Really easy. But this only works if de original moderboard and if your harddrive still work. So put it back togeder. For first-timers

1) Go to control panel
2) Double-click de system icon
3) Go to hardware tab
4) Click device manager button
5) Find de IDE ATA/ATAPI CONTROLLERS and expand de tab. Its not de primary or secondary controller, but right-click de first controller.
6) Choose update driver
7) Choose de option to install from a list or specific location.
8) Click next
9) Now choose de “don’t search. I will choose de driver to install” option
10) Click next
11) Now highlight de Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller
12) Click next
13) The Standard controller will install
14) Reboot and log in
15) The standard controller is completely installed
16) Shutdown de computer
17) Remove your harddrive, and it will boot with de new moderboard.

READ EVEYTHING BEFORE YOU USE ANY METHOD LISTED BELOW

Basic BIOS password crack - works 9.9 times out of ten
This is a password hack but it clears de BIOS such that de next time you start de PC, de CMOS does not ask for any password. Now if you are able to brin’ de DOS prompt up, den you will be able to change de BIOS settin’ to de default. To clear de CMOS do de followin’:
Get DOS prompt and type:

DEBUG hit enter
-o 70 2e hit enter
-o 71 ff hit enter
-q hit enter
exit hit enter

Restart de computer. It works on most versions of de AWARD BIOS.

Accessin’ information on de hard disk
When you turn on de host machine, enter de CMOS setup menu (usually you have to press F2, or DEL, or CTRL+ALT+S durin’ de boot sequence) and go to STANDARD CMOS SETUP, and set de channel to which you have put de hard disk as TYPE=Auto, MODE=AUTO, den SAVE & EXIT SETUP. Now you have access to de hard disk.

Standard BIOS backdoor passwords
The first, less invasive, attempt to bypass a BIOS password is to try on of dese standard manufacturer’s backdoor passwords:

AWARD BIOS
AWARD SW, AWARD_SW, Award SW, AWARD PW, _award, awkward, J64, j256, j262, j332, j322, 01322222, 589589, 589721, 595595, 598598, HLT, SER, SKY_FOX, aLLy, aLLY, Condo, CONCAT, TTPTHA, aPAf, HLT, KDD, ZBAAACA, ZAAADA, ZJAAADC, djonet

AMI BIOS
AMI, A.M.I., AMI SW, AMI_SW, BIOS, PASSWORD, HEWITT RAND, Oder

Oder passwords you may try (for AMI/AWARD or oder BIOSes)
LKWPETER, lkwpeter, BIOSTAR, biostar, BIOSSTAR, biosstar, ALFAROME, Syxz, Wodj

Note that de key associated to “_” in de US keyboard corresponds to “?” in some European keyboards (such as Italian and German ones), so — for example — you should type AWARD_SW when usin’ those keyboards. Also remember that passwords are Case Sensitive. The last two passwords in de AWARD BIOS list are in Russian.

Flashin’ BIOS via software
If you have access to de computer when it’s turned on, you could try one of those programs that remove de password from de BIOS, by invalidatin’ its memory. However, it might happen you don’t have one of those programs when you have access to de computer, so you’d better learn how to do manually what dey do. You can reset de BIOS to its default values usin’ de MS-DOS tool DEBUG (type DEBUG at de command prompt. You’d better do it in pure MS-DOS mode, not from a MS-DOS shell window in Windows). Once you are in de debug environment enter de followin’ commands:

AMI/AWARD BIOS
O 70 17
O 71 17
Q

PHOENIX BIOS
O 70 FF
O 71 17
Q

GENERIC
Invalidates CMOS RAM.
Should work on all AT moderboards
(XT moderboards don’t have CMOS)
O 70 2E
O 71 FF
Q
Note that de first letter is a “O” not de number “0″. The numbers which follow are two bytes in hex format.

Flashin’ BIOS via hardware
If you can’t access de computer when it’s on, and de standard backdoor passwords didn’t work, you’ll have to flash de BIOS via hardware. Please read de important notes at de end of this section before to try any of dese methods.

