• Date: December 3rd, 2008
• Author: Mark Kaelin

In information technology and operating system terms, Microsoft Windows XP has been around a very long time. Over the years, TechRepublic has literally written thousands of tips, tweaks, tricks, and hacks in our article, download, and blog pages. One of my favorites is a quick and easy tweak that will change the behavior of Windows Explorer.

The directory/folder metaphor employed by Windows XP to organize files on a hard drive fits well with my natural tendency of hierarchical organization. My thinking pattern follows the general > less general > specific > most specific framework. So there are times when I want to see a particular folder hierarchy laid out before me in Windows Explorer.

This blog post is also available in PDF format in a TechRepublic download.

Tweak the displayed folder

The default display for Windows XP Explorer is to show the My Documents folder with all of its subfolders expanded and ready to be selected (Figure A).

Figure A

The default Windows XP Explorer view

There is nothing wrong with this view, but I don’t always generic cialis prices want to open Windows Explorer in the My Documents folder. I have access to, and the need to use, several different network folders during the course of a day. With a small tweak of the Windows Explorer Properties settings you can change which folder gets displayed and how that display is revealed.

To get to the Windows Explorer Properties dialog box, right-click the Windows Explorer shortcut. You can copy the shortcut in the Start Menu to your Desktop to make it easier to work with. I like to have several Windows Explorer shortcuts in my toolbar for easy access — each going to a different place.

When you right-click and go to Properties and click the Shortcut tab, you should see a screen similar to Figure B.

Figure B

The Windows Explorer Properties dialog box

The key box is the Target box. To change the Windows Explorer shortcut to open a specific folder of your choosing, change the Target box to read:

c:\windows\EXPLORER.EXE /n, /e, X:\Folder of my choosing

For example, the blog posts I write or edit are saved on a network drive (U) in a folder I have dubbed “Working Folder.” The Target box for this shortcut looks like this and the corresponding screenshot is shown in Figure C.

c:\windows\EXPLORER.EXE /n, /e, u:\working folder

Figure C

A new target folder

Now, when I click this Windows Explorer shortcut, I get the screen shown in Figure D.

Figure D

My working folder

Additional tweak

The tweak above shows my Working Folder and all the subfolders under it. But with a small additional tweak, I can get a Windows Explorer view that shows the Working Folder subfolders collapsed (Figure E).

Figure E

Working Folder with subfolders collapsed

This is a cleaner more concise look. To get this behavior, add the /select command to the Target box like this:

c:\windows\EXPLORER.EXE /n, /e, /select, u:\working folder

Your choice

You can apply this tweak to as many folders as you want. You can give them different icons and place them on your desktop or on your toolbar. This small tweak gives you great flexibility in how you interact with Windows XP.

Someone asked

In the attached discussion thread, there was a request for an explanation of the Windows Explorer in-line commands. I found a reference on Microsoft’s Help and Support pages:

If you read my article 10 things you should do before, during, and after reinstalling Windows you will be aware that I mentioned five ways to get the important updates and the latest Windows service pack and five ways to install the same. While writing the article it became apparent to me that there was a security risk immediately following a reinstall of Windows.

Microsoft recommends that you connect to the Internet to get the important security updates and service pack. But the catch-22 is that your computer is more vulnerable until the security updates are installed. That left me wondering if there was a better way to secure my PC when it was at its most vulnerable — immediately following a clean install.

The best and easiest solution would be to simply download the security updates before a reinstall. This cumulative self-executable security update file simply does not exist on the Microsoft download site. I’ve seen Microsoft security update files available for download at various Web sites, but this is one of the few times that a third-party solution won’t work. You simply can’t trust replacing your core system files to anyone but Microsoft.

So I set out to find a proactive way to secure my computer immediately following an install or reinstall. I detail five ways (Table A) to better secure your computer until all the important security updates can be installed. They range from simple to complex and from less secure to more secure. This document refers specifically to Vista, but the concepts apply to all versions of Windows.

This blog post is also available in PDF format in a TechRepublic download.

Five ways

Table A – The Five Vista Install/Reinstall Security Options

Options three, four, and five offer a more secure way to retrieve SP1 and the important update files. Option five is potentially the most secure and is the most difficult to implement.

