Boot Winxp Fast
Follow the following steps
1. Open notepad.exe, type "del c:\windows\prefetch\ntosboot-*.* /q" (without the quotes) & save as "ntosboot.bat" in c:\
2. From the Start menu, select "Run..." & type "gpedit.msc".
3. Double click "Windows Settings" under "Computer Configuration" and double click again on "Shutdown" in the right window.
4. In the new window, click "add", "Browse", locate your "ntosboot.bat" file & click "Open".
5. Click "OK", "Apply" & "OK" once again to exit.
6. From the Start menu, select "Run..." & type "devmgmt.msc".
7. Double click on "IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers"
8. Right click on "Primary IDE Channel" and select "Properties".
9. Select the "Advanced Settings" tab then on the device or 1 that doesn't have 'device type' greyed out select 'none' instead of 'autodetect' & click "OK".
10. Right click on "Secondary IDE channel", select "Properties" and repeat step 9.
11. Reboot your computer.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Tutorial How to create a bootable Windows XP SP1 CD (Nero)
Tutorial : How to create a bootable Windows XP SP1 CD (Nero)
How to create a bootable Windows XP SP1 CD (Nero):
Step 1
Create 3 folders - C:\WINXPSP1, C:\SP1106 and C:\XPBOOT
Step 2
Copy the entire Windows XP CD into folder C:\WINXPSP1
Step 3
You will have to download the SP1 Update, which is 133MB.
Rename the Service Pack file to XP-SP1.EXE
Extract the Service Pack from the Run Dialog using the command:
C:\XP-SP1.EXE -U -X:C:\SP1106
Step 4
Open Start/Run... and type the command:
C:\SP1106\update\update.exe -s:C:\WINXPSP1
Click OK
Folder C:\WINXPSP1 contains: Windows XP SP1
How to Create a Windows XP SP1 CD Bootable
Step 1
Download xpboot.zip
http://thro.port5.com/xpboot.zip
( no download manager !! )
Extract xpboot.zip file (xpboot.bin) in to the folder C:\XPBOOT
Step 2
Start Nero - Burning Rom.
Select File > New... from the menu.
1.) Select CD-ROM (Boot)
2.) Select Image file from Source of boot image data
3.) Set Kind of emulation: to No Emulation
4.) Set Load segment of sectors (hex!): to 07C0
5.) Set Number of loaded sectors: to 4
6.) Press the Browse... button
Step 3
Select All Files (*.*) from File of type:
Locate boot.bin in the folder C:\XPBOOT
Step 4
Click ISO tab
Set File-/Directory length to ISO Level 1 (Max. of 11 = 8 + 3 chars)
Set Format to Mode 1
Set Character Set to ISO 9660
Check all Relax ISO Restrictions
Step 5
Click Label Tab
Select ISO9660 from the drop down box.
Enter the Volume Label as WB2PFRE_EN
Enter the System Identifier as WB2PFRE_EN
Enter the Volume Set as WB2PFRE_EN
Enter the Publisher as MICROSOFT CORPORATION
Enter the Data Preparer as MICROSOFT CORPORATION
Enter the Application as WB2PFRE_EN
* For Windows XP Professional OEM substitute WB2PFRE_EN with WXPOEM_EN
* For Windows XP Home OEM substitute WB2PFRE_EN with WXHOEM_EN
Step 6
Click Burn tab
Check Write
Check Finalize CD (No further writing possible!)
Set Write Method to Disk-At-Once
Press New button
Step 7
Locate the folder C:\WINXPSP1
Select everything in the folder and drag it to the ISO compilation panel.
Click the Write CD Dialog button.
Press Write
You're done.
How to create a bootable Windows XP SP1 CD (Nero):
Step 1
Create 3 folders - C:\WINXPSP1, C:\SP1106 and C:\XPBOOT
Step 2
Copy the entire Windows XP CD into folder C:\WINXPSP1
Step 3
You will have to download the SP1 Update, which is 133MB.
Rename the Service Pack file to XP-SP1.EXE
Extract the Service Pack from the Run Dialog using the command:
C:\XP-SP1.EXE -U -X:C:\SP1106
Step 4
Open Start/Run... and type the command:
C:\SP1106\update\update.exe -s:C:\WINXPSP1
Click OK
Folder C:\WINXPSP1 contains: Windows XP SP1
How to Create a Windows XP SP1 CD Bootable
Step 1
Download xpboot.zip
http://thro.port5.com/xpboot.zip
( no download manager !! )
Extract xpboot.zip file (xpboot.bin) in to the folder C:\XPBOOT
Step 2
Start Nero - Burning Rom.
Select File > New... from the menu.
1.) Select CD-ROM (Boot)
2.) Select Image file from Source of boot image data
3.) Set Kind of emulation: to No Emulation
4.) Set Load segment of sectors (hex!): to 07C0
5.) Set Number of loaded sectors: to 4
6.) Press the Browse... button
Step 3
Select All Files (*.*) from File of type:
Locate boot.bin in the folder C:\XPBOOT
Step 4
Click ISO tab
Set File-/Directory length to ISO Level 1 (Max. of 11 = 8 + 3 chars)
Set Format to Mode 1
Set Character Set to ISO 9660
Check all Relax ISO Restrictions
Step 5
Click Label Tab
Select ISO9660 from the drop down box.
Enter the Volume Label as WB2PFRE_EN
Enter the System Identifier as WB2PFRE_EN
Enter the Volume Set as WB2PFRE_EN
Enter the Publisher as MICROSOFT CORPORATION
Enter the Data Preparer as MICROSOFT CORPORATION
Enter the Application as WB2PFRE_EN
* For Windows XP Professional OEM substitute WB2PFRE_EN with WXPOEM_EN
* For Windows XP Home OEM substitute WB2PFRE_EN with WXHOEM_EN
Step 6
Click Burn tab
Check Write
Check Finalize CD (No further writing possible!)
Set Write Method to Disk-At-Once
Press New button
Step 7
Locate the folder C:\WINXPSP1
Select everything in the folder and drag it to the ISO compilation panel.
Click the Write CD Dialog button.
Press Write
You're done.
How To Boot Xp Faster (updated)
First of all, this tweak only apply to those who only have one HDD on their primary IDE channel (nothing else on device 0 or 1) and a CD-ROM and/or DVD-ROM on the secondary IDE channel. Each time you boot Windows XP, there's an updated file called NTOSBOOT-*.pf who appears in your prefetch directory (%SystemRoot%Prefetch) and there's no need to erease any other files as the new prefetch option in XP really improves loading time of installed programs. We only want WindowsXP to boot faster and not decrease its performance. Thanks to Rod Cahoon (for the prefetch automation process...with a minor change of mine) and Zeb for the IDE Channel tweak as those two tricks, coupled together with a little modification, result in an EXTREMELY fast bootup:
1. Open notepad.exe, type "del c:windowsprefetch tosboot-*.* /q" (without the quotes) & save as "ntosboot.bat" in c:
2. From the Start menu, select "Run..." & type "gpedit.msc".
3. Double click "Windows Settings" under "Computer Configuration" and double click again on "Shutdown" in the right window.
4. In the new window, click "add", "Browse", locate your "ntosboot.bat" file & click "Open".
5. Click "OK", "Apply" & "OK" once again to exit.
6. From the Start menu, select "Run..." & type "devmgmt.msc".
7. Double click on "IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers"
8. Right click on "Primary IDE Channel" and select "Properties".
9. Select the "Advanced Settings" tab then on the device 0 or 1 that doesn't have 'device type' greyed out select 'none' instead of 'autodetect' & click "OK".
10. Right click on "Secondary IDE channel", select "Properties" and repeat step 9.
11. Reboot your computer.
WindowsXP should now boot REALLY faster.
1. Open notepad.exe, type "del c:windowsprefetch tosboot-*.* /q" (without the quotes) & save as "ntosboot.bat" in c:
2. From the Start menu, select "Run..." & type "gpedit.msc".
3. Double click "Windows Settings" under "Computer Configuration" and double click again on "Shutdown" in the right window.
4. In the new window, click "add", "Browse", locate your "ntosboot.bat" file & click "Open".
5. Click "OK", "Apply" & "OK" once again to exit.
6. From the Start menu, select "Run..." & type "devmgmt.msc".
7. Double click on "IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers"
8. Right click on "Primary IDE Channel" and select "Properties".
9. Select the "Advanced Settings" tab then on the device 0 or 1 that doesn't have 'device type' greyed out select 'none' instead of 'autodetect' & click "OK".
10. Right click on "Secondary IDE channel", select "Properties" and repeat step 9.
11. Reboot your computer.
WindowsXP should now boot REALLY faster.
Boot Defragment
A very important new feature in Microsoft Windows XP is the ability to do a boot defragment. This basically means that all boot files are placed next to each other on the disk drive to allow for faster booting. By default this option is enabled but some upgrade users have reported that it isn't on their setup.
1. Start Regedit.
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Dfrg\BootOpt imizeFunction
3. Select Enable from the list on the right.
4. Right on it and select Modify.
5. Change the value to Y to enable and N to disable.
6. Reboot your computer.
1. Start Regedit.
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Dfrg\BootOpt imizeFunction
3. Select Enable from the list on the right.
4. Right on it and select Modify.
5. Change the value to Y to enable and N to disable.
6. Reboot your computer.
Dual Boot XP
A computer can be configured to let you choose between two or more operating systems each time you restart the computer. With multibooting, you can choose which operating system to run or specify a default OS if no selection is made during the restart process.
Computers Containing Multiple Windows 2000 or Windows XP Partitions
Before installing Windows 2000 and Windows XP on the same machine, you need to prepare your system with different partitions (a process that divides a hard disk into separate sections that can be formatted for use by a file system. Partitions typically have different drive letters such as C or D).
One OS per partition
It’s important to install each operating system on a different partition and install the applications used with each operating system on the same partition as the OS. If an application is used with two different operating systems, install it on two partitions. Placing each operating system in a separate partition ensures that it will not overwrite crucial files used by the other OS.
Install Latest OS Last
In general, you should install the most recent OS last—after you have installed all other operating systems on the target computer. In this case, you should install Windows 2000 and then install Windows XP.
Unique Computer Name
You can set up a computer so that it has multiple installations of Windows XP on multiple partitions. However, you must use a different computer name for each installation if the computer participates in a Windows 2000 Server domain. Because a unique security identifier (SID) is used for each installation of Windows XP on a domain, the computer name for each installation must be unique—even for multiple installations on the same computer.
Checklist Summary
To configure a computer containing Windows 2000 and Windows XP, review the following guidelines:
Install each operating system on a separate drive or disk partition.
Install Windows XP after you have installed Windows 2000.
When you perform a new installation of Windows XP (as opposed to an upgrade), by default, the installation is placed on a partition on which no other operating system is located. You can specify a different partition during Setup.
Don’t install Windows XP on a compressed drive unless the drive was compressed with the NTFS file system compression feature.
On any partition where you perform a new installation of Windows XP (as opposed to an upgrade), you will need to re-install any programs, such as word processing or e-mail software, after Setup is complete.
Install the programs used by each operating system on the partition with that system. If you want your programs to run with multiple operating systems, you need to install separate copies of the programs in each of the operating system partitions.
If the computer is on a Windows 2000 Server domain, each installation of Windows XP on that computer must have a different computer name.
Computers Containing Windows NT 4.0 and Windows XP
Setting up a computer to run Windows XP as well as an earlier operating system such as Windows NT Workstation 4.0 requires addressing compatibility issues among different file systems: NTFS, FAT, and FAT32.
