How to password protect a shared folder

0

Posted by touhid | Posted in Tips | Posted on 11-02-2010

If your looking to password protect a shared folder on your network, you’ve probably noticed that Windows XP doesn’t have any built in features allowing you to lock access to a folder via a password like previous Windows releases did. This means that anyone using the same workgroup or domain can access the files within your shared folder.

The good news is that there is a work around that seems to do the trick and simply involves creating a password for the guest account. Since shared folders are accessed on the network using the guest account, once the password for the guest account is set, a user in your workgroup or network domain must supply a valid username and password for the guest account to access the shared folder and contents within.

Password protecting a shared network folder:

  1. Log into Windows XP as an Administrator
  2. Click Start -> Control Panel -> User Accounts, then click on Guest Account and make sure it is turned on
  3. Now Click Start -> Run, type cmd in the entry box, and click Ok
  4. At the command prompt, type Net user guest password and press Enter
  5. Again, Click Start -> Control Panel -> User Accounts, then click on Guest Account
    Notice that you can now set a password on the Guest Account. Set a Password and restart your Computer

Set a Guest Password to password protect shared folder

Now, when a person tires to access your shared folder, they will be prompted for a username and password to continue. Use the username “Guest” and “password” you have set to access the password protected shared folders from your network.

Continue Reading

How to backup your installation of Windows 7

0

Posted by Shah Md. Shamsul Alam | Posted in Tips | Posted on 24-11-2009

Now that you have upgraded to Windows 7, you will need to create a backup of your installation. One of the major reasons why I recommend you do this immediately after installation is to avoid some of the chores associated with reinstalling Windows 7. For instance, if your computer crashes or becomes unstable and you need to reinstall Windows, you will have to do a couple of extra steps if you purchased the Upgrade version of Windows 7.

The upgrade version of Windows 7 requires that you have a qualifying version of Windows (XP or Vista) already installed on your system to be in compliance with the upgrade license. In addition to that, the qualifying version of Windows must be activated, this is unlike past versions of Windows which only required that you provide the Windows disk for verfication. So creating a System Image right after installing Windows 7 can avoid these procedures if the need ever arises in the future. Of course, you will need to have an external hard disk if you plan on backing up your installation, especially if you have a large data set (install size of all your personal files, installed programs combined). External hard drives are abundantly affordable today, you can pick up a 1 TB hard drive for less than $80 from some computer retailers. So its a definite recommendation, especially for this guide.

Windows Vista introduced a powerful suite of backup tools that made securing your installation of Windows a more confident experience. All editions of Windows 7 include System Image, which provides options for backing your personal data such as Libraries, Documents, Pictures, Music and Videos and other application files or your entire installation of Windows 7 either to an external hard disk or remote location such as a Network drive (Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate editions only).

Pre-requisite: To do a successful backup of Windows 7, you must have a few things in place:

  • Enough available storage to perform the backup, whether you are backing up to a Network drive or an external drive is necessary. A System Image will create a backup of your entire installation of Windows 7. If you are doing an initial backup, each successive backup copies only the files that have changed since the previous one. The old copies are saved, just in case one of your backups are altered or a file has been deleted and you need to go back to a previous version. So enough space to accommodate these scenario’s is very important. Backup and Restore intelligently manages storage space, if there is not enough space on the disk, one ore more of the older backups will be discarded starting with the oldest.
  • If you are backing up your laptop, ensure that your AC/DC power adapter is connected, since a backup might take longer than the available battery power can support. For my desktop, I have a UPS connected just in case a power outage occur’s.

Windows 7 backup and restore features are designed to make protecting your data and system easier. The combined file and system backup wizard delivers a simplified configuration experience, and the folder selectivity functionality for file backup provides users greater control over their backup content. Managing backup is easier with the new space management user interface and integration with Action Center. Recovering your system is made easier with simplified interface and better guidance for choosing a recovery method. Lets get started:

Search Backup

Click Start, type: Backup

Search Backup - 2

Hit Enter

Setup Backup

New backups must be setup before beginning

Back wiz1 Back wiz1 searching

Searching for available Backup devices

If this is your first time creating a backup, you will need to set it up first. Click the Setup Backup link which will initiate the Backup wizard. The wizard searches your computer and displays a list of all destinations that you can use to store your backup. Because I have not turned on my External hard disk which is where I plan to save the system image of Windows 7 installation, it does not appear in the list. I will now turn on my External Drive and click the Refresh button.

Back wiz3

Now that the backup device has appeared, I can select it and click Next to proceed with the Backup. Windows provides two options for back up in version 7:

Back wiz4

Let Windows choose (recommended) Windows will back up data files saved in libraries, on the desktop, and in the default Windows folders. Windows will also create a system image, which can be used to restore your computer it stops working. These items will be backed up on a regular schedule.

