Master

Simplify using your mouse: change double-click to single-click

When you browse the Web with Microsoft Internet Explorer, links open with a single click. Yet, when you browse My Computer or My Documents, a single click lets you select a file or folder, but you have to double-click to open it.

If you'd rather single-click to open files and folders, you can change the setting on your mouse (don't worry, this process doesn't require any double clicks).

To change the settings on your mouse

1.	Click Start, and then click My Computer.
2.	Click Tools, and then click Folder Options.
3.	Click Single-click to open an item. Then, click OK.

Now you can navigate folders and open files with a single rather than a double click. If you need to select a file, simply hold your mouse over the file for a few seconds without clicking.

Set your windows so they all have the same view

Each folder in My Computer or My Documents can have its own view. That’s useful for folders like My Music or My Pictures, because you can look at your digital photos in Thumbnails or Filmstrip view, and see your song titles in Tiles view. But changing the view for every folder can be time-consuming.

If you prefer to have all your folder contents displayed in a particular way, you can save yourself some time by changing the view for all the folders on your computer at once.

To set your windows so they all have the same view

1.	Click Start, and then click My Documents.
2.	Click the Views button, and then click the view you want to apply to all folders. Note: For more information about views, read Specify how folders open.
3.	Click Tools, and then click Folder Options.
4.	Click the View tab, and then click Apply to All Folders.
5.	Click Yes.
6.	Click OK.

The next time you open a folder, it will be displayed using the view you chose. To restore your original folder settings, repeat steps 1-3. Then, in step 4, click Reset All Folders.

Speed up menu display

To speed up menu display

1.	Click Start. Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
2.	Click the Advanced tab. In the Performance area, click Settings.
3.	On the Visual Effects tab in the Performance Options dialog box, clear the Fade or slide menus into view check box.
4.	Click OK.
5.	In the System Properties dialog box, click OK.

Now when you click a menu, it will appear almost instantly.

Instantly activate a screen saver

To add a shortcut to your desktop that you can double-click to instantly start your screen saver

1.	Click the Start button, and then click Search.
2.	In the Search Results window, click All files and folders.
3.	In the All or part of the file name box, type .scr. Then, click Search*.
4.	You will see a list of screen savers in the search results. Pick the screen saver you want. You can preview it by double-clicking it. To add a shortcut to your desktop, right-click the file, click Send To, and then click Desktop.

Now you can instantly start your screen saver by double-clicking the icon on your desktop.

Manually put your computer into hibernation

To put your computer into hibernation

1.	Click Start, and then click Turn Off Computer.
2.	Click Hibernate. If Hibernate is not an option, read Configure Windows XP power management for instructions on how to enable hibernation.

Your computer goes into hibernation—a state in which it consumes no power. To wake your computer from hibernation, press the power button

Add familiar icons back to your desktop

When you first got your computer, it probably had shortcuts for My Computer, My Documents, My Network Places, and the Recycle Bin on the desktop. If you or someone else removed any of those shortcuts and you’d like to get them back, you can easily restore them.

To restore you icons

1.	Right-click the desktop, and then click Properties.
2.	In the Display Properties dialog box, click the Desktop tab, and then click Customize Desktop.
3.	In the Desktop icons area in the Desktop Items dialog box, select the desktop icons that you want to appear on your desktop.
4.	Click OK.
5.	Click OK again.

The icons you selected will be displayed on your desktop.

Xp Registry tricks

Its a mixed bag.. a compilation of all the tricks..
many tricks are what i discovered..
many are shared ..
keep posting if u know more

Display Your Quick Launch ToolbarTip:

Is your Quick Launch toolbar missing from the taskbar?
To display your familiar Quick Launch toolbar:
Right-click an empty area on the taskbar, click Toolbars, and then click Quick Launch.

Easy as that your Quick Launch bar appears. To add items to your Quick Launch toolbar, click the icon for the program you want to add, and drag it to the Quick Launch portion of the taskbar.

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How to remove recycle bin from your desktop Tip:

Open Regedit by going to START - RUN and type Regedit and hit enter. Then you should navigate to following entry in registry HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\
Desktop\NameSpace\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E} and delete it. This action should remove recycle bin from your desktop.

