Raymond.CC Blog

Author: raymond

  • Website Hosting Migration

    I’ve migrated my website hosting from CPHosting to Integricity.
    It’s not very difficult but I was very unsure since I’m doing it for the first time.
    My old webhost(CPHosting) allows SSH Secure Shell but new webhost Integricity doesn’t allow it.
    I will teach you how I did it.

    First, I need to move all my files and folders to the new webhost.
    I did that by creating a tarball.
    I use PuTTy to login to my old webhost.
    PuTTY


    Once I’m in, I type
    cd public_html
    or it could be –
    cd htdocs

    depending on the structure of your webserver.
    Hit Enter and you should be in your WWW root where your web pages reside.
    If you want to be certain that you’re in the right folder, just type
    ls
    hit Enter, and you should be able to see all your web pages and folders listed. Once you’re certain you’re in the right directory / folder, you can proceed to create the backup file of website or tarball (compressed file) of your entire* website.

    Now, you will want to type in a command that will collect all these files and folders, and compress them into one little file – a tarball.
    Type
    tar -cpzf filename.tar.gz *
    Within seconds, it should be done and now you can either download this file through your regular browser by just pointing to it; i.e. http://www.raymond.cc/filename.tar.gz or ‘get’ it using a regular FTP program from your webserver just like you would any web page, image file or script off your webserver previously.
    Since my new Webhost doesn’t allow SSH, I contacted them and asked them to download the tarball and extract it to my new webhost.

    One more thing I need to move is the MySQL database.
    Again, using PuTTy, log on to my old server with SSH and get to my WWW root, which is public_html.
    Type the command below the dump the database into a file.
    mysqldump –opt -u dbusername -p dbname > dbname.bak.dump
    It should ask you for your MySQL user’s password.
    After complete dumping the MySQL database into a file, I download it at http://www.raymond.cc/dbname.bak.dump

    My new webhost has phpMyAdmin that use to administer MySQL database and I used that to restore the database.
    Before restoring the database, I need to create the exact same database name and user for MySQL.
    After doing that, on phpMyAdmin, click on the database name that I’ve just created on the left hand side and then click on SQL tab on top.
    phpMyAdmin
    I will just need to click on the Browse… button to locate the dump file which I downloaded to my computer.
    Click Go, wait for a few minutes to upload and restore the database and it’s done migrating!

  • Protect Windows From USB Autorun.inf Virus With USB Firewall

    Two days ago I’ve shared with you a registry hack which will stop Windows from executing instructions found in autorun.inf. Good thing is your computer will never be infected by virus through the autorun.inf method. The downside of using this hack is that if you insert a CD or DVD with software on it, you have to explore it by hand to find the setup program and also the autorun.inf file will still remain at the root of the drive and could possibly infect other computer if it doesn’t have any protection against autorun.inf threats.

    If you want Windows to continue processing autorun.inf file for CD or DVD and also want to protect your computer from USB flash drive autorun.inf. Here is a USB firewall software for Windows which is able to accomplish that.


    Net Studio USB FireWall is a very smart application which protects you from all malicious programs which try to launch itself using autorun.inf through opening the drive from Windows Explorer. It will inform and warn you when such program exist in your USB storage.

    USB Autorun.inf warning

    When you get a warning after inserting a USB flash drive, you can click the SHOW AUTORUN.INF button to view what are the instructions in the autorun.inf file. If you don’t remember putting an autorun.inf file in the USB flash drive or don’t know how it got there, simply click the DELETE button from USB FireWall and it will clean it for you. The good thing about USB FireWall is that it doesn’t need any virus definition update because it is designed to detect autorun.inf file from USB storage drives.

    This tool only monitors the USB device and ignores CD or DVD drives. This can pose a problem because the hacker can still use a hacked U3 smart drive which has the capability of emulating a CD drive to infect the computer with virus or steal sensitive data. USB FireWall is not THE perfect tool to protect your computer from USB autorun threats, but it does provide some level of protection, while still allowing autorun.inf file to be processed. Using USB FireWall has an advantage over the registry hack and that is to alert me when my USB contains autorun.inf so I don’t accidentally use my USB flash drive to infect other people’s computer with virus.

    If you ask me which method I’d prefer to use to protect myself from autorun.inf threats, I’d go with the registry hack. It’s simple and don’t require any third party tools. What about you?

