Well along those lines for the longest time I've wanted Windows to be on its own protected read-only hard disk partition, i.e.; make the OS itself absolutely untouchable, although I realise that legit Microsoft Updates would probably need to write to such a partition for updating purposes. That would stop allot of malware, software that insists on replacing versions of system files, breakage or slow gradual degradation of OS stability, etc.
The beauty of this, is that Updates would still work.
You would simply input your password when Windows asked if Updates could proceed, & after you put in the correct password, Windows would update.
But any attempt to without your permission, whether malware/windows updates/rogue users attempting to hack your PC, simply will fail.
No password = no write to system directory = massive drop of malware & viruses, errrr... forcing writers of baddies to either change the way they attack, or possibly make it nearly impossible for them. After all, when all the places it can hide are eliminated, leaving the rest of it in plain view in user folders -> It is so easy to get rid of that you might not even need antiviruses in the future!
Attached is the "VideoCacheView.cfg" file as viewed in PEEK. Two versions, one using the binary viewer and the other using the standard viewer.
Not sure if it will help, makes no more sense to me than Quantum Mechanics Theory or the IRS tax code, but here it is.
Thanks for the data - I would have said "thanks for the information" if I had really understood it
I do not understand the consequences, but I do observe that the "VideoCacheView.cfg" file contains WinPos and Columns.
I do not have PEEK but I use MetaPad as a text editor, and when I drag/drop any Nirsoft *.cfg file into that I observe that each one includes something like
[General] WinPos=2C 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 01 00 00 00 FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 23 00 00 00 02 00 00 00 93 06 00 00 F4 03 00 00 Columns=EB 00 00 00 B4 00 01 00 46 00 02 00 8C 00 03 00 64 00 04 00 82 00 05 00 96 00 06 00 96 00 07 00 64 00 08 00 78 00 09 00 78 00 0A 00 DC 01 0B 00 5E 01 0C 00 96 00 0D 00 78 00 0E 00 2C 01 0F 00
I have not compared the numerical values of the data, but always there is "WinPos=..." and "Columns=..."
Methinks that "WinPos" may possibly designate the coordinates for a new Window.
Windows 7 Explorer inherits "legacy code" such that, like earlier versions of Windows, if I type or paste in the top address bar it will try to find the appropriate folder and display it, and if I mistype or for any other reason it cannot find the folder on the local machine it will launch my default browser and go hunting on the Internet.
I wish it did not do go internet hunting but I suppose some people find it useful.
If legacy code were removed from Windows Explorer I would certainly miss the ability to paste a path in the address bar and see the contents of the folder.
I used to "car share" with a friend who had a Land Rover.
He referred to it as "a collection of parts flying in close formation".
Windows 7 is a collection of old and borrowed code under a new paint job - take away one piece and it all falls apart
Well along those lines for the longest time I've wanted Windows to be on its own protected read-only hard disk partition, i.e.; make the OS itself absolutely untouchable, although I realise that legit Microsoft Updates would probably need to write to such a partition for updating purposes. That would stop allot of malware, software that insists on replacing versions of system files, breakage or slow gradual degradation of OS stability, etc.
Andavari, I promise, Powershadow does just that for win xp. It will also protect any other partition on the HD besides C:\. And I can't tell any difference in operating speed whether it is on or off. Thats one of the reasons I have kept win xp for this long.
Edit, @ Alan_B:
"I wish it did not do go internet hunting but I suppose some people find it useful."
Same here, and I intend to find a way to stop that. I think?? Outpost firewall will do it.
...
"a collection of parts flying in close formation". :lol:
"Windows 7 is a collection of old and borrowed code under a new paint job - take away one piece and it all falls apart."
I have a car that is held together only by its paint job.
Edit:
I must suggest that you don't do this thing, that is, replicate this "bug" on your own system.
It isn't just a win 7 bug, it does the same thing in win xp. May not be a bug at all.
Worse, It has at least the potential to trash out an SSD drive, not sure how but the potential is there.
Also, it will behave the same way if you try to open a .txt file with the file extension changed to .cfg. Don't know why, but it can't be good. Windows explorer CPU usage spikes alarmingly, and the desktop almost freezes.
...but then, you cross the International Date Line. What happens then?!
Madagascar shuts down everything