==================================                   
=INTRODUCTION TO DENIAL OF SERVICE=
===================================

1)WHAT IS A DENIAL OF SERVICE ATTACK?

Denial of service is about without permission knocking off services, for example through crashing the whole  system. This kind of attacks are easy to launch and it is hard to protect a system against them. The basic  problem is that Unix assumes that users on the system or on other systems will be well behaved.

Sometimes could a denial of service attack be a part of an attack to gain access at a system. At the moment  I can think of these reasons and specific holes:

1. Some older X-lock versions could be crashed with a method from the denial of service family leaving the  system open. Physical access was needed to use the work space after.

2. Syn flooding could be a part of a IP-spoof attack method.

3. Some program systems could have holes under the startup, that could be used to gain root, for example  SSH (secure shell).

4. Under an attack it could be usable to crash other machines in the network or to deny certain persons the  ability to access the system.

5. Also could a system being booted sometimes be subverted, especially rarp-boots. If we know which port  the machine listen to (69 could be a good guess) under the boot we can send false packets to it and  almost totally control the boot.

There are, more or less, four types of remailers:

- Pseudonymous remailers

A Pseudonymous remailer, simply takes away the email address of the sender, gives a pseudonym to the sender and sends the message to the intended recipient (that can be answered via that remailer).

- Cypherpunk remailers, also called type I

A Cypherpunk remailer sends the message to the recipient stripping away the sender address on it. You can not answer a message sent via a Cypherpunk remailer. You can usually encrypt the message sent to the remailer, and the remailer will decrypt it and send it to the recipient address hidden inside the encrypted message. In addition, you can chain 2 or 3 remailers, so each remailer can’t know who is sending a message to whom. Cypherpunk remailers do not keep logs of transactions.

- Mixmaster remailers, also called type II

Mixmaster remailers require use of a program on your computer to write your messages. Such programs are not supplied as a standard part of most operating systems or mail management systems.

- Mixminion remailers, also called type III

A Mixminion remailer attempts to address the following challenges in Mixmaster remailers: replies, forward anonymity, replay prevention and key rotation, exit policies, integrated directory servers, dummy traffic. They have been implemented for the Linux and Windows platforms and are currently available. Some implementations are open source.

Keyboard Shortcuts Result in Microsoft Word

Services You Can Disable

There are quite a few services you can disable from starting automatically.
This would be to speed up your boot time and free resources.
They are only suggestions so I suggestion you read the description of each one when you run Services
and that you turn them off one at a time.

Some possibilities are:

Alerter
Application Management
Clipbook
Fast UserSwitching
Human Interface Devices
Indexing Service
Messenger
Net Logon
NetMeeting
QOS RSVP
Remote Desktop Help Session Manager
Remote Registry
Routing & Remote Access
SSDP Discovery Service
Universal Plug and Play Device Host
Web Client

List Of Sites Not To Go To

Misspellings or misrepresentation Tactics
--------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.aresgalaxy.com

http://www.edonkey-software.com

http://www.edonkey-mp3.com

http://www.emule-software.com

http://www.poilet.com

http://www.kaaza.com

http://www.kazza.com

http://www.kaza.com

http://www.kazaalite.com

http://www.kazaa-lite.tk

http://www.k-lite.tk

http://www.kazaalite.nl

http://www.kazaa-download.de

http://www.kazaagold.com

Keep Files Private

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

Hello Friends!

If You Also tired from your system speed check this out, some useful tricks.

1. First, run a scandisk or checkdisk. Let Windows fix any errors.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Caught A Virus?

If you've let your guard down--or even if you haven't--it can be hard to tell if your PC is infected. Here's what to do if you suspect the worst.


Heard this one before? You must run antivirus software and keep it up to date or else your PC will get infected, you'll lose all your data, and you'll incur the wrath of every e-mail buddy you unknowingly infect because of your carelessness.

You know they're right. Yet for one reason or another, you're not running antivirus software, or you are but it's not up to date. Maybe you turned off your virus scanner because it conflicted with another program. Maybe you got tired of upgrading after you bought Norton Antivirus 2001, 2002, and 2003. Or maybe your annual subscription of virus definitions recently expired, and you've put off renewing.

It happens. It's nothing to be ashamed of. But chances are, either you're infected right now, as we speak, or you will be very soon.

For a few days in late January, the Netsky.p worm was infecting about 2,500 PCs a day. Meanwhile the MySQL bot infected approximately 100 systems a minute (albeit not necessarily desktop PCs). As David Perry, global director of education for security software provider Trend Micro, puts it, "an unprotected [Windows] computer will become owned by a bot within 14 minutes."

Today's viruses, worms, and so-called bots--which turn your PC into a zombie that does the hacker's bidding (such as mass-mailing spam)--aren't going to announce their presence. Real viruses aren't like the ones in Hollywood movies that melt down whole networks in seconds and destroy alien spacecraft. They operate in the background, quietly altering data, stealing private operations, or using your PC for their own illegal ends. This makes them hard to spot if you're not well protected.

Getting A 1GB Yahoo China Account

1. Sign for a yahoo ID... you can do this in my.yahoo.com. DO NOT check the automatically create an Email address

2. Clear ALL cookies

3. Activate mail account at cn.mail.yahoo.com
(you get 100Mb storage first *don't worry*), then sign-out

NOTE: FYI, the two boxes in the activation page is lastname and firstname

Upgrading to 1Gb Yahoo China Account

1. Sign-in to Yahoo Messenger, add a contact, sign-out

Hello friends!

