Oct 5, 2008
Schedule a restart operation with Windows XP’s Shutdown utility
0 Commented : Post by : PazSt_Ft2K At : 11:51 PMTo help you automate this type of restart operation, Microsoft Windows XP comes with a command-line utility called Shutdown.exe, which can restart your system. To make this happen automatically, you can configure it to run at a specified time with the Scheduled Tasks tool. Here’s how:
1. Go to Control Panel Scheduled Tasks.
2. Double-click Add Scheduled Task to launch the Scheduled Task Wizard.
3. Click Next and then click the Browse button.
4. Access the Windows\System32 folder, select Shutdown.exe, and click Open.
5. Follow the wizard through the next two screens to give the task a name and choose a schedule.
6. Enter your user account name and password and click Next.
7. Select the Open Advanced Properties check box and click Finish.
8.In the task’s Properties dialog box, add the /r parameter to the end of the command line in the Run text box and click OK. (Be sure to include a space between the last character in the command name and the first character in the parameter list.)
9. Enter your user account name and password and click OK.
1. Go to Control Panel Scheduled Tasks.
2. Double-click Add Scheduled Task to launch the Scheduled Task Wizard.
3. Click Next and then click the Browse button.
4. Access the Windows\System32 folder, select Shutdown.exe, and click Open.
5. Follow the wizard through the next two screens to give the task a name and choose a schedule.
6. Enter your user account name and password and click Next.
7. Select the Open Advanced Properties check box and click Finish.
8.In the task’s Properties dialog box, add the /r parameter to the end of the command line in the Run text box and click OK. (Be sure to include a space between the last character in the command name and the first character in the parameter list.)
9. Enter your user account name and password and click OK.
When the Shutdown utility runs, you’ll momentarily see a small dialog box on your screen before the system restarts.
Note : This tip applies to both Windows XP Home and Professional editions.
Jun 23, 2008
So, tell me, has your computer ever been infected with a virus that completely took over your whole system? I mean, was it so bad that you couldn't even get your antivirus program to open? Yeah, I'd say that's pretty bad! So, what did you do about it? How are you supposed to fix your computer if you can't even scan your system to see what's wrong? Oh, what a nightmare!
Well, you could contact your computer's manufacturer and pay big bucks to get it fixed or you could just try to fix it yourself. How, you ask? Well, keep reading and I will give you the full scoop!
Below are a few steps you can follow to take matters into your own hands and get rid of that pesky virus that has invaded your computer. This is information every computer user should know, so listen up!
1. First, you need to disconnect your computer from the Internet (or your network if you have one). That prevents the virus from spreading to other computers and it stops the virus from sending itself through your e-mail to all of your address book contacts. You can disconnect by simply unplugging your network cable or by turning off your wireless router.
2. Next, make sure you back up all of your important files to either a USB flash drive or an external hard drive.
3. Now, you'll want to check out the System Restore feature on your computer. Every now and then, you should go and set up a restore point for your computer, which will cover you if your computer ever stops working. If it does, you can simply reset your computer back to a time when it worked properly.
To set up your own restore point, go to Start, Control Panel (make sure you're in the Classic View) and then click on the Backup and Restore Center link. Next, click the option that says "Repair Windows Using System Restore," located on the sidebar. Then just follow the rest of the instructions. (Note: These directions are for Windows Vista, so if you're using XP, they might be a little different).
4. Okay, let's go back to the virus situation. If you know where the infected file is on your computer, you can try deleting it and then emptying your Recycle Bin.
5. Or, if you're not sure where it is, you can try using Trend Micro’s HouseCall Antivirus Scan, found here. The virus will not be able to detect that scan, so you can give your computer a good check over.
6. Now, as a last resort, you may want to try resetting your computer to its factory settings (the way it came when you first purchased your PC). Different computers have different ways of doing that, but as a general guide, you can use the System Restore option we talked about earlier.
Those are just a few things you can do if you're having trouble getting a nasty virus off your computer. I'm not promising they will work for every infection, but they're at least worth a try. I hope this one helps a lot of you!
Well, you could contact your computer's manufacturer and pay big bucks to get it fixed or you could just try to fix it yourself. How, you ask? Well, keep reading and I will give you the full scoop!
