How To: Repair WMI

Symptoms of the problem

When you try to access a Windows XP-based network computer, you receive an error message that resembles the following:

xxxxxxx is not accessible. You might not have permission to use this network resource. Access is denied.

Note In this error message, xxxxx is the IP address or the computer name of the Windows XP-based computer.

You may experience this issue when you use the IP address or the computer name to access a shared folder that is stored on the Windows XP-based computer. You may also experience this issue when you use My Network Places to access a shared folder in this situation.

Cause:

WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation) is corrupted.

Solution:

Re-install WMI:

This is the one that worked in my case:

Comprehensive rebuild method

Click Start, Run and type the following command, and press ENTER:

rundll32.exe setupapi,InstallHinfSection WBEM 132 %windir%\inf\wbemoc.inf

Insert your Windows XP CD into the drive when prompted. Repair process should take few minutes to complete. Then restart Windows for the changes to take effect.

Other Solutions:

Microsoft's WMI diagnosis utility

Microsoft has released a new diagnosis tool that helps system administrators diagnose and repair problems with the WMI. It is advisable to go through the WMIDiag_ReadMe.doc file to understand how the utility works, and the supported command-line arguments. Here is the download link: The WMI Diagnosis Utility

You may use the utility (WMIDiag.vbs) to find if a repository rebuild is necessary or not. The utility runs a comprehensive testing of WMI and reports the results to a log file, which is placed in the user's Temp folder (%Temp%) folder by default.

Mr. Alain Lissoir [MS] was kind enough to share the following info with me:

If there is a need among all problems detected by WMIDiag to rebuild the repository after attempting all fix suggested by WMIDiag, WMIDiag will list the rebuild of the repository as the last action among thing that can be done (before rebuilding the repository).

Here are some of the useful links that I came across from Alain's homepage:

• Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) Team Blog
• DO NOT DELETE THE REPOSITORY right away! Read this article instead! WMI Isn't Working!

Rebuilding the WMI Repository

If you experience behavior when using WMI, such as application errors or scripts that used to work are no longer working, you may have a corrupted WMI repository. To fix a corrupted WMI repository, you have to reinstall WMI. Follow these steps:

For Windows XP Service Pack 2

Click Start, Run and type the following command:

rundll32 wbemupgd, UpgradeRepository

This command is used to detect and repair a corrupted WMI Repository. The results are stored in the setup.log (%windir%\system32\wbem\logs\setup.log) file.

For Windows Server 2003

Use the following command to detect and repair a corrupted WMI Repository:

rundll32 wbemupgd, RepairWMISetup

On other versions of Windows you can rebuild the Repository by doing the following:

• Click Start, Run and type CMD.EXE
• Type this command and press Enter:

net stop winmgmt

• Using Windows Explorer, rename the folder %windir%\System32\Wbem\Repository. (For example, %windir%\System32\Wbem\Repository_bad.). %windir% represents the path to the Windows directory, which is typically C:\Windows.
• Switch to Command Prompt window, and type the following and press ENTER after each line:

net start winmgmt

EXIT

Courtesy: The above is excerpted from Microsoft Technet article WMI Isn't Working!
© 2007 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Re-registering the WMI components (Ref WMI FAQ)

The .DLL and .EXE files used by WMI are located in %windir%\system32\wbem. You might need to re-register all the .DLL and .EXE files in this directory. If you are running a 64-bit system you might also need to check for .DLLs and .EXE files in %windir%\sysWOW64\wbem.

To re-register the WMI components, run the following commands at the command prompt:

• cd /d %windir%\system32\wbem
• for %i in (*.dll) do RegSvr32 -s %i
• for %i in (*.exe) do %i /RegServer

Note that none of the above two methods restore the missing files related to Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI). So, below is a comprehensive repair procedure that restores all the missing WMI modules. In case of missing WMI modules, you may use the following method.

Comprehensive rebuild method

Important note: If you've installed a Service Pack, you need to insert your Windows XP CD with Service Pack integration (called as the Slipstreamed Windows XP CD). If you don't have one, you may point to the %Windir%\ServicePackFiles\i386 folder for a recent version of the system files required during WMI repair. Or you may create a slipstreamed Windows XP CD and insert it when prompted.

Click Start, Run and type the following command, and press ENTER:

rundll32.exe setupapi,InstallHinfSection WBEM 132 %windir%\inf\wbemoc.inf

Insert your Windows XP CD into the drive when prompted. Repair process should take few minutes to complete. Then restart Windows for the changes to take effect.

http://windowsxp.mvps.org/repairwmi.htm

How To: Install Squid Cache for Windows

Complete Guide on Installing and Configuring Squid Proxy Server for Windows

Here’s another guide again by me to configure / installing Squid Cache Proxy to be an Anonymous Proxy Server and filtering some ads / banners (on Windows not Linux since most Linux users already know about this) :)

• First download Squid 2.6 Stable 1 for Windows from Acme-Consulting and don’t forget to extract it into a directory of your choice, and Download JAP from here. And as a note, i wrote this tutorial using Squid 2.6 Stable 1 so if you’re using Squid 2.5 series there’s some parameters you’ll need to change first in order for it to work

Note: in this tutorial i’ll use G:\Squid as the Squid Directory

• After extracting it into G:\Squid, go into etc directory “G:\Squid\etc” and rename all the .default file into .conf file. For example squid.conf.default -> squid.conf, mime.conf.default -> mime.conf, etc
• Open squid.conf file using your favorite text editor such as Notepad, Ultraedit, etc. and configure it like this (you can change it later) :) but im not going into more detail here since most squid configuration are self explanatory and that’s depending on your hardware too (for example the memory size, cache size, etc). But you can always use this squid.conf directly in your squid configuration without changing any of its parameter as long as you extract squid into G:\Squid directory otherwise you’ll need to change every parameter that include G:\squid into your squid path

# HTTP Port (in this tutorial squid will run on localhost at port 3128)
http_port 127.0.0.1:3128

# ICP Port and HTCP Port (we’ll disable this since we are not going to use it)
icp_port 0
htcp_port 0

# Cache Peer (we’ll forward all request into parent proxy)
cache_peer 127.0.0.1 parent 4001 7 no-query

# Cache directory (in this example i was using 3000 MB / 3 GB space to store squid cache)
cache_dir awin32 g:/squid/var/cache 3000 16 256

