Showing posts with label Windows XP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Windows XP. Show all posts


Version Check is a basic operation which every developer does while building applications. Wrong Conditions may cause Application Compatibility issues to both developers and users, when they look at migrating the existing applications to a newer OS. The Windows version is actually composed of a bunch of different fields, all packed into anOSVERSIONINFO structure.
The relevant parts of the OSVERSIONINFO are:
  • Major Version (dwMajorVersion)
  • Minor Version (dwMinorVersion)
  • Build # (dwBuildNumber)
List of Windows Client OS with their Version Numbers
Operating SystemVersion Number
Windows 1.01.04
Windows 2.02.11
Windows 3.03
Windows NT 3.13.10.528
Windows for Workgroups 3.113.11
Windows NT Workstation 3.53.5.807
Windows NT Workstation 3.513.51.1057
Windows 954.0.950
Windows NT Workstation 4.04.0.1381
Windows 984.1.1998
Windows 98 Second Edition4.1.2222
Windows Me4.90.3000
Windows 2000 Professional5.0.2195
Windows XP5.1.2600
Windows Vista6.0.6000
Windows 76.1.7600

Yochay Kiriaty says that “A lot can go wrong when version checking is misused. A user might experience a “silent fail” where the application simply fails to load and nothing happens. Or, a user might see a dialog box indicating something to the effect of “you must be running Microsoft Windows XP or later” when in fact, the computer is running Windows 7. Many other consequences to poor version checking can inconvenience users as well.”
Reference- Windows Team Blog



This is a tutorial of how to take an image, or backup, of a computer using Norton Ghost. I have used the Ghost program in the past and always found that the best recovery scenario was to use a restore floppy. It always worked just fine. This is a review of the Norton Ghost hard drive imaging process.

I downloaded the program from the Symantec site and installed it with no problems. I have a bad habit of not reading the directions and just trying the program. I don’t believe it should take a 5 hour training course to use a program that I am semi familiar with. This is what I found.
After the installation, live update and a reboot, this screen came up.

Easy Setup

I plugged in a Lacie external hard drive and Norton Ghost found it with 
no problems.

New storage device found

As you can see on the next screen, Norton scanned my system and recommended this strategy. Of course, I took the recommended settings.

recommended settings

The recommended settings on this screen looked like what I wanted to accomplish so I accepted it and clicked next.

Define Backup Wizard

Of course I wanted to choose my C Drive.

Choose Drive C

I had to think about this next screen for a minute. The recommended setting looked like what I wanted but the other choice said that I should always create an independent recovery point. I took the recommended setting and clicked next.

Recovery Point Type question

Norton Ghost chose my external drive as the backup destination.

Backup Destination

Then there were a couple other screens that really didn’t tell me much so I took the defaults to get to the next screen. This screen just tells you what the program is going to do. It looks good to me at this point, so I checked the Run Backup Now checkbox and smacked the Finish button.

Completion of the Define Backup Wizard

All is going well. As you can see, I can still work while the program executes its commands, which is a great feature.

Progress and Performance

When Norton Ghost was finished with the image, I checked to see if the file were indeed where it was supposed to be. It was.

View Image File Created






When due to an unexpected error, or reference, the OS (Windows NT, XP) thinks that system is under attack ‘Remote Procedure Call’ (RPC) calls for a shutdown in 60 seconds.

In such situation if one is not interested in shutting down th PC, then the solution is quite simple.

i.) Go to ’start’ and then to ‘run’.
ii.) Write here “shutdown.exe -a” (without quotes).


CONFICKER DETECTION TOOL 1.0.8

W32/Conficker.worm exploits the MS08-067 vulnerability in Microsft Windows Server Service. If the vulanerability is successfully exploited, it could allow remote code execution when file sharing is enabled. Machines should be patched and rebooted to clean the system, then rebooted again to provent reinfection.