Below are a few steps you can follow to take matters into your own hands and get rid of that pesky virus that has invaded your computer. This is information every computer user should know, so listen up!
1. First, you need to disconnect your computer from the Internet (or your network if you have one). That prevents the virus from spreading to other computers and it stops the virus from sending itself through your e-mail to all of your address book contacts. You can disconnect by simply unplugging your network cable or by turning off your wireless router.
2. Next, make sure you back up all of your important files to either a USB flash drive or an external hard drive.
3. Now, you'll want to check out the System Restore feature on your computer. Every now and then, you should go and set up a restore point for your computer, which will cover you if your computer ever stops working. If it does, you can simply reset your computer back to a time when it worked properly.
To set up your own restore point, go to Start, Control Panel (make sure you're in the Classic View) and then click on the Backup and Restore Center link. Next, click the option that says "Repair Windows Using System Restore," located on the sidebar. Then just follow the rest of the instructions. (Note: These directions are for Windows Vista, so if you're using XP, they might be a little different).
4. Okay, let's go back to the virus situation. If you know where the infected file is on your computer, you can try deleting it and then emptying your Recycle Bin.
5. Or, if you're not sure where it is, you can try using Trend Micro’s HouseCall Antivirus Scan, found here. The virus will not be able to detect that scan, so you can give your computer a good check over.
6. Now, as a last resort, you may want to try resetting your computer to its factory settings (the way it came when you first purchased your PC). Different computers have different ways of doing that, but as a general guide, you can use the System Restore option we talked about earlier.
Those are just a few things you can do if you're having trouble getting a nasty virus off your computer. I'm not promising they will work for every infection, but they're at least worth a try. I hope this one helps a lot of you!
This week's download may not help everyone out there, but I have received a few phone calls and e-mails about this, so I figured I would share a fix for it!
For the longest time, I have always had my taskbar at the bottom of my screen set up just like I like it. I'm sure most of you have tinkered with the taskbar settings just like I have, but after I installed the new Windows XP Service Pack 3, one of my favorite features was taken away from me.
That favorite feature of mine was the ability to have an Internet address bar right on my taskbar. With it, I could simply type in the address of the Web site I wanted to visit and hit Enter. Internet Explorer would then open automatically to the site I wanted, skipping past all the other steps.
But, like I said before, when I installed the SP3, my address bar was taken away. It seems as if Microsoft was forced to take the feature away, because of legal issues in Europe. While I understand they need to obey the law, I can't help being a little angry, because I want this awesome feature back! So, I did some digging and found a free download that will bring this function back. Oh yeah!
Just in case you're not familiar with the address bar feature, this is what it used to look like:
The program I found is called MuvEnum Address Bar and not only will it bring back the address bar, but it also has several other features apart from what the original Microsoft version offered.
Here's how you can get it. First, download the program right click here and here. Second, run the file you've just downloaded and click on the Next button to get through the steps. (Note: The creator of the program will ask you for a money donation, but it's not necessary to give one if you don't want to).
After installing the program, right click on your taskbar, go to the Toolbars menu and select the MuvEnum Address Bar option. Here's what it looks like:
Now you have your address bar back right where it should be. I hope you're as relieved as I am. Enjoy!
Do you share a computer with other users and want some extra security on your folders? There are two ways to password protect a folder built into Windows XP (for other Windows flavors, there are some freeware/shareware programs out there).
1. If you have a log in password for your account, this can be used to protect folders from other users. Your hard drive must be formatted using NTFS (which it probably is unless you're dual booting with another operating system). Here's what to do...
Right-click the folder that you want to make private and choose "Properties" (or Alt+Double-click). Go to the "Sharing" tab and check the "Make this folder private" box.
Click Apply . If you do not have a password on your account, a box will pop up asking if you want to assign a password. This must be done if you want to make the folder private, so click Yes . You will need to use your password to log on to your computer from then on.
Type in a password then confirm it. Click the "Create Password" button then close the Password window.
Click OK in the Properties dialog box.
Now anyone else logged on to your computer can't access that file without knowing your password.
2. If the Folder is Zipped you can give it a unique password.
Just double-click the zipped folder. In the top menu select File then click "Add a Password".
