Raymond.CC Blog

Category: Computer

  • Simulation on How To Setup or Install Windows XP

    The first thing I learn about fixing computer is how to format my hard drive and reinstall a clean copy of Windows. When I know how to reinstall Windows, I can fully mess around with the system, get it corrupted and then try to fix it back. When I couldn’t fix it, the ultimate solution is to reinstall Windows which will definitely get my system back to a working state.

    Although Windows Vista is out for many months and Microsoft plans to retire Windows XP early, it’s never too late to learn how to install Windows XP since Vista installation is pretty similar to XP setup. However, for a computer beginner to learn how to reinstall Windows is no easy task unless there is someone willing to guide and teach them.

    The safest way to learn how to setup or install Windows XP is by using simulation first. Once you’ve got used to it, then you can perform the real Windows installation on your computer.


    Windows XP Setup Simulator is a program that teaches you how to install Windows XP, without having to worry you will mess up your hardware or software.

    How to install Windows Vista

    It just simulates installing Windows XP as if it was the real setup. It reproduces every step exactly as it is in the real setup, and it does not restart your computer. This program can also be used as a guide for learning how to install Windows 2003 and Vista, because the steps are very similar. The package also includes an e-book that explains every step of the Windows XP Setup and some other Windows XP Basics. You can also find the simulation with every step explained in several languages.

    Once downloaded the Windows XP Setup Simulator from the link below, extract it and you will find a few files in the folder. Windows Xp Setup.exe is the Windows XP setup simulation and Tutorial.exe is like an ebook that teaches you about the basics of Windows XP.

    [ Download Windows XP Setup Simulator ]

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  • A Utility to Backup the Registry and Individual Keys

    The Windows Registry is a central database that stores huge amounts of settings for just about everything your operating system does. From changing the way the desktop looks, or information about all the devices and drivers, to registration information for your programs. You don’t need me to tell you just how important it is that for a smooth running system, a fully functioning and error free registry is one of the most important factors. Just a few rogue values inserted into some important registry keys can bring your system to a grinding halt or turn it into an unstable nightmare.

    Because a lot of malicious software will attack various parts of the registry, and just about everything you touch causes reads or writes to it, making sure it is backed up is still an important way to keep problems and downtime to a minimum. There are also times when you are going to reinstall your system and would like to transfer some settings on to the new operating system. Things like registration information for software like perhaps a Giveaway of the Day program or a highly customized look for your desktop could do with being copied to save a lot of time.


    The Windows built in Registry Editor can do this, but it’s not really designed to back up the whole registry, or if you want to back up a large number of individual keys. There is a utility that offers an easier solution for doing this called SMARegisTry Backup. This tool has a big advantage over Regedit in that when you want to select a series of keys to export, in Regedit, each has to be done one at a time. SMARegisTry Backup allows the selection of multiple keys, and then they can all be exported with a couple of clicks.

    The program is open source software and comes in either a portable or installable package. Do note that .NET Framework version 2.0 or greater is required. Because of the nature of exporting and more importantly, importing data into the registry, at least a reasonable degree of knowledge is advisable when using the program.

    The window is basically split into two, the left side being your registry and the right side is where the list of keys to be backed up will appear. Simply select the hive or sub key and click ‘Add key to list’. Once everything has been selected, click ‘Backup Keys Now’ and point to the folder where to save.

    There are two ways to restore any previously saved keys back to the registry. ‘Restore Individual Keys to Registry’ lets you select just a single file to import. This can obviously range from a single key to a complete hive. ‘Restore All Keys from Directory to Registry’ as the name suggests, will import all keys from a folder. Be aware that once you have selected the file(s), there will be no confirmation and the process will be carried out. As the Backups are stored as ordinary .reg files they can be edited using Notepad or imported using Regedit.

    The Save and Load list buttons can be used if you have a large number of keys to be backed up. The list can be saved as a normal text file and then reloaded for the same registry keys to be backed up at a later date.

