Tech Tips

All you ever wanted to know about DOS

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1 year ago
by Dennis Thompson in , ,

DOS is an acronym that stands for Disk Operating System and was the base for Windows Operating systems until Windows 2000 when Windows NT took over. When you boil any windows os down you get dos eventually. DOS, cmd.exe, or command prompt — three terms that are not all mutually exclusive — is a very powerful tool when combating viruses, formatting your hard drive, or simply copying files and folder from one directory to another.

Please note: directories are different in XP and those examples will be clearly indicated with a line below the Vista and Windows 7 directories. So if you’re a faithful XP user, your command line is below the divider.

Note: All commands used in this tutorial series work on XP, Vista, and Windows 7.

In this tutorial, we will be going over basic DOS navigation commands. So let us begin already!

C:\> is how we often identify CMD from something like Windows Power Shell or a Unix Terminal.

Power Shell

This is an example of Windows Power Shell explaining foreach loops

Why would we use CMD?

There are a number of reasons why we would use CMD. Often, we use CMD to view network statuses, open Windows Utilities like System Configuration, or to delete stubborn files that we cannot delete normally.

Note: if you are using Vista or Windows 7, you will need to open cmd.exe as an administrator. This is called an elevated cmd where you start in the System32 directory and cmd.exe has full admin privileges.

Navigating Through DOS

Navigating through the command prompt is very easy and powered mostly by one simple command: cd.

cd or chdir stands for Change Directory. This allows us to change directories (or folders) in DOS. For example:

Let us assume we just opened the command prompt and we wish to navigate to the root directory of our C: drive. In order to do this we would do the following:

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cd C:\

dos

This is telling DOS to change the directory to C:\ or the root directory of the Hard Drive.

Using a bit more complex directories, we can navigate to our music folder from the root directory (C:\>)

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C:\> cd C:\users\dennis\music - VISTA/7
C:\> cd C:\documents and settings\dennis\my documents\my music -XP

dos

Note: when using CMD, the commands and any text you write are NOT cap-sensitive. There is no difference between CHDIR and chdir, they both will work.

If we got lost in here, fret not. This brings us to our next command which is dir which stands for directory. A directory is any really just any old folder on your hard drive. This could be the Windows directory, the System32 directory, or the Music directory.

The dir commands shows us all of the directories and files within the directory we are in. Let us assume we’re back in the root directory of our C: drive and we want to see all files and folders within the C: directory we would simply type:

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C:\> dir
VISTA / 7 XP
dos dos

We can see that there are many folder within the root directory of our C: drive. The Windows folder contains our operating system, the user folder contains out user accounts and personal files, and the Program Files contains all of our applications.

Switches

If you are familiar with programming then you are familiar with functions (methods for those java programmers). In DOS we have what are called switches. These switches or arguments, allow us to have a command do something specific or only do part of the command. For example,

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dir |more
dir /4
taskkill /im iexplorer.exe /f
erase C:\windows.old /f
rd C:\windows.old /q /s

The forward slash / designates the switch used for the DOS command.

The most important switch of all

By far the most important switch to know is /?. Confused a little? The /? switch allows us to get help with any command. Using this siwtch on a command will show us the syntax, all of the siwtches that can be used, and often it will show examples of the command in use. For example,

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dir /?

dos

Using this switch, we can figure out all other switches and easily determine what we need to do. If, for instance, we wanted to show the directories and files that end with .sys except, we want them in alphabetical order, we would do the following:

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dir *.sys /on

This will find all files that end with .sys and place them in alphabetical order. The switch /on can be separated into two components first.

/o /n
Enables the sortorder switch. This allows you to sort the order of the directories you are searching through The subswitch — so to speak — is like an extension of the sortorder switch. Since it’s a subswitch, we can negate the / before the n.

Wildcard

You may have noticed the asterisk before the .sys. This is called a wildcard. If you’ve ever done programming of any kind of are proficient in CSS, then you may have encountered this wildcard before.

