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Some people have noticed that they are experiencing a really slow shutdown after installing Windows XP Home or Professional. Although this can be caused a number of ways, the most clear cut one so far is happening on systems with an NVidia card installed with the latest set of drivers. A service called NVIDIA Driver Helper service is loading up on start up and for whatever reason doesn't shut itself down properly. The service isn't needed and can also increase the amount of memory available to your system. Here is how to disable it.

1: Go into your Control Panel
2: Select Administrative Tools and then click on Services
3: Right click on the file "NVIDIA Driver Helper Service" and then select STOP.
4: To stop this loading up every time you boot up your PC Right click it again and select properties - then where the option "Startup Type" is shown - make sure it is set at Manual like we have shown in the image below.

How To Clear Your Memory Without Restarting

If you run a windows computer you’ll know like many others than after a while your system will in doubt start running slow. Most people will restart their computer to remove and idle processes. But if there’s a simpler way, why restart every time windows decides it doesn’t like you today?

1. Right click on an empty spot on your desktop and select New - Shortcut.

2. Type %windir%\system32\rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks in the box.

3. Click Next.

4. Give your shortcut a nice name like “Clear Memory”.

5. Click Finish and you’re done.

Now whenever your computer starts running slow click this shortcut to clear out your memory and get your computer running at a normal pace again

"Do you refresh your desktop?". Ask this to any Windows user and 99% of them will reply with a "yes". Of course, there are various needs for refreshing the desktop but the majority of people who does it doesn't even know why he is doing it. Refreshing the desktop is perhaps the biggest computer myth among all Windows users.


Every single person I have met does this or at least used to do it. It's not known who first discovered this remarkably useless trick and what he achieved from it, but it just spread. Most new users learn this trick from other new users without caring to know what it does. Some do it devotedly just because others do it, while some others have various weird explanations for it. A few of them assumes that it refreshes the RAM, while some others believe that doing it will somehow keep their PCs running smooth and easy. I have seen some users obsessed with refreshing the desktop, doing it every 30 seconds or so. They have even learnt the keyboard shortcut - F5 (just to mention, these are the people who never use keyboard shortcuts). They would press the key and wouldn't release it for a long time, sending the desktop into a frenzy of refreshes.

What does a desktop refresh actually do? Refreshing the desktop simply redraws the icons on the desktop. That's it! It doesn't refreshes the RAM. It doesn't clean your PC. It doesn't refreshes your computer the way it does to you when you wake up from a nap. Refreshing the desktop has absolutely no effect on the working or performance of the computer. So why is the tool there? As I said, refresh is used to re-display or redraw the icons on the desktop. Sometimes when you bring some changes to the desktop icons, the change doesn't get reflected instantly. In such cases, refreshing the desktop becomes necessary to bring the change to effect. Say, you have the desktop icons set to arrange themselves alphabetically on your desktop. When you add a new item to the desktop, this item wouldn't get arranged alphabetically, instead it would appear at the bottom of icon list on the desktop, irrespective of it's name. Now if you refresh the desktop, all the icons would be once more arranged alphabetically and the newly added item would go to it's appropriate position. This is what refresh is for. It is to re-display the desktop. Refresh has the same function when done in explorer. Also Refresh is basically the command used to refresh/reload the video buffer(VGA memory). Sometimes the changes made in the VGA memory are not reflected to the screen properly...Refresh just corrects the prob...

So, if you are in the habit of refreshing the desktop, stop it. You are just wasting your time and effort. And the next time you see a person doing it, don't forget to explain to him the futility of this action

Also, during the times of windows 3.1 - win 95 it was normal for PCs to hang, crash n be restarted every now n then ! It looks like even knowledgeable ppl used the desktop refresh just to get an assurence that the OS is working n not freezed from the resulting flicker of icons.

Today PCs are very stable n crash only once in a blue moon but the habit still continues, and I think for same reason , even I do it sometimes

IF Some One wants a easy way to chk all the links at one time before posting then

visit

http://rapidshare.com/checkfiles.html

Paste all the links at once and chk press on chk button.

The links with green colour would be alive and the links with red colour would be dead,

Have you ever wonder how do to this
uʍop ǝpısdn ǝʇıɹʍ ןןɐ ǝʍ ʇuɐɔ ʎɥʍ
Well here is the solution

Code:
http://www.sevenwires.com/play/UpsideDownLetters.html

Here's how you verify system uptime:

Click Start | Run and type cmd to open a command prompt.
At the prompt, type systeminfo

Scroll down the list of information to the line that says System Up Time.

This will tell you in days, hours, minutes and seconds how long the system has been up.

Note:

That this command only works in XP Pro, not in XP Home. You can, however, type net statistics workstation at the prompt in Home. The first line will tell you the day and time that the system came online.

