Breaking thinks...learning the hard way

Hi Guys, I think the best way to learn things is by actually fixing them. I have a win nt 4.0, 2000 server and a win98 SE machines. Can you people come up with things that I can do to harm my system to the point where I have to figure out how to fix them, please. Just simple stuff to start with. These are all test machines that I can play with. I would greatly appreciate it.

 

If you want to test your skills on the truly unknown, expose your test systems and network completely unprotected to the Internet. It would be nice if you could include a system running XP/sp1, being one of the most popular targets on the planet. Set up some email accounts with dummy user names for these accounts. Now start browsing the net, dropping email addresses from **** sites to hack shops. You could also download and install questionable software. When the Spam starts rolling in, open everyone.... and do and or download anything they ask you to do (always providing fictitious "Identity info "). This will give you the following real world experiences ....
How to identify and remove many forms of malware.
How to repair system level programs damaged by the above.
Through out this process, your hardware is up and running and will decide it's time to fail and stop.
Have fun !!

Additional Update
You should remove your test systems off Internet anytime malware is detected. We don't need another SpamBot on the net pushing Spam to the rest of us. I would strongly suggest having image backups for all computers. Keep in mind, the image backups are just a way to return your systems to a known test condition, not to fix them.... that's your job.

 

Would you like to break some drivers? Try installing different graphics cards drivers, from different manufacturers. When you can no longer boot into Windows, boot to Safe Mode and try uninstalling them all, before going back to normal mode and getting the correct ones installed.

You could also try installing lots of different printer/scanner drivers and software, then get your printer to run

Matt

 

First of all if you can make a ghost image of the drives - unless nothing is important on the hard drives

uninstall drivers - sound ,video etc
see if you cannot install them
better swap in another hard drive - reinstall windows
find drivers
get on the internet
install over network cards
swap drives - master for slave and see if you can set up
If you want fun ? put in spyware and see your skill at removing it

You should find a list of spyware/malware to install here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spyware


try networking computers
if you do not have install discs- put out a note for 98 and nt install disks with keys- they are not worth much

However with vista out - maybe more now

Go into the bios and play around
at the worst reset to "factory defaults" and you should ok
this is the only way to learn

two good hardware diagnostic programs *( what is onboard , to hunt for drivers)
http://belarc.com/


aida32

http://vintagecomputermanuals.com/FTP/aida32pe_375.zip


and for drivers

www.driverguide.com

you may have to go through a number of drivers before you find one that works

also for older versions ( read less demanding) of programs

www.oldversion.com