VishTecho

Want to have a funky looking Boot screen for your Windows XP?
Want to amaze your friends with your very own picture instead of the boring old Windows XP?
Then look no further as we present before you this simple little hack to change the Boot Screen of your Windows XP.This is a very old trick, but hardly many know about this trick.

These instructions assume that you have a place to download the boot screen from the net.

If you would like to download a boot screen, visit http://www.themexp.org

1.Backup (copy) the file %windir%\system32\ntoskrnl.exe

(most likely C:\windows\system32\ntoskrnl.exe - the boot screen)

2. Download the .zip to your computer

3. Extract ntoskrnl.exe to a directory other than %windir%\system32 (most likely C:\windows\system32)

4. Reboot your computer into Safe Mode (hit F8 before the boot screen) or into true DOS (from a boot disk)

5. Overwrite the file %windir%\system32\ntoskrnl.exe (which should have been backed up) with the extracted exe

6.Reboot your computer as you normally would

Got a virus on your system that doesn’t show any sign of leaving? Well viruses are made not to leave the system.They just keep on bothering you and might even steal your private information.So what to do if your system has been attacked by a virus?
This guide tells you some simple yet essential steps to make your PC virus free

1. Disable system restore, most viruses go into system restore and to get them out it has to be disabled.
Windows XP:

Steps to turn off System Restore
1. Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
2. In the System Properties dialog box, click the System Restore tab.
3. Click to select the Turn off System Restore check box. Or, click to select the Turn off System Restore on all drives check box.
4. Click OK.
5. When you receive the following message, click Yes to confirm that you want to turn off System Restore:
You have chosen to turn off System Restore. If you continue, all existing restore points will be deleted, and you will not be able to track or undo changes to your computer.

Steps to turn on System Restore
1. Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
2. In the System Properties dialog box, click the System Restore tab.
3. Click to clear the Turn off System Restore check box. Or, click the Turn off System Restore on all drives check box.
4. Click OK.

Windows Vista:
1) Type system into the start menu search box, and pick the 4th item down, just labeled “System”. (You could also right-click the computer icon and choose properties)
2)Now click the System protection link
3)Once you uncheck the drive, click the “Turn System Restore Off” button
4)To enable repeat the steps and then check the drive box that you had unchecked before.

2.Backup only important stuff, if you start backing up everything infected files may transfer. However, this might not be needed unless you got really important stuff.
Quote:
If the virus infected your entire OS and you cant boot into Windows by normal mode or Safemode use Hirens Boot Disk 9.5. It comes with small version of Windows 98 that runs from RAM it can be used to back up important files.

3. You should get Hirens Bootdisk 9.5, scan with the 2 antivirus programs and antispyware programs before Windows starts!! Use this disk to test other hardware problems such as test bad RAM, bad hard drives, ect
Code:

Download Hirens bootcd 9.4 + keyboard patch
http://rapidshare.com/files/149030802/hbcCW.rar

4.If you can start Windows and can get to desktop install and run this freeware , SuperAntiSpyware, Spybot Search and Destroy, Ad Aware 2008, McAfee Stinger, Spyware Terminator, and Malwarebytes Antispyware. Also some good other freeware programs you should get; CCleaner, Glary Utilities and Advance WindowsCare Personal. Run one program at a time, or if your computer is fast run two at same time.
Code:

All freeware spyware removers plus CCleaner, Glary Utilities, Advance WindowsCare Personal only 67MB’s
http://rapidshare.com/files/147818372/origfreeware.rar

5.Start Windows in safemode and install Hijackthis save the log and then go to

http://hijackthis.de/

That site will tell you what to delete using Hijackthis. When your going to delete something that gets picked up as nasty or virus. Make sure you go into google and look up that .exe files, it could be graphics driver or printer driver. Hijackthis picks up my Lexmark driver as a possible bad file but its not. So be sure you know what your deleting cuz Hijackthis deletes them and it wont bring them back if you make errors. If your unsure about your log save it and go to Help section and post it.

