Thank You Ubuntu

This post is in gratitude to Ubuntu for mailing me a free Installation CD.

Two weeks ago, out of curiosity, I requested a free CD from Ubuntu shippit. The package arrived in my place thru a postal parcel service. It contains a Ubuntu 8.04 LTS Desktop Edition CD and a few stickers.

The details printed on the carton case of Ubuntu are very informative, which I will share to you:

Many people heard about Ubuntu but don't know the real meaning of the word. "Ubuntu" is an ancient African word that means "humanity to others".

You can try Ubuntu from a Windows installation without repartitioning your hard disk, just put the CD in the drive while Windows is running and select "Install inside Windows". Pretty interesting, right?

Lastly,

Because Ubuntu is a free software, the instruction dictates that we are encouraged and legally entitled to copy, reinstall, modify (take note), and redistribute. Wow! So instead that others hack Microsoft OSes, why not modify Ubuntu and put in it everything they want in an operating system.

The package was sent to me by Canonical Ltd., a global organization headquartered in the Isle of Man committed to the development, distribution and promotion of open source software products, and to providing tools and support to the open software community.

Thank you for your generosity.

On Coolbuster's A-List: Thoosje.com

Of the thousands of websites offering free softwares for download, it's thoosje.com that belongs to my most admired.

Thoosje is the maker of very useful and tested applications such as Thoosje Vista Sidebar, Thoosje Vista Tweaker and Thoosje Quick Optimizer for XP.

Thoosje Vista Sidebar - The Sidebar of Vista for Windows XP

It has many gadgets like various search gadgets for Torrent, Google etc, Clock gadget, Calendar gadget, CPU hard drive Gadget and many more Sidebar gadgets.

Thoosje Vista Sidebar is included, as a 3rd party application, in the well-loved Vista Transformation Pack.

Thoosje Vista Tweaker - The first 100% free professional tool to Tweak and Optimize Windows Vista!

It has some great features and over 50 tweaks that you can individually apply to tweak and optimize your Windows Vista without having the knowledge of Windows registry and system settings.

Thoosje Quick Optimizer for XP - Optimize your Windows XP in just seconds.

This optimizer allows you to optimize Windows XP in a simple, effective and secure way. After installing Thoosje Quick XP Optimizer, your Operating System (OS) runs faster, applications will load quicker and run smoother, plus browsing of your files and the internet will speed up.

The website also offers lots of free goodies for download. I suggest you guys visit thoosje.com which has been A-rated by respected download providers.

That's it for now on Coolbuster's A-List - a list of websites that I find as the best among the rest.

1-2-3 Tweaks

I would like to share to you some tweaks that will further improve your computer's performance.

To emphasize and to be more specific, these tweaks work on Windows XP, all service packs:

Open Internet Options:

Go to Start/Control Panel/Internet Options. Under the General tab in the Temporary Intenet files section, select the Settings button.

Select "Every visit to the page" and set the amount of disk space to use to no more than 60-1000MB.

Now, select the Connections tab and select LAN Settings, make sure EVERYTHING there is unchecked and select OK.

No more spyware cookies:

Still in Internet Options - select the Privacy tab and choose Advanced, check the box "Override automatic cookie handling" and for First-party Cookies > Accept; Third-party Cookies > Block and check "Always allow session cookies".

Eliminate caching of faulty DNS lookups:

By default Windows XP caches everything in the DNS cache service, both correct and faulty DNS lookups. To increase performance by eliminating the caching of faulty DNS lookups,change the following values from whatever their original values are to zero (use Hexadecimal base values).

Open the Registry Editor. Go to Start/Run and type 'regedit' (w/o the quotes). Expand:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dnscache\Parameters

NegativeCacheTime ------ REG_DWORD ------ 0x00000000 (0)
NetFailureCacheTime ---- REG_DWORD ------ 0x00000000 (0)
NegativeSOACacheTime - REG_DWORD ------ 0x00000000 (0)

Remember to restart your computer to apply the changes.

- With gratitude to ROM-DOS for the help.

Windows XP SP3 Workaround on Error After Update

Computer Restarts after Displaying Stop Error 0x0000007E (After Updating with Service Pack 3 for Windows XP)

After installing the initial release of Service Pack 3 for Windows XP an error condition can occur. The Service Pack 3 update copies an Intel power management driver to the computer that was not on the computer before the update.

During Windows startup, computers with AMD processors may experience a blue screen error that displays similar to the following:

A problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer...