    [ Download USB FireWall ]

  • Keep Your System Under Control with System Explorer

    Without a doubt that Process Explorer from Sysinternals is one of the best Task Manager replacement tool. It provides a lot of detailed information which most normal computer users wouldn’t know how to interpret. There are tons of other free Task Manager alternative such as Anvir Task Manager, PC Inspector Task Manager, DTaskManager, TaskPatrol 2, Process Manager 2 Lite, Daphne, Process Viewer and etc…

    Here is another task manager software called System Explorer. I’ve heard about but never put it to the test. Now that I’ve did, I find that it is really good and it has its own pros if compared with the famous Process Explorer.


    System Explorer is freeware tool for exploring internals of Windows based operating systems. Can be used as Task Manager replacement with many features. The latest version 1.5 (or above) is based on plugin system which provides possibility to turn off unwanted functionality or extend actual functionality with external plugins. It can run on Windows XP, Windows Vista or further.

    Windows Task Manager Alternative System Explorer

    Major features of System Explorer

  • Detailed information about Tasks, Processes, Modules, Performance, Startups, IE Addons, System Addons, Uninstallers, Windows, Services, Drivers, Connections, Snapshots and Opened Files.
  • Easy check of suspicious files via VirusTotal and Jotti service.
  • Automatic security check of processes, modules and any selected files with Spyware Terminator database.
  • Easy search details about file/process via online databases
  • Easy access to System Utilities. Able to replace Windows Task Manager
  • Performance graphs for monitoring usage of system resources in time
  • Action History for monitoring processes activities
  • Making of System Snapshots for easy finding of system changes.
  • History Tab provides information about system activity (Processes Start/End, Files Modification, Connections, System Events)
  • Plugin System offers high customization of System Explorer. Users can choose what plugins wants to use. Developers can make new features.
  • Multiple language support (English, Espanol, Deutsch, Portuguese, Japanese)

    • Process Explorer is very easy to use and understand yet it gives you a lot of advanced features for free! The latest version uses Spyware Terminator database to automatically check for any suspicious running process and you can easily upload the suspicious file to VirusTotal or Jotti to scan it with multiple antivirus.

    Another feature that a lot of Task Manager replacement software don’t have is snapshot. Snapshot is very useful when you need to check for any files/registry being added, modified or removed in your system. Let’s say you’ve installed a trial software and would like to remove it complete from your computer. Unfortunately most of the uninstaller isn’t capable of removing all traces of the software. All you need to do is to create a snapshot before and after the software installation, compare the 2 snapshots to get a detailed report of file system and registry changes.

    Just like a lot of Task Manager replacement software, you can easily replace your default Windows Task Manager with System Explorer by going to Options > Replace Task Manager. Normally we do not keep task or process manager software open. We only run it when we need to but if you want to keep System Explorer opened, I don’t see that as a problem because it only takes up 4MB in memory usage.

    [ Download System Explorer 1.5 RC2 ]

  • Download X-Mix Urban 97 MP3

    New X-Mix Urban 97 is hot! You can listen to the sample by clicking on the music title. You’ll need RealPlayer or you can use Real Alternative in order to listen to .ram streaming music. Instructions on how to download the X-Mix Urban 97 MP3 is at the end of this article…
    X-Mix Urban 97


    1: Walk It Out
    by: UNK (80 BPM) (4:23)

    2: Tell Me
    by: Diddy / Christina Aguilera (99 BPM) (4:57)

    3: That’s That
    by: Snoop Dogg / R. Kelly (82 BPM) (5:04)

    4: You Don’t Know
    by: Eminem / 50 Cent (85 BPM) (5:19)

    5: Dangerous
    by: Ying Yang Twins / Wyclef Jean (115 BPM) (5:32)

    6: Lengua Afuera (Ay Chico)
    by: Pitbull (118 BPM) (4:55)

    7: King Kong
    by: Jibbs / Chamillionare (78 BPM) (5:44)

    8: Chicken Noodle Soup
    by: Webstar & Young B (115 BPM) (3:45)

    X-Mix Urban 97 has been released by Team DJ. Website is at http://www.tripsclub.com/. The team I checked on this torrent, it has 75 seeders which means the download should be quite fast. Get it while you can!

