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TMB to raise Rs 1000 crore: BS

2010-01-19T13:12:00.005-08:00

TMB to raise Rs 1000 crore: BS
Tamilnad Mercantile Bank (TMB) is targeting a business of Rs 50,000 crore by 2012-13 for which it would
require around Rs 1,000 crore capital. Speaking to Business Standard on the sidelines of its 86th and 87th
annual general meeting here on Wednesday, G Nagamal Reddy, managing director and chief executive
officer, TMB, said the bank would look at raising the proposed money through IPO, qualified institutional
placement (QIP), Tier II bonds or rights issue. ?This will be decided in the coming board meetings,? he
added.
The bank?s current networth is around Rs 1,000 crore. It did a business of Rs 16,137 crore as on March 31,
2009.
?TMB is a small bank and to become a medium-sized bank we have to go for an IPO,? said Reddy, adding
they needed to improve the paid-up capital, which is currently at around Rs 28.45 lakh.
The bank is also planning to appoint a consultant to initiate re-engineering processes including human
resource, marketing and expansion.
It had applied for 40 branch licences ? it currently has 215 branches ?with the Reserve Bank of India.
Reddy said the bank saw good potential in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Gujarat and would focus on these
markets as part of the expansion plan. ?We will enter Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh next year and are
planning to recruit 500 clerks,? he said.
The Tuticorin-based, largely seen as community bank, declared a dividend of Rs 500 per share (face value
of Rs 10) for the fiscal 2007-08 and Rs 600 per share for 2008-09.

2010-01-19T13:12:00.003-08:00

The new normal-different world for banks': BL
BANCON ?2009-10, the annual gathering of bankers and economists, addresses the theme of ?normalcy' ?
that most desirable of attributes ? especially so in the aftermath of a traumatic economic crisis. Most
advanced economies have just escaped a second ?great depression' and suffered just a few months of
recession ? thanks to unprecedented monetary steroids and fiscal stimulus across all top economies.
As these economies struggle towards recovery ? with the prospect of a gradual unwinding of the stimulus,
this is perhaps the right time for bankers and economists to reflect on how Indian banks should handle the
new scenario.
They'll need to debate the argument advanced by Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman that banking should be
made boring ? citing the US experience that when they were tightly regulated, conservative and stripped of
the incentives that encourage dangerous risk taking, it actually proved to be an era of spectacular progress
for the economy as a whole! In contrast, when regulations were lifted, banks expanded credit, debt rose and
eventually the finance industry exploded, he noted. That's something for bankers to ponder.
Reality checks
Although India did not suffer as much as the rest of the world in this crisis, there were some reality checks.
Most notably, the idea that for the foreseeable future, economic growth was one straight, linear and easy
path of continuous 9 per cent plus growth was disturbed.
Another idea that got a jolt was the so-called ?de-coupled Indian economy' because of its innate strengths
and large domestic market.
This was expected to insulate us from any shocks world-wide. Reality proved a bit different as various
sectors from software to textiles were affected by the ripples from abroad. For an increasingly integrating
economy, the slowdown in GDP growth was perhaps an eye-opener.
The last time this conference was held two years ago, the mood was different. Every one was gung-ho
about 9 per cent GDP growth and India's status as the second fastest growing economy and a new
emerging economic super power.
Although software companies put India on the world map, manufacturing sector was also catching up. Many
Indian companies ventured outside to other shores, making high profile acquisitions, with bankers in tow.
Bank loan growth didn't seem like coming down below 30 per cent. In the post-2009 scenario, that
exuberance has been replaced by a lot more caution. That doesn't however mean that we get back to the
complacent 3.5 per cent Hindu rate of growth.
In fact, after earlier fears that GDP growth may fall to 5.5 per cent, most experts think growth will return to 8
per cent by the end of this fiscal. With some planning and help from normal monsoons, a revival in other
economies (that are export destinations) and good luck, it is possible to target double-digit GDP growth in
the immediate future.
Looking back at the crisis, one can't but help get the feeling that its timing was perhaps a blessing in
disguise for the sector.
For, April 2009 was the time that was fixed about four years ago to open up the Indian banking sector to
foreign competition. In the interim, domestic banks were expected to strengthen themselves, improve their
capital base, consolidate wherever possible on the lines of the roadmap laid down by reputed committees
(Narsimham Committees I & II) and prepare to share turf with foreign banks.
If the crisis had not set in during the second half of 2008, it is possible that the gates may have been opened
a bit, notwithstanding the resolute reluctance of the regulatory authorities to such moves. Foreign banks that
eyed the potential of the Indian market and often lectured on the moral hazards of bailing out public sector
banks in India, themselves had to face the ignominy of being bailed out by their respective governments.
When their market capitalisation dropped precipitously, there were jokes floating around about how Indian
banks could even consider taking over some of these foreign banks ? provided there was really something
left in the books.
The wheel had turned a full circle.
In the event, we got a reprieve. But, to use Churchill's memorable phrase after the miraculous evacuation of
British troops stranded on the beaches of Dunkirk, ?We must be very careful not to assign to this deliverance
the attributes of a victory.?
That's sound advice for Indian banks too. It will probably take at least another two years for foreign banks to
recover their strength (paying off their dues to local governments) before they think of venturing out again.
That's providential time ? for the sector to pull up its socks and prepare for the next round of invasion.
Although Indian banks have weathered the crisis fairly well so far, and flaunt strong capital adequacy ratios
and low NPA numbers (even if one makes allowance for the restructuring of assets), there are still a lot of
milestones to cross and benchmarks to reach. Consolidation in public sector banks still remains a distant
goal, notwithstanding some encouraging sound bytes once every few months from the Finance Ministry and
a couple of bank chairmen. High governance standards and autonomy still lie in the realm of text books.
Customer service has improved when compared to a decade ago ? but there's still a long way to go.
Financial inclusion is still a distant mirage, notwithstanding impressive achievement of ?targets'. Speedy
recovery of delinquent loans, despite the presence of numerous legal remedies, remains unfulfilled.
Use of new risk management tools has increased, although that's not necessarily proved foolproof.
Transaction costs still remain high in segments of the banking industry. HR practices need improvement.
Banks need to address all these and more - apart from tackling macro challenges such as interest rate
volatility, high government borrowing, high inflation etc.
Even as economies limp back to normalcy, bankers and regulators need to remember that it was easy
liquidity and low interest rates that fuelled the sub-prime crisis that finally brought down so many reputations
and institutions. Those conditions are still there.

The logistics of organising a BANCON: BL

2010-01-19T13:12:00.001-08:00

The logistics of organising a BANCON: BL
BANCON (earlier BECON for Bank Economists' Conference) is a mega event on the calendar for top
bankers. The conclave invariably sees heavyweight presence of the top officials from the Ministry of
Finance, the Reserve Bank of India and banks, both domestic and foreign.What's special about this annual
conference of bankers, you may wonder? The conference is usually hosted by a bank with organisational
support from the Indian Banks Association. For each host bank, it is a matter of prestige and pride to better
the record set by every previous host ? much in the manner of countries competing to outdo each other at
the Olympics. And each host bank tries to make the event ?unique and special' in its own way.
In recent memory, BANCON 2006 held at the International Convention Centre, Hyderabad and hosted by
Andhra Bank, was considered a magnificent show. The next conference was hosted by Bank of Baroda with
the objective of making it a ?value-added event for bankers'.BANCON 2008, scheduled to be held in Srinagar
in the last week of August 2008, never saw the light of day. And now, BANCON 2009-10 is being hosted by
State Bank of India with organisational support from IBA at Hotel Trident, Mumbai, on January 11and 12.
Special significance
The last conference held on November 26 and 27, 2007 was particularly special for Bank of Baroda as it
coincided with the bank's centenary year. It faced a tall order in trying to best the record set by Andhra
Bank.Newspersons covering the eventwondered how BoB would manage to conduct the event of that
magnitude at Hotel Taj Lands End, Mumbai, as the area appeared small compared with the the venue in
Hyderabad. But as a senior BoB official who was involved with the organisation of the event, explained, ?We
designed it differently. Instead of making it a conference filled with presentation and lectures, we chose to
have panel discussions on various issues. And for the first time, we also charged a participation fee.?
Justifying the participation fee, the official said, ?the venue was not as huge as the International Convention
Centre in Hyderabad. We were therefore constrained to limit the participation to senior bankers and top
executives of banks.??Serious discussions about the conduct of the event commenced in August, though the
hotel and venue booking were firmed up in May,? he said.
While admitting that there were some last minute hiccups, the official said, ?We got them resolved without
much fuss. On the whole, it was a satisfying experience.?Preparatory work commenced at least four months
ahead of the scheduled date of the event. Papers were invited; that kept the community moving.Closer to
the event date, Bank of Baroda roped in some of its officials for coordinating the entire programme. More
than a dozen committees were formed headed by an officer not less than the rank of a General Manager,
and comprising not more than four for a team to manage the assigned task.
The jobs which these committees had to oversee and manage included taking care of the participants'
conveyance, receiving and dropping guests from the airport to the venue and back (airport committee);
ensuring comfortable accommodation (reception committee); food committee (to ensure no guest went
without food and everyone got what they liked); stage committee (to take care of stage-seating
arrangement); hall arrangement; media management committee and so on.
Bank of Baroda pulled it off and could justifiably claim that the event was a grand success. Now it is for State
Bank of India to carry the baton forward.

2010-01-19T13:11:00.003-08:00

Sugar output may rise on lower cane diversion:BL 241209
Mawana Sugars says kolhus unable to pay farmers higher price.

"…This time, although there are 25-30 per cent more kolhus, they are drawing much less cane and working
barely 8-10 hours against 24 hours last year."

Mawana Sugars Ltd (MSL) expects to crush 10 per cent more cane during the current 2009-10 season
(October-September) on the back of reduced diversion of raw material to makers of alternative sweeteners
such as gur and khandsari.
"Last season, we crushed only 23.4 lakh tonnes (lt) of sugarcane compared with 33.4 lt in 2007-08. Sugar
recovery, too, fell from 9.7 per cent to 8.93 per cent due to which we could produce only around 2.05 lt", said
Mr Sunil Kakria, Managing Director, MSL.
According to him, based on current trends, "we might crush about 10 per cent more cane this season, with
recovery also improving to 9.5 per cent." The company also plans to refine 25,000 tonnes of imported raw
sugar during the season, which will overall translate into increased output.
Mr Kakria based his expectation of higher crushing on reduced cane diversion to gur and khandsari units.
"Last season, the kolhus bought about half of the marketable cane in our reserved area, leaving only the
balance for us to crush. This time, although there are 25-30 per cent more kolhus, they are drawing much
less cane and working barely 8-10 hours against 24 hours last year," he told Business Line.
Unattractive prices
One reason for this, he felt, was that gur prices were currently not all that attractive. At the start of the
season, gur was being sold in the Muzaffarnagar and Hapur markets at Rs 1,200 a man of 40 kg, i.e. Rs 30
a kg. This was higher than the prevailing ex-factory price of Rs 28-29 for M-31 sugar.But today, wholesale
gur is trading at Rs 950-960 a man or Rs 24 a kg, having gone as low as Rs 850 a month back. On the other
hand, sugar has rallied to Rs 35 a kg. "At current gur prices, the kolhus are not in a position to pay cane
farmers as much as we are, given their much lower recovery levels. Therefore, more cane is coming to us,"
Mr Kakria pointed out.
Mills in west Uttar Pradesh (UP) are currently paying a cane price of Rs 210-215 a quintal. But this could
change with Uttam Sugar Mills announcing a price of Rs 220-225, which is more than even the Rs 215-220
being offered by mills in Uttaranchal. Either way, it would render the operations of kolhus unviable, unless
gur prices stage a revival.
Production
Mr Kakria estimated UP's sugar production this season at 45 lt, up from the 40.64 lt of 2008-09. "The crop
size may be lower this time, but that will be more than offset by higher recovery and cane drawal rates," he
added.MSL operates three factories in UP aggregate crushing capacity of 29,500 tonnes cane a day (tcd).
Of these, two - Mawana (13,000 tcd) and Nanglamal (6,000 tcd) - are in Meerut and the third, Titawi
(10,500 tcd), is in Muzaffarnagar district.

2010-01-19T13:11:00.001-08:00

State Govt borrowings become expensive on tight liquidity:BL 241209
Banks favour short-dated papers.

The last round of borrowings through State Development Loans saw the average spreads over ten-year
sovereign papers rising to about 45 basis points.

State governments' market borrowings have become more expensive with the liquidity overhang
dissipating.The last round of borrowings through State Development Loans (SDL) saw the average spreads
over ten-year sovereign papers rising to about 45 basis points.
Banking sources said that the rise in spreads was largely on account of reduced interest in SDLs among
banks. Spreads for some States like Jammu and Kashmir were however, about 80 basis points. This was
despite the sovereign guarantee cover on the papers. States like Madhya Pradesh have raised funds at
spreads of 55 basis points or 8.45 per cent. Only in the case of some of the southern States like Kerala and
Tamil Nadu, the spreads over sovereigns were lower than the average at about 40 basis points. The lower
spreads were largely on account of better credit rating of the States, unlike the northern States that still have
arrears in debt service payments.
Despite the discriminatory perception in the financial markets, the rise in average spreads was largely on
account of the tightening liquidity conditions, on account of the external factors and the Reserve Bank of
India's aggressive sterilisation operations.
Long maturities
Besides, the bankers said that few of them were interested in having SDLs in their investment portfolios in
view of the long maturities of the loans. Although SDLs by virtue of their sovereign guarantee status are zero
risk-weighted, the papers are largely illiquid in the secondary markets, bankers said.
Typically, in a tight or anticipated tight liquidity situation, the preference tends to be more for short-dated
papers, particularly Treasury Bills. With the derisking of investments, banks have contained the average
maturity to about two years. Besides, they added, the derisking was also resorted to in view of the Basel II
compliance, where depreciation charges would be high on long-dated papers.
Consequently the only investors in SDL papers were life insurance companies, the bankers said. Insurers'
preference was also for compliance with mandated investments directives of the insurance
regulator.However, bankers said, most life insurers who are the largest investors in SDLs, have mean yield
expectations in excess of 8.5 per cent. These expectations are likely to rise in the coming months, the
bankers said, to partly offset the turndown in the equity markets.

2010-01-19T13:10:00.005-08:00

Sensex gains 540 on Pranab talk:BL 241209

Stocks rose sharply on Wednesday, the BSE Sensex gaining by a massive 539 points, the highest in nearly
two months.The Sensex notched a 3.23 per cent rise, closing at 17,231, while the broader Nifty rose by 3.18
per cent and ended the day at 5,144.
The Finance Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee's reassurances on GDP growth helped bulls take control of the
entire market, causing huge short covering in the Nifty, said Mr Alex Mathews, Head of Research at Geojit
Financial Services.
The Minister's statements were only the spark, the markets rose to the extent they did because key technical
resistance levels set up by various brokerages were surpassed - roughly 17,000 for the Sensex and 5,050
for the Nifty, said market-men.This "upside confirmation" brought a momentum to buying, and the index
gains were actually heavily supported by volumes. "There was bound to be a rally," said Mr Daljeet Kohli,
Head of Research, Emkay Global Financial Services.
According to BSE data, retail players booked profits, being net sellers for Rs 313 crore. Retail investor Mr
Kalpesh Parikh sold several Nifty shares and booked profits as he wanted to take advantage of what he
perceived a "short-lived rally coupled with an uncertain future."
FIIs bought afresh, their net purchases amounting to Rs 769 crore while DIIs bought for Rs 13 crore in the
net. IT stocks were in demand due to the weak rupee and expectation of strong economic recovery (which
assures more contracts for IT companies) said brokers. Metal stocks were also hugely in demand on hopes
of global economic recovery.
The gainers on BSE were Hindalco Industries - 7.77 per cent; NTPC 6.96 per cent, Sterlite 5.05 per cent,
Reliance Industries 4.62 per cent, Tata Steel 4.45 per cent, and ICICI 4.3 per cent.

2010-01-19T13:10:00.003-08:00

SBI scheme for varsity students:BL 241209
State Bank of India has launched a scheme, 'Power Jyothi', for the students of Madurai Kamaraj
University.The scheme facilitates payment of university fee from anywhere in the country on a charge of Rs
22. This is cheaper than obtaining a draft at Rs 30 in the normal course. All SBI branches will accept the
fees and credit the same to the Madurai Kamaraj University Account simultaneously.
In a press release, the bank said the fees would be credited to the university account with details such as
student's name, course, year, enrolment number and fee details, which could be verified at a later date.Dr
Karpaga Kumaravel, Vice-Chancellor, Madurai Kamaraj University, launched the facility.

2010-01-19T13:10:00.001-08:00

Savings and investments: BL

Investments could be current or long-term, whereas savings are always of a long-term nature

Deployment of funds can be done in two ways: Investments and savings.
There is no specific definition for the term ?savings' as it is not a part of business. Accounting Standard 13
defines an investment to be funds set apart with the objective of growth, security or earnings.
Thus there are three objectives of an investment ? growth, security or income.
Investments are classified as current or long-term. Current investments are those held for short periods
(conventionally for less than 12 months) whereas long-term investments are held for longer periods. Savings
stand on a different footing altogether.
Objective: The objective of investment does not exist in the case of savings. The objective of savings is to
save for the rainy day or to meet unforeseen eventualities. A person saving money is interested in the
availability of funds at a future date and earnings from savings become secondary.
Duration: Investments could be current or long-term, whereas savings are always of a long-term nature.
It is only individuals who can save. A business entity does not save. Savings are personal in nature whereas
investments constitute an asset and appear on the asset side of the balance sheet. Savings are properties
while investments are assets.
Regularity: Savings are made over a long period on a regular basis, whereas investments tend to be
sporadic in nature.
Sources: Savings are made out of income while investments can be made out of borrowings also.
Tax benefits: Savings by way of life insurance premium, national savings certificates, etc, are eligible for
deduction from taxable income (if they are paid out of income chargeable to tax) whereas investments are
not deductible.
Certainty: There is no certainty that the amount invested would come back, whereas there is no such risk in
the case of savings. Fixed deposits with banks (up to a certain limit) are assured, even if the bank goes into
liquidation. Amounts invested in shares may, at times, have to be written off.
Types of savings
Savings can be made through many ways. It could be by way of bank accounts such as savings bank
accounts, recurring deposits, fixed deposits, etc.
The banking sector offers certain small benefits to savings accounts, which are not available to current
accounts, such as cheque books that are charged for in the case of current accounts but free of charge in
savings accounts. Small interest is paid on savings while no interest is paid on current accounts.
They may also be by way of National Savings Certificates and the like issued by the National Savings
Organisation. Contribution to provident fund during the active life of a person is a long-term savings, which
would come in handy when the person retires.
The income generated out of savings (except for interest on provident fund accounts) is chargeable to tax.
Specific exemptions have been provided for in the Income-Tax Act for the earnings from life insurance
policies making the maturity value of insurance policies as also the periodic money back received from
insurance exempted from the tax purview.
Types of investments
Investments could be fixed income yielding investments such as bonds and debentures. They may also be
fluctuating income yielding investments such as investment in shares and mutual funds.
AS 13 also provides for ?investment property?, where investment could be in the form of real estate. Where
an entity acquires landed property out of its disposable funds with a view to dispose it of at a profit at a later
date, it qualifies to be investment property.
The resolution passed for such acquisition should specify it to be investment property.
In such a scenario, the property so acquired will be disclosed under the head ?investments? and not under
the head ?fixed assets?.
It being so, the entity cannot charge depreciation on this property as it is not an asset. But if the entity
decides to utilise the ?investment property? as a business asset, the property ceases to be an investment
and should be disclosed under the head ?fixed assets?. In such a case the entity is entitled to claim
depreciation on that property from the time the asset is first put to use.
Is FD an investment?
A business entity cannot categorise its fixed deposits with banks as investments. A fixed deposit is made for
a defined period of time. This deposit could be taken to meet a business exigency or when the funds are not
immediately required. The objective of investments is absent in the case of a bank fixed deposit. No doubt,
the fixed deposit yields certain income. The deposit is not made with the objective of earning income or for
growth.
The Companies Act also prescribes fixed deposits to be disclosed under the head cash at bank on deposit
accounts under the head ?current assets, loans and advances' and not under the head ?investments'.
But it may not be so in the case of an individual. The person may put the retirement benefits into a fixed
deposit with a bank and live on the interest so generated by the deposit. Under these circumstances, the
objective is earnings and sense of security, which qualifies to be an investment.
Generally, fixed deposit qualifies to be savings. Considering this, the I-T Act has clubbed fixed deposits for a
period in excess of five years to be eligible for deduction under Section 80C.
Life insurance premium
The objective of life insurance premium is for the protection of the survivors in case of death of the assured.
Premium is paid over a long period of time to converge in to a lumpsum at the end of the term of the policy.
Insurance premium is paid out of the earnings of the person. Therefore, it is more of savings than
investment, though, it is arguable that it provides security and hence is an investment.

2010-01-19T13:09:00.003-08:00

Sachin highest tax paying sportsperson in country: ET

Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has become the highest taxpayer among sportspersons in the country for the last quarter of
2009 while film stars Akshay Kumar and Aamir Khan edged past others in Bollywood on individual tax payers
category

Sachin paid Rs 1.5 crore for the quarter till December and stood at 115th position ahead of Indian cricket team captain
MS Dhoni among the 500 top tax payers of the country.

Dhoni and Sehwag had paid Rs 1 crore each for the same period and stood at 199 and 201 positions respectively in the
latest list of top 500 tax payers with the Finance Ministry.
Akshay Kumar and Aamir Khan have occupied 25th and 26th positions respectively edging past all others in
Bollywood, including Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan by dishing out Rs 4.5 crore each for the December period
in the current financial year.
However, the Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan is missing from the top 500 list though his son and daughter-in-law
have figured in it.

Businessman Mahesh Gordhandas Garodia is the top tax payer in the country dishing out Rs 20 crore.
Lawyer-politician Abhisek Singhvi figures in the list by paying Rs 1.5 crore for this period.
Other cricketers who have figured in the list are Saurav Ganguly (Rs 90 lakh) and Harbhjan Singh (Rs 70 lakh).

IPL mastermind Lalit Modi has occupied the 47th position with a deposit of Rs 3 crore.

While Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is ahead of all other Bollywood heroines at 193rd position giving Rs 1 crore tax,
Abhishek Bachchan has paid more than his wife. He has deposited Rs 1.2 crore. IT czar Nandan Nilekani who is now
heading the ambitious Unique Identification Authority of India, figures at 11th position having paid Rs 9 crore.

Leading lawyers Harish Salve (Rs 2 crore) Soli Sorabjee (Rs 90 lakh) and Ram Jethmalani (Rs 55 lakh) are also in the
list prepared by the Central Board of Direct Taxes.

Shreya Ghosal, the only playback singer to figure in the list, paid Rs 51 lakh. While Hrithik and Shahrukh have paid Rs
2 crore each, Salman has paid Rs 1.5 crore for the December period in the current fiscal. Kajol and Deepika have paid
Rs 75 lakh each while Rani Mukherjee has deposited Rs 51 lakh.

Saif Ali Khan and Ranbir Kapoor have also found their place in the top tax payers list as both have paid Rs 1.2 crore
each.

Government has earned Rs 741 crore for this quarter as against Rs 418 crore from the corresponding period in the last
fiscal.

2010-01-19T13:09:00.001-08:00

Rupee weakens on dollar demand:BL 241209

The rupee weakened slightly from its previous close due to dollar demand from importers, said dealers. The
rupee opened at 46.83 and closed at 46.87, against the previous close of 46.81. According to a dealer with a
public sector bank, there is demand for the dollar from importers as they fear further appreciation in the
rupee, which is why the currency weakened despite the huge gains in the stock markets. Volumes continued
to be thin as banks did not want to take positions ahead of the long weakened and Christmas holidays, said
dealers. In the overseas market, the dollar was strong against other global currencies like the pound and
yen. In the forward premia market, the one-year premium closed unchanged at 2.81 per cent.

2010-01-19T13:08:00.005-08:00

Rule versus principle: BL

Both rule-based and principle-based accounting have their protagonists. The debate on which is better will
be put to rest when the US GAAP converges with IFRS eventually and becomes principle-based.

Students of accounting would be well aware of the long discussed differences between rule-based
accounting and principle-based accounting. Both have their protagonists. While the US GAAP is rule-based,
the International Accounting Standards (IAS), both as IAS and IFRS, are principle-based.
The debate on which is better will be put to rest when the US GAAP converges with IFRS eventually and
becomes principle-based. Being principle-based means that broad principles are laid out by the standard-
fixing body and the interpretation is left to the users of these standards.
The problem (and also the benefit) with principle-based accounting is that most of the times, in a situation
that requires a finding, one will have to exercise a great deal of judgment based on substance as opposed to
a readymade solution being available for a particular issue prescribed in the rule-based accounting.
While the US accounting is considered to be rule-based, one can find echoes of principle-based accounting
also in it. In the widely publicised 1969 case of Continental Vending where the auditors were questioned for
lack of professional standards, the court gave a direction to the jury to look at the facts and the substance of
the case rather than rules of accountancy and mere adherence to GAAP.
The court held that in the audit report the statement ?fairly presented ? in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles? is two statements rather than one, i.e., ?fairly presented? is principle-based
and the other ?in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles? is rule-based.
Problems for auditors
The preparation of financial statements in accordance with the GAAP in a rule-based environment, however,
presents problems to the auditors. If an auditor were to confront the management over a certain treatment of
a transaction, the management is likely to ask the auditor ?show me where it says I can't do that?.
In other words, in a rule-based environment, the onus is on the auditor to demonstrate clearly that the
particular treatment is not permitted and hence closes the avenues for the auditor to develop further
arguments that would be available in a principle-based accounting environment ( Principles-Based
Accounting, by Ronald M. Mano, Matthew Mouritsen and Ryan Pace, published in The CPA Journal,
February 2006).
Since accounting standards followed in India have their origin in the IAS, the Indian accounting standards
are principle-based. However, there are exceptions to the rule. One prime example is the Income
Recognition and Asset Classification (IRAC) norms prescribed by the Reserve Bank of India for provisioning
for non-performing assets applicable to banks.
Thus, where if any asset is non-performing, based on certain prescribed criteria, a provision is created for
the potential loan loss irrespective of the security available with the bank.
Subjectivity issue
Principle-based accounting has its own issues too. Ian Wright, Director of Corporate Reporting at the
Financial Reporting Council of UK, writing in accountancy magazine (October 2008), talks about the
subjectivity that is present in the IFRS.
The IFRS is full of words and phrases that are open to interpretation. The accompanying table has a
selection of the probabilities in IFRS literature that a user is expected to interpret in the context of
understanding what an accounting standard requires.
Ian Wright also identifies other issues that are potentially problematic.
The IFRS literature contains an increasing range of technical terms which don't translate well into languages
other than English. Also, the standards were written in different eras and sometimes by individual national
standard-setters due to which the usage of the English language differs resulting in them being structured in
disparate ways.
One can therefore see the potential hazards in interpreting a principle-based accounting standard that
contains highly subjective phraseology.
In this context, one can expect problems of interpretation in India also. For instance, the word ?shall? (a key
word in accounting standards) is used in a manner that is completely different from its usage in countries
where English is the mother tongue. Any user of IFRS would therefore need to be alive to these issues when
interpreting IFRS.

2010-01-19T13:08:00.003-08:00

PNB halves penalty on premature withdrawal of deposits BS 241209
Government-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB) has halved the penalty for premature withdrawal of
deposits - a move aimed at attracting more depositors at a time when the medium-term outlook on interest
rates is uncertain. The second-largest bank in terms of business has been charging 2 per cent penalty for
premature withdrawal for the last one year. The rate will be 1 per cent from January 1.
PNB Chairman and Managing Director K R Kamath told Business Standard: "We are falling in line with the
market. Once you have taken a fixed deposit, if somebody prematurely withdraws, it creates problem in
asset liability management. To that extent, this 1 per cent is reasonable and in tune with the market
practice."
Most of the state-run banks charge 1 per cent penalty for premature withdrawal.
"Levy of 1 per cent penalty at the time of premature cancellation or part-withdrawal for all tenures and the
interest payable would be the contractual rate minus 1 per cent," the bank said in a statement to its term-
deposit customers.
Though there is widespread expectation the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will hike policy rates and the cash
reserve ratio during the fourth quarter review of its annual policy at January-end to signal beginning of a
tighter interest regime, banks are however not certain whether they can take the cue in the last quarter of a
financial year when credit offtake is lowest in the decade.
The PNB move comes at a time when banks are trying to address their asset-liability mismatch problems
arising from lending long while borrowing short.

2010-01-19T13:08:00.001-08:00

Outsourcing: Europe edging out NA?
Advisory player TPI shares insights into the changing equations globally..

?The European market has been steadily climbing since 2001??

In overtakemode.
In a year wracked by slowing down of global economies, Europe may well emerge the top outsourcing
continent, beating North America for the first time. In a recent research report, TPI, a global player in the
sourcing data and advisory business, says that through the first three quarters of the 2009 calendar ending
September, Europe outsourced $1.2 billion more than North America in average annualised contract value,
among the Forbes Global 2000 companies. (ACV is an estimate of annual yield. So, a $ 100 million contract
over 10 years would have an ACV of $ 10 million but the same over 5 years would have an ACV of $ 20
million.)
eWorld chatted up Siddharth Pai, Partner & MD, TPI India and Melany Williams, Partner & MD, TPI
Momentum, (the arm of TPI that brought out the report). Excerpts from the e-mail conversations:
Your report pegs Europe as possibly leading North America (NA) the past year in outsourcing spending.
Could you elaborate?

Siddharth Pai
Pai: Based on data available (as of third quarter of 2009), it appears that Europe will surpass NA in 2009 as
the region with the highest annual spending on outsourcing. According to TPI Research, NA is home to 606
G2000 companies, of which 45 per cent have an active IT outsourcing (ITO) or BPO contract. Though we
find that the number of G2000 companies in NA with an active outsourcing contract has been increasing
each year, the average spending levels per company have been gradually falling since 2002. The factors
that contributed to this decrease include
1. 30 per cent of the NA based companies spent less on outsourcing in 2009 versus 2008.
2. Recent outsourcing adopters are among smaller companies on the G2000 list
3. Hence, the spend is less on outsourcing, resulting in the overall decrease in average spending per
company

Melany Williams
Williams: The European market has been steadily climbing since 2001 while the North American market has
stayed in the $25-$31 billion range over the same time period. ACV within North America was $25.1 billion in
2001. It peaked in 2005 at $30.8 billion and ended 2008 at $29.6 billion. Our research for 2009 contracts
(excluding any new contracts signed in the fourth quarter) projects North America 2009 ACV will exceed $28
billion. ACV in Europe was $11.4 billion in 2001 and has steadily climbed each year. We project it may
exceed $30 billion in 2009 when all the numbers are calculated, on pace to achieve a 7 per cent growth rate,
and while this is the smallest growth rate over the last decade, it will still surpass North America in ACV. The
largest growth area for this region since the start of 2006 is among companies ranked in the Forbes? 501 ?
1000 range
What does this mean to outsourcing service providers? A blip in the radar or a turning point?
Pai: As the broader economic picture settles, TPI anticipates an uptick in outsourcing activity in Europe. We
are both seeing and hearing of a noticeable increase in new outsourcing programmes being launched. We
anticipate that this will be driven (as before) by north-western European countries
Williams: The G2000 companies in North America and Europe have been adopting outsourcing at similar
rates in recent years. In 2009, for example, 45 per cent of G2000 companies in North America had an active
ITO/BPO contract, compared with 42 per cent in Europe.
Why do we see this surge now in Europe? Cost-cutting as a reason exists even for US clients but offshoring
is still muted.
Pai: Cost reduction and efficiency issues will remain high on many corporate agendas. It's therefore
probable that many more functions and processes will be at least considered as potential candidates for
outsourcing by a wider cadre of European businesses as they seek to compete effectively with the rest of
the world
Which parts of Europe are offshoring more? The UK, as usual or Continental Europe?
Pai: European activity is strongly towards the northern part of the region with the UK remaining, by some
measures, the largest country market for all outsourcing services.
Williams: Further, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands are outsourcing more. While we already observe a
noticeable increase in outsourcing activity across the region, our report does not address offshoring
specifically.
Who would Indians fight there frequently? The likes of CapGemini and Logica in their respective markets?
Or would the IBMs and Accentures be at an advantage?
Pai: Both. When one looks at the more successful service providers over the past five years by European
country, it's clear just how influential domestic roots are: T-systems, Siemens, Atos Origin, Capgemini,
TietoEnator and Logica
On the other hand, the largest multinational service providers have been the ones to invest the most in
European delivery centres since the start of 2007. Accenture, ACS, Capgemini, IBM and T-systems have all
opened multiple centres in Europe during the time frame
Williams: I agree ? it would be both kinds. In Japan, for example, IBM and HPES have the strongest
penetration, followed by local firms such as NTT Data and Hitachi. In China, Unisys has the greatest
penetration, followed by IBM, Ericsson, Alcatel-Lucent, and Nokia. Both most likely vary by service line.
What kinds of projects are being outsourced now?
Pai: In the ITO space, particularly for bundled infrastructure and application services, there has been a
marked increase in demand from Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland. France remains a
relatively small market for outsourcing services (in relation to the size of its economy). Horizontal BPO
services such as HR, F&A will enjoy some growth in overall contract values signed but will remain very
much the minority segment of the European outsourcing market.
Ireland, Eastern Europe and Southern Europe are yet to signal any notable increase in appetite for larger
scale outsourcing
Williams: We have not observed any strong trends in Europe, except that ADM continues to be strong ?
with 15 companies adding ADM services to their outsourcing portfolio since 2006 ? this has been the
largest growth in any single service line (for both ITO and BPO).
Will Indian players see more manpower being deployed in their global delivery centres in regional markets to
service clients there? Or would offshoring see another boom as it did in 2003 after the 2000-2001
slowdown? Wouldn't language barriers come in the way?
Pai: Each country in Europe has a unique set of challenges when selling or delivering outsourcing services.
When selling, it's important for companies to have an established presence in each country where they want
to do business. Although it's acceptable for services to be delivered from other country locations in many
European nations, local account and service management, local relationships and local language capability
are all basic requirements for doing business of any scale in most European countries. For near-shore
delivery perspective, service providers need to consider the strengths and weaknesses of each country's
availability and composition of labour pool, infrastructure and the government support.
Williams: Generally, the India heritage firms are realising increased penetration in G2000 companies
headquartered in Europe and several large and medium-size India heritage firms have all seen their
penetration rates increase in each of the last four years. Penetration rates are similar for India heritage firms
in Asia-Pacific, though perhaps slightly lower on average.
Several Eastern and Central European countries are now firmly established as viable offshore/nearshore
locations, e.g., Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Russia
and the Ukraine. With the possible exception of Russia, the key constraint for all of these locations is the
size of the qualified labour pool. In a number of these countries ? e.g., the Czech Republic, Hungary and
Poland ? major cities have reached a saturation point for service delivery, and new centres are moving to
secondary, and sometimes tertiary city locations.
On the flip side, as outsourcing adoption continues to grow in north-western continental Europe, it is likely
that the demand for solutions that leverage many of these nearshore locations ? especially for services that
interact with client internal and external clients ? will also grow.
Although nearshoring may grow in 2010, attitudes toward offshoring vary significantly from country to
country. In the UK, some 70 per cent of transactions include some significant element of global service
delivery in the solutions procured. In Scandinavia and The Netherlands, for example, this figure is nearer to
60 per cent, while in Germany, it is 50 per cent and in France, only 30 per cent of outsourcing contracts
involve the use of lower-cost geographies.

