Windows XP life extended

Today Microsoft announced the worldwide extension of the availability of Windows XP Home for an emerging, new class of mobile personal computers commonly known as ultra-low-cost PCs, or ULCPCs. Windows XP Home for ULCPCs will be available until the later of June 30, 2010, or one year after general availability of the next version of Windows.

Link:
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/...

Get a free PC safety scan

Windows Live OneCare safety scanner is a free service designed to help ensure the health of your PC.

• Check for and remove viruses
• Get rid of junk on your hard disk
• Improve your PC's performance

Ran a full scan in a Virtual PC and it mainly found registry problems. Ran the fixes and really can't tell anything - which I expect from the registry problems tools like this find.

Link:
http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/default.htm

Find out what a system log event id means

The Event ID database contains 9,666 event IDs and 455 event sources, with 15,226 comments provided by 3,322 contributors, 1,732 submitted events or comments pending validation.

Great source to find out what those sometime cryptic events ids mean or what other users have found out about them.

Link:
http://www.eventid.net

Are you ready for Vista SP1?

Microsoft Corp. will release Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) on Monday, Feb. 4, according to reports Friday from Tech ARP.com, a Malaysian Web site.

Other sources, meanwhile, claimed that Windows Server 2008 will also reach RTM (release to manufacturing) in the coming week.

Luckily I'm still on WinXP and probably will be for the next couple of years. I see no reason to move to Vista and will probably wait to see what Windows 7 is like.

Link:
http://www.computerworld.com/action/...

Microsoft maintains list of all Windows keyboard shortcuts

• Windows Logo+E: Windows Explorer
  
• Windows Logo+L: Log off Windows
• Windows Logo+P: Starts Print Manager
• Windows Logo+C: Opens Control Panel
• Windows Logo+V: Starts Clipboard
• Windows Logo+K: Opens Keyboard Properties dialog box
• Windows Logo+I: Opens Mouse Properties dialog box
• Windows Logo+A: Starts Accessibility Options (if installed)
• Windows Logo+SPACEBAR: Displays the list of Microsoft IntelliType shortcut keys
• Windows Logo+S: Toggles CAPS LOCK on and off

Complete List:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/126449

Windows Home Server Power Pack 1

The first minor release of Windows Home Server was announced today at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Power Pack 1, formerly code named "UR1", will ship in the first half of 2008 and be made available to existing customers of Windows Home Server via Windows Update.

Power Pack 1 has some great new functionality. A high level overview is included below and we will share additional details in more blog posts throughout the week.

Link:
http://.../windows-home-server-power-pack-1.aspx

5 useful Windows XP tricks

• Organize your files into groups
• Make your own icons
• Don't just maximize your windows—go full screen
• Add the Links toolbar to My Computer
• Arrange windows on your desktop

Link:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/moredone/5xptricks.mspx

Apache, MySQL, PHP on Windows with WAMP

Easy as 1-2-3

• 1. Download the latest release of Wampserver 2
• 2. Optionally add as much Apache, PHP and MySQL releases as you want
• 3. Work with a development environment that reproduces exactly your production server

Link:
http://www.wampserver.com/en/

Disable error reporting in Windows

1. Go into the Control Panel
2. Click the System icon
3. On the Advanced tab, click Error Reporting
4. Click Disable error reporting

3 stubborn PC problems you can fix

1.You keep getting a "your system is running low on virtual memory" message
2.Your windows slide off the desktop . . . and you can't grab them
3.Your taskbar has disappeared

Read about the fixes:
http://www.microsoft.com/atwork/getstarted/pcproblems.mspx

An Unofficial Guide to the URL File Format

Sample URL file:

[InternetShortcut]
URL=http://www.veign.com/
WorkingDirectory=C:\WINDOWS\
ShowCommand=7
IconIndex=1
IconFile=C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\url.dll
Modified=20F06BA06D07BD014D
HotKey=1601


Full URL file spec:
http://www.cyanwerks.com/file-format-url.html

HowTo: Change the default folder view in Windows explorer

With this tip you can change how all folder display by default in Windows Explorer. Personally I like the Detailed View on most folders. The exception is a desktop folder of shortcuts where I leave it in Icon view.

1. Open Window Explorer
2. Click on any folder and set the Display View you want (drop down on the toolbar)
3. Navigate to the menu item Tools -> Folder Options
4. Select the Folder tab
5. At the top of the tab is a button that says Apply to All Folders
6. Click it and all folders will now display the view type you previously selected

Its just that simple.

