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What is the Registry?

The Registry is the central core registrar for Windows NT. Each NT workstation for server has its own Registry, and each one contains info on the hardware and software of the computer it resides on. For example, com port definitions, Ethernet card settings, desktop setting and profiles, and what a particular user can and cannot do are stored in the Registry. Remember those ugly system INI files in Windows 3.1? Well, they are all included with even more fun stuff into one big database called the Registry in NT.

Always make sure that you know what you are doing when changing the registry or else just one little mistake can crash the whole system. That's why it's always good to back it up!


Backup and Restore:
Even with Windows 98, and Windows 95 you can not just backup the registry when you back up files. What you would need to do is run either: regedit32.exe (for NT) or regedit.exe and then click the registry menu, then click export registry. The next step is to click all, then pick the drive to back up onto (usually a removable drive like tape, floppy, cd, zip drive, jazz drive etc.) and then hit "ok". To restore a registry from a backed up version, enter the registry program the same way, click import registry and click the drive and path where the backup is and hit "ok". It will restore it back to the previous backed up settings and may require a reboot.
Note: registry backups are saved as .reg files, and they are associated with regedit as default. This means that once you double-click a .reg file, it's contents will be inserted into your own registry.

uTorrent Complete Configuration Guide For High Speed Downloads:

The torrent configurations are always a hard part for me. Also when i use client with less configurations it takes me ages to complete the download and upload. Finally after reading a lot of forums and other guides i found the rite setting and now i get the complete speed that my ISP allots me.

First the best client i found for downloading torrents is uTorrent. I tried most of the famous names including BitComet, BitLord, Azureus etc.

Starting of… After the installation:-

1. SPEED TEST:
The ISP speed should accurately estimated, which can be found using the website Speedtest.net
-Go to Options > Speed Guide
-Select the listing closest to your upload speed result (rounding down as necessary)
-Note that the speed tests may not be 100% accurate due to factors outside of your control, so if the closest option is only a little bit higher than what your upload speed results received on the tests (perhaps by 10%), it’s generally safe to select that.
-You will notice that the “Affected Settings” further down the page have adjusted to match your selected speed. Higher settings will not give you better speed, and may in fact make speeds worse. So don’t be greedy.
-Click the “Use Selected Settings” button at the bottom of the Speed guide window.

2. UPLOAD SPEED:
Go to Options > Preferences > Connection and put your result in the “Global maximum upload speed rate” box.

3. PORT FORWARDING:
Now comes the main settings that determine the speed. At the bottom of the utorrent (status bar) you may see there is “ “. You should fix that,
-Goto Options > Preferences > Connections. Click “random port” once, and note the port number provided. This will be the port number you will be forwarding in your router. (You may also assign a port number of your choice, but dont select common ports).

After the port is selected in port settings, now we need to set the settings in the router which most people think is a very hard part. I have to agree that this is gonna turn to be a easy one once you visit PortForward.com. Where you just have to select your modem make and model and the “uTorrent” from the program list to get the directions to forward the port in your router for incoming connections.

Once the quick are right, you can see a small green tick mark

4. Using UPnP:
Using this isnt always recommended but is a good option for speed hungry people
Go to Options > Preferences > Connections, check “Enable UPnP port mapping.“

Apple Boot Camp 1.2 Beta Review

Almost exactly a year ago, I reviewed Apple's Boot Camp, an intriguing beta solution for dual booting an Intel-based Mac between Mac OS X "Tiger" and Windows XP. At the time, Apple said that Boot Camp was a publicly available beta of a future feature of Mac OS X "Leopard," the next version of Mac OS X. Since then, Apple updated the original Boot Camp a few times in minor ways, but delayed Leopard. (It's now expected in mid-2007.) Last week, the company unexpectedly released Boot Camp 1.2 Beta, adding compatibility with Windows Vista and better hardware support. I hadn't expected to see Vista support in Boot Camp until Leopard shipped.

Windows Ultimate Extras Review

1995 was a golden year, both for Microsoft, and for those testing its products. The company was prepping Windows 95 (codenamed Chicago and previously known as Windows 4.0), of course, but also a slew of add-on products such as Office 95 and the initial proprietary online service MSN, the Microsoft Network. Early that summer, a surprise package appeared: The first beta of something called Plus! for Windows 95, a collection of applications that made Windows 95 more useful and fun. Some saw Plus! as a fluffy and unnecessary add-on, and while there was certainly some truth to that, I figured that anything that makes the computing experience more enjoyable has to be at least somewhat worthwhile.

In the intervening years, Microsoft has released various Plus! packs, some of which were issued alongside specific Windows versions, others that were released on their own. These Plus! packs all had certain things in common: They were generally inexpensive, certainly optional, and they usually included at least one or two gems, especially if you're the type of person who enjoys visual enhancements like themes, desktop wallpapers, and the like.

With Windows Vista, Microsoft has sadly elected to discontinue its use of Plus! packs. Instead, the company has created a new collection of downloadable add-ons for Windows Vista called Windows Ultimate Extras. As the name implies, Windows Ultimate Extras is only available to owners of Windows Vista Ultimate, the most expensive Windows Vista product edition. And that's a problem: With previous Plus! packs, any Windows user could opt-in. Now, you have to pay for the Full Meal Deal (i.e. Ultimate edition) before you even qualify. I understand the need to differentiate Vista Ultimate and justify its higher price. But it seems that you could at least make the Extras available to other Vista users at a price. Common sense.

If you can get over the requirements, however, the Ultimate Extras map pretty closely to previous Plus! packs. There are fun but pointless utilities like DreamScene, which provides an animated desktop background. And there are the truly useful utilities, like the Windows BitLocker Drive Preparation Tool, which arguably should be an integrated part of BitLocker, and not an Extra.

In any event, let's break down the available Extras into logical categories and see what we've got.

Windows Mobile 6

Product summary:

The good: Windows Mobile 6 features new shortcuts to make performing tasks easier, and there is added functionality to the Calendar and Contact apps. E-mail improvements include a new search function and HTML support, and there's good Windows Live integration. In addition, the Standard Edition (formerly Smartphone Edition) now includes Microsoft Office Mobile with editing capabilities.

The bad: Some of the improvements to e-mail and the calendar app require that you have Exchange Server 2007, and there were no notable enhancements to the multimedia capabilities.

The bottom line: Though it doesn't offer earth-shattering new features, and interface issues remain, Windows Mobile 6 brings a collection of noteworthy improvements that makes its mobile devices easier to use and equips mobile professionals with more robust productivity tools.
* Cnet editors' rating 7.0/10 Very good
* Average user rating from 16 users 7.4/10 Very good

Kaspersky Anti-Virus

Kaspersky Lab provides downloadable removal tools, product upgrades, antivirus and antispam databases, extra secure databases and product documentation on our website. You can also try any of our antivirus software products free for 30 days.

This improved easy-to-use solution provides complete antivirus protection that allows you to surf the web safely and keeps your PC free of viruses, Internet and email worms, and Trojans.

Please be aware that only one trial version of Kaspersky Lab products for home users is permitted per computer. You cannot install a trial version twice.

PC Maintenance

Maintaining a system is nothing but keeping your System Healthy, Fully Working with Fast.
To keep your system Healthy follow the below tips.....

1.Disk De-fragmentation : Do this weekly once to run system faster.By this the system will easily identify the daily using files and also the system will arrange files in an order
for this go to start menu All Programs->Accessories->System tools->Defragmentor
In this select different drives and Defrag each drive it will some time depending on your System

2.Disk Cleanup : It is use full to how much disk space is used by unnecessary files that are in temp folder, temporary internet folder, recycle bin. And you can delete them
for this go to start menu All Programs->Accessories->System tools-> Disk Cleanup
In this select different drives and cleanup each drive it will some time depending on your System

3.Scan disk : t takes average 2 min to complete do this at least once a month and better to do often.

4.Reg clean : It is done with the help of a Software offered by Microsoft's web site(http://www.microsoft.com/en/us/default.aspx)
and Other. It takes about a min to check the registry. Then it asks whether you want to clean out redundant or orphan file. This usually helps your system to get rid of files that have been left behind by uninstalled programs.

5. Windows updates : Through this your system will get all the latest fixes, patches and updates
It is better to do who are using only the Original versions of Operating Systems.

These are some of the tips to maintain your System.

MAKING WINDOWS XP GENUINE THE EASY WAY

Download jellybean keyfinder from this website
http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml

Now open keyfinder.exe
Click on options and click "change windows key"
Now enter this key and you're done.
*****************************
V2C47-MK7JD-3R89F-D2KXW-VPK3J
*****************************

P.S: this works on windows xp sp2 only......

ppl u can try this out...
this might sound silly but it works perfectly...

TRY INSTALLING IE7 OR MEDIA PLAYER11.

Best Free Software Suite

The Open CD site [1] offers for free a wonderful collection of just about every application software product you need to run a PC including the latest version of OpenOffice. Many of these freebies substitute admirably for expensive commercial products. There is Abi Word as an alternative for MS Word, OpenOffice for MS Office XP, Thunderbird for Outlook, The Gimp for Adobe Photoshop, 7-zip for WinZip and many more. If you then add to this collection some of the other utilities from my "46 Best-ever Utilities" collection you will have all the software you'll ever need without spending a cent. Note: All of the Open CD utilities can be downloaded for free as a CD ISO image. If you have a slow connection you can purchase the CD for a as little as $1.99.

The Open CD project was a great idea but updates have been slow coming. OpenDisc is a follow-on project with a similar objective, but it aspires to be more up-to-date and responsive to user needs. The early signs look encouraging, with an impressive download package [2] and a reasonably active blog and forum [2]. This is an extraordinary collection of software containing everything you could want to fully set up your PC. Do note, though, that the ISO download [4] is 555MB.

[1] http://theopencd.org
[2] http://theopendisc.com/programs/
[3] http://www.theopendisc.com/forum/
[4] http://theopendisc.com/latest-version/
[5] https://shipit.ubuntu.com/
[6] http://www.paulstamatiou.com/2005/10/24/how-to-ubuntu-linux-for-novices/

Best Freeware Utilities Unleashed

Best Free Registry Editor

I've used the full version of Resplendent Registry Editor for years and have never had any reason to look for an alternative. Recently a subscriber asked me what was the best free registry editor and that made me realize I've never looked at that particular product category. The first product I checked out was Registrar Lite [1], the free version of Resplendent Registry Editor and I'd have to say it's an impressive freebie. To start with, it works totally reliably - an essential feature for any registry editor. On top of that, the user interface is simple, the functionality excellent and, perhaps most importantly, it has a really fast search. I did, however, miss a "search and delete" option - that's unfortunately only available on the full product. That said, it leaves Regedit for dead. If you know a better free registry editor, drop me an email. NOTE: Locating the Lite version on the Resplendent site is tricky. Go to the download page [1] and locate the heading "Registry Tools." On the right hand side in faint gray letters there is a link "download free lite version." You can also get it though from various download sites including MajorGeeks [2].


[1] http://www.resplendence.com/downloads Freeware, All Windows versions, 2.0MB.
[2] http://www.majorgeeks.com/download469.html

Protect Yourself While Shopping Online

When you shop at crowded brick-and-mortar stores this year, you know how to protect yourself - look for well-lit parking lots, be alert, and go shopping with a buddy. But do you know how to protect yourself while shopping online?

Tony Bradley, About's guide to Internet and Network Security, provides tips on ensuring your holidays don't get hacked. Tony's advice can help you avoid phishing scams, charity scams, identity theft, and viruses, worms, and other malware. Read Don't Let Your Holidays Get Hacked for tips on safely shopping online this year.

Add a toolbar to the Vista desktop

Windows Vista gives you a new option for putting the files, folders, and shortcuts you use the most at your fingertips. Desktop toolbars are like constantly open folders that sit on your desktop. Instead of having to open the folder first, your files, subfolders, and shortcuts are immediately available. Learn how to create a Vista desktop toolbar.

Microsoft Vista's IPv6 Raises New Security Concerns:

Members of the Internet engineering community have raised several new security concerns about Teredo, a mechanism for sending IPv6 traffic over IPv4 networks that comes turned on by default in Microsoft's Vista software.

Symantec and Ericsson security experts who called attention to the issue say they are concerned that Teredo bypasses network security through such devices as firewalls. Microsoft officials could not be reached for comment.

IPv6 is a long-anticipated upgrade to IPv4, the Internet's primary communications protocol.
IPv6 fixes the lack of IP addresses found in IPv4. IPv6 has a virtually unlimited number of IP addresses, while IPv4 has 4.3 billion IP addresses, the majority of which have been handed out.