    Compatible with Windows XP, Vista and 7 32bit and 64bit

    Website and Download

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  • FREE URL Shortening or Forwarding Service

    I remembered once I called Hewlett Packard for support regarding an intermittent problem with USB keyboard and mouse. The support guy asked me to download the latest chipset driver and that should solve the problem. Usually the URL to download a driver is very long and hard to remember that makes it harder to spell it out to customers. What they did was they used FREE short URL redirection service such as the popular TinyURL. I really thought that this is a good idea if you need to spell out a URL to another person…

    Here are the advantages of using URL shortening service:


    1. Easy to remember. You put a long URL in, you get a shortened version back.
    TinyURL URL shortening service
    2. Possible to read over the phone (same example as above)
    3. Hiding actual URL
    – You have a choice to hide the forwarded URL and showing only the tinyurl.com address.
    4. URLs that won’t break into more than one line, making it compatible on email and forum postings

    I found a few URL shortening service and listed below if you don’t want to use TinyURL.
    1. TinyURL – An example of TinyURL format: http://tinyurl.com/2zfz4v
    2. urlTea – An example of urlTea format: http://urltea.com/1e4
    3. notlong – An example of notlong format: http://raymondcc.notlong.com
    4. 2URL – An example of 2URL format: http://2url.org?31008
    5. SnipURL – An example of SnipURL format: http://snipurl.com/1ds36
    6. ShortURL – An example of ShortURL format: http://raymondcc.shorturl.com

    I don’t really like the sixth one (ShortURL) because it has basic and premium account. For the free basic account, you need to register and it takes 3 days for a URL to be approved to prevent abuse. Worst part is it has a small link bar at the bottom of your site like the image below.
    ShortURL link bar

    In my opinion, it’s much easier to remember if you use subdomain names such as NotLong or ShortURL. The rest just provides random characters at the end and unless you memorize it, you’re not going to remember them. Between NotLong and ShortURL, I’d go for the FREE NotLong URL shortening through forwarding service because it’s totally FREE!

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  • Automatically Wake Up from Windows Stand By and Hibernation

    I know many of you do not turn off your computer or laptop at night as you prefer to immediately use the computer when you’re at it. Turning off your computer at night can help you lower your energy bill but there are some people totally against turning their computer off because the hard disks did not automatically park their heads when shut off, and that frequent on/off (heating and cooling) cycling could damage the hard disks. Today’s PCs are designed to handle 40,000 on/off cycles before a failure, and that’s a number you likely won’t reach during the computer’s five-to-seven-year life span.

    So turning your computer off at night and then turning it back on when you want to use is fine. If you hate to wait for 2 minutes for Windows to boot up, you can put your computer in Stand By or Hibernation because either mode will help you save almost as much energy as you do turning off your computer for the night, and you won’t have to endure a lengthy “re-booting” process the next morning; your computer should “wake up” in 30 seconds or less.

    What if you want to run a program, let’s say a software to record TV at wee hours of the morning? No problem as it is possible to wake up your system from a Stand-by mode or Hibernation programmatically.


    This simple utility called WakeOnStandBy will do it for you. Once activated it resides in the system and wakes it up at predefined time, runs a file and if necessary sends it into Stand-by mode, hibernates it or shuts it down. It can also be used to run scheduled operations every day, or on specific day(s).

    Automatically wake up computer

    WakeOnStandBy Special features:

  • Can restore almost every Windows-based operating system from a Stand-by mode (and some from hibernation) that support ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) (For support check computer’s BIOS as well as Control Panel -> Power Options);
  • Can run a file or open a web page at a predetermined time after a wake-up event, during normal operation, or before performing power operation;
  • Can send system back to Stand-by mode (hibernate it, shut it down, or log off user) after a certain time interval;
  • Can detect if Stand-by mode (or hibernation) is supported by your system;
  • Can turn the monitor on and hold off screen-saver during the waiting time;
  • Can repair local area network and high-speed Internet connection upon waking up from a suspended state;
  • Can send system into Stand-by mode or hibernate it with more options than available through Operating System;
  • Can be incorporated into an in-car (entertainment) PC system to speed up booting time & save battery [more here];
  • Can be run from the Windows Command Line without user interaction;
  • Can be saved as a batch file for later use.

    • WakeOnStandBy looks pretty easy to use but it can be very powerful. Just set the time to wake up computer and click Start. The program can also automatically run a file or program with parameters when computer wakes up. In some cases you may want to repair your local network and/or high-speed Internet connection upon waking up from suspended state. Check “Repair network” box for that. Check out the official online manual for more information on how to use WakeOnStandBy.

    WakeOnStandBy is free, portable, 436KB in size and has been tested on Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/Vista.

