How to hack someone with his IP address

Introduction
1. Welcome to the basic NETBIOS document created by aCId_rAIn. This document
will teach you some simple things about NETBIOS, what it does, how to use it, how to
hack with it, and some other simple DOS commands that will be useful to you in the
future.
1. Hardware and Firmware
1a. The BIOS
The BIOS, short for Basic Input/Output Services, is the control program of the PC.
It is responsible for starting up your computer, transferring control of the system to
your operating system, and for handling other low-level functions, such as disk access.
NOTE that the BIOS is not a software program, insofar as it is not purged from
memory when you turn off the computer. It's
firmware, which is basically software on a chip.
A convenient little feature that most BIOS manufacturers include is a startup
password. This prevents access to the system until you enter the correct password.
If you can get access to the system after the password has been entered, then there
are numerous software-based BIOS password extractors available from your local
H/P/A/V site.
NETBIOS/NBTSTAT - What does it do?
2. NETBIOS, also known as NBTSTAT is a program run on the Windows system and is
used for identifying a remote network or computer for file sharing enabled. We can
expoit systems using this method. It may be old but on home pc's sometimes it still
works great. You can use it on your friend at home or something. I don't care what
you do, but remember, that you are reading this document because you want to learn.
So I am going to teach you. Ok. So, you ask, "How do i get to NBTSTAT?" Well, there
are two ways, but one's faster.
Method 1:Start>Programs>MSDOS PROMPT>Type NBTSTAT
Method 2:Start>Run>Type Command>Type NBTSTAT
(Note: Please, help your poor soul if that isn't like feeding you with a baby spoon.)
Ok! Now since you're in the DOS command under NBTSTAT, you're probably
wondering what all that crap is that's on your screen. These are the commands you
may use.Your screen should look like the following:
NBTSTAT [ [-a RemoteName] [-A IP address] [-c] [-n]
[-r] [-R] [-RR] [-s] [-S] [interval] ]
-a (adapter status) Lists the remote machine's name table given its name
-A (Adapter status) Lists the remote machine's name table given its IP address.
-c (cache) Lists NBT's cache of remote [machine] names and their IP addresses
-n (names) Lists local NetBIOS names.
-r (resolved) Lists names resolved by broadcast and via WINS
-R (Reload) Purges and reloads the remote cache name table
-S (Sessions) Lists sessions table with the destination IP addresses
-s (sessions) Lists sessions table converting destination IP addresses to computer
NETBIOS names.
-RR (ReleaseRefresh) Sends Name Release packets to WINS and then, starts
Refresh
RemoteName Remote host machine name.
IP address Dotted decimal representation of the IP address.
interval Redisplays selected statistics, pausing interval seconds between each display.
Press Ctrl+C to stop redisplaying
statistics.
C:\WINDOWS\DESKTOP>
The only two commands that are going to be used and here they are:
-a (adapter status) Lists the remote machine's name table given its name
-A (Adapter status) Lists the remote machine's name table given its IP address.
Host Names
3. Now, the -a means that you will type in the HOST NAME of the person's computer
that you are trying to access. Just in case you don't have any idea what a Host Name
looks like here's an example.
123-fgh-ppp.internet.com
there are many variations of these adresses. For each different address you see
there is a new ISP assigned to that computer. look at the difference.
abc-123.internet.com
ghj-789.newnet.com
these are differnet host names as you can see, and, by identifying the last couple
words you will be able to tell that these are two computers on two different ISPs.
Now, here are two host names on the same ISP but a different located server.
123-fgh-ppp.internet.com
567-cde-ppp.internet.comIP Addresses
4. You can resolce these host names if you want to the IP address (Internet Protocol)
IP addresses range in different numbers. An IP looks like this:
201.123.101.123
Most times you can tell if a computer is running on a cable connection because of the
IP address's numbers. On faster connections, usually the first two numbers are low.
here's a cable connection IP.
24.18.18.10
on dialup connections IP's are higher, like this:
208.148.255.255
notice the 208 is higher than the 24 which is the cable connection.
REMEMBER THOUGH, NOT ALL IP ADDRESSES WILL BE LIKE THIS.
Some companies make IP addresses like this to fool the hacker into believing it's a
dialup, as a hacker would expect something big, like a T3 or an OC-18. Anyway This
gives you an idea on IP addresses which you will be using on the nbtstat command.
Getting The IP Through DC (Direct Connection)
5. First. You're going to need to find his IP or host name. Either will work. If you are
on mIRC You can get it by typing /whois (nick) ...where (nick) is the persons nickname
without parenthesis. you will either get a host name or an IP. copy it down. If you do
not get it or you are not using mIRC then you must direct connect to their computer
or you may use a sniffer to figure out his IP or host name. It's actually better to do
it without the sniffer because most sniffers do not work now-a-days. So you want to
establish a direct connection to their computer. OK, what is a direct connection?
When you are:
Sending a file to their computer you are directly connected.
AOL INSTANT MESSENGER allows a Direct Connection to the user if accepted.
ICQ when sending a file or a chat request acception allows a direct connection.