Teredo is a tunneling technique used to send IPv6 traffic through IPv4 network address translators (NAT). Because of the lack of IPv4 addresses, NATs are commonly used in enterprise networks to mask many private IPv4 addresses behind a single public IPv4 address.

With Teredo, IPv6 packets are sent as IPv4-based User Datagram Protocol messages to go through IPv4 NATs. Teredo provides IPv6 traffic with address assignment and host-to-host automatic tunneling. A network using Teredo requires Teredo clients, Teredo host-specific relays, Teredo servers and Teredo relays.

Teredo is enabled by default in Windows Vista, but it won't be enabled by default in Windows Server Code Name 2008, according to Microsoft.
In a 20-page document titled "Teredo Security Concerns," James Hoagland of Symantec and Suresh Krishnan of Ericsson, outline several new security concerns about running Teredo in managed, corporate network environments. The document is the result of an independent analysis of Teredo's security implications that was conducted by Symantec.

"Teredo is not recommended as a solution for managed networks," the document states. "Administrators of such networks may wish to filter all Teredo traffic at the boundaries of their networks. . . . The easiest mechanism for this would be to filter out incoming traffic with Source Port 3544 and outgoing traffic with Destination Port 3544."

The Hoagland/Krishnan document was discussed at a meeting of the IETF's IPv6 Operations Working Group held here this week. It is in draft form and has not been approved yet by the group.
Because of the new security concerns about Teredo, the authors recommend that network managers turn off Teredo. "Security administrators should disable Teredo functionality unless their network-based security controls adequately recognize the tunneled traffic," the document says. The IETF previously cited security concerns about Teredo in the original Teredo RFC 4380, which was published by the IETF in February 2006.

The Symantec and Ericsson engineers now write: "IPv6 traffic tunneled with Teredo will not receive the intended level of inspection or policy application by network-based security devices, unless the devices are specifically Teredo-aware and capable.This reduces defense in depth and may cause some security gaps. This applies to all network-located devices and to end-host based firewalls whose hooking mechanisms would not show them the IP packet stream after the Teredo client does decapsulation."

The authors say that vendors of firewalls, intrusion-detection systems, intrusion-prevention systems and routers must add support for the Teredo protocol to ensure they can inspect Teredo packets. A network device that's unaware of Teredo will inspect only the IPv4 layer of a Teredo packet but won't recognize there is an IPv6 packet hidden inside to inspect or to apply a security policy.

Another concern of the authors is that the Teredo tunnel is open-ended and supports bidirectional traffic. To make sure networks are secure when sending IPv6 traffic via Teredo, network managers need to bolster the security of client hosts sending Teredo traffic. "One implication of the security control bypass is that defense-in-depth has been reduced, perhaps down to zero unless a local firewall is in use," the authors say. "However, even if there are host-based security controls that recognize Teredo, security administrators may not have configured them with full security-control parity even if all the controls that were maintained by the network are available on the host. Thus there may be some gaps in desired coverage."

Yet another problem is that network managers may not be aware that some of their hosts are using IPv6 through Vista and are now globally addressable. "Unlike what would be the case for native IPv6, some network administrators will not even be aware that their hosts are globally addressable," the authors say. They add that "it may not be efficient to find all Teredo traffic for network devices to examine."

The document lists the following additional security problems with Teredo and offers these recommendations:
-- Teredo bypasses inbound-destination-address and outbound-source-address filtering unless "extraordinary" measures are taken. In this situation, either routers or clients need to be upgraded to handle this filtering for Teredo-tunneled IPv6 addresses.
-- Teredo clients may forward IPv6 packets to another destination, thereby bypassing network-based source-routing controls. One solution is to have Teredo clients by default discard IPv6 packets that specify additional routing.
-- No mechanism exists to filter all Teredo packets efficiently or immediately. One suggestion is for network administrators to block all Teredo use.
-- There's no efficient mechanism for deep packet-inspection of Teredo traffic as there is for native IPv6 traffic. This is one reason the authors do not recommend Teredo as a transition mechanism for network administrators who want to monitor IPv6 traffic.
-- The opening created in a NAT device by Teredo can be used by network attackers. The recommendation here is to minimize Teredo use.
-- It may be easier for network attackers to guess Teredo addresses because these addresses reveal some information about the corresponding clients. The document suggests randomizing the server settings or Teredo client ports in use to alleviate this concern.

Even more alarming to the document's authors is that Teredo's original RFC 4380 specification argues that Teredo improves security for IPv6. "This misleading or inaccurate claim can be taken out of context and used to downplay Teredo security implications," the new document states.
The Hoagland/Krishnan document does not address the use of Teredo in unmanaged networks.

Die, Spyware, Die!

Spyware remains a continuing hassle and a potentially serious intrusion on your privacy. We tested the top antispyware programs to see which ones do the best job.

In the beginning, antivirus software fought viruses and worms, and antispyware software fought spyware and adware. That clean distinction has largely disappeared. The decline of the macro virus and the e-mail worm sent antivirus companies looking for something else to fight, and the complexity of spyware makes it a formidable foe. (See "The Italian Job," for an example of how sneaky spyware can get.)
As we discussed in our recent antivirus roundup, "Virus Stoppers," several antivirus products are effective at fighting Trojan horses and backdoor programs--typically classified as spyware--as well as adware. So the question arises: Are specialized antispyware tools particularly effective at fighting today's threats?

The Contenders:

To find out, we looked at six well-known programs. We tested five--Grisoft's AVG Anti-Spyware 7.5, Microsoft's Windows Defender 1.1, PC Tools' Spyware Doctor 5.0, Safer Networking's Spybot Search & Destroy 1.4, and Webroot's Spy Sweeper 5.5--on Windows Vista systems.

The sixth program, Lavasoft's Ad-Aware 2007 Plus, wasn't available in a Vista version during our testing period, so we evaluated its performance on a Windows XP SP2 PC; for this reason, its results are not directly comparable with those for the other apps.

German research company AV-Test.org conducted the malware portion of our tests, bombarding the applications with samples of current adware and spyware. AV-Test.org gauged the products' ability to recognize about 110,000 inactive adware, spyware, and rootkit samples. An inactive sample is like an application you've downloaded and haven't yet installed. You'll want your antispyware product to recognize it--based on a match to a signature database of known threats--before the sample unpacks itself and activates in various areas of your PC.

To learn how the tools would react in such a case, AV-Test also measured each product's ability to recognize the behavior of and subsequently clean up 20 active pieces of adware and spyware. Since each threat can break down into more than 100 components, disinfection can be a tough job. We looked for the programs to clean up major file and Registry changes.

We also looked at the programs' behavior-based capabilities for detecting and blocking changes to key areas of an infected system without having to recognize anything about a specific invader. Spyware writers are continually releasing new threats, and security companies typically take some time to release signatures to catch those threats. An antispyware product's behavior-based detection protects the user during this critical window. We also tested for false positives and for speed; and we evaluated each software's design, price, and ease of use.

The Results:

PC Tools' Spyware Doctor 5.0 outperformed its Vista competitors. Grisoft's AVG Anti-Spyware 7.5 and Webroot's Spy Sweeper 5.5 finished some distance behind. Neither Spybot Search & Destroy nor Windows Defender adequately protects against today's threats. And on Windows XP, Lavasoft Ad-Aware, in several performance areas, did not impress us.
For comparative results of the five Vista programs, see our chart, "Best Vista Antispyware." And for further discussion of the results we obtained, see our video, also titled "Die, Spyware, Die!"

Products Reviewed:

 PC Tools Spyware Doctor 5.0
 Grisoft AVG Anti-Spyware 7.5
 Webroot SpySweeper 5.5
 Microsoft Windows Defender 1.1
 Safer Networking Spybot Search & Destroy 1.4
 Lavasoft Ad-Aware 2007 Plus 7.0 (XP version)

Myspace Features

MySpace is a social networking website offering an interactive, user-submitted network of friends, personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos, music and videos internationally. It is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California, USA,where it shares an office building with its immediate owner, Fox Interactive Media; in turn, the owner of Fox Interactive and therefore MySpace, News Corporation, is headquartered in New York City.

According to Alexa Internet, MySpace is currently the world's sixth most popular English-language website and the sixth most popular website in any language,and the third most popular website in the United States, though it has topped the chart on various weeks.The service has gradually gained more popularity than similar websites to achieve nearly 80 percent of visits to online social networking websites.

The company employs 300 staff and does not disclose revenues or profits separately from News Corporation. With the 100 millionth account being created on August 9, 2006,in the Netherlands and a news story claiming 106 million accounts on September 8, 2006,the site reportedly attracts new registrations at a rate of 230,000 per day. As of September 7, 2007, there are over 200 million accounts.

MySpace features:

Bulletins:
Bulletins are posts that are posted on to a "bulletin board" for everyone on a MySpace user's friends list to see. Bulletins can be useful for notifying an entire, but usually a portion of the friends list (depending on how many friends are added), without resorting to messaging users individually. Some users choose to use Bulletins as a service for delivering chain messages about politics, religion, or anything else and sometimes these chain messages are considered threatening to the users, especially the ones that mention bad luck, death, or topics similar to that.[16] They have also become the primary attack point for phishing. Bulletins are deleted after ten days.

Groups:
MySpace has a Groups feature which allows a group of users to share a common page and message board. Groups can be created by anybody, and the moderator of the group can choose for anyone to join, or to approve or deny requests to join.

MySpaceIM:
Main article: MySpaceIM
In early 2006, MySpace introduced MySpaceIM, an instant messenger that uses one's MySpace account as a screen name. A MySpace user logs in to the client using the same e-mail associated with his or her MySpace account. Unlike other parts of MySpace, MySpaceIM is stand-alone software for Microsoft Windows. Users who use MySpaceIM get instant notification of new MySpace messages, friend requests, and comments.

MySpaceTV:
In early 2007, MySpace introduced MySpaceTV, a YouTube look-alike video sharing website.

MySpace Mobile:
There are a variety of environments in which users can access MySpace content on their mobile phone. American mobile phone provider Helio released a series of mobile phones in early 2006 that can utilise a service known as MySpace Mobile to access and edit one's profile and communicate with, and view the profiles of, other members.[17] Additionally, UIEvolution and MySpace developed a mobile version of MySpace for a wider range of carriers, including AT&T[18], Vodafone[19] and Rogers Wireless[20].

MySpace News:
In the month of April 2007, MySpace launched a news service called MySpace News which displays news from RSS feeds that users submit. It also allows users to rank each news story by voting for it. The more votes a story gets, the higher the story moves up the page.

MySpace Classifieds:
Full service classifieds listing offered beginning in August 2006. Has grown by 33 percent in one year since inception.

Europe's Hottest Tech: iPod, iPhone

Apple's wares are the most sought on holiday shopping lists in the U.K., France and Germany, ComScore says.
As the holiday shopping season kicks into high gear, Apple's iPod and iPhone product lines find themselves among the most sought after items in the U.K., France and Germany this Christmas.
The report by digital market research firm comScore tracks the frequency of online search inquiries. When combining the three countries, the Nintendo Wii comes out on top, followed by the iPod, Nintendo DS Lite, Playstation PSP and the iPhone.
"We know that music players, game consoles, and mobile phones are very popular with consumers this year," said Bob Ivins, comScore EVP of European Markets. "The interesting aspect of this study is identifying which products are generating the most consumer searches, which can provide retailers and manufacturers with important insight into the underlying consumer demand for each specific product."
Looking at the specific countries, Apple had three products in the U.K.'s top 10 list - iPod (3), iPhone (5) and the iPod nano (7)
France had the same three products in the top 10 list - iPod (2), iPhone (5) and the iPod nano (9). Rounding out the list is Germany, which had the iPod (1), iPhone (3), iPod touch (7) and the iPod nano (8).

Top 10 Windows Tools

1. Cain & Abel - Cain & Abel is a password recovery tool for the Microsoft Windows Operating System. It allows easy recovery of various kind of passwords by sniffing the network, cracking encrypted passwords using Dictionary, Brute-Force and Cryptanalysis attacks, recording VoIP conversations, decoding scrambled passwords, revealing password boxes, uncovering cached passwords and analyzing routing protocols.

2. SuperScan - SuperScan is a powerful TCP port scanner, pinger, resolver. SuperScan 4 (Current Version) is a completely-rewritten update of the highly popular Windows port scanning tool, SuperScan.