    To download X-Mix Urban 97 MP3:
    1. You will need a “torrent client” such as µTorrent in order to download a .torrent
    2. You can download X-Mix Urban 97 .torrent from TorrentBox.
    3. Enjoy listening X-Mix Urban 97 MP3s

    Please do support XMIX by purchasing their X-Mix Urban 97 CD or Vinyl as they’ve been providing quality funky and hot mixes for many years.

  • Better File and Folder Management with Quadro-View Windows Explorer

    I never once posted about windows explorer replacement/alternative or file managers such as xplorer², Total Commander, UltraExplorer, FreeCommander, Directory Opus, XYplorer and etc because I think that the current Windows Explorer is good enough for my daily task in creating new files, moving and copying files. Or maybe it is because I am so used to it since Windows Explorer’s layout didn’t changed much except for enhancement since Windows 95.

    For the past few months I’ve been noticing that Q-Dir being updated very frequently. I remembered that it is some sort of file management freeware and I didn’t bother about it since I am already satisfied with Windows Explorer. I am trying NOT to focus so much on security, I thought perhaps I should check and see what is Q-Dir all about.


    Q-Dir is a lightweight and easy to use piece of software that allows you to easily manage your files and folders.

    Windows Explorer alternative

    Features of Q-Dir:

    Favorites: Quick access to most often used folders.
    Drag&Drop: Move files by dragging in Q-views, and other programs such as MS Explorer.
    Clipboard: Copy/ Paste between the Q-Dir directory views, and other programs such as MS Explorer.
    Folder-Type: ZIP-, FTP-,cabinet-,network-, system – folders, shortcuts …
    Views: Large icons, tiles, list, detail, thumbnail (Vista: extra large symbols) .
    Export: to XLS, CSV, TXT, HTML.
    Popup Menus: Desktop, My Computer.
    Screen magnifier: Anything on the screen can be enlarged.
    Color Filter: Different colors for different item types (e.g. *.log;*.txt).
    Highlight-Filter: Effective way for fast items highlighting.
    File-Filter: Allows for quick and easy filtering of the items.
    Columns: All columns support, and save function .
    Quick-Link’s: For fast folder access.
    Folder-Select: Fast & flexible folder selection address-bar/ desktop menu/ my-computer menu/…
    Multi-INI: Several INI files for Q-Dir.
    Tree-View: Simple and quadruple.
    Preview: Allows a quick preview.
    Portable: Q-Dir is portable since v2.77

    Actually Q-Dir is very similar to Windows Explorer but it adds a few enhancement to give us better file and folder management. The most significant advantage over Windows Explorer is the Quadro-View which splits into 4 window. The shortcut keys in Q-Dir such as CTRL+C for copying, CTRL+X for cutting and CTRL+V for pasting are the same as in Windows Explorer. This is good so it won’t be confusing and you don’t need to memorize new shortcut keys. The color filter is also very useful because with one look we get to know what type of file is that.

    To run Q-Dir as portable without installation, unzip Q-Dir_Installer.zip and you’ll get Q-Dir_Installer.exe. Simply rename Q-Dir_Installer.exe to Q-Dir.exe and it will automatically run as portable.

    From Q-Dir’s changelog, we can see that this freeware is being updated at least twice per month. Since Q-Dir is being updated so frequently, I’d like to see a built-in update checker to notify me whenever there is an update or even better, auto download and replace the old one with the updated version of Q-Dir. Okay, Q-Dir might not be the best File Manager that has tons of features but I like it simply because it is similar to Windows Explorer. Last but not least, Q-Dir is FREE.

    [ Download Q-Dir ]

  • A Huge List Of All Linux, BSD, and Windows LiveCDs and LiveDVDs

    Download LiveCDAnother word for LiveCD is LiveDistro. LiveDistro is a generic term for an operating system distribution that is executed upon boot, without installation on a hard drive. Typically, it is stored on bootable media such as a CD-ROM (Live CD), DVD (Live DVD), USB flash drive (Live USB), among others.

    The term “live” derives from the fact that these distributions are a complete, runnable, i.e. “live” instance of the operating system residing on the distribution media, rather than the typical case of a collection of packages that must first be installed on the target machine prior to using the OS. A LiveDistro does not alter the current operating system or files unless the user specifically requests it. The system returns to its previous state when the LiveDistro is ejected and the computer is rebooted. It does this by placing the files that typically would be stored on a hard drive into temporary memory, such as a ram disk. In fact, a hard drive is not needed at all. LiveDistros are a good way to demo or preview an operating system without having to install it to a hard drive.