    [ Download WakeUpOnStandBy ]

  • Fix Windows XP Repair Install with Internet Explorer 7/8 Present

    Windows XP has now been out of general circulation for desktops and laptops for about five years now, but there’s no doubting it stills holds a massive share of the PC market, around 40% looking at some recent figures. One of it’s features was the Repair Install option which in the event of a major PC crash allows you to keep your personal data while the core Windows files are replaced and hopefully allowing the PC to get back up and running.

    A lot of people have used this option, a large number will have worked but some will have failed. One of the biggest causes of the repair install failing to work is Internet Explorer. As all official XP CD’s come with IE6 pre installed, that’s what gets reinstalled when a repair is performed, or at least some of it does. If you have IE7 or IE8 still installed, the files get overwritten in the Windows ‘System32‘ folder back to the older version, but they DON’T get overwritten in the Program files ‘Internet Explorer‘ folder! This can lead to a number of problems especially with black screens during the repair or activating Windows when you have completed the repair. As Windows now has a mix of Internet Explorer files, this can break the OOBE (Out of box experience) which is needed to reactivate.


    Microsoft recommends any version of IE above version 6 should be uninstalled prior to performing a Repair Install, which in many cases is easier said than done if the install is in such a state, it cannot be booted. Luckily there is a way to do this via the Recovery Console on the Windows CD and avoid the problems this causes.

    Firstly, boot from your XP CD, and when you get to this setup screen, chosse to Repair using the ‘Recovery Console‘ by pressing ‘R‘.

    After selecting your installation and password if you have one one, follow the instruction depending on your installed version of Internet Explorer.

    Type CD ie8\spuninst and press Enter if you have IE8.
    Type CD ie7\spuninst and press Enter if you have IE7.

    Type batch Spuninst.txt and press Enter.

    You will then see a number of files being copied, there might be a few ‘Access denied‘ erros, but don’t worry. When the copy operations have finished, type ‘Exit‘. Boot back into the XP CD and now perform your Repair Install. Do not press ‘R‘ the first time you see it in setup or you will end up back at the recovery console! It’s the second screen like the one below:

    If you follow this procedure before trying the repair, everything should install and the activation will be available once the process is complete. Make sure to install your chosen version of Internet Explorer again afterwards.

    This should also work if you have done the repair install before removing Internet Explorer 7 or 8 and now experience the activation problems mentioned or any other problems related to Internet Explorer.

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  • FREE 1 Year IObit Security 360 PRO License Code Valid for EVERYONE

    Most of us should have heard about IObit, the company that develops useful Windows software such as Advanced SystemCare, SmartDefrag and Game Booster. I personally also like IObit products because they are develop quality software. Recently they’ve released one of their new product called IObit Security 360 that is used to scan and remove various malware such as spyware, adware, trojans, keyloggers, bots, worms and hijackers.
    free security 360 serial code
    There are 2 editions available for it which is the FREE and PRO version. PRO version normally cost $29.95 for a year’s subscription and it contains extra features that gives an automated protection on your computer. The free version doesn’t protect your computer real time against malware but you can use it to run manual scans to find if your computer has any malwares. For a limited time only, IObit is giving out free licenses for Security 360 PRO valid for a year and this offer expires on Nov 11, 2009. Hugo Dong from IObit has kindly given me the permission to use the promotional link, so go ahead and get your free license! IObit are so confident that their product is the strongest free anti-malware software that they even ask IT professionals and amateur home users to put Security 360 to the test and they will in return put the testers in the draw to win money!


    To get your free IObit Security 306 PRO license code, all you need to do is go to this page http://db.iobit.com/license-free/win7-special-offer.php, enter your email and click the Get Free License button. You should immediately get an email from IObit Support that contains the 20 random character license code. Then download the latest version of IObit Security 360 installer is360setup.exe and install. Run IObit Security 360 and click the button “Upgrade”, which is on the right side of the product name. You will see a pop up box. Enter the following license code and click “Activate” to upgrade.

    FREE IObit Security 360 PRO License Code

    IObit Security 360 PRO interface is really simple without too many confusing options. I do not have a big archive of spyware to test the effectiveness of IObit Security 360 but I’ve did a pretty simple comparison. This test is not for the money or draw but for my own knowledge.