Option one

Stand-alone computer users must follow this option. Since the computer will not be connected to a network, there are no online threats to worry about. You will still need to consider the risks involved when running any applications. The service pack, if any, will have to be installed manually.

Option two

This is the standard default option for Windows. Most of you have always used this option to update your PC following an install or reinstall.

If you select this option, you will have to rely solely on Vista’s built-in Windows Firewall and Windows Defender. The security updates you will be downloading fix known security vulnerabilities with Internet Explorer, MS Mail, and Windows Media Player. Until the security updates are installed, you should consider not browsing the Web, reading your e-mails, listening to MP3s, or starting any other applications that connect to the Internet.

Option three

The comments in option two also apply to option three. This option requires you to connect to the Internet to get the latest security updates. Then do a manual install of the latest service pack. By installing SP1 manually you reduce the amount of time you have to be connected to the Internet.

Option four

The comments in option two also apply to option four. Option four is similar to option three but installs the security updates contained in SP1 before having to connect to the Internet. By installing SP1 manually, you also reduce the amount of time you have to be connected to the Internet.

I have tried Option four, and it seemed to work well for me without any major problems, even though it is not Microsoft approved. I was able to experience firsthand some of the problems that can be experienced by manually installing SP1 prior to a Windows Update scan. Be aware that if you choose this option it is possible that any problems may require you to reformat the target partition and reload Windows from scratch again. You can also try manually installing SP1 in safe mode if you experience any problems.

Option five

This option involves configuring a firewall to block all network traffic except traffic to the Windows Update server. Actually implementing this requires advanced knowledge of the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) and the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security MMC snap-in or another third-party firewall that supports application blocking. To be honest, I tried to set up a new inbound rule in Windows Firewall with Advanced Security and gave up after a few hours of fruitless effort.

A good third-party firewall is an alternative option that may provide better security while Windows Update is busy retrieving and installing important updates. In the hands of the right person, a third-party firewall like Comodo Internet Security (CIS) is more secure than Windows Firewall and Defender. And third-party firewalls can solve the transparency problem that Vista’s firewall has.

If you are looking for a firewall for simple everyday protection or for easily creating inbound and outbound network rules, Comodo Internet Security fits the bill and then some. And the full-blown version with anti-virus protection and Defense+ is totally free.

If you do use a third-party firewall like CIS, you will have to understand how to properly configure the firewall and what application alert prompts to allow and which to deny. This is not the level of knowledge you can expect from the average user. Even tech pros can find using such a firewall challenging. You can dial back the settings in Comodo Internet Security but at the cost of reduced security.

How highly is Comodo Internet Security rated? The CNET editors rate it five stars. You can download the 32- and 64-bit versions from the Comodo Web site.

Installing CIS and not running any apps that connect to the Internet should safely secure your computer until all the important security updates are in place. If you want to lock down your network traffic further, it can be done using network rules, but you need to understand some firewall basics first.

Basic firewall theory

There are two ways that personal software-based firewalls fundamentally work. They can start with a solid wall in place, and specific network or application rules can be added that poke holes in the wall. Or they can start as a bare foundation, and specific network or application rules can be put in place to build the wall.

The first technique is used by most of today’s firewalls — and you can see why. If you are using the second type of firewall and you don’t build your firewall rules properly, you can let in uninvited visitors.

By using the first type of firewall you can create network rules to allow inbound/outbound network traffic. By default, a firewall of this type with no network rules will block all inbound and outbound traffic.

Using the second type of firewall you can create network rules to block inbound/outbound network traffic. By default, a firewall of this type with no network rules will allow all inbound and outbound traffic.

Comodo Internet Security implements the first type of firewall strategy. It can block or allow network traffic by:

If you are new to firewalls and network rules, you will almost certainly be confused by in and out network connections and Source and destination computers. It is confusing. First, don’t think in or out. Think inbound connections generic cialis overnight delivery and outbound connections instead.

A good analogy is a telephone call. For an inbound connection call that you receive, the source is the phone making the call and the destination is your phone. For an outbound connection call that you make, the source is your phone and the destination is whomever you are calling.

