Technology

Whenever you come across the famous Task Manager in your Windows, you usually wonder why there are so many processes running that you never started neither can you delete them like a process like svchost.exe. They are not random but totally explainable. Here you will learn that what is svchost.exe and how to remove this process.

The identity question

If you look it up on Microsoft, you will find the explanation: “svchost.exe is a generic host process name for services that run from dynamic-link libraries”. That is totally alien language to most of us, normal users.

For programmers it will be easier to understand that when Microsoft started transferred functionality into .dll files rather than .exe files the scope of reusability was assisted. It was to move the files from internal windows services. But .dll files cannot be directly started from Windows hence running .exe is still needed to load .dll up from. Svchost.exe process plays this function.

One wasn’t enough

Windows need a lot of services for proper functioning; you can check it in Control Panel in the Services section. Running all these under only one svchost.exe will cause the entire Windows to crash if any fatal error occurred in one of the services. That is why you see more than one of svchost.exe processes. One was definitely not enough!

Your Task Manager is not swarming with svchost.exe processes for each of the multitudes of services because they are sorted into groups of related services and then one process serves each group. For instance, one svchost.exe serves all related services of user interface etc.

What can you do?

It is possible to cut the services that are not needed by stopping them. Or you can restart the services that show higher CPU usage on any svchost.exe process.

To target such services, you first need the information: what services are being served by a particular.exe process. It’s simple. Open the Task Manager and check “Show processes from all users” box:

Checking From the Command Line (For Windows Vista or XP Pro)

Command Prompt lets you know what services come under a specific svchost.exe process. Use the tasklist command to see the list:

tasklist /SVC

You will see the list but the problem arises when we don’t understand what the code-like names given, mean.

Checking in Task Manager in Vista

It is plainly simple. Just right-click on the svchost.exe process you wish to check and select “Go to Service”.

This will lead you to the tab labeled ‘Services’, the highlighted or selected ones are those running under that svchost.exe process:

The advantage of checking it this way is you will also find out the exact name of those services in the Description column so. Now that you know them, you can end them if you wish.

Using Process Explorer in Vista or XP

A much shorter way is to use Process Explorer from Microsoft/Sysinternals.  Just bring the cursor over any particular svchost.exe process and small pop up window will show you the list of related services:

Alternatively, you can directly stop any services by double-clicking on a svchost.exe process, going to the Services tab and selecting those services to stop.

Disabling Services

To end services directly, go to Services from Control Panel under the Administrative tools or simply go to Start menu and type services.msc into the search area.

In the list given, double-click on the service or right-click to select Properties.

First disable the Startup Type followed by clicking the Stop button and it will stop immediately.

You can also disable any service from command prompt. For the above image, the part “trkwks” in the command is the Service name which is also found in the tasklist command.

sc config trkwks start= disabled

Your 4^th generation iPod touch or iPhone 4 can have Siri on them only if you have them jailbroken first with Cydia successfully installed.

Cydia will let you install the Cydia repo from where you can get needed software for Siri configuration on your device. This tutorial will teach you that how to Install Siri on iOS 6.

Note: Be aware that this process exposes your device’s stability and your privacy to risk. Go through with this process on your own risk.

Steps To Install Siri on iOS 6 A4 Based Devices

Step 1: The first step without which you cannot get Siri on your iOS 6 device is jailbreaking your device and installing Cydia on it.

Step 2: Launch Cydia, open Manage then go to Edit under Sources. Finally, select Add. In the given space, add: http://repo.siriport.ru. Once done, tap on Add Source.

Step 3: Look for SiriPort (Original) iOS 6, in SiriPort.Ru source. Install it.

Step 4: Open Settings.app from your Home Screen and look for SiriPort.Ru Original. Launch it and select Install Certificate when the Safari window shows. OK it.

Step 5: Then follows some tapping to do. When the Install Profile shows up, tap on Install option. Again tap Install in the top right corner. Wait for a green “Trusted” on the screen for Profile Installed. You can quit Safari after hitting Done.

Step 6: At this point you have Siri accessible on your phone. Launch it by pressing the Home button for a while and say “Hi”. If it does not seem to work then retry again and again. It is only possible to use Siri after she has responded for the first time. True this can be very frustrating but it does work after a while or so.

