When installing Windows XP SP3, yoou may be faced with error code 0x87FF054F “Internal error occured”. This can happen, if the Windows Automatic Update service is disabled. Could also be a problem with the “Background Intelligent transfer Service”.
Windows XP Professional PCs which are not connected to Active Directory Domains will thereby not be controlled by central domain controller. This is a classic example for a Small business where there may ot may not be a System Administrator and PCs can be shared by multiple users. However, Windows XP Professional security can be configured with Local Security Policies just as the PC is connected and controlled by the Domain Controller.
Microsoft releases Windows XP Security Guide Tools and Templates packages which can be downloaded for free from here. This has different Security Templates that can be applied to the PCs. There are high security minimal functionality templates which can be very restrictive. So care has to be taken before applying these templates.
However, there are two security templates that provide not so restrictive but useful security settings.
This isn’t a big step by step guide for something, just a quick one liner for anyone to find the version of Windows in Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 & Windows Server 2008.
Winver is the command that one can run to find the version of Windows.
Offline NT is a free opensource Linux based tool that can be used to reset the password of a Windows User Account be it an ordinary user or an Administrator account. Needless to remind of the times when you forget your password and decide to format you Windows opreating system. Offline NT Password & Registry Editor supports Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista.
Offline NT is very simple to use and doesn’t need any big technical knowledge. All you need to do is download the CD ISO image and create a CD or create a bootable USB (if supported by your PC) or create a Floppy Disk and boot with it. Offline NT cannot work online as it needs to mount the SAM database online and edit it manually.
Those who ran Windows update yesterday or today on your Windows Computer running WIndows XP SP2 or Windows XP SP3 would have found security update KB951376 installed. For those, who look into the details, you would have noted that this update was already installed on the updates from the 11th June. Also, your “Control Panel – Add/Remove programs” might show KB951376 as well as KB951376-v2.
So why the same update ran twice on my pc or why I see 2 entries for the same KB in my Add/Remove Programs??? Well, nothing to panic!