    IObit Security 360 PRO
    Smart Scan took 2 minutes 13 seconds to scan 59226 objects.
    Full Scan took 5 minutes 17 seconds to scan 66762 objects.
    Cannot detect private trojan via context menu manual scan.
    Cannot detect private trojan when I run it even with DOG, automatic and advanced protection turned on, and protection level set as high.
    When computer is infected with trojan, I ran a full scan and nothing was found.

    Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware
    Quick Scan tool 2 minutes 10 seconds to scan 81520 objects.
    Full Scan took 9 minutes 25 seconds to scan 135338 objects.
    Cannot detect private trojan via context menu manual scan.
    Cannot detect private trojan when I run it even with Protection Module turned on.
    When computer is infected with trojan, I ran a full scan and it managed to find 2 suspicious registry entries that was created by the trojan. Deleting the registry disables the trojan from starting up.

    SUPERAntiSpyware
    Quick Scan took 8 minutes 16 seconds to scan 26466 objects.
    Complete Scan took 8 minutes 32 seconds to scan 32324 objects.
    Cannot detect private trojan via context menu manual scan.
    Cannot detect private trojan when I run it even with Real-Time Protection turned on.
    When computer is infected with trojan, I ran a full scan and nothing was found.

    I wouldn’t judge that all anti-malwares above are bad just by one failed detection but I can see that IObit Security 360 scans pretty fast. There are a lot of other tests results you can refer to in this forum. Do take note that IObit Security 360 PRO is an antimalware and not a replacement for your antivirus. You can actually run this antimalware software together with your antivirus for a more complete protection.

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  • Copy Windows XP Installation CAB Files to Local Hard Disk SourcePath

    I still remember the good old days when everyone was using Windows 98. I had a bootable floppy disk that automatically loads CD driver then I copy all the Windows 98 setup files (about 100MB) to local hard drive and launch the setup locally from hard drive. It is much faster compared to installing from CD-ROM and the best part is whenever Windows is missing of any files, it’ll automatically load from the CAB files that I originally copied to the hard drive.

    When Windows XP came, the installation CD itself is bootable and people no longer copy the setup files to local hard drive anymore. The computer user saves up to about 500+MB of disk space by not copying the I386 folder but it is actually very troublesome when they want to run system file checker (SFC) or installing supplemental language support. Doing any of this 2 above will require you to insert the Windows XP installation disc.
    Please insert the Compact Disc labeled Windows XP Professional CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive and then click OK
    Today, one of my customer had Windows problem and I knew it could be fixed by running system file checker but then he was prompted to insert the XP install disc and he didn’t have one. Because of the laziness and careless of his previous tech guy, I now had to drive all the way to his office just to pass my customer the XP install disc so he could run SFC.


    Basically this is what I did on my customer’s Windows XP computer to make sure that he didn’t need to insert the installation disc anymore.

    1. Insert Windows XP installation disc to computer. Let’s assume that the CD drive is D: drive.

    2. Copy the i386 folder from D:\ drive to C:\ drive. Now the C: drive should have an i386 folder too which looks like C:\i386\

    3. Go to Start > Run, type regedit and click OK.

    4. Navigate to the path below.
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup

    5. At the right pane, there should be a name called SourcePath with the Data value as D:\. Double click on the SourcePath and change the value data to C:\i386\
    Windows Vista SourcePath

    Now whenever Windows looks for the original installation files, it’d automatically look in your local hard drive instead of bugging you to insert the CD. An old tip which could be obsolete very soon because of the upcoming Windows 7, but still I’d advice anyone who still provide computer support for Windows XP to do this.

    As for future versions of Windows, I believe the SourcePath is no longer required. For Windows Vista, there is no source directory like there was in XP. Basically what happens during a vista installation is the image file install.wim is expanded and it has most of the files for the vista install inside of that.

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  • Generate Number that are Sequential or Ordered at TextMechanic

    When I started this blog 7 years ago, webmasters don’t really need to put much effort into making the website friendly for the search engine robot. Having a lot of unique content is all it takes but since last year, Google is focusing more on quality content and pages that are useless should not be indexed using the noindex meta tag. Since this blog started as a personal blog, a lot of the earlier articles were very thin in content and without quality. Spotting them is not really that difficult because this blog only has nearly 2000 articles after 7 years.

    The biggest problem is actually the forum itself because it generates tons of index pages that refers to the threads created by members. I was able to implement a code at the header that automatically inserts a noindex meta tag for those pages but I still need to remove the URLs from Google search engine via Webmaster Tools.


