Archive for the ‘XP’ Category
Slipstream Software Into Windows XP Installation Disk
Slipstreaming is another word for integrating Service Packs or other Software into your Windows Installation disk. For Service Packs, Microsoft offers its own services for integration as the /integrate command or the tools of the Windows Automated Installation Kit in Windows 7, for software however that it rather hard to accomplish without third party software (I don’t know of any way).
If you want additional software on your disk despite that, the easiest way is to use nLite which is a highly configurable tool to slipstream Service Packs, Software or Microsoft’s updates and hotfixes, make your disk installation unattended or even remove parts of the installation.
You can download nLite here: http://www.nliteos.com/download.html
To add software, it needs to be in a specific format – you cannot just integrate the usual executable installers. However there is a website that offers lots of compressed software packages for download: http://www.winaddons.com/
Leave the packaged files you download there as they are and do not uncompress them. They need to be integrated as they come.
For slipstreaming, open nLite and perform the integration of Hotfixes, Add-ons and Update packs.
When the step is due, select the downloaded .cab archives (if it says that the package is broken, check its size – if it is only a few kilobytes, it has been corrupted during download. Try downloading it with another browser. Firefox worked fine for me while Opera always corrupted them).
Slipstream Service Packs Into Windows XP Installation Disk
To slipstream (=integrate) MS Windows Service Packs into an existing Windows XP Installation Disk you need an installation Disk, a working copy of Windows, the downloaded Service Pack, a burning software capable of burning bootable images (for example ImgBurn, which is also free), a DVD burner and an empty disk.
First copy all files of the installation disk into a folder on your hard disk (don’t forget any hidden files) and download the Service Packs you need. Then open a command line by typing cmd into a Run… prompt and direct it to the directory the Service Pack you want to integrate is in with the cd (change directory) command, for example like this:
cd C:\Service_Packs
Don’t forget to double-quote the path if there are any Space characters in it. Next, enter the file name of the Service Pack followed by the integrate switch and the path of the installation disk files in the following syntax:
WINDOWSXP-KB936929-SP3-X86-DEU.EXE /integrate:C:\Windows_XP_Install
Windows_XP_Install is the folder where I copied the files of the disk into and is located directly on the <em>C:</em> drive. After the process is done, create an image from the altered installation files and burn it as bootable CD/DVD.
Free Alternative Burning Software for Windows
Nero Burning Rom may be the most used burning software for Windows but despite its high functionality it still is quite expensive. Luckily there are some free alternative burning softwares on the internet which can compete to Nero’s performance, one of them being ImgBurn:
ImgBurn provides you with the crucial burning-processes you will need: writing files, data, and images to a disk. You can copy disks by making images of them or create those from files, making it possible to duplicate your Windows installation disk by copying its files and creating a bootable disk out of it.
Download ImgBurn from its homepage: http://www.imgburn.com/index.php?act=download
Properly Uninstall Software on Windows with Revo Uninstaller
The built-in Windows tool to add and remove software is commonly used to install and uninstall software, in most cases an own uninstaller comes with the program. However, this uninstaller usually does its job quite sloppy, since numerous files, folders and/or registry entries are left behind after installation. This can either be wanted, if the left files serve as configuration preservers for the case of reinstallation of the program or, as it is in most cases, is just taken lightly by the programmers, meaning that the left files are actually only data junk never to be used again.
This data junk, if stored in masses, can slow down your computer over time. While the best method to get rid of it is to format your hard drive and reinstall the operating system from time to time, you may have reasons to not do that, but to look for a more immediate way to get rid of or to prevent such installation leftovers.
One way to uninstall software more effectively as with their own uninstaller is doing so with Revo Uninstaller.
This piece of software provides multiple steps of uninstalling – it first removes the programs with their own uninstaller and then scans the system for the so-called software rot.
If any leftover files are found, they are shown and you are given the option to delete them seperately. Only delete the files that you are sure you won’t need anymore – deleting files you don’t know or recognize can cause severe problems.
