The Swamp!

One thing that happens sometimes to just about anyone, is when you forget your administrator password and you can no longer access your Windows XP/2000/2003 machine, or you just wanna hack someone else's :)

Anyhow, there are a few simple and more complicated methods to doing this.

Installing Windows XP is not a difficult tasks, However there are a few things that needs to be taken into consideration here:

1. If you are installing on a current installation, make sure to backup your stuff first, That is all your files and documents and personal data that you saved on the computer.  Programs cannot be saved as they require certain registry and system parameters that are installed during one program's installation.
2. If this is a fresh installation, make sure your PC can take it.  I have seen Pentium 3's with 256mb of RAM do the job fine, but something new and nice would go better :)
3. Make sure you have the product key and all that mumbo-jumbo.

One of the best ways to secure any server, is using something called a "firewall".

One of the most longstanding and popular firewalls is something called IPTABLES. IPTABLES is basically an evolved version of the old IPCHAINS firewall which was the standard firewall which nearly every *nux box ran for years.

Here are some of the main commands any firewall admin has to know.