According to some users you need to reboot the device but I did it without and it worked for me after a while. If retries don’t work for you, try to reboot, but being that this is a tethered jailbreak, it makes the process even more time consuming.

Note: Once you have applied this hack, you don’t have to go to Settings to activate Siri.

While making siri work on an older device it is still not highly recommended. One reason for this is the number of steps in this process but this is no problem for you avid jailbreakers.

This hack also decreases the reliability of your device. During the initial 5 minute window that I was able to connect to her, everything worked as expected. Sports scores (although oddly outdated), Movie ratings, etc.

It was seen that after leaving my IPod for about half an hour I returned to an unresponsive Siri once more. This after an hour of hard work?If your jailbreak iOS 6 its ok but if you go through this process just for siri then this is quite disheartening.

In the end, be careful about the security feature of this hack since you will be connecting to unknown servers, getting files from other networks and connecting to other repo.

After all this it is seen that if ever Siri does work, it does an ok job. Although many people will want to try this out they might be thrown off by the sheer work and lack of result involved.

Many A4 device owners went back to iOS 5.1.1 from iOS 6 since iOS 6 has only tethered jailbreak that all the serious jailbreakers would want a downgrade from. This article is your stepwise guide to Downgrade iOS 6 to iOS 5.1.1 with the help of good old Redsn0w.

Ingredients To Downgrade iOS 6 to iOS 5.1.1

Make sure you have the following for this downgrade:

• Saved SHSH blob
• Download iOS 5.1.1 IPSW Firmware
• Download Redsn0w

This Downgrade supports the following devices:

• iPhone 4
• iPhone 3GS

It will be convenient if you put all the related Application files in one folder and name it something like “Downgrade iOS 6”.

Note: Before proceeding with the instructions, backup all your data including iCloud, Contacts, iTunes Apps and Cydia Apps.

Steps to Downgrade iOS 6 to iOS 5.1.1 On A4 devices

Step 1: Start with putting your A4 device into DFU mode. Alternatively, you can follow the following steps:

• For almost 10 seconds, keep the power and home buttons pressed simultaneously.
• Let the Power button go after ten seconds but keep the Home button pressed for another 10 seconds.

Step 2: Open theRedSn0w.zip file after extracting it. Click “Extras”.

Step 3: Select “SHSH blobs”. These will be the blobs you saved in Downgrade iOS 6 folder earlier.

Step 4: Press “Stitch” on the next window that pops up.

Step 5: In the next window, press IPSW and choose the iOS 5.1.1 IPSW.

Step 6: In case of SHSH blobs being stored on the computer, click on the option “Local” and choose the iOS 5.1.1 SHSH blob. For SHSH blobs stored on Cydia, select “Cydia” for blobs.

Step 7: Redsn0w will combine IPSW and blob together once you select them and a firmware file for iOS 5.1.1 will be created to make the downgrade possible. You will be notified when the message “Blob Stitching Done” appears. Click “Ok”.

Step 8: At this point, navigate back to welcome screen of Redsn0w. Click “Extra” followed by ”Pwned DFU“.

Note: The device under use has to be in DFU mode as stated in Step 1.

Step 9: Once the device is done with Pwned DFU process, launch iTunes, here you’ll see a message stating thet the iPhone is in recovery mode. Click OK to continue.

Step 10: If you are using windows then click Shift + restore and in you are on Mac then hit option + restore then select the ISPW file from step 7 and itunes shall begin restoring your device.

Note: Here the iPhone’s screen should be blank with a white apple logo

Step 11: If you receive an itunes error -1 don’t fret and just click ok.

Step 12: In redsnow click recovery under extras.

Step 13: Put iPhone in DFU mode, here the recovery fix will run even if you don’t know how to put your device into DFU mode.

Step 14: Once this is done your device will be on iOS 5.1.1

Windows 8 is the Microsoft's new and a cooperative operating system (OS). It's the first one in this range of product by Microsoft. According to modern UI (formerly metro UI), the previous windows now cannot be upgraded as they are not in a condition for further upgrading. It is a user friendly windows. It not only provides a touch system but also provide with a slightly magical start screen. After watching this windows you may change your mind if you were not thinking about upgrading.

