____ #1 _________________________________usb_storage I had someone come to me this weekend looking to disable USB storage devices while at the same time, leaving them active for I/O devices like a mouse, CDROM, etc. The goal being to stop people from walking up to a workstation and making off with classified information. I was ready to say, "Nope, Windows isn't smart enough to deal with this..." but I researched it anyway. Seems that MS thought about this already and I was surprised that such a simple change actually worked. Just open regedit and browse to this key: (ON YOUR PERSONAL PC NOT WORKS) HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\UsbStor Look for the 'Start' key. Switch this value to 4, and USB storage devices are disabled. Switch this value to 3, and USB storage devices are enabled (this is the value by default). This stops the USB storage drivers from loading when the OS boots up. It's a nice little security feature that is easy to distribute across the enterprise as well. Note that this *only* impacts removable storage, no other USB devices. Pretty kewl huh? Just thought I'd share. Dino ____ #2 _________________________________boot_to_desktop i been tring to remove the big blue welcome screen from the start of xp and i finally did it. firstly goto start > settings > control pannel > user accounts then in that window click "change the way users log on or off" then unclick the 2 boxes. usally this would remove the welcome screen but ask u to put in ur passwords and name.. so do this goto start > run > type "control userpasswords2" in this window. make sure the user that u use is highlited and then unclick the "users must enter a user name and password..." tab and thats that. no more wlecome screen ____ #3 _________________________________ The technique is called watermarking. One simple way is to add bgproperties="fixed" to the body tag, like this: Note that this typically only works in Internet Explorer browsers. Another way of doing it that also works in later Netscape browsers (6.x & up) is to add this style script to the of your page: ____ #4 _________________________________ 23 Ways To Speed WinXP Without Defrag Still defragmenting disks to speed customers' PCs? Try these techniques instead By Carey Holzman, TechBuilder.org 9:30 AM EST Mon. Feb. 02, 2004 To defrag, or not to defrag? If you're looking for ways to speed WinXP machines used by your customers, then the answer is Not. Defragmenting, of course, is the process of reorganizing all data on a hard-disk drive so that each file is arranged into a single uninterrupted, or contiguous, location on the disk. Many system builders and technicians have been taught, and still believe, that defragmenting hard disk drives on a regular basis keeps PCs operating at peak performance. But that idea is behind the times. While it was true that defragmenting helped older PCs, it no longer applies. Today we have 7200-RPM (rotations per minute) hard-disk drives with improved seek and latency times; many also contain an 8-MB cache buffer. Let's not forget Windows XP's ultra-efficient NTFS (NT File System). For PCs, servers, and workstations equipped with these innovations, defragmenting no longer makes much improvement, if any, to system performance. This is even more of an issue with the new Serial ATA hard disk drives, which are soon to become the new standards utilized in the market. Examples of SATA drives include the Seagate Barracuda line and new 10,000-RPM IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) hard-disk drives, such as the Western Digital Raptor. Still, defragmenting remains an important task. Why? For one, power consumption and heat can be directly related to a fragmented hard drive. When the computer's operating system requests data, if a file is not contiguous, then extra seeking on the disk may be required. But a more important consideration is disk failure. Should a hard drive fail, the likelihood of successfully recovering data from the dead or damaged drive improves significantly if the data is contiguous rather than randomly scattered about the drive platters. The software companies that create defragmentation software would like you to believe that their software does improve system performance. But my own in-house testing refutes that, as do recent findings from Steve Gibson and other system testers. So What Works? Since defragging the disk won't do much to improve Windows XP performance, here are 23 suggestions that will. Each can enhance the performance and reliability of your customers' PCs. Best of all, most of them will cost you nothing. 1.) To decrease a system's boot time and increase system performance, use the money you save by not buying defragmentation software -- the built-in Windows defragmenter works just fine -- and instead equip the computer with an Ultra-133 or Serial ATA hard drive with 8-MB cache buffer. 2.) If a PC has less than 512 MB of RAM, add more memory. This is a relatively inexpensive and easy upgrade that can dramatically improve system performance. 3.) Ensure that Windows XP is utilizing the NTFS file system. If you're not sure, here's how to check: First, double-click the My Computer icon, right-click on the C: Drive, then select Properties. Next, examine the File System type; if it says FAT32, then back-up any important data. Next, click Start, click Run, type CMD, and then click OK. At the prompt, type CONVERT C: /FS:NTFS and press the Enter key. This process may take a while; it's important that the computer be uninterrupted and virus-free. The file system used by the bootable drive will be either FAT32 or NTFS. I highly recommend NTFS for its superior security, reliability, and efficiency with larger disk drives. 4.) Disable file indexing. The indexing service extracts information from documents and other files on the hard drive and creates a "searchable keyword index." As you can imagine, this process can be quite taxing on any system. The idea is that the user can search for a word, phrase, or property inside a document, should they have hundreds or thousands of documents and not know the file name of the document they want. Windows XP's built-in search functionality can still perform these kinds of searches without the Indexing service. It just takes longer. The OS has to open each file at the time of the request to help find what the user is looking for. Most people never need this feature of search. Those who do are typically in a large corporate environment where thousands of documents are located on at least one server. But if you're a typical system builder, most of your clients are small and medium businesses. And if your clients have no need for this search feature, I recommend disabling it. Here's how: First, double-click the My Computer icon. Next, right-click on the C: Drive, then select Properties. Uncheck "Allow Indexing Service to index this disk for fast file searching." Next, apply changes to "C: subfolders and files," and click OK. If a warning or error message appears (such as "Access is denied"), click the Ignore All button. 5.) Update the PC's video and motherboard chipset drivers. Also, update and configure the BIOS. For more information on how to configure your BIOS properly, see this article on my site. 6.) Empty the Windows Prefetch folder every three months or so. Windows XP can "prefetch" portions of data and applications that are used frequently. This makes processes appear to load faster when called upon by the user. That's fine. But over time, the prefetch folder may become overloaded with references to files and applications no longer in use. When that happens, Windows XP is wasting time, and slowing system performance, by pre-loading them. Nothing critical is in this folder, and the entire contents are safe to delete. 