3. GFI LANguard Network Security Scanner - GFI LANguard N.S.S. is a network vulnerability management solution that scans your network and performs over 15,000 vulnerability assessments. It identifies all possible security threats and provides you with tools to patch and secure your network. GFI LANguard N.S.S. was voted Favorite Commercial Security Tool by NMAP users for 2 years running and has been sold over 200,000 times!

4. Retina - Retina Network Security Scanner, recognised as the industry standard for vulnerability assessment, identifies known security vulnerabilities and assists in prioritising threats for remediation. Featuring fast, accurate, and non-intrusive scanning, users are able to secure their networks against even the most recent of discovered vulnerabilities.

5. SamSpade - SamSpade provides a consistent GUI and implementation for many handy network query tasks. It was designed with tracking down spammers in mind, but can be useful for many other network exploration, administration, and security tasks. It includes tools such as ping, nslookup, whois, dig, traceroute, finger, raw HTTP web browser, DNS zone transfer, SMTP relay check, website search, and more.

6. N-Stealth - N-Stealth is a commercial web server security scanner. It is generally updated more frequently than free web scanners such as whisker and nikto, but you have to pay for the privilege.

7. Solarwinds - Solarwinds contains many network monitoring, discovery and attack tools. The advanced security tools not only test internet security with the SNMP Brute Force Attack and Dictionary Attack utilities but also validate the security on Cisco Routers with the Router Security Check. The Remote TCP Reset remotely display all active sessions on a device and the Password Decryption can decrypt Type 7 Cisco Passwords. The Port Scanner allows testing for open TCP ports across IP Address and port ranges or selection of specific machines and ports.

8. Achilles - The first publicly released general-purpose web application security assessment tool. Achilles acts as a HTTP/HTTPS proxy that allows a user to intercept, log, and modify web traffic on the fly. Due to a cyber squatter, Achilles is no longer online at its original home of www.Digizen-Security.com...OOPS!

9. CookieDigger - CookieDigger helps identify weak cookie generation and insecure implementations of session management by web applications. The tool works by collecting and analyzing cookies issued by a web application for multiple users. The tool reports on the predictability and entropy of the cookie and whether critical information, such as user name and password, are included in the cookie values.

10. Netcat(The Network SwissArmy Knife) - Netcat was originally a Unix utility which reads and writes data across network connections, using TCP or UDP protocol. It is designed to be a reliable "back-end" tool that can be used directly or easily driven by other programs and scripts. At the same time, it is a feature-rich network debugging and exploration tool, since it can create almost any kind of connection you would need and has several interesting built-in capabilities.

Everything You wanted to know about FIREWALLS..!!

A firewall is basically something that protects the network from the Internet. It is derived from the concept of firewalls used in vehicles which is a barrier made of fire resistant material protecting the vehicle in case of fire. Anyway a firewall is best described as a software or hardware or both Hardware and Software packet filter that allows only selected packets to pass through from the Internet to your private internal network. A firewall is a system or a group of systems which guard a trusted network( The Internal Private Network from the untrusted network (the Internet.) To understand how a firewall works, firstly we need to understand how exactly data is transferred on the Internet.

The TCP\IP suite is responsible for successful transfer of data across a network both the Internet and the Intranet. The TCP\IP suite is a collection of protocols which are inter-related and interdependent and act as a set of rules according to which data is transferred across the network. A protocol can be defined as a language or a standard which is followed while transfer of data takes place.

A firewall relies on the source and destination IP and also the ports to control the packet transfer between the untrusted network and the trusted network. Firewalls can be classified into 3 types:

1. Packet Filter Firewalls
2. Application proxy Firewalls
3. Packet Inspection Firewalls

Packet Filter Firewalls
They are the earliest and the most criticized firewalls, which nowadays are not easily found. They are usually Hardware based i.e. Router Based (a router is a piece of device which connects two
networks together.) Whenever a Packet Filter Firewall receives a packet for permission to pass through, it compares the header information i.e. the source and destination IP address, and port number with a table of predefined access control rules If the header information matches, then the packet is allowed to pass else the packet is direct contact between the untrusted system and the trusted private system.
Such Firewalls can be fooled by using techniques like IP Spoofing in which we can change the source IP such that the firewall thinks that the packet has come from a trusted system which is among the list of systems which have access through the firewall.

Application proxy Firewalls
The shortcomings of the packet filter firewalls are addressed by the new type of firewalls developed by the DARPA. It was widely believed that the earlier type of firewalls were not secure enough as they allowed the untrusted systems to have a direct connection with the trusted systems. This problem was solved with the use of Proxy servers as firewalls. A proxy server which is used as a firewall are called application proxy servers. This kind of a proxy firewall examines what application or service (running on ports) a packet is meant for and if that particular service is available only then is the packet allowed to pass through and if the service is unavailable then the packet is discarded or dropped by the firewall.

Packet Inspection Firewalls
It can be also known as an extension of the Packet Filter Firewall. It not only verifies the source and
destination IP's and ports, it also takes into consideration or verifies that content of the data before passing it through. There are two ways in which this kind of a firewall verifies the data to
be passed:
State and Session.
In case of state inspection, an incoming packet is allowed to pass through only if there is a matching outward bound request for this packet. This means that the incoming packet is allowed to pass through only if the trusted server had requested for it or had sent an invitation for it.
In case of session filtering, the data of the incoming is not verified, but instead the network activity is traced and once a trusted system ends the session, no further packets from that system pertaining to that session are allowed to pass through.


All along you will come across many Firewalls on various systems, basically a
firewall can be established
or setup in two ways:

1. Dual-homed gateway
2. Demilitarized zone (DMZ)

In a dual homed gateway firewall, there is a single firewall with 2 connections, one for the trusted network and the other for the untrusted network.
In the case of a Demilitarized Firewall or a DMZ there are two firewalls, each with two connections, but there is a slight difference in the case of a DMZ setup.
In the case of a DMZ setup, there are two firewalls, the first having two connections, one leading to the untrusted network and the other leading to the host systems like the email server or the FTP server etc.
In the case of a Dual Homed Gateway the untrusted network is connected to the host systems (email and FTP servers etc) through a firewall and these host systems are connected to the internal private network. There is no second firewall between the host systems and the internal
private trusted network.
The basic structure of the DMZ setup declares it to be a more secure system as even if an attacker gets through the first firewall, he just reaches the host systems, while the internal network is protected by another firewall.

Free Kaspersky Antivirus Download

Helllo folks..... Many of ma awesome visitors requested for free kaspersky antivirus download for free. And as i always say hack and crack websites using google.So look what i found.A parent directory providing all kaspersky versions plus patches. TO download, right click on link of the version you want and select save link as option...tadaaaaaa.....thats it!!

So the parent directory link is this

DO give your feedback....

Free antivirus download,kaspersky download

Removing the Shortcut arrow from Desktop Icons:

Removing the Shortcut arrow from Desktop Icons:

Goto Start then Run and Enter regedit.
Navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTlnkfile.
Delete the IsShortcut registry value.
You may need to restart Windows XP.

What is a Cookie?

A Cookie is a very small text file placed on your hard drive by a Web Page server. It is essentially your identification card, and cannot be executed as code or deliver viruses. It is uniquely yours and can only be read by the server that gave it to you.A Cookie's Purpose is to tell the server that you've returned to that Web page. It can save you time. If you personalize pages, or register for products or services, a cookie helps that company remember who you are. So, the next time that you visit, they will have a good idea of what to show you. Or, for your convenience, you would not have to re-register as the cookies would provide this information from your previous visit.
WARNING: You are always in control of what information that you provide to anyone while online. You need to be cautious of some web sites that request too much information about you.If You Want to Control Which Cookies You Accept:You can order your browser to accept all cookies or to alert you every time a cookie is offered. Then you can decide whether to accept one or not.

If you're using Internet Explorer 6.0:
1. Choose Tools, then
2. Internet Options.
3. Click the Privacy tab
4. Default setting is medium.

Move the slider to determine which setting you prefer.
5. You can also click on Advanced for specialized cookie treatment.

Show Windows Vista "super hidden" Files

To show Windows Vista "super hidden" files, that is, those files that are normally hidden from the user, you'll need to accesss the registry editor.

To turn on (or off) super hidden files: (make sure you backup the registry before making changes)

* Click the Start Button, type "regedit" (Registry Editor) in the search box, and press Enter
* Click Continue to get past the User Account Control hurdle
* On the left panel, double-click to navigate to the key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
* On the right panel, double-click on Superhidden
* In the Value Data box, change the value to "1"
* Click OK
* Exit the Registry Editor
* Restart your machine for the changes to take effect.

Track who is sending you email-Gmail/Yahoo/hotmail

When you receive an email, you receive more than just the message. The email comes with headers that carry important information that can tell where the email was sent from and possibly who sent it. For that, you would need to find the IP address of the sender. The tutorial below can help you find the IP address of the sender. Note that this will not work if the sender uses anonymous proxy servers.

First of all, the IP address is generally found in the headers enclosed beween square brackets, for instance, [129.130.1.1]

Finding IP address in Gmail

1. Log into your Gmail account with your username and password.
2. Open the mail.
3. To display the email headers,
* Click on the inverted triangle beside Reply. Select Show Orginal.
4. manually find the IP address, proceed to 5.
5. Look for Received: from followed by the IP address between square brackets [ ].

Received: from [69.138.30.1] by web4587.mail.***.yahoo.com

6. If you find more than one Received: from patterns, select the last one.
7. Track the IP address of the sender

Finding IP address in Yahoo! Mail

1. Log into your Yahoo! mail with your username and password.
2. Click on Inbox or whichever folder you have stored your mail.
3. Open the mail.
4. If you do not see the headers above the mail message, your headers are not displayed. To display the headers,
* Click on Options on the top-right corner
* In the Mail Options page, click on General Preferences
* Scroll down to Messages where you have the Headers option
* Make sure that Show all headers on incoming messages is selected
* Click on the Save button
* Go back to the mails and open that mail
5. You should see similar headers like this:

Or if you want to manually find the IP address, proceed to 7.
7. Look for Received: from followed by the IP address between square brackets [ ]. Here, it is 202.65.138.109.
That is be the IP address of the sender.
If there are many instances of Received: from with the IP address, select the IP address in the last pattern. If there are no instances of Received: from with the IP address, select the first IP address in X-Originating-IP.
8. Track the IP address of the sender

Finding IP address in Hotmail

1. Log into your Hotmail account with your username and password.
2. Click on the Mail tab on the top.
3. Open the mail.
4. If you do not see the headers above the mail message, your headers are not displayed. To display the headers,
* Click on Options on the top-right corner
* In the Mail Options page, click on Mail Display Settings
* In Message Headers, make sure Advanced option is checked
* Click on Ok button
* Go back to the mails and open that mail
5. You should see the email headers now.
6. manually find the IP address, proceed to 7.
7. If you find a header with X-Originating-IP: followed by an IP address, that is the sender's IP address

Hotmail headers

In this case the IP address of the sender is [68.34.60.59]. Jump to step 9.
8. If you find a header with Received: from followed by a Gmail proxy like this


Hotmail headers

Look for Received: from followed by IP address within square brackets[
In this case, the IP address of the sender is [69.140.7.58]. Jump to step 9.
9. Or else if you have headers like this

Hotmail headers

Look for Received: from followed by IP address within square brackets[].
In this case, the IP address of the sender is [61.83.145.129] (Spam mail). Jump to step 9.
10. * If you have multiple Received: from headers, eliminate the ones that have proxy.anyknownserver.com.
11. Track the IP address of the sender.

Remove 'Orkut is Banned you fool' virus!!!

Many of my NITW pal must be suffering from this 'Orkut is banned you fool,Muhaaa haha bla bla....." then herezz this post fior you....

Virus Code:

ifwinactive ahk_class IEFrame
{

ControlGetText,ed,edit1,ahk_class IEFrame
ifinstring,ed,orkut
{
winclose ahk_class IEFrame
soundplay,C:\heap41a\2.mp3
msgbox,262160,ORKUT IS BANNED,Orkut is banned you fool`,The
administrators didnt write this program guess who did??
`r`r MUHAHAHA!!,30
return
}
ControlGetText,ed,edit2,ahk_class IEFrame
ifinstring,ed,orkut
{
winclose ahk_class IEFrame
soundplay,C:\heap41a\2.mp3
msgbox,262160,ORKUT IS BANNED,Orkut is banned you fool`,The
administrators didnt write this program guess who did??
`r`r MUHAHAHA!!,30
return
}
ControlGetText,ed,edit3,ahk_class IEFrame
ifinstring,ed,orkut
{
winclose ahk_class IEFrame
soundplay,C:\heap41a\2.mp3
msgbox,262160,ORKUT IS BANNED,Orkut is banned you fool`,The
administrators didnt write this program guess who did??
`r`r MUHAHAHA!!,30
return
}
ControlGetText,ed,edit4,ahk_class IEFrame
ifinstring,ed,orkut
{

It is the source code of a virus that blocks Orkut, Youtube and Firefox and shows a message as under,if you try to open either of the two websites :

"ORKUT IS BANNED,Orkut is banned you fool`,The administrators didnt write this program guess who did?? MUHAHAHA!!"

