Microsoft Windows "BUG"? Not Really

Here is a piece of information I want to share to you, a glitch on Microsoft Windows, on creating a Folder, anywhere, and naming it as:

CON, PRN, AUX, NUL, COM1, COM2, COM3, COM4, COM5, COM6, COM7, COM8, COM9, LPT1, LPT2, LPT3, LPT4, LPT5, LPT6, LPT7, LPT8, and LPT9.

Try to create a Folder anywhere... let's say, on your Desktop or on your Local Disk C:\ and name it as CON. See that it won't allow you to do so, instead it automatically changes to its default name "New Folder".


Explanation:

As said by Mathias Schwarz:

It's not that weird. 'con' is a reserved word from the old DOS days, simply meaning 'console'. If you wanted to create a new text file in DOS you could type 'copy con newfile.txt' meaning copy from the console to newfile.txt. This would let you type some lines and when you ended the file with ^Z (DOSish for 'end of file') you would have a file called newfile.txt containing whatever you wrote in the console. This is indeed still possible in the Windows XP console, and can you see what mess it would cause if you let files or folders have the name 'con'? What would 'copy con newfile.txt' then mean? BSOD?

and Russ Watts confirms the suggestion by giving the list of other DOS devices that can't be used as folder names: CON, PRN, AUX, NUL, COM1, COM2, COM3, COM4, COM5, COM6, COM7, COM8, COM9, LPT1, LPT2, LPT3, LPT4, LPT5, LPT6, LPT7, LPT8, and LPT9.

source: http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=27053



But wait! You can still create one! folder named as "CON" or "PRN" or any reserved word from the old DOS days.

Steps:

1. Open Command Prompt (Start - Run, type cmd)

2. On the Command Prompt, type cd\ then hit Enter

3. Now type md\\.\\C:\\con then hit Enter

4. Go to your Local Disk C:\... and there you have it! A Folder named as "CON"

the question is, how do you delete it? even typing rmdir con on thr Command Prompt is useless... hahahaha

Microsoft Word Secret

Microsoft Word

Here is a secret a wanna share to you regarding Microsot Word 95 and up.

Steps:

1. Open Microsoft Word

2. On the first line, type

=rand (200,99)

3. Then hit [Enter]



Explanation:

The =rand() you entered is a word function built in Microsoft Word to display the "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." sentence which contains every letter in the English alphabet. Earlier, it was sometimes mistaken as a virus and feared by encoders. This trick is to insert the =rand() function while they are middle of their work.

You may adjust the =rand() function by inserting two numerical values inside the parenthesis separated by a comma. The first numerical value represents the number of paragraphs. The second numerical value represents the number of sentences in each paragraph. We cannot place zero values on it, nor negative numbers, and decimal values.

So if we say =rand(3,2), we should get three(3) paragraphas and two(2) sentences. This will be the outcome:

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.


Hope you get it :D

Create Your Own Self-Executable and Self-Extracting File

On this simple tutorial, I will share to you how to create your very own self-executable file (.exe) / self-extracting file using Windows XP's built - in and hidden self - extracting & self - installation wizard, IExpress 2.0.  I know some of you knows this already, but this built - in application is seldom used by most of us.


NO DOWNLOADS NEEDED, VERY SIMPLE STEPS, especially if you don't have WinZip or WinRar and you want to send / upload a bundled file.







Here are the steps:



1.  Open Run ( Start > Run ), then type iexpress, and hit Enter.



2. The IExpress 2.0 Wizard will open.



3.  Select "Create new Self Extraction Directive file.", then click Next.







4.  Choose from the three options presented.  Select "Extract files and run an installation command" if you want to extract and install your files and applications.  Select "Extract files only" if you want extraction process only.  In my case, I had chosen "Extract files only".  Click Next.



An example wherein "Extract files only" is applicable:







5.  Enter the package title.  This will be the title of your .exe file on the end.  Example, I will name it as "Documents 10/28/07", then click Next.

6.  On the next step, the Confirmation Prompt, this is the message, the user will receive, upon opening the .exe file.  Example, i will say "These file contains important documents for October 28", then press Next.



7.  On the next step, the License Agreement, is a license agreement that will be displayed before the your .exe file will be installed.  Choose "Display a license" if you  want to have one by browsing your ready-made .txt file, otherwise, choose "Do not display a license" if you don't want to.  Proceed to the next step.



8.  On this step, you will add all your files you want to put into the package.  Click Add and select your files to be added. If you're finished, click Next.



Here is my files, added into the package:






9.  The Show Window step selects how your installation window will look like.  It may be hidden, minimized, maximized or default.  Proceed to the next step.



10.  If you want to display a message to the user after the installation is complete, choose "isplay message:" and type the message you want, eample "Installation Complete".  Otherwise, choose "No message" then click next.



11.  On the next step, enter the destination and name of your .exe file.  Click Browse then type the file name.  In my case, I will save it on my Desktop and name it as Important Documents.  On the options, select "Store files using Long File Name inside Package", otherwise, choose "Hide Extracting Progrees Animation from User" if you don't want to have that extracting progress animation to be displayed during extracton/installation.  If you're done, click Next.



12.  On the Save Self Extraction Directive, select "Save Self Extractive Directive [SED] file:" to save a .sed file of it.  Select "Don't save" if you don't want to.  In my case, i had chosen "Don't save".