7.) Once a month, run a disk cleanup. Here's how: Double-click the My Computer icon. Then right-click on the C: drive and select Properties. Click the Disk Cleanup button -- it's just to the right of the Capacity pie graph -- and delete all temporary files. 8.) In your Device Manager, double-click on the IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers device, and ensure that DMA is enabled for each drive you have connected to the Primary and Secondary controller. Do this by double-clicking on Primary IDE Channel. Then click the Advanced Settings tab. Ensure the Transfer Mode is set to "DMA if available" for both Device 0 and Device 1. Then repeat this process with the Secondary IDE Channel. 9.) Upgrade the cabling. As hard-drive technology improves, the cabling requirements to achieve these performance boosts have become more stringent. Be sure to use 80-wire Ultra-133 cables on all of your IDE devices with the connectors properly assigned to the matching Master/Slave/Motherboard sockets. A single device must be at the end of the cable; connecting a single drive to the middle connector on a ribbon cable will cause signaling problems. With Ultra DMA hard drives, these signaling problems will prevent the drive from performing at its maximum potential. Also, because these cables inherently support "cable select," the location of each drive on the cable is important. For these reasons, the cable is designed so drive positioning is explicitly clear. 10.) Remove all spyware from the computer. Use free programs such as AdAware by Lavasoft or SpyBot Search & Destroy. Once these programs are installed, be sure to check for and download any updates before starting your search. Anything either program finds can be safely removed. Any free software that requires spyware to run will no longer function once the spyware portion has been removed; if your customer really wants the program even though it contains spyware, simply reinstall it. For more information on removing Spyware visit this Web Pro News page. 11.) Remove any unnecessary programs and/or items from Windows Startup routine using the MSCONFIG utility. Here's how: First, click Start, click Run, type MSCONFIG, and click OK. Click the StartUp tab, then uncheck any items you don't want to start when Windows starts. Unsure what some items are? Visit the WinTasks Process Library. It contains known system processes, applications, as well as spyware references and explanations. Or quickly identify them by searching for the filenames using Google or another Web search engine. 12.) Remove any unnecessary or unused programs from the Add/Remove Programs section of the Control Panel. 13.) Turn off any and all unnecessary animations, and disable active desktop. In fact, for optimal performance, turn off all animations. Windows XP offers many different settings in this area. Here's how to do it: First click on the System icon in the Control Panel. Next, click on the Advanced tab. Select the Settings button located under Performance. Feel free to play around with the options offered here, as nothing you can change will alter the reliability of the computer %96 only its responsiveness. 14.) If your customer is an advanced user who is comfortable editing their registry, try some of the performance registry tweaks offered at Tweak XP. 15.) Visit Microsoft's Windows update site regularly, and download all updates labeled Critical. Download any optional updates at your discretion. 16.) Update the customer's anti-virus software on a weekly, even daily, basis. Make sure they have only one anti-virus software package installed. Mixing anti-virus software is a sure way to spell disaster for performance and reliability. 17.) Make sure the customer has fewer than 500 type fonts installed on their computer. The more fonts they have, the slower the system will become. While Windows XP handles fonts much more efficiently than did the previous versions of Windows, too many fonts -- that is, anything over 500 -- will noticeably tax the system. 18.) Do not partition the hard drive. Windows XP's NTFS file system runs more efficiently on one large partition. The data is no safer on a separate partition, and a reformat is never necessary to reinstall an operating system. The same excuses people offer for using partitions apply to using a folder instead. For example, instead of putting all your data on the D: drive, put it in a folder called "D drive." You'll achieve the same organizational benefits that a separate partition offers, but without the degradation in system performance. Also, your free space won't be limited by the size of the partition; instead, it will be limited by the size of the entire hard drive. This means you won't need to resize any partitions, ever. That task can be time-consuming and also can result in lost data. 19.) Check the system's RAM to ensure it is operating properly. I recommend using a free program called MemTest86. The download will make a bootable CD or diskette (your choice), which will run 10 extensive tests on the PC's memory automatically after you boot to the disk you created. Allow all tests to run until at least three passes of the 10 tests are completed. If the program encounters any errors, turn off and unplug the computer, remove a stick of memory (assuming you have more than one), and run the test again. Remember, bad memory cannot be repaired, but only replaced. 20.) If the PC has a CD or DVD recorder, check the drive manufacturer's Web site for updated firmware. In some cases you'll be able to upgrade the recorder to a faster speed. Best of all, it's free. 21.) Disable unnecessary services. Windows XP loads a lot of services that your customer most likely does not need. To determine which services you can disable for your client, visit the Black Viper site for Windows XP configurations. 22.) If you're sick of a single Windows Explorer window crashing and then taking the rest of your OS down with it, then follow this tip: open My Computer, click on Tools, then Folder Options. Now click on the View tab. Scroll down to "Launch folder windows in a separate process," and enable this option. You'll have to reboot your machine for this option to take effect. 23.) At least once a year, open the computer's cases and blow out all the dust and debris. While you're in there, check that all the fans are turning properly. Also inspect the motherboard capacitors for bulging or leaks. For more information on this leaking-capacitor phenomena, you can read numerous articles on my site. Following any of these suggestions should result in noticeable improvements to the performance and reliability of your customers' computers. If you still want to defrag a disk, remember that the main benefit will be to make your data more retrievable in the event of a crashed drive. Do you have any performance tips not listed here? Do you believe you experience a performance increase on your PC after defragmenting it? I invite you to share your thoughts in the Recipe discussion forum. CAREY HOLZMAN is president of Discount Computer Repair in Glendale, Ariz., and the author of The Healthy PC: Preventative Care And Home Remedies For Your Computer (McGraw-Hill Osborne, 2003). ____ #5 _________________________________ time /t date /t copy *.mny g: copy *.qbw g: copy *.doc g: copy *.xls g: copy *.csv g: xcopy.exe C:\DOCUME~1\DAN1\MYDOCU~1\WRITING\*.