---

Run Command

Accessibility Controls - access.cpl

Add Hardware Wizard - hdwwiz.cpl

Add/Remove Programs - appwiz.cpl

Administrative Tools - control admintools

Automatic Updates - wuaucpl.cpl

Bluetooth Transfer Wizard - fsquirt

Calculator - calc

Certificate Manager - certmgr.msc

Character Map - charmap

Check Disk Utility - chkdsk

Clipboard Viewer - clipbrd

Command Prompt - cmd

Component Services - dcomcnfg

Computer Management - compmgmt.msc

Date and Time Properties - timedate.cpl

DDE Shares - ddeshare

Device Manager - devmgmt.msc

Direct X Control Panel (If Installed)* - directx.cpl

Direct X Troubleshooter - dxdiag

Disk Cleanup Utility - cleanmgr

Disk Defragment - dfrg.msc

Disk Management - diskmgmt.msc

Disk Partition Manager - diskpart

Display Properties - control desktop

Display Properties - desk.cpl

Display Properties (w/Appearance Tab Preselected) - control color

Dr. Watson System Troubleshooting Utility - drwtsn32

Driver Verifier Utility - verifier

Event Viewer - eventvwr.msc

File Signature Verification Tool - sigverif

Findfast - findfast.cpl

Folders Properties - control folders

Fonts - control fonts

Fonts Folder - fonts

Free Cell Card Game - freecell

Game Controllers - joy.cpl

Group Policy Editor (XP Prof) - gpedit.msc

Hearts Card Game - mshearts

Iexpress Wizard - iexpress

Indexing Service - ciadv.msc

Internet Properties - inetcpl.cpl

IP Configuration (Display Connection Configuration) - ipconfig /all

IP Configuration (Display DNS Cache Contents) - ipconfig /displaydns

IP Configuration (Delete DNS Cache Contents) - ipconfig /flushdns

IP Configuration (Release All Connections) - ipconfig /release

IP Configuration (Renew All Connections) - ipconfig /renew

IP Configuration (Refreshes DHCP & Re - Registers DNS) - ipconfig /registerdns

IP Configuration (Display DHCP Class ID) - ipconfig /showclassid

IP Configuration (Modifies DHCP Class ID) - ipconfig /setclassid

Java Control Panel (If Installed) - jpicpl32.cpl

Java Control Panel (If Installed) - javaws

Keyboard Properties - control keyboard

Local Security Settings - secpol.msc

Local Users and Groups - lusrmgr.msc

Logs You Out Of Windows - logoff

Microsoft Chat - winchat

Minesweeper Game - winmine

Mouse Properties - control mouse

Mouse Properties - main.cpl

Network Connections - control netconnections

Network Connections - ncpa.cpl

Network Setup Wizard - netsetup.cpl

Notepad - notepad

Nview Desktop Manager (If Installed) - nvtuicpl.cpl

Object Packager - packager

ODBC Data Source Administrator - odbccp32.cpl

On Screen Keyboard - osk

Opens AC3 Filter (If Installed) - ac3filter.cpl

Password Properties - password.cpl

Performance Monitor - perfmon.msc

Performance Monitor - perfmon

Phone and Modem Options - telephon.cpl

Power Configuration - powercfg.cpl

Printers and Faxes - control printers

Printers Folder - printers

Private Character Editor - eudcedit

Quicktime (If Installed) - QuickTime.cpl

Regional Settings - intl.cpl

Registry Editor - regedit

Registry Editor - regedit32

Remote Desktop - mstsc

Removable Storage - ntmsmgr.msc

Removable Storage Operator Requests - ntmsoprq.msc

Resultant Set of Policy (XP Prof) - rsop.msc

Scanners and Cameras - sticpl.cpl

Scheduled Tasks - control schedtasks

Security Center - wscui.cpl

Services - services.msc

Shared Folders - fsmgmt.msc

Shuts Down Windows - shutdown

Sounds and Audio - mmsys.cpl

Spider Solitare Card Game - spider

SQL Client Configuration - cliconfg

System Configuration Editor - sysedit

System Configuration Utility - msconfig

System File Checker Utility (Scan Immediately) - sfc /scannow

System File Checker Utility (Scan Once At Next Boot) - sfc /scanonce

System File Checker Utility (Scan On Every Boot) - sfc /scanboot

System File Checker Utility (Return to Default Setting) - sfc /revert

System File Checker Utility (Purge File Cache) - sfc /purgecache

System File Checker Utility (Set Cache Size to size x) - sfc /cachesize=x

System Properties - sysdm.cpl

Task Manager - taskmgr

Telnet Client - telnet

User Account Management - nusrmgr.cpl

Utility Manager - utilman

Windows Firewall - firewall.cpl

Windows Magnifier - magnify

Windows Management Infrastructure - wmimgmt.msc

Windows System Security Tool - syskey

Windows Update Launches - wupdmgr

Windows XP Tour Wizard - tourstart

Wordpad - write

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 .

Code:

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.
or
Vista Download here

Code:
http://rapidshare.com/files/134023472/title.rar

Default modem passwords and common ports(374 vendors, 1716 passwords),
and thousands of port

http://rapidshare.com/files/165071946/Modem_Passwords___Ports.rar

Windows users have many options ,
they can download the Rapidshare manager from rapidshare.com,
or go with some of the many 3rd party clients out there.....

For mac users, it might be a bit more tricky,
I've seen a couple of download clients that can be used with rapidshare,
but only found 1 in particular that i find usefull.

JDownloader - Webpage:

http://jdownloader.org

(java application that works for both win/macosx

The client has a very simple and intuitive user interface.

Press the add button,
a box pops up ,
paste in the links
voila, links added!

Many pages have clickable links but not the actual URL posted,
this makes it easier to click on them if you intend to download the files through your browser , but its terrible for files that consist of 50 parts or more ..... hell lot of link copying to be done .... sigh

But no worries , just view the page code , copy the entire area that contain the actuall URLs, and paste it into Jdownloader ...
KAPOOW! Jdownloader filters out all the trash code , and adds all the rs-links , then checks for their availability and shows you a status,
all you have to do is,
click on accept , wait for your stuff to arrive!

A great feature is also that you can add several rs accounts (and actually also to a couple of other providers , e.g. megaupload.com)
This means , if you do own more than one account , and run out of download quota , the client will just resume the downloads using one of your other accounts!


Simple and pleasant!


Feel free to post more info on this client, if needed ,
and/or reply with links to other good mac clients!

10 reasons why PCs crash U must Know

Fatal error: the system has become unstable or is busy," it says. "Enter to return to Windows or press Control-Alt-Delete to restart your computer. If you do this you will lose any unsaved information in all open applications."

You have just been struck by the Blue Screen of Death. Anyone who uses Mcft Windows will be familiar with this. What can you do? More importantly, how can you prevent it happening?

1 Hardware conflict

The number one reason why Windows crashes is hardware conflict. Each hardware device communicates to other devices through an interrupt request channel (IRQ). These are supposed to be unique for each device.

For example, a printer usually connects internally on IRQ 7. The keyboard usually uses IRQ 1 and the floppy disk drive IRQ 6. Each device will try to hog a single IRQ for itself.

