How to Zip

How to Zip

Say you have many files that all need to be e-mailed, but you don’t want to add them one by one and you don’t think all of them will be within the recipient’s e-mail size limits.

What do you do then ? Why zip ‘em up, of course!

So....here is how to do it in a flick of a second .........

Browse to the folder where the files you want to zip are at. Now highlight the files by either drawing a box around them or by holding the Ctrl key and selecting each of them. Once you have all of the ones you want to zip up highlighted, Right-Click one of them, go down to “Send to” and choose “Compressed (zipped) folder”.

Like magic, your highlighted files will appear in one convenient package. If you don’t like the name Windows gives your zipped folder, just rename it!

If you don’t want to use the built-in Windows zip utility, there are also third-party programs like WinZip and WinRar, that have more features, like the ability to set the compression size and file extension.

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How to Reset User Account Password in XP

How to Reset Forgotten User Account Password in XP 

First, insert your Windows XP installation disk in your computer's drive.

Then, boot your computer from the installation CD and perform a Repair installation of Windows XP.

As the graphical interface of the installation wizard starts, press the Shift + F10 key combination from your keyboard. This will open the command prompt window.

In the command prompt window, type the command nusrmgr.cpl and press Enter from the keyboard.

This will open the User Accounts window, which will allow you to remove or modify any passwords from any user accounts, including the administrator account. You also have the option to create a new account.

After you make your changes, close the User Accounts window and let the repair installation continue as normal.

Note: Repair Installation does not remove any of your data. If you've never used the installation disk before or if you're not comfortable attempting this procedure, please seek expert's advice.

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Best way to Password Protect a Folder without any software

Best way to Password Protect a Folder 

without any software

Make a new folder ( name it as you like )

Inside this folder make a (.TXT ) file & copy the following inside it: 

cls
@ECHO OFF
title Folder Private
if EXIST "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" goto UNLOCK
if NOT EXIST Private goto MDLOCKER
:CONFIRM
echo Are you sure you want to lock the folder(Y/N)
set/p "cho=>"
if %cho%==Y goto LOCK
if %cho%==y goto LOCK
if %cho%==n goto END
if %cho%==N goto END
echo Invalid choice.
goto CONFIRM
:LOCK
ren Private "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
attrib +h +s "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
echo Folder locked
goto End
:UNLOCK
echo Enter password to unlock folder
set/p "pass=>"
if NOT %pass%== password here goto FAIL
attrib -h -s "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
ren "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" Private
echo Folder Unlocked successfully
goto End
:FAIL
echo Invalid password
goto end
:MDLOCKER
md Private
echo Private created successfully
goto End
:End

After u copy the command go to line ( 23 ) u will find "password here" Change to any password u want.

After that, save it as locker.bat (the txt file will change to an application file)

Now go back to the folder & u will find a this locker.bat file.

Click on it & u will find a new folder called Private.

Now copy what u want in it & after that go to locker.bat by clicking it, it will open and ask you if you want to lock your folder? Y/N ?

Type Y

If you want to UNLOCK your folder, go open locker.bat & type your password and the Private folder will be made visible again.

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Almost Everything You Need to Know About DHCP

Almost Everything You Need to Know About DHCP

This article will help you to learn everything that you need to know as a systems administrator (or SysAdmin) about this protocol and what can you do with it.

What's DHCP? And why it's recommended to use it? Imagine that you're working as a SysAdmin for a large company with 500 desktop computers; you need to set to each desktop computer IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, DNS servers, and other network settings. How could you do that?

If you'll try to perform this task manually you're probably going to waste a lot of time on sitting on each computer 5-10 minutes, beside time, you can for example accidentally enter wrong IP address to few clients, or to type the same IP address to few clients too.

In order to solve these "problems" you can use Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (or DHCP) in your network.

DHCP allows you  to manage the networks' IP addresses scopes and other TCP/IP settings like DNS, Default Gateway, etc. from central place, this central place called DHCP server. Beside the management, if there's any problem you don't need to run between your clients, you just need to connect to your server and to check the DHCP settings, as I mentioned – the DHCP works from central place, so if there's a problem, it's probably from the server, so you know where to go in case of problem and your saving time.

The DHCP server can provide easily IP addresses to clients automatically so you don't even need to configure and set options in the client side, all you need is to setup DHCP server, configure scope options and some other TCP/IP settings in the server side and that's it. You can provide to your clients IP addresses from the selected range that you've configured and some other TCP/IP options.