I am back with some cool Google Secrets that I use to surf on internet.
When we search on net sometime we didn't get it so I use these tricks to find something on net.    
These will help me a lot to search different  things on internet.
Hope you like it.
----------------------------
Method 1:


ww.google.com

put this string in google search:

"parent directory " /appz/ -xxx -html -htm -php -shtml -opendivx -md5 -md5sums

102
_JavaScript : the definitive guide
h*tp//w3.hk8.org/old_web/

103
_Javascript manual of style
h*tp//w3.parsian.net/set1252/pages/books.htm

104
_Javascript manual of style
h*tp//w3.emu.edu.tr/english/facilitiesservices/computercenter/bookslib/

105
Josh's GNU Linux Guide/Joshua
http://book.onairweb.net/computer/os/linux/Administration/Josh's_GNU_Linux_Guide/

106
Late night activex
h*tp//w3.parsian.net/set1252/pages/books.htm

107
Late night activeX
h*tp//w3.emu.edu.tr/english/facilitiesservices/computercenter/bookslib/

108
Laura lemay's 3D graphics in and VRML 2
h*tp//w3.parsian.net/set1252/pages/books.htm

109
Laura lemay's activex and _VBScript
h*tp//w3.parsian.net/set1252/pages/books.htm

110
Laura lemay's graphics and web page design
h*tp//w3.parsian.net/set1252/pages/books.htm

111
Laura lemay's guide to sizzling websites design
h*tp//w3.parsian.net/set1252/pages/books.htm

112
Laura lemay's _javascript 1.1
h*tp//w3.parsian.net/set1252/pages/books.htm

113
Laura lemay's web workshop activex and _VBScript
h*tp//w3.emu.edu.tr/english/facilitiesservices/computercenter/bookslib/

114
Laura lemay's web workshop Graphics web page design
h*tp//w3.emu.edu.tr/english/facilitiesservices/computercenter/bookslib/

115
Laura lemay's web workshop _javascript
h*tp//w3.emu.edu.tr/english/facilitiesservices/computercenter/bookslib/

1
10 minute guide to lotus notes mail 4.5
h*tp//w3.parsian.net/set1252/pages/books.htm

2
10 minute guide to Microsoft exchange 5.0
h*tp//w3.parsian.net/set1252/pages/books.htm

3
10 minute guide to outlook 97
h*tp//w3.parsian.net/set1252/pages/books.htm

4
10 minute guide to schedule+ for windows 95
h*tp//w3.parsian.net/set1252/pages/books.htm

5
ActiveX programming unleashed
h*tp//w3.parsian.net/set1252/pages/books.htm

6
ActiveX programming unleashed
h*tp//w3.emu.edu.tr/english/facilitiesservices/computercenter/bookslib/

7
Advanced perl programming
h*tp//w3.hk8.org/old_web/

8
Advanced PL/SQL programming with packages
h*tp//w3.hk8.org/old_web/

9
Adventure in Prolog/AMZI
www.oopweb.com

10
Algorithms CMSC251/Mount, David
www.oopweb.com

11
Alison Balter's Mastering Access 95 development, premier ed.
h*tp//w3.emu.edu.tr/english/facilitiesservices/computercenter/bookslib/

36 Graphics & Design Ebooks
Maya, Photoshop, Macromedia, Bryce, Digital Photography, & more....

Download with FlashGet

f*p://195.135.232.80/Books/design/8.books.Maya.[by.KiN_www.netz.ru].rar

f*p://195.135.232.80/Books/design/A.Short.Course.in.Digital.Photography.[by.KiN_www.netz.ru].rar

f*p://195.135.232.80/Books/design/Adobe.Creative.Suite.Keyboard.Shortcuts.[by.KiN_www.netz.ru]_3,1.MB.rar

f*p://195.135.232.80/Books/design/Adobe.Photoshop.CS.in.10.Simple.Steps.or.Less.(2004).[by.KiN_www.netz.ru]_7,84 MB.rar

f*p://195.135.232.80/Books/design/Adobe.Photoshop.Tutorial.7.Day.Course.html.a.[28.84.MB_www.netz.ru].rar

f*p://195.135.232.80/Books/design/Advanced.3D.Photorealism.Techniques[9,76.MB_RUS_www.netz.ru].rar

f*p://195.135.232.80/Books/design/Bill.Flemming.Advanced.3D.Photorealism.Techniques.[RUS].[by.KiN_www.netz.ru]_9,75 MB.rar
f*p://195.135.232.80/Books/design/Bryce.5.Manual.[by.KiN_www.netz.ru_4.01MB].rar

f*p://195.135.232.80/Books/design/Corel.103.tutorials.RUS.[by.KiN_www.netz.ru].rar

f*p://195.135.232.80/Books/design/Designing Secure Web-Based Applications for Windows 2000.zip

f*p://195.135.232.80/Books/design/DHTML.Weekend.Crash.Course[by.KiN_www.netz.ru].rar

f*p://195.135.232.80/Books/design/Digital.Photography.Hacks.[by.KiN_www.netz.ru]_11,76.MB.rar

f*p://195.135.232.80/Books/design/How.To.Do.Everything.With.Illustrator.[by.KiN_www.netz.ru]_30,58.MB.rar

10 Fast and Free Security Enhancements

Before you spend a dime on security, there are many precautions you can take that will protect you against the most common threats.

1. Check Windows Update and Office Update regularly (_http://office.microsoft.com/productupdates); have your Office CD ready. Windows Me, 2000, and XP users can configure automatic updates. Click on the Automatic Updates tab in the System control panel and choose the appropriate options.

