Creating a MS-DOS Boot Disk

What is a boot disk?
A boot disk will allow you to boot off of a diskette instead of your hard drive.


Creating a MS-DOS boot disk
Note: These steps are for users who have MS-DOS installed on the computer. If you have any version of Windows follow the below steps for your version of Windows.

To create a MS-DOS diskette, begin by getting to the DOS directory by typing:

cd\dos

Once at the C:\DOS directory, skip to copying files.


Once you are in DOS and at the correct directory as instructed in the above sections by operating system, you are ready to create your bootable diskette. Insert a diskette that does not contain any information (it will be erased).

At the prompt, if you have MS-DOS 6.2 / Windows 3.x / Windows 95 / Windows 98, type:

FORMAT A:/S

If you have MS-DOS 5.0 type using double density 5.25" diskettes type:

FORMAT A: /360 /S

If you have MS- DOS 3.11 through 4.0 using double density 5.25" diskettes, type:

FORMAT A: /4 /S

Once the diskette has been formatted and the system has been transferred, you should be returned to your original directory. In this directory, type:

copy format*.* a: [PRESS ENTER]
copy fdisk*.* a: [PRESS ENTER]
copy mscdex*.* a: [PRESS ENTER]
copy sys*.* a: [PRESS ENTER]
copy edit*.* a: [PRESS ENTER]
copy qbasic*.* a: [PRESS ENTER] (Win 95/98 users skip this line)
copy debug*.* a: [PRESS ENTER]
copy himem*.* a: [PRESS ENTER]
copy emm386*.* a: [PRESS ENTER]


Once you have copied the above files, create an autoexec.bat and a config.sys. Get to the floppy drive by typing A:, once at the floppy drive, type:

copy con autoexec.bat [PRESS ENTER]
@echo off [PRESS ENTER]
LH A:\MSCDEX.EXE /D:CDROM [PRESS ENTER] (this line is used for your CD-ROM drive).
LH A:\MOUSE.* [PRESS ENTER] (skip line if you did not copy mouse file, the * is either sys / com).

Press and hold CTRL + Z - this should return ^Z. Once this is displayed, press enter to copy the file.

copy con config.sys [PRESS ENTER]
device=a:\himem.sys
dos=high,umb
device=a:\emm386.exe noems
files=30
buffers=20
devicehigh=a:\oakcdrom.sys /d:CDROM (this line is used for your CD-ROM drive).

Press and hold CTRL + Z - this should return ^Z. Once this is displayed, press enter to copy the file.

Congratulations, after completing the above steps you should now have a bootable floppy diskette.

Computer help and Computer Technical Support will always be provided by the Microsofft certified technicains 24x7.

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Clean/fresh installation of Windows XP

1.Start your computer and then insert the Windows XP CD into your CD-ROM drive.

2.Your computer should automatically detect the CD, and a message "Press any key to boot CD" will be displayed for 5 seconds.

3.Press a key and the CD will begin to load files that are needed to begin the installation. This make take a few minutes.

4.When asked if you wish to install Windows XP press Enter.

5.You will be presented with the End User Licensing Agreement. Press F8 to accept and continue or press F3 to cancel the install.

6.Select the partition in which you wish to install Windows XP and press the Enter key. If you wish to delete the current partition or partitions you can do so now. Once you've deleted partitions you will be asked to create a partition. At this point you can choose the size you wish. Most people will elect to create one partition that fills the entire dive. If you decide you would like multiple partitions then create a partition size that will be suitable for XP and your installed apps as well as room for cache files etc. 10GB is s nice size for a full XP install leaving plenty of room for applications etc. After XP is setup and running you can create additional partitions in the free space through XP's Computer Management Console.

7.The next screen asks if you wish to use the NTFS file system. This is the preferred file system, however, if you choose to use FAT32, you will not have all the security and stability features of Windows XP.

8.If you previously had an Operating System installed you will be given a choice of Format options . Select the Format option of your choice. When asked to start the format, press the "F" key. The formatting process may take quite a bit of time.

9.Setup will begin an automated loading of files which will take several minutes.
***Note - If you are clean installing using an XP Upgrade CD you will be asked for a qualifying product at this point. Just pop the CD for your older version of Windows into the drive while the XP setup completes an authenticity check. Following this you will be prompted for the XP CD and setup will continue.

10.After this is complete the computer will restart. Leave the XP CD in the drive but this time DO NOT press any key when the message it "Press any key to boot CD" is displayed. In 5 seconds setup will continue.

11.The Windows XP Setup wizard will lead you through the process of gathering information about you and your computer.

