MAGIC....!!!!!!

"I discovered that nobody can create a FOLDER anywhere on the
Computer which can be named as "CON". This is something pretty
Cool...and Unbelievable.... At Microsoft the whole Team, couldn't answer why this happened!
TRY IT NOW ,IT WILL NOT CREATE " CON " FOLDER

Not only the "con".


Also, the following words comes under this category,


AUX,

PRN,

CLOCK$,

COM,

LPT1,

LPT2,

LPT3,

COM2,

COM3,

COM4,

nul


We can't directly create files and folders in these names from windows; because, these are all reserved words.


But we can create files and folders in the name of reserved words! By using the command prompt


Ex:-


c:\> mkdir \\.\e:\con

c:\> dir \\.\e:\con

c:\> rmdir \\.\e:\con

How to make windows xp run faster

How to make windows xp run faster

·  In this guide I will show you how to make windows xp run faster with out spending a penny, The following tips can help improve your computer's performance and help make your computer run faster. All the tips are related to Windows XP operating system

Contents - How to make windows xp run faster

-BIOS Update + Settings
-Disable GUI Options
-Clean Your Registry
-HouseKeep Your Hard-Disk
-Disable System Restore
-Configure The Paging File
-Disable Un-needed Services From Starting
-Disable Unwanted Programs From Startup
-Turn off application updates
-Check Task Manager For Top I/O Processes
-Check Task Scheduler
-Install OS On Dedicated Hard-Drive
-Speedup Folder Browsing
-Remove Your Desktop Picture
-Disable File Last Update Access Time
-Make Your Start Menu Faster
-Make Windows XP Shutdown Faster
-Make Sure Hard-Drives Are Using DMA Mode
-Memory Performance Tweaks


BIOS Upgrade + Settings


The BIOS is a bit of software that sits on your computers motherboard and controls how each component talks to each other. It is a good idea to upgrade this if possible to the latest version as you could see many benefits. A BIOS upgrade will help the motherboard to be more efficient in the way that its components talk to each other.To upgrade your BIOS find out what motherboard you have (You can do this by looking in the manual that came with your computer, or you can look at the screen that first shows when you turn on your computer, it should like the make and model on there) Then when you know what motherboard you have go to the manufactures web site and search for the latest update.

Be aware that BIOS updates could possibly harm your system if not installed correctly, we can not be held responsible should you cause harm to your computer. Once you have upgraded your BIOS go in to your BIOS and make sure that all cache settings are enabled especially on the CPU. Disable any devices you don’t use, for example if you dont use USB or Parallel port disable it. Devices will use up valuable memory when your system has booted in to windows xp. You might also think of disabling, floppy drive, infer red, LPT / COM ports, and so on

You can also speed up the boot process by enabling “Rapid Bios Boot” or “Fast/Quick boot”. Also turn off auto detection of IDE devices and detect them manually. Set System and Video BIOS Cacheable to OFF as well as Video RAM cacheable to off, as these are legacy operating system DOS settings.


Disable GUI Options


1. Right-click on the desktop and click properties.
2. Click on the “Appearance” tab at the top.
3. Click the “Effects” button
4. Uncheck “Use the following transition effect for menus and tooltips
5. Uncheck “Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts” – (unelss using an LCD monitor, in which case, check this)
6. Uncheck show shadows under menus
7. The others don’t really matter.
8. Click the “OK” button
9. Back at the “Display Properties” window, from the “Windows and buttons” select menu, select “Windows Classic Style.”
10. Click the “Apply” button.
11. Click the “OK” button.


Clean Your Registry


The REGCLEAN utility from Microsoft cleans your system registry of unnecessary entries that are created when you install or remove programs on your computer. Sometimes an “orphaned” registry entry can confuse Windows during startup and cause a delay. And in general, slimming down your registry will make Windows run faster. You can download REGCLEAN here. Note: This program is no longer officially supported by Microsoft, but many users report that it works fine on Windows XP systems. You can also try RegSeeker which is a highly rated registry cleaner.


