Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Microsoft Windows SHORTCUT Keys

Internet Explorer Shortcuts:


CTRL+A - Select all items on the current page
CTRL+D - Add the current page to your Favorites
CTRL+E - Open the Search bar
CTRL+F - Find on this page
CTRL+H - Open the History bar
CTRL+I - Open the Favorites bar
CTRL+N - Open a new window
CTRL+O - Go to a new location
CTRL+P - Print the current page or active frame
CTRL+S - Save the current page
CTRL+W - Close current browser window
CTRL+ENTER - Adds the http://www. (url) .com
SHIFT+CLICK - Open link in new window
BACKSPACE - Go to the previous page
ALT+HOME - Go to your Home page
HOME - Move to the beginning of a document
TAB - Move forward through items on a page
END - Move to the end of a document
ESC - Stop downloading a page
F11 - Toggle full-screen view
F5 - Refresh the current page
F4 - Display list of typed addresses
F6 - Change Address bar and page focus
ALT+RIGHT ARROW - Go to the next page
SHIFT+CTRL+TAB - Move back between frames
SHIFT+F10 - Display a shortcut menu for a link
SHIFT+TAB - Move back through the items on a page
CTRL+TAB - Move forward between frames
CTRL+C - Copy selected items to the clipboard
CTRL+V - Insert contents of the clipboard
ENTER - Activate a selected link
HOME - Move to the beginning of a document
END - Move to the end of a document
F1 - Display Internet Explorer Help


Windows Explorer Shortcuts:


ALT+SPACEBAR - Display the current window’s system menu
SHIFT+F10 - Display the item's context menu
CTRL+ESC - Display the Start menu
ALT+TAB - Switch to the window you last used
ALT+F4 - Close the current window or quit
CTRL+A - Select all items
CTRL+X - Cut selected item(s)
CTRL+C - Copy selected item(s)
CTRL+V - Paste item(s)
CTRL+Z - Undo last action
CTRL+(+) - Automatically resize the columns in the right hand pane
TAB - Move forward through options
ALT+RIGHT ARROW - Move forward to a previous view
ALT+LEFT ARROW - Move backward to a previous view
SHIFT+DELETE - Delete an item immediately
BACKSPACE - View the folder one level up
ALT+ENTER - View an item’s properties
F10 - Activate the menu bar in programs
F6 - Switch between left and right panes
F5 - Refresh window contents
F3 - Display Find application
F2 - Rename selected item


Windows XP Shortcut:


ALT+- (ALT+hyphen) Displays the Multiple Document Interface (MDI) child window's System menu
ALT+ENTER View properties for the selected item
ALT+ESC Cycle through items in the order they were opened
ALT+F4 Close the active item, or quit the active program
ALT+SPACEBAR Display the System menu for the active window
ALT+TAB Switch between open items
ALT+Underlined letter Display the corresponding menu
BACKSPACE View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer
CTRL+A Select all
CTRL+B Bold
CTRL+C Copy
CTRL+I Italics
CTRL+O Open an item
CTRL+U Underline
CTRL+V Paste
CTRL+X Cut
CTRL+Z Undo
CTRL+F4 Close the active document
CTRL while dragging Copy selected item
CTRL+SHIFT while dragging Create shortcut to selected iteM
CTRL+RIGHT ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word
CTRL+LEFT ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word
CTRL+DOWN ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph
CTRL+UP ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph
SHIFT+DELETE Delete selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin
ESC Cancel the current task
F1 Displays Help
F2 Rename selected item
F3 Search for a file or folder
F4 Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer
F5 Refresh the active window
F6 Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop
F10 Activate the menu bar in the active program
SHIFT+F10 Display the shortcut menu for the selected item
CTRL+ESC Display the Start menu
SHIFT+CTRL+ESC Launches Task Manager
SHIFT when you insert a CD Prevent the CD from automatically playing
WIN Display or hide the Start menu
WIN+BREAK Display the System Properties dialog box
WIN+D Minimizes all Windows and shows the Desktop
WIN+E Open Windows Explorer
WIN+F Search for a file or folder
WIN+F+CTRL Search for computers
WIN+L Locks the desktop
WIN+M Minimize or restore all windows
WIN+R Open the Run dialog box
WIN+TAB Switch between open items

src:markiee.com

Remove COOL USEP SCANDAL malware

The work of this malware are

  • it changes the default homepage on IE to this site
  • disables homepage of IE
  • infects your windows registry
  • disables regedit.exe, even in safemode
  • copies a file called cool usep scandal

this thingy malware is related to the funny UST Scandal.

