An ultimate DOS Trick

This simple process will create a shortcut to enter the DOS. Further tweaking will tell a computer to startup in DOS mode and if your friend doesn't know DOS commands, he would be getting ready to call up an engineer. Just follow these simple steps:

1. Right click on the Desktop and select New>Shortcut.
2. The location  for the shortcut is "c:\windows\command.com".
3. Save it with any filename (preferably with some system type name so that no one messes with it).
4. Right-click on your newly created shortcut and select Properties.
5. In properties, go to the Program tab and click on Advanced.
6. Here, select the checkbox for "MS-Dos Mode" and unselect the checkbox for "Warn before entering Ms-Dos" and click OK.
7. Copy/Move this shortcut to the folder c:\windows\start menu\programs\startup\
8. Restart.

Now, the computer will always start in DOS-mode till the shortcut you just created exists in the startup folder as your shortcut is automatically executed on startup. You will be able to operate this computer in DOS-mode only.

In case you want to show some mercy later on, all you have to do is delete this shortcut through the DOS itself.

TWO FOR JOY

DUAL BOOT – With newer, simpler software, running two operating systems on one computer is no more just for techies or experts. But this also makes your computer vulnerable to virus attacks and hackers

With technology becoming obsolete faster than the speed of thought, change also brings with it uncertainty. It’s the same when you talk of computer operating systems (OS). With newer programs being introduced every other day, it is imperative that you keep up with the developments. So, how does one handle the change? The answer is: two OSes in one computer. Welcome to the world of dual booting.

Largely confined to the world of techies or computer experts because of the complex process involved, dual booting has become a lifesaver for many ordinary users especially since the launch of Windows Vista. For users who were comfortable with Windows XP and the programs used on that, Vista poses new problems: it still does not support some old programs.

Theoretically, it sounds simple to load two OSes on a computer. Technically, there are a lot of issues. Managing all the different partition types, figuring out how to lay out the partition so that they can boot, are among the issues not many users want to be bothered with or can handle.

Thanks to newer software such as VMware and Boot Camp (for Mac); this process has become much easier. A program that allows user to achieve this is known as the boot loader. Let’s take a look at some of the popular and easy-to-use ones.

Microsoft Virtual PC 2007

A Microsoft product, it is believed to be very stable and has good integration capabilities for running two different Windows OSes on the same computer. Virtual PC lets you create separate virtual machines on your Windows desktop, each of which virtualizes the hardware of a complete physical computer. In short, you have two computers on one hardware set-up.

This software is different from dual booting in the sense that you don’t need to reboot to switch between OSes. Simply known as ‘virtualization’, the process allows you to switch between OSes at the click of a mouse since they run two (or in some cases three) different OSes of the same hard drive. So, you are not switching from one OS to another, but simply changing a drive in theory.

The functionality is not hampered, provided your hardware is up to the requirement. It is difficult to suggest on recommend hardware setups since it depends on the kind of software you plan to use and how much space you need for your data. But it’s always safer to err on the side of excess hardware than to realize that you don’t have enough firepower.

In theory, such a setup also allows you to have multiple users on the same computer. Microsoft recently developed software in India that is aimed at reducing costs of hardware by letting two users access one computer simultaneously.

Sure, there is a limit to the number of people who would opt for a multiple user-system on one computer. But it is useful in learning environments such as schools and colleges where costs for hardware acquisition are often too high.

VMware

One of the more popular services for virtualization of your computer is VMware. The free converter software allows users to make their physical machine into a virtual one. What it does is create a virtual drive where you can load the second OS of your choice.

A virtual machine is one that you can use as if it was on your desk. The virtual machine could be in another part of the world, but for you, it is accessible like your local machine. The obvious advantages of this are for people who are travelling and have a desktop back in the home or in the office they need to access, or for IT professionals who need to control and work on servers located half a world away.

But for the average user in an office, it can mean having only a monitor, keyboard and mouse and using a computer with another user, thereby cutting down on costs for the company. And if no functionality or security is compromised, the pay-off is surely worth it.

Mac Boot Camp

There was a good reason for Apple to employ Intel chips, and one of them was the possibility of loading and running Windows OS off a Mac. Bundled with OSX Leopard, is something called Boot Camp that allows you to install Windows on your Mac and run it natively.

