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Windows 2000 Professional Tips
CHANGE YOUR CONSOLE PROMPT WITH PROMPT

As in all other versions of the Windows OS, the command console displays a command prompt that defaults to the current drive letter, current directory, and a right chevron, such as C:\WINNT>. Pretty basic and pretty boring, isn't it? In some situations you might want more information displayed in the command prompt. For example, if you're working in a full-screen console for an extended period of time, you might want to add the current time to the command prompt. Or, perhaps you want the input line to appear on a blank line under the prompt (great when you're working with a long directory string). You might also want less information in the prompt rather than more. If you're a real purist, for example, you might simply want a single character as the prompt. Whatever change you'd like to make to the console prompt, you can probably achieve the result you want through the PROMPT command. For the syntax and options for PROMPT, open a command console and enter the command HELP PROMPT. To restore the prompt to its default, execute PROMPT with no switches. Interested in making your PROMPT change automatic for all command consoles? You'll have to wait until tomorrow for that tip!

WHERE THE DRIVERS ARE

Upgrading some hardware on your network but can't find the correct drivers? Trent Cook's here to show you where the latest drivers hang out. http://www.techrepublic.com/article.jhtml?id=r00220000807jim01.htm

DOWNLOAD OUR SEVEN-STEP CHECKLIST TO ENSURE A SUCCESSFUL WIN2K DEPLOYMENT

Sidestep those common Windows 2000 installation delays! Download our seven-step checklist to speed your Win2K installations. http://www.techrepublic.com/article.jhtml?id=r00220000322eje02.htm

AT YOUR IT SERVICE

If you buy IT services (consulting, integration, project outsourcing, or staffing) you know how time-consuming and expensive it is to identify, evaluate, and engage the best providers. Put all that behind you with TechRepublic's ITRadar. You can select from thousands of IT services firms, organized by competency and geography, to find the right solution--fast! http://www.techrepublic.com/promotion.jhtml?pc=NN1141&s=false

RUN A PROGRAM OR COMMAND FOR ALL COMMAND CONSOLES

While Windows 2000 makes it easy to customize certain aspects of the command console such as font, color, window size, and so on, other properties are not as easy to change. For example, suppose you want to execute a certain command each time a command console starts, such as configuring a custom command prompt with the PROMPT command. Or, maybe you want to use the CD command to start the command console in a specific folder, launch a driver or other application automatically, or perform some other task automatically. The registry contains a key that defines command console parameters and behavior. The key is HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\MicroSoft\Command Processor. The registry value AutoRun in that key lets you define a command string to execute when each command console starts up. Open the registry, edit the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\MicroSoft\Command Processor\AutoRun value, and enter the internal command or external application executable you want executed automatically when the console starts. Remember to include any command line parameters or switches for the command in the AutoRun value, if needed. NOTE: Please remember that registry editing is risky, so be sure you have a verified backup before you begin.

MAKING USER PROFILE CHANGES "STICK"

When a user logs on and makes changes to his or her profile, those changes are typically saved so that during the next logon session those profile settings are used. You might have run across situations in which user profile changes were lost, however, and you've been scratching your head trying to figure out why. First, user changes are not saved with a mandatory profile. Although a user with a mandatory profile can make changes to his or her environment, those changes are discarded when the user logs off. Another cause in Windows 2000 of user profile changes not being retained is group membership. By design, Windows 2000 only saves user profile changes if the account is a member of the local Users group. Windows 2000 treats other users as guests, and since Windows 2000 deletes guest profiles at logoff, the user's changes are lost. So, the solution to retaining the user's changes is to add his or her account to the local Users group.

