SM Knowledge Base

Download BitTorrent files without a desktop client with BitLet

2007-07-31T19:24:00.000+05:30

Download BitTorrent files without a desktop client with BitLet

Give web site BitLet the URL of a .torrent file and it downloads the file using its web-based BitTorrent client. Beyond that, BitLet is pretty simple: just paste the address of the .torrent file, click Download torrent, and select the directory you want to save the file to. If all works well, your download will begin. BitLet is certainly not a replacement for a full-fledged desktop BitTorrent client like uTorrent, but it does provide a simple way to download something via BitTorrent without installing any new software (assuming you've got the latest Java VM browser plugin installed).

Check out the BitLet site for more details.

EVOLUTION OF COMPUTER

2007-06-12T22:49:00.000+05:30

EVOLUTION OF COMPUTER – TIMELINE

The genesis of mechanical / digital computing can be traced back to Blaise Pascal and GW Liebnitz. Charles Babbage was the first to imagine a machine that could process data. He designed first a different engine, an analytical engine and an all purpose calculating machine.

Year 1904:
Discovery of thermionic valve.

Year 1938:
Konrad Zeus built the world's first binary digital computer, the Z1.

Year 1941:
Zeus completed the first fully functional program-controlled electromechanical digital computer, the Z3.

Year 1946:
The first glimpse of the ENIAC, a machine built by John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert.

Year 1948:
Claude Shannon identified the bit as the fundamental unit of data and the basic unit of computation.

Year 1951:
The UNIVAC I developed.

Year 1952:
John von Neumann's IAS computer became operational.

Year 1953:
IBM shipped its first electronic computer, the 701.

Year 1955:
The first fully transistorized computer, TRADIC.

Year 1956:
Experiments began for direct keyboard input on computers. Doug Ross wrote a memo advocating direct access.
The era of magnetic disk storage dawned with IBM's shipment of a 305 RAMAC
TX-0, the first general-purpose, programmable computer built with transistors.

Year 1957:
FORTRAN enabled a computer to perform a repetitive task from a single set of instructions by using loops.
Commercial compiler for it's UNIVAC.

Year 1958:
Dataphone, the first commercial modem.
COBOL designed for business use.
LISP made its debut as the first computer language designed for writing artificial intelligence programs.

Year 1962:
SpaceWar!, considered the first interactive computer game.
Virtual memory emerged.

Year 1963:
ASCII developed.

Year 1964:
BASIC created.

Year 1965:
PDP-8, the first commercially successful minicomputer.

Year 1967:
LOGO as a computer language designed.

Year 1969:
The RS-232-C standard.

Year 1970:
The birth of ARPANET, the precursor to present internet.

Year 1971:
8-inch floppy diskette invented.
Ray Thomlinson sends first ever email.

Year 1972:
Intel's 8008 microprocessor made its debut.

Year 1973:
Ethernet method of network connection devised.

Year 1975:
Telenet: the first commercially packet-switching network and civilian equivalent of ARPANET, was born.

BILL GATES stole

DOS from XEROX !

Bill Gates and Paul Allen found Micro-Soft.
The first issue of BYTE magazine published.

Year 1976:
Steve Wozniak designed the Apple I, on a single-board computer.
The Cray I - the first commercially successful vector processor.
Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak from the Apple Computer Company.
5 1/4" Flexible disk drive and diskette were introduced.

Year 1977:
Hashim Taylor born! It is the year's only invention! LOL!

Year 1978:
Epson announces the dot matrix printer.

Year 1979:
Emoticons bring life into otherwise boring computer newsgroups.

Year 1980:
The first hard disk drive for microcomputer.
The first optical data storage disk.
The first Winchester 5.25-inch hard disk drive announced.
Microsoft acquires SCP's DOS.

Year 1981:
Sony shipped the first 3 1/4" floppy disk and drive.
the MS-DOS released.

Year 1982:
Phillips created an erasable optical disk.
The first Cray XPM produced.
The first issue of PC Magazine printed.
Intel introduced the 6 MHz 80286 microprocessor.
Microsoft release MS-DOS 1.1 to IBM.
The first IBM PC clone, the MPC.
Compaq Portable PC introduced.
TCP/IP introduced and Internet's birth.

Year 1983:
Apple introduced its Lisa. The first personal computer with a graphical User Interface.
Compaq introduced first PC clone that used the same software as the IBM PC.
Lotus 1-2-3 v. 1.0 hit the market.
Iomega introduced the Bernoulli Box storage device.
SyQuest storage cartridge system launched.
Novell introduced the NetWare network OS.
Phillips and Sony develop the CD-ROM
Hewlett-Packard unveils microcomputer featuring optical touchscreen.
Microsoft Windows and MS-Word 1.0 released.
Borland int. releases Turbo Pascal programming language.

Year 1984:
Apple Computer launched the Macintosh, the first successful mouse-driven computer with GUI.
IBM release PC-AT with 286 chip and 16 bit bus and PC Jr.
Hewlett Packard introduced the LaserJet printer
The word "Cyberspace" used for the first time by William Gibson.

Year 1985:
Aldus announced it's PageMaker program for desktop publishing.
The C++ emerges as the dominant object-oriented programming language.
The first general-interest CD-ROM product released - Grolier encyclopedia.
The modern Internet gained support when NSF formed the NSFNET.
CD-ROM drives are introduced for computer use.
NEC Home Electronics introduced the first multisync monitor.
Microsoft shipped Windows 1.0.

Year 1986:
Apple designed HyperCard, a software tool for development of in-house applications.
IBM introduced its PS/2 machine based on a new architect called MicroChannel.
The first IBM to include Intel's 80386 chip, allowing the use of a mouse with IBMs for the first time.
Microsoft released OS/2 1.0.

Year 1988:
NeXT computer - recognized as an important innovation.
PC-clone makers developed EISA
Robert Morris' worm flooded the ARPANET.

Year 1989:
Virtual Reality, a computer generated 3-D environment that allows a user to interact with the realities developed.
Intel announced the 486 microprocessor.

Year 1990:
Microsoft shipped Windows 3.0.
The World Wide Web was born when Tim Berners-Lee, a researcher at CERN, Geneva , developed HTML.
Apple unveils and ships the Macintosh Classic.

Year 1991:
Linus Torvalds develops Linux, in Finland .
The NSF allowed commercial use of the Internet for the first time.
Intel introduced the PCI local-bus standard for personal computer systems.
IBM introduced ThinkPad 700C laptop computer.

Year 1993:
Intel introduced Pentium processor.
Microsoft comes up with Windows NT OS.
Creative's Sound Blaster 16 Card hit the market.
Apple launched Newton MessagePad - personal digital assistant.
The NCSA released Mosaic 1.0, first graphical www web browser.
Netscape Navigator 1.0, a www browser, born.
Iomega launched its Zip drive and Zip disks.
150 countries connected via internet and 50 million people got online.

Year 1995:
The NSF decommissioned the internet backbone, leaving the internet a self supporting industry.
IBM announced PC-DOS 7.
Microsoft hits the world with Windows 95.
I (Hashim Taylor) celebrated my 18th Birthday :P

Year 1996:
Corel purchased WordPerfect, Quattro Pro and the PerfectOffice application suite from Novell.
Microsoft released Windows NT 4.0
Microsoft unveils Windows CE operating system for handheld PCs.
CD-ReWritable (CD-RW) is announced.

