DevelopersVoice.com

So, you've hit your head upon the nearest table corner and are suffering from selective amnesia. Or you've been so paranoid and have changed your admin password more than you've changed your shirt. It was inevitable that you would forget the administrator password. Chances are that you haven't really helped yourself and created either a Password Hint, a Password Reset Disk or another Administrator-privileges enabled account.

Do not despair. All is not lost, and you may still be able to bring things back to normal without a reinstall. However, once you're done with this HOWTO, please create a password reset disk in Windows XP and store it in a safe place and save yourself a world of trouble.

Tool #1: Offline NT Password and Registry Editor:

Get it here:

Bootable floppy:
http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/bd041205.zip

Bootable CD:
http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/cd041205.zip

and then boot the computer off it. It will detect and offer to unlock locked or disabled out user accounts but be warned, that if you've encrypted user data, you may end up corrupting it if you've used EFS.

Tool #2: Austrumi

Austrumi is a Linux bootable ISO image for recovering NT passwords and other cool tools and methods, sized for Business Card size CD media (50Mb). It allows you to change any password, including that of the Administrator, on a partition occupied by Windows NT, Windows 2000 or Windows XP. Simply boot the CD and when you get to the initial boot prompt, type:

boot: nt_pass

This will launch a console utility that will detect Windows partitions on the hard disk and provide you with a menu to modify any user or Administrator passwords on the Windows system. It will even give access to the Windows registry for recovery purposes. Quite a handy utility to keep in your wallet (AUSTRUMI is small enough to fit on a business card-size CD) if you are unfortunate enough to having to deal with Windows machines in your line of work.

Read more at http://sourceforge.net/projects/austrumi

Download the files you need here:
http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/austrumi/austrumi-0.9.2.iso?download

Tool #3: XP Password Recovery:

This site provides a tool to recover lost Windows XP passwords. It works for administrator accounts, it doesn't change the password just tells you the old one. It works with encrypted files (EFS) and password hashes. It even works if no passwords at all are known for the machine (as long as you have another computer with internet access to view this website with). It does not work if the password has symbols or spaces in.

Author (Oliver Mattos) claims it also works with Windows NT and Windows Server 2003 and Windows Longhorn, but the BEST thing about it is the fact that it won't reset your passwords, but simply reveal them for you to remember and then use.

Give it a try. The author would like to receive feedbacks for debugging and troubleshooting purposes.

Note: You'll need a blank floppy to run the process, and it will take anywhere between a few minutes to a few hours for the scan to complete.

Usage, instructions and additional information can be found at

http://xpcracker.mine.nu/xpcracker


Source


NOTE: I am not responsible if scriptkiddies and other crazed individuals go around using this for purposes of showing off and trying to be l33t. I am not responsible if you get fired because you didn't do your job as a sysadmin and you let someone lock you out of your own computer. In short, I'm not responsible for jack.
Recommended Reading :

Google Desktop Search:
http://www.desktop.google.com/

Download:
http://www.desktop.google.com/GoogleDesktopSearchSetup.exe

Google Local:
http://www.google.com/lochp

Google Suggestions:
http://www.google.com/webhp?complete=1&hl=en

Google Firefox:
http://www.google.com/firefox

Google Sholar:
http://scholar.google.com/

Google BSD:
http://www.google.com/bsd

Hacker style Google:
http://www.google.com/intl/xx-hacker/

Google Labs:
http://labs.google.com/

Google Microsoft:
http://www.google.com/microsoft

Google Features:
http://www.google.ru/help/features.html

Google map site:
http://www.google.com/sitemap.html

Google Options:
http://www.google.com/options/index.html

Froogle:
http://froogle.google.com/

Google Linux:
http://www.google.com/linux

Google America:
http://www.google.com/unclesam

Google University Search:
http://www.google.com/options/universities.html

Google Mac:
http://www.google.com/mac.html

Google Mail:
http://www.google.com/gmail/

Google Deskbar:
http://toolbar.google.com/deskbar/index.html

Google SMS (New):
http://www.google.com/sms/

Site-Flavored Google Search (beta):
http://www.google.com/services/siteflavored.html

Personalized Web Search:
http://labs.google.com/personalized

Wireless Froogle:
http://labs.google.com/frooglewml.html

Google Compute:
http://toolbar.google.com/dc/offerdc.html

Google sets:
http://labs.google.com/sets

Google Groups:
http://groups-beta.google.com/

Google Alerts:
http://www.google.com/alerts

Google Search Local:
http://local.google.com/

Gmail Notifier:
http://toolbar.google.com/gmail-helper/

Recommended Reading :

Run Commands

---

compmgmt.msc - Computer management
devmgmt.msc - Device manager
diskmgmt.msc - Disk management
dfrg.msc - Disk defrag
eventvwr.msc - Event viewer
fsmgmt.msc - Shared folders
gpedit.msc - Group policies
lusrmgr.msc - Local users and groups
perfmon.msc - Performance monitor
rsop.msc - Resultant set of policies
secpol.msc - Local security settings
services.msc - Various Services
msconfig - System Configuration Utility
regedit - Registry Editor
msinfo32 _ System Information
sysedit _ System Edit
win.ini _ windows loading information(also system.ini)
winver _ Shows current version of windows
mailto: _ Opens default email client
command _ Opens command prompt