If there are a lot of devices, or if they are not installed properly, two of them may end up sharing the same IRQ number. When the user tries to use both devices at the same time, a crash can happen. The way to check if your computer has a hardware conflict is through the following route:

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device Manager.

Often if a device has a problem a yellow '!' appears next to its description in the Device Manager. Highlight Computer (in the Device Manager) and press Properties to see the IRQ numbers used by your computer. If the IRQ number appears twice, two devices may be using it.

Sometimes a device might share an IRQ with something described as 'IRQ holder for PCI steering'. This can be ignored. The best way to fix this problem is to remove the problem device and reinstall it.

Sometimes you may have to find more recent drivers on the internet to make the device function properly. A good resource is

Code:

www.driverguide.com

. If the device is a soundcard, or a modem, it can often be fixed by moving it to a different slot on the motherboard (be careful about opening your computer, as you may void the warranty).

When working inside a computer you should switch it off, unplug the mains lead and touch an unpainted metal surface to discharge any static electricity.

To be fair to Mcft, the problem with IRQ numbers is not of its making. It is a legacy problem going back to the first PC designs using the IBM 8086 chip. Initially there were only eight IRQs. Today there are 16 IRQs in a PC. It is easy to run out of them. There are plans to increase the number of IRQs in future designs.

2 Bad Ram

Ram (random-access memory) problems might bring on the blue screen of death with a message saying Fatal Exception Error. A fatal error indicates a serious hardware problem. Sometimes it may mean a part is damaged and will need replacing.

But a fatal error caused by Ram might be caused by a mismatch of chips. For example, mixing 70-nanosecond (70ns) Ram with 60ns Ram will usually force the computer to run all the Ram at the slower speed. This will often crash the machine if the Ram is overworked.

One way around this problem is to enter the BIOS settings and increase the wait state of the Ram. This can make it more stable. Another way to troubleshoot a suspected Ram problem is to rearrange the Ram chips on the motherboard, or take some of them out. Then try to repeat the circumstances that caused the crash. When handling Ram try not to touch the gold connections, as they can be easily damaged.

Parity error messages also refer to Ram. Modern Ram chips are either parity (ECC) or non parity (non-ECC). It is best not to mix the two types, as this can be a cause of trouble.

EMM386 error messages refer to memory problems but may not be connected to bad Ram. This may be due to free memory problems often linked to old Dos-based programmes.

3 BIOS settings

Every motherboard is supplied with a range of chipset settings that are decided in the factory. A common way to access these settings is to press the F2 or delete button during the first few seconds of a boot-up.

Once inside the BIOS, great care should be taken. It is a good idea to write down on a piece of paper all the settings that appear on the screen. That way, if you change something and the computer becomes more unstable, you will know what settings to revert to.

A common BIOS error concerns the CAS latency. This refers to the Ram. Older EDO (extended data out) Ram has a CAS latency of 3. Newer SDRam has a CAS latency of 2. Setting the wrong figure can cause the Ram to lock up and freeze the computer's display.

Mcft Windows is better at allocating IRQ numbers than any BIOS. If possible set the IRQ numbers to Auto in the BIOS. This will allow Windows to allocate the IRQ numbers (make sure the BIOS setting for Plug and Play OS is switched to 'yes' to allow Windows to do this.).

4 Hard disk drives

After a few weeks, the information on a hard disk drive starts to become piecemeal or fragmented. It is a good idea to defragment the hard disk every week or so, to prevent the disk from causing a screen freeze. Go to

* Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-Disk Defragmenter

This will start the procedure. You will be unable to write data to the hard drive (to save it) while the disk is defragmenting, so it is a good idea to schedule the procedure for a period of inactivity using the Task Scheduler.

The Task Scheduler should be one of the small icons on the bottom right of the Windows opening page (the desktop).

Some lockups and screen freezes caused by hard disk problems can be solved by reducing the read-ahead optimisation. This can be adjusted by going to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System Icon-Performance-File System-Hard Disk.

Hard disks will slow down and crash if they are too full. Do some housekeeping on your hard drive every few months and free some space on it. Open the Windows folder on the C drive and find the Temporary Internet Files folder. Deleting the contents (not the folder) can free a lot of space.

Empty the Recycle Bin every week to free more space. Hard disk drives should be scanned every week for errors or bad sectors. Go to

* Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-ScanDisk

Otherwise assign the Task Scheduler to perform this operation at night when the computer is not in use.

5 Fatal OE exceptions and VXD errors

Fatal OE exception errors and VXD errors are often caused by video card problems.

These can often be resolved easily by reducing the resolution of the video display. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-Display-Settings

Here you should slide the screen area bar to the left. Take a look at the colour settings on the left of that window. For most desktops, high colour 16-bit depth is adequate.

If the screen freezes or you experience system lockups it might be due to the video card. Make sure it does not have a hardware conflict. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device Manager

Here, select the + beside Display Adapter. A line of text describing your video card should appear. Select it (make it blue) and press properties. Then select Resources and select each line in the window. Look for a message that says No Conflicts.

If you have video card hardware conflict, you will see it here. Be careful at this point and make a note of everything you do in case you make things worse.

The way to resolve a hardware conflict is to uncheck the Use Automatic Settings box and hit the Change Settings button. You are searching for a setting that will display a No Conflicts message.

Another useful way to resolve video problems is to go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Performance-Graphics

Here you should move the Hardware Acceleration slider to the left. As ever, the most common cause of problems relating to graphics cards is old or faulty drivers (a driver is a small piece of software used by a computer to communicate with a device).

Look up your video card's manufacturer on the internet and search for the most recent drivers for it.

6 Viruses

Often the first sign of a virus infection is instability. Some viruses erase the boot sector of a hard drive, making it impossible to start. This is why it is a good idea to create a Windows start-up disk. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-Add/Remove Programs

Here, look for the Start Up Disk tab. Virus protection requires constant vigilance.

A virus scanner requires a list of virus signatures in order to be able to identify viruses. These signatures are stored in a DAT file. DAT files should be updated weekly from the website of your antivirus software manufacturer.

