Share Your PC tricks and hacks here

[polarbear]

The best way I found to keep my PC free of Mal-ware:
I run 2 hard drives, 1 in IEE slot 0, a 2.nd in IEE #1
IEE 1 hdd never ever goes surfing the net,and on older models you can cut the yellow +5Vdc wire on the harness and run it through a switch and set BIOS to "auto detect" all hhd`s
#1 is my original OS installation with all my data and software

#2 is my "surfer" and when I go surfing or experiment with trial software HDD1 is switched off. BIOS will then automatically boot up with the next drive where it can detect a boot sector....and hdd1 is as inoperative as if I had removed it and put it on a shelf.

I don`t use any "anti-this anti-that" software at all and as a matter of routine boot up once in a while after I throw the switch to power up hdd1,... then without even looking at hdd 0 I nuke it with a format command and then re-clone it with hdd1.
The entire process takes only ~ 5 minutes and is way faster and thorough than the most expensive software could possibly clean your OS and clean up your registry files.

With newer models I keep my OS on a pen drive and perform the "nuke & clone" operation with that...all you have to do is set your BIOS boot priority accordingly and that`s all it takes.
So I don`t really care when I try out free software and it comes with pesty adware or even a trojan.
I prefer XP but I do use Linux to severely ax all the crap that comes with XP and is protected from deletion by microsoft.
It`s much easier than going into the "boot.ini" file and set it to "Fileprotection=off", do all that and then set it back again...+ that still won`t let you get rid of "malware from hell" like Windows microsoft`s "cftmon.exe" which hogs a lot of processor resources and serves absolutely no useful purpose...but there are hundreds of other ones also.
So if I install a new OS on a PC, I boot up with Linux and wipe all this crap off and after that You have an XP OS, that runs lightning fast.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

My PC trick is I run Linux.
I don't have to do anything you mentioned above.

I run ubuntu 9.10 on the main PC, but I have highly modified it.
I run Mint on one laptop, and Ultimate Ubuntu on another.

 

[Jeremy]

My home pc had every virus known to man. Except Hep A

 

[polarbear]

My home pc had every virus known to man. Except Hep A

So do I, I prefer Linux by a long shot!....it`s just that I fix a lot of PC`s for friends and neighbors and it`s pretty hard to convince them...You know how it is...
You probably like some of the games that a windows OS can play, but Linux can`t!
It`s pretty hard to convince game addicts!
And if You suggest to do a dual boot Linux/Windows OS install they run scared!
Anyway I download mal/spy ware just for the fun of it and toy with it just to see how it works...and marvel how easy it is to motivate people to install it themselves more often than not.
Seldom have I seen really sophisticated mal ware, that a web site can install with these "drive by downloads" where You don`t even have to click on anything.
Thank God Java script does have it`s limitations!
The worst crap I have seen is the "anti-spy ware" itself...like Norton`s.
I just finished cleaning up ~ 5 brand new Laptops where the dealer installed that + a whole shitload of other "free trial" crap.
The poor buggers who bought these had these Norton etc popups every few minutes in their faces, that the trial time period has expired.

 

[polarbear]

See, just a few days ago I experimented with a nice Movie editor and a whole shitload of crap started running in the background after that, slowing everything else to a snail`s pace.

I did a nuke&clone with my pen-drive and five minutes later went on the Google home page and all that goes on, on my PC is what I want to go on:

Process PID CPU Description Company Name
System Idle Process 0 99.22
Interrupts n/a Hardware Interrupts
DPCs n/a 0.78 Deferred Procedure Calls
System 4
smss.exe 584 Windows NT Session Manager Microsoft Corporation
csrss.exe 640 Client Server Runtime Process Microsoft Corporation
winlogon.exe 664 Windows NT Logon Application Microsoft Corporation
services.exe 716 Services and Controller app Microsoft Corporation
svchost.exe 956 Generic Host Process for Win32 Services Microsoft Corporation
svchost.exe 1032 Generic Host Process for Win32 Services Microsoft Corporation
svchost.exe 1092 Generic Host Process for Win32 Services Microsoft Corporation
spoolsv.exe 1160 Spooler SubSystem App Microsoft Corporation
svchost.exe 1264 Generic Host Process for Win32 Services Microsoft Corporation
alg.exe 1488 Application Layer Gateway Service Microsoft Corporation
lsass.exe 728 LSA Shell (Export Version) Microsoft Corporation
explorer.exe 1968 Windows Explorer Microsoft Corporation
procexp.exe 264 Sysinternals Process Explorer Sysinternals
_________________________________________________________________________________________
firefox.exe:896 TCP 127.0.0.1:3284 127.0.0.1:3285 ESTABLISHED
firefox.exe:896 TCP 127.0.0.1:3285 127.0.0.1:3284 ESTABLISHED
firefox.exe:896 TCP 127.0.0.1:3286 127.0.0.1:3287 ESTABLISHED
firefox.exe:896 TCP 127.0.0.1:3287 127.0.0.1:3286 ESTABLISHED
firefox.exe:896 TCP 74.125.226.81:80 ESTABLISHED
firefox.exe:896 TCP 74.125.226.81:80 ESTABLISHED
firefox.exe:896 TCP 74.125.226.81:80 ESTABLISHED

the 127.0.0.1`s are of course my local loop backs and below I can modify with a single mouse click with how many ports I want to pipeline into any website...
Ii`s just that they frown on that a little bit, because if You overdo it it`s almost a cyber attck and they axe all Your connections off.
But You should see how long that running processes list further up is is with a brand new PC from a shop!
I could beat the performance with a vintage 700 mHz processor of what they are selling to customers who laid their hard earned money on the table!

 

[polarbear]

There are a lot of people who prefer the XP Professional version over anything that came out of Microsoft since then.....but got stuck!...
Some overly aggressive Registry cleaners wipe out some functions that a "restore" does not always give back. The most common one to disappear is the "Send to Desktop" function to create a short cut..
It`s a lot easier to get it back than to restore Your PC to an earlier restore point, only to find out, that some of the software You have installed since does not work any more.
All it takes is:
1. Type "shell:sendto" in RUN dialog box and press Enter. It'll open "Send To" folder.
2. Now right-click on blank area in the folder and select "New -> Text document". It'll create a text file with the name "New Text Document.txt". Rename this file and set its name to "Desktop (create shortcut).DeskLink".
3. That's it. Now you'll get "Desktop (create shortcut)" option back in "Send To" menu.

That`s why I "nuke&clone"!
Then Microsoft started to get really hateful, trying to force people off XP and buy their latest products. They limited the number of times You can re-install XP with the Installation disc and an individual product registration code and dealers began cheating.
They sold PC`s that had a pirate copy of XP and charged the customer full price.
They could still get updates all the way past Service Pack2 and SP3 and then Microsoft caught on what Computer retail dealers were doing.
So they looked for series that had similar # like that in the public half of the encryption key: 44JCHY6S
And millions of customers who were cheated out of their money stared at a micro soft popup that they were running an illegal copy of MS-Software.

Well there is a solution to that:
copy and paste this into "Notepad":

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion]
"CurrentBuild"="1.511.1 () (Obsolete data - do not use)"
"ProductId"="55274-640-1011873-23081"
"DigitalProductId"=hex:a4,00,00,00,03,00,00,00,35,35,32,37,34,2d,36,34,30,2d,\
31,30,31,31,38,37,33,2d,32,33,30,38,31,00,2e,00,00,00,41,32,32,2d,30,30,30,\
30,31,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,86,56,4e,4c,21,1b,2b,6a,a3,78,8e,8f,98,5c,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,dd,da,47,41,cc,6b,06,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,38,31,30,32,36,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,b5,16,\
00,00,83,83,1f,38,f8,01,00,00,f5,1c,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,66,e5,70,f3
"LicenseInfo"=hex:33,b7,21,c1,e5,e7,cd,4b,fd,7c,c6,35,51,fd,52,57,17,86,3e,18,\
d3,f4,8c,8e,35,32,7b,d1,43,8d,61,38,60,a4,ca,55,c9,9a,35,17,46,7a,4f,91,fc,\
4a,d9,db,64,5c,c4,e2,0f,34,f3,ea

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\WPAEvents]
"OOBETimer"=hex:ff,d5,71,d6,8b,6a,8d,6f,d5,33,93,fd

Then click on "save as" and give it a .txt file name. After that change the filename extension to .reg and double click this file...at the prompt click O.K and presto You have a certified copy of genuine legitimate Microsoft Windows XP.
After that You`ll pass Microsoft scrutiny and can get SP2, SP3, or whatever You want.