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How to stop new programs installed balloon from coming up tip:

Right click on START button and select properties. Click on Customize and go to Advanced tab and deselect check box saying "Highlight newly installed programs". This would help you stop this annoying feature from popping up every now and then.

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Unlock Toolbars to Customize Them Tip:

The new Windows XP now features locking toolbars, and you can adjust them. You may customize a lot of the Windows XP features such as the Taskbar, Start Menu, and even toolbar icons in Internet Explorer and Outlook Express. Remember your right-click:
* Right-click on a toolbar, and then click Lock the Toolbars to remove the check mark.
* Right-click on the toolbar again, and then click Customize.

You may add or remove toolbar buttons, change text options and icon options. When you've got the toolbar customized, click Close. Now right-click on the toolbar and then click Lock the Toolbars to lock them in place. com

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Want to remove shared documents folder from My Computer window tip:

Some don't like my shared documents folder option. If you are one of that, here is a trick to remove it.Open registry editor by going to START-RUN and entering regedit.
Once in registry, navigate to key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ My Computer \ NameSpace \ DelegateFolders You must see a sub-key named {59031a47-3f72-44a7-89c5-5595fe6b30ee}. If you delete this key, you have effectively removed the my shared documents folder.

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How to improve on shutdown time ? Close apps automatically & quickly at shutdown tip:

Open Registry by going to START-RUN and typing REGEDIT. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\CONTROL PANEL\DESKTOP and look for AutoEndTasks. On my computer default value is 0. Change it to 1. Thats all. Further more you can reduce the time it takes for Windows to issue kill directive to all active/hung applications.
In doing this only constraint that you should make sure exists is that HungAppTimeout is greater than WaitToKillAppTimeout. Change the values of WaitToKillAppTimeout to say 3500 (since default value for HungAppTimeout 5000 and for WaitToKillAppTimeout is 20000)

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Are you missing icons Tip:

Are you missing icons? You may be wondering where all the icons from your desktop are in Windows XP? Well if you're like me, you like to have at least My Computer, My Network Places, and My Documents on the your desktop.
You need to:
* Right-click on the desktop, and then click Properties.
* Click the Desktop tab and then click on Customize Desktop.
* Put a check mark in the box next to My Document, My Computer, My Network Places, or Internet Explorer, to add those familiar icons to your desktop. Easy yes!

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How to login as administrator if you don't see it available tip:

Unless and until you have run into issues and fixing XP (underwhich case you have to go to Safe Mode to login as Administrator), you can get to administrator screen by simply pressing CTRL+ALT+DELETE twice at the main screen.

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Speedup boot up sequence by defragmenting all key boot files tip:

Open Registry by going to START-RUN and typing REGEDIT. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Dfrg\BootOptimizeFunction. In right hand panel look for Enable. Right click on it and set it 'Y' for enable. This is the way I have it set on my computer. This will help speedup boot time.

Use a Shortcut to Local Area Network Connection Information:

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Use a Shortcut to Local Area Network Connection Information Tip:

Here's something new in Windows XP, instead of using the command line program and typing ipconfig to get local area network information, you can try using the following shortcut:
* Click on Start, point to Connect to, and then click Show All Connections.
* Right–click the connection you want information about, and then click Status.
* In the connection Properties dialog box, click the Support tab.
* For more information, click on the Advanced tab.

To automatically enable the status monitor each time the connection is active, in the connection Properties dialog box, select the Show icon in taskbar notification area when connected check box.

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Do you know you can have Virtual Desktops (like in Linux) with PowerToys ?

If you have powertoys installed on Windows XP Its available for free at Microsoft download webpage. It is very easy to enable Microsoft Virtual Desktop Feature. Simply right click on the Start Panel Bar also called TaskBar, Click on Tool Bar and select Desktop manager.
You would see a set of 5 icons placed on the right portion of the TAskBar. Click on number 1 to 4 to go to any of the desktops. Now you have have four different Active Desktops.
IMPORTANT NOTE: You may see a little degradation in performance.

