IT Help Support

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All I have to say is HA HA HA HA, LOL LOL LOL, This has to be the biggest pile o'shit I have heard in a while. Is this all about not wanting to hurt someone's feelings???

Create an e-annoyance, go to jail | Perspectives | CNET News.com: "Perspective: Create an e-annoyance, go to jail
By Declan McCullagh

Published: January 9, 2006, 4:00 AM PST "

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I just got another old computer a client did not want (PII, Dell GX1, 384Mb RAM), good enough for my home domain that I want to build. This article really seems like it is going to help me through.

How to Install Active Directory on Windows 2003: "How do I install Active Directory on my Windows Server 2003 server?
First make sure you read and understand Active Directory Installation Requirements. If you don't comply with all the requirements of that article you will not be able to set up your AD (for example: you don't have a NIC or you're using a computer that's not connected to a LAN)."

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I am not really to surprised at this... hopefully the speed will catch up to the claim...

3G wireless speeds fail to match claims - Computerworld: "3G wireless speeds fail to match claims

News Story by Bob Brewin

APRIL 09, 2001 (COMPUTERWORLD) - Don't count on actually obtaining the maximum advertised speed from much-ballyhooed advanced mobile wireless networks when they're rolled out later this year."

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I don't game on the computer, but this mouse sounds like it was designed with you guys in mind!!!!

Hot Product News: "The Fatal1ty 2020 Mouse
Ultra High Performance Mouse Sets New Standard with 2400cpi Laser Engine

Creative Introduced The Fatal1ty 2020 Mouse - The Gaming Mouse Co-Developed For Competitive Gaming With Cyberathlete Professional League Champion Johnathan 'Fatal1ty' Wendel"

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These can come in handy.. i use most of these at work.

PC911 - Friendly Computer Help In Plain English: "Handy Keyboard Shortcuts

Windows offers a lot of useful and convenient keyboard shortcuts. If your keyboard has a Windows key, there are even more.
Windows key + R Run
Windows key + M Minimize All
Windows key + Shift+M Undo Minimize All
Windows key + F1 Windows Help
Windows key + E Explorer
Windows key + F Find Folder or Files
Windows key + Tab Cycle through Taskbar Buttons
Windows key + Pause/Break System Properties
Ctrl+X Cut selected item
Ctrl+C Copy selected item
Ctrl+V Paste
Ctrl+Z Undo the last operation
Shift+F10 Pops up the shortcut menu, just like right-clicking
Ctrl+Esc Pops up the Start Menu
Ctrl+A Select all items
Ctrl+F Find
Alt+Tab Switch between applications
Alt+Tab+Shift Switch backward between applications
Alt+Esc Switch open windows
Alt+Enter Open properties for selected item
Shift+Delete Delete selected item without placing it in the Recycle Bin
F1 View Help for a selected dialog box
F2 Rename the selected item
F3 Opens the Find Command in your current folder
F4 Drop the 'folder selection menu' in Explorer
F5 Refreshes the contents of the current folder
Alt+F4 Quit a program
Backspace Go up one directory (Explorer), go to previous page (Internet Explorer)"

by lorenr13 Jan 18, 2006

Microsoft's troubleshooting tips for home networking.

How to troubleshoot home networking in Windows XP: "How to troubleshoot home networking in Windows XP"

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by lorenr13 Jan 18, 2006

Having problems with your CD, DVD ??? check this out ...

How to Troubleshoot Issues with Reading CD, CD-R, CD-RW, and DVD Discs: "How to Troubleshoot Issues with Reading CD, CD-R, CD-RW, and DVD Discs"

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by lorenr13 Jan 21, 2006

ipconfig - IP configuration: "IPCONFIG

IP Configuration:

Syntax

IPCONFIG /all - Display full configuration information.

IPCONFIG /release [adapter] - Release the IP address for the specified adapter.

IPCONFIG /renew [adapter] - Renew the IP address for the specified adapter.

IPCONFIG /flushdns - Purge the DNS Resolver cache.

IPCONFIG /registerdns - Refresh all DHCP leases and re-register DNS names.

IPCONFIG /displaydns - Display the contents of the DNS Resolver Cache.

IPCONFIG /showclassid adapter - Display all the DHCP class IDs allowed for adapter.

This post originally appeared on an external website

This post originally appeared on an external website

This one sounds like a pain in the ass.....

Desktop Pipeline | New Kama Sutra Worms Corrupts Microsoft Documents: "January 20, 2006

New Kama Sutra Worms Corrupts Microsoft Documents

A new worm that already accounts for 1 in every 15 pieces of malicious code corrupts data files created by several productivity apps.

By Gregg Keizer"

This post originally appeared on an external website

Gonna have to try some of these.

A Techie's Trusty Seven: "A Techie's Trusty Seven
January 25, 2006
By Sonny Discini

Over the years, I?ve found myself on the front lines of incident response, attack detection, bot enumeration and various other adventures in network security. Along the way, there have been times where various types of information or functionality were needed immediately. Through the pains of learning what works when you?re in a pinch, I bring you the list of six tools, plus one, that every security practitioner should have."

10BaseT The most common network cabling method for Ethernet, which handles traffic at a speed of 10Mbps. 10BaseT uses a pair of unshielded twisted conductors to connect between a network interface card (NIC) and an Ethernet hub. 10Base2 (thin Ethernet, or thinnet) uses coaxial cable connections between computers and doesn't require a hub. 100BaseT is a newer medium that supports up to 100Mbps. See Ethernet, hub, and NIC.

accelerator key A key combination that provides access to a menu choice, macro, or other function of the application instead of selection with the mouse, usually combining Alt+key. Sometimes called a shortcut key, but shortcut keys usually consist of Ctrl+key combinations.

Access Control List (ACL) Part of Windows NT's security description that controls access to a Windows NT object, such as a file. The owner of an object can change access control entries in the list to grant or revoke permissions (access rights) for the object.

access token A Windows NT object that identifies a logged-on (authenticated) user. The access token contains the user's security ID (SID), the groups to which the user belongs, and other security information. See SID.

activation An ActiveX and OLE term meaning to place an object in a running state, which includes binding the object, or to invoke a method of the object. See also binding.

active In Windows, the currently running application or the window to which user input is directed; the window with the focus. See also focus.

ActiveX A family of Microsoft object technologies, formerly called OLE, based on the Common Object Model (COM), serving as one of the foundation of Microsoft's Internet products. See COM and DCOM.

ActiveX control An insertable COM object (component) that usually provides user interface components and can fire events. ActiveX controls are lightweight versions of OLE Controls (.OCXs)

address The numerical value, usually in hexadecimal format, of a particular location in your computer's RAM.

address space Memory allocated to an application by the operating system. See virtual address space.

aggregate object An ActiveX and OLE term that refers to an object class that contains one or more member objects of another class.

alert In Windows NT, a message sent between two simultaneously executing threads that results in an asynchronous procedure call (APC) executed by the receiving thread. Also means a message indicating abnormal operation of a Windows NT process.

ANSI An abbreviation for the American National Standards Institute. In the Windows context, ANSI refers to the ANSI character set. Windows 95 and Windows NT include both ANSI (suffix A) and Unicode (suffix W) versions of Windows API functions. See ASCII and Unicode.

API An abbreviation for application program interface. Generically, a method by which a program can obtain access to or modify the operating system. See also DLL.

applet A Windows application that's supplied as a component of another Windows application, rather than as a retail product. The Notepad and Wordpad applications supplied with Windows NT are examples of applets.

application The software product that results from the creation of a program, often used as a synonym for the programming (source) code that creates it. Applications are distinguished by the environment for which they're designed (for example, Windows, DOS, Macintosh, UNIX) and their purpose. Windows applications carry the executable file extension, .EXE.

application Close button The small, square button with an [ts] caption at the extreme right of the title bar of an application running in Windows NT and Windows 95. Clicking the application Close button closes the running application.

application Control-menu box The small, square button with a miniature application icon at the extreme left of the title bar of an application window. Clicking the application Control-menu box displays the application Control menu. Double-clicking the application Control-menu box closes the application.

ASCII Abbreviation for American Standard Code for Information Interchange. A set of standard numerical values for printable, control, and special characters used by PCs and most other computers. Other commonly used codes for character sets are ANSI (used by Windows 3.1+), Unicode (used by Windows 95 and Windows NT), and EBCDIC (Extended Binary-Coded Decimal Interchange Code, used by IBM for mainframe computers). See Unicode.

asymmetric multiprocessing A multiprocessing technique in which individual processors are dedicated to particular tasks, such as running the operating system or performing user requests. See SMP.

asynchronous A process that can occur at any time, regardless of the status of the operating system or applications that are running. An example is Windows NT's asynchronous procedure call (APC).

asynchronous I/O Input/output operations in which an application issues an I/O request to a device, and then continues operation while the device transfers data. Asynchronous I/O greatly speeds fixed-disk file operations. See synchronous I/O.

auditing Windows NT's capability to record and report security-related events, such as accessing, creating, or deleting files.

authentication The process of verifying (validating) a user's logon ID and password, usually used to provide access to network resources.

Automation An ActiveX (OLE) term that refers to a means of manipulating another application's objects by the use of a programming language, most commonly Visual Basic for Applications (VBA).

Automation controller An ActiveX-compliant Windows application with an application programming (macro) language, such as VBA, that can reference and manipulate objects exposed by ActiveX components and Automation servers. Automation controller replaces the term OLE Automation client.

Automation server Technically, any OLE 2-compliant Windows application that supports OLE Automation operations by exposing a set of objects for manipulation by OLE Automation client applications. In ActiveX terminology, ActiveX components are Automation servers.

autoplay A feature of Windows 95's and Windows NT 4.0's CD-ROM file system (CDFS) that automatically executes a program on the CD-ROM when inserted into the CD-ROM drive.

back up To create a file (backup file) that duplicates data stored in one or more files on a client or server computer.

background In multitasking computer operations, a running application or process that isn't visible on-screen and isn't receiving user-generated input.

batch A group of statements processed as an entity. Execution of DOS batch files (such as AUTOEXEC.BAT) and SQL statements are examples of a batch process.

BDC An abbreviation for Backup Domain Controller, a Windows NT server that provides an alternative source of authentication for network users. Account and group information from a Primary Domain Controller (PDC) is replicated periodically to each BDC in the domain. See PDC.

binary file A file whose content doesn't consist of lines of text. Executable (.EXE), dynamic link library (.DLL), and most database files are stored in binary format.

binding In ActiveX and OLE, a term for the act of connecting a component (server object) to a controller (OLE client).

bit The smallest piece of information processed by a computer. A bit, derived from the contraction of BInary digiT (or Binary digIT) has two states-on (1) or off (0). Eight bits make up a byte; 16 bits combined is called a word.

bitmap The representation of a screen or printed image, usually graphic, as a series of bytes.

bitwise A process that evaluates each bit of a combination, such as a byte or word, rather than process the combination as a single element. Logical operations and masks use bitwise procedures.

blitting The process of using the BitBlt() function of Windows' Gdi32.exe to modify a bitmap using bit block transfer.

Boolean A type of arithmetic in which all digits are bits-that is, the numbers may have only two states: on (true or 1) or off (false or 0). Widely used in set theory and computer programming, Boolean, named after mathematician George Boole, also is used to describe a data type that may have only two states: true or false.

break To cause an interruption in program operation. Ctrl+C is the standard DOS break-key combination but seldom halts operation of a Windows application. Esc is more commonly used in Windows to cause an operation to terminate before completion.

BRI An abbreviation for Basic Rate Interface, the standard ISDN service for business and residential Internet connections. BRI has two 56kbps B (bearer) channels and one 16kbps D (data) channel, providing a maximum bandwidth of 112kbps. See ISDN and PRI.

bridge An active network device used to divide a network into mutually isolated segments while maintaining the whole as a single network. Bridges operate at the data-link layer of the OSI Reference Model. See OSI.

buffer An area in memory of a designated size (number of bytes or characters) reserved, typically, to hold a portion of a file or the value of a variable.

business rules A set of rules for entering data in a database that are specific to an enterprise's methods of conducting its operations. Business rules are in addition to rules for maintaining the domain and referential integrity of tables in a database. Business rules most commonly are implemented in a three-tier client/server database environment. See three-tier.

cache A block of memory reserved for temporary storage. Caches usually store data from disk files in memory to make access to the data faster. By default, Windows NT caches all disk read and write operations.

cache manager A component of Windows NT's I/O system that uses the virtual memory (VM) manager to create temporary storage in the paging file to speed disk I/O operations. See VM.

caret The term used by Windows to indicate the cursor used when editing a text field, usually shaped as an I-beam. The caret, also called the insertion point, can be positioned independently of the mouse pointer.