Motor claims ratio improves in 2008-09: BS

2010-01-19T13:07:00.003-08:00

Motor claims ratio improves in 2008-09: BS
But general insurance industry sees deteriorationInsurance companies have managed to reduce the losses
incurred on the motor insurance portfolio, that accounts for nearly half the business underwritten by
them.According to the latest data released by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (Irda) in
its annual report, general insurers lowered the incurred claims ratio to 88.84 per cent during 2008-09 from
92.31 per cent in the previous year.Claim ratio is the proportion of claims incurred to the premium
underwritten by them. In simple terms, it means that insurance companies paid Rs 88.84 in claims on a
premium of Rs 100 that they earned.
The reduction in claims has once again pushed insurers, who avoided underwriting the motor business due
to claims exceeding the premium income to once again look at the segment. One of the key reasons for the
portfolio earning handsome profits is Irda?s decision to keep third party insurance outside the ambit. Now,
the premium on the annual third party business, which continues to be fixed, is transferred to a pool and all
general insurance companies share the losses.
Despite the improvement in the claims ratio for the motor business, the overall claims ratio for the industry
deteriorated from 84.88 per cent in 2007-09 to 86.30 per cent in 2008-09.A part of the reason for the
increase was the dent in the fire and marine portfolios. During the last financial year, marine saw the highest
jump in the claims ratio from 86.68 per cent in 2007-08 to 102.90 per cent in 2008-09 mainly due to high
severity in the segment and steep discounts offered by companies to garner business.
As a result, insurers paid more claims on the marine business ? which includes hull, cargo and offshore
energy ? than the premium they earned during the year.Health claims improved marginally from 107 per
cent to 106 per cent. ?Insurers are trying to reduce discounts in health,? said ICICI Lombard Chief Financial
Officer Rakesh Jain.Group health has been a bleeding portfolio for most insurers while most of them are
making underwriting profits in retail health. Similarly, fire saw a slight increase from 68 per cent to 75.72 per
cent. This segment has been highly discounted and insurers were offering 90-95 per cent discount.
During the last financial year, the underwriting losses of the general insurance companies increased to Rs
5,326.11 crore from Rs 3,899.49 crore in the previous year. However, there appeared to be a slowdown in
the growth of underwriting losses in 2008-09 which stood at 36.58 per cent. The slowdown in growth rate
was observed in the case of all public insurers. In contrast, the private non-life insurers continued to witness
high growth in underwriting losses, which increased to 83.54 per cent.Whereas net profit of the four public
sector companies dropped by 81 per cent to Rs 426.81 crore as against Rs 2,205.48 crore. Oriental
Insurance reported a net loss of Rs 52.66 crore, as against a profit of Rs 9.30 crore during the previous
year.
National Insurance incurred a loss of Rs 149.21 crore though the same company reported a net profit of Rs
163.43 crore in the earlier year. Six private players reported losses during the year including Reliance,
HDFC Ergo, Future Generali, Universal Sompo, and newly established insurers such as Shriram and Bharti
AXA.

2010-01-19T13:07:00.001-08:00

Microsoft Word may get a facelift, post patent loss :ET 241209

Microsoft, the world's biggest software maker, is preparing to alter its popular Word software after it lost its appeal of
a $200-million patent-infringement verdict won by a Canadian firm. The company, based in Redmond, Washington,
was given until January 11 to make the change or stop sales, in a decision released on Wednesday by the US Court of
Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington. Word is part of Microsoft's Office software, used by more than 500
million people.

The court upheld a verdict that has since grown to $290 million, won by closely held I4i of Toronto. The dispute is over
an invention related to customising extensible markup language, or XML, a way of encoding data to exchange
information among programmes. Microsoft has called it an "obscure functionality."

Microsoft said it has been working on making the change since the trial judge first ordered a halt in August and has
"put the wheels in motion to remove this little-used feature from our products."

Copies of Word 2007 and Office 2007 with the feature removed will be available for US sale by January 11, and "beta
versions of Microsoft Word 2010 and Microsoft Office 2010, which are available now for downloading, don't contain
the technology covered by the injunction," said Kevin Kutz, a company spokesman. Microsoft is testing Office 2010
with customers and will release the completed version in the first half of next year. The unit that sells Office is
Microsoft's biggest, with $18.9 billion in sales in the year ended June 30. Microsoft can continue to provide technical
support to current Word users. It can't instruct new users who buy Word after the deadline on how to use the custom
XML editor or sell copies of Word with the feature, the court said.

The software maker said it may ask the Federal Circuit to reconsider the decision or appeal to the US Supreme Court.
The Federal Circuit isn't likely to grant such a request, and "there's no issue really sexy or different for the Supreme
Court to address either," said James Kulbaski, a patent lawyer with Oblon Spivak in Alexandria, Virginia, who isn't
part of the case. "This was a small company that appeared to be doing reasonably well, and Microsoft's product
essentially eliminated that part of the business," Kulbaski said. "I4i could not compete with Microsoft Word
incorporating their feature."

Based on the company's statement, it's doubtful that Microsoft will try to reach a licensing deal with I4i, said Matt
Rosoff, an analyst with Directions on Microsoft, based in Kirkland, Washington. "There may be conversations going
on now, but the safest thing is to not include it in 2010," said Rosoff, whose company is a research firm focused on
Microsoft's technology and business strategy. "They have to look at this feature, see how important it is, who's using
it, and decide how much they're willing to pay for it." I4i's business was based on preserving its patent rights, and
"Microsoft is not entitled to continue infringing simply because it successfully exploited its infringement," the three-
judge panel said. "A small company was practicing its patent, only to suffer a loss of market share, brand recognition,
and customer goodwill as the result of the defendant's infringing acts," the court said. "The district court found that
Microsoft captured 80% of the custom XML market with its infringing Word products, forcing I4i to change its
business strategy."

The decision is "an important step in protecting the property rights of small inventors," Michael Vulpe, I4i's co-
founder, said in an e-mail. Company Chairman Loudon Owen called it "both a vindication for I4i and a war cry for
talented inventors whose patents are infringed." "The same guts and integrity that are needed to invent and go against
the herd, are at the heart of success in patent litigation against a behemoth like Microsoft," Owen said in a statement.

There was "sufficient evidence" for the jury to reach both its verdict and damage award, the court said. It also upheld
the trial judge's decision to add $40 million to the original $200 million verdict for intentional infringement. The
remaining $50 million is for post-verdict damages and interest.

Microsoft claimed the product was a small part of its Word package and the damages are inordinately high. The
company also argued in court papers that it was under an unrealistic deadline to "redesign its flagship Word software to
remove an obscure functionality" or be "compelled to stop distributing Word and the popular Office software suite."

The appeals court said the scope of the order was narrow in that it wouldn't affect existing customers. It did say
Microsoft should have been given more time to implement any change to Word, based on a declaration from a
Microsoft employee that it would take at least five months to do so. The judge originally allowed just 60 days.

XML is a common way of encoding data, and nothing in the order prevented Microsoft from continuing to offer that
feature in Word, or for allowing customized XML when it's used in plain text. The disputed feature is one used by
large companies to add special data to Word files, such as information in forms submitted by customers. I4i's patent
was issued in 1998.

Customized XML is a key feature of the software and services sold by I4i, Owen has said. Customers including
drugmakers Merck & Co. and Bayer AG use I4i's software to make sure that people get the correct and most up-to-date
information on the labels of their medicine.

Life and health combi policies to be available through single insurer:BL 241209

2010-01-19T13:06:00.003-08:00

Life and health combi policies to be available through single insurer:BL 241209

A tie-up is permitted between one life insurer and one non-life insurer only and between these two insurers
any number of products may be promoted.

Combi Products, a combination of life and health insurance schemes, will soon be available in India through
a single insurer.The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority on Wednesday released the
guidelines for insurers to bring out such products primarily through a tie-up between a life insurer and non-
life insurer.
One package
IRDA has been considering a proposal to allow promotion of combined products of pure term life insurance
offered by life insurance companies along with standalone health insurance products offered by non-life
insurance companies in one package.This is chiefly intended to enhance the penetration of health insurance
in the country on the back of the huge distribution network built by the life insurance sector.The total health
insurance premium is estimated at about Rs 6,000 crore, while the life insurance segment (including renewal
premium) is over Rs 2 lakh crore.
According to the IRDA guidelines, which are not applicable to micro-insurance products, the Combi Products
could be promoted by all life insurance and non-life insurance companies through a tie-up.
However, IRDA said, a tie-up is permitted between one life insurer and one non-life insurer only and
between these two insurers any number of Combi Products may be promoted.
Prior approval needed
The partnering insurers should have in a place an MoU covering the modus operandi of marketing, policy
service and sharing of common expenses - they should also obtain prior approval of IRDA.The regulator
expects that under this product class, the common strength of both insurers are leveraged and consequent
benefits passed on to policyholders.Hence, it has proposed that both the independent products are
integrated as a single product and filed with a common brand name.
The guidelines said the premium components of both risks are to be separately identifiable and disclosed to
policyholders at both pre-sale and post-sale stages. Further, the integrated premium amount of the Combi
Product shall be the basis for reckoning the threshold limit/ applicability of extant regulations.
Lead insurer
IRDA suggested that as two insurers will be involved in offering the product, one of the companies may be
mutually agreed to act as lead insurer, which would play a major role in facilitating underwriting and policy
service.However, IRDA does not absolve either of the companies in relegating the responsibility of proactive
settlement of claims.

2010-01-19T13:06:00.001-08:00

Infrastructure lending is high growth area: BL
Infrastructure lending has emerged as a high growth area for Indian banks in the current financial year
amidst the overall slack in credit growth.At a time when India is showing the ?promise' of achieving a 7.0-7.5
per cent GDP growth when advanced economies are trying hard to come out of recession, it is a no-brainer
that only infrastructure ? mainly power, roads, ports, airports, and oil rigs ? build-up can ensure continued
socio-economic development on sustainable basis.Notwithstanding the fact that they face serious asset-
liability mismatches and get little support by way of tax concessions (despite making innumerable
representations to the Finance Ministry in the last few years), banks have risen to the challenge of financing
infrastructure projects.
As per the latest available Reserve Bank of India data, year-on-year (as on August 28, 2009), banks clocked
a robust 44.7 per cent growth in credit to the infrastructure sector (or Rs 93,647 crore in absolute terms) as
compared with 36.1 per cent growth (or Rs 55,533 crore) .Overall, the year-on-year credit growth as on
August 28, 2009 was subdued at 13.3 per cent (or Rs 3,08,718 crore) as compared with 26.5 per cent (or Rs
4,84,805 crore) as on August 29, 2008.Given that infrastructure project developers are showing robust
appetite for credit, bankers are laying much store by this segment of borrowers to grow their balance sheets.
They are hoping that in the coming few quarters, drawals will begin from their ?healthy' loan sanctions
pipeline, which currently is estimated to run into a few thousand crore rupees for each bank.
In the context of the Prime Minister's latest statement at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2010 function in Delhi
late last week that the country will return to a 9-10 per cent growth trajectory in the next couple of years,
bankers feel that it is imperative that the Government as well as the Reserve Bank of India put in place
enabling measures that will encourage infrastructure lending.
Enabling measures
What are the enabling measures that the banks are seeking?
Banks have moved the Finance Ministry seeking the benefit of tax deduction in respect of income received
from financing infrastructure projects via introduction of a new section (Section 80LB) in the Income-Tax Act,
1961.
They want 100-per-cent tax deduction on income earned from infrastructure financing for five consecutive
years beginning with assessment year 2011-12 and 50 per cent deduction for the subsequent five
consecutive assessment years. ?If tax deduction is allowed, then banks will be more enthusiastic about
lending to infrastructure projects. As our post-tax yield will be higher, we will be in a position to charge
project developers lower interest rates,? said a senior official of a public sector bank.
According to the Indian Banks' Association, the primary constraints for banks in financing infrastructure
projects arise from their funding structure and applicable liquidity ratios (cash reserve ratio and statutory
liquidity ratio).
While banks' resources are mainly in the form of deposits, which are typically of maturities up to three years,
infrastructure projects require long-term financing i.e. for tenures extending beyond 15 years.
Apart from asset-liability mismatch, interest rate risk and pricing are also key issues. ?With regard to
infrastructure lending, there is an overall asset-liability mismatch because funds are required for 14-15
years, but deposits are of shorter maturity. Today, all banks are supporting infrastructure lending. But going
ahead, individual sectoral gaps could arise. Whether we can meet sectoral requirements is a big question,?
said Mr M.D. Mallya, Chairman and Managing Director, Bank of Baroda.
Take-out financing
Bankers are hoping that ?take-out' financing, which has been a long time coming, takes off this time round.
Take-out financing, which was mooted over a decade ago by IDFC and State Bank of India, is a mechanism
designed to enable banks to avoid asset-liability maturity mismatches that could arise out of extending long-
term loans to infrastructure projects.
Under this mechanism, banks financing infrastructure projects enter into an arrangement with a financial
institution to transfer, say after seven years, to the latter the outstanding on their books.Given the multiplier
effects of infrastructure projects, the time may be ripe for the Government and the RBI to make small
concessions to banks so that 9-10 per cent growth envisaged by the Prime Minister in the coming few years
can become a reality.

2010-01-19T13:05:00.005-08:00

'Indian regulatory regime has brought us a world of good' BS 241209

Q&A: Deven Sharma, President, Standard & Poor`s
In the backdrop of the global financial crisis, credit rating agencies have faced criticism worldover.
Regulations are now being strengthened to guard against such crises. Rating agency Standard & Poor's
(S&P) is using the experience of working with the Indian rating agency, Crisil, a subsidiary of S&P, to its
advantage. Deven Sharma, president, Standard & Poor's, spoke to Rajesh Bhayani how they are leveraging
their Indian experience for global operations. Excerpts:
How the Indian economic situation has changed after the new government took charge at the
Centre, and when the change will be reflected in S&P's rating for India?
We feel the Indian economy is set to grow faster than 6.5 per cent. Apart from a stable government at the
Centre, there are several positives like the growing industry and service sectors and so on. What is worth
watching is how the fiscal deficit is being reduced and how inflation is controlled when commodity prices are
going up.
A sovereign rating is an independent exercise subject to periodic reviews. Analysts independently decide
when to review the rating. Recently, we have changed sovereign ratings of some European countries. For
example, ratings for Ireland, Greece and Spain ratings have been lowered, while we have reaffirmed the
rating of Germany. We are eager to see the Indian government continuing the reform process decisively.
Perhaps the budget might give us more clarity.
The Indian government had disagreed to the downgrading of India's sovereign rating. How did you
tackle that?
As in any other case where we deal with issuers, companies, or investors, we explained the rationale for the
downgrade transparently to the government.
But later did you have to change the analyst who downgraded India's rating?
We have policy and guidelines to move analysts. I don't remember any such movement after the
downgrading, but a change in analyst, if any, was certainly not linked with India's rating decision. I must tell
you that analysts are given full freedom to give their decision on ratings and they have to maintain
transparency.
When do you think India should withdraw economic stimulus?
Economies worldwide coming back to the growth path provide a chance to bring down the level of stimulus.
However, it is crucial to manage this transition. Withdrawal of stimulus should not affect growth. The
government in India and elsewhere should navigate uncertainties like rising commodity prices and
inflationary pressures while any decision on raising interest rates is taken.
The credit rating business is increasingly coming under stricter regulations everywhere. How do you
react to this?
The US stipulated regulations for credit rating agencies in 2006, and Europe, Japan, and Australia followed
up. We were regulated in India much earlier. In fact, India gave us a good learning experience of working in
a regulated environment. We have operated really well under regulation.
You have taken over as chairman of Crisil too. How do you propose to integrate Crisil more and
more with S&P's operations?
This integration is an ongoing process. A few years ago there were a hundred Crisil analysts working for
S&P, and now the figure has increased 5-6 times. We are increasingly leveraging Crisil's analytical skills and
resources to support our global operations. We are also using Crisil's innovations and creativity as a
learning lab to expand in other emerging markets.
Do you propose to merge Crisil with the S&P brand?
We plan to continue the Crisil brand, as it is a great one with very good recognition.
Can you name some of the areas where you would like to carry forward Crisil's work in other
market?
Crisil's rating for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is a good example and we would like to use this
product in other markets. Another area where Crisil's experience and practices can be used is the various
initiatives taken by them on the infrastructure side. In fact, Crisil is a very good learning lab for us,
continuously providing training and innovations.
S&P has good business experience in developing indices and products. How will that be brought to
Indian market?
We have a joint venture with the National Stock Exchange for the indices business, and we will continue to
expand that business and develop more indices and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Fixed income indices
could be a product category that Indian investors might be interested in. A senior official of the bank said an
official announcement of the scheme was being finalised and would be made in the next 2 days. Under the
scheme, the bank would offer home loans at 8 per cent for the first two years, after which floating rates
would be charged, the official said.

Indian employee confidence among highest in the world: ET

2010-01-19T13:05:00.003-08:00

Indian employee confidence among highest in the world: ET
The Indian employees, along with their peers in Brazil and China, portray highest levels of confidence in the future of
their companies, a study says

.

As per global HR solutions provider Kenexa, the global employee confidence index score saw a slight improvement to
98 in the fourth quarter ended December 2009 from 97.9 in the third quarter.

"Brazil (107.5), China (105.6) and India (101.3) reported the highest levels of employee confidence in the fourth
quarter of last year," the report revealed.

On the other hand, France (94.9), Japan (94.0) and Spain (92.4) reported the lowest confidence levels. The US
employee confidence declined 0.6 per cent to 97.1 in Q4 compared to the previous quarter.

In the September quarter of 2009, Indian employee confidence index was 100.2 points, China's 102.8 and Brazil's
105.3. "Employee confidence fluctuated throughout 2009, with the majority of countries reporting both increases and
decreases. India and China were the only two that had an increase in scores, quarter over quarter," Kenexa Research
Institute research consultant Anne Herman said while releasing the report.

A high level of employee confidence is achieved when they perceive their firms are being effectively managed and
competitively positioned, and believe that they have a promising future in the organisation, job security and skills that
are attractive compared to other employers.

"We enter 2010 on a positive note. Our studies have linked employee confidence to higher country-level GDP and
stronger organisation performance, among other metrics. Therefore, this indicates that as employee confidence rises,
GDP and organisation's performance should both improve, indicating that we appear to be in a state of resurgence,"
Herman added.
The 12 largest economies reported an increase in employee confidence index scores in 2009, with the exception of
Japan, which reported a slight decrease for the year. Moreover, the countries which reported the most scores
throughout the year were China (15.8 point increase), Italy (8.1) and Brazil(7.1), the Kenexa report revealed.

The Kenexa Employee Confidence Index is measured quarterly taking opinions from employees in Brazil, Canada,
China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Russia, Spain, Britain and the US.

2010-01-19T13:05:00.001-08:00

?Indian banks robust': BL
Banks accounting as they do for 60 per cent of the country's financial assets are systemically
important.Indian banks are ?financially robust', declares the ?India's Financial Sector: An Assessment' report
released by the committee on financial sector assessment (CFSA) nine months ago.In the light of the global
financial crisis, many countries, including the US, were testing their financial systems for vulnerabilities.
The Reserve Bank of India, in association with Government of India, set up a CFSA which released the
foresaid report. While the data used for assessment are almost one and a half year old, the results are
relevant even today as the environment got worse, with banks sitting on higher proportion of non-performing
assets and restructured assets.
Capital adequacy
Take a look at what the report says on two main indicators: Capital adequacy and the asset quality of
banks.Providing a cross-country comparison, the report reveals that the Indian banks had capital adequacy
ratio and capital-to-asset ratio lower than those of their emerging market peers in Brazil, Mexico and South
Korea as of March 2007.However, the capital adequacy ratio of the banks is much above the 8 per cent
mandated by the Basle Committee and 9 per cent by the RBI. As of March, 2009, the capital adequacy ratio
of Indian banks stood at 13.98 per cent, thanks to the high capital adequacy ratio maintained by private and
foreign banks. Although government-owned banks have relatively lower ratios, they are still quite
comfortable.That said, nationalised banks would require recapitalisation from time to time to maintain this
ratio. The report states that thegovernment may need to pump in Rs 49,552 crore by 2012-13 for the
nationalised banks to grow their loans (risk weighted assets) at 30 per cent per annum. Asset quality
The Report says that Indian banks' capital adequacy ratio may fall by 140 basis points for 100 per cent
increase in the NPAs.
The Report acknowledges, that historically, Indian banks managed to clean up their balance sheets, thanks
to high treasury income during the falling interest rate regime, legal reforms such as SARFESI Act (2000)
enabling them to reduce the NPAs and the economy doing well in 2004-08.
It must be noted that when the report was written, the NPAs of banks had bottomed out. Since then they
have been trending up - Net NPAs have since risen by 32 per cent in 18 months ended September 30,
2009. High proportion of restructured loans is an added concern.

2010-01-19T13:04:00.005-08:00

H-1B quota of 65,000 for fiscal 2010 filled up:BL 241209
Initiatives by Indian cos to hire local skills, says Nasscom.

Mr Som Mittal
More than eight months after it began receiving H-1B applications, the US Citizenship and Immigration
Services (USCIS) has reached the Congressionally-mandated quota of 65,000 visa slots for FY2010.
Any new H-1B visa applications received after December 21, 2009 will be rejected.
"As per the latest available data, Indian companies have applied for fewer visas this year. In fact, this year
we have seen far more work being done from offshore locations, due to flexibility of customers. Also, given
the current employment situation in the US, companies have been hiring local workers. Many large Indian
companies have put in specific initiatives to hire local workers based on specific domain expertise," the
Nasscom President, Mr Som Mittal, told Business Line.
The pace of H-1B filings gained momentum in the last few weeks.In early October, over 18,000 H-1B visas
were available. This narrowed down to 9,400 visas (as on November 13) and 6,100 visas (November
27).Given the spike, the updates by USCIS on H-1B visa filings became more frequent in December.On
December 4, just about 3,900 slots were vacant, by December 8 only 3,500 visas slots remained, and last
week the applications received were just 800 short of the fiscal's quota of 65,000.Typical H-1B occupations
include architects, engineers, computer programmers, accountants, doctors and college professors.
Demand visibility
The US began accepting H-1B applications for fiscal 2010 on April 1, 2009, whereas the H-1B employment
season kicked off on October 1, 2009.While the stabilisation of the US economy was widely seen driving H-
1B appetite over the last few weeks, another reason could be the greater demand visibility attached to filings
post-October as the visas approved can be utilised almost immediately.Simply put, if a company applies for
H-1Bs just after April, in any case the visas can be used only when the season starts (in October).This
effectively means that the businesses that apply for H-1B visas need to have a medium-term visibility on
business environment.However, if they apply after October, they can utilise it immediately for positions that
are open.
Meanwhile, earlier this month, US Rep. Solomon P. Ortiz (from Texas) and US Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (from
Illinois) have introduced the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity (CIR
ASAP) in the House of Representatives. The proposed Bill has sections on border security and enforcement
but also deals with areas such as H-1B visa fraud and abuse protection issues."The Comprehensive
Immigration Bill is likely to suggest that foreign students hired should directly get into the green card
processing rather than the H-1B pool," said Nasscom's Mr Mittal.

Govt shortlists Citi, Kotak among 6 to advice on NMDC selloff: ET

2010-01-19T13:04:00.003-08:00

Govt shortlists Citi, Kotak among 6 to advice on NMDC selloff: ET

Six leading bankers, including Citigroup and Kotak Mahindra, are learnt to have been shortlisted for managing the
estimated Rs 14,000-crore divestment programme of state-owned iron ore producer NMDC. Last month as many as 17
investment bankers had made presentations to the inter-ministerial group (IMG), set up under the Finance Ministry, for
advising the government on the follow-on-public offer (FPO) of the country's largest miner.

"The IMG shortlisted six bankers, which include Citigroup, Kotak Mahindra, RBS Equities, UBS Securities, Morgan
Stanley and Edelweiss Capital to advice on the FPO," one of the investment bankers said on Sunday.

The IMG also shortlisted the Mumbai-based law firm Crawford Bayley to advice on the share sale from the seven firms
which presented their cases before it in December, a Finance Ministry official said, who also confirmed the
appointment of the six bankers as book runners-cum-lead managers of the FPO.

The development could not be confirmed independently with the shortlisted bankers or the law firms.

ICICI Securities, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, SBI Caps, JM Financial, Kotak Mahindra, IDFC-SSKI, Enam Securities,
DSP Merril Lynch, Deutsche Bank, Nomura Financial, IDBI Capital, Edelweiss Capital, Axis Bank, Karvy Investors,
RBS Equities, and UBS Securities comprised the 17 banks which made presentations to the IMG.

Amarchand Mangaldas, Luthra & Luthra, S&R Associates, Fox Mandal, Khaitan & Co, Dua Associates and Crawford
Bayley were in the fray to offer legal advice to the government on the additional stake sale in NMDC.

The Government is proposing to offload 8.38 per cent of its stake in the NMDC through an FPO, which is expected to
fetch Rs 14,000 crore to the exchequer, depending on share price on NMDC and also of the issue price.
NMDC closed at Rs 419.05, down 0.05 per cent on the BSE on January 8.

At present, the Government holds about 98.38 per cent in the Navratna mineral company, as the rest are already with
the public. The Cabinet last month cleared the proposal to sell government's additional equity in the company and is
working to complete the process by the end of this fiscal.

2010-01-19T13:04:00.001-08:00

Goods, services tax could boost India Inc's bottomline: Bhide:BL241209
Burden between domestic, imported goods will be equalised.

The Revenue Secretary, Mr P.V. Bhide, with the Assocham President, Dr Swati Piramal,at the National
Conference on 'GST - Roadmap to 2010', in the Capital on Wednesday. -Ramesh Sharma
The proposed dual-goods and services tax (GST) system could boost the bottomline of India Inc in an
appreciable manner as it will bring down their net burden of taxation by as much as 25-30 per cent, informal
calculations made by the Finance Ministry showed.That the GST would substantially enhance the
competitive edge of both the manufacturing and services industry was brought to the fore by the Revenue
Secretary, Mr P.V. Bhide, at aconference organised by Assocham here today.
His remarks on the visible advantages of GST come at a time when there are some who still question the
wisdom of planned switchover to the dual GST. The GST sceptics feel that the existing VAT system needs
some more time to settle down and that the GST introduction should not be rushed through.
Mr Bhide used the occasion to also highlight some of the invisible advantages that needed to be factored in
by the GST sceptics. He pointed out that GST could remove the disability that domestic producers suffer
from and also equalise the burden between domestic and imported goods.
Currently, domestic industry is subject to a variety of indirect taxes on its output. As the rates of tax and their
nature vary from State to State, it becomes impossible to apply these taxes fully to competing products that
enter the domestic stream through imports in a WTO-compatible manner.
Mr Bhide said that special additional duty of 4 per cent currently applicable to import of goods does not fully
counter-balance all domestic taxes such as Central sales tax, value added tax and others, as the rates of tax
on a given product varied from State to State.
Once these taxes are subsumed within GST and the rate of SGST for a product is uniform across the
country, a border tax equivalent to that rate would equalise the burden between domestic and imported
goods, Mr Bhide said.
Exporting community
The Revenue Secretary also said that the GST regime is likely to confer substantial benefits on the
exporting community in so far as it would permit the neutralisation of a substantial burden of State-level
taxes suffered on inputs and finished products, which was not the case today. Moreover, this would be true
of both goods and services in respect of all State taxes that are subsumed within the GST.
Meanwhile, Mr Bhide said that every effort was being made to pave the way for the introduction of GST in a
timely manner. The scope and nature of constitutional amendments that are needed to enable the
implementation are under active discussion at the Centre.
Mr Bhide said that the draft amendment Bill has already been prepared and was being examined by experts.
Work was also underway on the drafting of CGST law and model legislation for SGST. Progress has also
been achieved in the conceptualisation of IT infrastructure that would be required to implement the IGST
model for inter-State supply of goods and services.

2010-01-19T13:03:00.003-08:00

Gold mining funds outperform ETFs in 2009:BL 241209
DSP BlackRock, AIG World beat the benchmark.
Gold prices were often in the news this year due to its upward movements. However, investors who wanted
to piggyback on the firm trend should have chosen global gold funds rather than the gold ETFs.
Funds that invest in gold mining stocks (which underperformed gold ETFs in 2008) staged a sharp recovery
in 2009. The rebound in world equity markets and safe-haven buying in gold led by dollar's value
depreciation fuelled the run-ups in gold stocks.
Smaller miners perform
Since December-end last year, DSP BlackRock World Gold Fund has delivered a 37 per cent return and
AIG World Gold Fund a 48 per cent return, rallying far past their benchmark - FTSE Gold Mines index. The
interesting sidelight here is that the rally in frontline gold mining stocks such as Barrick Gold, Newcrest
Mining, Lihir Gold and Gold Corp weren't all that high.
However, gold funds have staged a strong performance on the back of smaller mid-cap gold miners such as
Keegan Resources, Evolving Gold, Hochschild Mining and Petropavlovsk Plc, which have seen prices more
than double this year.
The stocks of gold miners benefited from an improving earnings outlook. With gold seeing a 28 per cent
appreciation in price - from $866/ounce in December-end last year to $1082/ounce now - their realisations
improved. The commodity price correction also aided costs.
Gold itself managed a strong performance with help from fundamental factors. There was investment-led
demand for gold following the weakness in dollar (the US dollar index is down 3.8 per cent this year).
The holdings of the US SPDR gold trust, the world's largest gold backed ETF has gone up by 45 per cent
this year. In 2008, this fund's holdings had gone up by a smaller 24 per cent.
The trend of central banks turning from net sellers of gold to buyers, also aided gold's price rise.For
domestic investors, listed Gold ETFs have delivered a 23 per cent return this year, in-line with the domestic
gold prices that moved from Rs 13445/10 gram to Rs 16500/10 gm.Gold's rally in rupee terms was restricted
by the currency's appreciation against the dollar. In the domestic context too retail jewellery demand had
been subdued this year, but gold ETFs saw some good inflows.

2010-01-19T13:03:00.001-08:00

Gold futures may test resistance: BL

Comex gold futures ended the year higher in choppy trade as the dollar fell sharply after a report showed US
employers cut more jobs than expected in December. The dollar plunged against the euro in volatile trade
after the weak job report. The disappointing employment report dampened hopes of an economic recovery
putting a dent on rate hike expectations. Players in gold could focus mostly on interest rate expectations.
Investment demand for gold-backed exchange-traded funds remained soft after a lacklustre start to the New
Year. The largest gold ETF, New York's SPDR Gold Trust, reported a further 0.4 tonne dip in its holdings on
Thursday.
Comex gold futures are inching higher in line with our favoured view. Rise above near-term resistance at
$1,115 took prices higher towards important resistance at $1,145. This should prove to be a strong
resistance in the near-term. However, a successful daily close above this level could add to bullishness and
take prices further higher towards $1,160 or even higher towards $1,170. Crucial support is now at $1,115.
Move below this level could trigger a sharp fall towards $1,055 or even lower towards $1,011. Only a deeper
fall below $1,007 will indicate bearishness. Such a fall could take it lower towards $980 or even lower
towards $928, which we do not favour presently.
Elliot wave analysis indicates either a corrective move in the form of A-B-C in progress after a strong
impulse move or a possible end of a five wave impulse at $1,227. All the potential fifth wave targets have
been met. However, one more push above $1,225 cannot be ruled out to complete the fifth wave sequence.
An important Elliot wave objective comes in the $975-980 range for the correction to end. RSI is in the
neutral zone now indicating that it is neither overbought nor oversold. The averages in MACD are still below
the zero line of the indicator indicating bearishness. Therefore, look for gold futures to test the resistances
and then correct lower subsequently.
Supports are at $1,024, $1,115, and $1,082. Resistances are at $1,145, $1,160 & $1,172.

Gearing up with gizmos: BS

2010-01-19T13:02:00.003-08:00

Gearing up with gizmos: BS
From anti-theft devices to ?carputers?, your wheels can now have it all.Here are some numbers for you to
chew on: Last year, according to the National Crime Record Bureau, more than 40,000 cars, worth over Rs
150 crore, were stolen in the country. This piece of statistics is sure to worry all car owners, especially those
who plan to have a smarter car in the near future.
So, how can you make your car safer? If you are already rich enough to drive one of the high-end cars, in all
probability your car is already safe to a certain extent. For the rest, the ?thrill? of a smarter anti-theft device or
service can come at an extra cost. The Auto Expo 2010, which will conclude today, offers several solutions
in this regard. Of these, vehicle tracking has proved to be the biggest draw, partly due to the growing
consumer awareness about Global Positioning System (GPS) navigators.
Fleet management solutions company Trak-n-Tell, for instance, has systems that enable two-way
communication. It also has hidden microphones that allow you to listen to conversations in the vehicle ?
really handy if your vehicle is frequently driven by your teenaged kids, or if you want to keep an eye on your
drivers. At Rs 15,000, you can tune in to conversations while you aren?t even in the car and track your
vehicle too.
Then there?s MapMyIndia, which has taken GPS devices to a new level. The company has launched a GPS
system for superbikes. The system is waterproof and equipped with an FM transmitter, which allows bikers
to listen to navigation instructions on their FM receivers. The gadget also comes loaded with maps of 620
Indian cities, making riding across cities simple. Priced at Rs 18,990, it is ideal for those who cannot stay
away from their bikes.
Predictably, new-age car multimedia systems, too, have generated ample buzz at the Auto Expo. The
message is loud and clear ? in-car PC, or the ?carputer?, is going to be the next best thing to flaunt in your
car. These carputers are touch screen machines that double up as infotainment devices on which you can
have music, games and GPS ? all rolled into one. Many local manufacturers are betting on carputers, with
the price ranging between Rs 25,000 and Rs 40,000. Get these smart things if you see yourself surfing the
web on the road or watching movies on long drives, and want to avoid the hassle of carrying a laptop. If you
fret over missing out on your favourite YTV shows, then Dish TV has the answer to your worries. With its
newly-launched Personal Live TV, you can watch over 70 TV channels on the move. To get a single-screen
live TV in your car, you will have to fork out close to Rs 1.9 lakh, whereas a multi-screen system ? for a car
like Toyota Innova ? would cost close to Rs 2.5 lakh.
It is comforting to see BMW replacing the bewildering array of switches, knobs and buttons with the iDrive
technology. This basically bisects the car?s cockpit into the driving zone, which contains all controls essential
to driving, and the comfort zone, where a central console helps one regulate all the vehicle?s comfort
functions. Users can choose and change functions, right from communications to climate control to
navigation to entertainment, by pushing the console knob forward or back, or side-to-side (just like a
computer mouse). A monitor is positioned in front of the driver, just below his line of vision to the road
ahead.
The Mercedes S 500L, another scene-stealer at the Auto Expo this year, elegantly carries a split ?Comand?
system, which allows passengers to watch separate content (films, videos, etc) on their screens. And even
though the Porsche might have given the Expo a miss, its cars continue to be one of the snazzier ones. For
instance, if you had the Porsche Panamera, you would surely love to show off its automatic window blinds
that operate with just the click of a button. But, if you want to get this automatic feature, you will have to shell
out Rs 82,000.
Even the good old car audio has been overhauled to incorporate a new design. For instance, brands like
Blaupunkt have enlarged the screens on their audio systems, and that too with touch screens. These are
available in high-end models. Suited for SUVs or cars with bigger dashboards, these systems cost upwards
of Rs 40,000.
So, while there are gadget and gizmo galore for your wheels, you may just want to bear in mind the age-old
adage: All good things in life don?t come cheap!