Basically, a wildcard is something that allows you to do something or apply something to multiple things without having to define them all directly. This can be important when navigating through DOS. If, for instance, we’re looking for a .exe file but we don’t know the name of it or even if you know part of the name, then we can use the wildcard to find it. COnsider the following:

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C:\users\{username}\documents\pictures> dir n*.jpg

This will search through the entire picture folder for images that start with n and end in .jpg.

Question Mark Wildcard

The question mark is another form of wildcard with DOS. The difference is the number of character that can be used for each wildcard. The Asterisk (*) will allow up to an eight character substitution and the question mark (?) will allow for a single character substitution. For example,

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C:\Windows\System32\> dir x*.e?? /on

This would search for any files and directories that begin with “x” and end with the file extension that starts with an “e”. These results would also return alphabetically via the switch “/on” as mentioned before.

Installing Windows XP

0
2 years ago
by Dennis Thompson in ,

Ever since 2001, Windows XP has been a favorite OS by millions of people. Born out of Windows NT and came with multiple flavors of XP, users were charmed with its fresh new look and ease of use.

Note: for VM using Virtual PC 2007 click here to view necessary information for installing Windows XP Professional X86.

Versions:

  • Home Edition
  • Professional
  • Tablet PC
  • Media Center Edition
    • Media Center Edition (Freestyle 2002)
    • Media Center Edition (Harmony 2004)
    • Media Center Edition (EHarmony 2005)
  • Professional X64 Edition

With these many distributions of the OS, people could pick and choose between the features and determine exactly what the need.

Installing Windows XP

Today we’ll be installing Windows XP Professional X86 (32-bit edition) from scratch. Before we install we need to prepare our Hard Disk Drive (HDD) for installing XP.

Step 1

Find your Windows Product Key. If you have lost your product key or are not sure if it is correct then you should download a free product key finder that is compatible with your current installation of Windows XP. http://www.winkeyfinder.com/ this website, however, only applies if you are moving your installation from one computer to another computer.

Create the necessary partitions and/or back up all of the important files that you need for this new installation. If you intend on wiping your HDD then using http://www.diskwipe.org/ software that is available for free is a great tool to wipe an HDD with. You’ll need to mount this progam on a CD and boot from the CD and when it prompts you type the following: WIPE 0

Once you’ve done what you need to do in order to prepare your HDD for installing XP, pop the CD/DVD in and turn off the computer off and back on to boot from the CD/DVD. The first thing you’ll see is the following:

The next thing you’ll see is the beginning of the Windows Installer with a bright blue background:

Once all of the necessary items are loaded for the Installer to commence you’ll see the follwing:

Press Enter to setup XP.

Step 2

The first thing you’ll be asked to do it to accept the EULA or the End-User License Agreement, press F8 to accept the EULA otherwise the OS will NOT install.

Step 3 1

Select the Hard Drive or the HDD Partition that you wish XP to be installed on and then press enter.

Step 4 2

The next step is important to installing your OS. If you don’t want to use the Wipe utility you can do what’s called a high-level format which wipes the HDD.

NTFS Quick v. NTFS

NTFS Quick NTFS
NTFS Quick only wipes out the Master Boot Record (MBR) and the parition tables you have assigned to that drive. The deletion of files, however, does not occur. NTFS normal disk format not only wipes the MBR and the parition table, but is also wipes out ALL of the files that are in the drive. Once this is done it cannot be undone and you will not be able to retrieve any files from the HDD. This is also called a high-level format.

If you used the Wipe utility then you can use the NTFS Quick setting and if you did not but you want to wipe the drive then you can use the NTFS format to wipe the drive.

Select the option you wish to use and then press enter. You will see the following:

Once this is done you’ll see the following:

This portion of the setup is just analyzing your HDD to make sure the format went well and goes by relatively quickly.

Step 5

Once the formatting process is finished and it has checked to make sure everything has gone correctly, you will see this:

This is merely loading all of the necessary files that are needed to begin and complete the XP setup. After it gathers all of the necessary files you will see that the files are being configures and then the system will reboot.

Setting up Windows XP

Now that all of the core files have loaded for the setup to commence, we can actually begin installing and configuring our installation of the OS.

At first, it appears as if the XP installation had finished when, in reality, it’s just the tip of the iceberg unfortunately.

Step 1

Windows will first analyze your system and prompt you which language you are using and how you would like your keyboard setup.

Step 2 3

Next we’ll need to type the name of the PC that we wish to use.

Step 3

Enter in your 25 number product key and then continue. If you are unsure of your product key and you might have lost it then there is the software mentioned at the beginning of this tutorial.

Step 4

Once the product key has successfully been entered we now will configure the admin user and time settings. We have an option from UTC – 12 to UTC + 12. Here in Pacific Time Zone we’re UTC – 8.

Step 5

This is where the fun begins. Be prepared to spend time doing something else while the OS installs. This is really just preparing the OS for installation.

Step 6

For setting up the network, it is advised to setup all of the typical settings (which is basically everything) since it is all you’ll need to have a fully functional computer.

Step 7

Wait. Nothing more, nothing less. The only thing we do now is wait. Here are multiple screen shots of the installers progress:

Finalizing the Install

From what may seem like an eternity, Windows reboots itself this time and we start to configure the OS to our liking before we actually are able to use XP.

Step 1

Automatic Updates are essential for any Windows Operating System. This allows Windows to search and download updates and even install them without you having to approve of such updates. These updates include security patches, OS patches, service packs, updates in key software such as hardware drivers, manufacture software, Microsoft Office, and Internet Explorer updates.

Step 2

Setting up the network is important but not vital. If you are unsure if your PC is on a network or if it directly connects to the internet then select no for the answer and continue with the configuration. You can always change these settings in control panel later on.

Step 3

Activating Windows is an important process to get done with. You will, however, need an internet connection in order to activate windows. If you do not have an active internet connection then you should find some way to activate the OS.

Registering with Microsoft is relatively unimportant. You can choose to register or to not register.

Step 4

This step in configuration allows us to create our admin user and up to four additional users of the computer. XP was the first Operating System that allows multiple users and it passed Apple’s OSX 10.0 initial release codename cheetah with great popularity and more features.

Step 5

Once this is all done you’ll get the following screen:

and then the OS will finish booting and presto!

Virtual Machine Reference Material for Virtual PC 2007
1 The hard drive that we see here will be the amount of space that we allocated to the VM in step 8 of the Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 software. 2 The format of the HDD doesn’t mean anything because there is nothing on the virtual drive. It is completely blank. It has not yet gone through a high-level format like the host computers HDD has. You can select either option. 3 An interesting phenomenon happens here if the names of the host computer and the virtual machine are the same. You must name the VM something other than what the hosts name is. e.g. Host: Dennis-PC and VM: Dennis-PC. This is not allowed.

Creating a Virtual Machine with Microsoft Virtual PC 2007

0
2 years ago
by Dennis Thompson in ,

The first VM tutorial that we read about was with a paid software created by Parallels. If you didn’t read this tutorial and you are interested then click here.

How to Find

This may seem silly to some out there but this little bit of software isn’t easy to find actually. If you use your preferred search engine and simply type Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 you’ll get a link like the following: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/ this is NOT. Why? Because they also want you to download obnoxious software with it as well.

The URL you really want only has the software you actually need from Microsoft and can be easily found and downloaded here.

Installing Windows XP as a VM

In this tutorial we’ll be installing Windows XP Professional X86 on our VM. This could be helpful if you have software or hardware that is not yet supported on Windows Vista/7 and perhaps might never be supported. You can, of course, install any OS you wish on your PC and run it as the VM.

Step 1

Just press next

Step 2

We need to either create a new Virtual Machine with our own custom settings, create a vm using the typical settings as determined by Microsoft, or add an existing VM.

We want to create a new VM using our own custom settings (the first option).