6. Get the latest Geek Squad CD; run all of its antivirus programs. It should remove something. BTW you should disconnect from the internet before using this CD and it will be flagged by some antiviruses cuz it trys to phone home.

Download links
part 1, you have to extract it out of this rar, and put it next to the other rars
http://rapidshare.com/files/168352823/blablaCW.rar

http://rapidshare.com/files/149262301/esdvfCW.part2.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/149275048/esdvfCW.part3.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/149283245/esdvfCW.part4.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/149286717/esdvfCW.part5.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/149290463/esdvfCW.part6.rar

7. Once you think you have cleaned your PC, restart normally if things seem fine then check your computer using this free online virus scanners!! Run one by one till you know your clean. If one of them comes with virus result, write down its directory and name of it. Then post question in the Comments of this post.We at VishTecho will try to find a solution for your problem.Or download the antivirus that detects it and uninstall your current one and use the one that picks up the virus.

FOR FULL COMPUTER SCAN:

Trend Micro Online Scanner
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/

Panda Security Online Scanner
http://www.pandasecurity.com/homeusers/solutions/activescan/

Kaspersky Online Scanner
http://www.kaspersky.com/virusscanner

McAFee Online Scanner
http://us.mcafee.com/root/mfs/default.asp

BitDefender Online Scanner
http://www.bitdefender.com/scan8/ie.html

Windows Live OneCare Scanner and Spyware remover
http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/default.htm

F-Secure Scanner and Spyware remover
http://support.f-secure.com/enu/home/ols.shtml

ESET Online Scanner
http://www.eset.com/onlinescan/

EWIDO Online Scanner
http://www.ewido.net/en/onlinescan/

FOR SINGLE FILE SCAN:

www.virustotal.com

http://virusscan.jotti.org/

http://www.viruschief.com/

8. Last step is to Install CCleaner and use it to delete temporary files.
Its very good program, i use it to remove around 1 GB every week. Imagine if you never run it? You probably can gain more space!!!
Another thing you could do is create a shadow copy of your hard drive in case anything ever goes bad you can just reformat hard drive and install this shadow copy. Use Hirens BootDisk it has Acronis True Image for backing up your whole PC.
I suggest you give Kaspersky or McAfee antivirus a try. They are the best To remo
ve your current antivirus and try other ones use Your Uninstaller 2008. I recommend you always use LEGAL antiviruses so you can update their definitions everyday.

If you cant afford an antivirus get a free one! This are free antiviruses (you can only use one at a time)

Free AntiViruses

Avast Home Edition
http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html

AVG Free
http://www.download.com/AVG-Anti-Virus-Free-Edition/3000-2239_4-10320142.html

Avira Antivirus Free edition
http://www.download.com/Avira-AntiVir-Personal-Free-Antivirus/3000-2239_4-10322935.html?part=dl-10322935&subj=dl&tag=button&cdlPid=10867326

ClamWin
http://www.clamwin.com/content/view/18/46/

Bitdefender 10 Free edition
http://www.bitdefender.com/site/Downloads/browseEvaluationVersion/1/42/

PC Tools Free Antivirus
http://www.pctools.com/free-antivirus/

ThreatFire free edition
http://www.threatfire.com/download/

If you have any problems, please post it in the Comments.We will try to find a solution for your problem as fast as we can.

After your PC has been under maintained for so long, it tends to get laggy, choppy, slow download speeds, and much more. In this guide, I will be covering some great ways in which you can use to maintain your PC to it’s utmost condition.

Common Windows Fixes

Windows is not like an old television - by this I mean that giving it a good smack won’t get it running again. If anything, it will damage the computer even more. In this part of my guide, I will be adding some useful tips on how to fix your computer from simple and common problems.

It’s not coming on

This is what I’d like to call a “Dumb Fuck” problem. Simply, plug the damn thing into the outlet or turn the switch on the top/back of your computer. If none of that works, your PSU is fucked. Go buy a new one ^_^

The Internet Isn’t Working

Restart your router, make sure everything is connected via Ethernet cables, and restart your PC. If none of that works, try bitching to your ISP or maybe even paying the bill

(some program) Has Preformed An Illegal Action, It Will Need To Close

Simply click “Ok” or “Yes” when the exit program box pops up, It’s nothing to worry about. If you continue to recieve this in the future, write down the “Details” of the offending program and ask a professional.