2010-01-19T13:02:00.001-08:00

Focus shifts to mid-caps: BL

Investment managers optimistic about first half of 2010, but nervous about second half.

Tightening of monetary policy may limit flow of cash to the stock market this year.
This week Dalal Street may see the Sensex move within a range, but mid-cap stocks may outperform.
Bulls have decidedly shifted their immediate focus out of blue-chips. However, this does not mean that any
good news and better-than-expected numbers would be ignored. Fund managers and investment advisors
are busy looking for room to direct funds. Stock picking in the mid-cap space appear to be gaining
momentum for the time being.
Globally, investment managers and strategist are optimistic about the outlook for the first half of 2010, but
nervous about the second half. Wall Street bankers are not hesitant in recommending fund flow towards
emerging markets.
According to fund flow tracker EPFR, global emerging markets and BRIC funds witnessed record inflow from
investors in the first week of 2010.
Except for Mr Jim Rogers, who has a negative outlook on the US economy and believes that the country is
heading for a currency crisis, an overwhelming majority (80 per cent in the latest Merrill Lynch survey)
among Wall Street fund managers expect the biggest economy would grow.
According to Mr Michael Hartnett, Chief Global Equity Strategist at Merrill Lynch: ?Investors are nervous but
optimistic heading into the new year and respondents (to a survey) are looking for a 7.7 per cent return from
global equity markets.?
Wall Street's most influential bank, Goldman Sachs, is bullish about a continuing rally this year in the US and
Europe, with some moderations. Goldman expects investors to be more daring and BRIC exposure is
among its three key themes.
RBC is also bullish about emerging markets, which it expects will produce strong return, particularly in the
first half. But it feels the second half of 2010 will be fraught with risks that could lead to a sizable market
downturn. It is in favour of a disciplined risk management. RBC has cautioned against a few key risks ?
vulnerability of the US economy to less than expected growth in private sector demand, dollar collapse in a
disorderly fashion, excessive fund flow into emerging markets creating a false sense of security and their
policy makers' inability to handle emerging situations in a market-oriented way.
Despite recovery, UBS feels risks are numerous. It suggests return to fundamentals, ?quality? stock selection
and fair valuation. Morgan Stanley's strategy team thinks the withdrawal of stimulus will be a dangerous
period for the US economy and markets. Market gains will be more difficult going forward and thus the risk-
reward ratio of the current market is substantially more negative than it was a few months ago. Credit Suisse
also believes that 2010 would be a difficult year for equities.
Though Deutsche Bank remains bullish in the near-term, especially the first quarter of the year, it is
increasingly cautious about the prospects in the later part of 2010. Sovereign debt and inflation are
considered as potential hurdles to the continuation of the global equity rally.
The outlook for local equity market may not be an easy one as phased-out policy tightening takes place
through the year. However, early part of the year is expected to see steady gains.

2010-01-19T13:01:00.004-08:00

Finance Ministry to review loan recovery practices: BL
Undervaluation of properties under one-time settlement auctions.
Taking serious note of alleged irregularities in the one-time settlement (OTS) schemes for recovery of non-
performing loans of public sector banks and ?undervaluation? of mortgaged properties during auctions, the
Finance Ministry has called a fact-finding meeting.
The Ministry has also sought proposals ? including amending laws like the Debt Recovery Tribunal Act and
the SARFAESI Act ? from the banks to improve the system. It has also suggested that the PSBs should
make their OTS schemes more transparent.
The meeting, slated for this week, has been called on findings of some instances where PSBs have settled
the NPAs for much lesser amounts than the realisable value, official sources said.
Undervalued prices
Also, there have been incidents where mortgaged properties were auctioned off at ?undervalued? prices, the
sources said. The meeting is to find out whether there was any actual mischief or if it was due to practical
difficulties in finding a buyer to pay a higher value for the property as the registered value shown on paper
would have been lesser than its actual value, they added.
Therefore, to avoid misunderstandings, the Ministry has sought details from PSBs on the gaps between the
outstanding NPA amount and the settlement amount, as well as the practical difficulties in getting back the
loan amount or in realising the actual value of the mortgaged property.
?We want PSBs to run on sound principles. Besides, we are answerable to Parliament regarding their
finances. Therefore, we want to find out the efficiency of PSBs in loan recovery,? an official said.
The Government could also consider suggestions like amending the DRT Act to ensure faster recovery of
the loan amount. In this regard, through amendments, a limit could be set on the number of permissible
adjournments by these Tribunals while hearing cases.
Separate committee
Incidentally, to ensure more transparency in their OTS scheme, some PSBs have set up separate
settlement advisory committee headed by retired High Court judges.
The banks recover bad loans through channels such as DRTs, Lok Adalats and SARFAESI Act. According
to RBI data, the amount recovered as a percentage of the money involved was the maximum through DRTs,
followed by SARFAESI Act. The Ministry also wants to find ways to ensure higher recovery through
SARFAESI Act and Lok Adalats. Besides, the meeting will also discuss incidents of fraud where fake title
deeds of house, building or land were used to get finance from banks many times over on the same
immovable property.

2010-01-19T13:01:00.003-08:00

Electric scooters lack power to boost sales: BS
Sales of electric scooters in the country have been sluggish even as manufacturers are trying to improve
their products and service network and match consumer expectations. K K Bhan, managing director of Ultra
Motor India, said the category was not growing as anticipated. ??Last year, the industry sold 110,000 e-bikes;
this year, it will be less than that. Volumes are small and margins are tight. India is a difficult market to
crack,? he said. The nascent industry has been battling on several counts. Though the running cost is low
(an eight-hour battery recharge consumes one unit of energy), the battery in an e-bike has to be replaced
every 20,000 km, or roughly every year, which costs Rs 8,000-10,000.?Consumers in India don?t think of the
battery as a fuel tank, but as a spare part,? said Bhan. Similarly, even though a customer, on an average,
may be driving 30-40 km a day, he is concerned about the limited range (60 km per charge) of these bikes.
The industry has been trying to address these issues. Electrotherm India, which sells YObikes brand of e-
bikes, has come up with batteries that offer a higher range and can be recharged in four hours, in half the
time it takes other bike batteries to recharge.
Similarly, Electrotherm has come up with a stronger chassis for its bikes as there?s a tendency in India to
ride double-seat, though these bikes can carry at best one adult and one child. Similarly, battery
maintenance is another big issue with these bikes.
The industry?s cause has not been helped by regional and fly-by-night operators, who have been importing
containers of bikes from China, and dumping them in the Indian market. Some of these bikes had quality
issues, which led to product failures and left consumers with a bad taste. At one stage, there were 300
players in the market. Today, only four-five serious players are left in the fray, many of whom have invested
Rs 80-100 crore in their venture. These include Hero Motors, which launched three bikes at the Delhi Auto
Expo, Electrotherm, BSA Motors, Ultra Motor (a British company), and Kolhapur-based Emmel Wheelers,
part of the auto component FIE Group.
They are all vying for the 8-million-per-annum two-wheeler market in the country. As there?s increasing
awareness on global warming, e-bike manufacturers hope consumers will shift to these battery-operated,
non-polluting varieties. What could trigger such a shift are incentives from state governments, like Delhi and
West Bengal offers.The Delhi government has waived the value added tax and provides a 15-per cent
subsidy on these bikes, which makes each bike cheaper by Rs 7,000-8,000.

2010-01-19T13:01:00.001-08:00

Editors come together to fight 'paid news' BS 241209
The Editors Guild of India has expressed anguish and concern over the increasing number of reports
detailing the practice of carrying "paid news" by some newspapers and television channels, especially during
the recent elections. In a statement released today, the editors said they were deeply shocked and
concerned over the matter. The Guild, at its Annual General Meeting held on December 22, has strongly
condemned this practice, which whittles the foundations of Indian journalism, and calls upon all editors in the
country to desist from publishing any form of advertisement which masquerades as news, the Guild said in a
statement released today.
The Guild noted that it had always stood for publication of news which is in public interest; news which has
been gathered due to the professional efforts of journalists; and news which is not influenced by malice,
bias, favouritism or monetary influence.
The Guild recognised that news media, in print and electronic form, had a genuine right to publish and
broadcast advertisements on all issues, subject to the voluntary Advertising Standards Council code and the
News Broadcasting Standards Code.
''It is imperative that news organisations have to clearly distinguish between news and advertisements with
full and proper disclosure norms, so that no reader and viewer is tricked by any subterfuge of
advertisements published and broadcast in the same format, language and style of news. It is disturbing that
this "paid news" practice is also being used by companies, organisations and individuals, apart from political
parties,'' the editors' body said in a statement.
The Guild further deplored the practice of "private treaties", where news organisations accept free equity in
unlisted companies in lieu of promoting these companies through news columns and television news
programmes. The news organisations should disclose their commercial and equity interests in such
companies to the readers and viewers in a transparent manner.
''The Guild decries the unsavoury and unacceptable practice of some political parties and candidates
offering payment for 'news packages' to news media and its representatives to publish and telecast
eulogising and misleading news reports on the political parties. Both the media organisations and editors
who indulge in it, and the customers who offer payment for such 'paid news', are guilty of undermining the
free and fair press, which every citizen of India is entitled to,'' it said in the statement.
It observed that such irresponsible acts by a few media organisations and journalists is discrediting the
entire media of the country, which has a glorious tradition of safeguarding democratic rights and exposing all
kinds of injustices and inequities. Editors and journalists have been at the vanguard of the movement for
creation of a just society, both during the days of colonial rule and Independent India. The ugly phenomenon
of "paid news" will be a blot on the country's democratic fabric.
The Guild called upon publishers, editors and journalists of media organisations to fight this creeping
menace of commercialisation and bartering of self-respect of the media. During the coming months, the
Guild plans to join hands with other organisations to sensitise the media and civil society, including political
parties and the Election Commission, on the need to eliminate this unacceptable practice.
The Guild will be shortly unveiling an initiative to encourage transparency regarding "paid news" and "private
treaties." ''We appeal to all stakeholders to join us in pushing for a clean, transparent media,'' the Guild said
in its statement.
Rajdeep Sardesai, President of the Guild, announced the formation of an Ethics Committee headed by T N
Ninan, editor, Business Standard. The members are B G Verghese, editor and columnist; Sumit
Chakravartty, editor, Mainstream, and Madhu Kishwar, editor, Manushi.

2010-01-19T13:00:00.001-08:00

Cyber Security:Predictions galore: BL
A look at what cyberspace might hold this new year..

Through the looking glass.
Predictions dished out by astrologers and experts on January 1 each year are lapped up by consumers
whichever walk of life or profession they might be.
The cyber world is no different. I am not for a moment underplaying the importance or utility of such
predictions. What I look for is certain exactitude in warning what one should be prepared for in the New
Year. This is why I am amused when experts say that 2010 will see more intrusions in cyberspace and we
should be more vigilant.
There are, however, a few analyses that are slightly more concrete and therefore meaningful. As for
instance, when McAfee, the reputed anti-virus software vendor, projects a year that will be marked by
intensified criminal concentration on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Its 2010 Threat
Predictions report suggests that Twitter will, in particular, be the target of those who want to hide sinister
Web sites somewhere so that their detection becomes difficult. There will also be exploitation of popular
applications alongside increased sophistication of cyber criminals. McAfee also believes that HTML5 will be
popular among malware writers. More attacks on Adobe Reader and a rise in banking Trojans are distinct
possibilities.
The prognosis, especially with regard to Facebook and other such sites, seems credible because of the
avalanche of attacks on them that one saw in 2009. Readers may also recall that a number of hackers into
these sites succeeded in breaking into users' profiles and posting links to malware-affected sites.
Notwithstanding these, I do not foresee any drop in new subscribers to Facebook and Twitter, because they
are live and interesting to an average individual looking for excitement in cyberspace. They have also
acquired a certain aura, thanks to VIP users such as our own Minister in the Ministry of External Affairs,
Shashi Tharoor.
Apart from McAfee, there are several other companies offering predictions. One of them is Kaspersky Lab,
again an anti-virus software provider, which is headquartered in Moscow and has offices all over the world.
Although the company indulges in some generalisations, such as an increase in the sophistication of
attacks, it makes bold to predict that next year will witness less number of attacks using Web sites and
applications. There will also be fewer malicious applications making bogus claims of being genuine anti-virus
and security software. Kaspersky attributes this to market saturation of such products and increased
vigilance of law enforcement officials. Also interesting will be to watch how cyber criminals are going to
receive new operating systems such as Windows 7 and Snow Leopard.
Perhaps somewhat contentious is the prediction that black hat hackers will start legitimising their activities
by means of partner programmes, wherein professional criminals will be assisted through monetising spam
botnets, denial of service attacks and malware. It is not clear on what basis Kaspersky is making this
assertion. But it is undoubtedly an interesting speculation that should alert policemen patrolling cyberspace.
Equally intriguing and absorbing is Kaspersky's belief that 2012 will see more pressure on mobile phone
applications, file sharing and peer to peer networks. The Kaspersky analysis sounds erudite and cannot be
ignored. It merits careful analysis.
Another expert surmise is that there will be first time criminal attention to cloud computing services. It is just
possible that these services will be hijacked and used to control and direct attacks. (More about the security
threats to cloud computing in a subsequent column.) Also, botnets will become more sophisticated. Perhaps
the most amusing suggestion is that there will be inter-gang wars where one gang may hijack the botnets
controlled by other gangs. In sum, whatever happens in the real world could be replicated in cyberspace!
Amidst all these conjectures comes the report now of extreme ingenuity on the part of a hacker called Samy
Kamkar who, only the other day, demonstrated how we can identify a browser's geographic location by
exploiting the weaknesses in many Wi-Fi routers. Incidentally, Samy is the hacker who, in 2005, through
what is now known as Samy Worm, put MySpace out of commission by adding more than one million friends
to the author's account. Kamkar tells us of how hardware firewalls can be penetrated with the help of some
JavaScript embedded in a Web page. He is positive that by luring victims to a malicious link, the aggressor
can access any service on the victim's machine. This is a dreadful prospect. The caveat, however, is that the
visitor must have on his machine an application running, such as file transfer protocol or session initiation
protocol. For one Samy known to us, there are a thousand others with a dishonest intention. This is why we
need to do everything within our capacity to educate ourselves on the latest modes of attack and take
minimum possible precautions.
Some cheer news
Against this background of fears of perils in cyberspace, the findings of two recent studies make sense. The
first by PriceWaterCoopers (PwC) claims that there is a nearly 100 per cent improvement in the security
capabilities of the IT-BPO industry in the past few years. Also noteworthy is the shift of accent from
technology to people-related controls through increased importance to employee security awareness
programmes.
Another study, conducted by KPMG and Nasscom, is nearly equally positive. According to it, security has
now become a Board room concern and a majority of companies look upon it as a business enabler.
Information security is now part of the training imparted to newcomers, and this has brought in its own
rewards in terms of protecting corporate information. This is heartwarming if one considers the situation until
a few years ago, when IT security was a very low priority, something of a ritual rather than a protector of a
company's assets and image.
The writer is a former CBI Director who is currently Adviser (Security) to TCS Ltd.

2010-01-19T12:58:00.001-08:00

Cyber Quiz: BL
Questions
1. According to ComScore, Inc, US shoppers spent a whopping $27 billion online in the holiday season with
the second most productive day being ?Cyber Monday' with sales of $887 million after the December 15
sales which saw $913 million being spent. When was ?Cyber Monday'?
2. If the signalling rate for USB 2.0 is 480 Mbit/s, what is it for the new USB 3.0?
3. Teenager David Nelson, the founder of a music service, was chastised by Vevo which asked him to stop
using the service's content and trademark. Name the teenager's site.
4. Name the game that has broken many records, earning the distinction of being the ?most pirated game of
2009' with downloads exceeding 4.1 million times till end December since its early November launch.
5. The team from which prestigious varsity won a $40,000 online, nine-day challenge in early December,
proposed by the US government's DARPA, in just nine hours?
6. According to Netcraft's December 2009 Web Server Survey, how many million sites were there across all
domains: 225, 234 or 240?
7. Why is February 4, 2004 a significant date in the online world of social networking?
8. Which OS has the default browser NetPositive (often called Net+)?
9. Which dangerous worm has/had the aliases ?Simpsons', ?Kwyjibo' or ?Kwejeebo'?
10. The popular video capture and video processing utility for Microsoft Windows written by Avery Lee is
called..?
Answers
1. November 30.
2. 4.8 Gbit/s
3. Muziic
4. ?Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2'.
5. MIT
6. 234 (from about 12 million in 1999).
7. Facebook, initially named ?thefacebook', made its appearance.
8. Be Operating System (BeOS).
9. Melissa
10. VirtualDub.

2010-01-19T12:56:00.001-08:00

Corporation Bank targets Rs 1.5 lakh crore-biz this fiscal: BL

We are planning to grow by 52 per cent in the home loan segment.

Mr J.M. Garg, Chairman and Managing Director
Mr J.M. Garg, Chairman and Managing Director of Corporation Bank, feels that the performance of the bank
has been better than the system in spite of the economic slowdown. For the current financial year, Mr Garg
foresees a business growth of 23 per cent.
In an interview with Business Line, he spoke on various subjects ranging from the bank's targets for the
current financial year, the developments on the deposit and credit front, and the bank's plans for recruitment
among others. Excerpts from interview:
What is the business target for the current fiscal?
We have targeted a business level of Rs 1.5 lakh crore (1.22 lakh crore) by the end of March. This would
translate to a business growth of around 23 per cent, which is quite good, considering the present business
scenario and slowdown in credit offtake.
We have set a target of Rs 90,000 crore of deposits and Rs 60,000 crore of advances by the end of the
fiscal.
How is the growth in CASA?
The focus on CASA (Current Account, Saving Account) has borne fruit in the form of steady year-on-year
growth of around 24 per cent in savings deposits. The slowdown in credit has had its impact on the opening
of current deposits accounts and year-on-year growth has been only 15 per cent.
Growth in retail term deposits has been well over 30 per cent, which should enable the bank to shed some
of its bulk deposits.
Term deposits are growing though the interest rates have come down. People are now putting money in
short-term deposits, and are not going for long-term deposits. That gets reflected in term deposits. With that
the cost of deposits is coming down. I expect it to come down to 6 per cent by March-end. (It was around
6.44 per cent by the end of September).
Incidentally, almost all of the erstwhile high cost deposits have been replaced at very low rates, which will
further bring down the cost of deposits.
What future do you see for the growth of vehicle loans and home loans?
The auto industry is showing signs of revival and production. The passenger car segment has seen an
upturn. The demand for passenger cars has also shown some increase and we hope to see a growth in the
vehicle loans category. The bank has introduced a special product ?Corp Vehi Plus' with a rate of interest of
8 per cent frozen for the first year.
So far we have disbursed about Rs 100 crore under this scheme. We are projecting to nearly double the
vehicle loan portfolio to meet the growing demand in this sector.
As far as the home loan segment is concerned, real estate prices have been showing some corrections and
a number of houses and flats are now being offered by builders at more affordable prices. We are planning
to grow by 52 per cent in this segment. We have launched ?Corp Home Delight' scheme with an interest rate
of 8 per cent in the first year. So far, we have disbursed more than Rs 250 crore under this scheme. For
quickening the pace of sanctions, we have further fine-tuned our centralised processing systems so that we
are able to reduce the time between sanction and disbursement.
(The total vehicle loan portfolio of the bank stands at Rs 960 crore and home loan at Rs 4,400 crore. The
total retail portfolio of the bank is only 18 per cent of the total advances).
How is the performance of agri-loans and what are your plans in this regard?
We propose to increase the share of agriculture in adjusted net bank credit from 11 per cent in March 2009
to 15 per cent by March 2010. To improve performance under agriculture, we will focus on financing well-run
dairy co-operatives and rice mills.
We will also focus on zone-specific initiatives, such as floriculture in Bangalore, organic farming in Hassan,
Hubli and Belgaum, etc. Apart from this, the existing schemes will be made more customer-friendly. Finance
to dealers in fertilisers, pesticides, seeds and farm equipment is also being given focus.
To augment existing technical manpower, a good number of agricultural field officers are being recruited,
who are expected to exploit the hitherto untapped potential in northern and western parts of the country.
Can you explain your plans for increasing non-interest income?
For the current fiscal, the bank has targeted a growth of 45 per cent in non-interest income from core areas
(such as fees, commissions, exchange) from a level of Rs 449 crore in 2008-09 to Rs 650 crore in 2009-10.
The bank has taken several measures such as increase in volume of bank guarantees and letters of credit
business, focus on sale of third party products like mutual funds, bancassurance, gold retailing, garnering
higher share of Government business, and so on. These concerted efforts are showing results and the bank
looks forward to achieving its target.
What plans do you have to raise funds during the fiscal? What amount of funds was raised during the year
till now?
The bank has so far raised tier-I bonds for Rs 500 crore and tier-II bonds for Rs 1,550 crore during 2009-10.
The capital adequacy of the bank was very comfortable at 18.18 per cent (of which tier-I stood at 10.75 per
cent) as at September. This is sufficient to take care of expansion plans in the immediate future. In case the
markets are favourable, we may raise further funds through bonds.
What is happening on the recruitment front?
Corporation Bank has planned to recruit around 1,000 people in the current financial year. About 60 per cent
of these vacancies would be filled in the clerical cadre. Of the remaining, we are planning to recruit around
300 officers in specialist category and around 125 in the general category.

2010-01-19T12:54:00.001-08:00

Corporation Bank looking at big-scale branch expansion:BL 241209
To focus on tier-3 to tier-6 centres.

Mr J.M. Garg
Corporation Bank, which has 1,094 branches in the country, is looking at expansion of its branch network on
a big scale in the next five years.Mr J.M. Garg, Chairman and Managing Director, told Business Line that the
bank is planning to open around 700 branches during the next five years.
Asked about the regions of focus, he said the bank has not identified any areas as such. However, he said
the bank will go for opening branches in tier-3 to tier-6 centres of the northern, eastern and western parts of
the country. "We will go in a limited manner in the South," he said.The major advantages for the bank
increasing its share in such centres are that it will be able to garner more CASA (current account and
savings account) deposits and it will help increase its presence in semi-urban and rural areas. "By opening
branches in tier-3 to tier-6 centres, the bank wants to increase the share of CASA deposits in its total
deposits. Those are the places where the CASA is high," Mr Garg said.
The move will also help the bank get additional licences to open branches in urban and metro centres.
To get licences
It will also help the bank get licences from the RBI in metros and urban centres where it does not have a
presence."These licences will be based on how many branches the bank has opened in tier-3 to tier-6
centres," he said.
Of the 1,094 branches of the bank, nearly 40 per cent of them are in semi-urban and rural areas. Mr Garg
said that in the banking industry it is the other way round.
The rural and semi-urban branch share of most of the banks is 60 per cent.Added to this, the move will help
the bank increase its agriculture lending also.To a query on increasing the overseas presence, Mr Garg said
that the bank has representative offices at Hong Kong and Dubai."The Hong Kong representative office is
proposed to be upgraded into a branch. Further we have plans to open offices in important financial centres
in future subject to necessary approvals," he added.

China systematically killing Indian manufacturing sector: L&T: ET

2010-01-19T12:52:00.001-08:00

China systematically killing Indian manufacturing sector: L&T: ET

Private sector engineering major Larsen & Toubro has said that China is systematically killing Indian manufacturing
sector and sought 25 per cent anti-dumping duty on Chinese goods. "China has a fixed currency. It is not a market
economy like ours. China is systematically killing the Indian manufacturing sector," Naik, who was here for foundation
stone laying ceremony of a forgings unit at Hazira told reporters here yesterday. "There are taxes on goods
manufactured locally, but none on imported products (from China). This is an unfair situation for Indian goods. This is
why there should be 25 per cent anti-dumping duty on Chinese products," Naik said.

Speaking specifically about power equipment sector, in which L&T is a major player, Naik said, "The Indian power
companies, especially those in the private sector, have placed huge orders for power plant equipment with China. We
can say that Chinese power sector is virtually working for India." "It is not good that 80 per cent of our dependence for
power plant equipment is on one country, and that too China," he said, adding that China should not be allowed to grow
at the cost of Indian companies. "The day China opens its economy, its prices are bound to go up by 25 per cent," he
said. "But unfortunately we are not taking any steps to stop it," Naik further said.

L&T's special steel manufacturing and ultra heavy forgings unit at Hazira is a joint venture with Nuclear Power
Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL), in which L&T holds 74 per cent stake while the latter 26 per cent. The plant is being
set up at an investment of Rs 1,750 crore, and will supply finished forgings for nuclear reactors, pressurisers and steam
generators, besides heavy forgings for critical equipment in the hydrocarbon sector, as well as thermal power plants and
steel plants. The unit is expected to begin operations between March and May next year.

L&T is also investing over Rs 5,000 crore for setting up facilities to manufacture boilers, turbines, modular
fabrications. It is also establishing a ship-building unit and a power plant at its Hazira facility. "The boiler shop will be
opened in March or April this year, which will be followed by the turbine shop in August or so," Naik said.

2010-01-19T12:50:00.001-08:00

Check out FD schemes for saving income tax : ET

Fixed deposits offered by banks have been the favourite traditional saving and investment instrument for Indians. In
the union budget of 2006, the long-term bank deposits were made liable for the tax benefit under section 80C of
Income Tax Act, 1961.

It means investments up to Rs.1,00,000 in Bank FD at least for 5 years qualify for deduction from the gross total
income for purpose of tax calculations.

On the backdrop of high interest rate last year, banks were flooded with deposits under this scheme. Now, it is a time
to make tax planning for the financial year 2009-10 .

In view of this we bring out a ready reckoner on the tax savings deposit schemes offered by leading commercial
banks.

Deposit Amount (Per financial year)

Minimum: 1000
Maximum: 1,00,000

Tenure

Minimum: 5 years
Maximum: 10 years

Mode of Payment: Lump sum at the time of maturity or quaterly

Current Deposit rate (% per annum): 7.25 (Note: Additional 0.25% if the tenure of deposit is
8 years and up to 10 years)

Deposit Amount (Per financial year)

Minimum: 10, 000
Maximum: 1,00,000

Tenure

Minimum: 5 years
Maximum: 10 years

Mode of Payment: Lump sum at the time of maturity or quaterly

Current Deposit rate (% per annum): 7.00

Deposit Amount (Per financial year)

Minimum: 5, 000
Maximum: 1,00,000

Tenure

Minimum: 5 years
Maximum: 10 years

Mode of Payment:

Maximum: 1,00,000

Tenure

Minimum: 5 years
Maximum: 10 years

Mode of Payment: Lump sum at the time of maturity or quaterly or monthly

Current Deposit rate (% per annum): 6.75

Deposit Amount (Per financial year)

Minimum: 100
Maximum: 1,00,000

Tenure

Minimum: 5 years
Maximum: 10 years

Mode of Payment: Lump sum at the time of maturity or quaterly or monthly

Current Deposit rate (% per annum): 7.00

Deposit Amount (Per financial year)

Minimum: 10, 000
Maximum: 1,00,000

Tenure: 5 years

Mode of Payment: Lump sum at the time of maturity or quaterly or monthly

Current Deposit rate (% per annum): 7.75

Deposit Amount (Per financial year)

Minimum: 100
Maximum: 1,00,000

Tenure: 5 years

Mode of Payment: Quaterly or monthly

Current Deposit rate (% per annum): 6.00

Deposit Amount (Per financial year)

Minimum: 100
Maximum: 1,00,000

Tenure: At least 5 years

Mode of Payment: Lump sum at the time of maturity or quaterly

Current Deposit rate (% per annum): 7.00

2010-01-19T12:49:00.001-08:00

Central Bank's 99th Foundation Day:BL 241209

Central Bank of India, NS Road Branch, Kolkata, along with the bank's offices in several parts of the country,
celebrated its 99 {+t} {+h} Foundation Day here on Monday, according to a press release. An old customer
having savings bank account since 1935 showed up with her passbook, the release adds.

2010-01-19T12:47:00.001-08:00

Call rates unchanged:BL 241209
Call rates closed unchanged at 3.25-3.3 per cent on Wednesday. In the one-day reverse repo auction, under
the liquidity adjustment facility, the Reserve Bank of India received and accepted 24 bids amounting to Rs
37,050 crore. There were no repo bids. In the CBLO auction, there were 537 trades for Rs 63,188.2 crore in
the rate range of 3-3.25 per cent.

2010-01-19T12:45:00.001-08:00

Bonds yields may ease: BS
The yield on the government bonds may ease on Monday as investors await fresh cues on interest rate
trend. Dealers said yields may buck the trend (of hardening) which was driven by the rising inflation and
apprehension over Reserve Bank of India making a start for tight monetary policy. Investors could chose to
stay light until fresh cues on interest rates emerge.
The selection of papers for auction on Friday, movement in US Treasury notes and global crude oil futures
may also influence sentiment in domestic bonds. On Friday, the G-Sec market improved on value buying
and amidst the auction cut-offs being in line with expectations. The benchmark 10-year paper (6.90 per cent
paper 2019) closed at Rs 94.30 implying a yield of 7.76 per cent.
Call rates to remain steady
The interest rates in the overnight inter-bank market are expected to remain steady on ample liquidity in the
system. Banks have made provision for meeting reserve requirements. There are sufficient resources in the
system to manage any increase in demand for funds, dealers said. On Friday, call rates moved in the range
of 3.20 per cent to 3.40 per cent, which is around reverse repo rate as the liquidity in the money markets
was comfortable.
Rupee may turn weak
After witnessing sharp rise in value against the US dollar last week, Indian rupee may turn weak on increase
in demand from importers. The flow of overseas capital in stock market and from dollar?s movement against
major currencies would also influence the rupee.

2010-01-19T12:44:00.001-08:00

Bond prices close higher:BL 241209

Bond prices opened stronger and closed higher from the previous close on positive sentiments. But the
huge gains made by the equity markets prevented prices from rising further, said a bond dealer with a
private bank. After comments by the Planning Commission Deputy Chairman, Mr Montek Singh Ahluwalia,
on Tuesday, it seems unlikely that a rate hike will happen before the January monetary, said the dealer. The
expectation is that a rate hike now could adversely impact credit demand. Therefore, the RBI may not take a
rate action immediately. The total traded volumes on the order matching system were higher at Rs 9,610
crore (Rs 8,965 crore).

2010-01-19T12:42:00.001-08:00

BoI to launch 8% home loan plan on Jan 1 BS 241209
State-run Bank of India was set to launch an 8 per cent home loan scheme from January 1, M Narendra,
executive director of the bank said today. "We are in the process of launching such a scheme. The scheme
will be open to applicants from January 1 to February 28," he said. A senior official of the bank said an
official announcement of the scheme was being finalised and would be made in the next 2 days. Under the
scheme, the bank would offer home loans at 8 per cent for the first two years, after which floating rates
would be charged, the official said.

2010-01-19T12:41:00.001-08:00

Banks shore up funds fearing rate hike:BL 241209
Issue certificates of deposit for Rs 20,000 cr.

Commercial banks appear to be trying to second-guess Reserve Bank of India's moves on interest rates and
liquidity management.There is fear that the RBI might suck out excess liquidity through a hike in cash
reserve ratio to rein in inflation. Banks have issued certificates of deposit (CD) aggregating to about Rs
20,000 crore in the past two weeks to mop up resources before they become dear.
Tax outflow
The rash of CD issuances - coming as they do in the backdrop of advance tax outflows from India Inc
totalling Rs 54,000 crore in the December quarter - has led to interest rates on these money market
instruments nudging up by about 25 basis points in the last fortnight.Certificates of deposit are short-term
money market instruments issued by banks. Generally, banks, mutual funds and large companies invest in
these instruments, which have a face value of Rs 1 lakh.
Fortification
Anticipating an upward pressure on interest rates, commercial banks are fortifying themselves with cheap
funds by issuing CDs of longer duration - up to one-year maturity, said a senior bank official with a State-
owned bank.That the flurry of CD issuances has pushed up interest rates on these instruments is
underscored by the fact that while State Bank of Travancore issued one-year duration CDs at 5.75 per cent
on December 7, Bank of Baroda issued one-year CDs at 5.97 per cent on December 18.
Among those that have raised between Rs 500 crore and Rs 1,000 crore through certificates of deposit are
UCO Bank, United Bank of India, Central Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Corporation Bank, Central
Bank of India, Canara Bank, Bank of Baroda, State Bank of Travancore and State Bank of Hyderabad."One
reason why CD rates have moved up in the last 15 days or so is the cyclical raising of funds by banks to
shore up their top line as the quarter comes to an end. Moreover, liquidity is at a premium currently, as funds
have gone out of the system due to advance tax payments. Hence the rush to issue CDs before rates start
moving up," said a dealer with a public sector bank.
Banks, depending upon their credit rating, are able to raise one-year funds through CDs at a coupon rate of
5.95-6.00 per cent. In the corresponding period last year, banks had raised resources at a higher rate of 9.5-
10 per cent, as liquidity was tight then.According to RBI data, banks have garnered about Rs 83,000 crore in
the first 10 months of the current calendar year through CD issuances against Rs 27,000 crore in the
corresponding period last year.

2010-01-19T12:39:00.001-08:00

Banks returning to retail advances: BL

Fallout of ample liquidity, healthy economic outlook.