    Do you know that there are currently 315 types of LiveCD/DVDs?


    My favorite LiveCD I always carry around with me is BackTrack. To me, it’s the best and most complete security testing live distro. Last month, BackTrack has been updated to version 2. Simply download the ISO image, and burn it on a CD. Place the CD into your drive and boot from it.
    BackTrack 2 LiveCD

    There are few category of LiveCD/DVDs to cater for different purposes. The most widely used LiveCD is desktops. I know a friend who can still use Windows even though his computer doesn’t have a hard drive. He can’t do much, but he can still surf the internet, type letters, listen to music and etc…

    1. Desktops: provides a working GUI desktop environment with a collection of desktop programs, such as browsers and text editors. Many also include utilities for other purposes, such as home entertainment, but are only listed here because the additional functions are not their primary focus.

    2. OS Replacement: provides an option to transfer the cd to the hard drive, or to install an OS in a different form

    3. Education: provides a collection of educational programs, or was created to be used in the educational field

    4. Rescue: provides tools needed for data recovery

    5. Clustering: provides tools for making clusters

    6. Security: contains network security tools

    7. Home Entertainment: geared towards playing video and audio

    8. Gaming: video games!

    9. Medical: contains medical programs

    10. Diagnostics: contains utilities for testing hardware

    11. Firewalls: distributions created to be used as firewalls

    12. Forensics: distributions containing forensic tools

    13. Servers: distributions used for various server functions

    If you’re a computer technician, a rescue livecd is very helpful to you. If your customer’s Windows is unbootable, you can use a rescue livecd to boot up Windows, then copy all the important files to another computer on a network or you can also plug in your USB flash drive and back it up there.

    For security administrators, security livecd is useful to you. You’re able to determine weakness in the network or system with hundreds of security tools in the livecd.

    Generally, if you want to learn how to use linux or get a feel of it, a desktop livecd or replacement OS is most suitable since you don’t need to repartition your hard drive and risk loosing all your data. Visit The LiveCD List link below to find out all 315 LiveCD/LiveDVD.

    [ Visit The LiveCD List ]

  • Updated KING of All-In-One Rapidshare Premium Pack 2006 v5

    After 2 months since the release of All-In-One Rapidshare Premium Pack 2006 v4, a newer version is out now!
    All In One Rapidshare Premium Pack 2006 v5
    I would like to be one of the first to update you again that there is a new version of Rapidshare Premium Pack 2006 v5 by Mangasearcher! It contains even more new programs and a few updated programs.

    This All-In-One pack saves you the trouble to look for new or updated tools for Rapidshare.


    Same thing, has 2 screens because of the amounts of Rapidshare tools in it. Except this time you’ll need to enter an Authentication Code to run this All-In-One program. The Authentication Code is “abcd” without the quotes.
    All In One RapidShare Premium Pack Authentication Code
    The background screen has been changed to blue color. It also stated that there are 7 programs either updated or new but did not say which one.

    [ Download Rapidshare Premium Pack 2006 v5 ]

  • UNOFFICIAL Windows98 Second Edition Service Pack 2.1a

    Microsoft has never released a service pack for Windows98 SE. But Exuberant Software made a Service Pack for Windows98 SE users. It contains all Windows98 SE updates from Windows Update site and more.

    It is a self-extracting and self-installing pack like Microsoft’s update files. Thus, you cannot choice individual files. However, the pack installs only required fixes for your system. Uninstallation is possible from Add-Remove Programs. However, I don’t recommend uninstallation of the pack, if you don’t face any problem.

    This is *only* for WINDOWS 98 SECOND EDITION ENGLISH. I highly recommend that you should backup your system before installing the pack. You must have at least 32 MB of RAM.

    It contains only operating system updates. It does NOT contain Internet Explorer 6, DirectX 9, Media Player 9 and their updates.