McAfee has developed a utility that will assess for presence of the Conficker worm and identify which systems are already infected. We recommend that you download the McAfee Conficker Detection Tool.

Download Tool:



Applies to: Microsoft Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP

Symptoms

When you start your computer, you receive the error message "NTLDR is missing. Press any key to restart."

Cause

The error message "NTLDR is missing" means that the Windows boot loader (NT Loader, NTLDR) cannot be found. This often occurs when the computer tries to boot from a drive other than the one Windows is installed on, due to a change in the drive configuration or because you left a bootable disk in a removable drive. But it may also be because the NTLDR file has been corrupted or deleted.

SOLUTION

Check the boot drives

First, check the boot drives to make sure that the computer is not trying to boot from a different drive to the one that contains Windows.
  • Check that there are no CDs or DVDs in the CD/DVD drives.
  • Check that no removable drives are plugged in to the USB ports.
  • Check the boot order in the BIOS Setup to ensure that the computer boots from the drive containing Windows before any other bootable devices.
If this does not resolve the problem, you will have to repair the NT boot loader.

Fix NTLDR

The easiest way to fix the "NTLDR is missing" error is to use Spotmau PowerSuite. However, if your computer is using Windows XP and you have a Windows XP installation CD you may be able to boot from this and use the Recovery Console to fix NTLDR manually instead.
  • Insert the Spotmau PowerSuite CD and start the computer. The main menu will appear.
Spotmau PowerSuite
  • Click 2. Windows Recovery.
Spotmau PowerSuite
  • When the Windows Recovery tool starts, click Windows NT/2000/XP/2003.
Spotmau PowerSuite
  • On the Windows NT/2000/XP/2003 Recovery dialog, click Recover NTLDR and NTDETECT.
Spotmau PowerSuite
  • On the Recover NTLDR and NTDETECT dialog, select your operating system (e.g. Windows XP) and then click Recover.
Spotmau PowerSuite
The tool will repair the file and report "NTLDR and NTDETECT have been recovered successfully."
  • Remove the Spotmau PowerTools CD from the drive and click Restart to reboot the computer.

USING THE WINDOWS RECOVERY CONSOLE

The Windows 2000 and Windows XP CDs supplied by Microsoft has a tool called the Recovery Console which can be used to repair errors that prevent Windows XP from starting using the command line. OEM versions of Windows XP, including computers that were supplied with Windows XP preinstalled, may not have this utility.
  • Insert the Windows CD and start the computer.
  • When the Welcome to Setup screen appears, press R.
  • Type a number corresponding to the Windows installation you wish to repair (usually 1) and press Enter.
  • When prompted, type the administrator password and press Enter.
  • From the command prompt, copy NTLDR and NTDETECT.COM from the i386 folder of the CD to the root folder of the hard drive. In the example commands given below, C: is the hard drive and D: is the CD-ROM drive. You will need to change the drive letters if appropriate:
    COPY D:\I386\NTLDR C:\
    COPY D:\I386\NTDETECT.COM C:\
  • Remove the Windows XP CD from the drive and restart the computer.


Applies to: Microsoft Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP

Recover lost user password

If you have lost and forgotten the password of a user of the Windows computer, but can still log in to the system under another user, there are several ways you can regain access to the account.

SOLUTION

Check the boot drives

  • Check that there are no removable drives connected to the computer which it might be trying to boot from, including floppy disks and CDs / DVDs.
  • Go into the BIOS Setup utility and check that the hard disk settings are correct and that the first drive in the boot order is the hard disk.
If this does not resolve the issue then you will need to try repairing the hard disk boot sector. If you are using Windows 95/98/Me and have made a recovery disk then you can use this. If you have original Windows 2000 or Windows XP installation media then you can boot from this and use the Recovery Console to perform a repair from the command line.
If you don't have a bootable repair disk then the easiest way to fix this problem is to use Spotmau PowerSuite.

