If you have installed 2 Windows in your system and want to change the name of Windows when system boots, here is the method.
First search for boot.ini file in C drive.
You can use this simple search engine to search fast and easily.
Open boot.ini file with Notepad and you can make changes by editing Microsoft Windows XP Professional to whatever you want.
How To Display Control Panel As Menu In Windows XP
Here is a simple method to display Control Panel as Menu in Windows XP. It saves time as we can directly open file/folder from Control Panel without opening it.
Method:
Simply right click on Taskbar and select Properties, click on Start Menu at the top menu bar and put a check on Start Menu and then click on Customize.
Now select Advance in the top menu bar and under Control Panel put a check on Display As A Menu and click on OK. Now press Apply and then OK...
Method:
Simply right click on Taskbar and select Properties, click on Start Menu at the top menu bar and put a check on Start Menu and then click on Customize.
Now select Advance in the top menu bar and under Control Panel put a check on Display As A Menu and click on OK. Now press Apply and then OK...
How to Find and Remove Spyware, Trojans and Viruses
There are general 3 steps to removing malware which should be done in SAFE Mode. If you unsure about how to boot your windows into SAFE Mode only, when you first boot your computer before you see the Windows Logo press and hold down the F5 key and you will be given the option to boot your PC into a minimal boot configuration of the OS so you can do your investigation without being connected to the internet. Always remember to make a backup of your registry (use the system Restore checkpoint tool) before you do any of these changes.
Step 1.
The first step is to stop the malware that is currently running and starting up automatically every time you login to windows. We need to stop and kill the process of it running and prevent it from starting up again.
There are 2 areas that are useful for checking what is "Starting up" and "Running". These 2 areas are the System Configuration accessed using MSCONFIG and the Task Manager which is accessed by doing a CTRL+ALT+DEL.
Within these existing tools in Windows you can get the details on a suspicious EXE file starting up or a process running in the background hidden from view and disable it.
Step 2.
Though you might be successful in disabling temporarily the malware from running by doing Step 1, this does not solve the problem long term because most malware (Spyware, trojans and viruses) can put them selves back and re-enable themselves once you reboot because the registry still has entries that reference them and start them up.
This means that before you restart your computer and immediately after you have done step 1, you need to go into the windows REGISTRY (as shown in the video tutorial) and remove the references of the suspicious malware executables from there.
The windows registry has specific area where you can specify programs to start automatically or associate themselves as something else or hide. Searching the registry for these references and deleting them ensure that they do not startup again.
In the registry malware places itself in the startup here:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\
Step 3.
The last thing that you would do is delete the actual malware files. Once you have found the filenames and locations (based on our findings in the MSCONFIG and REGISTRY) you can navigate using Windows Explorer and delete the actual files from your hard drive.
Though this is not 100% fool proof and malware files can make copies of themselves and duplicate themselves, removing as much as possible will in most cases break the cycle of allowing the malware to run. Some common areas where you will find Spyware , Trojans and Virus hiding are as follows:
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Temp\
C:\windows\system32\
C:\WINDOWS\Prefetch
In these folders when you sort by date your files and folder you can see what has recently been touched, added or changed. Malware will try to discuse itself as a DLL file or an EXE file, usually they have odd file names with no real meaning and you can seach online for that file name to get details on its origine and if its a threat or not. Sometimes they try to take on filenames similar to actual real system files such as rundll32 .
If you saw something called rundll33 then you know that for sure is a threat and should be deleted.
Step 1.
The first step is to stop the malware that is currently running and starting up automatically every time you login to windows. We need to stop and kill the process of it running and prevent it from starting up again.
There are 2 areas that are useful for checking what is "Starting up" and "Running". These 2 areas are the System Configuration accessed using MSCONFIG and the Task Manager which is accessed by doing a CTRL+ALT+DEL.
Within these existing tools in Windows you can get the details on a suspicious EXE file starting up or a process running in the background hidden from view and disable it.
Step 2.
Though you might be successful in disabling temporarily the malware from running by doing Step 1, this does not solve the problem long term because most malware (Spyware, trojans and viruses) can put them selves back and re-enable themselves once you reboot because the registry still has entries that reference them and start them up.
This means that before you restart your computer and immediately after you have done step 1, you need to go into the windows REGISTRY (as shown in the video tutorial) and remove the references of the suspicious malware executables from there.
The windows registry has specific area where you can specify programs to start automatically or associate themselves as something else or hide. Searching the registry for these references and deleting them ensure that they do not startup again.
