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Today's Tips 08/21/2006
Prevent Lost Data When Resetting Passwords In
XP, Part 1!
When you're dealing with passwords, you should understand the difference
between resetting and changing the passwords, and you need to be
familiar with the consequences each of them might have. Normally, users
change their password. Of course, they need to know their original
password in order to change it.
But resetting a password is different. It doesn't require the user to
know the previous password. By default, only administrators can reset
passwords, but any user can change his or her own password.
Knowing the difference between changing and resetting passwords takes on
a new importance in Windows XP, thanks to a new security feature, which
can also cause a lot of trouble. Resetting a password will cause the
loss of access to certificates, private keys, Web page credentials, and
file share credentials. The password protects all of these areas. But if
you don't know the original password, you won't be able to retrieve your
data if you reset the password.
The best way to prevent this loss of access is to create a password
recovery disk, which you can do in both Windows XP Professional and Home
Edition. With this disk, you can reset the lost password and regain
access to the lost data. Next time, I'll tell you how to create a
password recovery disk.
Gary Chambers
Display Full Path In Address Bar!
Want to view a folder's complete path in the Address bar of an Explorer
window? That way, you know exactly what you're looking at.
Select Tools, Folder Options and click the View tab. Under Advanced
Settings, select "Display the full path in the address bar," then click
OK.
Gary Chambers
Wipe My Documents Off the Desktop!
Don't want your My Documents folder on the desktop, within easy reach of
others? Then remove it.
Right-click the desktop and select Properties. Select the Desktop tab,
then click the Customize Desktop button. Under Desktop items, deselect
My Documents, then click OK. If and when you want it back, just reselect
the same option.
Gary Chambers
Speed Up Your Network Places in Windows XP!
Advanced User's Please!
When using Windows XP's My Network Places to access shared resources on
computers running older versions of the Windows operating system, you
may have noticed that the process can be excruciatingly slow. What's the
reason for this slowdown? By default, Windows XP scans all remote
computers for scheduled tasks-a neat, but seldom used, feature.
However, you can override this configuration with a simple registry
edit. Follow these steps:
1. Open the Registry Editor (Regedit.exe).
I don't publish the actual hacks in my
newsletters! You can get this one at my
Customer Support Site!
This is a Free Site that I am combining several sites to. All that
you have to do is register if you haven't already!
6. Right-click the key, and select Delete.
7. Close the Registry Editor, and restart Windows XP for the change to
take effect.
Note:
Editing the registry is risky, so make sure you have a verified backup
before saving any changes.
http://internetfixes1.brinkster.net/registry_tips/registry.htm
Gary Chambers
Query Log Files With Log Parser In Windows 2000
Pro!
The ability to analyze logs is important regardless of how many or how
few services and applications you run. A system's logs are the first
place to look when troubleshooting erratic system behavior or attempting
to identify a security breach.
Win2K Professional's Event Viewer offers some options for sorting and
analyzing event logs, but your needs may often exceed Event Viewer's
capabilities. If that's the case, try Microsoft's Log Parser. This tool
enables you to run queries against logs and direct the results to a
file, the screen, or a SQL database. Log Parser is a great tool for
searching for specific information in large log files. It's also handy
when you need to convert a log file from one format to another.
Log Parser supports several log formats including IISW3C, IIS, ODBC,
W3C, and text files. It supports seven output formats for exporting data
either to other log file types, to a SQL database, or to the screen.
Adding Log Parser to your management toolbox will give you much more
control over a system's logs. It will also simplify troubleshooting and
system and security analysis.
You can download Log Parser from Microsoft's Web site.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/downloads/
tools/logparser/default.asp
Gary Chambers
Bind More Than One IP Address To A Single NIC
In Windows 98!
In unusual circumstances, you may need to bind more than one statically
assigned IP address to a single network interface card (NIC) in a
Windows 9x computer. The graphical user interface (GUI) of the Networks
applet in Control Panel accepts only one IP address and associated
subnet mask, but you can enter more addresses directly into the
registry.
Follow these steps to assign more than one IP address via the registry:
1. Open the registry (Regedit.exe).
I don't publish the actual hacks in my
newsletters! You can get this one at my
Customer Support Site!
This is a Free Site that I am combining several sites to. All that
you have to do is register if you haven't already!
4. Close the registry and restart the computer.
To switch between and view the IP addresses, use the builder button in
Winipcfg.exe.
Note:
Editing the registry is risky, so be sure you have a verified backup
before saving any changes.
Gary Chambers
Being Prepared For The Worst Will Stand You In
Good Stead In Case Of A System Meltdown. Your preparation will save you
time and trouble during that nerve-wracking initial stage of disaster
recovery, considerably ease your tension and anxiety, and ensure a
smoother, more focused approach of the final stages.
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