Normally, NTFS is the recommended file system because it supports important features, including the Active Directory™ service and domain-based security. However, using NTFS as the only file system on a computer that contains both Windows XP and Windows NT is not recommended. On these computers, a FAT or FAT32 partition containing the Windows NT 4.0 operating system ensures that when started with Windows NT 4.0, the computer will have access to needed files. In addition, if Windows NT is not installed on the system partition, which is almost always the first partition on the disk, it is recommended that the system partition also be formatted with FAT. This is because earlier operating systems, with one exception, can't access a partition if it uses the latest version of NTFS. The one exception is Windows NT version 4.0 with Service Pack 4 or later, which has access to partitions with the latest version of NTFS, but with some limitations.
Even the latest Service Pack does not provide access to files using the new features in NTFS. Windows NT 4.0 cannot access files that have been stored using NTFS features that did not exist when Windows NT 4.0 was released. For example, a file that uses the new encryption feature won’t be readable when the computer is started with Windows NT 4.0 Workstation, which was released before the encryption feature existed.
Note: If you set up a computer so that it starts with Windows NT 3.51 or earlier on a FAT partition, and Windows XP on an NTFS partition, when that computer starts with Windows NT 3.51, the NTFS partition will not be visible.
Checklist Summary
To configure a computer containing Windows NT 4.0 and Windows XP, review the following guidelines:
As explained above, using NTFS as the only file system on a computer containing both Windows XP and Windows NT is not recommended.
Make sure that Windows NT 4.0 has been updated with the latest released Service Pack available for download before installing Windows XP.
Install each operating system on a separate drive or disk partition.
When you perform a new installation of Windows XP (as opposed to an upgrade), by default, the installation is placed on a partition on which no other operating system is located. You can specify a different partition during Setup.
Don’t install Windows XP on a compressed drive unless the drive was compressed with the NTFS file system compression feature.
On any partition where you perform a new installation of Windows XP (as opposed to an upgrade), you will need to re-install any programs, such as word processing or email software, after Setup is complete.
Install the programs used by each operating system on the partition with that system. If you want your programs to run with multiple operating systems, you need to install separate copies of the programs in each of the operating system partitions.
If the computer is on a Windows NT Server or Windows 2000 Server domain, each installation of Windows XP on that computer must have a different computer name.
Computers Containing MS-DOS or Windows 9x and Windows XP
As explained above you need to address file system compatibility to ensure a multibooting configuration with these earlier operating systems and Windows XP. Remember to install the latest operating system last otherwise important files may be overwritten.
Checklist Summary
To configure a computer containing Windows XP and Windows 9x or MS-DOS, review the following guidelines:
On computers that contain MS-DOS and Windows XP:
MS-DOS must be installed on a basic disk on a partition formatted with FAT. If MS-DOS is not installed on the system partition, which is almost always the first partition on the disk, the system partition must also be formatted with FAT.
Windows XP must be installed last. Otherwise important files needed for starting Windows XP could be overwritten.
On computers that contain Windows 95 and Windows XP:
As in the case above, Windows 95 must be installed on a basic disk on a partition formatted with FAT. (For Windows 95 OSR2, FAT32 may be used.) If Windows 95 is not installed on the system partition, which is almost always the first partition on the disk, the system partition must also be formatted with FAT (or FAT32 for Windows 95 OSR2).
Compressed DriveSpace or DoubleSpace volumes won’t be available while you are running Windows XP. It is not necessary to uncompress DriveSpace or DoubleSpace volumes that you will access only with Windows 95.
Windows XP must be installed last. Otherwise important files needed for starting Windows XP could be overwritten.
On computers that contain Windows 98 (or Windows ME) and Windows XP:
As in the cases above, Windows 98 or Windows Millennium Edition (ME) must be installed on a basic disk on a partition formatted with FAT or FAT32. If Windows 98 or Windows ME is not installed on the system partition, which is almost always the first partition on the disk, the system partition must also be formatted with FAT or FAT32.
Compressed DriveSpace or DoubleSpace volumes won’t be available while you are running Windows XP. It is not necessary to uncompress DriveSpace or DoubleSpace volumes that you will access only with Windows 98.
Windows XP must be installed last. Otherwise important files needed for starting Windows XP could be overwritten.
Installation and How to :
The order of installation is critical if you want a successful multiboot installation. In general terms, install non–Microsoft operating systems and earlier versions of the Windows operating system first. This would mean installing UNIX or Linux operating systems first; then Windows 95 or Windows 98 or Windows Me; then Windows NT; and finally, Windows 2000 and/or Windows XP. (In the unlikely event that you’re installing MS–DOS, you can install that either before or after UNIX– or Linux–based operating systems, and generally I’d opt for before.) It’s also important to understand that, without using a third–party product to help out, you can’t install non-Microsoft operating systems, or Windows 95 and Windows 98 on the same computer, and that you can install only a single version of Windows95/98/Me. But you can install as many different versions of Windows NT and later versions of the Windows operating system as you have available logical drives, with the sole caveat that you must install all Windows NT versions before you install any Windows 2000 or Windows XP versions.
Let’s take a typical installation. Our target computer must be able to boot into Windows 98, Windows NT 4 Workstation, Windows 2000 Professional, and Windows XP Professional. We have a 2–GB partition to hold our programs and the whole thing must fit on a single 10–GB hard drive. No problem. First, we partition the hard drive into two partitions: a 2–GB primary partition, and an 8-GB extended partition using FDisk. In the extended partition, we’ll create four logical volumes—D, E, F and G—to hold our remaining operating systems and our programs.
After the disk is partitioned, format the primary partition using the FAT16 file system and install Windows 98 on it. So far so good. Now, format your D drive with FAT16 as well. Eventually, you’ll install your programs on D drive.
Next, install Windows NT 4 Workstation. You will install this on any of the logical volumes not already used (either E drive, F drive or G drive) and choose NTFS as your file system. Leave D drive alone, because your applications go there where they’re visible to all operating systems. When you install Windows NT, it recognizes that you already have Windows 98 on the computer. Then it automatically sets up for dual booting between Windows 98 and Windows NT by creating a boot.ini file, which creates a menu of available operating systems. After you have Windows NT 4 installed, immediately apply Service Pack 6, before you install Windows 2000.
Finally, install Windows 2000 and Windows XP, each in its own logical volume. Again, choose NTFS as the file system. As you install them, they are automatically added to the boot.ini file on your C drive, which lets you choose operating systems at start up.
Computers Containing Multiple Windows 2000 or Windows XP Partitions
Before installing Windows 2000 and Windows XP on the same machine, you need to prepare your system with different partitions (a process that divides a hard disk into separate sections that can be formatted for use by a file system. Partitions typically have different drive letters such as C or D).
One OS per partition
It’s important to install each operating system on a different partition and install the applications used with each operating system on the same partition as the OS. If an application is used with two different operating systems, install it on two partitions. Placing each operating system in a separate partition ensures that it will not overwrite crucial files used by the other OS.
Install Latest OS Last
In general, you should install the most recent OS last—after you have installed all other operating systems on the target computer. In this case, you should install Windows 2000 and then install Windows XP.
Unique Computer Name
You can set up a computer so that it has multiple installations of Windows XP on multiple partitions. However, you must use a different computer name for each installation if the computer participates in a Windows 2000 Server domain. Because a unique security identifier (SID) is used for each installation of Windows XP on a domain, the computer name for each installation must be unique—even for multiple installations on the same computer.
Checklist Summary
To configure a computer containing Windows 2000 and Windows XP, review the following guidelines:
Install each operating system on a separate drive or disk partition.
Install Windows XP after you have installed Windows 2000.
When you perform a new installation of Windows XP (as opposed to an upgrade), by default, the installation is placed on a partition on which no other operating system is located. You can specify a different partition during Setup.
Don’t install Windows XP on a compressed drive unless the drive was compressed with the NTFS file system compression feature.
On any partition where you perform a new installation of Windows XP (as opposed to an upgrade), you will need to re-install any programs, such as word processing or e-mail software, after Setup is complete.
Install the programs used by each operating system on the partition with that system. If you want your programs to run with multiple operating systems, you need to install separate copies of the programs in each of the operating system partitions.
If the computer is on a Windows 2000 Server domain, each installation of Windows XP on that computer must have a different computer name.
Computers Containing Windows NT 4.0 and Windows XP
Setting up a computer to run Windows XP as well as an earlier operating system such as Windows NT Workstation 4.0 requires addressing compatibility issues among different file systems: NTFS, FAT, and FAT32.
Normally, NTFS is the recommended file system because it supports important features, including the Active Directory™ service and domain-based security. However, using NTFS as the only file system on a computer that contains both Windows XP and Windows NT is not recommended. On these computers, a FAT or FAT32 partition containing the Windows NT 4.0 operating system ensures that when started with Windows NT 4.0, the computer will have access to needed files. In addition, if Windows NT is not installed on the system partition, which is almost always the first partition on the disk, it is recommended that the system partition also be formatted with FAT. This is because earlier operating systems, with one exception, can't access a partition if it uses the latest version of NTFS. The one exception is Windows NT version 4.0 with Service Pack 4 or later, which has access to partitions with the latest version of NTFS, but with some limitations.
Even the latest Service Pack does not provide access to files using the new features in NTFS. Windows NT 4.0 cannot access files that have been stored using NTFS features that did not exist when Windows NT 4.0 was released. For example, a file that uses the new encryption feature won’t be readable when the computer is started with Windows NT 4.0 Workstation, which was released before the encryption feature existed.
Note: If you set up a computer so that it starts with Windows NT 3.51 or earlier on a FAT partition, and Windows XP on an NTFS partition, when that computer starts with Windows NT 3.51, the NTFS partition will not be visible.
Checklist Summary
To configure a computer containing Windows NT 4.0 and Windows XP, review the following guidelines:
As explained above, using NTFS as the only file system on a computer containing both Windows XP and Windows NT is not recommended.
Make sure that Windows NT 4.0 has been updated with the latest released Service Pack available for download before installing Windows XP.
Install each operating system on a separate drive or disk partition.
When you perform a new installation of Windows XP (as opposed to an upgrade), by default, the installation is placed on a partition on which no other operating system is located. You can specify a different partition during Setup.
Don’t install Windows XP on a compressed drive unless the drive was compressed with the NTFS file system compression feature.
On any partition where you perform a new installation of Windows XP (as opposed to an upgrade), you will need to re-install any programs, such as word processing or email software, after Setup is complete.
Install the programs used by each operating system on the partition with that system. If you want your programs to run with multiple operating systems, you need to install separate copies of the programs in each of the operating system partitions.
If the computer is on a Windows NT Server or Windows 2000 Server domain, each installation of Windows XP on that computer must have a different computer name.
Computers Containing MS-DOS or Windows 9x and Windows XP
As explained above you need to address file system compatibility to ensure a multibooting configuration with these earlier operating systems and Windows XP. Remember to install the latest operating system last otherwise important files may be overwritten.
Checklist Summary
To configure a computer containing Windows XP and Windows 9x or MS-DOS, review the following guidelines:
On computers that contain MS-DOS and Windows XP:
MS-DOS must be installed on a basic disk on a partition formatted with FAT. If MS-DOS is not installed on the system partition, which is almost always the first partition on the disk, the system partition must also be formatted with FAT.
Windows XP must be installed last. Otherwise important files needed for starting Windows XP could be overwritten.
On computers that contain Windows 95 and Windows XP:
As in the case above, Windows 95 must be installed on a basic disk on a partition formatted with FAT. (For Windows 95 OSR2, FAT32 may be used.) If Windows 95 is not installed on the system partition, which is almost always the first partition on the disk, the system partition must also be formatted with FAT (or FAT32 for Windows 95 OSR2).
Compressed DriveSpace or DoubleSpace volumes won’t be available while you are running Windows XP. It is not necessary to uncompress DriveSpace or DoubleSpace volumes that you will access only with Windows 95.