  • Insert the Spotmau PowerSuite CD and start the computer. The main menu will appear.
Spotmau PowerSuite
  • Click 1. Hard Disk Tools.
Spotmau PowerSuite
  • Click 1. Partition Genius.
Spotmau PowerSuite
  • Click 1. Partition Genius.
Spotmau PowerSuite
  • When Partition Genius starts, click Tools, Repair MBR.
Spotmau PowerSuite
  • You should see the message "Repair Master Boot Record (MBR) OK!" Click the X button to close Partition Genius, then restart the computer.

USING THE WINDOWS RECOVERY CONSOLE

If you have a Windows 2000 or Windows XP installation CD from Microsoft you may use the Recovery Console to run tools to repair the boot records.
  • Insert the Windows CD and start the computer.
  • When the Welcome to Setup screen appears, press R.
  • Select the Windows installation you wish to repair (usually number 1) and press Enter.
  • When prompted, type the administrator password and press Enter.
  • If the primary hard disk partition is a FAT partition, type the command:
    FIXBOOTand press Enter.
  • Type the command:
    FIXMBRand press Enter.
  • Remove the Windows XP CD from the drive and restart the computer.
If this does not resolve the problem:
  • Insert the Windows CD and start the computer.
  • When the Welcome to Setup screen appears, press Enter to set up Windows XP.
  • Press F8 to accept the license agreement.
  • Select the Windows installation you wish to repair and press Enter.
A repair installation of Windows will be performed.


What is the Recovery Console?
The Recovery Console is a special boot up method that can be used to help fix problems that are preventing your Windows installation from properly booting up into Windows. This method allows you to access the files, format drives, disable and enable services, and other tasks from a console prompt while the operating system is not loaded. It is suggested that the Recovery Console is to only be used only after Safe mode and the other standard startup options do not work. I feel that the Recovery Console is also useful in other situations such as removing malware files that start in both Safe mode and Standard Mode and thus not allowing you to delete the infection.
This tutorial will guide you through the installation of the Recovery Console and how to use it. For those who are familiar with DOS or the command prompt, you will find the Recovery Console to be very familiar. For those who are not comfortable with this type of environment, I suggest you read through this primer in order to get familiar with this type of interface:
How to install the Recovery Console to your hard drive
I recommend that you install the Recovery Console directly onto your computer so that if you need it in the future, it is readily available. The Recovery Console only takes up approximately 7 megabytes so there is no reason why you should not have it installed in case you need it.
To install the Recovery Console on your hard drive, follow these steps:
  1. Insert the Windows XP CD into your CD-ROM drive.
  2. Click the Start button.
  3. Click the Run menu option.
  4. In the Open: field type X:\i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons , where X is the drive letter for your CD reader, and press the OK button. An image of this step can be found below:



  5. After pressing the OK button a setup window will appear similar to the one below.


    Simply press the Yes button to continue with the installation of the Recovery Console. The setup program will then attempt to do a Dynamic Update to make sure you have the latest files as shown below.






    Simply allow it to continue and then when it is finished, you will be presented with a screen similar to the one below telling you so.


  6. Press the OK button and remove the CD from your computer.
Now when you start your computer you will have an option to start the Recovery Console.
How to start the Recovery Console
To start the Recovery Console when it is installed on your hard drive you would do the following:
  1. Reboot your computer and as Windows starts it will present you with your startup options as shown in the figure below.



