Categories
Add-Ons Information Reference Software Web

Web Toys – Browser Add-Ons

I hit many websites during a day, and I am still looking for “tools” to help me, so if you have any suggestions, please let me know. Here is something that I just caught today… I have NOT tried them yet, but I can and will use IE, Firefox and Chrome to get my “stuff” done, so…

Firefox note-taking add-ons are Web supersavers

– Andrew
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Categories
Information Reference

OpenDNS and GoogleDNS

This is a rehash of a Facebook conversation from earlier today….

Originally, I posted a link to “Google Public DNS offers speed, few features” in which I made the comments that this could get interesting, and ended up doing a quick DNS description:

“DNS is a foundation level services that helps run the internet. Every device on the internet has a unique IP number that usually takes the form of [74.125.53.100]. Since humans are not that good with remembering numbers, we add names, such as google.com… What DNS does is translate backwards and forwards of IP Numbers [74.125.53.100] to Human Name [google.com]. Think of DNS as a Yellow & White pages phonebook for the internet.”

“When one connects to the internet from home or at work, that device uses DNS to find “stuff” for you. If you have an ISP (Comcast, Verizon, etc.) they give you their DNS Server addresses, which is fine for most folks, but with a little bit of techo-tink, one can access Open Public DNS servers that are usually faster then an ISPs, so your access is a bit faster.”

“Setting up your account is primary, but once done, the basics are that you need to access your router/firewall and change the DNS servers that they are “pointed to”. Some routers offer away to add more the two (2) entries. If this is possible, make your Open Public DNS servers the Top priority in the list.”

As a reference:

OpenDNS
208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220

Google Public DNS
8.8.8.8
8.8.4.4

– Andrew
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Categories
Information Reference Software

Windows Boot Sequence

  1. Turn on your computer;
  2. The Computer initiates a POST (Power On Self Test) for devices that have a BIOS (Basic Input/Output System);
    • Test the memory & various Subsystems
      • Examples: AGP and Network cards
  3. BIOS then attempts to find the MBR (Master Boot Record)
    • A 512-byte sector (LBA 0 or HD0)
  4. If successful, the Windows OS takes Control, and looks for NTLDR(Boot Loader for Windows NT based OSes)
    1. In Vista and Server 2008, this has been replaced with:
    2. NTLDRallows:
      1. Memory Addressing
      2. Initiates the File System
      3. Reads boot.ini
    3. NTLDRhas to be at the ROOT of an active partition to detect:
      1. NTDETECT.COM
      2. BOOT.INI
      3. BOOTSECT.DOS (needed for multi-OS installs)
      4. NTBOOTDD.SYS(need for SCSI adapters)
        • Only used if:
          • Boot Drive is SCSI;
          • Not using real-mode INT 0x13;
        • Then a copy of the SCSI miniport driver is loaded for Windows to run
      5. Troubleshooting:
  5. If XP is selected in the Boot Menu, NTLDRruns:
    1. NTDETECT.COM
      • Gathers basic information from hardware BIOs
    2. BOOT.INI
    3. BOOTSECT.DOS
    4. The systems starts in 16-bit real mode, and then moves into 32-bit protected mode
    5. It is possible to select F8 for Additional Boot Modes (Safe Mode, Last Known Good Configuration, etc.)
  6. NTLDR then loads NTOSKRNL.EXE and HAL.DLL
    1. Located at: %SystemRoot%System32
    2. Additional files/locations loaded:
      1. kdcom.dll (Kernel Debugger HW)
      2. bootvid.dll (Windows Logo & Side-Scrolling bar)
  7. NTLDRreads the Registry for the following information:
    1. Hardware Profile
    2. Authorized Device Drivers
    3. And needs to be in the Exact Order
  8. “Session Manager” is then started
    1. Smss.exe starts Autochk
      1. Mounts all drives
      2. Checks drives for a Clean shutdown state
    2. Starts win32k.sys for the Graphical User Interface (GUI) interface
    3. Starts csrss.exe (Client/Server Runtime Subsystem)
      1. User-Mode Applications
    4. Creates Virtual Memory/Paging file
      1. HKLMSYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlSession ManagerMemory Management
  9. NTOSKRNL.EXE takes control and starts WINLOGON.EXE which in turn starts LSASS.EXE
    1. LSASS.EXE (Local Security Authority Subsystem Service) provides the Logon screen

– Andrew
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Categories
Gadgets Networking Reference Utilities

OnLine IP4 to IP6 conversion

Here is a link to an Online IP4 to IP6 conversion utility.

<http://ip-lookup.net/conversion.php>

Happy Ping-ing!

– Andrew
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Categories
Adobe Reference

Books: Adobe Lightroom – “The missing FAQ”

I am always looking for good books on topics, so here are a few references:

Adobe Lightroom – The Missing FAQ” from Victoria Bampton

As I find more, I will post them.

– Andrew
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