Bluetooth Audio Streaming from Windows Server 2003 to LG FB163

I've recent got a sexy little LG FB-163 Micro HIFI System that comes with Bluetooth. Unfortunately, the Bluetooth is only used to stream audio, and not for file transfer or sharing as I had originally hoped for.

After a lot of procrastination, I finally got around to try out the Bluetooth function. After a lot of experimentation, I got it working with the following configuration:
OS: Windows Server 2003
BT Stack: BlueSoleil version 6.2.227.11 (Demo)
BT Dongle: D-Link DBT-120 rev B4 

At first, I was using a hacked Windows XP Bluetooth stack with a D-Link DBT-120 rev B4 dongle as Windows 2003 do not come with a Bluetooth stack, but I couldn't get my PC to pair with the FB-163.

As the FB-163 uses the newer A2DP Bluetooth profile, I went out and bought a newer dongle (unbranded model ES-389), thinking that it is a hardware problem. The ES-389 was detected as a "Silicon Wave" bluetooth device by Windows, but couldn't pair with the FB-163 either.
So I thought, maybe I need a newer Bluetooth stack. Thus I installed BlueSoleil version 6.2.227.11 as I had downloaded the demo version previously.Unfortunately, when I tried to pair ES-389 with the FB-163, it couldn't even get FB-163's device name. The error message was "Refreshing device name is not successful".



After a lot of troubleshooting, I replaced the ES-389 with my older DBT-120 as I remembered that the D-Link dongle could at least get the device name from FB-163. 

The short version is that it worked, and here are the steps I took:

1. In the start screen, the FB-163 is identified by a "Headset" icon with its MAC address.
   
2. When I right-clicked the "Headset" icon and chose "Get Device Name", it worked and got the "LG_AUDIO" device name.
   
   
3. I right-clicked the Headset icon and chose "Pair". The passkey dialog box appeared and I entered the default PIN "0000" (Why do everyone seem to use the same PIN?).
   
   
4. The DBT-120 and FB-163 are now paired.
   
   
5. Finally, I right-clicked the Headset icon and chose "Connect Bluetooth Advance Audio". The DBT-120 and FB-163 are now connected.

I fired up my music player and the music streaming worked perfectly.

Windows Update IE Frame Recursion/Loop Problem when Selecting "Optional" Updates

I've been having problems performing the "Windows Update" with the Internet Explorer on one of my Windows Server 2003 system, which is used as a software testing workstation.

From IE6 to IE8, the whole "Windows Update" process goes on normally until I try to select the "Software, Optional" option on the side frame. IEjust loads another "Windows Update" process in the center frame.

Prior to IE8, the recursive process just cascades deeper and deeper, with more frames within frame. But since IE8, the process is now a loop. When I try to continue the "Windows Update" process in the sub-frame window, the sub-frame just goes back to the original "High Priority" option sub-frame.

The funny thing is that it only happens to one of my machines. Usually, I just use CTupdate to update this machine and forget about it; but I thought I'll fix it since I have some free time now.

After a little googling, I found a link to this page: 
http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/en-us/default.aspx?dg=microsoft.public.windowsupdate&mid=bcd4ec08-55d3-4ee5-8daa-56dcd25f5311 
The forum poster found out that it was the "BitComet Helper" add-on from his BitComet 0.84 that was affecting his Windows XP system.
I checked and I found that I have an old BitComet 0.7 in my system that I have totally forgotten about, so I went on to disable the add-on. 

In IE8, I went to "Tools -> Manage Add-ons", and disabled the "BitComet Helper" add-on.


Problem solved and my "Windows Update" is now working fine.

Installing Windows Live Messenger 2009 on Windows Server 2003

When I tried to install the new Windows Live Messenger 2009 on my Windows Server 2003 machine, I got the "Couldn't install programs" error message, and the detail is "os_check: 0x8028004".



Apparently, Windows 2003/2008 and 64bit XP systems are not supported by the new Live Messenger.

