How To Disable the Automatic Restart on System Failure in Windows 7

Windows 7 is configured by default to restart immediately after a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) or other major system problem. This reboot usually happens too fast to see the error message on screen.
Follow these simple steps to disable the automatic restart feature for system failures in Windows 7.
Important: Unable to boot completely into Windows 7 due to the BSOD? See Tip #2 at the bottom of this page for help.

Difficulty: Easy

Time Required: Disabling the Automatic Restart option in Windows 7 usually takes less than 10 minutes

Here's How:

1. Click on the Start button and then on Control Panel.
   Tip: In a hurry? Type system in the search box after clicking Start. ChooseSystem under the Control Panel heading in the list of results and then skip to Step 4.
2. Click on the System and Security link.
   Note: If you're viewing the Small icons or Large icons view of Control Panel, you won't see this link. Simply double-click on the System icon and proceed to Step 4.
3. Click on the System link.
4. In the task pane on the left, click the Advanced system settings link.
5. Locate the Startup and Recovery section near the bottom of the window and click on the Settings button.
6. In the Startup and Recovery window, locate and uncheck the check box next toAutomatically restart.
7. Click OK in the Startup and Recovery window.
8. Click OK in the System Properties window.
9. You can now close the System window.
10. From now on, when a problem causes a BSOD or another major error that halts the system, Windows 7 will not force a reboot. You'll have to reboot manually when an error appears.
    
    

BSOD (Blue Screen of Death)

Definition: Abbreviated as BSOD or BSoD, the Blue Screen of Death is the popularized name for what is technically called a STOP message or STOP error. It's the blue, full screen error that often displays after a serious system crash. The text on the Blue Screen of Death may list any files involved in the crash including any drivers that may have been at fault and often a short, usually cryptic, description of what to do about the problem.


courtesy:http://pcsupport.about.com

PC not recognizing your USB drive? Here's what to do

External drives — either USB flash drives or external hard drives — should be easy to use. In some cases, you may connect your drive to a Windows PC or another device with a USB port and find that it's not recognized. This problem can be caused by partition issues on your external drive, using the wrong file system, dead USB ports, driver issues in Windows, or other problems. In a worst case scenario, the drive itself may simply be dead. 

The steps below will be the same for both USB flash drives and larger external hard drives, which work similarly. 

Does the drive show up in disk management?

First, let's check whether Windows detects the drive when you plug it in. Plug your removable drive into your computer. If it's an external hard drive, you may have to flip a power switch on the hard drive to activate it. Some heavy-duty removable hard drives may even have to be plugged in with a separate power cable before they'll work. 

Next, open the Disk Management tool. To do so, press Windows Key + R, type diskmgmt.msc into the Run dialog, and press Enter. 

You should see your external drive listed in the Disk Management window. Even if it doesn't appear in your Computer window because it doesn't contain any partitions, it should show up here. 

If you do see the drive here, you can continue to the last section where we'll format it properly so Windows or your other devices can access and recognize it.If you don't see the drive here, continue to the next section where we'll try to determine why your drive isn't recognized. 

Making Windows recognize the drive 

If Windows doesn't see your drive at all, it's possible there's a hardware issue with your computer's USB port, a driver problem with your Windows computer, or you may just have a dead drive. 

First, unplug the drive from your USB port and try plugging it into another USB port on your computer. If it works in one USB port but not another, you may have a dead USB port. If you've plugged the drive into a USB hub, try connecting it to the computer instead. Some USB hubs won't provide enough power for your external drive to function. 

If the drive doesn't show up in Disk Management even after you skip the USB hub and connect it to another USB port on your computer, it's tough to know for certain whether the drive itself is bad or the computer is having a problem. If you have another computer nearby, try plugging the drive in there to check whether it's detected. If the drive doesn't work on any computer you plug it into — be sure to check whether it appears in the computer's Disk Management window — the drive itself is likely dead and will need to be replaced. 

If the drive does work on other computers — or you don't have another computer around to test this with — Windows may be having a driver problem with the drive. You can check for this using the Device Manager. 

To open it, press Windows Key + R, type "devmgmt.msc" into the Run dialog, and press Enter. 

