PC Topics

Windows Error Codes and how to resolve them

2011-09-18T14:39:00.000-07:00

Stop 0x0000000A or IRQ_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL	This Stop error message indicates that a Windows process or driver tried to access a part of memory which it was not allowed to, or at a kernel Interrupt ReQuest Level (IRQL) that was too high (the kernel is the core component of Windows). This error is usually due to incompatible or faulty software or hardware.	The error could indicate that you have a faulty device driver. If the error message lists a device by name, try uninstalling the device and see if it stops the error occurring. If it does you may need to contact the device manufacturer for an updated driver. The error could be due to a faulty or failing hardware device. If a device is listed by name in the error message, try removing it from your PC to see if it is the cause of the problem.
Stop 0x0000001E or KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED	This error message indicates that the Windows kernel has encountered an illegal or unknown processor instruction. This could be due to an invalid memory or access violation.	The error could indicate that you have a faulty device driver. If the error message lists a device by name, try uninstalling the device and see if it stops the error occurring. The error could also be caused by insufficient disk space when installing new software.Try freeing up some disk space by deleting unnecessary files and then reinstalling the driver.
Stop 0x00000024 or NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM	This error message indicates that a problem has occurred with the driver that controls the NTFS file system.	The problem could be due to a faulty hard drive, so check all cabling to your drive(s) and to your PC’s motherboard. Scan your hard drive to check that it is in good condition.You can run the disk checking tool by pressing [Windows Key] + [R], typing CHKDSK C: /f and pressing [Enter] .Reboot the PC and the disk will be checked as Windows is restarting.
Stop 0x0000002E or DATA_BUS_ERROR	This error message indicates a memory error. The cause is usually due to defective RAM, which could be main RAM, video RAM or processor cache memory. The error can also indicate that your hard drive is infected with a virus.	If you have added new RAM recently, or a device containing RAM such as a video card, then try removing it and see if the problem goes away. If it does, then the device is probably faulty. If a program or driver name is given in the error message, try uninstalling the named driver/program and see if the error goes away.
Stop 0x00000050 or PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA	This error message indicates that data requested by a program was not in memory. The error could be due to defective memory or incompatible software.	Make sure you have installed the latest drivers available for your hardware devices. The latest driver for a device can usually be obtained from the device manufacturer’s website. If you have installed a new hardware device or software application, try removing it and see if the error is cured. If it is, then the device or application is either faulty or incompatible with your system.
Stop 0x00000077 or KERNEL_STACK_INPAGE_ERROR	This error indicates that a page of virtual memory could not be found or loaded into memory. It can indicate a faulty or corrupt hard drive or possible virus infection.	Check your hard drive with Check Disk.To do this, press [Windows Key] + [R] type CHKDSK C: /f and press [Enter]. Reboot the PC and the disk will be checked as Windows is restarting. Also, check all cabling connecting your hard drive to your motherboard. If you have added any new hardware devices or memory, try removing it to see if it stops the error message.
Stop 0x00000079 or MISMATCHED_HAL	This error message indicates that Windows has lost access to the system partition or boot drive during the startup process. This message can indicate the presence of a virus on your system, or that incorrect device drivers have been installed for your storage adaptors.	Check that the hard drive settings in the BIOS are correct – if in doubt about how to set up hard drives in your BIOS consult your motherboard’s manual. The error could be due to a faulty hard disk or disk controller. If this is the case, you may have to replace your hard drive, or motherboard. Consult a professional computer repair shop for further testing. Scan your PC with an up-to-date virus checker.
Stop 0x0000007F or UNEXPECTED_KERNEL_MODE_TRAP	This error is usually caused by either a fault in software or hardware. It can also indicate that your PC’s CPU (Central Processing Unit) is overheating (due to poor ventilation, or because it has been overclocked above its designed speed).	If you have overclocked your CPU, set it back to the manufacturer’s default speed. Also, check the CPU’s ventilation. This error could be due to defective memory. If possible try replacing your memory modules. If you have recently added new hardware try removing it and see if this cures the problem. This problem could also be caused by faulty software or drivers. If the error message occurs when using a particular program, contact the software vendor for an updated version compatible with your version of Windows.
Stop 0x000000EA or THREAD_STUCK_IN_DEVICE_DRIVER	This message means that the system is paused indefinitely waiting for a response from a device driver.Very often this can be because the graphics card driver is waiting for the graphics card, and can indicate a faulty graphics card or a problem with the driver.	If possible, try installing a different graphics card and see if this cures the problem. If so there could be a fault with your original graphics card. If the error indicates a device driver by name, try removing the device or updating/rolling back the driver, and see if this stops the problem.
Stop 0x000000ED or UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME	This indicates that Windows has tried to access the boot disk, and not been successful. This could be because you are using an Ultra Direct Memory Access (UDMA) hard disk controller and you are using a 40 wire connector to connect the drive to your cable when an 80 wire cable is required.	Replace the 40 wire cable connected to your hard drive with an 80 wire cable. Check your BIOS to make sure your PC is not set to use a faster UDMA mode that your PC can support. Consult your motherboard manual for details on how to do this.
Stop 0x000000F2 or HARDWARE_INTERRUPT_STORM	Windows uses ‘interrupts’ to allow hardware devices to request computing time from the computer’s CPU. This error message occurs when a hardware device fails to release an Interrupt ReQuest (IRQ). This could be because a device has failed to respond to a release signal sent by Windows, an incorrectly written driver fails to send a release signal, or an incorrectly written driver claims an interrupt meant for a different device.	Identify which driver is indicated in the error message, and remove the corresponding hardware device from the system and see if this solves the problem. Check with your motherboard’s manufacturer for an updated version of your BIOS. Most motherboard manufacturers will put updated BIOS versions, and the tools needed to update, on their website. Check that all of the hardware devices in your PC are listed as being compatible with your version of Windows.
Stop 0xC0000221 or STATUS_IMAGE_CHECKSUM_MISMATCH	This error message is due either to a system file corruption, driver problem, corrupt hard drive or faulty memory.	Use Windows built-in System Restore facilities to restore your system to a previously working state.You can access System Restore via Start > All Programs > Accessories >System Tools > System Restore. If this error is being caused be a corrupt system file, your only option may be to re- install Windows. If the problem still occurs after re-installing Windows,it could indicate that there is a problem with a hardware device in your PC.