# access_log
access_log g:/squid/var/logs/access.log squid

# cache_log
cache_log g:/squid/var/logs/cache.log

# cache_store_log
cache_store_log none

# mime_table
mime_table g:/squid/etc/mime.conf

# pid_filename
pid_filename g:/squid/var/logs/squid.pid

# unlinkd_program
unlinkd_program g:/squid/libexec/unlinkd.exe

# refresh_pattern (you can configure this as you like it, to get more hits from a website)
# note: if you change this parameter “refresh_pattern . 1 100% 20160 reload-into-ims ignore-reload” into something else for
# example like “refresh_pattern . 10 100% 20160 reload-into-ims ignore-reload”
# there’ll be some error on some page (Gamefaqs.com for an example) because the page didnt reload correctly after login into Gamefaqs
refresh_pattern ^http://.*\.gif$ 1440 50% 20160 reload-into-ims
refresh_pattern ^http://.*\.asis$ 1440 50% 20160
refresh_pattern -i \.png$ 10080 150% 40320 reload-into-ims
refresh_pattern -i \.jpg$ 10080 150% 40320 reload-into-ims
refresh_pattern -i \.bmp$ 10080 150% 40320 reload-into-ims
refresh_pattern -i \.gif$ 10080 300% 40320 reload-into-ims
refresh_pattern -i \.ico$ 10080 300% 40320 reload-into-ims
refresh_pattern -i \.swf$ 10080 300% 40320 reload-into-ims
refresh_pattern -i \.flv$ 10080 300% 40320 reload-into-ims
refresh_pattern -i \.rar$ 10080 150% 40320
refresh_pattern -i \.ram$ 10080 150% 40320
refresh_pattern -i \.txt$ 1440 100% 20160 reload-into-ims override-lastmod
refresh_pattern -i \.css$ 1440 60% 20160
refresh_pattern ^http:// 1 100% 20160 reload-into-ims ignore-reload
refresh_pattern ^ftp:// 240 50% 20160
refresh_pattern ^gopher:// 240 40% 20160
refresh_pattern /cgi-bin/ 0 0% 30
refresh_pattern . 0 100% 20160 reload-into-ims

# Deny requests to unknown ports
http_access deny !Safe_ports

# Deny CONNECT to other than SSL ports
http_access deny CONNECT !SSL_ports

# Block access to Malware & ads farm site
# Insert your own rule here by using
# acl blablabla url_regex -i “path to file”
# or
# acl blablabla url_regex “path to file”

http_access allow localhost
http_access deny all
cache_mgr Reaper-X
httpd_suppress_version_string on
visible_hostname Reaper
via off
forwarded_for off
log_icp_queries off
client_db off
never_direct allow all

#Some anonymizing
header_access From deny all
#there’s some website which use referer check
#so its better to disable this
#header_access Referer deny all
header_access WWW-Authenticate deny all
header_access Link deny all
header_access Warning deny all
header_access Via deny all
header_access User-Agent deny all
header_access Proxy-Connection deny all
header_access X-Forwarded-For deny all

Now the next step would be running JAP, configure browsers to use Squid Proxy and start squid and you’re finished …. ;)

http://www.reaper-x.com/2006/07/18/complete-guide-on-installing-and-configuring-squid-proxy-server-for-windows/

Installing Squid Cache for Windows

Linux users mostly already know Squid proxy server as the best and most used proxy server. As on my previous post “Bandwidth Shaping Using Squid Cache and WIPFW” I need a free proxy server for my windows server. I found SquidNT which is ported from its Linux version by Guido Serassio.

You can download SquidNT from Acme Consulting’s website, click here. If you want to do bandwidth shaping then you must download SquidNT with Delay Pool version. On this installation guide, I use the Delay Pool version as I want to do bandwidth shaping.

Step 1: download SquidNT Delay Pool version here: http://squid.acmeconsulting.it/download/squid-2.6.STABLE12-bin-DELAYP.zip

Step 2: extract the zip file and put it on C: drive

Step 3: configure the squid.conf file on /etc folder. There is squid.conf.default you can rename it to squid.conf and edit it.

Step 4: configure the DNS nameserver. On squid.conf find:

# TAG: dns_nameservers
# Use this if you want to specify
# a list of DNS name servers (IP addresses)
# to use instead of those given in your
# /etc/resolv.conf file.
#
# Example: dns_nameservers 10.0.0.1 192.172.0.4
#
#Default:
# none
dns_nameservers 192.168.0.1

To find what is your nameserver is type: ipconfig on command prompt and find the IP number on Default Gateway field. Copy it to your squid.conf file like above.

Step 5: setup ACL

# INSERT YOUR OWN RULE(S) HERE TO ALLOW ACCESS FROM YOUR CLIENTS

# Example rule allowing access from your local networks.
# Adapt to list your (internal) IP networks from
# where browsing should be allowed
#acl our_networks src 192.168.1.0/24 192.168.2.0/24
#http_access allow our_networks
acl our_networks src 192.168.0.0/16
http_access allow our_networks

Here you can setup which network that allowed to use your proxy server. From ipconfig command you can find out what is your IP address, usually it have 192.168.0.x format so you can apply the configuration above.

Step 6: Setup the hostname

# TAG: visible_hostname
# If you want to present a special hostname …
# then define this. Otherwise, the return …
# will be used. If you have multiple caches …
# get errors about IP-forwarding you must …
# names with this setting.
#
#Default:
# none
visible_hostname localhost

Here you can define the name for your hostname, for example you can use “localhost” or “server.youdomain.com”

Step 7: Setup cache directory

Run this command from command prompt: c:\squid\sbin\squid -D –z

Step 8: On Windows XP/2000/2003 you can setup SquidNT as a service

Run this command from command prompt: c:\squid\sbin\squid –i

You can start/stop/restart the service called Squid from: Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services

Step 9: Setup your browser to use proxy server

For Internet Explorer users, go to: Tools > Internet Options. Select Connection tab and click on LAN Settings

On the pop up window you’ll find proxy box, give a check on “Use a proxy server for your LAN…” and fill your server’s IP (where you install SquidNT) on the address field and fill “3128” on port field. 3128 is the default port for SquidNT.

Click Ok to save the configuration. Now try to open a web page and see if you can open it. If you can then the configuration is set correctly.

Step 10: Setup the Delay Pool.

As I want to do bandwidth shaping then I needs to setup the Delay Pool. Here is the configuration:

#
#Default:
# delay_pools 0
delay_pools 1
delay_class 1 1

Then create delay_access:

# delay_access 2 allow lotsa_little_clients
# delay_access 2 deny all
#
#Default:
# none
delay_access 1 allow our_networks
delay_access 1 deny all

Now we setup how much bandwidth we want to allocate. For example, you have 384 Kbps ADSL connection which means you can download at around 40KB/s. Now you want to shape the maximum to around 30KB/s download rate, here is the configuration:

#
#delay_parameters 2 32000/32000 8000/8000 600/8000
#
# There must be one delay_parameters line for each delay pool.
#
#Default:
# none
delay_parameters 1 30000/30000

Step 11: Restart the Squid service from: Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services

Done! Now you have 30KB/s for browsing and another 10KB/s reserved for other internet connection like chatting or streaming radio

Markus

http://markus.revti.com/index.php/2007/06/10/installing-squid-cache-for-windows/

Squid-setup for Windows NT/2K/XP

What is Squid?

· This is an easy setup for the Squid Proxyserver compiled on windows by Guido Serassio.

· full-featured Web proxy cache

· designed to run on Unix systems, this versions runs on WindowsNT -core

· free, open-source software

Do I need Squid?

· No! Nobody needs squid! Yo can get happy without it. But if you need an free web proxy that runs on Windows, this program is an little step to get happy in your life ;-).

· With this version of Squid you can limit access to the web by proxy authentication

· Squid saves bandwith by caching often used web sites.