* g:\writing /S/H/E/R/V/Y copy C:\Documents and Settings\dan1\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\Outlook.pst g: ____ #6 ____remove genuine notification_____________________________ How to Remove Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications Windows genuine advantage notifications occur when your computer hasn't passed the validation test. The validation test can be failed due to being sold a pirated (non-genuine) copy of XP, or because you have changed your XP product key to a software-generated key. The failed validation installs three types of notifications on your computer: one on the log in screen, one log in timer, and one balloon. It also stops updates from Microsoft and disables your ability to install IE7 and Windows Media Player 11. This solution can get rid of all three notifications, even though you will still not be able to update. Unfortunately, you can only update if you buy a valid Microsoft product key again. Steps First of all, if it's the first time you notice the notifications, or if you haven't installed any programs after you noticed it, you can simply use the System Restore, and backup your system without the WGA. You will still be able to download updates, but it is strongly recommended that you disable the auto updates in the security center and set to only be warned about the updates and download them manually, otherwise WGA will be installed again on your computer. # Open System32 by either A or B of the following methods: a) Click "Start", "Run", then type-in "System32". Click "Okay". b) Find System32 manually by clicking "Start" > "My Computer" > "(X:)" (Replacing "X" with the drive letter of the host of Windows) > "Windows" > "System32". In "System32", go to "Tools" > "Folder options" > click on the tab, "View" > Uncheck "Hide extensions for known file types". Now you can begin... Check to make sure the window that comes up has a full screen of various files. The files are in alphabetical order, which makes it easier to locate the specific file. Find "WgaLogon.dll" and rename it "WgaLogon.dll.bak". Create an empty copy of WgaLogon.dll: Right click on a blank space in System32 and select "New" > "Text Document". Leave the text document empty and label it "WgaLogon.dll". Press Enter (on your keyboard). You may get a warning from the above step that says, "If you change a file name extension, the file may become unusable. Are you sure you want to change it?". Click "Yes" on this warning. Be ready to complete the next two steps very quickly! Find "WgaTray.exe" in "System32" and delete it. You will then have 5 seconds to find "WgaTray.exe" in the Task Manager (the next step). Immediately open Task Manager. You can do this by pressing the Ctrl, Shift, and Esc keys simultaneously or right clicking the Taskbar and selecting "Task Manager". Click on the process tab and end "WgaTray.exe". Restart your computer once you have finished. All the notification messages should be gone. Tips This process will only get rid of the notifications, and will not validate your copy of XP. It will remove the timer at the beginning of your XP log on, the white notice on the log on screen, and the annoying yellow star that appears in the bottom right corner of the screen. This is easier to do if you have someone reading the steps to you while you do it. You may need to Find Hidden Files and Folders in Windows to get to System32 manually. If task manager programs are moving, click the title of the "user name" row to freeze them. If you are having problems after this, disable the updates before rebooting. There is a program called RemoveWGA which does all of this for you. Just run the program, click yes, and you're done. (See External Links, below.) If you have problems changing files in the System32 directory, you will have to turn off "system restore". "Start" -> "Control Panel" -> "System" -> "System Restore" -> Check the "Turn off system restore" check box. Warnings Do not edit anything but this in System32, or it could cause system start up failure. If you are new to computers, do not attempt this because if you modify the wrong file you may crash your computer. ____ #7 ___________hp designjet 500 ip address______________________ Go in setting to I/O than I/O setup select config tcp/ip enter yes enter scroll up go to config ip enter YES enter bootp enter NO enter automatic ip NO IP enter scroll to the range you will set.. exemple 192 enter 1 step up enter scroll to exemple 168 enter 1 step up scroll to ? enter etc. etc. subnet mask 255.255.255.0 gateway you don't have to set these ____ #8 _________________________________ Answer Line: How Do I Restore My Windows Registry? Hubert Harriman, Miami Windows 98, Me, and XP back up the Registry automatically at regular intervals, but it's still safest to back up your Registry manually before you make any major changes to your system. These are the best ways to back up and restore the Registry in various versions of Windows. Windows 98: Select Start, Run, then type scanreg and press Enter. When you're told that there are no errors, click Yes to back up the Registry, then OK. To restore the Registry, select Start, Shut Down, click Restart in MS-DOS mode, and click OK. At the C:\WINDOWS> prompt, type scanreg /restore (don't forget to put a space before the slash) and press Enter. Select a backup from the list and press Enter again. Windows 2000: There's no good method to back up the Registry in this OS. Some people use Regedit's Export feature, but in my experience this isn't a reliable way to back up the entire Registry (although it works quite well if you're backing up only parts of it). For backing up and restoring the Registry in Windows 2000, I recommend Super Win Software's $25 WinRescue 2000. Go to Superwin.com/rescue to download a trial version. Windows Me and XP: Select Start, Programs (All Programs in XP) , Accessories, System Tools, System Restore to bring up the System Restore Wizard. To back up your Registry, choose Create a restore point; to restore the Registry, select Restore my computer to an earlier time. ____ #9 _________________________________ Restoring Your Registry Submitted 12/31/98 Has your registry recently been damaged? To determine whether your registry was recently damaged, restore the registry from the previous day's backup. To restore the registry from the previous day's backup: 1. Hold down the CTRL key as you restart your computer. 2. On the Startup menu, select Safe mode command prompt only. 3. Type C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\SCANREG /RESTORE, and then press ENTER. 