Year 1997:
AMD introduced K6 processor.

Year 1998:
Celeron processor shipped
Steve Jobs introduced the iMac.
Microsoft released Windows 98.
America Online buys Netscape Communications.
Motorola officially introduced the G4 processor.

Year 1999:
Cyrix released the MII processor - beats PIII
Apple introduced the G3 PowerBook and the iBook.
AMD released the Athlon processor.
Apple released the Power Mac G4 compter (With Motorola G4)

Year 2000:
Microsoft unveils Windows 2000 OS and Windows ME.
BeOS v5 OS for PCs released.
Palm III c handheld computer released.
Microsoft launches the pocket PC that runs on Microsoft Windows CE 3.0.
Corel released WordPerfect Office 2000 for Linux.
Apple releases MAC X DR 4.
Compaq introduced the iPAQ Pocket PC handheld computer.
Intel announce Pentium 4.
Microsoft unveils it's C# (Called C Sharp) language.
Apple introduced the PowerMac G4 Cube.
AMD shipped 1.1 GHz Athlon processor.

Year 2001:
Intel announced hyper-threaded P4 capable of working as two processor.
Napster closes down.

Year 2001 ONWARD...
We are all aware what happened after year 2001! Soon I'll add the hot happenings of rest of the years.

The Bytes Measurement: a simple chart

	Bytes
Kilobyte	1,024	Kilobytes
Megabyte	1,048,576	1,024	Megabytes
Gigabyte	1,073,741,824	1,048,576	1,024	Gigabytes
Terabyte	1,099,511,627, 776	1,073,741,824	1,048,576	1,024

Some quick and handy tips for XP

2007-04-27T05:53:00.000+05:30

Some quick and handy tips for XP

On Screen Keyboard
Want to use an on screen keyboard? Well it is this simple - Click on the start button and select run. Then type in osk in the box and click OK.

Make 'My Computer' open in Explore mode with folder list
In My Computer click Tools menu, and then click Options. Click the File Types tab.In the list of file types, highlight "(NONE) Folders". Click Advanced button, In the Actions box, highlight "Explore", Click "Set Default"

Enable / Disable Firewall
Open Control Panel and double click on Network Connections. In the new box that appears right click on the Connection and click on the Advanced tab. Check or uncheck the box according to your desire.

Clear Page file on shutdown
Go to Control Panel, Administrative tools, Local Security Policy. Then goto Local Policies, Security Options.
Then change the option for "Shutdown: Clear Virtual Memory Pagefile"

Adjust various visual effects
Open up the Control Panel. Go under System and click on the Advanced tab, click Settings under Performance options. You can now change various graphical effects (mainly animations and shadows)

19 things you didn't know about Windows XP

2007-04-26T04:30:00.000+05:30

19 things you didn't know about Windows XP

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.

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).
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 'tasklist', which will also tell you a lot about what's going on in your system.
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'.
XP has ClearType -- 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 ClearType, right click on the desktop, select Properties, Appearance, Effects, select ClearType from the second drop-down menu and enable the selection. Expect best results on laptop displays. If you want to use ClearType on the Welcome login screen as well, set the registry entry HKEY_USERS/.DEFAULT/Control Panel/Desktop/FontSmoothingType to 2.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 alphabetised groups by View, Arrange Icon By... Show In Groups.
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.
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.

Create a Password Reset Disk

2007-04-26T04:28:00.000+05:30

Create a Password Reset Disk

If you’re running Windows XP Professional as a local user in a workgroup environment, you can create a password reset disk to log onto your computer when you forget your password. To create the disk:

Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click User Accounts.
Click your account name.
Under Related Tasks, click Prevent a forgotten password.
Follow the directions in the Forgotten Password Wizard to create a password reset disk.
Store the disk in a secure location, because anyone using it can access your local user account.

Copy Files and Folders to CD

2007-04-26T04:24:00.000+05:30

Copy Files and Folders to CD

To copy files and folders to a CD

Insert a blank, writable CD into the CD recorder.
Open My Computer.
Click the files or folders you want to copy to the CD. To select more than one file, hold down the CTRL key while you click the files you want. Then, under File and Folder Tasks, click Copy this file, Copy this folder, or Copy the selected items.
If the files are located in My Pictures, under Picture Tasks, click Copy to CD or Copy all items to CD, and then skip to step 5.
In the Copy Items dialog box, click the CD recording drive, and then click Copy.
In My Computer, double–click the CD recording drive. Windows displays a temporary area where the files are held before they are copied to the CD. Verify that the files and folders that you intend to copy to the CD appear under Files Ready to be Written to the CD.
Under CD Writing Tasks, click Write these files to CD. Windows displays the CD Writing Wizard. Follow the instructions in the wizard.

Notes:

Do not copy more files to the CD than it will hold. Standard CDs hold up to 650 megabytes (MB). High–capacity CDs hold up to 850 MB.
Be sure that you have enough disk space on your hard disk to store the temporary files that are created during the CD writing process. For a standard CD, Windows reserves up to 700 MB of the available free space. For a high–capacity CD, Windows reserves up to 1 gigabyte (GB) of the available free space.
After you copy files or folders to the CD, it is useful to view the CD to confirm that the files are copied. For more information, click Related Topics.

To stop the CD recorder from automatically ejecting the CD

Open My Computer.
Right–click the CD recording drive, and then click Properties.
On the Recording tab, clear the Automatically eject the CD after writing check box.

Delete files when the Recycle Bin is hidden

2007-04-26T04:22:00.000+05:30

Delete files when the Recycle Bin is hidden

By default, the Windows XP Recycle Bin sits at the bottom right of the desktop, just above the tray notification area and system clock. If you've got a bunch of floating windows open, however, it's possible to obscure the Recycle Bin and make it impossible to drag files and folders there for deletion. However, Microsoft must have thought of this event, because you can automatically hide all of those open windows during a drag operation. The first time it happened, I thought it was a fluke. But it's not. Instead, it's a cool hidden feature of XP.

Here's how it works: Make sure a bunch of windows are open on the screen, with at least one of them hiding the Recycle Bin. Then, find a file or group of files you'd like to drag to the Recycle Bin. Pick up the files with the mouse and move them to the lower right of the screen. As you reach the bottom area of the screen, pass the mouse cursor over a blank area of the task bar, hover there for an instant, and--voila!--the open windows all minimize, leaving the Recycle Bin available to accept the dragged files. Good stuff. This tip also works when windows are maximized, assuming the file(s) you want to delete are visible in one of the available windows.

A collection of XP tips

2007-04-25T06:35:00.000+05:30

Question : How to make your Desktop Icons Transparent

Answer : Go to ontrol Panel > System, > Advanced > Performance area > Settings button Visual Effects tab "Use drop shadows for icon labels on the Desktop"

Question : Search For Hidden Or System Files In Windows XP

Answer : The Search companion in Windows XP searches for hidden and system files differently than in earlier versions of Windows. This guide describes how to search for hidden or system files in Windows XP.

