Archive for the ‘Windows Vista’ category

How to Manually Clear or Set Dirty Bit on Windows Volume

September 17th, 2016 by Admin

When a dirty bit is set on a volume, Windows automatically performs a disk checking the next time the computer is restarted. You can run the chkntfs command at the Command Prompt to check if a volume is dirty, but there is no way to clear the dirty bit unless you let Windows go through disk scanning at boot.

In this tutorial we’ll show you how to manually clear or set the dirty bit for a NTFS & FAT32 volume in Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista and XP. The procedure requires you to use a disk editor software such as WinHex. If you want to edit the dirty bit for a system volume currently in use, you need to use a WinPE bootable CD to boot off your PC.

How to Manually Clear or Set Dirty Bit on Windows Volume?

To get started, open WinHex as administrator rights. Click the Tools menu and select Open Disk.

When prompted to select a drive for editing, choose the logical volume you want to edit the dirty bit on, and then click OK.

For FAT32 Volume:

Click on “Boot sector” at the directory browser. The dirty bit for FAT32 volume is located at offset 0x41. If this volume is dirty, the bit should be 01. Just change 01 to 00 and then save your changes back to disk, now you’ve successfully cleared the dirty bit.

For NTFS Volume:

Click on $Volume at the directory browser. The offset location of the dirty bit is slightly different on every NTFS volume. To locate the dirty bit, look for a hex string of 13 bytes, beginning with 03 01, ending with 80 00 00 00 18. You should be able to find a match within the first or second sector.

The dirty bit is the 3th byte of the hex string that I’ve circled with red line. To set a dirty flag on the drive, just change it to 01. Or change it to 00 if you want to clear the dirty flag.

When it’s done, commit the change to the disk.

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Posted in Others, Tips & Tricks, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Vista, Windows XP

Tags: clear dirty bit for windows volume clear dirty bit in windows clear volume dirty flag set dirty bit on drive

3 Ways to Run Disk Error Check in Windows 10, 8 and 7

September 17th, 2016 by Admin

All versions of Windows come with a useful disk checking feature which can check the integrity of your hard disk, fix file system errors and scan for bad sectors. In this tutorial we’ll show you 3 ways to run disk error check in Windows 10, 8 and 7.

Method 1: Run Disk Check from Windows Explorer

Open Windows Explorer. Right-click on the drive you want to run the disk check on, and choose Properties.
Select the Tools tab. Under the “Error checking” section, click on the Check button.
Click on Scan drive button to run the disk check.

If your selected drive is a system partition that is being used, Windows will let you schedule a disk check on the next restart.

Method 2: Run Disk Check Using the Chkdsk Command Line

Open an elevated Command Prompt.
- In Windows 10/8, simply press the Windows key + X and select “Command Prompt (Admin)“.
- In Windows 7, click on Start, navigate to Accessories, right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
You can run the chkdsk command to run the disk check. Replace C: with the letter of the drive you’d like to run a disk check.
chkdsk /f /r C:

The /f flag tells windows to fix any issues and the /r flag tells it to do a deep scan. It locates bad sectors and recovers whatever information is readable.

Method 3: Run Disk Check By Setting The Dirty Bit

Sometimes if your PC is not properly shut down or crashed, a dirty flag is set on the disk to force disk check to be run at the next reboot. Here is a simple way to set a dirty bit for your drive manually:

Open an elevated Command Prompt.
Type the following command and press Enter. Replace C: with the letter of the drive you want to set as dirty.
fsutil.exe dirty set C:
Reboot your computer and Windows will force a disk check on your specified drive.

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Posted in Tips & Tricks, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Vista

Tags: run check disk from command prompt run chkdsk windows run windows disk check windows disk check

Fix “The sign-in method you’re trying to use isn’t allowed”

September 12th, 2016 by Admin

“I am unable to login with any account even local administrator, while login it shows ‘The sign-in method you are trying to use isn’t allowed. For more info, contact your network administrator‘. Please help me out on this problem.”

sign-in-method-not-allowed

If your account is not granted the permission to log on locally, you’ll get such an error message at login. To fix this problem, we need to tweak the local security policy, or domain controller policy if you’re facing the same login issue with a domain user.

For Standardalone Computer:

Press the Windows key + R and type secpol.msc in the Run box. Press Enter to open the Local Security Policy window.
Expand to Security Settings > Local Policies > User Rights Assignment. In the right pane, locate the policy named Deny log on locally. Double-click on it to modify.
Check if your problematic user account or the user groups it belongs to is listed there. If it is there, select it and click on Remove.
When it’s done, click Apply and then OK. Reboot your computer and you should be allowed to log on to your account locally.

