Another good way of finding MP3s (or other formats) is using Google and typing the following:
parent + directory + mp3 + OR + wma+ #dido#
Replace #dido# by whatever artist you wish to find, for example:
parent + directory + mp3 + OR + wma+ #Lamb#
You should get plenty of dirs with MP3s or WMA files (you could add OGG, etc, to the query). Cheers.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
How to Download Movies from Crackdb.com
Some of you may not know this, others may already knew it, however, because
of Sod rules which do no not allow indirect crack links, and because CrackDB
is a very good resource for cracks, i will show how to post links that lead
to a direct download from CrackDB.
The CrackDB server sends the archive of a crack as an attachment to the respond
for an HTTP request made by your browser, this means you (and your browser)
will never know the real location of the file, because of this you can't post a direct
link to the crack in your topic.
Using the Referer variable we can overcome this problem, but what referer to
use? if you used the domain name http://www.crackdb.com/
you will get nothing but a useless image file.
The correct refere is shown on your browser address bar. For example, if you
want the crack for IsoBuster Pro v1.6 you just type the name in the search box
and press Enter, the next page displays a list of items that match or nearly
match your search keywords, click on IsoBuster Pro v1.6 from the list and
you are now in the download page, the hyperlink named "Download" is the
link that initiates the request to the server to download the file, which looks
like this:
http://www.crackdb.com/x.php?id=12356
The referer is now displayed on your browser address bar, which looks like this:
http://www.crackdb.com/get.php?id=12356
Now, you use both links to refer to a direct crack download from CrackDB, like this
Fix:
http://www.crackdb.com/x.php?id=12356
Use this referer:
http://www.crackdb.com/get.php?id=12356
Any member now can copy & paste the links into his/her download manager and
start downloading immediatley.
I hope you find something usefull here. Thanx for reading this.
of Sod rules which do no not allow indirect crack links, and because CrackDB
is a very good resource for cracks, i will show how to post links that lead
to a direct download from CrackDB.
The CrackDB server sends the archive of a crack as an attachment to the respond
for an HTTP request made by your browser, this means you (and your browser)
will never know the real location of the file, because of this you can't post a direct
link to the crack in your topic.
Using the Referer variable we can overcome this problem, but what referer to
use? if you used the domain name http://www.crackdb.com/
you will get nothing but a useless image file.
The correct refere is shown on your browser address bar. For example, if you
want the crack for IsoBuster Pro v1.6 you just type the name in the search box
and press Enter, the next page displays a list of items that match or nearly
match your search keywords, click on IsoBuster Pro v1.6 from the list and
you are now in the download page, the hyperlink named "Download" is the
link that initiates the request to the server to download the file, which looks
like this:
http://www.crackdb.com/x.php?id=12356
The referer is now displayed on your browser address bar, which looks like this:
http://www.crackdb.com/get.php?id=12356
Now, you use both links to refer to a direct crack download from CrackDB, like this
Fix:
http://www.crackdb.com/x.php?id=12356
Use this referer:
http://www.crackdb.com/get.php?id=12356
Any member now can copy & paste the links into his/her download manager and
start downloading immediatley.
I hope you find something usefull here. Thanx for reading this.
HOW TO HACK ADMIN PASSWORD
How to hack Windows XP Admin Passwords the easy way by Estyle, Jaoibh
and Azrael.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This hack will only work if the person that owns the machine
has no intelligence. This is how it works:
When you or anyone installs Windows XP for the first time your
asked to put in your username and up to five others.
Now, unknownst to a lot of other people this is the only place in
Windows XP that you can password the default Administrator Diagnostic
Account. This means that to by pass most administrators accounts
on Windows XP all you have to do is boot to safe mode by pressing F8
during boot up and choosing it. Log into the Administrator Account
and create your own or change the password on the current Account.
This only works if the user on setup specified a password for the
Administrator Account.
This has worked for me on both Windows XP Home and Pro.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now this one seems to be machine dependant, it works randomly(don't know why)
If you log into a limited account on your target machine and open up a dos prompt
then enter this set of commands Exactly:
(this appeared on www.astalavista.com a few days ago but i found that it wouldn't work
on the welcome screen of a normal booted machine)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
cd\ *drops to root
cd\windows\system32 *directs to the system32 dir
mkdir temphack *creates the folder temphack
copy logon.scr temphack\logon.scr *backsup logon.scr
copy cmd.exe temphack\cmd.exe *backsup cmd.exe
del logon.scr *deletes original logon.scr
rename cmd.exe logon.scr *renames cmd.exe to logon.scr
exit *quits dos
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now what you have just done is told the computer to backup the command program
and the screen saver file, then edits the settings so when the machine boots the
screen saver you will get an unprotected dos prompt with out logging into XP.
Once this happens if you enter this command minus the quotes
"net user <admin account name here> password"
If the Administrator Account is called Frank and you want the password blah enter this
"net user Frank blah"
and this changes the password on franks machine to blah and your in.
Have fun
p.s: dont forget to copy the contents of temphack back into the system32 dir to cover tracks
Any updates, Errors, Suggestions or just general comments mail them to either
and Azrael.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This hack will only work if the person that owns the machine
has no intelligence. This is how it works:
When you or anyone installs Windows XP for the first time your
asked to put in your username and up to five others.
Now, unknownst to a lot of other people this is the only place in
Windows XP that you can password the default Administrator Diagnostic
Account. This means that to by pass most administrators accounts
on Windows XP all you have to do is boot to safe mode by pressing F8
during boot up and choosing it. Log into the Administrator Account
and create your own or change the password on the current Account.
This only works if the user on setup specified a password for the
Administrator Account.
This has worked for me on both Windows XP Home and Pro.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now this one seems to be machine dependant, it works randomly(don't know why)
If you log into a limited account on your target machine and open up a dos prompt
then enter this set of commands Exactly:
(this appeared on www.astalavista.com a few days ago but i found that it wouldn't work
on the welcome screen of a normal booted machine)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
cd\ *drops to root
cd\windows\system32 *directs to the system32 dir
mkdir temphack *creates the folder temphack
copy logon.scr temphack\logon.scr *backsup logon.scr
copy cmd.exe temphack\cmd.exe *backsup cmd.exe
del logon.scr *deletes original logon.scr
rename cmd.exe logon.scr *renames cmd.exe to logon.scr
exit *quits dos
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now what you have just done is told the computer to backup the command program
and the screen saver file, then edits the settings so when the machine boots the
screen saver you will get an unprotected dos prompt with out logging into XP.
Once this happens if you enter this command minus the quotes
"net user <admin account name here> password"
If the Administrator Account is called Frank and you want the password blah enter this
"net user Frank blah"
and this changes the password on franks machine to blah and your in.
Have fun
p.s: dont forget to copy the contents of temphack back into the system32 dir to cover tracks
Any updates, Errors, Suggestions or just general comments mail them to either
HOW TO HACK UNIXSYSV.HAK
UNIXSYSV.HAK
UNIXSYSV.HAK - File on hacking Unix System V's
From THE HACKER'S GUIDE TO W.S.U. comes
the ultimate in weekend entertainment
------------
How to Hack UNIX System V
-------------------------
includes the INTRODUCTION TO HACKING
and HOW TO NOT GET CAUGHT
-------------------------
------------
Last Revision: 1-18-89
Version: 2.0
INTRODUCTION TO HACKING
=======================
Hacking is the art of attempting everything until something finally works.
The average hacker is usually only armed with educated guesses. Why hack?
Generally, you have some reason. My favorite reason being that it's fun. But
these days are getting pretty suspicious and you have to watch yourself when
hacking even if you don't have malicious intents. Hacking is lots of work and
is also dangerous. So be careful and don't get caught!
HOW TO NOT GET CAUGHT
=====================
Okay great, how do I avoid getting caught? That depends on what you are
doing. In this file I will be discussing UNIX System V and therefore my
suggestions should only be taken as pertaining to that. Even if you follow
my suggestions, you can still get caught. Some operators are extremely
persistant and will stop at nothing to nail you. If modems start answering
when you pick up a phone, or you become known as the "human carrier" by your
friends, then I suggest you lay low for awhile.
Here are some obvious things to be aware of when you are hacking by modem,
I thought I'd include them in case you overlook them. You should always be
on the lookout for these types of suspicious activity.
1] Excessive line noise in an area that usually has none.
2] You hear other voices simultaneously on the phone line.
This occasionally happens normally with the old analog FDM
multiplex equipment. But it also can be caused by a wire tap,
so try to be careful here! * See the note on wire taps.
3] Any van or minivan parked next to:
a] A telephone pole.
b] An underground steam vent hole.
c] Also watch for cloth tee-pees with MA BELL symbols on them
near poles or steam vents.