An excellent antivirus programme is McAfee VirusScan by Network Associates (

Code:

www.nai.com

). Another is Norton AntiVirus 2000, made by Symantec (

Code:

www.symantec.com

).

7 Printers

The action of sending a document to print creates a bigger file, often called a postscript file.

Printers have only a small amount of memory, called a buffer. This can be easily overloaded. Printing a document also uses a considerable amount of CPU power. This will also slow down the computer's performance.

If the printer is trying to print unusual characters, these might not be recognised, and can crash the computer. Sometimes printers will not recover from a crash because of confusion in the buffer. A good way to clear the buffer is to unplug the printer for ten seconds. Booting up from a powerless state, also called a cold boot, will restore the printer's default settings and you may be able to carry on.

8 Software

A common cause of computer crash is faulty or badly-installed software. Often the problem can be cured by uninstalling the software and then reinstalling it. Use Norton Uninstall or Uninstall Shield to remove an application from your system properly. This will also remove references to the programme in the System Registry and leaves the way clear for a completely fresh copy.

The System Registry can be corrupted by old references to obsolete software that you thought was uninstalled. Use Reg Cleaner by Jouni Vuorio to clean up the System Registry and remove obsolete entries. It works on Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 SE (Second Edition), Windows Millennium Edition (ME), NT4 and Windows 2000.

Read the instructions and use it carefully so you don't do permanent damage to the Registry. If the Registry is damaged you will have to reinstall your operating system. Reg Cleaner can be obtained from

Code:

www.jv16.org

Often a Windows problem can be resolved by entering Safe Mode. This can be done during start-up. When you see the message "Starting Windows" press F4. This should take you into Safe Mode.

Safe Mode loads a minimum of drivers. It allows you to find and fix problems that prevent Windows from loading properly.

Sometimes installing Windows is difficult because of unsuitable BIOS settings. If you keep getting SUWIN error messages (Windows setup) during the Windows installation, then try entering the BIOS and disabling the CPU internal cache. Try to disable the Level 2 (L2) cache if that doesn't work.

Remember to restore all the BIOS settings back to their former settings following installation.

9 Overheating

Central processing units (CPUs) are usually equipped with fans to keep them cool. If the fan fails or if the CPU gets old it may start to overheat and generate a particular kind of error called a kernel error. This is a common problem in chips that have been overclocked to operate at higher speeds than they are supposed to.

One remedy is to get a bigger better fan and install it on top of the CPU. Specialist cooling fans/heatsinks are available from

Code:

www.computernerd.com

or

Code:

www.coolit.com

CPU problems can often be fixed by disabling the CPU internal cache in the BIOS. This will make the machine run more slowly, but it should also be more stable.

10 Power supply problems

With all the new construction going on around the country the steady supply of electricity has become disrupted. A power surge or spike can crash a computer as easily as a power cut.

If this has become a nuisance for you then consider buying a uninterrupted power supply (UPS). This will give you a clean power supply when there is electricity, and it will give you a few minutes to perform a controlled shutdown in case of a power cut.

It is a good investment if your data are critical, because a power cut will cause any unsaved data to be lost.

How to change ur static ip

To start off, you need a direct connection to your modem and computer. If you have a router, disconnect it and directly hook up your modem to your computer.

1. Open up the command prompt by pressing Start->Run and typing in cmd

2. In the command prompt, type “Ipconfig/all”. This will tell you your current IP Address. After, type “ipconfig/release”. Keep the command prompt open for easy access.

3. Go to “Network Connections” (accessible through the control panel). Right click “Local Area Connection” and click “Properties”

4. With “Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) selected, click the “Properties” button.

5. A new window will open. Under the “General” tab, select “Use the Following IP address”. Under “Ip Address”, put “10.0.0.1″. Press the “Tab” key on your keyboard.

6. Press Ok on both open windows.

7. Repeat steps 3-4. Under the “General” tab, press the radio button “Automatically Assign Me an Ip Address”. Press ok on both windows.

8. Go back to the command prompt and type in “Ipconfig/all”. You’ll now notice you have a new IP address.


So, this will be handy if you want to by-pass Rapidshare 1 hour download limit, provided that you have a static IP address.

Never Re-Activate After Installation

If you have to reinstall Windows XP you normally will have to reactivate too. Well not anymore. Just copy wpa.dbl after you activated the first time. It is located in the WINDOWS\system32 folder. Now if you reinstall Windows XP just copy the file back and you're up and running again.

Speed up viewing shared files across a network


Windows 2000 & XP machines delay as long as 30 seconds when you try to view shared files across a network because Windows is using the extra time to search the remote computer for any Scheduled Tasks. Here's how to prevent this remote search for Scheduled Tasks:
Open up the Registry and go to :

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Explorer/RemoteComputer/NameSpace

Under that branch, select the key :

{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}

and delete it.

If you like you may want to export the exact branch so that you can restore the key if necessary. This fix is so effective that it doesn't require a reboot and you can almost immediately determine yourself how much it speeds up your browsing processes.

IMPROVE YOUR COMPUTER SECURITY
START HERE:

Code:
http://www.dyingsun.net/hardening.htm

Windows, by default, comes vulnerable to many exploits that can allow a hacker full access to your system. Many worms, adware, and spyware use these security leaks to infect your system without any action required by you. Although system hardening is something commonly done by users of UNIX and Linux, most Windows users are unaware of their ability to disable the multitude of components that they will never use, and leave them open to attack. Subsequently many users will install many security applications in an effort to stop or reverse the effects of these attacks after they have already occured. By simply removing the commonly exploited "features" of Windows, you can secure your system against worms, spyware, adware, and mobile code in a way that no security software can hope to. It is a proactive measure that will prevent this kind of malware from forcing it's way into your system in the first place.

You can do the most amount of hardening with the least amount of time and effort by using a few free tools. You may also want to consider the paid apps below this section as they can provide even greater protection than what is available in the free tools.