More Faster

The first and the most important thing about the Windows 8 is that it has a fast load rate. The problem we have with older windows is that, they take a long time to get into a useable state. You can judge it from here that I have removed almost everything from the bootable process I can and have to upgrade it to a SSD to make the old version load in acceptable time-frame. One cannot find that easy to do and have other complications too. Windows 8 is the right choice now. It requires less time to load even when it is used in a dual boot.

Refresh & Reset Option

This is a notable feature in Windows 8 that it lets you reset the windows to the start or factory settings. This thing actually helps you in case of malware infection or if you want a new start. In earlier versions this cannot be seen. The refresh option in Windows 8 allows you to keep your data in place as well as wipe the programs you installed. This actually is a less severe step than reset because if you reset the windows, the windows will wipe all the data and get the PC back to the default state.

File History Feature

This is another main and remarkable feature of Windows 8. It basically works on the aspect that it keeps a track of the most common locations, whenever there is any change to a file, this program detects it. This program then makes a backup of the file to your choice of location. You can set how long File History should maintain versions of all the changed files.

Windows Protection Tools

The new upgraded defender is really a refined and corrected version of the Microsoft Security Essentials. It is the company's individual antivirus too. It is like a proper anti-virus protection. It is also quite basic as compared to the other free accessible antivirus alternatives.

Windows account synchronization

 As with technology, Microsoft also provides a Cloud saving technique. Using Windows 8 you can link your Microsoft account to the OS. This will allow all the data and preferences to be saved into the clouds. These can be coordinated anywhere on any other device with windows 8.

Easy File Management

The windows 8 has a special feature that gives a graph showing the transferring speed and a frequently updated conclusion, when any file is moved or copied in windows. This is a main improvement over previous windows.

The New Hyper-V

Hyper-V is a powerful substitution for Windows Virtual PC, which is a great for developers and IT professionals.

Multiple Storage

This window allows you to use multiple storage/ connected disks to create a band of storage. This also allows you to make it as a single location with its own name. In case you are out of space then you can just add another drive to it.

Original Source: http://techmell.com/windows-tips/upgrade-windows-8/

With this update it is now possible to jailbreak your older iDevice untethered on iOS 5.1.1. The Absinthe 2.0 jailbreaking utility supports the iPod touch running iOS 5.1.1.

Here is the complete tutorial to jailbreak iPod Touch 4G on how to achieve this:

You will need to download the following:

Download Absinthe v2.0.4 for Mac, Win and linux

Download iOS 5.1.1 Firmware

Now,

1: First and foremost backup your device via iTunes or iCloud.

2: Plug in your device to your computer.

3: Run the program Absinthe Jailbreak 2.0 and hit the Jailbreak button. If your device is connected then you will be able to press this button.

4: The status will now read “Restoring in Progress” and once its finished then your device will be jailbroken.

Once this process has been completed the cydia icon should appear on your device.

This means that your device has been jailbroken successfully.

Troubleshooting information:

If you get an error that there was an error contacting the database then simply on your device goto Settings> Turn on VPN

This will give you an error for configuration but your device will reset and it will be jailbroken with the cydia icon onscreen.

One thing to be mindful is to trust the process even if you think something has gone wrong till it is completed. The time taken to complete each step of the jailbreak process depends on how much data there is currently on the device. Unless and until something has gone wrong be careful not to unplug the device till the cydia icon appears on its spring board.

If at the end launching “Absinthe” seems to do nothing then again go to Settings and turn on VPN on the device. Here the device will reboot and you should see cydia on it. Do not disconnect before you see the icon.

Still if you are having any problems reset the device and launch Absinthe 2.0 to try again. The program will tell you that it needs to recover the jailbreak process. Let this process complete and then reconnect your device to continue the jailbreak process.

If your Absinthe 2.0 program is crashing on OSX then make sure you have admin privileges. At times it has been seen better to be in the root user profile in OSX while using Absinthe 2.0. You can grant root access simply by the following steps:

Open “System Preferences” and choose “Users & Groups”

Click the padlock and authenticate to unlock the settings

Choose “Login Options”

Click “Join” (or “Edit”)

Click “Open Directory Utility”

Click the padlock and authenticate to unlock the settings (if required)

From the “Edit” menu, choose “Enable Root User”

Enter a password for this user profile.

