Messages

76

Wireless Problem/solutions / What Is the Difference Between Broadband & Wireless Routers?

« on: October 02, 2012, 03:54:59 PM »

Home-based routers often combine many technologies into one unit, including broadband and wireless access.

The terms wireless and broadband are bandied about in a world of evolving Internet technologies. Routers play an important part in helping users access these services, but "broadband" and "wireless" often apply to different aspects of that access. Wireless and broadband have many key differences, but these are mostly semantic.
The Difference Between the Words

The words "wireless" and "broadband" simply refer to two major groups of communications methods. The word "wireless" refers to communication through radio frequencies, while "broadband" pertains to any type of high-speed communications media, which can be wired or wireless. Broadband connections include Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) and cable Internet services. Wireless can include cellular radio frequencies or 802.11 wireless Ethernet services.
Routers vs. Modems

The term "broadband router" is often a misnomer, since broadband is typically delivered over a long-range network medium such as coaxial cables or telephone wires. These media require modems, which convert these kinds of cables into a compatible computer or router connection. A router, in turn, can be connected to this broadband modem, thus providing additional connective capability. Some companies make all-in-one units that include both the modem and a router in one housing, though typically the two are separate. Consumer-level routers are often sold as "broadband" routers, since they are designed to receive an RJ-45 (a plug that is similar to a telephone wire in shape, but larger) cable connection from a broadband router and share it with other computers.
"Broadband" vs. "Wireless" Routers

Wireless routers are often broadband routers with the added capability for devices to connect via compatible 802.11A, -B, -G or --N signal standards. When a wireless router does not have the ability to connect other wired devices, it is typically referred to as a wireless access point. All of these routers come with an RJ-45 port set apart from the other ports and labeled "Internet" or "external." This port connects to the broadband service.
Wireless Broadband From Cellular Companies

A new form of "wireless router" has become more prevalent, because of the popularity of cellular broadband networks. These routers are unique in that their "broadband" connection is actually the wireless 3G or 4G connection used by smartphones to browse the Internet. The purpose of these devices remains the same, allowing multiple devices, such as computers, to connect through a single broadband connection.

77

Wireless Problem/solutions / The Best Wireless Broadband Access

« on: October 02, 2012, 03:53:44 PM »

Wireless routers are available at electronics stores and other retail outlets.

Getting the best wireless (Wi-Fi) broadband service depends on a number of factors. You can use wireless broadband with virtually any service provider simply by installing a wireless router in your home. A good wireless broadband connection will ensure relative stability and consistently good upload and download speeds. It will also allow you to surf the Internet from any spot in the home.
Getting the Hardware

For wireless broadband, you will need to buy the appropriate hardware. This includes the wireless router itself and, for each computer connected wirelessly to the Internet, a wireless network card. All newer laptop computers already provide a built-in wireless network card. The latest wireless standard is 802.11n, but many devices still use 802.11b or 802.11g. If you are building a new wireless network, it is best to go for 802.11n, since this provides improved range and stability. Ensure that both the network card and router conform to the same standard.
Correct Placement

The closer the wireless router and the computer are, the better the connection will be for the most part. "802.11n" has the highest range, but it is not only range that is important. Connection quality and signal strength also rely on having as clear a path between the devices as possible. The number of obstacles such as furniture and walls along the way should be minimal to ensure optimal performance.
Wireless Repeaters

Wireless repeaters extend the range of a wireless network by recording the signal and sending it back out again with renewed strength. Wireless repeaters can be a cheap and effective way of extending the range of the network or making connections across greater distances more stable.
HomePlug

HomePlug is a new technology which uses the electricity lines in your house to carry the data to and from the router. While this can be used to supply wired Internet connectivity anywhere in your home, it can also be used to extend wireless connectivity. You need a telephone socket to plug the router into, but you can also use a HomePlug adapter that supports wireless connectivity as an extremely effective ranger extender, providing a completely fresh signal wherever it is plugged in.

78

Windows XP / 10 registry hacks for hardening Windows XP security

« on: September 29, 2012, 09:35:06 AM »

Windows XP out of the box is not as secure as it could be. See how to make WinXP computers more secure by tweaking a few registry settings.

Windows XP walks the line between security and functionality, so there are plenty of vulnerabilities you need to address to help secure your XP machines. Windows expert Deb Shinder looks at some common risks and shares registry edits that will protect against them. Measures include:

    Disabling hidden administrative shares
    Controlling the applications that users can run
    Preventing Windows from storing an LM Hash of your password
    Disabling saved passwords for dialup networking
    Preventing null sessions

79

Booting Problem/Solutions / Tune Windows XP to speed up boot and shutdown times

« on: September 29, 2012, 09:31:28 AM »

A common annoyance for both IT professionals and end users is having to sit and wait while Windows reboots. This sample hack from OReilly's Windows XP Hacks, 2nd Edition shows how to tweak a PC's BIOS, the Windows Registry, and other Windows XP settings to streamline boot and shutdown times.

