Windows Tips & Tricks UPDATE--September 29, 2003

Windows Tips & Tricks UPDATE, September 29, 2003, —brought to you by the Windows & .NET Magazine Network and the Windows 2000 FAQ site
http://www.windows2000faq.com

This Issue Sponsored By

Argent Software
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NetIQ
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1. Commentary

2. FAQs

3. Announcements

4. Event

5. Contact Us

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1. Commentary
by John Savill, FAQ Editor, [email protected]

This week, I explain how to use Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) to pass a username and password to an FTP site, why some data might be missing after you upgrade or repair a Windows XP installation, and how to remove the Properties item from the Recycle Bin's context menu. I also tell you about Google Toolbar 2.0, how to clear the Google Toolbar search history in the registry, and what steps you can take to get rid of the MSBlaster (LoveSan) worm and protect your computer from becoming reinfected.

Around the industry this week, GFI Software announced a freeware version of its GFI DownloadSecurity for ISA Server (version 6) product, which uses an antivirus scan engine to scan downloads as they're received. The software is available on the company's Web site. Microsoft has announced that August 15, 2005, will be the release date of Longhorn, the successor to XP. Only 2 years to wait.

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2. FAQs

Q. How can I use Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) to pass a username and password to an FTP site?

A. If you access an FTP site that doesn't allow anonymous access, you must provide a username and password. To access an FTP site anonymously from IE, use the syntax

ftp://ftp..com

To pass a username and password, the syntax is

ftp://:@

For example, to access the Internet Software Consortium (ISC) ftp site, you might type

ftp://john:[email protected]@ftp.isc.org

where "john" is the username and "[email protected]" is the password.

Similarly, to pass just a username, you can use the syntax

ftp://@

Q. I've upgraded or repaired my Windows XP installation, but now data is missing from the All Users folder. What caused this to happen, and how can I retrieve this information?

A. Data can disappear from the All Users folder if you've performed an in-place upgrade of XP (i.e., installed XP over an existing XP installation), used the XP installation CD-ROM and selected R to repair the XP installation, or upgraded XP Home Edition to XP Professional Edition. To recover the missing data, you must restore the information from a backup copy.

To prevent this problem from happening in the future, look for and delete a file named undo_guimode.txt. This file is typically in the %windir%system32 folder. The undo_guimode.txt file often appears on systems in which the manufacturer has preinstalled XP. The first time you start such a system, the system often calls a wizard that creates the file.

Q. How can I remove the Properties item from the Recycle Bin's context menu?

A. To remove the Recycle Bin's Properties context menu item and restrict users from changing the configuration, perform the following steps:

You can set this registry entry for all users of a machine by navigating to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesExplorer registry subkey and following Steps 3 through 7.

Q. What's the Google Toolbar 2.0?

A. Google has released an add-on for Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) that provides fast access for performing Google searches and enhances your browser functionality. Some of the toolbar's features include

The toolbar is free and is available at http://toolbar.google.com. The pop-up suppression alone is well worth the download.

Q. How can I clear the Google Toolbar search history in the registry?

A. The Google Toolbar is an add-on search tool for Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE). To clear the toolbar's search history, perform the following steps:

You'll need to log off and log on to clear the cache of previous searches within IE.

Q. Why does my PC keep rebooting with the message "This system is being shut down in 60 seconds by NT Authority/System due to an interrupted Remote Procedure Call (RPC)"?

A. The error you've encountered is a symptom of the MSBlaster (LoveSan) worm, which has been around since August 2003. To resolve this error, you first need to use the command

shutdown -a

to stop the system from shutting down so that you can patch the computer and remove the virus. Next, download and install the patch, which is available on Microsoft's Web site.

To remove running versions of the virus from your PC, open Task Manager, select the Processes tab, then click End Process for all of the following processes:

To prevent the virus from starting again, perform the following steps:

An automated virus-removal tool that replaces the steps above is available at the Symantec Web site. (If you use this tool, you'll still need to download and install the patch from the Microsoft Web site.)

3. Announcements
(from Windows & .NET Magazine and its partners)

"Plan, Migrate, Manage: Shifting Seamlessly from NT4 to Windows 2003" will help you discover tips and tricks to maximize planning, administration, and performance. "The Hidden Costs of Spam ... What You Don't Know Can Hurt You" will show you how to quantify costs and find antispam solutions. Register today!
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The fourth chapter of Windows & .NET Magazine's popular eBook "Windows 2003: Active Directory Administration Essentials" is now available at no charge! Chapter 4 looks at what's inside Windows Server 2003 forests and DNS. Download it now!
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4. Event
(brought to you by Windows & .NET Magazine)

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5. Contact Us
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