Can Hard Drive Data Recovery Work on Any Disk Drives?

2007-10-01T16:26:00.000-07:00

Author: Jeremiah OConnell

The data hard disk drive is a very essential part of your workstation because it is the part that holds the essential information such as pictures of your family, friends and financial info. So as soon as your data hard disk drive crashes, it can be a serious setback. One could possibly imagine your information are wiped forever if that ever happens, but the reality is, it could possibly be probable for you to rescue your information in the majority instances.

Hard drive data recovery will work on practically any sort of data hard disk drive. The data hard disk drive could possibly not be functioning correctly if one hears it tapping or making strange noises. That might be an indication that a malfunction is on the way. Aged data hard disk drives from time to time simply stop working; power surges from time to time result in corruption. Should the drive platters be corrupted then one could lose valuable information. One could possibly be able to utilize a data hard disk drive software recovery program to save your information or you might need to transport your workstation back the store and have a technician repair it for you.

Hard drive data recovery may be carried out on any size of data hard disk drive whether it is a small drive of only a few GB or large sized hard disks of 100s of GB. The capacity of the disk doesn't make a difference nor does the operating system. Hard drive data recovery will work on workstations that operate Windows as well as Macs and disk drives having FAT32 formats.

Hard drive data recovery will help you retrieve lost information or information that were inadvertently removed, even if you have emptied the recycle bin. The recovery process includes checking the drive logs to find out what is on the data hard disk drive now and what was there before. The recovery can furthermore repair your RAID configurations you could possibly have if one uses multiple hard drives. When one drive fails the RAID configuration will try to repair the files but should the RAID configuration itself give up, then you may most likely need to return the workstation to the store to have the disk drives recovered by a trained professional.

Even though it could possibly be a massive inconvenience as soon as your data hard disk drive gives up whether it is due to hardware failure or due to outside damage or a attack, it is nice to know there is a very good chance that you will be able to restore the essential information you first believed to be gone for ever. Hard drive data recovery can work on most types and capacities of disk drives and with all operating systems.

Article Source:ArticlesBase.com

About the Author: Want to learn more? Click here: Hard Drive Data Recovery

Miah O'Connell of http://HardDriveCopySoftware.com has helped many home and small business users to easily set-up reliable backup & restore systems.

Four Signs Your Computer Needs More Memory

2007-09-07T22:25:00.000-07:00

By: Grant Eckert

Most computer users have had it happen to them. Their screens start to pop up with weird notifications and the state of the art system they thought they had is running at a snail's pace. The chances are very good that the only thing wrong with the computer is a shortage of memory. Before you run out and buy a bunch of memory for your system, you want to be sure that is truly the problem. There are four tell tale signs that your computer needs more memory to operate at its highest potential.

The first thing to look for is sub par or poor performance from your PC. A classic sign is when you try to open a program and it either doesn’t respond or seems to take forever to open. Memory problems can crop up quickly and the system may gradually start to act strangely or the situation may pop up all at once. Either way, a lack of memory is simple to correct and are less expensive than calling in professionals that will only tell you need more memory.

The second sign that your computer is forgetting things are the notifications that are beginning to pop up on your screen. They typically say things like low memory or out of memory. In this case, the problem is pretty obvious. The system needs more memory.

Another signal of memory issues is display problems. You pull up a page and it either only partially loads or refusing to load at all. This can happen online or in a saved document or file you are trying to work in. The problem may manifest as a blank space where the data should be or by simply not showing anything on screen at all.

In unusual cases, the PC may not operate at all. In other words, when you open anything, the system will not respond. You are left looking at your home page instead of seeing any operation progress. Once again, correcting a memory problem in your computer is easy to do and takes very little time.

When you bought your computer the chances are good that you were told it had everything you would ever need in terms of disk space, memory, and all of the possible bells and whistles. Naturally the salesperson wasn't going to tell you that memory is one of those things that simply run out. To help you understand exactly why your system is refusing to cooperate, you have to understand about the different types of memory and what your computer does with them.

Both types of memory are important to maintaining the computer in proper working condition. RAM or random access memory is the memory your computer uses first. Its operation is to run any program you call up. When RAM memory is low, the computer automatically files the information in the system's virtual memory. When the information is moved to the virtual memory, it frees up space in the RAM memory to properly run the program itself.

A low memory problem results when the computer runs out of random access memory and has to rely on virtual memory. There are programs available that take up a lot of space and can quickly deplete your computer's memory space. This type of problem can also be the result of having a program installed on your computer that you no longer need, but it hasn't freed up the memory space. You may read or hear this referred to as memory overuse or as a memory leak.

Fortunately it is a simple process to install additional memory and/or clear out unnecessary, unused programs. Both methods will help restore your computer back to its original operating speed and efficiency.

