Making Windows Xp Start 60% Faster

Whenever you start your computer, you are faced with a few moments of thumb twiddling while Windows XP boots and prompts you to log on. Although you should expect to wait for a few moments, sometimes Windows XP seems to boot rather slowly. In fact, you may notice that over a period of time the PC that used to roar to life seems a bit sluggish instead. Fortunately, you can perform several techniques that help Windows XP get the bootup speed you want. This chapter explores how to put these techniques to work.



Stopping Unneeded Startup Services

Along with the core operating system and programs that Windows XP runs when it starts, there is also a host of services involved. Many of these services are necessary for Windows XP to operate correctly. However, many of them are for features in Windows XP that you may not use at all. You can peruse the services and disable any service that you do not want to run. The fewer services that run, the more quickly Windows XP will boot.

Caution:
Exercise caution when stopping services. If you do not know what a service does or are unsure of the ramifications of stopping the service, leave it alone. Some services are critical to Windows XP's operations, so make sure you understand what the service is before you disable it.

To reduce the number of services that start on bootup, you can access two different areas of Windows XP. The first is the System Configuration Utility. The Services tab shows you the services that start when the computer boots.

You can stop a service from starting by simply clearing the check box next to the service and clicking OK. However, before you do so, there is another way to disable services that you may prefer because the interface gives you more information about the service in question.

Open Control Panel/Administrative ToolsServices or else select Start/Run, type services.msc, and click OK. Either way, you see the Services console.

I prefer to use the Services console instead of the System Configuration Utility because it describes what the service does. Additionally, you can double-click a service and examine its properties.

Notice the Startup Type column. This information lists whether the service is automatic or manual. Manual services are only started in Windows XP when you start a process that requires the service. Some other process may require the service that has a "dependency" relationship with it; in this case, the dependency service will start, as well. Because these services do not start automatically when you boot Windows XP, you do not need to do anything with manual services.

However, all services listed as automatic start when Windows XP boots. These are the services that increase boot time. As I have mentioned, many of them are necessary and important, so you should not stop automatic services from booting unless you are sure of the ramifications. You can get this information by looking at the Description column. Here's a quick look at common services you may want to live without:

Automatic Updates: This service enables Windows XP to check the Web automatically for updates. If you don't want to use Automatic Updates, you can disable the service. You can always check for updates manually at the Windows Update Web site.

Computer Browser: If your computer is not on a network, you don't need this service. If you are on a network, leave it alone.

DHCP Client: If you are not on a network, you do not need this service. If you are on a small workgroup, you can still increase boot time by configuring manual IP addresses (which I explore later in this chapter).

DNS Client: If you are not on a network, you do not need this service. If you are, leave it alone.

Error Reporting and Event Log: You don't have to use these services but they can be very helpful, so I would leave them configured as automatic.

Fax: If you don't use your computer for fax services, you can disable this one.

Help and Support: If you never use the Windows XP Help and Support Center (found on the Start menu), you can disable this service.

IMAPI CD-Burning COM: This service enables you to burn CDs on your computer. If you never burn CDs, you can disable the service.

Indexing Service: Your computer keeps an index of files but if you rarely search for files, the service is just a resource hog. You can stop it and turn the service to manual.

Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing: If you do not use these features, you can disable them.

Infrared Monitor: If you do not use infrared devices, you can disable this service.

Messenger: This service sends alert messages on a local area network (it is not the same as Windows Messenger). If you are not on a network, you can disable this service.

Print Spooler: If you do not do any printing from the computer, you can disable this service. If you print, make sure you leave it as automatic.

Remote Registry: This service allows remote users to modify the Registry on your computer. If you are not on a network, you can disable this service.

System Restore Service: This service allows you to use System Restore. If you have turned off System Restore anyway, you do not need to turn off the service. If you do, you turn off System Restore.

Themes: If you do not use themes, you can disable this service.

Windows Image Acquisition: If you do not use scanners or digital cameras, you can disable this service.

Wireless Zero Configuration: If do not use wireless networking devices, you can disable this service.

You may have a number of other automatic services, depending on software and other configurations on your computer. So it's a good idea to look through the services and learn more about them. If you double-click a service, a Properties dialog box appears

Notice that on the General tab, you see a Startup Type drop-down menu. If you want to change an automatic service to manual, select Manual here and click OK. As a general rule, don't disable a service unless you are sure you will never use it. However, manual configuration allows the service to be started when you find it necessary, thus speeding up your boot time.