Technical information:
*** STOP: 0x0000007E (0xC0000005, 0xFC5CCAF3, 0xFC90F8C0, 0xFC90F5C0
SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED

After the error quickly displays, the computer restarts and briefly displays the error again. The error cycle repeats continuously.

Use the following process to fix this problem:
CAUTION: Only perform this procedure on computers that are using AMD processors.

Step 1: Disable Intel Power Management

Prevent the Intel Power Management driver from loading during system startup:

Restart the computer in Safe Mode:

Turn off the computer by pressing and holding the power button until the computer shuts down.
Wait about 5 seconds.

Press the power button to turn on the computer.

Turn on the computer and immediately begin pressing the F8 key repeatedly until the Windows Advanced Options Menu appears.

Press the Up Arrow key until Safe Mode (top of list) is highlighted, and press the Enter key.

Press Enter again if an OS selection screen displays.

The Computer restarts into Safe Mode. If the computer does not restart to Safe Mode and continues to display the Stop error, skip to the next section:

Click Yes in the “Windows is running in safe mode” window.

Right-click the Start button, and select Explore .

Browse to C:\Windows\System32\Drivers.

Find and right-click the file intelppm.sys .

Select Rename and type the text: XXXintelppm.syx .

Press Enter and look to make sure the file was renamed successfully.

Close the Explorer window.
Restart Windows.

The error no longer opens and the computer starts normally.

Step 2: Use Microsoft Recovery Console to rename intelppm.sys

If the computer is unable to open Windows XP Safe Mode, use Microsoft Windows Recovery Console:

Restart your computer in the Microsoft Windows Recovery Console.

Turn off the computer by pressing and holding the power button until the computer shuts down.

Wait about 5 seconds.

Press the power button to turn on the computer.

Turn on the computer and immediately begin pressing the F8 key repeatedly until the Windows Advanced Options Menu appears.

Press the Down Arrow key until Return to OS Choices Menu (bottom of list) is highlighted, and press the Enter key.

Press the Down Arrow key until Microsoft Windows Recovery Console is highlighted, and press the Enter key.

At the screen “Which Windows installation would you like to log onto” type the number that matches C:\Windows, and press the Enter key.

When prompted, type the Administrator password and press the Enter key. If no password has been created, leave the password filed empty, and press the Enter key.

The Microsoft Windows Recovery Console opens and a command prompt is shown.

At the C:\WINDOWS> prompt, type the following: cd c:\windows\system32\drivers
Make sure the text has been entered correctly and press the Enter key.
At the C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS> prompt, type the following: rename intelppm.sys XXXintelppm.syx
Make sure the text has been entered correctly and press the Enter key.
The computer restarts. If prompted, select Start Windows Normally and press the Enter key.

The error no longer opens and the computer starts normally.

Canopy 101: Password Management

Permissions Levels Comparison:

ADMINISTRATOR and INSTALLER levels of permissions have identical privileges, except INSTALLER cannot add users, delete users, or change other user’s passwords.

The user account “root” has always existed in Canopy and has been needed when telnetting or ftping in to a password-protected module. The user account “admin” is created when a module is upgraded. Both have ADMINISTRATOR permissions.

A module with factory defaults (either a new module, or one that the operator has set to factory defaults) has two user accounts: “root” and “admin”, both with ADMINISTRATOR level permissions.To secure the module, add passwords to both accounts, using the Account\Change Users Password web page. Adding a password to only one account still leaves the other open. Alternatively, delete the “admin” account.

Note: Do not delete the “root” account as it is used by CNUT and Prizm to manage the module.

Each module supports up to 4 user accounts. Operators may add and delete user accounts, assign passwords, and assign permission levels to those accounts. Once a password is set for any ADMINISTRATOR user account on a module, the opening screen of that module will become the basic “guest” screen, with login needed to access the additional pages.

You cannot delete the account you are logged in under, and the module will always keep at least one account with ADMINISTRATOR permissions.

Firefox 3.0 RC1 available on Mozilla servers

Source: betanews.com

Moving right along according to plan, the first release candidate of Firefox 3.0 appeared this morning among Mozilla's beta and candidate downloads.

BetaNews has obtained the link, and RC1 is downloadable now. Read full article

Download Firefox 3.0 Release Candidate 1

How To Run the TCPIP Patcher

The tcpip patcher from lvllord is a small program capable of changing the half-open tcp limit in Windows XP service pack 2. I have also tried this on SP3 and it works just as fine.

You may be interested to utilize the tcpip patcher but please use it at your own risk. Make sure to create a system restore point so you can revert your system back in case there's trouble.

