Not too long ago, a client asked me if the “Registered To” information could be reset or changed.

Having done it before, I decided to post the steps, in case anyone else wants to know.

As I’ve said many times before, I never recommend anyone other than a computer expert, work on your computer. While I these steps are pretty simple and straight forward, dealing with the system registry is not something to be taken lightly. A simple mistake will have lasting effects, including the possible loss of data and/or prevent you from using the computer at all.

Before playing with the registry, it is always a good idea to back it up!

If you are comfortable with the risk, follow these steps:

1. Go to START > Run
2. (type in) regedit
3. Click the OK Button [OK]
4. Navigate to the following registry location:
   

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version

5. The registry keys below control what is shown on this screen:
   

   
   
   RegisteredOwner – Owner’s Name
   RegisteredOrganization – Organization Name

6. Double Click on the registry key you wish to change. This will give you the “Edit String” window.
7. Change only the “Value Data” entry on the “Edit String” window.
8. Click the OK Button [OK] to save your changes or click the CANCEL Button [CANCEL]
9. Close the registry editor
10. Restart Your computer

If you followed these steps correctly, the new information will display once your computer reboots.

These steps have worked perfectly for me over and over. However, if you would prefer a professional does this for you, just use the CONTACT US link in the menu to get in touch with one of our technicians. Most times, we can do this for you remotely, for a nominal fee!

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We’ve had quite a few requests for this recently, so we decided to add it to our blog.

Automatically loggin in to Windows is quite convenient, but considerably risky for security. Doing so will allow anyone who can physically access to the computer to also access to everything that is on the computer, including files, drives and networks the computer is connected to. Configuring automatic logon requires the windows password to be stored in the registry, in plain text. The specific registry key that stores this value is remotely readable by the Authenticated Users group.

It is absolutely vital to only use this setting if the computer is physically secured and if you ensure users who you do not trust cannot remotely see the registry.

You can turn on Automatic Logon without directly making edits to the registry, though the changes in the registry are still made. This works for Microsoft Windows XP Home and Professional editions, installed on a computer, not joined to a domain.

To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type control userpasswords2, and then click OK.

Note: When users try to display help information in the User Accounts window in Windows XP Home Edition, the help information is not displayed. Additionally, users receive the following error message:

Cannot find the Drive:\Windows\System32\users.hlp Help file.

Check to see that the file exists on your hard disk drive. If it does not exist, you must reinstall it.

3. Clear the “Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer” check box, and then click Apply.
4. In the Automatically Log On window, type the password in the Password box, and then retype the password in the Confirm Password box.
5. Click OK to close the Automatically Log On window, and then click OK to close the User Accounts window.

To test to see if your new configuration works, simply reboot your PC.

You can also use the Registry Editor to manually add your log on information.

To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
2. Locate the following registry key:
   

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

3. Using your account name and password, double-click the DefaultUserName entry, type your user name, and then click OK.
4. Double-click the DefaultPassword entry, type your password under the value data box, and then click OK.
   

   If there is no DefaultPassword value, create the value. To do this, follow these steps:
   A. In Registry Editor, click Edit, click New, and then click String Value.
   B. Type DefaultPassword as the value name, and then press ENTER.
   C. Double-click the newly created key, and then type your password in the Value Data box.

   If no DefaultPassword string is specified, Windows XP automatically changes the value of the AutoAdminLogon registry key from 1 (true) to 0 (false) to turn off the AutoAdminLogon feature.

5. Double-click the AutoAdminLogon entry, type 1 in the Value Data box, and then click OK.
   

   If there is no AutoAdminLogon entry, create the entry. To do this, follow these steps:
   A. In Registry Editor, click Edit, click New, and then click String Value.
   B. Type AutoAdminLogon as the value name, and then press ENTER.
   C. Double-click the newly created key, and then type 1 in the Value Data box.

6. Quit Registry Editor.
7. Click Start, click Restart, and then click OK.

After your computer restarts and Windows XP starts, you can log on automatically.

If you want to bypass the automatic logon to log on as a different user, hold down the SHIFT key after you log off or after Windows XP restarts. Note that this procedure applies only to the first logon. To enforce this setting for future logoffs, the administrator must set the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

Value:ForceAutoLogon
Type: REG_SZ
Data: 1

Both of these steps have worked many times for us and our clients.

