 at the prompt and choose to log on without being asked for password. After you've made your changes close the windows, exit the command box and continue on with the Repair (have your Product key handy).
  13. Once the Repair is done, you will be able to log on with your new password (or without a password if you chose not to use one or if you chose not to be asked for a password). Your programs and personalized settings should remain intact.
  14. I tested the above on Windows XP Pro with and without SP1 and also used this method in a real situation where someone could not remember their password and it worked like a charm to fix the problem. This security hole allows access to more than just user accounts.

Customize Multiboot Startup Options in Windows

7:14 PM Unknown


Customize Multiboot Startup Options in Windows:

Edit or create a startup menu that lets you choose which operating system to boot into in multiboot systems, or create a menu that lets you choose different startup options for your single operating system if you have only XP installed.
If you've installed another operating system (in addition to XP) on your system, your PC starts up with a multiboot menu, which allows you to choose which operating system you want to run. The menu stays live for 30 seconds, and a screen countdown tells you how long you have to make a choice from the menu. After the 30 seconds elapse, it boots into your default operating system, which is generally the last operating system you installed.
You can customize that multiboot menu and how your PC starts by editing the boot.ini file, a hidden system file, to control a variety of startup options, including how long to display the menu, which operating system should be the default, whether to use the XP splash screen when XP starts, and similar features. And as you'll see later in this hack, you can also use the file to create a startup menu that will allow you to choose from different versions of your operating system—for example, one that you'll use for tracking down startup problems, and another for starting in Safe Mode.
The boot.ini file is a plain text file found in your root C:\ folder. You might not be able to see it, because it's a system file, and if you can see it, you might not be able to edit it, because it's a read-only file. To make it visible, launch Windows Explorer, choose View > Tools > Folder Options > View and select the radio button "Show Hidden Files and Folders." To make it a file you can edit, right-click on it in Windows Explorer, choose Properties, uncheck the Read-Only box, and click OK.

Editing Files:

To edit the file, open it with a text editor such as Notepad. Following is a typical boot.ini file for a PC that has two operating systems installed on it—Windows XP Home Edition and Windows 2000 Professional:


[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Windows 2000 Professional" /

Fastdetect :

As you can see, there are two sections in the file: [boot loader] and [operating systems]. To customize your menu and startup options, edit the entries in each section. Before editing boot.ini, make a copy of it and save it under a different name (such as boot.ini.old), so that you can revert to it if you cause problems when you edit the file.
Following are details about how to edit the entries in each section:
[Boot loader]
This section controls how the boot process works; it specifies the default operating system and how long a user has to make a selection from a boot menu, if a boot menu has been enabled. The timeout value specifies, in seconds, how long to display the menu and wait for a selection before loading the default operating system. If you want a delay of 15 seconds, for example, enter 15 for the value. Use a value of 0 if you want the default operating system to boot immediately. If you want the menu to be displayed indefinitely and stay onscreen until a selection is made, use a value of -1. The default value specifies which entry in the [operating system] section is the default operating system. (The default value is used even if there is only one operating system in the [operating system] section.) To change the default operating system, edit the setting, in our example, to
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT
So, in our example, if you change the menu settings so that the screen appears for 10 seconds before loading the default operating system, and the default operating system is Windows 2000 Professional, the section reads:
[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT
[Operating system]
This section specifies which operating systems are present on the computer, and detailed options for each one. XP uses the Advanced RISC Computing (ARC) path to specify the location of the boot partition. In our example, the ARC path is:
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS

The first parameter, which identifies the disk controller, should be 0. The second parameter, the disk parameter, should also be 0. The rdisk parameter specifies the disk number on the controller that has the boot partition. The numbers start at 0. So, if you have three hard disks installed and the second hard disk has the boot partition, the setting is rdisk (1). The partition parameter identifies the partition number of the boot partition. Partitions start with the number 1. The final section, which in our example is \WINDOWS, specifies the path to the folder where the operating system is installed.
To the right of the ARC path in the example is ="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect. The words within quotes are what will appear on the boot menu next to the entry. To customize the text on the menu you can change these words to whatever you wish—for example, "My Favorite Operating System." The /fastdetect switch disables the detection of serial and parallel devices, which allows for faster booting. The detection of these devices isn't normally required in XP, because the functions are performed by plug-and-play drivers, so as a general rule it's a good idea to use the /fastdetect switch. The /fastdetect switch is only one of many switches that can be used in the boot.ini file to customize how the operating system loads

