Change Your Bootscreen
[Vista tips]
*** NOTICE: Failure to follow these directions explicitly may brick your PC. This should only be performed on stable rigs, and backup your data first. I accept no responsibility, but I have tested it on Vista Basic, HP, ULT, and Business, bricking only Vista Basic. If you are *sad* enough to have Basic, I recommend not trying it. Not for n00bs, @ your own risk! This is only for U.S., English installations of Vista. ***
* First and foremost, you will need this or this. So, go grab a free trial of whichever one appeals to you most, unless you already have a Win32 resource editing tool. The two posted are easiest to use, with the most noob-friendly GUI's. Now, you need to make a new working directory. Name it "Z:\bootscreen\", or designate whatever letter you want to. Substitute paths as needed, but for this example I am calling it "Z:\bootscreen\". This directory will eventually hold the winload.exe.mui file that you are going to modify. Also, I assume that your Vista installation is on "C"... again, substitute your paths as needed. First, use your Win32 editing tool (which you may have just grabbed from the hyperlinks) to open C:\Windows\System32\Boot\winload.exe, and then select "resource 1" in the "RCData" resource section (there is only one RCData resource on most rigs, sans certain enterprise configurations). Save the contents of this file to your new directory as "Z:\bootscreen\winload.wim" (last reminder, sub "Z" for your choice as needed). This .wim file is your boot screen bitmaps, which you can modify using any bitmap editor... I use ImageX, but it is not exactly n00b friendly. Now, you need to create a mount directory in the working directory (Z:\bootscreen\mount\). After this path is created, you need to mount the .wim file and enable write access by running the following via CMD:
imagex /mountrw Z:\bootscreen\winload.wim 1 Z:\bootscreen\mount
Note that "imagex" is your bitmap editor... sub as needed if you choose not use imagex. If done right, you will find two bitmap files in your Z:\bootscreen\mount\ folder:
osload800x600.bmp & osload1024x768.bmp. You can now replace these files with any bitmap pic you want, but they must be .bmp and have the same aforementioned names and resolutions. After you have edited the bitmaps to your liking, execute via CMD:
imagex /unmount Z:\bootscreen\mount /commit
Again, note the spacing, the path, and the use of both "\" and "/". At this point, Z:\bootscreen\winload.wim has the images you are going to use for your bootscreen. You need to copy C:\windows\system32\boot\en-US\winload.exe.mui to Z:\bootscreen\winload.exe.mui. If you are denied access, see the previous section of this guide for how to take ownership of the file, C:\windows\system32\boot\en-US\winload.exe.mui. Open Z:\bootscreen\winload.exe.mui with your Win32 resource tool, which is what you downloaded when you started this (unless you already have one your prefer to use). In here, create a new resource named "RCDATA" with the name "1", and the language "1033"; "1033" is English, I don't know about any other language support, so don't ask but please post if you know. Use Z:\bootscreen\winload.wim for the resource's data when prompted to select your import, or do it manually. Save, and exit. Now, this is your last chance to "abort".... copy Z:\bootscreen\winload.exe.mui over C:\Windows\system32\boot\en-US\winload.exe.mui to commit the change, reboot and cross your fingers. Now, let's say you want to change the text in the boot screen. First, you need to have working knowledge of XML editing... if you don't, I am sorry to say that it would be too tedious to teach it here... go learn it (the basics are easy). Open Z:\bootscreen\winload.exe.mui with the Win32 editor, and find the resource "OSLOADER.XSL"... it should be in the "23" resource section. Save the contents as "Z:\bootscreen\osloader.xsl". To modify the text, go to the osload-status template and put your text as the value attribute in the update element. To change where the text is, use the oslaod-graphics template and change the height and width values of the "textarea" attribute. It should be in front of the "textarea", and the attribute of "name" should be "status".
Read more...
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Change the Welcome Screen Wallpaper !!!
Change the Welcome Screen Wallpaper
[Vista tips]
* There are many third-party programs, such as those from Stardock (WinCustomize) which can change your welcome screen wallpaper. Some people, like me, prefer not to install additional software. Perhaps you are concerned about boot time, or perhaps you just don't want a bunch of "junk" on your HDD. Don't misinterpret "junk"; I actually use some Stardock software myself, and it has been found to be spyware and adware free. So, unless you are not using a password, or have used the auto-logon tweak I posted several sections back, you may want to do this manually. Earlier versions of Windows, such as XP, made this easy. With Vista, however, it requires a little more than just a registry hack. First, you need to go to your system32 folder; I assume that everyone already knows where that is. Right click the imageres.dll file, and select "properties". Now, under the "security" tab, click on "advanced" > "owner" > "edit". Select "administrators", and click OK in each of the windows (there should be four). Now, right click the imageres.dll file again, go to properties > security > edit. Choose administrators in the list, and check "allow" for "full control", then click ok. If you still have UAC (user account control), respond positively to all the annoying prompts. Now you have taken ownership of this file; keep in mind that this is how you can "take ownership" of any other files, except certain special .cpl, .dll, and .iso files. Moving on, we need to make two copies of imageres.dll directly in C:\Windows\System32: name one imageres-new.dll and the other one imageres-old.dll. You need an editor to create the image you want to use. If you don't know, you don't have one; you can get XN Resource Editor for free here. We will base the rest as if everyone is using the same editor, XN Resource Editor, from that hyperlink. It is what I used, and it worked great! First, open the program. Select view/options, and choose "XN Resource Editor internal resource parser" from the drop menu under "choose which parser to use". Click ok, then go to file > open > C:\windows\system32\imageres-new.dll. Now, from the left "tree", expand "IMAGE" and open anyone of the numbered folders. Inside each of these folders is an entry which represents a different resolution of the stock welcome screen wallpaper, and you need to choose the one which matches your PC's current resolution. Unfortunately, you will need to redo this step if you switch monitors, such as if you have a laptop that you hook up to your monitor. If you don't know your current resolution, shame on you... find it in control panel > display settings. You can modify/edit the stock photo, but you will probably want to use your own. In order for this to work, you must first make it the same pixel*pixel size as the one it is replacing, which can be figured out by right clicking the image and selecting properties; use any image editor to resize it. If it is too small, use black space. Now, CTRL + C to copy the image, while you have selected the image you are going to use, and CTRL + V to paste it over the current (stock) image in the XN editor. Save the file over the existing one (imageres-new.dll), and close XN. Finally, we need to replace the original imageres.dll file with this new one, which stumped me for a while. Restart your PC, and just before you get to the boot screen start tapping F8 to bring up the "advanced boot options" menu. Select "safe mode with command prompt", and when the CMD prompt loads, switch over to your system32 directory by executing:
CD C:\Windows\system32
Now, enter this command:
copy imageres-new.dll imageres.dll
Note the space between copy and imageres-new.dll, and between ...-new.dll and imageres.dll. You will be asked if this is what you want to to do. Enter y (for yes), type exit and press enter; press CTRL + ALT + DEL, and use the red button on the bottom right to select "restart". You may need to redo this to tweak the appearance if the image is distorted or the aspect ratio was not properly copied over. It took me two tries to get it the first time, but only one each time after. That's it :)
Read more...
