104 Part II: Intermediate Map a Drive to a Network Folder If you want to use the same network folder frequently, you can map a drive letter to it. Windows then establishes the drive mapping each time you log on, and you can access the folder via its drive letter directly from a Computer window. To map a drive to a network folder, follow these steps: Using the instructions earlier in this section, open a Windows Explorer window, and then navigate so that the window shows the folder you want to map. Right-click the folder in the main part of the window and choose Map Network Drive to display the Map Network Drive dialog box (shown here). Windows automatically enters the network path to the folder in the Folder text box. In the Drive drop-down list, Windows automatically assigns the last unused letter of the alphabet—Z first, X if Z is used, and so on. You can choose another letter if you prefer. Make sure the Reconnect At Logon check box is selected. Click the Finish button. Windows maps the drive to the network folder. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 105 Project 10 Recover from Windows Disasters with Knoppix What You’ll Need Hardware: USB key or USB drive (optional) Software: Knoppix Cost: Free to $10 U.S. S ometimes Windows disagrees with itself—badly. Or with your PC’s hardware. Or with its horoscope. Or maybe it gets a virus, Trojan horse, or other malware. Or your antivirus program decides it simply doesn’t like you anymore. When one of these problems happens, you may find that you can no longer start Windows as usual. That means you can’t access any of your files—your documents…your pic- tures…your videos…not even your e-mail messages. To get Windows working again, you may need to repair it or reinstall it in a differ- ent folder. That can bring problems of its own, because you may not be able to access the files within your user account. So before you mess with your PC, you should make a copy of all the files you value so that they’re safe even if the problems Windows is suffering turn out to be really bad. This project shows you how to use Knoppix to copy those files to the safety of either a USB key or USB drive or a network drive. The project also shows you how to connect to the Internet so that you can download Windows updates, drivers, or other files you need to fix Windows. Your copy of Windows may never suffer a disaster such as those described in this project—or it may suffer such a disaster tomorrow. To be prepared for such a disaster, read this project today and work through Steps 2 and 3, which show you how to get Knoppix, burn it to CD, and then run it. You can then store your Knoppix CD away safely with your other troubleshooting tools, ready for trouble—whether it strikes on your PC or that of a family member, friend, or colleague. ● ● ● note 106 Part 1I: Intermediate Step 1: Understand What Knoppix Can Do Knoppix is one of the many different distributions of the Linux operating system. Like many other Linux distributions, you can either download Knoppix for free or order a CD or DVD for little more than the cost of the media and shipping. Knoppix is what’s called a live distribution of Linux. That means that Knoppix boots directly from the CD or DVD in your PC’s optical drive without you having to install it to your PC’s hard disk. Booting from the optical drive has several advantages, including not changing the contents of the hard disk and being able to work when the hard disk (or its boot sector) is out of service. (There are also disadvantages, such as needing to access the optical drive whenever the operating system needs more instructions—but when you’re recovering from a disaster, this price is easy enough to pay.) Knoppix is modest in its hardware requirements, needing only 128MB of RAM to run all its features. But as usual with operating systems, the more RAM, the merrier: Knoppix will run better, and you can even load the operating system into RAM to make it run faster and to free up your PC’s optical drive. Knoppix is a full operating system and even includes the OpenOffice.org program suite (which includes a word processor, a spreadsheet program, and a presentations program), so it can take care of most of your computing needs. However, in this proj- ect we look only at how to use Knoppix to recover files from a Windows computer that’s having problems. Step 2: Download Knoppix and Burn Your Recovery CD First, download the latest version of Knoppix and burn it to CD. If you have a slow Internet connection, you may prefer to order a Knoppix CD or DVD from a vendor such as On-Disk.com (http://on-disk.com). You’ll find a full list of these vendors on the Knoppix web site. The cost is typically around $10 U.S. including delivery. Download the Latest Knoppix CD Steer your web browser to the Knoppix web site (www.knoppix.com), and then click the Download link. This link takes you to a page where you can choose to download Knoppix via BitTorrent or Emule or via HTTP or FTP from a mirror site. (A mirror site is a site that hosts files on behalf of other web sites to make them more widely available.) There are two main distributions of Knoppix: a CD distribution (which is the one you most likely want) and a DVD distribution, which is far larger and contains many more programs and