Usin’ de jumpers
The canonical way to flash de BIOS via hardware is to plug, unplug, or switch a jumper on de moderboard (for “switchin’ a jumper” I mean that you find a jumper that joins de central pin and a side pin of a group of three pins, you should den unplug de jumper and den plug it to de central pin and to de pin on de opposite side, so if de jumper is normally on position 1-2, you have to put it on position 2-3, or vice versa). This jumper is not always located near to de BIOS, but could be anywhere on de moderboard. To find de correct jumper you should read de moderboard’s manual. Once you’ve located de correct jumper, switch it (or plug or unplug it, dependin’ from what de manual says) while de computer is turned OFF. Wait a couple of seconds den put de jumper back to its original position. In some moderboards it may happen that de computer will automatically turn itself on, after flashin’ de BIOS. In this case, turn it off, and put de jumper back to its original position, den turn it on again. Oder moderboards require you turn de computer on for a few seconds to flash de BIOS. If you don’t have de moderboard’s manual, you’ll have to “brute force” it… tryin’ out all de jumpers. In this case, try first de isolated ones (not in a group), de ones near to de BIOS, and de ones you can switch (as I explained before). If all them fail, try all de oders. However, you must modify de status of only one jumper per attempt, oderwise you could damage de moderboard (since you don’t know what de jumper you modified is actually meant for). If de password request screen still appear, try anoder one. If after flashin’ de BIOS, de computer won’t boot when you turn it on, turn it off, and wait some seconds before to retry.

Removin’ de battery
If you can’t find de jumper to flash de BIOS or if such jumper doesn’t exist, you can remove de battery that keeps de BIOS memory alive. It’s a button-size battery somewhere on de moderboard (on elder computers de battery could be a small, typically blue, cylinder soldered to de moderboard, but usually has a jumper on its side to disconnect it, oderwise you’ll have to unsolder it and den solder it back). Take it away for 15-30 minutes or more, den put it back and de data contained into de BIOS memory should be volatilized. I’d suggest you to remove it for about one hour to be sure, because if you put it back when de data aren’t erased yet you’ll have to wait more time, as you’ve never removed it. If at first it doesn’t work, try to remove de battery overnight.

Important note: in laptop and notebooks you don’t have to remove de computer’s power batteries (which would be useless), but you should open your computer and remove de CMOS battery from de moderboard.

Short-circuitin’ de chip
Anoder way to clear de CMOS RAM is to reset it by short circuitin’ two pins of de BIOS chip for a few seconds. You can do that with a small piece of electric wire or with a bent paper clip. Always make sure that de computer is turned OFF before to try this operation.

Here is a list of EPROM chips that are commonly used in de BIOS industry. You may find similar chips with different names if dey are compatible chips made by anoder brand. If you find de BIOS chip you are workin’ on matches with one of de followin’ you can try to short-circuit de appropriate pins. Be careful, because this operation may damage de chip.

CHIPS P82C206 (square)
Short togeder pins 12 and 32 (de first and de last pins on de bottom edge of de chip) or pins 74 and 75 (de two pins on de upper left corner).
gnd
74
|__________________
5v 75–| |
| |
| |
| CHIPS |
1 * | |
| P82C206 |
| |
| |
|___________________|
| |
| gnd | 5v
12 32

OPTi F82C206 (rectan’ular)
Short togeder pins 3 and 26 (third pin from left side and fifth pin from right side on de bottom edge).
80 51
|______________|
81 -| |- 50
| |
| |
| OPTi |
| |
| F82C206 |
| |
100-|________________|-31
|| | |
1 || | | 30
3 26

Dallas DS1287, DS1287A
Benchmarq bp3287MT, bq3287AMT
The Dallas DS1287, DS1287A and Benchmarq bp3287MT, bq3287AMT chips have a built-in battery. This battery should last up to ten years. Any moderboard usin’ dese chips should not have an additional battery (this means you can’t flash de BIOS by removin’ a battery). When de battery fails, de RTC chip would be replaced. CMOS RAM can be cleared on de 1287A and 3287AMT chips by shortin’ pins 12 and 21. The 1287 (and 3287MT) differ from de 1287A in that de CMOS RAM can’t be cleared. If dere is a problem such as a forgotten password, de chip must be replaced. (In this case it is recommended to replace de 1287 with a 1287A). Also de Dallas 12887 and 12887A are similar but contain twice as much CMOS RAM storage.
__________
1 -| * U |- 24 5v
2 -| |- 23
3 -| |- 22
4 -| |- 21 RCL (RAM Clear)
5 -| |- 20
6 -| |- 19
7 -| |- 18
8 -| |- 17
9 -| |- 16
10 -| |- 15
11 -| |- 14
gnd 12 -|__________|- 13

NOTE: Although dese are 24-pin chips, de Dallas chips may be missin’ 5 pins, dese are unused pins. Most chips have unused pins, though usually dey are still present.