Any time you are sending a file. You are directly connected. (Assuming you know the
user is not using a proxy server.)
Voice Chatting on Yahoo establishes a direct connection.
If you have none of these programs, either i suggest you get one, get a sniffer, or
read this next statement.
If you have any way of sending thema link to your site that enables site traffic
statistics, and you can log in, send a link to your site, then check the stats and get
the IP of the last visitor. It's a simple and easy method i use. It even fool some
smarter hackers, because it catches them off guard. Anyway, once you are directly
connected use either of the two methods i showed you earlier and get into DOS. Type
NETSTAT -n. NETSTAT is a program that's name is short for NET STATISTICS. It
will show you all computers connected to yours. (This is also helpful if you think you
are being hacked by a trojan horse and is on a port that you know such as Sub Seven:
27374.)Your screen should look like this showing the connections to your computer:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C:\WINDOWS\DESKTOP>netstat -n
Active Connections
Proto Local Address Foreign Address State
TCP 172.255.255.82:1027 205.188.68.46:13784 ESTABLISHED
TCP 172.255.255.82:1036 205.188.44.3:5190 ESTABLISHED
TCP 172.255.255.82:1621 24.131.30.75:66 CLOSE_WAIT
TCP 172.255.255.82:1413 205.188.8.7:26778 ESTABLISHED
TCP 172.255.255.82:1483 64.4.13.209:1863 ESTABLISHED
C:\WINDOWS\DESKTOP>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The first line indicated the Protocol (language) that is being used by the two
computers.
TCP (Transfer Control Protocol) is being used in this and is most widely used.
Local address shows your IP address, or the IP address of the system you on.
Foreign address shows the address of the computer connected to yours.
State tells you what kind of connection is being made ESTABLISHED - means it will
stay connected to you as long as you are on the program or as long as the computer is
allowing or is needing the other computers connection to it. CLOSE_WAIT means the
connection closes at times and waits until it is needed or you resume connection to be
made again. One that isn't on the list is TIME_WAIT which means it is timed. Most
Ads that run on AOL are using TIME_WAIT states.
the way you know the person is directly connected to your computer is because of
this:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C:\WINDOWS\DESKTOP>netstat -n
Active Connections
Proto Local Address Foreign Address State
TCP 172.255.255.82:1027 205.188.68.46:13784 ESTABLISHED
TCP 172.255.255.82:1036 205.188.44.3:5190 ESTABLISHED
TCP 172.255.255.82:1621 24.131.30.75:66 CLOSE_WAIT
TCP 172.255.255.82:1413 abc-123-ppp.webnet.com ESTABLISHED
TCP 172.255.255.82:1483 64.4.13.209:1863 ESTABLISHED
C:\WINDOWS\DESKTOP>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Notice the host name is included in the fourth line instead of the IP address on all.
This is almost ALWAYS, the other computer that is connected to you. So here, now,
you have the host name:
abc-123-ppp.webnet.com
If the host name is not listed and the IP is then it NO PROBLEM because either one
works exactly the same. I am using abc-123-ppp.webnet.com host name as an example.
Ok so now you have the IP and/or host name of the remote system you want to
connect to. Time to hack!
Open up your DOS command. Open up NBTSTAT by typing NBTSTAT. Ok, there's
the crap again. Well, now time to try out what you have leanred from this document
by testing it on the IP and/or host name of the remote system. Here's the only thing
you'll need to know.
IMPORTANT, READ NOW!!!
-a (adapter status) Lists the remote machine's name table given its name
-A (Adapter status) Lists the remote machine's name table given its IP address.
Remember this?
Time to use it.
-a will be the host name
-A will be the IP
How do i know this?
Read the Statements following the -a -A commands. It tells you there what each
command takes.
So have you found which one you have to use?
GOOD!
Time to start.
Using it to your advantage
6. Type this if you have the host name only.
NBTSTAT -a (In here put in hostname without parenthesis)
Type this is you have the IP address only.
NBTSTAT -A (In here put in IP address without parenthesis)
Now, hit enter and wait. Now Either one of two things came up
1. Host not found
2. Something that looks like this:
--------------------------------------------
NetBIOS Local Name Table
Name Type Status
---------------------------------------------
GMVPS01 <00> UNIQUE Registered
WORKGROUP <00> GROUP Registered
GMVPS01 <03> UNIQUE Registered
GMVPS01 <20> UNIQUE Registered
WORKGROUP <1E> GROUP Registered---------------------------------------------
If the computer responded "Host not found" Then either one of two things are the
case:
1. You screwed up the host name.
2. The host is not hackable.
If number one is the case you're in great luck. If two, This system isn't hackable
using the NBTSTAT command. So try another system.
If you got the table as above to come up, look at it carefully as i describe to you each
part and its purpose.
Name - states the share name of that certain part of the computer
<00>, <03>, <20>, <1E> - Are the Hexidecimal codes giving you the services available on
that share name.
Type - Is self-explanatory. It's either turned on, or activated by you, or always on.
Status - Simply states that the share name is working and is activated.
Look above and look for the following line:
GMVPS01 <20> UNIQUE Registered
See it?
GOOD! Now this is important so listen up. The Hexidecimanl code of <20> means that
file sharing is enabled on the share name that is on that line with the hex number. So
