TheFlash428

I agree, plus why include native support when there are still debates ongoing as to the "new" disc format. BluRay looks promising, but who knows, it could be the next beta-max. As far as XP's built in burning feature, I think it's alright for quick drag and drop CD creations--prehaps if you just have to quickly burn a few a files onto a CD, but that's about it. For burning ISOs, bootable CD's, etc, you obviously need extra software.

WMP10 will play DVD's, and it is a free download from microsoft (assuming you pass "Genuine Advantage")--but as mentioned by lostincyberspace, it will only work if you already have DVD decoders installed. Kind of a catch22 if you ask me.

I am not sure because I don't use it, but is this a McAfee anti-virus process?

Sounds like spyware to me.

As a network admin that (against my good will) has to set a lot of policies described here, I can tell you that, yes, it possible to see the remote desktop traffic (port 3389)--but frankly, if a user in my network was smart enough to figure out how to do this, I would be too impressed to report him/her, assuming the motive was innocent. The network I manage is behind a DoD firewall (which is as specific as I'll get), but pretty much every port is closed, including the remote desktop port. Changing the port (on the target computer) as mentioned above does work though--what we do is use a know open port on the firewall for access, which does work.

I've beta-tested Vista, and it's pretty cool--but from what I have found (in the release I have anyway) it's just not different enough to make a difference. Why will I stick with XP? Because why spend $ on a new product license when XP (with SP2), is a completely up to date, reliable OS? Personally, I can't think of one. I agree with what others said too--there's bound to be bugs and glitches that will take AT LEAST a year to catch; meaning that Vista, once released to the gen pop, won't really be the best (or up to date) OS available. I'll bet money on that. I'm not one to hold on to the past, but I also never upgrade simply for the sake of upgrading. I'll probably wait for Vista SP1 before I'm really ready to run with it.

This may be an irrelevant question, but were there previous versions of Office installed on this machine prior to installing 2003? I only ask because I encountered similar problems (although too long ago to remember exactly--but all the problems were in Outlook) on several machines where I had attempted to "upgrade" my version of M$ Office (Office 2K). I spent so much time to figure out what was wrong that I eventually just started from stratch (reloaded OS with fresh install of Office), which worked just fine. Basically all I could conclude was that if Office 2K3 was install fresh, it worked fine; when installed on a computer that had previously had Office 2K on installed it, Outlook crashed during various, but specific, activities. To be honest, I never tried to troubleshoot anymore than this though. Regardless, I'm affraid I don't have much of an answer to your question, but thought I could pass this experience along.

Nlite is supposed to reduce the size of your installation, you I don't see why your iso is so large--unless you are trying to add applications or other files (which I often do). with an iso this large, you will need to burn it to a dvd (lets face it, in the very near future dvd drives will be impossible to live without). If you are not trying to add extra apps or files, then my guess is you are doing something wrong, because a full xp installation with every bell and whistle will fit on a 700MB CD. If you can provide more info, I'm sure the good people here can help.

I can tell you it IS the firewall, since I know what you are trying to do. I have ran into this problem before. I choose to disable the windows firewall locally on all my XP SP 2 machines on the domain, mainly becuase I already maintain a firewall for the entire network, which means that all that M$'s firewall does is occaisionally prevent me from administrating my network the way I like (as in the example you gave).

Cached Exchange mode simply means that Outlook will download a complete copy of your mailbox to an offline storage file (.ost I believe). This enables you to access the most recent copy of your mailbox if you logon to your account off-line. If you don't use Cached mode, then messages are downloaded from the exchange server individually as needed, and does not provide access to an off-line copy of your messages. Each has advantages/disadvantages. If you have to access your exchange server over a dial-up connection for example, it may take very long periods of time to download the contents of your mailbox, so cached mode would not be advantagous here.

Add the command On error resume next at line 68 and see if that makes a difference.