This procedure is simple but has to be done carefully. The steps are as follows:

1. Download zipped file (english version).

2. Save zipped file to Desktop, then unzip file.

3. Double click patch.

4. When asked "Do you really want to change the limit to 50?" (50 is the default proposed number).

5. We aim for 100 not 50 so press C for change instead of Y for yes.

6. Type 100.

7. When asked "Do you really want to change the limit to 100?"

8. Press Y for yes.

9. A Windows File Protection notification appears, just click Cancel then click Yes to proceed.

10. Press any key to exit, then restart computer.

It is advisable to redo this procedure after every windows automatic update.

How to Speed Up a Dial-Up Connection

I visited some townsfolk somewhere in the countryside in the beautiful paradise of Mindanao, Philippines a couple of weeks back.

Upon roaming around downtown, I noticed a small internet shop. I expected it to be using a dial-up connection since there wasn't any available broadband ISP there. I got in and rented a computer for an hour. I appreciated the fact that I never got a problem browsing because the connection was surprisingly fast. I got curious how they did it so I befriended the owner who happens to be a family friend of my relatives there. After chit chatting for ten minutes, I got from him their tweak.

I thought of sharing this tweak to help dial-up users have a better/faster connection.

Here's how:

Go to Network Connections from the Control Panel, right click the internet connection, select Properties, and then uninstall 'QoS Packet Scheduler'.

Open Registry Editor, go to Start/Run and type 'regedit'.

In the window, expand

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\AFD\Parameters

Add a new DWORD named 'BufferMultiplier' with the Decimal value of 1024.

Now, expand

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/
Explorer/RemoteComputer/NameSpace

Delete the entry {D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}.

Next, expand

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\PriorityControl

Add new DWORD value, name it 'IrqXPriority' where X corresponds to the IRQ of your modem; give it a decimal value of 1.

Also, expand

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\ServiceProvider

Give the DWORD entries the following Decimal values:

Class = 1
DnsPriority = 1
HostsPriority = 1
LocalPriority = 1
NetbtPriority = 1

Next, download CableNut and install.

Download this Cablenut Customized Setting for dial-up and save settings.

Restart computer.

Test your dial-up speed at testmy.net, speedtest.net or 2wire.com.

CoolBuster Recommends: WinPatrol 2008

One of the free utility apps I use to keep my system in shape is WinPatrol 2008. I've been benefiting from this tool since last year with no problems at all. It is very easy to use, effective and light on system resources usage.

From WinPatrol 2007, I have updated to the latest WinPatrol 2008.

What's new?
According to eWeek.com WinPatrol is one of the 10 Free Must-Have Security Tools. “This ultimate watchdog program monitors Windows computers for signs of malicious hacker activity”. The new WinPatrol 2008 continues to be the swiss army knife of Window utilities with the addition of its ActiveX manager.It seems like every week more problems are reported in Quicktime, RealPlayer, Adobe Flash, Sun’s Java or other 3rd party controls. Once the vulnerability is known the risk increases exponentially until a patch is available.

WinPatrol 2008 takes the worry out of waiting for a patch to become available. When a vulnerability is found Scotty will let you disable or set the “kill-bit” on the appropriate control until a new one is made available. WinPatrol will also monitor your system and let you know when new ActiveX components try to make their home on your system. If it’s not something you wanted WinPatrol will kill the new component before it can do any damage.

Vista Compatibility
If you're using User Access Control you'll find opening the main WinPatrol interface will require an additional permission. It's Windows Vista's way of protecting your system from programs which access critical system locations. You may already have some startup programs which require UAC interaction. Putting these programs in your Delay Start list will make life with Vista less annoying. Read more

Installing WinPatrol is quick and easy.
When you run WinPatrol you may not notice any changes at all. The only visible change you'll see is Scotty on guard down in your system tray. That means WinPatrol is quietly on patrol and you'll only know it's running if there's some kind of potentially dangerous change made to your system.

Apart from being a useful and effective tool, I also like the concept of putting a character on the monitoring functionality itself. Bi11P Studios, the maker of WinPatrol named it "Scotty", who serves as a "Windows Watch Dog" and who performs patrol operations.

Basing on personal experience, proven superb performance, and positive user feedback, CoolBuster recommends WinPatrol.

How to Optimize Internet Download Manager

The best download accelerator I have tried and personally recommend to you is Internet Download Manager (IDM).

IDM download software is a tool to increase download speeds by up to 5 times, resume and schedule downloads. Comprehensive error recovery and resume capability will restart broken or interrupted downloads due to lost connections, network problems, computer shutdowns, or unexpected power outages. Simple graphic user interface makes IDM user friendly and easy to use.

