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The Windows XP Tweaking Companion By Koroush Ghazi What is the Windows XP Tweaking Companion? The Windows XP Tweaking Companion (XPTC) is the complete Windows XP and system optimization guide. No longer do you have to put up with so-called XP Tweak Guides which have a handful of Registry tweaks and some vague optimization advice - the XPTC brings an enormous range of detailed descriptions and resources together in one free 170 page downloadable PDF file. Everything from the correct installation of Windows and critical software and drivers, through to recommendations for every significant setting in XP, all the major...

IN THE BEGINNING THERE WAS THE COMMAND LINE....                     The interaction human-computer has gone a long way since the invention of personal computers. In the beginning there was only a simple command-line interface (CLI), which was not a very intuitive interface. The only widely used device that you could use to interact with the computer was the keyboard. People needed a lot of skills to operate computers. New ways have been opened with the evolution of hardware and software. Inventions such as mouse or graphical user interface (GUI) changed the way we interact with the computer and allowed massive...

I am trying to erase my hard drive and start over. I have done nothing but transfer one hard drive's info to the next for the last 8 years and now have an opportunity to wipe it clean and start all over. I have backed up the files that I needed to. My problem is that I have Windows XP and cannot get to a DOS prompt. Plus I cannot change my BIOS settings for some reason to boot from disk. If anyone can help me I would be most appreciative.

A Fatal Blow to Shrinkwrap Licensing? By Ed Foster, Section Columns Posted on Mon Dec 20th, 2004 at 08:02:57 AM PDT In January 2003, California resident Cathy Baker walked into her local CompUSA store to return copies of Windows XP and Norton AntiVirus she'd purchased there. When trying to install the programs, she had of course been confronted by all the obnoxious terms in the Windows and NAV End User License Agreements. Instead of clicking OK, she took them back to the store for a refund, as the EULAs said she was supposed to do if she refused to...

I need help with a Windows XP Professional installation. A relative of mine gave me an unused (e.g., unactivated) fully-legal copy of Windows XP Professional (Full Install version) that is still on Service Pack 1, and they also gave me the full Network Install WinXP Service Pack 2 install file (all 275 MB of it!). Given that Windows XP SP2 likely won't allow the installation of all security patches over a copy of Windows XP Professional that has not be activated, can anyone here tell me what are the most critical patch files I should install first so I can...

MICROSOFT HAS started implementing features in upgrades to Windows XP which specifically prevent users of pirated keys from upgrading parts of the operating system. We reported on Microsoft's plans at the Dublin System Builder Forum a month ago. Then, Microsoft said its Genuine Advantage scheme would prevent pirated copies of XP from downloading anything but the most critical downloads. Owners of pirated keys in Western Europe tell the INQUIRER that scheme has now kicked in. What this means, for example, is that if you upgrade the Media Player to version 10, and you're using a pirated copy of XP, you'll...

Okay, here's the deal. I'm trying to install an older build of Windows XP Professional over top of the one I have, since I currently have (for whatever reason) a build of WinXP containing the PREVIEW version of Service Pack 2. My Preview Version of SP2 is, for whatever, reason, unable to be uninstalled. Also, for whatever reason, Windows XP will not allow me to install an older build of the OS without booting from CD. However, when I try to boot from CD to install, WinXP setup cannot recognize my hard drive. It is a "HDS72251" 160GB SATA hard...

I just noticed in the lower left corner of my taskbar a program that comes up which says "ezula." What is this and why does it only come up when I am in IE? It does not come up when I use Netscape. Please advise as I have done a search on my system which does not come up under that name.

Hey take a look at Longhorn if your using WinXP or WinXp SP2. Pretty cool. Longhorn Transformation Pack Remember, backup all your files before using this, this is just a look into what Longhorn will look like, just a taste. I found this site from anandtech.com he is a reputable computer geek and would not put something on his site that would harm your system. I have it on my computer and give you some neat themes and even gives you a weird side bar for notes and such.. Pretty cool... Here is one of the MANY wallpapers that comes...

Reg Review We evaluated the security features of Windows XP SP2 on a test machine, following a clean install of XP Pro with no configuration changes and no third-party software or drivers installed. We installed XP with the NTFS file system, choosing all of the factory defaults, then patched it with each recommended security update including SP-1 (required), before installing SP2. While we found that there are indeed a few minor improvements worthy of acknowledgment, in particular, some rather low-level improvements that don't show to the admin or user, overall, SP2 did little to improve our system's practical security, leaving...