Switches for boot.ini:

Switch
what it does
/BASEVIDEO
Starts XP using the standard VGA driver. It's most useful if you can't boot normally because of a video driver problem.
/BOOTLOG
Logs information about the boot process to the ntbtlogl.txt file in the C:\Windows folder.
/CRASHDEBUG
Loads the debugger at boot, but the debugger remains inactive unless a crash occurs.
/DEBUG
Loads the debugger at boot and runs it.
/FASTDETECT
Disables the detection of serial and parallel devices.
MAXMEM:n
Specifies the maximum amount of RAM that XP can use.
/NOGUIBOOT
Does not allow the XP splash screen to load during boot.
/NODEBUG
Stops the debugger from loading.
/SAFEBOOT:switch
Forces XP to boot into the safe mode specified by the switch parameter, which can be minimal, network, or minimal(alternate shell). In minimal safe mode, only the minimum set of drivers necessary to start XP are loaded. In network safe mode, networking drivers are loaded in addition to the minimum set of drivers. In minimal(alternate shell) the minimum set of drivers are loaded and XP boots into the command prompt.
/SOS
Displays the name of each driver as it loads and gives descriptions of what is occurring during the boot process. It also offers other information, including the XP build number, the service pack number, the number of processors on the system, and the amount of installed memory.
When you've finished editing the boot.ini file, save it. The next time you start your computer, its settings will go into effect.
In our example, if we want the menu to appear for 45 seconds, the default operating system to be Windows 2000, and the XP splash screen to be turned off when we choose to load XP, the boot.ini file should look like this:
[boot loader]
timeout=45
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect /noguiboot
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect


Create a Startup Menu Even if You Have Only One Operating System

Even if you have only one operating system, you can create a boot menu that will let you choose to load your operating system with different parameters. For example, for menu choices, you might have your normal operating system; a mode that lets you trace any startup problems; and Safe Mode. To give yourself the option of operating systems with different parameters, create separate entries for each new operating system choice. For example, for the version of the operating system that traces potential startup problems, you could create this entry:
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Trace Problems XP Home Edition"
/fastdetect /bootlog /sos
This entry creates a startup log and also displays information about the drivers and other operating system information as it loads.
For the version of the operating system that loads in Safe Mode but that still allows networking, you could create this entry:
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Safe Start XP Home Edition" /
fastdetect /safeboot:network
The boot.ini file would look like this, assuming that you want the menu to display for 30 seconds and you want normal XP startup to be the default:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Trace Problems XP Home Edition"
/fastdetect /bootlog /sos
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Safe Start XP Home Edition" /
fastdetect /safeboot:network
If you're unsure about using a text editor to edit boot.ini directly, you can use the System Configuration Utility instead. Type msconfig at a command prompt or the Run box and click on the BOOT.INI tab. You'll be able to add several switches (but not as many as you can if you edit the boot.ini file yourself using a text editor)

How to Remotely Access Your PC

7:08 PM Unknown


How To Remotely Access you’re PC:

Windows XP Professional includes a basic PC remote control tool which lets you log onto your PC remotely from anywhere. Do you know how to use it
It’s called Remote Desktop Connection, and when you’ve properly configured your PC, this handy utility will let you log into your computer from anywhere in the world and control it as if you were sitting in front of it instead of half a world away.
If you’re running Windows XP Professional, you already have all the software you need to connect remotely to your PC. Whether you’d like to monitor a server, grab files from your home PC at work, or just keep an eye on your machines when you’re out, connecting remotely is easy to do. However, due to the vagaries of network configurations and various other quirks beyond your control, you may not be able to actually connect. Until now.