    Features of UNOFFICIAL Windows98 Second Edition Service Pack 2.1a:
    • 120+ updates and hotfixes
    • Solves 512 MB of RAM problem.
    • 256-color tray icons.
    • Better Notepad: MetaPad 3.5 (Optional).
    • Optimized swap file usage (Optional).
    • Better WDM and USB support.
    • Adaptec ASPI 4.60.1021 drivers (Optional).
    • Windows Scripting Host 5.6.
    • DCOM98 1.3.
    • OLE Automation Libraries 2.40.4522.
    • Dial-Up Networking 1.4.
    • Microsoft Installer 2.0.
    • MDGx’s HTML Help Update.
    • TweakUI (Optional).
    • Command Prompt Here (Optional).
    • New Animated Boot and Shutdown Logo (Optional).
    • Microsoft Layer for Unicode.
    • Visual Basic 5.0 SP2 runtime library.
    • Visual Basic 6.0 SP6 runtime library.
    • Visual C++ 6.0 SP6 runtime libraries.
    • Updates JET 3.5 files to JET 3.5 SP3.
    • Supports 98lite 4.7.
    • Windows 2000/ME desktop icons.
    • Windows 2000 color scheme (Optional). (view sample screenshot)
    • Supports custom “Program Files” directory.
    • Shows attributes column in details view on the Windows Explorer.
    • Semi-slipstreaming support.
    • Some tweaks (Optional).

    Known Problems:
    • If you have Crystal Sound Card (CS423x), and have a problem with the sound, you have to upgrade your drivers.
    • Uninstallation needs Windows 98 SE CD-ROM. It also doesn’t remove all installed files. It only reverts back half of the installed files with original 98 SE files. So, I don’t recommend uninstallation of the pack, unless you are having a serious problem.

    [ Download UNOFFICIAL Windows98 Second Edition Service Pack 2.1a ]

  • Run WindowsUpdate directly from Mozilla Firefox

    Two days ago I talked about how to Update Windows using Mozilla Firefox. You’d have to install a third party unofficial plugin from another website which I do not recommend.

    Today I found another better and more stable way of doing it.
    You can open WindowsUpdate from Mozilla Firefox using IE Tab.


    IE Tab, an extension from Taiwan, features Embedding Internet Explorer in tabs of Mozilla/Firefox.

    This extension is derived from the famous extension IE View, but they are quite different.
    While IE View always open IE-only pages in newly launched windows of Internet Explorer, IE Tab can open them in tabs of Mozilla/Firefox.

    IE Tab

    To enable Firefox to always remember to use IE Tab whenever you do Windows Update, go to Tools -> IE Tab Options.
    Add http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ to “Add Site:” box and click on the Add button.
    Add Windows Update to IE Tab

    The next time you visit WindowsUpdate site, it will automatically use IE Tab.
    Have fun updating your Windows!

    [ IE Tab Website | Download IE Tab ]

  • Latest Windows Genuine Advantage Validation v1.5.530.0 Cracked

    Microsoft has released a new version of Windows Genuine Advantage Validation version 1.5.530 (KB892130) today.
    If you’re using a cracked version of Windows Genuine Advantage Validation v1.5.512 or v1.5.526 to get your Windows Update and download from Microsoft Download Center, I believe it will soon not work for you because Microsoft has updated their Windows Genuine Advantage Validation file to version 1.5.530.
    Whenever you visit Windows Update to get updates for your Microsoft Windows, you will get a page asking you to install the latest Windows Genuine Advantage Validation v1.5.530 (KB892130) before you can proceed.
    “The Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool enables you to verify that your copy of Microsoft Windows is genuine. The tool validates your Windows installation by checking Windows Product Identification and Product Activation status.”
    I believe the one line of Javascript code you enter before using Windows Update is no longer working.


    To check your version of Windows Genuine Advantage Validation:
    1. Go to C:\Windows\System32
    2. Look for the file legitcheckcontrol.dll
    3. Use your mouse to right click on the file and select Properties
    4. Click on the Version tab and you will see the version number of your Windows Genuine Advantage Validation file.
    Windows Genuine chAdvantage Validation 1.5.530

    eth0, a cracking group has been releasing cracks for Windows Genuine Advantage Validation also started working on the new crack very quickly and now they have Windows.Genuine.Advantage.Validation.v1.5.530.0.CRACKED-ETH0 releasing to the public.

    DESPERATE TURK CRACKERS GROUP [DTCG] also released a crack to patch the original LegitCheckControl.dll.