Furthermore, Revo Uninstaller comes with a bunch of useful features as emptying browser caches, deleting temporary files, Windows search queries, several histories and erasing all tracks of deleted files.
Free Windows Malware Removal Tools
The tools shown here are tools to be used together with a fully functioning anti-virus software and are not meant to replace it. They provide an additional source of security and work by scanning your system for malicious software and other potentially harmful stuff. The three tools I tested were Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware, SUPERAntiSpyware Free Edition (+ Portable Edition) and Spybot Search & Destroy (+ Portable Edition). They all ran on the same system with the same prerequisites. Although, or rather because all their results in scanning differ, it is recommendable to have all of them installed and let them scan your system from time to time.
Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware
Of the three softwares tested, this is the only one that found two trojans on the system. It offers a quick scan and a complete scan option where the quick scan took about 3 minutes and a complete scan took about 45 on 25 GB of data. It removed all found items accurately but unfortunately has no official portable version.
Download Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware here: http://www.malwarebytes.org/
SUPERAntiSpyware Free Edition
Of the two trojans that were found by Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware, SUPERAntiSpyware found one but it also found quite a few adware-tracking cookies which you also might want to get rid of, although they usually are no dangerous objects. Like Malwarebytes, it offers a quick and a complete scan option, which, too, take about 3 and 45 minutes on 25 GB data. Additionally, SUPERAntiSpyware comes with many useful tools that might come handy if you have got a virus disabling critical system functions as re-enabling your task-manager or the system restore service and many more.
There is also a portable version of the software that works perfectly alright and comes with the same functions as the installable free version.
Download all versions here: http://www.superantispyware.com/
Spybot Search and Destroy
In the current test, unfortunately Spybot found none of the items that the others did, although it has proven worthy in previous ones. Spybot offers one scan option which takes about 20 minutes on 25 GB data. It comes with an extra feature called Immunize, which blocks certain malicious websites if activated. Furthermore, Spybot gives you the option to install TeaTimer, a process running in the background that detects malware that tries to make changes in your registry.
Like SUPERAntiSpyware, Spybot offers a portable version which works well from any USB device.
Download Spybot here: http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html
Mac OS X-like Dock for Windows 7
The Dock, main navigation element in Apple’s Mac OS X, is a powerful tool to quickly access your most important files if you tend to use the same pieces of software or the same folders over and over again. Rocketdock is such a dock application designed for Windows:
It works like the original OS X dock and can be placed on every border of the screen, additionally being highly customizable in terms of theme, effects and behaviour:
You can download Rocketdock here: http://www.rocketdock.com
Windows XP Zune Theme
Additionally to the default Windows XP themes, Microsoft has released a darker skin fitting the Zune player. It basically uses the same textures as the glassy skin but comes mainly in black with an orange Start button:
Download the Zune theme here: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=75078
Wrap VBScripts into .exe Format
To convert your VBScript to an .exe file, or rather make them look like one, there is a native Windows tool called IExpress which you can access through your menu’s searchbar.
Select Create new Self Extraction Directive file and choose Extract files and run an installation command afterwards. Enter a package title and decide whether you want the user to be prompted or not and if you want a licence to be shown. Now browse the executables you want to wrap and select the files for installation in the next window. If they are not displayed in the dropdown menu then type their name in again manually.
If you want multiple scripts to be installed, enter cmd /c script1.vbs && script2.vbs for example. After some more configuration the executable will be placed in the directory you specified in one of the last steps.
Permanently Delete Files (Windows)
To permanently delete files instead of just throwing them into the waste-bin with Del, select them and press Shift and Del simultaneously. Confirm the appearing dialogue and you’ll have made sure that your trash does not overflow with forgotten data:
Rename Multiple Files (Windows)
With the rename function of Windows that is called with F2 you can rename great amounts of files simultaneously. This is done by selecting all files at once and pressing F2. You are then asked to rename one of the files, but the input will apply to all selected files – to distinguish between the equally named files, an ascending number will be appended to the file name in parentheses:
