Reset your BIOS

Basic Input Output System (BIOS), used to control many of the basic devices connected to your computer. To read more on what a BIOS is and what is function is, read the Wiki. This post is going to focus on how to reset the BIOS.

Why would you need to reset the BIOS?

• You forgot your BIOS password.
• You are having trouble booting into your OS, due to BIOS corruption.

These are a couple of reasons that could warrant a BIOS reset, you may have your own reasons. Moving forward, a BIOS reset can happen in two ways:

1. Reset through Jumpers

2. Remove CMOS battery.

(Note: You will need to open your computer case in both instances and should have your computer turned off.)

 

Reset via Jumpers

You can reset your BIOS by finding the 3 pin connection associated with the CMOS and moving the jumper from the current location to the neighboring location, so as to short the CMOS circuit. The three pin connection should be located directly above the CMOS battery, which is a round button cell battery on the motherboard. Once the jumper is securely on pins 1&2, turn your computer on for about a minute. (your system will not POST) Now you can shutdown your system, place the jumper back on pins 2&3 and your BIOS should be reset.  
     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reset via Battery

This is an equally effective solution. In this instance we are going to reset the CMOS memory by removing the charge (or the battery). The battery clip is a little tricky so you might need a small flat head screwdriver to gently pry the battery from its case. Once the battery is out of its holding, you will need to press and hold the power button on your computer for about 30 seconds. This will drain the charge from the chip and the factory defaults will be restored. Put your battery back in and fire up your computer to see the changes.  

Send to “Undisclosed Recipients” in Outlook

At some point in your life you have probably seen an email come across your inbox with “Undisclosed Recipients” in the To: field. These types of emails are primarily used by departments (i.e. HR), vendors, or individuals who need to send a common email to a set of mutually exclusive email addresses. For example, a Human Resources manager needs to send out a reminder email to a group of company employees that need to be drug tested. The manager does not want the employees to know about each other because of privacy and courtesy reasons, but the common email needs to be sent to over 100 people. Instead of sending the same email a hundred times, the manager will use “Undisclosed Recipients” to send the email once to all parties involved. When each employee receives the email, they will not be able to see what other employees the email was sent to, thereby preserving the anonymity of each recipient. This is just one example of many other useful applications sending to Undisclosed Recipients can have.

Now that you have seen an example and have pondered the benefits of the Undisclosed Recipient, it is time to show you how to use it.

How to send to Undisclosed Recipients in Outlook.

1. Start by showing the Bcc: (Blind Carbon Copy) address bar.

• In Outlook, click New Message to create a new email message.
• On the toolbar of the new email message, click Options and check Bcc

 

2.Properly address the email.

• In the To: field, you will need to enter the following:
  “Undisclosed Recipients” < you@yourdomain.com >
• We need to use the Bcc or Blind Carbon Copy to input the addresses of your recipients. This can be multiple single addresses or a distribution list.

 

3.Once your email has been composed and all the recipients’ addresses are in the Bcc field, you can send it.

 

That’s it! Now when you need to send a common email to mutually exclusive recipients just use the “Undisclosed Recipients” format to help keep everyone’s email private.

Mapping a Network Drive (Part I)

It has come to my attention, from the many conversations I have with end-users, that the general population may not know how to map a drive. I through this phrase around fairly loosely when speaking to customers, because in today’s corporate and small business environments, network resources are becoming more prevalent and access to remote resources can be necessary.

What is a “mapped drive”? - A mapped drive is, in its simplest terms, is a virtual connection to media from another server or workstation on a network. Depending on you environment, you probably have “mapped drives” already on your computer without even knowing it, these drives probably point to a server on you network where all employees keep files. (a file server) These mapped drives are established when you log-in to your computer as part of a start-up script written by your administrator. Your administrator is just automating what you can do on your own, this type of automation helps employees become familiar with one resource point. (i.e. “I put the files you wanted on the Z: drive.”)

Why do we need mapped drives? - Good question, but there are lot of reasons. Mapped drives to file servers, for instance, centralize resources for groups of people, it helps standardize directory structure (easier to find files), and it is more efficient (power, hardware, reduces file duplicates), not to mention it is more easily managed. Without the ease of mapping drives, this type of network resource sharing may not exist.

How do I map a network drive? - Now comes the easy part. Mapping a drive is very simple and I will detail how, in the following steps:

1. Open My Computer

 

 

 

 

2. Click Tools > Map Network Drive

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Choose a drive letter & Enter the resource path. (i.e. Drive Letter = Z: ; Resource Path = //accounting_server/invoices)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Click Finish.

 

 

 

Now when you look in My Computer you will notice an extra drive available besides your local drives

 

 

 

 

 

In Part II of mapping a network drive, we will explore a few more advanced options and I will show you how to automate it with a script.