Title: Windows XP Hacks, 2nd Edition
ISBN: 0596009186
Published: February 2005
Author: Preston Gralla
Chapter: Hack 3: Speed Up Boot and Shutdown Times
Published by O'Reilly

80

Booting Problem/Solutions / Diagnose boot problems in Windows XP using MSCONFIG

« on: September 29, 2012, 09:30:17 AM »

Original article by Steven Pittsley

Among all the wizards and utilities in Microsoft Windows XP is one great utility that has its roots in the Windows 9.x product line: the System Configuration Utility, or MSCONFIG. This handy utility allows you to make changes to boot files and startup parameters when troubleshooting boot problems. I’ll teach you all about the features included with MSCONFIG so you can eradicate pesky boot problems from a Windows XP workstation.
Launching MSCONFIG

To use MSCONFIG, click the Start button and select Run. In the Open box, type MSCONFIG and click OK. The utility will open, as illustrated in Figure A.



The MSCONFIG window contains six tabs: General, SYSTEM.INI, WIN.INI, BOOT.INI, Services, and Startup. We’ll take a closer look at each of these tabs in the following sections.
The General tab

The MSCONFIG General tab gives you some basic options for starting a computer. As shown in Figure A, the default setting for the utility is Normal Startup. The other two options for starting the computer are Diagnostic Startup and Selective Startup.

Diagnostic Startup allows you to start the computer with only the most basic devices and services that are needed for the computer to run. This startup gives you a clean environment for troubleshooting.

Selective Startup provides a variety of startup options that you can use for troubleshooting. By default, all the options under Selective Startup are chosen. However, deselecting one of these preselected options allows you to prevent one or more of the Selective Startup options from running.

For instance, if you think one of the programs that launch on startup is causing a problem, you can deselect the Load Startup Items option to prevent any startup program from launching. While this won’t help you determine which program is causing the problem, it will help you isolate the problem to a certain area. Please note that you’re unable to select the Use Modified BOOT.INI file unless you make a change on the BOOT.INI tab, which I’ll discuss later.

Finally, the Launch System Restore button provides easy access to the System Restore function, and the Expand File button is a very useful feature if you encounter a corrupted file and want to restore it.
The SYSTEM.INI and WIN.INI tabs

The SYSTEM.INI and WIN.INI tabs are included for legacy compatibility, and you may not need to use them very often. These tabs give you the ability to modify the SYSTEM.INI and WIN.INI files or prevent lines of code from executing when the computer is started.

In Figure B, each line of the SYSTEM.INI file is displayed in the window. Sections of the file, such as drivers, are expandable to allow you to work with the lines of code in those sections. You can also deselect a section to prevent the entire section from being executed.
Figure B



The Move Up and Move Down buttons allow you to move lines or sections to other locations in the file. The Find button is used to search the file; the New button lets you add new lines; and Edit lets you change the value of a line. The Enable All and Disable All buttons at the bottom of the window will select or deselect all the lines of the program. Using these buttons to alter these files is much easier and safer than using a text editor to perform the same tasks.

As you can see in Figure C, the WIN.INI tab provides the same functionality as the SYSTEM.INI tab.
Figure C



Boot options using the BOOT.INI tab

The BOOT.INI tab, shown in Figure D, gives you many options for starting the computer. The top portion of the window contains the BOOT.INI file that the computer is currently using. You cannot edit this file using MSCONFIG. You can change the timeout value for the boot menu. Even if you can’t edit the file, it is easy to view the file when you use MSCONFIG.
Figure D



Three of the four buttons provided in this window are for editing purposes and are grayed out by default. The Check All Boot Paths button is used to verify that the boot paths in the BOOT.INI file are correct. When you click this button, you’ll receive either an error message you can use for troubleshooting or a window alerting you that the boot paths have been verified.
Boot option pane

The most valuable functions on the BOOT.INI tab are the boot options, which are explained below. You can use these choices for a variety of troubleshooting techniques:

    /SAFEBOOT gives you suboptions for starting the computer.
        /SAFEBOOT with MINIMAL starts the computer in Safe Mode.
        /SAFEBOOT with NETWORK starts the computer in Safe Mode with networking support.
        Note: /SAFEBOOT with NETWORK does not load the normal network configuration; instead, it loads a generic TCP/IP network configuration.
        /SAFEBOOT with DSREPAIR is used to repair Directory Services on Domain Controllers.
        /SAFEBOOT with MINIMAL (ALTERNATESHELL) starts the computer in Safe Mode with Command Prompt.
    /NOGUIBOOT starts the computer without the VGA video driver that displays graphics during the boot process and Blue Screen crash information.
    /BOOTLOG enables boot logging to help you debug and troubleshoot startup problems.
    /BASEVIDEO starts the computer using a standard VGA video driver, as opposed to the one installed for the graphics card.
    /SOS causes the driver names to be displayed when they’re loaded. You can use this switch to diagnose driver-related issues.