[Vista tips]
* There are many third-party programs, such as those from Stardock (WinCustomize) which can change your welcome screen wallpaper. Some people, like me, prefer not to install additional software. Perhaps you are concerned about boot time, or perhaps you just don't want a bunch of "junk" on your HDD. Don't misinterpret "junk"; I actually use some Stardock software myself, and it has been found to be spyware and adware free. So, unless you are not using a password, or have used the auto-logon tweak I posted several sections back, you may want to do this manually. Earlier versions of Windows, such as XP, made this easy. With Vista, however, it requires a little more than just a registry hack. First, you need to go to your system32 folder; I assume that everyone already knows where that is. Right click the imageres.dll file, and select "properties". Now, under the "security" tab, click on "advanced" > "owner" > "edit". Select "administrators", and click OK in each of the windows (there should be four). Now, right click the imageres.dll file again, go to properties > security > edit. Choose administrators in the list, and check "allow" for "full control", then click ok. If you still have UAC (user account control), respond positively to all the annoying prompts. Now you have taken ownership of this file; keep in mind that this is how you can "take ownership" of any other files, except certain special .cpl, .dll, and .iso files. Moving on, we need to make two copies of imageres.dll directly in C:\Windows\System32: name one imageres-new.dll and the other one imageres-old.dll. You need an editor to create the image you want to use. If you don't know, you don't have one; you can get XN Resource Editor for free here. We will base the rest as if everyone is using the same editor, XN Resource Editor, from that hyperlink. It is what I used, and it worked great! First, open the program. Select view/options, and choose "XN Resource Editor internal resource parser" from the drop menu under "choose which parser to use". Click ok, then go to file > open > C:\windows\system32\imageres-new.dll. Now, from the left "tree", expand "IMAGE" and open anyone of the numbered folders. Inside each of these folders is an entry which represents a different resolution of the stock welcome screen wallpaper, and you need to choose the one which matches your PC's current resolution. Unfortunately, you will need to redo this step if you switch monitors, such as if you have a laptop that you hook up to your monitor. If you don't know your current resolution, shame on you... find it in control panel > display settings. You can modify/edit the stock photo, but you will probably want to use your own. In order for this to work, you must first make it the same pixel*pixel size as the one it is replacing, which can be figured out by right clicking the image and selecting properties; use any image editor to resize it. If it is too small, use black space. Now, CTRL + C to copy the image, while you have selected the image you are going to use, and CTRL + V to paste it over the current (stock) image in the XN editor. Save the file over the existing one (imageres-new.dll), and close XN. Finally, we need to replace the original imageres.dll file with this new one, which stumped me for a while. Restart your PC, and just before you get to the boot screen start tapping F8 to bring up the "advanced boot options" menu. Select "safe mode with command prompt", and when the CMD prompt loads, switch over to your system32 directory by executing:
CD C:\Windows\system32
Now, enter this command:
copy imageres-new.dll imageres.dll
Note the space between copy and imageres-new.dll, and between ...-new.dll and imageres.dll. You will be asked if this is what you want to to do. Enter y (for yes), type exit and press enter; press CTRL + ALT + DEL, and use the red button on the bottom right to select "restart". You may need to redo this to tweak the appearance if the image is distorted or the aspect ratio was not properly copied over. It took me two tries to get it the first time, but only one each time after. That's it :)
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Creative Software Uninstall Problem !!!
Creative Software Uninstall Problem
[Vista tips]
* After many people have came to me after encountering problems while uninstalling creative software or drivers, I decided to post my solution so that it may help anyone else with the same problem. First, disable UAC via msconfig. Next, uninstall anything made by "creative" that you can, by using add/remove programs. Next, remove any start up entries with "creative" as a tag by using MSCONFIG.