 

Quick Internet Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting Your Internet Connection

 

The following is a quick reference to help you troubleshoot your internet or LAN connections. This quick guide is only a general home based networking reference, specific issues may need more advanced troubleshooting techniques. This guide assumes that you have a broadband connection with a dynamically assigned ip address, if you are not sure if our ip address is dynamically or statically assigned please consult your ISP. This article addresses connection issues resulting from wired and wireless network problems.

 

1. Decide whether it is your wireless connection (router) or your internet connection (modem).

• on your wireless computer make sure your wireless signal notification icon has full signal

• on your desktop computer or a computer directly connected to your router, try to access the internet

2. If you cannot access the internet on both wireless and non-wireless machines you may have an internet (modem) problem.

• without turning anything off, unlplug the RJ45 (ethernet) cable running from your computer to your router (at the router end)

• now plug the cable in from your computer directly into your modem

• wait a few minutes (you may also need to restart your desktop computer or simply repair your internet connection), now try to access the internet

3. If you cannot access the internet directly connected to the modem, you could have a modem problem.

• unplug the power to your modem, wait 30sec and plug back in … try to access the internet

• if restarting your modem does not work, call your ISP, the network may be down

• at this point you may want to check your ip configuration, in a command prompt type “ipconfig”. If your ip address is (0.0.0.0 or starts with 169.x.x.x) then you do not have a valid ip. Your ISP will need to know this information.

4. You can access the internet directly connected to the modem OR you can access the internet from your desktop machine which is connected to the router.

• you could have a wireless communication problem between your router and your wireless enabled computer

• unplug your desktop machine from the modem and return the connection backto your router (your normal configuration)

• restart your wireless router by unpluggin it, waiting 30sec and plugging it back in, during this time restart your laptop

• try to access the internet from your laptop (through your wireless connection)

• if you are still not getting signal, you are not “associated” with the router and will need to make some changes

• navigate to Start> Control_Panel> Network_Connections> Wireless_Connection> Properties> Wireless_Networks> select your networks SSID (or name)> Properties>

• once their you will need to re-enter your password or key for the WPA-PSK/WEP encryption scheme, to Apply> hit “OK”

• wait a few moments … your connection should establish

5. You still cannot connect wirelessly.

• their maybe a problem with your wireless router configuration

• you will need to take approximately the same actions as step 4 but for your router

• from your desktop open an internet browser and type your wireless router’s IP address (i.e. 192.168.1.1) in the address bar

• you will need to login with your username and password, if you have never changed this option it will be the factory default username and password

• navigate to your wireless options where you are able to select “encryption”

• you should see options for WEP, WPA-PSK, or none, select the appropriate security method. You may now need to re-type your password or key (the same one you typed for your wireless enabled computer)

• save your settings and make sure your “SSID” is set.

Your wired and wireless network connection is now through the first and the most common steps of troubleshooting. If problems still exist at this point you may need to call a computer technician for more specialized troubleshooting.

Ethernet Pin-Out Guide

RJ45 (ethernet) Pin-Out guide

How to wire a 10BaseT or 100BaseT connector with Category 5 cable and RJ45 connectors using USOC 568B wiring standards.

	EIA/TIA 568B (straight through cable) Wiring Standard
PIN	Wire Color
1	White/Orange Stripe
2	Orange
3	White/Green Stripe
4	Blue
5	White/Blue Stripe
6	Green
7	White/Brown Stripe
8	Brown

	EIA/TIA T568B (crossover cable) Wiring Standard
Pin (End #1)	Wire Color	Pin (End #2)	Wire Color
1	White/Orange	1	White/Green
2	Orange	2	Green
3	White/Green	3	White/Orange
4	Blue	4	White/Brown
5	White/Blue	5	Brown
6	Green	6	Orange
7	White/Brown	7	Blue
8	Brown	8	White/Blue

Use the follwing diagram for pin referencing.

Faster Windows Shutdown

Faster Windows Shutdown with a Simple Download

If you are a Windows user you have certainly noticed that it can sometimes take a very long time to do something as simple as shutting down your computer. This article will explain why a shutdown can take so long and what Microsoft has done to fix the problem.

In an earlier article I explained why the Windows boot process can eventually become a several minute ordeal and how the prefetch cache plays an important role. Now with a simple download Windows has fixed the problem of shutting down your computer.

When you click Start> Shutdown to turn off your computer you are also telling all subsequent programs to close. For any operating system to properly shutdown it needs to sync the disk and flush all program memory. If an application is still open or did not close with the proper exit status, it is in a sense “hanging” and still partially resides in memory. These programs can become a nuisance when you need to shutdown because Windows will try to unload the profile until it eventually “times-out”. Waiting for the time-out is why shutdown times become annoying.

To address this issue Microsoft has developed a free utility that automatically cleans the user profiles and prevents the “time-out” wait. This utility is packaged in an installer and runs as a service. It will continually monitor users to log off and will reclaim those unused resources.

After the User Profile Hive Cleanup Service is installed, the next time you logoff or shutdown your computer it should be within seconds.

Protect your Wireless Network

Old Wireless Router = Security Decoy

Many people today have switched from their old 802.11B wireless routers to an updated 802.11G. Considering that wireless G has a greater range and faster transfer rates many people have decided to ditch their old wireless routers. Well, don’t throw that old wireless router away just yet. You can use this old router to confuse and deter would-be hackers and wardrivers. If you have recently purchased a router (depending on the model) you have probably noticed an SSID option. Your SSID is simply the name you give to your wireless access point. For example, Linksys routers have a default SSID called “Linksys”. This means when you search for wireless networks you will see an access point based on their SSID name.

If you haven’t figured it out, having an extra wireless router can offer a special network security benefit. You can use your old wireless router by applying power to it and positioning it next to a window or outside wall. The old wireless router will act as a network decoy to the would-be bandwidth moochers or network attackers. They will see the stronger wireless signal and think they are connecting to your network, when in fact they will not be connecting to any part of your network.

Further Security Details

Your main wireless router should have some security features already in place. At minimum, those features should include:

• Encryption (WPA-PSK or WEP)

• SSID Modification

• A Router password

I will explain in a later Article how to apply encryption to your wireless network but for now know that if you have the choice between choosing WPA-PSK or WEP, choose WPA-PSK. WPA-PSK is easier to use and offers much better security features. (Do not use encryption on your decoy wireless router. We want people to be able to connect to the decoy with little or no effort.)

What is meant by SSID Modification? Simply put, you need to change your default SSID to something uninformative and mildly obscure. If your router gives you the option to turn off your beacon or turn off your SSID broadcast, then you should definitely employ this option. Let’s say you live in a neighborhood or an apartment complex and you choose your SSID to be “The Smith Family” or “John’s Network”, everyone who is in proximity of your wireless signal will see this description. Most hackers and attackers want to gain something from their efforts, so if you choose a descriptive name associated with your home or your person, hackers now have a target. (This precaution should also be taken for the decoy wireless router. You do not want to announce your location or the fact that you are hosting a wireless connection to anyone.)

Finally, you need to set an “Admin” password for your wireless router. In many cases, when you buy a wireless router there is no password set or it is manufactured with a default password. If a new password is not set, anyone that can connect to your router can also make changes to your router settings. If this happens, many critical security issues can arise and a more sophisticated hacker could forward all the information you send to and from other computers (i.e. bank servers) through his machine first. This is known as the ‘man-in-the-middle’ attack and your most secretive information can be compromised. Here is a bit of proof that your default passwords are not safe. It is also one more reason to change your default SSID, if I was connecting to a “linksys” router I would use this list to locate a linksys default password. (This precaution should be taken for the decoy wireless router as well, if someone could log into your decoy router they could easily find out that router’s purpose in your home.)

Re-Cap

You can use your old wireless router as a decoy for would-be hackers and bandwidth pirates.

First, you must secure both routers in the following manner:

• Main wireless router should employ at minimum:

• Encryption (WPA-PSK or WEP)

• SSID Modification

• A Router Password

• Decoy wireless router needs:

• SSID Modification

• A Router Password

Second, your decoy wireless router should be placed next to a window or outside wall and should ONLY have the power connected to it.

Finally, …monitor. Depending on your decoy router features you may be able to log the number of computers that connect to your decoy. If not, you can always monitor by logging into your decoy and looking at your LAN status. By monitoring the number of people that connect to your wireless decoy you can effectively gauge the traffic and potential risk you assume when you host a wireless network.

Unleash the VPN within.

Secure Remote Connection

Connect to your Windows XP computer using VPN

Have you ever gotten to meeting or drove three hours to your family function, only to realize you forgot your presentation or digital photos? If you have ever wished you could access your home documents from work, school, or a friends house then you should definitely check out the VPN capabilities Windows XP already has.

A Virtual Private Network or VPN is simply an encrypted connection between two remote computers or networks. There are many ways to accomplish setting up a VPN, but few know that Windows XP actually has a built-in VPN server. Having a VPN server will allow you to establish a secure connection to your home computer, this is more than just accessing your home computer you can access your entire LAN from IP Cameras, printers, or storage servers. This means that the remote computer will be virtually connected to your LAN, don’t worry though, because it is a Virtual Private Network so your connection is secured by encryption.

This article will show you the exact method of setting up your regular Windows XP machine into a fully functional VPN server.