Author Resource:-> About Author:
Grant Eckert is a writer for UpgradeComputerMemory.com. UpgradeComputerMemory.com is a leading provider of Ram Memory | Upgrade Memory | Computer Memory

Article From JustArticles.net Article Directory.

New Security Feautures of Windows Vista in System and Kernel Mode

2007-07-07T22:23:00.000-07:00

Author: Mojtaba Sadeghi

Section 1: Security Development Lifecycle

The Security Development Lifecycle technique or SDL is a professional process that helps for making sure that the software are built from the base to reduce security risk. The SDL implements a professional process of secure design, coding, implementing, testing, review and response for all Microsoft products specific windows Vista. The SDL removes the surface area for attacks, improves operating system and application be bugless, and helps organizations high securely management and isolate the network.

We can say that The Windows Vista is the first client operating system to be Designed and developed from the first step to finish using SDL.More than 1,000 threat models were developed for Windows Vista to ensure identification and reduse of risks in different parts of the operating system that required especial testing.

Section 2: Kernel Patch

The most important security issue is out "operating system kernel". These rootkits are usually very useful for unwanted software, like spywares. Kernel patch Protection of rootkits can reduce the Risk and increase stability, reliability and performance in the system, include all User data and programs. Handling of these problems were very difficult before, because 32-bit Windows drivers like windows XP are not identified and compatible with digital signature and It has Unsupported and poor kernel. Windows 32-bit security products that provide blocking action capabilities modify the kernel through unsupported techniques .

Although the computer system moves from 32-bit to a 64-bit architecture but the smaller installed base of 64-bit software makes it possible to making significant enhancements for security in the kernel and reduce the potential for rootkits .

What is Kernel Patching?

Kernel patching is the practice or trying for using unsupported methods or features to change or replace of kernel code. Kernel patching can have different result in behavior during system instability and performance errors and problems such as the Blue Screen error that we know it can reach to lost user data. another issue that is very important in kernel patching is increase the mechanism versus malware developers and attackers for Windows Vista Operating system.

The biggest risk in kernel patching is about virus and spyware writers that use this technique with malicious for hiding their presence and effects.

Of course Malware authors are motivated for patching the kernel because That's a powerful and great mechanism for attacking the computers and data.

What is Kernel Patch Protection?

There are many features of security in Windows Vista. But I want to emphasize Kernel Patch Protection is not one of them. I mean Kernel Patch Protection created in x64 CPU architecture versions and Microsoft used it in Microsoft Windows Server 2003 SP1 and Windows XP Professional. but it not supported in x86 architectures or 32-bit systems. With increasing of using of 64-bit computers, the Vista users will see more benefit from this technology. Actually Kernel Patch Protection monitors and looks if any resources used by the kernel or probably kernel code has been changed or modified by itself. Fortunately If windows vista detects or feels any unauthorized patch of data or code it will shut down the system automatically. But we should consider that the Kernel Patch Protection can not prevent all viruses and malware . It can prevent one way versus attackers to system.

Section 3: Encrypting File System improvement:

We can say that The Encrypting File System or EFS is best tool for encryption of files in client and server computer. It helps users to protect their data from Unreal and unauthorized access by other person or computer or external attackers. In Windows Vista EFS includes many new security techniques and features.In Vista, EFS Technique supports "user keys storing" and also administrative keys on the smart cards. If smart card uses for login, EFS will operates in a Sign On mode, where it uses the login smart card for file encryption without require for the PIN. In windows vista through the process of creating and setting smart card keys performs their files from an old smart card to the new smart card . The utility program for smart card has these features as well.

EFS is available in Windows Vista Business, Enterprise and Ultimate.

Section 4: USB Device and Removable Devices Control:

As we know , connecting between Devices with computer is very usual in these days and users should have the ability to add new hardware to the computer or use USB Devices or another removable storage devices.It can create two problems in system: First it may make harder
to maintain the computer when we install any unsupported device, and second it can create threats to data security as well. with a USB Device or removable storage, with “autorun” technique can use by an attacker to install malwares or any malicious software on an
unattended system.

Fortunately Windows Vista manages or blocks the installation of unsupported or unauthorized parts or devices. These security configuration can applied independently on a client computer, or in numbers of systems in a network. Administrator has a lot of power for setting these policies and controls in Windows vista. We can say that the Group Policy settings are available special for manage and control for reading and writing action in removable storage devices like USB
Devices as a per user or per system base.

Section 5 : Windows Defender

As we know in these years spyware and other unwanted software like adware, bots and rootkits create big problems for systems and users.The progress of job for these type of software is Usually they installed without a user’s knowledge or confirmation and they can damage or corrupt personal information and passwords and send them to third parties without the user's permission.

Microsoft Knows that it is very important for users to use anti-spyware protection in system. As customer choice, Microsoft supports users for having choice about what program install and run on their computer or from where it came or what it does and how we can to remove that.Based on these discuses and users complains about spyware, Microsoft decided to create and use anti-spyware solution or Windows Defender in Windows Vista. In fact Windows Defender will help for protection and remove spywares, adwares, rootkits, control utilities and such these things that we call “malware.”

In Windows Vista, Windows Defender helps us for protection of unwanted application and software installation. It prompts and monitors different aspects of OS when feels it abused by malware , like the Startup folder in windows and the registry file. If any software to attempt for changing to one of the protected areas of the Vista , Windows Defender prompts and appeara a message the user for allow or reject that changes.Good news , Windows Defender is available as a free download plug ins for licensed customers of Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.

Section 6 : Windows Firewall

Most of Windows XP users used from Firewall. A firewall is a critical first line for defense versus huge kinds of malware before they can enter to user’s computer or our network.