Run Commands to access the control panel

---

Add/Remove Programs control appwiz.cpl
Date/Time Properties control timedate.cpl
Display Properties control desk.cpl
FindFast control findfast.cpl
Fonts Folder control fonts
Internet Properties control inetcpl.cpl
Keyboard Properties control main.cpl keyboard
Mouse Properties control main.cpl
Multimedia Properties control mmsys.cpl
Network Properties control netcpl.cpl
Password Properties control password.cpl
Printers Folder control printers
Sound Properties control mmsys.cpl sounds
System Properties control sysdm.cpl


Command Prompt

---

ANSI.SYS Defines functions that change display graphics, control cursor movement, and reassign keys.
APPEND Causes MS-DOS to look in other directories when editing a file or running a command.
ARP Displays, adds, and removes arp information from network devices.
ASSIGN Assign a drive letter to an alternate letter.
ASSOC View the file associations.
AT Schedule a time to execute commands or programs.
ATMADM Lists connections and addresses seen by Windows ATM call manager.
ATTRIB Display and change file attributes.
BATCH Recovery console command that executes a series of commands in a file.
BOOTCFG Recovery console command that allows a user to view, modify, and rebuild the boot.ini
BREAK Enable / disable CTRL + C feature.
CACLS View and modify file ACL's.
CALL Calls a batch file from another batch file.
CD Changes directories.
CHCP Supplement the International keyboard and character set information.
CHDIR Changes directories.
CHKDSK Check the hard disk drive running FAT for errors.
CHKNTFS Check the hard disk drive running NTFS for errors.
CHOICE Specify a listing of multiple options within a batch file.
CLS Clears the screen.
CMD Opens the command interpreter.
COLOR Easily change the foreground and background color of the MS-DOS window.
COMP Compares files.
COMPACT Compresses and uncompress files.
CONTROL Open control panel icons from the MS-DOS prompt.
CONVERT Convert FAT to NTFS.
COPY Copy one or more files to an alternate location.
CTTY Change the computers input/output devices.
DATE View or change the systems date.
DEBUG Debug utility to create assembly programs to modify hardware settings.
DEFRAG Re-arrange the hard disk drive to help with loading programs.
DEL Deletes one or more files.
DELETE Recovery console command that deletes a file.
DELTREE Deletes one or more files and/or directories.
DIR List the contents of one or more directory.
DISABLE Recovery console command that disables Windows system services or drivers.
DISKCOMP Compare a disk with another disk.
DISKCOPY Copy the contents of one disk and place them on another disk.
DOSKEY Command to view and execute commands that have been run in the past.
DOSSHELL A GUI to help with early MS-DOS users.
DRIVPARM Enables overwrite of original device drivers.
ECHO Displays messages and enables and disables echo.
EDIT View and edit files.
EDLIN View and edit files.
EMM386 Load extended Memory Manager.
ENABLE Recovery console command to enable a disable service or driver.
ENDLOCAL Stops the localization of the environment changes enabled by the setlocal command.
ERASE Erase files from computer.
EXIT Exit from the command interpreter.
EXPAND Expand a Microsoft Windows file back to it's original format.
EXTRACT Extract files from the Microsoft Windows cabinets.
FASTHELP Displays a listing of MS-DOS commands and information about them.
FC Compare files.
FDISK Utility used to create partitions on the hard disk drive.
FIND Search for text within a file.
FINDSTR Searches for a string of text within a file.
FIXBOOT Writes a new boot sector.
FIXMBR Writes a new boot record to a disk drive.
FOR Boolean used in batch files.
FORMAT Command to erase and prepare a disk drive.
FTP Command to connect and operate on a FTP server.
FTYPE Displays or modifies file types used in file extension associations.
GOTO Moves a batch file to a specific label or location.
GRAFTABL Show extended characters in graphics mode.
HELP Display a listing of commands and brief explanation.
IF Allows for batch files to perform conditional processing.
IFSHLP.SYS 32-bit file manager.
IPCONFIG Network command to view network adapter settings and assigned values.
KEYB Change layout of keyboard.
LABEL Change the label of a disk drive.
LH Load a device driver in to high memory.
LISTSVC Recovery console command that displays the services and drivers.
LOADFIX Load a program above the first 64k.
LOADHIGH Load a device driver in to high memory.
LOCK Lock the hard disk drive.
LOGON Recovery console command to list installations and enable administrator login.
MAP Displays the device name of a drive.
MD Command to create a new directory.
MEM Display memory on system.
MKDIR Command to create a new directory.
MODE Modify the port or display settings.
MORE Display one page at a time.
MOVE Move one or more files from one directory to another directory.
MSAV Early Microsoft Virus scanner.
MSD Diagnostics utility.
MSCDEX Utility used to load and provide access to the CD-ROM.
NBTSTAT Displays protocol statistics and current TCP/IP connections using NBT
NET Update, fix, or view the network or network settings
NETSH Configure dynamic and static network information from MS-DOS.
NETSTAT Display the TCP/IP network protocol statistics and information.
NLSFUNC Load country specific information.
NSLOOKUP Look up an IP address of a domain or host on a network.
PATH View and modify the computers path location.
PATHPING View and locate locations of network latency.
PAUSE Command used in batch files to stop the processing of a command.
PING Test / send information to another network computer or network device.
POPD Changes to the directory or network path stored by the pushd command.
POWER Conserve power with computer portables.
PRINT Prints data to a printer port.
PROMPT View and change the MS-DOS prompt.
PUSHD Stores a directory or network path in memory so it can be returned to at any time.
QBASIC Open the QBasic.
RD Removes an empty directory.
REN Renames a file or directory.
RENAME Renames a file or directory.
RMDIR Removes an empty directory.
ROUTE View and configure windows network route tables.
RUNAS Enables a user to execute a program on another computer.
SCANDISK Run the scandisk utility.
SCANREG Scan registry and recover registry from errors.
SET Change one variable or string to another.
SETLOCAL Enables local environments to be changed without affecting anything else.
SETVER Change MS-DOS version to trick older MS-DOS programs.
SHARE Installs support for file sharing and locking capabilities.
SHIFT Changes the position of replaceable parameters in a batch program.
SHUTDOWN Shutdown the computer from the MS-DOS prompt.
SMARTDRV Create a disk cache in conventional memory or extended memory.
SORT Sorts the input and displays the output to the screen.
START Start a separate window in Windows from the MS-DOS prompt.
SUBST Substitute a folder on your computer for another drive letter.
SWITCHES Remove add functions from MS-DOS.
SYS Transfer system files to disk drive.
TELNET Telnet to another computer / device from the prompt.
TIME View or modify the system time.
TITLE Change the title of their MS-DOS window.
TRACERT Visually view a network packets route across a network.
TREE View a visual tree of the hard disk drive.
TYPE Display the contents of a file.
UNDELETE Undelete a file that has been deleted.
UNFORMAT Unformat a hard disk drive.
UNLOCK Unlock a disk drive.
VER Display the version information.
VERIFY Enables or disables the feature to determine if files have been written properly.
VOL Displays the volume information about the designated drive.
XCOPY Copy multiple files, directories, and/or drives from one location to another.
TRUENAME When placed before a file, will display the whole directory in which it exists
TASKKILL It allows you to kill those unneeded or locked up applications