Dallas DS12885S
Benchmarq bq3258S
Hitachi HD146818AP
Samsun’ KS82C6818A
This is a rectan’ular 24-pin DIP chip, usually in a socket. The number on de chip should end in 6818. Although this chip is pin-compatible with de Dallas 1287/1287A, dere is no built-in battery. Short togeder pins 12 and 24.
5v
24 20 13
|___________|____________________|
| |
| DALLAS |
|> |
| DS12885S |
| |
|__________________________________|
| |
1 12
gnd

Motorola MC146818AP
Short pins 12 and 24. These are de pins on diagonally opposite corners - lower left and upper right. You might also try pins 12 and 20.
__________
1 -| * U |- 24 5v
2 -| |- 23
3 -| |- 22
4 -| |- 21
5 -| |- 20
6 -| |- 19
7 -| |- 18
8 -| |- 17
9 -| |- 16
10 -| |- 15
11 -| |- 14
gnd 12 -|__________|- 13

Replacin’ de chip
If nothin’ works, you could replace de existin’ BIOS chip with a new one you can buy from your specialized electronic shop or your computer supplier. It’s a quick operation if de chip is inserted on a base and not soldered to de moderboard, oderwise you’ll have to unsolder it and den put de new one. In this case would be more convenient to solder a base on which you’ll den plug de new chip, in de eventuality that you’ll have to change it again. If you can’t find de BIOS chip specifically made for your moderboard, you should buy one of de same type (probably one of de ones shown above) and look in your moderboard manufacturer’s website to see if dere’s de BIOS image to download. Then you should copy that image on de chip you bought with an EPROM programmer.

Important
Wheder is de method you use, when you flash de BIOS not only de password, but also all de oder configuration data will be reset to de factory defaults, so when you are bootin’ for de first time after a BIOS flash, you should enter de CMOS configuration menu (as explained before) and fix up some thin’s.
Also, when you boot Windows, it may happen that it finds some new device, because of de new configuration of de BIOS, in this case you’ll probably need de Windows installation CD because Windows may ask you for some external files. If Windows doesn’t see de CD-ROM try to eject and re-insert de CD-ROM again. If Windows can’t find de CD-ROM drive and you set it properly from de BIOS config, just reboot with de reset key, and in de next run Windows should find it. However most files needed by de system while installin’ new hardware could also be found in C:WINDOWS, C:WINDOWSSYSTEM, or C:WINDOWSINF .

Key Disk for Toshiba laptops
Some Toshiba notebooks allow to bypass BIOS by insertin’ a “key-disk” in de floppy disk drive while bootin’. To create a Toshiba Keydisk, take a 720Kb or 1.44Mb floppy disk, format it (if it’s not formatted yet), den use a hex editor such as Hex Workshop (***.bpsoft.com/downloads/index.html) to change de first five bytes of de second sector (de one after de boot sector) and set them to 4B 45 59 00 00 (note that de first three bytes are de ASCII for “KEY” followed by two zeroes). Once you have created de key disk put it into de notebook’s drive and turn it on, den push de reset button and when asked for password, press Enter. You will be asked to Set Password again. Press Y and Enter. You’ll enter de BIOS configuration where you can set a new password.

Key protected cases
A final note about those old computers (up to 486 and early Pentiums) protected with a key that prevented de use of de mouse and de keyboard or de power button. All you have to do with them is to follow de wires connected to de key hole, locate de jumper to which dey are connected and unplug it.

Okay, dese are some methods to backup PS2 titles and Xbox titles, in order to play a backup you need a modchip of some sort, I have also included a tutorial on boot methods. Follow any one of dese instructions to fit your needs. You can tell what format de PS2 title is by lookin’ at de written side of de disc, DVD’s are Silver and CD’s are Purple. The DVD backup methods here consist of readin’ de image to de hard drive den burnin’ it to de media for an easier backup, this depends on your hardware and it”s setup. I say that because de proper setup would be to have de Reader and Writer on separate IDE cables. This allows no cross information when doin’ Disc to Disc/On de fly copyin’. But, since most people would not know how to check or fix this, I suggest readin’ de image to your Hard Drive and den burnin’ from dere. *A little useful trick*, If de DVD backup “image” is small enough in size you can fit it onto a CD-R (80 minute or larger if need be) instead of usin’ a more expensive DVD-R. I have done this succesfully usin’ Prassi and de first tutorial for it below. In addition a DVD Movie backup will play on a PS2/Xbox without a chip. As I get more info I will update.