(BSOD) Blue Screen of Death

Nobody likes this little bastard, and I don’t think anyone will. If you get one of these, a simply restart will solve the problem. But if it persists, write down what it says and consult a PC Techie.

“I cant get rid of this virus!!1!1!one one HALP!”

Did you try running your scans in safe mode? That usually does the trick ;). If not, run Hijackthis, and give us a log, we’ll see what we can do for you ;).

I can’t close this program! It froze!

The 10 letter guide to Windows, CTRL+ALT+DEL. Press those 3 keys at the same time, find the offending application, highlight it, and press end task. If the problem persists, try re-installing it. If CTRL+DEL won’t fix anything, press CTRL+ESC and it will open your start menu in where you can restart your computer.

My computer says I need to install updates! How?

Check out Windows Update, it will show a list of Microsoft-made updates for your operating system as long as it is supported. Sadly, for Windows 98 users, support for that OS was dropped not too long ago.

Hard Drive Not Found

O shi-. It’s times like this that you had wished you made that emergency boot disk. This is why you should always have one at bay, ready to go into action. Things like this can happen unexpectedly at any moment. If that doesn’t do the job, you may need to restart your bios or replace your computer’s internal battery.

Can’t Detect Mouse/Keyboard

This usually happens when your using a USB mouse or keyboard. To fix this, simply plug in a regular PS/2 keyboard, and enable usb devices in the computers bios.

Spyware and Adware

Spyware is becoming a rising threat in todays society. This type of software gathers your personal information, gives it to advertisers, spam marketing, ect ect so some laughing bastard on the other side of the Ethernet cable is getting paid for it. It can also control what you do on your computer, and can sometimes be a bitch to remove. But then again, adware is no friend of yours either. Adware is exactly what it’s called, it’s a type of ware that displays ads wherever you are. I’ve had it before, and it’s not pretty(By this, I mean that unstoppable popup’s keep coming and coming). Both of these types of software totally suck ass through a straw and you don’t want to encounter them, trust me. This part of the tutorial is vital so that your PC doesn’t become a mess like this.

AdAware

This little dandy is a favorite of mine for one reason - it does what it was made to do. Defiantly not the most powerful thing out there, but defiantly not the worst. Not only does this small package pack a punch against Spyware, it also deals a fair shot towards Adware, Trojans, Virus’s, Tracking Cookies (Even though they’re not really a bad thing, they can still be a nuisance some times), Exploits, and much more. I’d recommend this one to pretty much everyone who owns a PC.
Download Link - Ad-Aware 2007 (Free)

Spyware Blaster

It doesn’t seem like much, but it does an excellent job of protecting you from having malicious software installed unnoticed. This one tool adds an ass load of malicious sites to your “Restricted Website List” In both Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox (Sorry Opera users :(). I have nothing else to say about this one except for that when you download and install it, make it your first task to press the update button ;).
Download Link - Spyware Blaster (Free)

Windows Defender

Windows Defender, by (God forgive me for saying it) Microsoft, is actually a half decent computer utility. Seriously. It works in real time, protects against intrusions, popups, unwanted sluggish performance, adware, and spyware. It also provides tips as to how to handle the situation (Lol give m$ moneyz?) and I’d defiantly recommend it.
Download Link - Windows Defender (Free)

Virus Removal/Protection
Computer virus’s have been around since, well, since computers have been around, and their type of usage has not changed at all. I’ll list a few handy-dandy programs now in a minute, but first, I’d like to share with you a few tips as to keep yourself safe.

• Only download from sites you trust
• Always scan a file before running/extracting
• Use a firewall

Be sure to follow those to make sure that you keep yourself [s]STD[/s] virus free. Now, it’s time for you to get yourself some virus protection.