Windows XP Shortcuts

---

ALT+- (ALT+hyphen) Displays the Multiple Document Interface (MDI) child window's System menu
ALT+ENTER View properties for the selected item
ALT+ESC Cycle through items in the order they were opened
ALT+F4 Close the active item, or quit the active program
ALT+SPACEBAR Display the System menu for the active window
ALT+TAB Switch between open items
ALT+Underlined letter Display the corresponding menu
BACKSPACE View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer
CTRL+A Select all
CTRL+B Bold
CTRL+C Copy
CTRL+I Italics
CTRL+O Open an item
CTRL+U Underline
CTRL+V Paste
CTRL+X Cut
CTRL+Z Undo
CTRL+F4 Close the active document
CTRL while dragging Copy selected item
CTRL+SHIFT while dragging Create shortcut to selected iteM
CTRL+RIGHT ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word
CTRL+LEFT ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word
CTRL+DOWN ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph
CTRL+UP ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph
SHIFT+DELETE Delete selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin
ESC Cancel the current task
F1 Displays Help
F2 Rename selected item
F3 Search for a file or folder
F4 Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer
F5 Refresh the active window
F6 Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop
F10 Activate the menu bar in the active program
SHIFT+F10 Display the shortcut menu for the selected item
CTRL+ESC Display the Start menu
SHIFT+CTRL+ESC Launches Task Manager
SHIFT when you insert a CD Prevent the CD from automatically playing
WIN Display or hide the Start menu
WIN+BREAK Display the System Properties dialog box
WIN+D Minimizes all Windows and shows the Desktop
WIN+E Open Windows Explorer
WIN+F Search for a file or folder
WIN+F+CTRL Search for computers
WIN+L Locks the desktop
WIN+M Minimize or restore all windows
WIN+R Open the Run dialog box
WIN+TAB Switch between open items



Windows Explorer Shortcuts

---

ALT+SPACEBAR - Display the current window

We have seen many commercial copy protections. Many of them are applied on game cds. Safedisc, Securom, Starforce, Tages are some of them. Almost every game CD is protected with such CD protections. Most of them can be dumped, however, with tools such as Alcohol 120% and Blindwrite.

