Wednesday, November 10, 2010

luddite-archive20101110b

How Roadkil's Disk Image 1.1 killed my computer by Carpediem2100
===============================================
Feb2006

First, I don't blame Roadkil. My computer crashed and died because I
am not good with technology and I couldn't interpret the options Windows
had offered. Disk Image probably works fine if you use it appropriately.

I downloaded from Roadkil's site, http://www.roadkil.net a small app
called Disk Image version 1.1. I was fooling around with it and
attempted to make an image of a 3.5" floppy disk to my harddrive. This
was on an older computer with a Windows98 platform. So, using the
floppy disk as the source and the harddrive as the destination, I
proceeded.

Windows blurted out a warning/error box saying there is an
incompatibility as the DOS version seems to be older. At this point
there were 2 choices, and only 2 choices. Choice 1 said the program
will proceed but will not print if you press "yes". Choice 2 said
press "no" and the program will end.

So, like a dummy, I murdered this old loyal Windows98 hound by pressing
"no" (How many of you out there would have pressed "yes"?). My computer
would not reboot afterwards.


Looking back on this it is kind of funny. The frustration of it all.
----------------------------------------
Here is what happened. (note, I tried a reboot after each item listed
below.)

Windows would not boot into safemode. I used a Windows98 recovery floppy
disk (which I made 6 years ago and didn't lose). From here I performed a
Chkdsk, and a Scandisk. Scandisk said it found errors and fixed them.
Next it recommended to do a SYS C: at the a:\> command prompt. The
computer responded with "there is not enough space to do a sys c:".
My CD-backups were useless because its proprietary system requires a
working Windows OS to function properly.

Now, I still don't have a clue of what to do so I decide to reinstall
Windows from CD. Windows replied, "can't perform setup as there is a
compressed drive." I have to try something else.

I was not going to bring my computer to a shop to have it repaired for
hundred(s) of dollars. (I think I seen for sale, a pre-owned computer of
the same vintage, in the newspaper ads, for about $62.00).

I tried using an UltimateBootDisc (UBCD). This CD performs the
functions of the recovery floppy disk and likely has more features.
Even though I don't know what I'm doing, I highly recommend it. Search
on the internet for it. I tried some of the features on the UBCD, and
most of them wouldn't finish because it found a fault. ie, a typical
message would be "...mcb corrupt...".

Now I used the OEM diagnostic disc. Following its instructions I made
the program "perform all tests". The program indicated all tests
"passed".

Next I decided to do a complete recovery with the computers OEM discs.
These discs are supposed bring the computer back to the original
retail-store-like condition, although it will delete all your existing
data. The OEM disc would not proceed saying there is no drive available.
At the command prompt, I tried to list the contents of the C: drive
using the "dir" command. I have done this years past with success, but
this time, it listed the contents of my ORIGINAL floppy disk!!!
This is what I think occurred. Disk Image wrote my floppy disk to the
C:drive and called the image (which is about 1.4 Megabytes) the new
C:drive. That's the most likely reason why I couldn't do a SYS C:, or
a Reinstall, or an OEM-factory reinstall.

Somehow (I forget the sequence of events), I repartitioned the drive by
using the FDISK command and subsequently the FORMAT C: \s command.
After this, my OEM discs were able to function properly, and I
performed a factory reinstall.

Now I was able to use my proprietary backup CDs. The bad news is the
backup is a month old. I lost 4 weeks of data, but I consider myself
lucky as the damage could have been much worse (- This is another
argument for regular/frequent backups -).

I spent all day resurrecting this old machine.

I can recommend another app for archiving floppy disk images: Rawwrite
for Windows is freeware and appears to work quite well.







All this headache and pain occurred because I pressed the "no" button,
when I should have pressed the "yes" button.


-----------------



shortcut kills computer
=======================
2006-01-12 written by Carpediem2100



summary:
clicking on shortcut caused Windows98 desktop computer to boot
into DOS mode only.


I was trying to get at the shortcut called "ms-dos prompt" and instead
clicked on an identical looking shortcut called "Dos Mode Games with
EMS and XMS Support.pif"

that is when all the trouble started. the computer would only restart,
or boot into DOS mode.

What i tried:
boot into safe mode & looked at control panel; nothing seemed to help.
In safe mode, cd-drives will not function, therefore my backup on cd-r's
would not work.
System file checker (part of System Information) did not fix it.

How i recovered:
i went back into safe mode & searched for files: Config.sys amd
AutoExec.bat. I found these files in either in C:\ or C:\windows\.
Clicking on their properties showed they were newly created. I moved
these 2 files onto the desktop. I restarted the computer and the
windows98 OS was back!

----------------------
~...

Password Glitch in Windows XP Home by Carpediem2100 Jan2006
----------------------------------
My computer was purchased in June2005. The operating system included
in it is Windows XP Home edition, with service pack 2 already built in.

Normally one would navigate to Control Panel --> Profiles --> User Acct
--> and click on "prevent a forgotten password" to create a "password
recovery (floppy) disk."

My computer didn't come with a floppy disk drive and I didn't purchase
one. So when the password recovery disk wizard prompted to insert a
floppy disk, I instead inserted a USB flash drive.
The computer finished the process. On examination, no files in my USB
drive were altered and no files were written to it.
Windows, had written a file onto the C: drive, I think was called
userkey.psw.
The problem is that after inserting my USB drive, I could get access to
the password change function (password recovery). I erased all the files
on my USB drive and tried again. I was still allowed access.
I moved the user.pwd file onto my USB drive and tried again. This time,
Windows disallowed access.

Don't get me wrong, I think this is an excellent feature if you are able
to create a recovery floppy disk. But my scenario seems to be a glitch
and could represent a security flaw.
I can't offer any remedies but my only suggestions are to keep your
password in a safe place (cookie jar), and to do regular backups of
your data/files.


```````````````````


ports 20060911 (there are 65535 possible ports)

item host port other
==== ==== ===== =====

baracuda-drive HTTP listen 80
baracuda-drive HTTPS listen 443

bfilter 1.06 8080
darkstar deltasource/bittorent 6881-6999
eDonkey network (p2p) 4661-4666
freecap 3.18 1080 (socks)
gnutella network(p2p) 6346-6429
icq instant messenger login.icq.com 5190

jabber jabber.org 5222
kazaa (p2p) 1214
microsoft -DS (aka netbios for newer NT) 445
msn instant messenger messenger.hotmail.com 1863

multiproxy 1.2a 8088
mute 0.5 (p2p) 4900
napster (p2p?) 6699
NNTP (news network transfer protocol) 119
picophone 1.64 11676 (udp)
old Windows file sharing 135-139
polipo 8123
privoxy (127.0.0.1) 8118

psst 0.2 4516
smtp (anti-spam) convention 25

speakfreely 7.2 2074-2076
tor 9050

voiperized 2.4 4379 (udp)
web-secure 443
web-standard 80
yahoo instant messaging scs.msg.yahoo.com 5050

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