Another thing is the page file nuisance...it grows and grows, also it takes quite a while for XP to shut down because it wants to save this ever more huge page fiole to Your hard drive.
There are some programs that want You to pay $$$ to remedy this flaw, but all it takes is the same method as with the registration hack:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management]
"ClearPageFileAtShutdown"=dword:00000001

save that as a .reg file, double click and that pesty thing stops.
To set it back to default just change it back to:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management]
"ClearPageFileAtShutdown"=dword:00000000

Also a lot of people have this bug and no Norton etc etc anti-spy/malware does anything about it. There was a virus which was on the PC when the dealer installed the OS...
It was called "Ayola Imposta Ferla"....and years later important dll`s started to go corrupted or went missing.

That super bug is hiding here, use "regedit" to change these registry locations so they look like this:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\AutoplayHandlers\CancelAutoplay\Files]
"Files"=-

[HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\WOW\SetupPrograms]
must delete the key SetupProgramName

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\AutoplayHandlers\CancelAutoplay\Files]
must delete the content so it reads:

(default) Reg_z (value not set)

Well with XP there are a lot of ways to really soup it up, but then this post would get too long.

 

[ekrem]

I only run WinXP x64 under virtualbox.
It's a modified (nlite) version, which is about 230 mb as installation-iso.
Everything from internet to drivers have been removed from the installation-cd.
It's really fast. I use this mainly for After Effects.

On home-PC I run Pardus-Linux and as Server I run Debian.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

I only run WinXP x64 under virtualbox.
It's a modified (nlite) version, which is about 230 mb as installation-iso.
Everything from internet to drivers have been removed from the installation-cd.
It's really fast. I use this mainly for After Effects.

On home-PC I run Pardus-Linux and as Server I run Debian.

Pardus..interesting choice.
May I ask why that distro? You just want the most basics, or you want only to install what you specifically want>

 

[polarbear]

My PC trick is I run Linux.
I don't have to do anything you mentioned above.

I run ubuntu 9.10 on the main PC, but I have highly modified it.
I run Mint on one laptop, and Ultimate Ubuntu on another.

I gave Ubuntu 9.1 a fair tryout, but it is a little behind times with the best plug ins You can get for a Windows OS Firefox browser.

For example just yesterday I tried out to install on somebody`s Linux PC the "Ghostery" plug, which prevents web sites to track you where You came from and where You are going next...Google is the main offender here!
And another plug which knocks out all "super cookies" which hide themselves as Locally shared objects. (LSO`s)...They use a flaw in the adobe flash player, without which you can`t even see most of the content of most news paper web sites any more.
That plug is called : "better privacy"...Super cookie safeguard...
that also failed to install with Ubuntu even though this fellow was up to date with all Linux updates!
Same thing goes for the "Re direct remover" where web sites want to send you to pages you did not even ask for...Ubuntu 9.1 failed to install that in their Linux Firefox version as well, because their firefox version is hopelessly outdated.

But for hacking into OS`es of almost any name, You just can`t beat Linux, it is thee best!

 

[ekrem]

Pardus..interesting choice.
May I ask why that distro? You just want the most basics, or you want only to install what you specifically want>

Sebastian Kügler is a board member of the KDE e.V. (Foundation), which represents KDE legaly and financialy.

What's Pardus' rank between the distributions using KDE?
Sebastian: It's the best integrated KDE distribution I know. Simple as that.

http://www.pardus-edergi.org/files/sayi-13/interview_sebas.pdf

Pardus is designed to be rock-stable as it is being used by government, army, police and other institutions in Turkey.

Pardus is shipped out with KDE as standard.
Full integration of Gnome, Enlightenment, Xfce, fluxbox and LXDE has been outsourced to Canakkale University, the Betas will be released on 14th February and the Finals on June 19th.
The University will forever manage full-integration.

