Windows 8 Tips, Tricks, Advice And Warnings

Wow windows 8 and 8.1.. Ooooops says someone in a dark corner at microsoft. So what have we got here, well its a scary operating system, especially for those who despised windows xp's "network sharing and login basis in the home os" Windows 8 takes that one level further and begins its walk in the realms of iOS and Android... yes that's right.. windows 8 has a store.. no more are you offered out the box to just simply create a User name and password ON YOUR MACHINE...

You CAN create a "Local Account" if you stick in an email and the wrong password twice (don't click try again, just click create local account)

Here's some Advise (Before you even turn on that New PC or New LapTop)

Hit the net on a different system and create a brand new Hotmail OR Live mail account
On Its "Profile Information" what ever NAME (first and 2nd) will become Your Windows Log On Name  AND the PATH to your Documents & Settings..
you may remember these paths on windows XP as simply
C:\Documents and Settings\Users\Your Windows User Name\.. Private Personal Stuff....

Using Your own personal Email to set up windows 8 will make that path your FULL NAME
Now this is something Websites can Read from your machine...
User Name, Operating System, Browser Type and other info like IP and what not...
So that is why i recommend a NEW hotmail or live account for setting it up.

For the noobs i shall go into more detail about why not to use your normal email or an email anyone has in their book..  and this may scare some of the not so noob'ish too.  Once you log on, you get a folder on the top left of the desk top view, this folder is ALL the storage upon your email account, as you no on windows live you can store around 10gb of stuff, be it photos videos or even EXE files (anyone accesses your email and it happens to many) they can upload a file, that is something you will inadvertently access when opening your "My Documents"  so you NEVER give anyone this email OR use it to mail ANYONE, you don't even add it to your other address books, you just use it to log onto the machine and nothing more (under login options you can log in with a pin) i think the log in with photo is the most pathetic thing ive ever seen so don't use that or even set that up.

Other really bad ideas (network wise) is the fact you can share these SUB Folders with anyone with a windows live account, so your my documents "with a little malware in your system" can make all your personal stuff public (windows gets updates for vulnerabilities ALL the time) Even more oddly you can Share other folders "right over the net like an FTP of sorts" using the hotmail.com  live .com websites as an interface to access them folders.  SO considering how vulnerable we became moving from windows 98 and Windows Millennium to Windows XP, this shift from XP, Vista or Win7 up to Win8 is a risky business unless your on a "hardware firewall" then it certainly isn't an operating system i would recommend, that said wont be long until you don't have a choice... hence this blog post to try and help.

Note, I don't recommend these 3rd party "Start Menus" because just like windows XP, certain updates like the shell32.dll or even implementations to the UAC system can stop you using your system. BUT what you can do is change the start menu you get with windows 8 to better suit what you need.

You can right click on the "Tiles Start Menu" and select open "location" you'll see your essentially inside the folder view of the classic start menus of yesteryear. Renaming and moving stuff around in their will change what's shown on the tiles menu, then you can also right click the tiles and re-size them. So you can organise the start menu "Old School" in the folder, just like always (remember though some are under "Your Login Name"  and others are under the path of "All Users"  just in case you get lost trying remove something that appears to be gone, yet shows up, easy mistake in this new environment. Windows 8 Internet Explorer comes with Flash built in, doesn't include java or shockwave.

What ever the OEM virus killer is, i advise you Don't even open that, and if it opens just hit close, go to control panel, programs and features, and Uninstall the virus killer (be it mcafee, norton, panda or what ever) once installed, reboot, go back into control panel and open "Windows Defender" Updated it, now you have a FREE virus killer.

To avoid confusion here, microsoft past and present had its own antimalware, antivirus and a duel package.

IE...
Windows XP = Microsoft Security Essentials <--this is virus killer & anti malware
Windows Vista = Windows Defender <--this is only anti malware

Windows 7 = Windows Defender <--this is virus killer & anti malware
Windows 8 = Windows Defender <--this is virus killer & anti malware

So the misconception that Windows Defender is not a virus killer is only true within Windows Vista and not the others  :)

I WILL UPDATE THIS MORE WHEN I HAVE TIME
BUT I WANTED TO POST THIS NOW SO PEOPLE STOP ENDING UP WITH BAD MY DOCUMENTS PATHS AND WACKY WINDOWS USERS NAMES

How Can You Tell What Your Windows XP CD Really Is?

I'm often asked this question of

i have a windows xp cd but how do i tell what the disk is?
or, I know its xp professional or xp home but what service pack is it?

