Some malware can modify Windows settings to disable or prevent users to change setting of Show Hidden Files and Folders under folder options. These steps will help you regain access or modify and save the settings.
PROCEDURE A:
1 . Go to Start > Run
2. Type regedit on the box
3. On Registry editor navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\
Folder\Hidden\SHOWALL
4. On the right pane, delete the value with
Name: CheckedValue
Type: REG_SZ
Data: 2
5. Create a new DWORD. Right-click on the right pane > New >DWORD Value
6. Value should be:
Name: CheckedValue
Type: REG_DWORD
Data: 1
Note: If procedure A does not work, please use Procedure B.
PROCEDURE B:
1. Download folderoption.reg.
2. Save it in your Desktop or any folder where you can easily access it
3. Go to your Desktop
4. Double-click the folderoption.reg
5. If it prompts if you want to add the information on the registry, click YES
6. It will confirm that information was successfully entered into registry, click OK
7 You should now be able to modify Show Hidden Files and Folders settings.
Enable Show Hidden Files and Folders Using Free Tool
RRT or Remove Restrictions Tool is a free tool to enable access to different Windows process disbaled by virus infections.
This tool is used to enable access to:
- Registry Tools (regedit)
- Ctrl+Alt+Del
- Folder Options
- Show Hidden Files
Download RRT: click here to donwload
How to remove autorun.inf from USB Drive
Worms spreads by creating a copy of itself and starts by autorun.inf files. It is essential to remove the malicious and autorun.inf files not only from computers but also from the source, and that is the USB Drive. PreciseSecurity have created a procedure to delete the malicious files on infected drives.
PROCEDURE:
1. While the computer is still off;
2. Plugin the USB Drive
3. Insert the Windows XP CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive. It must be the bootable Windows XP Installer
4. Start the computer from the CD-ROM drive. It will start Windows Setup screen
5. When the “Welcome to Setup” prompt appears.Press “R” to start the Recovery Console
6. If asked “Which Window installation would you like to logon to” select the number. Type “1? then Enter, if only one installation of Windows is present
7. Enter the administrator password, press Enter
8. It will bring you to command prompt, C:\Windows>
9. Proceed with the following command:
- Type d: (This is the drive letter of USB. It can be e: or f: defending on how many hard disk or cd drive is installed)
- Type attrib -h -r -s autorun.inf
- Type “edit autorun.inf” it will open DOS Editor and display contents as follows
==========================
[autorun]
open=file.exe
shell\Open\Command=file.exe
shell\open\Default=1
shell\Explore\Command=file.exe
shell\Autoplay\command=file.exe
==========================
Take note on the file that it called to open (in above example it is file.exe)
10. Exit DOS Editor and return to command prompt, D:\>
11. Delete the file that was called to open on DOS Editor
- Type del /f /a file.exe
12. Delete autorun.inf file
- Type del /f /a autorun.inf
13. Exit Recovery Console by typing exit.
PROCEDURE:
1. While the computer is still off;
2. Plugin the USB Drive
3. Insert the Windows XP CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive. It must be the bootable Windows XP Installer
4. Start the computer from the CD-ROM drive. It will start Windows Setup screen
5. When the “Welcome to Setup” prompt appears.Press “R” to start the Recovery Console
6. If asked “Which Window installation would you like to logon to” select the number. Type “1? then Enter, if only one installation of Windows is present
7. Enter the administrator password, press Enter
8. It will bring you to command prompt, C:\Windows>
9. Proceed with the following command:
- Type d: (This is the drive letter of USB. It can be e: or f: defending on how many hard disk or cd drive is installed)
- Type attrib -h -r -s autorun.inf
- Type “edit autorun.inf” it will open DOS Editor and display contents as follows
==========================
[autorun]
open=file.exe
shell\Open\Command=file.exe
shell\open\Default=1
shell\Explore\Command=file.exe
shell\Autoplay\command=file.exe
==========================
Take note on the file that it called to open (in above example it is file.exe)
10. Exit DOS Editor and return to command prompt, D:\>
11. Delete the file that was called to open on DOS Editor
- Type del /f /a file.exe
12. Delete autorun.inf file
- Type del /f /a autorun.inf
13. Exit Recovery Console by typing exit.
5 ways to speed up your PC
5 ways to speed up your PC
By following a few simple guidelines, you can maintain your computer and keep it running smoothly. This article discusses how to use the tools available in Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) and Windows Vista to more efficiently maintain your computer and safeguard your privacy when you're online.