Windows Worms Door Cleaner (Windows 2000, XP, & 2003 server)
Freeware

Code:
http://www.firewallleaktester.com/wwdc.htm

(WWDC does not install or need to run in the background)
This small utility will close all system ports for you. This is the most common way for worms to invade your system. In the event that your firewall malfunctions, is improperly configured, or becomes disabled, your system will still be that much less vulnerable to attack.

For further information on why closing these ports is important, you are encouraged to read this report from the Honeynet Project from November 2000 (worm activity has since greatly increased)
http://cerberus.sourcefire.com/~jeff...Spitzner/worm/


SafeXP (Windows 98, Me, 2000, & XP)
Freeware

Code:
http://www.theorica.net/safexp.htm

(SafeXP does not install or need to run in the background)
SafeXP configures Windows, Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, Windows Media Player, and MSN Messenger for much greater security. It covers too much to give any specific examples, but is very highly recommended for all Windows versions. If the choices overwhelm you, you can easily press the "Recommended Settings" button for a good selection of options that should work in most settings. Some items do overlap with other tools listed here, but should pose no problems.

SecureIt (Windows 95, 98, Me, NT, 2000, XP, & 2003)
Freeware

Code:
http://www.sniff-em.com/secureit.shtml

(SecureIt runs as an install wizard to configure your system, then leaves a copy of the file that you can run again later and an uninstall to reverse all changes made. It does not "install" in the traditional sense, however, and does not run in the background.)
SecureIt configures your system in a more advanced way than SafeXP, covering different ground. It also has a few tricks not offered by other hardening tools, such as the ability to run IE and Outlook/Outlook Express with reduced security privlileges that can render malware powerless should they happen to gain access to your system by an unknown vulnerability. Please note that this may change your Internet Explorer settings in a way that may make some websites display improperly. The security is worth the inconvenience, however, and is still recommended. You should also consider using an alternate internet browser that is not based on Internet Explorer, such as Mozilla Firefox or Opera. If you do not use Internet Explorer, you should not see any difference.

HardenIt (Windows 2000, XP, & 2003)
Freeware

Code:
http://www.sniff-em.com/hardenit.shtml

(See install notes for SecureIt, HardenIt works the same way)
HardenIt configures your TCP/IP and network settings to leave you less vulnerable to exploits in the way your computer communicates across the internet. Hackers can send specially crafted packets of information that may "confuse", or otherwise bypass, your firewall, allowing them to "slip through" This is especially important if you run servers of any kind, peer-to-peer, or IRC applications. This should not adversly affect any normal internet usage, and all "recommended" settings work fine.

For instructions on configuring your system manually, visit:

Code:
http://www.markusjansson.net/exp.html

2 sections you should definitely follow, not completely covered by the tools above, are the Services and Secure Settings sections. You are strongly encouraged, however, to read through the rest of the page as well

If you insist on using your computer in an administrator account, you should also consider using
DropMyRights
(Windows 2000, XP, & 2003)
Freeware

Code:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...re11152004.asp

This is a small application that launches any other application with reduced security privileges. Simply install to an easy to remember folder, then create a shortcut to DropMyRights.exe "c:\" Then whenever you use that shortcut, that program will be running as if you were in a more limited user account, rendering a lot of malware powerless. This same tool is available in SecureIt, however SecureIt does not give you any options to make shortcuts to programs of your choosing. It does, however, add it to your context (right-click) menu.


The next time you reinstall Windows, consider making a customized, pre-hardened, install CD with
nLite
(Windows 2000, XP, & 2003)
Freeware
http://www.nliteos.com/
(requires the .NET Framework, available through Windows Update as an optional component)
nLite is a fantastic utility to create a customized Windows install CD with integrated service pack, hotfixes, drivers (of your choosing), tweaks, and allows you to completely remove components for security and performance. Very highly recommended for the next time you plan to format and reinstall Windows.


Qwik-Fix Pro
http://www.pivx.com/
Qwik-Fix is an excellent commercial hardening tool that gives you the benefit of auto-updates deployed by a full-time team of researchers actively seeking Windows exploits. This program offers hardening options not offered by free tools, including protection for third party applications (not just Windows.) This program works on all versions of Windows and costs only $25, with a 15-day trial available. With the above free tools, this can help you achieve very strong proactive security without the need for monitoring. Qwik-Fix works very transparently and with the greatest compatibility, making it a viable option for users of all skill levels.

Pivx also makes a tool called PreView that can show you the currently level of security of your system by examining the software and Windows Updates installed as well as how well your system is hardened against specific malware. This tool is free and can be downloaded from the main site.

Computer Security Tool
http://www.computersecuritytool.com/
Another excellent commercial tool. This mainly configures standard Windows components for maximum security, establishing a baseline that covers the SANS Top 10 Vulnerabilities in Windows and more. It makes an excellent companion to Qwik-Fix, and the two can replace most of the free tools. They are also both under active development, and promise to include some fantastic features in the future. Computer Security Tool includes some extra nicities including a well organized interface, HOSTS file scanning, security tips, portability (burn the program to disk with a security template and easily secure other computers), backup and restore of the settings it changes, templates of security settings for easy securing, and more. It also includes some group policy settings that can not be found in other hardening tools but which are essential (and basic) to maintaining your system security. Future versions of CST promise to include even more of this functionality, along with the ability to harden IE.

This program has both a beginner and advanced user modes. The beginner mode will ask you a few questions and configure your system according to your circumstances. CST, too, is a viable option for users of all skill levels, but has some very attractive options for those that work on other's computers.

You can also visit the website for more information on what each setting does. Even if you decide not to use this tool, it provides some good resources..

Security Software & Links part two

Security Software & Links


E s s e n t i a l . R e a d i n g

"How much protection is enough?" Article by Fred Langa
http://www.informationweek.com/840/langa.htm

"How To Ensure Remote-Control Security With XP" Article by Fred Langa
http://www.informationweek.com/story...leID=164300008
See http://www.langalist.com/ for a free newsletter with lots of good information on a variety of computer related subjects, including security. It's a great newsletter for users of all skill levels. Updated regularly.