· More secure: You can limit access to the proxy by ip-ranges etc and only 1 computer needs direct acess to the internet.

· You can filter web sites like xxx.com

Features of this setup

· Runs out of the box

· You can choose between External (dialup) and Internal (LAN) DNS handling good for dialup and LAN conections.

· You don´t need to install it manuall.

· The setup creates an cache with max 100 MB space, if you need more space you have to change this in the squid.conf and build an new cache.

· I have added som little cmd´s for easy controll of the squid service and you can install some at-jobs for automatic maintainance of squid. Rotating log-files before they get too big, this is very important for squid to work 24/7.

Download

Paths with spaces (like C:\Programs Files\Squid) are NOT supported by Squid !!!

HOWTO upgrade from older Squid 2.5 versions to STABLE 5

Howto make an NT-User auth

--!!! New Squid 2.5 Stable 3 Setup english beta !!!--

-!!! New Squid 2.5 Stable 3 Setup deutsch beta !!!--

Squid 2.5 Stable 2 Setup english beta

Squid 2.5 Stable 2 Setup deutsch beta

Squid 2.5 Stable 1 Setup english

Squid 2.5 Stable 1 Setup deutsch

Squid 2.3 Stable 5 Setup english

Squid 2.3 Stable 5 Setup deutsch

· All setups are made with Inno Setup Compiler, Scriptmaker and ISTool

Inno Setupscripts for all Squid versions

http://www.bofi.camelot.de/squid.htm

Installing and configuring SquidNT

Introduction

PaperCut Internet Charging and Quotas requires a proxy server to manage Internet connectivity and log internet usage by your users. Squid is one of the best known proxy servers, and typically is run on a Linux/Unix machine, however in some environments a proxy needs to be run on a Windows machine. Fortunately Squid is available for Windows, and is available for download as the SquidNT package.

(To setup Squid on a Linux/Unix machine and get configure it to authenticate with Windows, see our article Configuring Squid on Linux to authenticate with Active Directory.)

Installing SquidNT

Download the latest version of SquidNT from here.

This guide has been written for 2.5.STABLE14-NT (download). The guide has also been updated to work with Squid 2.6.

Unzip the Squid zip file (e.g. squid-2.5.STABLE14-NT-bin.zip) file to a temporary directory. This will create a folder called squid-2.5.STABLE14-NT-bin\squid. Move the squid subdirectory to a location where you want Squid to be installed. E.g. c:\squid. (NOTE: You cannot install Squid in a directory containing spaces, like C:\Program Files.)

Open a command line window (cmd.exe), and change to the directory you installed Squid to. E.g. cd \squid

Install the Squid service by running the following:

    C:\squid>sbin\squid.exe –i

Setup the default config files by copying the template configuration files in C:\squid. Copy the following three files to C:\squid\etc.

    squid.conf.default      to C:\squid\etc\squid.conf

    mime.conf.default       to C:\squid\etc\mime.conf

    cachemgr.conf.default   to C:\squid\etc\squid.conf

Then create the Squid cache directories by running the following:

    C:\squid>sbin\squid -z

Squid is now ready to start. Start the Squid NT service from the Services Control Panel applet. (Control Panel->Administrative Tools->Services). If Squid starts correctly you will not receive an error, and the cache log file will not contain any errors (C:\squid\var\logs\cache.log).

Configuring user authentication

In this configuration Squid is locked down to not allow any access, so the config file needs to be modified to allow connections to users on the network. Shutdown the Squid service.

Open the Squid config file (C:\squid\etc\squid.conf).

To enable authentication against your Windows domain or Active Directory, add the following to your config file around line 1290. This tells Squid to use NTLM authentication (i.e. automatically login users without prompting for a password).

For Squid 2.5:

    auth_param ntlm program c:/squid/libexec/win32_ntlm_auth.exe

    auth_param ntlm children 5

    auth_param ntlm max_challenge_reuses 0

    auth_param ntlm max_challenge_lifetime 2 minutes

    auth_param ntlm use_ntlm_negotiate on

For Squid 2.6:

    auth_param ntlm program c:/squid/libexec/mswin_ntlm_auth.exe

    auth_param ntlm children 5

Then define an ACL (access control list) entry that allows users on your network to use the proxy if authenticated. Go to approximately line 1830 of the file, and add the lines:

    acl localnet proxy_auth REQUIRED src 192.168.1.0/24

    http_access allow localnet

(But change the IP address mask as appropriate for your network. You can specify multiple network masks by separating them with spaces).

Now restart Squid and ensure that it starts correctly. Configure a browser to use the Squid proxy (port 3128 by default), and try to access an external web site. You should be able to visit the site successfully. To check that the authentication is working correctly open the C:\squid\var\logs\access.log file, and you should see log entries for the web site you visited, and importantly your username in the log file. Below are sample logs from visiting google.com. Note the username vm-domain\administrator, where vm-domain is the name of the domain, and administrator is the name of the user.

    1118015367.061    703 127.0.0.1 TCP_MISS/302 405 GET http://google.com/ vm-domain\administrator DIRECT/216.239.57.99 text/html

    1118015367.749    688 127.0.0.1 TCP_MISS/302 411 GET http://www.google.com/ vm-domain\administrator DIRECT/66.102.7.104 text/html

Allowing access only to members of a Window Group

The next step is to only allow users access if they belong to a Windows security group. This can be used to enforce Internet access policy on your domain, and allow PaperCut to restrict access to users who have used their entire available quota. First we need to add the external ACL types to check for Windows group membership. Go to about line 1396 and add the following:

For Squid 2.5:

    external_acl_type win_domain_group ttl=120 %LOGIN c:/squid/libexec/win32_check_group.exe -G

    external_acl_type win_local_group ttl=120 %LOGIN c:/squid/libexec/win32_check_group.exe

For Squid 2.6:

    external_acl_type win_domain_group ttl=120 %LOGIN c:/squid/libexec/mswin_check_lm_group.exe -G

    external_acl_type win_local_group ttl=120 %LOGIN c:/squid/libexec/mswin_check_lm_group.exe

(The first entry is used to check domain group membership, the second is for local groups. You only have to add the lines you are going to use. Users of PaperCut typically use domain groups, so only the first line would be necessary).

Now we need to define the ACL to only allow access to members of a particular group ( e.g. a domain group called InternetUsers). Go to the line config file where the acl localnet entry was defined (approx line 1850), and replace the previsous ACL definitions with:

    acl localnet proxy_auth REQUIRED src 192.168.1.0/24

    acl InetAllow external win_domain_group InternetUsers

    http_access allow InetAllow

Ensure that you use the IP mask appropriate for your network. In the above example InternetUsers is a domain group. Change the group name as appropriate for your network. If your group is a local group, the use the win_local_group external ACL type instead.

(Make sure you remove the http_access allow localnet line that was defined earlier, otherwise all users on the network will have access, even if they do not belong to the group.)

Restart Squid, and now only members of the InternetUsers group will have access to the Internet via the proxy.