However, before you change a service to manual, look at the Dependencies tab. This tab shows you which other services depend upon the service you are considering changing.

Keep in mind that services are necessary for the vast functionality you get with Windows XP. Change only those services that you understand and do not use. How you use your Windows XP computer should be the best guide in terms of optional startup services.


Tip:
The Indexing service and the System Restore service take up a lot of disk space and system resources across the board. You can live without the Indexing service but I suggest that you keep using System Restore. It works great when you are in a bind and this is one case where the loss of speed may not be worth the ramifications of not using System Restore.

Vista System Restore

Are you one of the many computer users who went from using Windows XP to Windows Vista? It seems to be “the thing to do” these days, but let’s be honest here.

Are you having trouble finding some of the things you absolutely loved using in XP? How about the system restore feature, for example? I know that’s one of my favorites, but it’s so difficult to find in Vista. Well, today I’m going to give you the lowdown on how you can easily find it and start using it once again!

To get to the system restore window, right click on the Computer icon on your desktop and choose Properties. From there, click on the System Protection link on the left hand side. Another box will come up asking you if you want to continue on or cancel. Click Continue and then make sure you’re under the System Protection tab. At the top of the window, there’s a link you can click on to learn about how much disk space you need to do a system restore, etc. You can do that if you’d like or you can just move on.

To do an actual system restore, just click on the System Restore button and go through the process. Or, if you’d like to create your own restore point, click on the Create button. Type in a few key words for the point you’d like to go back to and then hit Create again. Go through the steps and you’ll be all set. In the middle of the window, you’re able to see all of the restores you’ve done in the past. So, if this is your first time, you’ll see all of them the next time you go in to do a system restore. When you’re all done, click OK and you’ll be good to go. So, from now on, you don’t have to worry about not being able to find the system restore option in Windows Vista.

Typing Useful Symbols for MS Office Fastly

These symbols can be used in MS Word, Excel, etc.
Here fast way to type any usefull symbols in Microsoft Office applications

For © : Alt+0169
For ® : Alt+0174
For ™ : Alt+0153
For › : Alt+0155

For † : Alt+0134
For ø : Alt+0248
For ¤ : Alt+0164
For « : Alt+0171
For ° : Alt+0176
For ± : Alt+0177
For ² : Alt+0178
For ³ : Alt+0179
For µ : Alt+0181
For ¶ : Alt+0182
For ¹ : Alt+0185
For » : Alt+0187
For ¼ : Alt+0188
For ½ : Alt+0189
For ¾ : Alt+0190
For Å : Alt+0197
For × : Alt+0215
For Ø : Alt+0216
For Þ : Alt+0222
For ß : Alt+0223
For ?: Alt+1

Hope you find these useful
Enjoy...

Boost your Cable/DSL speed: a Registry Hack

Here is a simple way to boost your Cable/DSL speed, just copy the ENTIRE BOLD text in the "quote" box below to Notepad, then save them as *.reg files, ie "DslBoost.reg".
Then all you have to do to modify/restore is double-click the *.reg file!!


REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\Tcpip\Parameters]
"GlobalMaxTcpWindowSize"=dword:0000ffff


It has worked wonders with me as it increased my speed from 5.0mbps all the way to 9.9mbps or sometimes a whole damn lot more like once it hit 15.7mbps youve got to try it!!

If u want to test your speed before and after the hack, goto this link for a free test of speed.

In my machine this hack has worked well, but I haven't tried for other machines. If this hack don't work for your machine, just simple doing the "undo registry" like thats above. Here is entry for undoing this hack:


REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\Tcpip\Parameters]
"GlobalMaxTcpWindowSize"=dword:00007fff


Remember that its for Cable/DSL only and not for crazy Dial-up!!

Note:
Some people confuse "Servic es" and change it to "Services". DON'T do this because it makes the hack not work!! Also, it took me a while to find out where I saved this so please thank me for this!!!
BTW: PLEASE make sure the "Hide extensions for known file types" option is unchecked........this will enable you to change the file type from *.txt to *.reg and activate the hack.

Lock Your Computer Fastly: a Windows Trick

Leaving your computer in a hurry but you don’t want to log off?
You can double-click a shortcut on your desktop to quickly lock the keyboard and display without using CTRL+ALT+DEL or a screen saver.