TEST YOUR CONNECTION SPEED

No matter how big the pipe is that connects your network or computer to the Internet, there are times when it just doesn't give you the speed you want. You're always waiting on a page to load, a file to transfer, or an enemy player to shoot you out of the sky (blast you, nuke you, take your pick). For those of you with enough time on your hands to worry about why connections seem so slow, there are several sites and tools of interest. First, you can point your browser to Microsoft's Computing Central Bandwidth Speed Test, which gives you an analysis of your current transfer speed and rates it according to connection type. http://computingcentral.msn.com/topics/bandwidth/speedtest.asp Actually improving speed is another matter entirely. In some cases you're simply at the mercy of your ISP. Most rely on a concept called overbooking to make it economically feasible for them to provide you with a connection. Overbooking means assigning more users to a given connection than the connection can accommodate at one time (the aggregate bandwidth of all users being greater than the bandwidth of the connection). In most cases this isn't a problem, since not all users are typically online at the same time.

IS WEBHANCER LURKING ON YOUR SYSTEM?

Whether you know it or not, you might have an application running in the background collecting data about your browsing habits and sending it offsite. If your system is connected to the Internet by a dedicated connection, the likelihood that you haven't spotted the culprit yet is greater than if you use a dial-up connection. Recently while reviewing several applications we came across one that installed an agent for webHancer Corporation. While the application was reasonably useful, the fact that it installed the agent in the background was unwelcome. A perusal of the application's software license during a second Setup run did reveal a section that provided notification of the webHancer agent installation, but who reads software

WHAT'S THE NEXT BIG VIRUS COMING DOWN THE PIPE?

What malicious virus is waiting around the corner? We don't know, and neither do you. But at least you can minimize the potential risks by following a few tips from network security expert Robert Vibert. http://www.techrepublic.com/article.jhtml?id=r00220000925jim01.htm

PREVENT MOBILE DATA THEFT

Because of their small size and high value, laptops are prime targets for theft. Learn what you can do to protect your mobile workstations and how Windows 2000 EFS can help in this Gartner Research Note. http://www.techrepublic.com/article.jhtml?id=r00320000821ggp02.htm censes, particularly while installing a demo version? While the agent supposedly doesn't send any confidential or identifying information about you to webHancer, you probably don't want your browsing habits being monitored. Plus, who needs the bandwidth encroachment? If you're concerned that you're unknowingly sending information to webHancer, open the Add/Remove Programs item in the Control Panel and look for the webHancer agent. Another way to check for unknown broadcast agents is to unplug your network cable and wait for the application to complain.

LOCK YOUR WORKSTATION WITH A KEYSTROKE

You faithfully use a screen saver with password protection every time you leave your computer. You're impervious to snooping--no one can so much as look at your desktop while you're gone! Or can they? Although you can configure your screen saver with a password, the screen saver is only password protected if it starts on its own after the defined idle time. The password protection doesn't apply if you start the screen saver manually from the Microsoft Office toolbar, open the screen saver file from Explorer, or start it with the Preview button in the Display properties. Instead of relying on the screen saver, it's better to simply lock the workstation. One method of doing that is to press [Ctrl][Alt][Delete] and click Lock Computer in the resulting Windows Security dialog box. But here's a one-key solution (after a bit of setup): Create a shortcut on your desktop using rundll32 user32.dll,LockWorkStation as the item to run, entering the text exactly as you see it here (just copy and paste from this e-mail). Open the properties for the newly created shortcut, click in the Shortcut Key field, and type the shortcut key you want to assign to the shortcut. Make sure to assign a keystroke that doesn't conflict with any of the shortcuts in your most-often used applications. When you want to lock the workstation, just press the shortcut key. As an alternative you can copy the shortcut to the Quick Start toolbar and click its icon to lock the workstation.