NOTE: If you have the need to deny Internet access for members of another Windows security group, you can set up a InternetDenyGroup the same way as above and then define an InetDeny ACL. You can then specify a http_access deny rule as follows:

    http_access deny InetDeny

Verifying the configuration

Restart Squid (if you have not done so already).

As a user that belongs to the InternetUsers group:

• Make sure the browser is setup to user the proxy (port 3128 by default)
• Browse the Internet for a few minutes (you should be allowed to view all pages).
• Check the C:\squid\var\logs\access.log, and make sure your username is being logged.

As a user that does not belong to the InternetUsers group:

• Make sure the browser is setup to user the proxy (port 3128 by default)
• Try to browse the Internet (you should be denied access by the Squid proxy).
• Check the C:\squid\var\logs\access.log, and make sure you see TCP_DENIED entries that contain the correct username.

If this all works, then you're ready to use PaperCut with SquidNT...

• In Options->Net Charging Options, point PaperCut to the C:\squid\var\logs log directory.
• Set the log file mask to access.log
• And then press the "Test and Apply Settings" button. You should see some summarized net access usage.
  

Log Rotation

Squid NT does not rotate its log files, so on large sites these files will grow very large. We recommend implementing a simple rotation policy which improves the performance of your system and allows easy archiving of old logs.

We have written a simple batch file that performs a log rotation by stopping squid, renaming access.log to access-YYYY-MM-DD.log, and then restarting Squid. Use the Windows Task Scheduler to schedule the following batch file to be run regularly (e.g. daily or weekly). NOTE: Make sure you setup the scheduled task to run as a user with permissions to stop/start the Squid service.

Squid 2.6 changed the name of the Squid service, so make sure you download the correct version of the script.

Download squid-2.5-log-rotate.bat

Download squid-2.6-log-rotate.bat

Troubleshooting

If Squid fails to start then it is best to check the following two log files. They will usually give you a hint about the cause of the problem (e.g. a syntax problem in the squid.conf file).

    C:\squid\sbin\squid.exe.log

    C:\squid\var\logs\cache.log

If you're looking for information about our print management application, please go here.

http://www.papercut.com/kb/Main/InstallingAndConfiguringSquidNTProxy

How To: Videos

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How To: Tie a tie videos

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How To: Guitar Tutorial Video

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How To: Make Wifi Booster Antenna Video

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For more information, please visit www.freeantennas.com

How To: Download Multiple YouTube Videos Video

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For more information, visit tvparadise.info

How To: Capture Streaming Media (Audio and Video)

Streaming Video/Audio FAQ

What is streaming video or audio?
Streaming video or audio is video (as on television) or sound (as on the radio) delivered over the Internet via a modem or broadband connection.

Why is it called "streaming"?
It's called "streaming" because the sound and picture data flow in a digital stream from a server computer to your computer, ready to hear or view in real time, without having to download all of the content before you can enjoy it. It comes to you in a stream of digital bits... hence the term "streaming."

What kinds of streaming audio or video are there?
here are three main streaming media companies (with their media streams):
Real Networks (with Real Media - Real Audio and Real Video)
Microsoft (with Windows Media)
Apple (with QuickTime)

All three provide streaming media players for the Mac and Windows platforms. All three also provide "basic" free players and optional "plus" players that offer extra features - at extra cost. The three media player types vary in cross-compatibility.

Is it possible to capture streaming video and streaming audio?
You can use special software to capture Windows Media Streams and Real Video/Audio Streams, like download manager HiDownload.

Is it possible to resume streaming video/audio recording?
Some programs allow you to resume recording (restart recording from where you left off). For example, you can use HiDownload or WM recorder. However only seekable streams can be resumed. Continuous (live) streams cannot be resumed.

How to protect streaming video/audio from recording?
You can protect your media content by Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology. But screen video capture software and direct audio recording software will allow to record such streams in such cases.

How to make a Recorded ASF File Seekable?
Sometimes the recorded files don't have a seek bar so you cannot Fast Forward or Rewind. This is usually the case for live streams (Internet TV). You can use WM recorder in Seekable mode to save files seekable. Otherwise, you can use the Reprocess function of the same WM recorder to reprocess the file with the Seekable option enabled. A file with the extension .sek.asf will be created when you reprocess.
Do I have to specify connection speed in my streaming audio/video recording software? Specifying your connection speed is particularly important when recording for low speed (Dial-Up) connections. Say for example that your connection speed is 56 K and you're downloading a video clip that has two bit rates (speeds) listed in its header (34 Kbps and 227 Kbps). If you specified your connection speed at 56 K than the 34 K version of the video will be downloaded. This version will have a lower video and audio quality than the 227 K version but it downloads faster. If you select 300 K for your connection speed the better quality 227 K version will be downloaded but at a much lower rate. So, on low speed connections you may have to compromise between quality and speed. Note that multiple bit rates are not always available on the same stream. If your connection speed is lower than the stream bit rate you should probably search for another URL where a lower speed version of the stream is available.

How to record high quality media on slow connections?
High quality video and audio media normally require high speed connections (Cable, DSL). But in many cases you can download high speed media even if you have a slow connection (Dial-Up). For example, HiDownload and WM recorder have such feature.

Is Macromedia's Shockwave a true streaming media player?
Many Web sites use Macromedia's Flash/Shockwave for audio and visual effects, but it's not a true streaming media player. It is popular because it can display short audio and video clips quickly, without a long waiting period. The Shockwave browser plug-in is available as a short and free download. QuickTime can also display Shockwave.

What difference does it make if content is streamed, rather than downloaded?
Audio and video files can be very large. You would spend many minutes or even hours waiting for them to be downloaded to your computer if they weren't streamed. Streaming media technology allows you to see or hear the content in just a few seconds, instead of having to wait for it. Your only wait is a few seconds for a "buffer" to be built up that helps avoid interruptions caused by Internet traffic problems. In the majority of cases streaming media is used to maintain control over the distribution of the media files (because it is difficult to capture streaming video and audio).

What special equipment do I need to watch streaming audio or video?
You only need a computer with a Web connection (minimum 28.8 Kbps modem) and capable of playing audio or video, plus player software that can receive and process audio/video streams. You may already have such software on your computer, but if not, it is available as a free download from Real.com, Media Player or Quicktime.

How can I tell if I have everything I need?
Most recent computers will have everything needed. If you have speakers/earphones for your computer and you've heard them play sound, chances are you're okay. The faster your online connection (modem, cable, DSL) and computer speed (in megahertz), the higher the quality of the streaming audio or video will be. A 56 Kbps modem is a practical minimum for video.

Can I receive streaming media via Web TV?
Earlier versions of Web TV can't receive streaming media, but some later versions can. You should check your manual or ask the Web TV folks to see if your model supports streaming video/audio.
If I need a player, how do I get one? Just download it using the links are below! Remember, you only need the basic, free version of each player to enjoy streaming content. All of these companies sell upgraded versions with more features, but all supply a basic, free version too. They usually hide the free one, so don't buy the upgraded version unless you want to. Once you've downloaded the player, it will usually install itself. You may need to reset your browser preferences to use a new player.