Look under Disk drives and check for any devices with a yellow exclamation mark next to them. If you see a yellow exclamation mark, you have a driver problem. Right-click the device with a yellow exclamation mark, select Properties, and look at the error message. This error message can help you fix the problem — you may want to perform a Google search for the error message you find. 

Such problems can be tricky to fix. If the problem started recently, you may want to run System Restore. You may want to use the Update Driver button to install an updated driver, use the Roll Back Driver button to revert any changes, or use the Uninstall button to uninstall the device from your system and hope that Windows will reinstall the driver and configure it correctly when you reconnect the drive. 

Partitioning and formatting the drive 

We can use the Windows Disk Management tool to fix partition and file system issues with the drive. If you see that the drive is unpartitioned and is full of "unallocated space," you'll want to create a new partition on it. This will allow Windows and other operating systems to use it. 

To do so, right-click inside the unallocated space, select New Simple Volume, and go through the wizard to create a new partition. 

If your drive is partitioned and you still can't see it, ensure you've set a drive letter so you can access it in Windows. This should happen automatically, but if you've manually unset the drive letter, the drive may not show up and be accessible in Windows. 

To do this, right-click the removable drive's partition, select Change Drive Letter and Paths, and add a drive letter. For example, add the letter G: and the removable drive will be accessible at drive G. 

If the drive does appear to be partitioned, it may be partitioned with the wrong file system. For example, you may have formatted the drive with the ext4 file system from Linux or the HFS Plus file system from a Mac. Windows can't read these file systems. Reformat the drive with the newer NTFS file system or older FAT32 file system so Windows will be able to recognize it. 

To reformat a partition, right-click it, select Format, and select your desired file system. 

Note that this will erase all the files on your drive, so you'll want to copy any important files off of it first — for example, if you formatted the drive on a Linux or Mac computer, take it back to a computer running Linux or Mac and copy your important files off of it before continuing. 

If you can't access the drive from another device, such as a DVD player, smart TV, game console, or media center device, it may be formatted as NTFS. Many devices, even Microsoft's own Xbox 360, can't read the Windows NTFS file system. They can only access drives formatted with the older FAT32 file system. To fix this problem, simply reformat the NTFS partition as FAT32. The drive should then be recognized by other devices when you connect it to them. 

Note that this process will erase the files on your external drive. Copy the files off the drive to back them up first, if necessary.format-removable-drive-as-fat32Following this process should solve most of the disk recognition issues you'll encounter. If a drive isn't recognized by any computer you connect it to and never shows up in the Disk Management window, it's probably dead.

Source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/personal-tech/how-to/PC-not-recognizing-your-USB-drive-Heres-what-to-do/articleshow/24697214.cms

 :

How to tackle Laptop Over Heating problem.

Overheating can cause the laptop to show abnormal behaviour thereby causing the internal machinery to fail. Follow the following procedure to avoid it.

1. Compressed Air: While working with laptop in dusty condition then there are chances that the dust gets deposited on the circulating and cooling vents thereby choking them altogether. This can cause the fan to get over worked as the head will not be dissipated as efficiently. Thus the fan will work at dangerously high temperatures. So in order to avoid this situation buy a can of compressed air from a nearby computer store and it will cost you only some dollars. Take this can and spray it on the vents of your laptop. This will remove all the dust and keep your laptop cool.

2. Power Settings: When we work on the laptop that is on the charging then we set the mode as “High Performance”. This setting will consume the most power and will cause your laptop to overheat. A simple remedy to this problem is to set the laptop in the balanced or power saver mode. This will ensure that your laptop consumes only that amount of power that is required by it. Thus a large amount of heat is saved from generating by avoiding the large speeds of the processor. When the laptop is used for playing games then you should set the mode of your laptop to “High Performance”.

3. Surface: While we are working the laptop then it can be quite comfortable when we place it on the pillow or blanket. But the fact is these surfaces choke the vents of your laptop thereby causing it to overheat. The soft nature of the surface will not allow the heat to escape and thus will be reflected back into the internal machinery. The best surface on which you should keep your laptop is the flat one such as a table. If you want to keep it on some soft surface then you should keep it on some hard cover book or similar surface. This will allow proper flow of air and heat to escape out of the system properly.