2. Install a personal firewall. Both SyGate (_www.sygate.com) and ZoneAlarm (_www.zonelabs.com) offer free versions.


3. Install a free spyware blocker. Our Editors' Choice ("Spyware," April 22) was SpyBot Search & Destroy (_http://security.kolla.de). SpyBot is also paranoid and ruthless in hunting out tracking cookies.

4. Block pop-up spam messages in Windows NT, 2000, or XP by disabling the Windows Messenger service (this is unrelated to the instant messaging program). Open Control Panel | Administrative Tools | Services and you'll see Messenger. Right-click and go to Properties. Set Start-up Type to Disabled and press the Stop button. Bye-bye, spam pop-ups! Any good firewall will also stop them.

 Msn Messenger & Gmail

For All Those Gmail Account Holders That Wish To Use A Gmail Account With Msn Messenger & .Net Passport Service

An Introduction

In this tutorial you will learn how to step up your Gmail Account with . net passport to allow u to login to msn messenger any .net passport supported website

What you will need

* A Gmail Account - as these are only obtainable via invitation I will assume you already have one .

* Msn Messenger / Windows Messenger - used to verify your gmail account.

Once you have downloaded / obtained all of these you are ready to continue.

1. Log in to your gmail account via -

http://gmail.com

once you are loged in minimize this internet browser window ( convenient or later on )

2. Load up msn messenger and cansel any automatic signe in atempt so that you have it redy to signed in with your gmail account later on .

How to install System restore on server 2003

Before we begin, you'll need an XP CD. Doesn't matter if it's home or pro. It shouldn't matter if it has a service pack on it, since all the files will be the same source. In testing i used a slip streamed cd that already had sp1 on it.

In XP, system restore is installed in sys setup.inf under the inf.always section. If you have XP installed, you can open up %windir%\inf\syssetup.inf and search for [Infs.Always], you'll see the section xp looks at for installing system components. You'll notice it has sr.inf, this is the inf for system restore. For server 2003, if you look at sys setup.inf you won't find sr.inf. This doesn't mean system restore won't work in server 2003, it just means they didn't install it.

So first what we're going to need to do is right click on sr.inf and select 'install', to install it on server 2003. If you have xp installed on another computer/partition you can just right click on it. If you don't, then extract \i386\sr.in_ from the XP cd to your desktop, then right click on it and select 'install'. It'll prompt you where the files are, point it to the XP CD. Once done, it'll prompt to restart, say yes.

That was easy, the next part is the tricky part. After restarting you'll get an error saying the service couldn't start. Specifically the error is error 1068. I searched google and found this link -
CODE
http://www.aerdyne.com/Kbase/article_000005.htm.

Scheduled Tasks - How to set up scheduled disk derangement

I figured this out because I ran into problems with trying to get windows task manager to defrag my hardrive at a certain time by only using built in tools.

Step 1:

open up notepad (or favorite editor) and type:

defrag c:
defrag d:
defrag e:
defrag f:
defrag g:
defrag j:


Make sure to change the drive letters to one that match your system.
After you have customized the drive letters save the file as defrag_script.BAT or whatever is easy for you to remeber. Just make sure its a ".BAT" file. I saved the file into a dir in my documents called scripts but you can put it anywhere.

Hello friends!

Do you ever experienced this that you ask Google to look something up and the engine returns with a number of finds, but if you try to open the ones with the most promising content, you are confronted with a registration page instead, and the stuff you were looking for will not be revealed to you unless you agree to a credit card transaction first....

The lesson you should have learned here is: Obviously Google can go where you can't.

Can we solve this problem?

Yes, we can. We merely have to convince the site we want to enter, that WE ARE GOOGLE.
In fact, many sites that force users to register or even pay in order to search and use their content, leave a backdoor open for the Googlebot, because a prominent presence in Google searches is known to generate sales leads, site hits and exposure.

Examples of such sites are Windows Magazine, .Net Magazine, Nature, and many, many newspapers around the globe.

How then, can you disguise yourself as a Googlebot? Quite simple: by changing your browser's User Agent. Copy the following code segment and paste it into a fresh notepad file. Save it as Useragent.reg and merge it into your registry.

Get the serial number you need ! (For Certain Things)

* Go to Google.

* In the search field type: "Product name" 94FBR

* Where, "Product Name" is the name of the item you want to find the serial number for.

* And voila - there you go - the serial number you needed.

HOW DOES THIS WORK?
Quite simple really. 94FBR is part of a Office 2000 Pro cd key that is widely distributed as it bypasses the activation requirements of Office 2K Pro.
By searching for the product name and 94fbr, you guarantee two things.

Hello friends.

We always try to find something on the internet and the best way is to find that is using search engine and when we thought about search engine the most popular search engine comes in our mind is 'Google'.

Today i just try to find some eBook on Google but i can't find any proper site which give me what i want.

it's not because Google is showing wrong results it's because i am not asking right question.

there are some tricks to find correct eBook in correct format.  most eBooks are also available in the various eBook formats, like .pdf, .chm, .cbr, .djvu, .epub and many more depending upon your eBook reader. So its a good idea to check the eBook version of a book before buying its printed version.
Some of the best queries to find eBooks are listed below:

Intitle search operator: intitle operator can be used if you want to search only the HTML title tag of web pages. For example, the following query will find only those web pages that have the keyword money in their title tag.

intitle:money

You can use a query of this type to find eBooks on a specific subject with a specific eBook format.

intitle:index.of?file_extension book_info

Examples of using the intitle operator to find eBooks:

intitle:index.of?chm health


intitle:index.of?chm “Harry Potter”

Video Avatars

1. Open PowerDVD:

2. Open a movie or Video clip:

3. Go to the beginning of the part u want as avatar & click on pause

4. make a picture of it:

5. press 2 steps forward & then make another pic, do this until u got the whole part:

What Should I Do With Image Files?