This is a *DEAD GIVAWAY*!!! If you see this, cease all hacking
for at least a month! (An make sure that the vans are GONE,
--NOT-- just moved to another location!)
>> Check for wires going to the van from the pole, or vent. And
check to see if the van is white (FBI uses these alot) or a
phone co. van.
4] Watch the abandoned rooms in your building, if they suddenly have
lots of equipment in them, take note here!
5] Anything unusual about the way your phone service operates that
the neighbors don't seem to have going on!
That's all I can come up with right now. But I'm sure there are more.
WIRE TAPS
=========
Belive it or not, this is still one of the most commonly used methods
of nabbing a hacker. The above list is a good guide to detecting an active
wire tap. If you can afford the equipment, you can do what is know as a
"sweep" of the phone line every now and then. Another thing you can do is
build a device which monitors the phone line voltage. If the voltage suddenly
drops during use, you either have a wire tap or someone picked up an extension.
Here are some specs for monitoring line voltage:
Ringer voltage:90V at 20-30Hz
On-Line:30-50V
Clear voltage:600V (Watch out! This will toast any MOV you have
in your modem! Usually this is used to fuse noisy
phone lines shut.)
The average cops don't have the equipment to properly implement a wire tap,
much less a data tap. However, I have heard of data cops in Seattle and
Chicago.
TRACING PHONE CALLS
===================
Here is yet another way you can get your butt caught. It is getting
easier and easier for the average person to trace phone calls. I just
found out a few days ago that dialing 33 on an on-campus phone will trace
the last call to that phone. Rest assured that an operator will use this
to nab you if he can. This however, only affects remote dial-ups, and not
the on-campus links. Remote dial-ups used to be so safe, but no more...
-- more --A good place to hack from is a nearby terminal room. *NOT* in the same
building that you live in! Do it at night, so if there is a system operator
at all on duty late he will probably be sleeping.
RFI READING
===========
This is a fairly new method of catching hackers, and I really don't think
the average hacker has much to worry from it. It is too complex to implement
and doesn't even work most of the time. Especially if you're in an area that
has lots of TV's or computer monitors. The device used basicly reads the
faint radio frequencies created by your monitor and translates them back into
a video signal. When it actually does work the guy running it can see exactly
what you are seeing on your monitor. Pretty tricky, but he has to be able to
pick out your signal first.
ESS -- IT'S BAD
===============
Alright boys and girls, on top of everything else in the world we now are
bless with the wonders of Electronic Standardized Switching. Or otherwise
known as ESS. Remember that sharp increase in your phone bill about a year
ago? "It's a new computerized system designed to allow quicker routing of
your calls". Bullshit. It sole purpose is to catch phreakers. That's all
it does, and it does it well. With this, the phone co. can trace a call in
-- more --.55 seconds to anywhere. It keeps records on all calls, including local!
And just about every phone box in the books will not only refuse to work,
ESS will notify the cops when you try to use it!
Have some faith. ESS is not exactly the end of the world either. Like
every system ever come up with, people will hack it. And eventually it will
be just as easy to hack ESS as it was to do on the old phone system.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Okay! Enough beginner's stuff!
Onward to hacking UNIX System V !
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Not much here: I just started this paper, and am still looking for
anything I can add to it!
Remember: The operator can see what you are doing at all times! But
usually they don't care or the information scrolls by so
fast they don't have time to read it.
Note: If you flub up your password or try to access secured files, the
system will automaticly record everything that you do! And on
some systems, the system will record everything you do anyway!
HOW TO LOG ON UNDER ANOTHER USER'S NAME
=======================================
This is the heart of hacking a UNIX system. You don't want to do any
hacking under any ID that can be associated with you. And you don't want
to use another user's ID more than once if at all possible.
There really is no way to get a name and password without first having
some level of access to the system. How do I get in then? I rely on the
fact that our GANDALF data switch is extremely unstable. 1 out of 5 logins
will drop you under someone else's name *NO QUESTIONS ASKED*. Just change
parity (8N1 to E71) alot while GANDALF is loading UNIX. Eventually, you
will get in this way. This happens because a user hung up on the phone
line without loggig off! So be sure to log yourself off the system when
you finish with *ANY* work.
They saw. A couple of days ago I was doing this and somehow I was
logged off of the system. The words "LOGOFF" just appeared on my command
prompt and entered themselfs. I suspect the guy whose number I used was in
-- more --the terminal room monitored by a superuser. And he just told the SU that
there appeared to be two of him. (Probably used the WHO command).
THE LOCK OUT
============
Believe it or not, UNIX will actually allow you to lock out other
users from the system. First, you select a target person. Then you place
the file VI.LOGIN in their default directory (the one that UNIX automaticly
loads them into when they log onto the system). You set up VI.LOGIN like
this:
VI.LOGIN (Just the file name!)
logout
So VI.LOGIN only contains one command. VI.LOGIN is automaticly executed
when a person logs onto the system. So as soon as your pigeon gets onto the
system he immeadiatly gets logged off!
Suggested Uses: On a Prof a few days before your assignment is due.
Someone you really don't like (wait a few weeks so they
don't figure it out right away!)
It might work on the ROOT (The SuperUser's name)
GETTING NEW NAMES
=================
Here is yet another way to gather SEVERAL users names AND PASSWORDS.
First, (the hard part) wait until the beginning of a semester. Now,
somehow you have to get a list of the ID numbers for students in UNIX-
oriented classes. You can usually find one of these lists posted outside
a professor's office (try the computer science building) or one of many
other places. Anyways, you have a list of student ID numbers.
Now, preferably on the first day of class, start logging in as a few
(maybe 3-4) students. I prefer to use ID's from low-level (100's) classes
as the students will just think that they've screwed up. Log into the
system, and if the student hasn't been on the system before, you will
be prompted for a password! And viola! You not only have access but also
you have the password of your choice. This happens because the computing
faculty is too lazy to pass out customized passwords to thier students.
New students are expected to select their own passwords, but that means
that the system won't be able to tell who is who!
Suggested Uses: Most likely your access won't stay good for more than
a few days. You might want to take full advantage of it
and really cause some havoc. For one thing, you could
lock out an entire computer class! (See LOCK OUT
described above). If you're really good, and can crack
the coded passwords in the PASSWRDS file, then you can
get the Super-User (SU) password and have all the fun
you want!
=========
THE END
=========
And Remember!
This paper was provided for educational purposes only!
Special thanks to:
==================
The Mad Phone-Man
The Grey Sorcerer
The Sneak Thief
Harry Hackalot
Joel Samuya
UNIXSYSV.HAK - File on hacking Unix System V's
From THE HACKER'S GUIDE TO W.S.U. comes
the ultimate in weekend entertainment
------------
How to Hack UNIX System V
-------------------------
includes the INTRODUCTION TO HACKING
and HOW TO NOT GET CAUGHT
-------------------------
------------
Last Revision: 1-18-89
Version: 2.0
INTRODUCTION TO HACKING
=======================
Hacking is the art of attempting everything until something finally works.
The average hacker is usually only armed with educated guesses. Why hack?
Generally, you have some reason. My favorite reason being that it's fun. But
these days are getting pretty suspicious and you have to watch yourself when
hacking even if you don't have malicious intents. Hacking is lots of work and
is also dangerous. So be careful and don't get caught!
HOW TO NOT GET CAUGHT
=====================
Okay great, how do I avoid getting caught? That depends on what you are
doing. In this file I will be discussing UNIX System V and therefore my
suggestions should only be taken as pertaining to that. Even if you follow
my suggestions, you can still get caught. Some operators are extremely
persistant and will stop at nothing to nail you. If modems start answering
when you pick up a phone, or you become known as the "human carrier" by your
friends, then I suggest you lay low for awhile.
Here are some obvious things to be aware of when you are hacking by modem,
I thought I'd include them in case you overlook them. You should always be
on the lookout for these types of suspicious activity.
1] Excessive line noise in an area that usually has none.
2] You hear other voices simultaneously on the phone line.
This occasionally happens normally with the old analog FDM
multiplex equipment. But it also can be caused by a wire tap,
so try to be careful here! * See the note on wire taps.
3] Any van or minivan parked next to:
a] A telephone pole.
b] An underground steam vent hole.
c] Also watch for cloth tee-pees with MA BELL symbols on them
near poles or steam vents.
This is a *DEAD GIVAWAY*!!! If you see this, cease all hacking
for at least a month! (An make sure that the vans are GONE,
--NOT-- just moved to another location!)
>> Check for wires going to the van from the pole, or vent. And
check to see if the van is white (FBI uses these alot) or a
phone co. van.
4] Watch the abandoned rooms in your building, if they suddenly have
lots of equipment in them, take note here!