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Customize Internet. Explorer Title bar tip:

This tip won't make your computer any faster but may help personalize your computer experience. Open Registry by going to START-RUN and typing REGEDIT. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet. Explorer\Main. In right hand panel look for string "Window Title" and change its value to whatever custom text you want to see.
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adding content to Right click credit : ashwin C1

Once done, you will be able to right click any file or folder and use the Browse for Folder dialog to choose the location you want to move or copy your file or folder to, without having to go to the destination path.

First we will add the copy and move options to the right click menu of all FILES.
CLICK Start>Run, type REGEDIT and click OK to open up the registry editor and make your way to this key:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT->*->shellex->ContextMenuHandlers
Right click the ContextMenuHandlers key and choose New>Key.
Name the new key “Copy To” (without the quotes).
Repeat the above and create another new key named Move To.
You should now have two new subkeys under the ContextMenuHandlers key:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT->*->shellex->ContextMenuHandlers\Copy To
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT->*->shellex->ContextMenuHandlers\Move To
Select the Copy To key and in the right hand pane, double click “Default”
Enter this clsid value as the value data:
{C2FBB630-2971-11d1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}
Next , select the Move To key and in the right hand pane set the default value to:
{C2FBB631-2971-11d1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}
This now takes care of the Copy and Move options for the right click context menu of all your files.
Now all that is left is to add the same options to the right click menu of all your folders.
The procedure will be the same as for files but at a different key:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shellex\ContextMenuHan dlers
Right click ContextMenuHandlers and create a new key named Copy To.
Right click it again and create another new key named Move To.
left click on the right hand pane, add the same default values as you did for Files:
For Copy To:
{C2FBB630-2971-11d1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}
For the Move To:
{C2FBB631-2971-11d1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}
Exit the registry and you are done.
Now when you right click on a file or folder, you should see two new options: Copy to Folder and Move to Folder

XPHacking With Windows XP

So you have the newest, glitziest, "Fisher Price" version of Windows: XP. How
can you use XP in a way that sets you apart from the boring millions of ordinary
users?

The key to doing amazing things with XP is as simple as D O S. Yes, that's
right, DOS as in MS-DOS, as in MicroSoft Disk Operating System. Windows XP (as
well as NT and 2000) comes with two versions of DOS. Command.com is an old DOS
version. Various versions of command.com come with Windows 95, 98, SE, ME,
Window 3, and DOS only operating systems.

The other DOS, which comes only with XP, 2000 and NT, is cmd.exe. Usually
cmd.exe is better than command.com because it is easier to use, has more
commands, and in some ways resembles the bash shell in Linux and other Unix-type
operating systems. For example, you can repeat a command by using the up arrow
until you back up to the desired command. Unlike bash, however, your DOS command
history is erased whenever you shut down cmd.exe. The reason XP has both
versions of DOS is that sometimes a program that won?t run right in cmd.exe will
work in command.com

note : m not comparing bash to dos

DOS is your number one Windows gateway to the Internet, and the open sesame to
local area networks. From DOS, without needing to download a single hacker
program, you can do amazingly sophisticated explorations and even break into
poorly defended computers.

****************
You can go to jail warning: Breaking into computers is against the law if you do
not have permission to do so from the owner of that computer. For example, if
your friend gives you permission to break into her Hotmail account, that won't
protect you because Microsoft owns Hotmail and they will never give you
permission.
****************
****************
You can get expelled warning: Some kids have been kicked out of school just for
bringing up a DOS prompt on a computer. Be sure to get a teacher's WRITTEN
permission before demonstrating that you can hack on a school computer.
****************

So how do you turn on DOS?
Click All Programs -> Accessories -> Command Prompt
That runs cmd.exe. You should see a black screen with white text on it, saying
something like this:

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\>

Your first step is to find out what commands you can run in DOS. If you type
"help" at the DOS prompt, it gives you a long list of commands. However, this
list leaves out all the commands hackers love to use. Here are some of those
left out hacker commands.

TCP/IP commands:
telnet
netstat
nslookup
tracert
ping
ftp

NetBIOS commands (just some examples):
nbtstat
net use
net view
net localgroup

TCP/IP stands for transmission control protocol/Internet protocol. As you can
guess by the name, TCP/IP is the protocol under which the Internet runs. along
with user datagram protocol (UDP). So when you are connected to the Internet,
you can try these commands against other Internet computers. Most local area
networks also use TCP/IP.