that means GMVPS01 has file sharing enabled. So now you want to hack this. Here's
How to do it. (This is the hard part)
LMHOST File
7. There is a file in all Windows systems called LMHOST.sam. We need to simply add
the IP into the LMHOST file because LMHOST basically acts as a network,
automatically logging you on to it. So go to Start, Find, FIles or Folders. Type in
LMHOST and hit enter. when it comes up open it using a text program such as
wordpad, but make sure you do not leave the checkmark to "always open files with
this extension" on that. Simply go through the LMHOST file until you see the part:
# This file is compatible with Microsoft LAN Manager 2.x TCP/IP lmhosts
# files and offers the following extensions:
#
# #PRE
# #DOM:
# #INCLUDE
# #BEGIN_ALTERNATE
# #END_ALTERNATE
# \0xnn (non-printing character support)
#
# Following any entry in the file with the characters "#PRE" will cause
# the entry to be preloaded into the name cache. By default, entries are
# not preloaded, but are parsed only after dynamic name resolution fails.
## Following an entry with the "#DOM:" tag will associate the
# entry with the domain specified by . This affects how the
# browser and logon services behave in TCP/IP environments. To preload
# the host name associated with #DOM entry, it is necessary to also add a
# #PRE to the line. The is always preloaded although it will not
# be shown when the name cache is viewed.
#
# Specifying "#INCLUDE " will force the RFC NetBIOS (NBT)
# software to seek the specified and parse it as if it were
# local. is generally a UNC-based name, allowing a
# centralized lmhosts file to be maintained on a server.
# It is ALWAYS necessary to provide a mapping for the IP address of the
# server prior to the #INCLUDE. This mapping must use the #PRE directive.
# In addtion the share "public" in the example below must be in the
# LanManServer list of "NullSessionShares" in order for client machines to
# be able to read the lmhosts file successfully. This key is under
# \machine\system\currentcontrolset\services\lanmans
erver\parameters\nullsessionshares
# in the registry. Simply add "public" to the list found there.
#
# The #BEGIN_ and #END_ALTERNATE keywords allow multiple #INCLUDE
# statements to be grouped together. Any single successful include
# will cause the group to succeed.
#
# Finally, non-printing characters can be embedded in mappings by
# first surrounding the NetBIOS name in quotations, then using the
# \0xnn notation to specify a hex value for a non-printing character.
Read this over and over until you understand the way you want your connection to be
set. Here's an example of how to add an IP the way I would do it:
#PRE #DOM:255.102.255.102 #INCLUDE
Pre will preload the connection as soon as you log on to the net. DOM is the domain or
IP address of the host you are connecting to. INCLUDE will automaticall set you to
that file path. In this case as soon as I log on to the net I will get access to
255.102.255.102 on the C:/ drive. The only problem with this is that by doin the
NETSTAT command while you are connected, and get the IP of your machine. That's
why it only works on simple PC machines. Because people in these days are computer
illiterate and have no idea of what these commands can do. They have no idea what
NETSTAT is, so you can use that to your advantage. Most PC systems are kind of
hard to hack using this method now because they are more secure and can tell when
another system is trying to gain access. Also, besure that you (somehow) know
whether they are running a firewall or not because it will block the connection to
their computer. Most home systems aren't running a firewall, and to make it better,they don't know how operate the firewall, therefore, leaving the hole in the system.
To help you out some, it would be a great idea to pick up on some programming
languages to show you how the computer reads information and learn some things on
TCP/IP (Transfer Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) If you want to find out
whether they are running a firewall, simply hop on a Proxy and do a port scan on their
IP. You will notice if they are running a firewall because most ports are closed. Either
way, you still have a better chance of hacking a home system than hacking Microsoft.
Gaining Access
7. Once you have added this to you LMHOST file. You are basically done. All you need
to do is go to:
Start
Find
Computer
Once you get there you simply type the IP address or the host name of the system.
When it comes up, simply double click it, and boom! There's a GUI for you so you
don't have to use DOS anymore. You can use DOS to do it, but it's more simple and
fun this way, so that's the only way i put it. When you open the system you can edit,
delete, rename, do anything to any file you wish. I would also delete the command file
in C:/ because they may use it if they think someone is in their computer. Or simply
delete the shortcut to it. Then here's when the programming comes in handy. Instead
of using the NBTSTAT method all the time, you can then program you own trojan on
your OWN port number and upload it to the system. Then you will have easier access
and you will also have a better GUI, with more features. DO NOT allow more than one
connection to the system unless they are on a faster connection. If you are
downloading something from their computer and they don't know it and their
connection is being slow, they may check their NETSTAT to see what is connected,
which will show your IP and make them suspicious. Thats it. All there is to it. Now go
out and scan a network or something and find a computer with port 21 or something
open.