Essential security tips by various users (including myself), courtesy GetData software. Also see the "Security Resources" links on the bottom left-hand side of the page for even more great resources.
http://www.computersecuritytool.com/...ness_home.html

Security Glossary, definitions of common terms courtesy of Prevx software
http://www.prevx.com/glossary.asp

A n t i - V i r u s

NOD32 (the best detection of unknown threats)
http://www.nod32.com

Kaspersky (KAV) (the best detection of known threats)
http://www.kaspersky.com

BitDefender (free on-demand only scanner available)
http://www.bitdefender.com

eScan Anti-Virus Toolkit (on-demand only, does not clean) (free)
http://www.mwti.net/antivirus/mwav.asp

Dr. Web CureIT (on-demand only) (free)
http://download.drweb.com/win/

AntiVir (free)
http://www.free-av.com/

(See the "Links" section for discounted/free antivirus software)

A n t i - T r o j a n

TDS-3, PortExplorer, and WormGuard
http://www.diamondcs.com.au

a-squared (free and paid versions)
http://www.emsisoft.com

Ewido (free and paid versions)
http://www.ewido.net

BOClean
http://www.nsclean.com/

TrojanHunter
http://www.trojanhunter.com/

F i r e w a l l s

Look n Stop
http://www.looknstop.com - beta drivers and background service available at the top of THIS thread in the official support forum

Outpost (free and paid versions)
http://www.agnitum.com

XP Firewall Control & x-Wall (free and paid versions available)
http://www.sphinx-soft.com/

Jetico (free)
http://www.jetico.com/

Sygate Personal Firewall (free, paid version available)
(note: should not be used if you use a content filter proxy like Proxomitron)
http://smb.sygate.com/products/spf_standard.htm

FileSecLab Personal Firewall (free)
http://www.filseclab.com/eng/products/firewall.htm

Kerio Personal Firewall (free, paid version available)
http://www.kerio.com/us/kpf_download.html

NetVeda Safety.Net (free)
http://www.netveda.com/

Tiny Personal Firewall
(note: also includes comprehensive generic protection, but not recommended for beginners)
http://www.tinysoftware.com/

CXH-I (free for home use. No application filtering, not suitable for beginners)
http://www.idrci.net/

Information and downloads of firewall leak-tests, and comparisons of different firewall's abilities to stop them, can be found at http://www.firewallleaktester.com/

G e n e r i c . P r o t e c t i o n
(behavior blocking and system monitoring)

ProcessGuard (anti-keylogger/rootkit/firewall bypass, more) (free and paid versions)
http://www.diamondcs.com.au - More info on this program HERE

Prevx (blocks most malware) (scroll to very bottom of front page for free version)
http://www.prevx.com

Qwik-Fix Pro (hardening tool)
http://www.pivx.com

RegRun (registry monitor & tools, disinfection tools, and more)
http://www.regrun.com

RegDefend (registry protection)
http://www.ghostsecurity.com


Code:

L i n k s

Eric Howes (malware expert) has a website similar to the page you are looking at now.
(my page hopes only to compliment his and other sites around the web, not mimic or replace it.)
https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/ehowes/www/

Spyware Warrior - Home of the "Rogue/Suspect Anti-Spyware Products & Websites" & tons of other info on the war against spyware (by Eric Howes and Suzi)

SpywareGuide - Another good site for spyware info

A.S.A.P - Find a website for assistance with removing malware by volunteer experts

Microsoft MVP's - Most Valuable Professionals in the area of security. Most of these folks have great webpages with excellent tips/guides for securing and/or disinfecting your computer, some even have their own freeware for download. Very much worth looking through.

Wilders Security Forums - By Microsoft MVP Paul Wilders

CastleCops - Security forums, resources (including Windows startup, LSP, and CLSID lookup), software reviews, news, and more

CounterExploitation (cexx.org)- Privacy resource

VersionTracker - Stay up to date with virtually all your software)

Tech Support Alert - Excellent source of software recommendations & reviews (security & otherwise)

Windows starup online repository - List of files commonly found in the Windows startup, what they do, and if they're needed, useless, or harmful.

VMyths - "The truth about computer security hysteria" - a must read for anyone interested in security

TechWeb - Security and Privacy news & articles

Infosyssec - Security news

Security Pipeline - More news

ComputerWorld - Major computer/IT site, this link goes directly to their security section

IT Observer - Network security portal

SANS Top 20 Internet Security Vulnerabilites

Secunia - stay up to date with software vulnerabilities

SecurityTracker - Similar to Secunia. Tends to get more advisories than Secunia, but not as well organized.

Hideaway.net - Security resources for all skill levels

CERT Coordination Center
In-depth reading:
(many of the certification sites have documents for free download that are worth checking out even if you aren't interested in becoming certified)


The Honeynet Project - White Papers. See the rest of the site for lots of good information. This site is very much worth acquainting yourself with.

SecurityFocus - major security website with tons of articles and security mailing lists worth checking out, including the famous BugTraq mailing list, for all skill levels.

The CISSP and SSCP Open Study Guides website - Free resources for these security certifications

SANS Institute - Computer security education and information security training

Information System Audit and Control Association - CISA and CISM certifications

The Open CSO Project - "The ultimate resource for aspiring security professionals"
Spyware free downloads:

Snapfiles
Softpedia
MajorGeeks
Download.com
Kool Lite Tools - Best freeware site on the web
NoNags - freeware without nag screens
Last Freeware - last freeware versions of freeware that later became shareware
Discount software (reliable sources) :

NewEgg (BOClean $25, Acronis True Image $33, SpySweeper $20, more, subject to change)

Software Shop at Calander of Updates (many programs 5%-20%)

F-Secure anti-virus 6 months free and/or 50% off
http://www.f-secure.com/protectyourpc/

FREE eTrust AntiVirus and PestPatrol, courtesy PCFormat Magazine (http://www.pcformat.co.uk/)
http://www.excid.com/futurenet/download/

FREE Panda AntiVirus
http://www.pandasecurity.com/survey/

I n f e c t i o n
R e p a i r . T o o l s
Blackspear's General Cleaning Instructions (virus & trojan removal) at Wilders Secuirty Forums.