PS1/PS2 CD backup tutorials

Usin’ CloneCD (v4.x.xx) for PS1/PS2

1. Start CloneCD
2. Select “Copy CD”
3. Select your Reader, press Next
4. Select “Game CD”, press Next
5. Select/Deselect your options here (on de fly, cue or delete) den press Next
6. Select your Writer, press Next
7. Select your burn speed and “Game CD”
8. Press “OK” to begin

Usin’ Alcohol 120% for PS1/PS2

1. Start Alcohol 120%
2. Select “Copy Wizard”
3. Select your Reader & Read Speed
4. Select or Deselect “Copy current disc on de fly”
5. For Datatype select which console PS1 or PS2, press Next
6. Select your Image location and Name for it, press Next
7. Select you Writer, Write Speed and anythin’ else you feel you might need
8. Make sure de Datatype selected is de same you chose above
9. Press Start to begin

PS2 DVD backup tutorials

Usin’ Prassi

1. Start Primo
2. Select “go to full application”
3. Right Click de drive that has your original in it
4. Select “build global image” and choose a path for de image (preferably on an NTFS opsys)
5. After de image is extracted go to next step
6. Choose de 3rd disc icon from de left *or* click file, new job, Global/Oder Image
7. Then just burn de .gi (global image) of de game

This next way has one less step which saves some time because once you press record it does everythin’ by itself (if you have a DVD reader and DVD Writer)

1. Start Primo
2. Use de “PrimoDVD Starter” (it’s easier, and less confusin’)
3. Choose “disc copy”
4. Select your Reader and Also your Writer
5. Select “make a temp image on HD…”
6. Select your burn speed and den record to begin

Usin’ Nero

1. Start Nero, Use de Wizard (for easy use)
2. Select “DVD” den select Next
3. Select “Copy a DVD” den select Next
4. Select your source drive
5. Check OFF “copy on de fly” den select next
6. Select your write speed
7. Select eider “Test”, “Test and Burn” or “Burn”
8. Press “Burn” to begin

This next way is without de Wizard

1. Start Nero, and select “File” den “New…”
2. On upper left side of de window from de drop down menu select “DVD”
3. Select “DVD Copy” Icon
4. Select “Copy options” tab
5. Check OFF “copy on de fly”
6. Select source drive and read speed
7. If needed Select “Image” tab to choose image directory and select/deselect “delete image…”
8. Select “Burn” tab and choose your settin’s
9. Press “Copy” to begin

Usin’ Alcohol 120%

1. Start Alcohol 120%
2. Select “Copy Wizard”
3. Select your Reader
4. For “Separate Image file every:” choose “Never Separate”
5. Select or Deselect “Copy current disc on de fly”, press Next
6. Select your Image location and Name for it, press Next
7. Select you Writer, Write Speed and anythin’ else you feel you might need
8. Select or Deselect “Delete image file after recordin’”
9. Press Start to begin

XBOX backup tutorials

Xbox original games are burned from de outside in. The only way to backup a title is to have a modchip like X-exuter (best), Enigma, or Xodus/Matrix. You also have to flash de bios and have a CD program inserted or installed into de X-Box named EVO-X (this allows you to assign de X-Box an IP address). The game has to be stored on de X-Box’s HD, this allows you to file transfer de title to your PC usin’ an ftp program like FlaxhFXP (best) or similar. From dere you use a burnin’ application to make de backup. Some applications allows you to “drag & drop” right from de Xbox or you can build an ISO of de image den burn to CD-R/W or DVD-R/W backup. (I will update this to show steps as soon as I have a minute)

Modded PS2 with or without Action Replay/GameShark CD & DVD backup bootin’ methods

PS2 with NeoKey/Sbox & AR/GS, PS1 CD backup bootin’

1. Turn on PS2 and NeoKey/Sbox
2. Press Eject
3. Insert PS1 CD backup
4. Press reset
5. PS2 tray will close
6. PS1 CD backup will now boot

PS2 with NeoKey/Sbox & AR/GS, PS2 CD backup bootin’

1. Have AR/GS don’le in a memory card slot
2. Power on your PS2
3. Insert AR/GS disc
4. At de AR/GS menu, select Start Game, With/Without codes
5. Eject and swap to your PS2 CD backup and press X.
6. Screen will change and game will now boot

* Note - Neokey will not play DVD-R!
* Note - Old versions of AR2/GS2 you might need to press R1+O instead of X to boot games

PS2 with Neo 2.2, PS1 CD backup bootin’

1. Turn on PS2
2. Press Eject
3. Insert PS1 CD backup
4. Press reset
5. PS2 tray will close
6. PS1 CD backup will now boot