There are some freeware applications to copy protect CDs too, but very few are meant to protect Data CDs. I wanted to make a data CD which is copy protected. Many freeware copy protection softwares can be dumped by Alcohol. I tried TZ Copy Protection, but it too can be dumped easily with Alcohol, if correct options are set. It can be dumped easily with another dumper called Pregap Image builder. I forgot where I downloaded from. So I have uploaded it to http://www.geocities.com/khattam_khattam/pregap.zip , Hope the author (PersianKitKat{at}gma!l.com) does not mind.

Pregap Image builder's readme wrote:

This program is made for NT Based Operation Systems. This mean it will not works under 9x Series, as it does not uses ASPI! Basically made to make a backup for tzCopyProtection, But it worked for CD-Guardian , RockLock , SoftLock and WTM CD Protect.

I want to make a copy protected CD of NT Password Changing Utility. Actually, my friend needs it but I know if I give it to him, he'll make a copy of it and boast too much of it. So....

So, we are using freeware tools to create our so called "Copy Protected CD". We are going to protect an ISO of a Linux CD which contains the captive NTFS and NT Password changing tool with Syslinux boot loader. It is available at http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/
It contains the following files when unpacked:
1. Boot.msg
2. Boot.cat
3. Isolinux.cfg
4. Isolinux.bin
5. Vmlinuz
6. Initrd.gz

Unpacking can be done with WinRAR, available at http://www.rarlab.com It is a shareware and gives a NAG if you dont register after the 40 days trial period. But you will face the NAG for such a great program. Hope you know about this better...

The integrity of Vmlinuz is checked at boot time, so we cannot edit or protect it. However, other files can and will be protected.

Let me introduce to you a tool called Magic ISO Maker. Trust me it is a Magical program to deal with ISOs. IF you have used UltraISO and thought it is a great program, then you will know that Magic ISO is a boon. Unlike UltraISO, it does not unpack and repack the ISO when you edit it. Instead, it saves the changes to the existing file, make it much faster to edit ISOs. Not only it can edit any ISOs, it can also deal with any type of Nero .nrg files. You can add/remove files to and from these images and even make them bootable or extract the bootimage. If you are used to dealing with ISOs then you need this program. It will be worth a buy if you plan to buy it. (Yeah, it is a shareware). We will use the Trial version of the program. It is available at http://www.magiciso.com Hope you download and install Magic ISO as soon as possible and give this great program a try.

Let me come to the point again. We were going to make a copy protected Linux CD, and for free. So we are going to combine two copy protectors. They are:
1. TZ CD Copy Protection (http://wave.prohosting.com/~tzcp/TZCP155FullInstall.zip)
2. WTM CD Protect Shareware Trial Version (http://www.webtoolmaster.com)

Both are claimed to be successfully ripped by Pregap Image Builder, but when combined, it fails to make a working dump of the protected CD.

Read the TZ Copy Protection Help and also the help of WTM CD Protect and come back again for better understanding of what we are going to do.

I will assume you have downloaded and installed all the programs that are required.

Firstly, we launch Magic ISO and open the file cd050303.iso, which is the ISO of the CD to protect. Then, look at the CD content. I have already said what files it contains. Anyways, lets proceed.

Open the folder %WTM CD Protect Installed Directory%\Imp-Image\Image-Imp\ and copy all the *.imp files to a location, say c:\Protect\junkimgs. Now, rename the *.imp files to any name that will look real. These files are fake files, which will be protected by WTM CD Protect. You can rename them to anything you like. To make them like real required files, I gave them names like BOOT, BOOT.CFG, CHPSSW.GZ, ISOLINUX.CON, KERNEL.GZ, KERNEL.IMG, KERNEL.SYS, LILO, VMLINUZ.CFG, VMLINUZ.GZ, VMLINUZ.IMG. You can even make multiple copies of the files and give them other names if you like. Make sure that it does not match any of the files already on the CD. If you wish to make a setup CD for your application, you can give names such as setup.dll, install.cab and such to fool the pirator.

Now, drag the files to the Magic ISO program to add these files to your CD compilation. Then save it. Now the CD will contain the original files + these fake files, which will be made uncopyable by the WTM CD Protector later. Now, lets also protect few of necessary files to make them uncopyable too, coz if the pirator is able to figure out the required files, he will escape all the fake and/or uncopyable files and easily make a copy of the CD. So lets protect some original files too. Extract the files INITRD.GZ and ISOLINUX.BIN to protect. VMLINUZ cannot be protected coz while protecting, the file size is increased, and it will fail the integrity check at boottime. If you are protecting some other CD, do not protect files with CRC checking. Some executibles have self-check routines. These should not be protected by this process, or the exe will not run.

Ok, if you have extracted the files INITRD.GZ and ISOLINUX.BIN, by right clicking and extract in MagicISO, it is time to launch WTM CD Protect. Launch it and click "Add Errors". Click on "Hanging error image at arbitary file" and then select INITRD.GZ. It will show a messagebox, saying "It has been saved to %path%\initrd.gz.cry Rename this back to %path%\initrd.gz and burn it on CD." Do the same with ISOLINUX.BIN and quit WTM CD Protect. Now, we have two extra files in the directory in which we had extracted the files. They are INITRD.GZ.CRY and ISOLINUX.BIN.CRY. Delete the files INITRD.GZ and ISOLINUX.BIN and rename the *.*.cry files to *.* ie to INITRD.GZ and ISOLINUX.BIN. Now, put them back in the CD, in Magic ISO, by dragging. Replace the original files. Save the ISO. Exit Magic ISO Maker.

