SORRY VOL-2
XP Tips
Simple hack to speed up a XP MENU
When XP first appeared, there was a lot of conversation about the new interface,
both good and bad. In spite of the initial complaints, most users stick
with the default settings rather than reverting to the Classic interface found
in previous Windows versions. But you might want to change the delay you
notice when you click the Start menu. I see no reason for there to be any
delay when I click the Start menu. Effects are pretty, but I wouldn’t click it if
I didn’t have business inside, so let’s get it open and get moving. The default
speed can be adjusted with a quick Registry hack.
Go to the Registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\
MenuShowDelay. The default value is 400. Set it to 0 to remove the delay
completely, but if you do that it will be nearly impossible to move the
mouse fast enough not to activate All Programs if you mouse over it en
route to your final selection. Pick a number that suits your style, make the
change, and then test it until you find a good compromise between speed
and usability.
DELETE AN UNDELETED FILES
Delete An "undeletable" File
Open a Command Prompt window and leave it open.
Close all open programs.
Click Start, Run and enter TASKMGR.EXE
Go to the Processes tab and End Process on Explorer.exe.
Leave Task Manager open.
Go back to the Command Prompt window and change to the directory the AVI (or other undeletable file) is located in.
At the command prompt type DEL where is the file you wish to delete.
Go back to Task Manager, click File, New Task and enter EXPLORER.EXE to restart the GUI shell.
Close Task Manager.
Or you can try this
Open Notepad.exe
Click File>Save As..>
locate the folder where ur undeletable file is
Choose 'All files' from the file type box
click once on the file u wanna delete so its name appears in the 'filename' box
put a " at the start and end of the filename
(the filename should have the extension of the undeletable file so it will overwrite it)
click save,
It should ask u to overwrite the existing file, choose yes and u can delete it as normal
Here's a manual way of doing it. I'll take this off once you put into your first post zain.
1. Start
2. Run
3. Type: command
4. To move into a directory type: cd c:\*** (The stars stand for your folder)
5. If you cannot access the folder because it has spaces for example Program Files or Kazaa Lite folder you have to do the following. instead of typing in the full folder name only take the first 6 letters then put a ~ and then 1 without spaces. Example: cd c:\progra~1\kazaal~1
6. Once your in the folder the non-deletable file it in type in dir - a list will come up with everything inside.
7. Now to delete the file type in del ***.bmp, txt, jpg, avi, etc... And if the file name has spaces you would use the special 1st 6 letters followed by a ~ and a 1 rule. Example: if your file name was bad file.bmp you would type once in the specific folder thorugh command, del badfil~1.bmp and your file should be gone. Make sure to type in the correct extension.
DISABLE WINDOWS LOGO KEY
i was recently playing games and this nasty windos logo key keep annoying me , cause i often accidently clicked it , and i start to search a solution to solve my problem, and found the following article in microsfot website, and it did work, hope this helps, thanks!
CODE
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=181348
or in other articles, u can copy the following messages into ur notepad and save as *.reg, and use it..
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout]
"Scancode Map"=hex:00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,03,00,00,00,00,00,5b,e0,00,00,5c,e0,\
00,00,00,00
BURN QUICKER IN XP
windows xp has burning software built in which can cause problems sometimes when burning with other programs.
you can turn windows xp burning tool off like this.
Go to "administrative tools" in the control panel.
In the "services" list, disable the IMAPI CD-Burning COM service.
REMOVE WINDOWS SPLASH SCREEN
Are you having boot up problems and would like to know what it going on behind that Windows Loading Logo? To find out, you can disable the splash screen by making a small change to the Boot.ini file.
Follow these steps (carefully!):
1. Open the "System Properties" dialog box ( Settings - Control Panel - System)
2. On the Advanced tab, click the Settings button in the "Startup And Recovery" section.
3. In the "Startup And Recovery" dialog box, select the Edit button in the "System Startup" section.
4. The Boot.ini file will open in Notepad; locate the line that ends with the /fastdetect switch.
5. Position your cursor to the right after the parameter, press the spacebar, and add the /SOS switch.
6. Save the Boot.ini file, and close Notepad.
7. Click Cancel to close both the "Startup And Recovery" dialog box and the "System Properties" dialog box.
8. Restart the computer to see the effect.
Once the computer restarts you will notice that the Windows Splash Screen is no longer present. Instead you can observe some of the boot up operations that Windows XP performs during the startup stage.
To renable the splash screen, follow the same procedure but remove the "/SOS".
SAVE WINDOWS UPDATES
When XP first appeared, there was a lot of conversation about the new interface,
both good and bad. In spite of the initial complaints, most users stick
with the default settings rather than reverting to the Classic interface found
in previous Windows versions. But you might want to change the delay you
notice when you click the Start menu. I see no reason for there to be any
delay when I click the Start menu. Effects are pretty, but I wouldn’t click it if
I didn’t have business inside, so let’s get it open and get moving. The default
speed can be adjusted with a quick Registry hack.
Go to the Registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\
MenuShowDelay. The default value is 400. Set it to 0 to remove the delay
completely, but if you do that it will be nearly impossible to move the
mouse fast enough not to activate All Programs if you mouse over it en
route to your final selection. Pick a number that suits your style, make the
change, and then test it until you find a good compromise between speed
and usability.
DELETE AN UNDELETED FILES
Delete An "undeletable" File
Open a Command Prompt window and leave it open.
Close all open programs.
Click Start, Run and enter TASKMGR.EXE
Go to the Processes tab and End Process on Explorer.exe.
Leave Task Manager open.
Go back to the Command Prompt window and change to the directory the AVI (or other undeletable file) is located in.
At the command prompt type DEL where is the file you wish to delete.
Go back to Task Manager, click File, New Task and enter EXPLORER.EXE to restart the GUI shell.
Close Task Manager.
Or you can try this
Open Notepad.exe
Click File>Save As..>
locate the folder where ur undeletable file is
Choose 'All files' from the file type box
click once on the file u wanna delete so its name appears in the 'filename' box
put a " at the start and end of the filename
(the filename should have the extension of the undeletable file so it will overwrite it)
click save,
It should ask u to overwrite the existing file, choose yes and u can delete it as normal
Here's a manual way of doing it. I'll take this off once you put into your first post zain.
1. Start
2. Run
3. Type: command
4. To move into a directory type: cd c:\*** (The stars stand for your folder)
5. If you cannot access the folder because it has spaces for example Program Files or Kazaa Lite folder you have to do the following. instead of typing in the full folder name only take the first 6 letters then put a ~ and then 1 without spaces. Example: cd c:\progra~1\kazaal~1
6. Once your in the folder the non-deletable file it in type in dir - a list will come up with everything inside.
7. Now to delete the file type in del ***.bmp, txt, jpg, avi, etc... And if the file name has spaces you would use the special 1st 6 letters followed by a ~ and a 1 rule. Example: if your file name was bad file.bmp you would type once in the specific folder thorugh command, del badfil~1.bmp and your file should be gone. Make sure to type in the correct extension.
DISABLE WINDOWS LOGO KEY
i was recently playing games and this nasty windos logo key keep annoying me , cause i often accidently clicked it , and i start to search a solution to solve my problem, and found the following article in microsfot website, and it did work, hope this helps, thanks!
CODE
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=181348
or in other articles, u can copy the following messages into ur notepad and save as *.reg, and use it..
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout]
"Scancode Map"=hex:00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,03,00,00,00,00,00,5b,e0,00,00,5c,e0,\
00,00,00,00
BURN QUICKER IN XP
windows xp has burning software built in which can cause problems sometimes when burning with other programs.
you can turn windows xp burning tool off like this.
Go to "administrative tools" in the control panel.
In the "services" list, disable the IMAPI CD-Burning COM service.
REMOVE WINDOWS SPLASH SCREEN
Are you having boot up problems and would like to know what it going on behind that Windows Loading Logo? To find out, you can disable the splash screen by making a small change to the Boot.ini file.
Follow these steps (carefully!):
1. Open the "System Properties" dialog box ( Settings - Control Panel - System)
2. On the Advanced tab, click the Settings button in the "Startup And Recovery" section.
3. In the "Startup And Recovery" dialog box, select the Edit button in the "System Startup" section.
4. The Boot.ini file will open in Notepad; locate the line that ends with the /fastdetect switch.
5. Position your cursor to the right after the parameter, press the spacebar, and add the /SOS switch.
6. Save the Boot.ini file, and close Notepad.
7. Click Cancel to close both the "Startup And Recovery" dialog box and the "System Properties" dialog box.
8. Restart the computer to see the effect.
Once the computer restarts you will notice that the Windows Splash Screen is no longer present. Instead you can observe some of the boot up operations that Windows XP performs during the startup stage.
To renable the splash screen, follow the same procedure but remove the "/SOS".
SAVE WINDOWS UPDATES
- Go to the Windows Update web site.
- In the left pane, under Other Options, select “Personalize Windows Update”.
- Under “Set Options for Windows Update”, select the checkbox for “Display the Link to Windows Update Catalog under ‘See Also’”, then click “Save Settings”.
- Go back to the Windows Update web site.
- In the left pane, under “See Also”, select “Windows Update Catalog”.
- Select “Find Updates for Microsoft Operating Systems”.
- Select the operating system and language of your choice.
- Select “Critical Updates and Service Packs”.
- Select all of the patches you’d like to download, then click on “Go to download basket” to download them.
SEARCH FOR ALL FILES IN XP
When you perform a search for a file in Windows XP. The default setting is for XP to ONLY return files in the "Search Results" pane - when they are registered file types to a program on your PC.
In other words if you are looking for a file that is NOT registered with an application on your PC, it will not be found using the default search settings.
However, you can turn off the default by a quick Tweak of the registry!
Open the Registry editor (type regedit from the Run command) and navigate to:
HKEY LOCAL MACHINE\ SYSTEM\ CurrentControlSet\ Control\
ContentIndex
Double-Click the value named:
FilterFilesWithUnknownExtensions
..and change the value from 0 to 1
Exit the registry editor and reboot!
When you perform a search for a file in Windows XP. The default setting is for XP to ONLY return files in the "Search Results" pane - when they are registered file types to a program on your PC.
In other words if you are looking for a file that is NOT registered with an application on your PC, it will not be found using the default search settings.
However, you can turn off the default by a quick Tweak of the registry!
Open the Registry editor (type regedit from the Run command) and navigate to:
HKEY LOCAL MACHINE\ SYSTEM\ CurrentControlSet\ Control\
ContentIndex
Double-Click the value named:
FilterFilesWithUnknownExtensions
..and change the value from 0 to 1
Exit the registry editor and reboot!
CLEAR BIOS INFO
READ EVEYTHING BEFORE YOU USE ANY METHOD LISTED BELOW
Basic BIOS password crack - works 9.9 times out of ten
This is a password hack but it clears the BIOS such that the next time you start the PC, the CMOS does not ask for any password. Now if you are able to bring the DOS prompt up, then you will be able to change the BIOS setting to the default. To clear the CMOS do the following:
Get DOS prompt and type:
DEBUG hit enter
-o 70 2e hit enter
-o 71 ff hit enter
-q hit enter
exit hit enter
Restart the computer. It works on most versions of the AWARD BIOS.