    Whiterat from Team ICU also cracked LegitCheckControl.dll and released it to public.

    Just extract the LegitCheckControl.dll to your C:\Windows\System32, overwrite the original LegitCheckControl.dll when prompted and you will now have a cracked version of Windows Genuine Advantage Validation which enables you to use Windows Update and also downloading from Microsoft Download Center. It’s that easy!

    [ Download Windows Genuine Advantage Validation v1.5.530.0 Crack by ETH0 ]
    [ Download Windows Genuine Advantage Validation v1.5.530.0 Crack by DTCG ]
    [ Download Windows Genuine Advantage Validation v1.5.530.0 Crack by Team ICU ]

    Note: Using cracked version of Windows Genuine Advantage Validation v1.5.530.0 is against Microsoft antipiracy law. This information is only for your knowledge and you download at your own risk.

    Update: Go here for the latest post about Latest Windows Genuine Advantage Validation v1.5.532.0 Cracked.

  • FREE Microsoft Private Folder – Password Protected Folder

    Microsoft is always lacking of one important security feature that is the ability to password protect your folders. Even in Windows XP, this feature hasn’t been implemented yet. Now, Microsoft is offering a free program called “Microsoft Private Folder” which it will create a folder called My Private Folder at your desktop. Microsoft Private Folder 1.0 is provided specifically for genuine Windows customers, and requires genuine Windows validation in order to download. The software is free, and does not come with product support.
    Microsoft Private Folder
    The following hardware and software are required to run Microsoft Private Folder 1.0:

  • Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Professional Edition and Media Center Edition with SP2
  • Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher-resolution video adapter and monitor

    • Check out the test I ran with Microsoft Private Folder.


    First of all, this software has already been cracked by KhaskiN which doesn’t require you to have genuine Windows in order to download and install the free Microsoft Private Folder.
    I downloaded the cracked version and the original version from Microsoft. Compared both of the setup files and both have exactly the same filesize. Then I compared the offsets and found 31275 changes in bytes. (Click on the image below to get an enlarged picture)
    Microsoft Private Folder bytes compare
    Looks like the cracked version is indeed cracked. I do not have a non-genuine version of Microsoft Windows XP, hence I am not able to test if the cracked version really able to bypass the genuine check.

    I downloaded and installed the original Microsoft Private Folder, and a reboot is required. After installation, I immediately noticed a new folder named “My Private Folder” appeared at my desktop.
    Microsoft Private Folder desktop folder

    First run requires you to set a password with minimum of 6 characters.
    Microsoft Private Folder change password
    After setting your password, you will be prompted to enter password when you first open the My Private Folder at your desktop.
    Entering wrong password twice and it will stop prompting you further for password. You need to open the My Private Folder at your desktop again to get the password prompt.

    I tried searching for the password in Registry and also in Program Files but couldn’t find the password in clear text. I didn’t go further because I just wanted to know if the password will be saved weakly in your computer and thank goodness it’s not.

    I tried to delete the My Private Folder at my desktop, and it shows me a warning “Are you sure you want to delete the My Private Folder icon from your desktop? To restore it later, go to Control Panel.”
    Delete Microsoft Private Folder
    Before deleting it, I couldn’t find anything that has to do with Microsoft Private Folder in my Control Panel. Even after deleting the icon from my desktop, still couldn’t find it. Perhaps they missed this function. Can’t blame them because it’s only version 1.
    To restore back the icon in your desktop, just run Microsoft Private Folder 1.0 from your start menu, enter your password, and you should see a lock icon at your traybar.
    Microsoft Private Folder tray
    Just right click on the lock icon, go to Options, and select “Show Desktop Icon”.

    In my opinion, it’s a very basic folder protector and it works. Saves you from buying some shareware when you really need to password protect your folder.

    [ Download official Microsoft Private Folder ]
    [ Download Mirror ]

  • Fix Windows is Starting Slow Logon Caused by wlnotify.dll

    mEtRiX, our forum moderator had an annoying computer problem for weeks which is it takes longer than usual to log on to Windows. He has already scanned his computer with Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 and Spybot but it did not fix the problem. He was only able to tell me that this slow logon issue is caused by executing wlnotify.dll file on startup. Searching in Google about wlnotify.dll reveals that it is a process info for Common DLL to receive Winlogon notifications.

