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The Tech Board>
Hidden Utilities in Windows XP
Endi
350 posts
Aug 18, 2008
1:44 PM
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There are, it seems, hidden utilities in Windows XP which you activate by typing in the "run" window. For instance, "eudcedic" will allow you to create your own fonts. There are programs out there that claim to allow you to access them easily but I am loath to download them lest they be Trojan horses. In any case, it is simple enough to simply type the command. What I would need is a list of commands with what they do. Anyone know where I can find this? Are there any hidden utilities in Vista or Linux?
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Pogo
556 posts
Aug 19, 2008
8:39 AM
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What "run" window?
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Endi
351 posts
Aug 19, 2008
10:33 AM
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"Run" is in the "Start" menu, bottom right hand side under "Search".
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TheMudge
The Real Mudge
2913 posts
Aug 19, 2008
12:22 PM
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The only one I am familiar with is the system configuration utility (type Msconfig as the Run command). This utility enables you to determine which programs Windows launches automatically on startup (among other things that I frankly don;t understand). It's a bit tricky to use, but I have used it occasionally to prevent certain programs that I almost never use from launching and running in the background. (If you find that you need them after all, you can always reinstate them by running Msconfig again.) As long as these are built into Windows, I trust that they are not Trojans, but I wouldn't make book on it because we're dealing with Microsoft here. I certainly wouldn't use Run to launch anything that I don't know what it is.
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Rich Turner (The Curmudgeon Himself)
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Endi
352 posts
Aug 19, 2008
2:44 PM
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I meant trojans from on-line downloads rather than Microsoft. If it looks too good to be true - it probably is. If these hidden programs are trojans they're Microsoft trojans. I strongly presume they are not but I would imagine inexpert use of them might result in funny things happening. In part, they may be just left over from the Windows software writing process. Speaking of MSConfig, however, it is often said that you can speed up start up and prevent freezing by removing programs from the start up but although I have looked, I do not really know what is safe to remove and what isn't.
Last Edited on 19-Aug-2008 2:45 PM
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TheMudge
The Real Mudge
2916 posts
Aug 19, 2008
8:12 PM
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"I do not really know what is safe to remove and what isn't."
Nor do I always. I can usually tell, however, from the command line whether it's something I need. For example. I recently discovered that one of the startup files had a command line that ended with real/update. I assume that this is the Real player update program. I don't use Real player very often, and I can update it in other ways. I saw no need to have it running in the background constantly, so I removed it from startup – no harm done. If it had turned out to be a necessary startup program, I could have reinstated it by running Msconfig again.Back when I first discovered Msconfig, I found that it had selected a huge number of programs to run on startup. I removed one or two at a time from the startup. Only once did I remove something that turned out to be necessary (I think it was a Windows component), and I reinstated right away. It was a laborious process, and I can't say that it significantly boosted boot speed. (What has boosted both startup and shut-down time has been getting rid of Norton Antivirus and replacing it with AVG.) I am very wary of other online downloads. Unless I know what it is or have seen it recommended by more than one respected tech magazine, I steer clear. I've been burned too many times. One such utility hosted by Bravenet was a prime suspect in a virus infection that my virus protection missed entirely, necessitating a complete wipe of my hard drive. I haven't been to Bravenet in years. Others are less damaging, but many of these online downloads are gateways for installing adware, spyware, and intrusive "cookies," without your knowing it. Even esteemed sites may be vulnerable. Yahoo, for example, is not a location I trust. On the few occasions that I've been to Yahoo and have run a spyware scan afterwards, the scan has gone nuts, exposing dozens of new adware and spyware installations. As you say, if a free utility sounds too good to be true, there's a good chance that there's a hook – and you're the fish.
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Rich Turner (The Curmudgeon Himself)
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