-
How to change the time and date in Windows
If Windows is configured with the wrong time and date, lots of strange and unpredictable behavior can occur. For example, browsers will state that web site certificates are invalid, Windows Update may not work properly, or you may receive alerts that Windows needs to activate again. There are typically two reasons for Windows showing the wrong time and date. The first is because you have the time zone set incorrectly and the second reason is because your BIOS battery in your computer has failed and the current time is not being saved when you shut off the computer.
-
How to update Windows
When Windows, like any other operating system, is created there are bugs introduced into the software that could affect how the operating system runs. These bugs could cause Windows to not run reliably or could cause security vulnerabilities that would make Windows vulnerable to attacks. When these bugs are discovered, Microsoft creates updates to fix these issues and makes them available through the Windows Update utility. There is no set day that updates are released, except when it comes to security updates. Microsoft traditionally releases security updates for Windows on the second Tuesday of each month, which has become known as Patch Tuesday. In some cases, if a particular vulnerability is severe enough, Microsoft may release an update earlier in order to mitigate any issues that may be caused by this vulnerability. When Microsoft releases a security update ahead of schedule, this is called an out-of-band security update.
-
How to change the Terminal Services or Remote Desktop Port
Many organizations that use Remote Desktop Services or Terminal Services are not using a VPN connection before allowing connections to their in-house servers or workstations. If no VPN is required, this means that the Terminal Server or Remote Desktop is publicly visible and allows connections from anyone on the network and in most cases the Internet. This is a major security risk because it allows remote hackers to attempt to use password cracking attacks on your accessible servers in order to gain remote access. As Remote Desktop Services are configured by default to listen on TCP port 3389, all a hacker has to do is scan the Internet for computers that have that port open and then use a cracking program to try and crack the computer's accounts and passwords. This may seem like a hard task, but it is actually not difficult at all using free and publicly available tools.
-
How to use the Windows Recycle Bin
When you delete a file in Windows it is usually not permanently deleted. Instead, Windows moves the file to a special location called the Recycle Bin. First implemented in Windows 95, the Recycle Bin is a special directory where deleted files are stored in the event that you need to recover them. Sometimes the Recycle Bin is referred to as the trash, trashcan, or garbage. As a computer user, use of the Recycle Bin system is an extremely common task that is important to know about in order to effectively manage files. The purpose of this guide is to explain how to use the Recycle Bin to review, restore, and permanently erase your files. Additionally, this tutorial will cover some special settings that the Recycle Bin has.
-
How to open a file using a different program than the default one in Windows
When you double-click on a file in Windows, it will automatically open a default program that is configured to manage these types of files. It is common, though, want or need to use a different program to open a particular type of file. This tutorial will explain how to open a file using a different program than the default one.
-
How to change the default program a file opens with in Windows 7
When you open files that have a particular file extension, Windows will look at its configuration to determine what the default program should be in order to work with these files. The default program that is assigned to a particular extension, though, may not be what you want to use. Therefore, it is possible to change the default program that is launched when you double-click on a particular file type. This tutorial will discuss how you can open a file using another program or to assign a new program to extensions that have not been opened before.
-
How to show File Extensions in Windows
The default setting for Windows is to not display a file's extension. Therefore, when viewing files in Windows you would only see the portion of the filename that precedes the last period in it. To show what this means, if you have a file called test.doc.txt, Windows will only display test.doc. From this filename, you would then assume this is a Word document, but when you double-click on it, it would instead open in Notepad as it is actually a text file becaues its true extension is .txt. Even more serious is the fact that many malware creators create their infection files so that they exploit this default setting in order to hide the fact that it is actually an executable file.
-
How to enable and disable the Windows Administrator account
The built-in Administrator account is disabled by default in Windows 8, Windows 7, and Windows Vista. It is disabled to enhance security as this is a common account targeted by hacking scripts and hackers when they try and access your computer without your permissions. In my opinion, you should leave the Administrator account disabled, but as there have been many requests for this information, I have decided to write this guide. This guide will provide three methods that will allow you to enable your Administrator account in Windows 8, Windows 7, and Windows Vista. It is important to note that in order to perform either of these methods you will need to be logged in with an account with Administrator privileges. Also, if you are enabling the Administrator account for the first time you will also need to assign it a strong password as it does not have a password by default.
-
How to rename the built-in Administrator account in Windows
The built-in Administrator account is one of the most targeted account names by malicious programs and hackers that are attempting to access your computer without your permission. It is therefore a wise security precaution to rename the Administrator account to another less common name so that it can no longer be targeted. By default, the Administrator account in Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 are disabled, while in Windows XP it is enabled. Regardless, of your Windows version, if you choose to use the Administrator account, you can use the following tutorial to rename the account to make it less susceptible to hacking attempts.
-
How to start an Elevated Command Prompt in Windows 7 and Vista
A Command Prompt allows you to run programs, manipulate Windows settings, and access files by typing in commands that you wish to execute. To start a Command Prompt you simply need to type cmd.exe in the search field in the Start menu or click on Start, then Accessories, and then click on the Command Prompt icon. A window will appear, called the Command Prompt, that will open in your user profile folder and wait for you to issue commands.