In this analogy, the phone number is the IP address and the device receiving the call is the port. For example, you could have both a phone and a fax machine using the same phone number. OK, you probably don’t have more than one device, but you get the point. Remember this analogy when setting up your network rules.

Using Comodo Internet Security with Defense+, I developed a method to block applications and sent the script to Comodo for a sanity check. Comodo was kind enough to have their Senior Research Scientist look at my script. He sent me a method that is much better than my solution. It will block all Internet traffic to all applications except Windows Update, and you won’t even have to worry about any pop-up alerts. Here are the relatively simple steps that he sent me.

Make sure that your modem or the Internet cable is not connected to the Internet.

1. Install CIS and restart the computer.
2. Open the Comodo Internet Security status window.
3. Click the Firewall icon at the top of the window.
4. Click the Advanced button in the left pane.
5. Click on the Network Security Policy link (Figure A).

Figure A

The CIS Network Security Policy Application Rules Window looks like this before you add any network rules.

1. Click on the Windows Updater Applications entry and drag and drop it to the top so that it is the FIRST entry in the policy.
2. Click the Add button.
3. Click the Select drop-down button, then click Running Processes followed by System under Windows Operating System, and then click the Select button.
4. Click the Use a Predefined Policy radio button, click the drop-down arrow, and choose Trusted Application. If there is already a rule entry for the system, it can be modified. Click the Apply button.
5. Click the Add button again.
6. Click the Select drop-down button and then click File Groups->All Applications.
7. Click the Use a Predefined Policy radio button, click the drop-down arrow, and select Blocked Application if not already selected. Click the Apply button.
8. Click the Apply button in the Network Security Window.

Be sure that the blocked All Applications rule created in steps 10-12 is the LAST entry. Double-check that the order of the rules in the Network Security Rules Window matches the order in Figure B.

Figure B

This is the CIS Network Security Policy Application Rules Window after we moved the Windows Updater Applications entry, added the trusted System, and blocked All Applications network rules.

Important! After all security updates and the latest service pack are downloaded and installed, the blocked All Applications rule created in the steps 10-12 must be deleted to allow the normal operation of the firewall. Highlight the network rule and use the Remove button to delete it. You can optionally also delete the trusted System rule created in steps 7-9.

You will need to disable Windows Firewall if you are installing a third-party firewall. Please read Installing and Configuring Comodo Internet Security with Defense+ for instructions on how to do this and for more information about how to install CIS.

Partition imaging

As it was so kindly pointed out to me more than once in the forum for the 10 things you should do before, during, and after reinstalling Windows article, an image of the Windows operating system can be made when you have it installed and configured the way you like. There is a legitimate and compelling reason to image your system after an install or reinstall. A system image can be created and used in the future to reinstall Windows with both the latest service pack and all security updates up to the image creation date already in place. And there is a way to do it with freeware — at least for owners of Maxtor or Seagate hard drives.

MaxBlast 5 is freeware application that is essentially Acronis True Image Home lite. The Seagate version is called DiscWizard and is also free to Seagate hard drive owners. You must have a Maxtor or Seagate hard drive installed in your system in order to run MaxBlast 5 or DiscWizard.

For more information about how to create a system image using MaxBlast 5, please read Partition Imaging with MaxBlast 5.

Editor’s Note: According to Stephen Lawton, Senior Director, Strategic Marketing, Acronis Inc., Acronis True Image supports hardware RAID in all of its products and software RAID is OS-dependent. It really depends on how the manufacturer implements software RAID in order to know if it’s supported. The best way to determine if your software RAID is support in Acronis True Image is to boot the system from an Acronis Rescue Disk. See the accompanying discussion thread for more details.

There are two partition images that you should consider creating after a Windows install or reinstall. The first image is an image created after Windows is loaded and you have made all the changes to personalize Windows the way you like it.

The second image should be created after you have downloaded and installed all the important updates and the service pack, if any. You should also consider running an anti-virus scan set to its high or thorough setting prior to imaging. You want to create an image that is Trojan and virus free.