• Download Windows Media Player• Download RealOne Player• Download QuickTime• Download Shockwave Player

Is there any downside to streaming? There are some potential problems, but we'll tell you how to avoid or minimize them.

-Traffic jams. Streaming requires an Internet connection that's free of bottlenecks or "traffic jams." But the Internet isn't a direct pipeline from the source to you. Streamed content passes through many other computers on its way to your computer via your ISP. If any one of them is carrying too much other traffic, the streamed content may be interrupted and pause. Streamed content is "buffered" to help avoid this, but sometimes it's unavoidable. Usually the delay only lasts a few seconds, and the audio picks up where it stopped. Video is more sensitive to such interruptions.
-A slow computer. Even with a fast computer, if you have too many applications open, it could slow down your media streaming. If you notice things are sluggish, close all unnecessary applications and windows running on your computer. Just keep your Web browser and your media player open. (If you're just listening or watching, you can even close your browser.) In any case, speedy computers are better.
-Noisy phone lines. If you have a phone line that isn't free of noise (humming, crackling), that's not good for streaming (or Web browsing). Disconnect any phones that cause a buzz or hum. Have your phone company check your line to get rid of humming or other line noise. Of course, a cable modem or DSL connection is best for streaming media.

What are RTSPU, RTSPT, MMSU, MMST protocols?
RTSP protocol is the default protocol for streaming Windows Media. RTSP protocol is also used for streaming Real Video/Real Audio, streaming QuickTime video (.mov, .mp4, .sdp streams). MMS protocol is used for streaming Windows Media only.
RTSP using UDP is called RTSPU
RTSP using TCP is called RTSPT
MMS using UDP is called MMSU
MMS using TCP is called MMST

What to do with non-recordable streams and DRM protected streams? You can use screen video capture software like Mr.Captor and direct audio recording software in case of non-recordable streams or DRM protected streams.
Record password protected streams
Record Streaming Media
Protocol rollover problem: RTSP - MMS - HTTP
How to Record ASF stream / Download ASF stream / Capture ASF streaming / Save ASF file - ASF Recorder FAQ
How to Record ASF stream from ASX metafile / Download streams from ASX / Capture streaming from ASX / Save streamed content from ASX metafile as a file [RTSP, MMS, HTTP protocols] - ASX Recorder FAQ
How to Record WMV stream / Download WMV streams / Capture WMV streaming / Save streamed WMV as a file [RTSP, MMS, HTTP protocols] - WMV Recorder FAQ
How to Record WVX stream / Download WVX streams / Capture WVX streaming / Save streamed WVX as a file [RTSP, MMS, HTTP protocols] - WVX Recorder FAQ
Recording Streaming Video and Audio: Windows Media Player (asx, wmx, wvx, wax, asx, wmx, wvx, wax) [RTSP, MMS, HTTP protocols] - How to download/save/capture/record media streams from Windows Media Player
Recording Streaming Video and Audio: RealPlayer (RealOne Player)(rm, ra, ram, smil) [RTSP, PNM, HTTP protocols] - How to download/save/capture/record media streams from Real Player
Record Streaming Video: The Best Software to Record Video Streams
How to Fix broken Real Media File
How to Fix broken Windows Media File

http://emoney.al.ru/capture-streaming-video-and-audio/faq-streaming-video-audio.htm

Capture streaming video and audio (record streaming media)How to record/download/store/save/capture stream on the Internet.When talking about broadband streaming, the phrases 'capturing streaming video', 'recording streaming video', 'downloading streaming video', 'saving streaming video' all refer to the same process of keeping the streamed image on a hard drive in a format that allows you to play it back again and again.Broadband streams like live streaming video, streaming news video, streaming movies, streaming music videos can be captured, recorded, downloaded with special software (Stream Ripper or Stream Recorder):

All Streaming Video Recording Software

How to Capture streaming Real Media or Windows Media (Video and Audio streams)

How to Capture streaming video and audio: Downloading Windows Media streamsSaving asf, asx, wmv, wvx to hard drive [RTSP, HTTP, MMS] (Recording Windows Media Player streams)

How to Capture streaming video and audio: Downloading Real Media streamsSaving Real Video and Real Audio Streams (ram, rm, ra, smil) to hard drive [RTSP, HTTP, PNM] (Recording Real Player and Real One Player Streams)

HiDownload: the best download manager which allows to Capture Streaming Video and Audio (Windows Media, Real Video, Real Audio streams) with resuming capability and multiple threads

How to Record screen (Record Webcam Video and None-recordable Streaming Video to Hard Disk)
How to record sound played back through your sound cardHow to record sound played back through your sound card and any other sound sources like microphone, VCR, Audio tape player etc (including audio streams recording).

How to record sound played back through your sound card
Where to download music and movies free

Free internet radio stations (over 10,000 live radio stations, Millions of audio and video streams)
Free internet television (over 1000 TV, video channels, web cams)

FAQ
Streaming Video/Audio FAQ

Music download services
AllOfMp3 - cheap legal music downloads: lossy MP3, AAC, WMA, OGG and lossless Monkey Audio, FLAC, OptimFrog formats.

http://emoney.al.ru/capture-streaming-video-and-audio/

How To: Change or recover Joomla Administrator password

TeachmeJoomla provides you this online recovery tool. This helps you set a new Joomla password for administrator by running SQL code on the database.

This is the Joomla administrator password recovery form.

This generates the sql code to overwrite your Joomla password with a new password typed in this form.
You need to run the generated sql code in PHPMyAdmin or your favorite MySQL interface.

We do not save or give away these passwords.This is Javascript code and it runs on your own machine.
Any questions are welcome at teachme [at] teachmejoomla[dot] com. Enjoy!

For more details: http://www.teachmejoomla.net/joomla/mambo-tutorials-and-howtos/general-questions/how-to-change-or-recover-joomla-administrator-password.html

Select your Joomla database from the drop-down list on the left, then click "SQL" from the top menu. Next we enter a MySQL query which will reset the username and password.

For Joomla versions up to 1.0.12 enter the following query and click "Go"
UPDATE `jos_users` SET `name` = 'admin', `password` = '21232f297a57a5a743894a0e4a801fc3' WHERE `id` =62 LIMIT 1 ;

For Joomla version 1.0.13 enter the following query and click "Go"
UPDATE `jos_users` SET `name` = 'admin', `password` = 'af9083d4b82dbc0745b124db3b3cf15d:M0WuLowO4rtRTddG' WHERE `id` =62 LIMIT 1 ;

Note-: If you're running an older version of Joomla or Mambo, you might need to change jos_users to mos_users.

http://tutorials.ausweb.com.au/web/Tutorials/Joomla-FAQ/Resetting-Joomla-Super-Administrator-Password/

How to Reset Your Lost Joomla Password in 6 Easy Steps

Before we begin, you must have access to your database. If you don't, pass these instructions on to someone that does. It's also a good idea to backup your database before making changes, just in case something goes awry.

Finding the Password

Log in to your Joomla database (via phpMyAdmin for example)

Click to edit the _users database (will be preceded by your account name, for example: example_users

Edit the entry for where usertype = "Super Administrator" (should be the first record)

Resetting the Password
In the password field you'll notice a string of characters. Joomla uses a one-way encoding method, which means you won't be able to retrieve your old password. However, you will be able to reset the password to a new one following these simple steps:

Visit MD5Encrypter.com
Pick a new password and type it into the "encode" box; then click "md5er encode."

Copy and paste your new md5 password into the password record in the Super Admin password field and save.

Voila - you just successfully reset your Joomla password Go to your joomla domain at example.com/administrator and try logging in with the new password. You should be logged in as Super Administrator.

http://community.contractwebdevelopment.com/joomla-how-to-reset-super-admin-password

What is: Time Management?

Time management is commonly defined as the management of time in order to make the most out of it.[1]

But in a 2001 interview, David Allen observed:
You can't manage time, it just is. So "time management" is a mislabeled problem, which has little chance of being an effective approach. What you really manage is your activity during time, and defining outcomes and physical actions required is the core process required to manage what you do.

Time management can refer to all of the practices that individuals follow to make better use of their time, but such a definition could range over such diverse areas as the selection and use of personal electronic devices, time and motion study[2], self-awareness, and indeed a great deal of self-help. As narrowly defined, it refers to principles and systems that individuals use to make conscious decisions about the activities that occupy their time.

In First Things First, Stephen R. Covey and his co-authors offered a categorization scheme for the hundreds of time management approaches that they reviewed:
- First generation: reminders (based on clocks and watches, but with computer implementation possible) can be used to alert of the time when a task is to be done.
- Second generation: planning and preparation (based on calendar and appointment books) includes setting goals.
- Third generation: planning, prioritizing, controlling (using a personal organizer, other paper-based objects, or computer- or PDA-based systems) activities on a daily basis. This approach implies spending some time in clarifying values and priorities.
- Fourth generation: being efficient and proactive (using any tools above) places goals and roles as the controlling element of the system and favors importance over urgency.

In an alternative classification scheme, the same authors characterize several approaches taken in the time management literature paraphrased as:
- "Get Organized" - paperwork and task triage
- "Protect Your Time" - insolate, isolate, delegate
- "Achieve through Goal Focus" - motivational emphasis
- "Work in Priority Order" - set goals and prioritize
- "Use Magical Tools to Get More Out of Your Time" - depends on when written
- "Master the Skills of Time Management"
- "Go with the Flow" - natural rhythms, Eastern philosophy
- "Recover from Bad Time Habits" - recovery from psychological problems underlying, e.g. procrastination

Task list

A task list (also to-do list) is a list of tasks to be completed, such as chores or steps toward completing a project. It is an inventory tool that serves as an alternative to memory.

Task lists are used in self-management, grocery lists, business management, project management, and software development. It may involve more than one list.

When you accomplish one of the items on a task list, you check it off or cross it off. The traditional method is to write these on a piece of paper with a pen or pencil, usually on a note pad or clip-board. Numerous software equivalents are now available, and many popular e-mail clients include task list applications, as do most PDAs. There are also several web-based task list applications, many of which are free.

Task list organization

Task lists are often tiered. The simplest tiered system includes a general to-do list (or task-holding file) to record all the tasks the person needs to accomplish, and a daily to-do list which is created each day by transferring tasks from the general to-do list.

Task lists are often prioritized:
- An early advocate of "ABC" prioritization was Alan Lakein (See Books below.). In his system "A" items were the most important ("A-1" the most important within that group), "B" next most important, "C" least important. - A particular method of applying the ABC method[3] assigns "A" to tasks to be done within a day, "B" a week, and "C" a month.
- To prioritize a daily task list, one either records the tasks in the order of highest priority, or assigns them a number after they are listed ("1" for highest priority, "2" for second highest priority, etc.) which indicates in which order to execute the tasks. The latter method is generally faster, allowing the tasks to be recorded more quickly.

Alternatives to Prioritizing:
A completely different approach which argues against prioritising altogether was put forward by British author Mark Forster in his book "Do It Tomorrow and Other Secrets of Time Management". This is based on the idea of operating "closed" to-do lists, instead of the traditional "open" to-do list. He argues that the traditional never-ending to-do lists virtually guarantees that some of your work will be left undone. His approach advocates getting all your work done, every day, and if you are unable to achieve it helps you diagnose where you are going wrong and what needs to change.

Software applications
Modern task list applications may have built-in task hierarchy (tasks are composed of subtasks which again may contain subtasks)[4], may support multiple methods of filtering and ordering the list of tasks, and may allow to associate arbitrarily long notes for each task.
In contrast to the concept of allowing the person to use multiple filtering methods, at least one new software product additionally contains a mode where the software will attempt to dynamically determine the best tasks for any given moment.[5]
Task list applications may be thought of as lightweight personal information manager or project management software.

Resistors

- Fear of change: Change can be daunting and one may be afraid to change what's proven to work in the past.
- Uncertainty: Even with the change being inevitable, one may be hesitant as being not sure where to start. Uncertainty about when or how to begin making a change can be significant.
- Time pressure: To save time, one has to invest time, and this time investment may be a cause of concern. Fearing that changing may involve more work at the start -- and thus, in the very short term, make things worse -- is a common resistor.
- Lack of will power: Why change if one really does not need to? The greatest problem is a lack of will.

Drivers

- Increased effectiveness: One may feel the need to make more time so as to be more effective in performing the job and carrying out responsibilities.
- Performance improvement: Time management is an issue that often arises during performance appraisals or review meetings.
- Personal development: One may view changing the approach to time management as a personal development issue and reap the benefit of handling time differently at work and at home.
- Increased responsibilities: A change in time-management approach may become necessary as a result of a promotion or additional responsibilities. Since there is more work to do, and still the same amount of time to do it in, the approach must change.

Caveats

Dwelling on the lists

- According to Sandberg[6], task lists "aren't the key to productivity [that] they're cracked up to be". He reports an estimated "30% of listers spend more time managing their lists than [they do] completing what's on them".
- This could be caused by procrastination: by prolonging the planning activity, the individual avoids the tasks he should be doing by creating the illusion that he's still necessarily preparing for them.This is akin to analysis paralysis. As with any activity, there's a point of diminishing returns. For a task system to be efficient and effective, the user must recognize this, conquer his or her procrastination, and focus on completing the tasks.