tools. Unless you have an extremely fast Internet connection, downloading the DVD distribution will take all night, whereas you should be able to download the CD distribution via a DSL or cable connection in less than two hours. The Knoppix distribution file you want probably has a name that looks like this: KNOPPIX_V5.1.1CD-2007-01-04-EN.iso. Here, 5.1 is the version number; the file is for one CD and is an ISO image for creating a CD; and the language is English (EN). tip Project 10: Recover from Windows Disasters with Knoppix 107 The file size of the ISO file will be 700MB or a bit less, because 700MB is the amount of data that fits on a standard recordable CD. (If the web site’s directory is crammed with files, the file size can be a useful identifier.) When you click the link to download the disk image, Internet Explorer may dis- play a dialog box asking if you want to save the file or find a program online to open it. Click the Save button, and then choose where to save the file—preferably in a folder on your PC’s hard drive so that you can easily burn it to CD. When Internet Explorer displays the Download Complete dialog box, click the Open Folder button to open the folder containing the Knoppix disk image. Burn the Knoppix Disk Image to CD Next, burn the Knoppix disk image to CD. How you do this depends on the burning software installed on your computer. For example, if you have the widely distributed Roxio DigitalMedia LE, click the Copy button, click the Burn Image item below it, choose the disk image on the screen, and then click the Burn Image button. If your PC doesn’t have a program for burning disk images to CD or DVD, have a look at ISO Recorder (http://isorecorder.alexfeinman.com/isorecorder.htm), donationware (if you like it, you can make a donation to the author’s development fund) that can burn CDs on Windows XP and both CDs and DVDs on Windows Vista. Step 3: Take Knoppix for a Spin to Make Sure It’s Working This step shows you how to launch Knoppix, view some files, attach a USB drive, access the Internet via a broadband connection, and then close down Knoppix. Launch Knoppix To launch Knoppix, follow these steps: With Windows running, insert the Knoppix disc. If Windows opens an Inter- net Explorer window showing information about the Knoppix distribution, browse it if you wish to. Close your Windows programs, and then restart your PC. The PC boots from the Knoppix disc, and the Knoppix screen appears. If your PC doesn’t boot from the Knoppix disc, you may need to change the PC’s BIOS settings to make the PC boot from the optical drive. See Project 6 for instructions on doing this. Press ENTER to start loading Knoppix. You’ll see several screens full of text in various colors as Knoppix loads, displaying messages that track its progress. 1. 2. 3. tip note 108 Part 1I: Intermediate The Knoppix graphical user interface (GUI) then appears for the rest of the loading process. When Knoppix is fully loaded, it opens a Konqueror window (see Figure 10-1). Konqueror is the file browser and web browser that Knoppix uses. Have a quick look at the files on your PC: Click the Close button (the × button) to close the Konqueror window. Click the Hard Disk (hda1) icon to open a Konqueror window showing the contents of the first hard disk in your PC (see Figure 10-2). The PC shown here has three hard disk partitions, but your PC may well have only one partition. Konqueror opens a file with a single-click rather than a double-click, as Windows Explorer requires. Until you become accustomed to Konqueror, you may find it easier to right-click a file (and then cancel the context menu if you don’t need to issue one of its commands) than to click a file and open it inadvertently. Click the Maximize button in the upper-right corner of the Konqueror window to maximize the window. 4. 1. 2. 3. tip Figure 10-1 Knoppix is now up and running, having booted from your PC’s optical drive rather than the hard disk. K Menu Knoppix button Quick-launch bar Desktops Optical disk Floppy disk Hard disks Project 10: Recover from Windows Disasters with Knoppix 109 Choose View | View Mode | Detailed List View to display the details of the files and folders (see Figure 10-3). Here, you can see all the files and folders, including the hibernation file (hiberfil.sys), the page file (pagefile.sys), and the boot manager (bootmgr), which are normally hidden. Click the Users folder to display its contents, which include a folder for each user’s user account, an Administrator account, and the All Users account. Click the account name for a user whose account you normally cannot access. (Or, if you prefer, click your own account.) Konqueror displays its contents, which you can then access as needed. Click the Close button or press ALT-F4 to close the Konqueror window. Explore the K Menu to get an idea of its contents. It contains a wide range of programs and utilities—and even some games. Attach a USB Drive When you’re using Knoppix to repair Windows or to recover files from your PC, it’s often handy to have a drive to which you can copy files or that you can use to supply files to the PC. The easiest solution is to use a USB key (sometimes also called a flash drive or a thumb drive) or another USB-connected drive that enables you to copy files easily to or from the PC. 4. 