Search for Hidden or System Files By default, the Search companion does not search for hidden or system files. Because of this, you may be unable to find files, even though they exist on the drive.

To search for hidden or system files in Windows XP:
Click Start, click Search, click All files and folders, and then click More advanced options.

Click to select the Search system folders and Search hidden files and folders check boxes.

NOTE: You do not need to configure your computer to show hidden files in the Folder Options dialog box in Windows Explorer to find files with either the hidden or system attributes, but you need to configure your computer not to hide protected operating system files to find files with both the hidden and system attributes. Search Companion shares the Hide protected operating system files option (which hides files with both the system and hidden attributes) with the Folder Options dialog box Windows Explorer.

Question : Restricting Logon Access

Answer : If you work in a multiuser computing environment, and you have full (administrator level) access to your computer, you might want to restrict unauthorized access to your "sensitive" files under Windows 95/98.
One way is to disable the Cancel button in the Logon dialog box.
Just run Regedit and go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Network/Logon

Create the "Logon" subkey if it is not present on your machine: highlight the Network key -> right-click in the left hand Regedit pane -> select New -> Key -> name it "Logon" (no quotes) -> press Enter. Then add/modify a DWORD value and call it "MustBeValidated" (don't type the quotes). Double-click it, check the Decimal box and type 1 for value.
Now click the Start button -> Shut Down (Log off UserName) -> Log on as a different user, and you'll notice that the Logon Cancel button has been disabled.

Question : How do I remove the Recycle Bin from the Desktop

Answer : If you don't use the Recycle Bin to store deleted files , you can get rid of its desktop icon all together.

Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/explorer/Desktop/NameSpace

Click on the "Recycle Bin" string in the right hand pane. Hit Del, click OK.

Question : How to Rename the Recycle Bin

Answer : To change the name of the Recycle Bin desktop icon, open Regedit and go to:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/CLSID/{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}

and change the name "Recycle Bin" to whatever you want (don't type any quotes).

Question : IP address of your connection

Answer : Go to start/run type 'cmd, then type 'ipconfig.' Add the '/all' switch for more info.

How to Remove Windows XP's Messenger

2007-04-25T06:34:00.000+05:30

How to Remove Windows XP's Messenger

Theoretically, you can get rid of it (as well as a few other things). Windows 2000 power users should already be familiar with this tweak.

Fire up the Windows Explorer and navigate your way to the %SYSTEMROOT% \ INF folder. What the heck is that thingy with the percentage signs? It's a variable. For most people, %SYSTEMROOT% is C:\Windows. For others, it may be E:\WinXP. Get it? Okay, on with the hack! In the INF folder, open sysoc.inf (but not before making a BACKUP copy first). Before your eyes glaze over, look for the line containing "msmsgs" in it. Near the end of that particular line, you'll notice that the word "hide" is not so hidden. Go ahead and delete "hide" (so that the flanking commas are left sitting next to one another). Save the file and close it. Now, open the Add and Remove Programs applet in the Control Panel. Click the Add / Remove Windows Components icon. You should see "Windows Messenger" in that list. Remove the checkmark from its box, and you should be set. NOTE: there are other hidden system components in that sysoc.inf file, too. Remove "hide" and the subsequent programs at your own risk.

Getting w.Bloggar to work with Blogger Beta

2006-11-08T08:26:00.000+05:30

I signed up for Blogger Beta. Only to find out that none of my posting softwares work. I earlier used to use w.Bloggar, and had been using Windows Live Writer for the last few days. I downloaded w.Bloggar's latest version and tried setting it up with my new Blogger Beta blog. Behold the Beta Gods. It said my username/password didn't match. I realised it was not connecting to the beta interface, but rather to the old Blogger interface. And the old Blogger interface cannot login a Google Accounts username/password.

Being a lazy person, I searched the net first to see if womeone else had come up with a solution. My search yeilded no results. So I tried to play with the w.Bolggar account settings. Luckily, I got it right in the first attempt. Anyways, I decided to share this info with you all. So here is a step by step with screenshots (click on them to enlarge).

Getting w.Bloggar to work with Blogger Beta :
Requirements :

A Blogger Beta blog
w.Bloggar
Internet connection

Instructions :
Step 1 : Fire up the account selection box in w.Bloggar. You can reach it by Clicking on File, Select Account or by pressing F9

Step 2 : Click on the Icon next to the account name.

Step 3 : Selct New

Step 4 : Select "Yes, I want to add it as a new account"

Step 5 : Select Custom from the drop down list and fill in a name for you account. Select Ping if you would like to notify Weblogs or Technorati upon updates. Click Next.

Step 6 : Keep the settings as is. Click Next.

Step 7 : In the Host field type in "beta.blogger.com". (Without the quotes, of course!)

Step 8 : In the Path field type in "/api". (Without the quotes, of course!). Click "Next"

Step 9 : Type in your Google Accounts username/email and your password. Select "Save password" if you would like w.bloggar to remember your password.

Step 10 : Click Finish. You are done.

Do send your comments and feedbacks.

What are "zipped" files

2006-10-17T05:46:00.000+05:30

Q: What are "zipped" files
A: A zip file is basically a "package" of one or more compressed files. If you download a lot of software, you'll run across these all the time.

They are not difficult to work with. You'll need an "unzipping" program in order to access them, something like WinZIP or Stuffit is a good choice.

Once unzipped, you simply run the install program (if there is one) and you're all set. In fact, WinZIP will automatically run the installation program for you if it finds one!

You can download WinZIP from: http://www.winzip.com

It is a shareware program, so if you use it you should pay for it. It doesn't have an expiration though, so you can "evaluate" it for as long as you like.

If you have Windows XP , you don't need a program—just double click a zipped file to open it.

A menu will appear from which you can save individual files to your computer. Just click & drag or copy the file you want and drop it in the desired location. It's that easy!

Also, in the left-hand column there is a link to "Extract all files".

This will open a wizard to guide you through the extraction process. You can choose where you want the files to go, etc.

Did you ever imagine that unzipping file could be so easy?

New template

2006-08-19T19:29:00.000+05:30

New template applied. Please let me know what you think. Get back to me about anything broken, comments or suggestions.

Fixing Windows with Knoppix

2006-08-19T19:19:00.000+05:30

Do you use Knoppix? This bootable Linux distribution that comes in the form of a CD or DVD can be a lifesaver when your computer goes awry. In this feature, we guide you through the process of fixing Windows with Knoppix, which includes resizing Windows partitions, solving key system file problems, and recovering data. This is a chapter from the ExtremeTech book Hacking Knoppix.

You or someone you know will encounter a seemingly unfixable problem with a Microsoft Windows operating system environment at one time or another. When this occurred in the past, most users would reinstall their operating systems, sometimes wiping out significant amounts of data that was needed on the system. Now you can use Knoppix to (often) correct your Windows system problems without losing any data and save the time associated with reinstalling all of the operating system files and applications.

Resizing Windows Partitions
Partitioning is a simple scheme for segmenting your physical hard drive into different sections. Power Windows users typically partition their hard drive for performance and backup reasons or to allow for different operating systems to be installed on it. When the system is first partitioned, the drive sizes are determined by the installer's experience and the projected needs for each partition. As time goes on, the partitions' size requirements may change, necessitating resizing.