In case you are protecting another CD which has an EXE file, make sure that the EXE runs well after protection, before adding it to the compilation. EXEs with CRC checks fail to run after protection so beware.

Now, launch TZ CD Copy Protection. We are going to change the sizes of the dummy files to unbelievable sizes, such as 1 gb or 2 gb, for further protection. However, do not change the size of Vmlinuz and initrd.gz file. This is because the crc of Vmlinuz is checked and filesize shoud not change at all. For initrd.gz, the filesize shouldnt be changed coz, it is loaded to the RAM during boottime, so if you change the size to 1 Gb or 2 Gb, then it will simply crash. Dont do this with EXEs with crc checks and other such files too, if implementing in other projects.

So, to change the filesize of any file, Launch TZ Copy Protection, if you havent already done so, and File>Open ISO and select the ISO we just compiled. Then, at the lower right corner, enter the filesize. By default, you can see 2047 MB ie 2GB or 2147483647 bytes. Change it to any number you like and then select the file whose size ou want to change. Then click on Step 3 in the standard toolbar. I changed the size of BOOT.CAT to 1 Gb, ISOLINUX.BIN to 2 Gb, Kernel.img (Dummy file) to 500 Mb. You can change the sizes of other dummy files to any size too. It wont increase the size of the ISO, and it wont need a DVD to write the ISO, too. So, change the filesize of other files too if you like, but NOT of Vmlinuz and initrd.gz....
Then, exit TZ Copy Protection when you are done.

Now, we need to create a RAW dump of the ISO. We will use CDRwin. It is a great utility from Golden Hawk. The shareware demo version gives full functionality, but the speed of read/write is 1x. We will do with that. . It is available for download at http://www.goldenhawk.com/download.htm

We will also need Alcohol or any other tool to mount our CD to virtual drive. We need to do this so that we can rip with CDRWin and get a RAW image with a cue file. We need CDRWin because it is compatible with TZ Copy Protection program.

So get a virtual drive program. Lets use Alcohol 120% trial. Launch Alcohol 120% and then click on virtual drives. Install at least one virtual CD drive. Then go to My Computer. You should see a new drive. Right Click on the new Virtual CD Drive and Click Mount > Open and then open our ISO image. Then our ISO will be mounted to the CD drive.

Now, launch CDRWin and click on the third button. On taking your mouse over the button, you will see "Extract Disk/Tracks/Sectors". Yeah! Thats it. Click on it and select the Virtual Drive in the "CD Reader" field. Browse for the Image file name you want to save the file to and then click start. After dumping is done, close CDRWin.

Now, launch WTM CD Protect. Click Image and select the Raw *.BIN dump we just got after dumping with CDRWin. Then, click Options and select a larger IMP file. I selected Image6.Imp. Then, click on Protect. It will show the trial version NAG. Just click OK. Then, the protection process will start. The readme of the WTM CD Protect says that, if we select slower option in the "Add Errors" tab, we get better protection, but the operation for protection will be VERY VERY SLOW. So we select the fastest option available ie Super Fast Scan/Write.

When it finishes, quit WTM CD Protect. Actually, when it finishes it says "Image Protected. Burn this Image." But we want more protection, don't we??

Now, launch TZ CD Copy Protection. Now, Click on File> Open Cue Sheet and open the cue file just created with CDRWin. Now, we are gonna use various protections offered by TZ CD Copy Protection. Great!

Click on Step 1. It wil say "Protection Added." So, done. For informations on these protection types, please read the TZ Copy Protection's help file.

Then, in the lower left corner, tick on four second fix. We are NOT going to use Interleave Filesystem, since it is not compatible in some cases. Read online for more info. In the Audio Tracks to add, leave it to 94. Then, click on Step 2 and wait for a few seconds. When it is done, click on Step 4. We need not use Step 3 again. We have already used it earlier, haven't we?? Scroll up and see when we increased the file sizes to Gb. Remember?? Yes, that is Step 3.

Then, click on Step 5 too. It will ask if you want to load the current cuesheet. Click yes. It will convert BIN Image. Wait for a while and when done, close it. It asks if you want to create another TZC file, Click Yes. Then we come back to the TZ CD Protection.