Windows XP must be installed last. Otherwise important files needed for starting Windows XP could be overwritten.
On computers that contain Windows 98 (or Windows ME) and Windows XP:
As in the cases above, Windows 98 or Windows Millennium Edition (ME) must be installed on a basic disk on a partition formatted with FAT or FAT32. If Windows 98 or Windows ME is not installed on the system partition, which is almost always the first partition on the disk, the system partition must also be formatted with FAT or FAT32.
Compressed DriveSpace or DoubleSpace volumes won’t be available while you are running Windows XP. It is not necessary to uncompress DriveSpace or DoubleSpace volumes that you will access only with Windows 98.
Windows XP must be installed last. Otherwise important files needed for starting Windows XP could be overwritten.
Installation and How to :
The order of installation is critical if you want a successful multiboot installation. In general terms, install non–Microsoft operating systems and earlier versions of the Windows operating system first. This would mean installing UNIX or Linux operating systems first; then Windows 95 or Windows 98 or Windows Me; then Windows NT; and finally, Windows 2000 and/or Windows XP. (In the unlikely event that you’re installing MS–DOS, you can install that either before or after UNIX– or Linux–based operating systems, and generally I’d opt for before.) It’s also important to understand that, without using a third–party product to help out, you can’t install non-Microsoft operating systems, or Windows 95 and Windows 98 on the same computer, and that you can install only a single version of Windows95/98/Me. But you can install as many different versions of Windows NT and later versions of the Windows operating system as you have available logical drives, with the sole caveat that you must install all Windows NT versions before you install any Windows 2000 or Windows XP versions.
Let’s take a typical installation. Our target computer must be able to boot into Windows 98, Windows NT 4 Workstation, Windows 2000 Professional, and Windows XP Professional. We have a 2–GB partition to hold our programs and the whole thing must fit on a single 10–GB hard drive. No problem. First, we partition the hard drive into two partitions: a 2–GB primary partition, and an 8-GB extended partition using FDisk. In the extended partition, we’ll create four logical volumes—D, E, F and G—to hold our remaining operating systems and our programs.
After the disk is partitioned, format the primary partition using the FAT16 file system and install Windows 98 on it. So far so good. Now, format your D drive with FAT16 as well. Eventually, you’ll install your programs on D drive.
Next, install Windows NT 4 Workstation. You will install this on any of the logical volumes not already used (either E drive, F drive or G drive) and choose NTFS as your file system. Leave D drive alone, because your applications go there where they’re visible to all operating systems. When you install Windows NT, it recognizes that you already have Windows 98 on the computer. Then it automatically sets up for dual booting between Windows 98 and Windows NT by creating a boot.ini file, which creates a menu of available operating systems. After you have Windows NT 4 installed, immediately apply Service Pack 6, before you install Windows 2000.
Finally, install Windows 2000 and Windows XP, each in its own logical volume. Again, choose NTFS as the file system. As you install them, they are automatically added to the boot.ini file on your C drive, which lets you choose operating systems at start up.
Adding SafeBoot to the Boot Menu
1. Open a command prompt
2. Copy the current c:\boot.ini to another name (just in case)
3With your favorite text editor, edit c:\boot.ini
4. Copy then edit the current boot line to another line. For example:
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Micro soft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
might copy and then change to:
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Micro soft Windows XP Professional Safeboot" /fastdetect
5. Start MSCONFIG
6. Click on the BOOT.INI tab
7. Highlight the second line with the additional name of Safeboot
8. Check the /SAFEBOOT box with option you want
Minimal - Minimal set of drivers
Network - With Network Support
Dsrepair - Directory Services Repair
Minimal (Alternate Shell) - Standard Explorer Desktop
2. Copy the current c:\boot.ini to another name (just in case)
3With your favorite text editor, edit c:\boot.ini
4. Copy then edit the current boot line to another line. For example:
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Micro soft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
might copy and then change to:
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Micro soft Windows XP Professional Safeboot" /fastdetect
5. Start MSCONFIG
6. Click on the BOOT.INI tab
7. Highlight the second line with the additional name of Safeboot
8. Check the /SAFEBOOT box with option you want
Minimal - Minimal set of drivers
Network - With Network Support
Dsrepair - Directory Services Repair
Minimal (Alternate Shell) - Standard Explorer Desktop
Restart Windows Quicker With a Warm Boot
So you just installed new software or updates and Windows Vista or xp tells you the computer needs to be restarted. This guide shows you how to shave a few seconds off the boot up time by performing a warm boot.
A “warm boot” is when you restart the computer without shutting down the BIOS, processor, or any of the other hardware components in your computer.
Warning: If you have a complex hardware setup (RAID for example) you might not want to perform a warm boot.
Perform a Warm Boot
1. Click the Start button.
2. Point at the arrow next to the lock button on the Start Menu.
3. Hold down the Shift key on your keyboard and click Restart.
Note: This feature is for Windows vista and works on Windows XP also by holding down Shift when you press Shut Down in the Start Menu.
A “warm boot” is when you restart the computer without shutting down the BIOS, processor, or any of the other hardware components in your computer.
Warning: If you have a complex hardware setup (RAID for example) you might not want to perform a warm boot.
Perform a Warm Boot
1. Click the Start button.
2. Point at the arrow next to the lock button on the Start Menu.
3. Hold down the Shift key on your keyboard and click Restart.
Note: This feature is for Windows vista and works on Windows XP also by holding down Shift when you press Shut Down in the Start Menu.
Disable uneccessary XP services
WINDOWS XP starts a number of background services automatically, many are unessential and can be disabled or set to start manually to improve performance and security.
The following applies to Home Users; ie who have a stand-alone pc / are not conncted to a Network, but may be having an Internet Connection.
Please note that this list has been collated and compiled from various sources on the net, for ready reference, for those who "dont know about it" !
The following must always be set on AUTOMATIC :
Application Layer Gateway
Automatic Updates
Background Intelligent Transfer Service
Cryptographic Services
Com+ Event System
DCOM Server Process Launcher
DHCP Client
DNS Client
Event Log
IPSEC Services
Logical Disk Manager
Network Connections
Plug and Play
Print Spooler
Protected Storage
Remote Access Connection Manager
Remote Procedure Call (RPC) (NEVER disable this)
Security Center
Security Accounts Manager
Shell Hardware Detection
System Event Notification
System Restore Service
Task Scheduler (if you dont use Norton or Bootvis,
it can be made into Manual)
Themes
W*NDOW$ Audio
W*NDOW$ Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing
W*NDOW$ Management Instrumentation
The following may be DISABLED (or set to MANUAL as reqd) :
Alerter
ASP.NET State Service
Clipbook
Distributed Link Tracking Client
Error Reporting Service
Fast User Switching Compatibility
Help and Support (Manual)
HID Input Service
IMAPI CD-Burning COM Service
Indexing Service
Infrared Monitor
Machine Debug Manager
NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing
Network DDE
Network DDE DSM
Network Location Awareness (NLA)
Performance Logs and Alerts
Portable Media Serial Number Service
QoS RSVP
Remote Desktop Help Session Manager
Remote Registry
Routing and Remote Access
Secondary Logon
Security Center
Smart Card
SSDP Discovery Service
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper
Telnet
Terminal Services
Upload Manager
Uninterruptible Power Supply
Volume Shadow Copy
WebClient
Windows Time
Windows User Mode Driver Framework
Wireless Zero Configuration
WMI Performance Adapter
The following applies to Home Users; ie who have a stand-alone pc / are not conncted to a Network, but may be having an Internet Connection.
Please note that this list has been collated and compiled from various sources on the net, for ready reference, for those who "dont know about it" !
The following must always be set on AUTOMATIC :
Application Layer Gateway
Automatic Updates
Background Intelligent Transfer Service
Cryptographic Services
Com+ Event System
DCOM Server Process Launcher
DHCP Client
DNS Client
Event Log
IPSEC Services
Logical Disk Manager
Network Connections
Plug and Play
Print Spooler
Protected Storage
Remote Access Connection Manager
Remote Procedure Call (RPC) (NEVER disable this)
Security Center
Security Accounts Manager
Shell Hardware Detection
System Event Notification
System Restore Service
Task Scheduler (if you dont use Norton or Bootvis,
it can be made into Manual)
Themes
W*NDOW$ Audio
W*NDOW$ Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing
W*NDOW$ Management Instrumentation
The following may be DISABLED (or set to MANUAL as reqd) :
Alerter
ASP.NET State Service
Clipbook
Distributed Link Tracking Client
Error Reporting Service
Fast User Switching Compatibility
Help and Support (Manual)
HID Input Service
IMAPI CD-Burning COM Service
Indexing Service
Infrared Monitor
Machine Debug Manager
NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing
Network DDE
Network DDE DSM
Network Location Awareness (NLA)
Performance Logs and Alerts
Portable Media Serial Number Service
QoS RSVP
Remote Desktop Help Session Manager
Remote Registry
Routing and Remote Access
Secondary Logon
Security Center
Smart Card
SSDP Discovery Service
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper
Telnet
Terminal Services
Upload Manager
Uninterruptible Power Supply
Volume Shadow Copy
WebClient
Windows Time
Windows User Mode Driver Framework
Wireless Zero Configuration
WMI Performance Adapter
Uninstall Windows XP Service Pack 1 and Service Pack 2
Uninstall the SP1 of Windows XP
At the time of the installation of Windows XP, you indicated certainly to the system to safeguard your old configuration to retrogress. After a few weeks of use, if you are finally decided to keep the SP1, you can remove the files of installation.
For that: Go in the file C: /Windows and remove the file $NtServicePackUninstall$. To see this file, it is necessary as a preliminary to configure Windows to post the hidden files and files. Go then in the Control panel/Add or Remove Programs and uninstall the Service Pack 1 for Windows XP. After you uninstall Service Pack 1 icon will disappear.
Uninstall Service Pack 2
Here various methods for which would wish uninstall the Service Pack 2 of Windows XP:
Method 1: Click Start/Control panel/Add or Remove Programs,than notch “Show update” in top of the window and then find “Service Pack 2 Windows XP” and click Change/Remove button.
Method 2: Click Start/All Programs/Accessories/System Tools/System restore. Then choose “Restore my computer to an earlier date” and to click on Next, select the date of restoration “Installed Windows XP SP2” and click on Next, wait for few minutes and Windows XP SP2 should be removed.
Method 3: Use of the file masked $NtServicePackUninstall$, Click Start/Run, type c:\windows $NtServicePackUninstall$ \ spuninst \ spuninst.exe in empty field and press on OK. Once the Assistant of Suppression of the Pack Service 2 started Windows XP, click on Next button. Then follow the posted instructions to the screen to remove Windows XP Service Pack 2.
At the time of the installation of Windows XP, you indicated certainly to the system to safeguard your old configuration to retrogress. After a few weeks of use, if you are finally decided to keep the SP1, you can remove the files of installation.
For that: Go in the file C: /Windows and remove the file $NtServicePackUninstall$. To see this file, it is necessary as a preliminary to configure Windows to post the hidden files and files. Go then in the Control panel/Add or Remove Programs and uninstall the Service Pack 1 for Windows XP. After you uninstall Service Pack 1 icon will disappear.
Uninstall Service Pack 2
Here various methods for which would wish uninstall the Service Pack 2 of Windows XP:
Method 1: Click Start/Control panel/Add or Remove Programs,than notch “Show update” in top of the window and then find “Service Pack 2 Windows XP” and click Change/Remove button.
Method 2: Click Start/All Programs/Accessories/System Tools/System restore. Then choose “Restore my computer to an earlier date” and to click on Next, select the date of restoration “Installed Windows XP SP2” and click on Next, wait for few minutes and Windows XP SP2 should be removed.
