The print spooler service is not running Error!

So your getting the following error when you try to install a Printer in Windows.

Operation could not be completed. The print spooler service is not running.

How to fix The print spooler service is not running Error

1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog Start and type services.msc and click OK.

2. Double-click the Printer Spooler service, and then change the startup type to Automatic. This sets the Spooler service to start automatically when you restart the computer. Click OK.

3. Restart the computer and try to install the printer again.

If that doesn’t work, the problem could be related to corrupted printer drivers that are installed on the computer. Try uninstalling all printer software from the computer and start the above fix from the start. This may include PDF writer or faxing software as well.

Anything listed in the Control Panel under Printers & Faxes should be removed. If there is any software installed for other printers in Add/Remove Programs uninstall that too. Clean out everything possible that might be hanging the Printer Spooler service. Obtain updated software from your printer manufacturers and reinstall only the items needed for your printer.

If you open Services.msc (start > run > services.msc >ok) and see the following or If the first line in the list of services looks similar to ##Id_String2.6844F930_1628_4223_B5CC_5BB94B879762##, then Bonjour is installed on your system.

Why Do I Have Bonjour or mDNSResponder.exe running?
If you’ve installed software like Apple’s iTunes, Adobe Premiere Pro, Skype or Gizmo then you probably already a Bonjour folder in your Program Files directory. The service starts automatically and runs a process named mDNSResponder.exe which cannot be ended by Windows Task Manager. If you wanted to remove, uninstall or stop Bonjour from being on your computer then it can seam impossible to find any uninstaller for it! There isn’t even an entry for it in Control Panel’s Add or Remove Programs.

How do I safely uninstall Bonjour and remove mDNSResponder.exe process?

Removing Bonjour from your computer.

1. Click on Start > Run > type the command below and hit OK.

“%PROGRAMFILES%\Bonjour\mDNSResponder.exe” -remove

2. Open the directory C:\Program Files\Bonjour
3. Rename the mdnsNSP.dll file in that folder to mdnsNSP.bak
4. Restart your computer
5. Once you are back in windows Delete the C:\Program Files\Bonjour folder

Step one above will stop and remove Bonjour Service from your computer. To confirm this, click on Start > Run and type services.msc. Look for Bonjour Service name. Congratulations if it’s not there, you’ve successfully removed it.

Other utilities for removing Bonjour or mDNSResponder.exe
The Gizmo Project has created a small tool TurnOffBonjour.exe - that turns off and removes Bonjour service.

But it will not remove the Bonjour folder from Program Files. You will still need to manually delete the Bonjour folder after restart (Step 5 above). The reason why you don’t delete the folder before a restart is in case there’s a problem then the Bonjour files are still there for you to restore the service.

If you encountered problems after uninstalling or removing Bonjour, you can always download and reinstall Bonjour by using the following link Download Bonjour for Windows

There is also a new wizard tool called Au Revoir, Bonjour that will remove the Apple Bonjour Service from Windows computers.

Basically The Recycle Bin does not appear on the desktop in Windows Vista or in Windows XP. Therefore, you cannot use the Recycle Bin to do such tasks as restoring a file that was deleted. Hopfully we can help you make the Recycle Bin work again.

Several issues could cause this problem:

• A third-party program was used to hide the Recycle Bin.
• The TweakUI program was used to hide the Recycle Bin.
• The registry information for the Recycle Bin was deleted.
• A Group Policy setting was used to hide the Recycle Bin.

You can automatically fix the problem by downloading this file from Microsoft.

Or if you prefer the manual method -

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
3. Locate the following registry key:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace
4. Right-click the registry key that you located in step 3, point to New, and then click Key.
5. Type {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}, and then press ENTER.
6. Click the new {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E} key that you created in step 5.
7. In the right pane, double-click the (Default) entry.
8. In the Edit String dialog box, type Recycle Bin in the Value data box, and then click OK.
9. Close Registry Editor.

If you cannot restore the Recycle Bin by using the resolutions that are listed above, you can work around this issue by creating a shortcut to the Recycle Bin:

Note: This doesnt restore full functionality but will restore most

1. Click Start, and then click My Computer.
2. On the Tools menu, click Folder Options.
3. Click the View tab, and then click to clear the Hide protected operating system files (Recommended) check box.
4. Click Yes when you receive the warning message, and then click OK to close the Folder Options dialog box.
5. Click Folders on the toolbar.
6. Note If Folders is not visible on the toolbar, point to Toolbars on the View menu, and then click Standard Buttons.
7. In the left navigation pane, under Folders, locate the Recycle Bin folder, and then drag the Recycle Bin folder to the desktop.
8. On the Tools menu, click Folder Options.
9. Click the View tab, and then click to select the Hide protected operating system files (Recommended) check box. Click OK.

Microsoft Windows Search Indexer stopped working and was closed
A problem caused the application to stop working correctly. Windows will notify you if a solution is available.

So I went into services and disabled it (and I had to also disable the automatic retry separately or it kept starting despite being “disabled”). Any attempt to manually start it there gives me:

Windows could not start the Windows Search service on Local Computer.

Error 1067: The process terminated unexpectedly.

The fix is to delete all files related to search indexing, located by default at:

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\Windows

and:

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data\Temp

Note that these are both system directories – You can access it without changing your folder options, just type the shortcut to the folders in the address bar of windows explorer. Or if you want to show hidden folders, you go into Control Panel, (make sure you’re in classic view) and you click on the icon labeled Folder Options, at which point you go into the View tab, there is a sub-folder about halfway down entitled Hidden Files and Folders, click the button next to Show Hidden Files and Folders.

Delete all files and folders in these directories.

Then, change the service back to starting automatically. You still can’t start the service until you reboot, at which time Windows will rebuild the index for you.

This happens to me a lot when im playing Call of Duty 5 or Call of Duty 4 as my run key is Shift, so im there playing and running around and I hit the shift key to get away from other people trying to kill me, then without warning Sticky keys notification minimises the game and asks me if I want to enable sticky keys! How annoying! here is how to stop it.

1. Open Control Panel and Click Accessibility Options



2. Click settings in the StickyKeys box
   
3. Untick “Use Shortcut” and click Ok
4. Make sure you click Apply and click Ok 

Now if you try to press shift 5 times the message will not appear! happy gaming!

One of the best ways to improve your case’s looks without spending huge money is to spray-paint it. Getting serious with spray-paint is more about patience than money, but your case will still look like a million dollars

Getting that show car shine on your case is a great way to grab serious attention. In this chapter, I will reveal the secrets to getting your case to have the gloss of a new BMW, but for the price of a used Geo. Professionals use compressed air and special equipment to paint. But you can get results that are just as good with a “rattlecan” and some sanding techniques. First we will cover the proper techniques for surface preparation, and paint application. Then we will deal with applying the clear coat and finish the sanding. You can paint your case according to this chapter and have a great looking case, but by adding the finishing touches you can have the show car look that will turn heads.

