Forgot your XP pwd? tips 'n' tricks (win xp)
Forgot Ur Administrator Password!
Can't Log On to Windows XP?
If that's your only problem, then you probably have nothing to worry about. As long as you have your Windows XP CD, you can get back into your system using a simple but effective method made possible by alittle known access hole in Windows XP.
you can easily change or wipe out your Administrator password for freeduring a Windows XP Repair. Here's how with a step-by-step descriptionof the initial Repair process included for newbie's.
1. Place your Windows XP CD in your cd-rom and start your computer(it's assumed here that your XP CD is bootable – as it should be - andthat you have your bios set to boot from CD)
2. Keep your eye on the screen messages for booting to your cdTypically, it will be "Press any key to boot from cd"
3. Once you get in, the first screen will indicate that Setup isinspecting your system and loading files.
4. When you get to the Welcome to Setup screen, press ENTER to SetupWindows now
5. The Licensing Agreement comes next - Press F8 to accept it.
6. The next screen is the Setup screen which gives you the option todo a Repair. It should read something like "If one of the followingWindows XP installations is damaged, Setup can try to repair it"
Use the up and down arrow keys to select your XP installation (if youonly have one, it should already be selected) and press R to begin theRepair process.
7. Let the Repair run. Setup will now check your disks and then startcopying files which can take several minutes.
8. Shortly after the Copying Files stage, you will be required toreboot. (this will happen automatically – you will see a progress barstating "Your computer will reboot in 15 seconds"
9. During the reboot, do not make the mistake of "pressing any key" toboot from the CD again! Setup will resume automatically with thestandard billboard screens and you will notice Installing Windows ishighlighted.
10. Keep your eye on the lower left hand side of the screen and whenyou see the Installing Devices progress bar, press SHIFT + F10. Thisis the security hole! A command console will now open up giving youthe potential for wide access to your system.
11. At the prompt, type NUSRMGR.CPL and press Enter. Voila! You havejust gained graphical access to your User Accounts in the Control Panel.
12. Now simply pick the account you need to change and remove orchange your password as you prefer. If you want to log on withouthaving to enter your new password, you can type control userpasswords2at the prompt and choose to log on without being asked for password.After you've made your changes close the windows, exit the command boxand continue on with the Repair (have your Product key handy).
13. Once the Repair is done, you will be able to log on with your newpassword (or without a password if you chose not to use one or if youchose not to be asked for a password). Your programs and personalizedsettings should remain intact.
It has been tested on Windows XP Pro with and without SP1 and also hasbeen used in a real situation where someone could not remember their password and it worked like a charm to fix the problem. This security hole allows access to more than just user accounts. You can also
access the Registry and Policy Editor, for example. And its gui access with mouse control. Of course, a Product Key will be needed to continue with the Repair after making the changes, but for anyone intent on gaining access to your system, this would be no problem.
And in case you are wondering, NO, you cannot cancel install after making the changes and expect to logon with your new password.
Cancelling will just result in Setup resuming at bootup and your changes will be lost.
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posted by rakesh at 11:57 AM
4 Comments:
TRICK 2:
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23 Ways To Speed Up Windows Xp!!!!
Since defragging the disk won't do much to improve Windows XP performance, here are 23 suggestions that will. Each can enhance the performance and reliability of your PC. Best of all, most of them will cost you nothing.
1.) To decrease a system's boot time and increase system performance, use the money you save by not buying defragmentation software -- the built-in Windows defragmenter works just fine -- and instead equip the computer with an Ultra-133 or Serial ATA hard drive with 8-MB cache buffer.
2.) If a PC has less than 512 MB of RAM, add more memory. This is a relatively inexpensive and easy upgrade that can dramatically improve system performance.
3.) Ensure that Windows XP is utilizing the NTFS file system. If you're not sure, here's how to check: First, double-click the My Computer icon, right-click on the C: Drive, then select Properties. Next, examine the File System type; if it says FAT32, then back-up any important data. Next, click Start, click Run, type CMD, and then click OK. At the prompt, type CONVERT C: /FS:NTFS and press the Enter key. This process may take a while; it's important that the computer be uninterrupted and virus-free. The file system used by the bootable drive will be either FAT32 or NTFS. I highly recommend NTFS for its superior security, reliability, and efficiency with larger disk drives.
4.) Disable file indexing. The indexing service extracts information from documents and other files on the hard drive and creates a "searchable keyword index." As you can imagine, this process can be quite taxing on any system.