To create a shortcut on your desktop to lock your computer:
Right-click the desktop.
Point to New, and then click Shortcut.
The Create Shortcut Wizard opens.
In the text box, type the following: rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation
Click Next. Enter a name for the shortcut.
You can call it "Lock Workstation" or choose any name you like.
Click Finish.
You can also change the shortcut's icon (ie: the padlock icon in shell32.dll).

To change the icon:
Right click the shortcut and then select Properties.
Click the Shortcut tab, and then click the Change Icon button.
In the Look for icons in this file text box, type: Shell32.dll.
Click OK.
Select one of the icons from the list and then click OK
You could also give it a shortcut keystroke such CTRL+ALT+L.
This would save you only one keystroke from the normal command, but it could be more convenient.

Increasing options in Add/Remove programs

Not a fan of MSN Messenger? Don't want Windows Media Player on your system? Fair enough, but if you go to Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel, by default none of Windows XP's 'built in' programs are visible. It's fairly easy to change, though... just open the file X:\Windows\inf\sysoc.inf (where X: is the drive letter where Windows XP is installed) in Notepad. You should see a section of the file something like this:

[Components]
NtComponents=ntoc.dll,NtOcSetupProc,,4
WBEM=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,wbemoc.inf,hide,7
Display=desk.cpl,DisplayOcSetupProc,,7
Fax=fxsocm.dll,FaxOcmSetupProc,fxsocm.inf,,7
NetOC=netoc.dll,NetOcSetupProc,netoc.inf,,7
iis=iis.dll,OcEntry,iis.inf,,7
com=comsetup.dll,OcEntry,comnt5.inf,hide,7
dtc=msdtcstp.dll,OcEntry,dtcnt5.inf,hide,7
IndexSrv_System = setupqry.dll,IndexSrv,setupqry.inf,,7
TerminalServer=TsOc.dll, HydraOc, TsOc.inf,hide,2
msmq=msmqocm.dll,MsmqOcm,msmqocm.inf,,6
ims=imsinsnt.dll,OcEntry,ims.inf,,7
fp_extensions=fp40ext.dll,FrontPage4Extensions,fp40ext.inf,,7
AutoUpdate=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,au.inf,hide,7
msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7
RootAutoUpdate=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,rootau.inf,,7
IEAccess=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,ieaccess.inf,,7
This is a list of all components installed at the moment. I've taken the example of MSN Messenger - the program entry called 'msmsgs', third-last line. You can see the word 'hide' highlighted - this is the string which tells Windows not to display the component in the Add/Remove Programs list. Fix this up by simply deleting the word 'hide' like so:
msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7
To this:
msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,,7
Now, after restarting, you should be able to see MSN Messenger in the Add/Remove Programs list. If you want to be able to quickly view and remove all components, simply open the sysoc.inf file and do a global find and replace for the word ",hide" and replace it with a single comma ",".

The Free Tools That Can Access 100 Hidden XP Commands

Hidden Utilities XP allows access to nearly 100 hidden utilities that are not normally accessible to the average user. System information, diagnostics, repair tools and more in both Windows and Command Line utilities are now easily opened.

Hidden Utilities XP includes easy access to 53 Windows tools and 43 Command Line utilities. And, Camtech2000, its developer now gives you it for free. 

Solution for XP that can't start

XP Start up problems

If you can't get system to boot, here the solution:
Boot your PC with Windows XP installer CD ( you have to set your BIOS setup in order your CD device will be running first on Boot priority).

Let the XP Setup progress running until you see the Setup option screen.

Recovery Console: the recovery console is actually the first option you can choose in the setup. It will look something like this:

Enter = Continue R = Repair F3 = Quit



Make sure you press R at the first selection screen and then press '1' to choose to work with the Windows XP installation. When asked for the password for Administrator, enter it in otherwise just press the enter key.

From there it will give you a screen that just says 'C:\_'. Make sure you type the following just as it is shown: CHKDSK /p. This will attempt to repair any serious errors found on the partition tables. (There are also other options as far as ways to repair the XP installation but i'll let someone else show that trick.)

Afterwards reboot and if you still have problems booting up into windows XP it's time to talk recovery options. (retrieving and backing up for a clean reinstall.)