CDFS The 32-bit CD-ROM file system shared by Windows NT and Windows 95.

channel A dedicated communication connection between a transmitting and receiving device. Channel is also used to identify an I/O port in mini- and mainframe computers.

CISC Complex instruction set computer, a microprocessor whose internal instructions often involve many individual execution steps and thus many clock cycles. The Intel 80x86 processors are the most common CISC devices. See RISC.

class identifier See CLSID.

client The device or application that receives data from or manipulates a server device or application. The data may be in the form of a file received from a network file server, or an object created from an ActiveX component or OLE server. See Automation controller.

CLSID An identification tag that's associated with an ActiveX or OLE 2.0 object created by a specific component or server. CLSID values appear in the Registry and must be unique for each type of object that the server can create. See Registry.

clustering A server architecture that emulates multiprocessing by interconnecting two or more individual computers in order to share the application processing load. Microsoft's future clustering technology for Windows NT now carries the code name Wolfpack. A number of third parties offer proprietary clustering hardware and software for Windows NT Server 4.0.

collection A group of objects of the same class that are contained within another object. Collections are named as the plural of their object class.

COM An acronym for Component Object Model, the name of Microsoft's design strategy to implement OLE 2+ and ActiveX. Distributed COM (DCOM) allows networked and cross-platform implementation of ActiveX and OLE 2+ operations and Automation. See Automation and DCOM.

common dialogs A standardized set of dialog boxes common to Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0. Common dialogs include File Open, File Save, Print, and Printer Setup.

Component Object Model See COM.

compound document A document that contains OLE objects created by an application other than the application that originally created or is managing the document.

concurrency The condition when more than one user has access to a specific set of records or files at the same time. Concurrency is also used to describe a database management system's capability to handle simultaneous queries against a single set of tables.

concurrent application An application capable of simultaneous execution in multiple address spaces. Windows NT uses threads of execution to support concurrent applications.

console A character-based interface to an operating system. Windows NT uses the Command Prompt tool as the console.

container An object or application that can create or manipulate compound documents. For example, Internet Explorer is a container for ActiveX objects.

context switching The process of saving an executing thread or process and transferring control to another thread or process. Windows NT 4.0's context switching, one of the major bottlenecks in COM operations, is substantially faster than in Window NT 3.x.

control A synonym for a visible dialog or window object, such as include labels, text boxes, lists, combo lists, option buttons, and command buttons.

Control-menu box See application Control-menu box and document Control-menu box.

control object In Windows NT, objects that control system tasks, such as asynchronous and deferred procedure calls.

custom control A control object not native to the application, such as an ActiveX control or a Visual Basic Extension control (VBX).

data definition The process of describing databases and database objects such as tables, indexes, views, procedures, rules, default values, triggers, and other characteristics.

data dictionary The result of the data definition process. Also used to describe a set of database system tables that contain the data definitions of database objects.

data integrity The maintenance of rules that prevent inadvertent or intentional modifications to the content of a database that would be deleterious to its accuracy or reliability. See domain integrity and referential integrity.

database A set of related data tables and other database objects, such as a data dictionary, which are organized as a group.

database administrator The individual responsible for the administrative functions of client-server databases. The database administrator (DBA) has privileges (permissions) for all commands that may be executed by the RDBMS and is ordinarily responsible for maintaining system security, including access by users to the RDBMS itself and performing backup and restoration functions.

database device A file in which databases and related information, such as transaction logs, are stored. Database devices usually have physical names, such as a file name (Master.dat), and a logical name, such as master.

database owner The user who originally created a database. The database owner has control over all the objects in the database but may delegate control to other users. The database owner is identified by the prefix dbo in SQL Server.

DCOM An acronym for Distributed Common Object Model that allows communication and manipulation of objects over a network connection. Windows NT 4.0 is the first Microsoft operating system to support DCOM (formerly called NetworkOLE). See COM.

DDE An abbreviation for dynamic data exchange, an early Interprocess Communication (IPC) method used by Windows and OS/2 to transfer data between different applications. Automation (formerly OLE Automation) provides a more robust IPC method.

deadlock A condition that occurs when two users with a lock on one data item attempt to lock the other's data item. Most RDBMSs detect this condition, prevent its occurrence, and advise both users of the deadlock situation.

default A value assigned or an option chosen when no value is specified by the user or assigned by a program statement.

demand lock Precludes more shared locks from being set on a data resource. Successive requests for shared locks must wait for the demand lock to be cleared.

device A computer system component that can send or receive data, such as a keyboard, display, printer, disk drive, or modem. Windows NT uses device drivers to create device objects that connect applications to devices.

DHCP Abbreviation for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, an Internet standard protocol that allows IP addresses to be pooled and assigned as needed to clients. Windows NT 4.0 includes DHCP Manager, a graphical DHCP configuration tool. See IP and IP address.

dialog A popup modal child window, also called a dialog box, that requests information from the user. Dialogs include message boxes, input boxes, and user-defined dialogs for activities such as choosing files to open.

DIB An acronym for device-independent bitmap, a Windows-specific bitmap format designed to display graphic information. DIB files take the extension .DIB and use a format similar to the .BMP format.

directory list An element of a file-selection dialog that selectively lists the subfolders of the designated folder of a specified logical drive.

dispatcher A Windows NT operating system component that schedules the execution of application threads.

distributed database A database, usually of the client/server type, that's located on more than one database server, often at widely separated locations. Synchronization of data contained in distributed databases is most commonly accomplished by the two-phase commit or replication methods. See replication and two-phase commit.

disk mirroring Creating on two or more physical disk drives exact duplicates of a disk volume to make files accessible in case of failure of one drive of the mirror set. See RAID.

disk striping Distributing the data for a single logical disk volume across two or more physical disk drives. Simple disk striping (RAID 0) provides faster I/O operation. Disk striping with parity (RAID 5) provides faster I/O and protection from failure of a physical disk in a stripe set. See RAID.

DLC An abbreviation for Data Link Control, a Windows NT protocol used to communicate with mainframes and networked laser printers.

DLL An abbreviation for dynamic link library, a file containing a collection of Windows functions designed to perform a specific class of operations. Most DLLs carry the .DLL extension, but some Windows DLLs, such as Gdi32.exe, use the .EXE extension. Functions within DLLs are called (invoked) by applications as necessary to perform the desired operation.

document A programming object containing information that originates with the user of the application, rather than created by the application itself. The data for documents usually is stored in disk files.

document Control-menu box The small, square button at the upper left of the menu bar of an application that uses the multiple document interface (MDI). Clicking the document Control-menu box displays the document Control menu. Double-clicking the document Control-menu box closes the document (but not the application).

domain In Windows NT, a group of workstations and servers that share a common Security Accounts Manager (SAM) database and allow a user to log on to any resource in the domain with a single user ID and password.

domain integrity The process of assuring that values added to fields of a table comply with a set of rules for reasonableness and other constraints. See business rules and three-tier.

dynamic data exchange See DDE.

dynamic link library See DLL.

environment A combination of the computer hardware, operating system, and user interface. A complete statement of an environment follows: a Pentium PCI-bus computer with 64M of RAM, a Wide and Fast SCSI host adapter, SVGA display adapter, sound card, and two-button mouse, using the Windows NT Server 4.0 operating system.

environmental subsystem In Windows NT, the four sets of APIs that support Win32, MS-DOS, POSIX, and OS/2 applications.

Ethernet A networking medium that was developed at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) in the 1970s; was improved by Xerox, Intel, and Digital; and is now the most popular cabling method for LANs. The IEEE 802.3 specification for Ethernet is the most common implementation.

event Most commonly, the occurrence of an action taken by the user, such as right-clicking the mouse, that's recognized by the operating system and passed to the foreground application. Windows NT and its server applications generate events, such as problem reports, without user intervention.

event-driven The property of an operating system or environment, such as Windows, that implies the existence of an idle loop. When an event occurs, the idle loop is exited and event-handler code, specific to the event, is executed. After the event handler has completed its operation, execution returns to the idle loop, awaiting the next event.

exception An error, such as division by zero, detected by hardware or by the operating system. Fatal exceptions halt execution of an application and, in a few circumstances, kill the operating system.

executable Code, usually in the form of a disk file, that can be run by the operating system in use to perform a particular set of functions. Executable files in Windows carry the extension .EXE and may obtain assistance from dynamic link libraries (DLLs) in performing their tasks.

executive In Windows NT, the components of the operating system that run in the kernel (ring 0) and handle interprocess communication, interrupt requests, and object security. Graphics operations have been moved from user mode to kernel mode in Windows NT 4.0 to speed performance. See kernel mode and user mode.

failover A fault-tolerant clustering architecture in which two servers share a common set of fault-tolerant fixed disk drives. In the event of failure of one of the servers, the other transparently assumes all server processing operations. See clustering and fault tolerance.

FAT An acronym for file allocation table, the disk file system used by MS-DOS, Windows 95, and (optionally) Windows NT. Windows NT is compatible with the 16-bit FAT system, but not the optional 32-bit FAT (FAT32) for Windows 95 that Microsoft announced in mid-1996. See HPFS and NTFS.

fault tolerance A computer system's capability to maintain operability, despite failure of a major hardware component such as a power supply, microprocessor, or fixed-disk drive. Fault tolerance requires redundant hardware and modifications to the operating system. Windows NT Server includes fault tolerance for a failed disk drive by disk mirroring (RAID 1) or disk striping with parity (RAID 5). Clustering provides fault tolerance for individual computers. See clustering and RAID.

fiber A lightweight thread, introduced in Windows NT 4.0, that makes it easier for developers to optimize scheduling within multithreaded applications. See thread.

focus A Windows term indicating the currently selected application, or one of its windows, to which all user-generated input (keyboard and mouse operations) is directed. The title bar of a window with the focus is colored blue for the default Windows color scheme.

foreground In multitasking operations, the application or procedure that's visible and to which user-generated input is directed. In Windows, the application that has the focus is in the foreground.

front end When used with database management systems, an application, a window, or a set of windows by which the user may access and view database records, as well as add to or edit them.

function A subprogram called from within an expression in which a value is computed and returned to the program that called it through its name. Functions are classified as internal to the application language when their names are keywords.

gateway A hardware device or software program used to translate between incompatible protocols. A gateway can function at any one layer of the OSI Reference Model or at several layers simultaneously. For example, a gateway is used to translate between mail systems, such as SNMP and MHS. (Internet terminology uses the term gateway in place of router.)

global Pertaining to an entire entity, such as a Windows NT domain or a collection of trusted/trusting domains. Windows NT distinguishes global groups from local groups; local groups have permissions only for objects on the server in which the local group exists.

group A collection of network or database users with common permissions for particular objects, such as shared files or database tables. See also permissions.

HAL An acronym for hardware abstraction layer, a Windows NT DLL that links specific computer hardware implementations with the Windows NT kernel. Windows NT 4.0 includes HALs for 80x86, Alpha, MIPS, and PowerPC hardware platforms.

handle An unsigned long (32-bit) integer assigned by Windows NT or Windows 95 to uniquely identify an instance (occurrence) of an object, such as a file or a window.

host Any computer on a network using the Internet Protocol (IP). See IP and IP address.

HPFS An abbreviation for the High-Performance File System used by OS/2 and (optionally) Windows NT 3.x. Windows NT 4.0 doesn't support HPFS but can connect via a network to files on HPFS volumes of Windows NT 3.x PCs.