Now, when you have to burn the image, we can still add another important protection. To burn the CD, run TZ Copy Protection. Then, Open the BIN Image. If it is already open, its OK. Then, click on the "Manager". Then, click on "Create Ghost" and then click ok in the messagebox that follows. Then, without closing TZ Copy Protection, or the Manager, launch CDRWin. And then click on the first button which is "Record Disc". Then, click on Load Cuesheet and select the cuesheet we have created. Tick on "Raw Mode" and then choose a slower writing speed, well if you have a registered version. Otherwise, you will automatically have slow writing speed . Then, click on "Record Disc". Click "Yes" to any warnings that it gives. When the recording process starts and the drive light start blinking, come bak to the Manager of TZ Copy Protection and click on "Modify Ghost" button. It will give up a messagebox. Click OK to it. So, after 99% of CD Burning, CDRWin will fail, and you will get the copy protected CD we are making. So, mission successful......

To check how much protected it is, try to dump it with Alcohol. Use ClonyXXL to determine the protection and it says "Cactus Data Shield 100". Fine. Try dumping with any dumpers. Let me know if you find any dumpers which will make a working dump of this CD. Yes Pregap Image Builder, that I mentioned earlier was able to make a dump, but the dump did not boot when written to another disc. It had problems reading the protected initrd.gz file. Moreover, many files from the CD cannot be copied to harddisk.

Thank you for reading this tutorial. If you didn't understand anything here, please contact me @ khattam.khattam[at the rate of]gma!|.c0m. Well, if you didn't understand ANYthing at all, I cannot do anything about it .

Recommended Reading :

Step One: The Core

This is the single most important piece of your computer. Chances are that if there's something wrong with this, the weakest link in the chain, everything will come crashing straight on top of you. I am talking about the Single Point of Failure (SPoF) on your system - the Operating System.

This critical piece (actually, make that ultra-hyper-mega-critical) of software is what manages the entire show and you dont want any unnecessary software messing with it. Not all Operating Systems are created equal. Technically speaking, server OSes are some of the safest OSes around. But usually you cannot go around installing these OSes unless you're a total geek with around 10 computers around your home and you need software to centrally manage them. When it comes to a single desktop OS, currently Microsoft Windows XP rules the roost.

Your choice of Windows OS preference in the order of safest first is:
Windows XP Professional
Windows XP Home
Windows 2000 Professional
Windows NT 4.0
Windows 98 SE
Windows ME
Windows 98
Windows 95

I would recommend you either stick to the Windows XP OSes, Windows 2000 Professional or Windows 98 SE. Needless to say, Microsoft Windows XP is currently the most safe computing environment for a user. And that neatly brings us to our next topic.


Step Two: Patching it Up

No OS is secure if you are running it straight out of the box. A long list of vulnerabilities are detected by security experts and Microsoft routinely releases update software to address these vulnerabilities and close them. Updates may either be :
Service Packs
Critical Updates
Hotfixes
Cumulative Updates / Rollups
Hardware Updates
Optional Updates

Service Packs (SP) are comprehensive updates to the OS, fixing every single vulnerability in the OS since the release of the OS itself or the last SP release. SP's also include major OS changes, newer updates to system files and they contain every single update to the OS that has ever been released. Also, SPs are cumulative, so if you were to install SP1, it would contain every single update since the OS release and if you install SP2, it would contain every single update that has been released since SP1, and it would also include the updates of SP1 also. So, if you are patching an OS with an SP, you dont have to go around installing SP1, then SP2, SP3, etc. Installing the latest SP would mean you're getting all the updates. The latest SPs for the various OS are:

Windows XP - SP2:
The best way to get SP2 for Windows XP is either via Automatic Updates (I will get to this later), Windows Update, ordering the free Service Pack 2 from Microsoft, (click this link to place your order) or from the Digit September 2004 CD/DVD. However, if you want to download it yourself, a larger network install can be downloaded here.

Windows 2000 - SP4 Download

Windows NT 4.0 - SP6a Download

Microsoft only releases an SP for the OSes that can be used as full-fledged network clients, so there are no SPs for Windows ME, 98 SE, 98 and 95, only the standalone updates. However, an Unofficial SP exists for Microsoft Windows 98 SE.

Windows 98 SE Unofficial SP - Version 2.0 RC1 Download

Critical Updates are those very important updates that Microsoft releases in response to a threat against the Windows OS. There is no option and these should not be avoided. Installing these updates is a must if you dont want your system exploited or open to infection. Microsoft usually releases a slew of these updates every month.

Hotfixes are patches to existing Windows components that address a vulnerability in the code and are released as and when the vulnerabilities are discovered. Needless to say, you need these as well if you want to protect your OS.

Cumulative Updates and security Rollups are a bunch of related updates and hotfixes that enhance the security of the Windows component and also patch any existing unpatched vulnerability. Of course, you need these too.

Hardware Updates can sometimes be found on Windows Update when your hardware manufacturer, like your motherboard manufacturer, releases patches, fixes and updates that usually add functionality and improve performance of your hardware components. While these updates are optional, it is recommended that you install them because they often boost your hardware's performance and provide newer functionality that you can take advantage of.

Optional Updates are just that. They're optional and its your choice whether you wish to update/upgrade them. Usually, these fall in the category of extra tools for the Windows OS such as a newer Media Player, a Journal Viewer, Movie Editing Software, software to make applications programmed in the .NET environment to work, etc. You can safely ignore these updates if you are not planning to use them.

