Installing Adobe Flash Player

From Adobe® main site:

Adobe® Flash® Player is a cross-platform browser-based application runtime that delivers uncompromised viewing of expressive applications, content, and videos across screens and browsers.

Flash Player 10.1 is optimized for high performance on mobile screens and designed to take advantage of native device capabilities, enabling richer and more immersive user experiences.


Since most of website used flash in their content, we really need a player to see it.
Did u know that to install this player you must select what browser you used, let say if you used 2 browser (IE and FireFox). Then you must download installer for each browser.

Below are the links that lead you to Adobe® Flash® Player download page, choose and follow the instruction in there...

Links to download installer:
http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/otherversions/

Links to test your installed flash player:
http://www.adobe.com/software/flash/about/

Have fun...

Hiding files behind JPG files

Here is a simple trick to hide your file behind a JPG file...

I've read it somewhere in the net and used it to hide my files till now. It's work like a charm and maybe... you will loved it

Now, lets start it.

You can hide all type of files, even a folder or... if you want you could hide your entire drive. But I believe it's not funny at all, since your JPG files could be a extra large size...

First...
Compressed your files or folders. I used 7zip, it's free and a great tools too
You can download 7-Zip 4.65 (2009-02-03) for Windows here:
http://downloads.sourceforge.net/sevenzip/7z465.exe
http://downloads.sourceforge.net/sevenzip/7z465-x64.msi
or this mirror :
http://rapidshare.com/files/219062729/7z465.exe
http://rapidshare.com/files/219062768/7z465-x64.msi
After you install it, make an archieved, lets said comp.zip and your JPG file is pic.jpg. You could do this by right click the folder you want to hide then choose 7zip then add to archieved

Second...
Put your compressed files and your JPG at one folder
Let's said you make a folder in drive D: as D:\Hide>
Then put your pic.jpg and the compressed files (comp.zip) in there, you could make more then one compressed files

Third...
Go to Start >> Run and then type cmd.
After the DOS windows appear, go to your hide folder by type D:
then type cd hide
it will look like D:Hide>
then...
type copy /b pic.jpg + comp.zip



It's done. Now your files is hidden behing the pic.jpg. You still could see the picture with Windows Picture and Fax Viewer event with a thumbnails

Want to see your hidden files? It's simple, just right click your pic.jpg and select open with... choose 7zip file manager... Owhh.. here you are...

If you want to make it back, just right click your folder inside 7zip file manager and select extract, choose the destination, click it and done...

Hope this trick could be useful

Have a nice day.....

.

Prevent a Virus from entering your computer

Here is a simple tips on how to prevent from get a virus/spy ware on your computer. These are just tips that I have learned from my work.

1. Install any anti-virus/spy ware software, it's really important. Free or not you can get it in the net. And don't forget to update it.
2. Try used DeepFreeze or Windows Disk protector from windows pack.
3. Completely turm off any autoplay from your computer, you can used X-Setup to do this. Grab it from http://www.x-setup.net Use the following Microsoft article as a reference at:
   "Security Watch: Island Hopping: The Infectious Allure of Vendor Swag" at:
   http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/cc137730.aspx
   
4. Try not used any autorun.inf in your flash disk. How to correct "disable Autorun registry key" enforcement in Windows
   This Microsoft KB article is an excellent authoritative resource on Autorun
   http://support.microsoft.com/kb/953252
   
5. Beware from adult sites, crack, keygen and similiar sites. This is, in my thought, one of the easiest and quickest ways to get a virus or spyware.
6. Becarefull if you download from P2P sites (like Bearshare or Limewire): For 2 reasons, it's prohibited and it's the easiest way for some people to post a file which may actually be a virus after you download it and can damage your computer. Don't take any chances, stay away from P2P sites.
7. Install a browser toolbar with a pop-up blocker: Although some web browsers have included pop blockers, it's an added benefit to install a second one because somehow, some pop-ups still get through.
8. Update your windows, it's necessary.

Enjoy... and have a nice day

Windows keyboard shortcuts

Here is all shortcuts I've got :

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

Dialog Box Keyboard Shortcuts

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

Microsoft Natural Keyboard Shortcuts

Windows Logo	(Display or hide the Start menu)
Windows Logo+BREAK	(Display the System Properties dialog box)
Windows Logo+D	(Display the desktop)
Windows Logo+M	(Minimize all of the windows)
Windows Logo+SHIFT+M	(Restore the minimized windows)
Windows Logo+E	(Open My Computer)
Windows Logo+F	(Search for a file or a folder)
CTRL+Windows Logo+F	(Search for computers)
Windows Logo+F1	(Display Windows Help)
Windows Logo+ L	(Lock the keyboard)
Windows Logo+R	(Search for a file or a folder)
Windows Logo+U	(Open Utility Manager)
	(Open Utility Manager)

Accessibility Keyboard Shortcuts

Right SHIFT for eight seconds	(Switch FilterKeys either on or off)
Left ALT+left SHIFT+PRINT SCREEN	(Switch High Contrast either on or off)
Left ALT+left SHIFT+NUM LOCK	(Switch the MouseKeys either on or off)
SHIFT five times	(Switch the StickyKeys either on or off)
NUM LOCK for five seconds	(Switch the ToggleKeys either on or off)
Windows Logo +U	(Open Utility Manager)

