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Useful Windows XP DOS Commands & Tricks

2009-06-13T05:29:00.000-07:00

Typing DOS commands on the Windows Command Line prompt is a most efficient and faster way of doing things in Windows XP. Here's a run-down of the most useful DOS commands available in Windows XP. Some of these DOS commands even do not have an visual alternative.

DOS Command-line tools must be run at the prompt of the Cmd.exe command interpreter. To open Command Prompt, click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.

ipconfig - Windows IP configuration
Useful for troubleshooting your internet connection. Displays the current IP address of your computer and the DNS server address. If you call your ISP for reporting a bad internet connection, he will probably ask you to run ipconfig.

fc - Free BeyondCompare in XP
FC is an advanced DOS Command that compares two files and displays the differences between them. Though the file comparison results are not as interactive as BeyondCompare or Altova DiffDog, fc is still very useful. You can even set fc to resynchronize the files after finding a mismatch.

type - open text files sans Notepad
Similar to Unix cat command, Type is my favorite DOS command for displaying the contents of a text files without modifying them. When used in combination with more switch, type splits the contents of lengthy text files into multiple pages. Avoid using the type command with binary files or you'll hear alien PC beeps and see some greek characters on your PC.

ping - Say hello to another computer
Ping network command followed by the web-address or IP address tells you about the health of the connection and whether the other party is responding to your handshake request. Ping tool can also be used to convert the web address to a physical IP address.

tree - visual directory structure
You often need to take prints of your physical directory structure but XP has no simple "visual" commands for printing directory contents. Here, try the Tree DOS command and redirect the output to a text file.

tree > mydirectory.txt
print mydirectory.txt

attrib - make hidden files visible
Attrib lets you change attributes of System files and even hidden files. This is great for troubleshooting Windows XP. Say your XP doesn't boot ever since you edited that startup boot.ini file (Hidden), use attrib to remove the Hidden attibute and edit the file using EDIT dos command.

assoc - which program will open that .xyz file
The assoc DOS command can be used to either isplay or even modify the file name extension associations. The command assoc .htm will quickly tell you the name of your default web browser (see picture)

move - more flexible than copy-paste
Say you got a lot of XLS and DOC files in you MyDocuments folder and want to move only those XLS files that have their name ending with 2006. In XP Explorer, you have to manually select each file and then cut-paste to another folder. However, the DOS move command make things much simpler. Just type the following at the command prompt:
move *2006.xls c:\2006Reports\

find - advanced file search with filter
Find is the most powerful DOS command and even more useful than the Windows Desktop Search tool or the Windows Find Wizard. The find command searches for a specific string of text in a file or files. After searching the specified file or files, find displays any lines of text that contain the specified string.

To search your hard disk to find and display the file names on drive C: that contain the string "Google" use the pipe (|) to direct the results of a dir command to find as follows:
dir c:\ /s /b | find "Google"

Quick tip - Drag to avoid typing: When your command acts on a file or folder, you must type the path to that folder after the command. You can save typing time by dragging the file or folder from Windows Explorer into the command window.

8 hacks to make Firefox ridiculously fast

2009-06-13T05:26:00.000-07:00

Firefox has been outperforming IE in every department for years, and version 3 is speedier than ever.

But tweak the right settings and you could make it faster still, more than doubling your speed in some situations, all for about five minutes work and for the cost of precisely nothing at all. Here's what you need to do.

1. Enable pipelining

Browsers are normally very polite, sending a request to a server then waiting for a response before continuing. Pipelining is a more aggressive technique that lets them send multiple requests before any responses are received, often reducing page download times. To enable it, type about:config in the address bar, double-click network.http.pipelining and network.http.proxy.pipelining so their values are set to true, then double-click network.http.pipelining.maxrequests and set this to 8.

Keep in mind that some servers don't support pipelining, though, and if you regularly visit a lot of these then the tweak can actually reduce performance. Set network.http.pipelining and network.http.proxy.pipelining to false again if you have any problems.

2. Render quickly

Large, complex web pages can take a while to download. Firefox doesn't want to keep you waiting, so by default will display what it's received so far every 0.12 seconds (the "content notify interval"). While this helps the browser feel snappy, frequent redraws increase the total page load time, so a longer content notify interval will improve performance.

Type about:config and press [Enter], then right-click (Apple users ctrl-click) somewhere in the window and select New > Integer. Type content.notify.interval as your preference name, click OK, enter 500000 (that's five hundred thousand, not fifty thousand) and click OK again.

Right-click again in the window and select New > Boolean. This time create a value called content.notify.ontimer and set it to True to finish the job.

3. Faster loading

If you haven't moved your mouse or touched the keyboard for 0.75 seconds (the content switch threshold) then Firefox enters a low frequency interrupt mode, which means its interface becomes less responsive but your page loads more quickly. Reducing the content switch threshold can improve performance, then, and it only takes a moment.

Type about:config and press [Enter], right-click in the window and select New > Integer. Type content.switch.threshold, click OK, enter 250000 (a quarter of a second) and click OK to finish.

4. No interruptions

You can take the last step even further by telling Firefox to ignore user interface events altogether until the current page has been downloaded. This is a little drastic as Firefox could remain unresponsive for quite some time, but try this and see how it works for you.

Type about:config, press [Enter], right-click in the window and select New > Boolean. Type content.interrupt.parsing, click OK, set the value to False and click OK.

5. Block Flash

Intrusive Flash animations are everywhere, popping up over the content you actually want to read and slowing down your browsing. Fortunately there's a very easy solution. Install the Flashblock extension (flashblock.mozdev.org) and it'll block all Flash applets from loading, so web pages will display much more quickly. And if you discover some Flash content that isn't entirely useless, just click its placeholder to download and view the applet as normal.

6. Increase the cache size

As you browse the web so Firefox stores site images and scripts in a local memory cache, where they can be speedily retrieved if you revisit the same page. If you have plenty of RAM (2 GB of more), leave Firefox running all the time and regularly return to pages then you can improve performance by increasing this cache size. Type about:config and press [Enter], then right-click anywhere in the window and select New > Integer. Type browser.cache.memory.capacity, click OK, enter 65536 and click OK, then restart your browser to get the new, larger cache.

