Showing posts with label Computers Tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Computers Tips. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Avoid Temp folders wasting space

The Temporary Internet Files folder on your system takes more hard drive than specified in the configuration.Amongst,other things because leftovers of files remain there even though you have emptied all the contents via the 'Internet Options' dialog box.You can quickly solve the problem described above by moving the Temporary Internet Files directory to the original location.First step is create a new folder and in "Internet Explorer" open 'Tools/Internet Options'.In the 'General' tab click 'Settings' and 'Move Folder' under 'Temporary Internet Files'.Open the newly created folder and click OK.When windows ask you to log off,click 'Yes'.Then log on to the system again and close all dialog fields with OK.In the 'Windows Explorer',now delete the old folder 'Temporary Internet Files' and at the same time storage location create a new folder with the same name.Then repeat the steps described in the beginning and shift the storage location for 'Temporary Internet Files' back to the old location.

The problem that I described above can occur due to variety of reasons.For example,you may have downloaded the contents of website only partially.This happens when you click Stop when site is loading or when you open another site before a site opens completely.This also happens when you download streaming videos with the ActiveX control element "Axis CamControl".And last but not the least,some files can be hidden in the "Temporary Internet Files" folder which are used by other processes or are protected in some way.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

How Linux Boots Part-2

There are several different actions in addition to initdefault and wait, especially pertaining to power management, and the inittab(5) manual page tells you all about them. The ones that you're most likely to encounter are explained in the following sections.

respawn:The respawn action causes init to run the command that follows, and if the command finishes executing, to run it again. You're likely to see something similar to this line in your inittab file:

1:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty1

The getty programs provide login prompts. The preceding line is for the first virtual console (/dev/tty1), the one you see when you press ALT-F1 or CONTROL-ALT-F1. The respawn action brings the login prompt back after you log out.

ctrlaltdel:The ctrlaltdel action controls what the system does when you press CONTROL-ALT-DELETE on a virtual console. On most systems, this is some sort of reboot command using the shutdown command.

sysinit:The sysinit action is the very first thing that init should run when it starts up, before entering any runlevels.

How processes in runlevels start

You are now ready to learn how init starts the system services, just before it lets you log in. Recall this inittab line from earlier:

l5:5:wait:/etc/rc.d/rc 5

This small line triggers many other programs. rc stands for run commands, and you will hear people refer to the commands as scripts, programs, or services. So, where are these commands, anyway?

For runlevel 5, in this example, the commands are probably either in /etc/rc.d/rc5.d or /etc/rc5.d. Runlevel 1 uses rc1.d, runlevel 2 uses rc2.d, and so on. You might find the following items in the rc5.d directory:

S10sysklogd S20ppp S99gpm
S12kerneld S25netstd_nfs S99httpd
S15netstd_init S30netstd_misc S99rmnologin
S18netbase S45pcmcia S99sshd
S20acct S89atd
S20logoutd S89cron

The rc 5 command starts programs in this runlevel directory by running the following commands:

S10sysklogd start
S12kerneld start
S15netstd_init start
S18netbase start
...
S99sshd start

Notice the start argument in each command. The S in a command name means that the command should run in start mode, and the number (00 through 99) determines where in the sequence rc starts the command.

The rc*.d commands are usually shell scripts that start programs in /sbin or /usr/sbin. Normally, you can figure out what one of the commands actually does by looking at the script with less or another pager program.

You can start one of these services by hand. For example, if you want to start the httpd Web server program manually, run S99httpd start. Similarly, if you ever need to kill one of the services when the machine is on, you can run the command in the rc*.d directory with the stop argument (S99httpd stop, for instance).

Some rc*.d directories contain commands that start with K (for "kill," or stop mode). In this case, rc runs the command with the stop argument instead of start. You are most likely to encounter K commands in runlevels that shut the system down.

Adding and removing services

If you want to add, delete, or modify services in the rc*.d directories, you need to take a closer look at the files inside. A long listing reveals a structure like this:

lrwxrwxrwx . . . S10sysklogd -> ../init.d/sysklogd
lrwxrwxrwx . . . S12kerneld -> ../init.d/kerneld
lrwxrwxrwx . . . S15netstd_init -> ../init.d/netstd_init
lrwxrwxrwx . . . S18netbase -> ../init.d/netbase
...

The commands in an rc*.d directory are actually symbolic links to files in an init.d directory, usually in /etc or /etc/rc.d. Linux distributions contain these links so that they can use the same startup scripts for all runlevels. This convention is by no means a requirement, but it often makes organization a little easier.

