Mozilla's Memory Issue solved

Mozilla’s 6-week release cycle is a bold new step that ensures frequent release of updates, and users will now get the new features faster than ever. The latest stable release of Firefox is a big leap forward for Mozilla as it solves the oldest, biggest and probably one of the most irritating  of bugs in the browser, the memory bug.

As posted on Mozilla’s support forum Mozillazine, “Firefox caches objects for future use. In addition, memory becomes fragmented as memory is repeatedly allocated and de-allocated. This general increase is normal.[1]” In other words, Firefox can’t efficiently return the memory it allocates when it’s no longer needed by it.

Those who keep 10/15+ tabs open at the same time will know how irritating it gets when the system memory gets sloppy. Stream two videos at the same time on youtube while checking updates on Facebook or browsing picture galleries, and everything freezes up. Browser crashes and unresponsive video drivers were a common occurence in Firefox 5 and older. There were hacks in the about:config page to solve this issue but they weren’t guaranteed to work, definitely not up to the level we needed it to work. They weren’t much help to me at least.

Firefox 5 was an even bigger memory hog than the previous releases. Even the Memoryfox Addon (here) couldn’t do much. (Firefox 6 had buttons added in the about:memory page to do the memory flushing.)

But Firefox developers have finally taken the matter seriously and Mozilla claims that in Firefox 7 and onwards the memory leakage problem will  be solved.

I’ve been using the browser (Firefox 7) for a week now and it does feel faster than Firefox 5 or 6.  Memory leakage, not gone but considerably reduced as memory usage by Firefox 7 is much less after long use compared to Firefox 5. Firefox 8, which is still in beta, doesn’t add anything more to memory management compared to Firefox 7, but then again, it has more than a month left for its scheduled release.

Also, at the time of writing of this article, both the Aurora and the Nightly builds of Firefox, feel a lot faster. Try pages with lots of graphics, pictures, videos and lots of different colors, open on 10 or more tabs, and it still has no problems while switching between tabs. Personally I’ve had no problems switching between 20 tabs, most of them full of pictures, while logged on to all three of Facebook, twitter and google+ (doing all this would either cause your display to freeze or your browser to crash on Firefox 5). Many users have said that Firefox 7 is just as good with 40+ tabs as well. With the developments that we see in these beta releases and considering the all that time still left for the final release of Firefox 8, 9 and 10 (For now these are the beta, aurora and nightly builds until their stable versions are out. You can download them from from here and here), it is certain that these new versions do have something to offer. You can learn more about these builds here.

Find out the mail server without using any 3rd party tool

Myself being a mail/web solution provider, always juggles with various mail related queries. Infact fond of playing with mail servers. With more than 2 years in the EMAIL hosting business, I am ready to take any task related to Web solutions.

As I provide Push Email service(customized EMAIL solutions) to clients ranging from big Corporate and Multi-National Companies, Small retail vendors and even individuals, I've subscribed to various paid service to track down DNS related stuffs. Where i can get an idea whether Name server has been resolved or not. In short i am completely dependent on these 3rd party paid tools for NS, MX, A, CNAME, AAA, SOA, SRV DNS entries.

One late night i was in Sedan with my personal notebook, on the way to home. Suddenly one of my client pinged on BB Msgr, just to know whether his domain has been transferred to managed server or not. As s/he was in worry, of losing corporate mails during downtime. The moment s/he buzzed I switched on the machine, and clicked on small Internet Explorer icon from the taskbar. Unfortunately it got crashed, due to installation of some wrong unstable pluggin in last update. Err!!! As said earlier, it was my personal small notebook, so using Windows with having single default browser IE (which i hate most. Undoubtedly Mozilla Firefox is every open source lover's 1st choice). Now I was in a situation to either tell my client blindly any thing(which i hate), or to find some really good stuff to let my-self know the exact current status of Name server/MX point status.

After putting lots of pressure and stress on me, I succeeded to recall few set of commands, which i had read couple of years earlier in one Hacking journal. This helped me to find out the mail server address for virtually any domain, without using any 3rd party tool. Here it goes(considering your are having Windows OS):

• Open your command prompt (using win+R and type cmd)
• Type nslookup
• The prompt will change to >
• Type set q=mx (for mail exchange)
• Now type any domain name, you wish to find out server address for, e.g: swatantra.info
• Now look for the MX preference lines.
• These are the ones that list the various smtp/esmtp mail server addresses.. higher the preference no you choose the better.. because they'll work smoother..
• Once you get through, say exit to command prompt, to quit.