NOW DO THIS IN ORDER:
* Launch regedit, and remove any of the following:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Creative Tech
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Creative Tech
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control l\Creative Tech
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\ASIO
* Now, remove these files:
C:\Windows\System32\BMX*.rfx
C:\Windows\System32\Data
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\Data (<<< only in 64bit)
C:\Windows\{*.BAK
C:\Windows\{*.CDF (<<<< to remove this file, you must run the following CMD prompts as admin; note spacing, and the use of both / and \):
1: takeown /f C:\Windows\*.CDF
2: cacls C:\Windows\*.CDF /G USER:F ("user" is your logon name)
* Keep removing:
C:\Windows\CTDCRES.DLL
C:\Windows\System32\cttele32.dll
C:\Windows\System32\drivers\CTOSS2K.SYS
C:\Windows\System32\drivers\CTSFM2K.SYS
C:\Program Files\Creative (<<< delete the entire folder)
C:\Windows\CTXFIRES.DLL
C:\Windows\CTPRES.DLL
C:\Windows\Updreg.exe
* Now, open windows explorer and delete any files similar to:
"{00000005-00000000-00000002-00001102-00000004-20021102}.BAK" or
"{00000005-00000000-00000002-00001102-00000004-20021102}.CDF"
Restart!
Read more...
[Vista tips]
* After many people have came to me after encountering problems while uninstalling creative software or drivers, I decided to post my solution so that it may help anyone else with the same problem. First, disable UAC via msconfig. Next, uninstall anything made by "creative" that you can, by using add/remove programs. Next, remove any start up entries with "creative" as a tag by using MSCONFIG.
NOW DO THIS IN ORDER:
* Launch regedit, and remove any of the following:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Creative Tech
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Creative Tech
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control l\Creative Tech
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\ASIO
* Now, remove these files:
C:\Windows\System32\BMX*.rfx
C:\Windows\System32\Data
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\Data (<<< only in 64bit)
C:\Windows\{*.BAK
C:\Windows\{*.CDF (<<<< to remove this file, you must run the following CMD prompts as admin; note spacing, and the use of both / and \):
1: takeown /f C:\Windows\*.CDF
2: cacls C:\Windows\*.CDF /G USER:F ("user" is your logon name)
* Keep removing:
C:\Windows\CTDCRES.DLL
C:\Windows\System32\cttele32.dll
C:\Windows\System32\drivers\CTOSS2K.SYS
C:\Windows\System32\drivers\CTSFM2K.SYS
C:\Program Files\Creative (<<< delete the entire folder)
C:\Windows\CTXFIRES.DLL
C:\Windows\CTPRES.DLL
C:\Windows\Updreg.exe
* Now, open windows explorer and delete any files similar to:
"{00000005-00000000-00000002-00001102-00000004-20021102}.BAK" or
"{00000005-00000000-00000002-00001102-00000004-20021102}.CDF"
Restart!
Read more...
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Enable detailed status messages for logon/logoff and shutdown (Business & Ultimate only)!!!
Enable detailed status messages for logon/logoff and shutdown (Business & Ultimate only)
[Vista tips]
* Only Vista Business and Ultimate allow you to edit group policy settings; hence, this tweak only works for these installs. Press start + R, type in "gpedit.msc" and press enter. Go to computer config > admin templates, and expand "system". Find where it says "Verbose vs. normal status messages", right click it and click on "properties"; select "enabled", and press ok.
Read more...
[Vista tips]
* Only Vista Business and Ultimate allow you to edit group policy settings; hence, this tweak only works for these installs. Press start + R, type in "gpedit.msc" and press enter. Go to computer config > admin templates, and expand "system". Find where it says "Verbose vs. normal status messages", right click it and click on "properties"; select "enabled", and press ok.
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Fix explorer.exe & ieexplore.exe issues !!!
Fix explorer.exe & ieexplore.exe issues
[Vista tips]
* For Windows Explorer crashes: There is an error in which you could be stuck in a loop where an error appears every 30 seconds, causing your computer to "refresh" constantly, stuck in the loop even in Safe Mode. I call this the death loop, because even a system restore will not always solve the problem. Lucky for you, despite the many causes there are two solutions which work 98% of the time. First, try opening task manager, select system idle process and kill it. You must be quick, before the refresh. Now, start + r and run "explorer.exe". If no dice, RUN > browse > system32 > sort by type > sort by date. Now, find the newest .DLL file, delete it, restart. Repeat one by one until the error stops or you reach back before the error started; it is important to remember to restart after each .dll file delete, and use recycling bin just in case you need to restore it. I know more on this, so if these don't work just post in here and I will help you out.
* For Internet Explorer crashes: if it happens when watching a flash video, it is most likely a messed up video codec. Want to know why resetting “Advanced Settings” works for some people? Because the full security settings will block the error, which is in essence going to block flash.ocx, and thus flash video. Want to know what causes the other crashes, and how to fix it? It depends on which problem you have. For many, the crash occurs at a specific point every time, say on a particular website. This is caused by a scripting error on these sites, which would have been written in a 3GL and the debuggers don't catch it because, like everything else by M$, it isn't Vista compatible. Want proof of my findings? Go to this site {{after you bookmark the one you are on}}. Easiest solution: get Firefox 3. It is hell of a lot better than IE, and you can personalize to look identical to IE 7 down to every detail (even tabbed browsing). Other people are plagued with the same "Internet explorer has blah, blah; internet" error message, but they only get it every now and then, with no apparent pattern, and only after they have just closed Internet Explorer. This usually happens when you have Office 2007 installed. If both problems are present, press start and r to open a run box, then type dcomcnfg. Browse to: Component services > computers > my comp > dcom config. You may get an error: "The CLSID [9DB6C03C-C511-11D2 ETC], microsoftshared...WKSCAL.EXE, & Works Cal had value AppID, but is not recorded in \\hkey_Classes_root\appId. Do you wish to record it?" If that happens, or something similar, select "yes". This is usually caused by a corrupted file from Flash. Find flash.ocx in your add-ons, remove it, and then download the full install of Flash (not the updater) to your desktop. Then, right click the file and "run as admin". Other causes of the second issue with IE (but not the first): RAM leak. Try to open IE and then close it real quick (while it is still loading) to see if you get the error. If so, congrats. You probably have faulty memory. Run your memory tool, which can be found at %SystemRoot%\system32\MdSched.exe or by hitting start and typing the word "memo...." The other cause, like I mentioned, could be Office. Go to add/remove programs, right click Office if you got it, and select "change". Then, hit "repair". This seems to work for many people. You could also run the Office diagnostic tool, but for some reason it seems to be hit and miss. Also, if you have "OmniPage", uninstall it. This is a well-known cause of the problem, again due to Vista compatibility. Finally, you can find out if an "add-on" is corrupted or malicious by right-clicking Internet Explorer and running without add-ons. This may even help some with the first problem, as certain add-ons interact with certain decompilers and script debuggers. Another possible cause which has only appeared to have solved less than 3% of issues: Under Internet options, advanced tab, toward the bottom, is the option to "enable memory protection to help mitigate online attacks"; uncheck it and reboot. If you just downloaded a fresh codec because some website asked you to watch a video, especially for Windows Media Player, you are a gullible n00b. Can't believe you fell for it, and you got what you deserved. You are on your own; start with virus and malware scans.