When Microsoft XP released in the first version of that the built-in firewall be turned off by default. The reason was because of compatibility with some applications or probably third-party firewalls. Based on that Microsoft released the Windows XP with the disabled Firewall by default. Naturally , a lot of customers and users did not get any benefit from firewall protection whenever any network worms arrived to their computer.

Windows Vista Firewall

Base on this experience and for prevent of such events, naturally the firewall in Windows Vista should be on as a default and also compatible with another software. because of that the Customers who want to use a third-party firewall can turn off the built-in firewall easily.

It means the firewall in Windows Vista will turn on by default at the beginning when Windows starts for user protection. Another issue is that the Windows Firewall in Windows Vista also allows the administrator of network or single system to block some applications as a peer-to-peer sharing softwares or instant messaging softwares that usually nobody like them.

Section 7: Protecting the Kernel of Windows in 32-Bit vs. 64-Bit

Microsoft as a designer and developer of Windows vista tried the best for create more reliable and more secure product from attacks. In fact in basic level, It means that the design and development of kernel mode code in Windows Vista needs to have a security-focused design and development, and then test and release.

As I Mentioned Microsoft has been started this Method since 2002 Under Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) progress. The Microsoft development team had an important and clear goal for improving the reliability and security in new product . As a producer It has a risk because of application compatibility should considered in during security platform. In 32-bit windows mostly Windows XP there is , over time, third-party developers used unsupported in a lot of applications that used by users. Actually to simply using unsupported and undocumented interfaces , there is a technique that called "kernel patching” . I emphasize here that kernel instructions and data structures are responsible directly for manipulating to modify , change and control of system behavior.

Windows 32-Bit Architecture in Kernel and User Mode .This technique is very useful for prevent with malwares but even without malwares the using of this technique can introduce instability and stability in the system.Advantage of supported interface is that If this kind of interface is used,and changed the developers are informed about that From Microsoft documents and he/she can update their code for handle the changes. In other hand , the changes to undocumented and unsupported interfaces can not tracked and will reach to crashes or other unexpected problems and effects when the kernel patching technique is used.

Unsupported patching techniques usually will patch the undocumented kernel interfaces and naturally without introducing this side it can reduce security in the system. When some Software and Program packages try to chain together to using of unsupported patching techniques these issues will be important.

For example, some times the order of calls from a package to next package is undefined, the
same as its behavior when we want remove one package from that chain. This kind of problem is too complex and it can lead to other subtle problems that are very difficult to diagnose and mostly it happen frequently. Although , these techniques will be bad computer science and techniques practice, and we can say it does not support most of computer science engineering disciplines.

With malicious or malwares , rootkits can be much more dangerous, because of allowing malicious program for hiding and protecting itself while controlling and monitoring all user, as well as controlling access and performing to all software, files, and connecting to network and even hardware. These activities of malwares can do to online theft for passwords of banks or IDs.

Unfortunately, making compact or zip for kernel of 32-bit systems would have a risk for some attack techniques. but for reduce this compressing and risk rate Microsoft decided to implement and improve these changes in 64-bit Windows. Because of that we have “clean start” state in Vista with native 64-bit drivers and all software adapted to these changes.

Section 8: What was Vista security holes?

As we heard Kaspersky Anti Virus Company is one of the best company for prevent of Malwares and Viruses in these days. Their experts Labs have predicted more that 90% of current and distributed of malware will run on Windows Vista.

We believe now that Vista appears to be much more secure than previous Windows XP but The researchers warned to Microsoft and users that as Vista becomes more popular in these days and it should increase protection of kernel vs hackers.

As we know the first pieces and parts of any operating system would be attacked by attackers. It should be PatchGuard that protects the Vista kernel that we talked about that.

Although the first thing as a aim can be the technology that it take access to the kernel of operating system more difficult.

PatchGuard as we said or kernel protection tries to prevent or protect the Vista kernel from illegal access and unauthorised user or softwares. It can lock the system completely if it detects any risky patch or code.

Unfortunately some hackers could try to install malware to the kernel of vista in the test stage by using new method. Actually as a drivers they ran their software in kernel space of vista.

Section 9 : New Security vs. Convenience Usability

Sometimes with appearance of new features some of advantages will be lose.in fact One of the basic issue in security designing is keeping fair between security and usability. We can say If the security is too complex, then usable simply will be gone.

If a feature offers very good level of security protection level , if it is much more complex or it has poor design of usability it will be disabled by users or administrator of systems. When microsoft engineers and designers underestood that Windows Vista is very secure , they tried to create security capabilities and they enabled by default for usable enough for users for prevent of inconvinience. It's great when you know the risks decrease by adding new security features and you can use as well as before or may be appear easier to use .

That was very hard and expert balance that you know How many softwares or applications will be need harder security and how many users wants to turn off security feature if their usability comes down?One of the great new thing in Windows Vista is User Account Control or UAC. In fact UAC is a "standard user that works" or "non-administrative user that can actually do things." For doing some things such as change the local time zone on the windows XP , you had to have local administrator level.

It means we can say everyone did a login account to system he or she was a member of the local administrators level.

But in Windows Vista, one of the main goal of User Account Control was to protect users from attack of malware or another users. To achieve that goals for Vista, they defined a standard user for all end-user that they wanted to get their changing , but for protect some user that they really need to be an administrator from something bad and risky. Totally The primary aim of microsoft was to protect the system from user with malicious and some users that they want to illegal access.