Huuh, till date i was using paid service.

Remove unwanted entries from the Right Click menu

A context menu is the little menu which pops up when you right click on files, folders or icons. e.g., right click on a desktop icon and if you have Anti-virus installed it will have 'Scan with ... Anti-virus' as a choice. The first step to getting rid of these entries involves opening the programs in question and looking through their options to see if you can unselect any 'integration' or 'context menu' options they have. If that fails, and the program absolutely insists on being an intimate part of your Windows, you can edit the registry as follows:

1. Before we make any changes in the registry, and even though you should have a full System Restore and/or Registry backup already, back up the registry keys which will be affected in this tweak:

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder]

2. Do this by opening Regedit, find the relevant sub-folder, right-click on it and select Export. Make sure the "Selected Branch" option is selected under Export Range, then enter a descriptive name and save it somewhere safe. Do that for each one of the four sub-folders above. If anything goes wrong, instead of firing up System Restore or restoring the entire registry you can double-click on these files and everything is quickly fixed.

3. Now, go to the following sub-folders and delete references to programs you know have set up offending context menu entries. For example, in my system under [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers] I found the key Symantec.Norton.Antivirus.IEContextMenu which I deleted. The first volley in the war against the invasion of my menus by Symantec. Here are all the places you should look in:

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\OpenWithList]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers] 4. As you're removing all the unwanted program entries, you should see the effects immediately - no reboot required. Remove an entry from the [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers] subfolder for example and open Explorer, then right click on your hard drive name and you should see the corresponding program you removed in the registry is gone from the context menu too. When you're done, you should see the default context menus devoid of the added rubbish. If any of the programs whose context menu entries you've removed start displaying strange behaviour, restore the registry entries you backed up previously, or just reinstall the program. As long as you only delete program entries and none of the default Windows entries, all the normal context menu items will still remain.

Remove Document Protection in MS Word

Ever run into situation where someone sends you a read-only password protected Word document, but wants you to make changes?
Here’s how to crack it if you are using the newer versions of Word: If you are using office XP or 2003, you can change the view to HTML-Code using Microsoft Script-Editor by pressing the [Alt]+[Shift]+[F11] key combination.

Search for “Password” and you will find somethimg like this:
<w:DocumentProtection>ReadOnly</w:DocumentProtection>
<w:UnprotectPassword>19E8E61E</w:UnprotectPassword>

To remove the protection: -Just remowe those two lines, and after saving the document , the protection is gone.

To remove the password: -replace the Password, here “19E8E61E”, with “00000000″, save the Document and close “Script-Editor”.
Alternative you can save your document as .html and use a html-Editor

Screw SmartFTP, Filezilla, CuteFTP! ... You don't need them!

Here's a little known *secret* way to replace all those FTP programs.

Go to Start > My Computer.

on the Address field type: "ftp://YOURUSERNAME@ftp.YOURDOMAIN.TLD" hit enter.

e.g. ftp://username@ftp.example.com

You should get a pop up.

Enter Your Password and click Log On.

You should now have access to all the files on your server! Just like an FTP program! You can upload files to it.

 

It is actually built into Windows explorer and when IE detects the FTP protocol it jumps over to windows explorer. The FTP client built into windows is actually fairly limited but it is pretty useful for a quick transfer when you do not have access to a FTP client.

However, Windows explorer does not support all FTP servers. If you use FireFox you can actually get a cool little plugin called FireFTP which I use a lot and like FileZilla it's 100% free and can import your Filezilla profiles.

Smart FTP is a very cool FTP client but no longer free, FileZilla is good but a little limited. My personal preference is CuteFTP Pro. For those who want a convenient browser based FTP client FireFTP is pretty handy.

How to Bypass BIOS Passwords

BIOS passwords can add extra layer of security for desktop and laptop computers, and are used to either prevent a user from changing the BIOS settings or to prevent the PC from booting without a password. BIOS passwords can also be a liability if a user forgot their passwords, or if a malicious user changes the password. Sending the unit back to the manufacturer to have the BIOS reset can be expensive and is usually not covered in a typical warranty. However, there are a few known backdoors and other tricks of the trade that can be used to bypass or reset the BIOS password on most systems.