In the registry malware places itself in the startup here:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\
Step 3.
The last thing that you would do is delete the actual malware files. Once you have found the filenames and locations (based on our findings in the MSCONFIG and REGISTRY) you can navigate using Windows Explorer and delete the actual files from your hard drive.
Though this is not 100% fool proof and malware files can make copies of themselves and duplicate themselves, removing as much as possible will in most cases break the cycle of allowing the malware to run. Some common areas where you will find Spyware , Trojans and Virus hiding are as follows:
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Temp\
C:\windows\system32\
C:\WINDOWS\Prefetch
In these folders when you sort by date your files and folder you can see what has recently been touched, added or changed. Malware will try to discuse itself as a DLL file or an EXE file, usually they have odd file names with no real meaning and you can seach online for that file name to get details on its origine and if its a threat or not. Sometimes they try to take on filenames similar to actual real system files such as rundll32 .
If you saw something called rundll33 then you know that for sure is a threat and should be deleted.
REDUCE THE OVERHEAD
You can get rid of all kinds of programs that run in the background that you may not need. The easiest way to do this is with the System Configuration Utility, otherwise known as Msconfig. Launch it by clicking the Start button and then Run, typing MSCONFIG into the text box, and hitting Enter.
Click on the Startup tab and look at the contents.
This is a list of things that start when the computer boots up. All of these little goodies run in the background, eating up memory and resources and slowing your system down.
Uncheck those in the list that are not required such as itunes, quicktime, autoupdate features, and so on, reboot and see if any of your programs or hardware devices lose functionality. If they do, run the System Configuration Utility again and recheck entries that you suspect to be the programs your system needs, rebooting between each attempt until you narrow it down. Leave everything that doesn't affect normal use of your system unchecked. This will speed the Windows boot process and clear up system resources.....
Click on the Startup tab and look at the contents.
This is a list of things that start when the computer boots up. All of these little goodies run in the background, eating up memory and resources and slowing your system down.
Uncheck those in the list that are not required such as itunes, quicktime, autoupdate features, and so on, reboot and see if any of your programs or hardware devices lose functionality. If they do, run the System Configuration Utility again and recheck entries that you suspect to be the programs your system needs, rebooting between each attempt until you narrow it down. Leave everything that doesn't affect normal use of your system unchecked. This will speed the Windows boot process and clear up system resources.....
Windows XP Faster Boot-UP
Make Windows XP bootup faster with a quick registry tweak.
Start - Run - REGEDIT
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControl Set\Control\ContentIndex
Change the Decimal value of the Startupdelay key to 40000 and restart the Computer.
Start - Run - REGEDIT
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControl Set\Control\ContentIndex
Change the Decimal value of the Startupdelay key to 40000 and restart the Computer.
Share Files and Printers between Windows 7 and XP
If you have a home network and are running Windows 7 and have XP on other PC(s) you might want to share files between them. Today we will look at the steps to share files and hardware devices like a printer.
Sharing Files In Windows 7 and XP
Sharing folders between two Windows 7 machines with the new HomeGroup feature is an easy process, but the HomeGroup feature is not compatible with Vista or XP. For this tutorial we are using Windows 7 x64 RC1 and XP Professional SP3 connected through a basic Linksys home wireless router.
First make sure both machines are members of the same Workgroup which by default is named Workgroup.
On the Windows 7 machine go into Control Panel \ All Control Panel Items \ Network and Sharing Center then click on Change advanced sharing settings.
You will want to verify the following settings under Advanced Sharing Settings for the Home or Work and Public profile.
If you want any user to have access the public shares turn off password protection. This is located in Advanced Sharing Settings toward the bottom of the list.
If you want to keep it enabled make sure there is a log in account for the other XP machines and they have a password.
Now if you go into Network in Windows 7 you should see your XP machine and the Windows 7 as well which in this case is Mysticgeek-PC.
To share the printer on the Windows 7 machine go into Devices and Printers from the Start menu and double click on the printer icon.
Next double click on “Customize your printer”.
In the Properties screen click on the Sharing Tab and check the box to share the printer and type in its share name.
If your XP machine is an x86 OS you can install Additional Drivers before setting up the XP machine.
To find the shared folders and devices double click on the Windows 7 machine icon under Network. Here you can see the printer connected to my Windows 7 machine is shared and also the Users Folder.
Continue into the Users folder and Public to see the shared folders, here I also created a folder called XP Share just to keep everything in central location.