OK, good luck !

I have Windows XP on my pocket - 3

Installing applications
Now that I have shown you how to create and install a basic Windows build, I want to talk for a moment about how you can add an application to the build (prior to creating it). The PEBuilder program comes pre-configured to support a number of common Windows applications, but does not come with the applications themselves.

The reason why installing applications can be a little bit tricky is because most Windows applications modify the Windows registry. The build that you are creating is basically a collection of installation files, and the build itself does not contain a registry (the registry gets created when Windows is installed onto the flash drive).

As such, PEBuilder uses a sort of registry emulator. If you go to the C:\PEBUILDER313\PLUGIN folder, you will see sub folders for a number of different applications. If you open one of these application folders, you will see that the folder contains an INF file and a FILES folder. The INF file contains all of the information that would normally go into the registry, and the FILES folder stores all of the program's files. To see how this works, let's install an application that I'm sure most of you are familiar with Nero.

Begin by installing Nero onto the machine that's running PEBuilder, as if you planned to run Nero locally on that machine. When the installation completes, copy all of the files from C:\Program Files\ahead\Nero to C:\pebuilder313\plugin\nero burning rom\files. In this particular case, the Nero burning rom folder is the folder that has been set aside for the Nero application. The Files sub folder is intended to store Nero's system files.

Now, you must take care of Nero's registry entries. To do so, go to the C:\pebuilder313\plugin\nero burning rom folder and open the PENERO.INF file using Notepad. As I explained earlier, the INF file in an application's folder is used to store the application's registry entries. For Nero and all of the other applications that PEBuilder predefines, the INF file is pre-configured.

You just have to make a few changes that are specific to your system. In this particular case, the PENERO.INF file is designed to support both Nero versions 5.x and 6.x. Initially, the lines for both versions are commented out. You must therefore determine which version you have and then remove the semi colon from the beginning of the lines that apply to that version.

You can see how the two versions are separated. Once you uncomment the appropriate lines, just replace "Your Name", "Your Company Name" and "Your Serial Number" with your name, your company's name, and your Nero product key. Save the file, and your set to go.

The next time that you click the Build button, Nero will be included in the build. Putting XP in your pocket Running Windows from a flash drive isn't an exact science. Sometimes the process just doesn't work and there is no good reason why. As more PCs start to support booting from USB devices though, USB boots should become more standardized, and the technique should become more reliable.

Done !

I have Windows XP on my pocket - 2

Booting from the USB flash drive.

Now that you have formatted your USB flash drive and installed the boot files onto it, the next thing that you must do is to configure your PC to allow you to boot from the flash drive. This is all done through the computer's BIOS Setup. I can't give you specific instructions for this part, because every computer is different. I can give you a few pointers though.

You can access your computer's BIOS by pressing a specific key immediately after you turn the PC on. The key varies, but it is usually either [F1], [F2], or [Delete]. Once you are in the BIOS Setup, you should verify that all of your computer's USB options are enabled. This might include things like support for legacy USB devices or support for USB 2.0. If there is a time out setting for USB devices, you should set it to the max to insure that the system doesn't time out while waiting on the USB device to boot.

Next, find the section on boot device priority. Normally, a USB flash drive (which is usually listed as USB-HDD, but may be listed as a removable device) will have a very low boot priority. If the USB flash drive's boot priority is lower than the hard disk (listed as HDD) then the only time the computer would ever boot off of the USB flash drive is if the system were to fail to boot from the hard disk. You must therefore rearrange the boot device priority so that the flash drive has a higher priority than the hard drive.


Now that we have finally made it through all of the prep work, it's time to start setting up Windows. As you have probably already guessed, the process of installing Windows to a flash drive is quite a bit different from your normal, run of the mill installation. There are a couple of reasons for this.

For starters, a full blown Windows XP deployment takes up over a Gigabyte of hard disk space. When you are installing to a flash drive, disk space is a scarce commodity. Even if you have over a Gigabyte of space on your flash drive, you probably don't want to use it all on Windows. It would be nice to have room to install a few applications. Therefore, you need to trim the excess fat off of Windows.