It makes a folder named heap41a in the C:\ drive with attributes S (System file) and H (Hidden file).If your pc is infected by this virus then just boot it in safe mode,goto cmd prompt and at C:\> type attrib -S -H heap41a to make this folder visible and then just delete this folder.Now use a registry cleaner to delete the registry keys made by this

Easy Method to delete the virus.

open task manager>process tab>there if you find svchost.exe before your user name (remember also system will use svchost.exe don't end that) just give end process for that then go to run and type C://heap41a and delete all files of that folder.. now you are done Enjoy orkut..

What is the Registry???

The Registry is the central core registrar for Windows NT. Each NT workstation for server has its own Registry, and each one contains info on the hardware and software of the computer it resides on. For example, com port definitions, Ethernet card settings, desktop setting and profiles, and what a particular user can and cannot do are stored in the Registry. Remember those ugly system INI files in Windows 3.1? Well, they are all included with even more fun stuff into one big database called the Registry in NT.

Always make sure that you know what you are doing when changing the registry or else just one little mistake can crash the whole system. That's why it's always good to back it up!


Backup and Restore:
Even with Windows 98, and Windows 95 you can not just backup the registry when you back up files. What you would need to do is run either: regedit32.exe (for NT) or regedit.exe and then click the registry menu, then click export registry. The next step is to click all, then pick the drive to back up onto (usually a removable drive like tape, floppy, cd, zip drive, jazz drive etc.) and then hit "ok". To restore a registry from a backed up version, enter the registry program the same way, click import registry and click the drive and path where the backup is and hit "ok". It will restore it back to the previous backed up settings and may require a reboot.
Note: registry backups are saved as .reg files, and they are associated with regedit as default. This means that once you double-click a .reg file, it's contents will be inserted into your own registry.

What is SAM?
SAM is short for Security Accounts Manager, which is located on the PDC and has information on all user accounts and passwords. Most of the time while the PDC is running, it is being accessed or used.


What do I do with a copy of SAM?


You get passwords. First use a copy of SAMDUMP.EXE to extract the user info out of it. You do not need to import this data into the Registry of your home machine to play with it. You can simply load it up into one of the many applications for cracking passwords, such as L0phtCrack, which is available from: http://www.L0phtCrack.com



Of interest to hackers is the fact that all access control and assorted parameters are located in the Registry. The Registry contains thousands of individual items of data, and is grouped together into "keys" or some type of optional value. These keys are grouped together into subtrees -- placing like keys together and making copies of others into separate trees for more convenient system access.

The Registry is divided into four separate subtrees. These subtrees are called

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
HKEY_CURRENT_USER
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
HKEY_USERS
We'll go through them from most important to the hacker to least important to the hacker.


First and foremost is the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE subtree. It contains five different keys. These keys are as follows:

SAM and SECURITY - These keys contain the info such as user rights, user and group info for the domain (or workgroup if there is no domain), and passwords. In the NT hacker game of capture the flag, this is the flag. Bag this and all bets are off.
The keys are binary data only (for security reasons) and are typically not accessible unless you are an Administrator or in the Administrators group. It is easier to copy the data and play with it offline than to work on directly.


HARDWARE - this is a storage database of throw-away data that describes the hardware components of the computer. Device drivers and applications build this database during boot and update it during runtime (although most of the database is updated during the boot process). When the computer is rebooted, the data is built again from scratch. It is not recommended to directly edit this particular database unless you can read hex easily.
There are three subkeys under HARDWARE, these are the Description key, the DeviceMap key, and the ResourceMap key. The Description key has describes each hardware resource, the DeviceMap key has data in it specific to individual groups of drivers, and the ResourceMap key tells which driver goes with which resource.

SYSTEM - This key contains basic operating stuff like what happens at startup, what device drivers are loaded, what services are in use, etc. These are split into ControlSets which have unique system configurations (some bootable, some not), with each ControlSet containing service data and OS components for that ControlSet. Ever had to boot from the "Last Known Good" configuration because something got hosed? That is a ControlSet stored here.
SOFTWARE - This key has info on software loaded locally. File associations, OLE info, and some miscellaneous configuration data is located here.


The second most important main key is HKEY_USERS. It contains a subkey for each local user who accesses the system, either locally or remotely. If the server is a part of a domain and logs in across the network, their subkey is not stored here, but on a Domain Controller. Things such as Desktop settings and user profiles are stored here.

The third and fourth main keys, HKEY_CURRENT_USER and HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, contain copies of portions of HKEY_USERS and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE respectively. HKEY_CURRENT_USER contains exactly would you would expect a copy of the subkey from HKEY_USERS of the currently logged in user. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT contains a part of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, specifically from the SOFTWARE subkey. File associations, OLE configuration and dependency information.

What are hives?
Hives are the major subdivisions of all of these subtrees, keys, subkeys, and values that make up the Registry. They contain "related" data.

All hives are stored in %systemroot%\SYSTEM32\CONFIG. The major hives and their files are as follows:

Hive File Backup File
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE SOFTWARE SOFTWARE.LOG
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SECURITY SECURITY SECURITY.LOG
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM SYSTEM SYSTEM.LOG
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SAM SAM SAM.LOG
HKEY_CURRENT_USER USERxxx
ADMINxxx USERxxx.LOG
ADMINxxx.LOG
HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT DEFAULT DEFAULT.LOG

Hackers should look for the SAM file, with the SAM.LOG file as a secondary target. This contains the password info.

Hive File Backup File
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE SOFTWARE SOFTWARE.LOG
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SECURITY SECURITY SECURITY.LOG
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM SYSTEM SYSTEM.LOG
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SAM SAM SAM.LOG
HKEY_CURRENT_USER USERxxx
ADMINxxx USERxxx.LOG
ADMINxxx.LOG
HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT DEFAULT DEFAULT.LOG

Hackers should look for the SAM file, with the SAM.LOG file as a secondary target. This contains the password info.

For ease of use, the Registry is divided into five separate structures that represent the Registry database in its entirety. These five groups are known as Keys, and are discussed below:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER
This registry key contains the configuration information for the user that is currently logged in. The users folders, screen colors, and control panel settings are stored here. This information is known as a User Profile.

HKEY_USERS
In windowsNT 3.5x, user profiles were stored locally (by default) in the systemroot\system32\config directory. In NT4.0, they are stored in the systemroot\profiles directory. User-Specific information is kept there, as well as common, system wide user information.

This change in storage location has been brought about to parallel the way in which Windows95 handles its user profiles. In earlier releases of NT, the user profile was stored as a single file - either locally in the \config directory or centrally on a server. In windowsNT 4, the single user profile has been broken up into a number of subdirectories located below the \profiles directory. The reason for this is mainly due to the way in which the Win95 and WinNT4 operating systems use the underlying directory structure to form part of their new user interface.



HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
This key contains configuration information particular to the computer. This information is stored in the systemroot\system32\config directory as persistent operating system files, with the exception of the volatile hardware key.

The information gleaned from this configuration data is used by applications, device drivers, and the WindowsNT 4 operating system. The latter usage determines what system configuration data to use, without respect to the user currently logged on. For this reason the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE regsitry key is of specific importance to administrators who want to support and troubleshoot NT 4.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE is probably the most important key in the registry and it contains five subkeys:

Hardware: Database that describes the physical hardware in the computer, the way device drivers use that hardware, and mappings and related data that link kernel-mode drivers with various user-mode code. All data in this sub-tree is re-created everytime the system is started.
SAM: The security accounts manager. Security information for user and group accounts and for the domains in NT 4 server.
Security: Database that contains the local security policy, such as specific user rights. This key is used only by the NT 4 security subsystem.
Software: Pre-computer software database. This key contains data about software installed on the local computer, as well as configuration information.
System: Database that controls system start-up, device driver loading, NT 4 services and OS behavior.


Information about the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SAM Key
This subtree contains the user and group accounts in the SAM database for the local computer. For a computer that is running NT 4, this subtree also contains security information for the domain. The information contained within the SAM registry key is what appears in the user interface of the User Manager utility, as well as in the lists of users and groups that appear when you make use of the Security menu commands in NT4 explorer.

Information about the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Security key
This subtree contains security information for the local computer. This includes aspects such as assigning user rights, establishing password policies, and the membership of local groups, which are configurable in User Manager.


HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
The information stored here is used to open the correct application when a file is opened by using Explorer and for Object Linking and Embedding. It is actually a window that reflects information from the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software subkey.

HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG
The information contained in this key is to configure settings such as the software and device drivers to load or the display resolution to use. This key has a software and system subkeys, which keep track of configuration information.






Understanding Hives
The registry is divided into parts called hives. These hives are mapped to a single file and a .LOG file. These files are in the systemroot\system32\config directory.

Registry Hive File Name
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SAM SAM and SAM.LOG
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SECURITY Security and Security.LOG
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE Software and Software.LOG
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM System and System.ALT



Checkout these sites for more info:

NT registry Hacks: http://www.jsiinc.com/default.htm?/reghack.htm
Unofficial NT Hack: http://www.nmrc.org/faqs/nt/index.html
Rhino9: The Windows NT Security Research Team: http://www.xtreme.abyss.com/techvoodoo/rhino9
Regedit.com - cool registry tricks: http://www.regedit.com

Also please checkout: www.windows2000test.com and give it your best shot because Microsoft wants you to test their operating system's security flaws for them. They are challenging all hackers to hack that site.

MAKING WINDOWS XP GENUINE THE EASY WAY

Download jellybean keyfinder from this website
http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml

Now open keyfinder.exe
Click on options and click "change windows key"
Now enter this key and you're done.
*****************************
V2C47-MK7JD-3R89F-D2KXW-VPK3J
*****************************

P.S: this works on windows xp sp2 only......

ppl u can try this out...
this might sound silly but it works perfectly...

TRY INSTALLING IE7 OR MEDIA PLAYER11.

How to block or unblock a website?

FOR BLOCKING

Do The Following :

For eg you want to block www.xyz.com !


* Open the folder C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc

* There you will find a file named HOSTS

* Click on the file and press SHIFT and now right click on it .

* From the right click menu select Open with .

* Now, select Notepad to open the file from the list !

* Now, in the file under the line 127.0.0.1 localhost add another line as 127.0.0.2 www.xyz.com.

* Now, File>>Save !

For unblocking just follow the same procedure vice versa...!!!!!

Everything You wanted to know about FIREWALLS..!!

A firewall is basically something that protects the network from the Internet. It is derived from the concept of firewalls used in vehicles which is a barrier made of fire resistant material protecting the vehicle in case of fire. Anyway a firewall is best described as a software or hardware or both Hardware and Software packet filter that allows only selected packets to pass through from the Internet to your private internal network. A firewall is a system or a group of systems which guard a trusted network( The Internal Private Network from the untrusted network (the Internet.) To understand how a firewall works, firstly we need to understand how exactly data is transferred on the Internet.

The TCP\IP suite is responsible for successful transfer of data across a network both the Internet and the Intranet. The TCP\IP suite is a collection of protocols which are inter-related and interdependent and act as a set of rules according to which data is transferred across the network. A protocol can be defined as a language or a standard which is followed while transfer of data takes place.

A firewall relies on the source and destination IP and also the ports to control the packet transfer between the untrusted network and the trusted network. Firewalls can be classified into 3 types:

1. Packet Filter Firewalls
2. Application proxy Firewalls
3. Packet Inspection Firewalls

Packet Filter Firewalls
They are the earliest and the most criticized firewalls, which nowadays are not easily found. They are usually Hardware based i.e. Router Based (a router is a piece of device which connects two
networks together.) Whenever a Packet Filter Firewall receives a packet for permission to pass through, it compares the header information i.e. the source and destination IP address, and port number with a table of predefined access control rules If the header information matches, then the packet is allowed to pass else the packet is direct contact between the untrusted system and the trusted private system.
Such Firewalls can be fooled by using techniques like IP Spoofing in which we can change the source IP such that the firewall thinks that the packet has come from a trusted system which is among the list of systems which have access through the firewall.