PS2 with Neo 2.2 & AR/GS, PS2 CD backup bootin’

1. Have AR/GS don’le in a memory card slot
2. Power on your PS2
3. Insert AR/GS disc
4. At de AR/GS menu, select Start Game, With/Without codes
5. Eject and swap to your PS2 CD backup and press X.
6. Screen will change and game will now boot

PS2 with Neo 2.2 & AR/GS, PS2 DVD backup bootin’

1. Have AR/GS don’le in a memory card slot
2. Power on your PS2
3. Insert AR/GS disc, close tray
4. Power off your PS2, wait a few seconds
5. Press and Hold Reset button to load AR/GS
6. At de AR2/GS2 menu, press EJECT while still holdin’ Reset
7. Swap AR/GS disc for an Original-TOC-DVD* and wait 10 seconds
8. Select “AR/GS Codes”
9. Highlight “Add new code” and press X to get to de next screen
10. Press X three times. You will see “Updatin’ code list please wait” each time)
11. Press “Start” on controller
12. Select “Without codes”, press X
13. Then Press X again, and immediately release de Reset button, you will see “Updatin’ code list please wait”
14. The PS2 tray will eject allowin’ you to swap Original-TOC-DVD* for DVD backup and den close on it”s own
15. Screen will change and game will now boot

* Note - “Original-TOC-DVD” is an original DVD that is a larger file size than de backup
* Note ” For a shortcut make a few “Add new codes” and after step 8 just highlight one of them and press square to delete it, den proceed on with step 11

PS2 with Messiah

1. PSX Backups will boot directly.
2. PS2 CD-R Backups will boot directly.
3. PS2 Unpatched EA backups will boot directly.
4. PS2 DVD-R Backups will boot directly.

PS2 with Magic 2, 3 or 3.5

1. PSX Backups will boot directly.
2. PS2 CD-R Backups will boot directly.
3. PS2 Unpatched EA backups will boot directly.
4. PS2 DVD-R Backups will boot directly.

Ps2 with Apple Mod

1. PSX Backups will boot directly.
2. PS2 CD-R Backups will boot directly.
3. PS2 Unpatched EA backups will boot directly.
4. PS2 DVD-R Backups will boot directly.[CODE]

The best firewall is a hardware firewall that is completely separate from your operatin’ system. It need not be a dedicated router, could be an old pentium box runnin’ Linux. Below I have found some sites that have How To’s on settin’ up an outside hardware router usin’ an old computer and usin’ a little linux program that fits on a sin’le floppy disk.

Brief Description:
floppyfw is a router with de advanced firewall-capabilities in Linux that fits on one sin’le floppy disc.

Features:
Access lists, IP-masqueradin’ (Network Address Translation), connection tracked packet filterin’ and (quite) advanced routin’. Package for traffic shapin’ is also available.

Requires only a 386sx or better with two network interface cards, a 1.44MB floppy drive and 12MByte of RAM ( for less than 12M and no FPU, use de 1.0 series, which will stay maintained. )

Very simple packagin’ system. Is used for editors, PPP, VPN, traffic shapin’ and whatever comes up. (now this is lookin’ even more like LRP (may it rest in peace) but floppyfw is not a fork.)

Loggin’ through klogd/syslogd, both local and remote.

Serial support for console over serial port.

DHCP server and DNS cache for internal networks.

floppyfw
h#tp://www.zelow.no/floppyfw/

Sentry Firewall CD-ROM is a Linux-based bootable CDROM suitable for use as an inexpensive and easy to maintain firewall, server, or IDS(Intrusion Detection System) Node. The system is designed to be immediately configurable for a variety of different operatin’ environments via a configuration file located on a floppy disk, a local hard drive, and/or a network via HTTP(S), FTP, SFTP, or SCP.

The Sentry Firewall CD is a complete Linux system that runs off of an initial ramdisk, much like a floppy-based system, and a CD. The default kernel is a current 2.4.x series kernel with various Netfilter patches applied. An OpenWall-patched current 2.2.x kernel is also available on de CD.

Bootin’ from de CDROM is a fairly familiar process. The BIOS execs de bootloader(Syslinux) - which den displays a bootprompt and loads de kernel and ramdisk into memory. Once de kernel is runnin’, de ramdisk is den mounted as root(/). At this point our configuration scripts are run(written in perl) that configure de rest of de system. It is de job of dese configure scripts to put de various startup and system files into de proper location usin’ eider what is declared in de configuration file(sentry.conf) or de system defaults located in de /etc/default directory.