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

1. What is a image file?

A image file is a CD/DVD, but instead of insert it into your CD/DVD-Rom, you open it from inside your Hard Disk. So, it's a file that replaces a normal CD/DVD. Inside the image are the CD/DVD files like if it were a CD/DVD.

2. What are the image files extensions?

There's many extensions, but the most common are:

• iSO (Generic image file)
• BiN/CUE (Generic BiN image file)
• NRG (An image created using Nero Burning ROM)
• iMG/CCD/SUB (An image created using CloneCD)
• MDF (An image created using MagicISO Maker)

There are many other images, but these are the most common.

3. How to open a image file?

The most common way to open image files, is to use a virtual CD/DVD-Rom. It's like a normal CD/DVD-Rom, only that you mount the images directly from your computer, installing a simple program.

Ever wonder what makes a disc bad? Here's why they vary in quality, and why you should worry about the discs you've entrusted with your data.

Burning CDs and DVDs is the easy part.

Knowing your data will be there when you go back to it days, months, or even years later--well, that's a bit harder. Not all discs are created equal, as Fred Byers, information technology specialist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, can attest.

Byers is part of a team heading up an independent study of DVD media quality. Based on the first wave of testing results, the situation is murky at best.

"We've found the quality varies, depending upon the type of dye used to make the write-once discs and [on the] the manufacturer," reports Byers. Even discs from the same manufacturer, with the same brand, can test differently, Byers adds. "But there was more of a significant difference when you compared discs between manufacturers," he explains.

DVD Media Quality: The First Tests

In the first phase of testing, completed late last year, NIST focused on the most popular media: write-once, single-layer DVD-R and +R discs. Rewritable discs will be tested in the second phase, slated to start this fall. An interesting footnote to the study's methodology: NIST uses media purchased off store shelves and via Web sites; and while researchers are tracking the media by brand, they are not tracking the specific factory source of the media tested. For example, a given manufacturer's discs could originate from different production lines, which could account for a variation in disc quality by the same manufacturer.

Speed up the Boot Menu :
Tired of waiting thirty seconds to boot Windows 2000 if you don't select from the boot menu? Speed up the booting process by only showing the available operating systems for just a couple of seconds.
Right-click "My Computer" on the desktop and choose "Properties". On the "System Properties" multi-tabbed dialog box that follows, click "Advanced". Click the "Startup and Recovery..." button. Then, on the "Startup and Recovery" dialog box that follows, next to "Display list of operating systems for ... seconds", select the number of seconds that you want the computer to wait before continuing with the default OS. When you're done, press "OK" to close the dialog box.
Desktop Disappearing:

Although Windows 2000 is more stable than previous versions of NT, in some situations, strange things can happen. If, for example, Explorer crashes, most of your desktop, including the "Start" button, disappears. To bring back Explorer without rebooting your machine, press CONTROL-ALT-DELETE. When the "Windows Security" dialog box appears, click the "Task Manager" button. If the "Windows Task Manager' dialog box appears as it should, select the "File" menu and then "New Task (Run)". When the "Create New Task" dialog box appears, just type in "Explorer" and press the "OK" button. Windows Explorer should then reappear, complete with the "Start" button.

Windows XP Shortcuts:

Quote:
ALT+- (ALT+hyphen) Displays the Multiple Document Interface (MDI) child window's System menu
ALT+ENTER View properties for the selected item
ALT+ESC Cycle through items in the order they were opened
ALT+F4 Close the active item, or quit the active program
ALT+SPACEBAR Display the System menu for the active window
ALT+TAB Switch between open items
ALT+Underlined letter Display the corresponding menu
BACKSPACE View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer
CTRL+A Select all
CTRL+B Bold
CTRL+C Copy
CTRL+I Italics
CTRL+O Open an item
CTRL+U Underline
CTRL+V Paste
CTRL+X Cut
CTRL+Z Undo
CTRL+F4 Close the active document
CTRL while dragging Copy selected item
CTRL+SHIFT while dragging Create shortcut to selected iteM
CTRL+RIGHT ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word
CTRL+LEFT ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word
CTRL+DOWN ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph
CTRL+UP ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph
SHIFT+DELETE Delete selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin
ESC Cancel the current task
F1 Displays Help
F2 Rename selected item
F3 Search for a file or folder
F4 Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer
F5 Refresh the active window
F6 Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop
F10 Activate the menu bar in the active program
SHIFT+F10 Display the shortcut menu for the selected item
CTRL+ESC Display the Start menu
SHIFT+CTRL+ESC Launches Task Manager
SHIFT when you insert a CD Prevent the CD from automatically playing
WIN Display or hide the Start menu
WIN+BREAK Display the System Properties dialog box
WIN+D Minimizes all Windows and shows the Desktop
WIN+E Open Windows Explorer
WIN+F Search for a file or folder
WIN+F+CTRL Search for computers
WIN+L Locks the desktop
WIN+M Minimize or restore all windows
WIN+R Open the Run dialog box
WIN+TAB Switch between open items

Run Commands:

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

1: What is the Registry?

The Registry is a database used to store settings and options for the 32 bit versions of Microsoft Windows including Windows 95, 98, ME and NT/2000. It contains information and settings for all the hardware, software, users, and preferences of the PC. Whenever a user makes changes to a Control Panel settings, or File Associations, System Policies, or installed software, the changes are reflected and stored in the Registry.