The BOOT.INI Advanced Options screen, shown in Figure E, offers you more options for starting your computer:

    /MAXMEM limits the amount of memory that Windows XP can use. You can use this switch if you believe that your system has a bad memory chip.
    /NUMPROC limits the number of processors used in a multiprocessor system.
    /PCILOCK stops Windows XP from dynamically assigning system resources to PCI devices. The devices will use the BIOS configuration instead.
    /DEBUG starts the computer in debugging mode. It allows you to configure the machine with three additional suboptions, as follows:
        /DEBUG with /DEBUGPORT specifies the communications port to be used for debugging.
        /DEBUG with /BAUDRATE specifies the baud rate to be used for debugging. The default baud rate is 9600 with a modem and 19200 with a null-modem cable.
        /DEBUG with /CHANNEL specifies the 1394 communications channel for debugging.

Figure E


Working with the Services tab

The MSCONFIG Services tab, shown in Figure F, allows you to prevent specific services from starting when the computer is started. This is extremely useful when you’re troubleshooting service-related problems.
Figure F



Troubleshooting using the Startup tab

The Startup tab lets you prevent items in your startup folder from starting when you log in. As you can see in Figure G, you can simply deselect the service to prevent it from starting. If you want to disable all the services, click the Disable All button. To enable all the services again, click the Enable All button.
Figure G



My favorite feature

The System Configuration Utility is easy to use and will help you troubleshoot a wide variety of Windows XP boot problems. The ease with which you can temporarily modify the boot files, system services, and startup files makes MSCONFIG an extremely useful troubleshooting utility. The best troubleshooting features I have found are the boot options located within the BOOT.INI tab. Remember to use caution when manipulating boot option parameters and always write down any changes you make in case you get stuck.

81

Booting Problem/Solutions / 10 things you can do when Windows XP won't boot

« on: September 29, 2012, 09:27:02 AM »

1: Use a Windows startup disk

One of the first things you should reach for when troubleshooting a Windows XP boot problem is a Windows startup disk. This floppy disk can come in handy if the problem is being caused when either the startup record for the active partition or the files that the operating system uses to start Windows have become corrupted.

To create a Windows startup disk, insert a floppy disk into the drive of a similarly configured, working Windows XP system, launch My Computer, right-click the floppy disk icon, and select the Format command from the context menu. When you see the Format dialog box, leave all the default settings as they are and click the Start button. Once the format operation is complete, close the Format dialog box to return to My Computer, double-click the drive C icon to access the root directory, and copy the following three files to the floppy disk:

    Boot.ini
    NTLDR
    Ntdetect.com

After you create the Windows startup disk, insert it into the floppy drive on the afflicted system and press [Ctrl][Alt][Delete] to reboot the computer. When you boot from the Windows startup disk, the computer will bypass the active partition and boot files on the hard disk and attempt to start Windows XP normally.
#2: Use Last Known Good Configuration

You can also try to boot the operating system with the Last Known Good Configuration feature. This feature will allow you to undo any changes that caused problems in the CurrentControlSet registry key, which defines hardware and driver settings. The Last Known Good Configuration feature replaces the contents of the CurrentControlSet registry key with a backup copy that was last used to successfully start up the operating system.

To use the Last Known Good Configuration feature, first restart the computer by pressing [Ctrl][Alt][Delete]. When you see the message Please select the operating system to start or hear the single beep, press [F8] to display the Windows Advanced Options menu. Select the Last Known Good Configuration item from the menu and press [Enter].

Keep in mind that you get only one shot with the Last Known Good Configuration feature. In other words, if it fails to revive your Windows XP on the first attempt, the backup copy is also corrupt.
#3: Use System Restore

Another tool that might be helpful when Windows XP won’t boot is System Restore. System Restore runs in the background as a service and continually monitors system-critical components for changes. When it detects an impending change, System Restore immediately makes backup copies, called restore points, of these critical components before the change occurs. In addition, System Restore is configured by default to create restore points every 24 hours.

To use System Restore, first restart the computer by pressing [Ctrl][Alt][Delete]. When you see the message Please select the operating system to start or hear the single beep, press [F8] to display the Windows Advanced Options menu. Now, select the Safe Mode item from the menu and press [Enter].

Once Windows XP boots into Safe mode, click the Start button, access the All Programs | Accessories | System Tools menu, and select System Restore. Because you’re running in Safe mode, the only option on the opening screen of the System Restore wizard is Restore My Computer To An Earlier Time, and it’s selected by default, so just click Next. Then, follow along with the wizard to select a restore point and begin the restoration procedure.
#4: Use Recovery Console

When a Windows XP boot problem is severe, you’ll need to use a more drastic approach. The Windows XP CD is bootable and will provide you with access to a tool called Recovery Console.