Why you would do it as another question, but the option is now available. Simply put, there are users who want to switch to Macs but can’t do so because most of their work depends on a Windows machine, thanks to the software they have invested in or need to use. But with Boot Camp, they can partition their hard drive and run Windows natively off their Mac without needing a second computer.

You can install any of the Windows versions (Microsoft Windows XP Home/Professional with Service Pack 2, Windows Vista Basic/Premium/Business/Ultimate) provided your hardware is good enough to run them. One thing to always remember when doing this on a Mac is that Apple does not support Windows and anything that goes wrong needs to be fixed with the help of Microsoft support.

Key Points – The installation procedure isn’t too complex, but there are some points to remember:

• You need to have Mac OSX Tiger 10.4.6 or higher with all necessary software upgrades.
• You need at least 10GB free space on your hard drive.
• Your Mac must be Intel-based and not PowerPC.
• Apple recommends that you print out all instructions before starting with the procedure and I agree with them.
• When you start the procedure, Boot Camp burns a disk with all necessary Windows drivers that help it to run on Apple hardware. This is a critical step and should not be missed.
• Using the Boot Camp software, you can decide how much space you want to set aside for your Windows setup. This will not move around your Mac files, but create a partition for your Windows OS. Be careful, though, and choose the right partition (virtual drive) or you could lose all your Mac data.
• At the moment, the Boot Camp software is still in ‘Public Beta’ stage, which means there may be problems with it and using it should be done after a lot of consideration.

Once you are done with the installation, you can choose Mac OS or Windows when starting up. If, however, you should need to switch from one OS to another, you will need to reboot. The 138 MB download is free from Apple, but, as we mentioned before, it is still in public beta.

Uses and Warnings

Virtualization of your computer or enabling in to dual boot offers a range of advantages. But be careful as it also makes the computer vulnerable. In case of a dual boot Mac with Windows, you are opening up the Mac hardware to Windows viruses. In case of dual booting a Windows machine, you could make yourself susceptible to virus and hack attacks. Spend time on understanding the security issues that could crop up with this.

The advantages are tremendous as well. If you have one license of Photoshop for Windows XP, for instance, you may want to continue using it despite upgrading to Vista. And dual booting or virtualizing your Windows XP OS would allow you to do this.

There are also issues with Vista not yet supporting all your software and instead of buying a second computer to keep running your old stuff, you could just partition one computer and have it multi-tasking.

Most of the software that lets you dual boot and virtualize your computer is free, but trust only names that are well known. Do your research and use forums to get answers to specific questions you may have. The installation for most dual boot software is easy, but it’s the things after that you need to be careful and aware of.

Unlocking Regedit

You would have already seen that most of the Windows hacks require access to the Registry Editor. If you are trying out these hacks in a school, office or a similar place, you might come across locked Regedit. You can even cross this barrier by following these steps:

1. Open Windows folder in C:
2. Delete file user.dat or system.dat (on Windows 98). Reboot.
3. When a message reporting error in Windows Registry appears, don't press OK, give the three-finger-salute (Ctrl-Alt-Del).
4. All restrictions will be removed.

Now go on with your tweaking Windows!

Shutting Down Faster

For security reasons, you can have XP clear your paging file (pagefile.sys) of its contents whenever you shut down. Your paging file is used to store temporary files and data, but when your system shuts down, information stays in the file. Some people prefer to have the paging file cleared at shutdown because sensitive information, such as unencrypted passwords, sometimes ends up in the file. However, clearing the paging file can slow shutdown times significantly, so if extreme security isn't a high priority, you might not want to clear it.

To shut down XP without clearing the paging file, run the Registry Editor and go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINES\SYSTEM\CurrnetControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management

Change the value of ClearPageFileAtShutdown to "0"(zero). Exit the Registry Editor and restart your computer.

Whenever you turn off XP from now on, the paging file won't be cleared, and you should be able to shut down more quickly.

You might want to change the delay you notice when you click the Start menu. The default speed can be adjusted with a quick Registry hack. Go to the Registry folder

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop

and find the key MenuShowDelay. The default value is 400. Set it to 0 to remove the delay completely, but if you do that, it will be nearly impossible to move the mouse fast enough not to activate ‘All Programs’ if you mouse over it while going to your selection. Pick a number that suits you, make the change, and test it until you find a good compromise between speed and usability.

 

Windows Keyboard Shortcuts

You know the obvious keyboard shortcuts, such as [Ctrl] + [V], and [Alt] + [Tab]. You probably don’t know them all, however. Experiment with all of them and see which ones you’d like to adopt!

