The Network Time Protocol - Used in Computer Networks

By description, this is a protocol designed for transfer of time around a computer network. It works through a hierarchy composed of several strata starting with Stratum 0 which provides the external source of time. Stratum 1 gets the accurate time from a hardware clock which can be got through GPS signals as they are the safest and most reliable. This is because of the many satellites that orbit the earth at any one time. The references are not limited to these as radio signals and broadcasts also provide a safe and relatively reliable source of time. The broadcasts vary with locations and are not as centralized as the GPS signals but they all provide related times, if not equal. Some common ones include MSF from the UK, JJY from Japan and WWVB from the USA.

Reliability being the main issue means that there is need for backup reference clocks in the unlikely event of a signal outage. These references provide the time with the same precision as the signals and are able to maintain a holdover for extended periods until the signals are regained. These backups are expensive however and the reasons for getting them should be more than the reasons for foregoing them. If you decide you need them to maintain the time then there are crystal oscillators that come at a good price.

NTP client software is usually provided with most OS. Linux has GNU public licence NTP client while Windows has Windows Time service. The advantage of having NTV servers is that is to make sure that the time-stamped transactions are carried out in the specified order. They are the missing link between network time distribution and the global time scale and should be an integral part of any company or organization.

Invisible Keylogger - Stealth Tool of Protection

Invisible keylogger stealth software tools are what you need if you are looking to protect yourself from those who would commit misdeeds against your business, your web surfing children, or your emotional happiness. The latter is often what these software programs are used for, as it's the best way to catch a cheating lover in the act and then confront them with the cold, hard proof. After all, you can try to argue until you are blue in the face with only theory on your side... it won't be until you have actual facts and proof of them that you can make a solidly based confrontation about it.

This is especially important when you are trying to catch an employee misusing paid time on internet poker gambling or chatting with friends. You cannot fire someone or even reprimand them just on suspicion, you need proof of misconduct. But when using an invisible keylogger, stealth is the key. If there are any telltale signs that a computer is under surveillance, then you'll not be catching anyone in the act of anything... anyone in their right minds, anyway.

The best invisible keylogger stealth tactic is in being invisible. It should run automatically once the computer switches on, and it shouldn't have any icons waving flags about its existence on the computer. It should record everything onto invisible files and then covertly send it all off to your e-mail address with utter discretion. This way, you can view the playback of what's been going on at your leisure and then act accordingly.

If you would like to find the most covert and invisibly run keylogger downloads to use, you can find all the information you need at http://www.keyloggerdownloads.com

How Optimizing Windows Increases Computer Performance

Ultra Optimizer is one of the best and effective registry cleaner among other registry cleaners and it greatly improves the performance of your system. It is greatly technically developed windows registry cleaner truly optimizes your computer. It is easily available almost everywhere in the world now. Along with enhanced performance, it also fixes a lot of errors that are found on your system. Because of the highly advanced scanning engine, it also competently detects and resolves faults on your PC as compared to any other registry cleaner on the market today. As Ultra Optimizer has several build in mechanism, this helps a greatly improved PC performance.

As the usage of computers is growing greatly, people generally face difficulties while they often use their computers. The slowdown in your work results to frustrations and you end up switching off your system. But this is not the solution to your continuous trouble. Its time to get a perfect registry cleaner for your system to improve its performance. While you are often using Windows, downloading or starting new programs and files, causes the systems registry cleaner to clutter. This decreases the performance of your system. So, Ultra Optimizer is here to save the computer resources and optimize Window performance. Apart from optimizing your PC, the Optimizer also fixes your PC errors as well as prevents any type of errors on it before they arise.

Ultra Optimizer is mainly created to Fine Tune each and every PC which functions on any Windows based operating system. This is very safe and easy too. The finest thing is that you need not be a professional to Fine Tune and optimize your PC perfectly. You will be amazed to know that this software actually scans your system completely, sets up back up as well as suggest what is best set up for your system. Even a beginner can improve the performance of his system and solve any type of mistake, thanks to the technically developed software.

Ultra Optimizer is used all over the world and it is regarded as the world's best registry cleaner by all the computer professionals worldwide. Your computer performs quicker and better, you feel more than satisfied due to the improved performance of your system with Ultra Optimizer! No need to waste your time and money on any other registry cleaner, just try Ultra Optimizer for satisfactory results. Not only this, It's also able to safeguards your privacy as you can eradicate all that you were surfing just by clicking your mouse a few times. This is the simplest way to protect your privacy.