There are many commercial applications, such as Partition Magic, that enable you to repartition your hard drive. They can cost $60 or more, however, you can get the same base functionality using tools included natively with Knoppix for no cost. This section explains how to resize your Windows partition or other types of partitions using Knoppix and QTParted, which is a user-friendly graphical front-end for the command line partition resizing tool parted.

QTParted works on the following Windows partition types (as well as non-Windows file system types):

FAT16 - Used primarily with Windows 3.1 and earlier versions of MS-DOS
FAT32 - Used by Windows 95, 98, and ME primarily
NTFS - Used by the NT based versions of Windows, including NT, 2000, XP, and 2003.

Preparing To Partition

Before you resize your partitions, defragment your hard drive if you can. This process, put very simply, rearranges the hard drive, putting your files together in as logical a manner as possible, usually in a group, and checking for errors.

Although partitioning with the tools described in this article are time tested and have been used by many, many people, there is always the chance of an inadvertent input error on your part or the possibility of a some other unforeseen circumstance, so back up your important data.

Determine what you want the file system layout to be after you have resized your partitions, including the sizes of the partitions. You will need this information to use the tool in the most effective manner. For example, if you have a single partition on the entire hard drive consisting of 100 GB, and you want to make room for a secondary Windows or Linux partition of 10 GB, you would resize the primary partition to 90 GB, leaving 10 GB for the new partition to be created.

The QTParted tool cannot create space where none exists, so ensure that you have the requisite amount of space available that you plan to resize to. If your primary 100 GB partition is filled with 98 GB of data, for example, you'd only be able to create a new 2 GB partition because that's all of the space available.

QTParted Partitioning

Ready to partition? Boot your Windows machine with Knoppix and choose Knoppix>System>QTParted. A screen similar to the one shown here opens.

A list of detected disks appears in on the left. Information about the selected disk appears below it, and the right window lists its current partitions. In the Figure 1 example, QTParted shows that the first disk (/UNIONFS/dev/hda) has two partitions, both of which are Windows file system types, indicated by a tiny Microsoft Windows icon in Number column. The Type column identifies the file system (NTFS, FAT32, or FAT16).

The partition graphics above the list also show how much used space each has. In the example, the NTFS partition uses 2.18 GB of its 3.91 GB space, and the FAT32 partition uses 32.15 MB of its 3.98 GB.

To begin the resizing operation, right-click the graphical box of the partition you want to resize (alternatively, highlight the partition in the list and right-click), and select Operations>&resize. The QTParted Resize Partition dialog opens

You can use the graphical window at the top by left clicking the arrows at the sides to make the partition larger or smaller, or you can enter the partition size value you want in the New Size text box.

When you have the information entered correctly, click OK (you are not making anything permanent yet.)

The main screen shows your modifications : two partitions and a gray box indicating how much free space you'll incur after resizing. The new FAT32 partition is now 996.22 GB and there's 2.99 GB of free space. The resized partition is a solid color, indicating it has not been committed yet; you can't format the drive until it has been committed.

If you make a mistake, you can undo everything until you do commit a little later in the process. To undo any changes, select File>&Undo and the system will return to its previous state.

Now you can create another partition in the free space by right-clicking on the gray box and selecting &Create (or by selecting Operations>&Create). The Create Partition dialog opens, as shown below

Click the arrow at the right of the Create As text box and select the kind of partition you want (Primary Partition or Extended Partition). There is a limitation of four primary partitions imposed on a system by the master boot record, which was a restriction from the early days of PCs. To get around this constraint, the extended partition was created to allow for more partitions on a drive. An extended partition is created by separating one of the four primary partitions into more divisions called logical partitions. Most operating systems are loaded on a primary partition and boot from there. (Linux is an exception because it can be booted from a logical partition.). If you create an NTFS partition of 2.99 GB (all of the free space) as a secondary partition for backups within Windows, the result would be as shown below.

After you have made all of your modifications and are comfortable with the changes, you need to make your changes permanent (everything to this point is "virtual," or for show only). To make your changes permanent, select File>&Commit. The figure below shows the warning dialog box that appears indicating that you are about to commit the changes to the hard drive for good. (The grammar and spelling are awkward in parts of this application, but will most likely be corrected as the developers continue work.) If you have a swap partition (virtual memory) on the drive you are committing changes to, prevent problems by ensuring that swap is turned off, either booting Knoppix with the noswap cheatcode or by opening a terminal window and typing swapoff –a.

Select Yes. A window displays the progress of your modifications and the estimated time until completion. If everything is successful, your changes are made on the hard drive and the dialog box looks similar to one shown below.

After you have completed the resizing, you can format your new partitions using QTParted—just select Operations>Format.

Taking Charge When Key System Files Have Problems

At times Windows has files that are corrupted or missing, seriously impairing, or even preventing, the operation of the system. If you've encountered this before, you know that one of your options is to start from scratch or try to recover the system using the draconian Windows Startup and Recovery system. The toolset included in that tool is sparse at best and difficult to use. Knoppix, on the other hand, provides a friendly and very powerful environment in which to fix certain issues you may encounter when problems pop up.

By default, Knoppix can read a large set of file systems right out of the box, but it doesn't support writing to certain file systems. There are some known issues with Knoppix 3.8 and above in writing to NTFS file systems (the default for Windows XP and above). Those file systems require the use of a program called captive-ntfs to allow write access, which is crucial for editing files on the systems. Knoppix 3.8 and above do not include captive-ntfs by default because of lack of active project development and other concerns regarding corruption of data. (There is another system in place — UnionFS — that promises to provide this support in the future. It isn't fully developed yet so it currently only gives the appearance of writing to the NTFS partition.)

Earlier versions of Knoppix (3.7 and below) include captive-ntfs, but if you are using Windows XP service pack two (SP2), take the steps identified in BitDefender to enable read/write capabilities.

Accessing boot.ini to Resolve Start Issues

The boot.ini file is used by Windows NT-based systems (NT, 2000, XP, 2003) to boot the system into the correct operating environment by displaying a list of Windows-recognized operating systems and directing the system toward the selected environment. If the file is corrupted, damaged, or missing, you cannot boot your Windows system properly. The boot.ini file can become corrupted if you reboot your system improperly, may be missing if someone deletes it accidentally, or, well, there are many other causes for that error.

If you boot your system and get an invalid boot.ini or Windows could not start error message, the most likely culprit is an invalid or corrupted boot.ini file. To correct this problem, you need to either edit your existing boot.ini file or create a new, generic one. First, you must make the Windows partition that your core system resides on writeable (Knoppix makes all existing partitions read only) by right-clicking the drive on the desktop and selecting Properties. In the Device tab, make sure that Read Only is unchecked to make the drive writeable. Don't do this if you're working on an NTFS partition.

Caution: Modifying NTFS partitions (Windows XP default) can cause significant problems, so perform the write function on FAT partitions only.