5] Anything unusual about the way your phone service operates that
the neighbors don't seem to have going on!
That's all I can come up with right now. But I'm sure there are more.
WIRE TAPS
=========
Belive it or not, this is still one of the most commonly used methods
of nabbing a hacker. The above list is a good guide to detecting an active
wire tap. If you can afford the equipment, you can do what is know as a
"sweep" of the phone line every now and then. Another thing you can do is
build a device which monitors the phone line voltage. If the voltage suddenly
drops during use, you either have a wire tap or someone picked up an extension.
Here are some specs for monitoring line voltage:
Ringer voltage:90V at 20-30Hz
On-Line:30-50V
Clear voltage:600V (Watch out! This will toast any MOV you have
in your modem! Usually this is used to fuse noisy
phone lines shut.)
The average cops don't have the equipment to properly implement a wire tap,
much less a data tap. However, I have heard of data cops in Seattle and
Chicago.
TRACING PHONE CALLS
===================
Here is yet another way you can get your butt caught. It is getting
easier and easier for the average person to trace phone calls. I just
found out a few days ago that dialing 33 on an on-campus phone will trace
the last call to that phone. Rest assured that an operator will use this
to nab you if he can. This however, only affects remote dial-ups, and not
the on-campus links. Remote dial-ups used to be so safe, but no more...
-- more --A good place to hack from is a nearby terminal room. *NOT* in the same
building that you live in! Do it at night, so if there is a system operator
at all on duty late he will probably be sleeping.
RFI READING
===========
This is a fairly new method of catching hackers, and I really don't think
the average hacker has much to worry from it. It is too complex to implement
and doesn't even work most of the time. Especially if you're in an area that
has lots of TV's or computer monitors. The device used basicly reads the
faint radio frequencies created by your monitor and translates them back into
a video signal. When it actually does work the guy running it can see exactly
what you are seeing on your monitor. Pretty tricky, but he has to be able to
pick out your signal first.
ESS -- IT'S BAD
===============
Alright boys and girls, on top of everything else in the world we now are
bless with the wonders of Electronic Standardized Switching. Or otherwise
known as ESS. Remember that sharp increase in your phone bill about a year
ago? "It's a new computerized system designed to allow quicker routing of
your calls". Bullshit. It sole purpose is to catch phreakers. That's all
it does, and it does it well. With this, the phone co. can trace a call in
-- more --.55 seconds to anywhere. It keeps records on all calls, including local!
And just about every phone box in the books will not only refuse to work,
ESS will notify the cops when you try to use it!
Have some faith. ESS is not exactly the end of the world either. Like
every system ever come up with, people will hack it. And eventually it will
be just as easy to hack ESS as it was to do on the old phone system.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Okay! Enough beginner's stuff!
Onward to hacking UNIX System V !
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Not much here: I just started this paper, and am still looking for
anything I can add to it!
Remember: The operator can see what you are doing at all times! But
usually they don't care or the information scrolls by so
fast they don't have time to read it.
Note: If you flub up your password or try to access secured files, the
system will automaticly record everything that you do! And on
some systems, the system will record everything you do anyway!
HOW TO LOG ON UNDER ANOTHER USER'S NAME
=======================================
This is the heart of hacking a UNIX system. You don't want to do any
hacking under any ID that can be associated with you. And you don't want
to use another user's ID more than once if at all possible.
There really is no way to get a name and password without first having
some level of access to the system. How do I get in then? I rely on the
fact that our GANDALF data switch is extremely unstable. 1 out of 5 logins
will drop you under someone else's name *NO QUESTIONS ASKED*. Just change
parity (8N1 to E71) alot while GANDALF is loading UNIX. Eventually, you
will get in this way. This happens because a user hung up on the phone
line without loggig off! So be sure to log yourself off the system when
you finish with *ANY* work.
They saw. A couple of days ago I was doing this and somehow I was
logged off of the system. The words "LOGOFF" just appeared on my command
prompt and entered themselfs. I suspect the guy whose number I used was in
-- more --the terminal room monitored by a superuser. And he just told the SU that
there appeared to be two of him. (Probably used the WHO command).
THE LOCK OUT
============
Believe it or not, UNIX will actually allow you to lock out other
users from the system. First, you select a target person. Then you place
the file VI.LOGIN in their default directory (the one that UNIX automaticly
loads them into when they log onto the system). You set up VI.LOGIN like
this:
VI.LOGIN (Just the file name!)
logout
So VI.LOGIN only contains one command. VI.LOGIN is automaticly executed
when a person logs onto the system. So as soon as your pigeon gets onto the
system he immeadiatly gets logged off!
Suggested Uses: On a Prof a few days before your assignment is due.
Someone you really don't like (wait a few weeks so they
don't figure it out right away!)
It might work on the ROOT (The SuperUser's name)
GETTING NEW NAMES
=================
Here is yet another way to gather SEVERAL users names AND PASSWORDS.
First, (the hard part) wait until the beginning of a semester. Now,
somehow you have to get a list of the ID numbers for students in UNIX-
oriented classes. You can usually find one of these lists posted outside
a professor's office (try the computer science building) or one of many
other places. Anyways, you have a list of student ID numbers.
Now, preferably on the first day of class, start logging in as a few
(maybe 3-4) students. I prefer to use ID's from low-level (100's) classes
as the students will just think that they've screwed up. Log into the
system, and if the student hasn't been on the system before, you will
be prompted for a password! And viola! You not only have access but also
you have the password of your choice. This happens because the computing
faculty is too lazy to pass out customized passwords to thier students.
New students are expected to select their own passwords, but that means
that the system won't be able to tell who is who!
Suggested Uses: Most likely your access won't stay good for more than
a few days. You might want to take full advantage of it
and really cause some havoc. For one thing, you could
lock out an entire computer class! (See LOCK OUT
described above). If you're really good, and can crack
the coded passwords in the PASSWRDS file, then you can
get the Super-User (SU) password and have all the fun
you want!
=========
THE END
=========
And Remember!
This paper was provided for educational purposes only!
Special thanks to:
==================
The Mad Phone-Man
The Grey Sorcerer
The Sneak Thief
Harry Hackalot
Joel Samuya
Friday, November 4, 2011
Learn How To TWEAK Windows XP
Win XP Tweaks
-----------
STARTUP
-----------
Windows Prefetcher
******************
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ Session Manager \ Memory Management \ PrefetchParameters]
Under this key there is a setting called EnablePrefetcher, the default setting of which is 3. Increasing this number to 5 gives the prefetcher system more system resources to prefetch application data for faster load times. Depending on the number of boot processes you run on your computer, you may get benefits from settings up to 9. However, I do not have any substantive research data on settings above 5 so I cannot verify the benefits of a higher setting. This setting also may effect the loading times of your most frequently launched applications. This setting will not take effect until after you reboot your system.
Master File Table Zone Reservation
**********************************
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ FileSystem]
Under this key there is a setting called NtfsMftZoneReservation, the default setting of which is 1. The range of this value is from 1 to 4. The default setting reserves one-eighth of the volume for the MFT. A setting of 2 reserves one-quarter of the volume for the MFT. A setting of 3 for NtfsMftZoneReservation reserves three-eighths of the volume for the MFT and setting it to 4 reserves half of the volume for the MFT. Most users will never exceed one-quarter of the volume. I recommend a setting of 2 for most users. This allows for a "moderate number of files" commensurate with the number of small files included in most computer games and applications. Reboot after applying this tweak.
Optimize Boot Files
*******************
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Dfrg \ BootOptimizeFunction]
Under this key is a text value named Enable. A value of Y for this setting enables the boot files defragmenter. This setting defragments the boot files and may move the boot files to the beginning (fastest) part of the partition, but that last statement is unverified. Reboot after applying this tweak.
Optimizing Startup Programs [msconfig]
**************************************
MSConfig, similar to the application included in Win9x of the same name, allows the user to fine tune the applications that are launched at startup without forcing the user to delve deep into the registry. To disable some of the applications launched, load msconfig.exe from the run command line, and go to the Startup tab. From there, un-ticking the checkbox next to a startup item will stop it from launching. There are a few application that you will never want to disable (ctfmon comes to mind), but for the most part the best settings vary greatly from system to system.
As a good rule of thumb, though, it is unlikely that you will want to disable anything in the Windows directory (unless it's a third-party program that was incorrectly installed into the Windows directory), nor will you want to disable anything directly relating to your system hardware. The only exception to this is when you are dealing with software, which does not give you any added benefits (some OEM dealers load your system up with software you do not need). The nice part of msconfig is that it does not delete any of the settings, it simply disables them, and so you can go back and restart a startup application if you find that you need it. This optimization won't take effect until after a reboot.