Let me choose You can select libraries and folders and whether to include a system image in the backup. The items you choose will be backed up on a regular schedule.

The decision primarily comes down to available storage. Letting Windows choose is the best choice because everything will be backed up and provides the best option in the case of scenarios such as Windows unable to boot or the Startup Repair is unable to get your Windows installation working again. If you want some detailed options, the ability to choose is also great because you might have libraries you might not want to backup because they contain large amounts of data that might exceed your available storage space, so the option to exclude those makes it easier to backup what is most important to you.

I have chosen to backup my entire computer which includes all accounts along with a System Image of my Windows 7 Installation. The Review your backup settings, notes that you will need a System Repair disc to restore an System Image. Please refer to my recent recovery options article here for more details if your PC does not include one. You can also use your Windows 7 installation DVD to assist with the restoration of your System Image. Once you have reviewed everything, its time to start the back up, click Save settings and run backup button.

Back wiz5 Preparing Backup

Preparing to Backup your Windows 7 installation

Backup process View Details

One of the changes you will notice in Windows 7, the Backup and Restore explorer is utilized for monitoring the progress of your backup. You can click the View Details button which will reveal more information such as percentage completed and what is happening during the backup itself. The time it will take to complete the backup will vary depending on the amount of data. Based on past experiences, if its your first backup, it will take some time, future incremental backups will be shorter.

Hiccups

I did come across some problems during my backup experience. The program seem to not be responding at all and remained stuck at 7% trying to create a Shadow Copy. After several failed attempts and restarts, I tried the following:

Click Start, type Services, hit Enter. Scroll down down to Windows Backup and Restore service make sure that it is set to start automatically. Right click the Service, click Properties > under the General tab > click in the “Startup type:” list box, and select ‘Automatic’, click Apply and OK. Click the ‘Play’ button on the Toolbar to Start the service. Do the same for Windows Shadow Copy service. My installation of Windows 7 was actually an upgrade from Windows Vista SP1, so its possible there was some anomaly that occurred during the upgrade that caused problems with certain services and tools. After doing this though and clicking the ‘Create a system image’ task link in the Backup and Restore explorer, I was presented with the option to backup my Windows 7 installation which proceeded without any issues from there on.

Doing the Restoration

Doing the restoration is a very simple process, if you need guided assistance you can use the the System Recovery Environment item in Action Center located in Control Panel to help. In my case, I will simply insert my Windows 7 DVD, boot from it and choose the the System Image Recovery option. Lets take a look at doing that.

Recovery Environment 2 Startup Clean 2

Booting from my Windows 7 DVD which is loading the Recovery Environment

IMG_0002

After selecting your Language, click the ‘Repair your computer’ link which will take you to the recovery options.

IMG_0003

Checking for Windows installations

IMG_0004

In our case, we will be doing a restoration, so select that option

IMG_0005

The System Image Wizard will now begin, click ‘Next’

IMG_0007

Here you can see I have a collection of System Images, I will select my desired image, in this case WIN7X64-ACER and click Next.

IMG_0008

The Backup name and date listed will be restored to the selected location, in this case ‘C:’

IMG_0009

If I had created any changes to the drive lay out after my last System Image Backup, such as creating additional partitions, I can have those partitions formatted and removed so it matches exactly to the System Image I am restoring from my external hard disk. You do have the option however to exclude attached storage devices and partitions.

IMG_0010 IMG_0011

Confirm your selected options, and click Finish to Start the restoration of your System Image.

IMG_0012

Once the restoration is complete, you will be prompted to restart your computer.

The restoration will take some time depending on the size of the image, my Windows 7 System Image which totaled about 69 GB’s took more than an hour to restore.

Conclusion

There you have it, a powerful way to protect your computer and personal files. Backup in Windows 7 has never been easier. You can also schedule your backups, which will ensure that your information is always safe. I am very impressed by how easy the process is both backing up and restoring. My recommendation is to get a dedicated external drive, backing up GBs of data to DVD which is an available option is both time consuming and unreliable. Also, backing up to an internal partition defeats the purpose of Backups in the first place. With System Image and External hard disk, you are able to keep a protected off site copy of your Windows 7 Installation in case something catastrophic happens.

Continue Reading

Zoom Around the Web with Keyboard Shortcuts

0

Posted by Shah Md. Shamsul Alam | Posted in Tips | Posted on 24-11-2009

If you use the web regularly, pay attention. Here is a list of keyboard shortcuts that will help you navigate with your browser and complete web based tasks more quickly than ever before! The best part about these shortcuts is that most apply to nearly every major browser out there, so whether you are using Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or even Internet Explorer, you’ll be able to move between your favorite sites with great fluidity. What’s more, if you have a mouse that has extra buttons, you can often assign those buttons to these keyboard shortcuts to be even more efficient.