4. Powering Off Your Laptop: When you see that you might not be working on your laptop then you must switch it off rather than keeping it on the standby. We would not suggest you “hibernate” option as it will take a toll on your RAM. Powering off your laptop will keep it cool and doesn’t eat away the battery. It is as simple as that.

5. Cooling Pad: You can invest some money on your laptop then you can consider using a cooling pad for your laptop. For about $25 you can get a cooling pad for your laptop and believe me it is every worth of the penny you spend on it.

Courtesy : http://bnjho.blogspot.in/

COMMON COMPUTER PROBLEMS

TOP 10 MOST COMMON COMPUTER PROBLEMS

Although most complex computer issues at work can often be solved by the business IT support team, there are many other small, but common, issues that occur on a regular basis on a personal computer. The good news is that many problems with computers have simple solutions, and learning to recognise a problem and fix it yourself will save you a lot of time and money. The following are the top 10 common computer problems that you shouldn’t panic over.

 

1. The Computer Won’t Start

A computer that suddenly shuts off or has difficulty starting up could have a failing power supply. Check that the computer is plugged into the power point properly and, if that doesn’t work, test the power point with another working device to confirm whether or not there is adequate power.

2. The Screen is Blank

If the computer is on but the screen is blank, there may be an issue with the connection between the computer and the screen. First, check to see if the monitor is plugged into a power point and that the connection between the monitor and computer hard drive is secure. If the problem is on a laptop, then you may need to get a professional to fix it as some of the internal wires may be worn.

3. Abnormally Functioning Operating System or Software

If the operating system or other software is either unresponsive or is acting up, then try restarting your computer and run a virus scan. To avoid having this happen, install reliable anti-virus software.

4. Windows Won’t Boot

If you are having troubles booting Windows, then you may have to reinstall it with the Windows recovery disk.

5. The Screen is Frozen

When you computer freezes, you may have no other option than to reboot and risk losing any unsaved work. Freezes can be a sign of insufficient ram, registry conflicts, corrupt or missing files, or spyware. Press and hold the power button until the computer turns off, then restart it and get to work cleaning up the system so that it doesn’t freeze again.

6. Computer is Slow

If your computer is slower than normal, you can often fix the problem simply by cleaning the hard disk of unwanted files. You can also install a firewall, anti-virus and anti-spyware tools, and schedule regular registry scans. External hard drives are great storage solutions for overtaxed CPU’s, and will help your computer run faster.

7. Strange Noises

A lot of noise coming from your computer is generally a sign of either hardware malfunction or a noisy fan. Hard drives often make noise just before they fail, so you may want to back up information just in case, and fans are very easy to replace.

8. Slow Internet

To improve your Internet browser performance, you need to clear cookies and Internet temporary files frequently. In the Windows search bar, type ‘%temp%’ and hit enter to open the temporary files folder.

9. Overheating

If a computer case lacks a sufficient cooling system, then the computer’s components may start to generate excess heat during operation. To avoid your computer burning itself out, turn it off and let it rest if it’s getting hot. Additionally, you can check the fan to make sure it’s working properly.

10. Dropped Internet Connections

Dropped Internet connections can be very frustrating. Often the problem is simple and may be caused by a bad cable or phone line, which is easy to fix. More serious problems include viruses, a bad network card or modem, or a problem with the driver.

Courtesy: comsobc.com , via : http://systemassistant.blogspot.in/

Windows System32 config system is corrupt in Windows Server 2003

1. Insert your Windows Server 2003 CD and reboot from the CD drive
[To boot from CD, go to BIOS Setup option on startup and select your CD/DVD drive as the first boot drive, save the present settings and exit]
Your computer will reboot & will boot from Windows Server 2003
2. Press ‘R’ when offered the option of using the Windows Recovery Console
Recovery Console will prompt at the command prompt type the following:
C:\WINDOWS >cd system32\
this changes the current directory to C:\Windows\System32
ren config configold
This renames the config folder to configold
mkdir config
this makes a new directory called config
cd config
changes the current directory to c:\Windows\System32\Config
then type the following lines pressing enter after each one
copy c:\windows\repair\system
copy c:\windows\repair\software
copy c:\windows\repair\sam
copy c:\windows\repair\security
copy c:windows\repair\default
after each line it should say:
1 file copied
type: exit
Now Server will reboot