HouseKeep Your Hard-Disk


Over time your hard-disk will clutter up and you will need to clear this down and also run some checks to make sure everything is running okay. The more data that is stored on a hard-disk the slower it will take to access data as it has to search through more files. So here are a few things to check, check them in the order belowClean Your System From Virus’s and Spyware

Make sure you have an updated virus scanner with the latest virus definitions database. Do a full search of your system and make sure all visrus’s are cleared. Also get hold of a program that will search and remove spyware, I recommend Adware by Lavasoft, take a look here.

Delete Internet Related Files - For every website you visit your computer will download files and store them on your computer (Cookies, Temp Internet Files, Form Cache, and so on) To clear these down right click on the IE icon on your desktop and select properties, Under browsing history click delete, then in the next window click delete all.Delete Temp Files

Clear Temp Files - Most programs you use will leave *.tmp / *.temp files on your computer, Over time these files will pile up and can consume alot of disk space. To clear these files down click start > run and type in CMD then press enter, A black window will pop up. In this window type

Code:

Del /a /f /q /s C:\*.tmp and then

Del /a /f /q /s C:\*.temp

Then press the enter key. If you have 2 partitions repeat this process for the other partitions, Replace C: with the letter of your other drive, for example

Code:

Del /a /f /q /s D:\*.tmp

if you have a D: drive. Be careful when doing this, if you enter the wrong command it could delete some system files and cause windows xp not to boot.

Remove Unnecessary Software - You may have a bunch of software packages on your hard drive that are no longer needed, or they were gratuitously installed when you downloaded some other package. Toolbars, file-sharing programs, free email enhancers, online shopping “companions” and download managers are notorious for this practice. These uninvited guests can put a big drag on your startup time, cause web pages to load slowly, and generally slow down your computer. Go to Control Panel, then Add/Remove Software to see what packages are installed. Remove the ones you know you don’t need, and do a web search to learn about the ones you’re not sure about.

Empty The Recycle Bin - Double click on the recycle bin icon on your desktop, Delete all the files you dont require, be aware if you delete files from here you can not get them back.

Run A Check Disk - Now its time to check if there are errors on your hard-disk. Double click on the my computer icon on your desktop, right click on the disk that says C: and then select properties. Click tools tab > Check now then tick the 2 boxes and hit start, You will get a message pop up, asking to perform the check disk on next reboot, click yes. Now reboot your system and let the check disk run. The checkdisk will tell you if it finds any errors on the disk and it will also attempt to repair them. Perform this action for any other hard-drives you might have.

Run A Defrag - A defrag will re-arrange where the files are located on your system, it will move the files to make sure you get the best performance when accessing files. For example it will move all the system files to one part of the disk, so when the system needs to access system files they are all in the same location and the hard-drive does not need to jump around the disk as much to access what it needs.To run defrag double click on the my computer icon on your desktop, right click on the disk that says C: and then select properties.Click tools tab > Degragment now. Then select each partition you have in turn and click the defragement button. You will get a report of what has been done when it has finished.


Disable System Restore


System restore will take up resoruces such as memory and hard-disk IO. Personally I have never used system restore. If you are going to disable the system restore make sure you backup important files to anther disk such as USB stick / CD-ROM / Tape drive and so on. To disable system restore in windows xp do the following

1. Right-click ‘my computer’ and click properties.
2. Click the “System Restore” tab at the top.
3. Check the box “Turn off system restore on all drives”


Configure The Paging File


When your system runs out of physical memory windows xp will use something called a paging file. A paging file is basically a file that sits on your hard-drive and will be used as memory should your system run out of memory. Ideally you dont want to run out of physical memory because your system will slow down if it uses the paging file. So we need to make sure we configure the paging file correctly incase it is needed.To configure a windows xp paging file right click on the my computer icon on your desktop, click advanced tab, then under the performance section click on the settings button. in the next window click on the advanced tab then change button. You dont want windows to automatically handle the size of the paging file so select custom size and then enter 2048 for the initial size and also maximum size.


Disable Un-needed Services From Starting


When your system starts it loads certain services which eats up valuable memory which your system might need. The more services we stop from starting the more memory we can make available to the system. To disable a service do the following, Right click on the my computer icon on your desktop and click on manage, Double click on services and applications, then services.