Application proxy Firewalls
The shortcomings of the packet filter firewalls are addressed by the new type of firewalls developed by the DARPA. It was widely believed that the earlier type of firewalls were not secure enough as they allowed the untrusted systems to have a direct connection with the trusted systems. This problem was solved with the use of Proxy servers as firewalls. A proxy server which is used as a firewall are called application proxy servers. This kind of a proxy firewall examines what application or service (running on ports) a packet is meant for and if that particular service is available only then is the packet allowed to pass through and if the service is unavailable then the packet is discarded or dropped by the firewall.

Packet Inspection Firewalls
It can be also known as an extension of the Packet Filter Firewall. It not only verifies the source and
destination IP's and ports, it also takes into consideration or verifies that content of the data before passing it through. There are two ways in which this kind of a firewall verifies the data to
be passed:
State and Session.
In case of state inspection, an incoming packet is allowed to pass through only if there is a matching outward bound request for this packet. This means that the incoming packet is allowed to pass through only if the trusted server had requested for it or had sent an invitation for it.
In case of session filtering, the data of the incoming is not verified, but instead the network activity is traced and once a trusted system ends the session, no further packets from that system pertaining to that session are allowed to pass through.


All along you will come across many Firewalls on various systems, basically a
firewall can be established
or setup in two ways:

1. Dual-homed gateway
2. Demilitarized zone (DMZ)

In a dual homed gateway firewall, there is a single firewall with 2 connections, one for the trusted network and the other for the untrusted network.
In the case of a Demilitarized Firewall or a DMZ there are two firewalls, each with two connections, but there is a slight difference in the case of a DMZ setup.
In the case of a DMZ setup, there are two firewalls, the first having two connections, one leading to the untrusted network and the other leading to the host systems like the email server or the FTP server etc.
In the case of a Dual Homed Gateway the untrusted network is connected to the host systems (email and FTP servers etc) through a firewall and these host systems are connected to the internal private network. There is no second firewall between the host systems and the internal
private trusted network.
The basic structure of the DMZ setup declares it to be a more secure system as even if an attacker gets through the first firewall, he just reaches the host systems, while the internal network is protected by another firewall.

Opinion: iPod touch is a business tool, too

Apple’s new iPod touch is a revolutionary device, much like its iPhone cousin. It offers in one svelte package a host of cool features, everything from Web browsing over Wi-Fi to VPN access and a host of enterprise-useful apps. Sure, you can listen to music, but there's also a practical side, the side that makes it a perfect tool for business. (I know what a lot of you are thinking: In your dreams. Just stick with me a minute.)

Having spent some time with Apple’s latest iPod, which hit the market in September and starts at $299, I think there’s a lot of on-the-job use you can get from this little guy—so much so that you might even be able to expense it at work. Not only does it arrive out of the box with useful software, but apps that can be added to it with a little tweaking make it feature-filled enough to keep almost any road warrior happy.

Not convinced? Let me break these down by application, and feel free to file this list away for any future iPod touch purchase order justification. That way, when you sit down with the CFO to explain why you want, er, need one, you’ll have a ready-made checklist handy.

The Web

First and foremost, the iPod touch has a darn good almost-full-featured Web browser—not just a mobile browser, but a real browser. Safari on the iPod Touch is much better than anything else out there. The scrolling, panning and zooming around that’s possible put it in a usability league with far larger devices like tablet PCs.

While it doesn’t do Java or Flash (yet), it will still handle 90 percent of the business Web apps out there. And you can open up eight or more different Web windows at a time. That’s great for multitasking productivity.

Mobility

It sounds obvious, but it’s worth repeating: The iPod touch can go with you everywhere—in the conference room, at a client’s office, in the car, tucked away in your shirt pocket, even in the bathroom. It weighs just over 4 ounces and is 4.3 inches long, 2.4 inches wide and less than one-third of an inch thick. And it still boasts the best 3.5-inch screen I’ve ever seen.

VPN

As more office apps move to the Web, the browsing functions make this device more valuable. It’s not just for public Web apps, either. For companies with a VPN, Apple has included some of the most widely used VPN software out there—Cisco notwithstanding—to allow you to connect to Windows and Mac VPN servers. Once connected, you’ll have access to all of your internal Web applications. Talk about an ultraportable office!

Contacts

A few years back, companies bought contact books for their employees. As the digital age progressed, those contacts got rolled into laptops and smart phones.

The iPod offers yet another extension of that evolution, allowing users to browse through contacts on a large but mobile screen. With touch-screen ease, just tap, flick, tap again and your contact info is staring you in the face. It is also easier to add contacts from a business card to the iPod touch than to a typical phone because of the iPod's QWERTY keyboard, large screen and large tapping area.

Clock and Calculator

The world clock is extremely useful when traveling across time zones, crucial for the jet-setting international exec. The same is true for the built-in alarm clock.

And while it’s as simple as they come, the Calculator application works just as you’d expect, whether calculating mileage reimbursement costs or figuring out the tip on that two-martini business lunch. Everyone needs one once in awhile—the calculator, not the martini.

Photos, videos and music

The iPod includes a great photo viewer for finding and quickly displaying image files for clients. It also offers relatively high-resolution playback of videos, whether commercial, instructional, artistic or just plain fun.

And the music software is great for listening to audiobooks and language tapes—being a recent Paris transplant, I can attest to this—and frankly, there’s a lot of learning that can take place during the inevitable downtime between business meetings or flights.

Calendar

While Apple handed iPod users a major blow by disabling the write functionality in its calendar app—you’ll need an iPhone for that—the scaled-back software on the iPod Touch is still a useful tool for taking your desktop timetable on the road—even if you can’t edit or sync it on the fly.

Hacking the iPod

That limited functionality brings me to my next point: This gadget could be so much better if Apple just let us play with it a little bit. And while the company has announced plans to offer a software development kit for the iPhone and iPod touch next year, there’s nothing out yet, at least not officially. I decided it would be fun to see how much more business functionality I could get out of the iPod touch after applying a few much-touted hacks.

Note: If you have to tell the CFO you plan to hack your iPod, you’re not likely to get an OK. And besides, why risk invalidating your warranty? So don’t try this at home. All I’m pointing out is how much potential the device has, and how much more value it will offer, once new apps are created. And they will be created.

Having a hacked iPhone, I lifted a lot of the applications I already own directly from that device and transferred them to the iPod Touch. Some preferences files and bundles needed to be moved as well. Once installer.app was on my iPod, hacking it took only a few minutes. Here’s a sampler of what I added, which should give you an idea of how powerful this device could grow to be.

The first thing I added was the Notes application from my iPhone. This is a simple, yet extremely elegant program that allows you to take notes using the keyboard on the iPod. It will also sync with the Notes in Leopard. Apple should have included it in the iPod Touch as a default application.

Next, I added the Maps app. While it is of little use in the car without AT&T’s EDGE Network—which is what the iPhone uses when a Wi-Fi connection isn’t available—Maps is great for plotting out trips beforehand and works just as well as it does on the iPhone. Think of it as Google Earth in your pocket.

The most important thing for me is having an offline mail client. What better than Apple’s mobile Mail app for the iPhone? It works fantastically well on the iPod with four concurrent IMAP clients. My only gripe is that you can’t set the frequency for checking the e-mail servers to less than five minutes. However, because you can write offline and sync when you hit a wireless access point, it is a natural fit. Why Apple chose not to include it is beyond me, unless it wants to upsell users to the iPhone.

The Weather app—another iPhone fav of mine—is great for quickly checking forecasts in your favorite destinations. It also caches this information for offline use, making it another good fit.

Apple’s iPhone applications aren’t the only ones that work well with the iPod Touch; hacked third-party apps work pretty well, too.

The first one I tried was VNSea.app, a VNC remote desktop client. The installation was painless, it connected to my Mac OS X and Windows servers quickly, and the remote functionality worked well.

The only downside is the obviously small screen, which doesn’t have the ability to pan. That means you only control the upper 320-by-480-pixel portion of your screen. I found that if I put my important apps up top, I was in pretty good shape. It also makes a great Wi-Fi remote control for your Mac mini media center.

Next, I added the Apollo IM client. Although I prefer the interface of another mobile application, MobileChat, Apollo lets me connect to my corporate MSN network as well. So for my purposes, it gets the nod. This is a perfect example of an application the iPod Touch needs. If Apple won’t add it, then it should at least let others do so.

Another biggie for me is RSS feeds. Google Reader on mobile Safari is great, but again, it’s not very helpful when offline. Thankfully, the hacker community has stepped in with RSS.app. It works exactly as an offline RSS reader should. Add in the feeds you want, and it polls them at regular intervals. Whenever you have a little downtime on the road, use it to catch up on your favorite news.

Perhaps the most glaring hole in the iPhone/iPod software lineup is the lack of GPS. That’s where Navizon’s Soft GPS application comes in handy. It makes a great companion to the mobile Maps application, and while not always accurate to the precise street or neighborhood, it makes a great starting point. On the iPod touch, Soft GPS uses data about your Wi-Fi IP address, leaving a lot of room for error. (The iPhone version uses cellular radio tower triangulation and is much more accurate.)

Also missing from the iPod—and from the iPhone, for that matter—are offline reference libraries and e-book readers. I installed weDict.app and Books.app. The weDict application allows you to install a number of offline encyclopedias, and there are more than 20 available online.

Books.app is an e-book reader. Apple is missing a huge market by not putting these types of applications on its mobile devices. The iPod touch screen, like the one on the iPhone, is amazingly bright, and the fonts are smooth and easy to read. Text-centric apps are a natural.

So where does this leave the intrepid business traveler about to make his case to the finance folks at the office? It’s a pretty simple message: Apple has created a fantastic device with some amazing software that makes it a competitive piece of business hardware right now—and opens the door for even more advances down the road.

Sure, it looks as though the marketing gurus at Apple decided to differentiate and delineate the iPhone and iPod as, respectively, “iPro” and “iToy” devices. Be that as it may, the iPod touch offers a number of useful tools for business users already. Spell that out to the CFO and he might just agree. Heck, the CFO might suddenly see the need for an iPod touch, too.

[Seth Weintraub is a global IT management consultant specializing in the technology needs of creative organizations, including The Paris Times, Omnicom and WPP Group. He has set up and managed cross-platform networks on four continents and is an expert in Active Directory/Open Directory PC and Macintosh integration.]

Find Out If Your Computer Is Secretly Connecting to the Web :

If you are trying to track down why your computer is running so slooowwwly, try using this simple DOS command from Digital Inspiration to uncover a possible problem:
Type cmd in your Windows Run box.
Type "netstat -b 5 > activity.txt" and press enter.
After say 2 minutes, press Ctrl+C.
Type "activity.txt" on the command line to open the log file in notepad (or your default text editor)
This .txt file will have a record of everything that has made an Internet connection in the last couple of minutes; you can then check your task manager to find out where it is and take care of it.

Is Your Computer Connecting To Websites Without Your Knowledge [Digital Inspiration].

History of NOKIA

In 1992, Nokia decided to focus on its telecommunications business. This was probably the most important strategic decision in its history.
As adoption of the GSM standard grew, new CEO Jorma Ollila put Nokia at the head of the mobile telephone industry’s global boom – and made it the world leader before the end of the decade...

1992: Jorma Ollila becomes President and CEOJorma Ollila becomes President and CEO of Nokia, focusing the company on telecommunications.

1992: Nokia’s first GSM handsetNokia launches its first GSM handset, the Nokia 1011.

1994: Nokia Tune is launchedNokia launches the 2100, the first phone to feature the Nokia Tune.

1994: World’s first satellite callThe world’s first satellite call is made, using a Nokia GSM handset.

1997: Snake – a classic mobile gameThe Nokia 6110 is the first phone to feature Nokia’s Snake game.

1998: Nokia leads the worldNokia becomes the world leader in mobile phones.

1999: The Internet goes mobileNokia launches the world's first WAP handset, the Nokia 7110.

Tata Indiva - 1 Lakh Car ?

