How To Know The Mac Address

Description

Many times you need to know the Mac address of a device. For example many routers has the option of blocking a new host if it not in a list of Mac address.

Solution

If you want the Mac Address of your computer:

1. Press Windows Key + R, type cmd and press enter.

2. In the command window press ipconfig /all and press enter.

3. In the Physical Address you will see the address.

If you want to know the Mac of another computer or device, do the following:

1. Press Windows Key +R, type cmd and press enter.

2. In the command window, type ping address and press enter. For example if you want to know the Mac of a computer named Kim type:

ping Kim

and as always press enter.

3. If the command is successful press arp –a and press enter. You will see a three column table showing the Mac in the second row.

Knowing What Drivers Have Being Installed In Your Computer

Description

You want to see what drivers are in the computer. This could help when your computer is experiencing a problem with a device.

Solution

1. Press Windows Key + R, type cmd and press enter.

2. Type the following command and press enter:

set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1

3. Start the Device Manager, writing the next command and pressing enter:

devmgmt.msc

4. Click Show hidden devices on the View menu in Device Managers.

Now you will see every driver that have being installed in the computer.

How To Execute A Program With Other User Not Showing The Password

Description

You need to execute a program using a different user that the current in a script. You also want that passwords not be shown.

Solution.

1. Download Pstools:

http://download.sysinternals.com/Files/PsTools.zip

2. Extract to “c:\utils”.

3. Create a new script using notepad. For this example I will open a Winword application.

3.1 Press Windows Key + R, type notepad.

3.2 Type:

c:\utils\psexec -u user -p password "%ProgramFiles%/Microsoft Office/office11/winword"

User and password are the credentials you want to use to start the program.

In this case I am using Microsoft Office 2003.

3.3 Click File, click Save As…, then be careful to save as all documents.

3.4 Save for example in the desktop with  the name “winword.bat”.

4. Download Bat To Exe Converter:

http://download.cnet.com/Bat-To-Exe-Converter/3000-2069_4-10555897.html

5. Open Bat To Exe Converter.

6. Select the batch file” winword.bat”.

7. Select Invisible application to not show the command line and then click the compile button a new exe file will be created in the same location.

How To Make Scheduled Tasks In Windows XP

Description

You need to run a program at an specified time or more than once.

Solution.

1. Press Start, All Program Accessories, System Tools and click Scheduled Tasks.

2. Press add Scheduled Task and the Wizard for a new task will appear, press next.

3. Select the application you need to execute, you can select scripts too.

4. Type a name for the task and choose when you want to execute.

Free Utilities

This is a list of useful free utilities:

Izarc

Like Winrar but it’s free and you can use even for more extensions.

http://www.izarc.org/download.html

Avast

Are you really paying for an antivirus that is driving your PC crazy?.

http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html

Microsoft Security Essentials

Maybe you can try the new antivirus from Microsoft.

http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/default.aspx?mkt=en-us

ImgBurn

A burning application.

http://www.imgburn.com/index.php?act=download

OpenOffice

A good Microsoft Office alternative.

http://download.openoffice.org/other.html

FireFox

Web Explorer

http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/all.html

ThunderBird

Email client.

http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/thunderbird/all.html

VideoLan

A multimedia player.

http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

Copy Actual Window To The Clipboard

Description

You want to make a copy of the window into the clipboard . This can be done for making a tutorial for example.

Solution

Use the combination Alt + Print Screen and  the image of the current window will be copied instead of the whole screen.

Moving a File That Is Being Used

Description

Many time you need to delete a file that is being used by an application.

Solution

We are going to use a Sysinternals Application again This is the description:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb897556.aspx

1. Download the application in the following link:

http://download.sysinternals.com/Files/PendMoves.zip

2. extract the files into “c:\utils”:

3.Press Windows Key + R, type cmd and press intro.

4.Type “cd utils” and press intro.

5. There are two programms in the zip file:

• pendMoves: Show the list of files that will be processed in the next boot.
• movefile: Move the file, it also can delete the file.

The syntax:

movefile [source]  [dest]

If you need to delete a file you just have to enter a empty destination as follows:

movefile example.exe ""

How To Execute Programs On Remote Systems

Description

You want to execute a program on a remote computer.

Solution

You have the description of the “Psexec“ program here:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb897553.aspx

1. Download the PsTools

http://download.sysinternals.com/Files/PsTools.zip

2. Extract for example to “c:\utils”

3.  Press Windows Key + R, type cmd and press enter.

4. Into the new window type “cd c:\utils” and press enter.

So you only have to execute the program with the following syntax:

psexec \\pcname –i “application” –u “user” –p “password”

For example if you want to execute notepad in a computer named Cristina with an user call silvia and the password xyz just type:

psexec \\Cristina –i “notepad” –u silvia –p xyz

How To Enter In Safe Mode Without Using F8

Description

Many times you need to enter into the Safe Mode but it’s hardly complicated to use the F8 key.

So this post will tell you how to enter using other method.

Solution

1. Click Start, Click run, type msconfig.

2. Select the Boot Tab, Boot.ini in windows XP.

3. Select the Safe Mode button. You can choose the alternatives like using the network.

4. Then you click OK and restart your computer. It will then enter into Safe Mode.

5. Important. You have to change it and restore to the default values when finish  if not next time the computer start it will enter into this mode again.

Word Crashes Opening A Document

Description

When a new Word document is being opened it crashes. If you open Word without opening a new document it doesn’t.

It happens because when Word loads a document it check the orthography and grammar, one problem related with this can be solved with the following solution.

Solution

Many times a file name “personal.dic” is corrupted, you have to find them and deleting.

The file is in:

%userprofile%\Application Data\Microsoft\Proof

Delete the file and see if  Word starts correctly.