The other reason why the installation process is so different from the usual Windows installation is because Windows Setup is not designed to install Windows to a flash drive. You therefore have to configure Windows using an alternate method.
The PEBuilder utility that you downloaded earlier can take care of both of these issues. PEBuilder is designed to create a build of Windows XP (or Windows Server 2003) that does not take up as much space as a full blown installation. Once you create this new build, you can copy it to the flash drive. For right now, I will show you how to create a basic Windows build and copy it to the memory stick. Unfortunately, it's rather difficult to install applications once Windows is up and running. Therefore, after I show you how to create a basic Windows build, I will show you how to create a build that includes some applications.

Begin the process by opening PEBuilder. Open your PEBuilder. Simply enter the path to the Windows installation files (the ones from your Windows XP with Service Pack 2 installation CD). Next, verify that the Create ISO Image and the Burn to CD check boxes are not selected and then click the Build button. PEBuilder will now create the new Windows build.

Now, it's time to copy Windows to the flash drive. To do so, you will have to use a special batch file that's included with PEBuilder. Open a Command Prompt window and navigate to c:\pebuilder313\plugin\peinst. Now, insert an empty flash drive into the computer's USB port and then execute the file PEINST.CMD.

Type 1 and press [Enter] and you will be prompted to enter the path to the build that you have created. Enter C:\pebuilder313\BartPE. Now, type 2, press [Enter], and you will be prompted for the target path. Enter the drive letter that Windows has assigned to your USB flash drive. After doing so, the menu is updated. The menu now displays the source path and the destination drive. Type 5 and press [Enter] to install Windows to the flash drive.

I have Windows XP on my pocket -1

You can't boot Windows XP from a floppy disk the way you used to be able to with DOS. One handy way to easily boot XP is by using a USB flash drive. Here's how to make it work.

Almost everyone who has worked with computers for any length of time at all has run into at least one situation in which a problem left a PC unbootable.
Almost everyone who has worked with computers for any length of time at all has run into at least one situation in which a problem left a PC unbootable.

What if you could return the machine to a bootable state just by inserting a USB flash drive though? Believe it or not, it is actually possible to install a bootable copy of Windows XP onto a flash drive and then boot a PC off of the flash drive. From there, you can use applications that you have installed on the flash drive (anti virus, anti spyware, disk repair, etc.) to fix the PC's problem. In this article, I will show you how.


As with most cool new techniques, there are a few catches. For starters, not every PC is capable of booting from a USB flash drive. For the most part, computers manufactured within the last two years are generally able to boot from a flash drive. Older systems may require a BIOS update, or might not be able to boot from a flash drive at all.

Another catch is that not every flash drive will get the job done. The primary factors that limit your use of a particular flash drive are capacity and speed. Technically, speed isn't really a limiting factor, but booting Windows will be painfully slow unless you use a flash drive that supports USB 2.0.

The flash drive's capacity is actually a limiting factor though. Surprisingly though, there are size limits on both the upper and lower end. Your flash drive can't be too large or too small. There isn't really a documented minimal size for a flash drive. You just need something large enough to hold Windows XP and a few applications. As you probably know, Windows XP normally consumes over a gigabyte of disk space. Later I will show you how to use a free utility to trim the excess fat off of Windows XP and make it a whole lot smaller. Even so, I still recommend that your flash drive be at least a minimum of 256 MB in size.

As I mentioned, there is a maximum size for the USB flash drive that you can use. Currently, USB flash drives exist in sizes of up to 4 GB, and 8 GB flash drives are expected to be available by the end of the year. As nice as it would be to have 8 GB to play with, the flash drive that you use for this project can be no larger than 2 GB. The reason for this is because you will have to format the flash drive using the FAT-16 file system, which has a 2 GB limit. Presently, you are stuck using FAT-16 because most computers will not recognize a flash drive as being bootable if the drive is formatted with anything other than FAT-16.

One of the requirements for creating our bootable USB flash drive is a Windows XP with Service Pack 2 installation CD. If your Windows XP installation CD doesn't already include Service Pack 2, then you will have to make a CD that includes Service Pack 2 through a technique called slipstreaming.

In addition to your Windows XP installation CD, there are a couple of other things that you are going to need. For starters, you will need the HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool. You can download this tool for free.
Another utility that you are going to need is Bart's Preinstalled Environment Bootable Live Windows CD / DVD, or BartPE for short. You can download this utility for free from the BartPE Web site.