    As you can see from the screenshot below, these are the index pages for a forum category and they basically have the same description with links to threads and without any content. They are useless and should be removed from Google search index.

    noindex forumdisplay page numbers

    The forum currently has over 20,000 threads and by default the forum shows 20 threads per page. This would mean that there are at least 1000 index pages in the forum. I don’t to spend hours sitting on the computer copying and pasting the links to Google Webmaster Tools so I’ve figured out an automated solution.

    What I need to do is create a list of index page URLs and save them in a text editor such as Notepad++. Then use a macro software to automatically perform the copying and pasting of the links to Google Webmaster Tools. After analyzing the index link, I simply need to generate number that are ordered in between index and .html at the URL for example, www.raymond.cc/forum/chat/index49.html. I would have to start with the number 2 because I want the first page to be indexed and I will have to refer to the forum to get the last page number.

    Forum Last Page Number

    After searching around, I found a website called TextMechanic that offers a free online service to generate number that are sequential with the ability to add prefixes before and after the numbers. All I need to do is enter the low and high number plus the prefixes and click on the Generate List of Numbers button which will instantly generate the list of URLs with numbers in sequence in between the prefixes.

    Generate Number List

    I copied the list, saved it to a text file and continued generating more lists by referring to the forum category. Once I have the full list of URLs that I want to remove from the Google index, I used a macro software called TinyTask to record the action so that it can automatically perform the removal for me while I spend the precious time on doing something that is more meaningful.

    TextMechanic is able to generate number based on other rules because it is an online text manipulation tool. Click on the Open Tool Menu button to check out other text manipulation functions.

    Update: Generating numbers in sequence is also possible with Notepad++.

    Visit TextMechanic

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  • Maximize Window without Covering User Defined Area

    We are able to easily customize program window by using the 3 buttons located at the top right which is minimize, maximize/restore and close. This feature is quite standard in all other operating systems such as Max OS and Linux. Maximizing a window is great and I use it all the time so that I am able to focus better when the program is covering the whole screen instead of windows everywhere which makes it very messy. However there may be times when you have some monitoring program running and need it to be visible at all times even when another program window is maximized. One solution is to configure the program to run “on top” if it comes with the feature or use a third party software to do it. There is another solution which is to set the maximum window size so that all windows that you maximize will not cover the area defined by the user.


    You will need to install and use a free software called MaxMax to customize the area that won’t be covered when you click on the maximize window button on a program. The MaxMax configuration is very straight forward.

    Maximize Window Configuration MaxMax

    First you set margin size in pixels for each side of the display. The margin size is the area where windows will not cover when it is maximized. You can also drag and resize in the preview sceen. From the screenshot above, a maximize window will only be covering the top right of the screen while the left and bottom side of the screen will be left untouched. You can even set different margins configuration if you have multiple displays.

    When the margin size is set and MaxMax is enabled, all windows that you maximize will not cover the area that you’ve defined. If you have a program that must run in full screen, you can easily overwrite by pressing and holding the SHIFT key while clicking on the maximize window button. If you don’t want MaxMax to run when Windows is booted up, simply uncheck the Startup at logon checkbox.

    The MaxMax utility requires to be running in background in order to keep the customized area clear from being covered by other maximized windows. It sits quietly in the notification area and takes up very little memory usage only about over 1MB. MaxMax works in XP, Vista, 7 and has native builds for 32-bit and 64-bit versions. The author of MaxMax has plans to implement exclusion system in future versions to save you the trouble from using the SHIFT key all the time to suppress the limitation.

    Download MaxMax

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  • Find out Where Your Hard Drive Space has Gone with SpaceSniffer

    Hard disk drives might be getting bigger these days, but it’s still quite easy if you’re not careful to fill them up with all kinds of data without thinking about it. This is especially true with SSD’s because of their smaller capacities, every Gigabyte is still expensive and a waste if not used for something useful. Someone who has only small boot drive really needs to be conscious of everything that goes onto their system.

    Finding out where all your hard drive space has gone can be a nightmare if you’re trying to do it through Explorer, but there are several third party tools around to help you out. The one I use and have been using for a while is SpaceSniffer. Apart from being incredibly quick at scanning the drive and coming up with the results, it’s the virtualized tree map layout that really lets you quickly spot the areas visually which are taking up the most space.


