This trick shows you how create a standard Symantec Ghost bootup floppy set (i.e. without Network). The “Standard Ghost Boot Disk” option from Symantec Ghost allows you to create a set of 2 bootable floppy disks to use with Ghost tools for backup/restore hard drives and partitions.

The “Standard Ghost Boot Disk” does not allow you to access the network resources (i.e. GhostCast), but it does allow you to read and write from your CD-ROM and DVD drives as well as USB external drives.

If you’re looking for the instructions how to create a Network Ghost Bootup, click Here.
Or if you’re looking for the instructions how to create a Ghost Bootup CD from the two floppy disks, click Here.

Use this trick at your own risk.

Here’s how

Open the “Symantec Ghost Boot Wizard“.

Select “Standard Ghost Boot Disk” and click “Next“.

Leave the default options as is and click “Next“.
Note that even though you are not selecting the “USB Support” option on this screen, you’ll still be able to access your USB external devices. The “USB Support” option here is for “Peer-to-peer“.

Click “Next” on the next screen to “Use PC-DOS“.

On the next screen, you’ll need to specify where the file “ghost.exe” is located. This file is normally installed to a path as example below, but you should double check. Then click “Next“.

Click “Next” on the next screen to use default options for external storage devices.

Click “Next” on the next screen:

Click “Next” on the Review screen:

A message will display telling you that you will need two floppy disks. Click “OK“.

The Boot Disk Wizard will start to erase your floppy and create the boot data. Once it’s done with the first disk, it will prompt for a second one.

A large number of utility programs are available for the service of hardware and software. These are system software and help the user to solve the specific problems related to Hardware or software. Most operating systems include several utility programs but many other utility programs are available on CDs or can be downloaded from the Internet. The most important utility programs are described below.

1. File Viewer

A File Viewer is a utility program that is used to view the contents of files as well as to manage files. For example, Windows operating system has the “Windows Explorer” Utility program. This program is also used to perform various operations on files.

2. File Compression

File compression program is a utility program that is used to shrink the size of file. It reduces the size of file. The compressed file takes up less space on the storage media. The compressed files are also referred to as zipped files. Usually these files have extension ZIP. A single compressed file may have large number of files or folders. Mostly, the files are compressed to send the files with e-mail or to upload the files on the Internet. Through this technique data is transferred from one location to another very easily and quickly.

When you receive or download a compressed file from the Internet then you have to un-compress the zip file. The unzip utility program is used for this purpose. When the zip tile is un-zipped, all the files and folders contained in that file are restored to their original form. The Windows XP operating system has also built-in features to compress as well as unzip files. The other popular utility programs for file compression and un-compression are PKZIP, PKUNZIP, W1NZIP, WINRAR AND POWER ARCHIVER etc.

3. Diagnostic Utility Programs

The diagnostic utility program is used to diagnose the problems about the computer hardware and software These programs trace out the problem and give the suggestion that how to handle the problem. In Windows XP, Dr. Watson is an example of diagnostic utility program.

4. Un-Installer

The un-installer program is used to properly un-install the software from the computer. All related files and folders are removed from the hard disk of your computer. The Windows operating system has built-in utility program that can be used to install as well as to un-install a program or software. This utility program is found in “Control Panel” with icon “Add/Remove programs”. You can also install other “un-installer” utility programs such as McAfee’s un-installer.

5. Disk Scanner
This utility program is used to detect and to remove the physical as well as logical problems on the disk (hard disk or floppy disk). It also removes the unnecessary files such as swap files on the disk. The physical problem on the disk represents the bad sectors or scratches on the surface of disk. The logical problem specifies the problem in accessing data such as error in data file, error in FAT (file allocation table). The Windows operating system has built-in disk scanner called the Scandisk.

6. Disk Defragmenter

This utility program is used to re-organize the files and un-used space on the disk, so that operating system can access data more quickly. When operating system stores data on the disk, it stores the data in the first available sector on the disk. In this case data of a file is stored on disk in a scattered form; it is referred to as “File is fragmented”. The fragmentation slows down the accessing speed of computer. In Defragmentation process, the data of each file is stored in continuous sectors. The Windows operating system has built-in utility program called Disk Defragmenter used for this purpose.

7. Backup Utility

This utility program is used to make the backup of the selected files/folders or entire hard disk on zip disk, tape, floppy disk or CD-R. The backup utility programs also compress the files so that the size of backup files can be reduced. It is a good practice to make the backup of the important data. Your important data may be corrupted due to attack of virus or problem may occurs in the hard disk due to any reason etc. The backed up data may be restored on the hard disk as and when required. The Restore program is used to restore the back up data. The Windows operating system has the built-in Backup utility program.

8. Antivirus
The special programs that are used to detect and remove the viruses from the computer are called anti4irus programs. A large number of anti-virus programs are available: The McAfee and Norton are examples of most popular anti-virus programs. There is no such anti-virus program available which alone can detect all types of viruses.

A good anti-virus program automatically checks for the infected files every time you insert a disk or download files and e-mails from the Internet. It is recommended that you must regularly upgrade anti-virus program in your computer. The latest versions of these programs are available on the Internet and you can upgrade your anti-virus program free of cost. You must visit the site of the manufacturer of the anti-virus (or antiviral) program and follow the procedure to upgrade anti-virus program.

Another most important thing about the anti-virus programs is that these programs not only detect and remove the viruses present inside your computer but also protect the computer from new viruses getting to the computer.

Before we start this please back up your host file or rename it host.old so if you want restore you have it.

Some of common reasons to block unwanted websites are, may be you wants to avoid spammers, porn and gambling sources. At home may be you want to prevent your children to access explicit or crude language sites. You can block the unwanted websites in all web browsers without using any third party software. This process only needs to edit the system host file.

Perform the following steps to edit the system host file:

• To active this feature, you will need to be logged into your computer with administrative rights.
• First click on Start button and select “Run”. Now type “notepad” c:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\hosts” then press Ok button to open host file.

Now a notepad window will appear with the title “host Notepad”.

Now locate the line 127.0.0.1 localhost and here press the Enter key to change the line then type the websites name. For example if you want to block site www.myspace.com then type as: 127.0.0.1 localhost

127.0.0.1 www.myspace.com

Here you can add many sites with prefix 127.0.0.1.
Now go to File menu and save these setting. When you want to restore access to this site, simply remove this line and again save it.
Close the host file and reboot your computer after any changes to go into effect.

You attach a USB-based device to a computer that is running Windows XP. Then, you try to scan for hardware devices. However, the computer does not detect the attached device, and you do not see the device in the My Computer folder.

You may experience this problem when you are using one or more of the following devices:

* USB flash drive
* Apple iPod
* External hard disk drive

Additionally, you may not see the iPod in the iTunes application.

This problem can occur if there are corrupted or incorrect keys in the registry. This article helps you fix the problem.

To have us fix this problem for you, go to the “Fix it for me” section. If you would rather fix this problem yourself, go to the “Let me fix it myself” section.

Note There may be other reasons that a USB device is not detected. For related Microsoft Knowledge Base articles, see the “Similar problems and solutions” section.

Advanced Simpleusers Read Below

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

To fix this problem, delete the UpperFilters registry value and the LowerFilters registry value. These values may cause access problems. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
2. Locate and then click the UpperFilters registry value. This value is located in the following registry subkey:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E967-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
3. On the Edit menu, click Delete, and then click OK.Note If you receive an error when you try to delete the registry subkey, you may not have appropriate permissions to edit the subkey. For more information about how to set or change registry editing permissions, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   310426 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310426/ ) How to set or change registry editing permissions in Windows XP or in Windows Server 2003
4. Locate and then click the LowerFilters registry value. This value is located in the following registry subkey:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E967-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
5. On the Edit menu, click Delete, and then click OK.Note If you receive an error when you try to delete the registry subkey, you may not have appropriate permissions to edit the subkey. For more information about how to set or change registry editing permissions, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   310426 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310426/ ) How to set or change registry editing permissions in Windows XP or in Windows Server 2003
6. Exit Registry Editor.
7. Restart the computer.

To open Registry Editor, click Start, click Run, type Regedit, and then click OK.
NOTE: You should not edit your registry unless it is absolutely necessary. If there is an error in your registry, your computer may not function properly. Incorrectly editing the registry may severely damage your system. Before making changes to the registry, you should back up any valued data on your computer.

Back up the Registry First!!!

Windows 95, Windows 98 & Windows Me:

NOTE: Do not follow these steps to export a whole registry hive (for example, the HKEY_CURRENT_USER hive). If
you must back up a whole registry hive, back up the whole registry instead.
Click Start, and then click Run.
In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
Locate and then click the key that contains the value that you want to edit.
On the File menu, click Export.
In the Save in box, select a location where you want to save the .reg file, in the File name box, type a file name,
and then click Save.
To Back up the whole registry:
Click Start, then click Run. The Run dialog box appears.
Type regedit and click OK. The Registry Editor opens.
Click the Registry menu and click Export Registry File.
Verify the following items in the Export Registry File dialog box:
Save in: Desktop
File name: Registry Backup
Save as type: Registration Files
Export range: All
Click Save.
Exit the Registry Editor.
Verify that an icon labeled “Registry Backup.reg” is on the desktop. CAUTION: Do not double-click the “Registry Backup.reg” file on the desktop unless you intend to undo the changes you are making to the registry.
NOTE: This method for Windows 95/98/Me will not work for Windows NT/2000. Windows NT/2000 has additional security protection that prevents this backup from being restored.

How to back up the Windows 2000 registry

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;322755

Windows 2000

NOTE: Do not follow these steps to export a whole registry hive (for example, HKEY_CURRENT_USER). If you must back up whole registry hives, back up the whole registry instead. Click Start, and then click Run. In the Open box, type regedt32, and then click OK. Locate and then click the key that contains the values that you want to edit. On the Registry menu, click Save Key. In the Save inbox, select a location in which to save the .reg file, type a file name in the File name box, and then click Save.
Windows xp Home edition does not include the Backup utility by default. To install it:
Insert your Windows xp cd.
Open up Windows explorer.
Navigate to X:\VALUEADD\MSFT\NTBACKUP\ (replace X with appropriate cd-rom drive letter) Double-click NTBACKUP.MSI and follow the on-screen instructions.

Windows Xp & Windows 2003 Server

NOTE: Do not follow these steps to export a whole registry hive (for example, the HKEY_CURRENT_USER hive). If you must back up whole registry hives, back up the whole registry instead. Click Start, and then click Run. In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK. Locate and then click the key that contains the value that you want to edit. On the File menu, click Export. In the Save in box, select a location where you want to save the Registration Entries (.reg) file, in the File name box, type a file name, and then click Save.

How to backup the registry in XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q322756

http://www.puppypc.com/tutorials/reg/backup_xp_reg.htm

IMPORTANT: If you follow these steps on a hard disk that is not empty, all of the data on that hard disk is permanently deleted. Insert the Windows XP CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive or DVD-ROM drive, or insert the first Windows XP Setup boot disk into the floppy disk drive if you are starting from Setup boot disks, and then restart the computer.

NOTE:To start your computer from the Windows XP CD-ROM (or from the Setup boot disk), your computer must be configured to start from the CD-ROM drive or DVD-ROM drive (or the floppy disk drive). In some cases, you may have to modify your computer’s BIOS settings to do this. For information about how to configure your computer to start from the CD-ROM drive or DVD-ROM drive (or the floppy disk drive), see the documentation that is included with your computer, or contact the computer manufacturer. If you are starting the computer from the Windows XP CD-ROM, select any options that are required to start the computer from the CD-ROM drive if you are prompted to do so.