Windows Explorer Keyboard Shortcuts

END	(Display the bottom of the active window)
HOME	(Display the top of the active window)
NUM LOCK+Asterisk sign (*)	(Display all of the subfolders that are under the selected folder)
NUM LOCK+Plus sign (+)	(Display the contents of the selected folder)
NUM LOCK+Minus sign (-)	(Collapse the selected folder)
LEFT ARROW	(Collapse the current selection if it is expanded, or select the parent folder)
RIGHT ARROW	(Display the current selection if it is collapsed, or select the first subfolder)

Shortcut Keys for Character Map

After you double-click a character on the grid of characters, you can move through the grid by using the keyboard shortcuts:

RIGHT ARROW	(Move to the right or to the beginning of the next line)
LEFT ARROW	(Move to the left or to the end of the previous line)
UP ARROW	(Move up one row)
DOWN ARROW	(Move down one row)
PAGE UP	(Move up one screen at a time)
PAGE DOWN	(Move down one screen at a time)
HOME	(Move to the beginning of the line)
END	(Move to the end of the line)
CTRL+HOME	(Move to the first character)
CTRL+END	(Move to the last character)
SPACEBAR	(Switch between Enlarged and Normal mode when a character is selected)

Microsoft Management Console (MMC) Main Window Keyboard Shortcuts

CTRL+O	(Open a saved console)
CTRL+N	(Open a new console)
CTRL+S	(Save the open console)
CTRL+M	(Add or remove a console item)
CTRL+W	(Open a new window)
F5 key	(Update the content of all console windows)
ALT+SPACEBAR	(Display the MMC window menu)
ALT+F4	(Close the console)
ALT+A	(Display the Action menu)
ALT+V	(Display the View menu)
ALT+F	(Display the File menu)
ALT+O	(Display the Favorites menu)
CTRL+P	(Print the current page or active pane)
ALT+Minus sign (-)	(Display the window menu for the active console window)
SHIFT+F10	(Display the Action shortcut menu for the selected item)
F1 key	(Open the Help topic, if any, for the selected item)
F5 key	(Update the content of all console windows)
CTRL+F10	(Maximize the active console window)
CTRL+F5	(Restore the active console window)
ALT+ENTER	(Display the Properties dialog box, if any, for the selected item)
F2 key	(Rename the selected item)
CTRL+F4	(Close the active console window. When a console has only one console window, this shortcut closes the console)

Remote Desktop Connection Navigation

CTRL+ALT+END	(Open the m*cro$oft Windows NT Security dialog box)
ALT+PAGE UP	(Switch between programs from left to right)
ALT+PAGE DOWN	(Switch between programs from right to left)
ALT+INSERT	(Cycle through the programs in most recently used order)
ALT+HOME	(Display the Start menu)
CTRL+ALT+BREAK	(Switch the client computer between a window and a full screen)
ALT+DELETE	(Display the Windows menu)
CTRL+ALT+Minus sign (-)	(Place a snapshot of the active window in the client on the Terminal server clipboard and provide the same functionality as pressing PRINT SCREEN on a local computer.)
CTRL+ALT+Plus sign (+)	(Place a snapshot of the entire client window area on the Terminal server clipboard and provide the same functionality as pressing ALT+PRINT SCREEN on a local computer.)

Microsoft Internet Explorer Navigation

CTRL+B	(Open the Organize Favorites dialog box)
CTRL+E	(Open the Search bar)
CTRL+F	(Start the Find utility)
CTRL+H	(Open the History bar)
CTRL+I	(Open the Favorites bar)
CTRL+L	(Open the Open dialog box)
CTRL+N	(Start another instance of the browser with the same Web address)
CTRL+O	(Open the Open dialog box, the same as CTRL+L)
CTRL+P	(Open the Print dialog box)
CTRL+R	(Update the current Web page)
CTRL+W	(Close the current window)

Hope it's could be useful...
enjoy

Fix Low Virtual Memory Error in Windows

Virtual Memory is used when all of your computer’s real physical memory (RAM) is in use and you don’t have any space left. Windows will try to create virtual memory by grabbing a chunk of hard drive space and treating it like real memory.

The software or anything using that space cannot differentiate between real memory and virtual but you can know because the accessing will be slower, as it requires the activity of the hard drive.

When you encounter this message it means that you have exceeded the amount of virtual memory which is allocated to your system. So what’s next? Probably you would like to eliminate non-essential programs, i.e remove any unnecessary files or reduce the start-up selections to free up some memory.

This will help your computer run faster and be more reliable. One more solution is to add more RAM to your system.

To see memory related details on your system, follow the steps mentioned below (works good for Windows XP):

1. Click Start, then open the Control Panel.

2. Click Performance and Maintenance, and then click System.

On the System Properties window, the type and speed of your processor (CPU) and the amount of RAM can be seen.

Note that Windows always seems to report that you have slightly less memory than you actually have.

For example, if Windows reports 496 MB of RAM, you actually have 512 MB.

(Memory will always be installed in 64 MB increments.)

Windows manages virtual memory by automatically shrinking or enlarging the paging file as needed so to configure just follow the below steps (Windows XP):

1. Click Start, then open the Control Panel.

2. Click Performance and Maintenance, and then click System.

3. Click the Advanced tab.

4. Under Performance, click Settings.

5. Click the Advanced tab.

6. Under Virtual memory, click Change.

7. Under Drive [Volume Label], click the drive that contains the paging file (virtual memory) settings that you want to change. In almost every case, this will be your C: drive.

8. Click to select the “System managed size” option, then click Set.

9. Click OK on the remaining tabs until they all close and finally restart your computer.

Windows XP shutdown faster

You can make your windows shutdown faster by doing this :

As always - backup your system before you start any of this. If you make a mistake you might need to restore from backup.