AVG AntiVirus

Is there really that much to be said? AVG is an excellent program, it’s better then pretty much most of the competition, including the ones that cost money, and it’s 100% free! This anti-virus is a freaking’ tank when it comes to virus removal. It takes a lickin’ and keeps on tickin’. (I said there wasen’t much
to be said ;))
Download Link - AVG Anti-Virus (Free)

avast! Home Edition

It’d be nice to notice how I italicized “most” in my AVG paragraph. Well, this one is like AVG, on roids. I personally named it the “Clusterfucker” as that is exactly what it does to threats it finds. It wipes them the fuck off the hard drive, and thats why I like about this one. It’ll keep you safe and secure from many, many different threats
Download Link - avast! Home Edition (free)

Defragmentation
Defragmentation, also known as defragging, is a process in which the files of the computer are physically rearranged in order to decrease the fragmentation of the hard drive. Another process which defragmentation uses to tweak your computer is the compaction process which files are compressed in order to create free space and in return, slow the process of fragmentation.

Auslogics Disk Defrag

This program is pretty much “the shit” to have when it comes to defragging your hard drive. It does an excellent job of defragging and is a million times better then the “Disk Defragger” which came with your copy of whatever version of windows you run on. This program works great with Windows 2000, XP, 2003 Server, and Vista and is bound to give your PC that little cleanup it’s been waiting for.
Download Link - Auslogics Disk Defrag (free)

Various Cleanups
This part of the guide is dedicated to various cleanups which will help improve Window’s performance.

CCleaner

CCleaner, or Crap Cleaner, whatever you want to call it, does a great job at cleaning up your temp files. The first time I ran it, it deleted 6gb’s of temp crap on my HD which had no use but to take up space. I recommend this program to anyone as it is very helpful in tweaking your PC’s performance as well as opening up some extra space on your HD.
Download Link - CCleaner (free)

Rootkit Unhooker

Rootkit Unhooker specializes in removing rootkits which have been hooked with virus’s, spyware, and other bad shit. Sometimes, they hook themselves to rootkits and Rootkit Unhooker is your last resort to getting rid of them. I really recommend this one as it helps you keep your computer crap-free. Be careful what your doing though, sometimes you can crash your computer if you unhook the wrong things ;).
Download Link - Rootkit Unhooker (free)

Other Helpful Utilities

Speedfan

Speedfan is a helpful utility which monitors your PC temps using sensors on the motherboard, and gives you the ability to change the speed of your fans if they’re connected properly. My average temperatures are 38 under load and 28 while idling. So, if your PC temp suddenly goes up in the 50+’s, I suggest giving your PC a quick dust down, inside and out :P.
Download Link - Speedfan (free)

CPU-Z

CPU-Z is a handy little tool which will be able to tell you every little bit about your PC, right down to the speed of your RAM, your socket type, what version of USB drivers you use, and gets even more indepth from there. It’s a must have
Download Link - CPU-Z (free)

Firefox

Firefox is a top notch web browser which incorporates high speeds with grand protection. This beast is well tamed to treat you well during your journey into the internet. I’ve been using it for years and it’s has since served me greatly. There are alot of awesome ad-ons for it to enhance your web browsing experience even more! Enjoy!
Download Link - Firefox 2 (free)

Opera

Opera is an excellent browser. It ranks with Firefox and is definatly a browser of choice. It has a “Speed Dial” script which allows you fast access to any of your sites, .torrent support when your downloading, rich text editing, and much more. It’s one of my recommendations.
Download Link - Opera (free)

notepad2

Notepad2 is an enhanced version of Microsoft’s “Notepad”. It comes with syntax highlighting, line numbering, and lots of great tools for programming. It’s defiantly a programming tool of choice for those who are into that sort of thing.
Download Link - Notepad2 (free)

The question I am asked most often is “How do I install a dual-boot with Windows XP on my new Windows Vista computer?” The answer is that it’s not that difficult, it’s just very time consuming, and you need to own a copy of Windows XP.

Note that you should not attempt this if you aren’t ready to troubleshoot any problems that might occur.

The first issue we encounter is that computers with pre-installed operating systems take up the entire drive. Luckily Microsoft included the Shrink volume feature in Vista, so we can easily shrink the Vista partition down to make room for XP.

Open the Computer Management panel, which you can find under Administrative tools or by right-clicking the Computer item in the start menu and choosing Manage. Find the Disk Management item in the list and select that.

Now we’ll shrink our volume down by right-clicking on the main hard drive and choosing Shrink Volume.

Now you can choose the size that you want to shrink, which really means you are choosing the size that you want your XP partition to be. Whatever you do, don’t just use the default. I chose roughly 10gb by entering 10000 into the amount.

The next step might be confusing, because we need to change the cd-rom drive that’s invariably taking up D: at the moment, because we want to use D: for the Windows XP partition, but it’s already taken by the cd-rom drive. If you skip this step than XP will install onto the E: drive, which isn’t the end of the world, but it’s not quite as tidy.

Right-click on the cd-rom drive in the list and choose Change Drive Letter and Paths from the menu.

Now we’ll change the CD drive to use E: by selecting that in the drop-down.

Now we can create a new partition for XP to live on and make sure that the drive letter is set the way we want. If you do not create a partition now the XP install will do so automatically, but it’s easier and cleaner to do it this way.

Right-click on the Unallocated free space area and then select New Simple Volume from the menu.

Follow through the wizard and select whatever options you’d like, making sure to use D: as the drive letter.

Now you will need to close out of disk management and reboot your computer. This is because we can’t do the next step until we reboot. (you can try, but it won’t work)

So we’ve come back from rebooting… open up Computer from the start menu and then right-click on the D: drive and select properties. Give your partition a meaningful name like “XP”. It would be wise to name the C: drive to “Vista” at this point as well.

Now you’ll want to pop your XP cd into the drive and boot off it. You may have to configure your BIOS to enable booting off the CD drive, or if your computer says something like “Hit Esc for boot menu” you might want to use that.

Once you come to the screen where you can choose the partition to install on, then choose either the unpartitioned space or the new partition you created. Whatever you do, don’t try and install onto your Vista partition! See how much cleaner it is now that we’ve labeled each partition distinctly?

We’ll assume XP is completely installed at this point, and you will have lost your ability to boot into Windows Vista, so we’ll need to use the VistaBootPro utility to restore the Vista boot loader.

Download and install VistaBootPro from vistabootpro.org

During the install you’ll be forced to install the .NET 2.0 framework. Open up VistaBootPRO and then click on the System Bootloader tab. Check the “Windows Vista Bootloader” and then “All Drives” radio buttons, and then click on the Install Bootloader button.

At this point, the Windows Vista bootloader is installed and you’ll only be able to boot into Vista, but we’ll fix that. Instead of manually doing the work, we’ll just click the Diagnostics menu item and then choose Run Diagnostics from the menu.

This will scan your computer and then automatically fill in the XP version.. click on the “Manage OS Entries” tab and then click in the textbox for Rename OS Entry, and name it something useful like “Windows XP” or “The Windows That Works”

Click the Apply Updates button and then reboot your computer… you should see your shiny new boot manager with both operating systems in the list!

If you get an error saying “unable to find ntldr” when trying to boot XP, you’ll need to do the following:

• Find the hidden files ntldr and ntdetect.com in the root of your Vista drive and copy them to the root of your XP drive.
• If you can’t find the files there, you can find them in the \i386\ folder on your XP install cd

There’s more information on this forum thread, thanks to nrv1013

This is a critical piece of information: Windows XP will be installed on the D: drive, even in Windows XP… so you’ll need to keep that in mind when tweaking your system.

You can share information between the drives, but I wouldn’t recommend messing with the other operating system’s partition too much… it might get angry and bite you. Or screw up your files. What I do recommend is that you store most of your files on a third drive shared between the operating systems… you could call that partition “Data”.

I’m going to write a number of followup articles dealing with all of the issues with dual-boot systems, so subscribe to the feed for updates.

SOURCE: HowToGeek