WinXP SP3 - Another reason to stick with XP

Vista, which is now more than 2x slower than the most current builds of its older sibling. Suffice to say that performance-minded users will likely choose to stick with the now even speedier Windows XP [sp3]

The new laptop I ordered is coming with XP - just not worth the hassle of switching when XP, IMO, is still a great OS.

Link:
http://.../windows-xp-sp3-yields-performance-gains.html

What is ActiveX (used in some websites)?

An ActiveX control is essentially a simple OLE object. Originally, ActiveX controls were called "OLE controls" and used a .ocx file extension. This was actually the second-generation component architecture. The first generation was the Visual Basic Controls (.vbx). OLE controls were renamed ActiveX and continue to use the .ocx extension. ActiveX controls enable a program to add functionality by calling ready-made components that blend in and appear as normal parts of the program. They are typically used to add user interface functions, such as 3D toolbars, a notepad, calculator or even a spreadsheet.

Read the full article:
http://.../introduction-to-activex-part-one.aspx

Changing the position of the desktop wallpaper through the registry

Key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop

Change the value for the TileWallpaper and WallPaperstyle settings per below.

Stretch

• TileWallpaper = 0
• WallPaperstyle = 2

Tile

• TileWallpaper = 1
• WallPaperstyle = 0

Center

• TileWallpaper = 0
• WallPaperstyle = 0

Why you would want to do this, who knows. But since I recently answered someone who was looking to do this I thought I would let everyone know.

Windows 7 "top feature request list" leaked to the public

With Windows still managing to find its way to over 95 percent of the desktop computers sold each year, it's not surprising that one can find plenty of people interested in giving their feedback about what future versions of Windows should be able to do. A few years ago, before Windows Vista had even shipped, Microsoft sent out a wish list form asking people what features they would like to see in the next version of Windows, currently code-named Windows 7. The top wished-for features in this list were recently leaked to the public and have popped up at various sites (e.g., Neowin). While anonymous sources at Microsoft tell us that they bear no relationship to the actual feature set Microsoft is currently writing for Windows 7, the list does provide interesting insight into what the Windows-using public most wants from Windows.

Link:
http://...early-windows-7-feature-list-leaked-to-the-public.html

Flickr offers tools for uploading images

If you don't like working through a web interface for handling your Flickr account then you can use the standalone applications they offer for uploading and working with images in your Flickr account. Easy to install and even easier to work with makes this an option for the most novice users.

Also, Flickr has a pretty cool WinXP Explorer plugin that lets you 'Send To Flickr' right from within Windows Explorer. Can't get much easier than that. (look at the bottom of the tools page for the download and how to install here)

Flickr Uploader:
http://www.flickr.com/tools/

Windows 7 teaser video

Catch a glimpse of Windows 7 (no UI) or what MS is calling MiniWin:
http://.../eric-talk-demo-windows-7-minwin/

Defraggler - a new kind of disk defragger

It differs from other defrag tools on the market, by enabling you to quickly and simply defrag the files you want to, without having to process the whole drive. Simply run it, select the file and defragment in seconds. No more struggling with the Windows defragmentation tool!

Its currently in beta and I would recommend waiting for an official release before trying it. Something about a beta disk defragger that makes me nervous.

Link:
http://www.defraggler.com/

Best of Screensavers

Link:
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/.../screensavers-best-of/

Common reason for a slow running computer

Is having too many applications (or processes) running in the background. Most of the running applications come from applications running at Windows startup and silently hiding in the background churning away using those precious processor cycles. Want to know whats running and what is safe to kill? Read on...

What is currently running or will run at startup:
AutoRuns: The most comprehensive knowledge of auto-starting locations of any startup monitor, shows you what programs are configured to run during system bootup or login, and shows you the entries in the order Windows processes them.

How to watch for applications trying to register to run automatically:
StartupMonitor: A small utility that runs transparently (it doesn't even use a tray icon) and notifies you when any program registers itself to run at system startup. It prevents annoying programs from registering themselves behind your back.

What is safe to kill:
Process Library: One of the best active databases to find out what is what and what is safe to remove from the startup process.