To boot from the Windows XP CD, insert it into the CD-ROM drive on the problem system and press [Ctrl][Alt][Delete] to reboot the computer. Once the system begins booting from the CD, simply follow the prompts that will allow the loading of the basic files needed to run Setup. When you see the Welcome To Setup screen, shown in Figure A, press R to start the Recovery Console.
Figure A
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Recovery console

You’ll then see a Recovery Console menu, like the one shown in Figure B. It displays the folder containing the operating system’s files and prompts you to choose the operating system you want to log on to. Just press the menu number on the keyboard, and you’ll be prompted to enter the Administrator’s password. You’ll then find yourself at the main Recovery Console prompt.
Figure B
Choose your OS
#5: Fix a corrupt Boot.ini

As the Windows XP operating system begins to load, the Ntldr program refers to the Boot.ini file to determine where the operating system files reside and which options to enable as the operating system continues to load. So if there’s a problem rooted in the Boot.ini file, it can render Windows XP incapable of booting correctly.

If you suspect that Windows XP won’t boot because Boot.ini has been corrupted, you can use the special Recovery Console version of the Bootcfg tool to fix it. Of course, you must first boot the system with the Windows XP CD and access the Recovery Console as described in #4.

To use the Bootcfg tool, from the Recovery Console command prompt, type

Bootcfg /parameter

Where /parameter is one of these required parameters:

    /Add–Scans the disk for all Windows installations and allows you to add any new ones to the Boot.ini file.
    /Scan–Scans the disk for all Windows installations.
    /List–Lists each entry in the Boot.ini file.
    /Default–Sets the default operating system as the main boot entry.
    /Rebuild–Completely re-creates the Boot.ini file. The user must confirm each step.
    /Redirect–Allows the boot operation to be redirected to a specific port when using the Headless Administration feature. The Redirect parameter takes two parameters of its own, [Port Baudrate ] | [UseBiosSettings].
    /Disableredirect–Disables the redirection.

#6: Fix a corrupt partition boot sector

The partition boot sector is a small section of the hard disk partition that contains information about the operating system’s file system (NTFS or FAT32), as well as a very small machine language program that is crucial in assisting the operating system as it loads.

If you suspect that Windows XP won’t boot because the partition boot sector has been corrupted, you can use a special Recovery Console tool called Fixboot to fix it. Start by booting the system with the Windows XP CD and accessing the Recovery Console as described in #4.

To use the Fixboot tool, from the Recovery Console command prompt, type

Fixboot [drive]:

Where [drive] is the letter of the drive to which you want to write a new partition boot sector.
#7: Fix a corrupt master boot record

The master boot record occupies the first sector on the hard disk and is responsible for initiating the Windows boot procedure. The master boot record contains the partition table for the disk as well as a small program called the master boot code, which is responsible for locating the active, or bootable, partition, in the partition table. Once this occurs, the partition boot sector takes over and begins loading Windows. If the master boot record is corrupt, the partition boot sector can’t do its job and Windows won’t boot.

If you suspect Windows XP won’t boot because the master boot record has been corrupted, you can use the Recovery Console tool Fixmbr to fix it. First, boot the system with the Windows XP CD and access the Recovery Console as described in #4.

To use the Fixmbr tool, from the Recovery Console command prompt, type

Fixmbr [device_name]

Where [device_name] is the device pathname of the drive to which you want to write a new master boot record. For example, the device pathname format for a standard bootable drive C configuration would look like this:

DeviceHardDisk0

#8: Disable automatic restart

When Windows XP encounters a fatal error, the default setting for handling such an error is to automatically reboot the system. If the error occurs while Windows XP is booting, the operating system will become stuck in a reboot cycle–rebooting over and over instead of starting up normally. In that case, you’ll need to disable the option for automatically restarting on system failure.

When Windows XP begins to boot up and you see the message Please select the operating system to start or hear the single beep, press [F8] to display the Windows Advanced Options Menu. Then, select the Disable The Automatic Restart On System Failure item and press [Enter]. Now, Windows XP will hang up when it encounters the error and with any luck, it will display a stop message you can use to diagnose the problem.
#9: Restore from a backup

If you can’t seem to repair a Windows XP system that won’t boot and you have a recent backup, you can restore the system from the backup media. The method you use to restore the system will depend on what backup utility you used, so you’ll need to follow the utility’s instructions on how to perform a restore operation.
#10: Perform an in-place upgrade

If you can’t repair a Windows XP system that won’t boot and you don’t have a recent backup, you can perform an in-place upgrade. Doing so reinstalls the operating system into the same folder, just as if you were upgrading from one version of Windows to another. An in-place upgrade will usually solve most, if not all, Windows boot problems.

