Friday, November 6, 2009

Description of the Low Disk Space Notification in Windows XP

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
322756 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322756/ ) How to back up and restore the registry in Windows
When free disk space reaches 200 megabytes (MB), you receive the following message for 10 seconds, once per session:
You are running out of disk space on [drive]. To free space on this drive by deleting old or unnecessary files, click here.
When free disk space reaches 80 MB, you receive the following message for 30 seconds, every four hours, twice per session:
You are running very low on disk space on [drive]. To free space on this drive by deleting old or unnecessary files, click here.
When free disk reaches 50 MB, you receive the following message for 30 seconds, every five minutes, until free space is above 50 MB:
You are running very low on disk space on [drive]. To free space on this drive by deleting old or unnecessary files, click here.
Note There is a registry value you can set to disable this feature. To disable low disk space checks, follow these steps, log off, and then log on again: Follow these steps, and then quit Registry Editor:
  1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
  2. Locate and then click the following key in the registry:
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
  3. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
  4. Type NoLowDiskSpaceChecks, and then press ENTER.
  5. On the Edit menu, click Modify.
  6. Type 1, and then click OK.

Problems Occur after Using Microsoft Backup Tool in Microsoft Vista

What are the issues?
  • The Microsoft Backup Tool fails while backing up the system.
    Figure 1: Back Up Files error
    Image of failed backup
  • Low disk space errors appear every time Windows opens after the backup failed. Such as, Low Disk Space. You are running out of disk space on Recovery (D:).
    Figure 2: Low Disk Space message
    Image of Low Disk Space message
You can verify a failed backup easily by opening HP Total Care Advisor and looking at the Backup section of PC Health and Security.
Figure 3: HP Total Advisor: link to Microsoft Backup Tool showing failed backup
Image of Total Care Advisor
Why do these problems occur?
The Microsoft Backup Tool tried to store files to the recovery partition and ran out of space. The recovery partition is a reserved section on the main hard drive that should only be used for an HP System Recovery.
The Microsoft Backup Software views the protected HP recovery partition (labeled Recovery (D:) or FACTORY_IMAGE (D:)) as a valid extra storage device. Recovery or FACTORY_IMAGE can be displayed as the first option in the Microsoft Backup Tool's list of places to save a backup. Someone using the software and seeing Recovery or FACTORY_IMAGE can mistake the selection as a place where the backup can be stored.
Once the backup files are written to the recovery partition, Windows Vista finds that there is not enough free space left on the recovery drive and displays a Low Disk Space error.
Figure 4: Microsoft Backup Tool: Recovery D: as the default selection
Image of MS Backup
How do I fix the problems?
Remove the failed backup files as follows:
CAUTION: Make sure that you have created a set of recovery discs before using these steps. If the system crashes, recovery discs can be used to perform a system recovery.
  1. Open Windows and log into an account with administrative rights (the account used to setup the computer will work).
  2. Right-click Start and select Explore All Users .
  3. Before you can remove the backup files and folders, set Windows to view hidden system files as follows:
    1. From the explorer window press the Alt key on the keyboard to make the menu bar appear in the window.
    2. From the file menu, click Tools , and then select Folder Options .
      Figure 5: Folder Options
       Image of folder options
    3. Select the View tab.
    4. Select Show hidden files and folders , remove the selection from Hide protected operating system files and then click OK .
      Figure 6: Folder Options: View Tab
      Image of hidden files and folders.
  4. From the Folder Options window in explorer, double-click Recovery (D:) or FACTORY_IMAGE (D:) .
  5. Find the folder that has the same name as the computer name. For example if the computer name is Pavilion_PC-PC, the folder that contains the backup files would be named Pavilion_PC-PC.
    Figure 7: Example of folder where backup files are stored. The folder name on your computer is different.
    Image showing example of a folder created by MS Backup
  6. Select the folder that contains the name of the computer. Do not select any other folder or files. Only select the folder containing the backup files.
    For example, if the computer name is Presario123, select the folder named Presario123.
  7. With the folder selected, press Shift + Delete .
  8. A Windows opens stating "You don't currently have permission to access this folder" opens. Click Continue .
    Figure 8: Message window
    Permissions
  9. Several confirmation windows open. Click Continue , and Yes until the folder is deleted.
  10. Set Windows Folder Options back to their original setting as follows:
    1. From the explorer window press Alt to view the file menu.
    2. Click Tools , and then select Folder Options .
    3. Select do not show hidden files and folders and select Hide protected operating system files .
    4. Click OK .
  11. Close explorer. The Out of Disk Space errors should no longer appear. If you would like to use the Microsoft Backup Tool again, open it and select a different external backup device other than Recovery.
How do I prevent the problems from happening?
When using the Microsoft Backup Tool, select a different external backup device that has enough free space to hold the backup files, like an HP personal Media drive, HP pocket Media drive, or other USB external drive. Never save files to the Recovery/FACTORY_IMAGE partition.
Figure 9: Microsoft Backup Tool: Selecting other devices (DVD RW Drive and USB storage)
Image of MS Backup
To prevent Backup and Recovery Center from writing files to the Recovery Partition, change the Backup and Recovery Center settings as follows:
  1. Click Start , enter Backup in the Start Search field.
    Backup and Restore Center opens.
  2. Click Change settings in the Back up files section.
    The window "Backup Status and Configuration" opens.
  3. Click Change backup settings . Click Continue if a User Account Control message appears.
    The window "Where do you want to save your backup?" opens.
  4. Select On a hard disk, CD, or DVD and then select an available CD or DVD drive that is capable of burning discs, and then click Next .