OK, let's give this a shot... Again, copy to text editor and save with .vbs extension. Edit lines 13 and 26 for your domain. I made the edits at home, so I didn't have a domain to test this on, but it should work (it worked when I ran it on my single PC). I'll test it on my domain tomorrow morning (GMT -4) and make additional edits if necessary. ' Declare the constants Const HKLM = &H80000002 ' HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE Const REG_SZ = 1 ' String value in registry (Not DWORD) Const ForReading = 1 Const ForWriting = 2 ' Set File objects... Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject") Set objDictionary = CreateObject("Scripting.Dictionary") Set objDictionary2 = CreateObject("Scripting.Dictionary") ' Set string variables strDomain = "xxx" ' Your Domain strPCsFile = "DomainPCs.txt" strPath = "C:\logs\" ' Create this folder strWorkstationID = "C:\logs\WorkstationID.txt" If objFSO.FolderExists(strPath) Then Wscript.Echo "This program will collect Workstation ID on remote compter(s)" Else Wscript.Echo "This program will collect Workstation ID on remote compter(s)" WScript.Echo "Please create folder: <c:\Logs> then click OK." End If ' Get list of domain PCs - Using above variables. strMbox = MsgBox("Would you like info for entire domain: xxx ?",3,"Hostname") 'an answer of yes will return a value of 6, causing script to collect domain PC info If strMbox = 6 Then Set objPCTXTFile = objFSO.OpenTextFile(strPath & strPCsFile, ForWriting, True) Set objDomain = GetObject("WinNT://" & strDomain) ' Note LDAP does not work objDomain.Filter = Array("Computer") For Each pcObject In objDomain objPCTXTFile.WriteLine pcObject.Name Next objPCTXTFile.close Else 'an answer of no will prompt user to input name of computer to scan and create PC file strHost = InputBox("Enter the computer you wish to get Workstation ID","Hostname"," ") Set strFile = objfso.CreateTextFile(strPath & strPCsFile, True) strFile.WriteLine(strHost) strFile.Close End If ' Read list of computers from strPCsFile into objDictionary Set readPCFile = objFSO.OpenTextFile(strPath & strPCsFile, ForReading) i = 0 Do Until readPCFile.AtEndOfStream strNextLine = readPCFile.Readline objDictionary.Add i, strNextLine i = i + 1 Loop readPCFile.Close ' Build up the filename found in the strPath strFileName = "Workstation ID_" _ & year(date()) & right("0" & month(date()),2) _ & right("0" & day(date()),2) & ".txt" ' Write each PC's software info file... Set objTextFile2 = objFSO.OpenTextFile(strPath & strFileName, ForWriting, True) For each DomainPC in objDictionary strComputer = objDictionary.Item(DomainPC) ' WMI connection to the operating system note StdRegProv Set objReg=GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & _ strComputer & "\root\default:StdRegProv") ' Registry paths which hold the WorkstationID information. unKeyPath = "SOFTWARE\InterNetworX Systems\ICS\Configuration" unValueName = ("Workstation ID") ' These paths are used in the filenames you see in the strPath pcName = "SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\ComputerName\ActiveComputerName\" pcNameValueName = "ComputerName" userPath = "Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\" userValueName = "DefaultUserName" objReg.GetStringValue HKLM,pcName,pcNameValueName,pcValue objReg.GetStringValue HKLM,userPath,userValueName,userValue objTextFile2.WriteLine(vbCRLF & "==============================" & vbCRLF & _ "Current Workstation ID " & vbCRLF & Time & vbCRLF & Date _ & vbCRLF & "ID for:" & "" & userValue & vbCRLF & "On System:" _ & "" & pcValue & vbCRLF & "----------------------------------------" & vbCRLF) strKeyPath = "SOFTWARE\InterNetworX Systems\ICS\Configuration" objReg.GetstringValue HKLM ,strKeyPath, unValueName, strValue objTextFile2.WriteLine (strValue) 'GetWorkstationID() Next Set objFilesystem = Nothing WScript.echo "Finished Scanning Network check : " & strPath 'objFSO.DeleteFile(strWorkstationID) objFSO.DeleteFile(strPath & strPCsFile) wscript.Quit