Note: If your hard disk controller requires a third-party original equipment manufacturer (OEM) driver, press F6 to specify the driver. If you are starting from the Windows XP Setup boot disks, insert each of the additional disks when you are prompted, and then press ENTER to continue after inserting each disk.

At the Welcome to Setup page, press ENTER to continue. Press F8 to accept the Windows XP Licensing Agreement.
If an existing Windows XP installation is detected, you are prompted to repair it. Press ESC (do not repair).
All existing partitions and unpartitioned spaces are listed for each physical hard disk. Use the arrow keys to select the partition or unpartitioned space where you want to create a new partition, and then press D to delete an existing partition or press C to create a new partition using unpartitioned space. If you press D to delete an existing partition, you must then press L (or press ENTER, and then press L if it is the System partition) to confirm that you want to delete the partition. Repeat this process for each of the existing partitions that you want to use for the new partition. When all the partitions are deleted, you can then select the resulting unpartitioned space and then press C to create the new partition.

Note: If you want to create a partition where one or more partitions already exist, you must first delete the existing partition or partitions and then create the new partition. Type the size (in megabytes, or MB) that you want to use for the new partition, and then press ENTER, or just press ENTER to create the partition using the maximum size.
Repeat Steps 4 and 5 to create additional partitions if you want to.
If you want to install Windows XP, use the arrow keys to select the partition you want to install Windows XP on, and then press ENTER. If you do not want to format the partition and install Windows XP, press F3 two times to quit Setup, and then do not continue with the following steps. In this case, you must use another utility to format the partition. Select the format option that you want to use for the partition, and then press ENTER. The options are:
Format the partition by using the NTFS file system (Quick)
Format the partition by using the FAT file system (Quick)
Format the partition by using the NTFS file system
Format the partition by using the FAT file system
Leave the current file system intact (no changes)
The option to leave the current file system intact is not available if the selected partition is a new partition. The FAT file system options is not available if the selected partition is more than 32 gigabytes(GB). If the partition is larger than 2 GB, Setup uses the FAT32 file system (you must press ENTER to confirm). If the partition is smaller than 2 GB, Setup uses the FAT16 file system.

NOTE: If you deleted and created a new System partition but you are installing Windows XP on another partition, you will be prompted to select a file system for both the System and Boot partitions at this point. After Setup formats the partition, follow the on-screen instructions to continue Setup. After Setup is complete, you can use the Disk Management tools in Windows XP to create or format additional partitions.



I found this a intresting test, this may be a little advanced for some of the simpleusers out there but try it as it’s a fun excerise to perform

In XP Pro, in order to get your uptime you must execute the SYSTEMINFO command at the CMD terminal. As you
know, this produces other system information output, and you have to scroll up to see your uptime. If you wish to
receive ONLY your uptime information, simply copy and paste the following into notepad

@echo.

@systeminfo | @find “System Up Time:”

@echo

And save as UPTIME.BAT (save to your windows dir if you want to be able to access it anywhere) Now when you type UPTIME you will see just:
—————————
System Up Time: 5 Days, 20 Hours, 13 Minutes, 46 Seconds
—————————
Also, if you wish to create a shortcut to IP.BAT, or run it via the Run command, it may close before you can view the result To stop this, add @pause after the last @echo. command, this will cause the terminal to wait for your response before closing. Example:

@echo.

@systeminfo | @find “System Up Time:”

@echo.

@pause

will result
—————————
System Up Time: 5 Days, 20 Hours, 13 Minutes, 46 Seconds
Press any key to continue . . .
—————————

(information about the code: @echo. produces a blank line, @systeminfo | @find “System Up Time:” causes the output of systeminfo to be piped to the find command, which looks for the line containing “System Up Time:”, find then outputs your system uptime, the optional @pause causes the terminal to wait for user input before continuing. The @ before each command tells the terminal not to echo the command being typed.)