Thank goodness I came across the following site:
http://www.gtalkme.com/development/install-windows-live-wave3-on-windows2003-or-2008.html
It's about "Windows Live Wave 3" and it's in Chinese, but the hack is identical.

1. Download the messenger wlsetup-custom.exe.
2. Open it with Resource Hacker.
3. Open the resource tree to "CONFIG -> CONFIG0 -> 0".
   
4. Find the XML tag: workstation" />

Change "workstation" to "server" and recompile the script in the Resource Hacker.

Remember to save the modified installer file.

The installer should work properly on the Win2003 system now.

Difference Between Windows 2003 and Windows 2008 Server?

1.2008 is combination of vista and windows 2003r2.

2. RODC one new domain controller introduced in it.[Read-only Domain Controllers.]

3.WDS (windows deployment services) instead of RIS in 2003 server

4. Shadow copy for each and every folders

5.Boot sequence is changed

5.Installation is 32 bit where as 2003 it is 16 bit as well as 32 bit, that’s why installation of 2008 is faster

6. Services are known as role in it

7. Group policy editor is a separate option in ads.

8. The main difference between 2003 and 2008 is Virtualization, management..

9.2008 has more inbuilt components and updated third party drivers Microsoft introduces new feature with 2k8 that is Hyper-V Windows Server 2008 introduces Hyper-V (V for Virtualization) but only on 64bit     versions.

10.In Windows Server 2008, Microsoft is introducing new features and technologies, some of which were not available in Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 (SP1), that will help to reduce the power consumption of server and client operating systems, minimize environmental byproducts, and increase server efficiency.

11.Microsoft Windows Server 2008 has been designed with energy efficiency in mind, to provide customers with ready and convenient access to a number of new power-saving features. It includes updated support for Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) processor power management (PPM) features, including support for processor performance states (P-states) and processor idle sleep states on multiprocessor systems. These features simplify power management in Windows Server 2008 (WS08) and can be managed easily across servers and clients using Group Policies.

12. Many features are updated - as security, IIS and RODC.In security it enable outbound firewall as well as inbound, IIS 7 release, Read only Domain controllers.

13.Virtualization

14.Server Core provides the minimum installation required to carry out a specific server role, such as for a DHCP, DNS or print server.

15.Boot sequence is changed

16.Role-based installation or, services are known as role in it

17.Better security

18.Enhanced terminal services

19.Network Access Protection

20. Microsoft's system for ensuring that clients connecting to Server 2008 are patched, running a firewall and in compliance with corporate security policies.

21.PowerShell

22. IIS

23. Bitlocker

24.System drive encryption can be a sensible security measure for servers located in remote branch offices.More and more companies are seeing this as a way of reducing hardware costs by running several 'virtual' servers on one physical machine. If you like this exciting technology, make sure that you buy an edition of Windows Server 2008 that includes Hyper-V, then launch the Server Manger, add Roles.

Windows Server 2008, formerly codenamed Longhorn, is no leas than 45 times faster than its predecessor, Windows Server 2003, in terms of network transfer speeds. Now whatever the perspective is on Microsoft's last 32-bit server operating system, the fact of the matter is that faster transfer speeds for of up to 45 times is quite an evolution compared to Windows Server 2003

25. Windows Aero

26.we can install windows 2008 server either in full version(install all services& applications) or server core(only install minimal required services), but in 2003 we can only install fully O.S.

27.Windows server 2008 use Hyper-V application & Roles concept for better productivity but server 2003 does not have such features.

28. Windows Server 2008, Active Directory has been renamed to Active Directory DomainServices (AD DS). AD DS retains the tools, architectural design, and structure that were introduced in Windows 2000 Server and Windows Server 2003, with some added improvements.

29.2003 was made to control XP networks.

30.2008 is made to control Vista networks.

31.The group policy and active directory schemas have been altered to include Vista polices. 