For additional help by volunteer experts, visit the link to A.S.A.P in the "Links" section above.

Also see links above for free on-demand virus & trojan scanners, and CWShredder


McAfee Stinger (removes the ~50 most common malware infections) (free)
http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/

a-squared Hijack-Free (included in a-squared) (free)
http://www.hijackfree.com/en/

ADSSpy, Hijack This! (free)
http://www.merijn.org

SpyHolesList (free analysis by developer) (free)
http://www.greatis.com/security/spyholeslist.htm

Pocket Killbox (free)
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/files/killbox.php

ProcX (free)
http://www.ghostsecurity.com/

XP TCP/IP Repair (free)
http://www.xp-smoker.com/freeware.html

IEFix (free)
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/IEFIX.htm

Infiltration Recovery Tool (free)
www.excessive-software.eu.tt

Advanced Process Termination, Advanced Process Manipulation, more (free)
http://www.diamondcs.com.au/

Remove Toolbar Buddy, Remove Startup Programs Buddy, Remove about:Blank Buddy (free)
http://www.scosoft.com/

about:buster (free)
http://www.malwarebytes.biz/

Should you find that you are infected with a remote access trojan (RAT), backdoor, keylogger, or rootkit, it is very highly recommended that you reformat your computer, after disinfecting, to ensure all traces are removed. Any detections of these types of malware should be verified by the vendor of the program that detected them to ensure that it is indeed what it detected it as, and not a harmless file mis-identified by the scanner. If it is, you will also need to change all account numbers and passwords, and contact the program vendor for further advice. Treat these kinds of infections as if you came home to find that someone had broken into your house and stolen your computer and all personal documents. Take no chances with this type of infection.



Easy Cleaner (history & temp file cleaner, much like jv16 PowerTools) (free)
http://personal.inet.fi/business/toniarts/ecleane.htm

Index.dat Suite (index.dat viewer & cleaner) (free)
http://support.it-mate.co.uk/

KeePass (secure password manager) (free)
http://keepass.sourceforge.net/

IE Privacy Keeper (automatic history cleaner, also works with Firefox) (free)
http://browsertools.net/IE-Privacy-Keeper/

S y s t e m . T o o l s
& . O t h e r . S o f t w a r e

Moox Firefox builds - optimized for security & performance (free)
http://www.moox.ws/tech/mozilla/firefox.htm

SysInternals tools (many quality system tools, also RootkitRevealer) (free)
http://www.sysinternals.com/

Acronis True Image (drive imaging)
http://www.acronis.com

RegSupreme / RegSupreme Pro (registry cleaners)
http://www.macecraft.com/

Process Info (find out what those processes in task manager are) (free)
http://www.gomiller.com/

PocoMail (email client with many security options)
http://www.pocosystems.com/

Mozilla Thunderbird (email client)
http://www.mozilla.org/

Erunt and NTRegOpt (registry backup and defragmenter) (free)
http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/

PC Inspector File Recovery (recover deleted files) (free)
http://www.pcinspector.de/file_recovery/uk/welcome.htm

ZipGenius (archive program, like WinZip, with security & privacy options) (free)
http://www.zipgenius.it/

KeyNote (notes program with encryption) (free)
http://www.tranglos.com/free/index.html

ProcessTamer (lowers priority of processes using high CPU)
http://www.donationcoder.com/

mst IsUsedBy (shows you what process is currently using a file you may be trying to delete)
http://mstsoftware.com/

O n l i n e . S c a n s . & . T e s t s

Fred Langa wrote an article "Good And Bad Online Security Check-Ups" that you should read first.

Jotti's Malware Scan - online virus scan by 13+ scanners, scans one file at a time
BitDefender online virus scan
F-Secure online virus scan
TrendMicro online virus scan (also free spyware tool downloads)
Panda Antivirus online virus scan
Norton online virus scan
Reliable AntiVirus (RAV) online virus scan
AhnLab online virus scan
McAfee online virus scan
Kaspersky online virus scan (currently beta, requires registration)

WindowsSecurity.com online trojan scan (uses a-squared)
Sygate online trojan scan (scans for open trojan ports, not files)

PestPatrol online spyware scan (click the "Are there spies on your computer?" graphic)
SpywareGuide online spyware scan (uses X-Cleaner)
ZoneLabs online spyware scan (uses Anonymizer)
Tenebril online spyware scan

ScanIt Browser Security Test - Probably the quickest and easiest test to run.

GFI Email Security Test

PCFlank - Firewall, trojan, and browser/privacy tests

PCPitstop - Variety of online scans, including virus, malware, and full system health check-ups

Audit My Pc - Firewall, spyware, privacy, pop-up, and patch managment tests

GRC Shields Up! - Online firewall test

a-squared - Firewall, security, exploit, and browser checks. Very lengthy.

Compendum of Browser exploit tests (thread at Wilders Security Forums)

L i n k s

Eric Howes (malware expert) has a website similar to the page you are looking at now.
(my page hopes only to compliment his and other sites around the web, not mimic or replace it.)
https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/ehowes/www/

Spyware Warrior - Home of the "Rogue/Suspect Anti-Spyware Products & Websites" & tons of other info on the war against spyware (by Eric Howes and Suzi)

SpywareGuide - Another good site for spyware info

A.S.A.P - Find a website for assistance with removing malware by volunteer experts

Microsoft MVP's - Most Valuable Professionals in the area of security. Most of these folks have great webpages with excellent tips/guides for securing and/or disinfecting your computer, some even have their own freeware for download. Very much worth looking through.

Wilders Security Forums - By Microsoft MVP Paul Wilders

CastleCops - Security forums, resources (including Windows startup, LSP, and CLSID lookup), software reviews, news, and more

CounterExploitation (cexx.org)- Privacy resource

VersionTracker - Stay up to date with virtually all your software)

Tech Support Alert - Excellent source of software recommendations & reviews (security & otherwise)

Windows starup online repository - List of files commonly found in the Windows startup, what they do, and if they're needed, useless, or harmful.