Once you have the capability to write to the file system, locate the Windows top-level directory on what is usually the Windows C: drive (typically on the drive labeled hda1). Click on the drive on your desktop labeled Hard Disk Partition HDA1 In the top level is a file called boot.ini. Create a copy of the file by right-clicking it and selecting copy. Then paste the copy in your Windows directory in case you need to refer to it later.

When you open your drive in Konqueror, the boot.ini folder is in the directory (see figure below) if you did a default install of Windows and have selected the correct hard drive (HDA1). If you have set up Windows differently, look your Windows boot directory for the boot.ini folder):

Open the file with your favorite editor. The figure below shows a boot.ini open in KWrite.

The following, from a Windows XP Home Edition, is a typical generic boot.ini file:

[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

timeout specifies how long the system should wait for user input while the boot menu is being displayed.
default identifies which selection from the Windows recognizable operating systems (identified in the [operating systems] section) will be booted if the user makes no selection in the boot menu. The [operating systems] section identifies all Windows recognizable operating systems that can be booted by the boot menu.
multi denotes that this system has an IDE or ESDI drive, and is almost always 0. If you are using a SCSI drive with no BIOS support, this is scsi(0) instead of multi(0). (Note: Windows NT systems using SCSI drives have multi). The disk designator is 0 if multi is listed as the adapter. If scsi is the adapter in use, you would indicate the scsi bus number. rdisk identifies what controller is the disk is on, such as rdisk(1) for the secondary disk, rdisk(0) for the primary. If you are using scsi, this option is always 0.
partition indicates what partition the file to boot resides on. If you are on the second primary partition, you would write partition(2). This should never be 0 because there is no partition 0. The last portion identifies the directory in which Windows resides (in this case \WINDOWS (this could be anything depending on the version of Windows and how the system was installed). Everything after the equal sign and in quotes shows what is displayed in the boot menu to the user regarding booting.
Most boot.ini problems you encounter will be file corruption (or misconfiguration if you are hand editing the file). You can use the preceding information to recover by simply replacing or adding the default lines.

For specifics on configuring the boot.ini file, go to this page on the Microsoft site. When you have completed editing the file, save it. Remove your Knoppix CD, and reboot the system into Windows.

Editing the System Registry When It Goes Bump in the Night

The registry is the central Windows location for all system specific information, including configurations and settings, for Windows 95 and all later versions. The registry can be edited very easily by using the Windows native program regedit within Knoppix. Just type the following command in a console window:

regedit

This command invokes Wine and pulls up the Windows Registry Editor, as shown in Figure 11. (Wine is an open source implementation of Windows APIs that runs on top of Linux. Some folks think of it as a Windows emulator, but Wine's developers call it a Windows "compatibility layer" for Unix.)

All of the functionality you find running the registry editor in Windows is available under Wine, including importing a backed-up registry and saving a modified registry Some of the variant versions of Knoppix include an excellent Linux-native Windows registry editor called Offline NT Password and Registry Editor (chntpw), a program that enables you to modify the Windows registry as well as Windows passwords. You can get more information on chntpw at Offline NT Password & Registry Editor. The standard Knoppix versions 3.8 and above do not include chntpw by default, but the software is available through APT (sudo apt-get install chntpw), as well as through the Klik program.

Recovering Data

If your Windows system crashes completely and cannot be recovered using the registry editor or the boot.ini, you may face some serious problems if important data on the system wasn't backed up. Knoppix can come to your rescue by enabling you to access your Windows partition and save your important data to multiple devices for restoration later. These devices include USB jump drives (also called flash drives or key drives), CD-Rs and DVD-Rs, and copying data over the network. This section explains how to recover and save the data that you'll restore after you have re-installed Windows following a crash.

Preparing for Data Recovery The most common mistake when recovering data from a system is failing to retrieve all of it because of haste. What you leave behind is typically the data you end up needing the most, so take your time and ensure you are capturing everything valuable. The most common area for data storage is in the Documents and Settings folder (usually /mnt/hda1/Documents and Settings), which is Windows' default for saving most of all users documents, music, pictures, and so on. If there are any non-standard directories into which you or your users save data, consider those as well.

Tip: After you have saved all the files you think you need, it is always a good idea to check that the data you saved is correctly archived. Navigate the backup medium and open random files (those that can be opened) to ensure that the data is valid.

Saving Data to a USB Jump Drive
Knoppix recognizes your USB jump drive almost immediately after the drive is plugged in. From that point, it is a trivial matter to save data from your Windows partition to the key drive, which is represented by the USB icon on the desktop. To save to the jump drive, you only need to make it writeable by right-clicking the jump drive icon, and selecting Properties. Click on the Device tab, which looks much like the dialog shown below, and then uncheck the Read Only box to enable writing to the drive. Click OK to close the window, and you're good to go.

Mount the drive by right-clicking on the drive icon and selecting Mount. You can use the command line in conjunction with the cp command to move files between the hard drive and the jump drive (typically /dev/uba1). Alternatively, you can open two Konqueror windows (see figure below) and drag and drop.

Your only limitation to saving files this way is the speed of the file transfer and the capacity of your jump drive, although 1 and 2 gigabyte jump drives are available for very reasonable prices, and you can use more than one if necessary.

Burning Data to a CD or DVD

Burning the files you need to a writeable CD or DVD is made very simple in Knoppix, which includes K3b, a user friendly CD recorder that's on par with the most expensive commercial software. Select Knoppix>Multimedia>K3b Program to open it. The application's screen is similar to that shown below.

Note: There's a glitch in K3b's capability to burn DVDs or CDs in Knoppix 3.8.2, but that should be resolved by Knoppix 4.0.

Select New Data CD Project or New Data DVD Project from the window. Navigate to the files you want to save and drag and drop them to the Current Projects section of the screen. Figure 14 shows the /mnt/hda1/Documents and Settings file already being saved to a DVD. The graph near the bottom of the screen shows the size of the file (more than 890 MB). Once you have put all the files you want to save into the Current Projects section, click the Burn icon at the top left of the application window. A dialog box similar to the one shown below appears.

After you have set any user-specific settings you need, click the Burn button to begin the writing process. When K3b finishes, navigate the finished CD/DVD to ensure that the data is properly encoded.

Emailing Data to Yourself

Another option that many people don't think of is to email the data to yourself. With today's large capacity sizes of both Web-based email services (thank you, Gmail!) and personal email services, you can generally send any data you need backed up via email with no worries about the capacity of the mail account. You do, however, still need to take into account that your email service probably has some limit on the size of attachments. For example, Gmail limits attachments to a maximum of 10 MB.

To save data by email, simply use KMail or Thunderbird, available in Knoppix>Internet. Set these up to use your POP or IMAP account, and then attach your recovered files and send the mail. If you use a Web-based email account such as Yahoo! or Gmail, you can simply use Firefox or another Web browser and attach the files as you would normally.

Caution: Be aware that email is not typically an encrypted method of transmission, meaning that someone intercepting your files will be able to read the data.