Performing a Windows XP in-place upgrade is pretty straightforward. To begin, insert the Windows XP CD into the drive, restart your system, and boot from the CD. Once the initial preparation is complete, you’ll see the Windows XP Setup screen (shown earlier in Figure A). Press [Enter] to launch the Windows XP Setup procedure. In a moment, you’ll see the License Agreement page and will need to press [F8] to acknowledge that you agree. Setup will then search the hard disk looking for a previous installation of Windows XP. When it finds the previous installation, you’ll see a second Windows XP Setup screen, as shown in Figure C.
Figure C
In-place upgrade

This screen will prompt you to press R to repair the selected installation or to press [Esc] to install a fresh copy of Windows XP. In this case, initiating a repair operation is synonymous with performing an in-place upgrade, so you’ll need to press R. When you do so, Setup will examine the disk drives in the system. It will then begin performing the in-place upgrade.

Keep in mind that after you perform an in-place upgrade or repair installation, you must reinstall all updates to Windows.

82

Booting Problem/Solutions / Five tips for dealing with Windows boot problems

« on: September 29, 2012, 09:25:30 AM »

1: Boot from the install disk

This solution, of course, relies on the chance that you actually have an install disk. So many computers are sold without them that this method is often overlooked. If you have an install disk, just boot from it and keep clicking until you get the option to Repair Your Computer. When you’ve managed to reach that point, it’s just a matter of walking through a fairly painless wizard that should repair your non-booting Windows installation. Within this wizard, you will eventually get to a Startup Repair section. That’s what you’re shooting for.

2: Fix your MBR

The master boot record (MBR) is that partition (or sector) of your drive that holds critical information for the boot process. Without the MBR, your machine won’t be able to boot. An MBR can be rendered useless in many ways. For example, say you are dual booting. In the process of installing the second operating system, you overwrite the MBR, and the original OS is not compatible with what the second OS has written. Whatever the reason, the solution is fairly straightforward. You need to get to the command prompt (you can do this using the installation disk in the same way you reached the Startup Repair option). Once you get to the command prompt, type bootrec /fixmbr. Now, if you’ve installed Windows XP to dual boot with Windows 7 (and you installed Windows XP last), you will notice that Windows 7 probably doesn’t boot any more. You need to overwrite the Windows XP MBR with a Windows 7 MBR using the command bootsect /nt60 all. Note: Depending upon how you’ve installed your setup, you might have to replace all with a drive letter

3: Try Safe Mode

If you’re lucky, the inability to boot will be a simple issue that can be resolved from within Safe Mode. Safe Mode is a special mode for Windows that doesn’t load all the drivers and subsystems that Standard Mode uses. To get into Safe Mode, hit the [F8] key as soon as your BIOS has posted. If you can get into Windows using Safe Mode, you can run chkdsk /r on your drive as well as a registry cleaning tool and other cleaning tools (rootkit, virus, etc.).

4: Back up

At the consulting firm I work for, we use Acronis. Acronis has a Universal Restore feature that will allow you to restore an image to different hardware. This works great IF the client manages their backups. (If they can’t manage them, we manage them.) With a full backup image of the non-booting machine, you can restore using your backup tool software –as long as it offers a full restore from image. If your current backup solution doesn’t offer a restore from image, consider migrating to one that does. This option will save you time and money in the end.

5: Reinstall

This is the last-ditch effort. It also points back to the previous option, with the hope that you have backed up all your data. As you well know, the reinstallation of Windows will wipe out your data as well as any installed applications. So going this route means you will not only have to transfer your data, you will also have to reinstall all applications. If you are not a large shop that works with pre-bundled images, you will have to take the time to get the machine back to where it was. This can be an incredible pain, so make sure you exhaust the other solutions before it comes to this. The good news about this option is that when your machine is back up, it will be factory fresh and will run like a champ.

83

Booting Problem/Solutions / Computer Boot Problems

« on: September 29, 2012, 09:17:54 AM »

What to do?

It can be a heart-wrenching experience. You push that power button, and all hell breaks loose. Beeps, error messages, red X’s, BSOD’s (Blue Screen of Death) are everywhere. Or, even worse, nothing at all. Deadly silence. What’s going on?

The first rule is to stay calm. Panicking, yelling, cursing and throwing things won’t help – though it might make you feel better for a second. But to troubleshoot and resolve the problem, a clear head is imperative. Be systematic and approach the problem logically. The troubleshooting steps below will take a methodical approach to help you figure out why your PC is not booting correctly or not booting at all. Some of the steps might sound silly to you, but please don’t ignore those steps! Every single problem and solution in this article has happened to somebody at some point. Most of them it takes only a few seconds to check, take the time to do so.