  2. With the arrows keys on your keyboard select the option listed as Microsoft Windows Recovery Console and press the enter key on your keyboard.
  3. The Recovery Console will start and ask you which Windows installation you would like to log on to. If you have multiple Windows installations, it will list each one, and you would enter the number associated with the installation you would like to work on and press enter. If you have just one Windows installation, type 1 and press enter.
  4. It will then prompt you for the Administrator's password. If there is no password, simply pressenter. Otherwise type in the password and then press enter. If you do not know your password then see this.
  5. If you entered the correct password you will now be presented with a C:\Windows> prompt and you can start using the Recovery Console.
  6. Proceed to How to use the Recovery Console.
To start the Recovery Console directly from the Windows XP CD you would do the following:
  1. Insert the Windows XP cd in your computer.
  2. Restart your computer so you are booting off of the CD.
  3. When the Welcome to Setup screen appears, press the R button on your keyboard to start the Recovery Console.
  4. The Recovery Console will start and ask you which Windows installation you would like to log on to. If you have multiple Windows installations, it will list each one, and you would enter the number associated with the installation you would like to work on and press enter. If you have just one Windows installation, type 1 and press enter.
  5. It will then prompt you for the Administrator's password. If there is no password, simply pressenter. Otherwise type in the password and then press enter. If you do not know your password then see this.
  6. If you entered the correct password you will now be presented with a C:\Windows> prompt and you can start using the Recovery Console.
  7. Proceed to How to use the Recovery Console.

Remove the prompting of a password
When the Recovery Console starts it will ask for your Administrator password before continuing. In many cases when you have XP pre installed on your computer the Recovery Console will not recognize your Administrator's password. In these situations it is possible to edit a registry setting so that the Recovery Console does not ask for a password. This setting works on both Windows XP Home and Pro editions.
To change this setting do the following:
  1. Click on the Start button.
  2. Click on the Run option
  3. Type regedit.exe in the open field and press the OK button.
  4. Navigate to theHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Setup\RecoveryConsole
  5. Change the value of SecurityLevel value to 1
  6. Close regedit
  7. Reboot your computer.
Now the Recovery Console will no longer ask for a password.

How to use the Recovery Console
Though the Recovery Console looks similar to a standard command prompt it is not the same. Certain commands work, while others do not, and there are new commands available to you. There is no graphical interface, and all commands must be entered by typing them into the console prompt with your keyboard and pressing enter. This may be confusing for those who are not familiar with this type of interface, but after doing a few commands it does becomes easier.
The following is a list of the available commands that you can use in the Recovery Console. When using the recovery console you can type help followed by the command to see a more detailed explanation. For example: help attrib.
Command
Description