To disable a service double click on it and where it says startup type simply select disable, The service will then get disabled on the next system reboot. Be careful if you disable a service that the system requires you could cause your system not to boot, we can not be held responsible if you damage your system (If you are unsure if you can disable a service post about it in our forum). I recommend that you disable the following services

-Alerter, used to send popup administrative alerts, These alerts can also be viewed from the eventlog if this service is disabled.

-Clipbook, If you disable this service you will not be able to copy and paste text / pictures and so on. Its up to you if you want to disable this.

-Computer Browser, This is used to keep a list of other computers on the network.

-Error Reporting Service, Turn this off if you dont want errors to be reported.

-Event Log, All errors are written to an event log, if you disable this service nothing will be written to the log.

-IMAPI CD-Burning COM Service, If you disable this service you will not be able to burn CD-ROMs.

-Indexing Service, This service should speed up access to frequently used files. In my experience it is not worth using it as it uses a lot of memory and slows down your whole system as a result.

-Messenger, If you disable this you will not receive any windows popup messages.

-Net Logon, This service is required if your computer is in a domain, If the computer is not in a domain disable this service.

-NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing, Disable this if you dont want to share your desktop with remote users (Support for example)

-Performance Logs and Alerts, This service logs the performance of your computer.

-Print Spooler, If you dont print from your computer disable this service.

-Remote Registry, If this service is disabled the computers registry can not be changed remotely.

-Server, If this service is stopped you can not share the files / printers on your system with others.

-System Event Notification, Logs events such as windows log on and off.

-System Restore Service, If this is disabled you will not be able to restore your system should it encounter a critical failure.

-Task Scheduler, It is possible to schedule your system to perform tasks automatically, If this service is disabled the automatic tasks will not run.

-Telephony, If this is disabled you will not be able to use voice network connections such as modems and VOIP Voice Over IP.

-Windows Audio, If this is disabled your system will be unable to play back sound.


Disable Unwanted Programs From Startup


Disable Unwanted Programs From Startup. Click start then type in msconfig and hit enter. Now click on the startup tab and untick anything that you do not need windows to run once it has started. If you are unsure what to disable please post here before disabling it.

You can also delay processes from starting when windows xp boots, this will help your computer to become responsive quicker when it has booted to the desktop. Take a look at Startup Delayer


Turn off application updates


Turn off application updates – With certain programs such as adobe reader and java they can be configured to automatically check if newer versions are available, if newer versions are available they will also automatically download the update and store it on your computer, then it will keep prompting you to install it. This update will take up valuable disk space and also will use a bit of disk i/o when its downloading it


Check Task Manager For Top I/O Processes


Open task manager by pressing “CTRL + Shift + ESC” Click on “Show processes from all users” click on the processes tab, then sort the “I/O Reads” by max to min. Now take a look at the top processes of I/O Reads and is there funny processes there?? It is possible that there is a process that takes up a lot of I/O that you could stop. If you are unsure about a process post about it in our forum. Repeat the above process for the “I/O Write” column


Check Task Scheduler


Go in to the control panel and click on scheduled tasks. Disable tasks in there that you do not need. There might be a task in here to do a full virus scan on your PC or something similar. If your not to sure what you can disable post about it in our forum.


Install OS On Dedicated Hard-Drive


If possible install windows xp on a dedicated hard-drive and install your applications / data on a second seperate hard-drive. This will then mean that the disk i/o will be spread across two drives.


Speedup Folder Browsing


You may have noticed that everytime you open my computer to browse folders that there is a slight delay. This is because Windows XP automatically searches for network files and printers everytime you open Windows Explorer. To fix this and to increase browsing significantly:

1. Open My Computer
2. Click on Tools menu
3. Click on Folder Options
4. Click on the View tab.
5. Uncheck the Automatically search for network folders and printers check box
6. Click Apply
7. Click Ok
8. Reboot your computer


Remove Your Desktop Picture


Your desktop background picture consumes a fair amount of memory and can slow the loading time of your system and when you switch between screens. Removing it will improve performance.


1. Right click on Desktop and select Properties
2. Select the Desktop tab
3. In the Background window select None
4. Click Ok


Disable File Last Update Access Time

If you have a lot of folders and subdirectories on your computer, when you access a directory XP wastes a lot of time updating the time stamp showing the last access time for that directory and for ALL sub directories. To stop XP doing this you need to edit the registry. If you are uncomfortable doing this then please do not attempt.