Maybe your looking to Slipstream it, or just Identify the right type of product key or oem for it and here are some clues to Identify a Windows XP Product Source (by hand & eyes)

To Identify The Windows XP Service Pack Level?
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Sadly the readme doesn't give any information regarding the disks "Service Pack Level"
But you can Browse the disk root and look for the .SP? file.

Windows XP Home (with NO service pack) Example

Note This Lacks An SP File

 Windows XP Home (with service pack 1) Example

This Contains An SP File

 Windows XP Home (with service pack 2) Example

This Contains An SP File

As you can see, the disks with a service pack built in contain an SP file as its extension and the number marks its SP level.

It is rumoured that if you have ALL the SP files in the root of the install disk that an SP3 disk can be used to recover an SP0, SP1, SP1a, SP2 and SP3 machines initial installation. I have yet to have to test this theory as i fix them without having to wipe them, but i would assume its in relation to the setup.exe having access to ALL those files.

So your disk will either have a file Ending in .SP1, .SP2 .SP3 or it wont have any file with a .SP*

Note you probably wont have ALL the files our images show, but you hopefully will have at least 1 specific one we circle in at least 1 image (if not, go to control panel, folder options, view) and turn On show hidden files and turn Off hide extensions for known file types and then  re-browse the Root of the Disc again to make sure your seeing all the files.

How Do I Define Between Xp Home and Xp Professional ?
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This will require browsing a little deeper into the disks i386 folder and looking for 2 specific files right next to each other
(Windows XP Home) doesn't come with taskkill.exe OR tasklist.exe

Remember though, as we are browsing an UN-installed source!
we are looking for   taskkill.ex_  and  tasklist.ex_
Until setup expands files, their extensions often end in an underscore _


How Do I Define Between OEM or VLK ?
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If you have taskkill.ex_ then your certainly running a version of Professional at its core, But the dressing around this could not simply just be XP Professional or XP Corporate, It could also be Windows XP Media Centre 2002 or Windows XP Media Centre 2005, often known as MCE Edition IF it consists of 2 CD's or a Single DVD.

If you have located both taskkill.ex_ and tasklist.ex_   in the disc/iso  i386 folder
CD PATH :\i386\TASKKILL.EX_
CD PATH :\i386\TASKLIST.EX_

 then the next thing to look for is to see if it has OEM information here
CD PATH :\i386\SETUPP.INI

Open that  .INI file  "with notepad" and you'll see something similar to this PID

Pid=55277OEM

 If it says OEM, then Corporate comes off the list (as that is VLK, not OEM)
In turn this source also contains the four OEM files and possibly branding information & decals.

How Do I No If My XP Professional OEM Is Really Just MCE
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If its a Single CD, then its actually just windows XP Professional (oem)
What happens is, if you install XP Professional "using a media centre product key" then after windows is installed it asks you for CD 2 which features the MCE content.

SO, if you only have one CD, you'd have to use a Pro OEM or Pro Retail / Sticker key
IF its a DVD (and you know the source is clean) as in, its to big for a CD but clean, then its the full MCE.    by clean.. I mean.. no NFO files, driver packs, no links to sites, no WAG cracks and serial text files. Just an xp source that is two big for a single  700MB CD and you have a DVD or ISO over 800mb of data.


Now you should be able to work out just what a back up x86 XP Disc really is under the hood

How to tell what version an x64 Windows XP Disk Is?
pretty much the same only your looking in the AMD64 folder rather than the i386, also remember x64 XP had NO service pack 3... Nor can you get an SP0 disk, x64 First Release was SP1a really

Be it x86 or x64, if its an OEM disc it'll also contain these files 4 OEM files regardless of any other branding OEM's folders...

the FOUR files within the i386 folder (on OEM discs) you can change these 4 files for the specific OEM machine it'll be installed on.