There are many online stores that includes this optimizer with your new system. It is easily available and hence you can optimize Window and increase your Computer performance with this amazing software. You can now optimize the performance of you PC with Ultra Optimizer that is easily available in any online store. Thus, you get all in one, secure registry cleaner for your system, easy to operate and of course enhanced speed and performance of your system. Now you can enjoy all the benefits of Ultra Optimizer for your PC, so get one today.

How to take screenshot from Windows Media Player?

When playing the video or when it is paused just press Ctrl and I button together (Ctrl+I). Windows media player then throws up a save as screen and you can save the screen shot as a JPEG file.

If “use video mixing renderer” option under Tools=>Options=>Performance=>Advanced is checked then Ctrl+I works, otherwise plain old screen print works!

Windows XP keyboard tricks - Help, my screen is upside down!

Here are some Windows keyboard tricks you can use to impress your friends! These are nothing but less known features of the Windows XP operating system. To revert back the screen to previous state, repeat the key combination again.

Trick 1 (High Contrast) - Hold Shift, Alt and Print Screen keys together. Click on “OK” when a message appears (this enables high contrast on Windows system). The screen should change to black!

Trick 2 (Magnifier) - Hold Windows key (logo key) and R key together. Type magnify in the run box and then press Enter. This enables magnifier tool and anything near the mouse trail will now appear magnified on top!

Trick 3 (Invert Windows screen) - This is one of the scariest tricks which turns Windows upside down. You can press Ctrl, Alt and then any of the four arrow keys (Ctrl-Alt-Down will rotate screen by 180 degrees)! I have noticed that this doesn’t work on certain Windows XP machines (It is dependent on video driver).

Convert a FAT Partition to NTFS

To convert a FAT partition to NTFS, perform the following steps.

Click Start, click Programs, and then click Command Prompt.

In Windows XP, click Start, and then click Run.

At the command prompt, type CONVERT [driveletter]: /FS:NTFS.

Convert.exe will attempt to convert the partition to NTFS.

NOTE: Although the chance of corruption or data loss during the conversion from FAT to NTFS is minimal, it is best to perform a full backup of the data on the drive that it is to be converted prior to executing the convert command. It is also recommended to verify the integrity of the backup before proceeding, as well as to run RDISK and update the emergency repair disk (ERD).

Convert.exe will attempt to convert the partition to NTFS.

Rename the Recycle Bin

To change the name of the Recycle Bin desktop icon, open Regedit and go to:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/CLSID/{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}

and change the name "Recycle Bin" to whatever you want (don't type any quotes).

Faster Way To Shut Down And Log Off Windows XP

If you’re experiencing slow shutdowns and log offs on your Windows XP, this trick will help you.

Instead of accessing the shutdown menu via Start->Turn Off Computer, open the Task Manager by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete.

Press “Shut Down” at the top of the Task Manager and choose what you want your Windows XP to do

Bypass The Recycle Bin When Deleting Files

If you are absolutely sure you want to delete a file, why send it to the Recycle Bin? Windows lets you bypass it really easily:

To delete a file or a group of files, select them with and when they are highlighted, press Shift+Delete. Press “Yes” in the confirmation box that opens and you’re done!

Gmail password recovery

We are human and all humans are liable to forget important information. You are certainly not the only one to forget your Gmail password - there would be hundreds, if not thousands of subscribers who have would have lost this password before you. I too have been guilty of this in the past.

Anyway, if you've lost your Gmail password, it's not difficult to get back the access to your account. And this depends on whether you remember some other important pieces of information. Let us start the process of retrieving the login detail.

Gmail being a reliable and helpful service has a whole section dedicated to providing solutions to common problems. Point your browser to the password recovery page. Enter your username and hit the "Submit" button.

Enter Gmail username and hit the submit button to recover your lost Gmail password

You will now be shown the captcha image (image with wavy text) and you need to enter the characters you see. This is done to ensure you are indeed a human. Assuming you were able to complete this step, the password retrieval details will be sent to your alternate email address. Gmail won't tell you exactly which email address the instructions were sent but it would inform you the domain of the email address as "instructions sent to your hotmail.com email address".

What is the alternate email address? Well, this was the "optional" field in the Gmail account creation form in which you had to enter another email address of yours. You may have ignored this field or left it blank intentionally if Gmail was your first email account - I understand and so does Gmail. If this is the scenario, you can get back the access of your account ONLY after five days by answering the security question.

The security question is a protective measure against the theft of your Gmail account password. When you were filling the form to create the Gmail account, you were asked to either select a security question or enter your own which was followed by a request for the answer. The security question and answer would now be the key to getting your Gmail account password... but only after 5 days of inactivity. Google clearly mentions that this period of five days cannot be waived off.
No alternate email and cannot answer security question

If you didn't enter an alternate email or don't have access to it anymore and have also forgotten the security question and answer... hard luck! There is no way to get your account back. So what do you do?