In addition to the software requirements, you must verify that the PC that you will be using to create the Windows deployment has 1.5 GB of free hard disk space (minimum) and supports booting from a USB device. I also strongly recommend that the PC be running Windows XP Service Pack 2. Prior to Service Pack 2, Windows XP sometimes had trouble interacting with USB storage devices

Now that you have all of the prerequisites taken care of, it's time to actually start setting up our flash drive. The first step in doing so, as strange as it sounds, is to format the flash drive. Windows will actually let you format a flash drive in the same way that you format a floppy disk. However, formatting a flash drive in this way will not work for this project. Furthermore, using Windows to format a flash drive directly has been known to destroy some types of flash drives.
Instead, you must format the flash drive by using the HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool that you downloaded earlier. To do so, simply open the utility, select the device followed by the FAT file system option and click Start.

Once the device has been formatted, you must make it bootable. To do so, you must copy the BOOT.INI, NTLDR, and NTDETECT from the root directory of your PC's boot drive to the flash drive. These files are hidden by default, so you will either have to configure Windows Explorer to show hidden files (including protected operating system files) or you will have to open a Command Prompt window and use the COPY command to copy the files.

If you choose to use the Windows Explorer method, then open Internet Explorer and enter C: into the address bar so that you are looking at your local hard drive. Next, select the Folder Options command from the Tools menu. When the Folder Options properties sheet opens, select the View tab. Now, just select the Show Hidden Files and Folders and deselect the Hide Extensions for Known File Types and the Hide Protected Operating System Files check boxes. Click OK to continue.

OK, I'll continue in next post.

The Hidden Application in Windows

You can see the hidden application you never see before in your XP. Go to Start > Run > and type in: eudcedit

and press ENTER

this will open up a font editor, names Private Character Editor, this program allowing you to design your own custom fonts and characters to be used in Windows apps like Microsoft Word, Adobe PhotoShop, etc. This the Microsoft Word Font Character hidden secret program in Windows XP. Enjoy it.

The Hidden Microsoft Song

Do you know the hidden Microsoft song? I hear this song while im installing windows, where its almost at the end where have to register your windows, enter your username.......etc.

Some people might not hear it because, your sound card driver isn't installed. If you want to know and hear that song, here it:
Go to Start > Run > Copy and then Paste, or press and hold the Start + r .
C:\windows\system32\oobe\images\title.wma
and hit Enter, of course ... Your media player should load the song, and now you can hear it.

Tweak Aero's glass borders: Vista Hack

The borders around system windows, such as dialog boxes and the Control Panel, are transparent in Windows Vista's Aero interface. These borders are hackable; you can shrink them, make them larger, and change their colors and transparency levels.

To make the borders larger or smaller:


1. Right-click the desktop and select Personalize.

2. Click Window Color and Appearance.

3. Click Open classic appearance properties for more color options.

4. From the dialog box that appears, make sure that Windows Aero is selected as the color scheme. Click the Advanced button on the right side of the dialog box. The Advanced Appearance dialog box appears.

5. Select Border Padding in the Item drop-down menu. To change the size of the border, type a new size for the border. (The default is 4.) Click OK, then OK again. The sizes of the borders will now change.


There's more you can do to the borders as well. To change the border color, transparency and more, right-click the desktop and select Personalize > Window Color and Appearance.

1. Choose a color for your windows on the top of the screen, or custom-build a color by clicking Show color mixer and then moving the sliders that appear to mix your own color.

2. To change the transparency of window borders, move the Color intensity slider to the left to make them more translucent, and to the right to make them more opaque.

3. To turn off transparency, uncheck the box next to Enable transparency.

Cannot Run .exe files ?

What causes the program to run ("execute") when you double click the file name in My Computer or put it in the Run dialog box? Briefly put, it is an entry in the Windows Registry that does this.

For many, many different file extensions for files -- such as .doc for Word documents, or .txt for ASCII text files -- there is a location in the Registry that specifies how Windows handles such files. For .doc files it specifies, usually, that the Microsoft Word program (if present on the computer), or the Windows Accessory Wordpad if MS Word is not present, will be used to open up the document file so you can read and edit it. For .exe files, it specifies the "Open" action to be that which causes the program to run.

There are a number of viruses, trojans, and worms that mess up the Registry data for running executable (.exe) files, so this can cause nothing to seem to happen when you double click an .exe file name in My Computer or try to execute one by putting the name in the Run dialog box off the Start Menu.