The idea is that the user can search for a word, phrase, or property inside a document, should they have hundreds or thousands of documents and not know the file name of the document they want. Windows XP's built-in search functionality can still perform these kinds of searches without the Indexing service. It just takes longer. The OS has to open each file at the time of the request to help find what the user is looking for.
Most people never need this feature of search. Those who do are typically in a large corporate environment where thousands of documents are located on at least one server. But if you have no need for this search feature, I recommend disabling it.
Here's how: First, double-click the My Computer icon. Next, right-click on the C: Drive, then select Properties. Uncheck "Allow Indexing Service to index this disk for fast file searching." Next, apply changes to "C: subfolders and files," and click OK. If a warning or error message appears (such as "Access is denied"), click the Ignore All button.
5.) Update the PC's video and motherboard chipset drivers. Also, update and configure the BIOS.
6.) Empty the Windows Prefetch folder every three months or so. Windows XP can "prefetch" portions of data and applications that are used frequently. This makes processes appear to load faster when called upon by the user. That's fine. But over time, the prefetch folder may become overloaded with references to files and applications no longer in use. When that happens, Windows XP is wasting time, and slowing system performance, by pre-loading them. Nothing critical is in this folder, and the entire contents are safe to delete.
7.) Once a month, run a Disk Cleanup. Here's how: Double-click the My Computer icon. Then right-click on the C: drive and select Properties. Click the Disk Cleanup button -- it's just to the right of the Capacity pie graph -- and delete all temporary files.
8.) In your Device Manager, double-click on the IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers device, and ensure that DMA is enabled for each drive you have connected to the Primary and Secondary controller. Do this by double-clicking on Primary IDE Channel. Then click the Advanced Settings tab. Ensure the Transfer Mode is set to "DMA if available" for both Device 0 and Device 1. Then repeat this process with the Secondary IDE Channel.
9.) Upgrade the cabling. As hard-drive technology improves, the cabling requirements to achieve these performance boosts have become more stringent. Be sure to use 80-wire Ultra-133 cables on all of your IDE devices with the connectors properly assigned to the matching Master/Slave/Motherboard sockets. A single device must be at the end of the cable; connecting a single drive to the middle connector on a ribbon cable will cause signaling problems. With Ultra DMA hard drives, these signaling problems will prevent the drive from performing at its maximum potential. Also, because these cables inherently support "cable select," the location of each drive on the cable is important. For these reasons, the cable is designed so drive positioning is explicitly clear.
10.) Remove all spyware from the computer. Use free programs such as AdAware by Lavasoft or SpyBot Search & Destroy. Once these programs are installed, be sure to check for and download any updates before starting your search. Anything either program finds can be safely removed. Any free software that requires spyware to run will no longer function once the spyware portion has been removed; if you really want the program even though it contains spyware, simply reinstall it. For more information on removing Spyware visit this Web Pro News page.
11.) Remove any unnecessary programs and/or items from Windows Startup routine using the MSCONFIG utility. Here's how: First, click Start, click Run, type MSCONFIG, and click OK. Click the StartUp tab, then uncheck any items you don't want to start when Windows starts. Unsure what some items are? Visit the WinTasks Process Library. It contains known system processes, applications, as well as spyware references and explanations. Or quickly identify them by searching for the filenames using Google or another Web search engine.
12.) Remove any unnecessary or unused programs from the Add/Remove Programs section of the Control Panel.
13.) Turn off any and all unnecessary animations, and disable active desktop. In fact, for optimal performance, turn off all animations. Windows XP offers many different settings in this area. Here's how to do it: First click on the System icon in the Control Panel. Next, click on the Advanced tab. Select the Settings button located under Performance. Feel free to play around with the options offered here,as nothing you can change will alter the reliability of the computer -- only its responsiveness.
14.) If you r comfortable editing the registry, try some of the performance registry tweaks offered at Tweak XP.
15.) Visit msft's Windows update site regularly, and download all updates labeled Critical. Download any optional updates at your discretion.
16.) Update anti-virus software on a weekly, even daily, basis. Make sure u have only one anti-virus software package installed. Mixing anti-virus software is a sure way to spell disaster for performance and reliability.
17.) Make sure u have fewer than 500 type fonts installed on ur computer. The more fonts u have, the slower the system will become. While Windows XP handles fonts much more efficiently than did the previous versions of Windows, too many fonts -- that is, anything over 500 -- will noticeably tax the system.