To enter the BIOS Setup try these keystrokes:

• AMI BIOS:  Del key during the POST
• DTK BIOS:  Esc key during the POST
• Award BIOS:  Ctrl-Alt-Esc
• misc BIOS:  Ctrl-Esc
• Phoenix BIOS:  Ctrl-Alt-Esc or Ctrl-Alt-S
• IBM PS/2 BIOS:  Ctrl-Alt-Ins after Ctrl-Alt-Del

Backdoor Passwords

Many BIOS manufacturers have provided backdoor passwords that can be used to access the BIOS setup in the event you have lost your password. These passwords are case sensitive, so you may wish to try a variety of combinations.

WARNING: Some BIOS configurations will lock you out of the system completely if you type in an incorrect password more than 3 times. Read your manufacturers documentation for the BIOS setting before you begin typing in passwords.

Award BIOS backdoor passwords:

ALFAROME		BIOSTAR		KDD		ZAAADA
ALLy		CONCAT		Lkwpeter		ZBAAACA
aLLy		CONDO		LKWPETER		ZJAAADC
aLLY		Condo		PINT		01322222
ALLY		d8on		pint		589589
aPAf		djonet		SER		589721
_award		HLT		SKY_FOX		595595
AWARD_SW		J64		SYXZ		598598
AWARD?SW		J256		syxz
AWARD SW		J262		shift + syxz
AWARD PW		j332		TTPTHA
AWKWARD		j322
awkward

AMI BIOS Backdoor Passwords:

AMI		BIOS		PASSWORD		HEWITT RAND
AMI?SW		AMI_SW		LKWPETER		CONDO

Phoenix BIOS Backdoor Passwords:

phoenix

PHOENIX

CMOS

BIOS

Misc. Common Passwords

ALFAROME		BIOSTAR		biostar		biosstar
CMOS		cmos		LKWPETER		lkwpeter
setup		SETUP		Syxz		Wodj

Other BIOS Passwords by Manufacturer

Manufacturer	Password
VOBIS & IBM	Merlin
Dell	Dell
Biostar	Biostar
Compaq	Compaq
Enox	xo11nE
Epox	Central
Freetech	Posterie
IWill	Iwill
Jetway	Spooml
Packard Bell	bell9
QDI	QDI
Siemens	SKY_FOX
TMC	BIGO
Toshiba	Toshiba

Toshiba BIOS

Most Toshiba laptops and some desktop systems will bypass the BIOS password if the left shift key is held down during boot

IBM Aptiva BIOS

Press both mouse buttons repeatedly during the boot

Motherboard “Clear CMOS” Jumper or Dipswitch settings

Many motherboards feature a set of jumpers or dipswitches that will clear the CMOS and wipe all of the custom settings including BIOS passwords. The locations of these jumpers / dipswitches will vary depending on the motherboard manufacturer and ideally you should always refer to the motherboard or computer manufacturers documentation. If the documentation is unavailable, the jumpers/dipswitches can sometimes be found along the edge of the motherboard, next to the CMOS battery, or near the processor. Some manufacturers may label the jumper / dipswitch CLEAR - CLEAR CMOS - CLR - CLRPWD - PASSWD - PASSWORD - PWD. On laptop computers, the dipswitches are usually found under the keyboard or within a compartment at the bottom of the laptop.

Please remember to unplug your PC and use a grounding strip before reaching into your PC and touching the motherboard. Once you locate and rest the jumper switches, turn the computer on and check if the password has been cleared. If it has, turn the computer off and return the jumpers or dipswitches to its original position.

Removing the CMOS Battery

The CMOS settings on most systems are buffered by a small battery that is attached to the motherboard. (It looks like a small watch battery). If you unplug the PC and remove the battery for 10-15 minutes, the CMOS may reset itself and the password should be blank. (Along with any other machine specific settings, so be sure you are familiar with manually reconfiguring the BIOS settings before you do this.) Some manufacturers backup the power to the CMOS chipset by using a capacitor, so if your first attempt fails, leave the battery out (with the system unplugged) for at least 24 hours. Some batteries are actually soldered onto the motherboard making this task more difficult. Unsoldering the battery incorrectly may damage your motherboard and other components, so please don’t attempt this if you are inexperienced. Another option may be to remove the CMOS chip from the motherboard for a period of time.
Note: Removing the battery to reset the CMOS will not work for all PC’s, and almost all of the newer laptops store their BIOS passwords in a manner which does not require continuous power, so removing the CMOS battery may not work at all. IBM Thinkpad laptops lock the hard drive as well as the BIOS when the supervisor password is set. If you reset the BIOS password, but cannot reset the hard drive password, you may not be able to access the drive and it will remain locked, even if you place it in a new laptop. IBM Thinkpads have special jumper switches on the motherboard, and these should be used to reset the system.