Housing loansdriving growth.
Banks are cautiously increasing their focus on the retail segment after a period of going slow on this
business.
Compared with the private banks, public sector banks appear more aggressive on retail business now.
This is due to a variety of factors including the tardy growth in corporate credit offtake, which has resulted in
ample liquidity in the system.
Banks had also reined in credit to the retail sector due to the perceived increased risk on account of the
general slowdown.
Slowdown fear fading
However, according to experts, the scenario is now changing due fears of the economic slowdown fading
away and more importantly, ample liquidity.
?Many banks have now launched marketing campaigns for their retails products such as home loans, vehicle
loans, gold loans/sale of gold coins, educational loans and personal loans,'' an economist with State Bank of
India told Business Line.
According to Ms Renu Challu, Managing Director, State Bank of Hyderabad , a strong focus on retail
advances led to a pick-up in credit growth during October-November 2009.
?Our retail focus has started paying-off. From 3.8 per cent, the advances grew to 9.2 per cent in October and
the November/December figures are likely to be more,'' she said.
The bank, which had done ?significant' sanctions in November, would register a credit growth of 20 per cent
for the year, she said.
Looking up
For most of the banks, housing loans, among others, are driving growth in retail advances. For instance, at
Rs 458 crore at the end of October, 2009, the housing loan portfolio grew by over 87 per cent for SBH.
The year 2009 had, in fact, ended on an optimistic note for housing loans. With many banks offering loans at
rates as low as 8 per cent, this segment is looking up.
With economic growth looking healthy and property prices stabilising, most players are upbeat about good
growth in the home loans segment next year, feel experts.
Public sector banks are also willing to tap the potential in the demand for personal loans though they are
generally being extended to their own customers.
In fact, it is time for the public sector banks to occupy the space vacated by private sector majors.
Private banks, that were aggressive on personal loans till last year, are now hesitant due to high default rate.
They are also reducing their exposure to retail. Other segments such as car loans, gold loans and sale of
gold coins are receiving attention.
The State Bank of India even opened its first exclusive gold coin outlet at Hyderabad.
The third quarter figures would showcase the growing focus of banks on retail more categorically, feel
analysts.

2010-01-19T12:38:00.001-08:00

Banks get more time to rejig loans to mutual funds:BL 241209
Banks have got an extension of six months to restructure their loans to mutual funds and Irrevocable
Payment Commitments (IPCs) issued in favour of stock exchanges.The Reserve Bank of India, in a
notification issued on Wednesday, extended the time for banks to comply with the guideline from December
31, 2009 to June 30, 2010.
The RBI had asked banks to be judicious in extending finance to mutual funds and grant loans to MFs only
to meet their temporary liquidity needs. Bank loans to MFs should be only for the purpose of repurchase or
redemption of units within the ceiling of 20 per cent of the net asset of the scheme and should not be for
more than six months, the RBI said. Such loans to equity-oriented MFs would form part of banks' capital
market exposure.
With regard to IPCs, the RBI said that they should be treated on par with guarantees issued for the purpose
of capital market operations and will, therefore, form part of the capital market exposure.

Banking facility at every 5 km radius in three years in Guj: ET

2010-01-19T12:36:00.001-08:00

Banking facility at every 5 km radius in three years in Guj: ET

People of Gujarat would have access to the banking facilities at every 15 km radius area by March 2010 and that
distance will be brought down to five km in next three years.

At present, there are only 405 villages in 28 blocks in 14 districts which are without bank branch in the radius 15 kms,
which is termed as under banked areas.

"The State Level Bankers' Committee (SLBC) in consultation with Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space application and
Geo informatics (BISAG) has undertaken the exercise of mapping of block wise bank branches in the state," said
Mukesh Kumar Jain, General Manager of Dena Bank Gujarat which is convenor for SLBC in the state.

According to Jain, in the last meeting of SLBC, it has been decided to provide banking facility either through fell-
fledged branch, satellite branch or business correspondent model.

"Once we achieve the target of providing bank facility at 15 kms radius, we will further bring down the distance from
15 kms to 5 kms in next three years," he said.

As per the figures provided by SLBC, in Gujarat, there are total 5881 bank branches in the state as on September 2009
and 376 applications were pending before the Reserve Bank of India for opening of new branches.

Bank staff productivity doubles in five years : BL

2010-01-19T12:35:00.001-08:00

Bank staff productivity doubles in five years : BL

Growth in business outpaced that in manpower.
Employees of Indian banks have become more productive over the last few years.According to ?A Profile of
Banks 2008-09' released by the RBI, the average business and profits per employee for Indian banks more
than doubled in the five years from 2004-05 to 2008-09.
The improvement was due to business growth outpacing that in manpower. Indian banks registered a total
business (advances plus deposits) growth of 135 per cent from 2004-05 to 2008-09, while their employee
strength edged up only by 10 per cent. Their branch network grew by 21 per cent.
Public sector catches up
Contrary to the general perception, public sector banks' (PSB) employee productivity grew at a faster rate
than that for private sector banks in this period. As of March 2009, both private banks and PSBs had
average business per employee of Rs 7.44 crore. However, private banks generated higher
profits/employee (Rs 6.1 lakh) with fee income forming a significant proportion of their earnings (which is
outside the core business). Fee income for private listed banks contributed 25 per cent of their net revenues
for FY09.
PSBs increased their branch network by 2 per cent between 2004-05 and 2008-09.However, the employee
strength has fallen by 1 percentage point in spite of recruiting more than 26,000 people in 2008-09.
Shrinking PSB workforce
The decline in employee base of PSBs during this period was due to a good portion of the workforce getting
superannuated and the implementation of VRS scheme in 2000 to rationalise the workforce. More than 1.26
lakh employees of 26 banks were given the VRS option.
Punjab National Bank, Canara Bank and Central Bank of India have seen their employee strength fall the
most among PSBs. IDBI Bank, Corporation Bank and Oriental Bank are the top three PSBs in terms of
productivity. IDBI Bank has business per employee of Rs 20 crore even as it added around 5,600
employees during 2004-09. Corporation Bank also increased its manpower by 2,200. As the PSBs'
productivity doubled during this period, they caught up with its private sector peers in terms of business per
employee.
Whither private banks
Private banks increased their workforce by more than 110 per cent over the five-year period. Private banks
improved their business per employee by 28 per cent. Some private banks employ direct selling agents who
bring in business but don't figure on the bank's payroll; this could overstate their productivity to some extent.
The new-age private sector banks such as ICICI Bank, Axis Bank and YES Bank witnessed improvement in
their employee productivity in terms of both business and profits.HDFC Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank and
IndusInd Bank are the only banks which have witnessed decline in their productivity over the years. HDFC
Bank's merger with Centurion Bank of Punjab has taken a toll on its productivity.
As productivity of bank employees shot up, so did their compensation. Even as the total employee count for
Indian banks grew by 15 per cent, employees' wages grew by 85 per cent over five years.

Bank charges may be capped: BS

2010-01-19T12:33:00.001-08:00

Bank charges may be capped: BS
Banks may soon have to cap the charges on basic services such as issuing a draft, remittances or for stop-
payment instructions. Faced with a rising number of customer complaints on excessive charges, the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has asked the Indian Banks? Association (IBA) to come up with guidelines on
what the reasonable charges should be.
Accordingly, the industry lobby has asked its Committee for Customer Service headed by Standard
Chartered Bank CEO Neeraj Swaroop to submit a report to the regulator. In turn, a sub-committee of
bankers from State Bank of India, Corporation Bank, Citibank and ICICI Bank, which is headed by Union
Bank of India Executive Director S Raman, has been tasked with framing the guidelines.
Sources associated with the sub-committee told Business Standard that the panel has been mandated to
look into 27 items categorised as basic transaction services.
Apart from charges for issuing cheque books and drafts, the committee is looking at charges for cheque
return, reviving inoperative accounts, issue of duplicate pass books and others such as not maintaining the
prescribed minimum balance.
Charges for special services such as loans and credit cards are not within the committee?s purview.
?There is wide disparity between what different banks charge their customers. The committee will come up
with caps on what banks can charge for basic services,? said a member of the sub-committee.
For instance, public sector lenders such as State Bank of India (SBI) require regular savings account
customers to maintain a minimum average balance of Rs 1,000 per quarter, while private sector lenders
such as ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank require a minimum balance of Rs 10,000.
Foreign lenders such as Citibank, Standard Chartered and HSBC have minimum balance requirements of
Rs 25,000 per quarter.
The penalties for non-maintenance of minimum balance are also steep for private and foreign banks.
SBI charges Rs 75 per year for non-maintenance of minimum balance. ICICI Bank and Citibank charge Rs
750 per quarter.

SERVICE FEE
Service SBI ICICI Bank Citibank
Issuing demand draft 30 onwards 50 onwards 150 onwards
Cheque return (outward) 75.00 100.00 100.00
Cheque return (inward) 75.00 350.00 350.00
Setting up standing instructions 50.00 150.00 NA
Min balance penalty 100-200/ quarter 750/ quarter 250/ quarter
Stop payment 50.00 quarter 50.00 quarter 50.00 quarter
National electronic fund
transfer
5-25/
transaction
5-25/
transaction
5-25/
transaction
Amount in Rs, NA: Not available, *Issued through branches,
**Free if instructions given online Source: Bank websites
?A lot of these charges are deterrents and the banks don?t really make money from them. They are used to
increase efficiency and improve customer behaviour,? said another sub-committee member.
The committee is expected to submit its recommendations next month, and if RBI accepts them, the
guidelines will come into effect from 1 April 2010.
Banks are currently required to prominently display their service charges and fees in an RBI-prescribed
format on their website and at all branches.
Before 1997, service charges and fees were governed by IBA guidelines. Later, RBI decided to allow banks
to frame their own charges subject to approval from respective boards.
Similarly, RBI had asked IBA to come up with guidelines on the use of ATMs for inter-bank transactions.
Adherence to IBA guidelines on reasonable service charges and fees would be voluntary.

2010-01-19T12:31:00.001-08:00

Axis Bank recasts retail banking BS 241209
Instead of products, consumer groups come into focus. After restructuring its corporate banking operations,
Shikha Sharma-led Axis Bank, the country's third-largest private sector lender, has initiated a
comprehensive recast of its business, including the retail side.
While a large-scale recast is likely to be discussed by the board shortly, marking a fundamental shift in the
way it goes about its retail business, the bank has regrouped its operations under two new divisions. One
will be known as mass and mass-affluent banking, while the other will be called affluent banking."Earlier the
retail set-up was organised on the basis of products. Now, the operations will be organised on the basis of
customer groups," said Snehomoy Bhattacharya, president (human resources) of the bank.
Manju Srivatsa, who was previously head of retail banking, will now head the mass and mass-affluent
banking division. The lenders retail assets, retail liabilities and credit cards groups will be housed under this
division. The bank's priority banking offering is part of the mass-affluent category.
Sonu Bhasin will head affluent banking, which includes the bank's fledgling private banking group. Bhasin
was previously president (retail financial services), which oversaw distribution of third-party products such as
insurance and mutual funds.
There will also be some new faces at Maker Tower, the looming high-rise overlooking the Arabian Sea,
which houses the bank's headquarters. The lender is looking at bringing in a new head for retail assets and
credit cards, which are currently two separate groups. According to sources, the top candidate for the job is
Jairam Sridharan, who is currently with US-based lender Capital One Financial and has worked with ICICI
Bank in the past.
He will be Shikha Sharma's second senior recruit after V Srinivasan, who left JP Morgan to join Axis Bank
as executive director for corporate banking in September.
The bank has already seen one high-profile exit in Hemant Kaul, who was executive director of retail
banking and also in the running for the position of chief executive officer.
According to sources, the bank is also planning some changes on the human resources front and may
increase the number of grades.
Axis Bank has scrapped the practice of having a separate division for distribution of third-party products.
Now, each of the two divisions will look after third-party distribution among their respective customer
segments.
In keeping with the theme of customer service, the bank has merged its operations and IT divisions and split
them into retail operations & IT and wholesale operations. Retail operations and IT is headed by Rajagopal
Srivatsa, who was previously head of business banking. The division will deal with customer service issues
such as new account openings, follow-ups and cash management.
Axis Bank has retail assets worth Rs 17,984 crore as on September 30, accounting for 22 per cent of its
loan book. The percentage of retail assets on its loan book is much smaller than other large private such
bank such as ICICI Bank (45 per cent) and HDFC Bank (54 per cent).
The sweeping changes in the bank's retail operations come close on the heels of the recast in the bank's
overall structure. In October, Axis Bank had organised its business into strategic business units -- retail
banking, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and agriculture; corporate banking; non-banking retail
subsidiaries and corporate centre. Earlier, the bank had a vertical structure with executive directors in
charge of retail, corporate banking, mid-corporate and SME banking, and IT and business process.
The lender has also brought many changes on the corporate banking side. Most notably, it has put together
a 60-member strong group headed by Siddharth Rath to focus on lending to the infrastructure sector, which
is the biggest contributor to the bank's corporate loan book. The lender has also created the position of a
chief risk officer, which has been filled by Bapi Munshi, earlier president for treasury.

2010-01-19T12:30:00.001-08:00

AV Rajwade: It's the rupee, stupid! : BS
While many in the government are talking of tax and other sops, it is the value of the rupee that determines
exports.
Last week, when the rupee appreciated to below 46 per dollar, there were reports about the ?sops? expected
to be offered to exporters in the next few days (One has always wondered why any procedural simplification
or other benefits given to exporters are referred to as ?sops?: The dictionary meaning of the word is
?conciliatory bribe, gift or concession?). Incidentally, the series of import duty cuts over the last two decades
have rarely been referred to by the media as ?sops? to importers. These seem to consist of extension of
some schemes (export credit interest rates?), increase in duty drawback rates for exports to ?specific
markets, of specific products, and of specific products to specific markets?! One wonders whether anybody
has quantified the actual benefit of such ?sops? as a percentage of exports. According to my estimate, a 1
per cent cut in export credit interest rates, even if you assume it is honestly passed on to the exporters by
lending banks, improves the margin by just 0.1 per cent of exports! In contrast, the rupee?s appreciation
against the dollar and the inflation differential together mean a loss of competitiveness of as much as 10 per
cent in the current year! ?Sops? are no substitute to a competitive exchange rate! The recent appreciation of
the rupee has had me wondering whether our domestic currency has become a ?commodity currency?:
Media short form for currencies of large commodity exporters ? Australia, for example. (While we do export
one commodity in significant quantities, namely iron ore, we are hardly a major commodity exporter: Indeed,
our import bill for commodities is much larger than export earnings.) These currencies tend to appreciate
when global commodity prices are rising, which is exactly what has happened with the rupee recently. At the
opening rate last Friday morning, the rupee had appreciated about 14 per cent against the dollar since
March 2009. To be sure, most Asian currencies have appreciated against the dollar during the period, but
these countries have surpluses on the current account. Last Thursday, the newly appointed finance minister
of Japan expressed his desire for a weaker yen and hinted at intervention in the market if needed.
One currency which has remained rock steady against the dollar during this period is the Chinese yuan. The
Economic Times reported on January 7 that the ?yuan revaluation move? took the rupee to a 12-week high.
The ?move? is a recommendation by a ?think tank? which, of course, may or may not be accepted by the
authorities. To my mind, it is extremely unlikely that, from a ?big power? perspective, China would make a
change in policy at this stage. In the last couple of months alone, it has been publicly pressured both at the
Apec Summit, and bilaterally by senior EU officials, to change its policy: A change now would clearly create
an impression that it has succumbed to external pressure, an impression the Chinese would be most
reluctant to create. Surely, one reason for our $20-billion bilateral trade deficit with China is the difference in
exchange rate policies?
The reason for the rupee?s appreciation is not so much competitiveness of the domestic economy as capital
inflows. As per the balance of payments data for the first half of the year, published on December 31, the
current account deficit has gone up from $15.8 billion in H1 2008-09 to $18.6 billion ? or, say, 3 per cent of
GDP. The current account deficit has gone up despite a reduction in the merchandise trade deficit, the latter
primarily due to lower oil prices. (These have gone up ever since and analysts expect the price to go up
further as global economy recovers more strongly in the current year.) The surplus on invisibles has dropped
even more sharply, leading to an increase in the current account deficit. One point should not be forgotten:
The deficit is suppressed by the inclusion of inward remittances as part of the current receipts. While this is
the accounting convention, the fact is that, in terms of economic analysis, remittances are more like capital
transfers than current receipts. For analytical purposes, the deficit needs to be regarded as closer to 9 per
cent of GDP, a horrendously large figure. And, an appreciating rupee certainly does not help improve it.
One wonders whether the central bank is looking at an appreciating currency as an anti-inflationary
measure. This has turned out to be a costly and risky course for many countries. Also, capital flow-induced
appreciation is not a sign of strength: It is swelling, not muscle. In a panel discussion, while talking about
capital inflows, the RBI governor said, ?No policy option, including Tobin tax, is off the agenda. In the long
list all this is there. The question is what instruments do we use and when?? So far the only option he seems
to have chosen is rupee appreciation. On this subject, we do need to learn more from our northern
neighbour than our western friends: After all, China is undoubtedly the most successful growth economy
ever. But more on the yuan next week.

2010-01-19T12:27:00.001-08:00

Asci upholds Tata Sky's complaint against Airtel's DTH campaign:
BS
The competition among the half a dozen rival direct-to-home (DTH) operators in the country has once again
spilled over to the advertising arena. The Advertising Standards Council of India (Asci) has upheld a
complaint by Tata Sky against rival Airtel Digital TV for misleading the consumers in its ?Dil Titli? television
campaign featuring Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor. In its complaint to Asci made in November 2009,
Tata Sky had called the campaign ?misleading? for suggesting that the picture quality of Airtel Digital TV was
superior as it used the MPEG4 and DVB-S2 technology. The Asci, in its final hearing last week, upheld the
Tata Sky complaint and may soon ask Airtel to either modify or withdraw the campaign, sources in Asci said.
The Asci is the apex self-regulation body of the advertising industry. It deals with the complaints received
from consumers and industry against advertisements that are considered as false, misleading, indecent,
illegal, leading to unsafe practices, or unfair to competition.
In 2008, Tata Sky had dragged its rival Dish TV before the fair trade regulator ? Monopolies and Restrictive
Trade Practices Commission ? terming the Dish TV advertisement offering free set-top boxes as
?misleading? and ?deceptive?.
Tata Sky and Dish TV, the top two private DTH operators in the market, use MPEG2 technology while the
remaining DTH operators, including Sun Direct, Digital TV, Big TV and D2H, use MPEG4 technology.
In its complaint to Asci on the Airtel Digital TV advertisement issue, Tata Sky said that while MPEG4 was a
video compression standard and DVB-S2 was a satellite transmission standard, both these specifications
had no relationship with video quality. ?MPEG4 is a video compression technology that helps in packing
more channels within a given bandwidth. This has no relation with the picture quality, and it has been
scientifically proven. This is what we have told Asci. We are not there to stop anyone from advertising, we
just want the right message to go to the consumers,? said Vikram Mehra, CMO, Tata Sky. When contacted,
Airtel Digital TV CEO Ajay Puri said: ?We did receive a communication from Asci asking us to explain the
MPEG4 technology. We have not received any notice from them to withdraw the campaign yet.? ?MPEG4 is
a proven better compression technology and that is what we have said in our communications to the
consumers. Our ads are not directed against anybody,? he said. Industry sources, however, said that since
the DTH market had been extremely competitive, such ad campaigns may affect the consumers decision to
opt for one DTH operator over another. Currently, between the six DTH players, an average of around
18,000-20,000 DTH connections are being sold each day with Airtel Digital TV alone selling over 7,000
connections, higher than some of its rivals.
?We are selling 200,000 DTH connections each month,? confirmed Puri. Tata Sky, which is now the third-
largest DTH operator behind Dish TV and Sun Direct, is adding over 100,000 subscribers per month. ?Till
November 2009, our subscriber base stood at 4.5 million ?on a monthly basis, we have been selling far
more than 100,000 subscribers,? Mehra of Tata Sky said.

Win XP Tweaks

2009-11-06T19:25:00.001-08:00

Win XP Tweaks

-----------
STARTUP
-----------

Windows Prefetcher
******************
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ Session Manager \ Memory Management \ PrefetchParameters]

Under this key there is a setting called EnablePrefetcher, the default setting of which is 3. Increasing this number to 5 gives the prefetcher system more system resources to prefetch application data for faster load times. Depending on the number of boot processes you run on your computer, you may get benefits from settings up to 9. However, I do not have any substantive research data on settings above 5 so I cannot verify the benefits of a higher setting. This setting also may effect the loading times of your most frequently launched applications. This setting will not take effect until after you reboot your system.

Master File Table Zone Reservation
**********************************
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ FileSystem]

Under this key there is a setting called NtfsMftZoneReservation, the default setting of which is 1. The range of this value is from 1 to 4. The default setting reserves one-eighth of the volume for the MFT. A setting of 2 reserves one-quarter of the volume for the MFT. A setting of 3 for NtfsMftZoneReservation reserves three-eighths of the volume for the MFT and setting it to 4 reserves half of the volume for the MFT. Most users will never exceed one-quarter of the volume. I recommend a setting of 2 for most users. This allows for a "moderate number of files" commensurate with the number of small files included in most computer games and applications. Reboot after applying this tweak.

Optimize Boot Files
*******************
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Dfrg \ BootOptimizeFunction]

Under this key is a text value named Enable. A value of Y for this setting enables the boot files defragmenter. This setting defragments the boot files and may move the boot files to the beginning (fastest) part of the partition, but that last statement is unverified. Reboot after applying this tweak.

Optimizing Startup Programs [msconfig]
**************************************

MSConfig, similar to the application included in Win9x of the same name, allows the user to fine tune the applications that are launched at startup without forcing the user to delve deep into the registry. To disable some of the applications launched, load msconfig.exe from the run command line, and go to the Startup tab. From there, un-ticking the checkbox next to a startup item will stop it from launching. There are a few application that you will never want to disable (ctfmon comes to mind), but for the most part the best settings vary greatly from system to system.

As a good rule of thumb, though, it is unlikely that you will want to disable anything in the Windows directory (unless it's a third-party program that was incorrectly installed into the Windows directory), nor will you want to disable anything directly relating to your system hardware. The only exception to this is when you are dealing with software, which does not give you any added benefits (some OEM dealers load your system up with software you do not need). The nice part of msconfig is that it does not delete any of the settings, it simply disables them, and so you can go back and restart a startup application if you find that you need it. This optimization won't take effect until after a reboot.

Bootvis Application
*******************
The program was designed by Microsoft to enable Windows XP to cold boot in 30 seconds, return from hibernation in 20 seconds, and return from standby in 10 seconds. Bootvis has two extremely useful features. First, it can be used to optimize the boot process on your computer automatically. Second, it can be used to analyze the boot process for specific subsystems that are having difficulty loading. The first process specifically targets the prefetching subsystem, as well as the layout of boot files on the disk. When both of these systems are optimized, it can result in a significant reduction in the time it takes for the computer to boot.

Before attempting to use Bootvis to analyze or optimize the boot performance of your system, make sure that the task scheduler service has been enabled - the program requires the service to run properly. Also, close all open programs as well - using the software requires a reboot.

To use the software to optimize your system startup, first start with a full analysis of a fresh boot. Start Bootvis, go to the Tools menu, and select next boot. Set the Trace Repetition Settings to 2 repetitions, Start at 1, and Reboot automatically. Then set the trace into motion. The system will fully reboot twice, and then reopen bootvis and open the second trace file (should have _2 in the name). Analyze the graphs and make any changes that you think are necessary (this is a great tool for determining which startup programs you want to kill using msconfig). Once you have made your optimizations go to the Trace menu, and select the Optimize System item. This will cause the system to reboot and will then make some changes to the file structure on the hard drive (this includes a defragmentation of boot files and a shifting of their location to the fastest portion of the hard disk, as well as some other optimizations). After this is done, once again run a Trace analysis as above, except change the starting number to 3. Once the system has rebooted both times, compare the charts from the second trace to the charts for the fourth trace to show you the time improvement of the system's boot up.

The standard defragmenter included with Windows XP will not undo the boot optimizations performed by this application.

-----------------------------------
General Performance Tweaks
-----------------------------------

IRQ Priority Tweak
******************
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ System \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ PriorityControl]

You will need to create a new DWORD: IRQ#Priority (where # is the number of the IRQ you want to prioritize) and give it a setting of 1. This setting gives the requisite IRQ channel priority over the other IRQs on a software level. This can be extremely important for functions and hardware subsystems that need real-time access to other parts of the system. There are several different subsystems that might benefit from this tweak. Generally, I recommend giving either the System CMOS or the video card priority. The System CMOS generally has an IRQ setting of 8, and giving it priority enhances the I/O performance of the system. Giving priority to the video card can increase frame rates and make AGP more effective.

You can give several IRQs priority, but I am not entirely certain how the system interacts when several IRQs are given priority - it may cause random instabilities in the system, although it is more likely that there's a parsing system built into Windows XP to handle such an occurrence. Either way, I would not recommend it.

QoS tweak
*********
QoS (Quality of Service) is a networking subsystem which is supposed to insure that the network runs properly. The problem with the system is that it eats up 20% of the total bandwidth of any networking service on the computer (including your internet connection). If you are running XP Professional, you can disable the bandwidth quota reserved for the system using the Group Policy Editor [gpedit.msc].

You can run the group policy editor from the Run command line. To find the setting, expand "Local Computer Policy" and go to "Administrative Templates" under "Computer Configuration." Then find the "Network" branch and select "QoS Packet Scheduler." In the right hand box, double click on the "Limit Reservable Bandwidth." From within the Settings tab, enable the setting and then go into the "Bandwidth Limit %" and set it to 0%. The reason for this is that if you disable this setting, the computer defaults to 20%. This is true even when you aren't using QoS.

Free Idle Tasks Tweak
*********************

This tweak will free up processing time from any idle processes and allow it to be used by the foreground application. It is useful particularly if you are running a game or other 3D application. Create a new shortcut to "Rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks" and place it on your desktop. Double-click on it anytime you need all of your processing power, before opening the application.

Windows Indexing Services
Windows Indexing Services creates a searchable database that makes system searches for words and files progress much faster - however, it takes an enormous amount of hard drive space as well as a significant amount of extra CPU cycles to maintain the system. Most users will want to disable this service to release the resources for use by the system. To turn off indexing, open My Computer and right click on the drive on which you wish to disable the Indexing Service. Enter the drive's properties and under the general tab, untick the box for "Allow the Indexing Service to index this disk for fast file searching."

Priority Tweak
**************
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ PriorityControl]

This setting effectively runs each instance of an application in its own process for significantly faster application performance and greater stability. This is extremely useful for users with stability problems, as it can isolate specific instances of a program so as not to bring down the entire application. And, it is particularly useful for users of Internet Explorer, for if a rogue web page crashes your browser window, it does not bring the other browser windows down with it. It has a similar effect on any software package where multiple instances might be running at once, such as Microsoft Word. The only problem is that this takes up significantly more memory, because such instances of a program cannot share information that is in active memory (many DLLs and such will have to be loaded into memory multiple times). Because of this, it is not recommended for anyone with less than 512 MB of RAM, unless they are running beta software (or have some other reason for needing the added stability).

There are two parts to this tweak. First is to optimize XP's priority control for the processes. Browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ PriorityControl and set the "Win32PrioritySeparation" DWORD to 38. Next, go into My Computer and under Tools, open the Folder Options menu. Select the View tab and check the "Launch folder windows in separate process" box. This setting actually forces each window into its own memory tread and gives it a separate process priority.

Powertweak application
**********************
xxx.powertweak.com

Powertweak is an application, which acts much like a driver for our chipsets. It optimizes the communication between the chipset and the CPU, and unlocks several "hidden" features of the chipset that can increase the speed of the system. Specifically, it tweaks the internal registers of the chipset and processor that the BIOS does not for better communication performance between subsystems. Supported CPUs and chipsets can see a significant increase in I/O bandwidth, increasing the speed of the entire system. Currently the application supports most popular CPUs and chipsets, although you will need to check the website for your specific processor/chipset combo - the programmer is working on integrating even more chipsets and CPUs into the software.

Offload Network Task Processing onto the Network Card
*****************************************************
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Services \ Tcpip \ Parameters]

Many newer network cards have the ability of taking some of the network processing load off of the processor and performing it right on the card (much like Hardware T&L on most new video cards). This can significantly lower the CPU processes needed to maintain a network connection, freeing up that processor time for other tasks. This does not work on all cards, and it can cause network connectivity problems on systems where the service is enabled but unsupported, so please check with your NIC manufacturer prior to enabling this tweak. Find the DWORD "DisableTaskOffload" and set the value to 0 (the default value is 1). If the key is not already available, create it.

Force XP to Unload DLLs
***********************
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer]
"AlwaysUnloadDLL"=dword:00000001

XP has a bad habit of keeping dynamic link libraries that are no longer in use resident in memory. Not only do the DLLs use up precious memory space, but they also tend to cause stability problems in some systems. To force XP to unload any DLLs in memory when the application that called them is no longer in memory, browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer and find the DWORD "AlwaysUnloadDLL". You may need to create this key. Set the value to 1 to force the operating system to unload DLLs.

Give 16-bit apps their own separate processes
*********************************************
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ WOW]
"DefaultSeparateVDM"="Yes"

By default, Windows XP will only open one 16-bit process and cram all 16-bit apps running on the system at a given time into that process. This simulates how MS-DOS based systems viewed systems and is necessary for some older applications that run together and share resources. However, most 16-bit applications work perfectly well by themselves and would benefit from the added performance and stability of their own dedicated resources. To force Windows XP to give each 16-bit application it's own resources, browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ WOW and find the String "DefaultSeparateVDM". If it is not there, you may need to create it. Set the value of this to Yes to give each 16-bit application its own process, and No to have the 16-bit application all run in the same memory space.

Disable User Tracking
*********************
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer]
"NoInstrumentation"=dword:00000001

The user tracking system built into Windows XP is useless to 99% of users (there are very few uses for the information collected other than for a very nosy system admin), and it uses up precious resources to boot, so it makes sense to disable this "feature" of Windows XP. To do so, browse to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer and find the DWORD "NoInstrumentation". You may need to create this key if it is not there. The default setting is 0, but setting it to 1 will disable most of the user tracking features of the system.

Thumbnail Cache
***************
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ Advanced]
"DisableThumbnailCache"=dword:00000001

Windows XP has a neat feature for graphic and video files that creates a "thumbnail" of the image or first frame of the video and makes it into an oversized icon for the file. There are two ways that Explorer can do this, it can create them fresh each time you access the folder or it can load them from a thumbnail cache. The thumbnail caches on systems with a large number of image and video files can become staggeringly large. To disable the Thumbnail Cache, browse to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ Advanced and find the DWORD "DisableThumbnailCache". You may need to create this key. A setting of 1 is recommended for systems where the number of graphic and video files is large, and a setting of 0 is recommended for systems not concerned about hard drive space, as loading the files from the cache is significantly quicker than creating them from scratch each time a folder is accessed.

Windows Xp Tips 'n' Tricks, Windows XP Tips 'n' Tricks

2009-11-06T19:24:00.003-08:00

Windows Xp Tips 'n' Tricks, Windows XP Tips 'n' Tricks

Please note that some of these tips require you to use a Registry Editor (regedit.exe), which could render your system unusable. Thus, none of these tips are supported in any way: Use them at your own risk. Also note that most of these tips will require you to be logged on with Administrative rights.

Unlocking WinXP's setupp.ini
============================

WinXP's setupp.ini controls how the CD acts. IE is it an OEM version or retail? First, find your setupp.ini file in the i386 directory on your WinXP CD. Open it up, it'll look something like this:

ExtraData=707A667567736F696F697911AE7E05
Pid=55034000

The Pid value is what we're interested in. What's there now looks like a standard default. There are special numbers that determine if it's a retail, oem, or volume license edition. First, we break down that number into two parts. The first five digits determines how the CD will behave, ie is it a retail cd that lets you clean install or upgrade, or an oem cd that only lets you perform a clean install? The last three digits determines what CD key it will accept. You are able to mix and match these values. For example you could make a WinXP cd that acted like a retail cd, yet accepted OEM keys.

Now, for the actual values. Remember the first and last values are interchangable, but usually you'd keep them as a pair:

Retail = 51882 335
Volume License = 51883 270
OEM = 82503 OEM

So if you wanted a retail CD that took retail keys, the last line of your setupp.ini file would read:

Pid=51882335

And if you wanted a retail CD that took OEM keys, you'd use:

Pid=51882OEM

How do I get the "Administrator" name on Welcome Screen?
========================================================

To get Admin account on the "Welcome Screen" as well as the other usernames, make sure that there are no accounts logged in.

Press "ctrl-alt-del" twice and you should be able to login as administrator!

finally worked for me after i found out that all accounts have to be logged out first

Fix Movie Inteferance in AVI files
==================================

If you have any AVI files that you saved in Windows 9x, which have interference when opened in Windows XP, there is an easy fix to get rid of the interference:

Open Windows Movie Maker.
Click View and then click Options.
Click in the box to remove the check mark beside Automatically create clips.

Now, import the movie file that has interference and drag it onto the timeline. Then save the movie, and during the rerendering, the interference will be removed.

Create a Password Reset Disk
============================

If you're running Windows XP Professional as a local user in a workgroup environment, you can create a password reset disk to log onto your computer when you forget your password. To create the disk:

Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click User Accounts.
Click your account name.
Under Related Tasks, click Prevent a forgotten password.

Follow the directions in the Forgotten Password Wizard to create a password reset disk.

Store the disk in a secure location, because anyone using it can access your local user account

Change Web Page Font Size on the Fly
====================================

If your mouse contains a wheel for scrolling, you can change font size on the fly when viewing a Web page. To do so:

Press and hold Ctrl. Scroll down (or towards yourself) to enlarge the font size. Scroll up (or away from yourself) to reduce the font size.

You might find it useful to reduce font size when printing a Web page, so that you can fit more content on the page.

WinXP Clear Page file on shutdown
=================================

WINXPCPS.REG (WinXP Clear Page file on shutdown)

This Registration (.REG) file clears the Page file when you power off the computer.
Restart Windows for these changes to take effect!
ALWAYS BACKUP YOUR SYSTEM BEFORE MAKING ANY CHANGES!

Browse to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ System \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ Session Manager \ Memory Management

and add the DWORD variable "ClearPageFileAtShutdown"=dword:00000001

You can also do this without reg hacking.
Go to Control panel Administartative tools, local security policy. then goto local policies ---> security options.
Then change the option for "Shutdown: Clear Virtual Memory Pagefile"

Group Policy for Windows XP
===========================

One of the most full featured Windows XP configuration tools available is hidden right there in your system, but most people don't even know it exists. It's called the Local Group Policy Editor, or gpedit for short. To invoke this editor, select Start and then Run, then type the following:

gpedit.msc

After you hit ENTER, you'll be greeted by gpedit, which lets you modify virtually every feature in Windows XP without having to resort to regedit. Dig around and enjoy!