1. Free up disk space
By freeing disk space, you can improve the performance of your computer. The Disk Cleanup tool helps you free up space on your hard disk. The utility identifies files that you can safely delete, and then enables you to choose whether you want to delete some or all of the identified files.
Use Disk Cleanup to:
· Remove temporary Internet files.
· Remove downloaded program files (such as Microsoft ActiveX controls and Java applets).
· Empty the Recycle Bin.
· Remove Windows temporary files.
· Remove optional Windows components that you don't use.
· Remove installed programs that you no longer use.
Tip: Typically, temporary Internet files take the most amount of space because the browser caches each page you visit for faster access later.
To use Disk Cleanup
1. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Cleanup. If several drives are available, you might be prompted to specify which drive you want to clean.
2. In the Disk Cleanup for dialog box, scroll through the content of the Files to delete list.
Choose the files that you want to delete.
1. Clear the check boxes for files that you don't want to delete, and then click OK.
2. When prompted to confirm that you want to delete the specified files, click Yes.
After a few minutes, the process completes and the Disk Cleanup dialog box closes, leaving your computer cleaner and performing better.
2. Speed up access to data
Disk fragmentation slows the overall performance of your system. When files are fragmented, the computer must search the hard disk when the file is opened to piece it back together. The response time can be significantly longer.
Disk Defragmenter is a Windows utility that consolidates fragmented files and folders on your computer's hard disk so that each occupies a single space on the disk. With your files stored neatly end-to-end, without fragmentation, reading and writing to the disk speeds up.
When to run Disk Defragmenter
In addition to running Disk Defragmenter at regular intervals—monthly is optimal—there are other times you should run it too, such as when:
· You add a large number of files.
· Your free disk space totals 15 percent or less.
· You install new programs or a new version of Windows.
To use Disk Defragmenter:
1. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Defragmenter.
Click Analyze to start the Disk Defragmenter.
1. In the Disk Defragmenter dialog box, click the drives that you want to defragment, and then click the Analyze button. After the disk is analyzed, a dialog box appears, letting you know whether you should defragment the analyzed drives.
Tip: You should analyze a volume before defragmenting it to get an estimate of how long the defragmentation process will take.
2. To defragment the selected drive or drives, click the Defragment button. Note: In Windows Vista, there is no graphical user interface to demonstrate the progress—but your hard drive is still being defragmented.
After the defragmentation is complete, Disk Defragmenter displays the results.
3. To display detailed information about the defragmented disk or partition, click View Report.
4. To close the View Report dialog box, click Close.
5. To close the Disk Defragmenter utility, click the Close button on the title bar of the window.
3. Detect and repair disk errors
In addition to running Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter to optimize the performance of your computer, you can check the integrity of the files stored on your hard disk by running the Error Checking utility.
As you use your hard drive, it can develop bad sectors. Bad sectors slow down hard disk performance and sometimes make data writing (such as file saving) difficult, or even impossible. The Error Checking utility scans the hard drive for bad sectors, and scans for file system errors to see whether certain files or folders are misplaced.
If you use your computer daily, you should run this utility once a week to help prevent data loss.
To run the Error Checking utility:
1. Close all open files.
2. Click Start, and then click My Computer.
3. In the My Computer window, right-click the hard disk you want to search for bad sectors, and then click Properties.
4. In the Properties dialog box, click the Tools tab.
5. Click the Check Now button.
6. In the Check Disk dialog box, select the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors check box, and then click Start.
1. If bad sectors are found, choose to fix them.
Tip: Only select the "Automatically fix file system errors" check box if you think that your disk contains bad sectors.
4. Protect your computer against spyware
Spyware collects personal information without letting you know and without asking for permission. From the Web sites you visit to usernames and passwords, spyware can put you and your confidential information at risk. In addition to privacy concerns, spyware can hamper your computer's performance. To combat spyware, you might want to consider using Microsoft Windows Defender, which is included in Windows Vista, and is available as a free download for Microsoft XP SP2. Alternatively, there are other free anti-spyware software programs available.
5. Learn all about ReadyBoost
If you're using Windows Vista, you can use ReadyBoost to speed up your system. A new concept in adding memory to a system, it allows you to use non-volatile flash memory—like a USB flash drive or a memory card—to improve performance without having to add additional memory. Learn more.