The final word

I thought long and hard about whether I should submit this article for publication. I realize that the security issues discussed here aren’t near the top of most people’s list of concerns and for good reason. It is difficult if not impossible to assess the security risk after an install or reinstall. The Vista installer warns you about additional possible security risks if you do not connect to the Internet to get the latest updates. This is a relatively insignificant issue compared to any possible security risks immediately following a clean install or reinstall of Windows.

There are still a lot of unanswered questions. I doubt if anyone including Microsoft can tell you whether Windows Firewall and Defender is sufficient to protect your computer until all the important security updates are in place. I can tell you that your computer is more vulnerable until the service pack and all the important updates are downloaded and installed.

Neither can I tell you, patient reader, what security option you should choose. Whether to use Windows Firewall and Defender or to install a third-party Firewall like Comodo Internet Security and lock down the network traffic with network security rules, I leave it entirely up to you, depending on the option you feel most comfortable with.

DNS is the manageable way to resolve computer names to IP addresses, yet Windows admins usually use host files because they always work. But when you need to make a change to a bunch of host entries, where do you start?

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It can be risky to use the Windows host file (which is located at C:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts) for default installations if you need to make a change to a large number of systems with a local entry. Fortunately, there are a few ways to change these entries.

For example, look at a simple host file entry:

Imagine that the DHCP-122 host is frequently generic cheap cialis used and many systems have a host entry with that IP address. As the system becomes more important, it is moved to another network and a static IP address. Assuming there is a resolution mechanism, the task is to replace the entry with a hashed out entry, as shown below:

Let’s also assume that we don’t want to remove the other entries in the file. This change comments out the entry and puts the new IP address in place. In the event that DNS or another mechanism cannot resolve the address, we can easily flip this entry for access.

To accomplish this task for a large number of systems, there are a few ways of going about it. One tool that I came across recently is Advanced Find and Replace, where a text file of paths can be loaded for a large find and replace task. The text file would contain entries like this:

Advanced Find and Replace can then go through all of those paths and make the requested change if the text string exists in the file. This task can also be accomplished with a stream editing tool like Sed for Windows.

Another way to address easy short name resolution without the nightmarish management of host files is to migrate to Windows Server 2008’s DNS engine and use the GlobalNames zone — although the host files would need to be removed for the DNS results to work.

Whatever tool you use to modify the entry, make sure you do not add a file extension to the hosts file — the file will not function correctly with an extension. In general, you should stay away from using host files; however, certain situations warrant their use, and the manageability issues will soon follow.

If you have created a favorite desktop theme and you work on more than one Microsoft Windows XP computer, you may have considered recreating that theme on your other computers. However, manually recreating the desktop theme can be a tricky and time-consuming operation. Here’s how you can easily copy your favorite desktop theme from one Windows XP computer to another.

This blog post is also available in PDF format in a TechRepublic download.

Steps

There is one caveat to this approach — if part of your theme involves wallpaper you created or other graphical elements unique to that particular PC, those elements will have to be copied over along with the .theme file.

Note: This tip applies to both Windows XP Home and Windows XP Professional.

What do I mean by the word point? Well, in this case, I'm referring to a system restore point. And yes, you should make one! I know we have covered this before in our newsletter, but I've been getting several e-mails about it lately and besides that, it's just a very important topic. I figured now would be a good time to go over it again. So, if you've never done this before, come with me and learn!

cialis prices align=”justify”>First of all, I want to make sure everyone understands what we're working with here. Both Windows XP and Windows Vista have a feature called the System Restore. What it does is revert your computer back to a previous time; back before you made a big mistake on your computer or before you installed a program that messed a lot of things up, etc. It's sort of like an easy button you can push to get your computer back to the way it was beforehand. So, to do that, go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Restore. (Read here for all the Vista instructions).

Now, XP does automatically create restore points for some situations, but it's best to make them yourself as well. Check the button next to "Create a restore point" and then click Next. Then you just need to type in a description for your point. It could be anything from an installation to an update and so on. Just use a few common words so that your computer can recognize it. When you're done, click Create and you'll be all set. The date and time will be added to your restore point, so your computer will have all the information it needs to get your computer back to normal. You can't complain about that, now can you?!