Section 10: Windows Defender

For that when you want to see the usability of vista , the first thing may be that the system asked too frequently for permission. Microsoft before release of vista also worked and contacted with application and software vendors to making sure that they do not require elevation and verificatin from administrators side except whenever it is necessary.

Another example for comparing convenience versus security is the policy and strategy for enabling Data Execution Prevention or DEP in Vista. In fact DEP treats data as data even code as code, and then it blocks execution stage. The benefit of this is it allows the data buffer to be overrun with DEP, so it is harder for attacker to execute the malware codes that was placed already in the data buffer.

DEP is turned on in vista by default for the kernel Mode and it is an excellent technique for protecting parts in the system mostly Internet Explorer. The problem is that it turns out that a third-party add-ons that generate a dynamically code and store that code in the data buffer and there is no way for DEP to diagnose between this add-ons and malware. It mean we have more security or we can select application compatibility issues.

Conclusion:

Windows Vista can make our job easier and more secure our system. If we are a systems engineer or expert , surely we will find it nearly for develop to high level secure client platform. For nonprofessional users I think there is a little problem for using windows vista just for unsupported some programs that they probably need and some hardware as well. From security point of view with these terms that I explained , windows vista is really one big successfully for Microsoft.

Because by using of Security Development Life Cycle, Kernel Patch Protection , Encrypting File System, Preparing security for USB and Removable Device, Windows Defender ,Windows Firewall and a lot of techniques that Microsoft never pulished that it's too hard attacking and cracking and any abuse of probably holes in this product.I recommend to everyone for installing from today and enjoy from the latest operating system in the world.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com
About the Author:

Published By: Mojtaba Sadeghi
Master of computer Engineering in Software
IAU University
Date of Publishing: July 2007

Switching to Linux: Why Dual-booting is Best

2007-06-25T14:44:00.000-07:00

Author: Dan R

With the user-friendly Linux distribution Ubuntu gaining popularity at an astounding rate, you may be considering making the move from Windows to Linux. If you are, then you will have wondered how you will work and play without the applications and games you use every day in Windows.

Windows applications can be run in Linux, just not natively. You have two main options: Emulation and Virtualization. Neither are as effective as dual-booting but I will explain them here and their drawbacks.

Emulation allows you to run Windows applications through a "translation layer" which tricks the applications into thinking they are running on Windows. Although great advances have been made by the WINE Project and commercial offshoot, Cedega, many applications are still unsupported. Support for certain applications may even vary depending on your hardware configuration.

Virtualization takes running Windows applications on Linux a step further and is capable of running an entire Windows (or any other) operating system straight from your Linux desktop. With the free application VirtualBox, you can create a “virtual machine” and install any version of Windows you wish onto it.

A virtual machine is switched on and off exactly like a normal PC, except the entire operating system runs inside a window on your Linux desktop. You may then install any Windows applications you wish into the virtual machine and use them as you normally would.

Running applications natively in Windows, via a virtual machine, is far more reliable than running them through a translation layer, but virtualization has its drawbacks too.

When you run Windows in a virtual machine you are effectively running two operating systems, simultaneously, on one computer. This has obvious performance drawbacks. Although most office-type applications could be run this way, if your office insists on a particular piece of Windows-specific software, performance issues and lack of DirectX support severely hampers game applications.

The only way to successfully run all your Windows applications at their full capacity is to install Windows and Linux as dual-boot operating systems.

Dual-booting is the process of installing two operating systems side-by-side, to be run independently. By this method you will be presented with a menu listing your operating systems when you switch on your computer. this allows you to choose the OS most suitable for the tasks at hand, be it work or gaming.

I personally run Ubuntu 7.04 and Windows XP as a dual-boot system. I mostly use Ubuntu for day-to-day tasks and run Windows XP purely for gaming. This way, dual-booting grants me access to the best features of both operating systems and allows me to use my computer to its full potential.

Source: ArticlesBase.com

About the Author:
Dan R provides tech support to the Green Bay area via Green Bay Tech Support

How to Configure a Windows Time Server

2007-05-08T12:27:00.000-07:00

Author: David Evans

The latest Microsoft Windows operating systems have a time synchronisation utility installed by default called ‘Windows Time’. The Windows time service allows a Microsoft network to provide time synchronisation of machines in a domain. This article introduces how to configure the Microsoft Windows 2000 and 2003 operating systems to operate as a SNTPNTP Time Server. The article discusses how to change Windows registry entries to configure the Time Service.

Before modifying any Windows registry settings, it is a good idea to save the registry. In the even of any difficulties, the registry can be restored to its former state.

Windows 2000 Time Service

Windows 2000 has an integrated network time synchronization service, installed by default, which can be configured to synchronize to a Time Server. In fact, by changing associated registry settings, the service can act as both a time client and a time server to synchronize other network time clients.

The Windows Time service should be present in the systems service list. The application executable is 'w32time.exe'. The parameter list for time service should be present in the in the registry at:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesW32TimeParameters

The Windows 2000 operating system can operate as a time client and synchronise to a time server by setting the parameter 'NTP Server' to the IP address of a Time Server.

By default, the Windows 2000 machine will synchronize to the specified time server every 8 hours, or 3 times a day. This may not be enough to maintain accurate synchronization and can be easily increased. Setting the ‘Period’ parameter to how many times each day synchronisation is required can reduce the period. Setting the ‘Period’ parameter to 48 will activate synchronization with the time server once every half hour.

The Windows 2000 operating system can also be configured to act as a time server by setting the 'Local NTP' registry setting to '1'.