    NOTE: Do not select Recovery/FACTORY_IMAGE as a storage location. The partition is small, and overwriting the partition causes failure. If Recovery/FACTORY_IMAGE is your only option, click Cancel and do not use the Backup utility. You will need to backup your important files to some other medium, such as an external USB storage device. The window "Which disks do you want to include in the backup?" opens.
  5. Make sure Recovery or FACTORY_IMAGE is not selected and click Next .
    The window "Which file types do you want to backup?" opens.
  6. Select the file type that you would like to backup and click Next .
    The window "How often do you want to create a backup?" opens.
  7. Select the settings you want to create a backup schedule and click Save settings and start backup .

    NOTE: When creating the schedule, it is best to choose a time when the computer will be on but will only be used for backup purposes.
    The backup process starts.
  8. You can either complete a backup of your files at this time or cancel. You are done.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Your CD drive or DVD drive is missing or is not recognized by Windows or other programs

Microsoft Windows Vista

  1. Click Start
    Collapse this imageExpand this image
    Start button
    , and then click All Programs.
  2. Click Accessories, and then click Run.
  3. Type regedit, and then click OK.
    Collapse this imageExpand this image
    User Access Control permission
    If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Allow.
  4. In the navigation pane, locate and then click the following registry subkey:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
  5. In the right pane, click UpperFilters.

    Note You may also see an UpperFilters.bak registry entry. You do not have to remove that entry. Click UpperFilters only. If you do not see the UpperFilters registry entry, you still might have to remove the LowerFilters registry entry. To do this, go to step 8.
  6. On the Edit menu, click Delete.
  7. When you are prompted to confirm the deletion, click Yes.
  8. In the right pane, click LowerFilters.

    Note If you do not see the LowerFilters registry entry, unfortunately this content cannot help you any further. Go to the "Next Steps" section for information about how you can find more solutions or more help on the Microsoft Web site.
  9. On the Edit menu, click Delete.
  10. When you are prompted to confirm the deletion, click Yes.
  11. Exit Registry Editor.
  12. Restart the computer.

Microsoft Windows XP

  1. Click Start, and then click Run.
  2. In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
  3. In the navigation pane, locate and then click the following registry subkey:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
  4. In the right pane, click UpperFilters.

    Note You may also see an UpperFilters.bak registry entry. You do not have to remove that entry. Click UpperFilters only. If you do not see the UpperFilters registry entry, you still might have to remove the LowerFilters registry entry. To do this, go to step 7.
  5. On the Edit menu, click Delete.
  6. When you are prompted to confirm the deletion, click Yes.
  7. In the right pane, click LowerFilters.

    Note If you do not see the LowerFilters registry entry, unfortunately this content cannot help you any further. Go to the "Next Steps" section for information about how you can find more solutions or more help on the Microsoft Web site.
  8. On the Edit menu, click Delete.
  9. When you are prompted to confirm the deletion, click Yes.
  10. Exit Registry Editor.
  11. Restart the computer.

How to copy music to and from an audio CD in Windows XP

Copy music files from an audio CD

  1. Insert the Audio CD and start Windows Media Player.
  2. If WMP is in Skin mode, press CTRL+1 to view WMP in Full mode.
  3. Click Copy from CD. Or, on the File menu, you can click Copy, click Copy from Audio CD, and then choose the drive from which you want to copy.
  4. Click to select each audio file that you want to copy. By default, all files that you have not already copied are selected.
  5. Click Copy Music. This copies the file into the My Documents\My Music folder by default.
Note: To change the default location into which you copy the files, refer to the "To Change Audio CD Copying Options" section in this article.