5. 6. 7. Figure 10-2 Here are the contents of hda1, the first hard disk partition on the computer. 110 Part 1I: Intermediate In Linux terminology, you mount a drive to add it to the PC’s file system. To remove a drive from the file system, you unmount it. To use a USB key or USB drive with Knoppix, follow these steps: Connect the USB key or drive to your PC. Knoppix recognizes the key or drive, mounts it automatically in the file system, and then displays a dialog box saying that a new medium has been detected. Select the Open In New Window item in the list box. Click the OK button. Knoppix displays a window showing the contents of the key or drive, as in the example shown here: 1. 2. 3. Figure 10-3 Detailed List View gives you a better view of the files and folders on the drive. note Project 10: Recover from Windows Disasters with Knoppix 111 You can then work with the files and folders on the key or drive much as you would in a Windows Explorer window on Windows. For example, to copy a file or folder, right-click it and choose Copy. You can then right-click the folder in which you want to paste the file or folder, and choose Paste to paste it. When you have finished using the USB drive, unmount it from the file system be- fore you detach it from the PC. Right-click the drive’s icon on the desktop and choose Unmount. You can then safely remove the drive from your PC. Connect to Your Network and the Internet If you have a broadband Internet connection, you should be able to get Knoppix to connect to the Internet easily by choosing suitable settings for your PC’s network adapter. This is handy for when you need to download patches or update files to fix Windows or run a virus check on Windows. If you have a network with a typical setup, when you connect to the Internet, you can also connect to any shared drives on your network. For example, you may need to copy files from another computer on the network to the PC on which you have booted Knoppix. Set Up a Network Connection or Broadband Connection To connect to your network, and thus to connect to the Internet via a broadband connection shared via the network, follow these steps: Click the Knoppix icon (the penguin) on the quick-launch bar and choose Network/Internet | Network Card Configuration. Knoppix launches the netcardconfig program in a console window. If your computer has two or more network interfaces (for example, an Ethernet connection and a wireless connection, or an Ethernet connec- tion and a FireWire card), Knoppix displays an Xdialog box like the one shown here, prompting you to choose the network device. (If your computer has only one network interface, skip to step 3.) Select the eth0 item, as this is usually the Eth- ernet connection, and then click the OK button. Knoppix displays a dialog box asking whether you want to obtain an IP ad- dress automatically via DHCP. If your network uses Dynamic Host Configu- ration Protocol (DHCP) to allocate available IP addresses automatically, as many networks do by default, click the Yes button, and then go to step 5. 1. 2. 3. note 112 Part 1I: Intermediate Otherwise, click the No button, and then specify the following information in the dialog boxes that appear in the sidebar “Find Out Your Network’s Gateway and DNS Settings” if you don’t have this information: IP address For example, 192.168.0.14 or 10.0.0.5 Network mask The subnet mask, usually 255.255.255.0. Broadcast address Usually the last address in the subnet you’re using—for example, 192.168.0.255 or 10.0.0.255. Default gateway The IP address of the Internet connection device. This is usually a low value in the subnet—for example, 192.168.0.1 or 10.0.0.2. Name server The IP address of the Domain Name Service (DNS) server your Internet connection uses. Your ISP normally provides this IP address. When you click the OK button in the last dialog box, the netcardconfig program applies the settings, displays several lines of text as it does so, and then closes. ● ● ● ● ● 4. Find Out Your Network’s Gateway and DNS Settings If you don’t have your network’s gateway and DNS settings written down, but you have another functional PC running Windows Vista, you can find them out easily: Click the Start button, right-click the Network item, and choose Properties to open a Network And Sharing Center window. Click the View Status link for the network connection to display the connection’s Status dialog box. Click the Details button to display the Network Connec- tion Details dialog box, which contains readouts of the IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS servers. Click the Close button to close each dialog box, and then click the Close button to close the Network And Shar- ing Center window. 1. 2. 3. 