We have two laptops at home and one Internet connection. Obviously we needed a solution to get internet to both the laptops. Here is one:

SCENARIO: TERMS USED THROUGHOUT:

-Two laptops/PC’s

–HOST : Laptop/PC with direct internet connection (Dial up or Broadband) on USB port

–HOST Connections:

—Internet Connection (The direct internet connection from DSL or Dial up) —LAN (Local area connection connecting the second PC)

–CLIENT : Laptop/PC that connects to host with a firewire/LAN cable

–CLIENT Connections:

—Doesnt matter what other connections you have, make sure the LAN exists in network connections

WHAT TO DO TO GET INTERNET ON BOTH COMPUTERS?

Enable ICS on one of the computers with direct Internet connection. Another much needed component is the NETBUI protocol that doesnt install by default with XP. You can install this with either XP cd, or the following.

STEP#A: INSTALLING NETBUI ON XP: (This needs to be done on both the computers)

1. Download NetBUI.zip
2. Copy netBUI.sys to root\system32\drivers (eg: C:\windows\system32\drivers)
3. Copy netbui.inf to root\inf (eg: C:\windows\inf)

STEP#B : Adding/installing NETBUI on computers

1. Right click on the “Internet Connection”
2. Properties General Tab : Should have ( Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), NetBEUI ,Client for Microsoft Networks )
3. If NetBUI doenst exist CLICK ON INSTALL Protocol Select “NetBUI Protocol” ok ok Repeat the same on “LAN” on both HOST and CLIENT PC/Laptop

STEP#C: ADDING Machines to a WORKGROUP (on both HOST & CLIENT)

1. Right click on MyComputer Properties
2. “COMPUTER NAME” tab
3. Click on “Change” button
4. WORKGROUP : Enter a name which is the same on both the computers. Ex: HOME ok ok RESTART BOTH THE MACHINES

STEP #D: Starting ICS:

Follwing steps 1-5 on both machines

1. Click to CONTROL PANEL:
2. click to Network and Internet Connections
3. click to Network Connections Click FILE Click
4. NETWORK
5. SETUP WIZARD ON HOST:
1. Next
2. Next
3. Next OR Check “Ignore Disconnected network hardware”
4. SELECT : first radio button “This computer connects directly to the Internet ……..”
5. Next SELECT : Internet Connection Next SELECT: LAN
6. Next
7. Next
8. Type in : “WORKGROUPNAME ” as the selected common name in STEP#C earlier. eg: HOME
9. Next
10. Wait till wizard completes SELECT “Just finish the wizard”STEP #E: Starting ICS on client:

1. After the HOST COmpletes its work, Next Next Next OR Check “Ignore Disconnected network hardware”
2. SELECT “This computer connects through antoher computer/residential gateway …..blah blah”
3. Finish wizard as earlier with “Just finish wizard”

YOU ARE NOW READY FOR ACCESSING INTERNET!!!

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Sometimes, when you pop up control panel to remove programs from the Add/Remove Programs feature, all it shows is a stupid message saying “please wait while the list is being populated” !!

Well, this might help! Not always, but it worked for me!

• Have .Net framework installed first
• Download RemoveWhitespaceFromAddRemovePrograms
• Run the RemoveWhitespaceFromAddRemovePrograms.exe (Not from a shared network drive, run it from physical location which has trouble !)
• Launch Add/Remove Programs again

This should set the things right with the list to be populated.

NOW for the geeky part of it, why does it happen?

Here is why!

1. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall lists the programs that are registered on the system. So they are to be displayed on the Add/Remove Programs list.
2. The Utility Add/Remove Programs tries to find the icons of the registered programs to load the list
3. If the program registered is with a bad/NONE/lost icon, the utility is kind of stuck OR keeps returning blank spaces to the applet that displays the populated list
4. Result = Crappy display of list of items after scrolling through blank entries
   OR  no list populated at all
5. Here comes the part where we are frustrated at this old but new instance of insane windows troubles that we face everyday

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Well, here is how it works.1. Uninstall iTunes/iPod Updater

2. Download latest iPod Reset Utility for Shuffle

3. Install iPod Reset Utility for Shuffle

4. Plugin the iPod into the USB port of your PC

5. Follow the screen shots to reset the iPod Shuffle.

6. After Restoration, Exit the utility

7. Install latest version of iTunes & Enjoy!

SCREENSHOT#1

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All hell arise when the desktop is not responding!!

The hourglass icon of the mouse, without anything responding is very frustrating and very common. The annoying part is that the clicks of 10 minutes ago work now and it goes on not responding…

well, restarting is an option, but really! who wants to restart?

So what to do? Get more frustrated?

Oh well! If you want a solution, that might work most of the times, here it is:

This is only when ctrl + alt + del works!

If it takes 5 minutes, then so be it, atleast you wont have to shutdown!!

• STEP#1: get the TASK MANAGER up

HOW?

Try One of the following:

1. WAY-1: ctrl + alt + del
2. WAY-2: ctrl + shift + Esc

• STEP#2: Highlight explorer.exe

HOW?

Try One of the following:

(Make sure Windows Task Manager is Active, Click on Processes Tab )

1. Press the key ‘e’ on the keyboard till explorer.exe is highlighted
2. Click on Image name to sort the processes by alphabetical order, then scroll to processes starting with ‘e’

• STEP#3: End explorer.exe

1. Make sure that the explorer.exe is highlighted, and then click on “End Process” button.
2. Click on YES button for the WARNING popup.

• FINALLY: Start explorer.exe afresh

HOW?

(Make sure Windows Task Manager is Active, Click on Applications Tab )

1. Press the Button ‘New Task’
2. Type in “explorer.exe” (without quotes) into the popup
3. Click on ‘ok’ button

ENJOY!

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why do i need to restore?

Because i had the following installed on my laptop :

aston shell, macromedia MX studio 2004, adobe standard 8, tune up utilities 2007, getright 6.2a, utorrent, nero smart, office 2007, blah blah blah..

so it would take forever for my laptop to get up from sleep or to start afresh, and i practically avoided formatting since 4 months, so im glad that there is a secret dell partition eating up 4 GB of my hard-disk and saving an image of the hdd.

All i had to do, was restart the machine, before the os loads, hold to CTRL + F11 key and booom…

the dell semantec ghost server launched  and the image started loading..

cool han? brand new as if i opened the laptop from the box!!
asked me to accept the dell license,  gave me the service tag details(wot do i use that for??) and thats it!
20 more minutes and im ready with the new media center XP on my laptop! YUHOOOO!!!

oh yeah, now starts the pain,

i gotta install OFFICE 2007, dreamweaver, getright, utorrent, blah blah…

here we go again! 

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