Find Out If Your Computer Is Secretly Connecting to the Web

If you are trying to track down why your computer is running so slooowwwly, try using this simple DOS command from Digital Inspiration to uncover a possible problem:

• Type cmd in your Windows Run box.
• Type "netstat -b 5 > activity.txt" and press enter.
• After say 2 minutes, press Ctrl+C.
• Type "activity.txt" on the command line to open the log file in notepad (or your default text editor)

Or
Use TCP View from SysInternals

As found on LifeHacker:
http://.../find-out-your-computer-is-secretly-connecting-to-the-web

How Windows Update Keeps Itself Up-to-Date

There have been some questions raised about how we service the Windows Update components and concerns expressed about software installing silently. I want to clarify the issue so that everyone can better understand why the self-updating of Windows Update acts the way it does.

Link:
http://.../how-windows-update-keeps-itself-up-to-date.aspx

Windows Server 2008 Step-by-Step Guides

Windows Server 2008 Step-by-Step Guides: "These step-by-step guides help IT Professionals learn about and evaluate Windows Server 2008."

CCleaner v2.0

CCleaner has released v2.0 of its very popular system cleanup tool. Better and faster is what they claim. I installed it and so far so good.

Whats New:

• Complete rebuild in C++
  With the requirements for a portable version, 64-bit compatibility and Windows Vista increasing against the limitations of the old architecture. We decided to rebuild the entire CCleaner application in highly optimized C++.
• Faster analyzing and cleaning
  Each scanning process was rewritten from scratch and fully optimized. The result being a noticeable speed increase in all areas.
• Portable
  CCleaner can now run from a USB thumbdrive and be installed/run on a computer without a complicated setup process.
• Compact
  The rewrite removed all external file dependencies, so the main EXE is now half the size of the original program and support files.
• Redesigned User Interface
  The original CCleaner user interface was looking a little dated, so the GUI was redesigned with a modern look, but without sacrificing speed or usability. New icons were created for the interface and the main program icon was updated with a more modern style.
• Exclusions
  It is now possible to specify files, folders and registry keys to ignore from the cleaning process.
• Loads of little tweaks
  Too numerous to mention them all separately, we've tried to improve CCleaner in all areas.

Link:
http://www.ccleaner.com/ccleaner-20

Windows passwords safe? - Rainbow Hash Cracking

To understand how rainbow tables work, you first have to understand how passwords are stored on computers, whether on your own desktop, or on a remote web server somewhere.

Passwords are never stored in plaintext. At least they shouldn't be, unless you're building the world's most insecure system using the world's most naïve programmers. Instead, passwords are stored as the output of a hash function. Hashes are one-way operations. Even if an attacker gained access to the hashed version of your password, it's not possible to reconstitute the password from the hash value alone.

But it is possible to attack the hashed value of your password using rainbow tables: enormous, pre-computed hash values for every possible combination of characters. An attacking PC could certainly calculate all these hashes on the fly, but taking advantage of a massive table of pre-computed hash values enables the attack to proceed several orders of magnitude faster-- assuming the attacking machine has enough RAM to store the entire table (or at least most of it) in memory. It's a classic time-memory tradeoff, exactly the sort of cheating shortcut you'd expect a black hat attacker to take.

Link:
http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000949.html

XYplorer: A multi-tabbed file manager for Windows

XYplorer is a multi-tabbed file manager for Windows, featuring a very powerful file search, versatile preview facilities, a highly customizable interface, and a large array of unique ways to efficiently automate frequently recurring tasks. It's innovative and it's fun!

XYplorer is a portable file manager. It does not require any installation, stores all data in the program's folder, and running it does not change your system or registry.

Read a review:
http://www.donationcoder.com/...

Link:
http://www.xyplorer.com/index.htm

10 things you can do when Windows XP won't boot

When your computer hardware appears to power up okay, but the Windows XP operating system won't boot properly, you have to begin a troubleshooting expedition that includes getting into the operating system, determining the problem, and then fixing it. To help you get started on this expedition, here are 10 things you can do when Windows XP won't boot.

Link:
http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/...

Comodo Free Firewall is better than what comes with WinXP

Unfortunately, most firewalls leak. But Comodo's Firewall is unique in that it passes all known leak tests to ensure the integrity of data entering and exiting your system. Comodo has put firewall through all kinds of sophisticated tests to ensure its firewall powerful enough to ward off these attacks with default settings. No other firewall has had to work this hard.

Features from Comodo's website:

• PC Magazine Online's Editor's Choice
• Secures against internal and external attacks
• Blocks internet access to malicious Trojan programs
• Safeguards your Personal data against theft
• Delivers total end-point security for Personal Computers and Networks

I was a long time user of Sygate's personal firewall but when it was acquired by Symantec no more updates were provided and the firewall and all future development just died. I continued using Sygate until locating Comodo, and so far, has proved to be a great firewall.