The physical files that make up the registry are stored differently depending on your version of Windows; under Windows 95 & 98 it is contained in two hidden files in your Windows directory, called USER.DAT and SYSTEM.DAT, for Windows Me there is an additional CLASSES.DAT file, while under Windows NT/2000 the files are contained seperately in the %SystemRoot%\System32\Config directory. You can not edit these files directly, you must use a tool commonly known as a "Registry Editor" to make any changes (using registry editors will be discussed later in the article).

2: The Structure of The Registry

The Registry has a hierarchal structure, although it looks complicated the structure is similar to the directory structure on your hard disk, with Regedit being similar to Windows Explorer.

Each main branch (denoted by a folder icon in the Registry Editor, see left) is called a Hive, and Hives contains Keys. Each key can contain other keys (sometimes referred to as sub-keys), as well as Values. The values contain the actual information stored in the Registry. There are three types of values; String, Binary, and DWORD - the use of these depends upon the context.

There are six main branches, each containing a specific portion of the information stored in the Registry. They are as follows:


* HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT - This branch contains all of your file association mappings to support the drag-and-drop feature, OLE information, Windows shortcuts, and core aspects of the Windows user interface.
* HKEY_CURRENT_USER - This branch links to the section of HKEY_USERS appropriate for the user currently logged onto the PC and contains information such as logon names, desktop settings, and Start menu settings.
* HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE - This branch contains computer specific information about the type of hardware, software, and other preferences on a given PC, this information is used for all users who log onto this computer.
* HKEY_USERS - This branch contains individual preferences for each user of the computer, each user is represented by a SID sub-key located under the main branch.
* HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG - This branch links to the section of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE appropriate for the current hardware configuration.
* HKEY_DYN_DATA - This branch points to the part of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, for use with the Plug-&-Play features of Windows, this section is dymanic and will change as devices are added and removed from the system.

Window's Tweak: Hack Your Start Button

I've gotten so many requests on how to change the Windows XP Start button, I'm going to teach you how to hack it to pieces manually.
Before you get started, you might want to print out this page for easy reference.

Change the Start text:

1. First of all, make sure you download Resource Hacker. You'll need this puppy to edit resources inside your Windows shell.

2. Locate explorer.exe in your c:\Windows directory. Make a copy of the file in the same directory and rename it explorer.bak.

3. Now launch Resource Hacker. In the File menu, open explorer.exe. You'll now see a bunch of collapsed folders.

4. Expand the String Table folder and then find folder No. 37 (folder No. 38 if you're in Windows Classic mode).

5. Click on resource 1033 and locate the text that says "Start." This is your Start button, and now you've got control over what it says! Change the "Start" text to your text of choice. You don't have a character limit, but the text takes up valuable taskbar space, so don't make it too long.

6. Click on the button labeled Compile Script. This updates the settings for your Start button. But nothing will happen until you complete through step #20, so keep going!

Windows Xp: Speed Up Your Network Access

Increasing network browsing speed:

Does your computer slow down when you browse your local area network and connect to other computers that are sharing data? One of the most common causes of this slowdown is a feature of Windows Explorer that looks for scheduled tasks on remote computers. This effort can take some time on some computers and can really slow down your browsing. The window with which you are browsing the network may appear to freeze momentarily, as the system is waiting for a response from the remote computer.

Windows XP: Speeding Disk Access

Although this problem is a complex one, the solution is very simple. Instead of having to wait for the remote scheduled tasks, which is useless information to anyone who is not a system administrator remotely configuring scheduled tasks, you can disable this feature.

In order to do this, you will have to change the System Registry and delete a reference to a key so that this feature will not be loaded. To do this, follow these steps:

Change the CHKDSK Countdown Time

When you schedule CHKDSK to run at the next boot, the system will prompt you to press a key to cancel the operation while CHKDSK is running. The system will display a countdown during that cancel period. The default value is 10 seconds. To Change this open up Regedit and locate:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\AutoChkTimeOut
You can change the value to anything from zero to 259,200 seconds (3 days).

With a timeout of zero, there is no countdown and you cannot cancel the operation

1. Modify Control Panel Categories

Even if you like the new style for Control Panel, you might at times wish you could shift some items around into a different category. It's possible.

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]

Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Control Panel\Extended Properties\{305CA226-D286-468e-B848-2B2E8E697B74} 2

Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [Choose one of the applets with .cpl extension]

Setting for Value Data: [Select the value from table below]

Other Control Panel Options 0
Appearance and Themes 1
Printers and Other Hardware 2
Network and Internet Connections 3
Sounds, Speed, and Audio Devices 4
Performance and Maintenance 5
Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options 6
Accessibility Options 7
Add or Remove Programs 8
User Accounts 9

Exit Registry / Reboot

To further customize the items that appear in the new Control Panel, do a search of your system for all files that end in .cpl extension. If they aren't already listed, you can add them with a new DWORD value and then assign them to a category of your choosing.

2. Enable/Disable Run Commands Specific to the Registry

This tweak controls the use of the Run command on the local machine

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]

Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ Policies\Explorer

Create a DWORD value of Data Type REG_DWORD for each Run function that will be disabled.

Modify/Create the Value Name [DisableLocalMachineRun]
Modify/Create the Value Name [DisableLocalMachineRunOnce]

Modify/Create the Value Name [DisableCurrentUserRun]
Modify/Create the Value Name [DisableCurrentUserRunOnce]

Setting for Value Data: [0 = Disabled / 1 = Enabled]

Exit Registry / Reboot

Structure of Windows XP Registry :

When you will open the Windows XP Registry , you will see it's divided into two panes. On the left side there are Five main
Keys as shown below. These can be expanded to several Sub-Keys, which further has many Sub-Keys.


+HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT

+HKEY_CURRENT_USER

+HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE

+HKEY_USERS

+HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG


Before you try out the Tweaks, learn how to Backup and Restore Windows XP Registry.
Types of Registry Backups :
It?s very important that before you do editing you make a backup of the current registry. If you ignore this warning, it might prove deadly for you? So better listen to me.

Open your registry. Go to Start>Run , type regedit . When you invoke the Export function from File>Export, you are given a choice of different file types that can be saved :
Registration Files (*.reg)
Registry Hive Files (*.*)
Text Files (*.txt)
Win9x/NT 4 Registration Files (*.reg)
All Files

Each one of the different file types above plays an important role in how the data you export is saved. Choosing the wrong type can give you unexpected results. So let me explain you quickly these file types.

Please note that some of these tips require you to use a Registry Editor (regedit.exe), which could render your system unusable. Thus, none of these tips are supported in any way: Use them at your own risk. Also note that most of these tips will require you to be logged on with Administrative rights. 




Remove the Shared Documents folders from My Computer
====================================================

One of the most annoying things about the new Windows XP user interface is that Microsoft saw fit to provide links to all of the Shared Documents folders on your system, right at the top of the My Computer window. I can't imagine why this would be the default, even in a shared PC environment at home, but what's even more annoying is that you cannot change this behavior through the sh*ll
: Those icons are stuck there and you have to live with it.
Until now, that is.

Simply fire up the Registry Editor and navigate to the following key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ My Computer \ NameSpace \ DelegateFolders

You'll see a sub-key named {59031a47-3f72-44a7-89c5-5595fe6b30ee}. If you delete this, all of the Shared Documents folders (which are normally under the group called "Other Files Stored on This Computer" will be gone.

You do not need to reboot your system to see the change.


Before: A cluttered mess with icons no one will ever use (especially that orpaned one). After: Simplicity itself, and the way it should be by default.


This tip For older XP builds
===================

Edit or remove the "Comments" link in window title bars

During the Windows XP beta, Microsoft has added a "Comments?" hyperlink to the title bar of each window in the system so that beta testers can more easily send in a problem report about the user interface. But for most of us, this isn't an issue, and the Comments link is simply a visual distraction. And for many programs that alter the title bar, the Comments link renders the Minimize, Maximize, and Close window buttons unusable, so it's actually a problem.
Let's get rid of it. Or, if you're into this kind of thing, you can edit it too.

Open the Registry Editor and navigate to the following keys:
My Computer \ HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Control Panel \ Desktop \ LameButtonEnabled
My Computer \ HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Control Panel \ Desktop \ LameButtonText

The first key determines whether the link appears at all; change its value to 0 to turn it off. The second key lets you have a little fun with the hyperlink; you can change the text to anything you'd like, such as "Paul Thurrott" or whatever.

Editing either value requires a restart before the changes take effect.


Before: An unnecessary hyperlink. Have some fun with it! Or just remove it entirely. It's up to you.



Rip high-quality MP3s in Windows Media Player 8
================================================

The relationship between Windows Media Player 8 and the MP3 audio format is widely misunderstood. Basically, WMP8 will be able to playback MP3 files, but encoding (or "ripping" CD audio into MP3 format will require an MP3 plug-in. So during the Windows XP beta, Microsoft is supplying a sample MP3 plug-in for testing purposes, but it's limited to 56 Kbps rips, which is pretty useless. However, if you have an externally installed MP3 codec, you can use WMP8 to rip at higher bit rates. But you'll have to edit the Registry to make this work.
Fire up the Registry Editor and navigate to the following key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ MediaPlayer \ Settings \ MP3Encoding

Here, you'll see sub-keys for LowRate and LowRateSample, which of course equates to the single 56 Kbps sample rate you see in WMP8. To get better sampling rates, try adding the following keys (Using New then DWORD value):

"LowRate" = DWORD value of 0000dac0
"MediumRate" = DWORD value of 0000fa00
"MediumHighRate" = DWORD value of 0001f400
"HighRate" = DWORD value of 0002ee00

Now, when you launch WMP8 and go into Tools, then Options, then Copy Music, you will have four encoding choices for MP3: 56 Kbps, 64 Kbps, 128 Kbps, and 192 Kbps. Note that you will not get higher bit rate encoding unless you have installed an MP3 codec separately; the version in Windows Media Player 8 is limited to 56 Kbps only.


Find the appropriate location in the Registry... ...add a few DWORD values... ...And then you'll be ripping CDs in higher-quality MP3 format!



Speed up the Start Menu
=======================

The default speed of the Start Menu is pretty slow, but you can fix that by editing a Registry Key. Fire up the Registry Editor and navigate to the following key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Control Panel \ Desktop \ MenuShowDelay

By default, the value is 400. Change this to a smaller value, such as 0, to speed it up.



Speed up the Start Menu (Part two)
==================================

If your confounded by the slow speed of the Start Menu, even after using the tip above, then you might try the following: Navigate to Display Properties then Appearance then Advanced and turn off the option titled Show menu shadow . You will get much better overall performance.

Please note that some of these tips require you to use a Registry Editor (regedit.exe), which could render your system unusable. Thus, none of these tips are supported in any way: Use them at your own risk. Also note that most of these tips will require you to be logged on with Administrative rights. 



Create a Shortcut to Start Remote Desktop
=========================================

Tip: You can add a shortcut to the desktop of your home computer to quickly start Remote Desktop and connect to your office computer.

To create a shortcut icon to start Remote Desktop

Click Start, point to More Programs, point to Accessories, point to Communications, and then click on Remote Desktop Connection.