It seems that none of the currently available antivirus, or antispyware seems to work.

Detailed instructions on how to remove this malware is from this website.

You also need to download first this files for the removal of the said malware

Best Tool: Cool Usep Remover

Alternate Download:

How to Prevent Virus or Malware

1. Make sure you have an Antivirus, Firewall and Antispyware scanner installed.

Search www.google.com for Anti-virus Information.

Make sure you DON'T download and install any scanner present on this list. These scanners are blacklisted because of their questionable reputation.

Never install more than one Antivirus and Firewall! Rather than giving you extra protection, it will decrease the reliability of it seriously! The reason for this is that if both products have their automatic (Real-Time) protection switched on, your system may lock up due to both software products attempting to access the same file at the same time. Also because more than one Antivirus and Firewall installed are not compatible with eachother, it can cause system performance problems and a serious system slowdown.

I also suggest to perform an online virusscan once in a while. Because what one virusscanner can't find another one maybe can. You'll find some good Online scanners Here.

2. Make sure your Windows is ALWAYS up to date!

An unpatched Windows is vulnerable and even with the "best" Antivirus and Firewall installed, malware will find its way through.
So visit http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ to download and install the latest updates.

Effective July 11/October 11, 2006, Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows Me, Windows XP SP1 and SP1a will transition to a non-supported status. Read here for more info:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/support/endofsupport.mspx
http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifean19
So make sure you update!

Also read the Top 10 reasons to install Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2).

Also, not only your Windows should be up to date, but also the programs you are using. This since many programs may contain Security leaks. To find out if your programs are up to date, run the Secunia Software Inspector.

3. Stay away from illegal/questionable sites.

This is one of the main causes why a computer gets infected. Visiting cracksites/warezsites - and other questionable/illegal sites is ALWAYS a risk. Even a single click on the site can be responsible for installing a huge amount of malware. Don't think: "I have a good Antivirus and Firewall installed, they will protect me" - because that's not true... and even before you know it, your Antivirus and Firewall may already be disabled because malware already found its way on your system.

4. Be careful with mail attachements!

Malware spreads via email as well, especially email attachements.
The most common ones are emails telling you that your computer is infected where you'll find the removal tool in the attachement, emails telling you that your password has changed which you'll find in the attachement, mails with productcodes in the attachement from software you purchased (while you didn't), attachements with so called Security updates etc etc...
Don't trust these mails, don't even open them but remove them immediately instead!

It may also happen you receive a mail from someone you know, but with a questionable attachement present and strange contents in the mail. In this case, this person - or someone else who has your address in his/her addressbook - is infected with malware (worm/spambot) and sends these mails without being aware of it.

Don't click links in emails from someone you don't know, because these links can redirect you to sites where malware gets downloaded and installed.

Mailwasher is a free and great Anti-spam tool which gives you the option to view your mails on the server, sort them and delete the spam mails and other suspicious mails directly from the server without them downloading to your mailbox.
For people who get dozens of spams daily, read this great article where it explains spam and how to deal with it: I hate Spam

5. When surfing...

  • Don't click on links inside popups.
  • Don't click on links in spam messages claiming to offer anti-spyware software; because most of these so called removers ARE spyware.
  • Download free software only from sites you know and trust. Because a lot of free software can bundle other software, including spyware.
  • Be careful when watching online videos, especially when they ask you to install a certain codec to watch the video. By default, your mediaplayer should already have the necessary codecs installed to watch online videos. In case you're prompted to install an additional codec while trying to watch a movie online, it may be a false alert and this so called codec may install malware. More info here and here.
  • Don't install plugins (ActiveX) if you're not certain what it is or why you need it.

A great program is SpywareBlaster. SpywareBlaster doesn`t scan and clean for malware, but prevents it from being installed in the first place. It blocks the popular spyware ActiveX controls, and also prevents the installation of any of them via a webpage.
How to use SpywareBlaster

The MVP Hosts File is a great addition to block bad sites. This is accomplished by blocking these sites through the hosts file.