Rigid adherence

- Hendrickson asserts[7] that rigid adherence to task lists can create a "tyranny of the to-do list" that forces one to "waste time on unimportant activities".
- Again, the point of diminishing returns applies here too, but toward the size of the task. Some level of detail must be taken for granted for a task system to work. Rather than put "clean the kitchen", "clean the bedroom", and "clean the bathroom", it is more efficient to put "housekeeping" and save time spent writing and reduce the system's administrative load (each task entered into the system generates a cost in time and effort to manage it, aside from the execution of the task). The risk of consolidating tasks, however, is that "housekeeping" in this example may prove overwhelming or nebulously defined, which will either increase the risk of procrastination, or a mismanaged project.
- Listing routine tasks wastes time. If you are in the habit of brushing your teeth every day, then there is no reason to put it down on the task list. The same goes for getting out of bed, fixing meals, etc. If you need to track routine tasks, then a standard list or chart may be useful, to avoid the procedure of manually listing these items over and over.
- To remain flexible, a task system must allow adaptation, in the form of rescheduling in the face of unexpected problems and opportunities, to save time spent on irrelevant or less than optimal tasks.
- To avoid getting stuck in a wasteful pattern, the task system should also include regular (monthly, semi-annual, and annual) planning and system-evaluation sessions, to weed out inefficiencies and ensure the user is headed in the direction he or she truly desires.
- If some time is not regularly spent on achieving long-range goals, the individual may get stuck in a perpetual holding pattern on short-term plans, like staying at a particular job much longer than originally planned.
Set goals for oneself and work on achieving these goals. Some people study in different ways so you are to find out how you are able to study and put that into action. Some people are able to understand their work if they can see it. Some need to touch and feel whatever is being spoken about in the book. Some people need to see what they are studying in order to understand what is coming out of the book.

Techniques for setting priorities

ABC analysis
A technique that has been used in business management for a long time is the categorization of large data into groups. These groups are often marked A, B, and C—hence the name. Activities that are perceived as having highest priority are assigned an A, those with lowest priority are labeled C. ABC analysis can incorporate more than three groups. ABC analysis is frequently combined with Pareto analysis.

Pareto analysis
This is the idea that 80% of tasks can be completed in 20% of the disposable time. The remaining 20% of tasks will take up 80% of the time. This principle is used to sort tasks into two parts. According to this form of Pareto analysis it is recommended that tasks that fall into the first category be assigned a higher priority.
The 80-20-rule can also be applied to increase productivity: it is assumed that 80% of the productivity can be achieved by doing 20% of the tasks. If productivity is the aim of time management, then these tasks should be prioritized higher.

Fit
Essentially, fit is the congruence of the requirements of a task (location, financial investment, time, etc.) with the available resources at the time. Often people are constrained by externally controlled schedules, locations, etc., and "fit" allows us to maximize our productivity given those constraints. For example, if one encounters a gap of 15 minutes in their schedule, it is typically more efficient to complete a task that would require 15 minutes, than to complete a task that can be done in 5 minutes, or to start a task that would take 4 weeks. This concept also applies to time of the day: free time at 7am is probably less usefully applied to the goal of learning the drums, and more productively a time to read a book. Lastly, fit can be applied to location: free time at home would be used differently from free time at work, in town, etc.

POSEC METHOD
POSEC is an acronym for Prioritize by Organizing, Streamlining, Economizing and Contributing.
The method dictates a template which emphasises an average individual's immediate sense of emotional and monetary security. It suggests that by attending to one's personal responsibilities first, an individual is better positioned to shoulder collective responsibilities.
Inherent in the acronym is a hierarchy of self-realization which mirrors Abraham Maslow's "Hierarchy of needs".
1. PRIORITIZE-Your time and define your life by goals.
2. ORGANIZING-Things you have to accomplish regularly to be successful. (Family and Finances)
3. STREAMLINING-Things you may not like to do, but must do. (Work and Chores)
4. ECONOMIZING-Things you should do or may even like to do, but they're not pressingly urgent. (Past-times and Socializing)
5. CONTRIBUTING-By paying attention to the few remaining things that make a difference. (Social Obligations)

The Eisenhower Method
All tasks are evaluated using the criteria important/unimportant and urgent/not urgent and put in according quadrants. Tasks in unimportant/not urgent are dropped, tasks in important/urgent are done immediately and personally, tasks in unimportant/urgent are delegated and tasks in important/not urgent get an end date and are done personally. This method is said to have been used by US President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and is outlined in a quote attributed to him: What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important.[

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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This article is about the book by David Allen. For other uses, see Getting Things Done (disambiguation).

Getting Things Done (commonly abbreviated as GTD) is an action management method of The David Allen Company, registered trademarks of The David Allen Company, and the title of the book which describes the method by David Allen.[1]

GTD rests on the principle that a person needs to move tasks out of the mind by recording them somewhere. That way, the mind is freed from the job of remembering everything that needs to be done, and can concentrate on actually performing those tasks. What distinguishes GTD from other time- or action-management systems is the idea of grouping tasks by the context (defined as a place or set of available resources) in which they are to be performed.

How does GTD work?

GTD is strictly defined by David Allen on his website [1]. Unlike other time management experts, Allen does not begin by emphasizing setting priorities. Instead, he promotes two key elements in time management — control and perspective. Allen advocates three major models for gaining control and perspective:
1. A workflow process
2. A framework with 6 levels of focus
3. A natural planning method

The first major model is the workflow process, which is used to gain control over all the tasks and commitments which one needs or wants to get done.[2]:20 The workflow process consists of five distinct phases:
1. Collect
2. Process
3. Organize
4. Review
5. Do

While one is processing tasks, Allen suggests that any new task which can be completed in less than two minutes should be done immediately.

Allen uses an airplane analogy to illustrate his second major model, 6 different levels of focus, and give perspective on tasks and commitments. These 6 levels of focus, from the bottom up, are [2]:51 :
1. Current actions
2. Current projects
3. Areas of responsibility
4. Yearly goals
5. 5 year vision
6. Life goals

The bottom level — your current to do list — is at "runway" height, and the top level — Life Goals — is at 50,000 feet, with the other 4 areas of focus at various heights between the two. Considering projects, actions, open loops, and other "input" from a variety of "heights" gives one varying perspective.

Allen strongly advocates doing a weekly review process which utilizes the different levels of focus. The perspective gained from utilizing these different levels of focus should drive one's priorities, which in turn determines the priority of when and if one is to do the particular individual tasks and commitments gathered during the workflow process. During this weekly review, the user also determines the context for the tasks and places them on the appropriate lists. Examples of grouping together similar tasks include making a list of telephone calls to make or errands to do while downtown. Context lists can be defined by the set of tools available or by the presence of individuals or groups for whom one has items to discuss or present.

Allen expects that the first two models are sufficient most of the time to gain control and perspective on the majority of tasks and projects. However, there are some cases in which more involved planning and thinking are necessary.[2]:54 This leads to the third major model, which is the natural planning method. While the workflow model has a "horizontal" focus on doing individual tasks, the natural planning method has a "vertical" focus on planning projects and thinking through topics.

The planning model consists of 5 stages which are:
1. Defining the purpose
2. Envisioning the outcome
3. Brainstorming
4. Organizing
5. Identifying next actions

The psychology of GTD is based on making it easy to store, track and retrieve all the information related to the things you need to get done. Allen suggests that many of the mental blocks we encounter in regard to doing certain activities are caused by insufficient 'front-end' planning (i.e., for any project we need to clarify what is to be achieved and what specific actions are needed to achieve it). It is most practical, according to Allen, to do this thinking in advance, generating a series of actions which we can later undertake without any further planning.

Allen also contends that our mental "reminder system" is rather inefficient and seldom reminds us of what we need to do at the time and place that we can do it. Consequently, the "next actions" stored by context in the "trusted system" act as an external support which ensures that we are presented with the right reminders at the right time. There are many associated personal management tips and tricks detailed in Getting Things Done which can be useful for implementing the workflow described by Allen.