Read More

How To Rename Your Recycle Bin

1. Click Start / Run
2. Type regedit and press enter.
3. Open the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT folder
4. Open the CLSID folder
5. Open the {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E} folder
6. Open the ShellFolder folder
7. Change the "Attributes" data value from "40 01 00 20" to "50 01 00 20". Once
completed change the "CallForAttributes" dword value to "0x00000000" (double-
click and change value data to 0). You must change both of these values to get the
rename to appear.
After performing the above steps you will be able to rename the icon like any other
icon. Right-click the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop and click Rename and rename it
to whatever you wish.

Read More

How To Close Ports

So i've been looking for a while on just how to close a port on a computer. I simply
couldn't find a way. Well, i finally found it. This'll only work for windows users (unless
your unix version OS has netsh).
it's actually quite simple. here's the command for it:
netsh firewall delete portopening TCP portnumber
it's that simple. Simply go to START -> RUN -> and type in that command up there,
and it'll close it for you.
or, you can also open up command prompt (START -> RUN -> CMD) and type in "netsh"
without the quotes to get to your windows firewall settings.
however, since i'm such a nice guy, i wrote it all out in a vbs script for you so that it's
automatically runable. as well as a batch script. so here you are fellas:
.VBS Script
set ss = createobject("wscript.shell")
set ws = wscript
dim PORT
PORT = InputBox("Enter the port you wish to close:")
ss.run "netsh.exe"
ws.sleep 1000
ss.sendkeys "firewall delete portopening TCP " & PORT
ss.sendkeys "{enter}"
ws.sleep 500
'ss.sendkeys "exit"
'ss.sendkeys "{enter}"
.BAT Script
@echo off
title Port Closer
echo Port Closer
echo.
set /p port=Type the port number you wish to close here:
netsh firewall delete portopening TCP %port%
msg /w * Port %port% has been closed.
exit

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20 Great Google Secrets

https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,1306756,00.asp

excl.gif No Active Links, Read the Rules - Edit by Ninja excl.gif



Google is clearly the best general-purpose search engine on the Web (see

www.pcmag.com/searchengines

But most people don't use it to its best advantage. Do you just plug in a keyword or two and hope for the best? That may be the quickest way to search, but with more than 3 billion pages in Google's index, it's still a struggle to pare results to a manageable number.

But Google is an remarkably powerful tool that can ease and enhance your Internet exploration. Google's search options go beyond simple keywords, the Web, and even its own programmers. Let's look at some of Google's lesser-known options.

Syntax Search Tricks

Using a special syntax is a way to tell Google that you want to restrict your searches to certain elements or characteristics of Web pages. Google has a fairly complete list of its syntax elements at

www.google.com/help/operators.html

. Here are some advanced operators that can help narrow down your search results.

Intitle: at the beginning of a query word or phrase (intitle:"Three Blind Mice") restricts your search results to just the titles of Web pages.

Intext: does the opposite of intitle:, searching only the body text, ignoring titles, links, and so forth. Intext: is perfect when what you're searching for might commonly appear in URLs. If you're looking for the term HTML, for example, and you don't want to get results such as

www.mysite.com/index.html

, you can enter intext:html.

Link: lets you see which pages are linking to your Web page or to another page you're interested in. For example, try typing in

link:https://www.pcmag.com


Try using site: (which restricts results to top-level domains) with intitle: to find certain types of pages. For example, get scholarly pages about Mark Twain by searching for intitle:"Mark Twain"site:edu. Experiment with mixing various elements; you'll develop several strategies for finding the stuff you want more effectively. The site: command is very helpful as an alternative to the mediocre search engines built into many sites.

Swiss Army Google

Google has a number of services that can help you accomplish tasks you may never have thought to use Google for. For example, the new calculator feature

(www.google.com/help/features.html#calculator)

lets you do both math and a variety of conversions from the search box. For extra fun, try the query "Answer to life the universe and everything."

Let Google help you figure out whether you've got the right spelling—and the right word—for your search. Enter a misspelled word or phrase into the query box (try "thre blund mise") and Google may suggest a proper spelling. This doesn't always succeed; it works best when the word you're searching for can be found in a dictionary. Once you search for a properly spelled word, look at the results page, which repeats your query. (If you're searching for "three blind mice," underneath the search window will appear a statement such as Searched the web for "three blind mice.") You'll discover that you can click on each word in your search phrase and get a definition from a dictionary.

Suppose you want to contact someone and don't have his phone number handy. Google can help you with that, too. Just enter a name, city, and state. (The city is optional, but you must enter a state.) If a phone number matches the listing, you'll see it at the top of the search results along with a map link to the address. If you'd rather restrict your results, use rphonebook: for residential listings or bphonebook: for business listings. If you'd rather use a search form for business phone listings, try Yellow Search

(www.buzztoolbox.com/google/yellowsearch.shtml).




Extended Googling

Google offers several services that give you a head start in focusing your search. Google Groups

(https://groups.google.com)

indexes literally millions of messages from decades of discussion on Usenet. Google even helps you with your shopping via two tools: Froogle
CODE
(https://froogle.google.com),

which indexes products from online stores, and Google Catalogs
CODE
(https://catalogs.google.com),

which features products from more 6,000 paper catalogs in a searchable index. And this only scratches the surface. You can get a complete list of Google's tools and services at

www.google.com/options/index.html

You're probably used to using Google in your browser. But have you ever thought of using Google outside your browser?

