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How to configure Automatic Updates in Windows XP
In order to protect Windows XP, it is important to have Automatic Updates properly configured in Windows XP. This tutorial will help you configure Automatic Updates so that new updates are automatically installed or you are alerted when they become available.
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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.
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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.
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How to change the default program a file opens with in Windows XP
When you double-click on a file in Windows XP, the operating system will automatically open the file using a program that has been is associated with the file's extension. It is possible, though, to change the default program that is opened when you click on a file. This tutorial will explain how to change the default program that is associated with an extension as well as assigning a program to an extension that Windows does not know about.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Slipstreaming Windows XP To Create a Bootable Windows XP CD or DVD
After a version of Windows is released, over time bugs are found or new enhancements are added by Microsoft. In order to fix these bugs and add these new enhancements, Microsoft will occassionally release a large update called a Windows service pack that contains all of bug fixes, enhancements, and new features created since Windows was released. Unfortunately, CDs that you have for Windows usually do not have these newer Service Packs already installed. This means that if you ever need to reinstall Windows with your CD, you will also have to deal with the timely task of reinstalling the service packs. To make matters worse, some of the fixes in these service packs are security related, and by not having them installed, your computer may be at risk from viruses or vulnerable to hackers. Therefore, not having these service packs installed after you install Windows could open yourself up to big security risks.
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How to change your Windows desktop icons
When you install Windows you will find that your desktop has only the Recycle Bin icon and any other icons enabled by your computer manufacturer. If you wish to add other icons such as the Computer, Network, Control Panel, and your User's Files icon you will need to perform a few easy steps.
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How to find the command line arguments a program started with in Windows
Some programs provide the ability to add arguments when executing it in order to change a particular behavior or modify how the program operates. As an example lets look at the command line argument for Firefox called safe-mode. If you start Firefox with the command line firefox.exe -safe-mode Firefox will start without any extensions or themes. As you can see adding a command line argument to the program's executable changed its default behavior.