- First
Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControl Set/Control.
Click on the "Control" Folder.
Select "WaitToKillServiceTimeout"
Double click on it and set a value lower than 1000.


- Second

Open Registry by going to START-RUN and typing REGEDIT. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\CONTROL PANEL\DESKTOP and look for AutoEndTasks. On my computer default value is 0. Change it to 1. Thats all. Further more you can reduce the time it takes for Windows to issue kill directive to all active/hung applications.

In doing this only constraint that you should make sure exists is that HungAppTimeout is greater than WaitToKillAppTimeout. Change the values of WaitToKillAppTimeout to say 3500 (since default value for HungAppTimeout 5000 and for WaitToKillAppTimeout is 20000)

- Third

Don't you hate waiting for those extra seconds and then simply responding yes to the windows query. Well you have a remedy. You can tell Windows XP to automatically close all non responding windows.

Open registry by going to START-RUN and entering regedit. Navigate to [HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktopn] . In this look for value of "AutoEndTasks". If available, do one of the following:
If you want to enable automatic killing of non responding tasks, set its value to 1. to disable it set it back to 0.

Why windows takes so long to start up

Most of us have had a brand new computer at one time. It's a great feeling. You boot up windows and within 30 seconds you are surfing the net, checking your email, or playing your favorite game. 10 months down the road things aren't so nice anymore. You power up your computer and it seems to take forever to load.

Even when you are careful about what you install it seems that each day it takes longer for it to boot. It's not your imagination - and there are a couple of good tips to keep your boot time short and sweet.

As always - backup your system before you start any of this. If you make a mistake you might need to restore from backup.

1. The prefetch cache

The first tip I want to talk about is the windows prefetch. Windows XP has this feature that loads commonly used programs - at boot time.

Here is how it works: Yesterday you used MS Word, and Duke Nukem 3D. Today you boot your system to check e-mail. It sees parts of these two programs in the prefetch folder and loads them into memory before windows completes the boot process. The benefit is faster application launch times. If you really wanted to use MS Word, it would pop up really quick when you double clicked on it.

The problem is most people have been running windows for years, and the prefetch gets clogged with stuff that you almost never use. Windows takes forever to boot because it is prefetching a 1.0 copy of Napster, and you just want to check your email before you have to go to work.

What can be done about it? Well there are a few things we can do to tweak the prefetch cache. One method is to disable it partially, and this can be done quite easily.

Simply browse to the windows folder (Ex: C:\Windows) and under there you should see the prefetch folder. Go into the prefetch folder and delete all the files (Careful! It should look like this c:\windows\prefetch)

The first thing to note is the next reboot will be slow. This is because windows needs to relearn the prefetch for system files. Subsequent boots will run much faster since the sludge of programs has been removed, and only new ones are in the cache.

The trouble is that it will only help you for a while - until the prefetch gets clogged up again. We need to edit a registry key to tweak it. Open regedit and browse to this key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters

Under this key you should see a value named: EnablePrefetcher

It has 4 possible values:

0 - Disabled : The prefetch system is turned off.

1 - Application : The prefetch only caches applications.

2 - Boot : The prefetch only caches boot system files.

3 - All : The prefetch caches boot, and application files.

We don't want to disable it entirely. This would actually make boot times *longer*. This is because this feature is also used to speed up the loading of boot files. That is why we are going to pick the number 2 option. It allows us to keep the advantage of caching system files, without continually clogging the system up with applications.

Set the value to 2 and reboot.

The 2nd time you boot it should boot much faster. Remember that the side effect is that launching individual applications once windows has loaded will now be slightly slower.

2. Hard drive fragmentation

Over time your hard drive will become fragmented. An over simplified explanation of fragmentation is when your files and folders are not all stored in the same spot. For example lets say you had a large movie file. If it were fragmented the first 5 megabytes are at the beginning of the hard drive, and then next 5 are at the end. It takes longer for windows to read the file than it would if it were all in the same spot. The point is that if each file is stored in a linear fashion, and the drive does not have to move all over the place to read it - it will load faster. XP has a built-in defrag tool, and it is simple to run. Open "My Computer" right click on the boot drive, and go to properties. Now click on the tools tab.

Click "Defragment Now"

Before you click on the "Defragment" button you want to close all applications and be aware that it might take hours to complete. If you leave something running it might keep windows from completing the defragment operation.

Click on the defragment button and you can walk away. Or you can watch it defrag your hard drive.

3. Disconnected network drives

I am using networked drives all the time. If you have ever put your machine on a network and connected to a shared drive, this can slow you down too. If you have a drive that is still mapped, but cannot be reached it will slow down windows during boot time. This is because windows will wait...wait...and wait some more for the remote server to respond. To clean these out open "My Computer" and go to the tools menu. Click on "Disconnect Network Drives". Click on the drives you no longer need, and click OK.

4. Spyware & Adware

These can have a big impact on your start times. If your PC gets loaded with spyware, it spends a large portion of its boot time making sure those pesky programs are loaded and ready to throw popup adverts at you all day. To check and clean your system of spyware there are three free programs that I highly recommend:

1. Microsoft Windows Defender
2. Ad-Aware
3. SpyBot Search And destroy


5. File and Printer Sharing

One other item that can significantly impact is the "File and Printer Sharing" feature within windows. Obviously, if you are sharing your printer, or folders you don't want to disable this - so this tip is not for you. If you never use it, then why waste your time waiting for it to load?

Here is how to turn it off:
Go into the control panel. Click on "Network Connections"
Now right click on "Local Area Connection" and click on properties
Uncheck the "File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks"
Click OK, and reboot.

That wraps up our windows startup optimization.

Boot Windows XP from a USB flash drive

Almost everyone who has worked with computers for any length of time at all has run into at least one situation in which a problem left a PC unbootable. What if you could return the machine to a bootable state just by inserting a USB flash drive though? Believe it or not, it is actually possible to install a bootable copy of Windows XP onto a flash drive and then boot a PC off of the flash drive. From there, you can use applications that you have installed on the flash drive (anti virus, anti spyware, disk repair, etc.) to fix the PC's problem.

As with most cool new techniques, there are a few catches. For starters, not every PC is capable of booting from a USB flash drive. For the most part, computers manufactured within the last two years are generally able to boot from a flash drive. Older systems may require a BIOS update, or might not be able to boot from a flash drive at all.

Another catch is that not every flash drive will get the job done. The primary factors that limit your use of a particular flash drive are capacity and speed. Technically, speed isn't really a limiting factor, but booting Windows will be painfully slow unless you use a flash drive that supports USB 2.0.

The flash drive's capacity is actually a limiting factor though. Surprisingly though, there are size limits on both the upper and lower end. Your flash drive can't be too large or too small. There isn't really a documented minimal size for a flash drive. You just need something large enough to hold Windows XP and a few applications. As you probably know, Windows XP normally consumes over a gigabyte of disk space. Later I will show you how to use a free utility to trim the excess fat off of Windows XP and make it a whole lot smaller. Even so, I still recommend that your flash drive be at least a minimum of 256 MB in size.

As I mentioned, there is a maximum size for the USB flash drive that you can use. Currently, USB flash drives exist in sizes of up to 4 GB, and 8 GB flash drives are expected to be available by the end of the year. As nice as it would be to have 8 GB to play with, the flash drive that you use for this project can be no larger than 2 GB. The reason for this is because you will have to format the flash drive using the FAT-16 file system, which has a 2 GB limit. Presently, you are stuck using FAT-16 because most computers will not recognize a flash drive as being bootable if the drive is formatted with anything other than FAT-16.

Preparing your Windows installation CD

One of the requirements for creating our bootable USB flash drive is a Windows XP with Service Pack 2 installation CD. If your Windows XP installation CD doesn't already include Service Pack 2, then you will have to make a CD that includes Service Pack 2 through a technique called slipstreaming.

Other requirements

In addition to your Windows XP installation CD, there are a couple of other things that you are going to need. For starters, you will need the HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool. You can download this tool for free.

Another utility that you are going to need is Bart's Preinstalled Environment Bootable Live Windows CD / DVD, or BartPE for short. You can download this utility for free from the BartPE Web site.

In addition to the software requirements, you must verify that the PC that you will be using to create the Windows deployment has 1.5 GB of free hard disk space (minimum) and supports booting from a USB device. I also strongly recommend that the PC be running Windows XP Service Pack 2. Prior to Service Pack 2, Windows XP sometimes had trouble interacting with USB storage devices.

Formatting the flash drive

Now that you have all of the prerequisites taken care of, it's time to actually start setting up our flash drive. The first step in doing so, as strange as it sounds, is to format the flash drive. Windows will actually let you format a flash drive in the same way that you format a floppy disk. However, formatting a flash drive in this way will not work for this project. Furthermore, using Windows to format a flash drive directly has been known to destroy some types of flash drives.

Instead, you must format the flash drive by using the HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool that you downloaded earlier. To do so, simply open the utility, select the device followed by the FAT file system option and click Start.

Once the device has been formatted, you must make it bootable. To do so, you must copy the BOOT.INI, NTLDR, and NTDETECT from the root directory of your PC's boot drive to the flash drive. These files are hidden by default, so you will either have to configure Windows Explorer to show hidden files (including protected operating system files) or you will have to open a Command Prompt window and use the COPY command to copy the files.

If you choose to use the Windows Explorer method, then open Internet Explorer and enter C: into the address bar so that you are looking at your local hard drive. Next, select the Folder Options command from the Tools menu. When the Folder Options properties sheet opens, select the View tab. Now, just select the Show Hidden Files and Folders and deselect the Hide Extensions for Known File Types and the Hide Protected Operating System Files check boxes. Click OK to continue.

Booting from the USB flash drive

Now that you have formatted your USB flash drive and installed the boot files onto it, the next thing that you must do is to configure your PC to allow you to boot from the flash drive. This is all done through the computer's BIOS Setup. I can't give you specific instructions for this part, because every computer is different. I can give you a few pointers though.

You can access your computer's BIOS by pressing a specific key immediately after you turn the PC on. The key varies, but it is usually either [F1], [F2], or [Delete]. Once you are in the BIOS Setup, you should verify that all of your computer's USB options are enabled. This might include things like support for legacy USB devices or support for USB 2.0. If there is a time out setting for USB devices, you should set it to the max to insure that the system doesn't time out while waiting on the USB device to boot.

Next, find the section on boot device priority. Normally, a USB flash drive (which is usually listed as USB-HDD, but may be listed as a removable device) will have a very low boot priority. If the USB flash drive's boot priority is lower than the hard disk (listed as HDD) then the only time the computer would ever boot off of the USB flash drive is if the system were to fail to boot from the hard disk. You must therefore rearrange the boot device priority so that the flash drive has a higher priority than the hard drive.

