[Unattended Windows Guide isn't working]

Thank you for pointing this issue out. Fixed.

That was fast thanks

[Unattended Windows Guide isn't working]

Looks like an SQL database issue to me

Warning: mysql_connect() [function.mysql-connect]: Access denied for user 'msfnorg'@'localhost' (using password: YES) in /home/msfnorg/public_html/unattended/uxpcd/database.connector.php on line 10

Error connecting to DB: Access denied for user 'msfnorg'@'localhost' (using password: YES)

[SMARTVSD.VXD - wtf?]

SmartMonitoringTools

[determine what version]

How To

[Change C:\Windows]

You have to edit the entire registry replacing every instance of C:\Windows with C:\WINNT

The easiest way to do this is export the Entire Registry into a REG file. Open that REG file with a good Text Editor and use the Replace function that will be found in the Edit menu.

After you have made the changes to the REG file and saved it (be sure it is still the Text file format) you can proceed with the changes.

Copy the contents of C:\Windows to a folder called C:\WINNT

Make the other changes recommend here in this Topic

Click the changed REG file to replace the Registry with the replaced values.

Restart the box.

[New line in document]

Use the Replace feature in the Edit menu

Some programs have a drop down box where you can select from special items such as new lines. In that case you would just select the new line and have no need for copy/paste action.

otherwise

You may need to copy to your clipboard a blank line line including a new line which you would paste into the area where you would put your replacement text

[bat file command question]

You may want to consider installing PrcView. With that program comes a very small DOS program called PV.EXE which is a DOS based task manager which you can call from a batch file to shut down a process. The text file PV.TXT that comes with it explains all the available switches and usage. Very handy really.

PrcView

[A tool that can extract SZDD archives?]

Comprexx mark4 (shareware - Extraction Only via a plug-in)

[Trouble when playing computer gamer]

If you have a Screensaver active turn it off.

[creating system restore points ME]

Your welcome

[Scandisk /custom switch problem]

Of course there is.

Create a batch file that will start scandisk with the parameters you need.

Then since Autoexec.bat is processed when booting to Real Mode DOS aim the last line of your autoexec.bat at that batch file you created.

You may find this website useful.

Using MS-DOS 7 Commands

[creating system restore points ME]

Possibly applicable:

Restore Points Are Not Saved in System Restore

Possibly of Interest:

Description of the System Restore Utility in Windows Millennium Edition

Some quotes from the System Restore FAQ

Typical reasons why checkpoints are not being created:

• System Restore requires Task Scheduler to create system checkpoints. If Task Scheduler is disabled it will prevent System Restore from creating system checkpoints on a scheduled basis.

• System Restore requires the computer to be in an idle state to create system checkpoints. This is by design so that System Restore does not interrupt a user by taking processing power. If computer is never idle, system checkpoints cannot be created. Also, check for any applications that run on the computer during idle periods, such as a virus scanner.

• Another cause may be that the computer is in continual use for limited periods and then shut down or put into hibernation, preventing System Restore from creating restore points.

Why are my restore points missing or deleted?

• If no free disk space on monitored system drive or on any of the available non-system drives exists, System Restore will purge restore points consistently across all monitored partitions to free disk space. If the free disk space falls below 50 MB on any monitored partition, System Restore will stop monitoring and suspend.

Note: Some users have reported that using the Real Player One utility has deleted restore points. Please review your System Event Viewer log for System Restore events for a volume error event.

[Lock Down Browser]

Specify a bogus proxy server. Use a policy to disable access to Internet Options > Connections (tab)

[Beat Advertisers Latest Info Harvesting]

Sometimes life is one shattered illusion after another, and it is the illusion of ourselves that is the most fragile. Susan Wilson

The latest efforts by the bad boys in advertising now include a rather insidious use of Macromedia Flash. This article describes it nicely and far better than I could do without repeating the article content.

You can defeat this new method of information storage by visiting the Macromedia Flash webpage that enables you to access the Flash Control Panel. Before you visit the webpage you should restore your Flash capability if you have it disabled. You can click the links I have placed in 1. and 2. below to be taken directly to the correct Flash Control Panel "tab" for each action.