How to reset administrator password on Windows using EBCD

Introduction

Last week, my friend told me that he forgot administrator password on his computer and asked me if I knew some way to solve the problem. I heard that there are some ways to reset password so I tried search on the Internet and found many tools and software that can reset password. Finally, I have ended up with EBCD (Emergency Boot CD) which is a useful tools that can reset password and also be your emergency CD in case of system failure. I have test this tool can reset password Administrator and also other account on local system on Windows XP and 2003 Server R2.

Note: You should have experiences on Windows. If you don’t have any background knowledge, I suggest you consult your Administrator before do this. I won’t responsible in any failure or damage if you using this tool.

Step-by-step

1. I recommend you to review all steps before you configure on real system. In this example, I’m going to reset password Administrator on Windows 2003 Server R2 which was installed on first IDE drive(c:\).
2. Download EBCD (Emergency Boot CD-ROM) from my forum at this post
3. Extract and run makeebcd.exe. It will automatically create image file (EBCD061P.ISO) for burning to CD.
   
4. Burn the file in step 2) to CD.
   
5. Boot the computer with CD that you’ve just created. You will see the menu as the figure below. Select (5) NT password for editor (Linux-based) by type ’5′ (with on quote) and press Enter.
   
6. Press Enter to continue.
   
7. Press Enter again if you don’t keep Windows on SCSI drive or type ‘y’ if you want to load SCSI driver.
   
8. Now select which partition(drive) that contains Windows system. You can press Enter without answer to accept the default value in bracket []. In this step, the default value is [/dev/hda1]. This is partition in Linux format but you can ignore the detail if you have Windows on C: which is the most cases.
   
9. Press Enter again to accept value in bracket[] again.
   
10. Press Enter.
    
11. Now, it’ll show the change NT password menu. Press Enter to accept value in bracket [1] (Edit user data and passwords).
    
12. Select a Username you want to edit. By default value is Administrator which the user that I want to set in this example so I can press Enter without enter any value.
    
13. Enter new password for Administrator. I recommend to set to blank by type ‘*’ and press Enter and change it to something later when you logged in.
    Note: I have tried set some password(not blanking) in this step but the password wouldn’t work when log in but the blank password works fine. 
    
14. It will ask your confirmation. Type ‘y’ (without quotes) and press Enter to confirm your changes.
    
15. Type ‘!’ and press Enter to go back to change NT password menu if you finish change password.
    
16. Type ‘q’ to quit.
    
17. It lists the things that you’ve done. Type ‘y’ to confirm save those settings.
    
18. Type ‘y’ again and press Enter to confirm copy settings back to your Windows.
    
19. You’ve finished reset Administrator password. Now let test by reboot your PC and log in with a blank password!.
    
20. Type your user name and password.
    
21. Login with a blank password succeeded!.
    
22. Now you can change your password as you like.
    

Reset Password in Windows Server 2008 (RTM and R2) and Windows 7

OK, time to fess up here.  I screwed up, so needed to find out how to do this for a machine we set up some time back that has been sitting idle - I was *sure* I recorded the authentication details in the OneNote build documentation for this client, but for the life of me, I can't find it.  Now I need to finish the install and, well, that's a little difficult without logon details...

So, I Googled and found these instructions that I've added to a bit (net group) and added some handy screen captures as well:

1. Boot from DVD or USB media - this media can be Windows Server 2008 RTM, 2008 R2, SBS 2008 or even Windows 7.

2. Change the language to English (Australia) if you want - but we're not installing anything, so it really doesn't matter right now

3. Click on the "Repair your computer" link

4. Choose the OS instance that you wish to reset the Administrator (or other Administrative) password for, taking note of the drive letter that was chosen for it (normally D:)

5. Choose "Command Prompt"

6. Change to the Windows\System32 directory of this OS instance and move the Utilman.exe file to a  backup, then copy cmd.exe to Utilman.exe

7. Remove the USB Key, reboot into the Windows install you need to change the password for and when at the Login prompt, hit Windows+U