Note: DHCP in my opinion can be called "The next generation of BOOTP", because the BOOTP came first before the DHCP, and today we're using BOOTP in order to deploy operating systems by booting from the network. Beside this, DHCP was developed in order to support in large networks – something that BOOTP can't provide.

How DHCP works?

Without entering to the related technical information (DORA process) the DHCP client request from the DHCP server IP address for a while, the length of time that the DHCP client can use the dynamic IP address that the DHCP server provided can be called lease, just like the name: lease means that the client "rent" an IP address for a specific time from the DHCP server, if the client wants to continue using the specific IP address the client needs to re-assign the address by renew the lease, this will happen before the expiration time of the lease if the client is still in the network.

More in depth, the DHCP service works by using the DORA (Discover, Offer, Request and Acknowledgment) process (you can trace on the whole process using a network monitor utility):

1. DHCPDISCOVER – The client broadcast a DHCPDISCOVER packet in order to locate a DHCP server in the network, in some cases that the DHCP server isn't in the same subnet of the client, you'll need to configure in your network devices (usually routers) a DHCP Relay Agent, in order to transfer the DHCPDISCOVER packet to the DHCP server.
2. DHCPOFFER – The DHCP server broadcast a DHCPOFFER packet to the client which includes an offer to use a unique IP address for the client.
3. DHCPREQUEST – The client broadcast a DHCPREQUEST packet to the DHCP server with an answer, and "asks" from the server to "rent" the unique address that the server offer to her.
4. DHCPACK – The DHCP server broadcast a DHCPACK packet to the client, in this packet the server acknowledge the request from the client to use the IP address, and provide to the client the IP address lease and other details such as DNS servers, default gateway, etc. if the server cannot provide the requested IP address or from some reasons the address is not valid the server sends DHCPNACK packet in stand of DHCPACK, more information about DHCPNACK is under the specific subject – DHCPNACK.

Note: DHCP service uses port 67/UDP in the DHCP server, and 68/UDP at the DHCP clients.

It's recommended to check that your firewall doesn't block these ports in order to able the DHCP server and clients to communicate, and also check that your network devices supports DHCP Relay Agent in case that some of your clients are in different physical subnet.

In some cases you'll notice another DHCP messages like these:

1. DHCPDECLINE – If the client recognizes that the IP address that the DHCP server offer to her in use, the client will generate a new request to another IP address (in the DHCPREQUEST step).
2. DHCPRELEASE – This message is commonly in use when the client "give up" and release IP address.
3. DHCPRENEW – This is the request packet to renew and continue "renting" the IP address lease.
4. DHCPINFORM – The DHCPINFORM is packet that the client send to the DHCP server in order to get more details from the server, for example DHCPINFORM can be send in order to locate another DHCP servers in the network.

DHCPNACK

The DHCPNACK or Negative Acknowledgment is a packet that the server sends if the IP address is not available in stand of DHCPACK (in use on other client for example) or the address is no longer valid.

In case of DHCPNACK the client must restart the lease process in order to get an IP address.

DHCP Scopes, Exclude and Reservation

DHCP Scope is a range of IP addresses that you configure in your DHCP server as range of addresses that designed for distribution to the clients.

For example, if you set a scope with a range from 10.0.0.100-10.0.0.200, you can easily provide only from this range IP addresses to your clients.

You can also create more than one scope, but it's recommended to check that your scopes aren't duplicating one with each other's. At the scope creation process you can add some more TCP/IP parameters such as subnet mask, IP addresses lease time, router (default gateway), DNS servers, etc. so when the clients gets the IP addresses they'll get also the other parameters from the scope.

In some cases, you'll need to prevent the client using some addresses, for example if your scope is from 10.0.0.1 up to 10.0.0.100, and your servers using 10.0.0.1-10.0.0.10, you can exclude these IP addresses from the scope and exclude the DHCP to distribute them to the clients, in most of the DHCP servers this option called exclude.

Reservation is a great option if you're planning to provide specific dynamic IP address from the DHCP server to unique DHCP client. If for example in the 10.0.0.1-10.0.0.100 scope you want to provide for specific client a unique address that will be always of the client, you can easily set reservation for the client using a unique identifier – the MAC address, the MAC of Media Access Control is a unique hexadecimal physical address for network adapters.

DHCP & DNS

When you're installing DHCP server you can configure the DHCP server to set DNS updates to any DNS server that support dynamic updates. More information about the combination between DHCP and DNS you can find right here.