Read more...
[Vista tips]
* For Windows Explorer crashes: There is an error in which you could be stuck in a loop where an error appears every 30 seconds, causing your computer to "refresh" constantly, stuck in the loop even in Safe Mode. I call this the death loop, because even a system restore will not always solve the problem. Lucky for you, despite the many causes there are two solutions which work 98% of the time. First, try opening task manager, select system idle process and kill it. You must be quick, before the refresh. Now, start + r and run "explorer.exe". If no dice, RUN > browse > system32 > sort by type > sort by date. Now, find the newest .DLL file, delete it, restart. Repeat one by one until the error stops or you reach back before the error started; it is important to remember to restart after each .dll file delete, and use recycling bin just in case you need to restore it. I know more on this, so if these don't work just post in here and I will help you out.
* For Internet Explorer crashes: if it happens when watching a flash video, it is most likely a messed up video codec. Want to know why resetting “Advanced Settings” works for some people? Because the full security settings will block the error, which is in essence going to block flash.ocx, and thus flash video. Want to know what causes the other crashes, and how to fix it? It depends on which problem you have. For many, the crash occurs at a specific point every time, say on a particular website. This is caused by a scripting error on these sites, which would have been written in a 3GL and the debuggers don't catch it because, like everything else by M$, it isn't Vista compatible. Want proof of my findings? Go to this site {{after you bookmark the one you are on}}. Easiest solution: get Firefox 3. It is hell of a lot better than IE, and you can personalize to look identical to IE 7 down to every detail (even tabbed browsing). Other people are plagued with the same "Internet explorer has blah, blah; internet
Read more...
Shell Commands – “Send To” !!!
Shell Commands – Send To
[Vista tips]
* When you right click a file, you can 'send to' a select group of folders. Here is how to add your own "send to" locations. First, click on the start button. In the little search box, type "shell:sendto". From here, you can drag and drop files or paths you wish to add to the list. Other useful shell commands you can manually add are:
Shell:AddNewProgramsFolder
Shell:Administrative Tools
Shell:AppData
Shell:AppUpdatesFolder
Shell:Cache
Shell:CD Burning
Shell:ChangeRemoveProgramsFolder
Shell:Common Administrative Tools
Shell:Common AppData
Shell:Common Desktop
Shell:Common Documents
Shell:Common Programs
Shell:Common Start Menu
Shell:Common Startup
Shell:Common Templates
Shell:CommonDownloads
Shell:CommonMusic
Shell:CommonPictures
Shell:CommonVideo
Shell:ConflictFolder
Shell:ConnectionsFolder
Shell:Contacts
Shell:ControlPanelFolder
Shell:Cookies
Shell:CredentialManager
Shell:CryptoKeys
Shell:CSCFolder
Shell:Default Gadgets
Shell:Desktop
Shell:Downloads
Shell:DpapiKeys
Shell:Favorites
Shell:Fonts
Shell:Gadgets
Shell:Games
Shell:GameTasks
Shell:History
Shell:InternetFolder
Shell:Links
Shell:Local AppData
Shell:LocalAppDataLow
Shell:LocalizedResourcesDir
Shell:MAPIFolder
Shell:My Music
Shell:My Pictures
Shell:My Video
Shell:MyComputerFolder
Shell:NetHood
Shell:NetworkPlacesFolder
Shell:OEM Links
Shell:Original Images
Shell:Personal
Shell:PhotoAlbums
Shell:Playlists
Shell:PrintersFolder
Shell:PrintHood
Shell:Profile
Shell:ProgramFiles
Shell:ProgramFilesCommon
Shell:ProgramFilesCommonX86
Shell:ProgramFilesX86
Shell:Programs
Shell:Public
Shell:PublicGameTasks
Shell:Quick Launch
Shell:Recent
Shell:RecycleBinFolder
Shell:ResourceDir
Shell:SampleMusic
Shell:SamplePictures
Shell:SamplePlaylists
Shell:SampleVideos
Shell:SavedGames
Shell:Searches
Shell:SendTo
Shell:Start Menu
Shell:Startup
Shell:SyncCenterFolder
Shell:SyncResultsFolder
Shell:SyncSetupFolder
Shell:System
Shell:SystemCertificates
Shell:SystemX86
Shell:Templates
Shell:TreePropertiesFolder
Shell:UserProfiles
Shell:UsersFilesFolder
Shell:Windows
Be careful and use common sense when editing these shells; they are relatively self-explanatory, so I will only elaborate further upon request. Remember that there are no spaces in a "shell:xxxx" command. I think I got them all, tested on home premium and ultimate, 32 & 64 bit. If I missed any, let me know and I will add them.