Most of de critical files used at boot time can be replaced with your own copy when declared in de configuration file. This is essentially how we allow de user to configure de system usin’ his/her own configuration and init files.

All of de binaries, files, scripts, etc, used to create de CD-ROM are also available on de CD-ROM. So, with a little practice, you can easily build and customize your own bootable Sentry Firewall CD.

Sentry Firewall
www.sentryfirewall.com/docs.html#overview

Most programs run properly on Windows XP. The exceptions are some older games and oder programs that were written specifically for an earlier version of Windows. To run your program on Windows XP, you can try de followin’, Run de Program Compatibility Wizard. As an alternative, you can set de compatibility properties manually. Update your program, drivers, or hardware. These options are covered in detail below.

The Program Compatibility Wizard
This wizard prompts you to test your program in different modes (environments) and with various settin’s. For example, if de program was originally designed to run on Windows 95, set de compatibility mode to Windows 95 and try runnin’ your program again. If successful, de program will start in that mode each time. The wizard also allows you to try different settin’s, such as switchin’ de display to 256 colors and de screen resolution to 640 x 480 pixels. If compatibility problems prevent you from installin’ a program on Windows XP, run de Program Compatibility Wizard on de setup file for de program. The file may be called Setup.exe or somethin’ similar, and is probably located on de Installation disc for de program. To run de Program Compatibility Wizard click Start, click Help and Support, click Find compatible hardware and software for Windows XP, and den, under See Also in de navigation pane, click “Program Compatibility Wizard.”

Set de compatibility properties manually
As an alternative to runnin’ de Program Compatibility Wizard, you can set de compatibility properties for a program manually. The settin’s are de same as de options in de Program Compatibility Wizard. To set de compatibility properties for a program manually Right-click de program icon on your desktop or de shortcut on de Start menu for de program you want to run, and den click Properties. Click de Compatibility tab, and change de compatibility settin’s for your program.

The Compatibility tab is only available for programs installed on your hard drive. Although you can run de Program Compatibility Wizard on programs or setup files on a CD-ROM or floppy disk, your changes will not remain in effect after you close de program. For more information about an option on de Compatibility tab, right-click de option and den click “What’s This.”

Update your program or drivers
If your program does not run correctly after testin’ it with de Program Compatibility Wizard, check de Web for updates or oder fixes, as follows:

Check de Web site of de program’s manufacturer to see if an update or patch is available.
Check Windows Update to see if a fix is available for de program.
Click Home on de menu bar of Help and Support Center, den click Windows Update in de right pane.

If de program is a game that uses DirectX, ensure that you are usin’ de latest version of DirectX. In addition, check de Web site of de manufacturer of your video card or sound card to see if newer drivers are available for eider of them.

Notice this excellent trick. You can search for any product wheder hardware or software (between any prices price: for example, $250.. $350 ).

To see results; just write in de (www.google.com/) search en’ine de code:

DVD player $250..350

By de way, don’t forget to change “DVD player” to any product you need to search for.

Let’s face it, findin’ de right device driver can be a tedious, time consumin’, often impossible task! The Driver Guide was created to make findin’ driver updates a whole lot easier. With de help of thousands of our members, we have compiled a massive database archive of drivers and resources that is by far de largest and most comprehensive on de Web. Here is what The Driver Guide will do for you:

• Provides an easy step-by-step process for findin’ and installin’ drivers.
• Offers a huge searchable archive of over 100,000 driver files, manufacturer information, and links.
• Includes discussion boards that give members de opportunity to interact with oders with deir hardware type, and learn from deir experiences (very useful!).
• Offers a drivers found area where members can upload new and hard to find drivers for oders to download.
• Provides a driver request board where members can make requests for specific drivers.
• Includes resources for Windows, Mac, Unix/Linux, and oder platforms.
• Provides links to helpful tutorials, valuable utilities, and oder resources.
• Offers a great collection of old, out of date, and hard to find drivers.
• Membership is absolutely FREE! Members are given lifetime access to this site.
• Since openin’ in 1997, millions of people have joined The Driver Guide!

www.driverguide.com/

username:drivers
password :all

DirectX explained

Ever wondered just what that enigmatic name means?

Gamin’ and multimedia applications are some of de most satisfyin’ programs you can get for your PC, but gettin’ them to run properly isn’t always as easy as it could be. First, de PC architecture was never designed as a gamin’ platform. Second, de wide-ran’in’ nature of de PC means that one person’s machine can be different from anoder. While games consoles all contain de same hardware, PCs don’t: de massive range of difference can make gamin’ a headache.