I offer two pieces of advice - forget about the account with the lost password, get a new Gmail address. I suppose this account was not very important as we don't tend to forget vital information do we?

Having said that, there is a way to get hold of the lost account again. All inactive Gmail accounts are removed after 9 months (at the time of writing). Mark the day in your calendar and signup for a new account with the same username once the period is over. Yes, all your old emails will be deleted but you at least get your old account (with the same email address) back!

Microsoft to provide free Windows 7 to Vista Users

Microsoft plans to allow PC makers to offer customers who buy Windows Vista machines as of July 1 free upgrades to Windows 7 once it ships.

Customers will receive the free Windows 7 updates some time after Windows 7 becomes generally available

Windows Vista Home Premium purchasers will get a free upgrade to Windows 7 Home Premium, the site says. Windows Vista Business users will get an upgrade to Windows 7 Professional. And users who buy PCs running Windows Vista Ultimate starting July 1 will get a free upgrade to Windows 7 Ultimate.

Move My Documents Folder

Keeping the My Documents folder on a partition separate from the operating-system files can save you pain if you have to reformat the boot partition. You may also want to store it on a network share that gets backed up regularly.

Right-click on My Documents on the desktop or in the Start menu and choose Properties.
Click on Find Target to select the new location, and click on OK.
In the Move Documents box, click on Yes to move the documents.

Make your own icons

It's shockingly easy to create your own icons in Windows XP. Let's do it: Click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, and then click Paint. On the Image menu, click Attributes. Type 32 for both the Width and Height of the document, and make sure that Pixels is selected under Units. Click OK to create a new 32x32-pixel document: the size of an icon.

Now add type, color, or do whatever you'd like to your image. I like to shrink photos (headshots work best) to 32x32 and simply paste them into my Paint document. When you're finished, open the File menu and click Save As. Use the dialog box to choose where you want to save your file, then give it a name followed by ".ico" (without the quotes), and click Save. (The extension ".ico" tells Windows that it's an icon file.) You just created an icon! Now you can change any shortcut or folder to your own icon—just browse to it on your hard drive.

Speed up the Start Menu

The default speed of the Start Menu is pretty slow, but you can fix that by editing a Registry Key. Fire up the Registry Editor and navigate to the following key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Control Panel \ Desktop \ MenuShowDelay

By default, the value is 400. Change this to a smaller value, such as 0, to speed it up.

If this doesn't work for some reason, then you might try the following:

Navigate to Display Properties then Appearance then Effects and turn off the option titled Show menu shadow. You will get much better overall performance.

The Importance of Online Backup in Your Company

All the files in every company are crucial and confidential. It is important for these companies to keep their data safe to avoid possible problem in the future, thus having a backup copy of all their files is what they need to do. Tape drive is what some companies are using to store their files and to make sure that they are safe. However, there are times wherein tape drives are not that reliable.

Through the ability of the technology to provide services that give convenience to people, the backup file-saving method becomes easier now. All the disadvantages of these tape drives have been improved in the form of an online backup. Not only that this backup system is the new innovation of the fast paced technology, it is also another tool that can be used for a more hassle-free working method.

Your company may experience a great relief when it comes to storing your files in your backup tool if you will try to use an online backup. You may leave the traditional tape drive behind and make an advance move in giving your company a favor. Having a backup file through online is more convenient and more affordable.

This new online service is very safe to use. It assures you that your data are secured in a trusted server that is being supervised 24 hours a day seven days a week. Your data has a round-a-clock maintenance and you will never get worried losing the valuable data of your company.

Let go of using tape drives that can get lost and worn out. Tape drives have a life span limit unlike the online backup. Do not put your data at risk when the tape drives themselves need to be repaired. Backing up those data via online is what you need due to the fact that it is a more secured method. And since you consider your data confidential, there will be no way that a third party can have an access in your backup even if it is stored via online.

A company can save a lot of money and time when they use this online backup service. You know how every company treasures budget and time and how these things are related in the company's success. The management not just in your company but in other companies as well is already handling a lot of responsibilities. It is a huge help if troubles in backup data will be eliminated in the list of their worries.

Having this kind of system in your company's computer will be the included in the tools that would take care of your precious business. Once in your company's system, all that you have to wait is an email message which confirms that your data is securely backed up. Unlike the tape drives, you can restore the data anytime you want by yourself. Be one of the companies who are gaining advancement by using this online backup system. It is very simple and cost effective method that secures your company's profits.