Read more...
[Vista tips]
* When you right click a file, you can 'send to' a select group of folders. Here is how to add your own "send to" locations. First, click on the start button. In the little search box, type "shell:sendto". From here, you can drag and drop files or paths you wish to add to the list. Other useful shell commands you can manually add are:
Shell:AddNewProgramsFolder
Shell:Administrative Tools
Shell:AppData
Shell:AppUpdatesFolder
Shell:Cache
Shell:CD Burning
Shell:ChangeRemoveProgramsFolder
Shell:Common Administrative Tools
Shell:Common AppData
Shell:Common Desktop
Shell:Common Documents
Shell:Common Programs
Shell:Common Start Menu
Shell:Common Startup
Shell:Common Templates
Shell:CommonDownloads
Shell:CommonMusic
Shell:CommonPictures
Shell:CommonVideo
Shell:ConflictFolder
Shell:ConnectionsFolder
Shell:Contacts
Shell:ControlPanelFolder
Shell:Cookies
Shell:CredentialManager
Shell:CryptoKeys
Shell:CSCFolder
Shell:Default Gadgets
Shell:Desktop
Shell:Downloads
Shell:DpapiKeys
Shell:Favorites
Shell:Fonts
Shell:Gadgets
Shell:Games
Shell:GameTasks
Shell:History
Shell:InternetFolder
Shell:Links
Shell:Local AppData
Shell:LocalAppDataLow
Shell:LocalizedResourcesDir
Shell:MAPIFolder
Shell:My Music
Shell:My Pictures
Shell:My Video
Shell:MyComputerFolder
Shell:NetHood
Shell:NetworkPlacesFolder
Shell:OEM Links
Shell:Original Images
Shell:Personal
Shell:PhotoAlbums
Shell:Playlists
Shell:PrintersFolder
Shell:PrintHood
Shell:Profile
Shell:ProgramFiles
Shell:ProgramFilesCommon
Shell:ProgramFilesCommonX86
Shell:ProgramFilesX86
Shell:Programs
Shell:Public
Shell:PublicGameTasks
Shell:Quick Launch
Shell:Recent
Shell:RecycleBinFolder
Shell:ResourceDir
Shell:SampleMusic
Shell:SamplePictures
Shell:SamplePlaylists
Shell:SampleVideos
Shell:SavedGames
Shell:Searches
Shell:SendTo
Shell:Start Menu
Shell:Startup
Shell:SyncCenterFolder
Shell:SyncResultsFolder
Shell:SyncSetupFolder
Shell:System
Shell:SystemCertificates
Shell:SystemX86
Shell:Templates
Shell:TreePropertiesFolder
Shell:UserProfiles
Shell:UsersFilesFolder
Shell:Windows
Be careful and use common sense when editing these shells; they are relatively self-explanatory, so I will only elaborate further upon request. Remember that there are no spaces in a "shell:xxxx" command. I think I got them all, tested on home premium and ultimate, 32 & 64 bit. If I missed any, let me know and I will add them.
Read more...
How to unlock the hidden "super administrator" account !!!
How to unlock the hidden "super administrator" account!
[Vista tips]
* This tweak stands out as perhaps one of the single most important in the guide, hence the larger title header. First, press start and type "CMD"; right-click and select to run it as an administrator, and run the following command (note spacing):
net user administrator /active:yes
When you reboot and the welcome screen loads, assuming you did not run the previous tweak for setting an automatic logon, you will see a new user: "Administrator". WOOT! If you ever want to disable the administrator account, run the command again but change "yes" with "no". That's it :)
Read more...
[Vista tips]
* This tweak stands out as perhaps one of the single most important in the guide, hence the larger title header. First, press start and type "CMD"; right-click and select to run it as an administrator, and run the following command (note spacing):
net user administrator /active:yes
When you reboot and the welcome screen loads, assuming you did not run the previous tweak for setting an automatic logon, you will see a new user: "Administrator". WOOT! If you ever want to disable the administrator account, run the command again but change "yes" with "no". That's it :)
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Make a "backdoor" logon in Vista !!!
Make a "backdoor" logon in Vista
[Vista tips]
* This back door hack uses the "ease of access" menu which anyone can access from the logon screen. The exploit is to replace the magnifier, "magnify.exe" with "cmd.exe". First, you need to take ownership of the file "magnify.exe", which is in your system32 folder. Next, rename magnify.exe to "magnifyold.exe". Now, create a new folder called "ease", and copy CMD.exe into this folder. Now, rename \Ease\cmd.exe to "magnify.exe", and copy that folder into system32 so that you have the path Windows\systems32\magnify.exe, whereas magnify.exe is really \ease\cmd.exe. Reboot, and at the Vista logon screen click on "ease of access". Check "make items on the screen larger", and you should find yourself at the Cmd prompt. You now have pretty much limitless control from here, and you can then exploit regedit to change your password, in case you ever forget it. Also, because explorer.exe doesn't load, you can use this to help solve explorer.exe corruption or "death loop" problems, as described several sections down.
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[Vista tips]
* This back door hack uses the "ease of access" menu which anyone can access from the logon screen. The exploit is to replace the magnifier, "magnify.exe" with "cmd.exe". First, you need to take ownership of the file "magnify.exe", which is in your system32 folder. Next, rename magnify.exe to "magnifyold.exe". Now, create a new folder called "ease", and copy CMD.exe into this folder. Now, rename \Ease\cmd.exe to "magnify.exe", and copy that folder into system32 so that you have the path Windows\systems32\magnify.exe, whereas magnify.exe is really \ease\cmd.exe. Reboot, and at the Vista logon screen click on "ease of access". Check "make items on the screen larger", and you should find yourself at the Cmd prompt. You now have pretty much limitless control from here, and you can then exploit regedit to change your password, in case you ever forget it. Also, because explorer.exe doesn't load, you can use this to help solve explorer.exe corruption or "death loop" problems, as described several sections down.