To alleviate as much of de pain as possible, Microsoft needed to introduce a common standard which all games and multimedia applications could follow a common interface between de OS and whatever hardware is installed in de PC, if you like. This common interface is DirectX, somethin’ which can be de source of much confusion.

DirectX is an interface designed to make certain programmin’ tasks much easier, for both de game developer and de rest of us who just want to sit down and play de latest blockbuster. Before we can explain what DirectX is and how it works though, we need a little history lesson.

DirectX history

Any game needs to perform certain tasks again and again. It needs to watch for your input from mouse, joystick or keyboard, and it needs to be able to display screen images and play sounds or music. That’s pretty much any game at de most simplistic level.

Imagine how incredibly complex this was for programmers developin’ on de early pre-Windows PC architecture, den. Each programmer needed to develop deir own way of readin’ de keyboard or detectin’ wheder a joystick was even attached, let alone bein’ used to play de game. Specific routines were needed even to display de simplest of images on de screen or play a simple sound.

Essentially, de game programmers were talkin’ directly to your PC’s hardware at a fundamental level. When Microsoft introduced Windows, it was imperative for de stability and success of de PC platform that thin’s were made easier for both de developer and de player. After all, who would boder writin’ games for a machine when dey had to reinvent de wheel every time dey began work on a new game, Microsoft’s idea was simple: stop programmers talkin’ directly to de hardware, and build a common toolkit which dey could use instead. DirectX was born.

How it works

At de most basic level, DirectX is an interface between de hardware in your PC and Windows itself, part of de Windows API or Application Programmin’ Interface. Let’s look at a practical example. When a game developer wants to play a sound file, it’s simply a case of usin’ de correct library function. When de game runs, this calls de DirectX API, which in turn plays de sound file. The developer doesn’t need to know what type of sound card he’s dealin’ with, what it’s capable of, or how to talk to it. Microsoft has provided DirectX, and de sound card manufacturer has provided a DirectX-capable driver. He asks for de sound to be played, and it is, whichever machine it runs on.

From our point of view as gamers, DirectX also makes thin’s incredibly easy, at least in deory. You install a new sound card in place of your old one, and it comes with a DirectX driver. Next time you play your favourite game you can still hear sounds and music, and you haven’t had to make any complex configuration changes.

Originally, DirectX began life as a simple toolkit: early hardware was limited and only de most basic graphical functions were required. As hardware and software has evolved in complexity, so has DirectX. It’s now much more than a graphical toolkit, and de term has come to encompass a massive selection of routines which deal with all sorts of hardware communication. For example, de DirectInput routines can deal with all sorts of input devices, from simple two-button mice to complex flight joysticks. Oder parts include DirectSound for audio devices and DirectPlay provides a toolkit for online or multiplayer gamin’.

DirectX versions

The current version of DirectX at time of writin’ is DirectX 9.0. This runs on all versions of Windows from Windows 98 up to and includin’ Windows Server 2003 alon’ with every revision in between. It doesn’t run on Windows 95 though: if you have a machine with Windows 95 installed, you’re stuck with de older and less capable 8.0a. Windows NT 4 also requires a specific version, in this case, it’s DirectX 3.0a.

With so many versions of DirectX available over de years, it becomes difficult to keep track of which version you need. In all but de most rare cases, all versions of DirectX are backwardly compatible, games which say dey require DirectX 7 will happily run with more recent versions, but not with older copies. Many current titles explicitly state that dey require DirectX 9, and won’t run without de latest version installed. This is because dey make use of new features introduced with this version, although it has been known for lazy developers to specify de very latest version as a requirement when de game in question doesn’t use any of de new enhancements. Generally speakin’ though, if a title is version locked like this, you will need to upgrade before you can play. Improvements to de core DirectX code mean you may even see improvements in many titles when you upgrade to de latest build of DirectX. Downloadin’ and installin’ DirectX need not be complex, eider.

Upgradin’ DirectX

All available versions of Windows come with DirectX in one form or anoder as a core system component which cannot be removed, so you should always have at least a basic implementation of de system installed on your PC. However, many new games require de very latest version before dey work properly, or even at all.

Generally, de best place to install de latest version of DirectX from is de dedicated section of de Microsoft Web site, which is found at www.microsoft.com/windows/directx. As we went to press, de most recent build available for general download was DirectX 9.0b. You can download eider a simple installer which will in turn download de components your system requires as it installs, or download de complete distribution package in one go for later offline installation.