NetBIOS (Net Basic Input/Output System) protocol is another way to communicate
between computers. This is often used by Windows computers, and by Unix/Linux
type computers running Samba. You can often use NetBIOS commands over the
Internet (being carried inside of, so to speak, TCP/IP). In many cases, however,
NetBIOS commands will be blocked by firewalls. Also, not many Internet computers
run NetBIOS because it is so easy to break in using them. I will cover NetBIOS
commands in the next article to XP Hacking.

The queen of hacker commands is telnet. To get Windows help for telnet, in the
cmd.exe window give the command:

C:\>telnet /?

Here's what you will get:

telnet [-a][-e escape char][-f log file][-l user][-t term][host
[port]]

-a Attempt automatic logon. Same as --l option except uses the currently logged
on user's name.
-e Escape character to enter telnet cclient prompt.
-f File name for client side logging
-l Specifies the user name to log in with on the remote system. Requires that
the remote system support the TELNET ENVIRON option.
-t Specifies terminal type. Supportedd term types are vt100, vt52, ansi and vtnt
only.
host Specifies the hostname or IP address of the remote computer to connect to.
port Specifies a port number or service name.

****************
Newbie note: what is a port on a computer? A computer port is sort of like a
seaport. It's where things can go in and/or out of a computer. Some ports are
easy to understand, like keyboard, monitor, printer and modem. Other ports are
virtual, meaning that they are created by software. When that modem port of
yours (or LAN or ISDN or DSL) is connected to the Internet, your computer has
the ability to open or close any of over 65,000 different virtual ports, and has
the ability to connect to any of these on another computer - if it is running
that port, and if a firewall doesn?t block it.
****************
****************
Newbie note: How do you address a computer over the Internet? There are two
ways: by number or by name.
****************

The simplest use of telnet is to log into a remote computer. Give the command:

C:/>telnet targetcomputer.com (substituting the name of the computer you want to
telnet into for targetcomputer.com)

If this computer is set up to let people log into accounts, you may get the
message:

login:

Type your user name here, making sure to be exact. You can't swap between lower
case and capital letters. For example, user name Guest is not the same as guest.

****************
Newbie note: Lots of people email me asking how to learn what their user name
and password are. Stop laughing, darn it, they really do. If you don't know your
user name and password, that means whoever runs that computer didn't give you an
account and doesn't want you to log on.
****************

Then comes the message:

Password:

Again, be exact in typing in your password.

What if this doesn't work?

Every day people write to me complaining they can't telnet. That is usually
because they try to telnet into a computer, or a port on a computer that is set
up to refuse telnet connections. Here's what it might look like when a computer
refuses a telnet connection:

C:\ >telnet 10.0.0.3
Connecting To 10.0.0.3...Could not open connection to the host, on port 23. A
connection attempt failed because the connected party did not properly respond
after a period of time, or established connection failed because connected host
has failed to respond.

Or you might see:

C:\ >telnet hotmail.com
Connecting To hotmail.com...Could not open connection to the host, on port
23. No connection could be made because the target machine actively refused it.

If you just give the telnet command without giving a port number, it will
automatically try to connect on port 23, which sometimes runs a telnet server.

**************
Newbie note: your Windows computer has a telnet client program, meaning it will
let you telnet out of it. However you have to install a telnet server before
anyone can telnet into port 23 on your computer.
*************

If telnet failed to connect, possibly the computer you were trying to telnet
into was down or just plain no longer in existence. Maybe the people who run
that computer don't want you to telnet into it.

Even though you can't telnet into an account inside some computer, often you can
get some information back or get that computer to do something interesting for
you. Yes, you can get a telnet connection to succeed -without doing anything
illegal --against almost any computer, even if you don't have permission to log
in. There are many legal things you can do to many randomly chosen computers
with telnet. For example:

C:/telnet freeshell.org 22

SSH-1.99-OpenSSH_3.4p1

That tells us the target computer is running an SSH server, which enables
encrypted connections between computers. If you want to SSH into an account
there, you can get a shell account for free at http://freeshell.org . You can
get a free SSH client program from http://winfiles.com .

