The Computer Boss | tech secrets, tips, tricks, hacks, and more

Windows IP Commands

thecomputerboss — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 03:02:21 +0000

The following are useful Windows commands (Run > cmd) to display TCP/IP information and troubleshoot connectivity issues.

Display Connection Configuration: ipconfig /all

Display DNS Cache Info: ipconfig /displaydns

Clear DNS Cache: ipconfig /flushdns

Release All IP Address Connections: ipconfig /release

Renew All IP Address Connections: ipconfig /renew

Re-Register the DNS connections: ipconfig /registerdns

Change/Modify DHCP Class ID: ipconfig /setclassid

Network Connections: control netconnections

Network Setup Wizard: netsetup.cpl

Test Connectivity: ping www.whatismyip.com

Trace IP address Route: tracert

Displays the TCP/IP protocol sessions: netstat

Display Local Route: route

Display Resolved MAC Addresses: arp

Display Name of Computer Currently on: hostname

Display DHCP Class Information: ipconfig /showclassid

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Enable GODMODE in Windows 7

thecomputerboss — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 20:15:10 +0000

There is a little shortcut in Windows 7 called “GodMode”- remember DOOM? Well this isn’t really the same but cool name nonetheless.

Just add a new folder anywhere and name it: GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

This icon will give you access to all the settings without having to browse around for them.

UPDATE: Some people on 64 Bit versions of Vista and 7 are reporting Explorer crashes. It works fine for me on Windows 7 64 Bit, but you have been warned!

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Use Remote Desktop while on a Dynamic IP Address

thecomputerboss — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:25:46 +0000

There are many services out there that let you access your computer from anywhere in the world. There is GotomyPC, and LogMeIn just to name a couple.

There is however a free workaround for this- all you need is a free No-IP.com account, and the Remote Desktop application on your Windows PC.

The problem is, most users have a Dynamic IP address with their ISPs- which means it’s always changing and not permanent. This causes problems because you won’t always know what your IP address is in order to connect to your machine over Remote Desktop.

If you had a Static IP, it would be much easier since the number is permanent and never changes.

Here’s the workaround:

Go to No-Ip.com and create your account
Add a host on to your No-Ip account- make note of the host name (ie: mynewhost@no-ip.biz)
Enable Remote Desktop on the computer you will be accessing remotely
Download and install the application on the computer you will be accessing remotely
The No-Ip application will send your current IP address and update it with the host name you created on the service, so the host name will always know your latest IP address.
So now you can go to any PC, open up the Remote Desktop application ( Start > Accessories > Remote Desktop, or use Windows Search) and enter in the host name you created in step 2.

Boom! You should now be able to see and control your computer from anywhere in the world!

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[Funny] Why it’s Better to Pretend You Don’t Know Anything About Computers

thecomputerboss — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 01:09:36 +0000

Computer geeks all over the world have wished they chose another way of life. Sure, we love tech, and fiddling around with computers, but once friends and family realize our skills, there is no escape.

This is a post I found on Gizmodo which illustrates the whole process. Check it out- it’s really funny!

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How to Hide your Hard Drive in Windows

thecomputerboss — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 23:58:09 +0000

Do you have a hard drive in your computer you’d like hidden from casual users of your computer? NoDrives Manager will help you do just that. This utility basically hides the chosen hard drive’s entry from Windows Explorer (My Computer, sidebar,address bar, etc) so non-invasive users won’t know it exists.

The drive will remail technicaly accessable through the “Run” section or the command prompt- but chances are people using your computer aren’t looking to get technical and nosey. In other words, this is great for hiding that porn stash of yours- enjoy.

Download Here

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[Windows] How to Reset RAM

thecomputerboss — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 23:18:26 +0000

A lot of times, when we have multiple programs running at once, we may notice our system getting a bit sluggish. That is because every application that is running is using up a certain amount of RAM (random access memory)- some more than others. When an application is closed, it releases the memory it was using, making it available for other tasks. This doesn’t always happen though.

I will show you how to create an easy shortcut to reset your Ram when needed, and recover some of that performance power without needing a restart.

Follow these easy steps:

1. Right-click on your desktop and select New > Shortcut.
2. Copy and paste the following into the box: %windir%\system32\rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks
3. Click Next, name it ‘Clear Memory’, and click Finish

Now you can double-click that shortcut whenever you need to run the command.

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[Android] Video of the Nexus One Google Phone

thecomputerboss — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:32:19 +0000

Here is a video of the Nexus One Android phone by Google (built by HTC) in action. It’s a pretty short clip and shows the 3D home screen with the animated wallpaper. I like the whole wallpaper thing going on, but am not a fan of the form factor. Doesn’t look very innovative- it is a taste of designs used by previous HTC phones.

The Nexus One will be available directly through Google January 5th, 2010. It will come unlocked and work with all GSM carriers (AT&T and T-Mobile in the US)

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Top 20 Free Android Apps

thecomputerboss — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:47:54 +0000

Want to make that new Google Android phone of yours a power-house without spending a cent? Then head over to the PCmag link below for their top 20 picks of the best-of-the-best free Android apps. Each listing includes a brief description and review of the application.

Top 20 Free Android Apps [Click Here]

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Google Finally Enables Real-Time Search

thecomputerboss — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:11:03 +0000

Google has finally enabled Real-Time search. What is it you ask? It’s a section of the search-results page which shows real time updates, Tweets, Posts, and more on the hot buzz words, or sentences you’ve searched for. This feature is better explained in the video below- enjoy.

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Update iPod Touch Firmware for Free

thecomputerboss — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:14:24 +0000

For all you iPod Touch owners who have to pay for every big firmware update Apple releases, you’re in luck. In this guide I will show you how to update manually for free! It is very easy.

Here’s how:

Before we go through the steps, you need to find out the build number of your device. Plug it into iTunes, and look for “Build Version“- that is your build number (check image below).

Go to http://www.felixbruns.de/iPod/firmware/ and click the drop down menu under where is says “iPhone / iPod touch”.
Choose the iPod touch firmware file that you need, and click the “Download” button (the build number should be in the file name-check image below).
Download the file to a location you can remember, such as your desktop. The file might be in “.zip” format. If it is, rename the file and remove the “.zip” portion of the name. You should end up with a “.ipsw” file.
Open up iTunes with the iPod plugged in-hold “Shift” + click “Restore” (Windows)
hold the “Option” key + click “Restore” (Mac) to browse for the file.

You’re all set

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