Your total budget for this project will be under Forty dollars (and you can do just the first portion for fewer than twenty). You’ll need:

1x can of primer
1x or more cans of spray-paint in your choice of color
1x can of clear coat

For surface preparation, you’ll need a sheet each of 220, 320, and 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper, and a sanding block. For finish sanding, you’ll need a sheet each of 600, 1000, and 1500 grit wet/dry sandpaper, a wire brush, paint stripper (both for correcting mistakes), plus rubbing compound. The rubbing can be found in any automotive supply store. You’ll also want two or three clean tack cloths

When you select your paints, choose a good quality spray-paint for automotive applications. Auto parts stores are the best sources because you can usually pick up your sanding materials at the same time as your paint. Use a primer and paint from the same manufacturer for the best results, and never mix lacquer with acrylic enamel, pick one system or the other. I chose to use enamel for this project. If you’re not after the show car look, and just want a rugged paint job, epoxy paint is available for extreme ruggedness.

Don’t skimp on the paint, because in this project the labor will be vastly more intense than the material cost. As you can see, I spared no expense–I went for the automotive gray primer.

You might have heard the key to successful painting is preparation, and if so, you heard right. Sand down the existing paint (usually a powder coat finish with a light texture on most cases) to get as flat a surface as possible before applying our paint. To remove the beige paint, start with 220 grit, which is fine, but has a good deal of cutting action. Sand your panels fairly aggressively in a north-south motion, but lighten when if you start to cut through the beige to metal. We don’t need to remove the beige, but we do want the texture gone. Then move to a 320 grit and sand east-west with a light pressure. This will remove the scratch marks from the previous sanding, and smooth the surface. You will see the results by your own reflection on the surface

Sand the bezel (façade of the case), both because we want to get rid of the texture, and because the raised lettering by the buttons will get flattened when we finish sand, so removing it during prep avoids having the old color show through. So get rid of the raised lettering or symbols on your bezel if you have any.

And the final key to prep is cleanliness. Leaving an oily fingerprint on your panel can keep the paint from properly adhering; so can dust from sanding or just regular old crud that blows by. So work in a dust-free area as much as possible, and wipe down your sanded work piece with tack cloth before applying paint or primer. Care taken here will pay of in the form of a durable, chip-resistant finish.

For each panel you’re painting (plus the bezel), take them to this state of smoothness first. Primer won’t fill scratches unless they’re very, very fine, and the application of your color coat will make scratches pop out like neon signs, so don’t take shortcuts on preparation. Wet sanding keeps the sandpaper from clogging with paint particles. To properly wet sand, all you need is a shallow container with about a gallon of clean water to which you’ve added a couple drops of liquid dish detergent. If you have running water, that works well also. Rinse away the entire paint residue and wipe the work piece with a clean tack cloth, then set it aside to dry thoroughly. You may find that a spray bottle with the same clean water/dish soap is easier. Either way, choose your method and stick with it.

Apply primer to your newly prepped surfaces. Pay attention to the edges, and to any areas where metal shows through the beige. Those are spots that will tend to wear, especially when you sand between coats.

Continue to apply thin coats to the work pieces until you’ve covered them completely. You’ll see a flat, matte surface at this point. Let the primer dry (usually you can sand within a half hour, but check the directions on the can) and wet sand your primer coat with 400 grit and light pressure. You’ll almost certainly cut through the primer, especially around the edges. So after sanding we’ll do a second primer coat

Applying the second coat is the same technique as the first, but now you’ll see the cut-through areas, and you can direct a little extra primer towards them. Again, sand this coat with 400 grit. This will remove any overspray (paint particles that dry in midair and fall on the surface), and flatten out any dust nibs or stray insects that would mess up the flat surface.

Now break out the color coat and go insane! No, actually, you’ll want to apply thin coats again, just like with the primer. Mistakes in primer are easy to sand out, but with the color coat, things like drips or scratches will be much more work to fix. So be careful to get the edges of your work pieces, and thoroughly coat them with several thin coats, leaving a finish that looks “wet.” You’ll still see some “red” texture; this is inevitable when using rattle cans. But our next steps will be to sand the red peel flat, and apply a couple clear coats to add gloss and protect the color coat

You can see we’re quite glossy, but not yet getting mirror-quality reflections. That’s because the slight texture in the surface distorts the reflections (we’re missing the flatness). So we need to let the color coat cure for a minimum of two days (some paints will continue to harden for up to a month actually, but usually you can sand within two to three days) and then go back for the fun part, finish sanding.

You can certainly stop here and have a really nice paint job. The time we spent on prep will make this a very durable finish, and it sure looks better than factory at this point. But in the next part, we’ll finish sanding and apply a clear coat (and sand and clear coat and sand and…) to get the ultimate finish on our panels.

Anyone can spray paint their case. It’s not too hard to get a decent looking paint job from ordinary cans of spray paint. But to get a truly extreme paint job, the kind you’d see on a show car, you’ll need to apply some clear coat, and a healthy amount of elbow grease. Fortunately neither one is very expensive. I was looking for a “cooling lava” look. I wanted the case to be mostly red, but with hints of black. This would give the appearance of molten lava with cool spots

To briefly recap how we got to this state, it was removing the existing paint with 220 grit, applying primer, sanding the primer smooth with 400 grit, applying a second coat of primer, sanding that smooth with 400 grit, and applying a color coat. Every time we apply paint we pick up an “orange peel” texture. That’s inherent in using a rattle can to apply paint. Our main job in sanding is to flatten the surface. The better you flatten, the more convincing the mirror look becomes. So our next step is to sand our first color coat with 600 grit to flatten and prepare the surface for the second color coat. Unlike primer, a color coat needs to cure two to three days before being sanded.

If you cut through the color coat a little like in the bottom of the previous picture, that’s fine. Try to use that as an indication to back off the pressure on your sanding block. 600 grit is very fine, and when the surface approaches flatness, you’ll feel the work piece “grab” your sanding block. If you keep up strong pressure at that point, you’re likely to cut through. Low spots will show up as glossy black pits against the matte where you’ve sanded. You’ll need to dry the work piece to see these, but they show you where you need to sand further. Work spent flattening these will pay off–otherwise they’ll show as dimples in your finish.

Once you’ve flattened everything down, apply your second color coat. Don’t worry about dust nibs or small bugs that land on it. These will get sanded smooth later–you’ll mess it up more by trying to fix these while the paint is wet. Make sure your second color coat is even but thick. Concentrate on areas where you cut through the first color coat. This picture shows the orange peel texture that you just finished spending all that time removing. You’ll need to repeat the 600 grit sanding step for the second coat, making sure to not cut through to primer. Don’t over apply the paint; it will be more likely to drip or form blemishes

Again, allow your color coat to cure for a minimum of two days before you sand. After sanding the second color coat, you should have panels with a uniform matte finish, with no glossy pits. There will be visible fine scratch marks from the sandpaper. If you get any deep scratches, they will show through to the finished surface unless you take the time to fix them now. Unfortunately, that usually means sanding them out, and that can put you back all the way to applying primer again. So watch out for grit or debris on your sandpaper.