Configuring Windows

Now that we have finally made it through all of the prep work, it's time to start setting up Windows. As you have probably already guessed, the process of installing Windows to a flash drive is quite a bit different from your normal, run of the mill installation. There are a couple of reasons for this.

For starters, a full blown Windows XP deployment takes up over a Gigabyte of hard disk space. When you are installing to a flash drive, disk space is a scarce commodity. Even if you have over a Gigabyte of space on your flash drive, you probably don't want to use it all on Windows. It would be nice to have room to install a few applications. Therefore, you need to trim the excess fat off of Windows.

The other reason why the installation process is so different from the usual Windows installation is because Windows Setup is not designed to install Windows to a flash drive. You therefore have to configure Windows using an alternate method.

The PEBuilder utility that you downloaded earlier can take care of both of these issues. PEBuilder is designed to create a build of Windows XP (or Windows Server 2003) that does not take up as much space as a full blown installation. Once you create this new build, you can copy it to the flash drive. For right now, I will show you how to create a basic Windows build and copy it to the memory stick. Unfortunately, it's rather difficult to install applications once Windows is up and running. Therefore, after I show you how to create a basic Windows build, I will show you how to create a build that includes some applications.

Begin the process by opening PEBuilder. Simply enter the path to the Windows installation files (the ones from your Windows XP with Service Pack 2 installation CD). Next, verify that the Create ISO Image and the Burn to CD check boxes are not selected and then click the Build button. PEBuilder will now create the new Windows build.

Now, it's time to copy Windows to the flash drive. To do so, you will have to use a special batch file that's included with PEBuilder. Open a Command Prompt window and navigate to c:\pebuilder313\plugin\peinst. Now, insert an empty flash drive into the computer's USB port and then execute the file PEINST.CMD.

Type 1 and press [Enter] and you will be prompted to enter the path to the build that you have created. Enter C:\pebuilder313\BartPE. Now, type 2, press [Enter], and you will be prompted for the target path. Enter the drive letter that Windows has assigned to your USB flash drive. The menu now displays the source path and the destination drive. Type 5 and press [Enter] to install Windows to the flash drive.

Installing applications

Now that I have shown you how to create and install a basic Windows build, I want to talk for a moment about how you can add an application to the build (prior to creating it). The PEBuilder program comes pre-configured to support a number of common Windows applications, but does not come with the applications themselves.

The reason why installing applications can be a little bit tricky is because most Windows applications modify the Windows registry. The build that you are creating is basically a collection of installation files, and the build itself does not contain a registry (the registry gets created when Windows is installed onto the flash drive). As such, PEBuilder uses a sort of registry emulator.

If you go to the C:\PEBUILDER313\PLUGIN folder, you will see sub folders for a number of different applications. If you open one of these application folders, you will see that the folder contains an INF file and a FILES folder. The INF file contains all of the information that would normally go into the registry, and the FILES folder stores all of the program's files.

To see how this works, let's install an application that I'm sure most of you are familiar with; Nero. Begin by installing Nero onto the machine that's running PEBuilder, as if you planned to run Nero locally on that machine. When the installation completes, copy all of the files from C:\Program Files\ahead\Nero to C:\pebuilder313\plugin\nero burning rom\files. In this particular case, the nero burning rom folder is the folder that has been set aside for the Nero application. The Files sub folder is intended to store Nero's system files.

Now, you must take care of Nero's registry entries. To do so, go to the C:\pebuilder313\plugin\nero burning rom folder and open the PENERO.INF file using Notepad. As I explained earlier, the INF file in an application's folder is used to store the application's registry entries. For Nero and all of the other applications that PEBuilder predefines, the INF file is pre-configured. You just have to make a few changes that are specific to your system.

In this particular case, the PENERO.INF file is designed to support both Nero versions 5.x and 6.x. Initially, the lines for both versions are commented out. You must therefore determine which version you have and then remove the semi colon from the beginning of the lines that apply to that version.

Once you uncomment the appropriate lines, just replace "Your Name", "Your Company Name" and "Your Serial Number" with your name, your company's name, and your Nero product key. Save the file, and your set to go. The next time that you click the Build button, Nero will be included in the build.

Putting XP in your pocket

Running Windows from a flash drive isn't an exact science. Sometimes the process just doesn't work and there is no good reason why. As more PCs start to support booting from USB devices though, USB boots should become more standardized, and the technique should become more reliable.

How to Create a Password Reset Disk for computers that are part of a domain

Note that this procedure requires one blank, formatted floppy disk.
To create a password reset disk for your local user account:

1. Press CTRL+ALT+DELETE. The Windows Security dialog box appears.
2. Click Change Password . The Change Password dialog box appears.
3. In the Log on to box, click the local computer. For example, click Computer (this computer) .
4. Click Backup . The Forgotten Password Wizard starts.
5. On the "Welcome to the Forgotten Password Wizard" page, click Next .
6. Insert a blank, formatted disk in drive A, and then click Next .
7. In the Current user account password box, type your password, and then click Next . The Forgotten Password Wizard creates the disk.
8. When the progress bar reaches 100 percent complete, click Next , and then click Finish . The Forgotten Password Wizard quits and you return to the Change Password dialog box.
9. Remove, and then label the password reset disk. Store the disk in a safe place.
10. In the Change Password dialog box, click Cancel .
11. In the Windows Security dialog box, click Cancel.