Forgetting What Your Files Are?
===============================

This procedure works under NTFS.

As times goes along you have a lot files on your computer. You are going to forget what they are. Well here is way to identify them as you scroll through Windows Explorer in the future.

This procedure works under NTFS.

1.. Open up a folder on your system that you want to keep track of the different files you might one to identify in the future.

2.. Under View make certain that you set it to the Details.

3.. Highlight the file you want to keep more information on. Right click the file and you will get a pop up menu. Click on properties.

4.. Click on the Summary Tab (make sure it says simple not advanced on the button in the box), You should now get the following fields,

Title,Subject, Author, Category, Keywords, Comments

You will see advanced also if you have changed it to simple, Here will be other fields you can fill in.

5.. Next you can fill in what ever field you want.

6.. After you finished click the apply button then OK.

7.. Next right click the bar above your files, under the address barand you should get a drop down menu. Here you can click the fields you want to display.

8.. You should now see a list with the new fields and any comments you have done.

9.. Now if you want to sort these just right click a blank spot and then you sort the information to your liking.

Temporarily Assign Yourself Administrative Permissions
======================================================

Many programs require you to have Administrative permissions to be able to install them. Here is an easy way to temporarily assign yourself Administrative permissions while you remain logged in as a normal user.

Hold down the Shift key as you right-click on the program's setup file.

Click Run as.

Type in a username and password that have Administrative permissions.

This will also work on applications in the Start menu.

Create a Shortcut to Lock Your Computer
=======================================

Leaving your computer in a hurry but you don't want to log off? You can double-click a shortcut on your desktop to quickly lock the keyboard and display without using CTRL+ALT+DEL or a screensaver.

To create a shortcut on your desktop to lock your computer:

Right-click the desktop.
Point to New, and then click Shortcut.

The Create Shortcut Wizard opens. In the text box, type the following:
rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation

Click Next.

Enter a name for the shortcut. You can call it "Lock Workstation" or choose any name you like.

Click Finish.

You can also change the shortcut's icon (my personal favorite is the padlock icon in shell32.dll).

To change the icon:

Right click the shortcut and then select Properties.
Click the Shortcut tab, and then click the Change Icon button.

In the Look for icons in this file text box, type:
Shell32.dll.

Click OK.

Select one of the icons from the list and then click OK

You could also give it a shortcut keystroke such CTRL+ALT+L. This would save you only one keystroke from the normal command, but it could be more convenient.

Create a Shortcut to Start Remote Desktop
=========================================

Tip: You can add a shortcut to the desktop of your home computer to quickly start Remote Desktop and connect to your office computer.

To create a shortcut icon to start Remote Desktop

Click Start, point to More Programs, point to Accessories, point to Communications, and then click on Remote Desktop Connection.

Click Options.

Configure settings for the connection to your office computer.

Click Save As, and enter a name, such as Office Computer. Click Save.

Open the Remote Desktops folder.

Right-click on the file named Office Computer, and then click Create Shortcut.

Drag the shortcut onto the desktop of your home computer.

To start Remote Desktop and connect to your office computer, double-click on the shortcut

Instantly Activate a Screensaver
================================

Turn on a screensaver without having to wait by adding a shortcut to your desktop:

Click the Start button, and then click Search.
In the Search Companion window, click All file types.

In the file name box, type *.scr

In the Look in box, choose Local Hard Drives (C or the drive where you have system files stored on your computer.

Click Search.

You will see a list of screensavers in the results. Pick a screensaver you want. You can preview it by double-clicking it.

Right click on the file, choose Send To, and then click Desktop (create shortcut).

To activate the screensaver, double-click the icon on your desktop

Add a Map Drive Button to the Toolbar
=====================================

Do you want to quickly map a drive, but can't find the toolbar button? If you map drives often, use one of these options to add a Map Drive button to the folder toolbar.

Option One (Long Term Fix)

Click Start, click My Computer, right-click the toolbar, then unlock the toolbars, if necessary.

Right-click the toolbar again, and then click Customize.

Under Available toolbar buttons, locate Map Drive, and drag it into the position you want on the right under Current toolbar buttons.

Click Close, click OK, and then click OK again.

You now have drive mapping buttons on your toolbar, so you can map drives from any folder window. To unmap drives, follow the above procedure, selecting Disconnect under Available toolbar buttons. To quickly map a drive, try this option.

Option Two (Quick Fix)

Click Start, and right-click My Computer.
Click Map Network Drive.

If you place your My Computer icon directly on the desktop, you can make this move in only two clicks!

Software not installing?
========================

If you have a piece of software that refuses to install because it says that you are not running Windows 2000 (such as the Win2K drivers for a Mustek scanner!!) you can simply edit HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows NT/CurrentVersion/ProductName to say Microsoft Windows 2000 instead of XP and it will install. You may also have to edit the version number or build number, depending on how hard the program tries to verify that you are installing on the correct OS. I had to do this for my Mustek 600 CP scanner (compatibility mode didn''t help!!!) and it worked great, so I now have my scanner working with XP (and a tech at Mustek can now eat his words).

BTW, don''t forget to restore any changes you make after you get your software installed

You do this at your own risk.

Use your Windows Key
====================

The Windows logo key, located in the bottom row of most computer keyboards is a little-used treasure. Don''t ignore it. It is the shortcut anchor for the following commands:

Windows: Display the Start menu
Windows + D: Minimize or restore all windows
Windows + E: Display Windows Explorer
Windows + F: Display Search for files
Windows + Ctrl + F: Display Search for computer
Windows + F1: Display Help and Support Center
Windows + R: Display Run dialog box
Windows + break: Display System Properties dialog box
Windows + shift + M: Undo minimize all windows
Windows + L: Lock the workstation
Windows + U: Open Utility Manager
Windows + Q: Quick switching of users (Powertoys only)
Windows + Q: Hold Windows Key, then tap Q to scroll thru the different users on your pc

Change your cd key
==================

You don't need to re-install if you want to try the key out ... just do this:

1. Go to Activate Windows
2. Select the Telephone option
3. Click "Change Product Key"
4. Enter NOT ALLOWED ~ Zabref
5. Click "Update"

Now log off and log back in again. It should now show 60 days left, minus the number of days it had already counted down.

Note: If your crack de-activated REGWIZC.DLL and LICDLL.DLL, you are going to have to re-register them.

Remove the Shared Documents folders from My Computer
====================================================

One of the most annoying things about the new Windows XP user interface is that Microsoft saw fit to provide links to all of the Shared Documents folders on your system, right at the top of the My Computer window. I can't imagine why this would be the default, even in a shared PC environment at home, but what's even more annoying is that you cannot change this behavior through the sh*ll
: Those icons are stuck there and you have to live with it.
Until now, that is.

Simply fire up the Registry Editor and navigate to the following key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ My Computer \ NameSpace \ DelegateFolders

You'll see a sub-key named {59031a47-3f72-44a7-89c5-5595fe6b30ee}. If you delete this, all of the Shared Documents folders (which are normally under the group called "Other Files Stored on This Computer" will be gone.

You do not need to reboot your system to see the change.

Before: A cluttered mess with icons no one will ever use (especially that orpaned one). After: Simplicity itself, and the way it should be by default.

This tip For older XP builds
===================

Edit or remove the "Comments" link in window title bars

During the Windows XP beta, Microsoft has added a "Comments?" hyperlink to the title bar of each window in the system so that beta testers can more easily send in a problem report about the user interface. But for most of us, this isn't an issue, and the Comments link is simply a visual distraction. And for many programs that alter the title bar, the Comments link renders the Minimize, Maximize, and Close window buttons unusable, so it's actually a problem.
Let's get rid of it. Or, if you're into this kind of thing, you can edit it too.

Open the Registry Editor and navigate to the following keys:
My Computer \ HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Control Panel \ Desktop \ LameButtonEnabled
My Computer \ HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Control Panel \ Desktop \ LameButtonText

The first key determines whether the link appears at all; change its value to 0 to turn it off. The second key lets you have a little fun with the hyperlink; you can change the text to anything you'd like, such as "Paul Thurrott" or whatever.

Editing either value requires a restart before the changes take effect.

Before: An unnecessary hyperlink. Have some fun with it! Or just remove it entirely. It's up to you.

Rip high-quality MP3s in Windows Media Player 8
================================================

The relationship between Windows Media Player 8 and the MP3 audio format is widely misunderstood. Basically, WMP8 will be able to playback MP3 files, but encoding (or "ripping" CD audio into MP3 format will require an MP3 plug-in. So during the Windows XP beta, Microsoft is supplying a sample MP3 plug-in for testing purposes, but it's limited to 56 Kbps rips, which is pretty useless. However, if you have an externally installed MP3 codec, you can use WMP8 to rip at higher bit rates. But you'll have to edit the Registry to make this work.
Fire up the Registry Editor and navigate to the following key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ MediaPlayer \ Settings \ MP3Encoding

Here, you'll see sub-keys for LowRate and LowRateSample, which of course equates to the single 56 Kbps sample rate you see in WMP8. To get better sampling rates, try adding the following keys (Using New then DWORD value):

"LowRate" = DWORD value of 0000dac0
"MediumRate" = DWORD value of 0000fa00
"MediumHighRate" = DWORD value of 0001f400
"HighRate" = DWORD value of 0002ee00

Now, when you launch WMP8 and go into Tools, then Options, then Copy Music, you will have four encoding choices for MP3: 56 Kbps, 64 Kbps, 128 Kbps, and 192 Kbps. Note that you will not get higher bit rate encoding unless you have installed an MP3 codec separately; the version in Windows Media Player 8 is limited to 56 Kbps only.

Find the appropriate location in the Registry... ...add a few DWORD values... ...And then you'll be ripping CDs in higher-quality MP3 format!

Speed up the Start Menu
=======================

The default speed of the Start Menu is pretty slow, but you can fix that by editing a Registry Key. Fire up the Registry Editor and navigate to the following key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Control Panel \ Desktop \ MenuShowDelay

By default, the value is 400. Change this to a smaller value, such as 0, to speed it up.

Speed up the Start Menu (Part two)
==================================

If your confounded by the slow speed of the Start Menu, even after using the tip above, then you might try the following: Navigate to Display Properties then Appearance then Advanced and turn off the option titled Show menu shadow . You will get much better overall performance.

Speed up Internet Explorer 6 Favorites
======================================

For some reason, the Favorites menu in IE 6 seems to slow down dramatically sometimes--I've noticed this happens when you install Tweak UI 1.33, for example, and when you use the preview tip to speed up the Start menu. But here's a fix for the problem that does work, though it's unclear why:
Just open a command line window (Start button -> Run -> cmd) and type sfc, then hit ENTER. This command line runs the System File Checker, which performs a number of services, all of which are completely unrelated to IE 6. But there you go: It works.

Do an unattended installation
=============================

The Windows XP Setup routine is much nicer than that in Windows 2000 or Windows Me, but it's still an hour-long process that forces you to sit in front of your computer for an hour, answering dialog boxes and typing in product keys. But Windows XP picks up one of the more useful features from Windows 2000, the ability to do an unattended installation, so you can simply prepare a script that will answer all those dialogs for you and let you spend some quality time with your family.
I've written about Windows 2000 unattended installations and the process is pretty much identical on Windows XP, so please read that article carefully before proceeding. And you need to be aware that this feature is designed for a standalone Windows XP system: If you want to dual-boot Windows XP with another OS, you're going to have to go through the interactive Setup just like everyone else: An unattended install will wipe out your hard drive and install only Windows XP, usually.

To perform an unattended installation, you just need to work with the Setup Manager, which is located on the Windows XP CD-ROM in D:\SupportTools\DEPLOY.CAB by default: Extract the contents of this file and you'll find a number of useful tools and help files; the one we're interested in is named setupmgr.exe. This is a very simple wizard application that will walk you through the process of creating an answer file called winnt.sif that can be used to guide Windows XP Setup through the unattended installation.

One final tip: There's one thing that Setup Manager doesn't add: Your product key. However, you can add this to the unattend.txt file manually. Simply open the file in Notepad and add the following line under the [UserData] section:

ProductID=RK7J8-2PGYQ-P47VV-V6PMB-F6XPQ

(This is a 60 day cd key)

Then, just copy winnt.sif to a floppy, put your Windows XP CD-ROM in the CD drive, and reboot: When the CD auto-boots, it will look for the unattend.txt file in A: automatically, and use it to answer the Setup questions if it's there.

Finally, please remember that this will wipe out your system! Back up first, and spend some time with the help files in DEPLOY.CAB before proceeding.

For Older builds or not using setupreg.hiv file
===============================================

Remove the Desktop version text

During the Windows XP beta, you will see text in the lower right corner of the screen that says Windows XP Professional, Evaluation Copy. Build 2462 or similar. A lot of people would like to remove this text for some reason, and while it's possible to do so, the cure is more damaging than the problem, in my opinion. So the following step will remove this text, but you'll lose a lot of the nice graphical effects that come in Windows XP, such as the see-through icon text.

To remove the desktop version text, open Display Properties (right-click the desktop, then choose Properties) and navigate to the Desktop page. Click Customize Desktop and then choose the Web page in the resulting dialog. On this page, check the option titled Lock desktop items. Click OK to close the dialog, and then OK to close Display Properties. The text disappears. But now the rest of your system is really ugly. You can reverse the process by unchecking Lock desktop items.

There's also a shortcut for this process: Just right-click the desktop and choose Arrange by then Lock Web Icons on the Desktop.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Enable ClearType on the Welcome Screen!
=======================================

As laptop users and other LCD owners are quickly realizing, Microsoft's ClearType technology in Windows XP really makes a big difference for readability. But the this feature is enabled on a per-user basis in Windows XP, so you can't see the effect on the Welcome screen; it only appears after you logon.

But you can fix that. Fire up the Registry Editor and look for the following keys:

(default user) HKEY_USERS \ .Default \ Control Panel \ Desktop \ FontSmoothing (String Value)
HKEY_USERS \ .Default \ Control Panel \ Desktop \ FontSmoothingType (Hexadecimal DWORD Value)

Make sure both of these values are set to 2 and you'll have ClearType enabled on the Welcome screen and on each new user by default.

Stop Windows Messenger from Auto-Starting
=========================================

If you're not a big fan of Windows Messenger simply delete the following Registry Key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\MSMSGS

Display Hibernate Option on the Shut Down dialog
================================================

For some reason, Hibernate may not be available from the default Shut Down dialog. But you can enable it simply enough, by holding down the SHIFT key while the dialog is visible. Now you see it, now you don't!

Add album art to any music folder
=================================

One of the coolest new features in Windows XP is its album thumbnail generator, which automatically places the appropriate album cover art on the folder to which you are copying music (generally in WMA format). But what about those people that have already copied their CDs to the hard drive using MP3 format? You can download album cover art from sites such as cdnow.com or amguide.com, and then use the new Windows XP folder customize feature to display the proper image for each folder. But this takes time--you have to manually edit the folder properties for every single folder--and you will lose customizations if you have to reinstall the OS. There's an excellent fix, however.

When you download the album cover art from the Web, just save the images as folder.jpg each time and place them in the appropriate folder. Then, Windows XP will automatically use that image as the thumbnail for that folder and, best of all, will use that image in Windows Media Player for Windows XP (MPXP) if you choose to display album cover art instead of a visualization. And the folder customization is automatic, so it survives an OS reinstallation as well. Your music folders never looked so good!

Album cover art makes music folder thumbnails look better than ever!

Change the location of the My Music or My Pictures folders
==========================================================

In Windows 2000, Microsoft added the ability to right-click the My Documents folder and choose a new location for that folder in the sh*ll
. With Windows XP, Microsoft has elevated the My Music and My Pictures folders to the same "special sh*ll
folder" status of My Documents, but they never added a similar (and simple) method for changing those folder's locations. However, it is actually pretty easy to change the location of these folders, using the following method.

Open a My Computer window and navigate to the location where you'd like My Music (or My Pictures) to reside. Then, open the My Documents folder in a different window. Drag the My Music (or My Pictures) folder to the other window, and Windows XP will update all of the references to that folder to the new location, including the Start menu.

Or use Tweak UI

Add/Remove optional features of Windows XP
==========================================

To dramatically expand the list of applications you can remove from Windows XP after installation, navigate to C:\WINDOWS\inf (substituting the correct drive letter for your version of Windows) and open the sysoc.inf file. Under Windows XP Professional Edition RC1, this file will resemble the following by default:

[Version] Signature = "$Windows NT$"
DriverVer=06/26/2001,5.1.2505.0

[Components]
NtComponents=ntoc.dll,NtOcSetupProc,,4
WBEM=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,wbemoc.inf,hide,7
Display=desk.cpl,DisplayOcSetupProc,,7
Fax=fxsocm.dll,FaxOcmSetupProc,fxsocm.inf,,7
NetOC=netoc.dll,NetOcSetupProc,netoc.inf,,7
iis=iis.dll,OcEntry,iis.inf,,7
com=comsetup.dll,OcEntry,comnt5.inf,hide,7
dtc=msdtcstp.dll,OcEntry,dtcnt5.inf,hide,7
IndexSrv_System = setupqry.dll,IndexSrv,setupqry.inf,,7
TerminalServer=TsOc.dll, HydraOc, TsOc.inf,hide,2
msmq=msmqocm.dll,MsmqOcm,msmqocm.inf,,6
ims=imsinsnt.dll,OcEntry,ims.inf,,7
fp_extensions=fp40ext.dll,FrontPage4Extensions,fp40ext.inf,,7
AutoUpdate=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,au.inf,hide,7
msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7
msnexplr=ocmsn.dll,OcEntry,msnmsn.inf,,7
smarttgs=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,msnsl.inf,,7
RootAutoUpdate=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,rootau.inf,,7
Games=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,games.inf,,7
AccessUtil=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,accessor.inf,,7
CommApps=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,communic.inf,HIDE,7
MultiM=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,multimed.inf,HIDE,7
AccessOpt=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,optional.inf,HIDE,7
Pinball=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,pinball.inf,HIDE,7
MSWordPad=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,wordpad.inf,HIDE,7
ZoneGames=zoneoc.dll,ZoneSetupProc,igames.inf,,7

[Global]
WindowTitle=%WindowTitle%
WindowTitle.StandAlone="*"

The entries that include the text hide or HIDE will not show up in Add/Remove Windows Components by default. To fix this, do a global search and replace for ,hide and change each instance of this to , (a comma). Then, save the file, relaunch Add/Remove Windows Components, and tweak the installed applications to your heart's content.

Cool, eh? There are even more new options now under "Accessories and Utilities" too.

Remove Windows Messenger
========================

It seems that a lot of people are interested in removing Windows Messenger for some reason, though I strongly recommend against this: In Windows XP, Windows Messenger will be the hub of your connection to the .NET world, and now that this feature is part of Windows, I think we're going to see a lot of .NET Passport-enabled Web sites appearing as well. But if you can't stand the little app, there are a couple of ways to get rid of it, and ensure that it doesn't pop up every time you boot into XP. The best way simply utilizes the previous tip:

If you'd like Windows Messenger to show up in the list of programs you can add and remove from Windows, navigate to C:\WINDOWS\inf (substituting the correct drive letter for your version of Windows) and open sysoc.inf (see the previous tip for more information about this file). You'll see a line that reads:

msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7

Change this to the following and Windows Messenger will appear in Add or Remove Programs, then Add/Remove Windows Components, then , and you can remove it for good:

msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,7

Hacking Windows XP Registry

2009-11-06T19:24:00.001-08:00

Hacking Windows XP Registry

Structure of Windows XP Registry :

When you will open the Windows XP Registry , you will see it's divided into two panes. On the left side there are Five main
Keys as shown below. These can be expanded to several Sub-Keys, which further has many Sub-Keys.

+HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT

+HKEY_CURRENT_USER

+HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE

+HKEY_USERS

+HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG

Before you try out the Tweaks, learn how to Backup and Restore Windows XP Registry.
Types of Registry Backups :
It?s very important that before you do editing you make a backup of the current registry. If you ignore this warning, it might prove deadly for you?so better listen to me J
Open your registry. Go to Start>Run , type regedit . When you invoke the Export function from File>Export, you are given a choice of different file types that can be saved :
Registration Files (*.reg)
Registry Hive Files (*.*)
Text Files (*.txt)
Win9x/NT 4 Registration Files (*.reg)
All Files

Each one of the different file types above plays an important role in how the data you export is saved. Choosing the wrong type can give you unexpected results. So let me explain you quickly these file types.

Registrations Files : The Registration Files option creates a .reg file. This is the most well known file format used for backing up the registry. The Registration File can be used in two ways. As a text file it can be read and edited using Notepad outside of Registry Editor. Once the changes have been made and saved, right clicking the file and using the [Merge] command adds the changed file back into the registry. If you make additions to the registry using regedit and then merge the previously saved Registration File, anything that you've added via regedit will not be removed, but changes you make to data using regedit that previously existed in the saved Registration File will be overwritten when it is merged

Registry Hive Files : Unlike the Registration Files option above, the Registry Hive Files option creates a binary image of the selected registry key. The image file is not editable via Notepad nor can you view its contents using a text editor. However, what the Registry Hive Files format does is create an image perfect view of the selected key and allow you to import it back into the registry to insure any problematic changes you made are eliminated.

Text Files : This option does just as the name suggests. It creates a text file containing the information in the selected key. It's most useful purpose is creating a record or snapshot of a key at a particular point in time that you can refer back to if necessary. It cannot be merged back into the registry like a Registration File.

Win9x/NT 4 Registration Files : This option creates a .reg file in the same manner used by the Registration Files option. It's used by previous Windows versions and serves no purpose in XP unless you want to merge a key from XP into a previous version of Windows.

Out of the give above choices , the safest method of backing up registry is to use Registry Hive Files option. No matter what ever you do or goes wrong in editing, importing the image of the key will eliminate all changes.

**Note-> I have included the exact name/value between [ ] brackets. [ & ] should be ignored, only the data inside them should be considered.

1. Customize Windows Media Player Title Bar

Change the title bar to read Windows Media Player provided by <your text>, so if I had entered text ?Abhishek Bhuyan? , it would read: Windows Media Player provided by Abhishek Bhuyan

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]

Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft
Create the Key [WindowsMediaPlayer]
Create String value named [TitleBar]

Data Type: REG_SZ // Value Name: TitleBar
Double click TitleBar and Enter the text to be displayed in the title bar.

Exit Registry / Reboot

2. Minimize Outlook 2002 to the System Tray

If you frequently access Outlook during the day it?s more convenient to have it minimized to the system tray rather than invoking it each time you need to send/receive e-mail. This tweak minimizes Outlook 2002 to the system tray:

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]

Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\10.0\Outlook\Preferences

Modify/Create Data Type DWORD named [MinToTray]
Setting for Value Data: [0 = Disabled / 1 = Enabled]

Exit Registry / Reboot

3. Specify Default IE Download Directory

This tweak changes the default directory where downloads initiated in Internet Explorer are stored on the system.

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]

Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer

Modify/Create String Value of Data type REG_SZ Named [Download Directory]
Value Data: [Enter Path to Directory to be Assigned as Defualt for Downloads]

Exit Registry / Reboot

4. Force Use of Classic Start Menu

This tweak loads the Classic Start Menu and makes it impossible to change back to the Windows XP version

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]

Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

Modify/Create the DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [NoSimpleStartMenu]
Value Data: [0 = Default / 1 = Force Classic Start Menu]

Exit Registry / Reboot

5. Hide/Show Internet Explorer Desktop Icon

By default, Windows XP does not show the Internet Explorer icon on the Windows desktop. Using the registry tweak below allows you to control whether or not the Internet Explorer icon is displayed.

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]

Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [NoInternetIcon]
Setting for Value Data: [0 = Disabled / 1 = Enabled]

Exit Registry / Reboot

6. Increase Menu Display Speed

When you click on the Start Menu there is some delay to display the contents , just for no reason. Effects are pretty though. The default speed can be adjusted with a quick registry entry.

The default value is 400. Set it to 0 and the delay is gone. If you are not able to adjust pick a number that suits your style and make the change.

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]

Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop

Modify/Create String value of Data type REG_SZ Named [MenuShowDelay]

Value Data: [Default = 400 / Adjust to Preference]

Exit Registry / Reboot

7. Change the Location of Special Folders

This tweak allows changing the location of special folders on the system. Any of the folders listed in the registry key may be moved.

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]

Go to : HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\UserShell Folders

Modify/Create String value of Data type REG_SZ Named [Various Folder Names]

Data Type: REG_SZ [String Value] // Value Name: Consult RegEdit for Folder Names

Value Data: [Move the folder to the new desired location using explorer, and then edit the matching folder in RegEdit to reflect the new folder location]

Exit Registry and Reboot

8. Faster Browsing in Windows Explorer on Network Computers

By default, a Windows XP machine connecting to a Windows 95/98/Me computer will search for scheduled tasks or enabled printers on the remote computer. Two sub-keys control this behavior. Deleting them will speed up browsing on the remote computer.

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]

Go to : HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RemoteComputer\NameSpace

To Disable Scheduled Task Checking
Value Name: {D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}
Delete the sub-key in the left pane of Registry Editor

To Disable Printer Checking
Value Name: {2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}
Delete the sub-key in the left pane of Registry Editor

Exit Registry / Reboot

9. Add Administrator Account to Log In Screen

When Windows XP is first installed it requires you to enter at least one name of a user who will access the computer. Once you create this name the default Administrator account vanishes. To access it, press Ctrl-Alt-Delete twice at the Welcome screen to retrieve the standard Windows 2000 logon dialog. Log on as Administrator from this point. To log the Administrator off, click [Start] [Log Off] and [Log Off] when the [Log Off Windows] selection box appears. The Log On screen with the available users will be displayed.

To Make the Administrator Account Always Visible on the Login Screen use this Registry Tweak.

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]

Go to: HKEY_LOCALMACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList

Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [Administrator]
Setting for Value Data: [0 = Disabled / 1 = Enabled]

Exit Registry / Reboot

10. Increase Internet Download Connections

Increase Simultaneous Internet Download Connections. Increases the number of allowed simultaneous connections to ten (10).

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]

Go to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings

Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [MaxConnectionsPer1_0Server]
Setting for Value Data: [0000000a]

Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [MaxConnectionsPerServer]
Setting for Value Data: [0000000a]

Exit Registry / Reboot

11. Connected Web Files and Folders

Connecting web files and folders allows a primary .htm or .html file to be moved in conjunction with files associated with the primary document. Once the primary document has been defined, create a sub-folder using the same name as the primary document but assign it a .files extension. Whenever the primary file is moved, the sub-folder will also move and remain as a sub-folder of the primary.

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]

Go to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer

Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [NoFileFolderConnection]
Setting for Value Data: [0 = Enabled (Default) / 1 = Disabled]

Exit Registry / Reboot

12. Hide/Show My Documents Folder on Desktop

By default, Windows XP does not show the My Documents folder on the Windows desktop. Using the registry tweak below allows you to control whether or not My Documents is displayed.

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]

Go to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CLSID\{450D8FBA-AD25-11D0-98A8-0800361B1103}\ShellFolder

Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [Attributes]
Setting for Value Data: [Default = 0xf0400174 / Hidden = 0xf0500174]

Exit Registry / Reboot

13. Create a Hidden User Account

This tweak allows an account that is normally displayed on the Welcome screen to be hidden from view. To log on using the account it's necessary to use the Log On To Windows dialog box similar to the one in Windows 2000 i.e. press CTRL+ALT+DEL twice.

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]

Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList

Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [Type Name of Account to be Hidden]
Setting for Value Data: [0 = Account is Hidden / 1 = Enabled]

Exit Registry / Reboot

While the account is hidden on the Welcome screen, note that the account profile will be visible in C:\Documents and Settings or wherever user profiles are stored as well as in Local Users and Groups.

14. Create Legal Notice Logon Dialog Box

In situations where you need users to read a legal notice before logging on, this tweak will create the caption for the notice.

Start] [Run] [Regedit]

Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

Modify/Create String Value of Data type REG_SZ Named [LegalNoticeCaption]
Value Data for LegalNoticeCaption: [Type the Caption for the Dialog Box]

Modify/Create String Value of Data type REG_SZ Named [LegalNoticeText]
Value Data for LegalNoticeText: [Type the Data for the Legal Notice]

Exit Registry / Reboot

15. Manage Internet Explorer Error Reporting

This tweak removes the IE Error Reporting tool from appearing with the option to send browser debugging reports to Microsoft.

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]

Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main

Note:- Create both values listed below and set according to the bold type for the tweak to function properly.

Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [IEWatsonEnabled]
Value Data: [0 - Disabled / 1 - Enabled]

Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [IEWatsonDisabled]
Value Data: [0 - Disabled / 1 - Enabled]

Exit Registry / Reboot

16. Customize Logon and Security Dialog Title

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]

Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\ CurrentVersion\Winlogon

Modify/Create String Value of Data type REG_SZ Named [Welcome]
Value Data: [0 = Disabled / 1 = Enabled]

Exit Registry / Reboot

17. Customize Logon Box Message

This is the message displayed on the Classic Logon box, not the XP ?Welcome? logon screen

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]

Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\ CurrentVersion\Winlogon

Modify/Create String Value of Data type REG_SZ Named [LogonPrompt]
Value Data: [Enter the text of the message]

Exit Registry / Reboot

18. Welcome Screen Logon Vs Classic Logon

This tweak specifies whether the Welcome screen or the Classic logon will be used to access Windows XP.

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]

Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [LogonType]
Value Data: [0 - Classic Mode / 1 - Welcome Screen]

Exit Registry / Reboot

19. QoS (Quality Of Service) Bandwidth Reserve Setting

By default, Windows XP reserves 20% of the connection bandwidth for QoS traffic. This tweak allows the setting to be altered to a different percentage of connection bandwidth. If the system uses more than a single adapter for network connections, each adapter may be set individually by navigating to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Psched\Parameters\Adapters\{Adpater-ID} rather than HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Psched

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]

Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Psched

Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [NonBestEffortLimit]
Setting for Value Data: [Enter as a Percentage / Default Value = 20]

Exit Registry / Reboot

20. Enable/Disable Save Password in DUN

This tweak saves user passwords for Dial Up Networking so they do not have to be re-entered each session.

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]

Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\RasMan\Parameters

Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [DisableSavePassword]
Setting for Value Data: [0 = Disabled (Passwords Saved) / 1 = Enabled (Passwords Not Saved)]

Exit Registry / Reboot

21. Change the Registered Organization/Owner of Windows XP

This tweak allows modification of the registered owner and organization of the Windows XP software.

Note:- This tweak has nothing to do with Windows Product Activation (WPA) and will not allow you to register illegal XP software.

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]

Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion

Modify/Create String Value of Data type REG_SZ Named [RegisteredOrganization] or [RegisteredOwner]
Setting for Value Data: [Modify the Values to Reflect Current Information]

Exit Registry / Reboot

22. Remove Links Folder in Favorites

The Links folder is part of Favorites whether it's being accessed through Internet Explorer or the Favorites menu in the Start Menu. This tweak will remove it from those locations.

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]

Go to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar

Modify/Create String Value of Data type REG_SZ Named [LinksFolderName]
Value Data: [Set the String Value to a blank string]

Open Internet Explorer and manually delete the Links folder from Favorites Menu.
The Links folder will not be recreated.

Exit Registry / Reboot

23. Enable/Disable Active Window Tracking to Mouse Movements

When the mouse is moved over an open window it automatically sets the focus to that particular window. It does not bring the window to the foreground of the open windows.

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]

Go to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Mouse

Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [ActiveWindowTracking]
Setting for Value Data: [0 = ActiveWindowTracking Disabled / 1 = ActiveWindowTracking Enabled]

Exit Registry / Reboot

24. Auto Disconnect for Internet Explorer

Use this edit to automatically disconnect from Internet Explorer after a specified length of time has elapsed. Use this trick on anyone whom you don?t like using your computer with net J

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]

Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters

Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [Autodisconnect]
Value Data: [Enter a new disconnect time. Use Hexadecimal if you are unfamiliar with Binary]

Exit Registry / Reboot

25. Auto Reboot on System Crash

By default, when the Windows XP operating system crashes an automatic reboot of the system occurs. While this behavior can be convenient, the downside is the error message accompanying the crash is not visible. Often times this information can be a great help in troubleshooting the source of the crash. This behavior can be modified in two ways; via the registry or using the System Properties property sheet.

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]

Registry Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CrashControl

Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [AutoReboot]
Setting for Value Data: [0 = AutoReboot Disabled / 1 = AutoReboot Enabled]

Exit Registry / Reboot

Open System Properties via Start > Control Panel > Performance and Maintenance > System

[System Properties may also be opened using the WinKey+Pause key combination]

Select the Advanced tab and then click Settings in the Startup and Recovery section

In System Failure section, clear the checkbox next to Automatically Restart

Click OK and OK to exit

26. Modify Control Panel Categories

Even if you like the new style for Control Panel, you might at times wish you could shift some items around into a different category. It's possible.

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]

Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Control Panel\Extended Properties\{305CA226-D286-468e-B848-2B2E8E697B74} 2

Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [Choose one of the applets with .cpl extension]

Setting for Value Data: [Select the value from table below]

Other Control Panel Options 0
Appearance and Themes 1
Printers and Other Hardware 2
Network and Internet Connections 3
Sounds, Speed, and Audio Devices 4
Performance and Maintenance 5
Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options 6
Accessibility Options 7
Add or Remove Programs 8
User Accounts 9

Exit Registry / Reboot

To further customize the items that appear in the new Control Panel, do a search of your system for all files that end in .cpl extension. If they aren't already listed, you can add them with a new DWORD value and then assign them to a category of your choosing.

27. Enable/Disable Run Commands Specific to the Registry

This tweak controls the use of the Run command on the local machine

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]

Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ Policies\Explorer

Create a DWORD value of Data Type REG_DWORD for each Run function that will be disabled.

Modify/Create the Value Name [DisableLocalMachineRun]
Modify/Create the Value Name [DisableLocalMachineRunOnce]

Modify/Create the Value Name [DisableCurrentUserRun]
Modify/Create the Value Name [DisableCurrentUserRunOnce]

Setting for Value Data: [0 = Disabled / 1 = Enabled]

Exit Registry / Reboot

28. Enable/Disable System Properties Access from My Computer

This tweak removes access to System Properties via My Computer as well as via Control Panel.

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]

Go to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [NoPropertiesMyComputer]
Value Data: [0 - Display Properties / 1 - Hide Properties]

Exit Registry / Reboot

29. Uninstall Programs Manually

Just because Windows XP has the Add/Remove Programs feature it doesn't mean your application will appear in the list. Furthermore, even if it does appear, it's no guarantee that the uninstall feature will work. When you run across one of these situations the items listed below will help in getting rid of the application. Be aware that these steps may not remove everything associated with the application and can impact other applications on the computer. Have a backup or restore point and use caution.