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Sunday, July 6, 2008
Fix or Disable Task Manager !!!
Fix or Disable Task Manager
[Vista tips]
* For Vista Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise:
> Start + R, type gpedit.msc. Then go to user config > admin templates > system, and select "ctrl+alt+delete options". In the right pane, right click on "Remove Task Manager" and click properties. To enable, check "disabled" or "not configured" and press ok. To disable, check "enable" and press ok.
* For all Vista versions, alternate for Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise but must do this for Basic and Home Premium:
> Start + R, type regedit, and go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System. If you do not see "system", right click on policies and create it as a new key. Now, in the right pane, right click "DisableTaskMgr" and select "modify". Make the Dword value data equal "0" for enable, "1" for disable. Create this REG_Dword, "DisableTaskMgr" and set it to "0" if it is not there, or if you had to make the "system" key because of its absence.
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[Vista tips]
* For Vista Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise:
> Start + R, type gpedit.msc. Then go to user config > admin templates > system, and select "ctrl+alt+delete options". In the right pane, right click on "Remove Task Manager" and click properties. To enable, check "disabled" or "not configured" and press ok. To disable, check "enable" and press ok.
* For all Vista versions, alternate for Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise but must do this for Basic and Home Premium:
> Start + R, type regedit, and go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System. If you do not see "system", right click on policies and create it as a new key. Now, in the right pane, right click "DisableTaskMgr" and select "modify". Make the Dword value data equal "0" for enable, "1" for disable. Create this REG_Dword, "DisableTaskMgr" and set it to "0" if it is not there, or if you had to make the "system" key because of its absence.
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Change the name of your "Network" Icon !!!
Change the name of your "Network" Icon
[Vista tips]
* Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\LocalSettings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell|MuiCache, and double click on the REG_SZ for "C:\Windows\system32\NetworkExplorer.dll, -1". Now, simply change the value data to reflect whatever you want.
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[Vista tips]
* Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\LocalSettings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell|MuiCache, and double click on the REG_SZ for "C:\Windows\system32\NetworkExplorer.dll, -1". Now, simply change the value data to reflect whatever you want.
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Change the name of your "MY COMPUTER" icon !!!
Change the name of your "MY COMPUTER" icon
[Vista tips]
* First, we need to rename a value. Locate with regedit HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}, and rename "LocalizedString" to "LocalizedString.Old" Now, create a new Expanded String Value, named "LocalizedString". Edit the Value Data and type in whatever you want for username @ computer name as "%Username% at %computername%". Press F5 to refresh your desktop, and the change should take effect. If not, make sure you renamed the first CLSID string as ".old".
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[Vista tips]
* First, we need to rename a value. Locate with regedit HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}, and rename "LocalizedString" to "LocalizedString.Old" Now, create a new Expanded String Value, named "LocalizedString". Edit the Value Data and type in whatever you want for username @ computer name as "%Username% at %computername%". Press F5 to refresh your desktop, and the change should take effect. If not, make sure you renamed the first CLSID string as ".old".
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Device Manager using tips !!!
Device Manager (*Only enable advanced performance on STABLE rigs*)
[Vista tips]
* There are only two things to do here. First, open device manager and right click each individual component and select “update driver ". Let Vista do it auto; it seems to be pretty good at it, except for the fact that it often misses a few when you just run Windows Update. Of course, you may wish to skip certain devices such as your graphics card if you are running beta drivers or non-approved drivers; if any such drivers are not signed, see "disable driver signing" later on in the guide. To enable advanced performance, find your HDD, right click > Properties > Policies > and check "enable advanced disk performance". Works with SATA drives only; use only if one of the following apply to you: A, you have a laptop with a good battery or B, you have a UPS device (battery backup) in case of power outage. Rarely, enabling advanced disk caching can result in HDD corruption if subjected to sudden, sharp electrical disconnection. If you have a UPS device, there should be no risk. Be sure to right-click on “battery”, and check for an update to ensure that it will function properly in the case of a power outage. It even mentions under the check box for this tweak that one should be using a UPS device. If you have a decent PSU, you have nothing to worry about even without battery backup, but why risk it? You can do this to removable media too, but must use "safely remove hardware" before pulling it or you will risk data loss. A triple-ran, 10GB transfer of test files showed an increase on a 500GB 7200RPM SATA of nearly 13% in R/W speed (post SP1), so worth it!
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[Vista tips]
* There are only two things to do here. First, open device manager and right click each individual component and select “update driver ". Let Vista do it auto; it seems to be pretty good at it, except for the fact that it often misses a few when you just run Windows Update. Of course, you may wish to skip certain devices such as your graphics card if you are running beta drivers or non-approved drivers; if any such drivers are not signed, see "disable driver signing" later on in the guide. To enable advanced performance, find your HDD, right click > Properties > Policies > and check "enable advanced disk performance". Works with SATA drives only; use only if one of the following apply to you: A, you have a laptop with a good battery or B, you have a UPS device (battery backup) in case of power outage. Rarely, enabling advanced disk caching can result in HDD corruption if subjected to sudden, sharp electrical disconnection. If you have a UPS device, there should be no risk. Be sure to right-click on “battery”, and check for an update to ensure that it will function properly in the case of a power outage. It even mentions under the check box for this tweak that one should be using a UPS device. If you have a decent PSU, you have nothing to worry about even without battery backup, but why risk it? You can do this to removable media too, but must use "safely remove hardware" before pulling it or you will risk data loss. A triple-ran, 10GB transfer of test files showed an increase on a 500GB 7200RPM SATA of nearly 13% in R/W speed (post SP1), so worth it!
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Page File & Performance Options !!!
Page File & Performance Options
[Vista tips]
* Right click on "computer", select "properties"; from the list on the left choose "advanced system settings." Now, under "advanced", hit the button for settings under "Performance". Now, in "performance options", you can have Windows automatically adjust settings for best appearance, best performance, let Windows choose your settings for you, or you can customize your settings. If you do it manually, each box that you uncheck will add to your performance and reduce your boot time, but will make your GUI look a little crappier. Personally, I let Windows choose automatically (one of the few things it can do right by itself, lol). Under the tab "advanced", leave the "adjust for best performance of” set to programs, unless you are folding or have elaborate background services running. Now, under "virtual memory", which we call VM (not to be confused with virtual machine), hit the button marked "change". Do not let it automatically manage; uncheck the box that says it is doing that. Here is the thing: if you have more than 2GB ram, consider disabling the paging file totally. If you have two or more HDDs, place your page file on the one without the OS if you absolutely must have a page file. As a rule of thumb, take the "recommended" size (from the bottom), round up to the nearest 100MB, and set that number under "custom size" as both the minimum and the maximum. Make sure to hit the button marked "set" before you hit apply > ok. You may need to restart your system if you have lowered the size, but not if you raise it. Allowing dynamic adjustment is good on old off - the - shelf systems, but will slow you down. For best performance, the Initial size and Maximum size should be the same unless you have the RAM to run without it. By settings them as the same, the size of your page file will be constant, which will reduce the distance your r/w heads have to travel. Putting the page file on another drive is a great alternative to disabling the page file, but do not if it is external USB or flash based (i.e. SD cards), except in the case of a SSD (solid state drive, which I doubt anyone here has). Finally, under data execution prevention, make sure to only have it on for essential services and windows only. Remember later that if you ever see a notice about something you are trying to do being stopped by "DEP", you can add it to the “exceptions” list. Rarely, you may get this problem if you are running certain benchmarking programs or if you try to run F@H as a service.
Read more...
[Vista tips]
* Right click on "computer", select "properties"; from the list on the left choose "advanced system settings." Now, under "advanced", hit the button for settings under "Performance". Now, in "performance options", you can have Windows automatically adjust settings for best appearance, best performance, let Windows choose your settings for you, or you can customize your settings. If you do it manually, each box that you uncheck will add to your performance and reduce your boot time, but will make your GUI look a little crappier. Personally, I let Windows choose automatically (one of the few things it can do right by itself, lol). Under the tab "advanced", leave the "adjust for best performance of” set to programs, unless you are folding or have elaborate background services running. Now, under "virtual memory", which we call VM (not to be confused with virtual machine), hit the button marked "change". Do not let it automatically manage; uncheck the box that says it is doing that. Here is the thing: if you have more than 2GB ram, consider disabling the paging file totally. If you have two or more HDDs, place your page file on the one without the OS if you absolutely must have a page file. As a rule of thumb, take the "recommended" size (from the bottom), round up to the nearest 100MB, and set that number under "custom size" as both the minimum and the maximum. Make sure to hit the button marked "set" before you hit apply > ok. You may need to restart your system if you have lowered the size, but not if you raise it. Allowing dynamic adjustment is good on old off - the - shelf systems, but will slow you down. For best performance, the Initial size and Maximum size should be the same unless you have the RAM to run without it. By settings them as the same, the size of your page file will be constant, which will reduce the distance your r/w heads have to travel. Putting the page file on another drive is a great alternative to disabling the page file, but do not if it is external USB or flash based (i.e. SD cards), except in the case of a SSD (solid state drive, which I doubt anyone here has). Finally, under data execution prevention, make sure to only have it on for essential services and windows only. Remember later that if you ever see a notice about something you are trying to do being stopped by "DEP", you can add it to the “exceptions” list. Rarely, you may get this problem if you are running certain benchmarking programs or if you try to run F@H as a service.
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SERVICES.MSC using tips !!!
SERVICES.MSC (*Backup data first if you are not familiar with this*)
[Vista tips]
* Press start and R again and type "services.msc"; this is where we will be working. Now, you can get a comprehensive list of the services, functions, and recommendations here. In case you are unfamiliar with services.msc, simply right click any service and select properties. Change your startup type to indicate that which is suggested under safe or tweaked in the list, and hit apply. You can also use services.msc to start/stop remote desktop connections, windows defender, windows firewall, and other services any time you wish. If you are not sure what to do, just try manual... it will start by itself, just not when windows starts and only as needed (usually when you start a relevant executable). Avoid using the option to disable any services, except on things like Tablet PC Input (pen and touch services), unless your rig has a touch screen or pen screen w/handwriting recognition; like the HP Z series tablets or Microsoft Surface. There are several other worthless services like this, which are outlined in the list from Black Viper. Some services are unable to be configured, at least not by using services.msc; if you know what you are doing, and need the service off, then you are familiar with your registry; there are critical dependencies issues with most of those items, and that is why you can't touch them through here... so you don't brick your computer or corrupt DCOM. If you select to view the properties of a service, you can click on "dependencies" to see what other services the selected one depends on, and what other services depend on the one you selected. There are alternate ways to access services.msc, such as via "administrative tools", but the run line is the quickest.