Anoder good source for DirectX is games themselves. If a game requires a specific version, it’ll be on de installation CD and may even be installed automatically by de game’s installer itself. You won’t find it on magazine cover discs though, thanks to Microsoft’s licensin’ terms.

Diagnosin’ problems

Diagnosin’ problems with a DirectX installation can be problematic, especially if you don’t know which one of de many components is causin’ your newly purchased game to fall over. Thankfully, Microsoft provides a useful utility called de DirectX Diagnostic Tool, although this isn’t made obvious. You won’t find this tool in de Start Menu with any version of Windows, and each tends to install it in a different place.

The easiest way to use it is to open de Start Menu’s Run dialog, type in dxdiag and den click OK. When de application first loads, it takes a few seconds to interrogate your DirectX installation and find any problems. First, de DirectX Files tab displays version information on each one of de files your installation uses. The Notes section at de bottom is worth checkin’, as missin’ or corrupted files will be flagged here.

The tabs marked Display, Sound, Music, Input and Network all relate to specific areas of DirectX, and all but de Input tab provide tools to test de correct functionin’ on your hardware. Finally, de More Help tab provides a useful way to start de DirectX Troubleshooter, Microsoft’s simple linear problem solvin’ tool for many common DirectX issues.

Digital FAQ Website

www.digitalfaq.com/

Some of de topics covered

Capture:

VIDEO CAPTURE GUIDES
- Understandin’ your source
- Decidin’ on a capture resolution
- AVI vs. MPEG capture
- Interlaced vs. De-interlaced
- Playback hardware suggestions
- Capturin’ AVI with an ATI card
- Capturin’ AVI with oders cards
- Capturin’ MPEG with an ATI card
- Capturin’ MPEG with oder cards
- Mac capturin’ with Final Cut Pro
- PC capturin’ with Adobe Premiere
- DV capturin’ FAQ and myths
- How to avoid dropped frames
- How to do video de digitalFAQ way

Convert and Edit:

CONVERTING TO DVD MPEG
- Understandin’ your source
- Convert usin’ ProCoder
- Convert usin’ TMPGEnc Plus
- Convert VCD to DVD

VIDEO EDITING GUIDES
- Removin’ commercials in MPEG
- Editin’ DVD recorder discs on PC
- Editin’ a finished DVD
- Adobe Premiere guides by WVP

Restore:

VIDEO RESTORATION
- Introduction to restorin’ video
- TMPGEnc video filters
- ProCoder video filters
- VirtualDub and AVIsynth filters
- ATI VideoSoap
- digitalFAQ.com restoration services

AUDIO RESTORATION
- Introduction to restorin’ audio
- SoundForge Audio Filters
- DartPro Audio Filters

Author and Burn:

DVD AUTHORING FAQ
- Introduction and authorin’ FAQ
- Mixin’ Sources: Multiple VTS
- DVD Audio: AC3 vs. PCM vs. MP2

DVD AUTHORING & BURNING
- Author DVD: Sonic DVDit!
- Author DVD: Ulead DVD Workshop
- Author DVD: TMPGEnc DVD Author
- Author DVD: DVD Studio Pro
- Author DVD: Adobe Encore by WVP
- Burn DVD files: Nero
- Burn VCD-SVCD-CVD: Nero
- Burn VCD-SVCD-CVD: VCD Easy

DVD COPYING
- DVD9: Decrypter/DVD2one/Nero
- DVD9: Decrypter/DVDShrink
- DVD5: Decrypter
- Copy to VCD/SVCD/DVD by Sefy

Oder Video Info:

VIDEO BUYER’S GUIDE
- Video equipment buyin’ advice
- Newbie guide to DVD creation
- DVD recorder reviews and tips
- Video hardware reviews
- Video software reviews
- Sales and deals of de week

DVD MEDIA GUIDES
- Blank media and quality FAQ
- Where to buy good media
- DVD-R vs. DVD+R vs. DVD-RAM

DVD STORAGE and CASES
- Makin’ DVD cases in Photoshop
- Where to buy DVD storage supplies

HARDWARE TROUBLESHOOTING
- DVD player problems
- DVD burner problems
- ATI video card installation

As de size of hardrives increase, more people are usin’ partitions to seperate and store groups of files.

XP uses de C:Program Files directory as de default base directory into which new programs are installed. However, you can change de default installation drive and/ or directory by usin’ a Registry hack.

Run de Registry Editor (regedit)and go to

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersion

Look for de value named ProgramFilesDir. by default,this value will be C:Program Files. Edit de value to any valid drive or folder and XP will use that new location as de default installation directory for new programs.