Over on your XP machine open up My Network Places to find the Windows 7 (mysticgeek-pc) shared folder.
Double click on the Share folder to find a list of shared folders in the Public folder on Windows 7. If you have password protection enabled you will need to type in the username and password of the user account on the Windows 7 machine first.
Setup XP With Shared Printer
To set up the shared printer in XP you will need to go into Printers and Faxes from the Start menu and kick off the Add Printer Wizard.
Now select “A network printer, or a printer attached to another computer” then hit Next.
Next select “Connect to this printer…” and type in the path for the printer connected to the Windows 7 machine and click next.
Now click Yes to the confirmation message.
Then click Finish the printer to install and complete the Wizard.
In some cases you will need to install the x86 XP drivers for the shared printer because the Windows 7 drivers are not compatible with XP. When everything is installed open up Printers and Faxes to find the shared printer.
This should help you get started with sharing your files and other devices with your Windows 7 machine. When I first started I was able to see the printer on XP right away because I had a HomeGroup set up, but once I deleted it I needed to share the printer like you would for a workgroup. You might also have to do a couple restarts of the XP machine for it to see the shared resources on Windows 7.
Sharing Files In Windows 7 and XP
Sharing folders between two Windows 7 machines with the new HomeGroup feature is an easy process, but the HomeGroup feature is not compatible with Vista or XP. For this tutorial we are using Windows 7 x64 RC1 and XP Professional SP3 connected through a basic Linksys home wireless router.
First make sure both machines are members of the same Workgroup which by default is named Workgroup.
On the Windows 7 machine go into Control Panel \ All Control Panel Items \ Network and Sharing Center then click on Change advanced sharing settings.
You will want to verify the following settings under Advanced Sharing Settings for the Home or Work and Public profile.
If you want any user to have access the public shares turn off password protection. This is located in Advanced Sharing Settings toward the bottom of the list.
If you want to keep it enabled make sure there is a log in account for the other XP machines and they have a password.
Now if you go into Network in Windows 7 you should see your XP machine and the Windows 7 as well which in this case is Mysticgeek-PC.
To share the printer on the Windows 7 machine go into Devices and Printers from the Start menu and double click on the printer icon.
Next double click on “Customize your printer”.
In the Properties screen click on the Sharing Tab and check the box to share the printer and type in its share name.
If your XP machine is an x86 OS you can install Additional Drivers before setting up the XP machine.
To find the shared folders and devices double click on the Windows 7 machine icon under Network. Here you can see the printer connected to my Windows 7 machine is shared and also the Users Folder.
Continue into the Users folder and Public to see the shared folders, here I also created a folder called XP Share just to keep everything in central location.
Over on your XP machine open up My Network Places to find the Windows 7 (mysticgeek-pc) shared folder.
Double click on the Share folder to find a list of shared folders in the Public folder on Windows 7. If you have password protection enabled you will need to type in the username and password of the user account on the Windows 7 machine first.
Setup XP With Shared Printer
To set up the shared printer in XP you will need to go into Printers and Faxes from the Start menu and kick off the Add Printer Wizard.
Now select “A network printer, or a printer attached to another computer” then hit Next.
Next select “Connect to this printer…” and type in the path for the printer connected to the Windows 7 machine and click next.
Now click Yes to the confirmation message.
Then click Finish the printer to install and complete the Wizard.
In some cases you will need to install the x86 XP drivers for the shared printer because the Windows 7 drivers are not compatible with XP. When everything is installed open up Printers and Faxes to find the shared printer.
This should help you get started with sharing your files and other devices with your Windows 7 machine. When I first started I was able to see the printer on XP right away because I had a HomeGroup set up, but once I deleted it I needed to share the printer like you would for a workgroup. You might also have to do a couple restarts of the XP machine for it to see the shared resources on Windows 7.
Use the Homegroup Feature in Windows 7 to Share Printers and Files
The new HomeGroup feature makes sharing files and printers between Windows 7 machines very easy. Today we will take a closer look at this new feature to show how easy the sharing process is.
Setting up your HomeGroup
There are several ways to access the HomeGroup feature, go to Control Panel and click on “Choose homegroup and sharing options” or just type “homegroup” without quotes into the start menu search bar.
Next click on the Create a homegroup button.
In the Create a HomeGroup screen select what you want to share with the other machines.
After the group is created you will get a password to access it from the other computers.