***************
You can get punched in the nose warning: Your online provider might kick you off
for making telnet probes of other computers. The solution is to get a local
online provider and make friends with the people who run it, and convince them
you are just doing harmless, legal explorations.
*************

Sometimes a port is running an interesting program, but a firewall won't let you
in. For example, 10.0.0.3, a computer on my local area network, runs an email
sending program, (sendmail working together with Postfix, and using Kmail to
compose emails). I can use it from an account inside 10.0.0.3 to send emails
with headers that hide from where I send things.

If I try to telnet to this email program from outside this computer, here's what
happens:

C:\>telnet 10.0.0.3 25
Connecting To 10.0.0.3...Could not open connection to the host, on port 25. No
connection could be made because the target machine actively refused it.

However, if I log into an account on 10.0.0.3 and then telnet from inside to
port 25, here's what I get:

Last login: Fri Oct 18 13:56:58 2002 from 10.0.0.1
Have a lot of fun...
cmeinel@test-box:~> telnet localhost 25
Trying ::1...
telnet: connect to address ::1: Connection refused
Trying 127.0.0.1... [Carolyn's note: 127.0.0.1 is the numerical address meaning
localhost, the same computer you are logged into]
Connected to localhost.
Escape character is '^]'.
220 test-box.local ESMTP Postfix

The reason I keep this port 25 hidden behind a firewall is to keep people from
using it to try to break in or to forge email. Now the ubergeniuses reading this
will start to make fun of me because no Internet address that begins with 10. is
reachable from the Internet. However, sometimes I place this "test-box" computer
online with a static Internet address, meaning whenever it is on the Internet,
it always has the same numerical address. I'm not going to tell you what its
Internet address is because I don't want anyone messing with it. I just want to
mess with other people's computers with it, muhahaha. That's also why I always
keep my Internet address from showing up in the headers of my emails.

***************
Newbie note: What is all this about headers? It's stuff at the beginning of an
email that may - or may not - tell you a lot about where it came from and when.
To see full headers, in Outlook click view -> full headers. In Eudora, click the
"Blah blah blah" icon.
****************

Want a computer you can telnet into and mess around with, and not get into
trouble no matter what you do to it? I've set up my techbroker.com
(206.61.52.33) with user xyz, password guest for you to play with. Here's how to
forge email to xyz@techbroker.com using telnet. Start with the command:

C:\>telnet techbroker.com 25
Connecting To Techbroker.com

220 Service ready

Now you type in who you want the message to appear to come from:

helo santa@techbroker.com
Techbroker.com will answer:

250 host ready

Next type in your mail from address:

mail from:santa@techbroker.com

250 Requested mail action okay, completed

Your next command:

rcpt to:xyz@techbroker.com
250 Requested mail action okay, completed

Your next command:
data
354 Start main input; end with .

just means hit return. In case you can't see that little
period between the s, what you do to end composing your email is to hit
enter, type a period, then hit enter again. Anyhow, try typing:

This is a test.
.
250 Requested mail action okay, completed
quit
221 Service closing transmission channel

Connection to host lost.

Using techbroker's mail server, even if you enable full headers, the message we
just composed looks like:

Status: R
X-status: N

This is a test.

That's a pretty pathetic forged email, huh? No "from", no date. However, you can
make your headers better by using a trick with the data command. After you give
it, you can insert as many headers as you choose. The trick is easier to show
than explain:

220 Service ready
helo santa@northpole.org
250 host ready
mail from:santa@northpole.com
250 Requested mail action okay, completed
rcpt to:cmeinel@techbroker.com
250 Requested mail action okay, completed
data
354 Start main input; end with .
from:santa@deer.northpole.org
Date: Mon, 21 Oct 2002 10:09:16 -0500
Subject: Rudolf
This is a Santa test.
.
250 Requested mail action okay, completed
quit
221 Service closing transmission channel

Connection to host lost.

The message then looks like:

from:santa@deer.northpole.org
Date: Mon, 21 Oct 2002 10:09:16 -0500
Subject: Rudolf
This is a Santa test.