12.If you are connected to the Internet XP will prompt you to "Activate". Do not activate at this time. You will be prompted periodically to activate but you have 30 days to do so. Remember though that at the end of 30 days, if you have still not activated you will no longer be able to access the Desktop. Information on WPA found here Technical Details on Microsoft Product Activation for Windows XP

13.Following the Activation Screen you will be given the opportunity to Register Windows XP. Registration is optional and choosing not to register will not have any negative effect on your system.

14.You will be required to enter your account password to gain access to the Windows XP Desktop.

Computer Help , Computer Repair and Computer Technical Support will be provided by Microsoft certified Technicians 24x7.

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Tips To Fasten Your Broadband Speed

Here's something for broadband people that will really speed Firefox up:

1.Type "about:config" into the address bar and hit return. Scroll down and look for the following entries:

network.http.pipelining network.http.proxy.pipelining network.http.pipelining.maxrequests

Normally the browser will make one request to a web page at a time. When you enable pipelining it will make several at once, which really speeds up page loading.

2. Alter the entries as follows:

Set "network.http.pipelining" to "true"

Set "network.http.proxy.pipelining" to "true"

Set "network.http.pipelining.maxrequests" to some number like 30. This means it will make 30 requests at once.

3. Lastly right-click anywhere and select
New-> Integer. Name it "nglayout.initialpaint.delay" and set its value to "0". This value is the amount of time the browser waits before it acts on information it receives.

If you're using a broadband connection you'll load pages MUCH faster now!

source:forevergeek.com

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TEN FREE SECURITY TOOLS

These are ten free security tools you can and should be using to help protect, disinfect and manage your Windows computer.

1. Secunia Personal Software Inspector, quite possibly the most useful and important free application you can have running on your Windows machine. It can be used to scan all the installed applications on the PC to determine which programs are missing security patches/updates.

The tool works by by examining files on your computer (primarily .exe, .dll, and .ocx files) for meta information on specific software builds installed. After examining all the files on the machine, the collected data is sent to Secunia's servers and matched against the Secunia File Signatures engine determine the exact applications installed on your system. It can be used to flag insecure/end-of-life software and find direct download links to missing security updates

2.OpenDNS

OpenDNS is a must-have free service (there's no software to install) that speeds up Web surfing, corrects domain typos on the fly and protects you from phishing scams. All you do is change your DNS settings to the OpenDNS servers: 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220

OpenDNS also offers parental controls, shortcuts and other nifty features to help with safe and reliable browsing experience.

3. Active Virus Shield (free anti-virus)

America Online's Active Virus Shield , powered by Kaspersky Lab, is one of the better free anti-virus packages available for Windows users.

The program installs smoothly, pulls down hourly virus definition signatures from Kaspersky Lab and features realtime protection (including e-mail scanning).

4.Haute Secure

Haute Secure is a browser plug-in currently available for Microsoft's Internet Explorer that does realtime blocking of drive-by malware downloads.

The tool, the brainchild of for ex-Microsoft staffers, fits behavior-based profiling algorithms into the browser (Firefox support is coming soon) to identify and intercept malicious files in real-time. Another free alternative is Exploit Prevention Labs' LinkScanner Lite, a product that supports Firefox

5.GMER anti-rootkit

GMER, a free rootkit scanning tool built by Polish Windows internals guru, is widely hailed as the best at ferreting out stealth rootkits from PCs.

GMER does an excellent job of finding hidden processes hidden services, hidden files hidden registry keys, hidden drivers and all kinds of driver hooking.

It can also serve as a process explorer to monitor the creating of processes, the loading of drivers and libraries and file function and registry entries.

In addition to GMER, there are several free anti-rootkit scanners available: DarkSpy AntiRootkit, Trend Micro's Rootkit Buster and McAfee's Rootkit Detective

6. Netcraft Toolbar

Powered by an active online community, the free Netcraft Toolbar is effectively a giant neighbourhood watch that helps you spot phishing and other identity theft schemes

It provides a direct glimpse at the hosting location and Risk Rating of every site you visit.

The Netcraft Toolbar can also trap suspicious URLs, enforce the display of browser navigational controls (toolbar & address bar) in all windows, to defend against pop up windows that attempt to hide the navigational controls

7. File Shredder

File Shredder is a must-have privacy tool that wipes/destroys documents beyond recovery.

With File Shredder, you can choose between 5 different shredding algorithms, each one gradually stronger than the previous one to get rid of files forever.

8.CCleaner

This free system optimization and privacy tool can be used to remove unused files from your system -- allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space. CCleaner temporary files, URL history, cookies from the three main Web browsers (IE, Firefox and Opera).