Click Options.

Configure settings for the connection to your office computer.

Click Save As, and enter a name, such as Office Computer. Click Save.

Open the Remote Desktops folder.

Right-click on the file named Office Computer, and then click Create Shortcut.

Drag the shortcut onto the desktop of your home computer.

To start Remote Desktop and connect to your office computer, double-click on the shortcut

Windows Xp Tips 'n' Tricks

Please note that some of these tips require you to use a Registry Editor (regedit.exe), which could render your system unusable. Thus, none of these tips are supported in any way: Use them at your own risk. Also note that most of these tips will require you to be logged on with Administrative rights.

Unlocking WinXP's setupp.ini
============================


WinXP's setupp.ini controls how the CD acts. IE is it an OEM version or retail? First, find your setupp.ini file in the i386 directory on your WinXP CD. Open it up, it'll look something like this:

ExtraData=707A667567736F696F697911AE7E05
Pid=55034000

The Pid value is what we're interested in. What's there now looks like a standard default. There are special numbers that determine if it's a retail, oem, or volume license edition. First, we break down that number into two parts. The first five digits determines how the CD will behave, ie is it a retail cd that lets you clean install or upgrade, or an oem cd that only lets you perform a clean install? The last three digits determines what CD key it will accept. You are able to mix and match these values. For example you could make a WinXP cd that acted like a retail cd, yet accepted OEM keys.

Now, for the actual values. Remember the first and last values are interchangable, but usually you'd keep them as a pair:

Retail = 51882 335
Volume License = 51883 270
OEM = 82503 OEM

So if you wanted a retail CD that took retail keys, the last line of your setupp.ini file would read:

WINDOWS XP HIDDEN APPS
=========================================

To run any of these apps go to Start > Run and type the executable name.

1) Character Map = charmap.exe (very useful for finding unusual characters)

2) Disk Cleanup = cleanmgr.exe

3) Clipboard Viewer = clipbrd.exe (views contents of Windows clipboard)

4) Dr Watson = drwtsn32.exe (Troubleshooting tool)

5) DirectX diagnosis = dxdiag.exe (Diagnose & test DirectX, video & sound cards)

6) Private character editor = eudcedit.exe (allows creation or modification of characters)

7) IExpress Wizard = iexpress.exe (Create self-extracting / self-installing package)

8) Microsoft Synchronization Manager = mobsync.exe (appears to allow synchronization of files on the network for when working offline. Apparently undocumented).

9) Windows Media Player 5.1 = mplay32.exe (Retro version of Media Player, very basic).

10) ODBC Data Source Administrator = odbcad32.exe (something to do with databases)

OK, every time I have to install, reinstall, or optimize someone elses XP setup I forget what I need to do, so I have to go throught dozens of magizines and find all the good useful tweaks that will speed up the computer and Windows.
So I made this tutoral and text file so I and everyone else can see and use on a floppy or thumb drive or something and carry it around, so you don't have to forget and can tweak the computer without downloading anything.

And if you have something to add, just post it and I'll add it to the text file and this post.

Services to turn off:
Alerter
Application Management
Automatic Updates
ClipBook
Distributed Link Tracking Client
Error Reporting Service
Fast User Switching Compatibility
Messenger
Portable Media Serial Number Service
Remote Registry
Routing and Remote Access
Task Scheduler
Telnet
TPC/IP NetBIOS Helper
Uninterruptible Power Supply


Change "Recycle Bin" size to 1%


Registry Hacks:

Repairing Damaged Winsock2

The symptoms when Winsock2 is damaged show when you try to release and renew the IP address using IPCONFIG...

And you get the following error message:

An error occurred while renewing interface 'Internet': An operation was attempted on something that is not a socket.

Also Internet Explorer may give the following error message:
The page cannot be displayed Additionally, you may have no IP address or no Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) address, and you may be receiving IP packets but not sending them.

There are two easy ways to determine if Winsock2 is damaged:

From the XP source files, go to the Support / Tools directory

Winsock Test Method 1
Run netdiag /test:winsock

The end should say Winsock test ..... passed

Winsock Test Method 2

Win XP Tip, Hidden Back-up utility

 Insert your windows XP disc into your PC.

Click exit if your installation screen comes up.

Now go too your CD drive in *My Computer*. Right-click and select open.

Choose VALUE ADD\MSFT\NT BACK-UP FILE.

In the *files of type* drop down list be sure that *select all files* is on.

Click on the NT BACK-UP.msi file and click okay.

Click the finish button and now go over too the start button\ALL PROGRAMS\ACCESSORIES\SYSTEM TOOLS\ and there it is now.. BACK-UP FILES...

Great little tool that Microsoft never should have hidden.

Winxp System Response, reboot without rebooting

Have you ever been using your computer and your system sudddenly stops responding in ways like it if you try to open something it just hangs? One time I tried deleting a folder and it said it was in use, but it really wasn't. If this ever happens to you, you can follow these simple steps to 'reboot' your computer without 'rebooting' it.

Press CRTL + ALT + DEL

Goto the 'processes' tab and click explorer.exe once and then click 'end process'.

Now, click File > New Task and type explorer.exe









Everything should be fine now! If the problem is major, I would recommend actually shutting down then starting up again....

Winxp Tips And Tricks, Winsock 2 repair

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Repairing Damaged Winsock2

The symptoms when Winsock2 is damaged show when you try to release and renew the IP address using IPCONFIG...

And you get the following error message:

An error occurred while renewing interface 'Internet': An operation was attempted on something that is not a socket.