Active Directory & DHCP Servers

In Microsoft Windows Server with Active Directory you need to authorize your server in order to work with the DHCP service.

In the past you could install few DHCP servers – as you wish, this action occurs problems like server crashing, etc.

In the new Windows 2000 Server/Server 2003/2008 you must authorize your server in order to start the DHCP server, if there's an authorized DHCP server in the Active Directory environment and a non-authorized server trying to start the DHCP service in order to distribute IP address, the server will failed in this task and the DHCP service in the local computer will stop.

DHCP Relay Agent

DHCP Relay Agent is any kind of host (usually a router or server) that listen to DHCP/BOOTP broadcast from clients on subnets without local DHCP servers.

The DHCP Relay Agent forwards the packets from the clients and the DHCP server that sitting on different physical subnets to each other in order to supply 'connection' between the DHCP Server to the clients, and opposite (from the clients to the server).

In conclusion

DHCP is a critical "must have" network service because using DHCP helps you, as a System/Network Administrator, to manage you clients by assigning, tracking and re-assigning IP addresses.

Netanel Ben-Shushan is an IT Consultant & Trainer from Israel, who works mainly with Microsoft infrastructures, networking and information security systems. He's the creator of www.ben-shushan.net, a personal website in Hebrew with technical guides, articles, tips and tricks from the IT field.

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System Restore Problem in XP

System Restore Problem

Its very irritating when you're trying to use the XP System Restore feature but get the message: "Cannot restore the computer to an earlier restore point, no changes have been made to your computer". Well, I can't tell you how to get your old restore points back, but I can tell you how to fix this problem so you can get them in the future.

Right click My Computer, choose "Properties" then click on "System Restore" tab.

Put a check in the box for "Disable Restore on all drives". Click OK, then Reboot your PC.

After you reboot, go back to the System Restore tab and uncheck the box. Click OK.

Next, go to Start/Programs/Accessories/System Tools then click "System Restore". Choose "Create a Restore Point" and give it a name like "Reset" as a reminder.

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How to Hide Control Pannel

How to Hide Control Pannel

If you share your computer with others, you know everyone loves to personalize their workspace. 

They change audio and video settings, add or remove programs and generally reconfigure the computer to better suit their taste. 

This isn’t a problem on a personal computer, but people have a tendency to change settings even on shared or public computers.

Therefore, if you are sharing your computer with other users, you need to be able to restrict the user’s ability to change crucial settings without limiting their access rights. 

The best way to make it clear you don't want people poking around your computer is to block their access to the Control Panel. 

The Control Panel is the portal to the operating system’s options and settings. By hiding it from the other users you can be assured that your computer will remain exactly how you configured it.

You can accomplish this easily in Windows XP, Vista and 7 with a simple Registry modification.

Warning! Before we go any further, I'd like to point out that messing around with the Windows Registry is not meant for beginners. Editing the Registry directly can have serious, unexpected consequences that can prevent the system from starting and require that you reinstall Windows. If you feel you do not understand or are unable to perform the steps below, please seek expert advice.

In addition, I recommend backing up the Registry before attempting any modification.

To back up the entire Registry in any Windows version, open the Registry Editor (see instructions below), click on the My Computer (or Computer for Vista and 7) key at the top and select File in the top left corner of the window. In the File menu select Export…, give it a name like registry backup and choose a safe location to save your file.

If something does go wrong while editing, you can restore the Registry by navigating to where you saved the .reg file and simply double-click on it. 

Now that you have backed up the Registry, we can proceed with the rest of the article.

To change a Registry setting we must first open the Registry Editor.

Go to the Start Menu and click on the Run command, situated above the Turn off Computer button. Then type the command regedit in the Open box and click the OK button.

To access the Registry in Windows Vista and Windows 7 you must log in with an administrator account.

Alternatively, type regedit in the search bar of the start menu, right-click on regedit.exe and selectRun as administrator.

The Registry Editor will now open.

The setting we need to change is located in the Registry structure, at the following address:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

Click the plus sign next to HKEY_CURRENT_USER and scroll down the list until you locate Software.

Then click the plus sign next to Software and look for Microsoft.

Then click the plus sign next to Microsoft and look for Windows.

Then click the plus sign next to Windows and look for CurrentVersion.

Then click the plus sign next to CurrentVersion and look for Explorer.

Finally, click the plus sign next to Explorer and left-click on Advanced.