Type a password into the Password box. Then again in the "Confirm Password" box.
Now, you are the only person who can access files in this folder. The folder can be opened allowing the files to be seen, but you are the only one who can access them.
Jun 22, 2008
How can I monitor my system for kernel mode memory leaks?
When a process allocates memory, but does not free it when finished, available memory will eventually be completely used up.
Poorly written device drivers often leak memory.
The Poolmon.exe utility can be used to monitor for memory leaks. Poolmon.exe is available in the Support\Tools folder for Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003, and from the Windows NT 4.0 Resource Kit.
In order to use Poolmon, you must first enable pool tagging. Pool tagging is enabled by default in Windows Server 2003. To enabled it for the other Windows NT-based operating systems:
1. Start / Run / Gflags.exe / OK.
2. Select Enable Pool Tagging.
3. Press Apply and OK.
4. Shutdown and restart your computer.
NOTE: When you are finished debugging, disable pool tagging.
Prior to using Poolmon, you should adjust the properties of your CMD processor:
1. Start / Run / CMD.exe / OK.
2. Right-click the title bar and press Properties.
3. Select the Options tab.
4. Check QuickEdit Mode and Insert Mode.
5. Select the Layout tab.
6. Change the Screen Buffer Size Height to 99 and press OK.
7. On the Apply Properties to Shortcut dialog, select Modify shortcut that started this window and press OK.
To collect information from Poolmon repeat the following procedure every 15 minutes for at least two hours. Append the collected information at the end of a Notepad file:
1. Start / Run / CMD.exe / OK.
2. Type Poolmon.exe.
3. Press P until Poolmon displays the second column type and shows the value paged.
4. Press B to sort the columns from high to low.
5. Select the whole screen contents and then press ENTER to copy the information to the clipboard.
6. Open Notepad and Paste the information from the clipboard. The first time you do this, use Save As to name the file.
7. Press P until Poolmon displays the second column type and shows the value nonpaged.
8. Select the whole screen contents and then press ENTER to copy the information to the clipboard.
9. Open the file you created in step 6 and Paste the information from the clipboard to the end of the file. Save the file.
Inspect the various memory allocations to determine what is leaking.
NOTE: See How do I determine a driver name from a pool tag?
NOTE: Poolmon commands:
P - Sorts tag list by Paged, Non-Paged, or mixed. Cycles the display.
B - Sorts tags by max byte usage.
M - Sorts tags by max byte allocation.
T - Sort tags alphabetically by tag name.
E - Display Paged, Non-paged total across bottom. Cycles the display.
A - Sorts tags by allocation size.
F - Sorts tags by "frees".
S - Sorts tags by the differences of allocs and frees.
E - Display Paged, Non-paged total across bottom. Cycles the display.
Q - Quit.
When a process allocates memory, but does not free it when finished, available memory will eventually be completely used up.
Poorly written device drivers often leak memory.
The Poolmon.exe utility can be used to monitor for memory leaks. Poolmon.exe is available in the Support\Tools folder for Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003, and from the Windows NT 4.0 Resource Kit.
In order to use Poolmon, you must first enable pool tagging. Pool tagging is enabled by default in Windows Server 2003. To enabled it for the other Windows NT-based operating systems:
1. Start / Run / Gflags.exe / OK.
2. Select Enable Pool Tagging.
3. Press Apply and OK.
4. Shutdown and restart your computer.
NOTE: When you are finished debugging, disable pool tagging.
Prior to using Poolmon, you should adjust the properties of your CMD processor:
1. Start / Run / CMD.exe / OK.
2. Right-click the title bar and press Properties.
3. Select the Options tab.
4. Check QuickEdit Mode and Insert Mode.
5. Select the Layout tab.
6. Change the Screen Buffer Size Height to 99 and press OK.
7. On the Apply Properties to Shortcut dialog, select Modify shortcut that started this window and press OK.
To collect information from Poolmon repeat the following procedure every 15 minutes for at least two hours. Append the collected information at the end of a Notepad file:
1. Start / Run / CMD.exe / OK.
2. Type Poolmon.exe.
3. Press P until Poolmon displays the second column type and shows the value paged.
4. Press B to sort the columns from high to low.
5. Select the whole screen contents and then press ENTER to copy the information to the clipboard.
6. Open Notepad and Paste the information from the clipboard. The first time you do this, use Save As to name the file.
7. Press P until Poolmon displays the second column type and shows the value nonpaged.
8. Select the whole screen contents and then press ENTER to copy the information to the clipboard.
9. Open the file you created in step 6 and Paste the information from the clipboard to the end of the file. Save the file.