The trick is to start each line you want in the headers with one word followed
by a colon, and the a line followed by "return". As soon as you write a line
that doesn't begin this way, the rest of what you type goes into the body of the
email.

Notice that the santa@northpole.com from the "mail from:" command didn't show up
in the header. Some mail servers would show both "from" addresses.

You can forge email on techbroker.com within one strict limitation. Your email
has to go to someone at techbroker.com. If you can find any way to send email to
someone outside techbroker, let us know, because you will have broken our
security, muhahaha! Don't worry, you have my permission.

Next, you can read the email you forge on techbroker.com via telnet:

C:\>telnet techbroker.com 110

+OK <30961.5910984301@techbroker.com> service ready

Give this command:
user xyz
+OK user is known

Then type in this:
pass test
+OK mail drop has 2 message(s)

retr 1
+OK message follows
This is a test.

If you want to know all possible commands, give this command:

help
+OK help list follows
USER user
PASS password
STAT
LIST [message]
RETR message
DELE message
NOOP
RSET
QUIT
APOP user md5
TOP message lines
UIDL [message]
HELP

Unless you use a weird online provider like AOL, you can use these same tricks
to send and receive your own email. Or you can forge email to a friend by
telnetting to his or her online provider's email sending computer(s).

With most online providers you need to get the exact name of their email
computer(s). Often it is simply mail.targetcomputer.com (substitute the name of
the online provider for targetcomputer). If this doesn't work, you can find out
the name of their email server with the DOS nslookup program, which only runs
from cmd.exe. Here's an example:

C:\ >nslookup
Default Server: DNS1.wurld.net
Address: 206.61.52.11

> set q=mx
> dimensional.com
Server: DNS1.wurld.net
Address: 206.61.52.11

dimensional.com MX preference = 5, mail exchanger =
mail.dimensional.com
dimensional.com MX preference = 10, mail exchanger =
mx2.dimensional.com
dimensional.com MX preference = 20, mail exchanger =
mx3.dimensional.com
dimensional.com nameserver = ns.dimensional.com
dimensional.com nameserver = ns-1.dimensional.com
dimensional.com nameserver = ns-2.dimensional.com
dimensional.com nameserver = ns-3.dimensional.com
dimensional.com nameserver = ns-4.dimensional.com
mail.dimensional.com internet address = 206.124.0.11
mx2.dimensional.com internet address = 206.124.0.30
mx3.dimensional.com internet address = 209.98.32.54
ns.dimensional.com internet address = 206.124.0.10
ns.dimensional.com internet address = 206.124.26.254
ns.dimensional.com internet address = 206.124.0.254
ns.dimensional.com internet address = 206.124.1.254
ns.dimensional.com internet address = 209.98.32.54
ns.dimensional.com internet address = 206.124.0.32
ns.dimensional.com internet address = 206.124.0.30
ns.dimensional.com internet address = 206.124.0.25
ns.dimensional.com internet address = 206.124.0.15
ns.dimensional.com internet address = 206.124.0.21
ns.dimensional.com internet address = 206.124.0.9
ns-1.dimensional.com internet address = 206.124.26.254
ns-2.dimensional.com internet address = 209.98.32.54
ns-3.dimensional.com internet address = 206.124.1.254
ns-4.dimensional.com internet address = 206.124.0.254
>

The lines that tell you what computers will let you forge email to people with
@dimensional.com addresses are:

dimensional.com MX preference = 5, mail exchanger =
mail.dimensional.com
dimensional.com MX preference = 10, mail exchanger =
mx2.dimensional.com
dimensional.com MX preference = 20, mail exchanger =
mx3.dimensional.com

MX stands for mail exchange. The lower the preference number, the more they
would like you to use that address for email.If that lowest number server is too
busy, then try another server.

Sometimes when you ask about a mail server, nslookup will give you this kind of
error message:

DNS request timed out.
timeout was 2 seconds.
DNS request timed out.
timeout was 2 seconds.
*** Request to [207.217.120.202] timed-out

To get around this problem, you need to find out what are the domain servers for
your target online provider. A good place to start looking is
http://netsol.com/cgi-bin/whois/whois . If this doesn't work, see
http://happyhacker.org/HHA/fightback.shtml for how to find the domain servers
for any Internet address.