1. Go to Start and then Run and type “regedit”
2. Browse to “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\Cur rentControlSet\Control\FileSys tem”
3. Right-click in a blank area of the window on the right and select ‘DWORD Value’
4. Create a new DWORD Value called ‘NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate’
5. Then Right click on the new value and select ‘Modify’
6. Change the Value Data to ’1′
7. Click ‘OK’


Make Your Start Menu Faster


This will make you feel your startmenu will run much faster. What this tweak does is remove the slight delay between clicking on a menu and XP displaying the menu.


1. Go to Start then Run
2. Type ‘Regedit’ then click ‘Ok’
3. Find “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\”
4. Select “MenuShowDelay”
5. Right click and select “Modify’
5. Reduce the number to around “100″

This is the delay time before a menu is opened. You can set it to “0″ but it can make windows really hard to use as menus will open if you just look at them – well move your mouse over them anyway. I tend to go for anywhere between 50-150


Make Windows XP Shutdown Faster

This tweak reduces the time XP waits before automatically closing any running programs when you shutdown your machine.


1. Go to Start then select Run
2. Type ‘Regedit’ and click ok, then

Find ‘HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\’
Select ‘WaitToKillAppTimeout’
Right click and select ‘Modify’
Change the value to ’1000′
Click ‘OK’

Now select ‘HungAppTimeout’
Right click and select ‘Modify’
Change the value to ’1000′
Click ‘OK’

Now find ‘HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop’
Select ‘WaitToKillAppTimeout’
Right click and select ‘Modify’
Change the value to ’1000′
Click ‘OK’

Now find ‘HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\Cur rentControlSet\Control\’
Select ‘WaitToKillServiceTimeout’
Right click and select ‘Modify’
Change the value to ’1000′
Click ‘OK’


Next make sure your system is not clearing the page file at shutdown. If your system is clearing the page file at shutdown your system will take a long time to shutdown.

1. Go to Start then select Run
2. Type ‘Regedit’ and click ok
3. Browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\Session Manager\Memory Management
4. If there is a key called "ClearPageFileAtShutdown" make sure the key is set to 0 and not 1


Make Sure Hard-Drives Are Using DMA Mode


XP enables DMA for Hard-Drives and CD-Roms by default on most ATA or ATAPI (IDE) devices. However, sometimes computers switch to PIO mode which is slower for data transfer – a typical reason is because of a virus. To ensure that your machine is using DMA:

1. Open ‘Device Manager’
2. Double-click ‘IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers’
3. Right-click ‘Primary Channel’ and select ‘Properties’ and then ‘Advanced Settings’
4. In the ‘Current Transfer Mode’ drop-down box, select ‘DMA if Available’ if the current setting is ‘PIO Only’


Memory Performance Tweaks


If you have 512 megs or more of memory, you can increase system performance by having the core system kept in memory.

1. Go to Start then select Run
2. Type ‘Regedit’ and click ok
3. Browse to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlS ession ManagerMemory"
4. On the key ManagementDisablePagingExecutive set the value to 1

Increasing File System Caching To increase the amount of memory Windows will locked for I/O operations:

1. Go to Start then select Run
2. Type ‘Regedit’ and click ok
3. Browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlSe ssion ManagerMemory Management
4. Increase the value for the key IoPageLockLimit

These are all the tips I can think of to make your windows xp system run faster, If you can think of anything more please post them in this post and I will add them to the article. Thanks

Reasons: why PCs crash U must know...

 Reasons: why PCs crash U must know...

Fatal error: the system has become unstable or is busy," it says. "Enter to return to Windows or press Control-Alt-Delete to restart your computer. If you do this you will lose any unsaved information in all open applications."

You have just been struck by the Blue Screen of Death. Anyone who uses Microsoft Windows will be familiar with this. What can you do? More importantly, how can you prevent it happening?

1.) Hardware conflict

The number one reason why Windows crashes is hardware conflict. Each hardware device communicates to other devices through an interrupt request channel (IRQ). These are supposed to be unique for each device.

For example, a printer usually connects internally on IRQ 7. The keyboard usually uses IRQ 1 and the floppy disk drive IRQ 6. Each device will try to hog a single IRQ for itself.