  • Open new tab: ctrl+t
  • Close tab: ctrl+w
  • Move to right tab: ctrl+tab
  • Move to left tab: ctrl+shift+tab
  • Move cursor to address bar: ctrl+l

I’ve prepared a short video showing the different between browsing with and without keyboard shortcuts. It isn’t exactly a practical example of browsing, but the goal here is to show how quickly you can navigate between tabs and websites.

Continue Reading

How RAM Works

0

Posted by touhid | Posted in Tips | Posted on 16-11-2009

Random access memory (RAM) is the best known form of computer memory. RAM is considered “random access” because you can access any memory cell directly if you know the row and column that intersect at that cell.

The following are some common types of RAM:

  • SRAM: Static random access memory uses multiple transistors, typically four to six, for each memory cell but doesn’t have a capacitor in each cell. It is used primarily for cache.
  • DRAM: Dynamic random access memory has memory cells with a paired transistor and capacitor requiring constant refreshing.
  • FPM DRAM: Fast page mode dynamic random access memory was the original form of DRAM. It waits through the entire process of locating a bit of data by column and row and then reading the bit before it starts on the next bit. Maximum transfer rate to L2 cache is approximately 176 MBps.
  • EDO DRAM: Extended data-out dynamic random access memory does not wait for all of the processing of the first bit before continuing to the next one. As soon as the address of the first bit is located, EDO DRAM begins looking for the next bit. It is about five percent faster than FPM. Maximum transfer rate to L2 cache is approximately 264 MBps.
  • SDRAM: Synchronous dynamic random access memory takes advantage of the burst mode concept to greatly improve performance. It does this by staying on the row containing the requested bit and moving rapidly through the columns, reading each bit as it goes. The idea is that most of the time the data needed by the CPU will be in sequence. SDRAM is about five percent faster than EDO RAM and is the most common form in desktops today. Maximum transfer rate to L2 cache is approximately 528 MBps.
  • DDR SDRAM: Double data rate synchronous dynamic RAM is just like SDRAM except that is has higher bandwidth, meaning greater speed. Maximum transfer rate to L2 cache is approximately 1,064 MBps (for DDR SDRAM 133 MHZ).
  • RDRAM: Rambus dynamic random access memory is a radical departure from the previous DRAM architecture. Designed by Rambus, RDRAM uses a Rambus in-line memory module (RIMM), which is similar in size and pin configuration to a standard DIMM. What makes RDRAM so different is its use of a special high-speed data bus called the Rambus channel. RDRAM memory chips work in parallel to achieve a data rate of 800 MHz, or 1,600 MBps. Since they operate at such high speeds, they generate much more heat than other types of chips. To help dissipate the excess heat Rambus chips are fitted with a heat spreader, which looks like a long thin wafer. Just like there are smaller versions of DIMMs, there are also SO-RIMMs, designed for notebook computers.
  • Credit Card Memory: Credit card memory is a proprietary self-contained DRAM memory module that plugs into a special slot for use in notebook computers.
  • PCMCIA Memory Card: Another self-contained DRAM module for notebooks, cards of this type are not proprietary and should work with any notebook computer whose system bus matches the memory card’s configuration.
  • CMOS RAM: CMOS RAM is a term for the small amount of memory used by your computer and some other devices to remember things like hard disk settings — see Why does my computer need a battery? for details. This memory uses a small battery to provide it with the power it needs to maintain the memory contents.
  • VRAM: VideoRAM, also known as multiport dynamic random access memory (MPDRAM), is a type of RAM used specifically for video adapters or 3-D accelerators. The “multiport” part comes from the fact that VRAM normally has two independent access ports instead of one, allowing the CPU and graphics processor to access the RAM simultaneously. VRAM is located on the graphics card and comes in a variety of formats, many of which are proprietary. The amount of VRAM is a determining factor in the resolution and color depth of the display. VRAM is also used to hold graphics-specific information such as 3-D geometry data and texture maps. True multiport VRAM tends to be expensive, so today, many graphics cards use SGRAM (synchronous graphics RAM) instead. Performance is nearly the same, but SGRAM is cheaper.

Continue Reading

Automatically Copy Selected Text with AutoCopy

0

Posted by touhid | Posted in Tips | Posted on 16-11-2009

Most users know how to copy text. Select the text with your mouse, then click Edit, Copy–or, better yet, press Ctrl-C on your keyboard. Easy right?

Well, it’s about to get a little easier. AutoCopy is a Firefox add-on that automatically copies any selected text straight to the Clipboard. (You then paste it like you normally would.)

This probably sounds like no big deal. After all, how hard is it to hit the aforementioned menu or keyboard key?

All I can say is, it’s one less step. And once you start using AutoCopy, you’ll wonder how you got along without it. Indeed, it has long ranked as one of the handful of Firefox extensions I absolutely positively cannot live without. (Others include PermaTabs and Lazarus.)

Give it a try! I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

Continue Reading

Previous
Next