Microsoft releases a number of updates on the second Tuesday of every month, which many of us geeks fondly call "Patch Tuesday". Make sure you bookmark this day in your calendar each month and check for updates. Also, if a threat is severe enough, it may make the people at Microsoft release an update before the planned Patch Tuesday.

Also, most programs have updates for themselves. While some are improvements on features, its not uncommon for products to include security enhancements as well. Keep track of the products you're using and check for updates for your software products regularly. This is especially important when it comes to Microsoft Office products as their updates can have a significant impact on sysem security. You can always visit Office Update to check for the latest updates to your Office products.

Step Two Point Five: Honesty Pays

It is worthwhile to mention that when it comes to Windows OSes, it is better to pay for a legal, genuine copy of the OS to enable you to get the latest updates without a hassle. When it comes to Windows XP, it will not allow you to install a genuine copy of the SP or some critical fixes unless you have a legit version of the OS. Yes, cracked SPs exist and you can always install them, but you will be doing the world a lot of good, not to mention yourself, if you just get yourself a legit copy of at least Windows XP Home. You just spent over 20,000 on that new computer, the least you can do is spend another 4000 and live quite happily afterwards.

Step Three: Securing the OS

Here we will take a look at securing the OS itself without using any third party software. The most important tool here is the "Automatic Updates" option. You can usually find this option in the Control Panel, if you are running Windows ME, Windows 2000 (with the appropriate SP) or Windows XP.

When you open the Automatic Updates option, you will be faced with a couple of options including (exact wordings may differ)
Automatically Download and Install Updates
Download Updates but let me choose when to install them
Notify me of updates but do not automatically download or install them
Turn off Automatic Updates

It is recommended that you select Option 3 - "Notify me of updates but do not automatically download or install them" instead of Option 4, turning off the Auto Update feature. This way, when an important update is released, the Automatic Updates feture will inform you that updates are available for your OS and you can go to Windows Update and download and install them at your convenience. Also this way, you can tell when an update is being offered before the Patch Tuesday cycle and stay protected.

Windows XP comes with a built in Firewall to protect your computer, but its not a worthy solution when compared to a standalone firewall, so I will skip that in favor of a third party firewall solution.

Also, make sure you secure your user account with a password so that no one can fiddle with your system in your absence and then damage the OS.

Windows XP, when patched with Service Pack 2, comes with a Security Center option that can be accessed via the Control Panel. When you restart your computer after installing SP2, you will be prompted to choose an Automatic Updates method (1 out of the 4 choices) The Security Center also monitors the status of the built-in Windows Firewall, which is enabled by default and also the status of your antivirus program, whether it is on, turned off or if it requires an update. However, it only works with well known antivirus solutions. If any of these components are not working right or are turned off or disabled, the Security Center will pop up a warning in your system tray notification area, alerting you.

Step Four: Protection with Third Party Software

Antivirus Solutions

The biggest threat to a Windows system is a virus. How or why a virus attacks and how it spreads, I am not going to go into here. Usually a virus spreads through one of these mediums:
a) an infected floppy or CD
b) an infected file over the network
c) an infected file from the Internet
d) an infected file you received via e-mail or instant messenger.

An antivirus program is a third party solution that runs all the time in your system and monitors and protects your system from viruses and maybe, other threats, depending on the product and its version. It includes a scanning engine and a list of signatures of known viruses that it compares to files staying in your computer's memory and hard disk as well as the ones coming in and going out. If it detects a virus, it immediately stops the activity of the file and informs you about the virus' presence and prompts you to either clean the file or delete it. It should be noted that the major antivirus vendors, McAfee, Symantec, Trend Micro, Kaspersky, etc. release newer versions of their antivirus programs at least once each year in addition to releasing "updates" for the antivirus program every week.

You should have the latest version of the antivirus programs running at all times, and should also make sure its updated every week with the latest virus "signatures." Failure to do any of these two steps may mean an immediate infection. All antivirus programs come with an Automatic Update feature built in that will automatically contact its server and look for available updates and then download and install them automatically. It is recommended that you leave this feature turned on.

Here are a list of instructions that you should actively follow to prevent an infection:
a) Make sure you use the latest version of your antivirus and keep it updated weekly and make sure its auto-update feature is turned on.
b) Never use a CD or a floppy without scanning it for viruses.
c) Do not open files from the Internet without scanning them with the antivirus. Most download managers can integrate with the antivirus program to automatically scan the downloaded files. Turn this feature on.
d) Do not accept and download files from an Instant Messenger conversation if you do not know what it is. Also, all instant messengers can integrate with the antivirus. Turn this feature on.
e) Never open an attachment from an email, no matter what extension it is, without first scanning it with an antivirus. Again, all email clients can integrate with your antivirus solution to automatically scan for viruses in your emails.