    Windows Slow login wlnotify.dll

    To know which file is causing the slow logon problem, you’ll have to enable verbose status message, a hidden feature in Microsoft Windows. Although we already know which file is the cause of the problem, we’ve had a pretty tough time trying to fix it as it wasn’t that easy. We couldn’t even find any solution to this problem in Google and other tech forums. So it’s up to us and yes, we finally found the reason why the “Windows is starting” screen get stuck because of wlnotify.dll file.


    I’ll write the troubleshooting steps so you’d know what to do when you have a similar problem. Sometimes when we need to troubleshoot a problem, we’ll have to go through step by step to narrow down the problem.

    1. Virus, trojans and spywares.
    – I know mEtRiX is very careful not to simply run any untrusted program, so it shouldn’t be a virus or spyware that is causing this. Moreover, he has already ran a full scan with KIS 2009 and Spybot.

    2. Windows Safe Mode
    – Booting into safe mode is very important because it shows that whether this problem is caused by some software or drivers. Unfortunately the problem still exist when he tried booting into Safe Mode.

    3. wlnotify.dll file
    – Another possible cause for this problem is a corrupted wlnotify.dll file. We’ve both checked the size of the DLL file and it matches at 92,672 bytes.

    4. Deleting wlnotify.dll
    – Tried renaming the file and Windows automatically replace a new wlnotify.dll file in C:\Windows\System32\ folder.

    5. Disabling Network Adapters
    – Safe Mode loads up networking support. Since wlnotify.dll file is for winlogon notifications, so I thought maybe Windows calls home whenever it is trying to log in. Both wireless and wired adapters are disabled in Device Manager, boot to Safe Mode again, still the same problem.

    6. TuneUp Utilities
    – mEtRiX mentioned that he has TuneUp Utilities and he guessed that it might be the settings there that is causing the problem. So I installed TuneUp Utilities on my test system and configured everything the same as he has configured on his computer. Restarted and my test system was able to boot up without issues.

    When I nearly ran out of idea on what else to check, I figure that I should also try to look for any errors in Events Viewer. Went to Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Event Viewer. Clicking on Application, Security, System or Internet Explorer shows “Unable to complete the operation on “System”. The interface is unknown.”. Turns out that mEtRiX had Event Viewer disabled from services. I asked him to enable back Event Viewer from services and then restart. Amazingly the slow logon problem which is caused by wlnotify.dll is gone! I tried replicating the problem on my desktop by disabling Event Viewer on my test system and indeed the log on time did take slightly longer than usual. Re-enabling Event Viewer solved the problem.

    If you’ve enable verbose status message and found that wlnotify.dll takes very long to execute, you should check your Event Viewer service and make sure that it is started. To check, go to Start > Run, type services.msc and click OK. Look for Event Log at the name column and double click. Make sure that the Startup type is set as Automatic and Service status is Started.
    Fix wlnotify.dll slow login problem

  • Disable XP SP 3 and Vista SP1 From Windows Automatic Updates

    There is still no fixed date on the release for Windows XP Service Pack 3 and Windows Vista Service Pack 1. The whole world is eagerly anticipating the release of this 2 service packs as everyone hoping that it would bring new features and also fix many bugs. Actually both Windows XP SP3 and Vista SP1 Release Candidate (RC) version has been released which you can download from Microsoft and install it on your computer but I chose not post anything about it on this site. Although it’s official release from Microsoft, but it’s still a Release Candidate version. I personally think that it’s OK to install beta software but not installing update patches for operating system. Operating system is the MAIN thing for a computer. Once it is unstable, installing any software is useless until you fix it.

    Both service packs will definitely be released this year and I don’t want my company’s workstations to either manually download the service pack from Windows Update Web site or via Automatic Updates. Reason is because I don’t want them to waste the bandwidth and slow down internet connection. Windows XP SP3 RC (windowsxp-kb936929-sp3-x86-enu.exe) is 336.1MB in size and Vista Service Pack 1 Release Candidate (Windows6.0-KB936330-wave0-X86.exe) is 436.3MB. If there are more than 10 workstations, a lot of bandwidth would go to waste.

    So now is the time to start thinking about blocking the automatic install of these service packs on computers around your local area network.