HTML An abbreviation for HyperText Markup Language, a variant of SGML (Standardized General Markup Language), a page-description language for creating files that can be formatted and displayed by World Wide Web browsers.

hub A concentrator that joins multiple clients by means of a single link to the rest of the LAN. A hub has several ports to which clients are connected directly, and one or more ports that can be used to connect the hub to the backbone or to other active network components. A hub functions as a multiport repeater; signals received on any port are immediately retransmitted to all other ports of the hub. Hubs function at the physical layer of the OSI Reference Model.

icon A 32-by-32-pixel graphic image used to identify the application in the Explorer window and in other locations in the application chosen by the programmer (such as the Help About dialog). Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 95 also use 16-by-16-pixel small icons to identify the application in the title bar and elsewhere where small icons are specified.

idle In Windows, the condition or state in which both Windows and the application have processed all pending messages in the queue from user- or hardware-initiated events and is waiting for the next event to occur. In Windows NT multiprocessing, one idle thread exists for each processor.

impersonation In Windows NT, the capability of a thread in one process to assume the security identity of another process. Impersonation is employed by a named pipe to acquire and use the security ID of the service requester.

index For arrays and collections, the position of the particular element with respect to others, usually beginning with 0 (arrays) or 1 (collections) as the first element. When used with database files or tables, index refers to a lookup table, usually in the form of a file or component of a file, that relates the value of a field in the indexed file to its record or page number and location in the page (if pages are used).

initialize In programming, setting all variables to their default values and resetting the point of execution to the first executable line of code.

in-place activation The capability to activate an object (launch another application) and have the container application take on the capabilities of the other application. The primary feature of in-place activation (also called in-situ activation) is that the other application's menu choices merge with or replace the container application's menu choices in the active window.

in-process A term applied to Automation servers, also called Automation DLLs, that operate within the same process space (memory allocation) of the Automation controller manipulating the server. In-process servers commonly are called InProc servers. See out-of-process.

installable file system In Windows NT, the capability to load a file system (such as NTFS, CDFS, FAT, or HPFS) dynamically, depending on the format of the file to be opened.

instance A term used by Windows to describe the temporal existence of a loaded application or one or more of its windows.

instantiate The process of creating an instance of an object in memory.

interface A noun describing a connection between two dissimilar devices or COM objects, such as Automation clients and servers. A common phrase is user interface, meaning the "connection" between the display-keyboard combination and the user. Use of interface as a verb is jargon.

interrupt An asynchronous message, usually issued by an I/O device, requesting the service of an operating system's or device driver's interrupt handler.

intranet A private network that uses Internet protocols and common Internet applications (such as Web browsers) to emulate the public Internet. Intranets on LANs and high-speed WANs provide increased privacy and improved performance compared with today's Internet.

invocation path The route through which an object or routine is invoked. If the routine is deeply nested, the path may be quite circuitous.

invoke To cause execution of a block of code, particularly a procedure or subprocedure. Invoke also is used to indicate application of a method to an object.

I/O manager A component of the Windows NT executive that handles all input/output (I/O) requests.

IP An abbreviation for Internet Protocol, the basic network transmission protocol of the Internet.

IP address The 32-bit hexadecimal address of a host, gateway, or router on an IP network. For convenience, IP addresses are specified as the decimal value of the four address bytes, separated by periods, as in 124.33.15.1. Addresses are classified as types A, B, and C, depending on the subnet mask applied. See subnet mask.

IPX/SPX Abbreviation for Internetwork Packet Exchange/Sequenced Packet Exchange, the transport protocol of Novell NetWare, supported by Windows NT's NWLink service. See NWLink.

ISDN An abbreviation for Integrated Services Digital Network, a switched telephone service that provides mid-band digital communication capabilities used for Internet connections and for remote access to LANs, as well as voice communication. Windows NT 4.0 has built-in support for ISDN modems, more properly called network terminators. See BRI and PRI.

item The name given to one of the elements contained in a list box or drop-down list, or the list component of a combo box.

kernel mode The mode in which the Windows NT system runs, providing the operating system with access to system memory and other hardware devices.

key A collection of one or more Registry values (properties) that relate to a single object.

key or key field In relational database tables, a field that identifies a record by its value. Tables are usually indexed on key fields. For a field to be a key field, each data item in the field must possess a unique value.

LAN An acronym for local area network. A LAN is a system comprising multiple computers that are physically interconnected through network adapter cards and cabling.

launch To start a Windows application.

library A collection of functions, compiled as a group and accessible to applications by calling the function name, together with any required arguments. DLLs are one type of library; those used by compilers to provide built-in functions are another type.

linked object A source document in a compound document that's included by reference to a file that contains the object's data, rather than by embedding the source document in the compound document.

livelock A request for an exclusive lock on a file or data item that's repeatedly denied because of shared locks imposed by other users.

local area network See LAN.

locale The environment for an operating system or application, usually based on a specific language or a dialect of a language. Windows NT uses the National Language Support (NLS) API to provide localization.

lock In databases, a restriction of access to a table, portion of a table, or data item imposed to maintain data integrity of a database. Locks may be shared (more than one user can access the locked element or elements) or exclusive (the user with the exclusive lock prevents other users from creating simultaneous shared or exclusive locks on the element or elements).

logical The manifestation of physical devices in software, including operating systems. For example, a logical disk drive may consist of a part of the space on a single disk drive or, using Windows NT's capability of spanning drives, space on multiple disk drives.

logon The process by which Windows NT detects an attempt of a user to gain access to the operating system. Successful completion of the logon process authenticates the user.

LRPC An abbreviation for lightweight remote procedure call used for communication between ActiveX controllers (OLE clients) and ActiveX components (OLE servers) residing on a single computer. See remote procedure call (RPC).

MAC An acronym for Media Access Control, the globally unique hardware address of an Ethernet network interface card.

machine language Program code in the form of instructions that have meaning to and can be acted on by the computer hardware and operating system used. Object files compiled from source code are in machine language, as are executable files that consist of object files linked with library files. Windows NT is individually compiled for the machine language of each platform that uses a different processor.

map To translate a physical memory address to a virtual memory (VM) address, or vice versa. See VM.

MAPI Acronym for the Windows Messaging API originally created by Microsoft for use with Microsoft Mail, which implements Simple MAPI. Microsoft Exchange Client and Server implements MAPI 1.0 (also called Extended MAPI).

metafile A type of graphics file, used by Windows and other applications, that stores the objects displayed in the form of mathematical descriptions of lines and surfaces. Windows NT 4.0 supports enhanced metafiles (EMF) for improved printing performance.

method One of the characteristics of an object and a classification of keywords in VBA. Methods are the procedures that apply to an object. Methods that are applicable to a class of objects are inherited by other objects of the same class and may be modified to suit the requirements of the object.

MIB An acronym for Management Information Base, a set of attributes for active network components, including servers, used by SNMP. Windows NT provides MIBs for server shares, sessions, and users, plus DHCP and WINS data. See SNMP.

mini-server An applet with OLE server capabilities that you can't run as a stand-alone application. Microsoft Graph is an example of a mini-server (despite the size of its executable file).

mirroring See disk mirroring.

MISF An abbreviation for Microsoft Internet Security Framework, a set of high-level security services that rely on CryptoAPI 2.0 functions to provide certificate- and password-based authentication. MISF also incorporates secure channel communication using SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) 2.0 and 3.0, plus PCT (Personal Communications Technology), SET (Secure Electronic Transactions) for credit-card purchases, and the Microsoft Certificate Server for issuing authentication certificates.

modal A dialog that must be closed before the user can take further action.

modeless A window or dialog that the user may close or minimize without taking any other action-the opposite of modal.

multiprocessing The capability of a computer with two or more CPUs to allocate tasks (threads) to a specific CPU. See SMP.

multitasking The capability of a computer with a single CPU to simulate the processing of more than one task at a time. Multitasking is effective when one (or more) of the applications spends most of its time in an idle state, waiting for a user-initiated event such as a keystroke or mouse click.

multithreaded An application that contains more than one thread of execution; a task or set of tasks that executes semi-independently of other task(s).

multiuser Concurrent use of a single computer by more than one user, usually through the use of remote terminals. UNIX is inherently a multiuser operating system. Multiuser is often used as a term to describe an application that allows multiple users to view and update a single shared file, such as a Microsoft Access .MDB file.

named pipes A method of interprocess communication, originally developed for OS/2, that provides a secure channel for network communication.

NBF An abbreviation for NetBEUI Frame, the transport packet structure used by NetBEUI.

NCBS An abbreviation for Network Control Block Session, a NetBIOS connection using the NetBEUI Frame protocol. Clients issue an NCB CALL and the destination server returns an NCB LISTEN to establish the session.

NDIS An acronym for Microsoft's Network Driver Interface Specification for writing device drivers for network interface cards (NICs) that work with Windows 3.x, Windows 95, and Windows NT.

NetBEUI An acronym for NetBIOS Extended User Interface, the transport protocol of Microsoft Networking. NetBEUI isn't a routable network, so its popularity is declining in comparison with TCP/IP.

NetBIOS An acronym for Network Basic Input/Output System, the original network API for MS-DOS and the foundation for NetBEUI.

NFS An abbreviation for Network File System, a file format and set of drivers created by Sun Microsystems Incorporated that allows DOS/Windows and UNIX applications to share files on disk drives running under UNIX. NFS relies on remote procedure calls (RPCs) for communication between clients and servers.

NIC An acronym for network interface card, a plug-in adapter card that provides the physical connection to the network. The most common NICs support 10BaseT network media; 100BaseT NICs, which are 10 times faster, are gaining acceptance in Windows NT networks.

NT An abbreviation for New Technology used by Windows NT. Windows NT is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation, so the full name of the operating system, Windows NT, is used in this book.

NTFS An abbreviation for New Technology File System, Windows NT's replacement for the DOS FAT (File Allocation Table) and OS/2's HPFS (High-Performance File System). NTFS offers many advantages over other file systems, including improved security and the ability to reconstruct files in the event of hardware failures. Windows 3.1+ and Windows 95 can access files stored on NTFS volumes via a network connection but can't open NTFS files directly.

NWLink Microsoft's implementation of the Novell NetWare IPX/SPX protocol for Windows NT Server and Workstation. See IPX/SPX.

object In programming, an element that combines data (properties) and behavior (methods) in a single container of code. Objects inherit their properties and methods from the classes above them in the hierarchy and can modify the properties and methods to suit their own purposes.

object code Code in machine-readable form that can be executed by your computer's CPU and operating system, usually linked with libraries to create an executable file.

object library A file with the extension .OLB that contains information on the objects, properties, and methods exposed by an .EXE or .DLL file of the same file name that supports Automation.

object manager A Windows NT executive component that manages operating system resources. In Windows NT, all system resources are objects.

object permissions Permissions granted by the network administrator for users to access shared Windows NT objects. Object permissions also may be granted to users through group membership.

ODBC An abbreviation for the Microsoft Open Database Connectivity API, a set of functions that provide access to client-server RDBMSs, desktop database files, text files, and Excel worksheet files through ODBC drivers. Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 95 use 32-bit ODBC 2.5. ODBC most commonly is used to connect to client/server databases, such as Microsoft SQL Server.

OLE Automation See Automation.

OLE Control See ActiveX control.

OLE DLL A synonym for an in-process Automation server implemented as a Windows DLL. See in-process.

OpenDoc A standard proposed by Apple Computer, Borland International, Lotus Development, Novell, and other Microsoft competitors to supplant or replace COM, DCOM, and OLE.

option button A synonym for radio button, the original terminology in the CUA specification. Option buttons are circular control objects whose center is filled when selected. If grouped, only one option button of a group may be selected.

OSI Abbreviation for Open System Interconnection, the model for standard levels of networking functions and the services performed at each level. The seven-level OSI standard is defined by the International Standards Organization (ISO).

out-of-process An (OLE) Automation server in the form of an executable (.EXE) file that operates in its own process space (memory allocation) and uses LRPCs (lightweight remote procedure calls) to communicate with the Automation client. The term OutOfProc often is used as shorthand for out-of-process.

page A block of contiguous virtual memory (VM) addresses that Windows NT moves between physical RAM and a disk (paging) file as needed to support network operations and applications. Paging is used when physical RAM can't store the required data. See VM.

page fault An event that occurs when a thread refers to an invalid (out-of-date) VM page. The VM manager must refresh the page from the page file. See VM.

paged pool System memory that can be paged to Windows NT's Pagefile.sys paging file. The non-paged pool (approximately 4M for Windows NT 4.0) must reside in RAM and can't be paged to disk.

parameter The equivalent of an argument but associated with the procedure that receives the value of an argument from the calling function. The terms parameter and argument, however, are often used interchangeably.

PDC An abbreviation for Primary Domain Controller, the Windows NT server in a domain that's responsible for maintaining user and group accounts for a domain. Primary and Backup Domain Controllers authenticate domain users during the logon process. See BDC and logon.

permissions Authority given by the system administrator, database administrator, or database owner to perform operations over a network or on data objects in a database.

persistent object An object that's stored in the form of a file or an element of a file, rather than only in memory.

port A connection to an external hardware device, such as a modem (serial port) or a printer (printer). In Windows NT, a communications channel object for local procedure calls.

PPP An abbreviation for Point-to-Point Protocol, the most common Internet protocol for connection to TCP/IP networks via conventional and ISDN modems. See SLIP.