You could buff this finish out to a decent gloss. But by applying a clear coat, you’ll deepen the gloss significantly. Apply the clear coat to the work pieces generously. Don’t over apply, but build up several thin applications to a wet, glossy coat. Orange peel texture will be noticeable, and dust nibs will seem to be magnetically attracted, but don’t worry. Again, we cure this coat for two days, and then we repeat the 600 grit flattening-out-the-orange peel routine. If you cut through the clear coat, a second application is necessary, plus the two day cure before you sand again. By now you see this is not a technique for the impatient. But once you finish the flattening, you get to move up the grit scale again to scratch removal. Lightly sand with 1000 grit and then 1500 grit (and 2000 if you have some) to remove the scratches left by each previous step

All that sanding work was very, very tedious, but it pays off right now. If you did a good job with the previous steps, the application of rubbing compound won’t be anywhere near as difficult as if you cut corners. By now you’ve got a good six hours into sanding, so I know that if you’re with me here, you’re going the distance. And I promise that the last couple steps are a little less tedious. To buff out the fine scratches, use a high quality rubbing compound available from auto parts stores. Apply it per the package directions, but fundamentally you rub the scratches out, leaving only a faint haze. Use only a clean, soft cotton cloth for this step.

This is the payoff! You’ll see the gloss emerge as you remove the compound from the panels. The matte finish is replaced by gloss with only a faint haze. There are swirl mark removers and glazes available where you get your paint supplies to remove the last traces of haze. You can apply these right after compounding. If you want to use an automobile wax, wait a month for the paint to fully cure first. But with the hand glaze applied, you’ll have the show car look that will grab serious attention

I like to keep my links available at the top of my IE page. I also like to keep them personalized. You can do this too.

First, unlock your Toolbar by right clicking where your Back, Forward and Home buttons are

Then select to have your links available

Then drag and release your Links bar where you want it. Assign all your most viewed sites into the Links folder. For each site shortcut, right click the individual buttons, and select properties

Next click: Change Icon. The next viewer will probably just show the few options currently available for that file.
Select Browse, to see all system32 folders and files

Then search for Shell32.dll. This is where most of windows icons are stored. Simply search for one you like, click it and hit OK

Do this for each and you’re set.
If you like an icon that’s not here because it belongs to another program, find the program in the Start menu.

I wanted the Ultrawipe Hard drive icon for my web page shortcut

Right click and select properties

In the shortcut tab click: Change Icon

Then select the pic location, right click and copy

Later, return to your links bar and right click, paste into the icon address bar

Press enter and now you have those icons at your disposal.

Click OK twice and your done

1. Open Control Panel and double click Administrative Tools
2. Double click Computer Management
3.  Left click Disk management in the left hand task plane
4. Use the lower right hand task plane to find the removable device 
5. Right click the removable disks space and select Change drive letter and Paths…
6. Click Change and select a letter that is not in use
7. Select a letter that is not in use
8. Click Ok and click Yes to the warning (becarefull to only do this to drives that are not in use, dont do it to your windows drive!!)
9. Now the drive will appear in My Computer

Alternativly you could try Acronis Disk Management to takle any other disk related problems

Thanks to Ewa Paszkiewicz for this Article

Anyway this didnt solve it! so I did some more digging and I narrowed it down to a faulty cpl file existing on my system. Heres what I did

1. First create a temp folder on your desktop
2. Goto c:\windows\system32 and browse the folder
3. Then sorted the files by type and scrolled down to the CPL files (Control Panel files – more info on these here)
4. Move the CPL files out to the temp folder you created on your desktop
5. Tada! control panel and network properties should now work again but you have no icons in them!
6. What you need to do is move the CPL files back from your desktop temp directory into your c:\windows\system32 a few at a time and testing control panel and network properties each time until it crashes again  - this is a trial and error process until lyou find the bad cpl file. Good Luck

Once you have found the offending CPL file(s) you should be able to see what was causing the problem usually its 3rd party sound card drivers – maybe try installing a diffrent version to get the functionality back that you lost when you copied out the bad cpl from your system folder. Hope this helps!

Known Errors

Below are the full error messages that may be seen when the computer is booting.

NTLDR is Missing
Press any key to restart

Boot: Couldn’t find NTLDR
Please insert another disk

NTLDR is missing
Press Ctrl Alt Del to Restart

Why is it happining?

1. Loose or Faulty IDE/EIDE hard disk drive cable.
2. Seriously corrupted version of Windows 2000 or Windows XP.
3. Corrupt boot sector / master boot record.
4. New hard disk drive being added.
5. Misconfiguration with the boot.ini file.
6. Corrupt NTLDR and/or NTDETECT.COM file.
7. Computer is booting from a non-bootable source.
8. Computer hard disk drive is not properly setup in BIOS.

Loose or Faulty IDE/EIDE hard disk drive cable.
Verify the computer hard disk drive cable is firmly connected by disconnected and reconnecting the cable.

If the issue continues it is also a possibility that the computer has a faulty cable, try replacing the hard disk drive cable with another cable and/or a new cable.

Seriously corrupted version of Windows 2000 or Windows XP.
We would recommend you reinstall Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

If you are encountering this issue during your setup you may wish to completely erase your computer hard disk drive and all of its existing data and then install Microsoft Windows 2000 / Windows XP.

Corrupt boot sector / master boot record.
It’s possible your computer’s hard disk drive may have a corrupt boot sector and/or master boot record. These can be repaired through the Microsoft Windows Recovery console by running the fixboot and fixmbr commands.

 You can access the console by booting from the windows setup CD and choosing R to access the recovery console.

New hard disk drive being added.
If you are attempting to add a new hard disk drive to the computer make sure that drive is a blank drive. Adding a new hard disk drive to a computer that already has Windows installed on it may cause the NTLDR error to occur.

Misconfiguration with the boot.ini file.
Edit the boot.ini on the root directory of the hard disk drive and verify that it is pointing to the correct location of your Windows operating system and that the partitions are properly defined.

Corrupt NTLDR and/or NTDETECT.COM file.
If your computer is using Microsoft Windows 2000 and you are encountering the NTLDR error. Create the below boot.ini file on the floppy diskette drive.

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT=”Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional” /fastdetect

Copy the NTLDR and NTDETECT.COM files from another computer using the same operating system. Both of these files are located in the root directory of the primary hard disk drive. For example, C:\NTLDR and C:\NTDETECT.COM should be the locations of these files on many computers.

Please keep in mind that these files are hidden system files.

Once these files have been copied to a floppy diskette reboot the computer and copy the NTLDR and NTDETECT.COM files to the root directory of the primary hard disk drive. Below is an example of what commonly should be performed from the A:\> drive.

copy ntldr c:
copy ntdetect.com c:

After the above two files have been copied, remove the floppy diskette and reboot the computer.

Windows XP users

1. Insert the Windows XP bootable CD into the computer.
2. When prompted to press any key to boot from the CD, press any key.
3. Once in the Windows XP setup menu press the “R” key to repair Windows.

1. Log into your Windows installation by pressing the “1″ key and pressing enter.
2. You will then be prompted for your administrator password, enter that password.
3. Copy the below two files to the root directory of the primary hard disk. In the below example we are copying these files from the CD-ROM drive letter, which in this case is “e.” This letter may be different on your computer.

   copy e:\i386\ntldr c:\
   copy e:\i386\ntdetect.com c:\

4. Once both of these files have been successfully copied, remove the CD from the computer and reboot.

Computer is booting from a non-bootable source.
Many times this error is caused when the computer is attempting to boot from a non-bootable floppy disk or CD-ROM. First verify that no floppy diskette is in the computer, unless you are attempting to boot from a diskette.

