IP Problems with MSN Messenger?

So I've been having this problem with MSN Messenger or Windows Live Messenger (WLM) as it's now known - just refused to sign in! A commonly accepted solution is to delete all previous settings, either manually or by downloading a file and running it (http://messenger.jonathankay.com/downloads/remove_msgrsettings.reg)

Well that didn't work for me either - the error I was getting was that I appeared to have an invalid IP - found that quite weird as I'd refreshed my IP several times and no other application was giving me trouble - indeed I could sign into Web Messenger and eBuddy.

Then I just realised that my winhttp settings were still set to a proxy and voila it worked!

Here's how you go about resetting your winhttp proxy:
1. Start --> Run --> cmd
2. Type "netsh" sans quotes
3. Type "winhttp" sans quotes - this is a nested command (more info in a previous post)
4. Type "reset proxy" sans quotes
5. Close the command prompt window

Voila! It works! =)

Configuring the Windows Update (and OS) to use Proxy

A slightly more technical tip this time around, but a problem I've encountered nonetheless in my endeavour for free internet.

1. For those of you not aware, your operating system has to be original (or rather M$ needs to be convinced its original) before you can update it(yes Vista can bypass WGA checks - but you won't find it in this post)!

2. To download updates, you need to most likely use Windows Update, which is part of the operating system - as such, if you do use a corporate proxy to access the internet, you will need to use the same proxy to get these updates - unfortunately, there's no straightforward window to go to and enter these settings.

3. To do this, you will have to use command prompt. Go to Start --> Run...--> cmd
Note that this should be done with elevated privileges i.e. either run with User Account Control (UAC) disabled, or you'll have to create a shortcut on your desktop, and then right click, and Run as Administrator...

4. Type "netsh" (sans quotes)

5. Type "winhttp" (sans quotes) - this is a nested command

6. Type "set proxy proxyname:Port" (sans quotes) e.g. "set proxy proxy.nus.edu.sg:8080"

Tip: To get more advanced help on any of these commands you can type "/?" at any time at the command prompt.

7. Windows Update should now work, provided your copy is "Genuine".

This setting should hopefully allow all your other programs that require access to the internet without much trouble - e.g. your gadgets in the Sidebar.

Using NUS Internet from Outside NUS

After quite a few weeks of working on this, I've finally got it cracked. To use internet from NUS for whatever reason there maybe, you first have to log in to NUS via Cisco's VPN client. Now this does sound a bit circular, because to access NUS from outside, you would need a valid internet connection to establish a VPN connection to begin with. But however if you happen to be at a place that doesn't charge you for traffic to NUS, but does for everything else, then this is a solution for you.

1. Connect to NUS VPN using the Outside NUS profile on CISCO VPN Client.
2. Set your browser http proxy (and every other proxy) to:
Host: proxy.nus.edu.sg Port: 8080 or proxy.nus.edu.sg:8080
3. If the program of your choice doesn't support proxies (most do), then use a program such as Proxifier

Enjoy your free internet =) Theoretically, the traffic should be encrypted, because if I'm not mistaken, it enjoys the same encapsulation as the rest of the traffic that passes through the VPN tunnel.

Remove Ads from Windows Live Messenger 8.1

Tired of those annoying WLM ads, the one that when your mouse rolls over, it starts playing videos? Well I am, and it seems like a lot of others are - enough for people to come up with something to stop it (and therefore give you more viewing area for your contacts)! =)

A-Patch for MSN Messenger allows you to do that and a lot more! Get it here:
http://apatch.org/downloads.php

Don't do ribbons?

If you want classic menus back on Office 2007, take a look at this!



http://www.addintools.com/english/menuoffice/default.htm

Windows Media Player @ Firefox

Yes, finally! Microsoft came to their senses. They have made a plug-in for Firefox available through their open-source developer platform. The bitches don't want to put it at Microsoft.com! But at least they made it available somewhere, so lets be thankful.



http://port25.technet.com/pages/windows-media-player-firefox-plugin-download.aspx

HHCTRL.OCX error on bootup

Are any of you getting a HHCTRL.OCX related error on booting up? If so, it's thanks to Windows Update - Microsoft updated some system file. It causes errors in RealTek sound hardware drivers etc due to a system file relocation (or something like that). Anyway, here's the patch to fix it.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/935448/en-us

Google Trick

Step 1: Goto www.google.com (not www.google.com.sg or any other local google)

Step 2: Delete everything in the address bar, then copy paste the following:

javascript:R=0; x1=.1; y1=.05; x2=.25; y2=.24; x3=1.6; y3=.24; x4=300; y4=200; x5=300; y5=200; DI=document.images; DIL=DI.length; function A(){for(i=0; i-DIL; i++){DIS=DI[ i ].style; DIS.position='absolute'; DIS.left=Math.sin(R*x1+i*x2+x3)*x4+x5; DIS.top=Math.cos(R*y1+i*y2+y3)*y4+y5}R++}setInterval('A()',5); void(0);

Step 3: Press Enter

(Source: mvzone.blogspot.com)

Trouble with Vista and VPN?

Okay so I installed Vista today - looking quite good. However when I installed the NUS VPN client (provided by Cisco), it all went well, except when it came to connecting the damned thing - the drivers aren't compatible!! So I went googling to find a solution, as I knew even though it's normally these low level things that have issues after upgrades (my Intel wireless driver was another problem), Cisco would have had some sorta fix ready with Vista's official release soon (it's already RTM). After a while I came across this link: http://vpn.doit.wisc.edu/download/test/vpnclient-win-msi-4.8.01.0590-k9.exe
It's beta if I'm not mistaken but does the job well - there's only one problem - it's generic i.e. after you install it (you have to uninstall the NUS one first - it won't proceed with installation otherwise), you have to set up the connections, unlike the NUS specific one which is ready to go.

The easiest way to set up your profile is by importing the ones that NUS VPN already installed for you, therefore BEFORE you do anything else, i.e. before you install the new version, do this:

Copy these two files over to a location such as your desktop: "inside-nus.pcf" and "outside-nus.pcf" from "C:\Program Files\NUS-VPN\profiles" (or wherever you initially chose to install NUS VPN).

These two files are profiles that contain all the information to connect to NUS via VPN.

Next uninstall the NUS VPN client, it will prompt you to reboot - do so and then install the new client, it will prompt you to reboot again.

After installation and reboot, this is what you do:

Run the Cisco VPN client and click on Import icon.

Browse to where you saved those two profiles and import them one after the other.

Voila! That's all, you should be able to connect to NUS VPN just like before :D

No probs yet :)

Having connection problems on campus?

Okay, so we all know, NUS' internet of late has been crap..well more like shithole...so much for world class. I've heard and experienced bad or no connectivity and at a time like this (exam time) it can be quite distressing and frustrating!

Nevermind I think I've found a workaround to the problem. I'm not too sure what's the problem, but from the looks of it, it's either the DHCP or duplicate IPs or something along the lines of that.

So if you can't access the internet, this is what you can try:

1. Use VPN - if this connects - great! Else:
2. Go to Start --> Run...
3. Type "cmd" without quotes and then Enter - should take you to Command Prompt
4. Type the following commands IN ORDER followed by the Enter key each time:

• ipconfig /flushdns (followed by Enter)
• ipconfig /release (followed by Enter)
• ipconfig /registerdns (followed by Enter)
• ipconfig /renew (followed by Enter)

This should solve your problems try connecting to VPN and start surfing - if not...oh well....just suck it up I guess :D