PPTP An abbreviation for Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol, a Microsoft-sponsored protocol, included with Windows NT 4.0, that uses encryption to assure privacy of communication over the Internet. See VPN.

preemptive multitasking The multitasking process used by Windows NT and Windows 95 in which the operating system assures that all active threads have the opportunity to execute. Preemptive multitasking prevents a single thread from monopolizing a processor.

PRI An abbreviation for Primary Rate Interface, an ISDN service for high-speed communication. PRI has 23 64kbps B (bearer) channels and one 64kbps D (data) channel, which may be used as independent channels or bonded to provide bandwidths higher than 64kbps. See ISDN and BRI.

primary key The column or columns of a table whose individual or combined values (in the case of a composite primary key) uniquely identify a row in a table.

property One of the two principal characteristics of objects (the other is methods). Properties define the manifestation of the object-for example, its appearance. Properties may be defined for an object or for the class of objects to which the particular object belongs, in which case they are said to be inherited.

property sheet A dialog used to set the value(s) of properties of an object, such as an ActiveX control or an operating system component. As an example, Control Panel's Network tool is a property sheet. The tabbed elements of a property sheet are called property pages.

protected subsystem A process that operates in a block of virtual memory that's not shared with other processes. Windows NT's protected subsystems prevent an errant process from killing the entire operating system.

protocol A description of the method by which networked computers communicate. Windows NT allows the simultaneous use of multiple network protocols, including TCP/IP, NetBEUI, and IPX/SPX.

protocol stack Network protocol software that implements a specific protocol, such as TCP/IP.

query A request to retrieve data from a database with the SQL SELECT instruction or to manipulate data stored in tables.

RAID An acronym for redundant array of inexpensive disks, a method of connecting multiple disk drives to a single controller card to achieve faster data throughput, data storage redundancy for fault tolerance, or both. See disk mirroring, disk striping, and fault tolerance.

raising exceptions A process by which the operating system transfers control to a block of software (exception handler) when an error or unexpected condition occurs. Windows NT's exception handler adds items to the event log.

RDBMS An abbreviation for relational database management system. An RDBMS is an application that can create, organize, and edit databases; display data through user-selected views; and, in some cases, print formatted reports.

record In database applications, a single element of a relational database table that contains each field defined for the table. A record is the logical equivalent of the row of a spreadsheet.

redirector Software that intercepts requests for remotely provided services, such as files in server shares, and sends the request to the appropriate computer on the network.

referential integrity Rules governing the relationships between primary keys and foreign keys of tables within a relational database that determine data consistency. Referential integrity requires that the value of every foreign key in every table be matched by the value of a primary key in another table.

Registry A database that contains information required for the operation of Windows NT and Windows 95, plus applications installed under Windows NT and Windows 95. The Windows Registry takes the place of Windows 3.1+'s REG.DAT, WIN.INI, and SYSTEM.INI files, plus PROFILE.INI files installed by Windows 3.1 applications. The Registry also includes user information, such as user IDs, encrypted passwords, and permissions. Windows NT and Windows 95 include RegEdit.exe for editing the Registry. The Windows NT and Windows 95 Registries differ in structure, and thus are incompatible.

relational database See RDBMS.

Remote Automation Object An out-of-process (OLE) Automation server, usually called an RAO, that resides on a server and is accessible to RAO-compliant applications that connect to the server. RAOs comprise the middle tier of three-tier client/server database applications. See business rules and three-tier.

remote procedure call (RPC) An interprocess communication method that allows an application to run specific parts of the application on more than one computer in a distributed computing environment. Windows NT 4.0's DCOM uses RPCs for network communication between COM objects.

replication The process of duplicating server shares and database objects (usually tables) in more than one location, including a method of periodically rationalizing (synchronizing) updates to the objects. Database replication is an alternative to the two-phase commit process. Microsoft SQL Server 6+ supports replication of databases across multiple Windows NT servers. Updating Windows NT Backup Domain Controllers (BDCs) from a Primary Domain Controller (PDC) occurs by replication of the Security Accounts Manger (SAM) database.

RISC An acronym for Reduced Instruction Set Computer, a processor that uses a simplified set of internal operating instructions to speed execution. RISC processors supported by Windows NT 4.0 are Alpha, MIPS, and PowerPC. See CISC.

rollback A term used in transaction processing that cancels a proposed transaction which modifies one or more tables and undoes changes, if any, made by the transaction before a COMMIT or COMMIT TRANSACTION SQL statement.

router An active network component that connects one network to another network. Routers operate at the network layer of the OSI and work with packets that include logical addressing information.

routine A synonym for procedure.

SAM An acronym for Security Accounts Manager, a Windows NT subsystem that maintains a database of user account names and passwords for authentication.

scalable The property of a multiprocessing computer that defines the extent to which addition of more processors increases aggregate computing capability. Windows NT Server 4.0 is generally considered to be scalable to eight Intel processors.

server A computer on a LAN that provides services or resources to client computers by sharing its resources. Servers may be dedicated, in which case they share their resources but don't use them themselves, except in performing administrative tasks. Servers in client/server databases are ordinarily dedicated to making database resources available to client computers. Servers may also be used to run applications for users, in which case the server is called an application server. Peer-to-peer or workgroup servers, such as servers created by using PCs running Windows NT Workstation to share disk folders, are another class of server.

shared application memory Memory that's allocated between processes involved in a lightweight remote procedure call (LRPC). See also LRPC.

shortcut key A key combination that provides access to a menu choice, macro, or other function of the application in lieu of selection with the mouse.

SID An acronym for security ID, a numeric value that identifies a logged-on user who has been authenticated by Windows NT or a user group.

SLIP An abbreviation for Serial Line Interface Protocol, the first common method of connecting via a modem to TCP/IP networks, now less widely used. See PPP.

SMB An abbreviation for Server Message Block, a networking protocol used by NetBEUI to implement Microsoft Networking.

SMP An abbreviation for symmetric multiprocessing, implemented in Windows NT, which distributes tasks among CPUs using a load-sharing methodology. Applications must be multithreaded to take advantage of SMP. See asymmetric multiprocessing.

SNMP An abbreviation for Simple Network Management Protocol, an Internet standard that defines methods for remotely managing active network components such as hubs, routers, and bridges.

source code The readable form of code that you create in a high-level programming language. Source code is converted to machine-language object code by a compiler or interpreter.

source document A term used by OLE 1.0 to refer to a compound object in a container document.

SQL An acronym, pronounced either as "sequel" or "seekel," for Structured Query Language, a language developed by IBM Corporation for processing data contained in mainframe computer databases. (Sequel is the name of a language, similar to SQL, developed by IBM but no longer in use.) SQL has now been institutionalized by the creation of an ANSI standard for the language.

stack See protocol stack.

stored procedure A set of SQL statements (and with those RDBMSs that support them, flow-control statements) that are stored under a procedure name so that the statements can be executed as a group by the database server. Some RDBMSs, such as Microsoft and Sybase SQL Server, precompile stored procedures so that they execute more rapidly. Jet 3.0's Remote Data Object is optimized for use with stored procedures.

stripe set See disk striping and fault tolerance.

Structured Query Language See SQL.

subnet mask A local bit mask (set of flags) that specifies which bits of the IP address specify a particular IP network or a host within a subnetwork. An IP address of 128.66.12.1 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 specifies host 1 on subnet 128.66.12.0. The subnet mask determines the maximum number of hosts on a subnetwork.

synchronous I/O An input/output method in which the process that issues an I/O request waits for the requested process to complete before returning control to the application or operating system. See asynchronous I/O.

system administrator The individual(s) responsible for the administrative functions for all applications on a LAN or users of a UNIX cluster or network, usually including supervision of all databases on servers attached to the LAN. If the system administrator's (SA's) responsibility is limited to databases, the term database administrator (DBA) is ordinarily assigned.

system databases Databases that control access to databases on a server or across a LAN. Microsoft SQL Server has three system databases: the master database, which controls user databases; tempdb, which holds temporary tables; and model, which is used as the skeleton to create new user databases. Any database that's not a user database is a system database.

T-1 The most common moderate-speed telecommunications connection between LANs to create a WAN. Dedicated T-1 lines provide 1.544mbps of bandwidth. T-1 lines also are the most common method of connecting servers to the Internet.

table A database object consisting of a collection of rows (records) divided into columns (fields) that contain data or null values. A table is treated as a database object.

TCP/IP Abbreviation for Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, the networking protocol of the Internet, UNIX networks, and the preferred protocol for Windows NT networks. TCP/IP is a routable network that supports subnetworks. See IP.

TDI An abbreviation for Transport Driver Interface, used by Windows NT to implement multiple network protocols by using various network interface cards.

thread A part of a process, such as an executing application, that can run as an object or an entity. Threads of execution are basis of Windows NT's symmetrical multiprocessing capability. See multiprocessing and SMP.

three-tier The architecture of a database application, usually involving a client-server RDBMS, where the front-end application is separated from the back-end RDBMS by a middle tier application. The middle tier usually is implemented as a remote Automation server, which implements the database connection, enforces business rules, and handles transfer of data to and from databases of the RDBMS. See business rules and Remote Automation Object.

time stamp The date and time data attributes applied to a disk file when created or edited. Time stamp is a database type for SQL Server and the ODBC API.

toggle A property of an object, such as a check box, that alternates its state when repeatedly clicked with the mouse or activated by a shortcut key combination.

Token Ring A network medium developed by IBM in which each computer in the ring passes a token, which carries network messages, to the adjacent computer. Token Ring provides each computer on the ring with guaranteed capability to transmit at regular intervals; Ethernet doesn't provide such a guarantee. Token Ring is specified by the IEEE-802.5 standard. See Ethernet.

transaction A group of processing steps that are treated as a single activity to perform a desired result. A transaction might entail all the steps necessary to modify the values in or add records to each table involved when a new invoice is created. RDBMSs that are capable of transaction processing usually include the capability to cancel the transaction by a rollback instruction or to cause it to become a permanent part of the tables with the COMMIT or COMMIT TRANSACTION statement.

Transact-SQL A superset of ANSI SQL used by Microsoft and Sybase SQL Server. Transact-SQL includes flow-control instructions, and the capability to define and use stored procedures that include conditional execution and looping.

trap Windows NT's method of intercepting an event (such as an interrupt request or an unexpected result) that occurs during execution of a thread.

trigger A stored procedure that occurs when a user executes an instruction that may affect the referential integrity of a database. Triggers usually occur before the execution of an INSERT, DELETE, or UPDATE statement so that the effect of the statement on referential integrity can be examined by a stored procedure before execution. See also stored procedure.

trust In Windows NT domain terminology, a relationship between domain controllers in which users who are members of the trusted domain can access services on another trusting domain without the need to log on to the trusting domain.

two-phase commit A process applicable to updates to multiple (distributed) databases that prevents a transaction from completing until all the distributed databases acknowledge that the transaction can be completed. The replication process has supplanted two-phase commit in most of today's distributed client/server RDBMSs. See replication.

UNC An abbreviation for Unified Naming Convention, the method of identifying the location of files on a remote server. UNC names begin with \\. Windows NT and Windows 95 support UNC; 32-bit Windows applications must support UNC to qualify for application of Microsoft's "Designed for Windows NT" logo. All Microsoft Office 95 and later applications support UNC.

Unicode A replacement for the 7-bit or 8-bit ASCII and ANSI representations of characters with a 16-bit model that allows a wider variety of characters to be used. Unicode is especially useful for representing the written characters of Asian languages. Windows NT and Windows 95 support Unicode.

uniform data transfer (UDT) The interprocess communication (IPC) method used by OLE 2+. OLE 1.0 uses DDE for IPC.

unique index An index in which no two key fields or combinations of key fields on which the index is created may have the same value.

UNIX Registered trademark of a multiuser operating system, now administered by the Open Systems Foundation (OSF). Extensions and modifications of UNIX include DEC Ultrix, SCO UNIX, IBM AIX, and similar products.

UPS An abbreviation for uninterruptible power supply, a device used to power a computer in the event of a primary power outage.

user mode The processor mode used by Windows NT to run applications launched by users. Threads running in user mode are restricted to calling system services. See kernel mode.

UTP An abbreviation for unshielded twisted pair, the type of cabling used to implement 10BaseT and 100BaseT network media.

VBA An abbreviation for Visual Basic for Applications, the official name of which is "Visual Basic, Applications Edition." VBA is Microsoft's common application programming (macro) language for Access, Excel, Project, and the Visual Basic programming environment.