It can also be used to delete temp files and recent file lists for all those third-party applications sitting on your PC.

9.PC Decrapifier

The PC Decrapifier does exactly that -- removes crapware that comes pre-installed on Windows computers.

This program will not remove crapware from older computers but is perfect for new machines that ships with trialware.

There is a long list of products it will find and remove, including QuickBooks Trial, NetZero Installers, Earthlink Setup Files, Google Desktop and the myriad of anti-virus trialware apps.

10. NoScript for Firefox

This must-have Firefox extension does preemptive blocking malicious scripts and allows JavaScript, Java and other potentially dangerous content only from sites you trust.

NoScript for Firefox also blocks blocks Flash and other potentially exploitable plugins too, and provides the most powerful Anti-XSS protection available in a browser.

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To upgrade to Windows Vista

When you upgrade to Windows Vista, you keep your files, settings, and programs from your current version of Windows.

Important: Use the following procedure only when upgrading from a 32-bit version of Windows XP to a 32-bit version of Windows Vista.

Before you upgrade:

Notes If you are using a fingerprint reader or other biometric device to log on to your computer, make sure you write down your password before upgrading. You must log on by typing your user name and password the first time that you use Windows after upgrading.

1. Insert the Windows installation disc into your computer's DVD or CD drive. You must start Windows installation while running your existing version of Windows. 2. On the Install Windows page, click Install now. Install Windows page 3. On the Get important updates for installation page, we recommend getting the latest updates to help ensure a successful installation and to help protect your computer against security threats. You will need an Internet connection to get installation updates. 4. On the Type your product key for activation page, we strongly recommend that you type your 25-character product key to help avoid problems during activation. 5. On the Please read the license terms page, if you accept the license terms, click I accept the license terms. 6. On the Which type of installation do you want? page, click Upgrade to begin the upgrade. You might see a compatibility report.

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Installing Windows XP To A New Folder

To install Windows XP to a new folder (to perform a parallel installation):
to either run two operating systems, or to access, repair or retrieve Data from a damaged operating system.

1. Start your computer from the Windows XP CD-ROM. To do this, insert the Windows XP CD-ROM into your CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive, and then restart your computer.

2. When the "Press any key to boot from CD" message appears on the screen, press any key to start the computer from the Windows XP CD-ROM.

3. At the Welcome to Setup screen, press ENTER to begin Windows XP Setup.

4. Read the End-User License Agreement, and then press F8.

5. Select the partition in which you want to install Windows XP, and then press ENTER.

6. Select the Leave the current file system intact (no changes) option, and then press ENTER to continue.

7. Press ESC to install to a different folder.

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7 Ways to Work Faster on Slow Connections

1. Send Multiple Files Faster by Compressing Them

If you're sending multiple files—for example several files related to a project—you can reduce their combined size by using a compression utility. Compressing your files can dramatically reduce the time needed to send files online, and won't take up as much space in your (or the recipient's) e-mail Inbox.

2.Speed Browsing by Turning Off Graphics in Internet Explorer

Graphics are important to Web pages, but they also take time to download if you're online. You can turn them off to speed your Internet browsing.

3. Send E-Mail Using Distribution Lists

If you're sending an e-mail to multiple people, create a distribution list instead of listing each recipient separately. Messages are sent faster and more efficiently when you're using a distribution list. Your company may have established procedures for creating mailing lists.

4. Work Off line Using Cached Exchange Mode in Outlook

Even if you lose your network connection, you can continue to working in Outlook if you're using Cached Exchange Mode. With Cached Exchange Mode, a copy of your mailbox is stored on your computer. This copy provides quick access to your data and is frequently updated with the mail server. If you work offline, whether by choice or due to a connection problem, your data is still available to you instantly wherever you are. Cached Exchange Mode does require you to work with a Microsoft Exchange Server e-mail account.

5. Reduce E-Mail Size With Simple E-Mail Signatures

E-mail signatures leave a professional stamp on your messages, but elaborate signatures that include multiple images take up a lot of unnecessary storage space in each e-mail. Ultimately, they can slow down the time needed to send each message. Instead create distinctive text signatures combining fonts, type sizes, and colors to make your e-mail signature smaller and quicker to transmit and receive.

6.Browse Off line By Saving Web Pages on Your Computer

If you use reference a Web page often, save it locally to your computer. If you lose your connection or are working on a slow connection, you'll still be able to read and find the information you need.

7. Open Web Pages Faster by Increasing Your Cache

If you increase the size of the Temporary Internet files cache in Internet Explorer, your computer won't have to work so hard when you revisit Web pages. Many of the images will already be downloaded on your computer, decreasing the amount of time it takes to open a page.

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