Copying Data Over the Network

Knoppix includes the capability to transfer your important files over a network if that is the method you prefer. By far the easiest way to accomplish this is to have your Knoppix system run an SSH server for you. SSH provides the capability to interactively log into your Knoppix system as well as transfer files, all over an encrypted transmission, meaning that should anyone intercept your communication, he'd have a very difficult time deciphering the actual data. If the system to which you are transferring the files resides on a Linux or Knoppix system, the capability to sftp files is already built into the system. If you are transferring your files to a Windows system, you need to download an SFTP client (one recommend free version is WinSCP, available at WinSCP)

To allow a remote Linux or Windows system to connect to the Knoppix system you want to back up, start the SSH server on the Knoppix system by selecting Knoppix>Services>Start SSH Server. A key used for encryption is generated in the window that opens. Enter a strong password, and then enter it the second time the same way. The password you enter here is used when logging into the system via SFTP, and it is case sensitive, so make sure that you remember your exact password.

You need to know your system's IP address (use the command ipconfig eth0 to determine your IP address; it is four sets of numbers separated by dots, such as 192.168.1.1). Using WinSCP or another SFTP/SCP client, connect to your Knoppix machine with the IP address. Enter knoppix as the username, and then enter the password you created earlier. Now you can navigate the file system to find the files you want to copy to the remote system using SFTP commands if you are connecting via the command line, or by dragging and dropping if you are using a graphical application such as WinSCP.

Summary
Knoppix provides a wealth of tools for Windows recovery and maintenance that enable you to recover the system without even logging into Windows. This article has shown you how to resize a Windows partition using QTParted and how to back up and modify your Windows files in the case of disaster. With the information provided in this article, you're well on your way to saving your sanity the next time Windows flakes out. Just be sure not to gloat to other Windows users the next time they face problems. Instead, smile knowingly and give them a copy of Knoppix.

InformationWeek | Smart Site Redirection | Clever Phishers Dodge Spoofed Site Shutdowns | March 10, 2006

2006-03-12T23:56:00.000+05:30

Clever Phishers Dodge Spoofed Site Shutdowns
By Gregg Keizer, Mar 10, 2006 02:05 PM

In an escalation in the battle between fraudsters and security firms that track them, some phishers have started using a tactic called smart site redirection to stay a step ahead.

Fraudsters are using a new technique to keep their spoofed Web sites up and running even as authorities pull the plug, a security expert said this week.

According to RSA Security's Naftali Bennett, the senior vice president of its Cyota anti-fraud division, some phishers have started using a tactic called "smart site redirection" to stay a step ahead of the law.

"The goal of the phisher is to keep his spoofed site alive as long as possible," said Bennett. The longer the site remains active, the more victims a phisher can dupe into divulging confidential information such as bank or credit account usernames, passwords, and PINs.

In a smart site redirection, the attacker creates several identical copies of the spoofed site, each with a different URL, often hosted by different ISPs. When the phishing e-mails go out, all include a link to yet another site, a "central redirector." When the potential victim clicks on the e-mailed link, the redirector checks all the phishing sites, identifies which are still live, and invisibly redirects the user to one.

Clever, said Bennett, but just the latest in what he called a "battle of brains" between phishers and security firms.

"This is a new evolution in their tactics to lengthen the duration of the attack," he said.

Phishers first hosted their spoofed site at only one location, but defenders got wise and would track down the site's Internet service provider and convince it to shut down the illegal URL. "The average duration for a phishing site is still 5 or 6 days," said Bennett, although vendors like Cyota, which monitors developing phishing attacks to warn its clients, can trim that to four hours or so.

Next, phishers took to sending out their link-infested spam in several waves, each wave with a pointer to a different spoofed site. Again, said Bennett, their goal was to stretch out the attack time to maximize returns. "They'd send out, say, 20 million e-mails, but divided into five batches several days apart, each sent to a different site so that there would always be at least one site up and running."

Now, he said, they've turned to the central redirector technique. "They'll still send out their 20 million messages, but they do it all at once, all with the link to the central redirection site. They get the maximum coverage in the shortest period," he added, which means that security firms and victimized brands don't get an early warning by an initial wave of messages.

So far, Cyota has spotted two instances of the tactic, one by an attack out of the U.K., the other from Canada.

"As anti-phishing vendors become more adept at shutting down phishing websites, inevitably the fraudsters are looking at ways to minimize the effect this has on their hit rates," said Bennett.

To combat the technique, Cyota relies on a several-step process, which starts when a phishing attack first hits its radar. The company, said Bennett, processes millions of e-mails daily looking for phishing evidence. When it sees an attack, it first uploads the spoofed site(s) to ISP partners, which include AOL and EarthLink, so that they can engage blocks that restrict members' access to the site(s).

Next, they begin urging the site's host to bring down the spoof. "After two years doing this, we have a fairly robust relationship with most ISPs worldwide," Bennett said, "but there are still times when we have to explain who we are and what we do."

The third step, said Bennett, is that until the spoofed site goes offline, Cyota floods it with spurious information. "It's not a denial-of-service attack. We never do that," Bennett said. "But we bombard the site with phony data that looks real, like names and address and account numbers and passwords. The idea is to dilute the quality of the data gathered by the attack."

Finally, Cyota captures as much information about the site, as well as the e-mail campaign that started the phishing attack, and hands it all over to the client for its own use, or for it to turn over to law enforcement.

"In a sense this is reactive," Bennett admitted, "but we've set up a strategic team that's looking not only at attacks against existing customers, but also surfs forums and underground sites where phishers gather to try and identify what's in store for tomorrow."

Read More at : InformationWeek | Smart Site Redirection | Clever Phishers Dodge Spoofed Site Shutdowns | March 10, 2006

Start Windows in Safe Mode

2005-12-21T03:49:00.000+05:30

Start Windows in Safe Mode

Many times in order to remove a piece of spyware or for troubleshooting and diagnostic purposes, you'll have to start Windows in Safe Mode. While in Safe Mode, only specific programs and files needed to run the operating system are loaded. Some functions, such as connecting to the Internet, will not be active in Safe Mode and a standard video driver will be loaded causing a washed out look and a possible change in resolution.

However, because just the essential programs and files are loaded in Safe Mode, this allows us to remove some spyware, adware, viruses and such that cannot be removed in Normal Mode. Follow the instructions below to Start Safe Mode for your specific version of Windows.

Windows 95

* Restart the computer.
* Just after the POST diagnostics and memory count, start pressing the F8 key
* On the Startup Menu, choose Safe Mode

Windows 98/Me

* Restart the computer.
* Just after the POST diagnostics and memory count, start pressing the F8 key
* On the Startup Menu, choose Safe Mode

or you may use the System Configuration Utility Method.

* While in Normal mode, Close all programs.
* Click Start, Run and type MSCONFIG in the box and click OK
* In the System Configuration Utility, on the General Tab, click the Advanced Button
* In the Advanced Troubleshooting Settings dialog box, check Enable Startup Menu. Click OK. Click OK again when the System Configuration Utility reappears.
* You will be prompted to restart the computer. Click Yes. The computer will restart in Safe mode.
* When you are finished with troubleshooting in Safe mode, open MSCONFIG again and uncheck "Enable Start-up Menu." under the Advanced Menu, then click OK and restart your computer

Windows 2000

* If the computer is running, shut down Windows, and then turn off the power
* Wait 30 seconds, and then turn the computer on.
* When you see the black-and-white Starting Windows bar at the bottom of the screen, start tapping the F8 key. The Windows 2000 Advanced Options Menu appears.
* Ensure that the Safe mode option is selected. In most cases, it is the first item in the list and is selected by default.
* Press Enter. The computer then begins to start in Safe mode.
* When you are finished with all troubleshooting, close all programs and restart the computer as you normally would.