Internet Download Manager has a smart download logic accelerator that features intelligent dynamic file segmentation and safe multipart downloading technology to accelerate your downloads. Unlike other download managers and accelerators Internet Download Manager segments downloaded files dynamically during download process and reuses available connections without additional connect and login stages to achieve best acceleration performance.

Internet Download Manager supports proxy servers, ftp and http protocols, firewalls, redirects, cookies, authorization, MP3 audio and MPEG video content processing. IDM integrates seamlessly into Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape, MSN Explorer, AOL, Opera, Mozilla, Mozilla Firefox, Mozilla Firebird, Avant Browser, MyIE2, and all other popular browsers to automatically handle your downloads. You can also drag and drop files, or use Internet Download Manager from command line.

Internet Download Manager can dial your modem at the set time, download the files you want, then hang up or even shut down your computer when it's done. Read more

This software has received awards from top download sites such as download.com, zdnet, brothersoft and softpedia among others.

Internet Download Manager (IDM) is available for a price but you can try it for free.

How to optimize IDM:

Download Internet Download Manager and install. It will automatically integrate itself to browsers in your computer.

Once installed, run it and go to 'Options':

In the 'General' tab uncheck "Launch Internet Download Manager on Startup" so that it will not run everytime you turn your computer on. You can open the software manually anyway.

In the 'Connection' tab, select Lan 10Mbps as the default Connection Type/Speed. Leave other boxes blank.

Now we will do a registry edit. Please follow thoroughly and carefully.

Open the Registry Editor, go to Start/Run and type "regedit" (exclude the quotes).

In the left pane, expand HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software and then highlight "Download Manager".

In the right pane, look for the registry entry named "MaxConnectionsNumber", double click it.

In the Edit DWORD Value box, click Decimal and replace current value with 100. Default value is 8. An option to increase it by 16 is available but might not be enough so increase the value to 100. A higher value might cause download speed to drop or be inconsistent.

Click Ok and close Registry Editor.

Your IDM must be optimized now.

My Email to Smartbro Customer Care Service

I was really fuming mad yesterday. My speed was inconsistent for three days already, very slow most of the time. Surprisingly, my IP location was also changed by SmartBro.

Incompetent - that's the best word to describe Smartbro's Customer Care Service. I called them up thru hotline *1888 to lodge my concern, then the representative hanged me up for about fifteen minutes and when she couldn't grab a scripted answer to my queries she suddenly cut off the line. It was very unprofessional, wasn't it?

I have attached my email for you to view.

Smartbro CS, most of the time, is a laughing stock according to callers. If only switching to another ISP without breaking the 12 month lock-up period is easy, we could have done it long a time ago.

How to Update Your Computer's BIOS

How to Update Your Computer's BIOS

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

A computer's Basic Input-Output System (BIOS) is embedded software on a motherboard that will control attached hardware. It provides an operating system with information about hardware, and is designed to support a specific range of components. The BIOS itself is typically an EEPROM, or Electronically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory, that is programmed with "firmware" and has the ability to save small amounts of information specific to user configurations. BIOS components are often soldered to the motherboard and therefore not serviceable by the user. Still some of these will be inserted into a socket, allowing its replacement. All BIOS components are serviceable via a firmware upgrade known as "flashing" this process is known as "updating the BIOS". The process itself is fragile since any power fluctuation during a flash may irrevocably corrupt a BIOS' firmware. Great care will need to be taken in order to safely accomplish this.This guide will help you flash your BIOS by taking precautions and walking you through each step. Not all computers will have the same BIOS manufacturer, let alone the same process, but many have similar steps and precautions.