Word of Caution: Make sure you PAY CLOSE ATTENTION to the details and instructions provided! We are not responsible for any damage this may do to your computer due to mistakes, mis-interpretation or pre-existing conditions.

We found this information on Microsoft’s Support site. Article ID: 315231 “How to turn on automatic logon in Windows XP”

If you want a professional to handle this for you, Just use the CONTACT US link in the menu to get in touch with one of our technicians. Most times, we can do this for you remotely!

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Below I have Indexed the Windows XP Command Line commands.

A

• ADDUSERS – Add or list users to/from a CSV file
• ARP – Address Resolution Protocol
• ASSOC – Change file extension associations*
• ASSOCIAT – One step file association
• AT – Schedule a command to run at a later time
• ATTRIB – Change file attributes

B

• BOOTCFG – Edit Windows boot settings
• BROWSTAT – Get domain, browser and PDC info

C

• CACLS – Change file permissions
• CALL – Call one batch program from another*
• CD – Change Directory – move to a specific Folder*
• CHANGE – Change Terminal Server Session properties
• CHKDSK – Check Disk – check and repair disk problems
• CHKNTFS – Check the NTFS file system
• CHOICE – Accept keyboard input to a batch file
• CIPHER – Encrypt or Decrypt files/folders
• CleanMgr – Automated cleanup of Temp files, recycle bin
• CLEARMEM – Clear memory leaks
• CLIP – Copy STDIN to the Windows clipboard
• CLS – Clear the screen*
• CLUSTER – Windows Clustering
• CMD – Start a new CMD shell
• COLOR – Change colors of the CMD window*
• COMP – Compare the contents of two files or sets of files
• COMPACT – Compress files or folders on an NTFS partition
• OMPRESS – Compress individual files on an NTFS partition
• CON2PRT – Connect or disconnect a Printer
• CONVERT – Convert a FAT drive to NTFS.
• COPY – Copy one or more files to another location*
• CSCcmd – Client-side caching (Offline Files)
• CSVDE – Import or Export Active Directory data

D

• DATE – Display or set the date*
• DEFRAG – Defragment hard drive
• DEL – Delete one or more files*
• DELPROF – Delete NT user profiles
• DELTREE – Delete a folder and all subfolders
• DevCon – Device Manager Command Line Utility
• DIR – Display a list of files and folders*
• DIRUSE – Display disk usage
• DISKCOMP – Compare the contents of two floppy disks
• DISKCOPY – Copy the contents of one floppy disk to another
• DISKPART – Disk Administration
• DNSSTAT – DNS Statistics
• DOSKEY – Edit command line, recall commands, and create macros
• DSADD – Add user (computer, group..) to active directory
• DSQUERY – List items in active directory
• DSMOD – Modify user (computer, group..) in active directory

E

• ECHO – Display message on screen*
• ENDLOCAL – End localisation of environment changes in a batch file*
• ERASE – Delete one or more files*
• EXIT – Quit the current script/routine and set an errorlevel*
• EXPAND – Uncompress files
• EXTRACT – Uncompress CAB files

F

• FC – Compare two files
• FIND – Search for a text string in a file
• FINDSTR – Search for strings in files
• FOR /F – Loop command: against a set of files*
• FOR /F – Loop command: against the results of another command*
• FOR – Loop command: all options Files, Directory, List*
• FORFILES – Batch process multiple files
• FORMAT – Format a disk
• FREEDISK – Check free disk space (in bytes)
• FSUTIL – File and Volume utilities
• FTP – File Transfer Protocol
• FTYPE – Display or modify file types used in file extension associations*

G

• GLOBAL – Display membership of global groups
• GOTO – Direct a batch program to jump to a labelled line*

H

• HELP – Online Help

I

• iCACLS – Change file and folder permissions
• IF – Conditionally perform a command*
• IFMEMBER – Is the current user in an NT Workgroup
• IPCONFIG – Configure IP

K

• KILL – Remove a program from memory

L

• LABEL – Edit a disk label
• LOCAL – Display membership of local groups
• LOGEVENT – Write text to the NT event viewer
• LOGOFF – Log a user off
• LOGTIME Log the date and time in a file