If the program is crashing on a Windows system then just make sure you have admin level access.

If you are using Windows Vista or 7 then you should run it in compatibility mode by right clicking on the EXE file, choosing “properties” switching to “Windows XP (Service Pack 2)” under the Compatibility section and once this is done make sure to right click the EXE file and select “Run as administrator”.

It is a fairly common practice to restore your operating system running Windows 8 to an earlier state. Proves to be life saver if you have installed a wrong software that is corrupting your system files or in case of a virus attack. In such cases you run to reset it to previous settings, the first and most useful option is definitely system restore! To access this option go to Control Panel > System and Security > System. System Restore Windows 8 comes under the system protection feature. If it is not already turned on, then you can alter it by using the Configure option. For system restore configuration, go to Control Panel.

Step 1: Make a restore point

This isn’t absolutely necessary to do since Windows 8 completes this step for you when it runs Updates and maintenance applications. However, you can still create a restore point stepwise. When you reach the System Protection dialog box, type in a name for your restore point and hit “Create”. That restore point will be created.You can also get rid of any restore point by deleting it using the same Configure option.

Step 2: Restore system from a restore point

In case you did some damage to your Windows by installing a certain software or program and now you want to do some mending by taking your system to its earlier undamaged state. When you click the System Restore button you will have two options; either you restore it from there which is recommended by Windows or you can opt for a different restore point from where you can bring back your system.

Before your system is restored, you will be given a scanned affected programs list that shows what programs are going to be deleted or affected in the process.If you have any other way of doing it, let me know in the comments section.

Read More: http://techmell.com/windows-tips/restore-windows-8-previously-saved-state/

With the release of Absinthe 2.0 for iOS 5.1.1, we witnessed the untethered jailbreak release as well only minutes following the release. This article is aimed at letting you jailbreak your iPad 3, 2, or 1 that have the 5.1.1 version of iOS through Absinthe for both Mac and Windows users. So now it's time to successfully jailbreak iPad 3 iOS 5.1.1 unTethered.

Important About iPad Jailbreak

For untethered Jailbreak of your iPad 3, 2, or 1, you need to first make sure it’s iOS is 5.1.1 otherwise this procedure would not work on your iDevice. Also, backup all the data you have on your iPad especially the media files.

It is of vital importance that you install 5.1.1 if there is a need BEFORE Apple closes the signing window on 5.1.1. Otherwise, 5.1.1 will not get installed on your iPad 3, 2, 1 even if the SHSH Blobs are there.

Ingredients To Jailbreak iPad iOS 5.1.1 UnTethered

• Download iOS 5.1.1 firmware
• Download Absinthe 2.0.4 for Windows, Mac and Linux

Take a look at the important data you have on your iPad before initiating the process because Absinthe will make a backup and restore of this data to achieve a successful jailbreak. In effect jailbreak uses a part in Backup and Restore process. Knowing this, you might have some reservations…

iTunes Backup – iCloud BackUp software can be used to Backup all the data in your device.

Steps to Jailbreak iPad 3, iPad 2, iPad 1 iOS 5.1.1 UnTethered With Absinthe 2.0

Step 1: Unzip the download file, extract the files and open the Absinthe file on your PC.

Step 2: Connect your iPad to your PC and wait till it gets detected. Once it gets detected, hit the “Jailbreak” option.

Jailbreak will be initiated by Absinthe as soon as you hit the jailbreak option. Note that the time taken for untethered jailbreak completion depends on the amount of data you already had on your iPad so it might take longer than you had expected.

The geeks out there in Dream Team bent on jailbreaking every device possible have pwned iTunes sync, backup and restore process for successful jailbreak.

Just stay put and let it complete on its own!

Jailbreak almost done…

When finally at the last stage, you might feel like it is never going to end. But just as you survived the first stage, you will survive this one too. Be patient!

When at last the process comes to an end, you will be notified when asked to unlock your iPad device and hit the jailbreak icon. DO NOT disconnect the iPad at this point.

You will be told at the completion when the notification appears “Almost done”.

You should see a Cydia icon shown on your screen.

And you are done. Your iPad 5.1.1 is jailbroken untethered.

Troubleshooting Absinthe 2.0.4!