4. When you are prompted, select Previous Day's Registry. Note: If you restore a previous registry, you may need to reinstall any programs that were installed after the registry backup was made. ____ #10_________________________________ DNS Gnetworks 65.217.111.20/15 Comcast 63.240.76.4 204.127.198.4 ____ #11_________________________________ Problems When Windows XP Tries to Load the Agp440.sys Service View products that this article applies to. This article was previously published under Q324764 SYMPTOMS When you install Windows XP, you may experience one or more of the following symptoms: When you restart your computer, you may be prompted to use the Last Known Good configuration. When you do so, your computer may stop responding (hang) during the restart, and each time you restart thereafter. You may be prompted to run ScanDisk. When you do so, your computer may stop responding (hang). If you do not run ScanDisk, your computer may start correctly. However you are prompted to run ScanDisk every time you start your computer, and if you do so, your computer may stop responding (hang). When you restart your computer, your computer may stop responding (hang). If you try to restart your computer in Safe mode, your computer may stop responding (hang) when Windows XP tries to load the Agp440.sys service. CAUSE This issue may occur if Windows XP tries to use an incompatible video driver during startup. RESOLUTION To resolve this issue, disable the Agp440.sys service: IMPORTANT: You must know the administrator password to complete the following procedure. If you do not know the administrator password, contact your system administrator. After you complete this procedure, any video adapter driver you have installed will be disabled, and Windows XP will use default VGA drivers. Insert the Windows XP installation CD-ROM, and then restart your computer. When the computer starts, press F12. Start your computer from CD-ROM, and make sure that you select the drive that contains the Windows XP installation CD-ROM. In the Microsoft Windows Recovery Console, select R for repair, and then press ENTER. Select the installation number for the problem installation. Type the password for the administrator account of that installation, and then press ENTER. You receive a drive:WINDOWS> prompt, where drive is the drive on which Windows XP is installed. Type listsvc, and then press ENTER. Make sure that the Agp440 service is listed, and that the startup type is set to "Boot". Press ESC. Type disable agp440, and then press ENTER. You receive a message that the registry setting for this service was found, and that its current startup state is "service_disabled". Type exit, and then press ENTER. If you are prompted to start in Safe mode or Normal mode, start in Normal mode. Log on to your computer. Windows XP includes default video drivers that make it possible for your monitor to work. However, some features may not work as you expect with these default drivers. Update your video drivers periodically. To do so, visit your computer manufacturers Web site, and download the most recent drivers for your video adapter. ____ #12_________________________________ Defrag Error Message: ID No:DEFRAG00205 View products that this article applies to. This article was previously published under Q238165 SYMPTOMS When you run the Disk Defragmenter tool in Windows 98, you may receive the following error message: Error Defragmenting Drive C Windows cannot finish defragmenting this drive because it has encountered a problem. Click Help and carry out the instructions for running Scan Disk, and then try defragmenting again. ID No:DEFRAG00205 CAUSE This issue can occur if the Applog file in the hidden C:\Windows\Applog folder is damaged. RESOLUTION To resolve this issue, follow these steps: Right-click an empty area on the desktop, and then click Properties. On the Web tab, click Folder Options. Click Yes. On the View tab under Hidden files, click Show all files, and then click OK. Click Start, point to Find, and then click Files or Folders. In the Named box, type applog, click C: in the Look in box, click to select the Include subfolders check box, and then click Find Now. Double-click the Applog folder to open it. On the Edit menu, click Select all. On the File menu, click Delete, and then click Yes when you are prompted to confirm the deletion. ____ #13_________________________________ To extract files from WINDOWS 98 cab files type the following (we will assume D is the CD-ROM) EXTRACT /A D:\WIN98\WIN98_22.CAB /L C:\ For Example to extract Explorer.exe to the windows directory type: EXTRACT /A D:\WIN98\WIN98_22.CAB explorer.exe /L C:\windows ____ #14_________________________________ Hotmail with Outlook Express A recently added feature of Outlook Express (it's included in version 6, which comes with Windows XP) is the ability to read your Hotmail messages. This gives you an easier to use and nicer way to compose and read messages, compared to accessing Hotmail through a browser. If you are familiar with the features of Outlook Express for reading regular POP3 email, you will really appreciate having the same format and tools for using Hotmail. To set up a Hotmail account with Outlook Express, first open it from the Start Menu. If this is the first time you are opening OE, you will automatically find yourself in the new account wizard. If you have already been using OE, and you want to add a Hotmail account, click the Tools menu, then click "Accounts..." Click the Add button, then choose "Mail..." Enter a display name for you to use to reference the account, then click Next. Then enter in your Hotmail email address and click Next. Make sure that your email server is HTTP, and your provider is Hotmail, and click Next. Verify your email address, and enter your password (optional). if you leave the password field blank, you will be prompted for it each time you open Hotmail in OE. Click Next, then Finish to complete the setup. You may be prompted to download the folders from Hotmail; choose Yes to be able to read your Hotmail email now. OE will not really download your messages - instead it synchronizes them with the Hotmail web server. This can actually be convenient if you switch back and forth between using OE and using Hotmail from a browser. If you receive many messages, or have a really slow network connection, you may want to change your synchronization settings. Right-click the Inbox (or any folder), and hold the mouse cursor over "Synchronization Settings," then click "Headers Only." This means that only the title of the messages will be downloaded into OE, and the message itself won't be downloaded until you open it. This is also handy for SPAM, which you can delete without opening it. You can now use Outlook Express for Hotmail in all the same ways that you use it for your regular POP3 email, including creating new folders, moving messages to different folders, contacts/address book, receipts, signatures, etc. Once you have OE set up for Hotmail, you can send a blank email message to hmoex@hotmail.com, and you will receive an automatic response back from Microsoft with some useful information about using Hotmail with Outlook Express ____ #15_________________________________ MAC Bridge Miniport problem for users of Windows XP only In Windows XP, Microsoft have decided that it would be easier to have a single MAC address for all devices in your computer but this causes problems with the system we have in place. This shows itself when you do your 'ipconfig /all' command and the Description line for the adapter is MAC Bridge Miniport. To fix this you need to unbridge your ethernet adapter (don't worry if that sounds very technical, the instructions are below so just follow them). Remove your Network Card from the MAC Bridge Miniport by doing this: * Click on Start..Control Panel and then on Network Connections * Right-click on your Local Area Connection and choose Remove from Bridge * Right-click Network Bridge and choose the Disable option * Click on as many OK boxes to get you back to the normal screen (you don't need to reboot) * Now do an ipconfig /all again in a command window and you should see your Network Card and its proper MAC address. It is this address