ACCOMPLISHING FAMILIAR WINDOWS NT TASKS IN WINDOWS 2000

Your organization has just upgraded to Windows 2000, but you can't seem to find any of your tools. This TechProGuild Daily Drill Down from Brien Posey will give you a set of directions for handling your daily tasks. http://www.techrepublic.com/article.jhtml?id=r00220001129jim02.htm HOME SECURITY In this challenge, Ed Bott asked readers for the best security software solution for Windows. Read what TechRepublic members recommended. http://www.techrepublic.com/article.jhtml?id=r00120000713bot01.htm

CHANGE TELNET BANNER AND PROGRAM EXECUTION

If you use the Telnet service on a Windows 2000 computer to connect to that computer, you know that the service displays a simple banner at logon. In most cases you'll probably want to create your own banner, if for no other reason than to ward off unauthorized users. You might also want applications to execute automatically when you connect, such as setting the command prompt, specifying a different command shell, and so on. The banner and startup behavior are defined by the file %systemroot%\System32\Login.cmd. By default, this file causes a simple banner to display the changes to the folder referenced by the %homedrive% and %homepath% variables. However, you can modify the script to change the banner or to include additional commands to customize the Telnet session's behavior. The Login.cmd file is global and applies to all Telnet users who connect to the system. You can modify the script to include commands based on the %username% variable that execute other scripts as applicable to specific users.

HERE'S YOUR QUICK GUIDE TO WIN2K FILE SYSTEM COMPATIBILITY

If you're preparing for a Win2K exam, make sure you know which file systems the OS supports. This Paperchase Digest identifies these file systems and highlights the characteristics of each one. http://www.techrepublic.com/article.jhtml?id=r00220000804jim33.htm

IT CERTS: BE-ALL-AND-END-ALL OR TICKET TO RIDE?

Are MCSEs the MBAs of the future? Probably not. Is a CCNA a substitute for a four-year academic degree? No. But IT certs still have their place. Learn why Erik Eckel says "paper" certs are a ticket to ride but not free passes to a successful IT career. http://www.techrepublic.com/article.jhtml?id=r00220000915jim33.htm

USE CACLS TO MODIFY ACLs

Windows 2000 uses Access Control Lists, or ACLs, to apply security to files and folders, among other objects. The ACL specifies the permissions that specific users and groups have to a file or folder. In many situations, the easiest way to set a file's ACL is through the Explorer interface, since it provides a GUI to make the job easier. To access the ACL for a file, right-click the file and choose Properties, then click the Security tab. The Explorer interface isn't the only way to configure ACLs, however. In some situations you might need to set ACLs within a script, or you might simply prefer to work from a console prompt. If that's the case, you can use the CACLS command from a command console or within a script to modify a file's ACLs. The CACLS command supports wildcards for file specification and lets you specify more than one user per command. For a description of the CACLS syntax and its parameters, enter HELP CACLS, or simply type CACLS with no parameters, at a console prompt.

CREATE A FILE INPUT LIST WITH DIR

Situations might arise now and then in which you need to extract a list of files from a directory and use that list in a batch file. For example, maybe you need to search a specific set of files for keywords or copy those files. Maybe you have a custom application that takes file input from a command line. Perhaps you just need to extract a list of files to include in some documentation. Whatever the case, you can use the DIR command to generate the file list. By default, DIR lists additional information other than just the file or directory names. To obtain a file list from a directory, you need to strip out that additional information, exclude directories, sort the list, and redirect it to a file. Sounds like a lot of work, doesn't it? It's actually very easy. To exclude directories, use the /A-D switch. The /A switch normally directs DIR to include files with the specified attribute, but using /A-D directs DIR to exclude directories instead. To sort the list, use /ON, which directs DIR to sort the list based on filename. Then, use the /B switch to strip out everything except the filenames. Finally, use the redirect symbol (>) to redirect to a text file. Here's the command: DIR /A-D /ON /B > FILELIST.TXT

DOS IS *STILL* NOT DEAD

You asked for it, you got it. Here are even more reasons why knowing a little bit about DOS can make your work life easier. http://www.techrepublic.com/article.jhtml?id=r00320000515gcn10.htm

NEED A FOOT IN THE DOOR WITH CONSULTING FIRMS? LEARN HOW YOU CAN CROSS OVER THE THRESHOLD

Trying to get an interview at a top IT consulting firm? Here are some pointers geared to help you get noticed by a potential employer. http://www.techrepublic.com/article.jhtml?id=r00720000803dam01.htm

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