Also Internet Explorer may give the following error message:
The page cannot be displayed Additionally, you may have no IP address or no Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) address, and you may be receiving IP packets but not sending them.

There are two easy ways to determine if Winsock2 is damaged:

From the XP source files, go to the Support / Tools directory

 Win XP Tweaks

-----------
STARTUP
-----------


Windows Prefetcher
******************
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ Session Manager \ Memory Management \ PrefetchParameters]

Under this key there is a setting called EnablePrefetcher, the default setting of which is 3. Increasing this number to 5 gives the prefetcher system more system resources to prefetch application data for faster load times. Depending on the number of boot processes you run on your computer, you may get benefits from settings up to 9. However, I do not have any substantive research data on settings above 5 so I cannot verify the benefits of a higher setting. This setting also may effect the loading times of your most frequently launched applications. This setting will not take effect until after you reboot your system.


Master File Table Zone Reservation
**********************************
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ FileSystem]

Under this key there is a setting called NtfsMftZoneReservation, the default setting of which is 1. The range of this value is from 1 to 4. The default setting reserves one-eighth of the volume for the MFT. A setting of 2 reserves one-quarter of the volume for the MFT. A setting of 3 for NtfsMftZoneReservation reserves three-eighths of the volume for the MFT and setting it to 4 reserves half of the volume for the MFT. Most users will never exceed one-quarter of the volume. I recommend a setting of 2 for most users. This allows for a "moderate number of files" commensurate with the number of small files included in most computer games and applications. Reboot after applying this tweak.

Yahoo Messeger, no add's
I went into the system registery and found out that Yahoo! moved the 'banner url' key to a slightly different location. Than what it used in version 9!

Yahoo! IM no longer uses 'YUrl', but uses 'View' instead. You gotta click on each key inside of 'View' and edit the 'banner url' string to anything you want... I simply cleared mine out completely and it works flawlessly!

Here is what you gotta do:

Run regedit
Goto HKEY_CURRENT_USER -> Software -> Yahoo -> Pager -> View

  
   XP REPAIR INSTALL:
  
   1. Boot the computer using the XP CD. You may need to change the
      boot order in the system BIOS. Check your system documentation
      for steps to access the BIOS and change the boot order.
   
   
  2. When you see the "Welcome To Setup" screen, you will see the
     options below This portion of the Setup program prepares Microsoft
     Windows XP to run on your computer:

   To setup Windows XP now, press ENTER.

   To repair a Windows XP installation using Recovery Console, press R.

   To quit Setup without installing Windows XP, press F3.

   
   
    3. Press Enter to start the Windows Setup.

      do not choose "To repair a Windows XP installation using the
      Recovery Console, press  R", (you do not want to load Recovery
      Console). I repeat, do not choose "To repair a Windows XP
      installation using the Recovery Console, press  R".

How to find a remote IP

Method 1

To view someone's IP# when they send you hotmail email do this:
1) Click "Options" on the upper right side of the page.
2) On the left side of the page, Click "Mail"
3) Click "Mail Display Settings"
4) Under "Message Headers" select "Full" or "Advanced"
5) Click ok

Method 2

reg a dydns account and install the ip pointer, so each time you ping the host name you regestored

for example:
you regestor the host name myhost.dydns.com, then you keep a little software running on the target host. The little software will keep update your IP to dydns.com server.

so at your pc just start cmd, and ping myhost.dydns.com, it will give you the most updated ip address.

Your Home Page Never Being Changed

Some websites illegally modify your registry editor and set their website as default home page, for stop this,

1. Right-click on the Internet Explorer icon on your desktop and select "Properties".

Your Own Home Server - Introduction
An Introduction
In this tutorial you will learn how to step up your own server. This server will be comprised of Apache 1.3.5, PHP 4.2.0, and MySQL 3.23.49. This tutorial will address the basic setup of a server on your own computer. This means the removal of hassles of dealing with the company that is running a remote web server. It will be easy to modify. You can add any thing you want to it, be it CGI/Perl, Zope, Roxen, etc, all by your self. You will have unlimited disk space, well at least as big as your hard drive is =) Now that you know the advantages, it is time that I tell you what i used, and what you will need.

--- A ---


ADSL - Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line
AGP - Accelerated Graphics Port
ALI - Acer Labs, Incorporated
ALU - Arithmetic Logic Unit
AMD - Advanced Micro Devices
APC - American Power Conversion
ASCII - American Standard Code for Information Interchange
ASIC - Application Specific Integrated Circuit
ASPI - Advanced SCSI Programming Interface
AT - Advanced Technology
ATI - ATI Technologies Inc.
ATX - Advanced Technology Extended

~~~~~~~~~COMMON FTP ERROR CODES~~~~~~~~~~

# Description

110 Restart marker reply. In this case, the text is exact and not left to the particular implementation; it must read: MARK yyyy = mmmm where yyyy is User-process data stream marker, and mmmm server's equivalent marker (note the spaces between markers and "=").

120 Service ready in nnn minutes.

125 Data connection already open; transfer starting.

150 File status okay; about to open data connection.

200 Command okay.

202 Command not implemented, superfluous at this site.

211 System status, or system help reply.

Open a Command Prompt window and leave it open.
Close all open programs.
Click Start, Run and enter TASKMGR.EXE
Go to the Processes tab and End Process on Explorer.exe.
Leave Task Manager open.
Go back to the Command Prompt window and change to the directory the AVI (or other undeletable file) is located in.
At the command prompt type DEL where is the file you wish to delete.
Go back to Task Manager, click File, New Task and enter EXPLORER.EXE to restart the GUI shell.
Close Task Manager.