we require. ____ #16_________________________________ You receive a "This installation package could not be opened" error message when you run Office 2000 Setup View products that this article applies to. This article was previously published under Q236597 For a Microsoft Office XP version of this article, see 290525. SYMPTOMS When you try to run Office Setup, you may receive one of the following error messages: This installation package could not be opened. Verify that the package exists and that you can access it, or contact the application vendor to verify that this is a valid Windows Installer package. -or- This installation package could not be opened. Contact the application vendor to verify that this is a valid Windows Installer package. CAUSE This problem may occur if the locally cached Windows Installer package (.msi) file is damaged or corrupted. RESOLUTION To resolve this problem, use the following methods in the order presented. METHOD 1: Update Windows Installer Do one of the following. If You Already Installed Office 2000 Click Start, and then click Run. In the Open box, type the following command line, and then click OK: \Setup.exe /fv Data1.msi where is the path to your Office Setup files. If You Are Trying to Install Office 2000 If Office 2000 is not yet installed on your computer, follow these steps: Open the Windows\Installer folder on your hard disk. Right-click any file with an .msi extension, and then click Properties. Repeat step 2 for each .msi file in the Installer folder, and then delete the .msi file for the version of Office that you are trying to install. METHOD 2: Update Windows Installer from the Web Update Windows with the latest version of Windows Installer. To obtain the latest version of Windows Installer, visit the following Microsoft Web site: http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/downloads/list/dataaccess.asp For additional information about this issue, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 229819 OFF2000: Error Message When You Install or Upgrade the Windows Installer ____ #17_________________________________ Avoid Startup Slowdown From Mapped Drives June 22, 2004 By Neil J. Rubenking I have defined several mapped network drives on my system, and if I'm connected to our intranet, either locally or through my VPN, everything is fine. But when I'm not connected to the intranet, there are huge delays whenever I'm browsing through the directory tree and during many other operations as well. Is there some way to tell Microsoft Windows XP not to search nonlocal resources when I'm not connected? I don't want to unmap the drives, as it is too time-consuming to remap them every time. Ward Balver Remapping the drives when they're needed doesn't have to be time-consuming. The NET USE command will map a drive, for example: NET USE G:\\computername\sharename\volume Create a batch file with a line like this for each of your mapped drives. Add this line at the end of the batch file: NET USE /PERSISTENT:NO That last line prevents the system from trying to reconnect at start-up, which it would do by default. When you are connected to the intranet, just launch the batch file to map all your network drives quickly. Use the Net Use command to map or disconnect a drive You can use the net use command for batch files and scripts. To use the net use command to map or disconnect a drive: � To map a network drive: 1. Click Start, and then click Run. 2. In the Open box, type cmd. 3. Type net use x: \\computer name\share name, where x: is the drive letter you want to assign to the shared resource. � To disconnect a mapped drive: 1. Click Start, and then click Run. 2. In the Open box, type cmd. 3. Type net use x: /delete, where x: is the drive letter of the shared resource. ____ #18_________________________________ Tcp reset Netsh int reset c:\log.txt ____ #19_________________________________ Unable to Logon to Windows 2003 Domain Due to Windows Cannot Connect to the Domain Error Some IT admins report issues with Windows XP workstations that are joined to a Windows 2003 Active Directory domain. These workstations are part of the domain, however, when a domain user tries to authenticate and logon to the domain from one of these workstations they cannot login and receive the following error message: Windows cannot connect to the domain either because the domain controller is down or otherwise unavailable, or because your computer account was not found. Please try again later. If this message continues to appear contact your System Administrator for assistance. This error is received even though the computer account for the workstation and user account for the user both exist. Daniel's recommendations If you are looking to really master Active Directory (or other Networking skills), I strongly recommend that you try Train Signal. I've discovered this company a few months ago and I always send people their way because the training is so good. You can see more HERE. Daniel Petri This or error may appear when a PC is replaced with another computer with the same computer name without first deleting the duplicate computer name from the Active Directory domain before joining the new workstation to the domain with the same duplicate name. The funny part is that the symptom may either appear immediately at the first try, or even after a few successful logons. The cause of the error is usually related to security identifier (SID) issues. Another possible cause for the error is that the computer account for the workstation was accidentally deleted from the Active Directory domain. Another common cause for the error is using Norton Ghost or any other similar disk cloning software. This happens when the administrator has cloned one XP machine and reproduced it to many other new computers without first using and running Microsoft's SYSPREP utility (read more on that in a different article). In most cases, the error does not have anything to do with the user account part, only with the computer account. The resolution to the above error is: 1. Login to the Windows Server 2003 Domain Controller, open DSA.MSC (Active Directory Users and Computers) and delete the computer account object from the domain. 2. Login to the Windows XP workstation as a local administrator. If you cannot logon as local administrator, try to disconnect the network cable and login to the computer by using a domain administrator user that was used to logon on the PC before. This will be made possible because of the cached logon credentials feature that remembers the last 10 successful logons. 3. Go to Control Panel, then click on System icon, then go to Computer Name tab. You can also do this by right-clicking My Computer, and then Properties or by pressing the Windows logo key � and Break. 4. Remove the computer from the domain by clicking on �Change�. You should see that Domain button is now selected. Remember your domain name in the text box. Select the �Workgroup� radio button to remove the computer from the domain, and put any workgroup name in the text box (e.g. workgroup). 5. Click OK to exit and reboot the computer. 6. After the computer restarts, go back to Control Panel > System > Computer Name tab, and click Change. 7. Rejoin the domain by chocking the Domain button. Enter the domain name noted in step 4. 