There are other problems related with the check spelling that are not solve by this.

Windows Shortcuts

In this post we will see the different uses of the windows key.

Windows Key is in between Ctrl and Alt keys.

1. Windows Key + D

Minimizes every open window, if you use again the windows get restored.

2. Windows Key + E

Opens an Explorer Window.

3. Windows Key + M

Minimizes every open window, is like the first one but if you use it again nothing happens. if you then press Windows Key + Shift + M restores the windows.

4. Windows Key + F

It is the same as click start and then click find.

5. Windows Key + L

Allow you to change the user, doesn't close any application.

6. Windows Key + R

Same as click start, and click run.

7. Windows Key + Pause

Opens the System Properties.

8. Windows Key + U

Opens the utility Manager.

9. Windows Key + F1

Opens the Windows Help Menu.

Desktop Icon Missed From Quick Launch

Description

The quick launch toolbar doesn’t show the desktop icon.

Solution

1. Click Start, click run, type notepad and press intro.

2. Type the following text:

[Shell]
Command=2
IconFile=explorer.exe,3
[Taskbar]
Command=ToggleDesktop

3. Click File, click save, and go to the following path:

%userprofile%”\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch

Save this file as "Show Desktop.scf" remember use the quotes so notepad will save as the right extension.

Internet Is Not Working

Description

Your Computer cannot access to any Web pages.

Solution.

This article describes many short tests you can do in order to know what it is happening with your internet connection.

Test 1.

See if the network card’s led is working.

You only have to watch the back of your computer. If the led isn’t working maybe the network card isn’t working well, in this case restart your computer.

Test 2.

See if the router and modem’s lights  are working.

If not just restart the router too.

Test 3.

Click Start, Click run, type cmd and press enter.

In this new window, type ipconfig and press enter. If your ip is something like 169.254.XXX.XXX that means that you are not getting your ip from your DHCP server.

In this case your computer is not able to communicate with any other computer in your network or internet. Either you have a program in your computer that is blocking your communications or your network card or cables or router are not working properly.

You can disable your Firewall, remember that many antivirus applications came with one so maybe you have more than one in your computer.

If you pass this test and you are not using static ip the cables, router and network card are working well.

Test 4.

Click Start, Click run, type  cmd and press enter.

In this new window, type ipconfig and press enter. The last ip is your gateway.

The gateway is the device that connect you to other network so if you cannot connect to it you have a problem.

So type ping and the number of your gateway, for example:

ping 192.168.1.1

press enter, the command will tell you if the computer can reach the gateway.

If you pass this test then the cables, router and network card are working well.

Test 5.

1. Click Start, click run, type cmd and press enter.
2. Type ipconfig /all. The lasts rows shows the dns servers.
3. Type ping and write one of the last ips.

If the command doesn’t work this mean that maybe your dns servers are not working well and you have to contact your ISP.

Test 6.

1. Click Start, click run, type cmd and press enter.
2. Type ipconfig /all. The lasts rows shows the dns servers.
3. Type nslookup www.google.com “one of the dns ip” , for example:

nslookup www.google.com 192.168.1.1

This command will try to use the dns server to resolve a name, in this case “www.google.es”. If it is success it will give you a list of addresses.

Like happens in the other test if you fail maybe you have to contact your ISP.

If you pass all of this tests and you don’t have internet you will be for sure that something is wrong with a program in your computer, try passing an antispyware and an antivirus.

And then remove every antivirus, antispyware and repeat the tests.

Microsoft Word Gets Too Much Time To Open

Description

You open a file with Microsoft Word and it takes a lot of time.

Solution

When Microsoft Office Word opens a file the first thing that does is open the normal.dot template.

Moreover as we can see in the following link Word tries to find the normal.dot file in many places.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/826839/en-us

So if you don’t use templates and don’t really know what exactly is this, do the following:

In Windows XP

1. Click Start.
2. Click Find.
3. Find for “normal.dot”
4. If you are sure you are not using templates just delete the finding.

One way to know that “normal.dot”  is corrupt or not in good shape is the size. For example the Spanish version of Microsoft Office 2003 creates a 31kb file.

What Process Is Opening A File

Description

Many times when you try to delete a file you get this message:

"It is being used by another person or program".

Then you have to restart your computer, or use the safe mode to attempt to delete the file.

Solution

If you want to know which process is opening your file use Process Explorer

http://download.sysinternals.com/Files/ProcessExplorer.zip


You need administrator rights in order to use this program properly.

You will see something like this:

Press Ctrl+F or click the prismatic icon, in my case I am trying to delete a file call filetodelete.txt so I type:

I have used Winword for this example, you only have to do a double click in the Handle and you will see which process is opening the file and what other files this process has opened.

You can now either right click in the low panel and close the handle or in the winword process and Kill the process.

Then you can delete the file.

Internet Explorer Open In A Small Window

Description

When you open a new Internet Explorer window this is not open properly. Internet Explorer saves the last window size and position, if this last window is a window created by open in a new window, the open in a new window settings are then change too.

Solution

The better way to solve the problem is let Internet Explorer restore the default configuration.

1. Open regedit.
   In Windows XP, click start, click run, type regedit and then press enter.
   
2. Go to the following key:
   
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
   
   Delete the key “Window_Placement”.

If you want that when you use the open in a new window feature it opens in a different way that the default:

1. Open a new Internet Explorer.
2. Using the right click on a link open a new window.
3. Close all the widows except this one just created.
4. Expand the window, not use the maximize icon.
5. Close the window.
   
   

With this, the options of a new window are overwritten too so if you want the Internet Explorer to open in a maximized window:

1. Open a Internet Explorer window but only one.
2. Maximize the window and then close.