1) Under “Tools” in the browser tool bar select “Internet Options”.
2) In the “Internet Options” window that pops up, click the “Connections” tab at the top.
3) Click “LAN Settings” near the bottom of the “Connections” section.
4) If the “Proxy server” checkbox is marked with a check, click it to deselect/uncheck it.
5) Click “Ok” to close the “Local Area Network (LAN) Settings” window.
6) Click “Ok” to close the “Internet Options” window.

You have now successfully removed the proxy settings for Internet Explorer for Windows!

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Post from: MyComputerAid.com Computer support

Disable Proxy settings in IE

You can use System Restore to return your computer to an earlier saved point in your system registry.  Your computer will automatically create restore points periodically, and valid restore points may be restored from a list, usually displayed as a calendar of valid restore points.  This can be a valuable tool if you have installed a program or made changes to your system setup, and the computer is no longer behaving properly.  Simply follow the instructions listed below, and select a restore point from a time when the computer was known to be good working condition.

1. Save any files you are working on, and close all open applications.
2. Click START >> All Programs >> Accessories >> System Tools >> System restore.
3. If you are prompted for it, enter the administrator password.
    A. Some Windows installations will only require confirmation.
4. A valid restore point will be suggested.
    A. Select the suggested point, or select another from the list.
5. The computer will be restarted using the selected restore point.

Similarly, you may create system restore points manually, before making changes to the system.  You will need to have at least 300 MB of free space on every hard disk a restore point is created for.  Also, if you are using a hard disk with a capacity of less than 1 gigabyte, system restore will not function, and will be automatically disabled.  If these conditions are met, follow the following steps to create a manual restore point:

1. Click START >> Control Panel >> System and Maintenance >> System.
2. Click “System Protection.”
3. If prompted, enter the administrator password.
   A. Some Windows installations will only ask for confirmation.
4. Click “Create.”
5. Enter a description of the restore point.
6. Click “Create.”

Restore points, by default, are saved consecutively until all available hard disk space is used, at which time older restore points will be removed as new ones are added.  Each time the computer starts, a new restore point is created.  System restore points are also automatically added for certain installations that affect the system operation.  If you aren’t sure whether a restore point is going to be created, create one manually, as shown above.

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Restore your computer to earlier version

There are many reasons why an administrator password may need to be recovered.  Perhaps it has been forgotten, or maybe the IT staff has changed, and the new administrator wasn’t given a password list by the former one.  Whatever the reason, the functionality of windows can be impaired, and updates impossible unless you can recover or at least “blank out” the old one.  To do this, one of the best ways is to use a bootable Linux CD, which can be run without installation from a CD ROM drive.  These CDs are called “live CD” discs, because they are stand-alone installations that are ready to go as soon as the CD is written.

You’ll need to download the .iso file for the CD, and save it to your hard drive.  Once that is done, burn it to disk using your favorite CD burner, such as Nero.  If you don’t have a a program that can burn an .iso (which is an image of the entire CD), you’ll need to get one.  There are Open Source burners available, such as CDBurnerXP, which can be downloaded from the following site:

http://canneverbe.com/

Download the file, and run it to install.  It will only take a few minutes to install, and you’ll have a fully functional CD burner ready to go.

With that done, you’ll need to burn an .iso copy to disk.  One highly recommended solution is ophcrack, which can recover most alphanumeric passwords in a matter of seconds.  It can be downloaded from sourceforge.net, at the following URL:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/ophcrack/

Once you’ve downloaded the disc and burned it, reboot your machine, and enter the BIOS configuration.  Most computers made today will allow you to change your boot disk to be the CD-ROM, or even a USB CD-ROM.  If your primary boot disc is a CD, and the secondary boot disk is the hard drive, you can always boot from the hard drive by simply removing any bootable CD from the drives.  With this done, save the BIOS configuration, and restart the machine.  The CD will boot, and you’ll be ready to go.  Note, however, that this CD will not work with extremely complicated passwords, because it attempts to crack the existing password, not replace it.

If ophcrack doesn’t work, you can try downloading the bootable CD or floppy image at this site:

http://home.eunet.no/pnordahl/ntpasswd/

Offline NT Password and Registry Editor can be used to blank out the administrator password, rather than recover it.  This may not be the most desirable method, but if you have to get into the system and ophcrack can’t do it, this will at least let you get around the problem.

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Post from: MyComputerAid.com Computer support

Hacking passwords in Windows XP

Keyboard shortcuts, also known as HotKeys, allow you to quickly perform common tasks by pressing a certain key combination.  These include moving between windows, selecting text, and many other functions that are built into Windows.  Learning to use these HotKeys can save a lot of time, which equates to increased productivity.