If the virus/trojan/worm has been partially removed from your computer, then you might get a Windows error message such as "Cannot find program.exe". The reason the various types of malware modify the .exe file Registry key is to ensure that when you try to run any executable program, the malware program runs instead.

Data files for modifying the Windows Registry have the file extension .reg Various authors have come up with .reg (Registry) files to restore the proper contents of the .exe entry. If the .exe file association entry in the Registry has been modified, then you cannot even run the Registry Editor, Regedit.exe in order to try and correct the problem.

Somewhat often, you can rename the Registry Editor program to another type of executable by changing its name from Regedit.exe to Regedit.com and then you can edit the Registry. But edit it to what? If the Registry entry for .reg files has not been maliciously modified, it is easier to download the appropriate .reg file for your version of Windows and then double click the file name in order to fix the .exe entry.

For Windows XP, you can find one this way: right click this registry file, click save target as on popup menu for download it. After that, double click that file and click OK. Restart your Windows, and finish. You can run the .exe files as before now!

You must do the same trick above for Windows 9x/ME, but the corresponding registry fix is here.

Windows CE on your USB Stick : How To

Portable Windows CE is a 'launcher' for the Windows CE device emulator that can run an emulator-based image from a USB keychain.Change "Mcft" in link to what it is supposed to be

Extract the emulator to a folder on your hard drive by running "setup /a". The installer will prompt you to specify a directory to extract to.
For example: D:\PortableCE.
Copy the following launcher script to the folder you extracted the setup to. You'll need to rename the file from launchce.cmd.txt to launchce.cmd

Once you have that set up, just copy the entire D:\PortableCE folder over to your USB keychain.

To launch the emulator, just plug in your USB keychain, navigate to the PortableCE folder, and run launchce.cmd. You should (hopefully) have the emulator fire up.

Change Your IP In Less Than 1 Minute

Do this steps :

Click on "Start" in the bottom left hand corner of screen
Click on "Run"
Type in "command" and hit ok

You should now be at an MSDOS prompt screen.

Type "ipconfig /release" just like that, and hit "enter"
Type "exit" and leave the prompt
Right-click on "Network Places" or "My Network Places" on your desktop.
Click on "properties"

You should now be on a screen with something titled "Local Area Connection", or something close to that, and, if you have a network hooked up, all of your other networks.

Right click on "Local Area Connection" and click "properties"
Double-click on the "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)" from the list under the "General" tab
Click on "Use the following IP address" under the "General" tab
Create an IP address (It doesn't matter what it is. I just type 1 and 2 until i fill the area up).
Press "Tab" and it should automatically fill in the "Subnet Mask" section with default numbers.
Hit the "Ok" button here
Hit the "Ok" button again


You should now be back to the "Local Area Connection" screen.

Right-click back on "Local Area Connection" and go to properties again.
Go back to the "TCP/IP" settings
This time, select "Obtain an IP address automatically"
Hit "Ok"
Hit "Ok" again
You now have a new IP address

With a little practice, you can easily get this process down to 15 seconds.

Notes:
This only changes your dynamic IP address, not your ISP/IP address. If you plan on hacking a website with this trick be extremely careful, because if they try a little, they can trace it back

Run System Apps via Run Command

Access The Control Panel :

Add/Remove Programs control appwiz.cpl
Date/Time Properties control timedate.cpl
Display Properties control desk.cpl
FindFast control findfast.cpl
Fonts Folder control fonts
Internet Properties control inetcpl.cpl
Keyboard Properties control main.cpl keyboard
Mouse Properties control main.cpl
Multimedia Properties control mmsys.cpl
Network Properties control netcpl.cpl
Password Properties control password.cpl
Printers Folder control printers
Sound Properties control mmsys.cpl sounds
System Properties control sysdm.cpl





System Apps :

compmgmt.msc - Computer management
devmgmt.msc - Device manager
diskmgmt.msc - Disk management
dfrg.msc - Disk defrag
eventvwr.msc - Event viewer
fsmgmt.msc - Shared folders
gpedit.msc - Group policies
lusrmgr.msc - Local users and groups
perfmon.msc - Performance monitor
rsop.msc - Resultant set of policies
secpol.msc - Local security settings
services.msc - Various Services
msconfig - System Configuration Utility
regedit - Registry Editor
msinfo32 - System Information
sysedit - System Edit
win.ini - windows loading information(also system.ini)
winver - Shows current version of windows
mailto: - Opens default email client
command - Opens command prompt