XP VPN Set-Up

I will break the set-up into steps…

Step 1 - Go to Start / Settings (or Control Panel) / Network Connections

Step 2 - Start the New Connection Wizard

Step 3 - Click on the Next button

Step 4 - Select Set-Up advanced connection.

Step 5 - Click on the Next button.

Step 6 - Click on Accept incoming connections.

Step 7 - Click on the Next button.

Step 8 - At the LPT1 page, skip it and just click on the Next button.

Step 9 - Click on Allow virtual private connection.

Step 10 - Click on the Next button.

Step 11 - Add user accounts that ou want to be able to connect to your Windows XP computer.

Step 12 - Click on the Next button.

Step 13 - Highlight Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click on Properties.

Step 14 - Determine how you want the remote computers to get their IP address.

Step 15 - You can Allow callers to access your local area network or internal LAN. Check this if you would like to access all of your computers or devices.

Step 16 - Under TCP/IP address assignment you can let your DHCP server hand out IP addresses or you can assign a range of IP’s within the scope of your subnet.

Step 17 - Click OK.

Step 18 - If you are behind a router you will need to foward port 1723 to your Windows XP IP address. You may also need to configure your router for PPTP Passthrough. Port usage for IPSec is 500, 50-51.

XP VPN Client Set-Up

Now you can use another remote Windows XP machine to connect to your LAN resources. Follow these steps on the remote machine to establish a connection:

Please note you will need to know the IP address of your VPN server or you will need to have a domain name (i.e. example.com).

Step 1 - Click Start / Control Panel.

Step 2 - Open Network Connections in the Control Panel.

Step 3 - Choose the Create a new connection item from the left-hand side of the window. (The Windows XP New Connection Wizard will appear on the screen.)

Step 4 - Click Next to begin the wizard, then choose the Connect to the network at my workplace item from the list and click Next.

Step 5 - On the Network Connection page of the wizard, choose the Virtual Private Network Connection option and click Next.

Step 6 - Enter a name for the new VPN connection and click Next. (This is just an identifier).

Step 7 - On the Public Network screen choose Do not dial the intitial connection option. This option requires that a connection to the internet already be established.

Step 8 - Enter the domain name or IP address of your remote VPN Server. (the one we just created above) Click Next.

Step 9 - In the Connection Availability screen choose an option and click Next. Choosing My Use Only will allow the VPN connection only for the current logged on user.

Step 10 - Click Finish to complete the wizard. You will now see the VPN Connection icon in the Network Connections window under the Control Panel. Double-click this icon to connect to your VPN server, you will have to enter your username and password for the remote VPN server. (this is the same username and password you use to login to your computer)

That’s it! You should now be able to access your home network from a remote computer. Once connected to your VPN server you can use Remote Desktop to login to your remote computer.

Ten Windows Services, You Don’t Need.

I’ll start by telling you that windows has a host of processes that start at boot time. Some of these process you need but there are quite a few that you don’t. This article will take a look at those processes that you don’t need.

The reason we want to disable these unneeded processes is because they do occupy memory and can take up CPU time. You can find proof of this by opening your task manager (ctl+shift+esc).

How to disable.

You need to know how to disable the processes so do the following: Start > Run > type “services.msc” and hit Enter

1. Error Reporting.

This enables error reporting on your computer and sends the results to Microsoft. Definitely not necessary.

2. Netmeeting Remote Desktop Sharing

This service is used for connecting computers with netmeeting. Netmeeting is more of a corprate application and therefore not needed by most home or small business owners.

3. Portable Media Serial Number Service

This service retrieves the serial number of any portable media player connected to your computer. This service is not needed.

4. Network Provisioning Service

This service is not necessary if you are a home user or you have just a simple network. This service manages XML configuration files on a domain for automatic network provisioning.

5. Indexing Service

This service provides indexing to contents and properties of files on your computer or remote computers. You may need this service if you have a large hard drive with many files and you frequently use windows search. A better indexing service is Google’s toolbar.

6. Remote Registry

Enables remote users to modify registry settings on your computer. This one is a no-brainer! Disable it.

7. Smart Card

Manages access to smart cards read by your computer. If you don’t have a smart card or don’t know what a smart card is, disable it.

8. Secondary Logon

This enables starting processes under alternate credentials. You would need this if you had a limited account on your machine and wanted that account to be able to run applications with administrator access.

9. WMI Performance Adapter

Provides performance library information from WMI HiPerf providers. No need for this one, disable it.

10. System Restore Service

Performs system restore functions. This is used to restore old versions of files. Not really necessary but if you want to be cautious then leave it.

All of these service can be disabled to help boost the performance of your computer. It should be noted that you can always enable the services again.

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