8. You might be prompter to enter the credentials of one of the Domain Admin users. This can be bypassed if one of the Domain Admins manually creates a computer account in Active Directory Users and Computers for the workstation you're about to join. 9. Click OK to exit. 10. Reboot the PC. Done. Rela ____ #20________can't hang new wallapper___________ I have a problem on my son's PC. I can no longer get the desktop to change. This seems to have occurred after installing a Registry repair program that has since been removed. When I select Display Properties and go to the Desktop, the desktop backgrounds are not selectable: They seem almost grayed out. I tried to restore the system, and the restore failed. I'm not sure why, and I don't want to reload Microsoft Windows XP. Is there a solution to reinstall this or to find what files are possibly corrupted? I have searched the Microsoft knowledge base and checked with user groups without getting an answer. Any help would be appreciated. Mike DiGangi It sounds like your Registry utility modified one or more Registry settings to forbid changing the wallpaper. This prevents the user from making changes but doesn't stop other programs from doing so. Even when this restriction is in place, you can still change the wallpaper by right-clicking on an image on a Web page and choosing Set As Desktop Background. To lift the wallpaper ban, launch REGEDIT by typing its name in the Start menu's Run dialog. Navigate to the key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ActiveDesktop. Look in the right-hand pane for a value named NoChangingWallpaper. If it's present, double-click on it and change its data to 0. But wait; there's more. In the key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\ Windows\CurrentVersion\ Policies\System, look for values named Wallpaper and WallpaperStyle. If these are present, delete them. You may need to reboot after making these changes, but once you've done so, you'll again be able to set whatever image you like as the desktop background. ____ #21_________________________________ For proper mail support, view the Server Name, POP and SMTP settings for your Charter Pipeline account:: E-Mail Server Set Up Information for @Charter.net Customers Incoming E-Mail POP Server - pop.charter.net Outgoing E-Mail SMTP Server - smtp.charter.net Name of News Server - news.charter.net Email Server Set Up Information for @CharterMI.net Customers Incoming Email POP Server - pop Outgoing Email SMTP Server - smtp Name of News Server - news Email Server Set Up Information for @CharterTN.net Customers Incoming Email POP Server - pop.chartertn.net Outgoing Email SMTP Server - mail.chartertn.net Name of News Server - news.chartertn.net Email Server Set Up Information for @The-Beach.net Customers Incoming Email POP Server - mail.the-beach.net Outgoing Email SMTP Server - mail.the-beach.net Name of News Server - news.the-beach.net Email Server Set Up Information for @NEBI.com Customers Incoming Email POP Server - mail.nebi.com Outgoing Email SMTP Server - mail.nebi.com Name of News Server - No News Server E-Mail Server Set Up Information for @Earthlink.net Customers Incoming E-Mail POP Server - mail.earthlink.net Outgoing E-Mail SMTP Server - mail.earthlink.net Name of News Server - news.earthlink.net ____ #22_________________________________ "The address list could not be displayed" error message when you use your Contacts to address a new message in Outlook SYMPTOMS If you attempt to address a new message from your Contacts, you may receive the following error message: The address list could not be displayed. The Contacts folder associated with this address list could not be opened; it may have been moved or deleted, or you do not have permissions. For information on how to remove this folder from the Outlook Address Book, see Microsoft Outlook Help. CAUSE This behavior can occur if the Microsoft Outlook Address Book is damaged. RESOLUTION To resolve this issue, remove and reinstall the Outlook Address Book. To do this: 1. Start Outlook. 2. On the Tools menu, click E-mail Accounts. 3. Click View or change existing directories or address books, and then click Next. 4. Click Outlook Address Book, and then click Remove. 5. Click Yes when you receive the prompt to confirm the removal. 6. Click Add. 7. Click Additional Address Books, and then click Next. 8. Click Outlook Address Book, and then click Next. 9. Click OK when you receive the message to restart Outlook. 10. Click Finish. 11. Click Exit on the File menu to quit Outlook. 12. Restart Outlook. 13. In the Folder list, right-click the folder that you want to use with the Address Book (for example, right-click Contacts), and then click Properties. 14. Click the Outlook Address Book tab. 15. Click to select the Show this folder as an e-mail Address Book check box (if it is not already selected), and then click OK. ____ #23_________________________________ Auldfart's How To Guides from http://www.auldfart.co.uk/howto/sysrestore.html XP�s System Restore Once you�ve made changes to the Registry or altered system files you�re not always going to get the desired results. There will be times when the changes you make will have an adverse effect on the smooth running of your PC. You may experience erratic behaviour, or certain items may stop functioning completely. By using the System Restore utility in Windows XP it�s possible to go back to a given point in time when everything worked correctly. Don�t be complacent though and start thinking that you�ll never have to create a backup again. A regular backup is the only way to compensate against the likes of complete hardware failure or the physical loss of your PC through the likes of theft and so on. System Restore should be used when a mistake has been made in configuring Windows XP and it�s not possible or you�re unsure of how to undo the changes you�ve made. Alternatively, you may find your PC isn�t working as it should following the installation of a new piece of hardware or a software application. System Restore can take you back to a point in time before the changes were made, enabling your to recover a fully usable system. Think of System Restore as a tool that compliments rather than replaces your back-up routine. Configure System Restore Open System Properties, select the System Restore tab and begin configuring its settings. The utility will have earmarked about ten per cent of the free space on all available partitions set up on your system, for the purpose of storing restore point information. While this may be fine for the drive or drives that contain your important system files, it�s not so good if all you�re storing on a partition is data. To see how much drive space has been used up by System Restore click the Settings button. You can choose which drives use System Restore and ensure that the space you need for other things isn�t wasted. Select the drive you require and then click Settings, check the box �Turn off System Restore on this drive� and click OK. You won�t be able to use this method to switch System Restore off on your main Windows XP partition. To do this you�ll have to check the box �Turn off System Restore on all drives� under the System Restore tab. Note that if you do turn it off, any existing restore points on that particular drive will be deleted. Restore point location Any Restore Points that are created either manually by you or automatically by your OS are stored under C:\System Volume Information. You won�t be able to change the location of this folder and if you�re using an NTFS-formatted partition you won�t be able to access these folders, either. When it comes to using System Restore you�ll want to be sure that important files aren�t lost when you take a step back in time and make use of a Restore Point. Any items stored in the My Documents folder will be safe, but files stored elsewhere may not fare so well. To ensure that the contents of an important folder remain untouched you can make an alteration in the Registry and add its location to a list of protected items. Creating restore points A new system restore point will be created every 24 hours if your PC is left on all the time. If you shut your PC down after you�ve finished using it then a new restore point is created if the last one is more than 24 hours old. A restore point will also be created automatically whenever an unsigned driver is used. Unsigned doesn�t necessarily mean unsafe � it just means that a driver hasn�t been tested by Microsoft. To reduce the risk of having to use System Restore because of such an event, open System Properties, select the Hardware tab and click Driver Signing. Under �What action do you want Windows to take?