Archive for the ‘System Basics’ Category

GPEDIT.MSC And Autoplay

A great tweaking file that comes with XP is gpedit.msc. Go to Start -> Run… and then type in ‘gpedit.msc’ and press enter. This is effectively the Policies Editor, and it comes in handy often. For example, if you hate CD autoplay like I do and want to permanently disable it, you can use this tool to do so. Just run gpedit.msc, then go to Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> System. In here you can see the value ‘Turn Off Autoplay’. Right-click on it and then click ‘Properties’.

Speed the Startup

Posted: August 18, 2009 in Registry, System Basics, System Tricks

Menu Delays

Another minor and easy tweak to remove any delay from menus sliding out. For this you will need to use regedit (open regedit by going to Start -> Run…, then typing ‘regedit’ and pressing enter). The key you need to change is located in HKEY_CURRENT_USERControl PanelDesktop. The actual key is called MenuShowDelay – all you have to do is change the value to 0. Remember, you will have to re-boot your computer for this tweak to take effect.

Automatic Administrator Login

Well here’s the trick which you can use to prove that Windows XP is not at all secure as multi-user operating system.

Hacking the system registry from any account having access to system registry puts you in to the administrator

account.

REGEDIT 4

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

“AutoAdminLogon”=”1”

You can delete the list through the Windows Registry:

1. Start the Windows Registry Editor, regedit.exe, by typing regedit in the Windows Run Command Line.

2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Player\RecentFileList.

3. Delete the RecentFileList subkey.

4. If you’ve also streamed content from the Internet, you can delete the RecentURLList subkey.

5. Exit the Registry Editor.

6. Restart the computer.

To keep certain files in the list, don’t delete the entire key. Deleting individual entries within the key will get rid of the files that you no longer want in the Recent File List.

Steps:

1] Browse C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc

2] Find the file named “HOSTS”

3] Open it in notepad

4] Under “127.0.0.1 localhost” Add 127.0.0.2 http://www.sitenameyouwantblocked.com , and that site will no longer be accessible.

5] Done!

-So-

127.0.0.1 localhost

127.0.0.2 http://www.blockedsite.com

–>www.blockedsite.com is now unaccessible<–

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

IE: 127.0.0.3 http://www.yahoo.com

127.0.0.4 http://www.google.com

127.0.0.5 http://www.hotmail.com

Beep Code Manual

Posted: August 17, 2009 in System Basics, System Information


BIOS Beep Codes

When a computer is first turned on, or rebooted, its BIOS performs a power-on self test (POST) to test the system’s hardware, checking to make sure that all of the system’s hardware components are working properly. Under normal circumstances, the POST will display an error message; however, if the BIOS detects an error before it can access the video card, or if there is a problem with the video card, it will produce a series of beeps, and the pattern of the beeps indicates what kind of problem the BIOS has detected.

Because there are many brands of BIOS, there are no standard beep codes for every BIOS.

The two most-used brands are AMI (American Megatrends International) and Phoenix.

AMI Beep Codes

Beep Code Meaning

1 beep DRAM refresh failure. There is a problem in the system memory or the motherboard.

2 beeps Memory parity error. The parity circuit is not working properly.

3 beeps Base 64K RAM failure. There is a problem with the first 64K of system memory.

4 beeps System timer not operational. There is problem with the timer(s) that control functions on the motherboard.

5 beeps Processor failure. The system CPU has failed.

6 beeps Gate A20/keyboard controller failure. The keyboard IC controller has failed, preventing gate A20 from switching the processor to protect mode.

7 beeps Virtual mode exception error.

8 beeps Video memory error. The BIOS cannot write to the frame buffer memory on the video card.

9 beeps ROM checksum error. The BIOS ROM chip on the motherboard is likely faulty.

10 beeps CMOS checksum error. Something on the motherboard is causing an error when trying to interact with the CMOS.

11 beeps Bad cache memory. An error in the level 2 cache memory.

1 long beep, 2 short Failure in the video system.

1 long beep, 3 short A failure has been detected in memory above 64K.

1 long beep, 8 short Display test failure.

Continuous beeping A problem with the memory or video.


As the size of hardrives increase, more people are using partitions to seperate and store groups of files.

XP uses the C:\Program Files directory as the default base directory into which new programs are installed. However, you can change the default installation drive and/ or directory by using a Registry hack.

Run the Registry Editor (regedit)and go to

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion

Look for the value named ProgramFilesDir. by default,this value will be C:\Program Files. Edit the value to any valid drive or folder and XP will use that new location as the default installation directory for new programs.


Before you edit the registry, export the keys in the registry that you plan to edit, or back up the whole registry. If a problem occurs, you can then follow the steps how-to restore the registry to its previous state.

How to Export Registry Keys

Click Start, and then click Run.

In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.

On the File menu, click Export.

In the Save in box, select the boxs at the bottom the bottom according to weather you want to export all or only selected branches of the registry.

Next select a location in which to save the backup .reg file. In the File name box, type a file name, and then click Save.

How to Restore the Registry

To restore registry keys that you exported, double-click the .reg file that you saved.


Does your computer have the right time? If your computer is not part of a domain, you

can synchronize your computer clock with an Internet time server.

· Double-click the time on your task bar.

· Click the Internet Time tab.

· Select the time server you want to use and make sure to select the Automatically

synchronize with an Internet time server check box.

· Make sure that you have set the correct date before you attempt to synchronize your

clock, because the Internet time server won’t update the time if the date is wrong.

· If you have a personal or network firewall, you may have to tweak the settings to

unblock time synchronization.


Do you have little ones that like to click all over the screen when you’re not

looking? Afraid of someone shutting down the computer without logging on?

· Click Start, click Control Panel, click Performance and Maintenance, and then click

Administrative Tools.

· Double-click Local Security Policy.

· Expand Security Settings, then expand Local Policies, and then click Security

Options.

· In the right pane, double-click the Shutdown: Allow system to be shut down without

having to log on policy, click the Disabled radio button, and then click OK.

No more shutting down without logging on!