Trial Software:
Norton Antivirus 2005
McAfee VirusScan
Trend Micro PC-Cillin 2005 (Currently the best, in my opinion)
Kaspersky Antivirus 5.0 Personal
NOD32 2.0 - v7.20
Norman Virus Control
CA eTrust Antivirus v7.1

Free Antivirus Software:
AVG Antivirus v7.308
avast! 4 Home Edition
AntiVir Personal Edition

Firewalls:

In this day, when broadband and LAN/Cable Internet access is rampant, there is always a chance that somemay may break into your computer, gain access and control your computer to do malicious acts without your permission. A firewall acts like a filter for the data that's going in and out of your computer. If it detects that a program is trying to access the Internet or your local network without your permission, it will stop such activity. Also, if a hacker or any other user tries to gain access to your computer without your permission, it will block all such activity too. The Windows Firewall that comes bundled along with Windows XP SP2 is woefully inadequate when it comes to protecting your computer.

The key to running a firewall efficiently is to configure it right. When it comes to configuring, the key steps to remember are these:
a) If you do not know the program, deny it access to the Internet and the local network.
b) Never allow the software to "remember" the access rights for a program, that is, do not wantonly check the "I know this program. Do not ask me again" for programs that you are not absolutely sure about.
c) Some Windows processes need access to the Internet or your local network to work the way its supposed to. Make sure you check the name of the program and its use before you allow or deny access.
d) Unless you run a server or play/host online or network multiplayer games, go ahead and deny inbound access to all programs except your mail clients, browsers, etc.
e) Do not allow programs to connect to the Internet unless they absolutely need to. So while Adobe Acrobat checks for an update with its servers when you start it up, thats OK. But when you are planning to play Quake 3 Arena offline and it tries to connect to the Internet, go ahead and deny it access this time around.

Good firewalls include;

ZoneAlarm (Free) (The best among them all, when you configure it right)
Kerio Personal Firewall (Free)
SyGate Personal Firewall Standard (Free )
Kaspersky Anti-Hacker v1.7 (Trial)
Norton Personal Firewall 2005 (Trial)
McAfee Personal Firewall Plus (Trial)
Trend Micro PC-Cillin Internet Security 2005 (Trial)


Anti-Spyware:

Chances are that you're probably using the default Internet Explorer browser that came along with your OS. The browser is literally the weakest link in the Microsoft OS and is a very popular target for people that write software to either attack your computer, or as in most cases, just increase their revenue. People write code called spyware/adware/malware that hijack your browser settings or install software that track your movements online or in some cases, totally prevent you from getting any work done and steal your Internet passwords. And if you're using Internet Explorer, you're their favorite snack.
To test the "integrity" of your browser and whether it is vulnerable to spyware and being hijacked and exploited, run the Browser Security Check here. Chances are, yes, you're very vulnerable. Fortunately, we have software just like antivirus programs - antispyware programs that prevent and clean attacks on your system. As with antivirus, the key to a good antispyware program is to leave its protection system running at all times and to update them regularly with the "signature libraries" of spyware.

Some of the well known products are:

SpyBot - Search and Destroy 1.3 (The best, in my opinion)
LavaSoft Ad-Aware SE Personal v1.05
Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware Beta

Another tools that prevents your browser being hijacked and your critical system settings being changed in BHODemon 2.0. You can download it here. Also, when you install antispyware like SpyBot, you will be prompted to install system protection software called "TeaTimer" and will be prompted to have it automatically startup along with your computer. Select this option and when an important change occurs, you have the option to either accept the change or deny it, effectively killing unwanted program installs and browser hijacks.

Misc. Tools:

Of course, you can always ditch the browser and go for a safer alternative. The best I would recommend is Mozilla Firefox, currently at version 1.0.1. Also the lightest browser around, it makes for the best replacement for Internet Explorer. It also automatically imports all your IE cache, settings, cookies and bookmarks, so you have to do nothing but install it and browse safe.

Get Mozilla Firefox 1.0.1 here!

Also, Microsoft has a Malicious Software Removal Tool that you can download and scan for and remove unwanted malicious software. A newer version of the tool will be released each month. Get it here.

In all my time, one tool that really caught my eye and bowled me over was BlackICE PC Protection. The program is actually a firewall for incoming data, but its being paranoid totally. The program totally blocks all incoming requests and literally hides your PC from the local network and from the Internet, making it totally invisible to the outside world. The program also bundles a nifty tool called "Application Protection." What it does is create a snapshot of all the installed programs and their "code" and if there is ANY change at all in the program, it refuses to let the program load without your permission. Of course, you can always authorize and add the program to a list, authorize it to run only once, or terminate it completely. This is the way a paranoid person like myself protects his system. There is no trial that I know of, but if you're interested you can take a look at the link I posted to find out more about the program.

I hope this helps. If anyone has anymore info to add on protecting their systems, please feel free to add it. I will post a HOWTO on fixing your problems with viruses, spyware and hackers tomorrow.

NOTE: A good site to get all your updates in one shot is The Software Patch or you can use third party tools like AutoPatcher to get the same job done.
Recommended Reading :