Bootvis Application
*******************
The program was designed by Microsoft to enable Windows XP to cold boot in 30 seconds, return from hibernation in 20 seconds, and return from standby in 10 seconds. Bootvis has two extremely useful features. First, it can be used to optimize the boot process on your computer automatically. Second, it can be used to analyze the boot process for specific subsystems that are having difficulty loading. The first process specifically targets the prefetching subsystem, as well as the layout of boot files on the disk. When both of these systems are optimized, it can result in a significant reduction in the time it takes for the computer to boot.
Before attempting to use Bootvis to analyze or optimize the boot performance of your system, make sure that the task scheduler service has been enabled – the program requires the service to run properly. Also, close all open programs as well – using the software requires a reboot.
To use the software to optimize your system startup, first start with a full analysis of a fresh boot. Start Bootvis, go to the Tools menu, and select next boot. Set the Trace Repetition Settings to 2 repetitions, Start at 1, and Reboot automatically. Then set the trace into motion. The system will fully reboot twice, and then reopen bootvis and open the second trace file (should have _2 in the name). Analyze the graphs and make any changes that you think are necessary (this is a great tool for determining which startup programs you want to kill using msconfig). Once you have made your optimizations go to the Trace menu, and select the Optimize System item. This will cause the system to reboot and will then make some changes to the file structure on the hard drive (this includes a defragmentation of boot files and a shifting of their location to the fastest portion of the hard disk, as well as some other optimizations). After this is done, once again run a Trace analysis as above, except change the starting number to 3. Once the system has rebooted both times, compare the charts from the second trace to the charts for the fourth trace to show you the time improvement of the system's boot up.
The standard defragmenter included with Windows XP will not undo the boot optimizations performed by this application.
-----------------------------------
General Performance Tweaks
-----------------------------------
IRQ Priority Tweak
******************
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ System \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ PriorityControl]
You will need to create a new DWORD: IRQ#Priority (where # is the number of the IRQ you want to prioritize) and give it a setting of 1. This setting gives the requisite IRQ channel priority over the other IRQs on a software level. This can be extremely important for functions and hardware subsystems that need real-time access to other parts of the system. There are several different subsystems that might benefit from this tweak. Generally, I recommend giving either the System CMOS or the video card priority. The System CMOS generally has an IRQ setting of 8, and giving it priority enhances the I/O performance of the system. Giving priority to the video card can increase frame rates and make AGP more effective.
You can give several IRQs priority, but I am not entirely certain how the system interacts when several IRQs are given priority – it may cause random instabilities in the system, although it is more likely that there's a parsing system built into Windows XP to handle such an occurrence. Either way, I would not recommend it.
QoS tweak
*********
QoS (Quality of Service) is a networking subsystem which is supposed to insure that the network runs properly. The problem with the system is that it eats up 20% of the total bandwidth of any networking service on the computer (including your internet connection). If you are running XP Professional, you can disable the bandwidth quota reserved for the system using the Group Policy Editor [gpedit.msc].
You can run the group policy editor from the Run command line. To find the setting, expand "Local Computer Policy" and go to "Administrative Templates" under "Computer Configuration." Then find the "Network" branch and select "QoS Packet Scheduler." In the right hand box, double click on the "Limit Reservable Bandwidth." From within the Settings tab, enable the setting and then go into the "Bandwidth Limit %" and set it to 0%. The reason for this is that if you disable this setting, the computer defaults to 20%. This is true even when you aren't using QoS.
Free Idle Tasks Tweak
*********************
This tweak will free up processing time from any idle processes and allow it to be used by the foreground application. It is useful particularly if you are running a game or other 3D application. Create a new shortcut to "Rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks" and place it on your desktop. Double-click on it anytime you need all of your processing power, before opening the application.
Windows Indexing Services
Windows Indexing Services creates a searchable database that makes system searches for words and files progress much faster – however, it takes an enormous amount of hard drive space as well as a significant amount of extra CPU cycles to maintain the system. Most users will want to disable this service to release the resources for use by the system. To turn off indexing, open My Computer and right click on the drive on which you wish to disable the Indexing Service. Enter the drive's properties and under the general tab, untick the box for "Allow the Indexing Service to index this disk for fast file searching."
Priority Tweak
**************
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ PriorityControl]
This setting effectively runs each instance of an application in its own process for significantly faster application performance and greater stability. This is extremely useful for users with stability problems, as it can isolate specific instances of a program so as not to bring down the entire application. And, it is particularly useful for users of Internet Explorer, for if a rogue web page crashes your browser window, it does not bring the other browser windows down with it. It has a similar effect on any software package where multiple instances might be running at once, such as Microsoft Word. The only problem is that this takes up significantly more memory, because such instances of a program cannot share information that is in active memory (many DLLs and such will have to be loaded into memory multiple times). Because of this, it is not recommended for anyone with less than 512 MB of RAM, unless they are running beta software (or have some other reason for needing the added stability).
There are two parts to this tweak. First is to optimize XP's priority control for the processes. Browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ PriorityControl and set the "Win32PrioritySeparation" DWORD to 38. Next, go into My Computer and under Tools, open the Folder Options menu. Select the View tab and check the "Launch folder windows in separate process" box. This setting actually forces each window into its own memory tread and gives it a separate process priority.
Powertweak application
**********************
xxx.powertweak.com
Powertweak is an application, which acts much like a driver for our chipsets. It optimizes the communication between the chipset and the CPU, and unlocks several "hidden" features of the chipset that can increase the speed of the system. Specifically, it tweaks the internal registers of the chipset and processor that the BIOS does not for better communication performance between subsystems. Supported CPUs and chipsets can see a significant increase in I/O bandwidth, increasing the speed of the entire system. Currently the application supports most popular CPUs and chipsets, although you will need to check the website for your specific processor/chipset combo – the programmer is working on integrating even more chipsets and CPUs into the software.
Offload Network Task Processing onto the Network Card
*****************************************************
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Services \ Tcpip \ Parameters]
Many newer network cards have the ability of taking some of the network processing load off of the processor and performing it right on the card (much like Hardware T&L on most new video cards). This can significantly lower the CPU processes needed to maintain a network connection, freeing up that processor time for other tasks. This does not work on all cards, and it can cause network connectivity problems on systems where the service is enabled but unsupported, so please check with your NIC manufacturer prior to enabling this tweak. Find the DWORD "DisableTaskOffload" and set the value to 0 (the default value is 1). If the key is not already available, create it.
Force XP to Unload DLLs
***********************
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer]
"AlwaysUnloadDLL"=dword:00000001
XP has a bad habit of keeping dynamic link libraries that are no longer in use resident in memory. Not only do the DLLs use up precious memory space, but they also tend to cause stability problems in some systems. To force XP to unload any DLLs in memory when the application that called them is no longer in memory, browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer and find the DWORD "AlwaysUnloadDLL". You may need to create this key. Set the value to 1 to force the operating system to unload DLLs.
Give 16-bit apps their own separate processes
*********************************************
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ WOW]
"DefaultSeparateVDM"="Yes"
By default, Windows XP will only open one 16-bit process and cram all 16-bit apps running on the system at a given time into that process. This simulates how MS-DOS based systems viewed systems and is necessary for some older applications that run together and share resources. However, most 16-bit applications work perfectly well by themselves and would benefit from the added performance and stability of their own dedicated resources. To force Windows XP to give each 16-bit application it's own resources, browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ WOW and find the String "DefaultSeparateVDM". If it is not there, you may need to create it. Set the value of this to Yes to give each 16-bit application its own process, and No to have the 16-bit application all run in the same memory space.
Disable User Tracking
*********************
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer]
"NoInstrumentation"=dword:00000001
The user tracking system built into Windows XP is useless to 99% of users (there are very few uses for the information collected other than for a very nosy system admin), and it uses up precious resources to boot, so it makes sense to disable this "feature" of Windows XP. To do so, browse to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer and find the DWORD "NoInstrumentation". You may need to create this key if it is not there. The default setting is 0, but setting it to 1 will disable most of the user tracking features of the system.
Thumbnail Cache
***************
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ Advanced]
"DisableThumbnailCache"=dword:00000001
Windows XP has a neat feature for graphic and video files that creates a "thumbnail" of the image or first frame of the video and makes it into an oversized icon for the file. There are two ways that Explorer can do this, it can create them fresh each time you access the folder or it can load them from a thumbnail cache. The thumbnail caches on systems with a large number of image and video files can become staggeringly large. To disable the Thumbnail Cache, browse to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ Advanced and find the DWORD "DisableThumbnailCache". You may need to create this key. A setting of 1 is recommended for systems where the number of graphic and video files is large, and a setting of 0 is recommended for systems not concerned about hard drive space, as loading the files from the cache is significantly quicker than creating them from scratch each time a folder is accessed.
