What is the Windows Registry?

What is the Windows Registry?

No, it is not a secret Microsoft database that stores and records all your personal information. There is actually nothing malicious about it!

(For those that are bored at this point and want to skip right to the good stuff, download Registry Medic - The Registry Optimizer and Cleaner from RegistryCleanerz.com)

No doubt you've heard the term many times, since Windows 3.x. A registry typically does exactly what is is supposed to do, no tricks, secrets. It is a registry like any other, only this registry handles every setting and preference on your computer.

Everything is controlled, stored and documented in the windows registry, from your desktop wallpaper to your hard drive serial number - all of it contained in one file. Beware - the registry can become corrupt or damaged just like any other file on your hard drive.

Registry errors and corruption can be caused by improper shut down of the pc, a hard drive read error, or a bad sector on the hard drive. Many- if not most of these are coindendental causes, through no fault of the pc user at all. The question is, what can you do to prevent registry corruption or damage.

The first tip - Backup backup backup! One cannot stress this enough. THE absolute most important and smartest thing you can do is to backup your data. The registry itself is backed up by windows and stpored on the hard drive, but this does you little good if the pc cannot boot. Windows includes some utilities to backup the registry but they often fall short of the mark. That is why most of us rely on 3rd party utilities to go beyond the basic tools included by windows.

For registry errors and corruption, windows also routinely checks and repairs the registry. In most cases, windows will repair registry corruption automatically. Windows registry repair occurs on bootup and really does it's job just fine.

The best part about the registry - optimizing, tweaking and customizing it! In particular 3rd party products used for registry optimization, cleaning and maintenance are where the advanced tools come into play. CCleaner, TuneUp Utilities, and Registry Medic are among some of the many registry optimization products available. Registrycleanerz also offers some additional documentation and information about the windows registry

Benefits of Registry Optimization;
- drastically increase PC performance
- revive a slow computer
- aid in removal of viruses, malware and spyware

It is one of the most important and beneficial tasks that should be routinely performed on the pc and should be considered a critical part of your pc. treat it as such!

Lost your Windows Xp Key?

Lost your Windows Xp Key?
Have No Fear - Your Windows XP Key is Here!



















All of us at one point or another have had to reinstall Windows XP and I'll bet 99 percent of us have also misplaced our Windows XP key at least once. Of course losing or misplacing a Winmdows XP license key or (certificate of authenticity) requires that you purchase another copy of Windows XP to reinstall. A real pain in the neck!

Not to mention that this may be a daunting task for many - especially if you only need to perform a repair, or a reload of an existing Windows XP installation. Sort of like opening a can with a sledge hammer. There is a little known secret - completely legal and Microsoft EULA compatible - simpyl obtain your existing license key from your existing installation. How? Simple!

Look here:
1) Open your c:\i386 folder
2) Browse for a file called unattend.txt
3) Open it with notepad or a text editor (word etc.)
4) Browse the file for this line:

[UserData] ProductKey=xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx

This is the Windows Xp license that was used to install your existing copy of windows XP!
Write this down and save it in a safe place - you WILL need it again at some point in time.

Ecosol Powerstick V2 a Smart & Sleek Portable USB Charger

Introducing the Ecosol Powerstick V2 a Smart & Sleek Portable USB Charger

Ottawa, Canada – (November 11, 2008) – Ecosol Solar Technologies Inc., the leader in intelligent energy storage and solutions, has unveiled the state of the art Powerstick V2, a USB-powered portable charger for mobile devices. The Powerstick is both a backup power source for electronics, such as cell phones, Blackberries, iPods, digital cameras, Bluetooth headsets, the new 3G iPhones, and a universal charger for all these devices.

The Powerstick is an essential tool for the mobile, digital world. One Powerstick charges all your devices, eliminating the need for more than one charger. Charge your Powerstick to 90% full power in 90 minutes or less. The Powerstick can be powered up from any USB port in the world. This means the Powerstick can be charged from sources such as laptops, desktop computers, airplane seats, car dashboards, or car stereos, and then used to charge mobile devices; no disposable batteries or wall chargers are required. Unlike other chargers the Powerstick won’t consume what it doesn’t need; it is the first intelligent charger. In addition, the Powerstick does not consume energy if it remains plugged into a USB once full; the automatic sleep mode feature saves energy when it is not in use.

“While designing the Powerstick V2, we wanted to provide consumers with a stylish device that would provide everyday practicality,” says Andrew Kular, CEO of Ecosol Solar Technologies Inc. “Our end result is the V2, which is a smart and visually appealing device that is very efficient and 100% environmentally sound. We feel that to help the planet we must be smarter with our resources and our technology.”

The Ecosol Powerstick has a MSRP of $69.99 and is available at Best Buy Canada, Bestbuy.ca and can be purchased in black or white. The Powerstick is designed and manufactured in Canada.

About Ecosol

Founded in 1996, Ecosol technology is paving the way for alternative energy sources in everyday applications. The company is committed to working towards systems and designs that reduce the most significant environmental aspects of the energy life cycle while still providing high quality solutions. Ecosol works aggressively to drive the evolution to more efficient and sustainable devices that seamlessly integrate into our lifestyles. By pushing the boundaries of technology, Ecosol’s intelligent energy innovations are creating new opportunities to expand alternative energies into new markets and applications.

Uninstalling AntiVirus XP 2008

Uninstalling AntiVirus XP 2008

This program is the nuisance of all nuisances! Admittedly, it is very well written and designed, so much so that it really takes a trained eye to notice that it is malicious and is indeed spyware.

What AntiVirus XP 2008 does is inundate your system with fake security alerts and warnings from various web sites to trick the user into believing that their PC is infected or is being attacked. When the user clicks on these ads, it will automatically download the installer for Antivirus XP 2008 and install it on your machine. In some cases, this program is installed without any intervention at all from you.

Once it is installed, AntivirusXP 2008 then scans your computer and displays a summary of security risks it has found on your computer. Of course, it wants you to believe that these can only be removed by using a licensed copy of AbtiVirus XP 2008.

Now to further annoy and complicate the matter, AntiVirus Xp 2008 then changes your desktop wallpaper to a warning screen as illustrated below

This is a persistent and annoying desktop wallpaper that is tricky to remove.

Finally, AntiVirus XP 2008 then loads the event notification area of your system tray with warnings and alerts.

Removing AntiVirus XP 2008 is not always a 1 step process, nor is it a simple process. You will need to tackle this in 3 steps.

1) Download Spybot Search and Destroy, or a program called Hijack This. Run these programs and let them do their magic.

2) Reboot into safe mode afterwards.

3) Registry edit the malicious program settings

Look in control panel\add remove programs for the program and see if it can be uninstalled. Proceed with de-installation. This is not the end of the program though, continue on…

Open Windows task manager and look for a program with A gibberish name (something like AP3434567.exe) This is the AntiVirus XP 2008 program itself.

Once you have identified this program, write down that name. Then select end task or end process and confirm the ensuing windows prompt.

Open your computer browser and navigate to the C:\Program Files folder.

Look for the program name you previously wrote down.

Delete the entire folder (NOT your program files folder)

Next, look at your windows desktop wallpaper properties. Notice the name of your present desktop wallpaper is the same gibberish name, only with a BMP extension.

As you can see, the gibberish program's name is embedded into the registry several times. Simply search the registry for this program name and delete each instance of it.

AntiVirus XP 2008 will be in the registry several times as a desktop wallpaper, a startup program, and in the software catalog of your registry. Delete these entries, reboot, and run a Spybot scan once more.