Phoenix BIOS Beep Codes
Phoenix BIOS Beep Codes
Note - Phoenix BIOS emits three sets of beeps, separated by a brief pause.
Code Description
1-1-3 CMOS read/write failure
1-1-4 ROM BIOS checksum error
1-2-1 Programmable interval timer failure
1-2-2 DMA initialisation failure
1-2-3 DMA page register read/write failure
1-3-1 RAM refresh verification failure
1-3-3 First 64k RAM chip or data line failure
1-3-4 First 64k RAM odd/even logic failure
1-4-1 Address line failure first 64k RAM
1-4-2 Parity failure first 64k RAM
2-_-_ Faulty Memory
3-1-_ Faulty Motherboard
3-2-4 Keyboard controller Test failure
3-3-4 Screen initialisation failure
3-4-1 Screen retrace test failure
3-4-2 Search for video ROM in progress
4-2-1 Timer tick interrupt in progress or failure
4-2-2 Shutdown test in progress or failure
4-2-3 Gate A20 failure
4-2-4 Unexpected interrupt in protected mode
4-3-1 RAM test in progress or failure>ffffh
4-3-2 Faulty Motherboard
4-3-3 Interval timer channel 2 test or failure
4-3-4 Time of Day clock test failure
4-4-1 Serial port test or failure
4-4-2 Parallel port test or failure
4-4-3 Math coprocessor test or failure
Low 1-1-2 System Board select failure
Low 1-1-3 Extended CMOS RAM failure
Note - Phoenix BIOS emits three sets of beeps, separated by a brief pause.
Code Description
1-1-3 CMOS read/write failure
1-1-4 ROM BIOS checksum error
1-2-1 Programmable interval timer failure
1-2-2 DMA initialisation failure
1-2-3 DMA page register read/write failure
1-3-1 RAM refresh verification failure
1-3-3 First 64k RAM chip or data line failure
1-3-4 First 64k RAM odd/even logic failure
1-4-1 Address line failure first 64k RAM
1-4-2 Parity failure first 64k RAM
2-_-_ Faulty Memory
3-1-_ Faulty Motherboard
3-2-4 Keyboard controller Test failure
3-3-4 Screen initialisation failure
3-4-1 Screen retrace test failure
3-4-2 Search for video ROM in progress
4-2-1 Timer tick interrupt in progress or failure
4-2-2 Shutdown test in progress or failure
4-2-3 Gate A20 failure
4-2-4 Unexpected interrupt in protected mode
4-3-1 RAM test in progress or failure>ffffh
4-3-2 Faulty Motherboard
4-3-3 Interval timer channel 2 test or failure
4-3-4 Time of Day clock test failure
4-4-1 Serial port test or failure
4-4-2 Parallel port test or failure
4-4-3 Math coprocessor test or failure
Low 1-1-2 System Board select failure
Low 1-1-3 Extended CMOS RAM failure
AMI BIOS BEEP CODE
AMI BIOS Beep Codes
Code Description
1 Short Beep System OK
2 Short Beeps Parity error in the first 64 KB of memory
3 Short Beeps Memory failure in the first 64 KB
4 Short Beeps Memory failure in the first 64 KB Operational of memory
or Timer 1 on the motherboard is not functioning
5 Short Beeps The CPU on the motherboard generated an error
6 Short Beeps The keyboard controller may be bad. The BIOS cannot switch to protected mode
7 Short Beeps The CPU generated an exception interrupt
8 Short Beeps The system video adapter is either missing, or its memory is faulty
9 Short Beeps The ROM checksum value does not match the value encoded in the BIOS
10 Short Beeps The shutdown register for CMOS RAM failed
11 Short Beeps The external cache is faulty
1 Long, 3 Short Beeps Memory Problems
1 Long, 8 Short Beeps Video Card Problems
Code Description
1 Short Beep System OK
2 Short Beeps Parity error in the first 64 KB of memory
3 Short Beeps Memory failure in the first 64 KB
4 Short Beeps Memory failure in the first 64 KB Operational of memory
or Timer 1 on the motherboard is not functioning
5 Short Beeps The CPU on the motherboard generated an error
6 Short Beeps The keyboard controller may be bad. The BIOS cannot switch to protected mode
7 Short Beeps The CPU generated an exception interrupt
8 Short Beeps The system video adapter is either missing, or its memory is faulty
9 Short Beeps The ROM checksum value does not match the value encoded in the BIOS
10 Short Beeps The shutdown register for CMOS RAM failed
11 Short Beeps The external cache is faulty
1 Long, 3 Short Beeps Memory Problems
1 Long, 8 Short Beeps Video Card Problems
DIAGNOSTIC CODE
IBM POST Diagnostic Code Descriptions
Code Description
Code Description
100 - 199 System Board
200 - 299 Memory
300 - 399 Keyboard
400 - 499 Monochrome Display
500 - 599 Colour/Graphics Display
600 - 699 Floppy-disk drive and/or Adapter
700 - 799 Math Coprocessor
900 - 999 Parallel Printer Port
1000 - 1099 Alternate Printer Adapter
1100 - 1299 Asynchronous Communication Device, Adapter, or Port
1300 - 1399 Game Port
1400 - 1499 Colour/Graphics Printer
1500 - 1599 Synchronous Communication Device, Adapter, or Port
1700 - 1799 Hard Drive and/or Adapter
1800 - 1899 Expansion Unit (XT)
2000 - 2199 Bisynchronous Communication Adapter
2400 - 2599 EGA system-board Video (MCA)
3000 - 3199 LAN Adapter
4800 - 4999 Internal Modem
7000 - 7099 Phoenix BIOS Chips
7300 - 7399 3.5" Disk Drive
8900 - 8999 MIDI Adapter
11200 - 11299 SCSI Adapter
21000 - 21099 SCSI Fixed Disk and Controller
21500 - 21599 SCSI CD-ROM System
BEEP CODES AND ERROR CODES
Standard Original IBM POST Error Codes
Code Description
1 short beep System is OK
2 short beeps POST Error - error code shown on screen No beep Power supply or system board problem Continuous beep Power supply, system board, or keyboard problem Repeating short beeps Power supply or system board problem
1 long, 1 short beep System board problem
1 long, 2 short beeps Display adapter problem (MDA, CGA)
1 long, 3 short beeps Display adapter problem (EGA)
3 long beeps 3270 keyboard card
Code Description
1 short beep System is OK
2 short beeps POST Error - error code shown on screen No beep Power supply or system board problem Continuous beep Power supply, system board, or keyboard problem Repeating short beeps Power supply or system board problem
1 long, 1 short beep System board problem
1 long, 2 short beeps Display adapter problem (MDA, CGA)
1 long, 3 short beeps Display adapter problem (EGA)
3 long beeps 3270 keyboard card
Basic unix commands
You must first logon to a UNIX machine. The method(s) to do this vary, so check with the facility you are aton how to logon.Once logged on, these commands are essential to learn. More information about them (and other commands)can be obtained by entering man command (short for manual). For example, to obtain a manual about the command cat, you would type man cat.
cat - List a file
USAGE: cat [ -n ] file...
OPTIONS: -n display line numbers.
EXAMPLES: cat myprog.c
cat -n myprog.c
cd - Change directory
USAGE: cd [ directory ]
EXAMPLES: cd
cd mysource
NOTE: The command cd with no arguments will take you to your home directory ( i.e.
the directory you start in when you first login to the system ).
The command cd .. will take you to the directory above the one you are in.
cp - Copy a file
USAGE: cp file1 file2
cp file1 ...directory
EXAMPLE: cp myprog.c myprog.1.save
NOTE: Suppose your instructor tells you to get a copy of the file firstprog.p that is in the
directory /u/mathcs/fs/wilma. The complete command to copy this file to the directory
you are in is:
cp /u/mathcs/fs/wilma/firstprog.p firstprog.p
It is important to note that the forward slash "/" is used to specify path names.
logout - Exit unix
USAGE: logout
NOTE: Where you are returned to when you logout is depending on the method used to login
to the unix system. If you try to logout and you get an error message
“there are stopped jobs”, then type a fg command to go back to that job, then
you can properly exit the session and logout.
lpr - Send a job to the printer
USAGE: lpr [-J -C] filename
EXAMPLE: lpr -J name -C WALAB_xx filename
name is 1-8 character ID
xx is a bin number
ls - List the contents of the current directory
USAGE: ls [ file1... ]
EXAMPLES: ls
ls *.exe (this lists only files that end with the extension .exe)
ls pkzip.* (this lists only files that begin with pkzip and has any extension)
mkdir - Create a new directory
USAGE: mkdir directory...
EXAMPLE: mkdir junkdir
more - List a long file
USAGE: more file ...
EXAMPLES: more myprog.c
more a.c b.c c.c
NOTE: You can also use this with other unix commands that involves listing data.
EXAMPLES: finger |more
cat file |more
mv - Rename or move a file
USAGE: mv file1 file2
mv file1 ... directory
EXAMPLE: mv a.out myfirst
passwd - Change login passwd
USAGE: passwd
NOTE: As you type in the passwords, the characters are not displayed on the screen.
pwd - Display the current directory
USAGE: pwd
NOTE: pwd tells you which directory you are in.
rm - Remove file(s)
USAGE: rm file...
EXAMPLE: rm myfirst.old
rmdir - Remove an empty directory
USAGE: rmdir directory ...
EXAMPLE: rmdir junkdir
NOTE: In order to remove a directory that contains files, you must first remove the files with
rm and then remove the directory with rmdir.
finger - display information about local and remote users.
USAGE: finger
NOTE: If you use this command followed by a user’s login name, it will give some information
about that’s user’s account; directory route, last time he or she logged in, etc.
USAGE: finger user...
EXAMPLE: finger stsc
who - Identifies who is currently logged on the unix machine, but displays less information than
with the “finger” command.
USAGE: who
spell - It checks your documents for spelling errors using an online dictionary.
USAGE: spell file
EXAMPLE: spell commands.txt
pine - Starts up the “pine” mailing menu.
USAGE: pine
NOTE: This program allows you to organize your e-mail, plus has other unique features that
the Regular mailing system doesn’t provide. You can also pick up a user guide for
“pine” as well.
cat - List a file
USAGE: cat [ -n ] file...
OPTIONS: -n display line numbers.
EXAMPLES: cat myprog.c
cat -n myprog.c
cd - Change directory
USAGE: cd [ directory ]
EXAMPLES: cd
cd mysource
NOTE: The command cd with no arguments will take you to your home directory ( i.e.
the directory you start in when you first login to the system ).
The command cd .. will take you to the directory above the one you are in.
cp - Copy a file
USAGE: cp file1 file2
cp file1 ...directory
EXAMPLE: cp myprog.c myprog.1.save
NOTE: Suppose your instructor tells you to get a copy of the file firstprog.p that is in the
directory /u/mathcs/fs/wilma. The complete command to copy this file to the directory
you are in is:
cp /u/mathcs/fs/wilma/firstprog.p firstprog.p
It is important to note that the forward slash "/" is used to specify path names.
logout - Exit unix
USAGE: logout
NOTE: Where you are returned to when you logout is depending on the method used to login
to the unix system. If you try to logout and you get an error message
“there are stopped jobs”, then type a fg command to go back to that job, then
you can properly exit the session and logout.
lpr - Send a job to the printer
USAGE: lpr [-J -C] filename
EXAMPLE: lpr -J name -C WALAB_xx filename
name is 1-8 character ID
xx is a bin number
ls - List the contents of the current directory
USAGE: ls [ file1... ]
EXAMPLES: ls
ls *.exe (this lists only files that end with the extension .exe)
ls pkzip.* (this lists only files that begin with pkzip and has any extension)
mkdir - Create a new directory
USAGE: mkdir directory...
EXAMPLE: mkdir junkdir
more - List a long file
USAGE: more file ...
EXAMPLES: more myprog.c
more a.c b.c c.c
NOTE: You can also use this with other unix commands that involves listing data.
EXAMPLES: finger |more
cat file |more
mv - Rename or move a file
USAGE: mv file1 file2
mv file1 ... directory
EXAMPLE: mv a.out myfirst
passwd - Change login passwd
USAGE: passwd
NOTE: As you type in the passwords, the characters are not displayed on the screen.
pwd - Display the current directory
USAGE: pwd
NOTE: pwd tells you which directory you are in.
rm - Remove file(s)
USAGE: rm file...
EXAMPLE: rm myfirst.old
rmdir - Remove an empty directory
USAGE: rmdir directory ...
EXAMPLE: rmdir junkdir
NOTE: In order to remove a directory that contains files, you must first remove the files with
rm and then remove the directory with rmdir.
finger - display information about local and remote users.
USAGE: finger
NOTE: If you use this command followed by a user’s login name, it will give some information
about that’s user’s account; directory route, last time he or she logged in, etc.
USAGE: finger user...
EXAMPLE: finger stsc
who - Identifies who is currently logged on the unix machine, but displays less information than
with the “finger” command.
USAGE: who
spell - It checks your documents for spelling errors using an online dictionary.
USAGE: spell file
EXAMPLE: spell commands.txt
pine - Starts up the “pine” mailing menu.
USAGE: pine
NOTE: This program allows you to organize your e-mail, plus has other unique features that
the Regular mailing system doesn’t provide. You can also pick up a user guide for
“pine” as well.
Getting the Password File Through FTP
Ok well one of the easiest ways of getting superuser access is through
anonymous ftp access into a webpage. First you need learn a little about
the password file...
root:User:d7Bdg:1n2HG2:1127:20:Superuser
TomJones:p5Y(h0tiC:1229:20:Tom Jones,:/usr/people/tomjones:/bin/csh
BBob:EUyd5XAAtv2dA:1129:20:Billy Bob:/usr/people/bbob:/bin/csh
This is an example of a regular encrypted password file. The Superuser is
the part that gives you root. That's the main part of the file.
root:x:0:1:Superuser:/:
ftp:x:202:102:Anonymous ftp:/u1/ftp:
ftpadmin:x:203:102:ftp Administrator:/u1/ftp
This is another example of a password file, only this one has one little
difference, it's shadowed. Shadowed password files don't let you view or
copy the actual encrypted password. This causes problems for the password
cracker and dictionary maker(both explained later in the text). Below is
another example of a shadowed password file:
root:x:0:1:0000-Admin(0000):/:/usr/bin/csh
daemon:x:1:1:0000-Admin(0000):/:
bin:x:2:2:0000-Admin(0000):/usr/bin:
sys:x:3:3:0000-Admin(0000):/:
adm:x:4:4:0000-Admin(0000):/var/adm:
lp:x:71:8:0000-lp(0000):/usr/spool/lp:
smtp:x:0:0:mail daemon user:/:
uucp:x:5:5:0000-uucp(0000):/usr/lib/uucp:
nuucp:x:9:9:0000-uucp(0000):/var/spool/uucppublic:/usr/lib/uucp/uucico
listen:x:37:4:Network Admin:/usr/net/nls:
nobody:x:60001:60001:uid no body:/:
noaccess:x:60002:60002:uid no access:/:
webmastr:x:53:53:WWW Admin:/export/home/webmastr:/usr/bin/csh
pin4geo:x:55:55:PinPaper Admin:/export/home/webmastr/new/gregY/test/pin4geo:/bin/false
ftp:x:54:54:Anonymous FTP:/export/home/anon_ftp:/bin/false
Shadowed password files have an "x" in the place of a password or sometimes
they are disguised as an * as well.
Now that you know a little more about what the actual password file looks
like you should be able to identify a normal encrypted pw from a shadowed
pw file. We can now go on to talk about how to crack it.
Cracking a password file isn't as complicated as it would seem, although the
files vary from system to system. 1.The first step that you would take is
to download or copy the file. 2. The second step is to find a password
cracker and a dictionary maker. Although it's nearly impossible to find a
good cracker there are a few ok ones out there. I recomend that you look
for Cracker Jack, John the Ripper, Brute Force Cracker, or Jack the Ripper.
Now for a dictionary maker or a dictionary file... When you start a
cracking prog you will be asked to find the the password file. That's where
a dictionary maker comes in. You can download one from nearly every hacker
page on the net. A dictionary maker finds all the possible letter
combinations with the alphabet that you choose(ASCII, caps, lowercase, and
numeric letters may also be added) . We will be releasing our pasword file
to the public soon, it will be called, Psychotic Candy, "The Perfect Drug."
As far as we know it will be one of the largest in circulation. 3. You then start up the cracker and follow the directions that it gives
you.
anonymous ftp access into a webpage. First you need learn a little about
the password file...
root:User:d7Bdg:1n2HG2:1127:20:Superuser
TomJones:p5Y(h0tiC:1229:20:Tom Jones,:/usr/people/tomjones:/bin/csh
BBob:EUyd5XAAtv2dA:1129:20:Billy Bob:/usr/people/bbob:/bin/csh
This is an example of a regular encrypted password file. The Superuser is
the part that gives you root. That's the main part of the file.
root:x:0:1:Superuser:/:
ftp:x:202:102:Anonymous ftp:/u1/ftp:
ftpadmin:x:203:102:ftp Administrator:/u1/ftp
This is another example of a password file, only this one has one little
difference, it's shadowed. Shadowed password files don't let you view or
copy the actual encrypted password. This causes problems for the password
cracker and dictionary maker(both explained later in the text). Below is
another example of a shadowed password file:
root:x:0:1:0000-Admin(0000):/:/usr/bin/csh
daemon:x:1:1:0000-Admin(0000):/:
bin:x:2:2:0000-Admin(0000):/usr/bin:
sys:x:3:3:0000-Admin(0000):/:
adm:x:4:4:0000-Admin(0000):/var/adm:
lp:x:71:8:0000-lp(0000):/usr/spool/lp:
smtp:x:0:0:mail daemon user:/:
uucp:x:5:5:0000-uucp(0000):/usr/lib/uucp:
nuucp:x:9:9:0000-uucp(0000):/var/spool/uucppublic:/usr/lib/uucp/uucico
listen:x:37:4:Network Admin:/usr/net/nls:
nobody:x:60001:60001:uid no body:/:
noaccess:x:60002:60002:uid no access:/:
webmastr:x:53:53:WWW Admin:/export/home/webmastr:/usr/bin/csh
pin4geo:x:55:55:PinPaper Admin:/export/home/webmastr/new/gregY/test/pin4geo:/bin/false
ftp:x:54:54:Anonymous FTP:/export/home/anon_ftp:/bin/false
Shadowed password files have an "x" in the place of a password or sometimes
they are disguised as an * as well.
Now that you know a little more about what the actual password file looks
like you should be able to identify a normal encrypted pw from a shadowed
pw file. We can now go on to talk about how to crack it.
Cracking a password file isn't as complicated as it would seem, although the
files vary from system to system. 1.The first step that you would take is
to download or copy the file. 2. The second step is to find a password
cracker and a dictionary maker. Although it's nearly impossible to find a
good cracker there are a few ok ones out there. I recomend that you look
for Cracker Jack, John the Ripper, Brute Force Cracker, or Jack the Ripper.
Now for a dictionary maker or a dictionary file... When you start a
cracking prog you will be asked to find the the password file. That's where
a dictionary maker comes in. You can download one from nearly every hacker
page on the net. A dictionary maker finds all the possible letter
combinations with the alphabet that you choose(ASCII, caps, lowercase, and
numeric letters may also be added) . We will be releasing our pasword file
to the public soon, it will be called, Psychotic Candy, "The Perfect Drug."
As far as we know it will be one of the largest in circulation. 3. You then start up the cracker and follow the directions that it gives
you.
Create An Ftp Server On Your Pc With Serv-u
Requirements:
Serv-U
No-IP.com Website
Quote:
Step 1. Getting a static IP address.
Get a static address for your FTP server. You will want to do this as opposed to using your IP address for several reasons. First, it’s easier keeping up-to-date. Imagine having to change all of your setting every time your IP changed. With No-IP, the No-IP service runs in background on your computer and updates your current IP address with your FTP server’s URL (for example, you get ftp://rkchoolie.serveftp.com). Second reason, you don’t want your IP address posted out there for everyone to see.
1. Go to www.No-IP.com to create a new user account.
2. Fill in the information that is required and the click Register button.
3. Your account has now been created and your account password has been emailed to you.
4. Check your email mailbox and wait for the mail that contains your password
5. Go back to www.No-IP.com and type your email address and password to login to your account.
6. Once in your account, click on Add a host in the left menu
7. Type in the Hostname you want (example: rkchoolie) and pick a Domain from the list (example: ftpserve.com)
8. Check Allow Wildcards and click the Submit button
9. You now have your static address (example: rkchoolie.serveftp.com)
10. Click on your OS link in the Dyn-Update Client in the bottom right menu and follow links to download the client
11. Once downloaded, install the software and type in your email address and password when asked.
12. Finally tick the checkbox near your static address.
You now have a static web address .
Quote:
Step 2. Installing and setting the FTP server
1. Install Serv-U 4.0.
2. Start Serv-U and use the wizard to setup your ftp.
3. Click next until you're asked for an IP address, leave it blank and then click next.
4. Type the domain name you've just registered above (example: preacher.serveftp.com) in the domain name field and then click Next.
5. You are asked if you want to allow anonymous access, select No and then click next.
6. You are then asked to create a named account, check yes and then click next.
7. Type in the user name you wish for this account (example: Harrie) and click next.
8. Type a password for this account (example: $p3c1aL). For security reasons, try to create a password with some letters, numbers and special characters. Then click next.
9. You will then be asked for the Home directory of the account you just created. Select the directory and then click next.
10. Select yes to lock this account to the Home directory. You want to do this so that the user can not go any further up that his home directory. Click next.
11. The account is now set so click finish.
Quote:
Step 3. Configuring user accounts
1. In the left tree-menu, select the account you've just created and then click on the General tab.
2. Check Hide ‘Hidden’ Files.
3. Check Allow only and enter the number one in the box.
4. Set the Max. download speed to what ever you want. If this is an account that many will be using, set it low to save on your bandwidth. I usually have mine set between 10 – 20. If you leave it blank, users will be able to download from you at full bandwidth.
5. Set the Max no. of users to how many you want to be able to log on at one time. This depends on your connection speed but try these (56 - 1, ISDN - 3, ADSL or cable - 5-6 users.)
6. Now, click on the Dir Access tab.
7. You should see the home folder in there. Highlight it and make your permissions.
8. If you only want users to be able to download check only Read, List, & Inherit.
9. If you want users to be able to upload, but to only one particular folder but not download, click the add button and then select that folder. Now highlight the folder and set these permissions on that folder. Check Write, Append, List, Create, & Inherit. Once you have made the permissions click on the up arrow that is located at the bottom right-hand corner. You want this special upload folder to be list first, before the home folder.
10. If there is a folder that you don’t want anyone to have access to, but it is inside the home folder, then click the add button and then select that folder. Now highlight the folder and make sure that all checkboxes are left. Once you have made the permissions click on the up arrow that is located at the bottom right-hand corner. You want this no access folder to be listed at the very top.
11. There are many other different sets of permissions you can play with. I just covered your basics.
12. Your server is now set!
13. Try logging on with the username and password and see if it works.
Serv-U
No-IP.com Website
Quote:
Step 1. Getting a static IP address.
Get a static address for your FTP server. You will want to do this as opposed to using your IP address for several reasons. First, it’s easier keeping up-to-date. Imagine having to change all of your setting every time your IP changed. With No-IP, the No-IP service runs in background on your computer and updates your current IP address with your FTP server’s URL (for example, you get ftp://rkchoolie.serveftp.com). Second reason, you don’t want your IP address posted out there for everyone to see.
1. Go to www.No-IP.com to create a new user account.
2. Fill in the information that is required and the click Register button.
3. Your account has now been created and your account password has been emailed to you.
4. Check your email mailbox and wait for the mail that contains your password
5. Go back to www.No-IP.com and type your email address and password to login to your account.
6. Once in your account, click on Add a host in the left menu
7. Type in the Hostname you want (example: rkchoolie) and pick a Domain from the list (example: ftpserve.com)
8. Check Allow Wildcards and click the Submit button
9. You now have your static address (example: rkchoolie.serveftp.com)
10. Click on your OS link in the Dyn-Update Client in the bottom right menu and follow links to download the client
11. Once downloaded, install the software and type in your email address and password when asked.
12. Finally tick the checkbox near your static address.
You now have a static web address .
Quote:
Step 2. Installing and setting the FTP server
1. Install Serv-U 4.0.
2. Start Serv-U and use the wizard to setup your ftp.
3. Click next until you're asked for an IP address, leave it blank and then click next.
4. Type the domain name you've just registered above (example: preacher.serveftp.com) in the domain name field and then click Next.
5. You are asked if you want to allow anonymous access, select No and then click next.
6. You are then asked to create a named account, check yes and then click next.
7. Type in the user name you wish for this account (example: Harrie) and click next.
8. Type a password for this account (example: $p3c1aL). For security reasons, try to create a password with some letters, numbers and special characters. Then click next.
9. You will then be asked for the Home directory of the account you just created. Select the directory and then click next.
10. Select yes to lock this account to the Home directory. You want to do this so that the user can not go any further up that his home directory. Click next.
11. The account is now set so click finish.
Quote:
Step 3. Configuring user accounts
1. In the left tree-menu, select the account you've just created and then click on the General tab.
2. Check Hide ‘Hidden’ Files.
3. Check Allow only and enter the number one in the box.
4. Set the Max. download speed to what ever you want. If this is an account that many will be using, set it low to save on your bandwidth. I usually have mine set between 10 – 20. If you leave it blank, users will be able to download from you at full bandwidth.
5. Set the Max no. of users to how many you want to be able to log on at one time. This depends on your connection speed but try these (56 - 1, ISDN - 3, ADSL or cable - 5-6 users.)
6. Now, click on the Dir Access tab.
7. You should see the home folder in there. Highlight it and make your permissions.
8. If you only want users to be able to download check only Read, List, & Inherit.
9. If you want users to be able to upload, but to only one particular folder but not download, click the add button and then select that folder. Now highlight the folder and set these permissions on that folder. Check Write, Append, List, Create, & Inherit. Once you have made the permissions click on the up arrow that is located at the bottom right-hand corner. You want this special upload folder to be list first, before the home folder.
10. If there is a folder that you don’t want anyone to have access to, but it is inside the home folder, then click the add button and then select that folder. Now highlight the folder and make sure that all checkboxes are left. Once you have made the permissions click on the up arrow that is located at the bottom right-hand corner. You want this no access folder to be listed at the very top.
11. There are many other different sets of permissions you can play with. I just covered your basics.
12. Your server is now set!
13. Try logging on with the username and password and see if it works.
Kill Microsoft Instant Messenger
This will remove Microstufts Instant Messenger (MSN). This wotked in WinXP Pro, but may work on others....
So, go to START-->RUN copy and paste the following:
QUOTERunDll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection %windir%\INF\msmsgs.inf,BLC.Remove
Click ok. No more msn process lwink.gif
So, go to START-->RUN copy and paste the following:
QUOTERunDll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection %windir%\INF\msmsgs.inf,BLC.Remove
Click ok. No more msn process lwink.gif
Make A Autorun File For Ur Cd
If you wanna make a autorun file for that CD you are ready to burn just read this...
1) You open notepad
2) now you writ: [autorun]
OPEN=INSTALL\Setup_filename.EXE
ICON=INSTALL\Setup_filename.EXE
Now save it but not as a .txt file but as a .inf file.
But remember! The "Setup_filename.EXE" MUST be replaced with the name of the setup file. And you also need to rember that it is not all of the setup files there are called '.exe but some are called '.msi
3) Now burn your CD with the autorun .inf file included.
4) Now set the CD in you CD drive and wait for the autorun to begin or if nothing happens just double-click on the CD drive in "This Computer"
1) You open notepad
2) now you writ: [autorun]
OPEN=INSTALL\Setup_filename.EXE
ICON=INSTALL\Setup_filename.EXE
Now save it but not as a .txt file but as a .inf file.
But remember! The "Setup_filename.EXE" MUST be replaced with the name of the setup file. And you also need to rember that it is not all of the setup files there are called '.exe but some are called '.msi
3) Now burn your CD with the autorun .inf file included.
4) Now set the CD in you CD drive and wait for the autorun to begin or if nothing happens just double-click on the CD drive in "This Computer"
AVOID WORMS IN USB DEVICE
USB Devices like i-pod,pen drives e.t.c; brings viruses/worms which are bad since it disables a lot of features as well as it ruins memory the slows down the whole thing. It disables much of the removal process like Windows RegEdit.exe, MsConfig.exe and also TaskMan.exe. Variations of these also disables your keyboard during normal booting, floods your disk with virus files in the root directory and also the windows directory and some also floods your directory with Folder looking icons that is an executable..
So here are some tips in avoiding this:
1. Always make all files visible like system and also hidden files with their extension shown.Go to Windows Explorer > Tools > Folder Option > View
* Enable Show Hidden File
* Disable Hide Extensions for know file type
* Disable Hide Protected OS files
2. Never Use the Autorun functionality in Windowswhenever you put a disk(flash, memory card, usb drive devices and other form of removable drive) it is always a practice to scan it first. but to avoid being the first to be infected by a wild one, always use Windows Explorer to browse the files.
Use the left side(Folder Window), to browse the files.Whenever you see an autorun.inf file, delete it! remove the disk and insert it again to avoid clicking it.
To disable autorun go to gpedit.msc >> computer config >> admin templates >> system >> turn off autoplay
3. Always update Virus database!
So here are some tips in avoiding this:
1. Always make all files visible like system and also hidden files with their extension shown.Go to Windows Explorer > Tools > Folder Option > View
* Enable Show Hidden File
* Disable Hide Extensions for know file type
* Disable Hide Protected OS files
2. Never Use the Autorun functionality in Windowswhenever you put a disk(flash, memory card, usb drive devices and other form of removable drive) it is always a practice to scan it first. but to avoid being the first to be infected by a wild one, always use Windows Explorer to browse the files.
Use the left side(Folder Window), to browse the files.Whenever you see an autorun.inf file, delete it! remove the disk and insert it again to avoid clicking it.
To disable autorun go to gpedit.msc >> computer config >> admin templates >> system >> turn off autoplay
3. Always update Virus database!
A Web Standards Checklist, How to make a proper website
The term web standards can mean different things to different people. For some, it is 'table-free sites', for others it is 'using valid code'. However, web standards are much broader than that. A site built to web standards should adhere to standards (HTML, XHTML, XML, CSS, XSLT, DOM, MathML, SVG etc) and pursue best practices (valid code, accessible code, semantically correct code, user-friendly URLs etc).
In other words, a site built to web standards should ideally be lean, clean, CSS-based, accessible, usable and search engine friendly.About the checklist
This is not an uber-checklist. There are probably many items that could be added. More importantly, it should not be seen as a list of items that must be addressed on every site that you develop. It is simply a guide that can be used:
* to show the breadth of web standards
* as a handy tool for developers during the production phase of websites
* as an aid for developers who are interested in moving towards web standardsThe checklist
1.Quality of code
1. Does the site use a correct Doctype?
2. Does the site use a Character set?
3. Does the site use Valid (X)HTML?
4. Does the site use Valid CSS?
5. Does the site use any CSS hacks?
6. Does the site use unnecessary classes or ids?
7. Is the code well structured?
8. Does the site have any broken links?
9. How does the site perform in terms of speed/page size?
10. Does the site have JavaScript errors?
2. Degree of separation between content and presentation
1. Does the site use CSS for all presentation aspects (fonts, colour, padding, borders etc)?
2. Are all decorative images in the CSS, or do they appear in the (X)HTML?3. Accessibility for users
1. Are "alt" attributes used for all descriptive images?
2. Does the site use relative units rather than absolute units for text size?
3. Do any aspects of the layout break if font size is increased?
4. Does the site use visible skip menus?
5. Does the site use accessible forms?
6. Does the site use accessible tables?
7. Is there sufficient colour brightness/contrasts?
8. Is colour alone used for critical information?
9. Is there delayed responsiveness for dropdown menus (for users with reduced motor skills)?
10. Are all links descriptive (for blind users)?4. Accessibility for devices
1. Does the site work acceptably across modern and older browsers?
2. Is the content accessible with CSS switched off or not supported?
3. Is the content accessible with images switched off or not supported?
4. Does the site work in text browsers such as Lynx?
5. Does the site work well when printed?
6. Does the site work well in Hand Held devices?
7. Does the site include detailed metadata?
8. Does the site work well in a range of browser window sizes?5. Basic Usability
1. Is there a clear visual hierarchy?
2. Are heading levels easy to distinguish?
3. Does the site have easy to understand navigation?
4. Does the site use consistent navigation?
5. Are links underlined?
6. Does the site use consistent and appropriate language?
7. Do you have a sitemap page and contact page? Are they easy to find?
8. For large sites, is there a search tool?
9. Is there a link to the home page on every page in the site?
10. Are visited links clearly defined with a unique colour?6. Site management
1. Does the site have a meaningful and helpful 404 error page that works from any depth in the site?
2. Does the site use friendly URLs?
3. Do your URLs work without "www"?
4. Does the site have a favicon?
1. Quality of code
1.1 Does the site use a correct Doctype?
A doctype (short for 'document type declaration') informs the validator which version of (X)HTML you're using, and must appear at the very top of every web page. Doctypes are a key component of compliant web pages: your markup and CSS won't validate without them.
CODE
http://www.alistapart.com/articles/doctype/
More:
CODE
http://www.w3.org/QA/2002/04/valid-dtd-list.html
CODE
http://css.maxdesign.com.au/listamatic/about-boxmodel.htm
CODE
http://gutfeldt.ch/matthias/articles/doctypeswitch.html
1.2 Does the site use a Character set?
If a user agent (eg. a browser) is unable to detect the character encoding used in a Web document, the user may be presented with unreadable text. This information is particularly important for those maintaining and extending a multilingual site, but declaring the character encoding of the document is important for anyone producing XHTML/HTML or CSS.
CODE
http://www.w3.org/International/tutorials/tutorial-char-enc/
More:
CODE
http://www.w3.org/International/O-charset.html
1.3 Does the site use Valid (X)HTML?
Valid code will render faster than code with errors. Valid code will render better than invalid code. Browsers are becoming more standards compliant, and it is becoming increasingly necessary to write valid and standards compliant HTML.
CODE
http://www.maxdesign.com.au/presentation/sit2003/06.htm
More:
CODE
http://validator.w3.org/
1.4 Does the site use Valid CSS?
You need to make sure that there aren't any errors in either your HTML or your CSS, since mistakes in either place can result in botched document appearance.
CODE
http://www.meyerweb.com/eric/articles/webrev/199904.html
More:
CODE
http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/
1.5 Does the site use any CSS hacks?
Basically, hacks come down to personal choice, the amount of knowledge you have of workarounds, the specific design you are trying to achieve.
CODE
http://www.mail-archive.com/wsg@webstandardsgroup.org/msg05823.html
More:
CODE
http://css-discuss.incutio.com/?page=CssHack
CODE
http://css-discuss.incutio.com/?page=ToHackOrNotToHack
CODE
http://centricle.com/ref/css/filters/
1.6 Does the site use unnecessary classes or ids?
I've noticed that developers learning new skills often end up with good CSS but poor XHTML. Specifically, the HTML code tends to be full of unnecessary divs and ids. This results in fairly meaningless HTML and bloated style sheets.
CODE
http://www.clagnut.com/blog/228/
1.7 Is the code well structured?
Semantically correct markup uses html elements for their given purpose. Well structured HTML has semantic meaning for a wide range of user agents (browsers without style sheets, text browsers, PDAs, search engines etc.)
CODE
http://www.maxdesign.com.au/presentation/benefits/index04.htm
More:
CODE
http://www.w3.org/2003/12/semantic-extractor.html
1.8 Does the site have any broken links?
Broken links can frustrate users and potentially drive customers away. Broken links can also keep search engines from properly indexing your site.
More:
CODE
http://validator.w3.org/checklink
1.9 How does the site perform in terms of speed/page size?
Don't make me wait... That's the message users give us in survey after survey. Even broadband users can suffer the slow-loading blues.
CODE
http://www.websiteoptimization.com/speed/
1.10 Does the site have JavaScript errors?
Internet Explore for Windows allows you to turn on a debugger that will pop up a new window and let you know there are javascript errors on your site. This is available under 'Internet Options' on the Advanced tab. Uncheck 'Disable script debugging'.
2. Degree of separation between content and presentation
2.1 Does the site use CSS for all presentation aspects (fonts, colour, padding, borders etc)?
Use style sheets to control layout and presentation.
CODE
http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/wai-pageauth.html#tech-style-sheets
2.2 Are all decorative images in the CSS, or do they appear in the (X)HTML?
The aim for web developers is to remove all presentation from the html code, leaving it clean and semantically correct.
CODE
http://www.maxdesign.com.au/presentation/benefits/index07.htm
3. Accessibility for users
3.1 Are "alt" attributes used for all descriptive images?
Provide a text equivalent for every non-text element
CODE
http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/wai-pageauth.html#tech-text-equivalent
3.2 Does the site use relative units rather than absolute units for text size?
Use relative rather than absolute units in markup language attribute values and style sheet property values'.
CODE
http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/wai-pageauth.html#tech-relative-units
More:
CODE
http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/wai-pageauth.html#tech-relative-units
CODE
http://www.clagnut.com/blog/348/
3.3 Do any aspects of the layout break if font size is increased?
Try this simple test. Look at your website in a browser that supports easy incrementation of font size. Now increase your browser's font size. And again. And again... Look at your site. Does the page layout still hold together? It is dangerous for developers to assume that everyone browses using default font sizes.
3.4 Does the site use visible skip menus?
A method shall be provided that permits users to skip repetitive navigation links.
CODE
http://www.section508.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Content&ID=12
Group related links, identify the group (for user agents), and, until user agents do so, provide a way to bypass the group.
CODE
http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10-TECHS/#tech-group-links
...blind visitors are not the only ones inconvenienced by too many links in a navigation area. Recall that a mobility-impaired person with poor adaptive technology might be stuck tabbing through that morass.
CODE
http://joeclark.org/book/sashay/serialization/Chapter08.html#h4-2020
More:
CODE
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/websmith/508/o.htm
3.5 Does the site use accessible forms?
Forms aren't the easiest of things to use for people with disabilities. Navigating around a page with written content is one thing, hopping between form fields and inputting information is another.
CODE
http://www.htmldog.com/guides/htmladvanced/forms/
More:
CODE
http://www.webstandards.org/learn/tutorials/accessible-forms/01-accessible-forms.html
CODE
http://www.accessify.com/tools-and-wizards/accessible-form-builder.asp
CODE
http://accessify.com/tutorials/better-accessible-forms.asp
3.6 Does the site use accessible tables?
For data tables, identify row and column headers... For data tables that have two or more logical levels of row or column headers, use markup to associate data cells and header cells.
CODE
http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/wai-pageauth.html#tech-table-headers
More:
CODE
http://www.bcc.ctc.edu/webpublishing/ada/resources/tables.asp
CODE
http://www.accessify.com/tools-and-wizards/accessible-table-builder_step1.asp
CODE
http://www.webaim.org/techniques/tables/
3.7 Is there sufficient colour brightness/contrasts?
Ensure that foreground and background colour combinations provide sufficient contrast when viewed by someone having colour deficits.
CODE
http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/wai-pageauth.html#tech-colour-contrast
More:
CODE
http://www.juicystudio.com/services/colourcontrast.asp
3.8 Is colour alone used for critical information?
Ensure that all information conveyed with colour is also available without colour, for example from context or markup.
CODE
http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/wai-pageauth.html#tech-colour-convey
There are basically three types of colour deficiency; Deuteranope (a form of red/green colour deficit), Protanope (another form of red/green colour deficit) and Tritanope (a blue/yellow deficit- very rare).
More:
CODE
http://colourfilter.wickline.org/
CODE
http://www.toledo-bend.com/colourblind/Ishihara.html
CODE
http://www.vischeck.com/vischeck/vischeckURL.php
3.9 Is there delayed responsiveness for dropdown menus?
Users with reduced motor skills may find dropdown menus hard to use if responsiveness is set too fast.
3.10 Are all links descriptive?
Link text should be meaningful enough to make sense when read out of context - either on its own or as part of a sequence of links. Link text should also be terse.
CODE
http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/wai-pageauth.html#tech-meaningful-links
4. Accessibility for devices.
4.1 Does the site work acceptably across modern and older browsers?
Before starting to build a CSS-based layout, you should decide which browsers to support and to what level you intend to support them.
CODE
http://www.maxdesign.com.au/presentation/process/index_step01.cfm
4.2 Is the content accessible with CSS switched off or not supported?
Some people may visit your site with either a browser that does not support CSS or a browser with CSS switched off. In content is structured well, this will not be an issue.
4.3 Is the content accessible with images switched off or not supported?
Some people browse websites with images switched off - especially people on very slow connections. Content should still be accessible for these people.
4.4 Does the site work in text browsers such as Lynx?
This is like a combination of images and CSS switched off. A text-based browser will rely on well structured content to provide meaning.
More:
CODE
http://www.delorie.com/web/lynxview
4.5 Does the site work well when printed?
You can take any (X)HTML document and simply style it for print, without having to touch the markup.
CODE
http://www.alistapart.com/articles/goingtoprint/
More:
CODE
http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/support/Training/Online/webdesign/css.html#print
4.6 Does the site work well in Hand Held devices?
This is a hard one to deal with until hand held devices consistently support their correct media type. However, some layouts work better in current hand-held devices. The importance of supporting hand held devices will depend on target audiences.
4.7 Does the site include detailed metadata?
Metadata is machine understandable information for the web
CODE
http://www.w3.org/Metadata/
Metadata is structured information that is created specifically to describe another resource. In other words, metadata is 'data about data'.
4.8 Does the site work well in a range of browser window sizes?
It is a common assumption amongst developers that average screen sizes are increasing. Some developers assume that the average screen size is now 1024px wide. But what about users with smaller screens and users with hand held devices? Are they part of your target audience and are they being disadvantaged?
5. Basic Usability
5.1 Is there a clear visual hierarchy?
Organise and prioritise the contents of a page by using size, prominence and content relationships.
CODE
http://www.great-web-design-tips.com/web-site-design/165.html
5.2 Are heading levels easy to distinguish?
Use header elements to convey document structure and use them according to specification.
CODE
http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/wai-pageauth.html#tech-logical-headings
5.3 Is the site's navigation easy to understand?
Your navigation system should give your visitor a clue as to what page of the site they are currently on and where they can go next.
CODE
http://www.1stsitefree.com/design_nav.htm
5.4 Is the site's navigation consistent?
If each page on your site has a consistent style of presentation, visitors will find it easier to navigate between pages and find information
CODE
http://www.juicystudio.com/tutorial/accessibility/navigation.asp
5.5 Does the site use consistent and appropriate language?
The use of clear and simple language promotes effective communication. Trying to come across as articulate can be as difficult to read as poorly written grammar, especially if the language used isn't the visitor's primary language.
CODE
http://www.juicystudio.com/tutorial/accessibility/clear.asp
5.6 Does the site have a sitemap page and contact page? Are they easy to find?
Most site maps fail to convey multiple levels of the site's information architecture. In usability tests, users often overlook site maps or can't find them. Complexity is also a problem: a map should be a map, not a navigational challenge of its own.
CODE
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20020106.html
5.7 For large sites, is there a search tool?
While search tools are not needed on smaller sites, and some people will not ever use them, site-specific search tools allow users a choice of navigation options.
5.8 Is there a link to the home page on every page in the site?
Some users like to go back to a site's home page after navigating to content within a site. The home page becomes a base camp for these users, allowing them to regroup before exploring new content.
5.9 Are links underlined?
To maximise the perceived affordance of clickability, colour and underline the link text. Users shouldn't have to guess or scrub the page to find out where they can click.
CODE
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20040510.html
5.10 Are visited links clearly defined?
Most important, knowing which pages they've already visited frees users from unintentionally revisiting the same pages over and over again.
CODE
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20040503.html
6. Site management
6.1 Does the site have a meaningful and helpful 404 error page that works from any depth in the site?
You've requested a page - either by typing a URL directly into the address bar or clicking on an out-of-date link and you've found yourself in the middle of cyberspace nowhere. A user-friendly website will give you a helping hand while many others will simply do nothing, relying on the browser's built-in ability to explain what the problem is.
CODE
http://www.alistapart.com/articles/perfect404/
6.2 Does the site use friendly URLs?
Most search engines (with a few exceptions - namely Google) will not index any pages that have a question mark or other character (like an ampersand or equals sign) in the URL... what good is a site if no one can find it?
CODE
http://www.sitepoint.com/article/search-engine-friendly-urls
One of the worst elements of the web from a user interface standpoint is the URL. However, if they're short, logical, and self-correcting, URLs can be acceptably usable
CODE
http://www.merges.net/theory/20010305.html
More:
CODE
http://www.sitepoint.com/article/search-engine-friendly-urls
CODE
http://www.websitegoodies.com/article/32
CODE
http://www.merges.net/theory/20010305.html
6.3 Does the site's URL work without "www"?
While this is not critical, and in some cases is not even possible, it is always good to give people the choice of both options. If a user types your domain name without the www and gets no site, this could disadvantage both the user and you.
6.4 Does the site have a favicon?
A Favicon is a multi-resolution image included on nearly all professionally developed sites. The Favicon allows the webmaster to further promote their site, and to create a more customized appearance within a visitor's browser.
CODE
http://www.favicon.com/
Favicons are definitely not critical. However, if they are not present, they can cause 404 errors in your logs (site statistics). Browsers like IE will request them from the server when a site is bookmarked. If a favicon isn't available, a 404 error may be generated. Therefore, having a favicon could cut down on favicon specific 404 errors. The same is true of a 'robots.txt' file.
In other words, a site built to web standards should ideally be lean, clean, CSS-based, accessible, usable and search engine friendly.About the checklist
This is not an uber-checklist. There are probably many items that could be added. More importantly, it should not be seen as a list of items that must be addressed on every site that you develop. It is simply a guide that can be used:
* to show the breadth of web standards
* as a handy tool for developers during the production phase of websites
* as an aid for developers who are interested in moving towards web standardsThe checklist
1.Quality of code
1. Does the site use a correct Doctype?
2. Does the site use a Character set?
3. Does the site use Valid (X)HTML?
4. Does the site use Valid CSS?
5. Does the site use any CSS hacks?
6. Does the site use unnecessary classes or ids?
7. Is the code well structured?
8. Does the site have any broken links?
9. How does the site perform in terms of speed/page size?
10. Does the site have JavaScript errors?
2. Degree of separation between content and presentation
1. Does the site use CSS for all presentation aspects (fonts, colour, padding, borders etc)?
2. Are all decorative images in the CSS, or do they appear in the (X)HTML?3. Accessibility for users
1. Are "alt" attributes used for all descriptive images?
2. Does the site use relative units rather than absolute units for text size?
3. Do any aspects of the layout break if font size is increased?
4. Does the site use visible skip menus?
5. Does the site use accessible forms?
6. Does the site use accessible tables?
7. Is there sufficient colour brightness/contrasts?
8. Is colour alone used for critical information?
9. Is there delayed responsiveness for dropdown menus (for users with reduced motor skills)?
10. Are all links descriptive (for blind users)?4. Accessibility for devices
1. Does the site work acceptably across modern and older browsers?
2. Is the content accessible with CSS switched off or not supported?
3. Is the content accessible with images switched off or not supported?
4. Does the site work in text browsers such as Lynx?
5. Does the site work well when printed?
6. Does the site work well in Hand Held devices?
7. Does the site include detailed metadata?
8. Does the site work well in a range of browser window sizes?5. Basic Usability
1. Is there a clear visual hierarchy?
2. Are heading levels easy to distinguish?
3. Does the site have easy to understand navigation?
4. Does the site use consistent navigation?
5. Are links underlined?
6. Does the site use consistent and appropriate language?
7. Do you have a sitemap page and contact page? Are they easy to find?
8. For large sites, is there a search tool?
9. Is there a link to the home page on every page in the site?
10. Are visited links clearly defined with a unique colour?6. Site management
1. Does the site have a meaningful and helpful 404 error page that works from any depth in the site?
2. Does the site use friendly URLs?
3. Do your URLs work without "www"?
4. Does the site have a favicon?
1. Quality of code
1.1 Does the site use a correct Doctype?
A doctype (short for 'document type declaration') informs the validator which version of (X)HTML you're using, and must appear at the very top of every web page. Doctypes are a key component of compliant web pages: your markup and CSS won't validate without them.
CODE
http://www.alistapart.com/articles/doctype/
More:
CODE
http://www.w3.org/QA/2002/04/valid-dtd-list.html
CODE
http://css.maxdesign.com.au/listamatic/about-boxmodel.htm
CODE
http://gutfeldt.ch/matthias/articles/doctypeswitch.html
1.2 Does the site use a Character set?
If a user agent (eg. a browser) is unable to detect the character encoding used in a Web document, the user may be presented with unreadable text. This information is particularly important for those maintaining and extending a multilingual site, but declaring the character encoding of the document is important for anyone producing XHTML/HTML or CSS.
CODE
http://www.w3.org/International/tutorials/tutorial-char-enc/
More:
CODE
http://www.w3.org/International/O-charset.html
1.3 Does the site use Valid (X)HTML?
Valid code will render faster than code with errors. Valid code will render better than invalid code. Browsers are becoming more standards compliant, and it is becoming increasingly necessary to write valid and standards compliant HTML.
CODE
http://www.maxdesign.com.au/presentation/sit2003/06.htm
More:
CODE
http://validator.w3.org/
1.4 Does the site use Valid CSS?
You need to make sure that there aren't any errors in either your HTML or your CSS, since mistakes in either place can result in botched document appearance.
CODE
http://www.meyerweb.com/eric/articles/webrev/199904.html
More:
CODE
http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/
1.5 Does the site use any CSS hacks?
Basically, hacks come down to personal choice, the amount of knowledge you have of workarounds, the specific design you are trying to achieve.
CODE
http://www.mail-archive.com/wsg@webstandardsgroup.org/msg05823.html
More:
CODE
http://css-discuss.incutio.com/?page=CssHack
CODE
http://css-discuss.incutio.com/?page=ToHackOrNotToHack
CODE
http://centricle.com/ref/css/filters/
1.6 Does the site use unnecessary classes or ids?
I've noticed that developers learning new skills often end up with good CSS but poor XHTML. Specifically, the HTML code tends to be full of unnecessary divs and ids. This results in fairly meaningless HTML and bloated style sheets.
CODE
http://www.clagnut.com/blog/228/
1.7 Is the code well structured?
Semantically correct markup uses html elements for their given purpose. Well structured HTML has semantic meaning for a wide range of user agents (browsers without style sheets, text browsers, PDAs, search engines etc.)
CODE
http://www.maxdesign.com.au/presentation/benefits/index04.htm
More:
CODE
http://www.w3.org/2003/12/semantic-extractor.html
1.8 Does the site have any broken links?
Broken links can frustrate users and potentially drive customers away. Broken links can also keep search engines from properly indexing your site.
More:
CODE
http://validator.w3.org/checklink
1.9 How does the site perform in terms of speed/page size?
Don't make me wait... That's the message users give us in survey after survey. Even broadband users can suffer the slow-loading blues.
CODE
http://www.websiteoptimization.com/speed/
1.10 Does the site have JavaScript errors?
Internet Explore for Windows allows you to turn on a debugger that will pop up a new window and let you know there are javascript errors on your site. This is available under 'Internet Options' on the Advanced tab. Uncheck 'Disable script debugging'.
2. Degree of separation between content and presentation
2.1 Does the site use CSS for all presentation aspects (fonts, colour, padding, borders etc)?
Use style sheets to control layout and presentation.
CODE
http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/wai-pageauth.html#tech-style-sheets
2.2 Are all decorative images in the CSS, or do they appear in the (X)HTML?
The aim for web developers is to remove all presentation from the html code, leaving it clean and semantically correct.
CODE
http://www.maxdesign.com.au/presentation/benefits/index07.htm
3. Accessibility for users
3.1 Are "alt" attributes used for all descriptive images?
Provide a text equivalent for every non-text element
CODE
http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/wai-pageauth.html#tech-text-equivalent
3.2 Does the site use relative units rather than absolute units for text size?
Use relative rather than absolute units in markup language attribute values and style sheet property values'.
CODE
http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/wai-pageauth.html#tech-relative-units
More:
CODE
http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/wai-pageauth.html#tech-relative-units
CODE
http://www.clagnut.com/blog/348/
3.3 Do any aspects of the layout break if font size is increased?
Try this simple test. Look at your website in a browser that supports easy incrementation of font size. Now increase your browser's font size. And again. And again... Look at your site. Does the page layout still hold together? It is dangerous for developers to assume that everyone browses using default font sizes.
3.4 Does the site use visible skip menus?
A method shall be provided that permits users to skip repetitive navigation links.
CODE
http://www.section508.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Content&ID=12
Group related links, identify the group (for user agents), and, until user agents do so, provide a way to bypass the group.
CODE
http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10-TECHS/#tech-group-links
...blind visitors are not the only ones inconvenienced by too many links in a navigation area. Recall that a mobility-impaired person with poor adaptive technology might be stuck tabbing through that morass.
CODE
http://joeclark.org/book/sashay/serialization/Chapter08.html#h4-2020
More:
CODE
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/websmith/508/o.htm
3.5 Does the site use accessible forms?
Forms aren't the easiest of things to use for people with disabilities. Navigating around a page with written content is one thing, hopping between form fields and inputting information is another.
CODE
http://www.htmldog.com/guides/htmladvanced/forms/
More:
CODE
http://www.webstandards.org/learn/tutorials/accessible-forms/01-accessible-forms.html
CODE
http://www.accessify.com/tools-and-wizards/accessible-form-builder.asp
CODE
http://accessify.com/tutorials/better-accessible-forms.asp
3.6 Does the site use accessible tables?
For data tables, identify row and column headers... For data tables that have two or more logical levels of row or column headers, use markup to associate data cells and header cells.
CODE
http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/wai-pageauth.html#tech-table-headers
More:
CODE
http://www.bcc.ctc.edu/webpublishing/ada/resources/tables.asp
CODE
http://www.accessify.com/tools-and-wizards/accessible-table-builder_step1.asp
CODE
http://www.webaim.org/techniques/tables/
3.7 Is there sufficient colour brightness/contrasts?
Ensure that foreground and background colour combinations provide sufficient contrast when viewed by someone having colour deficits.
CODE
http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/wai-pageauth.html#tech-colour-contrast
More:
CODE
http://www.juicystudio.com/services/colourcontrast.asp
3.8 Is colour alone used for critical information?
Ensure that all information conveyed with colour is also available without colour, for example from context or markup.
CODE
http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/wai-pageauth.html#tech-colour-convey
There are basically three types of colour deficiency; Deuteranope (a form of red/green colour deficit), Protanope (another form of red/green colour deficit) and Tritanope (a blue/yellow deficit- very rare).
More:
CODE
http://colourfilter.wickline.org/
CODE
http://www.toledo-bend.com/colourblind/Ishihara.html
CODE
http://www.vischeck.com/vischeck/vischeckURL.php
3.9 Is there delayed responsiveness for dropdown menus?
Users with reduced motor skills may find dropdown menus hard to use if responsiveness is set too fast.
3.10 Are all links descriptive?
Link text should be meaningful enough to make sense when read out of context - either on its own or as part of a sequence of links. Link text should also be terse.
CODE
http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/wai-pageauth.html#tech-meaningful-links
4. Accessibility for devices.
4.1 Does the site work acceptably across modern and older browsers?
Before starting to build a CSS-based layout, you should decide which browsers to support and to what level you intend to support them.
CODE
http://www.maxdesign.com.au/presentation/process/index_step01.cfm
4.2 Is the content accessible with CSS switched off or not supported?
Some people may visit your site with either a browser that does not support CSS or a browser with CSS switched off. In content is structured well, this will not be an issue.
4.3 Is the content accessible with images switched off or not supported?
Some people browse websites with images switched off - especially people on very slow connections. Content should still be accessible for these people.
4.4 Does the site work in text browsers such as Lynx?
This is like a combination of images and CSS switched off. A text-based browser will rely on well structured content to provide meaning.
More:
CODE
http://www.delorie.com/web/lynxview
4.5 Does the site work well when printed?
You can take any (X)HTML document and simply style it for print, without having to touch the markup.
CODE
http://www.alistapart.com/articles/goingtoprint/
More:
CODE
http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/support/Training/Online/webdesign/css.html#print
4.6 Does the site work well in Hand Held devices?
This is a hard one to deal with until hand held devices consistently support their correct media type. However, some layouts work better in current hand-held devices. The importance of supporting hand held devices will depend on target audiences.
4.7 Does the site include detailed metadata?
Metadata is machine understandable information for the web
CODE
http://www.w3.org/Metadata/
Metadata is structured information that is created specifically to describe another resource. In other words, metadata is 'data about data'.
4.8 Does the site work well in a range of browser window sizes?
It is a common assumption amongst developers that average screen sizes are increasing. Some developers assume that the average screen size is now 1024px wide. But what about users with smaller screens and users with hand held devices? Are they part of your target audience and are they being disadvantaged?
5. Basic Usability
5.1 Is there a clear visual hierarchy?
Organise and prioritise the contents of a page by using size, prominence and content relationships.
CODE
http://www.great-web-design-tips.com/web-site-design/165.html
5.2 Are heading levels easy to distinguish?
Use header elements to convey document structure and use them according to specification.
CODE
http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/wai-pageauth.html#tech-logical-headings
5.3 Is the site's navigation easy to understand?
Your navigation system should give your visitor a clue as to what page of the site they are currently on and where they can go next.
CODE
http://www.1stsitefree.com/design_nav.htm
5.4 Is the site's navigation consistent?
If each page on your site has a consistent style of presentation, visitors will find it easier to navigate between pages and find information
CODE
http://www.juicystudio.com/tutorial/accessibility/navigation.asp
5.5 Does the site use consistent and appropriate language?
The use of clear and simple language promotes effective communication. Trying to come across as articulate can be as difficult to read as poorly written grammar, especially if the language used isn't the visitor's primary language.
CODE
http://www.juicystudio.com/tutorial/accessibility/clear.asp
5.6 Does the site have a sitemap page and contact page? Are they easy to find?
Most site maps fail to convey multiple levels of the site's information architecture. In usability tests, users often overlook site maps or can't find them. Complexity is also a problem: a map should be a map, not a navigational challenge of its own.
CODE
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20020106.html
5.7 For large sites, is there a search tool?
While search tools are not needed on smaller sites, and some people will not ever use them, site-specific search tools allow users a choice of navigation options.
5.8 Is there a link to the home page on every page in the site?
Some users like to go back to a site's home page after navigating to content within a site. The home page becomes a base camp for these users, allowing them to regroup before exploring new content.
5.9 Are links underlined?
To maximise the perceived affordance of clickability, colour and underline the link text. Users shouldn't have to guess or scrub the page to find out where they can click.
CODE
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20040510.html
5.10 Are visited links clearly defined?
Most important, knowing which pages they've already visited frees users from unintentionally revisiting the same pages over and over again.
CODE
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20040503.html
6. Site management
6.1 Does the site have a meaningful and helpful 404 error page that works from any depth in the site?
You've requested a page - either by typing a URL directly into the address bar or clicking on an out-of-date link and you've found yourself in the middle of cyberspace nowhere. A user-friendly website will give you a helping hand while many others will simply do nothing, relying on the browser's built-in ability to explain what the problem is.
CODE
http://www.alistapart.com/articles/perfect404/
6.2 Does the site use friendly URLs?
Most search engines (with a few exceptions - namely Google) will not index any pages that have a question mark or other character (like an ampersand or equals sign) in the URL... what good is a site if no one can find it?
CODE
http://www.sitepoint.com/article/search-engine-friendly-urls
One of the worst elements of the web from a user interface standpoint is the URL. However, if they're short, logical, and self-correcting, URLs can be acceptably usable
CODE
http://www.merges.net/theory/20010305.html
More:
CODE
http://www.sitepoint.com/article/search-engine-friendly-urls
CODE
http://www.websitegoodies.com/article/32
CODE
http://www.merges.net/theory/20010305.html
6.3 Does the site's URL work without "www"?
While this is not critical, and in some cases is not even possible, it is always good to give people the choice of both options. If a user types your domain name without the www and gets no site, this could disadvantage both the user and you.
6.4 Does the site have a favicon?
A Favicon is a multi-resolution image included on nearly all professionally developed sites. The Favicon allows the webmaster to further promote their site, and to create a more customized appearance within a visitor's browser.
CODE
http://www.favicon.com/
Favicons are definitely not critical. However, if they are not present, they can cause 404 errors in your logs (site statistics). Browsers like IE will request them from the server when a site is bookmarked. If a favicon isn't available, a 404 error may be generated. Therefore, having a favicon could cut down on favicon specific 404 errors. The same is true of a 'robots.txt' file.
Crack Windows
Debug is a program that comes with modern versions of DOS (I do not know when I started shipping out with DOS). Anyway, all Windows users should have it already.
It's a great tool for debuging programs, unassembling and cracking, and reading "hidden" memory areas like the boot sector, and much more.
The following was copied from an assembly tutorial who's author we cannot credit, because we have no idea who he is.
Get into DOS and type "debug", you will get a prompt like this:
-
now type "?", you should get the following response:
assemble A [address]
compare C range address
dump D [range]
enter E address [list]
fill F range list
go G [=address] [addresses]
hex H value1 value2
input I port
load L [address] [drive] [firstsector] [number]
move M range address
name N [pathname] [arglist]
output O port byte
proceed P [=address] [number]
quit Q
register R [register]
search S range list
trace T [=address] [value]
unassemble U [range]write W [address] [drive] [firstsector] [number]
allocate expanded memory XA [#pages]
deallocate expanded memory XD [handle]map expanded memory pages XM [Lpage] [Ppage] [handle]
display expanded memory status XS
Lets go through each of these commands:
Assemble:
-a
107A:0100
At this point you can start assembling some programs, just like using a assembler. However the debug assembler is very limited as you will probably notice. Lets try to enter a simple program:
-a
107A:0100 MOV AH,02
107A:0102 MOV DL,41
107A:0104 INT 21
107A:0106 INT 20
-g
A
Program terminated normally
That's the same program we did at the end of the previous chapter. Notice how you run the program you just entered with "g", and also notice how the set-up part is not there? That's because debug is just too limited to support that.
Another thing you can do with assemble is specify the address at which you want to start, by default this is 0100 since that's where all .COM files start.
Compare:
Compare takes 2 block of memory and displays them side by side, byte for byte. Lets do an example. Quite out of debug if you haven't already using "q". Now type "debug c:\command.com"
-c 0100 l 8 0200
10A3:0100 7A 06 10A3:0200
This command compared offset 0100 with 0200 for a length of 8 bytes. Debug responded with the location that was DIFFERENT. If 2 locations were the same, debug would just omit them, if all are the same debug would simply return to theprompt without any response.
Dump:
Dump will dump a specified memory segment. To test it, code that assembly program again:
C:\>debug
-a
107A:0100 MOV AH,02
107A:0102 MOV DL,41
107A:0104 INT 21
107A:0106 INT 20
-d 0100 l 8
107A:0100 B4 02 B2 41 CD 21 CD 20
...A.!.
The "B4 02 B2 41 CD 21 CD 20" is the program you just made in machine language.
B4 02 = MOV AH,02
B2 41 = MOV DL,41
CD 21 = INT 21
CD 20 = INT 20
The "...A.!." part is your program in ASCII. The "." represent non-printable characters. Notice the A in there.
Enter:
This is one of the hard commands. With it you can enter/change certain memory areas. Lets change our program so that it prints a B instead of an A.
-e 0103 107A:0103 41.42 -g
B
Program terminated normally
-
Wasn't that amazing?
Fill:
This command is fairly useless, but who knows....
It fills the specified amount of memory with the specified data. Lets for example clear out all memory from segment 0100 to 0108, which happens to be our program.
-f 0100 l 8 0 -d 0100 l 8 107A:0100 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 .......
Yep, it worked.
Go:
So far we used go (g) to start the program we just created. But Go can be used for much more. For example, lets say we want to execute a program at 107B:0100:
-r CS CS 107A
:107B
-g =100
You can also set breakpoints.
-a 107A:0100 MOV AH,02 to work with
107A:0102 MOV DL,41
107A:0104 INT 21
107A:0106 INT 20
-g 102
At this point the program will stop, display all registers and the current instruction.
Hex:
This can be very useful. It subtracts and adds two hexadecimal values:
-h 2 1
0003 0001
This is very useful for calculating a programs length, as you will see later.
Input:
This is one of the more advanced commands, and I decided not to talk about it too much for now. It will read a byte of data from any of your computers I/O ports (keyboard, mouse, printer, etc).
-i 3FD
60
-
Your data may be different.
In case you want to know, 3FD is Com port 1, also known as First Asynchronous Adapter.
Load:
This command has 2 formats. It can be used to load the filename specified with the name command (n), or it can load a specific sector.
-n c:\command.com
-l
This will load command.com into debug. When a valid program is loaded all registers will be set up and ready to execute the program.
The other method is a bit more complicated, but potential also more usefull. The syntax is
L
-l 100 2 10 20
This will load starting at offset 0100 from drive C (0 = A, 1 = B, 2 = C, etc), sector 10h for 20h sectors. This can be useful for recovering files you deleted.
Move:
Move takes a byte from the starting address and moves it to the destination address. This is very good to temporary move data into a free area, than manipulate it without having to worry about affecting the original program. It is especially useful if used in conjunction with the r command to which I will get later. Lets try an example:
-a 107A:0100 MOV AH,02 to work with
107A:0102 MOV DL,41
107A:0104 INT 21
107A:0106 INT 20
-m 107A:0100 L 8 107B:0100 -e 107B:0103 107B:0103 41.42 -d 107A:0100 L 8 107A:0100 B4 02 B2 41 CD 21 CD 20 ...A.!.
-d 107B:0100 L 8
107A:0100 B4 02 B2 42 CD 21 CD 20 ...B.!.
-m 107B:0100 L 8 107A:0100 Name:
This will set debug up with a filename to use for I/O commands. You have to include the file extension, and you may use addition commands:
-n c:\command.com
Output:
Exactly what you think it is. Output sends stuff to an I/O port. If you have an external modem with those cool lights on it, you can test this out. Find out what port your modem is on and use the corresponding hex number below:
Com 1 = 3F8 - 3FF (3DF for mine)
Com 2 = 2F8 - 2FF
Com 3 = ??? - ??? (if someone knows, please let me know)
Now turn on the DTA (Data Terminal Ready) bit by sending 01h to it:
-o XXX 1
As soon as you hit enter, take a look at your modem, you should see a light light up. You can have even more fun with the output command. Say someone put one of those BIOS passwords on "your" computer. Usually you'd have to take out the battery to get rid of it, but not anymore:
MI/AWARD BIOS
-o 70 17
-o 71 17
QPHOENIX BIOS
-o 70 FF
-o 71 17
QGENERIC
-o 70 2E
-o 71 FF
These commands will clear the BIOS memory, thus disabling the password.
Proceed:
Proceeds in the execution of a program, usually used together withy Trace, which I will cover later. Like the go command, you can specify an address from which to start
using =address
-p 2
Debug will respond with the registers and the current command to be executed.
Quite:
This has got to be the most advanced feature of debug, it exits debug!
-q
Register:
This command can be used to display the current value of all registers, or to manually set them. This is very useful for writing files as you will see later on.
-r AX
AX: 011B
:5
-
Search:
Another very useful command. It is used to find the occurrence of a specific byte, or series of bytes in a segment. The data to search for can by either characters, or a hex value. Hex values are entered with a space or comma in between them, and characters are enclosed with quotes (single or double). You can also search for hex and characters with the same string:
-n c:\command.com -l
-s 0 l 0 "MS-DOS" 10A3:39E9
NOTE: the search is case sensitive!
Trace:
This is a truly great feature of debug. It will trace through a program one instruction at a time, displaying the instruction and registers after each. Like the go command you can specify where to start executing from, and for how long.
-a 107A:0100 MOV AH,02
107A:0102 MOV DL,41
107A:0104 INT 21
107A:0106 INT 20
-t =0100 8
If you leave out the amount of instructions that you want to trace, you can use the proceed (p) to continue the execution as long as you want.
Unassemble:
Unassembles a block of code. Great for debugging (and cracking)
-u 100 L 8 107A:0100 MOV AH,02
You have just been struck by the Blue Screen of Death. Anyone who uses Mcft Windows will be familiar with this. What can you do? More importantly, how can you prevent it happening?
1 Hardware conflict
The number one reason why Windows crashes is hardware conflict. Each hardware device communicates to other devices through an interrupt request channel (IRQ). These are supposed to be unique for each device.
For example, a printer usually connects internally on IRQ 7. The keyboard usually uses IRQ 1 and the floppy disk drive IRQ 6. Each device will try to hog a single IRQ for itself.
If there are a lot of devices, or if they are not installed properly, two of them may end up sharing the same IRQ number. When the user tries to use both devices at the same time, a crash can happen. The way to check if your computer has a hardware conflict is through the following route:
* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device Manager.
Often if a device has a problem a yellow '!' appears next to its description in the Device Manager. Highlight Computer (in the Device Manager) and press Properties to see the IRQ numbers used by your computer. If the IRQ number appears twice, two devices may be using it.
Sometimes a device might share an IRQ with something described as 'IRQ holder for PCI steering'. This can be ignored. The best way to fix this problem is to remove the problem device and reinstall it.
Sometimes you may have to find more recent drivers on the internet to make the device function properly. A good resource is www.driverguide.com. If the device is a soundcard, or a modem, it can often be fixed by moving it to a different slot on the motherboard (be careful about opening your computer, as you may void the warranty).
When working inside a computer you should switch it off, unplug the mains lead and touch an unpainted metal surface to discharge any static electricity.
To be fair to Mcft, the problem with IRQ numbers is not of its making. It is a legacy problem going back to the first PC designs using the IBM 8086 chip. Initially there were only eight IRQs. Today there are 16 IRQs in a PC. It is easy to run out of them. There are plans to increase the number of IRQs in future designs.2 Bad Ram
Ram (random-access memory) problems might bring on the blue screen of death with a message saying Fatal Exception Error. A fatal error indicates a serious hardware problem. Sometimes it may mean a part is damaged and will need replacing.
But a fatal error caused by Ram might be caused by a mismatch of chips. For example, mixing 70-nanosecond (70ns) Ram with 60ns Ram will usually force the computer to run all the Ram at the slower speed. This will often crash the machine if the Ram is overworked.
One way around this problem is to enter the BIOS settings and increase the wait state of the Ram. This can make it more stable. Another way to troubleshoot a suspected Ram problem is to rearrange the Ram chips on the motherboard, or take some of them out. Then try to repeat the circumstances that caused the crash. When handling Ram try not to touch the gold connections, as they can be easily damaged.
Parity error messages also refer to Ram. Modern Ram chips are either parity (ECC) or non parity (non-ECC). It is best not to mix the two types, as this can be a cause of trouble.
EMM386 error messages refer to memory problems but may not be connected to bad Ram. This may be due to free memory problems often linked to old Dos-based programmes.
The number one reason why Windows crashes is hardware conflict. Each hardware device communicates to other devices through an interrupt request channel (IRQ). These are supposed to be unique for each device.
For example, a printer usually connects internally on IRQ 7. The keyboard usually uses IRQ 1 and the floppy disk drive IRQ 6. Each device will try to hog a single IRQ for itself.
If there are a lot of devices, or if they are not installed properly, two of them may end up sharing the same IRQ number. When the user tries to use both devices at the same time, a crash can happen. The way to check if your computer has a hardware conflict is through the following route:
* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device Manager.
Often if a device has a problem a yellow '!' appears next to its description in the Device Manager. Highlight Computer (in the Device Manager) and press Properties to see the IRQ numbers used by your computer. If the IRQ number appears twice, two devices may be using it.
Sometimes a device might share an IRQ with something described as 'IRQ holder for PCI steering'. This can be ignored. The best way to fix this problem is to remove the problem device and reinstall it.
Sometimes you may have to find more recent drivers on the internet to make the device function properly. A good resource is www.driverguide.com. If the device is a soundcard, or a modem, it can often be fixed by moving it to a different slot on the motherboard (be careful about opening your computer, as you may void the warranty).
When working inside a computer you should switch it off, unplug the mains lead and touch an unpainted metal surface to discharge any static electricity.
To be fair to Mcft, the problem with IRQ numbers is not of its making. It is a legacy problem going back to the first PC designs using the IBM 8086 chip. Initially there were only eight IRQs. Today there are 16 IRQs in a PC. It is easy to run out of them. There are plans to increase the number of IRQs in future designs.2 Bad Ram
Ram (random-access memory) problems might bring on the blue screen of death with a message saying Fatal Exception Error. A fatal error indicates a serious hardware problem. Sometimes it may mean a part is damaged and will need replacing.
But a fatal error caused by Ram might be caused by a mismatch of chips. For example, mixing 70-nanosecond (70ns) Ram with 60ns Ram will usually force the computer to run all the Ram at the slower speed. This will often crash the machine if the Ram is overworked.
One way around this problem is to enter the BIOS settings and increase the wait state of the Ram. This can make it more stable. Another way to troubleshoot a suspected Ram problem is to rearrange the Ram chips on the motherboard, or take some of them out. Then try to repeat the circumstances that caused the crash. When handling Ram try not to touch the gold connections, as they can be easily damaged.
Parity error messages also refer to Ram. Modern Ram chips are either parity (ECC) or non parity (non-ECC). It is best not to mix the two types, as this can be a cause of trouble.
EMM386 error messages refer to memory problems but may not be connected to bad Ram. This may be due to free memory problems often linked to old Dos-based programmes.
3 BIOS settings
Every motherboard is supplied with a range of chipset settings that are decided in the factory. A common way to access these settings is to press the F2 or delete button during the first few seconds of a boot-up.
Once inside the BIOS, great care should be taken. It is a good idea to write down on a piece of paper all the settings that appear on the screen. That way, if you change something and the computer becomes more unstable, you will know what settings to revert to.
A common BIOS error concerns the CAS latency. This refers to the Ram. Older EDO (extended data out) Ram has a CAS latency of 3. Newer SDRam has a CAS latency of 2. Setting the wrong figure can cause the Ram
Every motherboard is supplied with a range of chipset settings that are decided in the factory. A common way to access these settings is to press the F2 or delete button during the first few seconds of a boot-up.
Once inside the BIOS, great care should be taken. It is a good idea to write down on a piece of paper all the settings that appear on the screen. That way, if you change something and the computer becomes more unstable, you will know what settings to revert to.
A common BIOS error concerns the CAS latency. This refers to the Ram. Older EDO (extended data out) Ram has a CAS latency of 3. Newer SDRam has a CAS latency of 2. Setting the wrong figure can cause the Ram
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