VDM Abbreviation for virtual DOS machine, a Windows NT protected subsystem for running DOS applications in a console window.

virtual address space The range of unique virtual memory addresses allocated to the threads of a single Windows NT process. See VM.

view The method by which the data is presented for review by the user, usually on the computer display. Views can be created from subsets of columns from one or more tables by implementing the SQL CREATE VIEW instruction.

Visual Basic for Applications See VBA.

VM Abbreviation for virtual memory, a method of mapping a combination of RAM and images of RAM stored in a paging file to provide an address space larger than that available from the RAM installed in the computer.

VM manager The Windows NT executive service that loads memory images stored in a paging file on demand, as well as saves memory images in the paging file when no longer needed by a thread.

VPN An abbreviation for Virtual Private Network, a means of establishing secure communication channels on the Internet using various forms of encryption. See PPTP.

WAN An acronym for wide area network. A WAN is a system for connecting multiple computers in different geographical locations by switched telephone network or leased data lines; by optical or other long-distance cabling; or by infrared, radio, or satellite links.

WDM An abbreviation of Windows Driver Model, a 32-bit architecture for creating device drivers that run under both Windows NT and Windows 95. Microsoft hadn't issued the WDM specification when Windows NT 4.0 was released.

Win32 An API for running 32-bit Windows applications under Windows NT and Windows 95. The Win32 APIs of Windows NT and Windows 95 vary. To use Microsoft's "Designed for Windows NT" logo, applications must run under Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 95.

Win32S A subset of the Win32 API designed to add limited 32-bit capabilities to Windows 3.1+. Very few applications have been written to the Win32S API, which appears to have become obsolete.

WINS An acronym for Windows Internet Naming Service, a proprietary Microsoft application that maps easily remembered Windows machine names to the corresponding IP addresses.

Winsock An abbreviation for Windows Sockets, a networking API for implementing Windows applications that use TCP/IP, such as FTP and Telnet.

working set The set of active virtual memory pages

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access time - The performance of a hard drive or other storage device - how long it takes to locate a file.

active program or window - The application or window at the front (foreground) on the monitor.

alert (alert box) - a message that appears on screen, usually to tell you something went wrong.

alias - an icon that points to a file, folder or application (System 7).

apple menu - on the left side of the screen header. System 6 = desk accessories System 7 = up to 50 items.

application - a program in which you do your work.

application menu - on the right side of the screen header. Lists running applications.

ASCII (pronounced ask-key ) - American Standard Code for Information Interchange. a commonly used data format for exchanging information between computers or programs.

background - part of the multitasking capability. A program can run and perform tasks in the background while another program is being used in the foreground.

bit - the smallest piece of information used by the computer. Derived from "binary digit". In computer language, either a one (1) or a zero (0).

backup - a copy of a file or disk you make for archiving purposes.

boot - to start up a computer.

bug - a programming error that causes a program to behave in an unexpected way.

bus - an electronic pathway through which data is transmitted between components in a computer.

byte - a piece of computer information made up of eight bits.

card - a printed circuit board that adds some feature to a computer.

cartridge drive - a storage device, like a hard drive, in which the medium is a cartridge that can be removed.

CD-ROM - an acronym for Compact Disc Read-Only Memory.

Chooser - A desk accessory used to select a printer, or other external device, or to log onto a network.

Clipboard - A portion of memory where the Mac temporarily stores information. Called a Copy Buffer in many PC applications because it is used to hold information which is to be moved, as in word processing where text is "cut" and then "pasted".

Clock Rate (MHz) - The instruction processing speed of a computer measured in millions of cycles per second (i.e., 200 MHz).

command - the act of giving an instruction to your Mac either by menu choice or keystroke.

command (apple) key - a modifier key, the Command key used in conjunction with another keystroke to active some function on the Mac.

compiler - a program the converts programming code into a form that can be used by a computer.

compression - a technique that reduces the size of a saved file by elimination or encoding redundancies (i.e., JPEG, MPEG, LZW, etc.)

control key - seldom used modifier key on the Mac.

control panel - a program that allows you to change settings in a program or change the way a Mac looks and/or behaves.

CPU - the Central Processing Unit. The processing chip that is the "brains" of a computer.

crash - a system malfunction in which the computer stops working and has to be restarted.

cursor - The pointer, usually arrow or cross shaped, which is controlled by the mouse.

daisy chaining - the act of stringing devices together in a series (such as SCSI).

database - an electronic list of information that can be sorted and/or searched.

data - (the plural of datum) information processed by a computer.

defragment - (also - optimize) to concatenate fragments of data into contiguous blocks in memory or on a hard drive.

desktop - 1. the finder. 2. the shaded or colored backdrop of the screen.

desktop file - an invisible file in which the Finder stores a database of information about files and icons.

dialog box - an on-screen message box that appears when the Mac requires additional information before completing a command.

digitize - to convert linear, or analog, data into digital data which can be used by the computer.

disk - a spinning platter made of magnetic or optically etched material on which data can be stored.

disk drive - the machinery that writes the data from a disk and/or writes data to a disk.

disk window - the window that displays the contents or directory of a disk.

document - a file you create, as opposed to the application which created it.

DOS - acronym for Disk Operating System - used in IBM PCs.

DPI - acronym for Dots Per Inch - a gauge of visual clarity on the printed page or on the computer screen.

download - to transfer data from one computer to another. (If you are on the receiving end, you are downloading. If you are on the sending end, you are uploading ).

drag - to move the mouse while its button is being depressed.

drag and drop - a feature on the Mac which allows one to drag the icon for a document on top of the icon for an application, thereby launching the application and opening the document.

driver - a file on a computer which tells it how to communicate with an add-on piece of equipment (like a printer).

Ethernet - a protocol for fast communication and file transfer across a network.

expansion slot - a connector inside the computer which allows one to plug in a printed circuit board that provides new or enhanced features.

extension - a startup program that runs when you start the Mac and then enhances its function.

fibre channel - as applied to data storage and network topology - link to FC Glossary.

file - the generic word for an application, document, control panel or other computer data.

finder - The cornerstone or home-base application in the Mac environment. The finder regulates the file management functions of the Mac (copying, renaming, deleting...)

floppy - a 3.5 inch square rigid disk which holds data. (so named for the earlier 5.25 and 8 inch disks that were flexible).

folder - an electronic subdirectory which contains files.

font - a typeface that contains the characters of an alphabet or some other letterforms.

footprint - The surface area of a desk or table which is occupied by a piece of equipment.

fragmentation - The breaking up of a file into many separate locations in memory or on a disk.

freeze - a system error which causes the cursor to lock in place.

get info - a Finder File menu command that presents an information window for a selected file icon.

gig - a gigabyte = 1024 megabytes.

hard drive - a large capacity storage device made of multiple disks housed in a rigid case.

head crash - a hard disk crash caused by the heads coming in contact with the spinning disk(s).

high density disk - a 1.4 MB floppy disk.

highlight - to select by clicking once on an icon or by highlighting text in a document.

icon - a graphic symbol for an application, file or folder.

initialize - to format a disk for use in the computer; creates a new directory and arranges the tracks for the recording of data.

insertion point - in word processing, the short flashing marker which indicates where your next typing will begin.

installer - software used to install a program on your hard drive.

interrupt button - a tool used by programmers to enter the debugging mode. The button is usually next to the reset button.

K - short for kilobyte.

keyboard shortcut - a combination of keystrokes that performs some function otherwise found in a pulldown menu.

kilobyte - 1024 bytes.

landscape - in printing from a computer, to print sideways on the page.

launch - start an application.

Measurements (summary) -
*a bit = one binary digit (1 or 0) *"bit" is derived from the contraction b'it (binary digit) -> 8 bits = one byte
*1024 bytes = one kilobyte
*K = kilobyte
*Kb = kilobit
*MB = megabyte
*Mb = megabit
*MB/s = megabytes per second
*Mb/s = megabits per second
*bps = bits per second
i.e., 155 Mb/s = 19.38 MB/s

MB - short for megabyte.

megabyte - 1024 kilobytes.

memory - the temporary holding area where data is stored while it is being used or changed; the amount of RAM a computer has installed.

menu - a list of program commands listed by topic.

menu bar - the horizontal bar across the top of the Mac?s screen that lists the menus.

multi finder - a component of System 6 that allows the Mac to multi task.

multi tasking - running more than one application in memory at the same time.

nanosecond - one billionth of a second. ( or, the time between the theatrical release of a Dudley Moore film and the moment it begins to play on airplanes).

native mode - using the computers original operating system; most commonly used when talking about the PowerPC can run software written for either the 80x0 systems, or the PowerPC?s RISC code.

NuBus - expansion slots on the Mac which accept intelligent, self-configuring boards. NuBus is a different bus achitecture than the newer PCI bus and the boards are not interchangable.

operating system - the system software that controls the computer.

optical disk - a high-capacity storage medium that is read by a laser light.

palette - a small floating window that contains tools used in a given application.

partition - a subdivision of a hard drives surface that is defined and used as a separate drive.

paste - to insert text, or other material, from the clipboard or copy buffer.

PC - acronym for personal computer, commonly used to refer to an IBM or IBM clone computer which uses DOS.

PCI - acronym for Peripheral Component Interchange - the newer, faster bus achitecture.

peripheral - an add-on component to your computer.

point - (1/72") 12 points = one pica in printing.

pop-up menu - any menu that does not appear at the top of the screen in the menu bar. (may pop up or down)

port - a connection socket, or jack on the Mac.

Power PC - a processing chip designed by Apple, IBM and Motorola (RISC based).

Power Mac - a family of Macs built around the PowerPC chip.

print spooler - a program that stores documents to be printed on the hard drive, thereby freeing the memory up and allowing other functions to be performed while printing goes on in the background.

QuickTime - the Apple system extension that gives one the ability to compress, edit and play animation, movies and sound on the Mac.

RAM - acronym for Random-Access Memory.

reset switch - a switch on the Mac that restarts the computer in the event of a crash or freeze.

resize box - the small square at the lower right corner of a window which, when dragged, resizes the window.

RISC - acronym for Reduced Instruction Set Computing; the smaller set of commands used by the PowerPC and Power Mac.

ROM - acronym for Read Only Memory; memory that can only be read from and not written to.

root directory - the main hard drive window.

save - to write a file onto a disk.

save as - (a File menu item) to save a previously saved file in a new location and/or with a new name.

scroll - to shift the contents of a window to bring hidden items into view.

scroll bar - a bar at the bottom or right side of a window that contains the scroll box and allows scrolling.

scroll box - the box in a scroll bar that is used to navigate through a window.

SCSI - acronym for Small Computer System Interface.

SCSI address - a number between zero and seven that must be unique to each device in a SCSI chain. Fast and Wide SCSI devices will allow up to 15 SCSI Ids (hexidecimal); however, the length restriction (3 meters) is such that it is virtually impossible to link 15 devices together.

SCSI port - a 25 pin connector on the back of a Mac (native SCSI port); used to connect SCSI devices to the CPU. Some SCSI cards (like the ATTO) have a 68 pin connector.

SCSI terminator - a device placed at the end of a SCSI chain to complete the circuit. (some SCSI devices are self-terminating, or have active termination and do not require this plug).

serial port - a port that allows data to be transmitted in a series (one after the other), such as the printer and modem ports on a Mac.

server - a central computer dedicated to sending and receiving data from other computers (on a network).

shut down - the command from the Special menu that shuts down the Mac safely.

software - files on disk that contain instructions for a computer.

spreadsheet - a program designed to look like an electronic ledger.

start up disk - the disk containing system software and is designated to be used to start the computer.

surge suppressor - a power strip that has circuits designed to reduce the effects of surge in electrical power. (not the same as a UPS)

System file - a file in the System folder that allows your Mac to start and run.

System folder - an all-important folder that contains at least the System file and the Finder.

32 bit addressing - a feature that allows the Mac to recognize and use more than 8MB of memory.

title bar - the horizontal bar at the top of a window which has the name of the file or folder it represents.

upload - to send a file from one computer to another through a network.

Uninterruptible Power Source (UPS)- a constantly charging battery pack which powers the computer. A UPS should have enough charge to power your computer for several minutes in the event of a total power failure, giving you time to save your work and safely shut down.

UPS - acronym for Uninterruptible Power Source.

vaporware - "software" advertised, and sometimes sold, that does not yet exist in a releasable for.

virtual memory - using part of your hard drive as though it were "RAM".

WORM - acronym for Write Once-Read Many; an optical disk that can only be written to once (like a CD-ROM).

zoom box - a small square in the upper right corner of a window which, when clicked, will expand the window to fill the whole screen.