Automatic tool for repairing rebooting problems

Nothing happens at all

Start with the power. Is the power cable plugged in correctly into a UPS, surge protector, power strip, or wall outlet? Is the wall outlet where the power comes from controlled by a wall switch that was turned off accidentally? Is the power strip turned on? Is the light on the UPS or power strip on, indicating that it has power? Is the power cable plugged into the back of the computer correctly? The socket on the back of the computer where the power cable goes in is part of the power supply in your PC. Some power supplies have a separate on/off switch, usually labeled 0/1. Is that switch turned on? Check the voltage – most power supplies have a switch to change between 115 and 230V – and make sure it is set correctly.

The power comes on but the monitor stays black

Is the power cable for the monitor plugged in correctly? Is the monitor turned on? Is the cable from the video card to the monitor plugged in correctly? Is the video card seated properly? Take the cover off of the case, remove the video card and insert it again properly, then try again.

If everything is connected and powered up correctly, push the power button again and pay close attention: do any lights on the front of the PC blink or light up? Does the fan in the power supply start whirring? This could indicate a hardware problem. Try to think what happened right before the problem started. Did you add a new piece of hardware? If so, it might be faulty or not installed right. Remove it, then try again. If everything is fine without the hardware, try to reinstall and configure the hardware again. If that does not help, try exchanging it and see if that corrects the problem. If the error persists, narrow it down systematically. Remove everything but the CPU, memory, keyboard, and video card, then boot again. Does the error still occur? If not, then add one piece of hardware and try again. Repeat until one new component causes the error and you now know who the culprit is. If yes, then reseat your CPU, memory and video card and try again. If the error still happens, try replacing the CPU, video card and memory one by one to see if one of them is the troublemaker. If that does not help, you could have a bad motherboard. Check the motherboard carefully for any signs of damage. Also check for shorts, a metallic object could have found its way onto the motherboard, or the motherboard is not installed correctly and touches the case somewhere.

Another possible cause could be incorrect CPU settings. If you replaced the CPU with a different one, be sure to choose the correct settings for multiplier and bus speed, either via jumpers on the motherboard or a menu in the BIOS. Consult the manual for the correct setup. If you can’t even get into the BIOS to change the settings, use the jumper on the motherboard to clear the BIOS and load the default settings, it should allow you to boot

84

Internet / Search your Topic

« on: September 14, 2012, 08:43:58 PM »

http://mediafiresearch.net/
http://www.searchshared.com/
http://www.mediafire-files.com/
http://www.mediafirehunt.com/
http://www.mediafirerush.com/
http://filetram.com/
http://rapidlibrary.com/
http://www.filecatch.com/
http://www.filecrop.com/
http://fileslace.com/
http://www.filesonicsearch.com/
http://www.filesspy.com/software/

85

Attractive Solution for PC / সহজেই ফরম্যাট করুন রাইট প্রটেক্টেড পেনড্ø

« on: September 06, 2012, 08:44:09 PM »

তথ্য আদান-প্রদান করার ক্ষেত্রে পেনড্রাইভ একটি সহজ ও গুরুত্বপূর্ণ মাধ্যম । গুরুত্বপূর্ণ এই পেনড্রাইভটি ভাইরাসের কারণে বা অন্য কোন কারণে রাইট প্রটেক্টেড হয়ে যেতে পারে। অর্থাৎ রাইট প্রটেক্টেড হওয়া পেনড্রাইভটি পিসিতে প্রবেশ করালে লেখা আসে “This disk is write protected”। এমতাবস্থায় পেনড্রাইভটি ফরম্যাট করার প্রয়োজন হয়। কিন্তু দেখা যায় সাধারণ নিয়মে কিছু কিছু পেনড্রাইভ ফরম্যাট হয় না।

তখন ভিন্নধরণের পদ্ধতি অনুসরণ করার প্রয়োজন পরে পেনড্রাইভটি ফরমেট করার জন্য। নিচে পেনড্রাইভ ফরম্যাট করার দুটি পদ্ধতি দেয়া হল। আমি ২ নং পদ্ধতিতে দুটি পেনড্রাইভ ফরম্যাট করার চেস্টা করেছিলাম, তারমধ্যে একটি ফরমেট হয়েছে অপরটি হয়নি। এজন্য চেস্টা করুন ভাইরাসযুক্ত কম্পিউটারে যেন আপনার পেনড্রাইভ প্রবেশ না করা হয়।

রাইট প্রটেক্টেট পেনড্রাইভটি প্রথমেই একটি ভাল ইন্টারনেট সিকিউরিটি বা অ্যান্টিভাইরাস সফটওয়্যার দিয়ে স্ক্যান করে নিন তারপর নিচের যেকোন একটি পদ্ধতি ভালভাবে অনুসরণ করুন ।

পদ্ধতি ১¦ প্রথমে মাই কম্পিউটারের উপর রাইট ক্লিক করে ম্যানেজ এ ক্লিক করুন। এরপর স্টোরেজ এর অধিনে থাকা ডিস্ক ম্যানেজমেন্ট এ একবার ক্লিক করুন, দেখবেন ডান পাশে পেনড্রাইভসহ সব ড্রাইভের তালিকা আসবে। সেখান থেকে পেনড্রাইভের উপর মাউস রেখে ডান বাটনে ক্লিক করে ফরম্যাট করলে পেনড্রাইভ ফরম্যাট হবে।