[To boot from Hard Drive, go to BIOS Setup option on startup and select your Hard drive as the first boot drive, save the present settings and exit]

Courtesy : http://satirur.blogspot.in/

Windows System32 config system is corrupt in Windows Server 2003

1. Insert your Windows Server 2003 CD and reboot from the CD drive
[To boot from CD, go to BIOS Setup option on startup and select your CD/DVD drive as the first boot drive, save the present settings and exit]
Your computer will reboot & will boot from Windows Server 2003
2. Press ‘R’ when offered the option of using the Windows Recovery Console
Recovery Console will prompt at the command prompt type the following:
C:\WINDOWS >cd system32\
this changes the current directory to C:\Windows\System32
ren config configold
This renames the config folder to configold
mkdir config
this makes a new directory called config
cd config
changes the current directory to c:\Windows\System32\Config
then type the following lines pressing enter after each one
copy c:\windows\repair\system
copy c:\windows\repair\software
copy c:\windows\repair\sam
copy c:\windows\repair\security
copy c:windows\repair\default
after each line it should say:
1 file copied
type: exit
Now Server will reboot

[To boot from Hard Drive, go to BIOS Setup option on startup and select your Hard drive as the first boot drive, save the present settings and exit]

Courtesy : http://satirur.blogspot.in/

"Bootmgr is missing Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart"

Method 1: Run Startup Repair from Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)

To run Startup Repair from the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), follow these steps:

1. Insert the Windows 7 or Windows Vista installation disc into the disc drive, and then start the computer.
2. Press a key when the message Press any key to boot from CD or DVD appears.
3. Select a language, a time and a currency, a keyboard or input method, and then click Next.
4. Click Repair your computer.
5. In the System Recovery Options dialog box, select the drive of your Windows installation, and then click Next.
6. At the System Recovery Options dialog box, click Repair your computer.
7. Click the operating system that you want to repair, and then click Next.
8. In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click Startup Repair.

Method 2: Rebuild the BCD from Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)

1. Put the Windows 7 or Windows Vista installation disc in the disc drive, and then start the computer.
2. Press a key when the message Press any key to boot from CD or DVD appears.
3. Select a language, a time, a currency, a keyboard or another input method, and then click Next.
4. Click Repair your computer.
5. Click the operating system that you want to repair, and then click Next.
6. In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click Command Prompt.
7. Type Bootrec /RebuildBcd, and then press ENTER.

Method 3: Run System Restore from Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)

Important: This method requires that System Restore is enabled on your computer.

To run System Restore from Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), follow these steps:

1. Insert the Windows 7 or Windows Vista installation disc into the disc drive, and then start the computer.
2. Press a key when the message Press any key to boot from CD or DVD appears.
3. Select a language, a time and currency, and a keyboard or input method, and then click Next.
4. Click Repair your computer.
5. In the System Recovery Options dialog box, select the drive of your Windows installation, and then click Next.
6. In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click System Restore.
7. Follow the System Restore Wizard instructions and select the appropriate restore point.
8. Click Finish to restore the system.

Method 4: Use Startup Repair on a computer that has a preinstalled recovery option on your computer

Important: This method is available only if Startup Repair is a preinstalled recovery option on your computer.

If you do not have a Windows 7 or Windows Vista disc, and Startup Repair is a preinstalled recovery option on your computer, follow these steps to repair startup files:

1. Remove all floppy disks, CDs, and DVDs from your computer, and then restart your computer by using the computer's power button.
   • If your computer has a single operating system installed, press and hold the F8 key as your computer restarts. You have to press F8 before the Windows logo appears. If the Windows logo appears, you have to try again by waiting until the Windows logon prompt appears, and then shutting down and restarting your computer.
   • If your computer has more than one operating system, use the arrow keys to highlight the operating system that you want to repair, and then press and hold F8.
2. On the Advanced Boot Options screen, use the arrow keys to highlight Repair your computer, and then pressEnter. (If Repair your computer isn't listed as an option, then your computer doesn't include preinstalled recovery options, or your network administrator has turned them off.)
3. Select a keyboard layout, and then click Next.
4. Select a user name, type the password, and then click OK.
5. On the System Recovery Options menu, click Startup Repair. Startup Repair might prompt you to make choices as it tries to fix the problem and, if it is necessary, it might restart your computer as it makes repairs                                                                              Courtesy : http://katiharho.blogspot.in                   