This post originally appeared on an external website

Thanks techterms.org

Computer Term	Acronym
AGP	Accelerated Graphics Port
AIFF	Audio Interchange File Format
AIX	Advanced Interactive Executive
ANSI	American National Standards Institute
API	Application Program Interface
ASCII	American Standard Code for Information Interchange
ASP	Active Server Page or Application Service Provider
ATA	Advanced Technology Attachment
ATM	Asynchronous Transfer Mode
BIOS	Basic Input/Output System
BMP	Bitmap
CAD	Computer-Aided Design
CD	Compact Disc
CD-R	Compact Disc Recordable
CD-ROM	Compact Disc Read-Only Memory
CD-RW	Compact Disc Re-Writable
CDMA	Code Division Multiple Access
CGI	Common Gateway Interface
CISC	Complex Instruction Set Computing
CMOS	Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor
CMYK	Cyan Magenta Yellow Black
CPA	Cost Per Action
CPC	Cost Per Click
CPL	Cost Per Lead
CPM	Cost Per 1,000 Impressions
CPU	Central Processing Unit
CRM	Customer Relationship Management
CRT	Cathode Ray Tube
CSS	Cascading Style Sheet
CTP	Composite Theoretical Performance
CTR	Click-Through Rate
DBMS	Database Management System
DDR	Double Data Rate
DDR2	Double Data Rate 2
DHCP	Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
DIMM	Dual In-Line Memory Module
DLL	Dynamic Link Library
DNS	Domain Name System
DRM	Digital Rights Management
DTD	Document Type Definition
DV	Digital Video
DVD	Digital Versatile Disc
DVD+R	Digital Versatile Disc Recordable
DVD+RW	Digital Versatile Disk Rewritable
DVD-R	Digital Versatile Disc Recordable
DVD-RAM	Digital Versatile Disc Random Access Memory
DVD-RW	Digital Versatile Disk Rewritable
DVI	Digital Video Interface
DVR	Digital Video Recorder
EPS	Encapsulated PostScript
EUP	Enterprise Unified Process
FAQ	Frequently Asked Questions
FiOS	Fiber Optic Service
FPU	Floating Point Unit
FSB	Frontside Bus
FTP	File Transfer Protocol
GIF	Graphics Interchange Format
GIGO	Garbage In, Garbage Out
GIS	Geographic Information Systems
GPS	Global Positioning System
GPU	Graphics Processing Unit
GUI	Graphical User Interface
HDTV	High Definition Televsion
HDV	High-Definition Video
HFS	Hierarchical File System
HTML	Hyper-Text Markup Language
HTTP	HyperText Transfer Protocol
I/O	Input/Output
ICF	Internet Connection Firewall
ICS	Internet Connection Sharing
IDE	Integrated Device Electronics
IEEE	Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
IM	Instant Message
IMAP	Internet Message Access Protocol
InterNIC	Internet Network Information Center
IP	Internet Protocol
IPX	Internetwork Packet Exchange
IRC	Internet Relay Chat
IRQ	Interrupt Request
ISA	Industry Standard Architecture
ISDN	Integrated Services Digital Network
ISO	International Organization for Standardization
ISP	Internet Service Provider
IT	Information Technology
IVR	Interactive Voice Response
JPEG	Joint Photographic Experts Group
JSP	Java Server Page
Kbps	Kilobits Per Second
LAN	Local Area Network
LCD	Liquid Crystal Display
LDAP	Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
MAC Address	Media Access Control Address
Mbps	Megabits Per Second
MCA	Micro Channel Architecture
MIDI	Musical Instrument Digital Interface
MIPS	Million Instructions Per Second
MP3	MPEG-1 Audio Layer-3
MPEG	Moving Picture Experts Group
NAT	Network Address Translation
NetBIOS	Network Basic Input/Output System
NIC	Network Interface Card
NNTP	Network News Transfer Protocol
NOC	Network Operations Center
NTFS	New Technology File System
OCR	Optical Character Recognition
ODBC	Open Database Connectivity
OEM	Original Equipment Manufacturer
OLAP	Online Analytical Processing
OLE	Object Linking and Embedding
OSPF	Open Shortest Path First
P2P	Peer To Peer
PCB	Printed Circuit Board
PCI	Peripheral Component Interconnect
PCMCIA	Personal Computer Memory Card International Association
PDA	Personal Digital Assistant
PDF	Portable Document Format
PHP	Hypertext Preprocessor
PIM	Personal Information Manager
PNG	Portable Network Graphic
PPC	Pay Per Click
PPGA	Plastic Pin Grid Array
PPP	Point to Point Protocol
PRAM	Parameter Random Access Memory
RAID	Redundant Array of Independent Disks
RDRAM	Rambus Dynamic Random Access Memory
RGB	Red Green Blue
RISC	Reduced Instruction Set Computing
ROM	Read-Only Memory
RSS	RDF Site Summary
RTF	Rich Text Fomat
RUP	Rational Unified Process
SATA	Serial Advanced Technology Attachment
SCSI	Small Computer System Interface
SD	Secure Digital
SDRAM	Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory
SEO	Search Engine Optimization
SIMM	Single In-Line Memory Module
SMART	Self-Monitoring Analysis And Reporting Technology
SMS	Short Message Service
SMTP	Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
SOAP	Simple Object Access Protocol
SQL	Structured Query Language
sRGB	Standard Red Green Blue
SSL	Secure Sockets Layer
TCP/IP	Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
TFT	Thin-Film Transistor
TIFF	Tagged Image File Format
TTL	Time To Live
TWAIN	Toolkit Without An Informative Name
UDP	User Datagram Protocol
UML	Unified Modeling Language
UNC	Universal Naming Convention
URL	Uniform Resource Locator
USB	Universal Serial Bus
VCI	Virtual Channel Identifier
VFAT	Virtual File Allocation Table
VGA	Video Graphics Array
VLB	VESA Local Bus
VoIP	Voice Over Internet Protocol
VPI	Virtual Path Identifier
VPN	Virtual Private Network
VRAM	Video Random Access Memory
VRML	Virtual Reality Modeling Language
WAIS	Wide Area Information Server
WAN	Wide Area Network
WEP	Wired Equivalent Privacy
Wi-Fi	Wireless Fidelity
WPA	Wi-Fi Protected Access
WWW	World Wide Web
XHTML	Extensible Hypertext Markup Language
XML	Extensible Markup Language
Y2K	Year 2000
ZIF	Zero Insertion Force

by lorenr13 Jan 31, 2006

Beginners Guides: Diagnosing Bad Hard Drives - PCStats.com: "Warning signs to watch for

While you may be able to repair software errors caused by bad sectors, and in some cases you may be able to repair the bad sectors themselves, if your drive has begun to fail mechanically nothing will stop the process.

The catch then is to detect the imminent failure of your drives before they give out on you and data is lost. Let's look at some common warning signs of impending hard drive failure:

* Frequent but irregular crashes, especially while booting up Windows.
* Frequent and cryptic error messages while performing typical activities like moving files.
* Folder and file names that have been scrambled and changed.
* Disappearing files and folders.
* Really loo....ong waits to access folders and files.
* Hard disk is silent for a long period after you request data by opening a file or folder.
* Garbled output from open files or printing.
* Hard drive grinds away constantly because of noisy bearings.

Any of the above signs mean you should check your drive using one of the utilities we detail below as soon as possible.

Sound can be an excellent indicator of disk trouble. If you previously didn't hear a peep from your hard drive, but now you do... Check it. If it seems much louder than usual, or makes occasional clicks or grinding sounds... Check it ASAP and be prepared to backup your data and replace the drive.

If your drive is making regular clicking or grinding sounds, chances are you have a mechanical failure within the drive. Turn off your PC as soon as possible, as this kind of problem can quickly snowball into a huge headache that is way beyond the scope of a pair of Aspirin. The longer the drive is powered on, the more damage you may be doing to your data."

This post originally appeared on an external website

by lorenr13 Feb 2, 2006

Unix commands reference card: "Unix commands reference card"

Environment Control

Command                     Descriptioncd d                         Change to directory dmkdir d                      Create new directory drmdir d                      Remove directory dmv f1 [f2...] d              Move file f to directory dmv d1 d2                     Rename directory d1 as d2passwd                       Change passwordalias name1 name2            Create command alias (csh/tcsh)alias name1="name2"          Create command alias (ksh/bash)unalias name1[na2...]        Remove command alias nassh nd                       Login securely to remote nodeexit                         End terminal sessionsetenv name v               Set env var to value v (csh/tcsh)export name="v"              set environment variable to value v (ksh/bash)

Output, Communication, & Help

Command                     Descriptionlpr -P printer f             orlp -d printer f              Output file f to line printerscript  [f]                  Save terminal session to fexit                         Stop saving terminal sessionmailx username               Send mail to userman name                     Unix manual entry for name

Process Control

Command                     DescriptionCTRL/c *                     Interrupt processesCTRL/s *                     Stop screen scrollingCTRL/q *                     Resume screen outputsleep n                      Sleep for n secondsjobs                         Print list of jobskill %                       Kill job nps                           Print process status stats      kill  -9 n                   Remove process nCTRL/z *                     Suspend current processstop  %n                     Suspend background job ncmmd&                        Run cmmd in backgroundbg  [%n]                     Resume background job nfg  [%n]                     Resume foreground job nexit                         Exit from shell

Environment Status

Command                     Descriptionls  [d]  [f...]              List files in directoryls -1  [f...]                List files in detailalias  [name]                Display command aliasesprintenv  [name]             Print environment valuesquota                        Display disk quotadate                         Print date & timewho                          List logged in userswhoami                       Display current userfinger  [username]           Output user informationchfn                         Change finger informationpwd                          Print working directoryhistory                      Display recent commands! n                          Submit recent command n

File Manipulation

Command                     Descriptionvi  [f]                      Vi fullscreen editoremacs  [f]                   Emacs fullscreen editored  [f]                      Text editorwc  f                        Line, word, & char countcat  f                       List contents of filemore  f                      List file contents by screencat f1 f2 >f3                Concatenates f1 & f2 into f3chmod mode f                 Change protection mode of fcmp f1 f2                    Compare two filescp f1 f2                     Copy file f1 into f2sort f                       Alphabetically sort fsplit  [-n]  f               Split f into n-line piecesmv f1  f2                    Rename file f1 as f2rm f                         Delete (remove) file fgrep 'ptn'  f                Outputs lines that match ptndiff f1 f2                   Lists file differenceshead f                       Output beginning of ftail f                       Output end of f

Compiler

Command                     Descriptioncc  [-o f1]  f2              C compilerlint f                       Check C code for errorsf77  [-o f1] f2              Fortran77 compilerpc  [-o f1]  f2              Pascal compiler

Working with NFS files

Files saved on the UITS central Unix computers Steel, the Parallel PC cluster, Solar/Lunar, and the Research SP are stored on the Network File Server (NFS). That means that your files are really on one disk, in directories named for the central Unix hosts on which you have accounts.

No matter which of these computers you are logged into, you can get to your files on any of the others. Here are the commands to use to get to any system directory from any other system:

  cd /N/u/username/PPPC/ cd /N/u/username/Cobalt/ cd /N/u/username/Solar/ cd /N/u/username/Steel/ cd /n/u/username/SP/

Be sure you use the capitalization just as you see above, and substitute your own username for "username".

For example, if Jessica Rabbit is logged into her account on Steel, and wants to get a file on her SP account, she would enter:

  cd /N/u/jrabbit/SP/

Now when she lists her files, she'll see her SP files, even though she's actually logged into Steel.

You can use the ordinary Unix commands to move files, copy files, or make symbolic links between files. For example, if Jessica Rabbit wanted to move "file1" from her Steel directory to her SP directory, she would enter:

  mv -i /N/u/jrabbit/Steel/file1 /N/u/jrabbit/SP/

This shared file system means that you can access, for example, your SP files even when you are logged into Steel, and vice versa. However, if you are logged into the SP, you can only use the software installed on SP -- only users' directories are linked together, not system directories.

Abbreviations used in this document

CTRL/x       hold down control key and press xd            directoryenv          environmentf            filenamen            numbernd           computer nodeprtr         printerptn          patternvar          variable[y/n]        yes or no[]          optional arg...         list

This post originally appeared on an external website

by lorenr13 Feb 6, 2006

Drive-by Download ? A program that is automatically downloaded to a user's computer, often without the user's consent or knowledge. Unlike a pop-up download, which asks for the user's permission (albeit in a calculated or devious manner), a drive-by download is invisible. It can start automatically when someone visits a Web site or views an HTML email message. Frequently, a drive-by download is installed along with other applications.