• [Windows] + [E] opens My Computer in Windows Explorer

• [Windows] + [Pause/Break] opens the System Properties dialog box

• [Windows] + [U] opens the Utility Manager

• [Windows] + [R] opens the ‘Run…’ prompt

• [Windows] + [F] opens the ‘Search for Files and Folders’ window

• [Windows] + [Ctrl] + [R] opens the ‘Search for computers on the Network’ window

• [Windows] + [M] minimises all the windows

• [Windows] + [Shift] + [M] maximises all windows (after you have minimised them)

• [Windows] + [D] minimises all windows to the desktop, and then restores all Windows

• [Windows] + [L] locks the computer (i.e. takes you to the ‘Welcome’ screen)

• [Windows] + [B] selects the first item in the System tray; use the arrow keys to cycle through the items and use [Enter] to open a selected item in the System Tray

• [Alt] + [Enter] opens the ‘Properties’ page of a selected item

• [Alt] + [Esc] cycles between open programs in the order they were opened

• [Alt] + [Spacebar] in the active window, this brings up the corner dialog box for Move, Size, Minimize, Maximize, or Close

• [Ctrl] + [Shift] + [Esc] opens the Windows Task Manager (just like [Ctrl] + [Alt] + [Del] does)

• [F2] will rename an item

• [F3] opens the ‘Search for files and folders’ window

• [F6] cycles through the different types of elements that can be selections on a screen or window

• [F10] selects the menu bar in the active program (usually ‘File’) (like [Alt]) so you can use the arrow keys to navigate through the menus and [Enter] to select

• [Shift] + [F10] for a selected item, this does the same thing as a right-click with the mouse (instead you can even use a dedicated button to this on keyboard located between [Windows] and [Ctrl])

• [Ctrl] + [Esc] opens the Start Menu

• Clicking [Shift] five times turns StickyKeys On or Off

• Holding down the right [Shift] for eight seconds turns FilterKeys On or Off

• Holding down [Num Lock] for five seconds turns ToggleKeys On or Off

Try these out!!!

 

Modify Internet Explorer

Ever felt that the colour present on the toolbars of IE or even the Windows Explorer (colour I don't even remember) is too simple and boring, then go ahead and Change it!

Run "Regedit" and go to the entry HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar

Here, right-click and create a new string value with name as "BackBitmap". Again right-click on this entry and select "Modify". In its value type in the file path of the Bitmap image you want to set in the background of the toolbars.

You can even change the caption, Windows Internet Explorer that comes on the Title bar of the Internet explorer. For this, reach

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main

Create new string value named: Window Title set its value to the desired caption. Viola!

A little of tweaking with your computer does not cause any trouble. Your computer is made to follow you so make it do so instead of accepting the things it presents just like that!

Banning Shut down

pTo stop any PC from shutting down, go to the key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

In the right hand side pane find a value named "NoClose". If it is not there, make a new string value by the name "NoCloseKey" and assign it the value 1.

This is a simple hack to do on someone else's copmputer and give him/her a shock. They would be running for computer mechanics immediately!

"Tip of the Day"

Today's Tip of the Day is that if you are so annoyed with those "Tip of the Day" that you don't want them to even haunt your computer (or maybe just play around with them - adding your own tips, modifying existing ones). just do it!

For this simple task just go to this key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Tips

and add new string values with any name and value as the desired tip (/edit the desired ones).

The tip you just wrote would now appear randomly in the Tip of the Day of Microsoft office.

Cracking Windows logon password

If you want to get through the user passwords in Windows 98, get ready to go ahead.

For this you will have to restart your computer (in case it is already ON). Reach the startup screen and as soon as "Starting Windows..." appears on screen, press F8 on your keyboard (without any delay) and select option no.7 from the list that appears i.e. Start your computer in DOS mode

When in the DOS mode type out the following:

(the text before > appears itself, so you don't have to type it)

c:\......\>cd\

c:\>cd windows

c:\windows\>ren *.pwl *.xyz

-or-

c:\windows\>del *.pwl

 

Here, the 1st option (ren...) renames all the password files in the folder with a different file extension (as a result you can even restore the passwords after your hack is complete .

The 2nd option simple deletes all the password files present in the Windows folder and cannot be recovered back.

Using any one of these two options won't make any difference to your hack.

After this, at the login screen type any password for fun and it will assume it is the correct password and you are done!