For Domain Controller:

There is also a corresponding security policy existing in domain controller that can cause the problem “The sign-in method you are trying to use isn’t allowed. For more info”. Follow these steps to fix it:

To get started, open the Group Policy Management. In Windows Server 2008, you can click Start, then select All Programs > Administrative Tools > Group Policy Management.
On the left hand side of Group Policy Management, expand Forest > Domains > your domain name, and then click Group Policy Objects. In the right-hand window, double-click on Default Domain Controllers Policy and select Edit.
This will open the Group Policy Management Editor window. Navigate to:
Computer Configuration > Policies > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > User Rights Assignments

In the right pane, double-click on Deny log on locally.
Check if your problematic domain account or the domain groups it belongs to is listed there. If it is there, select it and click on Remove.
Click Apply and OK to save your changes. Reboot your computer and you can then login without permission issues.

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Posted in Tips & Tricks, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Vista, Windows XP

Tags: deny logon locally gpo the sign in method you are trying to use is not allowed the sign-in method you're trying to use isn't allowed

How to Turn Off Safe Mode without Logging into Windows

September 5th, 2016 by Admin

“I tried to restart my computer into Safe Mode using msconfig without thinking. Now I can’t log in because I couldn’t remember the Administrator password. How can I disable Safe Mode and start my PC normally?”

Stuck at Windows login screen but your computer keeps booting into Safe Mode? Is there a way to turn off Safe Mode without logging into Windows? If you could log into Windows, you can easily disable Safe Mode using Msconfig or Command Prompt. What to do if you forgot the Safe Mode administrator password? In this tutorial we’ll show you how to turn off Safe Mode by booting your PC with Windows installation disc.

How to Turn Off Safe Mode without Logging into Windows?

Boot your computer from Windows installation disc and press any key when prompted. If your computer still boots into Safe Mode, you need to enter into BIOS and change the boot sequence to CD/DVD first.
When you see Windows Setup, press the Shift + F10 keys to open a Command Prompt.
Type the following command and press Enter to turn off Safe Mode:
bcdedit /deletevalue {default} safeboot
When it’s done, close the Command Prompt and stop Windows Setup.

Reboot without installation disc, and your computer should boot in normal mode by default. This method works with Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7 and Vista.

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Posted in Tips & Tricks, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Vista

Tags: disable windows safe mode get out of safe mode how to turn off safe mode windows 10 turn off safe mode windows safe mode boot

How to Edit Offline Windows Registry from WinPE

August 7th, 2016 by Admin

When your computer no longer boots up or you’re unable to login to Windows, a registry hack might fix your problem. To access the registry for an unbootable Windows installation, you should use a WinPE bootdisk. In this tutorial we’ll walk you through the steps to load / edit offline registry hive from WinPE.

Before get started, we need to know the locations of Windows registry hives:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM: %windir%\system32\config\SYSTEM
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SAM: %windir%\system32\config\SAM
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SECURITY: %windir%\system32\config\SECURITY
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE: %windir%\system32\config\SOFTWARE
HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT: %windir%\system32\config\DEFAULT

How to Edit Offline Windows Registry from WinPE?

Boot your computer into WinPE. Open a Command Prompt and run regedit.exe to open the Registry Editor.
In the left pane of Registry Editor, highlight the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE hive (or HKEY_USERS).
Click the File menu and select Load Hive.
Browse to your Windows partition and select the registry hive which you wish to load. In my example, the registry hives are located in the directory D:\Windows\System32\Config.
Type a key name whatever you like (e.g. “OfflineReg“) and click OK. The name will be used to create a new node in the tree so one can browser the offline registry.
Now under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE key, you should see a new key named after the name you typed previously.
Expand the new key, browse to the desired key or value for editing. In my example, I browse to OfflineReg\Software\Microsoft\IdentityCRL\StoredIdentities and delete its subkey.
When you finish with the modifications, highlight the key you created previously (e.g. “OfflineReg“). Click the File menu and select Unload Hive.
This will unload the hive and all changes made will be saved to the offline registry.