Windows XP

If Windows XP is the only operating system installed on your computer, booting into Safe Mode with these instructions.

* If the computer is running, shut down Windows, and then turn off the power
* Wait 30 seconds, and then turn the computer on.
* Start tapping the F8 key. The Windows Advanced Options Menu appears. If you begin tapping the F8 key too soon, some computers display a "keyboard error" message. To resolve this, restart the computer and try again.
* Ensure that the Safe mode option is selected.
* Press Enter. The computer then begins to start in Safe mode.
* When you are finished with all troubleshooting, close all programs and restart the computer as you normally would.

To use the System Configuration Utility method

* Close all open programs.
* Click Start, Run and type MSCONFIG in the box and click OK
* The System Configuration Utility appears, On the BOOT.INI tab, Check the "/SAFEBOOT" option, and then click OK and Restart your computer when prompted.
* The computer restarts in Safe mode.
* Perform the troubleshooting steps for which you are using Safe Mode.
When you are finished with troubleshooting in Safe mode, open MSCONFIG again, on the BOOT.INI tab, uncheck "/SAFEBOOT" and click OK to restart your computer

Windows as part of a multiboot system

Use this method ONLY if you have multiple operating systems installed on your computer.

* If the computer is running, shut down Windows, and then turn off the power
* Wait 30 seconds, and then turn the computer on.
* When the Boot loader menu (list of the available operating systems) appears, use the arrow keys on the keyboard to select the version Windows what you want
* Press Enter, and then immediately begin tapping the F8 key. The Windows Advanced Options menu appears.
* Scroll to and select the Safe mode menu item, and then press Enter.

Fix Problems with Content Advisor Missing Information

2005-12-21T03:43:00.000+05:30

Fix Problems with Content Advisor Missing Information

In most cases, this problem occurs when the Ratings.pol file is damaged, follow the instructions below to fix this issue.

Quit Internet Explorer
Open My Computer, click on Tools, Folder Options
Click on the View tab and make sure "Show hidden files and folders" is selected, you may also want to uncheck the box next to "Hide extensions for known file types" and click Ok
Double click on Drive C in My Computer
Double click on the Windows folder and then double click on the System folder
Search for the file RATINGS.POL and right click on it and choose Rename. Rename it to RATINGS.OLD
Close out of the open Windows and then reopen Internet Explorer
Click on Tools, Internet Options
Click on the Content tab, then click on Settings
Type in the Supervisor password if necessary and click Ok
Select the Ratings options you would like and click Ok and close out of Internet Explorer
When you reopen Internet Explorer, everything should work.

Remove Content Advisor Password in Internet Explorer

2005-12-21T03:37:00.000+05:30

Remove Content Advisor Password in Internet Explorer

The following steps will remove any password set in the Internet Explorer Content Advisor and allow you to reset the program to its original state.

Click on Start and choose Run.
Type in RegEdit and select OK.
Now click on the little plus sign to the left of H_KEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
Continue to drill down, always clicking on the plus sign at the left of the named key, through Software, Microsoft, Windows, Current Version and Policies.
Now click on the Ratings folder.
In the right pane of the RegEdit window, you'll see an icon called Key. Click on it and press Delete.
Next, choose Registry and then Exit to exit RegEdit. You've just deleted your original Content Advisor password.
Restart the computer and run Internet Explorer again.
Choose View and then Internet Options (or Options for version 3.x). For IE 5 or greater, Click on Tools, Internet Options.
Click on the Content tab and click on Disable. When asked for a password, don't enter anything; just click on OK. This will disable Content Advisor because there's no longer a password.

The First Computer

2005-12-05T05:13:00.000+05:30

The First Computer

A press conference for what is considered the first computer, the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator (ENIAC), was held at the University of Pennsylvania on February 1, 1946. The machine (shown here with a technician) took up an entire room, weighed 30 tons and used more than 18,000 vacuum tubes to perform functions such as counting to 5,000 in one second. ENIAC, costing $450,000, was designed by the U.S. Army during World War II to make artillery calculations. The development of ENIAC paved the way for modern computer technology--but even today's average calculator possesses more computing power than ENIAC did.

Picture of the Day: February 2

Mozilla Firefox 1.5 Released

2005-11-30T12:24:00.000+05:30

Mozilla Firefox 1.5 Released
posted 30-NOV-2005 17:02

One year after the debut of Firefox 1.0, and more than 100 million downloads later, Mozilla Corp. is releasing Firefox 1.5, the latest version of its open source Web browser, available now as a free download. The team says Firefox 1.5 delivers an improved browser with significant performance and usability upgrades, security and privacy enhancements, support for Web standards, and greater customization options.

"With dozens of enhancements, Firefox 1.5 will draw many new users to the improved Web experience it affords," said Mitchell Baker, CEO of Mozilla Corporation. "Firefox is proof of our passion for promoting choice and innovation on the Web and making the Internet accessible and productive. Firefox 1.5 is the easiest browser to install, use, customize, and keep up-to-date and secure."

Firefox 1.5 has been enhanced in several areas. User experience is improved, with a new "drag and drop" feature for tabbed browsing, an improved pop-up blocker, improved Live Bookmarks feature, and improved Options interface for easier to adjust browser settings.

A new automatic update system alerts users and prompts them to act when security and functionality updates become available, allowing users to have the most up-to-date browser at any time.

The browser promises improved performance with a new generation rendering and layout engine that speeds navigation between previously viewed Web pages through caching and more accurate display of complex Web pages.

The Mozilla developers have also added new capabilities contributed by IBM, that make it easier for the aged or mobility and sight-impaired to navigate the Web. The browser can now be used with technology that reads Web content aloud; allow users to navigate with keystrokes rather than mouseclicks; and reduce the tabbing required to navigate documents such as spreadsheets.

With Firefox 1.5, Mozilla continues its search partnership with Google in the Americas and in Europe and begins a new search relationship with Yahoo! in China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan.

Read the full article at : Mozilla Firefox 1.5 Released

Wired News: Windows Got Ya Down? Try a Remix

2005-09-12T05:17:00.000+05:30

Windows Got Ya Down? Try a Remix
By Joel Johnson, 02:00 AM Aug. 23, 2005 PT

Remixed versions of Windows abound on file-sharing networks, supercharged with the latest security patches, tools and applications.

Pirated copies of Microsoft's operating system have existed as long as chintzy PC owners themselves. But now pirates are doing more than just cracking Windows -- they claim to be improving it.

There's a lot of extra space on a standard Windows XP CD, especially if the downloadable disc images (the standard format for distributing pirated operating systems) are designed to be burned to DVD. That leaves room to add a whole library of complementary software -- even multiple versions of Windows.

The Super WinPE Ultimate Boot CD 2004 Pro, readily available on file-sharing networks like BitTorrent, offers seven different versions of Windows XP on a single DVD.