এই পদ্ধতি অনুযায়ী ফরম্যাট না হলে নিচের পদ্ধতিটি অনুসরণ করুন।

পদ্ধতি ২¦ প্রথমে রান এ গিয়ে টাইপ করুন "Regedit" এবং ওকে চাপুন । এবার "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE >> SYSTEM > >CurrentControlSet > >Control এ যান।



এখন Control এর নিচে StorageDevicePolicies নামক একটি Key যোগ করতে হবে। এজন্য Control এর উপর রাইট ক্লিক করে New থেকে Key তে ক্লিক করুন। এরপর টাইপ করুন StorageDevicePolicies। এ অবস্থায় মেনুবার থেকে এডিট>নিউ>DWORD Valueতে যান। এখানে টাইপ করুন WriteProtect। WriteProtect এর উপর রাইট ক্লিক করে Modify এ ক্লিক করুন। এখন আপনার Value তে 1 থাকলে 0 করে দিন। ওকে করুন।


পিসি রিস্টার্ট করুন। এরপর সাধারণ নিয়মে পেনড্রাইভের উপর মাউস রেখে ডান বাটনে ক্লিক করে ফরম্যাট অপশনে গিয়ে ফরম্যাট করুন।

86

Science & Modern Technology / ডার্পার চিতা রোবট ২৮.৩ মাইল/ঘণ্টা বেগে দৌড়া&#

« on: September 06, 2012, 08:31:48 PM »

( DARPA - ডিফেন্স অ্যাডভানস রিসার্চ প্রজেক্ট এজেন্সি) সব সময়ই কিছু না কিছু অদ্ভুত ধরনের প্রজেক্টের উপর কাজ করে। যদিও তাদের উদ্দেশ্য সেই গবেষণার ফলাফলকে সামরিকবাহিনীতে ব্যবহার করা, কিন্তু তারপরেও আমাদের সাধারণ মানুষের আগ্রহ থাকেই। তার মূল কারণ হলো ইন্টারনেট। এই ডার্পা-ই প্রথম চালু করেছিল ইন্টারনেট। সেই ইন্টারনেট সামরিক কার্যক্রম ছাড়িয়ে এখন আমাদের সবার জীবনকে ছুঁয়ে গেছে।



সেই ডার্পা এখন রোবট তৈরিতে অনেক টাকা বিনিয়োগ করে চলেছে। এবং তাদের সব রোবট যে ভালো কাজ করছে তা নয়। তবে কিছু কিছু ভালো ফলাফল পাওয়া যাচ্ছে বৈ কি।

তেমন একটি রোবটের নাম হলো চিতা। এই রোবটটি এমনভাবে তৈরি করা হচ্ছে যে, আশা করা যায় অদূর ভবিষ্যতেই এই রোবটকে যুদ্ধক্ষেত্রে কাজে লাগানো যাবে। এবং এরা কমবেট যুদ্ধে অংশ গ্রহণ করতে পারবে।

এই চিতা রোবটটি ঠিক চার পা বিশিষ্ট চিতার মতোই। মূলত চিতাকে অনুকরণ করেই এটা তৈরি করা হয়েছে। তবে এখন ওর গতি চিতার মতো হয়ে ওঠেনি - কাছাকাছি বলা যেতে পারে।

এই চিতা সম্প্রতি ঘণ্টায় ২৮.৩ মাইল দৌড়ানোর রেকর্ড সৃষ্টি করেছে। এর অর্থ হলো, এই চিতা যদি সত্যি সত্যি কাজে নেমে পড়ে, তাহলে পৃথিবীর আর কোনও প্রাণী তাকে দৌড়িয়ে ধরতে পারবে না। এমনকি এই পৃথিবীর দ্রুততম মানব উসাইন বোল্টও তাকে ধরতে পারবে না, কারণ বোল্টের গতি হলো ঘণ্টায় ২৭.৭৮ মাইল।

[embed=425,349]<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/d2D71CveQwo?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>[/embed]

সাধারণ একজন সৈন্য খুব বেশি হলে ১০০ পাউন্ডের মত ওজন বহন করতে সক্ষম, তাও বেশিক্ষণের জন্য নয়। কিন্তু অনেক সময় সৈন্যদেরকে এমন সব স্থানে যেতে হয় যেখানে গাড়ি নিয়ে যাওয়া সম্ভব নয়। আর তাই মার্কিন যুক্তরাষ্ট্রের সামরিক গবেষণামূলক প্রতিষ্ঠান ডার্পা ঘোড়া বা গাধা সাদৃশ্য রোবট আলফা ডগ তৈরি করেছে।

87

Shortcut Key / How do I create a Windows shortcut key?

