How to Crack Your Windows Password: The Video Guide

We’ve already shown you how to crack your forgotten Windows password with the Ophcrack live CD, but for those that want to really understand the process, we’ve put together a video guide that will help you visually see how it all works.

In the above video we are able to boot into the live CD, crack our password, and log into Windows in under eight minutes. If you want a more in depth overview on how Ophcrack works make sure you check out the original article here:

How to Crack Your Forgotten Windows Password

Help Protect Your PC

Chances are, your computer is connected to the Internet. And if it is, you know how fun and useful the Internet can be. But it's also a popular place for unfriendly users who might want to spread viruses or gain access to your computer. Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) contains features that help make your computer more resistant to threats from the Internet.

Use these built-in features for safer computing

• To let you see your computer’s security status at all times, the new Security Center monitors your essential security settings and warns you when your computer might be at risk.
• To help defend your computer against attacks from the Internet, Windows Firewall is on by default.
• To make sure you receive the very latest critical updates in response to worms and viruses, Automatic Updates is easier to turn on and use.
• To provide enhanced protection when using wireless connections in public places, you can take advantage of features that help protect your computer from other computers on the same wireless network.
• To help reduce your exposure to harmful programs and viruses, Internet Explorer has several new security features.
• To make it safer to read e-mail messages, Outlook Express automatically blocks images and takes advantage of the enhanced security settings in Internet Explorer.

Take these extra steps as further precautions

The features listed above work together to make your computing experience more secure and enjoyable. But there are other things you can—and should—do to help protect your computer (and the computers of those you communicate with) from attacks coming from the Internet.

The use of antivirus software, handling e-mail messages with great care(especially when they contain attachments), and careful selection of the Web sites you visit are key to helping you keep your computer more secure. When you do these things, you become a better computer user by taking your computer security into your own hands. You also help prevent the spread of viruses to other computer users.

For more information about protecting your computer and your privacy online, visit the Microsoft Security and Privacy Web site (http://www.microsoft.com/) and the Microsoft Protect your PC Web site (http://www.microsoft.com/).

Microsoft cares about your privacy. For privacy information about this software, click here.

Security Center

What's new for security

The Security Center

Use the Security Center to check your security settings and learn more about how to improve the security of your computer with Windows Firewall, Automatic Updates, and antivirus software.

Windows Firewall

Windows Firewall is on by default and helps protect your computer against viruses and other security threats, such as intruders who might try to access your computer over the Internet.

Automatic Updates

With Automatic Updates, Windows can routinely check for the latest important updates for your computer and install them automatically.

Internet Explorer

Enhanced security settings warn you about viruses and other security threats that can spread over the Internet. Internet Explorer can block certain Web site features and give you a warning, so that you can decide whether it’s safe to proceed.

The pop-up blocker in Internet Explorer

The Internet Explorer Pop-up Blocker lets you stop most browser windows that Web sites pop up without your permission, giving you more control over your Web browsing experience.

Outlook Express

Enhanced security settings help you identify and delete potentially harmful e-mail attachments, which can contain viruses.

Data Execution Prevention

Data Execution Prevention works with your computer's processor to help prevent viruses and other unauthorized programs from running on your computer.

Other useful information:

Frequently asked questions about security features

Find the latest security information from Microsoft online

Find security solutions for IT Professionals and network administrators on TechNet

Protect Your Computer With Firewall

Helping to protect your computer with a firewall

Why you need a firewall. A firewall is a protective boundary between a computer (or a network of computers) and the outside world, where people or programs might try to access your computer without invitation. Hackers commonly use software that scans the Internet looking for computers with unprotected Internet connections. This software sends a very small message to your computer. If your computer does not have a firewall, your computer will automatically answer the message and thus announce that it is unprotected. But if you have set up a firewall, it will receive such messages and not answer them, so hackers won't even know that your computer exists.

Firewalls can be either hardware or software. A hardware firewall is a piece of equipment that you physically connect to your network. It monitors all aspects of the communications that are sent and received, and inspects the source and destination address of each message that it handles. This provides security in helping to prevent intrusions to your computer or network. A software firewallperforms a similar function by using a program inside your computer instead of an external device.

Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) has a software firewall that's built in and turned on for you. This firewall, called Windows Firewall, is turned on by default so that a level of protection is in place right away. It monitors communications in the same way a hardware firewall does. Windows Firewall restricts information that comes to your computer from other computers, giving you more control over access to your data, and providing a line of defense against people or programs that try to access your computer without invitation. Regardless of whether you choose to take advantage of the Windows Firewall or another firewall available to you, keeping the firewall turned on and updated is one of the important keys to helping to protect your computer's security.

Hardware and software firewalls can be used on the same computer. By default, Windows Firewall is enabled on all connections.

Click Related Topics for information about how to:

• Understand how Windows Firewall works.
• Enable or disable Windows Firewall.

Protect Security with Automatic Update

Why use scheduled updates to help protect your computer?

If you have not turned on Automatic Updates, your computer is more vulnerable to viruses and other security threats. When you turn on Automatic Updates, Windowsroutinely checks the Windows Update Web site for high-priority updates that can help protect your computer against attacks. High-priority updates include security updates, critical updates, and service packs.

Scheduled updates offer:

• Convenience

  You don't have to remember to visit the Windows Update Web site or other online security sites to get updates. And you don't have to choose which updates are most important for protecting your computer—Automatic Updates looks for security updates, critical updates, and service packs, and installs them on the schedule that you set.

• Reliability

  Updates are downloaded behind the scenes whenever you're connected to the Internet. The downloading process doesn't interfere with other downloads or interrupt you while you work. If you disconnect from the Internet before updates are fully downloaded, the download process will continue the next time you connect to the Internet. Don't forget, however, that updates must be installed to take effect. When you schedule updates, Windows automatically installs them for you, unless you choose to be notified and then install them yourself.

• Up-to-date software

  You set the schedule for Windows to install new updates. This means thatWindows is routinely checking for and installing any important updates that your computer needs. Even if you choose to be notified and install updates yourself, you still learn about important updates as they are released. By scheduling updates, you can quickly and easily keep your computer up to date—without thinking about it.