Method 3: Use of the file masked $NtServicePackUninstall$, Click Start/Run, type c:\windows $NtServicePackUninstall$ \ spuninst \ spuninst.exe in empty field and press on OK. Once the Assistant of Suppression of the Pack Service 2 started Windows XP, click on Next button. Then follow the posted instructions to the screen to remove Windows XP Service Pack 2.
Funny things in Windows
Trick 1
1.) Open an empty notepad file
2.) Type "Bush hid the facts" (without the quotes)
3.) Save it as whatever you want.
4.) Close it, and re-open it.
Trick 2
Open Microsoft Word and type
=rand (200, 99)
And then press ENTER
Hope u enjoy !!!
1.) Open an empty notepad file
2.) Type "Bush hid the facts" (without the quotes)
3.) Save it as whatever you want.
4.) Close it, and re-open it.
Trick 2
Open Microsoft Word and type
=rand (200, 99)
And then press ENTER
Hope u enjoy !!!
Cool Internet Explorer Add-on
The ADD on IE7Pro for the Internet Explorer 7 appeared in the new version 0.9.16. IE7Pro supplements the Internet Explorer around numerous practical functions, under it advertising blocker, super Drag and Drop, Mouse Gesture, Crash Recovery and much more other features.
Thus among other things the advertising blocker was improved and it can update itself now during an existing on-line connection. As the further innovation it is now possible to remove the Flash elements blocked automatically by the Add-on from a Website to. But now „an x is “with each substitute symbol of a blocked Flash element.
In addition again in addition „the Inline search well-known from Firefox came “. They can to be searched as used with „CTRL+F “within an opened Website. It is new that during input of the first letters the found places are already emphasized on the Website.
Contents of the Website up-to-date opened in the Tab can be put down as picture in the intermediate file. In addition you must click to tie-clip board “on the Icon of „IE7Pro “in the status line with the right mouse button and select in the context menu „save Current Tab As image tonâ€. Alternatively further the possibility insists of storing the picture also directly on the non removable disk. Additionally the developers continued to refine also the system for User script is improved.
The Download of IE7Pro 0.9.16 amounts to scarcely 1 MB and the Add-on is free. Before the installation the Internet Explorer should be closed. As soon as the installation is finish, the Internet Explorer can be opened again. Over „IE7 Preferences “in the main menu receive you to access to the numerous attitude possibilities from IE7Pro.
Thus among other things the advertising blocker was improved and it can update itself now during an existing on-line connection. As the further innovation it is now possible to remove the Flash elements blocked automatically by the Add-on from a Website to. But now „an x is “with each substitute symbol of a blocked Flash element.
In addition again in addition „the Inline search well-known from Firefox came “. They can to be searched as used with „CTRL+F “within an opened Website. It is new that during input of the first letters the found places are already emphasized on the Website.
Contents of the Website up-to-date opened in the Tab can be put down as picture in the intermediate file. In addition you must click to tie-clip board “on the Icon of „IE7Pro “in the status line with the right mouse button and select in the context menu „save Current Tab As image tonâ€. Alternatively further the possibility insists of storing the picture also directly on the non removable disk. Additionally the developers continued to refine also the system for User script is improved.
The Download of IE7Pro 0.9.16 amounts to scarcely 1 MB and the Add-on is free. Before the installation the Internet Explorer should be closed. As soon as the installation is finish, the Internet Explorer can be opened again. Over „IE7 Preferences “in the main menu receive you to access to the numerous attitude possibilities from IE7Pro.
Install the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard on Windows XP Home
Windows XP contains an enough practical utility to backup and restore files. If you have Windows XP version pro, you will find it by clicking to “Start menu” then “All Programs”, “Accessories”, “System Tools”. On the other hand if you have Windows XP family version you will not find it because it is not includes inside by defect.
On the other hand for the users of family Windows XP, you have the possibility of installing it by your CD of installation of Windows. Open the contents of Cd in your Windows Explorer, direct in the file “VALUEADD”, then “MSFT” then “NTBACKUP”. Here you will find a file of installation named “NTBACKUP”.
It any more but does not remain you to launch this file to start the installation of the utility Files and Settings Transfer Wizard. After the installation, you should finally have it in the menu to start (which I indicated above). For more information on the use of this assistant, to see Utility of safeguard of Windows XP.
On the other hand for the users of family Windows XP, you have the possibility of installing it by your CD of installation of Windows. Open the contents of Cd in your Windows Explorer, direct in the file “VALUEADD”, then “MSFT” then “NTBACKUP”. Here you will find a file of installation named “NTBACKUP”.
It any more but does not remain you to launch this file to start the installation of the utility Files and Settings Transfer Wizard. After the installation, you should finally have it in the menu to start (which I indicated above). For more information on the use of this assistant, to see Utility of safeguard of Windows XP.
Mike's Security Guide
Introduction
Q: What is Spyware, Adware?
A: Spyware is a general term used for software that performs certain behaviors such as advertising, collecting personal information, or changing the configuration of your computer, generally without appropriately obtaining your consent. You might have spyware or other unwanted software on your computer if:
• You see pop-up advertisements even when you're not on the Web.
• The page your Web browser first opens to (your home page) or your browser search settings have changed without your knowledge.
• You notice a new toolbar in your browser that you didn't want, and find it difficult to get rid of.
• Your computer takes longer than usual to complete certain tasks.
• You experience a sudden rise in computer crashes.
Spyware is often associated with software that displays advertisements (called adware) or software that tracks personal or sensitive information. That does not mean all software which provides ads or tracks your online activities is bad. For example, you might sign up for a free music service, but "pay" for the service by agreeing to receive targeted ads. If you understand the terms and agree to them, you may have decided that it is a fair tradeoff. You might also agree to let the company track your online activities to determine which ads to show you.
Other kinds of unwanted software will make changes to your computer that can be annoying and can cause your computer slow down or crash. These programs have the ability to change your Web browser's home page or search page, or add additional components to your browser you don't need or want. These programs also make it very difficult for you to change your settings back to the way you originally had them. These types of unwanted programs are also often called spyware.
The key in all cases is whether or not you (or someone who uses your computer) understand what the software will do and have agreed to install the software on your computer.
There are a number of ways spyware or other unwanted software can get on your system. A common trick is to covertly install the software during the installation of other software you want such as a music or video file sharing program. Whenever you are installing something on your computer, make sure you carefully read all disclosures, including the license agreement and privacy statement. Sometimes the inclusion of unwanted software in a given software installation is documented, but it may appear at the end of a license agreement or privacy statement.
Q: What is Spyware, Adware?
A: Spyware is a general term used for software that performs certain behaviors such as advertising, collecting personal information, or changing the configuration of your computer, generally without appropriately obtaining your consent. You might have spyware or other unwanted software on your computer if:
• You see pop-up advertisements even when you're not on the Web.
• The page your Web browser first opens to (your home page) or your browser search settings have changed without your knowledge.
• You notice a new toolbar in your browser that you didn't want, and find it difficult to get rid of.
• Your computer takes longer than usual to complete certain tasks.
• You experience a sudden rise in computer crashes.
Spyware is often associated with software that displays advertisements (called adware) or software that tracks personal or sensitive information. That does not mean all software which provides ads or tracks your online activities is bad. For example, you might sign up for a free music service, but "pay" for the service by agreeing to receive targeted ads. If you understand the terms and agree to them, you may have decided that it is a fair tradeoff. You might also agree to let the company track your online activities to determine which ads to show you.
Other kinds of unwanted software will make changes to your computer that can be annoying and can cause your computer slow down or crash. These programs have the ability to change your Web browser's home page or search page, or add additional components to your browser you don't need or want. These programs also make it very difficult for you to change your settings back to the way you originally had them. These types of unwanted programs are also often called spyware.
The key in all cases is whether or not you (or someone who uses your computer) understand what the software will do and have agreed to install the software on your computer.
There are a number of ways spyware or other unwanted software can get on your system. A common trick is to covertly install the software during the installation of other software you want such as a music or video file sharing program. Whenever you are installing something on your computer, make sure you carefully read all disclosures, including the license agreement and privacy statement. Sometimes the inclusion of unwanted software in a given software installation is documented, but it may appear at the end of a license agreement or privacy statement.
How to safeguard your files when computer crashes
First thing to keep in mind: If your computer hasn't crashed yet, it will in the future! So instead of waiting for fate to strike, take some precautions now:
1) BACK-UP! Buy some decent DVD-R discs and put everything useful in them. When you have more useful stuff, backup again. Do this often.
2) Keep your computer healthy. Use an antivirus, an anti-spy, and a firewall. Keep them updated. Check regularly for Windows critical fixes.
3) Don't install software that would do dangerous things to your hard drive. A boot manager would fall in this category.
4) Use a registry cleaner before and after you install or uninstall any software. Many of the problems that will keep Windows from booting are caused by sloppy software that mess up your registry. A good registry cleaner is Tune-up Utilities.
Code:
http://www.tune-up.com/
5) Run chkdsk now and then. Go to Start> Run. Type chkdsk /F. Press enter.
In case your PC has already crashed, read the following:
Most important: Don't panic! Panic is like a little demon that whispers in your ear to format your hard drive and reinstall everything. Don't do it!
You will lose all your data and the little demon will laugh at you.
To be exact you can still recover your data if you format your drive (by using special software), but only if you don't write anything
on the disc afterwards. In other words format + windows install = bad idea. If you reinstall windows without formating your drive, you will
only lose the files on your desktop and "My Documents" folder.
In all occasions you should make sure to safeguard your files before attempting any kind of repair!
So let's go about how to do that:
The fast way: Go to this site:
Code:
http://www.knoppix.org
. Knoppix is a Linux distribution than runs from a CD. Download the Knoppix ISO and burn it. Put it in your CD drive. On startup access BIOS and change
the boot sequence so that your computer boots from the CD drive. Save settings and exit. Upon reboot, Knoppix will load.
Knoppix is much like windows and it comes with its own CD burner. Locate it, launch it and backup everything you want on CD.
Now you don't have to worry anymore!
The less fast way: This requires that you have access to a second PC. Open the case of your computer and remove the hard disk.
Install it as a slave on the second PC.
Depending on respective configurations, you may have to change some jumper settings on the drive. Read the manual for help with installing hard drives
and setting jumpers.
After this is done, boot the second PC. If everything went out ok, you should be able to access your drive without problems. (Edit: Note that Win98
cannot recognize a local NTFS (Win2K/XP) disk.)
Copy everything you need from your own hard drive to the other one. Now you don't have to worry anymore!
Replace your computer's hard disk, fix all problems and reverse the process to copy the data back to your computer, or take CD backups on the other PC.
1) BACK-UP! Buy some decent DVD-R discs and put everything useful in them. When you have more useful stuff, backup again. Do this often.
2) Keep your computer healthy. Use an antivirus, an anti-spy, and a firewall. Keep them updated. Check regularly for Windows critical fixes.
3) Don't install software that would do dangerous things to your hard drive. A boot manager would fall in this category.
4) Use a registry cleaner before and after you install or uninstall any software. Many of the problems that will keep Windows from booting are caused by sloppy software that mess up your registry. A good registry cleaner is Tune-up Utilities.
Code:
http://www.tune-up.com/
5) Run chkdsk now and then. Go to Start> Run. Type chkdsk /F. Press enter.
In case your PC has already crashed, read the following:
Most important: Don't panic! Panic is like a little demon that whispers in your ear to format your hard drive and reinstall everything. Don't do it!
You will lose all your data and the little demon will laugh at you.
To be exact you can still recover your data if you format your drive (by using special software), but only if you don't write anything
on the disc afterwards. In other words format + windows install = bad idea. If you reinstall windows without formating your drive, you will
only lose the files on your desktop and "My Documents" folder.
In all occasions you should make sure to safeguard your files before attempting any kind of repair!
So let's go about how to do that:
The fast way: Go to this site:
Code:
http://www.knoppix.org
. Knoppix is a Linux distribution than runs from a CD. Download the Knoppix ISO and burn it. Put it in your CD drive. On startup access BIOS and change
the boot sequence so that your computer boots from the CD drive. Save settings and exit. Upon reboot, Knoppix will load.
Knoppix is much like windows and it comes with its own CD burner. Locate it, launch it and backup everything you want on CD.
Now you don't have to worry anymore!
The less fast way: This requires that you have access to a second PC. Open the case of your computer and remove the hard disk.
Install it as a slave on the second PC.
Depending on respective configurations, you may have to change some jumper settings on the drive. Read the manual for help with installing hard drives
and setting jumpers.
After this is done, boot the second PC. If everything went out ok, you should be able to access your drive without problems. (Edit: Note that Win98
cannot recognize a local NTFS (Win2K/XP) disk.)
Copy everything you need from your own hard drive to the other one. Now you don't have to worry anymore!
Replace your computer's hard disk, fix all problems and reverse the process to copy the data back to your computer, or take CD backups on the other PC.
The Perfect Installation of Windows XP
Introduction: Before you begin
For this guide, you will need Windows XP, Acronis True Image, and a bootable partitioning program. This guide focuses primarily on making partitions of the harddrive, installing essential programs like antivirus, antispyware, along with free alternatives to commercial programs while making incremental backups to preserve progress.
Throughout the steps, you will be advised to make backups of the main partition using Acronis True Image. You can use whatever backup program you desire, but this guide only covers how to use Acronis.
STEP 1: Partitioning the Harddrive
First of all, you'll want to create partitions on the harddrive using a bootable partitioning program of your choice. Partitioning the harddrive allows us to simulate having multiple harddrives using only a single harddrive. Having multiple partitions allows you to store you personal data like music, pictures or documents away from the OS. By storing your data on a partition away from the OS, you no longer have to worry about backing up your data before reinstalling the OS, your data is safe.
Partitioning the drive is easiest if you use a bootable program, but if you want to, you can partition your drives from within the OS before or after Windows is installed. For a tutorial on how to partition your drive using the free partition utility gparted, go here.
The setup of the partitions will look something like this:
Windows (C:) 10 to 15 GB
This is where Windows will be installed. C: will not need to be bigger than 10 to 15GB.
Doc (D:) 80+ GB
This is where you will store your data, which will be the location of the "My Documents" folder. This partition is essential for easily maintaining your important files that you don't want to lose. We will also try to install most programs here in an effort to conserve space on the C: partition. Games will also be installed on this partition, as the C: partition is clearly big enough for very few things.
After you have made these partitions, it is time to install Windows. Install Windows on the C: partition using the install CD and follow the instructions. It will take about 30-45 minutes for the setup to complete. When you boot up for the first time, your screen resolution will be incorrect, you will have no drivers for your videocard, sound card, or motherboard.
STEP 2: Drivers and Updates
Configure Windows to access the internet and download the latest drivers for your hardware. After you have installed all of the drivers, feel free to change some settings in Windows XP. Proceed to Windows Updates and get all of the critical Windows Updates... complete this grueling process.
Afterwards, you'll want to change the default location of the "My Documents" directory. If you intend to have multiple desktops, then you will want to create folders within the D: partition for each separate user. (For example: "d:\Bob's Documents" or "d:\Sally's Documents") Otherwise, if you are the only person, then choosing D:\ as your new My Documents location will work just fine.
Go to Start > right click My Documents and click properties. Click Move and choose the D:\ partition. Again, if you intend to have multiple desktops, then you'll want to choose a folder within the D:\ partition to better signify who's documents belong to who.
It is now time to make your first backup. Go ahead and install Acronis True Image, choosing the default location (c: partition). Once installed, you be asked to reboot. Go ahead and reboot. Once you have rebooted, locate and run the Acronis True Image Workstation. From here, you will see Backup, Recovery, and other miscellaneous items to choose from. Choose Backup and make a Full Backup of the C: partition. You can name it whatever you want, but store this backup file on the D: partition. (You cannot store this backup file on the C: partition) Remember to validate the backup in Acronis after it has been created to ensure the integrity of the backup is 100%.
STEP 3: Antivirus and Essential Programs
All programs from now on will be installed on the D: drive, to conserve space on the C: drive. We want to make backing up and restoring from the C: partition as quick and painless as possible, and the only way to do this, is to keep the C: partition as small as possible.
This is where it gets fun. Since you are striving to make the perfect installation of Windows, why bother with Antivirus, Antispyware, or software firewalls? Okay, I'm kidding. Make sure the Windows firewall is enabled, and download and install an antivirus of your choice. Below is a list of programs, most of which are free alternatives to commercial "pay for" software.
AVG Free | Spybot S&D
I suggest AVG Free because it is a free alternative to "pay-to-use" subscription Antiviruses. If you need extra protection, or you just don't like the idea of being vulnerable to spyware, trojans.. etc, try Spybot Search and Destroy
Mozilla Firefox | Opera
You will want to download and install several programs that make your computer more efficient. For starters, try a different internet browser. Mozilla Firefox is a good alternative to Internet Explorer, and it's safer. Opera is good too. Your chances of getting viruses and spyware decrease dramatically by using an alternative browser.
Open Office
You probably want Microsoft Word by now. If you own that, install it. If you don't have money, download and install the open source alternative Open Office. It's free, and it works VERY WELL.
7-Zip
Compressing and extracting files is not Windows XP's specialty, so you might want to get 7-zip. It's a free alternative to Winrar or Winzip, is faster, easier to use, and can unzip most compressed files.
Foxit | Adobe Reader | PDF Creator
If you like PDF files, download and install Foxit. It's super fast compared to Adobe Reader, but might not display all PDF files correctly. If you're anal, just install Adobe Reader.
To easily create PDF files from any program including web pages, use the open source Free PDF Creator. I think Free is less expensive than the $500.00 Adobe Acrobat for creating PDF files. According to forums, PDF Creator does not install on Vista.
Nero | InfraRecorder
If you like to burn CDs, either buy Nero, or use Windows Media Player 11's built in CD burning. If you need to burn data CD's or DVDs but need something free, InfraRecorder is a great alternative.
VLC Player
If you want to watch every video ever created, but you don't know which codecs to install, why bother? Just download VLC player. It's free, and super fast. It will play just about everything.
IrfanView
The default picture viewer for Windows XP is terrible, which is why I like to use Irfanview. I suggest downloading and installing this. You'll love it.
Winamp | XMPlay | MusikCube | iTunes
Windows Media Player 11 by itself is great, but there are alternatives. If you want something with more functionality, try Winamp.
If you want something fast and efficient, try XMPlay or MusikCube. XMplay is regarded as the best mod player and comes with a decent library. MusikCube is a great alternative to WMP11 or iTunes.. If you want something like Windows Media Player 11, iTunes is a good alternative.
Gmail | Mozilla Thunderbird
Why install and use an e-mail program when you can use G-Mail ? If you insist and own Outlook, use it if you want. If you don't own outlook you can use Outlook Express. Either way I would suggest trying the free alternative Mozilla Thunderbird. It works great, it's fast, it handles IMAP folders better than outlook, and does not contain the dreaded outlook bug which creates thousands of duplicate messages in your inbox if you tell outlook to keep your messages on your POP server.
WinSCP3
For FTP and SSH directory access, WinSCP3 is a free program and works great.
uTorrent | Azureus
If file sharing is your life, there are many popular peer-2-peer programs to choose from. Bit Torrent is among the best, and it's easy to use. For a fast, very sophisticated, yet, user friendly Bit Torrent program, uTorrent is the best. For a cross platform, open source, highly configurable client, Azureus is good. Be sure to familiarize yourself with Bit Torrent documentation if you don't know how Bit Torrent works.
Ultra VNC
Looking for a program that will let you perform screen sharing so you can access your PC from a remote location? Then UltraVNC is the free, lightweight, easy to install and use alternative to the crapshare that comes with Windows.
Daemon Tools
Daemon tools is the free and lightweight alternative to Alcohol 120%, but it is more inclined to circumvent common antimounting techniques employed by PC game developpers. Use this to mount your PC games so you never have to put a CD or DVD in your drive again.
CAUTION: Daemon Tools by default will try to install a toolbar that displays contextual advertisements, so when installing Daemon Tools, choose advanced and uncheck the included toolbar.
STEP 4: Games and Other Changes
After you have decided which programs you want to install, you can install your PC games. Be sure to install all of your favorite games on the D: partition to conserve space. If you install any games on the C: partition, remember, you will most likely lose any important save data in the event you choose to restore your PC. By keeping your game data separate from the C: partition, it helps to keep your games installed and possibly prevent you from losing save data. Sometimes game data will be stored on the C: partition anyway, so it's always good to double check before restoring your pc.
STEP 5: Tweaks and Improving Performance
If you are a gamer, or would like to see performance increases out of Windows XP, there are several things you can do to accomplish this. Windows XP, by nature, is not optimized for the best performance. We can improve performance by disabling some things.
Disable Indexing
Open a My Computer from the start menu. Right click a partition > "Properties". Uncheck "Allow Indexing Service to index this disk for fast file searching" This will prevent windows from accessing the harddrives as often.
Disable Duration and Dimension Collumns
Open a My Computer and navigate to your My Music folder, or wherever you store your music. Right click on the collumn bar above your files and uncheck "Duration" and "Dimensions". If you don't see one or the other, click "more". Browse through the list deselecting collumns you do not wish to see. Apply any changes.
Afterwards, In the main window for My Computer, go to the "tools" menu > "Folder Options". Go to the view tab and press "Apply to All Folders". Press "Yes" and apply the changes.
Disable Desktop Cleanup Wizard
Every 60 days or so, Windows XP will bug you to remove unused desktop icons. You can disable this by Right clicking the desktop > "Properties". Select the "Desktop" tab and press the "Customize Desktop" button. Uncheck "Run Desktop Cleanup Wizard Every 60 Days". Apply the changes.
Disable the animated dog in search and enable advanced Searching.
The animated dog in the search window has to animate first before you can begin searching. To speed up your search, disable the animated dog by going to "Start" > "Search". In the Search sidebar, press "Change Preferences" and choose "Without an animated screen character".
To enable advanced searching, in the search sidebar, click "Change Preferences" and choose "Change files and folders search behavior". From here you can enable Advanced Search.
Disable Sticky Keys
By default, if you press shift 5 times in a row, Windows will activate sticky keys. This is bad if you are playing a game or are involved in another activity, and you accidentally activate sticky keys. Just press shift 5 times and stick keys will activate. Disable sticky keys and apply the changes. There are other shortcut combinations in there, so feel free to disable those if you wish.
Disable Hibernation
If you are using a Laptop, it would be unwise to disable hibernation, especially when the battery is critically low on power. If you are using a desktop PC, hibernation is nothing short of a needless feature. So why not disable it?
To disable, Right click the desktop and choose "Properties". Select the "Screensaver" tab. Press "Power" and select the "Hibernate" tab. Uncheck "Hibernation". This will free up several hundred megabytes of space on the C:\ drive or partition.
Change location of the Page File
By default, windows automatically determines the size of the page file and stores it on the C:\ drive or partition. Since the C:\ partition is small and storing the page file on the C:\ partition is bad practice, changing the location of the page file can potentially improve performance and increase the size of the C:\ partition.
To do this, go to "Start" > Right click "My computer" > "Properties". Go to the "Advanced" tab. Beneath "Performance", press "Settings". Go to the "Advanced" tab. Beneath "Virtual Memory", press "Change".