If you are attempting to boot from a floppy diskette and are receiving this error message it is likely that the diskette does not have all the necessary files and/or is corrupt.

If you are attempting to install Windows XP or Windows 2000 and are receiving this error message as the computer is booting verify that your computer BIOS has the proper boot settings. For example, if you are attempting to run the install from the CD-ROM make sure the CD-ROM is the first boot device, and not the hard disk drive.

Second, when the computer is booting you should receive the below prompt. 

Press any key to boot from the CD

Important: When you see this message press any key such as the Enter key immediately, otherwise it will try booting from the hard drive and likely get the NTLDR error again.

Note: If you are not receiving the above message and your BIOS boot options are set properly it’s also possible that your CD-ROM drive may not be booting from the CD-ROM properly. Verify the jumpers are set properly on the CD-ROM drive.

Also this error has also been known to occur when a memory stick is in a card reader and the computer is attempting to boot from it. If you have any type of card reader or flash reader make sure that no memory stick is inside the computer.  

Computer hard disk drive is not properly setup in BIOS.
Verify that your computer hard disk drive is properly setup in the BIOS / CMOS setup. Improper settings can cause this error.

1. Instant search

The Instant Search box is at the bottom of the Start menu.

Enter the name of a file or program in here and the white column of the Start menu will display results instantly as you type. It’s the quickest and easiest way to find anything on your PC.

2. Vista gadgets

Gadgets are completely new to Windows Vista. These little utilities can provide instant access from your desktop to useful things like a clock or calculator as well as fun stuff like a mini-slideshow of your photos. Click on Windows Sidebar in your taskbar to access gadgets.

3. Check security status

Windows Vista features an all-new Security Center that monitors your computer’s safety.

To find out your computer’s current level of security, go to Start > Control Panel and click on the link that says ‘Check this computer’s security status’ under the ‘Security’ heading.

4. Using the Security Center

The Security Center window is divided up into two main sections.

The sidebar on the left lists the different security programs that are running on your computer and in the main window you’ll find a list of Security essentials, with status reports for each one.

The status reports work like traffic lights, so green is good, amber shows something that might need attention and red denotes a danger that needs to be rectified immediately.

Click on the down arrows next to the traffic lights to see more details and more options.

5. Scan for spyware

For specific security tasks, go to Start > Control Panel > Security.

Here you can also run a check for any spyware or other malicious software. To do this, click Scan for spyware and other unwanted software. Windows Defender will search your PC for malware.

Once the scan has finished, Defender will present you with its results. If it has found any suspicious software, Defender will ask you what you’d like to do with it. The safest option is to click Remove.

6. Configure user accounts

With Vista’s parental controls you can make sure that all the valuable files and settings on our PC are kept safe. To use the parental control features, you’ll need to set up separate accounts for everyone who uses your PC. The default user account in Vista is ‘Administrator’, which allows you to alter settings, as such it’s only really suitable for adult users.

Go to Start > Control Panel and under the ‘User Accounts and Family Safety’ heading, click on Add or Remove User Accounts. A warning screen may appear at this point. Click Continue. In the Manage Accounts screen, click on the Create new account link. Type the name of the person into the box, ensure Standard user is selected and click on Create account.

7. Parental controls

With all the requisite user accounts created, go to Start Control Panel and under the ‘User Accounts and Family Safety’ heading, click on Set up parental controls for any user. If a warning screen appears, click Continue.

From the list of users that appears next, click on the name of the person you require.

The next screen contains all the different parental control features that you can switch on for that user. First, put a check next to where it says ‘On, enforce current settings’.

Your computer can keep a record of the user’s activity so that you can find out things like how long the person used the computer for, which programs they used, which websites they visited, which blocked sites they tried to access and so on.

To switch this feature on, put a check next to ‘On, collect information about computer usage’ under the Activity. Reporting heading. Under Windows Settings, you’ll also find a number of other parental control options. Use these to filter unsuitable websites and set usage time limits or block access to programs and unsuitable games. When you have finished, click on OK to confirm your selections.

8. Change your desktop

To change the appearance of Vista right click on your computer desktop and click Personalize.

Click Desktop then Browse and browse to the picture you want to set as your desktop image, double click on the picture.

Now select how the picture should appear, then click OK.

9. Magnify Windows

To make it easier to use Windows click Start > Control Panel > Personalization.

Click Ease of Access on the left hand side of the resulting window.

From here you can launch a Magnifier tool.

This will magnify the area of the screen that your cursor is pointing at and display it in a window at the top of the screen.

10. Adjust mouse settings

To change the appearance of your mouse click Start > Control Panel > Personalization.

Click Ease of Access on the left hand side of the resulting window.

Click the blue link that says Make mouse easier to use.

Tick to select how you’d like your cursor to appear onscreen ‘Extra large black‘, for example.

11. Customise the Taskbar

The taskbar is the greyed out area at the bottom of your screen where you’ll see notifications about programs that need updating as well as information about your network status or your battery life (if you’re using a laptop).

To customize the taskbar click Start > Control Panel > Taskbar and Start menu.

From here you can change the appearance of the taskbar by choosing to hide or unhide it, keep the taskbar on top of other windows and whether you want to group similar buttons together.

12. Customise the Start Bar

To customize the Vista Start bar, click Start > Control Panel > Taskbar and Start menu. Click on the Start Menu tab. From here you can choose to revert to the Classic view of Windows or use the new-look Vista Start menu.

Click Customize to further change the appearance of the Start menu. Alter how pictures look in Vista You can change the colour and appearance of windows within Vista. To do this, click Start > Control Panel > Personalization. Here you can choose whether to make windows transparent or to change the colour of windows.

13. Install Windows updates

It’s essential for the security and performance of your computer that you download all Vista’s updates as soon as they’re released. Make sure that automatic updates are switched on by clicking Start > Control Panel > Windows Update. 

Click the button labelled Install Updates to download any available updates. Click change settings on the left-hand side of the window and then ensure that the button marked ‘Install updates automatically (recommended)’ is ticked.

14. View system information

To see information on the version of Vista you’re using, click Start > Control Panel > System. 

Here you’ll see information about the version of Vista you’re using. You can also press Windows key + break

15. Add your Home Folder to Desktop

In XP, it is possible to display the My Documents folder on the desktop.  While the technique described below is also available in XP, however, in Vista ‘Show On Desktop’ is more spectacular.

Click Start
Right Click Username
Select ‘Show on Desktop‘
Return to the desktop and admire the new icon; it looks like a diary or an organizer and it contains a dozen folders, not just the Documents.

16. Resize Desktop Icons

Before I tackle the shortcut keys, here is a trick with mouse.  Hold down the ‘Ctrl‘ key and scroll the mouse wheel.  See how the Vista Desktop Icons resize.  You can also try this Ctrl +Scroll wheel trick in Windows Explorer.

The Ctrl key and the mouse wheel also resize fonts and pictures in Internet Explorer (IE7).

17. Disable User Account Control (UAC)

Contrary to popular belief, User Account Control (UAC) is actually quite a good thing because it increases the security of the computer and makes it harder for viruses, spyware and adware to get into the system, and we all want more of that. However, it can also be a source of irritation if you frequently change Windows settings because it pops up a warning message on the screen every time you try to do something. It can also cause problems when running software that was designed for Windows XP in Vista. If you have tried running a program in Vista and it won’t work properly you should try it without UAC enabled and you may find it’s OK.