Steps

Determine your needs. Did someone help you update the BIOS last month? Maybe you've never updated the BIOS of your PC since you purchased it years ago? Did you discover that an updated version will fix a problem you're experiencing? This will help you determine if you need to verify version numbers or not, and whether an update is necessary. Not all BIOS updates are necessary, but for the hardware enthusiast, obtaining the latest BIOS may equate to better performance
Find your system's origins. This is an important first step to determine where you'll need to go before downloading an updated BIOS version.
- For desktops, did you purchase this computer as a bundled, pre-built system, or was it assembled from purchased components? The larger, more popular manufacturers and builders include companies such as Dell/Alienware, HP/Compaq, IBM, Lenovo, Sun, Gateway, etc. For these, visit the manufacturer's site. For a custom system built from purchased components, visit the motherboard manufacturer's website.
- For laptops, visit the laptop manufacturer's site, such as Dell/Alienware, HP/Compaq, Acer, Toshiba, etc.
Discover what update methods are available. Not all BIOS updates are performed in the same manner. Some manufacturers will use their own, custom application to update your BIOS, and others will use a third party utility to update the BIOS under DOS. The latter may be split into two different files, or bundled together as a floppy image with an extracting application. Download the appropriate updating software and BIOS from your manufacturers website.
Backup your existing BIOS first!. If using BIOS update software run through Windows or another operating system, back up your existing BIOS image first. Some BIOS update software has this functionality (ie: "Save" or "Backup"), and will advise you to perform a backup first.
Perform the update. Run the downloaded installer or application executable for the BIOS updating software. If the software prompts you for a floppy, use a formatted 1.44MB 3.5" floppy disk. It doesn't matter if it's blank or not, as the data will be overwritten if you don't mind wiping the disk.
1. If using a floppy, restart your system and boot up to the floppy disk. Some floppy images will have an "autoexec.bat" file to automatically run the BIOS update. Others will just have the update software, the updated BIOS image, and possibly a 'readme' text file for directions. If there are no directions, but there are at least two files (ie: "A06_123.bin" and "awflash.exe"), follow this example: Enter a command such as "awflash A06_123.bin" and press enter. This will run the update software and point it to use the A06_123.bin to flash the BIOS.
2. Compare the two versions. Most BIOS update software will read the existing BIOS image and determine its version, then compare this to the BIOS image you've downloaded. If the version you have is older, perform the update. The interface of BIOS software may vary greatly, yet typically buttons or selections such as "Write", "Update", or "Confirm" will perform the BIOS update.
Power cycle the computer. Many update programs will automatically power cycle your computer. Some will request your permission to do so, and others will warn about this before starting the update. A few will prompt you do this yourself. If you're forced to handle this yourself:
1. Completely power down your PC by either pressing the power button or initiating the power off sequence for your operating system.
2. Flip the master power switch on the back of your PC to the off position, if applicable.
3. Wait a minute.
4. Flip the master power switch back into the on position, if applicable.
5. Power up your PC.
Clear your existing settings. Only clear your BIOS if recommended, as this is not always necessary, depending on what features have changed between your current version and the updated version. When your PC is powering up, immediately go into your BIOS settings tool. For most systems, this is done by repeatedly pressing on your keyboard once you see something on your monitor. Other systems might be , , , etc. If you don't know the keystroke sequence for entering the BIOS, watch the monitor to see if your computer displays it. To clear its settings, look for an option to "Restore Defaults" or "Load Fail-Safe Defaults". This may be on the main page of the BIOS, or on the last page of a tabbed menu. Use the arrow keys to navigate, and follow the on-screen instructions. When complete, save your settings and exit the BIOS.
Configure your BIOS. If you know the settings you want, change them now. If you've never changed settings in your BIOS before, you're not required to do so. Most PCs will function just fine on the default BIOS settings.

Tips

BIOS updates may be released to fix existing bugs, add support for new hardware and standards, and add functionality. Take a look at the changes to the BIOS update you're considering to see if it will benefit your PC.
If your system is currently working well, perform a BIOS update only if you're willing to part with it (for an extended period of time) in the event of a critical failure. System builders and motherboard manufacturers will often repair systems and motherboards that failed to take a BIOS update, provided they are still under warranty. Yet, this process is a lengthy one, often involving the following steps:
1. Contact technical support and verify the problem is related to the BIOS update.
2. Acquire an RMA or similar tracking number.
3. Ship the product back to the builder or manufacturer.
4. Wait for approval (testing) and repair or replacement.
5. Wait for the product during shipment back to you.
If your BIOS firmware has become corrupted and you have a similar motherboard with the same CPU socket and a BIOS chip of the same type, you may be able to recover your corrupt BIOS if you are willing to risk the other BIOS chip. Note: This will probably count as voiding your warranty, and if you do this wrong, you may have two non-working motherboards.
1. Take the non-working BIOS chip out of its motherboard and set it aside to keep it safe.
2. Take the working BIOS chip out of the working motherboard and insert it into the other motherboard, but do not press it all the way into its socket. Only place the chip so that its connectors are touching the sockets contacts firmly.
3. Attempt to boot the motherboard with its temporarily installed BIOS chip. You must get the system booted to a floppy disk which contains the correct BIOS and installer for the broken motherboard. Do not flash the working BIOS chip.
4. Gently use a chip puller or pair of small screwdrivers to remove the working BIOS chip from its socket. Be careful not to touch anything metal with the tools, as you must leave the system running for this. Set the working BIOS chip aside.
5. Insert the corrupted BIOS chip firmly into the slot in the running motherboard. Again, be careful not to touch anything metal.
6. Flash the corrupted BIOS following the above instructions.
7. Reboot.
8. If it worked, reinstall the working BIOS chip back in its motherboard.