Monday, October 13, 2008

How Linux Boots Part-1

Hello friends in this post and in the next two post i will tell you how Linux operating system boots and also tell you the whole processes that are connected during its booting.

As it turns out, there isn't much to the boot process:

1. A boot loader finds the kernel image on the disk, loads it into memory, and starts it.
2. The kernel initializes the devices and its drivers.
3. The kernel mounts the root filesystem.
4. The kernel starts a program called init.
5. init sets the rest of the processes in motion.
6. The last processes that init starts as part of the boot sequence allow you to log in.

Identifying each stage of the boot process is invaluable in fixing boot problems and understanding the system as a whole. To start, zero in on the boot loader, which is the initial screen or prompt you get after the computer does its power-on self-test, asking which operating system to run. After you make a choice, the boot loader runs the Linux kernel, handing control of the system to the kernel.

There is a detailed discussion of the kernel elsewhere in this book from which this article is excerpted. This article covers the kernel initialization stage, the stage when the kernel prints a bunch of messages about the hardware present on the system. The kernel starts init just after it displays a message proclaiming that the kernel has mounted the root filesystem:

VFS: Mounted root (ext2 filesystem) readonly.

Soon after, you will see a message about init starting, followed by system service startup messages, and finally you get a login prompt of some sort.

NOTE On Red Hat Linux, the init note is especially obvious, because it "welcomes" you to "Red Hat Linux." All messages thereafter show success or failure in brackets at the right-hand side of the screen.

Most of this chapter deals with init, because it is the part of the boot sequence where you have the most control.
init

There is nothing special about init. It is a program just like any other on the Linux system, and you'll find it in /sbin along with other system binaries. The main purpose of init is to start and stop other programs in a particular sequence. All you have to know is how this sequence works.

There are a few different variations, but most Linux distributions use the System V style discussed here. Some distributions use a simpler version that resembles the BSD init, but you are unlikely to encounter this.

Runlevels

At any given time on a Linux system, a certain base set of processes is running. This state of the machine is called its runlevel, and it is denoted with a number from 0 through 6. The system spends most of its time in a single runlevel. However, when you shut the machine down, init switches to a different runlevel in order to terminate the system services in an orderly fashion and to tell the kernel to stop. Yet another runlevel is for single-user mode, discussed later.

The easiest way to get a handle on runlevels is to examine the init configuration file, /etc/inittab. Look for a line like the following:

id:5:initdefault:
This line means that the default runlevel on the system is 5. All lines in the inittab file take this form, with four fields separated by colons occurring in the following order:
# A unique identifier (a short string, such as id in the preceding example)
# The applicable runlevel number(s)
# The action that init should take (in the preceding example, the action is to set the default runlevel to 5)
# A command to execute (optional)

There is no command to execute in the preceding initdefault example because a command doesn't make sense in the context of setting the default runlevel. Look a little further down in inittab, until you see a line like this:

l5:5:wait:/etc/rc.d/rc 5

This line triggers most of the system configuration and services through the rc*.d and init.d directories. You can see that init is set to execute a command called /etc/rc.d/rc 5 when in runlevel 5. The wait action tells when and how init runs the command: run rc 5 once when entering runlevel 5, and then wait for this command to finish before doing anything else.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Boost your PC speed

As all we know that everyone got frustrated with slow computer speed, hate it when your computer slows down while you access the Internet. Now the solution to your problem is here,in this post i am going to give you some tips with the help of them you can easily increase the processing speed of your PC or boost your PC speed.

Tip No.1:As all we know sometimes programmes crashes or you experience some power outage that means your PC may create some errors on hard disk.This error will definitely slows down computer speed.Now the solution of this problem is here.For this you have to check and clean any errors on the computer hard disk. To run Disk Check go to My Computer. Now, right-click on the drive you want to check for errors and click Properties.In Properties dialogue box, click on the Tools tab. In the Error-Checking section, press the Check Now button. Access Check Disk to check for errors on your computer.Depending on the errors, it may take up to an hour to check and clean. This must be followed at least once a week.

Tip No.2:As all we know that while you surf the websites,your PC stores temporary files whenever you browse through the Web. Also, your PC stores temporary files when you work on programmes like Microsoft Word or Excel.This ends up slowing down your PC speed.Now the solution to this problem is here,to overcome it you can use the Windows Disk Cleanup screen to rid your PC of these dead files.To run Disk Cleanup go to My Computer. Right click on the drive you wish to check for errors and click Properties. In the Properties dialogue box, click Disk Cleanup. You can also use Disk Cleanup to clear unused files from your PC.After scanning, the Disk Cleanup dialogue box lists the files you can remove from your computer.