�, select �Warn� so you can make an informed decision before one is installed. You can access System Restore under System Tools on the All Programs menu. A �system checkpoint� will create a snapshot of your system at a precise moment, defined by the time and date. Click �Create a restore point� and then select Next. Give your restore point a description that you�ll recognise should you need to use it. For example, if you�re planning to install a new item of hardware then enter something like �system before new graphics card�. The date and time will be added automatically. Click Create and set the restore point. It�s all over and done with quickly and you�ll be advised that it was created successfully. Should you need to use your restore point you have two options. If your system fails completely press [F8] during Startup and choose to restore from the last good configuration. Alternatively, run System Restore and choose a point to restore from. Excluding an item from System Restore Your Registry already contains details of files and folders that are excluded from the process. Open the Registry Editor and locate HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ BackupRestore \ FilesNotToBackup. Each value that you see in the right pane is an item that�s protected. Right-click and create a new Multi-String Value. For reference purposes give this a name that you�ll recognise, for example the folder name itself. Each value that you see in the right pane is an item that�s protected. Right-click and create a new Multi-String Value. For reference purposes give this a name that you�ll recognise, for example the folder name itself. Automatic restore point creation Windows XP creates system restore points every 24 hours. Change this frequency to ensure that they�re made more or less often. You can�t make this change within the program itself � instead, you�ll need to make a change to the Registry. Locate HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows NT \ CurrentVersion \ SystemRestore. In the right pane locate the DWORD entry labelled RPGlobalInterval, or create if it�s not there. The default setting is 86,400 seconds, which equates to 24 hours. Change this figure to alter the frequency of automatic restore point creation. For example, divide by 2 for a 12-hour interval and so on. ____ #24_________Remove the Welcome Screen________________________ Remove the Welcome Screen If you dont want to use "Fast User Switching", you may want to disable the Welcome Screen. You must be logged in as an Administrator to do this. Note:To do this follow the directions below: 1) Click on Start 2) Click on Control Panel 3) Double-click on User Accounts 4) Click on "Change the way users log on or off" 5) Uncheck "Use the Welcome Screen" (note: this will also disable "Fast User Switching") 6) Click on Apply Options 7) Close the User Accounts window and the Control Panel 8) The next time you reboot your computer, the classic login prompt will be used What if I dont want the Welcome Screen OR the classic prompt? Can I disable both? To Login automatically to a user account, follow the instructions below: 1) Click on Run 2) Type in the following command and click OK control userpasswords2 3) Highlight the user you want to log into automatically, then uncheck the box for "Users must enter a username and password to use this computer" 4) Click on Apply and you'll be asked to verify the username and password to log in automatically 5) Click OK and the next time you restart your computer, you'll automatically be logged in without having the classic prompt or Welcome Screen. Is there a utility I can use to accomplish this? You can download a utility for Windows XP called TweakUI that will allow you to change the way you log into Windows XP, along with allowing you to change alot of other features. You can download TweakUI for Windows XP from the Microsoft Powertoys web page at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx ____ #25_________Manually Install the Backup Utility________________________ To manually install Backup: 1. Double-click the Ntbackup.msi file in the following location on the Windows XP Home Edition CD-ROM to start a wizard that installs Backup: CD-ROM Drive:\VALUEADD\MSFT\NTBACKUP 2. When the wizard is complete, click Finish. ____ #26_________________________________ If after trying a System restore...and you still have the problem...The SPOOLSV.EXE file is normally found in the C:\Windows\System32 directory...depending on your drive letter. You could try obtaining a "good" version of the file from one of the following Windows folders... C:\Windows\I386 - - - SPOOLSV.EX_ the file will need to be EXPANDED...see link below for the Expand command format, usage. or C:\Windows\ServicePackFiles\I386 - - - File is in expanded form or C:\Windows\System32\Dllcache - - - File is in expanded form With that being said...if the actual file SPOOLSV.EXE (from the System32 folder) was corrupted and you ran the SFC /SCANNOW utility...it should have replaced it with a good one from the Dllcache folder. Providing the Dllcache folder was not corrupted and the SPOOLSV.EXE file was present. If either of the 2 (Dllcache folder corrupted or file missing) conditions were present then you would probably have gotten a message to insert your XP Installation CD and the file would have been replaced from the file on your CD. I suspect that something else is causing your print spooler problem...have you applied any updates prior to the printer "disappearing"...from MS or HP...what about your virus protection software?...what are you using? ____ #27_________________________________ Extracts a file from a compressed file. Use this command to extract a driver file from a cabinet (.cab) or compressed file. The expand command with the parameters listed below is only available when you are using the Recovery Console The expand command with different parameters is available from the command prompt. expand source [/F:filespec}] [destination] [/d] [/y] Parameters source Specifies the file to expand. Use this if the source file contains a single file. Source can consist of a drive letter and a colon, a directory name, a file name, or a combination. You cannot use wildcard characters. /f:filespec If the source contains more than one file, this specifies the name of the file you want to extract. You can use wildcards for the files you want to extract. destination Specifies both the destination directory and file name for the