Data Recovery Software - how it works?

"You mean to tell me just because I deleted it, that don't mean it's gone?"

Ever accidentally deleted something really important from your computer's hard drive, such as a school report paper or some sort of work document that you worked really hard on? What if I told you you could have easily retrieved that file because it was never really deleted, but rather just hiding from you? I bet it would really boil your noggin at first, especially if you had to recreate your entire English Lit. essay from scratch at 4:30 in the morning like some sort of dummy. Hey, we've all been there. But that doesn't mean we have to put up with it again. So how does data recovery work exactly? Settle in and I'll explain to you the quick and dirty way to recover lost, deleted or corrupted files through the process known as data recovery.

The reason data recovery works is based on the way computers store information. Microsoft Windows operating systems use something called a file allocation table (FAT for short) to map out exactly what files are on your hard drives and exactly where each file is located on the hard drives. But the actual files are stored separate from the maps that detail where each file is located on your hard drives.

One way to look at it is that the FAT is sort of like a book's table of contents, and the actual files on your hard drives are like the pages that make up the book. So pretend you're holding in your hands your favorite (or least favorite) book, and picture yourself flipping to the table of contents. Now imagine yourself violently tearing the table of contents out of the book, soaking it with gasoline and lighting it on fire. After you've safely extinguished the flames and placed the ashes in a proper waste receptacle, picture yourself picking up the book again. Did you destroying the table of contents in any way, shape or form affect the pages and chapters of the book? Can you still read the book just fine without the table of contents? The obvious answer is yes, the book reads just fine with or without the table of contents, but it would take a lot more time for you to find your favorite chapter. It's the same thing with your hard drive, and often it's just the FAT (the table of contents) that is troublesome, not the actual files on your computer. If the file still exists on your hard drive, it can be recovered assuming it is not damaged and it is not encrypted.

The FAT for every file and folder on each of your hard drives is stored in a portion at the beginning of your hard drives. Windows uses this collection of information to form your system's directory tree structure. When you erase the FAT, the operating system won't be able to find the file, and it will report to you that the file is missing or deleted. But this is where data recovery steps in! But how does data recovery work?

Data recovery functions to reassemble your operating system's file system so your files can be accessed again. The file system is the way your operating system indexes and "remembers" where all your files are located. But if you've lost some data you will quickly realize that file systems can really be a pain in the rear, and navigating them can be quite like a maze.

There exist many recovery engineers who have been trained in the art of data recovery. These brave souls will endure and dominate even the most confusing of data trees and screwed up file systems, so you don't have to. There also exist many software companies that will sell you all sorts of DIY automatic fix programs, claiming it can automatically and easily diagnose and fix any lost data problems on your hard drive. But hiring a trained professional is your best bet, especially when it comes to very important or sensitive materials. A lot of data recovery actually involves physically repairing the disks by hand to properly and completely recover lost data. This is something automatic fix software just can't do.

XP Start ==> Run commands

These are GUI applications that can be opened from the run line. These applications are not located in the C:\windows\system32\ directory, the keys for these applications are located in the registry under:

HKLM\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\app paths

	CONF.EXE - NetMeeting
	DIALER.EXE - Phone Dialer
	HELPCTR.EXE - Help and Support
	HYPERTRM.EXE - HyperTerminal
	ICWCONN1.EXE - Internet Connection Wizard
	IEXPLORE.EXE - Internet Explorer
	INETWIZ.EXE - Setup Your Internet Connection
	INSTALL.EXE - User's Folder
	MIGWIZ.EXE - File and Settings Transfer Wizard
	MSCONFIG.EXE - System Configuration Utility
	MSIMN.EXE - Outlook Express
	MSINFO32.EXE - System Information
	MSMSGS.EXE - Windows Messenger
	MSN6.EXE - MSN Explorer
	PBRUSH.EXE - Paint
	WAB.EXE - Windows Address Book
	WABMIG.EXE - Address Book Import Tool
	WINNT32.EXE - User's Folder

These .EXE files reside in (c:\windows\system32\) or(c:\windows\) directory.