18.) Do not partition the hard drive. Windows XP's NTFS file system runs more efficiently on one large partition. The data is no safer on a separate partition, and a reformat is never necessary to reinstall an operating system. The same excuses people offer for using partitions apply to using a folder instead. For example, instead of putting all your data on the D: drive, put it in a folder called "D drive." You'll achieve the same organizational benefits that a separate partition offers, but without the degradation in system performance. Also, your free space won't be limited by the size of the partition; instead, it will be limited by the size of the entire hard drive. This means you won't need to resize any partitions, ever. That task can be time-consuming and also can result in lost data.
19.) Check the system's RAM to ensure it is operating properly. I recommend using a free program called MemTest86. The download will make a bootable CD or diskette (your choice), which will run 10 extensive tests on the PC's memory automatically after you boot to the disk you created. Allow all tests to run until at least three passes of the 10 tests are completed. If the program encounters any errors, turn off and unplug the computer, remove a stick of memory (assuming you have more than one), and run the test again. Remember, bad memory cannot be repaired, but only replaced.
20.) If the PC has a CD or DVD recorder, check the drive manufacturer's Web site for updated firmware. In some cases you'll be able to upgrade the recorder to a faster speed. Best of all, it's free.
21.) Disable unnecessary services. Windows XP loads a lot of services that your customer most likely does not need. To determine which services you can disable for your client, visit the Black Viper site for Windows XP configurations.
22.) If you're sick of a single Windows Explorer window crashing and then taking the rest of your OS down with it, then follow this tip: open My Computer, click on Tools, then Folder Options. Now click on the View tab. Scroll down to "Launch folder windows in a separate process," and enable this option. You'll have to reboot your machine for this option to take effect.
23.) At least once a year, open the computer's cases and blow out all the dust and debris. While you're in there, check that all the fans are turning properly. Also inspect the motherboard capacitors for bulging or leaks.
TRICK 3:
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Windows Tips-n-Tricks!!!!!!!
Here I'm posting one trick to add Copy To and Move to in Context menu,
when we right-click on any file or folder in Windows.
ADDING COPY TO & MOVE TO IN CONTEXT MENU
QUOTE
To add Copy to... and Move to... context menu options, Click on
Start->Run and type Regedit, and goto
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shellex\Con textMenuHandlers\
Now create two new keys:
Copy To , set the default value to {C2FBB630-2971-11d1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}
Move To , set the default value to {C2FBB631-2971-11d1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}
Now when you right click on a file or folder, above the send to option
there are two new options: Copy to Folder and Move to Folder
You can copy or move files or directories to other folders with this.
There is a s/w available on net, called Resource Hacker.
Its a gr8 s/w to edit EXE, DLL and many other system files.
Its very easy to use.
http://www.angusj.com/resourcehacker/
We can change Start button name, Program Menus name, progress bar,
Boot screen, login screens, and many other things using this s/w.
CHANGING START BUTTON TEXT
QUOTE
We hv to modify the explorer.exe file to change the Start button text:
1) Open the file c:\windows\explorer.exe with Resource Hacker and edit
the text in following lines
String Table > 37 > 1033
String Table > 38 > 1033
You just edit the text inside the "Start" to what ever you want and
compile.
2) save the file as (file > save as) explorer1.exe (U can give any name.)
Now you need to copy the file you've modified best way I've found to
do this is to boot to safe mode command prompt although it's been
suggested that you can stop the explorer.exe process with Task
Manager, copy the fie in a cmd prompt then restart the process again -
that worked for me but the origional returned after a restart. The
next 3 steps describe how you copy the file
3) restart the machine and start tapping F8 to get the start menu -
choose safe mode with command prompt
4) log on as Administrator and you'll be presented with a cmd prompt
5) To copy the modified file just type
copy c:\windows\explorer1.exe c:\windows\explorer.exe
assuming that's where you saved it to)
6) Restart Machine and VOILA!
how to replace the system files with ur own customized file??
u can directly edit or replace system files without going into safe
mode or dos prompt or any other method.
It can be done by disabling Windows File Protection.
Disabling Windows File Protection Service
QUOTE
1. Locate the file SFC_OS.DLL which should be in C:\Windows\System32
(Assuming C: is ur system drive) folder.
2. Copy it and name it SFC_OS.BAK. Now open this .bak file using a hex
editor, like UltraEdit (which you can download from here:
http://www.ultraedit.com/downloads/ (45 day free trial). All we need
to do is change two values.
3. The location of these values will vary, depending if you are using
Windows XP without the Service Pak or Windows XP with Service Pack One
(SP1), but the actual hex values to change will be the same.