Tip No.3:Sometimes you feel that your computer takes too much time in searching of any file on your PC.This is because computer breaks files into pieces to increase the speed of access and retrieval.However, once updated, computer saves these files on the space available on the hard drive, which results in fragmented files. This makes your PC go slow because it then searches for all of the file's parts. For removing this error you need a Disk Defragmenter programme to needle all your files back together.For this, go to My Computer and right click on the drive you want to check for error and click Properties.In the Properties dialogue box, click the Tools tab, and then in the Defragmentation section, click Defragment. In the Disk Defragmenter dialog box, select the disk and then click Analyse.After analysing your PC, the Disk Defragmenter pops up a message asking whether you need to defragment your computer or not. Once you defragement your PC, it will reorganise files by programme and size.

For more tips click on the link:
http://programminginfo4u.blogspot.com/2008/08/boost-your-pc-speed-2.html

Sunday, September 21, 2008

How Hackers hack your PC

Hello friends in this post i am going to tell you some ways through which hackers hack your pc's and stole important information and data from your pc.

Every computer has an IP (Internet Protocol) address.A DSL or cable modem connection keeps the IP address ‘always on’. A dial-up account’s IP address is turned off by the service provider after a certain amount of inactivity.Dial-up accounts get a different IP address each time they are on.
Common methods for finding your IP address are through chatrooms, looking up domain names on a domain name registrar site, or running programs that can create a log of all valid IP addresses.In a chatroom, all a hacker has to do is right click on your chat ID and get your IP address. A domain registrar can yield a website’s employees’ names, phone numbers, fax numbers, physical addresses and IP addresses. In ‘social engineering’ a hacker verbally chats you up and gets your IP address and other important information.

The Hacking:With your IP address, a hacker can send programs to your PC to test your system for vulnerabilities. He can find bugs, or holes in software. File- and print-sharing options allow him to access your hard drive, load any program on the drive and delete/change any file on your PC. He may use ‘Trojans’, which pretend to do useful tasks--like playing a video or greeting--but actually help him access info on your comp and/or even take it over. Programs that allow the hacker ‘backdoor’ entry to your comp are commonly available.They are used daily and legitimately by systems administrators for remote systems. Hackers change the names of their programs to make them look like legitimate system programs.Or they create a hidden folder on your comp to keep programs. The most common way that viruses are spread is through e-mail. Usually, the virus is not in the e-mail itself, but an attachment.

Cracking Passwords:Hackers use programs to crack passwords. Even a password-protected computer can be broken into and other passwords then cracked.A cracker dictionary has common computer terms and phrases, names, slang and jargon, easily typed key sequences (like ‘qwerty’), and phrases you might commonly use as a password.Programs to crack passwords are handed out with copies of these dictionaries. A common method for cracking passwords is to get a copy of a system’s password file. It lists all encrypted passwords on the system.


Security Breached:
A hacker can steal and delete files, load dangerous programs on your PC, involve you in computer crime. He can get your home, office or bank passwords.A hacker can see your screen as you see it, watch every move of your mouse, see every word you type Proxy problems.
Often, the hacker is not interested in the hacked system. He just wants to hack into larger systems or send e-mails. A hacker can load a program onto hundreds of hacked PCs and then direct the PCs to bomb a particular firm’s server with junk mail or problem messages.

Securing your computer:Turn off your comp when not using it Use a firewall and anti-virus. Turn off file and print sharing. Be up-to-date. Hackers count on the public’s ignorance.

Specific Measures:
Don’t visit chat rooms unless they are closed and you know the administrator. Almost never open an attachment that ends in .DLL or .EXE, even if the email is from your best friend. The only time you can open such attachments is if you know what’s in them.To outwit script-based viruses, ask an expert how you can open scripts in Notepad (or Wordpad). Then get someone who knows Visual Basic to look at it. If you’re not on your PC, but see its modem lights flash, a hacker could be testing for vulnerabilities.

Password protection:A good password is easily remembered, but not easily guessable. It should be kept a secret, never written down, never saved in a file. When a website asks if a password should be saved, say no. A password must have at least six or more letters, numbers or punctuations.The letters should be capitals and lowercase. It should not have four or more letters found consecutively in the dictionary. Reversing the letters won’t help.