If there are a lot of devices, or if they are not installed properly, two of them may end up sharing the same IRQ number. When the user tries to use both devices at the same time, a crash can happen. The way to check if your computer has a hardware conflict is through the following route:

Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device Manager.

Often if a device has a problem a yellow '!' appears next to its description in the Device Manager. Highlight Computer (in the Device Manager) and press Properties to see the IRQ numbers used by your computer. If the IRQ number appears twice, two devices may be using it.

Sometimes a device might share an IRQ with something described as 'IRQ holder for PCI steering'. This can be ignored. The best way to fix this problem is to remove the problem device and reinstall it.

Sometimes you may have to find more recent drivers on the internet to make the device function properly. A good resource is www.driverguide.com. If the device is a soundcard, or a modem, it can often be fixed by moving it to a different slot on the motherboard (be careful about opening your computer, as you may void the warranty).

When working inside a computer you should switch it off, unplug the mains lead and touch an unpainted metal surface to discharge any static electricity.

To be fair to Microsoft, the problem with IRQ numbers is not of its making. It is a legacy problem going back to the first PC designs using the IBM 8086 chip. Initially there were only eight IRQs. Today there are 16 IRQs in a PC. It is easy to run out of them. There are plans to increase the number of IRQs in future designs.

2.) Bad Ram

Ram (random-access memory) problems might bring on the blue screen of death with a message saying Fatal Exception Error. A fatal error indicates a serious hardware problem. Sometimes it may mean a part is damaged and will need replacing.

But a fatal error caused by Ram might be caused by a mismatch of chips. For example, mixing 70-nanosecond (70ns) Ram with 60ns Ram will usually force the computer to run all the Ram at the slower speed. This will often crash the machine if the Ram is overworked.

One way around this problem is to enter the BIOS settings and increase the wait state of the Ram. This can make it more stable. Another way to troubleshoot a suspected Ram problem is to rearrange the Ram chips on the motherboard, or take some of them out. Then try to repeat the circumstances that caused the crash. When handling Ram try not to touch the gold connections, as they can be easily damaged.

Parity error messages also refer to Ram. Modern Ram chips are either parity (ECC) or non parity (non-ECC). It is best not to mix the two types, as this can be a cause of trouble.

EMM386 error messages refer to memory problems but may not be connected to bad Ram. This may be due to free memory problems often linked to old Dos-based programmes.

3.) BIOS settings :

Every motherboard is supplied with a range of chipset settings that are decided in the factory. A common way to access these settings is to press the F2 or delete button during the first few seconds of a boot-up.

Once inside the BIOS, great care should be taken. It is a good idea to write down on a piece of paper all the settings that appear on the screen. That way, if you change something and the computer becomes more unstable, you will know what settings to revert to.

A common BIOS error concerns the CAS latency. This refers to the Ram. Older EDO (extended data out) Ram has a CAS latency of 3. Newer SDRam has a CAS latency of 2. Setting the wrong figure can cause the Ram to lock up and freeze the computer's display.

Microsoft Windows is better at allocating IRQ numbers than any BIOS. If possible set the IRQ numbers to Auto in the BIOS. This will allow Windows to allocate the IRQ numbers (make sure the BIOS setting for Plug and Play OS is switched to 'yes' to allow Windows to do this.).

4.) Hard disk drives :

After a few weeks, the information on a hard disk drive starts to become piecemeal or fragmented. It is a good idea to defragment the hard disk every week or so, to prevent the disk from causing a screen freeze. Go to

Start->Programs->Accessories-> System Tools-> Disk Defragmenter

 

This will start the procedure. You will be unable to write data to the hard drive (to save it) while the disk is defragmenting, so it is a good idea to schedule the procedure for a period of inactivity using the Task Scheduler.

The Task Scheduler should be one of the small icons on the bottom right of the Windows opening page (the desktop).

Some lockups and screen freezes caused by hard disk problems can be solved by reducing the read-ahead optimisation. This can be adjusted by going to

Start->Settings->Control Panel->System Icon-> Performance->File System->Hard Disk

Hard disks will slow down and crash if they are too full. Do some housekeeping on your hard drive every few months and free some space on it. Open the Windows folder on the C drive and find the Temporary Internet Files folder. Deleting the contents (not the folder) can free a lot of space.