For Windows XP with no Service Pack installed:
Go to offset 0000E2B8 (E2B8 hex)
For Windows XP with SP1:
Go to offset 0000E3BB (E3BB hex)
At those offsets, change the hex values 8BC6 to 9090.
4. Close and Save the file.
Now you must replace the original sfc_os.dll files with your edited ones.
You may have to use the recovery console to do this or you can try
closing Explorer and using the command window.
The easiest way would be to have a dual boot with XP and 9x, both on
FAT systems. Then you can just do a copy-paste right from Windows 9x.
The file exists in two directories�C:\Windows\system32 and
C:\Windows\system32\dllcache. You must replace both files.
5. Next Step is the Registry Editing
Click Start > Run and type regedit.
Go to this key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
In the right hand pane, if it doesn't exist, create a new Dword value
named:
SFCDisable
Double click it and for value data, enter
FFFFFF9D
Then reboot.
This will now disable system file protection permanently and allow you
to edit, delete or replace system files normally protected by the
System File Protection feature.
To re-enable, just change the value data to 0.
Remove Shortcut arrow from icons
Go to Start -> Run, type Regedit. Navigate to:
CODEHKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/LNKFILE/
Delete the key:
CODEisShortcut
Then go to:
CODEHKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/PIFFILE/
Delete key:
CODEisShortcut
Exit, reboot. Now you have a cleaner looking desktop.
Install the Recovery Console as a startup option
Recovery Console is the mode u log into when u choose Recovery while
installing Windows XP on ur system...here's a way to add a permamnent
boot option to start the XP Recovery Console...
To install the Recovery Console as a startup option >>>
With Windows running, insert the Setup CD into your CD-ROM drive.
Click Start and select Run.
Type the following where D: is the CD-ROM drive letter:
CODED:\i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons
Follow the instructions on the screen.
To run the Recovery Console, restart your computer and select the
Recovery Console option from the list of available operating systems.
You must be logged on as an administrator or a member of the
Administrators group in order to complete this procedure. If your
computer is connected to a network, network policy settings may also
prevent you from completing this procedure.
To see the commands available on the Recovery Console, type help at
the at the console prompt.
To delete the Recovery Console >>>
Open My Computer.
Double-click the hard drive on which you installed the Recovery Console.
On the Tools menu, click Folder Options.
Click the View tab.
Click Show hidden files and folders, clear the Hide protected
operating system files check box, and then click OK.
At the root directory, delete the \Cmdcons folder.
At the root directory, delete the file Cmldr.
At the root directory, right-click the Boot.ini file and then click
Properties.
Clear the Read-only check box, and then click OK.
Open Boot.ini in Notepad, and remove the entry for the Recovery
Console. It will look similar to this:
C:\cmdcons\bootsect.dat="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons
Save the file and close it.
It is recommended that you change the attribute for the Boot.ini file
back to read-only after you complete this procedure. You may also want
to hide your system files again.
TRICK 4:
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1.Character Map = charmap.exe (very useful for finding unusual characters)
2.DiskCleanup=cleanmgr.exe
3.ClipboardViewer =clipbrd.exe (views contents of Windows clipboard)
4.DrWatson = drwtsn32.exe (Troubleshooting tool)
5.DirectX diagnosis = dxdiag.exe (Diagnose & test DirectX, video &
sound cards)
6.Private character editor = eudcedit.exe (allows creation or
modification of characters)
7.IExpress Wizard = iexpress.exe (Create self-extracting /
self-installing package)
8. Microsoft Synchronization Manager = mobsync.exe (appears to allow
synchronization of files on the network for when working offline.
Apparently undocumented).
9. Windows Media Player 5.1 = mplay32.exe (Retro version of Media
Player, very basic).
10. ODBC Data Source Administrator = odbcad32.exe (something to do
with databases)
11. Object Packager = packager.exe (to do with packaging objects for
insertion in files, appears to have comprehensive help files).
12. System Monitor = perfmon.exe (very useful, highly configurable
tool, tells you everything you ever wanted to know about any aspect of
PC performance, for uber-geeks only )
13. Program Manager = progman.exe (Legacy Windows 3.x desktop shell).
14. Remote Access phone book = rasphone.exe (documentation is
virtually non-existant).
15. Registry Editor = regedt32.exe [also regedit.exe] (for hacking the
Windows Registry).
16. Network shared folder wizard = shrpubw.exe (creates shared folders
on network).
17. File siganture verification tool = sigverif.exe
18. Volume Contro = sndvol32.exe (I've included this for those people
that lose it from theSystemNotificationarea).