To turn off UAC click Start, Control Panel and switch to Classic View. Double click User Accounts and then click Turn User Account Control on or off. Clear the tickbox and click OK. You will need to restart Windows in order for the change to take effect.

18. Show me the menu
If you open an Explorer window in XP you will see a menu at the top that enables you to access various functions, such as cut, copy, paste, list view, details view, and many more. If you open an Explorer window in Vista though, click Start, Computer, for example, you won’t see a menu at the top of the window.

Most of the time you don’t need a menu because you can access the functions in other ways. For example, you can right click files or folders and access cut, copy, and paste functions and so on.

However, you do need the menu if you want to change Explorer’s settings because the menu option isn’t available elsewhere (actually it’s in the Control Panel, but it’s a hassle going there).

To display the menu bar in an Explorer window, just tap the Alt key on the keyboard. The menu will appear so you can select a menu option and then it will disappear from view afterwards.

19. Show hidden files and folders
You can view the files and folders on the hard disk drive using Explorer. Just click Start, Computer and then double click the disk you want to view. Not all the files on a disk are visible though and some are hidden from view. These are usually ones that Windows thinks you don’t need to access, but sometimes you do, especially when you want to configure certain options and perform certain other advanced tasks.

It is easy to show these hidden files though. Open an Explorer window and tap the Alt key to show the menu. Then select Folder Options on the Tools menu (it’s the same Folder Options that you can access from the Control Panel), and click the View tab. Select Show hidden files and folders, and then clear the tick against Hide protected operating system files. Click OK and previously hidden files will be shown in the Explorer window.

20. How to open the command prompt from anywhere in Windows Explorer
You can open up the command prompt from any location using Windows Explorer. On the menu located on the left-hand side of the Windows Explorer window hold down Shift and right-click on the folder you want the command prompt to open up at. Select Open Command Window Here and the command prompt will open.

21. Generate a system health report to quickly identify problems with your PCIf you want to make sure that your PC is working correctly, you can use the tools included with Windows Vista to give you an easy to understand overview of your computer’s ‘health’ – and any problems, such as lack of space on your hard drive or out-of-date drivers, will be helpfully highlighted.

To create a report open up the Start menu and go to Control Panel > System & Maintenance > Performance Information and Tools. Click on Advanced tools on the left-hand side of the window and select Generate a system health report.

22. Stop the UAC from blacking out your desktop

In the Business, Ultimate and Enterprise versions of Windows Vista open the Start menu and type in gpedit.msc into the search box, and press Enter.

On the left-hand menu click to expand Computer Configuration and navigate to Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > Security Options. In the policies window on the right scroll down to the User Account Control: Switch to the secure desktop when prompting for elevation policy and double-click it. Change the option to Disabled and then click OK.

23. Increase SATA drive performance.

This tip “enhances” drive performance by allowing the drive in question to perform more write caching to system memory. The danger is if your system loses power and you do not have a backup power source (UPS), whatever data is cached to system memory will be lost. If you’re the adventurous type and want a bit more responsiveness out of your system, click Start, type Device Manager in the Search box, click the Device Manager, open up the Disk drives tree, right-click a drive, and select Properties. Go to the Policies tab and check “Enable Advanced Performance.” Click OK. 

24. More widescreen Vista wallpapers.

When Microsoft went shopping for panoramic, widescreen wallpapers for Vista, it tapped Hamad Darwish to shoot some photos. Some of his photos made it into the initial shipping version of Vista, but many did not. Now Darwish is offering all of them for download, absolutely free – click here.

25. Speed up Flip3D

This tip will be useful for notebook owners or anyone whose PC is packing less than stellar graphics processing power. The Flip3D animation can bog down weaker graphics cards if it has to flip a lot of windows, so this is a tweak that lets you set the number of windows that will be rendered in 3D at one time.

• Click on the Start Button, type regedit in the Search bar, and press Enter.

• Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER, Software, Microsoft, Windows, and DWM.

• Create a new DWORD and call it Max3DWindows.

• Set the value of this to something between four and nine (“4” and “9”) depending on the performance of your card (a higher number requires more video card power). You should then feel free to experiment to find the best value for your computer. Restart your PC to finalize the change.

26. Discover what applications are linked to certain processes.

The Processes tab of the Windows XP Task Manager was a confusing, barren wasteland of cryptically-named processes. If you wanted to find out which application was responsible for a certain process, all you could do was to copy down the name of the executable, and then search for it in Windows to locate it or Google it. This was an annoying process. Thankfully, Microsoft has fixed this in Vista by adding an “open file location” option when you right-click any process. Doing so opens the folder the process is running from, which can help you figure out if a certain process can be turned off or not.

You can also click “View” at the top of the Task Manager and click Select Columns to select which columns to display.

27. Stretch your wallpaper across two displays.

We love our dual displays, but we don’t like staring at two instances of the same image all day. Thankfully, Vista lets us stretch our wallpaper across both displays quite easily. This was also possible in XP, but it was not an intuitive process. Keep in mind, however, that stretching an image across two displays obviously requires a picture that is large enough to stretch all the way across both displays, so you’ll need to add up the resolution of both displays and find an image that is of those dimensions.

Right-click the desktop, select Personalize, and then Desktop Background. Select your image, and then select the middle option for “tile” to stretch it across both displays.  

28. Turn off unneeded Windows features.

This one is self-explanatory. Do you need Tablet PC components installed? Probably not, unless you are using a Tablet PC. So turn off whatever you don’t need in the name of keeping your Windows install as lean as possible.

Click Start, Control Panel, then under Programs at the bottom click “Uninstall a Program.” In the left-hand pane you’ll see “Turn Windows Features on or off.” Uncheck whatever you don’t need. 

29. Enable Aero mouse pointers.

Microsoft made new Aero-based mouse pointers for Vista, but the default mouse pointer is the old 3D white scheme. To enable the new mouse pointers and animations, right-click the desktop, select Personalize, then Mouse Pointers. Click on the drop-down box under the word Scheme, and select Windows Aero (system scheme). Click OK. 

30. Make XP computers show up in your network map.

Vista uses a new protocol named Link Layer Topology Discovery (LLTD) to display a network “map” of all computers in a network, but the protocol is only in Vista, so XP computers do not show up in this map.

Microsoft has generously released the software for XP, and it must be installed on an XP machine for it to show up in the Vista map. Click here to download the software for Windows XP SP2. 