Select "D: [Doc]" (or whatever) and press "Custom Size" The initial size will be the first part of the number beneath "Paging File Size (MB)" The maximum size will be the second part of the number. Select "C: [Windows]" (or whatever) and choose "No Page File". Press OK consecutively closing all Windows. It might ask you to reboot, if so, save your work and reboot.
Disable Recent Documents
Sometimes the start menu will lag or pause when you open it, it could be that it's busy loading your recent document's history. You can disable this by right clicking your taskbar and going to properties. Go to the "Start Menu" tab. Click "Customize". Go to the "Advanced" Tab. Uncheck "List my most recently opened documents".
Disable Animations
Windows XP likes to animate some things Windows. These animations have no remorse for even the fastest computers because all animations in Windows force you to wait while the animation is in effect. To disable them, go to Start > Right click My Computer > Properties. Go to the "Advanced" tab and click "Settings" beneath Performance.
Uncheck these options: 1) Animate windows 2) fade or slide menus 3) fade or slide tooltips 4) fade out menu items 5) slide open combo boxes 6) slide taskbar buttons
Disable annoying Sounds
Windows likes to play little sound bites any time you click something or an error occurs. These are relatively annoying. To disable them, go to Start > Control Panel > Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices > Change the sound scheme. Beneath "Sound Scheme", choose "No Sounds".
There is at least 1 sound that will force your computer's internal speaker to be used, and that is "Default Beep". Just select that and choose "Windows XP Ding". Now your computer will be quiet.
--
After you have finished installing all of your programs, games, and tweaked your computer to performance perfection, it is finally time to make your final backup. Run Acronis True Image and make a backup of your C: partition. Store this backup on the D: partition. When it prompts you to make an incremental backup, choose that and proceed with the backup. After you have made your final backup, be sure to validate it for any possible errors.
The glorious thing about this setup is, if you ever get a virus, spyware, adware, or a program malfunctions, you can restore your computer in a matter of 2 or 3 minutes... and know beyond a shadow of a doubt it will work just the way you like and you won't lose any important data like documents, music, videos, pictures, programs, or settings.
If in the future, you decide you want to install another program or game, and want it to be in your backups, no problem! Just restore to your very last known backup, install the program or game, and back up your computer again. This ensures you are clean of viruses, spyware, or adware, and your computer will stay in top notch shape.
Have fun!
For this guide, you will need Windows XP, Acronis True Image, and a bootable partitioning program. This guide focuses primarily on making partitions of the harddrive, installing essential programs like antivirus, antispyware, along with free alternatives to commercial programs while making incremental backups to preserve progress.
Throughout the steps, you will be advised to make backups of the main partition using Acronis True Image. You can use whatever backup program you desire, but this guide only covers how to use Acronis.
STEP 1: Partitioning the Harddrive
First of all, you'll want to create partitions on the harddrive using a bootable partitioning program of your choice. Partitioning the harddrive allows us to simulate having multiple harddrives using only a single harddrive. Having multiple partitions allows you to store you personal data like music, pictures or documents away from the OS. By storing your data on a partition away from the OS, you no longer have to worry about backing up your data before reinstalling the OS, your data is safe.
Partitioning the drive is easiest if you use a bootable program, but if you want to, you can partition your drives from within the OS before or after Windows is installed. For a tutorial on how to partition your drive using the free partition utility gparted, go here.
The setup of the partitions will look something like this:
Windows (C:) 10 to 15 GB
This is where Windows will be installed. C: will not need to be bigger than 10 to 15GB.
Doc (D:) 80+ GB
This is where you will store your data, which will be the location of the "My Documents" folder. This partition is essential for easily maintaining your important files that you don't want to lose. We will also try to install most programs here in an effort to conserve space on the C: partition. Games will also be installed on this partition, as the C: partition is clearly big enough for very few things.
After you have made these partitions, it is time to install Windows. Install Windows on the C: partition using the install CD and follow the instructions. It will take about 30-45 minutes for the setup to complete. When you boot up for the first time, your screen resolution will be incorrect, you will have no drivers for your videocard, sound card, or motherboard.
STEP 2: Drivers and Updates
Configure Windows to access the internet and download the latest drivers for your hardware. After you have installed all of the drivers, feel free to change some settings in Windows XP. Proceed to Windows Updates and get all of the critical Windows Updates... complete this grueling process.
Afterwards, you'll want to change the default location of the "My Documents" directory. If you intend to have multiple desktops, then you will want to create folders within the D: partition for each separate user. (For example: "d:\Bob's Documents" or "d:\Sally's Documents") Otherwise, if you are the only person, then choosing D:\ as your new My Documents location will work just fine.
Go to Start > right click My Documents and click properties. Click Move and choose the D:\ partition. Again, if you intend to have multiple desktops, then you'll want to choose a folder within the D:\ partition to better signify who's documents belong to who.
It is now time to make your first backup. Go ahead and install Acronis True Image, choosing the default location (c: partition). Once installed, you be asked to reboot. Go ahead and reboot. Once you have rebooted, locate and run the Acronis True Image Workstation. From here, you will see Backup, Recovery, and other miscellaneous items to choose from. Choose Backup and make a Full Backup of the C: partition. You can name it whatever you want, but store this backup file on the D: partition. (You cannot store this backup file on the C: partition) Remember to validate the backup in Acronis after it has been created to ensure the integrity of the backup is 100%.
STEP 3: Antivirus and Essential Programs
All programs from now on will be installed on the D: drive, to conserve space on the C: drive. We want to make backing up and restoring from the C: partition as quick and painless as possible, and the only way to do this, is to keep the C: partition as small as possible.
This is where it gets fun. Since you are striving to make the perfect installation of Windows, why bother with Antivirus, Antispyware, or software firewalls? Okay, I'm kidding. Make sure the Windows firewall is enabled, and download and install an antivirus of your choice. Below is a list of programs, most of which are free alternatives to commercial "pay for" software.
AVG Free | Spybot S&D
I suggest AVG Free because it is a free alternative to "pay-to-use" subscription Antiviruses. If you need extra protection, or you just don't like the idea of being vulnerable to spyware, trojans.. etc, try Spybot Search and Destroy
Mozilla Firefox | Opera
You will want to download and install several programs that make your computer more efficient. For starters, try a different internet browser. Mozilla Firefox is a good alternative to Internet Explorer, and it's safer. Opera is good too. Your chances of getting viruses and spyware decrease dramatically by using an alternative browser.
Open Office
You probably want Microsoft Word by now. If you own that, install it. If you don't have money, download and install the open source alternative Open Office. It's free, and it works VERY WELL.
7-Zip
Compressing and extracting files is not Windows XP's specialty, so you might want to get 7-zip. It's a free alternative to Winrar or Winzip, is faster, easier to use, and can unzip most compressed files.
Foxit | Adobe Reader | PDF Creator
If you like PDF files, download and install Foxit. It's super fast compared to Adobe Reader, but might not display all PDF files correctly. If you're anal, just install Adobe Reader.
To easily create PDF files from any program including web pages, use the open source Free PDF Creator. I think Free is less expensive than the $500.00 Adobe Acrobat for creating PDF files. According to forums, PDF Creator does not install on Vista.
Nero | InfraRecorder
If you like to burn CDs, either buy Nero, or use Windows Media Player 11's built in CD burning. If you need to burn data CD's or DVDs but need something free, InfraRecorder is a great alternative.
VLC Player
If you want to watch every video ever created, but you don't know which codecs to install, why bother? Just download VLC player. It's free, and super fast. It will play just about everything.
IrfanView
The default picture viewer for Windows XP is terrible, which is why I like to use Irfanview. I suggest downloading and installing this. You'll love it.
Winamp | XMPlay | MusikCube | iTunes
Windows Media Player 11 by itself is great, but there are alternatives. If you want something with more functionality, try Winamp.
If you want something fast and efficient, try XMPlay or MusikCube. XMplay is regarded as the best mod player and comes with a decent library. MusikCube is a great alternative to WMP11 or iTunes.. If you want something like Windows Media Player 11, iTunes is a good alternative.
Gmail | Mozilla Thunderbird
Why install and use an e-mail program when you can use G-Mail ? If you insist and own Outlook, use it if you want. If you don't own outlook you can use Outlook Express. Either way I would suggest trying the free alternative Mozilla Thunderbird. It works great, it's fast, it handles IMAP folders better than outlook, and does not contain the dreaded outlook bug which creates thousands of duplicate messages in your inbox if you tell outlook to keep your messages on your POP server.
WinSCP3
For FTP and SSH directory access, WinSCP3 is a free program and works great.
uTorrent | Azureus
If file sharing is your life, there are many popular peer-2-peer programs to choose from. Bit Torrent is among the best, and it's easy to use. For a fast, very sophisticated, yet, user friendly Bit Torrent program, uTorrent is the best. For a cross platform, open source, highly configurable client, Azureus is good. Be sure to familiarize yourself with Bit Torrent documentation if you don't know how Bit Torrent works.
Ultra VNC
Looking for a program that will let you perform screen sharing so you can access your PC from a remote location? Then UltraVNC is the free, lightweight, easy to install and use alternative to the crapshare that comes with Windows.
Daemon Tools
Daemon tools is the free and lightweight alternative to Alcohol 120%, but it is more inclined to circumvent common antimounting techniques employed by PC game developpers. Use this to mount your PC games so you never have to put a CD or DVD in your drive again.
CAUTION: Daemon Tools by default will try to install a toolbar that displays contextual advertisements, so when installing Daemon Tools, choose advanced and uncheck the included toolbar.
STEP 4: Games and Other Changes
After you have decided which programs you want to install, you can install your PC games. Be sure to install all of your favorite games on the D: partition to conserve space. If you install any games on the C: partition, remember, you will most likely lose any important save data in the event you choose to restore your PC. By keeping your game data separate from the C: partition, it helps to keep your games installed and possibly prevent you from losing save data. Sometimes game data will be stored on the C: partition anyway, so it's always good to double check before restoring your pc.
STEP 5: Tweaks and Improving Performance
If you are a gamer, or would like to see performance increases out of Windows XP, there are several things you can do to accomplish this. Windows XP, by nature, is not optimized for the best performance. We can improve performance by disabling some things.
Disable Indexing
Open a My Computer from the start menu. Right click a partition > "Properties". Uncheck "Allow Indexing Service to index this disk for fast file searching" This will prevent windows from accessing the harddrives as often.
Disable Duration and Dimension Collumns
Open a My Computer and navigate to your My Music folder, or wherever you store your music. Right click on the collumn bar above your files and uncheck "Duration" and "Dimensions". If you don't see one or the other, click "more". Browse through the list deselecting collumns you do not wish to see. Apply any changes.
Afterwards, In the main window for My Computer, go to the "tools" menu > "Folder Options". Go to the view tab and press "Apply to All Folders". Press "Yes" and apply the changes.
Disable Desktop Cleanup Wizard
Every 60 days or so, Windows XP will bug you to remove unused desktop icons. You can disable this by Right clicking the desktop > "Properties". Select the "Desktop" tab and press the "Customize Desktop" button. Uncheck "Run Desktop Cleanup Wizard Every 60 Days". Apply the changes.
Disable the animated dog in search and enable advanced Searching.
The animated dog in the search window has to animate first before you can begin searching. To speed up your search, disable the animated dog by going to "Start" > "Search". In the Search sidebar, press "Change Preferences" and choose "Without an animated screen character".
To enable advanced searching, in the search sidebar, click "Change Preferences" and choose "Change files and folders search behavior". From here you can enable Advanced Search.