Google Alert

(www.googlealert.com)

monitors your search terms and e-mails you information about new additions to Google's Web index. (Google Alert is not affiliated with Google; it uses Google's Web services API to perform its searches.) If you're more interested in news stories than general Web content, check out the beta version of Google News Alerts

(www.google.com/newsalerts).

This service (which is affiliated with Google) will monitor up to 50 news queries per e-mail address and send you information about news stories that match your query. (Hint: Use the intitle: and source: syntax elements with Google News to limit the number of alerts you get.)

Google on the telephone? Yup. This service is brought to you by the folks at Google Labs

(https://labs.google.com),

a place for experimental Google ideas and features (which may come and go, so what's there at this writing might not be there when you decide to check it out). With Google Voice Search

(https://labs1.google.com/gvs.html),

you dial the Voice Search phone number, speak your keywords, and then click on the indicated link. Every time you say a new search term, the results page will refresh with your new query (you must have JavaScript enabled for this to work). Remember, this service is still in an experimental phase, so don't expect 100 percent success.

In 2002, Google released the Google API (application programming interface), a way for programmers to access Google's search engine results without violating the Google Terms of Service. A lot of people have created useful (and occasionally not-so-useful but interesting) applications not available from Google itself, such as Google Alert. For many applications, you'll need an API key, which is available free from
CODE
www.google.com/apis

. See the figures for two more examples, and visit

www.pcmag.com/solutions

for more.

Thanks to its many different search properties, Google goes far beyond a regular search engine. Give the tricks in this article a try. You'll be amazed at how many different ways Google can improve your Internet searching.


Online Extra: More Google Tips


Here are a few more clever ways to tweak your Google searches.

Search Within a Timeframe

Daterange: (start date–end date). You can restrict your searches to pages that were indexed within a certain time period. Daterange: searches by when Google indexed a page, not when the page itself was created. This operator can help you ensure that results will have fresh content (by using recent dates), or you can use it to avoid a topic's current-news blizzard and concentrate only on older results. Daterange: is actually more useful if you go elsewhere to take advantage of it, because daterange: requires Julian dates, not standard Gregorian dates. You can find converters on the Web (such as

CODE
https://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/JulianDate.html

excl.gif No Active Links, Read the Rules - Edit by Ninja excl.gif


), but an easier way is to do a Google daterange: search by filling in a form at

www.researchbuzz.com/toolbox/goofresh.shtml or www.faganfinder.com/engines/google.shtml

. If one special syntax element is good, two must be better, right? Sometimes. Though some operators can't be mixed (you can't use the link: operator with anything else) many can be, quickly narrowing your results to a less overwhelming number.

More Google API Applications

Staggernation.com offers three tools based on the Google API. The Google API Web Search by Host (GAWSH) lists the Web hosts of the results for a given query

(www.staggernation.com/gawsh/).

When you click on the triangle next to each host, you get a list of results for that host. The Google API Relation Browsing Outliner (GARBO) is a little more complicated: You enter a URL and choose whether you want pages that related to the URL or linked to the URL

(www.staggernation.com/garbo/).

Click on the triangle next to an URL to get a list of pages linked or related to that particular URL. CapeMail is an e-mail search application that allows you to send an e-mail to google@capeclear.com with the text of your query in the subject line and get the first ten results for that query back. Maybe it's not something you'd do every day, but if your cell phone does e-mail and doesn't do Web browsing, this is a very handy address to know.

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16x Dvd+-rw Dl Dvd Writer Comparison Guide

Since the introduction of double layer DVD writers, the interest has been quite overwhelming and is why we keep bringing you reviews of these highly popular drives. The anticipation has now turned into down right obsession and it has become a key component in any current or new system build, thanks to the declining prices and continued media hype. Manufacturers are quite aware of the fascination and is why they have each been releasing their own products which excel in at least one area of the testing methodology used in most reviews. This has led to some confusion as to which drive is best suited for the individuals needs. Today, we compare four 16x double layer drives and highlight both the strong and weak points in order to give you a better idea of which drive is best suited for you.


In this comparison guide, we will be looking at four of the top 16x drives to hit the market, the Pioneer DVR-108, NEC ND3500A, Lite-On SOHW-1633s and the new LG GSA-4160B. We will cover everything from design and features to performance and price. Let's begin with a quick look at each of these drives.


As far as the front bezel design goes, the LG-GSA4160B is by far the most attractive drive of the bunch. However, for those who are looking for a headphone jack, the Lite-On drive is the only DL writer offering a headphone jack, as well as volume control. The Pioneer and NEC drives, in my opinion, are the ugliest drives, with a very plain look that just wants to make you hide the drive period. Although we only obtained the 4160B in black, all these drives are offered with both white and black bezels. If you opt for the more expensive Pioneer "XL" model, it has the most impressive looks of any drive in the market. However, this will come at a very hefty price tag, considering they contain different firmware as well that offer a few extra features.