Copy audio files from the hard disk to an audio CD

  1. In Windows Explorer, choose the files that you want to copy to the audio CD, and then click the Copy to Audio CD Web View task.
  2. In WMP, verify that the files that you wish to copy are in the playlist and that they are selected.
  3. Click Copy Music.
Note: You can copy .wma, .mp3, and .wav file types to an audio CD.


Change audio CD copying options

  1. Start Windows Media Player.
  2. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then on the Copy Music tab, you can modify the following options:
    • Copy Music to This Location:
      • Change: Use this setting to set the folder into which you will copy the music files.
      • Advanced: Use this setting to configure the naming of the audio files.
    • Copy Settings:
      • File Format: Use this setting to choose the format into which you will copy the files. The default is Windows Media Audio (WMA), or you can use other file formats that you have installed.
      • Protect Content: Use this setting to specify the use of digital licensing for tracks that you copy from a CD. By licensing a file, you protect the author's copyright by preventing the file from being played on a different computer.
      • Copy Music at This Quality: Use this setting to set the bit rate in which to encode the music. You can encode .wma files in a bit rate from 48 kilobits per second (Kbps) to 192 Kbps.

APPLIES TO
  • Microsoft Windows Media Player 8.01
  • Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
  • Microsoft Windows XP Professional

Friday, October 9, 2009

Hosts file

The hosts file is a computer file used by an operating system to map hostnames to IP addresses. This method is one of several methods used by an operating system to locate network nodes on a computer network. On many operating systems, the host file content is used preferentially over other methods, such as the Domain Name System (DNS). Unlike DNS, the hosts file is under the control of the local computer's administrator.[1]

Location and content

The location of the hosts file in the file system hierarchy of operating systems varies.[2]

Operating System Version(s) Location
Windows 95, 98, Me %WinDir%\
Windows NT, 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, 7 %SystemRoot%\system32\drivers\etc\ by default. Actual location defined in Registry key \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\DataBasePath.

Users of 64-bit versions of Windows Server 2003, Server 2008, and Vista (but not Windows 7) cannot access the HOSTS file with a 32-bit editor.[3]

Macintosh 9 and earlier System Folder: Preferences or System folder
Mac OS X /private/etc/hosts
Linux, BSD based, and similar
/etc/hosts[4]
Novell NetWare
SYS:etc\hosts
iPhone and iPod
/private/etc/hosts
OS/2 and eComStation
"bootdrive":\mptn\etc\
Symbian Symbian OS 6.1-9.0

(Series 60 1st and 2nd edition, UIQ 1-2)

C:\system\data\hosts
Symbian Symbian OS 9.1+

(Series 60 3rd edition, UIQ 3.x)

C:\private\10000882\hosts (AllFiles capable only)

The hosts file consists of lines consisting of an IP address and one or more hostnames, separated by white space. Comment lines in the hosts file start with the '#' (hash) character. Blank lines are ignored.

The default hosts file contents typically includes a line for the localhost definition.[5]

Winsock

In computing, the Windows Sockets API, which was later shortened to Winsock, is a technical specification that defines how Windows network software should access network services, especially TCP/IP. It defines a standard interface between a Windows TCP/IP client application (such as an FTP client or a Gopher client) and the underlying TCP/IP protocol stack.

NTLDR

NTLDR (abbreviation of NT Loader) is the boot loader for all releases of Microsoft's Windows NT operating system up to and including Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. NTLDR is typically run from the primary hard disk drive, but it can also run from portable storage devices such as a CD-ROM, USB flash drive, or floppy disk. NTLDR can also load a non NT-based operating system given the appropriate boot sector in a file.

NTLDR requires, at the minimum, the following two files to be on the system volume:

  • NTLDR, which contains the main Boot loader itself
  • boot.ini, which contains configuration options for a boot menu.

To load an NT-based OS, ntdetect.com must also be present. (Strictly speaking, only NTLDR is actually required. If boot.ini is missing, NTLDR will default to \Windows on the first partition of the first hard drive. Many desktops in the home are in this configuration and a missing boot.ini file will simply generate an error stating it is missing, then boot into Windows successfully.) In Vista, Boot information is stored in a Registry-like file called the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store. Vista comes with a command-line tool bcdedit.com for configuring BCD. However, the command-line tool is rather complicated to use and a free editor called EasyBCD has a graphical user interface that is simpler to use.

The Volume Boot Record written to disk by the Windows NT format command attempts to load and to run the NTLDR program.

In Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, NTLDR was replaced; the boot loader functionality is instead provided by two new components: winload.exe and the Windows Boot Manager.