This news has been flying around for quite some time now. The Tata Indiva is NOT the 1 lakh ruppee car which is due to come out in 2008. This is just a concept car which was designed by TATA in 2003 by the Italian company - I.D.E.A. The design and prototype was entirely done by this company.The TATA Indiva was made specifically for the Geneva Motor show to demonstrate good manufacturing ability of TATA.The Indiva concept will take at least 3-4 years for it to become a reality but we will wait and see whats going to happen here.The Vehical specs are as follows:Engine Configuration - SCylinders - 4Aspiration/Induction - NormalDisplacement - 1405.00 ccHorsepower - 53.00 BHPWeight 2161 lbs

AMD also enters the quad-core CPU market :

In what’s shaping up as a two-week burst of fast and furious chip news, Intel this week released its new quad-core Xeon 7300 server CPU, codenamed “Tigerton,” adding some competitive spice to this Monday’s highly anticipated launch of “Barcelona,” Advanced Micro Device’s first entry in the quad-core server chip market. And as if that’s not excitement enough for followers of the chip market, Intel is also expected to give the world a first look at its 45nm chip design “Penryn” very close on the heels of AMD’s quad-core launch, perhaps as soon as at the Intel Developers Forum on Sept. 18. The chip giant sent out invites Thursday for what it describes as “a BIG celebration for our tiny chips.”
Tigerton enters the server space as Intel’s top of the line Xeon offering. But some analysts speculate that next year’s planned overhaul of its entire server line means Intel’s Tigerton product is more of a fill-in than a major new addition. For high-performance system builders like Velocity Micro, the Barcelona launch is just a taste of things to come later in the year, when AMD will release “Phenom,” its quad-core processor for desktops, said Randall Copeland, president and CEO of the Richmond, Virg.-based company. Copeland expects that AMD’s quad-core family of processors will put them right back in the running with Intel, which has had the quad-core market to itself for several quarters due to reported delays in AMD’s Barcelona rollout.

Reboot to Safe Mode for Dummies:

Safe mode is a diagnostic mode used by certain computer operating systems, including Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X, as well as other complex electronic devices. While an operating system is in safe mode, it will have reduced functionality, but it is easier to isolate problems because many non-core components are disabled. An installation that will only boot into its safe mode typically has a major problem, such as disk corruption or the installation of poorly configured software that prevents the operating system from successfully booting into its normal operating mode.
Whenever I am required to service a computer that's behaving very slowly, the first thing I'll do is try to boot in Safe Mode. Or if I get a call from a friend saying that his computer is acting weird, I'll also ask him to try boot in to Safe Mode first and see if the problem will occur there. Problem is, for people who have never heard of Safe Mode, I am going to have a tough time teaching them how to boot in to Safe Mode. Here's a solution on how to boot in to Windows Safe Mode for dummies
The original way to boot in to Safe mode in Windows is by repeatedly pressing the "F8" key as the operating system boots (Microsoft's official website for Windows XP simply advises users to press "F8" once, but in practice the exact moment at which to press the key can vary from computer to computer, so it is better to repeatedly press the key at one second intervals).For people who have never boot in to Safe Mode, most of the time they'll miss a few times before they get lucky in bringing up the Windows Advanced Options Menu that you can select to boot in to Safe Mode. A lot of time will be wasted in waiting for the computer to reboot over and over again hoping that the user is able to get the menu.Easier way is simply use BootSafe.
BootSafe takes the hassle out of rebooting in Safe Mode or back to Normal mode. Just send BootSafe to the user or ask him to download from the official website. Run BootSafe and select which Safe Mode you wish to boot - Minimal, Networking (typical), or Repair and click the Reboot button. Once you have booted into Safe Mode, you can perform any actions needed, such as scanning for viruses, spyware, adware, malware or repairing a system component. When you have completed your tasks, simply run BootSafe again and select the Normal Restart option and click the Reboot button and your computer will reboot in Normal Mode.BootSafe is only 46.5KB in size. It's FREE, no installation required and works on Windows 98, 98SE, ME, 2000 and XP. A very useful small utility which can simplify my job and save my time.

Nero Burning ROM 6.6.1.15c :
Nero is a flexible, reliable, and easy-to-use application designed to write both data and CD audio to CD-R and CD-RW discs. It supports ISO 9660 images as well as ISO mode 1 and XA mode 2, and allows for on-the-fly disc recording in addition to overburning (if supported by hardware). It also supports multisession and mixed-mode recording, HFS, ISO/HFS hybrid, UDF, PSX, OFAS (optimal file access speed), track-at-once (TAO) and disc-at-once (DAO) writing, digital audio extraction, and more. In addition, Nero can dynamically disable automatic-insert notification, offers support for multiple languages, and works with all major models of CD-R and CD-RW drives. This also contains a standalone Cover Editor for designing and printing CD covers.

DirectX End-User Runtimes (August 2007)
This download provides the DirectX end-user multi-languaged redistributable that developers can include with their product. The redistributable license agreement covers the terms under which developers may use the Redistributable. For full details please review the DirectX SDK EULA.txt and DirectX Redist.txt files located in the license directory.This package is localized into Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Czech, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Swedish, and English.

Microsoft Windows Live OneCare 2.0.2284.28:
Microsoft Windows Live OneCare is a comprehensive and integrated PC health service that helps protect and maintain your computer with antivirus, firewall, PC maintenance, and file backup and restore functionality. This new service is in beta testing.

Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Beta 2
The Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 (which is formerly known as WinFX), is the new managed code programming model for Windows. It combines the power of the .NET Framework 2.0 with new technologies for building applications that have visually compelling user experiences, seamless communication across technology boundaries, and the ability to support a wide range of business processes. These new technologies are Windows Presentation Foundation, Windows Communication Foundation, Windows Workflow Foundation, and Windows CardSpace (formerly code named "Infocard"). Microsoft plans to ship .NET Framework 3.0 as part of the Windows Vista operating system. In addition, Microsoft is making these technologies available on Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. The following Community Technology Preview of .NET Framework 3.0 enables you to continue experimenting with early builds of these technologies, get acquainted with the development experience, and provide feedback to Microsoft.

nVIDIA ForceWare 162.22 WHQL (6,7,8 series) forWinVista:
NVIDIA has released the following WHQL certified drivers for use with Windows Vista RTM that will enable you to test the basic features and capabilities of the new operating system. NVIDIA is committed to supporting Microsoft Windows Vista on current and previous GPU generations. It's important to us that you have an excellent experience through the Vista transition, and driver development is the highest priority in our company. We are working diligently to make sure we achieve and maintain the level of driver quality and reliability that NVIDIA is known for. Over the coming weeks NVIDIA and our partners, along with the industry, will continue to update Windows Vista drivers to ensure maximum performance on 3D applications and add feature support. Release Highlights:WHQL Certified driver for GeForce 6, 7, and 8 series GPUs.This driver supports single GPU and NVIDIA SLI™ technology on DirectX 9, DirectX 10, and OpenGL.Improved compatibility for Lost Planet.Added "Resize the HDTV desktop" underscan compensation optionNumerous game and application compatibility fixes. Please read the release notes for more information on product support, feature limitations, driver fixes and known compatibility issues.If you would like to be notified of upcoming drivers for Windows Vista, please subscribe to the newsletter.Release Note: The NVIDIA Control Panel may take up to one minute to open when accessed the first time after restarting the system.
Supported Products:GeForce 6100GeForce 6100 nForce 400GeForce 6100 nForce 405GeForce 6100 nForce 420GeForce 6150GeForce 6150 LEGeForce 6150SE nForce 430GeForce 6200GeForce 6200 A-LEGeForce 6200 LEGeForce 6200 TurboCache™GeForce 6200SE TurboCache™GeForce 6250GeForce 6500GeForce 6600GeForce 6600 GTGeForce 6600 LEGeForce 6600 VEGeForce 6610 XLGeForce 6700 XLGeForce 6800GeForce 6800 GSGeForce 6800 GS/XTGeForce 6800 GTGeForce 6800 LEGeForce 6800 Series GPUGeForce 6800 UltraGeForce 6800 XEGeForce 6800 XTGeForce 7025 / NVIDIA nForce 630aGeForce 7050 PV / NVIDIA nForce 630aGeForce 7050 PV / NVIDIA nForce 630aGeForce 7100 GSGeForce 7200 GSGeForce 7300 GSGeForce 7300 GTGeForce 7300 LEGeForce 7300 SEGeForce 7350 LEGeForce 7500 LEGeForce 7550 LEGeForce 7600 GSGeForce 7600 GTGeForce 7600 LEGeForce 7650 GSGeForce 7800 GSGeForce 7800 GTXGeForce 7800 SLIGeForce 7900 GSGeForce 7900 GT/GTOGeForce 7900 GTXGeForce 7950 GTGeForce 7950 GX2GeForce 8300 GSGeForce 8400 GSGeForce 8500 GTGeForce 8600 GTGeForce 8600 GTSGeForce 8800 GTSGeForce 8800 GTXGeForce 8800 Ultra

Opera 9.22 Build 8801 Final:
Opera is a free Web browser with a pop-up blocker, multiple-window navigation, mouse gestures, keyboard shortcuts, an e-mail client with a spam filter, and integrated search for user security and speed. The cross-platform browser includes IRC-compatible chat, support for RSS newsfeeds, a password manager, and one-click customization and privacy-protection settings.

BitDefender Total Security 2008 Beta 3:
BitDefender Total Security - proactive protection against viruses, spyware, hackers, spamBitDefender Total Security 2008 application was designed to provide comprehensive proactive protection against viruses, spyware, hackers, spam and other Internet security threats, along with system maintenance and data backup.In order to test BitDefender Total Security 2008 Beta 2 you will have to uninstall Beta 1 kit, perform a system restart and install Beta 2 kit. In case Beta 1 kit uninstall process fails please use the manual uninstall tool.

Key features :ANTIVIRUS & ANTISPYWARE· Protects your PC in real time against known viruses, spyware and other malware· Blocks unknown viruses using advanced proactive detection techniques· Detects and removes hidden threats (rootkits)· Provides a smooth gaming experience by reducing the system load to a minimum· Monitors and prevents potential spyware threats in real-timeANTI-PHISHING· Protects against phishing attempts by filtering all accessed web pages· Reduces the risk of identity theft by preventing personal information leaks via e-mail or web.FIREWALL· Controls the access of applications to the Internet while “hiding” your computer from hackers with the stealth mode setting· Helps prevent unauthorized access to the Wi-Fi internet connection by notifying you about computers that log in to the networkANTISPAM· Responds faster to new spamming techniques with new adaptive engines· Prevents different types of scam e-mails from reaching your InboxPARENTAL CONTROL· Blocks access to inappropriate web content and e-mail· Allows or blocks web access during specified intervals· BACKUP· Safeguards your data by creating backup copies to local and removable drives, CD-R/RW or DVD-R/RW· Automatically backs up only new files, based on a pre-set schedule.TUNE-UP· Improves PC operation by removing unnecessary files and registry entries· Completely erases files and "traces" of files from disk to prevent recovery

Java Runtime Environment 6 update2 build06:
The full internal version number for this update release is 1.6.0_02-b06 (where "b" means "build"). The external version number is 6u2. The Java SE Runtime Environment contains the Java virtual machine,runtime class libraries, and Java application launcher that arenecessary to run programs written in the Java programming language.It is not a development environment and does not contain developmenttools such as compilers or debuggers. For development tools, see theJava SE Development Kit (JDK(TM)).The last 6 update 2 for Windows was build 05 So this has fixes for all windows users.

vlite 1.0 Final :
Windows Vista from Microsoft takes a lot of resources, we all know that. So here is the tool for easy removal of the unwanted components in order to make Vista run faster and to your liking. vLite can also create the bootable ISO and apply the tweaks directly. This tool doesn't use any kind of hacking, all files and registry entries are protected as they would be if you install the full version only without the components you select for the removal.It configures the installation directly, before the installation, meaning you'll have to remake the ISO and reinstall it. This method is much cleaner, not to mention easier and more logical than doing it after installation on every reinstall.
Changes in v1.0 Final:* new: 'Windows Portable Devices'* new: IIS and Halo 2 Compatibility options* upd: 'Natural Language' (64bit leftovers)* fix: Hotfixes cleanup when integrated before* fix: 'Defrag' (Shrink ability saved)* fix: 'Game Explorer' (gameux.dll popups)* fix: 'Internet Explorer' (DX Web installer)* fix: Memory Requirement option (Manual Install dependency)