-----------
STARTUP
-----------
Windows Prefetcher
******************
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ Session Manager \ Memory Management \ PrefetchParameters]
Under this key there is a setting called EnablePrefetcher, the default setting of which is 3. Increasing this number to 5 gives the prefetcher system more system resources to prefetch application data for faster load times. Depending on the number of boot processes you run on your computer, you may get benefits from settings up to 9. However, I do not have any substantive research data on settings above 5 so I cannot verify the benefits of a higher setting. This setting also may effect the loading times of your most frequently launched applications. This setting will not take effect until after you reboot your system.
Master File Table Zone Reservation
**********************************
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ FileSystem]
Under this key there is a setting called NtfsMftZoneReservation, the default setting of which is 1. The range of this value is from 1 to 4. The default setting reserves one-eighth of the volume for the MFT. A setting of 2 reserves one-quarter of the volume for the MFT. A setting of 3 for NtfsMftZoneReservation reserves three-eighths of the volume for the MFT and setting it to 4 reserves half of the volume for the MFT. Most users will never exceed one-quarter of the volume. I recommend a setting of 2 for most users. This allows for a "moderate number of files" commensurate with the number of small files included in most computer games and applications. Reboot after applying this tweak.
Optimize Boot Files
*******************
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Dfrg \ BootOptimizeFunction]
Under this key is a text value named Enable. A value of Y for this setting enables the boot files defragmenter. This setting defragments the boot files and may move the boot files to the beginning (fastest) part of the partition, but that last statement is unverified. Reboot after applying this tweak.
Optimizing Startup Programs [msconfig]
**************************************
MSConfig, similar to the application included in Win9x of the same name, allows the user to fine tune the applications that are launched at startup without forcing the user to delve deep into the registry. To disable some of the applications launched, load msconfig.exe from the run command line, and go to the Startup tab. From there, un-ticking the checkbox next to a startup item will stop it from launching. There are a few application that you will never want to disable (ctfmon comes to mind), but for the most part the best settings vary greatly from system to system.
As a good rule of thumb, though, it is unlikely that you will want to disable anything in the Windows directory (unless it's a third-party program that was incorrectly installed into the Windows directory), nor will you want to disable anything directly relating to your system hardware. The only exception to this is when you are dealing with software, which does not give you any added benefits (some OEM dealers load your system up with software you do not need). The nice part of msconfig is that it does not delete any of the settings, it simply disables them, and so you can go back and restart a startup application if you find that you need it. This optimization won't take effect until after a reboot.
Bootvis Application
*******************
The program was designed by Microsoft to enable Windows XP to cold boot in 30 seconds, return from hibernation in 20 seconds, and return from standby in 10 seconds. Bootvis has two extremely useful features. First, it can be used to optimize the boot process on your computer automatically. Second, it can be used to analyze the boot process for specific subsystems that are having difficulty loading. The first process specifically targets the prefetching subsystem, as well as the layout of boot files on the disk. When both of these systems are optimized, it can result in a significant reduction in the time it takes for the computer to boot.
Before attempting to use Bootvis to analyze or optimize the boot performance of your system, make sure that the task scheduler service has been enabled – the program requires the service to run properly. Also, close all open programs as well – using the software requires a reboot.
To use the software to optimize your system startup, first start with a full analysis of a fresh boot. Start Bootvis, go to the Tools menu, and select next boot. Set the Trace Repetition Settings to 2 repetitions, Start at 1, and Reboot automatically. Then set the trace into motion. The system will fully reboot twice, and then reopen bootvis and open the second trace file (should have _2 in the name). Analyze the graphs and make any changes that you think are necessary (this is a great tool for determining which startup programs you want to kill using msconfig). Once you have made your optimizations go to the Trace menu, and select the Optimize System item. This will cause the system to reboot and will then make some changes to the file structure on the hard drive (this includes a defragmentation of boot files and a shifting of their location to the fastest portion of the hard disk, as well as some other optimizations). After this is done, once again run a Trace analysis as above, except change the starting number to 3. Once the system has rebooted both times, compare the charts from the second trace to the charts for the fourth trace to show you the time improvement of the system's boot up.
The standard defragmenter included with Windows XP will not undo the boot optimizations performed by this application.
-----------------------------------
General Performance Tweaks
-----------------------------------
IRQ Priority Tweak
******************
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ System \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ PriorityControl]
You will need to create a new DWORD: IRQ#Priority (where # is the number of the IRQ you want to prioritize) and give it a setting of 1. This setting gives the requisite IRQ channel priority over the other IRQs on a software level. This can be extremely important for functions and hardware subsystems that need real-time access to other parts of the system. There are several different subsystems that might benefit from this tweak. Generally, I recommend giving either the System CMOS or the video card priority. The System CMOS generally has an IRQ setting of 8, and giving it priority enhances the I/O performance of the system. Giving priority to the video card can increase frame rates and make AGP more effective.
You can give several IRQs priority, but I am not entirely certain how the system interacts when several IRQs are given priority – it may cause random instabilities in the system, although it is more likely that there's a parsing system built into Windows XP to handle such an occurrence. Either way, I would not recommend it.
QoS tweak
*********
QoS (Quality of Service) is a networking subsystem which is supposed to insure that the network runs properly. The problem with the system is that it eats up 20% of the total bandwidth of any networking service on the computer (including your internet connection). If you are running XP Professional, you can disable the bandwidth quota reserved for the system using the Group Policy Editor [gpedit.msc].
You can run the group policy editor from the Run command line. To find the setting, expand "Local Computer Policy" and go to "Administrative Templates" under "Computer Configuration." Then find the "Network" branch and select "QoS Packet Scheduler." In the right hand box, double click on the "Limit Reservable Bandwidth." From within the Settings tab, enable the setting and then go into the "Bandwidth Limit %" and set it to 0%. The reason for this is that if you disable this setting, the computer defaults to 20%. This is true even when you aren't using QoS.
Free Idle Tasks Tweak
*********************
This tweak will free up processing time from any idle processes and allow it to be used by the foreground application. It is useful particularly if you are running a game or other 3D application. Create a new shortcut to "Rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks" and place it on your desktop. Double-click on it anytime you need all of your processing power, before opening the application.
Windows Indexing Services
Windows Indexing Services creates a searchable database that makes system searches for words and files progress much faster – however, it takes an enormous amount of hard drive space as well as a significant amount of extra CPU cycles to maintain the system. Most users will want to disable this service to release the resources for use by the system. To turn off indexing, open My Computer and right click on the drive on which you wish to disable the Indexing Service. Enter the drive's properties and under the general tab, untick the box for "Allow the Indexing Service to index this disk for fast file searching."
Priority Tweak
**************
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ PriorityControl]
This setting effectively runs each instance of an application in its own process for significantly faster application performance and greater stability. This is extremely useful for users with stability problems, as it can isolate specific instances of a program so as not to bring down the entire application. And, it is particularly useful for users of Internet Explorer, for if a rogue web page crashes your browser window, it does not bring the other browser windows down with it. It has a similar effect on any software package where multiple instances might be running at once, such as Microsoft Word. The only problem is that this takes up significantly more memory, because such instances of a program cannot share information that is in active memory (many DLLs and such will have to be loaded into memory multiple times). Because of this, it is not recommended for anyone with less than 512 MB of RAM, unless they are running beta software (or have some other reason for needing the added stability).
There are two parts to this tweak. First is to optimize XP's priority control for the processes. Browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ PriorityControl and set the "Win32PrioritySeparation" DWORD to 38. Next, go into My Computer and under Tools, open the Folder Options menu. Select the View tab and check the "Launch folder windows in separate process" box. This setting actually forces each window into its own memory tread and gives it a separate process priority.
Powertweak application
**********************
xxx.powertweak.com
Powertweak is an application, which acts much like a driver for our chipsets. It optimizes the communication between the chipset and the CPU, and unlocks several "hidden" features of the chipset that can increase the speed of the system. Specifically, it tweaks the internal registers of the chipset and processor that the BIOS does not for better communication performance between subsystems. Supported CPUs and chipsets can see a significant increase in I/O bandwidth, increasing the speed of the entire system. Currently the application supports most popular CPUs and chipsets, although you will need to check the website for your specific processor/chipset combo – the programmer is working on integrating even more chipsets and CPUs into the software.