    To give an example; a few months ago I was asked to look at a laptop with Vista that had an 80GB hard drive which was full, 0MB free! Knowing the guy had not filled it up himself, there was obviously a problem there somewhere. After starting SpaceSniffer, it took all of a few seconds for it to display where all the space had gone, the SoftwareDistribution folder. It was 56GB! Turns out Vista was trying and failing to install Service Pack 2 for nearly 18 months. Full hard drive problem solved in no time thanks to SpaceSniffer.

    The program itself is portable like a lot of useful utilities are these days, so just download and extract the zip file, then run the SpaceSniffer executable. The first window will simply ask for the drive to scan, select which one and press ‘Start‘. There’s also the option to select a folder to scan and not a whole drive by using the ‘Path‘ button.

    As soon as the process starts, the main window will look like it’s going crazy as the contents are being read in, but it shouldn’t take too long before you start to get a picture of how much data is stored in what locations represented by a series of boxes. The bigger the box, the more space it occupy’s on the disk. Light brown boxes are folders and the blue ones are files. You also have the option for the display to show media files, archives and executable / system files in different colours by pressing the ‘Use File Classes Style‘ button on the toolbar (three little boxes icon).

    Looking at the screenshot below, you can easily see the biggest space fillers on the scanned partition are the pagefile.sys and the DriverStore folder.

    Using the program is pretty easy, click on the chosen folder name to give a bit more detail of what’s inside it, double click it to expand the folders view to the whole window. Right clicking the file or folder will bring up the standard Explorer context menu if you want to copy or delete something. Navigation may seem slightly counter intuitive at first, but after a few minutes, and with the help of the Back, Up and Home buttons, it becomes easy to find your way around. The blue boxes in the toolbar increase or decrease the amount of detail in the display if it’s not to your liking.

    A pretty powerful feature is the Filter option because there are quite a few different filters that can be applied; File name mask, folder name mask, file size, file age, file tag, file attributes and file class. Have a good read of the included PDF User Manual for the commands.

    There is also a pretty handy ‘Export to file‘ function if you want to have a text file of the contents of the area you have scanned. Options like list type and sorting method are available along with a scripting window for simple customizing of the way the list is laid out.

    Overall, the way the program views the contents of the drives might not be to everyone’s liking but, but it’s speed and the ease at which you can quickly identify areas of the disk taking up large amount of space, makes it a big time saver.

    SpaceSniffer is compatible with Windows 2000, XP, Vista and 7

    Website

    A useful Tips and Tricks page is available on the website including instructions to add Spacesniffer to the folder context menu.

    Download Page

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  • Complete Internet Repair Fixes a Number of Connection Issues

    Loosing your internet access or having general connectivity issues is not much fun, especially when it doesn’t seem to be the fault of the router or modem. Tracing these issues can be a real pain even if you know where the blame might lie, but worse still, is having no clue as to the cause. If the system has recently been the victim of a malware attack, then the reasons why the connection is having problems become quite clear. But there are many other reasons why this could happen such as internet security or other network related software not playing nicely upon installation / uninstallation, or even tweaking software being over zealous and touching something it really shouldn’t.

    There are just so many parts of Windows that deal with the internet and what connects to it, trying to sort these problems out yourself, even if you are pretty techie minded, could run into hours. DNS settings, IP address conflicts, DHCP service issues, TCP/IP protocol corruption, and a problem HOSTS file are just some of the things you could be trying to repair or resetting by going through the registry or tapping away in a command Prompt. A lot of you will remember a small utility called WinsockFix which cures some of Windows XP’s connectivity issues and probably is still a part of a lot of people’s USB toolkits even today.


    Well, thankfully things move on, and there’s another utility around which does the same as WinsockFix and a whole lot more besides, making it an incredibly useful tool to keep within arms reach. Complete Internet Repair is able to repair a number of common issues that individually or collectively could cause anything from problems accessing certain websites or Windows Update, to a complete connection failure.

    The program is portable so it’s just a case of downloading and unzipping the file. Run the CIntRep.exe by right clicking on it and choosing ‘Run as Administrator’ to get started. There is a brief description of what each repair does by hovering over the related icon.