Prepping your system

First, you need to know the IP address of the computer you want to connect to. The only sure-fire way to always be able to connect to your PC’s is to use an ISP that provides you with a static IP address. Most ISPs give customers dynamic IP addresses, which can change every few days or even hours. Because your IP address is the way you’ll locate your computer on the net, you’ll need to know what your IP address is and monitor it as it changes.
The good news is that there are loads of programs that will notify you of IP address changes, whenever they occur. We like IP Address Monster (www.ipmonster.com). It’s a small program that runs in your system tray and can be configured to e-mail you whenever your IP address changes.


IP Address Monster should be your first stop to remote connectivity. This handy utility will keep tabs on your Internet address and send you an e-mail whenever it changes.
Now that you know your IP address, you need to make sure that Remote Desktop Connection is enabled. Make sure your firewall is configured to allow incoming connections on port 3389 (firewalls vary, so check your documentation to find out how to open the port).
You can turn on Remote Desktop Connection in the System Control Panel (Start, Control Panel and System). Check the Remote tab and make sure “Allow users to connect remotely to this computer” is checked. You’ll also need to have at least one user account that requires a password because accounts without passwords are prohibited from logging into Remote Desktop.
To enabling Remote Desktop, open the System Control Panel, go to the Remote tab, and check this box.
It’s important to make sure the passwords on the machine you’re going to remotely log into are “good” ones. This means you should use a mixture of letters and numbers, avoid words that are found in dictionaries, and change the password regularly to protect yourself from mischief.

Making the connection

At this point, your PC should be prepped and patiently waiting for a connection. To log in, you need to open the Remote Desktop Connection client on your remote PC. Go to Start, Programs, Accessories, Communications And Remote Desktop Connection. Input the IP address you want to connect to (courtesy of IP Address Monster) in the Computer field. Then enter your username and password.
Now you’ll want to tweak a few settings to optimize your remote experience. Whiz-bang features gobble up bandwidth, so you should tune your settings to match your home net connection. We recommend you start with a minimal feature set. Press the Options button, then the Display tab. Change the display settings to full-screen, 256-color. This looks acceptable and consumes practically no bandwidth. You’ll also want to browse to the Experience tab and change the Performance setting to reflect your home PC’s connection speed.
Switching to a lower color resolution and a smaller display area will greatly minimize the amount of data that has to transfer between your computer and the remote PC.
Once you’ve tuned the connection a bit, you’re ready to connect. Press the Connect key and you’re in!

What to do next

At this point, you should be connected. You can run programs and manipulate files just like you’re sitting in front of your PC. In fact, you can even use your PC’s e-mail and web browsers. Do you want to start downloading Desert Combat now so you can start playing it when you get home that’s easy enough; just log into your PC using Remote Desktop, open your web browser, and download the file. It will be sitting on your machine waiting for you as soon as you get home. If all your PCs are running Windows XP Pro, and you enable drive-sharing in the Local Resources tab, you can transfer files from remote PC to local PC. You can even remotely transfer files between local PCs on your home network.
Once connected, you can interact with printer ports and networked hard drives. This is a handy way to delete those “special interest” videos you downloaded before your wife finds them.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Read if your computer is running slow/hangs/takes time to boot

3:59 PM Unknown


Computer is running slow/hangs/takes time to boot:

This problem can be caused by any of the below possibilities.
  1. HDD is short on available disk space
  2. Many software programs have been installed/uninstalled leaving behind bad files and/or confusing the
  3. Software.
  4. The Data maybe corrupted.
  5. Computer (that is your processor) is overheating.
  6. Bad Hardware.
Below are some my favorite steps for Microsoft Windows that should help speed up the computer or determine why the computer is running slow.
  1. If you have a hard disk drive that is 2GB or smaller, ensure that there is at least 200MB of hard disk drive space free. If you have a hard drive larger than this size, verify that there is at least 500MB of free hard disk space. This available space allows the computer to have room for the swap file to increase in size as well as room for temporary files.
  2. Run Scandisk or something equivalent to help ensure that there is nothing physically wrong with the computer hard disk drive.
  3. Run Defrag to help ensure that data is arranged in the best possible order.
  4. Remove or disable any TSRs or programs that automatically start each time the computer boots.