7. Enable TraceMonkey

TraceMonkey is a new Firefox feature that converts slow Javascript into super-speedy x86 code, and so lets it run some functions anything up to 20 times faster than the current version. It's still buggy so isn't available in the regular Firefox download yet, but if you're willing to risk the odd crash or two then there's an easy way to try it out.

Install the latest nightly build (ftp://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/nightly/latest-trunk/), launch it, type about:config in the address bar and press Enter. Type JIT in the filter box, then double-click javascript.options.jit.chrome and javascript.options.jit.content to change their values to true, and that's it - you're running the fastest Firefox Javascript engine ever.

8. Compress data

If you've a slow internet connection then it may feel like you'll never get Firefox to perform properly, but that's not necessarily true. Install toonel.net (toonel.net) and this clever Java applet will re-route your web traffic through its own server, compressing it at the same time, so there's much less to download. And it can even compress JPEGs by allowing you to reduce their quality. This all helps to cut your data transfer, useful if you're on a limited 1 GB-per-month account, and can at best double your browsing performance.

Convert Windows XP Guest Account to Admin

2009-06-13T03:45:00.000-07:00

Using simple command line tools on a machine running Windows XP we will obtain system level privileges, and run the entire explorer process (Desktop), and all processes that run from it have system privileges. The system run level is higher than administrator, and has full control of the operating system and it’s kernel. On many machines this can be exploited even with the guest account.

Follow these steps:
1. open command prompt (Start->Run->cmd),
2. enter the following command, then press ENTER]:
at 15:25 /interactive “cmd.exe”
Lets break down the preceding code. The “at” told the machine to run the at command, everything after that are the operators for the command, the important thing here, is to change the time (24 hour format) to one minute after the time currently set on your computers clock, for example: If your computer’s clock says it’s 4:30pm, convert this to 24 hour format (16:30) then use 16:31 as the time in the command.
When the system clock reaches the time you set, then a new command prompt will magically run. You’ll notice that the title bar has changed from cmd.exe to svchost.exe (which is short for Service Host). Now that we have our system command prompt, you may close the old one. The difference is that this one is running with system privileges (because it was started by the task scheduler service, which runs under the Local System account).
3. enter the following command, then press ENTER]:
compmgmt.msc
this will open the computer management console
4. Go to local users and groups->users.
Right click on any user and select "set password".
its done now...

if it says access denied do this

start>run>cmd

net use \\(your ip add)\IPS$ /u:Administrator

or

start>run>cmd
then use following commands
1) net user test /add (this command will make test named user)
2) net localgroup administrators test /add (this command will make test user as administrators rights)

and use net user command to reset your admin. password

WINDOWS XP HIDDEN APPLICATIONS

2009-06-13T03:43:00.000-07:00

To run any of these apps go to Start > Run and type the executable name, for example: charmap

WINDOWS XP HIDDEN APPLICATIONS:

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

2. Disk Cleanup = cleanmgr.exe

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

11. Object Packager = packager.exe (to do with packaging objects for insertion in files, appears to have comprehensive help files).

12. System Monitor = perfmon.exe (very useful, highly configurable tool, tells you everything you ever wanted to know about any aspect of PC performance, for uber-geeks only )

13. Program Manager = progman.exe (Legacy Windows 3.x desktop shell).

14. Remote Access phone book = rasphone.exe (documentation is virtually non-existant).

15. Registry Editor = regedt32.exe [also regedit.exe] (for hacking the Windows Registry).

16. Network shared folder wizard = shrpubw.exe (creates shared folders on network).

17. File siganture verification tool = sigverif.exe

18. Volume Contro = sndvol32.exe (I've included this for those people that lose it from the System Notification area).

19. System Configuration Editor = sysedit.exe (modify System.ini & Win.ini just like in Win98! ).

20. Syskey = syskey.exe (Secures XP Account database - use with care, it's virtually undocumented but it appears to encrypt all passwords, I'm not sure of the full implications).

21. Mcft Telnet Client = telnet.exe

22. Driver Verifier Manager = verifier.exe (seems to be a utility for monitoring the actions of drivers, might be useful for people having driver problems. Undocumented).

23. Windows for Workgroups Chat = winchat.exe (appears to be an old NT utility to allow chat sessions over a LAN, help files available).

24. System configuration = msconfig.exe (can use to control starup programs)

25. gpedit.msc used to manage group policies, and permissions

change number, currency, time, and date settings

2009-06-13T03:41:00.000-07:00

Change number, currency, time, and date settings

Open Regional and Language Options in Control Panel.
On the Regional Options tab, under Standards and formats, click the locale whose date, time, number, and currency format you want to use.

Notes

To open Regional and Language Options, click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Regional and Language Options.
Click Customize if you want to change individual settings for date, time, numbers, or currency.
To select an East Asian language or a complex script and right-to-left language, you must install the files for those languages. For more information, click Related Topics.

To change the way your computer displays the time

2009-06-13T03:39:00.000-07:00

Open Regional and Language Options in Control Panel.
On the Regional Options tab, under Standards and formats, click Customize.

On the Time tab, specify any changes you want to make.

If you do not see the format you want in Time format, follow these guidelines:

To	Do this
Display time in a 24-hour format	Type uppercase H or HH for the hour
Display time in a 12-hour format	Type lowercase h or hh for the hour
Display leading zeros in single-digit hours	Type two characters, HH or hh
Suppress the display of leading zeros in single-digit hours, minutes, or seconds	Type a single uppercase H, or lowercase letter, such as h, m, or s
Display a single letter to indicate AM or PM	Type lowercase t
Display two letters to indicate AM or PM	Type lowercase tt
Display text	Type single quotation marks (') around text

Top Ten New Features in Windows Vista

2009-06-09T06:51:00.000-07:00

Windows Vista, scheduled for release on January 30th, 2007 has something for everyone, from tight security and stunning new graphics to some new bundled applications. In fact, there is much that this new operating system has to offer, that it will be a real test for the hardware configuration of your PC. With its sleek new look and eye-catching interface, actually it's what's under the hood that impresses the most. Microsoft's done a great job of improving security across the board as this was their priority when they were developing Vista in the first place. Features like Windows and spyware library updates are streamlined, and I definitely appreciate the more robust Backup software.