So, we have determined which is the sexiest-looking drive, but what about performance? I've done some extensive testing on each model to determine which is indeed the most impressive of the bunch. But before we show you performance results, let's briefly look at the features and what they have to offer.

Features



Each one of these drives has there disappointments when it comes to features. Let's compare each to see what they really offer.



DVD Writing



DVD+R DVD-R DVD+RW DVD-RW
LG GSA-4160B 16x 8x 4x 4x
Lite-On SOHW-1633s 16x 8x 4x 4x
NEC ND-3500A 16x 16x 4x 4x
Pioneer DVR-108 16x 16x 4x 4x



While all these drives are indeed 16x models, only two will write to both formats at this speed. The LG GSA-4160B and the Lite-On SOHW-1633s only support 8x DVD-R writing. So if you are one who only prefers this format, the NEC or Pioneer would be the best choice. All of these drives support writing to DVD re-writable media at 4x.



DVD+R9 Double Layer Writing



Write Speed
LG GSA-4160B 2.4x
Lite-On SOHW-1633s 2.4x
NEC ND-3500A 4x
Pioneer DVR-108 4x



The major disappointment with both the LG and the Lite-On 16x drives is the lack of 4x double layer writing support. Pioneer and NEC seem to be the only manufacturers to jump in and release second generation double layer drives supporting much faster 4x writing. In fact, the jump from 2.4x to 4x is quite substantial as we will show you a bit later in this comparison.



DVD-RAM Support



Supported Read Write
LG GSA-4160B YES 5x 5x
Lite-On SOHW-1633s NO NO NO
NEC ND-3500A NO NO NO
Pioneer DVR-108 YES 2x NO



Now this is where both the LG GSA-4120B and GSA-4160B shine above the rest. In fact, it is what has made these drives the most popular DVD writers on the market. Unlike the rest in the roundup, it is a triple format burner, offering full support for DVD-RAM media. The other drives do not support it, with the exception of the Pioneer DVR-108 which supports reading of DVD-RAM discs at 2x. I personally don't see the point in offering only read capabilities, but it's at least one extra feature added to distinguish it from the rest. Fast 5x support of the LG GSA-4160 will actually be tested a bit later in this article.



CDR Writing



CDR CDRW
LG GSA-4160B 40x 24x
Lite-On SOHW-1633s 48x 24x
NEC ND-3500A 48x 24x
Pioneer DVR-108 32x 24x



The fastest CDR writers of the bunch are the Lite-On SOHW-1633s and the NEC ND-3500A. With their support for 48x writing, they make a great all-in-one drive for many users. The only drive lacking in this lineup is the Pioneer DVR-108. Why they opted for only 32x writing is still quite puzzling and is actually why I have found that many are choosing the NEC over the Pioneer. The LG GSA-4160B should not be left out of consideration though. We will show you later that the difference in write times between 40x and 48x is not much to brag about.



Bitsetting Support



One feature I've found that is most important for many users is bitsetting support. Let's compare these drives and see what they offer.



DVD+R/RW Support DVD+R DL Support
LG GSA-4160B NO NO
Lite-On SOHW-1633s YES NO
NEC ND-3500A NO YES
Pioneer DVR-108 NO YES



The LG GSA-4160B does not offer bitsetting support out of the box. However, it is very likely that you will be able to obtain support through an excellent third-party tool called DVDInfo Pro. Right now, they only support the GSA-4120B, but I'm confident with the author that support for this drive will be likely. LG firmware is very hard to hack, however some select few have been able to do so. Using Lite-On's booktype utility, you can change the booktype of DVD+R/RW media, however, the firmware does not automatically change booktype of DVD+R DL discs to DVD-ROM like the NEC and Pioneer models do.



Additional Features



As far as other features go, all these drives have a 2MB buffer but offer some sort of buffer under-run protection, which all work exceptionally well. This is especially useful if you will be burning discs at 16x, which I personally don't recommend just yet. As our individual tests of these drives revealed, burning at this speed is quite unstable, with the exception of the Lite-On SOHW-1633s.

Source:
CODE
http://www.extrememhz.com/dlcomp-p1.shtml

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8 People Can Use The Same Msn Dial Up Account

its easy really. want to have an entire family on dial-up with just one bill?

step one. purchase 20 dollar a month subscription to MSN unlimited access dial up. This will include an MSN 9 cd which you will need. With the software installed, fill up your secondary account slots with new users. Make sure you pick @msn if it gives you the choice, hotmail email addresses will not work..

say the secondary account is johnsmith@msn.com type in the Dial up connection

USER : MSN/johnsmith
PASS: ******* (whatever)

connect to your local msn phone number and the other people you gave secondary accounts to will be able to do the same, while you are connected. Its a sweet deal considering everyone is paying about 2 bucks a month for internet access, especially if you cannot get broadband. if you wanted to sell off the access to people you could actually make money doing this.. but i do not suggest it.