General keyboard shortcuts:
DELETE   Delete selected item(s).
SHIFT with any of the arrow keys   Select multiple items in a window or select text in a document.
Ctrl while dragging an item   Copy the selected item.
Ctrl+SHIFT while dragging an item   Create a shortcut to the selected item.
Ctrl+SHIFT with any of the arrow keys   Highlight a block of text.
Ctrl+RIGHT ARROW   Move to the beginning of the next word.
Ctrl+LEFT ARROW   Move to the beginning of the previous word.
Ctrl+DOWN ARROW   Move to the beginning of the next paragraph.
Ctrl+UP ARROW   Move to the beginning of the previous paragraph.
Ctrl+A   Select all text or items in current working window or dialog box.
Ctrl+C   Copy an item.
Ctrl+V   Paste the clipboard to current window.
Ctrl+X   Cut the slect item(s).
Ctrl+Z   Undo last edit command.
SHIFT+DELETE   Delete the selected item permanently, bypassing the Recycle Bin.
F1 key   Display Help.
F2 key   Rename the selected item.
F3 key   Search for a file or a folder.
F4 key   Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer.
F5 key   Update the active window.
F6 key   Cycle through the screen elements in a window or on the desktop.
F10 key   Activate the menu bar in the active program.
Alt+ENTER   View the properties.
Alt+F4   Close the active item, or quit the active program.
Alt+ENTER   Display the properties of the selected object.
Alt+SPACEBAR   Open the shortcut menu.
Ctrl+F4   Close the active document.
Alt+TAB   Switch between the open items.
Alt+ESC   Cycle through open windows.
SHIFT+F10   Display the shortcut menu.
Alt+SPACEBAR   Display the System menu.
Ctrl+ESC   Display the Start menu.
Alt+Underlined letter in a menu name   Display the corresponding menu.
RIGHT ARROW   Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu.
LEFT ARROW   Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu.
BACKSPACE   View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer.
ESC   Cancel the current task.
SHIFT when inserting a CD into the CD-ROM drive   Prevent auto-play for the CD.
Ctrl+SHIFT+ESC   Open Task Manager.

Dialog box keyboard shortcuts
Ctrl+TAB   Move forward through the tabs.
Ctrl+SHIFT+TAB   Move backward through the tabs.
TAB   Move forward through the options.
SHIFT+TAB   Move backward through the options.
Alt+Underlined letter   Perform the corresponding command or select the corresponding option.
ENTER   Perform the command for the active option or button.
SPACEBAR   Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box.
Arrow keys   Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons.
F4 key   Display the items in the active list.
BACKSPACE   Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box.

Accessibility keyboard shortcuts
Right SHIFT for eight seconds   Switch FilterKeys either on or off.
Left Alt+left SHIFT+PRINT SCREEN   Switch High Contrast either on or off.
Left Alt+left SHIFT+NUM LOCK   Switch the MouseKeys either on or off.
SHIFT five times   Switch the StickyKeys either on or off.
NUM LOCK for five seconds   Switch the ToggleKeys either on or off.
Windows Logo +U   Open Utility Manager.

Windows Explorer keyboard shortcuts
END (Display the bottom of the active window)
HOME (Display the top of the active window)
NUM LOCK+Asterisk sign (*) (Display all of the subfolders that are under the selected folder)
NUM LOCK+Plus sign (+) (Display the contents of the selected folder)
NUM LOCK+Minus sign (-) (Collapse the selected folder)
LEFT ARROW (Collapse the current selection if it is expanded, or select the parent folder)
RIGHT ARROW (Display the current selection if it is collapsed, or select the first subfolder)

Remote desktop connection navigation
Ctrl+Alt+END (Open the Microsoft Windows NT Security dialog box)
Alt+PAGE UP (Switch between programs from left to right)
Alt+PAGE DOWN (Switch between programs from right to left)
Alt+INSERT (Cycle through the programs in most recently used order)
Alt+HOME (Display the Start menu)
Ctrl+Alt+BREAK (Switch the client computer between a window and a full screen)
Alt+DELETE (Display the Windows menu)
Ctrl+Alt+Minus sign (-) (Place a snapshot of the entire client window area on the Terminal server clipboard and provide the same functionality as pressing Alt+PRINT SCREEN on a local computer.)
Ctrl+Alt+Plus sign (+) (Place a snapshot of the active window in the client on the Terminal server clipboard and provide the same functionality as pressing PRINT SCREEN on a local computer.)

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Post from: MyComputerAid.com Computer support

Windows XP shortcuts and hotkeys

It is not difficult to add a folder or drive from the network to your computer.  For basic sharing with all other users on the network, the following seven simple steps will do the trick.  If, on the other hand, you want to only allow certain users to access a folder or drive you are making available, you’ll have to go through a little more work, but nothing that will take long to accomplish.  How to define specific users to allow access may be found in the second half of this article.

Here are the steps required to map a network drive or folder:
1. Open “My Computer”.
2. Click Tools >> Map a Network Drive.
3. Select a drive letter to be assigned locally.
4. Enter (or browse to) the network path to thee desired folder.
5. Check the “Reconnect at Startup” item.
6. Click Finish.
7. Verify that the folder or drive has been successfully added.

In order to only allow specific users to have access to a drive or folder, you must first turn off simple file sharing.  By default, this is implemented in Windows XP Home Edition and Professional.  Once you have turned off simple file sharing, the classic Security and Sharing tab will appear, and you will be able to specify users.

To disable simple file sharing:
1. Click Start >> My Computer.
2. Click Tools >> Folder Options.
3. Click the “View” tab.
3. In the Advanced Settings section, uncheck “Use simple file sharing (Recommended)”.
4. Click OK.

With simple file sharing disabled, folders may be set up to enable access to certain users.  Remember, though, that you must be logged in as a Power User, a Server Operator, or an Administrator in order to share drives over the network.

To share a folder:
1. Click Start >> My Computer.
2. Locate the folder or drive you want to share.
3. Right-click the folder or drive, and click “Sharing and Security”.
4. On the Sharing tab, click “Share this folder”.
5. To change the share name of the shared folder or drive, type a new name in the Share name box.
    A. This name is the display name used for other users to see.
    B. The actual folder/drive name does not change.
6. Click “Allow under User limit”, and then type the number of users.
    A. In Windows XP Professional, the max user limit is 10, regardless of the number that you type in the box.
    B.  Windows Server is the suggested Microsoft upgrade to have greater control over a network.
7. Click “Permissions” to set share permissions on the shared folder or drive.
8. Click OK.

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Mapping network shares in XP