Find the directory for the application and delete all the files in the directory. Delete the directory.

Open regedit and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE and find the folder for the application. Delete the folder.

Open regedit and navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE and find the folder for the application. Delete the folder.

To remove the application entry from Add/Remove Programs (if present) open regedit and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall and find the folder for the application. Delete the folder.

Some applications have Services attached to them. If this is the case, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services, locate and delete the service.

In Windows Explorer, navigate to the individual user settings and delete program references. Common places to check would be:

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs and delete relevant entries.

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup and delete relevant entries.

C:\Documents and Settings\%YourUserID%\Start Menu\Programs and delete relevant entries.

[Do this for each User ID listed]

C:\Documents and Settings\%YourUserID%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup and delete relevant entries.

[Do this for each User ID listed]

If no entries were found in the previous step and the application launches automatically, navigate to

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows

and delete the entry.

30. Create a right-click command prompt option

You can right-click a folder to get a list of actions you can apply to it. Here?s a way to create an action on that right-click menu that opens a command prompt window with that folder as the current directory. In a text editor such as Notepad, type the following exactly:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\Cmd Here]

@=?Command &Prompt Here?

[HKEY_CLASSES-ROOT\Folder\shell\Cmd Here\command]

@=?cmd.exe /k pushd %L?

Save the file with any name you want, with a .reg extension. Then double-click the saved file and choose Yes to merge the file?s information into the Registry. You can delete the file. Right-click any folder and you?ll see the CommandPrompt Here option.

31. Adjusting System Restore values

The new System Restore feature in Windows XP automatically backs up a snapshot of your system, including your Registry, every 24 hours. It also saves restore points for 90 days. Neither of these values is directly editable in the System Restore program, but you can change them in the Registry. Go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\SystemRestore

You?ll find an assortment of settings here. To change the interval between automatically created restore points, change the RPGlobalInterval setting. To change the number of days that a restore point is retained, change the RPLifeInterval setting.

System Restore time intervals are measured in seconds, not days, so you must convert the number of days you want into seconds. There are 86,400 seconds in a day, so multiply 86,400 by the number of days you want to determine the value. (There are 3,600 seconds in an hour, I hope you know)

32. Erase the swap file at shutdown

You might be concerned about someone browsing your users? swap files and gathering up little bits of their sensitive data. A remote possibility, to be sure, but it could happen. For that extra measure of security, go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management

Set the ClearPageFileAtShutdown DWORD to 1. This will make shutdowns take longer, because it overwrites everything in the swap file with zeroes. Don?t turn this feature on unless you have a serious security threat.

33. Delete the Files Stored on This Computer category in the My Computer window

In Windows XP, the My Computer window?s listing is broken down by categories: Hard Disk Drives, Devices with Removable Storage, and so on. One of these categories is Files Stored on This Computer, which appears at the top of the My Computer window. If a user doesn?t need it , you can get rid of it. To do so, go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MyComputer\
NameSpace\Delegate Folders

Delete the {59031a47-3f72-44a7-89c55595fe6b30ee} subkey to remove the category.

34. Change the desktop cleanup frequency

Through Display Properties (Desktop tab, Customize Desktop button, General tab), you can turn on and off a feature that runs the Desktop Cleanup Wizard every 60 days. You don?t have an option to set a different interval there, but you can change the interval in the Registry. To do so, go to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\CleanupWiz

Change the Days Between Clean Up Value to some other number of days (in decimal format).

35. Sort menus alphabetically

When you install a new program for a user, it doesn?t find its place in the alphabetical Start menu hierarchy right away; it hangs out at the bottom for a little while. If your users employ the Classic Start menu, they can re-alphabetize it manually by right-clicking the taskbar and choosing Properties, clicking the Customize button next to the Classic Start Menu, and clicking the Sort button. With the Windows XP style of Start menu, however, you don?t have an equivalent button. To make Windows always alphabetize the list, remove the permissions from the Registry key that controls the sort order for the Start menu. To do so, go to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MenuOrder

Choose Edit | Permissions and click the Advanced button. Deselect the Inherit From Parent The Permission Entries That Apply To Child Objects check box and then click Copy when the Security dialog box pops up. Click OK and clear the Full Control entry for your account and all security groups you are a member of. Leave only Read permission.

36. Prevent programs from loading at startup

Remember back in the good old days of Windows 3.1 when you could open up the Win.ini file in a text editor and remove an item from the RUN= line to disable it from running at startup? With Windows 9x and above, the Win.ini file became less useful because 32-bit programs were set to run at startup from within the Registry instead.

One way to selectively disable programs from loading at startup is to use MSCONFIG (from the Run command) to deselect certain items. Another way to remove them is to edit the Registry directly. Consider the following locations:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

for applications that start up for all users

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

for applications that start up when the current user logs on

Remove the entry for a program by right-clicking it and selecting Delete to prevent it from loading.

37. Change categories in the Control Panel

Windows XP?s Control Panel is broken down by category in the default Category view, but the group to which an item belongs is not always obvious. If you disagree with Microsoft?s assignments, you can switch them around. To assign a different category to an item, go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Control Panel\Extended Properties\
{305CA226-D286-468e-B848-2B2E8E697B74} 2

Find the item you want to change and double-click it to bring up a dialog box. Change the item?s DWORD value to your preference. Use the Table given below as a guide (shown with decimal numbers, which is the way you should enter them).

DWORD value to set

Other Control Panel Options 0

Appearance and Themes 1

Printers and Other Hardware 2

Network and Internet Connections 3

Sounds, Speed, and Audio Devices 4

Performance and Maintenance 5

Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options 6

Accessibility Options 7

Add or Remove Programs 8

User Accounts 9

38. Grouping multiple open windows

Windows XP will group multiple open windows (IE windows for example) into one group on the task bar to keep the taskbar clear. This can be annoying at times - especially when comparing different web pages because you have to go back to the task bar, click on the group and then click on the page you want and then you only get one page because you have to click on each one separately. I think the default for this is 8 windows - any combination of apps or utilities open.

You can modify this behavior by adding this registry key at:

HKEY_CURRRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\

add a Dword value of type REG_DWORD named [TaskbarGroupSize]

modify "TaskbarGroupSize" entry to be the number of windows you want open before XP starts to group them on the task bar.

A value of 2 will cause the Taskbar buttons to always group

Another tweak is to disable or enable recent documents history. This can be done at:

HKEY_CURRRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\

this key should already be present - if it isn't you'll need to add it:

Add a Binary value of type REG_BINARY named [NoRecentDocsHistory]

modify it so that value reads 01 00 00 00

39. Disable Tips

To disable Ballon tips in Windows XP do this registry tweak

Go to : HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

Create a new DWORD value, name it EnableBalloonTips, and set it equal to 0. If EnableBalloonTips is already there and equal to 1, set it equal to 0. Quit the registry editor, log off, and log back on. Voila! Your computer will stop talking down to you.

40. Add/Remove optional features of Windows XP

To dramatically expand the list of applications you can remove from Windows XP after installation, navigate to C:\WINDOWS\inf and open the sysoc.inf file. {Opps , if you didn?t find the inf directory, you are right. It?s a hidden folder, so go to Tools>Folder Options> View , enable Show Hidden Files & Folders.}

[Version]

Signature = "$Windows NT$"

DriverVer=07/01/2001,5.1.2600.0

[Components]

NtComponents=ntoc.dll,NtOcSetupProc,,4

WBEM=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,wbemoc.inf,hide,7

Display=desk.cpl,DisplayOcSetupProc,,7

Fax=fxsocm.dll,FaxOcmSetupProc,fxsocm.inf,,7

NetOC=netoc.dll,NetOcSetupProc,netoc.inf,,7

iis=iis.dll,OcEntry,iis.inf,,7

com=comsetup.dll,OcEntry,comnt5.inf,hide,7

dtc=msdtcstp.dll,OcEntry,dtcnt5.inf,hide,7

IndexSrv_System = setupqry.dll,IndexSrv,setupqry.inf,,7

TerminalServer=TsOc.dll, HydraOc, TsOc.inf,hide,2

msmq=msmqocm.dll,MsmqOcm,msmqocm.inf,,6

ims=imsinsnt.dll,OcEntry,ims.inf,,7

fp_extensions=fp40ext.dll,FrontPage4Extensions,fp40ext.inf,,7

AutoUpdate=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,au.inf,hide,7

msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7

RootAutoUpdate=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,rootau.inf,,7

IEAccess=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,ieaccess.inf,,7

Games=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,games.inf,,7

AccessUtil=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,accessor.inf,,7

CommApps=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,communic.inf,HIDE,7

MultiM=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,multimed.inf,HIDE,7

AccessOpt=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,optional.inf,HIDE,7

Pinball=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,pinball.inf,HIDE,7

MSWordPad=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,wordpad.inf,HIDE,7

ZoneGames=zoneoc.dll,ZoneSetupProc,igames.inf,,7

[Global]

WindowTitle=%WindowTitle%

WindowTitle.StandAlone="*"

The entries that include the text hide or HIDE will not show up in Add/Remove Windows Components by default. To fix this, do a global search and replace for ,hide and change each instance of this to , (a comma). Then, save the file, re launch Add/Remove Windows Components,

41. Remove Windows Messenger

It seems that a lot of people are interested in removing Windows Messenger for some reason, though I strongly recommend against this: In Windows XP, Windows Messenger will be the hub of your connection to the .NET world, and now that this feature is part of Windows, I think we're going to see a lot of .NET Passport-enabled Web sites appearing as well. But if you can't stand the little app, there are a couple of ways to get rid of it, and ensure that it doesn't pop up every time you boot into XP. The best way simply utilizes the previous tip:

If you'd like Windows Messenger to show up in the list of programs you can add and remove from Windows, navigate to C:\WINDOWS\inf and open sysoc.inf (see the previous tip for more information about this file). You'll see a line that reads:

msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7

Change this to the following and Windows Messenger will appear in Add or Remove Programs, then Add/Remove Windows Components, then , and you can remove it for good:

msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,7

42. Rename multiple files ( it is not a Registry tweak though. I thought this to be really cool, so I have put it here)

A new, small, neat feature for Windows XP deals with renaming files. I personally have always wanted the OS to include a way to do a mass file renaming on a bunch of files. You can now rename multiple files at once .Its really simple:

Select several files in Explorer, press F2 and rename one of those files to something else. All the selected files get renamed to the new file name (plus a number added to the end). Simple J

I hope you enjoyed the above Registry tricks ! May be next time I?ll come up with more. That's all for now .
To know more tricks + topics on Hacking, Security, Programming.

Run Commands:

2009-11-06T19:23:00.005-08:00

Run Commands:

Quote:
compmgmt.msc - Computer management
devmgmt.msc - Device manager
diskmgmt.msc - Disk management
dfrg.msc - Disk defrag
eventvwr.msc - Event viewer
fsmgmt.msc - Shared folders
gpedit.msc - Group policies
lusrmgr.msc - Local users and groups
perfmon.msc - Performance monitor
rsop.msc - Resultant set of policies
secpol.msc - Local security settings
services.msc - Various Services
msconfig - System Configuration Utility
regedit - Registry Editor
msinfo32 _ System Information
sysedit _ System Edit
win.ini _ windows loading information(also system.ini)
winver _ Shows current version of windows
mailto: _ Opens default email client
command _ Opens command prompt

Run Commands to access the control panel:

Quote:
Add/Remove Programs control appwiz.cpl
Date/Time Properties control timedate.cpl
Display Properties control desk.cpl
FindFast control findfast.cpl
Fonts Folder control fonts
Internet Properties control inetcpl.cpl
Keyboard Properties control main.cpl keyboard
Mouse Properties control main.cpl
Multimedia Properties control mmsys.cpl
Network Properties control netcpl.cpl
Password Properties control password.cpl
Printers Folder control printers
Sound Properties control mmsys.cpl sounds
System Properties control sysdm.cpl

Command Prompt:

Quote:
ANSI.SYS Defines functions that change display graphics, control cursor movement, and reassign keys.
APPEND Causes MS-DOS to look in other directories when editing a file or running a command.
ARP Displays, adds, and removes arp information from network devices.
ASSIGN Assign a drive letter to an alternate letter.
ASSOC View the file associations.
AT Schedule a time to execute commands or programs.
ATMADM Lists connections and addresses seen by Windows ATM call manager.
ATTRIB Display and change file attributes.
BATCH Recovery console command that executes a series of commands in a file.
BOOTCFG Recovery console command that allows a user to view, modify, and rebuild the boot.ini
BREAK Enable / disable CTRL + C feature.
CACLS View and modify file ACL's.
CALL Calls a batch file from another batch file.
CD Changes directories.
CHCP Supplement the International keyboard and character set information.
CHDIR Changes directories.
CHKDSK Check the hard disk drive running FAT for errors.
CHKNTFS Check the hard disk drive running NTFS for errors.
CHOICE Specify a listing of multiple options within a batch file.
CLS Clears the screen.
CMD Opens the command interpreter.
COLOR Easily change the foreground and background color of the MS-DOS window.
COMP Compares files.
COMPACT Compresses and uncompress files.
CONTROL Open control panel icons from the MS-DOS prompt.
CONVERT Convert FAT to NTFS.
COPY Copy one or more files to an alternate location.
CTTY Change the computers input/output devices.
DATE View or change the systems date.
DEBUG Debug utility to create assembly programs to modify hardware settings.
DEFRAG Re-arrange the hard disk drive to help with loading programs.
DEL Deletes one or more files.
DELETE Recovery console command that deletes a file.
DELTREE Deletes one or more files and/or directories.
DIR List the contents of one or more directory.
DISABLE Recovery console command that disables Windows system services or drivers.
DISKCOMP Compare a disk with another disk.
DISKCOPY Copy the contents of one disk and place them on another disk.
DOSKEY Command to view and execute commands that have been run in the past.
DOSSHELL A GUI to help with early MS-DOS users.
DRIVPARM Enables overwrite of original device drivers.
ECHO Displays messages and enables and disables echo.
EDIT View and edit files.
EDLIN View and edit files.
EMM386 Load extended Memory Manager.
ENABLE Recovery console command to enable a disable service or driver.
ENDLOCAL Stops the localization of the environment changes enabled by the setlocal command.
ERASE Erase files from computer.
EXIT Exit from the command interpreter.
EXPAND Expand a M*cros*ft Windows file back to it's original format.
EXTRACT Extract files from the M*cros*ft Windows cabinets.
FASTHELP Displays a listing of MS-DOS commands and information about them.
FC Compare files.
FDISK Utility used to create partitions on the hard disk drive.
FIND Search for text within a file.
FINDSTR Searches for a string of text within a file.
FIXBOOT Writes a new boot sector.
FIXMBR Writes a new boot record to a disk drive.
FOR Boolean used in batch files.
FORMAT Command to erase and prepare a disk drive.
FTP Command to connect and operate on a FTP server.
FTYPE Displays or modifies file types used in file extension associations.
GOTO Moves a batch file to a specific label or location.
GRAFTABL Show extended characters in graphics mode.
HELP Display a listing of commands and brief explanation.
IF Allows for batch files to perform conditional processing.
IFSHLP.SYS 32-bit file manager.
IPCONFIG Network command to view network adapter settings and assigned values.
KEYB Change layout of keyboard.
LABEL Change the label of a disk drive.
LH Load a device driver in to high memory.
LISTSVC Recovery console command that displays the services and drivers.
LOADFIX Load a program above the first 64k.
LOADHIGH Load a device driver in to high memory.
LOCK Lock the hard disk drive.
LOGON Recovery console command to list installations and enable administrator login.
MAP Displays the device name of a drive.
MD Command to create a new directory.
MEM Display memory on system.
MKDIR Command to create a new directory.
MODE Modify the port or display settings.
MORE Display one page at a time.
MOVE Move one or more files from one directory to another directory.
MSAV Early M*cros*ft Virus scanner.
MSD Diagnostics utility.
MSCDEX Utility used to load and provide access to the CD-ROM.
NBTSTAT Displays protocol statistics and current TCP/IP connections using NBT
NET Update, fix, or view the network or network settings
NETSH Configure dynamic and static network information from MS-DOS.
NETSTAT Display the TCP/IP network protocol statistics and information.
NLSFUNC Load country specific information.
NSLOOKUP Look up an IP address of a domain or host on a network.
PATH View and modify the computers path location.
PATHPING View and locate locations of network latency.
PAUSE Command used in batch files to stop the processing of a command.
PING Test / send information to another network computer or network device.
POPD Changes to the directory or network path stored by the pushd command.
POWER Conserve power with computer portables.
PRINT Prints data to a printer port.
PROMPT View and change the MS-DOS prompt.
PUSHD Stores a directory or network path in memory so it can be returned to at any time.
QBASIC Open the QBasic.
RD Removes an empty directory.
REN Renames a file or directory.
RENAME Renames a file or directory.
RMDIR Removes an empty directory.
ROUTE View and configure windows network route tables.
RUNAS Enables a user to execute a program on another computer.
SCANDISK Run the scandisk utility.
SCANREG Scan registry and recover registry from errors.
SET Change one variable or string to another.
SETLOCAL Enables local environments to be changed without affecting anything else.
SETVER Change MS-DOS version to trick older MS-DOS programs.
SHARE Installs support for file sharing and locking capabilities.
SHIFT Changes the position of replaceable parameters in a batch program.
SHUTDOWN Shutdown the computer from the MS-DOS prompt.
SMARTDRV Create a disk cache in conventional memory or extended memory.
SORT Sorts the input and displays the output to the screen.
START Start a separate window in Windows from the MS-DOS prompt.
SUBST Substitute a folder on your computer for another drive letter.
SWITCHES Remove add functions from MS-DOS.
SYS Transfer system files to disk drive.
TELNET Telnet to another computer / device from the prompt.
TIME View or modify the system time.
TITLE Change the title of their MS-DOS window.
TRACERT Visually view a network packets route across a network.
TREE View a visual tree of the hard disk drive.
TYPE Display the contents of a file.
UNDELETE Undelete a file that has been deleted.
UNFORMAT Unformat a hard disk drive.
UNLOCK Unlock a disk drive.
VER Display the version information.
VERIFY Enables or disables the feature to determine if files have been written properly.
VOL Displays the volume information about the designated drive.
XCOPY Copy multiple files, directories, and/or drives from one location to another.
TRUENAME When placed before a file, will display the whole directory in which it exists
TASKKILL It allows you to kill those unneeded or locked up applications

Windows XP Shortcuts:

Quote:
ALT+- (ALT+hyphen) Displays the Multiple Document Interface (MDI) child window's System menu
ALT+ENTER View properties for the selected item
ALT+ESC Cycle through items in the order they were opened
ALT+F4 Close the active item, or quit the active program
ALT+SPACEBAR Display the System menu for the active window
ALT+TAB Switch between open items
ALT+Underlined letter Display the corresponding menu
BACKSPACE View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer
CTRL+A Select all
CTRL+B Bold
CTRL+C Copy
CTRL+I Italics
CTRL+O Open an item
CTRL+U Underline
CTRL+V Paste
CTRL+X Cut
CTRL+Z Undo
CTRL+F4 Close the active document
CTRL while dragging Copy selected item
CTRL+SHIFT while dragging Create shortcut to selected iteM
CTRL+RIGHT ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word
CTRL+LEFT ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word
CTRL+DOWN ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph
CTRL+UP ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph
SHIFT+DELETE Delete selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin
ESC Cancel the current task
F1 Displays Help
F2 Rename selected item
F3 Search for a file or folder
F4 Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer
F5 Refresh the active window
F6 Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop
F10 Activate the menu bar in the active program
SHIFT+F10 Display the shortcut menu for the selected item
CTRL+ESC Display the Start menu
SHIFT+CTRL+ESC Launches Task Manager
SHIFT when you insert a CD Prevent the CD from automatically playing
WIN Display or hide the Start menu
WIN+BREAK Display the System Properties dialog box
WIN+D Minimizes all Windows and shows the Desktop
WIN+E Open Windows Explorer
WIN+F Search for a file or folder
WIN+F+CTRL Search for computers
WIN+L Locks the desktop
WIN+M Minimize or restore all windows
WIN+R Open the Run dialog box
WIN+TAB Switch between open items

Windows Explorer Shortcuts:

Quote:
ALT+SPACEBAR - Display the current window's system menu
SHIFT+F10 - Display the item's context menu
CTRL+ESC - Display the Start menu
ALT+TAB - Switch to the window you last used
ALT+F4 - Close the current window or quit
CTRL+A - Select all items
CTRL+X - Cut selected item(s)
CTRL+C - Copy selected item(s)
CTRL+V - Paste item(s)
CTRL+Z - Undo last action
CTRL+(+) - Automatically resize the columns in the right hand pane
TAB - Move forward through options
ALT+RIGHT ARROW - Move forward to a previous view
ALT+LEFT ARROW - Move backward to a previous view
SHIFT+DELETE - Delete an item immediately
BACKSPACE - View the folder one level up
ALT+ENTER - View an item's properties
F10 - Activate the menu bar in programs
F6 - Switch between left and right panes
F5 - Refresh window contents
F3 - Display Find application
F2 - Rename selected item

Internet Explorer Shortcuts:

Quote:
CTRL+A - Select all items on the current page
CTRL+D - Add the current page to your Favorites
CTRL+E - Open the Search bar
CTRL+F - Find on this page
CTRL+H - Open the History bar
CTRL+I - Open the Favorites bar
CTRL+N - Open a new window
CTRL+O - Go to a new location
CTRL+P - Print the current page or active frame
CTRL+S - Save the current page
CTRL+W - Close current browser window
CTRL+ENTER - Adds the http://www. (url) .com
SHIFT+CLICK - Open link in new window
BACKSPACE - Go to the previous page
ALT+HOME - Go to your Home page
HOME - Move to the beginning of a document
TAB - Move forward through items on a page
END - Move to the end of a document
ESC - Stop downloading a page
F11 - Toggle full-screen view
F5 - Refresh the current page
F4 - Display list of typed addresses
F6 - Change Address bar and page focus
ALT+RIGHT ARROW - Go to the next page
SHIFT+CTRL+TAB - Move back between frames
SHIFT+F10 - Display a shortcut menu for a link
SHIFT+TAB - Move back through the items on a page
CTRL+TAB - Move forward between frames
CTRL+C - Copy selected items to the clipboard
CTRL+V - Insert contents of the clipboard
ENTER - Activate a selected link
HOME - Move to the beginning of a document
END - Move to the end of a document
F1 - Display Internet Explorer Help

VCD Quality Terms & Jargon

2009-11-06T19:23:00.003-08:00

VCD Quality Terms & Jargon
CODE
All CREDITS go to http://www.vcdhelp.com/

CAM -
A cam is a theater rip usually done with a digital video camera. A mini tripod is sometimes used, but a lot of the time this wont be possible, so the camera make shake. Also seating placement isn't always idle, and it might be filmed from an angle. If cropped properly, this is hard to tell unless there's text on the screen, but a lot of times these are left with triangular borders on the top and bottom of the screen. Sound is taken from the onboard microphone of the camera, and especially in comedies, laughter can often be heard during the film. Due to these factors picture and sound quality are usually quite poor, but sometimes we're lucky, and the theater will be fairly empty and a fairly clear signal will be heard.

TELESYNC (TS) -
A telesync is the same spec as a CAM except it uses an external audio source (most likely an audio jack in the chair for hard of hearing people). A direct audio source does not ensure a good quality audio source, as a lot of background noise can interfere. A lot of the times a telesync is filmed in an empty cinema or from the projection booth with a professional camera, giving a better picture quality. Quality ranges drastically, check the sample before downloading the full release. A high percentage of Telesyncs are CAMs that have been mislabeled.

TELECINE (TC) -
A telecine machine copies the film digitally from the reels. Sound and picture should be very good, but due to the equipment involved and cost telecines are fairly uncommon. Generally the film will be in correct aspect ratio, although 4:3 telecines have existed. A great example is the JURASSIC PARK 3 TC done last year. TC should not be confused with TimeCode , which is a visible counter on screen throughout the film.

SCREENER (SCR) -
A pre VHS tape, sent to rental stores, and various other places for promotional use. A screener is supplied on a VHS tape, and is usually in a 4:3 (full screen) a/r, although letterboxed screeners are sometimes found. The main draw back is a "ticker" (a message that scrolls past at the bottom of the screen, with the copyright and anti-copy telephone number). Also, if the tape contains any serial numbers, or any other markings that could lead to the source of the tape, these will have to be blocked, usually with a black mark over the section. This is sometimes only for a few seconds, but unfortunately on some copies this will last for the entire film, and some can be quite big. Depending on the equipment used, screener quality can range from excellent if done from a MASTER copy, to very poor if done on an old VHS recorder thru poor capture equipment on a copied tape. Most screeners are transferred to VCD, but a few attempts at SVCD have occurred, some looking better than others.

DVD-SCREENER (DVDscr) -
Same premise as a screener, but transferred off a DVD. Usually letterbox , but without the extras that a DVD retail would contain. The ticker is not usually in the black bars, and will disrupt the viewing. If the ripper has any skill, a DVDscr should be very good. Usually transferred to SVCD or DivX/XviD.

DVDRip -
A copy of the final released DVD. If possible this is released PRE retail (for example, Star Wars episode 2) again, should be excellent quality. DVDrips are released in SVCD and DivX/XviD.

VHSRip -
Transferred off a retail VHS, mainly skating/sports videos and XXX releases.

TVRip -
TV episode that is either from Network (capped using digital cable/satellite boxes are preferable) or PRE-AIR from satellite feeds sending the program around to networks a few days earlier (do not contain "dogs" but sometimes have flickers etc) Some programs such as WWF Raw Is War contain extra parts, and the "dark matches" and camera/commentary tests are included on the rips. PDTV is capped from a digital TV PCI card, generally giving the best results, and groups tend to release in SVCD for these. VCD/SVCD/DivX/XviD rips are all supported by the TV scene.

WORKPRINT (WP) -
A workprint is a copy of the film that has not been finished. It can be missing scenes, music, and quality can range from excellent to very poor. Some WPs are very different from the final print (Men In Black is missing all the aliens, and has actors in their places) and others can contain extra scenes (Jay and Silent Bob) . WPs can be nice additions to the collection once a good quality final has been obtained.

DivX Re-Enc -
A DivX re-enc is a film that has been taken from its original VCD source, and re-encoded into a small DivX file. Most commonly found on file sharers, these are usually labeled something like Film.Name.Group(1of2) etc. Common groups are SMR and TND. These aren't really worth downloading, unless you're that unsure about a film u only want a 200mb copy of it. Generally avoid.

Watermarks -
A lot of films come from Asian Silvers/PDVD (see below) and these are tagged by the people responsible. Usually with a letter/initials or a little logo, generally in one of the corners. Most famous are the "Z" "A" and "Globe" watermarks.

Asian Silvers / PDVD -
These are films put out by eastern bootleggers, and these are usually bought by some groups to put out as their own. Silvers are very cheap and easily available in a lot of countries, and its easy to put out a release, which is why there are so many in the scene at the moment, mainly from smaller groups who don't last more than a few releases. PDVDs are the same thing pressed onto a DVD. They have removable subtitles, and the quality is usually better than the silvers. These are ripped like a normal DVD, but usually released as VCD.

Formats

VCD -
VCD is an mpeg1 based format, with a constant bitrate of 1150kbit at a resolution of 352x240 (NTCS). VCDs are generally used for lower quality transfers (CAM/TS/TC/Screener(VHS)/TVrip(analogue) in order to make smaller file sizes, and fit as much on a single disc as possible. Both VCDs and SVCDs are timed in minutes, rather than MB, so when looking at an mpeg, it may appear larger than the disc capacity, and in reality u can fit 74min on a CDR74.

SVCD -
SVCD is an mpeg2 based (same as DVD) which allows variable bit-rates of up to 2500kbits at a resolution of 480x480 (NTSC) which is then decompressed into a 4:3 aspect ratio when played back. Due to the variable bit-rate, the length you can fit on a single CDR is not fixed, but generally between 35-60 Mins are the most common. To get a better SVCD encode using variable bit-rates, it is important to use multiple "passes". this takes a lot longer, but the results are far clearer.

XVCD/XSVCD -
These are basically VCD/SVCD that don't obey the "rules". They are both capable of much higher resolutions and bit-rates, but it all depends on the player to whether the disc can be played. X(S)VCD are total non-standards, and are usually for home-ripping by people who don't intend to release them.

DivX / XviD -
DivX is a format designed for multimedia platforms. It uses two codecs, one low motion, one high motion. most older films were encoded in low motion only, and they have problems with high motion too. A method known as SBC (Smart Bit-rate Control) was developed which switches codecs at the encoding stage, making a much better print. The format is Ana orphic and the bit-rate/resolution are interchangeable. Due to the higher processing power required, and the different codecs for playback, its unlikely we'll see a DVD player capable of play DivX for quite a while, if at all. There have been players in development which are supposedly capable, but nothing has ever arisen. The majority of PROPER DivX rips (not Re-Encs) are taken from DVDs, and generally up to 2hours in good quality is possible per disc. Various codecs exist, most popular being the original Divx3.11a and the new XviD codecs.

CVD -
CVD is a combination of VCD and SVCD formats, and is generally supported by a majority of DVD players. It supports MPEG2 bit-rates of SVCD, but uses a resolution of 352x480(ntsc) as the horizontal resolution is generally less important. Currently no groups release in CVD.

DVD-R -
Is the recordable DVD solution that seems to be the most popular (out of DVD-RAM, DVD-R and DVD+R). it holds 4.7gb of data per side, and double sided discs are available, so discs can hold nearly 10gb in some circumstances. SVCD mpeg2 images must be converted before they can be burnt to DVD-R and played successfully. DVD>DVDR copies are possible, but sometimes extras/languages have to be removed to stick within the available 4.7gb.

MiniDVD -
MiniDVD/cDVD is the same format as DVD but on a standard CDR/CDRW. Because of the high resolution/bit-rates, its only possible to fit about 18-21 mins of footage per disc, and the format is only compatible with a few players.

Misc Info

Regional Coding -
This was designed to stop people buying American DVDs and watching them earlier in other countries, or for older films where world distribution is handled by different companies. A lot of players can either be hacked with a chip, or via a remote to disable this.
1 USA, Canada
2 Europe, Middle East, Japan, South Africa
3 S.Korea, Taiwan, HK, ASEAN
4 Australia, NZ, Latin America
5 Ex-Soviets, Indian sub-continent, Africa
6 China
7 Reserved
8 International territory (airplanes, cruise ships, etc.)

RCE -
RCE (Regional Coding Enhancement) was designed to overcome "Multiregion" players, but it had a lot of faults and was overcome. Very few titles are RCE encoded now, and it was very unpopular.

Macrovision -
Macrovision is the copy protection employed on most commercial DVDs. Its a system that will display lines and darken the images of copies that are made by sending the VHS signals it can't understand. Certain DVD players (for example the Dansai 852 from Tescos) have a secret menu where you can disable the macrovision, or a "video stabaliser" costs about 30UKP from Maplin
CODE
(www.maplin.co.uk)

NTSC/PAL -
NTSC and PAL are the two main standards used across the world. NTSC has a higher frame rate than pal (29fps compared to 25fps) but PAL has an increased resolution, and gives off a generally sharper picture. Playing NTSC discs on PAL systems seems a lot easier than vice-versa, which is good news for the Brits :) An RGB enabled scart lead will play an NTSC picture in full colour on most modern tv sets, but to record this to a VHS tape, you will need to convert it to PAL50 (not PAL60 as the majority of DVD players do.) This is either achieved by an expensive converter box (in the regions of £200+) an onboard converter (such as the Dansai 852 / certain Daewoos / Samsung 709 ) or using a World Standards VCR which can record in any format.

News Sites -
There are generally 2 news sites, and I'm allowed to be biased :) For Games/Apps/Console ::
CODE
www.isonews.com
is generally regarded as the best, but for VCD/SVCD/DivX/TV/XXX
CODE
www.vcdquality.com
displays screen grabs and allows feedback. **NOTICE** neither site offers movie downloads, and requesting movies/trades etc on the forums of either is NOT permitted.
There are generally 3 news sites for film release for p2p and they are:
CODE
nforce - VCD Help
http://www.vcdhelp.com/
http://www.vcdquality.com/
http://www.nforce.nl/

Release Files

RARset -
The movies are all supplied in RAR form, whether its v2 (rar>.rxx) or v3 (part01.rar > partxx.rar) form.

BIN/CUE -
VCD and SVCD films will extract to give a BIN/CUE. Load the .CUE into notepad and make sure the first line contains only a filename, and no path information. Then load the cue into Nero/CDRWin etc and this will burn the VCD/SVCD correctly. TV rips are released as MPEG. DivX files are just the plain DivX - .AVI

NFO -
An NFO file is supplied with each movie to promote the group, and give general iNFOrmation about the release, such as format, source, size, and any notes that may be of use. They are also used to recruit members and acquire hardware for the group.

SFV -
Also supplied for each disc is an SFV file. These are mainly used on site level to check each file has been uploaded correctly, but are also handy for people downloading to check they have all the files, and the CRC is correct. A program such as pdSFV or hkSFV is required to use these files.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Usenet Information

Access -
To get onto newsgroups, you will need a news server. Most ISPs supply one, but this is usually of poor retention (the amount of time the files are on server for) and poor completition (the amount of files that make it there). For the best service, a premium news server should be paid for, and these will often have bandwidth restrictions in place.

Software -
You will need a newsreader to access the files in the binary newsgroups. There are many different readers, and its usually down to personal opinion which is best. Xnews / Forte Agent / BNR 1 / BNR 2 are amongst the popular choices. Outlook has the ability to read newsgroups, but its recommended to not use that.

Format -
Usenet posts are often the same as those listed on VCDQUALiTY (i.e., untouched group releases) but you have to check the filenames and the description to make sure you get what you think you are getting. Generally releases should come down in .RAR sets. Posts will usually take more than one day to be uploaded, and can be spread out as far as a week.

PAR files -
As well as the .rxx files, you will also see files listed as .pxx/.par . These are PARITY files. Parity files are common in usenet posts, as a lot of times, there will be at least one or two damaged files on some servers. A parity file can be used to replace ANY ONE file that is missing from the rar set. The more PAR files you have, the more files you can replace. You will need a program called SMARTPAR for this.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scene Tags

PROPER -
Due to scene rules, whoever releases the first Telesync has won that race (for example). But if the quality of that release is fairly poor, if another group has another telesync (or the same source in higher quality) then the tag PROPER is added to the folder to avoid being duped. PROPER is the most subjective tag in the scene, and a lot of people will generally argue whether the PROPER is better than the original release. A lot of groups release PROPERS just out of desperation due to losing the race. A reason for the PROPER should always be included in the NFO.