****************
Newbie note: A domain name server provides information on the names and numbers
assigned to computers on the Internet. For example, dns1.wurld.net and
dns2.wurld.net contain information on happyhacker.org, techbroker.com,
securitynewsportal.com, thirdpig.com and sage-inc.com. When you query
dns1.wurld.net about other computers, it might have to go hunting for that
information from other name servers. That's why you might get a timed out
failure.
***************

Once you know the domain servers for an online service, set one of them for the
server for your nslookup program. Here's how you do it:

C:\ >nslookup
Default Server: DNS1.wurld.net
Address: 206.61.52.11

Now give the command:

> server 207.217.126.41
Default Server: ns1.earthlink.net
Address: 207.217.126.41

Next command should be:
> set q=mx
> earthlink.net
Server: ns1.earthlink.net
Address: 207.217.126.41

earthlink.net MX preference = 5, mail exchanger = mx04.earthlink.net
earthlink.net MX preference = 5, mail exchanger = mx05.earthlink.net
earthlink.net MX preference = 5, mail exchanger = mx06.earthlink.net
earthlink.net MX preference = 5, mail exchanger = mx00.earthlink.net
earthlink.net MX preference = 5, mail exchanger = mx01.earthlink.net
earthlink.net MX preference = 5, mail exchanger = mx02.earthlink.net
earthlink.net MX preference = 5, mail exchanger = mx03.earthlink.net
earthlink.net nameserver = ns3.earthlink.net
earthlink.net nameserver = ns1.earthlink.net
earthlink.net nameserver = ns2.earthlink.net
mx00.earthlink.net internet address = 207.217.120.28
mx01.earthlink.net internet address = 207.217.120.29
mx02.earthlink.net internet address = 207.217.120.79
mx03.earthlink.net internet address = 207.217.120.78
mx04.earthlink.net internet address = 207.217.120.249
mx05.earthlink.net internet address = 207.217.120.31
mx06.earthlink.net internet address = 207.217.120.23
ns1.earthlink.net internet address = 207.217.126.41
ns2.earthlink.net internet address = 207.217.77.42
ns3.earthlink.net internet address = 207.217.120.43
>

Your own online service will usually not mind and may even be glad if you use
telnet to read your email. Sometimes a malicious person or faulty email program
will send you a message that is so screwed up that your email program can't
download it. With telnet you can manually delete the bad email. Otherwise tech
support has to do it for you.

If you think about it, this ability to forge email is a huge temptation to
spammers. How can your online provider keep the bad guys from filling up a
victim's email box with garbage? The first time a bad guy tries this, probably
nothing will stop him or her. The second time the online provider might block
the bad guy at the firewall, maybe call the bad guy's online provider and kick
him or her and maybe get the bad guy busted or sued.

**************
You can go to jail warning: Sending hundreds or thousands of junk emails to bomb
someone's email account is a felony in the US.
***************

***************
You can get sued warning: Spamming, where you send only one email to each
person, but send thousands or millions of emails, is borderline legal. However,
spammers have been successfully sued when they forge the email addresses of
innocent people as senders of their spam.
****************

Now that you know how to read and write email with telnet, you definitely have
something you can use to show off with. Happy hacking!

Oh, here's one last goodie for advanced users. Get netcat for Windows. It's a
free program written by Weld Pond and Hobbit, and available from many sites, for
example
http://www.atstake.com/research/tools/#network_utilities . It is basically
telnet on steroids. For example, using netcat, you can set up a port on your
Windows computer to allow people to telnet into a DOS shell by using this
command:

C:\>nc -L -p 5000 -t -e cmd.exe

You can specify a different port number than 5000. Just make sure it doesn't
conflict with another port by checking with the netstat command. Then you and
your friends, enemies and random losers can either telnet in or netcat in with
the command:

C:\>nc -v [ipaddress of target] [port]

Of course you will probably get hacked for setting up this port. However, if you
set up a sniffer to keep track of the action, you can turn this scary back door
into a fascinating honeypot. For example, you could run it on port 23 and watch
all the hackers who attack with telnet hoping to log in. With some programming
you could even fake a unix-like login sequence and play some tricks on your
attackers.

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