Friday, September 5, 2008

Access your PC remotely

It is definitely beneficial if you succeeded in accessing your PC remotely from some where else like from cybercafe.Now a days operating system giant Microsoft offers several versions of windows for accessing your computer remotely.In addition to these Windows versions there also exists a lot of programmes allowing PCs to be controlled from any browser.If we are going to use the software programmes for accessing the PC remotely,then you can use VNC(Virtual Network Computing Protocol) and the variants based upon on it.

The most recent version of VNC sends a small programme onto the other computer, known as a client or remote computer, which is used to control the home PC. After this the with the help of client browser you can see the desktop back at home and with it full access to the PC.When you install software on the PC it is asked whether you want to make your PC as a client or as a server.For security reasons the access password should be set on the server PC.The user must also ensure that the software will not be blocked by a firewall.As all we know that Internet service providers generally assign their customers a new IP address for each new online session.

To make remote control possible, a so-called dynamic DNS service must be employed.If you are going to made a comparison among the different variants of VNCs then i want to told you that UltraVNC is the best VNC available in the market.One of several cost-free VNC client programmes for Mac OS X is Chicken of the VNC.Microsoft primarily worked its Remote Desktop service, including remote control and remote servicing, into the pro versions of its operating systems.

In the last i would like to say only this "Remote Desktop is the best choice for remote control of current Windows systems".

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Boost your PC speed 2

Here are the remaining tips for boost your pc speed.Hope you enjoyed the first part.For previous tips you can click on http://technopress.wordpress.com/.



Tip No.4:Biggest culprits behind slow PC performance are viruses and spyware. Both end up reducing your PC speed. Not only this they can also destroy your data and tamper files.Also, with the 24X7 online environment, it is important to have anti-virus and anti-spyware programmes installed for secure online experience.These programmes need to be frequently updated to avoid any attack on your computer.You can do a recee of the Net for popular anti-virus and anti-spyware solutions. There are also several paid options like McAfee, Norton Anti-virus and Trend Micro.




Tip No.5:Sometimes you see a lot of people that are facing very difficulty in accessing the internet.Don't worry. For Internet Explorer users, Microsoft has some rescue options for faster Web browsing.To improve your PC speed, first reduce the size of your Web page history. For this go to Internet Explorer, and on the Tools menu click on Internet Options. Then go to the History section and type in the number of days you want to keep pages in history.Preferably reduce the number of days as this will reduce the size of your Web page history.

Tip No.6:Last tip for you is that activate Automatic Microsoft updates in your computer.For Windows users, Microsoft frequently release updates which may help boost up your PC speed. For this activate automate Microsoft Update so that your computer downloads and installs all the latest updates without giving you any trouble of finding any new releases.Go to Start menu and click Control Panel. In the Automatic Updates dialog box, check the Automatic check box. If your PC finds any new updates, it will automatically download and install them. This will help you keep your computer up to date.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

How to Guard your PC network from hackers?

Today the major problem that the computer users faces is of their network security.Now a days the main target of the hackers are the PC's of the managers of the topmost IT companies.But now the work is going on this problem of network security,computer scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology led by an Indian-origin researcher have developed a new model for helping these managers safeguard valuable information most efficiently.

Generally a hacker penetrate into network using FTP server, SSH server or database server,but now with this model would act as a guide for IT managers in securing their networks by assigning a probable risk of attack. Actually Computer networks are made up of components varying from individual computers, to servers and routers. Once inside a network's firewall, for a seemingly mild-mannered purpose as posting an image to a file transfer protocol (FTP) site, a hacker can travel through the network through a variety of routes to hit the jackpot of valuable data.In fact, the hacker can also break in through software on the computers, especially file-sharing applications that have been blamed for some major data breaches recently.Now researchers at NIST evaluate each route and assign it a risk based on how challenging it is to the hacker.

The paths are determined using a technique called "attack graphs."For example in a simple system there is an attacker on a computer, a firewall, router, an FTP server and a database server. The goal for the attacker is to find the simplest path into the jackpot-the database server.Attack Graph Analysis determines three potential attack paths. For each path in the graph, the NIST researchers assign an attack probability based on the score in the NVD database.As it takes multiple steps to reach the goal, the probabilities of each component are multiplied to determine the overall risk. One path takes only three steps. The first step has an 80 per cent chance of being hacked, the second, a 90 per cent chance.The final step requires great expertise, so there is only a 10 per cent probability it can be breached. By multiplying the three probabilities together, that path is pretty secure with a less than 10 per cent chance of being hacked.