Product Description
Windows XP is the most popular operating system on the planet--and the most annoying. From incomprehensible error messages to inexplicable crashes, from wonky wireless setups to just finding a file, Windows can make your computing life a nightmare. But thanks to Fixing Windows XP Annoyances, you can banish the bugs, speed up operations, and just make Windows work right.
In the three previous installments of this series, I discussed ways to improve the performance of Windows Vista by changing some settings (especially those installed by an OEM PC maker).
If you need to catch up, go read Part 1 (the pros and cons of a clean install), Part 2 (UAC tips and tweaks), and Part [...]
Microsoft Windows XP may be the latest in a popular family of operating systems, but that doesn't mean it's perfect. However, the designers of Windows XP have built enough flexibility into their product and provided users with a sufficiently large toolkit to overcome most shortcomings. In Windows XP Annoyances David Karp reveals his ideas about how to use Windows XP most effectively, for maximum
A system audit isn’t any kind of professional measure. Simply, we’re going to make a record of how your system looks today. Save that record and check back in another week, and make a new record. Compare record A with record B. Is something different? If so, is it something you, personally, installed or changed? You get the idea.
A system audit can be performed from the command line. If you’re on the desktop, hit Control-Alt-F2 to get a console (you can also just open a terminal on the desktop, which is the same thing.). Start by typing,
mount
to see what’s already mounted. If your Windows system is mounted, it will usually show up as being /mnt/hda1 . If it isn’t, type
mount /dev/hda1 /mnt/hda1
Next type
ls -R /mnt/hda1 > WinSystem
To break that down: ‘ls’ is the ‘list’ command similar to ‘dir’ in DOS. -R is the option meaning ‘recursively list all sub-directories under that directory’ The ‘&
Now to the actual usage of a Linux CD!
The Trinity Rescue Kit has a very complete manual, both too in-depth to repeat here, and too comprehensive to leave out. That’s here. Note that it’s a printing version, but you can also click ‘cancel’ when the dialog pops up and just read it online. The TRK docs are geared at getting you up to speed with the Linux command line and using the CD to perform virus scans and so on. For a DOS/Windows user’s-eye view of Linux commands, see the “From DOS/Windows to Linux HOWTO“
If you picked an easier system to comprehend, these Knoppix instructions cover how to use Knoppix to mount your Windows hard drive, install the f-prot virus checker, and get your system clean. It takes a while, but it is much easier to use a familiar mouse/windows interface. Similar methods will work from Xandross and Mepis.
Now, ‘mounting a Windows system’ is a pretty generic term. Windows NT and its descendants Windows 200
Fix Windows With Linux - part 2
An .iso file is a disk image file, and it’s nothing like other files you might burn to a CD. Of course, you need a CD-RW (CD Read Write) to be able to write anything on a CD, and you want a special utility that can handle the .iso standard. Nero is a popular all-in-one utility that can handle any CD writing task, including .iso’s. It used to be shareware but it looks paid commercial now. A better solution is BurnCDCC, a freeware app which just burns .iso images and nothing more. It has about two buttons on it, and takes about one second to figure out.
Of course, you can also buy live CDs from online distributors (about two bucks apiece, most places) or get them in the back of a book (Ubuntu and Knoppix books have this), but CD burners are becoming the most popular option because everybody’s getting them these days.
When you have the CD finished, take a deep breath, reboot Windows with the CD in the drive. If all goes well, the PC wi
Try as we might, we sometimes get Windows in such a bind that we can’t run it. Virus attacks, trojans, and malware just go with the territory. Don’t feel bad, as even the geekiest of us sometimes get Windows hopelessly wedged, even to where we can’t boot it in safe mode.
If this happens to you often and you’re tired of re-installing Windows or can’t re-install because you don’t have the original disk, we’re going to walk you through the strategies for obtaining a live Linux CD, which you can then boot and get your machine running long enough to fix the problem.
First off, the Windows user will probably be daunted at the huge selection of Linux distros. The difference between one distro and another is actually only a matter of what other software comes installed with it. You’d have to imagine if Microsoft made a “Windows for graphics artists” distribution that came with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Maya 3D included. Or
Try as we might, we sometimes get Windows in such a bind that we can’t run it. Virus attacks, trojans, and malware just go with the territory. Don’t feel bad, as even the geekiest of us sometimes get Windows hopelessly wedged, even to where we can’t boot it in safe mode.
If this happens to you often and you’re tired of re-installing Windows or can’t re-install because you don’t have the original disk, we’re going to walk you through the strategies for obtaining a live Linux CD, which you can then boot and get your machine running long enough to fix the problem.
First off, the Windows user will probably be daunted at the huge selection of Linux distros. The difference between one distro and another is actually only a matter of what other software comes installed with it. You’d have to imagine if Microsoft made a “Windows for graphics artists” distribution that came with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Maya 3D included. Or
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Microsoft Windows XP may be the latest in a popular family of operating systems, but that doesn't mean it's perfect. However, the designers of Windows XP have built enough flexibility into their product and provided users with a sufficiently large toolkit to overcome most shortcomings. In Windows XP Annoyances David Karp reveals his ideas about how to use Windows XP most effectively,