Empty the Recycle Bin every week to free more space. Hard disk drives should be scanned every week for errors or bad sectors. Go to

Start->Programs->Accessories->System Tools->ScanDisk

 

Otherwise assign the Task Scheduler to perform this operation at night when the computer is not in use.

5 Fatal OE exceptions and VXD errors

Fatal OE exception errors and VXD errors are often caused by video card problems.

These can often be resolved easily by reducing the resolution of the video display. Go to

Start->Settings->Control Panel->Display->Settings

Here you should slide the screen area bar to the left. Take a look at the colour settings on the left of that window. For most desktops, high colour 16-bit depth is adequate.

If the screen freezes or you experience system lockups it might be due to the video card. Make sure it does not have a hardware conflict. Go to

Start->Settings->Control Panel->System->Device Manager

 

Here, select the + beside Display Adapter. A line of text describing your video card should appear. Select it (make it blue) and press properties. Then select Resources and select each line in the window. Look for a message that says No Conflicts.

If you have video card hardware conflict, you will see it here. Be careful at this point and make a note of everything you do in case you make things worse.

The way to resolve a hardware conflict is to uncheck the Use Automatic Settings box and hit the Change Settings button. You are searching for a setting that will display a No Conflicts message.

Another useful way to resolve video problems is to go to

Start->Settings->Control Panel->System->Performance->Graphics

 

Here you should move the Hardware Acceleration slider to the left. As ever, the most common cause of problems relating to graphics cards is old or faulty drivers (a driver is a small piece of software used by a computer to communicate with a device).

Look up your video card's manufacturer on the internet and search for the most recent drivers for it.

6.) Viruses :

Often the first sign of a virus infection is instability. Some viruses erase the boot sector of a hard drive, making it impossible to start. This is why it is a good idea to create a Windows start-up disk. Go to

Start->Settings->Control Panel->Add/Remove Programs

 

Here, look for the Start Up Disk tab. Virus protection requires constant vigilance.

A virus scanner requires a list of virus signatures in order to be able to identify viruses. These signatures are stored in a DAT file. DAT files should be updated weekly from the website of yourbest spyware remover and antivirus software manufacturer.

An excellent antivirus programme is McAfee VirusScan by Network Associates ( www.nai.com). Another is Norton AntiVirus 2000, made by Symantec ( www.symantec.com).

7.) Printers :

The action of sending a document to print creates a bigger file, often called a postscript file.

Printers have only a small amount of memory, called a buffer. This can be easily overloaded. Printing a document also uses a considerable amount of CPU power. This will also slow down the computer's performance.

If the printer is trying to print unusual characters, these might not be recognised, and can crash the computer. Sometimes printers will not recover from a crash because of confusion in the buffer. A good way to clear the buffer is to unplug the printer for ten seconds. Booting up from a powerless state, also called a cold boot, will restore the printer's default settings and you may be able to carry on.

8.) Software/Hardware :

A common cause of computer crash is faulty or badly-installed software. Often the problem can be cured by uninstalling the software and then reinstalling it. Use Norton Uninstall or Uninstall Shield to remove an application from your system properly. This will also remove references to the programme in the System Registry and leaves the way clear for a completely fresh copy.

The System Registry can be corrupted by old references to obsolete software that you thought was uninstalled. Use Reg Cleaner by Jouni Vuorio to clean up the System Registry and remove obsolete entries. It works on Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 SE (Second Edition), Windows Millennium Edition (ME), NT4 and Windows 2000.

Read the instructions and use it carefully so you don't do permanent damage to the Registry. If the Registry is damaged you will have to reinstall your operating system. Reg Cleaner can be obtained from www.jv16.org

Often a Windows problem can be resolved by entering Safe Mode. This can be done during start-up. When you see the message "Starting Windows" press F4. This should take you into Safe Mode.

Safe Mode loads a minimum of drivers. It allows you to find and fix problems that prevent Windows from loading properly.

Sometimes installing Windows is difficult because of unsuitable BIOS settings. If you keep getting SUWIN error messages (Windows setup) during the Windows installation, then try entering the BIOS and disabling the CPU internal cache. Try to disable the Level 2 (L2) cache if that doesn't work.