Use the Debug command

Boot to MS- DOS prompt, run through the below example, this example is perfectly fine to run on any PC Computer running MS-DOS / Windows and will not harm anything.

DEBUG script that will just reset the password only
Type debug and press enter.   (ex.  A:\>debug )
After typing debug you will get “-” as a prompt ,type these exactly how they are written.
o 70 10
o 71 20
quit
Explanation of code:
DEBUG    ; Run DEBUG, “-” will appear on each line then type:
o 70 20     ; Send 70 to address 18
o 71 21     ; Send 71 to address FF
q              ; Quit DEBUG
or you can use this alternate DEBUG script that will just reset the the BIOS
A <ENTER>
MOV AX,0 <ENTER>
MOV AX,CX <ENTER>
OUT 70,AL <ENTER>
MOV AX,0 <ENTER>
OUT 71,AL <ENTER>
INC CX <ENTER>
CMP CX,100 <ENTER>
JB 103 <ENTER>
INT 20 <ENTER>
<ENTER> Note: Nothing is typed on this line
G <ENTER> By pressing G this will execute the above script
Q <ENTER>

Then reboot and you will get a Setup Checksum Error. Go into setup, correct all the incorrect values, time, date…

Alternatively you can use the program WipeCMOS from a boot floppy

Use the Decoding software

CmosPwd by CGSecurity - This is probably the most up to date and popular CMOS decryption tool. CmosPwd decrypts password stored in cmos used to access BIOS SETUP, you can also backup, restore and erase/kill cmos.You will have to be logged in as administrator, run ioperm -i command and then run cmospwd_win.exe
PC CMOS Cleaner - PC CMOS Cleaner is an easy-to-use tool to recover, delete, decode and display the superior passwords stored in BIOS whatever the brand is. It’s an bootable CD that runs on x86 and x86_64 computers. It can display the superior passwords of the BIOS, remove BIOS password(will set the BIOS to default status, need reset date).

Password to Uninstall Symantec Antivirus Client

We all know Norton can’t protect you , but also Norton is sometimes a pain in the ass to uninstall , sometimes it has files you cant remove etc. But even before you get to that point you’re prompted for an uninstall passowrd? wtf? sometimes you were the person who installed it sometimes you’re not either  way you don’t know the password. Here’s a simple way to bypass that problem.
The default password that should work for most of the Symantec uninstallation is “symantec“. Duh.

If the default password doesn’t work do this:
1) Go to Start -> Run and type regedit
2) Navigate to: 

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\INTEL\LANDesk\VirusProtect6\CurrentVersion\Administrator Only\Security\

3) Double click on the value name “UseVPUninstallPassword” and change the value from 1 to 0
4) Close the registry and retry the uninstall.

Windows Password Recovery Tools

There are several ways to obtain password hashes, depending on their location and existing access. Password hashes can be obtained from SAM file or its backup, directly from local or remote computer registry, from registry or Active Directory on local or remote computer by means of DLL injection, from a network sniffer. The SAM file located in the %SystemRoot%\system32\config directory or %SystemRoot%\repair directory. It is also possible to recover the password itself from memory.

Here’s a few free tools to help you recover lost/unknown Windows passwords, most come with the source code included.

LCP 5.04 - user account passwords auditing and recovery in Windows NT/2000/XP/2003. Can get local or remote hashes and recovers by using
* dictionary attack;
* hybrid of dictionary and brute force attacks;
* brute force attack;

PWDump7 - A newer Windows password hash dumper using rootkit technology to inject and dump Windows password hashes. The resulting hashes can be then be cracked by a program such as John the Ripper(free),or SamInside(not free) or using Rainbow Tables

CachedPasswordDumper v1.3 - This program dumps the password to the screen from the account that is logged in at that time. Currently only Windows XP (up to SP1) and Windows 2003 Server (SP0) are supported. For WinNT/2K use Password Reminder

Alternatively you can boot from a Floppy or CD and use Offline NT Password & Registry Editor which allows you to reset your password to a blank password

CacheDump - The default behavior of Microsoft Windows domain members is to cache the last 10 different login credentials in the registry. Using a tool called CacheDump written by Arnaud Pilon you can dump the cached credentials to a file and this can be cracked with a plugin for john the ripper

PwDumpX 1.4 - is a tool that combines PWDump, Cachedump, and LSADump all in one tool. It allows a user with administrative privileges to
retrieve the domain password cache, password hashes and LSA secrets
from a Windows system