  5. Verify that the device manager has no conflicts, but if conflicts are present, resolve them.
  6. If you are using Microsoft Windows 95 or Windows 98 and do not plan on running any MS-DOS programs from MS-DOS, click Start / Run / type command and press enter. In the MS-DOS window type cd\ to get to C :\> then type "ren autoexec.bat autoexec.ch" and "ren config.sys config.ch". This will rename your autoexec.bat and config.sys and help make sure memory is being optimized through Windows.
  7. If you have Windows XP try deleting all files in the prefetch directory. These are prefetch files and can lower system resources if loading programs no longer being used. See our prefetch definition for additional information about prefetch.
  8. Try running through the basic troubleshooting steps for your operating system. Make sure your computer and processor is not overheating; excessive heat can cause a significant decrease in computer performance some processors will even lower the speed of the processor automatically to help compensate for the heat related issues.
  9. Scan for viruses , your pc might be infected
  10. Finally, if none of the above solutions resolve your issues, it is recommended that you either reinstall Windows or erase everything and then start over.

20 things you didn't know about Windows XP

3:52 PM Unknown


You've read the reviews and digested the key feature enhancements and operational changes. Now it's time to delve a bit deeper and uncover some of Windows XP's secrets.
  1. It boasts how long it can stay up. Whereas previous versions of Windows were coy about how long they went between boots, XP is positively proud of its stamina. Go to the Command Prompt in the Accessories menu from the All Programs start button option, and then type 'systeminfo'. The computer will produce a lot of useful info, including the uptime. If you want to keep these, type 'systeminfo > info.txt'. This creates a file called info.txt you can look at later with Notepad. (Professional Edition only).
  2. You can delete files immediately, without having them move to the Recycle Bin first. Go to the Start menu, select Run... and type ' gpedit.msc'; then select User Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, Windows Explorer and find the Do not move deleted files to the Recycle Bin setting. Set it. Poking around in gpedit will reveal a great many interface and system options, but take care -- some may stop your computer behaving as you wish. (Professional Edition only).
  3. You can lock your XP workstation with two clicks of the mouse. Create a new shortcut on your desktop using a right mouse click, and enter 'rundll32.exe user32.dll, LockWorkStation’ in the location field. Give the shortcut a name you like. That's it -- just double click on it and your computer will be locked. And if that's not easy enough, Windows key + L will do the same.
  4. XP hides some system software you might want to remove, such as Windows Messenger, but you can tickle it and make it disgorge everything. Using Notepad or Edit, edit the text file /windows/inf/sysoc.inf, search for the word 'hide' and remove it. You can then go to the Add or Remove Programs in the Control Panel, select Add/Remove Windows Components and there will be your prey, exposed and vulnerable.
  5. For those skilled in the art of DOS batch files, XP has a number of interesting new commands. These include 'eventcreate' and 'eventtriggers' for creating and watching system events, 'typeperf' for monitoring performance of various subsystems, and 'schtasks' for handling scheduled tasks. As usual, typing the command name followed by /? Will give a list of options -- they're all far too baroque to go into here.
  6. XP has IP version 6 support -- the next generation of IP. Unfortunately this is more than your ISP has, so you can only experiment with this on your LAN. Type 'ipv6 install' into Run... (It’s OK, it won't ruin your existing network setup) and then 'ipv6 /?' at the command line to find out more. If you don't know what IPv6 is, don't worry and don't bother.
  7. You can at last get rid of tasks on the computer from the command line by using 'taskkill /pid' and the task number, or just 'tskill' and the process number. Find that out by typing 'task list', which will also tell you a lot about what's going on in your system.
  8. XP will treat Zip files like folders, which is nice if you've got a fast machine. On slower machines, you can make XP leave zip files well alone by typing 'regsvr32 /u zipfldr.dll' at the command line. If you change your mind later, you can put things back as they were by typing 'regsvr32 zipfldr.dll'.