    You need to access registry editor and add a new value to block auto download and installation of service pack. Go to Start > Run and type regedit. Navigate to:


    Right click > New > DWORD Value. Enter name as DoNotAllowSP. Double click the newly created DWORD value and set the value data as 1.

    Block Service Pack installation

    If you do not like to mess with registry, you can use this simple and useful tool called Service Pack Blocker from IntelliAdmin.

    Block Service Pack Download

    Just select “Prevent Vista SP1, or Windows XP 3 from installing” and click Apply. You can also use this tool to revert back to the original setting to allow Vista SP1, or Windows XP 3 to install.

    [ Download IntelliAdmin Service Pack Blocker ]

  • How To Monitor for Registry and File Changes in Windows

    Usually when you install or run a software, it will write settings and information to the registry and to files. The location of where it writes in registry and files are unknown because it is done invisibly in background. Most of the time I troubleshoot software problems by manually checking the registry and files that are associated with the software.

    So how I know which file and registry location is associated with the software? You can run the installer or program with Sandboxie to investigate the contents or you can also do it with registry and drive snapshot program. Other than snapshot program, you can also use registry and file system monitoring software.

    This is also a method used by crackers to extend software trial period. For example, they’ve used until the trial period has expired and then they find and remove the entry that records the day they had been using the software. Once removed correctly, the trial period will reset and allow them to use the software for another 30 days.


    Regshot is a registry compare utility that allows you to quickly take a snapshot of your registry and then compare it with a second one – done after doing system changes or installing a new software product.
    Check registry changes
    The changes report can be produced in text or HTML format and contains a list of all modifications that have taken place between snapshot1 and snapshot2. In addition, you can also specify folders (with sub folders) to be scanned for changes as well. What I really like about Regshot is FAST. It took only 6 seconds to take the first snapshot of my registry, then another 6 seconds for the second snapshot. Regshot is only 72KB in size. Small, free and open source.
    [ Download Regshot ]

    There is another similar program that does the same thing called InCtrl5. It is very old and slow compared to Regshot.
    Monitor Registry File Changes
    If you want to download InCtrl5, you can get it here.

    A very useful tool that works with RegShot and InCtrl5 is UNDOReg. UNDOReg analyzes the report generated by RegShot, InCtrl and System Mechanic, and deletes referenced registry keys.
    Undo Registry Changes
    Just click on the Open Report button and load the TEXT REPORT FILE generated by either RegShot, InCtrl or System Mechanic.
    [ Download UNDOReg ]

    Finally, there’s also Process Monitor which is an advanced monitoring tool for Windows that shows real-time file system, Registry and process/thread activity. It combines the features of two legacy Sysinternals utilities, Filemon and Regmon.
    Microsoft Process Monitor
    This can be a bit tough to use because once you start monitoring, the screen will be flooded with events. You might want to use Filter (Ctrl+L) to filter out unwanted captured events.

    [ Download Sysinternals Process Monitor ]

    There you have it. 3 types of free program to help you monitor for registry and files changes in Windows.

  • Automatically Check Private BitTorrent Tracker Site for Registration Openings

    There are easily hundreds of torrent tracker sites and I’ve introduced a software that auto search for torrents on multiple sites without going site after site to perform a search. There are also quite a number of PRIVATE bittorrent tracker sites which has a lot of fast seeders and the download speed can easily maxed out your download bandwidth. I’ve got an account on TorrentBytes before, that’s why I know. However, these private torrent tracker sites are very strict. You MUST maintain a good ratio in order to continue being a member of that site. When it drops below 0.5, you account will be banned. Problem is, the sign-ups don’t come by very often and you wouldn’t know when they will open their bittorrent tracker site for registration. Here’s how you can automatically check for registration openings on a whopping “66″ torrent tracker sites!


    Tracker Checker is a small and easy to use program that regularly checks the status of private BitTorrent trackers for open registrations.
    Register Torrentbytes

    When a tracker with open registrations is found, a popup informs the user. Just bring up the software from the traybar, double click on the tracker site that says “OPEN!”, and your default browser will be launched together with the sign up page.
    Sign up torrentbytes

    Virtually all popular private trackers, such as TorrentBytes and FileList, are supported. The author’s website is in Slovenian, but the software is in English. The .NET framework is needed to run this program. You can also set the number of seconds for the checking period.

    Very simple, straight forward, free and useful program.

    [ Download Tracker Checker v1.2 ]