If you forget your password, you can log on to the computer with a new password that you create by using the Password Reset Wizard and your password reset disk.
To gain access to your local user account on a computer that is a member of a domain, or has been disconnected from a domain:

1. In the Welcome to Windows dialog box, press CTRL+ALT+DELETE.
2. In the Log On to Windows dialog box, type an incorrect password in the Password box, and then click OK .
3. In the Logon Failed dialog box that appears, click Reset . The Password Reset Wizard starts. The Password Reset Wizard lets you create a new password for your local user account.
4. On the "Welcome to the Password Reset Wizard" page, click Next .
5. Insert the password reset disk in drive A, and then click Next .
6. On the "Reset the User Account Password" page, type a new password in the Type a new password box.
7. Type the same password in the Type the password again to confirm box.
8. In the Type a new password hint box, type a hint that will help you remember the password if you forget it. NOTE : This hint is visible to anyone who attempts to log on to the computer by using your user account.
9. Click Next , and then click Finish . The Password Reset Wizard quits and you return to the Log On to Windows dialog box. The password reset disk is automatically updated with the new password information. You do not have to create a new password reset disk.
10. In the Log On to Windows dialog box, type your new password in the Password box.
11. In the Log on to box, click the local computer. For example, click Computer (this computer) , and then click OK . You are logged on to the local computer with your local account information.

Create a Password Reset Disk

Microsoft has enhanced security features in XP including the the ability to create a floppy diskette to recover your password incase it is forgotten.

• Click Start
• Click Control Panel
• Click User Accounts
• Click on the account which you want to create a password disk
• Click Prevent a forgotten password which starts the Forgotten Password Wizard . This is found under Related Tasks
• Insert a blank, formatted disk into drive A, and click Next
• Enter the password in the Current user account password box

To use the recovery disk, at the Welcome screen

• Click the user name whose password is on the recovery disk
• Click the question mark button
• This causes the Did you forget your password message to appear.
• Click use your password reset disk
• This will start the Password Reset Wizard.

From this point, just follow the wizard's instructions and you will be able to set a new password. It is different if you are part of a domain, see next tip.

Increase your cable modem or DSL speed in XP

This tweak is for broad band cable connections on stand alone machines with winXP professional version - might work on Home version also. It will probably work with networked machines as well but I haven't tried it in that configuration. This is for windows XP only, it does not work on win2000.
I use 3 Com cards so I don't know how it works on others at this point. It does not involve editing the registry. This tweak assumes that you have let winXP create a connection on install for your cable modem/NIC combination and that your connection has tcp/ip - QoS - file and print sharing - and client for microsoft networks , only, installed. It also assumes that winxp will detect your NIC and has in-box drivers for it. If it doesn't do not try this.
In the "My Network Places" properties (right click on the desktop icon and choose properties), highlight the connection then at the menu bar choose "Advanced" then "Advanced Settings". Uncheck the two boxes in the lower half for the bindings for File and Printer sharing and Client for MS networks. Click OK

1. From the windows XP cd in the support directory from the support cab, extract the file netcap.exe and place it in a directory on your hard drive or even in the root of your C:\ drive.
2. next, open up a command prompt window and change directories to where you put netcap.exe. then type "netcap/?". It will list some commands that are available for netcap and a netmon driver will be installed. At the bottom you will see your adapters. You should see two of them if using a 3Com card. One will be for LAN and the other will be for WAN something or other.
3. Next type "netcap/Remove". This will remove the netmon driver.
4. Open up control panel / system / dev man and look at your network adapters. You should now see two of them and one will have a yellow ! on it. Right click on the one without the yellow ! and choose uninstall. YES! you are uninstalling your network adapter, continue with the uninstall. Do not restart yet.
5. Check your connection properties to make sure that no connection exists. If you get a wizard just cancel out of it.
6. Now re-start the machine.
7. After re-start go to your connection properties again and you should have a new connection called "Local area connection 2". highlight the connection then at the menu bar choose "Advanced" then "Advanced Settings". Uncheck the two boxes in the lower half for the bindings for File and Printer sharing and Client for MS networks. Click OK.
8. Choose connection properties and uncheck the "QOS" box
9. Re-start the machine
10. after restart enjoy the increased responsivness of IE, faster page loading, and a connection speed boost.

Why it works, it seems that windows XP, in its zeal to make sure every base is covered installs two seperate versions of the NIC card. One you do not normally see in any properties. Remember the "netcap/?" command above showing two different adapters? The LAN one is the one you see. The invisible one loads everything down and its like your running two separate cards together, sharing a connection among two cards, this method breaks this "bond" and allows the NIC to run un-hindered.

How to prevent Windows Messenger from running on a Windows XP-based computer

Windows Messenger 4.0 or later versions on a Windows XP Professional-based computer

Use the Group Policy (gpedit.msc) snap-in to turn on the Do not allow Windows Messenger to be run option.

Notes

• To use the Group Policy snap-in, you must be logged on to the computer using an account that has administrator permissions.
• This method prevents programs that use the Messenger APIs from using Windows Messenger. Microsoft Outlook 2002, Microsoft Outlook Express 6, and the Remote Assistance feature in Windows XP are examples of programs that use these APIs and that depend on Windows Messenger.

To turn on the Do not allow Windows Messenger to be run option, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type gpedit.msc, and then click OK.
2. In Group Policy, expand Local Computer Policy, expand Computer Configuration, expand Administrative Templates, expand Windows Components, and then expand Windows Messenger.
3. Double-click Do not allow Windows Messenger to be run, and then click Enabled.
4. Click OK.
5. On the File menu, click Exit to quit the Group Policy snap-in.