  9. XP has Clear Type -- Microsoft's anti-aliasing font display technology -- but doesn't have it enabled by default. It's well worth trying, especially if you were there for DOS and all those years of staring at a screen have given you the eyes of an astigmatic bat. To enable Clear Type, right click on the desktop, select Properties, Appearance, Effects, select Clear Type from the second drop-down menu and enable the selection. Expect best results on laptop displays. If you want to use Clear Type on the Welcome login screen as well, set the registry entry
HKEY_USERS/.DEFAULT/Control Panel/Desktop/FontSmoothingType to 2.
  1. You can use Remote Assistance to help a friend who's using network address translation (NAT) on a home network, but not automatically. Get your pal to email you a Remote Assistance invitation and edit the file. Under the RCTICKET attribute will be a NAT IP address, like 192.168.1.10. Replace this with your chum's real IP address -- they can find this out by going to www.whatismyip.com -- and get them to make sure that they've got port 3389 open on their firewall and forwarded to the errant computer.
  2. You can run a program as a different user without logging out and back in again. Right click the icon, select Run As... And enter the user name and password you want to use. This only applies for that run. The trick is particularly useful if you need to have administrative permissions to install a program, which many require. Note that you can have some fun by running programs multiple times on the same system as different users, but this can have unforeseen effects.
  3. Windows XP can be very insistent about you checking for auto updates, registering a Passport, using Windows Messenger and so on. After a while, the nagging goes away, but if you feel you might slip the bonds of sanity before that point, run Regedit, go to
HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Windows/Current Version/Explorer/Advanced
and create a DWORD value called EnableBalloonTips with a value of 0.
  1. You can start up without needing to enter a user name or password. Select Run... from the start menu and type 'control userpasswords2', which will open the user accounts application. On the Users tab, clear the box for Users Must Enter a User Name and Password to Use This Computer, and click on OK. An Automatically Log On dialog box will appear; enter the user name and password for the account you want to use.
  2. Internet Explorer 6 will automatically delete temporary files, but only if you tell it to. Start the browser, select Tools / Internet Options... and advanced, go down to the Security area and check the box to Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed.
  3. XP comes with a free Network Activity Light, just in case you can't see the LEDs twinkle on your network card. Right click on My Network Places on the desktop, then select Properties. Right click on the description for your LAN or dial-up connection, select Properties, then check the Show icon in notification area when connected box. You'll now see a tiny network icon on the right of your task bar that glimmers nicely during network traffic.
  4. The Start Menu can be leisurely when it decides to appear, but you can speed things along by changing the registry entry
HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Control Panel/Desktop/MenuShowDelay
from the default 400 to something a little snappier. Like 0.
  1. You can rename loads of files at once in Windows Explorer. Highlight a set of files in a window, then right click on one and rename it. All the other files will be renamed to that name, with individual numbers in brackets to distinguish them. Also, in a folder you can arrange icons in alphabetized groups by View, Arrange Icon By... Show In Groups.
  2. Windows Media Player will display the cover art for albums as it plays the tracks -- if it found the picture on the Internet when you copied the tracks from the CD. If it didn't, or if you have lots of pre-WMP music files, you can put your own copy of the cover art in the same directory as the tracks. Just call it folder.jpg and Windows Media Player will pick it up and display it.
  3. Windows key + Break brings up the System Properties dialogue box; Windows key + D brings up the desktop; Windows key + Tab moves through the taskbar buttons.

How to Break a BIOS Password?

3:48 PM Unknown


Methods of breaking password for Desktop PC and for laptop is quite different. We would explain each.