After changing any of the registry settings for the windows time service, the service must be restarted for the settings to take effect. The time service can be started or stopped from the service control applet in the Administrative Tools menu. The service can also be controlled via the DOS net command thus:

‘net start w32time’ and ‘net stop w32time’

windows 2003 Time Service

With Windows 2003, Microsoft has expanded on the original Windows 2000 SNTP time service by providing a true NTP implementation. The Windows 2003 time service, installed by default, can synchronise to a NTP Server. Indeed, by changing registry settings, the time service can act as both a time server and client to synchronize other time clients in the domain.

The 'Windows Time' service should be present in the systems service list. The application executable is 'w32time.exe'. The parameter list for the Windows 2003 time service should be present in the registry at:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesW32Time

To configure the Windows 2003 operating system to synchronize to an external time server, edit the following registry entries:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesW32TimeParametersType

Set the ‘Type’ registry entry to ‘NTP’, which specifies synchronization to a NTP time server.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesW32TimeTimeProvidersNTPClientSpecialPollInterval

The ‘Special Poll Interval’ registry entry defines the period in seconds that the Windows 2003 operating system should poll the time server. A recommended value is 900, which equates to a polling period of every 15 minutes.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesW32TimeConfigAnnounceFlags

Set the ‘Announce Flags’ registry entry to 5 indicating a reliable time reference.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesW32TimeTimeProvidersNTPServerEnabled

Changing the ‘Enabled’ flag to the value 1 enables the NTP Time Server.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesW32TimeParametersNtpServer

The ‘NTP Server’ parameter is used to provide a list of DNS names or IP addresses, separated by a space, of time servers that the Windows 2003 operating system can synchronize to.

Troubleshooting the Time Service

A number of isuues may be encountered when configuring the Microsoft Windows Time Service. SNTP and NTP operates using the UDP protocol over TCP/IP. Therefore, the TCP/IP network protocol must be active for SNTPNTP to operate. Synchronisation issues may also arise when SNTPNTP attempts to synchronise to an inaccurate time server reference or if network delays are excessive.

Synchronising Network Device and Components

In addition to synchronizing Microsoft Windows servers and workstations, time servers can also be used to synchronise network devices, such as switches, routers and hubs. Any network infrastructure that can synchronise to a NTP or SNTP time server can be pointed to the Windows time server to obtain synchronisation. In this way the whole network and accompanying infrastructure can be accurately synchronised to a time reference.

Source: ArticlesBase.com

About the Author:D. Evans develops Windows SNTP\NTP time server synchronisation solutions that ensure accurate time on PC's and networks. Dave has been heavily involved in the development of dedicated Windows time server systems, NTP synchronized digital clock systems and atomic clock synchronization products. Click here to find out more about Windows Time Server solutions.

Windows Vista- First Impressions

2007-04-09T15:01:00.000-07:00

Author: David C Smith

Ive been using Windows Vista on one of my computers for the past month. Rather than write about the experience before Ive had the chance to fully try it out, I instead ran it through the paces. I used it almost exclusively for one month. So what did I think?

Not bad. Its definitely a different experience, although not too different. Its not a very far leap from Windows XP.

One thing that I was happy about, is that for once it seems that Microsoft has released a product that is stable from day one. I have been using Vista for over a month, and I have yet to see it crash. Compared to my Windows XP system which crashes at least once a month.

The most evident changes is the User Interface, its quite a bit different than the XP version. With the very tight integration with Internet Explorer 7, it seems that Vista is more capable than ever at multi-tasking. The gadgets are really cool too, and I cant wait to see what new and interesting gadgets are developed for Vista in the near future. You just have to get your hands on it, to see the difference, words cant really adequately describe it.

What I found surprising is the voice recognition capabilities of Vista. I hadnt expected that it would be so robust. It takes a little bit of getting used to, but you can effortlessly blend normal computer operation with voice control. Its not perfect, dont get me wrong, but it is a novel way to interact with the computer and has tons of potential.

The problem is hardware requirements. Vista is a beast when it comes to hardware. The more you got the better it performs. I find that Vista loves memory, and a fast video card is essential as well. I wouldnt bother with Vista unless I had a computer that was made in the last year or so that had at least 1GB of memory. I played with it, when I took most of my memory out, and left 256MB in the machine, and it almost ground to a halt.

All in all, I found Vista to be quite capable. A very nice upgrade from XP, surprisingly stable. I probably wouldnt upgrade an existing computer, but would feel fine with purchasing a new computer with XP already installed. Good luck, and enjoy Vista.

Source: ArticlesBase.com

About the Author: For more information about computer repair, memory upgrades, and laptop repair visit his Jacksonville Computer Repair website. He provides quality, on site computer repairs throughout the Jacksonville, Florida area.

Windows Vista - Hardware Compatibility Issues

2007-03-26T13:24:00.000-07:00

Author: Anmol Taneja

Early up-graders to Windows Vista are reporting annoyance by the loads of software and hardware incompatibilities coming to the fore as they use Windows Vista. For the record the Redmond, Wash., software giant launched Vista and a companion update called Windows Vista Application Compatibility Update to the market on Jan 30. Seems like they expected a lot of issues with the system because they made sure that Vista patches were available on the net even before the Compact disks of the operating system left the factory.

That update, KB929427, makes good some of the more challenging application incompatibilities, but the nightmare is far from over, for the early bird upgraders. There is nothing new about
compatibility issues when a new operating system is launched, however, Vista is not only has a number of incompatibilities with existing applications but also lacks many drivers for critical hardware components and hardware peripherals. Support for Vista hardware is compounded by the fact that most vendors have not created drivers of their hardware that is compatible for Vista making support more of a headache. This is understood when it comes to peripherals such as printers and scanners but so far as critical hardware components such as hard drives, chipset controllers and video cards are concerned the lack of compatibility will crash the system. The manufacturers of primary components of the computer hardware system are just not ready with their wares to support Vista.