Commercial Product Installation Bundling ? When commercial or shareware programs are downloaded, a user can get more than just the programs, like lots of additional spyware.

Misrepresentation of Intention ? A product that promises to block ads, might actually deliver them.

Misrepresentation of Source ? A product might claim to be from a well-known, trustworthy company. Spyware can display a Web page that resembles, for example, a Microsoft product installation page, when it is not a Microsoft product at all.

Silent Download and Execution of Arbitrary Cod
e ? This occurs when an installed program enables other programs to download and install without the user's consent or knowledge. Those other programs are usually spyware or adware.

Commercial Spyware, Keyloggers and RATs ? Commercial spyware products, such as ISpyNow, are small enough to be attached to an email. Commercial spyware products can be quite stealthy.

NETObserve Keylogger ? logs Internet conversation, window activity, application activity, clipboard activity, printing, keystrokes, Web site activity, and captures screen shots via Webcam.

STARR ? this application does not show up as an icon, but appears in the Windows system tray, appear in Windows Programs, show up in the Windows task list, slow down the operation of the computer it is recording, and cannot be uninstalled without a pre-specified password.

This post originally appeared on an external website

by lorenr13 Feb 6, 2006

The Web browser home page is set to an undesirable Web site and it cannot be changed.
Problems with pop-up advertisements both online and offline.
The computer is running slower then normal, and the connection to the Internet is not as fast as it used to be.
There is abnormal network activity on the modem or broadband connection device (cable or DSL modem).
Favorite search engines are redirected to a non-familiar search engine or unrelated Web site.
Items that the user did not add begin showing up in the Favorites list or Start-up menu.

This post originally appeared on an external website

by lorenr13 Feb 6, 2006

Click Responsibly! ? Before spyware can be installed on a computer, the user usually has to click on something. Make this a rule: Don't click anywhere unless you know it's safe.

Avoid Popup Ads or Dialogs ? People who create deceptive software use pop-up ads and dialogs to trick people into loading their software. For example, you open your browser and up pops a dialog box. It asks if you want to download software, "Click Yes or No." Don't do it! Do not click EITHER Yes or No. It's unlikely that clicking "No" might not make the pop-up go away. It more likely that you'll help download spyware to your computer.

Here's what to do. Try to close the Web page or dialog by clicking the "X" in the top right corner of the window. If that does not close the window that asked you to download something, close your browser. Restarting a browser to continue using the Internet is better than allowing your computer to be attacked by spyware.

Avoid Unsolicited Email "Spam!" ? Always delete unsolicited email. Never open them. Unsolicited email is also called spam. It can use Internet Explorer or your email client to push spyware onto your computer. Get rid of unsolicited email without reading it when you can; turn off the preview pane to delete messages without opening them. Learn how to use any Junk email filters offered by your email provider.

Free Software Download
s ? Don't install anything without knowing exactly what it is. Your computer can become the target of spyware when you download internet data, such as utilities, games, toolbars, media players, or other software. Be careful about installing software directly from Web sites. Read all disclosures, including license agreements and privacy statements. Read the end-user license agreement (EULA) carefully, as some EULAs will actually tell you that if you install the program in question, you've also decided to install some spyware with the software. Check independent sources as well, as some EULAs won't tell you about spyware.

Watch out for Internet Cookies ? While they may not be the worst form of spyware, information gathered via cookies can sometimes be matched with information gathered elsewhere to provide surprisingly detailed profiles of you and your browsing habits. Learn to use the options in your browser that allow you to clear the cache and off-line files. That's where cookies linger. Remember, though, if you dump the cookies, you can no longer rely on your computer to automatically log you into Web sites. You'll have to have passwords handy, so gather that information before you start removing those and all the other cookies that have landed on your computer as a result of your Internet usage.

This post originally appeared on an external website

by lorenr13 Feb 23, 2006

Primary Partition - A partition that is used to start an operating system, although you can use primary partitions that don't contain the operating system.

There can be up to a maximum of four primary partitions on a single basic disk.
The Primary partitions do not have to come before Extended partitions as shown on Disk 0.

Extended Partition - A partition that can be sub-divided into logical drives. Look at the color coded key at the bottom of Fig. 01 and you'll see that Extended partitions are denoted by the dark green color.

An extended partition is not formatted or assigned a drive letter.
It's essentially a container for logical drives that are formatted and assigned drive letters.

Logical Drive - A logical drive is created within an extended partition.

An "unlimited" number of logical drives may be created in an extended partition, formatted and assigned drive letters.
More Logical drives could be created in the Free Space until you either ran out of drive letters or the Free Space was exhausted.

This post originally appeared on an external website

by lorenr13 Feb 23, 2006

Stop 0x0000000A or IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL - The Stop 0xA message indicates that a kernel-mode process or driver attempted to access a memory location to which it did not have permission, or at a kernel interrupt request level (IRQL) that was too high. A kernel-mode process can access only other processes that have an IRQL lower than, or equal to, its own. This Stop message is typically due to faulty or incompatible hardware or software.

Stop 0x0000001E or KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED - The Stop 0x1E message indicates that the Windows XP Professional kernel detected an illegal or unknown processor instruction. The problems that cause Stop 0x1E messages share similarities with those that generate Stop 0xA errors in that they can be due to invalid memory and access violations. This default Windows XP Professional error handler typically intercepts these problems if error-handling routines are not present in the code itself.

Stop 0x00000024 or NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM - The Stop 0x24 message indicates that a problem occurred within Ntfs.sys, the driver file that allows the system to read and write to NTFS file system drives. A similar Stop message, 0x23, exists for the file allocation table (FAT16 or FAT32) file systems.

Stop 0x0000002E or DATA_BUS_ERROR - The Stop 0x2E message indicates a system memory parity error. The cause is typically failed or defective RAM (including motherboard, Level 2 cache, or video memory), incompatible or mismatched memory hardware, or when a device driver attempts to access an address in the 0x8xxxxxxx range that does not exist (does not map to a physical address). A Stop 0x2E message can also indicate hard disk damage caused by viruses or other problems.

Stop 0x0000003F or NO_MORE_SYSTEM_PTES - The Stop 0x3F message indicates one or more of the following problems:

The system Page Table Entries (PTEs) are depleted or fragmented due to the system performing a large number of input/output (I/O) actions.
A faulty device driver is not managing memory properly.
An application, such as a backup program, is improperly allocating large amounts of kernel memory.

Stop 0x00000050 or PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA - The Stop 0x50 message indicates that requested data was not in memory. The system generates an exception error when using a reference to an invalid system memory address. Defective memory (including main memory, L2 RAM cache, video RAM) or incompatible software (including remote control and antivirus software) might cause Stop 0x50 messages.

Stop 0x00000077 or KERNEL_STACK_INPAGE_ERROR - The Stop 0x77 message indicates that a page of kernel data requested from the paging (virtual memory) file could not be found or read into memory. This Stop message can also indicate disk hardware failure, disk data corruption, or possible virus infection.

Stop 0x00000079 or MISMATCHED_HAL - The Stop 0x79 message indicates that the hardware abstraction layer (HAL) and the kernel type for the computer do not match. This error most often occurs when ACPI firmware settings are changed. For example, you might install Windows XP Professional on an x86-based computer with the firmware ACPI enable option enabled and later decide to disable it. This error can also result when mismatched single and multi-processor configuration files are copied to the system.

Stop 0x0000007A or KERNEL_DATA_INPAGE_ERROR - The Stop 0x7A message indicates that a page of kernel data was not found in the paging (virtual memory) file and could not be read into memory. This might be due to incompatible disk or controller drivers, firmware, or hardware.

Stop 0x0000007B or INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE - The Stop 0x7B message indicates that Windows XP Professional has lost access to the system partition or boot volume during the startup process. Installing incorrect device drivers when installing or upgrading storage adapter hardware typically causes stop 0x7B errors. Stop 0x7B errors could also indicate possible virus infection.

Stop 0x0000007F or UNEXPECTED_KERNEL_MODE_TRAP - The Stop 0x7F message indicates that one of three types of problems occurred in kernel-mode:

A condition that the kernel is not allowed to have or intercept (also known as a bound trap).
Software problems.
Hardware failures.

Stop 0x0000009F or DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE - The Stop 0x9F message indicates that a driver is in an inconsistent or invalid power state.

Stop 0xBE or ATTEMPTED_WRITE_TO_READONLY_MEMORY - The Stop 0xBE message indicates that a driver attempted to write to read-only memory.

Stop 0xC2 or BAD_POOL_CALLER - The Stop 0xC2 message indicates that a kernel-mode process or driver incorrectly attempted to perform memory operations in the following ways:

By allocating a memory pool size of zero bytes.
By allocating a memory pool that does not exist.
By attempting to free a memory pool that is already free.
By allocating or freeing a memory pool at an IRQL that was too high.

This Stop message is typically due to a faulty driver or software.

Stop 0x000000CE or DRIVER_UNLOADED_WITHOUT_CANCELLING_PENDING_OPERATIONS - This Stop message indicates that a driver failed to cancel pending operations before exiting.

Stop 0x000000D1 or DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL - The Stop 0xD1 message indicates that the system attempted to access pageable memory using a kernel process IRQL that was too high. Drivers that have used improper addresses typically cause this error.

Stop 0x000000D8 or DRIVER_USED_EXCESSIVE_PTES - The Stop 0xD8 message typically occurs if your computer runs out of page table entries (PTEs) due to a driver that requests large amounts of kernel memory.

Stop 0x000000EA or THREAD_STUCK_IN_DEVICE_DRIVER - A device driver problem is causing the system to pause indefinitely. Typically, this problem is caused by a display driver waiting for the video hardware to enter an idle state. This might indicate a hardware problem with the video adapter or a faulty video driver.

Stop 0x000000ED or UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME - The kernel mode I/O subsystem attempted to mount the boot volume and it failed. This error might also occur during an upgrade to Windows XP Professional on systems that use higher throughput ATA disks or controllers with incorrect cabling. In some cases, your system might appear to work normally after you restart.

Stop 0x000000F2 or HARDWARE_INTERRUPT_STORM - The Stop 0xF2 message occurs if the kernel detects an interrupt storm. An interrupt storm occurs when a level-interrupt-triggered device fails to release an interrupt request (IRQ). This can result from the following causes:

A device fails to respond to an interrupt release signal sent from a driver.
An incorrectly written device driver fails to send an interrupt release request to a device. The driver fails to determine that the interrupt was hardware initiated.
An incorrectly written device driver claims an interrupt request meant for a different device. This occurs only for multiple devices sharing an IRQ.
The edge level control register is set incorrectly by system firmware.
Edge level and level-interrupt-triggered devices are incorrectly assigned the same IRQ (for example, a serial port and a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) SCSI controller).

Stop 0xC000021A or STATUS_SYSTEM_PROCESS_TERMINATED - The Stop 0xC000021A message occurs when Windows XP Professional switches into kernel mode and a user-mode subsystem, such as Winlogon or the Client Server Runtime Subsystem (CSRSS), is compromised and security can no longer be guaranteed. Because Windows XP Professional cannot run without Winlogon or CSRSS, this is one of the few situations where the failure of a user-mode service can cause the system to stop responding. You cannot use the kernel debugger in this situation because the error occurred in a user-mode process.

A Stop 0xC000021A message can also occur when the computer is restarted after a system administrator has modified permissions in such a way that the SYSTEM account no longer has adequate permissions to access system files and folders.

Stop 0xC0000221 or STATUS_IMAGE_CHECKSUM_MISMATCH - This Stop message indicates driver, system file, or disk corruption problems (such as a damaged paging file). Faulty memory hardware can also cause this Stop message to appear.

This post originally appeared on an external website

by lorenr13 Feb 24, 2006

Found a great, Free, and FAST PDF reader....

Downloaded it and it works great......

This post originally appeared on an external website

by lorenr13 Mar 10, 2006

Registry data types.

REG_BINARY

binary
data is stored as a string of hex pairs where each pair give a range of 0 to 255.
REG_BINARY
can be any length. In WinNT,
REG_BINARY
entries are rare. Most of the entries that are used in binary format are limited to 32 bits and then are used as REG_DWORD entries. If a REG_DWORD entry were mistakenly entered as a
REG_BINARY
entry, it would still work without a problem.
REG_BINARY
entries simply have the flexibility to be longer as well as possibly contain raw data such as encrypted passwords.