Wired News: Windows Got Ya Down? Try a Remix

FAQTs - Knowledge Base - View Entry - Windows XP: IP address: Set: How to set your IP address gateway DNS from the MSDOS command line?

2005-09-12T03:35:00.000+05:30

How to set your network, gateway, and DNS IP address from the MSDOS command line?

In order to automate setting the IP address, e.g. by using this
commands in a batch file, or by having to switch quickly between
different IP settings (e.g. for your laptop when having to connect to
the network on different locations, and so needing different IP
settings) you can use the the netshell command:

netsh

-to set the IP address, type the following:

netsh interface ip set address name= source= addr= mask=

for example :

netsh interface ip set address name="Local Area Connection" source=static addr=10.0.0.254 mask=255.255.255.0

Read the full article here : FAQTs - Knowledge Base - View Entry - Windows XP: IP address: Set: How to set your IP address gateway DNS from the MSDOS command line?

How to Make 3d Photos - wikiHow

2005-08-09T04:53:00.000+05:30

How to Make 3d Photos - wikiHow

With a pair of red-blue 3-D glasses (available here) , a digital camera, and some photo editing software, you too can make your very own three-dimensional photographs (anaglyphs)! Popularized by spectacular shots from the NASA Mars rovers in 2004, these images portray depth with surprising accuracy.

Steps

1. Find an interesting subject to photograph. Your subject should be able to sit still (fidgety kids need not apply), and it should contain some depth. Your buddy in front of a bare white wall will look as boring in 3-D as he or she does normally. Consider close-ups of detailed things. You will probably want to set your camera to macro mode - the symbol is typically a flower.

2. Your subject needs to be able to sit still because you will be taking two "as-identical-as-possible" photos: one for the left-eye view and one for the right. A tripod might be nice, but it certainly isn't necessary. Take the first photo, then move the camera about 2 inches (the distance between your eyes) to the right and try to retake the photo to be as identical to the last one as possible.

3. Copy the two images to your computer. Open in whatever photo editing program you prefer.

4. Convert the first (left) image to grayscale (yes, you are discarding color information).

5. Covert the second (right) image to grayscale, then reconvert it back to RGB. It should still appear gray.

6. Still working on your second image, change your program to a mode that controls color channels. Select just the Red channel.

7. Back on the first image, select all, then copy. Return to the second image and paste.

8. Set your program to display all color channels (RGB), but leave only the red channel selected (as before). Displaying is probably indicated by a little eye icon. You should now see a grayscale image with red and blue halos.

9. Move the red layer around with the mouse or arrow keys so that the two line up, minimizing the halos.

10. Examine the photo while wearing your red-blue glasses (red over the left eye). You can change the natural focal point of the photo by readjusting the red layer's alignment. Eliminate the halos around an object in your photo to make it the focal point.

11. If it is just not working for you, try looking through the glasses backward (red over the right eye). When you have something you like, crop off the red and blue edges of the photo and save it. A well done 3-D photo should look mostly gray with small shadows of red and blue.

Tips

* A common mistake is to move more than 2 inches in step 2.

Slashdot | Microsoft Linux Lab Manager Responds

2005-08-09T04:50:00.000+05:30

Slashdot | Microsoft Linux Lab Manager Responds

You just got to read this article. Very informative and elite.

Hijacked

2004-09-02T02:51:00.000+05:30

Have you ever opened your browser just to find that it does not take you to the site that you set as a homepage. But rather you are staring at some weird site, search engine or porn. You say, "What the hell? How and when did this site became my homepage?". So you go to change your settings in the browser, change it then press the home page button. Voila!! You look back into the favourite site/search engine that you are comfortable with again. That was easy, you say. Then you close the browser and start again. You say, "What the hell?". I say, "Deja Vu".

No, it was not your fault. Your browser has been hijacked.

Hijacked? My browser is not an airplane to be hijacked. Well, thats what it is called buddy "Browser Hijacking".

Everytime you change the settings it will get changed back to the hijacked situation. Sometimes the options in the internet settings get disabled, so you cannot even change the settings.

What do I do know?

Well, you got to rescue your browser from the hijacking. And you will want some tools to do that. There are many of those floating around on the net. Mostly for free. Thankfully.

Not only are there free tools to rescue your browser, but also prevention tools which will help you prevent something like this happening in the future.

What do I recommend?
Nothing

Nothing? Did you say nothing. Yup. Nothing. Tools are there doesn't mean you can't do it yourself. Does it? And you know what I do in case something like this or something not like this happens? I read.

Read? Do you say read? Who has the time to read when my browser has been hijacked.

Well, I say that is the perfect time to read about it, so you not only rescue your browser but along with that your ability to protect it and rescue it in case it happens again.

Do you suggest any links?
Yeah. I sure would. Here you go buddy. Read them all. In case you find something that you feel should be mentioned here, please drop me the link in the comments or mail me at santosh.mishra@rediffmail.com

Hijacked : http://www.geekgirls.com/net_hijacked.htm
Beginners Guides: Browser Hijacking & How to Stop It : http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleid=1579&page=1
Spyware - Browser HiJack Tutorial : http://spyware.surferbeware.com/browser-hijack.htm
Spyware - HijackThis Tutorial - How to use HijackThis to remove Browser Hijackers & Spyware : http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/index.php?showtutorial=42
How To Clear a Hijack : http://www.pestpatrol.com/Support/HowTo/How_To_Clear_a_Hijack.asp
And many more. Just do a search on "Browser Hijack" and you will come across much more information.

Hope it helps.

Information on your Desktop

2004-08-26T00:50:00.000+05:30

Have you ever tried to manage more than one pc and remember each pc's critical information, such as, RAM, Boot time, IP, Subnet, MAC address, etc. Here is the end to your solution. And know what? It's free, really.

There is this software called BgInfo, made by SysInternals. These people at SysInternals make a lot of goodies for us, that too for free. Most of the programs just run out of the box, that means you do not have to run any setup. Just download and run. No installation headaches, no uninstallation headaches. Small, powerful utilities, which do their job well.

Give it a try. I know you will like it.

Here are the links again in case you can't access them form the text above :

BgInfo : http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/bginfo.shtml
SysInternals : http://www.sysinternals.com

Starting up the blog..

2004-07-11T06:54:00.000+05:30

Okay guys, finally I am starting up this blog. Here you will find some useful (or useless) tips and techniques, links to various sites and software. Most of the tips conatained here are not my creation or discovery, nor am I the author of it. They have been collected from various sources. All of these tips which I am not the originator of will contain a link to the site where I have seen it and also to some other sites which carry something similar or related to that particular tip.

Why am I doing this you ask? Well, I am doing this mostly for myself. So I can have access to the tips that I regularly use or things that I find interesting. As I move around a lot and do not have a laptop, it becomes a problem for me to search for a particular tip that I have accessed before.

Anyways, if you do like this site/journal, do give me a shout. If you find something interesting and would like it to be mentioned here, please let me know and I will see what can be done.

Happy blogging to you all.

2003-11-06T06:03:00.000+05:30

Well, this is going to be a place where I would be dumping in lots of information (hopefully). So keep coming back for more...