Remember to restore all the BIOS settings back to their former settings following installation.

9.) Overheating :

Central processing units (CPUs) are usually equipped with fans to keep them cool. If the fan fails or if the CPU gets old it may start to overheat and generate a particular kind of error called a kernel error. This is a common problem in chips that have been overclocked to operate at higher speeds than they are supposed to.

One remedy is to get a bigger better fan and install it on top of the CPU. Specialist cooling fans/heatsinks are available from www.computernerd.com or www.coolit.com

CPU problems can often be fixed by disabling the CPU internal cache in the BIOS. This will make the machine run more slowly, but it should also be more stable.

10.) Power supply problems :

With all the new construction going on around the country the steady supply of electricity has become disrupted. A power surge or spike can crash a computer as easily as a power cut.

If this has become a nuisance for you then consider buying a uninterrupted power supply (UPS). This will give you a clean power supply when there is electricity, and it will give you a few minutes to perform a controlled shutdown in case of a power cut.

It is a good investment if your data are critical, because a power cut will cause any unsaved data to be lost.

NET Command

NET.exe

The NET Command is used to manage network security resources as follows:

View user account password and logon requirements (also displays the machine type - NT Server or NT workstation)
NET ACCOUNTS

View password and logon requirements for the network domain.
NET ACCOUNTS /DOMAIN

Set the number of minutes a user has before being forced to log off when the account expires or valid logon hours expire
NET ACCOUNTS /FORCELOGOFF:minutes /DOMAIN

Prevent forced logoff when user accounts expire
NET ACCOUNTS /FORCELOGOFF:NO /DOMAIN

Set the minimum number of characters for a password.
NET ACCOUNTS /MINPWLEN:C /DOMAIN
The range is 0-14 characters; the default is 6 characters.

Set the maximum number of days that a password is valid.
NET ACCOUNTS /MAXPWAGE:dd /DOMAIN
The range is 1-49710; the default is 90 days.

Set passwords to never expire.
NET ACCOUNTS /MAXPWAGE:UNLIMITED /DOMAIN

Set a minimum number of days that must pass before a user can change a password (default = 0)
NET ACCOUNTS /MINPWAGE:dd /DOMAIN

Require that new passwords be different from 'x' number of previous passwords
NET ACCOUNTS /UNIQUEPW:x /DOMAIN
The range for 'x' is 1-24

Synchoronise the user accounts database (PDC and BDC)
NET ACCOUNTS /SYNC /DOMAIN

View user account details
NET USER [/DOMAIN]

Add a user account.
NET USER username {password | *} /ADD [options] [/DOMAIN]

Modify a user account.
NET USER [username [password | *] [options]] [/DOMAIN]

Delete a username
NET USER username [/DELETE] [/DOMAIN]

Generate a random password:

NET USER administrator /random

Add a Workgroup
NET GROUP groupname /ADD [/COMMENT:"text"] [/DOMAIN]

Edit a workgroup
NET GROUP [groupname [/COMMENT:"text"]] [/DOMAIN]

Delete a group
NET GROUP groupname /DELETE [/DOMAIN]

Add a user to a group
NET GROUP groupname username [...] /ADD [/DOMAIN]

Delete a user from a group
NET GROUP groupname username [...] /DELETE [/DOMAIN]

To View, Add or modify a local workgroup replace GROUP in the commands above with LOCALGROUP.

Examples

Create a group

C:\>NET LOCALGROUP spud /add

Add to guests

C:\>NET LOCALGROUP guests spud /add

Then remove

C:\>NET LOCALGROUP guests spud /delete

C:\>NET LOCALGROUP spud /delete

change a user's password at the command prompt

To change a user's password at the command prompt, log on as an administrator and type:

net user user_name * /domain

When you are prompted to type a password for the user, type the new password, not the existing password. After you type the new password, the system prompts you to retype the password to confirm. The password is now changed. 

Alternatively, you can type the following command:

net user user_name  new_password

When you do so, the password changes without prompting you again. This command also enables you to change passwords in a batch file. 

Non-administrators receive a "System error 5 has occurred. Access is denied" error message when they attempt to change the password.