Figured I'd add my 2 cents-- Here is a .vbs script that should do what you are trying to do. I just made some modifications to script I had been using for a different but similar purpose, and I apologize if there are still some unnecessary remnants of the old version. Steps to take: 1. Replace "xxx" in lines 14 and 27 with the name of your domain. 2. Written to capture a registry string value, if the key your looking for is a D_WORD then change "Getstringvalue" at line 130 to "Getdwordvalue" (result will be in Hex.) 3. Other than that just copy to a text editor (notepad, or my favorite, notepad2), save with a .vbs extension and run it. You will need to make a folder called "C:\Logs"--this is the default location; you will be prompted to do so if it does not exist. ' Declare the constants Const HKLM = &H80000002 ' HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE Const REG_SZ = 1 ' String value in registry (Not DWORD) Const ForReading = 1 Const ForWriting = 2 ' Set File objects... Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject") Set objDictionary = CreateObject("Scripting.Dictionary") Set objDictionary2 = CreateObject("Scripting.Dictionary") ' Set string variables strDomain = "xxx" ' Your Domain strPCsFile = "DomainPCs.txt" strPath = "C:\logs\" ' Create this folder strWorkstationID = "C:\logs\WorkstationID.txt" If objFSO.FolderExists(strPath) Then Wscript.Echo "This program will collect Workstation ID on remote compter(s)" Else Wscript.Echo "This program will collect Workstation ID on remote compter(s)" WScript.Echo "Please create folder: <c:\Logs> then click OK." End If ' Get list of domain PCs - Using above variables. strMbox = MsgBox("Would you like info for entire domain: xxx ?",3,"Hostname") 'an answer of yes will return a value of 6, causing script to collect domain PC info If strMbox = 6 Then Set objPCTXTFile = objFSO.OpenTextFile(strPath & strPCsFile, ForWriting, True) Set objDomain = GetObject("WinNT://" & strDomain) ' Note LDAP does not work objDomain.Filter = Array("Computer") For Each pcObject In objDomain objPCTXTFile.WriteLine pcObject.Name Next objPCTXTFile.close Else 'an answer of no will prompt user to input name of computer to scan and create PC file strHost = InputBox("Enter the computer you wish to get Workstation ID","Hostname"," ") Set strFile = objfso.CreateTextFile(strPath & strPCsFile, True) strFile.WriteLine(strHost) strFile.Close End If ' Read list of computers from strPCsFile into objDictionary Set readPCFile = objFSO.OpenTextFile(strPath & strPCsFile, ForReading) i = 0 Do Until readPCFile.AtEndOfStream strNextLine = readPCFile.Readline objDictionary.Add i, strNextLine i = i + 1 Loop readPCFile.Close ' Run the procedure defined in the Sub routine GetWorkstationID() For each DomainPC in objDictionary strComputer = objDictionary.Item(DomainPC) GetWorkstationID() Next Set objFilesystem = Nothing WScript.echo "Finished Scanning Network check : " & strPath objFSO.DeleteFile(strWorkstationID) objFSO.DeleteFile(strPath & strPCsFile) Sub GetWorkstationID() On Error Resume next ' WMI connection to the operating system note StdRegProv Set objReg=GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & _ strComputer & "\root\default:StdRegProv") If Err <> "0" Then Exit Sub End If ' Registry paths which hold the WorkstationID information. unKeyPath = "SOFTWARE\InterNetworX Systems\ICS\Configuration" unValueName = ("Workstation ID") ' Enumerate Registry subkey paths for WorkstationID. 'objReg.EnumKey HKLM, unKeyPath Set objTextFile1 = objFSO.OpenTextFile(strWorkstationID, ForWriting,True) 'For Each Subkey in arrSubKeys objTextFile1.WriteLine (unKeyPath & (Enter)) 'Next ' Read Registry info stored in the strWorkstationID file Set objTextFile3 = objFSO.OpenTextFile(strWorkstationID, ForReading) 'pipe the WorkstationID paths from the WorkstationID.txt file into a second dictionary i = 0 Do Until objTextFile3.AtEndOfStream strNextLine = objTextFile3.Readline objDictionary2.Add i, strNextLine i = i + 1 Loop ' These paths are used in the filenames you see in the strPath pcName = "SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\ComputerName\ActiveComputerName\" pcNameValueName = "ComputerName" userPath = "Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\" userValueName = "DefaultUserName" objReg.GetStringValue HKLM,pcName,pcNameValueName,pcValue objReg.GetStringValue HKLM,userPath,userValueName,userValue ' Build up the filename found in the strPath strFileName = UserValue & "_" & "On" & "_" & PCValue & "_" & "Workstation ID" _ & year(date()) & right("0" & month(date()),2) _ & right("0" & day(date()),2) & ".txt" ' Write each PC's software info file... Set objTextFile2 = objFSO.OpenTextFile(strPath & strFileName, ForWriting, True) ' Writing info to the corresponding Software info file... objTextFile2.WriteLine(vbCRLF & "==============================" & vbCRLF & _ "Current Workstation ID " & vbCRLF & Time & vbCRLF & Date _ & vbCRLF & "ID for:" & "" & userValue & vbCRLF & "On System:" _ & "" & pcValue & vbCRLF & "----------------------------------------" & vbCRLF) ' First enumeration also clean up if error exists (Second enumaration omitted) For Each objItem in objDictionary2 strKeyPath = "SOFTWARE\InterNetworX Systems\ICS\Configuration" objReg.GetstringValue HKLM ,strKeyPath, unValueName, strValue objTextFile2.WriteLine (strValue) If Err Then objDictionary2.Remove(objItem) End If Next End Sub wscript.Quit Credit for the original script goes to Shane Rudy and Guy Thomas.