Microsoft released its official Windows XP Service Pack 2 this morning via its Windows Update Service. Its a 75 MB pack that that will take 3 hours to download on standard-dialup. All comments welcome. Its here!

I got a Win XP Critical Update notice for the Broadcom V.92 Modem. I went to the Windows Update site and scanned for new updates. Sure enough, there is 1 Critical Update. Here is the description: "Broadcom Corporation modem software update released on August 27 2003" Anyone else get this? Why would modem software be considered a 'Critical Update'? And what about the release date? There is no explanation either.

Microsoft is delaying the rollout of the beta of its Longhorn operating system until early next year in order to focus on improving security in... Windows XP... The beta of Longhorn - the successor to Windows XP - was supposed to be distributed before the end of this year, but has now been moved back... The move is likely to delay the commercial rollout of Longhorn, which Microsoft said would only be released once beta trial customer feedback had been incorporated into the product... In 2001, Microsoft spoke about releasing Longhorn in late 2004, but then said it was likely...

Interview: Weighing an interim release to Windows XP product manager Greg Sullivan discusses XP Reloaded Under the project name Windows XP Reloaded, Microsoft is considering how to add functionality to Windows. The discussions could result in an interim release of Windows before Longhorn. Greg Sullivan, lead product manager for Windows XP, recently spoke with InfoWorld Editor at Large Ed Scannell about XP Reloaded. InfoWorld: Will XP Reloaded serve as the basis for an interim release between Service Pack 2 and Longhorn? Sullivan: There has been a lot of speculation about new product plans for an interim release and what...

The first copycat of the widespread Mydoom worm appeared Wednesday on the Internet, and some analysts are warning it may be even more dangerous than the original. Dubbed Mydoom.b by most security firms, the variant strongly resembles the Mydoom, now tagged as Mydoom.a, but adds some new disturbing traits. Some of the subject lines used by Mydoom.b depart from the original, including new headings of 'Delivery error' and 'Returned mail,' both which try to trick users into believing that the message is legit and can safely be opened. Another change in Mydoom.b is the addition of microsoft.com as a target...

Security companies are warning Internet users about a new Trojan horse program spreading via spam e-mail and masquerading as a Windows XP software update from Microsoft.      Advertisement                The program, known as "Xombe" or "Dloader-L," arrives as an executable attachment in spam e-mail messages purporting to come from windowsupdate@microsoft.com and installs itself on victim's computers when users open the attachment. Once installed, Xombe connects to a Web site, then downloads and installs another program, called Mssvc-A, which is a Trojan horse program that conscripts victim computers in distributed denial of service attacks against Web pages,...

Ever get annoyed that you can rename any icon on your Windows PC's desktop except for the recycle bin? A little playing around in the Registry and I found out how to eliminate this politically-correct subtlety from my machine. Here's how, in layman's terms: * From the Start menu, select "Run". * Type "regedit" then [enter]. * When regedit comes up, click "My Computer" in the left pane. * Press or select "Find..." from the "Edit" menu. * Type in the following in the "Find what:" box:645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E * (optionally, you can copy and paste the above from this page.) *...

Hi all; The following diagram lays out my home office network (3 Win 98 SE machines, 1 XP machine): Each PC has its own properly-configured copy of ZoneAlarm firewall, in addition to the Linksys router's firewall. While all the PCs can access the internet, I'm having trouble fully networking these machines so that they fully share files: PC#1 (XP) can "see" all other PCs on the LAN, and can copy files to/from them. PCs #2,3 & Laptop (98SE) can "see" all other PCs on the LAN, but can only copy files to/from other Win 98 machines. All XP reference books...

I have received an email from the owner of my language school informing me that one of our (soon to be unemployed) French teachers attempted to download a computer software program from KaZaa and has infected the school computer with a bad virus. I have been asked to try to fix it, simply because I know more about computers than anyone else there, even though I don't know much at all. The question I have, is there any good, FREE virus removal program I can download to a floppy or CD that I can take to work with me this...

Microsoft Pulls Update for WindowsWed May 28, 2003 12:08 AM ETSEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. said on Tuesday it has withdrawn a security update for its Windows XP software after discovering that it switched off Internet connections for some of the 600,000 users who downloaded and installed it. The update, a small software addition that is used to fix and add features to existing software programs, was originally aimed at improving the security of Internet connections. But after releasing the update on May 21, Microsoft discovered it was incompatible with other security firewall software used to protect home computers from...