Break BIOS Password for Desktop:

If it's a desktop PC, erasing the cmos memory will usually clear it.
Steps:
  1. Power off the computer and make sure that it is unplugged.
  2. Open up your computer case. You need physical access to the motherboard to complete this procedure.
  3. Find a circular, (mostly) silver metallic object on the motherboard. This is the CMOS battery.
  4. CAREFULLY remove the CMOS battery and leave it out for about 120- 180 seconds. This will flush the CMOS memory which stores the BIOS password and all other configuration. (See Warnings)
  5. Set the battery back into place and power on the computer.
  6. The computer should then warn you that the CMOS configuration could not be found. You can either reconfigure it yourself or restore defaults. Restoring the default configuration should be fine.
  7. You will notice that the BIOS password has been cleared and you can boot without it. You may reset the BIOS password to something else by going into the BIOS configuration and setting a new User Password.

Alternate Methods: (More Dificult)

Remove a jumper: There's a jumper on your motherboard that you'll need to identify and remove. Most motherboards make your job easier by actually labeling the correct jumper as "BIOS config" or something similar. (it looks like a small plastic thingy on 2 pins with 1 pin beside it, within a 1" of the battery). If you're having trouble looking for it, look in the motherboard manual. After you have found it, carefully pull straight up on it, and place it on the 2-3 pins(it was on the 1-2 pins). With the battery removed and the jumper moved, turn the computer on, and check to see if you can get into the bios. If you are able to, turn the computer off, put the jumper back on pins 1-2, and put the battery back in. Lastly put the case together and you are done.


Note: Don't forget to configure the BIOS (if you know how) after this process. If you you don't know how just hold the "delete" button when starting your PC and when the blue screen appears, find the load safe defaults settings and press:
  • ENTER button
  • Y button
  • F10 button

Break BIOS Password for Laptop:

Remember that laptops can be trickier, especially if it's a newer model. If it has a security chip on the motherboard forget about it. You either have to physically remove the chip or contact the mfg for the "master" password. If you can boot up off of a cd or floppy try any of these methods:
  1. Create a Win98SE bootable media "or anything that lets you boot into MS-DOS" and boot off of it.
  2. When the A :\> prompt appears type debug and press enter.
  3. You will then only see a "-".
  4. Type o 70 2E "includes the spaces" and press Enter.
  5. Type o 71 ff "include the spaces" and press Enter.
  6. Type q and press Enter.
  7. Here are a list of common mfg backdoor passwords
    • AWARD BIOS
AWARD SW, AWARD_SW, Award SW, AWARD PW, _award, awkward, J64, j256, j262, j332, j322, 01322222, 589589, 589721, 595595, 598598, HLT, SER, SKY_FOX, aLLy, aLLY, Condo, CONCAT, TTPTHA, aPAf, HLT, KDD, ZBAAACA, ZAAADA, ZJAAADC,
    • AMI BIOS
AMI, A.M.I., AMI SW, AMI_SW, BIOS, PASSWORD, HEWITT RAND, Oder

Software’s to Break BIOS Password:

If your system boots but the BIOS password is still in place, there are several programs you can load that are designed to crack the passwords or clear them altogether. The encryption on BIOS passwords is not very complex. Following are links to a few of these free programs:
  1. CmosPwd 4.8

Thursday, April 14, 2011

How to use the Windows Recovery Console?

3:30 PM Unknown


Introduction
The Microsoft Windows recovery console was first introduced in Microsoft Windows 2000 and is available in all later versions of Windows including Windows XP. This feature enables users to recover, change, or fix files or settings that may be causing their computer not to boot properly.
Before using Microsoft Windows recovery console note following points:
  1. You will need to know the Microsoft Windows administrator password.
  2. Before running the Windows recovery console you need to realize you will need to have at least some experience using MS-DOS.
  3. You only have access to root directory and the Microsoft Windows or Winnt directory. This means you cannot open any other directory.
Getting Started:
First, to get into the Microsoft Windows recovery console you must have a Microsoft Windows CD. Place the Windows CD in your computer and boot from the CD.
Note: If you do not have a standard Microsoft Windows XP CD you can get into the recovery console by using the Windows XP bootable diskettes. If you need a set of boot disks, check How to obtain Windows XP Setup boot disks.
Once in the Microsoft Windows Setup screen choose one of the below options, depending on which version of Microsoft Windows you are using.