Step 3

Name the Virtual Machine something that can be easily remembered and lets you identify your VM instantly by the OS it uses. XP or Windows XP will suite for this VM.

As for the physical location of the VM, it will be saved in the following places:

For XP: C:\documents and settings\My Virtual Machines

For Vista and 7: C:\users\{username}\Documents\My Virtual Machines

Step 5

Next we need to set our OS that we are installing.

For this tutorial we’ll be installing Windows XP Professional X86 but we have multiple options that we can choose from.

Step 6

Next we’ll want to set our own custom amount of RAM for the VM to use. This is very contingent on the amount of available RAM you have on your host system. If you are unsure how much RAM you have go to run by pressing windows key+r and typing msinfo32 you are looking for the Installed Physical RAM and the Total RAM. If your total RAM exceeds 1.5GB then you should allocate more RAM to the XP VM. 400MB-512MB for 2GB of RAM is acceptable.

Step 7

Next we want to create a new disk for our VM and then we want to allocate the necessary space for the VM.

Step 8

Now we need to add some less or more space (depending on what we want) to the Virtual Disk which the OS will be installed on. For some strange reason Microsoft uses a default number of 65536MB or 6.55 GB of space for XP to be installed on. I lessened the number to 40000MB or 4GB of space because I’ll just be installing the OS and that’s it. You can always modify the settings for the RAM and HDD space later on once the OS is installed.

Step 9

Once everything is setup the way we want it, press finish and you’ll notice that in the Virtual PC Console our newly created VM is in there.

Step 10

Insert the Windows XP or your OS CD/DVD that you will be installing and when you launch the VM click on the CD option and select boot from CD drive.

Installing Windows XP

See Installing Windows XP at the top there will be a link that explains all of the critical information that you need to know about installing XP on a VM.

Once we’re done installing XP we now can run applications and an OS through the free software available through Microsoft.

Running a Virtual Machine on a PC with Parallels

0
2 years ago
by Dennis Thompson in ,

Virtual Machines, what in the world are they? What purpose do they serve? How do they benefit the average computer user?

These are all common questions that you might have running through your ear right now. A virtual machine is an emulation software that executes as a physical machine. We’re specifically discussing system virtual machines in this tutorial.

Virtual Machines can run a separate OS alongside your current OS that is running. For example, let us assume that we’re all running Windows XP Professional and we use Linux Ubuntu quite often as well. Since we’re tech savvy we partition our hard drive and install Ubuntu on the second partition so we can dual boot. Using a virtual machine there is no need to partition our hard drive or even to dual boot. We can use the emulation software to run XP and Ubuntu at the same time.

These virtual machines allows users to run two different operating system at the same time on the same computer. If you are someone that can benefit with the use of a virtual machine since you switch back and forth between operating systems then this is a solution for you!

Note: you can comfortably run a Virtual Machine (VM) on 1GB of RAM and on a 80GB Hard Drive. The more RAM and HDD space the better, however.

Setting up your VM

The first thing we need to do is to go to the BIOS and change one critical setting. Before the OS begins to boot up press the proper function key to get into your BIOS. Find the Virtual Machine setting and change it to “Enabled”. Reboot the computer and now the fun begins!

Parallels

Parallels is a company that creates some of the best virtualization software available. This software, however, comes at a cost. There is a full 30 day free trial of the software and you will need to provide information for a new user account. http://www.parallels.com/computing/ and we would want to try or buy the Parallels Desktop ® 4 for Windows & Linux.

Once we obtain the program and the trial license, install the program and then reboot once it finishes installing or when it prompts you to do so.

Step 1

Whichever OS you choose to have as your VM, take the image of the OS you wish to install on your VM and put it in Documents and Settings > My Parallels.

Note: Disc Images are merely files that have the extension .iso and is one big file that contains all of the information from a disc such as a DVD or a CD. You can use iso programs like Alcohol 120%, PowerIso, MagicIso, UltraIso, and Dameon Tools.