Offload Network Task Processing onto the Network Card
*****************************************************
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Services \ Tcpip \ Parameters]
Many newer network cards have the ability of taking some of the network processing load off of the processor and performing it right on the card (much like Hardware T&L on most new video cards). This can significantly lower the CPU processes needed to maintain a network connection, freeing up that processor time for other tasks. This does not work on all cards, and it can cause network connectivity problems on systems where the service is enabled but unsupported, so please check with your NIC manufacturer prior to enabling this tweak. Find the DWORD "DisableTaskOffload" and set the value to 0 (the default value is 1). If the key is not already available, create it.
Force XP to Unload DLLs
***********************
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer]
"AlwaysUnloadDLL"=dword:00000001
XP has a bad habit of keeping dynamic link libraries that are no longer in use resident in memory. Not only do the DLLs use up precious memory space, but they also tend to cause stability problems in some systems. To force XP to unload any DLLs in memory when the application that called them is no longer in memory, browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer and find the DWORD "AlwaysUnloadDLL". You may need to create this key. Set the value to 1 to force the operating system to unload DLLs.
Give 16-bit apps their own separate processes
*********************************************
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ WOW]
"DefaultSeparateVDM"="Yes"
By default, Windows XP will only open one 16-bit process and cram all 16-bit apps running on the system at a given time into that process. This simulates how MS-DOS based systems viewed systems and is necessary for some older applications that run together and share resources. However, most 16-bit applications work perfectly well by themselves and would benefit from the added performance and stability of their own dedicated resources. To force Windows XP to give each 16-bit application it's own resources, browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ WOW and find the String "DefaultSeparateVDM". If it is not there, you may need to create it. Set the value of this to Yes to give each 16-bit application its own process, and No to have the 16-bit application all run in the same memory space.
Disable User Tracking
*********************
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer]
"NoInstrumentation"=dword:00000001
The user tracking system built into Windows XP is useless to 99% of users (there are very few uses for the information collected other than for a very nosy system admin), and it uses up precious resources to boot, so it makes sense to disable this "feature" of Windows XP. To do so, browse to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer and find the DWORD "NoInstrumentation". You may need to create this key if it is not there. The default setting is 0, but setting it to 1 will disable most of the user tracking features of the system.
Thumbnail Cache
***************
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ Advanced]
"DisableThumbnailCache"=dword:00000001
Windows XP has a neat feature for graphic and video files that creates a "thumbnail" of the image or first frame of the video and makes it into an oversized icon for the file. There are two ways that Explorer can do this, it can create them fresh each time you access the folder or it can load them from a thumbnail cache. The thumbnail caches on systems with a large number of image and video files can become staggeringly large. To disable the Thumbnail Cache, browse to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ Advanced and find the DWORD "DisableThumbnailCache". You may need to create this key. A setting of 1 is recommended for systems where the number of graphic and video files is large, and a setting of 0 is recommended for systems not concerned about hard drive space, as loading the files from the cache is significantly quicker than creating them from scratch each time a folder is accessed.
Yahoo Messenger - NO ADS
I went into the system registery and found out that Yahoo! moved the 'banner url' key to a slightly different location. Than what it used in version 5.5!
Yahoo! IM no longer uses 'YUrl', but uses 'View' instead. You gotta click on each key inside of 'View' and edit the 'banner url' string to anything you want... I simply cleared mine out completely and it works flawlessly!
Here is what you gotta do:
Run regedit
Goto HKEY_CURRENT_USER -> Software -> Yahoo -> Pager -> View
Inside the 'View' key there are a several other keys... go through each one and edit the 'banner url' string to your liking. It even works if the string is left blank (this causes it to look as if ads were never even implemented)!
Restart Yahoo! IM for the effect to take hold.
This is great for Yahoo! IM 5.6 users who don't want to be bothered with ads.
Yahoo! IM no longer uses 'YUrl', but uses 'View' instead. You gotta click on each key inside of 'View' and edit the 'banner url' string to anything you want... I simply cleared mine out completely and it works flawlessly!
Here is what you gotta do:
Run regedit
Goto HKEY_CURRENT_USER -> Software -> Yahoo -> Pager -> View
Inside the 'View' key there are a several other keys... go through each one and edit the 'banner url' string to your liking. It even works if the string is left blank (this causes it to look as if ads were never even implemented)!
Restart Yahoo! IM for the effect to take hold.
This is great for Yahoo! IM 5.6 users who don't want to be bothered with ads.
You Want Lots Of Music, Appz, Anything?
You Want Lots Of Music, Appz, Anything?, Try Dex Hunting
So what's this Dex Hunting, anyway?
See: lots of people post files of any kind on their websites to share them with friends. Those files are "protected" by not mentioning them. There's no visible link given, and for literally hundreds of thousands this seems to be enough.
What they don't know: There are many nice techniques to locate the invisible stuff.
I don't want to get in too deep - and as I'm rather new here it's possible some of the tricks might have been posted elsewhere.
But if you want to find lots of music the way I described it - and want other people doing the "dirty" work I recommend:
STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN
A free message board - gathering place of the best "dex hunters" in the universe. There you will find loads of *fresh* (!) mp3 links. Not only this - they update with lightspeed. This is a site you won't visit once a month or once a week. I visit them hourly, and I know why.
CODE
http://www.fionasforum.com/Stairway/
Remember: as soon as a fresh dex is posted there, it will be invaded and can die within hours. But I swear there will be enough left for your needs.
Curious?
Wanna try it for yourself?
Try this one. It's a search bot, and instead typing complicated data strings for Dex Hunting just type what you're looking for, and the bot does the rest for you. Sounds nice, huh?
http://www.exploseek.com
not very sexy at first sight - but very effective.
Hope you'll like it!
So what's this Dex Hunting, anyway?
See: lots of people post files of any kind on their websites to share them with friends. Those files are "protected" by not mentioning them. There's no visible link given, and for literally hundreds of thousands this seems to be enough.
What they don't know: There are many nice techniques to locate the invisible stuff.
I don't want to get in too deep - and as I'm rather new here it's possible some of the tricks might have been posted elsewhere.
But if you want to find lots of music the way I described it - and want other people doing the "dirty" work I recommend:
STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN
A free message board - gathering place of the best "dex hunters" in the universe. There you will find loads of *fresh* (!) mp3 links. Not only this - they update with lightspeed. This is a site you won't visit once a month or once a week. I visit them hourly, and I know why.
CODE
http://www.fionasforum.com/Stairway/
Remember: as soon as a fresh dex is posted there, it will be invaded and can die within hours. But I swear there will be enough left for your needs.
Curious?
Wanna try it for yourself?
Try this one. It's a search bot, and instead typing complicated data strings for Dex Hunting just type what you're looking for, and the bot does the rest for you. Sounds nice, huh?
http://www.exploseek.com
not very sexy at first sight - but very effective.
Hope you'll like it!
Your Hompage Never Been Changed
Your Home Page Nevr Being Changed
Some websites illegally modify your registry editor and set their website as default home page, for stop this,
1. Right-click on the Internet Explorer icon on your desktop and select "Properties".
2. In the "Target" box you will see "C:\Program Files\Internet
Explorer\IEXPLORE.EXE".
3. Now by adding the URL of the site to the end of this it overrides any
Homepage setting in internet options:
"C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\IEXPLORE.EXE" www.shareordie.com
Some websites illegally modify your registry editor and set their website as default home page, for stop this,
1. Right-click on the Internet Explorer icon on your desktop and select "Properties".
2. In the "Target" box you will see "C:\Program Files\Internet
Explorer\IEXPLORE.EXE".
3. Now by adding the URL of the site to the end of this it overrides any
Homepage setting in internet options:
"C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\IEXPLORE.EXE" www.shareordie.com
How to SET-UP your OWN HOME SERVER
Your Own Home Server - Introduction
An Introduction
In this tutorial you will learn how to step up your own server. This server will be comprised of Apache 1.3.5, PHP 4.2.0, and MySQL 3.23.49. This tutorial will address the basic setup of a server on your own computer. This means the removal of hassles of dealing with the company that is running a remote web server. It will be easy to modify. You can add any thing you want to it, be it CGI/Perl, Zope, Roxen, etc, all by your self. You will have unlimited disk space, well at least as big as your hard drive is =) Now that you know the advantages, it is time that I tell you what i used, and what you will need.
What I used
* Windows 2000 - NOTE that if you are using 2k you WILL NEED Administrative Privileges. If you don't then get them somehow =) If you are on 95, 98, NT, XP, ME, I
* Apache 1.3.6 - I tried to use 2.0 but I could not get it work. I also feel that 1.3.6 is tried and true, so why mess with greatness.
* Mysql 3.23.49 - The newest version of MySQL when I set up my server. MySQL also the is the best PHP supported Database, and well love PHP don't we.