8. Type 'net group "Domain Users"' to see a list of all the domain users on this system (Domain Controllers only)

9. Type 'net group "Domain Admins"' to see which administrative accounts exist on the system (Domain Controllers only) then type 'net user Administrator Select_a_decent_passphrase' to change the password of the Administrator account

10. Log in using the new password.  Immediately go and change this password to a nice, secure passphrase.


11. Reboot with the DVD/USB boot media and copy the backed up Utilman.exe.bak file to Utilman.exe to make sure we don't leave this hole open for now.  And that's it!  :)

Reset Windows 2008 R2 administrator password

This is the old trick of overwriting any app accessible at login screen (e.g. screen saver) with a command shell to reset the password


In this case I am going to use the "Utility Manager", that little accessibility button at the lower left corner that says in the tooltip: Ease of access

I first booted from the Windows 2008 R2 setup cd to launch System Repair, you can use Linux or any bootable cd that will give you write access to the NTFS file system. All you need to do is a couple of rename and copy operations.

Lanch System Repair and choose your windows installation

Browse to your System32 directory and run the following

ren Utilman.exe Utilman.exe.bak
copy cmd.exe Utilman.exe

Next restart and boot your windows instead of the cd.
At the login screen click the accessibility button or press Win+U

Now you have a command shell with SYSTEM privileges, reset the password with the net user command.

net user administrator eshta!

That's it.
Login and don't forget to restore the original Utilman.exe back

4 Ways to Crack a Facebook Password and How to Protect Yourself from Them

Despite security issues that have plagued Facebook for several years, people keeping staying around and new people keep on signing up. This has led Facebook to break records numbers with over one billion monthly active users as of October 2012—and around 600 million active daily users.

We share our lives on Facebook. We share our birthdays and our anniversaries. We share our vacation plans and locations. We share the births of our sons and the deaths of our fathers. We share our most cherished moments and our most painful thoughts. We divulge every aspect of our lives.

But we seemingly forget who's watching.

We use Facebook as a tool to connect, but there are those people who use that connectivity for malicious purposes. We reveal what others can use against us. They know when we're not home and for how long we're gone. They know the answers to our security questions. People can practically steal our identities—and that's merely with the visible information we purposely give them through our Facebook profile.

The scariest part is that as technology advances, we become more susceptible to hacking. As if we didn't already do a great enough job to aid these hackers, they can get into our emails and Facebook accounts and steal every other part of our lives that we intended to keep away from prying eyes.

And you don't have to be a professional hacker to get into someone's Facebook account.

It can be as easy as letting Firesheep run on your computer for a few minutes. In fact, Facebook allows a user to get into their Facebook without knowing their password. All they have to do is choose three friends to send a code to. You type in the three codes and voilà—you're into the account. It's as easy as that.

These are a few other ways that hackers, and even regular folks, can hack into someone's Facebook account and ways to prevent it from happening to you.

Reset the Password

The easiest way to "hack" into someone's Facebook is through resetting the password. This could be easier done by people who are friends with the person they're trying to hack.

• The first step would be to get your friend's Facebook email login. If you don't already know it, try looking on their Facebook page in the Contact Info section.
• Next, click on Forgotten your password? and type in the victim's email. Their account should come up. Click This is my account.
• It will ask if you would like to reset the password via the victim's emails. This doesn't help, so press No longer have access to these?
• It will now ask How can we reach you? Type in an email that you have that also isn't linked to any other Facebook account.
• It will now ask you a question. If you're close friends with the victim, that's great. If you don't know too much about them, make an educated guess. If you figure it out, you can change the password. Now you have to wait 24 hours to login to their account.
• If you don't figure out the question, you can click on Recover your account with help from friends. This allows you to choose between three and five friends.

• It will send them passwords, which you may ask them for, and then type into the next page. You can either create three to five fake Facebook accounts and add your friend (especially if they just add anyone), or you can choose three to five close friends of yours that would be willing to give you the password.