M

• MAPISEND – Send email from the command line
• MBSAcli – Baseline Security Analyzer
• MEM – Display memory usage
• MD – Create new folders*
• MKLINK – Create a symbolic link (linkd)
• MODE – Configure a system device
• MORE – Display output, one screen at a time
• MOUNTVOL – Manage a volume mount point
• MOVE – Move files from one folder to another*
• MOVEUSER – Move a user from one domain to another
• MSG – Send a message
• MSIEXEC Microsoft Windows Installer
• MSINFO – Windows NT diagnostics
• MSTSC – Terminal Server Connection (Remote Desktop Protocol)
• MUNGE – Find and Replace text within file(s)
• MV – Copy in-use files

N

• NET – Manage network resources
• NETDOM – Domain Manager
• NETSH – Configure network protocols
• NETSVC – Command-line Service Controller
• NBTSTAT – Display networking statistics (NetBIOS over TCP/IP)
• NETSTAT – Display networking statistics (TCP/IP)
• NOW – Display the current Date and Time
• NSLOOKUP – Name server lookup
• NTBACKUP – Backup folders to tape
• NTRIGHTS – Edit user account rights

P

• PATH – Display or set a search path for executable files*
• PATHPING – Trace route plus network latency and packet loss
• PAUSE – Suspend processing of a batch file and display a message*
• PERMS – Show permissions for a user
• PERFMON – Performance Monitor
• PING – Test a network connection
• POPD – Restore the previous value of the current directory saved by PUSHD*
• PORTQRY – Display the status of ports and services
• PRINT – Print a text file
• PRNCNFG – Display, configure or rename a printer
• PRNMNGR – Add, delete, list printers set the default printer
• PROMPT – Change the command prompt*
• PsExec – Execute process remotely
• PsFile – Show files opened remotely
• PsGetSid – Display the SID of a computer or a user
• PsInfo – List information about a system
• PsKill – Kill processes by name or process ID
• PsList – List detailed information about processes
• PsLoggedOn – Who’s logged on (locally or via resource sharing)
• PsLogList – Event log records
• PsPasswd – Change account password
• PsService – View and control services
• PsShutdown – Shutdown or reboot a computer
• PsSuspend – Suspend processes
• PUSHD – Save and then change the current directory*

Q

• QGREP – Search file(s) for lines that match a given pattern.

R

• RASDIAL – Manage RAS connections
• RASPHONE – Manage RAS connections
• RECOVER – Recover a damaged file from a defective disk
• REG – Registry: Read, Set, Export, Delete keys and values
• REGEDIT – Import or export registry settings
• REGSVR32 – Register or unregister a DLL
• REGINI – Change Registry Permissions
• REM – Record comments (remarks) in a batch file*
• REN – Rename a file or files*
• REPLACE – Replace or update one file with another
• RD – Delete folder(s)*
• RMTSHARE – Share a folder or a printer
• ROBOCOPY – Robust File and Folder Copy
• ROUTE – Manipulate network routing tables
• RUNAS – Execute a program under a different user account
• RUNDLL32 – Run a DLL command (add/remove print connections)

S

• SC – Service Control
• SCHTASKS – Create or Edit Scheduled Tasks
• SCLIST – Display NT Services
• SET – Display, set, or remove environment variables*
• SETLOCAL – Control the visibility of environment variables*
• SETX – Set environment variables permanently
• SHARE – List or edit a file share or print share
• SHIFT – Shift the position of replaceable parameters in a batch file*
• SHORTCUT – Create a windows shortcut (.LNK file)
• SHOWGRPS – List the NT Workgroups a user has joined
• SHOWMBRS – List the Users who are members of a Workgroup
• SHUTDOWN – Shutdown the computer
• SLEEP – Wait for x seconds
• SLMGR – Software Licensing Management (Vista/2008)
• SOON – Schedule a command to run in the near future
• SORT – Sort input
• START – Start a program or command in a separate window*
• SU – Switch User
• SUBINACL – Edit file and folder Permissions, Ownership and Domain
• SUBST – Associate a path with a drive letter
• SYSTEMINFO – List system configuration

T

• TASKLIST – List running applications and services
• TASKKILL – Remove a running process from memory
• TIME – Display or set the system time*
• TIMEOUT – Delay processing of a batch file
• TITLE – Set the window title for a CMD.EXE session*
• TLIST – Task list with full path
• TOUCH – Change file timestamps –
• TRACERT – Trace route to a remote host
• TREE – Graphical display of folder structure
• TYPE – Display the contents of a text file*