Windows Sortcuts and commands:
Go to Start -> Run and paste any of these Run Commands below:
Run Commands:compmgmt.msc - Computer managementdevmgmt.msc - Device managerdiskmgmt.msc - Disk managementdfrg.msc - Disk defrageventvwr.msc - Event viewerfsmgmt.msc - Shared foldersgpedit.msc - Group policieslusrmgr.msc - Local users and groupsperfmon.msc - Performance monitorrsop.msc - Resultant set of policiessecpol.msc - Local security settingsservices.msc - Various Servicesmsconfig - System Configuration Utilityregedit - Registry Editormsinfo32 _ System Informationsysedit _ System Editwin.ini _ windows loading information(also system.ini)winver _ Shows current version of windowsmailto: _ Opens default email clientcommand _ Opens command prompt
Run Commands to access the control panel:Add/Remove Programs control appwiz.cplDate/Time Properties control timedate.cplDisplay Properties control desk.cplFindFast control findfast.cplFonts Folder control fontsInternet Properties control inetcpl.cplKeyboard Properties control main.cpl keyboardMouse Properties control main.cplMultimedia Properties control mmsys.cplNetwork Properties control netcpl.cplPassword Properties control password.cplPrinters Folder control printersSound Properties control mmsys.cpl soundsSystem Properties control sysdm.cpl
Command Prompt:ANSI.SYS Defines functions that change display graphics, control cursor movement, and reassign keys.APPEND Causes MS-DOS to look in other directories when editing a file or running a command.ARP Displays, adds, and removes arp information from network devices.ASSIGN Assign a drive letter to an alternate letter.ASSOC View the file associations.AT Schedule a time to execute commands or programs.ATMADM Lists connections and addresses seen by Windows ATM call manager.ATTRIB Display and change file attributes.BATCH Recovery console command that executes a series of commands in a file.BOOTCFG Recovery console command that allows a user to view, modify, and rebuild the boot.iniBREAK Enable / disable CTRL + C feature.CACLS View and modify file ACL's.CALL Calls a batch file from another batch file.CD Changes directories.CHCP Supplement the International keyboard and character set information.CHDIR Changes directories.CHKDSK Check the hard disk drive running FAT for errors.CHKNTFS Check the hard disk drive running NTFS for errors.CHOICE Specify a listing of multiple options within a batch file.CLS Clears the screen.CMD Opens the command interpreter.COLOR Easily change the foreground and background color of the MS-DOS window.COMP Compares files.COMPACT Compresses and uncompress files.CONTROL Open control panel icons from the MS-DOS prompt.CONVERT Convert FAT to NTFS.COPY Copy one or more files to an alternate location.CTTY Change the computers input/output devices.DATE View or change the systems date.DEBUG Debug utility to create assembly programs to modify hardware settings.DEFRAG Re-arrange the hard disk drive to help with loading programs.DEL Deletes one or more files.DELETE Recovery console command that deletes a file.DELTREE Deletes one or more files and/or directories.DIR List the contents of one or more directory.DISABLE Recovery console command that disables Windows system services or drivers.DISKCOMP Compare a disk with another disk.DISKCOPY Copy the contents of one disk and place them on another disk.DOSKEY Command to view and execute commands that have been run in the past.DOSSHELL A GUI to help with early MS-DOS users.DRIVPARM Enables overwrite of original device drivers.ECHO Displays messages and enables and disables echo.EDIT View and edit files.EDLIN View and edit files.EMM386 Load extended Memory Manager.ENABLE Recovery console command to enable a disable service or driver.ENDLOCAL Stops the localization of the environment changes enabled by the setlocal command.ERASE Erase files from computer.EXIT Exit from the command interpreter.EXPAND Expand a M*cros*ft Windows file back to it's original format.EXTRACT Extract files from the M*cros*ft Windows cabinets.FASTHELP Displays a listing of MS-DOS commands and information about them.FC Compare files.FDISK Utility used to create partitions on the hard disk drive.FIND Search for text within a file.FINDSTR Searches for a string of text within a file.FIXBOOT Writes a new boot sector.FIXMBR Writes a new boot record to a disk drive.FOR Boolean used in batch files.FORMAT Command to erase and prepare a disk drive.FTP Command to connect and operate on a FTP server.FTYPE Displays or modifies file types used in file extension associations.GOTO Moves a batch file to a specific label or location.GRAFTABL Show extended characters in graphics mode.HELP Display a listing of commands and brief explanation.IF Allows for batch files to perform conditional processing.IFSHLP.SYS 32-bit file manager.IPCONFIG Network command to view network adapter settings and assigned values.KEYB Change layout of keyboard.LABEL Change the label of a disk drive.LH Load a device driver in to high memory.LISTSVC Recovery console command that displays the services and drivers.LOADFIX Load a program above the first 64k.LOADHIGH Load a device driver in to high memory.LOCK Lock the hard disk drive.LOGON Recovery console command to list installations and enable administrator login.MAP Displays the device name of a drive.MD Command to create a new directory.MEM Display memory on system.MKDIR Command to create a new directory.MODE Modify the port or display settings.MORE Display one page at a time.MOVE Move one or more files from one directory to another directory.MSAV Early M*cros*ft Virus scanner.MSD Diagnostics utility.MSCDEX Utility used to load and provide access to the CD-ROM.NBTSTAT Displays protocol statistics and current TCP/IP connections using NBTNET Update, fix, or view the network or network settingsNETSH Configure dynamic and static network information from MS-DOS.NETSTAT Display the TCP/IP network protocol statistics and information.NLSFUNC Load country specific information.NSLOOKUP Look up an IP address of a domain or host on a network.PATH View and modify the computers path location.PATHPING View and locate locations of network latency.PAUSE Command used in batch files to stop the processing of a command.PING Test / send information to another network computer or network device.POPD Changes to the directory or network path stored by the pushd command.POWER Conserve power with computer portables.PRINT Prints data to a printer port.PROMPT View and change the MS-DOS prompt.PUSHD Stores a directory or network path in memory so it can be returned to at any time.QBASIC Open the QBasic.RD Removes an empty directory.REN Renames a file or directory.RENAME Renames a file or directory.RMDIR Removes an empty directory.ROUTE View and configure windows network route tables.RUNAS Enables a user to execute a program on another computer.SCANDISK Run the scandisk utility.SCANREG Scan registry and recover registry from errors.SET Change one variable or string to another.SETLOCAL Enables local environments to be changed without affecting anything else.SETVER Change MS-DOS version to trick older MS-DOS programs.SHARE Installs support for file sharing and locking capabilities.SHIFT Changes the position of replaceable parameters in a batch program.SHUTDOWN Shutdown the computer from the MS-DOS prompt.SMARTDRV Create a disk cache in conventional memory or extended memory.SORT Sorts the input and displays the output to the screen.START Start a separate window in Windows from the MS-DOS prompt.SUBST Substitute a folder on your computer for another drive letter.SWITCHES Remove add functions from MS-DOS.SYS Transfer system files to disk drive.TELNET Telnet to another computer / device from the prompt.TIME View or modify the system time.TITLE Change the title of their MS-DOS window.TRACERT Visually view a network packets route across a network.TREE View a visual tree of the hard disk drive.TYPE Display the contents of a file.UNDELETE Undelete a file that has been deleted.UNFORMAT Unformat a hard disk drive.UNLOCK Unlock a disk drive.VER Display the version information.VERIFY Enables or disables the feature to determine if files have been written properly.VOL Displays the volume information about the designated drive.XCOPY Copy multiple files, directories, and/or drives from one location to another.TRUENAME When placed before a file, will display the whole directory in which it existsTASKKILL It allows you to kill those unneeded or locked up applications
Windows XP Shortcuts:ALT+- (ALT+hyphen) Displays the Multiple Document Interface (MDI) child window's System menuALT+ENTER View properties for the selected itemALT+ESC Cycle through items in the order they were openedALT+F4 Close the active item, or quit the active programALT+SPACEBAR Display the System menu for the active windowALT+TAB Switch between open itemsALT+Underlined letter Display the corresponding menuBACKSPACE View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows ExplorerCTRL+A Select allCTRL+B BoldCTRL+C CopyCTRL+I ItalicsCTRL+O Open an itemCTRL+U UnderlineCTRL+V PasteCTRL+X CutCTRL+Z UndoCTRL+F4 Close the active documentCTRL while dragging Copy selected itemCTRL+SHIFT while dragging Create shortcut to selected iteMCTRL+RIGHT ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next wordCTRL+LEFT ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous wordCTRL+DOWN ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraphCTRL+UP ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraphSHIFT+DELETE Delete selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle BinESC Cancel the current taskF1 Displays HelpF2 Rename selected itemF3 Search for a file or folderF4 Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows ExplorerF5 Refresh the active windowF6 Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktopF10 Activate the menu bar in the active programSHIFT+F10 Display the shortcut menu for the selected itemCTRL+ESC Display the Start menuSHIFT+CTRL+ESC Launches Task ManagerSHIFT when you insert a CD Prevent the CD from automatically playingWIN Display or hide the Start menuWIN+BREAK Display the System Properties dialog boxWIN+D Minimizes all Windows and shows the DesktopWIN+E Open Windows ExplorerWIN+F Search for a file or folderWIN+F+CTRL Search for computersWIN+L Locks the desktopWIN+M Minimize or restore all windowsWIN+R Open the Run dialog boxWIN+TAB Switch between open items
Windows Explorer Shortcuts:ALT+SPACEBAR - Display the current window’s system menuSHIFT+F10 - Display the item's context menuCTRL+ESC - Display the Start menuALT+TAB - Switch to the window you last usedALT+F4 - Close the current window or quitCTRL+A - Select all itemsCTRL+X - Cut selected item(s)CTRL+C - Copy selected item(s)CTRL+V - Paste item(s)CTRL+Z - Undo last actionCTRL+(+) - Automatically resize the columns in the right hand paneTAB - Move forward through optionsALT+RIGHT ARROW - Move forward to a previous viewALT+LEFT ARROW - Move backward to a previous viewSHIFT+DELETE - Delete an item immediatelyBACKSPACE - View the folder one level upALT+ENTER - View an item’s propertiesF10 - Activate the menu bar in programsF6 - Switch between left and right panesF5 - Refresh window contentsF3 - Display Find applicationF2 - Rename selected item
Internet Explorer Shortcuts:CTRL+A - Select all items on the current pageCTRL+D - Add the current page to your FavoritesCTRL+E - Open the Search barCTRL+F - Find on this pageCTRL+H - Open the History barCTRL+I - Open the Favorites barCTRL+N - Open a new windowCTRL+O - Go to a new locationCTRL+P - Print the current page or active frameCTRL+S - Save the current pageCTRL+W - Close current browser windowCTRL+ENTER - Adds the http://www/. (url) .comSHIFT+CLICK - Open link in new windowBACKSPACE - Go to the previous pageALT+HOME - Go to your Home pageHOME - Move to the beginning of a documentTAB - Move forward through items on a pageEND - Move to the end of a documentESC - Stop downloading a pageF11 - Toggle full-screen viewF5 - Refresh the current pageF4 - Display list of typed addressesF6 - Change Address bar and page focusALT+RIGHT ARROW - Go to the next pageSHIFT+CTRL+TAB - Move back between framesSHIFT+F10 - Display a shortcut menu for a linkSHIFT+TAB - Move back through the items on a pageCTRL+TAB - Move forward between framesCTRL+C - Copy selected items to the clipboardCTRL+V - Insert contents of the clipboardENTER - Activate a selected linkHOME - Move to the beginning of a documentEND - Move to the end of a documentF1 - Display Internet Explorer Help

Monitor System Performance:
Forget about all those expensive complicated system and performance monitoring software that gives you whole load of information which you don't understand at all! Sometimes I just want a small simple tool that sits on my desktop to display my memory usage, CPU usage, network traffic and disk activity easily at a glance. Meaning when you look at it, immediately you'll know what is slowing down your system. Here's a free software that's rather.... "cute" in monitoring and displaying your system performance.
MimarSinan Rubber Ducky System Monitor is a free performance monitoring software that has a small aquarium that sits above your system tray. Each elements of the aquarium represent a system information.Here are the meanings of each elements on Rubber Ducky.Water Level - The water level indicates RAM (computer memory) usage. If the water level is too high, the duck will drown. When you open too many applications, your computer memory starts filling up. If the duck is drowning, close some running applications to improve performance.
Water Color - The water color indicates SWAP file usage. If the water color is muddy, the computer is using too much swap space. The computer starts using the SWAP file when it is running low on free memory. If the water color is too dark, close some of your memory intensive applications.
Fish - Fish indicate NETWORK traffic (such as Internet activity). When you have fish swimming, your computer is sending/receiving data. Fish moving from right to left indicate inbound traffic (such as downloads). Network traffic does not directly impact system performance.
Plants - Plans indicate HARD DISK activity. When the plans are waving, your computer is writing data to the hard disk. Almost all programs write to the hard disk, but some more often than the others. If there is too mcuh hard disk activity, your system may slow down.
Bubbles - Bubbles indicate CPU activity. As your programs use more computing power, more bubbles appear. If there are too many bubbles, one of your programs is using too much CPU. If the CPU usage is always high, it may slow down or destabilize the system.
All this while I felt that my laptop is slow but it's bearable. When I ran Rubber Ducky, I saw that the duck was upside down and drowning due to the water level is too high. High water level = High RAM usage. My laptop has 512MB ram and running Windows XP. I think it's time to upgrade to either 1GB or 2GB depending on my budget. See, sometimes we pay more attention to simple freewares rather than expensive sharewares.