Windows Messenger 4.0 on a Windows XP Home Edition-based computer

NOTE: This method does not prevent users from manually running Windows Messenger, but it does prevent Windows Messenger from running automatically every time that you start Windows.

Change the preferences in Windows Messenger. To do this, follow these steps.

1. Start Windows Messenger.
2. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Preferences tab.
3. Click to clear the Run this program when Windows starts check box, and then click OK.

If you use Outlook Express or Outlook 2002, Windows Messenger may start automatically every time that you run Outlook Express or Outlook. To prevent Windows Messenger from starting automatically, follow these steps:

Outlook Express

1. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the General tab.
2. Click to clear the Automatically log on to Windows Messenger check box, and then click OK.

Outlook 2002

1. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Other tab.
2. Click to clear the Enable Instant Messaging in Microsoft Outlook check box, and then click OK.

Windows Messenger 4.5 or later versions on a Windows XP Home Edition-based computer or on a Windows XP Professional-based computer

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

322756 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322756/ ) How to back up and restore the registry in Windows

Note This method prevents programs that use the Messenger APIs from using Windows Messenger. Outlook 2002, Outlook Express 6, and the Remote Assistance feature in Windows XP are examples of programs that use these APIs and that depend on Windows Messenger.

1. Start Registry Editor. To do this, click Start, click Run, type regedit.exe, and then click OK.
   
   If the following registry subkey already exists, go to step 6:
   
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Messenger\Client
2. Click the following registry subkey:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft
3. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click Key. Type Messenger for the name of the new registry key, and then press ENTER.
4. Click the following registry subkey: key:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Messenger
5. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click Key. Type Client for the name of the new registry key, and then press ENTER.
6. Click the following registry subkey: key:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Messenger\Client
7. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value. Type PreventRun for the name of the new DWORD value and then press ENTER.
8. Right-click the PreventRun value that you created in step 7, and then click Modify. In theValue data box, type 1, and then click OK.
9. Quit Registry Editor.

Change Virtual Memory in WindowsXp

It’s best to allow Windows to manage the paging file.For some reason i changed virtual Memory / paging file in windows Xp. You can manually set the amount of virtual Memory / paging file in Xp. To change the paging file settings in Xp follow this steps:

1. At first close all your running applications. Then Right-click on My Computer and Select Properties. Now go to Advanced tab and Click on Settings under the Performance section.
2. Then go to Advanced tab and click on Change button Under the Virtual Memory section.
3. Now You will see virtual memory Window. Click on drive c: and select Custom Size from the bottom. Type in values for Initial size and Maximum size.
4. Click on Set, then click on OK button to apply the changes.

Camfrog Video Chat User Guide

What is Camfrog Video Chat?
Camfrog is a simple to use videoconferencing program. Camfrog not only allows a 1-on-1 videoconference but also allows group conferences when connected to a Camfrog Server video chat room. Camfrog Video Chat also has a live directory of users to video chat with, a contact list, a live video chat room directory, status notification, and instant messaging. There is a freeware version of Camfrog and a pay version called Camfrog Pro. Camfrog Pro has many more features and gives the user access to more Camfrog.com website services.
Camfrog makes it easy to find new users to video chat with and allows any user to set up a video chat room if a broadband Internet connection is available.

Camfrog Video Chat Features
Camfrog allows you to make video and audio communications with other Camfrog users all over the world. Camfrog runs on Microsoft Windows XP and 2000 software, plus Windows Server 2003. No webcam is required to see or hear users on Camfrog.
Camfrog has a live directory of users, a live directory of video chat rooms, a contact list, and instant messaging.

Before Using
Before using overview
Before using Camfrog you need to set up a nickname and a password to logon to the Camfrog central server. After you have installed and launched Camfrog click on the “Register for Nickname/Password” hyperlink in the main application window. You will then be guided through a registration wizard.
A webcam is not required to see and hear other Camfrog users.

Registering for a nickname/password
Click on the “Register for a Nickname/Password” hyperlink in the main application window to register. Your profile information will be available on our Camfrog.com public website user directory. Camfrog makes it easy to meet new people to video chat with.

General configurations
To see your general settings go under the “Actions” menu in the main “Camfrog Video Chat” application window. Choose “settings” then you will see your general settings.

Video configurations
To set your video settings go under the “Actions” menu in the main “Camfrog Video Chat” application window. Choose “settings” then choose “video” on the left side and you will see your video settings. You can then choose your video capture device, your video stream quality, and the ability to flip and mirror your video stream.

Audio configurations
To set your audio settings go under the “Actions” menu in the main “Camfrog Video Chat” application window. Choose “settings” then choose “audio” on the left side and you will see your audio settings. You can then choose your audio playback and recording device. There is also a setting to override the default audio compression setting for higher or lower audio quality and bandwidth usage.

Profile configurations
To change your profile, click the “Actions” menu in the main “Camfrog Video Chat” application window. Choose “settings” then choose “your profile” on the left side and you will see your profile. You can also access this by viewing your local video under the “video” menu in the main application window then clicking on “User profile”. All of the information in your profile will be present in the public Camfrog directory. When you open your profile your local video window will also open.
Click on “comments” to leave comments about yourself in the public directory.

Starting a video chat
Starting a video chat overview
You can easily video chat with any Camfrog user. Of course a webcam is not required to see someone, but it is required to be seen. Many users may not want to video chat with someone who does not also have a webcam.

