Add a new SATA hard disk

I ran into the issue that you need Windows XP SP2 to be able to install a new SATA hard disk. Well, I didn't have a Windows XP SP2 install CD, I just had a SP1. It turns out that it is pretty easy to create a SP2 from a SP1 though, here we go:

Do an XP SP2 CD from a SP1

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charmap.exe

Having trouble with foreign characters on a remote machine ?: charmap.exe

Vista UAC (User Account Control)

On Vista, I tried to copy a zip files from a shared folder of XP, in a regular Vista folder. A dialog box showed up and say "You need permission to perform this action".

I tried to play around with UAC. I disabled it by doing:

Control Panel/User Accounts

and then "Turn User Account Control on or off". I change all the permissions of the folder. I tried to rename the file. It still didn't work. It was working with an mpeg file though.

The only way I could eventually copy this zip file was to go on XP, and copy the zip file in a shared folder of Vista, and after that, copy it in the target Vista folder.

Also, sometimes, I cannot install things on Program Files because of Vista privileges nightmare, so I created a C:\MyProgramFiles where I put stuff I cannot install to other places

Change keyboard from English to French

Paneau de configuration / Options Regionales / onglets "Langues" / Details

Upload files to free.fr

The nice thing is they give 1GB disk space for free. They will send you back your confirmation/log-in/pw by regular mail, believe it or not. You need to use an ftp client though, as opposed to geocities which has a web ftp interface. One last thing: file transfer through ssh will not work. So here we go:

* hostname: ftpperso.free.fr
* login sans le suffixe "@free.fr"
* port: 21

To survive, you need this too:

assistancefree.fr
aduf.org


To upload/download from your FreeBoxHD:
* hostname: hd1.freebox.fr
* un: freebox

Where to look in the registry for exe started after boot

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Reinstall