U

• USRSTAT List domain usernames and last login

V

• VER – Display version information*
• VERIFY – Verify that files have been saved*
• VOL – Display a disk label*

W

• WHERE – Locate and display files in a directory tree
• WHOAMI – Output the current UserName and domain
• WINDIFF – Compare the contents of two files or sets of files
• WINMSD – Windows system diagnostics
• WINMSDP – Windows system diagnostics II
• WMIC – WMI Commands

X

• XCACLS – Change file and folder permissions
• XCOPY – Copy files and folders

::

• :: – Comment / Remark*

Any command followed by an “*” are Internal commands, which are only available within the CMD shell.
All other commands should be available for use in the CMD shell, PowerShell, or directly from START > RUN.

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I’ve already written an article about Spybot Search and Destroy. I talk about it’s ability to help the general user and seasoned professional with Spyware, Adware, & Malware.

Since posting that last article, I’ve heard grumblings about Spybot and problems using it with Microsoft’s latest Internet Explorer (Version 8). Most of the criticism has been aimed at Safer Networking and their Spybot software. So I thought I would dive in a little deeper.

I found an article by Safer Networking, from this past March (2009) about this exact issue. Safer Networking stated that there is an apparent problem between Internet Explorer 8 and the immunization feature of Spybot.

At the suggestion of Safer Networking’s article, I tested Spybot with IE7 and then again with IE8. I also tried filling IE8 with a huge list of sites to block. As I suspected and as Safer Networking eluded to, Microsoft is tripping on it’s own feet again. Spybot is working correctly. You need the blocked sites list to protect you, whether it is provided by the Spybot software or not. If you plug the same list of sites into Internet Explorer 8 manually, that Spybot does for you automatically, you will get a similar result. So the problem falls on Microsoft and the Internet Explorer 8 web browser.

SOLUTION: DO NOT USE Microsoft Software of any kind, but more specifically Internet Explorer 8. Instead, try a flavor of Linux/Unix, maybe even a Macintosh. See the complete list of supported operating systems here!

If you must use Microsoft Windows, and you absolutely have to have IE8, you need to be using Spybot. So, a less aggressive solution would be to be patient when launching IE8. If you have Spybot installed, running correctly and protecting Internet Explorer 8, it is going to take a little bit for the program to load completely.

Filed under: Anti-Malware, Anti-Spyware, Computers, Free Software, Free Utilities, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Software, Utilities, Web Browsers, Windows | No Comments »

If you are in the IT Field and work with Microsoft Operating Systems and/or Software, most likely you are familiar with Microsoft’s Terminal Services and Remote Desktop Protocols. Many use programs, which utilize these protocols, to save time and money when managing equipment running a Microsoft Operating System. These protocols make it possible to remotely log in to a pc for management or support purposes.

One software you could use is the Remote Desktop Connection software, which is provided by Microsoft, with many of their Operating Systems. An extension of this software is the Remote Desktop Web Connection (You can read about installing Remote Desktop Web Connection in Windows XP, here.). Windows Server Operating Systems have this option available too.

Not too long ago, Microsoft released Service Pack 3 for XP (You can read about installing SP3 here.). This new update was distributed through the Microsoft Updates Pages and was listed as an Update if your Automatic Updates option in Windows was turned on.

However, as with everything from Microsoft, the newest, latest, greatest software came with issues. One of those issues was with the ActiveX Control for Remote Desktop Web Connection. If you used Remote Desktop Web Connection before installing SP3, most likely you ran into this issue (You can read about Remote Desktop Web Connection issues after installing SP3 here.).

I ran into this exact issue immediately after installing SP3. I went to Microsoft’s Support site and read through several articles before i found the one I needed (listed above.). I tried the first two work around options Microsoft recommended. Neither of them worked. The final work around, requiring direct registry editing, did finally work. Once I deleted the registry entry Microsoft listed and rebooted my machine, I was able to re-install the Remote Desktop Web Connection ActiveX Control.

YEAH, IT WORKED…

For a while!

Just a few days ago, Microsoft officially released Internet Explorer 8 (IE8). The exact same issue came back. Of course this is considered a new issue, because it is related to IE8 and not to SP3, so there is nothing in Microsoft’s Support pages about it yet. however if you follow the same directions (found here.), you can fix the problem yourself.

Thank you Microsoft!

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