Gateway Solutions- Networking, Hardware & Security

Windows XP Tips Part-IV

31) To disable unneeded startup services for a safer, faster XP, use the "Services" Admin Tool (Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services). If you are a single user of a non-networked machine, you can disable the following items, with no ill effect.

Fast User Switching
Human Interface Access Devices
Indexing Service (Slows the hard drive down)
Messenger
Net Logon (unnecessary unless networked on a Domain)
Netmeeting Remote Desktop Sharing (disabled for extra security)
Remote Desktop Help Session Manager (disabled for extra security)
Remote Procedure Call Locator
Remote Registry (disabled for extra security)
Routing & Remote Access (disabled for extra security)
Server
SSDP Discovery Service (this is for the utterly pointless "Universal P'n'P", & leaves TCP Port 5000 wide open)
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper
Telnet (disabled for extra security)
Universal Plug and Play Device Host
Upload Manager
Windows Time
Wireless Zero Configuration (for wireless networks)
Workstation

[Attribution: axiouS, iexbeta]

32) You might be alarmed to discover that some Trojan scanners report that your copy of Windows XP is infected by the "Sockets de Troie" Trojan on port 5000. It isn't. As detailed at board.iexbeta.com, Stopping the Windows XP service called SSDP, which runs together with Universal Plug and Play, closes the open port. Disable both, and Port 5000 is gone. To start and stop services, use the Administrative Tools Control Panel noted above, or right-click the My Computer icon and choose "Manage," then select the appropriate item(s) from "Services and Applications>Services." A Microsoft Technet Bulletin describes the issue and provides a downloadable patch that closes the holes.

33) Speaking of security, if you are running an FTP server and you wish to enable XP's firewall, you might have to "enable passive transfers" in your FTP client. in order to access the service from behind the firewall. (In WS_FTP, this is found in the Advanced settings dialog.) While you're at it, you might want to change the default FTP port from 21 to something unique. In this case, you'll need to add a new service to the firewall's advanced configuration section, then specify your unique TCP port.

Remember, too, that XP's firewall blocks incoming traffic only. If you want an outgoing blocker, too, install a program such as Tiny Personal Firewall (which Microsoft's code is based upon, apparently) or ZoneAlarm.

34) If you are trying to install Windows XP on a machine and find that the machine keeps freezing part of the way through the installation, try pulling out non-essential cards (e.g., everything but the graphics card.) In many cases, it is an Ethernet card, modem or sound card that is hanging the installer. Once XP is up and running, you can add these cards one at a time (powering down the machine before adding new hardware, of course).

35) Make Windows XP boot up even faster. (This really works!) www.microsoft.com/HWDEV/fastboot/

36) Interested in Skinning Windows XP? Check out Styles XP, from www.tgtsoft.com. It's faster than Stardock's WindowBlinds XP and, at least currently, less buggy, too. (For the record, our favorite third-party skin for XP is AquaBlue -- a Mac OS X lookalike skin currently in beta, but already gorgeous.) See XP-Themes for more info on this and other themes.

37) Microsoft has released a set of Boot Floppies for Windows XP. These could be useful for systems unable to boot from the XP CD-ROM.

38) Microsoft has posted a nifty web-based interface designed to help you tune your system's ClearType display for optimum readability on LCD or CRT displays. Check it out at www.microsoft.com/typography/cleartype/

39) "Labtecgw" at iexbeta.com notes:

Windows 2000 & XP machines delay as long as 30 seconds when you try to view shared files across a network because Windows is using the extra time to search the remote computer for any Scheduled Tasks. Here's how to prevent this remote search for Scheduled Tasks:

Open up the Registry and go to :
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/Current Version/Explorer/RemoteComputer/NameSpace
Under that branch, select the key :
{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}
and delete it.
If you like you may want to export the exact branch so that you can restore the key if necessary. This fix is so effective that it doesn't require a reboot and you can almost immediately determine yourself how much it speeds up your browsing processes.

Windows XP Internet Connection Firewall

Windows XP's Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) protects your network against undesired incoming traffic from the Internet -- everything from casual port scans by bored teenagers to serious break-in attempts by determined hackers. ICF creates a protective barrier between your network and the Internet, only passing through traffic that you've requested.

You can enable or disable ICF separately on each dial-up, LAN, or high-speed Internet connection in the Network Connections folder. That's good, because there are some connections that can benefit from ICF, and some that must not use it.

Personally i do not use it. Zone Alarm is my favourite.

Some very important points:

Internet Connection Firewall is for use ONLY on a direct connection to the Internet, such as a dial-up, DSL, or cable modem. If your computer gets its Internet connection through a software router (like Internet Connection Sharing) or a hardware router, you don't have a direct connection and must not enable ICF

If the Internet Connection Firewall is enabled on a local area network connection with other computers, it will block File and Printer Sharing. This is probably the most common problem in Windows XP networking.

ICF is only effective against undesired incoming traffic from the Internet. It can't stop undesired outgoing traffic from spyware, Trojan horse programs, or other hacker tools. If you want outgoing protection, use a firewall that offers that capability, and disable ICF on all connections.