Warnings

Make sure you are upgrading from the right source. Downloading a BIOS from places other than the manufacturer's site is risky, as versions from the same BIOS software developer for one manufacturer's motherboard may not work on another's. Doing this might "brick" the board, required either a BIOS replacement or a reprogramming of the BIOS by the manufacturer. This means you won't be able to boot your computer at all.
Make sure your power is reliable when you flash your BIOS. Any sizable fluctuation or loss of power during a flash process may corrupt the BIOS. Therefore, never power down or reset a PC when flashing the BIOS either. If flashing in your OS, first disable all unnecessary applications and background processes.
Avoid updating your BIOS unless you know exactly what you are doing. Failure to follow a manufacturer's directions and precautions may corrupt the BIOS as well.

Related wikiHows

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Update Your Computer's BIOS. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

My WindowsX Live Logo Designs

Today I joined the Logo Making Contest at windowsx.net and submitted a couple of entries.

Hmmmm...looks good on the website, isn't it?

Some more logos in different backgrounds, submitted 5/11/08

For those who would like to be part of the contest, here's the info.

"The registration opens now, and your logo must be in by May 31, 2008 at 11:59 PM EST. A winner will be announced within a week for $100 prize in Paypal account!

Please send all finished logos in .PNG format via the Personal Message System on JCXP to Vista Dog (that's me!) and you may also post them in this topic if you would like. When making your logo please be sure to follow the requirements below:

Format: PSD, PNG

The background of logo must be transparent, like the one above here, so the background image can be seen. There are no required text that must be in it, but it must be something to make people know as logo of Windows X's Live website." Read more

Should you be interest to make a logo for the website, submit those designs now. Who knows, one of us can grab the prize.

By the way, I recommend PhotoShop or Xara Extreme Pro as your editor as they have a transparency feature.

UXTheme Multi-Patcher v6.0 Released

Just in time for the release of Windows XP Service Pack 3, Windows X, founder of Windows X's Live website, released the UXTheme Multi-Patcher version 6.0.

Windows X, also the author of Vista Transformation Pack, in his website posted that the changes in version 6.0 are the following:

Added Windows XP Service Pack 3 build 5512 (official) support
Fixed clicking "Cancel" button but works like "Patch" button.

"You need to modify uxtheme.dll to bypass certification checking in theme file (.msstyles) so Windows can load modified custom theme into Themes service. You can get custom themes from Visual Content in JCXP forum, deviantart.com, themexp.org, etc." Read more

Five of our machines in the office have Vista Transformation Pack 8.0.1 installed since its release early this year. Until now, all five remain stable in terms of system performance. Not one blue screen of death or a hangup occured during our office operation.

I must say this release of the UXTheme Multi-Patcher v6.0 should be better than the previous one now that we have to cope up with a Windows XP Service Pack 3 upgrade.

Download UXTheme Multi-Patcher v6.0 here

Windows XP Service Pack 3 Now Available For Download

What Is In Service Pack 3

Windows XP SP3 includes all previously released Windows XP updates, including security updates and hotfixes, and select out-of-band releases. For example, the service pack includes functionality previously released as updates, such as the Microsoft® Management Console (MMC) 3.0 and the Microsoft Core XML Services 6.0 (MSXML6).

Microsoft is not adding significant functionality from newer versions of Windows, such as Windows Vista, to Windows XP through XP SP3. For instance, Windows XP SP3 does not include Windows Internet Explorer 7, although Windows XP SP3 does include updates to both Internet Explorer 6 and Internet Explorer 7, and it will update whichever version is installed on the computer.

One notable exception is that, SP3 does include Network Access Protection (NAP) to help organizations that use Windows XP to take advantage of new features in the Windows Server® 2008 operating system.

Deploying Windows XP SP3

Windows XP SP3 will be available through Windows Update and the Microsoft Download Center. The service pack will also be available to Volume License customers, TechNet subscribers, and MSDN® subscribers. Through Windows Update, the download size varies, but it is typically 70 megabytes (MB), depending on the computer’s configuration. Through the Download Center, the download size is approximately 580 MB.

Fundamentally, deploying Windows XP SP3 works the same as deploying SP1 and SP2 for Windows XP: SP3 is cumulative, so users can install SP3 on top of Windows XP SP1 or SP2.Windows XP SP3 supports the same languages as Windows XP did in its initial release.You can run the SP3 update package on any edition of Windows XP SP1 or SP2. For example, you can run the SP3 update package on a computer running the Windows XP Media Center Edition with SP1. The exceptions are Embedded editions for XP.