Pass the Intro Screen and then select the OS you wish to install on your VM. For this tutorial we’ll be installing Linux Ubuntu 10.04.

Step 2

We want to do a custom instillation of our VM because the typical settings might be a little much or not enough for our taste.

If we have a multi-core processor then select the number of cores you wish the VM to be able to use and then select the amount of RAM you wish to allocate to the VM (What is the max amount of RAM you wish to grant to the VM?).

Step 3

Next we want to create a new disk image to be used on the VM. Create a new image means that the software will create the VM partition it needs to run the OS.

Select the capacity that we want to allocate for the VM to use. By default the number will probably be quite substantial so we might want to reduce it.

You’ll notice some options under the HDD allocation option. There are two radio buttons and one check box. The check box is for legacy FAT (File Allocation Tables) or older file systems.

Expanding Disk does not grant the VM the entire space all at once. As more and more space is used the software will grant the VM the necessary space it needs. This can help us save HDD space by only giving the VM the space when it needs it.

Plain Disk grants the VM the entire amount of space all at once.

Step 4

Setting up the network is a critical part of setting up VM. Sometimes you don’t want to allow the VM to be able access the internet for security reasons. Sometimes you want the VM to be able to access the internet under the same connection as your current machine.

  • Shared Network Allows the VM to connect to the exist network connection. This means that the OS installed on the VM will not have its own unique connection.
  • Bridge Network allows for the OS installed on the VM to have its own unique connection.
  • Host-Only Network keeps the VM as a local only network. This means the OS installed on the VM has access to the host computer and other VM’s on the same computer or within that local network.
  • No Networking this means that the VM literally has no networking privileges.

Step 5

This step has multiple options and is probably best to leave the default adapter unless you have two separate adapters on a laptop or desktop. For example, your desktop came with a build in wifi receiver and you installed a PCI card that receives wifi and instead of using the PCI Card (which you set as the default adapter) you decide to use the built in wifi receiver.

Step 6

We can choose how we want to order the performance of our system. If we want to allocate more resources to the VM then select Virtual Machine and if we want to keep the VM secondary then allocate more resources to the host computer. This all, of course, is when the VM is running.

Step 7

This is where we name and specify our VM. The OS we wish to install on the VM will be in .iso file format and should be placed in C:\documents and settings\my parallels (XP) or C:\users\{username}\documents\my parallels (Vista and 7).

Step 8

This is where we actually “install” the OS on the VM. We can install the OS from a CD/DVD or from the image of the OS. For this example, we’ll be using the disc image of Ubuntu 10.04. Select where the disc image is and press continue.

Step 9

Now that we’re all done setting up our VM using Parallels, we start our VM and we might see an error like this:

This is because we need to get into the BIOS and allow Virtual Machines to be used on our system. If you’re unsure how to get into your BIOS consult the manufacture’s website or documentation. If you are using a custom built system then check the motherboards documentation or website.

Step 10

Now that our system allows Virtual Machines we can commence with the process. Open parallels and wait for Ubuntu to boot up. You’ll see the following screen:

Once it has finished loading you’ll notice that we need to physically install the OS on the VM. Ubuntu will give us options like the following:

Which is asking us where we want to install Ubuntu on. Select the option with the allocated space that we chose for the VM to have earlier in the setup process.

Once we choose everything we need to, the OS will begin to install.

Step 11

Once it is done installing we can finish setting up the OS.

Once everything is done, check the resources to make sure everything is working property for example:

If all of the settings are in order then you now have a virtual machine using Linux Ubuntu!

Networking

0
2 years ago
by Dennis Thompson in

Note: Some things are changed for ease of example.

For this tech tip, we’ll be looking at the different problems/consequences of handling wireless networks as well as looking at the benefits of a wireless network.

If you’re running windows vista then your gateway to the wireless and wired world for networking lays in the the dual computer icon like so: (the icon in the middle, parallel to "Friday").

