Create a Password Reset Disk

If youʼre running Windows XP Professional as a local user in a workgroup environment, you can create a password reset disk to log onto your computer when you forget your password. To create the disk:

1.Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click User Accounts.
2.Click your account name.
3.Under Related Tasks, click Prevent a forgotten password.
4.Follow the directions in the Forgotten Password Wizard to create a password reset disk.
5.Store the disk in a secure location, because anyone using it can access your local user account

Best of the Best: The Hive Five Winners

Set the Search Screen to the Classic Look

When I first saw the default search pane in Windows XP, my instinct was to return it to its classic look; that puppy had to go. Of course, I later discovered that a doggie door is built into the applet. Click "Change preferences" then "Without an animated screen character." If you'd rather give it a bare-bones "Windows 2000" look and feel, fire up your Registry editor and navigate to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ CabinetState.

You may need to create a new string value labeled "Use Search Asst" and set it to "no".

Encrypting a USB memory
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Lost half a dozen of usb memory sticks? All of them containing personal stuff and files of your company? Well I can't help you with that, but here's how you keep files of lost usb memory secured and away from outsiders in the future. These instructions are for Windows users.

I try to be as spesific I can, so don't worry in case this seems complicated, it actually isn't!. Just follow each step carefully.


1. You need to have admin rights for all of those computers you wish to use your encrypted USB memory
2. Download and install TrueCrypt (it's free)
3. Stick an empty USB memory to your USB port

Now let's get started

4. Launch Truecrypt (TrueCrypt.exe in TrueCrypt folder)
5. Click Create Volume button
6. Select Create a file container and press next
7. Select Standard TrueCrypt volume and press next
8. To Volume Location, click Select File...
9. Now Truecrypt asks you to Specify Path and filename.
- Browse to drive letter where your USB memory is in (eg. F:\)
- To File Name type for example: secure.tc
- Now click Save
9. Now in Volume Location you should see F:\secure.tc (or some other drive letter)
- leave Never save history selected and click Next
10. In Encryption Options, you can leave settings as they are or select some other algorithm if you wish.
- Click Next
11. In Volume Size, Truecrypt asks you, how big encrypted file you wish to create. So this is up to you. You can leave some non-encrypted space to your USB stick or you encypt the whole drive.
- Click Next
12. To Volume Password pick your own password you remember. Longer the better. When ready, click Next.
13. In Volume Format, choose a filesystem you wish to use. (Win95 uses Fat, Win98 Fat32, and Windows2000/XP/Vista NTSF)
- Click Format
14. If everything went as planned, you'll be prompted with ..volume succesfully created...
- Click Ok
- Now you can see Volume Created, just click Exit

One more important thing and we're are ready to go

15. Now you should see the familiar TrueCrypt window with options.
16. Click Tools -> Traveller Disk Setup...
17. To File Settings, browse to driver letter where your USB memory is placed
- here you put that F:\ we were talking about earlier (or whatever your USB memory currently uses)
- Leave Include TrueCrypt Volume Creation Wizard selected
18. To Autorun Configuration (autorun.inf)
- select Auto-mount TrueCrypt volume (specified below)
19. To Mount Settings
- Browse that secure.tc from your USB drive and click Open
- To mount volume you can leave First available
- Uncheck last three boxes
20. Click Create
- And again you get the notification if everything went ok.
21. Everything ready, you are free to exit TrueCrypt!

You should now have a secured USB memory prepared and ready to use. It works a bit differently than a non secured USB memory, but it is very easy to use actually.


1. Stick USB memory to your computer and you should get that Windows Autostart window.
2. Now you select Mount TrueCrypt volume instead of Open folder..
3. Enter your password
4. In the lower right corner of your screen, right next to Windows clock, you should see the TrueCrypt logo
- click the logo with your right mouse button
- select Open F: (E:\secure.tc) or similar
5. When you are finished, right click again that TrueCrypt logo and
- select Dismount F: (E:\secure.tc) or similar


*** Always remember to do DISMOUNTING before removing usb memory from your computer ***

If you accidentally delete some file from your digital camera, USB memory or computer's hard disk drive, that file is most likely still available to reach, as long as you don't overwrite it. Use Recuva to unerase your deleted files.

You will notice by using this program, that many files you thought you erased, still actually exist. Keep this in mind when you sell your old HDD's. Use programs like File Shredder (very easy to use), CCleaner and DBAN to erase files permanently.