    There really aren’t that many options to change in the program, simply because there isn’t much that you need to tell it to do apart from which repair to attempt. Tick the relevant box and click ‘Go’ if you want to repair multiple items, or just click the arrow for an individual repair. There will be some information scroll through the log window, but to get a better description, the log file can be accessed by going to the ‘File’ menu >> ‘Logging’ >> and clicking on the log file or the folder where the logs are stored.

    You probably don’t need me to point out, but it’s worth remembering that this tool should not be run if you don’t have any internet connection related issues. It could break something that isn’t broken. Also, don’t just click everything, instead try those fixes which are the same as, or closely related to the problem. eg; If the problems are with Windows Update or the Firewall, try those fixes first and move on if they don’t work. The program will require a reboot once any repairs have been completed.

    If you have ever used tools like WinsockFix or LSP-Fix to repair internet connectivity issues, Complete Internet Repair will replace those and do a lot more to go with it. Do be aware that some security software will complain about the program, but this is only due to the places in the system it has to go and what it has to do to get the repairs done.

    Compatible with Windows XP, Vista, 7 and Server 2003 / 2008

    Website and Download

    Related posts:

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  • All In One Windows Repair Tool Fixes Majority of Known Windows Problems
  • Restore Internet Connection by Repairing Winsock and TCP
  • FixWin an Alternative to Windows Repair AIO
  • FREE Trend Micro Internet Security 2008 v16 Serial Number Valid for 3 Years

  • Multiple Video Conferencing for FREE with ooVoo

    I have one of my best friend who went to Australia to work last year. His wife is still in Malaysia and most of the time they communicate through phone or in cybercafe for video chat. When I am lucky to catch him online, normally I only get to talk to him for a while because most of the time he’ll be talking to his wife. We’re all using Windows Live Messenger and there is no way to do multi video conferencing using Video Call.

    As for Skype, the popular video call software also doesn’t support multiple video conferencing. There used to be a plugin called vskype or festoon which allows skype to do multiple video conferencing but the official website is no longer available. Maybe the project is dead? Next is SightSpeed. It is able to do 4 way video conferencing with the PLUS version at a price of 9.95 per month.
    video chat with multiple people
    While I was surfing the internet just now, I stumbled on an instant messenger called ooVoo that is able to support multiple (up to 6) video conferencing. Not only that, now you can call anyone in USA and Canada for FREE!


    ooVoo is the next evolution in online communication – a remarkably easy way to have a face-to-face video conversation with friends, family or colleagues, no matter where they are in the world. ooVoo is remarkably easy to use: easy to download, easy to install, and best of all, it’s FREE!

    Multi Video Call Conference

    ooVoo features:

  • Free Phone Calls – FREE calls from ooVoo to a landline or mobile phone in the USA or Canada
  • Video Call – Start a face-to-face conversation and include up to six people
  • Video Message – Tired of typing emails? Give your fingers a break and send a video message to one friend or a group
  • Find Friends – Import contacts from the most popular email programs: Office Outlook, Gmail, MSN Hotmail, Yahoo mail, AOLmail and more
  • Record Video Call – Create instant memories by recording your ooVoo video calls
  • Video Effects – Do you want to grow a virtual mustache or become a Superman – all while on a video call? Now you can
  • Chat – Text chat with up to six friends at a time!
  • Send Files – With ooVoo it’s easy to share files with your friends!
  • Sidebar View – Enable sidebar view to clearly view documents or other tasks on your screen

    • It’s easy to use. Just download, install and create a new ooVoo account from the program. To add a friend to your contact list, you can either enter their ooVoo ID, display name or e-mail address. Currently there’s only Windows version of ooVoo. Mac version is coming soon.

    I know Skype is very popular but ooVoo BETA looks promising. If you didn’t notice, Skype is mostly in white color and ooVoo is mostly in black. What I like about ooVoo is the main interface looks very similar to Windows Live Messenger which makes you feel like you already know how to use it. There is also a very useful record video call feature built in to ooVoo which Skype doesn’t have. Currently ooVoo offers FREE phone calls to the USA and Canada which will be available through March 1, 2008. I’ve just tried calling my webhost, WebhostingBuzz, and it got through!