AttribChanges attributes on a file or directory.
BatchExecutes commands that you specify in the text file, Inputfile. Outputfile holds the output of the commands. If you omit the Outputfile parameter, output appears on the screen.
BootcfgAllows you to modify the Boot.ini file for boot configuration and recovery.
CD(Chdir) Change directory. Operates only in the system directories of the current Windows installation, removable media, the root directory of any hard disk partition, or the local installation sources.
ChkdskChecks a disk for drive problems or errors. The /p switch runs Chkdsk even if the drive is not flagged as dirty. The /r switch locates bad sectors and recovers readable information. This switch implies /p. Chkdsk requires Autochk. Chkdsk automatically looks for Autochk.exe in the startup folder. If Chkdsk cannot find the file in the startup folder, it looks for the Windows 2000 Setup CD-ROM. If Chkdsk cannot find the installation CD-ROM, Chkdsk prompts the user for the location of Autochk.exe.
ClsClears the screen
CopyCopies one file to a target location. By default, the target cannot be removable media, and you cannot use wildcard characters. Copying a compressed file from the Windows 2000 Setup CD-ROM automatically decompresses the file.
Del(Delete) Deletes one file. Operates within the system directories of the current Windows installation, removable media, the root directory of any hard disk partition, or the local installation sources. By default, you cannot use wildcard characters.
DirDisplays a list of all files, including hidden and system files.
DisableDisables a Windows system service or driver. The variable service_or_driver is the name of the service or driver that you want to disable. When you use this command to disable a service, the command displays the service's original startup type before it changes the type to SERVICE_DISABLED. Note the original startup type so that you can use the enable command to restart the service.
DiskpartManages partitions on hard disk volumes. The /add option creates a new partition. The /delete option deletes an existing partition. The variable device is the device name for a new partition (such as \device\harddisk0). The variable drive is the drive letter for a partition that you are deleting (for example, D). Partition is the partition-based name for a partition that you are deleting, (for example: \device\harddisk0\partition1) and can be used instead of the drive variable. The variable size is the size, in megabytes, of a new partition.
EnableEnables a Windows system service or driver. The variable service_or_driver is the name of the service or driver that you want to enable, and start_type is the startup type for an enabled service. The startup type uses one of the following formats:
SERVICE_BOOT_START
SERVICE_SYSTEM_START
SERVICE_AUTO_START
SERVICE_DEMAND_START
ExitQuits the Recovery Console, and then restarts the computer.
ExpandExpands a compressed file. The variable source is the file that you want to expand. By default, you cannot use wildcard characters. The variable destination is the directory for the new file. By default, the destination cannot be removable media and cannot be read-only. You can use the attrib command to remove the read-only attribute from the destination directory. The option /f:filespec is required if the source contains more than one file. This option permits wildcard characters. The /y switch disables the overwrite confirmation prompt. The /d switch specifies that the files will not be expanded and displays a directory of the files in the source.
FixbootWrites a new startup sector on the system partition
FixmbrRepairs the startup partition's master boot code. The variable device is an optional name that specifies the device that requires a new Master Boot Record. Omit this variable when the target is the startup device.
FormatFormats a disk. The /q switch performs a quick format. The /fs switch specifies the file system.
HelpIf you do not use the command variable to specify a command, help lists all the commands that the Recovery Console supports.
ListsvcDisplays all available services and drivers on the computer.
LogonDisplays detected installations of Windows and requests the local Administrator password for those installations. Use this command to move to another installation or subdirectory.
MapDisplays currently active device mappings. Include the arc option to specify the use of Advanced RISC Computing (ARC) paths (the format for Boot.ini) instead of Windows device paths.
MD(Mkdir) Creates a directory. Operates only within the system directories of the current Windows installation, removable media, the root directory of any hard disk partition, or the local installation sources.
More/TypeDisplays the specified text file on screen. More will display a text file one page at a time, while Type displays the entire text file at once.
Rd(Rmdir) Removes a directory. Operates only within the system directories of the current Windows installation, removable media, the root directory of any hard disk partition, or the local installation sources.
Ren(Rename) Rename a file or directory. Operates only within the system directories of the current Windows installation, removable media, the root directory of any hard disk partition, or the local installation sources. You cannot specify a new drive or path as the target.
SetDisplays and sets the Recovery Console environment variables.
SystemrootSets the current directory to %SystemRoot%.

Deleting the Recovery Console
Warning: To remove the Recovery Console you need to modify the Boot.ini file. Modifying this file incorrectly can prevent your computer from starting properly. Please only attempt this step if you feel comfortable doing this.
To remove the Recovery Console from your hard drive follow these steps:
  1. Double-click on My Computer and then double-click on the drive you installed the Recovery Console (usually the C: drive).
  2. Click on the Tools menu and select Folder Options.
  3. Click on the View tab.
  4. Select Show hidden files and folders and uncheck Hide protected operating system files.
  5. Press the OK button.
  6. Now at the root folder delete the Cmdcons folder and the Cmldr file.
  7. At the root folder, right-click the Boot.ini file, and then click Properties.
  8. Click to clear the Read-only check box, and then click the OK button.
  9. Click on Start, then Run and type Notepad.exe c:\boot.ini in the Open: field and press the OKbutton.
  10. Remove the entry for the Recovery Console. It will look similar to this:
    C:\cmdcons\bootsect.dat="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdconsMake sure you only delete that one entry.
  11. When you are done, close the notepad and save when it asks.

  12. Right click again on the boot.ini file and select Properties.
  13. Put a checkmark back in the Read-only checkbox and then press the OK button.
The recovery console should now be removed from your system.

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