If you are encountering trouble with proper running of Absinthe, your server might be down giving the message “Error establishing a database connection”. For this, switch VPN on by going to Settings from springboard.

After you receive another configuration error, your device should reboot within minutes to show Cydia icon on the Springboard as it boots back.

You might get annoyed if the jailbreak process is too long and this might raise questions in your mind whether the process is really working. Before you think along the lines of disconnecting your iPad from PC, know that the process will take a long time if you have a lot of data on your iPad. Stay away from disconnecting unless something has genuinely gone wrong.

In case the process reaches the final stage and “Absinthe” still does nothing, you need to switch the VPN setting ON from Settings to let the device reboot and make Cydia visible. Be careful not to disconnect iPad 2 at this point.

If the above step isn’t successful in dealing with the issue, just disconnect your device and start it again. When Absinthe recovers the process, let it. Once it is finished, disconnect your iPad one more time and launch the jailbreak once again. For an iPad with a lot of data, do a restore first as mentioned at the start of this article.

In case Absinthe stops working on OSX, firstly you need to ensure to launch the jailbreak process as an Administrator. Some users have fixed the issue by activating root user on OSX. You can enable root user following the steps given:

1. Go to “System Preferences” and click “Users & Groups” from the options.
2. Select the padlock and proceed to unlock settings.
3. Next, you need to select “Login Options”.
4. Hit “Join”/“Edit” (Whichever option is available).
5. Go to “Open Directory Utility”.
6. Hit padlock and unlock settings if and when required.
7. When you go to Edit” menu, select “Enable Root User”
8. Give a password assigned to the root user.

For Windows, if Absinthe stops working then again you need to ensure to run as an Administrator.

Both Windows 7 and Vista users need to configure compatibility properties for Absinthe executable file. Right-click on the exe file and select “Properties”. Click the compatibility tab and choose “Windows XP (Service Pack 2)”. Finally, click “Run this program as an administrator”.

Properties for Windows 7 users are depicted in the image:

 I hope this tutorial will be helpful for you, for queries and suggestions please comment on this article.

Many A4 device owners went back to iOS 5.1.1 from iOS 6 since iOS 6 has only tethered jailbreak that all the serious jailbreakers would want a downgrade from. This article is your stepwise guide to going back from iOS 6 to iOS 5.1.1 with the help of good old Redsn0w.

Ingredients To Downgrade iOS 6 to iOS 5.1.1

Make sure you have the following for this downgrade:

• Saved SHSH blob
• 5.1.1 IPSW file
•  Redsn0w 0.9.14b2 for Windows [Download it Now]
• Redsn0w 0.9.14b2 for Mac [Download it Now]

This Downgrade supports the following devices:

• iPhone 4
• iPhone 3GS

It will be convenient if you put all the related Application files in one folder and name it something like “Downgrade iOS 6”.

Note: Before proceeding with the instructions, backup all your data including iCloud, Contacts, iTunes Apps and Cydia Apps.

Steps to Downgrade iOS 6 to iOS 5.1.1 On A4 devices

Step 1: Start with putting your A4 device into DFU mode. Alternatively, you can follow the following steps:

• For almost 10 seconds, keep the power and home buttons pressed simultaneously.
• Let the Power button go after ten seconds but keep the Home button pressed for another 10 seconds.

Step 2: Open the RedSn0w.zip file after extracting it. Click “Extras”.

Step 3: Select “SHSH blobs”. These will be the blobs you saved in Downgrade iOS 6 folder earlier.

Step 4: Press “Stitch” on the next window that pops up.

Step 5: In the next window, press IPSW and choose the iOS 5.1.1 IPSW.

Step 6: In case of SHSH blobs being stored on the computer, click on the option “Local” and choose the iOS 5.1.1 SHSH blob. For SHSH blobs stored on Cydia, select “Cydia” for blobs.

Step 7: Redsn0w will combine IPSW and blob together once you select them and a firmware file for iOS 5.1.1 will be created to make the downgrade possible. You will be notified when the message “Blob Stitching Done” appears. Click “Ok”.

Step 8: At this point, navigate back to welcome screen of Redsn0w. Click “Extra” followed by ”Pwned DFU“.

Note: The device under use has to be in DFU mode as stated in Step 1.