Install Internet Explorer 7 or another alternative browser like Firefox or Opera for more secure surfing. (However, keep in mind, as long as you don't stay away from illegal/questionable sites, no browser will be secure enough)

Glubble is a great Firefox add-on if you're having kids and want to manage the sites your kids are allowed to see + extra additions.

6. Watch what you download!

If you want to install certain software, always go to the developer's site to download the software from. Then you can be sure you're downloading and installing the right software.
Beware of the fact that certain software (especially freeware) may contain/bundled with extra software including spyware/adware. So only install it when you're sure they are OK.
Read here for more tips about safe downloading.

To find out if what you download is ok and get more information about the intentions of software and other bundled components such as spyware/adware which may be present, use EULAlyzer. EULAlyzer scans the End user license agreements (EULAs) most software should show during install and provides a detailed listing of potentially interesting words and phrases, discovers if the software you're about to install displays pop-up ads, transmits personally identifiable information, uses unique identifiers to track you, or much much more.

The use of P2P Programs like Kazaa (which is bundled with adware/spyware btw), Limewire, Torrentsites, Emule, Bearshare... is always a risk, because you can never be sure what you exactly download. It isn't always what it looks like. Important to know is that many P2P Programs are also bundled with unwanted software (spyware/adware). To find out which ones are safe to use and which ones are infected, take a look here.
Also read this article about the risks of using P2P Programs.

Source: users.telenet.be

Monday, October 13, 2008

Combine different distributions of Microsoft Windows XP/2000/NT on a Bootable CD?

  • This is what you need:
    1. \i386 folders from the original Microsoft Windows XP/2000/NT CDs.
    2. Setup files (from each Windows version):
      It is possible to get the files from the distribution,
      but the easiest way is to copy them from the bootdisks of Microsoft Windows XP/2000/NT (all files of the bootdisks are required setup files).
      Attention: Each distribution has it's own set of bootdisks according to the integrated updates, i.e. if your distribution is WinXP SP1 you'll also need the WinXP SP1 bootdisks (not the ones of WinXP).
      Where to get the disks:
      • Bootdisks for Microsoft Windows XP are available on the Microsoft site
      • Bootdisks for Microsoft Windows 2000 can be found on the original Windows 2000 CD-ROM in the subfolder \BOOTDISK
      • Bootdisks for Microsoft Windows NT can be created by executing the command \I386\WINNT.EXE /OX from the NT CD-ROM.
    3. Additionally needed setup identificaton files (for each seperate distribution):
      Windows version
      Necessary files
      2003 Enterprise WIN51 and WIN51IA
      2003 Standard WIN51 and WIN51IS
      2003 Web WIN51 and WIN51IB
      XP Home WIN51 and WIN51IC
      XP Professional WIN51 and WIN51IP
      2000 Professional CDROM_NT.5 and CDROM_IP.5
      2000 Server CDROM_NT.5 and CDROM_IS.5
      2000 Advanced Server CDROM_NT.5 and CDROM_IA.5
      2000 Datacenter Server CDROM_NT.5 and CDROM_ID.5
      NT Workstation CDROM_W.40
      NT Server CDROM_S.40
      NT Terminal Server CDROM_TS.40
    4. If your distribution already contains ServicePacks, or you are using slipstreamed CDs with Service Packs, you'll also need the following setup indentification files (according to the respective ServicePack):
      Service Pack
      Necessary files
      XP Home Service Pack 1 WIN51IC.SP1
      XP Professional Service Pack 1 WIN51IP.SP1
      2000 Service Pack 1 CDROM_SP.TST
      2000 Service Pack 2 CDROMSP2.TST
      2000 Service Pack 3 CDROMSP3.TST
      2000 Service Pack 4 CDROMSP4.TST
    5. The BootManager Bootable CD Wizard

  • How to create the CD?