Link:
http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/

How to patch up your UXtheme.dll file in XP home or pro

In order to use custom themes or MSStyles on your computer you need to patch up your Uxtheme.dll file. Otherwise you can only use signed themes that are created by Microsoft.

What are custom themes? Just check out Window Blinds.

Link:
http://.../how_to_patch_uxtheme_dll_file_xp_home_pro

How to make Windows XP last for the next seven years

How to make Windows XP last for the next seven years: "Windows Vista may be shiny and brand new, but as plenty of PC users will tell you, sometimes newer isn't better. Many PCs simply don't have the horsepower to run the new operating system, and even those that have the juice may get bogged down by processor-and RAM-hungry Vista.

If you've got Windows XP, worry not -- you can keep it running on your hardware for years to come. As with an old car, though, if you plan to keep XP around for a while, you're going to have to spend some time maintaining it. Think of us as your virtual mechanics. We'll give you tips, tweaks and tricks so that you'll be able to keep XP running smoothly, at top performance, for smooth operation and long life."

Link:
http://www.computerworld.com/...

The hunt begins

For information in what exactly will be included in WinXP SP3.

Do you know? If you have any information feel free to email me too.

Link:
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=588

Microsoft Windows Vista 30-Day Eval VHD

For organizations with complex desktop infrastructures, whether large or small, Windows Vista Enterprise is the operating system designed specifically to help realize a better return on IT investments. In this VHD, you'll have the opportunity to road-test new and improved features including management (e.g. MUI, BDD, etc…) usability (e.g. Search, Navigation, etc…) and security (UAC, Windows Defender, etc…), enhancements to the Windows Vista platform.

Link:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...

Vista Transformation Pack 7.0 Released

It's been a long wait for some of you, and after several delays, we are pleased to announce to you today, the release of Vista Transformation Pack 7.0, Windows X's latest customization pack to give you the Vista experience without the hassle of a new OS.

Vista Transformation Pack 7.0 brings many new features such as ViStart, a new add-on which emulates the Vista start menu, as well as Thoosje's latest Desktop Sidebar 2.0 to give you the ultimate Windows Vista experience!

Link:
http://www.jcxp.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=18388

Windows XP Service Pack 3 Leaked Details!

Not only is Windows XP Service Pack 3 alive and kicking, but Microsoft also managed to leak details about what the refresh will contain. The Redmond Company's policy when it comes down to future releases of the Windows platform is to gag all details. Windows XP SP3 is old news for Microsoft. And with the general availability of Windows Vista it was pushed to the background. But in all fairness, Microsoft never confirmed the cancellation of the third service pack for Windows XP.

Link:
http://.../Windows-XP-Service-Pack-3-Leaked-Details-57825.shtml

Top tech support forum helps in all areas.

Tech Support Guy is one buzzing forum with lots of groups and 100K's of posts. If you need some help with anything computer than check this forum out. Even if you don't want to ask a questions just using their search feature can probably yield a discussion going on.

Link:
http://forums.techguy.org/

Fun with RUN

Some helpful RUN (Start menu -> Run) commands for Windows:
(type exactly what you see in bold)

• mailto: - Will bring up a blank email message in your default mail program
• about:blank - Bring up IE with a blank webpage
• http://google.com - Opens your default browser with the website of Google
  
• calc - Bring up the Windows Calculator
• wupdmgr - Launches the Windows Update in IE
  
• shutdown - Shuts down Windows
• logoff - Logs you out of Windows
  
• mstsc - Lauches the Remote Desktop application
• osk - Displays an on screen keyboard
• fsquirt - Show the Bluetooth transfer wizard
• explorer - Opens up Windows Explorer
  

Another Windows user switches to Linux

Read the on going story of one Windows users journey into the land of Linux. Will he make it? Will he stay? Will he be back for Windows 7 ? (queue cliffhanging music).

Link:
http://.../index.php?topic=8777

Get Windows Vista for free with a 30-day trial

Microsoft has made available a 30 day trial of Windows Vista through its Virtual PC Product. You can download a pre-configured Virtual Hard Drive and then, with Virtual PC, you get to play around with Windows Vista for 30 days.

Doesn't hurt to see what its all about.

Windows Vista:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...

Virtual PC:
http://www.microsoft.com/.../virtualpc/default.mspx