Michael Doyle | Blog

Windows – See what programs are accessing the Internet

Discovered a handy windows command that displays all active internet connections. This can be really handy for spyware/adware/malware/virus checking. It works on Vista and XP. Here's what to do:

1. Click Start - Run
2. Type "cmd"
3. In the command prompt type "netstat -b"

A list of results like the following should appear that look like this:

The table lists the following:

• Proto: The protocol being used by the process
• Local Address: The local address of the process
• Foreign Address: The remote address of the process
• State: Which state of connection the process is in
• PID: The process identifier (Each process is given an ID, this can be siaplyed in Task Manager by customizing the columns of the processes tab, click here to see a tutorial)
• The name of the process: This is the name of the process which is trying to access the network, it is placed in square brackets, i.e.  "[application_name.exe]"

If the name of the process doesn't look familiar check a site like ProcessLibrary, this will list what each process does.

A more indepth article covering netstat is located here:

http://commandwindows.com/netstat.htm

PC Build – PSU Calculator

Lifehacker has  just posted up an article about an application which estimates what kind of PSU is needed for your PC. I haven't downloaded it yet, but it's definitely worth keeping if you're upgrading your PC. It's called eXtreme Power Supply Calculator.

http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculator.jsp

Windows Utility – Nimi

Nimi (freeware)  is a Windows XP visual tweaker, Lifehacker has more information about it.

http://lifehacker.com/5255874/nimi-adds-visual-effects-and-eye-candy-to-windows

XP Skin – Royal Noir

Windows XP has a limited amouunt of skins, Royal Noir is a certified XP Skin. You can read more about it over at www.istartedsomething.com

I uploaded the theme to my server, just as a backup. It can be downloaded here.

Install directions:

1. Extract files to “C:\windows\resources\themes\royale noir”
2. Double click on “luna.msstyles”
3. Select “Noir” from “Color Scheme”

Photoshop – SpeedUp

This utility allows you to disable filters and plugins from loading in Photoshop at start up to decrease load times.

Windows Utility – Visualise your HD

I've been using WinDirStat for quite a while now. It's a windows utility which analyzes your hard drive, graphically displays what files it's made up of and how big those files are. It's a really good utility to find some big files that may be taking up too much room in a dark corner of your PC.