VMyths - "The truth about computer security hysteria" - a must read for anyone interested in security

TechWeb - Security and Privacy news & articles

Infosyssec - Security news

Security Pipeline - More news

ComputerWorld - Major computer/IT site, this link goes directly to their security section

IT Observer - Network security portal

SANS Top 20 Internet Security Vulnerabilites

Secunia - stay up to date with software vulnerabilities

SecurityTracker - Similar to Secunia. Tends to get more advisories than Secunia, but not as well organized.

Hideaway.net - Security resources for all skill levels

CERT Coordination Center
In-depth reading:
(many of the certification sites have documents for free download that are worth checking out even if you aren't interested in becoming certified)


The Honeynet Project - White Papers. See the rest of the site for lots of good information. This site is very much worth acquainting yourself with.

SecurityFocus - major security website with tons of articles and security mailing lists worth checking out, including the famous BugTraq mailing list, for all skill levels.

The CISSP and SSCP Open Study Guides website - Free resources for these security certifications

SANS Institute - Computer security education and information security training

Information System Audit and Control Association - CISA and CISM certifications

The Open CSO Project - "The ultimate resource for aspiring security professionals"
Spyware free downloads:

Snapfiles
Softpedia
MajorGeeks
Download.com
Kool Lite Tools - Best freeware site on the web
NoNags - freeware without nag screens
Last Freeware - last freeware versions of freeware that later became shareware
Discount software (reliable sources) :

NewEgg (BOClean $25, Acronis True Image $33, SpySweeper $20, more, subject to change)

Software Shop at Calander of Updates (many programs 5%-20%)

F-Secure anti-virus 6 months free and/or 50% off
http://www.f-secure.com/protectyourpc/

FREE eTrust AntiVirus and PestPatrol, courtesy PCFormat Magazine (http://www.pcformat.co.uk/)
http://www.excid.com/futurenet/download/

Windows XP support OpenGL

Although the operating system does not have built-in support for the 3D graphics standard, according to Microsoft. However, XP does support the graphics standard OpenGL by way of your video card drivers. If you're getting graphics errors after you upgrade to Windows XP, check your video settings (click Control Panel > Display > Properties > Settings > Advanced > Adapter) for OpenGL controls. If you don't see any, check with your video card's maker to get updated video drivers for Windows XP.

Gentlemen:

If you program guitars in digital audio apps, for example an arpeggio, you can use the sustain pedal (Controller 64) to get rid of the harpsichord effect caused by note values being stricktly observed.

Insert Controller 64 with a value of 127 and notes will continue to ring as they would if you were playing but the programmed note values are not altered.

The other option is increasing the note values by a % - but that makes the staff look horrible.

rev

Change The Taskbar Group Size
By default taskbar grouping will happen when you have three or more of the same program windows open. We have found the registry key to change the settings so that, if you prefer, Windows XP will wait till you open even more of the same program windows before they start to group. Here is an overview of Taskbar Grouping first:

Overview

The taskbar can become crowded with buttons when you are working with multiple programs at the same time. For this reason, Windows provides a feature to help you manage a large number of open documents and program items. The taskbar button grouping feature works in two ways. First, taskbar buttons for documents opened by the same program are always displayed in the same area of the taskbar so you can find your documents easily.
Second, if you have many documents open in the same program, Windows combines all the documents into one taskbar button that is labeled with the name of the program. A triangle on the right side of the button indicates that many documents are open in this program. The single button provides access to all the open documents. To access one of the open documents, click the triangle on the taskbar button, and then click a document name in the list. To act on all the open documents at the same time, use the right-click menu. For example, right-clicking the triangle gives you a menu that lets you close all the open documents.

The Tip

Click here to download the registry key to enable user defined grouping. It's currently set at 3, if you want to change this number open the .reg file in notepad and edit the line:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"TaskbarGroupSize"=dword:00000003

Change this to whatever number you wish explorer to group at. i.e. change it to dword:00000008 if you wanted explorer to group on 8, or dword:00000005 if you want explorer to group on 5. Save the file after editing to the number and then click on the file you have edited. It will ask you if you want to enter this entry into the registry, click yes. You will then be notified if the key has been added to your registry correctly.

XP Game Compatibility



You want to know if all your favorite games are still going to run under Windows XP. Remember what happened when we tried to run games on our Windows 2000 machines? Sometimes we were a little disappointed. Windows 2000 was made more for corporate applications than "Quake," but true techno-geeks know they don't have to sacrifice death matches for a robust business environment -- at least not anymore.


Windows XP has shown an impressive track record of game compatibility. We ran a number of standard games, such as "Tiger Woods Golf," "NHL 2001," "Max Payne," and "Unreal" on our Windows XP Professional machine. Some of these games were specifically slated for Windows 95 and 98, and were shown not to work in Windows 2000. The installation in XP was as smooth as silk. The games ran quickly and beautifully -- not a problem in sight (except for my bad chip shot -- Tiger was hanging his head in ).


Some less-sophisticated programs may not run as smoothly, and we found that some older applications, such as the Atari 2600 Classic Game Collection, did not appreciate the Windows XP environment. In this case you can use the Application Compatibility Wizard, found in the accessories menu. XP includes integrated compatibility layers to mimic older versions of Windows, so if your program does not work in Windows XP, the compatibility wizard will walk you through the process of getting even your favorite DOS games up and running. In this case, we ran the Atari Classic Game Collection in the Windows 95 environment, at 256 colors and 640x480 screen resolution. Then we set XP to always run our Atari application in this environment, and everything was smooth sailing after that.

One final tip about compatibility: Don't run the compatibility wizard if your program appears to be running well in the normal environment, as the wizard will give you an error message. In general, XP has great program compatibility, so you can upgrade your operating system without giving up all your old favorites.


Regards