Tools and guidance for system administrators have not fundamentally changed from Windows XP SP2. For comprehensive information, visit the Deploy Windows XP Professional and Windows XP Service Pack 2 Deployment Information sites on Microsoft TechNet.

You can deploy SP3 using Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003, Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007, or third-party solutions. The process has not fundamentally changed. Windows XP SP3 is for x86 editions of Windows XP only. The x64 editions of Windows XP were serviced by Windows Server 2003 SP2.

Summary

Windows XP SP3 combines all previously released performance, security, and stability updates. It also provides a limited number of new and enhanced functionalities, although it does not significantly change the Windows XP experience or bring functionality from newer versions of Windows to Windows XP. The goals of Windows XP SP3 are to:

Provide a new baseline for customers still deploying Windows XP, to help them avoid the inconvenience of applying individual updates.

Fill gaps in the updates users might have missed by declining individual updates when using Automatic Updates, and to deliver updates not made available through Windows Update.

Windows Vista provides the most advanced security and management capability, but for PCs that cannot be upgraded to Windows Vista right now, Windows XP SP3 ensures these PCs have all available updates and allows these PCs to leverage some new Windows Server 2008 capabilities, such as Network Access Protection (NAP). For more information about Windows XP SP3, go to Windows XP Service Packs."

Download Windows XP Service Pack 3 Overview (full).

Download Windows XP Service Pack 3 here.

Or download Windows XP Service Pack 3 ISO-9660 CD Image File.

Windows XP Service Pack 3 Now Available!

What Is In Service Pack 3 Windows XP SP3 includes all previouslyMicrosoftWhat Is In Service Pack 3 Windows XP SP3 includes all previously released Windows XP updates, including security updates and hotfixes, and select out-of-band releases. For example, the service pack includes functionality previously released as updates, such as the Microsoft® Management Console (MMC) 3.0 and the Microsoft Core XML Services 6.0 (MSXML6). Microsoft is not adding significant functionality from newer versions of Windows, such as Windows Vista, to Windows XP through XP SP3. For instance, Windows XP SP3 does not include Windows Internet Explorer 7, although Windows XP SP3 does include updates to both Internet Explorer 6 and Internet Explorer 7, and it will update whichever version is installed on the computer.
One notable exception is that, SP3 does include Network Access Protection (NAP) to help organizations that use Windows XP to take advantage of new features in the Windows Server 2008 operating system.

Knowledge Base article 936929 lists all other all Knowledge Base articles associated with updates that are included in Windows XP SP3. The following sections also provide a high-level description of the functionality included in Windows XP SP3.

How To Optimize uTorrent

Here's a guide to optimize uTorrent, the tiny Bittorrent client. This is an older version of the tweak. For a newer one, click here.

Go to Preferences/downloads:

Uncheck "Append .!ut to incomplete files"
Check "Pre-allocate all files"
Check "Prevent standby if there are active torrents"

Go to Connections:

Make sure you use a value above 40000 in "Port used for incoming connections"
Uncheck "Randomize ports..."
Uncheck "Enable UPnP port mapping
Uncheck "Enable NAT-PMP port mapping
Check "Add uTorrent to Windows Firewall Exceptions" (very important)
Set Maximum upload rate = 32 and Maximum download rate = 0 (w/c is unlimited)

Go to BitTorrent:

Global maximum number of connections = 375
Maximum number of connected peers per torrent = 100
Number of upload slots per torrent = 4
Check "Use additional upload slots if upload speed <>
Check "Enable DHT Network", "Enable DHT for new torrents", "Asl tracker for scrape info" and "Enable peer exchange"
Enable outgoing Protocol Encryption
Check Allow incoming legacy connections
Click apply

Go to Advanced:

Click "net.max_halfopen", in the Value box put 100, click set, and then apply
Click "peer.disconnect_inactive_interval", in the value box put 600, click Set, Apply, and then OK
Restart uTorrent to apply all changes made.

Important: See to it that your torrent will have the most number of seeders than your peers. You download from the seeders, upload to your peers. Equally, make sure your firewall not just allow uTorrent.exe but also the TCP & UDP port being used.

utorrent

Remove Restrictions Tool: Light & Effective

Nowadays, malware (virus and spyware) can infect computers thru warez installation and plugging in of usb/thumb/flash drives. One of them is the password_viewer.exe virus.