REG_DWORD

indicates that the data data stored in a
double word
, a four-byte number (32-bits).
Words
can range in value from 0 - 4GB. Always displayed as 4 bytes. Device drivers and services parameters are often of this type and can be viewed in binary, hex, or decimal using the Registry editor.

REG_EXPAND_SZ

indicates an
expandable string
which really is a variable. For example, %SystemRoot%\SYSTEM32\config is an expandable string that is replaced when the real value when the string is called by an application.

REG_FULL_RESOURCE_DESCRIPTOR

Used in hardware registry keys. Do not edit this type of key.

REG_LINK

The value points to another key or value. Three of the six Registry root keys, HKEY_CURRENT_USER, HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT and HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG are links to subkeys within the three non-link root keys, HKEY_USERS, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, and HKEY_DYN_DATA.

This post originally appeared on an external website

This post originally appeared on an external website

?	to request help or information about the FTP commands
ascii	to set the mode of file transfer to ASCII (this is the default and transmits seven bits per character)
binary	to set the mode of file transfer to binary (the binary mode transmits all eight bits per byte and thus provides less chance of a transmission error and must be used to transmit files other than ASCII files)
bye	to exit the FTP environment (same as quit)
cd	to change directory on the remote machine
close	to terminate a connection with another computer
	close brubeck	closes the current FTP connection with brubeck, but still leaves you within the FTP environment.
delete	to delete (remove) a file in the current remote directory (same as rm in UNIX)
get	to copy one file from the remote machine to the local machine
	get ABC DEF	copies file ABC in the current remote directory to (or on top of) a file named DEF in your current local directory.
	get ABC	copies file ABC in the current remote directory to (or on top of) a file with the same name, ABC, in your current local directory.
help	to request a list of all available FTP commands
lcd	to change directory on your local machine (same as UNIX cd)
ls	to list the names of the files in the current remote directory
mkdir	to make a new directory within the current remote directory
mget	to copy multiple files from the remote machine to the local machine; you are prompted for a y/n answer before transferring each file
	mget *	copies all the files in the current remote directory to your current local directory, using the same filenames. Notice the use of the wild card character, *.
mput	to copy multiple files from the local machine to the remote machine; you are prompted for a y/n answer before transferring each file
open	to open a connection with another computer
	open brubeck	opens a new FTP connection with brubeck; you must enter a username and password for a brubeck account (unless it is to be an anonymous connection).
put	to copy one file from the local machine to the remote machine
pwd	to find out the pathname of the current directory on the remote machine
quit	to exit the FTP environment (same as bye)
rmdir	to to remove (delete) a directory in the current remote directory

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WMIC.exe

Windows Management Instrumentation Command.
Read a huge range of information about local or remote computers. Also provides a way to make configuration changes to multiple remote machines.

Syntax  Retrieve information about :     WMIC [global_switches] [/locale:ms_409] <alias> [options] [format]  Interactive mode:     WMICAliases:ALIAS               - Access local system aliases [CALL]BASEBOARD           - Base board management (motherboard or system board)BIOS                - BIOS management (Basic input/output services)BOOTCONFIG          - Boot configurationCDROM               - CD-ROMCOMPUTERSYSTEM      - Computer system [CALL/SET]CPU                 - CPUCSPRODUCT           - Computer system product information from SMBIOS.DATAFILE            - DataFiles [CALL]DCOMAPP             - DCOM Applications.DESKTOP             - User's DesktopDESKTOPMONITOR      - Desktop MonitorDEVICEMEMORYADDRESS - Device memory addressesDISKDRIVE           - Physical disk driveDISKQUOTA           - Disk space usage for NTFS volumes.[SET]DMACHANNEL          - Direct memory access (DMA) channelENVIRONMENT         - System environment settings [SET]FSDIR               - Filesystem directory entry [CALL]GROUP               - Group account [CALL]IDECONTROLLER       - IDE ControllerIRQ                 - Interrupt request lineJOB                 - Jobs scheduled using the schedule service.[CALL]LOADORDER           - System services that define execution dependencies.LOGICALDISK         - Local storage devices [CALL/SET]LOGON               - LOGON Sessions.MEMCACHE            - Cache memoryMEMLOGICAL          - System memory, layout and availabilityMEMPHYSICAL         - Physical memory managementNETCLIENT           - Network Client management.NETLOGIN            - Network login information for a particular user.NETPROTOCOL         - Protocols (and their network characteristics).NETUSE              - Active network connection.NIC                 - Network Interface Controller (NIC)NICCONFIG           - Network adapter. [CALL]NTDOMAIN            - NT Domain. [SET] NTEVENT             - NT Event Log. NTEVENTLOG          - NT eventlog file [CALL/SET]ONBOARDDEVICE       - Common adapter devices built into the motherboard.OS                  - Operating System/s [CALL/SET]PAGEFILE            - Virtual memory file swappingPAGEFILESET         - Page file settings [SET]PARTITION           - Partitioned areas of a physical disk.PORT                - I/O portsPORTCONNECTOR       - Physical connection portsPRINTER             - Printer device [CALL/SET]PRINTERCONFIG       - Printer device configuration PRINTJOB            - Print job [CALL]PROCESS             - Processes [CALL]*PRODUCT             - Windows Installer [CALL]QFE                 - Quick Fix Engineering (patches)QUOTASETTING        - Setting information for disk quotas on a volume. [SET]REGISTRY            - Computer system registry [SET]SCSICONTROLLER      - SCSI Controller [CALL]SERVER              - Server informationSERVICE             - Service application [CALL]SHARE               - Shared resourcees [CALL]SOFTWAREELEMENT     - Elements of a software product*SOFTWAREFEATURE     - Subsets of SoftwareElement. [CALL]*SOUNDDEV            - Sound DevicesSTARTUP             - Commands that run automatically when users logonSYSACCOUNT          - System account SYSDRIVER           - System driver for a base service. [CALL]SYSTEMENCLOSURE     - Physical system enclosureSYSTEMSLOT          - Physical connection points including ports,                      slots and peripherals, and proprietary connections points.TAPEDRIVE           - Tape drives TEMPERATURE         - Temperature sensor (electronic thermometer).TIMEZONE            - Time zone dataUPS                 - Uninterruptible power supply (UPS)USERACCOUNT         - User accounts [CALL/SET]VOLTAGE             - Voltage sensor (electronic voltmeter) dataVOLUME              - Local storage volume [CALL/SET]VOLUMEQUOTASETTING  - Associates the disk quota setting with a specific disk volume. [SET]WMISET              - WMI service operational parameters [S

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Here's the ultimate Windows XP/2000 command list that will make any Linux user feel at home at the command prompt. A lot of these commands are intended for administrating a network, but they are great for savvy home users as well. We even listed which OS you need for these commands.

at (windows XP/2000)
Scheduling utility.
bootcfg (XP only)
This utility allows you to set up your boot options, such as your default OS and other loading options.
cacls (XP, 2000, & NT4.0)
Changes the ACLs (security Settings) of files and folders. Very similar to chmod in Linux.
comp (XP & 2000)
This utility is very similar to diff in Linux. Use the /? switch to get examples of command usage.
contig (works with NT4.0 and newer)
A great defrag utility for NTFS partitions.
control (XP only) - unpublished!
Allows you to launch control panel applets from the command line.

control userpasswords2, for example will launch a helpful local user admin utility.

defrag (XP only - NT4.0 and Win2k use contig)
Yes, XP comes with a command line disk defrag utility. If you are running Win2k or NT4.0 there is still hope. Contig is a free defrag program that I describe on the defrag page.
diskpart (XP only)
Use this command to manage your disk partitions. This is the text version for the GUI Disk Manager.
driverquery (XP only)
Produces a list of drivers, their properties, and their versions. Great for computer documentation.
eudcedit (XP only) -

unpublished!
Private Character editor. Yes with this program built into Windows XP you can create your own font!

fsutil (XP only) - unpublished!
This is a utility with a lot of capability. Come back soon for great examples.
getmac (XP & 2000)
This command gets the Media Access Control (MAC) address of your network cards.
gpresult (XP & 2000)
This generates a summary of the user settings and computer group policy settings.
gpupdate (XP only)
Use this utility to manually apply computer and user policy from your windows 2000 (or newer) domain.
ipconfig (XP, 2000 & NT4.0)
This handy tool displays IP settings of the current computer and much more.
MMC (XP, 2000 & NT4.0) - Microsoft Management Console
This is the master tool for Windows, it is the main interface in which all other tools use starting primarily in Windows 2000 and newer systems.
more
Utility used to display text output one screen at a time. Ex. more c:\windows\win.ini
msconfig (XP only)
The ultimate tool to change the services and utilities that start when your Windows machine boots up. You can also copy the executable from XP and use it in Win2k.
msinfo32 (XP &smp; 2000)
An awesome diagnostic tool. With it you can get a list of running processes, including the residing path of the executable (great for manually removing malware) and get detailed information about hardware and system diagnostics.
narrator (XP only)
Turns on the system narrator (can also be found in accessibility options in control panel). Will will allow your computer to dictate text to you.
netsh (XP & 2000)
A network configuration tool console. At the 'netsh>' prompt, use the '?' to list the available commands and type "exit" to get back to a command prompt.
openfiles (XP Only)
Allows an administrator to display or disconnect open files in XP professional. Type "openfiles /?" for a list of possible parameters.
Pathping (XP & 2000)
A cross between the ping and traceroute utilities. Who needs Neotrace when you can use this? Type "pathping " and watch it go.
recover (XP & 2000)
This command can recover readable information from a damaged disk and is very easy to use.
reg (XP & 2000)
A console registry tool, great for scripting Registry edits.
sc (XP & 2000)
A command line utility called the Service Controller. A power tool to make service changes via a logon/logoff or startup/shutdown script.
schtasks (XP only)
A newer version of the AT command. This allows an administrator to schedule and manage scheduled tasks on a local and remote machines.
secedit (XP & 2000)
Use this utility to manually apply computer and user policy from your windows 2000 (or newer) domain. Example to update the machine policy: secedit /refreshpolicy machine_policy /enforce
To view help on this, just type secedit.
NOTE: In Windows XP SP1 this command is superceded by: gpupdate /force
sfc (XP & 2000)
The system file checker scans important system files and replaces the ones you (or your applications) hacked beyond repair with the real, official Microsoft versions.
shutdown (XP & 2000)
With this tool, You can shut down or restart your own computer, or an administrator can shut down or restart a remote computer.
sigverif (XP only)
Microsoft has created driver signatures. A signed driver is Microsoft tested and approved. With the sigverif tool you can have all driver files analyzed to verify that they are digitally signed. Just type 'sigverif' at the command prompt.
systeminfo (XP only)
Basic system configuration information, such as the system type, the processor type, time zone, virtual memory settings, system uptime, and much more. This program is great for creating an inventory of computers on your network.
sysedit (XP/2000)
System Configuration File Editor. An old tool that was very handy for the Windows 9X days. msconfig is what you want to use now.
tasklist (XP pro only)
Tasklist is the command console equivalent to the task manager in windows. It is a must have when fighting scumware and viruses. Try the command:
tasklist /svc
to view the memory resources your services take up.
taskkill (XP only)
Taskkill contains the rest of the task manager functionality. It allows you to kill those unneeded or locked up applications.
tree (XP & 2000)
An amazing experience everyone should try! This command will provide a 'family tree' style display of the drive/folder you specify.
WMIC (XP & 2000)
Windows Management Instrumentation Command tool. This allows you to pull an amazing amount of low-level system information from a command line scripting interface.

This post originally appeared on an external website

Found this neat little utility that changes most of XP's boring icons, and etc. Check it out.

What is XPize?

XPize is a GUI enhancer for Windows XP and above. It replaces most of the non-XP icons, avis and bmps that Microsoft has always overlooked.

The installer simply automates the process of replacing resources in critical system files, making your XP's look better.

It also includes some extras and a reloader, which you can use after visiting Windows Update.

XPize does not contain any spyware or ad-ware of any kind.

If you are not satisfied with the results, you can completely uninstall XPize.

XPize is compatible with any version (except x64) and any language of Windows XP (Home, Pro & MCE) and 2003.

Features

Patches more than 150 system files without user interaction.
Updates tons of old resources still existent in Windows XP coming from Windows 95/98/2000.
Gives Windows XP a fresh new look, with new animations, icons and images.
Installs some cool extras, such as a boot screen, logon screen, screensaver and more.
Lets you create a custom Windows CD using the I386 Patching feature.
Is compatible with nLite's hotfix integration.
Has advanced switches to let you install it silently and with the components you want.

System Requirements

Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 (any version (except x64), any language)