Disable Sticky Keys
By default, if you press shift 5 times in a row, Windows will activate sticky keys. This is bad if you are playing a game or are involved in another activity, and you accidentally activate sticky keys. Just press shift 5 times and stick keys will activate. Disable sticky keys and apply the changes. There are other shortcut combinations in there, so feel free to disable those if you wish.
Disable Hibernation
If you are using a Laptop, it would be unwise to disable hibernation, especially when the battery is critically low on power. If you are using a desktop PC, hibernation is nothing short of a needless feature. So why not disable it?
To disable, Right click the desktop and choose "Properties". Select the "Screensaver" tab. Press "Power" and select the "Hibernate" tab. Uncheck "Hibernation". This will free up several hundred megabytes of space on the C:\ drive or partition.
Change location of the Page File
By default, windows automatically determines the size of the page file and stores it on the C:\ drive or partition. Since the C:\ partition is small and storing the page file on the C:\ partition is bad practice, changing the location of the page file can potentially improve performance and increase the size of the C:\ partition.
To do this, go to "Start" > Right click "My computer" > "Properties". Go to the "Advanced" tab. Beneath "Performance", press "Settings". Go to the "Advanced" tab. Beneath "Virtual Memory", press "Change".
Select "D: [Doc]" (or whatever) and press "Custom Size" The initial size will be the first part of the number beneath "Paging File Size (MB)" The maximum size will be the second part of the number. Select "C: [Windows]" (or whatever) and choose "No Page File". Press OK consecutively closing all Windows. It might ask you to reboot, if so, save your work and reboot.
Disable Recent Documents
Sometimes the start menu will lag or pause when you open it, it could be that it's busy loading your recent document's history. You can disable this by right clicking your taskbar and going to properties. Go to the "Start Menu" tab. Click "Customize". Go to the "Advanced" Tab. Uncheck "List my most recently opened documents".
Disable Animations
Windows XP likes to animate some things Windows. These animations have no remorse for even the fastest computers because all animations in Windows force you to wait while the animation is in effect. To disable them, go to Start > Right click My Computer > Properties. Go to the "Advanced" tab and click "Settings" beneath Performance.
Uncheck these options: 1) Animate windows 2) fade or slide menus 3) fade or slide tooltips 4) fade out menu items 5) slide open combo boxes 6) slide taskbar buttons
Disable annoying Sounds
Windows likes to play little sound bites any time you click something or an error occurs. These are relatively annoying. To disable them, go to Start > Control Panel > Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices > Change the sound scheme. Beneath "Sound Scheme", choose "No Sounds".
There is at least 1 sound that will force your computer's internal speaker to be used, and that is "Default Beep". Just select that and choose "Windows XP Ding". Now your computer will be quiet.
--
After you have finished installing all of your programs, games, and tweaked your computer to performance perfection, it is finally time to make your final backup. Run Acronis True Image and make a backup of your C: partition. Store this backup on the D: partition. When it prompts you to make an incremental backup, choose that and proceed with the backup. After you have made your final backup, be sure to validate it for any possible errors.
The glorious thing about this setup is, if you ever get a virus, spyware, adware, or a program malfunctions, you can restore your computer in a matter of 2 or 3 minutes... and know beyond a shadow of a doubt it will work just the way you like and you won't lose any important data like documents, music, videos, pictures, programs, or settings.
If in the future, you decide you want to install another program or game, and want it to be in your backups, no problem! Just restore to your very last known backup, install the program or game, and back up your computer again. This ensures you are clean of viruses, spyware, or adware, and your computer will stay in top notch shape.
Have fun!
The Easiest Way to get some UI settings in XP
Windows 2000 Search
Download TweakUI for Windows XP
After installing TweakUI, go to Explorer Settings in TweakUI.
Select "Use classic search in Explorer (and Internet Explorer)".
Restart Explorer and Internet Explorer.
CTRL-ALT-DEL Login
Select "Classic Login" in the User Accounts Settings Window.
Go to Administrative Tools in the Control Panel.
Open up Local Security Policy, and select "Local Options/Security Options".
Scroll down to "Interactive Logon: Disable CTRL-ALT-DEL requirement..."
Select "Disable".
Windows NT 4.0 Startup Screen
Open "msconfig.exe"
Select "boot.ini"
Check the "/sos" command.
Click OK and reboot.
Download TweakUI for Windows XP
After installing TweakUI, go to Explorer Settings in TweakUI.
Select "Use classic search in Explorer (and Internet Explorer)".
Restart Explorer and Internet Explorer.
CTRL-ALT-DEL Login
Select "Classic Login" in the User Accounts Settings Window.
Go to Administrative Tools in the Control Panel.
Open up Local Security Policy, and select "Local Options/Security Options".
Scroll down to "Interactive Logon: Disable CTRL-ALT-DEL requirement..."
Select "Disable".
Windows NT 4.0 Startup Screen
Open "msconfig.exe"
Select "boot.ini"
Check the "/sos" command.
Click OK and reboot.
How to turn off Turbocache in XP
Here's what you need:
-A video card with Turbocache (duh). It pays to get a card with more onboard memory, like 256MB
-The latest nVidia drivers. You might already have these. I use Forceware 93.81, but I think the latest stable will work too.
-Rivatuner
Now, down to business:
First, install your video drivers. You've probably already done this, but if you want to make sure that you have something recent, do the following:
-Right-click your desktop and click Properties
-Go to the Settings tab
-Click the advanced button
-Go to the Adapter tab (note the Memory Size under Adapter Information)
-Click on Properties button
-Go to the Driver tab
-Check the Driver Date and Driver Version to see if it's at least November 2006 and/or 93.71
-Close the dialogs.
-If your version isn't up-to-date, then download and install the latest nVidia Driver.
Install Rivatuner
-Just download it from here: http://downloads.guru3d.com/download.php?det=163
-Run the installer
Hey, that was easy, right? Now comes the important part:
-Disable Turbocache
-Open Rivatuner
-Go to the Power Users tab
-Click on the Open Matched Database button. It's one of the little ones on the bottom.
-Find and expand the nVidia...System entry in the list
-Find RMDisableRenderToSysMem and set the value to 1
-Close Rivatuner
-Reboot the computer
Double-check to see that your card is "normal" and not using system memory anymore. Repeat the "Verify your driver" steps to view the properties of your video card and see if the memory listed is only what's onboard (up to step 4).
And that should be it! I noticed a performance gain on my system. Probably because it wasn't paging to the system memory. Probably just one less thing the CPU had to keep track of.
If this makes matters worse for you (which I can't imagine that it would), the just go back in and delete the 1 value for the entry in Rivatuner, and you'll be back to the way you were. Just remember my standard disclaimer: you did it, it's your fault!
-A video card with Turbocache (duh). It pays to get a card with more onboard memory, like 256MB
-The latest nVidia drivers. You might already have these. I use Forceware 93.81, but I think the latest stable will work too.
-Rivatuner
Now, down to business:
First, install your video drivers. You've probably already done this, but if you want to make sure that you have something recent, do the following:
-Right-click your desktop and click Properties
-Go to the Settings tab
-Click the advanced button
-Go to the Adapter tab (note the Memory Size under Adapter Information)
-Click on Properties button
-Go to the Driver tab
-Check the Driver Date and Driver Version to see if it's at least November 2006 and/or 93.71
-Close the dialogs.
-If your version isn't up-to-date, then download and install the latest nVidia Driver.
Install Rivatuner
-Just download it from here: http://downloads.guru3d.com/download.php?det=163
-Run the installer
Hey, that was easy, right? Now comes the important part:
-Disable Turbocache
-Open Rivatuner
-Go to the Power Users tab
-Click on the Open Matched Database button. It's one of the little ones on the bottom.
-Find and expand the nVidia...System entry in the list
-Find RMDisableRenderToSysMem and set the value to 1
-Close Rivatuner
-Reboot the computer
Double-check to see that your card is "normal" and not using system memory anymore. Repeat the "Verify your driver" steps to view the properties of your video card and see if the memory listed is only what's onboard (up to step 4).
And that should be it! I noticed a performance gain on my system. Probably because it wasn't paging to the system memory. Probably just one less thing the CPU had to keep track of.
If this makes matters worse for you (which I can't imagine that it would), the just go back in and delete the 1 value for the entry in Rivatuner, and you'll be back to the way you were. Just remember my standard disclaimer: you did it, it's your fault!
Complete Right Click Custimization in Windows, Without any 3rd party applications
No longer do you need to use 10 different programs to make your right click menu the way you want it, you can do it with a shell extentsion and ResHacker (oy, that one again ^^). You can add shortcuts to programs or folders, you can take out and rename parts of the menus already built in, and you can even add bitmaps to the menu.
This is actually a very simple process if you can edit text files (omgsoezzz!1one) and use ResHacker. The ResHacking is the hardest part!
What you will need:
ResHacker
Replacer
Grigri's ContextAware
A Text Editor
Byblos.dll
Command Prompt
The ResHacking
So lets get the tough part done, editing the menu's that make up the damn context menu. Fire up RH and open shell32.dll
Starting at menu 207, you can edit or take out parts of the context menu. The properties part is at 211, cut copy etc 210, a lot of it on 215, 216, etc. Look through there and fix it how you want it. Don't add anything yet, we don't need to.
Once you are hapy, do the usual deal. Compile the menu, save it to any folder, back up shell32.dll and replace it using Replacer. Restart, if you like it move on, if you don't, you can edit it, rinse and repeate.
Moving on to the programs.. Download and extract ContextAware to Program Files and open up "GotoMenu.txt" I will show you what mine looks like so you hopefully can understand whats going on here.
->-
>Folders
->Windows,'goto:%windir%'
->Desktop,'goto:C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator.MATT-1425202C69\Desktop'
->Program,'goto:C:\Program Files'
>Programs
->ResHacker,'goto:c:\program files\reshacker\reshacker.exe'
->Replacer,'goto:c:\program files\replacer\replacer.cmd'
->-
->Firefox,'goto:c:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe'
->Foobar,'goto:c:\Program Files\foobar2000\foobar2000.exe'
The form for adding something is:
->[i]Name[/i],'goto:[i]Path[/i]'
To make a seperator, use:
->-
For a submenu title use:
>[i]Name[/i]
and for a entry in that subfolder use:
->blah
So play around and see what you come up with.
Now for the last thing the image. Now I haven't founda good image for the theme I am going for so I dug up a old bmp to show you guys.
This one is pretty easy to do and understand, the limitations to the image is it must be a .bmp, and it must be no bigger than 96x96px. So first off you need to dl the Byblos shell extension and extract the dll to the system32 folder. (You can put it anywhere, I say here so you won't move it). Once you activate it, you can't move it.
Next go to run and type cmd and hit enter. Type in (or copy and paste)
CODE
regsvr32.exe c:\windows\system32\Byblos.dll
and hit enter. Then go to your desktop and right click.. you will see a crappy picture that looks like a big turd. If you like turds on your desktop, your done with this guide, have a nice day, if not read on.
First you need to fine / make / edit a image and make it 96x96 and a bitmap. Save it to your desktop. When done, fire up ResHacker and open byblos.dll in ../system32/
Go to bitmaps and replace the bitmap with the one of your choosing and save it.
Restart explorer by pressing ctrl alt delete and ending explorer.exe and then clicking File> New task, and tyle in explorer.exe and hit enter. Right click again and wallah.
This is actually a very simple process if you can edit text files (omgsoezzz!1one) and use ResHacker. The ResHacking is the hardest part!
What you will need:
ResHacker
Replacer
Grigri's ContextAware
A Text Editor
Byblos.dll
Command Prompt
The ResHacking
So lets get the tough part done, editing the menu's that make up the damn context menu. Fire up RH and open shell32.dll
Starting at menu 207, you can edit or take out parts of the context menu. The properties part is at 211, cut copy etc 210, a lot of it on 215, 216, etc. Look through there and fix it how you want it. Don't add anything yet, we don't need to.