OEMBIOS.CA_
OEMBIOS.SI_
OEMBIOS.DA_
OEMBIOS.BI_

when Expanded (not renamed, must be expanded by a command prompt)
they are  .cat   .sig  .bin and .dat
which can be scanned by various bios and oem tools to even identify the manufacture.

expand example (AKA Decompress)

expand d:\i386\OEMBIOS.CA_ c:\BiosTest\SetOne /y

expand d:\i386\OEMBIOS.SI_ c:\BiosTest\SetOne /y

expand d:\i386\OEMBIOS.DA_ c:\BiosTest\SetOne /y

expand d:\i386\OEMBIOS.BI_ c:\BiosTest\SetOne /y  

 

Some Random DISC ID's
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Some of these are the ISO name and Disc Label

x86 {32bit Versions}
x14-92386.iso = GRTMHKFPP_EN Home K (SP3) x86 EN-US Retail / OEM Pid=76477000
x14-92388.iso = GRTMHKNFPP_EN Home KN (SP3) x86 EN-US Retail / OEM Pid=76477000
x14-92393.iso = GRTMHRMFPP_EN Home N (SP3) x86 EN-US Retail / OEM Pid=76477000
x14-_OEM_.iso = GRTMHOEM_EN Home (SP3) x86 EN-US OEM Pid=76477OEM
x14-92413.iso = GRTMHFPP_EN Home (SP3) x86 EN-US Retail / OEM Pid=76477000
x14-92430.iso = GRTMPKFPP_EN PRO K (SP3) x86 EN-US Retail / OEM Pid=76487000
x14-92432.iso = GRTMPKNFPP_EN PRO KN SP3) x86 EN-US Retail / OEM Pid=76487000
x14-78118.iso = GRTMPRMVOL_EN PRO N (SP3) x86 EN-US VLK Pid=76487270
x14-92445.iso = GRTMPRMFPP_EN PRO N (SP3) x86 EN-US Retail / OEM Pid=76487000
x14-73974.iso = GRTMPVOL_EN PRO (SP3) x86 EN-US VLK Pid=76487270
x14-_OEM.iso = GRTMPOEM_EN PRO (SP3) x86 EN-US OEM Pid=76487OEM
x14-80428.iso = GRTMPFPP_EN PRO (SP3) x86 EN-US Retail / OEM Pid=76487000
x14-74003.iso = GRTMPVOL_PL PRO (SP3) x86 PL-PL  VLK Pid=????
DELL_XP_HOME_SP3_20080911.iso x86 EN-US OEM / Branded Pid=76477OEM
DELL_XP_HOME_SP3_20090829.iso x86 EN-US OEM / Branded Pid=76477OEM
DELL_XP_PRO_SP3_20080819.iso x86 EN-US OEM / Branded Pid=76487OEM
DELL_XP_PRO_SP3_20090819.iso EN-US OEM / Branded Pid=76487OEM
MRMPFPP_EN.iso Media Center Edition 2005 and XP Tablet CD1 EN-US Retail Pid=76487000
MRMSD2_EN.iso Media Center Edition 2005 and XP Tablet CD2 EN-US Retail
MRMPINT_EN.iso MCE 2005 and XP Tablet CD1 and 2  EN-US Retail Pid=76487000
XPSP2.9IN1.EN.iso = Home, PRO, CORP, MCE EN-US Retail / OEM / VLK Pid=???????
XPSP3.9IN1.EN.iso = Home, PRO, CORP, MCE EN-US Retail / OEM / VLK Pid=???????


x64 {64bit Versions}
ARMPXVOL_EN.iso = XP PRO x64 (no service pack)  EN-US VLK Pid=76588270
CRMPXVOL_EN.iso = XP PPRO x64 (SP2)  EN-US VLK Pid=76588270
CRMPXFPP_EN.iso = XP PRO x64 (SP2) EN-US Retail / OEM Pid=76588000
CRMPXOEM_EN.iso = XP PPRO x64 (SP2)  EN-US OEM Pid=76588OEM
DELL_X64_X64_SP2.iso XP PRO x64 (SP2)  EN-US OEM / Branded Pid=76588OEM
 
Windows XP Serial Number Basics
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Will x86 (32bit) Serial Numbers / Product Keys work on x64 (64bit) = NO
 only vista, 7, 8, 8.1 & 10 product keys span across architectures

Will a basic SP0 serial work on an SP2 Disk?, Normally NO, you see SP0 was entitled to SP1 and SP1a,  but  SP2 brought many new features (although an SP0 Install can often upgrade to SP2 and sometimes SP3 via windows update) Some actual SP0 keys wont allow SP3 or MP11.  An SP2 key seams the most useful because it'll work on SP2 & SP3 discs and some folks prefer SP2 for DRM manipulation.

Will my SP0, SP1, SP1a, SP2 or SP3 key work on a disk if i slip stream it?
If your source disk is what your key is for then yes, IE, You can slip an SP0 all the way to SP3 and use your SP0 key.. you Can Not use an SP2 or SP3 key just because you turned an sp0, sp1 or sp1a cd into sp2 or sp3..

Post Last Updated April 8th 2014