With the Advanced key selected, right-click on an empty spot on the right side of the Registry Editor window.

Click New, and from the menu, select and click on DWORD Value.

If you have Windows Vista or 7, click on DWORD Value (32-bit).

Then, type Start_ShowControlPanel and press Enter from the keyboard.

Next, right-click on the Start_ShowControlPanel value and from the menu select Modify.

Under the Value Data field, type 0 (zero) and click OK.

Now, close the Registry Editor by clicking File, then Exit from the menu, and restart your computer.

After the restart, if you look under the Start menu, you will not see the Control Panel entry anymore.

Of course, you can always bring back the Control Panel if you want to make a change or remove a program.

Just follow the steps above until you reach the Start_ShowControlPanel value, double-click it and change the Value Data field to a 1 (or just delete the value).

Note: The Control Panel is not removed or uninstalled from your computer, it is only hidden. Therefore, any user that has administrator rights and knows where the Registry entry is located can make the Control Panel visible again.

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Setting up a Windows Firewall Exception

Setting up a Windows Firewall Exception

Setting up a Windows firewall exception is a fairly simple process. First, lets begin with a definition: A firewall is a program inside Windows that helps in protecting against hackers, viruses, worms and other malicious software that may harm your computer. Firewalls also aid in preventing the aforementioned pieces of malware from gaining access to your computer and allowing others to view sensitive information. Just as a firewall helps protect your computer, it also helps in stopping your computer from sending out anything that could potentially harm other computers as well. When you connect to the internet the signal goes from the internet through your firewall to your computer, and the opposite occurs when transmitting a signal from your computer to the internet.

Many programs will run more efficiently, or faster if they are not blocked by your windows firewall. You must be careful of which programs you allow access, however, as you could contract a virus. Make sure any program you decide to allow access through your firewall is a program you trust and does not have malicious content, like torrent programs.

By allowing programs to pass through your firewall they will no longer be scanned for known virus definitions or file extensions that could potentially pose a threat to your computer. An example of a commonly allowed low-risk program to set an exception for would be a game. Most games are safe to allow through and this will generally increase performance because the game will no longer be filtered by the windows firewall.

There are two different methods of allowing programs to bypass your windows firewall. The first, and most commonly used, is setting up an exception that will allow the program to bypass the firewall only when necessary. This is the more secure method of the two options available to you. The second method is to open a port directly to what you want to bypass the firewall. This is very risky, unlike an exception, which only bypasses the firewall when necessary. Leaving a port open will stay open until you close it manually.

The method used in set up of a windows firewall exception will be based on Windows Vista, however the process is similar in other Windows operating systems, too.

How To set up A Windows Firewall Exception:

A.

1.) Click the Start Menu

2.) Click the Control Panel

3.) Click on Windows Firewall

4.) Click on Allow A Program Through Windows Firewall in the upper left hand corner.

5.) You will get a prompt asking for administrator access. Click Continue. If you are not logged into an administrator profile, you will need to log out, and log back in under and administrator profile to continue.

6.) Check the boxes of any programs you would like to set up a windows firewall exception for, and click OK. If the program you want is not located in this list then continue to step 7.

7.) Click Add Program

8.) Scroll down, select the program and click OK. If it is not listed yet again then continue to Step 9.

9.) Click Browse

10.) File the executable (the file that allows you to open the program) on your computer. Select it, and Click OK. This adds the program to your list of programs.

11.) Click OK again, now your exception is set up. You can now close everything out as everything you need to set up your windows firewall exception is finished.

B.

If you wish to open a port, additional steps are required. This is more advanced, so if you are not totally sure of what you are doing it is not recommended to leave a port open.

1.) Follow steps one through five as listed above.

2.) Instead of clicking the check box of the program you want an exception to, or clicking Add Program to add manually a program you will need to click Add Port.

3.) Insert the name of the program.

4.) Insert the port number you wish to leave open.

5.) Select TCP or UDP

6.) Select OK

You may also select scope to change the access to either any computer on the network, or internet. You can select only those computers on your network (subnet), or select a customized list.

Remember, by allowing programs directly to bypass the windows firewall you are subject to harming your computer, so be very careful which programs you set up exceptions for. If an exception or open port is no longer needed ,you should close the port or delete the exception right away. This will then require that it communicates through the windows firewall just as it did before you set up the exception. With each additional exception made you leave your computer a little more unsecured, so it is important to know which programs have exceptions already set up. You can view this under the programs list as described in step 6 of part A listed above.

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