Category: Howto

Find out my CPU speed and type in Windows or Linux system

There are many ways to detect which CPU you are using (AMD or Intel), speed and other stuff such as cache memory etc.

With following commands/tools, you will be able get following information:
=> Detect CPU cache
=> CPU speed and type (processor speed)
=> CPU Manufacturer (AMD, Intel etc)

Detect CPU speed and make Using Windows XP/2000/2003

  • Goto Desktop
  • Right-click the My Computer icon
  • Select Properties

You will see CPU information at the bottom of dialog box.

Detect CPU speed and make Using Linux

Type the following command:

less /proc/cpuinfo

Detect CPU speed and make Using Third party utilities for Windows system

There are third party utilities which can be used to detect the CPU. Please note that not all programs are free some of them are free or shareware. These programs also provides the system diagnostics and benchmarking solution for CPU, FPU, disk and memory etc. Some program may include additional stuff such as hardware monitoring and diagnostics capabilities. Following are two my favorite programs:

Other free program:

Repair the master boot record (MBR) on Windows NTFS partition

Windows NT /2000/XP or Windows server comes with NTFS partition. However some time you are not able to boot from Windows XP/2003 NTFS boot partition due to some reasons such as corrupted MBR or Linux installation problem.

You need to use FIXMBR to fix the master boot record (MBR) on Windows NTFS partition. However, the fixmbr command is only available when you are using the Recovery Console.

Procedure

a) Set BIOS to boot from CD/DVD

b) Inset your Windows setup CD

c) When prompted select Recovery Console option

d) Now go to C:\WINNT or C:\WINDOWS

e) Next type following command:

fixmbr \Device\HardDisk0

f) But how did I obtained the device \Device\HardDisk0 name? The device (drive) on which you want to write a new master boot record can be obtained from the output of the map command. Type following command:

map
fixmbr \Device\HardDisk0

g) Type exit to restart system

exit

h) Remove CD and boot from hard disk.

References

Windows XP: How do I hide folders or files using encrypting file system feature?

If you are using Windows XP Professional edition, it comes with nifty feature called EFS (encrypting file system). Please note that, EFS is Windows XP Professional edition feature only i.e. EFS is not part of Windows XP Home edition.

Using EFS it is possible to encrypt and hide both files and folder.

How do I use EFS?
Make sure you are using NTFS partition.
Now select file or folder you would like to encrypt
Right click a file/folder > Select Properties

Encrypting file system feature
Click on Advanced

Click the box that read as “Encrypt contents to secure data.” > Click Ok > Click Ok

Windows XP Pro encrypting file system feature

Now if other users try to open your file or folder they will get access denied error message.

This way you can protect all the sensitive information on your PC from unwanted users. Now no one can read your files :) Encryption is really nifty feature of Windows XP Professional’s system.

How do I allow someone to view my encrypted files?
Windows XP allows you to add your co-worker or friend to view files. You need to provide them access over local or networked based computer.
Select file
Right Click > Select properties
Click Details
Click Add
Select the user you want to provides access to your encrypted files, and click OK

How do I decrypting files or folders?
Select encrypted file/folder
Click on File/Folder
Click on Advanced
Remove the check mark from the box next “Encrypt contents to secure data,”
Click OK twice.

Change the welcome banner For Windows FTP server

So if you want to change the welcome banner that users see when they FTP into their web site on your Windows based server. Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager allows you to change the welcome banner for FTP server.

How do I change FTP banner?

  • Login as admin
  • Open Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager
  • Expand FTP sites (from tree view)
  • Right-click on the particular FTP site, select Properties
  • Click on the Messages tab
  • Setup new message
  • Save the changes
  • You can test the changes with ftp command. Type the ftp command as follows:

ftp ftp.your-site.com
ftp. your-windows-server-ip

Change the port of Windows Terminal Services

Sometime you can increase security of Windows Terminal Services/server by changing the port that Terminal Services is running on. The default port is 3389.

a) Login as admin user

b) Start registry editor: Start > Run > Type the command (i.e. run Regedt32 i.e. registry editor (regedit.exe):

regedt32

OR

regedit.exe

c) Now navigate as follows:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\System\\CurrentControlSet\\Control\\TerminalServer\\WinStations\\RDP-Tcp

d) Now locate PortNumber key.

e) You will see hexadecimal value 00000D3D (decimal equivalent is 3389). Either modify the port number in hexadecimal or select decimal in regedit and type in the port in decimal digits (for example if you want port 4500, type 4500 as a value). Finally save the new value.

Troubleshooting Windows Server 2003 performance problems

Microsoft has released Server Performance Advisor v1.0 which is a performance diagnostic tool for Windows Server 2003. Please note that this tool does not works with Windows XP or old version of Windows server (NT/2000).

Tool is available for download at: Microsoft web site.

From Microsoft site, “…Service Performance Advisor is a server performance diagnostic tool developed to diagnose root causes of performance problems in a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 operating system, particularly performance problems for Internet Information Services (IIS) 6.0 and the Active Directory directory service. Server Performance Advisor measures the performance and use of resources by your computer to report on the parts that are stressed under workload.

Other server roles include system overview (hot files, hot TCP clients, top CPU consumed), print spooler, context switch data and preliminary File Server trace data.

I find this tool quite valuable while, troubleshooting Windows Server 2003 performance problems.