    [ Download ooVoo for Windows ]

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  • Hacking Knowledge – Importance of Spoofing your MAC Address

    Today I am going to expose a topic on hacking knowledge that some of you might know and most of you don’t. When you’re going to hack something or someone on the Internet, you won’t want your IP address to spill out. That’s because your ISP could easy trace you by two simple information which is the Time and IP Address. So you’ll use proxy or even chains of proxies to avoid being directly traced by the victim’s firewall. What if the administrator of the proxy server has logs and your IP is being logged in there? It’s possible that the proxy administrator pass your information to your ISP and you’ll still get caught at the end of the day. Don’t forget, there are lots of information to obtain from an IP Address if a person knows what tools to use. One of it is your MAC Address.


    A MAC address, short for Media Access Control address, is a unique code assigned to most forms of networking hardware. The address is PERMANENTLY assigned to the hardware, so limiting a wireless network’s access to hardware — such as wireless cards — is a security feature employed by closed wireless networks.

    In short, every network card (NIC) has an unique address. On Windows, you can run the command “ipconfig /all” to reveal your MAC Address. Take note that it’s called Physical Address when you run the ipconfig command on DOS.
    How to spoof MAC Address
    Think about this, if your IP Address combined with your MAC Address, there’s no running away when you’re caught. But if you spoof/change your MAC Address, they might not have a concrete proof to nail you down.

    Another evil thing about spoofing your MAC Address is to an experienced hacker armed with the proper tools, can figure out an authorized MAC address, masquerade as a legitimate address and access a closed network. Here’s an example of D-Link DSLG-604T router. It has a feature where you can specify a trusted to access and use the wireless connection.
    Hack Wireless Network
    If that hacker is good enough to know the MAC Address that’s allowed to connect to the network, he can easily spoof his MAC Address and gain access to the network!

    I bet by now you should know about the importance of spoofing your MAC Address if you have to. Here’s how to do it.
    MooreR from the popular Progenic team has created a FREE MAC address changer called BMAC. Very simple to use and straight forward. Just enter the new MAC Address and click on the Update button.
    BMAC Spoof MAC Address

    Use it with care!

    [ Download BMAC ]

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  • Another tool to cheat BitTorrent ratio by spoofing

  • Windows Genuine Advantage Validation v1.5.532.2 Cracked

    Windows Genuine Advantage 1.5.532.2
    I know it’s a little late for this version of Windows Genuine Advantage 1.5.532.2 cracked to be announced here. That’s because I am still using WGA 1.5.532.0 and I’ve been checking if there’s any updates for many days now and still Windows Update never prompt me to install WGA 1.5.532.2. I just found out that version 1.5.532.2 of WGA Validation Tool and WGA Notifications is NOT YET mass released to all Windows system, that’s why not all of us had this version on our system.


    To check your version of Windows Genuine Advantage Validation:
    1. Go to Start -> Run
    2. Type %systemroot%\system32\ and click OK button.
    Windows Genuine Advantage Validation v1.5.532.2 Cracked
    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 Advantage Validation v1.5.532.2 Cracked

    You are able to crack version 1.5.532.2 of LegitCheckControl.dll, WgaLogon.dll and WgaTray.exe files easily by using Muiz WGA 1.5.532.2 crack at the download link below.

    [ Download Windows Genuine Advantage 1.5.532.2 Crack by Muiz ]

    Note: Download and use this Windows Genuine Advantage Validation v1.5.532.2 Crack at your own risk. This is only for educational purposes and I do not take any responsiblity if you use it for any other purposes.

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  • FREE Super Mario XP game

    I remembered the good old days when I used to play Super Mario 2 on my Nintendo game console. It was like 15 years ago when I had it. And when Super Mario 3 came out, it was the bomb! Mario or Luigi could fly after getting the magic leaf! I was bored one day and I tried searching for Super Mario game for computer. I found a FREE Super Mario game for Windows.


    Super Mario XP is not very similar to the original. The killing methods are the same ie. jumping on enemies and things like that, except there are more weapons than just the plain old fireball. There are hammers, boomerangs and more.
    Super Mario computer game
    The enemies are all the same but the backgrounds are different.

    Navigation = Down to squat, Left to walk left and Right to walk right.
    free Mario game
    Shift = Jump
    Mario jump
    CTRL = Fire
    Mario Fire
    Here’s a tip to JUMP higher than usual. Press and hold the UP arrow key, and press SHIFT.

    No installation needed and only 6.14MB in size. Just download Super Mario XP from the link below and extract the ZIP file. After extract MarioXP.zip, run MarioXP_0121.exe to start playing.
    Run super mario xp

    [ Download Super Mario XP ]