extracted file, or each individually. /d Lists the files contained in the cabinet file without expanding it or extracting from it. /y Suppresses the overwrite prompt when expanding or extracting files. Examples The following example extracts the file Msgame.sys from the Drivers cabinet file on a Setup CD and copies it to C:\Windows\System\Drivers: expand d:\i386\driver.cab /f:msgame.sys c:\Windows\system\drivers The following example expands the compressed file Access.cp_: expand d:\i386\acces.cp_ c:\Windows\system32\access.cpl The following example lists all the files in the Drivers cabinet file on the Setup CD: expand /d d:\i386\driver.cab --------------------------------11.13.07 aol Secured Sites------ Why can't I access a secure site? There are a number of possible reasons why you may not be able to access a secure site: Restricted access These are some websites that are intended for use by a limited number of people. An example of this would be a banking site that allows customers to view their account details yet prevents others from accessing it. The only way to view this type of site is to get a log-in from the owners of the site. Incorrect log-in When you sign in to a secure site, you are generally asked to identify yourself. This is often done using a user name and password (the same as you do with AOL). If you mistype the information (for example, mistyping the password), the site should deny you access. If you are denied access to a site, there are a number of things you can check: - Make sure you have the correct user name (or identification) and password - Make sure your keyboard is responding correctly (try typing the information in Notepad) - Restart the computer and see if that helps - Contact the owner of the site to verify your log-in details. Check your version of Internet Explorer You must be using Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher. By default if you are running AOL 9.0 VR and/or Windows XP you will already have Internet Explorer 6.0. To check your version of Internet Explorer: 1. Open Internet Explorer using the icon on the desktop or by clicking Start, All Programs and Internet Explorer. 2. Click Help on the toolbar, then click About Internet Explorer. 3. Check the Version number. This should be 6.0 or higher. 4. Check the Cipher Strength. This should be 128-bit or higher. If you are not running Internet Explorer 6.0 When checking the version number of Internet Explorer, click the update link and follow the on-screen instructions to upgrade your current version of Internet Explorer. If you do not have 128-bit encryption, install a copy of AOL 9.0 that will upgrade your Internet Explorer to 128-bit encryption. Visit AOL Keyword: Secure fix 1. Sign on using your AOL software. 2. Visit AOL Keyword: Secure Fix. 3. Restart AOL and try to access a secure website. Check Parental Controls 1. Sign on to AOL and visit AOL Keyword: Parental Controls. 2. Click the Screen Name that is having trouble accessing secure sites. If this includes all your screen names, then each one will need to be checked individually. 3. Click Edit Web Control. Ensure that General (18+), Allows Access to All Web sites (Recommended for adults only) is ticked, and click Save. 4. Click OK. 5. Click Close and try to access a secure website. If you have tried all the steps above and still have problems accessing secure sites, please try the troubleshooting steps listed on the right. ------------------------------ Protocol Release Date Op. Frequency Throughput (Typ) Data Rate (Max) Modulation Technique Range (Radius Indoor) Legacy 1997 2.4 GHz 0.9 Mbit/s 2 Mbit/s ~20 Meters ~100 Meters 802.11a 1999 5 GHz 23 Mbit/s 54 Mbit/s OFDM ~35 Meters ~120 Meters 802.11b 1999 2.4 GHz 4.3 Mbit/s 11 Mbit/s DSSS ~38 Meters ~140 Meters 802.11g 2003 2.4 GHz 19 Mbit/s 54 Mbit/s OFDM ~38 Meters ~140 Meters 802.11n June 2009[4] 2.4 - 5 GHz 74 Mbit/s 248 Mbit/s ~70 Meters ~250 Meters 802.11y June 2008[4] 3.7 GHz 23 Mbit/s 54 Mbit/s ~50 Meters ~5000 Meters --------------------------------------------- Carrier Server Address Adelphia mail.adelphia.net America Online (AOL) Does not support pop mail. Ameritech mailhost.det.ameritech.net Atlantic Broadband smtp.atlanticbb.net AT&T (Broadband) mail.attbi.com AT&T (Dialup) smtp1.attglobal.net AT&T Worldnet mailhost.worldnet.att.net or imailhost.worldnet.att.net BCPL mail.bcpl.net Bellatlantic gtei.bellatlantic.net or smtpout.verizon.net Bellatlantic.net smtpout.bellatlantic.net Bellsouth mail.bellsouth.net Bestweb smtp.bestweb.net Blazenet smtp.blazenet.net Cable One mail.cableone.net CAIS smtp.cais.net CalWeb smtp.calweb.com CAPU smtp.capu.net Charm.net smtp.charm.net Charter Communications smtp.charter.net Coastalnet mail2.coastalnet.com Columbia smtp.columbia.edu Comcast smtp.comcast.net Compuserve smtp.compuserve.com or smtp.site1.csi.com Concentric.net smtp.concentric.net Covad smtp.covad.net Cox West smtp.west.cox.net (west coast users) Cox Central smtp.central.cox.net (central users) Cox East smtp.east.cox.net(east coast users) Cox Business smarthost.coxmail.com Crosslink smtp.crosslink.net CWNET.COM mail.cwnet.com DCANET smtp-relay.dca.net Delmarva Online mail-gw.dmv.com Delta Net smtp.deltanet.com or smtp.fcc.net Direcway smtp.direcway.com DirectConnect smtp.directcon.net DSL Extreme smtp.dslextreme.com Earthlink Network mail.earthlink.net or smtp.earthlink.net Earthlink Network (International only) ismtp.earthlink.net Edge.net mail.edge.net Enter smtp.enter.net EROLS mail.erols.com Ezy smtp.ezy.net Flashcom mail.flashcom.net or smtp.flashcom.net Frontline.net smtp.fcc.net Gateway.net smtp.Gateway.net GTI mail.gti.net HotMail mail.hotmail.com IBM.Global.net smtp1.ibm.net ioNet Inc mail.ionet.net Interaccess.com smtp.interaccess.com Internet America mail.airmail.net ITOL mail.itol.com Juno smtp.juno.com Lycos smtp.mail.lycos.com McLeodusa email.mcleodusa.net Mediacom mail.mchsi.com Mediaone.net smtp.ce.medione.net MegaPath mail.megapathdsl.net MCI mailrelay.mciworldcom.net mailrelay.internetmci.com Mindspring smtp.mindspring.com MSN smtp.email.msn.com Nauticom mail.nauticom.net Netcom smtp.ix.netcom.com Netcom (Canada) smtp.netcom.ca NetZero smtp.netzero.net NYU.edu smtp.nyu.edu OLG.com mail.olg.com OPTOnline Internet Service mail.optonline.net Pacbell mail.pacbell.net Patriot Media smtp.patriot.net Pipeline smtp.pipeline.com Primus.ca smtp.primus.ca Prodigy smtp.prodigy.net PSI.net relay.smtp.psi.net PTD.net promail.ptd.net port 25 QIS mail.qis.net Qwest Internet Service pop.dnvr.qwest.net RCN smtp.rcn.com Rider.edu enigma.rider.edu RoadRunner smtp-server..rr.com SBC Global smtp.sbcglobal.net SBC Global Yahoo smtp.sbcglobal.yahoo.com Smallville Communications mail.toto.net SNiP mail.snip.net Spectrum DSL mail.webstable.com SprintLink smtp.a001.sprintmail.com Sprynet m6.sprynet.com or smtp.sprynet.com Starpower smtp.starpower.net SureWest smtp.surewest.net StarPower smtp.starpower.net Sympatico mailhost.sk.sympatico.ca UMBC smtp.gl.umbc.edu USA.NET mail.netaddress.usa.net US Internet smtp.usit.net UUNet mail.uu.net Verizon Internet Services outgoing.verizon.net or smtpout.verizon.net Wide Open West smtp.mail.wideopenwest.com XO Communications mail.njd.xo.com or smtp.concentric.net Yahoo smtp.mail.yahoo.com Ziplink smtp.ziplink.net --------------------------------------- Try searching for these . *.pab = outlook Personal Address Books *.PST == outlook personal folder *.wbd file. = works address book *.WAB = windows address book ---------------------------------------