Early adopters of Vista have the following problems to contend with:

They will face a drastic lack of available drivers vendors leading to conflicts in applications.

New peripheral hardware components will lack compatible Vista drivers and the old components drivers will simply refuse to work in most cases.

New security feature often flags existing applications as suspicious and interrupts service

The OS automatically recommends which Vista versions is best for each PC's configuration. This will cause small businesses to download different versions of Vista.

SO in the ultimate analysis, Vista may seem attractive in it’s packaging but it still has far to go.

This article was found at articlebase.com

About the Author:

Anmol Taneja is a Gadget enthusiast and critique. He has written several articles on various aspects of gadgets and the role they play in our day to day lives. Anmol is involved with several organizations involved in the evaluation and review of gadgets including http://gadgets.in thegadgetcast.com and gadgetenclave.in

3 Simple Steps to Transfer Microsoft Outlook

2007-03-24T12:12:00.000-07:00

Author: Eugene

Maybe everyone has faced with a problem of transferring data to a newly-bought computer. It's not a problem to copy files and documents from one PC to another. But moving a specific program together with all its data and settings becomes a rather complicated task. Especially when the program stores its data in uncommon way, like Microsoft Outlook does.

These days Microsoft Outlook became a corporate standard used for business correspondence among email clients. Almost every company uses it for its email purposes but not all of them can afford themselves to use an exchange server to store their messages. So when your Outlook data is on the hard drive of your computer you will have to copy certain data files and numerous registry entries to move all your Outlook stuff to new computer. And this transfer process becomes a real headache for people without appropriate technical knowledge and with a lack of time.

That's when special backup and transfer tool comes into play. Such tool knows exactly where your data is stored, how to save it correctly and, what's the most important, how to restore your stuff without any data loss. The utility I've found - ABF Outlook Backup does this all quickly and easily. The program saves backup copies of all important Outlook data including email messages, address book contacts, settings, accounts, message rules, junk email lists, signatures, and even your Internet Explorer favorites. And what's also important, using ABF Outlook Backup you can easily transfer your Outlook stuff between computers in a 3 simple steps.

First you need to download and install ABF Outlook Backup to your old computer (a computer which you are going to transfer information from). When installation process is complete run the program and prepare to backup. Choose Outlook items you want to move to another PC (data files, options etc.) and select the place on your hard drive where the program should save the backup file to. Please note that MS Outlook have to be closed during the backing up process. Also do not try to back up directly to CD/DVD or removable device.

The next step is to copy the backup file you've just created to your new computer. If both computers are connected via LAN you can move the file using your network. Another way is to transfer backup file using recordable CD/DVD or some flash drive. You can even try to move backup archive by sending it on your email (that depends on backup file size) or using FTP or some public file sharing service like www.sharebigfile.com. But I do not recommend you to commit your personal data to public service.

Finally, when you get backup archive to the new computer, install and run ABF Outlook Backup on it. Go to Restore tab and browse the file you've just moved. Select Outlook items and restore you data. Ensure that MS Outlook was already installed and run once on the new computer.

When restore process is over run MS Outlook and enjoy your good old messages, contacts, settings etc. This transfer method can also be used to transfer Outlook between different Windows users or even between different Windows version, for example 98 and XP.

This article was found at articlebase.com

About the Author:

Written by Eugene, a content provider of Outlook Backup website. The site helps users to solve backup problems of MS Outlook, like export Outlook or synchronize Outlook.

Say No to Spam in your Inbox!

2007-03-17T08:04:00.000-07:00

Author: Ted Peterson

On daily basis many people around the world are facing growing email SPAMing issues. A SPAM is nothing but an unsolicited email received from an unknown person. Any organization can be affected with this SPAM. Thousands of emails are being dropped in the corporate mailing server everyday generating a demand for a much needed spam filter application. Now that’s all about a corporate, what about a regular user. Take an example of a user with a yahoo mail account which is being loaded with all sorts of advertisement based email. This user never intended to receive those email nor did he/she ever subscribed to any such newsletter service. Yahoo mail has a SPAM filter which grabs most of the spammed email but still there are those which are never considered as SPAM and are still very annoyingly sitting in your inbox.

If this user has been using a mailing client like the ‘Outlook Express’ or ‘Microsoft Outlook’ or any other third party mailing client application, then the worry part would the download of such unsolicited emails on to the local computer, some of which could be injected with a virus or a Trojan horse which are very dangerous for your operating system and other private data.

Pctool.com did it again and released a SPAM Monitor application for such regular users to safe guard there mailing clients from unwanted SPAM’ed emails. This software is an email classification system that will help the user in separating the SPAM from the rest of generic emails. The application is has mainly focused on not-so computer savvy people around the world. Once you have downloaded the application, simply double click on the installer file to install the application on to your computer. Once the application is installed it will open for the very first time requesting to feed-in some valuable information abut the mailing client that needs to be monitored.

You can configure Spam Monitor in either a Minimum, Normal or Aggressive filter mode. The minimum mode will filter your email against the list of insecurely and easily-abused servers, and lists of confirmed spammers. It would catch a bit of SPAM with a little risk to your legitimate emails. Normal mode would filter against the list of probable spammers like the SPEWA and will catch more SPAM with slightly increased risk as you might find your legitimate emails in the junk mail folder or even getting deleted. And finally Aggressive mode will filter above the normal levels and check them against an aggressive list of SpamBag and SpamCop with higher risk of making mistakes.

