I have hacked and wacked Windows XP (professional) down to a lean and mean Internet Machine.
The modifications are extensive and not for the faint hearted.
Trick #1:
Install the Comodo Fire wall, Firefox with the following add ons:
FaterFox, Ad Block plus,No Script (extremely important!),Flashblock and if you like to rip videos and
other media files out of web pages: Unplug, DownloadHelper and DownThemAll!
BUT DO NOT MAKE FIREFOX YOUR DEFAULT BROWSER!!!!!!
Leave the (insecure) Internet explorer as your default, so when you installed something you should not have
installed this will be the browser the malware attemts to hijack.
Next use Comodo to block IEexplorer from accessing the web.
Next go into the Firefox addressbar and delete whatever is there, type in about:config and click on the green
go arrow. Change the following settings:
network.http.max-connections change it to 96
network.http.max-connections-per-server change it to 32
network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-proxy change it to 24
network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-server change to 22
network.http.pipelining set to true
network.http.pipelining.maxrequests set to integer 30
network.http.request.max-start-delay change to 1
network.prefetch-next change to bolean false
Then I recommend you dump Outlook express and use a different method (free Gmail)
for your correspondence.
Next do the following registry hacks, but first a word of caution:
After You applied these hacks DO NOT CAMP ON SOME WEB PAGES TOO LONG.
You are swamping the server and some might interpret these settings as a cyber attack.
On some occasions when I enabled Java Script, and I am no longer Stealth my IP
had been banned from some servers for a couple of hours.
The same registry hacks will make ports 135,137 and 445 STEALTH...and svchost will also
no longer attempt to listen to these ports. The hack will also bore the bandwidth Windows
allowed fro XP WIDE OPEN. In addition to that I have added a convenient item to the
right click menu when you click on a folder. The option to go into that folder in Command
Mode now appears and you no longer have to run in command mode and endlessly
type change directory commands to get to that folder. Last not least, the hack clears your paging
file, Spies like Windows update or anyone who wants to snoop what you have looked at would
examine. It would be a lengthy procedure to go into regedit.exe and edit your registry
but you can do it that way if you want to. Else you can copy and paste the text below into
an empty windows notepad window then save the file using the "save as" "all files"
then name it tweak.reg save it also as tweak.txt so you can read and edit it later.
BEFORE YOU DOUBLE CLICK tweak.reg open your regedit by clicking on run type regedit then click ok
Next click on HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG then go up to the menu bar and click on File then on Export
dump it into MyDocuments then close regedit and open this file with a RIGHT CLICK select open with
Notepad......All You need to read is the very top line that says the version.
In my case that line reads:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
If your first line reads the same, then you dont have to edit my hack, just copy and paste.
BUT if your first line shows a different version of regedit then delete the first line of my hack
and paste your first line there. After that save this file as tweak.reg then double click it.
Reboot and ENJOY!....
IMPORTANT:
AFTER I PREVIEWED THIS POST I noticed that the proper ascii codes did NOT come through here
when I copied my text file into this (Forum Window) the line:
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\Command]
[ at ]="Command Prompt:"
is FALSE the [ at ] character appears as [ at ] and YOU HAVE TO CHANGE ALL THE [ at ] s to the
character [ at ] before you can do this hack by copy and paste!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NetBT\Parameters]
"TransportBindName"=""
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NetBT\Parameters]
"NameServerPort"=-
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Ole]
"EnableDCOM"="n"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management]
"ClearPageFileAtShutdown"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters]
"EnablePrefetcher"=dword:00000003
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\Command]
[ at ]="Command Prompt:"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\Command\Command]
[ at ]="cmd.exe /k cd %1"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings]
"MaxConnectionsPerServer"=dword:00000060
Also you might want to ax a lot of unnecessary services in [settings]------>[control panel]--->[Administrative
Tools]------>[Services]
I have set mine to these few essentials, some that I axed are well known security risks and
should NOT BE LEFT AS THE DEFAULT VALUE:
Name Status Startup Type Log On As
Alerter Disabled Local Service
Application Layer Gateway Service l Disabled Local Service
Application Management. Disabled Local System
Automatic Updates Disabled Local System
Background Intelligent Transfer Service Disabled Local System
BOCore Automatic Local System
ClipBook . Disabled Local System
COM+ Event System . Disabled Local System
COM+ System Application Disabled Local System
Comodo Application Agent Started Automatic Local System
Computer Browser . Disabled Local System
Cryptographic Services Started Automatic Local System
DHCP Client(need for internet) Started Automatic Local System
Distributed Link Tracking Client Disabled Local System