« on: September 04, 2012, 05:03:24 PM »

Create a shortcut

    Open the folder or directory that contains the program you wish to create a shortcut for.
    Right-click on the program and click Create Shortcut.
    This will create a shortcut named "Shortcut to <your program>" in the directory you are in. If you wish to rename this shortcut, right-click the file and click rename.
    Once the above steps have been completed, you can copy or cut this shortcut and paste it anywhere to execute this program.

Assign shortcut key to that Windows shortcut

Once the shortcut has been created to assign a shortcut key to that Windows shortcut follow the below steps.

    Right-click the shortcut and click Properties.
    Click the Shortcut tab.
    Click in the Shortcut key box and press a letter. For example, if you press "p" the shortcut key will automatically be made Ctrl + Alt + P. Which means if saved when pressing Ctrl and Alt and "P" all at the same time will run that shortcut.

88

Shortcut Key / Mozilla Firefox shortcut keys

« on: September 04, 2012, 05:02:46 PM »

Shortcut Keys   Description
Alt + Home   Go to home page.
Alt + Left Arrow   Back a page.
Backspace   Back a page.
Alt + Right Arrow   Forward a page.
F5   Refresh current page, frame, or tab.
F11   Display the current website in full screen mode. Pressing F11 again will exit this mode.
Esc   Stop page or download from loading.
Ctrl + (- or +)   Increase or decrease the font size, pressing '-' will decrease and '+' will increase.
Ctrl + Enter   Quickly complete an address. For example, type computerhope in the address bar and press CTRL + ENTER to get http://www.computerhope.com.
Shift + Enter   Complete a .net instead of a .com address.
Ctrl + Shift + Enter   Complete a .org address.
Ctrl + Shift + Del   Open the Clear Data window to quickly clear private data.
Ctrl + D   Add a bookmark for the page currently opened.
Ctrl + I   Display available bookmarks.
Ctrl + J   Display the download window.
Ctrl + N   Open New browser window.
Ctrl + P   Print current page or frame.
Ctrl + T   Opens a new tab.
Ctrl + F4 or Ctrl + W   Closes the currently selected tab.
Ctrl + Shift + T   Undo the close of a window.
Ctrl + Tab   Moves through each of the open tabs.
Spacebar   Moves down a page at a time.
Shift + Spacebar   Moves up a page at a time.
Alt + Down arrow   Display all previous text entered in a text box and available options on drop down menu.

89

Shortcut Key / Microsoft Outlook shortcut keys

« on: September 04, 2012, 05:02:22 PM »

Shortcut Keys   Description
Alt + S   Send the e-mail
Ctrl + Enter   Send the e-mail you're composing.
Ctrl + C   Copy selected text.
Ctrl + X   Cut selected text.
Ctrl + P   Print selected text.
Ctrl + K   Complete the name or e-mail being typed in the e-mail address bar.
Ctrl + B   Bold highlighted selection
Ctrl + I   Italic highlighted selection
Ctrl + M   Send and receive all
Ctrl + U   Underline highlighted selection
Ctrl + R   Reply to an e-mail.
Ctrl + F   Forward an e-mail.
Ctrl + N   Create a new e-mail.
Ctrl + Y   Go to folder.
Ctrl + Shift + A   Create a new appointment to your calendar.
Ctrl + Shift + O   Open the Outbox.
Ctrl + Shift + I   Open the Inbox.
Ctrl + Shift + K   Add a new task.
Ctrl + Shift + C   Create a new contact.
Ctrl + Shift + J   Create a new journal entry.
Ctrl + Shift + V   Move folder.

90

Shortcut Key / Microsoft FrontPage shortcut keys

« on: September 04, 2012, 05:02:03 PM »

Shortcut Keys   Description
Ctrl + C   Copy selected text.
Ctrl + X   Cut selected text.
Ctrl + P   Paste selected text.
Ctrl + K   Create a hyperlink.
Ctrl + B   Bold highlighted selection.
Ctrl + I   Italic highlighted selection.
Ctrl + U   Underline highlighted selection.
Ctrl + L   Left align the text.
Ctrl + R   Right align the text.
Ctrl + E   Center the text.
Ctrl + /   Turn on or off the display of HTML tags.
Ctrl + S   Save document.
Ctrl + Tab   Switch between open web pages.
Ctrl + Ins   Enter Line break.
Ctrl + Enter   Move cursor above or below a table.
Ctrl + Shift + B   Preview in web browser window.
Ctrl + Shift + <   Decrease font size.
Ctrl + Shift + >   Increase font size.
Ctrl + Del   Deletes word to right of cursor.
Ctrl + Backspace   Deletes word to left of cursor.
Alt + mouse double-click   View the properties of a selected item. For example, doing this on a table cell would display the properties for that cell.