A capsule description of GTD from Allen's book Ready for Anything:

“Get everything out of your head. Make decisions about actions required on stuff when it shows up — not when it blows up. Organize reminders of your projects and the next actions on them in appropriate categories. Keep your system current, complete, and reviewed sufficiently to trust your intuitive choices about what you're doing (and not doing) at any time.”

Principles
The core principles of GTD are:

Collect

Capture everything that is necessary to track, remember, or act on in what Allen calls a bucket: a physical inbox, an email inbox, a tape recorder, a notebook, a PDA, or any combination of these. The idea here is to get everything out of one's head and into a collection device, ready for processing. All buckets should be emptied (processed) at least once per week.

Allen doesn't advocate any preferred collection method, leaving the choice to the individual. He only insists upon the importance of emptying the "buckets" regularly. Any storage space (physical inbox, email inbox, tape recorder, notebook, PDA, etc) that is inspected regularly by the individual is acceptable.

Process

When processing an inbox, a strict workflow is followed:
- Start at the top.
- Deal with one item at a time.
- Never put anything back into 'in'.
- If an item requires action:
- Do it (if it takes less than two minutes), OR
- Delegate it, OR
- Defer it.
- If an item does not require action:
- File it for reference, OR
- Throw it away, OR
- Incubate it for possible action later.

If it would take less than 2 minutes to do something, just do it immediately. Two minutes is a guideline, roughly the time it would take to defer the action formally.

Organize

Allen describes a suggested set of lists which can be used to keep track of items awaiting attention:
- Next actions — For every item requiring attention, decide what is the next action that can be physically taken on that item. For example, if the item is, "Write project report," the next action might be, "Email Fred for meeting minutes," or, "Call Mary to ask about report requirements." Though there may be many steps and actions required to complete the item, there will always be something that needs to be done first, and this step should be recorded in the next actions list. Preferably, these steps are organized by the context in which they can be done, such as "in the office," "by the phone," or "at the store."
- Projects — Every open loop in one's life or work which requires more than one physical action to achieve becomes a project. These projects are tracked and periodically reviewed to make sure that every project has a next action associated with it, and thus can be moved forward.
- Waiting for — When an action has been delegated to someone else, or when one is waiting for some external event before a project can be moved forward, this is tracked in the system and periodically checked to see if action is due, or a reminder needs to be sent.
- Someday/Maybe — Things to be done at some point, but not right now. Examples might be "learn Chinese," or, "take diving holiday."

A calendar is important for keeping track of appointments and commitments; however, Allen specifically recommends that the calendar be reserved for the hard landscape: things which absolutely have to be done by a particular deadline, or meetings and appointments which are fixed in time and place. To-do items should be reserved for the next action lists.

A final key organizing component of GTD is the filing system. A filing system must be easy, simple and fun. Even a single piece of paper, if needed for reference, should get its own file if it doesn't belong in an existing folder. Allen suggests a single, alphabetically organized filing system, in order to make it as quick and easy as possible to store and retrieve the needed information.

Review

The lists of actions and reminders will be of little use if not reviewed at least daily, or whenever possible. Given the time, energy and resources available at that particular moment, decide what is the most important thing to be doing right now, and do it. If one is inclined to procrastinate, one may end up always doing the easy tasks and avoiding the difficult ones. To solve this, one can decide to do the actions of the list one by one, following their order, just like processing an inbox.

At least weekly, the discipline of GTD requires that all your outstanding actions, projects and 'waiting for' items are reviewed, making sure that any new tasks or forthcoming events are entered into your system, and that everything is up to date. Allen suggests the creation of a "tickler file" in order to help refresh one's memory each week with the outstanding tasks and projects.

Do

Any organizational system is no good if all the time is spent organizing tasks instead of actually doing them. David Allen's contention is that if one can make it simple, easy, and fun to take the necessary actions, one will be less inclined to procrastinate or become overwhelmed with too many 'open loops'.

Tools and techniques

Tickler file

One device that Allen suggests is the tickler file for organizing your paperwork (also known as the '43 folders'). Twelve folders are used to represent each month and an additional 31 folders are used to represent each day. The folders are arranged to help remind you of activities to be done that day. Each day you open to the numbered folder representing today's date. You take all the items out of the folder and put the empty folder into the next month. This sort of management allows you to file hardcopy reminders to yourself. For instance, if you had a concert on the 12th of the month, you would store the tickets in the 12th folder, and when the 12th came around, they would be there waiting for you.

Software tools for GTD

Software tools were specifically suggested by Allen as helpful and important for implementing GTD, including digital outlining, brainstorming, and project planning applications. However, in 2001, Allen bemoaned the general lack of "good 'project management' tools," concluding:

... less structured and more functional applications will emerge in the coming years, based on the ways we naturally think and plan.[3]

Since then there has been a virtual explosion of GTD-supporting software, fulfilling that prediction and underscoring the influence of GTD on the world of time management. Much of this software specifically supports Getting Things Done methodology by simplifying or automating the collecting, processing, organizing, reviewing, and doing of tasks and projects. In fact, as of December 2007, at least 69 software tools for a wide range of platforms and devices are noted as directly supporting GTD to one extent or another. (See Comparison of GTD Software.) These software tools range from simple list managers for individuals to web-based applications for teams, both free and commercial, for nearly all popular platforms and devices, with features ranging from keyboard shortcuts to computer-assisted prioritization of tasks and projects.

Reception

In 2005 Wired Magazine called GTD "A new cult for the info age," describing the enthusiasm for this methodology among Information Technology and knowledge workers as a kind of cult following. Allen's ideas have also been popularized through the internet, especially via blogs.

Some followers of GTD advocate a 'back-to-basics' approach to personal management, and a rejection of over-engineered, high-tech solutions in favor of simple, inexpensive tools such as the Hipster PDA, NextActionCards, or even the Moleskine paper pad. However, David Allen himself is a happy user of a Palm PDA. In his FAQ he says he uses the software it came with and records "events of the day" on paper to be processed later.

In 2005, Ben Hammersley interviewed David Allen for The Guardian, with an article called Meet the man who can bring order to your universe, saying "For me, as with the hundreds of thousands around the world who press the book into their friends' hands with fire in their eyes, Allen's ideas are nothing short of life-changing."

In 2007 Time Magazine called Getting Things Done the self-help business book of its time, a contrast to the notion that GTD has only a niche following of zealous enthusiasts.

In 2007 Wired ran a long article about GTD and Allen, quoting him as saying "the workings of an automatic transmission are more complicated than a manual transmission, [t]o simplify a complex event, you need a complex system." The author, Gary Wolf dug into the roots of GTD, covering Allen's stay in a mental hospital and his encounter with several New Age gurus, including Sri John-Roger who created the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness, a church of which Allen is still a minister.

References

^ Getting Things Done and GTD are registered trademarks of the David Allen Company.
^ a b c Allen, David (2001). Getting things done : the art of stress-free productivity. New York: Viking. ISBN 9780670889068.
^ GTD (2001) p. 219-221.