	ACCWIZ.EXE - Accessibility Wizard
	CHARMAP.EXE - Character Map
	CLEANMGR.EXE - Disk Space Cleanup Manager
	CLICONFG.EXE - SQL Client Configuration Utility
	CLSPACK.EXE - Class Package Export Tool
	CMSTP.EXE - Connection Manager Profile Installer
	CONTROL.EXE - Control Panel
	DCOMCNFG.EXE - Component Services
	DDESHARE.EXE - DDE Share
	DRWATSON.EXE - Doctor Watson v1.00b
	DRWTSN32.EXE - Doctor Watson Settings
	DXDIAG.EXE - DirectX Diagnostics
	EUDCEDIT.EXE - Private Character Editor
	EVENTVWR.EXE - Event Viewer
	EXPLORER.EXE - Windows Explorer
	FXSCLNT.EXE - Fax Console
	FXSCOVER.EXE - Fax Cover Page Editor
	FXSEND.EXE - MS Fax Send Note Utility
	LOGOFF.EXE - System Logoff
	MAGNIFY.EXE - Microsoft Magnifier
	MMC.EXE - Microsoft Management Console
	MOBSYNC.EXE - Microsoft Synchronization Manager
	MPLAY32.EXE - Windows Media Player version 5.1
	MSTSC.EXE - Remote Desktop Connection
	NARRATOR.EXE - Microsoft Narrator
	NETSETUP.EXE - Network Setup Wizard
	NSLOOKUP.EXE - NSLookup Application
	NTSD.EXE - Symbolic Debugger for Windows 2000
	ODBCAD32.EXE - ODBC Data Source Administrator
	OSUNINST.EXE - Windows Uninstall Utility
	PACKAGER.EXE - Object Packager
	PERFMON.EXE - Performance Monitor
	PROGMAN.EXE - Program Manager
	RASPHONE.EXE - Remote Access Phonebook
	REGEDIT.EXE - Registry Editor
	REGEDT32.EXE - Registry Editor
	RESET.EXE - Resets Session
	RSTRUI.EXE - System Restore
	RTCSHARE.EXE - RTC Application Sharing
	SFC.EXE - System File Checker
	SHRPUBW.EXE - Create Shared Folder
	SHUTDOWN.EXE - System Shutdown
	SIGVERIF.EXE - File Signature Verification
	SNDREC32.EXE - Sound Recorder
	SNDVOL32.EXE - Sound Volume
	SYNCAPP.EXE - Create A Briefcase
	SYSEDIT.EXE - System Configuration Editor
	SYSKEY.EXE - SAM Lock Tool
	TASKMGR.EXE - Task Manager
	TELNET.EXE - MS Telnet Client
	TSSHUTDN.EXE - System Shutdown
	TOURSTART.EXE - Windows Tour Launcher
	UTILMAN.EXE - System Utility Manager
	USERINIT.EXE - My Documents
	VERIFIER.EXE - Driver Verifier Manager
	WIAACMGR.EXE - Scanner and Camera Wizard
	WINCHAT.EXE - Windows for Workgroups Chat
	WINHELP.EXE - Windows Help Engine
	WINHLP32.EXE - Help
	WINVER.EXE - Windows Version Information
	WSCRIPT.EXE - Windows Script Host Settings
	WUPDMGR.EXE - Windows Update

The following are Control Panel applets that can be run from the run line. They are located in the c:\windows\system32 directory, and have the file type extension ".CPL".

	ACCESS.CPL - Accessibility Options
	APPWIZ.CPL - Add or Remove Programs
	DESK.CPL - Display Properties
	HDWWIZ.CPL - Add Hardware Wizard
	INETCPL.CPL - Internet Explorer Properties
	INTL.CPL - Regional and Language Options
	JOY.CPL - Game Controllers
	MAIN.CPL - Mouse Properties
	MMSYS.CPL - Sounds and Audio Device Properties
	NCPA.CPL - Network Connection
	NUSRMGR.CPL - User Accounts
	ODBCCP32.CPL - ODBC Data Source Administrator
	POWERCFG.CPL - Power Options Properties
	SYSDM.CPL - System Properties
	TELEPHON.CPL - Phone and Modem Options
	TIMEDATE.CPL - Date and Time Properties

The following are Microsoft Management Console Snap-ins that can be opened from the run line. These applications have the file type extension ".MSC".

	CERTMGR.MSC - Certificates
	CIADV.MSC - Indexing Service
	COMPMGMT.MSC - Computer Management
	DEVMGMT.MSC - Device Manager
	DFRG.MSC - Disk Defragmenter
	DISKMGMT.MSC - Disk Management
	EVENTVWR.MSC - Event Viewer
	FSMGMT.MSC - Shared Folders
	LUSRMGR.MSC - Local Users and Groups
	NTMSMGR.MSC - Removable Storage
	NTMSOPRQ.MSC - Removable Storage Operator Requests
	PERFMON.MSC - Performance Monitor
	SERVICES.MSC - Services
	WMIMGMT.MSC - Windows Management Infrastructure