You must do two things with the control panel. The first one protects against sites you might visit in the future. The second one protects against sites you have already visited. The instructions provided by Macromedia on these webpages linked below are very complete. I have provided some "guidance" information which may be duplicated there.

1. Access the second tab on the Control Panel called Global Storage Settings and move the slider to the left to set the allowed disk space to zero. You have the option of checkmarking never ask again. I suggest you do not checkmark that at this time. The important thing is to set the allowed disk space to zero.

2. Access the fifth tab on the Control Panel called Website Privacy Settings. Here it gets slightly more complicated. I took the easy route and simply Deleted all the sites listed so they would then be controlled by the Global Storage Settings I set in the other tab. That may not be the best choice for everyone as some websites that make use of some particular aspects of Flash capability will not work properly without being able to use some disk space for storage. If you have Trusted websites you already visit regularly which require storage space on your drive to work properly they should be listed in this section. You will have to specify what is allowed for each of those websites. If you don't recognize a website that is listed in this section of the Control Panel it should be safe to just Delete it from the list. If a website you visit in the future is not listed here and requires storage space it will ask you to be allowed to do so if you did not checkmark the "never ask again" box on the other tab.

[Best File Compresion?]

I didn't have a chance to play with winuha before today. It works better for me than IZarc set for BZ2. Here be the results. UHA was using ALZ:2-mode (its default setting). Ran a bit slower and had the expected difficulties with files already highly compressed. Installs with a right click menu which is a MUST in my book. For local use I'm going to go with winuha.

D:\Program Files original size 299,865,789 bytes (from less used Dual Boot drive)

ALZ:2-mode was 4.98% smaller than BZ2

80 JPG files original size 31,636,192 bytes

ALZ:2-mode was 0.40% smaller than BZ2

682 files a variety of CAT, CAB, ZIP, INF, EXE, TXT

ALZ:2-mode was 31.45% smaller than BZ2

IE6 SP1 Update Rollup MS (full installation EXE)

ALZ:2-mode was 0.93% smaller than BZ2

UNOFFICIAL Win98 SE SP 1.5 (EXE)

ALZ:2-mode was 0.41% smaller than BZ2

USB Host to Host Bridge PC2PC (DLL, INF, SYS, BIN, DAT, CAB)

ALZ:2-mode was 17.25% smaller than BZ2

NVidia (three different versions in EXE format all contained in subfolders)

ALZ:2-mode was 1.21% smaller than BZ2

2,463 files in 368 folders in Unzipped Folder (where I unzip programs that have no setup)

ALZ:2-mode was 16.12% smaller than BZ2

[any other ways to speed up startup beside disable]

In situations where you are fairly certain a folder or file exists and you have difficulty locating that file or folder a reliable method of locating it is to Right Click My Computer and select Search (XP/ME) or Find (95/98/SE) and perform a search of the drive in question for that file or folder.

Another method to reach Search or Find dialog is to click Start > Search or Start > Find as the case may be.

[any other ways to speed up startup beside disable]

From the Bootvis help file:

Bootvis is a tool for easily enabling capture and graphical display of boot and resume performance trace data in Windows XP.  Bootvis by itself will not change a system's boot or resume performance.  Bootvis is intended as an aid to allow designers and manufacturers to characterize their system's performance during Windows startup in order to identify areas for further investigation and opportunities for performance improvement.

What may be missunderstood about the Bootvis tool is the Menu selections Trace > Optimize System. The word "Optimize" in that menu selection might lead one to think the tool will somehow optimize the boot process so that it is faster. This is what MS has to say about it:

Bootvis.exe is not a tool that will improve boot/resume performance for end users. Contrary to some published reports, Bootvis.exe cannot reduce or alter a system's boot or resume performance. The boot optimization routines invoked by Bootvis.exe are built into Windows XP. These routines run automatically at pre-determined times as part of the normal operation of the operating system.

