How to change the setup screen in vista

This small tutorial will describe how to change the background setup screen in vista.

Tools Needed : Resource Hacker
Files need to edit: spwizimg.dll

It will be located in Install.wim, Boot.wim and DVD\Sources\spwizimg.dll

Install.wim:
Windows\system32\spwizimg.dll
Windows\winsxs\ (Type spwizimg.dll in search index)

Boot.wim:
Sources\spwizimg.dll
Windows\system32\winpe.bmp

DVD:
DVD\Sources\spwizimg.dll

Stop / Start Aero Right Click Menu

[/code]This reg hack allows you to swiftly disable Aero for gaming mode and re-enable.
Works with Vista & Win7 although some report not all versions of the latter.
Save as: Stop-Start DWM.reg

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

;Aero On - Aero Off

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\Start DWM]
@="Start DWM"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\Start DWM\command]
@="net start uxsms"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\Stop DWM]
@="Stop DWM"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\Stop DWM\command]
@="net stop uxsms"

Stop the system automatically rebooting after Windows Update

Normally Windows Update will automatically reboot the system when you have your system configured to "Automatically download recommended updates for my computer and install them" and one or more of those updates requires a reboot. This settings changes the behavior so when users are logged in the system will not automatically reboot.(This works or xp also)

Open your registry and find or create the key below.

Create a new DWORD value, or modify the existing value, called "NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers" and set it according to the value data below.

Exit your registry; you may need to restart or log out of Windows for the change to take effect.

Update Kaspersky Offline !

Follow the simple steps to download Updates :

Step 1 : Visit this Website
Code:
http://support.kaspersky.com/updater?level=2
and download latest KLUpdater.zip from there as it contains the GUI interface also.

Step2 : Once you downloaded KLUpdater.zip , Just extract the files in a Folder.

Step 3 : Now you will get extracted files, Now run the KasperskyUpdater.exe.

Step 5 : Now the Kaspersky Window will be appeared . Select the specific product for which you want to download the updates.

Step 6: Check the boxes which I marked in the figure and select appropriate product. Once done . click on Apply and then press Start to start the downloading process.

Step 7 : Downloading files will be start and a Command prompt will pop up and will show the status. All the required update files will be now downloaded to the folder “Updates“

Thats it. Once done, now you have the off-line
update for that product of kaspersky which you have selected.

How to use this downloaded files to update your Kaspersky product ??

* Right click on system tray icon of the Kaspersky Antivirus.
* Select the Update menu and click Settings .
* Click the Add menu, and find the location of the folder containing the update file above (download the Updates folder above)
* After added, remove the check for “Kaspersky Lab’s update server” and click OK.
* DONE.

How Hard Drives work

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What is a Hard Drive

Almost all desktop computers have a hard drive inside them, but do you really know what they are? Many people when they hear the word hard drive, think that it refers to the computer as a whole. In reality, though, the hard drive is just one of many different pieces that comprise a computer. The hard drive is one of the most important parts of your computer because it is used as a long-term storage space for your data. What that means, is regardless of whether or not the computer is on, or you lose power, the data will still stay stored on this drive keeping it safe. On the other hand, it tells you how important backing up your data is, because if the hard drive malfunctions there is a good chance you will lose it all.

A hard drive is an integral piece of equipment for your computer as your operating system and all your data are typically stored there. In the majority of the situations, if you did not have a working hard drive, or the hard drive malfunctions, you would not be able to boot your computer into the operating system and would get an error. If you opened your computer case and wanted to find your hard drive, it would look similar to the image below:

Image of a Hard Drive

How hard drives work

If you were to open your hard drive, which would immediately void your warranty and potentially damage it, you would see something like the image below:

Inside a Hard Drive

A hard drive consists of the following:

• Magnetic platters - Platters are the round plates in the image above. Each platter holds a certain amount of information, so a drive with a lot of storage will have more platters than one with less storage. When information is stored and retrieved from the platters it is done so in concentric circles, called tracks, which are further broken down into segments called sectors.
  
• Arm - The arm is the piece sticking out over the platters. The arms will contain read and write heads which are used to read and store the magnetic information onto the platters. Each platter will have its own arm which is used to read and write data off of it.
  
• Motor - The motor is used to spin the platters from 4,500 to 15,000 rotations per minute (RPM). The faster the RPM of a drive, the better performance you will achieve from it.

When a the computer wants to retrieve data off of the hard drive, the motor will spin up the platters and the arm will move itself to the appropriate position above the platter where the data is stored. The heads on the arm will detect the magnetic bits on the platters and convert them into the appropriate data that can be used by the computer. Conversely, when data is sent to the drive, the heads will this time, send magnetic pulses at the platters changing the magnetic properties of the platter, and thus storing your information.
It is important to note, that since the data stored on your hard drive is magnetic, it is not a good idea to play with a magnet near your hard drive

Hard Drive Interfaces
A hard drive connects to your computer through a specific type of interface. The interface on your hard drive must match the corresponding interface on your motherboard. If you purchase a new hard drive that has a interface that your motherboard does not support, it will not work in your computer. Currently there are three interfaces that have become the standard for connecting your hard to your computer. Some information about each of these interfaces are below.

• IDE or ATA - This is currently the most common interface used but is quickly becoming overcome by the newer SATA interface. Hard drives using this type of interface have speeds up to 100 Mbps.
  
• SATA - A newer interface that uses less bulky cables and has speeds starting at 150 Mbps for SATA and 300 Mbps for SATA II. Almost all computer manufacturers have started using SATA drives.
  
• SCSI - This type of interface is typically used in a business environment for servers. Hard Drives designed for a SCSI interface tend to have a faster RPM which therefore provides better performance.
  

When buying a hard drive
When purchasing a hard drive there are some characteristics you want to keep in mind that will help you determine the right drive for your needs. These characteristics are:

• Seek Time - The amount of time required to move a drive's read/write head to a particular location on the disk. The lower the number, the better.
  
• Access time - The actual amount of time from when a data is requested from a drive and delivered. The lower the number, the better.
  
• RPMS - How fast the platters spin. The higher the number, the faster the drive will be.
  
• Capacity - The amount of storage space available on the drive. Typically most drives purchased today will be 80 Gigabytes or greater. An 80 GB hard drive will on average cost around 60 USD.
  
• Interface - How the hard drive connects to your computer. Make sure that the hard drive's interface is supported on your computer before you purchase it.