I was actually one of the original invitees (or a very early one anyway). I use Google all the time and one day I opened up the search engine, which is my start page, and there was a link asking my if wanted to test the new gmail; so of course I said Yes. BTW, still have about 40 invites if anyone interested--although they are pretty easy to find, just Google it . What I love now though, is the new personalized start page. If you have GMail, then you have probably seen this. Now when I open the Google start page (search engine), I can add personalized content to the page--such as new headlines, local weather, quote of the day, and (most impressive and convenient) my new emails. Adds just the content I want, and is still very simple and uncluttered. Once you have your account set up, you will also notice that Google remembers your past searches and refines its search to meet your needs based on the sites you visit. This is great, I will have to troubleshoot a problem and be like "I know I just had to look that up a couple weeks ago, and where was the site where I found the answer". Sure enough they find it every time--with a time stamp of when I last visited the site. I don't mean to sound like a salesman, but I just love that my Google mail account has turned out to be so much more. If you still use Yahoo! or others, I recomend at least giving this a try.

It's possible, but more often what happens is that the AV company finds a vulnerability or exploit in a M$ OS (or other). This information is passed along to M$ (or the appropriate party), but not released to the public to allow the manufacterer ample time to patch the vulerability. In the mean time, the AV company is aware and usually try to exploit the vulnerability themselves--in order to know how to fix it should the information be compromised. At least this is my understanding of the process.

One possibility would be mulitple profiles--I have never tried this, so this is a guess at best. Under "Control Panel->Mail" you can select the option to prompt for profile, enabling multiple profiles under the same windows user account. You can set up each profile with the sender's info you desire. This will not work if your account is on an exchange server, however, because in that case this information is stored on the exchange server as opposed to a local profile.

The way many network admins do this is by building a model to their liking and using an application such as Norton Ghost to create an image that can be deployed to other PCs on the network. This process is only effective though if all the systems in question are identical (brand, model, hardware, etc) and of course you have to work within the limits of your MS licenses. In my office for example, we have about 100 identical Dell computers, all with valid XP licenses. I set one up the way I like (apps and such), create an image, and deploy it to the others.

MCA = Machine Check Architecture MCE = Machine Check Exception The registy key you mentioned enables/disables these features. Intel Processors Machine Check Architectures in Microsoft Windows

hothouse_57 was not asking this. A decoder is not needed to burn a DVD disc, AFAIK, so that's besides the point. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> You're right, I misunderstood the scope of the question. My apologies.

Are these computers both on the same domain? or are they on a workgroup? My guess is that they are not on the same domain, becuase otherwise you could add domain users to the permissions and you would not have that problem. As gheron mentioned, try adding administrator or some other local account to the permissions list and see if you aren't able then to type this username into the security prompt.

...but isn't that exactly what a virus (non-computer type) is--code? Viruses that attack living things are nothing more than packaged DNA, or genetic CODE. Code that attempts to infiltrate our own cells and merge itself with our DNA to replicate itself and usually cause harm to the host cell/creature. Of course we have defense mechanisms, antibodies and whatnot, which usually do a good job of detecting and eliminating the virus--but often not until it has already caused at least some degree of damage to its host. Also, these same antibodies sometimes attack non-viral, non-threatening antigens, much like an anti-virus app will often detect non-viral code. The way I see it, VIRUS isn't just a nice code name for the malicious code it is associated with, but rather I find it scarry just how similar the computer variety is to the actual thing. Immunizations turn "viruses" into dormant DNA.

Awwl! What fun is that!

Windows media player 10 Real Player WinAmp A few free players--I know WMP10 works. If you have WMP10 and it doesn't play your DVD's, perhaps try looking for updates, although I don't know if any exist(?), or as andromeda43 pointed out codecs may need to be downloaded. As far as decoders go, I find it hard to believe that your DVD burner didn't come with an OEM version of Nero or Sonic or etc. Most equipement sellers will at least give you the software to make the device usable. Come to think of it, most will provide a DVD player as well. There are free decoders are out there, but I don't know names off hand (or if they are warez for that matter), but it shouldn't be that hard to search and investigate. Specifically, if you are trying to burn copyrighted material, you definately won't find any assistance on this board.

Are you able to access the computer if you use the IP address in place of the name? (i.e. \\10.1.0.0 instead of \\dragon). If so it is definately not the network card, but something having to DNS or NETBIOS settings I would imagine.

You meant SP2 from M$ site, right? We have rules about warez here. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I would hope, but even from M$ this download can take a while.