MS Webpage concerning "Fast Boot / Fast Resume Design"

[any other ways to speed up startup beside disable]

I mentioned the Prefetch folder. Because this is a system folder it can be opened by clicking Start > Run typing the word prefetch and pressing Enter (or clicking OK).

[any other ways to speed up startup beside disable]

8. Making use of the NTREGOPT program that comes as part of ERUNT (Emergency Recovery Utility NT) to optimize the registry Hives may make a difference.

9. Making use of PageDefrag to defragment the Registry Hives and the Pagefile may make a difference.

[oops! wrong info in my post just below]

Click the Edit button at the bottom right of any post you author and you can correct errors that you have made. It is a wise thing to make use of the Preview button when writing a post as this allows a "read" of the post as it will appear.

[Try to Shut Down but Windows Restarts]

Boot to Safe Mode again. Perform a normal Shutdown from Safe Mode. Start your system and allow it to start normal. Try a shutdown after that and see how it turns out.

[any other ways to speed up startup beside disable]

1. Clear your Icon Cache about once a month. In the example below from my batch file you must modify the path so that it is applicable to the User Name(s) on your system that is normally used. This is the content of the batch file:

Del C:\Docume~1\[user Name]\LocalS~1\Applic~1\iconcache.db

2. Another thing to do is reduce your fonts to what you really need. X-Fonter 4.6 is a Font manager that highlights those required by the OS which makes it simple to get rid of unnecessary fonts. The program also "saves" those fonts you are removing by putting them in a folder. The download link I have provided is a Direct link.

3. You may want to consider cleaning out your Prefetch Folder. This may or may not have a salutary effect. Windows by default is supposed to be updating and refreshing and cleaning out the Prefetch Folder on a regular basis therefore one thing to do is look in the folder and see if there are items present which you do not expect. Such as references to Windows updates which you performed more than 5 days previous or programs which you have not run for a long time or have even uninstalled. If you see such references then Windows is failing in its Prefetch Folder tasks. If that is the case clearing the Prefetch Folder will likely help with your problem. One common reason for Windows to fail in its automatic Prefetch Folder tasks is disabling the Task Manager service which is required for automatic Windows Prefetch tasks. If that is the case you may want to consider turning that service back on as the Prefetch, when properly managed, does benefit the system. One benefit being faster startup.

4. Know that the longest delay during system startup is most often attributable to an Ethernet card. Sometimes this delay can be reduced by using a different brand card. Perhaps others with greater experience in this regard may have more useful suggestions about how to reduce the Ethernet card startup delay.

5. If you have some non-essential programs starting up which you run at startup because you make regular use of them consider removing them from startup and running them as needed or delay them from starting during the OS startup with a program that delays their start such as Startup Delayer.

6. If your startup programs include those not installed by Default during Windows installation consider using a program such as Starter to move your faster starting programs to Registry - Machine Run and your slower starting programs to later in the line up. This will allow windows to start the faster starting programs first and leave off running the slow starter until last. For example on my system I run 7 programs at startup that are not Default Windows items. One of them is the firewall which is a very slow starter (it has to wait for the network 'eh?). I can control the other 6 with Starter and have set them to Registry - Machine Run which Windows processes before it gets to the firewall. This has resulted in a faster boot for my system.

7. This Useful Information can help you to figure out which parts of the Registry are starting first and what might be taking the longest.

[Stack Overflow At Line: 80?]

If I have flash turned off I don't have the problem. If flash is turned on it comes back.

[Stack Overflow At Line: 80?]

Oddly enough I was experiencing this stack overflow today after about 36 hours of periodic cable outage. After completely powering down my Cable Modem and Router for a full minute each the problem went away. I also reset the permissions for the Network in my Firewall.

OK I spoke too soon. I still am getting a stack overflow at 80 and then 50 when I Close the TAB for this forum. Now that is a strange thing. However, my Cable Outage appears to be no longer an issues.

[Best File Compresion?]

A few months ago I experimented with JPG files using each format available for use with IZArc and found that BZA format resulted in the best compression most of the time. But if I'm sending a file outbound I use ZIP since that is a most common format most "ZIP" programs are capable of handling.