Starting a video chat
To start a video chat first send the person you want to video chat with an instant message. You can do this by going under the “Actions” menu in the main application window and choosing “send an instant message.” If you do not know anyone to send a message to you can go to the user directory by clicking on “User directory” in the main application window. After you have sent the user a message indicating you would like to video chat you should click on “video chat” in the instant message window. If the other user agrees to video chat then you will begin to see and hear one another if you both have a webcam and microphone. You can tell if the other user is male/female, their status, and if they have a webcam or not by their icon in their instant messaging window, or in the user directory.

Accepting a video chat
When someone asks you to video chat you will be sent an instant message that says “nickname would like to video chat. Do you accept?” You then will click the hyperlink “yes” to accept and “no” if you do not accept.
If you are not sure if you want to video chat with another user click “profile” in the IM window to learn more about that user.
If a user behaves appropriately in a video chat you might want to leave them good karma. Click on the happy face in the IM window to leave the user good karma. If a user behaves inappropriately you can click the sad face next to “karma” to give them bad karma. You can view a users’ karma by viewing their profile. If a user has very negative karma you might want to avoid videoconferencing with them because they probably behave inappropriately.

Ending a video chat
To end a video chat click the “stop video chat” hyperlink with the webcam icon in the top of the IM window, or close the IM window, or close your local video or the other users video window.

Configuring remote video access
Camfrog remote access is only available for Camfrog Pro users. To configure this option go to your settings under the “Actions” menu and choose “remote access.” You can then setup a logon and password to access your Camfrog client from another location. Go to another location and create a new nickname/password then send an IM to your pro client requesting a video chat. You will then be prompted for the password and logon you made. Enter the password and logon to start the remove video chat.

Communicating with audio
Audio overview
Camfrog allows audio in a 1-on-1 video chat session or in a Camfrog Server Video Chat Room.

Audio in a one-on-one connection
Click the “hands free” check box to leave audio on all the time where the other user can constantly hear you. Click the “Talk” button to send audio only when holding down that button.

Audio in a video chat room
The video chat room only allows one user to send audio for 30 seconds so other users get a chance to send audio. Click the “hands free” check box to send audio hands free for 30 seconds.

Adjust audio settings
To set your audio settings go under the “Actions” menu in the main “Camfrog Video Chat” application window. Choose “settings” then choose “audio” on the left side and you will see your audio settings. You can then choose your audio playback and recording device. There is also a setting to override the default audio compression setting for higher or lower audio quality and bandwidth usage.

Communicating with video
Video overview
You can see yourself by choosing “preview video” under the “video” menu in the main Camfrog Video Chat application window.

Local video window
To view your local video window click on the “video” menu in the main application window and choose “preview video”. To pause your video in a one-on-one video chat, or in a video chat room click on your webcam icon in your local video window.

Adjust video settings
To set your video settings go under the “Actions” menu in the main “Camfrog Video Chat” application window. Choose “settings” then choose “video” on the left side and you will see your video settings. You can then choose your video capture device, your video stream quality, and the ability to flip and mirror your video stream.

Communicating with chat and instant messaging
Chat and IM overview
Camfrog is not only a videoconferencing application but it also has instant messaging, a contact list, and the ability to show your online status.

Send a message
To send a message to another Camfrog user go under the “Actions” menu in the main application window and choose “Send an instant message.” Next type in the nickname of the person you want to message and press enter. If you don’t know anyone to video chat with try our user directory to find a live list of users. Click on “User directory” in the main application window.

Chat in a video chat room (Camfrog server)
To join a video chat room and chat click on “video chat rooms” in the main application window then click on one of the rooms under “Nicknames” to connect. You can then type text and enter it to communicate with the other users via text. To ignore a user right click on their name in the user list and choose “ignore”. To unignore a user right click on their name again and choose “unignore”.

Saving messages
To save a video chat room or instant message conversation go under the file menu and choose “save”.

Status
Camfrog free users can not change their status, but if they are away from their computer for more than 5 minutes their status will change to “away”. Pro users can change their status by clicking on their status at the top of the main application window.

Contacts
To add a contact to your contact list go under the “Actions” menu in the main application window and choose “add a contact” then type in their nickname. To remove a contact right click on their name and choose “delete”.

Camfrog Video Chat Pro Features
Camfrog Video Chat Pro Features Summary
Camfrog Pro has many features that the free edition doesn't have including the ability to view several videos at once in a video chat room, the ability to set your user status, log video chat history, auto-accept video chat requests, and full access to the Camfrog.com website.

View several video windows
To view several video windows first join a video chat room. Next click on the nickname of "visible users" in the user list to view their video window. You can now view 4 or more video windows at a time.

Change your user status
To change your user status open the main Camfrog application window. At the top it says "your status". Click the black arrow to choose your status. If you choose "invisible" then you will appear as offline in other users contact lists.

Auto-accept video chat requests
To auto-accept video chat requests go under the "actions" menu and choose "settings" in the main application window. Under the "general" menu look at "incoming calls". There you can either choose to "auto accept" incoming video chat calls (not recommended) or to set a password for incoming calls. Now you can download a free Camfrog client, set up a new nickname and password and connect to your Pro client at home to have a remote webcam.

Video Chat History
To see your video chat history look under the "actions" menu in the main application window and choose "history window". It is easy to see the different users you have called and the different video chat rooms you have visited. To clear your history hit the "clear" button at the bottom left of the history window.

Download :
File name: Camfrog.exe File size: 8.70 MB
http://download2.camfrog.com/camfrog.exe
or
http://rapidshare.com/files/218803966/camfrog.exe