Make Up Over Your Windows Look Like Ubuntu

If you are using a dual boot system with Ubuntu and Windows, you can clearly notice the limitations Linux has. And for many (myself included), Linux is extremely difficult. After awhile I came to the conclusion that I didn’t need ubuntu at all, but I still loved to look and feeling, after searching for ways to make my windows computer have that gnome feeling this is what I found:

Start with the visual style, if you haven’t already install Uxtheme Multipatcher, this will remove the limitations on your system, in order to install new themes. Then download the Human Visual Style Ubuntu Linux.

Go to C:\Windows\Resources\Themes and safe your download theme in there.


Now right click on your Desktop and click on Properties. Go to Appearance and select Human as the theme.

Now change the icons, first install Icontweaker,after that install Ubuntu Icontweaker theme.

Next, change the wallpaper on your desktop, get the Ubuntu wallpaper Here or Here.

To replace the icons for Windows Explorer, first install Styler toolbar(free), get the Ubuntu Human Theme for Styler.

Now get the famous Ubuntu Cursor

Now, what everybody wants. The alternative to Beryl on Linux. Get it Here, and get that “3D CUBE” effect.

To change the boot screen download BootSkin (it’s free): Get it Here.
And download the Ubuntu Bootskin:

To get Ubuntu Logon screen go here.

For Mozilla Firefox Web Browser, you can install the Ubuntu Theme, for Thunderbird or Dapper Retouched for Opera.

Remove the limit on TCP connection attempts: P2P Hack

Windows XP SP2 introduces a few new twists to TCP/IP in order to babysit users and "reduce the threat" of worms spreading fast without control. In one such attempt, the devs seem to have limited the number of possible TCP connection attempts per second to 10 (from unlimited in SP1). This argumentative feature can possibly affect server and P2P programs that need to open many outbound connections at the same time.

Rant: The forward thinking of Microsoft developers here is that you can only infect 10 new systems per second via TCP/IP ?!?... If you also consider that each of those infected computers will infect 10 others at the same rate:
second 1: 1+10 computers
second 2: 10+10*10 computers (110 new ones)
second 3: 10+100*10 computers ( 1110 new ones)
second 4: 10+1000*10 computers (11110 new ones)

....

all the way to 10*60 + 10^60 computers in a single minute (that's a number with 60 digits, or it would far exceed Earth's population). Even if we consider that 90% of those computers are unreachable/protected, one would still reach ALL of them within a minute.

In other words, even though it is not going to stop worm spreading, it's going to delay it a few seconds, limit possible network congestion a bit, and limit the use of your PC to 10 connection attempts per second in the process ! I have no problem with the new default setting limiting outbound connection attempts.

Still, users should have the option to easily disable or change this setting. I might be going out on a limb here, but ever since the introduction of Windows XP I can't help thinking that I dislike all the bult-in Windows "wisardry" in a sense that the system also limits user access. That irritating trend to ease the mental load on end users is somewhat insulting, considering that Windows is to make the more "intelligent" choice instead of the end user, as well as limit their access to tuning such settings...
End of rant.

With the new implementation, if a P2P or some other network program attempts to connect to 100 sites at once, it would only be able to connect to 10 per second, so it would take it 10 seconds to reach all 100. In addition, even though the setting was registry editable in XP SP1, it is now only possible to edit by changing it directly in the system file tcpip.sys. To make matters worse, that file is in use, so you also need to be in Safe mode in order to edit it.

You only need to worry about the number of connection attempts per second if you have noticed a slowdown in network programs requiring a number of connections opened at once. You can check if you're hitting this limit from the Event Viewer, under System - look for TCP/IP Warnings saying: "TCP/IP has reached the security limit imposed on the number of concurrent TCP connect attempts". Keep in mind this is a cap only on incomplete outbound connect attempts per second, not total connections. Still, running servers and P2P programs can definitely be affected by this new limitation. Use the fix as you see fit.

To change or remove the limit, you can use the following program.

- A patching program for removing or changing the limit imposed on connection attempts in SP2. The patcher has the ability to restore tcpip.sys back to the original... Still, you might want to back up tcpip.sys, use it at your own risk.