In 2012 Pardus will come as a version for tablets and mobile phones.
A corporate version already exists.

Pardus is developed by the National Research Institute of Electronics and Cryptology (UEKAE), an affiliate of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey.
It's basically the body which runs all Higher Education in Turkey.
The distribution has the backing to develop into something very big.
I'm happy with it, that's why I use it.

 

[asterism]

I only run WinXP x64 under virtualbox.
It's a modified (nlite) version, which is about 230 mb as installation-iso.
Everything from internet to drivers have been removed from the installation-cd.
It's really fast. I use this mainly for After Effects.

On home-PC I run Pardus-Linux and as Server I run Debian.

That's what I run when I'm having issues. So far so good with Windows 7 but I've got a this one on dual-boot with access to the same IMAP email and XP running in Virtualbox. Back before I got the laptop that simply runs better on Windows 7 (Thinkpad W700 screamer) I used to run Windows in Virtualbox and nuke it all the time.

 

[asterism]

The best way I found to keep my PC free of Mal-ware:
I run 2 hard drives, 1 in IEE slot 0, a 2.nd in IEE #1
IEE 1 hdd never ever goes surfing the net,and on older models you can cut the yellow +5Vdc wire on the harness and run it through a switch and set BIOS to "auto detect" all hhd`s
#1 is my original OS installation with all my data and software

#2 is my "surfer" and when I go surfing or experiment with trial software HDD1 is switched off. BIOS will then automatically boot up with the next drive where it can detect a boot sector....and hdd1 is as inoperative as if I had removed it and put it on a shelf.

I don`t use any "anti-this anti-that" software at all and as a matter of routine boot up once in a while after I throw the switch to power up hdd1,... then without even looking at hdd 0 I nuke it with a format command and then re-clone it with hdd1.
The entire process takes only ~ 5 minutes and is way faster and thorough than the most expensive software could possibly clean your OS and clean up your registry files.

With newer models I keep my OS on a pen drive and perform the "nuke & clone" operation with that...all you have to do is set your BIOS boot priority accordingly and that`s all it takes.
So I don`t really care when I try out free software and it comes with pesty adware or even a trojan.
I prefer XP but I do use Linux to severely ax all the crap that comes with XP and is protected from deletion by microsoft.
It`s much easier than going into the "boot.ini" file and set it to "Fileprotection=off", do all that and then set it back again...+ that still won`t let you get rid of "malware from hell" like Windows microsoft`s "cftmon.exe" which hogs a lot of processor resources and serves absolutely no useful purpose...but there are hundreds of other ones also.
So if I install a new OS on a PC, I boot up with Linux and wipe all this crap off and after that You have an XP OS, that runs lightning fast.

That's a really nifty way to do it, but try Virtualbox VirtualBox Faster nuking and no dependency on multiple hard drives.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

The best way I found to keep my PC free of Mal-ware:
I run 2 hard drives, 1 in IEE slot 0, a 2.nd in IEE #1
IEE 1 hdd never ever goes surfing the net,and on older models you can cut the yellow +5Vdc wire on the harness and run it through a switch and set BIOS to "auto detect" all hhd`s
#1 is my original OS installation with all my data and software

#2 is my "surfer" and when I go surfing or experiment with trial software HDD1 is switched off. BIOS will then automatically boot up with the next drive where it can detect a boot sector....and hdd1 is as inoperative as if I had removed it and put it on a shelf.

I don`t use any "anti-this anti-that" software at all and as a matter of routine boot up once in a while after I throw the switch to power up hdd1,... then without even looking at hdd 0 I nuke it with a format command and then re-clone it with hdd1.
The entire process takes only ~ 5 minutes and is way faster and thorough than the most expensive software could possibly clean your OS and clean up your registry files.

With newer models I keep my OS on a pen drive and perform the "nuke & clone" operation with that...all you have to do is set your BIOS boot priority accordingly and that`s all it takes.
So I don`t really care when I try out free software and it comes with pesty adware or even a trojan.
I prefer XP but I do use Linux to severely ax all the crap that comes with XP and is protected from deletion by microsoft.
It`s much easier than going into the "boot.ini" file and set it to "Fileprotection=off", do all that and then set it back again...+ that still won`t let you get rid of "malware from hell" like Windows microsoft`s "cftmon.exe" which hogs a lot of processor resources and serves absolutely no useful purpose...but there are hundreds of other ones also.
So if I install a new OS on a PC, I boot up with Linux and wipe all this crap off and after that You have an XP OS, that runs lightning fast.