Print Spooler services is not running

When I trying to take print error showing " Operation could not be completed . Print spooler service is not running
Solution- :
1. Click on the Start Button , then Go to Run option and Type - Services.msc
2. Double -Click on the Print Spooler on the Services Window

HOW TO FIX INTERNET EXPLORER PROBLEMS IN WINDOWS XP,WINDOWS VISTA AND WINDOWS 7

DOWNLOAD THE FIX IT TOOL FOR INTERNET EXPLORER

http://support.microsoft.com/mats/ie_performance_and_safety/

Fix Internet Explorer issues to make IE fast, safe and stable
 Diagnose and repair ie problems that make ie slow, not secure, unstable or crash, caused by add-ons not working or inappropriate security settings. Find other automated solutions

 What it fixes...

Defective Internet Explorer add-ons. Disables defective add-ons.
Phishing filter is turned off. Turns the phishing filter on.
Pop-up blocker is turned off. Turns the Pop-up blocker on to block pop-ups.
Security settings are not set to recommended settings. Resets security to recommended settings.
Internet Explore does not update cached pages or updates them inefficiently, causing launch to be slow. Resets the page sync policy to automatic.
Cache size is too small or too big, causing slow performance. Resets the cache size to be within 50-250 MB of the default range.
Concurrent server connections set too low or too high causing slow performance. Restore IE concurrent connection settings to defaults.
Pop-up blocker is turned off allowing pop screens. Turns the Pop Up Blocker on.
Resets Internet Explorer security settings to the default (recommended) levels.
Enable the Phishing Filter.
Enable Data Execution Prevention for Internet Explorer
 Find other Fix it Solutions...
Visit our solution center to find more fixes to common problems

 Instruction to Run
Click the Run now button below
Then follow the onscreen prompts to launch Run now

Advanced-Download to run on a different or disconnected computer

Fix it Center will help you find solutions fast and manage your support experience


VISIT THE MICROSOFT SITE

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/318378

Via : http://systemassistant.blogspot.in/

Defending WinXP Pro -with what win-xp has to offer

Today I will tell you about various ways to Securing WinXP Pro with what win-xp has to offer by default. No extra third party software to tweak things which might make your system unstable and push it into the verge of reinstalling soon often.

Note: These are just notes of the changes i made to win-xp pro using win-xp options after my default install. These changes will not secure your box 100% but they make a good couple of 1st steps. They are in no specific order other than the order that I performed them.

1. NTFS Partition.
2. Disable Error Reporting
3. Disable Automatic Updates (only if your XP copy is pirated)
4. Disable "Recent Documents" Viewed
5. Setup XP Firewall
6. Setup screensaver password
7. Setup BIOS password
8. Setup "AfterBios" login password
9. Account Modifications
-Rename Admin Account
-Disable Guest Account
-Disable Help_Assistant Account
-Disable Support Account
10. Install a virus scanner.
11. Change Login Screen (default shows user names)
12. Disable Remote Registry (and other services)
13. Disable/Change Auto-Search settings in IE.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. NTFS Partition (I like being God over system users)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Be sure to install XP onto an NTFS partition so that you (the administrator) can take advantage
of file permissions. You want this option so that "you" can decide who reads, writes,
executes what files.

If you didn't install XP onto an NTFS partition. Convert It. To convert to NTFS follow
the instructions below.

Open a command prompt and type "convert c: /FT:NTFS /v"

This command will convert your c: partition from FAT to NTFS in verbose mode.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Disable Error Reporting - we don't want microsft to know every time we fuck up.
especially if we didn't pay for winxp.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

control panel >> performance and maintenance >> system >> advanced >> error reporting
(disable all)

right click "my computer" >> manage >> services and applications >> services >> " stop
and disable" Error Reporting.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Disable automatic updates - to update, they must know what we have. thats a NO NO!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: DO THIS ONLY IF YOUR COPY OF XP IS PIRATED!! I suggest "auto update" if your copy
of XP is legal. If your copy is pirated then i suggest that you stay updated with
the latest fixes and patches manually.

control panel >> performance and maintenance >> system >> automatic updates
(disable updates)

right click "my computer" >> manage >> services and applications >> services >> " stop
and disable" Automatic Updates.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Quit listing most recent documents opened under the start button - Don't want the
girlfriend or the parents to find that interesting things you being viewing lately.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

control panel >> appearance and themes >> task bar and start menu >> start menu >>
customize >> advanced

remove the check mark next to "List my most recently opened documents".