31. Start applications on specific CPU and priority

There is a great little utility that has been around for ages in Windows called the start command. This dos command allows you to start any process with advanced settings.  In Windows Vista it is perfect if you want to start an application and tell windows to only run it on one CPU and at a high priority level.  For example, let’s say that you want to start Microsoft Paint and have it run on your second CPU core at Above Normal priority. The command below will accomplish this:

start /affinity 2 /abovenormal mspaint.exe

You can customize the command above and replace the 2 with the processor number (in hex) that you want the processor to run on. You can also adjust the priority level by using one of the flags below:

    * /Low
    * /Normal
    * /High
    * /Realtime
    * /Abovenormal
    * /Belownormal

32. Increase max IE7 downloads

Internet Explorer 7 only allows you to download two files from the same server at a time.  This is not a software limit but rather a limit imposed based on the web standard. Since this is simply a software setting, it can be modified and you can increase the limit to something much high such as 10.  Follow the steps below to increase your max downloads from the same server:

1. Click on the Start Button and type in Regedit.
2. When Registry Editor loads navigate through HKEY_CURRENT_USER, Software, Microsoft, Windows, CurrentVersion and Internet Settings.
3. Right click on MaxConnectionsPerServer and select Modify. Set the decimal value to something greater than 2.
4. Right click on MaxConnectionsPer1_0Server and select Modify. Set the decimal value to something greater than 2.
5. Reboot.

33. Instantly copy a path to the Clipboard

Have you ever wanted to obtain a copy of the path of a file nested deep down in your hard drive’s organization structure? If so, you know the drill, launch Windows Explorer, traverse the directory to the file, select the contents of the address bar, copy the path, paste it in Notepad, and then type the filename itself.

Fortunately, with Windows Vista, you no longer have to perform such acrobatics just to get the path to a file. All you have to do is hold down the [Shift] key, right-click on the file or folder, and select the new command titled Copy as Path, as shown in Figure G. When you do, the path to the file or folder is copied to the Clipboard and you can simply paste it anywhere you want.

Creating a shortcut to switch the active user is as easy as creating a shortcut to c:windowssystem32tsdiscon.exe

1. Right click where you want the shortcut to be created and select New and then Shortcut.
2. Copy and paste “c:windowssystem32tsdiscon.exe” into the location box and hit Next.
3. Give it a name and hit Finish.

live.sysinternals.comtoolstoolname.exe

For example if you want to run Autoruns (a great program to see what starts up automatically) type live.sysinternals.comtoolsautoruns.exe and hit Enter.

Every Sysinternals utility is available for “live” use.

Windows and 1 opens the shortcut next to the button (usually Show Desktop), Windows and 2 opens the second shortcut (usually Flip 3D) and so on. To add or rearrange shortcuts, just click and drag them.

43. Disable unwanted services

Click start and type services.msc in the search field

Then use the following website as a guide http://www.speedyvista.com/services5min.php

44. System File Checker

Something messed up in your Windows install? Vista has a system checker that will check your files against the install media.

• Open an Admin Command Prompt (right click on cmd, and select run as Administrator)
• type ‘sfc /scannow’
• insert vista DVD
• checks against Vista DVD

General keyboard shortcuts

• F1 – Display Help
• CTRL+C – Copy the selected item
• CTRL+X – Cut the selected item
• CTRL+V – Paste the selected item
• CTRL+Z – Undo an action
• CTRL+Y – Redo an action
• DELETE – Delete the selected item and move it to the Recycle Bin
• SHIFT+DELETE – Delete the selected item without moving it to the Recycle Bin first
• F2 – Rename the selected item
• CTRL+RIGHT ARROW – Move the cursor to the beginning of the next word
• CTRL+LEFT ARROW – Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word
• CTRL+DOWN ARROW – Move the cursor to the beginning of the next paragraph
• CTRL+UP ARROW – Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous paragraph
• CTRL+SHIFT with an arrow key – Select a block of text
• SHIFT with any arrow key – Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text within a document
• CTRL with any arrow key+SPACEBAR – Select multiple individual items in a window or on the desktop
• CTRL+A – Select all items in a document or window
• F3- Search for a file or folder
• ALT+ENTER – Display properties for the selected item
• ALT+F4 – Close the active item, or exit the active program
• ALT+SPACEBAR – Open the shortcut menu for the active window
• CTRL+F4 – Close the active document (in programs that allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously)
• ALT+TAB – Switch between open items
• CTRL+ALT+TAB – Use the arrow keys to switch between open items
• CTRL+Mouse scroll wheel – Change the size of icons on the desktop
• Windows logo key + TAB – Cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Windows Flip 3-D
• CTRL+Windows logo key + TAB – Use the arrow keys to cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Windows Flip 3-D
• ALT+ESC – Cycle through items in the order in which they were opened
• F6 – Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop
• F4 – Display the Address bar list in Windows Explorer
• SHIFT+F10 – Display the shortcut menu for the selected item
• CTRL+ESC – Open the Start menu
• F10 – Activate the menu bar in the active program
• 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
• F5 – Refresh the active window
• ALT+UP ARROW – View the folder one level up in Windows Explorer
• ESC – Cancel the current task
• CTRL+SHIFT+ESC – Open Task Manager
• SHIFT when you insert a CD – Prevent the CD from automatically playing

Dialog box keyboard shortcuts

• CTRL+TAB – Move forward through tabs
• CTRL+SHIFT+TAB – Move back through tabs
• TAB – Move forward through options
• SHIFT+TAB – Move back through options
• ALT+underlined letter – Perform the command (or select the option) that goes with that letter
• ENTER – Replaces clicking the mouse for many selected commands
• 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
• F1 – Display Help
• F4 – 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

Windows Sidebar keyboard shortcuts

• Windows logo key Picture of Windows logo key + SPACEBAR – Bring all gadgets to the front and select Sidebar
• Windows logo key Picture of Windows logo key +G – Cycle through Sidebar gadgets
• TAB – Cycle through Sidebar controls

Windows Explorer keyboard shortcuts

• CTRL+N – Open a new window
• END – Display the bottom of the active window
• HOME – Display the top of the active window
• F11 – Maximize or minimize the active window
• LEFT ARROW – Collapse the current selection (if it is expanded), or select the parent folder
• ALT+LEFT ARROW – View the previous folder
• RIGHT ARROW – Display the current selection (if it is collapsed), or select the first subfolder
• ALT+RIGHT ARROW – View the next folder
• CTRL+Mouse scroll wheel – Change the size and appearance of file and folder icons
• ALT+D – Select the Address bar

Windows Help viewer keyboard shortcuts

• ALT+C – Display the Table of Contents
• ALT+N – Display the Connection Settings menu
• F10 – Display the Options menu
• ALT+LEFT ARROW – Move back to the previously viewed topic
• ALT+RIGHT ARROW – Move forward to the next (previously viewed) topic
• ALT+A – Display the customer support page
• ALT+HOME – Display the Help and Support home page
• HOME – Move the to beginning of a topic
• END – Move to the end of a topic
• CTRL+F – Search the current topic
• CTRL+P – Print a topic
• F3- Move to the Search box

Press Start, right click on Computer, and select Properties, then In the left-hand pane, select Advanced System Settings. 

Click the Advanced tab and under Performance, select Settings. Uncheck ―Automatically Manage Paging File Size for All Drives. 

Select the different physical drive that you want your paging file to now be stored on (e.g. D) and select System managed size and press Set (make sure this is the first partition on the second drive). Select the drive that contains your paging file (usually C), select the Custom Size option, set the original and maximum size, and press Set, Your page file will now need to rebuild on the new drive – this may temporarily slow performance. Note: The reason for keeping around 1GB on the OS drive is because Windows Vista needs still some pagefile space there.