SUBBED -
In the case of a VCD, if a release is subbed, it usually means it has hard encoded subtitles burnt throughout the movie. These are generally in malaysian/chinese/thai etc, and sometimes there are two different languages, which can take up quite a large amount of the screen. SVCD supports switch able subtitles, so some DVDRips are released with switch able subs. This will be mentioned in the NFO file if included.

UNSUBBED -
When a film has had a subbed release in the past, an Unsubbed release may be released

LIMITED -
A limited movie means it has had a limited theater run, generally opening in less than 250 theaters, generally smaller films (such as art house films) are released as limited.

INTERNAL -
An internal release is done for several reasons. Classic DVD groups do a lot of .INTERNAL. releases, as they wont be dupe'd on it. Also lower quality theater rips are done INTERNAL so not to lower the reputation of the group, or due to the amount of rips done already. An INTERNAL release is available as normal on the groups affiliate sites, but they can't be traded to other sites without request from the site ops. Some INTERNAL releases still trickle down to IRC/Newsgroups, it usually depends on the title and the popularity. Earlier in the year people referred to Centropy going "internal". This meant the group were only releasing the movies to their members and site ops. This is in a different context to the usual definition.

STV -
Straight To Video. Was never released in theaters, and therefore a lot of sites do not allow these.

ASPECT RATIO TAGS -
These are *WS* for widescreen (letterbox) and *FS* for Fullscreen.

RECODE -
A recode is a previously released version, usually filtered through TMPGenc to remove subtitles, fix color etc. Whilst they can look better, its not looked upon highly as groups are expected to obtain their own sources.

REPACK -
If a group releases a bad rip, they will release a Repack which will fix the problems.

NUKED -
A film can be nuked for various reasons. Individual sites will nuke for breaking their rules (such as "No Telesyncs") but if the film has something extremely wrong with it (no soundtrack for 20mins, CD2 is incorrect film/game etc) then a global nuke will occur, and people trading it across sites will lose their credits. Nuked films can still reach other sources such as p2p/usenet, but its a good idea to check why it was nuked first in case. If a group realise there is something wrong, they can request a nuke.

NUKE REASONS :: this is a list of common reasons a film can be nuked for (generally DVDRip)

** BAD A/R ** :: bad aspect ratio, ie people appear too fat/thin
** BAD IVTC ** :: bad inverse telecine. process of converting framerates was incorrect.
** INTERLACED ** :: black lines on movement as the field order is incorrect.

DUPE -
Dupe is quite simply, if something exists already, then theres no reason for it to exist again without proper reason.

What is the Registry?

2009-11-06T19:23:00.001-08:00

What is the Registry?
The Registry is a database used to store settings and options for the 32 bit versions of Microsoft Windows including Windows 95, 98, ME and NT/2000. It contains information and settings for all the hardware, software, users, and preferences of the PC. Whenever a user makes changes to a Control Panel settings, or File Associations, System Policies, or installed software, the changes are reflected and stored in the Registry.

The physical files that make up the registry are stored differently depending on your version of Windows; under Windows 95 & 98 it is contained in two hidden files in your Windows directory, called USER.DAT and SYSTEM.DAT, for Windows Me there is an additional CLASSES.DAT file, while under Windows NT/2000 the files are contained seperately in the %SystemRoot%\System32\Config directory. You can not edit these files directly, you must use a tool commonly known as a "Registry Editor" to make any changes (using registry editors will be discussed later in the article).

The Structure of The Registry
The Registry has a hierarchal structure, although it looks complicated the structure is similar to the directory structure on your hard disk, with Regedit being similar to Windows Explorer.

Each main branch (denoted by a folder icon in the Registry Editor, see left) is called a Hive, and Hives contains Keys. Each key can contain other keys (sometimes referred to as sub-keys), as well as Values. The values contain the actual information stored in the Registry. There are three types of values; String, Binary, and DWORD - the use of these depends upon the context.

There are six main branches, each containing a specific portion of the information stored in the Registry. They are as follows:

* HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT - This branch contains all of your file association mappings to support the drag-and-drop feature, OLE information, Windows shortcuts, and core aspects of the Windows user interface.
* HKEY_CURRENT_USER - This branch links to the section of HKEY_USERS appropriate for the user currently logged onto the PC and contains information such as logon names, desktop settings, and Start menu settings.
* HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE - This branch contains computer specific information about the type of hardware, software, and other preferences on a given PC, this information is used for all users who log onto this computer.
* HKEY_USERS - This branch contains individual preferences for each user of the computer, each user is represented by a SID sub-key located under the main branch.
* HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG - This branch links to the section of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE appropriate for the current hardware configuration.
* HKEY_DYN_DATA - This branch points to the part of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, for use with the Plug-&-Play features of Windows, this section is dymanic and will change as devices are added and removed from the system.

Each registry value is stored as one of five main data types:

* REG_BINARY - This type stores the value as raw binary data. Most hardware component information is stored as binary data, and can be displayed in an editor in hexadecimal format.
* REG_DWORD - This type represents the data by a four byte number and is commonly used for boolean values, such as "0" is disabled and "1" is enabled. Additionally many parameters for device driver and services are this type, and can be displayed in REGEDT32 in binary, hexadecimal and decimal format, or in REGEDIT in hexadecimal and decimal format.
* REG_EXPAND_SZ - This type is an expandable data string that is string containing a variable to be replaced when called by an application. For example, for the following value, the string "%SystemRoot%" will replaced by the actual location of the directory containing the Windows NT system files. (This type is only available using an advanced registry editor such as REGEDT32)
* REG_MULTI_SZ - This type is a multiple string used to represent values that contain lists or multiple values, each entry is separated by a NULL character. (This type is only available using an advanced registry editor such as REGEDT32)
* REG_SZ - This type is a standard string, used to represent human readable text values.

Other data types not available through the standard registry editors include:

* REG_DWORD_LITTLE_ENDIAN - A 32-bit number in little-endian format.
* REG_DWORD_BIG_ENDIAN - A 32-bit number in big-endian format.
* REG_LINK - A Unicode symbolic link. Used internally; applications should not use this type.
* REG_NONE - No defined value type.
* REG_QWORD - A 64-bit number.
* REG_QWORD_LITTLE_ENDIAN - A 64-bit number in little-endian format.
* REG_RESOURCE_LIST - A device-driver resource list.

Editing The Registry

The Registry Editor (REGEDIT.EXE) is included with most version of Windows (although you won't find it on the Start Menu) it enables you to view, search and edit the data within the Registry. There are several methods for starting the Registry Editor, the simplest is to click on the Start button, then select Run, and in the Open box type "regedit", and if the Registry Editor is installed it should now open and look like the image below.

An alternative Registry Editor (REGEDT32.EXE) is available for use with Windows NT/2000, it includes some additional features not found in the standard version, including; the ability to view and modify security permissions, and being able to create and modify the extended string values REG_EXPAND_SZ & REG_MULTI_SZ.

Create a Shortcut to Regedit
This can be done by simply right-clicking on a blank area of your desktop, selecting New, then Shortcut, then in the Command line box enter "regedit.exe" and click Next, enter a friendly name (e.g. 'Registry Editor') then click Finish and now you can double click on the new icon to launch the Registry Editor.

Using Regedit to modify your Registry
Once you have started the Regedit you will notice that on the left side there is a tree with folders, and on the right the contents (values) of the currently selected folder.

Like Windows explorer, to expand a certain branch (see the structure of the registry section), click on the plus sign [+] to the left of any folder, or just double-click on the folder. To display the contents of a key (folder), just click the desired key, and look at the values listed on the right side. You can add a new key or value by selecting New from the Edit menu, or by right-clicking your mouse. And you can rename any value and almost any key with the same method used to rename files; right-click on an object and click rename, or click on it twice (slowly), or just press F2 on the keyboard. Lastly, you can delete a key or value by clicking on it, and pressing Delete on the keyboard, or by right-clicking on it, and choosing Delete.

Note: it is always a good idea to backup your registry before making any changes to it. It can be intimidating to a new user, and there is always the possibility of changing or deleting a critical setting causing you to have to reinstall the whole operating system. It's much better to be safe than sorry!

Importing and Exporting Registry Settings

A great feature of the Registry Editor is it's ability to import and export registry settings to a text file, this text file, identified by the .REG extension, can then be saved or shared with other people to easily modify local registry settings. You can see the layout of these text files by simply exporting a key to a file and opening it in Notepad, to do this using the Registry Editor select a key, then from the "Registry" menu choose "Export Registry File...", choose a filename and save. If you open this file in notepad you will see a file similar to the example below:

Quote:

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup]
"SetupType"=dword:00000000
"CmdLine"="setup -newsetup"
"SystemPrefix"=hex:c5,0b,00,00,00,40,36,02

The layout is quite simple, REGEDIT4 indicated the file type and version, [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup] indicated the key the values are from, "SetupType"=dword:00000000 are the values themselves the portion after the "=" will vary depending on the type of value they are; DWORD, String or Binary.

So by simply editing this file to make the changes you want, it can then be easily distributed and all that need to be done is to double-click, or choose "Import" from the Registry menu, for the settings to be added to the system Registry.

Deleting keys or values using a REG file
It is also possible to delete keys and values using REG files. To delete a key start by using the same format as the the REG file above, but place a "-" symbol in front of the key name you want to delete. For example to delete the [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup] key the reg file would look like this:

Quote:

REGEDIT4

[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup]

The format used to delete individual values is similar, but instead of a minus sign in front of the whole key, place it after the equal sign of the value. For example, to delete the value "SetupType" the file would look like:

Quote:

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup]
"SetupType"=-

Use this feature with care, as deleting the wrong key or value could cause major problems within the registry, so remember to always make a backup first.

Regedit Command Line Options
Regedit has a number of command line options to help automate it's use in either batch files or from the command prompt. Listed below are some of the options, please note the some of the functions are operating system specific.

* regedit.exe [options] [filename] [regpath]
* [filename] Import .reg file into the registry
* /s [filename] Silent import, i.e. hide confirmation box when importing files
* /e [filename] [regpath] Export the registry to [filename] starting at [regpath]
e.g. regedit /e file.reg HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT
* /L:system Specify the location of the system.dat to use
* /R:user Specify the location of the user.dat to use
* /C [filename] Compress (Windows 98)
* /D [regpath] Delete the specified key (Windows 98)

Maintaining the Registry

How can you backup and restore the Registry?

Windows 95
Microsoft included a utility on the Windows 95 CD-ROM that lets you create backups of the Registry on your computer. The Microsoft Configuration Backup program, CFGBACK.EXE, can be found in the \Other\Misc\Cfgback directory on the Windows 95 CD-ROM. This utility lets you create up to nine different backup copies of the Registry, which it stores, with the extension RBK, in your \Windows directory. If your system is set up for multiple users, CFGBACK.EXE won't back up the USER.DAT file.

After you have backed up your Registry, you can copy the RBK file onto a floppy disk for safekeeping. However, to restore from a backup, the RBK file must reside in the \Windows directory. Windows 95 stores the backups in compressed form, which you can then restore only by using the CFGBACK.EXE utility.

Windows 98
Microsoft Windows 98 automatically creates a backup copy of the registry every time Windows starts, in addition to this you can manually create a backup using the Registry Checker utility by running SCANREGW.EXE from Start | Run menu.

What to do if you get a Corrupted Registry
Windows 95, 98 and NT all have a simple registry backup mechanism that is quite reliable, although you should never simply rely on it, remember to always make a backup first!

Windows 95
In the Windows directory there are several hidden files, four of these will be SYSTEM.DAT & USER.DAT, your current registry, and SYSTEM.DA0 & USER.DA0, a backup of your registry. Windows 9x has a nice reature in that every time it appears to start successfully it will copy the registry over these backup files, so just in case something goes wrong can can restore it to a known good state. To restore the registry follow these instruction:
[list=1]
* Click the Start button, and then click Shut Down.

* Click Restart The Computer In MS-DOS Mode, then click Yes.

* Change to your Windows directory. For example, if your Windows directory is c:\windows, you would type the following:

cd c:\windows

* Type the following commands, pressing ENTER after each one. (Note that SYSTEM.DA0 and USER.DA0 contain the number zero.)

attrib -h -r -s system.dat
attrib -h -r -s system.da0
copy system.da0 system.dat
attrib -h -r -s user.dat
attrib -h -r -s user.da0
copy user.da0 user.dat

* Restart your computer.

Following this procedure will restore your registry to its state when you last successfully started your computer.

If all else fails, there is a file on your hard disk named SYSTEM.1ST that was created when Windows 95 was first successfully installed. If necessary you could also change the file attributes of this file from read-only and hidden to archive to copy the file to C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM.DAT.

Windows NT
On Windows NT you can use either the "Last Known Good" option or RDISK to restore to registry to a stable working configuration.

How can I clean out old data from the Registry?
Although it's possible to manually go through the Registry and delete unwanted entries, Microsoft provides a tool to automate the process, the program is called RegClean. RegClean analyzes Windows Registry keys stored in a common location in the Windows Registry. It finds keys that contain erroneous values, it removes them from the Windows Registry after having recording those entries in the Undo.Reg file.

0-Day - Latest software releases.

2009-11-06T19:22:00.003-08:00

0-Day - Latest software releases.

0-Sec - Same as above, although the period of time between ripping a game or application and it appearing on a warez site is even shorter.

Ace File - The first file in a series of compressed archives (the one you double click on to decompress all the files at once).

Active List - Similar to a mailing list, but uses ICQ to send instant messages to subscribers.

Alpha - Software receives this label when it is in the very early stages of development. Usually full of bugs, so don't touch it with a barge pole.

Anti-Leech - A system which uses cgi scripts to prevent people stealing links and then taking the credit for uploading the files.

Appz - Short for applications. For example Flash 5 or GoLie 5.5.

ASF File - The worst quality movie file format (still pretty good though), much smaller in size than dat or mpg.

Banner Site - Password and username restricted FTP site. To get the correct login details you must click on several banners.

Beta - Refers to an almost finished piece of software that is released to the public for bug testing.

BSA - An acronym for Business Software Alliance, an organisation who are responsible for enforcing anti-piracy litigation. Similar groups in charge of controlling software "theft" include the SIIA, SPA and ELSPA.

BSOD - Many people read about BSODs on bulletin boards and think that they're being insulted, but there is no need to get paranoid. It is actually an acronym for "Blue Screen Of Death". These can occur for a multitude of reasons (old Bill likes to keep us guessing!) and are the bane of PC user's lives.

Bulletin Board - A virtual meeting place on the web similar to a chat room except that it isn't in real time. One person leaves a message then others come along, read it and add a reply. Each new discussion is called a new topic or thread and has it's own link. Whenever a new topic is created the older topics are pushed one place downwards in the list. When someone replies to an older topic it is brought back to the top of the list.

C?? File - File extension that indicates that a file is part of an .ace or .rar series of compressed files.

Cgi Scripts - These are referrers which are used in url's. When you click on a link with a ?cgi reference you are directed to a sponsor's website or an anti-leech protected file.

Cookie - A tiny text file (usually less than 1kb), which is stored on your hard drive when you visit a web site. These are used to remember who you are so that you can access members only areas on the site without having to type in a password every time or to retain your personalised settings so that they are available the next time you visit.

Courier - Someone who is involved in the logistics of delivering new releases directly from the release groups themselves to FTP sites.

Crack - A tiny executable file that is used to transform a shareware program into the full version. Also used to remove any copy protection from the main executable of games (this will already have been done in "ripped" warez games).

CRC Error - These can occur when you try to decompress a file that has become corrupt during the downloading process, usually as a result of too much resuming.

Credits - The amount of data you are permitted to download from a ratio site. The more credits you have the more software you are allowed to download.

DAP - A quick way of referring to "Download Accelerator Plus", a free download manager that claims to speed up file transfers by up to three hundred per cent. It works by making multiple connections to the same file and is paid for by revolving advertising banners.Also supports resume.

DAT File - File format used for movies, identical in quality and size to mpg as far as I can tell.

DC - The lazy way of referring to the Dreamcast, Sega's latest console incarnation.

Decompression - Unpacking many files that have been stored in a single archive.

Distro - A concise means of referring to a distribution FTP site. These are huge storage areas which act as a springboard for the transfer of new releases. Their whereabouts are never public disclosed to aid their survival rate. You can think of them as the initial source from which warez emanates.

Direct Downloads - Links to actual files rather than other warez sites or pages. These are usually gathered together from many different sites and put on one page for your convenience.

DivX - Movies ripped from a DVD using the DivX video codecs. Can be played back using Media Player.

DIZ File - Short for description. Very brief text file found in warez archives stating the title of the software, the number of files that makes up the set and the group who released it.

Download (or DL) - Copying files from a web server or FTP site to your computer using a modem.

Emulator - An application that simulates another computer system or console using your PC.

FAQ - Stands for Frequently Asked Questions.

FAW - Abbreviation for "Files Anywhere", a popular, free web storage service.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP) - The method used to transfer files from one computer to another using a modem.

Filler - Refers to a person who uploads stuff to pub for others to download.

Flaming - A general net term for "verbally" attacking someone. This can be done via email, bulletin board, chat room or any medium which involves communication across the web.

Freedrive - Virtual hard drive storage area on the web. Free to join and anything and everything can be uploaded or downloaded.

Freeware - Unrestricted software that is downloaded from the net and is completely free to use. Often paid for using advertising.

FTP Client / Browser - A program used to access, upload and download data from FTP sites.

FXP - File eXchange Protocol - This refers to server to server transfer. You can transfer files from one pub to another using very little of your own bandwidth. This is by far the best means for distributing large files, only problem is that a very limited number of FXP capable pubs exist.

Gamez - Pretty self-explanatory this one.

Getright - One of the best download managers available.

Gold - A piece of software is said to have gone gold when the final version is complete and it is ready to ship to the public.

Gozilla - Another excellent download manager.

Hacking - Gaining access to a remote computer without the authorisation to do so. Usually for the purposes of stealing confidential information or the malicious destruction of data.

Hammering - Repeatedly trying to access an FTP site using an FTP client or download manager.

HTTP - Stands for "Hypertext Transfer Protocol". The method you use to view a web page. Always comes before the address of a website in your Url bar.

ICQ - Derives from the term "I Seek You" and is used for real time chat and transferring files over the internet.

IP - 32 bit binary number identifying the position of a computer on the Internet - similar to the URL. The URL is usually easier to remember as it is alpha based rather than numerical.

IP Range - usually referred to when talking about scanning a particular range of ip addresses. They can be broken down into A, B, and C ranges - AAA.BBB.CCC.xxx. Usually an entire B range will be scanned at a time.

IRC - Stands for "Instant Relay Chat". Used for real time chat and transferring files over the Internet.

ISO - An exact copy of an original CD, all the multimedia bits and pieces are uncut and therefore they are extremely large and awkward to download.

Java - Html scripts used to add functionality to or bring web pages alive. These include animation (such as the title graphic on my main page), menus, chat rooms, buttons, pop ups and so on.

KBps - Kilobytes per second - This is what most transfer speed are referring to. One Byte is comprised of 8 Bits.

Kbps - Kilobits per second - This is what most modem speeds are referring to. Why? Probably to make them look faster. Divide by 8 to get KBps.

Key Generator - A tiny executable program that is capable of creating a serial number from a specified username. These are specific to particular applications or utilities, so a serial number created with one key generator will only work for the program for which the key generator was developed.

Lamer - An annoying and overused general derogatory term used to insult/put down anyone and everything.

Leeching - Downloading files without giving anything back in return or copying other people's links.

Mirror - An exact copy of a web site that is stored on a different server. Using multiple locations for warez sites allows the site to be accessed using a different address if the main site is deleted.

Modchip - Very common website sponsor found on warez sites. They don't mind their banners being used on illegal software sites because their products are one of the "grey areas" of the law. Modchips are small pieces of electronic circuitry which allow copied games to be played on your Playstation. If a Playstation has been fitted with a Modchip it is said to have been "chipped".

MP3 File - Compressed music file format. Average track size is between 3 and 4 meg compared to 40-ish meg in wav format.

MPG File - The best quality and largest movie file format.

Multi Web Space Faker - A tool used to create lots of free web space accounts simultaneously.

Name Zero - An organisation that offers free website domain names. The main drawbacks are that you have to put up with a very bulky banner residing at the bottom of your page and the fact that you never actually own your chosen address.

NFO File - Short for info or information. Basic text file containing all the important details relating to a particular release, such as number of files, release date, copy protection system, installation instructions etc.

Nuked - A release is said to be nuked if it is completely unplayable. Usually when this happens another group re-releases the particular game, although fixes do sometimes follow on to rescue the game from trash can.

OEM - An acronym for Original Equipment Manufacturer. OEM software products are repackaged versions of the full retail product. They are often re-branded to suit the needs of the particular vender and are much more reasonable priced because they lack excessive packaging and a hard copy of the manual.

OST - Not strictly a warez term this one, but one that you are likely to come across while searching for MP3 music. It stands for original soundtrack (movie music).

Patch - We all know games and applications aren't perfect. When they are released we would hope that they have been thoroughly tested for bugs and incompatibility problems, but you can guarantee that many of these will still slip through the quality control net. Once the program is released to the general public, the bug reports start to flood in. A patch is a downloadable executive file which takes these reports into account and attempts to incorporate all the fixes for these known problems. A patch can resolve incompatibility problems, prevent crashes or improve the performance of a piece of software.

Piracy - The replication and distribution of videos or computer software.

Pop-ups - Irritating browser windows that open automatically when you visit a warez site. Usually contain voting portals or porn sites.

Port - A port is a term used when referring to FTP sites and is an essential extension of the address used to access them. If the port number of an FTP site isn't specified the default setting of 21 will automatically be used.

Pron - A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away someone posted a request for porn on a bulletin board, only, because of a typing error what he ended up asking for was "pron". Since then this has become a bit of a running joke and so it is now deliberately misspelt.

Proxy - A third party server which acts as an anonymous go between whenever you request a web page or contact a remote server. The message from your computer is first sent through the proxy server before being relayed to the final destination so that it appears as though the request has come from the IP address of the proxy server rather than you. Used when you wish to maintain your privacy on the net or speed up your connection (much more detailed info on this subject in the "more tips" section).

Psx - A quick way of referring to the Sony Playstation.

Pub - A free for all FTP site where anonymous access is permitted. They are usually used for transferring large files to many people because of their high speeds.

Pub Scanner - Someone who scours the net for anonymous access FTP sites which permit the creation and deletion of files. These are then exploited by uploading software for others to share.

Pub Stealer - Someone who posts the IP address of a public FTP site which they themselves have not built. Some pub stealers justify this by claiming that the elitism of private FXP groups discriminates against those people who do not have access, yet others simply post other people's work to try to claim the credit for themselves. Either way though, pub stealers are despised by the FXP groups and praised by those who would otherwise not have access to them.

Rar File - The first file in a series of compressed archives (the one you double click on to decompress all the files at once). Usually decompressed using a program called Winrar.

Release Groups - A group of people who are involved in cracking and / or ripping software and then repackaging it into easily downloadable segments.

Ratio - Two numbers separated by a semi-colon. Indicates how much data you must upload to an FTP site before you are permitted to download anything.

Reg File - Tiny file that adds essential configuration details into the registry.

Resume - The ability to stop and start downloading / uploading a file whenever you choose without having to start from the beginning again.

Rip - Software that has had all the non-essential gubbins removed to reduce its size. Videos and music are always the first casualties.

Raped - A release is branded with this term if it has been damaged beyond repair during the ripping process.

RM File - Shorthand for Real Media, a file format used to encode video sequences, which can only be played back using the "Real Player". Video clips produced using this format are not of the highest quality, but do have the advantage of a small file size.

ROM - Games which are designed for other platforms, but are played on the PC using an emulator.

Serial - A valid username and password that is saved as a basic text file and is used to register a shareware program and therefore remove all the restrictions.

Shareware - Try before you buy software downloaded from the net.

Spam - Unsolicited junk e-mail. Supposedly stands for "Stupid Person's Annoying Message".

Sponsor - To make some money webmasters can place adverts on their sites. Each time you click on these adverts or banners they get paid a few cents for bringing potential customers to the sponsors website.

Surfer Friendly (SF) - Surfer friendly sites supposedly have no blind links, pop-ups or porn banners. Don't be fooled by this label though as some sites will tell you fibs to get you to visit them.

Sys Op - The person who has the responsibility for running the computer from which an FTP site has been established. When warez is uploaded to public FTP sites and then suddenly goes "Missing In Action" you can often lay the blame at the door of the Sys Op who has an obligation to make sure his/her server stays within the boundaries of the law (i.e. warez free).

Tag / Tagged - This generally refers to the tagging of a pub. A FXP group uses a directory structure to claim it as their own. A general rule is that if a tag is 2 weeks old and not in use it has been abandoned.

Top List - Chart which lists in rank order the best warez sites. Worked out on the basis of votes.

Trading - Swapping warez, file for file via FTP, ICQ etc. Not usually approved of by the real warez community who believe that warez should be freely distributed. To put it simply, it is not the "warez way".

Trainer - A small, executable program which sits in your taskbar while you play a game. Hotkeys are associated with cheat commands so that when they are pressed you are given extra ammo, weapons, lives or the ability to toggle between invincible/mortal modes etc etc.

Trojans - Nasty virus like attachments which can be merged with executable files. These are tiny so are unlikely to arouse suspicion. When run they allow a hacker to access your computer and wreak havoc. Can occasionally be found in warez files.

UBB - Shorthand for Ultimate Bulletin Board, currently the most popular script used for creating warez bulletin boards.

UBB Hacks - This term falsely gives the impression that something destructive or malicious is involved, but when you hear people talking about a hack in the context of bulletin boards they are simply referring to code which helps to improve the functionality of a board. For example a "thread hack" would effect the way in which individual threads look and operate.

Undeletable Pub - An anonymous access, public FTP site where the permission attributes are set to allow uploads and downloads, but do not permit deletion.

Unzip - Unpacking or decompressing many files that have been stored in a single archive. Technically only used when talking about zip files.

Upload - Copying files from your computer to a web server or FTP site using a modem.

URL - Stands for "Uniform Resource Locator". The web site address you type into your browser.

VCD - Stands for Video Compact Disc. Basically these are huge movie files which can be viewed with the latest version of Media Player.

Voting - Members of the warez scene are very keen to reach the number one slot of top lists such as Voodoo, Top 60 etc. and will therefore encourage you to vote for their site to improve their position and get the credit they deserve (or not as the case may be!).

Warez - "Pirated" Full version software that is uploaded to the internet and is available for free download.

Warez Board - Bulletin board used by the warez community to share links and discuss anything related to warez.

Winace - Another utility used for decompressing all the common archive formats. Not great in my opinion. See below for a better one.

Wingate - Similar to a proxy in that they are used to hide your identity, except all information actually passes through the Wingate, if you have a slow Wingate you get slow download/upload speeds. Wingates are also used to force FXP transfer on pubs that do not normally accept FXP, again all data passes through the Wingate so you need one that is fast for it to be useful.

Winrar - Utility used for decompressing .rar files and much more.

Winzip - An essential tool used to decompress warez files.

Zip - A common compression format used to store warez.

Warez Definations

2009-11-06T19:22:00.001-08:00

Warez Definations

ISO:
A file that is created from an image of a CD. You can make an iso yourself with a program such as Adaptec Easy CD Creator, or you can burn an ISO file to a CD-R to create a copy of a CD.

Bin/cue files:
These are also used to create an image of a CD. Most people burn these with CdrWin or Fireburner. The .bin file contains all the data for the cd, the .cue file is just a small file in text format telling the software exactly how to burn the data onto the CD.

MP3:
Don't know what these are? What cave have you been you living in? This is a format used to compress music files. You can create your own by encoding .wav files ripped from audio CDs. There are many free players that will play mp3s for you (see the Winamp tutorial)

Ace files:
These are used to compress/archive data. Use WinAce to decompress them, or to make your own. The normal format for ace files is to have .ace, .c01, .c01, etc.

Rar files:
Another compression/archive format. This is most commonly used on iso or bin files in order to split them up into smaller files (15 MB is the norm). Winrar and many other utilities can decompress these. Rar files are usually in the format .rar, .r01, .r02, etc. But don't be surprised if you don't see a .rar file. Just open up winrar and point it to .r01. You also may see them packed as .001, .002, etc. (maybe with a .rar, maybe not)

Pub:
This is an FTP that has left on anonymous access. Many are owned by large companies, so they have a lot of bandwidth. This makes it possible for one person to send files there and many people can download them at once =) These are found by scanning ranges of ips (see the FTP tutorial). Just remember, like the name says, these are public. Just because you upload something there or make directories with your name does not make it 'your pub'. At the same time, realize that if you come across a pub with another person/groups stuff on it that it may be in use to build other pubs from - so don't ruin it for many people by deleting stuff you find there. For more on this, go read some posts on our Bulletin Board.

Proxy:
A system that is set up to forward packets... There are many different kinds, check out the proxy tutorial for more info. Basically, a proxy server helps cover up your tracks because you connect to remote computers through the proxy. Think of it as the condom of the Internet

SFV Files/ CRC Checks:
SFV files contain information about files that they accompany. You can preform a CRC check on the files using a program such as WinSFV. This compares the information in the SFV file to the file itself. If the information doesn't match, then the file was probably messed up in transfer somehow.. try downloading it again, from a different source if possible.

0-Day:
Latest software releases.

0-Sec:
Same as above, although the period of time between ripping a game or application and it appearing on a warez site is even shorter.

Ace File:
The first file in a series of compressed archives (the one you double click on to decompress all the files at once).

Active List:
Similar to a mailing list, but uses ICQ to send instant messages to subscribers.

Alpha:
Software receives this label when it is in the very early stages of development. Usually full of bugs, so don't touch it with a barge pole.

Anti-Leech:
A system which uses cgi scripts to prevent people stealing links and then taking the credit for uploading the files.

Appz:
Short for applications. For example Flash 5 or GoLie 5.5.

ASF File:
The worst quality movie file format (still pretty good though), much smaller in size than dat or mpg.

Banner Site:
Password and username restricted FTP site. To get the correct login details you must click on several banners.

Beta:
An acronym for Business Software Alliance, an organisation who are responsible for enforcing anti-piracy litigation. Similar groups in charge of controlling software "theft" include the SIIA, SPA and ELSPA.

BSOD:
Many people read about BSODs on bulletin boards and think that they're being insulted, but there is no need to get paranoid. It is actually an acronym for "Blue Screen Of Death". These can occur for a multitude of reasons (old Bill likes to keep us guessing!) and are the bane of PC user's lives.

Bulletin Board:
A virtual meeting place on the web similar to a chat room except that it isn't in real time. One person leaves a message then others come along, read it and add a reply. Each new discussion is called a new topic or thread and has it's own link. Whenever a new topic is created the older topics are pushed one place downwards in the list. When someone replies to an older topic it is brought back to the top of the list.

C?? File:
File extension that indicates that a file is part of an .ace or .rar series of compressed files.

Cgi Scripts:
These are referrers which are used in url's. When you click on a link with a ?cgi reference you are directed to a sponsor's website or an anti-leech protected file.

Cookie:
A tiny text file (usually less than 1kb), which is stored on your hard drive when you visit a web site. These are used to remember who you are so that you can access members only areas on the site without having to type in a password every time or to retain your personalised settings so that they are available the next time you visit.

Courier:
Someone who is involved in the logistics of delivering new releases directly from the release groups themselves to FTP sites.

Crack:
A tiny executable file that is used to transform a shareware program into the full version. Also used to remove any copy protection from the main executable of games (this will already have been done in "ripped" warez games).

CRC Error:
These can occur when you try to decompress a file that has become corrupt during the downloading process, usually as a result of too much resuming.

Credits:
The amount of data you are permitted to download from a ratio site. The more credits you have the more software you are allowed to download.

DAP:
A quick way of referring to "Download Accelerator Plus", a free download manager that claims to speed up file transfers by up to three hundred per cent. It works by making multiple connections to the same file and is paid for by revolving advertising banners.Also supports resume. **EDITOR'S PICK**

DAT File:
File format used for movies, identical in quality and size to mpg as far as I can tell.

DC:
The lazy way of referring to the Dreamcast, Sega's latest console incarnation.

Decompression:
Unpacking many files that have been stored in a single archive.

Distro:
A concise means of referring to a distribution FTP site. These are huge storage areas which act as a springboard for the transfer of new releases. Their whereabouts are never public disclosed to aid their survival rate. You can think of them as the initial source from which warez emanates.

Direct Downloads
Links to actual files rather than other warez sites or pages. These are usually gathered together from many different sites and put on one page for your convenience.

DivX:
Movies ripped from a DVD using the DivX video codecs. Can be played back using Media Player.

DIZ File:
Short for description. Very brief text file found in warez archives stating the title of the software, the number of files that makes up the set and the group who released it.

Download (or DL):
Copying files from a web server or FTP site to your computer using a modem.

Emulator:
An application that simulates another computer system or console using your PC.

FAQ:
Stands for Frequently Asked Questions.

FAW:
Abbreviation for "Files Anywhere", a popular, free web storage service.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP):
The method used to transfer files from one computer to another using a modem.

Flaming:
A general net term for "verbally" attacking someone. This can be done via email, bulletin board, chat room or any medium which involves communication across the web.

Freedrive:
Virtual hard drive storage area on the web. Free to join and anything and everything can be uploaded or downloaded.

Freeware:
Unrestricted software that is downloaded from the net and is completely free to use. Often paid for using advertising.

FTP Client / Browser:
A program used to access, upload and download data from FTP sites.

Fxp:
The art of transferring data from one Ftp site to another using the connection speed of the slower of the two computers.

Gamez:
Pretty self-explanatory this one.

Getright:
One of the best download managers available.

Gold:
A piece of software is said to have gone gold when the final version is complete and it is ready to ship to the public.

Gozilla:
Another excellent download manager.

Hacking:
Gaining access to a remote computer without the authorisation to do so. Usually for the purposes of stealing confidential information or the malicious destruction of data.

Hammering:
Repeatedly trying to access an FTP site using an FTP client or download manager.

HTTP:
Stands for "Hypertext Transfer Protocol". The method you use to view a web page. Always comes before the address of a website in your Url bar.

ICQ:
Derives from the term "I Seek You" and is used for real time chat and transferring files over the internet.

IP Address:
A series of numbers separated by dots used to identify your computer on the Internet.

IRC:
Stands for "Instant Relay Chat". Used for real time chat and transferring files over the Internet.

ISO:
An exact copy of an original CD, all the multimedia bits and pieces are uncut and therefore they are extremely large and awkward to download.

Java:
Html scripts used to add functionality to or bring web pages alive. These include animation (such as the title graphic on my main page), menus, chat rooms, buttons, pop ups and so on.

Key Generator:
A tiny executable program that is capable of creating a serial number from a specified username. These are specific to particular applications or utilities, so a serial number created with one key generator will only work for the program for which the key generator was developed.

Lamer:
An annoying and overused general derogatory term used to insult/put down anyone and everything.

Leeching:
Downloading files without giving anything back in return or copying other people's links.