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Block incoming traffic to your winxp box. - Before this change, i scanned my xp box and
found it to have many ports wide open. After this change, I found nothing and xp logged
the attempts in c:\windows\pfirewall.log.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

control panel >> network connections >> right click "local area connection" >> properties
>> advanced >> check the box under "Internet Connection Firewall" then choose "settings".

Services Tab - leave all unchecked unless there is a service you are running that people
must be able to access.

Logging Options - Log everything.

ICMP - I left all these unchecked for the time being. (allowing nothing)

(this does not protect you from "Spy Ware". This only stops traffic from coming into
your win-xp box (not all traffic). It does not stop traffic from going out.) If you
need to stop traffic from going out and need a more secure firewall then download a real
firewall like "zone alarm or black ice".

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. Setting a screensaver password in case you leave some of your sensitive documents open when you walk away.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
right click on the desktop >> properties >> screen saver >> check the box next to " On
Resume, Password Protect."

If you don't have a password set on your user account, you can do so in control panel >>
user accounts >> change account.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. Setting a BIOS password - We don't want anyone rebooting the computer or trying to sneak
into your system while we are away at school or work.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I can't explain to one how this is done due to the differences between all computers and
how the BIOS settings are entered. If you know what I am talking about then do it. If you
don't know what I am talking about then learn how to do it. A screensaver password is useless
unless you setup a BIOS password.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8. Setting up the "AfterBios" password. Sometimes bios passwords are easily cracked. This
password will add extra local login security in case your bios pass is cracked. I don't
know bout you but i love having to type in 3 passwards and a username to login to my box.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Start >> run >> type "syskey" >> choose "update" >> choose "Password Startup" >> enter a
password and choose ok.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9. Renaming and Disabling Accounts for adminstrator, guest, help_assistant and support.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Right click my_computer >> manage >> local users and groups

rename administrator account
disable guest account
disable help_assistant account
disable support account

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10. Install Virus Protection............. (We like our uncorrupted data and trojan free system)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Install a virus scanner. Your firewall might protect your system from unwanted hackers but
what about an unwanted virus or trojan?. I recommend installing a virus scanner such as
"Nortons" or "McAfee".

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11. Change Default Login Screen............ (why do we want to share usernames with anyone?)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Xp uses the "welcome screen" by default. This screen has the names of all accounts on the
system so that the user only has to click on their name and type a password. Come on now....
We aren't that damn lazy. If we change this screen to the normal login, then prying eyes
will have to know a username and password to get in. Follow the instruction below to change
this.

control panel >> user accounts >> change the way users log on or off

uncheck the box next to "Use Welcome Screen" and choose "apply options".

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12. Disable Remote Registry..........(why would I need to edit my registry remotely anyway?)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

right click "my computer" >> manage >> services and applications >> services >> " stop
and disable" Remote Registry.

NOTE: disable any services running in this area that you aren't using.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13. Disable/Change Auto-search in Internet Explorer. This is not really a security risk but it
is important to some people that prefer to keep their internet surfing to themselves and
away from microsoft.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Open Internet Explorer >> Click the "search" button >> click the "customize" button >> click
"autosearch settings" >> FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS BELOW...........

DISABLE: In the "When Searching" drop down menu, select "Do not search from the address bar".
>> click "ok" >> "ok". Type an invalid address in your address bar and see if it
takes you to the msn search page or if it gives a "page not found" error. In this
case, the "page not found" error is what we want.

CHANGE: If you wish not to disable, but you wish to change it to your favorite "google.com"
search page. Instead of following the "DISABLE" instructions, follow the instructions
below. Choose "Google Sites (or whatever you prefer)" from the "choose a search provider
to search from address bar" drop down menu >> click "ok" >> "ok"


I,myself personally believe that there is much more to securing your box than this. Maybe i will come up with more information soon. Don't miss them...


Courtesy : http://myerudition.blogspot.in/