    1. Create a folder which will contain all the files for your Bootable CD, e.g.:

      C:\MyBootCD

    2. In this folder, create subfolders for each distribution (e.g. NT_1, NT_2, NT_3) you plan to integrate, e.g.:

      C:\MyBootCD\NT_1
      C:\MyBootCD\NT_2
      C:\MyBootCD\NT_3
      etc.
    3. Copy the \i386 folders of your distributions the the corresponding folders created above. Attention: Copy the folders, not only their contents. Your folder on should now look similar to this:

      C:\MyBootCD\NT_1\I386
      C:\MyBootCD\NT_2\I386
      C:\MyBootCD\NT_3\I386
      etc.

    4. Copy the necessary setup files (see above) to the corresponding folders, i.e. the folders also containing \i386:

      C:\MyBootCD\NT_1
      C:\MyBootCD\NT_2
      C:\MyBootCD\NT_3
      etc.

      Attention: If you are using WinImage to extract the setup files from disk images, make sure you use the option "Extract with pathname", as there is at least one subfolder on the bootdisks (system32).


    5. In the folders NT_?, use a HexEditor (e.g., WinHex) to edit the files SETUPLDR.BIN Replace all occurrences of

      'I386' ...

      ...with 'NT_1' in the file C:\MyBootCD\NT_1\SETUPLDR.BIN
      ...with 'NT_2' in the file C:\MyBootCD\NT_2\SETUPLDR.BIN
      ...with 'NT_3' in the file C:\MyBootCD\NT_3\SETUPLDR.BIN
      etc.

    6. In the folders NT_?, use a text editor (e.g., Windows Notepad) to edit the files TXTSETUP.SIF. Replace:

      SetupSourcePath = "\" ...

      ...with SetupSourcePath = "\NT_1\" in the file C:\MyBootCD\NT_1\TXTSETUP.SIF
      ...with SetupSourcePath = "\NT_2\" in the file C:\MyBootCD\NT_2\TXTSETUP.SIF
      ...with SetupSourcePath = "\NT_3\" in the file C:\MyBootCD\NT_3\TXTSETUP.SIF
      etc.

      Attention: On the WinXP bootdisk, the file TXTSETUP.SIF is packed. You will have to delete TXTSETUP.SI_ (imperial) and copy the TEXTSETUP.SIF from your \i386 folder.

    7. In case you have a file BOOTFONT.BIN in the NT_? folders, rename it to FNT.BIN. Use a HexEditor (e.g., WinHex) to edit the files SETUPLDR.BIN. Replace:

      'BOOTFONT.BIN' ...

      ...with 'NT_1\FNT.BIN' in the file C:\MyBootCD\NT_1\SETUPLDR.BIN
      ...with 'NT_2\FNT.BIN' in the file C:\MyBootCD\NT_2\SETUPLDR.BIN
      ...with 'NT_3\FNT.BIN' in the file C:\MyBootCD\NT_3\SETUPLDR.BIN
      etc.

    8. Now add the complete set of setup identification files (see above)to C:\MyBootCD and to the corresponding NT_? folders.

      Attention: The setup identification files must be in both folders, C:\MyBootCD (which will be root of the bootable CD) and the NT_? folders (set of setup identification files corresponding to the distribution).

    9. Unpack the archive Bootable CD Wizard to C:\MyBootCD
    10. Edit the file C:\MyBootCD\BootCat.Ini (configuration file of Bootable CD Wizard) and add the locations and descriptions of your distributions:

      \NT_1\SETUPLDR.BIN ; Install Microsoft Windows #1
      \NT_2\SETUPLDR.BIN ; Install Microsoft Windows #2
      \NT_3\SETUPLDR.BIN ; Install Microsoft Windows #3
      etc.

    11. In your CD writing program, open a new bootable CD project with the following settings:
      Boot image: C:\MyBootCD\bcdwboot.bin
      BootMode: No emulation (without emulation)
      Boot segment (adress): 07c0
      Number of sectors to load: 4
      (detailed howtos: Nero, CDRWin, Easy CD Creator, Instant CD+DVD, WinOnCD, CDImage and mkisofs)
    12. Add the contents of C:\MyBootCD\ to the project
    13. Add your files
    14. Burn the disk.

  • Directory listing of a CD with BootableCDWizard containing russian versions of Microsoft Windows NT Workstation and Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP1:

Copyright (c)2004 by reanimatolog. http://bootcd.narod.ru
English translation by Wolfgang Brinkmann