2. Rebuild the Page File

Windows Vista creates a pagefile, which essentially acts as RAM on your hard drive. This page file speeds up access to commonly used programs and becomes fragmented over time. Rebuilding the pagefile eliminates fragmentation; learn how to rebuild the pagefile in this guide.

Press Start, right click on Computer and select Properties. In the left-hand pane, select Advanced System Settings, then Click the Advanced tab and under Performance, select Settings.

Click the Advanced tab and under Virtual Memory, select Change. Uncheck Automatically Manage Paging File Size for All Drives Select the drive that contains your paging file(usually C) and select the Custom size option. Edit the minimum and maximum page file size to 0 and press set

Now restart your computer, once the computer has restarted follow the above steps again but this time set the page file to System managed size and press Set

Press OK to save and after a brief period of sluggishness, while the computer rebuilds the page file, you should notice improved speeds.

3. Move Search Index to a Different Physical Drive

If you have more than one physical drive in your computer, this guide is for you. The search index can take a considerable toll on your system drive; by moving the index to a separate drive, you can increase overall performance. To move your search index, do the following:

Press Start, type index in the search bar and press Enter. Press the Advanced button, Press Select new at the bottom and select a new location on a different physical hard drive

Press OK Your search index will now need to rebuild, which may temporarily slow performance.

4. Disable Superfetch to Save Memory

Windows Vista Superfetch learns your typical activities with files and application access. By learning, it predicts your computer use actions and puts your most commonly used applications in memory. This is great if you have a lot of RAM, but if you have less than 2GB, I suggest you disable this feature — saving you from sluggish computer use. 

Please Note: Even with less than 2GB of ram, you may find this doesn’t help. If you notice no difference after a day or two, then you can probably re-enable Superfetch.

To disable Superfetch, do the following:

1. Press Start, type services in the search bar and press Enter

2. Locate Superfetch in the list of services, right click it, and select properties

3. Change the Startup Type dropdown box to disabled and click the stop button

4. Now click OK Please remember, this will only help if you have less than 2GB of RAM.

5. Disable “Last Accessed” File Attribute

Every time you access a file on your computer, a Last Accessed file attribute is updated. You will likely not need this, so you can remove some overhead by following this guide.

1. Press Start, type regedit in the search bar and press Enter (or press Winkey+R)

2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem

3. Update the value of NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate to 1

4. To undo this change, simply change the value back to 0 

In order for this to take effect, you may need to restart your system.

6. Make Windows Shut Down Faster

Decrease the time it takes for Windows to shut down by doing the following:

1. Click the start button and type regedit in the search bar

2. Hit the enter key

3. You will see a screen like the one below. Find your way to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control in the left menu

4. In the right window you will see a key called WaitToKillServiceTimeout, with a default value of 20000 (20 seconds.)

5. Right click on the key and select Modify

6. Change the value from 20000 to 5000

This can potentially reduce your shut down time by 15 seconds.

Please note: Its not advised to set this value to less than five seconds.

Here is a step by step guide to get it running.

1) Download DOSBox from here

2) Run the DOSBox installer

3) Now your at the DOSBox prompt you need to do a couple of commands before your up and running3a) My Settlers 2 folder is in my D:\games\settlers ( I dont think DOSBox likes really deep directories so keep them under 255 chars long) a location like above is perfect

3b) So I first have to type “mount d d:\” press enter without the quotes

3c) Then I type “d:” without the quotes press enter

3d) Then I type “cd games” without the quotes press enter

3e) Then I type “cd se” without the quotes HIT the Tab key to tab complete the directory name and press enter

3f) You are now in the settlers directory – type “s2″ without the quotes press enter

And your done! Enjoy!

Firstly download realvnc and extract the file to c:\vnc\

Make a Batch file called installvnc.bat in the directory you just created containing the following

@echo off
if exist "c:\program files\vnc\" goto end
c:
cd "program files"
cd realvnc
cd vnc4
winvnc4.exe -stop
winvnc4.exe -unregister
echo "Uninstalling Current VNC"
unins000.exe /SILENT
c:
cd\
cd "program files"
md vnc
cd vnc
copy "c:\vnc\*.*" c:
regedit /s "c:\vnc\vnc.reg"
winvnc4.exe -register
winvnc4.exe -start
pause
:end

Then create a Reg file containing the following in the same direcory called vnc.reg

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\RealVNC][HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\RealVNC\WinVNC4]
"Password"=hex:89,f8,9e,15,b9,73,2a,e4
"SecurityTypes"="VncAuth"
"ReverseSecurityTypes"="None"
"QueryConnect"=dword:00000000
"QueryOnlyIfLoggedOn"=dword:00000000
"AllowProperties"=dword:00000000
"DisableClose"=dword:00000001

Run the batch file and vnc will install – the password for vnc is set to “pioneer” currently however if you wish to changes this in the reg file set it in the application and re-export thr reg details in regedit under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\RealVNC\WinVNC4

Its a really slick user interface and gives a great insight in to what Google is doing with your website, putting more control back in the webmasters hands.

I also found that they like you to create an XML sitemap which can help improve page rankings(the sitemap for this site is here), I found this website which will automatically generate one for you, which you manually upload to your site. This blog uses a WordPress auto-sitemap plugin which generates one every time content changes!

wsus.bat:
secedit /refreshpolicy machine_policy /enforce
gpupdate
reg delete HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate /v AccountDomainSid /f
reg delete HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate /v PingID /f
reg delete HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate /v SusClientId /f
cls
@echo Triggering detection after resetting WSUS client identity
net stop wuauserv
net start wuauserv
wuauclt /resetauthorization /detectnow

Basically it takes a file .cfg file checks to see if it a valid file format for either device and then checks the device is connected.

What you need is a PC with a nic set to DHCP that can be connected to the firebox, debian etch installed with nmap installed (aptitude install nmap)

Its very crude but it works!

The files are in bash script format

Firebox main config file – fireboxcfg

#!/bin/bash
wgcfg="$1"
clear
tput sgr0
echo "$1"
pressenter()
{
echo ""
echo -n "Press Enter to continue"
read
}

sohofilecheck()
{
if cat "$wgcfg" | grep -q "FVER: 6"
then
finalip=`cat "$wgcfg" | grep "Lastip" | cut -f 2 -d : | sed s/^ //`
finalsubnetmask=`cat "$wgcfg" | grep "eth1" | cut -f 5 -d | sed s/^ //`
fireboxnewip=`cat "$wgcfg" | grep "eth1" | cut -f 3 -d | sed s/^ //`
echo ""
echo -e "Config File \033[4m$wgcfg\033[0m submitted, is for a Soho TC6."
echo ""
echo -e "\033[4mAccepted.\033[0m"
echo ""
else
echo "WARNING! Config File $wgcfg submitted, is not compatable with a Soho TC6."
echo ""
echo -e "\033[4mDeclined.\033[0m"
echo ""
pressenter
fi
}

edgefilecheck()
{
if cat "$wgcfg" | grep -q "FVER: 8"
then
finalip=`cat "$wgcfg" | grep "lastip" | cut -f 2 -d : | sed s/^ //`
finalsubnetmask=`cat "$wgcfg" | grep "eth1" | cut -f 5 -d | sed s/^ //`
fireboxnewip=`cat "$wgcfg" | grep "eth1" | cut -f 3 -d | sed s/^ //`
echo ""
echo "Config File $wgcfg submitted, is for a Edge x10e."
echo""
echo -e "\033[4mAccepted.\033[0m"
echo ""
else
echo "WARNING! Config File $wgcfg submitted, is not compatable with a Edge x10e."
echo""
echo -e "\033[4mDeclined.\033[0m"
echo ""
pressenter
fi
}

pingtoftpfail()
{
while ping -c 1 192.168.111.1 2>&1 1>/dev/null
do
sleep 1;
echo "Firebox Still on 192.168.111.1..."
done;
killall ftp
echo "Firebox is now rebooting..."
}

if [ -z "$1" ]
then
echo "Please provide a firebox filename"
echo ""
pressenter
fi

echo -e "\033[1mMaking sure Firebox Interface is offline...\033[0m"
echo ""
ifconfig eth1 down

echo ""
echo "Bringing the Firebox Interface online..."