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Posted in Others, Tips & Tricks, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Vista, Windows XP

Tags: access windows registry offline edit offline registry hive load windows registry offline offline windows registry editor

How to Recover Auto Login Password in Windows 10, 8 and 7

July 9th, 2016 by Admin

After enabling automatic login, you don’t have to type in your password every time Windows starts up. What if you need to type the password somewhere but you forgot it? Here’s a simple way to recover auto login password in Windows 10, 8 and 7.

How to Recover Auto Login Password in Windows 10, 8 and 7?

Download and install Password Recovery Bundle on your local computer. After installing, launch the program and click on Start Recovery.

password-recovery-bundle

Choose Windows Cached Password from the long password list.

windows-cached-password

The program will decrypt and show you the login credentials (Windows account, password) immediately. It’s that simple!

windows-autologon-password

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Posted in Tips & Tricks, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Vista

Tags: windows auto login password

Automatically Sync Windows Time More Often Than Default

July 1st, 2016 by Admin

How often does Windows sync time? Is there a way to set a frequent period for Windows to sync time automatically? By default, domain controller will sync clock once per one hour, and standalone computer will sync clock once every week. In this tutorial we’ll show you how to change the time synchronization interval/frequency and make Windows automatically sync time more often than default.

windows-time

How to Make Windows sync time more often than default?

To change the time synchronization interval, we have to access the Registry Editor. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run box. Type regedit and press Enter.
Once the Registry Editor opens, navigate to the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet\Services\W32Time\TimeProviders\NtpClient
Look for the SpecialPollInterval entry in the right pane. This entry specifies the interval in seconds for the Windows Time service to sync the time. The default value on standalone computer is 604800 seconds, that is equal to 7 days.
Double-click on the SpecialPollInterval entry. From the pop-up dialog, click Decimal and enter the time interval (in seconds). For example, if you want to let Windows sync time each hour, just type 36000. Click OK and close Registry Editor.
Now we need to check if the Windows Time service is configured to start during boot. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run box. Type services.msc and press Enter.
From the service list, find the service named Windows Time and then double-click on it.
Change the Startup type to Automatic and click OK.

Reboot your computer and Windows will automatically sync the time at the interval you specified. Every time Windows loads up or you start or restart the Windows Time service, it will also sync time immediately.
That’s all there is to it.

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Posted in Tips & Tricks, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Vista

Tags: how often does windows sync time make windows synchronize time more often windows time sync frequency windows time sync interval windows time synchronization

2 Ways to Block Users from Deleting Browsing History in Internet Explorer

June 16th, 2016 by Admin

How to prevent others from deleting browsing history in your browser? There are situations where you need to share your computer with your friends or family members but you want to restrict them from deleting your saved logins and cookies. In this tutorial we’ll show you 2 simple ways to block users from deleting browsing history in Internet Explorer.

Method 1: Prevent Access to Delete Browsing History Using Group Policy

Press the Windows key + R to open the Run box. Type gpedit.msc and press Enter.
This should open the Local Group Policy Editor. Navigate to the following location:
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Internet Explorer\Delete Browsing History
In the right pane, double-click on “Prevent access to Delete Browsing History” to open its settings box. Select Enabled and click Apply / OK.
Reboot your computer. When you open the Internet Options of Internet Explorer, you’ll find the button for deleting browsing history is greyed out.

Method 2: Prevent Users from Deleting Browsing History Using Registry Editor

If Local Group Policy Editor is not accessible in your computer, you can also use the following registry trick to block users from deleting browsing history in Internet Explorer.

Press the Windows key + R to open the Run box. Type regedit and press Enter.
When you see the Registry Editor window, navigate to the following key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel

If both the Internet Explorer key and the Control Panel key don’t exist, you need to create them firstly.
Now in right side pane, right-click the empty space to create a new DWORD (32-bit) value named DisableDeleteBrowsingHistory and set its value to 1.
Close Registry Editor and re-open Internet Explorer. Now users will not be able to access the option for deleting browsing history in Internet Explorer. That’s it!

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Posted in Others, Tips & Tricks, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Vista, Windows XP

Tags: delete browsing history internet explorer prevent deleting browsing history prevent user from deleting browsing history

3 Ways to Disable Registry Editor in Windows 11, 10, 8 and 7

June 12th, 2016 by Admin

Making improper changes to the Registry can cause Windows to become unusable or unbootable. To prevent, restrict or block anyone from accessing Registry Editor in Windows 11, 10, 8 and 7, you can disable Registry Editor using group policy, registry trick or third-party software.