Internet Explorer is the new web browser that comes with Windows Vista, but as we all know you can download it for XP as well, so this article won't focus on it. Windows Media Player 11 can also be installed to the XP system. A really intriguing stuff is the Windows Sidebar, which puts real-time weather info, stock quotes, system status, RSS feeds, and other information on the display.

This article puts the focus on the top new features in Window Vista, things that can’t find in the XP. Apart from this article, another really great site about Windows Vista full of information about the new features is vista-hq.com.

1. New User Experience, including Windows Aero

Windows Vista features four different levels of user experience—Basic, Windows Classic, Standard, and Windows Aero™. All controls are totally redesigned in Windows Vista and look even better now. The Aero user interface is the top of the line and takes advantage of the latest advances in computer hardware. On computers equipped with graphics hardware that supports the new Windows Driver Display Model (WDDM), the Aero provides more stability and smoother window handling. The main element of this interface is the transparent glass design, with subtle effects such as dynamic reflections and smooth animations. To checkout some screenshots, go to vista-hq.com/interface.html.

2. Windows Sidebar

The Windows Sidebar can be positioned on the right or on the left side of your screen and its associated with mini-applications called gadgets, that provide specific information. Like for example, the gadgets can give you info on the weather, show you the calendar, games, a calculator or all types of other tools. The Sidebar fits perfectly especially on widescreen monitors. It can be easily customized and you can add different types of gadgets. Gadgets are a new concept introduced in Windows Vista. They can connect to web services to deliver business data, weather information, news updates, traffic maps, Internet radio streams, and even slide shows of online photo albums. By default, the OS comes with a set number of gadgets to get you started, but you can always download more from an online gadget gallery.

3. The Instant Desktop Search

The Instant Search is a new feature that will help you find whatever you're looking for. It is available almost everywhere in Windows Vista, in the Explorer Dialogs, in the Start Menu, pretty much in every system window. Using it, you can type a filename, a property, or even text contained within a file, and it returns pinpointed results. Besides that, the Instant Search also arranges the results depending on your current activity, whether it’s searching for music files in Media Player, or looking over all your files and applications on the Start Menu. You can check out some screenshots of that at vista-hq.com/interface.html.

On the Start Menu, the Instant Search box is located at the lower left corner, and instead of going through all the programs installed in order to find the one you are looking for, you can just type its name in the box and as you type, Windows Vista instantly searches file and application names, metadata, and the full text of all files, and it displays the search results. It searches through everything - Applications; Favorites/Internet History; Files, including documents and media; and Communications, including email, events, tasks, and contacts.

4. Windows Defender

Windows Defender is a features that protects your computer from pop-ups, slow performance, and security threats caused by spyware. It works by monitoring key system locations for changes that signal the presence of spyware. The autoupdate option will make sure that the Defender has all the latest spyware definitions from Microsoft. The interface is simple and easy to use, making daily tasks like as scanning, blocking, and removing unwanted software easier than ever. It has a built in Software Explorer that determines which software and services are running on your computer and stops or disables “rogue” software.

It works in co-operation with Internet Explorer with the "Scan on execute" feature. This feature provides an added layer of protection, by scanning all downloaded files before they are saved and executed, thus reducing the chance that spyware might be installed by accident. If you want to learn something more about the Windows Defender visit vista-hq.com/security.html.

5. Performance Center

The Performance Center is a brand new tool that gives information on the PC’s performance characteristics and can manage and troubleshoot performance issues. The very interesting thing here is the WinSPR, or Windows System Performance Rating. This rating is from 1 to 5, and depending on your rating, you can determine if a given application can run on your machine. For example, if you have some of the latest hardware, your rating can reach 4.2 and it that case, any software with 4.2 or lower WinSPR will run smoothly on your computer. To find out more about it, go to vista-hq.com/performance.html.

6. Backup and Restore

This new functionality makes it possible for you to keep your information safe from user error, hardware failure, and other issues that can result in data loss. There are several layers of protection to ensure maximum effectiveness. From the Backup and Restore control panel, you can enable the auto feature which automatically caches previous versions of your files to an image-based backup of your entire computer. Later, you can browse and search for files to restore from a backup.

Another great new feature allows you to access previous versions of files without even having a backup. This is possible through the Volume Shadow Copy technology. If you want to do that manually, then you will have to use the File Back Wizard in which you select the types of files you want to backup, specify a storage folder and start the process at any point you want. There is also an automatic scheduling function.

The system restore feature can reverse system changes, but still preserving your data in its current state.

7. Network Map

The Network Map is a new feature inside the Network Center that displays graphically your connectivity to the network and to the Internet. If a computer on the network loses Internet connectivity, you can graphically see which connection is down and then use Network Diagnostics to help determine the cause of the problem and find possible solutions.

This is especially useful if you have a network of wired and wireless PCs and devices. With the Network Map you can increase the performance of the network and easily spot problems.

8. Windows ReadyBoost

ReadyBoost is a brand new technology that comes with Windows Vista. It's a whole new concept that will change they way people add memory to a system. With ReadyBoost, you can use USD flash as RAM to extend system memory and improve performance. So instead of buying RAM and opening your computer, you can just plug the Flash. Plus, most motherboards have just two RAM slots, which will be taken anyway.

Utilizing this technology is simple. Just plug the Flash in the USB slot and Windows Vista will check to determine if its performance is fast enough to work with Windows ReadyBoost. If that's the case, then you’ll be asked if you want to use this device to speed up system performance. ReadyBoost is reliable as well as secure. You won't loose any data, and the system will restore to its original level of performance when the Flash is removed. There is no wearing on the USB drive, because of the specifically optimized algorithms used.