Windows 2000 users:
  1. To repair a Windows 2000 installation, press R.
  2. To repair a Windows 2000 installation by using the recovery console, press C.
Windows XP users:
  1. To repair a Windows XP installation using recovery console, press R.
Now choose which Windows Installation to Repair. The next prompt will ask you which Windows installation you want to recover:
Microsoft Windows(R) Recovery Console
The Recovery Console provides system repair and recovery functionality.
Type EXIT to quit the Recovery Console and restart the computer.
1: C:\WINDOWS
Which Windows Installation would you like to log on to
(To cancel, press ENTER)?
Therefore press 1 if you wish to edit the primary Windows installation.
Enter the Windows XP Administrator Password:
After selecting the installation you will be prompted for the administrator password, enter the password exactly as you would in Windows. If you do not know the Windows administrator password you cannot enter the recovery mode.
Finally after you have entered the password you will be at a MS-DOS prompt similar to the MS-DOS shell window you can get through Windows. However, you will also have access to many additional commands not found in standard MS-DOS mode.
Typing in help at the prompt will give a complete listing of all commands available through the prompt.
Command
Purpose
Attrib
 Changes the attributes of a file or directory
Batch
 Executes the commands specified in the text file
Bootcfg
 Boot file (boot.ini) configuration and recovery
CD / ChDir
 Displays the name of the current directory or changes the current directory
Chkdsk
 Checks a disk and displays a status report
Cls
 Clears the screen
Copy
 Copies a single file to another location
Del / Delete
 Deletes one or more files
Dir
 Displays a list of files and subdirectories in a directory
Disable
 Disables a system service or a device driver
Diskpart
 Manages partitions on your hard drives
Enable
 Starts or enables a system service or a device driver
Exit
 Exits the Recovery Console and restarts your computer
Expand
 Extracts a file from a compressed file
Fixboot
 Writes a new partition boot sector onto the specified partition
Fixmbr
 Repairs the master boot record of the specified disk
Format
 Formats a disk
Help
 Displays a list of the commands you can use in the Recovery Console
Listsvc
 Lists the services and drivers available on the computer
Logon
 Logs on to a Windows installation
Map
 Displays the drive letter mappings
MD / Mkdir
 Creates a directory
More
 Displays a text file
Net Use
 Connects a network share to a drive letter
Ren / Rename
 Renames a single file
RD / Rmdir
 Deletes a directory
Set
 Displays and sets environment variables
Systemroot
 Sets the current directory to the systemroot directory
Type
 Displays a text file.

What is Windows Genuine Advantage?

3:27 PM Unknown


Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) is an automated validation process integrated on later Microsoft operating system products. Windows Genuine Advantage was developed by Microsoft Corporation in order to bolster its anti-piracy campaign. This automated validation process makes it a requirement for Microsoft Windows OS users to go through a series of validation systems before being granted by the Microsoft website to download and subsequently install updates and various version releases of software programs.
Feature:
The WGA validation process validates the present installation of Windows and its license key, against the hardware involved. It is accessible by either a stand-alone program, or (within Internet Explorer), an ActiveX control.
If an instance of Windows doesn't seem to have a valid license, WGA display a specific notice to the user and prevent any updates being downloaded from Microsoft except security upgrades that are rated "Critical."
There are two separate parts of Windows Genuine Advantage for Windows XP: WGA Validation and WGA Notifications.
WGA Validation is the component that checks Windows to make sure it's a properly licensed copy of the software. Your system must be validated in order to receive some software (such as Internet Explorer 7, Windows Defender, and Windows Media Player 10) from Windows Update and Microsoft Update. WGA Validation has been required for access of these types of downloadable software from Microsoft since July 2005.