I used to be an msn tech and this was a little known secret even to most of the employees.

After you do this you do not need the software any more. I would suggest keeping it on to micromanage everyone else's accounts. and for the simple fact that if they don't pitch in, cut them off HEHEHE

i'm on broadband now so i dont care if i tell you my little secret. anyone else knew of this?

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10 reasons why PCs crash U must Know

Fatal error: the system has become unstable or is busy," it says. "Enter to return to Windows or press Control-Alt-Delete to restart your computer. If you do this you will lose any unsaved information in all open applications."

You have just been struck by the Blue Screen of Death. Anyone who uses Mcft Windows will be familiar with this. What can you do? More importantly, how can you prevent it happening?

1 Hardware conflict

The number one reason why Windows crashes is hardware conflict. Each hardware device communicates to other devices through an interrupt request channel (IRQ). These are supposed to be unique for each device.

For example, a printer usually connects internally on IRQ 7. The keyboard usually uses IRQ 1 and the floppy disk drive IRQ 6. Each device will try to hog a single IRQ for itself.

If there are a lot of devices, or if they are not installed properly, two of them may end up sharing the same IRQ number. When the user tries to use both devices at the same time, a crash can happen. The way to check if your computer has a hardware conflict is through the following route:

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device Manager.

Often if a device has a problem a yellow '!' appears next to its description in the Device Manager. Highlight Computer (in the Device Manager) and press Properties to see the IRQ numbers used by your computer. If the IRQ number appears twice, two devices may be using it.

Sometimes a device might share an IRQ with something described as 'IRQ holder for PCI steering'. This can be ignored. The best way to fix this problem is to remove the problem device and reinstall it.

Sometimes you may have to find more recent drivers on the internet to make the device function properly. A good resource is www.driverguide.com. If the device is a soundcard, or a modem, it can often be fixed by moving it to a different slot on the motherboard (be careful about opening your computer, as you may void the warranty).

When working inside a computer you should switch it off, unplug the mains lead and touch an unpainted metal surface to discharge any static electricity.

To be fair to Mcft, the problem with IRQ numbers is not of its making. It is a legacy problem going back to the first PC designs using the IBM 8086 chip. Initially there were only eight IRQs. Today there are 16 IRQs in a PC. It is easy to run out of them. There are plans to increase the number of IRQs in future designs.

2 Bad Ram

Ram (random-access memory) problems might bring on the blue screen of death with a message saying Fatal Exception Error. A fatal error indicates a serious hardware problem. Sometimes it may mean a part is damaged and will need replacing.

But a fatal error caused by Ram might be caused by a mismatch of chips. For example, mixing 70-nanosecond (70ns) Ram with 60ns Ram will usually force the computer to run all the Ram at the slower speed. This will often crash the machine if the Ram is overworked.

One way around this problem is to enter the BIOS settings and increase the wait state of the Ram. This can make it more stable. Another way to troubleshoot a suspected Ram problem is to rearrange the Ram chips on the motherboard, or take some of them out. Then try to repeat the circumstances that caused the crash. When handling Ram try not to touch the gold connections, as they can be easily damaged.

Parity error messages also refer to Ram. Modern Ram chips are either parity (ECC) or non parity (non-ECC). It is best not to mix the two types, as this can be a cause of trouble.

EMM386 error messages refer to memory problems but may not be connected to bad Ram. This may be due to free memory problems often linked to old Dos-based programmes.

3 BIOS settings

Every motherboard is supplied with a range of chipset settings that are decided in the factory. A common way to access these settings is to press the F2 or delete button during the first few seconds of a boot-up.

Once inside the BIOS, great care should be taken. It is a good idea to write down on a piece of paper all the settings that appear on the screen. That way, if you change something and the computer becomes more unstable, you will know what settings to revert to.

A common BIOS error concerns the CAS latency. This refers to the Ram. Older EDO (extended data out) Ram has a CAS latency of 3. Newer SDRam has a CAS latency of 2. Setting the wrong figure can cause the Ram to lock up and freeze the computer's display.

Mcft Windows is better at allocating IRQ numbers than any BIOS. If possible set the IRQ numbers to Auto in the BIOS. This will allow Windows to allocate the IRQ numbers (make sure the BIOS setting for Plug and Play OS is switched to 'yes' to allow Windows to do this.).

4 Hard disk drives

After a few weeks, the information on a hard disk drive starts to become piecemeal or fragmented. It is a good idea to defragment the hard disk every week or so, to prevent the disk from causing a screen freeze. Go to

* Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-Disk Defragmenter

This will start the procedure. You will be unable to write data to the hard drive (to save it) while the disk is defragmenting, so it is a good idea to schedule the procedure for a period of inactivity using the Task Scheduler.

The Task Scheduler should be one of the small icons on the bottom right of the Windows opening page (the desktop).

Some lockups and screen freezes caused by hard disk problems can be solved by reducing the read-ahead optimisation. This can be adjusted by going to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System Icon-Performance-File System-Hard Disk.