9. Windows Ready Drive

Windows ReadyDrive takes advantage of the latest hybrid hard drives to provide faster boot-up, hibernate, and resume. It works by writing data to the flash memory on the hybrid hard disk, which lessens the amount of spinning for the mechanical hard drive, thus saving battery power. And also increases the life of your hard drive. With a hybrid drive, Windows Vista can resume more quickly from Sleep because data can be restored from flash memory faster than from the spinning mechanical hard drive.

10. Windows Media Center

For a large number of users, the PC has become mostly a source of entertainment, that you can enjoy by sitting back with a remote control in hand. That's not something strange considering the enormous amount of media files that you can download online. The Windows Media Center enables you to enjoy live and recorded TV, music, photos, videos, and online entertainment on a single device. It can also be connected to Xbox 360 allowing you to transfer this experience in other rooms of your home.

It's integrated in the Home Premium and Ultimate editions of Windows Vista and also offers built-in support for archiving TV shows to DVD. It takes advantage of the very latest technologies including a support for widescreen and high-definition (HD) displays. There are three separate sections - music, digital photos, TV and movies. In the Music section, you can quickly browse your music by artist, song, or album title, as well as by genre, composer, or year. Regarding the photos, Windows Media Center can turn your simple photo collection into a cinematic slide show that can be shared on the television in the living room. On top of that, WMC provides seamless experience when watching your favorite television shows and movies.

Play wave files from .BAT programs

2009-06-08T08:18:00.000-07:00

If you ever need to play a wave file (*.WAV) from the DOS/Command Prompt (from a .BAT/.CMD file for example), you can use the following command:

Windows 95:
mplayer.exe /play /close

Windows NT:
mplay32.exe /play /close

For example:

Windows 95:
mplayer.exe /play /close c:\windows\media\ringin.wav

Windows NT:
mplay32.exe /play /close c:\winnt\media\ringin.wav

Run Explorer from the command prompt and make it open a specified directory

2009-06-08T08:16:00.001-07:00

You can make the Windows Explorer open to a directory of your choice from the "DOS/Command Prompt" by using the Start command.

At the command prompt, type

Start

and press ENTER. For example:

Start c:\temp

Drag and drop file names to the Command Prompt

2009-06-07T09:57:00.000-07:00

Did you know that you can drag and drop file names to the "Command Prompt" or "DOS Prompt?" For example, if you have a long file name to type, simply drag and drop that file from the File Manager or Explorer to the Command Prompt and Windows will do the typing for you.

Get statistics for all drives at once

2009-06-07T09:52:00.000-07:00

If you have more than a couple of drives, it's not always fun to get properties for each drive one by one to check free space, etc. Here's a better way:

1. Simply select all the drives in your "My Computer" folder.
2. Right click on the selection and then select properties. You'll notice that now you can see properties for all the selected drives at once.

Speed-up the response of your Start Menu

2009-06-07T09:50:00.000-07:00

Feel like your Start Menu takes just too long to open pop-up (sub) menus? This could delay could add up if you have to travel through a few pop-up menus to get to your word processor every day. Here's how you can speed thing up a little:

1. Run Registry Editor (regedit.exe in Windows 95 and regedt32.exe in Windows NT).
2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
3. Modify "MenuShowDelay" parameter to contain something from 2 to 20. If you don't see the MenuShowDelay parameter, add it as a string item and set the value.

here's a way to change the startup and exit screens in Windows

2009-06-07T09:46:00.002-07:00

Don't like those exit screens that you see when you shutdown your computer? Well, change them!

1. Edit LOGOS.SYS and LOGOW.SYS files in your Windows directory (C:\Windows for example) using Paint Brush or any other bitmap editor. Once you edit them, don't forget to save them as LOGOS.SYS and LOGOW.SYS (notice the SYS extension instead of the normal BMP extension).

So you're thinking, it wouldn't look right if you change exit screens without changing the startup screen...

1. Load LOGOS.SYS file in your Windows directory (C:\Windows for example) into Paint Brush or any other bitmap editor. Once you finish editing, save it as LOGO.SYS in your Windows directory.

Can't get to a particular site? Check where your "Internet wire" is broken without waking the phone company

2009-06-07T09:46:00.001-07:00

Trying to connect to your favorite search engine without success? Okay, maybe you can't check if your "Internet wire" (connection) is broken or not by using a bulb and a couple of batteries. But, you can get a good idea how close you can get to the site you're trying to reach.

1. Go to the "DOS Prompt" (or the "Command Prompt")
2. Type "tracert " and press ENTER
For example, if you're trying to reach www.chamisplace.com, type:

tracert www.chamisplace.com

and press ENTER

Document Scraps: Save bits and pieces of your files

2009-06-07T09:44:00.000-07:00

You're typing the last three minutes of your report for your boss, and a brilliant thought comes to your mind. Who's got time to create another document to put down the thought... Well, why not just create a document scrap?

Run WordPad, Microsoft Word, or any other application that allows you to drag and drop selected text.
Type and select the text you want to save in a scrap document.
Drag and drop the selected text on to the desktop. You just created a scrap document!

Make items inside Control Panel, Printers, and Dial-Up Networking Folder accessible directly from the Start Menu

2009-06-07T09:42:00.000-07:00

Do you wish there's a way to access shortcuts inside "magic folders" such as the Control Panel, Printers, and Dial-Up Networking, without having to open the folder first? Following steps will create cascading menus for items in these special folders, giving you instant access to them from the Start Menu:

1. Right click on the "Start" (menu) button and select "Explore"
2. Right click inside the "Start Menu" folder (which should automatically show up after step #1), and select "New | Folder"
3. To create a cascading Control Panel menu, type following for the newly created folder's name:

Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}

To create a cascading Printers menu, repeat step #2 and type following for the folder's name:

Printers.{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}

To create a cascading Dial-Up Networking menu, repeat step #2 and type following for the folder's name:

Dial-Up Networking.{992CFFA0-F557-101A-88EC-00DD010CCC48}

Gain faster access to your drives, printers, programs, etc., by customizing your "Send To" menu

2009-06-07T09:36:00.000-07:00

You can easily send files to floppy drives, printers, briefcases, and certain Windows programs by right clicking on it and selecting a destination from "Send To" menu. But, did you know that it's possible to add almost any kind of device and/or program to the "Send To" menu to make it easier to transfer files to most frequently used destinations?