If you right click on this icon, you’ll get an array of options you can choose. The most important option is the very last one entitled Network and Sharing Center. It will look like so:

The fist thing I would like to highlight is the first choice on the left side menu, View computers and devices option that enables you to see computers and other hardware connected to the network whether wirelessly or hard wired. If you click on the option, a window like the image below will appear:

This allows you to see all devices that your computer sees. This includes other computers on the same network as you (router or hard wire), shared printers, wireless router(s), and other devices. This particular option can be beneficial if you need to quickly know the IP address of your router (you can do this by right-clicking on your router and then selecting properties) or if you want to access your router via web you can right-click and it’ll take you to the necessary web page. If you have more than one computer on the same network you can explore them and share content between the two systems easily and you could also print wirelessly too.

This next part deals with the connections that you can potentially connect to. The networks that my computer picks up on are wifi signals from my router as well as my neighbor’s router. I have the choice to connect to either one if I wanted; however, If I wish to connect to my neighbor’s I would need a password in order to access his wireless internet hence, Security-Enabled Network.

 

The next part is vital to fixing a common problem encountered by many people that are new to a wireless networking system. If you ever get an error stating that you cannot connect due to previous internet settings for this network, your problem and your solution are in the same place. Example: Let us say that Jon is our best friend so we go over to his house a lot and we do all sorts of things and one of those things is that we enjoy looking for deals online. Jon, one day, decides to purchase a new router and cable modem and decides to set up a 128 bit encryption so no one steals his internet anymore. You help him set it up and later on he messes up on the settings so he resets the wifi router and starts from scratch. You come back the next day, like every other day, and you see how he’s doing along with the wife, kids, grandparents, etc. You try to connect but a window pops up stating that you cannot connect because you have previous settings for this particular wifi system. Your solution is to delete that particular wireless network that is saved on your computer by clicking on the Manage Wireless Networks option on the left hand menu of the Network and Sharing Center. Select the network that is giving you trouble (in this case Jon’s Network) and delete it. Go back to the Connect to a Network option and then select the proper one and enter the correct information and it’ll work like a charm! Note: "Security WEP" isn’t really lime green, it was highlighted to make it known that for these connections you must enter in a password, passphrase, or some type of code.

Setting up an internet connection and be done in various ways but it isn’t always necessary either. Depending on your needs, you can set up a home network with a broadband connection, wireless connection, setting up a router, wireless ad hoc connection, etc. These are all relative to your type of internet connection of course.. So here’s the down low on all of the options. Connect to a Network is the same procedure as connecting to a network through the connect to a network as mentioned previously; however you’ll need to specify wireless, broadband, or dial-up. If you choose wireless then you will follow the same procedure as mentioned before. For Broadband (PPoE), you will need to enter in the username and password that your ISP provides for you and enter in that information. For Dial-Up, you’ll need the phone number, username, and password your ISP gave you in order to connect to the internet. Note: For Dial-Up, you will need to enter some additional information before you setup the connection.

Connection types

PPoE Connection window

Dial-Up Connection window

The next option on our list is to Setup a wireless router or access point. The access point is usually for small businesses so the business can have printer and file sharing via the access point. For most folks, you’ll want to set a wireless router. Windows will provide you with the necessary information on setting up a wireless router and the security that is needed to protect your personal information.

Wireless and access point setup

You can manually connect to a wireless network by providing all the necessary information in order to connect to the wireless router. You’ll need the correct network name, the correct security type, encryption type (which is relative to the security type), and the Security Key/Phassphrase.

Manually connect to a Wireless network

The next option is something called an Ad Hoc network setup in which small businesses can be connected to the same network and be able to share info between them easily. The computers must be within 30 feet of each other, however…

Ad hoc network

The next and final option is setting up a network through a workplace. You’ll have to decide whether or not you wish to simply "dial into" your workplace or get through via a VPN (Virtual Private Network). A VPN is defined as a network that connects one or more computers to a large network, such as a business network, using the Internet. A VPN is encrypted, so only authorized people have access to it.

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