Per user feedback, my post on "How to Remove password_viewer.exe virus" was very effective. The removal procedure was swift and smooth. But what if the "Folder Options" and other Registry tools were disabled by the virus? It could have been the other way around.

Usually, a virus makes several system restrictions to make himself unnoticed and hidden, these are as follows:

1. Disable 'Regedit' - the victim will not see what runs automatically during system startup.

2. Disable 'Folder Options' - the victim cannot set the option to show hidden files.

3. Disable 'Ctrl+Alt+Del' - the victim will not be able to open the Task Manager to kill running processes.

I found the solution. It's a program named Remove Restrictions Tool (RRT) - a tool to re-enable Ctrl+Alt+Del, Folder Options and Registry tools. It's free, light, easy to install and very effective.

In case you encountered the same problem like the one mentioned, try it and see for yourself.

Download Link 1
Download Link 2

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There are plenty of high resolution wallpapers you can choose from. View them by page, sort and aspect, and download them by size.

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Slideshow hosted by picturetrail.com

Shutdown Computer In 1 Second

A computer shuts down normally at a time between 10-30 seconds, depending on processor speed and RAM. Now I'm going to share to you a very effective way to shut your computer down in a second.

In a second!?! Sounds unbelievable, isn't it? Try this procedure to believe.

1. Open 'Windows Task Manager' by simultaneously pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del.

2. Click 'Shutdown' beside 'View' at the menu bar.

3. Now hold the 'Ctrl' key and click 'Turn Off'.

4. Presto! Your computer shuts down in a blink of an eye!

Important: Applicable if you are in a hurry. But please...close all running programs before doing it.

AeroTime 1.0b9 (Formerly AeroVista) Released!

AeroVista is now AeroTime!

Yes! It’s AeroTime for XP!!! (please note that internal names have not been converted yet to AeroTime)

About AeroTime for WindowBlinds…

AeroTime is a WindowBlinds skin and not a transformation pack so it won’t change your icons, sounds or cursor themes and it doesn’t come with any 3rd party applications. It is however the best WB theme that you will find if you want the Vista look on your XP system.

It will give you transparency and blur and is a lot more stable than any other aero emulator, namingly Vystal, TrueTransparency, FastAero.

View Full Article with Screenshots

How To Unblock / Unlock Memory Card

Okay, you have set a password for the memory card of your Nokia phone. Obviously you did it for the purpose of securing data stored in that card. Then one day, you forgot your password or out of nothing the memory card became inaccessible.

What will you do? Panic? You don't have to. Don't recall all passwords that are jumbling on your mind either. The easiest thing to do (that many mobile phone users don't know) is to rename the memory card.

Surprisingly simple isn't it? But how do you rename your memory card? Here:

Go to the mobile phone Menu/Gallery and then scroll down to the memory card. Just highlight it, do not open yet.
Instead, go to Options/Rename mem. card, enter Select.
Delete the old name by pressing Clear several times until the entry is clear.
Now, type your desired new memory card name and press OK.

That's it, you can access the memory card again!

Note: This procedure has been done on a Nokia 6300, which is a S40 series phone, with a MicroSD Memory Card. It's up to you to try this with other phone models.

Other solutions via Mobile Tips and Tricks

For Nokia s60 1st and 2nd edition phones.
1. First Install FExplorer in your phone memory.
2. Got to drive C: , you will find a file called mmcstore
3. Send it to your pc directly and open it in notepad or rename the file.
4. At the end of the file you will find your password.

For some of the s60 3rd edition phones and almost all the E-series phones.
The remote lock option in E-Series phone allws you to unlock your phone by sending a sms. The only thing you have to do is to activate this feature by going to Tools > Settings > Security > Phone and SIM > Allow remote lock menu. The password of your memory card will be your remote lock message. So you have to just send a sms containing your remote lock message that will automatically change your memory card passsword.

Smartbro Users: How To Change Color Code

Warning: Doing this is user's discretion. Be extra careful.

Do not do anything other than what is mentioned in this guide, unless you wanted to mess up your connection or the canopy antenna. Be a responsible tweaker.

Step 1: Using your browser, access the Canopy module thru the 169.254.1.1 IP method.

Step 2: Login to your account or if you don't have none, use "root" (quote excluded) as administrator username, just leave the password box blank.

Step 3: Go to Tools/AP Evaluation and look for a color code that has low Jitter, high RSSI, normal Power and lesser Usercount. Take note of the code.

Step 4: Go to Configuration/Radio. In the Color Code box type the code you noted from Step 3.

Step 5: Click Save Changes and Reboot.

Good luck!

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