1. Run Windows Explorer.
2. Select your Windows directory (C:\Windows for example).
If you're running Windows 95, select "SendTo" folder.
If you're running Windows NT, select "Profiles\Default User\SendTo" folder.
3. Now, simply create shortcuts inside the SendTo folder as usual to the devices and programs you want to have access to from the "SendTo" menu. For example, to add your WORK folder on your zip drive (D:\Work for example) to the SendTo menu:
* Right click inside the SendTo folder and select "New | Shortcut"
* Type "D:\Work" without the quotes and click on "Next"
* Type a name for the newly created SendTo item ("My Work Folder" for example) and click on "Finish"

Now when you right click on files, you'll see "My Work Folder" appear as an option in the SendTo menu.

How to find a remote IP

2009-06-07T08:22:00.000-07:00

How to find a remote IP

Method 1

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

Method 2
reg a dydns account and install the ip pointer, so each time you ping the host name you regestored

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

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

Method 3
neverender, what doesn't work for you? Simply type in nc -vvv -l -p 80 on your box, which will set it to listen in verbose mode on port 80. Then give them a link to your IP address (for example: 111.111.111.11) and tell them to type it in their browser. The browser should resolve the address as well as append port 80 automatically. Just make sure that your friend is not very computer literate.

Method 4
Just download a very simple server such as this one and install it on your comp. Then run it and give your ip to the person you want and tell them to connect to it through a browser. Your server will log their connection and you will get their IP.

link:http://www.download.com/Abyss-Web-Server/3000-2165-10283992.html?tag=lst-0-6

Other Ways
-www.imchaos.com and make a "spy poll" to put in ur profile, this will tell u the IP of anybody who answers ur poll
-originalicons.com there is a page for doin it (i dont like it, but it works)
-or irc

Here is a more detailed tutorial about using NetCat.

http://www.onlamp.com/pub/a/onlamp/2003/05/29/netcat.html

Windows users can download NetCat from here:

http://www.atstake.com/research/tools/network_utilities/

How To Block Websties Without Software

2009-06-05T19:47:00.000-07:00

How To Block Websties Without Software, block websites

Steps:

1] Browse C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc
2] Find the file named "HOSTS"
3] Open it in notepad
4] Under "127.0.0.1 localhost" Add 127.0.0.2 www.sitenameyouwantblocked.com , and that site will no longer be accessable.
5] Done!

-So-

127.0.0.1 localhost
127.0.0.2 www.blockedsite.com

-->www.blockedsite.com is now unaccessable<--

For every site after that you want to add, just add "1" to the last number in the internal ip (127.0.0.2) and then the addy like before.

IE: 127.0.0.3 www.blablabla.com
127.0.0.4 www.blablabla.com
127.0.0.5 www.blablabla.com
etc

Google Crack Search

2009-06-05T19:39:00.002-07:00

just type crack: app name

example: crack: flashget 1.6a

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&q=crack%3A+flashget+1.6a

Free Access To Websites Without Registering

2009-06-05T19:39:00.001-07:00

Free Access To Websites Without Registering

Go to

-http://bugmenot.com/

and type the URL of the website you want to log into.
Examples:

-http://www.nytimes.com/, -http://www.winnetmag.com/
etcetera.

Another (and better) way is changing the user agent of your browser to:
Googlebot/2.1+

-http://www.googlebot.com/bot.html

This is very easy in Mozilla's Firefox. Download and install the User Agent Switcher from

-http://www.chrispederick.com/work/firefox/useragentswitcher/
and add the Googlebot user agent.

Have fun, Dead Dreamer!

-]Edit[- Now this kicks ass, was just browsing entire forum without even needing to login to view restricted areas, and it works on other sites
And no, you cant access the hidden forums either, already tried that

Formatting An Hdd, when fdisk won't work

2009-06-05T19:34:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite way to wipe it clean:

CAUTION: This debug script is for advanced users only. Its Purpose is to remove all formatting and partitioning information from your hard disk when FDISK is unable to do so. THIS WILL REMOVE ALL DATA AND PROGRAMS FORM THE DRIVE.

1. Create a MSDOS bood disk with Debug

2. At DOS command prompt type the following: Debug[Enter] (Where enter is to press the enter key once)

NOTE: Type the following bolded text only. You will recieve an error if you type anything other than the bold text. The non-bolded text represents what will appear on you screen once you press [Enter] after each command.

-F 200 L1000 0 [Enter]
-A CS:100 [Enter]
xxxx:0100 MOV AX,301 [Enter]
xxxx:0103 MOV BX,200 [Enter]
xxxx:0106 MOV CX,1 [Enter]
xxxx:0109 MOV DX,80 [Enter]

NOTE: ( --- "80" for hd0, "81" for hd1)

xxxx:010c INT 13 [Enter]
xxxx: 010e INT 20 [Enter]
xxxx: 0110 [Enter]

-G [Enter]
"Program terminated normally"

3. Turn off the computer. On the next startup the hard drive will need to be partitioned and formatted.

Increase Broadband Speed in Firefox

2009-06-05T19:31:00.000-07:00

Yes, firefox is already pretty damn fast but did you know that you can tweak it and improve the speed even more?

That's the beauty of this program being open source.
Here's what you do:
In the URL bar, type “about:config” and press enter. This will bring up the configuration “menu” where you can change the parameters of Firefox.

Note that these are what I’ve found to REALLY speed up my Firefox significantly - and these settings seem to be common among everybody else as well. But these settings are optimized for broadband connections - I mean with as much concurrent requests we’re going to open up with pipelining… lol… you’d better have a big connection.

Double Click on the following settins and put in the numbers below - for the true / false booleans - they’ll change when you double click.