Alcohol 52% 1.9.6.5429 Free Edition:
Alcohol 52% CD & DVD emulation software can create virtual CD/DVD-ROM drives and play CDs & DVDs without the need for the physical disc. This piece of emulation software allows users to play CDs & DVDs without the need for the physical disc. Notebook users and PC Game players will benefit the most from Alcohol 52%. It is not necessary to carry the physical discs and CD & DVD-ROM drive, if users need to present their works to the customers from their notebook. It is not necessary to insert the CD & DVD discs if users want to play PC Games in their computer. Alcohol 52% copies an "invisible" CD & DVD disc to the harddisk.
Changes in version 1.9.6.5429, 2007-07-02:- NEW b5t, b6t and isz in image finder and shell extension options- FIX Minor bugs found- FIX Automount problem- UPDATE Supported drive list- UPDATE SPTD to v1.50

Mozilla Firefox 3.0 Alpha 7(PRE):
Firefox is a free, open-source web browser for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X and is based on the Mozilla codebase. It is small, fast and easy to use, and offers many advantages over Internet Explorer, such as the ability to block pop-up windows.

Stop Virus from Running Automatically When you Execute Files Many worms and trojans make changes to the registry to so that it can automatically start whenever you boot up your computer and also to avoid easy detection by disabling Windows Task Manager, Registry Editor and etc... You can easily restore all those tools by using Remove Restriction Tool (RRT).
I just recently found out that a virus can actually make some changes on your registry so that the virus will run automatically whenever you execute a file. Imagine, the virus will be loaded each time you run an executable (EXE) or a batch (BAT) file. Just last week I was cleaning a computer that was infected by Brontok. After finished scanning, cleaning the virus and restoring the changes made by virus, the Symantec Antivirus Corporate Edition still pops up notification stating that Brontok virus is found and automatically deleted. This happens EVERY TIME I run an executable file.
Now I found out how it works and also how to disable the virus from running automatically whenever I run any file.
This happens when a virus change one or more of the shell\open\command keys. If these keys are changed, the worm or Trojan will run each time that you run certain files.
For example, if the \exefile\shell\open\command key is changed, the threat will run each time that you run any .exe file. This may also stop you from running the Registry Editor to try to fix this. They may also change a registry value so that you cannot run the Registry Editor at all.
I've done a test by adding Notepad.exe path in \exefile\shell\open\command key. Then I tried running any EXE file, it will launch the EXE file with notepad! For Brontok virus, it loads a backdoor file called "shell.exe". You won't even notice anything abnormal when you run an EXE file.
Thanks to Symantec Security Response for creating a script that is able to easily reset these registry values to their default settings.What is inside the script:[Version]Signature="$Chicago$"Provider=Symantec[DefaultInstall]AddReg=UnhookRegKey[UnhookRegKey]HKLM, Software\CLASSES\batfile\shell\open\command,,,"""%1"" %*"HKLM, Software\CLASSES\comfile\shell\open\command,,,"""%1"" %*"HKLM, Software\CLASSES\exefile\shell\open\command,,,"""%1"" %*"HKLM, Software\CLASSES\piffile\shell\open\command,,,"""%1"" %*"HKLM, Software\CLASSES\regfile\shell\open\command,,,"regedit.exe ""%1"""HKLM, Software\CLASSES\scrfile\shell\open\command,,,"""%1"" %*"HKCU, Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System,DisableRegistryTools,0x00000020,0 Of all the shell\open\command keys, the exefile key is being used most frequently. When your computer starts, it loads a lot of EXE files. When you start a program, it also loads EXE file. The rest are seldom used unless you're a power user. To be on the safe side, it's better for Symantec to restore all of the shell\open\keys to default values.Instructions to install the script:1. Download the script at the end of this post by right-clicking on the link and save it to your desktop.2. Right-click on the file and select "install"
A great tool to carry around with me all the time to combat against nasty virus such as Brontok.

Windows Easy Transfer Companion 6.0 (Beta) :
Windows Easy Transfer Companion enables you to automatically transfer your most important programs from your Windows XP-based PC to your new Windows Vista-based PC. The software will move more than 100 of the most popular programs, as well as many others that you may have installed. You have complete control over selecting which programs to transfer, so only the programs you care about will move. The software will alert you if some programs may not be able to transfer, or may not transfer with high confidence. Most security software is not able to transfer due to technical reasons.Easy Transfer Companion is designed to be used in addition to Windows Easy Transfer—which is part of Windows Vista and automatically transfers your data and settings. Connecting your two computers can be done with either an Easy Transfer Cable (available online, from retailers, and from PC manufacturers), or a home or small business network. If using an Easy Transfer Cable, you must first install Windows Easy Transfer on your Windows XP-based PC. By using Easy Transfer and Easy Transfer Companion you will be able to quickly and easily setup your new PC with all the data, settings, and programs that matter to you, so you can be productive on your new PC right away.Easy Transfer Companion only transfers programs from a Windows XP-based PC to a Windows Vista-based PC. Easy Transfer Companion is currently in Beta, and only available for the US market.

Vista Transformation Pack 7.0 Changes in Version 7.0-Added default system font option for recovery-Added Docking support for preview and taskbar replacement-Added DPI auto-detection in Machine Configuration-Added hiding menubar option for Vista (Styler) toolbar-Added information about KB925902 hotfix issues and solution on startup-Added memory requirements checking for 3rd-party applications-Added resetting DPI options and some extra information in Machine Configuration-Added screen resolution auto-detection-Added setting cleartype font automatically after the transformation-Added Vista transformation "Express mode" (Make an appropriate setup configuration in single page!)-Added ViStart (Vista Start Menu port for Windows XP/2003 with glass UI and search function)-Added uninstalling existing components before updating-Added WindowBlinds detection warning message (for user who is mistaken about glass border skin)-Added Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 uxtheme patching support
-Fixed backing up system files bug on repair mode-Fixed checking for Styler incompatibility with x64 edition OS-Fixed fileversion checking bug that cause backup system files being overwritten by modified system files when update-Fixed operating system checking bug (that allow user to install in Windows 2000 and below)-Fixed Start Orb positioning bug-Fixed Styler to execute Styler.exe only when user wants to hide menu bar to save up memory and some weird issues-Fixed Styler to run in toolbar mode (prevent error and message popup)-Fixed Vista (Styler) toolbar option with correction of menubar-Fixed uninstalling bug with system drive icon-Fixed uninstalling routines-Fixed uxtheme.dll patching detection bugs on machine without any service pack-Fixed Windows Live Messenger skin uninstallation bug-Moved extra dialogs in the main dialogs process so user can make all decisions before transforming-Removed customized open/save dialog due to bugs in some applications-Replaced closeapp with pskill (some programs reported closeapp as virus though it isn't)-Replaced Blaero's Start Orb with ViOrb (Auto positioning and snap over the start button upon taskbar shifting)
-Updated battery tray icons-Updated Getting Started and Help and Support FAQ-Updated LClock x86 to version 1.62b-Updated Maintenance Center to be Welcome Center-Updated minor UI graphic resources in themes-Updated Segoe UI font-Updated Shutdown/Logoff dialogs-Updated Start Orb to full circle version-Updated Thoosje's Vista sidebar to version 2.1-Updated transformation to use backup system file if it has the same fileversion during update-Updated updating function to uninstall previous components before updating-Updated Vista logon screen (Thanks to SoFtEcH for updating my logon)-Added status message (Welcome, Shutdown, etc.)-Fixed user account disapperance bug on lower resolution-Fixed user account moving around when focused-Moved shutdown button to right part-Updated password panel resources-Updated userpicture's frame border-Updated Visualtooltip to version 2.1
Download - (from any one of the links)
http://www.satzoom.com/lucifiarhttp://www.sendspace.com/file/vbacduhttp://rapidshare.com/files/39425642/vtp7.zip.htmlhttp://www.savefile.com/files/840879http://www.wikiupload.com/download_page.php?id=166514
orhttp://files.9down.com:8080/vtp7.rarhttp://rapidshare.com/files/39458719/vtp7.rar
How to modify BCD when installing a previous version of Windows onto a computer running Windows Vista Installing an earlier operating system like Windows 2000, Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 on ones system after Windows Vista has been installed results in one being unable to boot into Vista.
The processes below enable one to recover the ability to boot into Windows Vista in the instance where Windows Vista was installed on the system drive and the boot system files [Boot (folder), bootmgr, Boot.BAK and BOOTSECT.BAK], have not been damaged or removed.
1. To install a previous version of Windows onto a computer running Windows Vista (Post-Beta 2)
With Windows Vista Beta 2 as well as in Windows Vista Build 5456, the only command one needs to run is:
bootsect /NT60 ALL
(Copy bootsect.exe from the boot folder of your Windows Vista DVD and paste it into your Windows XP Windows\system32 folder)
This pulls all Windows operating systems into the Windows Vista boot menu.
2. To install a previous version of Windows onto a computer running Windows Vista (Pre-Beta 2)
1. Install the previous version of Windows.
2. Log on to the older operating system and restore the latest boot manager by running the following command from the run dialogue box (fixntfs.exe will be in the \boot directory of the active partition which is usually C:\ Drive).
C:\boot\fixntfs /lh
3. Create a BCD (Boot Configuration Data) entry for the older operating system by specifying the following.
bcdedit.exe is located in the \Windows\System32 directory of the Windows Vista partition. To access bcdedit.exe from within Windows XP you need to use the Command Prompt (DOS Window) and point to bcdedit.exe.
Description is the description of the new entry for the older operating system.
bcdedit /create {legacy} /d “Description”
bcdedit /set {legacy} device boot
bcdedit /set {legacy} path \ntldr
bcdedit /displayorder {legacy} /addlast
4. Restart the computer in order for the changes to take effect.

How To Disable Automatic Folder Type Discovery:
By default, Windows Explorer in Windows Vista will try to automatically detect the contents of a folder and display the correct detail settings, however in some situations you may wish to disable this behavior and customize the view settings manually as desired.This article applies to:
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic, 32-bit Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium, 32-bit Microsoft Windows Vista Business, 32-bit Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate, 32-bit Microsoft Windows Vista Enterprise, 32-bit Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic, 64-bit Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium, 64-bit Microsoft Windows Vista Business, 64-bit Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate, 64-bit Microsoft Windows Vista Enterprise, 64-bitNOTE: This involves editing the registry. It is always recommended to create a back-up of the registry before making any modifications. Before performing any of the actions below, please save your work and close any Windows Explorer windows, as you will need to log off for these changes to properly take effect.
Procedure:
Click on Start, and in the Start Search field type “REGEDIT”, and then press Enter. If User Account Control prompts you, provide consent by clicking on Continue or entering a password. In the left hand pane, navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell Right click on the “Bags” sub-key and click on Delete. When asked to confirm the operation click on Yes. Right click on the "Shell" sub-key and from the menu that appears click on New, and then click on Key. Give the new key a name of "Bags" (without the quotes). Right click on the "Bags" sub-key and from the menu that appears click on New, and then click on Key. Give the new key a name of "AllFolders" (without the quotes). Right click on the "AllFolders" sub-key and from the menu that appears click on New, and then click on Key. Give the new key a name of "Shell" (without the quotes). Select the "Shell" key that you just creaited. In the right hand pane of the Registry Editor, right click on an empty area and from the menu click on New, and then click on String Value. Give the new REG_SZ (String Value) a name of "FolderType" (without the quotes). Double click on the FolderType String Value and give it a value of "NotSpecified" (without the quotes). Close the Registry Editor. Click on Start, press the arrow next to the power buttons, and select Log Off from the menu that appears. Log back in and customize your Windows Explorer folder view settings as desired. If you would like to reset Windows Explorer back to the way it should act by default:Click on the Start button, and in the Start Search field paste the following bold text command: REG DELETE "HKCU\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\AllFolders" /f Press the Enter key to execute the command.Hope this helps!!!