After you get the Password you’re brought back to the HomeGroup screen where you can make additional changes if you want.
Connecting to your HomeGroup
On the other Windows 7 computer(s) go into the HomeGroup feature and click to join the group you just created.
Enter in the password that was created for the HomeGroup.
When the password is accepted the connection will take place and your finished.
If you don’t want to use a password at all go into the Network and Sharing Center under advanced options and turn off password protected sharing.
Another thing you might want to do is create a shortcut to the HomeGroup. I just go into Network and copy the icon to my desktop by Right-Clicking and dragging it. A more direct approach is to create shortcuts directly to the shared public folders but of course it’s completely up to you.
To share a printer make sure to select Printers when creating the group and when you go into Devices and Printers on the Start menu you should see it and can set it as the default if you wish.
This should help get you started sharing files and printers between your Windows 7 machines on your home network
Setting up your HomeGroup
There are several ways to access the HomeGroup feature, go to Control Panel and click on “Choose homegroup and sharing options” or just type “homegroup” without quotes into the start menu search bar.
Next click on the Create a homegroup button.
In the Create a HomeGroup screen select what you want to share with the other machines.
After the group is created you will get a password to access it from the other computers.
After you get the Password you’re brought back to the HomeGroup screen where you can make additional changes if you want.
Connecting to your HomeGroup
On the other Windows 7 computer(s) go into the HomeGroup feature and click to join the group you just created.
Enter in the password that was created for the HomeGroup.
When the password is accepted the connection will take place and your finished.
If you don’t want to use a password at all go into the Network and Sharing Center under advanced options and turn off password protected sharing.
Another thing you might want to do is create a shortcut to the HomeGroup. I just go into Network and copy the icon to my desktop by Right-Clicking and dragging it. A more direct approach is to create shortcuts directly to the shared public folders but of course it’s completely up to you.
To share a printer make sure to select Printers when creating the group and when you go into Devices and Printers on the Start menu you should see it and can set it as the default if you wish.
This should help get you started sharing files and printers between your Windows 7 machines on your home network
Speedy Video Access
Want faster access to your Videos folder? Windows 7 now lets you add it to the Start menu.
Just right-click the Start orb, click Properties > Start Menu > Customize, and set the Videos option to "Display as a link".
If you've a TV tuner that works with Windows 7 then you'll appreciate the new option to display the Recorded TV folder on the Start menu, too.
Just right-click the Start orb, click Properties > Start Menu > Customize, and set the Videos option to "Display as a link".
If you've a TV tuner that works with Windows 7 then you'll appreciate the new option to display the Recorded TV folder on the Start menu, too.
Right-click everything
At first glance Windows 7 bears a striking resemblance to Vista, but there's an easy way to begin spotting the differences - just right-click things.
Right-click an empty part of the desktop, for instance, and you'll find a menu entry to set your screen resolution. No need to go browsing through the display settings any more.
Right-click the Explorer icon on the taskbar for speedy access to common system folders: Documents, Pictures, the Windows folder, and more.
And if you don't plan on using Internet Explorer then you probably won't want its icon permanently displayed on the taskbar. Right-click the icon, select "Unpin this program from the taskbar", then go install Firefox, instead.
Right-click an empty part of the desktop, for instance, and you'll find a menu entry to set your screen resolution. No need to go browsing through the display settings any more.
Right-click the Explorer icon on the taskbar for speedy access to common system folders: Documents, Pictures, the Windows folder, and more.
And if you don't plan on using Internet Explorer then you probably won't want its icon permanently displayed on the taskbar. Right-click the icon, select "Unpin this program from the taskbar", then go install Firefox, instead.
How to Enable Sidebar & Desktop Gadgets with Disabled/Turned Off UAC in Windows 7
1. Click on start and type regedit on search bar
2. Now navigate to follow registry key in left pan of registry editor
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Sidebar\Settings
3. Right Click in right pan of registry editor to Create A New DWORD(32 Bit Value) with name “AllowElevatedProcess” and set value as “1”.
4. Now close registry editor
5. Right click on desktop and add desktop gadgets to confirm Desktop gadget and sidebar working properly
2. Now navigate to follow registry key in left pan of registry editor
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Sidebar\Settings
3. Right Click in right pan of registry editor to Create A New DWORD(32 Bit Value) with name “AllowElevatedProcess” and set value as “1”.
4. Now close registry editor
5. Right click on desktop and add desktop gadgets to confirm Desktop gadget and sidebar working properly
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