19. System Configuration Editor = sysedit.exe (modify System.ini &
Win.ini just like in Win98! ).
20. Syskey = syskey.exe (Secures XP Account database - use with care,
it's virtually undocumented but it appears to encrypt all passwords,
I'm not sure of the full implications).
21.MicrosoftTelnetClient=telnet.exe
22. Driver Verifier Manager = verifier.exe (seems to be a utility for
monitoring the actions of drivers, might be useful for people having
driver problems. Undocumented).
23. Windows for Workgroups Chat = winchat.exe (appears to be an old NT
utility to allow chat sessions over a LAN, help files available).
TRICK 5:
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Windowsbugs,FunnyThing
Haveanyonetriedcreatinga folder with one of these names:
QUOTE
AUX , PRN , CON
If not try it and see what happens
send a mail Microsoft asking the same. Here is there answer:
QUOTE
This is technically not a bug. Windows reserves certain names for
internal use and for system-wide use. These are COM0 to COM9, LPT0 to
LPT9, PRN, CON, AUX, and NUL. COM0-9 are serial ports, LPT0-9 are
parallel ports, CON is the console (monitor), PRN is the printer, AUX
seems to be an alias for COM1 and NUL is the bit-bucket.
Tweak UI for Windows XP
It will gives u access to quite a few system settings that are
otherwise not readily available, and can help gain that extra inch of
power from XP. You can download it from
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/...s/powertoys.asp. You can apply
following settings.
Under General, you can turn off display effects such as fading and
animations. Under Explorer, uncheck the boxes for "Allow Web content
to be added to the desktop" and "Enable smooth scrolling". Expand the
Explorer tree, select thumbnails and move the Image Quality slider to
around the center.
Next, expand the My Computer > AutoPlay branch. Under drives, you can
disable AutoPlay for all drives, thus reducing this overhead. Under
the Types branch, you can choose to disable AutoPlay for CD, DVD and
Removable drives.
Under the Command Prompt branch, you can configure special keys to
automatically complete file and directory names, as on a UNIX or LINUX
system. If you have a single user system, you can have XP logon
automatically from Logon > Autologon.
Under Logon > Unread Mail, You can disable the notification of new E
Mail message for each user. Not only is this more secure, but it also
reduce the overheads of polling for new message for every user.
THIS DESCRIPTION IS NOT FOR NOVICE OR NEW USER OF WINDOWS!!!
Forcing user to enter Password during Login in Windows 9X!!!!
Unlike Windows NT, 2000 and XP, the login window in Windows 9X and ME
can easily be bypassed by pressing the [ESC] key, or by clicking the
Cancel Button. To prevent this from happening, first make sure that
the user profiles are created and enabled, and that the "Include Start
Menu and Program Groups in User Settings" option in the Control Panel
is enabled for each user.
Reboot the PC in Safe Mode by hitting the [F8] key during start up,
and choose Safe Mode from the Boot Option. This is very important,
because if something goes wrong, you can always reboot your computer
in safe mode and rectify the problem.
Type "regedit.exe" in Start > Run. Find the following key in the
Registry:
HKEY_USERS/Default/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Run. In
the right hand pane, right-click and choose New String Values, and
rename it as "FixLogon". Finally, open the FixLogon entry you have
just created, by double clicking on the right pane of the Registry
Editor windows, and specifying the following command as its Value
data: rundll.exe user.exe, EXITWINDOWS. Reboot your PC to save the
change. If you want to restore previous setting, simply delete this key.
TRICK 6:
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mproving Serial Port Performance
You can get more out of your serial connection and get your modem
working its fastest with the help of Device Manager.
Go to Control Panel > System > Hardware > Device Manager. This will
show you a list of all the devices attached to your PC. Look for the
Port (COM) communication port. Right click and select Properties, and
click the port settings tab. Increase the bits per second from "9600"
to "128000" and Flow Control to "Hardware". Then, click on the Advance
tab and set the Receive and Transmit buffers to Maximum. Click OK and
close all Windows. Your COM port will now run at full throttle.
Speed Up the Start Menu in Windows XP
The Start Menu take a quite a while to display the list of programs
installed. In order to get Windows XP to display the list faster, you
will have to edit some registry settings. Remember to back up your
regitry before making any changes.
To speed up, goto Start > Run and type regedit. This will open the
registry window. Then navigate to the following key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop. Scroll down in the Right
panel and double click on "menushowdelay". In the Value Data box,
change the default value for the menu speed from 400 to a lesser
number, such as 1 or even 0. Click OK You should now find a
significant increase in the startmenu speed.
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