Mirror:
An exact copy of a web site that is stored on a different server. Using multiple locations for warez sites allows the site to be accessed using a different address if the main site is deleted.

Modchip:
Very common website sponsor found on warez sites. They don't mind their banners being used on illegal software sites because their products are one of the "grey areas" of the law. Modchips are small pieces of electronic circuitry which allow copied games to be played on your Playstation. If a Playstation has been fitted with a Modchip it is said to have been "chipped".

MP3 File:
Compressed music file format. Average track size is between 3 and 4 meg compared to 40-ish meg in wav format.

MPG File:
The best quality and largest movie file format.

Multi Web Space Faker:
A tool used to create lots of free web space accounts simultaneously.

Name Zero:
An organisation that offers free website domain names. The main drawbacks are that you have to put up with a very bulky banner residing at the bottom of your page and the fact that you never actually own your chosen address.

NFO File:
Short for info or information. Basic text file containing all the important details relating to a particular release, such as number of files, release date, copy protection system, installation instructions etc.

Nuked:
A release is said to be nuked if it is completely unplayable. Usually when this happens another group re-releases the particular game, although fixes do sometimes follow on to rescue the game from trash can.

OEM:
An acronym for Original Equipment Manufacturer. OEM software products are repackaged versions of the full retail product. They are often re-branded to suit the needs of the particular vender and are much more reasonable priced because they lack excessive packaging and a hard copy of the manual.

OST:
Not strictly a warez term this one, but one that you are likely to come across while searching for MP3 music. It stands for original soundtrack (movie music).

Patch:
We all know games and applications aren't perfect. When they are released we would hope that they have been thoroughly tested for bugs and incompatibility problems, but you can guarantee that many of these will still slip through the quality control net. Once the program is released to the general public, the bug reports start to flood in. A patch is a downloadable executive file which takes these reports into account and attempts to incorporate all the fixes for these known problems. A patch can resolve incompatibility problems, prevent crashes or improve the performance of a piece of software.

Piracy:
The replication and distribution of videos or computer software.

Pop-ups:
Irritating browser windows that open automatically when you visit a warez site. Usually contain voting portals or porn sites.

Port:
A port is a term used when referring to FTP sites and is an essential extension of the address used to access them. If the port number of an FTP site isn't specified the default setting of 21 will automatically be used.

Pron:
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away someone posted a request for porn on a bulletin board, only, because of a typing error what he ended up asking for was "pron". Since then this has become a bit of a running joke and so it is now deliberately misspelled.

Proxy:
A third party server which acts as an anonymous go between whenever you request a web page or contact a remote server. The message from your computer is first sent through the proxy server before being relayed to the final destination so that it appears as though the request has come from the IP address of the proxy server rather than you. Used when you wish to maintain your privacy on the net or speed up your connection (much more detailed info on this subject in the "more tips" section).

Psx:
A quick way of referring to the Sony Playstation.

Pub:
A free for all FTP site where anonymous access is permitted.

Pub Scanner:
Someone who scours the net for anonymous access FTP sites which permit the creation and deletion of files. These are then exploited by uploading software for others to share.

Pub Stealer:
Someone who posts the IP address of a public FTP site which they themselves have not built. Some pub stealers justify this by claiming that the elitism of private FXP groups discriminates against those people who do not have access, yet others simply post other people's work to try to claim the credit for themselves. Either way though, pub stealers are despised by the FXP groups and praised by those who would otherwise not have access to them.

Rar File:
The first file in a series of compressed archives (the one you double click on to decompress all the files at once). Usually decompressed using a program called Winrar.

Release Groups:
A group of people who are involved in cracking and / or ripping software and then repackaging it into easily downloadable segments.

Ratio:
Two numbers separated by a semi-colon. Indicates how much data you must upload to an FTP site before you are permitted to download anything.

Reg File:
Tiny file that adds essential configuration details into the registry.

Resume:
The ability to stop and start downloading / uploading a file whenever you choose without having to start from the beginning again.

Rip:
Software that has had all the non-essential gubbins removed to reduce its size. Videos and music are always the first casualties.

Raped:
A release is branded with this term if it has been damaged beyond repair during the ripping process.

RM File:
Shorthand for Real Media, a file format used to encode video sequences, which can only be played back using the "Real Player". Video clips produced using this format are not of the highest quality, but do have the advantage of a small file size.

ROM:
Games which are designed for other platforms, but are played on the PC using an emulator.

Serial:
A valid username and password that is saved as a basic text file and is used to register a shareware program and therefore remove all the restrictions.

Shareware:
Try before you buy software downloaded from the net.

Spam:
Unsolicited junk e-mail. Supposedly stands for "Stupid Person's Annoying Message".

Sponsor:
To make some money webmasters can place adverts on their sites. Each time you click on these adverts or banners they get paid a few cents for bringing potential customers to the sponsors website.

Surfer Friendly (SF):
Surfer friendly sites supposedly have no blind links, pop-ups or porn banners. Don't be fooled by this label though as some sites will tell you fibs to get you to visit them.

Sys Op:
The person who has the responsibility for running the computer from which an FTP site has been established. When warez is uploaded to public FTP sites and then suddenly goes "Missing In Action" you can often lay the blame at the door of the Sys Op who has an obligation to make sure his/her server stays within the boundaries of the law (i.e. warez free).

Top List:
Chart which lists in rank order the best warez sites. Worked out on the basis of votes.

Trading:
Swapping warez, file for file via FTP, ICQ etc. Not usually approved of by the real warez community who believe that warez should be freely distributed. To put it simply, it is not the "warez way".

Trainer:
A small, executable program which sits in your taskbar while you play a game. Hotkeys are associated with cheat commands so that when they are pressed you are given extra ammo, weapons, lives or the ability to toggle between invincible/mortal modes etc etc.

Trojans:
Nasty virus like attachments which can be merged with executable files. These are tiny so are unlikely to arouse suspicion. When run they allow a hacker to access your computer and wreak havoc. Can occasionally be found in warez files.

UBB:
Shorthand for Ultimate Bulletin Board, currently the most popular script used for creating warez bulletin boards.

UBB Hacks:
This term falsely gives the impression that something destructive or malicious is involved, but when you hear people talking about a hack in the context of bulletin boards they are simply referring to code which helps to improve the functionality of a board. For example a "thread hack" would effect the way in which individual threads look and operate.

Undeletable Pub:
An anonymous access, public FTP site where the permission attributes are set to allow uploads and downloads, but do not permit deletion.

Unzip:
Unpacking or decompressing many files that have been stored in a single archive. Technically only used when talking about zip files.

Upload:
Copying files from your computer to a web server or FTP site using a modem.

URL:
Stands for "Uniform Resource Locator". The web site address you type into your browser.

Voting:
Members of the warez scene are very keen to reach the number one slot of top lists such as Voodoo, Top 60 etc. and will therefore encourage you to vote for their site to improve their position and get the credit they deserve (or not as the case may be!).
Warez:
Full version software that is uploaded to the internet and is available for free download.

Warez Board:
Bulletin board used by the warez community to share links and discuss anything related to warez.

Winace:
Another utility used for decompressing all the common archive formats. Not great in my opinion. See below for a better one.

Winrar:
Utility used for decompressing .rar files and much more.

Winzip:
An essential tool used to decompress warez files.

Zip:
A common compression format used to store warez .

Important Note: Before you read on, you need to keep one thing in mind. Whenever you make changes to the Windows Registry you need to Refresh it before the changes take place. Simply press F5 to refresh the registry and enable the changes. If this does not work Restart your system

2009-11-06T19:21:00.001-08:00

Important Note: Before you read on, you need to keep one thing in mind. Whenever you make changes to the Windows Registry you need to Refresh it before the changes take place. Simply press F5 to refresh the registry and enable the changes. If this does not work Restart your system

****************

Exiting Windows the Cool and Quick Way

Normally it takes a hell lot of time just Shutting down Windows, you have to move your mouse to the Start Button, click on it, move it again over Shut Down, click, then move it over the necessary option and click, then move the cursor over the OK button and once again (you guessed it) click.This whole process can be shortened by creating shortcuts on the Desktop which will shut down Windows at the click of a button. Start by creating a new shortcut( right click and select New> Shortcut). Then in the command line box, type (without the quotes.)

'C:windowsrundll.exe user.exe,exitwindowsexec'

This Shortcut on clicking will restart Windows immediately without any Warning. To create a Shortcut to Restarting Windows, type the following in the Command Line box:

'c:windowsrundll.exe user.exe,exitwindows'

This Shortcut on clicking will shut down Windows immediately without any Warning.

Ban Shutdowns : A trick to Play on Lamers

This is a neat trick you can play on that lamer that has a huge ego, in this section I teach you, how to disable the Shut Down option in the Shut Down Dialog Box. This trick involves editing the registry, so please make backups. Launch regedit.exe and go to :

HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesExplorer

In the right pane look for the NoClose Key. If it is not already there then create it by right clicking in the right pane and selecting New > String Value.(Name it NoCloseKey ) Now once you see the NoCloseKey in the right pane, right click on it and select Modify. Then Type 1 in the Value Data Box.

Doing the above on a Win98 system disables the Shut Down option in the Shut Down Dialog Box. But on a Win95 machine if the value of NoCloseKey is set to 1 then click on the Start > Shut Down button displays the following error message:

This operation has been cancelled due to restrictions in effect on this computer. Please contact your system administrator.

You can enable the shut down option by changing the value of NoCloseKey to 0 or simply deleting the particular entry i.e. deleting NoCloseKey.

Instead of performing the above difficult to remember process, simply save the following with an extension of .reg and add it's contents to the registry by double clicking on it.

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesExplorer]

"NoClose"="1"

Disabling Display of Drives in My Computer

This is yet another trick you can play on your geek friend. To disable the display of local or networked drives when you click My Computer go to :

HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesExplorer

Now in the right pane create a new DWORD item and name it NoDrives. Now modify it's value and set it to 3FFFFFF (Hexadecimal) Now press F5 to refresh. When you click on My Computer, no drives will be shown. To enable display of drives in My Computer, simply delete this DWORD item. It's .reg file is as follows:

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesExplorer]

"NoDrives"=dword:03ffffff

Take Over the Screen Saver

To activate and deactivate the screen saver whenever you want, goto the following registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionScreenSavers

Now add a new string value and name it Mouse Corners. Edit this new value to -Y-N. Press F5 to refresh the registry. Voila! Now you can activate your screensaver by simply placing the mouse cursor at the top right corner of the screen and if you take the mouse to the bottom left corner of the screen, the screensaver will deactivate.

Pop a banner each time Windows Boots

To pop a banner which can contain any message you want to display just before a user is going to log on, go to the key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionWinLogon

Now create a new string Value in the right pane named LegalNoticeCaption and enter the value that you want to see in the Menu Bar. Now create yet another new string value and name it: LegalNoticeText. Modify it and insert the message you want to display each time Windows boots. This can be effectively used to display the company's private policy each time the user logs on to his NT box. It's .reg file would be:

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionWinlogon]

"LegalNoticeCaption"="Caption here."

Delete the Tips of the Day to save 5KB

Windows 95 had these tips of the day which appeared on a system running a newly installed Windows OS. These tips of the day are stored in the Windows Registry and consume 5K of space. For those of you who are really concerned about how much free space your hard disk has, I have the perfect trick.

To save 5K go to the following key in Regedit:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerTips

Now simply delete these tricks by selecting and pressing the DEL key.

Change the Default Locations

To change the default drive or path where Windows will look for it's installation files, go to the key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionSetupSourcePath

Now you can edit as you wish.

Secure your Desktop Icons and Settings

You can save your desktop settings and secure it from your nerdy friend by playing with the registry. Simply launch the Registry Editor go to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesExplorer

In the right pane create a new DWORD Value named NoSaveSettings and modify it's value to 1. Refresh and restart for the settings to get saved.

CLSID Folders Explained

Don't you just hate those stubborn stupid icons that refuse to leave the desktop, like the Network Neighborhood icon. I am sure you want to know how you can delete them. You may say, that is really simple, simply right click on the concerned icon and select Delete. Well not exactly, you see when you right click on these special folders( see entire list below)neither the rename nor the delete option does not appear. To delete these folders, there are two methods, the first one is using the System Policy Editor(Poledit in the Windows installation CD)and the second is using the Registry.

Before we go on, you need to understand what CLSID values are. These folders, like the Control Panel, Inbox, The Microsoft Network, Dial Up Networking etc are system folders. Each system folder has a unique CLSID key or the Class ID which is a 16-byte value which identifies an individual object that points to a corresponding key in the registry.

To delete these system Folders from the desktop simply go to the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerDesktopNamespace{xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}

To delete an icon simply delete the 16 byte CLSID value within "NameSpace". The following are the CLSID values of the most commonly used icons:

My Briefcase:{85BBD920-42AO-1069-A2E4-08002B30309D}

Desktop: {00021400-0000-0000-C000-0000000000046}

Control Panel:{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}

Dial-Up-Networking:{992CFFA0-F557-101A-88EC-00DD01CCC48}

Fonts: {BD84B380-8CA2-1069-AB1D-08000948534}

Inbox :{00020D76-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}

My Computer :{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}

Network Neighborhood:{208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-O8002B30309D}

Printers :{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-O8002B30309D}

Recycle Bin :{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}

The Microsoft Network:{00028B00-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}

History: {FF393560-C2A7-11CF-BFF4-444553540000}

Winzip :{E0D79300-84BE-11CE-9641-444553540000}

For example, to delete the Recycle Bin, first note down it's CLSID value, which is: 645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E. Now go to the Namespace key in the registry and delete the corresponding key.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionexplorerDesktopNameSpace{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}

Similarly to delete the History folder, delete the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionexplorerDesktopNameSpace{FBF23B42-E3F0-101B-8488-00AA003E56F8}

Sometimes, you may need to play a trick on your brother or friend, well this one teaches you how to hide all icons from the Desktop. Go to the following registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesExplorer

In the right pane create a new DWORD value by the name: NoDesktop and set its value to: 1. Reboot and you will find no icons on the desktop.

Till now you simply learnt how to delete the special system folders by deleting a registry key, but the hack would have been better if there was a way of adding the DELETE and RENAME option to the right click context menus of these special folders. You can actually change the right click context menu of any system folder and add any of the following options: RENAME, DELETE, CUT, COPY, PASTE and lots more.

This hack too requires you to know the CLSID value of the system folder whose menu you want to customize. In this section, I have taken up Recycle Bin as the folder whose context menu I am going to edit.

Firstly launch the registry editor and open the following registry key:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTCLSID{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}ShellFolder.

In Case you want to edit some other folder like say the FONTS folder, then you will open the following key:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTCLSID{CLSID VALUE HERE}ShellFolder.

In the right pane there will be a DWORD value names attributes. Now consider the following options:
To add the Rename option to the menu, change the value of Attributes to

50 01 00 20
To add the Delete option to the menu, change the value of Attributes to

60 01 00 20

3. To add both the Rename & Delete options to the menu, change the value of Attributes to 70,01,00,20

4. Add Copy to the menu, change Attributes to 41 01 00 20

5. Add Cut to the menu, change Attributes to 42 01 00 20

6. Add Copy & Cut to the menu, change Attributes to 43 01 00 20

7. Add Paste to the menu, change Attributes to 44 01 00 20

8. Add Copy & Paste to the menu, change Attributes to 45 01 00 20

9. Add Cut & Paste to the menu, change Attributes to 46 01 00 20

10.Add all Cut, Copy & Paste to the menu, change Attributes to 47 01 00 20

We want to add only the Rename option to the right click context menu of the Recycle Bin, so change the value of attributes to: 50 01 00 20. Press F5 to refresh and then after rebooting you will find that when you right click on the Recycle Bin a RENAME option pops up too.

To reset the default Windows options change the value of Attributes back to

40 01 00 20

The Registry File which one can create for the above process would be something like the below:

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTCLSID{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}Shell-Folder]

"Attributes"=hex:50,01,00,20

To access say the Modem Properties in the Control Panel Folder, the normal procedure is: Click on Start, Click on Settings> Control Panel and then wait for the Control Panel window to pop up and then ultimately click on the Modems icon.

Wouldn't it be lovely if you could shorten the process to: Click on Start> Control Panel>Modems. Yes you can add the Control Panel and also all other Special System Folders directly to the first level Start Menu. Firstly collect the CLSID value of the folder you want to add to the start menu. I want to add Control Panel hence the CLSID value is: 21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D

Now right click on the Start Button and select Open. Now create a new folder and name it: Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}

NOTE: Do not forget the period after the 'l' in Panel. Similarly all system folders can be added to the Start Menu.(accept My Briefcase, I think)

Deleting System Options from the Start menu

You can actually remove the Find and Run options from the start menu by performing a simple registry hack. Again like always Launch the registry editor and scroll down to the below key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesExplorer

Right-click on the right pane and select New, DWORD Value. Name it NoFind.(To remove the RUN option name it NoRun). Double-click the newly create DWORD to edit it's value and enter 1 as its value. This will disable the FIND option of the Start Menu and will also disable the default Shortcut key(F3 for Find.)

To restore the Run or find command modify the value of the DWORD to 0 or simply Delete the DWORD value.

Fed Up of the boring Old Yellow Folder Icons?[Drive Icons Included]

NOTE: This trick hasn't been tried on Win98.

You can easily change the boring yellow folder icons to your own personalized icons. Simply create a text file and copy the following lines into it:

[.ShellClassInfo]

ICONFILE=Drive:PathIcon_name.extension

Save this text file by the name, desktop.ini in the folder, whose icon you want to change. Now to prevent this file from getting deleted change it's attributes to Hidden and Read Only by using the ATTRIB command.

To change the icon of a drive, create a text file containing the following lines:

[Autorun]

ICON=Drive:PathIcon_name.extension

Save this file in the root of the drive whose icon you want to change and name it autorun.inf For Example, if you want to change the icon of a floppy, SAVE THE icon in a:icon_name.ico One can also create a kewl icon for the Hard Disk and create a text file [autorun.inf] and store it in "c:".

Securing NT

By default, NT 4.0 displays the last person who logged onto the system. This can be considered to be a security threat, especially in the case of those who choose their password to be same as their Username. To disable this bug which actually is a feature, go to the following key in the registry editor:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsNTCurrentVersionWinlogon

Click and select the ReportBookOK item and create a new string value called DontDisplayLastUserName. Modify it and set it's value to 1.

As a system administrator, you can ensure that the passwords chosen by the users are not too lame or too easy to guess. NT has this lovely utility called the User Manager which allows the administrator to set the age limit of the password which forces the users to change the password after a certain number of days. You can also set the minimum length of passwords and prevent users to use passwords which already have been used earlier and also enable account lockouts which will deactivate an account after a specified number of failed login attempts.

When you log on to Win NT, you should disable Password Caching, this ensures Single NT Domain login and also prevents secondary Windows Logon screen.

Simply copy the following lines to a plain text ASCII editor like: Notepad and save it with an extension, .reg

----------------DISABLE.reg-----------------

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesNetwork]

"DisablePwdCaching"=dword:00000001

----------------DISABLE.reg-----------------

To Enable Password Caching use the following .reg file:

--------------Enable.reg-----------------

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesNetwork]

"DisablePwdCaching"=dword:00000000

--------------Enable.reg-----------------

Cleaning Recent Docs Menu and the RUN MRU

The Recent Docs menu can be easily disabled by editing the Registry. To do this go to the following Key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesExplorer

Now in the right pane, create a new DWORD value by the name: NoRecentDocsMenu and set it's value to 1. Restart Explorer to save the changes.

You can also clear the RUN MRU history. All the listings are stored in the key:

HKEY_USERS.DefaultSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerRunMRU

You can delete individual listings or the entire listing. To delete History of Find listings go to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerDoc Find Spec MRU

and delete.

Customizing the Right Click Context Menu of the Start Menu

When you right click on the start menu, only 3 options pop up: Open, Explore, and Find. You can add your own programs to this pop up menu( which comes up when we right click on it.) Open Regedit and go to the following registry key:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTDirectoryShell

Right click on the shell and create a new Sub Key (You can create a new SubKey by right clicking on the Shell Key and selecting New > Key.). Type in the name of the application you want to add to the start menu. I want to add Notepad to the Start Menu and hence I name this new sub key, Notepad. Now right click on the new registry key that you just created and create yet another new key named Command. Enter the full path of the application, in this case Notepad in the default value of Command in the right

pane. So I Modify the value of the default string value and enter the full pathname of Notepad:

c:wndowsnotepad.exe.

Now press F5 to refresh. Now if you right click on the Start Button you will find a new addition to the Pop Up Menu called Notepad. Clicking on it will launch Notepad.

We can not only add but also remove the existing options in this pop up box.

To delete the Find option, go to the following registry key:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTDirectoryShellFind

Delete Find. DO NOT delete Open else you will not be able to open any folders in the Start Menu like Programs, Accessories etc.

BMP Thumbnail As Icon

You can actually change the default BMP icon to a thumbnail version of the actual BMP file. To do this simply go to HKCUPaint.PictureDefault. In the right pane change the value of default to %1. Please note however that this will slow down the display rate in explorer if there are too many BMP thumbnails to display. You can use other icons too, simply enter the pathname.To restore back to the normal change the vale of default back to: C:Progra~1Access~1MSPAINT.EXE,1.

Customizing The Shortcut Arrow

All shortcuts have a tiny black arrow attached to it's icon to distinguish from normal files. This arrow can sometimes be pretty annoying and as a Hacker should know how to change each and everything, here goes another trick. Launch the Registry Editor and go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionexplorerShell Icons.

Now, on the right pane is a list of icons ( we found out that on some systems, Windows 98 especially, the right pane is blank. Don't worry, just add the value as required ). Find the value 29. If it isn't there, just add it. The value of this string should be C:Windowssystemshell32.dll, 29 ( which means the 30th icon in shell32.dll - the first one begins with 0 ). Now, we need blank icon to do this. Just create one with white as the whole icon. Go here to learn how to create an icon. Once done just change the value to C:xxx.ico, 0 where "xxx" is the full path of the icon file and "0" is the icon in it.

Now for some fun. If the blank icon is a bit boring, change it again. You will find that under shell32.dll there is a gear icon, a shared folder ( the hand ) and much more. Experiment for yourself!

Use Perl to Get List or Services Running on your NT box

Use the following Perl Script to get a list of Services running on your NT system

--------------script.pl-----------------

#!c:perbinperl.exe

use Win32::Service;

my ($key, %service, %status, $part);

Win32::Service::GetServices(' ',%services);

foreach $key (sort keys %services) {

print "Print Namet: $key, $services{$key}n";

Win32::Service::GetStatus( ' ',$services{$key};

%status);

foreach $part (keys %status) {

print "t$part : $status{$part}n" if($part eq "CurrentState");

}

}

-------------script.pl-------------------

Internet Explorer Tricks and Tips

Resizable Full Screen Toolbar

The Full Screen option increases the viewable area and makes surfing more enjoyable but sometimes we need the Toolbar but also need to have extra viewing area. Now this hack teaches you how to change the size of the Internet Explorer toolbar. This registry hack is a bit complicated as it involves Binary values, so to make it simple, I have included the following registry file which will enable the resizable option of the Internet Explorer toolbar which was present in the beta version of IE.

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerToolbar]

"Theater"=hex:0c,00,00,00,4c,00,00,00,74,00,00,00,18,00,00,00,1b,00,00,00,5c,

00,00,00,01,00,00,00,e0,00,00,00,a0,0f,00,00,05,00,00,00,22,00,00,00,26,00,

00,00,02,00,00,00,21,00,00,00,a0,0f,00,00,04,00,00,00,01,00,00,00,a0,0f,00,

00,03,00,00,00,08,00,00,00,00,00,00,00

*******************

HACKING TRUTH: Internet Explorer 5 displays the friendly version of HTTP errors like NOT FOUND etc . They are aimed at making things easier for newbies. If you would rather prefer to see the proper error pages for the web server you're using, go to Tools, Internet Options and select the Advanced tab. Then scroll down and uncheck the Show friendly http errors box.

*******************

Making the Internet Explorer & the Explorer Toolbars Fancy

The Internet Explorer toolbar looks pretty simple. Want to make it fancy and kewl? Why not add a background image to it. To do this kewl hack launch the Windows Registry Editor and go to the following key: HKEY_CURRENT_USERSOFTWAREMicrosoft Internet ExplorerToolbar.

Now in the right pane create a new String Value and name it BackBitmap and modify it's value to the path of the Bitmap you want to dress it up with by rightclicking on it and choosing Modify. When you reboot the Internet Explorer and the Windows Explorer toolbars will have a new look.

Change Internet Explorer's Caption

Don't like the caption of Internet Explorer caption? Want to change it? Open the registry editor and go to

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftInternet ExplorerMain.

In the right pane create a new String Value names Window Title (Note the space between Window and Title). Right click on this newly created String Value and select Modify. Type in the new caption you want to be displayed. Restart for the settings to take place.

Now let's move on to some Outlook Express Tricks.

Colorful Background

Don't like the boring background colors of Outlook Express? To change it launch the Windows Registry Editor and scroll down to the

HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet Mail And News key.

On the left pane, click on ColorCycle or select Edit and Modify in the menu. Now change the value to 1. Close and restart. Now, launch Outlook Express and whenever you open up a New Message, hold down ctrl-shift and tap the z key to scroll to change the background color. Repeat the keystroke to cycle through the colors.

Internet Explorer 5 Hidden Features

Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 has several hidden features which can be controlled using the Windows Registry. Open your registry and scroll down to the following key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftInternet ExplorerRestrictions

Create a new DWORD value named x(See complete list of values of x below) and modify it's value to 1 to enable it and to 0 to disable it.

NoBrowserClose : Disable the option of closing Internet Explorer.

NoBrowserContextMenu : Disable right-click context menu.

NoBrowserOptions : Disable the Tools / Internet Options menu.

NoBrowserSaveAs : Disable the ability to Save As.

NoFavorites : Disable the Favorites.

NoFileNew : Disable the File / New command.

NoFileOpen : Disable the File / Open command.

NoFindFiles : Disable the Find Files command.

NoSelectDownloadDir : Disable the option of selecting a download directory.

NoTheaterMode : Disable the Full Screen view option.

Hacking Secrets

Almost all system administrators make certain changes and make the system restricted. System Administrators can hide the RUN option, the FIND command, the entire Control Panel, drives in My Computer like D: A: etc. They can even restrict activities of a hacker my disabling or hiding, even the tiniest options or tools.

Most commonly these restrictions are imposed locally and are controlled by the Windows Registry. But sometimes the smart system administrators control the activities of the hacker by imposing restrictions remotely through the main server.

Poledit or Policy Editor is a small kewl tool which is being commonly used by system administrators to alter the settings of a system. This utility is not installed by default by Windows. You need to install in manually from the Windows 98 Installation Kit from the Resource Kit folder. user.dat file that we saw earlier.

The Policy Editor tool imposes restrictions on the user's system by editing the user.dat file which in turn means that it edits the Windows Registry to change the settings. It can be used to control or restrict access to each and every folder and option you could ever think of. It has the power to even restrict access to individual folders, files, the Control Panel, MS DOS, the drives available etc. Sometimes this software does make life really hard for a Hacker. So how can we remove the restrictions imposed by the Policy Editor? Well read ahead to learn more.

You see the Policy Editor is not the only way to restrict a user's activities. As we already know that the Policy Editor edits the Windows Registry(user.dat) file to impose such restrictions. So this in turn would mean that we can directly make changes to the Windows Registry using a .reg file or directly to remove or add restrictions.

Launch Regedit and go to the following Registry Key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/CurrentVersion/Policies

Under this key, there will definitely be a key named explorer. Now under this explorer key we can create new DWORD values and modify it's value to 1 in order to impose the restriction. If you want to remove the Restriction, then you can simply delete the respective DWORD values or instead change their values to 0. The following is a list of DWORD values that can be created under the Explorer Key-:

NoDeletePrinter: Disables Deletion of already installed Printers

NoAddPrinter: Disables Addition of new Printers

NoRun : Disables or hides the Run Command

NoSetFolders: Removes Folders from the Settings option on Start Menu (Control Panel, Printers, Taskbar)

NoSetTaskbar: Removes Taskbar system folder from the Settings option on Start Menu

NoFind: Removes the Find Tool (Start >Find)

NoDrives: Hides and does not display any Drives in My Computer

NoNetHood: Hides or removes the Network Neighborhood icon from the desktop

NoDesktop: Hides all items including, file, folders and system folders from the Desktop

NoClose: Disables Shutdown and prevents the user from normally shutting down Windows.

NoSaveSettings: Means to say, 'Don't save settings on exit'

DisableRegistryTools: Disable Registry Editing Tools (If you disable this option, the Windows Registry Editor(regedit.exe) too

will not work.)

NoRecentDocsHistory: Removes Recent Document system folder from the Start Menu (IE 4 and above)

ClearRecentDocsOnExit: Clears the Recent Documents system folder on Exit.

Nolnternetlcon: Removes the Internet (system folder) icon from the Desktop

Under the same key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/CurrentVersion/Policies you can create new subkeys other than the already existing Explorer key. Now create a new key and name it System. Under this new key, system we can create the following new DWORD values(1 for enabling the particular option and 0 for disabling the particular option):

NODispCPL: Hides Control Panel

NoDispBackgroundPage: Hides Background page.

NoDispScrsavPage: Hides Screen Saver Page

NoDispAppearancePage: Hides Appearance Page

NoDispSettingsPage: Hides Settings Page

NoSecCPL: Disables Password Control Panel

NoPwdPage: Hides Password Change Page

NoAdminPaqe: Hides Remote Administration Page

NoProfilePage: Hides User Profiles Page

NoDevMgrPage: Hides Device Manager Page

NoConfigPage: Hides Hardware Profiles Page

NoFileSysPage: Hides File System Button

NoVirtMemPage: Hides Virtual Memory Button

Similarly, if we create a new subkey named Network, we can add the following DWORD values under it(1 for enabling the particular option and 0 for disabling the particular option):

NoNetSetupSecurityPage: Hides Network Security Page

NoNelSetup: Hides or disables the Network option in the Control Panel

NoNetSetupIDPage: Hides the Identification Page

NoNetSetupSecurityPage: Hides the Access Control Page

NoFileSharingControl: Disables File Sharing Controls

NoPrintSharing: Disables Print Sharing Controls

Similarly, if we create a new subkey named WinOldApp, we can add the following DWORD values under it(1 for enabling the particular option and 0 for disabling the particular option):

Disabled: Disable MS-DOS Prompt

NoRealMode: Disable Single-Mode MS-DOS.

So you see if you have access to the Windows Registry, then you can easily create new DWORD values and set heir value to 1 for enabling the particular option and 0 for disabling the particular option. But Sometimes, access to the Windows Registry is blocked. So what do you do? Go to the Windows Directory and delete either user.dat or system.dat (These 2 files constitute the Windows Registry.) and reboot. As soon as Windows logs in, it will display a Warning Message informing you about an error in the Windows Registry. Simply ignore this Warning Message and Press CTRL+DEL+ALT to get out of this warning message.(Do not press OK) You will find that all restrictions have been removed.

The most kind of restriction found quite commonly is the Specific Folder Restriction, in which users are not allowed access to specific folders, the most common being the Windows folder, or sometimes even access to My Computer is blocked. In effect, you simply cannot seem to access the important kewl files which are needed by you to do remove restrictions. What do you? Well use the RUN command. (START >RUN). But unfortunately a system administrator who is intelligent enough to block access to specific folder, would definitely have blocked access to the RUN command. Again we are stuck.

Windows is supposed to be the most User Friendly Operating System on earth. (At least Microsoft Says so.)

It gives the User an option to do the same thing in various ways. You see the RUN command is only the most convenient option of launching applications, but not the only way. In Windows you can create shortcuts to almost anything from a file, folder to a Web URL. So say your system administrator has blocked access to the c:windowssystem folder and you need to access it. What do you do? Simply create a Shortcut to it. To do this right click anywhere on the desktop and select New > Shortcut. A new window titled Create Shortcut pops up. Type in the path of the restricted folder you wish to access, in this case c:windowssystem. Click Next, Enter the friendly name of the Shortcut and then click Finish. Now you can access the restricted folder by simply double clicking on the shortcut icon. Well that shows how protected and secure *ahem Windows *ahem is.

****************

HACKING TRUTH: Sometimes when you try to delete a file or a folder, Windows displays an error message saying that the file is protected. This simply means that the file is write protected, or in other words the R option is +. Get it? Anyway, you can stop Windows from displaying this error message and straightaway delete this file by changing its attributes to Non Read Only. This can be done by Right Clicking on the file, selecting Properties and then

unselecting the Read Only Option.

***************

There is yet another way of accessing restricted folders. Use see, DOS has a lovely command known as START. Its general syntax is:

START application_path

It does do what it seems to do, start applications. So in you have access to DOS then you can type in the START command to get access to the restricted folder. Now mostly access to DOS too would be blocked. So again you can use the shortcut trick to launch, c:command.com or c:windowscommand.com. (Command.com is the file which launches MS DOS).

Accessing Restricted Drives.

The problem with most system administrators is that they think that the users or Hackers too are stupid. Almost all system administrators use the Registry Trick (Explained Earlier) to hide all drives in My Computer. So in order to unhide or display all drives, simply delete that particular key.(Refer to beginning of Untold Secrets Section.)

Some systems have the floppy disk disabled through the BIOS. On those systems if the BIOS is protected, you may need to crack the BIOS password. (For that Refer to the Windows Hacking Chapter). Sometimes making drives readable (Removing R +) and then creating Shortcuts to them also helps us to get access to them.

Further Changing your Operating System's Looks by editing .htt files

If you have installed Windows Desktop Update and have the view as Web Page option enabled, you can customise the way the folder looks by selecting View > Customise this folder. Here you can change the background and other things about that particular folder. Well that is pretty lame, right? We hackers already know things as lame as that. Read on for some kewl stuff.

Well, you could also change the default that is stored in a Hidden HTML Template file (I think so..) which is nothing but a HTML document with a .htt extension. This .htt file is found at: %systemroot%webfolder.htt.

The %systemroot% stands for the drive in which Windows is Installed, which is normally C:

You can edit these .htt files almost just like you edit normal .HTM or .HTML files. Simply open them in an ASCII editor like Notepad. The following is a list of .htt files on your system which control various folders and which can be edited to customise the way various folders look.

controlp.htt Control Panel

printers.htt Printers

mycomp.htt My Computer

safemode.htt Safe Mode

All these files are found in the web folder in %systemfolder%. The folder.htt file has a line:

'Here's a good place to add a few lines of your own"

which is the place where you can add your own A HREF links. These links would then appear in the folder whose folder.htt file you edited. All this might sound really easy and simple, but you see these .htt files do not contain normal HTML code, instead they contain a mixture of HTML and web bots. Hence they can be difficult for newbies to understand.