Method 1: Disable Registry Editor Using Group Policy

Press the Windows key + R to bring up the Run box. Type gpedit.msc and press Enter.
When Group Policy Editor opens, navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > System. Double-click on Prevent access to registry editing tools on the right panel.
Select the radio button next to Enabled, click Apply and then OK, then close out of Group Policy Editor and reboot your computer.
When a user tries to access Registry Editor, they will get an error message saying “Registry editing has been disabled by your administrator“.

This method will prevent all users from accessing Registry Editor, including yourself. To regain access to Registry Editor, you have to open Group Policy Editor again, and change the policy to Disabled or Not Configured.

Method 2: Disable Registry Editor Using Registry Trick

Press the Windows key + R to bring up the Run box. Type regedit and press Enter.
When Registry Editor opens, navigate to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER > SOFTWARE > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Policies > System

If the System key doesn’t exist, you need to create it.
In the right pane, right-click on any empty space and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name it DisableRegistryTools and set its value to 1.
When you try to access Registry Editor, you’ll also get the same error message “Registry editing has been disabled by your administrator“.

This method will prevent your current user from accessing Registry Editor. To regain access, you have to log on as another administrator account and delete the registry value DisableRegistryTools.

Method 3: Disable Registry Editor Using Third Party Software

Using Protect My Folders you can lock & protect Registry Editor with a password. Anyone can’t access Registry Editor without knowing your password.

Download and install Protect My Folders program on your computer. The first time you launch this program it will prompt your to set a password. Don’t forgot it as you’ll need it next time you run it.
When Protect My Folders starts, click on Add/Lock button.
The File/Folder selection dialog should open, choose the C:\Windows\regedit.exe file and click Add, next click OK.
Now you’ll see the regedit application is locked. Close Protect My Folders program.
When you try to access Registry Editor, you’ll receive the following error message:

This method will block all users from accessing Registry Editor. To regain access you have to relaunch Protect My Folders, enter your password and unlock the regedit.exe app.

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Posted in Others, Tips & Tricks, Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Vista, Windows XP

Tags: disable regedit in windows disable registry editing disable registry editor prevent access to registry editor

Fix “Windows Taskbar and Start Button Disappeared”

May 28th, 2016 by Admin

“I don’t know what happened but the taskbar (usually on the bottom of the screen) is missing. Without the taskbar, I couldn’t get to the Start Menu and ultimately launch any program. How do I get it back? Please help!”

There are 3 reasons why your taskbar or Start button disappeared on the computer screen:

The taskbar is set to auto-hide.
The explorer.exe process has crashed and the taskbar is completely gone.
The display resolution or main display changed and caused the taskbar to go off the screen.

This step-by-step tutorial will show you how to troubleshoot this problem and get your Windows taskbar and Start button back to your screen.

Method 1: Unhide Taskbar

Some users reported the Auto-hide feature is buggy. Disable the Auto-hide option and your Windows taskbar might be back again. Follow these steps:

Press Ctrl + Alt + Del on your keyboard. This will take you to the lock screen. From there, you can click Task Manager.
When the Task Manager opens, click More details button at the bottom of the window.
Click the File menu and select Run new task.
Type control panel and click OK.
In Control Panel, set the View by option to Large icons, and then click on “Taskbar and Navigation“.
Click the Taskbar tab, clear the Auto-hide the taskbar check box, and then click OK.

Method 2: Restart Explorer

There is a chance that your Windows Explorer is crashed or an infected program might have terminated it. If that is the case, then your desktop icons and taskbar must also be missing. If that is the case, restart the Explorer process should fix your problem.

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys on your keyboard and Task Manager will open up.
The Task Manager in Windows 10/8 shows fewer details by default. Simply click More details at the bottom to access the full Task Manager.
Click the Details tab and select the explorer.exe process, click End task.
Click the File menu and select Run new task.
Type in explorer and press OK. This will restart the explorer process and hopefully get your taskbar back.

Method 3: Change Display

If the presentation display was changed, the taskbar may have moved off of the visible screen. To bring the taskbar back, you have to exit the presentation mode:

Press the Windows logo key + P on your keyboard to launch External Display selection screen.
You’ll get a pop-up dialog with a couple of choices like PC screen only ( or Computer Only), Duplicate, Extend, etc. Make sure it is set to PC screen only.

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Posted in Others, Tips & Tricks, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Vista

Tags: windows start button disappeared windows start button missing windows taskbar disappeared windows taskbar missing