Inspect the various memory allocations to determine what is leaking.
NOTE: See How do I determine a driver name from a pool tag?
NOTE: Poolmon commands:
P - Sorts tag list by Paged, Non-Paged, or mixed. Cycles the display.
B - Sorts tags by max byte usage.
M - Sorts tags by max byte allocation.
T - Sort tags alphabetically by tag name.
E - Display Paged, Non-paged total across bottom. Cycles the display.
A - Sorts tags by allocation size.
F - Sorts tags by "frees".
S - Sorts tags by the differences of allocs and frees.
E - Display Paged, Non-paged total across bottom. Cycles the display.
Q - Quit.
Jan 4, 2008
Have you ever needed to quickly switch users in Windows XP, but couldn't quite figure out how to do it? If so, I can show you a quick way to do just that, along with a step-by-step guide on how to make the switch without losing any of the files you may be working on. Keep reading for all the details!
Windows XP offers you the option of Fast User Switching. It is very handy if you’re busy on the computer when another user wants to take a quick peek at their e-mail, documents, etc. But don’t worry! You don’t have to close out all your programs or log off. In XP, you can switch to the other user’s account and then back to your own, without ever losing anything. So, now that you’re filled in, how about we get started?!
Note: You can only activate the Fast User Switching option if you have a computer Administrator account.
With that said, here's how you can activate the Fast User Switching function in Windows XP.
First, you need to go to Start, Control Panel and click on the User Accounts link. Once there, click on the User Accounts link one more time and then choose the option of "Change the way users log on or off." Lastly, in the next window, you can see whether or not the Fast User Switching option is enabled. If it's not, you can enable it by simply checking the box next to it and then clicking Apply Options. All of the above is shown below:
It's that easy! So, now that you have enabled the Fast User Switching option, you can now switch over to another user. You can do that by going to the Start menu and choosing Log Off. After you do that, a window will come up, asking if you want to switch users or log off. Click Switch User. Once you’ve done that, the Windows XP welcome screen will appear. You can then choose the account you want to switch to. For example, if you wanted to switch to a guest account, simply click on the Guest picture and the guest account will open. Then, when you want to switch back to your account, simply repeat the process by going to the Start menu, logging off and switching back to your account. Any programs you had open will still be active and you can start right where you left off!
I hope you enjoy this one!
Windows XP offers you the option of Fast User Switching. It is very handy if you’re busy on the computer when another user wants to take a quick peek at their e-mail, documents, etc. But don’t worry! You don’t have to close out all your programs or log off. In XP, you can switch to the other user’s account and then back to your own, without ever losing anything. So, now that you’re filled in, how about we get started?!
Note: You can only activate the Fast User Switching option if you have a computer Administrator account.
With that said, here's how you can activate the Fast User Switching function in Windows XP.
First, you need to go to Start, Control Panel and click on the User Accounts link. Once there, click on the User Accounts link one more time and then choose the option of "Change the way users log on or off." Lastly, in the next window, you can see whether or not the Fast User Switching option is enabled. If it's not, you can enable it by simply checking the box next to it and then clicking Apply Options. All of the above is shown below:
It's that easy! So, now that you have enabled the Fast User Switching option, you can now switch over to another user. You can do that by going to the Start menu and choosing Log Off. After you do that, a window will come up, asking if you want to switch users or log off. Click Switch User. Once you’ve done that, the Windows XP welcome screen will appear. You can then choose the account you want to switch to. For example, if you wanted to switch to a guest account, simply click on the Guest picture and the guest account will open. Then, when you want to switch back to your account, simply repeat the process by going to the Start menu, logging off and switching back to your account. Any programs you had open will still be active and you can start right where you left off!
I hope you enjoy this one!
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