WGA Notifications was designed to remind users who fail validation that their Windows software has been deemed by WGA Validation to be illegitimate. It directs people who experience this to resources to learn more about getting what Microsoft calls "genuine" software. WGA Notifications is delivered via Automatic Updates and it is technically optional.
Behavior on Windows VISTA:
On Windows Vista, WGA validation failure has a greater impact. In addition to persistent notification and the disabling of non-critical updates, WGA also disables Windows Aero, Windows Defender, and ReadyBoost. The user is given a grace period in which to then pass validation, after which most of the operating system is disabled and Windows reverts to reduced functionality mode.
What is Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool:
When a user installs WGA, an Internet Explorer add-on is installed labeled "Windows Genuine Advantage". Microsoft includes the Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Library in several products like Windows Defender, Internet Explorer 7, Microsoft Folder and Windows Media Player 11 to validate about the Windows installation.
History:
Right after its release during the early 2000s, Windows Genuine Advantage was designed to be a voluntary add-on to the OS versions of Microsoft Windows users. But after Microsoft Windows OS 2005 versions were released, Windows Genuine Advantage is now a requirement when it comes to accessing the services that are being offered by Microsoft Download Center and Windows Update.
How to Disable IT:
To disable Microsoft's How to disable or uninstall the pilot version of Microsoft Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications Knowledgebase article.
If you prefer not to mess around with the System Registry yourself, there's a free utility called RemoveWGA available for download on the Internet from Firewall Leak Tester. I've tested RemoveWGA 1.2 and I recommend it as an alternative.

How to Use File Compression in Windows Xp

3:12 PM Unknown


SUMMARY
Compressing files, folders, and programs decreases their size and reduces the amount of space they use on your volumes or removable storage devices. Volume compression decreases the amount of space that is used by all of the files and folders that are stored on that volume. Because of a potential loss of performance, you may not want to compress some files.

NTFS Compression

NTFS compression is available on volumes that use the NTFS file system, and NTFS compression has the following features and limitations:
  • You can use NTFS compression to compress individual files and folders, as well as an entire NTFS volume.
  • You can compress a folder without compressing its contents.
  • You can work with NTFS-compressed files without decompressing them, because they are decompressed and recompressed without user intervention.
  • You can display NTFS-compressed file and folder names in a different color to make them easier to identify.
  • You may notice a decrease in performance when you work with NTFS-compressed files. When you open a compressed file, Windows automatically decompresses it for you, and when you close the file, Windows compresses it again. This process may decrease your computer performance.
  • NTFS-compressed files and folders only remain compressed while they are stored on an NTFS Volume.
  • You cannot encrypt an NTFS-compressed file.

Compressing an NTFS Volume

You must be logged on as an administrator or a member of the Administrators group to complete this procedure. If your computer is connected to a network, network policy settings may also prevent you from completing this procedure. To compressing an NTFS volume:
  1. Click Start, then click My Computer.
  2. Right-click the volume you want to compress, and then click Properties.
  3. On the General tab, click to select the Compress Volume to save disk space check box, and then click OK.
  4. In Confirm Attribute Changes, click the option you want.

Compressing Files or Folders on NTFS Volume


To compress a file or folder:
  1. Click Start, and then click My Computer.
  2. Double-click the NTFS Volume that contains the folder or folders you want to compress.
  3. Right-click the file or folder you want to compress, and then click Properties.
  4. On the General tab, click Advanced.
  5. Click to select the Compress contents to save disk space check box, and then click OK.
  6. In the Properties dialog box, click OK.
  7. In Confirm Attribute Changes, click the option you want.
NOTE: If you move or copy a file into a compressed folder, it is compressed automatically. If you move a file from a different NTFS Volume into a compressed folder, it is also compressed. However, if you move a file from the same NTFS Volume into a compressed folder, the file retains its original state, either compressed or uncompressed.

Displaying Compressed Files in Color

You can change the display of files and folders that are compressed in Windows Explorer and My Computer, so it is easy to see them. To display compressed files in color:
  1. Double-click Folder Options in Control Panel.
  2. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
  3. Click Appearance and Themes, and then click Folder Options.
  4. On the View tab, click to select the Show encrypted or compressed NTFS files in color check box.

REFERENCES

Windows supports two types of compression, NTFS compression and compression by using the Compressed (zipped) Folders feature.
For additional information about zipped folders, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
306531 How To Use Compressed (Zipped) Folders
For additional information about NTFS compression, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
251186 Best Practices for NTFS Compression

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