Code:
browser.tabs.showSingleWindowModePrefs – true
network.http.max-connections – 48
network.http.max-connections-per-server – 16
network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-proxy – 8
network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-server – 4
network.http.pipelining – true
network.http.pipelining.maxrequests – 100
network.http.proxy.pipelining – true
network.http.request.timeout – 300

One more thing… Right-click somewhere on that screen and add a NEW -> Integer. Name it “nglayout.initialpaint.delay” and set its value to “0”. This value is the amount of time the browser waits before it acts on information it receives. Since you’re broadband - it shouldn’t have to wait.

Now you should notice you’re loading pages MUCH faster now!

Digital Camera Guide

2009-06-05T11:00:00.000-07:00

Digital Camera Guide

So, it's time for a digital camera huh? Well, buying one can be more than a little difficult. What types of features should you look for? Well, this guide will tell you that plus get you a little more familiar with what these cameras are capable of.

Megapixels
When it comes to megapixels, the more the better. I recommend a minimum of 2, but 3 or 4 is great. We did a test to see if a camera with 2.3 megapixels (actually 1.92 - 1600 x 1200) could produce a good quality 8x10.

Turns out it can, if you have the right paper and printer. We used HP Premium Plus photo paper with an HP 970 series printer and made a fantastic 8 x 10. Remember, I was a professional photographer before I got into computing, so I know a good print when I see it :-)

The resolution at 8x10 (we had to crop in to make the picture proportional to 8x10) was only 150 DPI. Most printers would not make a real good 8x10 at that resolution, but this one did. So, if you want to be sure you can get good 8 x 10s, you may want to go with a 3 megapixel camera or better (that gives you around 200 DPI at 8x10 size, still not quite the optimum 300 DPI, but it looks good with the right printer).

Optical vs Digital Zoom
You've probably noticed that most digital cameras have both a specification for digital and optical zoom. Pay the most attention to the optical zoom.

The optical zoom magnifies (zooms in) using glass. The digital zoom basically crops out the edge of the picture to make the subject appear closer, causing you to lose resolution or to get an interpolated resolution (i.e. the camera adds pixels). Neither of which help image quality.

Finally, make sure you get enough (optical) zoom. A 2x zoom isn't going to do much for you. A 3x is the average you'll find in most digital cameras will probably be good for most uses. More on lenses later.

Connection
How does the camera connect to your computer? If you have a USB port in your computer, you'll want a camera that can connect via USB as opposed to a slow serial connection.

On the other hand, if your computer doesn't have a USB port, is there a serial connector available for the camera you're looking at? If so, is it a special order and how long does it take to get it?

Storage
What does the camera use to store images with? If it uses a memory stick, make sure you consider buying additional sticks when you get your camera. A typical 8 meg memory stick that comes with a 2 megapixel camera only holds 5 or 6 images at the camera's best quality.

Some cameras use a 3.5 inch disk for storage. Be careful of these!
Although it may sound like a good idea, a 3 megapixel camera at high resolution produces a 1 meg file (compressed!). That's only 1 picture per disk.

Here's a few more things to look out for when trying to make your digital camera purchase.

Picture Formats
When you're trying to decide on which digital camera to get, check and see how many different picture formats it supports.

You want something that can produce both uncompressed (usually TIFF) and compressed (usually JPEG) images. I personally use the high quality JPEG setting on my camera for most of my shooting. TIFFs are just too big and the difference in quality is not ascertainable by mere mortals.

You also want to be able to shoot at a lower resolution than the camera's maximum. That way, If you're running short on memory, you can squeeze a few more shots on your memory stick.

Auxiliary Lens / Flash
This was a biggie for me. While a 3x zoom may work for the "average" user, I needed something that allowed me to do some wide angle work as well as have a good telephoto lens.

So, the camera I purchased a few months back was a Nikon Coolpix 990 (note that this isn't the only camera that can accept lenses). It has auxiliary lenses that screw into the filter ring on the front of the lens. I now have an ultra-wide fisheye lens plus a nice telephoto.

In addition to lenses, I wanted a good flash. The flash that is built into most of these cameras gives you a top range of 15-20 feet - at best. I wanted a camera that could take a powerful auxiliary flash (again, the Nikon isn't the only camera that fits this requirement, but I liked it better than the rest). If you need more reach than the small built in flash can deliver, then make sure you can attach an external flash to any camera you consider.

As an added bonus, if you get a camera that can take an external flash, you can place that flash on a bracket and eliminate red-eye.

Flash Distance
Speaking of flashes, make sure you check the distance the built in flash is good for. You don't want a camera with a wimpy flash that only travels a few feet (well, unless you can get an external flash for it as described above).

Battery Type
This may not sound important, but it is. Anyone who owns a digital camera can tell you they eat batteries the way a sumo wrestler eats at a buffet.

Make sure the camera can run on regular (or rechargeable) "AA" type batteries. You don't want a camera that eats through expensive lithium batteries every 10 shots or so.

One thing to remember about digital cameras, they do eat through batteries. I recommend getting some Nickel Metal Hydride rechargeable for it. I have some for mine and they have saved me a fortune.

Final Notes
Choosing a digital camera isn't easy. There's a huge selection out there and only you can determine which features you need.

For instance, if you shoot wildlife photos, a small 3x zoom probably isn't going to cut it (unless you can attach auxiliary lenses to it). If you shoot lots of close-ups, make sure the camera has some sort of macro capability. If you shoot big group photos indoors, an external flash may be necessary.

My advice is to make a list of things you want to be able to do with the camera then go to somewhere that can help you make a good purchase decision.

Finally, buy the BEST camera you can possibly afford. Or wait until the price drops on one with the type of features you want.

Disable The Send Error Report, to Microsoft

2009-06-05T10:58:00.000-07:00

To disable the stupid feature in WinXP which tries to send a report to microsoft every time a program crashes you will have to do this:

Open Control Panel
Click on Preformance and Maintenance.
Click on System.
Then click on the Advanced tab
Click on the error reporting button on the bottom of the windows.
Select Disable error reporting.
Click OK
Click OK

Change Your Ip Address In Less Then 1 Minute

2009-06-05T10:56:00.000-07:00

How To: Change Your Ip In Less Then 1 Minute

1. Click on "Start" in the bottom left hand corner of screen
2. Click on "Run"
3. Type in "command" and hit ok

You should now be at an MSDOS prompt screen.