4. Project 10: Recover from Windows Disasters with Knoppix 113 Verify That Your PC’s Internet Connection Is Working To verify that your PC’s Internet connection is working, access a web site: Click the Konqueror button on the quick-launch bar to launch Konqueror. Click in the address bar to place the focus there. Type the address of a web site (for example, www.mhprofessional.com) and then press ENTER. Verify That You Can Connect to Your Network If your PC can connect to the Internet, it’s definitely connected to your network. You can then view shared folders on the network as well. Follow these steps: Click the Knoppix button on the quick-launch bar and choose Utilities| Samba Network Neighborhood. Knoppix opens a Konqueror window that shows the workgroups of computers sharing files via the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol. (Samba is a geek’s way of saying SMB.) The following illustration shows an example: Click the workgroup that contains the computer that shares the drive (you may well see only one workgroup). The Konqueror window shows the computers that are sharing drives: 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. [...]... how to mount a larger fan to keep your PC cool note A larger fan is especially handy if you’re looking to reduce the amount of noise your PC makes See Project 22 for a detailed look at how you can silence your PC To mount a larger fan than your PC s case is designed for, follow these steps: 1 Shut down Windows, turn off the PC, and disconnect all its cables Put the PC on a work surface 2 Open the case... ready to connect your PC to the TV or projector How exactly you proceed depends on what kind of PC and what kind of TV or projector you have, but in general, you need to follow these steps: 1 If the PC is running, shut down Windows, and then turn the PC off 2 Make sure the TV or projector is powered off as well 3 Connect a cable of the appropriate type to the port you’re using on the PC and to the input... instead of the usual one ● On a projector, you may need to press a button to cycle among the possible input sources until it finds the signal from the PC 5 Turn on the PC Depending on the connection you’re using, you may see the PC s bootup sequence on the PC s monitor, on the TV screen, or on both 128 Part II: Intermediate 6 If Windows Vista detects the TV or projector as a new display and opens the... your PC back together, connect its cables, and restart it Step 3: Create a Viewing Window in the Case To make a viewing window in your PC s case (see Figure 11 -5) , follow these general steps: 1 Shut down Windows, turn off the PC, and disconnect all its cables Put the PC on a work surface 2 Open the case For example, undo the thumbscrews or screws that secure the case 3 Remove the panel in which you... picture on a larger screen This project shows you how to use your PC as your home theater by connecting the PC to either your TV or to a projector Step 1: Choose a Connection Type The first step—and in some ways the most complex—is choosing the right type of connection to use between your PC and the TV or projector Depending on your PC and the TV or projector, you may have only one choice of connection,... especially as most TVs are far less sharp than PC monitors HDMI An HDMI cable transmits uncompressed digital audio and video signals, conveying the audio and video information from your PC to the TV without loss, so it should be your first choice if both your PC and output device have it Figure 12-1 shows an HDMI port and an HDMI connector Figure 12-1 If your PC and TV both have HDMI ports, an HDMI cable... are on your PC s graphics card and on your TV or projector Normally, a desktop PC gives you far more choices than a laptop PC does—and if necessary, you can change the graphics card in most desktops without much difficulty, whereas only a few laptops let you change their graphics cards, and then only with considerable expense and minimal choice of replacement cards Project 12: Use Your PC as Your Home... modify a PC or wreck it completely—by using conventional household tools But for good (or even acceptable) results, you’ll probably want to use specialized or semi-specialized tools Exactly which tools you need depends on what you’re planning to do to your PC This section discusses the main tools you’re likely to need caution Normally, you’ll want to modify only your PC s case, not any of the PC s components... simple projects, and then leaves you to exercise your imagination and do-it-yourself skills There are two main reasons to modify your PC s case: ● ● note Practical To make a component fit that wouldn’t otherwise fit This project explains how to create the space for and mount a larger fan to keep a PC cool Aesthetic To make your PC s case look better (or worse, or simply more interesting) than the manufacturer... usual, and you can log on Project 10: Recover from Windows Disasters with Knoppix note 1 15 If you want to turn the PC off rather than restart it with Windows, click the Turn Off Computer button instead of the Restart Computer button in the End Session dialog box After you remove the CD and press ENTER, your PC shuts down Step 4: Back Up Your Files Using Knoppix If Windows starts giving problems and . 192.168.0.14 or 10.0.0 .5 Network mask The subnet mask, usually 255 . 255 . 255 .0. Broadcast address Usually the last address in the subnet you’re using—for example, 192.168.0. 255 or 10.0.0. 255 . Default gateway. restart your PC. The PC boots from the Knoppix disc, and the Knoppix screen appears. If your PC doesn’t boot from the Knoppix disc, you may need to change the PC s BIOS settings to make the PC boot. outside the PC. ) Put your PC back together, connect its cables, and restart it. Step 3: Create a Viewing Window in the Case To make a viewing window in your PC s case (see Figure 11 -5) , follow