Distributed Transaction Coordinator Disabled NetworkService
DNS Client . Disabled NetworkService
Error Reporting Service . Disabled Local System
Event Log . Disabled Local System
Fast User Switching Compatibility Manual Local System
Help and Support . Manual Local System
Human Interface Device Access Disabled Local System
IMAPI CD-Burning COM Service Disabled Local System
InCD Helper Disabled Local System
Indexing Service Disabled Local System
Internet Connection Firewall Disabled Local System
IPSEC Services Disabled Local System
Logical Disk Manager . Manual Local System
Logical Disk Manager Administrative Manual Local System
lxcy_device Manual Local System
Messenger Disabled Local System
MS Software Shadow Copy Provider Manual Local System
Net Logon . Manual Local System
NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing Disabled Local System
Network Connections Started Manual Local System
Network DDE Disabled Local System
Network DDE DSDM . Disabled Local System
Network Location Awareness (NLA) Disabled Local System
NT LM Security Support Provider Manual Local System
Performance Logs and Alerts Disabled NetworkService
Plug and Play Started Automatic Local System
Portable Media Serial Number Manual Local System
Print Spooler Started Automatic Local System
Protected Storage Disabled Local System
QoS RSVP . Disabled Local System
Remote Access Auto Connection Manager Disabled Local System
Remote Access Connection Manager Disabled Local System
Remote Desktop Help Session Manager Disabled Local System
Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Started Automatic Local System
Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator Disabled NetworkService
Remote Registry . Disabled Local Service
Removable Storage Manual Local System
Routing and Remote Access Disabled Local System
Secondary Logon Manual Local System
Security Accounts Manager Disabled Local System
Server Disabled Local System
Shell Hardware Detection Disabled Local System
Smart Card Disabled Local Service
Smart Card Helper Disabled Local Service
SSDP Discovery Service Disabled Local Service
System Event Notification Disabled Local System
System Restore Service Disabled Local System
Task Scheduler Disabled Local System
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper Disabled Local Service
Telephony Manual Local System
Telnet Disabled Local System
Terminal Services Disabled Local System
Themes Disabled Local System
Uninterruptible Power Supply Disabled Local Service
Universal Plug and Play Device Host Disabled Local Service
Upload Manager Disabled Local System
Volume Shadow Copy Manual Local System
WebClient Disabled Local Service
Windows Audio Started Automatic Local System
Windows Image Acquisition (WIA) Started Automatic Local System
Windows Installer Manual Local System
Windows Management Instrumentation Manual Local System
Windows Management Instrumentation Driver Extensions Manual Local System
Windows Time Disabled Local System
Wireless Zero Configuration Disabled Local System
WMI Performance Adapter Disabled Local System
Workstation Disabled Local System
If you want more then contact me. There is an easy way to also ax a whole load of
exe and dll files that come with windows out of the box and serve no useful purpose, like
"Windows Tour.exe" and a lot more!
My PC is lightning fast and TOTALLY STEALTH with these settings. My (Comodo) fire wall is set
to log & intercept almost everything except my browser (Firefox) and the only time violations
are attempted is when I am online and use something like WinWord which wants to run
and rat to a Microsoft web page, but cant, because it tries to use IEexplorer which I left
for that purpose as my default, but blocked it with Comodo while I am browsing using
Firefox.
Last not least I use 2 Hard drives. One is the clone the other my "Mother Drive" which
NEVER GOES ON THE INTERNET. The clone is HDD1 in BIOS and the original is HDD0
I boot up using HDD1 and try every junk software I can find on the internet. I dont really
care if it is a Trojan or whatever...the same goes for e-mail attachments.
Just as soon as Comodo notifies me of connection attempts that should not be or
if I had my fill playing around with "malware", I simply boot up with HDD0 and use it
to nuke whatever was on HDD1 by doing a quick format.
Then I clone HDD0 to HDD1 using a free program called XXCLONE and in less than 10
minutes I am back on the Internet with a brand new lean and mean internet machine.
Almost every mother board has 2 IEE slots and you can plug in cables that can
accommodate 2 drives. I use all 4 available options. 2 Hard drives that are bootable,
1 hard drive as a slave, where all my data is and a CD(burner) + my USB options.
NO CONFLICTS, as long as you set the jumpers on the disks for the Master/Slave configuration.
In addition to that I have cut the yellow power supply wire (=+5VDc) to HDD0 and routed
it to a simple off/on switch I installed at the front. With the version of BIOS I have I dont even
have to go into BIOS to change boot up from HDD1 to HDD0, I simply cut the power to
HDD0 when I am going to surf the net & experiment. HDD0, my mother drive then simply
does not exist...it might as well be on a shelf. Then If I want to let my PC to
do like that car in the movie "Christine" I simply throw the switch and run XXCLONE.
I have no use whatsoever for any kind of anti this or anti that software....\
If most PCs were set up like this at the dealer level cracking, hacking and any sort of malware
writing would be an exercise in futility!
Author