Step 9: Once the device is done with Pwned DFU process, launch iTunes, here you’ll see a message stating thet the iPhone is in recovery mode. Click OK to continue.

Step 10: If you are using windows then click Shift + restore and in you are on Mac then hit option + restore then select the ISPW file from step 7 and itunes shall begin restoring your device.

Note: Here the iPhone’s screen should be blank with a white apple logo

Step 11: If you receive an itunes error -1 don’t fret and just click ok.

Step 12: In redsnow click recovery under extras.

Step 13: Put your device in DFU mode, here the recovery fix will run even if you don’t know how to put your device into DFU mode.

Step 14: Once this is done your device will be on iOS 5.1.1

Original Source: http://techmell.com/apple-tips/downgrade-ios-6-ios-511-iphone-4-iphone-3gs-ipod-touch-4g/

It is a fairly common practice to restore your operating system running Windows 8 to an earlier state. Proves to be life saver if you have installed a wrong software that is corrupting your system files or in case of a virus attack. In such cases you run to reset it to previous settings, the first and most useful option is definitely system restore! To access this option go to Control Panel > System and Security > System. System Restore comes under the system protection feature. If it is not already turned on, then you can alter it by using the Configure option. For system restore configuration, go to Control Panel.

Step 1: Make a restore point

This isn’t absolutely necessary to do since Windows 8 completes this step for you when it runs Updates and maintenance applications. However, you can still create a restore point stepwise. When you reach the System Protection dialog box, type in a name for your restore point and hit “Create”. That restore point will be created.You can also get rid of any restore point by deleting it using the same Configure option.

Step 2: Restore system from a restore point

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In case you did some damage to your Windows by installing a certain software or program and now you want to do some mending by taking your system to its earlier undamaged state. When you click the System Restore button you will have two options; either you restore it from there which is recommended by Windows or you can opt for a different restore point from where you can bring back your system.Before your system is restored, you will be given a scanned affected programs list that shows what programs are going to be deleted or affected in the process.If you have any other way of doing it, let me know in the comments section.

Original Website: http://techmell.com/windows-tips/restore-windows-8-previously-saved-state/

The metro style UI is the new breakthrough user interface that Microsoft has offered along with its new Windows 8 operating system but sadly it has not come up to everyone’s liking. Removing it will render the new OS unstable and rather unusable. So here I outline some ways to remove this new add on without permanently scarring the system. All the methods outlined below are totally reversible.

It is important to know that the following methods men changing registry values and in doing so you can bring harm to the system if you make a mistake. Windows 8 is still in a preview only mode, not even in the public beta. Primarily this is a version to get the developers familiar with the new environment and give them an idea on what to expect. Follow this guide to disable metro ui in Windows 8.

One who has already used Windows 8 knows that if you exit the new Metro UI, a classical windows 7 interface lurks beneath it. The main difference being that now the start button launches the Metro UI instead of the start menu. Following this tutorial will let you configure the start button to disable the metro UI and to call upon once more the classic windows 7 style start menu. You may revert back any time by reversing the process. Here is how you can get the classic menu:

Steps To Disable Metro UI in Windows 8

1.            First, press the Start + R buttons, to open the Run menu.

2.            In the Run window, type "regedit" and hit Enter.

3.            Now scroll on the top of the list and double click on "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE". This will expand the folder.

4.            Do the same for "SOFTWARE ".

5.            In the list, search for "Microsoft" and open it.

6.            Now using the same procedure, navigate to Windows->CurrentVersion->Explorer and some registry entries will appear in the right side of the screen.

7.            Click on the one called "RPenabled" and change its value from "1" to "0".

This will cause the metro UI to be replaced with a familiar looking Windows 7 start menu. To revert this all you need to do it to change the value of RPenabled back to 1.

If this seems too hard one can always download a program called start menu selector available from DeviantArt that is a portable utility to switch between these two menus with the click of a button. This software basically just does the same steps detailed above.

Simply download the program from the website, extracts the folders contents and click the executable. This also adds a quicker option for switching between menus when you right click anywhere on the desktop. To ensure that it gets the job done make sure that you use it with admin privelages.

Originally Found At: http://techmell.com/how-to/disable-metro-ui-windows-8/