That sure is a lot of work to accomplish the same thing I do with Sandboxie. Nothing gets onto my hardrive unless I want it there, and I can install, and run, programs in Sandboxie, and keep them there. If I decide I like them, I can move them or do a clean install on my hardrive.

 

[Dr.House]

I taught my pc to roll over and fetch the paper....

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Pardus..interesting choice.
May I ask why that distro? You just want the most basics, or you want only to install what you specifically want>

Sebastian Kügler is a board member of the KDE e.V. (Foundation), which represents KDE legaly and financialy.

What's Pardus' rank between the distributions using KDE?
Sebastian: It's the best integrated KDE distribution I know. Simple as that.

http://www.pardus-edergi.org/files/sayi-13/interview_sebas.pdf

Pardus is designed to be rock-stable as it is being used by government, army, police and other institutions in Turkey.

Pardus is shipped out with KDE as standard.
Full integration of Gnome, Enlightenment, Xfce, fluxbox and LXDE has been outsourced to Canakkale University, the Betas will be released on 14th February and the Finals on June 19th.
The University will forever manage full-integration.

In 2012 Pardus will come as a version for tablets and mobile phones.
A corporate version already exists.

Pardus is developed by the National Research Institute of Electronics and Cryptology (UEKAE), an affiliate of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey.
It's basically the body which runs all Higher Education in Turkey.
The distribution has the backing to develop into something very big.
I'm happy with it, that's why I use it.

I am familiar with Pardus to the point that it was developed specifically for the Turkish government/people as a linux that uses their language.
I also knew that it is considered one of the most stable and has as good hardware support as any distro.
You are the first person I have heard of that uses it though, so it sparked my curiosity.
Having said all of this...I am happy to hear anyone using linux regardless of the distro...someday....someday...people will see just how much of a crappy system windows truly is.

 

[polarbear]

I only run WinXP x64 under virtualbox.
It's a modified (nlite) version, which is about 230 mb as installation-iso.
Everything from internet to drivers have been removed from the installation-cd.
It's really fast. I use this mainly for After Effects.

On home-PC I run Pardus-Linux and as Server I run Debian.

Yes, that does work very well !!! `,cause everything is confined much like in a "Sandox" virtual machine and that is how I set the PC up which I am using at this very moment,..
I got a whole basement full and my wife has to find a path to the washing machine..

That thingy with the toggle switch to the Father of the Clone Drive I do mostly for families where the kids use dad`s PC..and it takes no skills to "nuke&clone" it back.

With the virtual machine I found it is still possible to sneak through with a "root kit" to the Hexkey_Classes_Root and wouldn`t You know it, that`s the latest cry in Malware now.
I don`t know, am I the only one who suspects the Software houses that sen "ant-" ware may have some dirty underwear?

@Ekrem:

I have always been wanting to try this out, but never seem to be able to find the time for it. My wife has the habit to go "treasure hunting" in thrift shops where You can buy all sorts of junk for a buck and bring it home for me to fix.
I finally got the $1.00 "Black Forest Grandfather Clock"....made in China to run!...
Was inches away to use it for shotgun target practice..
So how do You like Pardus so far...would You recommend it, and are there any quirks a guy should have to watch out for?

 

[polarbear]

I taught my pc to roll over and fetch the paper....

THAT you must share with me!...I wish my dog would learn!
My wife taught me to do that...and I think what we Germans call "Frauen Power" has gone a little bit too far!
At least I would no longer be at the bottom of the totem pole any more after You clue me in!

 

[waltky]

Wonder if ya could make yer desktop a big ol' mirror...

... so ya could be the wallpaper on yer computer?

 

[Ropey]

Turn your webcam on and set your desktop to full webcam.

Seriously though, you can't make a monitor screen to mirror since mirrors work by reflection and a mirrors shiny background catches the light, reflecting it. Monitors do not have a reflective surface under the LCD/LED or glass CRT.