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[Vista tips]
* Press start and R again and type "services.msc"; this is where we will be working. Now, you can get a comprehensive list of the services, functions, and recommendations here. In case you are unfamiliar with services.msc, simply right click any service and select properties. Change your startup type to indicate that which is suggested under safe or tweaked in the list, and hit apply. You can also use services.msc to start/stop remote desktop connections, windows defender, windows firewall, and other services any time you wish. If you are not sure what to do, just try manual... it will start by itself, just not when windows starts and only as needed (usually when you start a relevant executable). Avoid using the option to disable any services, except on things like Tablet PC Input (pen and touch services), unless your rig has a touch screen or pen screen w/handwriting recognition; like the HP Z series tablets or Microsoft Surface. There are several other worthless services like this, which are outlined in the list from Black Viper. Some services are unable to be configured, at least not by using services.msc; if you know what you are doing, and need the service off, then you are familiar with your registry; there are critical dependencies issues with most of those items, and that is why you can't touch them through here... so you don't brick your computer or corrupt DCOM. If you select to view the properties of a service, you can click on "dependencies" to see what other services the selected one depends on, and what other services depend on the one you selected. There are alternate ways to access services.msc, such as via "administrative tools", but the run line is the quickest.
Read more...
Multi-Core booting via msconfig !!!
Multi-Core booting via msconfig
[Vista tips]
* First open up msconfig and go to the boot tab. Then, click on the "advanced options" button, and check the "Number of Processors" box; now, change the setting to select the maximum number of processors to get the best boot speed… it will be all of them, obviously.
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[Vista tips]
* First open up msconfig and go to the boot tab. Then, click on the "advanced options" button, and check the "Number of Processors" box; now, change the setting to select the maximum number of processors to get the best boot speed… it will be all of them, obviously.
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MSCONFIG using tips !!!
MSCONFIG
[Vista tips]
* Hold down "start" and press "R" to initiate a run command. Now, type "msconfig" and press enter; provide a positive response to security and elevation prompts. Check "No GUI boot". This will disable the glowing vista logo that shows after post, shaving 2 - 5 seconds. Also, check your services tab and start up tab. Use Google to look up process names if you are unsure, but crap like Adobe "anything", Google "anything", HP or Compaq connections, HP Update, HP Advisor, any other PC manufacturer specific items, welcome center, and windows media player or media center stuff, etc. can obviously be disabled if you don't need it to start with the computer (i.e. if you have a TV tuner and record TV on a schedule, like a TiVo, using WMC). This won't disable the program(s); just keep it from starting with Windows. Now, go to tools and select "disable UAC"; hit launch > apply > ok. If something requires elevation, like a CMD prompt, you have to right click it and select run as admin, since windows no longer will prompt for elevation (this will be taken care of later in the guide). This doesn't make you "admin" over everything, but just stops asking you every four seconds if you are sure what you are doing.... trust me, it will get in the way for the rest of this. After you restart, select "run blocked program" > system config from the annoying prompt. Check the box "do not run sys or start...", and hit ok.
Read more...
[Vista tips]
* Hold down "start" and press "R" to initiate a run command. Now, type "msconfig" and press enter; provide a positive response to security and elevation prompts. Check "No GUI boot". This will disable the glowing vista logo that shows after post, shaving 2 - 5 seconds. Also, check your services tab and start up tab. Use Google to look up process names if you are unsure, but crap like Adobe "anything", Google "anything", HP or Compaq connections, HP Update, HP Advisor, any other PC manufacturer specific items, welcome center, and windows media player or media center stuff, etc. can obviously be disabled if you don't need it to start with the computer (i.e. if you have a TV tuner and record TV on a schedule, like a TiVo, using WMC). This won't disable the program(s); just keep it from starting with Windows. Now, go to tools and select "disable UAC"; hit launch > apply > ok. If something requires elevation, like a CMD prompt, you have to right click it and select run as admin, since windows no longer will prompt for elevation (this will be taken care of later in the guide). This doesn't make you "admin" over everything, but just stops asking you every four seconds if you are sure what you are doing.... trust me, it will get in the way for the rest of this. After you restart, select "run blocked program" > system config from the annoying prompt. Check the box "do not run sys
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How to make your Desktop Icons Transparent !!!
How to make your Desktop Icons Transparent
[Vista tips]
Go to ontrol Panel > System, > Advanced > Performance area > Settings button Visual Effects tab "Use drop shadows for icon labels on the Desktop"
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[Vista tips]
Go to ontrol Panel > System, > Advanced > Performance area > Settings button Visual Effects tab "Use drop shadows for icon labels on the Desktop"
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Repair Corrupt Vista Files !!!
Repair Corrupt Vista Files
[Vista tips]
Some Windows Vista errors are caused by corrupt system files causing instabilities, but troubleshooting these problems manually can be almost impossible. Thankfully, Vista includes a "System File Checker" application that will verify the integrity of core system files.
There are 2 types of scan, a verification and a scan/repair mode. The former will only check the files without repairing them automatically, the latter will fix any errors it finds.
To begin, load the command prompt by starting "cmd" from the run box (Press WINDOWS KEY + R to access this)
Then, type in one of the following commands (followed by the enter key) depending on the type of scan you wish to perform:
* sfc /verifyonly - To verify any corrupt files only.
* sfc /scannow - To verify and fix any corrupt files.
This will then start the scan and inform you of any files that require fixing.
Read more...
[Vista tips]
Some Windows Vista errors are caused by corrupt system files causing instabilities, but troubleshooting these problems manually can be almost impossible. Thankfully, Vista includes a "System File Checker" application that will verify the integrity of core system files.
There are 2 types of scan, a verification and a scan/repair mode. The former will only check the files without repairing them automatically, the latter will fix any errors it finds.
To begin, load the command prompt by starting "cmd" from the run box (Press WINDOWS KEY + R to access this)
Then, type in one of the following commands (followed by the enter key) depending on the type of scan you wish to perform:
* sfc /verifyonly - To verify any corrupt files only.
* sfc /scannow - To verify and fix any corrupt files.
This will then start the scan and inform you of any files that require fixing.
Read more...
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