13.  Create Package step > You are now ready to create your package.  Click Next to start the process.  It will take time depending on the amount and size of files you had just added.



14.  A command prompt will appear.  and click Finish.







Now your done!



Here's mine:






Open it, then choose the destination where the files would be extracted or installed.then press OK!

Windows XP Secrets

Notepad

Here is a secret Microsoft built within a notepad to somehow "encrypt" a sentence regarding U.S. President George Bush... i think. Try this steps, and you'll find it strange. :D

1. Open Notepad

2. On the first line, type

Bush hid the facts

3. Save it with whatever file name you want but be sure the encoding is ANSI.

4. Close your Notepad.

5. Open it again.

6. You should see 9 small boxes :D

Explanation:
Actually, its not a hidden code, nor anything. In fact, it is a string format 4-3-3-5 and as well, not just limited to the "Bush hid the facts" sentence. All string format 4-3-3-5 you type in the first line of the notepad will actually cause the said "bug". Meaning to say, there should be 4 words, wherein the first word contains four letters, the second and third word contains 3 letters, and the fourth word contains five letters. Example, type: asda asd asd asdas.

Hope you get it :D

Secret - Hidden Code

I will share to you how to create a very simple Log File using your Microsot Notepad. I actually don't now what is its purpose, but I find this simply cool.

Here are the steps:

1. Open your Notepad

2. Type .LOG on the very first line, then press [Enter]

3. Go to File - Save As... and enter any file name, and hit save.

4. Open the file again and see that it records the time and date when you had opened it.



Microsoft Paint

Here are some sort of "tricks" I just wanna share with you again... using Microsoft Paint. Again, I don't know if someone will find this useful... ahahahaha

Trick: Image Trail

Steps:

1. Open an image ( [Ctrl] - [O] )

2. Press [Ctrl] - [A]

3. Hold [LShift] and then left-click on the image and hold.

4. Free - drag the image anywhere and you will see its effect

Sample here:




Trick: Magnify 10x!

We all know that Microsoft Paint has an option to magnify an image, but only up to 8x


Steps:

1. Open an image and select the magnifying glass icon.

2. Left-Click exactly on the line below the 8x.

Here are some "cheats/secrets" I wanna share to you guys if you are playing games like Pinball, Hearts, FreeCell, Minesweeper and Solitaire.

FreeCell

Secret - Instant Win
Instructions - Hold down Ctrl + Shift + F10 during game play. Then you will be asked if you want to Abort, Retry or Ignore. Choose Abort, then move any card to instantly win.

Secret - Hidden Game Modes
Instructions - In the "Game" menu, choose "Select Game". Enter -1 or -2 to activate the hidden game modes.


Hearts

Secret - Show All Cards
Instructions - Edit this registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Hearts and create a new String value named ZB with a Data value of 42. Start Hearts and press Ctrl + Alt + Shift + F12 to show all the cards.

Background - This secret is a reference to Douglas Adams' book the Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy. 'ZB' is the initials of the character Zaphod Beeblebrox, the Galactic President. '42' is the answer to The Ultimate Question Of Life, the Universe and Everything.


Minesweeper

Secret - Reveal Mines
Instructions - Minimize or close all running applications. Launch Minesweeper, then type xyzzy. Next hold down either shift key for one second. Now when you move the mouse cursor over a Minesweeper square you will see a tiny white pixel in the top left corner of your desktop screen. This pixel will change to black when your mouse moves over a mine. You may need to change you desktop background to a solid color other then white or black to see the pixel.

Secret - Stop Timer
Instructions - Launch Minesweeper and start a game so the timer starts counting, then press the Windows Key + D to show the desktop. Now when you select minesweeper from the taskbar you can continue playing with the timer stopped.


Pinball

Secret - Extra Balls
Instructions - Type 1max at the start of a new ball to get extra balls.

Secret - Gravity Well
Instructions - Type gmax at the start of a new game to activate the Gravity Well.

Secret - Instant Promotion
Instructions - Type rmax at the start of a new game to go up in ranks.

Secret - Skill Shot
Instructions - Launch the ball partially up the chute past the third yellow light bar so it falls back down to get 75,000 points. There are six yellow light bars that are worth a varying amount of points:

First:
15,000 points
Second: 30,000 points
Third: 75,000 points
Fourth: 30,000 points
Fifth: 15,000 points
Sixth: 7,500 points

Secret - Test Mode
Instructions - Type hidden test at the start of a new ball to activate Test Mode. No notification will be given that this is activated but you can now left-click the mouse button and drag the ball around. While in test mode press the following keys for more secrets:

H - Get a 1,000,000,000 High Score
M - Shows the amount of system memory
R - Increases your rank in game
Y - Shows the Frames/sec rate

Secret - Unlimited Balls
Instructions - Type bmax at the start of a new ball. No notification will be given that this is activated but when a ball is lost a new ball will appear from the yellow wormhole indefinitely. Once this is activated you will be unable to activate other secrets without restarting the game.


Solitaire

Secret - Instant Win
Instructions - Press Alt + Shift + 2 during game play to instantly win.

Secret - Draw single cards in a Draw Three game
Instructions - Hold down CTRL + ALT + SHIFT while
drawing a new card. Instead of drawing three cards you will only draw one.

Enjoy!!