How to Protect Yourself

• Use an email address specifically for your Facebook and don't put that email address on your profile.
• When choosing a security question and answer, make it difficult. Make it so that no one can figure it out by simply going through your Facebook. No pet names, no anniversaries—not even third grade teacher's names. It's as easy as looking through a yearbook.
• Learn about recovering your account from friends. You can select the three friends you want the password sent to. That way you can protect yourself from a friend and other mutual friends ganging up on you to get into your account.

Use a Keylogger

Software Keylogger

A software keylogger is a program that can record each stroke on the keyboard that the user makes, most often without their knowledge. The software has to be downloaded manually on the victim's computer. It will automatically start capturing keystrokes as soon as the computer is turned on and remain undetected in the background. The software can be programmed to send you a summary of all the keystrokes via email.

CNET has Free Keylogger, which as the title suggests, is free. If this isn't what you're looking for, you can search for other free keyloggers or pay for one.

Hardware Keylogger

These work the same way as the software keylogger, except that a USB drive with the software needs to be connected to the victim's computer. The USB drive will save a summary of the keystrokes, so it's as simple as plugging it to your own computer and extracting the data. You can look through Keelog for prices, but it's bit higher than buying the software since you have the buy the USB drive with the program already on it.

How to Protect Yourself

• Use a firewall. Keyloggers usually send information through the internet, so a firewall will monitor your computer's online activity and sniff out anything suspicious.
• Install a password manager. Keyloggers can't steal what you don't type. Password mangers automatically fill out important forms without you having to type anything in.
• Update your software. Once a company knows of any exploits in their software, they work on an update. Stay behind and you could be susceptible.
• Change passwords. If you still don't feel protected, you can change your password bi-weekly. It may seem drastic, but it renders any information a hacker stole useless.

Phishing

This option is much more difficult than the rest, but it is also the most common method to hack someone's account. The most popular type ofphishing involves creating a fake login page. The page can be sent via email to your victim and will look exactly like the Facebook login page. If the victim logs in, the information will be sent to you instead of to Facebook. This process is difficult because you will need to create a web hosting account and a fake login page.

If you want to know how to do this, follow the detailed instructions onHacker9's website. Users are very careful now with logging into Facebook through other links, though, so that only adds to this already difficult process.

How to Protect Yourself

• Don't click on links through email. If an email tells you to login to Facebook through a link, be wary. Check the URL. If you're still doubtful, go directly to the main website and login the way you always do.
• Phishing isn't only done through email. It can be any link on any website. Even ads that pop up can be malicious. Don't click on any sketchy looking links that ask for your information.
• Use an anti-virus like Norton or McAfee.

Stealing Cookies

Cookies allow a website to store information on a user's hard drive and later retrieve it. These cookies contain important information that a hacker can sniff out and steal if they are on the same Wi-Fi network as the victim. They don't actually get the login passwords, but they can still access the victim's account.

Firesheep is a Firefox add-on that sniffs web traffic on an open Wi-Fi connection. It collects the cookies and stores them in a tab on the side of the browser.

From there, the hacker can click on the saved cookies and access the victim's account, as long as the victim is still logged in. Once the victim logs out, it is impossible for the hacker to access the account.

How to Protect Yourself

• On Facebook, go to your Account Settings and check under Security. Make sure Secure Browsing is enabled. Firesheep can't sniff out cookies on HTTPS, so try to steer away from HTTP.
• Full time SSL. Use Firefox add-ons such as HTTPS-Everywhere or Force-TLS.
• Log off a website when you're done. Firesheep can't stay logged in to your account if you log off.
• Use only trustworthy Wi-Fi networks. A hacker can be sitting across from you at Starbucks and looking through your email without you knowing it.
• Use a VPN. These protect against any sidejacking no matter what website you're on.

Less Is More

Social networking websites are great ways to stay connected with old friends and meet new people. Creating an event, sending a birthday greeting and telling your parents you love them are all a couple of clicks away.

Facebook isn't something you should steer away from, but you do need to be aware of your surroundings and make smart decisions about what you put up on your profile. The less information you give out on Facebook for everyone to see, the more difficult you make it for hackers.