ifconfig eth1 192.168.111.2 netmask 255.255.255.0 up

if ping -c 1 192.168.111.1 2>&1 1>/dev/null
then

if nmap 192.168.111.1 -P0 -p 443 | grep -q "closed"

then
echo ""
echo "A Soho TC6 is conencted."
echo ""

sohofilecheck
./fireboxsohoftp "$wgcfg" &
pingtoftpfail

else
echo ""
echo "A Edge x10e is conencted."
echo ""

edgefilecheck
./fireboxedgeftp "$wgcfg" &
pingtoftpfail

fi

else
echo ""
echo -e "\033[4mPlease make sure the firebox is connected to the
Firebox Interface\033[0m";tput sgr0
echo ""
pressenter
fi

echo ""

echo ""
echo "Bringing the Firebox Interface online with $finalip and $finalsubnetmask..."
echo ""
ifconfig eth1 192.168.111.1 netmask 255.255.255.0 down
ifconfig eth1 "$finalip" netmask "$finalsubnetmask" up

sleep 5

while ! ping -c 1 "$fireboxnewip" 2>&1 1>/dev/null
do
echo "Waiting for firebox to reboot..."
sleep 5
done
echo "Firebox configured."
pressenter

fireboxsohoftp

#! /bin/sh
wgcfg="$1"
echo "Uploading $wgcfg Please Wait..."
sleep 5
ftp -n 2>&1 1>/dev/null << SCRIPT
open 192.168.111.1
user user pass
put "$wgcfg" wg.cfg
quote rebt
bye
SCRIPT


fireboxedgeftp

#! /bin/sh
wgcfg="$1"
echo "Uploading $wgcfg Please Wait..."
sleep 5
ftp -n 2>&1 1>/dev/null << SCRIPT
open 192.168.111.1
user admin admin
put "$wgcfg" wg.cfg
quote rebt
bye
SCRIPT


The packets will flow from Lan A to Lan C as follows:

Source 10.0.2.2 > Destination 10.44.0.2
NAT changes Source 10.0.2.2 to 10.130.0.2
||
Source 10.130.0.2 > Destination 10.44.0.2
||
Tunnel 10.130.0.0/24 to 10.44.0.0/24
||
Source 10.130.0.2 > Destination 10.44.0.2

The packets will flow from Lan C to Lan A as follows:

Source 10.44.0.2 > Destination 10.130.0.2
||
Tunnel 10.44.0.0/24 to 10.130.0.0/24
||
Source 10.44.0.2 > Destination 10.130.0.2
NAT changes Destination 10.130.0.2 to 10.0.2.2
||
Source 10.44.0.2 > Desitnation 10.0.2.2

I will assume that you already have a configured system running Debian with a 2.4.x, or 2.6.x kernel – You will also need to install the following packages: racoon (ipsec-tools will be picked up as a dependancy)

aptitude update aptitude install racoon iptables iproute

Configuration

Pre-shared Key
We use pre-shared keys. The same key is placed in the /etc/racoon/psk.txt file on both gateways.

nano /etc/racoon/psk.txt
chmod 600 /etc/racoon/psk.txt (makes the file -RW --- ---)

The key is placed into the /etc/racoon/psk.txt file on both gateways. Below is a sample key entry:

193.115.229.2 key

This sample is from Gateway A, so, again, you will need to change the IP address when you edit this file on Gateway B.

Routing

For the gateways to use the VPN as well then you will need to add a special route (again slightly different on each gateway.)

This is the route on on Gateway A:

ip route add 10.44.0.0/24 dev eth0 src 10.0.2.2

This is the route on on Gateway B:

ip route add 10.130.0.0/24 dev eth0 src 10.44.0.2

This command and the changes that need to be made when adding the route on Gateway B are fairly self-explanatory. You will also need to enable IP forwarding either permanently in /etc/sysctl.conf, or temporarily, using:

echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward

Again, this route will be slightly different on Gateway B. Obviously, you will need to substitute eth0 with the appropriate interface.

Configuring racoon using the standard method

The traditional racoon configuration method is made of two stages: configuring racoon and then defining the IPSec security policies.

To configure racoon you will be editing the /etc/racoon/racoon.conf file on both gateways. Here is the configuration for Gateway A (the same with relevent details will need to be done on Gateway B) :

path pre_shared_key "/etc/racoon/psk.txt";
#path certificate "/etc/racoon/certs";
The security policies go into the /etc/ipsec-tools.conf file. Here is the file from Gateway A:

flush;
spdflush;
After this you need to load the security policies and then start the racoon daemon. I use the following command:

remote 193.115.229.12 {
exchange_mode main;
send_cr off;
send_cert off;
proposal {
encryption_algorithm 3des;
hash_algorithm sha1;
authentication_method pre_shared_key;
dh_group 1;
lifetime time 86400 seconds;
}
}

sainfo address 10.44.0.0/24 any address 10.130.0.0/24 any {
pfs_group 1;
encryption_algorithm 3des;
authentication_algorithm hmac_sha1;
compression_algorithm deflate;
lifetime time 1 hour;
}

spdadd 10.130.0.0/24[any] 10.44.0.0/24[any] any -P out ipsec
esp/tunnel/193.115.229.12-193.115.229.13/require;

spdadd 10.44.0.0/24[any] 10.130.0.0/24[any] any -P in ipsec
esp/tunnel/193.115.229.13-193.115.229.12/require;

/etc/init.d/racoon stop && /etc/init.d/setkey restart && /etc/init.d/racoon start

NATing with IPTABLES

sudo iptables -t nat -A PREROUTING -s 10.44.0.0/24 -d 10.130.0.2 -i eth0 -j DNAT --to 10.0.2.2 -v

Packets inbound (Pre-Routing) with a source address of 10.44.0.0/24 and a destination of 10.130.0.2 incomming from eth0 get changed to have a destination of 10.0.2.2

sudo iptables -t nat -A POSTROUTING -s 10.0.2.0/24 -d 10.44.0.2 -o eth0 -j SNAT --to 10.130.0.2 -v

Packets outbound (Post-Routing) with a source address of 10.0.2.0/24 and a destination of 10.44.0.2 outgoing from eth0 get changed to have a source of 10.130.0.2

Send some traffic over the VPN a few times to bring the tunnel up

ping 10.44.0.2