There is another option which you may pick if you are living in an English speaking country “Assume all email from China, Korea and Taiwan is spam.” These are the places where email servers are mostly compromised for sending SPAM on the internet. If you do not have any contacts in either one of these countries which sends you legitimate email, then go ahead and check this option.

And finally pick the mailing client like an ‘Outlook Express’ and let the SPAM monitor do its job. An awesome utility where an unwanted message will be tagged as **SPAM**

Protect your computer from unwanted email. Get SPAM Monitor Today!

This article was found at articlebase.com

About the Author:

Ted Peterson writes for CoreDownload, a shareware archive where you can find utilities like Spam Monitor that will help you fight spam.

E-mail Exploits - A Major Problem

2007-03-15T07:46:00.000-07:00

Author: Jake Foster

Use of e-mails is on a rise in the business world. The use has increased manifold in the recent years. E-mails have become a very convenient source of communication for people. People in general and businesses in particular use e-mails for the purpose of communication. But with all the advantages attached to the e-mails there are certain disadvantages as well.

People suffer due to those advantages. Just like the other miracles of science the e-mails can be a blessing if the technology is used in a positive sense. Spam e-mails and e-mail exploits make it a problem which needs your attention to be solved. If e-mail exploits are not taken care of, they are capable enough of damaging your system.

E-mail exploits are a problem which has come to the surface in the recent past. E-mail exploits have become a major problem in the recent past. People when go through their e-mails they may open some spam e-mail which has this virus embedded in its body. The computer systems can be damaged by these viruses even before one realizes his or her mistake.

E-mail exploits are embedded in the spam e-mails. These e-mail exploits can destroy the whole system of the mail recipient by entering it through the e-mail. Actually the e-mail exploits start working when the recipient opens the e-mail. If the e-mail is not read and is deleted directly the system will remain safe from the e-mail exploits. The e-mail exploits may be in the form of a program which is embedded in the subject or the body of the e-mail. Opening this e-mail can damage your system. Being embedded in the e-mail, the e-mail exploit easily crosses the firewalls and enters the recipient's computer successfully. That is the reason people generally do not read the spam e-mails and delete them as such. But still, the e-mail exploits have a greater rate of being successful as there are certain spam e-mails which you may click open just to find out what it actually is about. Once you open an e-mail which has e-mail exploit virus embedded in it, you may lose the game altogether. Your computer network may be bombarded by the viruses even before you come to know that you have committed a major mistake.

Necessity is said to be the mother of invention. Whenever there is a need the human race starts off to find a solution to it. Same is the situation with this problem of spam e-mails and e-mail exploits.

The e-mail exploit engines are there in the market. They can be used to protect your system against such problem. The e-mail exploit engines keep you safe against the viruses which are capable enough to destroy your systems. Almost all the companies which are working in the field of providing IT solutions to people in general and to companies have such programs which can help fight the viruses. E-mail exploit engines are the ready made solutions which can protect you against the harmful effects of e-mail exploits to your computer system.

This article was found at articlebase.com

About the Author:

Jake Foster writes security and spam related articles for SXSecurity - Security Information Portal. Visit SX Security today for more great security articles

Outlook Express Message Rules-the Rules That Make Your Life Easy

2007-03-15T07:19:00.000-07:00

Author: Jake Foster

In today's business world the e-mails have become more common than any other source of communication. Instant messaging services and added to the dependence of people on means of communication provided by the internet. With all the benefits this medium has brought to us, there are some problems associated with it. Receiving unsolicited e-mails is one such problem. All the technology producers provide their clients with the solution to such problems. Outlook Express Message rules are one such set. Outlook Express is the plat form used to e-mail in many intranets. As it comes with the complete Microsoft office package, it is easy to use and is in common use for last few years in office environments around the globe.

Outlook Express message rules are very helpful in organizing your incoming e-mails. The facility can use its intelligence to judge where should an e-mail be placed after it is received. The Outlook Express message rules help us in doing so. These rules are actually the step by step procedures which are easy to do and they make your life easy if you follow them. For Example, If you want to create a SPAM filter, the following Outlook Express message rules are to be followed.

You have to open the outlook express first. Go to the Tools option and click on the message rules. Click on "Mail" in the sub-menu that appears. A New mail rule dialogue box will appear in front of you. Now tick the option which says "Where the subject line contains specific words" and in the second box tick the option "Move to specified folder". Following next few steps will enable the Outlook Express message rules to be able to identify and place the e-mails to your convenience. In the third box you will need to give the description of the e-mail types. Here you can tell the outlook express to keep all the e-mails named SPAM in one folder. Now you can click OK and the outlook express message rule thus created will help you arrange your e-mails in different folders. Finally, in the same window, at the third number point you will have to tell the outlook express message rules that what is the name of the folder you want to put your SPAM e-mail in. For example, you can name it SPAM or junk folder. Now click ok and the outlook express message rules will help you arrange your e-mails and will reduce your burden. Now you will not need to go through any and every e-mail. The Spam e-mails will directly go to the Spam or Junk folder. As a result your time will be saved. You can take a look on those e-mails once a day and can delete them if none is of importance to you. Outlook express message rules are a feature which makes this system very popular in the business environment. Not only it is easy to use, but also, the outlook express message rules make it more dependable.

This article was found at articlebase.com

About the Author:

Jake Foster writes security and spam related articles for SXSecurity - Security Information Portal. Visit SX Security today for more great security articles