4. Type "ipconfig /release" just like that, and hit "enter"
5. Type "exit" and leave the prompt
6. Right-click on "Network Places" or "My Network Places" on your desktop.
7. Click on "properties"

You should now be on a screen with something titled "Local Area Connection", or something close to that, and, if you have a network hooked up, all of your other networks.

8. Right click on "Local Area Connection" and click "properties"
9. Double-click on the "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)" from the list under the "General" tab
10. Click on "Use the following IP address" under the "General" tab
11. Create an IP address (It doesn't matter what it is. I just type 1 and 2 until i fill the area up).
12. Press "Tab" and it should automatically fill in the "Subnet Mask" section with default numbers.
13. Hit the "Ok" button here
14. Hit the "Ok" button again

You should now be back to the "Local Area Connection" screen.

15. Right-click back on "Local Area Connection" and go to properties again.
16. Go back to the "TCP/IP" settings
17. This time, select "Obtain an IP address automatically"
tongue.gif 18. Hit "Ok"
19. Hit "Ok" again
20. You now have a new IP address

With a little practice, you can easily get this process down to 15 seconds.

P.S:
This only changes your dynamic IP address, not your ISP/IP address. If you plan on hacking a website with this trick be extremely careful, because if they try a little, they can trace it back

Clear Unwanted Items From Add And Remove

2009-06-05T10:54:00.000-07:00

Run the Registry Editor (REGEDIT).
Open HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\ Windows\ CurrentVersion\ Uninstall, and remove any unwanted subkeys under "Uninstall."

Windows xp Fast Boot - Tips & Tweaks

2009-06-05T10:51:00.000-07:00

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.

lists keyboard shortcuts that you can use with Windows

2009-06-05T10:49:00.000-07:00

Getting used to using your keyboard exclusively and leaving your mouse behind will make you much more efficient at performing any task on any Windows system. I use the following keyboard shortcuts every day:

Windows key + R = Run menu

This is usually followed by:
cmd = Command Prompt
iexplore + "web address" = Internet Explorer
compmgmt.msc = Computer Management
dhcpmgmt.msc = DHCP Management
dnsmgmt.msc = DNS Management
services.msc = Services
eventvwr = Event Viewer
dsa.msc = Active Directory Users and Computers
dssite.msc = Active Directory Sites and Services
Windows key + E = Explorer

ALT + Tab = Switch between windows

ALT, Space, X = Maximize window

CTRL + Shift + Esc = Task Manager

Windows key + Break = System properties

Windows key + F = Search

Windows key + D = Hide/Display all windows

CTRL + C = copy

CTRL + X = cut

CTRL + V = paste

Also don't forget about the "Right-click" key next to the right Windows key on your keyboard. Using the arrows and that key can get just about anything done once you've opened up any program.

Keyboard Shortcuts

[Alt] and [Esc] Switch between running applications

[Alt] and letter Select menu item by underlined letter

[Ctrl] and [Esc] Open Program Menu

[Ctrl] and [F4] Close active document or group windows (does not work with some applications)

[Alt] and [F4] Quit active application or close current window

[Alt] and [-] Open Control menu for active document

Ctrl] Lft., Rt. arrow Move cursor forward or back one word

Ctrl] Up, Down arrow Move cursor forward or back one paragraph

[F1] Open Help for active application

Windows+M Minimize all open windows

Shift+Windows+M Undo minimize all open windows

Windows+F1 Open Windows Help

Windows+Tab Cycle through the Taskbar buttons

Windows+Break Open the System Properties dialog box

acessability shortcuts

Right SHIFT for eight seconds........ Switch FilterKeys on and off.

Left ALT +left SHIFT +PRINT SCREEN....... Switch High Contrast on and off.

Left ALT +left SHIFT +NUM LOCK....... Switch MouseKeys on and off.

SHIFT....... five times Switch StickyKeys on and off.

NUM LOCK...... for five seconds Switch ToggleKeys on and off.

explorer shortcuts

END....... Display the bottom of the active window.

HOME....... Display the top of the active window.

NUM LOCK+ASTERISK....... on numeric keypad (*) Display all subfolders under the selected folder.

NUM LOCK+PLUS SIGN....... on numeric keypad (+) Display the contents of the selected folder.

NUM LOCK+MINUS SIGN....... on numeric keypad (-) Collapse the selected folder.

LEFT ARROW...... Collapse current selection if it's expanded, or select parent folder.

RIGHT ARROW....... Display current selection if it's collapsed, or select first subfolder.

Type the following commands in your Run Box (Windows Key + R) or Start Run

devmgmt.msc = Device Manager
msinfo32 = System Information
cleanmgr = Disk Cleanup
ntbackup = Backup or Restore Wizard (Windows Backup Utility)
mmc = Microsoft Management Console
excel = Microsoft Excel (If Installed)
msaccess = Microsoft Access (If Installed)
powerpnt = Microsoft PowerPoint (If Installed)
winword = Microsoft Word (If Installed)
frontpg = Microsoft FrontPage (If Installed)
notepad = Notepad
wordpad = WordPad
calc = Calculator
msmsgs = Windows Messenger
mspaint = Microsoft Paint
wmplayer = Windows Media Player
rstrui = System Restore
netscp6 = Netscape 6.x
netscp = Netscape 7.x
netscape = Netscape 4.x
waol = America Online
control = Opens the Control Panel
control printers = Opens the Printers Dialog

internetbrowser

type in u're adress "google", then press [Right CTRL] and [Enter]
add www. and .com to word and go to it

For Windows XP:

Copy. CTRL+C
Cut. CTRL+X
Paste. CTRL+V
Undo. CTRL+Z
Delete. DELETE
Delete selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin. SHIFT+DELETE
Copy selected item. CTRL while dragging an item
Create shortcut to selected item. CTRL+SHIFT while dragging an item
Rename selected item. F2
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word. CTRL+RIGHT ARROW
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word. CTRL+LEFT ARROW
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph. CTRL+DOWN ARROW
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph. CTRL+UP ARROW
Highlight a block of text. CTRL+SHIFT with any of the arrow keys
Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text within a document. SHIFT with any of the arrow keys
Select all. CTRL+A
Search for a file or folder. F3
View properties for the selected item. ALT+ENTER
Close the active item, or quit the active program. ALT+F4
Opens the shortcut menu for the active window. ALT+SPACEBAR
Close the active document in programs that allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously. CTRL+F4
Switch between open items. ALT+TAB
Cycle through items in the order they were opened. ALT+ESC
Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop. F6
Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer. F4
Display the shortcut menu for the selected item. SHIFT+F10
Display the System menu for the active window. ALT+SPACEBAR
Display the Start menu. CTRL+ESC
Display the corresponding menu. ALT+Underlined letter in a menu name
Carry out the corresponding command. Underlined letter in a command name on an open menu
Activate the menu bar in the active program. F10
Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu. RIGHT ARROW
Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu. LEFT ARROW
Refresh the active window. F5
View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer. BACKSPACE
Cancel the current task. ESC
SHIFT when you insert a CD into the CD-ROM drive Prevent the CD from automatically playing.

Use these keyboard shortcuts for dialog boxes:

To Press
Move forward through tabs. CTRL+TAB
Move backward through tabs. CTRL+SHIFT+TAB
Move forward through options. TAB
Move backward through options. SHIFT+TAB
Carry out the corresponding command or select the corresponding option. ALT+Underlined letter
Carry out the command for the active option or button. ENTER
Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box. SPACEBAR
Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons. Arrow keys
Display Help. F1
Display the items in the active list. F4
Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box. BACKSPACE

If you have a Microsoft Natural Keyboard, or any other compatible keyboard that includes the Windows logo key and the Application key , you can use these keyboard shortcuts:

Display or hide the Start menu. WIN Key
Display the System Properties dialog box. WIN Key+BREAK
Show the desktop. WIN Key+D
Minimize all windows. WIN Key+M
Restores minimized windows. WIN Key+Shift+M
Open My Computer. WIN Key+E
Search for a file or folder. WIN Key+F
Search for computers. CTRL+WIN Key+F
Display Windows Help. WIN Key+F1
Lock your computer if you are connected to a network domain, or switch users if you are not connected to a network domain. WIN Key+ L
Open the Run dialog box. WIN Key+R
Open Utility Manager. WIN Key+U

accessibility keyboard shortcuts:

Switch FilterKeys on and off. Right SHIFT for eight seconds
Switch High Contrast on and off. Left ALT+left SHIFT+PRINT SCREEN
Switch MouseKeys on and off. Left ALT +left SHIFT +NUM LOCK
Switch StickyKeys on and off. SHIFT five times
Switch ToggleKeys on and off. NUM LOCK for five seconds
Open Utility Manager. WIN Key+U

shortcuts you can use with Windows Explorer:

Display the bottom of the active window. END
Display the top of the active window. HOME
Display all subfolders under the selected folder. NUM LOCK+ASTERISK on numeric keypad (*)
Display the contents of the selected folder. NUM LOCK+PLUS SIGN on numeric keypad (+)
Collapse the selected folder. NUM LOCK+MINUS SIGN on numeric keypad (-)
Collapse current selection if it's expanded, or select parent folder. LEFT ARROW
Display current selection if it's collapsed, or select first subfolder. RIGHT ARROW

Change Text on XP Start Button

2009-06-05T10:45:00.000-07:00

Step 1 - Modify Explorer.exe File

In order to make the changes, the file explorer.exe located at C:\Windows needs to be edited. Since explorer.exe is a binary file it requires a special editor. For purposes of this article I have used Resource Hacker. Resource HackerTM is a freeware utility to view, modify, rename, add, delete and extract resources in 32bit Windows executables and resource files (*.res). It incorporates an internal resource script compiler and decompiler and works on Microsoft Windows 95/98/ME, Windows NT, Windows 2000 and Windows XP operating systems.

get this from h**p://delphi.icm.edu.pl/ftp/tools/ResHack.zip

The first step is to make a backup copy of the file explorer.exe located at C:\Windows\explorer. Place it in a folder somewhere on your hard drive where it will be safe. Start Resource Hacker and open explorer.exe located at C:\Windows\explorer.exe.

The category we are going to be using is "String Table". Expand it by clicking the plus sign then navigate down to and expand string 37 followed by highlighting 1033. If you are using the Classic Layout rather than the XP Layout, use number 38. The right hand pane will display the stringtable. We’re going to modify item 578, currently showing the word “start” just as it displays on the current Start button.

There is no magic here. Just double click on the word “start” so that it’s highlighted, making sure the quotation marks are not part of the highlight. They need to remain in place, surrounding the new text that you’ll type. Go ahead and type your new entry. In my case I used Click Me!

You’ll notice that after the new text string has been entered the Compile Script button that was grayed out is now active. I won’t get into what’s involved in compiling a script, but suffice it to say it’s going to make this exercise worthwhile. Click Compile Script and then save the altered file using the Save As command on the File Menu. Do not use the Save command – Make sure to use the Save As command and choose a name for the file. Save the newly named file to C:\Windows.

Step 2 – Modify the Registry

!!!make a backup of your registry before making changes!!!

Now that the modified explorer.exe has been created it’s necessary to modify the registry so the file will be recognized when the user logs on to the system. If you don’t know how to access the registry I’m not sure this article is for you, but just in case it’s a temporary memory lapse, go to Start (soon to be something else) Run and type regedit in the Open field. Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\ Windows NT\ CurrentVersion\ Winlogon

In the right pane, double click the "Shell" entry to open the Edit String dialog box. In Value data: line, enter the name that was used to save the modified explorer.exe file. Click OK.

Close Registry Editor and either log off the system and log back in, or reboot the entire system if that’s your preference. If all went as planned you should see your new Start button with the revised text.