Hard disks will slow down and crash if they are too full. Do some housekeeping on your hard drive every few months and free some space on it. Open the Windows folder on the C drive and find the Temporary Internet Files folder. Deleting the contents (not the folder) can free a lot of space.

Empty the Recycle Bin every week to free more space. Hard disk drives should be scanned every week for errors or bad sectors. Go to

* Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-ScanDisk

Otherwise assign the Task Scheduler to perform this operation at night when the computer is not in use.

5 Fatal OE exceptions and VXD errors

Fatal OE exception errors and VXD errors are often caused by video card problems.

These can often be resolved easily by reducing the resolution of the video display. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-Display-Settings

Here you should slide the screen area bar to the left. Take a look at the colour settings on the left of that window. For most desktops, high colour 16-bit depth is adequate.

If the screen freezes or you experience system lockups it might be due to the video card. Make sure it does not have a hardware conflict. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device Manager

Here, select the + beside Display Adapter. A line of text describing your video card should appear. Select it (make it blue) and press properties. Then select Resources and select each line in the window. Look for a message that says No Conflicts.

If you have video card hardware conflict, you will see it here. Be careful at this point and make a note of everything you do in case you make things worse.

The way to resolve a hardware conflict is to uncheck the Use Automatic Settings box and hit the Change Settings button. You are searching for a setting that will display a No Conflicts message.

Another useful way to resolve video problems is to go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Performance-Graphics

Here you should move the Hardware Acceleration slider to the left. As ever, the most common cause of problems relating to graphics cards is old or faulty drivers (a driver is a small piece of software used by a computer to communicate with a device).

Look up your video card's manufacturer on the internet and search for the most recent drivers for it.

6 Viruses

Often the first sign of a virus infection is instability. Some viruses erase the boot sector of a hard drive, making it impossible to start. This is why it is a good idea to create a Windows start-up disk. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-Add/Remove Programs

Here, look for the Start Up Disk tab. Virus protection requires constant vigilance.

A virus scanner requires a list of virus signatures in order to be able to identify viruses. These signatures are stored in a DAT file. DAT files should be updated weekly from the website of your antivirus software manufacturer.

An excellent antivirus programme is McAfee VirusScan by Network Associates ( www.nai.com). Another is Norton AntiVirus 2000, made by Symantec ( www.symantec.com).

7 Printers

The action of sending a document to print creates a bigger file, often called a postscript file.

Printers have only a small amount of memory, called a buffer. This can be easily overloaded. Printing a document also uses a considerable amount of CPU power. This will also slow down the computer's performance.

If the printer is trying to print unusual characters, these might not be recognised, and can crash the computer. Sometimes printers will not recover from a crash because of confusion in the buffer. A good way to clear the buffer is to unplug the printer for ten seconds. Booting up from a powerless state, also called a cold boot, will restore the printer's default settings and you may be able to carry on.

8 Software

A common cause of computer crash is faulty or badly-installed software. Often the problem can be cured by uninstalling the software and then reinstalling it. Use Norton Uninstall or Uninstall Shield to remove an application from your system properly. This will also remove references to the programme in the System Registry and leaves the way clear for a completely fresh copy.

The System Registry can be corrupted by old references to obsolete software that you thought was uninstalled. Use Reg Cleaner by Jouni Vuorio to clean up the System Registry and remove obsolete entries. It works on Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 SE (Second Edition), Windows Millennium Edition (ME), NT4 and Windows 2000.

Read the instructions and use it carefully so you don't do permanent damage to the Registry. If the Registry is damaged you will have to reinstall your operating system. Reg Cleaner can be obtained from www.jv16.org

Often a Windows problem can be resolved by entering Safe Mode. This can be done during start-up. When you see the message "Starting Windows" press F4. This should take you into Safe Mode.

Safe Mode loads a minimum of drivers. It allows you to find and fix problems that prevent Windows from loading properly.

Sometimes installing Windows is difficult because of unsuitable BIOS settings. If you keep getting SUWIN error messages (Windows setup) during the Windows installation, then try entering the BIOS and disabling the CPU internal cache. Try to disable the Level 2 (L2) cache if that doesn't work.

Remember to restore all the BIOS settings back to their former settings following installation.

9 Overheating

Central processing units (CPUs) are usually equipped with fans to keep them cool. If the fan fails or if the CPU gets old it may start to overheat and generate a particular kind of error called a kernel error. This is a common problem in chips that have been overclocked to operate at higher speeds than they are supposed to.

One remedy is to get a bigger better fan and install it on top of the CPU. Specialist cooling fans/heatsinks are available from www.computernerd.com or www.coolit.com

CPU problems can often be fixed by disabling the CPU internal cache in the BIOS. This will make the machine run more slowly, but it should also be more stable.

10 Power supply problems

With all the new construction going on around the country the steady supply of electricity has become disrupted. A power surge or spike can crash a computer as easily as a power cut.

If this has become a nuisance for you then consider buying a uninterrupted power supply (UPS). This will give you a clean power supply when there is electricity, and it will give you a few minutes to perform a controlled shutdown in case of a power cut.

It is a good investment if your data are critical, because a power cut will cause any unsaved data to be lost.

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