* PHP 4.2.1 - The latest and greatest PHP release. -nt
What you will need
* Apache 2 - Link: h**p://www.apache.org/dist/
* Mysql 3.23.49 - Link: h**p://www.mysql.com/downloads/mysql-3.23.html
* PHP 4.2.0 - Link: h**p://www.php.net/downloads.php
* Windows - This tutorial is ONLY written for new versions of Windows.
Once you have downloaded all the programs you are ready to continue.
1. Installing Apache
Installing Apache
The first step is to download Apache for Windows. Before you install it make sure that any other server software is removed. Remove it all via the control panel.On
Once you have clicked on the executable, a screen should com up that looks like this. Go ahead and click on next
user posted image
Of course you plan to abide be the license agreement, so click on I accept.... and click on next.
user posted image
You really don't need to read this, but if you want you can. Read it if you want feel informed. When you are ready click on next.
user posted image
Here is where the actual setup of Apache begins. For Network Domain put in localhost as for Server Name You want these both to be localhost because the server is running locally, on your computer. It doesn't matter what is in email field, just put in yours. No one will no it because it's just you.
user posted image
For the sake of this tutorial it is better to just leave it as it is because, later in the tutorial I will show you how to start the server with one click of the mouse, and for the sake of ease, it will be easier for you to follow along. You can change it if you want, but you will have to realize where to substitute it. For me the root drive is E: but for you will probably be C:
user posted image
Once you have all the jazz set up, it is time to install the server. If you are on w2k or XP be sure that you have Administrative permissions or you will get an error about half way through the install saving cannot access msvrt32.dll or something. If you get that error run it again when you have admin privileges. Once you are ready click on install.
user posted image
If all went well you just see a screen similar to this. Now it is time to test the install of apache. Click on Start > Program Files > Apache HTTP Server and look for start Start Apache in Console. Click it. Once it says Apache XXXXX running, press Windows Key + R and type -http://localhost/. If the install works you should see a page saying that it works. If all is set and done, continue to the next step.
user posted image
______________________________________________________________________
2. Installing PHP
Once you have clicked on the executable, a screen should come up that looks like this. Go ahead and click on next.
user posted image
Of course you plan to abide be the license agreement, so click on I accept.... and click on next.
user posted image
For this information, we will want the simple standard install. Chances are you if you are reading this tutorial, you will probably not even want to talk about advanced =)
user posted image
This is the mail setup, just enter localhost, and me@localhost.com. These are not important, because you, the admin, are the only person that will use the server, and you will be the one handling errors.
user posted image
We are going to want this install to work is Apache, so click on Apache, and move on.
user posted image
Once you have all the jazz set up, it is time to install the server. If you are on w2k or XP be sure that you have Administrative permission or you will get an error about half way through the install saving cannot access msvrt32.dll or something. If you get that error run it again when you have admin privileges. Once you are ready click on install.
user posted image
After the install is done you should get something that says you will have to manually configure apache to use php. Assuming you have a working Apache server installed, make sure that it is not running. Navigate to C:\Program Files\Apache Group\Apache\conf\ open the httpd.conf file. Note that you can also get to the http.conf from the start menu. Start > Program File > Apache HTTP Server > Configure Apache Server > Edit the Apache httpd.conf Configuration File and the window will open up in notepad. Now hit Ctrl + End if you see something like what follows, you can skip this step. If you do not see that code, copy it. This code will only work if you used the default install folder when you installed php. If you did, copy that code and paste it into the end of the file. Select the code to right, and hit crtl + c , then go into the httpd.conf file and hit ctrl + v and save the file.
ScriptAlias /php/ "c:/php/"
AddType application/x-httpd-php .php .phtml
Action application/x-httpd-php "/php/php.exe"
Now that we have php installed, it is time to test it. Open up notepad and type the code to the right. Save it as phpinfo.php. Remember to set it as all files in the drop down menu, or the file will be a text file. Save in the Directory: C:\Program Files\Apache Group\Apache\htdocs. htdocs is the directory where all the files go. You can create endless dir's and browse them. For Example E:\Program Files\Apache Group\Apache\htdocs\mydir\myfile.php could be accessed as http://localhost/mydir/myfile.php. Once you have that file saved. You will need to start the Server. Click: Start > Program File > Apache HTTP Server >; and look for something like Start Apache in Console. After you have found it, launch it. You should get a window saying that Apache is running. Now go to Start > Run > and type in -http://localhost/phpinfo.php. If you don't see anything, php is not installed correctly. If php is installed correctly, you will see a few large tables, displaying php's configuration. Now Your are 1/2 done!
______________________________________________________________________
3. Installing MySQL
Once you have clicked on the executable, a screen should com up that looks like this. Go ahead and click on next.
user posted image
Of course you plan to abide be the license agreement, so click on I accept.... and click on next.
Just like before you should leave the default dir alone, so you will be able to follow along with me when I show you how to start and stop all the aspects of the server.
Stay with the typical installation. Just like before, if you don't have admin privileges, the install will be faulty. After you click next, the install will begin. After the install has finished, move on to the next step.
Now you have to set up the root account. The root account is the absolute admin of the system, the highest possible. Click on Start > Run and type cmd to open up the command prompt. You are going to have to navigate to where MySQL is installed. Type C: > Enter > cd mysql > Enter > cd bin > Enter. Now you have to tell setup the root settings. Type mysqladmin -uroot password InsertYourPasswordHere then hit enter.
To see an image of the screen, -h**p://www.webmasterstop.com/tutorials/images/doscreen1.gif
What is the point of having a database if you can't easily administer it! That is where phpMyAdmin comes into play. phpMyAdmin is a free piece of software written in php that makes the administration of a mysql or many other types of databases easy. You will want to download (h**p://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/phpmyadmin/phpMyAdmin-2.2.6-php.zip?downloadrelease_id=85832)the latest version. Save it in the htdocs folder. Once it is done downloading it, right click on it and select Extract > To Here. When it is done you should end up with a directory in the htdocs folder called phpMyAdmin-2.2.6 To make it easier to access, rename it to phpMyAdmin. After you have renamed it, click on it and look for a file called config.inc Open it. This is where you set the configuration of phpMyAdmin. When you open it up, it should look similar to the image to your side. On yours there should be a few things missing. The $cfgPmaAbsoulteUrl and $cfgservers[$i]['password']. You will need to fill those in between the quotes. for the $cfgPmaAbsoulteUrl enter -http://localhost/phpMyAdmin/ if you followed my instructions to the letter. If you did not rename it or extracted to a different directory, put that in there. For the $cfgservers[$i]['password'] enter the password you entered when you were setting MySQL in the set above. You can refer to the image for help. After you have put the right things in save the file.
To see an image of the screen, -h**p://www.webmasterstop.com/tutorials/images/phpmyadminscreen1.gif
Now we want to test the install of mysql, php, phpmyadmin, and apache all at once. Start apache in console like we did before. Now, you are going to need to start mysql. For myself I made a file that would start mysql for me. Open notepad and type: start c:\mysql\bin\mysqld-nt.exe --standalone and save that as Start MySQL.bat. Once you have saved it, click it. A window should open and then close. Mysql is now running on your computer. After mysql and apache are started go to run again and type -http://localhost/phpMyAdmin/index.php and if everything is installed correctly phpmyadmin should so up. You are almost done! Now we have the easy part =)
4. Finishing it all up
Wow! We mad it through the whole process. Now we want to simplify the whole process of controlling the server. I made a toolbar with all the things I needed. I made a new folder on my desktop and called it Server Folder and put all the stuff there. I made a new shortcut and gave it a value of -http://localhost/ made a shortcut to the PHP Documentation page. Another shortcut to my php editor, which is now unavailable. The phpMyAdmin shortcut is set to -http://localhost/phpMyAdmin/index.php. I made another shortcut htdocs. I moved the Start Apache in Console program that was in the start menu folder and moved it to the server folder. You can take the Start Mysql file you made in the last page and move it to the new folder. After you have put all the desired things into that folder, right click on a blank space in stat menu task bar (where the program boxes lie) and select Toolbars > New Toolbar and navigate to the folder. Voila!
Now all you have to do is click Start Apache in Console , Start Mysql, and Lauch browser biggrin.gif
Here You Are Guys
An Introduction
In this tutorial you will learn how to step up your own server. This server will be comprised of Apache 1.3.5, PHP 4.2.0, and MySQL 3.23.49. This tutorial will address the basic setup of a server on your own computer. This means the removal of hassles of dealing with the company that is running a remote web server. It will be easy to modify. You can add any thing you want to it, be it CGI/Perl, Zope, Roxen, etc, all by your self. You will have unlimited disk space, well at least as big as your hard drive is =) Now that you know the advantages, it is time that I tell you what i used, and what you will need.