Once you are hapy, do the usual deal. Compile the menu, save it to any folder, back up shell32.dll and replace it using Replacer. Restart, if you like it move on, if you don't, you can edit it, rinse and repeate.
Moving on to the programs.. Download and extract ContextAware to Program Files and open up "GotoMenu.txt" I will show you what mine looks like so you hopefully can understand whats going on here.
->-
>Folders
->Windows,'goto:%windir%'
->Desktop,'goto:C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator.MATT-1425202C69\Desktop'
->Program,'goto:C:\Program Files'
>Programs
->ResHacker,'goto:c:\program files\reshacker\reshacker.exe'
->Replacer,'goto:c:\program files\replacer\replacer.cmd'
->-
->Firefox,'goto:c:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe'
->Foobar,'goto:c:\Program Files\foobar2000\foobar2000.exe'
The form for adding something is:
->[i]Name[/i],'goto:[i]Path[/i]'
To make a seperator, use:
->-
For a submenu title use:
>[i]Name[/i]
and for a entry in that subfolder use:
->blah
So play around and see what you come up with.
Now for the last thing the image. Now I haven't founda good image for the theme I am going for so I dug up a old bmp to show you guys.
This one is pretty easy to do and understand, the limitations to the image is it must be a .bmp, and it must be no bigger than 96x96px. So first off you need to dl the Byblos shell extension and extract the dll to the system32 folder. (You can put it anywhere, I say here so you won't move it). Once you activate it, you can't move it.
Next go to run and type cmd and hit enter. Type in (or copy and paste)
CODE
regsvr32.exe c:\windows\system32\Byblos.dll
and hit enter. Then go to your desktop and right click.. you will see a crappy picture that looks like a big turd. If you like turds on your desktop, your done with this guide, have a nice day, if not read on.
First you need to fine / make / edit a image and make it 96x96 and a bitmap. Save it to your desktop. When done, fire up ResHacker and open byblos.dll in ../system32/
Go to bitmaps and replace the bitmap with the one of your choosing and save it.
Restart explorer by pressing ctrl alt delete and ending explorer.exe and then clicking File> New task, and tyle in explorer.exe and hit enter. Right click again and wallah.
Mike's Security Guide
Introduction
Q: What is Spyware, Adware?
A: Spyware is a general term used for software that performs certain behaviors such as advertising, collecting personal information, or changing the configuration of your computer, generally without appropriately obtaining your consent. You might have spyware or other unwanted software on your computer if:
• You see pop-up advertisements even when you're not on the Web.
• The page your Web browser first opens to (your home page) or your browser search settings have changed without your knowledge.
• You notice a new toolbar in your browser that you didn't want, and find it difficult to get rid of.
• Your computer takes longer than usual to complete certain tasks.
• You experience a sudden rise in computer crashes.
Spyware is often associated with software that displays advertisements (called adware) or software that tracks personal or sensitive information. That does not mean all software which provides ads or tracks your online activities is bad. For example, you might sign up for a free music service, but "pay" for the service by agreeing to receive targeted ads. If you understand the terms and agree to them, you may have decided that it is a fair tradeoff. You might also agree to let the company track your online activities to determine which ads to show you.
Other kinds of unwanted software will make changes to your computer that can be annoying and can cause your computer slow down or crash. These programs have the ability to change your Web browser's home page or search page, or add additional components to your browser you don't need or want. These programs also make it very difficult for you to change your settings back to the way you originally had them. These types of unwanted programs are also often called spyware.
The key in all cases is whether or not you (or someone who uses your computer) understand what the software will do and have agreed to install the software on your computer.
There are a number of ways spyware or other unwanted software can get on your system. A common trick is to covertly install the software during the installation of other software you want such as a music or video file sharing program. Whenever you are installing something on your computer, make sure you carefully read all disclosures, including the license agreement and privacy statement. Sometimes the inclusion of unwanted software in a given software installation is documented, but it may appear at the end of a license agreement or privacy statement.
Q: What is Spyware, Adware?
A: Spyware is a general term used for software that performs certain behaviors such as advertising, collecting personal information, or changing the configuration of your computer, generally without appropriately obtaining your consent. You might have spyware or other unwanted software on your computer if:
• You see pop-up advertisements even when you're not on the Web.
• The page your Web browser first opens to (your home page) or your browser search settings have changed without your knowledge.
• You notice a new toolbar in your browser that you didn't want, and find it difficult to get rid of.
• Your computer takes longer than usual to complete certain tasks.
• You experience a sudden rise in computer crashes.
Spyware is often associated with software that displays advertisements (called adware) or software that tracks personal or sensitive information. That does not mean all software which provides ads or tracks your online activities is bad. For example, you might sign up for a free music service, but "pay" for the service by agreeing to receive targeted ads. If you understand the terms and agree to them, you may have decided that it is a fair tradeoff. You might also agree to let the company track your online activities to determine which ads to show you.
Other kinds of unwanted software will make changes to your computer that can be annoying and can cause your computer slow down or crash. These programs have the ability to change your Web browser's home page or search page, or add additional components to your browser you don't need or want. These programs also make it very difficult for you to change your settings back to the way you originally had them. These types of unwanted programs are also often called spyware.
The key in all cases is whether or not you (or someone who uses your computer) understand what the software will do and have agreed to install the software on your computer.
There are a number of ways spyware or other unwanted software can get on your system. A common trick is to covertly install the software during the installation of other software you want such as a music or video file sharing program. Whenever you are installing something on your computer, make sure you carefully read all disclosures, including the license agreement and privacy statement. Sometimes the inclusion of unwanted software in a given software installation is documented, but it may appear at the end of a license agreement or privacy statement.
Guide -Backing up, Formatting, and installing Windows XP
Below is a short and sweet version for backing up, formatting, and then installing Windows XP.
1) Have a backup source DIFFERENT from your primary hard drive*(see note at bottom of guide). This means: a DVD burner, an external hard drive, a networked computer/server, a USB key, etc.)
2) Backup all essential documents/information (i.e. reports, pictures, music, etc.) to that backup source
3) Download all updated drivers for your computer components. This means: motherboard, graphics card, sound card, etc.
4) Make a list of all programs that you would need to reinstall once formatting/installing windows has been completed. PRINT THAT LIST!
5) Download and/or set aside all installers for the programs on your list (plus all relevant serial numbers/activation codes)
6) Download RyanVM's Windows XP Post-SP2 Update Pack , and integrate the file into your windows installer cd using the integrator program found on that same page. A nice tutorial on how to integrate the file is also on the page. This will integrate all Post-SP2 updates on your windows installer cd so that you won't have to spend time after reinstallation downloading updates from microsoft (note: your cd must already have sp-2 integrated ... if not, you can download sp2 from microsoft, and then integrate it yourself ... ask if that's the case)
7) Burn that new windows cd
8) Download and place in your backup drive Autopatcher. This program has all of the OTHER windows updates that you may need after reinstall. Very handy.
9) Double- and triple-check that you have backed up everything that you should, then CHECK AGAIN!
10) Calm-down because the above steps are the hardest parts
11) Put in new windows cd and then disconnect all network cables/wireless cards
12) Restart
13) Boot from cd
14) Follow prompts - delete old partition. Make new partition using quick ntfs option. Let windows cd load files and it will restart your computer
15) Fill in information microsoft asks for
IF YOU NEED A GUIDE ON STEPS 11-15, PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK!
16) On first boot up after reinstall, reinstall all antivirus, firewall, and antispyware applications. Be sure to restart when needed.
17) Install Autopatcher and install any updates missing from windows cd
18) Reconnect all network cables and reinstall internet service ... immediately update antivirus definitions
19) Activate windows over the internet using on-screen prompts
20) Reinstall all programs from list (hopefully in some sort of order), restarting when necessary.
21) Reload all information/documents from your backup drive onto your main computer drive, and then ...
YOU'RE DONE!!!
Much of the information I've provided above should be evident to most anyone who has SOME computer knowledge. Some are just tips I've found useful when formatting and reinstalling XP myself. If you have any questions, please ask.
Have fun!
*While I do not recommend doing so, it is possible to complete the above guide using just your original hard drive. You can "partition" (split into parts) your hard drive so that it is recognized by Windows as different hard drives. An advantage to having multiple partitions would be that you can have separate partitions for documents, programs, Windows itself, etc. CAUTION: If you are going to try this method, you should definitely BACKUP EVERYTHING before you try to partition.
There are numerous programs that you can use to partition your hard drive ... I typically suggest a commercial program like Partition Magic for this type of situation. Other solutions that I recommend are GParted or many Linux live cds (which are all free), but the most important item I can relay is to
BACKUP EVERYTHING BEFORE YOU TRY PARTITIONING!!!
1) Have a backup source DIFFERENT from your primary hard drive*(see note at bottom of guide). This means: a DVD burner, an external hard drive, a networked computer/server, a USB key, etc.)
2) Backup all essential documents/information (i.e. reports, pictures, music, etc.) to that backup source
3) Download all updated drivers for your computer components. This means: motherboard, graphics card, sound card, etc.
4) Make a list of all programs that you would need to reinstall once formatting/installing windows has been completed. PRINT THAT LIST!
5) Download and/or set aside all installers for the programs on your list (plus all relevant serial numbers/activation codes)
6) Download RyanVM's Windows XP Post-SP2 Update Pack , and integrate the file into your windows installer cd using the integrator program found on that same page. A nice tutorial on how to integrate the file is also on the page. This will integrate all Post-SP2 updates on your windows installer cd so that you won't have to spend time after reinstallation downloading updates from microsoft (note: your cd must already have sp-2 integrated ... if not, you can download sp2 from microsoft, and then integrate it yourself ... ask if that's the case)
7) Burn that new windows cd
8) Download and place in your backup drive Autopatcher. This program has all of the OTHER windows updates that you may need after reinstall. Very handy.
9) Double- and triple-check that you have backed up everything that you should, then CHECK AGAIN!
10) Calm-down because the above steps are the hardest parts
11) Put in new windows cd and then disconnect all network cables/wireless cards
12) Restart
13) Boot from cd
14) Follow prompts - delete old partition. Make new partition using quick ntfs option. Let windows cd load files and it will restart your computer
15) Fill in information microsoft asks for
IF YOU NEED A GUIDE ON STEPS 11-15, PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK!
16) On first boot up after reinstall, reinstall all antivirus, firewall, and antispyware applications. Be sure to restart when needed.
17) Install Autopatcher and install any updates missing from windows cd
18) Reconnect all network cables and reinstall internet service ... immediately update antivirus definitions
19) Activate windows over the internet using on-screen prompts
20) Reinstall all programs from list (hopefully in some sort of order), restarting when necessary.
21) Reload all information/documents from your backup drive onto your main computer drive, and then ...
YOU'RE DONE!!!
Much of the information I've provided above should be evident to most anyone who has SOME computer knowledge. Some are just tips I've found useful when formatting and reinstalling XP myself. If you have any questions, please ask.
Have fun!
*While I do not recommend doing so, it is possible to complete the above guide using just your original hard drive. You can "partition" (split into parts) your hard drive so that it is recognized by Windows as different hard drives. An advantage to having multiple partitions would be that you can have separate partitions for documents, programs, Windows itself, etc. CAUTION: If you are going to try this method, you should definitely BACKUP EVERYTHING before you try to partition.
There are numerous programs that you can use to partition your hard drive ... I typically suggest a commercial program like Partition Magic for this type of situation. Other solutions that I recommend are GParted or many Linux live cds (which are all free), but the most important item I can relay is to
BACKUP EVERYTHING BEFORE YOU TRY PARTITIONING!!!
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