What I used
* Windows 2000 - NOTE that if you are using 2k you WILL NEED Administrative Privileges. If you don't then get them somehow =) If you are on 95, 98, NT, XP, ME, I
* Apache 1.3.6 - I tried to use 2.0 but I could not get it work. I also feel that 1.3.6 is tried and true, so why mess with greatness.
* Mysql 3.23.49 - The newest version of MySQL when I set up my server. MySQL also the is the best PHP supported Database, and well love PHP don't we.
* PHP 4.2.1 - The latest and greatest PHP release. -nt
What you will need
* Apache 2 - Link: h**p://www.apache.org/dist/
* Mysql 3.23.49 - Link: h**p://www.mysql.com/downloads/mysql-3.23.html
* PHP 4.2.0 - Link: h**p://www.php.net/downloads.php
* Windows - This tutorial is ONLY written for new versions of Windows.
Once you have downloaded all the programs you are ready to continue.
1. Installing Apache
Installing Apache
The first step is to download Apache for Windows. Before you install it make sure that any other server software is removed. Remove it all via the control panel.On
Once you have clicked on the executable, a screen should com up that looks like this. Go ahead and click on next
user posted image
Of course you plan to abide be the license agreement, so click on I accept.... and click on next.
user posted image
You really don't need to read this, but if you want you can. Read it if you want feel informed. When you are ready click on next.
user posted image
Here is where the actual setup of Apache begins. For Network Domain put in localhost as for Server Name You want these both to be localhost because the server is running locally, on your computer. It doesn't matter what is in email field, just put in yours. No one will no it because it's just you.
user posted image
For the sake of this tutorial it is better to just leave it as it is because, later in the tutorial I will show you how to start the server with one click of the mouse, and for the sake of ease, it will be easier for you to follow along. You can change it if you want, but you will have to realize where to substitute it. For me the root drive is E: but for you will probably be C:
user posted image
Once you have all the jazz set up, it is time to install the server. If you are on w2k or XP be sure that you have Administrative permissions or you will get an error about half way through the install saving cannot access msvrt32.dll or something. If you get that error run it again when you have admin privileges. Once you are ready click on install.
user posted image
If all went well you just see a screen similar to this. Now it is time to test the install of apache. Click on Start > Program Files > Apache HTTP Server and look for start Start Apache in Console. Click it. Once it says Apache XXXXX running, press Windows Key + R and type -http://localhost/. If the install works you should see a page saying that it works. If all is set and done, continue to the next step.
user posted image
______________________________________________________________________
2. Installing PHP
Once you have clicked on the executable, a screen should come up that looks like this. Go ahead and click on next.
user posted image
Of course you plan to abide be the license agreement, so click on I accept.... and click on next.
user posted image
For this information, we will want the simple standard install. Chances are you if you are reading this tutorial, you will probably not even want to talk about advanced =)
user posted image
This is the mail setup, just enter localhost, and me@localhost.com. These are not important, because you, the admin, are the only person that will use the server, and you will be the one handling errors.
user posted image
We are going to want this install to work is Apache, so click on Apache, and move on.
user posted image
Once you have all the jazz set up, it is time to install the server. If you are on w2k or XP be sure that you have Administrative permission or you will get an error about half way through the install saving cannot access msvrt32.dll or something. If you get that error run it again when you have admin privileges. Once you are ready click on install.
user posted image
After the install is done you should get something that says you will have to manually configure apache to use php. Assuming you have a working Apache server installed, make sure that it is not running. Navigate to C:\Program Files\Apache Group\Apache\conf\ open the httpd.conf file. Note that you can also get to the http.conf from the start menu. Start > Program File > Apache HTTP Server > Configure Apache Server > Edit the Apache httpd.conf Configuration File and the window will open up in notepad. Now hit Ctrl + End if you see something like what follows, you can skip this step. If you do not see that code, copy it. This code will only work if you used the default install folder when you installed php. If you did, copy that code and paste it into the end of the file. Select the code to right, and hit crtl + c , then go into the httpd.conf file and hit ctrl + v and save the file.
ScriptAlias /php/ "c:/php/"
AddType application/x-httpd-php .php .phtml
Action application/x-httpd-php "/php/php.exe"
Now that we have php installed, it is time to test it. Open up notepad and type the code to the right. Save it as phpinfo.php. Remember to set it as all files in the drop down menu, or the file will be a text file. Save in the Directory: C:\Program Files\Apache Group\Apache\htdocs. htdocs is the directory where all the files go. You can create endless dir's and browse them. For Example E:\Program Files\Apache Group\Apache\htdocs\mydir\myfile.php could be accessed as http://localhost/mydir/myfile.php. Once you have that file saved. You will need to start the Server. Click: Start > Program File > Apache HTTP Server >; and look for something like Start Apache in Console. After you have found it, launch it. You should get a window saying that Apache is running. Now go to Start > Run > and type in -http://localhost/phpinfo.php. If you don't see anything, php is not installed correctly. If php is installed correctly, you will see a few large tables, displaying php's configuration. Now Your are 1/2 done!
______________________________________________________________________
3. Installing MySQL
Once you have clicked on the executable, a screen should com up that looks like this. Go ahead and click on next.
user posted image
Of course you plan to abide be the license agreement, so click on I accept.... and click on next.
Just like before you should leave the default dir alone, so you will be able to follow along with me when I show you how to start and stop all the aspects of the server.
Stay with the typical installation. Just like before, if you don't have admin privileges, the install will be faulty. After you click next, the install will begin. After the install has finished, move on to the next step.
Now you have to set up the root account. The root account is the absolute admin of the system, the highest possible. Click on Start > Run and type cmd to open up the command prompt. You are going to have to navigate to where MySQL is installed. Type C: > Enter > cd mysql > Enter > cd bin > Enter. Now you have to tell setup the root settings. Type mysqladmin -uroot password InsertYourPasswordHere then hit enter.
To see an image of the screen, -h**p://www.webmasterstop.com/tutorials/images/doscreen1.gif
What is the point of having a database if you can't easily administer it! That is where phpMyAdmin comes into play. phpMyAdmin is a free piece of software written in php that makes the administration of a mysql or many other types of databases easy. You will want to download (h**p://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/phpmyadmin/phpMyAdmin-2.2.6-php.zip?downloadrelease_id=85832)the latest version. Save it in the htdocs folder. Once it is done downloading it, right click on it and select Extract > To Here. When it is done you should end up with a directory in the htdocs folder called phpMyAdmin-2.2.6 To make it easier to access, rename it to phpMyAdmin. After you have renamed it, click on it and look for a file called config.inc Open it. This is where you set the configuration of phpMyAdmin. When you open it up, it should look similar to the image to your side. On yours there should be a few things missing. The $cfgPmaAbsoulteUrl and $cfgservers[$i]['password']. You will need to fill those in between the quotes. for the $cfgPmaAbsoulteUrl enter -http://localhost/phpMyAdmin/ if you followed my instructions to the letter. If you did not rename it or extracted to a different directory, put that in there. For the $cfgservers[$i]['password'] enter the password you entered when you were setting MySQL in the set above. You can refer to the image for help. After you have put the right things in save the file.
To see an image of the screen, -h**p://www.webmasterstop.com/tutorials/images/phpmyadminscreen1.gif
Now we want to test the install of mysql, php, phpmyadmin, and apache all at once. Start apache in console like we did before. Now, you are going to need to start mysql. For myself I made a file that would start mysql for me. Open notepad and type: start c:\mysql\bin\mysqld-nt.exe --standalone and save that as Start MySQL.bat. Once you have saved it, click it. A window should open and then close. Mysql is now running on your computer. After mysql and apache are started go to run again and type -http://localhost/phpMyAdmin/index.php and if everything is installed correctly phpmyadmin should so up. You are almost done! Now we have the easy part =)
4. Finishing it all up
Wow! We mad it through the whole process. Now we want to simplify the whole process of controlling the server. I made a toolbar with all the things I needed. I made a new folder on my desktop and called it Server Folder and put all the stuff there. I made a new shortcut and gave it a value of -http://localhost/ made a shortcut to the PHP Documentation page. Another shortcut to my php editor, which is now unavailable. The phpMyAdmin shortcut is set to -http://localhost/phpMyAdmin/index.php. I made another shortcut htdocs. I moved the Start Apache in Console program that was in the start menu folder and moved it to the server folder. You can take the Start Mysql file you made in the last page and move it to the new folder. After you have put all the desired things into that folder, right click on a blank space in stat menu task bar (where the program boxes lie) and select Toolbars > New Toolbar and navigate to the folder. Voila!
Now all you have to do is click Start Apache in Console , Start Mysql, and Lauch browser biggrin.gif
Here You Are Guys
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